iuuare eos precibus sanis atque interuentu suo apud Deum Non erit inconueniens Scriptum nanque est in Machabeorum libris ita Hic est Hieremias propheta Dei qui semper orat pro populo That is to saye But it shall not bee inconueniente yf it bee sayd that all the Saintes whyche bee departed out of thys lyfe hauynge yet a loue and charitie towardes them that be in the worlde bee carefulle ouer theyr saluation and healpe theym with theyr prayers and intercession vnto God For in the booke of the Machabees it is thus writen This is Hieremie the Prophete of GOD that prayeth alwayes for the people These woordes seeme vnto me very playne Philalethes Answer It is a wonder and meruaile that this old ancient father should go about to confirm and establish the intercession and prayeng of the Saynctes for vs in heauen which is a doctrine no where set foorth vnto vs in all the Canonicall Scriptures by the testimonie and authoritie of an Apocryphicall booke For Origene hymselfe if that bee trewe that Eusebius writeth of hym doothe numbre no more than .xxii. canonicall bookes secludyng the bokes of the Machabees Moreouer Hierome in his preface vnto Damasê° which he did set before the .ii. treatises or homelies of Origene vpon the CaÌ„ticles doth testifie that Origene did write these .ii. treatises vpon the caÌ„ticles whiche Hierome hyâ—selfe dydde turne or translate into latin and .x. bokes which he sayth he dyd not translate because it was a woorke that required muche leysure tyme labour and coste Nowe those that wee haue at this present vnder the name and title of Origene are not called bookes but homelies where as in the meane whyle he wrote none but those .ii. which Hierom did translate But put the case that they be Origenes shall we set more by the authoritie of man than by the authoritie of the Canonical scriptures Lu. 7. Math. 15. Obie 2â— Albion It is written in Luke that the Centurion dyd sende the elders of the people vnto Christ beseching him that he wold come and heale his seruant And why because that he thoughte not hymselfe worthy to come vnto hym Dyd not the the Apostles lykewyse make earneste sute vnto Christ for the woman of Chanance why shoulde wee not likewyse thynking our selues vnworthie by reason our synnes to come vnto God praye vnto the dead Saintes that be already in heauen with their head our sauior Iesu Christe to make intercession for vs Philalethes Answer vvhiles vve liue in this vvorld vve are bound to praye one for another We haue alreadye declared that whiles we yet liue in this worlde we may pray one for an other yea we are bound by goddes worde so for to doo But that we shoulde doo the lyke after we be ones deceassed or departed out of this lyfe and haue fulfiled our course we haue not one onelye iote in al the whole body of the scriptures that testifieth any suche thyng vnto vs Albion Obie 14 Reuel 5 Ye shall not nede to make any repetition of that which hath ben saide alreadie For I doo wel beare in mynd the whole matter Therfore I wil com to the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iohn There wee haue these woordes And when he had taken the boke the fower beastes and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the lambe hauyng euery one harpes and golden viols full of odours which are the prayers of the Sainctes And in an other place of the same booke he saieth Reue 8. And an other angell came and stoode before the aultar hauyng a golden censer and many odoures were geuen vnto hym that he should offer of the praiers of the Saintes vpon the golden aultar which is before the throne These places doo seeme vnto me to proue manifestly the inuocation of the dead Saintes Phila. Answer Tvvo â—yndes of praiers Ye must vnderstande that there be .ii. kyndes of prayers the one is inuocatioÌ„ or petition and the other is geuyng of thankes laude and prayse This petition yf nede were might be proued by the iiii chapiter of the epistle to the Philippians we cal that inuocation when we desyre some good thing to be geuen vnto vs or some euyll to bee taken awaye from vs. Geuyng of thankes doth contayne the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of god for his exceading great benefyts which we receaue dayly and hourely at his handes It is manifeste by that whiche doth immediatly folow that the Apostle doth speake of this laste and not of the first These be the wordes And they sounge a newe song Reuela 5. saieng Thou act worthy to take the boke and to open the seales therof because thou wast killed haste redemed vs to God by thy bloude oute of euerye kynred and tongue and people and nation and haste made vs vnto our God kinges and prestes we shal raigne on the erth Therfore what doth thys make for the intercession of the blessed spirites or soules that the saints do sing praises vnto god in heauen In the other place none other thing is ment Reuela 8 but that the aungell did ioygne his laudes and praises whiche he gaue vnto God with the himnes and songes of the elders Saint Augustine August expoundyng this place writeth thus Alius angelus ipse est Iesus Christus habens thuribulum aureuÌ„ quod est corpus sanctum Ipse enim dominus factus est thuribulum ex quo deus odorem suanitatis accepit propitius factus est mundo quia obtulit seipsum modoreÌ„ suauitatis Et accepit angelus thuribuluÌ„ impleuit illud ex igne altatis Accepit Iesus corpus id est ecclesiam perficieÌ„do patris voluntatem illam igne spiritus impleuit sancti That is to saye The other angell is Iesus Chryst hauyng a golden censer whyche is an holy body For the LORD hym selfe was made a censer oute of the whyche GOD receaued a swete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde For he offered hym self a sacrifice of swete smell And the aungell didde take the censer and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the aultare IESVS tooke a bodye that is to saye the churche and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the holye Ghoste DYDIMVS Obie 25 Râ—ffâ— lâ—â— Eccle. historiae I perceaue brother Albion that ye muste seeke for helpe som other where than in the scriptures of the old and newe testament sith that youre inuocation of the deade Saintes is already driuen out of the Apocalypse or reuelation of Iohn Albi. I haue yet somme what in store These wordes we do reade of Theodosius the emperor in the eleuenth boke of the ecclesiasticall hystorie whiche one Ruffinus dyd write Ciren nibat cum sacerdotibus popâ—lo omnia orationum loca ante martyrum apostolorum thecis â—acebat cilitio prostratus auxilia sibi fida sanctorum intercessione poscebat That is he did with
the liuyng yea he dothe playnly affirme Sith that the dead sainctes knovve nothing of al that is done here it is in vain to pray vnto them QuestioÌ„ that they be vtterly ignorant what is don in the lyfe of men If this bee true as that can not be false which is proued by the holy scriptures truely the saluation necessitie either of the dead or of the liuyng is in vaine committed to the intercession of theim that know nothing therof We doo beleue in vayne that they doo pray vnto the Lorde for oure present necessite which know not that we are in any perill or daunger Didy And may not they haue intelligence vnderstandyng of our affaires eyther by the angels or by them that go away hence from vs or els by god himselfe Philalethes Answer Sithe that these wayes of reuelation are no where in the scriptures sett foorth vnto vs and therfore be most vncertaine Why should we It is folishnes to fly from that vvhich is certaine to â—hat vvhich is vncerâ—aâ—e I pray you flie from those thynges that are most sure most certaine and infallible vnto that which is doubtfull and not ones mencioned of in all the whole body of the scriptures Ye haue hearde how that this moste holy father sainct Augustine doth plainely confesse that the dead saintes doo not knowe our estate or the case that we bee in nor yet be careful ouer vs. Leauing then that whiche is without any grounde of the scriptures let vs stedfastly cleaue vnto that which is most surely grounded in gods boke wherin we are taught that the blessed soules of the elect and choseÌ„ of God do rest in peace beyng in glorie with their heade our sauiour Iesu Christ who alone is appoynted of god to be oure mediator aduocate and intercessor Albion But what will ye say to Hieromes clerkly sayenges ye see that he dothe plainly hold opinion that the dead saintes doo praye for vs. Philalethes As for Hierome Hovv Hierome dyd