For the Marble stones be annoynted wyth it and a verse of the Psalme Psalm 45. song The Lord hath annoynted thée with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes O stony hearts To apply the words which the spirite of God properly spake of Salomon vnder Salomons person of Christ to a greasy stone that euery man doth treade on euery dog berayes Then doth the quire sing Erexit Iacob lapidem Genes 28. Psalm 67. Iacob reared vp a stone whereof they knowe not the signification Also they bleate out wyth wyde throtes Ibi est Beniamin adolesceÌ„tulus in mentis excessu There is little Beniamin out of hys wyttes as they translate it And thinke ye that they were well in their wittes which for Dominator eorum would put in Mentu excessu Wheras they should haue sayd There is little Beniamin their gouernoure To saye There is yong Beniamin rauished of his wittes But this is scripture of Church hallowing This is the purpose These be the textes The prayers are the same that Salomon vsed when he was commaunded to make the temple saue that they wyll haue a crop of Colocyntida to marre a whole pot full of pottage For they adde vnto these Inuocation of Saintes derogation to God abuse of hys creatures When thys is done the rotten bones and reliques are halowed with like ceremonies and soleÌ„nities as they had before And then they put on their masking coates come lyke blinde fooles with candels in their handes at none dayes and so procede to the holy masse with renting of throtes and tearing of notes chaÌ„ting of priests howliÌ„g of clarkes flinging of coales and piping of organes Thus they continue a long while in mirth and iolyty many mad partes be played But wheÌ„ the vice is come from the altare and the people shall haue no more sport they conclude theyr seruice with a true sentence Terribilis est locus iste This place is terrible And haue they not faire fysht think you to make such a doe to bryng in the diuel O blynde beastes O senselesse hipocrites whom God hath geuen ouer vnto themselues that they shall not sée their own folly yet bewray their shame to all the world beside And is not thys youre Church halowing that ye talke of Thys is it that youre Church hath ordayned Now that ye may proue in particularitie that which generally ye did auouch before The signe of the Crosse to be vsed in all Sacramentes ye come to an enumeration of them all And I dare say ye be glad to catch such occasion to treate of the vii Sacramentes yet dout I not but before I haue done with you I shall make ye contented to cut of .v. of them First as touching the vse of baptisme ye begyn with Dionisius Dionisius Areopagita Folio 52. b Euseb Eccl. Hist li. 3. ca. 4. lib. 4. cap. 21. to whom ye geue the surname of Areopagita and honorable title of Saint Paules scholer Eusebius in dede maketh mention of such a one and sayth that he was the first byshop of Athens and thys he speaketh of the report of an other Dionisius of Alexandria But as for any writing of hys he hath no worde at all And doutlesse if it had bene true which you affirme he would not haue suppressed it S. Hierome maketh mention of two In catal Scripit Eccles of that name One that was at Corynth in the raygne of Marcê° Antoninus verus and Lucius Commodus An other that was scholer somtyme to Origene and byshop afterwarde of Alexandria in the raygne of Galienus But not a worde yet among all their writings which he moste diligeÌ„tly doth rehearse eyther of the heauenly or ecclesiasticall hierarchie out of which ye cite all your authorities Wherfore it is a bastarde booke vniustly fathered vpon S. Paul his Dionise wheras the style it selfe and matter there intreated of do argue that it is of no such antiquitie For to go no further thaÌ„ to those wordes that you do alleage of hys Folio 52. hovv the bishop assigneth some man to be godfather to hym that is to be baptised here is a playne lye For the vse of godfathers was not inuented forty yeare after It is euident by consent of all men yea the decrée it selfe beareth witnesse with me De Cons Dist 4. Cap. In catechismo Platina in vita Higini that Hyginus was first founder of Godfathers and among all the receaued writers of that age ye shall not lightly reade of any gossipping But suppose it be true that our recordes haue that Hyginus hatched thys egge he lyued at the least an hundreth and forty yeare after Christ And how can S. Paul hys scholer whose lyfe your selfe can stretch no longer than to the .96 yeare after Christ speake of that which he neuer thought on In the names of the authors alleaged by Martiall whiche was so long deuised after But to the matter I know ryghte well that within CC. yeare after Christ there were crept into the Church many idle Ceremonies and the simplicity of Christ hys ordinaÌ„ce refused Eche maÌ„ as he had either credite or authority presumed of hymselfe to adde somewhat to Christes institution and the fleshe deliting in hir own deuises deliuered the same with as straight a charge as if that Christ hymselfe had taken order for it notwithstaÌ„ding if ought beside the authoritie of Scripture were so auncient in dede as I last spake of admitted at any time into God his seruice yet were we no more bouÌ„d to obserue the same thaÌ„ the fathers themselues haue yelded to it For if they haue repelled the traditions TraditioÌ„s no grouÌ„d of doctrine TraditioÌ„s vary of their elders and after established some other of their own their example proueth no vse Apostolique or necessitie to haue bene in the one their president authoryseth that we may as lawfully dysanull the other Enforce not therefore a doctrine of a custome traditions alwayes haue varyed and many such as Cyprian Tertullian Augustine with other haue thought to be necessary for saluation the Church of Rome it selfe hath not thought expedient to be vsed for instruction Christ gaue commaundemente Baptisme to be ministred Math. 28. in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste Actes 10. The Apostles continued in the same order Ceremonies or circumstances we reade of no more in Scripture saue only the water without all coniuratioÌ„ consecration Luc. 3. or insufflation the persons Baptised the preaching of God hys promises and fayth in Christ and prayer of the faythfull Nowe come ye bowne to Tertullians tyme and ye shall fynde many straunge inuentions Thrée dyppynges in the water Tasting of mylke and hony Lib. de Cormil Abstaynyng from all other washing for a seuen nyght after In Hieromes tyme Lib. 15. Com. in Esaiam Epist 72. Epi. ad Bonifacium De pec mer. remis cap. 20. there was no hony vsed but in
herein applied vniustly vnto the priest the word Aspergam super vos aquam mundam Ezech. 36. I wil sprinckle cleane water on you which God peculiarly promiseth of himselfe Then also to inforce a necessity of oyle that baptisme can not cōsist without it whereas Christ did not appoint it nor Apostle vse it passed his cōmission Vt ne quid grauius But to attribute more vnto the oyle mans own inuention than to baptisme it self the ordinance of Christ I must nedes say was proud blasphemous Yet Cyprian so did for he sayde that vnlesse they were on his wyse annoynted they could not be true Christians To haue the annoynted of the father Iesus Christ within them was not ynough vnlesse a little oyle had also besmeared them A pitifull case that so good a father so faythful a martyr should haue so fowle a blotte to blemish his authoritie But as I sayd we must not gather out of the fathers writings what soeuer was witnesse of their imperfection Yet do I maruel most what mad conceyte ye had to bring this place for the vse of the Crosse in byshopping of children Onely S. Cyprian in all that Epistle and diuers other goeth aboute to proue that heretiques should be baptised And this is farre from Confirmation full little doth it confirme your crosse Agaynst the assertion of seuenfold grace Folio 57. a. Chapt. 11. Nowe to speake a worde of your Seuenfolde grace which you say is conferred at byshopping I besech you shew me the ground of your deuise I know that you delite in the odde number as al inchaunters haue done of olde And therfore vij sacraments vij kindes of graces of the holy ghost But wherefore .vij Bicause Esay numbreth but .vij And this is the reason of all the Papists that euer wrote But I might byd them tell them Esay 11. as Tom foole did his géese Esay numbreth but syx and the seauenth is their owne Therfore stil I proue that Papistes are falsefiers of the worde of God Papistes falsefiers of Scripture And yet if the Prophet had rehearsed seauē as it is of euery man to be sene he did not to gather out of that a seauēfold kinde of grace were to absurd in asmuch as other places attribute of diuerse effectes diuerse other titles to the holie ghost nor the faithful are only partakers of those that Esay doth speake of which are Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsel Strēgth Knowlege Feare of God but also of other as Chastity Sobriety Truth Holinesse which in like maner do flowe from the same spring Then also to thrust the power of Gods spirit into such a corner that it shall haue but seauen holes to start to is to straight a compasse can not contayne him But this I may excuse you as the Painter did himselfe who being reproued that he had left out a cōmaundement whereas he was bydden to write them all in a table answered There is more than ye will kepe So you in rehearsall of your seauenfolde grace speake of syxe more than you are partaker of Wherfore to make my Apostrophe to the readers as you do seing Dionisius is iustly disproued Folio 57. b. to be of no such authority and antiquity as the Papists pretend seing S. Augustine is depraued of them S. Cyprian alleaged where he defendeth an heresy The example of Christ and his Apostles most falsly drawen to proufe of Confirmation I trust you wil more esteme and better regarde the authoritie of auncient Fathers in dede whose playne assertions I haue brought to the contrary you wil more reuerence the word of God the bread of life by them abused to most impietie than the stinking leuen of these lying hipocrites who speake of scripture but esteme it not who lay the fathers for them but vnderstande them not who pretend antiquity but are caried about with euery winde and puffe of new doctrine being as S. Ciprian saith Epistola ad Nouatianos beginners of schismes authors of dissention destroyers of faith betrayers of the church Antichristes in dede who going about to deface the catholike religiō cōmanded by Christ taught by the Apostles continued in the church by the holy ghost haue defaced as it were the truth of Christs ordināce to place their own dreames deuises as it apeareth by the nūber of their sacraments by declining in al points from the order of Christ his Apostles by oyle creame salt spittle candels such like added vnto baptisme by preferring byshopping of children afore it by making oyle of their own addition of more effect vertue than the element of water sanctified by the word of God Finally ascribing perfection of Christianitie which consisteth in the spirit to the outward work of coniuring and Crossing Now M. Martial to come to your holy orders which among your sacraments ye put in the third place I maruell that ye are so barren in the ground which of it self is so fruitfull that wheras ye nūber but .vij. sacraments this one hath begotten by spiritual generation six moe For the master of the sentence whome ye and al your faction do follow maketh .vij. degrées of orders Lib. 4. Dist. 24. Cap. 1. Et hij ordines sacramenta dicuntur these orders saith he be called sacraments He saith not that they do al concur to make a sacrament So by this meanes we haue now .xiij. sacraments A plentiful increase And to set forth the more the dignity of their calling in euery one of these holy orders they haue Christ himself a cōpanion with them But whereas sacraments must haue a promise annexed to thē a promise immediatly from God if any of these orders or they altogether should make a Sacrament some piece of Scripture shuld be brought for proufe of it Neyther Angels nor men can make a sacrament Therfore they lie when they do cal their orders sacraments in as much as they which are called among thē ordines minores the inferior orders by their own cōfession were neuer knowē in the primitiue church but long deuised after In confess Polonica Cap. 51. Hosius himself out of whome you toke your authorities as well of Augustine as of Leo to proue your orders a Sacramente confesseth in the same place that of olde time Ordines ij minores inter sacros non numerabantur These inferior orders were not rekened among the holy ones But now they be holy all and Sacramentes al. If I should rehearse the ydle ceremonies that are obserued in euery one of them The Iewish disagrements of the doctors themselues when eche man hath a sere assertion of his owne defended with toth and nayle The clouted religion of olde patches of Iudaisme Paganisme and Christianitie together wherby they commend this their sacrament to the worlde I should cumber the readers to long with vnfruitfull matters and busy my selfe more a great deale than néeded to confute that which you M. Martiall such is your modesty are ashamed
conscience or reason persuaded you For scriptures haue ye none but the same condemne you nor godly Fathers any but the same be agaynst you For proufe whereof as I haue hitherto discoursed of your scriptures for Confirmation and vttered your doctrines disagreing from the same so now wil I come to iudgement of your doctors For Confirmation to be a sacrament ye bring Denise Fabianus Of which the one I haue already sufficientely disproued The other was but a Pope and neuer receyued author But I will set agaynst them Tertullian and Augustine two for two substauntiall and honest for suspected and infamous Aduersus Martionem Libro 4. Tertullian speaking of the sacraments of the primitiue Church rekeneth no more but baptisme and the supper of the Lord saying Quomodo tu nuptias dirimis nec coniungens marem foeminā nec alibi coniunctos ad Sacramentum baptismatis eucharistiae admittens c. How doest thou breake mariage neyther coupling the man the womā together nor being coupled otherwise admitting thē to the sacramēt of baptisme thankesgiuing Likewise in his boke de corona Militis Cap. 3. intreating purposely of the order of the church beginneth with baptisme sheweth what ceremonies were obserued therein and then he procedeth to the supper of the Lord for sacraments no further Augustine also most playnly sayth De doctrin Christiana Lib. 3. Cap. 9 Dominus signis nos non onerauit sed quaedam pauca pro multis eademque factu facillima intellectu augustissima obseruatione castissima ipse dominus apostolica tradidit disciplina sicuti est Baptismi sacramētū celebratio corporis sanguinis domini Which words in english be these Our lord hath not burdened vs with signes but Christ himself the discipline of the Apostles hath deliuered vs in the steade of many a very few the same most easy to be done most royall to be vnderstode most pure to be obserued as are the sacrament of Baptisme celebration of the body bloud of the Lord. The like wherof and in effect the same he hath ad Ianuarium Ep. 118. This is the doctrine of the true church This only auncient and whatsoeuer is against it newe What it pleased men to vse in the ceremony of Confirmation maketh very smally to purpose And the thing it self being so shamefully abused as it hath bene the signe of the Crosse to haue bene vsed therein is a good matter agaynst you But sory I am and ashamed of you that stil ye bewray your ignoraunce and folly Nedes will ye haue .vij. sacramentes and yet in your discourse ye confound them alleaging that for proufe of Confirmation which the authors onely did meane of Baptisme Thus do ye fall into the olde absurditie that as before where so euer ye redde thys word Crosse ye would lyft it to the Roodeloft or to the forehead so nowe where so euer ye heare mention of oyle ye make it onely to serue for byshopping Learne M. Martial to vnderstand your author before ye presume to become a writer Denise Tertullian Augustine Cyprian in the places that ye bring of Christians annoynting spake as it is euident but onely of baptizing them For in their dayes as is before approued oyle was receyued to the elemente of water And specially the wordes of Denise Denise doe confute you For he ioyneth together The Christening Folio 55. b. the Chrisome the Chrisme and the Communion which all in one sacramente of Baptisme did concurre Then what is thys to your purpose that Tertullian Tertulliā hath Caro signatur vt anima muniatur The fleshe is signed that the soule may be defended Was there neuer any signing of the fleshe but in Confyrmation Your selfe I dare say wyll not admytte it But if ye were so fonde as to affyrme it yet Tertullian himselfe dysproueth you For the very nexte wordes that followe be these Caro manuum impositione adumbratur the flesh is ouershaddowed by imposition of handes And where as diuers thinges be spoken of Confirmation if in any place muste be vnderstode in the latter clause and there is no worde of the signe of the Crosse Wherefore howe doth it appeare by these your proues that the holye Fathers vsed also the signe of the Crosse in thys youre holye Sacramente Augus lib. de Catach rudib ca. 20 Augustine if you had euer readde hym should not haue bene alleadged of you For in all the Chapter he treateth howe the Iewes were brought to Hierusalem by those meanes as are fygures vnto vs mentioning especially baptism reepresented in the water of Iordan and the supper of the Lorde by slaying of the lambe whose bloud was sprinckled on the dore postes vpon which wordes he immediately inferreth Passionis Crucis signo c. Thou must be marked in thy forehead with the signe of the passion and Crosse of Christ as it were in a post What is this to Confirmation As much as a texte out of Beuys of Hampton And as for Cyprian although the wordes alleaged by you Folio 56 b. be the very worste in all hys works which argueth very smal discretion in your choise yet are they quite from the purpose too I omit how Cyprian Cyprian without a commaundement made in God his seruise anoynting necessary condemning therein all htat before him had bene baptised and had not any oyle poured vpon them Forsoth by his reason not heretiques onely retourning to the church should be partakers of his heretical Rebaptisation but the baptisme of Christ of the Apostles of all them them that we reade of in the Scripture should be insufficient For neyther will he haue the element of water to be sufficient to baptize withall vnlesse it be consecrate De Heret bapt Ep. 72. Oportet mundari sanctificari aquam prius à Sacerdote The water muste be cleansed and sanctified firste of the priest Nor yet this consecrated water to serue vnlesse we haue a lyttle oyle to boote Vngi quoque necesse est eum c. It is necessary sayth he that whosoeuer is baptised be anointed that the oyntment being once receyued he may be the anoynted of God and haue in him the grace of Christ Yet we neuer reade that the Apostles vsed any wordes of Consecration that they thought themselues in that case to be priests whome the new testament calleth ministers of the word Ad Tit. ca. 2 Rō 14. or that they could repute contrary to the expresse word any creature vncleane Omnia munda mundis All things are cleane to the cleane Christ by his word and institution of baptisme sanctified al water vsed according vnto his wil No man ought to adde to his ordināce any thing no priest by coniuring can bring such holinesse and perfection vnto it that in his respecte as Cyprian would haue it it shal be more auayleable for remission of sinnes Wherefore S. Cyprian was to farre wide
had 15. a. Three reasons why Christ can haue no Image made of him 16. a. The follye to haue a picture of Christ 16. b. How Images are honoured coÌ„trary to the minde of Gregorie 17. a. A note how Martials allegations for the crosse are to be knoweÌ„ in this treatise 17. b. The Papists hope ib. Mart. lies in his preface 18. a. Comparison betwene Papistes true Christians 19. In the first Article MEn in gods matters not to be beleeued without the word Folio 21. b. seq What iudges ought to sit in coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ 23. a. Howe Martiall entreateth of that which is not applying to the signe the vertue propre to the thing it self 25. b. Chrisostome his praise of the Crosse answered 26. a. Thinges well receyued yll continued 26. b. The signe of the Crosse an heathenish obseruance ib. Chrisost mangled by M. 26. b Martialis a pretended disciple answered 27. a. Damascenê° answered 27. b. Crosse signe no weapon to fight agaynst Sathan 28. b. Athanasius answered 29. a. Necessary notes to be obserued in reading of the Fathers 29. b. 30. b. Origen aunswered for hys prayse of the Crosse 31. a. Cassiodore answered 33. a. Martials fond reason for necessity of a Crosse 33. a. Lact. Aug. answered 33. b. Martials comparison examined 34. 35. Iulians exaÌ„ple opened wherby he wil proue the crosse to driue away spirits 35. seq The like example of a Iewe out of Gregory 36. Siluester the secoÌ„d for al his Crosses in the very Masse tyme was torne in pieces by Diuels 37. b. Martials allegations wherby he will proue mention to be made of his Crosse in Scripture howe they are answered 37. 38. 39. seq In the .ij. Article MArtial goeth only about to proue a matter that he promysed he woulde not speake of Folio 41. a. It is declared that although the Crosse were prefigured by Moses and the prophets yet it folowes not that wee must needes haue the signe thereof 41. b. His allegations for the prefiguring of the crosse examined 42. seq Moses handes lifted lyke a Crosse 43. seq The letter Thau 44. b. se Constantines apparitioÌ„ answered 45. b. For good successe in the Crosse time 47. a. Iulians visions discussed 48 Diuers meanes that God hath miraculously vsed for deliuery of his 49. seq Howe Papistes deale wyth Gods booke 52. a. The end of ceremonies 52. b. What Christ in iudgement shal require of vs. 53. In the .iij. Article THe .iiij. reasons why euery Church and Chappell should haue the signe of the Crosse aunswered Folio 54. seq Abdias proued fabulous 51. a. The true maner of dedication of Churches 52. b. Barthelmewes dedycation 54. a. Philips dedication ibid. The councels by Martial alleaged answered 54. b. He bringeth the bare name of three Councels and nothing else 58. a. Three Councels which are playne agaynst Images The Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isauricus 58. a. seq The Councell of Granata called Elibertinum 68. a. The Councel of Frankford ibid. seq The beastly reasons of the second Councell of Nice confirming images answered 70. seq The wyckednesse of Irene president of that sixt Councell 78. seq The Doctors answered that seeme to commaunde the signe of a Crosse in Churches 79. a. Ambrose in that case considered 79. a. seq How a crosse on the steple saueth the Church from burning 80. b. Lactantius authoritie aunswered 81. a. Eusebius thought it strange to see an ymage stand in the Church 82. a. Arnobius a great enimie to Images ib. Augustine aunswered 82. b. What is a mysterie ibid. Augustine doth answere the same obiections which the Papists make in defence of Images 83. a. b. His places against Images 84. b. Paulinus of Nola answered and disproued 84. b. Iustinians lawes weyghed 85. a. Valens Theodosius enacted that no crosse should be vsed 85. a. The custome of Church considered 85. b. Siluesters lie concerning the Church of Constantinus 86. b. Augustins rule for custome 87. a. In the .iiij. Article A Proufe that although the signe of the crosse haue bene vsed yet doth it not folowe that it is lawful now Folio 88. The tale of Probianus disproued 89. a. Cyprians authoritie examined 90. Augustines authority discussed 92. a. The difference of Rite and Recte 92. b. The Cannon lawe condemneth Crossemaster Martiall 93. a. Chrisostome answered ib. Constantinus Church hallowing 93. b. Popishe Church hallowing 94. a. Dionisius dysproued not to be Areopagita 95. b. Traditions and ceremonies added to baptisme 96. seq Confirmation proued no sacrament 97. a. Papistes blasphemous doctrine touching Confirmation 97. seq The reasons agaynste Popish confirmation 99. seq Howe Papistes falsefie the Scripture 100. a. The absurditie of popish doctrine ib. seq The fathers opinioÌ„ touching the number of Sacramentes 101. Cyprians errour 102. b. The seaueÌ„folde grace of Papists 103. a. Orders proued to be no Sacrament 104. seq No due proufe can be made that a Crosse wyth a finger was or ought to be made in the Lordes Supper 106. seq Matrimony proued no sacrament 108. a. Martials reasoÌ„ to make Matrimony a sacrament 109. a. Absurdities in Popishe doctrine concerning Matrimonie 109. b. seq Martiall disproued for his sacrament of Penaunce 111. b. Vanitie of Papistes therein 112. b. Martiall confuted for his sacrament of Extreme vnction 113. The absurdities in Popishe doctrine for Extreme vnction 114. That all councels are not to be credited 115. In the .v. Article THat Martiall vnderstandeth not what blessing meaneth which applieth it to a signe in the foreheade Folio 116. a. Vnlawful authorities brought for blessing 116. b. Epiphaniê° authority which tare the vayle 117. seq What is to bee thoughte of traditions 119. seq Tertullians traditions not to be obserued ib. Ephrem not alway sounde 120. a. Chrisostome not in al things to be followed ib. Hierome sometime to be reproued ib. Augustin not alwayes to be admitted ib. b. Prudentius hath hys infirmities ib. The vnitie of Papistes and Christians 121. a. Howe Martiall doth corrupt Tertullian 123. a. In Custome what to be considered 124. a. Traditions threefolde ib. Traditions howe they varie 126. What lies Martiall maketh of Athanasius 127. a. That Roodes Crosses Images are countrefets of Serapis 128. a. The godlinesse and good religion of Papists 129. seq In the .vj. Article AVthorities vnlawfull alleaged by Martiall for confirming of the Crosse keping Folio 131. a. No authoritie of men to be grounded on in Gods matters 132. Hierome agaynste reseruing pieces of the Crosse 132. b. Chrisostomes saying for inclosure of the Crosse in gold answered 133. a. Chrisostome agaynst such superstition 133. b. Effects of the Crosse pieces thereof considered 135. seq In the .vij. Article THat Crosses at the fyrste were not vsed in Letanies Folio 138. Montanistes Arrians authours of procession 138. b. Letanies of two sortes and when deuised 139. a. Howe
