THE FIRST MOTIVE OF T. H. MAISTER OF ARTS AND LATELY MINISTER TO SVSPECT THE INTEGRITY OF HIS Religion Which was DETECTION OF FALSEHOOD in D. Humfrey D. Field other learned Protestants touching the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead VVith his PARTICVLAR CONSIDERATIONS perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis and other points * ⎠* An Appendix intituled TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST Wherein Some notable vntruths of D. Field and D. Morton are discouered Printed 1609. S. AVGVSTIN de vtilit credendi contra Manichaeos cap. 14. NVllis me video credidisse nisi populorum atque gentium confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae hos autem populos Ecclesiae CATHOLICAE mysteria vsquequaque occupásse Cur non igitur apud cos potissimum diligentissimè requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum authoritate commotus Christum aliquid vtile praecepisse iam credidi Túne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit Quem suisse aut esse non putarem si abs te mihi hoc commendaretur esse credendum Hoc ergo credidi vt dixi famae celebritate consensione vetustate roboratae Vos autem tam pauci tam turbulenti tam noui nemini dubium est quám nihil dignum authoritate praeferatis Quae igitur ista tantae dementia est Illis crede Christo esse credendum à no bis disce quid dixerit Cur obsecrote Nam si illi Catholici deficerent nec me quicquam docere possent multò faciliùs mihi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quà m de illo cuiquam nisi ab jis per quos ei credidissem discendum TO THE PROTESTANT READER IT was my purpose to be silent vntill I was inforced to speake for the publick proceedinge against me hath drawen me vnto this publick defence and specially because it was by those persons whom I haue reuerenced from my heart and in that place which must alwayes challendge an interest in my poore vnworthy self Wherefore being inuited and compelled vnto this coursey I present vnto thee louing contreyman one MOTIVE of my chandge the first in order and with me very effectuall in waight Expect not any curious or ample discourse for I do here intend to deliuer onely such peculiar things as preuayled with me in the beginning rowsing me out of my lethargy in schisme and heresy prouoked me vnto a diligent inuestigation of the truth My other * Tâ—â— motiues shall remayn prisoners in my custody vnlesse the importunity of friends or malignity of aduersaries may perhapps extort their enlardgement from me against the proper inclination of my will Meane while accept this little schedule is it not a little one and thy soule shall liue Gen. 19 20 with kind affection And though I may require it as justice yet I will desire it as a fauour let not prejudice forestall thy judgement nor passion supplant thy reason Peruse diligently compare exactly and giue thy verdict vprightly in presence of the all-seing eye Then I doubt not but seeking thou shalt find and finding wilt confesse God was here Gen. 28.16 and I knew it not Thy deuoted contreyman Theophilus Hyggons THE GENERALL CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE DIVIDED INTO 2. BOOKES 1. In the First booke are expressed tvvo Reasons the one DOCTRINALL the other MORALL vvhich svvayed my vnderstanding povverfully to yeald firme assent vnto the Catholick faith touching Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 2. In the Second booke are layed forth certayn egregious falsehoods of D. Field D. Humfrey M. Rogers and others in their exceptions against the same THE PARTICVLAR CONTENTS IN EACH BOOKE IN THE FIRST BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE DOCTRINALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. Purgatory prooued by the cleare authority of Scripture Matth. 12.32 § 2. The Fathers iudgements touching the sayd parcell of holy Scripture § 3. Three reasons which mooued me to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers rather then of Caluin Luth. c. CHAP. 2. § 1. Of a triall by the Fathers Protestants in England condescend thereunto § 2. Prayer for the dead is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ by the testimony of the Fathers The same appeareth by the rules assigned by Protestants to know what is an Apostolicall Tradition § 3. Prayer for the dead Purgatory do mutually prooue each other § 4. The ancient Catholick Church vnto which the Protestants in England appeale did intend in hir Prayers and Oblations to relieue some soules departed and afflicted with temporall payn § 5. The collusion of D. Field in deliuering the purpose of the ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers and Oblations for the dead § 6. Reasons perswading me rather to follow S. August the ancient Church then D. Field and his reformed Congregations IN THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING THE MORALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. The PROVIDENCE of God preseruing a visible Church in all ages § 2. This visible Church is free from damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their delineation of the Church § 3. Protestants condemne Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as hereticall and blasphemous § 4. This doctrine was embraced by the vniuersall Church consequently is approoued by the singular PROVIDENCE of almighty God CHAP. 2. § 1. The base and impious condition of Aërius and Henricus who first impugned this doctrine § 2. The VVISEDOME of God appoynting fitt messengers to be Reformers of his Church doth excellently confirme this doctrine CHAP. 3. § 1. The nature and vse of Miracles by which God doth beare witnesse vnto some TRVTH A triple consideration of Miracles according to the triple distinction of the Church § 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrines § 3. There is no exception against the sayd Miracle § 4. The sayd Miracle doth euidently conuince the Protestants in this and other poynts § 5 An exception of D. Field pretending that no particular defended by the Papists against Protestants vvas euer confirmed by Miracle is refelled by our Conuersion from Paganisme to Popery as it is termed and by the authority of Gerson whom D. Field hath magnified as one that desired the same Reformation long since which Protestants haue lately effected CHAP. 4. § 1. The grounds which I followed in the precedents are invincible § 2. The particulars therein are very cleare A direction for the Reader to iudge orderly substantially concerning the same A conclusion of the first Part with a Protestation vnto the Reader IN THE SECOND BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE VNTRVTHS OF D. FIELD CHAP. 1. § 1. S. Gregory the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 2. S. Augustin the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 3. S. Hierome the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine
Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 4. S. Ambrose the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead CHAP. 2. D. Field doth vniustly accuse CARD BELLARMINE of trifling and senselesse foolery in this matter Caluin doth truly confesse that the Protestats are opposite vnto Antiquity therein CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field himself doth trifle and if it be iustice to repay him with his owne he committeth senselesse foolery in describing the heresy of Aërius whereof all Protestants are guilty consequētly are not Catholicks § 2. The contradiction vanity falsehood of Protestants some accusing some defending Aërius in his impugnation of Prayer and Oblation for the dead § 3. D. Field maketh a lamentable apology for the Protestants diuersity in their censures touching the aforesayd heresy The true and proper reason of their diuersity therein is assigned Their strandge and variable deportment toward the ancient Fathers CHAP. 4. A notable vntruth of D. Field in proposing the difference betwixt the Protestants and Papists in the question of Purgatory By which dealing he hath vtterly overthrowen his highly respected booke and brought eternall confusion vnto his Church IN THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. § 1. M. Rogers abuseth Dionys Carthusian § 2. He brandeth S. Gregory with the name of a Papist and traduceth Eckius Temporall punishment inflicted after remission of the guilt of sinne CHAP. 2. sect 1. D. Humfrey doth singularly abuse a certayn testimony of S. Augustine The detectiō of which falsehood ministred the first occasion of my chandge § 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against the same Father c. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER TOVCHING THE ORDER AND METHOD OF THIS TREATISE COurteous Reader though the beginning of my alienation from the Protestants did arise from the detection of some egregious falsehoods in D. Humfrey peruerting S. Augustine in D. Field traducing S. Ambrose vvhence I vvas excited to spend much time in searching out the doctrine of the ancient Church concerning PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD yet I haue not alvvayes follovved that order precisely in this ensuing Treatise but for thy better direction and instruction I haue thought it expedient FIRST to lay forth the truth of this doctrine and SECONDLY to acquaynt thee vvith their falsehoods against the same THE FIRST BOOKE Wherein THE CATHOLICK DOCTRINE OF PVRGATORY AND PRAYER FOR THE DEAD IS CLEARELY prooued THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A DOCTRINALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the aforesayd doctrine CHAPTER I. The Reason taken from HOLY SCRIPTVRE to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. The sense of the Euangelist S. Matthew Chap. 12. v. 32. 1. AMONGEST sondry testimonies of holy writt this one seemed in mine opinion to be of singular force viz. VVhosoeuer shall speake a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him in this world nor in the world to come For as this Text doth imply in the immediate sense thereof that the Sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen so it doth imply farther a distinction of sinnes some whereof are remissible and some irremissible some are pardoned in this world and some in the world to come 2. This interpretation is founded vpon a speciall reason because S. a 3 2◠Marke intreating of the same matter saieth that blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen non in aeternum and S. Matthew diuideth this space of eternity into seculum praesens seculum futurum the world present and the world to come as being two seuerall and distinct parts thereof so that the same thing is noted by each Euangelist but coniunctiuely in the one and distributiuely in the other 3. The Protestants deriue this text after an other manner and say that S. Matthew is to be expounded by S. Marke and so the intendment of this Scripture is precisely and meerely to shew that the great sinne being irremissible in an eminent degree shall neuer be forgiuen 4. But this simple glosse could yeald me no satisfaction For though it were the purpose of our Lord to declare that one sinne shall neuer be forgiuen yet he expresseth himself by such a distinction as doth manifestly inforce the remission of some sinnes in the future life And forasmuchas S. Matthew dealeth more copiously herein then S. Marke there is no reason why the first should be contracted by the second but rather it is necessary to enlardge the second by the first 5. Neither did it seeme a probable conceit vnto me though it be intertayned by many that our Sauiour did not make a partition of sinnes some to be remitted in this world and some in the next but vsed an exaggeration to shew the irremissibillity of one sinne as if I should say A barren woman shall not beare a child neither in this world nor in the world to come For though the WORD did speake b Io. 7.46 as neuer man spake in respect of Maiesty grauity and power yet he doth not so decline the accustomed manner of speach as that he would speake against the rules of prudency and morall vnderstanding as this speach is if it be sensed in this manner And who would not esteeme him to be a ridiculous and absurd Oratour that should say This woman shall not beare a child in this world neither in the world to come 6. Wherefore seing that the Protestants exposition is formed against discretion and that it is not warrantable by any other parcell of Scripture which is to be interpreted in this manner I was fearefull to be intangled by their collusions and because I would deale vnpartially in a matter of such consequence as this is I held a very indifferent course whereby I might not attribute any thing vnto mine owne iudgement nor yet detract from their estimation and therefore I remitted this point vnto the decision of the blessed Fathers knowing well that it is a precept of the Highest c Deut. 32.7 Aske the Fathers and they shall tell thee the Ancients and they shall shew thee and thus did D. Toby Matthew apply this Text d See D. Humfrey in resp ad 5. rat Edm. Campiani when he flourished in his concionall answere to remooue that disgrace which e Rat. 5. Edm. Campian had fastened vpon him and not vniustly as many men conceiue 7. Besides since it is the monition of S. f 1. Cor. 14.32 Paule that the Spiritts of Prophetts are subiect vnto the Prophetts the rule of equity doth prescribe that in the interpretation of holy writt the fewest should yeald vnto the most and the later vnto the former they also being more competent Iudges to determine a strife who neuer were Actours personally in the contention §. 2. The Fathers iudgement of this Scripture 1. I Was assured by D. g Of the Church pag. 170. Field that S.
