weake in the mouth of a Iesuite who holdeth that a Pope Bellar. l. 2. de Rom. Pont. c. 29 be he neuer so wicked and a destroyer of the Church cannot be deposed no not by a general Councell and yet there is greater apparant danger in this then in the former That which Bellarmine addeth seemeth to haue beene written by him being asleepe and is nothing else but a quippe to make men laugh He proueth that a faithfull people may free themselues from the yoake of a Prince that is an Infidell that is to say may rebell against him and that by the example of the beleeuing wife which by the iudgement of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. is not bound to abide with an husband that is an Infidell when hee will not dwell with her Whereunto I answere first that Similitudes are no proofes Secondly this Similitude being rightly taken doth not hurt vs for as a beleeuing wife is not bound to follow her husband when he forsaketh her and wil no longer co-habite with her so I will freely confesse that subiects are not bound to acknowledge a King that abandoneth his subiects and will no longer be King ouer them but renounceth his Realme and this is all that may be drawne from this Comparison Thirdly this Similitude is aduantageous vnto vs for if we admit the Comparison betweene the condition of a wife and of subiects then will it definitiuely determine our Controuersie and make vs gain the cause For as while an husband that is an Infidell will abide with his beleeuing wife she may not forsake him nor shake off her yoake so while a King that is an Infidell will retayne his soueraignty ouer beleeuing subiects they may not abandone him nor rebell against him The wordes of the Apostle are directly to this purpose If any woman haue an vnbeleeuing husband and he consent to dwell with her let her not forsake him All that which Bellarmine addeth is nothing else but as his manner is suppositions without proofes We graunt him that Princes who against their promise doe warre against the true fayth deserue to be depriued of their Kingdome but wee denye that this power of depriuing them is in the Pope VVe must reserue that iudgement to God seeing it is he that hath established them and that as Tertullian sayth they are inferiour to GOD alone Tertul. ad Scapulam in Apolog. cap. 30. A quo sunt secundi post quem primi Cap. 30. Cum dixit Petro Amas me Pasce oues meas idem dixit caeteris As touching these wordes spoken to S. PETER Feed my sheepe to omit for the present that which S. AVSTIN sayth in his booke of the Christian combate that Iesus Christ saying to S. Peter Feede my lambes spake the same to the rest as all the auncients with one accord doe say that the power of binding and loosing was giuen to the Apostles and to the whole Church in the person of S. Peter to omit this because I will treat of it in his proper place I onely say that albeit this had beene spoken to the Pope yet might he not for all that chastise Princes with depriuation of their estates or by raising a commotion among his subiects or by imposing fines and amercements vpon his countreyes This is to enterprete the word Feede too licentiously we had neede of new Grammer for this new Diuinity for the word Feede which in times past signified to teach and to guide dooth now a dayes signifie to blast whole kingdomes with the lightning of excommunications to ouerthrow great Monarches and to sucke and draw out the very substance of the poore people Beare with our simplicity herein for so great an abuse in wordes maketh vs to feare a greater in the matter it selfe To speake barbarously were an euill somewhat tollerable were it not that Barbarismes doe sometymes passe into Heresies and incongruities in wordes into incongruity in fayth Thus the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe the Pylot and Steer-man of S. Peters Shippe but he imployeth that barke to trafficke his owne gayne and S. Peters nets to fish for Princes Crownes and to entramell whole States and Common-weales His keyes now a dayes serue onely to open Cofers His power of loosing only to loose the bonds of fidelity through a mutinous piety and a factious Religion which maketh it self Iudge ouer the consciences of kings which euen hateth their Religion because it hateth their rule gouernment and maketh that to be a good subiect to be a good Christian are things that cannot subsist together Bellarmines reasons hauing beene very feeble the examples which he produceth in the Chapter following are lesse currant He sayeth that Osias king of Iuda was dryuen out of the Temple by the High Priest and depryued of his kingdome The text of Scripture is direct to the contrary It is said 2. King 15.2 that Osias began to raigne in the sixteenth yeare of his age and hee raigned fifty two yeates so that he liued threescore and eyght years whence it appeareth that he was King euen vntill his death In the fift verse Iotham his son during the time of his fathers separation because of his leprosie he is not called King but gouernor of his house And ver 7. the beginning of the raigne of Iotham is reckoned only from the death of Osias his father The example of Athalia driuen from the Kingdome by Iehoiada the high Priest is as little to the 2. King 11. purpose For wee speake here of lawfull Princes deposed and he brings vs an example of a woman thâ—t vsurped anothers Kingdome by force and tyranny in which case euery man is allowed to employ himselfe to expel the vsurper and to preserue the Kingdome to the lawfull King The example of S. Ambose Bishoppe of Millan who would not receiue the Emperour Theodosius to the communion by reason of that great slaughter which his souldiers at his commaundement committed at Thessalonica maketh expresly against the Bishop of Rome For would the Pope now a dayes indure that a Bishoppe of Millan or Colleyne should intrude himselfe to excommunicate Emperours and to declare them to be fallen from their Empire without his permission Did Ambrose this by the counsaile or commaundement of the Bishop of Rome And were it so that Ambrose had beene that the Pope now sayth himselfe to be where will Bellarmine finde that Ambrose did degrade the Emperour or that he dispensed with his subiects for the Oath of fidelity Let a man read his three and thirtieth Epistle and he shall see with how great humilty he submitteth himselfe to an Arrian Emperour so farre from preaching any reuolt of his subiects from him that indeede hee willingly offered to dye and to suffer persecution if such were the will of the Emperour As touching the law which Theodosius imposed vpon himselfe by the Counsell of S. Ambrose which was that from thence forward he would stay the execution of any sentence of death
ART 18. Of Images Pag. 329. ART 19. Of the Image of God Pag. 356. ART 20. Of the Crosse Pag. 361. ART 21. Of Purgatory Pag. 375. ART 22. Of the Anarchy and degrees of Superiority in the Church Pag. 406. ART 23. Of the Popes Supremacy Pag. 413. THE THIRD BOOKE ¶ Of the accomplishment of Prophesies OF THE VSVRPATION OF POPES Ouer KINGS THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. The occasion that moued IAMES the first King of great Britaine to write his booke with the iudgement on COEFFETEAV his booke IT happeneth often that the Lightning falling vpon a man without hurting the flesh breaketh the bones because they onely in the body do make resistance to it and herein the lightning which GOD sends from aboue imitates the nature of him that sendeth it who bruseth the proude and such as withstand him but taketh mercy on the humble which bow vnder his iudgments and tremble at his word But the fulminations of the Bishop of Rome are of a contrary nature for they hurt none but such as feare them nor breake none but such as bow vnder them but he that sets them light is neyther endamaged by them nor breaketh his sleep for them but they fall like the Thunder-bolt into the Sea nay they rather drawe from God a blessing vpon the heads of those that are thus threatned according to that of Dauid Psal 109.28 Though they curse yet wilt thou blesse The happy raigne of the late Queene ELIZABETH will furnish vs with a faire example thereof who notwithstanding the excommuniations of Pope Pius the fift by whom England was interdicted she long time enioyed a Peace without any disturbance or interruption and a prosperity almost beyond example And finally when