Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 2 · Chapter 5
Man may be relieued after his departure, either by the almes vvhichwhich he gaue in his life time, or by that vvhichwhich is prouided by his testament to be geuen after his death, or els by that almes, vvhichwhich other men do bestovv for his soules sake, of their ovvne goods. CAP. V.
1 ANd we finde, the workes of mercy and charitie, to helpe the soule of man in this life, towardes remission of his sinnes, or els in the next worlde, for release of paine due vntounto the same sinnes. All which may be donne two dayes▪ first,Iucae 11. & 16. by thine owne hands or appointment, liuing in this world, which is the best, perfectest, and surest meanes that may be: for that purgeth sinnes,Dan. 4. Ecc. 3. Tob. 12. procureth mercy, maketh frendes in the day of dreade, cleanseth beforehand, staieth the soule from death, and lifteth it vp also to life euerlasting.
Regarde not here the ianglers, that will crie out on thee, that mans workes must not presume so farre as to winne heauen, or to purge sinnes, lest they intermeddle with Christes worke of redemption, and the office of onelyonly faith: make no accompt of such corrupters of Christian conditions, liue well, and carefully followe these workes of mercy so expressely commaunded and cōmended in the scriptures, kepe thee within the householde of the faithfull, and thy very good conuersation in operibus bonis, Iacob. 2.shall refute their vaine blastes, and improue their idle faith. Say but then vntounto them by the words of S. Iames. Maister Protestaunt, let me hauehave a sight of your onelyonly faith, with out good workes: and here lo, beholde mine and spare not, by my good workes. VVhat religion so euer you be of, I know not, but I woulde be of that religion, which the Apostle calleth, religionem mundam & immaculatam, The pure and vnspotted religion:Iacob 1. and that is (as he affirmeth) to viset the fatherlesse, and succoure widowes in their neede. And then tell them boldely, that the Church of God hath instructed thee, that all workes, whereby man may procure helpe to him selfe or other, be the workes of the faithfull, which hauehave receiued that force by the grace and fauour of God, and be through Christes bloude so wattered, tempered, and qualified, that they may deserue heauen and remission of sinne.
Doubt not to tell them, that they hauehave no sight in this darkenesse of heresie, in the wayes of Gods wisedome: they hauehave no feele nor tast of the force of his death: they see not howe grace prepareth mans workes: they can not reach in their infidelitie, how wonderfully his death worketh in the Sacraments: they can not attayne by any gesse, how the deedes of a poore wretch, may be so framed in the children of God, that, whereas of their owne nature they are not able to procure any mercy, yet they now shall be counted of Christ him selfe sitting in iudgement, worthy of blesse and life euerlasting. Bidde them come in, come in, & they shall feele with thee in simplicitie & obedience, that, which they could not, out of this society in the pride of contention, euer perceiue, And if they will not so doe, let them perish alone. Turning then from them thether where we were, let vsus practise mercy (as I sayd) in our owne time, in our helth, when it shall be much meritorious, as proceeding not of necessitie, but of freedom and good will. And then after our departure, the representation of our charitable deedes, by such as receiued benefite thereby, shall exceedingly moue God to mercy: as we see it did sturre vp the compassion of his Apostle, in the fulfilling of so straunge a request. VVhereupon S. Cyprian sayth, that almes deliuereth often from both the second death,Serm. de Eleemos. which is damnation: and the first, which is of the body.
CAP. V.
