maketh warres to cease A God of wisedome and a God of glorie and yet a God that hath compassion on the poore and despiseth not the weake and sillie ones And as if he had feared lest Israel vpon such occasions as seduced the Romanes might misdeliver devotions confusedly intended to him vnto stormy waues or tempests or with the Aramites confine his power to vallies or mountaines or with others make him a God of the sea onely not of the land He hath sounded a counterblast to those impulsions where with the heathens were driven headlong into Idolatrie in that excellent song of Iubile The Lord is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods In his hand are the deepe places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the drie land O come let vs worship and fall downe let vs kneele before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hand It was his pleasure to try them with penurie of water after he had tried them with scaricitie of bread that by his miraculous satisfaction of their intemperate desires of both as also of their lusting after flesh he might bring them to acknowledge him for a God as powerfull over the foules of the aire as over the fish in the sea as able to draw water out of the hard rocke as to raine bread from heaven And having indoctrinated them by their experience of his power in these and like particulars he commends this generall precept or morall induction to their serious consideration Hath God assayed to goe and take him a nation from the middest of another nation by temptations by signes and by wonders and by warre and by a mightie hand by a stretched out arme and by great terrors according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes Out of heaven he made thee to heare his voice that he might instruct thee and vpon earth he shewed thee his great fire and thou heardest his words out of the middest of the fire Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God in heaven aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none else And lastly That no sencelesse or liuing creature through the faulty ignorance of man might vnawares purloine any part of his honour the Psalmist hath invited all to beare consort with his people in that song of prayse and acknowledgement of his power Prayse ye the Lord from the heavens prayse him in the hights Prayse yee him all his Angells prayse yee him all his hosts Prayse yee him Sunne and Moone prayse him all yee Starres of light Prayse him yee heavens of heavens and yee waters that be aboue the heavens Let them prayse the name of the Lord For he commanded and they were created He hath also stablished them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not passe Prayse the Lord from the earth yee dragons and all deepes c. Let them prayse the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory is aboue the earth and heaven CHAPTER XIX Of divers errors in Philosophie which in practise proued seminaries of Idolatrie and sorcerie 1. THe best Apologie which the greatest heathen clearks could make for themselues for the grosser fopperies of the vulgar they would not vndertake to defend was borrowed from a plausible Philosophicall opinion thus expressed by the Poet His quidam signis atque haec exempla secuti Esse apibus partem divinae mentis haustus Aethereos dixere Deum namque ire per omnes Terrásque tractúsque maris coeâ—umque prosundum Hinc peciâ—des armenta viros genus omne serarum Quemque sibi tenues nascentem arcessere vitas Scilicet huc reddi deinde ac resoluta referri Omnia nec merti esse lâ—cum sed viva volare Syderis in numerum atque alto succedere coelo Sâ—me by these signes and these examples thereto drawne haue taught The soules of Bees to be divine of heavenly spirits a draught For God say they as find they may who Natures workes per vse Through earth through seas through heavens profound liue goodnesse doth diffuse From his liue presence Cattle men birds sucke the spirit of life From him all springs in him all ends though death be nere so rife Yet nothing dies what earth forsakes findes place in starry skie What we thinke into nothing slits aboue the Heavens doth flie This opinion was worse construed by some than either the Author or Commentator meant many the most auncient especially agree in this That Deus was Anima mundi That the world was animated by God as our bodies are by our soules Whence they concluded as some later Romanists doe That all or most visible bodies might be religiously worshipped or adored with reference to Gods residence in them The Antecedent notwithstanding being graunted the practises which they hence sought to justifie are excellently refuted by S. Austine who hath drawne them withall a faire and streight line to that marke whereat they roved at randome or blind guesse by wayes successiuely infinite For answering any objection the Heathen Divines could make against vs or refuting any Apologie made for themselues I alwayes referre the Reader to this good Fathers learned labours of excellent vse in his time But my purpose is not to make men beleeue these heresies are yet aliue by hot skirmishing with them The lines of my method rather lead me to vnrippe their originalls so farre onely as not discovered they might breed daunger to our times Now in very truth the opinion pretended by them to colour the filth of their Religion did minister plentie of fuell and nutriment as learned Mirandula hath observed to those monsters whose limmes and members had beene framed from the seeds of errors hitherto mentioned and the illiterate in all probabilitie tooke much infection at eies and eares from Poeticall descriptions or Emblematicall representations of Gods immensitie such as Orpheus if wee may beleeue Clemens Alexandrinus did take out of the Prophet Esay cap. 66. vide Ciem Alexand. lib. 6. Strom. Ipse autem in magno constans firmus Olympo est Aureus huic Thronus est pedibus subiectaque Terra Oceani ad fines illi protenditur ingens Dextera montanas atque intus concutit illi Ira bases motus nec possunt ferre valentes Ipse est in coelis terram complectitur omnem Oceani ad sinus expansa est manus illi Vndique dextera Not held by them He heavens doth firmely hold Whole earth 's but footestoole to his throne of Gâ—ld Ins mightie Palme the Ocean vast doth rolle The rootes of mountaines shake at his controlle Or e Heavens through earth his right hand doth extend It all inclasps all it not comprehend 2. Iupiter though
and wise observation of reverend Gerson That famous miracles were to be suspected for lying wonders vnlesse they had some speciall vse or extraordinary end Now the onely vse or iust occasion we can obserue of Popish miracles in later times hath bin either to purchase the reputation of Saints to such as wrought them whiles they liued or to gaine a currant title to canonizatioÌ„ after their deaths And the true reason in my opinion why the Carthusians of all other religious orders wrought not many miracles was because they had no desire to be Saints of the Popes making If they had sought to be graced by his Holines with publicke sanctitie they must haue graced themselues their order with a fame of wonders otherwise that exception which was brought against Thomas of Aquine would haue taken place against them For even this Angelicall Doctors title to canonization was impeached by some because he had wrought no miracles vntill his Holines cleared the doubt by a more benigne interpretation then Apollo's Oracle could haue given Tot fecit miracula quot quaestiones determinauit Locke how many doubts he hath determined and he hath wrought so many miracles But by this reason he should haue placed him aboue most Saints amongst the Angells For it is scarce credible that any Saint hath wrought halfe so many miracles as are the doubts which this Doctor after his fashion hath determined appositely enough for the Romish Hierarchie And hath not the Pope good reason to make the Church militant adore their soules as gods in heaven which haue made his Holines more than a Saint a very god on earth But because they deny that the Church makes gods of such as the Pope makes Saints we are in the next place to discusse whether invocation of Saints as it is publickely maintained by them be not an ascription of that honour to the creature which is onely due to the Creator CHAPTER XXIIII In what sense the Romanists denie or grant that Saints are to be invocated Whether the Saints by their doctrine be mediate or immediate Intercessors betweene God and man That they neither can conceale or will they expresse the full meaning of their practise 1. BEllarmine lib. 1. de Sanctorum beatitudine cap. 16. accounts the former imputation for one of Calvins malitious slaunders Quis enim deo dicere auderet Sancte Deus ora pro nobis We must not thinke they are so foolishly impious as to say Holy God pray for vs. Nor did Calvin charge them with pulling downe God as low in every respect as the Saints but for exalting the Saints in sundry cases into the throne of God howsoever they salute them by an inferior style Nor will it follow that the Heathens did not worship many gods because they did not equalize all with Iupiter or vse the same forme of appellation vnto him to their demi-gods or Heroikes Or admitting the Romanists make no Saints equall to God the Father or to any person in the Trinitie considered according to his Deitie alone is it no sacrilâ—ge to invest them with Christs royall titles or prerogatiues as he is our high Priest and Mediator It will vpon examination proue no slander but a just accusation to say they make the Saints both sharers with Christ in his office of mediation and with the glorious Trinitie in acts essentiall to the Deitie But let vs first heare in what sense they themselues grant or deny Saints may be prayed vnto or otherwise adored and then examine whether their answers to our arguments can stand with the forme of their Liturgie or fit the maine point in question betwixt vs. 2. Some more auncient then Epiphanius for he refuteth their heresie held the Virgin Mary was to be prayed vnto after the same manner we pray to God Betweene this excessiue honor thus ascribed vnto the chiefe of Saints and the other extreame as they make it consisting in defect or deniall of invocation of any Saints Bellarmine labours to finde out a meane which he comprehends in these propositions following Non licet à Sanctis petere vt nobis tanquam authores divinorum beneficiorum gloriam vel gratiam aliaque ad beatitudinem media concedant Bellarmin de Sanctorum beatitud lib. 1. cap. 17. It is not lawfull to request the Saints that they as Authors of divine benefits would graunt vnto vs Grace or Glorie or other meanes availeable to the attainement of Faelicitie His second proposition is Sancti non sunt immediati intercessâ—res nostri apud Deum sed quicquid a Deo nobis impetrant per Christum impetrant Ibidem The Saints are not our immediate Intercessors with God but whatsoeuer they obtaine of Cod for vs they obtaine it through Christ I know not whether out of cunning or incogitancie he hath expressed himselfe or rather left their full meaning vnexpressed in these tearmes per Christum not adding withall propter Christum In the declaration he commends three parties to our consideration when we pray to God 1. The person of whom we craue every good gift 2. Him through whose merites we request they may be given vs. 3. The partie which craues them Saints by his doctrine cannot supply the first or second but the third and last place The onely meaning whereto vpon better examination he will stand is this that Saints cannot be substituted in the stead of God the Father or of Christ as he is the principall Mediator or primary Intercessor But to say that we may not request favour of God the Father propter merita Sanctorum for merits of Saints or request Saints to interpose their merits with Christs for more sure or speedie expedition can neither stand with the profession or practise of the Romish Church Bellarmine well vrged will quickly be enforst to deny the conclusion which he thus gathers from the premised propositions We pray saith he to the Saints onely to this end that they would vouchsafe to doe what we doe because they can doe it better and more effectually than we can at least they and we together may doe it better then we alone And againe we may request nothing of the Saints besides their intercession with God that Christs merits may be applyed to vs and that through Christ we may attaine grace and glory For praying thus far to Saints that speech of S. Bernard warranteth them Opus est mediatore ad mediatorem nec alter nobis vtilior quam Maria we haue neede of a mediator to our mediator and none more fit than Mary Hence they learne that Christ onely is the immediate intercessor who is heard for his owne sake the Saints are onely mediate intercessors and can obtaine nothing which they aske without Christs mediation Thus much is included in the forme of their prayers vpon Saints dayes which are all conceived in this tenor Grant vs these or these benefits at the intercession of such or such Saints 3. The first part
our hearts on anything besides God is a spirituall fornication or adultery but thus to elevate our spirits which Christ hath espoused vnto himselfe by grace vnto Saints and Angels as they doe that direct religious prayers vnto them in the house and Temple of God is like an incestuous pollution of the marriage bed as if a woman betrothed vnto the eldest brother and heyre apparant vnto the Crowne should prostitute her bodie vpon her marriage-day to his kinsman or younger brother 2. But admit S. Peter or some Angell should by Gods appointment vouchsafe their locall residence againe amongst the Inhabitants of the earth worke miracles heale diseases and instruct vivâ voce in the remote deserts of Africke or in the Indies where we could neither haue personall accesse vnto them nor commend our suites vnto them by letter or interposed messenger might wee here in England kneele downe and turning our faces towards the place of their residence poure forth the requests of our hearts vnto them as Daniel being in exile did his towards Ierusalem wherein God had promised to dwell This were to outstrip the Heathen as well in the essentiall forme of Idolatrie as in the degrees of superstitious or magicall folly What heathen did ever exhibit solemne worship or poure forth their petitions for ayde or succour vnto Apollo Mercurie or Aesculapius much lesse vnto their Demi-gods or Heroikes saue onely in places where they supposed them resident as in their Temples about their Oracles or before shrines or Idols which according to Ethnicke Divinitie were in a sort animated with their presence Or admitting any heathen living in Asia should haue directed his prayers towards Hercules his Temple in Greece might not his folly haue beene iustified by the same Apologie which the Romanist brings for his if that were iust and orthodoxall Iupiter est quodcunque vides The supreame power adored by him vnder the name of Iupiter he might with good approbation of the Learned haue avouched to be every where able and willing to acquaint the lesser Gods his more intimate friends with whom he might be bolder with his petitions in so great distance To be perswaded that any Saint should be able at all houres of day and night to take notice of all the petitions that are or can be made vnto him in Italy Germanie France and Spaine or throughout the whole world is to ascribe greater divinitie vnto him than any Heathens did to their ordinary Gods whom notwithstanding they conceived worthy of divine Honour The fruition of his presence who knowes all things at all times cannot make Saints or Angels so capable of this perpetuall vbiquitary knowledge as personall vnion with him who is every where essentially present might make Christs body of vbiquitary locall presence yet to maintaine it to be so present every where is in our Adversaries judgement an heresie but a farre greater to ascribe this vbiquitary knowledge vnto Saints And out of this conceipt to direct prayers to them in heaven from every part of the earth is formall Idolatrie as well in practise as in opinion For God even God onely knowes the hearts of all the Children of men 1. King 8. ver 31. 3. To conclude with what manner of respect or observance in particular glorified Saints or Angels are to be entertained by vs mortall men is a point impossible to be determined vntill wee haue iust occasion to dispute it And other occasion we can haue none saue what their presence or commerce with vs shall administer Or admitting their vndoubted apparitions were at this day as rife as heretofore they haue beene pretended it would be the first part of our dutie to fashion our selues vnto such observance as they would prescribe vs not to prescribe them what manner of honour they were to receiue from vs. Gods word concerning their worship is silent saue onely that Saint Paul hath advised vs to content our selues with ignorance in these secrets vnto whose search we are not called to affect whose knowledge wee can haue no provocation or impulsion besides the vaine-swelling of our fleshly mindes But whatsoever respect or observance might lawfully be tendred to their infallible appearance cannot without impious folly be seriously proffered to them whilest they appeare not and solemnly to consecrate it to their Images whose persons we never sawe is the height of impietie Civilitie common sense may enforme vs that to tender such respect or signes of submission to Princes or great Personages whom wee see a farre of as would become vs being admitted to conference with them would argue either distraction of minde or clownish simplicitie Though it were lawfull to expresse our necessities with bended knees to Saints or Angels vouchsafing their presence and to implore their intercession for vs with sighes and teares yet may not such as haue eyes pray to them or any whom they cannot see saue onely to him who is invisible None that haue sense may pray to any of whose vertuall presence or acquaintance with our affaires we haue no sensible vndoubted pledge saue onely to him whom we know not by sense but by the spirit of grace and faith every where to heare and know all things that are done or sayd any where Howbeit for every man at all times in every place vpon all occasions to worship him in such manner as they without offence with true devotion haue done vnto whom his extraordinary presence hath beene manifested would be but a superstitious observance For although we be fully assured that he sees our gestures knowes our hearts and heares our petitions at all times and every where alike yet he sees that we haue not alwayes the like occasions which they had to pray or worship as they did And any extraordinary manner of worship without extraordinary impulsion is will-worship More particularly Religious prayers being proper acts of faith vnlesse they be made in faith are most properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of faith quite contrary to the rule of faith which in any point to crosse is a presumptuous sinne but to contradict it in matters of religious worship is the sinne of Idolatrie Now religious prayers cannot be conceived or exhibited to any in faith without certaintie of faith that they to whom they are exhibited doe heare vs. Seriously to tender requests to the soules of Saints deceased farther distant from vs than any one part of the earth is from another after the same manner we might do vpon certaine notice of their presence or mutuall pledges of commerce with vs is but to offer the sacrifice of fooles vnto the winde or to sow the element wherein we breath with the poysonous seedes of Ethnicke superstition And so in fine the Romanist doth not enrich the Saints but stockes and stones the workes of his owne hands with that honour whereof he hath robbed his God His adoring his kissing and his worshipping of Saints and Images with bended knees and other signes of submission is but
