the Canonical scriptures Phâ— Answer I do not denye it But no man is able to proue that the Israelites kepte the body or bones of Ioseph for to haue them to be worshipped For no maÌ„ did fal or knele doun before Iosephs tomb no man did bring the cheste that his body or bones were in into the Tabernacle no man did light candels or tapers beefore it But Ioseph woulde by thys meane confirme and establish the faith of his people in the promisses of gâ—d 〈…〉 â—ouching the lande of be heste For so doth Ioseph say to his bretherne I am redy to dye and god will surely visite you and brâ—ng you out of this laÌ„d vnto the land whiche hâ— sware vnto Abraham vnto Isaac vnto Iacob And Ioseph toke an other of the children of Israell saying God will surely visite you and yâ— shal cary my bones hence Paule beynâ— a faithfull expositour of this facte or dede of Ioseph by faith Hebr â—1 saith he Iosephe when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gaue coâ—â—aundement of hys bones That is because he doubted nothing of the worde and promise of god therfore did he coÌ„maunde his brethern at their goyng out of Egipt to cary out his bones into the land of ChanaaÌ„ So sure was he that the lord would according vnto his promises bring the children of Israell oute of Egipte into the lande that he had promised vnto their forefathers After Moses there were none among the prophets more samoê° ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ of greatter renoune than Samuell and Hâ—lias were Samuel Helias 〈…〉 5 2 Kâ—n 2. Yet we do not reede that any memoriall was appointed or set vp for him For the holye scripture doth plainly speak of his death and buriyng after this maner Samuell died and all Israell dyd gather them selues together and did wepe for him did bury him in his house in â—ama 〈…〉 As for Helias he was taken vp in a syâ—e chariot not into a temple made with handâ—s but into heaueÌ„ partly that in that exâ—mple we myght haue a most infallible testimony of our immortality and of that moste excellente reâ—aâ—de that GOD hathe prepared and layed vp for his faythfull prophetes and partelye that by this meane all occasion of worshipping this holy prophetes body might be taken away Some of the anciente writers are of opinion that the body of the blessed virgin Marye Epiphani was either by the angels caried vp into heauen or els by their ministery buried in such a place as is knowen vnto no maÌ„ vnto this day because that god would not haue that chosen vessel the temple of his holy spirit and the mother of his onely begotten sonne to be made anidole of superstitious and euill disposed persons The holy scripture doth speak thus of Eliseus the prophete Elizeus â— Kin 13. And Elizeus died and they buried him And certaine bandes of the Moabites came in to the lande that yere And as they wer burying a man beholde they sawe the souldiours therfore they did cast the man into the sepulchre of Elizeus and wheÌ„ the man was doune and touched the bones of Elizeus he reuiued or lyued again and stoode vpon his fete And yet we rede not that after this miracle the bones of Elizeus were taken vp and translated or that there was anye pylgrimage appoyncted vnto theym or a churche of S. Elizeus buylded and set vppe We rede in Ecclesiasticus or in the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach that after Elizeus death Eccl. â—8 his body prophecied and that as he did wonders in his lyfe so in deathe were his workes merueylous And that yet for all thys the people repented not nor departed from their sinnes VVhy the dead that â—â—a caste in to â— Elizeus â—â—auâ— taâ—eâ— againe It doth appeare theÌ„ that this miracle was not doone for to teach the people to worship or to geue godly honour vnto the faithful seruantes of god but that therby the auctoritye of Elizeus whose doctrine in hys life thei conteÌ„ned might be confirmed that at this sight they might embrace the same doctrine and turn again vnto the lorde their god with all spede and so escape the destruction that honge ouer their heades for their stubburnesse disobedience and rebellioÌ„ 1. Kin. â—â— Vnder that most holy godly prince Iosias when the bones of the fals prophets were breÌ„t the sepulchre of the maÌ„ of god was not ones touched yet we rede not that there was any pilgrimage vsed to it Obâ—e 12. Dâ— All these examples are only examples of the olde Testament But what exaumples can ye bring out of the neue PHILA Answer Math. 11. Math 14. Act. â— Among them the are borne of womeÌ„ there arose not a greater as oure sauiour Iesus Christ doth testifye him self than Iohn Baptist But the holy euangelist S. Mathew writeth thus of him And when Iohn was beheaded his disciples came and toke vp his body and did bury it Of Stephen the first martir of Christe Luke in the Actes of the Apostelles doth write on this manner And certayne men fearing god caried Stephen among theym to be buried made great lamentation for him Yf the taking vp or translating of the bodies of the dead Saincts had ben profitable vnto the churche of Christe neyther the olde ancient churche that was afore him nor yet the primitiue church that was nexte after him shoulde haue wanted it or bene without such honoring of the faithfull seruantes of god if god would haue them to be honored after the same sorte Therfore lette no man maruell that I will in no wyse alowe the doynges of kinges and princes and of bishops which be contrarye to the scriptures and worde of god and that I do vtterly reiecte the argumentes of Hierome The auctoâ—â— of â—od 〈…〉 as both weake and repugnant vnto goddes holy and sacred booke the warraunt and auctoritye of which ought to be preferred before the autority of aungels much more then before the auctoritie of corruptible and mortall men I would wyshe that leauing the bodies of the dead Saintes in the place appointed of God for theym there to reste in peace and in hope of their glorious rising again we should haue in due reuerence their true reliks whiche are 〈…〉 the exaumple of theyr stedfast fayth and beliefe their godlye lyfe and conuersation and theyr sound doctrine that they haue left behynd them for our instruction and the edifiyng of the true church of god Albion I maruell that ye do so stoutly defend Vigilantius Doth not this holy father and doctour of the holy catholike church I pray you lay to his charge that he did rayse vp againe and reuiue the heresy of the Caines whiche as a Scorpion did venime the whole body of the churche It appeareth by the booke whyche Tertullian dydde write of heresyes Teâ—â— li. haâ—â— where he speaketh of the errours of the Ophites
the priestes the people goe aboute all the places of prayers and dyd lye prostrate in suckeclothe before the shrines of the martirs and Apostles and did require helpe for hymselfe by the faithful intercession of the Saintes What will ye say now to this No man can deny but that this is a moste auncient hystorie Answer Antiquâ—â—â—â— vvithout trueth proueth nothing Eutrapelus I haue many tymes hearde oure brother Philalethes saye that antiquitie without a truthe or without a good foundation or grounde in gods booke proueth nothyng Againe when certaine arguments of Hierom wer discussed it was by sufficiente testimonies and authoritie of the scriptures proued that the examples of such kynges and bishoppes which are brought foorth without any authoritie of the scriptures doo in such weightie matters proue nothynge Ye do not reade in al the boke of God that any of the godly and faithfull kynges dyd euer lie prostrate before the shrines of the righteous and did craue for help by the faithfull intercession of the dead For they did all crye out My helpe is from the Lorde whiche made both heauen and the earth The Lorde shal preserue thee from all euyll the Lord shall kepe thy soule The Lorde shall keepe thy goyng out and thy goyng in frome hensefoorth worlde without ende The exposition of Ruffinus vvorâ—â—â— Philalethes Besydes Ruffinus wordes doo appeare to be suche that they ought rather to be vnderstanded of the intercession of the saints that were in the earth For it seemeth that the prince went about all the oratories or prayeng places where the congregation of the sainctes was assembled and that he dyd desyre the faithfull to praye most earnestly vnto god that he would vouchsafe to geue him the victorye and to preserue his empire to the commodity profite and vtilitie of many men The like in a manner haue we in the said Ruffinus li. 10. ca. 8 where wee haue these woordes In the meane while Constantinus trusting in godlines did euen in their own contrey subdue the SarmatiaÌ„s the Gothes other Barbarous contreys and nations those excepted which eyther by frendeship or by yelding of them selues did preuente peace And the more deuoutely and humbly he did submitte hym selfe vnto god the more God did subdue all things vnder hym He dyd also send letters to Antonie the first inhabitaunt of the wildernesse as vnto one of the prophetes desiring him that he woulde praye vnto the lorde for him and for his children So he did not onely study to be made commendable vnto god by his own merites and by the deuotion of his mother but also by the intercession of the Saints Mark how he did here take the intercession of the saintes neither doo I see any cause why wee maye not expounde that place touching Theodosius VVhat the vision of Theodosius doth signify of the intercession of the saints that were aliue here on the erth And where as they say that the Apostles Iohn and Phillip did appeare vnto Theodosius the emperour what shall they gather by it But that he was by such a vision certified of the victorye as Iudas Machabaeus was before by the appearing of Onias and Hieremy And therfore as Iudas Machabaeus dyd not call vppon Onias and Hieremie when he should ioygne in battail with his enemies but vpon the mighty Lorde of hostes In like maner Theodosius whan he sawe his souldiours turne their backes he prayed not vnto the Apostelles but vnto god sayeng O almighty god The prayer of Theodosius thou knowest that for to reuenge the iuste quarell of thy sonne Iesu Christ I haue taken in hande these warres yf it be otherwise poure thy vengeaunce vpon me But if trusting in thee and vppon a iust cause I am come hether retch forth thy right hand vnto thyne lest the gentils do say where is now their god Whereunto the same doth well agree whiche Saincte Augustine in hys fyfte booke of the city of god and .26 chapiter doothe write of this moste holy prince how that he did put his whole confideÌ„ce and trust in God as in his moste strong shield and bucklar and strong bulwark agaynst his ennemies Didymus Obie 26 The coÌ„mune people is wont to saye stil that it was a mery world when the holy virgin Mary and all the blessed sainctes in heauen were prayed vnto and woorshipped whervppon they doo gather God was well pleased withall els God would not haue sent vnto them such felicitie But nowe sens pylgremages prayeng vnto sainctes was put downe rhe worlde hath ben in all kynde of myserie Philalethes Answer Hiere 44 The lyke were they wont to lay to Hieremies charge vsing these stoute wordes agaynst hym The woorde that thou haste spoken to vs in the name of the Lorde we wil not here it of thee but we will doo whatsoeuer thyng goeth out of oure owne mouthe as to burne incense vnto the queene of heauen and to poure out drynke offringes vnto her as we haue doone bothe we and our fathers our kinges and our princes in the cities of Iuda and in the stretes of Hierusalem for then had we plentie of vitailes and were well and selfe none yll but sens we leste of to burne incense to the queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerynges vnto her we haue hadde scarcenesse of all thynges and haue ben consumed by the sworde and famyne Do not I pray you the worshippers of dead Saintes make the lyke complaintes praisyng the felicitie of the olde world as they do terme it when al kynd of idolatrie did reigne The common complaint of idolaters But this is the commune coÌ„plaint of idolaters For both Demetrianus and the commune sorte of the heathen dyd lay to the christiaÌ„s charge that it was long of them that suche cruell warres did arise emong them that theyr catell dyed of the moreyn that they were plagued with pestilence and famyne and that they had vnseasonable weathers yea that all maner of plages that the world was plagued withall oughte to be impuded vnto them Cypr contâ—â— demetrianum But Cyprian doothe so answere to al these vaine obiections that his aunswere maye serue vs for to stoppe the mouthes of the vayne Papistes whiche nowe doo make so greate a brag of the felicitie of theyr idolatrous tyme. But leauing mens auctorities I wil shew how the lord him self doth answere or rather handel this obiection of the aduersaries in his prophete Osee For Osee 1. he sayth your mother hath played the harlot for she said I wil go after my louers that geue me my bread and my water my wol and my star myne oyle and my drinke And she did not knowe that I gaue her corn and wyne and oile and multiplied her siluer and gold whiche thei bestowed vpoÌ„ Baal Therfore wyl I return and take away my corne in the tyme therof my wyne in the sea son therof and wil recouer my wol and my flaxe lent to
matter For my mynde thankes be to god is well satisfied in it But my gentill men Of images dydde saye that ye do wonderfully hynder the deuotion of the people VVhy the pâ—â—istes vvill â—aue imaâ—es in their â—hurches in this that ye will haue neither the image of Christe nor of his mother the virgine Marye nor of the holye saints to stand in the churches nor in the places of praier For first and foremost they be the bookes of the lay people wher by the simple and ignoraunt doo learne many goodly thinges whiche withoute them they could not learne Whanne ye take theym awaye thenne saye my gentill men ye take away the bookes of the laye people and so cause theym still to remaine in blindnesse and ignorance Secondelye they are goodly meanes to stirre vp the heartes of the people to deuotion And ye know that the more meanes we haue to stir vp our heartes mindes to deuotion the better it is And therfore to put doun the image of Christ the image of the vyrgin Mary to put doune the images of the saints is to lesse or rather to putte doune the meanes that our forefathers haue apointed and ordeined for to stir vp the hearts and mindes of the symple and ignorant people vnto deuotion Phila. I wil be the shorter in this mater because that a godlye learned man and faithfull brother of oures hath set forthe three godly and learned homelies wher in this argument to so learnedly handeled and all thinges perteininge vnto it so profoundely discussed that it wil be in a maner thought to be but labour lost to meddell any more in this matter Albion I praye you brother Philalethes to tell me who it is that hath done it Philale Hearke in your eare Albion I knowe him very well We haue to sewe of such men in this realm The lord god shal rewarde him for this his good trauayle labour But in the meane while let vs heare what ye are able to saye to this that they dooe brynge for the maintenance of their images PHILALETHES Answer All that ye haue aleadged doo stande in twoo poinctes First that the images are the bookes of the laye people Secondlye that they are meanes for to stirre vppe the myndes of the symple and ignoraunte to deuotion The same touchynge ymages dydde Damascenus teache in hys .iiii. damascene gardiners chiefe refuge booke de orthodoxa fide and .17 chapiter and also Gregorye the greate in his Register or booke of Epistels 10. parte and fowerth Epistell but howe well and agreablye to the Scriptures let all the godly iudge Firste these are the woordes of the holye prophete Abakuk what profitteth the ymage â—ba 2. For the maker therof hathe made it an