1 NOw we shall see how many wayes almes proffiteth mens soules. First almes giuen by a mans owne handes, is allowed for the best, but that my thinkes M. Allen shoulde kepe men out of your purgatory and not helpe them: when they be there. And here you will seeme, to be zealous in exhorting men to almes, and charge vsus with iangling against it, because we affirme, that mens workes must not presume to winne heauen, nor to purge sinnes, nor to medle with Christes worke of redemption, and the office of onelyonly faith, which assertions you call corruptions of Christian cōditions. O blasphemous barking of an horrible helhound. Doth the glory of Gods mercy and grace, the worke of Christes redemption and the office of onelyonly faith hinder almes or corrupt good conditions, who seeth not although it be a foolish thing to boast of our works, but that we are compelled by this sclaū derous tongue of yours, who seeth not more true almes which is giuen for Gods cause in one citie where the Gospell is preached, then in a whole cuntrey where popery is receiued? Neither doe we refuse the triall of S. Iames, with the proudest of the popish hypocrites that make most of their merites. And because you would be of that religion that S. Iames calleth holy and vndefiled, which is to visite the fatherlesse children and widowes in their affliction. If I should speake of singular persons, the triall were neither certayne nor possible, let vsus therefore consider the whole states. Shew me M. Allen if thou canst for thy gutts, or name me any city in the world, where popery preuayleth, that hath made such prouision for the fatherlesse children and widowes and all other kind of poore, as is in the noble city of London and in diuers other cities and townes of this land, and by publike law appoynted to be throughout all the realme of England. I knowledge and confesse before the Lorde, that it is nothing in comparison of his mercy towards vsus, nor our duety towards him. But yet blessed be his holy name, that it is sufficient to iustifie our profession against the Papistes, & if not to stoppe their malicious mouthes, yet to condemne their cancred conscience of obstinate lying against the manifest light of truth. And whereas M. Allen will hauehave vsus told, that the blood of Christ maketh mens workes meritorious, we will not let to tell him, that ye church of Christ abhorreth that blasphemy, whereby Christes blood is made not the only nor the principall, but an accessary and helping cause of remission of sinnes & eternall saluation, and will not doubt to tell him, & all such hypocrites as he is, that neither see, feele, tast, nor know the mystery of Christes redemption, or any thing that ishueth vntounto vsus thereof, which mingle merites of men, by what colour or conueiance of wordes what so euer, with the infinite and onelyonly cause of our saluation the meere mercy of God. And whereas he biddeth vsus come into his Church, we say to all them that are curable among them, as the spirite of God hath taught vsus, come out of her my people, come out of her, lest ye be partakers of her plages and torments. But nowe at the last, he returneth to his matter of mercy, affirming that after mens departure, the representation of almes by such as receiued it shall moue God exceedingly to mercy. O vaine imagination, for which he hath neither Scripture, nor doctor, for neither the example of Peter and the saying of Cyprian helpeth him one iote, because there is not the like comparison betwene man and God, nor betwene deliuerance from hel which is certayne, & purgatory which is the controuersie.
2 If thou yet chaunce to be negligent in the working of thine owne saluation when thou art in strength and helth: when ouer much carefulnesse of worldly welth hindereth the remembraunce of thy duety towardes God, for all that, helpe thy selfe at the least in thy latter ende: for though it had bene much better before, yet it is not euill nowe. I speake not for priestes aduauntage, (God is my iudge) I am not of that roome my selfe, and will not condemne my soule for other. But I speake for pity of the deceiued people, for compassion of the soules that lacke the reliefe of so soueraigne a remedy, for mine owne helpe, and those that I so dearly louelove, against the day of our accompt. I speake it, because I beleue it, and I beleue it, because I finde it practised of those men,O that vvas a happy time. and in those dayes, when true christianitie was yet feruent in Christes bloude, when the faith was vndefiled, and when workes and faith ranne together, in the rase of mans life, ioyntly without contention. Then floorished this doctrine: and thou shalt hauehave further tast of their vsage for mine owne discharge: we can not occupy our penne better. S. Chrysostome thus instructed his flocke in this case. Si adhuc in hac vita constitutus, Citatur à Dam.omnia quibus animae tuae prodesse poteras, bene dispensare neglexisti, & vel ad calcem vitae tuae tuis mandasti, vt tua tibi ipsi submittendo erogent, bonisque operibus te adiuuent (eleemosinis dico & oblationibus) etiam hac ratione saluatorem conciliaueris: scribe in tabulis, & cum filijs cognatisque tuis haeredem nomina & dominum. Nulli autem viuentium propterea occasionem damus ne faciat eleemosinas, differendo vsque ad mortem. If thou in thine owne time was ouer negligent in disposing thy goods for the proffit of thy soule, and yet at the very ende, doest at the last charge thy frendes or executors, that they will employ thy proper goods for the reliefe of thy selfe: and so helpe thee with good workes, that is to saye with almes and oblation: euen that way there is great hope thou maiest procure Gods fauour: write in thy will, that our Lorde may be named a fellowe heire with thy children and kinnesfolkes. Neuerthelesse, let no man take occasion hereby, to be slacke in his life time, or to differe his almes & charitie till deathes approching. This was the preaching of that doctours dayes, this proceeded out of his golden mouth, and this sounded out of eueryevery pulpit. And surely if you knew his life and qualities, you woulde not take him to be the priestes proctor: of whose dignity as he wrote much, so where he founde any vicious, he punished sore. But he was a true proctor of our soules. Chrysostome was no crauer perdye, nor Christ neither, though they warne vsus to make fr…ndes by Mammon for our owne saluation. They aske not much: they thrust out no inheretours: it was but a mite that wanne the poore widowe that prayse,Marci. 12. a cuppe of cold water, where more abilitie wanteth, shall winne heauen at thend.Matt. 10. This then is the benefite of almes giuen in the time of mans life, or otherwise by his appointment, of his owne goodes, after his departure: both which, procure merciemercy as well by the deede it selfe, as by the prayers of those to whome that charity apperteined.
