and profitable to the deceased Againe in an other place he argueth that this vnordinate mourning can not stand with the steadfast belefe of resurrection of the departed which the prayers of Gods Church and the rites of Christian dirigies do planely protest and proue these be his wordes Cur post mortem tuorum pauperes conuocas cur presbyteros vt pro eis velint orare obsecras non ignoro te responsurum vt defunctus requiem adipiscatur vt propitium iudicem inueniat his ergo de rebus flendum atque vlulandum arbitraris Non vides quà m maximè ipsi repugnas VVhy doest thou gather the poore people to come to thy frendes buriall VVhy desirest thou the priestes to pray for their soules Thy aunswere I am shure will be that thou doest these thinges to prouide for his rest and to obteine mercy and fauour at his iudgies handes VVell then go too what cause hast thou to mourne or bewaile his case doest thou not perceiue that thou art contrary to thy selfe in thy owne facte nowe all studious men may see what force the charity and almes of faithfull people euer had especially towardes the deade how litle weeping auayleâ—h how vnlikely it is that the prescribed dayes of the olde funeralls in the lawe of nature or afterward were spent in mourning with out wordes or workes for the departed but namely how this holy fathers sentence and minde fully setteth fourth the meaning of Tobies precept for setting his breade and drinke vpon the sepulchres to be nothinge els but a calling together of the poore people and feeding them for the benefite of the person departed that not onely they by earnest prayer but he by charitable workes might together obteine rest and mercy for his soule And here the simple sorte and such as be ignoraunt of the force of almes or our fathers practise for their yeares being brought vp in this sinnefull age when vertue is defaced and the workes of Christianitie scarse to be seene in a whole country and where they be much merueled at as thinges rare or contemned as vnprofitable or of the wicked condemned vtterly as superstitious vngodly such good young men must looke backe a great way with me to learne their dueties of the blessed times paste that were wholy free from the contagion of this pestilent waste in religion euen to those dayes that our aduersaries confesse to haue bene holy and vndefiled 5 What a shameles man is this to say the soule of Lazarus was restored to his body at the prayers of Martha Mary his sisters who as the Scripture is manifest did not hope for any restitution before the generall resurrection Yet we neede not doubt sayth he but they prayed dayly for his rest How proueth he that Forsoth Syr when Mary went out sodenly to meete Christ the Iewes sayd vadit ad monumentum vt ploret Alacke that M Allen could not put out that pl. and then it should be vt oret ibi But in good sadnes if the Iewes had thought that Mary had gone to pray at her brothers graue they would not haue followed her to hinder her deuotions but she went to wayle and they followed to comfort her to forbid her M. Allen sayth that immoderate mourning hath a speciall mistrust of the resurrection as S. Paule declareth 1. The. 4. But ioyned with praiers and almes it hath a liuely hope of those that sleepe in peace if they sleepe in peace what neede haue they of our prayers but will you see the ratte taken by his owne rumbling The place of S. Paule 1. Thes. 4. is directly to reproue immoderate mourning for the dead which is not meete for them that haue hope But how hapneth it that prayer and almes be not there ioyned to moderate mourning yea how hapneth it that in so necessary a place S. Paule findeth no other comfort to moderate the mourning of the faythfull but onely the quiet rest of them that are a sleepe in the Lord and the hope of their glorious resurrection Surely if S. Paule had bene of Chrysostomes minde he would haue prescribed other maner of comforts as Chrysostome doth But where learned Chrysostome that prayers and almes had any comfort in them for the dead Surely he allegeth Scripture but he applyeth it madly and yet he often applyeth it to the same purpose belike it was the best he had for that purpose God sayth vnto Ezechias I will defend this citie for myne owne cause and for Dauid my seruaunts sake Alas good man what maner of reason is this be it as he sayth that the memory of Dauid being a righteous man and not rather the trueth of Gods promise made to Dauid moued him to defend the cittie from the enemies doth it therefore followe that prayers and almes are auailable for the deade for whome we haue no scripture no commaundement promise nor example to pray Who if they be of the number of Gods elect be in so happy estate as they can not be better by our prayer which supposeth them to be in misery Hieronym vpon the 37. of Esay where the same sentence is repeted referreth these wordes Propter Dauid c. to the memory of Dauid being a vertuous man wherby the Iewes were admonished that not for their merite but for his mercy sake and for their