ymage and a teacher of lyes Whereby it foloweth that images are the bookes of lyes and that they comme of hym who is a lyar from the beginninge and the father of lyes Nowe well thenne are the simple and ignoraunte for whome oure Sauioure IESVS CHRISTE dydde vouchsafe to shed his deare heart bloud The simple and ignorant are vvell prouided for vnder the pope Hiere 10. prouided for when such bookes are deliuered vnto them in steade of the liuelye preachyng of gods worde It is not for naught that Hieremye doth cry out They altogether dote and are foolishe for the stocke is a doctrnne of vanitye Dydimus What meaneth he by that PHILALETH Because the people thought that to haue ymages was a meane to serue GOD and to brynge theim to the knowledge of him he sheweth that nothyng more displeaseth God nor bryngeth man into greater errours and ignoraunce of GOD therfore he calleth theym the doctryne of vanitye and the worke of errours as Abakuk as ye hearde afore callethe theym the teachers of lyes Who in the same Chapiter thundreth oute agaynste the wycked opinion of theym that call theym the bookes of the laye people on this manner Wo vnto hym that sayethe vnto the woode awake and vnto the damme stone ryse vppe Shoulde the same teache Beeholde it is layed ouer wyth golde and syluer and there is no breathe in it But the lorde is in his holy temple As yf he shoulde say There is no breathe no life nor mouing in the images How should they teache then Therfore it is a meere vanitye and fondenesse to sette forth ymages vnto the people for theyr teachers scoole maisters sithe that the liuing god who is the true teacher is in the myddest of hys temple that is in the hearte of the faithfull teachynge those thinges that are both profitable euerlasting Wherunto maye be added this saiyng of Saint Paule 2. Cor. 6. What agreement hath the temple of god wyth ymages but ye are the temple of the lyuing god who liueth worketh in you More credite ought to be geuen to these testimonies of the prophetes and of the Apostels thanne to the vayne gloses of all Gregories and Damascenes in the world Albion Yet ye can not deny but that they be meanes to stirre vp the hartes of the simple and ignoraunt people vnto deuotion Philalethes This is but a vayne saying For the heartes of the faithfull are onely stirred vppe to godlynes by the holy spirite of god whiche as he worketh inwardelye in the heart hauynge these externe and outewarde meanes that is to say the preachynge of gods worde Images are meanes to stirre vp the heartes of men not to deuotion but to idolatrous superstition and the right ministration of the Sacramentes so did he neuer coumpt images emong his meanes but rather in all places doeth streightly forbydde them with terrible and dredfull threatnynges agaynst them that of a selfe will will styll for the causes by you rehersed haue and maintain theim to the great hyndraunce of true godlynesse and to the aduancement not of deuotion but of diuellishe and ydolatrous superstition Eutrape All men that haue any sparke of sounde reason and iudgement in their heades muste needes meruaile at the beastlynesse of these men for I woulde fayne knowe of them when our sauior Iesus Christ dyd sende his Apostles foorthe into the worlde whether dyd he sende theim to bee paynters caruers and makers of ymages and not rather to preache the gospel vnto euery reasonable creature VVhy the apostelles vvere sent into the vvorlde We do reade no where that they dyd carye about ymages or that they dyd vse anye other outwarde signes thanne the ryghte and due ministration of the Sacramentes accordyng to the institution and ordaynance of their maister and sauiour Iesu Christe Saint Paule in the iii. chapiter of the epistle to the Galathians dothe with an exclamation speake thus vnto them O foolyshe Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obeye the truth beefore whose eyes Iesus Christ was afore paynted oute and crucified among you that is To whome Christ was so liuely preached as yf his lyuely ymage were set beefore your eyes or as
Gospell is not preached or where it is not set foorth accordyngly Philalethes Thre great mischiefs that the images because VVis 14. They say that ymages maye be had so that they be not worshypped but I am of a contrary opinion For I can not se but that they doo much harme at all tymes and cause great myschiefe Fyrste and foremost The syght of them dothe allure men vnto idolatry which of oure owne corrupted nature wee are frome our cradell inclyued vnto For thus we reade in the booke of wysedome of the creatures of God they are become abhomination and stumblyng blocks vnto the soules of men a snare for the feet of the vnwyse for the inuentynge of ymages is the beginning of whooredom and the fyndyng of them the corruption of lyfe By these woordes wee dooe learne that the good creatures of god as golde syluer and other lyke are by the bryngyng in of images made an abhomination before god and that where as they be appointed for the serue men thei are by such means made stumbling blockes snares vnto their soules that I shold in the mean while speak nothing of the tilthy whooredom that vnder the pretence color of their pilgrimages vnto this idole or the idole hath ben coÌ„mitted in the worlde which was and is a iust punishmeÌ„t of god for the breakyng of the spiritual wedlock wherby god hath coupled vs vnto him VVisd 15 In an other place of the same boke it is layed to the ymages charge that they doo leade into errour that the worke of them is wthout fruit that thy moue the myndes of the vnwyse vnto concupiscence Eutra We rede in the histories of the greekes that a certaine image of Venus was so cunningly made and so gorgeously trimmed that many yong men were inflamed and set on fire with the loue of it so that many tymes the idol was founde in the morning polluted defyed with the sede of maÌ„ And do they not nowe a daies where papistrye doth yet raigne set out the ymages of their holy womeÌ„ as very brothels strompets and whores Again wheÌ„ they see such precious iewelles hangyng about them are they not rather moued to couetousnesse than to any godly deuotion Not farre hense it happened that a certayne goldsmithe was verye sycke and at the poynte of deathe A true tale his curate then came vnto hym broughte with hym a crosse of fine siluer being double gilted wheÌ„ he had after his maner geuen hym some exhortatioÌ„ he did shew vnto him that crosse with the crucifix hangyng vpon it saying now syr I haue broughte you here your maker your sauior and redemer looke vpon hym The goldesmythe saied nothing a great whyle but when he had well beholden the crosse he dyd sodeynly aske the prieste What is the price of an ounce was not thys manne well edified by the syght of this goodly crosse thinke ye Philalethes Saint Augustine in his Epistle to one called Deogratias writeth on this manner Who doothe doubte Augustine but that ydoles and ymages are without all sense or felyng But when they are set vp in hye honorable places that they may be beholden of them that do eyther pray or offer They do with the similitude and lykenesse of liuely and sensible members although they bee bothe insensible and withoute lyfe moue the weake myndes so that they seme to be aliue and to haue breth Here we see to be attributed vnto images that with the likenes of liuely meÌ„bers they do moue weake heartes And that therfore they are perillously set forthe vnto theÌ„ whose bokes they are thought for to be and specially yf they be put in high honorable places where praier the coÌ„mune exercises of religion are vsed Secondly the images haue alwayes this harm annexed vnto them they do with drawe and plucke away the hearts and myndes of men from the earnest beholding of the maiesty of god shining most brightly in his liuing creatures which are always and euery where sene with the eye whereas ymages are the deade workes not of god but of mortall men and are not to be sene euery where but are kept in corners and secrete places They that gaue after ymages are not moued with the liuelye worke of God made to set forth his glory but they are moued with the dead worke of a mortal man whyche dothe onelye commende and fâ—tte foorth the vayne and vnprofitable science and câ—nnyng of the worde man We see a lyuing man and we doe neuer a whitte the more remember the commune Creator of vs all nor yet bee moued to celebrate and set forth his diuine maiestye But lette the ymage of a dead man be sene by and by the mynde is moued with I cannot tel what deuotion or rather superstition The heaueÌ„s do set forth the glory of god and the firmament the workes of hys hands saith the prophete Dauid But how deafe blynd vnsensible are the worshippers of ymages vnto those workes of God The wyseman sayeth not go vnto thys ymage or that ymage Proue 6. O sluggard but go vnto the Pismyre and beholde her waies and be wyse For she hauyng no guyde gouernour nor ruler prepareth her meat in the sommer and gathereth her foode in harueste There is more to be learned at one of the smallest creatures of God A notable history of Antony than at all the ymages and ydoles of the worlde Lucca We reade that Antony the holy Hermite who liued in wildernesse beynge so farre vnlearned that he could not reade was ones asked of a frend how he passed the time away sith he lyued alone and hadde no bookes Yeas said Antony I wante no bookes For al the creatures of god are my bookes I reade and learne his maiestly out of his creatures as ye doo out of your bookes And truly thei are goodly bookes to looke on and to beholde Al the creatures of god may be the bookes of the lay people I meane the sunne the Moone the stars byrdes fishes beastes herbes corn and grasse trees hylles ryuers And verely he is worse than a brute beaste that can looke at all these thinges and not loue praise wonder at his strength power wisedome and goodnesse whyche hath made all these thinges to serue vs. The heauenlye lightes doo keepe so good an order and course intheir mouynge the vertue of herbes is suche to cure and heale diseases and all fysshes foules and beastes do fede and serue man whiche thynges doo come from him who is LORDE of nature ALBION I confesse and graunte that these maye better bee called laye mennes and the vnlearned peoples bookes thanne ymages and ydoles whyche bee lyke vnto whom soeuer it pleaseth the painter to make theym lyke PHI. The thyrd harme that the ymages do bryng is this Those thinges that shoulde bee bestowed vppon the liuynge ymages of god I meane vpon the poore and nâ—â—y the same is bestowed vppon deade and dumme
xiiii Io. â—vi no man cometh vnto the father but onely by me Whatsoeuer ye aske my father in my name it shal be geuen vnto you It is Christe which is deade yea Rom. viii rather whiche is risen again who is also att the right hand of the father and maketh intercession for vs There is one god and one mediatour betwixte god and man i. Timot. ii which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himself a raunsome for all men the is able perfectly and sullye to saue theym that come vnto god by hym syth that he euer lyueth to make intercession for them Christe is not entred into the holy place Hebr. vii which is made with handes but in to heauen there to appeare in the sight of god for vs. Hebr. ix And againe These thinges do I write vnto you i. Io. ii that ye sinne not and if any man doeth sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesu Christe the righteous Wherunto the aduersarâ—es do attribute their saluacion But as for our aduersaries without anye warrant of gods worde yea against all scriptures they doe attribute the best parte of their saluation to their owne merites and to the workes of their own handes yea to such kind of works as neuer were commaunded of god and for asmuch as thei can not be of faith they are mere sinnes in the sight of god Is not this most blasphemous against the blood of christ that they be wont to singe in their seruice Tuper Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit O plasphemous abhomination fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That is O Christ do by the bloode of Thomas which he spent for thee make vs to ascende thether whither Thomas is ascended But why shoulde I â—e to tedious vnto youre honour in rehersing many suche thinges sith that all theyr bookes are full of such damnable blasphemies Doe they not attribute more vnto their â—oly father the Pope More is attributed vnto the pope than vnto our sauiour Iesu chrâ—st than vnto our sauiour Iesu Christe for they doe plainlye affirme that through fayth in our sauioure Iesu Christ we do onely obtain forgeuenes of the coulpe fault or giltines but not of the pun shment that is due vnto vt for our sinnes For that do they reserue to their holy father who alone for a pece of money is able to geue pardone a poe â—et culpa that is of the punishement and of the fault Yf this be not a denial of Christe I can not well tell what we maye call a denial of Christ for therfore came he in to the â—leshe that he might be our perfect and ful sauiour They then that denye hym to be a perfecte and full sauiour do deny him to be come into the fleshe i. Ioa. iiii and so by good right ought to be takeÌ„ for Antichristes I do here let passe that by their sacrilegious and damnable sacrifice of the masse The sacrifice of Christe is omnisufficente and can be offered no more wherein they saye they offer dailye oure sauoure Iesu Christe bothe god man they doe all that euer they can to abolyshe annichilate and put downe the omnisuffâ—ceÌ„t sacrâ—fice of our sauiour Iesu Christ which as it hath ben from the beginninge is now and shal be to the worldes end of a most perfect efficacy vertue streÌ„gth power to saue al those that put their truste in it or take hold vppon it by faithe Heb. ix so can it not be reiterated or offered any more For Christ is not entred into verye heauen there to appeare in the sighte of god for vs to the ende that he shoulde offer him self any more for then he must haue died often lens the world began He is that high priest that it became vs to haue which being holye Heb. vii harmelesse vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher than the heauens neded not daily as those high priestes to offer vppe sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples for that he did once when he offered vp him self How many mediatoures the aduersaries haue How many mediatours haue they imagined and sourged vnto them selues besides Christe the onely mediatour betwixt god and man So many as they doe imagine to be saintes in heauen so many mediatours haue they sourged vnto theÌ„ selues puttinge more confidence in their intercession â–ª wherof they haue no currentye or assuraunce at all in gods booke than in the mediation of the onely begotten son of god Which in so many places of the scriptures we are certified of that onles we be worse then brute beastes we ought to content ourselues with it to seke no farther Adde theruÌ„to To denye christ to be come into the fleshe that to acknoweledge more mediatoures besydes him it is also to deny him to be come into the flesh For he dyd not only come into the flesh for to be our omnisufficient and most perfecte sauyour but also for to be our only mediatour betwixt god and vs. Howe the aduersaries do alow the scriptures of the old and newe testament And as for the scriptures of the old and new testament yf they did froÌ„ the bottome of their hartes acknowledge theÌ„ to be the worde of god then would they also confesse and acknoweledge that all thynges partaynynge to saluation â—are conteined in the same Whiche thing they will neuer do lest their whole religion which coÌ„sisteth altogether in mens traditions and vain doctrines of diuels should be quite ouerthrowen Nowe to deny that all thinges peretining to our saluation are comptised in the scriptures It is to denye that they be the word of god yea they that do so They deny the holy ghost to be god that say that all things partaining to saluation are not conteyned in the scriptures do vtterly deny the holy ghoste by whole inspyratione the scryptures haue be a set fourth and wrytten to be true and naturall god For it is agaynst the property of god to make any worke of imperfectioÌ„ But that all things pertaining to our saluation be not fully conteyned in the scryptures then are they a worke of imperfection and consequently the autour of them which is the holy ghost is no true natural god Do thei not besides all this assubiectize the scryptures worde of god to the vayne glosses and found eâ—positions of their holye father the Pope so that although their exposityons be neuer so vngodly neuer so contrary to the true sense and meanyng of the holy spirit of god yet we must receyue and alowe theym for curraunt money â–ª except we wil fry a fagot Euen after the same sorte do they confesse the articles of our beleue mâ—king what gloses they lust vpoÌ„ theÌ„ although it be nothing according to the analogie of fa th from the which they do as faâ—re deferre as the heauens are hyghe aboue the earth It is