2 This matter standeth vponupon chaunce medly, for if thou chaunce (sayth he) to be negligent, &c. and more rightly then he termeth the buriall of Geneua it may be called a matter of mumchaunce, for he beginneth with a chaunce, but he hath neuer a title of scripture, nor any sufficient authority of a doctor, to proue that almes bequeathed in a mans testament helpeth him out of purgatory. And yet as though he had some greate speake to make, he protesteth that he speaketh not for priestes aduantage, because he is not of that roome him selfe &c. but hereby you maye see what he counteth almes, cheefely, that which is geuen vntounto priestes, or else what needeth he to make any such protestation. But he speaketh it because he beleueth it, he would fayne counter fect his speach like the Apostle, but an ape will be an ape, although he be clothed in purple. For the grounde of his belefe is not as the Apostles was, the worde of God Rom. 10. but the practise of men, which though they were neuer so good, yet they were such as might deceiue and be deceiued. But to the matter, the florish of this doctrine was so great in those times which he commēdeth to be so happy, that he can not finde one man that speaketh of it: but he is fayne to cite out of Damascene, that which Chrysostome shoulde saye. Which wordes proue no more, but that almes is better geuen at the last then not at all: of deliuerance from purgatory neuer a worde. There is one word oblationibus which perhaps M. Allen would draw to masses, for he translateth it oblation in the singular number, which in the Latine is the plurall numbre. His fetch is easy to finde, the Masse though it be sayed neuer so often, yet is it called of them but one oblation. But I inferre vppon his owne conscience, Chrysostomes worde is oblationibus oblations, therefore he meaneth not Masses, but onelyonly 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 louelove and pitie they bestow vponupon the poore, that the soule hense departed, may through their charitie receiue comforte. And this conteineth a double worke of merciemercy, 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly of louelove towardes a mans owne proper person,The perfectest kind of almes. but reacheth to the benefite of our neighbour, by the singular gift of compassion, and tender louelove that we beare euen towardes them which can neither helpe vsus, 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: Tob. 12.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 vponupon 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave 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 onelyonly one mans assertion, but also the plaine practise of the Church of God may beare downethe aduersaries boldnesse: and the more auncient the better.Lib. 3. in Iob. Origene then shall helpe vsus 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 vntounto vsus 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:In compēd. & epistola ad Iacob. fratrem domini. To viset the sicke, to bury the deade, to kepe their obittes, to pray and geue almes for them is commendable: vponupon 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 vnderunder 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,Iob. 1 & 2. and appeaced Gods wrath towardes his importunate freindes. And though his benefite went onelyonly 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 vsus helpe our brethern departed,In 15. cap. 1. Cor. Homil. 14. 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 vntounto 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 vsus are not at all. But omitting that sclaunder with the rest, almes for soules departed is neuer mentioned in the scripture. And although Tobies story be no canonicall scripture, yet it is not once mentioned, nor by any reasonable or sober man can be imagined there. But who can let M. Allen to dreame that Tobies prayer and almes were for the deade whome he buried? yet who can beare him when he bosteth, that all antiquitie doth offer to take his parte, and he may hauehave whome he will to testifie the same. This is a strange matter (M. Allen) that you maye hauehave your choyse of so many and will not vouchsafe to bring one that so doth write of Tobies prayer and almes. But you will say you meane generally of almes and prayers for the dead and thereof you hauehave store of auncient testimonies, and the more auncient the better. I will not deny but you hauehave much drosse and dragges of the latter sorte of doctors, and the later the fuller of drosse. But bring me any worde out of Iustinus martyr, Irenaeus, Clemens Alexandrinus, or any that did write with in one 100. yeares after Christ, that alloweth prayer or almes for the deade, and I will saye you are as good as your worde. But if neither you nor any Papist for you, be able to doe it out of these which I hauehave named (which are the most aunciēt