A reply to Fulke, In defense of M. D. Allens scroll of articles, and booke of purgatorie. By Richard Bristo Doctor of Diuinitie ... perused and allowed by me Th. Stapleton.

Oblations for the dead.

And so much of prayers for the dead. But because Aerius de∣nied not onely the profite of them, but also of oblations for the dead, and was no lesse for that also condemned of the Church, you must take paynes to quit him of that heresie likewise, and to charge the Church rather that condemned him, yea & the Church long before he was borne. Thus then you say, speaking of the times of Tertullian & Montanus before him:* 1.1 The Church then had oblations for the dead by peruerse emulation of the Gentils, and yet they were but oblations of thanks giuing. You go about to proue it a litle after, saying: And that the practise of the Chur∣che for oblations for the dead at the yerely day of their death, were taken from the Gentiles, it appeareth by this that Tertullian counteth them of all one origen (to witte, of the Apostles tradi∣tion) with the oblations pro Natalitijs, that is, for the birth days. And if this be not inough, Beatus Rhemanus (you say) a Papist, and a great antiquary, doth confesse it, affirming that by the Ca∣nons of the Nicene Councell and other Councels, whiche he hath seene in Libraries, those oblations pro Natalitijs, with other su∣perstitions, that Tertullian fathereth vpon tradition of the Apo∣stles, were abrogated. After this you be bolde to crowe agaynst those auncient times, and to say amongst many other corruptions which they tooke of the Gentiles and Heretikes. So they tooke oblations for the dayes of death and birth of the Gentiles.

He is a poore antiquarie, which knoweth not what Natalitia were in olde time, and still are, to wit, the dayes of Martyrs,* 1.2 so called, because they were then after many sore pangs deliuered out of their mother the militant Churches wombe, and borne vnto the life & ioy of the world to come. Which mother of theirs and ours vsed therfore alwayes, and stil vseth,* 1.3 for ioy that a man is borne to heauen, to offer from yere to yere vpon the dayes of their Martyrdome, the oblation or sacrifice of the Altar. For any other of her children she offereth also the same oblation vpon the day of his death, and so forth vpon his yeres Mindeday, yere by yere, but not with such ioy, but rather mourning with them, and for them, to get them comfort, knowing that though they also be borne into the worlde to come, yet, it may be, crying for a time as all children into this world, and not laughing by and by

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as the glorious Martyrs. And these two sortes are the oblations that Tertullian speaketh of, saying: Oblationes pro defunctis, pro natalitijs,* 1.4 anima die facimus: We make oblations for the dead, and for the byrthes (of Martyrs) vpon their yeres day. S. Cyprian likewise: We celebrate the passions and dayes of Mar∣tyrs with an yerely commemoracion. We celebrate oblations and sacrifices for their commemorations. And in * 1.5 all Martyrologies you may sée them called Natalitia, or, Natales. S. Paulinus hath left verses that he wrote ten yeres together vpon the Natalis of S. Felix.

S. Augustine shewing that the olde persecutors could not hurt the Church, but rather that they did much good agaynst their willes, amongst other vtilities, as that the whole earth is clad in purple by the bloud of Martyrs: Heauen is all in flowers by the garlandes of Martyrs: Churches are decked with the Relikes of Martyrs: Often cures are done by the merites of Martyrs, hath also to our purpose, and saith: Insignita sunt tem∣pora Natalitijs Martyrum, Times are notably marked with the birthdayes of Martyrs.* 1.6 Finally Origen saith expresly (& the place is often alleaged by your selfe) Nos itaque non natiuitatis, &c. We do not celebrate the day of birth (into this world) conside∣ring that it is the entrie into dolours and temptations: but we celebrate the day of death, as being the laying off of all dolours, and profligation of all temptations.

* 1.7And therefore it litle forceth what your antiquarie saith a∣gainst antiquitie, of whom also for so saying Pamelius a farre better antiquarie then he, saith thus:

Quod quàm sinistrè detor∣queat Rhenanus ad dies natalitios Ethnicorum, nemo ignorare debet, &c. Rhenanus turneth this (place of Tertullian) from the right meaning very vntowardly, to the byrthdayes of the Gentiles.

Howbeit in my iudgement Rhenanus there might be better construed, not to say that the oblations of Christians were euer for their owne birthdayes, but that vpon the byrthdayes of the Martyrs which the Church did celebrate with the solemne oblations of the Altar, many of the people kept drunken fea∣sting, as the Gentiles did, euery one vpon his proper byrthday: Which drunken vtas the Church was fayne to tolerate for a time, but afterwarde the Canons of the Nicene Councell, and others following did forbid it, and chaunge it into almes. If

you could shewe those Canons, we might be more certayne of his meaning. Playne it is, that he speaketh very confusely of birthdayes: And playne agayne it is, that suche rioting was v∣sed of some in Paulinus (whom he there citeth) and S. Augu∣stines times, long after the Nicene Councell.* 1.8 And agayne most sure it is, that the Church alwayes from the beginning hath vsed, and no Councell euer did forbid the kéeping of the Martyrs birth∣dayes with oblations of the Altar. Finally Rhenanus in those annotations is full of scapes & ouersightes (and noted according∣ly by the learned of this time, very much) though no yll meaning.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pur. 417.418.419.
• * 1.2

  Natalitia.
• * 1.3

  Ioan. 6.
• * 1.4

  Tertul. de Coro. mil. Cypr. Epi. 37.34.
• * 1.5

  See Molanus de Martyrolo∣g•• ca. xv. after Martyrol. v∣suardi. Aug. in ps. 118. in. res.
• * 1.6

  Orig. li. 3. in Iob.
• * 1.7

  Pamel. in Cyp. ep. 34
• * 1.8

  See Rhen•• himselfe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tert. ad M••tyres, num. ••