then euidence and playne that we do not withoute a iuste cause dissent from the Catholikes and so earnestlye impugne their damnable and wicked opinions But nowe to come to our pourpose here in thys my booke I do mayntayne and defende agaynste theym that god onelye in the tyme of oure trouble ought to be called vppon and that therefore they that in their necessytyes do by prayer flye vnto deade creatures doe robb god of his glory and do committ most damnable sacriledge which thing hath ben sufficientlye proued by manifest textes of the scriptures and by strong authorityes of the auncient fathers of the primityue Church all the obiections that the aduersaries can make beyng mightily auswered and confuted The holâ— argumeÌ„t of the booke Secondly it hath bene plainely shewed that we ought to acknowledge none other mediator betvvixte God and man but oure sauiour Iesu Christ onely whom the scriptures do appoint vnto vs for the omnisufficient sauiour of man kynde and for our only intercessour aduocate and mediatour Making no mention at all of the intercession or mediation of the dead faintes which thing the holye ghost woulde not haue omitted yf the saintes departed oute of this world had bene either appointed or alowed of god to be intercessours vnto god for vs. Thirdly it hath ben declared that as the saints that be already in glory with god ought in no wise to be called vpon nor to be takeÌ„ for our mediatours so no godly honor ought to be geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ forasmuch as it is a seruice which is only due vnto god Wher I had an occasioÌ„ to shew how many ways the true faithfull seruantes of god being departed in the faith of his son Iesu Christ maâ— be honored that the greatest honor that we can do vnto them is to obey their godly and sound doctrine wherby they haue instructed vvin the true religion worshipping of the true liuing God and also to folow their faith and other heauenly vertues wherby they did glorifye God whilest they lyued here in this worlde This also hath ben done by the infallible worde of god testimonies of the holy doctours of the true catholike churche all the obiections of the aduersaries as before beyng quite ouerthrowen by the same Last of all it hath ben proued that no figure ymage or likenes of god nor of his son Iesu Christ nor of the holy ghost nor yet of the Saintes ought to be had in the house of praier nor in any other place whersoeuer ther iâ— any peryll of idolatry and that there can be no vse of them in the Oratories or praying places of the Christians â–ª but rather that they doo most hurte whersoeuer they be vsed and kept where by the waye I haue shewed what is the true crosse that we ought to embrace and haue a pleasure in and that as for material crosses they do more hurte than good that therfore for auoiding of offences they ought to be taken away These are the chiefe and principall contente of this booke whâ—ch I do most humbly and with all due submission dedicate and offer vnto your good lordship desiring your honour to accept and take it in good part which thing if ye do it shall encorage me to attempte greater thinges â–ª for the aduancemeÌ„t of gods glory â–ª and for the edifieng of his churche Thus the lorde god of hostes the autour of all goodnes vouchsafe to preserue your honour my good lady your wife and all your good familie and householde The Table of this Boke A True tale Folio 101. A worthie historie fol. 74. A good shift of the papistes fo 10 A differeÌ„ce betwixt sinners eodeÌ„ A short exposition of CypriaÌ„s words 41. A priuate mans facte fol. 31. A place out of the .xxxii. chapiter of Exodus folio 51. Abels bloode crieth for vengeance fo 24 Absalon and his historie fo 15. All sainctes that be in glory haue ben saued onely by the mercy of god fo 11. Antonomasia what it is fol. 53. Ambrose woordes fo 14. 86. 95. 100. Antechrist worketh signes miracles 8. An historie to be marked of Christian kinges and princes fol. 33. Applyeng of the similitude fol. 10. At the day of iudgement folio 22. Augustines wordes in so many places as he is alledged in this booke fol. 11. 19. 21 27. 38. 42. 43. 46. 47. 57. 61. 64. 7â— 96. 97. 101. A small shifte fol. 99. Answere to fonde obiections 78. Athanassus wordes fol. 83. A strong argumeÌ„t against the papists 86. Angell the papiste I woulde haue sayde the catholike fol. 95. A notable historie of Antony fo 103. B. Brasen serpent fol. 80. Baruh of what dead he speaketh of 59 Beastlynesse of the papistes in alleagyng the scriptures fol. 58. C. Christe why he is worshipped fo 74 Crosse taken for affliction and trouble It is also taken for continuall repentance and mortifieng of the fleshe fol. 94. Cherubin why they were made fo 81 Christe hath spoken neuer a worde of the inuocation of sainctes fo 5. and whom they be that he will saue fol. 19. Colyridiani what they be fo 72. Chrysostome and his wordes 16. 73. Crosse taken for the death of Christ and preachyng of the same fol. 94. Cyprian and his sayenges 40. 56. 67. Constantine and Archadius fo 58 Cyrillus wordes fol. 73. Concilium Toâ—ctanâ—â—â— fol. 8â— D. Damascene Gardeners chiefe refuge folio 95. 100. Doctrine scarsly alowed by the pope 58. E. Ezechias exaumple is to bee folowed of good princes fol. 81. Eunomius and his heresie fol. 38. Epiphantus and his wordes fol. 72. Epiphanius byshoppe of Salamena in Cypres folio 92. Erasmus censore vpon Saint Hieromes boke agaynst Vigilantius 30. his Endion 70. and in his annotations fol. 86. Epiphanius in buildyng gods house 93. Example of the publican fol. 12. F. Fonde obiectious of the papistes fo 78. G. Goddes creatures all of theim may bee the bokes of the laie people for 1â—4 God onely ought to be called vpon fo 3. and why he doothe good to menne here in the earthe fol. 29. God will not haue vs attribute our felicitie vnto creatures fol. 67. H. Helias why he was taken vp in bodye and soule folio 35. Helizeus and why the dead that was cast into his graue was raised agayn fo 36. He onely oughte to bee called vppon in whome we doo beleue fol. 5. Heresye and schisme vnto whome it is layde fol. â— Holy angels will haue no sacrifice 48. Howe the name of God was in his aungelles fol. 47. Howe the place alleadged out of the .ix. of Iohn ought to be vnderstanded fo 12. Howe God dothe honor his saintes fo 71 Hierome and his woordes 25. 29. â—0 31. 37. 39. 48. 86. 95. Howe we may honour the image of God aryghte I fol. 104. Images and why the papistes wyll haue them in their churches fol. 74. 77. 84. Images of the gentils 87. they ought to be put downe in all churches fol. 90.
Iacob and what his meanyng was 49. Idolaters common complaint fo 67. Idolaters of our tyme. 68. Iosephe why he would haue his bones brought out of the lande of Egipt for 34 Iniurie that is doone by the aduersaries bothe to god and his sainctes fo 11. Iudes epistle fo 34. Images causes of diuision in the coÌ„mon wealthe of Israell and also in the empire fol. 105. L. Lactantius and his wordes fo 45. Luke why he is called a peiÌ„ter of som 78 M. Mary the virgine is no where in all the scriptures called the quene of heaueÌ„ 71. Many thinges dyd the olde aunciente fathers vse folio 97. Miracles doothe not proue the inuocation of sainctes folio 6. Moyses and the hystorie of his death and burying folio 33. Mischiefe that the contention aboute the Images dyd breede foli 106. None can be our mediatour except he be also our redemer fol. 18. O. Origenes wordes fol. 61. 96 Our shoote anker fo 23. Of the Crosse fol. 94. Osius a catholike fo 95. P. Paules answere to their reasons 89. Papistes argumentes beaten vppon their owne heades fo 26. and again in the .55 prayers of the lyuynge doo not healpe the deade foli â— Prayers that we make one for an other 25. Prayers are the sacrifices of the electe and chosen of God foli 44. Petrus Crinitus and his wordes fo 91. Preposterous deuotion fol. 104. Relikes of the dead sayntes fo 37 Ruffinus aleaged 64. 65. Reply of the aduersaries fo 83. S Salomons deede helpeth the Papists nothynge fo 81. Sainct Nicolas Sainte Leonarde fo 6. Saintes that be dead fo 28. Similitude fo 9. Similitude of the papist fol. 16. Spirituall fornication fo 66. Socrates saiyng touching the woorshipping of god fo 74. Serenus bishop of Massilia fo 82. T Tertullians wordes 37. 47. 95. There can be no true inuocation without faith fol. 4. The subtilty of the diuell fol. 7. The time of grace and the time of iudgement fo 22. The cannons and what they affirme 25. The auctoritye of goddes booke ought to be preserred before the auctoritie of angelles fo 37. The aungell of great counsayle fo 47. The place of the first chapiter of Zachary fol. 48. The fondnes of the aduersaries fo 54. The true meanynge of Iobs woordes in his .5 chapiter fol. 54. The faythfull lyuinge here on the earthe be sayntes fo 57. The doctrine intreated of in this boke 1. The faithfull call onely vpon god in their trouble sol 2. The preposterous honoring of the dead 70 The true honouring of saynctes fol. 70. The misses which the enemies do cast before the eies of the simple ignorant 71 The absurditie of the papistes argumentes fol. 7â— The errour of the women of Iuda fo 72 Theodosius and what his vision doth signify 64. and of his prayer fo 64. Three sortes of honoring of the saints 69 Two kyndes of prayers fol. 63. The preachers of the Pope fo 77. The righteous iudgement of god fo 78. The vanity of the enemyes fo 79. The sonne of God why he toke our frail nature on hym fo 85. The reason of Paules aduersaries fo 89 The liynge tales touchyng coniured water fol. 98. The image of Christ of all other is most perillous folio 91. Thre greate mischiefes that the ymages doo cause foli 1â—â— The conclusion of this booke fol. 106 W We haue no promise in all the whole bodye of the scriptures that the dead saints doo heare vs. fo 2. What was the let that this woorke came forth no sooner fo 1. What properties he oughte to haue that we must praye vnto fo 2. Whence the faith of true christians dothe come where vpon it is grounded fo 4. Where the spirites of the godly be fo 28. Whether the deade saintes oughte to bee worshipped fo 69. Whyles we lyue in this worlde wee are bounde to pray one for an other fo 62. Why the sonne of god did take vpon hym our fraile nature fo 18. Who they bee amonge whome the diuell worketh myracles fo 7. Why the Apostles were sente into the worlde folio 77. What we dooe learne by the decree of those emperours fol. 91. wherefore the Lordes supper was called collecta fol. 92. why the olde christians dyd vse the sygne of the crosse fol. 93 V Vigilantius and of the differeÌ„ce betwene him and Eunomins fo 39. ¶ Thus endeth the Table A strong batterie against the ydolatrous Inuocation of the deade Sainctes and agaynst the hauyng or settyng vp of Images in the house of prayer or in any other place where there can be any peryll of idolatrie made dialogue wise By Iohn Veron The speakers Albion Eutrapelus Philalethes Dydimus ALBION I remembre wel that after we had talked of the Prayers for the dead this vvork vvas done in the hunting of purgatorie in which talke was most learnedly proued by you that all the Prayers and good dedes taht the lyuing be able to make or doo for theim that be ones departed out of this worlde can profit theim nothyng at all We wer fully determined to haue talked likewise and reasoned of the prayers that are commonly made vnto dead Sainctes But beyng letted by other necessary fruitful coÌ„municatioÌ„ the matter could not yet be discussed this vvork vvas letted by the settyng forth of the doctrine of predestinatioÌ„ of free vvil and by the ouerthrovve of the iustification of vvorks Wherin notwtstandyng I se very many shamfully to erre I my selfe am scarcely yet persuaded in it by reason of the manifold textes of the scriptures authorities of the ancient fathers that my faithful guides of the clergie dyd allege bring in for to proue that we ought to pray vnto the dead Saintes that be already in glorie with their head our sauior Iesus Christ to take them for our mediatours aduocates intercessors Therfore I shal most hertily desire you brother Philalethes that ye will declare vnto vs your mynd touchyng the matter I meane whether we ought to call vpon any other The suÌ„me of the hole doctrine entreated of in all this boke thaÌ„ vpon the liuing God in the time of our nede and trouble And agayne whether we ought to acknowledge any mediators aduocates intercessors besides our sauior Iesus Christ whom ye doo euery where affirme to be our only mediator betwixt God vs. I wold fain be fully resolued in this matter Philaleth As concerning the first we do not rede in al the whole bodye of the scriptures that euer the true and faithful seruantes of god did in the time of their trouble cal vpon any other None of the faithefull seruantes of god didde euer call vppon any other in the time of theyr troubleth aÌ„ vppon the true liuing God than vpon the liuyng God the father of oure sauiour Iesus Christe Which ought to be vnto vs a sufficient doctrin For it is to be thought that if they had hadde any expresse word