it pleased God to take her to peace and to gather her to his rest many supposed that the end of her life would be a beginning of troubles and confusions in England and thereupon the opinions and feares were diuers according to the diuersitie of mens desires For the English that were of the Romane Church attentiue and heedy to all occasions had conceiued hope of some great chaunge whether it were that they were led into their hope vpon false grounds or that after the death of a soueraine Prince better things are euer expected from the succeffor or whether that such as are discontented are euer desirous of a change so it was that in this Crisis of humours the spirits of the English waued and floated betwixt hope and feare till by the happy arriuall of IAMES the first the lawfull Successor all things were appeased and cleared euen as by the rising of the Sunne mists and fogges are dispersed and scattered He in the sweetnesse and fairenesse of his owne nature enclined to giue content vnto all his subiects with free liberty of conscience But this his in clination was ouer-ruled by necessity when his wisedome entred into consideration that the matter now in question was not onely Religion but the peace of his estate and the security of his crowne for that it was a thing dangerous to permit publike Assemblies of such persons as had taken Oath to others then himselfe who hold that the Pope may pull downe Kings from their Thrones and dispense with subiects for the oath of their alleageāce Moreouer he called to his remembrance the kings his predecessors whom the Popes had reduced to extream seruitude so farre as to make England parte of the Popes Demaines and in Fee to the Church of Rome and further to make it pay impost and to cause the King to goe beneath his Legats and to giue vp the Crowne into their handes These are considerations that one cannot square or apply to those of the Reformed Religion which liue vnder a Soueraigne of a contrary profession for they take oath to no other but to their Soueraigne Prince They cast their eyes vpon no Forrainer they maintaine that it belongs not to the subiect out of the Religion of the Prince to frame occasions of disobedience making piety the match and kindler of rebellion We are ready to expose our liues for the defence of our King against whomsoeuer though he be of our owne Religion and whosoeuer should doe otherwise should not defend Religion but giue way to his owne ambitions and should draw a great scandall vpon the truth of the Gospell Notwithstanding his Maiestie hath vsed his subiects of the Romane Church in such sorte that excepting the liberty of publique exercise he desired to haue them in like and equall condition with others being vnwilling to haue them disturbed for matter of conscience knowing well that Religion is not by force but by perswasion to take impression and that in this case men will rather follow then be drawne and that persecutions begin when Arguments are at an end Notwithstanding this gentle proceeding those of the Church of Rome now fallen from great hopes which they had imagined turned their despaire into choller and indignation and thereupon plotted an enterprise that should haue enfoulded the King the Queene their children his Maiesties Councell and the Parliament in one and the same destruction the plot was to make a Mine vnder the house of Parliament and so to send the King and his royal family with the chiefe of his Countrey to heauen by a new found way Hatred is an ingenious Mistris of inuention for neyther ancient nor moderne Histories can parallel this with any example The Prince of the world reserued to our times which are the very sinke of former ages something more exquisitely cruell and horrible then euer before hath beene mentioned In the meane time through all their houses there was a certaine forme of prayer prescribed by the Priests and Iesuites for the happy successe of this enterprise to whom the complices did mutually binde themselues by oath sworne vpon the holy Sacrament both for secrecie and perseuerance in the designe The Mine was already finished and the Gun-powder laid ready and nothing wanting but the execution when God who as he is himselfe a King so consequently he is the protector of Kings whom he hath established miraculously discouered this treason the conspiratours being taken suffered according vnto law and amongst others two Iesuites Garnet and Ouldcorne who are now inserted into a catalogue of * It is a table printed at Rome Anno 1608. apud Paulum Mauperinum Matheum Gruterum dedicated to R. Farnesius Prince of Parma in which are the pictures of such Iesuits as haue beene killed and executed sinc◠the yeare 1549. Martyrs imprinted at Rome which is the Spring-head and Forge of all such enterprises Lesse cause would haue sufficed an impatient King to haue exterminated all their complices and to haue let loose the raines of his iust anger but hee with a rare example of clemency suffered punishment to passe no further then to the principall delinquents inuenting and framing to himselfe Causes and Reasons how he might pardon he considered that Superstition might alter
out of Saint Cyprian is altogether disguised and clipped and is nothing to the purpose Saint Cyprian speaketh to the faithfull who assayled with contagion had seene their Fathers their bretheren their children die before them and enter into Paradise before them He saith then vnto them our Fathers Magnus illic nos charorum numerus expectat parentum fratrum filiorum freques noâ— copiosa turba desiderat iam de sua immortaletate secura adhuc de nostra sollicita Mothers bretheren and Children waite for vs in great number and a great troupe doth desire vs being assured of their owne immortality but in care of our Father To what purpose is this to defend the seruiceand titles which they yeeld to the Virgin Mary To what purpose is the generall mention of the Saints deceased seeing that he speaketh onely of them who haue knowne vs in this life And though he should speake of all the Saints what doth this make against vs who haue neuer denyed but that the Saints doe desire our saluation and pray for the Church in Generall although they doe not know the necessities nor the prayers of particular persons This falsehood of Coeeffeteaus is followed with another of the interpreter of Ireneus who speaketh thus Euen as Eue was seduced to turne away from God Sicut illa seducta est vt effuge ret Deum sic haec sua sa est obedire Deo vti virginis Euae virgo Maria fieret aduocata so Mary was counsailed to obey God to the end that the Virgin Mary might become aduocate for the Virgin Eue. The very reading doth make the place to be suspected so litle comelinesse hath it and lesse sence It was in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt fieret consolatrix that is to say to the end that Mary might be the comforter of Eue. For God hauing condemned Eue gaue her this seed of the Woman which is the Virgine Mary for a consolation The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in S. Iohn ca. 14.26 signifieth a comforter is also vs ed by Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 2.1 to fignifie an aduocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we haue an aduocate with the Father The same Ambiguitie deceiued Tertullian Cap. 9. of his Booke against Praxeas where he thus rendreth the wordes of Iesus Christ Ioh. 14.16 I will pray vnto the Father and hee shall giue you another aduocate The same fault is found in the booke of Nouation of the Trinity cap. 28.29 After these come other two false peeces namely the Liturgies of S. Basil and of Chrysostome which all the learned acknowledge to be forged yea so grossely that euen in the Liturgie attributed to S. Chrysostome there is mention made of the Emperor Alexius who was borne some seuen hundred years after Chrysostome Moreouer there is prayer made for Nicholas Pope of Rome which was neuer the custome of the auncient Greeke Church Nay further the fashood is double for not onely the parcels alleadged are false in themselues but also it is falsly said by Coeffeteau that in the Liâ—urgie of Basil the Virgin is inuocated It is one thing to pray vnto her another to make a commemoration of her We will close vp these false passages with a true one out of S. Epiphanius in his 79. Heresie which is the Heresie of the Collyridians Surely the