to discerne betwene leprye and leprye But I woulde not thee to be disceaued in that opinion Forasmuche that thou art ashamed to be confessed before our Lordes vicare consumed through shame or styffenecked through disdayne For euen so his iudgement oughte to be obayde whome the Lorde hath not disdayned to set to be his deputie Therefore thou shalte desyre the preiste to come to the and make hym onelye partener of thy conscience Vide august De. uisitac infirmorum Liber ii Cap. iiii Lib. i. cap. ii The remission and forgeuenesse of synnes by penaunce is an harde and a difficulte waye when the synner doth washe his couche in teares For teares are vnto hym breade bothe daye and nyght And when he is not ashamed to shew his synnes to the preist of the Lorde Origen in leuiticum homilium ii A certayne kynde of heretikes called nouatians when they denyed the preistes had power to bynde and loose synnes they sayde they deferred reuerence and honor therof vnto the Lorde to whome alone is reserued power or auctorite of remittynge synnes yea thei coulde do no greater Iniury to any man then they whiche would breake the commaundement of hym and to restrayne the auctoritie geuen and graunted Ambros de penitentia lib. i. cap. ii ¶ Of prayinge to saynctes ALl the saynctes that depart out of this life hauinge yet charitie and loue towardes them that are in this worlde it shall not be conueniente if they be sayde to take or execute diligent of or aboute their helpe and to ayd them with their prayers and intercession before God For it is written in the bookes of the Machabees on this wyse Here is Hieremye the prophet of God which prayeth alwayes for the people Origen in his .iii. Homilye O blessed Iob alwayes liuinge with God and a continuall conquerer and veynequissher before oure Lord the kynge praye for vs miserable synners Origen in his ii boke I wyll beginne to fall vpon my knees and desier all the saynctes to helpe me that dare not my selfe desire God for the excesse of my sinne O holy sainctes I earnestly pray you with teares and weping full of sorowe that ye fall downe prostrate for me miserable synner before the mercy of God Origen in lamento statim abinijtio Alas that euer I was borne father Abraham intreate thou for me that I be not put awaye from thy costes whiche I haue greatlye desired not worthelye surelye because of my greate synne Origen ibidem sublamenti finem The innocent children slayne of Herode haue the cheifest rowme amonge the sainctes and be familiare neighbours beynge preuye of the deuyne secrettes do entreate Gods clemencye for our trauelles c. And so they from the cradelles transelate into heauen are made councellours and Iudges of the supernall palace optayninge pardon for synne not deseruyd c. Cypri Ser. de stella et Magi. Let vs remember one a nother that are of one harte and of one mynde Let vs allwaye praye on bothe partes for our selues and cease with mutuall loue the prolixte anguyshe and troble of hart and if any of vs depart fyrst from hence with hast as it shall please God let our loue contynew allway with God let not prayer cease before the mercy of God the father for your brethern and systers alyue Saynt Cypriane i. lib. i. Epistle I wolde be now in those places where these bōdes of Paule other are sayde to be wolde worshippe worthely those men whiche were of souche desyer toward christ I wolde desyer to se those chaynes whiche truely the deuylles do feare tremble at but the Angelles do honor or worshippe there Ioan. chrisost homilium .viii. in ca. iiii Ephe. O Michaell the prince of the heauenly warre we vnworthy desyre the now that thou wilt helpe vs with thy prayers defendynge vs vnder the shadow of thy wynges of thy nature that is vncorporate We fall doune prostrate and withoute intermyssion we call vnto the delyuer vs from all perilles and daungers as the prynce of heauenly power c. D. Ioan Chriso Ex missa O mother of God all thinges are gloriouse in the sealed with a secret chastytie and kept in virginitie thou arte knowne a mother withoute any dyssayte whiche truely brought forthe our Lorde we beseche the to praye humbly vnto hym that he wolde saue our soules Chriso in eadem missa O mother of God for as moche as thou excellest all thinges that were made we that are not able worthely to prayse the we beseche the frely to haue mercy vpon vs vndeserued Chriso in eadem missa O father Nicholas be thou imbassadoure before oure Lorde Christ that we maye optayne saluacion for our soules Chriso in eadem missa The bodyes of saintes and the Relyckes of the blessed martyrs as the mēbers of Christ are to be honored moste purely and we beleue the churches dedicate to their names ought to be gone vnto with moste Godly affertion and faithfull deuocion as holy placys estemyd to Godly honor if any man shall chaunce to be agaynst this opinion is not thought a Christen man but to be one of the Eunominians and Vigilantians Aug. ex ecclesiasticorn̄ dogmatu ca. lxxiii If we will come to the company