obteyned Wherin yet mercy at th ende hathe the chieff stroke by whiche the soule that was the principall vessell of sinne and no lesse abased then the body shall oute of hand in the perfectest sort obteyne the purity of Angelles and felowship with theime for euer I maruell not nowe to see the Prophet seeke not onely for the remission of his greuous sinnes but to be better cleansed to haue theime wholy blotted owte to be made as white as snowe behoulding the purity that is requisite for a citizen of the coelestiall Hierusalem And I note this the rather of the soule bicause I see that the body allso before it can shake of the stroke and plage of sinne must be driuen by the common course to doust and elementes that being at the ende raised vppe ageine in the same substance may yet wholy in condicion and quality be so straungely altered that in honoure and immortality it may euerlastingly ioyne with the soule ageyne To the newnesse wherof August li. 20. de ciuit ca. 16. 1. Cor. 15. the very elements that before answered it in qualityes off corruption shall be perfectly by fyre reformed and serue in beauty and incorruption aeternall Yff sinne then be so reuenged and throughly tryed oute of mannes body and all corruption owte of these elements for the glory of that newe and aeternall kingdom shall we doubte of Goddes iustice in the perfect reuenge of sinne in the soul or purifying that nature whiche as it was most corrupted and was the very seate of sinne Note so namely apperteyneth to the company of Angelles and glory euerlasting It were not otherwise agreeable to Goddes iustice suerely nor conuenyent for the glorious estate to coom it were nether right nor reason He will then where man neglecteth the day of mercy sharply viset with torment him sellfe and bothe pourge and purifye the drosse of oure impure natures defiled and stayned by sinne with iudgement and rightuousnesse Isaie 4. A bluet Dominus sordes filiarū Syō sanguinem Hierusalem lauabit de medio eius in spiritu iudicij spiritu ardoris Oure lord shall wasshe oute the filthe of the doghters of Syon and will cleanse blodde from the middest of Hierusalem in the spirite of iudgement and the spirite of burnyng But bicause we will not stand vpon coniectures in so necessary a poynt yowe shall see by what scriptures the graue and learned fathers haue to my hand confirmed this beleued trueth And first I will recyte those placyes whiche doo set furthe bothe the quality and condicion of that poonishment whiche God taketh vpon man for sinne in the other worlde and also did geue iust occasion to our forefathers of the name of Purgatory There be two textes of scripture to this purpose so like that many of the doctours for better conference in so weghty a case haue ioyned theime together to make their proufe full and so will I doo by theire example The first is in the thirde chapter of the Prophet Malachie in these wordes Malach. 3. Ecce venit dicit Dominus exercituum quis poterit cogitare diem aduentus eius Et quis stabit ad videndum eum Ipse enim quasi ignis conflans quasi herba fullonum sedebit conflans emundans argentum purgabit filios Leui colabit eos quasi aurum argentum erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in iustitia Et placebit Domino sacrificium Iuda Hierusalem caetera Beholde he commeth saith the Lorde of hostes And who maye abyde the daye of his comming Who can stand and endure his sight For he is like melting and casting fier and as the wasshers herbe Sope And he shal sit casting and trying oute siluer and shall pourge the children of Leui and clense theime as goulde or siluer And then shal they offer sacrifice in righteousnesse and the offeringes of Iuda and Hierusalem shall be acceptable vnto our Lorde And thus farre spake the prophet The second is this Cap. 3. taken out of the first epistle to the Corinthians Secundum gratiam Dei quae data est mihi vt sapiens architectus fundamentum posui alius autem superaedificat Vnusquisque autem videat quomodo superadificet Fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod est positum quod est Christus Iesus Si quis autem superaedificat super fundamentum hoc aurum argentum lapides preciosos ligna foenum stipulam vniuscuiusque opus manifestum erit dies enim Domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur vniuscuiusque opus quale sit ignis probabit Si cuius opus manserit quod superaedificauit mercedem accipiet si cuius opus arserit detrimentum patietur ipse autem saluus erit sic tamen quasi per ignem Thus in english According to the grace of God geuen vnto me as a discriete builder I haue laide the groundewark but another buildeth theron Let euery man be circumspect howe he buildeth on it For no fundation can be laide but Christe Iesus which is allready laide Yff any man builde vppon this groundewark gould siluer preciouse stones wodde hay or stooble euery mannes worke shall be laide open For the daye of oure Lorde will declare it bicause it shall appeare in fiere And that fiere shal trye euery mannes woorke what it is yf anye mannes woorke erected vpon that foundation doo abide he shall receiue rewarde but if his worke burne he shall susteine losse or it shall susteine losse meaning by the worke it self as the text well serueth also but him sellfe shall be saued notwithstandinge and that yet as throughe fire These be S. Pauls wordes Nowe as men studious of the truth careful of oure faithe and saluation and fully free from contention and partaking let vs entre into the searche off the meaning of these two textes withe suche plainesse and sinceritye that I dare saie the aduersaries theime selues shall not mislyke our dealing Plaine de aling We will folowe all lyklyhoodes by comparing the scriptures together and admit with all the counsell and iudgement of such our elders as hy theire confession shall be taken for holy learned and wise First the Prophet and Apostle bothe make mention of purging and of purifying sinne and corruption of mannes impure or defiled workes they bothe agree this cleansing or trying oute off the filthy drosse gathered by corruption of sinne to be doone by fier they bothe throughly folowe the similitude of the fornace and gouldsmith in finyng his metalles and trying oute the drosse and base matter from the perfect finesse of more worthy substaunce they bothe plainely vtter theire meaninges of suche as shall afterward be saued though it be with losse geuing vs to vnderstande that the partyes so purged shall be after theire triall worthy to offer a pure sacrifice in holynesse and righteousnes They bothe note this purgation to be wrought by the hande of God All these
tempests of traueling of sicknesse and in other necessities Well these be plaines practises no haeretike can denie but they haue bene so vsed of the whole Church of God with many suche other lyke in that holy action which can not in any case stand with bare breade or any other way of praesence but onely the proper true and bodily praesence of Christes owne person A doctors words may be miscoÌ„strued may be picked owte of place may be writhen and wastred by faulse teachers but a mannes example can not lightly be misconstrued And therfore haeretikes whose purpose is allwaies by sutteltie to deceiue the simple wil neuer make discourse by the practise of the churche or exercise and example of the auncient lerned men throughe oute the Churche of Christ hauing enough for theire meaning to racke a place or two oute of the fathers whole workes that may seeme to the ignoraunte to settforthe theire erroure So if thowe woulde knowe whether that place that our aduersaries impudently doo alleage oute of Gregory the greate ageinst the soueraignty of the see of Roome was in deede written for theire seditious purpose behoulde the practise of the same father and thowe shalte finde him selfe exercise iurisdiction at the very same time when he wrote it in all prouincies Christianed throughe owte the worlde both by excommunication of bisshoppes that gouerned not well by often citation of persons in extreme prouincies by many appeales made vnto him by continuall legacies to other nations sent ether to conuerte theime to the faithe or to gouerne in theire doubtfull affaires and by al other exercise of spirituall iurisdiction Is itt not nowe a very faulse suggestion to the poore people that this blessed man in so plaine vtterauÌ„ce of his meaning by workes and not by woordes should yet be brought as a witnesse to condemne him selfe thoughe the wordes being well vnderstand make for no such meaning in deede as by others it hath bene sufficientlye declared The like impudencie it is to alleage S. Bernarde against the Masse or the praesence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament Good man I dare say for him he sayde Masse euery daye if he were well at ease For other busines did not commonly let theyme in those daies froÌ„ that work of al other most necessarie So the reciting oute of S. Ambrose for the improuinge of inuocation of holy Sanctes is no more but an abuse of the simples ignorance knowing well that he and all other of that time did practise praiers both often to all holy martyrs and sumtimes peculiarly to such whom for patronage they did especially chuese of deuotion emongest the rest I speake not this that any might hereby iudge the doctors wordes to stande ageinst theire owne deedes but that euery man may perceiue that where the works and practise of al men he so plaine theire wordes in sum one place fownd darke can not by any meanes be praeiudicial to that trueth which in all other placies they planely set forthe by wordes and by the euident testimonie of theire owne practise to the worlde proteste the same Therefore I would exhorte all men in Christes name for their own saluatioÌ„s sake to take heede howe they giue credet to these libelles coÌ„teining certain wrasted places owte of the doctours workes ageinst any truth which by the further discourse of vsage and practise they are not hable before the learned to iustifye And therfore that al mistrust of vntrue dealing may be farre from vs I will as I saide let theÌ„ haue the feeling and handeling of oure cause throughlye They shall behould in examples of most noble personagies bothe for theire name vertue and lerninge the peculiare practises in praying and masse saing for the deade bothe in the auncient Greeke and Latine Churchies And where may we better begin then with this famouse Chrisostom he bare the last wittnesse with vs for the reliefe of the departed by the praiers and holy oblatioÌ„ therfore the practise of that excelleÌ„t benefite shall first be shewed vpon him sellfe This blessed man therfor being banished by the meanes of thempresse Eudoxia for the defense of the ecclesiastical discipline and there in exile departing out of this world was after her deathe by the happy and gracious childe Theodosius the yonger traÌ„slated from his obscure resting place to Constantinople which was is owne seate Lib. 10. Histo trip Cap 18. 