The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 5
The fifte Chapter. ¶ Of the suppliynges whiche they adde to satisfactions, as pardons and purgatory.
OUt of this doctrine of satisfactions do flowe indulgēces or pardons. For they say that that which our power wā teth to make satisfaction, is supplied by these pardōs. And thei runne so far forth into madnesse, that they define thē to be the distributiō of the merites of Christ & of the martirs, which? Pope dealeth abrode by his bulles. But although they hauehave more neede of Helleborus to purge their frētike braine, thā argumētes to answer thē, so yt it is not much worthy yt trauaile to stand vpō confuting such triflyng errors, which are already shakē wt many battelrammes, and of them selues growe into decaied age, and bende toward falling: yet because a short confutation of them shalbe profitable for some that be ignoraunt, I will not altogether omitte it. As for this that pardons hauehave so long stand safe, and hauehave so long ben vnpunished, hauing ben vsed with so outragious and furious licētiousnesse: this may serue to teache vsus in how darke a night of errors, men in certaine ages past hauehave ben drowned. They sawe them selues to be openly & vncoloredly scorned of the Pope and his Bulbearers, gainful markettes to be made of the saluation of their soules, the price of saluatiō to be valued at a few pence, and nothing set out to be frely geuen: that by this colour they be wyped of offringes to be filthely spent vponupon brothels, bawdes and bankettinges: that the greatest blowers abrode of pardons are the greatest despisers of them: that this mōstre doth dayly more and more with greater licentiousnesse ouerrunne the worlde, & grow into outrage, and yt there is no ende, newe lead dailye brought, and new mony gotten. Yet with hye reuerence they receiued, they worshipped and bought pardons, and suche as among the rest sawe somewhat farther, yet though thē to be godly deceiptes, wherby mē might be beguiled with some profit. At ye length, sins the world suffred it selfe to be somwhat wiser, pardons waxe colde, and by litle and litle become frosen, till they vtterly vanishe awaye.
But for as muche as many that se the filthy gamings, ye deceiptes, theftes and robberies, wherwith the pardoners hauehave heretofore mocked and begiled vsus, yet se not the very fountaine of ungodlynesse from whence they spring: it is good to shewe not only of what sort pardons be, but also what they be, when they are wyped from all spottes. They call the treasure of the churche, the merites of Christe and of the holye Apostles and Martyrs. The principal custody of this barne (as I hauehave already touched) thei fame to be deliuered to the byshop of Rome, that he should hauehave the distribution of so great giftes, that he might bothe geue them by him selfe, and also graunte iurisdiction to other to geue them. Hereupon procede frō the Pope somtime plenarie pardons, some pardons for certain yeares: from the Cardinalles, pardons for a hundred dayes: from Byshoppes, pardons for forty daies. But they be (as I may naturally describe them) the profaning of the bloude of Christe, Sathans mockerie, to leade away the christian people from the grace of God, from the life that is in Christ, and to turne them from the true waye of saluation. For howe could the bloud of Christ be more filthyly prophaned, than when it is denied to suffice to the remission of sinnes, to reconciliation and satisfaction, vnlesse the want therof as being withered and wasted,Act. x.xliij shoulde be otherwyse supplied and profited? The lawe and all the Prophetes (saith Peter) beare witnesse of Christ, that by him forgeuenesse of sinne is to be receiued: Pardons geue remission of sinnes by Peter, Paul, and the Martyrs. The bloud of Christ (sayth Iohn) clenseth vsus from sinne:i. Iohn. i.vij. ij. Cor. v.xxi. Pardons do make the bloud of Martyrs the washyng awaye of sinnes. Christ (sayth Paul) whiche knewe not sinne, was made sinne for vsus, that is, the satisfaction of sinne, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him: Pardons do set the satisfaction of sinnes in the bloud of Martyrs. Paul cried out and testified to the Corinthians,i. cor. i.xiij that only Christ was crucified and died for thē: the pardons pronounce that Paul and other died for vsus.Actu. xx.xxviij. In an other place he sayth that Christ purchaced ye churche with his bloud: the pardons appointe an other price of purchace in the bloude of Martyrs. The Apostle sayth,Heb. x.xiiij. that Christ with one oblation made perfect for euer them that weare sanctisfied: the pardons crye out to the contrary and say, that sanctification is made perfect by the Martyrs, whiche otherwise were not sufficient.Reue. vij.xiiij. Iohn saith yt al ye saintes washed their gowns in the bloud of ye lambe: the pardons teache mē to washe their gownes in the bloud of saintes.