in gods boke that shold haue coÌ„manded theÌ„ otherwise they wold haue ben obedient vnto it But no suche expresse word shall ye fynd in all the scriptures wherein not withstandyng all thynges that do pertaine to the saluation of man are most sufficiently sette forth vnto vs. Therfore it were a plain blasphemie in the tyme of our trouble to cal vpon any other than vpon the liuyng God onely who by his prophete Dauid speketh these comfortable wordes vnto vs Psal 100. Call vpon me in the daye of thy trouble so will I deliuer thee thou shalte glorifie me Who I praye you hauyng this coÌ„mandement of the euerlyuyng and eternall God ioyned with so sweete a promise VVe haue no promis in all the vvhole bodye of the scriptures that the deade sayntes do heate vs. would seeke to any other Eutrapelus I woulde holde hym woorse thanne madde that would doo it sithe that wee haue neyther expresse woorde nor promysse in all the whole body of the Scriptures that the dead sainctes should heare vs or succor vs in the tyme of our neede Philalethes Vvhat properties he oughte to haue that vve muste pray vnto Adde therto that he whom we ought to pray vnto muste haue all these properties 1 Fyrst he must be omnipotent or almightie that is able to do what soeuer he wyll bothe in heauen and in earth for onlesse he were able and of power to helpe vs out of all maner of troubles perils and dangers that we bee in be they neuer so great it were but labour lost to pray vnto him 2 Secondly he must be of an absolute and perfect wyse dome that so he may perfectly know how to helpe them that call vpon hym for helpe ayde and succour and how to compasse and ouerthrow the craftie and subtill deuises of the enemies of his people For many there be that haue myght and power but for wante of wisedome they can bring nothing to passe their might and power profiteth them nothyng 3 Thirdely he muste not onely be almightie and of a perfect wisedom but also willyng both to heare and to helpe vs. For what shoulde his great power and wysedome auayle or profite vs except he were willyng to doo vs good 4 Fourthly he must be such one as is able to here the prayers of al them that call vpon him although in one instant all the nations that be vpon the earth shold make theâ—r praiers together vnto hym Fo els it shold come to passe that the suite and prayers of th one shoulde be both hyndred and letted by the praiers of the other or whyles he shoulde heare the praiers of the one and delyuer them out of the present danger and perill the other theyr prayers beynge not heard should perishe in the same 5 Fiftely this propretie also he must haue that is he muste be suche one as dothe better know our necessities and what is expedient for vs than we our selues bee able to declare For who wold coÌ„mit himselfe into the handes of that phisition that can know no more of the sycknesse than the pacient can tell himselfe These .v. propreties are necessarily required in hym whom we oughte in the tyme of our trouble to call vpon Bryng one either in heuen or in earth that hath all these thynges Rom 10. and then we mai be sure that it is he that ought to be praied vnto of all men But who can be such except he be almyghty except he knoweth all thynges or be of a perfect wisedom except he be most bouÌ„tuouse and moste willyng to doo good vnto all them that by faithfull praiers doo fly vnto him hearing all them that call vppon hym and knwoyng better their necessities than they their selues be able to declare Didymus None I trow can be suche but the true lyuing and eternal God onely For none of all the angels nor of the children of Adam can haue these propreties onelesse we wil grant them to be gods Philalethes It foloweth then by good consequence that none ought to be called vpon God only oughte to bee called vppon but the true lyuing God onely For he only is almightie whose spirite is the spirite of counsaile so that he knowethe howe to deliuer his out of temptation being so mercyful and bounteous that he dooth of his owne goodnes call the afflicted vnto hymselfe Psal 50. and promiseth healpe vnto all them that calle vppon hym sayeng as we alledged beefore Cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble so shall I delyuer thee and thou shalte glorifie me Agayne he dothe not onely beyng euery where present here our woordes but also the very desyres of our owne heartes knowyng most perfectly the infirmitie and weakenesse of his worke that he himselfe hath made There can be no true inuoation vvithoute faithe ObiectioÌ„ 1 Moreouer this is moste sure that no inuocation or praier can be made withoute faythe Albion And doo not they that praye vnto Sainctes beleue that they shall be heard Without all doubt they bee fully persuaded that theyr prayers shall bee hearde and that they shall obteyne healpe and succour at the deade Sainctes handes Therefore it canne not bee sayde that their inuocation or prayers be without faithe VVhence the faythe of the christians doo comme and vvhervppon 〈◊〉 it gronded Philalethes But whence doothe the faithe of the christians proceede and comme but of the preachyng of the gospell or whervpon is it grounded but vpon the infallible word of Gud which sendeth vs to none other but to our heueÌ„ly Father through his sonne Iesus Christe our onely sauior aduocate and mediatour This doothe the Apostle write Who soeuer shal cal vpon the name of the Lorde Rom 10. shal be saued But how shall they cal on him in whom thei haue not beleued And how shall they beleue in hym of whom they haue not hearde And howe shall they heare withoute a preacher And how shall they preache except they be sente as it is written How beautifull are the feete of theim whiche bryng glad tidynges of peace and bryng glad tidynges of good thinges But they haue not all obeyed the Gospell Esai â—â— Nauir â— Esai â—â— Iohn 12. for Esaie saithe Lorde who beleueth our report Then faith commeth by hearyng and hearyng by the worde of God What could I beseche you be spokeÌ„ more plainly of the true Inuocation and prayers of the ChristiaÌ„s Who seeth not whence it dothe come How sayth he shall they call on hym in whom they do not beleue The true inuocation thenne can not be without faithe And that we might vnderstande of what saith he doth speake he setteth foorth whence it cometh that we maye know the qualitie boldnesse of it He sheweth that it cometh by the preching of the Gospell whiche bryngeth vnto vs glad tidings of peace and certifieth vs of good thyngs But the true preachyng of the Gospell dothe teache vs to beleue in God onely and in his
repent but doo stubbrnely vnto the end abyde in theyr sinnes makyng a mocke of the threatnynges of God and of his iudgementes If we be of the numbre of the true repentant synners who dareth contrarye to all the whole scriptures affirm that God will not heare vs Math. 6. If synners may not bee heard why dooeth our sauiour Iesus Christ teache vs to say forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs Again if God wil not heare repentant sinners but the saints doo heare them and haue pitie and coÌ„passion on them then are the Sainctes mercyful and God vnmerciful Therfore the Scripture should haue comended and sett foorth the mercyfulnesse of the Saints and not the mercy of God All saincts that be in glory haue ben saued 〈…〉 the mercy of god But let such blasphemie be farre from vs that we shoulde take away mercye from God and attribute it vnto sayntes of whom not as much as one hath bene saued but only through the grace and mercy of God Nowe if we be vnrepentant synners what meruaile is it if we haue no boldnesse at all to call vpon God Ye know that they that are such as they be voyde of a liuely faith in our sauior Iesus Christ so are they most vnworthy that thei shuld be herâ—â— Eutrapelus Verily it semeth vnto me the greatest foly in the world to thinke or imagine that the Saintes are so far different or disagreyng from God that whom he wil not heare because of their vnrepentant heartes them they would not onely heare but also make intercession vnto GOD for theym The iniury that is don by the aduersaries both to god and to his sainctes Who doth not se that so doyng we do great iniurie bothe to God and the Saintes To the Saints because that we iudge them to be such as will heare an vnrepentant sinner when he calleth vppon them make intercession for him And to God The enemies harp stil vpon one string because we shold imagin that he will contrary to his worde admitte any intercessors for suche a sinner Albion Yet they will say still that this is the scripture good heareth not synners Here the holy ghoste maketh no suche distinction as ye make Philalethes I may answer you by the words of saint Augustine August li. 2. contra episto lam parmeniani ca 9. who writeth after this maner Hoc à Domino non est dictuÌ„ sed â—b illo qui oculos corporis iam quidem restitutos habebat sed ei oculi cordis nondum patebant vnde ipsum Dominum adhuc prophetam putabat NaÌ„ eum postea cognituÌ„ del filium adorauit Ipse autem dominus quum in vno templo orarent Pharisaeus publicanus â–ª publicanum confitentem peccata sua magis iustificatum dicit quam Phatisaeum â—actantem merita sua Quanquam enim iustificatus destiterit esse peccator tamen vt iustificaretur peccator orabat peccator confitebatur exauditus iustificatus est vt desinerer esse peccator NoÌ„ vtique desineret esse peccator nisi prius exaudiretur peccator That is to saye This was not spoken of the Lord but of him which had alredy his bodily eies restored Ioan. 9. but the eies of his heart were not yet open and therefore he thought yet of the Lord that he was but a prophete For afterwards Luc 18. knowyng that he was the sonne of God he worshipped him But the Lord hymselfe when tow dyd praye together in one temple A Pharisei and a Publican dooth say that the publican coÌ„fessing his sinnes was more iustified thaÌ„ the pharisey bostyng his merites For although beyng iustified he cessed to be a sinner The example of the publicane yet whiles he was a sinner he dyd pray confesse his synnes that he myghte be iustified and beyng heard he was iustified that he myghte ceasse to bee a synner And truely he should not ceasse to be a synner onelesse he were hearde beyng yet a synner Eutrapelus As farre as wee can gather of the texte that they dooe allege we shall not greatly neede the helpe of this holy father Hovv the place aleageth out of the .9 of Iohn ought to be vnderstanded for let vs only marke the circumstances of the place The phariseys dyd say of Christ This man is not of god for he kepeth not the Sabboth day By which wordes they went about to robbe Christ of the glorie of the miracle that he had wrought in making the blynde man to see and to persuade the people that he was a moste abhominable synner and a despiser of the Lordes holy lawes and ordinaunces The poore sely blynd man hauyng receued such a benefite at Christes handes did all that in him dyd lye to stoppe theyr blasphemous mouthes saieng We know that god heareth not synners that is suche synners as ye wyll make hym for it was not hearde sence the worlde began that any dydde open the eyes of a man that was borne blynde Except this man were of god he could haue done nothyng It is easy now to vnderstand of what kynd of sinners the scripture speaketh there For if those wordes were spoken generally of all sortes of synners what iniurye shold this be both to the worde of god and also to his diuine grace Didymus ObiectioÌ„ If ye will geue me leaue I will bring foorth an obiection wherwith they do meruailously for it is sette out with a similitude taken of the commune vse of men trouble the heades of the symple and ignorant people â— Grounded vpon a similitude Albion We do all geue you good leaue Didymus Who say our galant champions of the Popes clergie dare come to an earthly kyng or prince hauyng any suite vnto hym without mediatours They that haue ought to doo with the prince they wyl come vnto them whom they know to be in most fauor with him and them doo they make their mediatours that they maye haue the better accesse vnto hym and spede in theyr businesse We haue the examples of the same in gods word 1. King 2 for was not Berseebah a mediatrix vnto her sonne Solomon for Adoniah Againe was not Absalon reconciled vnto his father Dauid 2. Sa. 14. by the meanes of Ioab If we may not then come to worldly princes but that we muste haue some to be meanes for vs howe dare we be so bolde beyng synful creatures to appeare before the maiestie of God without mediatours But who should be those mediators but the blessed virgin Mary the holy apostles and martirs of our sauiour Iesus Christe PHILA Answer In deede with this similitude they doo wonderfully dasylle the eies of the simple and vnlearned But I trust that we shall soone ouerthrowe it and so muche the rather because that it hath no fuÌ„dation at all in gods boke Fyrste and formoste are not these the wordes of the Lorde Esay 55. Num vie meae sicut viae
the liuyng yea he dothe playnly affirme Sith that the dead sainctes knovve nothing of al that is done here it is in vain to pray vnto them QuestioÌ„ that they be vtterly ignorant what is don in the lyfe of men If this bee true as that can not be false which is proued by the holy scriptures truely the saluation necessitie either of the dead or of the liuyng is in vaine committed to the intercession of theim that know nothing therof We doo beleue in vayne that they doo pray vnto the Lorde for oure present necessite which know not that we are in any perill or daunger Didy And may not they haue intelligence vnderstandyng of our affaires eyther by the angels or by them that go away hence from vs or els by god himselfe Philalethes Answer Sithe that these wayes of reuelation are no where in the scriptures sett foorth vnto vs and therfore be most vncertaine Why should we It is folishnes to fly from that vvhich is certaine to â—hat vvhich is vncerâ—aâ—e I pray you flie from those thynges that are most sure most certaine and infallible vnto that which is doubtfull and not ones mencioned of in all the whole body of the scriptures Ye haue hearde how that this moste holy father sainct Augustine doth plainely confesse that the dead saintes doo not knowe our estate or the case that we bee in nor yet be careful ouer vs. Leauing then that whiche is without any grounde of the scriptures let vs stedfastly cleaue vnto that which is most surely grounded in gods boke wherin we are taught that the blessed soules of the elect and choseÌ„ of God do rest in peace beyng in glorie with their heade our sauiour Iesu Christ who alone is appoynted of god to be oure mediator aduocate and intercessor Albion But what will ye say to Hieromes clerkly sayenges ye see that he dothe plainly hold opinion that the dead saintes doo praye for vs. Philalethes As for Hierome Hovv Hierome dyd ouershote himself in this mater I doo with all due reuerento acknowledge him to do a most worthy instrument of God howbeit in this master he hathe declared him selfe that he was a man And verelye I doo meruayle that beeing so great a cleark as he was would buyld the doctrine of the praisyng of the deade saintes for vs vpon such weake argumentes For who wil say that the Saintes do nowe the same in heauen that they did in the erth But Hierome sayeth none other thing neither dothe he with any other arguments proue that the saints do pray for vs in heauen Hieromes vveake arguments Yf saieth he they did pray for vs in the earth how much more shall they do it now after their crounes Act. 27. victories and triumphes Yf two hundred lxxvi soules were geuen vnto Paule praiyng here in the earth how many mo shall be geuen vnto him praying now in heauen I graunte that god hath done good vnto men here in the earth through the ministery and praiers of his seruants VVhy god did good vnto men here in the earth by the ministerye and praiers of his seruauntes but to what ende I praye you euen to this ende that they should beleue the worde of god set foorth by his true ministers But the ministers dyd all with one doctrine teach vs to cal vpoÌ„ god only in al â—â—re necessities Nowe the doctrine of the praiers of the saints and of their intercession for vs in heauen doth pull vs away from god Hiero in Lâ—c 14. and causeth vs to put some truste hope and confidence in the creatures Which Hierome hym selfe doth stronglye impugne saiyng The righteousnes of the righteous shal bee vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall remayne vpon him Euerye manne shall dye through his owne syn and euerye man shall liue through his owne righteousnesse Iohn 8. The Iewes do say in vayne â–ª Abraham is our father syth that they haue not the workes of Abraham Yf we should put our truste in any let vs put our trust in god liere 17. Psal 146. Cursed be euery man that putteth his trust in menne although they be saintes although they be prophetes We reade Put not your trust in men Again better it is to trust in god than in princes Not onely in the princes of the world but in the princes of the church whiche yf they be righteous they shall deliuer their owne soules onelye These are Hieromes woordes Let vs therfore hope in the lorde oure GOD and sith that we haue not one iote in the Canonicall Scriptures of the intercession of the Sainctes for vs in heauen nor any example that they do pray vnto the father for vs let vs boldely reiecting this idolatrous inuocation of the dead sainctes and the vaine and fonde doctrine of their intercession for vs vnto God cal vpon our heauenly father through his sonne Iesu Christ though an angell from heauen shoulde teache the contrarie I doo here let passe that in the boke which this holy father did write agaynste Vigilantius there is more furious bitternesse to bee founde than either modestie or learning whiche maye bee proued by the censure of Erasmus The censure of Erasmus vpon Hieromes booke against vigilantius whiche is this lo vigilantium ita conuitiis debacehator Hieronymus vt plusculum in eo modestiae eogar desyderare Vtinam argumentis duntaâ—at egisset à conuitiis temperasser That is Hierome doothe 〈◊〉 with reuilyng woordes raile against Vigilantius that I am fayne to fynde a larke of modestie in him would god he had onely soughten with argumentes and had refrained from reuilynge and opprobrious wordes For take away these railyng woordes Caupo Calagutitanus Dormitantius Herculis monstra Louiathan Behemoth The taunces of Hierom against vigilantius take away his chiâ—yng brawling and scoldyng take awaye his subtill conueâ—ance in the torrke Take awaye his exclamations translations tragicall amplifications his swellyng and braggyng wordes and nothing almost shal be left vnto the reader that hath anye sauor of the propheticall and apostolicall simplicitie Albion Obie 10 Yet this holy father dothe plainely affirme that the deuils dyd roare out at the relykes of Saint Andrew and that great myracles and wonders at the dust and ashes of the martyrs haue beÌ„ wrought and the vnclean spirites tormented Whiche thyng he dothe proue by the example of certaine emperors kynges and byshops saying If it be not laufull to shrine vp and to translate the relikes of the saintes then was Archadius with Constantine a sacriledge all the byshops were not only sacrileges but to be also coÌ„pted verye beastes foles which did cary so vile a thing and ashes in silke and in a golden vessell Philalethes As touchyng the firste Answer I answere that the diuels dyd not roare out because of saincte Andrewes drye bones VVhythe diuel did roaâ— ouâ—e at sainct An drevves reliâ—es but because of Christe whome the holy