26. there with meete honoure to be buried where with grace and woÌ„derful dignity he ruled the Churche before The History reportethe that the people of that citie as thick as men euer went on grownd passed the watters of Bosphorus and couered that coste wholye with light and lampe withe tapers and torcheis to bring that blessed bisshoppes body that was they re owne deare pastor home ageyne The which passing treasure being with all reuerence laide vppe in the sayde Citye then lothe gracious good Emperoure Theodosius Iun. ernestly behoulding the graue of S. Chrisostome made most humble praiers to allmighty god for his father and moothers soule the late Emperour and Empresse beseching him of pardon and forgyuenesse for banishing that good Catholike bishop bicause they did it of ignorance and so the wordes may well be taken that he askethe Chrisostom him sellfe mercy allso for his parents offense vniustly committed against him and withall full kindly prayethe for theire deceased soules And so being buried in his owne Church he was theÌ„ by Atticus a worthy maÌ„ his second successoure writteÌ„ in the roule of Catholike bisshoppes to be praide for at the altare euery day by name Cum Ioannitae saith Cassiodorus out of Socrates seorsim apud seipsos sacra solemnia celebrareÌ„t 12. Lib. tri partit Cap. 2. iussit vt in orationibus memoria Ioannis haberetur sicut aliorum dormientium episcoporum fieri consueuit When Chrisoâ—toms partakers saide masse by theyme selues aside Atticus gaue in commaundement that a memory should be had in the prayers of the Churche for him as the custom was that all bisshoppes after theire deathe shoulde haue Here is nowe open practise of that which by wordes we proued before here is an euident testimonie of the vsage of the greeke Churche for the buriall of bisshoppes and generall custom of kepinge theire memorial in the publike praiers and seruice of the churche It were not needefull to recite out of Eusebius the forme of Constantinus his funeralls Euseb in vita Constantini kept in the same Churche with solemnitye of sacrifice singinge lightes and prayers Nor the buriall of themperour ConstaÌ„tius 2. Orat in Iulian. who as Nazianzenus writeth was broght forthe with common prayses of al meÌ„ with singing lightes and lampes all the night longe very honorably with which thinges saith he we Christian men thinke it a blessed thinge to honoure the memories of oure frendes departed And if thaduersaries woulde here coÌ„tentiously reason that these solemne rites of Christiane burialls be nothing proffitable or if the
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
I make theime faire play the grounde is open the reasons laide naked before theire face remoue theime as they can Lett theime deale simply if they meane truely and not flourishe as they vse vppon a faulse grounde that in flowe of worddes they may couer errour or in rase of theire smoothe talk ouerron trueth And that euery man may perceiue that wee haue not raysed this doctrine vpoÌ„ reason onely or curiosity althoughe the graue authoritye of Goddes Churche might herein satisfye sober wittes we will now by Goddes helpe go nearer the matter and directly make proufe of Purgatory by holy scriptures reciting such placeis of the oulde and newe testament as shall prooue oure cause euen in that sense whiche the lernedst and godlyest fathers of all agies by conference of placies or other lyklyhood shall fiende and determine to be most true Alleaging none els but such as they haue in the floure of Christian faith noted and peculiarely construed for that purpose whiche now is in quaestion That the aduersaries off that doctrine may rather striue withe the saide sanctes and doctours then withe me that will as they shall well perceiue doo nothing but truely reporte theire wordes or meaninge Or rather that such as haue erred in that case by giuing ouer light credit to the troblesom teachers of these vnhappy daies maye when they shall vnderstande the true meaning of the scrptures the constant doctrine of the Catholike Church the wordes of all auncient writers the determination of so many holy councells and the oulde vsage of all nations by humble praiers obteyne of God the light of vnderstanding the truethe and the gifte of obedience to his will and worde Or if there be any so sattled in this vnlickly secte that he purposeth not to beleue the graue writers of ould times nor receiue theire expositions vpon suche placeis as we shall reciete for that praeiudice whiche he hathe of his owne witte and vnderstanding yet let him not maruell at my simplicity that had rather geue credet to others then my selfe Or that in this hote time of contention and partaking in religion I doo repose my sellfe vnder the shadowe of so many worthy writers as anone shall giue euidence in my cause That Purgatory paines doothe not onely serue Goddes iustice for the poonishment of sinne but also cleanse and qualify the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entraunce into the holy placies vvith conference of certaine placies of scripture for that purpose Cap. 6. IF we well consider the wonderfull base condition and state of mannes nature corrupted by our first fathers disobedience and more and more abased by continuall misery that sin hath broght in to oure mortall liefe we shall fiende the woorke of Goddes wisdom in the excellent repaire of this his creature to be full of mercy and full of maruell But proceading sumwhat further and weying not onely his restoring but allso the passing greate auaunsment to the vnspeakable glory of the elect there shall reason and all oure cogitations vtterly faint and faile vs. The kingdom prepared is honoured with the maiesty of the Glorious Trinity with the humanity of Christe oure Sauiour with the blessed Mary the vessel of his Incarnation with the bewtifull creatures and wholy vndefiled of al the ordres of Angelles Ther can nothing doubtlesse present it selfe before the seate of Goddes glory nor stand in his sight that hath any blemishe of sinne any spotte of corruption any remnaunt of infirmity There may no creature matche with those perfect pure natures of spirituall substance in the happy seruice of the holy Trinity VVhat purity is required for thentrance in to hâ—â—ueÌ„ that is not holy as they be pure as they be and wholy sanctified as they be Nothing can ioyne with theyme in freedom of that heauenly city in the ioyfull estate of that triumphant coÌ„monwellthe that is not purified to the poynt and by the woorke of Goddes own hande fully fined and perfieted This is the newe City of Hierusalem whiche the holy Apostle sawe by vision Nec in eam intrabit aliquid coinquinatum Apoc. 21. Nothing shall entre therin that is defiled It is the Churche with oute spotte and wrinkle it is the temple of God it is the seate of the lambe and the land of the lyuing Nowe our kinde notwithstanding oure pitifull faulle and singulare fraylety with exceding corruption and vnaptenesse bothe of body and soule hathe yet by Christe Iesus oure redemer the assurance of this vnestimable benefite and the felowship of perpetuall fruition with the Angels To whome as we must be made aequall in roume and glory so we must in perfect cleanes be fully matched with theime For it were not agreeable to Goddes ordinary iustice Leuit. 21. who in this earthly sanctuary expressely forbiddeth the oblations of the vncleane Rupert de diuiâ—iâ— of l. 6. ca. 36. that he shoulde in the coelestiall soueraigne holy acknouledge any nature that wer not pure and vndefiled or make mannes condicion not abettered aequall to the dignity of Angelles that neuer were reproued wherby vniustice might appeare in God or confusion in the heauens commonweleth where onely all ordre is obserued And though mannes recouery after his faule be wroght by Christ and the perfect purgation off sinnes by the bloodde of him that onely was with owte sinne yet it was nott conuenient that the might of that mercy should woorke in this freedom of oure willes with owte all payne of the party or trauell of th offenders Wheroff man streght vpon his miserable dounefall as S. Ambrose excellentely well noteth had warning by the fyery swhord houlden at the entraunce of paradise In psa 118 ser 20. therby putting him in remembraunce that the returne to blesse so soone loste shoulde be throghe fiere and swhorde hardely achieued ageyne Therfore if any man thinke the onely forgiuenesse of oure sinnes paste sufficient ether for the recouery of oure first degree or the atteyning of forther dignity in the glory of the Sanctes he seethe not at all what a deape stroke sinne hath sett in mannes soule what filthe and feeblenesse it hathe wroght in the body what ruele and dominion it beareth in this our mortality what care all perfect men haue hadde not onely in the healing of the deape wounde but allso in purging the reliques and full abbating the abundant matter therof And yet when man hathe with all his might wrastled with the poure of sinne being in this estate he can not be able to recouer the worthinesse of his creation muche lesse the passing honour and ende of his redemption Let him washe and water his coutch with teares let him weaken his body with fasting and humble his hearte with sorow Happely the fiery swhorde shall not hinder his passage after his departure yet tyll the separation of the body and the soul full freedom from sinne or perfect purgation therof excepting the priuilege of certayne can not be fully
