Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A42313
|
The noveltie of poperie discovered and chieflie proven by Romanists out of themselves / by William Guild ...
|
Guild, William, 1586-1657.
|
1656
(1656)
|
Wing G2209; ESTC R42060
|
50,925
|
169
|
come then to the discoverie of the Noveltie of this grosse sort of Idolatrie which is not onelie to worship by or before an Image but to worship the Image it selfe for which cause sayeth one of the Bishops It must not onelie bee confessed that the faythfull in the Church doe adore before the Image as some perhaps would warilie speake but also doe adore the Image it selfe without any scruple yea with that same worship where with they adore the thing that is represented thereby First their owne Cassander telleth vs that it is certayne in the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell sayeth hee and a good while after that there was no vse at all of Images amongst Christians but especiallie in Churches so that wheÌ„Adrian the Emperor had commanded that Temples should bee made in all Cities without Images it was presentlie conceaved that hee was preparing these for Christians And when the auncient Christians themselues were demanded by the Gentiles why they had no Images Minutius Fâ—elix returneth them this answere What Image should wee make to GOD when man himselfe is GOD'S Image sayeth hee The primitiue Church lykewyse for preventing of that Idolatrie which thereafter ensued was so carefull and provident that the Councell of Eliber iâ— in Granado in Spayne in Anno 305 decreed plainlie that no Pictures at all should bee brought within Churches for feare of adoration which might ensue thereafter Neither was this the decree of a provinciall Assemblie onelie but an ordinance also in all other parts of the whole Church as witnesseth their owne Clemangis â— Parisian Doctor and Arch-deane of Bajon saying Of olde the whole vniversall Church did decree beeing induced thereto by good reason for their cause who 〈◊〉 Gentilisme were converted to the sayth that no Images should bee set vp in Churches The first breach and violation of which ordinance wee finde â—o haue beene in Epiphanius time Bishop of Salamins in Cyprus about the yeare 390 who as himsâ—lfe 〈◊〉 entering into a Chappell for his owne private devotion at Anablatha and seeing a certayne Vaile hanging on the wall thereof having paynted therevpon the Image of CHRIST or some Saynct sayeth hee hee tooke downe the same and rent it in pieces and thereafter wrote to the Patriarch of Ierusalem within whose precinct it was finding fault that anie such thing should haue beene done within his boundes and desiring him that hee would command that thereafter in the Church of CHRIST no more such Vailes or Pictures should bee hung vp this beeing contrary to the authority of Scriptures and agaynst our Religion sayeth hee But a good while there-after how they were more commonlie brought in into Churches Corneliâ—s Agrippa thus doeth declare saying The Heathnish custome and their false Religion hath also infected ours and hath brought into Churches Images and Pictures with manie other pompous Ceremonies none whereof were found amongst the first and true Christians Vnder what specious pretence also and for what ende at fiâ—st this was done their owne Cassander hereby clearly testifieth saying At last it is evident that Pictures were admitted into Churches to represent onlie the â—torie of things done altho Augustine spake plainlie agaynst it saying These deserue to bee thought altogether to erâ—e who seeke the knowledge of CHRIST and His Apostles not in holie Scriptures but vpon paynted walles But how farre the auncient Fathers who lived in the primitiue Church did abhorre from any worship of Images onlie Origen wryting against Celsuâ— may declare sayeth hee Thus beeing then generallie set vp into Church through the superstition of people about the 600 yeare of GOD in the tyme of Pope Gregorie the first they began to bee adored at what tyme Cerenus Bishop of Marsilâ— publicklie opposed the same by breaking all the Images and removing out all the Pictures that were within the Churches of his whole Diocesses which thing Pope Gregorie himselfe doeth relate to vs in that Epistle of his written to Serâ—nuâ— commending his zeale which hee shew against any worshipping of Images as being sayth hee altogether agaynst the Scriptures but thinking amisse onelie that so rashlie hee altogether had broken them in pieces What fierce contentions also afterward arose in the Church concerning Images it were too large a taske at length here to set downe the Greeke Emperoures Leo Isaurus Constantinus Caballinus Nicephorus Stauratius Leo Armenus Michaell