An Exhortation to the Carrying of Christs Cross, Chapter 12
The. 12. Chapter.
¶ The confutacion of the papyſtes ſacrificing and praying for the dead.
FIrſt whan they ſay, this applicatory ſacrifice may be called a propiciatory ſacrifice, beecauſe it applyeth the propiciatorye ſacrifice, to whom the prieſt wyll, bee he dead or alyue: as I woulde hauehave you to note, howe they graunt, that of it ſelfe it is not a propycyatorye ſacryfyce, whereby they varye from that, which they els where teach, that it is the ſelf ſame ſacrifice, which Chryſte offered on the croſſe, vn bloudely: ſo I praye you forget not, that ye prieſt is gods felowe: for he may apply it to whom he wyll.
Therfore honor ſir Iohn, and make much of ſir Thomas. For though god could make thee alone: yet alone, wyth oute the prieſte, he can not ſaue thee. Agayne, if ſir Iohn be thy frend, care neyther for god nor the deuill: lyue as thou wylte, he wyll bryng thee to heauen, althoughe thou ſlippe into hel.
So they wryte, that Gregory by maſſing did with Traiane y• emperour. It maketh no mater how thou lyue here, ſo thou hauehave the ſauior of the pope and his ſhaue lynges.
Wheras they ſay, that the fathers from the beginninge were accuſtomed to make memorials for the dead: thys I graunte to be true, as we doe in our communion.
But to gather, that therefore they prayed for them: it nomore foloweth, then to ſaye, that oure englyſhe ſeruice doeth alowe it, where it doth not. For ye muſte note, that there is a memorial for the dead aſwel in geuing thanks to god for them, as in praying for them: for to ſaye, to praye for the dead, is a generall worde, includyng in it geuyng of thankes.
And therfore whan we read in the aunciente fathers of the primitiue church, of the memorials for the dead or prayinge for the dead, it is not to be vnderſtand, that they prayed for to delyuer them from purgatory (for y• was not founde out then) or frō hell, as oure papiſtes doe in theyr prayers of the maſſe, forther is no redempcion: or for pardon of theyr ſynnes, as thoughe they had it not, for if thei depart with out it, they are damned: or for to get them a hier place in heauen, for that wer iniurious to chriſt, that we ſhould purchaſe places, and hyer rowmes in heauen for others: But eyther for the deſyer of the more ſpedy cōming of Chriſt, to haſten the reſurrecciō, either y• thei might not be thoght negligent or careles ouer y• deed: tyther that the liuing myght be occaſioned to increaſe in louelove to the church here in earth, who ſtil foloweth with good wil & louelove, euen men whā thei be departed: eyther to admoniſh the churche to be diligent ouer ſuch as lyue, and careful to extende her louelove, if it were poſſible, euen to the deed.
On this wiſe ſhoulde we expounde not only the former, but alſo y• later fathers, as Auſten, Chriſoſtōe and others. Whyche though in ſome places they ſeme very manifeſtli to alow praying for y• deed, yet they are not to be vnderſtād otherwiſe, thē I hauehave ſaid for them. For neuer knewe they of our merites & purgatory: for if thei had but dreāed therō, ſurely thei would hauehave bē much more circūſpect in their ſpeakigs & writinges of this, thē theiwer. Where they ſaye, that beecauſe thys ſacrifice is the ſacryfice of the whole churche, whereof the dead be members, therfore they ſhould be prayed for: as beefore I hauehave ſhewed, that we muſt put a difference betwene the mēbers of the churche militaunte here on earth, and thoſe whyche bee now in reſt and peace with god: ſo wold I hauehave you to note here, that they ſhould pray for none other dead then ſuche, as be members of Chryſtes Churche.
Nowe in that al ſuch dye in the lord, and therfore are happye, I would gladly learne, what good ſuch prayer doeth to thoſe ſo departed.
