any premises that in the written word there is no mention made of the Pope of his Supremacy of his Pardons c. Wisedome what premises should I vse to proue the negatiue in this case It concerneth you to proue that there is mention made of them and to designe vs the places where for me it is enough to say that there is none See now what proofe he bringeth that there is Belike saith he there is no mention made of St. Peter nor ought said of his singular prerogatiues it hath not peraduenture that whatsoeuer he should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen Wisedome what is this for answere to me I say there is no mention made of the Pope and doe you tell me of St. Peter And if it were said to St. Peter d Mat. 16. 19. Whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen was it not also said to all the Apostles e Mat. 18. 18. Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen What prerogatiue is here to St. Peter more then to all the rest of the Apostles or if there were any prerogatiue to St. Peter what is that to the Pope He would be glad to heare where the written word teacheth vs that Kings and temporall Magistrates are ordained by Christ to be vnder him supreme Gouernours of Ecclesiasticall affaires But he saith vntruly he would not be glad to heare it but how glad would he be if he could out of the written word say so much for the Pope as we can for the King We finde the Apostle St. Paul saying f Rom. 13. 1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers and St. Peter expounding what is meant by those higher powers g 1. Pet. 2. 13. whether vnto the King as to the supereminent or chiefe or vnto Gouernours as sent by him thereby giuing absolutely to the King a superiority ouer euery soule and requiring euery soule h Chrysost ad Rom. hom 23. Etiam si Apostolus sis si Euangelista si Propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris euen the Prophet the Apostle the Euangelist as Chrysostome obserueth to be subiect to the King But he will say it is not here said in Ecclesiasticall affaires I answere him Neither is it said here only in temporall affaires The supremacy then being simply giuen will M. Bishop dare to set downe a limitation where God himselfe hath set none The office of a King is declared by those Apostles to be i Rom. 13. 3. 1. Pet. 2. 14. for the punishment of them that doe euill and for the praise of them that doe well and if well doing and euill doing doe extend as well to Ecclesiasticall as Temporall affaires what warrant hath M. Bishop to restraine the Kings power from gouerning in them both Are temporall Magistrates saith he any Ecclesiasticall persons at all Let the Emperour Constantine giue him answere hereof who told his Bishops thus k Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. c. 24. Vos inquit intra Ecclesiam ego extra Ecclesiam Episcopus à Deo constitutus sum You are Bishops within the Church but without the Church God hath appointed me to be a Bishop signifying thereby that the acting and administring of diuine offices Sacraments did belong to them but that otherwise the gouernement of the Church and the power of commanding all for the preseruation of religion and well ordering of Church affaires did belong to him Though temporall Magistrates then be no Ecclesiasticall persons in the former sense yet a King as a Christian is a member of the Church and as a King by Constantines iudgement is appointed of God to bee externally the Ruler and Gouernour thereof Wherefore to call the state of Kings as M. Bishop doth a secular state as hauing to meddle only with secular and temporall things is a secular and prophane interpretation of the office of Kings and a meere begging of the point in question And of that presumption he inferreth another when he saith Is it meete and decent that the lesse worthy member should haue the supreme command ouer the more honourable I will not here stand vpon his absurd crossing of himselfe who hauing euen now made the state Ecclesiasticall and Secular two distinct bodies doth make them here members both of one body To let that passe who will grant him that the King is the lesse worthy and the Priest the more honourable He will say that matters of the soule which are of highest nature are administred by Priests Be it so and matters of the soule which are of the highest nature are commanded by Kings and the commanding power as we suppose is alwaies more honourable then the administring office The very Heathens thought that the deuotions to their Gods which were acted by their Priests were of greatest respect and yet they were not so fond as to conclude hereof that the person of the Priest was more honourable then the King In the policy ordered by God himselfe we finde l 2. Kings 23. 