Balbus Theophilus and others who were therefore called Iconomachi or the enemies to Images opposing them and their adoration constantlie in the East till at last their worship was established in that second Councell of Nice helde by that superstitious Empresse IRENE in Anno 787 which Councell was quickly thereafter opposed by the Councell of Franckeforde convocate by Charles the Great and helde in the West at what tyme sayeth their owne Cassaâ—der when the coppie of that Councell of Nice was brought vnto Franckeforde and diligentlie read by the command of the Emperour Charles the Councell of Franckeforde was indicted at which the Legates of the Bishop of Rome were present and there by the full consent of the Westerne Bishops sayeth hee that Grecian Councell in so farre as the same decreed the worship of Images to bee lawfull was disallowed and condemned as not onelie contrarie to Scripture but also to the doctrine of the auncient Fathers and to the custome of the Romane Church it selfe So that wee see 800 yeares after CHRIST that the Romane Church was then as farre from the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church now in this poynt of worshipping Images aâ— ever Luther or Calvin or aâ—ie Protestant now Whereby it is evident how falselie the Romane Catechisme affirmeth that it is not onelie lawfull to haue Images in the Church and to giue honour and worship to them but also that this hath ever or in all ages beene done to the great good of the â—aythfull Neyâ—her was that reason or excuse thought to bee of anie worth then sayeth their owne Cassander which is by some now-adayes pretended that this worship is not given to the Images themselues but to them whom they represent for this excuse sayeth hee was lyke-wyse made by Pagans to colour their Idolatrie Which practise of Romish devotion and pietie is come to that hight of madnesse sayeth their Polydor Virgâ—ll that this part of Religion is little different from impietie for there are manie so exceeding rude and stupide sayth hee who worship Images made of Stockes and Stones Brasse and Mâ—rble and these also that are paynted over with dyverse sorts of Coloures vpon walles not is representing figures but as if they had sense and feeling and confide more in these than in CHRIST Himselfe Yea they so dote vpon Images sayeth their owne Gabriell Bâ—ell that they belieue a certayne Deitie grace or holinesse to bee in them whereby they are able to worke miracles restore health and delyver from dangers and to
Her teachers venting that which was concredit to them not invented by them which they receaved not excogitate and not anie brood of their owne ingyne but the bread of heavenlie doctrine which is not of private vsurpation but of publicke deliverie or traditioÌ„ brought to them not broached by them wherein they should not bee Authors but keepers not instituters but observers not leaders but followers teaching the same thinges to others by word which themselues had from the Apostles by WRIT So that tho they speake after a new manner of speaking or expression yet they should speake no new thing for matter observing that as in the growth of our bodies there is no increase of new members in number but augmentation of the same in measure So in the Churches knowledge that the growth there-of should bee in the same doctrine of Fayth alreadie delyvered but no new Article of doctrine afterward to bee broached For preventing whereof therefore did that holie Apostle lyke BONARGI or a sonne of Thunder throwe that dreadfull Thunderbolt agaynst all Novelists saying Tho we or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} beside that which wee haue preached let him bee accursed So that it did not suffice sayeth Lyriâ—ensis for keeping sound that doctrine of Fayth which was once delivered to make mention of man altho it were peter Andrew Iohn or all the companie of the Apostles except that hee comprehended in lyke-manner the verie excellencie of Angelicall powers And which speach of the Apostles Augustine explayneth thus If wee or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you anie thing concerning Fayth and Lyfe besides that which yee haue receaved in the Legall and Evangelicall Scriptures sayeth hee let him bee accursed limiting so what the Apostle preached in the matter of Fayth or manners within the pale of the written word and leaving no place therein to vnwritten traditions Thus it beeing cleare that the true Religion is onelie most Ancient and that the most Ancient Religion lykewyse is onelie most true as having it whole Origen from CHRIST and His Apostles and from that warrand of holie Scripture which they haue left behinde them which made Tertullâ—an to say