cleane and very proper for to represent the same of the holy Ghost For it washeth purifieth cleanseth and refresheth the hearts and consciences for to comfort them and to make them bring foorth fruite pleasing vnto God in such sort that the water causeth the earth to fructifie renoweth and maketh it fertile washeth away the filthinesse from the body It quencheth and putteth out in lyke manner the fire and heate of wicked carnall concupiscences as the water quencheth out the fire and queÌ„cheth the thirst and alteration of the poore féebled soules refresheth them for euer The seconde cause is that hée would haue opened vnto vs the intelligence and vnderstanding of ceremonies baptismes and purifycations conteyned in the law of Moses of y prophets in like manner by which the holy ghost was promised chiefly by Esay Ezechiel vnto whom he maketh allusion hath had the regard thervnto Therefore he would expound them vnto vs and giue vs to vnderstand that those waters promised of God did signifie none other thing theÌ„ the abouÌ„dance of the holy ghost which ought to be shed foorth vpon all flesh as a riuer and a floud of water whiche watereth and ouerfloweth all the earth The which Sainct Peter witnesseth to haue bene accomplished both in him and in the other Disciples of Iesus Christ the day of Pentecost according to y prophecie of Ioel. And therefore Iesus Christ would as well in that place as in speaking vnto the Samaritane and bidding those which were in the temple to come drinke of those liuing waters vse those manners of speakings And for to declare vnto vs in like manner to what ende he hath instituted the signe of the water in the baptisme And that it is true I doe take Sainct Iohn for a witnesse who expounding the words of his Master saith that he vnderstandeth by those waters y holy Ghost y which the beléeuers ought to receiue Thirdly by that forme of figured speaking be teacheth vs in like manner what the Christian man ought to bée that is regenerated by the holy Ghost setting foorth the water and the winde which are bodyes more subtill thinner cléerer purer then the earth which is an elemeÌ„t more weightier vnpurer thicker and materyall These wordes then doe signifie as much as if hée had sayde that in stéede of that weightie earthlye carnall and corruptible man wée must be regenerated into a newe man heauenlye spirituall and perfect as much differing from this héere whiche is earthly and fallinge as the water and the winde doe differ from the earth And it must be that the same is done by the holy Ghost which is the true water which maketh that purification in vs. Eusebius Thy exposition is not without a fayre shew But ought I therefore the sooner to receyue it then the same of the auncient Doctours who in that place by the water haue vnderstanded the baptisme whiche is giuen by the water and chiefely Saincte Iohn Chrisostome Theophilus I am well content to magnifie with the auncients the Sacraments as much as shall be possible So that thou wilt vnderstande them so as they themselues would they should be vnderstanded For although that I would receiue the exposition of Chrisostome it followeth not therefore that by the same one may conclude the element of the water to be so necessary vnto saluation that without the same man cannot obteine it For wée must consider that when the scripture the auncient Doctors do speake of the sacraments they haue not regarde onely to the outward signe but do staye themselues principally vpon the thing signified by them the which they doe vnderstand properly And therefore following their intellygence we may expounde those wordes after that sence as if Iesus Christ did say hée which shall not wash away his sinnes which shall not receiue truely the holy Ghost and which shall not be receiued into my Church and into my flocke after the manner as I haue ordeyned that hée shoulde doe by the baptisme shall not enter into the kingdome of god It followeth not therefore that he which shall haue héere all the thinges comprised and signified by the baptisme ought to bée reiected and forsaken of God if he lacke but the water But yet the better to content thée I will declare vnto thée euidently that not onely the auncient Doctors but also the scholasticalles and questionaries doe confirme my sentence For the master of the sentences hauing moued the same question which thou hast propouÌ„ded touching those words of Iesus christ aunswered that the same place ought to be vnderstanded of those which may be baptised and doe make none accompt of it or that one may thus expound it he which shall not be regenerate of the water the holy Ghost y is to say of that regeneration which is made by the water the holy Ghost shall not be saued Now y regeneration cannot be made onely by the baptisme but also thorow penance and by the bloud Behold the very wordes of the master of the sentences who vnderstandeth by the bloud the same of the Martyrs which is shed for the witnesse of the truth For your owne doctours perceiuing the absurdities inconueniences which would followe if one would vnderstand that place of Iesus Christ of the exterior baptisme and to take it rigâ—rously haue béene compelled to say that there shoulde be three sortes of baptisme that is to saye of the water of the holy Ghost and of bloud by the whiche diuision they doe confesse openly that there is an other kinde of baptisme then the same of the water by the which man may be saued There is the baptisme of the holy Ghost and of faith which may be without the same of the water Vpon which the maister of the sentences alledgeth Augustine saying Thou doest demaund which is greatest either faith or the water I doubt not but that thou wilt aunswere vnto mée that it is the faith If then that which is least can sanctifie shal not that which is greater do it better to wit the faith of which Iesus Christ hath said he that beléeueth on mée yea though he were dead yet shall he liue Eusebius S. Augustine neuerthelesse concludeth of the words of Iesus Christ that none can come vnto eternall life without the sacrament of baptisme but those which do shead their bloud for the trueth in the Church But which is more he sayth we do not beléeue that any Cathecumenian hath eternall life although that he shall dye in good workes if he be not baptised or martyred You do well knowe that in the auncient Church those which had receiued the Gospell and were not yet baptised were called Cathecumenes bicause that one had instructed them in the faith And following that same matter he saith more ouer We beléeue that there is no way of saluation but for those that are baptised Theophilus I
occasion of offence they doe finde it in Iesus Christ Wherefore wée must not much care or take thought for it For they doe take the offence wythout any man gyuing it them and are an offence vnto themselues and cannot heare the truth wythout béeing offended Wherefore wée must holde vnto that which Iesus Christ sayde vnto them Let them alone for they are the blinde leaders of the blinde They must vnderstande that an euill knotte and harde péece of woode to cleaue hath néede of an harde wedge and a stronge mall to cleaue it If they are so shamelesse that they haue no shame at all and haue their heart so obstinate and hardened that they haue no remorse of censcience in mockinge of GOD and blaspheminge hym so horriblye as they doe daylye and doe teste so at men to their greate losse and hurte shall wée bée more ashamed to tell them their iniquitie to rebuke their abuses and abhominations which they dooe If they woulde not that one shoulde speake of them let them leaue off and cease to doe them For I beléeue that there is not a man of a good hearte which taketh any great pleasure to remoue that filthinesse except they bée constrained to doe it through their importunitie impudencie and shamelesse face For what good Christian heart can suffer that dayly men shoulde hyde those abhominations and that one shoulde couer suche villanyes makinge vs to beléeue that their filthmesse and stincke is as sweete as balme their poyson to bée the bread of lyfe lyinge to bée the truth Hell to bée Paradise cursinge to bée blessinge darkenesse to bée light and death lyfe As for me I cannot colour flatter nor hyde the thinges and I cannot but name them by their names For such is the language and style of the spyrite of God which will not speake after mens fantasies and for to please them as the Oratouâ—s which can giue vnto vices the names of vertues and such colour as it pleaseth them but to speake truth as the thinge is calling Idolatrie that which the Hipocrites and Idolaters doe call diuine seruice and their Idolles Diuells the which they call Gods. Wherefore althoughe such Hipocrites haue their forheades of stone and Iron so harde and immutable that one cannot make them blushe but doe kéepe their countenaunces as théeues and murtherers and shamelesse as harlots yet let them vnderstand on the other side that GOD hath giuen to his seruaunts as he said vnto Ezechiel aforehead of Brasse and of a Diamond which is yet more harder and which doth lesse shame to speake the truth and to giue praises vnto God then they to mainteine lyings to blame it And therfore the Lord commaunded Ezechiel saying goe speake vnto them and say vnto them that which I haue commaunded thée I know neuerthelesse that they will do nothing but I will y thou do tell them I know not what excuse such men can haue For they haue bene already taught al manner of wayes If they do complaine that one hath learned taught them to sharply and with to great seueritie and rigor I would learne and teach theÌ„ a little more ioyfully and more iestingly then bitterly If they doe yet finde my manner of dooing too sharpe there are as many others which haue written as modestly as is possible yet they finde no goodnesse in it and leaue not off to perseuer alwayes worse and worse in their errours and heresies Wherefore I knowe not what song one may sing vnto them but to rebuke them of that which Iesus Christ rebuked the Iewishe people and that which the little children whiche played in the stréetes rebuked their companions off when wée dyd singe vnto you sorrowfull thinges you haue not wepte when wée dyd singe vnto you ioyfull thinges you haue not daunsed Iohn Baptist came in great seueritie â—austeritie haue found him very sharp they say he hath the Diuell within him Iesus Christ came with all humilitie and gentlenesse and they said that he was a drunkard and a glutton and a friend vnto publicans and sinners If one do speake vnto them sharply as their iniquitie requireth they say that one is furious and mad If one do speake vnto them pleasantly they will call him foole or scoffer To couclude they will alwaies finde some thing to say as wée sée it by experience in our time Many men at the beginning haue taken vppon them to touch a little some abuses yet of the most grosest most apparant These Hipocrites could not beare them but they haue persecuted them by sea and land They cannot onely suffer that one should touch a little with his finger their Idolatry superstitioÌ„ that one should open his mouth for to speak one word for to reforme their estate but which is more haue declared themselues to be enemies vnto all learned wise men which haue trauailed to abolish all barberousnesse and sophistrie for to set vp againe all good letters and other disciplines haue accompted and condemned them for heritickes and haue put them in great daunger of their liues Sith then that they cannot suffer those héere that they should goe so pleasantly not onely of little dialogues familiar talke for little children which doo vnto them yet more greater honour then they deserue and do flatter them more then is néed God hath raised vp others who haue in such sort remoued their filthines the which others haue not done but a little tickled vp that they haue in such sort made the filthinesse and stinke so to auoide that all the world doth perceiue and foole it in such sort that one can no longer abide and suffer it When these sharpe surgeons are come which haue thrust their instrument so deepe within the Apostume that they haue perced them euen vnto the heart and bones they haue begun to reiect y first which did but a little touch the wounds and sores without and through their gentlenesse make them to fester and waxe worse and worse makinge of it but a certeine pallatiue cure or healing When they haue experimented and tried the second they haue cried out Alarome against them and haue bene constrained to prayse the first whome they condempned in comparison of those héere Afterwards came consequently others who haue a little better vncouered their disceite and which haue better manifested the villany and the fornications of the great whoore of Babilon insomuch that those whome men accompted to bée so earnest and such heretickes haue begun by them to bée estéemed gentle and good men in comparison of the latter And so they haue had of all sortes and yet they will vnderstand nothing Wherefore mée thincks they can no more pretende ignoraunce nor infirmitie or any iust excuse but that it is tyme to aunswere to a foole according to his foolishnesse to the ende hée thincke not alwaies to bée wise Wée must then let them to vnderstand that men doe accompte
