quod dissimilis sit res sed is qui facit Ita ab vna eademque persona diuersis tēporibus tunc opartet aliquid fieri tunc non oportet non quod sui dissimilis sit qui facit sed quando facit It is not true that is sayd A thing that was once well done must in no wyse be altered For when the cause of the tyme is changed good reason doth require the wel done thyng afore so to be changed now That where they say it can not be wel if it be changed the truth on the other syde cryeth out that it can not be well if it be not changed For that which may chaunce at one tyme in diuersity of persons that one may do a thing without offēce which an other may not not that the matter is of it self vnlyke but the party that doth it so in respect of diuerse tymes of the selfe same person now may a thyng be done and now may it not be done not that he is differēt frō hymselfe that doth it but the tyme when he doth it Wherfore I like wel that counsell of Gregory which he gaue to Augustine the Monke whō he sent into Englande to plante a Religion Nouit fraternitas tua Dist 12 cap. Nouit saith he Romanae ecclesiae consuetudinem in qua se meminit esse nutrita sed mihi placet vt siue in Romana siue in Gallicorum siue in qualibet ecclesia inuenisti quod plus omnipotenti Deo possit placere sollicite eligas in Anglorum ecclesia quae adhuc in fide noua est in constitutione precipita quae de multis ecclesijs col ligere poteris infundas Non enim pro locis res sed pro rebus loca amāda sunt Ex singulis ergo quibus cūque ecclesijs quae pia quae religiosa quae recta sunt elige hac quasi in sasciculum collecta apud Anglorum mētes in consuetudinē depone Your brotherhode knoweth the custome of the Romish Church wherin ye remember ye haue bene brought vp But my pleasure is that whatsoeuer ye haue founde be it eyther in the Church of Rome or Frenche Church or any other that more may please almighty God ye carefully choose the same and the best constitutiōs that you can gather out of many Churches poure into the Church of Englande which is as yet raw in the fayth For the customes are not to be embraced for the countrey sake but rather the countrey for the custom sake Chose ye therfore out of al Churches whatsoeuer they are the thynges that are Godly religious and good and these beyng gathered into one bundel repose them as customes in the English mennes hartes So that of the wyse it hath bene alwayes reputed folly to sticke to prescriptiō of tyme or place Only the lawfulnesse of the vse hath brought more or lesse authoritie to the thing Wherfore ye haue no aduauntage of me in that I graunted the vse of Crossing to be auncient in the Church For if it had bene well in oure forefathers yet by Augustines rule it might be ill in vs and therfore to be altered And stifly to defende one certain custome without apparant commodity to the Church is by Pope Gregory hymselfe disproued Only I am sory that imperfections of wise men haue gyuen such president of error to the wilfull I am loth to saye that the fathers themselues were not so wel affected as they ought But ye driue me to lay my finger on thys sore and continually to scratch it The tale of Probianus which ye cyte out of Sozomene in the Tripartite history Folio 48. hath small apparance of truth in it For if he adored not the materiall Crosse he was the better Christian for that but if he beleued not the death of Christ then was he not conuerted vnto the fayth at al. For without Christ and the same crucified our fayth is all in vayne Wherfore whē it is sayd that he vvould not vvorship the cause of our saluation either the writer of this hystory doth il apply thys to the worde materiall or you do ill apply it to your purpose It shuld seme to be a tale framed out of Constantinus apparition when folish worshippers of the Crosse would styl haue moe miracles to cōfirme their Idolatry But as theues that haue robbed do leaue alway some marke behynde them wherby they may be knowen eyther what they were or which way they be gone so thys author of yours leaping ouer the pale hath left a piece of hys cloke behynde hym and ye may tracke hym by the foote For if he ment as your deuise that euer since the death of Christ vvhatsoeuer good hath ben vvrought to mankinde either by good men or holy Angels the same hath bene vvrought by the signe of the Crosse then Angels by lyke haue bodyes to beare it haue hādes to make it But Angels beyng ministring spirites Heb. 7. haue from the beginning wrought many vertues for mans behoufe haue bene by Gods prouidence a defence of the faythful and ouerthrowe of the wicked yet can they not make any materiall Crosse such as is set vp in Churches nor yet mysticall such as men vse to print in their foreheades wherfore eyther the collector of this tale was a lyer or you a fonde applyer Howsoeuer it falles out in ryme yet the reason is good But rather of the twoo I would excuse the author who by the Crosse ment Christ hys passion and lay you in the fault which vnderstode him not For doutlesse if there were such an apparitiō to Probianus as I am not yet persuaded of yet that the meaning of it should be such as you say to driue him to the vvorship of a Crosse in earth hath neyther religion nor reason in it Constantine hymselfe which was as newly cōuerted to the fayth neyther was commaunded to do the lyke nor euer dyd it Cyprian Augustine and Chrisostome intreating al of the passion of Christ do vse the terme of the Crosse as the Apostle hymselfe doth Folio 50. b 1. ad Cor. 1. ad Gal. 5. Vt cruxsit praedicatio de crucifixo That when they name the Crosse by a figure they meane the Crucified Notwithstanding I graūt that in ministration of sacramentes and some tyme otherwyse they séemed all to vse a certayne signe of Crosse not signe material Folio 49. but such as mē do prynt in their foreheades shall we therfore be restrayned to that whereof there is no precept in Scripture nor they thēselues yeld lawful cause But admit their authoritie Thynke you they dyd attribute so great vertue to the wagging of a finger That the holye ghost could be called downe the diuel dryuen away by it Thynke you they would haue neglected Churches refused Sacramentes doubted of their health if a priest had not broken the ayre first and wyth hys holy hande made an ouerthwart signe Learne more good ye Puiné than so fondly
