After the sinnes of man be pardoned God oftentimes punisheth the offender the church punisheth him and man punisheth him selfe ergo there is some payne due after sinne be remitted Secondly this payne can not alwayes be discharged in this world eyther for lacke of space after the remission as it happeth in repentaunce at the houre of death or else when the party liueth in perpetuall welth without care or cogitation of any satisfaction therefore it must be aunswered in an other place Thirdly the common infirmities and the dayly trespasses which abase and defile the workes euen of the vertuous of their proper condition doe deserue payne for a tyme as the mortall offence deserueth perpetuall Therefore as the mortall sinne being not here pardoned must of iustice haue the reward of euerlasting punishment so it must needes followe that the veniall fault not here forgeuen should haue the reward which of nature it requireth that is to say temporall payne And therefore not onely the wicked but the very iust also must trauell to haue their daily infirmities and frailty of their corrupt natures forgiuen crying without ceasing forgeue vs our debts Quia non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis viuens For no man aliue shal be able to stand before the face of God in his owne iustice or righteousnes and if these light sinnes should neuer be imputed then it were needelesse to cry for mercy or confesse debt as euery man doth be he neuer so passing holy To be briefe this debt of paine for sinne by any way remayning at the departure hence must of iustice be aunswered VVhich can not be without punishmēt in the next life then there must be a place of iudgement for temporall and transitory paynes in the other world The whole discourse made before hath geuen force enough to euery part of the argument the Scriptures doe proue it the practise of the Church confirmeth it all the doctors by our aduersaries graunt agree vpon it If they haue any thing to say here I make them fayre play the ground is open the reasons laide naked before their face remoue them as they can Lette them deale simply if they meane truely and not flourish as they vse vppon a false ground that in flowe of wordes they may couer errour or in rase of their smoth talke ouerrunne truth And that euery man may perceiue that we haue not raised this doctrine vpon reason only or curiositie although the graue authoritie of Gods Church might here in satisfie sober wittes we will now by Gods helpe go nearer the matter and directly make proofe of Purgatory by holy Scriptures reciting such places of the olde and new Testament as shall proue our cause euen in that sense which the learnedst and godlyest fathers of all ages by conference of places or other likelyhood shall fynde and determine to be most true Alleaging none els but such as they haue in the flour of Christian faith noted and peculiarely construed for that purpose which now is in question That the aduersaries of that doctrine may rather striue with the said saincts and doctours then with me that will as they shall well perceiue do nothing but truely reporte their wordes or meaninge Or rather that such as haue erred in that case by giuing ouer light credit to the troblesome teachers of these vnhappy dayes maye when they shall vnderstand the true meaning of the Scriptures the constant doctrine of the Catholike Church the wordes of all auncient writers the determination of so many holy Councels the olde vsage of all nations by humble prayers obteine of God the light of vnderstanding the trueth and the gifte of obedience to his will and worde Or if there be any so sattled in this vnlickely sect that he purposeth not to beleue the graue writers of olde times nor receiue their expositions vpon such places as we shall recite for that preiudice which he hath of this owne witte and vnderstanding yet let him not maruell at my simplicity that had rather geue credit to others then my selfe Or that in this hote time of contention and partaking in religion I do repose my selfe vnder the shadow of so many worthy writers as anone shall giue euidence in my cause CAP. V. 1 TRiumphing before the victorie and that is more before the encontry of hāde strokes for we come to ioyning but now you will now win your spurs or els it shal be a blacke daye with all Protestantes I will be as shorte in mine aunswere as you are in your arguments And that I may put on an armour of proofe to beare of your terrible haileshot your first argumēt hath neither good forme nor matter no more hath your second no more hath your third If you or any for you will prepare your selfe to geue a bitter charge either I or some other shal be redy to shape you an other aunswere But because here is nothing in this briefe ioyning but which hath bene largly discharged before in aunswere to your longe excursions it were nedelesse to make such vaine repetition as you doe especially in your last shorte argument in which space all the substaunce of your large booke might easily haue bene placed only to fil vp a competent length of the fift chapter and with such a tedious inlarging of a superfluous matter as a yong practiser of Rhetoricke would be ashamed to vse in a fayned declamation much worse becomming an auncient master of arte professing to trusse vp his arguments by Logicke to make a perfect perswasion As for the promisse of further proofe both out of the Scriptures and out of the doctors that followeth after this gallant ioyning and lusty challenge shall haue no preiudice of my disabling of the meane to perform it vntill it appeare by playne conference of his arguments and myne aunswers that his words are but winde and his promisse but pratling That Purgatory paines doth not onely serue Gods iustice for the punishement of sinne but also cleanse and qualifie the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entraunce into the holy places vvith conferēce of certaine places of Scripture for that purpose CAP. VI. 1 IF we well cōsider the wonderfull base condition and state of mans nature corrupted by our first fathers disobedience and more and more abased by continuall misery that sinne hath brought into our mortall life we shall finde the worke of Gods wisedome in the excellent repaire of this his creature to be full of mercy and full of maruell But proceding somewhat further and weying not onely his restoring but also the passing great anauncement to the vnspeakable glory of the elect there shall reason and all our cogitations vtterly faint and faile vs. The kingdome prepared is honored with the maiestie of the glorious Trinitie with the humanitie of Christ our Sauiour with the blessed Mary the vessell of his Incarnation with the bewtifull creatures and wholy vndefiled of all the ordres of Angels There can nothing doubtlesse
altare dei fieret eorum memoria in communione corporis Christi for the soules of the faithfull deceased be not seuered from the Church which is already the kingdome of Christ els there shoulde be no memory kepte for them at the altare in the communion of the body of Christ. By the force of this vnity what so euer is profitably practised in this worlde one for a nother as prayer almes fasting Sacrifice the same thinkes may and ought by the example of the Church to be carefully and with out ceasing procured for the helpe of our frends and Christian brethern departed And Athanasius that great pillar he by a meruelous fit example setteth forth how the soules in an other worlde may haue the benefites of the Church or Christian people deriued downe vnto them and what sensible feele of release they haue when we desire God for them Quemadmodum cum in campo vinea virescit vinum in vase occlusum rebullit ac propemodum feruet ita etiam â—entimus quod peccatorum animae diuinis beneficijs incruentae Hostiae gratiarum actionis pro ipsis habitae gaudeant vt idem solus nouit ordinat deus noster qui in viuos mortuos dominium exercet As when the vine abrode in the fielde doth spring and waxe greene the wine salfely kept in barells at home doth also worke in it selfe and in a maner buyle euen so as we iudge the soules of sinners through the benefit of the vnbloudy host and sacrifice of thankes gyuing done for them may waxe ioyfull and gladde as the same Lord and God onely knoweth how and hath