â—nd sumwhile that they borowed it of â—he gentilitye all which pointes be reâ—ugnant eche to other For nether â—ould that begin in oure Christian doâ—tours dayes which was vsed before Christes birthe nether neede they to â—orowe it of the heathen which was in â—stimation and praysed emongest the â—ewes That the prayng for the dead vvas apoinâ—ed to be had in the holy sacrifice by the Apoâ—les coÌ„maundement and praescription And â—hat our doctors by the maiesty of theyr naâ—e beare dovvne oure light aduersaries Cap. 13. BVt that this falshood may better appeare in these men we will by good testimony trye owte when and by whome the oblation and sacrifice with other ordinarie reliefes of the departed were so vniformely vsed throughe the Christian world as like wise it shall be profitable to consider who were the first authors of the contrary opinions And that the holygost by the apostles owne preaching and praescription was the first author of this solempne supplication in massies of all vsagies for the departed I might first proue by this general rule of S. Augustine Epistol ad Ianuar. et de Baptis contra donatist Lib. 4. Cap. 24. Quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia nec concilijs institutuÌ„ sed semper retentum est noÌ„ nisi authoritate apostolica tradituÌ„ rectissime credimus â–ª that which the whole Church obserueth and hathe allwaies so bene kept being not instituted by any councell it can not otherwise be had but by thapostles authoritie and traditioÌ„ And so by the like saing of Leo the greate Dubitandum non est quicquid in ecclesia in consuetudinem est deuotionis retentum Sermone 2. de ieiunio de traditione apostolica de S. spiritus prodire doctrina It can not be doubted but that what so euer is in the Churche by generall custom of deuotion kept and mainteined it came out of the Apostles tradition and doctrine of the holygost But I will seeke with theim by certaine demonstration and plaine ordre of reason that it must needes so be Prayinge for the deade was inuented by no man sithe the apostles dayes A sure vvay to try the beginning of any doctrine there can no one be named by the aduersary before whome I can not name an other that praide for the deade Let him fay wher he list this man or that man was the first that euer praide for the deade in Christes churche if I can not shewe an other before him so named to haue praide allso we will take him for the first author and then he fully stoppeth oure course that we can not bring this obseruation so highe as the Apostles dayes But if the aduersary can apoint me owte no time nor person that began this vsage before which I am not hable to proue it was practised then they can not let vs but we must needes driue it vpward to the apostles and Christes owne institution Yf they answer me that this vsage is crept in to the church sith the Apostles time thoughe the firste author can not be knowne I wil also prouide that there no shift shall serue theim Therfore I aske theime whether that man which first preached it was resisted by the rest of Goddes churche which before his preaching belieued the contrarie or no That is it say this doctrine of prayng for the deade when it first came in to the churche did any of the true pastors free from the same error barke like a good sheperd against the beginner of that which they cownt so greate a corruption of trueth Or all the Church was corrupted with it on one daye say what yowe thinke likest in this case answer with any probability or reason if yow can say plainely was oure doctrine euer preached ageinste or neuer if it neuer wer preached againste then it neuer began as any noueltye or newe doctrine For it coulde not be that the Church being free from that doctrine shoulde streght withe owte contradiction alowe that whiche they lyked not before Howe can any man arise in the commonwelth and bring the vtter decay of all the oulde ordres whiche he findethe and erecte vppe a newe deuise of his owne and neuer man speake a worde against him but al in one moment allowe and lyke the same and that with owte all recorde by memory or monument of any chaung But this thinge is most farre from the Churchies and Goddes pastors diligence that neuer receiued faulse doctrine withoute oppen contradiction and plaine noting the party that first began it as we shall plucke our gentlemeÌ„ by the slieue a none All those that haue any skyl in the antiquitie wil beare me recorde that the pastors did neuer houlde theire peace when any wolfe did but once oppen his mouthe ageinste the sheepe They can tell that she did neuer beare the preaching or practise of any faulse and erronious doctrine for one day together â–ª then it must needes consequently folowe that the doctrine off purgatory and oblation for the departed with still consent of all nations receiued in the Catholyke Churche had no beginning after the firste institutition of our faith and woorship of god but hathe ioyned from the firste grownde of oure Christian institution in Christes faithe with that sacrifice and due honour off God which the apostles by the sugestion of the holy gost plaÌ„ted in al nations with the same faith Thus I make my argumeÌ„t Note euery faulse-hood was preached against and withstanded when it is firste entered but this doctrine of purgatory and praying for the deade being alwaies vsed was neuer controwled nor gainsaide in goddes churche therfore it is no faulshood nor euer hadd any later institution then the Apostles owne prescription But what needes all this a doo by their owne consent we shall drieue this doctrine thirtene c. yeres vpwarde For so neare was Tertulian the Apostles dayes whome they confesse to haue practised that pointe of oblations for the deade And aske him where he had it for surely he inuented it not him selfe and he appointeth vs to his forfathers De corona militis he namethe the Apostles for the authors and fownders therof as of many other thinges which he there reakenethe beside that were generally receiued and nowe be of haeretikes likewise contemned We might yet steppe ij c yeare forwarde and finde emongest the Apostles oun hearers the same doctrine bothe allowed and practised but that they will make exception of Dyonisius and Clements woorkes suche shiftes men must finde that will defend faulshood Other I wil name that be owte of theire exceptions Who I thinke as wel for theire time knouledge and credit as they re excellent vertue bothe can and wil better tel the origin of that thing the authors whereof were more nigh they re tyme then oures If they woulde beleue S. August as they often professe they will the matter might soone be ended but bicause I feare they stand so muche in the corrupt conceite of their owne
dare nether acknouledge nor name whome all good men with open mouthe bouldely doo reprehend and theire owne scholares dare not defende Such a glorious maiesty this doctrine of theires beareth that pricketh vppe with pryde those that be alyue and blottethe out of honest memorie her doctours that be deade The first Author of that secte vvhich denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good cōdicions and cause of his error be opened vvhat kind of men haue bene most bent in all agies to that secte And that this haeresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes Cap. 14. BVt yet bicause they haue diffamed oure practise in praing and offering for the deade by referring it to a latter origin then the apostolike authority and tradition seeing we haue fathered oure vsage vpon suche as the aduersaries dare not blame we will helpe theime to seeke owte the fathers of they re faithles persuasion lest by the feare and bashfullnesse of theire owne scholares they be vnkindly forgotten Mary to find owte these obscure loyterers it wil be sumwhat painefull bicause as theeues doo they kepe by wayes and lightly treade not in honest mennes pathes For the finding owte of recordes for the testimony of our truethe we kepte the day light the highe waye of Goddes Churche All the knowne notable personagies in the holy Citye of God offered theyme selues bothe to witnesse and proue with vs. We droue this truethe from oure daies throughe the middest of that holy communitie whiche S. Augustine callethe the Citye of God and oure aduersaries will not saye otherwise but they were the liuely mēbres of that happy and heauenly felowship The high vvay of trueth We brought the practise of it to the holy Apostles by plaine accompte we went with the truethe of our cause to the lawe of Moyses from thense by like light to the lawe of nature But now for the other sorte we must leaue the cyty of God and the feloweship of these noble personagies of doctors Apostles Prophets and Patriarches and seeke on the lyfte hand in the other citie whiche is of Augustine named the cyty or commonwelthe as a man migh call it of the deuil in whiche body all practise of mischiefe and origin of erroure isshuing from that vnhappy heade to the corrupt and deadly limmes therof is to be fownde We shall heare of the aduersary persuasion then The by vvay of haeresy in the company of Anabaptistes of Arrians of Saduceis of Epicures where so euer the weedes of the common enemies corrupte seede growethe there shal we finde amongest breares and brembles this choking weede with all For as the true preachers the Apostles of Christe Iesu did sowe in the beginninge of the Christian church which was the springe of the worde of lyfe and truethe amongest other heauenly seedes of true doctrine that profitable practise for the reliefe of suche as were hense departed in the slepe of peace with the decent ordre which euer sithens the Catholyck churche hathe obedyently folowed euen so Math. 13. Inimicus homo superseminauit zizania the common enemy came afterwarde and ouersewe darnell and cockle ether for the vtter choking or elles for the especiall lette of that good seede which the Maister of this field by his houshoulde seruauntes had plentifully sowen before This common aduersarye as our maister him sellfe expoundeth it is the Deuil who as he in all other thinges beneficiall to mankinde is a greate stay so Christian mennes commoditye in this point he notably hindereth by his wicked suggestions and deuilishe diuise wherby he prouokethe many vnder the shewe of Goddes worde or bare name thereof for that is the lābes cote which this wyely woolfe boroweth to maske in to be vnkīd vnnatural and with owt all godly affectiō towards their departed frēdes The whiche cōtrary corrupt sede of false doctrine we right wel know came of the sayd aduersary bicause it was lōge after ouersowen Tert. de prescrip lerning further of Tertulian Id verū esse quodcūque primū id adulterinū quod posterius That to be true that was first taught and that to be faulse and forged which came latter And yet besydes that generall and moste certeine instructiō lerned Damascen helpeth vs to the trial of this peculiare case Doubting not to affirme that al such cogitatiōs as do entre into mānes head against the praiers or charitable woorkes for the departed be the deuilles enuious and subtill suggestions for the hinderaunce off oure brethern departed from the heauenly ioyes For thus he writeth in a sermon for the same purpose That oulde serpent saith he whose endeuoure is to corrupt and deface the good and acceptable woorkes of God and to lay snares for the entrapping of mennes soules who is muche perced through brotherly loue and brasteth in sunder for the enuy that he beareth towardes our faithe and finially is madded by oure naturall compassion one towardes an other as one that is the vtter renouncer of all good lawes he enspireth to som a fayned and faulse imagination cleane contrary to the holy constitutions that is to say that al good and acceptable workes before God shoulde no whit proffet the departed soules Our protestantes be inspired by Damascens iudgement Yf this writers iudgement be good as it is sure most sounde then must al our vnnaturall and vnkynd preachers haue an especiall inspiration of the deuill him selfe so often as they hinder fauoure and grace from the deade For as he reduced oure origin to the Apostles so he doubteth not to auouche the contrary persuation to be euidently moued by the oulde serpent of especiall enuie towardes mannes saluation And nowe if thowe list knowe in whome this subtill suggestion tooke first place and roote Of the author of this nevv sect after the longe vsage of the other according to the Apostles planting we shall make the for thy especial comfort partaker therof also We will not vse the aduersaries as they doo vs charging vs with later preaching or doctrine then the Apostles plāted and yet can nether tell where nor by whome it began But we shall by open euidence call the wolfe by his name Let an heretike but set owte fout and once open mouthe thoughe he doo no harme at all yet the watcheman of Israell hath him by the backe streght The dogges were neuer so doom in goddes Churche but they woulde barke at the first apparance of any straunge cattell For that the notation of his arising and name was not onely a warning to the present time to take heede to theire faithe but an admonition to all the posteritye to beware of the lyke And it was euer counted a refutation of an haeresye to the full to reduce it to a latter infamous author by the certaine recorde of the churchies historie The which kind of reason bothe emongest the lerned hathe singulare strenghte and is sensible for the people and of the aduersarie vtterly