4. the Priests commanded by the King but we doe not finde the King commanded by the Priest We finde the Prophet stiling himselfe m 1. Kings 1. 24. 26. 27. the Kings seruant and the King his Lord but we doe not finde the King giuing that honour to the Prophet We know that in the naturall body the heart ministreth life vnto the head and yet the supremacy of honour resteth in the head euen for the gouernement and direction of things belonging to that life which is administred by the heart Euen so albeit the ministring of those things which concerne the saluation and life both of Prince and people belong to the Priest yet that hindereth not but that the highest honour and dignity resteth in the Prince so farre as to command for the due vsage and execution of those things which concerne the saluation both of himselfe and of his people This is saith M. Bishop to preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen Full wisely spoken as if a Christian King were nothing but body and nature and earth but a Priest no other but spirit and grace and heauen Yet we doubt not but that many Kings are more spirituall and gracefull and heauenly then many Priests and many Priests euen Popes themselues more sauouring of the body and nature and earth then many Kings and how doe we then by giuing the soueraignty to Kings preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen Forsooth the matters of the soule and of grace and of heauen he will say are managed by Priests Be it so make comparison then of the things but make no comparison thereby of the persons Say he that preferreth the things that belong to the Kings affaires before those things that are ministred by the Priest preferreth the body before the soule c. but we say we may in outward state of gouernement giue the supreme honour
plainly set downe in Scripture are found all those things which containe faith and conuersation of life Yea he saith further that a Idem de vtilit cred cap. 6. Planè ita modificata vt nemo inde baurire non possit quod sibi satis est si modò ad bauriendum deuotè ac piè vt vera religio poscit accedat the doctrine of the Scripture is so tempered as that there is no man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him if he come to draw with deuotion and piety as true religion requireth him to doe Hereto adde how he vseth the wordes of the Apostle where to he alludeth in the sentence by me cited in his disputing against the Donatists b Idem de vnit Eccl. c. 11. 12. Quisquis aliud Euangelizauerit anathemâ— sit Aliud autem euangelizat qui perijsse dicit de câ—tâ—ro mudo Ecclesiam in parte Donati in sola Asrica reâ—nansisse dicit Ergo anathema sit Aut legat miâ—i hoc in scripturis sanctis noÌ„ sit anathema Whosoeuer preacheth any other thing accursed be he but he preacheth another thing who saith that the Church is perished out of the whole world and is remaining only in the Donatists therefore accursed be he or else let him reade it to me in the holy Scriptures that he may not be accursed Now then if by St. Austins iudgement there be found in Scripture all things belonging to faith and manners and there be no godly man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him if he be to be holden accursed that preacheth that which he cannot reade to vs out of the holy Scriptures then it appeareth that M. Bishop dealeth falsly in expounding the wordes of Austin and that they serue very fully to that purpose and meaning whereto I alleaged them and whereto without any ambiguity at all they most plainly sound But because we haue here in hand to informe the Roman Catholike I will conclude this place with the censure of a Roman Bishop Gregory the first who calleth c Gregor in 1. Reg. l. 2. c. 3. Quid cor animam Dei â—â—si sacram eius scripturam accipinâ— the holy Scripture the heart and soule of God and telleth vs that d Idem Moral l. 16. c. 16. Per cam Deus loquitur omne quod vult by it God speaketh all his will or all that he requireth and that so as that e Ibid. l. 18. c. 14. Eos ad sacrae authoritatis paginas vocat vt si vere loqui desiderent inde sumere debeant quid loquantur Qui ad verae praedicationis verba se praeparat necesse â—st vt causarum origines à sacris paginis sumat vt omne quod loquitur ad diuinae authoritatis sundamentum reuocet atque in câ— aedificium locutionis suae â—irmet he that desireth to speake or preach iruly must take from thence that which he speaketh and set â—h the grounds of his matters out of the sacred bookes that he may bring all that he speaketh to the foundation of