herein applied vniustly vnto the priest the word Aspergam super vos aquam mundam Ezech. 36. I wil sprinckle cleane water on you which God peculiarly promiseth of himselfe Then also to inforce a necessity of oyle that baptisme can not cōsist without it whereas Christ did not appoint it nor Apostle vse it passed his cōmission Vt ne quid grauius But to attribute more vnto the oyle mans own inuention than to baptisme it self the ordinance of Christ I must nedes say was proud blasphemous Yet Cyprian so did for he sayde that vnlesse they were on his wyse annoynted they could not be true Christians To haue the annoynted of the father Iesus Christ within them was not ynough vnlesse a little oyle had also besmeared them A pitifull case that so good a father so faythful a martyr should haue so fowle a blotte to blemish his authoritie But as I sayd we must not gather out of the fathers writings what soeuer was witnesse of their imperfection Yet do I maruel most what mad conceyte ye had to bring this place for the vse of the Crosse in byshopping of children Onely S. Cyprian in all that Epistle and diuers other goeth aboute to proue that heretiques should be baptised And this is farre from Confirmation full little doth it confirme your crosse Agaynst the assertion of seuenfold grace Folio 57. a. Chapt. 11. Nowe to speake a worde of your Seuenfolde grace which you say is conferred at byshopping I besech you shew me the ground of your deuise I know that you delite in the odde number as al inchaunters haue done of olde And therfore vij sacraments vij kindes of graces of the holy ghost But wherefore .vij Bicause Esay numbreth but .vij And this is the reason of all the Papists that euer wrote But I might byd them tell them Esay 11. as Tom foole did his géese Esay numbreth but syx and the seauenth is their owne Therfore stil I proue that Papistes are falsefiers of the worde of God Papistes falsefiers of Scripture And yet if the Prophet had rehearsed seauē as it is of euery man to be sene he did not to gather out of that a seauēfold kinde of grace were to absurd in asmuch as other places attribute of diuerse effectes diuerse other titles to the holie ghost nor the faithful are only partakers of those that Esay doth speake of which are Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsel Strēgth Knowlege Feare of God but also of other as Chastity Sobriety Truth Holinesse which in like maner do flowe from the same spring Then also to thrust the power of Gods spirit into such a corner that it shall haue but seauen holes to start to is to straight a compasse can not contayne him But this I may excuse you as the Painter did himselfe who being reproued that he had left out a cōmaundement whereas he was bydden to write them all in a table answered There is more than ye will kepe So you in rehearsall of your seauenfolde grace speake of syxe more than you are partaker of Wherfore to make my Apostrophe to the readers as you do seing Dionisius is iustly disproued Folio 57. b. to be of no such authority and antiquity as the Papists pretend seing S. Augustine is depraued of them S. Cyprian alleaged where he defendeth an heresy The example of Christ and his Apostles most falsly drawen to proufe of Confirmation I trust you wil more esteme and better regarde the authoritie of auncient Fathers in dede whose playne assertions I haue brought to the contrary you wil more reuerence the word of God the bread of life by them abused to most impietie than the stinking leuen of these lying hipocrites who speake of scripture but esteme it not who lay the fathers for them but vnderstande them not who pretend antiquity but are caried about with euery winde and puffe of new doctrine being as S. Ciprian saith Epistola ad Nouatianos beginners of schismes authors of dissention destroyers of faith betrayers of the church Antichristes in dede who going about to deface the catholike religiō cōmanded by Christ taught by the Apostles continued in the church by the holy ghost haue defaced as it were the truth of Christs ordināce to place their own dreames deuises as it apeareth by the nūber of their sacraments by declining in al points from the order of Christ his Apostles by oyle creame salt spittle candels such like added vnto baptisme by preferring byshopping of children afore it by making oyle of their own addition of more effect vertue than the element of water sanctified by the word of God Finally ascribing perfection of Christianitie which consisteth in the spirit to the outward work of coniuring and Crossing Now M. Martial to come to your holy orders which among your sacraments ye put in the third place I maruell that ye are so barren in the ground which of it self is so fruitfull that wheras ye nūber but .vij. sacraments this one hath begotten by spiritual generation six moe For the master of the sentence whome ye and al your faction do follow maketh .vij. degrées of orders Lib. 4. Dist. 24. Cap. 1. Et hij ordines sacramenta dicuntur these orders saith he be called sacraments He saith not that they do al concur to make a sacrament So by this meanes we haue now .xiij. sacraments A plentiful increase And to set