ouershote himself in this mater I doo with all due reuerento acknowledge him to do a most worthy instrument of God howbeit in this master he hathe declared him selfe that he was a man And verelye I doo meruayle that beeing so great a cleark as he was would buyld the doctrine of the praisyng of the deade saintes for vs vpon such weake argumentes For who wil say that the Saintes do nowe the same in heauen that they did in the erth But Hierome sayeth none other thing neither dothe he with any other arguments proue that the saints do pray for vs in heauen Hieromes vveake arguments Yf saieth he they did pray for vs in the earth how much more shall they do it now after their crounes Act. 27. victories and triumphes Yf two hundred lxxvi soules were geuen vnto Paule praiyng here in the earth how many mo shall be geuen vnto him praying now in heauen I graunte that god hath done good vnto men here in the earth through the ministery and praiers of his seruants VVhy god did good vnto men here in the earth by the ministerye and praiers of his seruauntes but to what ende I praye you euen to this ende that they should beleue the worde of god set foorth by his true ministers But the ministers dyd all with one doctrine teach vs to cal vpoÌ„ god only in al â—â—re necessities Nowe the doctrine of the praiers of the saints and of their intercession for vs in heauen doth pull vs away from god Hiero in Lâ—c 14. and causeth vs to put some truste hope and confidence in the creatures Which Hierome hym selfe doth stronglye impugne saiyng The righteousnes of the righteous shal bee vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall remayne vpon him Euerye manne shall dye through his owne syn and euerye man shall liue through his owne righteousnesse Iohn 8. The Iewes do say in vayne â–ª Abraham is our father syth that they haue not the workes of Abraham Yf we should put our truste in any let vs put our trust in god liere 17. Psal 146. Cursed be euery man that putteth his trust in menne although they be saintes although they be prophetes We reade Put not your trust in men Again better it is to trust in god than in princes Not onely in the princes of the world but in the princes of the church whiche yf they be righteous they shall deliuer their owne soules onelye These are Hieromes woordes Let vs therfore hope in the lorde oure GOD and sith that we haue not one iote in the Canonicall Scriptures of the intercession of the Sainctes for vs in heauen nor any example that they do pray vnto the father for vs let vs boldely reiecting this idolatrous inuocation of the dead sainctes and the vaine and fonde doctrine of their intercession for vs vnto God cal vpon our heauenly father through his sonne Iesu Christ though an angell from heauen shoulde teache the contrarie I doo here let passe that in the boke which this holy father did write agaynste Vigilantius there is more furious bitternesse to bee founde than either modestie or learning whiche maye bee proued by the censure of Erasmus The censure of Erasmus vpon Hieromes booke against vigilantius whiche is this lo vigilantium ita conuitiis debacehator Hieronymus vt plusculum in eo modestiae eogar desyderare Vtinam argumentis duntaâ—at egisset à conuitiis temperasser That is Hierome doothe 〈◊〉 with reuilyng woordes raile against Vigilantius that I am fayne to fynde a larke of modestie in him would god he had onely soughten with argumentes and had refrained from reuilynge and opprobrious wordes For take away these railyng woordes Caupo Calagutitanus Dormitantius Herculis monstra Louiathan Behemoth The taunces of Hierom against vigilantius take away his chiâ—yng brawling and scoldyng take awaye his subtill conueâ—ance in the torrke Take awaye his exclamations translations tragicall amplifications his swellyng and braggyng wordes and nothing almost shal be left vnto the reader that hath anye sauor of the propheticall and apostolicall simplicitie Albion Obie 10 Yet this holy father dothe plainely affirme that the deuils dyd roare out at the relykes of Saint Andrew and that great myracles and wonders at the dust and ashes of the martyrs haue beÌ„ wrought and the vnclean spirites tormented Whiche thyng he dothe proue by the example of certaine emperors kynges and byshops saying If it be not laufull to shrine vp and to translate the relikes of the saintes then was Archadius with Constantine a sacriledge all the byshops were not only sacrileges but to be also coÌ„pted verye beastes foles which did cary so vile a thing and ashes in silke and in a golden vessell Philalethes As touchyng the firste Answer I answere that the diuels dyd not roare out because of saincte Andrewes drye bones VVhythe diuel did roaâ— ouâ—e at sainct An drevves reliâ—es but because of Christe whome the holy
the priestes the people goe aboute all the places of prayers and dyd lye prostrate in suckeclothe before the shrines of the martirs and Apostles and did require helpe for hymselfe by the faithful intercession of the Saintes What will ye say now to this No man can deny but that this is a moste auncient hystorie Answer Antiquâ—â—â—â— vvithout trueth proueth nothing Eutrapelus I haue many tymes hearde oure brother Philalethes saye that antiquitie without a truthe or without a good foundation or grounde in gods booke proueth nothyng Againe when certaine arguments of Hierom wer discussed it was by sufficiente testimonies and authoritie of the scriptures proued that the examples of such kynges and bishoppes which are brought foorth without any authoritie of the scriptures doo in such weightie matters proue nothynge Ye do not reade in al the boke of God that any of the godly and faithfull kynges dyd euer lie prostrate before the shrines of the righteous and did craue for help by the faithfull intercession of the dead For they did all crye out My helpe is from the Lorde whiche made both heauen and the earth The Lorde shal preserue thee from all euyll the Lord shall kepe thy soule The Lorde shall keepe thy goyng out and thy goyng in frome hensefoorth worlde without ende The exposition of Ruffinus vvorâ—â—â— Philalethes Besydes Ruffinus wordes doo appeare to be suche that they ought rather to be vnderstanded of the intercession of the saints that were in the earth For it seemeth that the prince went about all the oratories or prayeng places where the congregation of the sainctes was assembled and that he dyd desyre the faithfull to praye most earnestly vnto god that he would vouchsafe to geue him the victorye and to preserue his empire to the commodity profite and vtilitie of many men The like in a manner haue we in the said Ruffinus li. 10. ca. 8 where wee haue these woordes In the meane while Constantinus trusting in godlines did euen in their own contrey subdue the SarmatiaÌ„s the Gothes other Barbarous contreys and nations those excepted which eyther by frendeship or by yelding of them selues did preuente peace And the more deuoutely and humbly he did submitte hym selfe vnto god the more God did subdue all things vnder hym He dyd also send letters to Antonie the first inhabitaunt of the wildernesse as vnto one of the prophetes desiring him that he woulde praye vnto the lorde for him and for his children So he did not onely study to be made commendable vnto god by his own merites and by the deuotion of his mother but also by the intercession of the Saints Mark how he did here take the intercession of the saintes neither doo I see any cause why wee maye not expounde that place touching Theodosius VVhat the vision of Theodosius doth signify of the intercession of the saints that were aliue here on the erth And where as they say that the Apostles Iohn and Phillip did appeare vnto Theodosius the emperour what shall they gather by it But that he was by such a vision certified of the victorye as Iudas Machabaeus was before by the appearing of Onias and Hieremy And therfore as Iudas Machabaeus dyd not call vppon Onias and Hieremie when he should ioygne in battail with his enemies but vpon the mighty Lorde of hostes In like maner Theodosius whan he sawe his souldiours turne their backes he prayed not vnto the Apostelles but vnto god sayeng O almighty god The prayer of Theodosius thou knowest that for to reuenge the iuste quarell of thy sonne Iesu Christ I haue taken in hande these warres yf it be otherwise poure thy vengeaunce vpon me But if trusting in thee and vppon a iust cause I am come hether retch forth thy right hand vnto thyne lest the gentils do say where