An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Chapter 8 – Chapter 9
The. 8. Chapter.
¶ Of praying for the dead, the true doctryne.
NOw as concerninge the thirde, that is, of prayeng for the dead and ſacrificing for them, as in the other we confeſſe, teache and beleue accordynge to gods worde: ſo doe we in this. Namely, that in holy ſcripture, thorow out the Canonical bokes of the olde and newe teſtament, we fynde nether precept nor enſample of prayenge for any, whā they bee departed thys lyfe: but that as menne dye, ſo ſhall they aryſe.
If in fayth in the Lorde towardes the ſouth, thē nede they Eccle. 11.no prayers, then are they preſent lye happye, and ſhall aryſe in glorye. If in vnbelefe, withoute Iohn. 5.the lorde towarde the north, thē are they paſte all helpe, in the damned ſtate preſently, and ſhal ryſe to eternall ſhame.
Wherefore, accordynge to the ſcripture, we exhorte men to repent. And whyle they hauehave time, Gal. 6.to worke well.
Eueri man ſhal beare his own burthen, eueryevery man ſhall geue accompt Col. 3. Rom. 14. 2. Cor. 5.for hym ſelfe, and not ſir Iohn nor ſir Thomas, that ſyng or pray for them.
EueryEvery man ſhal receaue accordynge to that he hymſelfe doeth in thys body, whyle he is here alyue, bee it good or bad: and not accordyng to that hys executors, or thys chauntry prieſt, and that fraternite doth for hym.
Whereby we maye well ſee, if we wyl, that as prayer for the dead is not avaylable or profitable to the dead: ſo is it not of vsus allowable or to bee exercyſed.
For as they, that ar departed, be paſt our prayers, beyng eyther in ioye or in miſery, as is aboue ſhewed: Euen ſo we, hauyng for rom. 10. 14.it no worde of god, where vponupon fayth leneth, can not but ſynne in doyng it, in that we doe it not of fayth, beecauſe we hauehave no worde of god for it.
Therfore wyth Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, Moſes, y• prophets, Chryſt Ieſus and the Apoſtles, we bury the dead in a conuenyent place, & mourne in meaſure, as men hauynge hope of the reſurreccion, 1. Theſſa. 4not becauſe of them: for that were a great poynte of ingratitude, thei being departed Apoca. 14.out of miſerable condycyon into a moſt bleſſed ſtate.
Therfore we geue thankes to god for them, prayſe hys name for hys power and myghte ſhewed on them. And pray, that we maye departe in the ſame fayth, and ioyfully ryſe wyth them in the reſurrecciō, which we deſier and wyſhe the lord would haſtē. We mourne (I ſay) not beecauſe of them, but of our ſelues, that hauehave loſt the companye of ſuche our helpers and furtherers in ſpiritual and temporall benefytes, by them beeyng admonyſhed of our immortalitie, and of the vanitie of thys lyfe: that we might the more contemne it, and deſier the euerlaſtyng lyfe, where they and we ſhall neuer be ſeparated. Thys is our fayth and doctryne for them, that be departed: who though they be members of the ſame body miſtical of Chriſte, y• we be of: yet ſhoulde they in this caſe be diſcerned from the mylitaunte members, they beyng at reſte, and hauing finiſhed their courſſe and fyghte, in no poynte 2. Timo. 4.neding any of our helpe, excepte we ſhoulde to arrogantly ſet vp our owne merites and prayers, and pul down Chriſt, as though we were able to get pardon and hyer rowme in heauē for others: where al our ryghtuouſnes, and the beſte thynge we doe, is ſo farre from helpyng others, that thereby we can not helpe oure ſelues, but had nede to crye dimitte nobis debita noſtra: being no better in gods ſyghte, then a Luke. 11.defyled womans cloth, althogh to the ſyghte of menne, they Eſa. 64.maye ſeme gorgyous and gaye. For if the papyſtes would ſaye, as whan they are preſſed wyth blaſphemye, in extollynge theyr owne merytes and workes of ſupererogacion agaīſt Chriſt, ther vſe, that our prayers doe thē no good in reſpecte of the worthynes of their prayers, but in reſpect of gods goodnes: in y• gods goodnes is not to be loked for other wyſe, thē he hath promiſed, let them eyther ſhewe men hys p…omes, or els in this be half kepe ſylence, and exercyſe themſelues better in doyng their dutyes to their brethren, that be alyue. Towardes whom theyr charytye is verye colde: all thoughe whan they are dead, then ther wyll pretende much, then wyl they praye for them: but yet not for nought and freli, as true charite workth. For no penny, no pater noſter.
