in purgatory after he had bene there but one day told the Angell to his face that he was no Angell but a deceiuer affirming that he had bene there many yeares A monke that dyed without absolution in the absence of the Abbot after his death was absolued and enioyned for penance to tarry in purgatory vntill his body were buried whereat he cryed so horribly that his voyce was heard all ouer the abbey saying O vnmercifull man hast thou commaunded me to tarry so long in purgatory A Bishop suspēded a priest for saying euery day masse of requiem but as the same Prelate went ouer a churchyard the dead arose euery man with such tooles as they occupied in their life threatning him that he should dye for it he did not restore them their soule priest Againe one that promised his brother to say masse for him immediatly after his death made hast to performe his promise as soone as the breath was out of his hody but when masse was done his brother appeared to him saying O vnfaithfull brother thou hast well deserued the curse of God for me thou hast let me lye in torments these 20 yeares and neither thou nor any of my brethren would vouchsafe to say one masse for me If these and such like narrations of which the popish homilies and other writings are crammed full were true reuelations there were small patience mekenes or loue in some of the purgatory penitentionaries Yet M. Allen sayth these are the inferior partes which boweth their knee and reuerenceth the name of Iesus as the Apostle sayth Philip. 2. For those that be in the deepe hell can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name as the Prophet sayth Although that which Dauid sayth be true of the damned spirites yet he speaketh generally of all them that are deade which can not prayse God in his Church as they doe that are aliue But S. Paule to the Philip speaketh not of any willing obedience or ioyfull confession of them that be in hell but of that which is due to the maiestye of Christ and enforced euen from his enemies For if none should bow to Christ but they that honour him willingly and praise his holy name cherefully this text should not be verified of so many 1000. Turkes Iewes and Infidels that now blaspheme his holy name but in the day of iudgement vnto which time the perfect accomplishment of this prophecy is referred they with all the deuills in hell shal be brought on their knees and acknowledge that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God and their eternal confusion And euen now already S. Iames teacheth that the deuils doe tremble But if onely the soules in purgatory were ment by them that are vnder the earth at the last day when Christ shall haue his chiefe glory and purgatory as the Papistes confesse shall be abolished then there should be none in the infernall partes that should bow vnto Iesus and acknowledge his glorious maiestie according to the prophecy of Esay which S. Paule expoundeth of the last iudgement Rom. 14. And therefore although M. Allens affirmation of godly men to haue bene in the lower partes from the beginning of the world vnto the end of the same were true as it is most false yet it would not aunswere the verity of the prophecy when at that time there shoulde be none in which time the prophecy should chiefly be fulfilled but of what forehead or mouth doth this procede that he affirmeth that Abrahams bosome may appeare by Scripture to haue bene in the lower roomes though separate from hell His reason seemeth to be because all places of punishment after this life be in Scripture called Inferna that is hell or the lowest places The Scripture teacheth that Abrahams bosome was a place of comfort separate from hel not with a small border like the popish limbus but with an infinite distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the rich glutton looking vp saw Lazarus a farre of in blessed estate when he him selfe was in torments But hereof I haue spoken sufficiently before 3 Therefore I shall desire all Catholike readers as they beleue this graue sentence of God to come and feare the rodde of our fathers correction that they preuent the same by lowly submitting them selues vnto the chastisement of our kinde mother the Church VVho with teares in this her contempt yet besecheth the children of hir owne how shoulde that they woulde rather willingly submit them selues to her meeke wande in this life thē against their willes to the heuy scourge of their angry and iustly moued father in the worlde to come The penaunce which her ministers do charge vs with all is of it selfe not greate yet accepted with humility and competent dolour of hearte in this time of grace it may for the most parte if it any thing be aunswerable to the faultes or holpen by our owne zele either wholy discharge vs or much ease abbridge the paine to come Let vs not sticke to adde vnto the prescribed paine by the priest our pastour some such fructes of repentaunce as may more and more wash vs from our sinnes let vs make frendes of wicked Mammon Let vs redeme our sinnes by almes and mercy towardes the poore Let vs iudge our selues with earnest fasting aboundaunce of vnfained teares often watching and continuall praying then doubtlesse we shall not be iudged of our Lorde Let vs detest this abominable flattering security which this sinnefull schole so earnestly exhorteth vs vnto It is the deuill no doubt that woulde haue man passe his time in pleasure that he may be reserued to his euerlasting paine A small remedy by mans freedome in Gods grace here willingly accepted may cleere acquitte vs of great griefe to come Loue alone and earnest zele of Gods house in this multitude of forsakers I dare say shall couer a numbre of sinnes and that which by nature is but duety in this time of temptation I take it to be greate merit Let vs be circumspect therefore and worke whiles the day is here for in the night of the next worlde sinners can not helpe them selues nor worke one moment towards their owne deliuery or release 3 Once againe he desireth Catholikes not to doubt of this doctrine but to preuent the paine appointed by their angry father with patient receiuing the chastisment of their kinde mother whose meke wande in this life they were better to susteine then the heauy scourge of their iustely moued father after this life In this proper antithesis the kindnesse of the mother is preferred before the anger of the father yea the mercy of the mother is commended aboue the iustice of the father It appereth by this that the Papistes vnderstand not what they say when they call God father who taketh vnto him that name to declare his mercy towarde vs and not his iustice his loue and not his wrath to rewarde vs and not to punish vs who though he chastise his