shall so discharge that after the payment ether pardoned or fully made we may haue ioyfull accesse to his blessed presence For the forme of speache vsed in lyke ordre of wordes by bothe the Euangelistes dothe vs plainely to vnderstand that we may through Christe make ful payment therof Elles he would not by liklyhoodd haue sayde that we shoulde not escape fourthe tyll we had discharged the vtmost farthing but rather that seuere iudge woulde haue geuen charge that thoffender shoulde be bond hand and foutte and cast into the dark doungion of euerlasting damnation praepared for the deuill and his Angells whiche is the second and euerlasting deathe Namely the worde off Imprisonment so well agreing therunto Carcâ—r that it may not well admit any other meaning but a place of temporall torment For a prison is a place of correction and chastisement of suche as be on lyue in which as longe as lyefe lasteth a man may be in hope of liberty thoughe his bondage for a tyme be neuer so vntollerable but when sentence of deathe is once pronounced in this worlde or damnation in the nexte then we may right wel knowe Goddes mercy to be shutte vppe and the party desperate of all recouery Nether the name off imprisonment in scripture is lightly taken for the place of euerlasting pounishment nor can by conference of the sundry partes of this letter haue here conuenyently any suche sense And these notes well and diligently considered may geue greate light to the alleaged wordes otherwise somwhat obscure and therwith prooue our matter too They be not of my scanning onely as for som parte thowe shallte pecceiue by these wordes of Rupert Super. 5. cap. Matt. an excellent good author Aduersarius eorum qui erant eiusmodi sermo fuit euangelij omnis praedicator euangelicae veritatis potestatem habens non consentientem sibi tradere iudici non solum iudici verum etiam malo ministro quemadmodum vnus eorum tradidit hominem satanae The aduersary of suche men was the woorde of the gospel and eche preacher of the trueth who had powre to delyuer him that woulde not agree vnto him to the iudge yea further then that he had authority to committe him to an euil minister as one of theime gaue vpp a man to SataÌ„ Here we see what that aduersary is to whom we must consent in this lyefe and withall we haue an example in this iudgemeÌ„t of Goddes ministers howe man may be committed in the next lyfe to a tormenter that may vexe him then at Goddes prescripsion as he doothe nowe at the charge onely of his minister then in fauoure and mercy of the iudge as it is nowe in loue and charity of the vicegerent then for the atteyning of heauens blesse as it is nowe for the saluation of the person poonished For the execution of Goddes sentence may be ether by a good spirite Lib. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 13. or oure aduersary Angel or by his wil and worde onely to whome all creatures serue and obey In this sense Paulinus who was S. Augustines peare writeth that the holy Gost and Goddes worde be mannes aduersaryes in earthe to whome if we applye oure selues obediently in this worlde our sorowe can not be long in the next lyefe But these be his owne wordes Ad AmaÌ„dum epi. 1. Neque septem dies luctus noster excedat si consentiamus in huius vitae via aduersario nostro id est spiritui ac verbo dei quod nobis peccantibus aduersatur c. Oure grefe can not be muche longer then seuen dayes he meaneth it shall be a temporall payne and not very longe yff we consent in the way of this lyefe to oure aduersary that is to witte the spirite and worde of God For they be oure aduersaryes when we sinne bicause the holy Gost chargeth the world with sinne and the word of God if we obey not will be oure accuser and promotour vpp vnto the Iudge who will haue an accompte of his talent to the vttermost farthinge Thus farre spake this Author and in lyke sense many moe whome I neade not nowe name Bicause there is such store of testimonyes that not onely in som part make for the opening of this scripture but alltogether for Purgatory And one or two of theime I will briefly recite bicause I determined with my sellfe and bounde my selfe for my discharge and the readers more safe warraunt to bring no texte of scripture for the proufe off my purpose excepte I might fynd som holy writers of the antiquity that vsed the same directly in that sense that if any man would repreheÌ„d my meaning yet he shoulde not be so bowlde withe suche as I can name and prooue to be my authors therin But whome may I more safely alleage for the contentation of sober wittes and repressyng the aduersaryes bowldenesse then the blessed martyr S. Ciprian Who in the fourth booke of his Epistles for the declaration that euery one whiche here is pardoned of his sinnes shall not streght be exalted to the glory of sanctes and martyrs after theire deathe vseth very fetly as he dothe all other placeis of scripture the forsayde text by these wordes Aliud est ad veniam stare aliud ad gloriam peruenire Epist. 2. aliud missum in carcereÌ„ non exire donec soluat nouissimum quadrantem aliud statim fidei virtutis accipere mercedem aliud pro peccato longo dolore cruciari purgari diu igne aliud peccata omnia passione purgari aliud denique pendere in die iudicij ad sententiam domini aliud statim a domino coronari In English it is another thinge to stande at a pardon then owte of hand to atteyne to glory it is a nother maner of matter to be commited to prison See hovve fully he expresseth bothe the vvord and meaning of purgatory thense not to depart tyl the last farthing be discharged and to receiue owte of hand the reward of faithe and vertue It is one thinge by greate sorowe to be tormented for oure sinnes He calleth the sentence off God in the next life iudgement and by longe fyre amended and pourged of the same and another to haue sufficiently pourged theim by martyrdom in fyne it is not all one to hange on Goddes sentence in the day of iudgement and owte of hand to be crowned of oure lorde These wordes as yowe see expressely prooue oure matter open the meaning of the scripture whereon we nowe stoode and doo clearely sett forth the ordre of Goddes iustice in the next lyefe And they shall content the reader better if he marke vpon what occasion this blessed man spake these wordes There were many in the persecution of that tyme that for feare or worldly respectes denyed theire faithe and offered to idolles who afterward the storme off tyranny somwhat being caulmed coÌ„fessed their faulte and did penaunce for the same by S. Ciprian
let theime shewe wherupon theire own credets be growne so greate that withe owt reason liklyhod or authority men must neades beleue theime It is a straunge case that what so euer they auouche it must be Goddes worde what meaning so euer they make for mainteinaunce of their wicked foly it must be termed the true sense of scripture And the trueth it selfe shewing al force in the conference off diuers places off holy writte in weght of reason in the workes and wrytyngs of al antiquitye shall be so lightly regarded I woulde to God the people pitifully deceiued by suche vaine flying taulke coulde behoulde the vpright wayes of trueth The difference betvvixte the Catholikes dealing and the aduersaryes or coulde learne by the plaine dealing of oure side to require som grownded proufe of these new doctoures deuiseis They may well perceyue if they haue any necessary care of those weghty matters touching our saluation so nere that the Catholike neuer aduētureth to bring any scripture for his purpose but he wil be suer for his warraunt to haue the same so expownded by the auncient fathers of oure faithe lest by his rashnesse he deceyue other and father som faulshod vpon the holy writers of Goddes will whiche were horrible sacrilege But on the other side if a man might pose maister Caluin or Flaccius or suche other of that light family what doctour or scripture they folowed in the exposition of S. Iames his place Iacob 5. for the anointing with holy oyle when they were not ashamed to geue this sense of that scripture that it weare good to call the elders off the people that had som salue or ointement medicinable to ease the sike mannes sore what woulde they say I am sure suche felowes will not excuse theimeselues by ignorance for the arrogācy of that sort had rather be counted ether malicious or praesumptuous then vnskillfull but of passing bowldenesse all suche must neades be noted that dare shape suche an exposition off Goddes blessed worde whiche they neuer hearde surmised of any wyse man before 1. ad Tim. 5. What doctour did they or Luther folowe when they expounded S. Paules wordes of widowes mariage after vowes made whiche the texte calleth breaking theire first faithe to be meant by the promesse of the Christian faithe made in Baptisme Was not this a galant glose in this sense she that breakes her faith of baptisme shall be damned for mariage Aske theime wher these prety scholes were first picked Pose master Iuell where he had that the churche of God might erre Yowe shall see theime ernestly vrged in these matters howe little they haue to say and yet how fast they will tennesse one to another in taulke But I will not make a reckoning of theire vnseemly glosies I woulde their folowers would onely but aske theime in all matters from whense they had suche newe meaninges whiche they falsely father on Goddes word that we might once hedge theime with in som compasse of reason as we be contented with al oure heartes to charge our own selues in euery matter that we handle as partely they may conceiue by oure discourse and shall more clearely anone An ansvver to certeyne obiections of the aduersaryes moued vpon the diuersity off meanings vvhich they see geuē in the fathers vvritynges of the scriptures before alleaged for Purgatory and that this doctrine of the churche standeth not ageinst the sufficiency of Christes Passion Cap. 11. Obiect BVt nowe the other side seeketh for som shiftes and drawethe backe in thys extremyty thus That