this presente doth vnto vs wée haue good occasion to render vnto him thanckes Dooe you thincke that that booke wherein is described the voyage of Sainct Patricke and such other lyke ful of fables most sottishe and brutish were méete to giue any good doctrine vnto children and that the newe testament had not bene a better for them to haue in their handes Truely wée are in a good way forasmuch as wée bée already come vnto Saincte Patricke Thomas You knowe that thys caue is in Ireland Hillatius Some place it in Ireland and others in Scotland It is all one to mee wheresoeuer it bée for I will make no voyage thether Thomas It is all one also to mée For those countries are not farre distant the one from the other It is inough for mée so that I may finde it For that cause I haue determined to goe thether out of hand But since I heard our Ghostly Father I will not goe before I haue first spoken wyth him and after I wyll rule my selfe according to the counsaile that he will giue mee Hillarius You doe either mocke or dreame Thomas That is no countrey whereof wée should mocke forasmuch as all those that haue bene there haue lost their laughing and all reioysing Hillarius It is then lyke vnto the denne of Throphonius which is in the country of Lebadia of which the auncient writers haue written almost all after the same sort as our dreamers haue done of Sainct Patrickes hole or caue and doubt not but y the one fable hath engendred y other Neuerthelesse I doe not yet thincke that you speake in earnest Thomas You thinke that I am such a mocker as you are Hillarius If you bée not a mocker you are then a dreamer Thomas I sléepe not whereby I should dreame Hillarius No more also did our ghostly Preacher sléepe to day I neuer in all my life heard such an olde dreamer dreame and take on in such sort I beléeue no other thing but that he hath studyed in the schoole of some olde doting witch full of lyings from which hee brought this diuinitie Eusebius Are you not ashamed so to mock speake against such a vertuous and learned man as he is Hillarius I know not what knowledge and learning he may haue But this I may surely say that I neuer heard any thing of him whereby I might knowe that there is either knowledge or wisdome in him If he had studyed in humaino letters I should haue thought that he had read that hée preached either in the Poetries or verses of Homere or Virgil or of some other Poets as wel Greeke as Latine or in Plutarke For I am sure y in those Theologies a man shal finde that matter altogether entreated off almost after that sort as he hath declared vnto vs and chiefly in Plutarke who declareth most meruailous thinges that Timarchus hath séene in the denne of Trophonius which differ but a little from those which we haue heard of our Ghostly father But I greatly feare that he neuer profited so much in Greeke neither in Latine that he could euer haue read those authours nor that he coulde haue dnderstoode them if hée shoulde haue read them But for to speake as I thincke I rather beléeue that he hath read it either in the Sepheardes Callender or in Dante 's What age is hée off Thomas Wherefore doe you demaund his age Hillarius Bicause that if hée had lyued in the time of Alcestis and Protesilaus either in the time of Hercules and Theseus or in the time of Vlisses and Aeneas whom the Poets doe witnesse affirme to haue bene in hell and that they haue visited all those countries and chambers as well the Limbus patrum as Purgatory and also those goodly and pleasaunt fieldes Eliseas wée might presume and thincke that he hath spoken vnto them and hath learned of them that Theology But hée must bée then at the least more then a thousande and nine hundreth yeares olde and that hée must bée twise so olde as Mathusala Thomas Haue wée not Lazarus whome Iesus Christ raised to lyfe who hath bene longe time after all those who could tell what there is For thou canst not saye that the same is a fable as the others are Hillarius Yet the Ghostly Father could not haue spoken vnto him except hée were at the least more then fiftene hundreth yeares olde I doe not denie his resurrection but I doe denie all those lyings which are added vnto the history of the Gospell Thomas Could he not very well haue heard it of those who through longe succession haue learned and vnderstanded it of those who haue hearde it of Lazarus Hillarius Héere are a great many of héeresaies I would gladly knowe who was the first vnto whom Lazarus declared it and whether Lazarus hath spoken more amply then Iesus Christ and all his Prophets and Apostles Doe wée not plainely sée howe wée doe ieste with God tourning his woorkes and miracles into fables and Poets inuentions Could the enemies of our Religion do more Doe not these olde dreamers who haue dreamed and inuented out such fables make of Lazarus an other Alcestis Theseus Vlisses or Aeneas who are come from hell for to declare what is done there To what other end doo all thâ—sâ— inuentions and fabulous narrations of olde fooles serue But for to call into doubt Gods truth and for to giue occasion vnto the mockers and contemners of God and of his woord to laugh and make a scoffe of the Christian Religion and the Doctrine of the Gospell As Pithagoras Lucrecia Lucian and many others haue scoffed at the fables and inuentions of the Poets touching their Hell and of the vaine credulitie and great foolishnesse of the ignorant people who gaue credit vnto them As we haue done to the dreames of those Caphards and â—oltes who would make so many partes of the infernall Regions as the Cosmographers haue made of the earth For as they haue deuyded it into Asia Africa and Europa Euen so haue those deuided the infernal habitations into the Limbus patrum Purgatory the hell of the dampned And haue made all those countryes inhabited and so full of people that there is not one little corner nor angle but that all is full chiefly in purgatory if we will beléeue our Priestes and Monkes For the soules goe thether dayly by thousandes Theophilus Our Lord Iesus Christ raised not Lazarus nor the others whom he hath called from death to lyfe for to holde kéepe men by such mockeryes and for to make the worde of GOD lyke vnto the woorke of Poetes For his simplicitie grauitie nor yet hys maiestye can beare and suffer it It sufficeth hym to teache vs that there is a Hell and wée ought to contente our selues therewith without enquiringe where it is nor what it is For those who through the iust iudgement of God shall bée there condemned shall knowe it by prouing
hard cruell yet notwithstandinge before the face of the Lorde the death of his Saincts are precious The Panims themselues that haue had any vnderstanding were not muche carefull of the buryall although that many superstitious Idolaters haue thought that it bringeth greate hurt vnto those that haue not bene buryed Now euen as the cost which is done about the dead bodyes for their buryalles profiteth lesse vnto them then to anye other As muche may we thinke iudge of all the suffrages and cost that is done for them after their death and buriall as Saincte Augustine doth playnelye declare vppon thys place of the Plalmes They call their landes after theyr owne names What is that They bringe saith hée breads and wine vnto the graues and call it there the name of the dead How much or how often dost thou thincke that the name of that rich man hath bene called vppon afterwardes when men were dronken in remembringe him and one droppe of colde water dyd not discende to quench his hot tongue Men doe serue their bellye and not the soules of their parentes and friendes There commeth nothing vnto the soules of their deade but that whiche they haue done wyth them being alyue But if béeinge alyue they haue done nothing wyth them there commeth nothing vnto the dead What reproch had the men which vnderstoode not what they should doe wyth their ryches when they lyued and which dyd thincke that they should bée blessed if they had a memoriall in a Tombe of marble stone as an eternall house or if their parents friends vnto whom they shall leaue their goods do call their lands after their names But on the contrary they ought to prepare for themselues an euerlasting house in good workes They ought to prepare for themselues the immortall life to send the cost charges before them to follow their works to haue good regard of their néedy cōpaignion to giue vnto him with whom they do walke not to dispise Iesus Christ to wit his poore members lying ful of botches sores before the gate who hath sayd Inasmuch as you haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me Doth not héere Sainct Augustine cléerely say that man must do his good déeds almose not vnto the sat Moonks Priests but to the poore members of Iesus whilest the hée is héere in the way For after the he shal be out of this world the good déds almose the their parents friends do bestow of their riches profiteth them nothing at all Wherto also agreeth the which S. Hierome speaketh off saying he which shal not obtein pardō of his sins whilest the he liueth in this body shal so depart this life he perisheth to god leaueth to be Although the be do make himself subject to paines By those dronken bankets of whch Sainct Augustine speaketh off wée may sufficiently vnderstand what was the custome of the Panims which for an affection that they dyd beare vnto their parents friends for a desire that they had and also for a pompe and glorye haue dedicated some of them the thirde the seauenth ninth or tenth day others the thirtie or fortie daye for to make remembraunce for the dead and to offer for them and make feastes and bankets And haue not ordained those dayes wythout putting superstition to the number of them And yet neuerthelesse wee doe sée that the Christians altogether and wholly haue followed that manner of dooinge as it appeareth bothe by their practise and also by the booke of Durand Although that Sainct Ambrose others after him haue made Sermons decrées against that custome the which notwithstandinge coulde not be so cleane taken away and abolished but that that superstitō continueth almost euery where For men do celebrate the seauenth day tenth day anwersaries or yeare mindes wyth great bankets and pleasures as it appeareth by the canons and decrées in which it is written after this sorte No Prieste shall in any wise presume to be droncken when hée commeth to the yeare minde or to the trentenarie or to the seauenth daye or ternary of any office for the dead or to anye contraire or brotherhoode And that hée drincke nor quaffe when hée shall hée desyred for the loue and in the name of the Sainctes or for the loue of the soule of him that is deade nor that hée doo not also compell others to drinike and that he doo not play the glutton and fyll himselfe to muche wyth good chéere at the request of an other And that hée presume not to rehearse and recyte iestes and vnlawfull scoffinges playes and vaine fables nor by anye meanes to singe And that he suffer not that one shoulde make before hym vyle games and toyes and that hée consente not that one shoulde bringe before hym false visages and maskes of Dyuelles For that is dyabolicall and forbiden of the holy Canons We maye well vnderstand by that decrée of the counsayle what honestie the Priestes and Christians haue kept in such bankets sith that they must make lawes by the counsailes and wherein they differed from the Panims Wherefore if the good auncient fathers haue made anye memory of the deade it was after that sorte and manner as wée haue already spoken off and for to abolysh by that meanes the superstitious fashions of the Panims and to chaunge them to better manners sith that they cannot pluck them away altogether For if such religion was pleasinge vnto God it was meruayle that God dyd not as well ordayne certeyne feastes sacrifices and ceremonies for the dead as he hath done in all other thinges and many which séeme not to be so necessary as those héere doe estéeme the offering for the dead whom they doe grieue more then any commaundement that God hath euer gyuen If that were cōprised in the loue that we owe vnto our neighbour how could the spirite of God holde his peace Iesus Christ and saint Paul his Apostle who haue so much stroue against it and commaunded loue towardes our neighbour and haue not once spoken any word to make prayers almoste nor sacrifices for the dead If that same had bene necessary and according to the will of God why would they haue more hidden it from vs then any other thinge howe can that which Iesus Christ and also his Apostles haue sayde be true that they haue declared and manifested vnto vs all the wyll of God Doe we not then vnto them greate iniury to make that a commaundement of loue and charitie of whiche they haue neuer spoken off But I am not abashed sithe that almost in all other thinges the Priestes dooe followe the Panims and the Iewes the Mosoycall Ceremonyes abolyshed by Iesus Christe howe they haue not followed them in this matter and that they doe not absteyne to come néere the deade and to assist them at their buryalles as
works in vs For nothing pleaseth him but Iesus Christ his welbeloued sonne in whom he deliteth and no workes can be found agréeable but his For there is no goodnesse but in him Wherefore if we will haue any good thing in vs we must séeke â— borrow it of him And if we will that our works be pleasing vnto God it is necessary that Iesus Christ do them in vs thorow his holy spirite or otherwise the heauenly father cannot allow nor receiue them for good nor yet giue vnto them reward Eusebius I doe greately doubt that in magnifiyng so much the grace and mercy of God and the efficacie of the death and passion of Iesus Christe you giue occasion vnto many to doe euill without euer caring to do any good workes For if that men haue once this opinion that they are saued thorow the onelye grace and mercye of God and that they cannot merite paradise by their good works what néede they care to do any good déedes if it doth not serue them no more then the euill Theophilus I do feare moreouer that the doctrin which thou holdest doth induce and leade them vnto that which thou sayest For how many hath there bene who hauing that opinion to satisfie in Purgatorye for their sinnes haue giuen themselues vnto al vices during their life hoping that they will prouide so well to their affaires that for golde and siluer they shal be incontinentlye deliuered from the paines of Purgatory after they be dead And so by that meanes they did thinke that it was not néedefull to studye to doe good workes For they did hope to finde in their purse all that that shoulde bée néedefull for theyr saluation But for asmuche as it is a question touchinge good workes whom doest thou thinke can doe them best eyther the seruant which laboreth thorow feare and compulsion who would doe no laboure if he feared not to be beaten of his master or if hée hoped not but to receiue a good rewarde or the sonne who thorow an entier loue towards his father and taketh pleasure in none other thing but to serue and honoure him wel bicause of the natural loue that he beareth vnto him and of the knowledge that he hath of the great goodnes and benefits that he hath reâ—â—ed and doth receiue daily of him without any seruile feare but onelye for the reuerence and good affection that he hath towards him Eusebius There is no doubt that those whiche serue onely for feare to be punished or for hope of rewarde cannot serue faithfully nor lawfully but are as the seruaunts which serue to please the eye and do good seruice whilest that the master is present notwithstanding they haue no good will towards him Theophilus Yet neuertheles those which do follow the doctrine the which thou holdest are altogether like vnto those here For either they do giue themselues altogether to their pleasures and delites hoping that they will satisfie by money for their sinnes and redéeme themselues or if they studie to doé well they doe it not but thorow feare as a subiect doth serue a Tyraunt fearing â—o fall into his hands or as Merconaries Hirelings not for the loue they haue to god but for the loue they haue to themselues And so by that meanes eyther they do make GOD like vnto a cruel Tyraunt or to a polling Iudge théefe who for money absolueth the euill doers and