Leo Byshop of Rome, writeth notably wel to ye Palestines against these sacrileges.Epist. 81. Psal. ….xvi xv. Although (saith he) the death of many saintes hathe bene precious in the sight of the Lorde, yet the killing of no innocent hath ben the perpetuation for the world. The righteous receiued, but gaue not crownes: and out of the valiauntnesse of the faithfull are grauen exāples of pacience, nor giftes of righteousnesse. For their deathes weare eueryevery one singular to them selues, & none of them did by his end pay the det of an other, for as muche there is one Lord Christ, in whom all are crucified, all are dead, buried, and raised vp againe. Whiche sentence (as it was worthy to remembred) he repeted in an other place: There can nothing be required more plaine to destroy this wicked doctrine. Yet Augustine speaketh no lesse fitly to the same effect.Epist. 95. Tract. in Iohn. 84. Though (saith he) we die brethren for brethren, yet the bloude of no Martyrs is shed for the forgeuenesse of sinnes. Whiche thing Christ hath done for vsus, neither hath he therin done that for vsus, that we should folowe him, but hath geuen vsus a thing to reioyse vponupon. Again in an other place, As only the sonne of God was made ye sonne of man,Lib. 4. ad Bonifac. cap. 4. to make vsus with him the sonnes of God: so he alone for vsus hath taken vponupon him punishment without euill deseruinges, that we by him might without good deseruinges obteine grace not due vntounto vsus. Truely where as all their doctrine is patched together of horrible sacrileges and blasphemies, yet this is a more monstruous blasphemie than all the other. Let thē remember them selues, whether these be not their decrees: that ye Martyrs hauehave by their death done more to God, and deserued more, than was nedefull for themselues: and that they had remaining so great a plentie of deseruinges, as did also ouerflowe vntounto other: and that therfore, least so great goodnesse should be superfluous, their bloud is mingled with the bloud of Christ, & of both these bloudes is made the treasure of the churche, for the remission and satisfaction of sinnes. And y• so is the saying of Paul to be taken:Colo. ….xxiiii. I supply in my body those things that want of the suffringes of Christ for his body, which is ye churche. What is this els but to leaue Christ only his name, otherwise to make him but a common pety saint, that may scarcely among the multitude be knowen from the rest? He only, only should hauehave bene preached, he only set fourth, he only named, he only ben loked vntounto, when the obteining of forgeuenesse of sinnes, satisfaction, and sanctification are entreated of. But let vsus heare their curtalled argumentes. Least the bloud of the Martyrs should be shed in vaine, therfore lette it be employed to the common benefit of the Churche. Is it so? was it no profit to glorifie God by their death? to subscribe to his truthe with theyr bloud? by despisyng this present lyfe, to testifie that they sought for a better life? by their stedfastnesse to strengthen the faith of the churche, and ouercome the stubbornes of the enemies? But this is the matter in dede: they acknowledge no profit of the Martyrs death, if Christ only be the proportiator, if he only died for our sinnes, if he only was offred vp for our redemptiō. So (say they) Peter and Paul might neuerthelesse hauehave obteined the crowne of victory, if they had died in their beds. And where as they hauehave fought euen to the sheding of their bloude, it would not agree with the iustice of God to leaue the same barren and frutelesse. As though God could not tell how to encrease in his seruantes their glorie, according to the measure of his giftes. But the churche receiueth in commune together profit enough, when it is by their triū phes encouraged to a zelous desire to fight.
