A Second Reply to an Answer Made by Doctor Whitgift Part 2, Part 2 · Chapter 7
THE ƲII CHAPTER, OF THE ſecond part of this Tractate: to vuching the ceremonies in burial, pag. 727.
HOw needful my preface was, to preuent Diuiſ. 1. 2. diui. 728.vurāglers, let the reader iudg. Likewiſe of the reaſons, the Adm. vſeth: which he is not affraid, not onelyonly to deny to be good, but to be any at al. How little Tertullians autority owght to prevail in eſtablishing funeral prayers: hereof yt may be knowen, not onelyonly, that he would thruſt diuers fond ceremonies vponupon the church, as neceſſary, but for that in another book, this oblation (as he termethde Corona Mil…is. yt) for the dead, he maketh of the like neceſsity, with thoſe that are commanded in the ſcripture.
Vuhether yt mayntein, in the mindes of the ignorant,Diuiſ. 3. p▪ 729. an opinion of praying for the dead, muſt be in the readers iudgment: putting hym in minde, that, yf notwithſtanding the ordinary prayers ſo oft red, there be ſome ſo ignorant, to think that Morning and Euening prayer, is nothing but the popish Mattins and Euen ſong in English: how much more, wil they iudg the ſame of the funeral prayers, which are not ſo ordinary.
That there were no ſuch prayers in the Apoſtles tyme, is shewed by a manifeſt reaſon of the ſcripture: which ſetting forth the ſmaleſt matters in Burial, vuould not hauehave Act. 8.houlden bak this, being ſo vueighty: by which circumſtance, his exception of negatiue argumentes in autority, being ouerthrown, he hath nothing to anſwer. And, beſide that he is neuer able to proue, that al the churches vſed yt: yt is aIn the former part p. 86. lin. 26.before shewed, what truth Auguſtins ſentence is of, which would make al Apoſtolical, that is generally obſerued. That the Apoſtles example, owght here to hauehave preuailed, is shewed diuiſ. 6: which is, that yf funeral ſermons had bene ſo fit, as is pretended, the Apoſtles vuould neuer hauehave lost ſuch an opportunity of preaching, whereunto he anſwereth not. Hether alſo ſerueth, that, forſomuch as there vuas no preſcript form, of funeral prayers vnderunder the lavu: yt is not meet, there should be any novu. which reaſon, beſide an vnmodeſt triūph, receiueth no more anſwer, thē the other: where he owght to learn, that of al other, yt is moſte effectual. Firſt, for that a multitude of ceremonies, was more agreable to the eſtate of the people of god vnderunder the law: then yt is now, vnderunder the goſpel. Then, for that, by how much more, they had not ſo clear ſight of the reſurrection of the dead, as we: by ſo much, they had more need of theſe thinges, then we.
To that, that the Minister hauing othervuiſe neceſſary dutyes, as many as he can turn hym to, hath notvuithſtanding by this meanes, anue charge laid vponupon hym: he anſwereth, yt is no charge, but his dutye to preach, and to pray, which is vntrue. For, althowgh yt be his duty to doe boeth, yet yt is not his dutye to doe them then: yf yt be, then he muſt of neceſsity doe yt, nether can this ceremony be abolished; and ſo the Miniſters in other reformed churches, which doe yt not, are thereby condemned. where he asketh, why he should not doe this, aſwel as his own buſines: verely, amōgeſt other reaſons, this alſo is one, that to the end he may hauehave ſome tyme for his own buſines, the church owght not to charge hym, with thinges which are not neceſſary.
To that, that mourning apparel prouoketh ſometyme immoderate Diuiſ. 4. p. 730.ſorovu: he anſwereth, that ſo we should not approch the bed, nor graue of the dead, which is inſufficient. For yt is one caſe, of thinges dutiful and commanded, or whereof we hauehave great vſe: and another of thoſe, which are not ſo. In the one, gods vocation, is warrant enowgh againſt al inconueniences: which is not ſo in thoſe, which we take vp of our ſelues. And yt maketh againſt hym. For, hauing, by reaſon of our vocation, meanes enow to ſtrike the wound of ſorow ſo deep into vsus, as is needful: we owght not to ſeek others, of our own brayn. The exāples, whereby this was ſet forth, he anſwereth not. And hereof, the reader may ſee alſo: that profitable ceremonies in thinges indifferent, may be maynteyned, althowgh this fal.
As for that he ſaith, that Cyprian and Auguſtine do not ſo much condemn mourning apparel, as immoderate ſorow: yf they condemn yt at al, yt is enowgh to cōuince his extreme bouldnes, in al ledging an antiquity for hym, which maketh againſt hym. But, yf he would thereby inſinuat, that they misliked not of this ceremony: theſe be their wordes, let mē iudg of his dealing. vue ovught not (ſaith Cyprian) to take blak garments, Serm. 4. de mortal.vuhen the faithful, vuhich are deceaſed, hauehave receyued vuhite apparel: nether must vue giuegive occaſion, that the heathen should iustly blame vsus, that vue lament thoſe as lost, vuhich vue affirm to liue. Concerning Auguſtine, he writeth thus. By vuhat reaſon should vue dy blak garmentes, lib. 2. dec… ſol.for the dead: oneles yt be that vue vuould, in ioyning them vuith our lamentation, declare thereby, that the deceaſed vuere very infidels and miſerable? Theſe are my brethren vnmeet, they be ſtraunge, they are vnlavuful. And, if they vuere not vnlavuful, yet they are vndecent. As for the continuance of yt, with any allowance, further then from the tyme of the hereſy of the papiſtes, which be not the church of god: he sheweth not. The reſt in this diuiſion, is not worth the naming.