Gods iustice howe can the same suffering be mitigated by masses pardons merites c. or cleane taken away by a pardon of Iubely à poena culpa Againe howe can the merites of an other abate his punishment which must suffer him selfe to aunswere Gods iustice If the iustice of God be not aunswered by the offering of Christ how is it aunswered when any mans suffering is by any of your meanes mollified or taken away But it sufficeth you that your forefathers more then a thousand yeares agoe called that place of sufferance purgatory But I pray you what is it called in the Scripture either of the olde testament or the newe or in the first and second hundreth yeares after Christ Diuerse errours be older then a thousand yeares but age can neuer make falshoode to be truth and therefore I waye not your proude bragges worth a strawe I am one of the least of Gods ministers and not worthy in respect of my greatest infirmities of the lowest place in his Church yet by his grace and the authoritie of his holy word I shall be able to ouerthrowe both this and all other babylonicall bulwarkes that are cast vp by Sathan and all his instruments For the defence of popish heresie against the tâ—uth of god And neither the myst of mens inuentions which you call the light of apostolike tradition shall be able to darken the truth of the Gospell nor the errours of mortall men which you terme the force of Gods trueth shall beare downe thauthoritie of Gods holy spirite And as for the torment of conscience by inward acknowedlging of the truth openly withstanded it is not like you could so liuely describe it if you had not experience of it in your selfe Our consciences most humble and harty thankes we yeald to the infinite mercy of God are washed white and purged from all blacknes by the precious bloud of Christ which is the propitiation for our sinnes that cleaue vnto him by true liuely faith and open iudgement shall one day shew that all obstinate Papistes which seeke to establish their owne iustice shal be voyde of the iustice of God while they wrastle to come out of purgatory they take the high way to fall headlong into hell God lighten the eyes of them that are blinde of simplicitie and confound all such as sinne of malicious wickednes The excuse of your sharpe speach perhaps might seeme probable if you did not vse intollerable sclaundering and rayling which neither by zeale of trueth nor example of godly fathers can well be shadowed much lesse warranted THAT OFTEN AFTER OVR SINNES BEFOR GIVEN BY THE sacrament of penaunce there remaineth some due of temporall punishment for the satisfying of Gods iustice some recompence of the offences past CAP. I. 1 AS it is most true and the very grounde of all Christian comfort that Christes death hath payed duely and sufficiently for the sinnes of all the world by that aboundant price of redemption payed vppon the Crosse So it is of like credit to all faithfull that no man was euer partaker of this singular benefite but in the knotte and vnitie of his body misticall which is the Church To the members whereof the streames of his holy bloud and beames of his grace for the remission of sinne sanctification be orderly through the blessed Sacraments as condethes of Gods mercy conueyde All which Sacraments though they be instituted and vsed as meanes to deriue Christes benefites and bestow his grace of redemption vppon the worthy receiuers yet like effect or force is not by the meaning of their first author and institutor emploied vpon all receiuers nor giuen to all the Sacraments That may well appeare if we marke the exceding aboundant mercy that is powred vpon al men at their first incorporation and entraunce into the houshold of the faithfull by Baptisme In which Sacrament the merites of our masters death be so fully and largely caried downe for the remission of sinne that were the life before neuer so loden with most horrible offences that in this misery man may commit yet the offender is not onely pardoned of the same but also perfectly acquieted for euer of all paine or punishment other then the common miseries of mankind which his proper offences before committed by any meanes might deserue And no lesse free nowe then the childe after baptisme which onely originall sinne brought thither So sayth S. Ambrose by these wordes Gratia Dei in Baptismate non quaerit gemitum aut planctum aut opus aliquod nisi solum ex corde professionem The grace of God in Baptisme requireth neither sorow nor mourning nor any other worke but onely an hearty profession of thy faith VVhereby he meaneth that after our sinnes be once thus freely wiped away in our first regeneration there is no charge of punishment or penaunce for farther reliefe of the same But now a man that is so freely discharged of all euill life and sinne committed before he came into the family if he fall into relapse defile the temple of God then as Gods mercy alwaies passeth manns malice euen in this case also he hath ordayned meanes to repaire mans fall againe That is by the Sacrament of penaunce which therefore S. Hierome termeth the second table or refuge after shipwracke as a meanes that may bring man to the porte of saluation though lightly not without present dammage and daunger In which blessed Sacrament though Gods grace haue mighty force for mans recouery and worketh aboundantly both remission of sinnes and the discharge of eternall punishment due by iust iudgement to the offender yet Christ him selfe the author of this Sacrament as the rest meant not to communicate such efficacie or force to this as to baptisme for the vtter acquieting of all paine by sinnefull life deserued For as in Baptisme where man is perfectly renewed it was semely to set thoffender at his first entraunce on cleare ground and make him free for all thinges done abrode so it excedingly setteth forth Gods iustice and nothing impareth his mercy to vse as in all common welthes by nature and Gods prescription is practised with grace discipline with iustice clemency with fauour correction and with loue due chastisement of such sinnes as haue by the houshold children bene committed Nowe therefore if after thy free admission to this family of Christ thou doe greeuously offend remission may then be had againe but not commonly without sharpe discipline seeing the father of this our holy houshold punisheth where he loueth and chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth VVhose iustice in punishment of sinne not onely the wicked but also the good must much feare VVhereof S. Augustine warneth vs thus Deus sayth he nec iusto parcit nec iniusto illum flagellando vt filium istum puniendo vt impium God spareth neither the iust nor vniust chastising th one as his childe punishing the other as a wicked