thou hast receiued and not deuised that which is brought downe vnto thee and not brought forth by thee that wherein thou art a scholler and not a maister a follower and not a guide c. 7. SECONDLY because the rule of S. Å¿ Contra Donatist de Baptismâ— l. 4 c. 24. Augustine which D. t pag. 242. Field himself doth accept was so cleare and waighty that I could not resist the power thereof viz. VVhatsoeuer is frequented by the Vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councells but was alwayes held that is belieued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition Such is the custome of Prayer for the dead For first It was practised in all ages and in all places as the most venerable Authours do constantly and vniformely teach Supplications for the soules of the dead were powred foorth by the Vniuersall Church in u de curâ prâ— mort cap. 1. S. Augustines time and the like testimonies were affoorded vnto me by the Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely S. x Epist 1. It is mentioned by Concil Vasens 1. c. 6. Clemens the Martyr in the yeare of our Lord 110 y de Coron Milit. Tertullian in yeare of our Lord 210 who z de Monogam prescribeth according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church vnto the wife that she should pray for the soule of hir husband to procure his rest and ease Secondly I could not possibly designe any Councell Oecumenicall Nationall or Prouinciall any Bishop Supreame or Subordinate by whom this custome was brought into the Church And here I considered that heresy doth alwayes spring from some certayn Person Time and Place VinceÌ„t Lir. and so it is discouerable by theis circumstances But if the Authour cannot be specially named which is a rare accident yet this was sufficient vnto me to conceiue that as Catholick Religion implieth three things viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Consent so Heresy being opposite thereunto implieth necessarily the three contraries viz. Nouelty Particularity and Distraction 8. My THIRD reason to belieue that this is an Apostolicall Tradition was deriued from the liberallity of D. a pag. 242. Field himself VVhatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least in diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition This rule was very appliable vnto my purpose For first I had many pregnant demonstrations and conformable testimonies of the most famous and renowned in all ages constantly deliuering this thing as receiued from them that went before See the 2. Part chap. 2. And secondly I found that no man did contradict or doubt herein but such onely as were damned hereticks and are so recognized by the publick voyce of the Church Wherefore I concluded ineuitably by D. Fields allowance that Prayer for the dead may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition and b Decad. 4. serm 10. Bullinger himself feareth not to say that this is the iudgement of the Fathers WheÌ„ce I was compelled to inferre that D. c against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 80. Abbott doth willingly deceiue himself saying that Prayer for the dead is a Tradition and an ordinance of the Church to which purpose he misinforceth the testimony of d Hares 75. Epiphanius whereby he would exempt Aërius from the crime of heresy iustly layed vnto his chardge by S. e Hares 53. Augustine and many others Lastly I was compelled to disallow the groundlesse opinion of f de Naturâ Dei lib. 4. c. 4. Zanchius and some others who referr the origin of prayer for the dead vnto humane affection and imitation of the Gentiles § 3. The mutuall dependency of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 1. VVHen I had thus ascended vnto the fountayn of Prayer for the dead I reflected vpon my self and demanded of mine own heart saying but what is this vnto PVRGATORY For that was the issue vnto which my thoughts did finally incline 2. Wherefore for better illustration of this matter information of the Reader I will here lay downe a necessary point deriued out of the testimonies which ensue in the next section of this chapter and so you shall clearely perceiue the connexion and dependency of theis things 3. Though Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are things seuerally distinguished in their nature yet they are so inseparably tied in their bond that each doth mutually prooue the other Prayer for the dead prooueth Purgatory per modum signi by the way of a signe or declaration for it doth presuppose a penall estate wherein some soules are afflicted temporally after this life Purgatory prooueth the necessity of prayer for the dead per modum causae by the way of a cause for we are obliged by the law of Charity to make supplication vnto God in behalf of our brethren of the Church Patient in Purgatory Qui securi estis de vobis soliciti estâ—te de nobis S. August meditat cap. 24. as they being translated into the Church Triumphant in Heauen are led by the abundance of their charity to make intercession for vs of the Church Militant in Earth Which triple distinction of the Church I did embrace willingly forasmuch as it was confessed solemnely by Sir Iohn Oldcastle himself howbeit M. Fox seing that this was no small disreputation vnto the faith of our trayterous Martyr mingleth a * if any such place as Purgatory be found in the Scripture few wordes to abate the force of his confession This poore subtility of Fox is dismasked in the g Part. 2. chap. 9. num 18. three Conuersions of England 4. Thus I considered that not the Name but Thing and that things not accidentall but essentiall were to be inquired by me in this dispute I obserued farther that men are not the Authours to make but Expositours to declare their faith And as we do penetrate more excelleÌ„tly into the knowledge of any thing so we are inabled accordingly to expresse the same in proper and significant words For as the imposition of words ariseth from the freenesse of our will so the aptnesse of their imposition floweth from the clearnesse of our vnderstanding 5. Finally I called vnto remembrance that the Church of God hath drawen many lardge doctrines into compendious names as Trinity Sacrament and the like Thus the doctrine of Homousia or the coÌ„substantiality of the Father the Sonne Io. 10.30 is really contayned in the holy Scripture I and my Father are one See before Chap. 1. §. 3. num 3. a playn Text howsoeuer it be Arrianically violated by Caluin but the word it self was established by the first sacred Councell of Nice Thus also I saw that in the opinion of the Papists the doctrine of Metousia or TransubstantiatioÌ„ in the SacrameÌ„t is implied in the Scripture This is my body which little sentence is distracted by vs
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
Mark 8.24 who saw men walking like trees vntill he had a perfect restitution of his sight 11. Wherefore resting my self a while vpon a profitable and sound instruction of m Lib. imperfect in Gen. cap. 1. S. Augustine viz. God hath constituted a mother Church and she is called CATHOLIQVE because she is vniuersally perfect and halteth in * Therefore not in this particular of prayer for the dead nothing I referred the successe vnto a future triall hauing a constant and vnchandgeable purpose neuer to decline nor vary from this ground which I haue here presented vnto your Christian examination §. 3. The THIRD Consideration touching the Protestants zeale in condemning this doctrine of Purgatory and prayer for the dead as hereticall blasphemous c. 1. I Considered Thirdly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as it is generally renounced by our Euangelicall congregations so it is seuerely censured by many of our writers 2. Hence it is that n Pag. 79. D. Field himself chardgeth Purgatory with the disgracefull imputation of HERESY and yet he graceth it so farr as to affirme that Augustine gaue occasion vnto this heresy in the beginning 3. Hence it is that M. Rogers in the o Pag. 121.122 Catholick Faith of our English Church spending his tempestuous phrases against the doctrine of Purgatory saieth that hereby the Papists nourish most cursed and damnable errours and that * Pag. 123. it teacheth vs to be our owne Sauiours 4. Hence it is that M. Powell in his inconsiderate violence assigning many goodly reasons why p De Antichr pag. 453 NVLLVS NVLLVS inquā PAPICOLA SALVARI POTEST no Papist can be saued includeth * Pag. 123. the figment of Purgatory in that number Likewise in the same kind of precipitation setting downe 23. q De Antichr l. 2. c. 19. blasphemous opinions deliuered by the Church of Rome against the doctrine contayned in our LORDS PRAYER he inserteth this particular viz. * Pag. 457. She teacheth that VVE MVST PRAY FOR THE DEAD 5. But forasmuch as the glorious Emperour CONSTANTINE Great in birth Greater in victory and Greatest in Christian Religion which till his time was planted in the continuall effusion of bloud buylding a magnificent * At Constantinople See Euseb in vita Constant l. ◠c. 60. Church in honour of the 12. Apostles did foresee in his religious prouidence that the people mooued with the celebrity of that place would flow thither and there pray for him after his decease whereby he should be partaker of their deuotions for the benefit of his soule I was desirous to vnderstand here briefly by the way whether this imcomparable Prince following the instruction of the Catholick Church herein and whether the Priests together with the people supplicating vnto God pro anima Imperatoris for the * D. Field talketh of naming names c. see before pag. 31 But it is euidēt that the Catholick Church in hir best age prayed for the SOVLES of the dead And this exāple it self is an inuincible demonstration thereof SOVLE of the Emperour after his death as * Ibid. cap. 71. Eusebius relateth who was a reuerend Bishopp and in speciall grace with Constantine were guilty of a blasphemous opinion against our LORDS PRAYER or not 6. And my desire to receiue full satisfaction vnto this point was the rather enkindled within me because our Soueraigne Lord the King to whom all good Catholicks wish the happinesse of Constantine in faith imitating his blessed Mother a true Helena in hir virtues though not in hir fortunes made this just demand according to the sublimity of his excellēt apprehension r See the booke of the Conferēce at Hamptō Court pag. 69. What is it now come to passe that we shall appeach * Omnes nôrunt Cōstantinum fuisse admirandum in Christianismo c. Epiphan hares 69. CONSTANTINE of Popery superstition If the Crosse in baptisme were then vsed I see no reason but that we may still continue it Which royall sentence I applied duly vnto this particular of prayer for the dead and how effectuall it was with me the ingenious Reader may well perceiue if he will vouchsafe to make a little experience therof in his owne respectiue meditations 7. I returned speedily vnto my purpose for I was not willing to eclipse the light of my discourse with the interposition of M. Powells darke conceipts Finally therefore remembring that M. CALVIN is the Ipse dixit in the purest Ghospell in which respect it pleased * In a sermon at S. Maries Church in Oxon. 4. yeares since D. Airay to exhort his Auditours perswading them very earnestly and intreating them that they would by all meanes defend the estimation of M. Caluin and the rather because he is the man against whom the * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine Papists do principally bend their forces I contented my self with his s Eldershippes censure viz. PVRGATORY is a pernitious fiction of Satan disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God euacuating the Crosse of Christ dissipating and subuerting our faith pure and horrible blasphemy against the bloud of Iesus Christ c. 8. Hence it is that we Protestants haue sentenced Purgatory to be an Antichristian Doctrine For * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine he is Antichrist that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh And we pretend that howsoeuer this doctrine doth not positiuely deny that Christ is come in the flesh in regard of his Incarnation and Nature as he is a MAN ſ Institut lib. 3. cap. 5. §. 6. yet it denieth the same consequently in regard of his Satisfaction and Office as he is a REDEEMER 9. In which our specious venditation of reseruing inuiolated honour vnto Christ * Epist Ioh. 2. vers 7. I saw that we insist directly in the steppes of Nouatians Nestorians and the like The first pretended that they forsooth did exhibit * See S. Ambros de Poenitent cap. 2. in initio reuerence vnto God by their doctrine inasmuch as they teach that he onely and no man can forgiue sinnes The second could not endure that a woman should be stiled the Mother of their God Thus also the infatuated Presbyterians glory in their excellent cause saying * See M. Rogers in the Preface of his Cathol doctr num 16. Our controuersy is whether Iesus Christ shall be King or no. The end of all our trauayle is to sett vp the throne of Iesus Christ our heauenly King c. Which colourable piety and popular zeale in ancient or later Hereticks aduancing their opinions as Mountibancks extoll their wares did mooue me vnto a just
f Lib. 3. c. 3. S. Irenaeus pronounceth that all the faithfull must necessarily repayr vnto the Church of Rome Why For she is of more powerfull principallity then the rest Whence is that Because she was founded by the two glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule Against the playn euidence whereof g Against D. Harding M. Iewell assumeth that Irenaeus did referr this more powerfull principallity vnto the Emperour and vnto the ciuill State But all history doth proclayme that the Christians were cruelly persecuted in those times and that they had no intercouse with the politicall affayres Behold also an other example of the like nature For whereas h In 1. Timoth 3.15 S Ambrose doth positiuely affirme i Answ to the Rhem. Testam ibid. that Damasus then Bishoppe of Rome is RECTOVR of the Church D. Fulke frameth an answere to this effect The Church was then afflicted with Arrianisme and because Damasus did oppose himself eminently against it he might be called the Rectour of the Church and yet so as the same title may belong also vnto other Bishopps Which poore elusion suteth well with the palpable vanity of M. Cartwright iustly reproued by k Suruay chap. 27. D. Bancroft in this behalf pretending that S. Chrysostomes vigilancy ouer the Churches of Pontus and of Thracia was none other then such as euery godly minister ought to haue ouer all Churches in the Christian world 6. Wherefore I shall now remitt my self vnto the consideration of all wise and ingenious men whether that true censure which * Ibid. D. Bancroft the L. Archb. of Cant hath passed vpon the Presbyterian faction may not haue a conuenient application vnto the whole fraternity of our ghospell viz. VVhen for the proof of sondry matters impugned by them they are vrdged with the testimonies of the ancient Fathers and of the Ecclesiasticall histories they either shift them off with their owne false glosses or if that serue not their turne they disgrace them as much as they can and so reiect them c. 2. Sam. 13. As when Amnon had incestuously abused his sister he dismissed hir with contempt CHAP. IIII. D. Field sheweth himself a * This is his censure of Bellarmine pag. 16◠notable trifler in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead to the vtter confusion of his Booke and the Protestanticall Church 1. NO particular in D. Fields highly esteemed Booke did more liuely discouer vnto me the just correspondency betwixt his cause and conscience then this which now ensueth But for the more cleare and perfect vnderstanding hereof I must intreate you gentle Readers to reflect vpon the * Chap. 1. §. 1. num 1. 2. precedents and diligently to reuiew what is the pith and quintessence of his booke and wherein it doth consist For you must remember that as the strength of Sampson lay in his haire Iudic. 16. so the supportation of D. Fields Church and Booke standeth chiefly in this issue viz. l D. Field pag. 74. the things VVHEREVPON the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs were neuer receiued generally by the Church 2. The seuerall points of difference as being most materiall he layeth downe to the number of twenty and seauen in a * Chap. 7. booke 3. chapter framed to this purpose where he assigneth the difference betwixt the Romish faction and the Reformed Churches touching * It is the one and twentieth point pag. 75. Purgatory and prayer for the dead precisely in theis words That Church wherein our Fathers liued and died did not hold the tormenting of the soules of men dying in the state of saluation IN A PART OF HELL HVNDRED OF YEARES BY DIVELLS IN CORPORALL FIRE out of which prayer should deliuer them Wherefore in the m Chap. 21. Appendix vnto which he reserueth the proof of all his assertions deliuered in this chapter he accommodateth his stile in this manner Touching Purgatory whether they that are to be purdged be purgded by * Bellarm. de Purg. l. 2. c. 11. materiall fire or no it is doubtfull Likewise touching the * Ibid. c. 6. place the Romane Church hath defined nothing neither is there any more certainty touching the * Ibid. c. 9. continuance of sinfull soules in their purgation c. Thus then we see that notwithstanding any thing defined in the Church the soules of * Of SOME but not of ALL. Remember your dealing with S Gregory men may be purdged from all the drosse of sinfull remainders and freed from all punishments in the very moment of dissolution which is the thing that we say 3. I deale not now with the conclusion which M. Doctour hath artificially drawen out of his premisses but I come vnto his poynt-deuise it self and the detection thereof whereby the very sinewes of his booke and Church are cutt in sunder and dissolued 4. Whereas his promise was to explicate what those things are whereupon the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs to demonstrate that the sayd things wherein this difference now standeth betwixt vs were neuer intertayned by the Church but onely by some particular men he yealdeth not the true difference in this matter nor proposeth the question as in learning and honesty it became so graue a man and specially hauing thus obliged himself thereunto by an extraordinary venditation For your ingenuity will acknowledge that whereas in this dispute and so in many more we must distinguish the matter of SVBSTANCE from matter of CIRCVMSTANCE forasmuch as it is sufficient to haue fundamentall vnity in the first howsoeuer there may be accidentall diuersity in the second the matter of substance here is precisely this viz. VVhether after this life a temporall payn be inflicted vpon some soules or not The matter of circumstance is whether hell be the place whether fire be the instrument whether Diuells be the tormentours whether the duration of this payn be 10. 20. 100. yeares c. 5. The poynt controuersed betwixt vs and the Papists herein is the matter of substance and thereupō the differēce doth arise For the question is an sit whether simply there be any such thing not quid sit whether it be of this or that quality and nature It is de subjecto whether there be a Purgatory after this life not de praedicato of those particulars which belong thereunto We all belieue that there is an hell wherein the Diuells and reprobates shall drink their full in the cupp of euerlasting wrath but where the designed place or what the instrument of sensible payn is c. we may probably collect we can not clearely define Or to instance in a more gratious and comfortable subject it may please you to consider how we all belieue that our Lord IESVS did suffer and died and was buried and arose and ascended into heauen But with what kind of whipps he was scourdged at what age he deceased how many