had bene abused by them yet in that terrible Interraigne of Antichrist a Pilgrimage in Wales was straight erected Faire fruite followed Much resort vnto it neuer any of the learned fathers opened once his mouth against it Such is the trust to men So ready and apt we are to followe as the Prophet sayth as I did alleage before the abhominations of our owne eies attempering Gods seruice vnto our outward senses Whereby it commes to passe as Lactantius doth say vt Relligio nulla sit De fal Rel 1.2 Cap. 19. vbi simulachrum est that no Relligion is there where an Image is And since to come néere to our present purpose Crosses in market places and not in Churches are as by good proufe we finde great stumbling stones not onely to the simple but also to such as wil séeme to be wyser impossible me think it is a Crosse to be erected in place of Gods seruice and him that hanged on the Crosse to be honored as he ought For the minde is rapt from heauenly consideration to the earthly creature from the soule to the substance from the heart to the eye Cause we can assigne none other but as the same Lactantius doth say Esse aliquam peruersam potestatē De fal Rel. li. 2. Cap. 1. qua veritatis sit semper inimica quae humanis erroribus gaudeat cui vnicum ac perpetuum sit opus offundere tenebras hominum caecare mentes ne lucem videant ne denique in caelum aspiciant ac naturā corporis sui seruent There is a certaine peruerse power which alwayes is enimie vnto the truth which taketh pleasure in mans error whose only and continuall work it is to ouercast cloudes and mistes of darkenesse to blinde the mindes of men that they sée not the light that they loke not vp into heauen and kepe the nature of their owne body For where as other liuing creatures in that they haue not receiued wit and reason bende groueling to the grounde but we haue an vpright state a countenaunce aloft from God our maker giuē vs it appeareth that the religion and seruice of God accordeth not vnto mens reason which bends and bowes the heauenly creature to worship to knéele to knocke to the earthly God would haue vs to loke vpon the heauens to séeke for our religion there in that place which is the seate of his glory to beholde him in heart whome with our eye we can neuer sée And is not this an extreme folly yea a mere madnesse to aduaunce the metal which is but corruptible to abase the minde which is eterne where as the shape and proportion of oure bodies doe teache vs no lesse but that our mindes should be lifted thither whetherward ye sée our heads erected yet hath our enimy so enchaunted vs that we haue for his sake forsaken our frend forgotten God and our selues to But he hath not done this at once and altogether by a lyttle and a lyttle he hath crept in vpon vs til at the length he hath wholly possessed vs. At the firste Images among Christen men were only kept in priuate houses paynted or grauen in story wise which had some meaning and signification in thē Afterward they crept into the Church by a zeale not according to knowledge as by Paulinus at Nola yet nothing lesse was meant than worship of them So that at the firste they séemed in some respecte to be tollerable as meanes to excite men to thankfulnesse and deuotion vntil the Diuel shewed himselfe in his likenesse and turned the glory of the immortall God to the seruice of a vile and earthly creature Yet if we had not séene that effect follow which in dede we haue to lamentably to the desperate destruction of many christen soules we might notwithstanding iustly condemne the whole faithlesse and fond inuention For it was but a wilworship a naughty seruice hauing no ground of the worde of God and onely spring of error and Gentilitie For according to the cōmaundement of the Almighty Deut. 12. Euery man must not do vvhat soeuer seemeth good in his ovvn eyes VVhat soeuer God hath cōmaunded vs vve must take heede to it neyther adding any thing vnto it nor taking any thing avvay from it Lykewise the Prophet Ieremie Ierem. 23. doth aduise vs Not to hearken to them that speake the vision of their ovvne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lorde For vvhat is chaffe to vvheate And the Apostle to the same effect Rom. 14. VVhat soeuer is not of faith is sinne faith is by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God Wherefore Tertullian doth well affirme quod nobis nihil licet de nostro arbitrio indulgere De pres aduers Heret sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit Apostolos domini habemus authores qui nec ipsi quidque de suo arbitrio quod inducerent elegerunt sed acceptam a Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus assignarunt That it is not lawfull for vs to flatter our selues with any thing of our own iudgement and discretion nor to chose that which any man hath brought in of hys owne head we haue the paterne of the Apostles for vs which toke nothing to bring in after their own pleasure but faythfully assigned to the nations the doctrine that they had receiued of Christ Ciprian also Cecilio fratri Epis 6 8. Non hominis consuetudinem sequi oportet sed Dei veritatem cum per Esaiam Prophetam Deus loquatur dicat Sine causa autem colunt me mandata et doctrinas hominum docentes Et iterum Dominus in Euangelio hoc idem repetat dicens Reijcitis mandatum Dei vt traditionem vestram statuatis We muste not followe the custome of man but the truth of God in asmuch as he speaketh by his Prophet Esay and sayth They honor me in vayne teaching the doctrines and preceptes of men And agayne in the Gospel Christ himselfe repeateth the same saying Ye refuse the commaundement of God to establish your owne tradition And learned Austin doth teache vs no lesse wryting on this sorte Extat authoritas diuinarum Scripturarum De Trinita lib. 3. Cap. 11. vnde mens nostra deuiare non debet nec relicto solidamento diuini eloquij per suspicionum suarum abrupta praecipitari vbi nec sensus corporis regit nec perspicua ratio veritatis elucet There is extant wyth vs the authoritie of holy Scripture from the whiche our minde oughte not to swarue nor leauing the substantiall ground of Gods word runne hedlong on the perilles of our owne surmises where we neyther haue sense of body to rule vs nor apparant reason of truth to directe vs. Wherefore syth the scripture hath taught and Fathers confirmed that onely God is sufficient scholemaster and his worde prescribeth vs one certayne order Eche man by preaching to be instructed in the truthe What should we runne to
the Papistes by their deuises doe or whether we by remouing al Images and consequently the Crosse to doe derogate from Christ and from his passion as they doe which hauing the materiall Crosse can not come to the knowledge and fayth of the crucified I confesse that I am more aspre in my writing than otherwise I woulde or modesty requireth But no such bitternesse is tasted in me as the beastlinesse of them with whome I haue to do deserueth Beare with mée therfore I beséeche you beare with a truth in plaine speeche vttered Bayarde hath forgot that hée is a Horse and therefore if I make the stumbling iades sydes to bléede blame mée not Impute not to malice impacience that which is grounded of hatred to the crime but loue to the persons which be toucht I hope by this meanes that seyng their own shame they will come to more honesty or hearing their owne euill doings surceasse at leaste wyse theire euill speaking They haue nothing so rife in their deprauing mouthes wherwithall to burden our ministerie in Englande as heaping togither all base occupations to shew Fol. 9. a. b. that the craftes men thereof be our preachers I wis I might aunswere iustify the same that as great a number of learned as euer were as auncient in standing and degrée as they supply the greatest roomes and places of most credite Wherefore they doe vs wrong to match the simplest of our syde with the best of theirs As for their famous writers Rascall Dorman Martiall Stapleton which now with such confidence make their challenges be knowen vnto vs what they are But they which at home be no more knowen than contemned as sone as euer they taste the good liquor of Louain they be great clarkes Bachelers of Diuinitie studentes of the same they must be magnified they muste be reuerenced as if Apollo sodainly had cast his cortayne about them But to graūt that the inferior sort of our ministers were such in déede as these men of spyte ymagine such as came from the shop from the forge from the whyrry from the loome should ye not think you finde more sincerity and learning in them than in al the rable of their Popish chaplens their massemongers their soulepriests I lament that ther are not so many good preachers as parishes I am sory that some to vnskilfull be preferred But I neuer saw that simple reader admitted in our church but in the time of Popery ye should haue found in euery diocesse forty six Iohns in euery respect worse I could exaggerate their case alike and proue it better how Bawdes Bastardes and beastly abused Boyes haue bene called to be Bishops among them Sorcerers Simoniakes Sodomites Pestilent Periured Poysoners haue bene aduaunced to be Popes among them Shal this derogate from their holy sée Yet none of oures of any calling or name amongst vs can of enuy it selfe be burdened with the like As for the Rascall of their religion what were they what are they Adulterous Blasphemous Couetous Desperate Extreme Folish Gluttons Harlots Ignoraunts and so go through the crosse rowe of letters and truly end it with Est Amen Therfore if they vrge vs any further with imperfectiō in our state thereby to bring vs into contempt and harred we wil descēd to particularities and detecte their filth to the whole worlde We are not deare Christians the men Folio 9. b that the aduersaries of the truth reporte vs we doe not leane to our owne wisedomes we preferre not our sayings before the decrées of auncient Fathers But after the aduise of the fathers themselues we preferre the Scriptures before mennes pleasures This may we do without offence I trust The Popes themselues haue permitted vs this Eleutherius the Pope writing to Lucius King of England sayd thus vnto him Petijstu a nobis leges Romanas Caesaris In the ancient recordes of London remayning in the Guild hall vobis transmitti quibus in regno Britanniae vti voluistis leges Romanas Caesaris semper reprobare posumus legem Dei nequaquam Suscepisti énim miseratione diuina in regnó Britanniae legem fidem Christi Habetis penes vos in regno vtranque paginam Ex illis per Dei gratiam per consilium regni vestri sume legem per illam Dei patientia vestrum rege Britanniae regnum Vicarius vero Dei esto in regno illo c. Ye haue required of vs to sende the Romane and Imperiall lawes vnto you to vse the same in your realme of England we maye alwayes reiecte the lawes of Rome and lawes of the Emperor but so can we not the lawe of God For ye haue receyued through the mercy of God the lawe and fayth of Christe into your kingdome You haue both the Testamentes in your realme Take out of them by the grace of God and aduise of your subiectes a lawe and by that lawe through Gods sufferaunce rule your realme But be you Gods Vicar in that kingdome And so forth If the Louanistes had but a mangled piece of suche a Presidente for the Pope as here is for euery Prince Lorde howe they would triumphe They would desiphre and by rethorique resolue euery letter of it But let that passe It is ynough for thys place to shewe the Popes owne decree that all mennes deuises be they neuer so worthied with the name of Fathers may iustly be repelled and ought to giue place to the lawe of God Wherefore if any of their owne imagination haue brought in any thing to Gods seruice not altogether consonant to the worde not we but the worde doth wipe it quite away Dist 11. cap. Consuetudinem For I thinke it méete according to the decretall taken out of Augustine Consuetudinem laudare quae tamen contra fidem Catholicam nihil vsurpare dinoscitur to prayse the custome whiche notwithstanding is knowen to vsurpe nothing against the catholique fayth If this fayth be retayned I wil not contende with any but the Fathers I will with all my heart reuerence The common place of our aduersaries is to exhorte the Prince and other to kepe the aunciente traditions of our Fathers And I beséech them wyth al my heart that they will defende and mayntayne those thinges which they receyued according to truthe If tyranny of men hath brought in any thing agaynst the Gospell let not the name of Fathers and vaine opinion of antiquitie bereue vs of the sacred and euerlastyng veritie What greater follie can there be than this to measure Gods matters with the deceitfull rule of mannes discretion where the pleasure of God reuealed in his word should only direct vs They that pleade at the barre in ciuile causes will not be ruled ouer by examples but by law Demosthenes sayd very well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not méete that things should be ordered as otherwise they haue often bene Much lesse should Gods wysedome be sette to schoole vnto mannes folly
Wherfore to conclude Folio 9. b. Ioan. 4. the only swete water to quench our thyrsts must be fet from the fountayne of Gods eternall wyl There is the well that springeth vp into euerlasting life Beware of the puddle of mens traditions it infecteth ofte féelde it refresheth We must not vse the pretexte of custome but enquire for that which is right and good Chrisost in Gen. cap. 20. Hom. 56. If any thing be good if it profyt and edify the church of Christ let it be receiued yea though it be straunge If any thing be hurtful and preiudiciall to the true simplicitie of the Gospell let it be abandoned though .xv. hundreth yeares custome haue confirmed it For my part I craue no further credit than the christian conscience groūded on the word of God shal of indifferency and good reason graunt me The Lorde directe your hearts in his loue and feare confound Sathan with all hys wickednesse and giue the glory onely to Christ His name be praysed for euer and euer So be it To the first Article HAuing to erecte the house of god wherto we ought to be fellow workers we are bound especially to sée to this that neyther we builde on an euill ground therby to lose both cost and trauail nor set to sale and cōmende to other a ruinous thing or anye waye infectious in steade of a strong defence or holesome place wherevpon to rest The Apostle commending his doctrine to the Corinthians sayth Vt sapiens architectus fundamentum posui 1. Corin. 3. As a skilfull masterbuilder I haue layde the foundation And other foundation can no man laye than that which is layde which is Christ Iesus Christ hath receyued of his father all things he hath conferred vpon vs no lesse he by his death hath made entrance into life for vs he is become our wysedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption By his name we must onely be saued by hys doctrine we must only be directed vpon that rock that fayth of his we must substantially be grounded If any man teach other lessons than of that we must say with Paul Si Angelus è celo Gallath If an Angel from heauen teach otherwise than the Apostles haue preached to vs let him be accursed And with S. Iohn Quod audistis ab initio id in vobis permaneat Let that abide in you which you haue heard from the beginning so shal you continue both in the sonne and in the father And this is the promise that he hath promised vs 1. Ioan. euen eternall life If any man do not bring this doctrine with him do not so much as salute him Ioan. 14. Math. 15. neyther receiue him into your houses For he that loueth God heareth his voyce sayth Christ And they in vayne do worship him that teach the doctrine and preceptes of men Men in God his matters not to be beleued vvithout the vvord Men haue their errors and imperfections though they be the children of God yet they be not guided by his good spirit alwayes Euery man that hath an instrument in his hand can not play on the same nor euery man that hath learned the science can please the eare But if the strings be out of tune or frets disordered there wanteth the harmony that should delite So whensoeuer we swarue neuer so little from the right trade of Gods holy word we are not to be credited we ought not to please Wherefore sith the way is daungerous our féete slippery that we fall oft and are slyding euer no maruell if the best of vs sometime do halte It falleth oft that such as preach professe Christ builde sometime on him euill vnsound and corrupt doctrine Not that the word of God is occasion of heresies but that men lacke right vnderstanding and iudgement of the same which commeth only by the spirit of God And this it is that S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 5. how some do builde vpon Christ the foundation golde siluer and precious stones But some other timber hay and stubble Yet must we not take the hope of Gods mercy from such euill carpenters as lay so rotten a couering vpon so sure a building where as otherwise they offending in trifles be sound inough in greater matters sticke to Christ the only substantiall and true foundation Yet such their errors and imperfections being brought to the fier of gods spirit De doctrin Christiana li. 2. ca. 9. sequentibus and tried by the word shal be consumed Augustine therfore when he would frame a perfecte preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together He sendes him not to the Doctours distinctions nor to the censure of the Church nor canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quiet and content himselfe with the word of God Therfore in the primitiue Church when as yet the new Testament was not written al things were examined according to the sermons and wordes of the Apostles For which cause S. Iohn writeth Qui ex Deo est nos audit 1. Ioan. 4. He that is of of God heareth vs and he that heareth vs not is not of God So farre therfore as men accorde with the holy Scripture and shape their writings after the paterne that Christ hath left them I will not only my self estéeme them but wish them to be had in most renoune and reuerence Otherwise absolutely to trust to mē which may be deceiued gather out of the fathers writings whatsoeuer was wytnesse of their imperfection is neyther point of wisdome nor safety In euery age God raysed vp some worthy instrumētes in his church And yet in no age any was so perfect that a certaine truth was to be builded on him Which thing by example as wel vnder the law as in the time of grace god hath sufficiently by his worke declared Among the Iewes who was euer comparable vnto Aaron Aaron who fell so shamefully he assented for feare vnto the peoples Idolatry Among the ministers of the Gospell who had so great rare gifts as Peter who did offende so fleshely Peter for dreade of a girle he denied his master Which thing was not done without the prouidence of almighty God thereby to putte men in remembraunce of their frailty further to instruct them whence truth in doctrine must only be fetcht Trust not me Pro loco li. 3. de Trinita To. 3. sayth Augustine nor credit my writings as if they were the canonical scripture But whatsoeuer thou findest in the word although thou didst not beleue it before yet groūd thy fayth on it now And whatsoeuer thou readest of mine vnlesse thou knowest it certainly to be true giue thou no certaine assent to it Epist 48. ad Vincent de Vi coer her And in an other place reprouing suche as will bring forth cauils out of mens writings therby to confirme an error he saith that a difference should