as a companion of théeues taketh his parte of the hootie with them or els they make themselus god doe worship the workes of their handes sith that by them they do saue themselues and merite Paradise Wherefore they haue no néede of Iesus Christ I demaund of thee which art but a sinful man if thou wouldst take for a true friend a man which should do vnto thée seruice only for y feare that he hath of thée least thou shouldest do vnto him hurt or for hope that he should haue to feare thée better wout which hee would make none accompt of thée nor would not set by thée Eusebius I would holde him for a true freind of the kitchin which loueth more his belly theÌ„ me of whoÌ„ he is a friend not of me Theophilus And yet neuertheles if thou dost wel consider the nature of the Hipocrits Pharises who do attribute somuch vnto their workes thou shouldest finde them of such an amitye towardes God for whose loue they doe not that they do but for the loue of theÌ„selues and doe not serue god but after y manner as the beastes do serue men or for the feare that they haue to be beaten or for the nurrishment and foode that they doe receiue But without staying our selues anye longer vppon that pointe let vs returne vnto our talke of the Limbe sith that thou puttest the Limbe for the one and Purgatory for the other what difference dost thou put betweene those which were in the Limbe and those which were in Purgatory sith that the one and the other according to your doctrine were depriued of the fruition of God I doe greatly feare that in the ende thy Limbe and Purgatorie will become hell For if the holy fathers aswell Patriarkes as Prophets were depriued from such a goodnes wherein did they differ from the dampned And in like manner those whom thou ledgest in Purgatorye what néed haue they of any more greater tormeÌ„t or of any other fire for to torment them And what solace can they haue more then y damned if they were depriued froÌ„ y loves of Paradise and yet besides that to bee deteined in the fire Hillarius But at that time for that there was no Masse nor papistical Priests for to pray and do sacrifices for the dead they should continue a long time in those paines torments And which is more sith that in that time none could enter in Paradise when they had accomplished the time of their paines in Purgatorye whether went they when they departed from thence They could not but departe from one hell for to go into an other that is to say from purgatory to the Limbe where they were compelled to abide alwayes locked fast in the prisons of Purgatory vntill the comming of Iesus Christ Theophilus For to speake the truth I finde no great difference betweene hell and those other two lodgings Eusebius But there is great difference For these here do hope to come once vnto the eternall felicitie from y which the dampned are altogether depriued Theophilus There is then none other difference but that the one are defeined and kept in hell and dampned for euer the others are not but for a time And so your Limbe and Purgatory shal be in nothing different from the hell of the Origenistes and Catabaptistes who were in this foolish and false opinion that there is neither man nor diuell dampned perpetually but that all those whiche are deteyned in hell after a long space of time shal
PETRVS VIRETVS THE Christian disputations BY MASTER PETER VIRET Deuided into three partes Dialogue wise Set out with such grace that it cannot be but that a man shall take greate pleasure in the reading thereoff Translated out of French into English by Iohn Brooke of Ashe Math. vij d. 21. Not euery one that saith vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen MIEVLX VAVLT MOVRIR EÌ„ VERTV QVE VIVRE EN HONCTE ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East 1579. To the most Reuerent Father in God EDMVND by the permission of God Archbishop of Caunterbury Primate and Metrapolitan of England Iohn Brooke wisheth in this life prosperitie and eternall felicitie in Christ our Sauiour REading for mine owne priuate exercise and studies the worthie worke of Master Peter Viret entituled The Christian disputations right Reuerent Father the sweete entrie into the same with such pleasant allurementes of comfortable matter so drewe and tolled me forwade as vnnethes I coulde cease vntill I had cleane discoursed and gone thorowe the whole worke Which hauing once accomplished and due consideration therevppon had according to my slender capacitie I thought I coulde not bestowe my time in any thing more worthy gratefull acceptaunce then in publyshing and setting foorth the same that others might bee made pertakers of my comfortable delights and delightfull comforts takeÌ„ in reading hereoff Not meaning like a chorle alone to deuoure such a rich banket furnished with so greate a number of Iunkets and delicate dishes but to inuite thervnto according to the intent of mine Author a company worthy such a feast which being first prepared and dressed very cunningly after the French fashion I haue for the great good will and zeale â—owe vnto my natiue Countrie and for their better taste translated and set foorth the same after the English manner wherein my small vnlearned skill desirous of sure supportacion and good defence craueth your grace as chiefe to giue me credite and countenaunce against the byting sting of Zoilous persons hereticall Papists whose stomacks may in no wise digest or abide the good wholesome dyet in this feast prepared whose vnsauorie tastes as I seeke not to content so I feare not to offende Trusting your grace will accept this my bolde enterprise as proceeding of heartie good will towards you and earnest loue borne vnto my countrie preferring my zealous intent and the Godlinesse of the matter vnto the vnworthinesse and slender skill shewed in the translation As I shall dayly pray vnto Almightie God to gouerne and direct your grace in all your affaires by his holy spirite remayning euer Your graces bounden during life Iohn Brooke Iohn Caluyn vnto the Readers THE loue of God our Father and the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be giuen to you and multiplyed from day to day thorowe the communion of the holy Ghost There is an auncient Poet which saith that he which delyteth and profiteth altogether in his writings hath gained the price and fauour towardes all men The same is spoken bicause of the diuersitie of natures It is very true that the onely doctrine wherein we knowe it to be good and profitable ought to suffice vs for to incitate and prouoke vs to reade willingly a booke to giue and bestowe thereon all our studie to loue and set by it and finally to take pleasure in it But there are a great many and well neere the most parte which will be a greate deale better pleased that one should teach theÌ„ after a gentle pleasant fashion then otherwise In such sort that as in recreating themselues they may profite receiue instruction liuen then as those which occupie themselues to make bookes of pastime vaine and friuolous which cause the world to reade them are to bee vituperated and despised although they haue no corruption in them So on the other side those which haue the grace so to teach that they doe both delight and profite the Readers thorowe their pleasant stile are double to be praysed And in very deede that is a vertue a gift which is not in al men Yea often times the wisest cannot atteine vnto it And which is more do make themselues to be laughed at in desning that which is not giuen vnto them For a man which desireth to vse mery conceits and iests ought to beware of two vices The one is that he do nothing of compulsion or laugh ouer much as there are a great many which haue cold laughters the which do seeme as though they were pulled out of their throat by force The other is not to vse baudy silthy talk the which is called in Latine scurrilitas in our language pleasant iestes But to keepe the meane that is to know how to speak effectually and with a good grace so for to recreate that there be nothing spoken foolishly at all aduentures or vncomely which is no common vertue I doe speake this by reason of these present Dialogues out of which a man may so gather good instruction and yet notwithstanding he shall haue occasion to laugh For the matter of it selfe is very pleasant And is set out with such grace that it cannot be but that a man shall take greate pleasure in the reading thereoff Our brother and companion in the worke of the Lord Iesus Peter Viret who is the Author hath by nature the vertue which I saide to be requisite in that man which will medle himselfe therein It is vertue true that as in all other workes he giueth himselfe vnto a better studie and of greater waight So in these Dialogues his principall intent is not to delight the eares And in verie deede that shoulde be but a small labour and a paine euill be stowed of a man of such witte and knowledge Furthermore besides the giftes that he hath of God he is called vnto a more higher calling But forasmuch as the matter that he hath taken in hand to entreate off sheweth that he teacheth by order of pastime and merrie iestes he pretendeth notwithstanding the right doctrine as the true marke to shoote at mingling with the same some merrie conceites as a companion therewith all Yea in such sort that this booke is a suffient witnes that be hath a singuler dextentie to doe it yea euen as much as he will himselfe that is to say as much as is needefull or conuenient I doe knowe that it is a daungerous thing and that no man ought at the first sight to allowe a booke But I feare not to haue any rebuke of good men of such as are of sounde Iudgement to haue commended the reading of that booke as a booke in which the time shal be wel bestowed I neede not to bring witnes nor to speake among those which know the man This onely knowledge will suffice for to asâ—ure them that they cannot sayâ—e to stay themselues vpon it But bicause that it may
enter into the matter I bring in the persons who take their theame and matter vpon a fermon which they heard of an holy father entreating of such matters And although the matter might seeme wholy to be fayned yet it hath the foundacion vppon a true history For mine intent is partly in this first disputacion to rebuke the sottish and vayne curiositie of foolish Preachers and Doctors who haue forsaken the principal points of the holy Scripture to occupy thēselues vpō vnprofitable questions vayne contemplations to enquire of things that they cannot know and which wee haue not to doe withall And which serue to none other ende but to hinder and let the poore Christian people to seeke out the will of God to induce and lead them to false religion supersticion Idolatay and all Paganisme Also I declare the Arguments of the Popes Purgatorie with the Purgatorie of the Panims and the ceremonies and supersticions which they vse about the dead out of what spring they issued and what haue bene the purgations of the Panims which the Idolatrous Christians do yet keepe and how the Papisticall Purgatory hath serued the insatiable auarice of those which doe lyue to destroy and deuoure all the poore world Also how the priests Purgatorie is burned how fire hath taken the same and what punishment is prepared for those which go vnto strange fire to be purged from their sinnes any other then the fire of lesus Christ and how the priests do disagree both from the word of God and from their owne doctrine decrees and cannōs After those things we shal enter into the secōd part which shall entreat of the appearing of the spirites of those that be dead All these things shal be yet more playnly vnderstoode and better confirmed by the Dialogues following of the which the last shal be of the immortalitie of the soules and the resurrection of the flesh Afterwardes we will come vnto the lyuing and in the other parts wee shall enter into matters yet more graue more necessary and of greater importance for the present time to shew what is the estate of the world of relygion and by what meanes that man which feareth God and the poore troubled and doubtfull consciences may be assured and know what is the true Church the truth and wherevnto they may surely stay themselues and how they may be certeine what doctrine is of god I haue intituled this first Dialogue the Alchymee of Purgatory chiefely for two causes The first bicause I declare how the auncient Panims and our priests after their example doe trauayle to extract the fifte essence of the soules which they melt in their furnaces of Purgatory The other is bicause from those furnaces our priests do drawe out the Philosophicall stone ¶ For to enter then into the matter Hillary beginneth asking his companions of the Sermon which they heard ¶ THE FIRST DIALOGVE which is called the Alchymee of Purgatorie The Speakers Hillarius Eusebius Theophilus Thomas HIllarius If mine eyes haue not deceiued mée I thinke I saw you all thrée to day at the Sermon wherefore I desire to know your opinions how the same pleased you and what you thinke of the Preacher Eusebius As far as I can iudge I thinke that he is very skilfull and cloquent for he hath spoken very learnedly and deepely of matters so obscure and profounde Hillarius He could not speake more profoundly For he hath pearced euen vnto y very centre of the earth therfore I am the more abashed that he spake so cléerly of matters so obscure and of these darke places no man euer saw ought For the Sunne neuer shineth there Theophilus As far as I could perceiue by him I thinke that eyther he hath not bene in those places of which he spake or els if he were it is long agoe If the opinion of Isydore be true we shall haue very small occasion to giue credite to this ghostly father and to his preachinge Eusebius Hath Isydore ben of an other opinion then the rest of the Christian Doctors touching this matter Theophilus There is none among the Christians which doubteth that there is an hell seeing that the holy Scripture rendereth so sure and vndoubtefull a testimony with the which we ought to content our selues not willyng to know any further then it hath reuealed it vnto vs It ought to suffice vs which Iesus Christ witnesseth vnto vs that there is an hell of eternall vnquenchable fire where the worme dieth not but wher ther is euerlasting horrour weeping gua hing of teeth we need not to enquire of the place for I thinke ther is none which desireth to go thether And therfore we haue néede to praye vnto GOD that it woulde please him to giue vs his grace to know his will and to be able to accomplish it thorow his sonne Iesus Christ to the ende we may auoide that hell fire and extreme darkenesse We néede not much to stay to know in what place hell is whether it is in the centre of y earth according to the common opinion of the Doctors of Plato which saith y it is in the depth of the earth or whether it is vnder the earth in the country of the Antipodes according to the opinion of Isydore who sayth that after the day of iudgement the Sunne and the Moone shall kéepe themselues so stedfaste in heauen that they shall no more tourne round about the earth but giue their lyght and brightnesse onely in that part of the world in y which we dwell and that the damned shal be all sent away vnder the earth into those horrible darkenesse and into those places in the which at this day some men doe thinke that the Antipodes doe dwell Hillarius If it were so that the Sunne and the Moone doth nowe shine there wée maye thinke that some one of the countrye of the Antipodes is come from thence who hath declared and described to our Preacher the scituacion of hell of Lymbo patrum and of Purgatory with al their confines in such sort and manner as he hath expounded them vnto vs. Thomas You may saye what you will and I will beléeue what pleaseth mée but I cannot thinke that he was euer there or that hée hath euer heard any one speake that came from thence hath so well visited all the places theroff For neuer in my lyfe I hearde it better deuised There is neyther hall chamber nor closet cole-panne kitchin nor seller chimney nor pot-hangers great caudron nor lyttle caudron chaynes nor flesh-hookes and other insernall vtensills but that he hath described and set them foorth so lyuely as mée thinketh I sée the thinges before mine eyes in such sort that yet I am afrayde when I thinke on them The Cyrographers and Notaryes are very dilygent and curious for to expresse declare in their instruments and writings the situacion lymtis of houses and possessions of which they make writings off But