is now their god Whereunto the same doth well agree whiche Saincte Augustine in hys fyfte booke of the city of god and .26 chapiter doothe write of this moste holy prince how that he did put his whole confideÌ„ce and trust in God as in his moste strong shield and bucklar and strong bulwark agaynst his ennemies Didymus Obie 26 The coÌ„mune people is wont to saye stil that it was a mery world when the holy virgin Mary and all the blessed sainctes in heauen were prayed vnto and woorshipped whervppon they doo gather God was well pleased withall els God would not haue sent vnto them such felicitie But nowe sens pylgremages prayeng vnto sainctes was put downe rhe worlde hath ben in all kynde of myserie Philalethes Answer Hiere 44 The lyke were they wont to lay to Hieremies charge vsing these stoute wordes agaynst hym The woorde that thou haste spoken to vs in the name of the Lorde we wil not here it of thee but we will doo whatsoeuer thyng goeth out of oure owne mouthe as to burne incense vnto the queene of heauen and to poure out drynke offringes vnto her as we haue doone bothe we and our fathers our kinges and our princes in the cities of Iuda and in the stretes of Hierusalem for then had we plentie of vitailes and were well and selfe none yll but sens we leste of to burne incense to the queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerynges vnto her we haue hadde scarcenesse of all thynges and haue ben consumed by the sworde and famyne Do not I pray you the worshippers of dead Saintes make the lyke complaintes praisyng the felicitie of the olde world as they do terme it when al kynd of idolatrie did reigne The common complaint of idolaters But this is the commune coÌ„plaint of idolaters For both Demetrianus and the commune sorte of the heathen dyd lay to the christiaÌ„s charge that it was long of them that suche cruell warres did arise emong them that theyr catell dyed of the moreyn that they were plagued with pestilence and famyne and that they had vnseasonable weathers yea that all maner of plages that the world was plagued withall oughte to be impuded vnto them Cypr contâ—â— demetrianum But Cyprian doothe so answere to al these vaine obiections that his aunswere maye serue vs for to stoppe the mouthes of the vayne Papistes whiche nowe doo make so greate a brag of the felicitie of theyr idolatrous tyme. But leauing mens auctorities I wil shew how the lord him self doth answere or rather handel this obiection of the aduersaries in his prophete Osee For Osee 1. he sayth your mother hath played the harlot for she said I wil go after my louers that geue me my bread and my water my wol and my star myne oyle and my drinke And she did not knowe that I gaue her corn and wyne and oile and multiplied her siluer and gold whiche thei bestowed vpoÌ„ Baal Therfore wyl I return and take away my corne in the tyme therof my wyne in the sea son therof and wil recouer my wol and my flaxe lent to
may wtout any scrupulositie of coÌ„sciÌ„ece be present at the sacrifices of the gentiles and sitte with them at their feasts and banketts which they doo keepe in the honor of their idols For the mynd beyng restored vnto it selfe doth honor and worship the true liuing God alone therfore it contemneth ydoles and can not sithe it is purified by faithe be polluted or defiled with those thinges that be offered vnto theim Pauleâ— aunsâ—vere to â—heir reasons Vnto all those Paule maketh this answere Although thou doest beleue that there is but one God and doest therefore vnderstande that bothe the idoles the worshypping of theim and the sacrifices offered vnto them are but mere vanitie yet all men doo not see so muche neyther doo they comme to the sacrifices with the same conscience He that is weake and hath not yet cleane put away his olde inueterate errour whiche he hadde sucked of his forefathers dooth with a conscience sitte at suche meates and accordyng to his olde superstition whiche he hath no fully shaken of doth feare and dreade those goddes specially when he seeth thee whome he taketh to be of a founde iudgement to sytte at such prophane meates For he doeth suspecte that thou dost eate with none other conscience than he dooth and so he is not smally offended with thy bolde exaumple Bothe Ambrose Theophilactus and also Erasmus doo allowe this exposition Nowe if ye wille applie this to our purpose ye shall fynde nothyng that doothe more strongly impugne the images For although he whyche is of stronge faythe knoweth the image to bee nothynge yet another whyche hathe a weaker faythe wylle not so iudge But as long as he shall se them thus to stande in the Chyrches He wylle reasonne thus wyth hym selfe Idolatrye is not so damnable as the preachers doo say it is sythe that they are yet kept in the chyrches and are tollerated or borne withall of some lerned menne so they that frome their cradell haue bene nouseled in superstition and haue bene persuaded that there is some holyâ—â—sse in the ymages are kept still in errour can neuer come to a perfect pure faith Images ought to be pardoun in all churches Therfore it is a most wyse poynte to pull doune all ymages sythe that it is against all reason that a thyng of naught shoulde stande in the house of God in the place of prayer and therby had in reuerence But the Apostell doth briefely and shortly conclude or knit vp the whole disputation saieng Therfore wel beloued flye from idolatry Albion Obie 35 Yet it seemeth good vnto me that we shold haue the ymage of Christ being crucifyed with the images of his principall Apostelles and speciallye of the blessed virgin Mary the mother of our sauiour Iesu Christe for to put put vs in mynde of the passion of Christe and of the excellent vertues of his faithfull seruantes The dulneâ— of men in â—â—ings thaâ—â—ertaâ—â—e tâ—â—ut saluatioâ— Eutrapelus I fynde nowe by experience that the same is moste true whiche our brother Philalethes doth manye tymes repete in his sermons that is how that a good thynge hathe neede to be repeted and spoken of many tymes and often elles it will not bee remembred Ye hearde a little beefore that the meanes appoynted of god for to put vs in mynd of our Sauiour Iesu Christe and of the saluation purchased by him are the preachyng of the gospell and the ryghte and due ministration of the sacramentes according to the institution and ordeinaÌ„ce of the eternall wisedome of God that we are assured by goddes promises that the holy ghoste doth with these meanes worke in the hearts of the elect and chosen but as for ymages they be expressely forbidden in gods booke it is so farre of that they should be appoincted for to be meanes wherby the holy ghost shold plante faithe in our heartes or styrre vp our myndes to the knowledge of god to the imitation of his sayntes And because aboue al other ye would haue the ymage of Christe The ymage of â—heâ—â— of all other is most perillous I lette you to vnderstande brother Albion that of all other the ymage of Chryste is most perillous For the holyer the person is whyche is represented by the ymage ye shal finde the greater peryll of ydolatrye to bee in it Therfore it was not without a iuste cause that those godlye Emperours Valens and Theodosius dydde sette forth this godlye decree Sithe that this is our chiefest care aboue all thinges to mayntaine the religion of the high god we grante to no man Pertus Crinitus li. 9 de honeâ—ta diâ—ciplina ca. 9. to graue or paint the ymage of our sauiour Christe neyther to paynte it with colours nor to graue it in sones or in any other matter ‡ But vvhere soeuer it is found vve do bid â—t to be taken avvay beyng determined to punishe greuouslye those that will attempte anye thing contrarye to our decrees Wherin yf any man perchance dothe requyre an authour lette him reade the edictes and decrees of Emperours which haue ben gathered by these great learned meÌ„ Tribunianus Basilides Theophilus Dioscorus and other and most chieflye by the commaundement of Iustinianus the Emperor Hereby do we learn that it perteyneth to the mainteynaunce of true religion to put â—oune all ymages yea the ymage of oure Sauioure Iesu Christe VVhat vvee do learn by the decree of those eâ—â—perours because that in it there is moste peryll of idolatry And agayne that Vâ—lens and Theodosius did not this alone but many other Emperours whose decrees and edictes by the commandemeÌ„t of Iustinianus haue bene collected and gathered together by these greate learned men afore rehersed Philalethes Vnto these worthy Emperors wil I ioyne a most godlye auncient bishoppe whose greeke Epistle beyng sent to Iohn bisshop of Hierusalem Hierome did translate into latine his name is Epiphanius The wordes of the epistle are these Epiphanius â—ishop of â—alamena â— 1â— Cypius The ministration of the supper of the Lord vvas called collecta most chefly because â—hat the gatheâ—â—â—ges vvere made for the â—oâ—câ— When we were goyng together to the holy place which is called Bethel there to celebrate the communion wyth thee according to the Ecclesiasticall maner and was come to a ferm place called Anablatha and did see there passynge by a light burnyng and did aske what the place was and had learned that it was a churche and had gon for to pray there I founde as it were a vaile died or painted and hauing the ymage as it were of Christ or of som saint For I do not wel remember whose ymage it was Therfore when I dyd see that the ymage of man did hange in the churche contrary to the scriptures I rente it and did rather geue councel to the wardens of the place that they should wynd some poore dead body in it And a lyttell after Bid I beeseeche thee the elders of