forth the more the dignity of their calling in euery one of these holy orders they haue Christ himself a cōpanion with them But whereas sacraments must haue a promise annexed to thē a promise immediatly from God if any of these orders or they altogether should make a Sacrament some piece of Scripture shuld be brought for proufe of it Neyther Angels nor men can make a sacrament Therfore they lie when they do cal their orders sacraments in as much as they which are called among thē ordines minores the inferior orders by their own cōfession were neuer knowē in the primitiue church but long deuised after In confess Polonica Cap. 51. Hosius himself out of whome you toke your authorities as well of Augustine as of Leo to proue your orders a Sacramente confesseth in the same place that of olde time Ordines ij minores inter sacros non numerabantur These inferior orders were not rekened among the holy ones But now they be holy all and Sacramentes al. If I should rehearse the ydle ceremonies that are obserued in euery one of them The Iewish disagrements of the doctors themselues when eche man hath a sere assertion of his owne defended with toth and nayle The clouted religion of olde patches of Iudaisme Paganisme and Christianitie together wherby they commend this their sacrament to the worlde I should cumber the readers to long with vnfruitfull matters and busy my selfe more a great deale than néeded to confute that which you M. Martiall such is your modesty are ashamed
Scripture honorable commendation we may the more mistrust of other whose liues and vertues we can by no meanes be so well assured of As for authorities though Scripture it selfe doth suffise the faythfull and such as delite not to be contentious yet that men of good iudgement vtterly abhorred as heathenish diuelish and Idolatrous this keping inclosing honoring of a piece of woode or any such earthly matter I haue brought you Hierome Chrisostome whose plaine words condemne the superstition of you and al other that you do talke of Last of all I haue touched the grosse absurdities that consequently do follow of your doctrine which though I haue not thorowly vnripped your beastlinesse vanity being so lothsome to me yet haue I touched sufficiently to driue you if any grace be in you to consider your duty better to write with more reason or be stil with lesse shame Is this the profession of your priesthode Is this the cōmissiō that men of your coate haue to preach the fables of olde gentility stirre vp the kenel of stinking superstitiō which euery olde wife is a wery of euery childe doth scorne at Learne Christianity of Christ himself true order of preaching of the Apostles seke not so much what men haue done but how well they haue done It is written to the Hebrewes Hebr. 2. that God of olde time spake at sūdrie times and in diuers maners to our fathers by the Prophetes But in these last dayes hath spoken vnto vs by his deare sonne Whereby what other thing is to be meant but that God hereafter will not vse the mouth of many nor heape vs prophecy vpon prophecy reuelation vppon reuelation but that he did so fully instruct vs by his sonne that the very last euerlasting testimony of truth must be had of him He gaue him therefore a singuler prerogatiue to be our Prophete our master and our guyde commaunding him onely no church no councel no man to be heard The Church I trust will take no more vpon them than the Apostles did What the synagoge of Antichrist doth I care not what the true Christians ought to do I proue Christ sent forth his Apostles into the worlde and gaue them commission to teach and preach not what soeuer they could inuent but what he had fyrst commaunded them And nothing could be more playnly sayd than that which he speaketh in another place Math. 23. Be not ye called Rabbi as masters or rulers ouer your brothers fayth for one is your Doctor and your teacher Christ Then if nothing can be allowed in matters of fayth and saluation but that which is grounded on Christ the Gospell all doctrines of men all Crosses all Crucifixes Roodeloftes and all which haue no colour of scripture to defend them but be most iniurious and contrary to the same muste cleane be abolished and put out of the Church If Christ did call them hypocrites Math. 15. and honourers of him in vayne which teach the doctrines that procéede of man surely you Papistes for fowler name of heresie can I giue you none which bring vs mens authorities without the warrāt of Gods holy word that binde vs to beleue things most contrary to it are neyther shepherds nor shéepe of the folde but for all your fléese be rauening wolues This doth Ignatius on this wise confirme Omnis igitur qui dixerit prater ea quae tradita sunt tametsi fide dignus sit In episto ad Hieronim tametsi ieiunet tametsi virginitatem seruet tametsi signa faciat tametsi prophetet lupus tibi appareat in grege ouium Who so euer speaketh any thing more than is written although he be worthy credit although he fast although he kepe his virginitie although he do miracles although he prophecie yet let him seme to thée a wolfe in the flock of shepe This hath bene alwayes the opinion of the godly This all the doctors haue taught and written Onely you good sir and certaine of your factious fellowship will be wiser than Christ bolder than the Apostles better lerned than the Doctors and giue vs out new lessons that Scripture neuer thought of I wil not tarry here in rehearsall of your errours in other poynts which hasten to the end of my reprouf of this Only you good readers I shall exhorte and for the mercies of Christ besech you that as ye tender your owne health and wish to be gathered into the fold of life ye wil hearken to the voyce of your shepherd Christ come at