of reliques or worshipping of images their meaning was as if they had prayed that the Pope would approoue of whatsoever the people should publickly practise for it is but another part of the former conclusion that all whom he shall vouchsafe to canonize may be lawfully adored by the vniversall Church in publicke and solemne Liturgies so that to worship such is now more necessary than it was before 2. Never had the infernall powers since their fall so just occasion given them by any creatures of insultation and triumph at the wonderfull successe of their policies as by these latter Romanists who as well by Apologizing for their superstition towards the dead whereof others haue chalenged them as by seeking to reforme some grosse abuses whereof themselues were ashamed haue beene fetcht over to commit more detestable and more blasphemous idolatry with living men than any Heathen ever did with their deceased Heroicks with their false Gods or true devills Such as worshipped those beastly Romane Emperours whom their Successors consecrated were not bound to beleeue nor could their Successors perswade themselues that the Senate could not erre or doe amisse in decreeing divine honour to them That people not knowing what faith meant did onely as their chiefe Magistrates commanded them nor did these command all throughout the Empire to be partakers with them in their idolatrous worship But now to dispute whether the Pope doe well or amisse in canonizing men after death whom he knew not living is held a point of heresie or infidelitie His absolute infallibilitie as well in declaring who are Saints as in determining what honour is due vnto them is prest vpon vs as a Maxime of faith And is not this to worship him with divine honour That conceipt which the old Romanes had of their consecrated Emperours came as farre short of this divine excellency which Papists imagine in the Pope as the Iewes opinion of their Messias whom they expected should be a King doth of that esteeme which true Christians make of Christ whom they adore as God The superstitious knowledge or rather the practicall ignorance of the true God differeth no otherwise in Rome-Heathen and Rome-Christian than the ordinary knowledge of Christ in the old Testament and in the New The idolatry of Rome-Heathen agrees with the idolatry of Rome-Christian as the type or shadow with the body or substance 3. Bellarmine giveth Melancthon the lye for saying the Romish Church ascribes a divine power to Saints in knowing mens thoughts I aske them not knowing our thoughts how can they know our petitions No Catholique saith he did ever teach that they know our prayers as they are cōceived in our minds but as they are in God who reveales them to his Saints and Angels He would not thus fiercely avert the imputation of the Antecedent vnlesse he knew the inference to be legall and vnavoydable To pray then to Saints out of presumed beliefe that they know the secrets of our hearts were by his confession to ascribe a divinitie vnto them and to worship them with divine honour plaine idolatrie Therefore they pray vnto them out of assurance that God who sees our hearts acquaints them with our hearts desires Yet that one Saint that every Saint should by this meanes know every mans prayers that is enjoyned to pray vnto them necessarily supposeth a participation of that infinite knowledge which is incommunicable To see the secrets of mans heart is one of Gods peculiar titles If Saints by enioying his presence enioy this sight no reason can be conceived why in seeing him they may not see all things that are in him all that he sees And so they shall not be onely Gods but as was observed before Gods Almightie by participation But admitting that all such as enioy Gods presence doe heare our prayers I demaund what ground of beliefe Romane Catholiques can haue that many whom they must pray vnto are partakers of Gods presence Onely this The Pope hath canonized them But seeing the world is full of dissimulation and hypocrisie seeing men are partiall to giue better testimony of such as they seeke to preferre than they can deserue how can his Holines know them to be true Saints vnlesse he know their hearts by better testimony than humane As a Christian he knowes that onely the pure in heart enioy the blessed sight of God But how can he so infallibly know as becomes a Pope whether such as lived in England in Spaine in Asia America or other remote parts of the world were pure in heart or but hypocrites If he may erre in this knowledge the people must erre in practise 4. Their resolution of this point comes to this finall issue Saints celestiall see our hearts in seeing God Romane Catholiques see the integritie and puritie of their hearts whose faces they never saw in the Pope or by reading his decrees He stands as God to them on earth as the true God is to the Saints in heaven He knowes as certainely who goes to heaven and what they doe there as God knowes what is done in earth And out of this confident beliefe of his infallible all-seeing spirit his creatures pray to S. Francis Dominicke Aquinas as vnto secondary or intermediate Intercessors with the same assurance of faith that they doe to Christ as to their principall Mediatour And reason they haue so to doe God Almightie hath said that Christ is in heaven and the Pope hath sayd of Aquinas Dominicke or some other they are in heaven Thus like foolish Mariners or Fresh water Souldiers after they had beene long carried vp and downe with the blasts of vaine doctrine fearing ship-wracke in the open Ocean of former ages idolatrie and yet ashamed to returne to the Haven whence they loosed lest wise men should laugh at them they put in at the jawes of hell for Harbour SECTION V. Of the transformation of the Deitie or divine power in his nature attributes word or will revealed CHAPTER XLI Transformation of the divine nature doth issue from the same originall or generall fallacie from which Idolatrie and multiplicitie of Gods was observed to issue Chapter 17. 1. AMONGST the Heathen many who did not altogether so vainely multiplie their gods did most grossely misfigure the divine nature or God-head The common roote to both these branches of errour but from which the latter doth more directly spring and take more kindly was pronenesse to conceiue of matters heavenly and invisible according to the best forme or patterne which they had of matters visible or earthly Now to be sole Lord of the whole earth without consorts of like nature would be a life to the wisest and healthiest of men most irkesome And the Philosopher out of a popular opinion either of his owne or times more auncient makes competent store of friendes or alliances necessary supporters of faelicitie Now as that happinesse which in this life they hoped for supposed friends or other contentments so the common notion of the
his glorious sight the immortall inhabitants thereof the onely pupills of whom without disparagement to his dignitie or impairement of his ioy or happinesse he might vouchsafe to take immediate and personall charge 5. Some reliques of this Gentiles error which had beene abandoned vpon the promulgation of the Gospell haue beene broacht againe in Schoole-disputes which vsually smell too much of those Heathenish Caskes whence much of them is drawne Vorstius his deniall of the vbiquitie or absolute immensitie of the divine nature or his essentiall coexistence to every place whether reall or imaginable hath beene distilled out of the very dreggs of the former transformation Nor doth these Schoole-mens doctrine relish better which after a formall discussion of an vnquestionable truth Whether Gods providence extended in particular to flies or gnatts or such like diminutiue creatures as may rather seeme fractions or scattered offalls of Gods working than any entire or directly intended substances haue finally determined for the negatiue But were the whole host of flies or gnatts or baser creatures in perswasion of the vulgar once exempted from Gods peculiar jurisdictiō parties much molested with them would easily be tempted to elect a new President for them and so Beel-zebub or Iupiter muscarum abactor might in time recover his wonted rites by vsurpation CHAPTER XLII A parallel betweene the Heathen Poets and moderne Romane Legendaries betweene Heathen Philosophers and Romane Schoole-men in their transformations or misperswasions of the divine nature specially of his goodnesse 1. TO prosecute all the transformations of the Deitie made or occasioned by heathen Poets or Painters would be an endlesse worke Nothing more commō though nothing in them more abominable than the representation of such factious contentions or of such siding and banding betwixt the Gods betwixt Iupiter himselfe and Iuno his supposed Consort as they had observed in secular States or Societies Premente vno fert Deus alter opem One God protects the partie which another persecutes Vulcan is against Troy and Apollo stands for it Iuno with the helpe of Eolus persecutes the Troians by Sea after the Graecians had driven them out of their owne Land And whilest she expostulates with Iupiter like a smart Huswife that takes her selfe for quarter-Master over her owne family Venus pleades Aeneas cause whom Iuno persecutes with such importunitie that Iupiter himselfe is enforced to humor her with such curteous language and faire promises as a tender hearted father would vse vnto his darling Daughter much offended or cast downe with discontent 2. It will be no paradoxe I hope to affirme or suppose that the preeminence of the onely sonne of God over the Saints whether in heaven or on earth is or ought to be in Christian Divinitie much greater than Iupiters preeminence in Heathenish Theologie was in respect of other Gods Notwithstanding the fabulous Romane Legendary makes inferior Saintesses such Consorts to our Saviour as Iuno in the Heathen Poets Divinitie was to Iupiter In respect of the blessed Virgine whom they make Queene-mother and Regent of Heaven He is but as the yong Prince or pupill whom this his supposed Gardianesse may and doth giue in marriage to her hand-maides The whole solemnitie of the marriage betwixt him and S. Catharine besides the historicall narratiō as authentique to them as the Gospell is so liuely represented in most exquisite cutts as every credulous Romane Catholicke might if neede were be readie to make affidavit that hee saw the blessed Virgine giue S. Catharine in marriage to her sonne that he saw Christ putting the ring vpon her finger and that S. Paul S. Iohn the Evangelist S. Dominick and King David were present at the marriage King David playing vpon the Harpe or Psalterie Had this story beene extant onely in some auncient Legend before Luthers time I should haue spared the mentioning of it but finding it in a booke dedicated by a Dominican Fryer to the Provinciall of that order throughout the lower Germanie and licenced to the Presse at Antwerp within these two twenty yeares I leaue it to the Readers consideration whether Romish Monasteries be not priviledged from the reformation of superstition pretended by Pope Innocent the second by Alexander the third or by the Trent Councell And lest Rome-Christian should be out-vied by Rome-Heathen or other Heathens foolish conceipts concerning their Gods or Goddesses the most fabulous or most hideous metamorphosis of Iupiter into divers shapes mentioned by any Heathen Poet is more than reciprocally paralleld by the transformation of S. Catharine into our Saviour Christ And lest the Reader might suspect that the eyes of Raymund her Confessor did but dazle or that the vision which he saw was but deceptio visûs the Legendary hath painted her speaking vnto him with the voyce and mouth of God himselfe 3. The Romane Catholicke that would take vpon him to justifie the truth of this Metamorphosis might alledge for himselfe and in favour of this Legendary that the new heart which our Saviour vpon her earnest and often entreatie put into this his Spouse S. Catharine was such a heart as the voice was non hominis sed Dei not the heart of a woman but of God That our Saviour did pull out her old heart put in a new one in very deed the Legendary avoucheth in good earnest And if any man had beene as hard of beliefe in this point as S. Thomas was in the article of our Saviours resurrection the scarre of the sacred wound which our Saviour made when he pulled out her old heart and put in a new one did perpetually remaine in the Virgins breast as an ocular demonstration to convince the incredulous Though both be without excuse yet heathen Poets are lesse inexcusable in that many of their fabulous metamorphosis may admit an allegoricall meaning or emblematicall importance whereas the Romane Legendaries for the most part tie themselues and the Readers that can beleeue their miraculous narrations to a plaine literall historicall sense 4. Altogether as grosse and lesse excusable than any heathen Philosopher is the Romanist in seeking to perswade or justifie the daily implored intercession of Saints by the vulgarly approved practise of Court-petitions which on poore mens parts seldome well succeede without the intermediation of some great favorite or domesticall attendant of the Prince This course though by necessitie made lawfull to all few subiects to our present Soveraigne would follow were they fully perswaded his Highnesse could without declarations ore tenus or written petitions either perfectly vnderstād their vnjust grievances or heare their heartie prayers though farre distant or afford time sufficient to take notice of their miserable estate without molestation or disturbance to his health contentment or more weightie consultations Now lest the people should thinke too meanely of the Romish Church or her children if they should openly confesse such erronious practises as could haue found no entrance into any Christians heart but through