Doubtlesse that is to bee helde sayeth hee which the Church hath receaved from the Apostles and the Apostles from CHRIST and CHRIST hath receaved from GOD It followeth necessarilie that that Religion or Doctrine what-so-ever that wanteth this Antiquitie and is of later invention is neither true nor Catholicke The first propertie of Catholicisme beeing that of time to wit which hath beene ever and from the beginning taught in the Church therefore sayeth the fore-named Vincentius Lyrinensis In the Catholicke Church a speciall care must bee had that wee holde that which was ever everie where and by all believed so that that Doctrine which is deficient in the verie first poynt to wit the vniversalitie of tyme and was not semper or ever in GOD'S Church but whereof it may bee sayde as our Saviour sayeth of the Iewish Bills of Divorce From the beginning it was not so the same is no wayes sound and Catholicke Doctrine but lyke that later Supersemination of Tares after the good Seede in the LORD'S Field neyther is anie person who professeth the same verus genuinus Catholicus a true and vpright Catholicke but on the contrarie a giddie and prophane Novelist whose lust as it were of prophane and new hatcht Curiositie sayeth the same Father can not contayne it selfe within the chaste limites of sacred and vncorrupt Antiquite CHAPT. II. The Noveltie of Poperie instanced in 14 particular poyntes of Erronious Doctrine THis challenge then of Noveltie and consequentlie of an vnjust vsurpation of the name of Catholickes wee justlie lay to the charge of the Romanistes of these tymes which the better that wee may cleare and confirme wee shall instance the same first in 14 particular poyntes of Doctrine as making vp a sufficient Dittie the Noveltie where-of severallie next shall bee God willing proven by the witnessing of their owne mouthes vt ex ore suo judicetur servus nequam or by the vndenyable recordes of venerable Antiquitie The Poynts are these that follow THat beside Scripture there are sundry doctrinall vnwritten traditions which men are bouÌ„d no lesse to reverence and belieue than GOD'S written Word and as Articles of Fayth vnder payne of damnation That people should not bee permitted to reade the holie Scriptures That beside CHRIST the Church is also built vpon the Bishop of Rome as S. Peter's successour so that hee is both the foundation and head there-of as vniversall Bishop That by vertue of the same prerogatiue hee is over and aboue all the members there-of even in temporall thinges That Prayer in the Church should or may bee in an vnknowne Tongue That beside prayer to GOD wee may lawfullie lyke-wyse pray both to Sayncts and Angels That beside the worshipping of GOD wee may also worship Images Reliques and such lyke with a Religious Adoration That beside CHRIST'S meriting our good workes are also meritorious causes of the Kingdome of Heaven so that GOD were vnjust if for their condignitie Hee bestowed not the same vpon vs That beside Hell and Heaven there is a third place also after death for the soules in Purgatorie That beside CHRIST'S satisfaction there are also satisfactions of the Saynctes whereof with the sufferings of CHRIST is made vp the Churches Treasure of indulgences That beside Baprisme and the LORD'S Supper there are also fiue other Sacramentes of the Gospell properlie so called That the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST is not onelie truelie and reallie present in the Sacrament of the Supper but lykewyse that the verie visible Elements are transubstantiate into the verie substance of CHRISTS Bodie and Blood That the Cup in the Communion should not bee permitted or given to the people That beside CHRIST'S Sacrifice of Himselfe once vpon the Crosse forever there is also a daylie proper propitiatorie and reall sacrificing of Him vpon the Altar for the quicke and the dead and this is the sacrifice of the Masse CHAPT. III. Of the Noveltie then first of the doctrine of vnwritten traditions whereon the mayne bodie of Poperie is built altogether THE first vrgers then of vnwritten Traditions in the Christian Church wee finde to haue beene some Heretickes who arose in IRENEVS dayes Anno 180 of whom hee wryteth thus When they are convinced by the Scriptures they fall out into the accusation of the Scriptures sayth hee as if they were not rightlie alleadged or of authoritie of themselues and because they are ambiguouslie set downe and that the trueth can not bee found out of them by those who knoweth not Tradition which was not delyvered by writ but by word for which cause Paull himselfe sayde Wee speake wisedome amongst these that are perfect In which wordes is not onelie set downe what Armour onelie the Orthodox