the inuocation or calling vpon of the dead saints For why should he els say that the chirsten people did keepe the meâ—ories or remembraÌ„ces of the martyrs that they might be helped by their prayers Philalethâ— â–ª But howe dothe this agree with that whiche he writeth bothe in this place and also in the two and twentieth boke De ciuitate Dei and tenth chapiter He saith plainely in the place before alleaged that they did not set vp altars nor yet offered vp sacrifices vnto the martyres And in the boke De ciuitate Dei which we spake of eueÌ„ now he writeth thus The Gentiles haue builded temples set by altars ordeined priests and offred sacrifices vnto their gods But we do not buyld vp temples vnto our martirs as vnto gods but remembrances as vnto dead men whose spirites soules do lyue with God Neither doo we there set vp aultars in the whiche we shold offer sacrifices vnto martires but we do offer sacrifices vnto the only God of the martirs and ours at the which sacrifice as men of God which haue ouercomed the world with theyr confession they are in theyr place and in their order named And yet they be not called vpon or prayed vnto of the priest that offreth the sacrifice For Praiers are â—â—e sacrifiâ—es of the eleâ—â— aâ—d â—â—osen of god he is the priest of god not theirs Nowe this is most euident plaine the prayers are the sacrifices of the saints I mean of the elect and chosen people of God beyng sanctified in the blood of his son Iesus Christ we mai coÌ„clude then eueÌ„ vpon the wordes of S. Augustin that prayers ought to be offered vnto God only and not vnto the dead sainctes that is that God onely not the dead saintes ought of al the godly to be called vpon Herevnto dothe that belong and pertaine whiche he speaketh also in that place sayenge Sancti vel homines vel angeli id sibi tribuâ— nolunt quod vni deo deberi noâ—unt Holy men or holye aungelles will not haue the same to bee attributed vnto theym which they knowe to be due vnto God onely We maye gather by this that they will none of our prayers nor of our inuocation The proude diuelishe spirites do vsurpe that which doth perteine vnto God onely Therefore as Daniell woulde aske nothyng of any man Danie â— but of God only so all the godly will in their praiers call vpon none other but on the true lyuyng God thorough his sonne Iesus Christ our lord and of him only aske all thynges that they haue neede of Nowe as touching his opinion wherby he doothe thynke and suppose that the soules of the righteous doo pray for vs in heauen for as much as it is only grounded vpon coniectures or gessyng and not vppon the infallible worde of God nor vpon any strong argumentes or reasons taken out of the same we may without any perill of our saluation reiect or refuse it cleauing vnto that whiche we haue alleadged before oute of his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda wher he gouÌ„deth himselfe altogether vpon the holy scriptures affirmyng that the blessed soules departed be paste all sollicitude and care for the liuing Albion Nowe sithe that the sayinges of the fathers will not helpe â—h ect 15 eâ— 48 I will come to the plain scriptures These are Iacobs wordes The aungell which hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children let my name be called vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac In this autoritye of the scriptures they note two speciall thinges Fyrste how that Iacob dothe confesse that he was deliuered by the aungell and that this aungel doth blesse Secondly how that his name and the name of his fathers shoulde be called vpon those children which is as much as if he should haue sayde They shall call vppon my name and vpon the name of my forefathers â—achâ— 1. Herunto do they adde this place of Zacharye And the aungell of the Lorde aunswered and sayde O Lorde of hostes how loÌ„g wilt thou be vnmercifull to Hierusalem and to the cities of Iuda with whom thou hast ben displeased nowe these three score and ten yeres Hereby doe we plainely learne say they that the aungels doo care for our miseries and praye for vs. They be also kepers guides of meÌ„ yea they be appointed to waite vpon them For thus we rede in Exodus Exod. â—3 Behold saith the lord I send myn angel before thee to kepe thee in thy way to bring thee to the place which I haue prepared And in the psalmes Psal 91. for he shal geue his angels charge ouer thee to kepe thee in all thy ways They shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy fote against a stone Dani. 10. The angels be also called presidents of realmes because that vnto them whole contreis be coÌ„mitted Phil. First formost as touchyng those thinges that bee generally obiected or brought against vs of the angels Answer how they do blesse pray for vs howe they are presidentes guides kepers bothe of men and of realmes I haue lieffer bryng the answeres of the ancient fathers than myne own reasons LactaÌ„tius in his diuine institutions writeth after this maner Lactanti insti 2. li. ca 17. Neither hath God nede of any name sith that the is alone nor the angels sith they be immortall will suffer themselues to be called goddes whose one and only office and duetye is to bee at the commaundemente and becke of GOD. For we saye that the worlde is gouerned of god as a prouince is by a ruler whose apparitours and officers no man will cal his felowes in the gouernement of the prouince And yet they may do many thinges besydes the commaundemente of the ruler through his ignoraunce whiche is an humayne infirmitye But the ruler gouernour of the whole world who knoweth all thinges and from whose eies nothyng is hidden hath alone with his sonne power ouer all thynges neither is there any thyng in the angelles but a necessitie to obeye Therfore they will haue no honour to be attributed vnto them whose honor is in god But they which are reuolted and fallen awaye from the ministerye and seruice of god do go about to chalenge vnto theym selues the name of god and the worshipping of the gods Saint Augustine Au. lib. 10 de ciuitate dei ca. 12. dothe in all thynges agree with Lactantius What miracles soeuer sayeth this holy father bee so diuinely wrought done eyther by angels or by som other mean that they do coÌ„mend the religion worshipping of the only god in whom only the blessedful lyfe is we must beleue that they are truly done of them or by them whiche do loue vs according to the truth godlinesse God him selfe working in them And when the aungels do heare vs god him selfe doth heare in theym as in his true
saye Praise God in his Sainctes The beâ—st liâ—â—s of the papists in aleaging the scriptures Philalethes Who wold not laughe at the beastlynesse of these blynde bussardes for if they will haue this sayeng Prayse the Lorde in his saynctes to bee lyke vnto this Call vpon the saâ—nctes of the Lorde then by as good reason we may say That the trumpette the viole and the harpe c. oughte to bee called vppon For it foloweth immediately after Prayse hym in the sounde of the trumpette in the violle and in the harpe But the Catholike veritie and truth dothe bothe reade and vnderstande the wordes of the prophete after this sorte Prayse the Lorde in his sanctuarie or in his hoynesse that is Prayse hym that dwelleth in heauen Psal 134. For in an other place he sayth Lifte vp youre handes vnto the sanctuary and praise the lord Whyche is as muche as yf he shoulde haue sayde Lyfte vp your handes vnto heauen and prayse the Lorde and geue hym thankes for his benefittes Whervnto the addeth with what instruments they wer wont to stirre vp the hertes of the people to sing prayses to be thankefull vnto the Lorde But nowe vnder Christ suche ceremonies of the olde lawe are cleane abolyshed Ob e. 20 aâ—â— 3 Didy I remembre that ones this place of Baruch was alleadged for the mayntenaunce of the inuocation of the Saintes O Lorde god almyghtie the God of Israell heare nowe the prayers of the dead Israelites and of their childreÌ„ which haue sinned before the and haue not hearkened vnto the voyce of thee their God therfore these plagues hang vpon vs. Albion If ye had not preuented me Answer I wolde haue alleged the same place For it seemeth vnto me to make muche for the purpose Of vvhat maner dead Baruch doth speak Philalethes Ye muste marke brother Albion that Baruch in his prayer speketh not of them that were dead with the bodyly deathe but of the wicked whiche lyuyng vnto the worlde were deade vnto God whiche figuratiue maner of speakynge is oftentimes vsed in the scriptures For in the gospell our sauiour Iesus Christ doothe saie Math. 8. Suffer the dead to burye their dead As if he shoulde saye Lette the worldlings that be dead to God and good woorkes burye theim that bee departed oute of this lyfe for that is an office moste mete for them but doo the thinges that be for the lyuing The like phrase or maner of speaking dooth the holy apostle vse 1. Tim. 5. when he sayth A wydowe lyuyng in delitiousnesse though she be alyue yet she is deade It is also oftentimes sene that in the thirde person we be wont to speake of our selues Baruch besydes by such kynde of wordes doothe sette foorthe the myserable estate of the childerne of Israell whiche were euen as deade menne here in the worlde because of their captiuitie and thraldome and straicte bondage or slauerie that they were in whych was vnto theym as a graue or pytte that the dead bee buried in Weyghe and consyder well the circumstances of the place and ye shall fynde it to bee so Didymus Obiec 11 2. Mach. 15 And what wyll ye say to this place of the seconde booke of the Machabees where we reade that Iudas Machabeus dyd see in a dreame Onias the prieste and Hieremie the prophete praying for the people whereof he was so sure that he tolde his dreame to the people to encourage theim withall against the terroure of theyr ennemyes PHILALETHES Answer This place hath neyther commaundemente nor yet sufficient exaumple but is onely a vysyon or dreame whereby it was represented that the people of the Iewes shoulde not bee forsaken of God For yf so bee that it had sette foorth the Intercession of Saynctes Iudas Machabeus woulde haue commended hymselfe vnto the praier of Onias and Hieremie whiche thyng he dothe note but in his greate danger and perill he fleeth vnto the true liuyng God onely saying O Lorde thou that didst send thyne aungell in the tyme of Ezechias kyng of Iuda who in the host of Sennacherib slewe an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Send new also thy good angell before vs O Lord of heauens The praier of Iudas Machabaeus for a feare and dread vnto them And let them be discoÌ„fited by the strength of thyne arme whiche come againste thyne holy people to blaspheme Howebeit no man coulde iustly blame me if I shold vtterly reiecte the place that is alleadged out of Baruch and oute of the seconde booke of the Machabees sithe that they be no Canonicall bokes but playne Apocryphes as in our talke of purgatorie it hath been sufficientely proued Reade the 3 dialogue of my huntyng of purgatorie vnto death and specially in the beginning of the thirde communication so that I shall haue no nede to repete the thyng any more sithe that all our talke touching that matter is set foorth in print Eutrapelus Me thynke it were a fonde thyng to grounde any doctrine vpon a dreame It is no vvisdâ—m to â—round any doctrin â—pon a dreame specially vpon such a dreame as the like is not ones mencioned of in all the whole bodye of the Canonicall scriptures Iudas Machabeus did think also in this his dreame that Hieremye dyd delyuer vnto him a golden sworde wherwith he should wound the aduersaries As he thenne receaued a golden swoord of Hieremie so did Onias and Hieremie pray for the people but he receaued onely the sworde in a dreame it foloweth then that the prayers of these holy men were also dreamish Philalet Adde therto these wordes of saint Augustine Augu cont a gaudenâ—◠〈…〉 li. 2. cap 1â— Non debemus quicquid in scâ—ipturis etiam dei testimonio laudatos homines fecisse legimus consentiendo approbare sed consyderando discernere adhibentes iuditium non sanc nostrae authoritatis sed scripturarum diuinarum That is to say we ought not to approue by consentyng whatâ—oeuer we reade to haue bene done by men though they be praised by the testimonie of the scriptures but with consyderyng to discern it bryngynge the iudgemente not of oure owne authoritie but of the holy scriptures By these wordes we do learn that we are not bound to folow whatsoeuer we fynd in the Scriptures to haue ben don by the men of God but fyrst we must try by the word of God whether it be well doon or not Albion Obie 22 Yet father Origen dooth alleadge this place for to proue the Inuocation of Sainctes by These are his woordes whyche ye shall fynd written in one of his fower homilies which are founde by by after the commentaries of Hierome whych he hath writen vpon Ecclesiastes Sed omnes sancti Origenes super cantâ—ca de precibus sanctorum in coelo qui de hac vita decesserunt habentes adhuc charitatem erga eos qui in hoc mundo sunt si dicantâ—r curam gerere salutis eorum