the literall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormenti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus à contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure sayth S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent paine and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but how or of what nature that Hell flame and fire is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tongue or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the drop to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfied to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shall neuer be knowen Therefore better it is to be in doubt of these secrets then to stand in contentious reasoning of thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaūce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of our fire and both by scriptures and doctors is most termed by the name of fire as Hell torment is It worketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vpon the riche mans soule and all other that be already in Hell before the receyuing of their bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible griefe may be as great of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus in vita Hieronymi doth declare CAP. XIII 1 THis is a very needelesse discourse vnlesse it were to make vp a browen doosen of chapters to enquire of the nature or condition of purgatory fire c. and then to be able to determine nothing of it If we shall geue credit to those visions reuelations and apparitions which M. Allen defended so pithily in the last Chapter before there is no man knoweth his owne house better thē we may know euery corner of purgatory the place the length the bredth the depth the fire the water the burning the scalding the broyling the frying the whipping the hanging c. At the least wise if M. Allen would haue taken so much foolish paynes as to haue translated out of that worshipfull author which he citeth that which he hath written of the qualitie and condition of the paynes of purgatory he migh◠haue enlarged this chapter by two or three leaues That beastly asse and shamelesse counterfector that calleth him selfe Cyrillus in the deuills name Bishop of Ierusalem writing to such an Augustine as he was a Cyrill of the miracles of S. Ieronym maketh a large discourse of the paynes of hell and purgatory as he learned of Eusebius and of 3. deade men whom Ieronym caused to be restored to life after he had shewed them the paynes of purgatory and hell and this to confute the errour of them that denyed purgatory I would maruell surely whether impudency in him that inuented that fable and set it out vnder the name of Cyrillus were greater then in M. Allen that allegeth his name authoritie as antique authentical sauing that that counterfecter played the foole in the night but Allen bringeth him forth in the brode daye light 2 But this is the greate misery and the difference that such as be in the iudgement of Hell paines haue no hope of mercy no passage from their infinite woe no ende of torment no release of paine no expectation of saluation no comforte by Christ but endlesse desperation hatered of vertue wearinesse of their creation sorowe of their owne being and persons and which is most vntollerable perpetual blasphemy grisely cursing of Gods holy name The other being vnder their mercifull fathers chastisement in purgatory suffer great paine but in quiet peace of conscience in assured expectation and warraunt of their saluation in loue of Gods iustice and iudgement euen towardes them selues in the vnity of the spirite of God bearing testimony of them that they be the children of the houshoulde in perpetuall experience of mercy and grace in daily hope of release in perfect loue with out all sinne or daunger of sinning in gladde conceiuing the benefit of their redemption for the remission of their offenses past and in worship and confession of Gods holy name then and after for euer more And this is the company of the inferiour partes which boweth their knee and reuerenceth the name of Iesus as the Apostle saith when the other which be in the deepe hell the Prophet bearing witnesse can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name which they both detest blaspheme to their vnspeakable paine There hath euer bene sence the death of the first vertuous man till this houre and so shall be till the day of latter iudgement a company of elect and chosen people that do honour God in the loughers partes as till Christes descending to Hell the fathers resting place in generall and some that suffered for sinne further paine beside And after continually as before the place of Purgatory to endure for the punishment of certaine till the latter day when all the elect shall reigne without griefe or peine with Christ for euer more And although the place of this torment and the nature therof be not certainely determined nor knowen to any but such as God of his wisedome list reuele it vnto yet it is with great probability and likelihood thought of such learned men as deserue singular credit that it is in the lower roumes as sinus Abrahae may appeare by scripture to haue bene and separated from hell as it was because all places of punishmēt after this life be called of holy writers conformably to scripture Inferna But with curious searche of these thinges as we be not charged so to beleue that iustice is there done vpon sinners by much sorow and torment of their soules by the authority of Gods worde and Church we are of necessity induced The care and consideration whereof if it take deepe impression in our mindes I am sure it shall worke exceding greate chaunge in our whole life and maners 2 Here we are taught what the difference is betwene the paynes of hell and purgatory This difference is not in quality nor quantity but in respect of continuance and of the persons The one is eternall the other temporall they that are in one are desperate and impatient the other in hope and patience without sinne or daunger of sinning Surely if those tales were true that are told of them that are in purgatory there appeared in some but smal patience One that was promised by an Angell that he should tarry but 3. dayes