the Canonical scriptures Phâ— Answer I do not denye it But no man is able to proue that the Israelites kepte the body or bones of Ioseph for to haue them to be worshipped For no maÌ„ did fal or knele doun before Iosephs tomb no man did bring the cheste that his body or bones were in into the Tabernacle no man did light candels or tapers beefore it But Ioseph woulde by thys meane confirme and establish the faith of his people in the promisses of gâ—d 〈…〉 â—ouching the lande of be heste For so doth Ioseph say to his bretherne I am redy to dye and god will surely visite you and brâ—ng you out of this laÌ„d vnto the land whiche hâ— sware vnto Abraham vnto Isaac vnto Iacob And Ioseph toke an other of the children of Israell saying God will surely visite you and yâ— shal cary my bones hence Paule beynâ— a faithfull expositour of this facte or dede of Ioseph by faith Hebr â—1 saith he Iosephe when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gaue coâ—â—aundement of hys bones That is because he doubted nothing of the worde and promise of god therfore did he coÌ„maunde his brethern at their goyng out of Egipt to cary out his bones into the land of ChanaaÌ„ So sure was he that the lord would according vnto his promises bring the children of Israell oute of Egipte into the lande that he had promised vnto their forefathers After Moses there were none among the prophets more samoê° ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ of greatter renoune than Samuell and Hâ—lias were Samuel Helias 〈…〉 5 2 Kâ—n 2. Yet we do not reede that any memoriall was appointed or set vp for him For the holye scripture doth plainly speak of his death and buriyng after this maner Samuell died and all Israell dyd gather them selues together and did wepe for him did bury him in his house in â—ama 〈…〉 As for Helias he was taken vp in a syâ—e chariot not into a temple made with handâ—s but into heaueÌ„ partly that in that exâ—mple we myght haue a most infallible testimony of our immortality and of that moste excellente reâ—aâ—de that GOD hathe prepared and layed vp for his faythfull prophetes and partelye that by this meane all occasion of worshipping this holy prophetes body might be taken away Some of the anciente writers are of opinion that the body of the blessed virgin Marye Epiphani was either by the angels caried vp into heauen or els by their ministery buried in such a place as is knowen vnto no maÌ„ vnto this day because that god would not haue that chosen vessel the temple of his holy spirit and the mother of his onely begotten sonne to be made anidole of superstitious and euill disposed persons The holy scripture doth speak thus of Eliseus the prophete Elizeus â— Kin 13. And Elizeus died and they buried him And certaine bandes of the Moabites came in to the lande that yere And as they wer burying a man beholde they sawe the souldiours therfore they did cast the man into the sepulchre of Elizeus and wheÌ„ the man was doune and touched the bones of Elizeus he reuiued or lyued again and stoode vpon his fete And yet we rede not that after this miracle the bones of Elizeus were taken vp and translated or that there was anye pylgrimage appoyncted vnto theym or a churche of S. Elizeus buylded and set vppe We rede in Ecclesiasticus or in the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach that after Elizeus death Eccl. â—8 his body prophecied and that as he did wonders in his lyfe so in deathe were his workes merueylous And that yet for all thys the people repented not nor departed from their sinnes VVhy the dead that â—â—a caste in to â— Elizeus â—â—auâ— taâ—eâ— againe It doth appeare theÌ„ that this miracle was not doone for to teach the people to worship or to geue godly honour vnto the faithful seruantes of god but that therby the auctoritye of Elizeus whose doctrine in hys life thei conteÌ„ned might be confirmed that at this sight they might embrace the same doctrine and turn again vnto the lorde their god with all spede and so escape the destruction that honge ouer their heades for their stubburnesse disobedience and rebellioÌ„ 1. Kin. â—â— Vnder that most holy godly prince Iosias when the bones of the fals prophets were breÌ„t the sepulchre of the maÌ„ of god was not ones touched yet we rede not that there was any pilgrimage vsed to it Obâ—e 12. Dâ— All these examples are only examples of the olde Testament But what exaumples can ye bring out of the neue PHILA Answer Math. 11. Math 14. Act. â— Among them the are borne of womeÌ„ there arose not a greater as oure sauiour Iesus Christ doth testifye him self than Iohn Baptist But the holy euangelist S. Mathew writeth thus of him And when Iohn was beheaded his disciples came and toke vp his body and did bury it Of Stephen the first martir of Christe Luke in the Actes of the Apostelles doth write on this manner And certayne men fearing god caried Stephen among theym to be buried made great lamentation for him Yf the taking vp or translating of the bodies of the dead Saincts had ben profitable vnto the churche of Christe neyther the olde ancient churche that was afore him nor yet the primitiue church that was nexte after him shoulde haue wanted it or bene without such honoring of the faithfull seruantes of god if god would haue them to be honored after the same sorte Therfore lette no man maruell that I will in no wyse alowe the doynges of kinges and princes and of bishops which be contrarye to the scriptures and worde of god and that I do vtterly reiecte the argumentes of Hierome The auctoâ—â— of â—od 〈…〉 as both weake and repugnant vnto goddes holy and sacred booke the warraunt and auctoritye of which ought to be preferred before the autority of aungels much more then before the auctoritie of corruptible and mortall men I would wyshe that leauing the bodies of the dead Saintes in the place appointed of God for theym there to reste in peace and in hope of their glorious rising again we should haue in due reuerence their true reliks whiche are 〈…〉 the exaumple of theyr stedfast fayth and beliefe their godlye lyfe and conuersation and theyr sound doctrine that they haue left behynd them for our instruction and the edifiyng of the true church of god Albion I maruell that ye do so stoutly defend Vigilantius Doth not this holy father and doctour of the holy catholike church I pray you lay to his charge that he did rayse vp againe and reuiue the heresy of the Caines whiche as a Scorpion did venime the whole body of the churche It appeareth by the booke whyche Tertullian dydde write of heresyes Teâ—â— li. haâ—â— where he speaketh of the errours of the Ophites