no strangers call giue credite to no man in matters of your fayth further thā he brings his warrant with him Beleue no report for it is a liar Beware of the woluish generation which now being hungry kept and féeding vpon carrein breath out nothing else but horrible blasphemies and stinking lyes They prate of good life themselues most licentious They burden men with breach of lawes themselues most rebellious and dissolute They goe about to discredit vs as teachers of carnall libertie themselues embrewed wyth all kinde of filth and abhomination As for all their doctrine and religion I may say vnto them as Christ did to the Pharises Populus iste labijs me honorat cor autem eorum longe est à me This people honor me with their lips but their heartes are farre of from me Their eyes their hands their head their féete they frame in such wise as shall tend to some piece of obseruāce of the lawe Their winking their nodding their mouing their crossing is all Gods seruice as they do tell vs. But where is the heart Where is the minde and inward puritie that God requireth When they heare Thou shalt not kyl thou shalt not steale thou shalt not cōmit adulterie The purest of them all what do they Peraduerture not draw the sword to slay any man not lay their hādes on other mens goods not depart their bodies with harlots which yet is a marueilous rare byrde to be hatched in the nest of poperie but they compasse mischiefe and destruction in their hearts they burne in desire they fret consume away for enuy So that which is the chief of the law is least among thē That which semeth gay to the outward shewe is onely retayned and kept And for conclusion beside that they expel fayth which is that goodnesse of al works they set vp works of their own making to destroy the works of God be holier than they First with their chastity they destroy the chastity that God ordayned only requireth With their obedience they take awaye the order that God in thys world hath set and exacteth none other With their pouertie they peruert humility the true pouerty of the spirite which Christ taught onely which is onely not to loue the worldly goodes With their faste filling their vnsatiable paunches they forget the fast which God commaundeth a perpetuall sobrenesse to tame the fleshe With their pattering of prayers they haue put away
had 15. a. Three reasons why Christ can haue no Image made of him 16. a. The follye to haue a picture of Christ 16. b. How Images are honoured coÌ„trary to the minde of Gregorie 17. a. A note how Martials allegations for the crosse are to be knoweÌ„ in this treatise 17. b. The Papists hope ib. Mart. lies in his preface 18. a. Comparison betwene Papistes true Christians 19. In the first Article MEn in gods matters not to be beleeued without the word Folio 21. b. seq What iudges ought to sit in coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ 23. a. Howe Martiall entreateth of that which is not applying to the signe the vertue propre to the thing it self 25. b. Chrisostome his praise of the Crosse answered 26. a. Thinges well receyued yll continued 26. b. The signe of the Crosse an heathenish obseruance ib. Chrisost mangled by M. 26. b Martialis a pretended disciple answered 27. a. Damascenê° answered 27. b. Crosse signe no weapon to fight agaynst Sathan 28. b. Athanasius answered 29. a. Necessary notes to be obserued in reading of the Fathers 29. b. 30. b. Origen aunswered for hys prayse of the Crosse 31. a. Cassiodore answered 33. a. Martials fond reason for necessity of a Crosse 33. a. Lact. Aug. answered 33. b. Martials comparison examined 34. 35. Iulians exaÌ„ple opened wherby he wil proue the crosse to driue away spirits 35. seq The like example of a Iewe out of Gregory 36. Siluester the secoÌ„d for al his Crosses in the very Masse tyme was torne in pieces by Diuels 37. b. Martials allegations wherby he will proue mention to be made of his Crosse in Scripture howe they are answered 37. 38. 39. seq In the .ij. Article MArtial goeth only about to proue a matter that he promysed he woulde not speake of Folio 41. a. It is declared that although the Crosse were prefigured by Moses and the prophets yet it folowes not that wee must needes haue the signe thereof 41. b. His allegations for the prefiguring of the crosse examined 42. seq Moses handes lifted lyke a Crosse 43. seq The letter Thau 44. b. se Constantines apparitioÌ„ answered 45. b. For good successe in the Crosse time 47. a. Iulians visions discussed 48 Diuers meanes that God hath miraculously vsed for deliuery of his 49. seq Howe Papistes deale wyth Gods booke 52. a. The end of ceremonies 52. b. What Christ in iudgement shal require of vs. 53. In the .iij. Article THe .iiij. reasons why euery Church and Chappell should haue the signe of the Crosse aunswered Folio 54. seq Abdias proued fabulous 51. a. The true maner of dedication of Churches 52. b. Barthelmewes dedycation 54. a. Philips dedication ibid. The councels by Martial alleaged answered 54. b. He bringeth the bare name of three Councels and nothing else 58. a. Three Councels which are playne agaynst Images The Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isauricus 58. a. seq The Councell of Granata called Elibertinum 68. a. The Councel of Frankford ibid. seq The beastly reasons of the second Councell of Nice confirming images answered 70. seq The wyckednesse of Irene president of that sixt Councell 78. seq The Doctors answered that seeme to commaunde the signe of a Crosse in Churches 79. a. Ambrose in that case considered 79. a. seq How a crosse on the steple saueth the Church from burning 80. b. Lactantius authoritie aunswered 81. a. Eusebius thought it strange to see an ymage stand in the Church 82. a. Arnobius a great