vnkindnesse saith this doctor and lo our lacke of compassion But because all this forgetfullnesse commeth by the wicked suggestion of these late deuilish opinions which mainteine that the prayers of the liuing or their workes do not extende to the deade in Christ therefore for the destruction of this vnkind heresie and planting in our heartes with the trueth the feeling of our housholde fellowes sores I shall proue that in all times as well of nature as the lawe and Gospell the faithfull men haue euer ioyned in all their prayers and acceptable workes the soules departed as vnto whome by right of their communion and fellowship in faith the reliefe of Gods grace and Christes merits do appertayne Therefore this once declared let vs except them from no painefull worke of the liuing nor charitable deede nor good prayer nor sacrifice nor teares no nor from the inward dolour nor loue of mans heart Learne to know what it is to be in a common body and thou shalt streight perceiue that the least motion of thy mind stirred by Gods grace shall be caried to the reliefe of that part which thou pitied and most intended 3 Here but that you haue a pleasure to spue out your pestilent poyson against that noble light of Gods Church M. Caluine is nothing that neede any such exclamation which you make with open mouth as though Caluine denyed the communion of Saincts which he doth most constantly affirme euen in the same place out of which you haue rent those words that you so bite and teare with your venimous teeth lib. 3. cap. 20. sect 24. where he speaketh against inuocation of Sainctes who being in rest with God he sayth are not to be drawne by the prayers vnto earthly cares of our necessities which eyther they know not or they can not helpe For that office of charitie which the godly doe exercise in this life by praying one for an other is grounded vpon the commaundement of God and vpon his promise which two thinges are the chiefe to be considered in prayer But all these reasons concerne not the dead whom whē the Lord hath remoued from our company he hath left vs no intermedling with them nor them with vs so farre as we can conceiue by any coniectures These be Caluins wordes by which he meaneth that although the affection of charitie remaine in the deade yet it is not shewed by looking to our earthly necessities which they know are subiect to the prouidence of god Moreouer they haue not that we know by the Scripture any commaundement or promise to cause them to pray for vs neither haue we any to pray to them And this is that intermedling which Caluine denyeth to be betwene the deade the liuing namely such as is betwene them that are liuing among them selues As for the exhortation of him that wrote to his brother in the desert what so euer he was or how long so euer it be since he wrote because it hath not authoritie in the word of God I weigh it as the words of a man whose credite in diuine matters is nothing without the word of God. VVhat the Church of God hath euer principally practised for the soules departed by the vvarraūt of holy Scripture vvith the defense of the Machabees holy history against the heretikes of our time CAP. III. 1 BVt amongest so many meanes of helpe these haue bene euer counted most soueraigne Sacrifice prayers almes and by example of scripture most commended Though fasting added vnto any of them hath singular strength in this case and euer was ioyned in all earnest sute made to God for our selues or other VVe can not better begin to shew the practise hereof then at that scripture which sufficiently commendeth at once all three written in the second booke of Machabees in these wordes Iudas hortabatur populum cōseruare se sine peccato sub oculis videntes quae facta sunt pro peccatis eorum qui postrati sunt Et facta collatione duodecim millia drachmas argenti misit Ierosolymam offerri pro peccatis mortuorum sacrificium bene religiose de resurrectione cogitans nisi enim eos qui ceciderant resurrecturos speraret superfluum videretur vanum orare pro mortuis quia considerabat quod hi qui cum pietate dormitionem acceperant optimam haberent repositam gratiam Sancta ergo salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare vt a peccatis soluantur The valiaunt man Iudas exhorted the people to kepe them selues from sinne hauing before their eyes what was fallen for the offensies of them that were slaine And a common gathering being made he sent xij thousand peces of siluer to Ierusalem to offer for the sinnes of those that were departed a Sacrifice being well and religiously minded concerning the resurrection for except he had suerly trusted that such as were slaine shoulde arise againe it might haue bene counted vaine and superfluous to praye for the deade But because he did well consider that such as in piety receiued their sleepe had grace and fauour laide vp for them therefore it is a holy and proffitable meaning to praye for the deade that they may be assoyled of their sinnes So farre the Author of the historie speaketh setting forth most euidently the notable piety of Iudas in exhorting them to releue the departed the like liberall almes of the people the prayers there in the campe and the sacrifice at Ierusalem celebrated for the same purpose In all which doing the scripture much prayseth that worthy zele of Iudas as a thing both profitable to the departed towardes the remission of their offensies and no lesse agreeing to that his especiall hope of the resurrection to come counting it a foly to pray for them of whose resurrection we are not assured VVherby I can not tell whether a man may well gether that such as deny the fellowship of the liue with the deade or condemne prayers made for them steadfastly beleue not the resurrection And in deede if we note well we shall finde that the prayers for the deade haue bene euer taken both as an argument to proue and as a protestation of the faithfull to shewe their minde and faith concerning the resurrection So did Epiphanius that holy father make confession of the Churches faith for the resurrection and immortality of the soule by the praying for the departed and ioyning them to the partaking of the workes of the liue Hi qui decesserunt viuunt sayth he non sunt nulli sed sunt viuunt apud Deum spes est orantibus pro fratribus velut qui in peregrinatione sint Those which be deceased do yet liue and are not by their departure hense fallen to be nothing but they haue their being and yet do lyue before God and there is great hope to their orators or beadsmen praying for them as for such that be in their pilgramage So sayth Damascen that by supplication