ancestors sake God woulde protect them but prayer for the deade he findeth not auailable by these wordes The other place of Chrysostome alloweth rather almes that men geue before their death or bequeath in their testâ—ment because it is a worke of their own then that almes which other men geue for them For if Dorcas was restored to life through her almes it was through her owne almes that she did giue when she was a liue not for any almes that other did bestow for her when she was deade The third place of Chrysostome sheweth how hardly the people being once nâ—slâ—d in superstitioÌ„ coulde be kepte in any moderation no not in those times where there was great care diligence and knowledge in their pastors but soone after as these thinges decayed in the teachers so superstition daily increased and where as you note in the margent that priestes in that time were desired to praye for mens soules I will proue afterwarde in a more proper place that in the older time they were called together at burialls for an other purpose But such is the nature of mens deuises that although at the first they seeme not altogether euill yet in processe of time they grow to more and more inconueniens vntill at the last they come to be altogether abominable And therefore your collection M. Allen being all vpon false groundes is nothing to be regarded of olde or younge But Sathan your suttill maister hath taught your rather to appeale to the iudgement of the yonger sorte who haue not knowen your horrible idolatrie and mischeiuous marchandise of mens soules then to men of any riper yeares
foughten field betwixt Egfride and Edeldred two princies of our lande it fortuned that a younge gentleman of Egfrides armie shoulde be so greuously wounded that falling downe both him selfe with out sense and in all mens sightes starke deade he was letten lye of the enemies and his body sought with care to be buried of his freindes A brother of his a good priest and Abbate with diligent making search for his body amongest many happed on one that was exceeding like him as a man many easly be deceiued in the alteratioÌ„ that streight falleth vpon the soules departure to the whole forme and fashion of the body and bestowed of his loue the duety of obsequies with solemne memorialls for the rest of him whome he tooke to be his brother deceased burying him in his owne monasterie and causing Masse to be done daily for his pardon and soules release But so it fortuned that his brother Huma for so was he called being not all out deade with in foure and twenty houres came reasonably to him selfe againe anâ— gathering with all some strength rose vp washte him selfe aâ—â— made meanes to come to some freinde or acquaintaunce wheâ—â— he might sallue his sores and close his woundes againe But by lacke of strength to make shifte and by misfortune he fell into his enemies handes and therby the Capitane examined of his estate he denied him selfe to be of name or degree in his country Yet by the likelyhoods that they gathered of his comely demeanure and gentleman like talke which he coulde hardly dissemble they mistrust as it was in deede that he was a man of armes and more then a common souldiar Therefore in hope of good gaine by his raunson they thought good after he was full recouered for feare of his escape to laye yrons vpon him and so to make sure worke But so God wrought that no fetters coulde holde him for euery day once at a certaine houre the bandes brake loose with out force and the man made free The gentleman maruailed at the case him selfe but his kepers and the capitaine were much more astonied thereat and straitely examined him by what cunning or crafte he coulde with such ease set him selfe at libertie and bare him in hande that he vsed characters or letters of some sorcery and wichcrafte with the practise of vnlawfull artes But he aunswered in sadnesse that he was altogether vnskillfull in such thinges Mary que he I haue a brother in my country that is a priest and I knowe certainely that he sayth often Masse for my soule supposing me to be departed and slaine in bataile And if I were in an other life I perceiue my soule by his intercession shoulde be so loosed out of paines as my body is now from bondes The capitaine perceiuing so much and belike in some awe of religion seeing the worke of God to be so straunge soulde him to a Londoner with whome the same thinges happened in his bondes loosing euery daye By which occasion he was licensed to go home to his freindes and procure his ranson for charging him with diuers sortes of surest bandes none coulde salfely holde him And so vpon promesse of his returne or payment of his appointed price he went his wayes and afterwarde truely discharged his credit VVhich done by freindship that he founde in the same country afterward returned to his owne parties to his brothers house to whome when he had vttered all the history of his straunge fortune both of his misery and miraculous relieuing he enquired diligently the whole circumstance