Virgin was a Virgin worthy to be honoured but yet she was not giuen vs to be adored for euen she her selfe adored him who was borne of her according to the flesh but came downe from heauen out of the bosome of the Father And therefore the Gospell doth arme vs against this abuse telling vs that the Lord himselfe said vnto her What haue I to doe with thee woman mine howre is not yet come To the end that no man should presume more then he óught vpon the Virgin Mary nor should attribute to her too much excellency he calleth her woman as it were prophecying of the things that should come to passe in the world by reason of Schismes and Heresies for feâ—re least some out of too much admiration of her should fall into the dotages of this Heresie Now hee speaketh of an Herefie which offered a cake to the Virgin Mary but yet did not yeelde her the fourth part of the honour which the Church of Rome doth vnto her Most singular is that aboue the rest which he addeth Let MARY be had in honour but let the Father and the Sonne be adored Let no man adore MARY I say not a woman but neyther man himselfe It is to God that this mystery is duc The Angels themselues are not capable of such an honour And it is worth the noting that he girdeth at this Title of the Queene of Heauen and I beseech the Reader to obserue it Let Ieremy saith he represse those odde house-wiues that they trouble the world no more and that they may no longer haue this word in their mouthes We honour the Queene of heauen And so S. Ambrose in his third booke of the Holy Ghost And for feare saith he least some man would deriue this same to the Virgin MARY Lib. 3. cap. 12. Mary was indeede the Temple of God but she was not God And therefore we must adore him alone who wrought in this Temple Let Coeffeteau then cease to pay vs in this false coyne and let him not shew vs like a cousening Lapidary his counterfeit Iewels in the darke was he not affraid to lay open his false dealing in this Theatour Or did he thinke that he had to do with a King that was blinde and without reading The best is that al this seruice of the Virgin which they call now adayes Hyperdulia and which maketh vp a good part of the Romane Religion hath no foundation in the word of God Onely our Aduersaries bring in men speaking to this point but they put their speeches before hand in their mouthes and make them say that which they neuer beleeued How commeth it to passe that Saint Iohn who serued the Virgin Mary as a sonne after the death of Iesus Christ and the rest of the Apostles who loued and honoured her had yet neuer recourse to her intercession they might haue said in themselues we haue in heauen a Lady Aduocate one that is so neere vnto vs and who now is Queene of heauen and yet neuerthelesse if we beleeue this people they were so ill aduised as not to make profite thereof they did not value nor make vse vnto themselues of this aduantage neyther haue they councelled vs to addresse our selues vnto her but what boldenes is this in wormes of the earth to attribute vnto a creature the Empire of heauen and of the world without being instructed what was the will of God therein As if the breefe flyes or Hornets had taken vpon them to establish some man in the Popedome Let the word of God then bee heard therevpon which is the thing that we will doe in
A DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLICKE FAITH CONTAINED IN THE BOOKE OF THE MOST Mightie and most Gracious King IAMES the first King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the FAITH AGAINST THE ANSWERE OF N. Coeffeteau Doctour of Diuinitie and Vicar Generall of the Dominican Preaching FRIARS Written in French by PIERRE DV MOVLIN Minister of the word of God in the Church of PARIS Translated into English according to his first Coppie by himselfe reuiewed and corrected LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Nathaniel Butter and Martin Clerke 1610. To the KINGS most Excellent MAIESTIE I Take mine Authors word and mine owne experience for warrant from beyond the Seas most Dread Soueraigne that your Maiesties excellent knowledge and learning haue wonne you admiration among forraine Nations And for home-affections it is well knowen that your Maiesties sincere loue to the truth of Religion and constant Confession of the Catholicke Faith whereof your Maiestie is worthily stiled The Defender haue knit the hearts of your people vnto you Who well perceiue by your Kingly Apology directed to the Princes of Christendome that God hath made your Maiesty such a one as was DAVID The sweet Singer of Israel euen a Propheticall King 2. â—am 23.1 and a Kingly Prophet whose bold profession it is Psal 119. I will speake of thy testimonies Psal 119.46 euen before Kings and will not be ashamed Such as the Kings also among the Heathen are said to haue beene both Princes and Prophets Rex Anius Virg. Aeneid 3. rex idem hominum Phoebique Sacerdos Concerning the Authour and Pen-man of this booke I neede not say any thing Authorem commendat opus Touching my selfe vpon whom this taske was secundarily imposed I know the Translation will blab out mine imperfections Your Maiesty is apt to pardon greater offences and therfore I hope these The ground worke is your Maiesties owne which maketh me bold to vse that saying toward your Maiesty my Soueraigne Lord wherewith Paulus Orosius dedicateth his Story to S. Austin his Master and Tutor Totum tuum sit quod ex te In initio ad te redit It is all your Maiesties owne doing which comming from you I returne it back againe vnto you And so I dedicate you to your selfe In Apologet. cap. 30. concluding with that which Tertullian reporteth to haue beene the auncient Christians Prayer for the safety of their Emperours and is now in vse also in the Church of Rome if we may beleeue Doctor Coeffeteau but I feare me not with like true affection Fol. 5. Vitam Maiestati tuae prolixam Imperium securum domum tutam exercitum fortem Senatum fiaelem populum probum regnum quietum obnixè precor Your Maiesties most humble and faithfull Subiect IOHN SANFORD To the most Mighty and Gracious King IAMES the first King of great Brittaine and of Ireland SIR AS your greatnesse no way needeth our seruice so your exquisite learning wants not any defence For your greatest enemies to whom your power is redoubtable haue your learning in admiration But were it so that you had vse of any mans pen yet should you haue litle cause to seeke further then your owne kingdomes since amongst your subiects there is so great a number of learned men to whom we are in all regards inferiour Yet notwithstanding we haue held it necessary to declare vnto the world that that religion which you defend is the same which we professe and that it befits vs to make resistance to such as in your particuler person assault the generall truth This vndertaking of mine is great and my abilities but ordinarie besides my vocation very laborious neither is a tempest a fit time to write in or a banke of an vnquiet torrent a fit place for serious meditation But SIR the perfection of your worke may supply my defect for to fight after you cannot be properly termed fighting but the pursuite of your victory for though the point of truth be euer sharpe yet it entreth and pierceth more or lesse according to the force and vigour of the arme It is not then to be maruelled if it strike cleane through errors being guided by so strong and powerfull a hand To you then SIR belongs the glory of this holy worke to vs remaines the good and benefit of following your example for the easiest way to speake well for you is to speake that which we haue learned of you neither is it possible that any one should write well in your defence that writes not in your imitation Wherein these my paines can no way merit to be compared For your Maiesty poureth out largely with a royall hand into the Threasury of the Sanctuary whilest I like the poore widow make offer of my mite the which I do with the more affection boldnesse in respect that our Kings participate with you in the cause and that we do see our crowne already foiled and our kings life endangered for want of considering those things which your Maiesty in your booke propoundeth and God grant that your Maiesties warnings be not prophesies and that our good mercifull and victorious king who flourisheth equally in peace as he is feared in warre being endued with an admired