ordeyned who exercyseth his might vpon the liue and the deade See I pray you how he by the action of Gods Church in the holy Masse in which the vnbloudy hoste and oblation is bestowed hath founde some way of carying downe the benefite of Christes passion vpon the membres of his body beneth And though some haue wickedly sought vtterly to breake the band of peace betwixt them and vs as they haue cursedly shaken thunity of the liuing amongest them selues yet their mother Christs spâ—use acknowledgeth her owne children still she seeth by the spirit of God whereby she seeth all trueth the sorow of her dearest so farre out of sight but neuer out of minde she in a maner feeleth a parte of her owne body in paine And can not otherwise do but by all possible meanes and approued wayes assay Gods mercy for their deliuery And this naturall compassion of the Church passeth through euery membre thereof and ought to moue euery man by the lawe of nature to procure as much helpe as he may And so much the more do we owe this naturall duety vnto them because they now can not helpe them selues being out of the state of deseruing and place of well working onely abiding Gods mercy in the sore sufferance of paines vntollerable They them selues as yet your brethern and a portion of your body require to be partakers of your benefites They feele ease of euery prayer your almes quensheth their heate your fasting releaseth their paine your sacrifice wipeth their sinnes and sores so strong is the communion of sainctes that what so euer you do that is acceptable it ishueth aboundantly downe to them 2 When all authoritie out of Gods word fayleth you wherby you should proue that the soules departed receiue benefite by the merits of the liuing you flie to the authoritie of men And fiâ—st Augustine must proue that the godly departed are not separated from the Church because memory of them is made at the aultare We nothing doubt but that the soules of the godly departed remaine still in the body of Christ which is his church but we ground vpon better authoritie then the authoritie of Augustine and vpon better proofe then the reason which he allegeth or else we might not be so certayne of it as we are And to the similitude of Athanasius which you note to be Quaest. ad Ant. 34. I aunswere that in the place by you noted there is no such word nor any of his questions ad Antiochum that I can find where so euer you had it Although that booke of questions is easily to be seene of all men and confessed of Nannus one of your owne side to be none of Athanasius doing we say that first it must be proued that the soules departed receiue benefite by masses and then we shall not striue for the maner how but mans authoritie is to weake to carry away so weighty a matter And therefore I will be as bold with you as Augustine was with the Donatistes de pastoribus cap. 8. Auferantur chartae humanae sonent voces diuinae Ede mihi vnam Scripturam pro parte Donati Let mens papers be remoued let the voices of God sound shew me one Scripture for Donatus side euen so M. Allen I will not sticke to vrge you when you leane wholy to the authoritie of men Away with mens writings let Gods word be heard from you shew me but one Scripture to proue all that you haue sayd in this chapter of the merites of the liuing to profite the deade 3 Onely he that is cutte of from this happy society hath no compassion of them nor feeleth not how they are knitt vnto vs by loue and vnity of one heade and one body You shall heare his vnnaturall and worse then heathen wordes Dum mortuos a nostro contubernio subduxit dominus nullum nobis cum illis reliquit commercium ac ne illis quidem nobiscum VVhen the Lorde hath taken the deade out of our company he hath dispatched vs of all intermedlyng with them or they with vs This man was borne to breake the bande of vnity which he hated both in the liue and dead By whose meanes it is now come to passe that those which of reason might clame our aide are vnnaturally disapointed of all such remedies whereby any comforte might to them arise Such lacke of compassion is driuen into our heades that we feele not the woe of our owne fellowes our kinne our brethern and our owne membres It is a thousand yeare and more sith a holy father not hauing halfe the cause that we nowe haue yet noted the peoples lacke of compassion towardes the departed in these wordes They that lie in torment vntollerable crie out for succour and few there be that make aunswere they woefully call but there is none to comfort them O Brethern what a kinde of cruellty is this O how much inhumanity is this those that in their life time suffered much sorow for our sakes now crie againe for our ayde and we regarde them not Lo how the sicke calles and the phisitions are at hande the hogge groneth and the whole hearde groutleth with all the poore asse falleth and euery man helpes him vp in hast but the faithfull alone calleth in his greuous torments and there is none that aunswereth Lo our
propitiatory which he affirmeth the Popish priests to doe in their Masse But lest I might seeme to doe them wronge in denying vnto them that priesthoode which is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. Let vs here what the holy Ghost sayeth thereof Hebr. 7. And in as much as Christ was not made priest with out the othe where as they meaning the sonnes of Aaron were made priest with out an othe but he with the othe by him that sayed vnto him the Lord hath sworne will not repēt thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech by so much is Iesus made suertie of a better testament And among them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death but he because he abideth for euer had such a priesthoode as passeth not by succession VVherefore he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him seeing he liueth for euer to make intercession for them For such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmlesse and vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher then the heauens which needed not daily as those high priest to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes then for the peoples for that did he once for all when he offered vp him selfe For the lawe maketh men high priestes which haue infirmitie but the worde of the othe that was since the law maketh the sonne who is consecrated for euer more Marke well the plaine wordes of this testimonie and iudge indifferently whether I charge them with greater blasphemy then ensueth this there assertion That there priesthoode is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. 4 And yet neuerthelesse good Catholike Christian let vs thus perswade our selues that we haue so longe lost the vnestimable treasure of this holy sacrifice for our greuous sinnes it is our sinnes I say woe is vs therefore which haue deserued this plage which haue set vs at variaunce with God and our mercyfull redemer which haue taken from vs as vnworthy of so great a treasure the daily sacrifice the helpe of those which are a liue the comforte of those which are departed the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worship of god And our misery is the greater because fewe feele the sore The lacke of this sacrifice for the departed onely with the godly prayers therin was counted when Gods trueth and Church flourished the greatest and extremest punishment that coulde be deuised and euer enioyned for some notable crime to the terrour of other as for horrible desperation for willfull heresie for contempte of the decrees of Gods holy ministers as by the late alleaged place out of S. Cyprian may be very profitably noted Allasse we haue nowe in a manner lost that wholy which then was denied onely to such for their greuous punishments as were heynous offenders Otherwise in earnest consideration of our case can not I thinke but that this blessed iuell is now denied vs of almighty God generally for our greuous offensies which then was denied by his ministers to some one offender for the due punishment of sinne and wickednesse O good reader what would that holy martyr haue saide if he had liued in our dayes when to haue that oblation either for the quicke or deade which once was esteemed so necessary that no Christian man neither coulde in his life nor after his death lacke it