with the houre and time of his daily loosing and by conferring together they founde that his bondes brake loose especially at the very iuste time of his celebration for his soule At which times he confessed that he was otherwise in his great aduersities often released also Thus hath that holy writer almost worde for worde and at the ende he addeth this Multi haec a praefato viro audientes accensi sunt in fide ac deuotione pietatis ad orandum vel eleemosinas faciendas vel ad offerendas Domino victimas sacrae oblationis pro ereptione suorum qui de saeculo migrauerant Intellexerunt enim quod Sacrificium salutare ad redemptionem valeret animae corporis sempiternam Hanc mihi historiam etiam hi qui ab ipso viro in quo facta est audiere narrarunt Vnde eam qui aliquando comperi indubitanter historiae nostrae Ecclesiasticae inserendam credidi Many hearing thus much of the party him selfe were wounderfully inflamed with faith and zele to pray to geue almes and to offer sacrifice of the holy oblation for the deliuery of their well-beloued freindes departed out of this life For they vnderstoode that the healthfull sacrifice was auaileable for the redemption of both body and soule euerlastingly And this storie did they that hearde it of the parties owne mouth reporte vnto me VVhere vpon hauing so good proofe I dare be bolde to write it in my ecclesiasticall history And thus much sayth Beda aboute eighte hundred yeares agoe when our nation being but younge in Christianity was fedde in the true belefe by sundry wounderous workes of God. CAP. X. 1 THe examples out of Gregory or Damascene you may spare for your friendes there is none of vs that maketh great accompt of them and yet neither Gregory nor Damascene were so grosse in their errour of prayer for the deade and purgatory as you but where you bragge of such choyse that you can bring enowe out of what writer so euer we like best you shoulde passing well prouide for the credit of your cause and the discredit of ours if out of so great store you would helpe vs with some thing out of Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus or any Authenticall writer which liued within one hundreth yeares after the Apostles age But when you beginne with Chrysostoms buriall and yet can not proue that which you pretende all men maye well thinke and they which haue redde the olde writers know you can not reach so high for all your proude promises But you will do that which shall be as good you will shew that we and all nations receiued these vsages of praying and sacrificing for the departed at our first conuersion to the fayth you shall doe a great peece of worke and such as no Papist yet was euer able to doe You shall be a Cardinal if you can doe it yea you shall conuert all the Protestantes to the Catholike Church of Rome Goe too man beginne Take the history of the Acts of the Apostles into your handes in which mention is made of the conuersion of many nations to Christes faith shew that the vsage of praying sacrifycing for the dead was receiued of them or any of them Come of quickely or all the worlde will saye you are but a prating merchant But you will beginne with the conuersion of our nation Goe to take Gildas into your hande which
church affirmeth Luther to be an heretike seeing we know that Luther did not obstinately and malitiously erre in any article of faith concerning the substance of religion we doe not beleue her and specially because she is a partiall witnesse against him whome God vsed to discouer so much of her wickednesse to her great hindrance there is no credit to be geuen vnto her when she goeth about to deface him by sclaunderous names and false accusations Thus I haue shewed these thinges that you require both by good reason and also by scripture Therefore if I may beleue you you recant The fourth article conteyneth 3. demandes 1 I demand what Church hath mightely gonne through borne downe and fully vanquished all heresies in times past aswell against the blessed Trinitie as other Articles of our religion I Aunswere the true Catholike Church hath alwayes resisted all false opinions contrary to the worde of God as her duty was and fought against them with the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God and by the aide of God obteyned the victorie and triumphed ouer them So did Paule ouercome the Iewes Act. 18. So did the fathers of the primitiue Church from time to time confute heresies by the scriptures and declare in their writinges that by them they are to be confuted for examples sake of a great number I will alleage a few Hylarius writing of the blessed Trinitie against heretikes Lib. 4. sayeth Cessent itaque propriae hominum opiniones neque se vltrà Diuinam constitutionem humanae iudicia extendant Sequamur ergo aduersus irreligiosas impias de Deo institutiones ipsas illas diuinoruÌ„m dictorum authoritates vnumquodque eorum ipso de quo quaeritur auctore tractabimus Wherefore let opinions propre to men geue place and let not mens iudgements stretche them selues