the places of the owlde and newe testament nowe rather alleaged for my purpose and the proufe of purgatory thoughe they be thus expounded of the doctoures yet they may haue some other meaninge and sumtymes be construed otherwise by the fathers theime selues Ansvver To whiche I answer and freely confesse that they so may haue in deede but the aduersary must take this with all that the pillars of Christes Churche woulde neuer haue geuen this sense emongest other or rather before all other meaninges that probabelyty or cōference of scriptures did driue theime vnto hadde it conteyned a plaine faulshood as the haeretike supposeth it doothe Yea had not the doctrine of Purgatory bene a knowne trueth in all ageis it should neuer by the graue iudgement of so many wyse men haue atteyned any coloure of scripture For thoughe many meaninges be fownde of moste harde places in all the bible yet there is no sense geuen by any approued doctoure that in it sellfe is faulse And thinke yowe diuerse textes of the holy scripture coulde haue caryed a faulse persuation of Purgatory downe from the apostles dayes to oure tyme for true doctryne Marke well and yowe shal perceyue that the Church of Christe hathe euer geuen roome to the diuersitye of mennes wittes the diuision of graces and sondry geftes in expositiō of most places of the whole testament Diuersity of sensies be allovved so that none of theime conteine any fallshood in it selfe with this prouiso alwayes that no man of singularity should father any faulshodde or vntrueth vpon any texte but otherwise that euery man might abund in his meaning Mary faulshood she neuer suffered one momēt to take hould or bearing of any scripture vnrepraehended The diligent vvatche that the churche kepeth ouer the truth Ecclesia multa tolerat saith S. Augustine tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non probat nec tacet nec facit the Churche beareth many thinges yet suche thinges as be hourtfull to faithe or good lyefe she neuer approuethe Epi. 110. nor dothe theime her selfe nor howldethe her peace when she seeth theime doone by others Therof we haue a goodly example in oure owne matter So longe as any conuenient meaning might be fownde owte by the holy writers of that place alleaged owte of S. Paule for suche as should be saued through fier she liked and alowed the same Som proued that the elect must be saued by lōg sufferāce som sayd the tribulatiō of this lyfe and world must trie mennes faith and workes som said the grefe of mind in losing that whiche they ouer muche loued was the burning fire of mannes affections som woulde haue the greuous vexation of departure owte of this lyefe to be a purgatory paines som construed the texte of the fyre of conflagration that shall pourge the workes of many in the latter day finially they all agreede that the temporall torment of the worlde to coom is litterally noted and especyally meant by the fire which the Apostle speaketh of All these so little doo disagree emongest theime selues that not onely by diuerse men but off one man they might well all be geuen And being al in theime selfe very true the holy Churche so likethe and alloweth theime eche one that yet by tho common iudgement of al learned men that meaning for Purgatory paines she approueth as the most agreeable
sense to the texte and whole circumstance off the letter But as soone as Origen went aboute to prooue by the same scripture that all wicked men shoulde at lengthe be saued after due purgation by fier then this pillar of truethe seeing an open faulshod gathered by the scripture of goddes worde coulde susteyne no longer She set vpp against this errour her pastors the graue fathers of our faithe ▪ who ceased not as occasion serued to geue men warninge of the deceite intended not onely stille mainteining the doctryne of Purgatory but allso expressely condemnyng all the reprehenders thereof as hereafter it shall be better declared and so misliking no sense that in it selfe was true the meaning of Purgatory yet hath bene of all the learned counted so certaine that in geuing any other lykly exposition that was euer added with all as most consonant to the will and wordes off the writers So dothe Theodoretus so dothe S. Augustine and so in a maner did they all And as the saide holy doctour saith with whose wordes I am much delited bycause he of all other maketh trueth stand most plainely vpon it self One texte of scripture may well haue so many vnderstandings as may stand withe truethe 12. Confes and be not repugnaunt to good lyefe and manners And he hedgeth the diuersity of mennes wittes in the exposition of scripture with in the dooble knott of loue which is towards God and our brother De doctri Christiana li. 1. c. 36. VVho so euer saith he takethe him selfe to vnderstande scripture or anye parte thereof and in that meaning aedifieth nothing at all the dooble loue of God and oure neightbour he misseth the true meaning thereof Butt who so euer can fiend owt such a sense that may be commodious to the increase of charitie althoughe it were not directly intended by the writer yet he is not harmefully deceiued nor fownde a lyar therein so saith he Nowe as for oure matter I am well assured there dare no man thoughe he were destitute of Goddes grace yet not for shame of him selfe affirme that the doctrine of Purgatory is hourtfull to vertuous liefe the onely miscreditt wherof hath vtterly banished al good Christian condicions oriniurious to the faithe of Goddes Churche whiche is not onely agreable but principally intended by the plaine letter of Goddes worde and consonaunt to all other meanings that may be gathered by any such scripture as we haue alleaged there for and to be short receiued of so many fathers so wise and so well learned as we haue named for that purpouse as a truethe moste reasonable most naturall and most agreeable to Goddes iustice Well then the misbeleuers can haue no shifte nor escape by the chalenge of Goddes worde or doctures or diuersity of sensies here is no houlde for erroure all I trust be safe and sure on euery saide Obiectiō Theire extreme and onely refuge is that the paine of Christes passion and his sufficient payment for oure sinnes standeth not with oure satisfaction or poenaunce in this liefe nor with paine or purgatory in the next O lorde howe farre may mannes malice reache that not contented to abuse theire reason and the worde of God in persuasion of erroure but are bowlde to referre Christes blessed deathe allso to cloke together with faulshood ansvver wanton and licentious lieuing Many vertuous persons haue ben prouoked by the meditation of oure sauiours sorowes to leaue the flattering welthe of this worlde and to charge theime selues with perpetuall vexation of body but that any did euer so rest vpon Christes passion that in respecte thereof they might passe theire dayes midle welthe off lust and liberty that was I trowe vnhearde of before this sinfull secte These felowes argue thus Christe hath paide the full price of our sinnes ergo we must doo no poenaunce nor suffer any paine for theime But S. Paule thus Christe by paine and passion is entred into the glory of his kingdome Rom. 8. ergo if we looke to be his felowe heires or partakers of his glory we must suffer affliction with him and ioyne with him in paines and passion S. Peter also thus Christe hathe suffered leauing you an example that ye should folowe his steppes 1. Petri. 2. therefore all his blessed liefe passed in paine muste be a perpetuall sturring vppe of toleration Matth. 3. and gladde suffering for his name agayne Iohn oure masters messenger praepared the way of Christes deathe and doctrine by worthy fructes of poenaunce Mat. 4. and that was the beginning off Christes owne preaching therefore I dare be boulde to say these thinges are not abrogated by the teaching of the Ghospell nor voide by Christes passion whiche onely maketh oure workes and merites to be of that value and acceptation that all catholike men counte theime of whiche elles to the satisfying for sinne shoulde be nothing auaileable nor to to the atteining of heauen any thing profitable But it is foly to make ouer many wordes in a case so plaine seeing the example of both God and good mennes dealing abundantely proueth mannes poonishment ether temporall or aeternall to stand well withe the excellent value of oure sauioures deathe For if paine for sinne were iniurious to Christes death then the holy prophet Dauid that liued long in greuous poenaunce were iniurious to his Lordes deathe then the Churche were iniurious to her owne spouse his deathe that chargethe all offenders with poenaunce then God him sellfe were iniurious to his owne sonnes deathe that sharply poonisheth sinne forgeuen then Christe him felfe were iniurious to his owne death that bothe by his example and holy preaching dyd euer commend sharpe poenaunce and paine These delicate teachers of oure time that vnder praetence of preaching the Ghospell auouching the glory of God and the grace of oure redemption haue serued mennes lustes abandoned the owlde austerity of Christian liefe and rased oute of the peoples hartes the feare of Goddes iudgementes were foreseene by the holy Apostle Iudas And he calleth theime Iudas in epist Impios transferentes Domini nostri gratiam in luxuriam Wicked men turning the grace of our Lorde vnto wantonnesse and lust Ageinst whome allso S. Paule made this exception Ad Gal. 5. that they shoulde not in any wise by the freedom of our redemption chalenge any liberty of the fleshe Notwithstanding Christes passion then we must not otherwise thinke but to suffer for oure owne sinnes not as helping the insufficiencie of his merites but as making our selues apte to receiue that blessed benefite which effectually worketh vpon no man but by meanes nor serueth any to saluation but by obedience of his will and worde Ad Haebr cap. 5. For if Christes death shoulde woorke accordinge to the full force of it selfe it woulde doubtlesse supp vpp all sinne and al paine for sinne it might wype away death bothe of this praesent lyefe and aeternall it woulde leaue nether Hell Purgatory nor paine the price and