iuuare eos precibus sanis atque interuentu suo apud Deum Non erit inconueniens Scriptum nanque est in Machabeorum libris ita Hic est Hieremias propheta Dei qui semper orat pro populo That is to saye But it shall not bee inconueniente yf it bee sayd that all the Saintes whyche bee departed out of thys lyfe hauynge yet a loue and charitie towardes them that be in the worlde bee carefulle ouer theyr saluation and healpe theym with theyr prayers and intercession vnto God For in the booke of the Machabees it is thus writen This is Hieremie the Prophete of GOD that prayeth alwayes for the people These woordes seeme vnto me very playne Philalethes Answer It is a wonder and meruaile that this old ancient father should go about to confirm and establish the intercession and prayeng of the Saynctes for vs in heauen which is a doctrine no where set foorth vnto vs in all the Canonicall Scriptures by the testimonie and authoritie of an Apocryphicall booke For Origene hymselfe if that bee trewe that Eusebius writeth of hym doothe numbre no more than .xxii. canonicall bookes secludyng the bokes of the Machabees Moreouer Hierome in his preface vnto Damasê° which he did set before the .ii. treatises or homelies of Origene vpon the CaÌ„ticles doth testifie that Origene did write these .ii. treatises vpon the caÌ„ticles whiche Hierome hyâ—selfe dydde turne or translate into latin and .x. bokes which he sayth he dyd not translate because it was a woorke that required muche leysure tyme labour and coste Nowe those that wee haue at this present vnder the name and title of Origene are not called bookes but homelies where as in the meane whyle he wrote none but those .ii. which Hierom did translate But put the case that they be Origenes shall we set more by the authoritie of man than by the authoritie of the Canonical scriptures Lu. 7. Math. 15. Obie 2â— Albion It is written in Luke that the Centurion dyd sende the elders of the people vnto Christ beseching him that he wold come and heale his seruant And why because that he thoughte not hymselfe worthy to come vnto hym Dyd not the the Apostles lykewyse make earneste sute vnto Christ for the woman of Chanance why shoulde wee not likewyse thynking our selues vnworthie by reason our synnes to come vnto God praye vnto the dead Saintes that be already in heauen with their head our sauior Iesu Christe to make intercession for vs Philalethes Answer vvhiles vve liue in this vvorld vve are bound to praye one for another We haue alreadye declared that whiles we yet liue in this worlde we may pray one for an other yea we are bound by goddes worde so for to doo But that we shoulde doo the lyke after we be ones deceassed or departed out of this lyfe and haue fulfiled our course we haue not one onelye iote in al the whole body of the scriptures that testifieth any suche thyng vnto vs Albion Obie 14 Reuel 5 Ye shall not nede to make any repetition of that which hath ben saide alreadie For I doo wel beare in mynd the whole matter Therfore I wil com to the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iohn There wee haue these woordes And when he had taken the boke the fower beastes and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the lambe hauyng euery one harpes and golden viols full of odours which are the prayers of the Sainctes And in an other place of the same booke he saieth Reue 8. And an other angell came and stoode before the aultar hauyng a golden censer and many odoures were geuen vnto hym that he should offer of the praiers of the Saintes vpon the golden aultar which is before the throne These places doo seeme vnto me to proue manifestly the inuocation of the dead Saintes Phila. Answer Tvvo â—yndes of praiers Ye must vnderstande that there be .ii. kyndes of prayers the one is inuocatioÌ„ or petition and the other is geuyng of thankes laude and prayse This petition yf nede were might be proued by the iiii chapiter of the epistle to the Philippians we cal that inuocation when we desyre some good thing to be geuen vnto vs or some euyll to bee taken awaye from vs. Geuyng of thankes doth contayne the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of god for his exceading great benefyts which we receaue dayly and hourely at his handes It is manifeste by that whiche doth immediatly folow that the Apostle doth speake of this laste and not of the first These be the wordes And they sounge a newe song Reuela 5. saieng Thou act worthy to take the boke and to open the seales therof because thou wast killed haste redemed vs to God by thy bloude oute of euerye kynred and tongue and people and nation and haste made vs vnto our God kinges and prestes we shal raigne on the erth Therfore what doth thys make for the intercession of the blessed spirites or soules that the saints do sing praises vnto god in heauen In the other place none other thing is ment Reuela 8 but that the aungell did ioygne his laudes and praises whiche he gaue vnto God with the himnes and songes of the elders Saint Augustine August expoundyng this place writeth thus Alius angelus ipse est Iesus Christus habens thuribulum aureuÌ„ quod est corpus sanctum Ipse enim dominus factus est thuribulum ex quo deus odorem suanitatis accepit propitius factus est mundo quia obtulit seipsum modoreÌ„ suauitatis Et accepit angelus thuribuluÌ„ impleuit illud ex igne altatis Accepit Iesus corpus id est ecclesiam perficieÌ„do patris voluntatem illam igne spiritus impleuit sancti That is to saye The other angell is Iesus Chryst hauyng a golden censer whyche is an holy body For the LORD hym selfe was made a censer oute of the whyche GOD receaued a swete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde For he offered hym self a sacrifice of swete smell And the aungell didde take the censer and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the aultare IESVS tooke a bodye that is to saye the churche and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the holye Ghoste DYDIMVS Obie 25 Râ—ffâ— lâ—â— Eccle. historiae I perceaue brother Albion that ye muste seeke for helpe som other where than in the scriptures of the old and newe testament sith that youre inuocation of the deade Saintes is already driuen out of the Apocalypse or reuelation of Iohn Albi. I haue yet somme what in store These wordes we do reade of Theodosius the emperor in the eleuenth boke of the ecclesiasticall hystorie whiche one Ruffinus dyd write Ciren nibat cum sacerdotibus popâ—lo omnia orationum loca ante martyrum apostolorum thecis â—acebat cilitio prostratus auxilia sibi fida sanctorum intercessione poscebat That is he did with
mary be in honour let the Father the sonne and the holy ghost be worshipped let no manne worshippe Marye And by and by after Let no man eate of the errour whych is for the holye Marye Although it bee a goodly free yet it is not for meate to be eaten of Although Mary he most beautifull holye and honourable yet she is not appoyncted to be worshipped Lette therfore the error of the deceaued cease For neyther is Marye a God neyther hath she her bodye from heauen but of the conception of manne and woman howbeit disposed according to the promise as the conception and byrth of Isaac was And let no manne offer in her name For he that doth it doth caste awaye his soule Again let no man rayle against her nor blasphem the holy virgin god forfende For she was not coupled vnto man neither after the byrthe nor before the byrth of the Sauiour And in the same booke contra Colyridianos Colyâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the◠〈◊〉 offeâ—e 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Mar. â— Augâ—â—â— raâ—â—â—â—â—e 〈◊〉 â—mo these are also his wordes In dede the virgine was a virgin and honourable but not geueÌ„ vnto vs for to be worshipped but rather she dothe worship hym that toke his substance of her that is to say of hir fleshe Augustin in his booke De vera religione Let not the worshippyng of dead men bee a religion vnto vs for if they haue lyued godly they be not so taken as though they doo seke for such honors but they will haue him to be worshypped of vs by whose illumination they reioyce that we shoulde be partakers of their merite By their merite he doth vnderstand the croune of immortality which thei do obtein through faith in the merites of Christ Therfore they must be honoured through imitation and folowynge and not be worshipped throughe religion Agayne in the same booke we ought sayeth he to beleue that the most bountefull aungels and the most excellent ministers of god will haue vs to worshippe one god with them by whose contemplation they are blessed Neither doo we buylde temples vnto theim For they will not so behonoured of vs because that they knowe that when we are godly we are the temples of the most hye god â— Cor. 6. 2 Cori. 6. Therfore it is wel and rightly written that man was forbidden of the aungell to worship him but one god vnder whom he was his felowe seruaunte In the thyrde booke agaâ—nst the .ii. Epistels of the Pelagians vnto Bonifacius he writeth also on this maner All the saints that haue ben either from the olde Abell vnto Iohn Baptist or from the Apostels vnto this time and afterwards vnto th end of the worlde are to bee praised in God and not in theym selues For this is the voyce of theym that were afore My soule shal bee praysed in the Lorde And this is the voyce of the latter Thoroughe the grace of God I am that I am And this is the voyce bothe of the fyrst and of the last He that glorieth Cyrillus lette hym glorie in the Lorde Cyrillus in his sixt boke contra lulianum hathe plainely these wordes we neither say that the holy martyrs are gods neither are we wont to worshyp them but rather we doo honour theim with laudes and praises because that they did stoutly fight for the truthe that they myght kepe the sinceritie of faithe Hereby do we learne that in the primitiue church the honour that was geuen vnto martyrs was to praise commende and set foorth their constancie and stedfastnes their strong faithe and pacience in aduersitie and persequution that so God who had for the profite of his chirche endued them with suche excellent vertues might bee glorified and the reste exhorted folowyng their exaumple to fyght manfully in the quarell of the truthe and couragiously to shede their bloode for the sealynge vp of the same Chrysost Likewise Chrysostome in the xlv homilie vpon Mathew writing against theÌ„ their that wold seme to honor the martirs with their substance by makyng vnto theim gorgeous tumbes by buildyng vp in the honor of theim costely oratories or houses of prayers dooth say these wordes Neither doo the martirs reioyce when they are honored with the same money for the whiche the poore dooe weepe What is that vertue of righteousnesse to rewarde the deade and to spoyle the lyuyng The same authour doothe plainly teache in an other place that the true honor of the Sainctes is to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues But what nede we the authoritie of men Math. 4. l. 11.4 sythe that we haue so playne scriptures Thou shalte woorshyp the lorde thy God and hym onely shalt thou serue saith our sauior Iesus Christ wherupon I may make this argument Who soeuer is neyther oure Lorde nor our God to hym ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to woorshyp hym But neither the angels nor the dead Saintes are our Lordes and gods but are ministers of our Lorde god and vnder hym our felowe seruantes To them therfore ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to worshyppe them Neyther do we honoure and worship Christ Christ is â—ot vvorâ—hipped be cause he is â—an but be cause he is â—â—ue and â—aturall â—nd Obie 29 because that he is holy and righteous or because that he is welbeloued of god but because that he is true and naturall God of one substance with the father the holy ghoste Albion They saye that they do honour and worshyp god as well as ye doo and that they do not honour and worshyppe the Saintes or aungels as goddes but as the trends of god Again they do not worshippe the gods of the gentiles whiche were eyther diuels or wicked men Philalethes Answer This their aunswere is not worth a ryshe For Christ doth not say Thou shalt not worship vnclene spirits or wicked meÌ„ But thou shalt honor the lorde thy god and him onely shalte thou worshyppe Eutrapelus I doo nowe remeÌ„ber a thiÌ„g which I haue read in saint Augustine where he dothe dispute why the Romaynes vvorthye history sithe that they did worship the gods of all nations could neuer abyde to worshyppe the LORDE God of Israell And he dothe aleadge the reasonne whyche Socrates dothe brynge in also that in relygion it is required that euery God be worshipped according to his owne will Socrates sayng touching the vvorshipping of god and not according to the wil and pleasure of the worshippers But false gods as filthye fornicatours do require no such thynge of their worshippers that they shoulde be worshipped alone Sith then that the true lyuing god the god of Israell wyll be worshipped alone it did come to passe that the Romaines would in no wise receaue and alowe his religion For they could not abide that for one onely gods sake all the other gods shoulde be reiected and put doune Albion Obie 30 I will go no farther in this
worshipped or that are kepte in places where there is any peryl of idolatry As for the brasen Serpente besydes that it was a figure of our sauiour Iesu Christ as he him selfe doth testifye The brsen serpent Iohn 3. saying As Moyses exalted the serpente in the wildernesse so the sonne of man must be exalted that whosoeuer beleueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlasting life there was an expresse commaundement touching it But no such thing can they aleadge for their ymages Againe at the beginning whiles Moses and certaine godly iudges did liue no man did worshippe the brasen Serpent no man did offer inceÌ„se vnto it but at length by processe of tyme it dydde growe in to an wonderful superstition Whyche thing beynge perceaued by that moste holye kynge Ezechias 1. Kin â—8 he dydde not sende prophetes for to admonyshe and warne people that the brasen serpent was not set vp of Moses for to bee woorshipped but for to be a memorial or remembraÌ„ce and that therfor it ought not to be worshipped howbeit it ought to be kept stil and the abuse to be taken awaye but dydde cause it to be put doune to be beaten in to pouder and to be caste into a ryuer He dyd not passe for the long obseruaÌ„ce and that it hadde continued about seuen hundred yeares or more and that there had bene many holy and godlye kynges afore hym which did winke at the matter And yet we read that he was greatlye praysed for this acte VVould god al princes of his 〈◊〉 â—ome 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 â—â—chias Let all princes in Christendome doo the like vnto these images that idolatry hath bene committed vnto althoughe at the beginnynge they were not set vppe for to bee woorshypped but for to bee monumentes or remembraunces Now 〈◊〉 â—on dydde not therfore brynge into the temple oxen lions The 〈…〉 likenesses of byrdes with such other thynges that by thâ—iâ— he myghte represente GOD or admonysshe the people of holye thynges or that â—â—y shoulde bee bookes vnto the â—â—mple and ignoraunte but that therwith he might adorne and beautifie the vesselles of the temple And therfore they were made for a trymmyng and deckynge and not for to be worshipped DYDIMVS And maye wee not dooe the lyke for to trymme and decke oure churches with all EVTRAPF Yf ye hadde said for to bringe in gaynes and lucre than had ye tolde the truthe The temples of the christians do requyre an other manner of deckyng or tâ—immynge Be it so that Cherubin whiche are likenesses of aungelles were sette about the mercye seate what doth that make for their idolatry or what doth that proue that ymages do teache For neyther do we reade that any godly honour was doone vnto them nor the arke set forth abroade vnto the people but kept secretly in the holiest place For it was not lawfull for to beholde it with prophane eyes as wee maye see in the iiii chapiter of the Numbers and seconde Paralypomenon and fifth chapiter Cherobin why they were made Moreouer the Cherubin were nothing elles but signes of the