writers whose workes are extant) nor out of an auncient or authenticall writer with in the compasse that I hauehave named, I may iustly say, that you will boast of more in a minute of an houre then you are able to performe all the dayes of your life. But you will come neare the time if you can not come to it. And Origen shall speake for you all that he can, or at least wise as much as you will giuegive him leaue to say. But if a man might be as bold to pose you (M. Allen) as you are to pose your betters: where had you this testimony of Origen, did you read it in his owne workes, or did you borrow it of some other mans collection? I know you will be ashamed to confesse the latter, but you may be more ashamed to acknowledge the former. For who soeuer allegeth this place of Origen, to proue prayers and almes to profite the deade, is a foule falsery of Origens meaning, & a beastly gelder of auncient authoritie though it be M. Allen him selfe. For this place of Origen as it maketh nothing in the world to proue that prayer, and almes profite the deade, but the cleane contrary, so doth it plainly declare to what ende those prayers, almes, and oblations that were vsed in the primitiue Church were referred and how in p…ocesse of time, superstitious and erroneous opinions grew of them. Wherefore that this may be euident I will rehearse the whole testimony of Origen, which M. Allen hath so mischieuously mangled. Nam priores diem natiuitatis celebrabant vnam vitam diligentes, & aliam post hanc non sperantes. Nunc verò nos non natiuitatis diem celebramus, cum sit dolorum atque tentationum introitus, sed mortis diem celebramus, vtpote omnium dolorum depositionem, atque omnium tentationum effugationem. Diem mortis celebramus quia non moriuntur hi qui mori videntur. Propterea & memorias sanctorum facimus, & parentum nostrorum vel amicorum in fide morientium deuotè memorias agimus, tam illorum refrigerio gaudentes quam etiam nobis piam consummationem in fide postulantes. Sic itaque non diem natiuitatis celebramus quia in perpetuo viuent ij qui moriuntur. 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 quarum memoriam celebramus, nobis autem efficiatur in odorem suauitatis in conspectu aeterni Dei. The former men did celebrate the daye of their natiuitie, louing but one life and not hoping for any other after this. But now we doe not celebrate the daye of natiuitie, seeing it is the entraunce of sorrowes and tentations, but we celebrate the day of death as that which is the putting away of all sorrowes, and the escaping of all tentations. VVe celebrate the day of death, because they doe not dye that seeme to dye. Therefore also doe we make memories of the Sainctes and deuoutly keepe the memories of our parents or friendes dying in the faith, as much reioysing in their rest, as desiring for our selues also a godly finishing in faith. So therefore we doe not celebrate the day of natiuitie, because they which dye shall liue perpetually. And thus we celebrate it, calling togither the deuout men with the Priestes, the faithfull with the clergy, inuiting also the needy and poore, filling the fatherlesse and widdowes with foode. that our festiuitie or ioyfulnes may be done in remembraunce of the rest which is vntounto the soules departed, whose memory we celebrate, & may be made vntounto vsus a sauour of sweetenes in the sight of the eternall God. By this place it is manifest that Origen & the east Church in his time acknowledged no purgatory paynes, because he confesseth death to be the ende of all sorrowes to the faithfull. Secondly that they pray not for their friendes soules, as being in torment, but that they reioysed for them because they were in rest. Thirdly that the prayers which they vsed in the memories of the dead, were not for the deade, but for them selues which were aliue, that they might likewise dye in the fayth as their friendes had done before them. Fourthly, that the assembly of the cleargy and people, with the feeding of the poore, was not to pray for the deade, nor to merite for their soules, but to reioyse for the rest of the deade, and to be a sacrifice of thankesgiuing for them that were aliue. This one testimony of Origen shall testifie what the iudgement of the greeke Church was concerning purgatory & prayers for the dead from the Apostles time vntounto his dayes. I wotte well superstition in the Latine Church was somewhat forwarder, in as much as there was the seate of Antichrist appoynted to be set vp according to the reuelation of S. Iohn and the exposition of Irenaeus who iudged that Lateinos was the number of the beastes name spoken of Apoc. 13. By the way it may be noted, how M. Allen translateth religiosos the religious men, which worde might well be vsed, but that he would hauehave fooles to thinke, that there were Monkes, and fryers in that tyme, which were vsed to be called to burials, but it is