As for purgatory pyke purſſe, they paſſe not vponupon it. But that thys is a ſacrifice applycatorye or propiciatory, the papiſtes cā neuer proue. Where they ſaye, charitie requireth it: I anſwer, that in aſmuche as charitie foloweth fayth, and wyll not goe a fote farther then fayth ſheweth the waye: ſeyng fayth is not but of the worde of god, and goddes Roma. 10.woorde for thys they hauehave not: eaſy it is to perceaue, that thys praying thus for the dead is not of Chriſtian charitie. But be it y• charitie réquired it, I then meruail why thei ar ſo vncharitable, that wyll doe nothyng herein wt out money. Whye wyll they not pray without pens? If the pope and his prelates were charitable, they woulde, I trowe, make ſwepe ſtake at once wyth purgatorye.
Where they alledge the ſentence of the Machabees: as all men of learnynge knowe, the fathers duplicate page duplicate page alowe not that booke to be gods ſpirite or catholike: ſo doe I wonder, that in al the olde teſtamente this ſacrificing for the dead was neuer ſpokē of before. In all the ſacrifices, that God appoynted, we reade of neuer one for the dead.
Thys geer came not vp, till the religion was wonderfullye corrupte among the Iewes.
As wyth vsus it was neuer founde out, til horrible corrupcion of religion and ignoraunces of Godes worde came into the churche of god, whan preachyng was putte downe and maſſynge came vp.
Then fayth in Chriſt was colde, penaunce became popyſhe, and truſt was taughte in creatures, ignoraunce abounded: and loke what the clergi ſaid, that was beleued. Then came vp viſions, miracles, dead ſprites walkynge and talkynge how they myghte bee releued by thys maſſe, by that pylgremage gate goynge.
And ſo came vp this pelfe of prayinge for the dead, whyche Paul, the apoſtles and al the prophetes neuer ſpake one word of. For all menne maye eaſelye ſee, that it is a thinge which helpeth much vyce, and hyndreth godlyneſſe.
Who wyll bee ſo earneſte to amende, to make reſtytucyon of that he hath gotten vniuſtli, and lyue in a Godlye louelove and true frare of GOD, beeyng taught that by prayers, by maſſes, by foundynge of Chaunteryes &c. whan he is gone, he ſhall fynde caſe, & releafe, yea and come to ioye eternall: Chryſtes doctrine is, that the waye of ſaluacion is ſtrayte. But thys teachyng, heapyng of maſſes one vpō another whan we are dead, maketh it voyde.
Chryſtes teachyng is, that we ſhoulde liue in louelove and charite: the Sonne ſhould not go down on our wrath. But this doctrine, to pray for the dead to be delyuered out of purgatory, teacheth rather to lyue in litle louelove, in wrath euen tyl our deathes day. For ſyr Iohn can and wil helpe, ſyr thomas, by a maſſe of Scala celi, wyll bryng vsus into heauen. Chryſtes doctryne is, that he is the way, but thys doctryne maketh the maſſyng prieſt the way. Away in dede it is, but to hell & to ye deuil. Dearly beloued, therfore take good hearte vntounto you for thys geer: rather, then you would conſente vntounto it, to looſe lyfe, and all that euer you hauehave.
You ſhal be ſure wyth Chryſt to fynde it, and that for euer, wyth infinite increace.
Laſt of al, wher they alledge the catholyke churche and conſēt of al doctors in thys mater: as I wyſhe you ſhould knowe, that to be the true and catholyk church, which is grounded vponupon gods worde, whiche worde they hauehave not for them in thys matter: So would I ye ſhoulde knowe, that ther is no membre of the church, but he mai erre. For thei be men, and al men be lyers, as Dauyd ſayeth.
Now if al the members may erre, then you mai eaſeli ſe, wher to your fayth ought to leene: euē vntounto gods wryttē worde. Heare the churche, and the doctors of y• churche: but none otherwyſe thē as teachers, and trye their teachyng by gods worde. If they teache accordyng to it, then beeleue and obeye them.
If contrary, then knowe they be but menne, and alwayes lette your fayth leene to gods worde.
Howbeit, for thys mater of prayinge for the dead, knowe of trueth, that ther be no doctors of 400, or. 500. yeare after Chriſts aſcenſion, but if thei in ſōe places ſeme to alowe prayinge for the dead, yet they would be taken in ſome of the ſenſes whiche I hauehave ſpecified. In many places doe they by diuerſe ſē tences declare it them ſelues. But of this ynough.