of martyrs or preistes let vs thinke vpon the folowynge of the martyrs for they ought to knowe some thinge in vs of their vertues that they maye vochsaue to praye to our Lorde for vs. Aug. De martiribus Sermo ii et iii Honor with sobriete the byrth of sainctes that we maye folowe them whiche wente before vs and that they maye reioyse of vs whiche praye for vs that the blessynge of our Lorde maye alwayes contynew So be it and God graūt it so to be D Aug. in psal lxxxiiiii We pray not for martyrs but they praye for vs. D. Aug. in euang tracta lxxxiiii When our soules desyeryth any thinge according to goddes will and that to be geuen of God by the saintes whether they require it with the harte tongue or voyce the soules of saintes whiche is all one for them to heare and to se and contrary wise to see or to heare beholdynge not the voyces but the wordes they optayned of God for them those thinges that they desyered it for S. Austen of knowleage of true lyfe the .xxxix. where he toucheth how the soules of sayntes are vnderstanded to here the prayers of the liuing to help thē Thexamples of iust mē therfore ar set forth not that we shulde be iustified of thē but that we folowynge them shoulde be made righteouse also of their iustifier D. aug de catechisandus rudi ca. 7 you therefore whiche haue deserued to be made pertakers of the heauenly cytye and to take the commoditie of the renoune of the euerlastynge glory pray for me to our Lorde that he maye leade me out of this prison in the whiche I am holden captyue and bounde August de spiritu et Anima cap. lix O all ye multitude of
The agrement of the holye Fathers and Doctors of the churche vpon the cheifest articles of Christian religion as appeareth on the nexte syde folowinge very necessary for all curates Gathered together by Iohn Aungell preist one of the Quenes maiesties Chapleyns Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ The contentes of the boke i. Of the holy and blessed Sacramente of the body and bloud of Christ ii Of the signe of the crosse iii. Of prayinge for the deade iiii Of penaunce confession and satisfaction v. Of praying to saints vi Of the counsels and auctorities of the fathers vii Against the mariage of preistes ¶ To the moost excellente and vertuous Princesses Quene Marye wyfe to oure mooste soueraynge Lorde Philip by the grace of God c. Iohn Aungell one of youre graces chaplyns of youre honourable Chappel wissheth perpetuall felicitie not only in this worlde but also in the worlde to come AMonge the innumerable benefites whiche we haue receaued of almightye God moost worthy and excellente Princesse there is none in mine opinion for the whiche we are more bounde vnto his mercifull goodnes then for that it hath moued hym of his gentle benignite to call vnto vs agayne his trewe religion whiche our forefathers hath kept from the beginninge For who knoweth not that this noble realme of England hath ben seduced euen now of late dayes thorough ignoraunce naye naye rather thorough stubbernes and for lacke of grace For they knowinge him as God honoured hym not as God but thinking thēselues wise became fooles Who euē among the symple people perceaueth not what intollerable abuses haue ben vnder pretence of true relygion and godlynes vsed and maynteyned in this churche of Englande As false interpretinge of Scriptures vtterly denying of the holy doctours and fathers of Christes churche but only such as made for their purpose Tyll suche tyme that it pleased hym of his infinite mercy to sende vs a newe Iudith by whose godlines the trewe light and knowledge of Goddes worde is nowe by her broughte agayne whiche frome the death of that noble prince her father Henry ye. viii was here in this realme extuncte and vtterly abolished to the vtter vndoyng of mens conscience but now thankes be to God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe it beginneth to springe and shyne agayne This noble Iudith is oure moost soueraygne Ladye Quene Mary a Princesse garnished with so many excellent giftes of grace vertue nature and fortune that she is in verye dede and therefore most worthely called the perfecte mirroure and pearle of al Christen Princesse To wade her in the prayse of her Princely qualities and noble actes it is not my purpose for that I know it to be an enterprise farre excedinge the compasse of my symple wyt and vnderstandynge But onely to declare howe muche we are bounde cheifly vnto God and next vnto her moost excellente highnes that we haue nowe oure olde and true religion broughte home agayne and are cured again through God by her of oure olde blyndenes that we were in by the medecyne of veritie For we nowe hauynge agayne the true knoweledge of God whiche oure forefathers hath lefte behynde them by wrytinge we begynne agayne to se and perfectly to knowe Christe to be in the Sacrament of the aulter whome to knowe perfectly is euer lastynge lyfe and saluation But so longe as the sayde Scriptures were falsely interpreted by Sedicious