is nowe if it selfe odious to most men and which abhorreth me to speake punishable by the lawes of the spiritualty and condemned well neere of all men what weene you this blessed bishoppe woulde haue saide if he had seene the holy hoste and offeringe to haue bene taken awaye which he once affirmed to be so necessary that if it were taken awaye or wasted there were no religion nor worship of God at all woulde not he thinke you with feruent zele of Gods house haue cried out vpon the sinnes of the people the blindnesse of the preachers and pastours the vnworthinesse of these our dolefull dayes and bewailed his owne misery as we shoulde doe ours crying out with an olde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tempora vt ista blasphemia sustineam O Lorde that I should be reserued for these times to abide such blaspemie Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the Vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruell heretikes would not suffer the Christian men whome he had slaine to be brought home with seruice and sacrifice but then the good people wounderfully bewailed their case seeing them practise cruelty vpon their soules also in that they would not suffer them to enioyne at their departure and buriall the rites of Gods Church Thus saith that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrymis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitate hymnorum cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue founde in his heart to beholde then or coulde yet once thinke of it with out teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be brought to the graue and buried with out all solemnity of hymnes in silence and sorowe It was euer giuen to wicked harde harted heretikes to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercyfull and to staie the fauour of good men from the departed Nouatus as S. Cypriā chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctum sepelire woulde not bury his owne father deade of honger bane 4 This collorable and hypocriticall complaint containeth nothing for vs needefull for to aunswere for the place of Cyprian is aunswered already But this maye be demaunded of him seeing he calleth the sacrifice of the Masse the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worshippe of God what religion or worshippe God had before the Masse came into the worlde But this is the howling of the merchantes for the decaye of Babylon because no man byeth their ware any more what so euer they pretend this is the cause of their mourning and this lamentation shal be continued euen vnto hell fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer 5 But to let such men passe with the present bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more comfort beholde the steppes of good men past how kindely and brother like they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the representation of some holy workes of almes hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towardes the release of the departed his paine what maye we not hope to obteine for our brethern deceased when we shall ioyne in prayers with the holy Angells with the blessed sainctes with Gods holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole Church of God
sacrifice for the deade was instituted by Christ at his last Supper which the holy Ghost afterwarde did secretly suggest vnto the Apostles and they as secretly deliuered to the nations For no worde nor halfe worde therof is conteined in their writings which are to vs the only true testimony of their tradition Thus haue these heretikes no grounde of their heresie but shifte from the worde of scripture to secret tradition from tradition to the meaning of scripture from the plaine meaning of scripture to the vnconstant opinions of men from the variable and contrary opinions of men in times past to their owne obstinacy and continuaunce in error in time present yet he woundreth that we are so blinde that we can not see the cleere light of the trueth If Satan transforming him selfe into an angell of light hath so dasled their eyes that they can not see the true light they are iustly plagued because they haue refused the faithfull testimony of Gods worde which only geueth true light vnto the eyes as the Prophet saith and geuen heede to spirites of errors and doctrines of deuils by whom they are blinded in vtter darkenesse though it be with false imagination and dreaminge of light Yet see the confidence of the man he is suer that if we were examined of our conscience what triall of this doubt we woulde wishe there is none we coulde name but his cause might well abide it Why M. Allen we haue testified of our conscience longe agoe that the onely authority of Gods worde written shall satisfie vs as well in this as in all other matters if you were as desirous to satisfie vs as you pretend and as able to performe as you are to promise we should haue hearde before this time some sentence of scripture to maintaine prayer and sacrifice for the deade not standing vppon voluntary collection but either in plaine wordes or necessary conclusion For there is nothing that we are bounde to knowe nothing that we are bounde to doe but either in expresse wordes or in necessary collection which is as good as expresse wordes it is set forth in the holy Scriptures Beside this you shoulde bring a great preiudice against vs if you coulde bringe the consent and practise of the primitiue pure Church for the space of an hundreth yeares after christ But neither of these doe we looke to see we before see with our eyes the certainety of those thinges whereof now we contend in words and writinges The heretikes of our time and country be yet further vrged vvith the practise of prayers for the deceased their contrary communion is compared vvith the olde vsage of Celebration They are ashamed of the first original of their Christian faith they are vveary of their ovvne seruice they are kepte in ordre by the vvisedome of the Ciuile magistrates and are forced flatly to refuse all the doctors CAP. XII 1 THe chiefe argument that the Church of God vsed in olde time against Pelagius the enemy of Gods grace was this that at the holy altar the Priest prayed to God for to conuert heretikes and infidells to the faith and euill 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 mans hearte But being assured of this as a grounde that the prayer of the Priest in the whole Churches name at the altar can not but beare singular strength and trueth it is necessarily concluded that seeing the publike minister so prayeth that we must needes beleue that God hath mans hearte in his hande and may turne it to the belefe of his worde or loue of his will as he liketh and listeth notwithstanding the perfect freedome of mans will which by Gods grace is neuer perished but alwayes perfected And in this assured foundation of the publike prayers S. Augustine who then was the souldier of grace so triumphed against one Vitalis a Pelagian that he ringeth him this peale Exerce contra orationes ecclesiae disputationes tuas quaÌ„do audis sacerdotem dei ad altare exhortantem populum dei orare pro incredulis subsanna pias voces ecclesiae dic te non facere quod hortatur homo in Carthagiensi eruditus ecclesia etiam beatissimi Cypriani librum de oratione dominica condemna Holde on fellow exercise thy contentious talke against the vsuall prayers of Gods Church and wheÌ„ thou hearest the Priest of God at his altar exhort the people to praye for the misbeleuers scoffe at the holy wordes and make him aunswere thou wilt not pray as he biddes thee And being brought vp in the Church of Carthage condemne withall S. Cyprians worke vpon our Lordes prayer wherein he teacheth the same I tary nowe the longer on this point that thou mayest learne to kepe an heretike at the bay and to fasten thy stroke so surely vpon him that which waye so euer he shifte he shall beare thy blowe vpon his necke and shoâ—lders It is not for our cause taken in hand that I now so much trauell for that is longe sith made sure enough for all the deuills in Hell or their followers in earth But I woulde in this one example of praying for the deade geue the studious a tast of all such wayes as the trueth of all other pointes in controuersy may be both surely defended and so