worde is oblationibus oblations therefore he meaneth not Masses but onely almes deedes which in scripture are called oblations or sacrifices where with God is pleased Heb. 13. But I will let this slight geare passe and goe to the rest 3 Nowe there is an other way of reliefe by almes of other men which for loue and pitie they bestow vpon the poore that the soule hense departed may through their charitie receiue comforte And this conteineth a double worke of mercie principally towardes the deceased for whome it was geuen and then towardes the needy that receiued present benefit thereby and it singularly redoundeth to the spirituall gaine both of the geuer and the person for whose sake it is geuen And this kinde of almes is it which good Tobie did commende vnto his sonne being so much more meritorious to the person that procureth it then the other whiche we spake of before because it is grounded not onely of loue towardes a mans owne proper person but reacheth to the benefite of our neighbour by the singular gift of compassion and tender loue that we beare euen towardes them which can neither helpe vs nor them selues It is nothing els but a wing of prayer and a token of earnest sute for the party on whome it is practised which no man will vse for his neighbours good that list not do it before in his owne behalfe This effectuall supplication by wordes and workes together is as straunge nowe a dayes in our country either for the liuing or the departed either in our owne lackes or in other mens necessities as it was common in olde time and commended in the scripture Bona est oratio cum ieiunio eleemosina Prayer is soueraigne ioyned with almes and fasting the which being done either for the liue or deade is with speede by Angels ministery caried into heauen For I take it and so the text excedingly beareth that the bitter prayers which the Angell so commended in that good father and which had such good successe was made in the funerals of the faithfull departed Quando orabas cum lachrimis sayth Raphael sepeliebas mortuos ▪ c. Ego obtuli orationem tuam Domino Tobie when thou with teares prayd and buried the deade I offered vp thy prayers to our Lord god he seemeth to tearme that prayers with weeping which in other placies of scripture is called mourning ouer the deade And weying the wordes with out affection it must needes be graunted that the iuste funeralls had and required prayers with weeping and that the Angels of God do speedely offer such effectuall requeste vp to the presens of the Maiesty as well to the reliefe of the dead as to the comfort of the procurer But I would be lothe to descant vpon Gods worde for the beating out of any newe doctrine or deuised meaning or to auouch a sense not knowen to the time of perfect spring in religion Therefore to go surely to worke I will looke about me for example of this good Tobies almes and prayers for the poore departed soules that we may learne withall not onely to be beneficiall to our selues but to our neighbours both a liue and deade All the antiquitie here offer to take my part in so good and so knowen a quarell I may haue as many as I will and whome I will ▪ such therefore I doe searche for as be plainest for testimonie of open doles and reliefe of the poore in the burials of Christian people That not onely one mans assertion but also the plaine practise of the Church of God may beare downethe aduersaries boldnesse and the more auncient the better Origene then shall helpe vs to the vsage of his time and Church He writeth thus Celebramus diem mortis quia non moriuntur hi qui mori videntur Celebramus nimirum religiosos cum sacerdotibus conuocantes fideles vnà cum clero inuitantes adhuc egenos pauperes pupillos viduas saturantes vt fiat festiuitas nostra in memoriam requiei defunctis animabus c. VVe solemnly kepe the day of our frendes departure because they be not deade which appeare vnto vs to dye And this is our way of celebrating their funerals VVe gather the religious men and priestes the faithfull people with the cleargy we inuite also the poore the needy and the fatherlesse with the widowes and we fill their bellies that the memorial of their rest may be kept solemnly But Tobies scholar may learne his duety yet better of the Apostles owne scholar S. Clement who once or twise hath these wordes in effect To viset the sicke to bury the deade to kepe their obittes to pray and geue almes for them is commendable vpon whose wordes I will not now stand because by and by other occasion must driue me to repeate for the worthynesse of the man and the weight of his testimonie more plaine euidence of his Church and time If thou here yet doubt how the prayer worke or sacrifice of one mā a liue may helpe an other departed remembre alwaies what I saide in the beginning for the knot of our brotherhood and society in one body and vnder one heade and thou shalt not wonder how one membre by compassion may helpe relieue an other And there with for example consider how the sacrifice of Iob and daily almes were auaylable for the misdeedes of his children and appeaced Gods wrath towardes his importunate freindes And though his benefite went onely then amongest the liuing in this worlde neither his children nor freindes at that time departed yet the case of the liuing amōgest them selues differeth nothing herin from the communion and fellowship which the departed in Christ hath with the liuing in earth And therefore I bring the example of Iob amongest many like in scripture for that S. Chrysostome fitly induceth the same to proue the partaking of good workes to be common as well betwixt the liue and deade as of the liuing among them selues These be his wordes in english Let vs helpe our brethern departed keeping a memory of them For if the oblation of Iob purged his children why doubtest thou of the solace that may arise by our offeringes vnto such as be asleepe in Christ seeing God is pleased with some for other mens sakes It was so knowen a trueth in that time that they neuer put difference nor doubt any more of the mutuall helpe of the liue towardes the deade then they did for that benefite which in Christes Church one man may holde of an other 3 Nowe commeth an other waye of releefe by almes of other men which being ioyned with prayers in our countrie is as straunge as sometime it was common He woulde make fooles beleue that prayers and almes as they are in deede not so common as they should be yet among vs are not at all But omitting that sclaunder with the rest almes for soules departed is neuer mentioned in the scripture And