Attribute most inseperable from the divine nature and most soveraigne title of the Godhead is his goodnesse The very names or literall elements of God and good are not in our Country dialect so neare allied as the conceipts which their mention or nomination suggests are in nature So necessarily doth goodnesse presuppose a God or Deitie from which as from a fountaine it flowes and so essentiall is it to this fountaine to send forth sweet streames of ioy and comfort that the Heathen Philosopher vpon the interview of good and evill seemes to suffer torture betweene the contrarietie of his vnsetled conceipts concerning the truth or vanitie of the Godhead Si deus non sit vnde bona Can there be any good without a God Si deus sit vnde mala If there be a God how chanceth it of things that are all are not good many evill Others not altogether heathenish from curiositie of like contemplation not guided by the rule of faith imagine two eternall indâ—fectible creatiue powers the one good and sole fountaine of all goodnesse the other evill and maine souâ—se of all evill and mischiefe in the world Of both these errours and the ignorance that occasioned them we shall haue fitter occasion to speake hereafter Both of them suppose a true notion of divine goodnesse indefinitely considered wherevnto a conceipt or apprehension of divine providence in most Heathen was subordinate Many great and famous Philosophers there be sayth Tully which ascribe the government of the world vnto the wisedome of the Gods not herewith content they further acknowledge all necessary supplies of health and welfare to be procured by their providence For corne and other increase of the earth varietie of times and seasons with those changes of the weather whereby such fruits as the earth brings forth doe grow and ripen are in the same mens opinions effects of divine goodnesse to mankinde From the perpetuitie of such visible blessings as these Heathen Philosophers deriue from the bountie of their imaginary Gods doth the Doctor of the Gentiles and his fellow Apostle seeke to winne the Inhabitants of Lystra vnto the worship of the onely true invisible God How readily experience of vncouth goodnesse brings forth an expresse conceipt of a Godhead and causeth the often mentioned ingraffed notion to bud or flourish these Heathen had openly testified by their forwardnesse to sacrifice vnto these messengers of our Lord and Saviour as vnto great Gods because strange Authors or rather instruments of vnexpected good to one of their neighbours This confused branch of pietie though misgrowne and set awry was notwithstanding flexible and pliant to these poynts of life proposed by the Apostle Sirs why doe ye these things we also are men of like passions with you and preach vnto you that you should turne from these vanities vnto the living God which made heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are therein who in times past suffred all Nations to walke in their owne wayes Neverthelesse he left not himselfe without witness in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse From this one streame of divine goodnesse experienced in giving raine did the Heathens Christen their great God Iupiter with a Name importing his procurement of this effect the Greekes calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Pluvius So effectuall a witnesse of the Godhead is the accomplishment of any much desired good that such as doubt whether the good we enioy on earth be derived from heaven are often vnwittingly enforced to thinke and speake of whatsoever doth them any extraordinary good or satisfie the vehemency of their desires as of their God 4. The more indissoluble the mutuall conceipts of God and goodnesse are the sooner we loose the one whiles we remaine without experience or apprehension of the other Two conditions of life there be alike hurtfull to this engraffed notion of the Deitie 1. Affluence or abundance of things desired without interposall of indigence 2. Perpetuall indigence or sordide want without vicissitude of ordinary competency or contentment The latter vsually starues the naturall notions or conceipts of God which must be fed with sense or taste of some goodnesse the former affluence or abundance chokes it Amongst all the Barbarians which Tacitus mentioned in his description of Germanie he blemisheth one sort onely with a glauncing touch of irreligion as being so intirely and familiarly acquainted with beggarly need that they needed not the helpe of God or Man more than the beasts of the field Yet that they were altogether Atheists or abettors of infidelitie is scarce credible but very likely that they gaue lesse signes of any Religion than others did which had oftner and better occasions to supplicate the divine powers either for protection from such evills or for collation of such benefits as these Fenni had little cause greatly either to feare or hope Houshold Gods they had none because they cared not for houses Gods or Goddesses of Corne of Wine of Oyle or the like they never sought to because never accustomed to sowe to plant or reape But whether they vsed not to pray for good successe in their huntings or in skirmishing with their rude neighbours or amongst themselues is more then can be determined from Tacitus censure interserted as it seemes rather to please the Reader than seriously to empeach them of any greater crime or more loathsome disease than vsually haunts men of their constitution or condition As of the mightie and noble so of those vile and despised creatures which continue their circular and slouthfull range from house to house liking best to liue as these late mentioned Barbarians did from hand to mouth not many there be which giue any iust proofe of their calling The sense of God and his goodnesse is in most of them stupid and dull saue onely when hunger and thirst or hope of an almes instantly craued by them in his name and vsually granted by others for his sake shall whet or quicken it But as well in life spirituall as in corporall fewer by much though to many loose their stomackes through extreame penury or long fasting then there be of such as spoile or dead their taste by continuall fulnesse As long or hard want doth sometimes sterue so the perenniall current of wealth of peace or ease with other outward blessings doth vsually drowne all sense or notion of that goodnesse whence these and all other good things flow Did that part of the Moone which is next vs alwayes shine we should haue lesse occasion to enquire and greater difficulty to determine whether the light it hath were derived from the Sunne Generally such effects as admit interruption in their existence sooner lead vs vnto the true knowledge of their first and immediate causes then if they enioyed permanent duration A body subiect to some vicissitude of sicknes better discernes what causeth health then
chiefe enemy to their greatest good Thus they fall from one mischiefe to another vntill their consciences become cauterized with the flames of lust and being past all feeling they giue themselues over vnto lasciviousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse 3. All dissolute behaviour is dangerous and serues as fewell to this infernall fire which will excruciate that soule after death whose conscience it seares in this life but that is much worse which is matched with hautie vastnesse of minde for the most part transfused from gluttonish appetite or the Epicurean disposition As Boares and Bulls or other creatures by nature or breeding tame onely through hugenesse of body or fulnesse of plight grow often wilde fierce or mankene so men from a like disposition of body or indulgence to brutish appetites come to a gyantly temper of minde readie to proclaime warre against heaven and heavenly powers What shall wee thinke the Gyants were saith Macrobius but a wicked generation of men which denied the gods who for this reason were thought to haue attempted their deposition from their heauenly thrones He was not pacified sayth a better Writer towards the old Gyants who fell away in the strength of their foolishnesse Hence the same Author prayes ioyntly against these sister sinnes and twinns of hell O Lord father and God of my life leaue me not in their imagination neither giue me a proud looke but turne away from thy servant a Gyantly minde Take from me vaine hope and concupiscence and retaine him in obedience that desireth continually to serue thee Let not the greedinesse of the belly nor lust of the flesh hold me and giue not me thy servant over to an impudent or gyantly minde This he prayes against was the very temper of the Cyclops as Homer and Euripides haue pictured them After Vlysses and his mates had besought the Gyant to be good vnto them for Iupiters sake the supposed protector of the helplesse stranger He answered him in this or like language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. My pettie guest a foole thou art or sure thou comm'st from farre Thou hop'st with names of heavenly Gods the Cyclops stout to scarre Vnto the Gods wee owe no feare wee no observance shâ—w Our selues to be as good as they or better well wee knowe For Goate-nurst loue his loue or hate I waigh it not a whit Nor thee nor thine for him I 'le spare but as I thinke it fit His picture as Euripides hath taken it is more Gyantly vast For he paints him proclaiming his belly to be the onely or greatest God vnto whose sacrifice the fruits increase of the earth are due by title so soveraigne as neither heaven nor earth could withdraw or deteyne them Speeches altogether as vnsavoury will the belly-servers of our time belch out though not directly against God because they liue not in an Anarchie destitute of humane lawes as the Cyclops did yet against the messengers of his sacred will revealed for their salvation whiles we dehort them from these shamefull courses wherein they glory to their destruction And albeit they vse no such expresse forme of liturgie as did the Cyclops while they sacrifice to their bellies yet S. Pauls testimony is expresse that their bellie is their God And of the two Priests or grand sacrificers to this domesticke Idoll the dry Glutton me thinkes resembles the Land-serpent as his brother the beastly Drunkard doth the Water-snake This latter is more vnsightly and vgly to the eye the former more noysome and venemous to religious societie His enmitie against the Womans seed more deadly but lesse avoydable because the working of his poyson is lesse offensiue and more secret 4. Simple Atheisme consists in an equilibration of the minde brought as it were so to hang in its owne light as it cannot see whether way to encline but hoovers in the middle with Diagoras de Dijs non habeo quid dicam c. Concerning the Gods I haue nothing to say for them or against them Howbeit to men thus minded it seemes the safest course lite pendente to sacrifice onely to their owne desires and to hold Gods part by sequestratioÌ„ The curious or disputing Atheist striues to draw himselfe downe a little below this levell by matching the attractions of divine goodnesse with the motions of his owne imaginations But the malignancy of this Atheisme which ariseth from combination of the late mentioned distempers may grow so great as to turne the notions of good and evill topsie turvie transposing these inclinations which nature hath set on heaven and heavenly things towards hell As all inordinate affections more or lesse abate or countersway our propensions vnto goodnesse so the excesse of such as are most malignant bring the soule to an vtter distaste or loathing of whatsoever is truely good and to delight in doing mischiefe Now the very procurers or advancers of mischiefe much affected shall be deified with rites and titles due to God alone as it were in factious opposition to the holy spirit The same vnwildy or vast desires of sensuall pleasures or contentments which disenables men to distinguish that which is truely good from that which seemeth best to their distempers will with the same facilitie draw them blindfold to a like sinister or preposterous choyce of their patrones As the truely godly worship the true God because his greatnesse is so good to all so vnto these wicked or malignant Impes That shall be Lord That shall be God whatsoever it be which they esteeme their greatest good or vnder whose protection they may quietly possesse what they already enioy We see it too often experienced that stubborne desires of lucre honour lust or revenge draw men destitute of other meanes for accomplishing their hopes vnto expresse and wilfull compacts with Devils or performances of sacrifices to infernall powers The observant Poet makes Iuno speake as great Personages in like remedilesse crosses vsually resolue Flectere si nequeo superos Acheronta movebo nor doth the language of that other ought vary from the common practise of forlorne hopes suggested by vast desires Vos mihi manes Este boni quoniam superis aversa voluntas If these and the like prayers or wishes of heathen supplicants found gratefull successe their second edition in plaine English was thus What Heavens haue marr'd whiles Hell amends Fiends goe for Gods and Gods for Fiends 5. With many men otherwise of sober disposition onely too much wedded to the world or to their own wills a sorcerers charme will be as acceptable as a godly prayer so the event ensuing giue present content or satisfaction to their desires Yet many Atheists as Vasques counts it a point of speciall observation vpon wicked practises sometimes recoyle and come to beleeue there is a God or guide of nature by evident experience of magicke feates farre surpassing the power of man or creatures visible 6. It
Philosophers labour to teach vs in many words yea in many volumes I can comprehend in this short precept Let vs persevere such in health as we promise to be in our sicknesse That this Heathen whiles thus well minded otherwise should be so mindfull of his God is a very pregnant proofe from the effect that the naturall ingraffed notions of the Deitie proportionably increase or wane with the notions of morall good or evill The cause hereof is more apparant from that essentiall linke or combination which is betweene the conceipt of vice and vertue and the conceipt of a Iudgement after this life wherein different estates shall be awarded to the vertuous and to the vitious hence the true apprehension of the one naturally drawes out an vndoubted apprehension of the other vnlesse the vnderstanding be vnattentiue or perverted For that any thing should be so simply good as a man might not vpon sundry respects abiure the practise of it or ought so absolutely evill as vpon no termes it might be embraced vnlesse we grant the soule to be immortall capable of miserie and happinesse in another world is an imagination vnfitting the capacitie of brutish or meere sensitiue creatures as shall be shewed by Gods assistance in the Article of finall Iudgement 5. That sicknesse and other crosses or calamities are best teachers of such good lessons as Plinies forementioned friend had learned from them Elihu long before him had observed whose observation includes thus much withall that such as will not be taught by these instructions are condemned for trewants and non-proficients in the schoole of Nature Vertue or Religion that is for Hypocrites and men vnsound at the heart For if the roote or seede of morall goodnesse remaine sound the Maxime holds alwayes true maturant aspera mentem Adversitie is like an harvest Sunne it ripeneth the minde to bring forth fruites of repentance He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cordes of affliction then he sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they haue exceeded He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquitie If they obey and serue him they shall spend their dayes in prosperitie and their yeares in pleasures But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge but the Hypocrites in heart heape vp wrath they cry not when he bindeth them The truth as well of Plinies as of Elihues observation is presupposed by most of Gods Prophets with whom it is vsuall to vpbraid his people with brutish stupiditie and hardnesse of heart to brand them with the note of vngracious children for not returning vnto the Lord in their distresse as if to continue in wonted sinnes or riotous courses after such sensible and reall proclamations to desist were open rebellion against God Senslesnesse of paines in extreame agonies doth not more certainly prognosticate death of body or decay of bodily life and spirits than impenitency in affliction doth a desperate estate of soule For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of Hosts Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and taile branch and rush in one day And in that day did the Lord God of Hostes call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine let vs eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye And it was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hostes surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till ye dye sayth the Lord God of Hostes 6. The reason of this truth it selfe thus testified by three rankes of witnesses is not obscure in their Philosophy to whom I most accord who teach that the seedes of all truth are sowne by Gods hand in the humane soule and differ onely in reference or denomination from our desires of knowledge indefinitely taken As to our first parents so vnto vs when we first come vnto the vse of reason knowledge it selfe and for its owne sake seemeth sweete and welcome whether it be of things good or evill we much respect not But this desire of knowledge which in respect of actuall apprehension is indifferent neither set vpon good nor evill is vsually taken vp by actuall or experimentall knowledge of things evill or so vnprofitable that our inclinations or adherences vnto them either countersway our inclinations vnto goodnesse or choke our apprehensions of things truely good Now after our hopes of enioying such sense-pleasing obiects be by affliction or calamitie cut of the soule which hath not beene indissolubly wedded vnto them or alreadie giuen over by God vnto a reprobate sense hath more libertie than before it had to retire into it selfe and being freed from the attractiue force of allurements vnto the vanities of the world the Devill or flesh the naturall or implanted seedes of goodnesse recover life and strength and begin to sprout out into apprehensions either in loathing their former courses or in seeking after better And every least part or degree of goodnesse truely apprehended bringeth forth an apprehension of the author or fountaine whence it floweth that is of the divine nature In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountaine to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled I cryed to thee O Lord and vnto the Lord I made my supplication It may seeme strange to our first considerations as Calvin with some others vpon this place obserue that God should enlighten Davids eyes by hiding his face from him without the light of whose countenance even knowledge it selfe is no better than darkenesse But so it is that prosperitie doth oftentimes infatuate the best men and adversity maketh bad men wise The saying is authentique though the Author be Apocryphall Anima in angustijs spiritus anxius clamat ad te O Lord God almightie God of Israel the soule in Anguish the troubled spirit cryeth vnto thee So is that other Castigatio tua disciplina est eis Thy chastisement is their instruction Calvin hath a memorable story of a prophane Companion that in his jollitie abused these words of the Prophet The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men Psal 115. vers 16. The vse or application which this wretch hence made was that God had as little to doe with him here on earth as he had to doe with God in heaven But presently being taken with a suddaine gripe or pang he cryed out O God O God Yet this short affliction did not giue him perfect vnderstanding for afterwards he returned againe vnto his vomit and wallowing