Scriptures yet there is no small authority of the VNIVERSALL CHVRCH which shineth in this custome for in the prayers of the Priest which he powreth forth to God at his Altar the COMMENDATION of the dead hath its place 4. Heere three things occurred vnto my ponderation FIRST that S. Augustine doth iustify prayer for the dead by the Canonicall Scripture for so the bookes of the Machabees are recognized by a †3. Carthag ca. 47. Councell wherein S. Augustine himself was present and * ca. 50. subscribed thereunto VVherefore in his ceÌ„sure the Sacrifice for the dead was firmely established by the testimony of sacred writ and this being so how can it be true that Augustine could not plead this authority in defence therof And if he did plead it why doth D. Humfrey pretend the contrary in this place 5. SECONDLY S. Augustine maketh mention here of the OLD Scripture wherby he intimateth that in the NEVV Testament some reliefe for the dead is either plainly expressed or sufficiently †see before pag. â— c. deduced from thence THIRDLY S. Augustine adioyneth the Church vnto the Scripture because there is impeachable soueraignty in the VNIVERSALL Church therfore he saith that if other proofes were wanting in this matter yet this alone may satisfie giue contentment vnto her obsequious Children Which plea seemed vnto me so full of equity that without insolency and madnesse both which must ineuitably fall vpon D. Humfrey and his Church I saw no possibility to decline the same §. 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against S. Augustine SAint Augustine maketh mention in the former sentence of a COMMENDATION of the dead from which word the Doctour taketh an aduantage to shew Pag. 262. See before pag 38. that in your Colledges you now retayn this pious custome of the ancient Church But he deludeth you with ambguity of speach For the commendation whereof S. Augustine speaketh is referred vnto the SOVLES of the dead which in the sacred Mysteries were specially recommended vnto our Lord but the commendation of your Founders in your Colledges is a memory of their names which you celebrate with commemoration of their liberality whereby your studies are maintayned And this is not to conforme your selues vnto antiquity nor to execute the testaments of your honourable Founders 2. This noble figment in the Doctour is presently attended with a more eminent deprauation For though Paulinus firmely belieuing according to the instruction of the Catholick Church that great vtility ensueth vnto the dead by the prayers of the liuing desireth an explication of that scripture which sayeth 2. Cor. 5.10 VVe shall all stand before the Tribunall of Christ and euery man shall receiue according to that which he hath done in this life whether it be good or euill and though S. Augustine yealdeth this resolution viz. Ibid. according to the quality of this life men receiue helpe after their decease c. yet D. Humfrey supressing both theis poynts flourisheth in his vnprofitable rhetorick and handleth the matter artificially to make a credulous Reader belieue that S. Augustine himself doth conuell the vse of Prayer for the dead by the testimony of this Scripture 3. The detection of theis vnfaithfull courses which till this time mine ey saw not neither did my heart once suspect did conduct me occasionally vnto the truth Ita ille qui multis laqueus mortis extitit meum quo captus eram relaxare jam ceperat nec volens S. Aug. CoÌ„f. l. 5. c. 7. de FAVSTO nec sciens sayeth S. Augustine of a man happy in name but vnhappy in deed and the like I may justly pronounce in my successe thus he that was the snare of death vnto many beganne to lose the snare wherewith I was intangled and this he did though neither by his will nor knowledge FINIS The correction of the principall faults passed onely in some copies P signifieth the page L the line M the margent P. 5. l. 15. reade Beda p. 8. l. 19. leaue out scio and reade Veteres abusi sunt c. p. 10. l. 32. reade witt p. 17. 19. 21. 23. 25-27 in the title Chap. 2. p. 21. m. 116. in stead of 114. p. 26. l. 4. elswhere p. 32. l. 7. vnto p. 34. l. vlt. extended p. 45. m. § 5. num 8. in stead of § 3. n. 4. p. 51. l. 17 incomparable p. 52. m. from the infection c. p. 61. l. 20. sayeth p. â—5 m. Rainolds p. 72. l. 12. conuent p. 75. l. 27. after censure add theis words as a thing not to be exercised against any professour of the ghospell p. 76. l. 2. from l. 28. vnmatchable l. 32. Church p. 78. l. 9 taught that p. 82. l. 3. retreat p. 87. l. 26. are the Churches p. 90. l. 5. without l. 12. ghospell p. 91. 14. Wherefore p. 112. l. vlt. Church p. 120. l. 15. with p. 121. m. ad literam p. 122. l. 4. place the parenthesis after him p. 123. l. 16. exempt him from p. 125. l. 16. dishonourable p. 130. l. vlt. PRAYER p. 134. l. 21. construction p. 149. l. 21 Diuines p. 151. l. 10. testimonies l. 28. intercourse A BRIEF PLAYN AND effectuall instruction concerning Purgatory and Prayer for the dead COurteous Reader the intended breuity of my discourse did not permitt me so to inforce Booke 1. Part. 1. Cha. 2. §. 4. nuÌ„ 16. and to illustrate the testimony of S. AVGVSTINE in this matter as I had conceiued nor as the dignity thereof doth justly require and especially for their sake who either in regard of their weaknesse cannot or in regard of their negligence care not or in regard of their peruersenesse will not see the cleare and irrefragable truth VVherefore hauing a little remnant of vacant paper I haue thought good to employ it vnto this profitable end assuring my self that euery Reader may informe his vnderstanding and settle his conscience herein by the waight and euidence of theis THREE ensuing propositions The FIRST proposition 1 THere was alwayes and now is and euer shall be a CATHOLICK Church which is free from any The Protestants accompt this doctrine of Purgatory c. to be damnable damnable errour This assertion is very often deliuered by S. Augustine and the very same though not precisely in theis words is yealded by Pag. 203. D. Field in the name of his Church The SECOND proposition 2. THe instruction of this Church is the last and finall judgement wherein all men may and must rely as in the PROPOVNDER of truth This assertion is strengthened by sondry testimonies of the Fathers and In his ep dedic D. Field approoueth it saying that men desirous of satisfaction must diligently search out the true Church and Therefore it must be knowen therefore it must be visible rest in hir judgement c. In which respect he sayeth that Pag. 193. if the reprehension of Aërius touching PRAYER FOR THE DEAD be vnderstood to
extend vnto the generall practise iudgement of the Church it is not nor may not be iustified Whereas he sayeth it is not iustified by Protestants that is not true whereas he sayeth it may not be iustified that is very certayn Wherefore I desire you to stand constantly vnto this position and not to flye your ground The THIRD proposition 3. THe iudgement and purpose of the ancient CATHOLICK Church is discouerable vnto us by two meaenes viz. the perpetuall succession of PRACTISE and the conforme testimony of the FATHERS For where we find no substantiall mutation of PRACTISE All men know that the practise of praying for the dead is the same now sustaÌ„tially as in S. August time and I hope it was not begunne then but continued See before pag. 25. but see it perpetuated in all descents and deriued vnto vs by the long hand of time we may infallibly conclude that the later ages of the Church conspiring with the former are free from just reproof Agayn the testimony of the FATHERS conuaigheth vs vnto the knowledge of the Churches judgement so that we require fidelity in them authority in it they are the witnesses she the judge they relate hir voyce she pronounceth the sentence Theis propositions as they are very perspicuous ponderous so they will excellently and forcibly apply themselues in decision of this controuersy touching PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD The testimony of S. AVGVSTINE The faithfull do know according to the instruction of the Church that when MARTYRS are recited at the Altar of God this is not done with intention to pray for them it being an injury to pray for a Martyr vnto whose prayers we ought to be recommended but we pray for other deceased men whose commemoration is there made Now for your full satisfaction in this poynt you must here obserue three things viz. the quality of the WITNESSE the competency of the IVDGE the resolution of the MATTER 1. Concerning the FIRST it importeth the witnesse onely to expresse what was the intentioÌ„ of the Church in this practise And as S. Augustine is a most faithfull witnesse of Antiquity in M. Inst l. 3. c. 3. §. 10. c. Caluins opinion so it goeth hard if for a MATTER OF HISTORY the Fathers can not find creditt at your hands they should know as well as you what was then in FACT Which sentence being very justly deliuered against the Presbyterians by the Suruay pag. 338. L. of Cant in the question of BISHOPPS c. ought to be considered exactly in this issue 2. Concerning the SECOND you see that the Churches instruction touching this matter was knowen familiarly vnto all the faithfull so that you must either vnnaturally and impiously as Aërian hereticks reiect your Mothers instruction or els as dutifull and obsequious children you must submitt your selues vnto hir doctrine Which least you should intemperately renounce I pray you to remember that famous sentence of S. Augustine viz. Ep. â—18 to call any thing in question which is frequented by the VNIVERSALL CHVRCH it is the part of most INSOLENT MADNESSE 3. Concerning the THIRD you can not but perceiue the clearnesse thereof expressed in this distinction VVe do not pray for Martyrs and VVe do pray for other men By which manifest difference S. Augustine doth sufficiently declare that the memory of Martyrs was celebrated at the Altar by way of THANSKGIVING and gladnesse but the names of other men were remembred by way of PETITION and desire The reason whereof ariseth out of their estate VVe pray not for a Martyr and it were an iniury to pray for him Why Because we know that he is in heauen and to haue any diffidence of his beatitude it were injurious vnto his cause and derogatory from his passion therefore we pray not FOR him as though he wanted our relief but VNTO him rather that he may assist vs with his charitable intercession But we pray for others that is to say for all them of whose actuall felicity the Church hath not yet attayned a secure and infallible perswasion otherwise if she knew that they were in present possession of ioy it were as great as injury to pray for them also as for the Martyrs themselues since the reason why she prayeth not for Martyrs is because she is confidently resolued that they being in heauen stand not in any exigence of hir deuotion Wherefore since the CATHOLICK Church prayed for other meÌ„ as not being in heauen or not certainly knowen to be there she did conceiue that they were or might be for ought she knew to the contrary in some third place and consequently in some temporall payn and so necessarily she did belieue that there is a PVRGATORY after this life To contend about WORDS and NAMES it is a vanity for it is sufficient to haue a sure apprehension of the THING it self To litigate about things ACCIDENTALL it is a folly for it is inough to be certayn of the SVBSTANTIALL point the rest haue their probability in their seuerall degrees and are permitted vnto free dispute Finally later ages may amplify not alter the doctrine of the former fayth hath an augmentation to perfitt hir progresse not innouation to chandge hir purenesse IESVS proficiebat sapientiâ Luca. 2.53 aetate c. Now since he that is WISEDOME it self did profitt in sapience and he that is ETERNITY did increase in age it may well become the Church to shew a conformity vnto hir head and Lord. The petition of S. AVGVSTINE Confess l. â— c. 13. Inspire o Lord my God inspire thy servants my brethren that at thy Altar they may remeÌ„ber Monica thy handmayd with Patricius sometimes hir husband FINIS TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST OR AN ADMONITION Vnto the credulous and seduced Protestants to examine the fidelity of their VVriters and particularly of tvvo principall Doctours viz. D. FIELD D. MORTON A Detection of their falsehood in some matters of great importaÌ„ce and a discovery of sondry vanities in the new Gospell according to LVTHER ZVINGL and others BY T. H. Maister of Arts and lately Minister Added by way of APPENDIX vnto his FIRST MOTIVE 1609. TO THE WORTHY GENTLEMAN Maister S. E. SIR though the propriety of this little Treatise be yours it being first addressed for your priuate information yet the vse thereof may be deriued vnto others vnder your honourable name buried here and intombed in a parcell of it self For as my hearty affection did single you forth to be the principall obiect of my thoughts so my compassion enlardgeth it self toward all my louing contreymen wholy insnared with you in the same danger and are held captiue therein by the same credulity and facility of belief Popidum qui sibi credat habet S. Bernard de Henrico haeretico ep 240. which hath preuayled with your noble heart to admitt the assertions of your guides without a triall of their exactnesse In which course though I may commend the goodnesse of your
Protestants into * 9. are noted by Bellarm de Euchar. l. 1. c. 8. You shall find 84. noted by Claud. de Sainct in lib. de Euchar. Repetit 1. cap. 10. many interpretations but the word it self was confirmed by a * 3. LateraÌ„ generall Councell not inuenting a new faith for the whole Church past and present consented therein by an audacious decree but expressing the old by a significant name For it is iudiciously obserued by h Part. 1. Serm. pro viago Regis Rom. secuÌ„da parte principali direct 3. Gerson against the innouatioÌ„s of VVickliffe and Husse that in the Church we must keepe a certayn forme of speach and that it is an euill liberty to speake erroneously and amisse Wherefore as the holy Councell of Nice did wisely restrayn all men to acknowledge the word Homousia so the Catholiks in the Ariminian Councell saw too late the great inconuenience in leauing men vnto a liberty of speach in this behalf For the world did sigh as S. i contra Lucifer Hierome saith and wondered to see it self become an Arrian not by any hereticall decree as M. k Cathol doctrine of the Church of England pag. 114. Roger's doth vntruly insinuate but by permitting such a freedome as we Protestants affect viz. to define as we see cause in matters of faith according vnto the Scriptures whence they we gayn aduantadge to erect our owne fancies §. 4. The Ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers for the dead in hir Oblations c. did intend precisely to relieue soules afflicted temporally in a penall estate 1. VVHen I had thus deriued prayer for the dead by a perpetual line froÌ„ the holy Apostles I proceeded farther to examine the purpose inteÌ„dmeÌ„t of the Catholick Church in this religious act for I could not coÌ„tent my self with this simple glosse of l Tom. 1. Epicher de Canouâ— Missa Zuinglius viz If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome affirme that prayer for the dead is referred vnto the Apostles I think that the Apostles did onely permitt it vnto the infirmity of some Christians c. 2. This seemed vnto me an heathenish euasion and iniurious vnto the syncerity of the Apostles Besides was Aërius the onely man filled with the spirit to impugne this thing which suffered no contradiction vnto his time Wherefore hauing many reasons to amandate Zuinglius with his black admonitour I repayred vnto them who were of more candid and honourable disposition And here I singled foorth two Fathers the one of the Greek Church the other of the Latin esteeming this a sure and conuenable meanes to leade me into a solid apprehension of the truth 3. The FIRST was S. m Cateches mystagog 5. Cyrill Arch-bishopp of Hierusalem who in his instructions of the people whom he was carefull to informe herein according to the simplicity of the Catholick faith hath this ponderous and effectuall senteÌ„ce When we offer vp the Sacrifice commonly knowen by the name of Masse a thing which should not be ingrate vnto vs Englishmen See Beda in his Eccles histor lib. 1. c. 26. forasmuch as it was a part of that Christian faith which we receiued in our first conuersion we make mention of all them who are fallen asleepe before vs. First of the Patriarchs Apostles and Martyrs that God by their intercession may receiue our prayers Then we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishoppes and finally for all men departed amongst vs viz. in the * See S. August de cura pro mort c. 4. Catholick communioÌ„ For we belieue that this is a very great helpe for the soules of them in whose behalf we offer that holy and fearefull Sacrifice which is layed vpon the Altar 4. A powerable testimony But he goeth yet farther and saieth VVe offer vp Christ once slayn for our sinnes that so we may make him who is most kind to be * A propitiatory Sacrifice propitious and mercifull vnto the quick and dead This is one of those deadly heresies as M. n de Antichristo pag. 254. Powell is pleased to affirme which was deuised by the Pope himself and a parcell of his Anti-christian doctrine 5. But as Vincentius Lirinensis testifieth of himself Contra haeres in praefâ—t that he came forth noÌ„ tam Authoris praesumptione quà m Relatoris fide rather by the fidelity of a relatour then by the presumption of an authour so this Catholick Archbishopp a professed and zealous enimy of all hereticks as his owne * Catech. 