afore. Let the heathen mourn, which have no hope, for the departure of their friends: the true Christians, which are persuaded that such as die in the Lord are in much better case than they ever were in this world, ought rather to rejoice, and to sing psalms, praises, and thanksgivings unto God, for the christian and godly departure of their brethren, and for their blessed estate wherein God hath placed them. For the holy scripture pronounceth them blessed and happy which die in the Lord. And the Rev. xiv. psalmograph saith: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." The Psal. exvi. wise man also saith, that "the souls of the righteous are in peace." Chris. They therefore, which are in so blessed estate, are not to be mourned nor lamented; but God is rather to be thanked for them. Wisd. iii. Theo. The holy scripture declareth, that king David prayed unto the Lord for 2 Sam. xii. the child which he had by Bethsabe, Urias' wife, when it was sick, and that he “fasted, and lay all the night upon the earth, insomuch that the elders of his house arose and went unto him, to take him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them." But when he heard that the child was dead, "he arose from the earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped, and afterward came to his own house and commanded that they should set bread before him, and he did eat." And when his servants, marvelling at these things, said unto him, "What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst arise up and eat; he answered, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for this I thought, Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me, that the child may live? But now, seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him any more? I shall go to him; and he shall come no more again unto me." In this history the godly wisdom of David is greatly to be considered. For hereof may we learn to pray unto the Lord our God for our sick friends, so long as they be alive, and to seek all means possible at the Lord's hand to obtain health for the diseased. But if the good-will of God be to take them out of this world, then are we taught here no more to mourn, to weep, to lament, and to be sorry for them; but rather with a joyful heart to worship the Lord, as David did, and to give him most hearty thanks, that it hath pleased his goodness to deliver our brethren or sistern from this sink of evils (I mean this world), and to receive them into his blessed kingdom. Heathen-like mourning therefore is to be banished from the burials of the Christians. Eus. The manner among the Thracians is, that when any child is born and cometh into the world, they weep, lament, and mourn; but when it goeth out of the world, they rejoice and are merry3. Epaph. What moveth them so to do? Eus. When a child cometh into the world, they consider into what great miseries he is like to fall if he live; contrariwise, when he departeth hence, they know that an end of all sorrow and care, of all pain and travail is come. Therefore the one thing moveth them unto sadness, the other unto gladness. Phil. There is great plenty of histories which declare, that the very heathen have taken the death of their dear friends patiently; so far is it off that, after the manner of some which profess Christ, they immoderately took the death of their friends, wept, wailed, mourned, wrung their hands, tare their hair, rent their clothes, and in manner killed themselves with sorrow and thought-taking. When our Saviour Christ went unto his death, certain women followed him, weeping and mourning, to whom he said: "Ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and Luke xxiii. for your children." Theo. Is he to be lamented and mourned for, which is removed from thraldom [ So ed. 1632; folio and ed. 1561 we ought.] [Trausi vero in ceteris quidem omnibus idem quod Thraces: verum circa natalitia suorum atque obitus hoc factitant. Edito puero propinqui circunsedentes eum ploratione prosequuntur, recensentes quascunque necesse est illi, quod vitam ingressus sit, perpeti humanas calamitates: hominem fato Rev. xiv. Psal. xxiv. Phil. iii. Eccles. xii. Burials. Singing. unto liberty, from misery unto wealth, from darkness unto light, from jeopardy unto safety, from sickness unto health, from mortality unto immortality, from corruption unto uncorruption, from pain unto joy, from transitory things unto everlasting things, from the company of men unto the fellowship of the blessed angels and heavenly spirits? &c. Let the heathen, which have no hope of the joyful immortality of the soul, nor of the glorious resurrection of the body, mourn, weep, and lament for their deceased let the faithful Christians be joyful in the Lord, and thank God for his great mercy and infinite goodness, which he hath shewed upon the brethren, by calling them from this vale of wretchedness unto his heavenly kingdom. For the voice of God even from heaven pronounceth them blessed, happy, and fortunate, “which