further than God his constitution Therefore against these vnreligious and vngodly opinions of God let vs follow the very authority of God his sayings and handle euery one of them by the aide of him about whome the question is Thus Hylarius woulde haue heresies against the Trinitie to be confuted not by mens iudgement but by God his word Basilius magnus very often testifieth that he woulde haue all good thinges proued by the scripture and all euill thinges confuted by the same In his moralles Dist. 26. Euery worde or deede must be confirmed by the testimonie of holy Scripture for the perswasion of good men and the confusion of wicked men And in his treatise of Faith we know that we must now and alwayes auoide euery voice or opinion that is differing from the doctrine of our Lorde And in his short definitions to the first interrogation whether it be lawefull or profitable for a man to permit vnto him selfe to do or say any thinge which he thinketh to be good without the testimonie of the holy Scripture he aunswereth forasmuch as our Sauiour Christ sayeth that the holy Ghost shall not speake of him selfe what madnes is it that any man shoulde presume to beleue any thing without the authoritie of God his worde By these and many other places it is manifest that Basilius woulde haue heresies and false opinions confuted by the holy Scriptures Chrysostome vpon Luke cap. 16. sayeth that the ignorance of the scriptures hath bred heresies and brought in corrupt life yea it hath turned all things vpsidown by which it appeareth by what meanes he would haue heresies kept away namely by knowledge of the scriptures It were to long to reherse all the places of S. Augustine by which his minde appeareth that he would haue the Church sought onely in the scriptures and heretikes confuted onely by the scriptures to whose onely authoritie in many places he professeth that he him selfe will be bounde as Epist. 19. ad Hieronymum Epist. 48. Vincentio Epist. 111. Fortunatiano Epist. 112. to Paulina contra Faustum lib. 11. cap. 5. Contra Cresconium Grammaticum lib. 2. cap. 31. 32. de Baptismo contra Donatistas lib. 2. cap. 2. De meritis remissione peccatorum contra Pelagianos lib. 3. cap. 7. De naturae gratia cap. 61. De gratia Christi contra Pelagium cap. 43. De nuptijs concupiscentia lib. 2. c. 29. In these places S. Augustine preferreth the authority of the Canonicall scripture before all writinges of Catholike Doctors of Byshops of Councells before all customes and traditions But that he would haue the true Church sought onely in the scriptures it is manifest by these places first in his 48. Epistle to Vincentius Nos autem ideo certi sumus neminem se a communione omnium gentium iustè separare potuisse quia non quis quam nostrum in iustitia sua sed in scripturis Diuines quaerit Ecclesiam speaking of the Donatistes he sayeth We are suer that no man could iustly separate him selfe from the communion of all Nations because none of vs seeketh the Church in his owne righteousnesse but in the holy Scriptures So if the Papistes woulde not presume of their owne righteousnesse but seeke the Church of Christ in the scriptures they would not separate them selues from the communion of Christes Church now by God his grace inlarged farther than the Popish church Also in his booke De vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 2. he hath these wordes Inter nos autem Donatistas quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesa Quid ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris â—am quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christiâ— puto quod in illius potius verbis eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè nouit corpus suum The question is betwene vs and the Donatistes where the Church shoulde be what shall we doe then shall we seeke her in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her heade our Lorde Iesus Christ I thinke we ought rather to seeke her in his words which is the Truth and best knoweth his owne body So the question is at this daye betwen the Papistes and vs where the church is let vs seeke in God his worde there we shall easily finde her To the same intent he speaketh in the third fiueth and sixtenth Chapters of the same treatise Furthermore that he woulde haue heretikes confuted onely by the scriptures he sheweth likewise in many places of his workes for writing against Maximinus the Arian lib. 3. cap. 14. a place commonly and often cited he sayeth but nowe neither must I preiudicially bring forthe the Councell of Nice nor then the Councell of Arimine for neither am I bounden to the authoritie of the one nor you of the other but let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason contend by authoritie of the scriptures not proper to any but indâ—fferent witnesses to both partes If Augustine would not oppresse the Arrians by the authoritie of the Nicene Councell which was the first and the best generall Councell that euer was but only by the scriptures how much lesse woulde he