6. circa med c. sayings may witnesse vnto vs propounded this doctrine vnto his owne flock whose saluation was deare vnto him not by his peculiar authority as being a father of his children but by the warrant of hir whose sonne he was and which is pia mater communis as S. o de curaÌ„ pro mort cap. 4. Augustine speaketh the pious common Mother of vs all and prayeth for all the departed by a generall commemoration 6. For this cause he saieth WE offer WE pray c. intending hereby to expresse the custome of the Vniuersall Church whose doctrine was famous renowned in this behalf And though we Protestants do often venditate the priuate conceipts of some vayle them vnder the preteÌ„se of a general coÌ„sent viz. WE say thus WE think thus So D. Morâ—on in Cathol Apol. Part. 1. lib. 1. in quaest ac descensu Christi ad inferos pretendeth thus WE coÌ„fesse that Christ weÌ„t truly into hell viz. in soule as Bellarmine himself doth teach c. Many such false protestatioÌ„s are vsed by him by D. Field and others As for the vanity of D. Morton herein it is abundantly refuted by that which M. Rogers himself deliuereth in his Cathol doct pa. 16. WE do thus c. which is a meere toy for the very nature and fundation of our Religion is such that as euery one conceiueth by his spirit so he is in trauayle to bring forth his owne Church yet S. Cyrill and the religious Fathers were more respectiue in their words waighing them in the ballance of a good conscience and a sober heart 7. Wherefore addressing my thoughts vnto a serious meditation of theis things I beganne more sensibly to discouer how vainely and foolishly I had bene terrified by the spectrical names of Popery Papists and the like the late inuentioÌ„s of an apostatical Friar inasmuch as the best the wisest the most learned Fathers did speake and write and practise directly herein as the Papists Catholicks for popery being translated out of S. * Sainted by M. Powell de Antich pa. 68. Luthers language signifieth the Catholick religion do speake and write and practise at this day 8. The SECOND Father was S. Augustine I was desirous to seeke after no more because I was assured that I could find no better vnto whom I did appeale as vnto the best and most faithfull witnesse of antiquity For so he is approoued by Iohn
he pretendeth that the Fathers in their prayers for the dead did seeke to expresse a kind affection vnto them but inteÌ„ded not to procure ease vnto their soules Which vntruth because it is notorious and suggested out of malice Bellarmine calleth it a lye and saith that it is refuted by the testimony of x Euchir ad Laur. c. 110. Augustine himself 7. I pretermitt the two other poynts it was a copious satisfaction for me to vnderstand that Bellarmine doth distinguish here betwixt the action and the intention and consequently that D. Field doth calumniate a worthy person to defend the inexcusable folly of our Geneuian Apostle who depraueth all things in the excessiue liberty of his Spirit CHAP. III. D. Field doth nothing but trifle in his accusation of BELLARMINE and defence of CALVIN His vntrue construction of the heresy of Aërius the great contradiction of Protestants in this poynt being all guilty of this heresy and consequently no Catholicks §. 1. D. Field refuted by S. Epiphanius and S. Augustine 1. AS the confession of Caluin and practise of our Congregations did informe me that the Protestants renounce the custome of prayer for the dead and wholly disclayme the ACTION it self so many forcible reasons did resolue me that the Papists retayning the action do likewise herein preserue the INTENTION of the ancient Church notwithstanding the glosse of D. Field who to confirme and establish the injury which he hath already done vnto the Cardinall annexeth this passadge immediately vnto the * After those words to deliuer men from thence See before Chap. 2. num 1. former viz. But Bellarmine will reply that the custome of praying for the dead was most ancient We answere The custome of remembring the departed naming their names at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries and offering the Eucharist that is the sacrifice of prayse for them was a most ancient and godly custome neither is it any wayes disliked by vs. And surely it appeareth this was the cause that AERIVS was condemned of hereticall rashnesse in that he durst condemne this laudable and ancient custome of the commemoration of the dead 2. How doth it appeare that SVRELY this was the cause c Behold the proof Epiphan haeresi 75. But surely this is a miserable proof For when I consulted with Epiphanius I found that our forefather Aërius did pick a quarrell against this religious duty in the same manner and to the same effect as we do at this day saying if the prayers of the liuing may be profitable vnto the dead then let a man liue as he liâ—t onely let him procure some to pray for him when he is dead ne quid patiatur that he may suffer no paynes 3. Here I considered that if the Catholick Church against which Aërius coÌ„tended in the vanity of his heart did not belieue and teach that the Sacrifice of our Lords body was offered and prayers were powred forth to relieue the soules of the dead not all but some afflicted with temporall payn the exception of Aërius were senselesse and the defence of Epiphanius were absurd for as the first doth object that opinion vnto the Church so the second denieth it not nay he declareth that the prayers of the liuing are beneficiall vnto the dead 4. But this poynt was more excellently cleared vnto me by S. Augustine the best and most faithfull witnesse of the ancient Church For this worthy Father contexing a catalogue of heresies registreth this heresy amongst the rest viz. Haeres 53 VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the dead A fancy begotten by Aërius and by him first hatched into the world See the Peroration of S. Augustines treatise 5. Now whereas Quod-vult-Deus vnto whom S. Augustine directeth the aforesayd catalogue desired to receiue instruction how he should deport himself against all heresies and what opinion he should intertayn thereof the reuerend Father maketh this short and waighty answere It is a superfluous demand to aske what the Catholick Church thinketh of * As namely of this particular all theis heresies For it sufficeth thee to know that the Catholick Church doth hold and maintayn the CONTRARY assertion vnto each 6. Wherefore it now remayned that I should acquaynt my self with the purpose of the Catholick Church in hir prayers and oblations for the dead since she defended the contrary opinion vnto Aërius in theis laudable and Christian offices as S. Augustine prescribeth vnto his well respected friend 7. What was the successe of my study and meditation in this poynt you may see * Booke 1. part 1. chap. 2. §. 4. before where this matter is more particulary discussed There you shall find that the intention of the vniuersall Church in theis things was precisely to relieue some soules and hence it followeth that Aërius teaching the CONTRARY hereunto vomited out this heresy viz. VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the soules afflicted with a temporall payn and this is licked vp by S. Luther our GREAT Reformer 8. Thus the Papists concurr with the ancient Church in prayer for the dead and Protestants joyne hands with Aërius to deride and subuert the same And now I perceiued that a Ratione 3. Edm. Campian did not object this infelicity vnto vs without a graue consideration and necessary cause viz. The Protestants are inforced to venditate such a Church as lay in obscure and dark corners vnlesse perhapps they will reioyce in some hereticall Progenitours AERIVS Iouinian Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they haue begged the fragmeÌ„ts of certayn pestileÌ„t opinions §. 2. How some Protestants seeme to defy Aërius and how others yeald him their protection Their contradictions vanities and falsehood 1. I Found that our Authours are here distracted into variable and vncertain conceipts some in their subtility dissembling the truth of the matter and some in their vanity neglecting the judgement of the Church 2. In the FIRST rank this learned Doctour may challendge a due place and he shall be assisted with his compeeres M. Iewell and Ph. Melancthon men of great accompt The one commeth forth with this plausible suggestion b Iuell in Apolog. VVe hold * Therefore not this of Aërius But here you speake vntruly none of those 80. heresies which are mentioned by Epiphanius nor any of those which are recorded by Augustine The other flourishing at randon saith expressly c MelaÌ„cth in apolog Augustana confess art 22. VVe do not forbyd prayer for the dead and much lesse do we defend Aërius c. 3. In the SECOND rank the Magdeburgians gentlemen of the freest spirits that euer liued to censure the sacred writt the holy Councells the reuerend Fathers and all antiquity in ignominious sort may vendicate the highest roome The things d Centur. 4. c. â— col 401. say theis good fellowes which Augustine and Epiphanius noted as errours in AERIVS seeme not so but rather the contrary And so in
Augustine I am bold to intreate his leaue to honour Augustine with the name of SAINT howsoeuer he hath not once vouchsafed in his fower bookes to grace him or any Father with this glorious title is the greatest of all the Fathers and worthiest Deuine that the Church of God euer had since the Apostles times Wherefore I was imboldned to rest securely in his excellent resolution which here ensueth h De Ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 24. The prayer of the Church or of godly persons is heard for some men deceased out of this world but yet for such onely as being regenerated in Christ did neither liue so ill that 〈◊〉 they be made vnworthy of mercy nor yet so well 〈◊〉 that they haue no need thereof At the resurrection of the dead there shall be some found to whom mercy shall be granted that whereas their soules haue suffered * Purgatory paynes after death they shall not be cast into euerlasting fire Neque enim VERACITER diceretur c. For it could not be said TRVLY of some men that their sinnes should not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come vnlesse there should be some men who though they are not pardoned in this world yet they should be pardoned in the world to come So he in whose profound and iudicious apprehension there is a penall estate of soules temporally afflicted after their dissolution from the body if there be any truth in the holy Scripture it self which some Protestants haue bene more ready to abiure then to relinquish their owne preiudicate opinions 2. My second Authour was that worthy Pope S. Gregory sirnamed the Great who as he was deare vnto me for many respects so principally because he was the Apostle of our nation for i S. Bernard de cōsiderat lib. 3. he destinated Augustine to deliuer the faith of Christ vnto the English and hence our Venerable contrey man k Eccles hist. l. 2. c. 1. S. Beba feareth not to say though he be not an Apostle vnto others yet doubtlesse he is so vnto vs for we are the seale of his Apostleshipp in our Lord. His sentence is this l Dialog l. 4. c. 39. We must belieue that there is a Purgatory fire before the day of Iudgement because the Truth doth say If any man shall vtter blasphemy against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the world to come In which saying we are giuen to vnderstand that some sinnes may be released in this world and some in the next Quod enim de vno negatur consequens intellectus patet quia de quibusdam conceditur For that which is denied of one is consequently yealded of the other So he whose reason seemed very powerable vnto me in this behalf 3. My third Authour was S. Isidore Bishopp of Siuill a reuerend person wise virtuous learned and alwayes accepted as an eminent Doctour of the Catholick Church His iudgement is this m De diuinis officijs l. 1. c. 18. Whereas our Lord saieth that VVhosoeuer sinneth against the holy Ghost his sinne shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come he doth demonstrate that sinnes shall be remitted vnto some men in an other world and cleansed with the fire of * S. August in Psal 37. calleth it the fire of emendatiō Purgation 4. My fourth Authour was S. Beda one of the principall ornaments of our nation and renowned in the Christian world for his many and learned volumes which are extant at this day His iudgement is this n Commēt in Matth. 12. Whereas our Lord denieth pardon vnto him that despayreth both in this life and in the life to come without all question he doth declare that there is remission of some sinnes after this life Agayn o Commēt in Marc. 3. Whereas it is said in the Ghospell that he who blasphemeth the holy Ghost shall haue no remission in this world nor in the world to come we are informed that some sinnes are remitted in this world and some in the next For that which is denied vnto one is consequently granted vnto an other 5. My fift Authour was S. Bernard whom I did alwayes affect by a secret and peculiar instinct And though the common prouerbe goeth thus Bernardus non vidit omnia Bernard saw not all things yet that was not otherwise intended of him then S. Augustine writeth touching an honourable Martyr Cyprian saw not all things that so some more excellent thing might be seene through him And thus they are not abased but aduanced rather who though they were men of admirable value yet they were not exempted from the errours of infirmity attending vpon the condition of mankind 6. The sentence of S. Bernard is this p Serm. 66. in Cantic Theis men viz the * Progenitours of the Waldēsian sect Henricians c. do not belieue that there remayneth a Purgatory after death but that the soule being separated from the body doth passe immediatly either vnto rest or vnto damnation Let them aske therefore of him that saied there is a sinne which shall not be remitted neither in this world nor in the world to come why he spake thus if there remayn no forgiuenesse nor purgation of sinne in the world to come §. 3. My reasons to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers and chiefly where they consent rather then of ZANCH LVTH ZVINGL CALV c. 1. VVHen I had premised theis considerations I could not approoue the censorious and rash humour of Hierome Zanchy an Authour vnto whom I had dedicated no small part of my affection who q De Naturâ Dei l 4 c. 4. discoursing lardgely of prayer for the dead concludeth thus If the Fathers did intend that some sinnes are remitted in the next world which were not remitted in this we may reiect them all in this arcicle with a good conscience 2. For I did conceiue first that Zanchius in the multiplicity of his reading could not be ignorant of the Fathers resolution herein and therefore his supposition if the Fathers c. was very friuolous Secondly I considered that in this dispute or in the like I could with greater reason and better conscience admitt the interpretation of the Fathers then of any late Professour in the reformed Churches as they are stiled and I was induced herevnto for three necessary respects 3. FIRST because Iohn Caluin whom certayn * Pinczouiens Ministers in Polonia do gloriously intitle the Doctour of Doctours the Diuine of Diuines who alone is of more value then an hundred Augustines and hence it is that in the lardge * Imprinted at the Black Friers Table of Gods faithfull witnesses he is extolled thus No man could expound the Scriptures more q His cunning herein is declared by D. Hunnius a Lutheran saying that Caluin was an acute Instrument of the Diuell cunningly then he renouncing the iudgement of