die in the Lord." Phil. What is your mind therefore, neighbour Epaphroditus, concerning mourning gowns ? Epaph. If it were not for offending other, and that it should also be some hindrance unto the poor, I would wish rather to have none, than otherwise. For I would have no man mourn for me. My trust is that, so soon as my soul shall be delivered out of the prison of this my body, it shall straightways possess the blessed inheritance of the heavenly kingdom, and reign in glory with God for ever. What need shall I have then of mourners? Or wherefore should any man mourn for me? Notwithstanding, I will not strive with them for their garments. Let my wife and my children wear what garments they will at my burial, so they be such as become the professors of true godliness. Only this I require, that "thirty poor men and women do accompany my body unto the burial, and that each of them have a gown of some convenient colour. I will also that thirty poor children be there also, and that every one of them have a seemly gown. And after my burial, I will that both those poor men, women, and children, come home unto my house, and have some repast for the refection of their bodies and so let them depart in the name of the Lord." Have you written this, neighbour Philemon? Phil. Yea, sir, it is done. Epaph. I am glad of it. "To see that these things may be done according to my will, I make my wife sole executress, and you, neighbour Philemon, with my neighbours Christopher, Theophile, and Eusebius, here present, I make you four mine overseers, charging you in the name of God, and as ye will answer before the high judge Christ, at the dreadful day of doom, that ye see these my bequests' truly, diligently, and faithfully fulfilled." Chris. We were twice ungodly if we should not satisfy your desire and will, being so christian and righteous. Epaph. "I bequeath to every one of you four, for your pains-taking, five pounds sterling, not to the end to make you hirelings, but that it may be a token of my hearty good-will towards you." Chris. Sir, will it please you to be buried in the church, or in the church-yard? Epaph. All is one to me. "The earth is the Lord's, and all that is contained in it:" I am not curious of the place. Wheresoever I lie, I doubt not but the Lord our God at the last day shall raise me up again, and give me a body like unto the glorious body of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. Let the body therefore "return unto the earth, from whence it came, and the spirit unto God which gave it." Eus. Your children are buried in the church-yard. Epaph. Bury me there also. God give us all a joyful resurrection! Theo. Sir, what solemnity will you have at your burial? Epaph. What mean you? Theo. Solemn singing, devout ringing, holy censing, priests pattering, candles lightening, torches brenning, communions saying, and such like. Epaph. No kind of superstitious custom do I allow. That is godly I only commend. As touching your solemn singing, it is all one to me whether you sing or say. [ So 1561; folio, bequest.] Those psalms, hymns, praises, and thanksgivings that be appointed to be sung or said at the burial of the faithful, let them be done in the name of God with all cheerfulness of mind. As for your devout ringing, I crave no more but one bell to be Ringing. either tolled or rung, for to gather the people together to hear the word of God and the thanksgiving. The ringing of the bells can do my soul no good. And as for your holy censing, priests pattering, candles lighting, torches brenning, away with them as things superfluous and unprofitable. Now as concerning communions saying or Communion. singing, they serve not for the burials of them that are departed, but for the exercises of them that be alive, that by that means they should call to remembrance the death of Christ and the fruits thereof, as the apostle saith: "So oft as ye shall eat of this 1 Cor. xi. bread, and drink of the cup, ye shall remember the Lord's death till he come." These sumptuous and costly burials are not to be commended; neither do they profit either Note. body or soul, but only set forth a foolish, vain, and boasting pomp. 66 Gen. 1. Phil. The burial of the faithful ought to be done honestly, but not sumptuously. Neither ought the dead bodies of the Christians to be vilely handled, but honestly buried, for the hope of the glorious resurrection. So did Abraham bury his wife Sara, Gen. xxiii. Joseph his father Jacob, and divers other, as the holy scripture mentioneth. The Lib. i. de bodies of the dead," saith St Austin, "are not to be despised and to be cast away, cap. 13. and specially the bodies of the righteous and of the faithful, whom, as instruments and vessels unto all good works, the Holy Ghost hath used"." Civitate Dei, But as concerning sumptuous burials, the aforesaid author saith: "They rather com- Cap. 12. fort the living than help the dead. As sumptuous exequies profit nothing the sinful rich men, so in like manner