Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 2 · Chapter 6
Of certaine offeringes or publike almes presented to God for the deceased, in the time of the holy sacrifice, at mens burialles, and other customable dayes of their memories: and of the sundry mindes kepte in the primitiue Church for the departed. CAP. VI.
1 KEping our selues then from by matters, (if those be by, that are so neare) of relieuing the departed by the almes of the liuing there we lefte, and there must we borowe breefely a worde or two more. Because I thinke it very necessary to be knowen, that besides the priuate procuring of the deceased soules welth, and more then the common doles at the day of buriall, there was also an other kinde of almes not much differing in effect from the other, but in ordre and vsage not all one. VVhichWhich, because it was solemnely presented to Gods minister before the holy altare, in the face of the whole faithfull assembly, harde at then try vntounto the soueraigne sacrifice, was highly alwayes esteemed, and called an oblation for the departed, or an offeringe. And it was most practised at the mindes of the departed, and memoriall dayes, which were very many at the beginning of those happy times of our forefathers, the deuotion of the good Christians then very feruent: and be not nowe a dayes, as they faulsely affirme, increased by superstition, but of late yeares, euen before this pitifull ouerthrow of vertue, by our negligence and lacke of deuotion much decayed.Deuotion much decaide somevvhat before this heresy began. There is now vsed onelyonly, for the most part, but twelue monthes mindes, or monthes for the most: and that commonly but for the first yeare of their rest: and then afterward either cleane forgotten, or openly not often remembred, I speake of the late better times. For now there is no blessing of mans memory at all. These often oblations in the sacrifice time for both the liue & dead, gaue name to that part of the Masse which is yet called the offertorie. wherof there was a signe of late, in the offering of some small peece of mony in the common funeralls, and at other times also of greater solemnitie. But in the primitiue Church it rose to such a summe, that both the Church was thereby mainteyned, and the poore singularly relieued. And the name of the peoples oblation is often taken in this sense: although, because they ioyne by these meanes and other with the holy minister in the great and dreadfull oblation of Christes owne blessed person in the sacrifice, they be sayd sometimes, truely to offer: as it were by the Priestes ministery, whome with hart and affection they doe assist, and with whom they truely communicate. they may offer I say, that sacrifice, in this sense for their friendes departed. But else commonly besides the blessed Sacrifice of the newe Testament, which was alwayes the chiefe meane of Gods mercy, to both quicke and deade, and in eueryevery minde or memory for the soules principally procured, the offering of some part either of the deceaseds owne goods, or his louers, for the vpholding the ministery, was also made. Of which kind of participating with the departed, we reade in the auncient councell named Bracharense thus:Can. 39. si quid ex collatione fidelium aut per festiuitates martyrum aut per commemorationem defunctorum offertur, per aliquem clericorum fid…liter deponatur: & constituto tempore semel aut bis in anno, inter omnes clericos diuidatur. If there be any offeringes by the contribution of the faithfull, made either in the festiuall dayes of martyrs, or mindes and memorialls of the dead, let them be laide vp aside, in custody of one of the cleargie, that once or twise in the yeare as time shall serue, they may be truely parted emongest the reste. And because all times hauehave had certaine draw backes in religion, and hinderers of deuotion, the Councell kept at Vase of greate antiquitie, excommunicateth all such as in any wise hinder the oblations for the departed. And in like case the fourth Councell holden at Carthage. Cap. 2.Thus runneth the decree of them both.Cap. 95. VVe doe curse and excommunicate all those, that by any meanes withdrawe or els staye from the Churches the oblations of the departed, as murderers of the poore. The decrees of both these notable assemblies, were thought worthy to be confirmed by the vj. generall Councell holden at Constantinople: then are our ministers in the ruffe of their newe communion, thrust out of the olde holy communion of sainctes, if either vniuersall or prouinciall Synode can take holde of men so desperat, that neither care for mans curse, nor Gods blessinge. VVell murderers and manquillers they must be counted, their predecessors not halfe so euill, deserued no better name.
CAP. VI.
