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¶ THE ARGVMENT AND SVMME of the first Dialogue.
IN this first part and first Dialogue I doe amply en∣treat of the matters which concerne those that be de∣ceased, declaring the errours, abuses, & superstitions, which are committed about them, and the false and diuerse opi∣nions which haue bene and yet are among men, aswel tou∣ching the estate of the bodies as of the soules. And of hell, Limbus patrum and of Purgatorie. And how that which the supersticious Christians do about the dead, is nothing at all lyke vnto the woord of God, but is altogether taken of the Infidells & Panims. And for to enter into the mat∣ter, I bring in the persons who take their theame and mat∣ter vpon a fermon which they heard of an holy father, en∣treating of such matters. And although the matter might seeme wholy to be fayned, yet it hath the foundacion vp∣pon a true history. For mine intent is partly in this first disputacion, to rebuke the sottish and vayne curiositie of foolish Preachers and Doctors, who haue forsaken the principal points of the holy Scripture to occupy thēselues vpō vnprofitable questions & vayne contemplations, & to enquire, of things that they cannot know and which wee haue not to doe withall. And which serue to none other ende but to hinder and let the poore Christian people to seeke out the will of God, to induce and lead them to false religion, supersticion, Idolatay and all Paganisme. Also I declare the Arguments of the Popes Purgatorie with the Purgatorie of the Panims, and the ceremonies and su∣persticions which they vse about the dead, & out of what spring they issued, and what haue bene the purgations of the Panims which the Idolatrous Christians do yet keepe: and how the Papisticall Purgatory hath serued the insati∣able auarice of those which doe lyue to destroy and de∣uoure all the poore world. Also how the priests Purgato∣rie is burned, how fire hath taken the same and what pu∣nishment is prepared for those which go vnto strange fire