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
oute the whole worke oure matter Yf oure aduersaries would with desire to lerne as thei commonly do to reprehend reade but his discourse onely they might quickly see theire owne foly and amend theire misbeliefe They call him the last good pope as he was in dede a blessed man and by his authority the perfect conuersion of oure nation to Christes faithe was wrought I woulde his holy woorks deserued but as muche credet nowe with certaine forsakers as his legates then did wyth all the vnfaithfull people of our coontrye But to go forwarde in our matter we shall finde in S. Bernarde the same wordes of our sauiour alleaged for oure purpose thus Ser. 66. in canti Non credunt ignem Purgatorium restare post mortem sed statim animam solutam a corpore vel ad requiem transire vel ad damnationem quaerāt ergo ab eo qui dixit quoddam peccatum esse quod neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro remittetur cur hoc dixerit si nulla manet in futuro remissio purgatioue peccati They beleue not saithe he by sum haeretiques of his owne time that there is any purgatory paines remaining after deathe but they suppose that the soule streght vpon departure hense goeth ether to rest or damnation let suche felowes aske therfore of him that saide a certain greuous crime coulde nether be forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to coom why he so saide iff there wer no remission nor purgation of sinnes in the liefe following thus said Bernard opening his graue iudgement both vppon the text and our matter whose authority if any aesteme lesse bicause off his late writing let him know that the aduersaries haue none for theire side so auncient by CCC yeare except they name the heretike Aerius or suche like whose antiquity maketh not so muche for them as his auncient cōdemnation for haeresy in this pointe maketh ageinste theime But that in the mouth of two or thre witnesses all truethe may appeare and contrary faulshood vanishe away S. Augustine him selfe gathered by this place nowe alleaged euen then when he had no occasion geuen him by the wranglyng of any misbeleuer to wreast any scripture other wise thē the very wordes imported the trueth of remission of certaine faultes in the nexte lyfe in these wordes Ca. 24. li. 21. de ciuit Facta resurrectione mortuorum non deerunt quibus post paenas quas patiuntur spiritus mortuorum impertiatur misericordia vt in ignem non mittantur aeternum neque enim de quibusdam veraciter diceretur quod nō eis remittetur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro nisi essent quibus etsi non in isto tamen remittetur in futuro There shall be certaine at the time off resurrection allso who shall obteine mercy after they haue suffered suche paynes as deade mennes gostes doo abyde that they be not caste in to the euerlasting fyer for elles it coulde not in any true sense be spoken that certaine shoulde nether haue pardon in this worlde nor in the worlde to com except ther were summe that speeding not of pardon in this lyfe might yett haue remission in the next so saith he Being I warraunt yowe so sadde witted and so farre from phantasies that he woulde not grounde any assured doctrine vpon euery light occasion offered or motion made had not the very wordes and forme of phrase approued it and Goddes Churche liked it Hauing then these graue fathers with others Beda in 3. Cap. Marci for oure warraunt in the exposition of this place we doo take it for a sure grownde that the payine off purgatiō in the next worlde may be remitted that is to saie ether made lesse or elles wholy released before the due execution of Goddes sentence be extreamly doone Som tymes Goddes iustice is an svvered fully by the paine of the party For it is not ment that the freedom which man may haue after ful answer and payment of his sinnes in that place of poonishement temporal shoulde be properly termed a remission or pardon For that is aunswerable to Goddes iustice and althoughe there were no praiers or other waies of helpe yet the patient by toleration in time might vnder the protection off Christes merites make ful satisfaction and so be discharged who being a vessel of mercy can not be damned But when we say that sinnes may be forgeuen in the next world Goddes Church whiche is the moother of all beleuers teacheth vs that sum parte as well off the rigour end extremity of the paine as of the time and continuance therof thoughe God him selfe hath appointed that poonishment may yet be mercyfull released That the faithfull soules in Purgatory being novve past the state of deseruing and not in case to help theime selues may yet receiue benefite by the vvoorkes of the lyuing to vvhome they be perfectly knitte as felovve membres of one body Cap. 2. BVt nowe what meanes may be fownde to ease oure brethern departed of theire paine or what wayes can be acceptable in the sight of God to procure mercy and grace where the sufferers theyme selues being owt of the state of deseruing and place of welworkyng can not helpe theyme selues nor by any motion of mynde atteyne more mercy then they re liefe past did deserue Where shal we then finde ease for theyme suerly no where elles but in the vnity and knotte of that holy felowship in wich the benefite of the heade perteynethe to all the membres and euery good woorke of any one mēbre wonderfully redoundeth to all the rest This socyety is called in oure crede communio sanctorum the communion of Sanctes that is to say a blessed brotherhood vnder Christe the heade by loue and religion so wroght and wrapped to gether that what any one membre off this fast body hath the other lacketh it not what one wanteth the other suppliethe when one smartethe all feeleth in a maner the lyke sorowe 1. Cor. 12. when one ioyethe thother reioysethe wythall This happy socyety August ep 23. is not inpared by any distance of place by diuersity off goddes giftes by inequalyty off estates nor by chaunge of liefe so farre as the vnity of goddes spirit reacheth so farr this fellowship extendethe this city is as large as the benefite of Christes deathe takethe place Yea withein all the compasse of his kingdom this felloweship is fownde The soules and sanctes in heauen Idem tract 32. in Ioan. the faithful people in earth the chosen childrē that suffer chastisement in Purgatorye are by the perfect bond of this vnity as one abundeth redy to serue the other as one lacketh to craue of the other The christian communion and felouship is expressed The soules happely promoted to the ioye of Christes blessed kyngdom in this vnitye and knotte of loue perpetually praye for the doubtfull state of they re owne fellowes benethe the carefull condition of the membres belowe
theime Thus he saieth Augustines ansvver to Pelagius denying scripture for that it made against his haeresy Nec ideo liber sapientiae qui tanta numerositate annorum legi meruit in ecclesia Christi pati debet iniuriam quoniam resistit eis qui pro meritis hominum falluntur rursus omnibus hic liber tractatoribus anteponendus quoniam sibi eum anteposuerunt etiaÌ„ teÌ„poribus apostoloruÌ„ proximi egregij tractatores qui euÌ„ testeÌ„ adhibeÌ„tes nihil se adhibere nisi diuinum testimonium crediderunt in englishe thus It is no reason that the boke of wisdom which so many worlde 's together hathe bene worthy the reading in the Church of Christe shoulde nowe receiue suche wronge at oure handes bicause it plainely resisteth these felowes that exalt mannes merites aboue goddes grace And agayne this booke is of more authoritye then all thexpositours in the worlde for the noble writers hard by the apostles time did muche preferre this booke before theyme selues who alleaging the testimony of that scripture doubted not but they vsed thereby the witnesse of goddes holy worde Euen so must we tel oure masters that it were plaine wrong to discredet the history of the Machabies which hathe bene in our Bible euer sithe Christes time for holy scripture bicause it hathe an euident testimonie against their faulse beleefe concerning the state of the soules departed which booke is not onely better to be beleued then all Caluins faulse gloses but of more authoritye then all holy expositors Owte of whiche booke bothe S. Augustine and others many haue vsed proofe of their matters as of the testimonie of sacred and holy scripture But oure aduersarye learned not this practise of Pelagius onely for it is an oulder sore and a common sicknes to al deuisers of deulishe doctrine as the skyllfull in the Churchies affaires maye acknouledge For sum there were that other wise could not vphoulde haeresy but by the vtter denial of all the oulde Testament as Carpocrates Ceuerus Manicheus Augusti de haeresib 24. haeres Tertul. de praescrip Iren. cap. 26. libr. 1. Euseb eccles histor libr. 4. De haeresi ad quod vult deum 30. heresi But Marcion and Cerdon reiect al together sauing Lukes gospel Nowe Cerinthus and Ebion make counte of none of all the euangelicall histories but the gospell of Matthewe Cerinthus againe and Seuerus woulde haue robbed the churche of the actes of thapostles A secte called Alogiani do refuse the gospell of S. Iohn with thapocalipse Martine Illiricus Caluine and theire companions that no man being but an haeretique shoulde euer oute pricke theime will shoulder with the proudest and lifte out of our bibles the bookes of Machabies with S. Iames Epistle and more when more nede requirethe The wich epistle as allso the epistles of Iohn and Iudas were once doubted of not as conteining any matter wherof the truethe was vncerteyne but as bookes not knowen to be of lyke force as canonicall scripture in the impugning of haeresies or confirming articles of belefe as al workes be til goddes Church haue published they re authoritye The Churches vse in confiâ—matioÌ„ or publishing off the canonical scripture and declared all thinges in theime conteined to be of the same credet that the spirite of god is and of gospel like truethe And by that authority of the churche what booke so euer be allowed thoughe it was not so taken before yet nowe we muste needes accept it sicut vere est verbum dei as the very worde of