playne that Origen calleth thē religious, whom by and by after he calleth faithfull. Moreouer, in the latter end where he libbeth of the conclusion of Origens wordes, he translateth: vt fiat festiuitas nostra in memoriam, &c. That the memoriall of their rest might be kept solemnly, yet when he hath clipped, shauen, pared, gelded, and falsified all that he can, the dead be in rest, and not in purgatory, for whose sake he imagineth in Origens time they gaue almes. But next followeth a worthy authoritie of Clement the Apostles owne scholer, and he forsooth in his Epistle to Iames the brother of our Lord, commendeth obites, prayer, and almes for the dead. But why doe ye not M. Allen rehearse his owne wordes as they are written in his Epistle? belike you are ashamed of his lousie latine, and thinke that all wise men would say you are madde, if you beleue that Clemens which liued in the Apostles time could write no better stile, thē the cobling counterfecter of those epistles. For shame away with such a durty doctor, as writeth to S. Iames to see there be no mise tordes murium stercora among the fragments of the Lordes portion, &c. Epist. 2. He was a beastly asse that writ such nasty stuffe, and thought to make the world beleue, that such a godly and learned father as Clemens was, would write so foolishly, so barbarously, so filthily, so malapertly, of such bables as were not inuented 600, yeares after, to so holy and excellent an Apostle as S. Iames was: but the olde prouerbe must alwayes be true: Draffe is good enough for swine. But to put all out of doubt, the example of Iobes sacrifice and almes which were auailable for his children, and friendes, sheweth that the almes of men aliue profite them that be deade, In deede I reade in the booke of Iobes sacrifice, and prayer, but I reade not of almes giuen to merite for those that were liuing, much lesse for those that were deade. I doubt not but Iob gaue almes liberally when tyme & occasion serued. But I say those places are vnfitly of M. Allen alleged to shew the force of almes, where no worde of almes is spoken. Howebeit he sheweth his reason afterward, why he allegeth this example of Iob, because Chrysostome applyeth it to the same purpose. I deny not but that Chrysostome doth as substantially alleage this example, for prayers to profitte the deade, as he doth the saying of God, that he will protect the cittie for Dauid his seruaunts sake, what shall we say. Those good men in that declining state of the Church, to superstition, being destitute of the cleere testimonies of scripture to maintaine these plausible errors, are driuen to such simple shiftes to vpholde them, as it is great pitty to see. It seemed to Chrysostome the best waye to staye the people from immoderate mourning, but he might hauehave vsed a better way, if he had comforted them as the Apostle teacheth. 1. Thess. 4. 1. Cor. 5. Otherwise when he iudged vprightly and according to the scripture his wordes sounde cleane contrary to the opinion of purgatory and workes of other men to be meritorious for the deade, as in the very next Homilie being the 42. 1. Cor. Quapropter oro & obsecro vos, adeo que ad genua supplex procumbo &c. The wordes are long therefore I will rehearse them in English, and let M. Allen finde fault with my translation if he can: wherefore I praye and besech you yea and I fall downe as an humble suter to your knees, while neuer so small a portion of your life remaineth be ruled by my sayinges, be ye conuerted, be ye amended into better, lest like vntounto that richman when we are gone hense, we pouer forth teares which shall nothing profit there, and lament in vaine: for whether thou hast a father, or a sonne, or a freind, or any other whome so euer that putteth his trust in the Lorde, none of these shall deliuer thee being accused of thine owne workes. For such iudgement is exercised there, eueryevery man is iudged of his owne deedes, neither is any man otherwise saued there. And these thinges I warne you of, not as he that woulde make you sadde, or bring you into desperation, but that being fedde with vaine and vnprofitable hopes, trusting in this man or that man, we shoulde not neglect our owne vertue, for if we be slothfull and doe slacke the matter neither any iust man, nor Prophet, nor Apostle, shall helpe vsus: but if we be diligent hauing helpe enough of our owne workes, we shall departe hense with great confidence, and enioye those good thinges that are layed vp for them that louelove the Lord, which that we may all enioye let it be so through the grace and mercy of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Compare these wordes with the former, and marke here not onelyonly the sounde of his wordes, but the weight of his reasons, where as in all other places that he holdeth the contrary, the wordes only fauoreth your cause, his reasons are either feeble or none at all.