enimie to Images ib. Augustine aunswered 82. b. What is a mysterie ibid. Augustine doth answere the same obiections which the Papists make in defence of Images 83. a. b. His places against Images 84. b. Paulinus of Nola answered and disproued 84. b. Iustinians lawes weyghed 85. a. Valens Theodosius enacted that no crosse should be vsed 85. a. The custome of Church considered 85. b. Siluesters lie concerning the Church of Constantinus 86. b. Augustins rule for custome 87. a. In the .iiij. Article A Proufe that although the signe of the crosse haue bene vsed yet doth it not folowe that it is lawful now Folio 88. The tale of Probianus disproued 89. a. Cyprians authoritie examined 90. Augustines authority discussed 92. a. The difference of Rite and Recte 92. b. The Cannon lawe condemneth Crossemaster Martiall 93. a. Chrisostome answered ib. Constantinus Church hallowing 93. b. Popishe Church hallowing 94. a. Dionisius dysproued not to be Areopagita 95. b. Traditions and ceremonies added to baptisme 96. seq Confirmation proued no sacrament 97. a. Papistes blasphemous doctrine touching Confirmation 97. seq The reasons agaynste Popish confirmation 99. seq Howe Papistes falsefie the Scripture 100. a. The absurditie of popish doctrine ib. seq The fathers opinioÌ„ touching the number of Sacramentes 101. Cyprians errour 102. b. The seaueÌ„folde grace of Papists 103. a. Orders proued to be no Sacrament 104. seq No due proufe can be made that a Crosse wyth a finger was or ought to be made in the Lordes Supper 106. seq Matrimony proued no sacrament 108. a. Martials reasoÌ„ to make Matrimony a sacrament 109. a. Absurdities in Popishe doctrine concerning Matrimonie 109. b. seq Martiall disproued for his sacrament of Penaunce 111. b. Vanitie of Papistes therein 112. b. Martiall confuted for his sacrament of Extreme vnction 113. The absurdities in Popishe doctrine for Extreme vnction 114. That all councels are not to be credited 115. In the .v. Article THat Martiall vnderstandeth not what blessing meaneth which applieth it to a signe in the foreheade Folio 116. a. Vnlawful authorities brought for blessing 116. b. Epiphaniê° authority which tare the vayle 117. seq What is to bee thoughte of traditions 119. seq Tertullians traditions not to be obserued ib. Ephrem not alway sounde 120. a. Chrisostome not in al things to be followed ib. Hierome sometime to be reproued ib. Augustin not alwayes to be admitted ib. b. Prudentius hath hys infirmities ib. The vnitie of Papistes and Christians 121. a. Howe Martiall doth corrupt Tertullian 123. a. In Custome what to be considered 124. a. Traditions threefolde ib. Traditions howe they varie 126. What lies Martiall maketh of Athanasius 127. a. That Roodes Crosses Images are countrefets of Serapis 128. a. The godlinesse and good religion of Papists 129. seq In the .vj. Article AVthorities vnlawfull alleaged by Martiall for confirming of the Crosse keping Folio 131. a. No authoritie of men to be grounded on in Gods matters 132. Hierome agaynste reseruing pieces of the Crosse 132. b. Chrisostomes saying for inclosure of the Crosse in gold answered 133. a. Chrisostome agaynst such superstition 133. b. Effects of the Crosse pieces thereof considered 135. seq In the .vij. Article THat Crosses at the fyrste were not vsed in Letanies Folio 138. Montanistes Arrians authours of procession 138. b. Letanies of two sortes and when deuised 139. a. Howe
the inconuenience that should by them aryse vnto vs vtterly forbad them as the places aboue rehearsed proue Let not therefore the disguising cloke of a good intent make vs shake of the true garment of God to transgresse his commaundement and derogate from his glorie Who soeuer leade vs but a little awry frō the path that Christ hath willed vs to treade in leade vs the right way to the Diuell of hell Beware ye therefore of these Syrene times these enchaunting charmes that wise men of the worlde are wont to vse saying Beare for a time Vse discretion Be not to rash in reformation We ought rather to hearkē to Christ himself Iean 12. which willes vs To vvalke vvhilest vve haue the light If we suffer mistes to be ouercaste the cleare shyning sunne darkenesse shall soner ouertake vs than we woulde There is but one gate whereby we muste enter into eternall life There is but one way to bring vs to our iourneyes end The least strayning in the world shall make vs come neuer thyther And yet not onely for our owne sakes but also for Christes cause we must take a wise way herein For they that goe about to bereue vs of our life which is hydden in Christ would as well that God should be disgraced in vs. Wherefore in controuersies of our religion we should not onely haue respecte to this howe deare our own saluation is to vs but also how farre we further and aduaunce the glorie of our God Then if it were so that Images were cōmaūded as they are not and had their ende to teach as they doe not both our owne profite honour of our God might make vs the willinger to embrace them But as they are not commaūded but accursed so bring they no knowledge but blind in ignoraunce For if they do teach it is for the shape and not for the substance Otherwise the trées in the woode siluer in the shop might teach as well as they If the shape do worke an vnderstanding in vs bycause it is made as the Image of a man or of a woman then why not one Image teach as well as another Shall the gayer coate which maketh vs peraduenture more couetously disposed or more wātonly affected strike a more zeale of deuotion into vs We haue séene Images in euery Church specially of Ladies and of the Crosse then why did they gadde from London to Wilsdon from Wilsdon to Walsingham to séeke for other Ladies Coulde not the one teache as muche