1 IN the latter ende of the fift Chapter was promised a whole rancke of Gods holy host, & all the blessed band of Martyrs and Sainctes to stand on their side. But this promise is no soner made then it is forgotten. The title in deede talketh of almes presented for the deceased in time of the holy sacrifice, but the treatise hath neuer a one that speaketh for it. But M. Allen him self who first speaketh of the decay of popish deuotion euen in popish tyme, & then telleth vsus whence the offertory of the masse tooke the name, which he sayth was of such oblations, as were offered for the deade. But except his word be good payment, he bringeth nothing else for proofe. But if we shall rather beleue Iustinus Martyr, one of the most auncient and authentical writers of the Church, whose workes remayne: the oblation that was made after the communion was of almes for the reliefe of the poore. As appeareth in his second Apollogie vntounto the Emperour for the Christians, where he describeth the whole order of their meeting and what so euer was done, or sayd among them. As first the reading of the Scripture, the exhortation of the chiefe minister, the common prayer of the whole Church, the administration of the Lordes supper, and then sayth he, foreign &c. They that are rich & such as wil, according as eueryevery man shall thinke good geue what they will &c. by which it is manifest that in those first and purer dayes there was no mention at all of sacrifice for the dead, but onelyonly oblation for the poore liuing. And as for the councell Bracharense which was helde 4. or 5. hundreth yeares after Iustinus time, yet proueth nothing but the commemoration of the deade, and a collation of the faythfull but no oblation for the deade. Neuerthelesse to help the matter be added 2. other prouinciall councells, namely the councell of Vase, and the 4 of Carthage, which excommunicate all such as hinder in any wise, the oblations for the departed, and these decrees also are confirmed by the 6. generall councel holden at Constantinople. Therefore these ministers that be in the ruffe of their newe communion, must be thrust out of the olde communion with all a 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 vponupon 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 excōmunicated as murtherers of the poore. Likewise the Coū 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 fraudātur, toti ergo tales quasi egentium necatores nec credentes iuditium dei habendi sunt, vnde & quidam patrum hoc scriptis suis inseruit congruēte 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 louelove towards his father departed.In vita Iosaphat. 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 slaūder that the wicked hauehave 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, hauehave 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 de…eiuing the simple. For our onelyonly 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:Super obit Theodos. yea and that (as he saith) by good authoritie, and auncient vsage of the Patriarches both in the lawe of nature and Moyses, Cum frequē 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,Iulio interpr. 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, De fide resur.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, shalbe 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 hauehave 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 vponupon 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 Gods worde or authorities of scriptures, but such as is so pitifully wrested and drawen vntounto them, as eueryevery man may see, the holy Ghost neuer ment any such thinge as they gather of them.
3 Holde on vpwarde still, and Tertullian will witnesse with thee, that in that floure of Christes Church, with in lesse then CC. yeares of our maisters death, Oblationes fiebant annua die pro defunctis: De Cor. milit.That oblations and sacrifice were yearly made at the xij. monthes mindes of most men: he meaneth both by the sacrifice of the Church, and offeringes of the freindes of the departed,In exhort. Castitat. as there also: Repete apud Deum pro cuius spiritu postules, pro qua oblationes annuas reddas: Call to thy remembraunce, for whose soule thou prayes, and in whose behalfe thou makes yearly offeringes: He speaketh of a freinde of his, that practised thus for his wiues departure. And in an other place he well declareth the duety of maried persons one towards an other, if God by death separate them in sonder. Pro anima eius orat, De monogamia.& refrigerium interim postulat, & offert annuis diebus dormitionis eius, She prayeth for her husbandes soule, and obteineth in the meane space ease: and offereth eueryevery yeare, at the mind day of his passing hense. And he letteth not to affirme, that the maried couple that practise not thus, do not beleue the resurrection. Therefore he concludeth thus: Nunquid nihil erimus post mortem secundum aliquem Epicurum, & non secundum Christum? quòd si credimus mortuorum resurrectionem, vtique tenebimur, cum quibus resurrecturi sumus, rationem de altetutro reddituri: VVhat say you, shall we fall to nothing after our death, as the Epicure thinketh, and not rise againe as Christ teacheth? And if we beleue the resurrection of the deade, then doubtlesse we shall be bounde to make accompt one of an other, as we shall together rise againe. Beware here my maisters, once againe I must tell you,This heresy much ioyneth vvith the Saduces you are going towardes the deniall of the resurrection, so many as condemne the vsage of the Church in praying or offeringe for the deade. Tertullian sayth you be Epicures in this point, and so you be in all others.Psal. 13. I say you are past priuy muttering in your heartes that there is no God: for you are come to plaine Manducemus & bibamus: cras enim moriemur, Let vsus eate and be mery,Cor. 1. ca. 15 we can not tell how longe we lieue. I say you must aunswere for parting the affection of man and wife, and the one must be countable at the day of iudgement to an other, that they procured not the dueties of the deade by right of Gods holy Church, for their soules departed. Take heede therefore, you are warned.