be made betwene the assertions and mindes of men were they eyther Hillarie Ciprian Agrippine or any other and canon of the Scripture Non enim sic leguntur he sayth tanquam ita ex eis testimonium proferatur vt contra sentire non liceat Concio ad Adolesc sicubi forte aliter sapuerint quam veritas postulat In eo quippe numero sumus vt non dedignemur etiā nobis dictū ab Apostolo accipere Et si quid aliter sapitis id quoque deus vobis reuelabit For they are not so red as if a testimonie might be brought forth of them which it were not lawefull for any man to gaynesay if peraduenture they thought otherwise than the truth requireth For we are in the number of them that disdayne not to take this saying of the Apostle to vs If any of you be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you Wherefore with what iudgement the fathers of the church ought to be redde Basile setteth forth by a propre similitude Iuxta totum apium similitudinem orationum participes nos fieri conuenit Illae enim neque ad omnes flores consimiliter accedunt neque etiam eos ad quos volant totos auferre tentant sed quantū ipsis ad mellis opificiū commodū est accipientes reliquū valere sinunt Et nos sanè si sapiamus quantum sincerum est veritati cognatum ab ipsis adepti quod reliquum est transiliemus We must be partakers of other mennes sayings wholly after maner of the Bées for they flée not alike vnto all flowers nor where they syt they crop them quite away but snatching so much as shall suffise for their hony making take their leaue of the rest Euen so we if we be wise hauing got of other so much as is sound and agreable to truth wil leape ouer the rest Which rule if we kepe in reading and alleaging the fathers words we shall not swarue from our profession the scripture shall haue the soueraine place and yet the Doctours of the Church shall lose no parte of their due estimation None of the Fathers but haue erred There is not any of them that the world both most wonder at but haue had their affections nor I thinke that you aduersaries to vs and to the truth will in euery respecte admitte all that any one of the fathers wrote My selfe were able from the very first after the Apostles time to runne them ouer all and straightly examining their words and assertions finde imperfections in all But I would be loth by discrediting of other to séeme that I sought some prayse of skil or else be likened to Cham Noahs sōne that seing the nakednesse of the fathers Gen. 21. wil in contēpt vtter it But bycause in ceremonies and obseruances wherein they scant agreing with themselues euery one discording from other declined all from simplicity of the Gospell we are onely burdened with the name of fathers giue vs leaue somtime to vse a Regestion let vs haue the liberty toward other which Hierome graunteth against himselfe saying Certe vbicunque Scripturas non interpretor In Apo. pro lib. contra Iouin To. 2. liberè de meo sensu loquor arguat me cui lubet Truely whersoeuer I expound not the scriptures but freely speak of mine own sense let any man that lyst reproue me Not that I wil giue so large raynes to the headdinesse of some whiche either of affection or of singularity wil néedes dissent but that I wil not exempte any from their iuste defence Ioan. 4. from triall of the spirits whether they are of God We must followe the example of them of Berrhea which trusted not to Paule himselfe but searched the scriptures whether they were so Tvvo Iudges of cōtrouersies the vvorde and the spirite But where as this precept is generall all men to iudge all men to try what doctrine they receyue this iudgement and trial to be had by the word is somewhat in dede but yet not all that may be sayde in the matter I graunt the Scripture to be a good Iudge in deede But vnlesse the spirite of wisedome and knoweledge doe lighten our wyttes and vnderstanding it shal auayle vs little or nothing to haue at hand the worde of God whereof we knowe not the sense and meaning Golde is tryed by the touchstone and metalles in the fier yet onely of suche as are experte in the facultie For neyther the touchstone nor yet the fier can any thing further the ignoraunte and vnskilfull Wherefore to be méete and conuenient men to iudge of a truthe when we do reade or heare it by the holy Ghost we must be directed In this behalfe although I knowe that the giftes of God haue their degrées yet dare I say that none is vtterly so voide of grace It is possible to trie a truthe but hath so much conferred on him as shal be expedient for his owne behoofe vnlesse he be vtterly as a rotten member cut of from Christ Vaine it were to commaūd a thing that lies not in vs and vs to deny the possibillitie when we haue a promise of a thing that shall be doth argue our inconstancy and mysbelief Wherefore syth Christ and his Apostles saye often times Videte Cauete Probate which wordes be spoken in the commaunding mode byd vs Sée Beware and Proue I must néedes conclude that we shal not be destitute of the spirit of God so farre as shal be most néedefull for vs if we doe aske the same by fayth And whereas Christ doth affirme that we shal knowe 1. Ioan. 4. And S. Iohn in his epistle doth assure vs that 〈◊〉 doe knowe Spiritum veritatis Spiritum erroris the Spirit of veritie and Spirit of error we must acknowledge and confesse that the truth is not hidde from vs further than we lyst to shut it vp from our selues But here ariseth doubtfull case If euery man shall haue authoritie to giue his verdit vpon a controuersie Tvvo kindes of examination of doctrine Priuate which shall séeme and say that he hath the spirit no certain thing shal be decréed euery man shal haue his own way no stable opinion and iudgement to be rested on Hereto I aunswere againe that there be two kindes of examination of doctrine one priuate another publique Priuate wherby eche man doth settle his owne fayth to staye continually vppon one doctrine which he knoweth stedfastly to haue procéeded from God For consciences shall neuer haue any sure porte or refuge to runne vnto but only God He when he is called vpon will heare our prayers when he is desired wil graunt vs his spirit But he hath prescribed vs a way before hand to attayne the same if we bring vnder all senses of ours vnto his word Ioan. 8. Si patrem habetis Deum quomodo non agnoscitis loquelam meam If ye haue God to your father saith Christ how falleth it
out that ye do not vnderstand my talke Oues mea cognoscunt vocem meam non sequuntur alienum My shéepe sayth he knowe my voyce and followe no straunger Nor doubt it is but by the instinct of the holy Ghost we be made his shéepe which will not hearken to errors and heresies which are the voyces of straungers but followe the voyce of our master Christ which in the Scripture is crying to vs. If these reasons and allegations may not preuayle with some to driue them to a sure and safe ankerholde in Christ let them runne and they lyste Publique to the other kinde of examination of doctrine which is the cōmon consent of the Church For syth it is to be feared greately least their arise some phrenetike persons which will bragge and boast as well as the best that they be Prophetes they be endued with the spirt of truth and yet wil leade men into all errors this remedy is very necessary the faythfull to assemble themselues together and seke an vnitie of fayth godlynesse But when we haue runne as farre as we can The scriptures laste refuge we can goe no further than to the wall we must reuolte to the former principles and trye by the Scriptures which is the Church Wherfore in controuersies of our Religion if mennes deuises were lesse estéemed and the simple order of Gods wisedome followed lesse daunger fewer quarrels should arise amongst vs more truth more sinceritie should be retayned of vs. And to this ende I coulde haue wyshed that you M. Martiall should haue learned firste to frame your owne conscience according to the worde then haue ascribed suche authoritie thereto that we néeded not forsaking the fountaine to follow the infected streames nor hauing the vse of swéete sufficient corne féede vpon acornes still But I would that had bene the most fault of yours to haue attributed much vnto the fathers had not otherwise of malice wrested them and of mere ignoraunce sometime corrupted them The Scripture which in the title of your boke hath the first place in the rest of the discourse hath very little or no place at al and vnder name of Fathers and antiquitie fables and follies of newefangled men are obtruded to vs. To come to the instants Folio 18. First ye bring forth the significations of Crosse in Scripture Ye muster your men whose aide ye will vse in this sory skirmish And although they be very fewe yet ye number one moe than ye haue and like a couetous captaine wyll néedes indent for a dead pay Ye say that the scripture hath preferred to your bande .4 Souldiours Folio 24. The Crosse of affliction The passion of Christ The Crosse that he died on And the materiall or mysticall signe of the Crosse Material to be erected in the church Mystical to be made vvith the finger in some partes of the body These be not many ye wote ye might haue kept tale of them But the first and the second as the word of God commendeth in dede and be most necessary for our saluation so wil you not deale withall they be to cumbersome for your company the thirde ye confusely speake of of which notwithstanding small commendation in the Scripture is founde The fourth which ought to strike the greatest stroke is not extant at all For neyther the material nor mistical Crosse in that sense that ye take them to that ende that ye apply them be once mencioned in the worde of God Wherefore ye might blotte out of your boke Scripture and take to your selfe some other succours or fight with a shadowe I néeded not to trouble my selfe about your third Crosse which is the piece of wood wherevppon Christ died both for bycause we haue it not and also you your self do not take it incident into your purpose to treate of Yet bicause ye make many gloses theron and apply to the signe the vertue propre to the thing it self it is not amisse to examine your folly First ye cite a place of Chrisostome Folio 13.2 ex Demonstratione ad Gentiles and for .3 leaues together although ye do not tell vs so much ye write an other mans wordes as your owne to prayse your pregnante wit But ye patch them and piece them ilfauoredly whatso euer séemes to make against you ye leaue out fraudulētly This is no playne or honest dealing In dede Chrisostome stoppeth many a gappe with you The comfort of your Crosse doth most rest in Chrisostome Chrisostome But Chrisostome was not without his faultes His golden mouth wherein he passed other sometime had leaden words which yelded to the error abuse of other I am not ignorant that in his dayes many euill customes were crept into the Church which in his works he reproueth not He praiseth such as went to the sepulchres of Sainctes He maketh mention of prayer To. 4 ad pop 66. In. 1. Cor. 16. Hom. 41. for the deade Monkerie he cōmendeth aboue the Moone In his tract of Penaunce beside many other absurdities when he had rehearsed many wayes to obtayne remission of sinnes as Almes Weping Fasting and such other he maketh no mention at all of fayth In his cōmentaries vpon Paul he sayth that Concupiscence vnlesse it bring forth the externe worke is no sinne Wherefore if he had sayde so much for the Crosse as ye misconster and more than accordeth with the glory of Christ I might lappe it vp with other of his errours and hauing the Scripture for me Chrisostome should be no president against me But I will not goe this way to worke I admit his authoritie but marke M. Martiall what his meaning is In the place that ye alleage for the Crosse he dealt with the Gentiles The marke that he shot at was to proue to them Quod Christus Deus esset that Christ was God as in the title appeareth Now bicause this punishment to be hanged on the gallowes was maruellous offensiue vnto the heathen nor they could thinke him to be a God the was executed with so vile a death Chrisostome therfore goeth as far in the contrary prouing that that which was a token of curse was now become the signe of saluatiō And bycause that they spake so much shame of the Crosse derogating therfore from him that was crucified the Christians to testifie by their outward facte their inward profession would make in euery place the signe therof This was the occasion that the mysticall Crosse crepte into custome But here is no place to entreate of that though you taking styll Non causam pro causa that which is impertinente for proufe of your matter confounde the same Notwithstanding Things vvel receued il cōtinued howe thinges receyued to good purpose as to the iudgement of man séemeth may afterward growe to abuse this signe of the Crosse sheweth That which was at the first a testimony of Christianitie came to be made a Magical enchauntment That which
affected in cases of religion but will condemne herein the lack of discretion in you For tell me I pray you what scripture what father what reason euer taught you to coÌ„pare the signe of the Crosse with charity with hope with fasting with prayer None of these but we haue an hundreth places in the word of God to commend and coÌ„maund them But as for the signe of the Crosse what mention is there Folio 21. a. much lesse commendation Forsoth ye bring authorities and experimentes Authorities of Lactantius Lactantiê° and Augustine Experiments of Iuliane As for Lactantius he tieth two poynts together The name of Christ and signe of his passion Psal 54. Prouer. 18. The power of the name we reade of Saue me O God by thy name The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is exalted And Our help is in the name of the Lorde Psal 123. And in the newe Testament Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Math. 23. In my name sayth Christ they shall cast out Diuels And the effect thereof was proued in the .70 disciples which returned home with ioy Marc. 16. Luc. 10. Ioan. 14. Act. 2. Act. 3. Act. 4. and sayd Diuels are subiect vnto vs in thy name Whatsoeuer in my name you shall aske my father you shal obtayne Whosoeuer shal cal vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Examples also of Peter In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise vp and walke Also His name hath made this man souÌ„d whome ye sée and know through faith in his name And There is no other name vnder Heauen wherby we may be saued In al these places ther is no signe of the Crosse spoken of yet all these proue a true effecte Wherefore the name of Christ alone would haue done asmuch as the name and the signe together Nor we must impute the vertue to the signe though contrary to the vse and example of Scripture it pleased some men to adde it The like may be sayd of Austins place Augustin for where he speaketh of the articles of our fayth called in latine Symbolum De symb ad Cathe 1. which he willed before to be written in the heart laid vp in store in the boke of memorie he concluded that a way to withstand the enimie was cum symboli sacramento with the sacrament of fayth which you interprete a stedfast fayth Crucis vexilio and ensigne of the Crosse What meaneth he by that Metaphore What is that ensigne of the Crosse The Banner that is caried about the churchyard in procession No But that which in the selfe same sentence before he called CanticuÌ„ salutis ioyning it with Symboli remedio contra antiqui Serpentis venenum The song of saluation ioyned with the remedie of the .xij. Articles of our faith against the poyson of the olde serpent Therefore straight after when he had rehearsed the two chiefe engins wherewithall our enimy doth afflict vs Voluptatem Timorem Pleasure Dreade He doth not byd vs to make the signe of a crosse in our foreheade nor run to succour of so weake a shielde but to fence our selues Timore Domini casto fide Orationis With the chaste feare of God and fayth of Prayer Ye sée by this time that your authorities make nothing for you The wrong vnderstanding of the name Crosse doth make your arguments runne of vncertayne féete and halte downe right The ioyntely concurring of fayth and fruites I know to be necessary the word of God doth teach me But the necessary concurrence of the signe of the Crosse with fayth is more than you can learne eyther of Gods worde or else good father and therfore more than we ought to beleue vnlesse we wilfully beleue a lye Mat. 16. Mark 8. Luc. 9. 2. Cor. 4. Christ was sufficient scholemaster to vs he lefte no precept of his Crosse amongst vs. Only he willed Euery man to take vp his own Crosse The Apostles that gloried in the Crosse that is to say the death of Christ that liued vnder the Crosse that is to say were subiect to afflictions carying about with them the death of Christ in their mortall bodies that did many miracles by him that hanged on the Crosse neuer vsed as we reade the signe of the Crosse nor gaue any counsell or commaundement for it Hebr. 4. Shall Christ our hie priest touched with the feling of our infirmities be insufficient furnishet of vs and folish men arme vs at all poynts Shall the Apostles forget so necessary a piece of defence and the Pope remembre it I thinke in déede that the Crosse quarrellers toke all their president of Iulian the Apostata Papistes take President of Iulian the Apostata Folio 21. a. that whereas they meante to haue as little Religion they would haue as light a rescue as he had But before I come to recitall of his story let me cite your comparison It is not odious but to ridiculous The bare signe of the Crosse ye prefer before naked sole and only fayth The signe of the Crosse of it self what is it A beating of the ayre a throwing of a stone against the winde in effect nothing But fayth make it as naked and bare as you can yet is it a qualitie of the minde which at the least wise to the worlde commends vs. For let it be as the scholemen terme it fides informis an vnshapen fayth 1. Tim. 1. or as Paul calleth it fides ficta a fayned fayth or the worst that ye can make it Daemonum fides the Diuels fayth Yet doth it teach vs somewhat it taketh away the excuse of ignoraunce as Paule to the Romanes witnesseth And forceth a sinne vpon vs as Christ himselfe affirmeth If I had not come spoken to them Ioan. 15. they should haue no sinne Your naked Crosse as it can not stande by it selfe so in it selfe it contayneth nothing vnlesse perhaps some wormes and spiders be crept into a corner of it All must rest in the conceyt of man and his imagination I might say with Thomas Aquinas Quod fides informis formata fides est idem habitus quia ad naturam fidei nihil attinet siue charitas ad fit siue non adsit Nam hoc per accidens sit as he sayth Whose wordes in english be these Fayth vnshaped and shaped fayth is all one constant qualitie bycause it skilleth not for the nature of fayth whether charitie be there or no. For that is an accidentall thing Now if this were true a naked fayth were far better than a naked Crosse bycause there should be no difference betwene a naked fayth and a fayth cladde as well as can be But if I should stand in defence of this I should be as fowly deceiued as your Sainct was Lib. 3. Sent. Dist 23. Cap. VnicuÌ„ I wil reason with you out of the master of
so much in trauaile as he was to doe as he did was a miracle of it selfe For if ye credit his owne writings he was at saint Andrewes death in Achaia For in his life he saythe Lib. 3. circa finem Diutissimè dominum clarificans gaudens nobis flētibus reddidit spiritum He long gloriefyng the Lorde and reioycing while we were wéeping gaue vp the ghost Wherevpon the marginall note hath Ex hoc apparet Abdiam huius historiae authorē passioni interfuisse It appereth by thys that Abdias the author of this history was present at the passion Likewyse he was with Thomas in India where he was a witnesse of all hys doings For speaking of a miracle shewed in prison he saith Serui dei dormire non poterant quos sic Christus excitabat Lib. 9. neque patiebatur nos somno dimergi The seruants of God could not sléepe whome Christ had raysed so nor suffred vs to be drowned in slepe Then if that Nominatiue case plurall vs includeth him that tolde the tale Abdias then was also there Beside this he was at the death of sainct Iohn in Ephesus for he sayth Lib. 5. Gaudebamus quod tantam cernebamus gratiā dolebamus quod tanti viri aspectu presentiae spetie defraudebamur We reioyced for that we sawe so great grace we sorrowed that we were bereued of the sight and presence of so great a personage And there is noted in the margent Et hoc argumentum est Abdiam interfuisse morti Iohannis And this is a proofe that Abdias was at the death of Iohn Notwithstanding all this he went out of Iewry wyth Simon and Iude into Persia Lib. 6. There as he witnesseth of himself He was present at al their doings was made Bishop of Babilon by them For thus he writeth Ordinauere autem Apostoli in ciuitate Babylonis episcopum nomine Abdiam qui cum ipsis venerat à Iudaea The Apostles apointed byshop in the city of Babilon one whose name was Abdyas which came from Iewry with them Now I besech you howe is it possible that he whiche immediatly came oute of Iewry had hys charge in Babilon should be at one tyme as it were in so dyuers and so farre distante partes of the world In Achaia in India in Ephesus in Persia and if we gyue credit to historiographers also in Scythia For as touching Andrevv Lib. 3. cap. 1. at whose martirdom he affirmes he was Eusebius out of Origen and Sophronius as we rede in Ptolome Lib. 2. ca. 39. li. 3. ca. 1. Ennead 7. lib. 4. and Nicephorus do al wytnesse that he went into the coast of Scythia farre distante from Grecia And as for hys death Sabellicus doth say that he suffered in Scythia Then eyther was your author a lyer or a leude byshop to forsake hys charge and be such a lādleaper But a lyer he was For comparing the times of the Apostles deathes and distaunce of places where they were resident it is impossible hys sayinges to be true Furthermore that the antiquitie of thys Abdias should be such as ye talke of is more than a miracle to me since neyther Irene nor Eusebius nor Hierom nor any one of the receiued fathers being nerest to the same tyme and writing of the same matter do once mention hym Yea to say the trueth both Scripture and Fathers be directe agaynst hym Lib. 5. For wher he maketh S. Iohn to say virtutū opes habere non posse qui voluerit diuitias habere terrenas That he can not haue the substance of vertues that wil haue the substāce of the earth it accordeth not with the doctrine of Christ For we reade in hys word of many that were rich and yet were vertuous notwithstanding That Iohn should alow the fact of Drusiana Math. 19 1. Cor. 7. Colos 3. Math. 18. which beyng a maryed wyfe withdrewe her selfe from her husbandes company without hys consent is contrary to the rule of Christ and hys Apostle Paul That he doth attribute to the same Apostle the prescription of thirtie dayes for sufficient repentaunce is otherwise than Christe hath taught vs. For he wyll haue vs to forgiue Septuagies Septies seuenty tymes seuen tymes That S. Iohn shoulde vse so fond miracles as to make whole again brokē iewels to turne trees and stones into golde hath no apparaunce of truthe in it That in hys life tyme a Church was builded at Ephesus dedicated to hym and called by hys name may be proued false by a thousande testimonies For beside that it was derogation to Gods honor it was cōtrary to the vse of the primitiue Church And al men agrée that vntyl the raigne of Constantinus there were no chapels or oratories erected in honor of any sainct Augustine plainly affirmeth that in the Church of Christ martyrs haue the hyghest rowme De ciui dei lib. 8 cap. 27 Nec tamen nos sayeth he eisdem martyribus templa sacerdotia sacra sacrificia constituimus quoniam non ipsi sed deus eorum nobis est deus Yet we builde not vp temples appoynt officers seruice sacrifice for the sayd martirs bicause not they but their God is our God Againe in an other place somwhat more plainly Nonne si templum alicui sancto Angelo excellentissimo de lignis lapidibus faceremus anathematizaremur a veritate Christi Contra. Max. Arr Episc lib. 1. ab Ecclesia dei quoniam creaturae exhiberemus eam seruitutē quae vni tantum debetur deo Si ergo sacrilegi essemus faciendo templum cuicumque creaturae quomodo non est deus verus cui nō templum sacimus sed nos ipsi templum sumus If we shoulde make a temple of wood and stone for any holy Angel yea though he were the most excellent of all should we not be accursed frō the truth of Christe and from the Church of God bicause we exhibited the seruice to a creature whiche is dew to God alone Therefore if we shoulde offende in sacrileage by building a Churche to any creature howe can it be but he is the true God to whō we make no temple but our selues are temples By which places we proue that in hys tyme there was no Church or chapel builded for any Sainct that it was reputed a cursed thing contrary to truthe the Church of God that they commyt Sacrileage which doe builde any Finally that Churches and oratories are not erected for God himself but to the vse of mā Wherfore in the tale of saint Iohn his Church your doctor doted Now what say you to this that Chrisostome affirmeth Petri quidē Pauli Ioannis Thomae manifesta sunt sepulchra To. 4. in cap. ad Heb. 11. In Ho. 26. Aliorum verò cum tanti sint minimè cognitum est vbi sunt The sepulchres of Peter and Paul Iohn and Thomas be well knowe but of the reast as great as they were it is not