But how maliciously doe they wrest that place of Paul where he saith,Coloss. i.xxiiij. that he supplieth in his body those thinges that wanted of ye suffringes of Christ? For he referreth not yt default or supplying, to ye work of redemption, satisfactiō, & expiation: but to those afflictiōs wherwt all the membres of Christ, that is to say, all the faithfull must be exercised, so long as they shall be in this fleshe. He saith therfore, that this remaineth of the sufferinges of Christ, that he daily suffreth in his membres the same that he ones suffred in him selfe. Christ vouchesaueth to do vsus so great honour, to recken and accompt our afflictions his owne. Where as Paul added these wordes, For the churche. he meaneth not for the redemption, for the reconciliatiō, for the satisfaction of ye church, but for the edifying and profit of the churche. As in an other place he sayth,.ij. Tim. ii.x. that he suffreth all thinges for the electes sakes, that they may obteine the saluation which is in Christ Iesu. And he wrote to the Corinthians,i. Cor. i.vi that he suffred all the troubles that he suffred, for their cō fort and saluation. And immediatly in the same place he expoundeth him selfe, when he sayeth further, that he was made a minister of the churche, not for redemption, but according to the dispensatiō that was cōmitted vntounto him, to preache the Gospel of Christ. If they yet require an other expositour,In Psal. 16. let thē heare Augustine. The suffringes of Christ (sayth he) are in Christ only as in the head: and both in Christ and the churche, as in the whole body. Wherby Paul being one member saith, I supplie in my body that whiche wanteth in the suffringes of Christe. Therfore if thou, whatsoeuer thou be that hearest this, art one of the membres of Christ, what so euer thou suffrest of them that are not the membres of Christ, that same wanted in the suffringes of Christ. But whereunto the suffrings of the Apostles taken for ye churche of Christ do tend, he expoundeth in an other place where he sayeth: Christ is to me the gate vntounto you:Tract. in Iohn. 47▪ because ye are the shepe of Christ bought with his bloud: acknowledging your price, whiche is not geuen of me, but preached by me. Then he addeth. As he hath geuen his soule, so ought we to geue our soules for our brethren, to edifie peace, and to confirme faith. These are Augustines wordes. But God forbidde, that Paul should hauehave thought that any thing wanted in the suffringes of Christ as concerning all fulnesse of righteousnesse, saluatiō and life: or that he meant to adde any thing therunto,Rom. v.xv. whiche so plainely and honorably preacheth, that the abundance of grace was so largely poured out by Christ, that it far surmounted all the force of sinne. By it onelyonly all the saintes hauehave bene saued, and not by the merit of theyr owne lyfe or death,Act. xv.xi. as Peter expresly testified: so that he should be sclaunderous against God and Christ, that shoulde repose the worthinesse of any saint any where els than in the onelyonly merciemercy of God. But why doe I tarrye hereupon any longer, as vponupon a matter yet doubtful, sithe the very bewraying of suche monstruous errours is a sufficient confutation of thē? Now (to passe ouer suche abhominations) who taught the Pope to enclose in lead and parchement the grace of Iesus Christ, whiche the Lorde wylled to be distributed by the word of the Gospell? Truely either the Gospell of God muste be false, or their pardons false. For, that Christ is offred vsus in the Gospell, with all abundance of heauenly benefites, with all his merites, with all his righteousnesse, wysdome and grace,ii. Cor. i. without any acception, Paul witnesseth where he sayth, that the worde of reconciliation was deliuered to the ministers, whereby they myght vse this forme of message, as it were Christ geuing exhortation by them: we beseche you, be ye so reconciled to God? He hath made him that knew no sinne, to be made sinne for vsus, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him. And the faithfull know of what value is that cōmune partaking of Christ,…. Cor. i.xvii. whiche (as the same Apostle witnesseth, is offred vsus to be enioyed in the Gospel. Contrariwyse the pardōs do bring out of the storehouse of the Pope, a certaine pitance of grace, and fasten it to lead, parchement, yea and to a certaine place, and seuer it from the worde of God. If a man should aske whence this abuse toke beginning: it semeth to hauehave proceded hereof, that when in time past penitentes were charged with more rigorous satisfactions than all could beare, they whiche felt them selues aboue measure oppressed with penance enioyned them, required of the churche a release. The mitigatiō that was graunted to suche, was called an Indulgence or pardon. But when they turned Satisfactions from the Churche to God, and sayde that they were recompenses whereby menne may redeme them selues from the iudgement of God, then they therewithall dyd also drawe these indulgences or pardons to be propitiatorie remedies, to delyuer vsus from deserued punyshementes. As for these blasphemers that we hauehave recited, they hauehave forged them so shamelessely, that they can hauehave no colour at all.