of them which Dauid hath written of his enemies saying their throat is an open sepulchre And that which Esay speaketh off saying hell gapeth and openeth hir mouth meruailous wide For of all that they can once lay hand on nothing euer retourneth againe no more then from the mouth of hell and graue But which is worse the graue consumeth deuoureth but the dead bodies but these do deuour both the quick the dead And we may very wel say y these are the Harpyes of whom Virgile maketh mention off But bicause they are faire and goodly sepulchres as the Scribes Pharises who do neuer cease to crye Corban Corban giue giue offer offer and as the daughter of the Horseléech Bringe bringe to the candles of the good Sainct Bicause they are so beautifull pollished without y poore world cannot know theÌ„ although they do sée them deuoure eate vp widowes houses before their eies vnder colour of long praiers For they haue those goodly habites of religion goodly Ornaments Ceremonies goodly names titles and that goodly appearaunce of holinesse which do couer beautifie those sepulchres tombes in such sort that men cannot perceiue the filthinesse infection that is there hidden and kepte close within but passe ouer it without any aduisement as men doe by the Sepulchres Theophilus They are more open and dyscouered then néede required For GOD hathe nowe raysed vppe a people whome they woulde not haue who haue in suche sorte remoued all that filthe and infectyon that it stincketh throughoute the whole worlde And we must not be abashed if they call them the Sepulchers of Iesus Christ and though they doe meruaylously stincke sith that Iesus Christ is altogether deade in them and to them and that they haue nothing at all For if Christ lyue not in vs what other thing can wée bee but dead carryons stincking and infectious who doe not onely rotte and consume themselues but doe rotte and consume with them all other things Eusebius All of you doe cry out agaynst the Priestes Haue you now all sayd It was not inough for Hillarie to speake euill and backebite but that you must ayde and helpe him Theophilus and meddle also as well as hée Theophilus You neuer sawe a man that delyteth lesse to speake euill and backebite and to heare euill speakinge and tales But truth constrayneth mee and you oughte to vnderstande that to speake truth for the health of ones neighbour is not to speake euill backebite and slaunder any man Would to God I coulde speake as much good of them as of the Apostles For I doe loue better to praise their vertue charitie and mercy then to dispise their vices crueltie auarice and rapacitie But what will you that I speake If I doe sée a poore man who is wandring alone in a forrest or woode full of théeues am not I bounde to giue him warning of the daunger he is lyke to fall in If I say nothing vnto him am not I guyltie of his death sith that I knew the daunger And if I encourage him to enter and tell him that there is no daunger am not I then more culpable and worthy to be taken for a murtherer of my poore brother But if I doe admonish him of the daungers and of the théeues Doe I wrong vnto the theenes in callyng them by their name Shoulde I doe better and according to Gods commaundemet to call them good people for to saue their honour and that I should put my brother into their handes to haue them to cutte his throate What goodnesse can I finde in those who from the greatest to y least are al excommunicated iudged Simoniacks and Heretickes vnworthy of all Ecclesiasticall honour and office not onely by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures but also by their owne councells decrées and Canons For how many Councells Decrées and Canons be there that doe forbid to demaunde and take giftes rewardes presents hire or siluer nor any thing whatsoeuer it bée for creame baptisme orders laying on of hands for y earth nor Sepulture neyther for Sacraments nor whatsoeuer office is in the Church vnder payne of excommunication and to be holden and reputed Simoniackes Heretickes and Sacriledgers and depriued and deposed from theire offices and honours and not onely they that receiue the money but also those who doe giue it for such things Thomas There shall be then by that compte no Christian who shall not be excommunicated For among the priests there is not one but hath receiued money for such thinges nor among the people but hath disbursed somewhat Theophilus Therefore you may consider what communion may be in y Popish Church For Saint Peter did not only curse in the authoritie of God Symon the Sorcerer of whome Simony and Simoniackes haue taken their name but also the money that he offred for to buy the gifte of God withall Now if Symon for offering y money hath receiued such malediction what ought it to be vppon them that doe cleane contrary to Saynt Peter who doe not onely receiue but also doe compell the poore people to giue it them I doe not héereby meane that the true Euangelycall Priests and true Pastors of the Church are not worthy of their nourishment and rewarde But I speake agaynst those Merchaunts which are in the Church of God whom Saynt Peter hath forespoken who haue both GOD and the Diuill to sell Paradise â—nd Hell holy things and prophane things and which doe exercise merchandises of all things and are polluted and dâ—filâ—d with all Simonie and Sacriledges that they themselues haue bene constrayned to condemone them And he that will not beléeue me lette him read Platine in the lyues of the Popes and the decrees of the Councell of Elybertine holden in Spayne in the time of Constantine and that of Tholet holden in the yeare 713 and that of Calcedone And the 4. of Carthage And the Councell of Tiburien and Varensian who doe condempne namely those that take money for the buryalls saying after this manner Wherefore dost thou sell the earth Remember that thou art earth and into the earth shalt retourne agayne For the earthe is not mans but as the Psalmist Dauid witnesseth the earth is the Lords and all that therein is If thou doe sell the earth thou shalt be holden guyltie of larcenie as he that attributeth vnto himselfe the thing of an other mans Thou hast receyued it of God fréely giue it fréely And bicause it is altogether forbidden to all Christians to sell the earth vnto the dead and to deny vnto them the graue and burial which is due vnto them Item we must commaunde according to the authoritie of the Canons that one should not demaunde or receiue any thing for mens burialls nor for their graues And hée that would sée the opinion of Gregorie lette him reade the Epistle wherein he rebuked Ianuarius Bishop
y thou hast not forgotten it That followeth afterwards which thou hast said of y menseruaunts maidseruaunts which haue gone before vs with the signe of faith do rest in the sléep of peace Theophilus Thou séest already Eusebius for whoÌ„ they pray to wit for those of whoÌ„ S. Iohn speaketh off in the Apocalips which are dead in our Lord rest froÌ„ their labours For to dye in our Lord to go with y signe of faith to rest from their labours to rest in the sléepe of peace is all one And Clithoue himselfe is constrained to expounde those woordes by the same of Saint Iohn Wherefore thou maist know that they doe praye but for those which are already in Paradise For there are none other whiche doo rest in the sléepe of peace but those It followeth then that they doe also pray for y virgin Mary and for all the Saintes of Paradise Now let vs heare what thing they require for them Wée beséech thée that it would please thoe to graunt vnto them and vnto all those that rest in Christ place of comfort lyghte and peace If they rest in Iesus Christ are they not already in place of comfort lyght and peace Otherwyse I know not what it is to rest in Iesus Christe seeinge that it is written That although that the righteous be ouertaken wyth death yet shall he be in reste If they be in a fire as the wycked rich man of whom thou hast spoken that they doe burne as they make vs beléeue what difference is there betwéene them and the dampned Thou knowest very well that Lazarus who was in Abrahams bosome and who rested in the sléepe of peace bicause that he was departed from this world with the signe of faith that he had in the promises made vnto Abraham of the séede of blessednesse was in a place far differing from the other in which he rested in ioy pleasures and delights For if after that the faythfull be called fâ—oÌ„ this world he wero kept in the fire in what rest should he be froÌ„ his laboures Should he not be in worse estate then he was before Hillarius After that I haue laboured al the day haue much sweated it I must go into a furnase when I should go to bed for to rest my selfe in y same al night I woulde neuer go to bed Theophilus But where should be the promise of Iesus Christ who hath said so oftentimes Hée y beléeueth in me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condempnation but hath passed from death vnto life And that which S. Paul saide now then there is no condempnation to thé that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after y flesh but after the spirit Eusebius That is not repugnant For those which are in purgatory are alredy assured that they shall not be dampned But they shal haue eternal life after y they haue satisfieâ— for their sins Theophilus Sith that there is such punishment it must néedes bée that it hath iudgement and condemnation For God punisheth not without iudgeing And I knowe not how wée can make y opinion agree with so many goodly promises which God hath made vnto vs by his Prophetes and by all the holy Scriptures nor yet with that whiche the Priests themselues doe singe in the prose of the deade which beginneth Dies irae dies illa soluet seculum c. They doe say in a little verse O king of reuerent maiesty which sauest all soules freely From euill Lord deliuer me thou fountaine of all clemencie They céerely and plainely confesse that wée are saued through grace and doe vse thys aduerbe Gratis which signifieth froely and franckly Wherein they doe very well agrée to that which Sainct Paul witnesseth saying You are iustified fréely by his grace That is not then by our woorkes and satisfactions For then were grace no more grace I doe much meruayle how that good woorde escaped them Hillarius I thincke that the same chaunsed bicause of the rime for to make all rime in Atis. For in the first verse there is Rex tremende maiestatis And for to make all to be in Atis they haue sayd Qui saluandos saluas gratis Salua me sons pietatis Theophilus Now do those satisfactions agrée with that that the Lorde promised sayinge if the vngodlye will tourne away from all his sinnes that hée hath done they shall not be thought vppon any more Also though our sins shal be as red as scarlet purple or y worme that coÌ„meth out of the earth he will make them as white as woll the snow and will caste all our sinnes behinde his backe and wyll putte them as farre as Dauid witnesseth as the East is from the West and wyll cast them in the bottome of the sea Eusebius Wherefore then reserued he yet paines vnto Dauid after that the faulte was pardoned him insomuch that he was driuen from his kingdome by his owne sonne Absalom Wherefore punished chastised he him after that the Prophet Nathan had declared vnto him the remission of his sinne Theophilus When God chastised Dauid when he chastiseth vs euery day bicause of our sinnes he doth it not so much for the sinne which hath bene committed as for to aouertise and admonish vs that we do not sinne heereafter And the paine that we beare is not for to satisfie god For ther is none other satisfaction then the death passion of Iesus Christ that he can allow to be sufficient For if we must satisfie for our selues we must beare cary all the importable burthen of the wrath and iudgement of god Now if we must beare them there is none of vs but should haue his shoulders broken and should be plunged drowned in the goulfe bottome of hell with the Diuels For if the Angels could not beare it which of vs shall be sufficient which are but wormes of the earth And wherfore did God our good father send vs Iesus Christ to helpe vs but to that end that he would beare it satisfie for vs that thorow his satisfaction we should be reconciled vnto God deliuered from his iudgement Seing then that God our father hath the satisâ—action of Iesus Christ his sonne which is more then sufficient for vs all he requireth for vs none other satisfaction And if hee require good woorkes of vs he requireth them not for satisfaction for they are too insufficient But for prayses and giuing of thanckes and wytnesses of our faith of the remembraunce that wee haue of the benefites that hoe hathe gyuen vnto vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and for to incite our bretheren for to prayse and magniste hym Therefore sayde Iesus Christe vnto hys Dysciples Let your lyght so shine before men that they maye sée your good woorkes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Hée sayde not to the