4 But that I may serue not onelyonly the turne of trueth, but with plainnesse also instruct the vnlearned, and with store satisfie the godly greedinesse of some, that list see more for the comforte of their conscience, I will report one notable place for the declaration of charities force euen towardes the deceased,Ex Damasceno pro defunctis. out of Gregory Nissen of the Greeke church, and an other out of Athanasius the greate: both directly touching the practise of good Tobie in compassion of the deade. Thus sayth Gregory. Dicitur bene, quòd si qui hinc non praemissis bonis migrauerint, & postea à familiaribus neglecta oblatis reliquijs sarciantur, imputari opus perinde ac ab eis factum fuerit, est enim & haec volūtas benignissimi Domini, vt creaturae quae ad salutem petuntur, sic petantur & distribuantur: & vt exoretur non solum quando quis pro salute propria est anxius, sed & quando pro proximo aliquid operatur: in English. It is very well saide, that if any depart this life, his goods by alme… being not sent to God before him, and yet afterwarde the matter by his freindes in the offering vp the residue, be amended, that his freindes fact shall stande and be reputed as his owne worke. For so hath God of his mercy ordeined, that his creatures by vse whereof life and saluation may be obteined, shoulde so be procured, and in this ordre disposed, that man shoulde not onelyonly obteine his request in the carefull study of his owne saluation, but also when he wellworketh for his frende or neighbour.
Psal. 24.Here may we well perceiue, that all the wayes of our Lorde be mercy and trueth. And that he in a maner releeueth of his owne accorde our miseries, both here and in the next life, that there may be no damnation to such as be in Christ Iesus: for whose sakes he turneth these base creatures of mans seruice in this life, to the vse of his pardon and saluation in the life to come: he accepteth the good will and trauell of other, for the helpe of them which can not relieue them selues: And, which is the property of a most mercyfull father, where he loueth he will raise the hearte of some good intercessor, that by patronage and prayers of some lust Iob, his fury may cease by his owne procurement. But howe this mutuall worke of mercye is currant through the membres of our common body and howe being practised by one it serueth before God for an other, either in this life or the next, our holy father Athanasius by his authoritie might well be a proofe sufficient: but he is content to declare it vntounto vsus by an example: and such an example, that beside the matter, may further put vsus in remembraunce of the deuotion of our elders in an other point, which the studious reader may marke by the waye: thus then he sayth. Quod in pauperes collocatur beneficiū, omnis bonae retributionis est augmentum. Itaque pro defuncto oblaturus eundem serues scopum, quem qui pro paruulo filio adhuc imbecillo & infante, interim dum puer aegrotat, affert ceram, oleum, & thimiama, in templum Domini magna fide, & accēdit pueri nomine, neque enim puer hoc faceret, cum ignoret diuinae regenerationis constitutiones. Sic cogitet etiam eum, qui in domino mortē obijt, & posse & offerre ceram, oleum, & caetera quae in redemptionē offerri solēt. The benefit bestowed vponupon the poore is a soueraigne ground of Gods rewarding. And in thy oblations for the departed, hauehave alwaies the same intēt & scope that a father hath, practising for the recouery of his sicke child, being yong & tender: VVho for his sick son bringeth into the Church of our Lord God, waxe, oyle, incense, and with deuotion and faith lighteth them in the boyes behalfe: for that the child him selfe, being wholy vnskillful …f the ordinauncies of our Christianity, would neuer go about any such thinge: euen so must a man thinke of the deceased persons case, that he may & doth offer, (as in an other mās person) waxe, oyle & such like, as cōmonly for redēptiō are offered.