vpp of tapers of singulare deuotion for sicke persons representing of oure gooddes and Goddes creatures from prophane vse of dayly occupation to Goddes honoure in the temple the vndoubted hope that al faithefull people had as well to procure fououre to theime selues therby as mercy to other for whose sakes they did it and especially that in this mannes age that was so auncient these tokens off loue and duetye towardes oure Lorde and shewe of they re homage by suche externall actes were taken as peculiare ordinauncies and solemne constitutiōs of oure Christianitie These thinges though the hedge of my cause forceth me to let theime lightly passe yet as I go by I must needes beholde as steppes of ould maners with sum mourning to say the trueth and no litle sorow in the cōtrary comparing of our corrupte conditions The reader as he list may perchaūce with more leasure or at leaste with lesse iniury to other weye the wōderful waste that sinne and haeresye hath wrought in our daies of darknesse And when he considereth these thinges that be now of most men counted meere madnesse to haue bene lyked alowed preached auouched sent owte in solemne woorkes and writinges to the vewe of the worlde and the sighte of al posteritie from the very hearte and spring of the Christian Churche by Athanasius Athanas Authority onely vvil beare dovvne all haeretikes in the vvorlde the greate O Lorde what a mighty man in worde and worke doo I nowe name him doo I name whose memory is blessed in goddes Churche in whose lappe oure weeryed mother once before as she hathe bene often in amaner leaned to take her rest from the forsaken children whose onely worde with oute all proufe thoughe he neuer speaketh but with weight of reason woulde beare ouer all these pety protestantes putt together so saide Tully cōparing the Epicures with Plato and Aristotele muche more bouldly may I payse al haeretiques in the worlde with this mannes onely worde Him therfore suche a man and so greate a pillor of faithe when the Catholike shall see proue and alowe and practise those same thinges which oure masters of sectes can not abide but most abhorre and by him take a sure taste of his whole time shall he not woonder with all wise men at oure downefaull so deepe shall he not meruayle vnder one name of Christianitye The name onely of Christianity lefte in many that goethe yet common to oure daies with those happy tymes past to be suche diuersitye of case and conditions that th one vnder so glorious a name must be nothing elles but a cloked paganisme but yet I woulde not he shuld occupye ouermuche his mynde in this consideration tyll he see the whole ranke of goddes holy hoste and all the blessed bande of Martirs and sanctes stande with vs for the full defense of trueth and the common Church theyr moother and oures Of certaine offeringes or publike allmose presented to god for the deceased in the time of the holy sacrifice at mēnes burialles and other customable daies of theire memories and of the sundry mindes kepte in the primitiue Churche for the departed Cap. 6. KEping oure selues then from by matters if those be by that are so nere of relieuing the departed by the almose of the liuing there we lefte and there must we borowe brefely a word or two more Bicause I thinke it very necessary to be knowne that besides the priuate procuring of the deceased soules welthe and more then the common doles at the day of burial there was also another kinde of almose not muche differing in effect from the other but in ordre and vsage not all one Which bicause it was solēnely praesented to Goddes minister before the holy altare in the face of the whole faithful assembly and deade and in euery minde or memory for the soules principally procured the offering of sum parte ether off the deceaseds owne gooddes or his louers for the vpholding the ministerie was also made Of which kind of participating whith the departed we reade in the aunciēt coūcel named Bracharēse thus si quid ex collatione fideliū aut per festiuitates martyrū aut per cōmemorationem defunctorū offertur Can. 39. per aliquem clericorum fideliter deponatur constituto tempore semel aut bis in anno inter oēs clericos diuidatur Yf there be any offeringes by the cōtribution of the faithfull made ether in the festiual daies of martyrs or mindes and memorialls of the deade lett theime be laide vpp aside in custody of one of the cleargie that once or twise in the yere as time shall serue they may be truely parted emōgest the reste And bicause al times haue had certaine drawbackes in religion and hinderers of deuotion the councel kept at Vase of greate antiquitie excommunicateth al such as in any wise hinder the oblations for the departed And in like case the fourthe councel holden at Carthage Cap. 2. Cap. 95. Thus runneth the decrie of theim both We doo curse and excommunicate al those that by any meanes withdrawe or elles staye from the churches the oblations of the departed as murderers of the poore The decries of bothe these notable assemblies wer thought worthy to be confirmed by the .vi. generall councel houlden at Cōstantinople ▪ then are oure ministers in the ruff of their newe communion thrust owte of the oulde holy cōmunion of sanctes if ether vniuersal or prouincial synod cā take hould of men so desperat that nether care for mannes curse nor goddes blessinge Well murderers and manquillers they must be coūted their praedecessors not haulfe so euil deserued no better name Damascene that blessed man that suffered so much sorowe for truethes defense whose authority I must often vse in this treatise bicause he purposelie stoode for this quarell ageinst certaine haeretiques of his time He therfore in the lyfe of Iosaphat excedingly praiseth his passing loue towordes his father departed in vita Iosaphat Who first with all godly deuotion procured his exequies and dirigies on the day of his burial then commended his soule to God with seuen dayes solemne praier and supplication at his sepulcher and with a wonderfull liberal almose or oblation for the poore people he finished vpp the matter the viij day But yf yow can finde in your hearte to credite this good mannes report he will assure yow of the vsage of his time By which yow shall perceiue that it is a horrible slaunder that the wicked haue raised on goddes Church and ministers which be not ashamed to say and auouch in their open sermons and vaine libelles that these yerely and so many monthes mindes haue ben newly practised and deuised ageinst goddes worde and the vsage of the primitiue church Wherin they shew theim selues exceding ignorant in thaffaires of the Church or elles passing bould and malitiouse in wilful deceiuinge the simple For our onely monthes and yeres oblations in Damascens daies as he often affirmeth there
that one Victor who had made Geminus Faustinus being a priest ageynst the ordre taken in the councell of Aphrik thexecutor of his testament shoulde therfore haue no prayers of the clergye nor facrifice after his departure sayde or doone for him For in that tyme of greate persecution suche instant prayers so often sacrifice the scarsity of ministers the peoples necessity required that the priestes shoulde perpetually with oute all exception of worldly affayers serue the altare But you shall heare this blessed Martyrs or rather his wordes together with the councelles ordinaunce Victor cum contra formam nuper in consilio a sacerdotibus dataÌ„ Geminum Faustinum presbyterum ausus sit actorem constituere non est quò pro dormitione eius apud vos fiat oblatio aut depraecatio nomine eius in ecclesia frequentetur vt sacerdotuÌ„ decretuÌ„ religiose necessariò factuÌ„ seruetur a nobis simul caeteris fratribus detur exemplum ne quis sacerdotes ministros dei altari eius ecclesiae vacantes ad seculares molestias deuocet In englishe thus Seeing victor ageinst the ordre taken of late in a holy synod of priestes hathe made Geminus Faustinus the chefe dooer in th execution of his will and testament lett it be prouided that there be no oblation ther wyth yowe for his rest nor yet any prayers in his behaulfe in the churche that the decrye of the priestes before sayde may be religiously obserued and executed by vs. That therby all other oure bretherne may beware by his example how they wythdrawe suche as should serue the author to entangle theim selues with worldely affayres And here nowe oure aduersaryes must be called vpon and asked howe they can a way with this geare The haeretikes called vpon to ansvver whether this light of truethe be not ouer vehement for they re bleared eyes owle light or mooneshyne I trowe or mirke midnight were more fit for they re darke workes and doctryne oure way is ouer muche trodden for theues All this course of oure cause The vvhole matter ordered to oure hands so agreethe with it selfe so standethe wythe reason so vphoulden by scripture so ordered in all poyntes that Momus him selfe coulde practise no arte nor picke no quarelles here For such we must pray for those we must not praye in this case the sacrifice of goddes churche relieueth the departed in that case it is comfortable onely to the liuynge sum men neede helpe aster their death others helpe we neede and not they oures for open infidelles and haeretikes praiers are not vsed for all secrette offendres bicause their case is not knowne to the church of charity towardes her childreÌ„ she opeÌ„ly prayethe sum she poonishethe sum she pardonethe for al she merueilous teÌ„derly carethe This doctrine of truethe is purposely ordered by our elders euery point is touched and tried to our handes What time of the day was it in goddes church say trueth and shame the deuill when holy Cyprian wrote these thinges when the councell of aphrick decried these thinges when victor was punished by lack of sacrifice and prayers at his departure doeth your time of ignorance which yowe haue lymited for your waulke reache vp so highe in goddes howse but I will spare yow to anone your answer is not redie VVhat that holy sacrifice is vvhiche vvas euer counted so beneficiall to the liue and deade The punishement of oure sinnes by the heuy losse thereof The greate hatered vvhich the diuell and all his side hath euer borne tovvardes Christes aeternall priesthood and the sacrifice of the Churche And that by the saide sacrifice of the Masse the soules departed are especially relieued Cap. 8. ANd now we must faule in hand with the good ChristiaÌ„ Catholike for the searche of this so ofteÌ„ named sacrifice so coÌ„fortable to the liue so profitable to the dead and what that oblatioÌ„ is which the holy catholike and apostolike Church hath euer vsed