plainly proued and vpholden that the aduersary shall not be able to say baffe vnto any one of the least of all the groundes wherevpon Gods trueth standeth Handeling then our good men as S. Augustine did the like say to them boldely that the same Church which exhorteth the people to pray for the misbeleuers doth geue vs example to pray for the soules departed Vitalis and Pelagius were heretikes for withstanding the one they must needes be as very heretikes for refusing the other It was the greatest extremitie that Pelagius coulde be driuen to by force of Augustines argument to mocke at the priests prayer made at Gods altar and that which then was so foule an absurditie for those false teachers can it be borne out of ours with honestie Vitalis the Pelagian had a foule foyle by S. Augustine â—hen he charged him with the contempt of S. Cyprians authoritie Byshop of Carthage being him selfe a â—hield of the same Church And shall they goe away so smouthly nowe a dayes not only with contempe of their owne English patrons and Apostles but with impudent deniall of all the doctors at once that euer were gydes of Gods Church sith Christes faith was taught It was of Augustine counted a singular arrogancy not to praye in that forme as Gods Church and ministers at the altar both praye them selues and exhorte other to pray and shall it be such prayse for our preachers to erect a new seruice to be checke mate with the olde to controele the rites and vsages of solemne supplication in all countries Christianed and with the
example of King Dauid is counted a great and speciall bulwarke of this cause which notwithstanding is answered euen as the rest Dauid the child of God was beaten with the mercifull rodde of Gods fatherly correction and set as an example to Gods children of all ages to shew how God abhorreth murder and adultery And although the payne were bitter for the tyme as all chastisment is yet no doubt but he receaued great profite thereby Heb. 12. And as for the plague for numbring the people it fell vpon them for their own sinnes as the text is playne The saying of Gregory that God leaueth no sinne vnpunished which is pardoned if it be vnderstood that all the sinnes of the faithfull are punished in Christ which became sinne for vs it is most true But if he meane that God punisheth all sinnes that he pardoneth in the partyes them selues it is contrary to the manifest worde of God and infinite examples of the Scripture The Publicane the prodigall childe the debters all clearely remitted doe playnly proue that God freely forgiueth iustifieth rewardeth the penitent sinners without exacting any punishment of them for aunswering of the debt satisfying for the sinnes abusing his fatherly clemency Luke 7. 15. 18. Finally for auouching myne aunswer I would wish no better authority of the auncient fathers then euen that which M. Allen him selfe allegeth out of Augustine contra Faustum lib. 23. cap. 67. that the punishment of Dauid was flagelli paterni disciplina the chastisement of Gods fatherly scourge as he doth most playnly declare the same in his booke de peccatorum meritis ac remissione lib. 2. cap. 33. and for a flatt conclusion contradictory to M. Allens assertion I will vse the very wordes of Chrysostome in the 8. Hom. vppon the Epistle to the Rom. Vbi venia ibi nulla erit poena Where there is forgeuenes there is no punishment The double and doubtfull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion are remoued and it is proued against one sort that these foresayde scourges vvere in deede punishments for sinnes remitted And agaynst thother sect that this transitory payne hath often endured in the next life CAP. II. 1 ANd the weight of this foresayd grounde hath euer pressed the aduersaries of truth so sore that beholding as it were a farre of what inconuenience this might import they euer busily endeuored to stay the beginning of their likely ouerthrow But yet as it was and will be for euer noted in false teachers they seeke diuerse escapes so disagreable that one hindereth an other and neither of them helpes their owne cause One sorte not so impudent but a great deale more foolish then their fellowes agree by force of the places named and euidence of the examples that there is punishment to be suffered and some temporall paine remane at to be discharged in this world after remission of sinne but for the next after this life so fearde they be of purgatory they will haue none at all Thother secte maisters fearing what might follow on that graunt in no case will confesse that there is any payne due for sinne in this world or the next after the fault be once remitted For Caluine capitaine of this latter baÌ„d saw well that if any debt or recompense remaine to be discharged by the offender after his reconcilement it must needes â—ise by proportion weight continuance number and quantity of the faultes committed before VVhereby it must of necessity be induced that because euery man can not haue time either for the hugenesse of his sinnes past or his late repentaunce or his carelesse negligence to repay all in his life that there is all or some part aunswerable in the next world to come And therefore boldly and impudently as in case of this necessity he aduentureth to deny with shame that any of all these painfull miseries be as punishments for the sinnes of the sufferers but certaine fatherly checkes exercises of patience and vertue rather then afflictions enioyned for sinnes VVhich vaine shift hath no bearing by reason or text of Scripture but onely is vpholden by the exercised audacity of the author CAP. II. 1 IF M. Allens titles of his chapters were as sufficient reasons as they be bolde affirmations there were no man able to stand against him But I can well compare them to the arguments of those vayne fables that were wont to be printed in english of Beuis of Hampton Guy of VVarwick such like where the arguments shew how such a Knight ouercame such a Gyant how such a sorcerer wrought such a miracle which are tould as confidently as though they were true and yet there is no man of meane witte so ignoraunt but he knoweth them to be fayned fantasies Euen so with M. Allen to affirme is to proue to deny is to confute briefly in his titles and at large in his chapters But if he would as he pretendeth haue remoued all those reasons that we bring against his false conclusion or any of them all he must haue proued that Christ hath not satisfied the iustice of God perfectly by his death and suffering that God doth not freely forgeue vs our sinnes that he is stil an angry Iudge against them that put their trust in him He must haue proued against Ezechiel that what tyme so euer a man doth truely repent the Lord doth not put all his sinnes out of his remembraunce against Dauid that he hath not remoued our sinnes from vs as farre as the East is from the West Against S. Iohn that if any man sinne after Baptisme Iesus Christ is not our aduocate with the father and propitiation for our sinnes If he could say any thing against these reasons authorities with an hundred more of the same sort he were worthy to be heard But because that is to hard a matter for him to take in hand without all shame or shew of truth most impudently he fayneth a contrariety betwene Melanthon and Caluine but not once noting by one letter where the same is to be found in any of their workes lest their manifest wordes out of the same places being brought against him should reproue his shamelesse lying Melancthon he saith acknowledgeth some temporal payne after remission of sinnes to be discharged in this life but not in the life to come Caluin wil haue none at all O brasen face and yron forhead doth Caluine deny thafflictions of this life or Melancthon affirme that they are suffered for satisfaction of our sinnes Doth Melancthon deny the passion of Christ to be a perfect aunswering of the iustice of God or Caluine affirme thereby to be taken away the mercyfull correction of God Would God that all that professe the religion of Christ agreed in all pointes as truely as they doe in this But admitte that M. Melancthon or any man beside should graunt that the sufferinges of the godly in this life are some parte of satisfying vnto the iustice of