3 Nay ho there M. Allen, no higher then Tertullian. And when we hauehave examined the testimonies of Tertullian in order as you hauehave brought them, you shall hauehave small aduantage out of him, yea your friendes shall thinke you had bene better to hauehave made no mention of him. For first I must tell you, that these three lines which are all that he hath written sounding that way, are found in three bookes which all were written by him, when he was an heretike, & separated from the catholike Church. And therefore it may well be, that all that he speaketh of prayers and oblations for the deade, was onelyonly in the conuenticles of the Montanistes, of which sect he was an earnest defender, rather then in the catholike Church. And this coniecture seemeth the more probable, because Cyprian which was afterward a catholike Bishop in the same city, where Tertullian sometime had liued, maketh no mention of prayers for the dead, but onelyonly of sacrifice for the Martyrs which was none other but the sacrifice of thankesgiuing. lib. 4. Ep. 5. But admit that the Church of God in that time, vsed these superstitious prayers and oblations for the deade, let vsus consider vponupon what ground they were vsed. The firs… place M. Allen allegeth in this forme. Oblationes fiebant annua die pro defunctis. But Tertullians wordes in libro de corona militis be these. Oblationes pro defunctis, pro natalitijs annua die facimus. We make oblations for the dead, for our birthes on the yearly day. By which it is euident that M. Allen did not read these word…s him selfe, but receiued them of some other mans collection, or sound them in some booke of common places. But to the matter: Tertullian him selfe shall say for me, that the same custome, with many other which he there rehearseth, hath no ground in the holy Scripture. Harum & aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum, si leges expostules scripturarum, nullam inuenies, traditio tibi praetendetur autrix, consuetudo confirmatrix & fides obseruatrix. Of those and such like disciplines, if you require the lawes of the Scriptures, you shall finde none, tradition shall be pretended to you to be the author, Custome the confirmer, and faith the obseruer. It is good to take that which is so franckly giuen: and more is Tertullian to be commended, that confesseth the ground of his errour not to be taken out of the word of God, then they that labour to wre…t the Scriptures to find that which Tertullian confesseth is not to be found in them. I knowe the Papistes will aunswere that tradition is of as good credit as the Scripture, & is the word of God vnwritten, as well as the Scripture is the word of God written. But why then doe they not obserue all other things, that Tertullian in the same place affirmeth to be tradition, if tradition be the word of God, why doe they not giuegive to them that are newly baptised a temper of milke and hony, and from the day of their baptisme forbid dayly washing all the weeke after? Why doe they not count it a wicked thinge to fast on the Sunday, or to pray and worship God on their knees? Why doe they not count it a wicked thinge to fast betwene Easter & Whitsontide, or to pray on their knees all that time? Finally why doe not they crosse them selues in the forehead, at eueryevery steppe they set forth, at comming in, at going out, at putting on of garmentes, at putting on of shoes, at washing, at the tables, at lighting of candles, at beddes, at stooles, and at all thinges, what so euer they doe? What aunswere can they here make, but that their Church may dispense