diuine authority and thereupon settle the building of his speech He saith againe that f IdeÌ„ in Cant. c. 5. Sancti viri se consilijs Scripturae ex toto addicunt vt videâ—icet nihil agant nisi quod ex responsâ— Scripturarum audiunt c. Quia de quibuscunque scrupuliâ— in Scripturis consilium quaeritur fine minâ—ratione de omnibus ad plenum inuenitur holy men doe wholly addict themselues to the counsels or directions of the Scripture namely so as to doe nothing but what they heare by answere of the Scriptures because of whatsoeuer doubts aduise is sought for in the Scriptures namely concerning matters of faith and godlinesse it is there fully found of all things without exception and g Idem in Ezech. hom 15. Vniuersa nostra munitio in saâ—ro â—lâ—quâ—o cominetur all our munition or armour to wit against our ghostly enemies yea h Ibid. hom 9. In hâ—â— volumine cuncta quâ—â—dificant omniâ— qu◠〈…〉 diunt scripta contiâ—entur all things that doe â—difie all things that doe instruct are contained therein In all which speeches if Gregory say truth then it must stand good which I haue set downe that all our faith and religion is contained in the Scriptures and neither may the preacher speake nor the hearer receiue any thing that hath not confirmation and proofe out of the booke of God W. BISHOP §. 7. MAster Abbot hauing in few lines runne ouer foure large questions to wit first That the Prophets and Patriarks beleeued no principall points of the Roman faith secondly that Christ deliuered nothing but what the Iewes before hand beleeued thirdly that the Apostles preached the same and no other to the Gentiles fourthly that whatsoeuer they preached they afterwards wrote he fiftly addâ—th that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word Whence he will haue it to follow finally that the Protestants are very good Iewes and doe iumpe iust with them in all articles of faith and consequently are true Catholikes so that in M. Abbots reckoning before you can be a true Protestant Catholike you must first become a good honest Iew. Behold what a round this man is driuen to walke and how many brakes of thâ—rnes he is forced to breake through ere he can come to make any shew of proofe that the Protestants are Catholikes the matter is so improbable I haue already declared how false euery one of his former foure propositions be the fift is as vntrue and more if more may be then any of the other and he plaies the sophister in it egregiously to beggâ— that which is principally in question How proues he that Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word hath he so little wit and iudgement as to thinke that we would freely grant him that for to omit that they receiue not but reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament because they were not in the Canon of the Iewes or doubted of by some in the primitiue Church by which reason they might refuse as many of the new doe they rightly vnderstand and beleeue truly all that is written in that blessed booke of Gods word nothing lesse Doe they giue credit to our Sauiour â—esus Christ himselfe telling them This is my Mat. 26. 27. 28. Body that shall be broken for you this is my Bloud that shall be shedde for you Whose sinnes ye shall Ioh. 20. v. 23. forgiue on earth shall be forgiuen in heauen Thou Math. 16. v. 18. art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church c. and the gaâ—es of hell shall not preuaile against it Call the worke-men that had laboured in Math. â—0 v. 8. his vine-yard and pay them their hire Doe you see Iacob 2. v. 24. that by workes a man is iustified and not by faith only Is any man sicke among you let
heauen The other points were touched before and shall be shortly againe But I would in the meane season be glad to heare where the written word teacheth vs that Kings and temporall Magistrates are ordained by Christ to be vnder him supreme Gouernours of Ecclesiasticall affaires because M. Abbot made choise of this head-article of theirs for an instance that the written word was plaine on their side he should therefore at least haue pointed at some one text or other in the new Testament where it is registred that Princes are supreme Gouernours of the Church Nay are temporall Magistrates any Ecclesiasticall persons at all or can one that is no member of the Ecclesiasticall body be head of all the rest of the Ecclesiasticall members or is the state Secular higher and more worthy then the Ecclesiasticall and therefore meete to rule ouer it though they be not of it to say so is to preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen or is it meete and decent that the lesse worthy-member should