the cause would driue me vnto I did learne of auncient Irenaeus that such doctrine â—nd mysteries may be safely had and without all feare of errour taught by holy Priestes and Bishops Qui cum episcopatus successione charisma veritatis certum sâ—cundum placitum patâ—is accepeâ—unt VVho haue receaued with thâ—ir ordinary succession in their pastorall seat the gracious gift of vnderstanding the truth And these are they sayth he in the same place which may without all daunger to them selues and their hearers expound vnto vs the holy Scriptures Other men doubtles which this miserable age of ours seeth not that measureth all thinges by a fond flourish of learning whereof â—et there was neuer lesse store can not nor must not be so bold though their giftes were many moe study muâ—h longer then mine And to confesse the truth in deede I was somwhat loth such was my foolish feare then to fall in hand with that matter which being well and to the bottom ripped I perceaued of all other causes in the world most to touch the very sore of heresie and therefore might to me procure the hatred of such whose loue otherwise I could be content either to keepe or winne Besides that I saw the contention of the contrary part seking to make some answere to such thinges as might in this cause most greeue their mindes or marre their matter shoulde driue me from that course of study which otherwise in quietnesse I would most gladly keepe to serue truth and defende my cause which once of freedom and good will taken in hand must afterward of duety and necessitie be vpholden Notwithstanding all these thinges good reader which might most iustly hold me back yet now my friendes request the case and condition of this present time and my duety towards my mother the Church may of good reason and must of necessitie chaunge my former intent remoue my priuate study to the benefite of the common cause Therfore being at length by iust occasion wholy minded to serue as well as I could that way I thought good these late months to make a more full declaration of that thing which at my sayde friendes request I had so briefly touched before That as then when he first had it of me it onely serued him for his owne contentation the pleasuring of his singular and secret friendes and the helpe of some simple whome he knew deceyued by ouer light looking on so graue matters so nowe good Christian reader I trust it may helpe in common not onely such as haue been caried a way by the guile of heresie but other that are much subiect to the daungerous flattery of this present time with whome pleasure euer ioyned to the protestantes doctrine often more preuaileth then the preachers persuasion Be bolde to charge any of our aduersaries make he neuer so great accompt of him selfe with the force of trueth heere expresly proued both by argument and authoritie if it holde him not he shall I am sure brast out with impudencie and not lose him selfe by reason iust dealing or honestie And if it be proued to touch with safetie the poison it selfe let no man doubt to vse it for a preseruatiue in this common infection of our time and countrie For it were no reason any man shoulde practise with the poore people priuyly in such thinges as he were not hable to mainteine before their pilloures and preachers openly And for that hatered which I may procure to my selfe by mine owne trauell it shall not much moue me for I shall either be partaker thereof as a common praise in these euill dayes to most good men or els if I be not worthy so much I will learne to beare it as some parte of punishment satisfaction for my sinnes I may not bye frendship with flatterie nor mannes loue with forsaking Gods trueth Of such thinges then I will not make much reckening but my principall care is that in writing or wading in so deepe matters I keepe the streight line of the Churches truth which in the exceding rashnesse of these darke dayes a man may quickely lose And therefore to make sure I humbly submit my selfe to the iudgement of such our maisters in faith and religion as by Gods calling are made the lawefull Pastors of our soules Of whome I had rather learne my selfe then teach other if either they had occasion and opportunitie to speake or I might of reason and duetie in these miserable times holde my peace Farewell gentle Reader and if I pleasure thee by my paines let me for Christes sake be partaker of thy prayers At Antwerp the Second of May. 1565. 