The firſt argument, againſt the inconuenience of funeralDiuiſ. 5. p. 733. ſermons: hath the ſame mayntenance, with the firſt of the third diuiſion. To the next reaſon of the ſodein, and conſequently (for the moſt part) negligent preaching: he oppoſeth as a contrariety with my ſelf, that I preferred a ſimple ſermon made eueryevery day, to that which is made onelyonly once in a monethmonth, which is onelyonly to miſpend the tyme. For, althowgh I preferred yt, to the other: yet I approued not, that one onelyonly Miniſter (except he hauehave rare giftes) should preach eueryevery day. why he can not hauehave ſufficient warning, is manifeſt: yf he refuſe, he is thereby loden with diſpleaſure of his parishoners, in that he doeth not, as other, which is hurtful to his ordinary miniſtery.
To the reaſon of acceptation of perſons, in that ſermons at the burial of the rich, nether be, nor are able to be made, at the burial of the poor: he anſwereth, that yt is alone, as if the Minister not able to preach eueryevery day, should not therefore preach once a weke. Vuhich is vntrue, conſidering that his ordinary miniſtery, is commanded of god, where this is but a deuiſe of men, and conſidering that in the ordinary preaching, there is no acceptation of perſons, whether yt be doen once, or often in a week: ſo that, althowgh preaching, muſt be neceſſarily had, yet preaching at burials, is not meet, vnles withal yt be doen withowt inconueniences. He denieth yt alſo, to be acceptation of perſons, houlding forth the obiection which I gaue hym: but the anſwer vntounto yt, he towcheth not. Likewiſe, he ſaith, that there is ſometymes more occaſion to preach at the rich mans burial, then at the poors: but he ſaith yt onelyonly, for proof he bringeth none.
My argument, he anſwereth not, which is, that the cauſe Diuiſ. 7. p. 734.vuhy burial ſermons vuere brovught in, of giuing of famous men their commendation, vuas inſufficient: conſidering, that the ſame vuas doen, by the holy Prophetes, moſte able and vuilling to doe yt by ſermon, yf yt had bene conuenient. Likewiſe, to the infamous beginninges of theſe funeral ſermons, from infidels, he ſaith nothing: onelyonly he abuſeth the tyme, in oppoſing the autority, which I confeſſed. by which kinde of reaſoning, he may alſo bring in, aIerom. ad Euſtochium de mort Paulae.torches at noon dayes, bAmbro. de obitu. Theod. de fide reſur. Diuiſ. 8. p. 735.monethmonth, weke, and year mindes: which hauehave the alowance of the ſame tymes, that theſe burial ſermons hauehave.
The firſt ſect. is anſwered, in the 3 diuiſion. My argument, which is that as other inuentions of men, vſe to doe, ſo theſe ſermons hauehave driuen ovut, the neceſſary duty of particular comforting the partyes, vuhich are especially stricken by the death of their friendes: he hath vtterly peruerted, turning my argument of effectes, into that of contraries, as he did likewiſe boeth my argumentes of the final and efficient cauſes, in the 7 diuiſion, which is but vntrue dealing. The general ſorow of the church, in the death of a member, may be eaſely ſuſteyned, by the ordinary teachinges: but, they that be ſpecially wounded, owght to hauehave a ſpecial plaſter. wherein, that which he affirmeth of the exhortation giuen generally, to be as apt to comfort as when yt is particularly applied: is boeth a manifeſt vntruth, and directly contrary to hym ſelf: whichpag. 601. ſaith, None douteth, but that a man is more moued, by that which is ſpoken to hym particularly, then he is, with that ſpoken generally, aſwel to other, as to hym ſelf. And hereby, yt may appear, how inconuenient yt is: to clog the miniſter with this voluntary charge of preaching at burials, which, beſide his ordinary miniſtery, hath ſo neceſſary a duty caſt vponupon hym, in the death of his parishoners: whereunto, ad alſo, the travail and care, toward the deceaſed, during his ſiknes.
The firſt ſection is anſwered, in diui. 3. To that, of tying Diuiſ 9. pa. 735.hereby the meditation of death, vuhich ovught to be continual, to one onelyonly tyme: he anſwereth, as yow ſee, the reply whereunto is aIn the chapter of feaſt dayes. Diui. 10. p. 736.before. Althowgh, this reaſon, owght not to hauehave bene ſo whotly purſued: ſeing that, althowgh I wrote yt, yet I profeſſed, that I would not preciſely ſubſcribe yt.
blib. Epiſt. p. 43.M. Caluins iudgment of theſe ſermons, doeth now appear: which is, that he doeth not greatly diſalow them. His anſwer, againſt that I alledged, that they might be eaſelier born in other places, then vuith vsus, vuhere there are ſuch ſvuarmes of papistes, and other ignorant vuhich take occaſion of falling thereby: is partly replied vntounto in the 3 diuiſion, and is further confuted, in that the doctrine againſt purgatory and trentals, may be as frutfully tawght at other tymes, as yt is in other churches, where we ſee ſinguler frute of ſuch teaching. As for the moroſity, he talketh of, yt is cIn the firſt chapter of this Tract.before anſwered. Althowgh the money for preaching, be giuen vnasked: yet if yt be receiued in that reſpect, the occaſion of the papiſtes slaunderous ſpeach, is not taken away. The next diuiſion, belongeth vntounto the readers iudgment: the next is dIn the former part p. 361.anſwered. Here, yt is once to be noted, that he, not content to wreſt my particular argumentes, hath peruerted this whole diſputation. For, where my reaſons doe neuer conclude, the vnlawfulnes of theſe ceremonies of burial, but the inconuenience and inexpedience of them: he imagineth me cōcluding, that they may not be, and that yt is vnlawful to hauehave them: which notwithſtanding S. e1. Cor. 6. 12.Paul, doeth preciſely diſtinguish.