as the other Their eloquence their voyce and diligence was all alyke Why did my countrey men from their own parishes where they had crosses ynowe come on pilgrimage so oft to the very Crosse of Ludlowe Why did they runne from euery corner of their owne countrey to the Roode of Chester Vnlesse ye will say as many thought in déede that the yron chayne of that sturdy champion put about the necke might saue them from the hempen halter which other could not doe Then must it néedes be somewhat else than teaching that maketh this people to giue vnequal honor to signes of equal saincts Alexander the Coppersmyth will come in with his band and there will be a styrre which shall be the dearest Diana to thē Otherwise they woulde no more crouche to this Image or that than they do to the Bible which teacheth me thinke as much as they Agayne if they teach let me aske them whom Learned or vnlearned If they teache the vnlearned howe can they knowe the picture of Christ from the picture of Peter Bycause of the Crosse Why both were crucified But not after one sorte Howe knowe they that They haue learned it of other But here they haue loste the state that they were in for they are nowe become to be learned Of other also they might haue learned moe lessons than that and of more certaynty But the crowne of Thorne the woūd in the syde doe make the matter playne Alas howe shall the simple knowe that Christ was crowned was wounded for vs They haue hearde it of M. Parson let M. Parson then preache it to them If he preache not a truthe with his tong the picture by and by will teache a lye I remember howe Stephen Gardiner Stephen Gardiner whose authoritie I vse in aunswering of him who was Vsher of the schoole where he was Byshoppe of the Sée was fowly once abused by an Image Where as the King in his great seale was set on both sydes on the one syde as in warre the chiefe captaine on the other syde as in peace the liege soueraine that famous byshop had found out there S. George on horsebacke which the grauer neuer made in it nor the Sealer neuer sealed with it Yet in his letters to M. Vaugham of Portesmouth aunswered afterward by the Counsell concerning the same matter which we haue now in hand He vseth these words He that can not reade the scripture about the Kings broade seale eyther bycause he can not reade it at all or bycause the vvay doth not expresse it yet he can reade S. George on horsebacke on the one syde If his learned Lordshippe could not reade aright such a cōmon Image if the inscription could escape his eyes no maruell if the lay people were deceyued in the like I will tell you what these bokes doe teach them Carnall and grosse ymaginations of God and giue further occasion to féede their owne wicked humour When Amadys Amadys a Goldsmith of London lay at the poynt of death his Parson presented him with the Crosse to put him at the least in remembraunce of his maker But what his remembrance was helped thereby his answere declares For he raised himself in his bed said What is the price of an ovvnce Such is the fruite that the vnlearned receiue by Images yea though they be of the best sorte As for the learned they haue better bokes they nede not to be warned with such ydle workemanship A liuely Image is more to purpose than a deade And if the proportion and shape of a man may moue vs then why not of the lyuing rather than the deade If I sée a poore man stretched on the Crosse in déede enimies scorning him power oppressing him death aflicting him he may for the remembrance doe me more good and for perill lesse harme For I néede not to doubt Idolatrie to him But if I nayle a dead picture on the materiall Crosse and set it vp in the Church my memorie is little mended I may peraduenture and not like to the cōtrary but I shal be misse led by it Now suppose it were so that a Crucifixe in the Church did tel me in déede in most significant and plaine letters that Christ on the Crosse died what am I the better for that vnlesse I knowe that he dyed for me and the meane how his death may be applyed to me But thys by no picture can be expressed The promises in the worde must
to thynke and falsely reporte of the holy fathers Reade their learned writinges wyth riper iudgemente Examine duely the very wordes whiche ye do alleage as makyng for you and ye shall sée good yong scholer that ye haue not learned your lesson well Cyprian ye saye wryteth Whatsoeuer the handes be De cardionalibus operibus Christi suspectuÌ„ opus vvhich dyp those that come to baptisme vvhatsoeuer the breast is out of vvhich the holy vvordes do procede Operationis authoritas in figura crucis omnibus sacramentis largitur effectum The authoritie of operatioÌ„ geueth effect to all sacrameÌ„tes in the figure of the Crosse I acknowleage the place It is in hys work de cardinalibê° operibê° Christi quod inter suspecta notha est But weighe the reason first he excludeth as touching any merite not only the hand but the hart of the priest He careth not what he be so that he do the thyng that he cometh for The institution of Christ retayned God worketh inwardly that which no outwarde fact can giue If the hande be euil can the worke of the hand be good In no wyse vnlesse the worke be commaunded Then shew the commaundement for the signe of the Crosse if ye wyll haue CypriaÌ„ to meane of it Experience in part we haue of more witchcraft and sorcery wrought by the signe of the Crosse thaÌ„ by any thing in the world beside Wherfore it is neyther the Priest hymselfe nor any thyng that he doth no not the signe of the Crosse made that giueth effect vnto the Sacramentes De Baptismo Christi Cyprian in playne wordes affirmeth thys Veniebat Christus as BaptismuÌ„ non egens lauacro in quo peccatum non erat sed vt sacrameÌ„to