3 WHether this occasion of your writing were true or only pretendid it is all one to our purpose But where you commende your freinde for that he learned to beleeue first and sought to vnderstand afterwarde which you take to be the natural order of a Christian schoole if you had shewed where you learned that methode his coÌ„mendation should haue been the greater and your iudgement the weightier For we learne by Saint Paule a contrary order namely first to heare the worde of God preached and expounded and then to beleeue it Rom. 10. For God by the riches of his grace hath abounded towardes vs in all wisedome and vnderstanding and hath opened vnto vs the mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure so that after we hearde the worde of trueth the Gospell of our saluation we haue thereby beleeued and so are sealed with the holy Spirite of promise laboring and praying that those which haue receaued the first grace of knowledge and vnderstanding may daily more and more increase in the same that they may be full filled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedom spirituall vnderstanding Col. 1. And as for that blinde faith which must be thrust vppon mens consciences to be accepted before they see what grounde it hath we leaue it as meete for sect masters and heretikes and in no wise to be admitted by the Disciples of Christ who calleth all men to heare him and vnderstand him Matt. 15. Mar. 7. But faith say you in most matters must direct reason But I say reason in all matters must be subiect to faith For the naturall man with all his reason neither doth nor can perceaue the things of the spirite of God for the eye hath not seene nor the eare hath hearde neither haue entred into the heart of man the thinges that God hath prepared for them that loue him but God hath reueiled them to vs by his spirite 1. Corinth 2. And this is the thing that deceiueth you Maister Allen which more like a maister of prophane artes then a good student of holy Diuinitie can put no difference betwene carnall reason and spirituall vnderstanding For that knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods holy mysteries conteined in his word whereuppon our faith is grounded we haue not by light of naturall reason but by reuelation and
in purgatory after he had bene there but one day told the Angell to his face that he was no Angell but a deceiuer affirming that he had bene there many yeares A monke that dyed without absolution in the absence of the Abbot after his death was absolued and enioyned for penance to tarry in purgatory vntill his body were buried whereat he cryed so horribly that his voyce was heard all ouer the abbey saying O vnmercifull man hast thou commaunded me to tarry so long in purgatory A Bishop suspēded a priest for saying euery day masse of requiem but as the same Prelate went ouer a churchyard the dead arose euery man with such tooles as they occupied in their life threatning him that he should dye for it he did not restore them their soule priest Againe one that promised his brother to say masse for him immediatly after his death made hast to performe his promise as soone as the breath was out of his hody but when masse was done his brother appeared to him saying O vnfaithfull brother thou hast well deserued the curse of God for me thou hast let me lye in torments these 20 yeares and neither thou nor any of my brethren would vouchsafe to say one masse for me If these and such like narrations of which the popish homilies and other writings are crammed full were true reuelations there were small patience mekenes or loue in some of the purgatory penitentionaries Yet M. Allen sayth these are the inferior partes which boweth their knee and reuerenceth the name of Iesus as the Apostle sayth Philip. 2. For those that be in the deepe hell can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name as the Prophet sayth Although that which Dauid sayth be true of the damned spirites yet he speaketh generally of all them that are deade which can not prayse God in his Church as they doe that are aliue But S. Paule to the Philip speaketh not of any willing obedience or ioyfull confession of them that be in hell but of that which is due to the maiestye of Christ and enforced euen from his enemies For if none should bow to Christ but they that honour him willingly and praise his holy name cherefully this text should not be verified of so many 1000. Turkes Iewes and Infidels that now blaspheme his holy name but in the day of iudgement vnto which time the perfect accomplishment of this prophecy is referred they with all the deuills in hell shal be brought on their knees and acknowledge that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God and their eternal confusion And euen now already S. Iames teacheth that the deuils doe tremble But if onely the soules in purgatory were ment by them that are vnder the earth at the last day when Christ shall haue his chiefe glory and purgatory as the Papistes confesse shall be abolished then there should be none in the infernall partes that should bow vnto Iesus and acknowledge his glorious maiestie according to the prophecy of Esay which S. Paule expoundeth of the last iudgement Rom. 14. And therefore although M. Allens affirmation of godly men to haue bene in the lower partes from the beginning of the world vnto the end of the same were true as it is most false yet it would not aunswere the verity of the prophecy when at that time there shoulde be none in which time the prophecy should chiefly be fulfilled but of what forehead or mouth doth this procede