vigor both of body and mind may be long preserued amongst vs who hauing had so good experience and in so many places of our fidelity will not we hope be displeased with this our liberty in defending of our religion to which we are not drawne by the hatred of any but by our zeale to the cause of God and through compassion of the poore peopla who being carried along with the streame of custome thinke they do God good seruice to hate vs yea so farre are they transported as they are become iealous and suspitious of the holy Scriptures fearing lest by the word of God they should be misled and seduced for the saluation of whose enthralled soules we would willingly expose our liues and will not cease daily to pray to God to enlighten them in the truth whom we likewise pray that he will preserue your Maiesty from all euill and blesse your person and kingdomes and the Church that liueth vnder the shade and quiet of your gouernment with praier from my heart I recommend to God remaining From Paris the 20. of Ianuary 1610. Your Maiesties most humble and most obedient seruant P. D. M. The Translator to the Reader Gentle Reader I here present thee a worke very worthy of thy study and Meditation if eyther thou beare a loue to Gods truth or good affection towards thy Soueraigne Onely let me intreat thee out of a common feeling of humane frailty to pardon and before thou reade to amend the faults that haue herein escaped through ouersight of the Printers my sickenesse at that time and the distance of place not giuing me leaue to be alwayes present to preuent the same In the Translation I haue not nicely tyed my selfe to the wordes neyther was it requisite
Non verbum verbo curabit reddere fidus Interpres Horat. in Art poet but retayning the strength and sinew of the Sentence I haue rendred it as best fitted the property of speech in our owne language Where the Kings words were to be inserted I haue chosen rather to follow his Maiesties owne Coppy then the French Translation which sometimes varyeth from it neyther haue I therein wronged mine Author Wherefore omitting those smaller mistakes which the discreete will passe ouer with an easie censure whether they bee wordes redundant as in or the twice repeated Or Syllables disioyned as often for often or letters transposed as villaines for villanies or wordes ill orthographized as Epostle and daceiue in one page for Apostle and deceiue Likewise Alminacke Letonies terent for Almanacke Letanies torrent c. Those other which are represented in the end of the booke I leaue to thy courtesie necessarily to be amended being such as import the matter and in which the Composers omitting or not well reading the wordes interlined wherein I sometimes corrected my selfe haue thrust in their owne coniectures Farewell TO THE READER MAy it please thee gentle Reader to vnderstand that after we had finished our worke and that the booke was now ready to come forth there came to my hands certaine corrections and amplifications of some points from the Author himselfe earnestly intreating to haue them inserted which because they could not conueniently be brought in in their proper places the booke being already printed yet that we might doe him right against the malice of his captious Aduersaries I thought it good to bestow them in this page requesting thee of thy charity which couereth a multitude of sinnes at once to pardon both our faults Page 30.14 reade the last Canon 45.25 r. as though he affirmed it without knowledge and spake it onely vpon trust 80.23 r. iudged to be vniust 181.7 r. the earth is almost full of the chips and pieces thereof Page 338.16 after the word men leaue out the whole sentence ending with the word Saluation then adde as followeth Onely we must note that this word Dulia hath a double and doubtfull signification and that there be two sorts of Dulia The one is a Religious action the other is onely a seruice an humane respect which is yeelded also to the liuing As for that kinde of Dulia which is a Religious worship the holy scripture forbiddeth it to be giuen to any saue onely to God alone as 1. Sam. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prepare your hearts to the Lord and yeeld Dulia or Seruice to him alone And S. Austin Quaest 94. vpon Exodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debetur Deo tanquam Domino Doulia is due to GOD as to him who is MASTER And de Ciuit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 1. Religio non est nisi Dei cultus Religion is nothing else but the seruice of God plainly shewing that the seruing of the Creatures is not an action of Religion But if we take the word Dulia for a respect and seruice done vnto men and not for a religious action our aduersaries doe amisse to say that they serue the Saints or other Images with Dulia seeing they yeeld them a religious seruice and a voluntary worship tending to the attainment of saluation Againe ibid line 29. reade that then no miracles were wrought by their Images Page 367.13 r. the whole earth is full of the peeces of it 399.27 Modicum quodque delictum mora resurrectionis illic luendo Page 425.27 r. in the 9. Distinction and the 9. Canon of the Councell of Antioch and the 17. Canon of the Councell of Chalcedon These wordes of the Canon of Antioch are for a marginall note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 433. blot out the 8. last lines and the first line of the next page Page 440.21 read So in the 6. generall Councell Pope Honorius is condemned as an Hereticke and cast out of the Catholicke Church in the 13. Act and the same Councell assembled in the palace in the 13. Act doth by name condemne the Church of Rome c. Page 441.17 reade the 11. Homily of S. Chrysostome vpon Matthew Page 454.14 reade that Christ is an head more absolute and greater then the Pope and that the Pope is of lesse vertue then the holy Ghost Page 470.12 reade vpon the foundation layd by another Apostle The fame and good report and the mutuall communication of the strangers that were Christians with the Romanes had planted the Christian Religion at Rome but the Church of Rome required the presence of some Apostle for her full establishment A Table of the principall matters contained in this worke THE FIRST BOOKE ¶ Of the Vsurpation of Popes ouer Kings CHAP. 1. The occasion why IAMES the first King of Great Brittaine wrote his Booke together with a iudgement vpon Doctor Coeffeteaus Booke Pag. 1. CHAP. 2. Remonstrations of D. Coeffeteau with his iudgement touching the Treasons and attempts vpon the life of the King of England Pag. 16. CHAP. 3. Of Cardinals Pag. 23. CHAP. 4. Of Iesuites Pag. 39. CHAP. 5. Of the power of the Pope ouer the Temporalties of Kings and that he cannot take from Kings their Crownes nor free Subiects from the Oath of fidelitie and thereupon the reasons of Bellarmine are examined Pag. 45. CHAP. 6. Of the Clergie and their Exemptions Pag. 88. CHAP. 7. Of the Authoritie of Emperours and Kings ouer the Bishops of Rome that they haue chosen them punished them and degraded them That Princes haue had power ouer Bishops and their Temporalties The first seede of Poperie in England Pag. 105. CHAP. 8. That they who haue written against the King of Great Brittaine his Booke haue vniustly called him Apostata and Hereticke Pag. 128. THE SECOND BOOKE ¶ A defence of the Confession of IAMES the first King of great Britaine ARTICLE 1. Of the Creede Pag. 133. ART 2. Of the Fathers in generall Pag. 134. ART 3. Of the authority of the Fathers each apart by themselues Pag. 135. ART 4. Of the authority of the holy Scripture Pag. 143. ART 5. Of the Canonical and Apocrypha books Pag. 145 ART 6. Of the memory of Saints and of their Holy-dayes Pag. 154. ART 7. Of the Virgin Mary Pag. 164. ART 8. Of the suffrages of Saints and of the seruice due vnto them Pag. 173. ART 9. Of the Masse without Communicants or Assistants and of the Sacrifice of the Masse Pag. 202. ART 10. Of the Communion vnder one kinde Pag. 246. ART 11. Of Transubstantiation Pag. 258. ART 12. Of the Adoration of the Host Pag. 271. ART 13. Of the eleuation of the Host that it may be adored Pag. 274. ART 14. Of carrying their God in Procession Pag. 275. ART 15. Of workes of Supererogation and of super abundant Satisfaction and of the Treasury of the Church Pag. 276. ART 16. Of the baptizing of Bels. Pag. 308. ART 17. Of the Reliques of Saints Pag. 311.