vile or no exequies at all hinder nothing the sepulture of the poor saints. That gallant company of the rich man's servants, of whom we read in the gospel of Luke, buried their master gorgeously in the sight of men;" Luke xvi. notwithstanding, his soul was carried down into hell-fire, where it lieth in3 most miserable torments. What profited him the gorgeous, gallant, pompous, and costly sepulture of his body, seeing his soul lieth without redemption in those most intolerable flames of that lake, which burned with fire and brimstone? We read not that Lazarus Rev. xxi. was so sumptuously buried, no', that he was buried at all; "notwithstanding, the angels of God came and carried him, not into a tomb of marble, but into the bosom of Abraham"." in Joan. cap. And the golden-mouthed doctor saith in a certain homily: "When thou hearest Hom. lxxxiv. that the Lord did rise again naked, cease, I pray thee, and leave off the fond and vain xx. charges that thou bestowest upon funerals and burying of dead bodies. What meaneth this superfluous and unprofitable cost? seeing that it hindereth them greatly that do it, and availeth nothing at all the dead, but rather hurteth them," &c.? Epaph. "Simply, not sumptuously; honestly, not honourably, let me buried: I require no more." You have written all these things, according to my desire, neighbour Philemon? Phil. Altogether. Epaph. Then am I at a point with the worldly possessions, and I trust in a good forwardness toward God. [2 Nec ideo tamen contemnenda et abjicienda sunt corpora defunctorum, maximeque justorum atque fidelium, quibus tamquam organis et vasis ad omnia bona opera sanctus usus est Spiritus.-August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Civit. Dei, Lib. 1. cap. xiii. Tom. VII. col. 13.] [In is inserted from edition of 1561.] [ Perhaps this word should be nor it is so printed in the later edition of 1632.] [ Proinde omnia ista, id est curatio funeris, conditio sepulturæ, pompa exsequiarum, magis sunt vivorum solatia, quam subsidia mortuorum. Si aliquid prodest impio sepultura pretiosa, oberit pio vilis aut nulla. Præclaras exsequias in conspectu hominum exhibuit purpurato illi diviti turba famu- [* Σὺ δὲ ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι γυμνὸς ὁ δεσπότης Month's Chris. The custom in times past was that there should be month minds and year minds. year minds' kept for the dead. minds and Phil. iii. 1 John i. Heb. ix. Heb. x. Eph. v. Isai. liii. 1 Pet. ii. Rom. iv. 1 Cor. i. Jer. ix. John iii. Note. Epaph. To what end? Chris. That the dead might be remembered and prayed for. Epaph. Wherefore should they be prayed for? Chris. That their sins, say they, might be forgiven them. Epaph Which they say so ? Chris. The papists. Epaph. I have nothing to do with papists, nor with their doctrine. God bless me from them! For they are "enemies of the cross of Christ," depravers of the holy Phil. Whereas the papists heretofore have taught, for the maintenance of their idle bellies, that men's sins after their death be forgiven them through the sacrifice of that most wicked and abominable popish mass, and by pilgrimages-going, by trentals, by diriges, by the good deeds of other, &c., it is a plain error, and against the word of God. For remission of sins, the favour of God, and everlasting life, is either gotten or lost in this world. He which, through his own repentance and faith in Christ's blood, obtaineth not forgiveness of his sins in this world, shall never have it by the means of other men after this life. It is written: "He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life. But he that believeth not on him shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." So many as die are either faithful or unfaithful. If they be faithful, so have they in possession straightways everlasting life. If they be unfaithful, then doth the wrath of God abide upon them; and they receive the reward of infidelity, which is everlasting damnation. And albeit this appeareth manifestly of the words above rehearsed, yet the history of the unmerciful rich man, and of the poor Lazare, painteth it out very lively. In that ye see that the faithful man, which was Lazarus, so soon as he died, was received into the bosom of Abraham. Contrariwise, the unfaithful man, which was the unmerciful glutton, was carried down straightways into hell-fire. The like thing is manifestly set forth in the two thieves, which died with Christ. The one repented, believed, and called for mercy unto Christ, God and Luke xxiii. man, saying, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;" and Christ answered him, "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Here see we that this thief both repented and believed, (for "how shall they call on him," saith St Paul, “on whom they have not believed?") and therefore was received into glory. The other, which continued in his unbelief, and so died without repentance and faith, obtained the reward Luke xvi. Rom. X. [ Days, a month or a year