Now let them no more trouble vsus with their purgation, because it is with this axe already broken, hewed downe, and ouerthrowen from the very fundations. For I do not agree to some men, that thinke best to dissemble in this point, and make no mention at all of Purgatorie, whereupon (as they say) great contentions do arise, but small edification is gotten. Truely I my selfe would also thynke suche trifles worthy to be negligently passed ouer, if they did not accompt them earnest matters. But for as muche as purgatorie is bulded of manye blasphemes, and is daily vpholden with new blasphemes, and raiseth vp many and greuous offences, truely it is not to be winked at. This peraduenture might after a sort hauehave ben dissembled for a tyme, that it was inuented by curious and bolde rashenesse without the worde of God: that men beleued of it by, I wote not what reuelations, fained by the crafte of Sathan: that for the confirmation of it, certayne places of Scrypture were fondlye wrested. All bee it the Lorde geueth not leaue to mans presumptuousnesse so to breake into the secrete places of his iudgementes, and hath seuerely forbydden men to enquyre for truthe at dead men,Deut. xviij xxi. neglecting his worde, and permitteth not hys worde to be so vnreuerently defyled. But let vsus graunte, that all those thynges myght for a whyle hauehave bene borne with, as thynges of no great importaunce. But when the cleansyng of synnes is soughte els where then in the bloude of Christe, when satisfaction is geuen awaye to anye other thynge, then it is moste perillous not to speake of it. Therfore we must crye out not onlye with vehement stretchynge of our voyce, but also of our throte and sydes: that Purgatorie is the dampnable deuyse of Sathan, that it maketh voyde the Crosse of Christ, that it layeth an intolerable sclaunder vponupon the merciemercy of God, that it febleth and ouerthroweth our faythe. For what els is Purgatorie amonge them, but the satisfaction that the soules of men departed doe paye after their death? So that ouerthrowyng the opiniō of satisfaction, Purgatorie is immediatlye ouerthrowen by the verye rootes. But if in our former discourse it is more than euident that the bloud of Christe is the onelyonly satisfaction, propitiatorie sacrifice & cleansing for the synnes of the faythfull: what remayneth but that Purgatorie is a mere and horrible blasphemie against Christe? I passe ouer the robberies of God wherewith it is dayly defended, the offenses that it bredeth in religion, and other thynges innumerable, whiche we se to hauehave come out of the same spryng of vngodlinesse.
But it is good to wryng out of their handes suche places as they hauehave falsely & wrongfully taken out of the Scripture. When (say thei) the Lorde affirmeth that the synne against the holy Ghost shold not be forgeuen in this worlde,Mat. xii.lij. nor in the worlde to come, thereby he sheweth that there is a forgeuenesse of some sinnes in the worlde to come.Mar. i….xxvi…. But who seeth not that the Lord there speaketh of the fault of sinne?Luk. xij.x. Now if it be so, what is that to their Purgatorie, for as muche as by their opinion the peine is there suffred of those sinnes, wherof they denie not the fault to be forgeuen in this present life? But that they may no more carpe against vsus, they shall hauehave yet a plainer solution. When the Lord meant to cut of all hope of Pardon from so haynous wickednesse, he thought it not enough to saye that it should neuer be forgeuen: but the more to amplifie it, he vsed a diuision, wherein he comprehended bothe the iudgement that eueryevery mans conscience feleth in this life, and the last iudgement that shalbe openly pronounced at the resurrection: as though he shold hauehave sayd: Beware ye of malicious rebelliō, as of moste present dampnation. For he that of set purpose shall endeuour to quenche the light of the holy Ghost, shall not obteine pardon, neither in this life, whiche is geuen to sinners for their conuersion, nor in the last daye when the lambes shalbe seuered by the angels of God frō the goates, and the kingdome of heauen shalbe cleansed from all offenses. Then they brynge fourth that parable out of Mathewe:Mat. v.xv. Agree with thine aduersarie, least he deliuer thee to ye Iudge, & the iudge to the Sargeant, and the Sargeant to the pryson, from whence thou shalt not get out, vntil thou hast payed the uttermoste farthing. If in this place the Iudge do signifie God, and the aduersarie plentife the Deuil, the Sargeant the Angell, and the pryson Purgatorie, I wyll gladlye yelde vntounto them. But if it be euident to all men, that Christe meant there to showe into howe many daungers and mischeues they caste them selues, that had rather obstinatly pursue the extremitie of the lawe, than deale according to equitie and good ryght, to the ende to exhorte hys disciples the more earnestly to agreement with equitie: where then I praye you shall Purgatorie be founde?