Geue nothyng, and then thei wil neyther ſyng nor ſay Requiem, nor placebo, I warraunt you.
But of thys ſuffycient. Now to the laſt, of prayeng to the dead, or to ſayntes departed this lyfe.
The. 9. Chapter.
¶ Of praying to ſaynctes.
HEre we confeſſe, teache and beleue, as before is ſayd, accordyng to gods holye worde, that as all Iacob. 1.and eueryevery good thynge commeth only from god the father, by y• means of Ieſus chriſt: ſo, for the obtaininge of y• ſame, Pſal. 50. 1. Timo. 6. Hebru. 13. Pſal. 5.we muſt cal vpō hys holy name, as he hymſelfe commaundeth very often.
But for aſmuche as god dwelleth in a lighte inacceſſible, and is a conſumyng fyer, and hateth all impietie and vnclennes, and we bee blynde, ſtubble, graſſe, haie and nothyng but filthy, vncleane and ſynneful: and becauſe that therfore as we maye not, ſo we dare not approche to his preſence: it hath pleaſed thys good god and father, of his louelove, to ſēd a ſpokeſman and mediator, an in terceſſor and aduocate betwene hym and vsus, euen Ieſus Chriſte his dearely beeloued ſonne: By whom we mighte hauehave free entraunce wyth boldnes, to come before hys preſence and Throne of mercye, to fynde and obteyne grace and helpe in tyme of nede. For thys our mediator and aduocate Hebru. 2. 4is with his father of the ſame ſubſtaunce, power, wiſdōe and maieſtye, and therfore maie way wel wyth him in al things: and with vsus he is of the ſame ſubſtaunce whyche we are of, euen fleſh and mā, but pure and with oute ſynne, in all thynges beyng tempted lyke vntounto vsus, and hauing Heb. 3. 4.experyence of our infirmytyes, that he myght be mercyfull and faythfull on our behalfe, to pourge vsus from our ſynnes, and 1. Pet. 2. Math. 3. 17.to bryng vsus into ſuch fauor with the father: that we might be not onelyonly dearely beloued throughe him, the only dearlyng of the father, Math. 7. 1. Iohn. 5. Iohn. 14.but alſo obtayne whatſoeuer we ſhal aſke according to his worde and will, in the name of this ſame our mediator, ſauiour, interceſſour and aduocate. So y• eaſy it is to ſee, that as it is an obedyente ſeruice to god ye father, to call alwayes vponupon hym in all Pſal. 50.our nede: ſo to come to hys preſence throughe Chryſte, is to the honoure of CHRISTES medyacyon, interceſſyon, and aduocatſhip. And therfore, as it cannot bee but agaynſte the almightie God and father, to aſke or loke for any thyng els where, at the handes of any that be departed this life, as thoughe he were not the geuer of all good thynges, or as though he hadde not commaunded vsus to come vn to hym: ſo we ſee, it is manyfeſtli againſt Chriſt Ieſus our lord, by any other ſaynte, aungell or archangel, to come and moue any thyng at our fathers handes: As though he were not our mediatour, aduocate and interceſſoure, or els not a ſufficiente aduocate, mediatour and interceſſour, or at leeſt not ſo mercyfull, meke, gracyous, louing and readye to helpe, as others.
Where he only ſo loued vsus, as the very hartes of al men and aungels neuer were able to conceaue any part of ye height, depth Eph. 3.bredth and lēgth of the ſame, as it is.
If his own harte bloud was not to deare for vsus, beeyng hys very enemyes, & neuer deſirous to doe his wil: How is it poſſyble, that he wyl contemne vsus, for cōming vntounto him with purpoſe and deſyer to ſerue hym? Many other reaſons I could geue you, wherefore the ſaynctes are not to bee prayed vntounto: for that pulleth from fayth in Chryſt: It maketh them godes, it is ydolatrye &c. But thys maye ſuffice. So yt nowe you ſee by godes woorde, what oure faith is concernynge theſe. 4. thynges.
Whyche that you maye the more louelove, embrace and be cōtēt to cary wyth you throughe fyer and water, I wil now goe about by gods grace, as brefelye as I can, to ſhewe, howe abominable their doctryne is: euen out of the ſhort Summe therof, already before by me rehearced.