knowne where they were But your Abdias setteth forth the matter plainely where euery one of them was laide into the grounde Wherefore ye must eyther condemne Chrisostome or him And yet in these the doctors agrée not For to go no further than to S. Iohn of whome I spake laste Abdias sayth that he dyed not but was put quicke in hys graue there he commaunded mould to be cast vpon him Omnes benedicens ac valefaciens Lib 5. in fine deposuit se viuētem in sepulchro suo iussit se operire Blessing them all and taking his leaue of them he layde himself downe quick in his graue and bade them couer him In Cattal Scrip Eccle But Hierome saith Sexagesimo octauo post passionem domini anno mortuus Ephesi iuxta eandem vrbem sepultus est the thrée score and eyght yeare after the passion of our Lorde he dyed at Ephesus and was buryed harde by the sayde citie What shall we nowe thinke of your Abdias Whome you know to haue bene one of the 72. Disciples but Eusebius saith Lib. 1. ca. 12. that no such matter is knowne whome you affirme out of his owne bookes to haue bene made byshop of Babylon But I haue proued out of the same that he coulde not be in so many places and so farre distant whome you do thinke to be worthy credite but euident it is that he speaketh nought but repugnancy to the Scriptures and more than any father beside himselfe aloweth For further proofe whereof examine your dedication of which ye make so great atcompt and it shall be no leuite as you would haue it appeare if a man stayde by the grace of God The true maner of dedicatiō refuse to leane to so weake a staffe A church is consecrated or made an holy place not by superstitious wordes of magicall enchantement not by making of signes characters in stones but by the will of God and the godly vse His wil is set forth in his worde vnto vs wherein he hath commaūded his people to assemble themselues togither and hath annexed a promise to it that he will be there in the middest of them The vse that maketh a place holy is to haue the word purely set forth in it the Sacraments duely to be receiued and prayers humbly to be made therein Take awaye the commaundement take away the right vse the place remaineth prophane still yea though a thousande Angels should be saide to Crosse it Shall we thinke that any place any creature of God is of it self vncleane Shall we thinke that Diuels lye in stone walles that once be sprinckled with a little holy water will be packing straight When God had made al the creatures of his Vidit quod essent omnia valde bona Genesis 1. He saw that all things were very good And Augustine in his cōfessiōs Singula bona sunt omnia valdè bona quae tu fecisti Lib. 7. ca. 12. Euery thing by it selfe and all things are exceding good he sayth which thou haste made O Lorde And as for the place it is prepared for men not for God For God dwelleth not in Temples made with hande Act. 17. lib. Peristephanon But as the Martir saith in Prudentius Aedem sibi ipse mente in hominis condidit viuam serenam c. He made a temple to himselfe within the minde of man liuing and cleare Then is not any earthly place holy of it selfe but in asmuch as holy things are done therein it is called holy S. Paul speaking of meates saith that they are sanctified Per verbum dei orationem 1. Timo. 4 by the worde of God and prayer But that a sanctification should come to a creature by making of the signe of a Crosse is more than Abdias himselfe or you can out of Scripture or good authorite auouche Salomon made a temple to the Lord and no Angell of God came downe to halowe it nor any priest was called to coniure spirites out of it Halowed it was when according to Gods will ordinance it was vsed Constantyne built diuerse Churches and yet thys example he neuer folowed Nor although he had the Crosse in admiration as which was from heauen reueled to him yet did he euer bryng the Crosse into the Church Wherefore your Bartholomeus dedication I haue in as good credite as the rest of the tales that Abdias tels concerning S. Bartholomewe For thys he affirmeth that the deuil giuing markes of him to his frendes said among the rest Viginti sex anni sunt ex quo nunquam sordidantur vestimenta eius similiter sandalia eius per viginti quinque annos nunquam veterascūt In Vita Barth lib. 8 Now are ther xxvi yeares since that hys garmentes neuer filed nor hys shooes for these xxv yeares euer waxed old We reade that the lyke miracle was shewed to the children of Israell when as they were in wyldernesse and had no ordinary meane to come by necessaries But that S. Bartholomewe a kyng hys nephewe a trim felow with precious stones in euery corner of his cote in such credit with a Prince as he was with Polymius in such a populous contrey as India was whiche thinges al Abdias doth write of hym should haue hys garmentes kept frō wearing was more than neded more than with reason may be beleued Agayne Abdias witnesseth that S. Bartholomew came in to the kyng Polymius whē the dores were shut which neuer was heard tell of but onely of Christ And now by hys doctrine we may fall a reasoning of the dimensions of S. Bartholomewes body Then in the same legende he reporteth also that Mary the mother of Christ dyd make a vow of chastity with many other pointes most strāge and dissonant from all Godly learning But sée how these lying losels do detect themselues Abdias sayth that Astyages brother to Polymius caused S. Bartholomew sustibuscoedi Lib. 8. circa finem Lib. 8. āno a Christo. 80. coesūque decollari to be al to be batted and afterward to be beheaded but he shewes not where saue onely in some piece of India Nicephorus an other of your authors sayth Hierapoli in crucē actum that he was hāged at Hierapolis But he that makes Supplemētū Chronicorū writeth In Albana maioris Armēiae vrbe primo coesū dein excoriatū that in Albana a citie of greater Armenie first he was slain and afterward was flayed So by this meanes the poore Sainct shuld first be beheaded I wot not where in India thē afterward lose hys lyfe on the gallowes at Hierapolis And last of al haue his skin pulled ouer his eares in Armenia a good while after that hys head was gone It is a sport yet a spyte to sée how mē of your profession Master Martial that vaunt your selues to be friendes to the Crosse of Christ cā do nothing almost but lie Wherfore these things cōdēning vtterly your authors credit I nede to wade no
further in coÌ„futatioÌ„ of his Church halowing It coÌ„futeth it self with shame inough to you Only I maruell Folio 38. a. that as the Angel as you say ingraued vvith his finger in the square stones the signe of the Crosse further froÌ„ God coÌ„maunded theÌ„ to make such a signe in their foreheades coÌ„maunded not aswel which had ben more to purpose to make the like signes in other stones in dedicatioÌ„ of other Churches I would wishe in the next print it might be put in that your popish Church halowing wherof I wyl speake anone myght séeme to haue som presideÌ„t for it But for S. Bartholomew I haue said inough And the same answer may suffise for S. Philip as hys exaÌ„ple is out of the said Abdias brought For as S. Hierom sayth Super. 23. Math. touching the name of Zachary of whoÌ„ meÌ„tioÌ„ is made Math. 23. that some would haue him to haue ben the .xj. of the Prophets But some other to haue ben the father of S. Ihon baptist hoc quia de scripturis noÌ„ habet authoritateÌ„ eadeÌ„ facilitate coÌ„teÌ„nitur qua probatur This bicause it hath not authority of the Scripture is as easily contemned as proued So may I say for the wordes which ye father vpon S. Philip Folio 39. In the place vvhere Mars semeth to staÌ„d fast set vp the Crosse of my Lord Iesus Christ and adore the same bicause it is coÌ„trary to the Scripture is but the report of a lying legend I may with good cause reiect the authoritie For neither was the chaÌ„ge alowable to destroy one Idoll to make an other as in the first article I proued nor to adore it was in any wyse tollerable as afterwarde more at large appeareth Wherfore your reason being as it is absurde and foolishe we be not driuen to any such shifte as ye talke of to say that fayth should be fixt in a wall Wée know no such melodie to moue as you say harde stones or make brasen pillers to vnderstande though your magicall minstrelsie hath bene such that rotten stockes haue spoke at your pleasure spoken good reason as you haue estemed it Remember ye not the Roode of Winchester that cunningly decised a controuersie betwéene the Monkes and maryed priestes pronouncing in latine for he was better taught then hys masters the Monkes Non bene sentiunt qui fauent presbyteris They thinke not well that fauour the priestes Who was that Orpheus that wrought that vnderstanding there Dunstane or the Diuell or both It hath bene alwayes a Popishe practise to make Roodes Images to rolle their eyes to sweate and to speake wherof infinite examples might be brought But that of men professing the Gospell of protestants as ye call them there hath bene any such delusion is not in any writing of any age to be founde Wherfore ye doe vs wrong in burdening vs with such vntruthes vnlesse by remembrance of your owne follyes ye will force vs as it were to open and disclose your shame But let mee come to your counsels The first ye fetch from the recorde of Iuo Gratian alleaging a Synode kept at Orleance in Fraunce Ye doe right well to cite your authors otherwise I might haue suspected the authoritie For in all the Canons of the councell it selfe we reade not the words that make for your purpose But you do wysely not to passe the compasse of your owne profession and therfore say no more than the popishe decrées do teache you But if a man may be so bolde in your owne faculty to appose you how doe the woords of this your counsell proue that euery Church must haue the signe of the Crosse Folio 40. Forsoth say you bycause it is decreed that no man builde a Church before the Byshop of that diocesse come and set vp a Crosse By the same reason the ring of the church dore is a piece of Gods seruice too For as the fixing of a Crosse the pitching of a stake as it were in the grounde doth shewe that the Byshop hath limitted out the compasse of the Church so the other is a proufe of Induction of the Priest Yet as thys signe of possession taken is no parte of duety within the Church discharged so the other signe of authoritie to builde giuen is no parte of seruice within the building to be done And this is the poynte which in this article ye go about to proue that euery Church and Chappel must haue a Crosse erected in it to the honor and seruice of almighty God But this Crosse serueth an other turne to a ciuill pollicy no poynt of religion For least that men should presume to builde Churches without authoritie ecclesiasticall it was decréed that the byshop of the diocesse should viewe the place appoynte where the body of the Church should be leaue his mark behinde him Which marke might as wel haue bene his crosier as his Crosse but that the one was lesse chargeable than the other If ye credite not me turne ouer your Decree There shall ye finde that ordre is taken for thinges necessary before the Church be builded But we doe inquire what is necessary seruice in a Church hallowed Wherefore I sée not how that Councell prouinciall triginta trium Episcoporum of thrée and thyrty byshops as the boke doth tell vs can make any thing for you But if there were most playne determination for the Crosse in that or any other such like Councell I am no more bound to the authority therof than you will be to the English Synodes held in king Edwardes dayes and in the Quéenes Maiesties raygne that nowe is Yet the duety of a subiect if ye were honest might driue you to this wheras there is no cause that might enforce my consent to the other Nowe for your second at Tovvres whose Canon is this Vt corpus dnÌ„i in altari non in armario sed sub Crucis titulo coÌ„ponatur Which you do english after this sort Foli 40. b. That the body of our lord consecrated vpon the altar be not reposed set in the reuestry but vnder the Roode Where we may learne two schole poynts of you Fyrst that armariuÌ„ is latine for a Reuestry Then that titulus Crucis is latine for a Roode But if your schollers haue bene taught heretofore to translate no better a rod a rod had bene more méete for the vsher For armariuÌ„ may wel be taken for a librarie for a closet or almerie but no more for the reuestry than for the belfry Yet wil I not greatly in that word coÌ„tend with you Be it that their folish meaning was for a reuestry yet doubtlesse they were not so mad as to put titulê° Crucis for a Roode Titulus crucis is the title of the crosse And I maruel that you wold not rather expound it for a Pixe than a Roode being driuen by this to cary gods body sacred from the altar into the Roode loft We haue not heard
multis pauca Scripturae patrūque testimonia in hac definitione nostra parcentes sanè copiae ne in longum res protraheretur collocauimus Reliquis enim quae infinita sunt volētes supersedimus vt qui velint ipsi requirant Ex his igitur a Deo in spiratis scripturis beatorum patrum sententijs stabiliti super petram cultus diuini in spiritu pedes confirmantes in nomine sanctae supersubstātialis viuificantis Trinitatis vnanimes eiusdem sententiae nos qui sacerdotij dignitate succincti sumus simul existentes vna voce definimus omnem imaginem ex quacunque materia improba Pictorū arte factam ab Ecclesia Christianorū reijciendam veluti alienā abominabilē Nemo hominū qualiscunque tandē fuerit tale institutum impiū impurum posthac sectetur Qui vero ab hoc die Imaginem ausus fuerit sibi parare aut adorare aut in Ecclesia aut in priuata domo constituere aut clam habere si Episcopus fuerit aut Diaconus deponitor si vero solitarius aut laicus anathemate percellitor imperialibúsque constitutionibus subijcitor vt qui diuinis decretis impugnet dogmata non obseruet The English of which words is this The wicked calling of Images by a false name neither had his beginning by tradition from Christ nor of his Apostles or yet the auncient fathers neither had it any holye prayer where through to be sanctified but it remayneth prophane euen as it is wrought and finished of the Paynter But if certaine deliuered of that errour affirme that we haue Godlily and vprightly said in throwing downe the Image of Christ bicause of the inseparable and inconfusible substaunce of two natures ioyned in one person Yet notwithstanding some occasion of doubt remayneth in them as touching the Images of the virgin most glorious and vndefiled the mother of God of the Prophetes Apostles and Martirs seing that they be only men and no more neyther doe consist of two natures that is to say the diuine and humaine ioyned in one person as before we haue signified to be in Christ and the contrary therof practised in his Images There groweth in déede some matter of doubt as touching the Images of the most glorious and vndefiled mother of God of the Prophets Apostles Martirs seing that they were only men and not framed of two natures what they be able to say to any purpose with reason vnto these The former argumēt ouerthrowen certaynly they haue nothing at all in this case to say But what say we to ouerthrowing Images For as much as oure catholike Church being a meane betwene the Iudaisme and Gentilitie hath receyued neyther of the maner of sacrifices accustomed to thē but hath entred into a newe way and order of Godlinesse and mysticall constitution giuen and deliuered of God for it doth in no wise admit the bloudy sacrifice and burnt offrings of the Iewes it doth vtterly abhorre not only al Idolatry in sacrificing but also multitude of ymages of Gentility for this was the head first most abhominable deuiser of this arte which hauing no hope of resurrection inuented a toy worthy it self wherby alwayes the absent might be shewed as present therefore synce this practise smelleth not of any noueltie doubtlesse let it be remoued most farre of from the Church of Christ as a strange and forren deuise of men possessed with the Diuell Let the tongs then of al such surcesse which spewe forth wicked blasphemous things to the derogation of this our iudgement decrée most acceptable to god As for the holy men who pleased God which were honored by him with the dignity of holynesse although that they be departed hence yet that deade and hatefull practise shal neuer make them agayne alyue But whosoeuer poysoned with the error of the heathen shall attempt to sette vp Images to them he shall be adiudged as one that hath committed blasphemie And how dare the rascall occupation of Gentiles presume to paynt that most prayseworthy mother of God whome the fulnesse of the Godheade hath ouershadowed through whome hath shone vpon vs that lighte which can not be come vnto that mother I say higher than the Heauens holier than the Cherubins Againe why feare they not I say according to the arte of Ethnicks to counterfet them which shall raygne with Christ shall syt on seates wyth him to iudge the world conformed vnto him in glory of whome the world was vnworthy as the Godly miracles affirme Verily it is not lawful for Christians which belieue the resurrectiō to vse the order of worshipping of diuels Neyther yet doth it beseme by vile and deade kinde of matter to reproch them the which shal shine in so great passing glory As for vs we vse not to receyue of strangers demonstrations of our fayth neyther yet in Diuels to require testimony Furthermore our sentence searched and discussed both out of the scripture enspired frō aboue out of the effectuall testimonies of piked fathers agreing with vs and affirming our good intent we wyl exhibite in thys case our resolute determination which he shall not be able to gaynesay which laboreth to call these things in question As for him that is ignorant let him learne and be instructed that these things are takē out of the word of God Fyrst we place before the rest this sentence of gods voice saying God is a spirite whosoeuer wil worship God in spirite and truth let him worship And agayne No man at any time saw God neyther haue ye heard his voyce or séene his shape Blessed are those which haue not sene and yet belieued And in the olde Testament he sayd to Moses and the people Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen Image neyther the likenesse of any thing in Heauen aboue or in the earth beneath For the which cause you hearde the voyce of his wordes in the mountayne in the middest of fyre but his shape ye saw not but onely heard his voyce And They haue chaunged the glory of the immortall God by an Image framed after the shape of a mortall man and they haue honored and worshipped the things which are created aboue him which hath created And againe For yf we haue knowen Christ according to the fleshe now we knowe hym not For we walke by faith and not by the outward appearance And this also which is moste plainlie spoken of the Apostle Therefore fayth commeth of hearing but hearing commeth by the worde of God For if we haue knowen Christ according to the fleshe nowe we knowe him not For we walke by fayth and not by outwarde appearaunce The very selfe same things our Godly Fathers the schollers and successours of the Apostles doe teache vs. For Epiphanius of Cypres most famous amongst the foremost thus sayth Take héede vnto your selues that ye kéepe the traditions which ye haue receyued Sée ye leane not neyther to the ryght hand nor to the
left Vnto which he addeth these words Remembre deare children that ye bring no Images into the Church neyther place them in the sléeping places of the sainctes but sée that continually ye earye aboute in your heart the Lorde Neyther yet let them be suffered in a common house For it is not lawefull for a Christian to be holden in suspense by his eyes but by the contemplation of his minde The same father also in many other of hys sermons hath declared many things touching the ouerthrow of Images which the studious séeking for shall easely finde Likewyse also Gregorie the diuine saith in his verses It is a thing most abhominable to beleue in colours and not in heart For that which is in colours is easyly washed away but suche thinges as are in the depth of the minde those lyke I well Iohn Chrisostome also teacheth thus we through writing enioye the presence of the Sainctes although that we haue not the Images of their bodyes but of their soules for those things which are spoken by them are Images of theire soules Basilius also the great saith that the chiefest thing seruing to the outfinding of truthe is the meditation of the Scriptures giuen vnto vs by diuine inspiration For in these not onely arguments of things are founde but also the written liues of holy men are printed vnto vs as certaine liuely Images and that through the polityke imitation of their workes according to God Also Athanasius the light of Alexandria sayde howe are they not to be lamented which worship creatures that those that sée yeld seruice to those which are blind those that heare do pray and besech those which are altogether deafe For the creature shall neuer be saued of a creature Lykewise Amphilochius byshop of Iconium thus sayth We accompt it a matter of no estimation to counterfet in tables wyth colours the bodyly countenaunces of the Sainctes bycause that of these we haue no nede But we ought rather to be mindefull of the pollicy of their vertues Agreable also herevnto doth Theodorê° bishop of Ancyra teach in these wordes We iudge it nothing séemely at all to make the formes and shapes of holy men wyth materiall coloures but it is requisit that we often repayre make fresh their vertues which by writings are deliuered vnto vs euen as though it were certayne lyuely Images For by these we may come to the zelous following of the like Let those tell vs which set vp the same Images what profyte they haue by them whether they haue any kinde of remembrance by such special kinde of beholding them But it is most apparaÌ„t that euery such thought is vayne and an inuention of diuelish deceyt Likewise also Eusebius Pamphili signified after this sort to Constantia the Empresse crauing of him to sende the Image of Christ vnto hir For as much as ye haue wrytten to me of the Image of Christ that I should send it vnto you I would you shoulde shewe me what thing you thinke the Image of Christ to be whether that same true and vnchaungeable creature bearing the markes of the deitie or that which he assumpted for oure sakes taking on him the shape of a seruaunte But as touching the picture of the deitie I iudge ye be not very carefull in asmuch as ye haue bene taught of him that none hath knowen the Father but the Sonne and that none hath worthyly knowen the Sonne but the Father which begatte him And after other thinges but ye altogether desire the Image of the seruauntes shape and of the flesh which he toke on him for our sake but we haue learned that this is coupled with the glory of the Godheade and that the same suffred dyed And a little after Who can therfore counterfet by dead insensible colours by vayne shadowing Paynters arte the bright shining glistering of such hys glory whereas his holy disciples were not able to beholde the same in the mountayne Who therefore falling on their faces acknowledged they were not able to beholde such a syght If therefore the shape of fleshe receyued suche power of the Godhead dwelling within the same what shall we then say when as it hath now putte of mortalitie washing away corruption and hath chaunged the shape of a seruaunt into the glory of the Lorde and God What shall we say now after hys victorie ouer death after his ascending into heauen after his sytting in the kingly throne on the right hande of his Father after reste in the not vtterable secretes of the Father into the which he ascending and sytting the heauenly powers those blessed ones wyth voyces together do crye Ye Princes lyft vp your gates ye heauenly gates be ye opened and the King of glorie shall enter in These fewe testimonies therefore of Scriptures and Fathers out of many we haue placed here in this our determination auoyding in déede multitude least the matter should be too prolixe and abstayning of purpose from the residue which be infinite that those which luste may themselues séeke them Being therefore throughly persuaded by these Scriptures inspired from God and by the iudgementes of the blessed Fathers staying our féete vpon the rocke of the worshippe of God in spirite we which are girded wyth the dignitie of the priesthode being of one minde and iudgement assembled together in one place doe wyth one voyce determine in the name of the holy supersubstantiall and quickning Trinitie that euery Image made by Paynters wicked arte of any kinde of matter is to be remoued forth of the Church of Christians as that which is straunge and abhominable Let no man froÌ„ this time forward of what state soeuer he be followe any such kinde of wicked vncleane custome Whosoeuer therfore froÌ„ this day forward shall presume to prepare for himself any image or to worship it either to set it in a Church or in any priuate house or else to kepe it secretely if he be a Byshoppe or a Deacon let him be deposed but if he be a priuate person or of the laye fée lette him be accursed and subiecte to the Emperiall decrées as one which withstandeth the commaundementes of God and kepeth not his doctrine Wherevpon the Councels determination so farre as concerneth this case ensueth thus Si quis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum post assumptionem animatae rationalis intellectualis carnis simul sedere cum Deo patre atque ita quoque rursus venturum cum paterna maiestate iudicaturum viuos mortuos non amplius quidem carnem neque in corporeum tamen vt videatur ab ijs à quibus compunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem carnis anathema Si quis diuinam Dei verbi secundum incarnationem figuram materialibus coloribus studuerit effigiare non ex toto corde oculis intellectualibus ipsum sedentem à dextris patris super solis splendorem lucentem in throno gloriae adorare anathema Si quis