VVith proofe of our matter in hande, here may be noted beside, the vsuall oblation of thinges apperteining to the mainteinaunce of Church light,In Athanasius his time candels vvere light in churchies, for their sakes that vvere dead, sicke, or absent. and lampes: setting vp of tapers of singular deuotion for sicke persons, representing of our goods, and Gods creatures, from prophane vse of daily occupation, to Gods honour in the temple: the vndoubted hope that all faythfull people had, as well to procure fauour to them selues thereby, as mercy to other, for whose sakes they did it: and especially that in this mans age, that was so auncient, these tokens of louelove and duety towardes our Lorde, and shew of their homage by such externall actes, were taken as peculiar ordinauncies, and solemne constitutions of our Christianitie. These thinges (though the hedge of my cause forceth me to let them lightly passe) yet as I go by, I must needes beholde, as steppes of olde maners: with some mourning to say the trueth, and no litle sorow, in the contrary comparing of our corrupte conditions. The reader as he list, may perchaunce with more leasure, or at leaste with lesse iniury to other, weye the wonderfull waste that sinne and heresie hath wrought in our dayes of darknesse. And whē he considereth these thinges, that be now of most men counted meere madnesse, to hauehave bene liked, allowed, preached, auouched, sent out in solemne workes and writings to the vewe of the world, and the sight of all posterity, from the very heart & spring of the Christiā Church, by Athanasius the great,Athanas. authoritie onelyonly,. vvill beare dovvn all heretiks in the vvorlde. O Lord what a mighty man in worde and worke do I nowe name: him do I name, whose memory is blessed in Gods Church, in whose lappe our weeryed mother once before, as she hath bene often, in a maner learned to take her rest from the forsaken children: whose only worde with out all proofe (though he neuer speaketh but with weight of reason) woulde beare ouer all these pety Protestantes put together: so said Tully comparing the Epicures with Plato and Aristotle: much more bouldly may I payse all heretiques in the worlde with this mans onelyonly worde. Him therefore such a man, and so great a pillor of faith, when the Catholike shall see proue and allow, and practise those same thinges,The name onelyonly of Christianity lefte in many. which our maisters of sectes can not abide, but most abhorre, and by him take a sure taste of his whole time, shal he not wounder with all wise men, at our downefall so deepe? shall he not meruaile vnderunder one name of Christianitie, that goeth yet common to our dayes with those happy times past, to be such diuersitie of case and conditions, that the one vnderunder so glorious a name must be nothing else but a cloked paganisme? but yet I woulde not he shoulde occupie ouermuch his minde in this consideration, till he see the whole ranke of Gods holy host, and all the blessed bande of Martyrs and Sainctes stande with vsus for the full defense of trueth, and the common Church their mother and ours.
4 The laste parte of this Chapter hath a boysterous bragge of two great doctors authorities Gregory Nyssene, & Athanasius the great, but they stande both vppon either the credit or iudgement of Damascene, neither of which we esteeme so much, that we neede greatly regarde them. Counterfecting was so common in those dayes and before them, to maintaine such errors as coulde not be proued by scripture. For to passe ouer that which Tertullian writeth in his booke de Baptismo, of the priest of Asia, which was conuicted to hauehave fayned certaine writings of S. Paule to Tecta: was not the Nycene Councel the first and the best, corrupted with counterfect canons by the Byshoppes of Rome to maintaine their vsurped authoritie, in the dayes of S. Augustine? which was plainely espied and confuted in the Councell of Carthago. 6. cap. 4. & 7. And in the Africane Councell, were there not three faulse quaternions founde added to the 5. Councell of Constantinople? which was espied in the 6. Councell of Constantinople Act. 3. & 12. If men woulde be so bolde with generall Councells, thinke you that they woulde be afrayde of Gregorius or Athanasius writings? And what maner of a Sermon of Athanasius was that, which was reade in the 4. action of the 2. Nicene Councell? Of the image of Christ and the miracle done in Berytus, that when a Iewe strake the image, there issued out water and bloude: what a shamelesse lye is that which Pope Adrian in his epistle writeth, that Cōstantine was clensed of a leprosie and baptised of Syluester at Rome, contrary to the Historie of Eusebius who liued in Constantines time and knew him? what faulsyfying of authorities is there to proue the worshipping of images out of Gregorie Nissene, Basilius Magnus, Athanasius and Ambrosius, Chrysostome, Cyrill, and Hieronym, with diuerse other in that leude Councell? wherfore except you coulde alleage their sayings out of their owne workes, I will neuer trouble my selfe to aunswere them, although if they were there true authorities, there is no cause why we shoulde beleeue either of them both, in an article of faith with out the authoritie of the word of God. Their time had diuerse errors & superstitious ceremonies which they being occupied in fighting against greater heresies that then sprang vp, of the Arians, Macedonians, and such like, either had no leasure to espie, or else made lesse accompt to reforme.