slaine in such a stile as were enough to cast a musing Reader into a waking dreame or imagination that the walls the houses the very soile whereon shee trod had beene animated with some peculiar Genius capable of friendship and foehood Horruit Argia dextrasque ad moenia tendens Vrbs optata prius nunc tecta hostilia Thebe Si tamen illoesas reddis mihi coniugis vmbras Nunc quoque dulce solum With griefe o'regrowne to Theban-walls her suppliant hands shee bends Oh Cittie late too dearly lou'd since loue in sorrow ends Now hostile Thebes yet so thou willest my Consorts Corps restore Still shalt thou be a Soile to me as deare as heretofore These or the like speeches of heathen Poets if by Christians they may not be vttered without reproofe Lactantius his censure of Tullie for his too lavish Rhetoricall Prosopopeia made vnto Philosophie shall saue me a labour O Philosophie the guide of life the searcher out of vertue the banisher of vice without thee not onely wee thy followers should be no bodies but even the life of mankinde could be nothing worth for thou hast beene the Foundresse of Lawes the Mistresse of manners and discipline As if forsooth saith this Author Philosophie it selfe could take any notice of his words or as if He rather were not to be praised which did bestow her He might with as good reason haue rendered the like Rhetoricall thanks to his meate and drinke for without these the life of man cannot consist howbeit these are things without sense Benefits they are but they can be no Benefactors As they are the nourishment of the bodie so is wisedome or true Philosophie of the soule 3. That the seminaries of Poetrie should be the chiefe nurses of Idolatry argues how apt the one is to bring forth the other or rather how both lay like twinnes in the wombe of the same vnpurified affection vsually begotten by one spirit Woods and fountaines as every Schoole-boy knoweth were held chiefe mansions of the Muses to whose Courts the Poets resorted to doe their homage invoking their aide as the goddesses whom they most renowned hereto allured by the opportunitie of the place The pleasant spectacle and sweete resounds which woods and shadie fountaines afford will sublimate illiterate spirits and tune or temper mindes otherwise scarce apt for any to retired contemplations They are to every noise as an organized bodie to the soule or spirit which moues it Gentle blasts diffused through them doe so well symbolize with the internall agitations of our mindes and spirits that when wee heare them we seeme desirous to vnderstand their language and learne some good lesson from them And albeit they vtter not expresly what we conceiue yet to attentiue composed thoughts they inspire a secret seede or fertilitie of invention especially sacred 4. But is or was the notion of the Deitie naturally more fresh and liuely in these seminaries of heathenish Poetry than in other places Yes every vnusuall place or spectacle whether remarkeably beautifull or gastly imprints a touch or apprehension of some latent invisible power as President of what we see Seneca's observation to this purpose will open vnto vs one maine head or source of heathenish Idolatrie which well cleansed might adde fertilitie to Christian devotion In vnoquoque virorum bonorum quis deus incertum est habitat deus To proue this conclusion that God is neare vs even within vs thus he leads vs. If thou light on a groue thicke set with trees of such vnusuall antiquitie and height as that they take away the sight of Heaven by the thicknesse of their branches ouer spreading one another the height of the wood the solitarinesse of the place and the vncouthnesse of the close and continued shade in the open aire doe ioyntly represent a kinde of Heaven on earth and exhibit a proofe vnto thee of some divine power present Or if thou chance to see a denne whose spatious concauitie hath not beene wrought by the hand-labour of men but by causes naturall which haue so deepely eaten out and consumed the stones that they haue left a hanging mountain to ouer spread it like a Canopie the sight likewise will affect the minde with some touch or apprehension of Religion We adore the heads of great Rivers c. Vide Parag. 8. 9. of this Chapter 5. And because superstition can hardly sprout but from the degenerate and corrupt seeds of devotion wicked spirits did haunt these places most which they perceived fittest for devout affections As sight of such groues and fountaines as Seneca describes would nourish affection so the affection naturally desirous to enlarge it selfe would with the helpe of these Spirits sleights and instigations incite the superstitious to make their groues more retired and sightly Thus like cunning anglers they first baite the places and then fish them and their appearance being most vsuall when mens mindes were thus tuned to devotion the eye would easily seduce the heart to fasten his affections to the place wherein they appeared as more sacred than any other And to the spirits thus appearing as to the sole Lords and owners of the delightfull soile and chiefe Patrons of these bewitching rites and customes they thought their best devotions were not too good 6. Throughout the story of the Iudges and Kinges of Israel we may obserue how groues were as the banquetting houses of false gods the trappes and ginnes of sacrilegious superstition For this cause in all suppressions of Idolatrie the commission runnes joyntly for cutting downe groues and demolishing Altars So God Deuteronomie the 5. after commandement given to destroy the Amorites addeth this iniunction withall Ye shall overthrow their Altars and breake downe their pillars and ye shall cut downe their groues and burne their graven Images with fire And vnto Gideon the first in my remembrance to whom this warrant was in particular directed Throw downe the Altar of Baal that thy Father hath made and cut downe the groue that is by it Iudg. 6. v. 25. And Ezekiah whiles he remoued the high places and brake the Idolls cut downe the groues 2. King 18. v. 4. The like did Iosias after him 2. King 23. v. 14. How availeable either this destruction of groues was to the extirpation or the cherishing of them to the growth and increase of Idolatrie the good successe of â—agello his like religious policie in winning the Lithuâ—nians his stifly Idolatrous and strangely superstitious Country men vnto Christian Religion may enforme vs. I relate the Story at large as I finde it because it conteines fresh and liuely experiments as well of this present as of diverse other observations in this Treatise And no man will easily distrust auncient reports when he sees them parallele by moderne and neighbour examples The common sort saith mine Author speaking of the Lithuanian about two hundred yeares agoe was very stiffe and would hardly indure to be intreated to relinquish their
ReligioÌ„ being formerly accustomed to worship the fire for Goâ— and to adore the thunder and lightning with divine honor set groues or trees in common woods of vnusuall height had such authoritie from antiquitie for their sacred esteeme that to cut or burne them or offer them any violence was reputed a sacrilege so fearefull as would instantly provoke vengeance divine But the woods and groues being at length cut downe and wasted without the destruction or harme of any imployed in this businesse they grew more tractable and as if the woods had taught them obedience began to beleeue the Kings authoritie and command becomming at length forward professors of Christian Religion 7. The like superstitious feare had Constantines resolution in reformation expelled out of the Aegyptians who would haue perswaded him that if he tooke their sacred ell or fathom out of Serapes Temple the River Nilus which was vnder this conceited Gods patronage would cease to flow At ille Labitur labetur in omne volubilis aenum But whether Angells had not graced these nurseries of devotion by their appearance vnto Gods servants in them especially before the Law was given is easilier questioned than determined The generall observation of errors springing from ancient truths imperfectly related makes me suspect that the apparition of Angels or manifestation of Gods presence in like places vnto holy men and their demeanour vpon such manifestations was by preposterous imitation drawn to authorize the Idololatricall worship of such spirits as the heathen had seene in visible shape as also of the supersticious esteeme or reverence of the places themselues For in Constantines time as Eusebius tells vs the Heathens had erected their Altars in the oaken groue of Mambree in which the three Angells appeared to Abraham 8. But whether Constantine though much offended with the Altar did with it destroy the groue is vncertaine For albeit the title of the Chapter containing this story in our English Eusebius takes it as graunted that he did the text notwithstanding leaues it doubtfull if not more probable that he did not Nor was it necessary he should in this case follow the example of Iosias or Ezekias having that libertie which they had not to build a Temple in the same place to the Lord vnto zealous devotion in whose service the groue might afford no lesse plenty of fuell than it had done to heathenish supersticion and Idolatry For that which feedeth superstition through want of instruction onely or through licensed opportunities not naturally not of it selfe would proue best nutriment of true devotion to such as haue the spirit of grace or wisdome to disgest it especially if the practises which nourish superstition be controlled by plausible custome or authority No affection more fertile of either than the Poeticall temper according as it is well or ill imployed No place yeelds such opportunities for growth either of roote or branch as woods or groues or like shrowdes or receptacles of retired life nor could the sight or solitary frequenting any of these haue nursed such strange superstition in the heathen but onely by suggesting a liuelier notion of the Godhead than vsuall obiects could occasion And if other mens mindes be of the same constitution with mine our apprehensions of the true God as Creator haue a kinde of spring when he renewes the face of the earth Praesentemque refert quâ—elibet herba Deum The suddainâ— growth of every grasse points out the place of his presence the varietie of flowers and hâ—â—rbes suggestâ— a secret admiration of his inexpressible beautie In this respect the frequency of Sermons seemes most necessary in Citties and great Townes that their Inhabitants who as one wittily observeth see for the most part but the workes of men may daily heare God speaking vnto them whereas such as are conversant in the fields and woods continually contemplate the workes of God And nothing naturally more apt to awaken our mindes and make them feele or see his operations than the growth of vegetables or the strange motions or instincts of creatures meerely sensitiue The secret increase or fructification of vegetables without any inherent motion or motiue facultie and the experience of sensitiues accomplishing their ends more certainely without any sparkle of reason then man doth his by reasonable contriuance or artificiall policie moued some heathens to adore groues woods birds and sensitiue creatures almost of every kinde for gods who yet neither worshipped dead elements or liuing men Dead elemeÌ„ts they neglected because their qualities lesse resemble the operations of the liuing God with some notions of whose nature they were inspired Liuing men they much admired not in that the cause of every actioÌ„ which they effect and the manner of bringing their ends about was too well knowne They saw little it seemeth in their neighbours but what they knew to be in themselues whom they had no reason to take for gods and if one should haue worshipped another perhaps the rest would haue called them fooles as birds or other creatures would haue done so they had knowne what worship meant howbeit such men in every age as could either reveale secrets to come or bring things to passe beyond the observation or experience of former humane wits were even in their life accounted as gods or neare friends vnto some god 9. Others againe that would haue scorned to worship men or almost any other liue-creature otherwise then vpon these tearmes did adore the heads or first springs of Rivers whose continuall motion to feede the streames that flow from them without any visible originall whence their owne store should be supplied is by nature not stifled by art a sufficient motiue to call the invisible Creator and fountaine of all things to mans remembrance And some againe whom sight of ordinary fountaines did lesse affect were put in mind of some divine invisible cause or prime mouer by the annuall overflow of Nilus or the like experiments inscrutable by course of nature The admirable effects of Nilus overflow were the cause of that irreligious and brutish disposition which Seneca noteth in the Aegyptian husbandmen Nemo Aratorum in Aegypto Coelum aspicit No Plowman in Aegypt lookes towardes Heaven The like hath a Romane Poet Te propter nullos Tellus tua postulat imbres Aâ—ida nec plu vio supplicat herba Iove Aegyptian earth saue Nilus streames no water knowes No parched grasse or Ioue or moistned ayre there wo'es The soile being mellowed with this River seemed lesse beholden to heaven than Athens was where as some collect the art of tilling the ground was first invented amongst the Graecians Albeit I rather thinke it was the drinesse of the soile wherein that famous Cittie stood which occasioned that Idololatricall embleme whence some haue taken occasion to coniecture that the art of tillage was first manifested there Athenis vbi ratio colendi agrum primum ostensa esse Graecis dicitur simulachrum terrae extitisse suppliciter
processe of time the hurtfull or profitable beasts which Princes had coÌ„secrated were adored as Trismegists father had beene and the Princes likewise which had consecrated them were coadored in their images The manner of this last errors intrusion as Vives hath well observed out of Diodorus descended in part at least from the devises or emblemes which Princes bare in their Shields or Crests Some best liking dogs others Lyons Wolues or Cats every one as sympathie of nature fancie or chance misled them The solemnitie vsed at their consecration that is whilest they were taken for armes being great did taint the spectators mindes with superstitious fancies And vnto minds thus tainted their liuelesse pictures being borne as crests or ensignes were reputed for no bystanders but for authors or coadjutors whether of victâ—tious successe in wars or of prosperous events in peace The Princes afterwards fell in loue with the names of the beasts propagated the incestuous title vnto Cities This speedie transportation of affectionate mindes from curious ceremony or solemnitie vnto grosse and formall Idolatrie the eternall Lawgiver did best know to be too naturall vnto man and therefore sought to prevent the disease by euacuating the antecedent cause To this purpose are those prohibitions of curious ceremony in mourning for friends deceased Yee shall not cut your flesh for the dead nor make any print or marke vpon you I am the Lord This remembrance I am the Lord intimates vnto vs that these prints or markes were the badges of another Master who by those curious expressions of mournfull sorrow for their dead sought to bring them vnto a never dying sorrow of body and soule The same prohibition is more particularly directed to the house of Aaron with speciall restraint from vsing such ceremonies as in other families of Israel were not vnlawfull vnlesse for parents brother or sister before marriage deceased no sonne of Aaron might mourne For want of such lawes to moderate and bridle this naturall affection of lamenting the dead both Priest and people among the heathens ranne headlong into this Idolatrie of invoking men deceased For as the wise-man obserues when a father mourned grievously for his sonne that was taken away suddainely he made an Image for him that was once dead This at the first was but to solace griefe by an imaginary or representatiue presence of him that was truely absent But that tender respect which parents beare vnto their sicke children for whose releife or ease no cost can seeme too great no attendance so it please too curious doth naturally enlarge it selfe after their death and having a picture whereon to gaze will hardly refraine to present it in more ceremonious and to 〈◊〉 sort with all those respect and services which were due to the partie liuing or like to die So the same wise man couples solemne Idolatrie as the immediate effect to such curiositie or ceremony Now he worshippeth him as a God and ordained to his seruants ceremonies and sacrifices Thus by processe of time this wicked custome prevailed and was kept as a law and Idols were worshipped by the commandement of Tyrants Wisedome 14 vers 14 1â— The first degree of this temptation observed by him every man I am perswaded may in some sort experience in himselfe The multiplication of the practise by imitation and flattery is plentifully experienced in most heathen stories But the originall of the temptation was thus 3. Impotent desires of still enioying their companies to whom wee haue fastned our dearest affections will hardly take a deniall by death But as some longing to be delivered of a well conceited argument haue set vp their cappes for Respondents and disputed with them as with liue Antagonists so we