presence of GOD and a certayne peculiar institution and ordeynaunce of God But no man will say that the peculiar ordinaunces of God are preiudiciall to his vniuersall lawes Elias did sett vp an altare in Carmelus against the writen lawe of god and yet he dyd not offende Certaine other dyd the lyke and yet they may not vppon these peculiar actes gather an vniuersall conclusion against the lawe of sette foorth in the .xii. chapi of Deuteronomie For the vniuersall law is not abrogated by certain priuiledges and dispensations granted of god The lyke may we say of the titles whiche Iosuah and Samuell dyd sette vp agaynst the written lawe accordyng to the qualitie of the presente state of the tymes and of the persons In the meane while the vniuersall law of god whiche forbiddeth all menne to make images or to worship them standeth still vnmouable and is always of lyke force and strengthe Dydimus Why then An other 〈◊〉 obâ—◠〈…〉 yf they bee not woorshypped or yf no godly honour bee doone vnto them they may be had But who would thinke that men are so bulleheaded that they wyll worshyp dumme ymages Answer and not rather the thynges that are signified and represented by them Eutrape Ye haue learned alreadye of oure brother Philalethes that God onelye ought to be worshipped Deuter â— But God can bee represented by no manner of similitude or ymage yea there is an expresse lawe that doth forbid vs to attempt any suche thinge And where as ye saye that men are not so dulâ—e headed that they will worshippe dumme ymages the experience hath taughte vs the contrarye For aboue a thousande yeares ago the people dyd thorough ygnoraunce of the lawe of God and the negligence of bishoppes begynne to worshippe dumme ymages â—erenus biâ—hop of maâ—â—ilia I haue for a witnesse of thys thynge Serenus bishoppe of Massilia who dydde in hys citye breake downe the ymage of Chryste and the ymages of the Saynctes because that he sawe theym to bee worshipped of the people I knowe well that Gregorye didde sore impugne that facte of hys but what Scripture dothe he brynge for to improue Sâ—renus deade None at all Moreouer yf as ye saye they dydde not worshyppe the ymages but the thynges represented by theym Why hauynge the roode and ymage of the vrygyne Maâ—ye at home in her owne churches Let the enemies aunâ—â—er to this â—â—â—ction of euery can dydde they goe a gaddynge to oure Ladye of Wilsdone to our Ladye of Walsingame to the holye roode of Bostonne Was not thys a prayne and a manifeste token and sygne that they were wedded to the images that they thoughte more holynesse to bee in the one thanne in the other Elles woulde they haue contented theym selues with those ymages that they hadde at home in their owne churches and spared both coâ—â— and labour which they bestowed vpon then idolatrous pilgrimages PHILALETHES Sayeng a littell before that GOD canne bee represented by no manner of similitude and ymage ye dydde putte me in minde of the words of Athanasius Athana in â—bio contâ—a gentes whiche are these Lette theym tell me I praye theym howe GOD dothe aunswere or is knowen by suche thynges Is it by the mater or stuffe that is about them and whereof they bee made or by the form and shape that is geuen them Yf it bee by the stuffe what neade is there of the forme or shape And why dyd not God rather afore they were fashioned and shapen appeare and manyfest hymself by the vniuersall stuffe But yf the form or shape that they haue receaued is the cause of the knowledge of God what nede is there of golde or of any other stuffe Mark vvei these vvordes of Athanasius or why is not God rather reuealed by the true liuyng creatures whose shapes and formes the ymages are for truly according
may wtout any scrupulositie of coÌ„sciÌ„ece be present at the sacrifices of the gentiles and sitte with them at their feasts and banketts which they doo keepe in the honor of their idols For the mynd beyng restored vnto it selfe doth honor and worship the true liuing God alone therfore it contemneth ydoles and can not sithe it is purified by faithe be polluted or defiled with those thinges that be offered vnto theim Pauleâ— aunsâ—vere to â—heir reasons Vnto all those Paule maketh this answere Although thou doest beleue that there is but one God and doest therefore vnderstande that bothe the idoles the worshypping of theim and the sacrifices offered vnto them are but mere vanitie yet all men doo not see so muche neyther doo they comme to the sacrifices with the same conscience He that is weake and hath not yet cleane put away his olde inueterate errour whiche he hadde sucked of his forefathers dooth with a conscience sitte at suche meates and accordyng to his olde superstition whiche he hath no fully shaken of doth feare and dreade those goddes specially when he seeth thee whome he taketh to be of a founde iudgement to sytte at such prophane meates For he doeth suspecte that thou dost eate with none other conscience than he dooth and so he is not smally offended with thy bolde exaumple Bothe Ambrose Theophilactus and also Erasmus doo allowe this exposition Nowe if ye wille applie this to our purpose ye shall fynde nothyng that doothe more strongly impugne the images For although he whyche is of stronge faythe knoweth the image to bee nothynge yet another whyche hathe a weaker faythe wylle not so iudge But as long as he shall se them thus to stande in the Chyrches He wylle reasonne thus wyth hym selfe Idolatrye is not so damnable as the preachers doo say it is sythe that they are yet kept in the chyrches and are tollerated or borne withall of some lerned menne so they that frome their cradell haue bene nouseled in superstition and haue bene persuaded that there is some holyâ—â—sse in the ymages are kept still in errour can neuer come to a perfect pure faith Images ought to be pardoun in all churches Therfore it is a most wyse poynte to pull doune all ymages sythe that it is against all reason that a thyng of naught shoulde stande in the house of God in the place of prayer and therby had in reuerence But the Apostell doth briefely and shortly conclude or knit vp the whole disputation saieng Therfore wel beloued flye from idolatry Albion Obie 35 Yet it seemeth good vnto me that we shold haue the ymage of Christ being crucifyed with the images of his principall Apostelles and speciallye of the blessed virgin Mary the mother of our sauiour Iesu Christe for to put put vs in mynde of the passion of Christe and of the excellent vertues of his faithfull seruantes The dulneâ— of men in â—â—ings thaâ—â—ertaâ—â—e tâ—â—ut saluatioâ— Eutrapelus I fynde nowe by experience that the same is moste true whiche our brother Philalethes doth manye tymes repete in his sermons that is how that a good thynge hathe neede to be repeted and spoken of many tymes and often elles it will not bee remembred Ye hearde a little beefore that the meanes appoynted of god for to put vs in mynd of our Sauiour Iesu Christe and of the saluation purchased by him are the preachyng of the gospell and the ryghte and due ministration of the sacramentes according to the institution and ordeinaÌ„ce of the eternall wisedome of God that we are assured by goddes promises that the holy ghoste doth with these meanes worke in the hearts of the elect and chosen but as for ymages they be expressely forbidden in gods booke it is so farre of that they should be appoincted for to be meanes wherby the holy ghost shold plante faithe in our heartes or styrre vp our myndes to the knowledge of god to the imitation of his sayntes And because aboue al other ye would haue the ymage of Christe The ymage of â—heâ—â— of all other is most perillous I lette you to vnderstande brother Albion that of all other the ymage of Chryste is most perillous For the holyer the person is whyche is represented by the ymage ye shal finde the greater peryll of ydolatrye to bee in it Therfore it was not without a iuste cause that those godlye Emperours Valens and Theodosius dydde sette forth this godlye decree Sithe that this is our chiefest care aboue all thinges to mayntaine the religion of the high god we grante to no man Pertus Crinitus li. 9 de honeâ—ta diâ—ciplina ca. 9. to graue or paint the ymage of our sauiour Christe neyther to paynte it with colours nor to graue it in sones or in any other matter ‡ But vvhere soeuer it is found vve do bid â—t to be taken avvay beyng determined to punishe greuouslye those that will attempte anye thing contrarye to our decrees Wherin yf any man perchance dothe requyre an authour lette him reade the edictes and decrees of Emperours which haue ben gathered by these great learned meÌ„ Tribunianus Basilides Theophilus Dioscorus and other and most chieflye by the commaundement of Iustinianus the Emperor Hereby do we learn that it perteyneth to the mainteynaunce of true religion to put â—oune all ymages yea the ymage of oure Sauioure Iesu Christe VVhat vvee do learn by the decree of those eâ—â—perours because that in it there is moste peryll of idolatry And agayne that Vâ—lens and Theodosius did not this alone but many other Emperours whose decrees and edictes by the commandemeÌ„t of Iustinianus haue bene collected and gathered together by these greate learned men afore rehersed Philalethes Vnto these worthy Emperors wil I ioyne a most godlye auncient bishoppe whose greeke Epistle beyng sent to Iohn bisshop of Hierusalem Hierome did translate into latine his name is Epiphanius The wordes of the epistle are these Epiphanius â—ishop of â—alamena â— 1â— Cypius The ministration of the supper of the Lord vvas called collecta most chefly because â—hat the gatheâ—â—â—ges vvere made for the â—oâ—câ— When we were goyng together to the holy place which is called Bethel there to celebrate the communion wyth thee according to the Ecclesiasticall maner and was come to a ferm place called Anablatha and did see there passynge by a light burnyng and did aske what the place was and had learned that it was a churche and had gon for to pray there I founde as it were a vaile died or painted and hauing the ymage as it were of Christ or of som saint For I do not wel remember whose ymage it was Therfore when I dyd see that the ymage of man did hange in the churche contrary to the scriptures I rente it and did rather geue councel to the wardens of the place that they should wynd some poore dead body in it And a lyttell after Bid I beeseeche thee the elders of
Galati 1. But what shall they wynne by it Yf an aungell from heauen shoulde preache vnto me any other Gospell than hathe bene preached he shal be vnto me Anathema that is to saye Tertullian de praese iphaereticoruÌ„ accursed Are not these Tertullians wordes We ought to indulge or brynge nothyng of our owne heade neyther to chose that which anye man hath brought in of his owne head or of his owne brayne We haue the Apostelles for our authors which dyd not those of their owne braynes what they should bring in but didde faithfully assigne and delyuer vnto nations that whych they receaued of the Lord. Therfore yf an aungell from heauen shoulde preache any other Gospell vnto vs we would pronounce it to be accursed Are not also these Hieromes wordes Hiero. in Ma ca 23. Quod de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That is That which hath no auctority out of the scriptures or by the scriptures maye as easely bee contemned as it is proued Ambro. de virginibus lib. 4. Ambrose also writeth on this maner We do by good ryght condemne all newe thinges that Chryste hath not taughte For Christe is the waye vnto the faythefull Yf therfore CHRISTE hath not taught that whyche wee doo teache wee dooe also iudge it execrable â–ª heare also what Origene sayeth Wee haue neede to brynge the Scriptures for a witnesse Orige ho. â— in â—â—e For oure meanynges and exposicions wythoute these witnesses haue no credite These testimonies and autorities of the forefathers do sufficientlye proue that the olde aunciente writers oughte no farther to bee beeleued than they dooe brynge Goddes woorde for theyr warraunte But in all these auctorities that bothe youre angelicall writer and also Ossus dothe brynge what warraunt of Goddes worde haue they DYDIMVS Obi. 36 Augu. 11 â—ctâ— 118. in Ioannem I doo thynke none other but that ye wyll attribute muche to Sainte Augustyne as to hym whom all menne do acknowledged to be one of the chiefe pyllours of the churche But these are his very wordes What is it that all menne doo knowe the sygne of Chryste Whyche sygne yf it bee not made eyther in the foreheades of theym that dooe beeleue or in the water wherewyth wee are regenerated or in the oyle wherwyth wee are annoyncted or in the sacrifice wherwyth they are fedde and nourysshed none of all these things is rightly done What coulde be spoken more playnely than this Eutrapelus Answer In deede this is plainly spoken But where is the scripture or woorde of God that he doothe bryng for his warraunt Heare nowe what he saieth hym self Neither ought we to take the disputations of all men Augu. episto ad fortuna 111. howe catholike soeuer and commendable they be as the Canonicall scriptures as though we may not safe the reuerence that is due vnto suche men improue and refuse any thing of their writynges if we fynd that they haue ment otherwise than the truthe dooth alow beyng by the help of God founde by vs or by other And in an other place I am not moued with the authoritie of this epistle For I do not take the letters of Cyprian as the canonical scriptures but I do try his writings by the canonical scriptures Contra Cresâ—on gâ—â—maâ—◠〈◊〉 2. c 32. And whatsoeuer in them dooth agree with thâ— autoritie of the holy scriptures I doo receaue it with his coÌ„mendation and what so euer doothe not agree with goddes woorde I doo by his good leaue refuse it Manny other places myght I alleadge out of this auncient Father but these with the rest alleadged before shall suffise to proue howe farrefoorthe menne be they neuer so excellente oughte to bee credited Nowe lette vs cope sommewhat nearer with oure ennemyes where in all those places that they bothe doo alleadge is there any iote or syllable of goddes woorde But the Doctoures wyll bee beleued but as farre foorthe as they doo brynge Goddes worde for theyr warraunt therefore in all those authorities that they haue brought I maye choose whether I wyll beleeue theym or not Howe manye thynges haue beene vsed by those forefathers whyche afterwardes haue been abolished In Tertullians tyme Many thinges did the olde mei fathers vse vâ—hich by good right are novv out doune mylke and honye was geuen and offered vnto theym that were baptised Bothe in Cyprians and in saynt Augustine tyme they mynistred the communion vnto younge infantes and babes But yet all these thynges haue beene by good ryghte abolysshed so maye it bee of all other thynges that haue been vsed withoute the woorde of GOD as is theyr consecrated or holye oyle whych which they called Chrisme the signe of the crosse and other lyke thynges that haue no expresse commaundemente in Gods booke Dydimus Obie 37 Howe chaunceth that by the signe of the Crosse as they say the diuels and vncleane spirites haue ben dryuen away if it bee not allowed of God nor yet by his worde EVTRAPELVS Answer It maye be that this as all other myracles was graunted for a tyme for to get more authoritie vnto the doctrine of the gospell and vnto the christian religion emonge the vnbeleuyng Gentiles Chr. 49 in Ma. 24. ca Augu. lib 1. â—etract ca. 23. but nowe yea a greate whyles sens as bothe Chrysostome and Augustine dooth testifye the woorkynge of myracles is ceassed So that nowe we oughte rather to take good heede vnto oure selues leste we be seduced and deceaued by Sathan the dyuell and made to put oure truste where no truste is to bee putte What crossynge I praye you doo the coniurers charmers and sorcerers of oure tyme vse I doo not denye but that the vncleane spirites make sometimes as thoughe they were wounderfullye scarred with theyr crossynge But wherefore is this but for to brynge theyr diuellyshe arte whereof the vncleane spirites theyr selues are authors to greater credite To bee shorte they go aboute by this doctrine to make vs to leane that wherein our whole truste oughte to bee and to put oure truste in thynges of naught Ye know what lyeng tales we haue hearde of theyr coniured water of what vertue power The lvinge â—ales touching coniured vvater and strength it hathe been for to dryue awaye vncleane spirites where soeuer it shoulde bee sprinkeled so that they dydde mooste sacrilegeously attribute vnto theyr beggarlye inuentions the same that oughte onely and solely to be attributed vnto the bloode of our sauyour Iesu Christe beeyng thorough faythe and by the myghtye operation of the holye ghoste sprynkeled in our consciences Exo. 12 For as the bloode of the lambe beeyng stryken on the twoo poastes and vppon the vpper poste of the doore of the Hebrewes houses dydde keepe of the destroyer not beecause that the bloudde of a brute beaste had any suche vertue of it selfe but beecause it was the Lordes Instytution buylded on his woorde and thorough faythe obeyed of the
