Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 2 · Chapter 11
That in eueryevery ordre or vsage of celebration of the blessed sacrament and Sacrifice, through out the Christian vvorlde, since Christes time, there hath bene a solemne supplication for the soules departed. CAP. XI.
1 THerefore let vsus see howe the Church our mother, of her piety vseth generall supplication in all seruice, and solemne administration of the blessed sacramēt, euen for those whose freindes hauehave forgotten them: whose paines and trauell worldely men remembre not: whose obscure condicion of life or pouerty, woulde not suffer them to procure prayers, by their knowen deedes of charity or almes. Those men I say, that doe lacke singular patronage of their freindes, those hath she remembred in the rites of celebration, vsed in all countries, and in eueryevery age sithens the Apostles dayes. VVhichWhich ordres of diuine seruice, as they hauehave bene diuers in forme of wordes, so they perfectly and wholy agreed in the substance of the sacrifice, in praying and offering for the deade, and supplication to sainctes, as thou shalt straight wayes by their vsed ordre of wordes perceiue.
And as we goe forwarde herein, euer let vsus beare this rule in minde. Quòd legem credendi, lex statuit supplicandi, in that sense speaketh S. Augustine often against heretikes: the ordre of the Churches prayer,So sayth S. Augustine oftē against the Pelagians. is euer a plaine prescriptiō for all the faithfull what to beleue. And the motherly affection that the Church beareth towardes all her children departed, the saide doctor thus expresseth:De cura pro mort. Non sunt praetermittendae supplicationes pro spiritibus mortuorum, quas faciēdas pro omnibus in Christiana & Catholica societate defunctis, etiam tacitis nominibus quorumcūque, sub generali cōmemoratione suscepit ecclesia: vt quibus ad ista desunt parentes, aut filij, aut quicunque cognati, vel amici, ab vna eis exhibeantur pia matro cōmuni. That is to say in our tongue. Prayer must not be omitted for the soules departed, which the Church hath customably taken in hande for all men passed in the Christian Catholike society, by the way of a generall commemoration, their names not particularly expressed: that such thinges may be prouided by our common kinde mother, to all those which doe lacke parents, children, kinsfolke or freindes, for the due prouision of such necessary dueties. By this holy mans wordes we may see the difference betwixt our owne tender naturall mother, and the cursed cruell steppe dame. The one followeth her children with louelove and affection into the next world, with full sorowfull sighes, many deuout prayers, and all holy workes: which she vseth to their needefull helpe: the other being but an vnnaturall steppemother, and all the children of that adoulterous seede, hath them no longer in minde then they be in sight: whether they sinke or swim she maketh no accompt: she hath no blessing of her owne, she hindereth the mercy of other.
CAP. XI.
1 THe argumentes of your chapters be like the gates of Lyndum which being but a very litle citie, had exceding great gates, in so much that Diogenes willed them to shut them vp, for feare least their city went out of them. Euen so your titles are merueillous large, but the matter of your treatise, is wonderfull streight. In the last chapter, we shoulde hauehave had prayer and sacrifice for the deade, with the conuersion of all nations, but a lacke we coulde not obteine so much, as the same altogether in one poore nation of the Saxons, and them (as some thinke) not so much conuerted from Gentility to Christ, as peruerted from pure Christianity to superstition. Nowe shall we hauehave eueryevery order of celebration, sence Christes time, with solemne supplication for the soules departed, but our probation shall not beginne vntill three or fower hundreth yeares after Christes time, sauing that for a preamble, we shall hauehave a cople of players come vppon the stage, the one to counterfect Clemens the auncient, the other to beare the name of Dionysius the Areopagite. But such disguised doctors, hauehave bene already to often shifted out of their players garments, and shewed to the worlde in their owne apparell, that any which hath wit should not be nowe deceiued by them. And as concerning the diuerse formes of Liturgies, which you saye doe perfectly and wholy agree with your masse, as they be corrupt, and falsely beare the name of them to whome they be inscribed, so notwithstanding, being of some antiquity, they differ almost as much from your masse, as your masse differeth from our forme of celebration of the communion. But to follow you at the heeles, as farre as you dare