through oute the world for the sinnes of the departed in place of the offeringes of the lawe and that sacrifice which Iudas Machabaeus made and procured at Hierusalem for the offensies of his people that perished in battle Surely it is no other but the sacrifice of our mediatour as S. Augustine termeth it and the offering vppon the altare It is no other then that obltation which so fully and liuely expressethe the death and passion of Christ Iesus Who being once offered by the sheeding of his blessed bloude for the redemption of man kind hath wrought such a vertuous effect not onely in the holy sacraments for the giuing of grace and remission of sinnes but allso hath lefte in a merueilous mistery his owne holy and blessed body and bloode as wel to feede vpoÌ„ for the especial streÌ„ght and comforth of our soules as to offer vppe the same for the remembrance of his death and cleaÌ„sing of our sinnes Not in that wise as it was doone vpon the crosse by the painefull sheeding of his bloude but as it was instituted first in the last supper Where Christ oure God and redemer according to the order of Melchisedech gaue to his apostles and offered to God the father that body which afterwarde was betraide and the same bloudde which was shed after also for the remission of sin beinge with all tearmed by him the bloude of the newe and aeternall testament as that which in the newe lawe shoulde succeade the bloddy offeringes of the owlde testament Whereof God allmighty being as a man woulld say lothesom or full hathe instituted this by his onely sonne as a most pure and praecious oblation and sacrifice to be continued in the Church through out the costes and corners of the rounde worlde Whiche being celebrated in the blessed memory of his sonnes passion and hauing no other hoste nor oblation then that whiche then was offered can be no other sacrifice then that whiche there was made for the forgiuenesse of sinne and redemption of the worlde The which woorthy action of Christes Churche so fructefully applieth vnto vs the benefite of oure maisters death that thereby we may haue comfortable hope of remission of all such misdeedes as most iustly deserued Goddes wrathe and terrible indignation ageinst vs. Now this is that blessed sacrifice which S. Augustin with feare and reuerence termeth in a thousand places of his works the sacrifice of the Altare the sacrifice of our Mediatour the sacrifice of oure price the sacrifice of the body and bloude of Christ the holsom and proffitable sacrifice the sacrifice of Melchisedech The common names of honoure geuen to the holy masse in olde time the new sacrifice S. Chrisostom the Reuerent sacrifice the honoâ—able Mysteries the Fearefull sacrifice Athanasius the propitiatory sacrifice the vnbloudy Hoste S. Cyprian the sacrifice of the Churche the perpetuall sacrifice the meate offering the medicine for our infirmities Iraeneus the pure sacrifice the new sacrifice of the new testament Clement ageine the vnbloudy sacrifice the rationable
churche hathe customablye taken in hand for al men passed in the Christian Catholike society by the way of a generall commemoration theire names not particularely expressed that suche thinges may be prouided by oure common kinde moother to all those which doo lacke parents children kinsfolke or frendes for the due prouision of suche necessary dueties By this holy mannes wordes we may see the difference betwixte oure owne tender natural moother and the cursed cruell steppe dame The one folowethe her children withe loue and affectiō in to the next world with ful sorowful sighes many deuout praiers and al holy workes whiche she vseth to theire needeful helpe the other being but an vnnaturall steppemoother and all the children of that adoulterouse seede hath theim no longer in mind thē they be in sight whether they sinke or swhim she maketh no accompte she hathe no blessinge of her owne she hinderethe the mercy of other But lette vs vewe all the orders that we finde extant or vsed throughe the Christian worlde for the celebration of the blessed Sacrament and sacrifice whiche nowe commonly in oure vulgare speache we caull the Masse and see whether as Augustin said there hathe not bene in all agies an especiall supplication of the prieste and people for the dead as wel as for the lieue First S. Clement Cōstitut l. 8. cap. 47. the Apostles owne scholare reportethe howe they prescribed this solemne praier in theire holy ministery for the departed Pro quiescentibus in Christo fratres nostri rogemus c. Let vs pray saith the deacon brethern for all those that rest in peace that oure mercifull Lorde that hath taken theire soules in to his hande would forgiue them al theire offensies whether they were willinglye or negligently committed and so hauing compassion vpon theim would bringe theime to the land off the holy ones and happy rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all other that pleaced him from the beginning ▪ where there is nether sighing sorowe nor sadnesse And a litle after in the same holy action the Bishop praieth him selfe in this forme O Lorde looke downe vpon this thy seruaunt whome thowe hast receiued in to another lyfe and pitefully pardon him yf ether willingly or vnweetingly he hathe offended Let him be guarded by peaceable Angells and broght to the Patriarches Prophettes and Apostles and the rest of all theime that haue pleaced the sith the worlde began Thus reporteth Clement being one of the apostles companie and continually praesent in the celebration of theire mysteries Againe Eccles hierarch Cap. 17. Dyonisius Ariopagita of whome mention is mayde in the actes so auncient be the recordes of our faith hathe not onely left in writinge what he thoughte in this matter whiche had ben enoughe but allso what the Church Apostolike in that spring of religion and pure deuotion taught and ordeyned to be vsed and that by the Apostles prescription whom he there termeth the heauēly gides and capitaines of trueth For in the laste chapter of his booke titled of the Ecclesiasticall soueraintye he telleth in ordre howe first the body is placed before the holy altare howe the solempne misteries withe heuenly psalmes and sonets be songe and saide ouer the corps howe the holy Bisshop geueth thankes to god makethe comfortable exhortation to the assembly to continue in assured hope off the resurrection howe he anoyntethe the bodye withe holy oyle and laste of all makethe praiyers for him and so committethe hym to God The whiche whole ordre off the sacrifice ceremonies and misticall praiers exercised as well in burialls as at other times in the reuerent misteries this author would not fully sett owte in writing for theire sakes that coulde not for the weaknesse of faith atteine to the worthy holynesse of so highe matters as he him sellfe professethe in these wordes Praecationes quae in misterijs adhibentur nephas est scripto interpretari misticam eorum intelligentiam aut vim quae in eis deo authore efficacitatatem habent ex adyto in publicum efferre sed quemadmodū a maioribus nostris traditum accepimus c The prayers which be vsed in the misteries may not in anywyes be sett out to the worlde in writinge nether may the singulare efficacie and grace of theime be made common to all men but euen as we haue receiued by thandes of oure eldres And as longe as this ordre was religiously kept in goddes Churche the solempne secretes of the blessed sacraments were not so contēptible as oure newe oppen communion hathe of late made theime where there is nothing so holy but it may abyde the sighte and handeling of whoso euer is the worst The holy and heuenly misteries of Christ his spouse were not thē prophaned by the praesumptiouse babling of euery idle heade Thē were not the soueraigne weghty matters handeled in alehowses but vsed at the holy altares Then the idle contentious vngodly and vnproffitable quirkes and quaestions had no other solution but sharpe discipline and worthy correctiō then were not the Gydes of goddes people countrowled by euery restlesse felowe In homil contra Sabellian Athan ad Epictetum that coulde cracke of goddes worde but it was enoghe for a faithfull mannes contentatiō to say with Basil the greate Dominus ita docuit apostoli predicauerūt patres obseruauerūt cōfirmauerūt martyres sufficiat dicere ita doctus sum Our Lord taught so the apostles so preched our fathers obserued the same the holy martyrs haue sealed it It is sufficient for me to say so was I taught O Lord that this simple sincere fidelitie might once take place againe in oure daies for the coomforte of the poore faithfull flocke that are nowe so burdened with questions of infidelitye that the sely simples soules cā not tell howe to turne theime selues nor finde meanes to kepe theire faithe inuiolated in such a multitude of misbeleuers Which I surely hope the earnest and pitiful praiers of so many good men that doo bewaile this miserie shall at lengthe after due poonishment of oure sinnes obteyne at goddes gratiouse handes But what shifte doo the aduersaries here make with this euidēt testimonie of this so auncient a writer mary sir they indeuoure with all theire mighte to robbe this excellent auncient and diuine writer of all his workes which haue borne the title of his name euer sithe theye were writē Ita Suidas testatur which chalēge theire own author by that graue stile that no other man as the skilfull in that languange doo testifie coulde euer lightly atteyne vnto which so sauore of the antiquity and the apostolike spirit that thowe woulde deeme theyme to be indited by sum of the cōtinuall hearers of Christe Iesus But it were vaine to stand in contention for this matter for we shoulde neuer haue ende if we should be put to proue that euery man made the bookes which be extant in his name it weere to muche miscredit of antiquitie and vncertainty of
carefull admonitions of all these blessed fathers they shall perceiue that euery time that Christes holy bloude is represented vnto God in the Masse for the departed they feele a present benefite and release of theire paines Quaest 34. ad Antioch they doo reioyse saithe holy Athanasius when the vnbloudy host is offered for theim The owlde fathers to put a difference betwixt the sacrificing of Christes own body vpon the crosse and the same vppon the altare in the Churche doo lightly terme this way of offering the vnbloudy sacrifice and the thinge offered which is Christes oune blessed body they call lykewise the host vnbloudie And Chrisostō neuer putting any doubt of the firste authors of offering for the deade prouethe that it is exceding beneficiall to the deceased bicause the apostles full of goddes spirite and wisdom woulde elles neuer withe suche care haue commaunded this holy action to be doone for theime Alasse a lasse for oure deare frendes departed that they must lacke this comforte But wo euerlasting to theyme that are the cause of so muche misery But heare I pray yowe what notable wordes S. Damascen hathe for the vtility and institution of these thinges Ibidem The holy Apostles and disciples saith he of oure sauiour Christe haue decried that in the dread soueraigne vndefiled and lyuely Sacraments so he cauleth the Masse there shoulde be kept a memoriall of those that haue taken theire slepe in faithe the which ordinaunce vntyll this day withowt gainsayng or controwlyng the Apostolike and Catholike Churche of God from one cost of the wyde worlde to another hathe obserued and shall religiously kepe til the worlde haue an end For doubtlesse these thinges that the Christiā religiō which is with owt error and free frō faulshod hath so many agies and worldes continued vnuiolably not with oute vrgent cause those thinges I say are not vaine but profitable to man acceptable to God and very necessarye for our saluation Thus farre spake the doctor settyng furthe not onely his owne mynd but the faithe of a numbre of the peeres of goddes Churche wherin to proue this doctrine to be catholike he fitly followeth the same way which Vincentius Lyrinensis gaue vs once for a ruele to trye