God and neuer taught the seruice of an Image Psal 111. Dauid sayth not He that feareth God worshippeth Images but he that feareth God greatly delighteth in his cōmaundementes So that the feare of God consisteth not in worshipping of Images but in obseruaunce of the lawe of God And if none feare God but the same worship Images what is become of the Saincts afore time which neuer had them The Reason Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Lib. 3 cap. 15. Imago Imperatoris est adoranda Ergo etiam Christi et sanctorū The Image of the Emperour is to be worshipped Therefore the Image of Christ and his sainctes The Aunsvvere Iconomachi By that which is of it selfe vnlawfull they go about to confirme a thing more vnlawful For it is not to be proued that the Image of mā is to be worshipped yet if that were graunted great oddes there is in the comparison The Emperour is locall and being in one place can not be in another But God is euery where And to comprise him within the compasse of a stone wall or a little table which is all in all and whole euery where whome the earth contayneth not nor heauens comprehende is too prophane a case cousyn to infidelitie The Reason Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Lib. 4. cap. 1. Qui adorat Imaginem dicit hoc est Christus non peccat Ergo Imagines adorandae He that worshippeth an Image sayth This is Christ sinneth not Therefore Images are to be worshipped The Aunsvvere Iconomachi He that maketh a lie sinneth But he that affirmeth so vile a thing as an Image is to be Christ himselfe maketh an impudent lye Therefore he that so sayeth sinneth The Reason Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Li. 2. cap. 29. Cap. 28. Cap. 30. Imagines sacris vasis Cruci dominicae libris Scripture diuine aequiparantur Ergo adorandae Images are comparable with the holy vessels with the Crosse of Christ bokes of holy Scripture therefore to be worshipped The Aunsvvere Iconomachi A sorte of leude comparisons For as for holy vessels they were commaunded So are not Images And yet not the vessels commaunded to be worshipped Therefore to gather a worshipping of Images by them is folly Then also the Crosse hath wrought miraculous and mercifull effectes to our saluation So can Images do none And yet by the way they playnly declare per Crucem Car. Mag. Li. 2. cap. 28. non lignum illud significari sed totum opus Christi afflictiones piorum that by the Crosse there is not signified the piece of wood but the whole worke of Christ and afflictions of the Godly The Scripture also by the inspiration of the holy ghost was deliuered to men and bringeth a most certayne commoditie with it Images as they sprong from error of Gentilitie so haue they no profite but peruerting in them The Reason Iacob erexit lapidem in titulum Ergo Imagines adorandae Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Li. 1. cap. 10. Gen. 31. Iacob toke a stone and set it vp as a piller Therefore Images are to be worshipped The Aunsvvere Although this be a lubberly reason Iconomachi to vse the terme of Charles the great who playnly called it Rem non mediocris socordiae yet somewhat will I say according to mine author to shew the difference betwene Iacobs fact their affection One thing it is the holy Patriarkes by some notable mark to foreshew things that were to come And another to haue an idle workman to make an image in remēbrance of things past One thing it is to be inspired wyth the holy Ghost and a farre other to haue the arte of caruing or grauing One thing it is to trust to Gods working and another to put an occupation in practise One thing it is that Iacob set vp a piller another that a workeman shall set vp an Image The Reason Iesus ad Abgarum Imaginem suam misit Ergo Iconolatrae Car Mag. Li. 4. cap. 10. Imagines adorandae Iesus sent his Image vnto Abgar Therfore Images are to be worshipped The Aunsvvere It is no gospell that Iesus sent his picture vnto Abgar Iconomachi And Gelasius himselfe sometime Pope of Rome numbreth both the Epistle that Christ is sayd to haue sente vnto him and also the reporte of the picture inter Apocripha among the writings not receiued to be red publikely in the church nor seruing to proue any poynt of religion Wherefore the reason is insufficient The Reason Iconolatrae Car Mag. Lib 3. Ca. 25. Images did miracles and are comparable to the hem of Christes garment by the touching whereof the woman was healed of hir issue of bloud Therefore to be worshipped The Aunsvvere Iconomachi That Images did any miracles is a very lye Yet if miracles they had done it is not ynough to proue them to be worshipped The Reason Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Lib. 3. ca. 21. Cap. 26. et li. 4. ca. 12. That they did miracles is proued by examples The Image of Polemon preserued one from the act of Adultery The dreame of an Archdeacon whome an Angel in his slepe commaunded to worship an Image A Monke lighted a candell before the Image of our Lady and .v. or .vj. monethes after he found it burning The Aunsvvere Iconomachi For the first there is no reason to induce vs that the tale is true yet if it were true there is no lesse difference betwene the miracles of Christe and miracles of Polemon than is betwene the person of Christ person of Polemon For the seconde It is an vnwise and vnwonted thing to confirm by a dreame a doubtful case Whether he dreamed it or deuised it there is no proufe at all no witnesses of the matter And yet if he so dreamed in dede our doubt by good reason may be no lesse But it is wel inough a dronken deuise to be confirmed with a drowsy dreame As for the third The circumstance of the fact it self the person the place the time considered we may iustly derogate all credite from it For neyther we are assured of the honesty of him that tolde the tale nor it is reported where or when or after what sort it was done Wherfore it soūds so like a lye that a true man ought not to beleue it Yet if it were a moste certayne truth that a candell burned .v. or .vj. monethes together we ought not to ground thereof an adoration of a thing vnreasonable Balaams Asse Num. 22. opened his mouth to reproue his master preserued the children of God from cursing Shal then the tong of the Asse or his tayle be honored Thus haue ye heard howe the Nice Councell confirmed as they could by Scripture and by miracles not onely the hauing but worshipping of Images Ye haue hearde in it howe the learned fathers assembled at Franckforde aunswered their ydle and impudent allegations But leaste I should séeme to suppresse any thing that in apparaunce maketh for our
as supply theyr roumes For if it be presumed to be otherwyse let it be voide and of no effect But how came that bishops by thys prerogatiue How chaunce that euery priest may minister baptisme the supper of the Lord but only byshops may confirme Only the Apostles dyd in their tyme minister these Sacramentes and therfore by that reason onely byshops should haue that office nowe But are onely byshops the Apostles successors when ye inhibite any of the lay fée to take the host in hys hande thys cause ye alleage that it was deliuered only to the Apostles Papistes contrarye to themselues In thys case ye admytte euery poore priest a successor vnto them But why not in the other Bicause if any be lesse successors to the Apostles thā other they be your bishops But to make a deuise of your own brayne although in matters of religion it be not sufferable yet to make a lye of the holy ghost to falsify the Scripture is more intolerable And is it not a straunge case that the holy father writing the law Gratian collecting it so many seraphicall doctors commenting of it Papistes beelye the Scripture so long vse in all realmes confirming it it should there be written and suffered to remayne that in the Apostles tyme it was neuer red or knowen that imposition of handes was done by any but by the Apostles themselues Why what dyd Ananias He layed hys handes vpon Saul Acte 9. wherby he receyued hys syght was indued with the holy ghost What bishop was he No bishop forsoth In glosa preced Dist Monkes Apostles vicegerentes But a Monke by all lykelyhode For by the cannon law they be alwayes the Apostles vicegerentes Sée you not by thys tyme youre own shame Shal this notwithstanding your cōfirmation be styll a Sacrament hauing nothing else but mans deuises and a sort of impudent lies to support it If it had bene a truth that only the Apostles had layd on hands if it were a good order that only bishops should do the lyke how falleth it out that the popes themselues haue dispensed with the matter Gregory wryteth thus Vbi episcopi desunt Decr parte 1. Dist 95. ca peruenit vt presbyteri etiam in frōtibus baptizatos chrismate tangere debeant concedimus Where bishops want we graunte that priestes also may annoynt in the foreheades suche as be baptised How is thys presumption auoyded howe doth the Sacrament now stande in force But who wyll seke for any reason constancy or truth in popery The example of Christe is pretended Yet Christ neuer bad it Nor the facte of Christ can be drawen to imitation nor their selues wyll sticke vnto it Christ neuer vsed oyle They make it necessary Christe promised indifferently to all the faithfull hys holy spirite They do restrayne it to their owne ceremonies Christ for our behoofe instituted baptisme that we myght dye to synne and lyue to ryghteousnesse They by confirmation haue cutte awaye halfe the effecte thereof The Apostles withdrawe vs from the elementes of thys world they wyll haue vs seke our saluatiō in an oyle box The Apostles vsed imposition of handes which had effect when miracles were in place they wyll haue the same order although they can not haue the same ende The Apostles layed handes but onely vpon some which had the gyft of the holy ghost withall they without respect or differences of persons confirme euery body Therfore it is but a mere tradition and the same neither Christian nor Apostolique In the order of it they be contrary to themselues They wyll haue it necessary to saluation and yet they let many dye without it They say that only bishops are the Apostles successors and yet in other cases they graunt that euery priest is a successor too They affirme that the Apostles gaue them only their president and yet Ananias that was no Apostle is proued to haue done the same They teach that a byshop must only minister it and yet they dispence for a priest to do it And may not we biblers be bold to cal you bablers If only these heresies lyes absurdities were in your proufes of Confirmation they only were sufficient to confirme you fooles But sée a fouler matter of all Christian eares to be abhorred Whyle ye go about to auaunce your inuention ye deface the ordinance of almighty God and ouerthrow the grounde work of our saluation Confirmation a Sacramēt yea a Sacrament worthier thā baptisme For the master of the sentence sayeth Lib. 4. Dist 7. Cap. 2. Sacramentum confirmationis dicitur esse maius baptismo The Sacrament of Confirmation is sayd to be greater thā the Sacrament of Baptisme And afterwarde the cause is added Quia à dignioribus datur in digniore parte corporis bicause it is giuen of worthier persons and in the worthier part of the body For only bishops as is sayd confirme but euery priest may minister baptisme And in baptisme oyle is layd vpon the head but in Confirmation vpon the forehead Where fyrst is to be noted Papistes attribute more to oyle in baptisme than to vvater that ye sticke in one myre styll ascribing more to the oyle your inuention than to the water which is Gods element It suffiseth vs to haue as Christ and his Apostles had fayre water in our baptisme your oyle is better for a sallet than a sacrament Then also by the way ye fall into another heresie For when ye decrée the byshopping of children to be greater sacramente than baptisme is bycause euery priest may christen but only byshops may confirme shewe ye not therein your selues to be very Donatistes Papistes are Donatistes esteming the dignitie of the sacraments of the worthinesse of the minister Yet not only the master of the sentence but also the decrée confirmeth that doctrine Melchiades an author of yours and a Pope sayth Sacramentum manus impositionis De con dist 5. cap. de his vero sicut nisi à maioribus perfici non potest ita maiori veneratione venerandum est et tenēdum The sacrament of laying on of hands as it cā not be made but only of the greater so is it to be worshipped with greater reuerence and so to be defended But O God Diffinition of Popish by-shopping what a strange religion is this A droppe of grease infected and filed with the stinking breath of a sorcerous priest inchaunted and coniured with a few fumbled words to be compared to Christes holy sacrament preferred to the water sanctified by the word of God But this is your maner to depraue the scriptures in euery point corrupt the sacramentes with your owne leauen and let nothing that good is stand in due force for your spirituall pollicies and fresh inuentions Gyue ouer therefore at length the breast of fornication leaue sucking of the dregs of superstition and poperie whereto I persuade my self that rather fond nurses haue inured you than
to alleage Hovv the ministerie of the vvorde may be called a sacramente 1. Tim. 4. The ministerie of the word coÌ„mended vnto vs by Christ himselfe I can wel admit to be a sacrament therefore alowe in a right sense the title that Augustine doth giue vnto it For therin is a ceremonie that is taken out of the word of God a signe of spirituall grace conferred as Paul doth witnesse yet am I not contrary to my self herein who before affirmed that there were onely .ij. sacramentes of the Church Baptisme and the Lords supper For when in general we treate of sacrameÌ„ts we truly say that there are but .ij. bicause there are no more ordinary appertayning to al the faythful But ordering of ministers is a special thing contracted to a few belonging onely to a peculiar function So may it well be called a sacrament yet be denied to be a sacrament of the church But where I attribute to Christian ministery so much as I spake of there is no cause of pride for popish priests For they swarue so farre from Christes institution that they serue not at al for any godly purpose Christ did ordayne hys Apostles to preache Ioh. 20. and to that end he breathed on them shewing by that signe the power and vertue of the holy ghost wherewithall he indued them But the Romish apes onely retaine the signe the thyng it selfe beyng far thest from them and as for the end which Christ respected they haue least regarde of For they haue taught their priestes that it is least part of their duetye to preache most to do sacrifice and say Masse And thys doth the wordes of their institution proue a greate proctor of theirs Hosius affirme For wher in the verse of incantation De Sacramento ordinis they haue Potestatem illis dari placabiles offerendi deo hostias that power is giuen them to offer acceptable sacrifice vnto God Thys do they restrayne onely to the Masse And Hosius doth wrestle maruelously about the word driuing it still from the greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he wyl haue to signify sacrifice So in the ende to raise their own gain they derogate all from Christ hys death and hys passion We know that Christ did offer hymselfe sufficiently and made a perfect satisfactioÌ„ for our synnes we know that he nedeth not any priestes helpe to be as acceptable to his father for his seruice sake as Christ for that one and onely Sacrifice of hys body was Christ gaue commaundement to be faythfull ministers not bloudy coniurers Christe gaue an iniunction to fede the flocke not to offer Sacrifice Christ hath promised his holy ghost not to purge and take away synnes but to mayntaine the Church and kepe it in good order And as for the argument that the most learned papistes do builde vpon the greke worde maye easely be answered For Chrisostome when he had considered howe Paul had written that he was a minister of Iesus Christe consecrating the gospell for so S. Augustine turneth it that there might be an acceptable oblation and Sacrifice of the Gentiles sayth Rom. 15. that the Apostle there did make full mention of all the Sacrifice that he could make vsing both the termes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherevpon the Papistes will grounde their Idolatrous Masse Thys is my Sacrifice to preach the Gospell sayth he my sworde is the gospell my Sacrifice is the Gentiles And now would I fayne sée what these inchanters can say bragging themselues therefore to be priests bicause they can iuggle so finely that thinges shall passe out of their nature by them The priesthode and Sacrifice that the Apostles had was to conuert the simple soules to dawnt the cruell courages of men to make an offering of them vnto the Lord not throughe grosse miracle or by bluddy knife but by the spiritual armure of the power of God whereby counsayles are ouerthrowen and euery hygh thyng that auaunceth it selfe against God 2. Cor. 10. is vanquished And whosoeuer will be successors vnto the Apostles must vse thys ministery this trade of doctrine which if they continue in being lawfully called therunto by God and haue giftes competente to approue their calling vnto the world they nede not to care for the signe of the Crosse to be imprinted in them the vertue wherof neuer departeth from them Certayne it is that neyther Scripture nor any learned father commendeth any blessing but of prayer to vs. And how your wisedome doth esteme the wagging of a bishops fingers I greatly force not I loked rather that ye should haue commended the oyle for anointing which the greasy marchauntes wyll haue in euery messe For the character indelebilis the marke vnremoueable is therby giuen Yet there is a way to haue it out well inough to rub them welfauoredly with salt and ashes or if that wyll not serue with a little sope But ye had very little to say in the matter and therfore as sone as you had alleaged your doctor Denise whose authoritie notwtstanding we may iustly deny ye plucked dovvn your sayle and cast your anchor there Folio 62. a. Very wisely done of you For perillous it is to carry to high a sayle vpon a rotten mast Now for a proufe that the signe of the Crosse should be vsed also in the supper of the Lorde which you blasphemously do call the Masse which is nothing else but the Sacrifice of the diuell ye bring the places of the .xxvj. chap. of Mathew and .xiiij. of Marke where ye do fynde thys word Benedixit that is to say he blessed And that this blessing should be but a certaine gesture of the hand ye cite Albertê° Magnus compare the places of scripture together where it may appeare that the selfe same thing is meant I am glad ye admit the conference of places I perceiue you wil play small play rather than sit out when Albertus Magnê° is worthyed of authoritie But how well you and he doe vnderstande the Scriptures shall by Gods grace appeare anone The wordes of Mathewe be these Mat. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordes if ye vnderstande any Gréeke be these Iesus taking the bread and giuing thankes brake it Likewise in Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14. Iesus taking the bread when he had giuen thankes he brake it In the first place it is euident that the worde of your olde translation Benedixit can not be taken for the signe with a finger bicause of the proper worde of giuing thankes which can not be applyed to an externe gesture Then also the worde of Marke if ye obserue the Etymologi of it muste signifie the same For what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is bene and what is dicere The wordes are compouÌ„ded of vvel and speake So that to blesse is to speake wel and not to crosse wel When ye were