God And so be these canonicall epistles and bookes of machabaeis as before is declared Here nowe euery man may learne that it is a very daungerous matter to geue lesse creditt to any of these bookes or wauer in any point of faithe writen in theime for suche felowes iudgements that nowe emongest theime haue lefte vs nether oulde nor newe Testament Suche stubborne bowldenesse hadd these willfull men in manteynaunce of mischeuouse doctrine Whose open impudencie was counted handsom conueyaunce of they re scholers and adherents which were very many notwithstanding the catholike Christian men in all agies bothe meruailed and lamented thiere blyndnes And yet doubtlesse it is not much to be woondered at to see that man flatly forsake the scripture of God who is not abasshed to refuse and condemne that sense and vnderstanding of the scripture whiche the whole churche with all her lerned meÌ„ haue euer alowed and counted most holye Well by the strengthe of this pillare we haue chalenged and saued hetherto for all the barking of bandogges the scripture of God with the knoune meaning thereof And so I trust we shall doo stille from the newe aduersaries by the assured promesse of thassistance of Goddes holy spirite which shall leade vs not onely to the true canonicall scriptures with the sense of the same but allso gyde vs in all trueth necessary for oure saluation Let euery man therefore here take hede how he doubtethe of the knoweÌ„ and certayne sense that the Church of Christe by decree of councell or consent of doctors applieth to any scripture least by mistrusting the sayde sense he go forward vnaduisedly from open deniall of the commoÌ„ A necessary vvarning to fownde a priuat meaning of his owne in the stubborn defense wherof when he shall agaynst the truethe malipertly stande he goeth vnloockely forwarde and at th eÌ„d blasphemously reiectethe the blessed worde and sacred scripture of God as we haue proued the auncyent enimies of truethe to haue doon and as in these newe sect maisters we may to our great dolor see Yet lo eueÌ„ these are they that in all agyes as Vincentius saith flye in they re taulke and teachinge ouer the lawe the prophets the psalmes the gospell That crye oute of pottes and pulpittes nothing but goddes worde the booke of the lorde the testament of Iesus Christ Paule scripture as it may be supposed and as in th ende it is proued to dryue owte of doores Paule scripture Testament and Christ too and not to bring in to the peoples heades or hearts the feare and loue of God the holsom preceptes of Paules heauenly preachinge nor the true meaning of any scripture Who being vrged will rather credet a minstrelles ballat then the Machabeis or best booke in the bible But nowe yowe may see that whiles these meÌ„ thought to saue theyr credets by miscredetting the scripture thy haue wroght so wiesely that they haue lost theyr owne credets bothe in this poynt and in all other for euer And as they hoped by deniall of scripture too cloke theyr erroure they haue woon to theime selues the property of an haeretike by open shewe of they re owne folye That the funeralles of the Patriarches bothe in the lavve of nature and Moyses and Christe had practise in theime for the reliefe of the soules departed Cap. 4. NOwe therfore I haue greate hope to trust so muche of all studiouse readers for that loue whiche they
the vnworthinesse of these our dooleful daies and bewailed his own misery as we shoulde doo oures Ita Policarp ex Iren. crying owt with an oulde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tēpora vt ista blasphema sustineā O Lorde that I shoulde be reserued for these times to abide suche blasphemie victor de persecut vandal Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruel haeretikes would not suffer the christian men whome he had slaine to be broght home withe seruice and sacrifice but then the good people woonderfully bewailed theire case seeing theim practise cruelty vpon theire soules allso in that they would not suffer theime to enioye at their departure and buriall the rites of goddes church Thus saithe that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrimis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitatehimnorū cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue fownd in his heart to be houlde then or could yet once thinke of it withe owte teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be broght to the graue and buried with owte all solemnity of himnes in silence and sorowe Ecclesi Cap. 7. It was euer giuen to wicked hard harted haeretiques to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercifull and to staie the fauoure of good men from the departed epist 8. li. 2. Nouatus as S. Cyprian chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctū sepelire would not bury his owne father deade of honger bane But to let suche men passe withe the praesent bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more conforte behould the steppes of good men past how kindely and brotherlyke they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for they re frendes and felowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the repraesentation of som holy workes of almose hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towards the release of the departed his payne what may we not hope to obteyne for oure britherne deceased when we shal ioyne in prayers withe the holy angelles with the blessed sanctes with Goddes holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole churche of god in that honorable action prayethe and Christe him selfe is both the sacrifice and the priest both the asker and the geuer of pardon when the maiesty of God the blessed trinitye is passingly pleaced by the merites of Christes deathe so liuely set out in these honorable but vnspeakable mysteries what may we not here procure for the soule of the churchies childe what shal be denied to so humble askers in the praesence of goddes own son and begging mercy for his deathes sake And so doth S. Chrisostom assure the faithfull in these goulden wordes Non frustra ab apostolis sancitum est vt in celebratione vener andorū mysteriorum memoria fiat eorum qui hinc discesserunt Homil. 3. in epistolā ad philipp nouerunt quippe illis multum hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis stante siquidem vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu item sacerdotali verendoque proposito sacrificio quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not for noght that the apostles decried and ordeined that in the celebratiō of the honorable mysteries there should be an especiall memoriall of the departed for they right well knewe greate commodity and benefite to arise ther vpon For the whole multitude houlding vp theire handes towards heauen together with the company and quiere of priestes and the dreadfull sacrifice set furth before all men howe is it possible but we shoulde appeace goddes wrath praying for theim loke ye what this mannes iudgement was and see from whense he had it euē of the holy apostles I warraunt yowe and no worse nor latter fownders But of that pointe for the full deriuing of our christian vsage frō the first fathers of our faith more cōuenient place shal be geuen herafter Nowe I wil serue the cause and the readers desire first withe certaine peculiare examples of most learned and godly fathers worthy of all credet in the godly prouision for certeine of theire dearest frendes by sacrifice and praier both made by theim selues and procured by others That we may haue here not onely whom to beleeue teaching the truethe but whome to folowe practising the same with deuotion which they preached withe cōstancye before That the practise of any pointe in religion maketh the most open shevve of the fathers faith And that all holy men haue in plaine vvordes and most godly praiers vttered their beliefe in our matter Cap. 9. ANd I take the open practise of any point to be a more pithy protestation of a mānes faithe thē by words cā be made Therfore if a mā were doubtful ether of the trueth of any article or of the meaning of sum doctours wordes looke the same mannes practise and it shall put him owt of doubt thereof streght wayes as for an example seeme sum wordes of S. Augustin to make for the sacramentaries haeresie that Christe is in the honourable sacrament but by a figure or Theodoretus or any other auncient fathers declaratiō are their wordes doubtful to the reader leaue the wordes thē if thowe syncerely seeke for truethe with owte contention and seeke owte if thowe can sum practise of those same men and that Churche where they liued for the same point But what way of worke in this matter consisting in doctrine may assure vs of theire beliefe of whose wordes we doubted before Theodor. dial 2. August super psal 98. Dionis ecclesiast hierarch Cap. 3. Basil de spiritu sanct Cap. 27. Mary sir this looke howe they behaued theime selues in the receiuing of it in the ministering of it in the carefull keping of it whether they did adore it with godly honoure whether they solemnely shewed it to the people to be worshipped whether they praide by solemne and formall wordes vnto it whether they taughte theire children to caulle it God and Christe Lib. 3. de Trin. c.. 10 yea so farre that Augustine affirmeth that the children in his daies till they were after instructed thought that God appeared in the shappe of breade as all these yongers seeing the honour and reuerence of theire elders and theime selues nurtered to houlde vppe theire handes and knocke theire brestes must yet needes meruaile how these owtwarde formes came to so holy an vse further whether the Christiā people were not sclaundered for worshipping and doing sacrifice to Ceres and Bacchus Lib. 20. cōtra Faustū Cap. 13. when the wicked infidelles sawe theire behauiour towardes the holy Hoste whether it was not vsed in woorking of miracles in driuing away deuilles in daungerouse times of