perennis daretur authoritas tanti virtutem operis nulla personarum acceptio commendaret quoniam remissio peccatorum siue per baptismum siue per alia sacramenta donetur proprie spiritus saÌ„cti est ipsi soli huius efficientiae priuilegium manet Verborum solemnitas sacri inuocatio nominis signa institutionibus Apostolicis sacerdotum ministerijs attributa visibile celebrant sacramentum rem vero ipsam spiritus sanctus format efficit consecrationibus visibilibus inuisibiliter manuÌ„ totius bonitatis author apponit Marke well the wordes in English they be these Christ came to baptisme not waÌ„ting a washing in whom there was no synne but to the end that a continuall authoritie mighte be giuen to the Sacrament and no accepting of persons commende the vertue of so great a worke For remission of synnes be it eyther giuen by baptisme or by other Sacramentes properly appertayneth to the holy ghost and the priuileage of thys effecte remayneth vnto hym alone As for the solemnitie of wordes and calling vpon the name of God and signes attributed to the Apostolicall institutions through the mynistery of the priestes they make a visible Sacrament but the thyng it selfe the holy ghost doth frame and make and to the visible consecrations the author of all goodnesse inuisibly doth put hys hande Here do ye sée that the effect is gyuen to the holy ghost and only to the holy ghost which you do attribute either to the priest or to the signe of the Crosse But let me deale with you as you deserue a whyle Let me forget that you are a bachelor of law let me forget that you were M. vsher Let me go to worke as with a scholer of Winchester C. What is the saying of S. Cyprian syrra M. The authoritie of operation geueth effect to al SacrameÌ„tes in the figure of the Crosse Folio 49. C. What is the principal verbe Iohn M. geueth C. What is the nominatiue case M. Authorite C. Well then it is authoritie that gyueth effect But what authoritie Iohn M. Authoritie of operation C. To whom referre you thys operation M. Forsoth to the priest that makes the Crosse vvith his thombe C. Downe wyth hym De sacram lib. 1. Ca. 5. Gyue me the rodde here Haue ye forgot that ye learned out of Ambrose Aliud est elementum aliud consecratio aliud opus aliud operatio The element is one thing and consecration another The worke is one thing and operation an other The worke is done by the priest but the operation by God So Ambrose sayth also that the consecration is Non sanat aqua nisi spiritus sanctus descenderit Ibidem aquam illam consecrauerit The water healeth not vnlesse the holy ghost descende and consecrate that water And is thy wytte so short that thou remembrest not the text of Cyprian that I tolde thée euen nowe One expoundeth the other As there he sayde The effect of Sacraments properly appertayneth to the holy Ghost and that priuiledge is his alone So here he sayth the authority of operation giueth effect to Sacramentes Well goe forwarde In figura Crucis English me that Iohn M. In the figure of the Crosse C. What is that M. Forsothe the red marke that I see in my masters Masseboke C. Downe againe Is your wit so good must ye be beaten twise for one sentence CoÌ„ster it M. Autoritas operationis the authority of operation largitur effectum giueth effect omnibus Sacramentis to all Sacraments in figura Crucis in the figure of the Crosse C. Why yong man do ye bring in the signe of the Crosse there Shall I take you in hande agayne The Crosse must go before in procession I tel you conster it by the poynts as the wordes do lye M. Operationis authoritas the authoritie of operation in figura Crucis in the figure of the Crosse largitur effectum gyueth effect c. C. That is another matter Wel now The authoritie of operation that is to say the power of the holy Ghost in the figure of the Crosse giueth effecte to Sacramentes But is the power of the holy Ghost in the red mark of your masters Masseboke No but it is in the figure of the Crosse that which the Crosse figureth euen Christ himselfe So ye haue learned a true doctrine now That the povver of the holy Ghost in Christ giueth effect to Sacramentes Beare it away least ye beare me a blow But nowe I remember my selfe you shall not tary long for it Hem tibi Do ye vse to make a downe point before ye come to the end of a sentence Do you not sée a comma a Coniuction copulatiue and a chiefe piece of the matter follow and wyl you falsly leaue it out all Take the boke in your hand and reade M. Autoritas operationis in figura Crucis omnibus sacrameÌ„tis largitur effectuÌ„ et cuÌ„cta peragit nomen quod omnibus nominibus eminet à sacrameÌ„torum vicarijs inuocatum The authoritie of operation in the figure of the Crosse giueth effecte to all sacramentes and the name aboue all names being called vpoÌ„ of the deputes of the sacramentes goeth through withall C. If ye had remembred your self sir boy and taken this
