I hearde a voice from heauen, saying vnto me. Writ, Blessed are the deade, that dye in the Lorde, streyght waye, so sayth the sprete: that they maye reste from there laboures, but there workes folowe the~.

A Preface to the texte.

THe death of a mans
fre~d is paynefull for
2. co~syderatio~s. The
one, because he that
lyuethe is forsaken and destytute
of the famylyarytye and
frendshipe of him that is dead.

A.ij.

The othere, that the lyuynge
dowteth, where the soul of his
frende departed is bycome.
Whether it be in heauen or in
hel. Both thys Iles, maye be
redressed with one gode, that
is to wyt: If he that lyueth be
assured, by the worde of God
that his frende departed, is by
mortal death entered in Christ
in to eternall lyfe. But nowe
in thys standeth all the dowte.
How the lyuynge maye know
in what state the soules departed
stond. This dowte can not
the Gentyle dissolue, the wyse
menne of the worlde, nor the
commone sorte of soche as beareth
the name of christianite.
Namely for this: that they
ymagyn there frendes soules,
to be broiled & rosted in the fyre
of Purgatory. Wherfore euen
as they feare they wotte not
what: so seke they there remedy
they know not how. Wyth
Masse, Dirige and such other.
This paynes by the lyuynge
presupposed of the deade: who
can iustlye reprehende the misbelyuynge
lyuyng for the state
of the dead, that more the~ nede
is panyth the~ selues, and more
then profyt is: redemeth the
prayers of other. But what
may the truethe conclude? Is
there any certayenty that puttyth
al out of dowte, oure frendes
soules to departe from the
earthe, strayght vnto eternall
lyfe. Truly after the iugement
of the fleshe, there is no suche
knoweledge. For the fleshe in
this case, eyther wyll planelye
dispayre for the horrour and
gretnes of synne: or els dowte

A.iij.

of the meanes howe it maye be
remedyd. Onelye therefore
the certayntye is knowen by
the scrypture of God. Gyue
therefore hede what in thys
case what the worde of god certifieth
vs of the deade.