truethe by The rule of trueth Prouing that it hathe antiquitie as a thing that came and hathe continued euen from the beginnyng of the Christian religion declaring that it hathe the consent of all natiōs bicause it is and hath bene practised throughe owt al the costes and corners of the wyde world and last that it hath the approbatiō of the wiseist and holiest mē that euer were in the Church of Christ And more thē all this that it shal so cōtinue till thend though it be for a time in sum peculiare natiōs omitted bicause it is receiued into a parte of that woorship of God which in the Church cā not perishe And this praescription of trueth our aduersaries can not auoyde but with suche vnseemely dealing as I trust they theim selues now be ashamed of as all other reasonable men are For now let theim coom with brasen facies and blasphemous tonges and say that praiers for the deade be vnprofitable that the rites of the burial be superstitious that to say the masse and sacrifice to be propitiatory for the soules departed is iniurious to Christes death that the doctors praised the errours of the ignorāt people of their daies that they all erred and were deceiued that the church of Christe hathe bene ledde in darke ignorance till these oure daies let theime bestowe these vayne presumptious wordes where they may take place for nowe all wise men doo perceiue that all these haue theire holy institution by Christe and his Apostles practised vniuersally in the primitiue Churche embrased of all godly people and approued to be wholy consonant to goddes worde by the pillors of Christes churche who so cōsonantly agree together in this point as well for the practise and proufe as for the beginning therof that to dissent from theime and trust in these reedes of oure daies were mere madnesse that are pufte to and fro with euery blast of doctrine that care not what they say so that they say not as other theire forefathers sayed that had rather then they woulde geue ouer a singulare opinion of theire owne imagination refuse and denie the authoritye of so many notable wise auncient godly and well learned fathers whome we haue named Although we haue left owt many of no woorse iudgement planely auouching these thinges to coom in to Christes Churche and woorship by the ordinaunce of his holy Apostles All which thinges if oure aduersaries haue redde then they are in a most miserable and heuy taking that doo withstand an open knowne truthe Heretikes doo agaynst theire ovvne cōsciences and as I feare against theire owne consciencies too Or if they haue not redde these plaine assertions of all lerned men sithe Christes tyme then they are most impudēt that so vainely bragge in a matter whereof they are not skilful But I trust God wil opē their eyes and breake theire prowde hartes to the obedience of his holy Churche Yf the authors be past hope yet their folowers shall take goodly occasion to forsake suche wicked maisters and be ashamed of all theire vndecent dealyng if they note and consider with me that the firste preachers of this peruerse opinion were suche that none of all theire scholares durst euer for shame for the profe of theire assertion name theire owne doctors Note And truely a man might well meruel why haeretikes hauing sum that did plainely professe theire opinions had yet rather picke owte sum darke sentence of any one of oure holy fathers whome they knowe to be directly against theime then oute of those same doctors of their own which in expresse wordes make for theime Yow shall not lightly heare an haeretike that deniethe prayng to sanctes or houldeth with open breache of holy vowes alleage Iouinianus or Vigilātius Nor a Sacramentarie seeke for the autoritye of Berengarius or Wicleffe thoughe they be of sum antiquitie and with out colour plainely doo mainteyne the doctrine that so well lyketh theime But they will trauell to writhe with plaine iniurie to the author Note the gile of an heretike sum sentence owt of Augustine or Ambrose or sum other that by theire whole lyfe and practise open theime selues to the worlde to beleue the cōtrary and al this by sum shewe of wordes for the bearing of their faulse assertions Marke it well I saye in heretikes that they can not for shame of theime selues Note euer name any of the plaine auouchers of theire owne opininions The cause is that the onely vpholding of their opinions made theime infamous to the whole posterity And if any honoure grewe vnto theime emongest the simple bicause they lacked not the waies to procure the peoples consent with admiration of theire eloquence or other plausible and populare
the streght lyne of the Churchies truethe vvhiche in the exceding rashnesse of these darke daies a man may quickly lose And therefore to make sure I humbly submit my selfe to the iudgement of suche oure masters in faithe and religion as by Goddes callinge are made the lavvful pastors of our soules Of vvhome I had rather learne my self theÌ„ teach other if ether they had occasion and opportunity to speake or I might of reason and duety in these miserable times hould my peace Fare vvell geÌ„tle Reader and if I pleasure thee by my paynes lett me for Christes sake be partaker of thy prayers At Antvverp the Second of May. 1565. GOOD READER BEARE with these small faultes or other which in this difficulty of printing there where oure tonge is not vnderstaÌ„ded must needes be committed Fo. 12. Pag. 2. Li. 14. Reade for sacraledge sacriledge Fo. 16. Pag. 1. Li. 7. Reade for iokyng yokyng Fo. 29. Pag. 2. Li. 17. Reade for mamed named Fo. 37. Pag. 2. Li. 11. Reade for hauno haue no. Fo. 45. Pag. 2. Li. 21. Reade for non sum non sim Fo. 110. Pag. 2. Li. 13. Reade for appirition apparition Fo. 120. Pag. 2. Li. 13 Reade for vnfayded vnfayned Fo. 152. Pag. 1. Li. 6. Reade for maked naked Fo. 152. Pag. 2. Li. 1. Reade for so set to set Fo. 157. Pag. 1. Li. 10. Reade for so say to say Fo. 186. Pag. 2. Li. 17. Reade for author altare Fo. 196. Pag. 1. Li. 12. Reade for playnes plaine Fo. 224. Pag. 1. Li. 19. Reade for langnange language Fo. 231. Pag. 1. Li. 3. Reade for CarthagieÌ„si cruditius Carthaginensi eruditus Fo. 234. Pag. 2. Li. 8. Reade for ys his Fo. 241. Pag. 1. Li. 2. Reade for it is Fo. 243. Pag. 1. Li. 6. Reade for is it say is to say Fo. 270. Pag. 1. Li. 1. Reade for Nire Nice THE PRAEFACE VVher in be noted tvvo sortes of Haeretikes th one pretending vertue thother openly professing vice And that our tyme is more troubled by this second sâ—â—â— VVith a briefe note of the Authors principall intent in this Treatise ALl thoughe haeresie and all willfull blyndnesse of mannes mind be vndoutedly a iuste plage of God for sinne and therfore is commonly ioyned with euil lyefe both in the people and preachers therof as the historye of all agies and sondry examples of the scriptures may plâ—â—â—ely proue yet by the gyle and crafty conueiaunce of oure common enimy the deuil The deuil les â—raâ—te in â—â—â—motyng errour faulshod is often so cloked in shadowe and shape of truethe and the maisters therof make suche showe of vertue and godly liefe that vowe woulde thinke it had no affinity withe vice nor origine of mannes misbehauiour at all So did he couer the wicked haeresies of Manicheus Hieron in 7. cap. Osee Marcion Tatianus and the like with a fained flourishe of continency and chastitye so did he ouercast thenimy of goddes grace Pelagius Augustin pist 120. withe thapparance of all grauity constancy and humilitye and so hathe he allwaies where crafte was requisite to his intent made shewe of a simple sheepe in the cruell carkase of a wyly woulfe This good condition S. Paule noted in him in these wordes 2. Cor. 11. Ipse enim Satanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis For Satanas his owne person shapeth him sellfe into an Angel of lighte And that his scholars play the like parte oure master Christe of singulare loue gaue his 〈◊〉 this wache worde for a speciall prâ— iso Matth. 7. Attendite a falsis prophaetis qui veniunt ad vos in vestimentis ouium intrinsecus autem sunt lupi rapaces Take heede of faâ—â—e prophets that coom in shepes vesture but withe in be rauening woulues He sawe that seeth all thinges that the outeward face of feyned holinesse might easely cary a way the simple he detected the serpents suttelty that none might iustly pleade ignorance in a case so common and vvithall for thenstruction of the faithfull he gaue falshood and her fortherers this marke for euer that conuey they neuer so cleane or close yet they re vnseemely workes shulde euer detect they re fayned faithe But all this notwithstandinge if we deaply wey the whole course of thinges we shall fyende that this counterfaityng of vertue and showe of pietye is not the perpetuall intent of the deuils deuise but rather a needefull shift in forthering his practise there onely where faith and vertue be not vtterly extinguished then the full ende of any one of all his endeuoures The deuils marke and thexteame and of haeresy For this may we assuredly fynd to be the scope and pricke of all his cursed trauel to set sinne and her folowers in suche freedom that they neade not as often elles for they re protection the cloke of vertue nor habite of honesty but that they may bouldly encounter wyth the good and godly and in open ostentation of they re mischiefe ouer ron all trueth and religion Wherfore as he often cloketh suttell haeresies in honest lyefe and vertues weede so when he by liklihoods conceyueth hope of better successe and forther aduentures he then openethe a common schole of sinne and wickednesse where mischife may with out colour or crafte be bowldely maynteyned This open schole of iniquitye Hieron sup 13. Ezech. and doctryne of sinne he once busely erected in the gentilitye by the infamous philosopher Epicurus and his adherentes teaching to the singulare offense of honestye pleasure and voluptuousnes to be thonly end of all owre lyefe and endeuours The whiche pleasaunt secte though it euer sence hath had som promotours yet the very shade of fayned vertue and worldely wisdom of those dayes withe ease bare downe that enterprice This brode practise was yet forther attempted euen in Christes Church first by Eunomius Eunomius who doubted not in the face of the worlde to auouche that none coulde perishe weere his woorkes neuer so wicked that woulde be of his faithe And then by Iouinianus Iouinianus who taughte the contempt of Christian fastes matched mariage wythe holy maidenhood and afterward to the greate woonder of all the churche perswaded certeyne religious weemeÌ„ in Rome to forsake they re first faithe and marye to they re damnation For whiche plaine supporting of vndoubted wickednesse S. Hierom callethe theime often Christian Epicures Contr. Iou. lib. 2 boulsterers of sinne and doctours of luste and lecherye Neuer the lesse the force of goddes grace whiche was greate in the springe of oure religion the sinne of the worlde not yet riepe for suche open showe of licentious lyefe speedely repressed that wicked attempt â–ª Ad quod vult de haeresi 82. for as S. Augustine declarethe it was so cleare a falshood that it neuer grewe to deceyue any one of all the cleargy But not longe after with muche more aduantage the like practise was assaied by Mahomet the deuilles only dearling by whome numbers of wyeues