ende that by them you shoulde satisfie for your sinnes or that you shoulde merite the kingdome of heauen and bée iustyfied For the faythfull man hath obteyned alreadye all that by the fayth of Iesus Christe whiche is our wisedome ryghteousnesse sanctification thorowe whose merite Paradise is gyuen vnto vs For that cause the holye Apostle calleth the eternall lyfe the gift of god Wherefore wée maye vnderstande that we meryte it not thorowe our good déedes but it is gyuen vs froelye thorowe Gods lyberalytie Euen as the Fathers enheritaunce is gyuen vnto the sonne not for that he hath deserued it but bycause that hée pleased hym so for that hee loued him and that hée is hys chylde and wyll gyue hym his goodes fróely Otherwyse grace shoulde bée no more grace but debte On the contrary when Saynct Paul did speako of the eternall death hée calleth it the wages of sinne declaringe thereby that man hathe well deserued it and that hée can deserue none other thinge but that that wages is due vnto hym for a recompence of the seruice that hée hathe done vnto the Diuell the Prince of this worlde euen as the wages which is payde vnto a souldyer for bearynge of weapons vnder hys Capitayne Wee 〈◊〉 then sée that the woorkes done by the chyldren of God and the seruice that the Angelles dooâ— vnto hym doe tende all vnto one ende to witte to glorifie GOD and to sanctyfie his name Euen as then the Angelles serue not GOD for to merite Paradyse of whiche they are alreadye in possession neyther for satisfaction of theire sinnes of whithe they are not entangled But onelye for the loue that they haue in GOD and the desyre of hys glorye so Gods electe doe regarde none other thinge for they are alreadye washed and purged from theire sinnes by the bloudâ— of Iesus Christ and they re hearte puryfied by the faythe in hym and thorowe the woorde that they haue hearde of hym And are already possessors of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ in hope the which is no lesse sure and certeine then if the thinge were present and that the Angels are assured of that that they haue Therefore the holy Apostle sayth that wee are saued thorowe hope and that Iesus Christ doth make vs sitte in the heauenly places And therefore when God doth chastise and cortect vs in this worlde that is as the Apostle also writeth vnto the Corinthians for to correct and chastise vs that we should not be damned wyth the worlde and the Infidels bicause that we are yet in the waye and capable of chastisment and ainendement But there is an other reason after thys lyfe héere when wee are out of the waye and néede and that wee cannot any more empayre nor amend And therefore the Lorde doth chasten vs héere as the good Father who beateth not his sonne for to haue any recompence thereby for the faulte that hée hath committed For the paine of the childe bringeth no profite vnto the Father Also he doth not beat him through rigor nor throughe mallice that hée hath to take vengeaunce of him For hée loueth him as his childe and the fatherly affection maketh him soone forget the faultes and iniuries that he hath done vnto him As it is cleerely shewed vnto vs in the Father of the prodigall childe Eusebius What hath the father then to do to chastise him Theophilus If hée knewe that he woulde neuer doe any more fault he would soone pardon him without any punishment But fearing least thorow his great patience â— gentlenesse shoulde fall agayne hee is constrained to beate and chastise him although that he doe it not willingly but it to that ende to make hym more prudent and wyse and to better aduise himselfe in time to come and that he take diligent heede not to sall againe in y fault or in any other greater The which is no more to be feared in those whome GOD hath called from this worlde Wherefore they cannot anye more rectius punishment whiche shoulde be to câ—nâ—en them as is y same of the father towards his child for to amend him But if there hée a punishment it is rather to declare the iudgement the seuerity of God towards the wicked and reprobates and to manyfest his goodnes and mercy towardes his elect As the Iudge doth condemne the traytor murtherer and other malefactors that haue deserued death not for to haue any recompence nor those vnto whom they haue done wronge and iniury For what recompence can they haue by their deathes neyther do they it for to cause them to walke in time to come more vprightly sith that they take from them their life But for to satisfie righteousnes and to mayntaine it to that end that other may take example and that they may know how auayleable it is to haue followed vertue and eschewed vice Eusebius To what purpose then doth Sainct Iohn in his reuelation say Their works do follow them what workes do follow them but the good déedes that men doe for them after their death For those that they haue done whilest they lyued went before not after Wherefore it followeth that there are some other which do profit them Theophilus Sainct Iohn speaketh it bycause that their workes do beare witnes that they are the children of god He sayth not other mens workes but theyr owne workes For as man lyueth of his owne soule and not of the soule of an other mans euen so doth the righteous man of his faith And as the righteous man lyueth of his faith not of the faith of an other euen so shal euery one be iudged according to his workes and not after those that other men shall doe For it is written Euery one shall beare his owne burthen And therefore Iesus Christ sayth by thy worde thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned That is so saye thy wordes and thy workes shal beare witnes of thy heart and by them thou shalt bée iuslified that is to saye absolued declared and pronounced iust and righteous Oâ— by them thou shalt be condemâ—ned knowen and iudged worthy of death and condemnation Not that God néedeth any witnes of our workes for to know whether we are worthy of absolution or condeÌ„nation For he knoweth y hearts néedeth none other witnes but his owne But y scripture vseth such maÌ„ner of speaking for to apply it to our capacitie for to manifest declare vnto vs better the Iust IudgemeÌ„t of god which wil shew foorth y hâ—pecriâ—e of maÌ„ heart For maÌ„ how wicked soeuer his heart be he wold alwaies hide it if one put it to his own coÌ„â—câ—éce although y he do condemne it he wil not for y leaue off to aduasice brag he y le an honest man vntil such time as he he také with his wicked déed as y theefe with his steaâ—ing For he is so peruers wicked
although y be be taken with the deed he wil excuse himself And as y shameles whore is not a shamed to deny y which we see with our eyes hanole with our hands As we haue an example in Came. Although that he killed his brother and y his handes were yet all blouddy and wette with the bloud that he â—ad shed it seemeth to heare him speake that God did vnto him greate miury and wronge in asking him where he is And therefore God would vanquishe the malyce and peruersitie of mans hearte and condemne it by the workes that are manifest for to declare vnto him and to make him confesse by the fruite that he is the roote aâ—d the tree to the ende that he may not glorify himself to be the Figge the O life tree when one doth emdently shewe vnto him the thornes thistles that it hath born And euen so euery creature is constrayned to acknowledge and confâ—sse that the iudgement of God is iust and that it consisteth in all truth and equitie Now the workes y men do for vs after that wee bee dead are not ours Wherefore wee cannot saye that they follow vs For it is another matter to bee in the way and iourney and to haue already ended his iourney and to be arriued at the port whylest that we are in the course of this present life he taketh vs as a sree which yet groweth the which one may dresse and proyne for to make him beare fruite But when he is once cut downe ther is no more hope he lieth wher lie falleth he must trauayle no more afterwards In like maner may we iudge of man Whilest y he is in the way that he is in his course sight one may aide him by admonitioÌ„s entreatings other morkes of charitie which we owe y one to y other whilst y we are herein the work of god for vs to helpe the one the other to obteine win the victory But after that he hath called vs from the worke in the which he hath set vs wée must attend and looke no more but for the rewarde and Crowne of righteousenes the which the righteous Iudge shall giue vnto vs as Sainct Paul hoped for himselfe as we haue fought for him the good fight and haue fulfilled our course and haue kept the faith vnto the ende On the contrary we must looke for feare confusion and eternall death as the slougthfull seruant vnfaithfull and vngrations we haue hid away and stollen the Talent away from our Maister without bringing vnto him any profit Therefore Sainct Iohn saith Bring foorth fruites worthy of repentance that is to say thorow which you shewe foorth that truely you repent you of your sinnes and that you haue amended your euill life For the are is put vnto the roote of the tree so that euery tree whiche bringeth not foorth good fuite is hewen downe and cast in to the fire Uppon that maâ—ter Sainct Augustine did writte vnto Macedonius after this manner There is no other place for to correct and amende manners then in this life For after this life euery one shall haue that that hee hath gotteÌ„ here And in another place he saith In this world the mercy of god helpeth those y repâ—t But in y world to come repeÌ„tance profiteth not but we must riÌ„der accompt of our works Liberty of repeÌ„tance is only giuen vnto vs in this life after y we be dead there is no more licrÌ„ce of correctioÌ„ Now is y time of mercy after wards shal be the time of iudgment And in expouÌ„ding those words of Iesus Christ Hee which beleeueth not is already iudged saith after this maÌ„ner The iugâ—eiâ—eÌ„t appereth not yet but y iudgemeÌ„t is already done For y Lord knoweth who are his He knoweth those which abyde looking farryng for the crown those which abyde looking for the fire Moreouer Sainct Iohn Chusostome speaketh more plainely confirming that which I haue said in such words Prepare and make reaby thy works for the end and prepare thy self to the way and if thou haste taken any thing by violence from anye man restore it againe and make restitution and say with Zachens if I haue taken from any man by forged cauilatioÌ„ I restore him foure fould If thou art angry with any man agree with him before that thou do come vnto iudgement dispatche here al things that without let thou mayst sée that Iudictall seate All the while that wee are here in this world we haue goodly hopes but assone as we shal be gone from thence it lyeth no more in oure power to doe penaunce nor to deface and put out our sinnes For after the end of our life there is no more occasion of merites no more then there is vnto those the play at prises games to obtaine crownes and rewardes after that the combat play and prises are finished and ended For he which in this present life hath not washed away his sinnes afterwards he shal finde no consolation For in hell as it is written who shall confesse thee That is to say who shall prayse thee in the graue And by good reason For this is the time of the Theators of Combals Playes and Prises But the shal be the time of the Crownes rewards and salaryes Also let vs not thinke when we shall be come thyther that we shall haue mercy which do nothing at all wherefore we ought to haue pardon No though Abraham Noe Iob and Daniell did pray for vs Whilest then wee haue time let vs prepare for our selues great trust and assurance towards god And Sainct Hierome saith no lesse confessing that in the other world And Sainct Ambrose is of the same opinion saying Dauid required that his sinnes might bee pardoned him before that he departed out of this life For he that shall not here in this life receaue forgiuenesse of his sinnes shal not haue it in the other he shall not haue it bicause he shall not haue the power to come and attaine to the eternal life For the forgiuenes of sinnes is the eternall life Therfore saith hee pardon mee O Lorde that I may bee comforted before that I goo and shall be no more And therefore I greatly meruatle of that papisticall doctrine which is so repugnant both to the holy scriptures and to the witnesse of the auncient Doctors of the Churche Sainct Cyprian hath written in the Sermon that he made of the immortalitie that the faithfull that do dye haue taken white robes and garments By which he meaneth that they are come to the beatitude and felicitie and feacheth that we muste wéepe no more for the dead Sith that they are alreadie in the estate of felicitie But me thinkes that the Priestes do not take them to bee assured of the eternall life whom they lodge in their Purgatory but that from Purgatory they may yet