the inuocation or calling vpon of the dead saints For why should he els say that the chirsten people did keepe the meâ—ories or remembraÌ„ces of the martyrs that they might be helped by their prayers Philalethâ— â–ª But howe dothe this agree with that whiche he writeth bothe in this place and also in the two and twentieth boke De ciuitate Dei and tenth chapiter He saith plainely in the place before alleaged that they did not set vp altars nor yet offered vp sacrifices vnto the martyres And in the boke De ciuitate Dei which we spake of eueÌ„ now he writeth thus The Gentiles haue builded temples set by altars ordeined priests and offred sacrifices vnto their gods But we do not buyld vp temples vnto our martirs as vnto gods but remembrances as vnto dead men whose spirites soules do lyue with God Neither doo we there set vp aultars in the whiche we shold offer sacrifices vnto martires but we do offer sacrifices vnto the only God of the martirs and ours at the which sacrifice as men of God which haue ouercomed the world with theyr confession they are in theyr place and in their order named And yet they be not called vpon or prayed vnto of the priest that offreth the sacrifice For Praiers are â—â—e sacrifiâ—es of the eleâ—â— aâ—d â—â—osen of god he is the priest of god not theirs Nowe this is most euident plaine the prayers are the sacrifices of the saints I mean of the elect and chosen people of God beyng sanctified in the blood of his son Iesus Christ we mai coÌ„clude then eueÌ„ vpon the wordes of S. Augustin that prayers ought to be offered vnto God only and not vnto the dead sainctes that is that God onely not the dead saintes ought of al the godly to be called vpon Herevnto dothe that belong and pertaine whiche he speaketh also in that place sayenge Sancti vel homines vel angeli id sibi tribuâ— nolunt quod vni deo deberi noâ—unt Holy men or holye aungelles will not haue the same to bee attributed vnto theym which they knowe to be due vnto God onely We maye gather by this that they will none of our prayers nor of our inuocation The proude diuelishe spirites do vsurpe that which doth perteine vnto God onely Therefore as Daniell woulde aske nothyng of any man Danie â— but of God only so all the godly will in their praiers call vpon none other but on the true lyuyng God thorough his sonne Iesus Christ our lord and of him only aske all thynges that they haue neede of Nowe as touching his opinion wherby he doothe thynke and suppose that the soules of the righteous doo pray for vs in heauen for as much as it is only grounded vpon coniectures or gessyng and not vppon the infallible worde of God nor vpon any strong argumentes or reasons taken out of the same we may without any perill of our saluation reiect or refuse it cleauing vnto that whiche we haue alleadged before oute of his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda wher he gouÌ„deth himselfe altogether vpon the holy scriptures affirmyng that the blessed soules departed be paste all sollicitude and care for the liuing Albion Nowe sithe that the sayinges of the fathers will not helpe â—h ect 15 eâ— 48 I will come to the plain scriptures These are Iacobs wordes The aungell which hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children let my name be called vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac In this autoritye of the scriptures they note two speciall thinges Fyrste how that Iacob dothe confesse that he was deliuered by the aungell and that this aungel doth blesse Secondly how that his name and the name of his fathers shoulde be called vpon those children which is as much as if he should haue sayde They shall call vppon my name and vpon the name of my forefathers â—achâ— 1. Herunto do they adde this place of Zacharye And the aungell of the Lorde aunswered and sayde O Lorde of hostes how loÌ„g wilt thou be vnmercifull to Hierusalem and to the cities of Iuda with whom thou hast ben displeased nowe these three score and ten yeres Hereby doe we plainely learne say they that the aungels doo care for our miseries and praye for vs. They be also kepers guides of meÌ„ yea they be appointed to waite vpon them For thus we rede in Exodus Exod. â—3 Behold saith the lord I send myn angel before thee to kepe thee in thy way to bring thee to the place which I haue prepared And in the psalmes Psal 91. for he shal geue his angels charge ouer thee to kepe thee in all thy ways They shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy fote against a stone Dani. 10. The angels be also called presidents of realmes because that vnto them whole contreis be coÌ„mitted Phil. First formost as touchyng those thinges that bee generally obiected or brought against vs of the angels Answer how they do blesse pray for vs howe they are presidentes guides kepers bothe of men and of realmes I haue lieffer bryng the answeres of the ancient fathers than myne own reasons LactaÌ„tius in his diuine institutions writeth after this maner Lactanti insti 2. li. ca 17. Neither hath God nede of any name sith that the is alone nor the angels sith they be immortall will suffer themselues to be called goddes whose one and only office and duetye is to bee at the commaundemente and becke of GOD. For we saye that the worlde is gouerned of god as a prouince is by a ruler whose apparitours and officers no man will cal his felowes in the gouernement of the prouince And yet they may do many thinges besydes the commaundemente of the ruler through his ignoraunce whiche is an humayne infirmitye But the ruler gouernour of the whole world who knoweth all thinges and from whose eies nothyng is hidden hath alone with his sonne power ouer all thynges neither is there any thyng in the angelles but a necessitie to obeye Therfore they will haue no honour to be attributed vnto them whose honor is in god But they which are reuolted and fallen awaye from the ministerye and seruice of god do go about to chalenge vnto theym selues the name of god and the worshipping of the gods Saint Augustine Au. lib. 10 de ciuitate dei ca. 12. dothe in all thynges agree with Lactantius What miracles soeuer sayeth this holy father bee so diuinely wrought done eyther by angels or by som other mean that they do coÌ„mend the religion worshipping of the only god in whom only the blessedful lyfe is we must beleue that they are truly done of them or by them whiche do loue vs according to the truth godlinesse God him selfe working in them And when the aungels do heare vs god him selfe doth heare in theym as in his true
his ministerie but he was put backe of the angel Farthermore when they of Lystra did bring foorth crounes and sacrifices Act. 14. that is externe and visible gifts or presentes which they were appointed to haue offred vnto Paul and Barnabas As soone as the apostles Barnabas and Paule sawe it they rent their cloathes as at a manifest blasphemy and ranne among the people cryeng and saying O menne The vvordes of the Apostle to the people of Lystra why doo ye these thynges Wee are euen menne subiecte to the lyke passions that ye be c. If they did this whenne they were yet compassed aboute with the synnefull bodye of the fleshe is it to bee thought that beynge nowe in heauen where they haue fruition of Goddes glorye they woulde haue suche godly honoure to be geuen vnto them When they were yet aliue and subiecte to all manner of infirmities that wee bee subiecte vnto they coulde in no wyse abyde that GOD shoulde bee robbed of his glorye And nowe that they bee delyuered from all maner of infirmities and are alreadye in glorye with theyr heade our sauiour Iesu Christe would they commytte suche trayterouse sacriledge These thinges beeyng welle consydered it shall be easye to see that all whiche they dooe prattle of theyr Lattia Dulia The mâ—les wh ch 〈…〉 â—efore â—hâ— eyes of the â—mâ—le and ignorant and Hyperdulia are nothyng els but stinkyng mystes In the whyche the wayfaring menne are seduced and deceaued and falle into the handes of murtherers and robbers whyche as they dooe sacrilegeously robbe GOD of his glorye so they doo with theyr poysoned doctrine of this idolatrous woorshyppynge of the Saynctes murther the soules of all theym that beeyng blynded wyth theyr misty sophistications do fall in to theyr handes Albion Obie 27. 