goe on still as in a waking dreame to frame a capacitie in the dead of accepting our respect and loue in greater measure then without envie of others or offence to them it could haue beene tendered whilest they were living Did not the spirit of God awake vs the Idolatrie issuing from this spring would steale vpon vs like a deluge in a slumber Many who by their preeminencie amongst men haue affected to be reputed gods haue of other mens Lords become such slaues to their own affectioÌ„ as to worship their dead fauorites with divine honour So Alexander having testified his loue to Hephestions corps with such curious signes and ceremonies of mourning as God in his Law had forbidden seekes afterward to solace his griefe by procuring Mortmaine from the Oracle for his dead friend to hold greater honours then this great Conqueror of the world could haue bestowed vpon him though he had liued to haue beene his heire To qualifie him by dispensation from Iupiter Ammon for an heroicke or halfe-god and thereby to make him capable of sacrifice could not suffice without a Temple whose curiositie and state would as the wise-man obserues thrust forward the multitude to increase their superstition The more beautifull the Temples were the better god would be seeme to the multitude easily allured through the beautie of the worke to take him now for a god who a little before was honoured but as man And good encouragement Cleomenes the Deputie or over-seer of these edifices had to see them most accurately finished having a pardon for all his faults disloyall practises or publicke wrongâ— done by him to the Egyptian Nation vpon condition there were no fault in the Temples erected for Hephesitons honour If all did follow the patterne which Cleomenes in the first sacrifice would set them few of the auncient gods were like to goe before this new halfe god or heroicke The issue of Adrians immoderate loue vnto his minion Antinous whiles he liued was after his death superstitious fopperie altogether as grosse vnlesse perhaps it were tempered as some thinke with Necromanticall impietie An Oracle was erected to speake for him who could not now speake for himselfe albeit Oracles I take it at this time were dumbe but so much the fittâ—r for a dead dog as the name of God speld backward would best befit him and others of his profession his sepulcher was according to the Egyptian fashion he had a whole Citie called by his name And to establish an opinion of the Emperours authoritie to create gods a new starre was either seene or fained as if the heavens by this apparition had ratified this earthly Monarchs graunt or charter Perhaps some Comet might at the same time be presented by the Prince of the aire to delude the inhabitants of the earth 4. But leaving these grosse fooleries That generall fallacie which opened the first gappe to heathenish Idolatrie had a peculiar efficacy in men honourably addicted to their deceased worthies From conversion of the common notion that divine nature was beneficiall and good every great benefactor was by the rude and ignorant adored as god Now the warlike and valourous were by every Nation held best deservers of the
all like attempts by common course of nature did continually though insensibly grow more dangerous in the processe This originall of superstitious performances towards the dead hath beene set downe before and is particularly prosecuted by Chemnitius to whose labours I referre the Reader 3. Againe the sweete comfort which some auncients of blessed memory tooke in the consort of mutuall prayers whiles they lived together made them desirous that the like offices might be continued after their decease Hence some in their life times if my memory fayle me not did thus contract that such of them as were first called into the presence of God should solicite the others deliverance from the world and flesh and prosecute those suits by personall appearance in the Court of heaven which they had joyntly given vp in prayers and secret wishes of heart whiles they were absent each from other here on earth To be perswaded that such as had knowne our minds and beene acquainted with our houres of devotion whiles wee had civill commerce together might out of this memory after their dissolution take notice of our supplications solicite our cause with greater fervency than we can is not so grosse in the speculatiue assertion as daungerous in the practicall consequent But if magicall feats can put on colourable pretences and Magitians make faire shewes vnto the simple of imitating Gods Saints in their actions what marvaile if Romish Idolatrie having in latter yeares found more learned patrones than any vnlawfull profession ever did doe plead its warrant from speculations very plausible to flesh and bloud or from the example of some auncients the preiudiciall opinions of whose venerable authoritie and deserved esteeme in other points may with many prevent the examinatioÌ„ of any reasons which latter ages can being to impeach their imperfections in this Yâ—t experiments in other cases approved by all manifest the indefinite truth of this observation That such practises aâ— can no way blemish the otherwise deserved same of their first practitioners vsually bring forth reproach and shame to their vnseasonable or ill qualified Imitators Now the pardonable oversight or doubtfull speculations of some Auncients haue beene two waies much malignified by later Romanists first by incorporating the superfluitie of their Rhetorical inventions or eiaculations of swelling affections in panegyricall passages into the bodie of their divine service secondly by making such faire garlands as Antiquitie had woven for holy Saints true Martyrs Collarâ— as a French Knight in a case not much vnlike said for every beast or chaines for every dead dogs neâ—ke which had brought gaine vnto their Sanctuary Touâ—hing the former abuse the incorporating of theâ—oricall expressions of the Auncients affection towards deceased Worthies into the bodie of their divine service Bellarmine is not ashamed to Apologize for the solemne forme of their publicke authorized Liturgie by the passionate ejaculation of Nazianzen his poeticall wit in his panegyricall Oration for S. Câ—priuâ— and for his kinde acquaintance while she livâ—d with Basill the great It is enough as this Apologizing Oratour thinkes to acquit their service from superstition and themselues from irreligion that this Father who spake as they doe was one of the wisest Bishops Antiquitie could boast of As in granting him to be as wise as any other we should perhaps wrong but a few or none of the auncient Bishops or learned Fathers so we should much wrong Nazianzen himselfe if we tooke these passages on which Bellarmine groundeth his Apologie for any speciall arguments of his wisedome and gravitie Howbeit Nazianzen might without preiudice to his deserved esteeme for wisedome gravitie say much and for the manner not vnfitly of Cyprian and Basill which was no way fitting for latter Romane Bishops to say of their deceased Popes or for the Popes whilest they liued to speake of their deceased Bishops But such a sway hath corrupt custome got over the whole Christian world that looke what honor hath beene voluntarily done to men in office as due vnto their personall worth their successors will take deniall of the like or greater as a disparagement to their places albeit their personall vnworthinesse be able to disgrace the places wherein they haue liued and all the dignities that can be heaped vpon them Vpon this carnall humor did the mystery of iniquitie begin first to worke The choisest respect or reverence which had beene manifested towards the best of Gods Saints or Martyrs either privately out of the vsuall solecismes of affectionate acquaintance alwayes readie to entertaine men lately deceased with such louing remembrances as they had tendred them in presence or in publicke and anniversary solemnities for others encouragement vnto constancy in the faith were afterterwards taken vp as a civill complement of their Funerall rites or inioyned as a perpetuall honor to their birthdayes whom the Pope either of his owne free motion or at the request of secular Princes or some favorites would haue graced with famous memory Rome-Christian hath beene in this kinde more lavish than Rome-Heathen And as in great Cities it is a disparagement to any Corporation or Company to haue had few or no Majors or chiefe Magistrates of their Trade so in processe of time it became matter of imputation vnto some religious orders that they had not so many Canonized Saints as their opposits lesse observant of their Founders lesse strict rules could bragge of For want of such starres to adorne their sphere the order of the Carthusians otherwise famous for austeritie of life was suspected not to be celestiall The fault notwithstanding was not in the Carthusians or their Religion vnlesse a fault it were not to seeke this honor at the Popes hands who did grant it against their wills to one of their order and our Country-man at the King of Englands suite And left any part of Heathenish Superstition that had beene practised in the Romane Monarchie might be left vnparalled by like practises of the Romish Hierarchie as the Deification of Antinous was countenanced with feigned relations of a new starres appearance and other like Ethnicismes vsually graced by Oracles so were Revelations pretended in the Papacy to credit their sanctifications which stood in neede of some divine testimony to acquit their sanctitie from suspition 4. To giue the blessed Virgin a title vnto far greater honor then any Saint or other creature by their doctrine is capable of it hath beene maintained that she was conceived without originall sinne And wanting all warrant of Scripture or primitiue Antiquitie for this conceit they support it by revelations which must be beleeved as well as any Scripture if the Pope allow them By whose approbation likewise every private mans relation of miracles wrought by any suiter for a Saintship becomes more authentique than Apolloes Oracles by whose authoritie Hercules and other Heroickes were enioyned to be adored as gods amongst the Heathen 5. It was an ingenuous
of his second proposition That Saints are not immediate Intercessors for vs with God he proues by places of Scripture so pregnant that some of them directly disprooue all mediate or secondary Intercessors or Mediators as Coloss 1. It pleased God that in him should all fulnesse dwell If all fulnesse the fulnesse of mediation or intercession and absolute fulnesse excludes all consort As there is but one God so there is but one Mediator betweene God and man no secondary God no secondary Mediator 1. Ioh. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes the absolute fulnesse of propitiation And Ioh. 10. he enstileth himselfe the Doore and Way such a doore and such a way as no man may come vnto the Father but by Him This restriction in our Divinitie makes him the onely doore and the onely way not so in theirs For wee must passe through other doores that we may come to this onely immediate doore that is he is the onely doore whereby the Saints are admitted into Gods presence but Saints are necessary doores for our admission vnto him Opus est Mediatore ad mediatorem Were this Divinitie which they borrow from S. Bernard true they much wrong Aristotle and Priscian in calling him Immediatus Intercessor aut Mediator and are bound to right them by this or the like alteration of his title He is vnicus vltimus aut finalis Mediator He is the onely finall or last Mediator For a Mediator is not of one whence to be an immediate Mediator essentially includes an immediate reference to two parties Christ is no Mediator but betweene God and Man and betweene them he is no immediate Mediator vnlesse men haue as immediate accesse to him as he hath to God the Father As God he best knowes the nature and qualitie of every offence against the Deitie vnto what sentence every offender is by justice liable how far capable of mercy as man he knowes the infirmities of men not by hearesay or information but by experience and is readie to sollicite their absolution from that doome whose bitternesse is best knowne vnto him not at others request or instigation but out of that exact sympathie which he had with all that truely mourned or felt the heavinesse of their burden Whiles he was onely the sonne of God the execution of deserved vengeance was deferred by his intercession Nor did he assume our nature and substance that his person might be more favourable or that his accesse to God the Father might be more free and immediate but that wee might approach vnto him with greater boldnesse and firmer assurance of immediate audience than before we could He exposed our flesh made his owne to greater sorrowes and indignities than any man in this life can haue experience of to the end he might be a more compassionate Intercessor for vs to his Father than any man or Angell can be vnto him We need the consort of their sighes and groanes which are oppressed with the same burden of mortalitie here on earth that our ioynt prayers may pierce the heavens but these once presented to his eares neede no sollicitors to beate them into his heart Surely if the intercession of Saints had beene needfull at any time most needfull it was before Christs incarnation or passion when by the Romanists confession it was not in vse The sonne of God was sole Mediator then 4. As the impietie of their practises doth grieue my spirit so the dissonancy of their doctrine doth as it were grate and torture my vnderstanding while I contemplate their Apologies Sometimes they beare vs in hand that God is a great King whose presence poore wretched sinners may not approach without meanes first made to his domestique servants The conceipt it selfe is grossely Heathenish and comes to be so censured in the next Discourse Now seeing they pretend the fashion of preferring petitions to earthly Princes to warrant the forme of their supplications to the Lord of heaven and earth let vs see how well the patterne doth fit their practise Admitting the imitation were lawfull how could it iustifie their going to God immediately with these or the like petitions Lord I beseech thee heare the intercession of this or that Saint for me through Iesus Christ our Lord. What fitter interrogatories can I propose vnto these sacrilegious supplicants then Malachy hath vnto the like delinquents in his time If I be your Lord and King as you enstyle me where is my feare where is my honour saith the Lord of Hoastes to you Priests that despise my name and yet being chalenged of disloyaltie they scornefully demand Wherein haue Wee despised thy name Yee bring polluted offrings into my Sanctuary and yet yee say wherein haue wee polluted thy Sanctuary If yee offer such blind devotions as these is it not evill Offer them now to thy Governour to thy Prince or Soveraigne Will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hoastes He would either be thought to mock the King and come within iust censure of disloyaltie or els be mocked out of his skin by Courtiers that durst exhibite a petition in this forme vnto his Maiestie Vouchsafe I beseech you to pardon my offences against your Highnes and admit me into good place at the intercession of your Chauncellor Treasurer Chamberlaine or Controller in honor of this his birth-day for the Princes sake your sonne my good Lord and Master yet if we change onely the persons names this petition which could become none but the Princes foole to vtter differs no more from the forme of Popish prayers vpon Saints dayes then the words of Matrimony vttered by Iohn and Mary doe from themselues whilest vttered by Nicolas and Margaret The former respectlesse absurditie would be much aggravated if the Courtiers birthday whom the petitioner would haue graced with the grant of his petition should fall vpon the Kings Coronation day or when the Prince were married Of no lesse solemnitie with the Romanist is the feast of the Crosses invention it is Christs coronation or espousals and yet withall the birth-day of two or three obscure Saints whom they request God to glorifie with their owne deliverance from all perills and dangers that can betide them through Christ their Lord. This last clause must come in at the end of every prayer to no more vse than the mention of a certaine summe of mony doth in feoffements or deedes of trust onely pro formâ Praesta quoesumus omnipotens deus vt qui sanctorum tuorum Alexandri Eventij Theodoli atque 〈◊〉 â—nalis natalitia colimus a cunctis mâ—lis imminentibus eorum intercessionibus liberemur per Dominum c. Grant we beseech thee Almightie God that wee which adore the natiuitie of the Saints of Alexander Event Theod. and Iuuenal may by their intercession be delivered from all evills that hang over vs through Iesus Christ our Lord. To be delivered from evils at or by the intercession of such Saints is