order Sainct Iames will haue all to be anoynted if they be sycke you onely anoynt in case of mortalitie and daunger of death when one foote is in the graue already If oyle be your sacrament the promise of grace be annexed to it The absurdities to heale both bodyly ghostly as you say then what harde heartes haue you that suffer so many to languish in extremitie that come not by your wils before the last gaspe S. Iames will haue the sick to be anoynted of many you wil admit but one alone with his head in his sleue muffled as an Ape with a bell before him as a batfowler for an owle S. Iames will haue the elders to be called to this office which were not onely of the ministerie but also of the lay sée You will haue a rable of shorne priestes and none but them S. Iames is content with simple oyle you will haue none but such as a byshoppe hallowed with many a stinking breath warmed with many a sorcerous word inchaunted with many a beck many a knée to the ground Idoled S. Iames wil haue vnction the signe of Gods spirit and prayer of the faythfull to concur together noting that it is not the oyle that healeth but good mennes prayers are alwayes auayleable you most blasphemously doe ascribe remission of sinnes vnto your oyle boxe Now brag of your vnction goe sell your kitchin stuffe Trye it and ye lose it It is to stale to make a sacramente It stinketh I tell you For where as in a sacrament two things be required first that it be a ceremonie instituted of God then that it haue a promise of grace in it In the first we respect that the ceremonie be deliuered vnto vs in the seconde that the promise also concerne vs. And for asmuch as neither the ceremonie was coÌ„maunded vs nor the promise appertayneth to vs both being temporall long agoe surceassed I may wel coÌ„clude that Extreme vnction is no sacrament What soeuer in the Councell of Florence or in the late Synode of Trent hath bene decréed to the contrary shall not preiudice my truth For I hauing reason and Scripture for me with the learned and sounde determinations of moe fathers of the Church than these will not be prescribed by conuenticles and conspiracies You pretende authoritie we bring the scripture You call vs heretiques we proue you no lesse And which shal take place Gods worde or mens willes A talke or a proufe If all the fat bulles of Basan did drawe together and the diuel their carter dyd dryue them to Trent there to fede and stande fast for their prouender shall the Lordes shepe therfore be starued shal hys worke be neglected If ten thousande of your affinitie bewitched with the sorcery of Romish Circe should holde a councell and cal al men to the trough of your own draffe should not I acknowledge and coÌ„fesse with Grillus in whoÌ„ bearing the figure of a reasonable creature inchauntmeÌ„t could take no place that reason and religion should be preferred to the belly What reason is in thys their sentence to holde who be the parties accused and yet iudges of the cause What religion is in thys that for filthy lucre mannes idle ordinaÌ„ce shall displace the coÌ„maundement of almighty God Wheresoeuer I sée thys shame and disorder as in al your popish councels it is I appeale from them 1. Cor. 4. I say with Paul Mihi pro minimo est vt à vobis iudicer I passe very little to be iudged of you As for the place of Hilariê° against Auxentius the Arrian how fitly it may be applyed vnto you and not to vs whom you would seme to touch al they that haue eyes do sée For you can say nothing Fol. 71. 72 but these nevve ministers are heretiques they are Caluinistes and therfore diuels Proufe bryng ye none but the same is reproued I trust therfore ye haue credite according But to you I say Ye be fallen with Auxentius ye do participate with Arrius heresy Who is the diuels Angel thaÌ„ Who is to be auoided Nor I am contented onely to say it as you do though in thys respect my worde were aswell to be accepted as yours but I proue it too For when ye make an Image of God the worde Creaturam facitis eum qui omnia creauit as Epiphanius sayeth Ye make a creature of hym Lib. 2. tom 2 Her 96. the created all thinges Wherfore if ye would assente to the decrées of the first Nicene councell and go no further these wordes neded not betwixte you and me Fol. 72. b But when ye take away the name of Nicene and put Florence or Trente in place therof ye are as true a maÌ„ as he that stale a goose and sticked down a feather For al couÌ„cels are not a lyke Nor al they that bragge of the holy ghost are by and by inspired with hys grace For Hilarius your own author whoÌ„ to no purpose ye brought forth last hath to good purpose thys Multi sunt qui simulantes fidem Hilarius Li. 8. de Trinit non subditi sunt fidei sibique fideÌ„ ipsi potius constituunt quam accipiunt sensu humanae inanitatis inflati dum quae volunt sapiunt nolunt sapere quae vera sunt cum sapientiae haec veritas sit ea interdum sapere quae nolis Sequitur vero hanc voluntatis sapientiaÌ„ sermo stulticiae Quia necesse est quod stulte sapitur stulte praedicetur Many there are sayth he which fayning a fayth are not subiecte to fayth and rather do appoynt themselues a fayth than receiue it puffed vp with the sence of mans vanitie whyle they vnderstande those thinges that they lust but wyll not vnderstande those thinges that be true whereas the truth of wisdome is sometyme to vnderstande those thynges that thou wouldest not But the talke of folly commeth after thys wyll wysedome for necessary it is that foolishly it be vttered that foolishly is vnderstode To the fifth Article ALthough ye bende your selfe in all thys Article and stretch euery vaine of your feble skyl to proue a matter which although it be in part vntrue yet beyng grauÌ„ted dyd not hurt my cause that the Apostles and fathers of the primitiue Churche blessed theÌ„selues vvith the signe of the Crosse Fol. 73. a. and counselled all ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ to do the same and that in those dayes the Crosse vvas set vp in euery place conuenient for it yet bicause ye styll appeare in your lykenesse and it is so requisite ye be knowen to the world a clouter of a patch of troth vpoÌ„ a whole cloke of lyes I wyll not disdayne to make an easy proufe of your thrée taglesse poyntes for any greater stresse they wil not abyde And first of all the terme of blessing is ill applyed to signing in the forehead For what it is to blesse To blesse I declared in the Article before to speake wel
fathers bring an inuention of their owne do I otherwise deny them the right sense of scripture The fathers may haue sometime their fansies and yet besyde the word Then if their fansies be misliked is their exposition of the word condemned whereas they meddle not with the worde Apelles shoomaker was worthily checkt when he would be busy aboue the knée but that did not set but he might haue iudgement good ynough of the shooe Yet in a shooe made on anothers last the best shoomaker for al his skil may chaunce be deceyued In déede good cause we haue only to depend vpon the word of God and not be ruled ouer by time or custome bycause in matters of our religion as Christ hath taken perfecte order therein so hath he commaunded vs to go no further but him obey August de Consen Euā Li. 1. Cap. 18. Socrates was wont to say Vnumquemque Deum sic coli oportere quomodo seipsum colendum esse praecepisset That euery God was so to be serued as he himselfe had commaunded to be serued And this was the cause why the Romaines would neuer receyue the God of the Hebrewes For grounding vpon this foresayd principle they saw it necessary that eyther al their ydols shuld be excluded and onely the true God entertayned or he only not admitted the rest be honored For by the worde of God they found that they could not agrée together and cōtrary to his word they would not séeke to serue him If they had this affect as Augustine declareth gathered by morall reason and by no further insight of faith Shal we that professe more knowledge and perfection be folisher than they hearing continually Christ and his Apostles inueighing agaynst wilworshippers Therefore I say we aske for the worde you answere vs by wyl we cal for Scripture you reache vs custome Epig. lib. 6. Martiall a mery man a poet of your name a man of more learning and wit than you had some tyme to do with such a lawyer as you For a neighboure of hys had stolen .iij. goates The matter was called into the courte the party should come to proue the inditement He gat hym a counsailler to declare the case When the iudge was ready to heare it his counsailer fel a discoursing of the fight at Cannas the battayl wyth Mithridates the wrōges and iniuries sustayned by the Africanes Thus whē he had filled their eares a great whyle with dyn thūping on the barre and squekyng in hys smal pipes Martiall tenderyng hys own cause more than the babbling of his vaine aduocate at length pulled hym by the sléeue and sayd And please your worship I gaue ye my fée to talke of .iij. goates And thus had I néede to put you in remembrance For where ye appointed to speake of Gods seruice ye tell vs a tale of thys man and that man what he dyd and they dyd And yet not a worde what God hath commaunded Fol. 82. Ye call vs curious when we require Scripture We can get at your handes nothing else but custome And speakyng of custome accordyng to your custome ye make a lye and falsefie Tertulliā Martiall corrupteth Tertullian For these are your words We say vvith Tertullian that custome increser confirmer and obseruer of fayth taught thys vse of the Crosse c. As if the increase confirmatiō and obseruing of Fayth proceded of custom Hys wordes are otherwise For speakyng of hys traditions he sayth S. legem expostules scripturarū nullā reperies traditiō tibi praetendetur auctrix consuetudo confirmatrix fides obseruatrix If thou demaunde a law of Scripture for these thou shalt fynd none Traditione shal be pretēded to thée as increaser custom confirmer and faith obseruer of them Where you may sée that custome is not made increaser and confirmer of fayth but fayth obseruer of custome Notwithstanding I must still beare with you For ye be driuen to narrowe shyftes fayne would ye say something But it is a foule shyft to make a lye Thys custome ye proue came of tradition For as Tertulliā Tertulian de corona millitis sayth how can a thing be vsed if it were not first deliuered To graunt it a tradition I wil not sticke with you But Tertulliā wyll haue the same to be builded vpon reason or els he refuseth it He maketh the Antithesis not betwene written and vnwritten but betwene written and reasonable And so he thynketh a Tradition not writtē to be admitted so it be reasonable Therfore he sayth Rationem traditioni consuetudini fidei patrocinaturā perspicies Martial is still by his ovvne authors ouerthrovven Ye shall sée that reason wyll defende tradition custome and fayth And afterwarde Non differt scriptura an ratione consistat quando legem ratio commendet It is no matter whether custome consist of writing or of reason inasmuch as reason also commendeth law So that reasonable must be the tradition And how shall thys reasonable be defined Tertulliā hymselfe doth tel you limiting how a mā maye make a custome if he conceue decrée duntaxat quod Deo cōgruat quod disciplinae conducat quod saluti proficiat Only that is agreable to God furthering vnto discipline and profitable to saluation If the tradition of the Crosse signe may be proued to be such I wyll yelde vnto you with all my hart Consider the reasōs and the examples that the Doctor vseth First of the Lordes authorite who sayd Cur non a vobis ipsis quod iustū est iudicatis Vt nō de iuditio tantum sed de omni sētentia rerum examinandarum Why do you not of your selues iudge that that is rightuous that it be not onely vnderstode of iudgement but of euery sentence of things to be examined And it followeth Dicit Apostolus Si quid ignoratis Deus vobis reuelabit Solitus ipse cōsilium subministrare cum praeceptum domini non habebat quaedā edicere à semetipso sed ipse spiritū dei habens deductorē omnis veritatis Itaque consiliū edictū eius diuini iā praecepti instar obtinuit de rationis diuinae patrocinio Hanc nunc expostula saluo traditionis respectu quocunque traditore censetur necl authorem respicias sed authoritatem c. And the Apostle sayth If ye be ignoraunte of any thyng God shall reueale it to you He hymselfe when he had not a commaundemente from the Lorde was wonte to giue counsell and prescribe some thinges of hymselfe but as one that had the spirit of God directer of all trueth Wherefore hys counsell and edict hath now obtayned to be as it were the commaundement of God through supportation and defēce of the reason diuine Thys reason inquire for sauing the respect of tradition whosoeuer be the deliuerer therof nor respect the author but the authoritie So farre Tertulliā And in hys wordes In a custome maker the spirite of God In custōe commoditie and
agreablenesse to Scripture must be coÌ„sidered Folio 82. a. Basile many notable poyntes are to be obserued First that in all iudgementes and examinations of thinges we must follow that that is right and good TheÌ„ that no man presume to ordayne any thing in the Church vnlesse he haue the spirite of God to guide hym Thirdly that S. Paules tradition should not haue stode in force vnlesse it had bene consonaÌ„t vnto the Scripture Fourthly that in all customes we muste haue an eye vnto Gods lawe seke what accordeth to it hauing no respect to the custome maker but Scripture coÌ„firmer Thus ye myght haue learned howe to iudge of traditions Tertullian myghte haue taughte you But as soone as euer you had made a lye of hym there ye left hym To Basile who sayth If vve reiect and cast avvay customs vvhich are not vvritten as thyngs of no great valevv or price vve shall condemne before vve be vvare those thinges vvhiche in the gospel are accoÌ„pted necessary to saluation I answere that of Traditions there be thrée kyndes Three kyndes of tradition Some that necessarily are inferred of the Scripture such were the Apostles Traditions as that a woman in the congregation shoulde not be bare headed that in the congregation she should kepe silence That the poore should labor with their owne hands and get their liuing which all such other although they wer not expressely in the word yet consequently they folowed of the worde And therfore Paul dyd not obtrude them of hys authoritie but by the Scripture proue them These and the lyke I confesse to be necessarye and of all Christians to be retayned Proue ye the Crosse signe to be one of these and I wyll recant But there haue bene other thynges deliuered to the Church direct contrary to the worde As Latine seruise worshipping of Images vowing of chastitie communicating vnder one kinde and an infinite number of popysh prescriptioÌ„s These ought not in any wyse to be receyued but what preterte of antiquitie or authoritie soeuer they haue be vtterly refused The third kynd of TraditioÌ„s is of such as be indifferent neyther vtterly repugnant to the word of God nor necessarily inferred of it Herein we must follow the order of the Church and yet not absolutely but with a limitation In traditions indifferent vvhat to be obserued First we must sée that those obseruaÌ„ces be not set foorth as a piece of Gods seruice wherein some speciall point of holinesse or religion shall consist For they may be kept for order for pollicie for profit of the Church but otherwyse the Scripture it selfe hath Gods store and plentye of thynges expediente for hys honor and seruice our comfort and saluation Felix ecclesia sayeth Tertullian Tertul. de prescrip aduer Hereti cui totam doctrinaÌ„ Apostoli cuÌ„ sanguine profuderunt Happy is the Church to whom the Apostles poured out the whole doctrine together with their bloud There is no insufficiency no imperfection Therfore we must especially beware that in our traditions indiffereÌ„t of themselues we repose no holynesse or deuotion Then also that we thynke them not to be of such necessitie that at no tyme they may be remoued The Church must styll retayne her ryght to be iudge and determiner of such traditioÌ„s eyther to beare with theÌ„ or else abolish them as best may serue for edification Last of all thys must not be forgotten that the people of God sometyme be oppressed with traditions and Ceremonyes and for outwarde solemnities the inwarde true seruise of God is neglected As in the popish Churche on a hye day there are so many gaudes that there is no place for a preacher Wherfore the superfluitées The Churche had to many Ceremonies in Augustines tyme. the long trayne of Ceremonies must be cut of least they do hynder the course of godlynesse and by gay shew engeÌ„der a coÌ„fidence to be put in them S. Augustine in hys tyme complayned that the Church was to full of presumptions And of them that haue bene added since a man may make many large volumes Wherfore these prouisoes had the order of the Churche I meane not Rome for that is no member of it may be kepte in traditions which are indifferent But in thys number you cannot iustly compryse the Crosse And although of some fathers it hath bene accompted such yet must ye remember as I sayd before that they dyd not alway buylde golde siluer but sometyme hay and stubble vpon Christ Nor euery thyng that is pretended to be the fathers wrytinges must by and by be thought to be theirs Many bastarde babes haue bene put in the cradel eyther when there was no lawfull chylde or the same ouerlayed and stifeled by the nurse As for exaÌ„ple Fol. 84. a. Athanasiê° Euagrius Li. 3. cap. 31. Athanasius whome you cyte for proufe that the Crosse was vsed in hys tyme hath many thynges that be none of hys Euagrius in the ecclesiasticall history doth playnly say that many workes of Apollinariê° were ascribed vnto hym And as for the booke which you alleage Questionum ad Antiochium is euident to be an others Quest 23. For Athanasius hymselfe is cited in it The wordes are these Et haec quidem multum valens in diuina scriptura magnus Athanasius And these thyngs did great Athanasius a mighty one in the Scripture of God Would Athanasius haue reported thys of hymself Wherfore in the ye bring prescription of time and writinges of the fathers for you ye do both reasoÌ„ vpon an vncertaine principle fayle in your proufe For the principle I say and I doubt not but ye wyll subscribe vnto me that whatsoeuer hath bene deliuered and otherwyse estemed Apostolique is not to be followed and thought inuiolable To begyn wyth that whiche bred in the Church a miserable schisme for many yeares together the Easter fast Easter fast Reade Eusebius in the Eccle His the v. boke the xxiiii xxv and xxvi cha was it alwayes and in euery place vniformly obserued Nothing lesse All the Asianes dissented froÌ„ the Romaines and eche of them sayd they had a tradition yea from the Apostles The Asians would haue Easter day to be the .xiiij. of the moneth Nisan howsoeuer it fell were it eyther the first seconde thyrde fourth fyfth or sixt fery The Romaines would haue it only on that day whiche is called Dominicus the Sabboth The Asians wer the stronger part they had Philip the Apostle and hys daughters Iohn the Euangeliste and Polycarpus his scholer for theÌ„ The Romaynes had the whole succession of byshops from Peter forwarde Which of these partes wyl you approue Ye are a Romanist and therfore ye will holde with Anicetus rather following the custome that is of hym receyued But now ye must not condemne the other least ye be gilty of the same cryme that Ireneus dyd reproue in Victor For he helde it tyranny to throw the thunderbolt of excommunication for a little storme the
rose of ceremony Notwithstanding they squared styll For when Polycarpus came to Rome Anicetus beyng byshop there many quarels there were betwixt them well afterwarde composed but of this poynte they could not agrée Neque enim Anicetus Policarpo persuadere poterat ne seruaret quae cuÌ„ Ioanne discipulo domini nostri ac reliquis Apostolis quibuscuÌ„ fuerat conuersatus semper seruauerat Nec Policarpus Aniceto suasit vt seruaret qui sibi presbyteroruÌ„ quibus successerat consuetudineÌ„ seruandam esse dicebat Et cum ista sic haberent coÌ„munioneÌ„ inter se habueruÌ„t For Anicetus could not as Eusebius sayth wyn Policarpus that he should not kepe those thinges which with Iohn the disciple of our Lorde For diuersity in traditioÌ„s and ceremonies men not to be condemned the rest of the Apostles with whome he was conuersaunt hitherto he had kept Not Policarpus could persuade Anicetus to yelde vnto them who sayd that the custome of the elders whom he had succeded was to be kept of hym And whereas things stoode on thys sorte yet had they a communion betwixt them A worthy example for thys our age wherin such Victorines as you M. Martiall wyl by and by condemne of schisme heresy whosoeuer in traditions do not agrée with you These holy fathers dissented in opinion of the meane actions yet in the ende they ioyned and by the way frendly communicated We bicause we do not in opinion agrée bicause we go not against our conscience and the worde of God are accompted heretiques Act. 24. But after the way which you call heresy we worship the God of our fathers beleuing all thinges which are written in the lawe and Prophetes If so great offence hang vpon transgressing of Tradition we shall condemne all faythfull before vs all congregations and Rome it selfe Policarpus TraditioÌ„s hovv they varie Ireneus contra Her lib. 5 cap. 3. For it was a Tradition in Policarpus tyme to kepe Easter day somtyme on one day sometime on another And Ireneus reporteth of hym Hic docuit semper quae ab Apostolis didicerat quae ecclesiae tradidit sola sunt vera He taughte alwayes those thyngs that he learned of the Apostles and those he deliuered vnto the Church and they onely be true Yet you obserue the Easter on one day euer the Sunday as you call it It was a tradition in TertulliaÌ„s tyme Tertul. de corona militis to giue milke hony to Infantes at their Christening and thys he helde Apostolique yet you kepe it not It was a traditioÌ„ in Augustines Augustinê° Cassulano tyme that meÌ„ should not fast froÌ„ Easter to Whytsontyde yet you decrée the contrary It was a tradition in Cyprians Cyprian de lapsis tyme which Augustine also confirmeth that the Supper of the Lord should be ministred to InfaÌ„tes this was thought necessary to saluatioÌ„ yet you declyne froÌ„ this It was a tradition in Epiphanius tyme Epiphaninê° aduersus Aerium that for .vj. dayes before Easter men should eate nothing but bread drink with a little salt yet you obserue not thys It was a tradition in Basiles Basilius de Spir. Sanct. tyme which also Tertullian doth recorde the no man should serue God with bowing of the knée on the Sabboth day nor yet all the tyme from Easter to Whitsontyde yet you mislike with thys Wherfore sith Traditions honored with the name of the Apostles accompted of the fathers and doctors necessary do notwithstanding so often vary and you your selues in no wyse admyt them what reason is it that we should be condemned for refusall of the lyke which with lesse reason more inconuenience it pleaseth your selues to confirme and stablish I haue hitherto had in hand your .ij. fyrst poynts and stretching them a little they be broken both For neyther haue you proued sufficiently that they of the primitiue church vsed the signe of the Crosse themselues and counselled other to doe the like nor if it had bene proued it were sufficient to driue me to assent Nowe to the thirde that the sayed Crosse vvas erected in euery place althoughe in the thirde Article I haue in part declared the contrarye yet to your further proufe I must aunswere something And so fyrst to your Martialis Martialis though he were last founde after xiiij huÌ„dreth yeares sléepe odde sodaynly astarted I say king Arthur was a noble king he had .xij. knightes of the rounde table and whether Launcelot du lake were one of theÌ„ I do not wel remeÌ„ber but he was a Martial man too he was a doughty knight he did many worthy feates as it followeth in the texte Are ye not ashamed to vouch him to be one of the seauenty and two disciples Fol. 83. b. whome neyther they of the Apostles time nor they that succéeded after euer mentioned or knewe Seke for thys about the begiÌ„ning of the first Article Shall he nowe by miracle be raked out of a donghyll where he hath lyen a stinking .xiiij. hundreth yeares Shall we nowe disproue Eusebius and al other writers to make your matter good Yet to say the truth hys wordes without wringing or wresting at all be taken of soberer wyttes than your owne to importe much lesse than you doe talke of For we may haue the Crosse in a signe according to the words of Christ in his laste supper Doe this as oft as ye doe it in remembraunce of me though we haue not the signe of the Crosse Therefore you be forsworne once For ye fayd Folio 83. b In good fayth it could not be so But what shal I séeke for any truth of you who shauing your crowne haue shaken all honestie and fayth from you You wysh with a sigh alack good heart that the readers should see hovv in the time of Athanasius Folio 84. b Athanasiê° ChristeÌ„ men made Crosses like vnto the Crosse of Christ and adored the same I should here passe the boundes of modestie and iustly offende the good readers eares if I should aunswere according to your professed impudencie and shamelesse deseruing Thought you that your writing should neuer come to scanning Was it not inough for you to béelie them that be most vnlike you the ministers of the Church of Christ now liuing but that you would styll falsefie the Scriptures and make lies of the fathers Remember your writings your wordes are these Folio 84. a. Novve that it stayd not here but vvas set vp and had in reuerence in other places and other ages it appeareth by Athanasius vvho asking the question vvhy all faythfull Christen meÌ„ make Crosses lyke vnto the Crosse of Christ and make nothing lyke to the speare rede or sponge being holy as the Crosse ansvvereth and sayeth Crucis certe figuram Martial maketh .3 lies of Athanasius together ex duobus lignis componentes adoramus c. We certes makyng the figure of the Crosse of ij peces of vvood