as well with the word of God vnwritten, which they cal tradition, as she doth against the word of God conteyned in the holy Scriptures. So that alwayes what so euer they prate of antiquitie, customs, traditions, vnwritten verities, or the word of God vnwritten, the authority of their blasphemous church is aboue them all. Now to the second testimony alleged out of Tertullian. S. Ieronym shall testifie for vsus, that this booke, as the other that followeth, was written against the Church, so was also his booke de corona militis, when he was out of the Church, whereby it may appeare, what good authorities they are, to proue the doctrine of the Church. This booke de castitate, he wrote to diswade a friend of his, whose wife was dead, that he should not marry agayne, condemning second mariage for adultery, as Montanus his maister did, and laboureth to proue that he could not pray for his departed wiues soule, nor offer the yearely oblation, if he married an other. To the same purpose he reasoneth in his booke de Monogamia, where the wordes alleged by M Allen be so corrupted in all the coppyes, that Beatus Rhenamus confesseth that no sense could be made of them, and these wordes are the coniecturall correction of Beatus Rhenamus. But let them be vndoubtedly the wordes of Tertullian, as they seeme to be. Here more manifestly then before he brocheth his heresie of condemning second mariages, for in that the wife prayeth for her husbands soule, and offereth, &c: he would proue that she is still married to him, and that she committeth adultery if she take an other, directly contrary to the word of God. Rom. 7. & 1. Cor. 7. yet see either the ignorance or ye malice of this Allen, that allegeth those words of this writer, by which he condemneth them that allow second mariage, as denyers of the resurrection, agaynst vsus that deny prayers for the deade to be lawfull by the word of God. And vseth the same reason and wordes to proue prayers for the dead to be allowable, that Tertullian vseth to proue second mariages to be damnable. For that accompt which Tertullian sayth men and women are bound vntounto, one to an other, he meaneth of the promise of mariage once made betwene them, which M. Allen, like a wise yong man expoundeth prayers & oblations for their soules. The words of Tertullian following immediatly where M. Allen leaueth them, are these. Si autem in illo aeuo neque nubent neque nubentur, sed erunt aequales Angelis: non ideò, non tenebimur coniugibus defunctis, quia non erit restitutio coniugij. At quin eò magis tenebimur, quia in meliorem statum destinamur, resurrecturi in spirituale consortium, agnituri tam nosmet ipsos, quam nostros, &c. But if in that time, they shall neither marry, nor be married, but shall be equall to the Angells, we shall not therfore not be boūd to our wiues departed, because there shall not be a restitution of mariage, But so much the more we shall be bounde, because we are appoynted to a better state, as they that shall ryse agayne into a spirituall fellowship, and shall know agayne as well our selues, as those that pertayne vntounto vsus. Wherefore M. Allen once againe I must tell you, that we woulde be sorrie to be so neere the deniall of the resurrection, by denying prayers for the deade, as you are towarde the heresy of the Montanistes, in vsing such reasons to defend praying and offering for the deade, as Tertullian a Montaniste vsed to mainteine his heresy, but I shall hauehave further occasion to retorne to Tertullian, when I shall proue that the opinion of purgatory came first fr… heretikes.