goe: I will agree with S. Augustins rule, that the lawe of beleuing, shoulde make a lawe of praying, but faith if it be true, hath no other grounde but the worde of God, therefore prayer if it procede of true faith, hath no other rule to frame it by, but the worde of God. And though Augustine proue against the Pelagians, which allowed the prayer of the Church, that the Church woulde not so praye, except she did so beleue, yet it followeth not, neither doth he meane to defend, that what so euer the visible Church receiueth is true, if it be not agreable to the worde of God, and therefore all other perswasions set a side, he prouoketh onelyonly to the scripture, to trye the faith and doctrine of the Church. Which rule if he had as diligently followed, in examininge the common error of his time, of prayer for the deade at that time, as he did in beating downe the schisme of the Donatistes, or the heresie of the Pelagians, he woulde not so blindly hauehave defended, that which by holy Scripture he was not able to mainteine, as he doth in that booke de cura pro mortuis agenda and else where. And where as you compare our Church to a steppe dame, and your Synagoge to a naturall mother, we maye more iustly wringe backe that comparison vponupon your noses. For our Church herein approueth her selfe to be a naturall mother, that she neither keepeth backe from her true children that heauenly inheritaunce, which their father hath appointed them, nor dissembleth the eternall abdication of them that be obstinate and rebellious. But your malignant church, sheweth her selfe to be a cursed steppe dame, both in feeding the wicked with a vaine hope of release of paines after this life, and in tormenting the well disposed with a false feare of paines which God hath released, to al them that truely turne vntounto him. So her terror tormenteth the vertous, deceiueth the wicked, her hope flattereth the vngodly and disquieteth the well affected. The Church of God sendeth her childrē into the euerlasting blessing of their father in heauen, the Church of Rome sendeth her bastards out of the blessing of God, not into the warme sonne, but into whot burning cooles of purgatory to be thence deliuered at leysure, as she promiseth, but neuer to come out of hell fire as they shall finde.
2 But let vsus vewe all the orders, that we finde extant or vsed through the Christian worlde, for the celebration of the blessed Sacrament and sacrifice, which nowe commonly in our vulgare speach we call the Masse, and see whether as Augustine saide, there hath not bene in all ages an especiall supplication of the priest and people, for the dead as well as for the lieue. First S. Clement, the Apostles owne scholar, reporteth how they prescribed this solemne prayer in their holy ministery for the departed:Constitut. l. 8. cap. 47. Pro quiescentibus in Christo, fratres nostri rogemus. &c. Let vsus pray (sayth the deacon) brethern, for all tho…e that reste in peace, that our mercyfull Lorde, that hath taken their soules into his hand, woulde forgiue them all their offensies, whether they were willingly or negligently committed: and so hauing compassion vponupon them, woulde bring them to the lande of the holy ones, and happy rest with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob: and all other that pleased him from the beginning. where there is neither sighing, sorow, nor sadnesse. And a litle after in the same holy actiō, the Byshop prayeth him selfe, in this forme. O Lord looke downe vponupon this thy seruaunt, whome thou hast receiued into an other life: and pitefully pardon him if either willingly or vnweetingly he hath offended. Let him be guarded by peaceable Angells, and brought to the Patriarches, Prophets, and Apostles, and the rest of all them that hauehave pleased thee sith the worlde beganne. Thus reporteth Clement, being one of the Apostles companie, and continually present in the celebration of their mysteries.
2 S. Hieronyme in his cataloge of Ecclesiasticall writers, reherseth all the bookes that either were knowen to be written by Clemens, or sayed to be his, and were not. First a profitable epistle to the Corinthians, being like in stile to the Epistle to the Hebrues. Also vnderunder his name wente a second Epistle, which was reiected of the auncients, like wise the disputatiō of Peter and Appione written in a large treatise, which Eusebius in the third of his Ecclesiasticall storie reproueth. This is all that S. Hieronyme coulde finde concerning his writings. Who then hath raysed from hell these other Decretall epistles and constitutions, that M. Allen and his companions woulde flappe vsus in the mouth with all, being nothing else but impudent lyes and foule forgeryes.