28. Iohn 12 Math. 25. What will ye then saye to these argumentes whome God doth honour them ought meÌ„ for to honor but god doth honor the Saintes therfore the saintes oughte to be honored of men Again what soeuer sayeth Christe ye do to one of these littell ones ye do it vnto me what honour soeuer then we do geue vnto the Saintes God will impute it to be done vnto him Philalethes Answer I cannot but meruayle at the grosse blindnesse of them For in the same place that they do aleadge out of Iohn this worde to honour is taken for to geue eternall life and immortalitye Hovv god doth 〈◊〉 his sainâ—â—s Therfore if ye shoulde thus make vp your argument Whome god dothe honoure them ought men also to honor But god honoureth his saintes that is he doth croune them with immortal glorye and lyfe euerlastynge Ergo the saintes must bee honoured of men that is they muste receaue of menne immortalitye eternall glorye and euerlastyng lyfe Who woulde not deryde and laughe to skorne thys manner of reasonynge Againe yf by this woorde to honoure they wyll vnderstande The absurditie of the papistes argumentes to bough the knee and to make supplication they shall make a verye foolysshe and fonde argumente excepte they shewe fyrste that GOD dydde boughe his knee and dydde make supplication vnto the Sayntes But yf by the honoure they dooe vnderstande the prayse of their vertues and the imitation or folowynge of theyr godlye lyfe and syncere faythe the matter goeth well In the meane whyle GOD honourethe the Sainctes after hys manner and fashion geuynge theym eternall glorye and euerlastyng lyfe and we honoure them after oures by praising the giftes of God in theym and by folowing their vertues and stedfast fayth After the same maner do they deprauate the wordes of oure Sauioure Iesu Chryste where he sayeth Math. 25. What soeuer ye doo to one of these litell ones ye do it vnto me For there our sauiour doth speake of the beneficence liberality of the offices dueties of life that the saints do exercise one toward an other whiles they bee yet in this present life and these corrupters of the scriptures doo wraste it for to make it to serue for their idolatrous woorshyppyng of the dead Saintes VVell â—aâ—dâ— Dydiâ—â—â— Didymus Me thinketh that it is against al reason that the blessed virgine Mary the mother of our sauior Iesu Christ shold not be worshipped sithe that she is the quene of heauen Eutrape Belyke neyghbor Didymus Theâ—â—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 of â—â—da ye will bryng in again the old error of the idolatrous women of Iuda which worshipped the moone and makyng of the good creature of God an ydole dyd call it the quene of heauen After the same maner as Epiphanius dothe testifie 〈…〉 certain women in Arabia dyd worshyp the virgin Mary makyng vnto her fine cakes and callyng her the quene of heauen which thyng as that same most ancient writer doeth declare was done by the subtile and crafty procurement of Sathan the deuill that so the idolatrie that was committed about the moone myght bee translated turned vpon that moste holy vessell of god the mother of our sauior Iesus Christ and that so for the hatrede that he bare vnto Christ and vnto his membres he might dishonour her and make her an abhominable ydole and a stumblynge blocke vnto all christendome where as God hath appointed her for to be vnto vs next vnto her sonne Iesu Christ a most perfecte example of all godlynesse and vâ—rtue and of a most pure and sincere faithe in his promises touchyng his Messias and anointed that shold for the saluation of the worlde be borne of her This am I sure of that no where in all the scriptures The virgin Mary is no vvhere in al the scriptures called the queene of heauen the virgine Marie is called the queene of heauen Therfore I do meruail at the vngodly fondnesse of them that will haue her to be so called making moste sacrilegeous and blasphemous hymnes vnto her whiche they doo violently intrude or thrust into the chirche with fyer and swerd Philalethes If ye will not contente youre selfe with that which hath ben sayd already ye shall heare Epiphanius very wordes In his thirde boke â—ontra Antidicomarianitas cultores virginis Mariae writeth on this maner He speakyng of Christ as beyng the potter him selfe and hauynge the power of the thyng did forme and fashion hymselfe of the virgine Mary as of the earthe who came downe from heauen and beyng both God and the worde did putte on fleshe of the vyrgin Marye but not that the virgin should be worshipped or that he woulde make her a God or that we should offer in her name For he neither didde suffer her to geue or minister baptisme nor to blesse the Apostels neyther did he commaund her to beare rule in the earth but wil haue vs to knowe that he alone is the sanctification and that shee is made worthye of the kyngedome of heauen whence dothe this rolling serpence or dragon come vnto vs Whence are these lewde and wycked counsailes renewed Let
mary be in honour let the Father the sonne and the holy ghost be worshipped let no manne worshippe Marye And by and by after Let no man eate of the errour whych is for the holye Marye Although it bee a goodly free yet it is not for meate to be eaten of Although Mary he most beautifull holye and honourable yet she is not appoyncted to be worshipped Lette therfore the error of the deceaued cease For neyther is Marye a God neyther hath she her bodye from heauen but of the conception of manne and woman howbeit disposed according to the promise as the conception and byrth of Isaac was And let no manne offer in her name For he that doth it doth caste awaye his soule Again let no man rayle against her nor blasphem the holy virgin god forfende For she was not coupled vnto man neither after the byrthe nor before the byrth of the Sauiour And in the same booke contra Colyridianos Colyâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the◠〈◊〉 offeâ—e 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Mar. â— Augâ—â—â— raâ—â—â—â—â—e 〈◊〉 â—mo these are also his wordes In dede the virgine was a virgin and honourable but not geueÌ„ vnto vs for to be worshipped but rather she dothe worship hym that toke his substance of her that is to say of hir fleshe Augustin in his booke De vera religione Let not the worshippyng of dead men bee a religion vnto vs for if they haue lyued godly they be not so taken as though they doo seke for such honors but they will haue him to be worshypped of vs by whose illumination they reioyce that we shoulde be partakers of their merite By their merite he doth vnderstand the croune of immortality which thei do obtein through faith in the merites of Christ Therfore they must be honoured through imitation and folowynge and not be worshipped throughe religion Agayne in the same booke we ought sayeth he to beleue that the most bountefull aungels and the most excellent ministers of god will haue vs to worshippe one god with them by whose contemplation they are blessed Neither doo we buylde temples vnto theim For they will not so behonoured of vs because that they knowe that when we are godly we are the temples of the most hye god â— Cor. 6. 2 Cori. 6. Therfore it is wel and rightly written that man was forbidden of the aungell to worship him but one god vnder whom he was his felowe seruaunte In the thyrde booke agaâ—nst the .ii. Epistels of the Pelagians vnto Bonifacius he writeth also on this maner All the saints that haue ben either from the olde Abell vnto Iohn Baptist or from the Apostels vnto this time and afterwards vnto th end of the worlde are to bee praised in God and not in theym selues For this is the voyce of theym that were afore My soule shal bee praysed in the Lorde And this is the voyce of the latter Thoroughe the grace of God I am that I am And this is the voyce bothe of the fyrst and of the last He that glorieth Cyrillus lette hym glorie in the Lorde Cyrillus in his sixt boke contra lulianum hathe plainely these wordes we neither say that the holy martyrs are gods neither are we wont to worshyp them but rather we doo honour theim with laudes and praises because that they did stoutly fight for the truthe that they myght kepe the sinceritie of faithe Hereby do we learne that in the primitiue church the honour that was geuen vnto martyrs was to praise commende and set foorth their constancie and stedfastnes their strong faithe and pacience in aduersitie and persequution that so God who had for the profite of his chirche endued them with suche excellent vertues might bee glorified and the reste exhorted folowyng their exaumple to fyght manfully in the quarell of the truthe and couragiously to shede their bloode for the sealynge vp of the same Chrysost Likewise Chrysostome in the xlv homilie vpon Mathew writing against theÌ„ their that wold seme to honor the martirs with their substance by makyng vnto theim gorgeous tumbes by buildyng vp in the honor of theim costely oratories or houses of prayers dooth say these wordes Neither doo the martirs reioyce when they are honored with the same money for the whiche the poore dooe weepe What is that vertue of righteousnesse to rewarde the deade and to spoyle the lyuyng The same authour doothe plainly teache in an other place that the true honor of the Sainctes is to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues But what nede we the authoritie of men Math. 4. l. 11.4 sythe that