4 But as neere as we be Christes time by Tertullians helpe, we will approch yet neerer, to the very Apostles age, and looke out some recorde of that time for oblations and distributions, with memorialls for the departed. And the further from you of the new sect we go, the more plaine destruction of your doctrine, and more manifest proofe of our olde deuotion shall we fiende, to your open shame and the comfort of Catholikes. S. Clement therefore the Romane, one conuersaunt with the Apostles, and instructed by them in his faith, a familiar of S. Paule, and promoted by S. Peter, a true pastor and a holy martyr, thus reporteth of the Apostles ordinaunce in our matter.Lib. 8. Cōst. Cap. 48. Peragatur dies mortuorum in Psalmis, in lectionibus, atque orationibus, propter eum qui tertia die resurrexit: Item nonus in commemorationem superstitum atque defunctorum. Etiam quadragesimus secūdum veterem formam, Moysen enim hoc modo luxit populus: nec non anniuersarium pro memoria ipsius, detúrque de illius facultatibus pauperibus, in commemorationem ipsius. Thus in English. VVe will that the third day be obserued for the departed, in psalmes, lessons, and prayers, for his sake that rose the third day. And so the ix. day, for the vniting together in one memorie the departed with the liuing. In like maner the fourtith day must be kept according to the ordre vsed of olde: for so did, the people obserue the bewayling of Moyses. And with all these, the xij. monthes minde beside. VVhere for the memory of his departure, l…t somwhat be distributed amongest the poore people. How say you now my maisters, is this Popish or Apostolike doctrine? was it inuented for priestes couetousnesse, or obserued as Christes ordinaunce? made we much of late of the litle we founde before, or of late lost for lacke of deuotion, that which we had so long before? Mercifull God who woulde thinke this geare were so auncient, & so litle set by. VVho would thinke the aduersaries. were so impudent and yet so much regarded. VVhat hearte thinke you they reade the auncient writers with all? Or with what conscience can they passe by so plaine practise of all the Christian worlde? Or with what face can they name either scripture or doctor? How dare they looke backe at any one steppe of antiquitie, all which be nothing els but a testimony of their wickednesse, and as you woulde say a pointing with finger at their horrible spoile of olde doctrine and deuotion? VVhat if one of their owne scholars seeing this light in our matter, shoulde aske of his maister: a lasse sir,The maister Protestant is posed, what if this be true that is proued so olde, and you chaunce to lie that are so late, where are we your scholars then? It is not aunswered, if you confort him with faire wordes, and tell him you follow the scripture. For he will charge you againe straight, that these men had scripture, vnderstood scripture, alleaged scripture, both of the newe Testament and the olde, and referred their vsage some to Moyses & Aaron, other some to the fathers in the lawe of nature, and all to the Apostles of Christ. VVhere are you then? no more but this perdy, we vnderstand scripture perchaunce better then they, we hauehave the holy Ghost perchaunce and so had not the fathers: perchaunce that is no scripture, perchaunce this and this is not that doctors worke, because it makes against vsus. I thinke he that woulde beleue your chauncing, that may hauehave such assuraunce of the trueth on the other side, he is worthy to be deceiued.
4 Not content with Tertullians testimony, you will clime higher, euen to Clemens the Apostles owne scholer, but you shalbe brought downe with shame enough. I will not here repeate the mise dounge, with the rotten breade in the boxe, and such baggage as I hauehave discouered before, of this carterly Clement, but because you are so full of posing M. Protestant, as though you were Iohannes ad oppositum, I wil pose you M. Allen an other while, or any M. Papiste of you all, that hath a forheade to mainteine this trumperie, for Clemen… the auncient Bishoppes writing. Alas Syr, what if this be proued counterfect that you saye is so olde? and you with out peraduenture lye, that of late hauehave founde it so auncient, what grounde hauehave your schollers then? Tertullian hath discharged you of authority of the scripture already, how will you proue it then to be a tradition of the Apostles? your aunswere wilbe still, Clenens sayth it. But alacke Sir, whether is it more licke, that Eusebius and Hieronym, that lyued neerer to the time of S. Clement by twelue hundreth yeares, then you, shoulde know or here tell of his epistles and other writings better then you? But Eusebius and Hieronym neuer hearde of such writinges as were neuer seen in the Church 13. or 14. hundreth yeares after Clemens his death. Where shoulde you hauehave them then but of some counterfecting knawe, that coulde not otherwise maintaine his heresie to be old, but by falsyfying and counterfecting a newe, that which neuer was in the olde writers heades. But to shew that your shamelesse Clement, daunceth bare and breechelesse, with out all honesty: I will yet pose you further, and bidde you call your wittes together to aunswere me. Whether had you rather graunt that so holy a Pope as Clemens was, did erre, or …hat he was a false knaw that woulde father an error vppon so holy a mans name and credit? your Syr Clemens decreeth that the fortyeth day must be obserued for the departed, according to the olde forme because the people did so obserue the bewayling of Moses. But if the scripture affirme that the people bewayled Moses but 30. dayes Deut. 34. Then is your Clement a falsyfier of Gods worde, and his foolish decree builded vppon his false grounde. How saye you now M. Allen is this Apostolike or apostotaticall? is this plaine dealing or Popish counterfecting? was Clemens in the Apostles age so ignorant of the scripture? or was he an ignorant hypocrite that fayned this vnderunder the name of Clemens? Trueth seaketh not to be mainteined which lyes, fayth looketh not to be defended by falsehoode. The Church of Christ craueth no counterfected authoritie to establish her doctrine. Therefore it is neither trueth, nor fayth, nor the doctrine of the Church of Christ, that you mainteine, defend, and establish by lying, falsyfying and counterfecting, but error, infidelity, and heresie, he therefore that will forsake the certainetie of Gods worde to builde vponupon the traditions of men, for leuing the only pathe of trueth, hath a iust rewarde to fall into the pitte of error.