euen of the iust not otherwise amendid sharply visited Euseb Emiss homil de diuersis viti Therfor if Melanchthon graunt that the rightuous and reconciled persons may iustly beare the skourge of God for satisfying for their sinnes before pardoned in this worlde where thoughe poonishment be exercised for wickednesse properly yet at the least not so ordinarilye as in the next where God hathe laide vp the greate store of rewarde as well for the good as the badde he muste neades by force of reason acknouledge that the worlde to coom is no lesse iff it be not more apoynted of oure lorde for iuste iudgeing of oure faultes forgiuen then the tyme of this present lyefe where as many an euill lyeuer escapeth all poonishment so diuerse of greate vertue suffer full greuous torments Excellently well saide S. Augustine Euch. c. 6. Multa mala hic videntur ignosci nullis supplicijs vindicari sed eorum paenae reseruantur in posterum c muche euil may seeme here to be pardoned and with out all poonishment released but the paine for suche thinges is reserued tyll the worlde to com But let vs steppe a fout farther and yet so muche nearer the matter and note well whether we may fynde any case where the payment for sinnes remitted passeth the bondes of this lyefe and so required in the nexte â–ª that by plaine dealing and orderly proceadinge Marke vvell that God pounisheth in the nexte life the sinnes of the iuste we may the better instructe the simple confounde the aduersary and make truethe stand vpon it selfe Consider then withe me that oure first father pardoned of his sinne as I proued before was poonished for the same and withe him all the iuste off those dayes not only in the time of this praesent mortall lyefe but many hundrethe yeres after theire departure For whose deliuery the Catholike Churche houldeth and oure Crede teacheth â—lso that our master Christ descended doune in to helle And that no man heâ—e be deceyued he must vnderstande â—hat it was no smaule pounishment to be banished so many worldes to gether from the lande of the lyeuing and to â—acke the ioyfull fruition of heauens blisse whiche of it sellfe but that it was not aeternall Augu. En chi ca. 112 had ben more then all temporall paynes that may be suffered And this to be one of those miseryes whiche oure first fathers disobedieÌ„ce wrought and so to be payne for sinne I thinkâ— euery wise man will confesse Yea 〈◊〉 was the greatest dominion of sinne thaâ— coulde be for the ouerthrow of whiche Christ him sellfe vouchsaulfed to entre in to the lande of darknes It is called of the Prophet lacus sine aqua 〈◊〉 a lake withe oute water zach 9. 1. Pet. 3. And of thâ— Apostle Carcer a prieson Where the fathers be also named vincti tui thine that were bounde Wherby we must vnderstande that Christ had a flocke impriesoned and bounde for the debt of sinne in a nother worlde But that we may make inuincible proufe that this theire captiuity was a iuste inioyned plage and paenalty for sinne we must report what we finde in auncyent Ireneus of this matter And he affirmeth that Adam was iudged and condemned for his wilfull faule till Christes coomming Li. 3. ca. 33 in these wordes Necesse fuit dominum ad perdicam ouem venientem tandem despositionis recapitulationem facientem suum plasma requientem illum ipsum hominem saluare qui faâ—tus fuer at secundum imaginem similituâ—inem eius id est Adam implentem tempoâ—a eius condemnationis quae facta fuerat proâ—ter inobedientiam â–ª and streght after â—olutus est condemnationis vinculis qui capâ—iuus ductus fuerat homo thus I englishe 〈◊〉 It was necessary that oure lorde comming to the lost shepe and making a reâ—apitulation of his apoynted ordinaâ—nce and vew of his owne handewoorke should also saue the same man whiche was fourmed after his owne image and liknesse I meane Adam then fulfillinge the tyme of that condemnation whiche was for his disobedience apoynted and so the man ledde in to captiuity was released of the bondes of his condemnation Eusebius Emissenus yet more expressely helpethe oure cause as foloweth Homil. 1. de festo Pasch Confestim igitur aeterna nox inferorum Christo descendente resplenduit siluit stridor ille lugentium Cathenarum disruptae ceciderunt vincula damnatorum Out off hand at Christes comming in to helle that aeternal darkenesse shyened bright the gnasshing of the mourners ceased and the brosten bandes of condemned persons fell from theyme Here loe many one by the iudgement of this holy writer were loused from muche misery by Christes descending doune Where to oure purpose we must especially be aduertised that all the iuste in those inferiour partes were not in lyke faelicitye withe our father Abraham or other of suche perfect holinesse allthoughe he also suffered the common lacke in longe looking for translation to ioy for som there were of meaner vertue and yet in the fauour of God whiche suffered personall paine for purginge and recompense of theire sinnes committed in this lyefe Som vver released of paine at Christes desceÌ„ of whome this Author semeth to meane And as S. Augustine supposethe the scripture must nedes import suche a lyke thinge vndoubtedly teaching that Christe was not onely in the place off rest where Abraham and other in his harbour were but allso in placyes off torment wich coulde not touche his holy person Act. 2. Quem Deus suscitauit solutis doloribus inferni Whome God raised vp agayne after he had lowsed helle paines Thus saithe this holy Author Quia euidentia testimonia infernum coÌ„memorant dolores nulla causa occurrit Epist. â—9 cur illò credatur venisse Saluator nisi vt ab eius doloribus saluos faceret sed vtrum omnes quos incis inuenit an quosdam quos illo beneficio dignos iudicauit adhuc requiro suisse tamen eum apud inferos in eoruÌ„ doloribus consttutis hoc beneficium prestitisse non dabito Bicause saith he euident testimonies make mention bothe off Helle and paines I see not why we shoulde belieue that oure Sauiour came thether but to discharge som off the paines therof mary whether he loused all or summe whome he thoght woorthy of that benefite that woulde I learne For I am out of doubt he was in helle and bestowed that gracious benifite vpon som that were in paines â–ª thus far spake Augustine Let no man here take occasion to thinke that this father ment of any release of the damned in the inferious helle for that errour he euer detested and writeth ernestly ageinst Origen for the same De fide operibus cap. 16. Then it must neds be that he spake of som whiche were in paine and torment and yet woorthy to receyue mercy â–ª so he termethe theire estate bothe here Cap.
a maner a frade him self of wasting away in that horrible tormēt none more effectually then S. Augustine that confesseth there is no earthely paine comparable vnto it Lib. 4. Ca. 10. de ortho fid none more fearefully then Eusebius Emissenus who termeth it skaulding waues off fyre none more pithely then Paulinus that calleth those places off iudgements Ad Amandum epi. ◠Ardentes tenebras burning darknesse More peculiarely may the circūstances and cōdicion of that state by god be reueled but the trueth therof can not be more plainely declared nor better prooued These babes feared no bugges I warraunt yovv nether picked they Purgatory owte of Scipio his dreame but they had it owte of Goddes holy worde and tradition of the holy apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of truth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost laboure to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth whiche all the holy doctoures haue so fully both proued and declared to my hand But nowe for vs that throughe Goddes greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefite of this oure approued faithe to the amendement of oure owne lyues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctoure can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good liefe and vertuous conuersation may by Christes mercy moue theime Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgment must begī at the howse of God Epist 1. ca. 4. Ambros vbi supra as S. Peter affirmeth and so dooth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whom for the dignity of his honourable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckoning must be required Let the Lay man lerne for the auoyding of greater daūger in the praesence of the highe Iudg willingly to submitt him self to Goddes holy ministers Who haue in most ample manner a commission of executing Christes office in earthe bothe for pardoning and poonishement of sinne that sufferinge here in his Churche sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape oure fathers greuous chastisement in the liefe to coom Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing poenaunce he woulde measure the medecine by the malady aptly discerning the limitation of the poonishement by the quantity of the faulte not vsing lyke lenity in closing vp of euery wound For they shall not be blamelesse surely that doo the woorke of Goddes iudgement committed to theire discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of suche vnaequall remedies auoyde the skourge of iudgement praepared ▪ except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men should som forther satisfaction by the fructes of poenaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned paenalty and so by Goddes grace turne away the greate grefe to coom Excellently well Epist 2. and to oure pupose saide S. Cyprian in the fourthe booke of his epistles taulking of suche offenders as were not charged with poenaunce sufficyently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes VVe shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Goddes iudgmēt that is to coom that he may not alowe and ratifie oure sentence if he finde the perfect poenaunce of the party so require But if the offēder haue deluded vs by fayned accōplishing of his paenaunce then God who will not be deluded bicause he behouldeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of suche thinges as were hidde from vs. And so oure Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes Wher this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Pugatory whiche S. Augustin and other doo often call the amending fyere Thoughe it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to aeternall damnation vppon the impoenitent sinner whome the prieste bicause he coulde not discerne the fained hipocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stand I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement Howe so euer that be it is a woorke of singulare grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede off the amending fyer Of the nature and condicion of Purgatotory fyre the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke Cap. 13. IF any curious head list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the world this place of poonishmēt is or what nature that fyre is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity bicause he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The lerned may see that quaestion at large debated in the bookes of the City of God Lib. 20. and in the litterall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Libro 8. cap. 5 Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormēti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus a contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure saith S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent payne and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but howe or of what nature that Hell flame and fyre is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tong or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the droppe to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfyed to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shal neuer be knowen Therfore better it is to be in doubt of these secretts then to stand in contentious reasoning off thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaunce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of oure fyre and bothe by scriptures and doctours is most termed by the name of fyre as Hell torment is It woorketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vppon the riche mannes soule and all other that be allready in Helle before the receiuing of theire bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible greefe may be as greate of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus Cyrill in vita