fall into hell Or if they vnderstand it not so wherefore do they sing in the offertory of the Masse for the dead Domine Iesu Christi c. That is to say O Lord Iesu Christ king of glory deliuer the soules of all the faithfull that dye from the paines of hell and from the déepe lake Deliuer theÌ„ from the Lions mouth least the in hell he deuour theÌ„ lest the they fal not in the obscure dark places but the S. Michel the standard bearer do represent theÌ„ into the holy light which of late thou diddest promise vnto Abraham and to his seed Thomas Mee thinkes that this is repugnant vnto that which Eusebius hath spoken before and to that which the Priests do sing saying that in hell there is no raunsome nor delyuerance And yet nenerthelesse they pray here in that oâ—fertory vnto Iesus Christ that he wil deliuer them from the paines of hell It must then needes follow that eyther their prayer is vaiue and that they demaunde a thing of God which they do very well knew to be impossible and contrary vnto his will or that there is aswel deliuerance in hell as in Purgatory and that they speake against themselues or els that hell Purgatory be al one thing Eusebius Thy disiunetiue is not good For not withstanding the commonly men take hell for the hell fire and the place of the dampned yet neuerthelesse it may bee vnderstanded more amply for that low places and cositries the estate condicion of the dead after this manner his signification shall comprehende contrine also the Purgatory as it doth in this place here Hillarius We muste then expounde it of the paines of hell that is to say of the paines of Purgatory Eusebius It cannot be vnderstanded otherwise Thomas And what shall we vnderstand by the deepe lake Eusebius The very same Thomas There is then also a lake in Purgatory Hillarius You do well Thomas to be affrayd Did you neuer here before how the priests did pay the seriage for to haue the dead passe ouer It is then necessarye the they haue their fery man Charon for to let passe repasse the soules aswel as the Panims Poets had Now if there be a Charon a fery man he caÌ„not carry ouer soules without the there is seas lakes or ryuers for to caryhis boats scyfes ships barkes gallies Thomas But I am greatly abashed wherfore wée do call those that dye in the french tongue trespasses Thinke that it was bicause that they were already passed from this life in the other But as farre as I can perceiue it is rather bicause that they haue passed ouer those infernall lakes and reuers Hillarius I doe beléeue that the Christians and true faithfull people haue called their dead trespasses signifiyng by that same that the death of the faithfull is no death but only a passage for to enter into life those which are dead in the faith of Iesus Christ according to his promises are passed from death to life And therfore they are rightly called trespasses bicause the they are already passed ouer are come vnto the port of health in which they rest in ioy and consolation w Iesus Christ their Lorde hauing escaped all the dauÌ„gers the great gculfes of the sea of this world of sinne death hell But sithence the the pope hath begun to reign in stéed of Iesus Christ the he hath take the office of Pluto the god of hel of Eacus Minos Rhadamantus and Neoptolemus the infernal iudges as a newe king hée would chauÌ„ge the laws estates habitations maÌ„ners of huing of his subiects the be dead aswel as of those y be aliue endeuoreth himselfe w all his power strength to abolish put out the laws ordinances institutions holy CanoÌ„s inuiolated decrées which Iesus Christ hath giuen aswel to the liuing as to the dead by his prophets apostles passed confirmed ratefied sealed by the arrest of the celestiall beauenly court by the great counsell wisedome of god of the holy trinitie of the father the sonne the holy ghost of all the angels archangels Saincts Sainctes patriarkes apostles Euangelists Martirs Confessors Mirgins to the end y the faithful without any other should haue place in heauen in earth in hell Theophilus He woulde do vnto Iesus Christ as the Romaine Emperors the Popes haue done many times the one against the other making frustrate boyd the which their predecessors haue made ordeined For in asmuch as they haue made Iesus Christ the first pope S. Peter the seconde I thinke the it seemeth good vnto theÌ„ the aswell they maye abrogate make boide their ordinances as they haue done those of other Popes their predecessors changing most ofceÌ„ times the that the first haue ordeyned making frustrate their counsels decrées especially sithence the time of pope Stephen who made boide al the which Formosus his predecessor had don But they do in that great wrong vnto Iesus Christ that sitheÌ„ce he is risen againe there are so many popes risen vp in his place For they wil not suffer that one should choose another whilst they are aliue or if that be done they call him antipope the is chosen in spite of their bearde and hold for scisinaticks aswel him as those that haue chosen him which are Ioyned w him They call him antipope who setteth himself against him wheÌ„ they estéeme to be the true pope eue as we set antichrist against Christ Sith theÌ„ the Iesus Christ is rise froÌ„ death he is immortal shall dye no more but shal abiee dwel eternally with his churche of which he is the only head according to y promise y hee hath made to his disciples saying beld I am with you vntill the ende of the world For asmuch also as that great heaâ—â—nly father of whom proceedeth all fatherly loue y is called y olde aged of whom Daniel speaketh off he hath giuen vnto him al iudgment power seigniory both in heauen in earth hath made him to be called by his prophet the father of the world to come Prince of peace willing y in y name of Iesus should euery knee how both of things in heauen things in earth and thinges vnder the earth I am greatly abashed froÌ„ whence this ouer boldnes rashnes should proceed to create those other popes then he sith y he is alwayes aliue y he is the Lord of y quick and of the dead and his kingdome hath nene ende Hillarius They cannot denie but that they are al Antipopes That is to say contrary and enemies to the true Hope so consequently heritickes and schismatickes For sith y Iesus Christ is the true Christ true Pope that is to say the father of y Christian Church it followeth that they are Antichrists
hope either to merit or not to merit and a place to do good or euill as in this mortal life and to be damned or saued Eusebius There is great difference For in this life man may merit or not merit of him selfe But after he is dead he can do no more for him selfe but others may do it for him And the merites of those that bee alyue doe serue him to saluation Theophilus And so by that meanes Iesus Christe shal be a Sauiour neither of the lyuing nor of the dead the merite of his death and passion shall saue neither the one nor the other but the lyuing shall saue themselues during their life and after their death others that shal be thē alyue shal saue them especially the Priestes and Moonks By that meanes we haue many sauiours and men should neuer be certaine nor sure of their saluation neither before their death nor afterwards whiche is a thing altogether contrarie to the doctrine of the scriptures Eusebius And if I would maintaine that those which are in hell can be somewhat deliuered from the pains theroff eyther by the prayers and good déedes of the liuing or bicause of the good deedes that they themselues haue done during their life that should be a strange thing vnto thée What wouldest thou aunswere to that Haue wee not the witnes of a great many histories and good doctours worthy to be beleeued which certefie vs how that Sainct Gregory deliuered Traianus the Emperour from the paines of hell who notwithstanding did put to death many of the Christians and namely Sainct Ignacius the discyple of S. Iohn the Euangelist It is in like manner written in the life of the fathers that Sainct Machaire deliuered a priest being a Panim who affirmed vnto him that he was damned And in the life of sainct Brandon we read that hee did sée Iudas which walked by the meadowes of whom he asked the cause wherefore he was not in hell who aunswered him bicause of the good deedes that he did in his life time he had therefore some solace and comfort Theophilus If Thou canst no better confirme my sentence nor better proue that your doctrine is altogether vncerteine variable inconstant and gamesayinge it selfe For hast thou not alreadie confessed vnto me that the priestes do not praye for the dampned bicause that there is no deliuerance from hell and from the fire of hell Consider I pray thée how that agreeth with those goodly fables with that which thou meanest now to speake off Eusebius If you had read diligently the bookes of the good auncient doctors and especially of Saint Thomas you might easely make all these places agrée For they do alledge foure opinions reasons for to satisfie suche doubts The first is that Traianus was raysed thorow the prayers of Sainct Gregory and that he dath done penance in this life thorowe the which he meryted grace and pardon of his sinnes Wherefore he is dead in the grace of God and hath bene saued and this is the best allowed opinion of the doctors The second is that the soule of Traianus was not simplye deliuered from the paine and fault thereof but that his paine was suspended and delayed vntill the daye of iudgement and afterwardes shal be saued The thyrd opinion is that Gregory deliuered him not from the place of hell but from the paine The fourth which is also best allowed among all the other that the soule of Traianus was deliuered from the paines of hell and hath obtayned mercie thorow the prayers of Sainct Gregory the which thing was done not after the common law but after the disposition and dispensation of the wisdome and prouidence of God who did foresee that Sainct Gregory should pray for him Wherefore it hath not dampned it by or through diffinitiue sentence but by a sentence suspenciue The which thing hath bene a perticuler priuiledge For Sainct Hierome saith that the priuiledges are but for a fewe people and not for all For the priuiledges of a fewe are not lawes common to all And the things which go out of square from the common lawe ought not to bee drawen into a consequence Hillarius I thinke that that is the priuiledge whiche is written in the Aeneados of Virgill the which Cyble recited speaking to Aeneas after this manner Then prophet Cyble said O borne of bloud of heauenly kind Thou Troyan Duke the way that leads to hell is light to finde Both nights and dayes the doore of Limbo blacke doth open gape But backward vp to climbe and free to Skies est soones to scape Their woorkes their labour is few men whom equall loue did loue Our vertue pearcing all did to the starres aduaunce aboue Beholde the priuiledge of that good doctor whiche peraduenture Iupiter in whom Traianus did beléeue granted vnto him Theophilus I do greatly meruayle both of Thomas of Aquin and of other questionarie doctors whiche haue taken suche great paines for to couler and set foorth a fable It must be that they haue had very much leasure and that they were not muche occupied about other better affaires They would sooner haue giuen a more true and certeine solution if they had by and by answered that they receiued not such fables as some of their owne secte haue done namely our maister Iohn Maioris the Scotte the whiche I haue heretofore heard reade in the Colledge of Mountaigu Hee reiecteth without making anye doubt both the history of Sainct Machaire and also that of S. Brandon As touching that same of Traians although that he alledge the common solutions of other doctors yet neuerthelesse he first doth aunswer that he knoweth not from whence that history had his first beginning the which hath no certaine author not withstanding that some doe attribute it vnto Iohn Damascenus But how shoulde hee haue written it sith that according to their owne witnesses and chronicles he raigned long time before that saint Gregory lyued and was dead before that Sainct Gregory was borne For their chronicles do witnes that Damascenus florished in the years of our Lord 440. And that he was very familier with the Emperour Theodosius The which yet neuerthelesse I beléeue not For by that account he had lyued in the time of Sainct Ambrose neuerthelesse there is great differēce betweene his bookes and these of Sainct Ambrose For these of Sainct Ambrose are a great deale purer keepe a great deale better the puritie of that aunciēt church But peraduenture they meane the young Theodoseus which rayned after Honorius Although that it be so by their owne Chronicles he was before the time of Gregory about 152. yeares For they do write that Gregory reigned in the yeare 592. Hillarius It must néeds be then that either the Chronicles are false or the witnes of those the do make Damascenus the author of that fable Except peraduenture they will say that thorow the spirite of prophecie he hath
Theophilus If it doe profite as much him which doth not communicate really the Sacrament as him which doth communicate so that he haue fayth as well as the communicant to what ende then serueth to goe to the supper And wherefore hath Iesus Christ sayd deuyde this bread among you and drincke yée all of this cuppe wee shall then néede no more if wee wyll not take the supper really But that the father may send his sonne the husbande hys wyfe the master his seruaunt which may communicate for them and they wythout mouing or wagginge themselues shall communicate spyrytuallye by fayth so that the intention and deuotion bée such in them I am not ignoraunt but that the true communication is spirituall and thorowe fayth wythout which the outwarde bringeth more domage then lprosite But doste thou thincke that Iesus Christ hath instituted the signe and the extericure Cermonye of he Sacrament wyll out cause and that heâ— woulde not but that wee our selues shoulde communicate excepte wée haue some lawfull let which draweth vs backe as sickenesse imprisonment faulte of minstringe it or other like doubt which procéedeth not of our fault of infidelitie or dispisinge it Truelye I wyll not denie but that in such a case those which cannot bée present at the suppen should haue iust excuse and that they doe communicate spiritually with Iesus Christ But I demaund of thée Eusebius if thou wouldest bée content that an other shoulde dine for théeâ— and if in fasting thou shalt be refreshed with the meate that an other shal haue eaten Thomas As for my selfe I wilâ—not agrée vnto it For that is no place in which he must haue a lieuetenant and vicare I bad rather haue him in all other thinges then in the table Theophilus If you would not in coryorall thinges wherefore will you accept it in spirituall thinges can I liue of your soule or you oâ— mine Thomas No. Theophilus Nowe for asmuch as the fayth is the life of the soule it must be that euery one doe lyue of his owne and wée must not say I beléeue as my maybe beléeueth But it must bée that I my selfe doe beléeue and that I doe knowe and vnderstande that which I beleeue Furthermore sith that the woorde of God the preachinge of the Gospell the administration of the sacramentes are meanes by which God nourisheth keepeth augementâ—th and confirmeth the fatith in vs as the lyfe the body by the meanes of bread and other meates wée ought to vnderstande that as there is no man that can take foode and nourishment for mée if I my selfe doe not take it so cannot hée heare the Gospell nor receyue the Sacraments for mee But it is necessary that I doe them my selfe in proper person If I wyll haue the profite yea thoughe I were an Emperour Nowe if tho liuinge cannot doe it for the liuing what can they doe for the dead In lyke manner as touchinge the generall supper which is made amonge all the people howe doe the Priestes handle yors It was not inoughe for them to haue vsurped the Sacrament for them alone a great tyme but that they must yet defrande you of the moytie the same daies that you would communicate For they doe not gyue you to drinke of that same wine the which they doe drinke but haue establyshed and concluded by theire counsells that it sufficeth the laye people to communicate vnder one kinde onely that is to saye of the bread and that there should bée none but they whiche shoulde communicate vnder both kindes of the bread and wine And the same was determined in the counsell of Constance holden in the yeare 1415. the xb daye of Iune in the 13. Sessions agaynst the authoritie not onelye of the worde of God but of all the aucinet Doctors and also of their decrées and Canons Wherefore it is easely to iudge of what spirite those were lead that were ther