and false preachers and the true knowledge of Scripture kept frō the people fewe or none knewe Christ aryght and none lesse then they who toke vpon them to be the cheif professours and setters forth of Christes religion For what els is it knowe Christ but to beleue his worde Who sheweth me which is his word but the catholike churche For S. Augustyne sayeth I wold neuer haue beleued the Gospel but by the churche So that it appeareth therby howe greatly they are deceaued that wyll take vpon them to denye the olde fathers of Christes churche to maynetayne their vnthrifty purposes yea and not onely those but also certayne places of the Bible that maketh not for them For surely it is the holye fathers that sheweth and expoundeth vnto vs playnely the Scriptures which nowe of late hath ben in controuersy not with good men but with those that be of the euyl sort as hereafter shal folow whose iudgementes be verye godlye Teachinge vs truely to knowe by fayth howe that the body of Christ is in the Sacrament of the aulter because his wordes doth so euidently declare the same sayinge This is my body And forasmuche as these holye fathers hereafter folowynge hath left theyr myndes in wryting as concernyng the presence of Christes reall body to be in the Sacrament of the aulter and not only of this but of certaine other matters whiche hath ben in question vnto all people that wyll be saued none excepte For nowe thankes be to God I trust that Idolatry hypocrisye and all vngodlynes is cleane plucked vp by the rootes and that the trewe religion of God hath taken his place agayne Now is false doctrine exiled and Gods worde truely preached set forth Nowe is that abhomination and desolation pluckte downe and the true worshyppyng of Christ in the Sacrament set vp agayne Nowe I trust in almighty God that Englande hath forsaken all theyr abhominable preachers and teachers agaynst the presence of Christ to be in the Sacramente of the aulter with al theyr vngodly deuises and deuelysh inuencions For if that thou O Englande had that grace geuē vnto the of God that thou woldest call vnto thy remembraunce howe that this Iudith at the risynge of our Holifernus had the hartes of men and not the bodyes And that at the risynge and proceding forth of that pestiferous traytor Wyat had the bodyes and not the hartes and yet ouercame her enemies by the power of God it were suche a miracle vnto the whereby to cause the to forsake all thy noughty opinions and errours But yet this thou must thinke that it cōmeth by the mere mercy goodnes of almighty God towardes vs and not of our deseruinges who hath raised vp vnto vs now in these our latter dayes this noble Iudith a Lady of moost excellente giftes and singuler qualities whollye geuen to the study of vertue godlines Wherfore all Englande hath iuste occasion to reioyce at this youre graces doinges in that ye be so studious to call vs home agayne like lost shepe that hath runne astray to our olde and true religion whiche our olde fathers hath left behynde them from tyme to tyme besechinge almightye God therin to be your strength shielde and buckler Most humbly beseching youre grace most gratious Lady in good past to take this my good zele and diligence And in case any thinge shall not sufficiently aunswer your graces mynde or desire the same to impute rather to the lacke of facultie and knowledge then to any defaute of good wyll in me I shall here without
that were deade But forsomuche as he sawe that they whiche dye in the fauour and beleife in God are in good rest and ioye he thought it to be good and honorable for a reconsilynge to do the same for these that were slayne that the offence mighte be forgeuen .ii. Machab. xii Viset the sicke bury the deade and diligentlye do their exequis and diriges and praye and also geue almose for them Saynt Clement in his compendiolo We do scelebrate the daye of the departinge for those that seme to dye do not dye Therfore we remēber the sainctes our parents oure frendes And we make a solempne memorye for them that dye in the faithe And we reioyse as well at their relefe as also they desyeringe our Godly consummation and ende in the faithe And so we do not after that sorte celebrate the daye of the natiuitie for they that dye in the Lorde shall lyue allwayes Origen in Iob. And whan thou haste asked before God for whose sprit thou makest mention of for whom thou geuest yearely oblations c. Tertulian de exortacione castitatis pagi ccccc lxxxi Geue rest O Lorde to thy wel-beloued seruaunt Theodosius euen that same rest that thou hast prepared for thy saynctes that his soule turne thither from whense it descendyd Ambrosius super obitu Thedosii imperatoris Some vse to obserue the daye of the buryall some the thyrde daye some the .vii. day some the .xxx. day and some the mon the daye and euery obseruinge hath auctorite by the whiche obseruinge the necessarye offyce of godlynes is fulfilled Amb. in oratione super obitu Theodosii imperatoris I commende vnto the O Lorde