3 Againe,Eccles. hierarch. c. 17. Dionysius Ariopagita of whome mention is made in the Actes (so auncient be the recordes of our faith) hath not onelyonly left in writinge what he thought in this matter, which had bene enough, but also what the Church Apostolike in that spring of religion and pure deuotion, taught and ordeyned to be vsed, and that by the Apostles prescription: whome he there tormeth the heauenly gides and capitaines of trueth. For in the last chapter of his booke, titled of the Ecclesiasticall soueraintie, he telleth in ordre, howe first the body is placed before the holy altar, howe the solemne mysteries with heauenly psalmes and sonets be songe and saide ouer the corps, how the holy Bishop geueth thankes to God, maketh comfortable exhortation to the assembly, to continue in assured hope of the resurrection: how he anointeth the body with holy oyle, and last of all maketh prayers for him, and so committeth him to God. The which whole ordre of the sacrifice, ceremonies, and mysticall prayers, exercised as well in burialls, as at other times in the reuerent mysteries, this author woulde not fully set out in writinge, for their sakes that coulde not for the weaknesse of faith atteine to the worthy holynesse of so high matters, as he him selfe professeth, in these wordes: Praecationes quae in misterijs adhibentur nephas est scripto interpretari, & misticam eorum intelligentiam aut vim, quae in eis, deo authore, efficacitatem habent, ex abdito in publicum efferre: sed quemadmodum a maioribus nostris traditum accepimus &c: The prayers which be vsed in the misteries, maye not in any wyes be set out to the world in writinge, neither may the singular efficacie and grace of them be made common to all men: but euen as we hauehave receiued by the handes of our elders. And as longe as this ordre was religiously kept in Gods church, the solemne secrets of the blessed sacraments, were not so contemptible as our news open communion hath of late made them, where there is nothing so holy but it may abide the sight and handeling, of who so euer is the worst. The holy and heuenly misteries of Christ his spouse, were not then prophaned by the presumptuous babling of eueryevery idle heade: Then were not the soueraigne weighty matters handeled in alehouses, but vsed at the holy altars. Then the idle, contentious, vngodly, and vnprofitable quirkes and questions, had no other solution but sharpe discipline, and worthy correction: then were not the Gides of Gods people controwled by eueryevery restlesse fellowe, that coulde cracke of Gods worde: but it was enough for a faithfull mans contentation to say with Basil the greate: Dominus ita docuit, In homil. contra Sabellian. Athan: ad Epitectum.apostoli predicauerunt, patres obseruauerunt, confirmauerunt martyres, sufficiat dicere ita doctus sum. Our Lorde taught so, the Apostles so preached, our fathers obserued the same, the holy martyrs hauehave sealed it, It is sufficient for me to say: so was I taught. O Lord, that this simple sincere fidelitie might once take place againe in our dayes, for the comforte of the poore faithfull flocke, that are now so burdened with questions of infidelitie, that the sely simples soules can not tell howe to turne them selues, nor finde meanes to kepe their faith inuiolated, in such a multitude of misbeleuers. VVhichWhich I surely hope the earnest and pityfull prayers of so many good men that do bewaile this miserie, shall at length after due punishment of our …innes obteine at Gods gratious handes. But what s…ifte doe the aduersaries here make, with this euident testimonie of this so auncient a writer? mary sir they indeuour with all their might, to robbe this excellent aunciēt & diuine writer of all his workes, whiche hauehave borne the title of his name euer sith they were writen:Ita Suidas testatur. which chalenge their owne author by that graue stile that no other man, as the skillfull in that language doe testifie, coulde euer lightly atteine vntounto: which so sauore of the antiquity, and the Apostolike spirite, that thou woulde deeme them to be indited by some of the continuall hearers of Christ Iesus. But it were vaine to stande in contention for this matter, for we shoulde neuer hauehave ende, if we should be put to proue that eueryevery man made the bookes which be extant in his name: it were to much miscredit of antiquitie, and vncertainty of all thinges. Although this mans workes hauehave bene both named,Origen. Athan Damascen. Nicenum. 2. and certeine sentences alleaged out of them, by most auncient doctors and councells. VVith whome, the aduersaries if they list be busie, shall wrestle, for I will seeke out as my purpose was, whether in other times and vsages of celebration, this kinde memoriall of the deade, hath not bene kept.
