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A67895 A learned discourse of ceremonies retained and used in Christian churches. Written by the Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot Andrews late Bishop of Winchester a little before his death: at the request of an eminent person that desired satisfaction therein. Printed by the original copy written with his own hand, ex pede Hercules. Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.; Leigh, Edward, 1602-1671. 1653 (1653) Wing A3131; ESTC R207727 21,081 91

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Mercury was square and of Cubick-figure As we have no Images in our Temples so likewise was it used of many Heathens Among the Romans their holy and ancient King Numa by a Law banished Images or Idols out of their Temples Tacitus reports the Germans likewise would not represent the gods by Images and Strabo and Herodotus shew how the Persians for their gods neither made Altars nor Images And Eusebius writes the people called Caes by a speciall Law forbad the worshiping of Images To wade a little further the Gentiles having their Temples and Churches for their poeticall gods Christianity being received by consent of the Emperours and Civill Magistrates it is to be seen whether those Ethnick Churches were all demolished and new ones built of the Christians That many of the Heathen Churches were utterly ruinated many Historians and Fathers witnesse Among others St Ierom writing against Jovinian telleth of the destruction of the famous Temples of Iupiter Capitoline And in his Comment upon the Galatians his words are these Vacua Idolorum Templa quatiuntur And in the Theodosian Codex you may see a particular Rescript made by the Emperour Theodosius the younger That the Panism Temples in the East should be pluckt down they being fit to be the Dens of Devils or unclean spirits And their subversion of the Idols Temples is the reason that by the canon and common Law Ius aedificationis is a speciall cause that giveth the patronage or advowson of the Church unto a Lay-Patron But yet without controversie when Kingdoms and States turned from Idolatry or Paganism to Christianity and that in short time so powerfull was the holy Ghost many of the Heathen Temples were not overthrown But of necessity after some Ceremonies accomplished were used for Christian praiers and Assemblies By means whereof the alteration in the State was not so great the temporall world with Democritus being not to be new made ex atomis and men sooner and easilier embraced publique Christian Religion And this is the reason that by the Common Law of England a man may be said to be Patron of a Christian Church although he never built it if he only endow the Church with Revenues And as in forreign Countries the Emperor Honorius about the year 400. made a Law restraining the heat of the Christians against the Wals and stones of the Gentiles Temples The words of the Rescript are As we forbid their Sacrifices so we will the ornament of their publick works be kept And the first Christian Emperour Constantine made a Law against them which pluck down the Tombs and Monuments of the superstitious Heathens And those Laws methinks in forreign Countries gave some warrant for retaining Heathen Ceremonies So in our Country of England it is notorious by the Epistles of Pope Gregory himself who sent our Austin the Monk That although Pope Gregory in his Epistle to the King of England writ that ancient Pagan Temples in England might wholly be destroied yet afterwards the same Pope better advising that somewhat was to be yeelded unto them that were weak in faith as the Apostles did he writeth a peculiar Epistle to Miletus one of the first Apostles or Bishops of the English-men and expresly willeth that the Temples of the Idols in England be not destroied but that they be hallowed and sanctified and turned into Oratories for Christians And as in generall for other Countries this appeareth by Theodoret so now it is a work of some difficulty to shew you in particular what Christian Church at this day standing was anciently the Temple of such an Heathen god In Rome by full ample authority it is plain as by Beda in his severall Books by Ado by Paulus Diaconus and others that Pantheon the Temple in Rome for all the Heathen gods was given by Phocas the Emperor about the 5. year of his Reign unto Pope Boniface the 4. and by the said Pope dedicated to the honour of our Lady and of all Martyrs It is now called the round Church of our Lady And the shape and antiquity thereof is pourtraied lively in the first description of Ianus Outerus his ancient descriptions whose works may please a man that delighteth in this point Dion writes in the Reign of the Emperor Titus when Rome burnt by the space of 3. daies that the Temple Pantheon was burnt but Eusebius saith In the 13. year of Trajan Pantheon was burnt with a Thunderbolt howsoever it was reedified by the Heathen Emperours It is evident by Beda that we had a Pantheon in England it stood in a Town in York-shire now called Godmanham this Temple among our Ancestors the Pagan Saxons was called Godmandingham and was totally burnt by the people of Northumberland when at the preaching of Paulinus King Edwyne of an Idolater became a Christian Beda writes the