answereth Lo oure vnkindnesse saithe this doctor and lo oure lacke of compassion But bicause all this forgetfullnesse coommethe by the wicked suggestiō of these late deuelishe opinions which maynteyne that the prayers of the lyuing or theire workes doo not extende to the deade in Christe therefore for the destruction of this vnkind haeresy and planting in oure heartes with the truethe the feeling of our howsholde felowes sores I shall proue that in all times as well of nature as the lawe and gospell the faithful men haue euer ioyned in all they re praiers and acceptable workes the soules departed as vnto whome by right of theire communion and felowship in faithe the reliefe of goddes grace and Christes merites doo apperteine Therefore this once declared let vs except theime from no painefull worke of the liuing nor charitable deede nor good praier nor sacrifice nor teares no nor from the inward doloure nor loue of mannes hearte Lerne to know what it is to be in a common body and thowe shallte streght perciue that the least motion of thy mind sturred by goddes grace shall be caryed to the releefe of that part which thow pitied and most intended VVhat the Churche of God hathe euer principally practised for the soules departed by the vvarraunt of holy scripture vvith the defense of the Machabees holy history against the heretikes of oure tyme. Cap. 3. BVt emongest so many meanes of helpe Gregori in epist. ad Bonifa these haue bene euer counted most soueraigne Sacrifice praiers almose and by example of scripture most commended Thoughe fasting added vnto any of theime hathe singulare strengthe in this case and euer was ioyned in all ernest sute made to god for our selues or other We can nott better begin to shewe the practise herof then at that scripture which sufficiently commendeth at once al three writen in the second booke of Machabies in these wordes Cap. 12. Iudas hortabatur populum conseruare se sine peccato sub oculis videntes quae facta sunt pro peccatis eorum qui postrati sunt Et facta collatione duodecim millia drachmas argenti misit Ierosolimam offerri pro peccatis mortuorum sacrificium bene religiose de resurrectione cogitans nisi enim eos qui ceciderant resurecturos speraret superfluum videretur vanum orare pro mortuis quia considerabat quod hi qui cum pietate dormitionem acceperant optimam haberent repositam gratiam Sancta ergo salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare vt a peccatis soluantur The valiaunt man Iudas exhorted the people to kepe theime selues from sinne hauing before they re eyes what was faulen for the offensies of theime that were slayne And a common gathering being made he sent xij thousand pieces of siluer to Ierusalem to offer for the sinnes of those that were departed a Sacrifice being well and religiously mynded concerning the resurrection for except he had suerly trusted that suche as were slayne should arise agayne it might haue bene counted vaine and superfluouse to praye for the deade But bicause he did well consider that such as in piety receiued theire sleape hadde grace and fauoure layde vpp for theim therfore it is a holy and proffitable meaning to praye for the deade that they may be assoyled of theire sinnes So farre the Author of the historie speaketh setting fourthe most euidently the notable piety of Iudas in exhorting theime to releue the departed the lyke liberall allmose of the people the prayers there in the campe and the sacrifice at Ierusalem celebrated for the same purpose In all wich dooing the scripture much praysethe that worthy zele of Iudas as a thing bothe proffitable to the departed towardes the remission of theire offensies and no lesse agreeing to that his especyall hope off the resurrection to coom counting it a folye to pray for theyme of whose resurrection we are not assured Wherby I can not tell whether a man may well gether that such as deny the felowship of the lyue with the deade or condēne prayers made for theyme stedfastly beleue not the resurrection And in deede if we note well Take heede we shal fynde that the prayers for the deade haue ben euer taken both as an argument to proue and as a protestatiō of the faithful to shewe theire mynd and faith concerning the resurrectiō So did Epiphanius that holy father make confession of the churches faith for the resurrection and immortality of the soule by the praying for the departed and ioyning theime to the partaking of the workes of the liue Hi qui decesserunt viuunt saith he nō sunt nulli In heresi Aërij sed sunt viuunt apud Deum spes est orantibus pro fratribus velut qui in peregrinatione sint those wich be deceased doo yet lyue and are not by their departure hense faullen to be nothing but they haue theire being and yet doo lyue before God and ther is great hope to theire orators or beadsmen praying for theyme as for such that be in theire pilgramage So saithe Damasce In oratione pro defunct that by supplication for the soules resurrectionis spes solidatur the hope of resurrection is established And therfor Dionisius the auncyent in his misticall prayer and sacrifice for the departed Ecclesiast Hierrarch Cap. 7. declarethe that there was a minister that did solemnely recyte certeine placyes owte of scripture for to confirme the hope of resurrection So that this practise of the faith full hathe not onely bene euer accōpted a playne truethe but it hathe bene a grownd and a princyple to confirme the article of resurrection and immortalitye of the soule And therfor the facte of Iudas is with suche commendacion mētioned in the scripture For in those dayes the haeresie of the Saduces deniing the refurrection and the lyefe to coom as Iosephus writeth began to take greate houlde emongest the Iews Antiq. l. 13 Cap. 8. about bishop Ionathas his time in wich tyme of diuersity that true beleuer thoght to make plaine protestation of his fayth by his notable facte And nowe I must needes be boulde to tell these enemies of oure communion that in acknouledging theime selues to haue nothing to doo with the soules departed they are att the nexte doore by to denie the immortalitie and to terme theyme deade soules as Vigilantius did Hieron con vig. Whome Goddes Churche very conformably to Christes calling and fittly for the protesting the common faith nameth Dormientes in signo pacis Prayers for the departed agreeith to oure faithe of the resurrection and immortality Those that sleape in the signe of peace and the named scripture for the same cause callethe theime men a sleape in piety Well iff theire deniall of praiers for the deceased grow so farre as the vtter impugning of Christiā hope for the life euerlasting and so with purgatory take away helle and heauen together as the Sadduces did which God
inuincible Irenaeus vseth it against the haeresyes of his tyme as a demonstration of muche force What saith he before Valentinus there was none of that his faulse secte Li. 3. Ca. 4 and he came in with his seede after the first preaching of oure faithe a good while I can tell when he began howe he increased howe long he continued Both he and that other Cerdon entered first vnder the gouernement of Hyginius The trial of false preachers grewe vpwarde vnder Pius and continued tyll Anicetus tyme and so making the lyke accompte of other archeheretikes at lenght thus he concludeth all these rose vppe in theire apostacie longe after that the Church was ordered in faith and doctrine In this sense spake Irenaeus But the ruele is common and certaine as any can be in the worlde and I woulde stand vpon the grounde therof against all faulse doctrine in the worlde A general rule to knovve haeresi by and thus it is Any opinion that may be truely fathered vpon any priuate man that was longe after the trueth was first preached by the apostles if it be vpon a point of our faithe and contentiously mainteyned it is an haeresye And thus againe who so euer was withstand in his first arising and preaching by suche as were in the vnitye of the Churche he was a faulse teacher and his abettours be heretikes And the force of this conclusion is so greate that the heretikes theime selues if they can get any likly shew of raysing of any doctrine or practise of goddes Churche in these latter daies they thinke they haue a good argument against the Catholikes Therefore they would father transubstantiation vpō this Councel the adoratiō of the Sacrament vpon that Pope indulgencies vpon that bisshop c. For they be as saulcie with goddes Church Councells and chefe gouernors as we be with the Iacke strawes of Geneua And yet when they haue traueled to theire heartes ake they can find no one thing first inuented by any of theim whome they faulsely name to be the authors therof But well seeing it is so stronge an argument of haeresye to haue the ofspring of a later author with plane prouisò of goddes Churche for his markinge let vs adde so muche strēgthe to oure cause to haue the father of the cōtrary faulshodde knowen and noted of thantiquity by his name Cap. 75. Lib. 3. In Anacephal Epiphanius that notable man in his book that he wrote for the confutatiō of all the haeresies that were before his time and in other of his woorkes too nameth an obscure felowe one Aërius to be the first author of this haeresie that prayers and sacrifice profitethe not the departed in Christe But what maner a felowe he was and howe lickly to be the foūder of such a schoole thow shalte perceiue best by the writers wordes VVhen Aërius coulde not obteyne the bisshoprick of Eustathius deposed after that he was once perfectly well skilled in Arius doctrine he inuented newe sectes of his owne affirming that there shoulde be no offering for the departed and of him lo the scholares were called Aërians Lett not the simple whome I woulde helpe in this cause be deceiued by the lyknes of these two names Arius and Aërius Arius Aërius for this later was the author of their secte and was a folower of the first called Arius in his doctrine beside And of the same sect and sectmaster S. Augustine thus saithe folowinge Epiphanius The Aérians were so named by one Aérius In li. de haeres ad Quod vult who taking snoffe that he could not get a bisshoprike fell in to the haeresy of Arius first and then added therevnto other haeresies of his owne makinge saing that we should not offer sacrifice for the dead nor obserue the solempne apointed fastes of the Church but that euery mā should absteane when he liste And there bothe he and Epiphanius do recken moe of his holy opinions which I omitte For it is enoughe for oure purpose and to confownde all the haeretikes of oure dayes that this opinion was noted as it spronge vp in the primitiue Church for heresie One that hathe for saken the Churche is indifferent to vvhat haeresy yovv vvill and the authors not onely condemned as heretikes in that point but in many other thinges beside For I neuer readde of nor yet knew any heretike but if he once mistrusted the catholike Church the Deuil was hable to perswade withe him as well in a numbre of matters as in one And that is the cause that any man seduced And therfore they call theire doinges Proceding falleth from one faulshood to an other till he wholy be drowned in the waues of tēpesteous doctrine And when he commeth once at the bottom then God knoweth he settith light by the matter contemneth it and is often past recouery Prouer. 18. as it is sayde Peccator cum in profundum venerit contemnit Euen so did this Aërius first throughe ambitious pride faule to the Arians secte but bicause he counted it nothing glorious to be a scholare he would be a master and that of a misheuous matter and a matter repugnant to the sense of all Christes churche which before his preaching generally as after receiued and faithfully vsed prayers and oblation for the dead Of which consent of the vniuersall worlde and the heretikes folye in withstanding the same the sayde Epiphanius saith thus Vbi sup 13 I will report his wordes in latine bicause they sownde very well thoughe him selfe wrote not in that language Assumpsit ecclesia in toto mundo assensus est factus antequà m esset Aerius qui ab ipso appellantur Aeriani quis autem magis de his nouit hic neseductus homo qui etiam superest nunc an qui ante nos testes fuerunt cae Thus in English The Churche hath receiued this trueth through the wide worlde it was sattled in all mens mindes before Aërius was borne or any of his sect that be nowe called Aërians And who I pray yowe is most like to knowe the truethe of these thinges this faulse wretche yet liuing at this daye or elles the faithfull witnessies that were before oure time Behoulde here your woorshipfull master yowe may suerly take greate cause of conforte in his lyuely worde mary sir he might haue bene an Archebisshop in our daies for he loued nether fasting nor praying He was fayne to be an haeretike for anger bicause he coulde not be made a bisshoppe then who now if he were in this happy age when the light is more plentifully powred vpon the people mighte haue bene promoted at Caluins decease to the ouerlooking of Geneua But his opinion was so notorious fallse that it grewe to no greate heade at that time or elles it was not so much regarded bicause it was ioyned to that horrible faulshod of Arrius against the blessed Godhood of Christe Iesus oure sauioure Note vvel Euery