assisting and which haue made such determination haue iudged Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prague to bee burned who vphelde the doctrine of the auncient Church At the least they could not deuye but that they were constrayned to condempne eyther that counsell or the same of Basle whiche afterwardes ordayned that it was permitted to the Bobemians to communciate vnder doth kindes the which was obteined by great disputation as the Chronicles doe witnesse and the Epistles written of that matter But there is no doubte but that the same of Basle is therein more agreeing to the auncient doctrine It is meruayle that they doe forbid the cup vnto the laye people and theire owne canons in some places do iudge those for sacriledgers excommunicate which do take it but in one kinde doe not take y cup as it it is easely to see de cosi dist 2. in many Canone Thomas But there is great difference betwéene that that you drinke theris For they thinke y theirs is no more wine but that it is changed into y bloud of Iesus Christ thorow the vertue of their consecration But they do accompt and take yours but for wine bicause that it was consecrated Hillarius They giue it you but for to rinse wash the téeth if peradueÌ„ture there do stick any of the flesh which they haue giuen you to eate For according to the witnesse which Humbert Cardinall a Rorguignon hath rehearsed in the honorable recantatioÌ„ that he made for Berengarius conteyning the fayth of Pope Nicholas the which they haue caused him to rehearse and recite wée must beleeue that the body of Iesus Christ is there taken with the mouth of the faythfull and chewed brused with the téeth It is moste certeine that their wine is no more bloud then yours But yer seeing the opinion that they haue and that they doe estéeme it more precious they doe you iniurye to depriue you of it Theophilus I doe meruaile how they dare depriue the people from the cup more then from the bread sith that Iesus Christ hath sayd expresly take yee and drinke ye al. But ther is no doubt y the priuate perticuler masses haue ingendred this error For euen as the Priests haue vsurpled the office to celebrate y supper for others to make their dignitie to be of more value so they would make theirs to differ froÌ„ y same of others to take y both kinds for themselues leaue onely but one vnto y pleople to y end they do estme y the masse supper which the priest celebrateth were more worthy of more greater merite then y other faithful that it bringeth vnto theÌ„ more gaine For after that the people were perswaded in y opinion euery one did set theÌ„ aworke as workmen hired by daies for to sing both for the quick for the dead whereof they receiued great gaine of which we do yet at this day see y great riches treasures of the Monks of the order of S. Bener
Aegyptians 184. Antiquitie of the Areadians 184. Antiquitie and instruction of mariage 185 Apes of the Apostles 126 Apparell white 167 Appearing of spirits to what end they pretende 135 Appellations extremes to whom they belong 198 Apophâ—hegme of Diogenes 153. Artillerie Papisticall 116 Aspersions and sprinklings at the entring in comming forth of the temple 153 Ashes holy 168 Ashes of an Heyfer 171 Ashes of the Auncients 169 Ashes of the vestales 171. Saint Augustine 175 Authoritie of S. Augustin for the suffrages for the deade 176 Authors of the Masse 183. Authours of the eclestiall and Ecclesiasticall Hierarchia 126 Ayme Duke of Sauoye 191 B. Bacchanales Bacchus 140 Banket and supper for the dead 132 Baptisme deferred 172 Baptisme for the dead 172. 183 Baptised to be for the dead 172 Beginning of prayers for the deade 116 Benifices and offices giuen by parentage 139 Bellyes giuen to slouth vnder coulour of religion 123 Bessation 191 Berengarus 139 Bying of the sielde of Ephron 118 Bloud of Iesus 163 Blessing of the brides bed 147 Blessing of Torches and Tapers 153 Blessing of the Pascell fire 157 〈…〉 171 〈…〉 â—â—6 138 〈…〉 195 〈…〉 of propositâ—â—â— 144 〈◊〉 and mourning for Iacob and Mosis 117 C. Candelles of a good saiut 181 Candelles blessed and prucessious 151 Candelles for the health of soule and bodie 152 Candelmes day 147 Caruâ— the goddesse the porter 167 Castor and Pollus 1â—1 The cause of the mourning of the Israelites 119 The cause of the institucioÌ„ of feasts 147 Celerin and his family 179 Cereales 151 Certitude in the doctrme of faith required 196 Ceremonies 170 Chameleon 1â—3 Charmes 152 Chastitie and secretly 145 Chase away the diuell by fasting prayers 171 Charge of ceremonies 130 Cloris 166 Christians sauage wilde 146 Combat of Mars and Mineâ—â—a 136 The true Commemoration of the death of Iesus Christ 151 Commemorantes 181 To Communicate sacramentally spiritually 186 Comparison of the Ashes of an Heiser holy water 163 Conformitie and deformitie of the Bacchanales and the Shroftide 146 Conformities betweene the religion of the Paâ—â—ms and the Popes 136 Conformitie betweene God mars and faint Geâ—rge 137 Conformitie of the feastes of the deade 137 Conformitie of Cyble to our Lady 138 Constancy of the Greekes 190 Complaint of Saint Augustine 130 Coâ—â—uring of the water 153 To put the Lorde about the necke 144 Coâ—empaing of the Gospel 14â— Counsell and moderation of Saint Paul 144 Councile of Constance and of Basle 187 Councile of Florence 190 Councile of Lateran 190 Councile of Basill 190 Councile of Ferrara 190 Councile of Innocent Pope and others 190 Conuent of Monkes 183 Couetous of renowne 156 Creatures of the Pope 143 Creators of the creatour 143 Craft and deceite of a Priest of Canopus 157 Custome of the Romaines 123 Custome of the Thracians 122 Custome of the Cathercumenes 172 Custome of the Lecedemonians 123 Custome of the Lycians 123 Custome auncient of the Massilians 123 Cyble 137 Cygales 133 Cypâ—â—an 177 D. Dayes appointed to mourne for what cause 119 Dayes Aristotolicalls 134 Dayes dedicated to the deed 117 Dauâ—d and Abimelech 141 Denis Areopagâ—te 126. 177 Diana Strongilios or Diana Rotunda 138 The disceite which Faunus did thinke to do vnto Hercules 147 Difference betweene â—hisike and Philosphiie a charmer and a Magicyan 154 Dishonour vnto the Urigin Mary 151 Little dispenses costes about the dead 132 Dispensation of mariage 124 Dispensations of the Pope 141 Disputations of the bablers of Diuinytie 196 Disputations of the Athess of the hoast 161 Diuersitie of opinions touching the suffrages for the dead 196 Doctrine of the Apostles perfect 193 Dionisiales 146 E. Easter 150 Eccâ—â— 115 Egges of Serpents 197 Elect in daunger to be seduced 197 Aeneas 129 Ende of mans life 142 Ende of the Popes Lawes 143 Eucratistes and Seuerians 141 Epitaphe of Lucresse 141 Errour of the Idolaters and hypocrits 164 Example of Dauid 125 Excommunication for communion 18â— Exhortacion to repentance 144 F. False following of the worke of Saints 164 Fastings condempned 170 Fastings of the auncients 169 Fastings and abstinence of the Panims 171 Fastings 167 Fasting the principall vse 170 Fannes and Satyres 147 Februa 131. 149 Feastes and Anniuersaries for the deade and their beginning 128 Feasted for the deade in Februarie 129 Feastes of Martyrs and confessors 13â— The feast of the dead 138 An other feast of the dead 139 Feasts of mad men 140 Feast of saint Peters chaire 133 Feasts of the dead in May. 129 Feasts cut in peeces 139 An other feast of the deade in Ianuarie 139 Feasts of fooles 140 Feast of Kings 14â— Feast of the Panims comprised in the feast of Candels 14â— Feralis Coena 132 Fire of Vesta 158 Fire Diuturnall and eternall 194 Fire kindeled in the Temple of Vesta 160 Fire and water the Gods of the Papists 157 Fire the God of the Persians 154 Fire made a God. 159 Fires of S. Brandon of Ihon. 168 The true fire what it is 162 Flora. 166 Florales 151. 166. Fluona 149 The force of gold and of Iron 159 Fraction or breaking of the hoast 188 G. Gerion 131 Gift of continency 144 Gifts to doe myracles in the primitiue Church 126 Goddesse Pecunia 143 Goddesse of Beasts 169 God Ris. 150 God compared to fire 155 God Canopus 156 Gods of fire and water 162 The great God of the Pope 14â— The most puissant God of the Priests 158 Good fryday 150 Gold why it is pale 159 Gregory the first 116 Gregory the third 116 Gregory the fourth 138 H. Handkerchefe of Chambery 160 Harpe of Orpheus and that of the pope 131 Hecate triua triformis 131 Hercules 131 Herostratus 156 Hillaria 150 Holy bread and the breade of saint Agathe 165 Holy hoast 158 Hoostes the subtillest in the world 186 Humilytie famed 170 Hypocrits 170 Hymenius the God of mariages 136 I. Ieto me contrarie vnto mariage 145 Saint Iessiye 140 Ieast of a holy father 134 Iewes among the Christians 160 Idolatrie of the fire and plamrets 155 Images Noses stopped and couered 172 Images instruments of the diuell 155 Image of saint George cast into Saine 137 Imitacion of the Iewes and Panyms and of Mahomet 128 Incredulytie 171 Induction 142 Institucion of the supper 185 Infirmitie of man. 148 Interpretation of the blessing of the new fire 157 Inuocation of Saints 181 Iulian the Apostat 132 Iuno Sospita 167 Iuno and Diana Queene of Heauen 138 Iupiter a sauiour 167 L Laughing of the Soules 134 Lawe of â—uma for the marriage of widowes 124 Lawes of marriage what they ought to be 124 Laws of the Romaines of the mourning of widowes 124 Lawe of the Iewish funeralles 120 Lawe of fastings 169 Lawes cimles and obedience to Maiestrates 142 Lewes King. 1â—9 Lent. 240 Libertie of the Gospell 120 Libertie Christian 11â— Lymit of mans affection 121 Lugentibus in Purgatory 166 Lupercales 129. 149 M. Manner by the which the soules are deâ—uered 176 Manner and
he hath done it in his time Eusebius Doest thou think that there is in the other life any augmentation and increase of ioy and of glory Theophilus To the end thou maist not rebuke me in ouer rash defining of such things I will propounde vnto thée the witnesses of the scripture by whiche thou maist comprehend that which we may iudge off Mark then first the witnesse of the Apostle which saith writting of the holy prophets and seruants of God which were before the comming of Christ that all those there hauing obteyned witnesse by faith receiued not the promise God hauing prouided a certeine better thing for vs to the end that they should not be come vnto perfection without vs He saith not that they haue altogether receiued the promise For it was made first of all to them But he vnderstandeth the accomplishing and the fruite of the same of which they haue not béene altogether depriued But they haue not had it so perfectly as we haue it nowe For sith that he speaketh of fulfilling and ending he signifieth then that there is alreadie great beginning of felicitie But the perfection was not yet nor shal be vntill the consuÌ„mation and restoring of all things For the terme of consuÌ„mation and perfection are relatiues the which wée must necessarily referre vnto some beginning To which agréeth the aunswere that GOD made vnto the soules of the Martyrs which demaunded vengeaunce against the persecutors of the Church vnto whome the Lorde aunswered that they shoulde tarrye vntyll the number of their bretheren were fulfilled Eusebius make me to vnderstand that more clearely Theophilus Assone as we bâ—gin to knowe God in this worlde and to beléeue in Iesus Christ we begin also to tast the goodnesse of the celestiall life and of the worlde to come But we haue not yet perfect ioy Yet neuerthelesse sithence that we haue once tasted that celestiall goodnesse we grow from day to day from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from good to be better vntil we become vnto the age of a perfect man to the fulnesse of Christ to the eternall felicitie and ended blessednesse Now if alreadie in this vale of misery our soule being charged with this terrestiall body shut vp and kept in the same as in a darke prison altogether wrapped in miseries sinnes and maledictions receiueth such consolation and ioy there is no doubt but that after that it is deliuered from that prison and captiâ—â—tie and hath put of all earthly corruption it may growe into all goodnesse and perfection or else in vaine hath Saint Paul saide I desâ—re to be losed and to be with Christ which thing is to â—e best of all And yet neuerthelesse it hath not hir â—eâ—iâ—â—tie and perfect glorie vntill the resurrection of his glorious bodie And that it be againe vnited wiâ—h it and seâ— God face to face and knowe him as we haue béene knowâ—â— of him then when he shal haue vanquished all things and shal be all in all For it is not yet appeared what we shal be but our life is hid in Iesus Christ Euen as then those which doe nowe depart out of this life haue not yet such ioy as they shall haue after that Iesus Christ shall appeare in glorie â—or to iudge all flesh when we shall all arise so by the like reason we may estéeme and thinke that the auncient fathers which haue béene before the commâ—ng of Iesus Christ haue not had altogether such ioy and felicitie before â—is resurrection as afterwarde For if the Angels themselues which alwayes doe behold the face of the heauenly father haue receiued increase of the science and knowledge of God and of their felicitie by the comming of Iesus Christ and there ought to receiue it more ample in the resurrection of the iust and righteous we must not doubt but that asmuch shall happen vnto the blessed spirites and iust soules Wherefore wée may easely knowe by the same howe great and admirable the misterie and secret of the redemption of mankinde is and what is the excellencie of the Church of Iesus Christ sith that the angels themselues doâ— receiuâ— so great profite and increase in all goodnesse Thomas By what place of the holy scripture caâ—st thou proue that which thou speakest Theophilus They are sufficiently expressed in the Epistles of the Apostles for saint Peter speaking of that matter saith that of the Prophets auncyent fathers that it hath béene reuealed vnto them y not to them selues but vnto vs they should administer the things the which saith he nowe are declared vnto you by them which haue declared the gospell by the holy ghost sent from 〈◊〉 the which the Angels doe desire to beholde The Angelâ— had not that desire but that they did féele a greate goodnesse But saint Paul sheweth vnto vs the same yet more expressely and declareth vnto vs sufficiently that sith that the Angels are the ministers of God appointed to the health of men which cannot be in perfect and full blessednesse as we which are their compagnions burgesses and citizens of the kingdome of heauen with them neither are we also come therevnto For euen as they do reioyce ouer the sinner that repenteth and which retâ—urneth vnto God also without all doubt sith that aboâ—e all things they do procure our helth and saluation it cannot be but that they are verie angrye and sorye when they sée vs yet pressed with sinne and death and to striue against them in great anguish Forasmuch then as their â—â—â—yâ—itie is ioyned with ours it is certeine that theirs without ours cannot be perfect For it is written expresly that the saintes shal iudge the Angels and the worlde And the Apostle affirmeth that nowe vnto the rulers and powers in heauen might be knowne by the congregation the manifold wisedome of God according to the eternall purpose which he purposed in Christe Iesu our Lorde If the Angels then doe learne yet and profite in the knowledge of the goodnesse of God the which they doe daily sée to be manifested by newe miracles towardes the Church so in like manner it must be that they doe acknoweledge vs for their iudges and princes in Christ and bicause of Christe it is easie to knowe that there is yet a certeine thing in them whiche doth séeke his perfection of Iesus Christe Therefore it is written that thorowe him all thinges are repaired and restored both in heauen and in earth Wherein the scripture teacheth vs that his comming was not onely healthful vnto men but also vnto all creatures yea vnto the Angels themselues which had no sinne For euen as the fâ—ll of man hath drawen after him the ruine of all other creatures and hath made them subiect vnto malediction with him so euery creature sigheth and groneth with him also looâ—â—â—g for their redemption and deliuerance the which is ioyned together with his Nowe if the Angells cannot be