Phil. ii.x.They fetche an argument out of the saying of Paul, where he affirmeth that the knees of thynges in heauen, earthe and helles, shall bowe to Christ. For they take it as confessed, that helles can not there be meant of those that are adiudged to eternal damnation. Therfore it remayneth that it must be the soules lying in peine in Purgatorie. They did not reason very euyll, if the Apostle did by knelynge meane the true Godly worshippyng. But sithe he teacheth only, that there is a dominion geuen to Christ, wherby all creatures are to bee subdued, what profe is there to the contrary, but that we may by helles vnderstande the Deuels, that shalbe brought before the iudgement of God, to acknowledge hym their iudge with feare and tremblyng? Lyke as Paul hym selfe expoundeth the same prophecie in an other place.Rom. xiij.x. All (sayeth he) shalbe brought before the iudgement seate of Christ. For it is wrytten: So truly as I lyue, eueryevery knee shal bowe to me. &c. But we maye not so expounde that whiche is in the Reuelation: I hauehave heard all creatures,Reuel. v.xv. bothe these thynges that are in heauen, and those that are vponupon the earth, and these that are vnderunder the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all those that are in them, I hauehave hearde them all saye to hym that sytteth on the Throne and to the Lambe, Blessinge and honor, and glorie, and power, for euer and euer. That I doe in deede easely graunte, but what creatures doe they thynke to be heare rehearsed? For it is moste certaine, that there are conteined creatures both without reason and without sense. Whereby is affirmed nothing els, but that all the partes of the world, from ye hyest toppe of the heauens. to the very mydle point of the earth, doe in their manner declare the glorie of their creator.ij. Mach. xij.xliii. As for that whiche they alledge out of the historie of the Machabees, I will not vouchesaue to answer it, least I should seme to recken that worke in the nombre of the holye bookes. But Augustine receyued it for Canonicall. But first, of what sure credit did he receiue it? The Iewes (sayeth he) esteme not the wryting of the Machabees as they doe the lawe, the Prophetes and the Psalmes, of whiche the Lorde hym selfe hath witnessed as of his witnesses, saying: It was necessary, that all thynges should be fulfylled that are wrytten in the lawe, and the Psalmes, and Prophetes, concerninge me. But it hathe bene receiued of the Churche not vnprofitably, if it be soberly red or heard.Cōtra g…iu dent. epis…. 2. cap. 23. Luk. xxiii. And Hierome teacheth without any doubtinge, that the authori…ie therof is of no force to prouing of doctrines. And it euidently appeareth by that olde booke, whiche is entituled vnderunder the name of Cypriane, concerning the exposition of the Crede, that it had no place at all in the olde Churche. But why doe I here stryue without cause?ii. Macha. xv.xxxvi. As though the author hym selfe doeth not sufficiently shew, how muche he is to be credited, when in the ende he craueth pardon, … he hauehave spoken any thyng not well. Truely he that confesseth his writynges to nede pardon, sayeth plainly that they are not the oracles of the holy Ghost. Besyde that, the godlynesse of Iudas is praysed for none other cause, but for that he had an assured hope of the last resurrection, when he sent an offrynge for the dead to Hierusalem. Neither dothe the wryter of that historie referre that whiche Iudas did to be a pryce of redemption, but that they myght be partakers of the eternall lyfe with the other faithfull, that had died for their contrie and relgiō. This doyng was in dede not without superstition and preposterous zele, but they are more than foles, that drawe a sacrifice of the lawe so farre as vntounto vsus: for as muche as we knowe that thynges doe cesse by the comming of Christ, that then were in vse.