after decease, on which some special services were performed for the repose of the soul. See Brand's Popular Antiquities, by Sir H. Ellis, Vol. II. pp. 192, &c.] of unbelief, that is to say, the wrath of God, and eternal damnation. They therefore that die are either faithful or unfaithful. If they be faithful, so have they out of hand the reward of faith, which is everlasting glory: if they be unfaithful, then receive they the reward of unfaithfulness and misbelief, which is eternal damnation. If the papists can find the third kind of men, which are neither faithful nor unfaithful, then will we consent unto their purgatory; for such have neither place in heaven nor in hell. But such sort of people the holy scripture knoweth not: therefore knoweth it not such a place of purging after this life as the papists have heretofore devised. 1 Cor. iii. Eus. The blessed apostle St Paul saith to the Romans these words following: "God Rom. ii. shall give to every one according to his own deeds." Again, in the second to the Corinthians, he also saith: "Every one shall receive his reward, according unto his 2 Cor. x. own labour." In another place he also saith: "We must all appear before the judgment- 2 Cor. v. seat of Christ, that every man may receive the works of his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Item: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that Gal. vi. shall he also reap. For he that soweth in his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption : but he that soweth in the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Let us not be weary of well-doing. For when the time is come, we shall reap without weariness. While we have therefore time, let us do good unto all men, and specially unto them which are of the household of faith." Hereto agreeth the saying of our Saviour Christ: "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall Matt. xvi. he reward every man according to his deeds." Again: "I will give every one of you Rev. ii. according to his deeds." Out of these scriptures we learn, that we shall not be rewarded according to other men's deeds, but according to our own deeds. If we have wrought nothing at all in our life, what shall other men's deeds then do us good after our death? And I doubt whether any man, Christ alone excepted, have good deeds sufficient for himself. Chris. If we consider well the history of the ten virgins, it shall easily be perceived Matt. xxv. that no man have scarcely oil enough for himself. Yea, were not the great mercies of God set forth to all faithful penitent sinners in the precious blood of Christ, we with all our oil should perish. For "everlasting life is the gift of God through Jesus Rom. vi. Christ our Lord." "If thou, O Lord, shouldest narrowly look upon our iniquities," Psal. cxxx. saith the psalmograph, “O Lord, who were able to abide it? But there is mercy with thee in store," &c. 66 Theo. The holy scripture moveth us to do good, while we are alive, and not to trust other men's works to be done for us, when we be dead. The wise man saith: "Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability reach out Ecclus. xiv. thine hand, and give unto the poor. Be not disappointed of the good day; and let not the portion of the good day overpass thee. Shalt thou not leave thy travails and labours unto other men? In the dividing of thy heritage, give and take, and sanctify thy soul. Work thou righteousness before thy death; for after thy death there is no meat to find." Again: Abide thou not in the error of the ungodly; but give God Ecclus. xvii. thanks before death. As for the dead, thankfulness perisheth from him as nothing. Give thou thanks in thy life; yea, while thou art living and whole shalt thou give thanks, and praise God, and rejoice in his mercy. O how great is the loving-kindness of the Lord, and his merciful goodness unto such as turn unto him!" Salomon in his proverbs saith: "Withdraw no good thing from them that have need, so long as Prov. iii. thy hand is able to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go thy way, and come again, to-morrow will I give thee; whereas thou hast now to give him." Hereto agreeth the saying of the preacher: "Whatsoever thou art able to do, do it out of hand; Eccles. ix. for in the grave that thou goest unto there is neither work, counsel, knowledge, nor wisdom." The prophet also saith: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call Isai. lv. upon him while he is nigh. Let the ungodly forsake his own ways, and the unrighteous his own imaginations, and turn again unto the Lord: so shall God be merciful unto him.” Our Saviour Christ saith in the gospel: "I must work the works of him that sent me John ix. while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." "Walk, while ye have John xii. light, lest the darkness come on you, &c. While ye have light, walk in the light, that ye may be the children of light." "I say unto you, Make you friends of the unrighteous Luke xvi. |