and the other Monarchy And in the Chapter Venerabilem de Electione Innocent the third maintayneth that it is in him to aduance to the Empire whom he pleaseth Apostolica sedes Romanum Jmperium à Graecis transtulit in Germanos and that it was the Apostolique Sea that translated the Empire from the Greekes to the Germanes And that we may spare to produce the clauses of Sixtus Quintus his Bull Anno 1585. which was the first thunder-clap that caused all the confusions in these later times and which speake more arrogantly and insolently then all this that hath beene said Let vs appeale to Cardinall Bellarmine for Iudge These are his wordes De Rom. Pontif. li. 5. c. 6. § Quartum Papa potest mutare regna vni auferre atque alteri conferre tanquaÌ„ summus princeps spiritualis si id necessarium sit ad animaruâ—â— salutem The Pope can change Kingdomes he can take them from one and giue them to another as a Soueraigne spirituall Prince when it shall be necessary for the saluation of soules Of which necessity he will haue the Pope also to be Iudge Consonant whereto one Alexander Pesantius a Doctor of the Citie of Rome hath written a booke of the immunities of Ecclesiasticall persons and of the power of the Pope dedicated to the now-Pope Paul the fift where he saith p. 45. The Soueraine Bishop hath by Diuine right a most full power ouer all the earth as well in causes Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill adding in the margent Papa iure diuino est directe Dominus orbis The Pope by diuine right is directly Lord of the world Yea within these few dayes there haue beene certaine Theses printed and defended at Naples in which were figured the Turkes Turbanes the Imperiall and Regall Crownes Le Cornet Paulo 5. Vice-Deo Christiani orbis Monarchae Pontificiae omnipotentiae assertori c. and the Coronet of the Dukes of Venice to hang in labels from the Popes Miter and wherein the Pope is styled Vice-God Monarch of the Christian world and defender of the PAPALL OMNIPOTENCY where the Pope hath accepted the bargaine which our Sauior refused at the Diuels hands Mat 4.9 Which was to become Monarch ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth Thus is the Church become an Hierarchie and the spirituall kingdome conuerted into a temporall Monarchy In witnesse whereof the Popes triple Crowne is called by no other name then Il regno the Kingdome And the last Lateran Councell calleth the Pope in the first Session Prince of the whole world in the third Session Priest and King and in the ninth and tenth Session his charge is called His Holinesse Empire Who will now make any doubt but that Coeffeteau pleadeth the Popes cause vpon good warrant and approbation And he goeth about to teach them more modesty in speach then they are willing to learne vnlesse that perhaps to tumble downe a Prince from the height of his Empire with flashes of lightning or to skimme away the whole wealth of his Countrey be not to be termed a touching of their temporalties And indeede there is some reason for that for temporall goods when they come into his Holinesse handes they become spirituall according to the stile which this witty age vseth who by a Bishops spiritualties vnderstandeth the rents and reuenues of his Bishoppricke The misery of Princes in this case is that if the Pope for their sinnes impose this penance vpon them to lay down their Crownes and to giue place to another yet this Penance once done is neuer followed with Absolution for he that seizeth vpon their place by a right of conueniency Droit de bienseance doth neuer quit or forgoe it but by force There be steppes and degrees indeede to clymbe vp to a kingdome but there is no other discent then a headlong downe-fall It is a thing seldome seene that a Prince should suruiue his kingdome or that he should saue life or liberty after he is diuested of Maiesty And that which is more Coeffeteau hauing taken from the Pope the power of disposing of the temporalties of Kings pag. 13. Doth he not in the next leaf following restore it to him againe in these wordes If Kings depart from their Duty and in stead of defending the faith seeke to ruine it then it is in the Popes power to reclaime them being in errour and to bring forth his iust censures to the end to turne away the mischiefe which threatneth Religion Now these censures are the degrading of the Prince the absoluing his subiects from their Oath of Alleageance and interdicting his Kingdome And to shew that hee ought to proceede forcibly and by way of fact Coeffeteau addeth That the Pope ought to oppose himselfe herein euen to the perill of his life And if we will exactly weigh the wordes of this Doctrine fol. 7. we shall easily finde that where he saith that the Pope doth not pretend any thing ouer the temporalties of Princes hee meaneth all the while Romish Catholicke Princes who obey the Pope that is to say that if they bee not such as are now a dayes called Catholicks the Pope may depriue them of their Kingdomes True it is that he reporteth vpon vs by way of recrimination Pag. 15. That those Princes who haue shaken off the yoake of the spirituall power of the Church that is of the Pope see themselues exposed to the rigour of their Ministers whom by way of honor he calleth Tyrans I looked all the while when hee would produce examples of Ministers who had eyther degraded or murthered their Kings or who had beene trumpets of rebellion or fire-brands of sedition or who had skummed a Countrey of their money or punished sinnes by the purse Or who after the example of Innocent the third This is found in the Bull of Innocent 3. at the end of the Lateran CouÌ„sell Salutis aeternae pollicemur augmentum Ad Scapulum cap. 2. Nunquam Albiniani nec Nigriani nec Cassiani inueniri potuerunt Christiani sed ijdem ipsi qui per genios Imperatorum iurauerant haue giuen to those who haue armed themselues at their commaundement a degree of honour in Paradise aboue others who haue nothing for their reward but bare life euerlasting But of all this he could alleadge no one example For vnto vs agreeth that commendation which Tertullian giueth to the Christians we neuer were saith he of the league and conspiracy of Albinius Niger or Cassius but those rather who sware by the life and Genius of the Emperour The faithfull Pastors hauing stripped themselues of all this tyrannicall pride haue only reserued to themselues the censuring of mens manners by publicke and priuate reprehensions and in case men stand out and rebell against the word of God after many rebukes they haue reserued onely the power of excluding them out of the Church as Pagans and Publicans vntill such time as by true humiliation they haue made their repentance to appeare These sentences
he combined against the Christians and both together massacred the poore religious men of Bangor and flew no lesse then 1200. of them The same Ethelfred assisted by the petty English Kings to despite the Christians inhabiting the Countrey remoued the Archiepisopall seate from London and translated it to Canterbury where ordinarily he made his residence Now the principall difference betweene the Christians and the Romish faction was about the day of Easter the single life of Priests and the Church-musique processions and Letany after the order of Rome consider further that some of the people were Pelagians for there was no speech then of transubstantiation nor of the Popes grand Pardons and indulgences nor of the Sacrament vnder one kinde nor of such heresies as were hatched in the after ages Whereof we haue sundry witnesses as Amandus Zirixensis in his his Chronicle Beda in the second booke of his Ecclesiasticall History of England Mantuan in fastis and Polydore Virgill Mantuanus Adde quòd Patres ausi taxare Latinos Causabantur eos stulte imprudentur aequo Durius ad ritum Romae voluisse Britannos cogere c. but especially obserue the wordes of Geffery of Monmouth in his eight booke de Britannorum gestis * In patria Britonum adhuc vigebat Christianitas quae ab Apostolorum tempore nunq tam inter eos defece rat Post quam autem venit Augustinus c. In the Countrey of the Brittà nes Christian Religion flourished which neuer failed among them from the time of the Apostles For Austen being arriued there found seuen Bishoprickes and an Archbishopricke in their Prouince all furnished with very religious Prelates and Abbots