a spectacle vnto vs. And nowe to coÌ„clude with Constantine the great Folio 86. whose fact is such a defence vnto you that ye thinke your selfe full armed with it But without any schole play with a downe right blow ye may be toucht on the bare For although Constantinus Constantine not fully yet instructed in the fayth sometime defended his face vvith the signe of saluation sometime shevved forth the victorious banner sometime erected it in a paynted table somtime did hang it vp before the court gate yet we neuer redde that of so many Churches as you say he builded he brought the signe of the crosse into any of theÌ„ Then did he not repose any holinesse therein nor his doings otherwise are to be drawen to example vnlesse ye haue nede to retourne with him from Paganisme to the fayth and haue as large commission as he Wherefore sith your ignoraunce vnderstandeth not the Fathers writings sith your impudencie falsly corrupteth them sith presumptions haue alwayes cuÌ„bred the Church of god and traditions in euery age with euery sere byshop varied we are not to be thought otherwise than followers of the Apostles although we decline froÌ„ some thing that men haue called and in their conceytes reputed Apostolique Flatter not your selfe as if any were so mad hauing common sense to be persuaded with your glorious wordes which in euery leafe haue so good triall of your shamelesse lies Learne what the Church is then talke thereof be a member of the Church and I wil make more accoÌ„pt of you Be no preacher to other of their soule health vnlesse ye take better order for your owne To the sixth Article THat diuerse holy men and vvomen Martiall Fol. 88. got little pieces of the holye Crosse and inclosed them in golde or siluer and eyther left theÌ„ in Churches to be vvorshipped or hanged them about their neckes therby to be the better vvarded To which assertioÌ„ coÌ„sidering what in the Articles afore hath bene sayd and proued a short answere may serue For inasmuch as al your reasons be grounded on a false principle authoritie of men whiche in Gods matters can take no place ye spende in thys Article a greate many moe wordes than all the matter in your booke is worth Tertullian hymselfe Tertullian de virginibê° uelandis speakyng of a traditioÌ„ more reasonable than thys pretendeth not authoritie but sayth that he wyll proue Hoc exigere veritateÌ„ cui nemo praescribere potest non spacium temporum non patrocinia personarum non priuilegium regionum Ex hijs enim fere consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignoraÌ„tia vel simplicitate sortita in vsum per successionem corroboratur ita aduersus veritatem vindicatur Sed dominus noster Christus veritatem se non consuetudinem cognominauit Si semper Christus prior omnibus aequè veritas sempiterna antiqua res That the truth requireth this against the which no persoÌ„ no space of tyme no mastershyp of men no priuiledge of countries can prescribe For most commonly by the meane of these custome that began of some ignoraunce of simplicitie is by succession coÌ„firmed into an vse and so exception taken against the truthe But Christ our Lord called hymselfe the truth and not the custome If Christ be alwayes before al the truth it selfe is aswel eternal and of most auncienty Let theÌ„ coÌ„sider and marke wel thys who accompt it new that in it self is olde No nouelty but verity confoundeth heresy Whatsoeuer is against the truth the same is heresy yea the olde custom it self as sayth Tertullian Wherefore ye should not presume so much vpon the credit of Helena Paulinus Gregory that whatsoeuer they did should be a sufficient presideÌ„t for vs to do the lyke The fathers of the olde the new Testament are not to be drawen for exaÌ„ple alwaies For then why not Dauid defende an adulterer a lecherous captayn willing to dispatch hys trusty soldior why wer it any fault to abiure the faith or otherwise dissemble with God if the lyke facte in Peter myght be followed Aug. contra 2. Ep. Gauden lib. 2. Augustine very wysely sayth NoÌ„ debemus imitari semper aut probare quicquid probati homines egerunt sed iuditium scripturarum adhibere an illae probent ea facta We must not alwayes imitate or alow whatsoeuer allowed persons haue done but lay the iudgemeÌ„t of scriptures to it whether they alow the doing of it If theÌ„ I droue you vnto this issue that ye should proue by the word of God the alleaged exaÌ„ples good ye had néede to require a loÌ„ger terme and yet in the ende you would make a non suite For ye shal not fynd in al the scripture any piece of word or exaÌ„ple of any that can by force be wrested to the reseruatioÌ„ of little scraps of wood or reposing any hope or affiance in them Too vaine and heathenish is the obseruaÌ„ce too foule and horrible is that Idolatry Yet wyll I not deface those fornamed persons vpon whose authoritie ye grounde your selfe nor say that otherwise they wer vngodly though in this point no godlinesse appeared Rom. 10. Paul writeth of the Iewes in his time thus Testimonium illis perhibeo quod studium Dei habent sed non secundum scientiaÌ„ I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge And I doubt not but these whom you haue named had a zeale of their own thought to serue God yet seruing their fansy first they dyd offende against the maiestie of God and were occasion of fall to many that came after 2. Par. 17. The holy Chronicles report of Iehosaphat that he walked in the first wayes of hys father Dauid sought not Baalim but sought the lord god of hys father and walked in hys coÌ„maundementes not after the trade of Israel The like testimony also is giueÌ„ him in the .20 ch Iehosaphat walked in the way of Asa hys father and departed not therefrom doing that whiche was right in the sight of the Lord notwtstanding the hie places were not taken away Beside thys 2. Paral. 19. he made affinitie with Ahab loued them that hated the Lord dyd any maÌ„ therfore for those imperfections condeÌ„ne Iehosophat as a wycked Prince Or wyl any maÌ„ excuse hym for the same On lyke sort I wil not vtterly disproue your authors I thynke not the contrary but that they wer Gods childreÌ„ although in this matter for which theyr authoritie is preteÌ„ded ther is none with safe conscience that can lyke with them Iud. 8. Gideon among the iudges of Israell was the least stayned yet through deuotion as he estemed it he greuously synned against the lord For when as a mighty chaÌ„pion he returned home from coÌ„quest of Midiam the souldiers laden with goldeÌ„ prey he required their earinges to be geueÌ„ to hym Which amounting to a great sum he made an Ephod of it