holy Ghost or a mockery of him a sacrilegious put loyning of that which was brought vnto the Sanctuary and solemnly consecrated to the Lord of the Temple CHAPTER XXVI That the Worship which Sathan demanded of our Saviour was the very same wherewith the Romish Church worshippeth Saints that is Dulia not Latria according to their distinction That our Saviours answere doth absolutely prohibite the offering of this worship not onely to Sathan but to any person whatsoever besides God The truth of this assertion proued by S. Iohns authoritie and S. Peters 1. THe doctrine delivered in the former Chapter was a truth in olde times so cleare and so well approued by the constant practise of liuing Saints that the very quotation of that Law whereon wee ground it did put the Devill himselfe for the present to a non-plus But he hath bethought himselfe of new answers since and found opportunitie to distill his intoxicating distinctions into moderne braines through Iesuiticall quills Howsoever to eyes not darkned with the smoake of hell it will never take the least tincture of probabilitie much lesse any permanent colour of solid truth that the Tempter should demand cultum latriae as now it is taken by the Iesuites of our Saviour Or although he had set so high a price at the first word vpon so faire commodities as he proffered there could be no doubt of his readinesse to fall lower at the second rather than to hazzard the losse of his Market For he loues to play at small games rather than altogether to sit out And if the Iesuites answers to our arguments were currant their Master with halfe of one of their skill in Sophistrie might haue put ours to a new reply as he did him twice to a scriptum est It is written sayth our Saviour Thou shalt worship thy Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue True sayth the Iesuite cultu latriae for it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this kinde of worship exprest by the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our Adversaries doctrine is due to Saints What was it then which the Devill did expresly demand of our Saviour Latria or Dulia neither expresly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adoration But this Worship may be demanded vpon some higher style than befits Saints to accept or vse It may be demanded in testification of homage royall or in acknowledgment of the partie to whom it is tendred for Lord and Soveraigne of the parties which tender it To him that would thus reply the reioynder is readie out of the text for the Devill did not exact any externall signe of submission vnto himselfe as vnto the supreame disposer or prime fountaine of the temporall blessings which he promised The tenor of his promise was thus All this power will I giue thee and the glory of the kingdomes for that is delivered vnto me By whom questionlesse by some Superior more soveraigne Lord from whose right he sought to deriue his warrant to bestow them To whomsoever I will I giue it The warrant pretended in respect of the parties capable of the donation of it is very large but not without conditions to be performed by them If thou therefore wilt fall downe before me and worship me all shall be thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or falling downe before him being all the Tempter did demaund our Saviours reply had neither beene direct nor pertinent vnlesse the exclusiue particle onely be referred as well to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship or prostration as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or supreame service Is it then but a meere tricke of wit or poynt of Sophistrie without sinne thus palpably to divide that sense of Scripture which God had so closely joyned Is it a pettie presumption onely for a Iesuite to thinke he could haue caught the Devill more cunningly in his owne play or haue gone beyond him with a mentall reservation or evasion if the like proffer had beene made to him as was to our Saviour For this in effect is the Iesuites answer The Law forbids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely the Devill required onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore he demaunded nothing forbidden by the Law To be able thus to play fast and loose with the sacred bond of Gods Law at his pleasure or to loose the linke of absolute allegiance to supreame Maiestie with frivolous distinctions pretended from some slips of the Auncients is that wherein the Iesuite glories Such of this sublimated sect as stifly maintaine that not onely all Image-worship but all civill vse of Pictures was forbidden the Iewes are not ashamed to stand vpon the former glosse as the best rocke of their defence for maintaining the distinction between Dulia and Latria But the words of the Law are still the same and therefore can admit no distinction now which they might not then haue borne Howbeit were that Law abrogated so far as it concernes the vse of Images it could not disanull this new distinction were this grounded vpon any other pregnant Scripture but so grounded it is not it cannot be 2. Such as would blush at the former Glosse will perhaps reply that the lowest degree of any worship was more than the Devill had right to chalenge and more than might be tendred to him by any Intelligent creature The exception I graunt were good if our Saviour had onely refused to worship him because he was Gods enemy but it no way toucheth the reason of his refusall which is vniversally perpetuall For he tooke no notice of the Devils ill deserts but frames such an answer to the demaund it selfe as was to stand for an vnalterable expositiō of that indispensable Law in respect of every creature either tempting or tempted in like sort to the worlds end None may worship or serue any Creature with religious Worship all of vs must so worship and serue God alone The words of the Text it selfe as well in the Septuagint as in the Hebrew are no more than these Thou shalt feare thy Lord thy God and him shalt thou serue The super-eminent dignitie of the partie whose feare and service are enioyned doth in our Saviours Logicke make the indefinite Forme of the Commaundement fully aequivalent to this vniversall Negatiue No man may tender any act of religious feare worship or service to any man or Angell to any thing in heaven or earth or in the regions vnder the earth but onely to him who made all who is Lord of all whom all are bound to feare and worship with all their hearts with all their soules and all their might And of all kindes of religious feare or service Cultus duliae is either most improperly or most impiously tendred to Saints and Angels For though as in Gods house there be many Mansions so no doubt there be severall degrees or rankes of Attendants yet the highest and the lowest members of Christs mysticall body are brethren the
a solemne invitation of infernall ghosts to keepe residence about them These are the Harpies which defile Gods service and devoure the peoples offrings which their inchanted Priests would perswade them were presented to accepted by Gods Saints To thinke the Saints should be permitted to receiue our particular petitions and not be permitted to returne their particular answers or not be enabled as freely to communicate their mindes to vs as we to impart our desires to them is an imaginatiō so grosse that it can haue no ground either of faith or common reason Wee may retort Bellarmines and his Consorts arguments for invocation of Saints vpon themselues That the Saints whom they invocate doe not impart their mindes vnto their supplicants in such particular manner as their supplicants impart their desires to them it is either because they will not or they cannot To say they will not if they can is to impeach them of pride or want of charitie to say they cannot is to slander them with impotencie or with want of favour with God For He that enables them as they suppose He doth to heare vs speak from earth to heaven can questionlesse enable them so to speake or expresse themselues that wee might heare them from heaven to earth It is but one and the same branch of his infinite power and goodnesse to giue Saints deceased the like vse and exercise of spirituall tongues as He graunts them by the Romanists doctrine of spirituall eares CHAPTER XXVIII The Romish Church in her publicke Liturgies expressely giues those glorious titles vnto Saints vnto which no other reall worship besides the worship of Latria is answerable 1. SEeing as well prayers in the first place directed vnto Saints as these which they tender immediately vnto God vpon Saints dayes are offered vp in honor of the Saints in the same place wherein and with the same externall signes of observance wherewith they solemnly worship God what note of difference haue they left to distinguish themselues from grosse Idolaters Onely the internall conceipt which they haue of divine excellency as much greater then Angelicall dignitie But how shall we know this different esteeme of God of Christ and of his Saints to be truely seated in their hearts without open confession of the mouth making some distinction in the solemne and publicke profession of allegiance to both Is the forme then of their devotion to God and Christ as accurately distinguished by any soveraigne title from their supplications vnto Saints as petitions to Kings and Princes are from petitions made vnto their officets One of the most peculiar titles of Christ as Mediator by Bellarmines confession is that in the tenth of Iohn Ego sum ostium I am the doore for from this attribute he proues him to be the only immediate Mediator If He who is the doore be the onely immediate Mediator what manner of Mediatrix must shee be which is the gate the blessed gate by which the righteous enter Did he conceiue his second proposition before mentioned in termes more wary then we were aware of Sancti non sunt immediati intercessores Saints are not our immediate intercessors but some Saintesse may make immediate intercession For so they pray vnto the blessed Virgine Ave maris stella Dei mater alma Atque semper virgo Foelix coeli porta Haile starre of the Sea Gods sweete Mother and Mate Everlasting Virgine Heavens happie gate And yet it seemes they make her withall the foundation or foundresse of our faith for so it followeth in the same hymne Funda nos in pace Yea the fountaine of sanctification from whose fullnesse we receiue grace for grace Virgo singularis Intra omnes mitis Nos culpis solutos Mites fac castos Vitam praesta puram Iter para tutum Of Virgines the very prime and floure Whose brest of meekenesse is the bowre From guilt vs free which soule doth waste And make oh make vs meeke and chaste Our liues vouchsafe first to make pure Next that our Iourney proue secure And because God is called the King of heaven and Father of mercy who hath the issues of death in his hands shee must be entitled the Mother of mercy c. Maria mater gratiarum Mater misercordiae Tu nos ab hoste protege Et horâ mortis suscipe Mary of grace Mother milde Who hast mercie for thy childe Hide and saue vs from our foe When from bodies soules shall goe From this her milde and mercifull temper they hope it seemes that shee is able to let some into heaven by the window which may not be allowed to come in by the ordinary doore or foregate Coeli foenestra facta es Officium B Mariae c. The attributes of Wisedome Ecclus the 24. are sung or sayd as part of her honour Ab initio ante secul creata sum vsque ad futurum seculum non desinam et i◠habitatione sancta coram ipso ministravi Of this stamp◠is that Hymne to the Apostles cited by Bellarmine without blushing Lib. de Beatitud Sanct. cap. 17. Quorum praecepto subditur Salus languor omnium Sanate aegros moribus Nos reddentes virtutibus By whose decree all like or pine To soule-sicke Patients health resigne And vnto Vertue vs incline But more sacrilegious by much is that Hymne vnto S. Iohn so well knowne and so common that the notes for Plaine-song were taken out of it vt re mi fa sol la which we might haue just cause to mislike did not the syllables sound otherwise extra dictionem than in dictione they did Vt queant laxis Resonare fibris Mira gestorum Famuli tuorum Solve peccantis Labij reatum Sancte Iohannes That with free hearts thy servants may Thy wondrous Acts and prayse display From sinnefull lips guilt take away O Holy Saint Iohn Did not such as first conceived or commonly vsed this song intend to honour S. Iohn with the best kinde of worship that was in their breasts when they desire their hearts and soules may be purified to the end they might more clearely sound forth his prayse Could the sweet Singer of Israel haue consecrated his best devotions in more solemne sort vnto God then these words imply In as much as wee never reade that S. Iohn did either send downe fire from Heaven or cause the mouths of these Priests of Bell to be stopt with haire and pitch this is to me and will be vnto the vnpartiall Reader a better argument that this blessed Saint did never heare those or like prayers directed vnto him than the Romish Church shall be able to bring That Saints deceased are ordinarily acquainted with mens petitions or desires in particular Yet vnto all these many like we must expect no answere but one but that wee may well expect should be a sound one and worthy the noting Est ergò notandum cum dicimus non deberi peti à sanctis nisi vt orent
lawfull What difference there is betweene kissing of the booke in solemne oaths and the Romanists salutations of Images That Image-worship cannot be warranted by Iacobs annointing the stone or other ceremonies by him vsed 1. REferring the discussion of Authorities alleaged in favour or dislike of Image-worship to the explication of that commandement wherein this controversie hath his proper seat the onely reason either worth their paines to fortifie or ours to oppugne is that generall one wheron Vasques grounds his Apologie for adoration of Images and reliques And it is this Every creature of God seeing none are destitute of his presence none without some print of his power may be adored in such a manner as he prescribes Nulla est res mundi ex sententia Leontij quem saepius citavimus quam sincerè adorare non possumus in ipsa Deum lib. 3. disp 1. cap. 2. Cum quaelibet res mundi sit opus Dei et in ea Deus continuò sit et operetur faciliùs in ea ipsum cogitare possumus quà m virum sanctum in veste c. There is nothing in the vniversall world which by the opinion of Leontius often cited wee may not sincerely adore and God in it And againe Seeing every thing in the world is Gods handie worke in which he continually resides and worketh wee may with better facilitie consider God in it than an holy man in his weed or garment The same reason he further fortifies by this instance Si enim Iacob Genes 28. erexit lapidem in titulum vnxitque oleo per illum in illo Deum adoravit post quam eo loco mirabilem visionem in somnijs vidit et expergefactus dixit vere locus iste sanctus est non quòd in eo loco aliquid sanctitatis esse putaret sed quod in eo loco sanctus Deus apparere dignatus est cur quaeso non poterit quisque rect â syncerâ fide Deum in qualibet re intimè praesentem considerans in ipsà cum ipsâ adoraâ—e hoc animo sibi in titulum recordationem erigere c. If Iacob did erect a stone for a monument and annoint it with oyle if in this monument so erected he adored God after he had seene a miraculous vision in that place if vpon his awaking he sayd This place is truely holy not that he thought there was any holinesse inherent in it but because the holy Lord had there vouchsafed to appeare why I pray you may not every man by faith sound and sincere consider God as intimately present in every thing that is and adore God with it and in it and with this intention make choice of what creature he list for a monument or remembrancer of Gods presence Praeterea creatura irrationalis et inanimata potest esse materia iuramenti qui est actus religionis ita vt dum per illam iuramus nullam aliam in ipsa veritatem agnoscamus quà m divinam nec ipsam vt superiorem nobis in testem vocemus sed Deum cuius veritas in ipsa relucet Idemque dixit Dominus Math. 5. Nolite iurare per coelum quia Dei thronus est neque per terram quia c. quaevis ergò creatura poterit esse materia adorationis quae non ad ipsam secundum se sed ad Deum in illa terminetur The reasonlesse and liuelesse creature may be the matter of an oath which is an act of Religion so that whilest wee sweare by it wee acknowledge no other truth in it besides the divine truth nor doe wee call the creature by which wee sweare to witnesse as if it were our superior but God onely whose truth shines in it And seeing our Saviour hath said as much in these words Math. 5. Sweare not by the heavens because it is the throne of God nor by the earth because it is his footestoole therefore every creature may be the matter of adoration which neverthelesse is not directed or terminated to the creature as it is a creature but vnto God in the creature From these suppositions he elswhere inferres that as we may worship God in every creature wherein he is present and coadore the creature with him that is in his language exhibite signes of submission or reverence to it our of that internall adoration in spirit which we owe onely vnto God so men may worship S. Peter or S. Paul in their Images with Dulia and coadore their Images with them with such externall signes of submission as the internall worship of Dulia would outwardly expresse vnto them were they present Many learned expositours are so farre from granting every creature to be the obiect of a lawfull oath that they hold it vnlawfull vpon what occasion soever to sweare by any Yet besides the slipperinesse or questionable soliditie of his supposed ground the frame of his inference from it is so concise and imperfect that in stead of an answer we might without â—â—â—ng dismisse it with this Item Goe and learne your message better and you shall haue audience But because it is a stranger in our coasts and seemes to conceiue more than it well expresseth we will allow it the benefit of an Interpreter to acquaint it with our customes Now might it be admitted into our courts of Iustice I suppose it would plead that the Romish Church doth no otherwise divide her devotions betweene God or his Saints and their Images than we Protestants doe solemne oaths which many of vs grant as Vasques presumes to be acts of religious worship betwixt God and the sacred booke which we kisse For if we truely reverence it for the relation which it hath to God but with an inferiour kinde of reverence and submission than wee owe to God This will make strongly for that manner of Image-worship which Bellarmine and Sacroboscus commend to vs. Or if out of that internall reverence and submission of minde which we beare onely towardes God we deriue this outward signe of reverence to the booke not that we acknowledge it in it selfe though not of it selfe capable of any respect or submission of minde but onely reverencing God in it as in a visible and liuely pledge of his presence wee shall hardly be able to make any better plea for this solemne custome against the accusations of the Anabaptists than Vasques hath done for kissing and saluting Images 2. Few things are in colour more like to honey than sope or gall though none more vnlike in tast And these instances though they may seeme to haue some similitude at first appearance will vpon a more particular tryall easily appeare most dislike First if we speake of particular oaths given onely for satisfaction of men they include or presuppose a religious profession of our allegiance vnto God as to our supreame Iudge they are not such proper acts of his service as supplications thanksgivings and solemne vowes are The true end and vse of their