with handes stretched out bicause they are harmelesse bare headed bycause we are not ashamed without any prompter bycause we pray from the hearte alwayes do make our supplications for all Princes and rulers beseching God to send them a long life a quiet raigne an housholde in safetie and valeaunt souldiours counsellers faythfull and people vertuous a merry world and whatsoeuer themselues wish for besyde These things I can not pray for of any but of whome I knowe I shall obtayne bycause he it is that only perfourmeth and I am he that must obtaine his seruaunt which honour and esteme him onely which offer vnto him a fat and full Sacrifice which he hath commaunded me a prayer that procéedeth from a sobre chaste flesh an innocent soule and from the holy ghost In which wordes Tertullian declareth the order of Gods seruice in his time which consisted not in outwarde shewes but inwarde veritie nor in their distresses they called vpon any as you doe in your Litanies saue onely vpon him that only can and will rewarde his Wherefore your Litanies of late deuised Papists superstitious and vvhy be most vnlawfull and notwithstanding your Crosses you be most superstitious Superstitiosi enim vocantur as Lactantius sayth non qui filios suos superstites optant omnes enim optamus sed aut hij qui superstitē memoriā defunctorum colunt aut qui parentibus suis superstitibus colebant Imagines eorum domi tanquam Deos penates Nam qui nouos sibi ritus assumebant Lactantius diuin inst Li. 4. Ca. 28. vt in deorum vicem mortuos honorarent quos ex hominibus in coelum receptos putabant hos superstitiosos vocabant For they are called superstitious not that desire their children to be long liued for so we doe all but eyther such as haue the memorie of the deade fresh with them and estéeme the same or such as hauing their parents aliue did worship their Images at home as their housholde Gods For they that toke new fashions vnto them to honour the dead in steade of the Goddes which men they supposed to haue bene receyued out of earth into heauen them did they call superstitious And forasmuch as you M. Martial your fellowes be such which so diligently retaine the memory of the deade which call vpon the deade and make your prayers to them Lactantius sayth you be not religious but superstitious As for the ensigne of our master Christe vvhich you say vve labour to haue out of the fielde Folio 97. a. bycause we knowe the fight of our aduersary is vncessant without any truce or intermission vntill this soule of ours doe vnbody we carry this ensigne alwayes wyth vs we neuer suffer it to depart from the walles of our heart but sleping and waking eating and drinking at Church and at home we haue it alwayes afore vs. And this is in dede the Crosse of Christ not caried on a staffe not set vpō an altar but fixed in our harts with a ioiful remēbrance of his merits for vs. Hoc enim vexillo antiquus hostis non Imaginibus victus est Car. Mag. de Imag. lib 2. Cap. 28. hijs armis non colorum fucis Diabolus expugnatus est per hanc non per picturas inferni claustra destituta sunt per hanc non per illas humanum genus redemptum est In Cruce namque non in Imaginibus pretium mundi pependit Illa ad seruile supplicium non quaedam Imago ministra extitit Hoc est nostri regis insigne non quaedam pictura quod nostri exercitus indesinenter aspiciunt legiones Hoc est Signū nostri Imperatoris non compaginatio colorum quod ad praelium nostri sequūtur cohortes For by this ensigne saith Charles the great not by Images our auncient enimy is ouercome The materiall no ensign of Christ By this artillarie not by any counterfets of coloures the Diuel is vanquished By this not by pictures the dongeons of hell are emptied By this and not by them mankinde is al redemed For the price of the world hanged on a crosse and not in Images The Crosse and not an Image was the matter of a seruile punishment This and not a picture is the ensigne of our king which the bandes of our army continually doe loke on This and not a tempering of certaine colours is the signe and banner of our Emperor and captaine which our hostes of men do follow to the warres By which relation of contraries it apeareth playnly what the Crosse is that we ought to reuerence and what Christes banner that we ought to dysplay Not the Image the signe and picture but the memoriall of his death and passion Wherefore he concludeth Non quaedā materialis Imago sed dominicae crucis mysteriū vexillum est quod in campo duelli vt fortius confligamus sequi debemus It is not any material Image but the mysterie of the Crosse of Christ the death it selfe which is our ensigne The true ensigne of Christ that in the fielde of our conflict we ought to followe to the end we may more manfully fight And thus you sée that all authority and reason condemns you There is nothing in Gods seruise that you myslike in vs but rather ought to be reputed prayse The reliques Folio 97. b. For Reliques of Anastasius brought in with procession which ye also do bring to proue the vse of a Crosse shewe that you stande in great néede of good proues when you can be contented with so slender aydes I nede no more to aunswere but that a superstitious instrumente was méetest to serue a superstious effecte Num. 19. We reade in the olde testament that who soeuer touched the deade corps of any man and purged not himselfe defiled the tabernacle of the Lord and should be cut of from Israell And shall in the new testament the rotten bones of a deade carcase make men the holier If all the Scripture be readde ouer and writings of the fathers for CCC yere after Christ we shal finde no commaundement or example in the world of reliques kept or bones translated We reade of Moses the seruaunt of the Lord that he dyed in the land of Moab and the Angell of the Lord buried him in a valley Iosue 34. but no man knoweth of his Sepulchre vnto thys day Which thing was of purpose by the prouidence of God appoynted so that the Iewes might haue no occasion thereby to commit Idolatry But if the translating of dead bones had made eyther for the glory of God or commoditie of man the reliques of such a one as Moses was shuld not haue bene hydden For doubtlesse of al Prophetes he was the greatest by the testimony of God hymselfe Num. 12. Who called hym faythfull in all hys house to whome he spake mouth to mouth and by vision and not in darke wordes yet was not hys body shryned nor hys bones caried in procession nor any
nor adoration oughte to be giuen to so vile a thyng as a Crosse is Augustine Augustin de vera Rel. cap 55. agréeth with hys fellowes sayeth Non sit nobis relligio humanorū operū culius Menores enim sunt ipsa artifices qui talia fabricantur quos tamen colere non debemus Let not vs haue a religiō in worshipping of mans works For the workemen themselues that make them be better whome notwithstanding we oughte not to worship Nor Chrysostome Chrysostome in any worke that is hys dissenteth frō the reste Vpon the .4 of Iohn 32. Hom these playne wordes he hath Adorare creaturae adorari non creature sed domini est To adore and worship belongeth to a creature but to be adored belongeth to no creature but onely to the Lorde Cyrill when he would proue the diuinitie of Christ that he is of the same substaunce with the father drewe an argument from adoration of the Angels And if that any but onely God maye be adored then is hys reason none Cyrill Thesauri Li. 2. cap. 1. The wordes be these Nemo ignorat nullà prorsus natura preterq̄ dei adorationem à scriotura contribui No man is ignoraunt that adoration in the Scripture is attributed to no kynde of nature saue onely to the nature of God And thus the elder fathers Now to come down to latter yeres Gregory Pope Epist li. 7. Indict 2. cap. 109. Gregory the Pope the first that euer maintained Images is so muche against the adoring of them that in euery sentence where he speaketh of them he seriously forbiddeth it Zelum vos ne quid manufactum adorari possit habuisse laudauimus Et iterum Ab earum adoratione populum prohibere debuit Et tertio vt populus in picture adoratione minimē peccaret In English We prayse it well that you had a zeale that nothing made with hande should be adored And agayne You oughte to haue forbidden the people from the adoring of them Thirdly that the people should not offend in adoratiō or worshipping of a picture If pictures generally be thus cōmended so much as cōcerneth adoration I leaue it to your discretiō to consider what is to be sayd of worshyp to be done to roodes or crucifixes Nor here I wyll omyt a proper workeman of your own occupation Iohannes Alfonsus de castro He in hys boke aduersus haereses reporteth that one Claudius by shop of Taurino forbad all in his iurisdiction the adoration and worshyp of our Lordes Crosse He was of priuye counsell to Charles the great A worthy Prelate for so wise a Prince What the opinion of Charles the greate was in thys behalfe Carolus Magnus I referre you to hys foure bokes de Imaginibus of purpose penned against the insolent and doltish cōspiracy dissembling at Nice If ye loke for coūcels to condemne your error I sende you backe to the thirde Article there ye shal fynde sufficient to confute you Thus haue I sleightly passed ouer not al that I could recite but as many as I thought expedient for cleare disproufe of your vngodly purpose Ye would haue it appeare that al the fathers wer in your fonde beliefe whereas ye rehearse but a very few and the same not onely corruptly wrested but maliciouslye in most partes falsefied I haue brought you the simple and playne wordes of theirs oute of their owne approued writinges such as I trust you wyll not gaynesay Now let the good readers iudge whether according to the false exposition of you or fonde meaning of a fewe the Crosse should be worshipped and adored or els according to the sounde censure of the moe A briefe rehersall of the doctors opinion touching the adoration of the Crosse of the Godly of the Scriptures themselues be cast out of the Churche and deputed to the vse that it deserueth As for the adoration S. Peter compared it with the Gentiles Idolatry condemned it as vnlawfull and yet saw not the hartes of the worshippers Clement of Alexandria calleth it a monstruous thyng a mad parte worse than the seruise of the diuell to worship stockes or stones yet we must crepe to the Crosse you saye Ireneus accompteth it heresy to cary about the true Image of Christ yet you will haue it catholyke to adore worship the false Crosse Tertullian sayth that it is Idolatrie to adore the lykenesse of any thyng Thē is there no great holinesse or safetie in the Crosse Cyprian affirmeth it to be contrary to nature against the dignitie of our creation and a wycked worship to fal down to a creature and shal we then adore the Crosse Origen wyll not admit any externall signe of honor howsoeuer the minde otherwise be affected to be giuen to the workemanship of mans hande but sayth that it is against the commaundement shall we crouch créepe to the Crosse Arnobius scorneth the esteming of the Crosse and to the condemnation of Ethnikes sayth Cruces nec colimus nec optaemus vos plane qui ligneos Deos consecratis Cruces ligneas vt Deorum vestrorum partes forsitā adoratis As for Crosses we neyther worship nor wysh for But you which consecrate ye woodden Gods peraduenture worship the woodden Crosses as percels of your Goddes This spake Arnobius in defence of the Christians Lib. 8. and reproufe of the Gentiles And shall we directe contrary to this both wish and worship Crosses worse than the Gentiles vnworthy name of Christians Lactantius in lyke sort condemneth the Gentiles for tooting vpon Images and willeth them to looke vp to Heauen And shall we still be poaring on so blinde a boke as a Crosse is Athanasius would not that the enimie should haue such aduauntage of him as to say that he or any other Christian worshipped the Crosse we must haue it a doctrine that euery man is bound to worship it Epiphanius tare the vaile that had the picture of Christ vpon it he affirmed the worshipping of the same to be fornication We must haue a poste wyth a mocke man vpon it and afterward do honour to it Ambrose accoumpted it an errour of Gentilitie a vanitie of peruerse to adore the Crosse And we must holde it a good catholike doctrine bycause Master Martiall doth teach it Hierome Augustine Chrisostome Cyrill Gregorie condemne as is before confirmed all adoration done to any creature and yet you thinke the same by testimonies of the fathers due to the signe of the Crosse If you had considered the fathers wel you would not so yll haue slaundered them You thinke you haue a good euasion when you say that vve must atrribute vnto it not any diuine honor due onely to God Folio 128. b. but as it hath bene right vvell declared before of others an inferiour kinde of reuerence I maruell that you are so inconstant M. Martiall Euen nowe you would nedes haue Adoration and Worship to the signe of the Crosse they be propre vnto
Papistes degenerate from all good order ib. The Crosses of Constantinop what they were 140. Howe Martiall in one storie maketh .iiij. lyes 141. a. Concerning the vse of Tapers 141. b. seq Ther must be no Tapers on the Lords table 142. b. Howe Martiall proueth Luther no heretique 143. a. The affaires of August the Monke in England 143. b. Papistes superstitious and why 145. b. The true ensigne of Christ 146. b. For Reliques ib. seq In the .viij. Article MIracles no prouf of doctrine Folio 150. seq Wrought by the diuel 149. b. Thre reasons why miracles make not for the Crosse 151. a. How M. belieth Euseb ib. b. How the Papists agree not for inuentioÌ„ of the crosse 152. a. What lies be made of peces of the Crosse 153. b. Of the nayles that Christ was crucified withall 154. seq The answere to the miracles that were affirmed to haue ben done by the Crosse 155. How Papistry breedeth securitie in synne 156. seq Miracles paste no proufe of present vse 157. a. That as well we may haue the signe of Idols as the signe of the Crosse for any miracle ib. b. Whether the miracles of the Crosse were true or no they can proue no lawefull vse thereof 158. seq The similitude of the cloth of estate 161. b. For memorie holpen wyth a Crosse 162. b. In the .ix. Article VAnities alleaged for coÌ„modities of the Crosse Folio 164. a. The true effects of Images ibid. b. The Reason that Images shoulde not be vnlawefull though not expedient aunswered 164. 165. seq Gods bookes commaunded forbydden for pollicy mans bookes for pollicy must needes be maintayned 165. se Whether Images can teach things necessary to saluation 166. b. That Crosses teach no humilitie no vertue 167. b. That Images speak doubtfully teach diuelishly bee red vnlawfully 168. b. 169. a That ther can be no such ignorance as should driue vs to seeke knowledge in an Image 169. a. The titles and commendation of Scripture 170. a. That for wante of preachers we must not seeke to Images ib. b. What leud affectioÌ„s be stirred by Imagery 171. a. What affections were stirred in the heathen by Images ib. b. No ymagery with preaching much lesse without 172. a. Howe Images must not be admitted for help of memorie ib. b. How Cyrill alloweth no Images in Churches 173. b. A diuelishe memory the muste be holpeÌ„ with a crosse 174. a In the .x. Article WHat Adoration worship is Folio 175. b. That adoration by the scripture is forbydden to Images 176. a. Authorities for adoration of the crosse falsly aleaged 176. b Authorities of the fathers agaynst the Adoration of the Crosse ib. seq A strange prouf that no man may feare Idolatry in worshippers of the Crosse 183. b The absurde argumente of Martiall 184. a. ij Kindes of Idolatrie 185. a. That bowing kneeling to Crosses and Images doth proue Idolatry 185. 186. The Authors alleaged agaynst both the hauing and Worshipping of the Crosse Clemens Rom. Epis Folio 4. b. 177. a. Ireneus 14. b. 178. a. Clemens Alexandrinus 177. b. Iosephus 15. a. Cyprianus 178. b. Tertullianus 6. 7. 49. a. 178 a. Origenes 31. 32. 178. b. Arnobius 13. b. 179. a. 82. a. Lactantius 5. b. 14. a. 142. a. 179. b. Eusebius 7. b. Athanasius 29. a. 127. a. 180. a. Epiphanius 14. b. 117. b. 181. a. Ambrosius 86. b. 181. b. Hieronimus 97. a. 133. a. 181. b. Augustinus 15. a. 52. a. 83. 84. 88. a. 181. Chrysostomus 46. b. 106. b. 133. b. Cyrillus 173. b. Prudentius 53. b. Gregorius PP In the Epistle to M. Also 8. b. 182. a. Alfonsus de Castro 182. a. Carolus Magnus 68. b. Petrus Crinitus 85. Erasmus In the Epistle to Martiall The author of the Turkes hystorie 15. b. COVNCELS The CouÌ„cel of Constantinople vnder Leo Isauricê° 58. a. The Councell of Granata 68. a. The Councell of Franckforde 68 a. seq Leafe Syde Lyne  Faultes  Corrected 3 b 2 For was a Reade was not a 10 b 29 strayning strayeng 17 a 18 taught naught 24 a 1 toy our to your 67 b 11 were deified were not deified 68 a 22 whether whyther 86 a 9 preasseth presumeth 88 a 12 vnfounde vnsounde 89 a 26 worde wood 93 a 26 gayne game 95 a 33 hath ordayned hath ordayned 102 b 15 htat that Ib b 20 them them them 107 a 21 Christome Chrisostome 116 b 34 Eueria Euoria 129 a 28 pristinuÌ„ pistrinum 135 a 33 follo wed both followed both 141 b 28 is was it was In the Epistle to Martiall the .4 leafe the seconde syde and in the last Quotation for Ep. 109. reade Cap. 109. In the .5 leafe the fyrst syde and line .2 for quid reade quidem Wheras two leaues together be escaped wyth the number of 23. reade for the laste of them .24 and for the number of the next leafe following which is .26 reade .25 In the mergine of the .97 leafe for Cofirmaion reade Confirmation And in the margine of the .110 leafe in the second syde for martrimonye reade Matrimonie If ought else be escaped I trust the gentle Reader will beare with it and of himself amend it Mortis Crucis collatio QVI cupis ad Vitam renouari Morte futuram Mortem Christi animo fac meditere tuo Mors ea Vita fuit vitamque fidelibus omnem Praestitit in sola mortuus ille Cruce Non tamen ipsa licet Cruce Mors inflicta ministra Mortis erit celebri dira ministra loco Mors peperit victa solidos de Morte triumphos Crux valet ad vitam materiata nihil Mors affert animis onerum folatia pressis Crux dare lenimen lignea nulla potest Stigmata Mortis habent animi defixa fideles Stigmata formatae sunt malefida Crucis Mors in honore pijs aeterno tempore stabit Effigiata pijs Crux abolenda venit Mortis vt obrepat mala non obliuio nobis Corporeae remanet mystica Coena dapis Haec data firmandis quasi tessera mentibus olim Solaque perpetuo quae paragatur erit Non sic ille Crucem Christus praeceptor habendam Instituit valeat Crux vbi coena valet Sin Crucis ante oculos monumentum velle videmur Subdita sunt Christi viuida membra Cruci Viuida si nequeant animos percellere nostros Incutiantne magis mortua Signa fidem Perfida visibili gens est contenta Figura Dum Res interea significata perit Sic quos debuerat verum vox viua docere Fusilis errorem semper Imago docet Quos Deus in sacrae demissus viscera mentis Non facit Offitij sic meminisse sui Vana Creaturae facies subiecta proteruis Luminibus memores scilicet efficiat Nec tamen hic scelerum finis sceleratior inde Cultus ab effectu deteriore venit Namque velut diui Lapides Ligna coluntur Artificis postquam forma fit arte Crucis Sin ea forma magis precioso obducta Metallo Protinus Idolum Crux facit vna duplex Ergo Crucifixus nobis in honore locetur Cruxque sit a nobis materiata procul The same in English WHo doest desire to Life to come by Death to be restorde Recorde alway in mindeful heart the Death of Christ thy Lord. This Death gaue Life and he that dyed did on his Crosse alone Bring euerlasting Life to those that him beleue vpon But though by meane of that his Crosse this death was brought to passe Yet ought not Crosse in steade thereof to holde the sacred place A perfect triumph ouer Death this Death did once atchieue But the materiall Crosse to Life no help at all doth giue This Death doth bring a full release vnto the grieued minde But in the framed Crosse of wood no comfort is to finde The markes of this most holsome Death the faithful hearts do beare The marke of formed Crosse God wote is but vntrusty geare With godly men this Death for aye in honour shall abyde Of godly men the shapen Crosse is to be layde asyde Least this good Death that bringeth Life should flip out of our minde He of his sacred body hath his Supper left behinde This as a pledge to strength our soules is poynted to endure And this alone ordayned is to be in dayly vre Our Master Christ commaunded not the Crosse be holden so But where this Supper is in place the Crosse may be let go But of the Crosse some monument if we desire to sée The liuely members of our Christ to Crosse styll subiect be If liuely ones want force ynough to moue our resty minde Alas in liuelesse Signes what force of credite shall we finde The faythfull sorte content themselues with Signes yséene with eye Euen while the Matter signified is wholly lost thereby So them that should by liuely Voyce haue learnde the truth to know The forged Image euermore doth into errour throw Shall they whome God that doth descende into the godly brest Doth not so make to call to minde the duetie they profest Shall they forsoth in heart be brought to holde the same aright By fickle forme of Creature subiect to erring sight Yet is not here the ende of ylles For hereof doth ensue From worse effect false Worship done where it was neuer due For after once a forme of Crosse is made by workemans arte To Stockes and Stones as heauenly Gods then honor they imparte But if with precious Metall it be garnisht to the eye A double Idoll of one Crosse is honorde by and by Let him therefore that Dyed on Crosse deuoutly be adorde And let materiall Crosse be farre from vs that feare the Lorde FINIS Imprinted at London by Henry Denham for Lucas Harrison dwelling in Paules Churchyarde at the Signe of the Crane Anno Domini 1565. Nouembres 3.