owte 〈◊〉 Sathans bondage and conuerted to thâ—â—elowship of Christes Church and let vs 〈◊〉 thing doubt but that which oure owne â—postles bothe by worde and worke by mâ—â—acle and by martyrdom first proued vnto â—s is the very true and vnfallible faithe oâ— oure Christianitie For if that were not â—ue which at oure first conueâ—sion was preached vnto vs then we â—eceiued nott the faithe but faulshoode aâ— theire handes theÌ„ the histories doo rake a lowdelye in testifiing we were tâ—â—ned to the Christiane faith bothe at that time and by such men then it wer no conuersion froÌ„ heatheÌ„ Idolatrie to the woorship of Christ but it were a chaunge from one superstition to an other and this latter so much worse then the other bicause vnder the name of Christe there were practise perpetual of execrable sacrilege in instituting of a sacrifice to the defasing of our redemption in adoring bare breade as the hoste of our saluation in offering it vppe to God for the sinnes bothe of the quick and dead in practise of vnproffitable praiers for the soules deceased with the like faulse worship of God in all pointes Then theire preaching was highly to Goddes dishonoure pernicious to the people and damnalbe to theime selues Then haue all that euer ranne the rase of that faithe and doctrine till this daie whiche they taught perished withe theime then are they fownd false witnesseis whom we haue accompted as oure vndoubted true and lawfull pastors then God hath purposely deceiued vs with fained miracles full many with numbers off vaine visions then al our labour is lost till this day The holynesse of so many good princies and priestes is praised in vaine the bloude of Martyres shed in vaine the exercise of al sacrameÌ„ts in vaine and bicause all deuotion consisted in our fathers dayes in the earnest zele of so faulse a religioÌ„ as they thinke this to be then the more deuotion the farther from Christ the lesse religion more nere to saluation then happy was he that was the worst and cursed was he that was counted the best then is oure case most carefull then are we worse theÌ„ all other natioÌ„s that neuer receiued the name of Christ then are we worse theÌ„ we were befor our conuersion then to be shorte thereis no religion no Christ no God no hope of saluation All which thinges if they repugne to common sense and reason and to the comfortable hope of oure saluation which we haue receiued from god by Christe Iesus and the assured testimony of the spirite of God that we be a parte of his chosen Churche and sanctified in his holy name by the worde of truethe and lyfe which we by the ordinary ministery of man haue receiued signes and woonders coÌ„firming theire calling and doctrine then this religion which they planted first in our contrie must needes be in al pointes bothe holy true and acceptable vnto God Then as by that religion our fathers were ingraffed first in to Christes body misticall which is the Churche in which till this day they haue kepte the highe way to saluation so who so euer forsaketh this or any principall article or braunche therof and so leauethe that Churche into which we first entered at oure conuersion Note and take heed betime he leaueth assuredly lyfe and saluation and withe out all doubt euerlastingly perisheth AmoÌ„gest which pointes of doctrine oure aduersaries can not denie but the saing masse and offering for the deade the allmose and praiers for the departed was taught withe the firste and proued by miracles withe the rest The which ether to denie were ouer muche discredit of the antiquitye and plaine impudencie or elles to attribute theyme to the diuells woorking were oppen vntollerable blasphemie Yea this doctrine hathe brought the Churche to this bewtifull ordre in all degries as we haue seene All the noble monuments not onely in oure commoÌ„welthe but through Christes churche do beare sufficient testimonie of oure first faithe herin This doctrine as the whole worlde knoweth fouÌ„ded all Bisshoprikes buylded al Churchies raysed al Oratories Yf praing for the deade vvere takeÌ„ avvay there shoulde no steppe of religigion remaine instituted al Collegies indued all Schooles maintened all hospitalles set forwarde al woorkes of charirye and religioÌ„ of what sorte so euer they bee Take a way the praiers and practise for the deade ether al these monumeÌ„ts must fall or elles they must staÌ„d agaynste the first founders will and meaninge Looke in the statutes of all noble foundacions and of all charitable woorkes euer sithe the first daie of oure happy calling to Christes faithe whether they doo not expressely testifie that theire worke of almose and deuotion was for this one especiall respect to be prayde and songe for as they call it after theire deathes Looke whether your Vniuersites protest not this faithe by many a solemne othe bothe priuatly and openlye Looke whether all preachers that euer tooke degrie in the Vniuersity before these yeres are not bounde by the holy euangelistes to pray for certaine noble princies and praelates of this realme All oure superintendents are deeply and daily periured in euery of their sermons at Paules or other placies of name And so often as these preachers doo omit it so often are they periured so often as they ether eate or drinke of theire benefactors cost so often beare they testimony of they re owne damnation Answer me but one question I aske yowe Whether the firste authors of suche benefites as yowe enioye in the Churche at this day A harde question proposed to the ProtestaÌ„t ether of bisshopricke or colledge or any other spirituall liuelyhoodde say yowre mindes vnfeinedly whether they euer meÌ„t that suche men of suche a religion of suche lyfe of suche doctrine should enioye that allmose which they especially ordeined for other men and for contrary purpose say truethe and shame the deuill thoughte they euer to make roume in Collegies for your wiues meÌ„t they euer to mainteine preachinge against the masse against praiers for theire owne soules when they purposely vpon that grounde began so godlye a woorke if they in deede neuer ment it as I knowe theye did not and as your oune consciencies beare witnesse with theim and against your selues that they did not howe caÌ„ yowe theÌ„ for feare of goddes highe displeasure against theire owne willes vsurpe those commodities whiche they neuer ment to suche as yow be A lasse good men thei thought to make frendes of wicked mammon and full dearly with bothe landes and gooddes haue they procured enimies to theire owne soules But if there be any sense in those good fathers and fouÌ„ders as there is and if they be in heauen as they re good deseruing I trust hathe broght theime then surely they accuse yow most iustly of wicked vniustice before the face of God for deluding the people for breaking theire willes for vsurping theire commodities against theire professed mindes and meaninges Or if they be
the oblatiō of that holy host for the quick and dead both namely for certaine and generally for all departed in Christe a solemne praier and supplication Which no doubt Christ instituted at his last supper which the holy goste afterward secretly suggested to the Apostles whiche they againe faithfully deliuered to the nations conuerted by their preaching and to diuerse of theire owne disciples by whom the same was deriued downe to our daies taught in all natiōs and carefully practised of al people Whereof we haue worthy witnessies for all contries allmost For so the godly doctors Tertuliā Cypriā Augustin both taught and worshipped in Africke the same doothe Hierō and Damascene in Syria Origen and Athanasius in Egypte Denyse the auncient and Bernarde in Fraunce Chrisostome in in Thrase Basil and his bretherne in Cappadocia Ambrose and Gregory the greate in Italy Augustine oure Apostle and Bede in oure contrie of England with the rest of all nations baptized whome I named before and might doo yet a numbre what shoulde I say a numbre all that euer were cownted Catholikes since the beginning were of the same sense in that cause And to name the residew where these do not serue it were lost labour For whome they can not moue I can not tell what may perswade him in any matter Or if he dare not bestowe his credet on these mens doinges whome may he salfely trust Yff the communion and faithefull felowship of so many godly and gracious men so vniformely consentinge bothe in the teaching and practising of this matter can not sattell and quiet a mannes conscience who can appeace his disquieted vnstedfast minde and cogitation If in the construing of Goddes worde and scriptures so many of suche graue idgement of so approued wisedom of so passing learning of such earnest studyie in triall of the truethe of so vertuous a liefe of so heauenly a gifte and grace in the expounding of Goddes worde may not be salfely folowed in this oure searche whome should we folowe or to whome shoulde the simple addicte theime selues in so greate a turmoyle of learned men one sort craking so fast of scripture and the other sort when the matter commes to triall alleaging so many with so auncient and graue testimony for the true meaninge of the same to which I say is it wisdom to geue cōsent and credet yf not to suche as faithfully bothe folowe and recite the scripture withe the agreement of the worlde for the true sense thereof S. Augustine writing against Parmenianus the Donatiste much wonderethe in that cleare light of truethe and the Churchies doctrine the heretikes coulde be blinde or not see the euidence of that whiche all tbe worlde but theime selues sawe And in many placies he reakeneth the most horrible poonishment in the world Lib. 2. cap. 3. contra epistolam Parmeniani to be the caecity and blindnesse which God stricketh the stubborne mannes hearte with all in forsaking the feloweship of the Churcheis childrē But he that cōsidereth the processe of oure cause may a thowsand times more maruaile and feare Goddes heuy iudgemēt in the blinding of the disobediēt mennes heartes and sensies for sinne If they theyme selues were of their consciencyes examined what elles they would wisshe for the triall of any doubte I am sure they coulde name no one pointe nor any meanes in the worlde which our cause woulde not suffer and admitte For by what waye so euer any truethe in Goddes Churche was seuerally in the auncient times auouched