God-head included in it a conceipt of happiest life Iupiter himselfe by whose provident care and magnificence the securitie and good estate of all the rest was procured and their necessities abundantly furnished could not in their opinions sufficiently enjoy himselfe or be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without associates Hence they imagined such a corresspondency between him and other gods or goddesses of meaner ranke as is betweene the father of every familie his wife and children and other domestickes or as is betweene the chiefe of every Tribe or Clan and his alliance or dependants or at the best such as is betweene Princes and the severall orders of their Nobilitie All the difference for the most part apprehended by them consisted rather in the diversitie of degree or order than in any difference of nature Parallel to their severall notions of felicitie whether private or publique were as well the nature and attributes of the greatest God as his manner of governement proportioned The forme of celestiall regiment was by most voyces held Monarchicall or Royall because that by consent of Nations was esteemed best Howbeit in as much as Tyrannicall abuse of Kingly authoritie had made it odious it seemed good to haue it tempered in heaven as it vsually was on earth by admixture of Aristocraticall Subpeeres by Tribunitiall inhibitions of fates or intercession of other imaginary powers supposed as absolute for some particular purposes as Ioue himselfe was for right disposing the vniversall Such as held externall feature no small part of their felicitie imagined the Gods and Goddesses to be of most rare and admirable feature But the belly had neither eyes nor eares nor can it be pleased with pleasant sonets though of feastings or with fairest pictures of daintiest meates Men pinched with hunger or ready to perish for want of looking to haue small desire of wealth or greatnesse saue onely for bettering their fare or attendāce Such smell-feasts as Homer was or rather such as he sought to please or set forth vnto vs conceived the life of their Gods to be such as themselues would haue led had they beene in their place The greatest part of heavenly joy seemed to consist in the quintessence of such delicates as they had seene or tasted or in the magnificent varietie of royall service Not much better was the degenerate Iewes conceipt of the sacrifice appointed by their God For that reproofe Thinkest thou that I will eate the flesh of Bulls or drinke the bloud of Goats seemes to argue a like faultinesse in them of measuring the Almighties delight by their owne appetite 2. Others out of a Philosophicall derision of high prized vanities or superfluities transformed the nature of the Gods into that disposition which liked them best Vacancy from care was the body innoxious merriment or recreation the soule of that happinesse which they affected as their portion in this life the whole world was to them but a stage wherein Princes and Statesmen served as Actors the alteration of States and Kingdomes but matter of Comoedie to feede their phantasies and passe the time Agreeable to this humor their opinion was that the chiefe vse or care the Gods had of men of best wit place or fashion was no other than men had of Apes or Munkeies or then great ones haue of fooles and jesters or Lords of misrules which kinde of ridiculous creatures are oft-times better kept and attended then befits their qualitie meerely for their sport that maintaine them 3. Such as had rightly valued the secret joy of contemplation in regard of all other contentments or solaces of mortalitie rested secure they had done the divine nature no wrong but grace rather in admitting it to be chiefe sharer in this kind of pure delight Aristotle thinkes that if the sweetnesse of that ioy which somtimes had raught his spirits could be continued fresh and liuely without interruption of contrary disturbances defatigation or satietie it might make vp so full a measure of felicitie as might well befit the principall mouer or supreme disposer of the heavenly Orbes that is the supreme power which he knew or did acknowledge 4. Out of the grossest speculations of heathen concerning God much matter of no vulgar consequence might be extracted Howbeit the best of their wisedome was alwayes mingled with folly and the purest truth that can be found in their writings still detained in vnrighteousnesse As in that booke De Mundo ad Alexandrum ascribed to Aristotle by greater authorities of the auncient then will easily be overswayed by noetericall Criticismes or moderne coniectures how many passages be there consonant to Christian truth about the vnitie the wisedome and glory of the God-head and yet while he seekes to surpasse himselfe in exemplifying the excellency of divine Maiestie he finally transformes it into the corrupt likenesse of the Persian Monarchie To reserue causes of principall importance to the Prince referring others of ordinary moment to the inferior Iudges was a point of wisedome apprehended by the auncient heathen yet quickly assented vnto by Moses the man of God and chiefe governour of his people This advise which he followed vpon necessitie was afterwards entertained by secular Princes as the mother of ease or nurse of pleasure by many improved to the maintenance of their Maiestie The author of the former booke could measure the Persian Monarches greatnesse by multitude of subiects and amplitude of dominions But to match these with an equall extent of provident care for the good of most particulars was to diminish his pompe or glory a great impeachment to his happinesse Glorious and happie he rather seemed in this that having the absolute commaund of so many he needed to trouble himselfe with the governance onely of some few Provinces by nature more choyse and delicate much beautified by art as so many pleasant gardens to entertaine his royall presence with varietie of delight The charge and over-sight of others affording lesse solace and more toyle was assigned to Vicegerents whose accompts if called they were at any time to account were as speedily dispatched as the briefe instructions for their proceedings were given This over-prizing the contentments of Monarchicall life whose practise could plead no warrant besides the limited perfection of humane excellency occasioned a like transfiguration of the divine Maiestie as well in the Latines as in the Graecians Magna Dij curant parva negligunt Cic. 2. de natura Deorum prope finem The Gods haue a care of great matters but neglect the smaller Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Iovi He who had made the earth and all therein must leaue the charge and government of it and all the rest of this inferior tumultuous Globe as little beseeming so great a Maiestie vnto his Angells or Deputie-gods The super coelestiall region must be to him as was Susa or Ecbatana to the Persian Kings not onely the sole garden of his delight or totall sphere of his residence but the compleat horizon of
In this latter God himselfe is made the sworn patron of murther incest and all manner of crueltie the heavenly regiment of his Church on earth is transformed into a Machievillian tyrannie not contented to haue stained the beauty of the spouse lest her deformities being openly descried should publickly be detested they seek in latter dayes to disfigure the bridegroome and with the wicked one in the Psalmist misdeeme their Redeemer to be like vnto them because he holds his peace at these abominations impiously presuming that in the day of finall judgement Christ shall ratifie whatsoever the Pope ex cathedrâ hath determined as if your judgement for this infidelitie or their credulitie that herein beleeue you were not alreadie past as if Gods vengeance did sleepe while he were silent This point though prosecuted vpoÌ„ other occasioÌ„s more at large before I could not in this place so quickly leaue were it not that I shall haue cause to meete with it with fuller indignation hereafter For I will yet pray against this their wickednesse from which this Land can never be sufficiently purged vntill the whole seduced flocke be constrained by severe execution of wholesome lawes to doe publique penance in their Apostaticall Pastors and blasphemous seducers ashes CHAPTER XLIII Of particular transformations or misperswasions of divine goodnesse alike common to the corrupt professors of true Religion as to the zoâ—lous professors of corrupt Religion 1. GRossenesse in opinions solemnly avouched reduced to method or instamped with the publique seale of authoritie is easily discovered by all to whom long accustomance hath not made their poyson in a sort familiar or as part of daily foode Every punie rightly catechized in the points of doctrine publickely established in our Church can clearely discerne the late mentioned or other like transformations of the Deitie whether Heathenish or Romanish But did each of vs privately vse the orthodoxall forme of wholesome doctrine publiquely professed as a true glasse for discovering as well the obliquitie of our owne practicall resolutions as the errors of others knowne opinions most of vs might see just cause to thinke that we did secretly wrong the divine essence no lesse than they doe whom we condemne of open sacriledge and idolatrie No mans passions in this life can be so moderate if happily immoderate loue of his moderatenesse make him not so partiall as not to obserue them but may affoord him experimentall grounds of this conclusion There is no habituall exorbitance of desire or affection but secretly works a Parallell transfiguration of the Deitie no staine or foule deformitie in life or manners whereto wee giue indulgence and dispensation but will cast the like aspersion vpon the immaculate Maiestie To imagine him that is the best of all to be like vs in those things which we best like or most approue is an error almost inseparable from the corruption of our nature oftimes rather lopped than vtterly extirpated by infusion of grace 2. Dispositions by nature austere and rigid or otherwise by height of place emboldned to practise severitie as the supporter of awe and reverence or as an Antidote against contempt conceipt no sacrifice so acceptable vnto God as strict execution of lawes for the most part preposterously partiall and severe And if the great Moderator of heaven and earth permit the accomplishment of their designes he is apprehended as a favourer of their desires What seemes good to them the same once effected is intertained as an effect of divine goodnesse So Saul would make God the author and approver of the Ziphits kindnesse towards himselfe and bestow a blessing vpon them as presuming of the Lords consent Blessed be yee of the Lord for yee haue compassion on me when as not the least degree of compassion or kindnesse towards him but was extreme crueltie against poore David a man after Gods owne heart And it is a point very questionable Whether the deformedly zealous or hard-hearted Magistrate I meane no Atheist or the Iewes that offered their children vnto Molech do God more wrong The one mistooke the father of murther and crueltie for a God the other make the onely and true God which hath no pleasure in sacrifice or burnt offerings to be delighted in bloud not of Bulles and Goates but of poore and miserable men Every rigid exactor of his owne whether by vsing the permitted benefit of humane law or misconstrued warrant of lawes divine disfigures his Creator and makes him a God of justice onely On the other side such as are ready to kill themselues and their friends with kindnesse frame a God of mercy and bountie vtterly dismembred of justice of indignation and severitie The dissolute and wanton condemne even necessary austeritie of discipline or any set rules of life of Pharisaisme or enimitie against Christ whom by the same error they misconceiue to be much what like themselues though no consort of their riotous or dissolute courses yet one that will saue them sooner than most of such as seeme more holy For did he not open heaven gates to Publicans and open sinners when they were shut to Scribes Pharisees But alas poore soules they consider not that Publicanes and notorious sinners found mercy vnsought for to the end that succeeding ages how great soever their offences were should not despaire to finde it when they diligently sought it Though God haue mercy in as great store for vs as for these first Converts of the Gentiles yet may we not desire it by such extraordinary meanes as they had it Wee in the search of it must frame our liues to the patterne which they had set vs after it had found them They meeting with it tooke a solemne farewell of their former sinnefull courses so then mercy shewed to them when they were alients from faith and blasphemers of the truth did bring forth true repentance And all our hopes of mercy or perswasions of actuall being in the state of grace vnlesse they be mingled with a correspondent measure of true repentance are but the painted fruits of Pharisaicall and Iewish blasphemie To the former sort of these delinquents to the rigid and hard-hearted offender he will declare himselfe to be such as they secretly imagine him to be a God of judgement without mercy because they haue shewed no mercy to their brethren To the latter to the dissolute and presumptuous he will approue himselfe such as they expect not his iustice which they least feare will sodainely overtake them while his mercy with which they haue dallied shall flie from them 3. It is hard for any man seasoned with the rudiments of Christian faith to haue his heart so full stuft with malice as shall leaue no confused notion of Christian charitie in his head with whose abstract beautie or amiable aspect simply considered the most wicked are enamoured But as the naturall knowledge of God was by the Heathen so the notions of his graces are still detained in vnrighteousnesse by Christians in
God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee When thou sawest a theefe then thou consentedst with him and hast beene partaker with Adulterers Thou giuest thy mouth to evill and thy tongue frameth deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slaunderest thine owne mothers sonne These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy selfe but I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thine eyes And if yee call him Father saith the Apostle which without respect of persons iudgeth according to every mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare 5. Many excellent sayings much what to the same effect with the former hath Nyssene in the Treatise alledged none more homogeneall to my last observation then his censure of such as desire God to avenge their quarrells or plague their enemies This as was late said is to make him a monster or as much as in vs lies to torture him whilest we labour to worke him to be of a quite contrary disposition towards others than we desire he should beare towards our selues Doth a fountaine at the same eye or outbursting send forth sweete water and bitt◠But they which thus pray striue by one and the same breath to quench and kindle the wrath of God The issue of their prayers is That he who is Lord and maker of all to whom the destruction of many cannot be more commodious than the weale and safetie of all should be as a consuming fire or malignant starre to some but as a sweete gleaming Spring Sunne to warme and cherish others And yet much happier were this age than any before it hath beene wore not the incomprehensible goodnesse of Omnipotent power more prejudiced by some moderne Catechismes or Theologicall explications of his nature and attributes than by the vncharitable prayers of the Heathen or of rude and vncatechized Christians Their errors or vnwarrantable glosses shall by Gods assistance elswhere be severed as well from the auncient orthodoxall truth as from the sacred Texts whereon they seeke to ground their doctrine both being vsually corrupted or their puritie not discerned by reason of their commixture with mans corruption or the aspersiōs which it cast vpon them At this time we onely take opportunitie to draw the poyson of their opinions rather than their opinions themselues vnto the same head whereto the former corrupt humors haue beene gathered CHAPTER XLIIII Of misperswasions concerning Iustice and Mercie divine 1. THere is in all of vs by nature and it is the remedilesse remainder of our first Parents pride a greater desire to be great than to be good by the strength of this exorbitancy or sinister sway of inbred appetite men of higher place or estimation for the most part become more willing to do that whence their inferiors may receiue wrong than to haue the case disputed or their credit called in question whether the harme redounding to others from their peremptory resolutions be in its nature a wrong or rather a necessary effect of