Heathen person or Flamine Coysi was the first qui injecta lanceâ prophanavit sum omnibus septis suis succendit burnt the very wals of the Church yard Pope Gregory writeth in his Dialogues that Pope Benedict translated the Church of Apollo into the Oratory of S. Martins And Cardinall Bellarmine sheweth that at this day the Church of St Cosme and Damiano in Rome was the materiall Heathen Temples of Castor and Pollux And Ado writeth In the Year 425. Pope Sixtus turned the Temple of God Bacchus in Rome into the Church of our Lady But for England to omit out of Ziphilin the Abridger that anciently the Brittains worshipped commonly in the Church of God Victory as many Learned men have reason to conjecture S. Pauls Church in London to have been the Heathen Temple of Diana For that the adjacent and skirtbuildings unto the Church are called the chambers of Diana As also that in Edw. 1. time as our Chroniclers report in Pauls Church-yard were digged up an innumerable number of Oxeheads which the Learned know were anciently the Sacrifices unto Diana So certain I am that S. Peters Church now called Westminster Abby was anciently the Temple of Apollo For so it appeareth by one of the Charters of King Edgar made to Westminster Abby and this is also recited in Sulcardus Book an Authour that lived near William the Conquerors time And in the Legier Book of St Albones it is written in the life of St Eadmerus the 9. Abbot of St Albones who lived in the time of our King Edward the Martyr that in digging for a Foundation about Albones Abby was found a Book written in the Brittish Tongue And that of the first part discoursed of St Albones the second part treated of the Idolatry of the Citizens of St Albones Verulamij unto the Sun and unto Mercury Hence I conceive probably the ancient Churches of St Albones were dedicated to the service of the Sun and Mercury their gods To proceed as lawfully the civill and supream Magistrates gave the Temples of the Heathens to the Christians as well St Austin notes in one Epistle that the Christian Emperours did passe over to the
Alcuinus de Officijs Divinis Amalarius de Officijs Ecclesiasticis Gratian de Con. But especially Mutius Pausa in his Osculum Christianae Ethnicae Philosophiae I can commend Nicholaus Mount-Georgius in his Book De Mosaico jure enucleando only for his endeavours you may observe out of Iosephus in the latter time of the Jews Government that Herod their first King brought much of the Romane Heathenish Discipline into their policy and in this respect that many of our Christian Ceremonies were formerly Heathen and afore that used in the Common-wealth of Iury wherein God was the Law giver They resemble the seventeen Vessels which the Heathen King Cyrus gave unto the Jews at the Building of the Temple of Ierusalem after the Captivity of Babylon among which as Esdras writes there were Vials of Gold 29. of Silver 2410. for these were in the last use sacred being formerly Heathen and prophane but most anciently holy and sanctified 2. The first of the three Observations that I am to insinuate upon the particular to be proved is the amplenesse of the Common Law admitting no Common Law within their Land but as parcell and incorporated into the Generall Laws and Policies of this Land seeing most of our Ecclesiasticall Law was before there was any Popish Canon Laws observed by the Inhabitants as the Civill Ordinance of the Magistrate in the ages most remote But of these hereafter in particular Secondly Note If much of the Christian Policy and Discipline was in practice when the State of this Land was Heathen the Lay-Catholiques are much mistaken in their Petition where they write We have all our Feasts and Ceremonies from Austin the Monk And let them not play Suffenus part in delivering there is not the least Ceremony or circumstance which hath been added to the Solemnization or Majesty of Gods Service but the year is known when and the Pope by whom it was ordained but these forget what their Father Bellarmine confesseth that all Christian Ceremonies were not invented by the Pope Thirdly This will sufficiently convict the opinion of them whom Nazianzen ingeniously cals New Pharisees to be but ceremonious that will not conform themselves to any Ceremonies used in the time of Popery seeing we must and ought to obey the Ecclesiastical discipline established by the Laws of the Land for coming to Church for having prayers or preaching or musick in our Churches or such like although as shall be proved these Ceremonies and Customes were used in the time of Pagans and at their sacrifices Genebrard by by whom it is verified that much Learning and railing may be accidents in one Subject writes that in the Year 1560. in England arose a new Sect of Puritans so called because they will not pray in the Churches that were the Catholiques nor wear a Surplice Sure I am that many that wear the Liveries of this name are otherwise minded And I learn out of Dubrarius that the Thaborites of Prague held that the Clergy should not be Doctors of Divinity or quote the Fathers in their Sermons or wear any other then their ordinary garments But yet for them all O quam honestâ voluntate miseri errant It is confessed Ceremonies of themselves are things indifferent as being neither expresly commanded or forbidden