loued and shall be saued in the earnest memoriall of which assured paines and for the auoiding thereof he so afflicted him selfe as is before saide His heart was in heuines his soule in sorow his flesh in feare and in his bones there was no rest before the face of his sinnes Thinke you here a protestāt preacher with a mery mouth in Nathans steade could haue driuen him from this course of penaūce dissuaded him from the feare of Purgatory eased him with only faith set him in securitie perfect freedom from his offenses past No no Musica in luctu importuna narratio Mirthe in mourning is euer out of season Flagella doctrina in omni tempore sapiētia But roddes discipline be alwayes wisedom These delicate teachers had neuer roume but where sinne bare great rule And it is no small licklyhood of Gods exceding wrath towardes vs in these daies that such soft phisitiōs please vs in so dāgerous diseases It was not the doctrine of this time that healed Nabuchodonosor but this was his plaster Peccata tua eleemosy nis redime iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperū Redeme thy sinns by almes thy iniquities by mercy towards the poore It was exceding fasting and many sorowfull sobbes that bare of Gods hande from the Niniuites It was the painefull workes of penaunce that Iohn the Baptist first preached This was Paules rule that if we would punish or iudge our selues then would not God iudge vs In to whose handes it is a heuy case to faule Horrendum est sayth he incidere in manus Dei viuentis For he shall call to accompt and reckoning as S. Bernarde supposeth euen the very actes of the iuste if they be not well and throughly iudged and corrected to his handes The vndoubted knowledge of which strait accompt moued our forefathers to require such earnest afflictions of the people for satisfying for their sinnes 2 Now let vs heare what this bragger bringeth to proue that all godly men haue chastised their bodyes for feare of purgatory First Dauid in the 51. Psalme prayeth God to wash him throughly from his iniquitie c. ergo he was afrayd of purgatory I might iustly refuse to aunswere this argument lest I should deferre any thing vnto it But let Ambrose aunswere by M. Allen him selfe alleged He so protested his harty repentaunce that he left a testimony thereof to all the world to come But because S. Ambrose is alleged rather for the glorie of his name then for the helpe of his authoritie in this place S. Augustine is annexed to supplie that wanted in S. Ambrose But that you maie see what patching this proctor of Purgatory vseth of the doctors sentences he allegeth not Augustine vpon the very wordes of the 51. Psalme which make nothing for his purpose but vpon an other Psalme where the argument is nothing like If Augustine coulde haue founde Purgatory out of Amplius laua me he would haue vttered it there where he expoundeth those wordes whereby it appereth plainely that M. Allens argument standeth vpon his owne inuention and not vpon Augustines authoritie But yet Augustine speaketh of the amending fier in the place by him alledged He doth so in deede but I haue shewed before and more will shew hereafter that as Augustine had no ground of that fier but in the cōmon error of his time so sometimes he affirmeth that it is a matter that may be doubted of sometimes that there is no third place at all And that he hath no grounde of Scripture in that place of the 38. Psalme is euident because Dauid prayeth that God will not punish him in his fury nor in his wrath for when so euer he punisheth in his fury and plagueth in his wrath they must needes perish eternally he prayeth therefore that that sicknes or other affliction which God hath layd vpon him might be a mercifull chastisement of a father and not a iust punishment of a iudge But whereas the vnpure mouth of this Allen is once agayne opened in rayling against the godly preachers of our Church as flatterers of men in daungerous diseases I would he might heare the children of thunder inueying with mighty power of Gods spirite against sinne and wickednes and calling men to true vnfayned repentaunce peraduenture he might be moued to cease his sclaundering for shame of the worlde if he did not forethinke him of his wickednes for feare of god But Nabuchodonizer had a sore corrosiue playster applyed to him that healed him and that was almes mercy toward the poore He might haue alleged many examples and none lesse fitte to shew what paynfull penaunce as he termeth it was enioyned by godly prophets For it was the easiest that could be enioyned to so rich a prince for so great offences to be liberall to the poore Although Dauid in that place cited by him speaketh of no redemption of sinnes as that corrupt false translation which he followeth doth seeme to talke of But Daniel willed Nabuchodoniser to breake of thaccostomed course of his cruelty and tyranny by almes and liberality The Niniuites in deede by fasting and lamenting but most of all by turning from their wicked wayes shewed their harty repentaunce and Iohn Baptist requireth the fruites of repentaunce and what godly preacher doth not so but where did Nathan Daniel Ionas Iohn Baptist speake one word of purgatory or of satisfying the iustice of God for their sinnes by such meanes 3 And here gentle reader geue me leaue though I be the longer to geue thee a litle tast of the old doctors dealinges in the sinners case that thou maist compare our late handeling of these matters with their doinges and so learne to loth these light marchauntes that in so greuous plages deale so tenderly with our sores And yet I intend not so to roue but that the very course of our talke wel noted shal be the necessary inducing of that trueth which we now defende concerning Purgatory Especially if it be considered that in all prescription of penaunce by the antiquity the paine of satisfying was euer limited by the variety of the offense And then that the very cause of all paine enioyned was for the auoyding of Gods iudgemēt in the life to come First auncient Origen writeth thus Beholde our mercifull Lorde ioyning alwaies clemencie with seueritie and weying the iust meane of our punishment in mercifull and rightuous balance He geueth not the offenders ouer for euer therefore consider how long thou hast strayed and continued in sinne so long abase and humble thy selfe before God and so satisfie him in Confession of penaunce For if thou amende the matter and take punishment of thy selfe then God is pitifull will remoue his reuengement from him that by penaunce preuented his iudgement Thus we see this father so to measure the paine and punishment of sinners that he maketh his principall respect the auoyding of the sharpe sentence to come S. Cyprian
full of posing M. Protestant as though you were Iohannes ad oppositum I wil pose you M. Allen an other while or any M. Papiste of you all that hath a forheade to mainteine this trumperie for Clemenâ— the auncient Bishoppes writing Alas Syr what if this be proued counterfect that you saye is so olde and you with out peraduenture lye that of late haue founde it so auncient what grounde haue your schollers then Tertullian hath discharged you of authority of the scripture already how will you proue it then to be a tradition of the Apostles your aunswere wil be still Clenens sayth it But alacke Sir whether is it more licke that Eusebius and Hieronym that lyued neerer to the time of S. Clement by twelue hundreth yeares then you shoulde know or here tell of his epistles and other writings better then you But Eusebius and Hieronym neuer hearde of such writinges as were neuer seen in the Church 13. or 14. hundreth yeares after Clemens his death Where shoulde you haue them then but of some counterfecting knawe that coulde not otherwise maintaine his heresie to be old but by falsyfying and counterfecting a newe that which neuer was in the olde writers heades But to shew that your shamelesse Clement daunceth bare and breechelesse with out all honesty I will yet pose you further and bidde you call your wittes together to aunswere me Whether had you rather graunt that so holy a Pope as Clemens was did erre or â—hat he was a false knaw that woulde father an error vppon so holy a mans name and credit your Syr Clemens decreeth that the fortyeth day must be obserued for the departed according to the olde forme because the people did