3 If Dionysius the Aeropagite, had written any thing, or any Dionysius had written any bookes entituled de ecclesiastica Hierarchia before S. Ieronyms time, or in his time, he would not hauehave left him out in his Cataloge of Ecclesiasticall writers, which he continueth from the passion of Christ vntounto the 14. yeare of Theodosius the Emperour, or if any such writer, or writing had bene knowne in the Church two hundreth yeares after, Gennadius which addeth, if any were omitted by Ieronym, and continueth his cataloge vntounto the raigne of Zeno or Anastasius, in which time he liued, he would not hauehave passed him in so deepe silence. yea the man him selfe, euen in the wordes that M. Allen rehearseth, plainly declareth, that he was not that Areopagite cō uerted by S. Paule, for then he would not hauehave sayd. Quemadmodum a maioribus nostris traditum accepimus, as we hauehave receiued it of our auncestors. But as we hauehave receiued of the Apostles them selues, of whom Dionysius him selfe was turned to the faith. As for Suidas is to late a witnesse, to know that Ieronym and Gennadius and before them Eusebius knew not. But M. Allen thinketh, he hath made a witty defence for these bookes, to be written by Dionysius the Areopagite, when he sayth we should neuer hauehave ende, if we shoulde be put to proue, that eueryevery man, made these bookes, that be extant in his name. But what if we should receiue all bookes to be authenticall, that beare the name of some worthy person, shoulde we not thinke you hauehave many goodly treatises in the name not onelyonly of auncient doctors, but euen of the Apostles them selues? But Origen and Athanasius both name this Dionysius and allege sentences out of him, Shew that M. Allen and you hauehave wonne the fielde, for Dionysius credit except it be out of such Origens and Athanasiusses as this Dionysius is or as Damascene and the second Nycene councell alleage, to whom what so euer could be counterfected to serue their purpose, was wellcome and well receiued.
Epist. 9. li. 1.4 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 vnderunder his iurisdiction not to celebrate for certaine notorious offenders, geueth vsus 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, De cura pro mortuis. & alibi saepe.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 vnderunder 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 vnderunder his iurisdiction. But I hauehave 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:Lyturgia Chrysosto. 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 hauehave taken their sleepe in the hope of resurrection, and life euerlasting: Cause them to take rest, where the light of thy countenaunce is shewed. Lyturgia Basilia.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 vnderunder 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,Vniuersalis Canon. 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, Lyturgia Armeniorū.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 vntounto 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 hauehave 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 louelove.
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,In prima prece praeparatoria ad missam. geueth vsus 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▪ A notable solemne prayer of S. Ambro…e for the soules departed.domine Deus meus sit illis hodie magnum & plenum gaudium de te pane viuo & vero qui de coelo descendisti, & das vitam mundo: de carne sancta & benedicta, agni videlicet immaculati, qui tollis peccatum mundi: & potare de fonte pietatis tuae, qui per lanceam militis de latere emanauit crucifixi Christi, domini nostri, vt consolati exultent in laude & gloria tua sancta. This in English: we besech the most holy father for the soules of all faithfull departed, that this high and greate sacrament of piety, may be vntounto them helth and salfty for euer, ioye, release, and perpetuall refreshing: O my Lorde God geue them this daye greate and perfect comfort of thee, which art the bread that came downe from heauen, and geuest life to the worlde. Let them take ioye of thy holy and blessed flesh, that is to saye of the lambe that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde. Geue them to drinke of the springe of thy piety, which by the pricke of the souldiers speare, did aboundantly ishue out of the side of our Sauiour Christ and Lorde crucified, that they being so comforted, may reioyse in thy laude and glory euerlastingly. To be brieefe all the Christian worlde agreeing, as Isiodorus saith, vponupon one waye for the celebration of diuine mysteries,De Ecclesi. officijs lib. 1. Cap. 15. maketh intercession for the faithfull departed, that by the blessed sacrifice, they maye obteine pardon and remission of their sinnes.