men that liued by the labour of their hands The King of England produceth also the Statute of Richard the second King of England by which all English-men were forbidden to holde or sue for any Benefice from the Pope which was in the heigth of the Popes vsurpation and this as the greatest part of the booke doth Coeffeteau passe by being content to scratch where he cannot bite CHAP. VIII That they which haue written against the King of great Britaines booke doe vniustly call him Apostata and Hereticke OVR Aduersaries are as open-handed in bestowing titles vpon vs as they are niggardly in giuing any reason of their doings Bellarmines booke vnder the name of Tortus sayth that the King of great Britaine is no Catholique but shewes neyther in what sense nor for what reason and as vniustly doth he call him an Apostata for an Apostata is one that hauing followed doth againe doth forsake the true Religion Now his Maiestie of England hath not forsaken the true Religion inasmuch as hee still maintaineth the same and should his Religion be as hereticall as it is sound and holy yet could he not be called an Apostata because he neuer professed any other Religion He that hath alwayes done euill is not a backeslider from vertue and no man can forsake that which he neuer had Now graunt that hee had beene baptized in the Church of Rome yet it followes not that he therefore receiued their faith that baptized him for the Church of Rome conferring any thing vpon him that is good bindes him not to follow her in that which is euill But because it may be presumed that the Queene his mother being of the Church of Rome might haue giuen him some impressions of that Religion his Maiesty therefore meeteth therewith and testifies that she adhaered not to the grosser superstitions of Poperie and that in the christening of the King her sonne she charged the Archbishop that baptized him not to vse any spittle in the Ceremonies saying that shee would not haue a rotten and pocky Priest to spit in her childes mouth that at her entreaty the late Queene ELIZABETH who was an enemy of Popery was his God-mother and christened him by her Ambassadour that she neuer vrged him by any letters to adhaere to Popery that euen her last words befor her death were that howbeit she were of a diuers Religion yet shee would not presse him to change the Religion he professed vnlesse he found himselfe moued therevnto in his conscience that if he ledde an honest and a holy life if he did carefully administer iustice and did wisely and religiously gouerne the people committed to his care she made then no question but he might and ought to perseuere in his owne Religion By these Demonstrations doth his Maiesty of England prooue that this great Princesse had no sinister opinion of our religion Hereunto Mr. Coeffeteau sayth hee will giue credite for the respect hee beareth vnto the King although it will with great difficulty bee generally perswaded that some Princes allied vnto his Maiestie could shewe some letters to the contrary Which is as much to say that although that which the King sayes be false yet to doe him a pleasure he will beleeue it and so giues him the lye very mannerly as if he should spit in his face doing him reuerence like the Iewes that cryed all haile to our Sauiour when they buffeted him His Encounter should haue had some coulerable matter at the least for what can argue more weakenesse in him then to mention letters that no man euer saw Or what strength hath it to weaken the testimony of a King concerning his own mother For to whom should she haue opened her minde more familiarly then to her sonne Or what wordes are more serious or more vndissemblingly spoken then such as are the last that dying persons doe vtter For then doth the hand of necessity pull off the maske from the deepest dissemblers then is it no time to hide themselues from men when they must mâ—ke their appearaÌ„ce before God But especially she then speaking to her onely sonne with whom to haue dissembled had beene a most iniurious dissimulation and an vnnaturall skill which if it bee blameable in a mother in any part of her life how much more at the time of her death His Maiesty of England being thus cleared from the crime of Apostasie he dooth likewise acquite himselfe from the imputation of heresie which is the ordinary wrong they doe him The word Heresie signifies a Sect by which name the Christian Religion was in auncient time traduced for so the Iewes speake to the Apostle S. Paul in the last of the Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as concerning this Sect or heresie We know that it is euery where spoken against And his Maiesty of England may very rightly say with the same Apostle cap. 24. vers 4. This I confes that after the way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they call Heresie I worship the God of my fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the law and the Prophets After which phrase of speech Tertullian and Cyprian doe call the Christian religion a Sect Tertul de Pallio c. 6. Denique etiam diuinae sectae ac disciplinae commercium pallio conferri Cyprianê° l
called Corpus Christi day to giue him contentment For seeing that euery Saint had his Feast it was iust and reasonable that God should haue his also 6 Then they sung no Masses in honour of the Saint whose Feast they celebrated And these Masses carry now a dayes the name of the Saint There is the Masse of S. Geneuiefue the Masse of S. Roth the Masse of S. Anthony c. Amongst which Masses we see in the same rancke the Masse of the Holy Ghost to testifie that the rest are not of that stampe 7 Then they did not diuersifie the furniture and preparation for their Masses in singing great or lesser Masses according to the greatnesse of the Feast Men were ignorant also of the distinction of high and low Masses Drie Masses and running Masses Masses in white or in greene There is nothing so pie-bald and new-fangled The Apostles vnderstood nothing in a manner in all this 8 Also in those times men knew not what it was to ground Feasts vpon an Allusion of Sillables As now adayes the Feast of the Mat-makers which they call Nattices is the day of the Natiuity of our Lady the Feast of Fel-mongers is Magdalen tyde La Magdalaine because they make L'amas de Laine an heape of wooll the Feast of Cooke-rosters is the Assumption of our Lady because assum is Latine for rosted The Feast of the Tylers or Slatters is Ascension day because they ascende and climbe the tops of houses Because Alga alludeth to Algeo which is to quake with colde So in the Physicke Alga aduersus querquerum as Apuleius speaketh You must giue Sea-weede or Sea-ore to one that is in a shiuering colde fit of the Ague Or to giue to a man that is hard bound a bunch of Keyes because there is nothing more opening Oh what a good time haue my Masters the Prelates had and how haue they dallied with Religion at their idle howers 9 But I would willingly know how it commeth to passe that those auncient Patriarkes such excellent personages Abraham Moses Dauid Daniel to whom there will not any be found comparable of all that haue liued within these fifteene hundred yeares how they notwithstanding all this haue no Feasts in the Church of Rome that no man prayeth in particular to Moses nor Samuel c. that no Temple beareth their name that it would indeede seeme a thing ridiculous to say S. Moses or S. Daniel or S. Iosaphat seeing that for a man but to beare the name of Isaac or Daniel or Abraham is enough to make a man to be suspected as a marke of Heresie If a man demaund whence commeth this great multitude of Feasts I say that auarice hath hatched them and that ambition hath bred them vp for the more Festiuall holy-dayes that there be the more often men goe to the offering and the pardons are more frequent when artisans and tradsemen shut vp their shoppes then the Priests open theirs The Prelates also are herein much honored for it is a great honour to these great Masters that at their commaundement the trafficke ceaseth the shops are shut vp the Sessions of the Iustices and of the Priuy Councell are by them broken vp And therefore when they are among themselues they gaude and mocke at the simplicity of the people For indeede they liue vpon their blindenes Let them then set vp the auncient simplicity againe let them restore to the Churches the