that he affirmeth that Abrahams bosome may appeare by Scripture to haue bene in the lower roomes though separate from hell His reason seemeth to be because all places of punishment after this life be in Scripture called Inferna that is hell or the lowest places The Scripture teacheth that Abrahams bosome was a place of comfort separate from hel not with a small border like the popish limbus but with an infinite distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the rich glutton looking vp saw Lazarus a farre of in blessed estate when he him selfe was in torments But hereof I haue spoken sufficiently before 3 Therefore I shall desire all Catholike readers as they beleue this graue sentence of God to come and feare the rodde of our fathers correction that they preuent the same by lowly submitting them selues vnto the chastisement of our kinde mother the Church VVho with teares in this her contempt yet besecheth the children of hir owne how shoulde that they woulde rather willingly submit them selues to her meeke wande in this life thē against their willes to the heuy scourge of their angry and iustly moued father in the worlde to come The penaunce which her ministers do charge vs with all is of it selfe not greate yet accepted with humility and competent dolour of hearte in this time of grace it may for the most parte if it any thing be aunswerable to the faultes or holpen by our owne zele either wholy discharge vs or much ease abbridge the paine to come Let vs not sticke to adde vnto the prescribed paine by the priest our pastour some such fructes of repentaunce as may more and more wash vs from our sinnes let vs make frendes of wicked Mammon Let vs redeme our sinnes by almes and mercy towardes the poore Let vs iudge our selues with earnest fasting aboundaunce of vnfained teares often watching and continuall praying then doubtlesse we shall not be iudged of our Lorde Let vs detest this abominable flattering security which this sinnefull schole so earnestly exhorteth vs vnto It is the deuill no doubt that woulde haue man passe his time in pleasure that he may be reserued to his euerlasting paine A small remedy by mans freedome in Gods grace here willingly accepted may cleere acquitte vs of great griefe to come Loue alone and earnest zele of Gods house in this multitude of forsakers I dare say shall couer a numbre of sinnes and that which by nature is but duety in this time of temptation I take it to be greate merit Let vs be circumspect therefore and worke whiles the day is here for in the night of the next worlde sinners can not helpe them selues nor worke one moment towards their owne deliuery or release 3 Once againe he desireth Catholikes not to doubt of this doctrine but to preuent the paine appointed by their angry father with patient receiuing the chastisment of their kinde mother whose meke wande in this life they were better to susteine then the heauy scourge of their iustely moued father after this life In this proper antithesis the kindnesse of the mother is preferred before the anger of the father yea the mercy of the mother is commended aboue the iustice of the father It appereth by this that the Papistes vnderstand not what they say when they call God father who taketh vnto him that name to declare his mercy towarde vs and not his iustice his loue and not his wrath to rewarde vs and not to punish vs who though he chastise his
obscuro non ad propheticas voces non ad apostolicas literas nec ad euangelicas auctoritates sed ad semetipsos recurrunt Sed ideò erroris magistri existunt quia veritatis discipuli non fuerunt They fall into this folly which when they be hindered by any obscuritie to knowe the truth haue not recourse to the words of the Prophets nor to the writings of the Apostles nor to the authoritie of the Gospell but to them selues But therefore are they maisters of error because they haue not ben schollers of truth In these words Leo as great as you would haue him maketh the Scriptures not customes or traditioÌ„s the rule of truth But I will come to your demonstration which you call a sure way to try the beginning of any doctrine yet vnder correction of your demonstratiue Logike I may be bold to say it is not the proper way nor the way by which all doctrine may be tryed and so you breake 2. of those principal rules that Aristotle giueth for demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the proper way to try all doctrine is by coÌ„ferring it with the word of God Againe the first author of euery heresie can not be named There was one heresie of them that were called Acephali because there was no head knowne of them It is harde to name the first authour of the Manichees whom the heretikes them selues call an Apostle of Christ. The Chiliastes the Ophâ—tes the Caineanes the Sethoites the Adamianes the Melchezedâ—chianes the Apostolike the Hemerobaptistes and an hundred more heresies shall they be thought to haue their heresie from tradition of the Apostles if the first author of them can not be named yet I weene it will be hard for him to proue out of any authenticall writer that any before Tertullian either named or allowed prayer for the deade who was almost 2. hundreth yeares after the incarnation of Christ. 