more by the testimony of sondry Protestants and specially of two whose names were sometimes full of reuerence in my thoughts 3. The first was D. HVMFREY whose highly respected answere to Edm. Campian draweth to a conclusion with this sentence Thrasilaus in his mad humour tooke all the shippes which he beheld in the Attick hauen to be his owne though he possessed not any vessell Such is the phrensy of our Romanists yea greater also because they see and yet seing they dissemble that they are destitute of all defence from the Fathers Thus to cleare himself from that folly which g Rat. 5. Edm. Campian obiecteth vnto him and vnto M. Iewell his deare Achates he stretched his stile vntill it brake into a vast and notable vntruth 4. The second was D. FIELD whose praise is in the ghospell of England a man vpon whom the eyes of our * Oxford Vniuersity are cast as a sans pareill of this age for subtile dispute and profound science VVe reuerence saieth h pag. 148. he and honour the Fathers much more then the Romanists do c. Agayn i pag. 204. in marg Though Luther and the rest in the beginning did seeme to decline the triall by the Fathers because the corruption of their writings were so many as could not be discouered at the first yet now hauing found out by the helpe of so many learned men both of our aduersaries and amongest our selues who haue trauailled in that kind which are their vndoubted workes and which are doubtfull or vndoubtfully forged Not◠VVe willingly admitt triall by the Fathers 5. Though D. Field doth vntruly alleadge the cause why Luther Zuinglius c. declined triall by the Fathers and mitigateth their folly with a fayr pretense that forsooth they seemed to do so yet it was not my purpose then nor now to employ my thoughts in dismaking the vanity of theis suggestions It was and is sufficient for me to consider that as his assertion concerning a triall by the Fathers is playn so it is countenanced by the authority of him who is the great Metropolitan of our English Church It pleased your Grace fauourably to approoue theis my poore paynes c. See the epist dedicat to the Archbish of Cānt And therefore such as professe themselues members of hir society cannot renounce that position which in the name of all and in the authority of the chiefest is so freely recommended vnto the world 6. Finally I concluded with that famous prescription of S. k Contra Iulian. Pelag Augustine saying let vs referr our selues vnto the Ancients who were offended neither with vs nor you but what they found in the Church they retayned and what they learned they taught and what they receiued of their Fathers they deliuered vnto their children Thus the question is translated à Iure ad Factum from the right vnto the fact for all wise and ingenious men will easily discerne that in this case and many like vnto it the later which is more cleare will lead vs vnto the former which seemeth more obscure §. 2. Prayer for the dead is deriued from the blessed Apostles 1. I Considered that one thing may haue a double proof to witt by Scripture and by Tradition also And hence it is that the most holy and most blessed Irenaeus as he is truly l Epiphan heres 34. called confuteth the Valentinians first by the euidence of Scripture and secondly by the tradition of the Apostles but specially in the Romane Church vnto which as he m Lib. 3. cap. 3. saieth all Christians must necessarily repayr because she is of more powerfull principallity then the rest A poynt very remarqueable by the way for vpon my knowledge it driueth the Protestants vnto many dishonest and impertinent euasions 2. I might giue instance in sondry doctrines which admitt this double proof and therefore I was desirous to vnderstand why D. n Pag. 240. 241. Field amongst other particulars should esteeme it a folly and an inconstancy in his Romanists to say that Purgatory is holden by Tradition and yet it is prooued by Scriptures also 3. But forasmuch as I saw that his desire to contradict doth transport him beyond his reason to conceiue I passed ouer this matter and I came vnto an other sentence fitt for my purpose which he affordeth with greater equity and moderation viz. o Pag. 232. It is not the writing which giueth things their authority but the worth and creditt of him that deliuereth them though but by word and liuely voyce alone And the Papists haue good reason to equall their traditions vnto the written word if they can prooue any such vnwritten verities Wherefore it was my desire vpon the security of such grounds to find out the fountayn and origin at least in the time of the Ghospell of prayer for the dead And here diuers testimonies presented themselues vnto me and specially two which rested my searching thoughts in good tranquillity and peace 4. The First was taken from S. Chrysostome the principall Father of the Greeks who in a p Homil. 75. ad Pop. Antioch sermō vnto the people deliuered this proposition It was not vnaduisedly decreed by the Apostles that in the fearefull mysteries Sacrifice of the Masse there should be a commemoration of the dead For they knew that the dead receiue great benefit and vtility thereby 5. The Second was taken from S. Augustine In Instit who being the chieftayn of Diuines as Caluin doth agnize and the hammer of hereticks as he is confessed by the publick voyce of the Catholick Church gaue me this solid cleare and ponderous information q Serm. 32. de verb. Apost There is no doubt but that by the prayers of holy Church and by the healthfull Sacrifice and by almes the soules of the dead are relieued that God may deale more mercifully with them then their sinnes haue deserued For this being deliuered by our Fathers is obserued by the Vniuersall Church 6. Here I considered with my self that whereas Traditions haue a quadruple distinction first from their Authours into Diuine Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall secondly from their Matter into Doctrinall Morall and Ceremoniall thirdly from their Place into Generall and Particular fourthly from their Time into Perpetuall and Temporall that S. Augustine doth intreate here of an APOSTOLICALL Traditiō doctrinall general perpetuall And the reasons which perswaded me to conceiue so were many but principally theis three which here ensue FIRST because he doth not say inuentum but * Tradere tradita by a perpetual succession is an infallible note of the Catholick faith traditum not inuented but deliuered by our Fathers according to the sweet and sure prescription of r cap. 27. Vincentius Lirinensis in his little golden booke against the innouation of profane heresies * 1. Tim. 6. Custodi depositum c. Keepe that which is committed vnto thee And what is this depositum That which
Caluin himself and this opened the way vnto the conuersion of * Apol. p. 5. Iustus Caluinus as he hath testified vnto the world how beit as * Suet. â—o Ner. c. 56. Nero had little respect vnto his Gods saue onely vnto his Goddesse Syria and yet he defiled hir idoll with his vrine so Ioh. Caluin doth frequently make his repayr vnto S. Augustine with neglect of other Fathers and yet * Instit l. 3. c. 5. § 10. c. 11 §. 15. l. 2. c. 3. §. 7. c. he asperseth his name also with no small disgrace But resting my self vpon that commendation which it pleaseth Iohn Caluin in his liberallity to affoord vnto S. Augustine I referred the matter vnto his exact decision knowing well that his ability to conceiue and fidelity to relate the truth were sufficient to put an end vnto my laborious disquisition thereof and specially because that wise counsaile which he gaue vnto his seduced friend seemed to appertayn also vnto me viz. De vtilit credendi cap. 8. Yf thou art now sufficiently tossed in thine owne opinion wouldest finish this trauayle follow the way of the Catholick doctrine which euen from Christ by his Apostles is descended vnto vs from vs shall descend vnto our posterity for euer Which sentence did prepare my heart vnto a serious deliberation in this particular forasmuch as I saw that Prayer for the dead hath descended lineally vnto the Papists howsoeuer it is abandonned by our EuaÌ„gelicall Churches whence it followeth clearely either that the Catholick doctrine did not descend vnto S. Augustines Church or els certainly our Church is not Catholick which hath renounced that poynt of ancient faith many more 9. Amongest an OceaÌ„ of testimonies which preseÌ„ted themselues vnto me in S. Augustines workes I selected two which I will here teÌ„der vnto your wise considerations The FIRST was in his p Cap. 110. manuel directed vnto Laurentius and it is repeated in his resolutions which he maketh vnto the q Quaest. 2. questions of Dulcitius where he randgeth the dead into three orders Some liue so well as that they need not theis helpes Sacrifice Prayers Almes Some liue not so well as that they need them not neither yet so ill as that they can receiue no benefit thereby Some liue so ill as that they are made incapable of any such relief 10. Now since there is this triple estate of men deceased I was driuen perforce to conclude that the First are in Heauen the Second in Hell the Third in some temporall payn For though S. Augustine doth professe r Hypognost l. 5. this place is cited by D. Abbot against D. Bishopp p. 1. pag. 89. To the same effect is a sentence in S. Aug. de peccat merit remiss lib. 1. c. 28. cited there also by D. Abbot elswere that there is no third place besides heauen and hell yet I conceiued that there are 5. differences in this case First because the Pelagian hereticks against whom S. Augustine doth purposely dispute assigned a third place vnto children dying without baptisme but as S. Å¿ De Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 16. Augustine teacheth that baptized Infants suffer not the paynes of Purgatory at all so he affirmeth likewise that t De Genes ad lit l. 10. c. 15. Infants vnbaptized are excluded out of the heauenly kingdome c. and so they suffer the payn of losse for euer Secondly because the Pelagians place is perpetuall but Purgatory is teÌ„porall for though the same space shall alwayes remayn in nature yet not in the same vse Thirdly because the Pelagians supposed place is full of delights but Purgatory is ful of payn outwardly howsoeuer there may be great coÌ„fort inwardly in the security of saluation Fourthly because the Pelagians place is on earth but Purgatory is subterranean according to the most common and receiued opinion Yet I rather followed the iudgement of u Dialog de particulari iudicio animae cap. 30. See Gerion Parte 4. serm 2. de defunct Dionysius the Carthusian saying that by ordinary designation there is one generall place of Purgatory but by speciall dispensation of the Iudge there are many places And this may be testified by sondry examples in the dialogues of S. Gregory and other venerable authours Fiftly because the Pelagians imagined place is to be after the generall Iudgement and not before but Purgatory is before and not after as S. x De Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 13. Augustine witnesseth saying Some men suffer temporall punishments onely in this life Some after death Some both now and then but yet before the last and most seuere Iudgement 11. I proceed vnto the rest of S. Augustines former discourse which hath bene interrupted as you see by a pertinent and necessary digression As the Offices for the dead are three in number Sacrifice Prayer and Almes so in reference vnto the estate of men deceased S. Augustine distinguisheth them into three kindes Propitiations Consolations Thanskgiuings 12. The application is this First he saieth for men very good theis things are THANKSGIVINGS vnto God to witt for their felicity and ioy And here I remembred the testimony of y Haeres 75. Epiphanius whom S. z Epist. ad Quod. vult D. praefix Tract de haeref Augustine reuerenceth as an holy man and famous in the Catholick faith howsoeuer it seemeth good vnto D. a Against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 86. D. Abbot pag 8â— peruerteth the sense of Epiphan as though the Church had prayer for the Saints c. Abbott to iustify Aërius a damnable heretick against him reporting that when wee make a memoriall of Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. VVe separate Christ from the order of men by the honour and adoration which we performe vnto him that is to say we do not offer thankes for him as we do for some other men but vnto him as being God of equall maiesty with his Father And thus it is a great honour for the Martyrs saieth S. b Homil. 21. in Act. Chrysostome to be named in the presence of their Lord. For now in the holy Sacrifice Angels stand before him and tremble in his sight Yea they adore him there like true Popish I dolaters as S. c De Sacerdot l. 6. c. 4â— Chrysostome doth elswhere very excellently declare A poynt which conuinced me to the full for I was compelled to renounce all my former Protestanticall expositions * As namely his hyperbolizing c. of S. Chrysostome when I was strongly pressed with this testimony in England by a learned virtuous Priest 13. Secondly he saieth that for men very euill theis things are not helpes but yet they may be some CONSOLATION vnto their suruiuing friends This particular I found exactly treatised by him in sondry places namely in his incomparable work d Lib. 21. cap. 24. de Ciuitate Dei where he maketh this demand If any men haue an
impenitent heart euen vnto death and be not conuerted from enimies into sonnes doth the Church now pray for such men that is to say for the Soules of men thus deceased He resolueth Some priuate men were ledd into an errour herein but saith S. Aug. the Church was not no that is not the intention of the Catholick Church For S. Augustine doth there well obserue that in this life we pray for all men and yet we haue a reference precisely vnto such as pertayn vnto the secret election of God Likewise in prayer for the dead the Church maketh a e S. August de cura pro mort cap. 4. generall commemoration of all that so they who want friends or kinsmen to performe this duty on their behalf may be partakers of this benefit by the meanes of hir who is the pious and common mother of vs all and yet hir purpose in this generall commemoration is restrayned particularly vnto such as are conceyued to stand in exigence of hir relief For of some mens good estate she hath a certayn euidence of some a probable reason of others a comfortable hope But if she haue singular and playn inducements to perswade hir otherwise she affordeth not this kind of piety vnto incapable persons And here I remembred a domesticall example which I had lately read in our venerable contreyman S. f Eccles histor l. 5. c. 15. Beda of a certayn Brother who liued an ignoble life in a noble monastery and deceased without repentance for which cause no man durst presume to celebrate Masse nor to sing psalmes nor to pray for him after his decease Wherefore I considered that though S. g Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 110. Augustine pronounceth thus Whom theis things do profitt it is vnto this effect either that there may be a full remission or a more tolerable damnation yet he doth not intend that the soules of Reprobates haue vtility by theis things for then he should oppose the Catholick Church whose iudgement he doth often relate to be otherwise yea he should here also absurdly contradict himself within the compasse of three lines for he saied immediatly before that theis things are not helpes for mē very euill but such onely as suffer temporall DAMNATION for to want the ioyes of heauen and to endure the sharpenesse of Purgatory it is poena Damni poena Sēsus though each be for a little time And thus it is true that theis things do auayle vnto a full remission or vnto a more tolerable damnation because the temporall payn of some soules in Purgatory is thereby either shortened in time or lessened in degree 14. Thirdly he saieth that for mē not very good nor very euill theis things are PROPITIATIONS that is to say certayn meanes which we adhibit to intreat mercy at the hāds of the souereigne Iudge They are propitiations not by the payment of the price of sinne for that is * 1. Ioh. 2 2. proper onely vnto that bloud which was of inestimable value but through application thereof Mater mea desiderauit memoriam sui ad altare tuum fieri vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam c. S. Augustin Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. ministerially by the Priest and effectually by our Lord for the first vseth his petition and the second bringeth his performance This I knew to be the doctrine of the Papists for thus I found it expressed long since by D. h Answ to M. Iewells challendge Artic. 19. Harding our contreyman of great esteeme 15. Thus farr I proceeded in the First testimony of S. Augustine And though it were cleare and ponderous in mine opinion yet it was inferiour vnto that which now ensueth for I must freely confesse that it sealed vp my heart and left no place vnto any farther doubt 16. The SECOND testimony is this i Serm. 17. de Verb. Apost See also Tract 84. in Ioh. The faithfull because I desired to be in the number of the Faithfull therefore I was mooued powerfully with this consideration do know according to the instruction of the Church therefore it was not a new nor a priuate opinion and this I considered diligently with my self that when Martyrs are recited at the altar of God this is not done with intention to pray for them it being an iniury to pray for a Martyr vnto whose prayers we ought to be recommēded but we pray for * Theis other were not knowen to be in the same acctual blisse with Martyrs otherwise the Church would haue prayed for thē no more then she prayed for the Martyrs other deceased men whose commemoration is there made Oh how vnlike a Protestant doth S. Augustine speake and how much Popery as the vulgar hath it is contayned in this little passadge Where could I find any euasion against so manifest a testimony as this is Should I renounce the instruction of the Church It were intollerable pride Should I say vnto S. Augustine thou art a foolish Papist and thou knowest not the instruction of the Church in this behalf It were a miserable conceipt 17. This was the secrete dispute of mine owne heart which now beloued Contreyman I present vnto thy Christian view that so either I may learne by thee what answere is to be framed vnto this difficulty or els thou mayest learne with me to follow the way of that Catholick doctrine which descended vnto S. Augustine See before num 8. and vnto the Church in that blessed time §. 5. D. Fields collusion in deliuering the sense and purpose of the ancient Church touching Prayer for the dead 1. BEing now mightily conuinced in mine vnderstanding I beganne to compare S. Augustine with D. k Pag. 98. D. Field maketh the Ancients speake like Protestāts Field who had informed me much otherwise in this particular deriuing it in this manner The ancients did name the names of the departed at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries and offering of * The Sacrifice is Eucharisticall in respect of our thankfulnesse performed therein vnto God but it is Propitiatory also in respect of his helpe intreated thereby for vs. Eucharist that is the sacrifice of praise for them c. The ancients kept in this manner a commemoration of the Patriarchs Apostles Prophets yea of the blessed Virgin at the Lords table to whom they did not wish deliuerance from Purgatory sith no man euer thought them to be there but if they wished any thing it was their deliuerance from death which as yet tyrannizeth ouer one part of them to witt the body c. Here he quoteth the Liturgy of S. Chrysostome in theis wordes VVe offer this reasonable seruice that is the Eucharist of praise and thanskgiuing to thee o Lord for all that are at rest in the faith euen for the Patriarchs Prophets c. 2. But hauing now attayned vnto some experience of M. Doctours vnfaithfull dealing I could not suffer my self to be deluded by such