liberty of gouerning themselues heerein according to the exigence of the time and place and we will not condemne their Feasts For indeede we doe not condemne this celebration of the memory of Martyrs and of Saints We like well the custome of the English Churches who haue certaine dayes affected and applyed to the commemoration of the Apostles for they are done without imposing necessity of keeping strict Holy-dayes and without opinion of merite without commandement of the Pope and without condemning the French Churches who hitherto haue feared to assigne any Feasts to any man because that liuing in a Countrey where superstitions doe swarme their people would easily be drawne into abuse and attainted with that running and ouer-spreading contagion which is to attribute that to the creature which belongeth to the Creator Meane while we let not to celebrate in our Churches the memory of the Saints and Martyrs but without any set day And we hold this rule for inuariable that God hauing said in his law in expresse termes Sixe dayes shalt thou labour he opposeth himselfe against God who saith Thou shalt not worke sixe dayes but thou shalt keepe holy those Feasts on the weeke dayes which I commaund thee Now if in the old Testament there be found any solemnities or Feasts besides the Sabboth day they are very few in number and ordayned by God himselfe who as he can giue the rules so also can he giue the exceptions Or if there be any feast found that was instituted by men you shall neuer be able to prooue that it was held vnlawfull to trauell vpon that day There should yet remaine to speake somewhat of Legends but I see that Coeffeteau is ashamed of them and would cast the blame vpon some particulars Legends neuerthelesse which haue beene for a long time yet are both in Italy and Spaine the subiect of Sermons yea very Fraunce is not exempt And those very miracles of which Coeffeteau is ashamed are those which we see painted on the walles and in the hangings of the Church As at Paris in the Cloyster of S. Geruase an Asse worshippeth and adoreth the Hoste neere thereto adioyning the Bees build a Chappell of waxe for an Hoste which they found in the fieldes In the Temple of S. Paul behinde the Quire on the left hand after the miracles of S. Roche painted promise is made vnto the people that they shall be healed of the swelling of the plague by adoring his pretious body at S. Benedict or S. Benets Cloyster wee see the said Saint tumbling himselfe starke naked amongst thornes and stopping the dogges with the signe of the Crosse In the forefront of the Church called Des Billettes an Hoste being pricked and stabbed by a Iew bleedeth with great droppes and being cast into a seething Caldron became a man in his visible greatnesse that is to say Iesus Christ boyling in a Caldron An infinite company of such things are so publick that Coeffeteau cannot condemne them without opposing himselfe to the whole Church of Rome Fictions that were built vp by the fauour of the night whiles they put the holy Scripture the onely light of our soules vnder a bushell And indeede very lately there haue beene composed two great Tomes of the Chronicles of S. Frauncis which challenge all the Legends and giue place to none of them for lies Insomuch that S. Dominicke Coeffeteaus Patron will henceforward be nothing in comparison of S. Frauncis ARTICLE VII Touching the Virgin Mary The KINGS Confession AND first for the blessed Virgin Mary I
auncient Agate stone which the people kissed and that himselfe beholding the ingrauing he found it to bee a Venus weeping ouer her Adonis lying by her And further that to Lewis of Bourbon Prince of Condee being in the same Towne there was brought amongst other Reliques an arme of siluer which being opened there was found within it a knaue of spades with a loue ditty And that at Bourges there was found in a casket of Reliques a little wheele turning round vpon a staffe hauing a little scroule written about it When this wheele about shall turne My loue with me in loue shall burne How can a man reconcile S. Iohn of Angerie with Amiens and Arras seeing that these three Townes doe bragge that they haue the head of Saint Iohn Baptist How many houses might there be built with that which is said to be the wood of the true Crosse Or who could recken the thornes of Christ his Crowne Or the milke or the haire of the Virgin Marie In England only in the beginning of the reformation of religion there were found aboue a bushel full of S. Apollonies teeth And alwaies the bason to receaue the offering is at hand Wee see many Churches founded by this meanes What semblance of these thinges was there amongst the auncients nay was there euer any grosser cosenage in all the Heathen Paganisme In all this abuse of Reliques finde me out any Relique or remnant of Pietie or any trace of Christianity ARTICLE XVIII Of Images The KINGS Confession BVt for worshipping either them or Images I must account it damnable Idolatrie I am no Iconomachus I quarell not the making of Images either for publike decoration or for mens priuate vses But that they should bee worshipped be prayed to or any holinesse attributed vnto them was neuer knowne of the Ancients and the Scriptures are so directly vehemently and punctually against it as I wonder what braine of man or suggestion of Sathan durst offer it to Christians and all must be salued with nice Philosophicall distinctions As Idolum nihil est And they worship forsooth the Images of things in being and the Image of the true God But the Scripture forbiddeth to worship the Image of any thing that God created It was not a nihil then that God forbad onely to be worshipped neither was the brasen Serpent nor the the body of Moses a nihil and yet the one was destroied and the other hidden for the eschewing of Idolatrie Master Coeffeteau answers Fol. 57. that the Church of Rome doeth not beleeue that there is any Deitie in Images nor doeth worship them nor make any petition vnto them or repose any confidence in them but doeth onely honour them for that which they represent Iust as the men of Reuben and Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses beyond Iordan Ios 22. erected another Altar beside the Tabernacle only for amemoriall for their posteritie but not for the offering of sacrifices So Coeffeteau saith that the Church of Rome doth not erect Images vnto Saints that they should bee accounted either Gods or Images of God nor to offer sacrifices vnto them but to testifie that we are not depriued or seperated from the Communion of our holy brethren that dwell beyond Iordan in the Land of promise That as in ciuill Gouernements Statues are aduanced for those that haue spent their liues in the defence of the Commonwealth both for honour and example so for the same purposes are Martyrs adorned with triumphant Statues that they are faire Church ornaments and that thereby we make protestation that we liue in the same Church and in hope to attaine the same societie He addeth thereunto the testimonie of the Fathers alleadging one of the second age Lib. de pudic c. 7. to wit Tertullian speaking of an Image in a Chalice two of the fourth age First Gregorie Nyssenus Secondly Basil speaking of the Images of certaine Saints engrauen vpon a seeling and Painted vpon the Walles Lib. 5. byst c. 21. Three other Authours of the fifth age namely Sozomen who speakes of the Image of Iesus Christ broken by Iulian the broken pieces whereof were brought afterward into the Church and the Poet Prudentius and Paulinus speaking of Painting in Churches And farther he addeth that the distinction of an Image and an Idoll is grounded vpon the Scripture That the Cherubins were Images and not Idols That an Idoll either presenteth things that neuer were in being or representeth them in the nature of a God Which doth no way agree to the Images of Saints who haue had a true being and whom men doe onlie honour as the seruants of God That the brasen Serpent was broken and the bodie of Moses concealed for that the Iewes were humorouslie enclined to Idolatry and would readily haue acknowledged Moses for their Sauiour and worshipped and burnt incense vnto the brasen Serpent And that therefore Ezechias did religiously breake it but that he medled not with the Cherubins in the Temple because this was abused but those were not Whereupon Coeffeteau concludeth