just authoritie The aspersion which this corruption of nature secretly casts vpon the Almightie is that he may yea doth predestinate most soules created by him to an endlesse life more miserable than this mortall life whereof some through sicknesse others through age most through one or other miseries are often wearie that he did preordaine Adams fall as an vnavoydable meanes for accomplishing this his irresistible will and that all this may be done without any impeachment to his infinite justice goodnesse or mercy so solemnly avouched and much magnified in Scriptures Peremptory positions or determinations to this purpose are in these mens judgements farre more safe than to question though but for private satisfaction or resolution whether Gods absolute dominion over all creatures may fully acquit him from all suspition of wrongfull or hard vsing these supposed sonnes of reprobation The rigor of this opinion in part occasioned by this meanes findes opportunitie of enlarging it selfe in men either more inclined or better able to effect what they purpose by strong hand then to forecast the certaine atchieuements of their purposes by multiplicitie of meanes severally sufficient and all in their kinde moderate and iust For from this preiudiciall approbation of those courses as best which breede them least trouble in dispatch of private businesses they passe over their assent without further examination to a misgrowne branch of the former doctrine That Gods absolute decree for manifesting his glory is like their peremptory resolutions for accomplishing what they intemperately affect And these know no tenor but one Thus it shall be and no otherwise Such they are as leaue no varietie of meanes no possibilitie of choyce or indifferencie for their instruments or actors Yet were the course of every secondary agent so infallibly levelled by the first cause to those determinate effects which they produce as that they could not without violation of the law whereto his absolute will hath tyed them be inclined to any other the perpetuall operation of an infinite wisedome would be superfluous to the continuall governemen◠of heaven and earth Wisedome more than ordinary perhaps greater than Aristotle required in his principall Mouer might seeme requisite for the first ordering or fixing the severall branches of the vnresistible power vpon their determined and appointed ends vnto which notwithstanding being once indissolubly chained the number of effects possible being in this opinion no more then are determinately and inevitably future the same wit or skill which serues to keepe a clocke would without further improuement abundantly suffice to order the whole course of nature to guide and moderate the everlasting revolutions of time 2. Some offend as lately hath beene debated in seeking to inlarge Gods iustice by subtracting from his mercy or contrariwise every one semblably to the suggestions of his peculiar disposition The fault properly issuing from the confluence of these humors last touched is an extension of his power beyond the circuit of his wisedome and other attributes of like infinite extent which in vndoubted consequence is to restraine and bridle that power which they would seeme aboue others to enlarge from extending so far as reason with out Scripture may rightly conceiue the force and efficacie of the first cause may reach As we may not giue his honour to men or graven Images so may we not robbe one of his attributes to enrich another Although to speake as the truth in this case requires he that minisheth any one attribute doth in conclusion maime the rest 3. The severall places or instances of Scriptures whereon the diversitie of opinions concerning Gods loue or hate to his creatures is grounded I must hereafter warily touch and examine with that humilitie which becomes every true Christian especially such a meane member of the English
glorious Monarchies or Kingdomes here on earth still bragging as if they expected every next morning should be their coronation day as if they would make the world beleeue the Sunne did daily rise to grace or attend their reespousalls to their glorious God These are the ofspring of those somtimes virgins but foolish ones who having out-slept the time of the Bridegroomes comming haue not till this day beene able to repaire their lampes but since his departure haue sate in perpetuall darknesse bringing forth children in such deepe mid-night sleepe that the slumber cannot to this day be shaken out of their eyes nor their braines delivered of this hereditary drowsinesse 5. Many partakers they haue in this phrensie from originalls much what the same or very like For from a reason not much vnlike vnto the cause of dreames it is that externall noyses oftimes consort so well with internall musings as if the one were but the tune and the other the dittie or one the base and the other the treble Perhaps the sound either starts some notion afresh or causeth vs in this temper to resume our former thoughts whence we imagine it tels vs as it were by word of mouth what it onely suggests by naturall motion And sometimes as if we meant to saue our selues a labour or spare our breath which would be spent in speaking we tacitely articulate the sounds of bells or other tuneable bodies as if they did audibly speak what we inwardly muse Musing and dreaming are of neare alliance the fancy in both is apt to weaue in every circumstance or occurrent that hath the least semblance or connexion with the principall matter represented or thought vpon In dreames the principall or judicatiue sense is so bound with sleepe that it cannot examine intimations given by the fantasie In musing the phantasie is so contracted within it selfe that it can neither receiue instructions from the vnderstanding nor giue it perfect information from representations made by externall senses But from what originall soever these erroneous imaginations or fallacies proceed they insinuate themselues after the same manner into such as dreame and such as rather muse than meditate vpon Scripture Nor is there any other meanes to prevent their insinuations besides vigilant and attentiue alacritie to sift and examine every circumstance by setting our imaginations a-worke to countersway our extemporary conceites or apprehensions with all contrary inducements possible He that thinkes on nothing but on confirming his owne conclusions or apprehensions will quickly perswade himselfe the word of God specially if he heare it alledged or see it quoted by others speakes just so as he thinkes and proffers it selfe as a witnesse to giue testimony viva voce to the truth of his present cogitations To the superstitious Palmester or Chiromancer that saying of Moses Exod. 13. And it shall be a signe vnto thee vpon thine hand c. and that in Iob. cap. 37. vers 7 Qui in manu omnium hominum signat vt noâ—int omnes opera sua sound as fundamentall theoremes of the art which he professeth that is of making such prognostications of all the changes and chaunces incident to this mortall life by inspection of the lines or wrinckles in the palmes of mens handes as the Astrologer doth change of weather or of mens fates or fortunes by observing the positions or aspect of starres Generally braines apt to busie themselues with curious thoughts or scrupulosities frame such compositions of sacred lines as men in phrensie or other like grievous distemper do out of scrabled walls or painted cloaths The one makes foolish or monstrous pictures of true colours the other drawes senselesse and ridiculous inferences out of divine and supernaturall Antecedents Vnlesse I had compared the marginall quotations of some Anabaptisticall and schismaticall discourses with the Text and both with the conclusions intended by their authors I should hardly haue conceived it as possible for a man to speake nothing but Gospell and yet to speak scarce a true or wise word 6. This kinde of dreaming temper in many hinders the breaking out of the former generall seedes of errour vnto whose workings inwardly it vsually affords advantage and opportunitie Desire of proper excellency is a disease hardly cured in any and oft-times workes most indefatigably where it workes most secretly In many it seemes altogether mortified when it is onely stifned by being cut shorter or gathers strength by contraction to a smaller roome To excell others in many points men of this disposition will not striue to be excelled in most they can suffer with patience Gods gifts of wit of learning and judgement they will admire magnifie as much as any in others whose industrie and opportunities of increasing their talent in sacred negotiations they cannot but acknowledge greater then their owne yet will they not in conclusion be perswaded that any man not of their owne sect or disposition knowes so much of Gods eternall will purpose as they doe Others generall skill in Scriptures if it be great is for this reason alone suspected to be vnsanctified The stronger the reasons brought against them be the forwarder are they to appeale from reason vnto Scripture as if grace did abolish as well the life or remnant of natures integritie as her corruptions as if Gods law or written word did rather obliterate than refine quicken the imperfect characters or liuelesse lineaments of natures law written in our hearts Thus to abandon the helpe of Arts and naturall reason in this search they haue good reason if wee respect the end whereat their desires covertly ayme For Arts and reason being once excluded from examination or tryall of sacred mysteries their irrationall and surd conceits of Scriptures sense in particulars which they stand vpon may be as well esteemed as the most forcible deductions that can be drawne from the fundamentall Maximes of Religion or conclusions exactly remonstratiuely parallel'd to the rule of faith If allegations of sacred authority might once by multitude of mens voices thus affected be taken by number rather than by waight to refute the Anabaptist the Separatist or maintainers of other moderne errours would be a matter so much the harder as the refuter is more judicious For the better his judgement is the more accurately will he search or sift such circumstances as at first fight wedde these mens perswasions to their owne dreames or fancies To avoyde their fallacies the Reader is to remember that their modestie in some cases no way acquits them from imputation of extreme pride and insolency in many points of Christianitie Few there be so transcendently conceited of themselues but will yeeld to knowne professors of those faculties wherin they are not conversant So on the other side not many there are that will not stand vpon their skill in those particulars whereto they haue beene wholly addicted or long imployed in It is no marvaile then if such as for expounding greatest mysteries haue wholly betaken themselues
acknowledged by many to be the onely God from the former opinion became answerable to as many names as the world had principall parts and vpon diversitie of relations to effects or motioÌ„s presumed to issue from his amiable or liue presence subdivided into both sexes tearmed Neptune in the sea Liber in the vineyard Vulcan in the Smiths forge and Vagitanus in the Infants mouth in the aire Iuno in the earth Tellus Venilia in the sea-waue whilest current to the land Salatia in the same waue reciprocating The meere varietie of names or alteration of the sexe or gender would naturally suggest a multiplicity of gods and goddesses vnto the ignorant so would the diverse formes or shapes of those bodies whereof they imagined him to be the soule and spirit vnto the learned specially seeing the motions or operations of the elements or other inferior bodies haue no such vitall dependance vpon any one or few principall parts of the world as in man all other members with their functions haue on the heart the head and liver or perhappes all originally on the heart And yet the evident prerogatiue of these three parts hath perswaded great Philosophers to allot three severall soules really and locally distinct to each principall part one From which opinion it would with probability follow that in one man there should be three living creatures A plant a sensitiue and a rationall substaÌ„ce And Varro the most learned amongst the Romanes graunts that the auncient Romanes did worship mother Tellus Ops Proserpina and Vesta for distinct goddesses Though these titles in his refined Theologie rather imported so many severall vertues of the earth whose soule or spirit was but one And not absurdly as he thought might other goddesses be reduced to this olde Grandame Tellus But S. Austine demaunds how this can stand with the doctrine of his auncestors which had ordained severall rites to all these as vnto goddesses in nature different and consecrated peculiar votaries vnto Vesta It is not all one for one goddesse to haue many names and to be many goddesses or shall multiplicitie and vnitie be avouched of one and the same It may be saith Varro that in one many may be contained but this avoydes not the intended checke Saint Austine replies That as in one and the same man there may be many entities not many men so in one and the same goddesse there might be severall vertues not severall goddesses Varroes attempt to justifie his forefathers iolly and reconcile their grosse ignorance with his learned errors evidently bewrayes whose successors the Iesuites or other quaint moderne refiners of Schoole Paganismes are which hope to salue the contradictions of their doating forefathers and erring councells and patch vp the vnitie of their broken and divided Church by Schoole glue or Philosophicall querks 3. But concerning the animation of the world and its severall parts the opinions of Philosophers varied and their variation caused varietie of Idolatrie Every body had a peculiar spirit or genius besides Iupiter to whom the moderation of all was assigned whence we may without breach of charitie suppose the worshipping of dumbe and sencelesse creatures to haue beene a practise though wicked in all yet not altogether so brutish and sencelesse in some heathen as it is often generally censured without distinction For even the elements or inanimate creatures which they adored had in the opinion of some Philosophers their proper spirits though not to informe them as our soules doe our bodies yet to assist or guard them each of which spirits was held divine and indued with some peculiar power or vertue for producing or averting certaine effects proportionable to the bodies Authors for skill as well practicke as speculatiue not easie to be deceived and for their gravitie and morall honestie exempt from all suspition of purposed deluding others haue related strange apparitions about Mines The like might seduce some heathen to adore gold and silver not as mettalls but rather as visible pledges of an invisible Mammons presence conceived by them as a spirit or guardian of treasure by whose favour sollicited in peculiar rites or services wealth might either be gotten or increased The like conceit no question moved the â—ndians to present a Casket of gold jewels with such a solemne maske or superstitious daunce as they held most acceptable to their country-gods in hope Gold the Spanish God as they deemed it being pleased with their devotions would appease the Spanyards crueltie Why those semi-Christians should so hunger and thirst after gold and mettalls which could neither allay their hunger nor quench their thirst could not enter into these silly caitiffs hearts vnlesse it were to sacrifice it vnto some Mammon or spirit of Gold 4. Iulian the Apostata albeit he spared no cost to make Iupiter his friend whom he adored as King of gods and chiefe moderator of the world yet thought it no point of thrift or wisedome to neglect the Elementall spirits because these in the heathenish divinitie which he followed were powers truely divine able to qualifie their worshippers with the spirit of divination Neither was this opinion of their Deitie in the censure of those times or sects any Paradox nor the offering of placatory sacrifices any vnlawfull or superfluous practise Otherwise Amianus his plea to acquite his Master from suspition of sorcery or Magicall Exorcismes had beene as ridiculous in the sight of Heathens as it was impious in the judgement of Christians Because this Prince a professed louer of all sciences is by some maligned to haue gained the foreknowledge of things future by naughtie Arts we are briefely to advertise by what meanes a wise man as this Prince was may attaine vnto this kinde of learning or skill more than vulgar The spirit of all the elements saith this Author being enquickned by the vncessant motion of the celestiall bodies participate with vs the gift or facultie of divination and the favour of the substantiall powers or immortall substances being purchased by respectiue rituall observance the praediction of Fates or destinie is conveyed vnto mortalitie from them as from so many perpetuall springs or fountaines Over these substantiall powers the goddesse Themis sits as President so called by the Grecians because the iâ—revocable fatall decrees by her mediation become cognoscible This Themis the auncient Theologi haue therefore placed in the bedchamber and throne of Iupiter fountaine of life and liuelihood 5. Yet this conceipt of Themis soveraigntie was not the opinion of all or most auncient heathen Doctors For some haue taught that Tellus or the spirit of the Earth did giue Oracles before Themis medled in these businesses During the time of both their regencies Nox by others was esteemed at least as midwife of Revelations whereof sometime she had beene reputed Queene-mother because these secret praedictions of destinie or fatall doomes were vsually brought to light in silent darkenesses Not much different from Ammians Philosophy are