haue the supreme command ouer the more honourable where the Christian world is turned topsie-turuy that may be thought meete and expedient but in other places that will not be admitted for currant which in it selfe is so disorderly and inconuenient without it had better warrant in the word of God then that new position of theirs hath R. ABBOT THe truth of mine assertions hath hitherto appeared by my defence of them but let them no further be taken for true then he is here found to be false that is the oppugner of them He saith that my conclusion conuinceth me euen by the verdict of my selfe to fall into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists To proue this he maketh me to speake in my answere in this sort Our faith because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to be an Apostolicall Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. Hauing set downe all these as my words he inferreth thus see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike by perfection of their doctrine which was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatisticall tricks reproued by St. Austin c. But I pray thee gentle Reader to looke where thou canst finde those wordes by me set downe And is the only true Catholike Church Aske M. Bishop if thou meete with him where he found them and if he cannot tell thee aske him in sadnesse what spirit he thinketh it was wherewith he was led when he set them downe for my wordes Fie M. Bishop fie for shame doe you talke so against lying and will you in the meane time lye so wittingly and willingly so as that there is no meanes to salue it no colour to excuse it I did not say that ours is the only true Catholike Church I made no shew of prouing it by perfection of doctrine to be the Catholike Church I neuer wrote it I neuer thought it and therefore once againe I wish you to bethinke your selfe of your words whereof I remembred you before a Reproofe pag. 283. The diuels cause it is that needeth to be bolstered out and vnderpropped with lyes Surely it is beyond doating folly it is desperate fury that draweth men on to such courses To let that goe foule and shamefull as it is he telleth vs next that he liketh well of Tertullians obseruation that our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine But he curtolleth Tertullians obseruation by this recitall of his because Tertullian doth not only say what our faith ought to haue but telleth vs that b Tertul. de Praescript Quae licet nullum ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis authoreÌ„ suum proferaÌ„t vt mâ—â—tò posteriores quae denique quotidiè instituiâ—tur tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non mâ—â—us Apostolicae depâ—tantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae those Churches which cannot bring any of the Apostles or Apostolike men for their authour as being much later euen the Churches which daylie are begunne yet according in the same faith are for this consanguinity or agreement of doctrine reputed Apostolike Churches no lesse then the rest Hence I concluded that our Church because it agreeth in faith and doctrine with the Apostles is therefore to be reckoned an Apostolike Church But that saith M. Bishop is not the question at this time And what then is the question Marry saith he whether our doctrine or the Protestants be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in all nations ouer the world But did not he see that the one of these directly followeth of the other for the faith of the Apostles is it that was spred ouer the whole world Our faith is the same with the faith of the Apostles because it is that which is recorded in the Scriptures of the Apostles Therefore our faith it is that was spred and beleeued through the world Abrahams faith was it that was spred ouer the whole world for Abraham is c Rom. 4. 12. 16 the father and patterne of all that beleeue both circumcised and vncircumcised Our faith is the same with Abrahams faith Therefore againe it is our faith that was generally receiued throughout the world At this M. Bishop biteth the lip it troubleth him that he knoweth not what to say to it He seeth this proofe to be most certaine and impregnable aboue all other and therefore he seeketh by all meanes to diuert and turne away his Reader from listening to it He telleth him that I doe not deale plainly and soundly that I goe about the bush that I fetch wide and wild windlesses from old father Abrahams daies But I answere him that I haue so gone about the bush as that I haue scratched him with it and my wide and wild windlesses haue so inclosed him as that he cannot finde which way to get