we haue so playne scriptures Thou shalte woorshyp the lorde thy God and hym onely shalt thou serue saith our sauior Iesus Christ wherupon I may make this argument Who soeuer is neyther oure Lorde nor our God to hym ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to woorshyp hym But neither the angels nor the dead Saintes are our Lordes and gods but are ministers of our Lorde god and vnder hym our felowe seruantes To them therfore ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to worshyppe them Neyther do we honoure and worship Christ Christ is â—ot vvorâ—hipped be cause he is â—an but be cause he is â—â—ue and â—aturall â—nd Obie 29 because that he is holy and righteous or because that he is welbeloued of god but because that he is true and naturall God of one substance with the father the holy ghoste Albion They saye that they do honour and worshyp god as well as ye doo and that they do not honour and worshyppe the Saintes or aungels as goddes but as the trends of god Again they do not worshippe the gods of the gentiles whiche were eyther diuels or wicked men Philalethes Answer This their aunswere is not worth a ryshe For Christ doth not say Thou shalt not worship vnclene spirits or wicked meÌ„ But thou shalt honor the lorde thy god and him onely shalte thou worshyppe Eutrapelus I doo nowe remeÌ„ber a thiÌ„g which I haue read in saint Augustine where he dothe dispute why the Romaynes vvorthye history sithe that they did worship the gods of all nations could neuer abyde to worshyppe the LORDE God of Israell And he dothe aleadge the reasonne whyche Socrates dothe brynge in also that in relygion it is required that euery God be worshipped according to his owne will Socrates sayng touching the vvorshipping of god and not according to the wil and pleasure of the worshippers But false gods as filthye fornicatours do require no such thynge of their worshippers that they shoulde be worshipped alone Sith then that the true lyuing god the god of Israell wyll be worshipped alone it did come to passe that the Romaines would in no wise receaue and alowe his religion For they could not abide that for one onely gods sake all the other gods shoulde be reiected and put doune Albion Obie 30 I will go no farther in this
that place to receaue of the bearer the vayle that is sent by vs and charge them that from henseforth no suche vailes be hanged in the churche of Chryste that are contrary to our religion For it be commeth thyne honesty to haue chiefly this solicitude and care that the scrupulosity vnseemely for the churche of Christ and the people committed vnto thee should be taken away Wherein we do learne all these godlye lessons Eight godly lessons vve learne by â—â—piphaâ—â— ' 2 Firste that no place ought to be geuen in the church of Christ to those things that are agaynst the autority of the holy scriptures Secondlye that to geue place in the churche of Chryste vnto ymages it is againste the autoritye of the holy scriptures that is of that lawe which saieth Thou shalte not make to thy self any grauen image Ero. 20. Thrydely that not onely grauen molten ymages and suche as be set vppe on high vpon or ouer the aultares but also the paynted images ought to be cast out of the churches Fourthly that the image of Chryste hym selfe oughte in no wyse to stande in the churche because that of all other it is moste peryllous and breedeth the greatest Idolatrye Fyftelye that the ymages oughte to be caste oute of the churche of Chryste not onelye by sedulitye and diligence of doctrine but also b verye facte and deede Syrtelye that they ought not coldely but with a seruent and earnest zeale of the true religion be put doune defaced and broken all to pieces as we do see this holy man of God Epiphanius to haue rente and torne in pieces the vayle that had the ymage of Christe paynted whiche he dyd beyng moued with the zeale of god Seuenthlye that it is the parte and duetye of byshops to see that ymages be not set vp in the churche of Christe Last of all that it is a mere scrupulosity and superstition vnseemely for the churche and the faithfull people of god to haue images Here maye we see that this godlye auncient byshoppe did muche differ in iudgement from those fonde personnes that thinke it to bee a profitable thynge for the people of God to haue ymages standynge in the churches Lette theym waye these thynges that haue alwayes the fathers in theyr mouthes and so lette theym learne that it is more honestie for vs to be called eâ—conoclastae that is ymage breakers than to be called eiconoplastae that is ymage makers and that we do approche nerer to the example of the olde ancient church than they do although they brag and boast theym selues to be catholyke and Apostolyke Eutrapelus I would fayn it now of them what those churches ouer whome Epiphanius was apointed superindenteÌ„t or bishop did want to the right edifying of true godlinesse Philalethes As ye saye for he was a Christian bishop he dydde preache that Christe was the sauiour of the worlde he dyd dispose the misteries of hys kingdome vnto the faythful and dyd builde the house of god without ymages of wood of stones of syluer and golde Epiphauluâ— in builâ—ing god â–ª house folovved the steppes of the auncient bishoppes or without any paynted grauen or molten ymages folowing in this the steppes of the patriarches and Prophetes of Chryste and of hys Apostelles Whyche all dydde plante religion and the true worshyppynge of GOD withoute ymages Dydimus Yf wee hadde manye Epiphanius in this realme not one churche wyndowe shoulde bee lefte hole thorougheoute all England there shoulde bee neyther crosse nor crucifixe lefte EVTRAPELVS Woulde God that we christians would labour studye to know the true crosse of Christ Of the croâ— Math. 16. Our Sauiour Iesus Christe doth saye He that will come after me lette hym forsake hym selfe take vp hys crosse and folowe me Here in this place by the crosse he doth vnderstande Crosse taken for affliction and trouble the afflictioÌ„ trouble and persequution that all they that will liue godly in our sauiour Iesu Christe are subiecte vnto But the most parte of those that delyte so much in materiall crosses doo take good heede that they shal not be fayn to beare this crosse of Chryste For they flatter to wyth the worlde swimmyng still betwixte twoo waters that howsoeuer it goeth with religion they thinke to escape free and to be without all troubles Paule wrytynge to the Galathians maketh mention of an other crosse Galati 5. affyrmynge that they that bee of Chryste haue crucifyed the fleshe wyth the lustes and concupiscences of the same Crosse taken for contâ—nual repeÌ„tâ—unce and mortifieâ—g of the flesh Whereby he dothe meane the continuall repentaunce that oughte to bee in vs the mortifyinge of the fleshe and of the lustes and concupiscences of the same and the brydelyng of our corrupted and poysoned nature and of our inordinate passions There is also an other crosse 1. Corin 1 whyche saint Paul doth speake of in the fyrst epistle or the Corinthians saying Christ hath not sent me to baptize but to preach the gospell not with persuading woordes of worldely wisdome lest the crosse of Christe should be abolished For the worde of the crosse is a foolyshenesse to them that perishe Galat. 6. but to vs that obtain saluation it is the power of god And in an other place God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our lorde Iesu Christe wherby the worlde is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde In these last textes by the crosse he doth vnderstand the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christe Crosse take for the deth of 〈…〉 for the preaching of the same and the preachynge of the same As yf Paule shoulde say I seeke none other where for the free pardonne and forgeuenesse of my synnes and for my delyueraunce from eternall deathe and from the power of Sathan but in the merytes of the deathe passion and bloudesheadynge of oure Sauioure Iesu Chryste Neyther doo I delyghte to preache and sette forthe any other thinge for to declare the goodnesse and mercy of God and the saluation of mankinde but the death of hys onely be gotten sonne These kindes of crosses ought the true christians to delight and glow in Dydimus I redde but a whyle ago Aungeli a certayne booke made in tyme of persequution where wonverfull many doctours of the primitiue churche are aleaged which do al maintayn the signe Osius and as he sayth the ymage of the crosse There is also one Osius whiche hathe written lately against the religion that is nowe and he doth also bringe manye doctours which do holde with the signe of the crosse EVTRAPELVS As for the fyrst I know hym ful wel In dede we haue many suche euill wicked aungelles that go about to peruerte the sinceritye of Christes religion and that they maye doo it wyth a better coloure they wil aleadge the fathers where they haue no warraunt at all of gods worde and where they speake as menne