But they hauehave an inuincible bulwarke in Paul, whiche can not so easely be battered. If any man (saith he) buylde vponupon this foundation,i. Cor. iii. gold, syluer, precious stones, tynber, heye, stubble, the Lorde shal shewe eueryevery mans worke what it is: because it shall be reueled in fier, and the fier shall trie eueryevery mans worke what it is. If any mans woorke doe burne, it shall suffer losse, but he shalbe safe, but as through the fier. What fier (saye they) can that be, but the fier of Purgatorie? by which the filthinesses of synne are cleansed away, that we may enter pure in to the kyngdome of God? But the moste parte of the olde wryters thought it to be an other fier,Chryses…. August. & other. that is to saye, Trouble or the crosse, by whiche the Lorde tryeth them that be his, that they should not rest in the filthinesse of the fleshe: and that is muche more probable, than in fainyng Purgatorie. All be it I doe neyther agree with these men, because I thynke I hauehave attained a certaine and muche plainer vnderstandyng of yt place. But before that I vtter it, I wold hauehave them aunsweare me, whether the Apostles and all the sainctes must hauehave gone through this fier of Purgatorie? I knowe they wyll saye, nay. For it were to muche inconuenient that they must hauehave neded to be purged, whose merites they dreame to ouerflowe aboue measure to all the mē bres of the churche. But the Apostle affirmeth it. For he dothe not saye that the worke of some shalbe proued, but the worke of all. Neither is this my argument,Enchir. ad Laurent. 68. but Augustines, which so confuteth that expositiō. And (whiche is more absurditie) he dothe not saye, that they shal passe through the fire for all workes: but if they hauehave faithfully buylded the churche, they shall receiue reward whan their worke is examined with fier. First we see that the Apostle vsed a Metaphore, when he called the doctrines inuented by mans braines, woed, hey, and stubble. And the Metaphore hath an apparant rescue: that as wood so sone as it is put in the fier, consumeth and wasteth, so can not those doctrines continue when they come to be examined. Now no man is ignoraunt that suche tryall cometh of the holy Ghost. Therfore to folowe the true cause of his metaphore, and match the partes together with iust relatiō, he called the triall of the holy Ghost, fier. For euen as the nerer that gold and siluer are put to the fier, so muche the surer profe they hauehave of their goodnesse and finenesse: so the Lordes truthe, the more exactlye it is weyed with spirituall examination, so muche the greater confirmation of credit it receiueth. As hey, wood, & stubble put to the fier, are brought to sudein consuming, so the inuentions of men not stablyshed by the worde of God, can not beare the triall of the holy Ghost, but they by & by fall away and perishe. Finally, if forged doctrines be compared to wood, hey, & stubble, because like wood, hey, and stubble, they are burned with fire and destroied: but they are not destroied or driuen awaye but by the spirite of the Lorde: it foloweth that the holy Ghoste is the fier wherwith they shalbe proued, whose profe Paul, according to the common vse of the Scripture, calleth The day of ye Lord. For it is called the day of ye Lorde, whensoeuer he doth any way shew his presence to men. But then his face principally shineth, when his truthe shineth vponupon vsus. Now hauehave we proued, that Paul meaneth no other fier, but the triall of the holy Ghost. But how are they saued by that fier, that suffer losse of their worke? That shall not be hard to vnderstande, if we consider of what kinde of men he speaketh. For he toucheth those buylders of the churche, that keping the true fundation, doe builde disagreing matter vponupon it, that is to say, they that not swaruing from ye che…e and necessarie articles of faithe, do erre in pointes that be smaler & lesse perilous, mingling their owne deuises with the worde of God. Suche I say, must suffer losse of their worke, hauing their deuises destroyed. But them selues are saued, but as by the fier: that is to saye, not that their ignorance and errour is alowable before the Lorde, but because they are cleansed from it by the grace and power of the holy Ghoste. Therfore whosoeuer hauehave defiled the golden finenesse of Gods worde with this dong of purgatorie, they must nedes suffer losse of their work.
But they wyll say, it hath ben an auncient vsage of ye churche, Paul answered this obiection when hee comprehendeth his owne tyme in that sentence, where he saith, that all they must suffer losse of theyr worke, that in the building of the churche, do lay any thing vponupon ye fundation that ageeth not with it. Therfore when the aduersaries obiect against me, that it hath bene vsed aboue a thousand and thre hundreth yeres, to hauehave priayes made for the dead: I aske them againe, by what word of God, by what Reuelatiō, by what example it was done. For here they do not only want testimonies of Scripture, but also all the examples of holy men ye ther are red, do shew no such thing. Of the mourning and order of funeralles there are somtimes founde manye & long tales: but of prayers you can not see one tittle. But of the greater weight that the matter is, the more it ought to hauehave ben expressely spoken. But the very old fathers them selues that prayed for the dead, did see that herein they wanted both cōmaundement of God, and lawfull example. Why then durst thei so do? In this I say, thei did suffer somewhat as men: and therfore I affirme that, that whiche they did, ought not to be drawen into example. For where as the faithfull ought to