so obserue the bewayling of Moses But if the scripture affirme that the people bewayled Moses but 30. dayes Deut. 34. Then is your Clement a falsyfier of Gods worde and his foolish decree builded vppon his false grounde How saye you now M. Allen is this Apostolike or apostotaticall is this plaine dealing or Popish counterfecting was Clemens in the Apostles age so ignorant of the scripture or was he an ignorant hypocrite that fayned this vnder the name of Clemens Trueth seaketh not to be mainteined which lyes fayth looketh not to be defended by falsehoode The Church of Christ craueth no counterfected authoritie to establish her doctrine Therefore it is neither trueth nor fayth nor the doctrine of the Church of Christ that you mainteine defend and establish by lying falsyfying and counterfecting but error infidelity and heresie he therefore that will forsake the certainetie of Gods worde to builde vpon the traditions of men for leuing the only pathe of trueth hath a iust rewarde to fall into the pitte of error 5 VVell I will close vp this parte of our talke for Tobies almes borde in the obittes of Christian men with S. Augustines graue iudgement who as he is plaine for the benefite of oblations in the memorialls of mens departures in all placies so here in a maner he ordereth the action thereof for abusies that might thereon arise in his epistle to Aurelius The offeringes sayth he obserued for the soules departed whereof there is no question but profet ariseth to them let them not be ouer sumptuous vpon the mindes of the deceased nor soulde away but geuen with out grudge or disdaine to such as be present and woulde be partaker thereof but if mony be offered it may be distributed out of hande to the poore and then shall not those dayes of their freindes memorialles be to their great griefe forsaken or destitute of companie And the ordre with honeste comelinesse shall be kept continually in the Church So S. Clement him selfe teacheth all them that be called to such dayes of prayers for the departed and to be partakers of those oblations or charitable relieues which were by some honest sober refreshing euen in the Church in those dayes obserued whether they be of the laity or of the priestes he geueth them this lesson Qui ad memorias eorum vocamini cum modestia cum dei timore comedite veluti valentes legatione fungi pro mortuis cum sitis presbyteri diaconi Christi sobrij esse debetis priuatim cum alijs vt possitis intemperantes coercere All you that are called to the funeralles of the departed refresh your selues in measure and feare of God that you may be worthy to be as it were in commission of intreatie for the deade and being priestes or deacons of Christ you are bounde to be sobre euen at home but abrode for others example and discipline 5 You had bene as good to haue left out the comparing of Augustines oblations with Tobies almes borde for that custome which most resembled your fantasie of Tobies almes borde Augustine condemneth where he alloweth oblations for them that sleepe to profit some what Sed quoniaÌ„ istae in caemiterijs ebrietates luxuriosa conuiuia non solùm honores martyrum in carnali imperita plebe credi solent sed etiam solatia mortuorum mihi videtur facilius illic dissuadeâ—i posse istam foeditatem ac turpitudinem si de scripturis prohibeatur oblationes pro spiritibus dormientium quas verè aliquid adiuuare credendum est super ipsas memorias non sunt sumptuosae c. But because this dronkennesses and riotous festes vsed in the Church yeardes of the carnall and vnskillfull people are wonte to be beleued not onely to be the honour of the martyrs but also the comforte of the deade my thinke it were more easy that this filthynesse and beastlynesse may be there diswaded if both it be forbidden out of the scriptures and that the oblations for the spirites of the deade which truely we must beleue doth helpe somewhat vpon the memories them selues be not sumptuous c. But if Augustine had knowen the horrible abuses which grew afterwarde by permission of these oblations he woulde as well haue prohibited them out of the scripture as that hethenish banquettinge in the Church yeardes in honor of the martyrs as for comforte of deade mens soules As for Clement that teacheth the preistes and deacones to be sober and moderate in eating where they were bidden to buriall feastes euen here also he sheweth him selfe in his owne colours As though in the dayes of Clemens when the Church was in great persecution they had nothing els to doe but to keepe sumptuous feastes at their burialls where at the priestes and deacons were in daunger of glouttony dronkennesse as they were in the Popish church when Popery was in the pride seldome temperate or sober and lest of all at burialls and monthes mindes c. That the benefite of prayer and almes appertaineth not to such as dye in mortall sinne though in the doubtefull case of mans beeing the Church vseth to praye for all departed in Christes fayth CAP. VII 1 THus farre we now are broght I trust with proofe and euidence enough with
successions did euer chuse out for the warrant of their faith from amongest the reste the Roman Seate And now when there is no apostolike Church left in the whole worlde but it that they will seeke to Churchies whereof there is neither certainty nor succession when by plaine open dealing we may reduce and must needes referre our faith to that which was euer of all other most farre from falshoodde 3 Euery man in the primitiue Church compted the springe of his faith more pure if he coulde deriue it out of the holy Scriptures and shew the continuance thereof in any of the Apostolicke Churches whereof Rome was but one And condemned all heresies of nouelty or later string which coulde not bring the first author of their heresies eyther from any of the Apostles or apostolicke men which cōtinued in the doctrine of the Apostles as Tertullian doth in that booke De praescriptionibus aduersus haereses The like doth Irenaeus And that these men specially named the Church of Rome it was because the Church of Rome at that time as it was founded by the Apostles so it continued in the doctrine of the Apostles And these heretikes for the most parte had bene sometimes of the Church of Rome as Valentinus Marcion Nouatus But none of these fathers as M. Allen woulde haue it appeare was such a sclaue to the Church of Rome that what so euer pleased the Byshoppes of that Sea they were ready to accept For then woulde not Irenaeus so sharpely haue reproued Victor as Eusebius declareth of him Lib. 5. cap. 25. Cyprian woulde not haue taken vp Cornelius and Stephanus as appeareth by his epistles Hieronym woulde not haue bene so bolde to call Rome the purple whore of Babylon Praefat. ad Paulinū in lib. Didym Nor to compare the bishoppe of Eugubium with the bishop of Rome Euagrio nor to make the Church of England equall with the Church of Rome Nec iam altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis existimanda est Et Gallia Britania Africa Bersis Oriens Indiae omnes barbarae nationes vnum Christum adorant vnam obseruant regulam veritatis Si authoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe Neither must we thinke that there is one Church of the citye of Rome an other of all the worlde beside Both France and Britayne and Africa and Persia and the Easte and India and all barbarous nations worship one Christ keepe one rule of trueth If authoritie be sought the world is greater then one citye c. Loe Syr here is a Church and christianity and a rule of trueth with out the byshoppe of Rome with out the Church of Rome yea and contrary to the church of Rome For to them that alleged the custome of the church of Rome he sayth Quid mihi profers vnius vrbis cōsuetudinem what bring you me the custome of one citye and Augustine him selfe that knwe so well to fetch an heretike ouer the coles I trowe fetched Zosimus Bonifacius and Coelestinus byshoppes of Rome meetly well ouer the coles when he and his fellowes the byshoppes of Africa tooke them with plaine forgerie and falsification of the canons of the councell of Nice Consilio Milebitano Africano As for that which M. Allen compteth so strange is for lacke of skill and right iudgement For the same cause that moued those auncient fathers to appeale to the iudgment of the