by the Word of God And although among the Jews their Kings would not permit Liberties in Ceremonies to the Subjects Christian Kings may But yet when they are enacted in a Christian State and made the Laws of the Land they must be obeyed of necessity as unto a thing not indifferent For well write the Canonists An act indifferent when it is commanded is a necessary act otherwise idle is the command And it appeareth by Iosephus that the Athenians made a severe Law against those that spake against the outward Ceremonies established by Law or custome This also may appear out of Livy and out of Dion who knoweth not that the King the Caesar of the Countrey must obey the Law of the Land What a presumption is it then for a private man to exempt and priviledge himself from obeying the Laws of the Land Truly writes a Learned Common-Lawyer the Laws of men not contrary to the Law of God ought to be kept even of the Clergy in the Law of the soul And Mutius notes that Charles the Great in Saxony gave equall authority to his Magistrates Scabinis to put to death those which contemned and derided the Ceremonies Ecclesiasticall as those which sacrificed to Heathen gods For Lodovicus Sotomajor well writes in his Comment upon the Canticles Godlinesse being as the soul yet Ceremonies are as the body of Christian Religion 3. But I am to point at some of the superfluous and wicked Ceremonies of the Papists borrowed from the Heathen Of so large and near affinity is the divine worship of the Heathens and Papists in the Temples that Lodovicus Vives confesseth there cannot any difference be shewn unlesse the Papists have changed the Names and Titles So that with Chemnitius to the followers of the Sea of Rome we may object what Faustus did to the Christians Ye turn Idols into Martyrs and Saints whom ye worship with correspondent vows And I can hardly imagine how plentifull the tears of Petrus Chrysologus and Silvanus would run if they were alive and viewed the Antichristian Sea For that in their times some of the superfluous Heathen Ceremonies began to abound in the Christian Churches Whereupon they complained although the Gentiles Circensia were celebrated in the honour of Christ Yet the Church being out of that cradle the particular usage of the Gentiles in this kinde was not to be imitated I commend therefore the intent of that Emperour who for revence of the Sign caused as Sozomenes reporteth Furcam to be erected Loco Crucis And I reverence the Opinion of the Makers of an ancient Statute in H. 3d. time namely that De Pistoribus which punisheth a Butcher that buyeth flesh of Jews to sell the same to Christians And generally that the Heathen thought their Ceremonies would drive away the Christians Abbas Urspergensis a German and Didacus Covarcuvias a Spaniard writ that Helena a Brittan and Mother of Constantine the first Christian Emperour born in this Island going to Ierusalem found in the place where Christ was crucified the Idol of Venus placed But to instance the Popish Purgatory in scope and being agreeth with the Heathen Purgatory mentioned in Plato and Virgil the Papisticall manner of consecrating Churches and Church-yards fully imitateth the Ceremonies of the Pagans when they consecrated their Temples and Temple-Courts or Yards described by Alexander of Alexandro In Spain by Gregorius Lopus at the beginning of the consecration of a Church they must make three crosses in the last part thereof Their sprinkling of holy water is mentioned in the 6. Sat. of Iuvenal And Sozomenes calleth it a Heathenish Ceremony In particular that it was alwaies used at the sanctifying of the Capitoll appeareth by
a Pontifex Therfore Marcus Sergius being lame he was not suffered to be a Pontifex So Dionysius Halicarnasseus observs Metellus being a Priest and losing his eyes he was put out of his Priesthood So Gellius notes their Vestals were rejected if they wanted wit or beauty The time appointed for their ordination or initiation as Apuleius writeth was called Dies natalis sacrorum The Ceremonies that were used when the Heathen Ministers were made are in part described by Erasmus in his Book called Lingua where he writes their afflatus and exorcismos Nay as amongst our Clergy imposition of hands is almost essentiall to the office of a Minister so you may see how Livy treating of the Ordination of Numa to be Pontifex delivered upon Numa his head hands were laid ab augure sacerdote Iulius Pollux in his Onomasticon discourseth of the manner of the Ministers ordaining and ordained As at the making or electing of a Christian Minister no Simony is to be be used so is it plain by Dionysius Halycarnasseus no reward was to be given for the making of Heathen Priests And as the Minister under the Gospel may be deposed or resign so that the Heathen may be degraded I have already shewed That he might resign is shewed you by Cicero in his Brutus where Augures might resign their Sacerdotium and Livy writes their Vestals after they were 30. years old might give over their order And as long as our Ministers continue of the Clergy we know they have many priviledges above the Laity So likewise that the Heathen Ministers had is plentifully to be proved out of Aristotle out of Caesar out of Plutarch in Camillo Not unpolitickly therefore doth Cardinall Baronius