ymages Scarcelye one halfepeny is geuen to Christ beyng an hungerd in his poore lymmes but men can will fynd in their hartes to geue whole hundreths of crounes towardes the setting vp and trimmyng of images DYDIMVS Oh preposterous deuotion I knowe a churche where the roode and roode lofte did coste eleuen score poundes Philalethes But yf they had bestowed but halfe that money vppon the poore of their parishe in the time of the great dearth that was then or there about they wold haue thought them selues vndoone Lette them reade Clemens fyft booke which they say he didde write to Iames the brother of the lord Yf ye will saith he worship truely the ymage of the lord we shewe that vnto you Hovv vve may hoâ—â— the ymage of god a right which is true do good vnto maÌ„ which is made after the ymage of God honour and reuerence hym feede hym whenne he is an hungered geue hym drynke when he is a thyrste clothe hym being naked harboure him beyng harbourlesse visite him whenne he is sicke aâ—â—n prison and minister vnto hym thâ—â—e thynges that he hath neede of It foloweth what honoring of god is this to runne agaddyng to wooden and stonye ymages and to worship insensible and lyuelesse ydoles and in the meane whyle to dispise man in whome is the image of god Vnderstand therfore that this is the persuasioÌ„ of the serpent that lyeth hidde within who persuadeth you that ye shall seeme godlye when ye doo honour and worship vnsensible idoles adn that ye shall not seeme vngodlye when ye hurte the sensible and reasonable creatures Eutr Who hearing and markyng all these thinges and waying the harmes that come by images would not be at defyaunce with them Euerye man I trowe But yet this is not all For what hurt and losse hath all Christendome receaued by the occasion of ymages For as the ymages whyche Salomon didde in his olde age erecte and sette vppe were the cause of the schisme and deuision that was after his deathe in Israell I meane that at one clap Images causes of diuision in the common vvelthe of Israell and also in the empire whole ten tribes didde fall away from the house of Dauid and did chose vnto theimselues a kyng Hieroboam the Ephraimite who settynge vp the golden calues in Dan and Bethel caused all Israell to committe moste detestable ydolatrie wherof vtter destruction of bothe the realmes did ensue and folowe so the contention that dyd ryse about images betwixt the east and west churches and the damnable stoutenesse of the byshop of Rome with his adherentes in mainteinyng and defendyng not onely the ymages but also the ydolatrous woorshyppyng of theym dydde breede a very hurtefull diuysion in the Empire whereby all Christendome was wonderfully weakened For after that Rauenna with rest of Italye and all Fraunce with Germanie were by the subtile and wylye meanes of the byshoppe of Rome reuolted and fallen away from the Emperor of Constantinople The Sarasens and Mahometistes did ware wonderfully strong and at lengthe didde meruaylously preuayle For they subdewed myghtye peoples Realmes Cities defacyng and puttynge downe euery where the trewe religion of Christe The mischiefe that the contention aboute the ymageâ— did breede and settyng vppe the Mahometishe religion This was the goodly fruite of the settynge vppe of ymages of the mainteynyng of the ydolatrous woorshyppynge of theym and of the contention that dyd ryse aboute thym whyles the one dyd affirme accordynge to the scriptures that ymages ought in no wyse to bee hadde and the other agaynste the expresse worde of God and commaundement that they ought not onely to bee hadde but also to bee woorshypped whereof such an enuye and hatered dydde ryse betwyxte theym that they woulde in no wyse healpe ayde and succoure one an other agaynst the commune enemie beyng in this poynt mooste lyke vnto Iuda and Israell whyche after their dyuision whyche chaunced by reason of Idolles neuer loued or trusted one an other seekyng the frendshyppe and amitie of forayne kynges and princes nowe of the Assyrians nowe of the Babylonians now otherwhyles of the Egyptians that so they myghte the sooner destroye one an other till at length by the righteous iudgemente of God they were bothe delyuered vp into the handes of theyr ennemyes Dydimus I woulde fayn heare the whole hystorie if it were not tedious vnto you EVTRAPELVS The hystorie is very long and therefore I wyll hereafter sende it vnto you by writyng Dydimus I holde my selfe well contente with it and specially sythe that bothe oure brother Philalethes and you haue so welle satisfied our mindes in this matter Albion In deede I was neuer better satisfied in this poynt thatn I am now I thanke God moste hartily for it Fyrst and formost we haue learned that God onely oughte to bee called vppon and prayed vnto â—he concluâ—on of the â—hole boke And that therefore they that in theyr necessities doo by prayer flye vnto dead creatures do robbe God of his glorie and doo commytte moste damnable sacriledge Whyche thynge was sufficientely proued by manyfest textes of the scriptures and by strong authorities of the ancient fathers of the primitiue Churches all the obiections that the aduersaries can make beyng mightily aunswered and confuted Secondly ye haue playnely shewed vnto vs that we ought to acknowledge none other mediatour betwixt god man but oure Sauiour Iesus Christe onelye whome the Scriptures doo appoyncte vnto vs for the omnisufficient sauiour of mankynde and for our onely intercessoure aduocate and mediatour makyng no mention at all of the intercession or mediation of the deade Sainctes whiche thyng the Holy ghoste woulde not haue omitted yf the dead Sainctes or the Saintes departed out of this world hadde been eyther appoyncted or allowed of god to be intercessors vnto hym for vs. The textes of the scriptures and the authorities of the ancient writers by you alleadged are so many are so myghtie stronge that the enemies of the truth may be ashamed to maintain styll theyr grosse and idolatrous opinion Thirdely it hathe been declared that as the sayntes that bee already in glorie with God oughte not to bee called vpon nor to be taken for oure mediatours so no godly honour ought to be geuen vnto them forasmuche as it is a seruice whyche is due onely vnto God Where ye hadde an occasion to shewe howe many ways the trewe and faythfull seruauntes of God beynge departed hence in the faith of his sonne Iesu Christe maye bee honoured and that the greatest honour that we canne do vnto them is to obey their godly and sounde doctrine wherby they haue instructed vs in the trewe relygyon and worshipping of the true onelye god and also to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues wherby they did gloryfie God whiles they lyued here in this worlde This also was doone by the infallible worde of God and testimonies of the holy Doctors of the true Catholike church all the obiections of the aduersaries beyng quite ouerthrowen by the same Laste of all ye haue proued that no fygure ymage or lykenesse of God nor of his sonne Iesu Christe nor of the Holy ghoste nor yet of the saintes oughte to bee hadde in the house of prayer or in any other place where so euer there is any perille of idolatrie And that there can be no vse of theym in the Oratories or prayeng places of the Christians but rather that they doo moste hurte where soeuer they be vsed and kepte Ye haue shewed by the waye what is the true Crosse that we ought to delyte and haue a pleasure in and that as for the materiall crosses they doo more hurt than good and that therfore for auoiding of offences they ought to be taken away These thynges haue beene so substantiallye done that I holde my selfe satisfyed in all poyntes and I do gene God moste hartye thankes that wee haue so well spent this day Dydimus In dede this day was frutefully spent Laude and praise be vnto god therfore for euer and euer EVTRAPE Amen FINIS ¶ IMPRINTED AT London by Henry Sutton for Thomas â—acket Ther. daye of Marche In the yere of our Lorde God 1561.