2 If they answere me that this vsage is crept into the church sith the Apostles time though the first author can not be knowen I will also prouide that there no shift shall serue them Therefore I aske them whether that man which first preached it was resisted by the rest of Gods Church which before his preaching beleued the contrarie or no That is it say this doctrine of praying for the deade when it first came into the church did any of the true pastors free from the same error barke like a good shepheard against the beginner of that which they count so great a corruption of trueth Or all the Church was corrupted with it on one daye say what you thinke likest in this case aunswere with any probability or reason if you can saye plainely was our doctrine euer preaâ—hed against or neuer if it neuer were preached against then it neuer beganne as any noueltie or newe doctrine For it coulde not be that the Church being free from that doctrine shoulde straight without contradiction allowe that which they liked not before Howe can any man arise in the common welth and bring the vtter decay of all the olde ordres which he findeth and erect vp a new deuise of his owne and neuer man speake a word against him but all in one moment allow and like the same and that without all recorde by memory or monument of any chaunge But this thinge is most farre from the Churches and Gods pastors diligeÌ„ce that neuer receiued false doctrine without open contradiction and plaine noting the party that first began it as we shal plucke our gentlemen by the slieue a none All those that haue any skill in the antiquitie will beare me recorde that the pastors did neuer holde their peace when any wolfe did but once open his mouth against the sheepe They can tell that she did neuer beare the preaching or practise of any false and erroneous doctrine for one day together then it must needes consequently followe that the doctrine of purgatory and oblation for the departed with still consent of all nations receiued in the Catholike Church had no beginning after the first institution of our faith and worship of God but hath ioyned from the first grounde of our Christian institution in Christes faith with that sacrifice and due honour of God which the Apostles by the suggestion of the holy Ghost planted in all nations with the same faith Thus I make my argument euery falsehood was preached against and withstanded when it is first entered but this doctrine of purgatory and praying for the deade being alwayes vsed was neuer controwled nor gainsaide in Gods Church therfore it is no falsehood nor euer had any later institution then the Apostles owne prescription 2 Supposing that this errour crept into the Church though the first author thereof can not be knowne he demaundeth whether any man preached against it when it began first to be receiued I aunswere if the Pastors of the Church had done their duty to the vttermost it could not so easily haue preuayled And yet it is not to be thought but that some of the true Pastors in that tyme opposed them selues against it although the history of the Church in that time whâ—n it began to be spreade is to briefe vnperfect that we should be able to name who they were that preached against it Of so many heresies as Epiphanius nameth in his time it were hard to require and vnpossible to shew who preached against euery one of them at their first entrance yet they be damnable heresies In S. Augustines dayes of whose time the history of the Church is largely set forth vnto vs who preached or writte against that error which he and Innocentius Bishop of Rome al the church as he confessed did hold that infants must receiue the holy communion or else they should be damned Who preached against this error except perhaps the Pelagians that were horrible heretikes Was all the Church corrupted with it in one day If euery heresie had bene beaten down as fast as it sprang Antichrist should neuer haue set vp his throne in the temple of god If God had not sent into the world the efficacy of error that they which refused to beleue the truth should be iustly condemned to beleue lyes the man of sinne and sonne of perdition had neuer aduauÌ„ced him selfe aboue all that is called God. 2. Thessal 2. And therefore M. Allen plucke not vs by the sleue but your self by the nose you are the heretikes that refuse to beleue the truth you are they that turne away your eares from truth to fables you are they that attend to spirites of error and doctrines of deuills forbidding to marry and abstayning from meates which God hath created to be receiued with thankes giuing There is the brande marke of Romish religion that all the water in Tiberis nor in the Ocean sea shal not be able to wash out Must we finde out the authors of your heresies Nay iustifie