waie suche stoombling stockes as perhappes might sumwhat trouble the vnlerned who for lacke of deepe iudgement be moste subiecte to the aduersaries deceites Hovve they practise vvith the simple And with suche thus they lightely practise first by lofty lookes and highe chaleÌ„gies they crake and boste with passing bowldnes that the learned meÌ„ of the world the sage fathers of the auncieÌ„t times al the graue couÌ„celles the whole vsage of the primitiue Church Great impudency in haeretikes with plaine scripture to be on theire parte And as for the contrary teaching that it came in of late with the decay of lerning and light of truethe in these barbarous tymes when superstition and darke ignorance had wasted the doctrine of the yeares past And in this bragge they stand till som Catholike man encounter with theime By whome wheÌ„ they see theim selues so driueÌ„ from the standinge which they kept with greate glory before that they must be wholy naked and destitute in the face of the worlde of al such helpes as they accompted to haue for the owtewarde shewe of theire deceitful doctrine then in plaine wordes they confesse theire teachig not to hange on the antiquitye not on councelles not on Doctors nor on any man but on Goddes holy spirite and worde which can not deceiue theime And so at th ende the owlde vse of the primitiue churche the fathers and the generall councelles arrogantly contemned or rather vnworthely condemned marke well theire prety conceites they make then a matche betwene theime selues with goddes worde on the one partye and the doctors and fathers withe owte Goddeâ— worde The sophistry of haeretikes on the other partye Affirming that they be not bound to beleue theime but where they agree with the scriptures of God And then turning theire taulke to the simple thus they preache vnto theime by a captious and foolishe demaunde whether they thinke it more reason or conuenient to beleeue the scriptures or doctors the determinatioÌ„ of the true and liuelye worde of God or elles the decrie of a generall councel which deceitfull wreasting of the state of our quaestion somwhat troobles the vnlearned which can not perceiue herby that they betray theime selues and deface theire own dooinges in so rude a defense For who seethe not nowe that they renouÌ„ce all that helpe of Councelles and Doctors which with vauÌ„tes they clamed before whiles they impudently make a diuision or contrarietie betwixte theime and the holy scripture And we take it at theire hand as an open acknouleging of theire lacke â—her wher they praeteÌ„did greatest store The whiche thinge if they likewise woulde confesse openly in pulpit and â—n plaine wordes as they meane nothing lesse wheÌ„ they shewe the people that they were but meÌ„ that they might â—rre that they folowed the custom of the common people in their time that they are not to be receiued but where they agree with scripture and that theÌ„i selues must trie whether they be coÌ„sonant to the worde of God or no if they woulde I say with owt suche cloked wordes bouldely pronounce as Luther theyr Master did that they cared not for a huÌ„dreth Augustines or Hieroms that they aestemed not the consent of all nations that they would be tried by the iudgement of no councel that they woulde purposely ronne Contrarye to the Councels decrye in al causies that they would take that for thonely trueth which is coÌ„teined in the holy scriptures and that for scripture which theime selues thought good and last of all that for the true meaninge which agreed best to the vphoulding of errour and haeresye then woulde the people leaue these lewde masters on the plaine field which now they kepe with them one while by the praysies of the doctors and antiquitye and sumwhiles by thabasing of theime ageine and deceyt full referring all to the onely scriptures to which they saye credet may salfely be gyuen where the docters with owt daunger can not be forther followed then as they benot fownde to disagree with goddes worde So that the cause seemethe nowe to be driuen to this isshue in the eyes of thignorant whether men shoulde rather beleue the scripture or the doctors the worde of God that can not be faulse or the fathers that weere but men and therfore might erre deceiue and be deceiued But this is not the state of oure controuersie nor of any question betwixte the Catholikes and theime And that they knowe full well thoughe they craftelie cloke it with chaunge of wordes â–ª for we acknowledge most gladly that if any Doctor Prophet Apostle or Angell if it were possible preache vnto vs any thing against the word and trueth of goddes scripture that he is accursed of God and to be reiected of men But here is the stand and the point of al oure doubtes in generall note it well master protestaunt whether the auncient fathers sum of theime being in Christes time diuers of theime scholars to his apostles here lieth the doubt and diuer siti betvvixte haeretikes and Catholikes many within one hundrethe or two of yeres afterward most of theime more then a thowsand yeres since I speake of suche as we haue named in oure cause and all wonderfully learned as well in the knouledge of the secrets of goddes mysteries as the tonges all mercifully indued withe greate giftes and gracyes all exceding studious in the scriptures all hauing the same testament and written worde of god that we nowe haue all vsing meruelous diligence in the coÌ„ference of diuers placies for the true meaning and vnderstanding of the same all hauing feruent zele in teaching the christian people al at times appoynted resortinge together froÌ„ diuers partes of the world to sum one generall search in wich by humble conferens together and praier thei doubted not to obteine the spirite of truth as it was by our maister promised the question is nowe then I saie whether those holy men thus holpen by nature diligens tyme and grace be not more lyke to vnderstand the scripture theÌ„ these men wich ether lacke all these helpes or moste of theyme Secondly it foloweth there vpon whether we shoulde rather geue credit to theim affirminge purgatory and praiers for the deade to be not onely consonaÌ„t but planely proued by the scriptures or elles to oure newe aduersaries auouching these thinges to be agaynst the scripture Wherbye yow see we must not nowe reason whether we ought to beleue the doctors or the seriptures better but whether for the true sense we must not beleue the owlde fathers better then these newe fooles An ansvver to suche arguments as the haeretikes doo frame of the holy scriptures not vvell vnderstanded against the practise of Goddes Churche in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory Cap. 16. THerfore to stoppe their waye at euery turne and bicause they taulke so fast of scripture full fayne woulde I heare what scriptures they haue that make ether expressely agaynst purgatory
that haste before thyne eyes in these forsakers an image and a perfect platte of damnable desperation Mightily hathe God executed this sentēce of iudgemēt vpon al sortes of mē that hath withstand the trueth The Iewes feeling it till this day the folowers of Mahomet the Arians and all other haeretikes that haue forsaken the felowship of the faithfull The lamē table case of haeretikes and haue left the fowntaine of lyfe cowld neuer be reduced to the truethe coulde neuer see they re owne misery bicause God hath giuen theime ouer for their withstanding And let not the forsakers wōder that I shoulde compare theire case to the misery of the Iewes August in psal 30 seeing S. Augustine confesseth that all haeretikes be much more blinded then they bicause the Prophets speake more plainely of the Churche which properly all haeretikes doo impugne then they doo of Christe him self whome the prowde Iewes doo contemne And therefore let vs that be Catholikes blesse Goddes name for euer that he hath not taken his mercye from vs that he hathe not dealte with vs according to oure sinnes We haue offended surely and haue deserued this plage our Priestes haue offended our Princies haue offended and oure People haue offended yet for his own name sake he hath loked vpon vs and hathe kept vs withe in the howsehould of saluation Glory and honoure be to his holy name for euer more Amen FINIS Quoniam Liber iste Anglico Idiomate conscriptus est lectus ab Anglis Sacrae Theologiae peritis mihi optimè notis qui eum per omnia Catholicum nationi Anglicae perutilem attestantur iudico expedire vt admissus imprimatur Itae testor Cunnerus Petri de Browershauen Pastor Sancti Petri Louà niensis indignus 8. Martij an 1564. Stilo Brabantiae THE ARGVMENTES of euery Chapiter of bothe the Bookes Of the first Booke THe Praeface where in be noted two sortes of haeretikes th one pretending vertue thother openly professing vice And that oure time is more troubled by this second sort VVith a briefe note of the Authors principall intent in this Treatise praef argu fol. 9. Cap. 1 That often after oure sinnes be forgiuen by the sacrament of poenaunce there remaineth summe due of temporall pounishment for the satisfying of goddes iustice and som recompense of the offensies past fol. 12. Cap. 2 The double and doubtefull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion are remoued and it is proued agaynst one sort that these foresayde skourgies were in dede pounishments for sinnes remitted And against thother secte that this trāsitory paine hath often endured in the nexte liefe fo 29. Cap. 3 That the practise of Christes churche in the courte of binding and lousing mannes sinnes dothe lieuely sett fourthe the ordre of Goddes iustice in the nexte liefe and prooue Purgatory fol. 39. Cap. 4 That the manyfoulde workes and fructes of poenaunce whiche all godly men haue charged theime selues withe all for theire own sinnes remitted were in respect of Purgatory paines and forthe auoyding of goddes iudgement tēporall as well as aeternall in the nexte lyfe fol. 44. Cap. 5 A briefe ioyning in reason and argument vpon the proued groundes withe the aduersaries for the declaration and proufe of Purgatory fol. 53. Cap. 6 That Purgatory paines doothe not onely serue Goddes iustice for the poonishement of sinne but also cleanse and qualify the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entraunce into the holy placies with conference of certaine textes of scripture for that purpose fol. 56. Cap. 7 That there is a particulare iudgement and priuate accompte to be made at euery mannes departure of his seuerall actes and dedes with certaine of the fathers minds touching the textes of scripture alleaged before fol. 64. Cap. 8 Origen is alleaged for oure cause vpon whose errour in a matter sumwhat apperteyninge to oure pupose S. Augustines iudgement is more largely soght and there with it is declared by testimony of diuerse holy authors what sinnes be chefely purged in that temporall fyre fol. 73. Cap. 9 A forther declaration of this pointe for the better vnderstanding of the doctoures wordes Wherein it is opened howe Purgatory is ordeined for mortal sinnes and howe for smauler offenses who are like to feele that grefe and who not at all fol 82. Cap. 