church of Rome moueth vs now to condemne the church of Rome of heresie wherefore did they reuerence the church of Rome Aske Tertullian he aunswereth because it had by succession reteined euen vntill his dayes that faith which it did first receiue of the Apostles Therefore it was a true Church therefore it was an apostolicke Church which because it doth not nowe neither hath done of many yeares and hath nothing to boast of but the empty names of many good bishops but thrise as many more of cursed Antichristes therefore it is nowe a false church and a company of heretikes departed from the auncient Romaines true and apostolicke faith 4 Bring my faith once to S. Gregory and the very streame shall driue me to S. Peter and Paule maugre all their beardes In which ordre of Byshops finde me one that set forth by decree any practise of contrary doctrine to that which his next predecessor did before him mainteine I will go seeke with the stray a newe mother Church to founde my faith vpon If all be in this succession salfe and sounde what a folly were it to forsake our owne mother and spring of our belefe to seeke other which haue often erred when they stoode and nowe be almost wholy decaide But yet it is wisedome for false teachers with all force to flie from so greate light as maye arise to the trueth by the recognising of that sounde succession and going the iuste contrary way from the olde doctors faith it is not to be thought straunge that they directly seeke to ouerthrowe that bulwarcke which they euer leaned vnto in the stormes of schisme and heresie The shrewes do knowe full well the might of trueth in that Seate and succession to haue beaten downe all their forefathers the heretikes of all agies They feare their fall whose steppes they follow They vtter much malice torment them selfe in euery sermon in vaine that Church feeleth no sore but in sorow of compassion towardes her forsakers she hath bidden greater stormes then this first by tyraunts then by heretikes last and most by the euill life of her owne Bishoppes In all which she yet standeth and euer riseth to honour as she is most impugned Their owne preaching hath singularly opened the might of God in the defense of that Seate of vnity VVhen they first beganne to touche and taunt the Pope in euery sermon in euery playe in booke and balate men that before liuing in faithfull simplicitie much medled not with his matters nor often hearde of his name beganne straight upon their busy ralinge to conceiue by reasonable discretion that there lay some greate grounde of matter and weight of trueth vpon that point which they coulde not digest in so many yeares bauling and barking at his name they saw the Pope euer in their way neuer out of their mouth and they doubted not but that singular hatred grew vpon some great importance and so admonished luckely by the aduersaries they sought the bottom of that perfecte and deepe hatered and found that it was the olde sore of the Arians and disease of the Donatistes and common to all heretikes they perceiued by S. Cyprian that the first attempte of such men was to driue awaye the pastor that they might with out resistance deuour and destroie the flocke And which was the pricke of all their endeuours to take from vs the acknowledging of the great and singular benefite of our conuersion to the faith that in stopping the heade of that condeth and plentifull well of our faith
of Christes institution the Apostles tradition the vniuersall practise of the primitiue Church And what so euer great wordes beside you haue streyned your lunges to pronounce you haue sayd nothing for oblation or prayer for the deade to be the institution of Christ and all this geere but I may say the same for the drinking of milke and hony after baptisme for not fasting on Sonday ▪ or prayer on knees c by like vniuersalitie antiquitie consent authoritie 8 If the authors be past hope yet their followers shall take goodly occasion to forsake such wicked maisters and be ashamed of all their vndecent dealyng if they note and consider with me that the first preachers of this peruerse opinion were such that none of all their scholars durst euer for shame for the proofe of their assertion name their owne doctors And truely a man might well maruel why heretikes hauing some that did plainely professe their opinions had yet rather picke out some darke sentence of any one of our holy fathers whome they knowe to be directly against them then out of those same doctors of their owne which in expresse wordes make for them You shall not lightly heare an heretike that denieth praying to sainctes or holdeth with open breache of holy vowes alleage Iouinianus or Vigilantius Nor a Sacramentarie seeke for the authoritye of Berengarius or Wicleffe though they be of some antiquitie and without colour plainely doe mainteine the doctrine that so well lyketh them But they will trauell to writh with plaine iniurie to the author some sentence out of Augustine or Ambrose or some other that by their whole life and practise open them selues to the worlde to beleue the contrary and all this by some shewe of wordes for the bearing of their false assertions Marke it well I saye in heretikes that they can not for shame of them selues euer name any of the plaine auouchers of their owne opinions The cause is that the only vpholding of their opinions made them infamous to the whole posterity And if any honour grewe vnto them amongest the simple because they lacked not the wayes to procure the peoples consent with admiration of their eloquence or other plausible and populare qualities in their dayes yet trueth following time their same raised vpon so light causes easely decayd and the grounde of perpetuall infamie sattled in wise mens heartes by the wickednesse of their attemptes remained for a testimony to all posteritie of their shame and ignominie And this I speake not onely of the authors of our common sectes for they neuer atteined to any shade of famous report in their dayes because they coulde deceiue none but simple wemen but I meane by Arius him selfe and Pelagius with the like who in their owne time being of great esteeme amongest many whome they deceiued yet after their death more more they grew to shame and infamie so farre that who so euer were of their opinions afterward durste not yet for shame vse their name or authority for proofe of their owne doctrine See you not in our dayes howe freshe the name of Luther Caluin Bucer with that rable was amongest the rude people whome they had wonne either with speach or pleasure of licentious doctrine and loe nowe it decayeth in a maner or their bones be coulde The peoples sensies raueshed with the present pleasure of such as they hearde last like them so longe as they heare them afterwarde their memory remaineth onely to malediction Vidi impium superexaltatum eleuatum sicut Cedros Libani transiui ecce non est quaesiui non est inuentus locus eius I haue seene the wicked exalted and set vp as the Cedre trees of Libanus I passed by and loe out of hande he is no body I sought him and his abiding can not be founde VVho so euer shall seeke for our glorious preachers with in this C. yeare he shall finde them in such estimation then as their forefathers be nowe that is to say to be vnworthy the naming of their owne adherents if any of that secte liue and last so longe For let them neuer looke to come to the infamous fame of Arrius the best of all these secte maisters not worthy to be scholar to a hundreth of his followers Thus loe is the case of heretikes liked of fooles when they be alieue contemned of all men when they are deade 8 M. Allen marueileth and giueth a speciall note that we name not Iouinian Vigilantius Berengarius or VVickleffe to be the authors of our doctrine but rather hang vppon some sentence of Augustine or Ambrose and thinketh we are ashamed of the other In deede if we depended vpon any mens authoritie or that any man or men were the authors of our faith as it fareth with the popish faith we should be iniurious vnto them if we did not acknowledge our foūders as they doe some of theirs But seeing God him selfe is the father of that doctrine which we haue receiued by his holy word we neither boast vpon Augustine nor Ambrose when they dissent therefro neither are ashamed of