pitifull coÌ„ceipts Wherefore I directed my thoughts vto theis 4. considerations which here ensue FIRST that it is a vanity in vs Protestants sometimes to * So doth D. Field here and Zanch. de Natura Dei l. 4. c. 4. and others accept this Liturgy as composed by S. Chrysostome and sometimes to * So doth M. Iewell M. Powell de Antichr p. 235. reiect it for our owne aduantadge because we can not iustly insist vpon the testimony of any Authour by way of proof which we our selues deny to be deliuered by him For though it hath force against him that admitteth it yet it is of no efficacy for him that refuseth it SECONDLY that S. * Iuuetur mortuus noÌ„ lachrymis sed prâ—cibus c. Hom. 41. in epist 1. ad Cor. Chrysostome did pray and exhorted others to pray for the soules of the dead and therefore in all probability his Liturgy and his doctrine do conspire substantially in this issue THIRDLY I found that when the Church offered the Sacrifice of our Lords body for the Apostles Martyrs c. it was by way of * See Gabriel Biel lect 85. in Can. Missae thanskgiuing not of petition and this was confirmed vnto me by the testimony of S. Augustine viz. The faithfull do know by the instruction of the Church that we pray not for Martyrs as we pray for other men that is to say the Martyrs are recognized by vs as Citizens of the heauenly kingdome but we pray for others as being yet in temporall payn or at least conceiued to be so by vs and thus to witt respectiuely vnto this end we make our supplications vnto God in their behalf Farther as it is not absurdly deliuered saieth l Parte 1. lect 2. super Marcum See Biel. in the aforesaid place Gerson by the learned Diuines that there is an addition or increase of accidentall felicity in the Saints so it is not inconuenient if in this respect also we recommend them vnto God in our deuotions 3. FOVRTHLY though D. Field in his greater wisedome then integrity doth conceale it and so the Tempter made his assault vpon our Sauiour cast thy self downe headlong for it is written Matth. 4. He shall geue his Angells chardge ouer thee that thou dash not thy foote against a stone but he omitted a principall poynt viz. that they may keepe thee in all thy wayes yet S. Chrysostome in the same Liturgy doth playnely refute his pretensed exposition of prayer for the dead For thus he saieth By the supplication of theis Patriarchs Apostles c. haue respect vnto vs o Lord If D. Field will stand vnto this Liturgy to gather the sense of Antiquity by it he must admitt also such an exaltation of the blessed Virgin as will hardly staÌ„d with his liking and he addeth immediately Remember all the faithfull departed who sleepe in the hope of resurrection and make them to be at rest where the light of thy countenance is seene 4. Thus S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome if their sayings be fully related and truly waighed do hold a iust correspondency herein and each of them in the essentiall point doth follow the instruction of the same Church Wherefore though * Contra Henric. 8. Luther did basely esteeme of a thousand Augustines and Cyprians if they were repugnant vnto his iudgement in the Scripture yet I saw necessary reasons why I should preferr one Augustine before ten thousand Luthers Fields and all such as are exorbitantly caried against the streame and course of the ancient Catholick Church §. 6. Reasons which mooued me rather to belieue and to follow S. Augustine herein and the Catholick Church in his time then D. Field and his reformed Churches A conclusion of the first Part with an admonition to all Caluinian Readers 1. VVHen I had brought my discourse vnto this effect as you haue already seene I considered seriously in my priuate meditations that whereas we Protestants make a glorious shew of Antiquity D. Field pag. 47. assumeth that he will prooue the Papists NOTES of Antiquity c. to be really the same with ours Vniuersality Succession c. to iustify our Religion thereby it would prooue a most ridiculous suggestion if in this particular it self we hold not conformity with the ancient Catholick Church Here also by the way I remembred that S. * heres 53. Augustine registring the heresies of Aërius in the number whereof is his derision of Prayer and Oblation for the dead concludeth in the peroration of his treatise that whosoeuer maintayneth any of the precedent opinions he is not a Catholick Christian 2. How nerely this censure appertayneth vnto vs Protestants the * See booke 2. Part. 1 chap. 2. sequele will declare Meane while it may please you to obserue with me how plausibly and artificially D. Field demeaneth himself to escape the pressure of that difficulty which is to heauy for him to beare It is most certayn saieth m pag. 98. he that many particular men extended the meaning of theis prayers for the dead * viz. then he hath deliuered before See §. 5. num 1. farther and out of their priuate errours and fancies vsed such prayers for the dead as the Romanists themselues I think dare not iustify And so it is true that many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of Prayer for the dead and not all as if the whole Church had FALLEN FROM THE TRVTH as Bellarmine * See book 2. Part. 1. chap. 3. falfely imputeth vnto Caluin who saieth no such thing 3. Now forasmuch as M. Doctour doth clearely insinuate that such Fathers as extended this religious duty prayer for the dead beyond the narrow compasse which is assigned by n Insi l. 3. c. 5. Caluin and o pag. 98. 139. himself did follow a priuate errour and fancy herein and that they did fall away from the truth I was desirous to know without Lies Obscuritie and Circuitions the best Sanctuaries of our euill cause either from D. Field or from any discreete Protestant in Christendome howbeit I may contract my speach and say in Europe for our new faith hath scarce peeped out of hir confines whether S. Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point See before §. 4. and whether S. Augustine conspiring with him and whether S. p lib. 1. de diuin offic c. 18. Isidore consenting with them both Vnlesse the Catholick Church did belieue that sinnes are remitted vnto the faithfull after this life she would not offer the Sacrifice vnto God for their soules finally whether all others ioyning with them herein fell away from the truth or not And if they did I was desirous to see what one man there was besides Aërian hereticks in whom the truth was visibly preserued 4. Here I gaue my self vnto a long and earnest meditation remembring a renowned sentence of S. epist. 118. Augustine
suspition of their integrity because S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Hierusalem gaue me this infallible prescription t Cateches 4. Hereticks hide the venime of their opinions grato nomine Christi vnder the acceptable name of Christ And as the dignity the glory the exaltation of Christ is the marke whereat they all preteÌ„d to shoote so they will take their ayme from holy Scripture alone Cap. 37. and as Lirinensis doth well obserue they spice and sprinkle their heresies with innumerable sentences of the word §. 4. The FOVRTH consideration touching the lardge diffusion of this doctrine receiued by the vniuersall Church VVhence it followeth that either Gods PROVIDENCE hath fayled and that he hath not performed his promise or that this doctrine of Purgatory is not erroneous 1. I Considered Fourthly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead things of mutuall dependency hath bene spread ouer the face of the * See before pag. 16. 17. vniuersall Church both Greek and Latin 2. For though I was informed by our u D Field pag. 99. D. Abbot against D. Bishopp Part. 1. M. Rogers Cath. doctr pag. 120. c. principall Authours that the Greekes neuer intertayned this doctrine yet I found that their suggestion was vntrue inasmuch as the writings of the * See afterward Booke 2. Chap. 1. §. â—2 num 6. Ancient Greeks and the practise of the whole Church including them in that generallity did testify the contrary vnto me in most abundant manner And if any prejudice could accrew vnto this doctrine because it is denied by some men in the Greek Church a greater inconuenience by the Force of the same reason must ensue vnto the doctrine of the Procession of the holy Ghost from the FATHER and the SONNE because this is more generally and earnestly impugned their heresy also herein being such if we belieue the Creed of Athanasius which is accepted by our * English Church Artic. Relig 8. though sometimes ill expounded as excludeth men from the possibility of saluation 3. But whereas my learned Authours do extend the deniall of Purgatory generally vnto the Greeks they erre not knowing See the CeÌ„sure of the Orientall Church or els dissembling the truth For Ieremiah the Patriarch of Constantinople in his rescript vnto the Lutherans deliuereth clearely that the Greek Church prayeth for the dead with intention to relieue some soules afflicted with temporall payn and for a more copious explication of his mind he remitteth them vnto an w De fidel desunct oration of S. Iohn DamasceÌ„ wherein this matter is lardgely handled For he testifieth that in the vnbloudy Sacrifice the Catholick and Apostolick Church maketh a memoriall of the dead Why to relieue their soules Agayn God grant me so to fashion my life that I may not stand in exigence of theis helpes after death But if my lyfe be intercepted and cutt of before I can fulfill my duty God grant that my friends may intreat his mercy on my behalf And thus S. Chrysostome the diuine Preacher speaketh in theis golden words If in thy life-time thou hast not so exactly composed thy soule as thou oughtest giue commandement vnto thy friends to transmitt their helpe vnto thee by almes and oblations 4. Wherefore I conceiued that howsoeuer some Greekes did not or do not admitt the doctrine of Purgatory precisely vnder this * Quis nid haereticus negare audehit TransubstaÌ„t Pracess Sp. SaÌ„cti a P. F. Purgator quia apud priscos sub talibus NOMINIBVS non commemorantur Alfons à castro contra beres l. 8. titde Indulgent name with some other circumstances yet the Church of Greece generally doth retayn the thing it self And this was farther illustrated vnto me by the confession of the Greekes themselues in the Florentine Councell for it appeareth by their publick protestation that they agreed fully with the Romane Church in the essentiall doctrine hereof howbeit they dissented from hir in some points which are not absolutely pertayning vnto the necessity of faith 5. Now concerning such as haue denied this doctrine as well in nature as in name in substance as in circumstance I noted a great difference in the manner and course and reason of their deniall For some denied it Secondarily and by way of inference that is to say by reason of a precedent errour Thus the Armenians certayn Greekes haue bene devolued into a foolish imagination to conceiue that the soule hath no sense of ioy nor payn vntill hir reunion with the body and hence it followeth necessarily that there is no Purgatory after death Some haue denied it Primarily and simply that is to say not in regard of any precedent errour inferring this deniall but directly and precisely in regard of the thing it self Thus onely our Aërians Henricians VValdensians and finally we Protestants issuing from such Progenitours haue reiected this doctrine by a violent separation of our selues from the visible society of the Church 6. But forasmuch as theis Henricians and VValdensians in whom we glory and Catholicks do not enuy vs this honour were sometimes members as truly and really connexed vnto the Papists as any other men and fell away afterward from their communion as VVickliff also did I intertayned my self a while in this consideration viz. Since there was a time yea many hundred yeares when no VVickleuian no VValdensian or Henrician did appeare who did then deny Purgatory who did then oppose himself against this heresy this damnable and blasphemous doctrine as we call it for many generations Wherefore as Tertullian doth excellently say There was a time when such Praescript cap 30. and such heresies were not knowen Vbi tunc Marcion vbi tunc Valentinianus c. where was Marcion and where was Valentinian then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no hereticks but that they obserued the Catholick Religion c. So I spake in my secrete thoughts and sayd there was a time when our opinions were not knowen where was Henricus or VValdo then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no impugners of this doctrine but that they did meekely and dutifully obserue it as a part of the true and Catholick Religion 7. I proceeded yet a little farther and considered that we Protestants could not possibly assigne so much as the shaddow of any one man our Henricians and VValdensians excepted denying or doubting of Purgatory who was not hereticall in some other doctrine euen such as we our selues confesse to bring very great and eminent danger vnto saluation And what aduantadge or defence could I take from any heretick to secure my self in such a case For if any man did please me in denying Purgatory yet he did displease me also by some odious and hatefull opinion wherewith he was infected and then I could not find out any true and Catholick Church vnlesse I would distill it mystically out of sondry persons and compound their simples into one body of
Religion Which though it be such an ignoble and an vngodly deriuation of the Church as tendeth vnto the great contempt and ignominy of Religion yea the pure subuersion and annihilation thereof yet necessity hath inforced vs Protestants vnto theis paradoxicall fancies for thus no otherwise can we sustayn the essence and existency of our Church 8. The conclusion which yealded it self vnto me out of the former consideration was this Whereas there hath bene no visible Church nor member thereof for many hundred yeares which was not HERETICALL in an high degree as our doctrines do clearely import it followeth either that the PROVIDENCE of God hath fayled or that the true Church was inuisible or els that the true visible Church may err damnably in faith None but Atheists will affirme the first the learnedst Protestants deny the second Scriptures and Fathers conuince the third Wherefore reflecting vpon our accusation of this doctrine I saw that it was vniust and thus I resolued by a powerfull demonstration issuing from the premisses that Purgatory is no heresy nor Antichristianisme as we pretend with greater violence then reason but a parcell of the true ancient Catholick and Apostolick faith as the Papists do confidently belieue CHAP. II. The WISEDOME of God in designing fitt Instruments to be the Messengers of his will and Reformers of his Church doth confirme the aforesayd doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. VVho were the first enimies of this doctrine what was their condition 1. IT is a graue waighty testimony which S. Iohn Damascen deliuereth in his Oration concerning them who are departed in the faith Our mercifull Lord doth appoynt saith he and gratefully accept our duty in that mutual relief which we exhibit one to an other both in our life and after our decease For otherwise he would neuer haue ministred this occasion vnto vs to remember the departed in the time of the holy Sacrifice vnlesse this seruice were approoueable in his sight Neither is there any doubt if this were a ridiculous and fruictlesse act but that whereas there haue bene many holy men Fathers Patriarchs and Doctours inspired with the holy Ghost he would haue putt it into some of their minds to represse such an errour But there is none of them all no not one that euer intertayned a conceipt to subuert or impugne the same 2. As this laudable custome of prayer for the dead was thus perpetuated without any interruption opposition or dislike of the best men in the best age euen of Constantine himself so the first enimy thereof AERIVS was an insolent and gracelesse wretch Anno Dō 354. a disciple of the Arrian heresy and such perfidious doctrines as x Contra Campian pag. 261. D. Humfrey himself doth liberally confesse though otherwise there are some things in Aërius which were not distastfull vnto his palate 3. But this rare illuminate did not contayn himself within theis limits Wherefore pretending a farther accesse of heauenly light as the nature of heresy did incline him for it is full of vanity * Idē licuit Martionitis quod Martioni Lutheranis quod Luthero de suo ingenio fidē innouare c. Tertul. praescrip cap 42. innouatiō making poore seduced people to hunt counter in their owne fancies and prescribing no certayn rule vnto the instability of their hearts he vented three peculiar heresies deuised and fabricated in the shopp of his owne brayn The FIRST that there is no disparity betwixt a Bishopp and a Priest The SECOND that it is a folly to pray or offer sacrifice for the dead The THIRD that it is against Christian liberty to haue any generall and appoynted dayes of fasting for then we should seeme to be vnder the Law c. 4. Theis heresies are no small part of the Geneuian Ghospell and therefore I haue obserued it diligently in our Authours as a very remarqueable poynt that howsoeuer they corrade and heape vp sondry heresies fiercely obiecting the same vnto the Papists yet they are silent in three Vigilantianisme Iouinianisme and * The true Caluinists admitt the 3. heresies of Aërius as we foe in France Scotland c. this Aërianisme whereof I now intreat For theis are goodly starres in our firmament and shine most brightly in our Sphere Notwithstanding my learned Authours do exceede Aërius also forasmuch as he did not wholly impugne the dreadfull Sacrifice but esteemed it vnprofitable for the the dead whereas they reiect the thing it self and this vse of it with like contempt 5. This Aërian heresy was extinct and buried some few scattering fellowes excepted vntill the yeare of our Lord 1156 when it was raised See afterward chap. 3. §. 4. and enliuened agayn by Henricus a Frenchman in whom our Protestanticall Religion did more spectably reare vp it self then before furbishing vp some old ragges of S. * Sainted by D. Fullees authority in his answ to the Rhem. Testam in 1. Timoth. 3. Annotat. 7. Vigilantius and others for the resplendency and completenesse of his ghospell 6. Nunc audi quis ille sit saieih y Ep. 240. S. Bernard vnto Hildefonse the Earle of S. Giles now it may please you to vnderstand what was the quality and condition of this Apostle First a Monk and then an Apostata from his order So was our S. Luther Secondly a pretendent of Apostolicall life Such sheepebiters were our freese-gowne Preachers whose doctrines enkindled the furious people See the statutes of King Rich. 2. c. and seasoned them with the principles of rebellion Thirdly a violatour of Chastity So was S. Luther euen * M. Powell de Antichr pag. 324. Magnus ille Reformator he our Great Reformer An example vnknowen to reuerend Antiquity and reserued vnto our ghospell that a vowed Monk should conioyne himself in mariadge with a professed Nunne which though it be not adultery yet peius est adulterio it is tarr worse in S. * De bono Viduit c 11. Augustines censure howsoeuer D. Field minceth it and saieth Pag. 153. Augustine MISLIKETH them that vow and performe not 7. Finally I saw a cōnfluence of impieties in our French Apostle whether I respected his Religion or Conuersation And therefore I could not withstand this iust sentence pronounced by S Bernard Ibid. saying Non est hic homo à Deo qui sic contraria Deo facit loquitur this man is not sent from God who acteth and speaketh things so repugnant vnto his will §. 2. God vseth no such instruments to reforme his Church 1 HEre inlardging my meditations I considered more exactly that the supreame Maiesty of heauen earth is respectiue of his honour the incolumity of his Church and as it is against his gratious Prouidence that the Spouse of his Sonne and the Mother of the faithfull should suffer a generall and diuturnall eclipse in hir profession so now it is farther against his high WISEDOME that when she wanteth