10 A place alleaged for Purgatory owte of S. Matthewe withe certeine of the Auncient fathers iudgements vpon the same fol. 88. Cap. 11 An answer to certaine obiections of the aduersaries moued vpon the diuersity of meanings which they see geuen in the fathers writinges of the scriptures before alleaged for Purgatory and that this doctrine of the Churche standethe not againste the sufficiency off Christes Passion fol. 98. Cap. 12 An euident and most certaine demonstration of the truethe of Purgatory and the greuousnesse thereof vttered by the praiers and wordes of the holy doctoures and by sum extraordinary workes of God beside fo 105. Cap. 13 Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in hell with the conclusion of this Booke folio 117. An end of the Argumentes of the first Booke ARGVMENTA CAPIT LIBRI II. TThe preface of this booke wherein the matter of the treatise and the ordre of the Authors poceeding be briefely opened fol. 23. Cap. 1 That there be certaine sinnes whiche may be forgeuen in the nexte lyfe and that the deserued poonishement for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed fol. 127. Cap. That the faithful soules in Purgatory being novve past the state of deseruing and not in case to help theime selues may yet receiue benefite by the woorkes of the lyuing to whome they be perfectly knitte as felowe membres of one body folio 132. Cap. 3 What the Churche of God hathe euer principally practised for the soules departed by the warraunt of holy scripture with the defense of the Machabees holy history against the heretikes of oure time folio 137. Cap. 4 That the funeralles of the Patriarches bothe in the lawe of nature and Moyses and Christe had practise in theime for the reliefe of the soules departed folio 146. Cap. 5 Man may be relieued after his departure ether by the almose whiche he gaue in his lyfe time or by that which is prouided by his testament to be geuen after his death or elles by that almose whiche other men doo bestowe for his soules sake of theire own gooddes fol. 158. Cap. 6 Of certaine offeringes or publike almose presented to God for the deceased in the time of the holy sacrifice at mennes burialles and other customable daies of theire memories and of the sundry mindes kepte in the primitiue Churche for the departed fol. 169. Cap. 7 That the benefite of praier and allmose apperteineth not to suche as dye in mortall sinne though in the doubtefull case of mannes beeing the Church vseth to pray for all departed in Christes faithe fol. 177. Cap. 8 What that holy sacrifice is whiche was euer counted so beneficiall to the liue and deade The punishment of oure sinnes by the heuy losse thereof The greate hatered whiche the diuell and all his side hath euer borne towardes Christes aeternall priesthood and the sacrifice of the Churche And that by the saide sacrifice of the Masse the soules departed are especially relieued folio 187. Cap. 9 That the practise of any pointe in religion maketh the moste open shewe of the fathers faithe And that all holy men haue in plaine wordes and moste godly praiers vttered their beliefe in our matter fol. 195. Cap. 10 That we and all nations receiued this vsage of praing and sacrificing for the departed at our first conuersion to Christes faith And that this article was not onely confirmed by miracle amongest the rest but seuerally by signes and woonders approued by it selfe An that the Churche is growne to such beauty by the fructe of this faith fol. 210. Cap. 11 That in euery ordre or vsage of celebration of the blessed Sacrament and Sacrifice through owte the Christian worlde since Christes time there hath bene a solemne supplication for the soules departed fol. 220. Cap. 12 The haeretikes of oure time and contry be yet further vrged withe the practise of prayiers for the deceased theire conrary communion is compared with the owlde vsage of Celebration They are ashamed of the firste originall off theire Christian faithe they are weery of theire owne seruice they are kepte in ordre by the wisdome of the Ciuile magistrates and are forced to refuse all the Doctors fol. 230. Cap. 13 That the praying for the dead was appointed to be had in the holy sacrifice by the Apostles commaundement and praescription And that our doctors by the maiesty of their name beare downe oure light aduersaries fol. 242. Cap. 14 The first Author of that secte whiche denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good condicions and cause of his error be opened what kind of men haue bene most bent in all agies to that secte And that this haeresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes fol. 257. Cap. 15 Their falshood is condemned and the Catholike truethe approued by the authority of holy Councelles Their pride in cōtemning and the Catholikes humility in obediēt receiuing the same And a sleight wherby the heretikes deceiue the people is detected f. 267 Cap. 16 An answer to suche arguments as the haeretikes doo frame of the holy scriptures not well vnderstanded against the practise of Goddes Churche in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory fol. 274. Cap. 17 An answer to theire negatiue argument with the conclusion of the Booke fol. 281. FINIS
A DEFENSE AND DECLARATION OF THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCHIES DOCTRINE touching Purgatory and prayers for the soules departed â–ª by WILLIAM ALLEN Master of Arte and student in Diuinitye Mortuo ne prohibeas gratiam Eccles 7. Hinder not the departed of grace and fauoure AGRICOLAS SPES ALIT Imprinted at Antwerp by Iohn Latius with Priuilege Anno. 1565. REgiae Maiestatis Priuilegio permissum est Gulielmo Alleâ—o â—tium Magistro sacrâ— Theologiae candidato vti per aliquem TypographoruÌ„ admissorum impune â—iliceat imprimi curare per omnes suâ—editionis Regiones distrâ—bere Libruâ— inscriptum â— Defense of the Catholike Churches doctrine touching Purgatory cae omnibus alijs inhibitum ne eundem absque eiusdem Gulielmi consensu impriman vel alibi impressum distrahant sub pâ—na in Priuilegio contenta Datâ—â— Bruxellae 14. Martij Anno. 1564. Stilo Brabantiae Subsig N. de Zoete TO THE READER A Frend of myne very studious of the truethe and zelous of Goddes hovvse one that learned to beleue first and then sought to vnderstand aftervvard vvhiche I take to be the natural ordre of a Christian schoole vvhere faith must in most matters directe reâ—n and leade the vvay to vnderstanding asked of me as of â—â—e vvhome he hartely loued and knevv to be studious in such matters by my trade of lyfe vpon vvhat grovvndes the Churches doctrine and the Christian peoples faith of Purgatory arâ— prayers for the departed stoode I ansvvered him then presently as I coulde and shortly after as his further request vvas in vvrityng sumvvhat more at laâ—ge The vvhich my doing thoughe it vvas both rude and shorâ— yet he so measured it etheâ— bâ— loue as it commonly happetâ— or elles by a singulare facility vvherby he mislykethe nothing that is meante vvell that he made it common to many moe then I vvoulde my selfe For thoughe I vvas vvell contented that the simple people or any other should take profite or pleasure by my paine yet coÌ„sidering the matter to be ful of difficulty and to reache to Goddes iudgements in the vvorlde to coom I called to my minde the saing of Nebridius vvho as S. Augustine reporteth of him August epist 23. vvithe vvhome he vvas very familiare being muche studious and inâ—â—isâ—tiue of the secret pointes of our faith vvoulde be excedingly offended to heare a man aske of a matter of importaunce a briefe declaration his saying vvas that he loued not a shorte ansvver to a longe quaestion VVherby I â—as me â—hought in a maner admonished that my treatise though it satisfied my frend and displeaced not other yet coulde not vvriten bothe hastely and briefely serue so longe and large a matter I did feare vvith all tâ— entre in this my lacke of yeres iudgement and knouledge in to the searche of suche secretes aâ— I knevve by that light vevve thaâ— I made of the matter before thâ— orderly proceding in the caâ—sâ— vvoulde driue me vnto I did 〈◊〉 arne of auncient Irenaeus thaâ— suche doctrine and mysteries may be safely had and vvithe ovvte all feare of erroure taught by holy Priestes and Bisshoppes Qui cum episcopatus successione Libr. 3. Cap. 43. châ—risma veritatis certum secundum pâ—citum patris acceperunt VVho haue receiued vvith theire ordinary succession in theire pastoral scâ—â— the gracious gifte of vnderstanding the truethe And these are they saith he in the same place which may with owte all daunger to theime selues and theire hearers expound vnto vs the holy scriptures Other men doubtlesse vvhich this miserable age of oures seeth not that measureth all thinges by a fonde flourishe of learning vvhereof yett there vvas neuer lesse store can not nor must not be so bovvld thoughe their giftes vvere many moe and study much longer then mine And to confesse the truethe in deede 1 vvas sum vvhat lothe suche vvas my foolishe feare then to faule in hande vvith that matter vvhiche being vvell and to â—he bottom ripped I perceiued of al other causies in the vvorld most to touche the very sore of haeresye and therfore might to me procure the hatered of suche vvhose loue othervvise I coulde be coÌ„tent ether to kepe or vvinne Besides that I savve the contention of the contrary parte seeking to make som ansvver to such thinges as might in this cause most greeue theire mindes or marre their matter should driue me from that course of studye vvhich other vvise in quietnesse I vvould most gladly kepe to serue trueth and defende my cause vvhich once of fredoÌ„ and good vvil takeÌ„ in haÌ„d must aftervvard of duety and necessity be vpholdeÌ„ Not vvithstaÌ„ding al these thiÌ„ges good reader vvhich might most iustly hould me backe yet novv my freÌ„des request the case and coÌ„ditioÌ„ of this praesent time and my duety tovvardes my mother the Châ—â—che may of good reason and must of necessity chaunge my former intent and remoue my priuate study to the benefite of the coÌ„moÌ„ cause Therefore being at lenghth by iuste occasioÌ„ vvholy minded to serue as vvell as I coulde that vvay I thought good these late mounthes to make a more full declaration of that thing vvhiche at my sayde frendes request I had so briefely touched before That as then vvhen he first had it of me it onely serued him for his ovvne contentation the pleasuring of his singulare and secrete frendes and the helpe of som simple vvhome he knevve deceiued by ouer light looking on so graue matters so novv Good Christian reader I trust it may helpe in commoÌ„ not onely such as haue bene caryed a vvay by the gile of haeresye but other that are muche subiecte to the daungerous flatterly of this praesent time vvith vvhome pleasure euer ioyned to the protestaÌ„tes doctrine often more praeuayleth then the preachers persuasion Be bovvlde to charge any of oure aduersaries make he neuer so greate accompte of him self vvith the force of trueth here expressely proued both by argument and authority if it hovvld him not he shall I am sure brast ovvte vvith impudency and nott louse him sellfe by reason iuste dealing or honesty And if it be prooued to touche vvith safety the poysen it self let no man doubte to vse it for a preseruatiue in this commoÌ„ infectioÌ„ of our time and country For it vvere no reason any man should practise vvithe the poore people priuyly in such thinges as he vvere not hable to maynteyn before their pilloures and preachers openly And for that hatered vvhiche I may procure to my selfe by myne ovvne trauell it shall not muche moue me for I shall ether be partaker therof as a common prayse in these euill dayes to most good men or elles if I be not vvorthy so muche I vvill learne to beare it as sum parte of punishment and satisfaction for my sinnes I may not bye frendship vvithe flattery nor mannes loue vvith forsaking Goddes truethe Of suche thinges then I vvill not make muche reckeninge but my principal care is that in vvriting or vvading in so deepe matters I kepe