Vigilantius nor Beringarius when they agree therewith We refuse not the truth that Tertullian Origin haue taught because they taught heresies also neither do we receiue the errors of Cypriā Augustin because they taught many points of true faith Onely the canonicall Scriptures are the rule by which we iudge of all men and their writings of all doctrine and the teachers therof It is a ridiculous thing that M. Allen like a cold Prophet taketh vpon him to tell what shall be thought of our preachers names within these hundred yeares But what so euer he prateth the memory of the righteous shall remayne for euer neither shall they be afrayde of any euill reporte their names are written in the booke of life which are ordeyned vnto eternall glory howso euer they be accounted of by the wicked of this worlde And yet there is no cause why we should not thinke that the names and writings of Luther Caluine and Bucer shal remayne in good account with Gods Church euen vntil they them selues shall come with Christ to iudge the worlde when in the meane time Eccius Pighius Cocleus and such other shall not be remembred but as obstinate withstanders of the truth and enemies of the Gospell 9 Now in the doctors of Gods Church it is cleane contrarie and no lesse worthy to be noted for our purpose for their honour and estimation rising vpon the sure vnfallible grounde of Gods trueth by yeares and time gathereth such force that not onely their memorie is in perpetuall benediction before God but their workes follow them in the mindes of their posteritie to their owne eternall praise and benefite of all their followers And which is much more to be woundered at they haue so passed enuy and malice of man that euen those which deadly hate them dare not but praise them And such as mislike their doctrine
then trauailed through it in deede when you walked through the city of God which Augustine describeth I maruaile you could not see the westerne Babylon Rome to be the city or cōmon wealth of the deuill lib. 16. cap. 17. lib. 18. cap. 21. cap. 22. cap. 27. The mother of all abominations of the earth which either inuented or tempered of others inuention that golden cuppe full of abominations vncleanes of her whordoms with which she made drunken all the Kinges of the earth And therefore that we can not reade out of the word of God we shall heare of Purgatory among the Paganes Carpocratianes Heracleonites and Montanistes of whose heresies and pestilent practises the whore of Babylon hath patcht vp her purgatory and sacrifices for the deade as by and by I shall declare In deede the enuious man the deuil hath sowed these wicked sect masters And that doctrine which is first agreeable to Tertullians rule is vndoubtedly true and that which is later is false But howe shall the first doctrine be knowen but by the word of God wherein all the doctrine of God is taught But by the holy Scriptures which are able to make the man of God perfect and prepared to all good workes And seeing praying and offering for the deade as Tertullian him selfe confesseth is not taught by the Scriptures it is no good worke whereto the man of God should be prepared And for as much as you haue giuē me example of a syllogisme in Baroco in the last chapter I wil frame you the like nowe All good workes are taught by the Scriptures oblatiōs for the deade are not taught by the Scriptures therefore oblations for the deade are no good workes The maior is S. Paule 2. Timot. 3. The minor is Tertullians de corona militis Deny the conclusion if you dare 2 And yet besides that generall and most certaine instruction learned Damascen helpeth vs to the trial of this peculiar case Doubting not to affirme that all such cogitations as doe entre into mans head against the prayers or charitable workes for the departed be the deuills enuious and subtill suggestions for the hinderaunce of our brethern departed from the heauenly ioyes For thus he writeth in a sermon for the same purpose That olde serpent sayeth he whose endeuoure is to corrupt and deface the good and acceptable workes of God to lay snares for the entrapping of mens soules who is much perced through brotherly loue and brasteth in sunder for the enuy that he beareth towardes our faith and finally is madded by our naturall compassion one towardes an other as one that is the vtter renouncer of all good lawes he enspireth to some a fayned and false imagination cleane contrary to the holy constitutions that is to saye that all good and acceptable workes before God shoulde no whit proffet the departed soules If this writers iudgement be good as it is sure most sounde then must all our vnnatural and vnkind preachers haue an especiall inspiration of the deuill him selfe so often as they hinder fauour and grace from the deade For as he reduced our origin to the Apostles so he doubteth not to auouche the contrary perswasion to be euidently moued by the olde serpent of especiall enuie towardes mans saluation And nowe if thou list knowe in whome this subtill suggestion tooke first place and roote after the longe vsage of the other according to the Apostles planting we shall make thee for thy especiall comfort partaker thereof also VVe will not vse the aduersaries as they doe vs charging vs with later preaching or doctrine then the Apostles planted yet can neither tell where nor by whome it beganne But we shal by open euidence call the woolfe by his name Let an heretike but set out foot and once open mouth though he doe no harme at all yet the watcheman of Israell hath him by the backe straight The dogges were neuer so dumme in Gods Church 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 their faith but an admonition to all the posteritie to beware of the like And it was euer counted a refutation of an heresie to the full to reduce it to a latter infamous author by the certaine recorde of the Churches historie The which kinde of reason both amongest the learned hath singular strength and is sensible for the people and of the aduersarie vtterly inuincible Irenaeus vseth it against the heresies of his time as a demonstration of much force VVhat saith he before Valentinus there was none of that his false secte and he came in with his seede after the first preaching of our faith a good while I can tell when he beganne howe he increased how longe he continued Both he and that other Cerdon entered first vnder the gouernment of Hyginius grewe vpwarde vnder Pius and continued till Anicetus time and so making the like accompt of other archeheretikes at length thus he concludeth all these rose vp in their apostacie longe after that the Church was ordered in faith and doctrine In this sense spake Irenaeus 2 Damascene your doctor which knew the depth of Satan so well should first haue reproued that perswasion by Scripture and then it had bene easy to haue found out the policie of the deuill But when we learne by Scripture that your doctrine is contrary to the fayth and hope of Christians it is not hard to iudge that the deuill inuented it vnder colour of charitie to ouerthrow faith and vnder shewe of helpe of mē to dishonour god You spend many words in vayne to proue that the first author of an opinion being found the opinion is found to be an heresy It shal be graūted with all fauour but so that no man shall be counted the first author of an opinion that is able to proue his opinion out of the word of god And withall that who so euer is not able to proue by the word of God any opiniō that he holdeth obstinatly though he haue many authors before him yet is he neuerthelesse an heretike 3 But the rule is common and certaine as any can be in the worlde and I woulde stande vpon the grounde thereof against all false doctrine in the worlde and thus it is Any opinion that may be truely fathered vppon any priuate man that was longe after the trueth was first preached by the Apostles if it be vpon a point of our faith and contentiously mainteined it is an heresie And thus againe who so euer was withstande in his first arising and preaching by such as were in the vnitie of the Church he was a false teacher and his abettours be heretikes And the force of this conclusion is so greate that the heretikes them selues if they can get any likely shew of raysing of any doctrine or practise of Gods Church in these latter