perfectly consâ—mated in all blessednesse without vs which are their compaignioâ—s how shal our other bretheren do which are ioyned néerer vnto vs which do yet tâ—â—â—e for the redemption of their bodyes and the consummation of their ioy the which they cannot haue without vs and a great deale lesse then the Angels Thomas Weâ— may also conclude by the contrarie that the torâ—ents of the diuells and reprobate doe increase and that they shal be greater and more grieuous after the latter iudgement then they are at this present Theophilus Saint Péeter doth giue vs most euident witnesse writing of the wicked and reprobate after this manner howe will God spare them if he haue not spared the Angels that haue sinned but hath cast them down into hell deliuered them into chaynes of darkenesse to be kept vnto iudgement And by and by after he saith moreouer the Lorde knoweth howe to deliuer the godly out of temptation and howe to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement We cannot deny but that the diuels and reprobate are alreadie in torment and but that they are alreadie drowned in the bottome of hell sith that they are reiected of God that they are in his wrath â— indignation But yet neuerthelesse by the words of saint Peter we may easely vnderstand that they doe attend and â—ariâ— for yet a certeine more grieuous iudgement gods anger more fearefull then they haue féeled But for to make thée to vnderstand more plainely that which I thinke I will expounde it vnto thée by a similitude and comparison taken of the very words of S. Peter When a malefactor hath coÌ„mitted some certein great cryme worthy of death grieuous punishment there is no doubt but y he féeleth his condempnation in his conscience assone as he hath coÌ„mitted the euil déede He hath his conscience which is his accusor for a witnesse for a iudge and for a hangeman and it can be none otherwise His conscience â—yteth and accuseth him Afterwardes he commeth to be vanquished of hys misdéedes by his owne proper witnesse which avayleth more then a thousand witnesses And after it hath vanquished hym it condempneth him And euen as it constrayneth them to witnesse against themselues so it constrayneth them to condempne themselues insomuch that although all the Angels and all the men of the worlde woulde cleare them and pronounce them to be righteous and iust yet neuerthelesse they cannot absolue and cleare themselues nor auoide their owne iudgement Now after y senteÌ„ce giuen it must be that it be put in execution and that the malefactor be deliuered into the hands of the hangeman the which he néede not to séeke farre nor out of himselfe His conscience with the rest doth yet that office the which whippeth and tormenteth him so cruelly that he cannot haue rest day nor night If he sée any talke together he thinketh they talke of hym If he sée but a leafe of a trée to wagge he thinketh that they are seriants sent for to take and carie him to prison If he thinke to sléepe and take rest he dreameth that he is in the handes of the iudge which sendeth him to the hangeman and that they doe leade him to the gallowes And in waking and sléeping he ceaseth not to imagine and thinke of hangemen â—ortures and Gybettes Wherefore the Prophete hath not saide without a cause That the wicked are like the raging Sea that cannot rest whose water â—ometh with the myre and grauell Euen so the wicked haue no peace saith the Lorde Haue we not the example verie euident in Caine and in Iudas From whence procéeded that violence of mans conscience but from GOD Which maketh hys enimyes to féele hys iudgement and his furour in such sort that they themselues cannot beare it But are constrayned to condempne them selues and despaire whiche is a certeine witnesse that there is a iudgement and â— God vnto whome we must render accompte The which we ought all to vnderstande and knowe although wée should neuer heare speaking of God nor of his holy scriptures and although we shoulde haue none other witnes but the same heré the which God hath naturally printed into the heart of euery one the which ought well to suffice vs For as saint Iohn saith if but hearts condemne vs God is greater then our harts and knoweth all things That is as much as if he had saide if we ourselues doe condemne vs may not God well condemyne vs Sith that we haue such a feare and such a horrour doeth not our heart admonish vs sufficiently that we haue a superiour and gouernour which will not suffer such thinges Sith that there is not so great a Prince not so great a Tyrant which feeleth not that hell in his conscience Although there be not a man vppon the earth aboue him of whome he may be afraide Doest thou nowe see howe the hell of the wicked beginneth alreadie in him here in 〈◊〉 worlde The which our Lorde Iesus Christ woulde not haue vs to be ignorant off saying be that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life and shall not tast of death For he is alreadie passed from death to life but he that beléeueth not in the sonne of God he is alreadie iudged and condemâ—ned Doth he not shewe vs here with the finger howe the faithfull beginneth alreadie his paradise in this worlde and the infidell and vnfaithfull hys hell Hillarius There is nothing more certeine then that which thou speakest And although we had not the witnesses of the Scriptures wee haue the witnesse of nature printed into the hearts of all which hath constrained the Poets to inuent and finde out that fayning of the furies the which we may call she diuelles They do assigne their habitation in the helles and say that they do torment the wicked and reprobate people most horribly aswell in this worlde as in the other By the which they vnderstand none other thing but the torments and assaltes of the euill conscience and that worme which dyeth not but gnaweth and deuoureth incessauntly Theophilus I doubt not But let vs sée how y â— â—el encreaseth day by day If the malefactor be alredy so much tormented before that the Iudge hath layde his handes vpon him before that he be put in prison before that he hath ben on the racke vanquished iudged and condemâ—ned Let vs thinke what torment he ought to haue beeing in prison after that his processe is made and concluded looking tarying for his sentence cruel death euery houre In what anguish thinkest thou that he is in Doest thou thinke that the horror that he hath of the looking for of the torments which are prepared for him are vnto him a great deale lesse paine then the torments and the death that hée looketh for Eusebius Truely I beléeue that there is no great difference that he dyeth so many times as he liueth houres
The which many Theologians doe expounde it of the fire of purgatory by the which the soules must first passe for to be purged before that they can enter into the celestiall rest To which agréeth very well that which saint Paul writeth to the Corinthians saying For other foundation can no man â—ay then that which is layde which is Iesus Christ And if any man bylde vpon this foundacion gold siluer precious stones tymber hay or stubble euery mans worke shall appeare For the day shall declare it and it shal be shewed in fire And the fire shall trie euery mans worke what it is If any mans worke that he hath buylt vpon byde he shall receiue a rewarde If any mannes worke burne be shall suffer losse but he shal be safe himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were thorowe fire What fire can we here vnderstand then that of purgatory which purgeth wherefore one is sauid by the same The which we cannot vnderstand of y same of hel from which none can be deliuered nor consequently saued What aunswerest thou to that I do here breake a lyttle the order that I had thought to haue kept do leape from the Psalter vnto the Epistles of saint Paul But it is bâ—cause that the matters are like and that the one of the pointes may the better be discussed and opened with the other For we cannot vnderstand that fire thorowe which one goeth and passeth but of the same of which saint Paule speaketh by the which one is saued For none can passe from the same of hell but it kéepeth and holdeth fast all that that commeth to it Declare and expound vnto me these two places and afterwards I will go straite way to the newe Testament and will kéepe order as I haue saide Theophilus As touching the place of the Psalmes it is moste cleare that in that Psalme the Prophete speaketh of the tyrannye and oppression and of the greate afflictions and aduersities which the people of god haue suffered from which God hath deliuered them And the better to comprehend all in a summe the great euills and daungers in which that people hath beene drowned and plunged he speaketh it in the person of him wée are come vnto the fire and water and thou hast ledde vs by them He vseth commonly the comparison of the fire and water bicause that there is nothing which sooner will kill dispatch a man then the fire and water when they haue once power ouer him And therefore they are many times taken in the holy scriptures for the temptations persecutions passions daungers deathes and iudgement of God by the which all is examined proued and tryed as by the fire and water and there is none that can escape if the Lorde do not delyuer and drawe him from it as it is here spoken afterwardes As touching the place of Saint Paul he pretended an other thing then to the fire of Purgatory as it is easie to know by his owne wordes Wherefore I doe make thée thine owne iudge of the cause I demaunde of thee first whether thou art of an opinion that it behoueth that all the holy Prophets Apostles and Martyrs do passe by or thorowe that fire of Purgatory Eusebius Noe. Hillarius Those which alledge that place for to proue the Purgatorie dare not to confesse that For they magnifie and extoll so much the merittes of Saints that they haue made a treasure in their Church of those which they haue of superaboundance the which they do vaunt themselues to distribute vnto others Theophilus Neuertheles the Apostle speaketh in that place of the principallest members of the church to wit of the Prophets Apostles Euangelists Doctors Preachers and consequently of all those which do edifie by their doctrine whom he calleth masons and buylders He saith that euery ones worke shall passe by the fire and that the workeman also shal be examined by the same Wherfore either you shall be constrayned to confesse that that fire cannot be vnderstanded of the same of Purgatorye or that there is neither Saint nor Saintes but is compelled to passe by the same for to proue trye his worke sith that he excepteth none But saith plainly that euery mans shal be tryed by the fire The which thing saint Augustine was not ignorant off but vseth the same reason against those which would mainteine by those words of the Apostle that those which beléeue in Iesus Christ shal be all saued howe wicked a lyfe so euer they haue lyued and buylded vppon the foundation which is Iesus Christ prouided that they had not altogether abandoned and forsaken the foundation He taketh not that fire for that of Purgatory But for the tribulations aduersities and persecutions of this worlde Although that some wil say that the like is done yet in the other world he saith that he will not repunge their opinion the which as he saith may be true But yet neuerthelesse he dareth not to affirme it but expoundeth that fire of the tribulations of this worlde here Theophilacte who almost in all his commentaries hath followed Chrisostome notwithstanding that he is not of the most auncientes and that hée hath written sithence that the church hath beene verye much marred and spoyled and that already that fire of Purgatorye was veâ—ye muche kindeled yet neuerthelesse hée made here no mention at all not of one onely sillable But taketh that fire for the same of Hell saying that the sinner shal be saued that is to say that he shal be reserued whole and entire for to burne in the fire and to be punished perpetually But for to come to the true and more cleare vnderstanding of those wordes Saint Paul meaneth here briesely that all buylding all doctrine and workes buylded and inuented without the word of God shall turne into smoke and vanish away altogether without being able to abide and continue firme notwithstanding that all that shal be builded vppon the true foundation which is Christ who cannot beare vppe any buylding if it be not pure gold siluer pearles and precious stones taken from his worde which is more pure then the gold and siluer fined and tryed seuen times And therefore the Apostle vseth here a metaphore translation and comparison For euen as he compareth the pure doctrine of y gospel to the gold siluer precious stones which cannot be consumed by the fire but are by the same tryed and doe appeare more faire and cleane So he compareth the doctrines dreamed and inuenâ—ed by the braine of man vnto wood hay chaffe and stubble and by good right For euen as those thinges cannot abide the fire but are consumed and perished assone as they féele it so in lyke manner shall mens doctrines perish and cannot abyde and continewe firme when they shall come to the touchstone It happeneth vnto vs oftentimes that we delyte and please our selues in our owne workes and wée thinke that we haue made a