out againe Well if my course like him not what would he haue me doe I should he saith haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiasticall histories or ancient Fathers that the Protestants religion had flourished since the Apostles daies ouer all Europe Afrike and Asia I haue done already sufficient to demonstrate that I haue astonished him and choaked him with the euidence of Scriptures Stories Councels Fathers so as that hitherto he hath left all that he hath written to the question of religion without defence I shall make further demonstration thereof in this booke euen in the Roman Church What am I the nearer with him by that that I haue done What shall I be the nearer when I haue all done for he hath resolued himselfe to a wicked course and therefore though the light shine into his eyes yet he will sweare that he seeth it not He blameth me for concluding without
ratio vertitur ego â—os dicere possum imò palam apertâ—que designâ— Mensurisâ—as Ceciliâ—nistas esse Petilian the Donatist being offended that they were called Donatists as iustly they were for tying themselues to Donatus as their Patriarch and h Ibid. cap. 32. Nec â—lic abnuâ— esse miâ—i PrincipeÌ„ ac fuisse Donatum Prince retorted vpon the godly Bishops the names of Mensurists of Mensurius and Cecilianists of Cecilianus as if they in like sort depended vpon them So the Papists being vexed at that name of Papists giuen to them for being wholly at the deuotion of the Pope seeke to disgrace vs with the names of Lutherans and Zwinglians and Caluinists of Luther Caluin and Zwinglius as if we were in like sort affected and deuoted vnto them The Donatists complained that i Aug. coÌ„t lit Petil. l. â— c. 43. Derebus vel locis Ecclesiasticis quos tenebatis noÌ„ tenetis querimiâ—i Et coÌ„t GaudeÌ„t l. 2. c. 28. Obijcitis nobis quòd res vestras possidere cupiamus the goods and reuennues of their Churches bestowed vpon them by their ancestors were taken from them and giuen into the hands of the Catholike Pastors and teachers of the Church vpon whom they cryed out k Cont. Gaudent lib. 2. cap. 2â— Alienarum rerum incubaetores as robbers and spoilers of them The same complaint l Epist to the King sect 31. M. Bishop and his fellowes vse that Bishopricks and Deanries and Benefices founded by men of their religion and to the vse thereof are now as they pretend by wrong and vsurpation bestowed vpon vs. The Rogatists being one part of the Donatists m Aug. Epist 48. Solos vos Christianos esse perhibetis affirmed themselues only to be Christians euen as the Donatists generally did challenge n Ibid. Vniuersi Donatistâ— se pro Ecclesia Christi supponentes Optat. lib. 2. Nitimini suadere hominibus apud vos solos esse Ecclesiam to themselues only to be the Church of Christ and so now the Papists in their faction esteeme themselues only to be Christians in so much that Bellarmines Ghost doubteth not to say that o Tort. ad Apolog resp Jacobus cum Catholicus non sit neque Christianuâ— est our King Iames because he is no Catholike of their coine therefore is no Christian The Donatists p Aug. Epist 50. 68. 122. cont Crescon Grammat lib. 3. cap. 42. c. prouoking Emperours and Kings by their intollerable outrages and villanies to make lawes for the punishing of them when the same were executed complained of q Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 2. c. 12. Propter filium hominis ac fidem c. vos persecutionem sustinere iactatis persecution and termed themselues r Collat. Carthag 3. c. 22. Apud nos est vera Catholica quae persecutionem patitur non quae facit the Church persecuted which persecuteth nâ—t and such of them as were iustly executed for murders and other vnlawfull acts they called Å¿ Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 83. Cum viuatis vt latrones mori vos iactatis vt Martyres Et Epist 166. Dementia vt latronum facta fac 〈…〉 cum iure puniminâ— marlyrum gloriam requiratis Martyrs yea such as threw themselues downe from sleep places to kill themselues that it might be thought that others killed them yea such as forced others to kil them threatning to kill them if they did not so these all I say they blazed t Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 71. Petil. Vos beati non estis sed beatos martyres facitis quorum scilicet animabus câ—li repleti sunt corporumque memoria terrâ— storuerunt Vos â—on colitisâ—ed facitis quos colamus Aug. Si dictum esset Beati qui seipsos praecipitant implerent coeum martyres vestri Et l. 1. c. 24. Praeciâ—â—tatorum vltrò â—adauerum cultus sacrilegos mitto for Martyrs and to their Relikes and dead bodies they did great deuotion and canonized them otherwise