lye a. But whether is he worthy to be thrust that regarding no communion either olde or new of any trueth but his common vnion of lying and rayling together hath falsyfied both the decrees of Vase and Carthage what M. Allen two Councells at one clappe falsyfied and that not ignorantly but wittingly not negligently but wilfully and yet must you wipe your lippes as though it were not you and rayle like a ruffian vpon our ministers in the ruffe of their newe communion when you are not ashamed to faulsyfie the decrees of the olde communion Be not these the wordes of the Carthage Councell Ca. 95 Qui oblationes defunctorum aut negant ecclesiis aut cum difficultate reddunt tanquam egentium necatores excommunicentur They which either deny to the Churches or els pay with difficulty the oblations of the deade let them be excoÌ„municated as murtherers of the poore Likewise the CouÌ„cell of Vase Ca. 2. Qui oblationes defunctorum retinent ecclesijs tradere demorantur vt infideles ab ecclesia sunt abijciendi quia vsque ad exinanitionem fidei peruenire certum est hanc pietatis diuinae exacerbationem quia fideles de corpore recedentes votorum plenitudine pauperes consolatu alimoniae necessaria sustentatione fraudaÌ„tur toti ergo tales quasi egentium necatores nec credentes iuditium dei habendi sunt vnde quidam patrum hoc scriptis suis inseruit congrueÌ„te sententia qua ait Amico quicquam rapere furtum est ecclesiam vero fraudare sacrilegium est They which reteine the oblations of the deade and make delay to deliuer them to the Churches are to be cast out of the Church as infidels For it is certaine that this prouoking to wrath of the mercy of God recheth euen to the vttermost denying of the faith Because both the faithfull departing from their bodye are defrauded of the fullfilling of their desires and the poore of the comfort of foode and necessary sustentation They therefore that are such are to be compted as murderers of the poore and such as beleiue not the iudgement of God wherefore one of the fathers hath put this in his writinges with agreable meaning whereby he saith To take away any thing from a mans freind is thefte but to defraude the Church is sacriledge What other thing can be gathered out of those decrees but that those men are noted with censure which keepe backe such thinges as men that are departed had bequethed to the Churches for the releefe of the poore what is this to oblation or sacrifice for the deade is it all one to speake of oblations of the deade and oblations for the deade With M. Allen it is all one for after he hath sayed that the Councells do excommunicate all them that hinder the oblations for the departed he addeth that the canons of the Councells runne thus that they which withdraw the oblations of the departed are excommunicated But herein he declareth that he is a manifest falsyfier not of error but of purpose 2 Damascene that blessed man that suffered so much sorrowe for trueths defense whose authority I must often vse in this treatise because he purposely stoode for this quarell against certaine heretiques of his time He therefore in the life of Iosaphat excedingly prayseth his passing loue towards his father departed VVho first with all godly deuotion procured his exequies and dirigies on the day of his buriall then commended his soule to God with seuen dayes solemne prayer and supplication at his sepulcher and with a wonderfull liberall almes or oblation for the poore people he finished vp the matter the viij daye But if you can finde in you hearte to credit this good mans report he will assure you of the vsage of his time By which you shall perceiue that it is a horrible slauÌ„der that the wicked haue raised on Gods Church and ministers which be not ashamed to say and auouch in their open sermons and vaine libells that these yearely and so many monthes mindes haue bene newely practised and deuised against Gods worde and the vsage of the primitiue Church VVherein they shewe them selues exceding ignorant in the affaires of the Church or els passing bolde and malitious in willfull deâ—eiuing the simple For our onely monthes and yeares oblations in Damascens dayes as he often affirmeth there were customably kept tricesimales quadragesimales anniuersariae memoriae the thirtith the fourtith the yeares mindes and portions apointed out as he sayth in testaments for the mainteinaunce thereof And all this commonly besides the peculiar deuotion of some towardes their singularly beloued If thou list go yet vpwarde thou shalt finde no lesse care for the helpe of the soules deceased for S. Ambrose reporteth of his time that otherwhiles the third the thirtith otherwhiles the seuenth the fourtith minde dayes were religiously obserued yea and that as he saith by good authoritie and auncient vsage of the Patriarches both in the lawe of nature and Moyses Cum frequeÌ„tibus oblationibus omnibus with often and sundry oblations for the rest of the departed This xxx dayes memoriall olde holy Ephreem in his testament and last will prouideth for him selfe after his departure The seuenth day was also euer in the primitiue Church with great religion obserued because as Beda saith that hath the representation of the life to come And S. Ambrose practised it for his brother for the like protestation and signe of the resurrection and rest perpetuall Die septimo sayth he ad sepulchrum redimus qui dies symbolum est futurae quietis the seuenth day we come together againe to my brothers sepulchre because that day is a pledge of the rest to come 2 That which can not be proued by the Councells shal be made cocke sure by the doctors and Damascene that blessed man shall beginne the daunse who as their fables write of hm had his hande cutte of for crafty conueiance yet was it againe restored by miracle by the blessed virgine after it had bene nailed to the Church dores of a longe time I haue often saide we deferre nothing to his authoritie who was both in a corrupt time and he him selfe a corrupter of religion by building vpon fables and authorities of men as maye be manifest to any that shall reade his writinges which of the Papistes of meane iudgement in these dayes is not ashamed of that fable which he reherseth in Serm. de defunctis how Gregory shoulde praye and obteine pardon of God for the sinnes of Troianus an heathen Emperor that was in Hell 4. or 5. hundreth yeares before Gregory was bishop of Rome so maye they be of the tale of Falconilla and all other like fables auouched by him in the historie of Barlaum and Iosaphat But of memories of the dead and prayers for the deade also we will not striue but that they were vsed before the times of Beda Ephraim and Ambrose but with out warraunt of