and to discerne the truth so if any one man perhapps would make a full and satisfactory answere vnto me in case I should obiect the said particulars vnto some * Caeteri eorum in quos fortè incurtislem illum Faustum mihi promittebant c. S. August Confess◠l. 5. c. 6. So theis men turned me ouer to D. Field c. of whose collusions I. had too great experience before learned Ministers as truly I did pretending that the schedule which I offered vnto them was directed vnto me from a Seminary-Priest he must follow the same method and whatsoeuer he will oppugne therein as false he must prooue that the Contrary vnto it is true Otherwise he shall throw dust into the ayre with more contention then profitt And truly nothing is more common and triuiall in our Authours then to bumbast their leaues with impertinent stuff contayning an vncertayn sense of matter in an empty sound of words 10. Now for the better instruction of the good Reader I will expresse my meaning familiarly by some few particulars in this discourse As for example Whereas I had deduced the custome of Prayer for the dead from the holy Apostles during the time of the ghospell for the Iewes who are most strict in the obseruation of their law practise it by an euerlasting Tradition of their Fathers I sayd no it came not from the Apostles But how could I iustify and maintayn this assertion and why should I creditt my priuate opinion or the iudgement of Luther and his compeeres against the testimony of the Fathers and prescription of all ages Or why should I think that any damnable errour springing from naturall affection and imitation of the Gentiles could thus inuade the vniuersall Church without any resistance 11. Whereas I had inferred Purgatory from the perpetuall custome of Prayer for the dead I sayd no the Catholick Church had no purpose in the commendation of the dead to free their soules from any temporall payn But how could I defend my conceipt herein against the cleare and irrefragable authority of * See before pag. 35. S. AVGVSTINE ISIDORE CYRILL others whose * It goeth hard if for a matter of history the Fathers can find no better credit saith D. Bancroft in his Suruay pag. 338. with the Presbyteriās The Fathers should know as well as Cartwright what was then in fact c. The like did I conceiue also in this case report was strengthened by the conformable practise of all and impeached by the contrary assertion of none 12. Whereas I had declared that none but Hereticks did reiect this doctrine I sayd no they were not hereticks at all or els they were not hereticks precisely in this poynt But I saw that the same Catholick Church which reputed them Aërius c. hereticks in other things condemned them likewise in this and there was no possibility for me to defend Aërius from the crime of heresy but by imputing it vnto S. Augustine Epiphanius c. which were a desperate attempt 13. In a word Whereas I had noted the virtues and manifold graces which shined in those Fathers by whom this doctrine was propugned I could not prooue the contrary Whereas I had described the vile and contemptible estate of Aërius Henricus by whom it was impugned I could not prooue the contrary Whereas I had informed my self how Henricus was confounded by a singular miracle of S. Bernard I could not prooue the contrary neither could I learn that he or Aërius or Luther or Zwinglius or Caluin or any other Mint-maister of our late ghospell did giue the least resemblance of any rare and diuine work whereby I might perceiue that God did concurr with him for the approbation of his new-coyned faith and warrant of such inordinate proceedings The Conclusion with the Authours protestation vnto the Readers THvs being not able to disprooue my former Treatise I was inforced to approoue it and therefore I must necessarily persist in this opinion vntill it be refuted in such manner as that the CONTRARY also vnto it and euery particular therein pertayning directly or indirectly vnto this issue be clearely and substantially confirmed If my reasons preuayle not with you yet despise me not I am your contreyman your flesh and bloud tyed vnto you by the strong obligations of nature Charity compelleth me vnto this act of loue that I should wish you that happinesse vnto which we all aspire but how shall we meete in one end who insist in such diuersity of way Let morall reason assure you that I am not transported by any light or sodayn motion to submitt my self vnto a Religion which is neither delightfull vnto carnall affection nor profitable in theis dayes of mourning I had my portion of hopes as well as many others Fortune beheld me with a benigne and comfortable aspect and if I could preferr such intanglements before that TRVTH which crieth mightily in my reynes I know no reason why I should want that commodity which I haue bene inuited to enioy But as I giue most humble thanks vnto them whose will to do me earthly pleasures hath shewed it self no lesse ready in promise then their place doth inable them vnto the performance so I must be bold to say with their permission that my estate since I am conscious vnto mine owne thoughts and am resolued that neither feare nor hope shall foyle my Religion by his gratious assistance vpon whose mercy I depend would be vncertainly good or certainly euill when other mens will to command should be my reason to obay Finally therefore let your reciprocall Charity teach you to conceiue that I would not striue vnwisely against the benefitts of Fortune or vnkindly against the duty of Nature vnlesse some superiour and more excellent consideration then theis did obtayn a powerable authority in my soule And as you haue already seene one parcell of that Motiue which made an entrance vnto my Royall Exchandge so when you haue examined the second I hope that you will intertayn a gentle censure of your poore friend and that you will not torment his name vpon the rack of vnchristian and excessiue speach The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE WHEREIN THE FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF SOME LEARNED PROTESTANTS are detected * ⎠* Behold you trust vnto your selues in the words of lying which shall not profit you Ierem. 7.8 * ⎠* The Preface IT hath pleased many men partly out of that opinion which they conceiue of their owne cause and partly out of that affection which they beare vnto me to praise and dispraise me with this Apostolick sentence He did runne vvell Gal. 5.7 vvho did let him that he obayed not the TRVTH Vnto theis men I returne a louing a faithfull and iust answere founded in the demand of an eminent Professour of their ghospell D. Abbot against D. Bishopp Part. 2. in fine VVill you be any longer led by them vvho thus grossly abuse you My
willingnesse to belieue meeting with other mens facility to deceiue did captiuate my blind thoughts into the society of their errour For as Iudah committed folly with Thamar Genes 38. because hir habit was chandged and hir face couered so I was intangled with their conceipts because they maske their intolerable falsehood disguise it vnder the shape of great syncerity and truth Thus D. MORTON protesteth In Cathol Apol. Part. 1. Epist. ad Lector that he may call God to be a witnesse and reuendger against his soule if he deceiue any mā * Si sciens fallo vvith his knovvledge Nay God forbid that for defence of truth vvhich is life he should procure the assistance of a ly vvhich slayeth the soule But * Ipse legēdo reperiet c. See S. Aug Conf. l. 3. c. 12. discouering their vanities at the appoynted time and seing how pitifully I had bene * Vsque ad annūaetatis 28. c. See S. August Confess l. 4. c. 1. Ierem. 17.11 See S. Hierom. in hūc locum Also S. August contra Faustum l. 13. c. 12. seduced by them whose words seemed vnto me diuine Oracles I could not be any longer led by them vvho do so grossly abuse their ovvne knovvledge to deceiue poore ignorant credulous soules And thus as Nature teacheth the yong Partridge to forsake the false damme to receiue more sweet protection vnder hir wings by whom she was brought forth so Grace teacheth me to disclayme hereticall Congregatiōs and to submitt my self vnto the direction of that mother-Mother-Church which brought me forth vnto God by baptisme and therefore doth challendge right in me as in hir owne child THE FIRST PART CONCERNING THE VNTRVTHS AND CORRVPT DEALING OF D. FIELD IN THE question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. How the 4. Doctors of the Church viz. S. Gregory S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose are traduced by D. Field in this particular §. 1. S. GREGORY abused by D. Field A note concerning S. BERNARD THE substance of D. Fields discourse concerning the CHVRCH the greatest and most ponderous subiect in all religious disputes as he affirmeth * In his epist to the Archb. saying that men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence as the matters now controuersed are must diligently search out the true Church that so they may embrace hir communion follow hir directions and * Nota. rest in hir iudgement consisteth principally in this issue to witt that the opinions wherein the Papists dissent from the Protestants at this day were not the doctrines of the Church See his third booke chap. 6. 7. but of a faction onely predominating in the same 2. Now forasmuch as the copious declaratiō of this poynt would exceede the conuenient quantity Chap. 7. or compasse of that chapter wherein the seuerall differences betwixt the Papists and Protestants are briefly and * See one example afterward chap. 4. falsely also in some part sett downe it pleased him to frame a certayn Appendix which he annexeth vnto his third booke and therein he vndertaketh to iustify the aforesayd position by the testimonies of sondry Fathers Schoole-authours whom he there calleth worthy and learned men For so he is accustomed to speake honourably of his enimies for his owne aduantadge 3. Descending vnto the controuersy * Chap. 20. VVhether any sinnes be remitted after this life or not he vseth this pretense viz. Whereas Lombard and others do say that some veniall sinnes are remitted after this life we must so vnderstand their sayings that therefore they are sayd to be remitted after this life because they are taken away in the very moment of dissolution and the last instant of life is the first after life c. This is the summe of that exposition which he maketh of Lombards and other mens opinion concerning the remission of sinnes after this life wherein how syncerely and exactly he dealeth I will not now dispute 4. I come vnto his proof brought forth by him to corroborate the aforesaid exposition which I will here relate word by word as it standeth in his booke Hereunto seemeth * Dialog l. 4. cap. 46. GREGORY to agree saying that the very feare that is found in men dying doth purdge their soules going out of the body from the lesser sinnes Seeing therefore as * In Psalm Qui habitat ser 10. BERNARD sayth if all sinne be perfectly taken away which is the cause the effect must needs cease which is punishment it followeth that seeing after death there is no sinne found in men dying in state of grace there remayneth no punishment and consequently no Purgatory So he 5. But when I viewed the Author himself I found that the sentence of S. Gregory doth beare much otherwise then it is here deliuered by M. Doctors pen for thus it soundeth in a true and faithfull translation FOR THE MOST PART very feare alone doth purdge the soules of IVST men going out of their bodies from their LEAST sinnes Wherefore I noted three poynts of fraudulency committed by the Doctour in a few words First by an Omission for whereas S. Gregory sayth PLERVMQVE for the most part it is so he cashiereth this particular and vouchsafeth it no mention at all Secondly by his Reddition for whereas S. Gregory saieth MINIMIS the smallest sinnes he chandgeth the degree and translateth lesser sinnes which was no little deceipt in him that had a purpose to collude Thirdly by an Extension for whereas S. Gregory saieth IVSTORVM the soules of iust men he rendreth the speach in a more generall and vnconfined manner viz. the soules of men dying and thus he mangleth a cleare sentence to deriue a conclusion from it Many such tricks were discouered by the B. of Eureux in the writings of the L. Plessis See the defence of the Relation of a triall concerning Religion in France It is annexed to the Examen of Fox his Calendar-Saints Part. 1. a Cathol doctr pag. 121. contrary to the purpose of the author there and his doctrine in other places 6. For if not all light sinnes but the LEAST in the soules of IVST men to witt such as are of singular sanctity and not generally of men dying in state of grace are FOR THE MOST PART and not alwayes purdged out by feare at the time of their death then it followeth by ineuitable deduction that some sinnes are purdged in an other world and consequently there is a Purgatory for this vse This is the intendment of S. Gregory and therefore a M. Rogers that Catholick Authour dissembleth not this matter in S. Gregory but sayth plainely as the truth is which fault he is not much subiect vnto Some Papists viz. Gregor dialog l. 4. c. 39. do think that onely veniall sinnes are purdged in Purgatory 7. In which passadge three things offered themselues vnto my consideration First the limitation of his speach SOME a particle meerely superfluous