for â—â—ints in heauen Euen the same course doe the Papists take with vs who by their traiterous attempts and practises and most diuellish conspiracies giuing cause of making lawes for their punishment and restraint do vpon execution thereof cry out u Concertat Eccl. Cathol in Angl. Epist De persecutionâ— Anglicana of persecution x Epistle to the King sect 33. terrible persecutions saith M. Bishop in the late Queenes daies and doe call them Martyrs that are notoriously put to death for such horrible treasons Vnder which name they haue registred y Apolog. pro Henr. Garneto pag. 169. Garnet that wretched caitife a principall abettour of the gunne-powder practise then which there was neuer a more impious designement amongst men Yea and these thus iustly put to death they honour with great deuotion they deuise miracles of them they dippe handkerchiefes in their bloud they ioy to get peeces of their bodies they make of them Saints and z Concertat Eccl. Cathol in Angl. vers de Campian Sis mihi quaeso tuo facilis patronus alumno Nec cesses pro me saepe rogare Deâ—â— pray vnto them The Donatists though of their detestable and enormous acts Emperors tooke occasion to make lawes against them yet would not haue it thought that the Emperors did it as of their owne minde but moued and drawen thereto by the godly Bishops and Pastors that were aduersaries to them a Aug. coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 2. c. 9â— Calumniamini nobis dicentes à nobis in vos ad iracundiam Reges seculi concitari dum cos noÌ„ docemê° diuinam Scripturam sed malitiam nostâ—aÌ„ suggerimus Yee calumniate vs saith St. Austin saying that by vs Kings are incited to anger towards you for that we teach them not the Scripture of God but suggest to them our owne malice Euen so our Papists and namely b Reproofe pag. 85. M. Bishop although they know that of their owne vngodly misdemeanours the State hath taken occasion to make lawes against them and that our Princes haue had very iust cause to deale seuerely with them as Watson their owne proctor hath largely confessed yet that their owne blame may be the better hidden doe impute these proceedings to the instigations and exasperations of our Bishops and Ministers as if otherwise no cause were conceiued but that they should be moâ—â— gently intreated then now they are The Donatists albeit they knew well that it was a very small part of the world that ioyned with them yet ioyed to vse wordes as if they had had a Church throughout the world saying in their Councell of three hundred and ten Bishops that c Aug. cont CrescoÌ„ GraÌ„m lib. 3. cap. 56. Cùm Ecclesiae Catholicae Sanctitatem vir memorie vtnerabilis ab errore persidia Donatus assereret in â—ius nomen cultum mundi penè totius obseruantia â—â—trita câ—aluit when Donat 〈…〉 â—reed the
the soule going from the body he shall hold it with him for euer without any change that neither being exalted it can come downe to punishment nor being drowned in eternall punishments can thence forth rise to any remedy of saluation If after death there be no deliuerance if there be no change but as the Angell either good or badde receiueth the soule out of the body so it continueth for euer either exalted to ioy or drowned in punishment then there can be no Purgatory then there can be nothing but either heauen or hell where they that come shall abide for euer Hee citeth for this the same wordes of Salomon that we doe and of which Olympiodorus a writer of the same time saith k Olympiodor in Ecclesi asâ— cap. 11. In quocunque loco seu illustri seu tene 〈◊〉 depreâ—edatur â—omo cum moritur mâ—ode gradu atque ordine poriâ—â—net in aeternum nam vel requieseâ—â— in lumine foelicitatis aeterae cum iustis Christo Domino vel in tenebris cruciatur cum iniquis huius mundi principâ— Diabolo In whatsoeuer place either lightsome or darke a man is taken when he dyeth in the same degree and order he abideth for euer for either he resteth in the light of eternall felicity with the iust and with Christ our Lord or else he is tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and with the Prince of this world the Diuell But Gregory againe writeth an Epistle to his friend Aregius a Bishop to comfort him concerning the death of some belonging to him wherin it is worthy to be obserued how consonantly he carrieth himselfe to the doctrine of the Scriptures Amongst other wordes wee reade these l Gregor lib. 7. indict 2. Epist 111. Indecens est de illis taedio afflictionis addâ—ci quos credendum est ad veram vitam moriendo perue nisse HabeÌ„t for sitan illi iustam longi doloris excusationem qui vitam alteram nesciunt qui de hoc seculo ad