foughten field betwixt Egfride and Edeldred two princies of our lande it fortuned that a younge gentleman of Egfrides armie shoulde be so greuously wounded that falling downe both him selfe with out sense and in all mens sightes starke deade he was letten lye of the enemies and his body sought with care to be buried of his freindes A brother of his a good priest and Abbate with diligent making search for his body amongest many happed on one that was exceeding like him as a man many easly be deceiued in the alteratioÌ„ that streight falleth vpon the soules departure to the whole forme and fashion of the body and bestowed of his loue the duety of obsequies with solemne memorialls for the rest of him whome he tooke to be his brother deceased burying him in his owne monasterie and causing Masse to be done daily for his pardon and soules release But so it fortuned that his brother Huma for so was he called being not all out deade with in foure and twenty houres came reasonably to him selfe againe anâ— gathering with all some strength rose vp washte him selfe aâ—â— made meanes to come to some freinde or acquaintaunce wheâ—â— he might sallue his sores and close his woundes againe But by lacke of strength to make shifte and by misfortune he fell into his enemies handes and therby the Capitane examined of his estate he denied him selfe to be of name or degree in his country Yet by the likelyhoods that they gathered of his comely demeanure and gentleman like talke which he coulde hardly dissemble they mistrust as it was in deede that he was a man of armes and more then a common souldiar Therefore in hope of good gaine by his raunson they thought good after he was full recouered for feare of his escape to laye yrons vpon him and so to make sure worke But so God wrought that no fetters coulde holde him for euery day once at a certaine houre the bandes brake loose with out force and the man made free The gentleman maruailed at the case him selfe but his kepers and the capitaine were much more astonied thereat and straitely examined him by what cunning or crafte he coulde with such ease set him selfe at libertie and bare him in hande that he vsed characters or letters of some sorcery and wichcrafte with the practise of vnlawfull artes But he aunswered in sadnesse that he was altogether vnskillfull in such thinges Mary que he I haue a brother in my country that is a priest and I knowe certainely that he sayth often Masse for my soule supposing me to be departed and slaine in bataile And if I were in an other life I perceiue my soule by his intercession shoulde be so loosed out of paines as my body is now from bondes The capitaine perceiuing so much and belike in some awe of religion seeing the worke of God to be so straunge soulde him to a Londoner with whome the same thinges happened in his bondes loosing euery daye By which occasion he was licensed to go home to his freindes and procure his ranson for charging him with diuers sortes of surest bandes none coulde salfely holde him And so vpon promesse of his returne or payment of his appointed price he went his wayes and afterwarde truely discharged his credit VVhich done by freindship that he founde in the same country afterward returned to his owne parties to his brothers house to whome when he had vttered all the history of his straunge fortune both of his misery and miraculous relieuing he enquired diligently the whole circumstance with the houre and time of his daily loosing and by conferring together they founde that his bondes brake loose especially at the very iuste time of his celebration for his soule At which times he confessed that he was otherwise in his great aduersities often released also Thus hath that holy writer almost worde for worde and at the ende he addeth this Multi haec a praefato viro audientes accensi sunt in fide ac deuotione pietatis ad orandum vel eleemosinas faciendas vel ad offerendas Domino victimas sacrae oblationis pro ereptione suorum qui de saeculo migrauerant Intellexerunt enim quod Sacrificium salutare ad redemptionem valeret animae corporis sempiternam Hanc mihi historiam etiam hi qui ab ipso viro in quo facta est audiere narrarunt Vnde eam qui aliquando comperi indubitanter historiae nostrae Ecclesiasticae inserendam credidi Many hearing thus much of the party him selfe were wounderfully inflamed with faith and zele to pray to geue almes and to offer sacrifice of the holy oblation for the deliuery of their well-beloued freindes departed out of this life For they vnderstoode that the healthfull sacrifice was auaileable for the redemption of both body and soule euerlastingly And this storie did they that hearde it of the parties owne mouth reporte vnto me VVhere vpon hauing so good proofe I dare be bolde to write it in my ecclesiasticall history And thus much sayth Beda aboute eighte hundred yeares agoe when our nation being but younge in Christianity was fedde in the true belefe by sundry wounderous workes of God. CAP. X. 1 THe examples out of Gregory or Damascene you may spare for your friendes there is none of vs that maketh great accompt of them and yet neither Gregory nor Damascene were so grosse in their errour of prayer for the deade and purgatory as you but where you bragge of such choyse that you can bring enowe out of what writer so euer we like best you shoulde passing well prouide for the credit of your cause and the discredit of ours if out of so great store you would helpe vs with some thing out of Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus or any Authenticall writer which liued within one hundreth yeares after the Apostles age But when you beginne with Chrysostoms buriall and yet can not proue that which you pretende all men maye well thinke and they which haue redde the olde writers know you can not reach so high for all your proude promises But you will do that which shall be as good you will shew that we and all nations receiued these vsages of praying and sacrificing for the departed at our first conuersion to the fayth you shall doe a great peece of worke and such as no Papist yet was euer able to doe You shall be a Cardinal if you can doe it yea you shall conuert all the Protestantes to the Catholike Church of Rome Goe too man beginne Take the history of the Acts of the Apostles into your handes in which mention is made of the conuersion of many nations to Christes faith shew that the vsage of praying sacrifycing for the dead was receiued of them or any of them Come of quickely or all the worlde will saye you are but a prating merchant But you will beginne with the conuersion of our nation Goe to take Gildas into your hande which