in one of his Tomes perceiving the argument of the Scriptures to prove the Popes Supremacy are but straws at large maintain the Superiorities and Preheminencies of the Bishop of Rome to be due unto him Insomuch as he noteth at the conversion of the Emperor of Rome from Paganism unto Christianity the priviledges of the Heathen Pontifex Maximus were at last transferred by the Emperour unto the Pope of Rome Again look into the manner of the government and behaviour of the Heathenish Priests or Sacrifices in their prophane Churches and you shall see their good orders are not refused by the Christian Clergy For you may learn by Valerius and Philostratus that it is common to the Christians with the Gentiles to use a white garment upon their bodies in their charges because the AEgyptians brought no kinde of woollen garment into the Temple Gyraldus in his Syntagma notes that they were called Linigeri more particularly the Priests of the Heathen Egyptian God Isis wore linnen Surplices as witnesseth Nicolaus Leonicenus and Apuleius in his Golden Asse Alexander ab Alexandro reports the Priests of Arabia were clad in linnen garments having Miters on their heads And generally that other Heathen Priests did so may appear by Virgil who writeth fontemque ignemque ferebant vestiti lino Servius in his Comment calleth the Surplice a pure religious garment To proceed As our Ministers are bare-headed in the Saying of Service so generally was it used amongst the Heathen Priests as appeareth by Macrobius And that God AEsculapius was worshiped bare-headed Plautus may witnesse Quis hic est qui aperto capite AEsculapium salutat Brissonius notes the manner of the Heathen Priests being covered to sacrifice obn●●ato capite came first from the Romans So is the opinion of Servius writing upon the second of the AEneids and this is formerly noted by Polidore Virgil out of Plutark But saving savour I take it all Saturns Priests though Romans were uncovered at their time of Service or Sacrifice For so I learn cut of Plutark because he was the God of Time and discovereth and laieth open concealed truth And I remember out of Alexander ab Alexandro that all the Priests of Hercules Honoris Opis did sacrifice bare-headed He saith that AEneas was the first that invented any Priest should sacrifice covered or with a vail upon his face lest their ears and eyes might withdraw them from doing their office Hence V●●●o his Etymology of Flamen is justified namely that in Italy he was so called quia Capite velato erat Again As the Christian Ministers are not to suffer prophane or excommunicate persons to come into our Churches or Sacraments so likewise would not the Heathen Clergy-men For as in generall appeareth by Theodoret and S●zomenes that the Gentiles would not admit Christians to their service unlesse they renounced their Religion and appeased their Daemones {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the drivers away of evil which also Iulian commanded Athenaeus notes Demophron would not admit Orestes ad Choufestum because he was an unsanctified person and so in particular at their Eleusine and other Sacrifices the Heathen Priests cried {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which words were used by Callimachus in his Hymn and by Lucian These words exclude especially three sorts of persons Atheists Christians and Epicures Vives notes out of Servius the words of Virgils verse procul O procul este prophani were taken from the Heathen Pontifices which is also further evident out of Alexander ab Alexandro who writeth when the people came to sacrifice the Pontifex or Flamine asked them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the people answered {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} many and good men Suetonius saying to this purpose is familiar concerning Nero The Cryer using in their Temples at sacrificing times to cry that wicked and ungodly persons must not presume to offer sacrifice Moreover as we using to preach in our Churches so the very Heathen Priests inlightned only by naturall reason made morall exhortations unto the people For Diodorus Siculus writing that among the AEgyptians when the King did offer sacrifice with his Ball the Priests out of holy Books after he had praied for the health and prosperity of the King and State delivered the counsels and actions of excellent men by which the King was warned to use his authority and command godly and justly according to the example of others He did further entreat saith Diodorus of their piety towards their God and Religion And for that purpose I gather out of Valerius Maximus that the people which were to approach to the Heathenish Altar were commanded by the Priests to lay aside out of their minde all former hatred and malice or else not to approach Likewise the Heathen Priests had musick in their Temples in the time of Service Wherefore for the generall to omit Livy and Valerius Maximus In particular Suetonius notes it is a wonder in Tiberius Caesar for offering Sacrifice unto the gods without Musick Now as the Christians use in their Churches particular Psalms Hymns and Prayers for set and Festivall daies and this Giraldus sheweth in some part that upon chief and speciall daies the Heathen had their particular Verses Praiers and Hymns