enterprise the doing of nothing, but vponupon assured conscience, as Paul reacheth: this assurednesse is principally required in prayer. But it is likely that they were led by some reason vntounto it: they sought some comfort to releue their sorrowe: & it semed vnnatural not to shew before God some testimonie of their louelove toward the dead. How mans wit is enclined to this affection, all mē know by experience. Also ye receiued custome was like a burning brand to set many mens mindes on fier. We know that with all nations & in all ages there were funeralles done for ye dead, & their soules yearely purged. For though Satan beguiled foolish men with these deceites: yet he toke occasion so to beguile by a true principle: that death is not a destruction, but a passage out of this life into an other. And it is no dout, but yt euen very superstition condemneth ye Gē tiles before the iudgement seate of God, for neglecting the care of the life to come, whiche they professed them selues to beleue. Nowe Christians, because they would not be worse than Heathen men, were ashamed to do nothing for the dead, as though thei were vtterly destroyed. Hereupon came that ill aduised diligence: because if they were slowe in looking to the funeralles, in bankettinges & offeringes, they thoughte that they had put them selues in daūger of a great reproche. And that whiche first proceded from a wrongful folowyng of the Heathens exā ple, was so multiplied by often newe encreasces, that now it is the principall holinesse of Papistrie,Reu. xiiii, xij. to helpe the dead in distresse. But the Scriture ministreth an other muche better and perfecter comfort, when it testifieth, that the dead are blessed that die in the Lorde. And it addeth a reason: because from thenceforth they reste from their labours. And we ought not so muche tenderly to folow our own affection of louelove, to set vp a wrongful manner of praying in the churche. Truely he that hathe but meane wysdome, dothe sone perceiue that all that is red hereof in the olde wryters, was done to beare with the common vsage, and the ignorance of the people. They them selues also, I graunte, were caried away into errour: euen as vnaduised lightnesse of belefe is wont to rob mens wittes of iudgement. But in the meane tyme the very redynge of them doth shew, howe doubtyngly they cōmende prayers for the dead. Augustine in his boke of cōfessions, reporteth that Monica his mother did earnestly desire, that she might be remembred in celebrating the misteries at the Altar. An old wyues request, whiche the sonne neuer examined by the rule of the Scripture, but according to his affectiō of nature, wold hauehave it allowed of other. As for the booke that he made of care for the dead, conteineth so many doubtinges, that of right it ought with the coldnesse thereof to quenche the heate of a foolyshe zele: if any man desyre to be a proctor for dead men, truely with colde lykelyhodes it wyll bryng them out of care that were before careful. For this is one piller of it, that this doyng is not to be despised, because it is a custome growen in vse, that the dead should be prayed for. But though I graūt to the olde wryters of the church, that it is a charitable vse to help the dead: yet we must styll holde one rule whiche can not deceiue: that it is not lawefull for vsus in our prayers to vse any thynge of our owne, but our requestes must be made subiect to the worde of God: because it is in his wyll to apoynte what he wyll hauehave to be asked. Nowe where as the whole lawe and the Gospel do not so muche as in one syllable geue lybertie to praye for the dead, it is a prophane abuse of the inuocation of God to attempt more than he commaundeth vsus. But that our aduersaries maye not boaste that thei hauehave the auncient churche companion of their errrour: I say there is great difference betweene thē & it. Thei vsed a memoriall of the dead, least they should seme to hauehave cast away all care of them: but they did therwithall confesse that they doubted of their state. As for purgatory, they so affirmed nothing, that they held it for a thing vncertaine. These men require to hauehave yt whiche they hauehave dreamed of purgatorie, to be holden wtout questiō for an article of faith. They sclenderly and only to passe it lightly ouer, did in the communion of the holy supper commende their dead to God: These do continually call vponupon the care of the dead, & with importunate praysing it, do make it to be preferred aboue all dutiefull workes of charitie. Yea & it were not harde for vsus to brynge forth some testimonies of the olde wryters, that doe manifestly ouerthrowe all those prayers for the dead, whiche then weare vsed. As this of Augustine, when he teacheth that all men loke for the resurrection of the fleshe and the eternall glorie and that eueryevery man then receiueth the rest yt foloweth after death,Hom. in Ioan. 456. if he be worthy when he dieth. And therfore he testifieth, that all the Godly doe immediatly after death enioye the blessed rest as well as the Prophetes, Apostles and martyrs. If their estate be suche, what I beseche you, shal our prayers auaile them? I passe ouer the grosser superstitions, wherwith they hauehave bewitched the mindes of the simple: whiche yet are so innumerable and the most part so monstruous, that they can hauehave no honest collour to excuse them. Also I let passe those moste filthy byings and sellinges that they hauehave vsed, while ye worlde was in suche gro…e senslesse ignorance. For both I should neuer make an ende, and also the readers shal without any rehearsal of them, hauehave here sufficient, wherupon they may stablishe their consciences.