mâ—lius transitiâ— esse non confidunt nos autem qui nouimus qui hoc credimus docemus coÌ„tristarinimium de obâ—â—ntibus no debemus ne quod apud alios tenet pietatis speciem hoc magis nobis in culpa sit Nam dissidetâ—c quodamodâ— genus est cotra hoc quod quisque pradicat torqueri moestitia dicente Apostolo Nolumus autem vos ignorare fratres c. Hac itaque ratione perspecta studendum nobis est vt sicut dixâ—mus de mortâ—â—â— non esslâ—gamur sed affectuÌ„ viuentibus impendamus quibus pictas ad 〈◊〉 sit ad sâ—uct◠〈◊〉 It is vndecent for vs to giue our selues to long affliction of sorrow for them whom wee are to beleeue to haue come by death vnto the true life They haue haply iust excuse of long sorrow who know not any other life who doe not beleeue the passage from this world to be to a better world but wee who know who beleeue and teach this are not to be too heauy for the dead least that which with others carryeth a shew of piety be to vs rather a matter of blame For it is in a manner a kinde of distrâ—st to be tormented with heauinesse contrary to that which he himselfe doth teach Hereof he citeth the wordes of Saint Paul to the Thestalonians which I haue before set downe and then addeth This therefore seeing we know wee are to haue care as I haue said not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow our affection vpon the liuing to whom our piety or denotion may be profitable and our loue may yeeld fruit Surely he leaueth no place for Purgatory that teacheth to beleeue that the faithfull in death doe attaine vnto true life and that their passage from this world is to a better neither doth he acknowledge any vse of Prayers of Masses and Trentals and other Offices and Obsequies for the dead who saith that our deuotion and loue yeeldeth no fruit or profit to them He would not haue bidden Aregius not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow his affection vpon the liuing if hee had thought the dead to be in a Purgatory where they should and might be releeued by the deuotions of the liuing Thus he beleeued and taught where he taught aduisedly according to the Scriptures and thus wee beleeue accordingly and what hee casually taught otherwise wee reckon it for wood and straw and stubble which hee built vpon the true foundation which now the day-light of the Gospell hath reueiled and the fire of Gods word consumeth though hee himselfe by the faith of the said foundation hath attained peace And this wee hold to be the only true application of the Apostles wordes and most fitting to the processe of the text the Apostle making himselfe a builder by his preaching laying Christ for the foundation of his doctrine and therefore consequently vnderstanding gold siluer pearles wood hay stubble to be the rest of the doctrine that is preached concerning Christ either true signified by gold and siluer and pearles or false signified by wood and hay and stubble So did Tertullian of old vnderstand it m Tertul. coÌ„t Marc. l. 5. Super quod prout quisque superstruxerit dignam scilicet vel indignam doctrinam opus â—ius per ignem probabitur merces â—iâ—s per ignem rependetur As euery man saith he buildeth vpon the foundation doctrine worthy or vnworthy his worke shall be tryed by fire his reward shall be repaied him by fire In the like sort doth Ambrose expound it n Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Tria genera posuit praeclara in mundo in quibus bonam doctrinam significauit c. Tria alia genera posuit sedfriuola In his corrupta vana doctrina designata di nâ—scitur He setteth downe three kinds of things that are excellent in the world gold siluer pearles by which he signifieth good doctrine three other things he setteth downe which are but base wood hay stubble and by these corrupt and vaine doctrine is designed Now if by these things doctrine bee designed then the fire whereby triall must be made of these things must be vnderstood accordingly That cannot be of the Popish Purgatory fire for it cannot in this sense bee fitted to Purgatory fire which the Apostle saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declareâ— because it shall bee reueiled by fire for it is not declared or manifested by Purgatory fire whether doctrine bee true or false sith it selfe is so obscure and darke as that no man knoweth where it is Is it made manifest to vs by Purgatory fire whether ours or the Popish doctrine bee the more true Nay but by the word of God this triall is made and thereby it appeareth what is truth and what is falshood what is right and what is wrong and the truth as the gold and siluer is approued and iustified thereby but errour and false doctrine as wood and