purpose was wellcome and well receiued 4 S. Cyprian shall not be called to recorde for the Church of Aphrike or Carthage because we hearde his iudgement before who plainely commaunding the priestes vnder his iurisdiction not to celebrate for certaine notorious offenders geueth vs to witte that of right and custome it belonged in his prouince to others that passed hense in obedience and piety The which was continued in that part of the worlde till Augustines time being about C C. yeares after him Thus breefely he telleth you the practise of his Church In praecibus sacerdotis quae domino deo ad eius altare fundūtur locum suum habet etiam commendatio animarum In the prayers of the priest which are made to our Lorde God at his altar the commendation of the departed hath a place 4 S. Cyprian should be called to record if you could tel what to make him say He plainly commaunded the Priests vnder his iurisdiction not to celebrate for certeyne notorious offenders He writeth to the Elders Deacons and people of Furnitanes It were harde for you to proue that all they to whome he did write were vnder his iurisdiction But I haue aunswered before that neither prayer nor sacrifice for the dead can be proued out of that place but thankes geuing for the departing and sleeping in peace of the godly prayer for the liuing to make the like godly ende As for that which was done in Augustines time doth not proue what was done 200. yeares before him 5 Nowe for the Greeke Churchies and the Easte S. Chrysostome and Basil in their Massies for so nowe the worde Lyturgia is vsed of all the diuine writers and so Erasmus translateth it and so it must needes be taken beare sufficient witnesse of the Apostolike tradition in this point For in S. Chrysostoms seruice thus the prayer is made for the dead Remembre good Lord our spiritual father and all the brotherhood in Christ and all those that are departed hense in faith our fathers and our brethern c. And againe in the same Masse afterwarde thus he prayeth Remembre all those good Lorde which haue taken their sleepe in the hope of resurrection and life euerlasting Cause them to take rest where the light of thy countenaunce is shewed In S. Basilles Masse which the Syrians vse there is also prayers for the departed in which the minister desireth God to remembre all them which be passed out of this worlde and that he woulde refreshe them in his holy tabernacle saffely leade them through the horrible and fearefull dwellings place them in quiet and ioyfull abidinge that he woulde deliuer them from the lande of darkenesse troble and sorowe that he entre not into iudgement with them finally that he woulde mercyfully remitte and pardon what so euer they committed through the vesture of the flesh that was worthy punishment This prayer was pithy and toucheth the placies of punishment and purgation in the next life 5 Now come in the Liturgies vnder the name of Chrysostome and Basill which M. Allen wil needes translate masses and who can let him seeing he sayth the worde is so vsed of all diuine writers and Erasmus him selfe translateth it so This man is very generall alwayes all men all diuines c. But why is Erasmus brought in who as he translateth Lyturgia for Masse so he iudgeth that Chrysostome and Basill were not authors of those Lyturgies but some later men But be it that Chrysostome and Basill did write these Lyturgies the oldest fathers that can be geuen them I woulde knowe what Lyturgies they had in those Churches before Chrysostome and Basill deuised those formes that are sayed to be theirs And why Chrysostome Basill Gregory or any other that prescribed new formes of seruice were not content with the old formes that were vsed in their Churches before their dayes vndoubtedly because they were to simple for their curiositie to sincere for their superstition sauoring of the auncient trueth not fauoring their lately receiued errors They had in deede in elder time as appeareth by Ephiphanius the name of oblation but it was for the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and martyrs which plainely sheweth that it was but an offering of thankes geuing as Cyprian doth declare that they offered sacrifice for Laurentius and Ignatius martyrs when they did celebrate the yearly dayes in commemoration of their suffering Lib. 4. epist. 5. Of which ceremonies and forme of speaking as the error perhaps tooke strēgth so the authors of these Lyturgies thought to confirme it by publicke authority which was before but a blinde error with out a heade 6 So there is extant an other ordre of diuine seruice and Celebration of the communion called the generall Canon vsed in Aethyopia which lately with the rest was set forth in Latine in that so generall an vsage there is supplication made to God for the soules also Remembre Lorde sayth the minister all those which are a sleepe and rest in the faith of Christ place their soules we besich thee in the bosome of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob So likewise in the seruice of the Armeniās consonant for the most parte to the Greeke vsage after supplication in the time of the holy oblation for the liuing straight waye prayers be deuoutly made for the deade First the deacon saith Rogate dominum pro animabus quae requiescunt in pace in primis episcoporum hic quiescentium That is to say pray vnto our Lorde for the soules which rest in peace namely and before all other for the Byshoppes resting in this place And then he prayeth thus Remembre Lorde and haue mercy and shewe thy fauourable grace to all the soules deceased pacifie and illuminate them adioyne them to the company of holy sainctes in heauen and make them worthy of thy loue 6 For the Lyturgies of the Aethiopians and the Armenians as they are with the other before rehearsed a great deale more modest then your masses so are they not of such antiquitie that they can prescribe by continuall clame vp to the Apostles time nor with in a hundreth yeares and more of their time they sauoure plainely as you confesse of the Armenians the vsage of the Greeke Church which follow these Lyturgies which beareth name of Chrysostome and Basill 7 But S. Ambrose in his preparatory prayer towardes the holy oblation geueth vs an excellent token of his Churchies faith and a singular example to follow in the time of the dreadfull misteries when we remembre our freindes departed thus he saith Rogamus te sancte pater pro spiritibus fidelium defunctorum vt sit illis salus aeterna ac perpetua sanitas gaudium refrigerium sempiternum hoc magnum pietatis sacramentum ▪ domine Deus meus sit illis hodie magnum plenum gaudium de te pane viuo vero qui de coelo descendisti das vitam mundo de carne sancta