7 It is a world to see that you hauehave nothing in a manner but forged euidence, to proue the antiquitie of prayer for the deade, in publicke seruice of the Church. Who is so ignoraunt in antiquitie, but he that will needes be obstinate, that knoweth not those preparatories to that masse, to be none of S. Ambrose his doings. Otherwise it were not harde to proue, that by the name of sacrifice, he meaneth thankes geuing for the sacrifice of Christ, as the maner of that vnpropre speach was to terme the holy sacrament, which is but the seale of our saluation and not the matter thereof it selfe. To be briefe what so euer Isidorus sayth, if all the worlde agreed, that intercession and sacrifice should be offered for the deade, seeing it disagreeth from the worde of God, and the practise of the primitiue Church so long as it followed the rule of Gods worde, it is no whit to be regarded.
8 For I assure the good reader, that all realmes which nowe by Gods grace are in true faith, and their Christianitie continuing, or else before hauehave bene, and now by schisme doe forsake the same, that all those nations as they receiued one faith, so in substance they hauehave euer agreed vniformely in order of seruice, which they receiued at their first conuersion from the way of gentilitie, by the good prouision of such, as wrought vnderunder God in their happy turne to the Christian faith, and religion. The same men that brought in the faith of Iesus, with all brought in this way of worshipping Christ in the same faith, take away then this order of worship, and solemne supplication which they planted, thou must needes ouerthrowe the faith which they taught also. This I say was euer found, in the celebration of the fearefull mysterie of Christes body and blood, besides the oblation of that holy host for the quicke and dead both namely for certaine, and generally for all departed in Christ, a solemne prayer and supplicatiō. VVhichWhich no doubt Christ instituted at his last supper, which the holy Ghost afterward secretly suggested to the Apostles, which they againe faithfully deliuered to the nations conuerted by their preaching, and to diuerse of their owne disciples: by whom the same was deriued downe to our dayes, taught in all nations, and carefully practised of all people. VVhereof we hauehave worthy witnesses for all countries almost. For so the godly doctors Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, both taught and worshipped in Africke, the same doth Hierom and Damascene in Syria, Origen and Athanasius in Egypte. Denyse the auncient, and Bernarde in Fraunce, Chrysostome in Thrase, Basill and his brethern in Cappadocia, Ambrose and Gregory the greate in Italy, Augustine our apostle and Bede in our countrie of England: with the rest of all nations baptized, whome I named before, and might doe yet a number: what shoulde I say a numbre? all that euer were counted Catholikes since the beginning, were of the same sense in that cause. And to name the residue where these do not serue, it were lost labour. For whome they can not moue, I can not tell what maye perswade him in any matter. Or if he dare not bestow his credit on these mens doinges, whome maye he salfely trust? If the communion and faithfull fellowship, of so many godly and gracious men so vniformely consenting both in the teaching and practising of this matter, can not sattell and quiet a mans conscience, who can appeace his disquieted vnsteadfast minde and cogitation? If in the construing of Gods word and scriptures, so many of such graue iudgement, of so approued wisedome, of so passing learning, of such earnest studie in tryall of the trueth, of so vertuous a life, of so heauenly a gifte and grace in the expounding of Gods worde, maye not be salfely followed in this our search, whome shoulde we follow, or to whome shoulde the simple addicte them selues, in so greate a turmoyle of learned men: one sorte craking so fast of scripture, and the other sorte, when the matter commes to triall, alleaging so many, with so auncient and graue testimony for the true meaning of the same? to which I saye, is it wisedome to geue consent and credit? if not to such as faithfully both followe and recite the scripture with the agreement of the worlde for the true sense thereof.Lib. 2. cap. 3. Contra epistolā Parmeniani. S. Augustine writing against Parmenianus the Donatiste, much woundereth in that cleere light of trueth and the Churches doctrine, the heretikes coulde be blinde, or not see the euidence of that, which all the worlde but them selues sawe. And in many places he reckeneth the most horrible punishment in the worlde, to be the cecity and blindenesse which God striketh the stubborne mans hearte with all, in forsaking the fellowship of the Churches children. But he that considereth the processe of our cause, maye a thousand times more maruaill and feare Gods heuy iudgement, in the blinding of the disobedient mens heartes and senses for sinne. If they them selues were of their consciences examined, what els they would wishe for the triall of any doubt, I am sure they coulde name no one point, nor any meanes in the worlde, which our cause woulde not suffer and admitte. For by what waye so euer, any trueth in Gods Church was seuerally in the auncient times auouched against the aduersary heretike, I am sure we hauehave the same with the aduauntage. And for this last point of prayers in the Masses of all nations, it is so euident, that no man can gaine saye it: and so generally practised, that the vsage of praying coulde in no matter euer so cleerely set out the certaintie of our belefe, as in this.