he doth call it Stolidam arrogantem Synodum A doltish and a proude Synode And the decrée there made touching the adoratiō of Images which you M. Martiall do teach so stoutly Impudentissimam traditionem A most impudent and shamelesse tradition I refer you to the foure bokes of Carolus in which at large is set forth not only the vanity of those reuerend Asses which went about to establish Images but also the effect of the Councel of Frankford not vtterly abolishing which was their imperfection but playnly condemning the adoration and worship of them But in this case where Councell is agaynst Councell and necessary it is that one of them be deceyued which must we trust to I knowe that the latter age hath receyued the worse the seauenth of Nice But we must not follow the authoritie of men were they neuer so many but the directiō of God his spirit truth reuealed in his holy word What moued the faythfull to refuse the second of Ephesus willingly embrace the Councell of Chalcedon but that examining their decrées by Scripture they founde Eutiches heresie confirmed in the one which the other condemned So when the manifeste worde of God shall try where the spirite of God doth rest there must the credite there onely be giuen And to the ende that al readers hereof may vnderstand and sée what vanity there was in the Prelats of Nicene Coūcell what more than vanity is in the magnifiers of so mad a cōpany I wil set forth the allegations of the Image worshippers and the confutation which the seruantes of God made that euery man thereby may iudge so as the spirit of God shall leade him Car. Mag. Li. 1. Cap. 20. To. 2. Cō Concil Nice 2. and as himself shal sée good cause Fyrst of al their generall position was That the Images of Christ the virgin Mary other Saincts were sacred and holy therfore to be worshipped Hereto the Synode answered That the Antecedent the former proposition was false in as much as they are neyther holy in respecte of the matter wherof they be made nor of the colours that be layd vpon them nor yet for any imposition of hands nor by any canonical consecratiō Therfore they be not at al holy much lesse therfore to be worshipped Thē noble Iohn the legate of the Esterlings brought forth another reason God made man after his owne Image likenesse therfore Images are to be worshipped Hereto the catholikes iustly replied that he made a false argument Abignoratione Elenchi by applying that to Imageworshipping which made nothing at all to purpose For both out of Ambrose Augustine they proued that man is called the Image of God not for his externe shape which Images wel ynough may represent but for the inwarde man the minde the reason the vnderstanding vertues consonant to the wyll of God For Ambrose sayth Quod secundum Imaginem est In Psal 118. Ser. 10. non est in corpore nec in materia sed in anima rationabili That which is according to the Image of God is not in the body nor in the matter but in the reasonable soule Likewise Augustine Accedit vtcunque anima humana interior In Psal 99. homò recreatus ad Imaginem Dei qui creatus est ad Imaginem Dei The inwarde soule of man the newe borne man which is made after the Image of God commeth after a sorte néere vnto God his Image But that wheresoeuer a similitude and lykenesse is spoken of there is also an Image to be meant Octog triū quest ca. 74 Augustine disproueth Vbi similitudo non continuo Imago non continuo aequalitas c. Where a similitude or lyknesse is not by and by an Image not by and by equalitie So that the folly of him was great to abuse the scripture to so impertinent a purpose But the Nice masters procéede and say That as Abraham worshipped the sonnes of Heth Gen. 25. Exod. 18. Moses Iethro the priest of Madian so must Images be worshipped of men Hereto the Councell as Charles the president thereof affirmeth answered Dementissimū est Lib. 1. Cap. 9. ab omni ratione seclusum hoc ad astruendā Imaginā adoratione in exemplū trabere quod Abrahā populum terre Moses Iethro sacerdotē Madiā leguntur adorasse It is a thing of most madnesse and vtterly seuered from all reason to bring for example to confirmation of Imageworshipping that Abraham is red to haue worshipped the people of the earth and Moses Iethro the priest of Madian The Sainctes of God in token of their obedience and humilitie sometime haue bowed themselues haue shewed some piece of curtesie to such as pleased them and had authoritie in the earth But what is this for the honour done to a deade stocke Why is this example made to be general extending to all both quicke and deade both good and badde where as the Sainctes themselues sometyme abhorred this worshippe to be gyuen them sometime refused to giue it vnto other Imagines verò nusquam nec tenuiter quidem adorare conati sunt But as for Images they neuer attēpted in any place or in any so slender wise to worshippe them De Doctri Christ Li. 1. Cap. 1. Let them learne of Augustine that Abraham and Moses doing as they did were examples of humilitie not paternes of impietie Let them learne that there is no lesse diuersity betwene the worshipping of an Image and worshipping of a man than is betwene a lyuing man and a man paynted vpon the wall Let them learne howe loue reuerence and charitie towardes men is in the Scripture commaunded ofte The bowing the knéeling the seruice to an Image is in euery place forbydden and accursed The Papistes figure to make the Scripture serue their purpose But a familiar figure the Papists haue to make the Scripture to serue their faustes Acyrologiam which you may call Abusion Impropre speaches As where so euer in the Hebrewe texte they reade any worde that betokeneth Bowing Saluting Blessing they doe full wisely tourne it vvorshipping And is this honeste and vpright dealing Yet howe they dally on this sorte both with the worlde and with the worde of God the nexte allegation of theirs declareth Iacob suscipiens à filijs suis vestem talarem Ioseph Carol. Mag. de Ima li. 1. ca. 12. osculatus est eam cum lachrimis imposuit oculis suis Ergo. c. Which wordes in english according to their translation be these Iacob receyuing of his sonnes Ioseph his long garmente he kyssed it and wyth teares layde it vpon his eyes And therefore Images are to be worshipped And is not this a reason that might haue bene fette out of a Christmas pye Wil any man hereafter finde fault wyth Papists deprauing of the Scripture since they take thē leaue to make what Scripture they lyst Where finde they this texte in all the Bible that Iacob kyssed his sonnes
garmente and layde it vpon his eyes The place is the .xxxvij. of Genesis where only we read that the sonnes of Iacob brought vnto their father Ioseph his party coloured coate sayd this haue we founde sée nowe whether it be thy sonnes coate or no. Then he knewe it and sayde It is my sonnes coate A wicked beast hath deuoured him Ioseph is surely torne in pieces And Iacob rent his clothes and put sacke cloth about his loynes and sorrowed for his sonne a long seasoÌ„ Where is the kissing of the coate laying it on his eyes But if kyssing had bene there what is that to worshipping But to kysse and to worship is all one with them They worshippe where they kysse let them kysse where they worshippe not Another worthy father of that sacred assemblie bycause he would haue a freshe deuise coyned out of hande another piece of Scripture saying Car. Mag. de Imag. Li. 1. ca. 13. Iacob summitatem virgae Ioseph adorauit Iacob worshipped the top of Iosephs rod. Therefore we may worshippe the picture of Christ Let me aske of his fatherhode where he fyndeth the place Let him put on his spectacles and poare on his Portasse If this be lawful that euery noddy that commeth to a Synode may chop and chaunge the word of God as he will what nede we to care for Moses writing or Esdras restoring or Septuagints translating or the Apostles handeling of the Scripture The great vertue profound knowledge of those Synodicall men may serue and suffise vs. And to prosecute the cause of Iacob another ryseth vp and puts in his verdite saying Benedixit Iacob Pharaonem Car. Mag. Li. 1. Cap. 14. sed non vt Deum benedixit adoramus nos Imaginem sed non vt Deum adoramus Iacob blessed Pharao but he blessed him not as God We worship an Image but we worship it not as God This man had wit without al reason he compared the blessing that the holy Patriark gaue vnto the king the bounden man to the well doseruer the subiect to the superior vnto the worshippe of a senslesse Image that standeth in the wall doth no more good But another brought in a sounder proufe and framed his argument after this sorte Cap. 15. Impitiatorium duos Cherubin aureos ariam testamenti iussi Dei Moses secit Ergo licet sacere et adorare Imagine Moses by the coÌ„maundement of God made the propitiatorie the two golden Cherubins and the arke of wytnesse Therefore it is lawfull to make and worship Images This fellowe began in good diuinitie but ended in foolish sophistry For in the conclusion he put more than was in the premisses Moses made this and that Therefore we may both make worship Where doth he reade that they were worshipped Yea how can those examples be applied vnto Images since they be set in the face of the people only to this ende to be gazed on but the arke of witnesse with the furniture therof was in the oracle of the house in the most holy place couered that it might not be séene without Num. 4. 2. Par. 5. Agayne the Cherubins were but a peculier ordinance of God and therefore could not preiudice an vniuersall lawe But to procéede it is written in the law say they Ecce vocaui ex nomine Beseleel filij Vr filij Hor de tribu Iuda repleui eum spiritu sapientiae Car. Mag. Lib. 1. Ca. 16. Exod. 31. intelligentiae ad perficienduÌ„ opus ex auro argento Ergo licet adorare Imagines I haue called by name Bezaliell the sonne of Vri the sonne of Hur of the tribe of Iuda whome I haue fylled wyth the spirit of God in wisedome in vnderstanding and in knowledge and in al workmaÌ„ship to finde out curious works to make in gold siluer therfore it is lawfull to worship Images A reason as if it had bene of your making M. Martiall Ab ignoratione Elenchi Therefore the Synode aunswered that it was not onely an extreme folly but a mere madnesse to apply the figures of the olde lawe which onely were made as God deuised and had a secrete meaning in them to the Images of our time which euery caruer goldsmyth painter make as their fansy leadeth them to an ill example and to no good vse in the world But what shuld I stand in exaggerating of their folly I will truely reporte the reasons of the one parte and abridge what I can the aunsweres of the other Sicut Israeliticus populus serpentis aenei inspectione seruatus est Iconolatra Car. Mag. Lib. 1. Ca. 18. Sic nos sanctorum effigies inspicientes saluabimur As the people of Israel was preserued by the loking on the brasen serpent So we shall be saued by loking on the Images of Sainctes ê™ the Image worshippers The Aunsvvere They that repose their hope in Images Iconomachi Rom. 8. are condemned by the Apostle ê™ the fathers of Franckforde Councel Spes quae videtur non est spes That hope which is séene is no hope Furthermore the brasen serpent was not commaunded to be worshipped therefore the worshipping of an Image is falsly inferred of it Thirdely the brasen serpent was commauÌ„ded of God But no piece of Scripture doth beare with Images The Reason Si secundum Mosis traditionem praecipitur populo Iconolatrae Car. Mag. Lib. 1. Ca. 17. purpura hyacinthina in fimbrijs in extremis vestimentis poni ad memoriaÌ„ custodiam praeceptorum multo magis nobis est per adsimulatam picturam sanctorum virorum videre exitum conuersationis eorum eorum imitari fidem secundum Apostolicam traditionem Which worde for worde in english is thus If according to Moses tradition a purple violet be commauÌ„ded to the people to be put in their purfles and skirtes of their garments for a memory and keping of the commaundements much more must we by the counterfet picture of holy men sée the ende of their conuersation and imitate their fayth according to the tradion Apostolique The Aunsvvere Iconomachi Eche part of this argument consists of vntruthes First by corrupting the Scripture in calling it a purple violet whereas purple is one colour and violet another Then by comparing things vnlike together wearing of a garment and worshipping of an Image Thirdely in alleaging a most vntruth of al that the conuersation of holy men is sene in an Image For fayth hope and charitie which be the chiefe vertues of Sainctes are thinges inuisible But Images and pictures are visible As for imitation what it ought to be 1. Cor. 4. the Apostle sheweth vs saying Imitatores mei estote sicut filij charissimi Be ye followers of me as most deare children 1. Cor. 11. And in another place Imitator s mei estote sicut ego Christi Be ye followers of me euen as I am of Christ Whereby it appeareth that the tradition of the Apostles is to behold the godly
as they bring their warrant for them God forbyd in dede but we should admit them If we established our traditions and destroyed theirs If we deuised a worship of our own despised theirs we wer to be blamed But when in respecte of Gods commaundement which no man ought on peril of his life transgresse we reiecte a custome and deuise of man we are not to bée burdened with pride or singularitie Folio 80. Your selues thinke it laweful to alter and innouate at your owne pleasures all traditions and ceremonies of elder time As taking away mylke and hony from Christenings contrary to Tertullian and denying infants the supper of the Lorde contrary to Augustine with an hundred moe that I could rehearse And wherewithall doe you supply them with your owne fansies your owne follies Yet you neyther discredite nor disauthorize the fathers We if we stande not to euery iote that any one of the fathers heretofore hath written and hath pleased the Pope of his power absolute to admit are compted heretiques schismatiques such as haue separated our selues from the Church In dede we professe a separation from you as our Apologie doth witnesse Folio 81. Apologie of the church of England and shewe good reason why Therein your finenesse doth cal vs patchers I wys all the packe of you hath not cloth in your shoppes to make the like But separating our selues from you the enimies of God and of his truth we ioyne as we ought with the church of Christ For what is the vnitie Vnitie of Papistes that you appoynt vs The humble obedience of the Church of Rome whome you wil haue to be the mother Church whō you doe call the boosome and the lappe that all men ought to runne vnto which will be numbred among Gods children You with this vnitie content your selues seking rather your selues ouer Christ than Christ ouer the flock to raigne compassing rather how your selues may dayntily liue in this world than howe the members of the Church may be brought to heauen But we must appoynte suche kinde of vnity Vnitie of Christiās as must not depend vpon one particular or priuate Church be it eyther of Antioch or of Hierusalem or of Rome it selfe but vpon the catholique and vniuersall Church which was not onely before Rome in antiquitie but shall continue when Rome is gone This muste we search out of the scriptures Rom. 12. Vnū corpus multi sumus in Christo sayth the Apostle We being many are one body in Christ Christ is the head and we be the members Howe doe the members and the head agrée With one flesh one bloud one spirite and one life As Christ is in the father and the father in Christ so we al by Christ are one in God If one spirite rule vs we must all thinke one thing If we be all one body we must not hate our owne fleshe As brotherly loue and charitie is necessary for vs to declare by the same that we be Christs disciples as peace quietnesse among vs all is a thing most expedient as a bande to knyt vs in the vnitie of the spirite so they which are thus vnited vnto Christ must not only be quickned with the same spirit but be cōforted maintained with the same fayth hope Wherfore if you wil haue vs to continue the vnity of your church with you then make it first a catholike Church of a sink of Idolatry a follower and furtherer of true religion It is not by by the vnitie of the church which coms vnder colour name of it Hierome a doctor of the Church writeth Sub rege Constantio Contra Luciferianos Eusebio Hippatio Consulibus nomine vnitatis et fidei infidelitas scripta est In the time of Constance the king Eusebius Hippatius being Consuls vnder the name of vnitie and fayth infidelity was written And such an vnitie do you deliuer vs not you alone I meane but all the rable of popish heretiques with you as consisteth of Idolatry false worshippings simony with a corrupt body and a coūterfet head euen Antichrist himself You say that the vnity of the church doth hang vpon obseruance of ceremonies olde rites customes We say that it standeth vpon fayth and spirite Ephesi 4. Which are the truer in this behalfe S. Paul byddeth vs to be carefull to kepe the vnitie of the spirit til we méete together in the vnitie of fayth Augustine intreating of the Sabboth fast Epist. 86. sayth Interminabilis est ista contentio generans lites nunquam fiaiens quaestiones This contention is endelesse stil ingendring strife neuer ceassing from doubtes And what I besech you do you that bragge of your vnitie dissent from all antiquitie not agrée with your selues contende about trifles damne the true fayth derogate all from Christes death and his passion and giuing it to your owne frée will and works The works that you cōmaunde be your owne deuises The works that God commaundes you haue nothing to doe withall Breake Gods cōmaundement and it is no matter Breake yours we dye for it It is a wonder how bolde you will be to pronounce heretiques to serue your turne Euseb ecclesiast hist. Lib. 5. Victor Bishop of Rome woulde excommunicate and condemne of heresie all the churches of Asia bicause they did kepe their Easter Quartadecima luna primi mensis when the Iewes swete bread is eaten not at the time that he kept it at Rome A sore point I promise you But you condemne vs of heresy for preaching of the Gospel against the traditions and precepts of men If they from whose ordinances we do depart had eyther thought their traditions necessary or shewed scripture wherevpon they grounded them we would not presume to withstande their authoritie or gaynesay their good reason But when they deliuer them as thinges indifferent and plainly professe that they haue no worde of the Lorde for them a hope of commoditie may cause vs to retayne them but an apparant mischief must driue vs to refuse thē Tertullian himself Tertulliā de corona militis when he had rehearsed a great sorte of traditions among which this was the last that we nowe doe speke of the manner of signing vvith the Crosse in the forehead immediately inferreth Harum aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules scripturaerum nullam reperies If thou require a lawe of Scripture for these and such like orders of discipline thou shalt finde none Wherefore since they builde not vpon the Scripture they do not expounde vpon the word when these ioyes be taught we can not as you say dyscredite and dysauthorize them Folio 79. b. as though they knevv not the scriptures true interpretatiō of the lavv When you doe make a lye of your owne doe I discredite your knowledge in the lawe A lawyer may sometime be a liar as you proue vnto vs and yet not the lawe to wyte When the