5 VVell, I will close vp this parte of our talke, for Tobies almes borde in the obittes of Christian men, with S. Augustines graue iudgement: who, as he is plaine for the benefite of oblations in the memorialls of mens departures, in all placies, so here in a maner he ordereth the action thereof, for abusies that might thereon arise, in his epistle to Aurelius. The offeringes (sayth he) obserued for the soules departed, whereof there is no question but profet ariseth to them, let them not be ouer sumptuous vponupon the mindes of the deceased, nor soulde away, but geuen with out grudge or disdaine to such as be present, and woulde be partaker thereof: but if mony be offered, it may be distributed out of hande to the poore, and then shall not those dayes of their freindes memorialles, be to their great griefe forsaken or destitute of companie. And the ordre with honeste comelinesse shall be kept continually in the Church. So S. Clement him selfe teacheth all them that be called to such dayes of prayers for the departed, and to be partakers of those oblations or charitable relieues, which were by some honest sober refreshing euen in the Church in those dayes obserued, whether they be of the laity or of the priestes, he geueth them this lesson. Qui ad memorias eorum vocamini, cum modestia & cum dei timore comedite, veluti valentes legatione fungi pro mortuis: cum sitis presbyteri & diaconi Christi, sobrij esse debetis & priuatim: & cum alijs, vt possitis intemperantes coercere: All you that are called to the funeralles of the departed, refresh your selues in measure and feare of God, that you may be worthy, to be as it were in commission of intreatie for the deade: and being priestes or deacons of Christ, you are bounde to be sobre euen at home: but abrode, for others example and discipline.
5 You had bene as good to hauehave left out the comparing of Augustines oblations with Tobies almes borde, for that custome which most resembled your fantasie of Tobies almes borde Augustine condemneth where he alloweth oblations for them that sleepe to profit some what. Sed quoniā istae in caemiterijs ebrietates & luxuriosa conuiuia, non solùm honores martyrum in carnali & imperita plebe credi solent, sed etiam solatia mortuorum, mihi videtur facilius illic dissuade…i posse istam foeditatem ac turpitudinem, si & de scripturis prohibeatur, & oblationes pro spiritibus dormientium quas verè aliquid adiuuare credendum est super ipsas memorias non sunt sumptuosae &c. But because this dronkennesses, and riotous festes vsed in the Church yeardes of the carnall and vnskillfull people are wonte to be beleued not onelyonly to be the honour of the martyrs, but also the comforte of the deade, my thinke it were more easy, that this filthynesse and beastlynesse may be there diswaded, if both it be forbidden out of the scriptures, and that the oblations for the spirites of the deade, which truely we must beleue doth helpe somewhat, vponupon the memories them selues be not sumptuous &c. But if Augustine had knowen the horrible abuses which grew afterwarde, by permission of these oblations, he woulde as well hauehave prohibited them out of the scripture as that hethenish banquettinge in the Church yeardes in honor of the martyrs, as for comforte of deade mens soules. As for Clement that teacheth the preistes and deacones to be sober and moderate in eating, where they were bidden to buriall feastes, euen here also he sheweth him selfe in his owne colours. As though in the dayes of Clemens, when the Church was in great persecution, they had nothing els to doe, but to keepe sumptuous feastes at their burialls, where at the priestes, and deacons, were in daunger of glouttony & dronkennesse, as they were in the Popish church when Popery was in the pride, seldome temperate or sober, and lest of all at burialls, and monthes mindes &c.