God allmighty the innocent soule of my brother now deade And I offer vnto the my Sacrifice take mercifully and gladely the present or gyfte of a brother the sacrifice of a preist Amb. in oratione de obitu fratris sui satiri It is not to be denyed that sowles of men departed are releued through the godlynes of their frendes alyue when the sacrifyce of our mediator Christ is offered for them or else almose be geuen for them in the Churche Aug. in his enchiridion ca. ex ad dulcimum When the people shall stande holding vp their handes with the preist and the dreadfull sacrifice is set forth shal we not optayne goddes fauour praying for the deade Aug. vpon the first chapter vnto the Hebrues We muste trauell as muche as maye be that the deade may be holpen not with wepinge but with prayer supplications almose and sacrifice Aug. in his .xli. Homilie i. Cor. xv I Augustyne beseche the O Lord for the sinnes of my mother Here me by the medisine of oure woundes which hange on the crosse and sitting on thy right hand and prayeth for vs c. August lib. confess ix cap. xiii Thorough the prayers verely of holy churche and thoroughe the holsome sacrifice and almes which is geuen for the spirites of them it is not to be douted the deade to be holpen that it may with them be done more mercifull of the Lorde then their trespasses deserued This geuen of the fathers the vniuersall churche obserueth that they that dye in the communion of the body and bloude of Christe when they be remembred to that sacrament it is prayed for them that is offered for them Aug. sermo xxxii oratio sacrificium altaris eleemosina prosint defunctis The soules of good men departed are not seperated from the churche or else a remembraunce of them shoulde not be made at gods Alter in the communion of Christes Alter for them Aug. de ciuitate dei lib. xx cap. ix I did not wepe in those prayers whiche we made to the O Lorde when the sacrifice of oure price or redemption was offered for my mother Monica Aug. lib. ix confessionu cap. xii My mother Monica commaunded vs not to do these thinges for her but onely she desired a remembraunce of her to be made at thy aulter O Lorde whiche she hadde dayly serued from whiche aulter she knew that the holy goost or sacrifice to be distributed by whiche the writing of our own hand sinne that was cōtrary vnto vs is done away by whiche hooste or sacrifice thy enemy the deuill is vainquisshed or ouercome Aug. in Lib. ix confessionum Cap. xiii When sacrifice either of the aulter or els of any manner of almose are offered for the dead which were baptised They ar thankesgeuing for them that be very good people and for them whiche are not verye badde they are propiciations for purchasinges of the mercy and fauour of God Eyther they do profit vnto this thinge that it maye be full remission or else at the least that the payne be made more tollerable Aug. in his prima precatione ad missa O holy father receaue thou this offeringe for thy seruaunt whiche Moyses receaued when he dyd se in sprite Receaue the gifte for thy seruaunt that he feruentlye desired that gifte and offering whiche the holy man the stronge man and the lustye man doth requyre Receaue the oblation of thy grace for thy seruaunt Valyntinian nowe departed the whiche grace he dyd neuer refuse Amb. in oratio funcb super obitu Valent. Imperat. And thou shalte performe vnto me the mercy of the Lorde not only while I lyue but euen when I am deade and plucke not thy mercy a waye from my howse for euer i. Reg. i. xx.c ¶ Of penaunce confession and satisfaction YF it chaunce at any tyme that any mans hart enuye infidelitie or any euell of these whiche we haue spoken of before hathe preuilye crepte in Let hym not be ashamed to confesse these thinges to hym whiche ruleth and taketh care and charge of the soule of man that of hym and by the worde of our Lorde and the holsome councell maye be comforte whereby he maye auoyde with safe faithe and good workes the paynes of eternall fyer and come to the rewarde of euerlastynge lyfe D. Petrus in Epistola Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem domini We comynge by and by vnto Christ are commaunded of Saynte Clement to cast all our euill thoughtes out of oure hartes and to open them and shew them to the preistes of our Lorde Ad Clementem in compendiolo suo If we reuele open and shew forth our synnes not onely before God but also before them whiche can heale or cure oure woundes and synnes thē our synnes shal be cleane blotted oute of hym with faith Beholde I will put a waye your synnes and iniquites euen as the cloudes whiche vanyshe and go theyr wayes Origen in Luke .ii. the .viii. Homil. Ther be some whiche do saye it is sufficient for them to their helth and saluatiō if they confesse their fawtes onelye to GOD to whome nothinge is hyd who knoweth the conscience of menne But they wyll not or else they be ashamed or els disdayne to shewe them selues to the preiste whome oure Lorde hath ordayned the geuer of the law