bene abated whereas now it is doubled yea tripled by this vnfaithfull dealing and so the last errour will be worse then the first 8. For though Senensis doth presently answere in behalf of S. Ambrose and some * August Chrysost others that he and they speake of the perfect and consummate felicity which the soules expect to enioy after the resurrection of their bodyes thus sayth he we haue interpreted the sentences of AMBROSE Aug. Chrysost annotat 64. 169. lib. 1. annot 264. in this booke and elswhere yet D. Field suppresseth that resolution and so exposeth this good Father vnto the mercy of all enimyes that will calumniate his name This is the faithfullnesse and such is the exactnesse of D. Field to conduct his Readers into the true apprehension of the ancient Churches purpose in the religious duty of prayer and oblation for the dead 9. With theis other deuices parallelable thereunto he hath replenished that whole * 17. in the third book chapter wherein he treatiseth of this matter concludeth it with this reproachfull derision of BELLARMINE Truly I am weary in following of him in theis SENSE LESSE FOOLERIES But the Reuerend Cardinall hath now gayned a just defence for him self from D. Fields vnjust accusation of other men and may take comfort in this plea am I better then my FATHERS I am well content to beare my part in their fortune and to participate in their disgrace Yea considering the dignity of their persons the excellency of our common cause and the disposition of him who standeth out in defiance of me and it and them I regard not the folly of his malice but I compassionate the misery of his case CHAP. II. D. Field accuseth BELLARMINE vnjustly of trifling and senselesse foolery in the question of prayer for the dead CALVIN doth truly confesse that the Protestants repugne Antiquity in this matter 1. LEt the Reader obserue saith ſ Pag. 97. D. Field what it is that t De Notis Eccles c. 9. Bellarmine is to prooue and he shall find that he doth nothing but trifle For he is to prooue that u Instit l. 3. c. 5. §. 10. Caluin confesseth that more then 1300. yeares since the Popish doctrine and custome of PAYER FOR THE DEAD did preuayle and was generally receiued in the whole Church of God throughout the world This if he will prooue he must argue thus The custome of praying to deliuer the soules of men out of the paynes of PVRGATORY is the custome and practise which the Romane Church defendeth and Caluin impugneth But this custome Caluin confesseth to haue bene in vse more then 1300. yeares since Therefore Caluin acknowledgeth the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church to be most ancient and to haue bene receiued 1300. yeares ago The Minor proposition of this reason is false and Caluin in the place cited by Bellarmine protesteth against it most constantly affirming that the Fathers knew nothing of PVRGATORY and therefore much lesse of prayer to deliuer men from thence So he 2. I turned vnto the disputations of Bellarmine where he prooueth by the confession of Caluin and some others that many doctrines now impugned by the Protestants and defended by the Catholiques are the doctrines of the ancient Church Amongst other particularities in his discourse the Cardinall alleadgeth this sentence of Iohn Caluin viz. It was receiued into vse aboue 1300. yeares ago to make prayers for the dead But those ancients I confesse were * Abrepti in errorem c. caried away into an errour Whence it followeth in my poore capacity that Caluin doth confesse that he and his reformed Churches are opposite vnto Antiquity in this doctrine For doth he not impute it vnto the Fathers as an errour and doth he not censure them most indignely in this behalf saying that they yealded herein vnto their naturall affection and vnto * thus the Puritans peruert the testimonies of Epiph. c. say they wrote according to the custome manner of their age c. See D. Bancroft in his Suruay pag. 337. custome but were destitute of precept and example in the Scripture 3. Nay he goeth yet farther and in the sublimity of his pride he sayth Whereas Augustine reporteth that Monica desired to haue a commemoration made of hir at the w Confess l. 9. c. 13. Altar after hir decease this was an old wiues request which the sonne neuer examined by the rule of the Scripture but according to his naturall affection would haue it allowed of others But did not the gentle Mōsieur vnderstand or did he not regard that neither the old wife as his Eldershipp speaketh in his Lucianicall vayne nor hir sonne did performe any thing herein but what the Catholick Church did warrant and prescribe vnto them Did he not conceiue that it was Aërian heresy to impugne this duty And could the Mother or the Sonne neglect the same without a singular offence and iust suspition of that crime 4. Wherefore though Caluin hauing confessed his dislike of Antiquity in this doctrine doth afterward frame his cunning exception against the Papists and deriueth it in such sort that they forsooth can not glory in the ancient Church as partaking with their errour forasmuch as she affirmed nothing of Purgatory whereof they dreame c. yet I saw that this was a piece of his cogging art and dicing skill as x Caluinus Iud viz. pag 59. D. Hunnius writeth whereby he eludeth the grauest and most perspicuous Scriptures to the great aduantadge of Iews Arrians and such like pestiferous enimies of our Lord Iesus Christ Agayn as sondry testimonies in the Ancients did assure me that the generall custome of Prayer for the dead was referred vnto the benefitt and comfort of their soules so for the conuiction of Protestants and for demonstration of their repugnancy vnto the Catholick Church in hir most venerable times it was sufficient for me to know that Caluin doth abundantly declare his improbation thereof that therefore Bellarmine doth not trifle in this issue 5. For we must distinguish here betwixt this ACTION which was performed by the Church and hir INTENTION therein Caluin confesseth the first and litigateth about the second Now it was euident vnto me that the Cardinall in the aforesaid place doth alleadge him precisely in the first respect but as for the second it is a matter of farther dispute 6. That this was the purpose of the Cardinall I was induced to conceiue not onely in regard of his excellent vnderstanding but also by a playn and substantiall ouerture in his owne workes For y De Purgators l. 1. c 6. discussing the question of Prayer for the dead he reprooueth Caluin in 4. poynts FIRST because he condemneth himself by his owne mouth inasmuch as he freely agnizeth the great antiquity and lardge propagation thereof and yet feareth not to say that the Fathers were caried away into an errour in this matter SECONDLY because
howres he lay in the graue c. we may conjecture we cannot determine we haue semblable reasons but no inuincible proofes 6. Wherefore D. Field hath not propounded vnto vs the difference betwixt the Protestants and Catholicks but that difference alone which is meerely betwixt the Catholicks themselues who teach most consonantly vniformely and perpetually that there is a Purgatory and that there is a temporall payn inflicted in the future life Thus they grant the thing it self and presuppose it as * Poster Analytic Aristotle sayth that Subiectum must be praecognitum the subiect must be foreknowen and admitted before we will demonstrate any thing vpon the same and then afterward they dispute concerning other accidentall points such as are here remembred by D. Field And what is this but the liberty of Schooles which may well consist with the purity of Religion It is an exercise of witt without destruction of faith The Sunne delighteth to runne his course as a Giant Psal 18.6 and yet he neuer exceedeth his annuall or diurnall confines for he knoweth his rising Psal 103.19 and his going downe Likewise the Catholicks may liberally expatiate in theis poynts prouided alwayes that they contayne themselues within the obedience of the Church and the compasse of approoued truth Otherwise 2. Reg. 2.37 as it was death for Shemei to transgresse the precinct assigned vnto him by Salomon so it is at their perill if they go beyond the limitts which the spouse of the wisest Salomon hath prescribed in this case 7. But we Protestants for whom D. Field hath aduocated in this businesse deale herein after an other manner for we first deny that there is any Purgatory or temporall payn in a future estate we damne it as blasphemous hereticall and Antichristian doctrine then consequently and necessarily we deny the place the time the instrument c. Which are certain accidentall secondary and subsequent respects For in our disputes with the Catholicks we propose not the question thus VVhether some soules suffer in corporall fire tormented there by Diuells an hundred yeares c. for this is the difference amongst themselues onely but VVhether there be any Purgatory or temporall payn of soules or not As for example if any man should demand VVhether in the contrey of VTOPIA the soyle be fertile the situation pleasant and the ayre healthfull I would preuent him and say Sir there is no such contrey and therefore your demands of the fertility pleasure and healthfulnesse are superfiuous and to no purpose 8. Thus I was now sufficiently instructed to perceiue that though D. Field doth glory in theis positions viz. The things wherevpon the difference groweth betwixt vs and the Romish faction were neuer receiued generally by the Church and * See his ep dedicat the things which Papists now publish as articles of faith PVRGATORY is in that number were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein they and WE viz. VValdensians Albigensians Lutherans c. who were sometime actuall and true members of the Romane Church liued together in one * That is to say whē our Fathers Wickliff Luther c. were Papists not separated from the visible cōmunion of the Romane Church communion yet he doth miserably collude herein against his owne conscience which in so principall an Authour throwing downe his gauntlet of defiance in such manner is a very lamentable case 9. For where is that man in the time of the aforesaid communion who denied Purgatory or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall doctrine in which the true difference betwxit the Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day I did employ much time I searched into the volumes of antiquity I neglected no meanes to gayn all possible satisfaction in this thing and yet I could not find so much as the shaddow of any one man See before pag. 54. c. how Purgatory hath bene denied and by whom by whom this particular was impugned vnlesse he were in the number of such as departed from the visible society of the Church 10 Thus necessity compelled me to inferr that D. Field hath disabled his owne booke and ouerthrowen his Church Papists may triumph in the victory which their chiefest enimies haue wrought in their behalf yea they may joyfully applaud the excellency of their cause which inforceth hir greatest aduersaries to prostitute themselues vnto such base and dishonest courses Confess l. 5. c. 7. 11. Finally therefore as S. Augustine was in despayre to receiue contentment from any Manichee when Faustus the most renowned in that sect yealded no sufficient answere vnto his doubts so now I could not expect a fayr Magis desperab am de cateris corū doctoribus quando in multis quae me mouebant it a ille nomitus apparuit and just resolution from any professour of our ghospell when D. FIELD himself inferiour to no Diuine in England for which cause he was selected by the Archbishopp to treatise of that * Of the CHVRCH subject which is the very center and circumference in all religious disputes appeared so vntrue and so meane in this particular of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which we deride and contemne as a foolish detestable impious opinion and voyd of any reasonable defence To conclude here I tooke an argument first à Personis and sayd if D. FIELD deale thus what conceipt shall I intertayn of all other Professours Secondly à Rebus and considered if D. Field deale thus in THIS MATTER what shall I conceiue of his deportment in all other things Truly I haue necessary reasons to perswade me that the cause being very bad will discredit all hir Patrones but the Patrones being neuer so good can not by any meanes support their cause The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING SOME FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF M. ROGERS AND D. HVMFREY in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. of M. ROGERS I Had iust reasons to esteeme highly of this mans work FIRST the Subiect of it to witt the Articles of Religion approoued by the Bishopps 1162. Clergy of our kingdome in which respect the booke is adorned with this resplendent title The faith doctrine and religion professed and protected in the realme of England and in the dominions of the same SECONDLY the quality of the Authour who is a Chaplayn vnto the Archbishop and conuersant in our Ecclesiasticall affayres For so he testifieth of himself in his * num 37. epistle dedicatory vnto his Lord and Maister saying Yeares haue made mine haires gray much reading and experience in theologicall conflicts and combats haue bettered my judgement c THIRDLY the speciall approbation of this booke viz. Perused and by lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick §. 1. Dionysius Carthusianus abused by M. Rogers Pag. 121. 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues sayth M. Rogers about the time which
children the payn is more durable then the fault as * Tract 124. Ioh. S. Augustine speaketh least the fault should seeme small if the payn were finished with it 6. Now as the temporall payn of sinne is justly reserued after the remission of the guilt so it is not alwayes inflicted in this life De Ciuit. Dâ—l 21. c. 13. but sometimes in the next Wherefore S. Augustine confessing that God doth designe poenas teÌ„porarias pro peccatis praeteritis distinguisheth immediately and saith poenas temporarias alij in hac vit a tantùm alij post mortem alij hîc illîc patiuntur 7. Thus I found a double reason of Purgatory the FIRST because some smaller sinnes wherewith grace may consist in the soule are there expiated both in respect of guilt and payn the SECOND because some temporall payn reserued by the justice of God after forgiuenesse of the guilt by his mercy is there sustayned by them who haue not bene exercised with condigne pennance in this life And here ariseth a proper solution vnto the subtility of D. Field See before pag. 103. who would conclude that if all sinne be taken away which is the cause the effect must cease which is punishment c. For though the obligation vnto eternall punishment ceaseth actually vpon remission of the guilt yet the obligation vnto temporall punishmeÌ„t doth remayn by the justice of God his ordinance concurring with our desert is a sufficient cause to produce such effect Therefore till his justice be satisfied the cause of punishment doth still endure 8. To coÌ„clude Whereas M. Rogers would inforce an absurdity vpon Eckius other men as though they were distracted into great variety of opinion coÌ„cerning the cause of Purgatory he misreporteth their intentions For though some few men did conceiue that all veniall sinne is wasted and taken away from the soule immediatly vpon hir separation from the body yet I saw that they and all other Papists to speake in my old language do concordably and vniformely teach that no mortall sinne such as * See D. Field pag. 146. excludeth grace from the soule and * See S. Au. Enchirid. ad Laur. c. 69. excludeth the soule from heauen is purdged after this life otherwise then in reference vnto temporall payn reserued and inflicted after remission of the guilt But M. Rogers would lead his reader to conceiue that the Papists are singularly diuided in their opinions some affirming that onely Veniall sinnes others resoluing that Mortall likewise are cleansed in a penall estate 9. Many such collusions and deuices I obserued in this Author but I will not trouble your patieÌ„ce any longer with the recapitulatioÌ„ of his vntruths forasmuch as by this little which you haue already seene you may coniecture of the rest which I conceale VVhat can you expect from them whose Religion is founded vpon the sands of falsehood and not vpon the rock of truth Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Wherefore I will now make hast vnto the conclusion of all and I will end my discourse briefly with him froÌ„ whom my conuersion did happily beginne CHAP. II. Of D. HVMFREY and his booke intituled Secunda pars Iesuitisini coÌ„tayning his answer vnto the 5. former Reasons of EDM. CAMPIAN COncerning the Authour and his work I will say little it is the iudgement of many principall Diuines in EnglaÌ„d that D. Humfrey was worthy to endito such a booke that the booke is worthy to proceed from Arch a man who was reputed sound in the fayth for which he suffered voluntary banishment profound in that science wherein he was a Doctour by his degree * At Oxon Professour by his place Besides as the qualitie of the aduersary deserued good respect and the weight of his reasons required condigne satisfaction which neither himself nor D. VVhitaker haue yealded thereunto so it did greatly import him to deale vprightly substantially in his answere forasmuch as he designed two * Burleigh Leycester honourable Persons to be the Patrones of his labour two learned * Oxford CaÌ„bridge Vniuersities to be the Iudges of his exactnesse But when I found his vnfaithfullnes in his relatioÌ„s his digressions from the matter Non ideò vera mihi videbantur quia deserta c. See S. Aug. Conf. l. 5. c. 6. the generall imbecillity of his discourse flourished with a certayn streame of eloquence and beautified with pleasing phrases I could not esteeme that to be a true venerable Religion which is so basely slenderly supported by theÌ„ who are accompted Pillars in our Church §. 1. S. AVGVSTINE notoriously depraued by D. HVMFREY Rat. 3. 1. VVHereas that excellent and renowned F. Campian in those short Reasons which bring eternall memory vnto their Authour doth obiect vnto the Protestants the inuisibility of their Church and that it was not otherwise visible for many ages then in some scattering hereticks AERIVS Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they receiued not an entyre religion but begged certayn pestiferous fragments alone D. c In resp ad Camp p. 261. 262. Humfrey finding himself taken in an inexplicable difficulty windeth vp and downe to find some plausible euasion and therefore he sayeth VVherein Aërius did erre we reject it wherein he held any thing agreably with the Scripture we receyue it c. 2. After this obscure and vncertayn oracle he resolueth most plainely that he and his Church will not digresse from Aërius in this poynt and therefore he addeth We do not disapproue that which Aërius thought and Augustine hath related that we ought not to pray nor to offer oblation for the dead because this is not contayned in any precept of the Scripture which d He quoteth Aug. de cura pro mortuis Augustine also doth seeme to signify when he sayeth that this commendation of the dead â—s an ancient custome of the Church Thus Aërius is iustifyed against the vniuersall Church and his heresy is preferred before the Catholicke faith But of this matter I haue intreated more particularly * Pag. 14. I wanted D. HuÌ„frey his booke when I cited his opinion which I haue faithfully deliuered though the word rectè be not in my author yet it iâ— sufficiently implied in him before 3. The thing which I yeald now vnto your coÌ„sideration is the subtile and artificiall collusioÌ„ of this renowned Doctor For wheras he pretendeth Scripture negatiuely against prayer for the dead and that S. Augustine had only custome to maintayne it I found that S. Augustine premiseth Scripture in defence therof then confirmeth it by that authority which to †Epist 118. impugne is the part of most insolent madnesse For e de curâ pro mort cap. 1. sayth he VVe read in the bookes of the * 2. 12. 4â— Machabees that Sacrifice was offered for the dead But if this were read no where in the OLD