that the abuse not the Images is to be blamed the good vse of them being not forbidden especially in Churches This is the substance of his discourse Answere which hee loades with so many and such tedious wordes that the matter is hardly perceiued By which discourse he sheweth that he is ashamed of his religion For he speaketh of Images as of memorials or meere representations whereas the Church of Rome commandeth men to reuerence them to performe religious worship vnto them nay to adore them In the second Councell of Nice Pope Adrian writing to Tharasius Bishop of Constantinople speaketh thus a Act 2. Imagines omnium Sanctorum beatitas vestra colere adorare pergat Let your beatitude continue to serue adore the Images of all Saints This commandement is repeated through the whole Councell aboue twenty times These wordes are to be found in the seauenth Act. b Virginis Mariae Deiparae intemeratae quin etiam gloriosorum Angelorum omnium Sanctorum has quoque adorandas salutandas putamus Qui vero non est ita animatus sed circa venerādarum imaginū adorationem laborat dubitat cum anathematisat sancta venerāda nostra Synodus We hold that the Images of the pure Virgin Marie the mother of God and also of the glorious Angels and of all Saints are to be adored and saluted That if so be any be otherwise minded and doe wauer and be of a doubtfull opinion concerning the adoration of venerable Images our holy and reuerend Synod doth anathematise him And which is more in the first Act of this venerable Councell it is declared * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a Church without Images is nothing worth Which is againe affirmed that to oppose Images is the worst of all heresies In the fourth Act it is said that c Vt etiam meo iudicio cum sanctis Euāgelijs venerāda
their essence And indeed not the vulgar people only but the Doctors also doe call such pictures the Image of God and the Trinitie The title of the eight chapter of Bellarmines booke of Images is this That the Images of God are not forbidden Now there is no picture which hath not some resemblance with the patterne and euery Image is a likenesse Therefore our aduersaries must hold that there is some assimilation and resemblance betweene God and his Images for if there be none they are not the Images of God Now these Statues and pictures are to be seene in all their Churches and in the beginning of the Bibles printed at Rome by the authority of Sixtus Quintus and Clement 8. yea they serue for signes at Tauerne dores they vse to say Master N. lodgeth at the Trinity and his horses are set at Gods-head a matter ridiculously prophane and reproachfull to Christian Religion It appeareth also that these Images of God are not made to represent the formes wherein God hath appeared for they commonly picture God in a pontificall Throne in the habite of a Pope with a triple Crowne and a Papall robe as if you should say behold Pope Iulius granting pardons There wants nothing but a fanne of a Peacockes taile on either side surely God neuer appeared in this habite it makes me wonder whence it comes that the Images of the Trinity are commonly dusty and Spiders playing about them but the Images of our Lady and of the Saints are diapred and trimply appaireled me thinkes in regard of the Papall habit at least they should be neatly kept It is true that God appeared vnto Daniel in the shape of an old man for he knew well that Daniel would not Idolatrously abuse the vision but when he speakes to the children of Israel hee suffered them not to see him in any likenesse for feare saith he least ye corrupt your selues in making a representation of any figure of Male or Female Deut. 4.16 And me thinkes when they obiect this apparition in the figure of an old man they knock themselues on the fingers For did the Church then vpon this occasion represent God in that figure can it be found that after that time the Image of God was painted in the Temple or in the Synagogue And if the faithfull in those daies did it not for what reason shall we haue license to doe that which they thought vnlawfull God doth that which seemeth good to his wisedome but to vs it belongeth to doe what he commaundeth for his commandemenâ— and not his actions must bee the rule of our Religion If he commaund the Israelites to spoyle the Egyptians or Abraham to sacrifice his Sonne doth it follow that we must therfore breake his law by the imitation of these examples if a woodden old man that people call God the Father must be worshipped because it resembles the old man that appeared vnto Daniel why should we not much rather worship old men aliue which doe much more resemble him This is the reason why some Doctors of the Church of Rome as Abulensis Durand and Peresius doe condemne these Images Yea the second Nicence Councell how corrupt soeuer yet condemneth them in the sixth and seuenth Acts. Nicephorus a later and superstitious Author lib. 18. cap 53. saith a Imagines patris Spiritus S. effigiant quod perquam absurdum est The Armenian Heretickes doe paint the Image of God the Father and the Holy Ghost which is most absurd b Nec id ipsum quod sedâ—re pater dicitur flexis poplitibus fieri putandum est Ne in illud meidamus sacrilegium quo execratur Apostolus eos qui commutauerunt gloriam in corruptibilis Dei in similitudinem corruptibilis hominis Tale en m simulacrum Deo nefas est Christiano in templo collocare multo magis in corde Saint Austen in the seuenth Chapter of his Booke of Faith and of the Creede saith thus When it is said that the Father sitteth we must not thinke that he hath Legs to bow for feare wee fall into that sacriledge for which the Apostle detesteth those that turned the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man for to erect any such Image vnto God in the Church is a thing vnlawfull for a Christian and much more in his heart c. He doeth not onely say that it is vnlawfull to desire to represent his essence but to make an Images of God sitting his hammes bowed in the similitude of a man which is the fashion of the Images of God which are made in these dayes Now no man that hath any drop of free iudgement can make himselfe beleeue that any Christian euer thought to represent the essence of God by such Pictures seeing they cannot expresse the essence of man In briefe by this abuse doth God shew vnto vs into what headlong courses man runneth when hee forsakes his holy word and that after the shipwrack of piety he loseth euen his very reason for the Lord hauing created man in the Image of God Loe heere are men that make God in the Image of man as if they would exchange good turnes with him And indeed his Maiesty of England saith true that the meanest man would not be so resembled for what man would be represented in the shape of a Pismiere or of a Frog and yet betweene an Ant and the greatest Monarch there is some proportion and between things finite the distance cannot be infinite but betweene the shape of a man that is finite and the Maiesty of God which is infinite there can be no proportion besides the distinctions and excuses which they bring forth are schoole distinctions not vnderstood by the common people whose minds are fixed on that which they see and seeing euery day in their Parish Church a God of stone clothed like a Pope must needes imagine very grosse things and such as are very iniurious to the eternal Deitie ARTICLE XX. Of the Crosse The KINGS Confession BVt Christs Crosse must haue a particular priuiledge say they and bee worshipped ratione contactus But first wee must know what kinde of touching of Christs body drew a vertue from it whether euery touching or onely touching by faith That euery touching of his body drew not vertue from it is more then manifest When the Woman in the bloody fluxe touched him she was healed by her faith Luke 8. But Peter then tolde him that a crowde and throng of many people then touched him and yet none of them receiued any benefit or vertue from him Iudas touched him many and many a time besides his last kisse so did the villaines that Buffeted and Crucified him and yet I may safely pronounce them accursed that would bestow any worship vpon their reliques yea we cannot denie but the land of Canaan it selfe whereupon our Lord did dayly tread is so visibly accursed being gouerned by faithlesse Turkes full of innumerable Sects of hereticall