against the aduersary haeretike I am sure we haue the same with the aduauntage And for this last point of prayers in the Massies of all nations it is so euident that no man can gaine saye it and so generally pactised that the vsage of praying coulde in no matter euer so clearely set owte the certaintie of oure beliefe as in this The haeretikes of oure tyme and contry be yet further vrged vvith the practise of praiers for the deceased theire contrary communion is compared vvith the oulde vsage of Celebration They are ashamed of the firste originall of theire Christian faithe they are vveery of theire ovvne seruice they are kepte in ordre by the vvisdom of the Ciuile magstrates and are forced flatly to refuse all the doctors Cap. 12. THe chiefe argument that the Churche of god vsed in oulde tyme against Pelagius thenimy of goddes grace was this that at the holy altare the Priest praied to god for to conuert heretikes and infidiles to the faithe and euell liuers wicked conuersation to vertue and honesty the which prayers had bene to no purpose if the grace of God had not borne the principall stroke in the chaunging of mānes harte But being assured of this as a groūde that the prayer of the Prieste in the whole Churchies name at the altare can not but beare singulare strenghte and truethe it is necessarily cōcluded that seeing the publike minister so praieth that we must needes beleeue that God hathe mannes hearte in his hand and may turne it to the beliefe of his worde or loue of his will as he liketh and listethe not withstanding the perfect freedom of mānes wil which by goddes grace is neuer perished but alwaied perfected And in this assured foundation of the publke praiers S. Augustine who then was the souldier of grace so triumphed against one Vitalis a Pelagiā that he ringeth him this peale Exerce contra oratio nes ecclesiae disputationes tuas quando audis sacerdotem dei ad altare exhortantem populum dei orare pro incredulis subsanna pias voces ecclesiae dic te non facere quod hortatur Epist. 107. contra Vital homo in Carthgaiensi cruditius ecclesia etiam beatissimi Cypriani librum de oratione dominica condemna Holde on felowe exercise thy contentious taulke against the vsuall praiers of goddes Churche and when thowe hearest the Priest of God at is altare exhort the people to pray for the misbeleuers scoffe at the holie wordes and make him answer thow willte not pray as he biddes the And being broght vppe in the Churche of Carthage condemne with all S. Cyprians worke vpon oure Lordes praier wherin he teacheth the same I tary nowe the longer on this point that thowe maist learne to kepe an haeretike at the bay and to fasten thy stroke so surely vpon him that which way so euer he shift he shall beare thy blowe vpō his neck and shoulders It is not for oure cause taken in hand that I nowe so muche trauell for that is longe sith made sure enoghe for all the diuels in hell or theire folowers in earthe But I would in this one example of praying for the deade geue the studious a taste of all suche waies as the truethe of all other pointes in controuersy may be bothe surely defended and so planely proued and vpholden that the aduersary shall not be able to say baff vnto any one of the leaste of all the groundes
singularitie that they wil be bold to reiect him I shall both lay him to theire charges and diuerse other of greater antiquitye that shall in expresse words affirme this vsage to coom from the Apostles owne schoole That therby they may ether acknouledg their errours or elles by such graue and vncorrupt iudgies be condemned of willfull malitious blindnesse Ser. 32. de ver Apost Thus S. Augustin writeth By the praiers of the holy churche the profitable sacrifice and almose bestowen for the soules departed oute of all doubt the deceased be releued so that thereby allmighty God may deale more mercifully with theime then their sinnes required For this practise deliuered vnto vs by oure fathers is obserued vniuersally in Christes Churche that for suche as be departed in the communion of Christes body and bloude when at the sacrifice they be orderly named praiers shoulde be made and the same sacrifice mentyoned to be done for theime Here by his wordes thowe vnderstandes that the profit rising by the prayers or facrifice to the departed hath no doubte in it They wer throughe the worlde vsed not in the church which they say hathe bene for ix c yeres corrupted by supersticious ignorance but in that Churche which oure aduersaryes doo confesse maugre they re heades to haue bene holy Catholyke and Apostolike And it was not thē begon but receiued by the prouision of goddes holy spirite of thapostles whome he calleth the fathers of our faith Athanasius me thinke the aduersary part should quake when I name him who was in his daies terrible to the wicked odible to haeretikes and to all vertuous mē an especial stay in the troblesom times of the Church whose grace was so great that he abbrigeth our whole faith in to a briefe psalme called the Crede of Athanasius which is beleued of al christiā mē no lesse then the holy scriptures of the new testament Who as he right well knewe howe to defend him selfe against the wicked Arrians by the doctrine of the Catholike Churche so he hath left vs in writing howe to arme oure selues against the like aduersaries of truethe with his minde in suche other points of weighte as in his dayies were not doubted of whiche yet might faul in question by the contentious wittes of many that can not quiet theyme selues in the holsom doctryne of christes church Emongest other thinges what this holy mannes mynde was concerning the vtility and vsage of prayers and sacrifice for the dead and who were the institutors thereof thow shalt nowe heare I will recite but a parte of his heauenly taulke thoughe the whole make wholy for our purpose Allthoughe saith this holy doctour he that Christianly is hense in faithe departed be hanged in the ayer and his body vnburied yet after thy prayiers made to God sticke not to light lampe and taper at his sepulchre for these thinges be not only acceptable to God but are rewarded For the oyle and waxe be to him as an holocaust or a sacrifice to be consumed by fyere but that vnblouddy hoste is a propitiation and remission to the partye It may seeme by his wordes that whē by occasiō of punishmēt or othewise any person was vn buried yet there was made sim hearse or monument where is frendes lighted tapers as they doo at this daie and procured the holy Masse Hostia incruenia which Athanasius callethe the Vnbloudy host or sacrifice to be celebrated in his behallfe for so I take that when he saiethe that a man being hong in the ayer may haue tapers and Masse at his sepulchre though sum seeke another meaning wich may wel stand too and it skillethe not for our purpose for so much is plane that in Athanasius his daies the sacrifice was called and counted propitiatory euen for the deade But nowe a litle afterward in the same oration he instructeth vs for the first authors and institutours of this vsage in the vnbloddy sacrifice The Apostles be the orderers of oure sacrifice and in the burialles of Christian men All these holy thinges saith he thapostles of Christe those heuēly preachers and scholars of oure Lorde the firste orderers of oure sacrifice charged to be obserued in the memories and anniuersaries of the departed c. he callethe the Apostles Curatores Sacrificiorum as yowe woulde saye men apointed to take ordre for all thinges perteyning to the solempne ministerie of the greate and highe misterie Psal 49. As in the Psalme the spiritual gouernoures are named Ordinatores testamēti Dei super sacrificia The prouisours of goddes testament touching the sacrificies The residewe of his holy wordes thowe may finde in Damascens oration of the departed where he recyteth bothe the Gregories of the Greeke church S. Denise and S. Chrisostō too which writers doo rather serue my turne nowe then the Latines bicause they may put vs out of doubt for the vsage of the Greke and other Churchies whiche afterwarde by schisme fell together from the true woorship of God into diuerse errors The end of schisme That we may knowe those same contryes vnder the gouernement of these excellent blessed men to haue obserued the same thinges which to theire owne aeternall miserye and decaye of they re Churche and contries they afterwarde contemned For theire dissension and diuision bothe in this point and others of no lesse importaunce hath procured goddes vengeaunce so muche that nowe they haue allmost no churche at all as we may haue right good cause to feare what will becom of vs that folowe theire steppes in such pointes as in theime haue duely deserued goddes greuous plages Amongest other for that Chrisostoms authority is exceding graue I will lett yowe see his opinion for the institution of these beneficial relieuinges of the departeds payn These be his wordes Let vs sieke out al meanes whereby we may best helpe our brethern departed let vs for theire sakes bestowe the most present remedie that is to say almose and oblatiō for therby to theyme ensueth greate cōmodtie gaine and profett for it was not rashly nor withoute greate cause prouided and to goddes Churche by his disciples full of wisdom deliuered and decried that in the dreadfull misteries there should be especial prayers made by the priest for all those the slepe in faithe For it is a singulare benefite to theim These wer Chrisostōs wordes wherby not only the truth of the cause and first authors of the practise be oppened but that there is wonderfull benefite to the parties for whome praiers be so made in the holy sacrifice The which thing our forefathers well knewe when they were so ernest after they re departure to haue a memory at the holy altare Now adaies haeresy hathe cākered euē the very deuotiō of catholykes who allthoughe they thinke it to be true that goddes Church teacheth herin yet the zele of procuring these meanes is nothing so greate as thimportaunce of the cause requireth But if they note well those
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
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