8 If you will take M. Allens assurance in so weighty a matter, that vseth so commonly to lye, in eueryevery tryfling matter, you are worthy to be deceiued. And that you may see I doe him no wrong, see I pray you how shamefully he lyeth in this matter, whereof he maketh such impudent assurance. He sayth the same men which brought in the fayth, brought in the same order of seruice, and planted the same supplication, wherein they hauehave vniformly continued, &c: take away the same order, and ouerthrow the fayth which they taught. But who doth not know, that Chrysostom, Basill, Ambrose, Gregory, which he nameth to be the first auctors of those orders of seruice & formes of supplication, which before he commended, were not the first, that brought in the fayth into Cappadocia, Thracia, or Italy. But ye Apostles them selues, and that those Churches continued more then 300. yeares with other formes of publike prayers, and celebration of the sacraments before these men were borne. And where he sayth there was euer found in the celebration of the sacrament, beside oblation of the host for the quicke and the deade, both particularly and generally, a solemne prayer for all departed in Christ: You must take it, as the rest of his assertions, which be euer more generall then their probations. But to reproue his vanitie, the order of prayers and administration of the holy misteries, described by Iustinus Martyr in his second Apologie, and of Tertullian also in his Apologetico doe sufficiently declare, what was the vsage of the Christians in those purer times. And although there be not set forth vntounto them, what forme of wordes they vsed in their liturgie, yet is it expressed for whom and what they prayed. Oramus etiam (sayth Tertullian) pro Imperatoribus, pro ministris eorum, & potestatibus saeculi, pro rerum quiete, pro mora finis, We pray also for the Emperours, for their ministers and the powers of this world, for the quiet state of thinges, for stay of the end. Likewise he sheweth, to whom they made their prayers, and what was the chiefest sacrifice that they did offer. Haec ab alio orare non possum, quam à quo sciam me cōsecuturum, quoniam & ipse est qui solus praestat, & ego sum cui impetrare debetur famulus eius, qui eum solum obseruo, qui ei offero opimam & maiorem hostiam, quam ipse mā dauit, orationem de carne pudica, de anima innocente, de spiritu sancto profatam. These thinges I can not require of any other, but of him of whom I know I shall obteyne. For it is he alone, which graunteth, and I am he which should obteyne, being his seruaunt, which worship him onelyonly, which offer vntounto him that principall and great sacrifice, which he him selfe commaunded, namely prayer proceding out of a chast body, out of a harmeles soule, and from the holy spirite, This he speaketh comparing the prayers and sacrifice of the Christians, with the prayers and sacrifices of the Gentiles. But that I may returne to M. Allen which referreth the institution of prayer, and sacrifice for the deade to Christ, at his last supper, to the secrete suggestion of the holy Ghost, to the faithfull deliuery of the Apostles, and the constant continuance of all nations. Of whom will he be a feard to lye, when he fathereth such a blasphemy, vponupon the Apostles, vponupon the holy Ghost, and vponupon Christ him selfe? But let vsus consider your Sorites. Christ you say no doubt, did institute it: where is the warraunt of this vndouted institution? you aunswere secrete suggestion of the holy Ghost, howe come we to the knowledge of this secrete suggestion? By tradition of the Apostles: who is witnesse that this is the tradition of the Apostles? Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, Ieronym, and a great many more. But if it be lawfull for me once to pose the Papistes, as you do often the Protestants, I would learne why the Lord would not hauehave this doubtlesse institution, and as you take it, the most necessary vse of the sacrament, plainly, or at least wise obscurely set fo…th by Matthew, Marke, Luke or Paule, which all hauehave set forth the story of the action of Christ, the institution of the sacrament, and the ende or vse of the same. If it were not meete at all to be put in writing, why was it disclosed by Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, &c. If it were meete to be put in writing, why were not those chosen Scribes Matthew, Marke, Luke, Paule, worthy of all credit, rather appoynted for it, then Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine and such as you name? But against this counterfect institution, secrete suggestion, and fayned tradition, S. Paule crye…h with open mouth to the Corinthians. 