ymages Scarcelye one halfepeny is geuen to Christ beyng an hungerd in his poore lymmes but men can will fynd in their hartes to geue whole hundreths of crounes towardes the setting vp and trimmyng of images DYDIMVS Oh preposterous deuotion I knowe a churche where the roode and roode lofte did coste eleuen score poundes Philalethes But yf they had bestowed but halfe that money vppon the poore of their parishe in the time of the great dearth that was then or there about they wold haue thought them selues vndoone Lette them reade Clemens fyft booke which they say he didde write to Iames the brother of the lord Yf ye will saith he worship truely the ymage of the lord we shewe that vnto you Hovv vve may hoâ—â— the ymage of god a right which is true do good vnto maÌ„ which is made after the ymage of God honour and reuerence hym feede hym whenne he is an hungered geue hym drynke when he is a thyrste clothe hym being naked harboure him beyng harbourlesse visite him whenne he is sicke aâ—â—n prison and minister vnto hym thâ—â—e thynges that he hath neede of It foloweth what honoring of god is this to runne agaddyng to wooden and stonye ymages and to worship insensible and lyuelesse ydoles and in the meane whyle to dispise man in whome is the image of god Vnderstand therfore that this is the persuasioÌ„ of the serpent that lyeth hidde within who persuadeth you that ye shall seeme godlye when ye doo honour and worship vnsensible idoles adn that ye shall not seeme vngodlye when ye hurte the sensible and reasonable creatures Eutr Who hearing and markyng all these thinges and waying the harmes that come by images would not be at defyaunce with them Euerye man I trowe But yet this is not all For what hurt and losse hath all Christendome receaued by the occasion of ymages For as the ymages whyche Salomon didde in his olde age erecte and sette vppe were the cause of the schisme and deuision that was after his deathe in Israell I meane that at one clap Images causes of diuision in the common vvelthe of Israell and also in the empire whole ten tribes didde fall away from the house of Dauid and did chose vnto theimselues a kyng Hieroboam the Ephraimite who settynge vp the golden calues in Dan and Bethel caused all Israell to committe moste detestable ydolatrie wherof vtter destruction of bothe the realmes did ensue and folowe so the contention that dyd ryse about images betwixt the east and west churches and the damnable stoutenesse of the byshop of Rome with his adherentes in mainteinyng and defendyng not onely the ymages but also the ydolatrous woorshyppyng of theym dydde breede a very hurtefull diuysion in the Empire whereby all Christendome was wonderfully weakened For after that Rauenna with rest of Italye and all Fraunce with Germanie were by the subtile and wylye meanes of the byshoppe of Rome reuolted and fallen away from the Emperor of Constantinople The Sarasens and Mahometistes did ware wonderfully strong and at lengthe didde meruaylously preuayle For they subdewed myghtye peoples Realmes Cities defacyng and puttynge downe euery where the trewe religion of Christe The mischiefe that the contention aboute the ymageâ— did breede and settyng vppe the Mahometishe religion This was the goodly fruite of the settynge vppe of ymages of the mainteynyng of the ydolatrous woorshyppynge of theym and of the contention that dyd ryse aboute thym whyles the one dyd affirme accordynge to the scriptures that ymages ought in no wyse to bee hadde and the other agaynste the expresse worde of God and commaundement that they ought not onely to bee hadde but also to bee woorshypped whereof such an enuye and hatered dydde ryse betwyxte theym that they woulde in no wyse healpe ayde and succoure one an other agaynst the commune enemie beyng in this poynt mooste lyke vnto Iuda and Israell whyche after their dyuision whyche chaunced by reason of Idolles neuer loued or trusted one an other seekyng the frendshyppe and amitie of forayne kynges and princes nowe of the Assyrians nowe of the Babylonians now otherwhyles of the Egyptians that so they myghte the sooner destroye one an other till at length by the righteous iudgemente of God they were bothe delyuered vp into the handes of theyr ennemyes Dydimus I woulde fayn heare the whole hystorie if it were not tedious vnto you EVTRAPELVS The hystorie is very long and therefore I wyll hereafter sende it vnto you by writyng Dydimus I holde my selfe well contente with it and specially sythe that bothe oure brother Philalethes and you haue so welle satisfied our mindes in this matter Albion In deede I was neuer better satisfied in this poynt thatn I am now I thanke God moste hartily for it Fyrst and formost we haue learned that God onely oughte to bee called vppon and prayed vnto â—he concluâ—on of the â—hole boke And that therefore they that in theyr necessities doo by prayer flye vnto dead creatures do robbe God of his glorie and doo commytte moste damnable sacriledge Whyche thynge was sufficientely proued by manyfest textes of the scriptures and by strong authorities of the ancient fathers of the primitiue Churches all the obiections that the aduersaries can make beyng mightily aunswered and confuted Secondly ye haue playnely shewed vnto vs that we ought to acknowledge none other mediatour betwixt god man but oure Sauiour Iesus Christe onelye whome the Scriptures doo appoyncte vnto vs for the omnisufficient sauiour of mankynde and for our onely intercessoure aduocate and mediatour makyng no mention at all of the intercession or mediation of the deade Sainctes whiche thyng the Holy ghoste woulde not haue omitted yf the dead Sainctes or the Saintes departed out of this world hadde been eyther appoyncted or allowed of god to be intercessors vnto hym for vs. The textes of the scriptures and the authorities of the ancient writers by you alleadged are so many are so myghtie stronge that the enemies of the truth may be ashamed to maintain styll theyr grosse and idolatrous opinion Thirdely it hathe been declared that as the sayntes that bee already in glorie with God oughte not to bee called vpon nor to be taken for oure mediatours so no godly honour ought to be geuen vnto them forasmuche as it is a seruice whyche is due onely vnto God Where ye hadde an occasion to shewe howe many ways the trewe and faythfull seruauntes of God beynge departed hence in the faith of his sonne Iesu Christe maye bee honoured and that the greatest honour that we canne do vnto them is to obey their godly and sounde doctrine wherby they haue instructed vs in the trewe relygyon and worshipping of the true onelye god and also to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues wherby they did gloryfie God whiles they lyued here in this worlde This also was doone by the infallible worde of God and testimonies of the holy Doctors of the true Catholike church all the obiections of the aduersaries beyng quite ouerthrowen by the same Laste of all ye haue proued that no fygure ymage or lykenesse of God nor of his sonne Iesu Christe nor of the Holy ghoste nor yet of the saintes oughte to bee hadde in the house of prayer or in any other place where so euer there is any perille of idolatrie And that there can be no vse of theym in the Oratories or prayeng places of the Christians but rather that they doo moste hurte where soeuer they be vsed and kepte Ye haue shewed by the waye what is the true Crosse that we ought to delyte and haue a pleasure in and that as for the materiall crosses they doo more hurt than good and that therfore for auoiding of offences they ought to be taken away These thynges haue beene so substantiallye done that I holde my selfe satisfyed in all poyntes and I do gene God moste hartye thankes that wee haue so well spent this day Dydimus In dede this day was frutefully spent Laude and praise be vnto god therfore for euer and euer EVTRAPE Amen FINIS ¶ IMPRINTED AT London by Henry Sutton for Thomas â—acket Ther. daye of Marche In the yere of our Lorde God 1561.
Apostle Saint Andrew hadde preached And as touching the miracles wonders that he doth speake of who doth not see that thin good man hauyng forgotten hym selfe dyd attribute the same vnto the dead bones of the Saints which the true seruantes of god being aliue wold neuer haue suffred to be attributed vnto them Neither ought his examples to in due vs any thing For in receiuing or settyng out religion The facte of a priuate man in maters of religion proueth nothing the priuate facte or deede of men proueth nothyng unlesse it be manifest that it is wel done But that only is wel done which is boone by the auctoritie of the scriptures and not against the law of God Now if we shold reade the whole Bible ouer and call to remembraunce all the examples of the true and faithfull seruauntes of God mentioned of in the scriptures A poore helpe in tyme is muche vvaith we shall not fynde there one onely iote or syllable of the gatheryng translatyng or honoring of the relikes of the Sainctes DIDYMVS It semeth that ye do now condemne Constantine and Archadius and those godly byshops with Helenâ— the mother of Constantine the greate whose examples Hierome dooth bring foorth for the probatioÌ„ of his doctrine Philalethes It foloweth not because I do disalow their fact in this point that therfore I do vtterly condemne them or laye any sacriledge to their charge The holy Apostle doth write after this maner of his contreymen the Iewes Rom. 9. I beare them recorde that they haue a zeale of God but not accordynge to knowledge And I doo not doubt but that they dyd of a zeale that which they dyd but in the meane whyle they dyd minister a great occasion of stumblyng to theym that came after Whereby it foloweth that they synned greuously againste the Lorde 1 Ch. ca 17 The holye scripture doothe saye thus of Iosaphat And the Lorde was with Iosaphat because that he walked in the first wayes of Dauid his father and soughte not Baalim but sought the Lord GOD of his father and walked in his commandementes and not after the trade of Israell Agayne 1 Cht 20. he walked in the way of Asa his father and departed not there from doyng that which was right in the sight of God Howbeit the hye places were not taken away For the people had noy yet prepared theyr heartes vnto the god of their fathers Who wold vtterly condemne this holy prince for that error or lay any sacrilege to his charge But who would againe allowe that whiche he dyd So we ought not by and by to condemne those godlye princis Constantine and Archadius ConstaÌ„tine Arcâ—â—dius with the byshops muche lesse to laye sacrilege to their charge whom we beleue to be in blessedfulnes with their head and kyng our sauiour Iesu Christ Yet in the meane while we may not alowe that fact of theyrs for asmuche as it was withoute any warrant or example of the scriptures Gedeon Gedeon emong the Iudges of Israell was coumpted most vpright and moste godly and yet being caried away with to greate a zeale towarde religion he sinned moste greuouslye againste the Lorde his God For hauing gathered together of the pray of the ennemies earerynges and other lyke iewelles of golde he dyd make vnto hymselfe an Ephod VVould god al kinâ—e prinâ—es that in profeâ— Christe vvoulde maâ— this history not for to set vp a newe religion 〈◊〉 straunge worshipping but for a memoriall of the greate victorye that god had geuen him against his enemies At the first it did not seme to be any great offence but at length by the reason of it great Idolatry was coÌ„mitted in the lande as the holy scripture doth testify saiyng And all Israell wente a whoring after it in Ophra which was the destruction of Gedeon his house yf Gedeon hadde bene wyse he should haue asked councell of goddes worde and not folowed his good intente Yf those godly bishops emperours that Hierome doth speake of had asked couÌ„cell of the scriptures and had bene ruled by them they would not haue opened the sepulchres or graues of the dead nor yet set forth their bones to be worshipped For vnto whom of the Saintes either in the new or in the olde Testament was euer this done Eutra Yf men would haue conteÌ„ted them selues with the same rule that God hath prescribed vnto vs in his worde and wyth the laudable examples of the same such inconueniences would not haue groweÌ„ in the chirch nor yet could such abhominable idolatry haue takeÌ„ place amoÌ„g christen meÌ„ as we se now to reigne almost in al places Ph This shal wee fynde written of Moises Den. 34. The historie of the death and buryeng of Moses So Moyses the seruant of the lord died there in the lande of Moab according to the worde of the lorde and he buried him in a valley in the lande of Moab ouer against Beth-peor but no man knoweth os his sepulchre vnto this daye Yf the taking vp translating of dead mennes bodies had bene expedient for the glory of God for the saluatioÌ„ of men verely the lord wold not haue hidden such pretious relikes of his well beloued and faithfull seruant For without all controuersye Moses was the chiefest amonge all the prophetes of whoÌ„ we do rede after this manner Nume 12 Yf there bee a prophete of the lord among you I will be knowen to him by a vision will speake vnto him by dreame My seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house Vnto hym will I speake mouth to mouth and by vision and not in darke woordes but he shal see the similitude of the lorde Thys place doth the holye Apostle aleadge in his epistle to the Hebrues And yet for all this Moises beynge suche a man is neyther translated nor layed vp in a golden or syluer shrine ther is no chapel nor church builded for him he is not caried about in processioÌ„ among a sorte of superstitious menne Ther were some at that time that would gladly haue doone it and woulde haue spared no cost at all Do we not rede in the Apochryphes that ther was a strife betwixt the aungelles and the diuel about the body of Moses whereof Iude maketh mention in his Epistle And doubtles Iudes pâ—stle this was because that the diuel would kepe aboue the grounde the body of the faithful seruant of god and bring it foorth vnto superstitious men for to be worshipped â–ª which thinge the good angels perceauing what abhominable idolatrye would haue risen thervpon would in no wise suffer hauing a respect vnto the glory of God and to mens saluation which next vnto gods glorye they do seeke aboue al thyngs Albion Do we not reede in the first boke of Moses that the Israelites did enbaâ—â— the bodye of Ioseph did put it vp in a cheste in Egipt This I am sure is an exaumple of