1. Cor. 11. That which I deliuered vntounto vntounto you, I receiued of the Lorde, that the Lord Iesus the same night, &c. In which wordes he declareth without couler or couerture, what was the true institution of Christ, of what witnesse he receiued it, with what fidelitie he deliuered it, what the sacrament is, and what is the right vse of it, to condemne all maner of abuses what so euer may rise either to corrupt this onelyonly true substance, and onelyonly right order of ministration, or to peruert this onelyonly right vse and proper ende thereof. I knowe the Papistes will flie to those wordes of the Apostle, the rest I will set in order when I come, but that is so manifest to be spoken of matters of externall comlines, and not of doctrine of the sacrament, as prayers and sacrifices, that no man which vnderstandeth what foreign, doth signifie, can doubt or make any questiō of it. Now touching the credit and worthynesse of these, whom he so highly extolleth, as I woulde not goe about to diminish it, if they were to be compared with vsus, so when they are opposed against the manifest worde of God and the credit of the holy Apostles, the instruments of the holy Ghost, there is no cause that we shoulde be caried awaye with them. But the controuersie is not (as M. Allen sayth) of the authoritie of the scriptures in this matter, but of the true meaning of them, which it is more like, that they being such men, then we so farre inferior to them, should knowe, I aunswere, they them selues for the most parte confesse, that prayer and oblation for the deade, is not taken at all out of the scriptures, as Tertullian, Augustine and other, the rest that woulde seeke confirmation in the scriptures, as Chrysostome and such like, doe so manifestly wrest them to their purpose, that the Papistes them selues are ashamed to vse those textes of scripture for their proofes. And as for such places, as the later Papistes woulde violently draw vntounto their error, they hauehave fewe or none of the olde approued writers which though they allow their error yet that so interpret them, as the place. 1. Cor. 3. and Matth. 5. And what a shamelesse creature is M. Allen, to say the controuersie is about the true meaning of the scripture, when he him selfe in the next leafe before, affirmeth that prayer and sacrifice for the deade, was instituted by Christ at his last Supper, which the holy Ghost afterwarde did secretly suggest vntounto the Apostles, and they as secretly deliuered to the nations. For, no worde nor halfe worde therof is conteined in their writings, which are to vsus the only true testimony of their tradition. Thus hauehave these heretikes no grounde of their heresie, but shifte from the worde of scripture to secret tradition, from tradition to the meaning of scripture, from the plaine meaning of scripture, to the vnconstant opinions of men, from the variable and contrary opinions of men in times past, to their owne obstinacy and continuaunce in error in time present & yet he woundreth, that we are so blinde, that we can not see the cleere light of the trueth. If Satan transforming him selfe into an angell of light, hath so dasled their eyes, that they can not see the true light, they are iustly plagued, because they hauehave refused the faithfull testimony of Gods worde, which only geueth true light vntounto the eyes (as the Prophet saith) and geuen heede to spirites of errors and doctrines of deuils, by whom they are blinded in vtter darkenesse, though it be with false imagination and dreaminge of light. Yet see the confidence of the man, he is suer, that if we were examined of our conscience, what triall of this doubt we woulde wishe, there is none we coulde name, but his cause might well abide it. Why M. Allen, we hauehave testified of our conscience longe agoe, that the onelyonly authority of Gods worde written, shall satisfie vsus, as well in this as in all other matters, if you were as desirous to satisfie vsus, as you pretend, and as able to performe, as you are to promise, we should hauehave hearde before this time some sentence of scripture to maintaine, prayer and sacrifice for the deade, not standing vppon voluntary collection, but either in plaine wordes or necessary conclusion. For there is nothing that we are bounde to knowe, nothing that we are bounde to doe, but either in expresse wordes or in necessary collection, which is as good as expresse wordes, it is set forth in the holy Scriptures. Beside this, you shoulde bring a great preiudice against vsus, if you coulde bringe the consent and practise of the primitiue pure Church for the space of an hundreth yeares after Christ. But neither of these doe we looke to see, we before see with our eyes the certainety of those thinges, whereof now we contend in words and writinges.