glory of God and the merits of Christ And therefore the conclusion must needs follow being built vpon an vnmooueable foundation that that Religion which maintaineth such doctrines is not the truth of Christ but the seduction of Antichrist MOTIVE V. That Religion deserueth to be suspected which refuseth to be tryed by the Scriptures as the perfect and alone rule of faith and will bee iudged and tryed by none but it selfe But such is the Religion of the Church of Rome Ergo. THe first proposition in this Argument though it be most true and cannot without any shew of reason be contradicted yet that it may be without all doubt and exception it shall not be amisse to strengthen the same by sound and euident proofes deriued both out of Gods word and consent of ancient Fathers The Proposition consists of two parts first that it cannot be the true Religion which will not abide the alone tryall of the Scriptures Secondly that it will bee iudged and tryed by none but it selfe let vs consider of both these seuerally 2. And concerning the first if the Scripture be the fountaine of all true religion the foundation and basis of our faith the Canon and rule of all the doctrines of faith and the touch-stone to trye truth from falshood then to refuse to be iudged and tryed by the Scriptures alone is plainely to discouer that there is something in it which issued not from that fountain which is not built vpon that foundation which is so oblique and crooked that it dares not to be applyed to that rule and which is counterfeit and dares not abide the touchstone Now that the Scripture is such as I haue said let the Holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture beare witnesse Search the Scripture saith our Sauiour for in them you thinke to haue eternall life and they be they which testifie of me therefore the Scripture is the fountaine of all true religion for what is the Religion of Christians but the right knowledge of Christ Iesus This caused Saint Paul to say I desire to know nothing but Christ Iesus and him crucified Againe the Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith in Christ Iesus and are profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute and perfect to euery good worke Therefore the Scripture is the onely fountaine of true Religion for what is true Religion but spirituall wisedome and holy perfection the one in contemplation the other in action the one in knowledge the other in practice for these two ioyned together do make a man truly religious but the Scriptures afford both as it is cleare in that saying of S. Paul and may be confirmed by another like speech of Salomon who affirmeth that the commandements of God will make a man to vnderstand righteousnesse and iudgement and equity and euery good path Righteousnesse and iudgement pertaine to knowledge equity and euery good path belong to practice And for this cause Origen compareth the Scriptures to Iacobs Well from whence not onely Iacob and his sonnes that is the learned and the skilfull but his sheepe and cattell that is the simple and ignorant doe drinke that is deriue vnto themselues the waters of life and saluation and therefore where the knowledge of the Scriptures flourished not as among all the Heathen both Romanes Grecians and Barbarians before their conuersion there no true Religion shewed it selfe but their Religion was all false and deuillish for in stead of the true God they worshipped dumb creatures and mortall men yea deuils themselues as Lactantius sheweth All which proceeded from hence that they had not the word of God for their guide which is the onely fountaine and well-spring of true Religion 3. Againe as it is the fountaine from whence so it is the foundation vpon which our faith relieth whether wee take faith for the act of beleeuing or for the matter and obiect of our beliefe Ye are built saith S. Paul vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Iesus himselfe being the chiefe corner stone By the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is meant the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine as all Expositours that I haue read yea their owne Aquinas and Caietane with one consent auouch and to bee built vpon this foundation is to haue our faith to relye and depend vpon it onely as a house relyeth onely vpon the foundation and without a foundation cannot stand that therefore is no doctrine of faith that is vpholden by any other foundation neither hath that any good foundation which is not built vpon the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine they build vpon sand that build vpon humane traditions euery stormy puffe of winde will shake the house of that faith but they which heare the word of Christ and keepe it build vpon a rocke against which neither the raine flouds nor windes no not the gates of hell are able to preuaile because they are grounded vpon the rocke which rocke indeede is Christ to speake properly as not onely S. Peter confesseth 1. Pet. 2. 7. but euen Christ himselfe that is this rocke Math. 16. 18. when hee saith Vpon this rocke will I build my Church that is vpon this truth that Christ is the Sonne of God yet the word of Christ may also be called the rocke because it is as firme and durable as Christ himselfe And that wee may know that Gods word onely is the foundation of faith S. Paul telleth vs plainely that faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God If any of them say as they doe that the word of God is not onely that which is written in Scripture but that which is vnwritten deliuered by tradition let them shew as good reasons to proue their traditions to be the word of God as we doe to proue the Scripture and we will beleeue them but since they cannot let them beare with vs if we vnderstand the Apostles words as spoken onely touching the written word and the rather because we haue for the warrantize of our interpretation both S. Paul himselfe in the same Chapter verse 8. when he saith This is the word offaith which we preach Where hee sheweth what is that word which is the ground of our faith namely the word preached And S. Peter who hauing magnified the word of God with this commendation that it endureth for euer presently expoundeth himselfe of what word hee spake saying And this is that word which is preached amongst you That is the word of the Gospell which was not in part but wholy and fully as preached by mouth so committed to writing And thus S. Basil also interprets it for he saith Quicquid est vltra scripturas Whatsoeuer is out of the Scriptures diuinely inspired because it is not of faith is sinne for faith is by hearing and hearing by
meates and that from all in generall and that to this end for the castigation and mortification of the body and not eyther for merite sake or that it is a thing vnlawfull or that wee may glut our selues with some kinde and may not so much as touch others vpon paine of heresie which is the doctrine of the Church of Rome This is all that S. Augustines words import which as they doe not deliuer them from opposition to the Gospell so they manifestly imply these two conclusions first that the Synagogue of Rome is not the Church of God for it forbiddeth marriage to Priests not as a lesser good but as a thing simply euill And secondly that they maintaine in this their Church that doctrine which of S. Paul is called The doctrine of Diuels for they forbid both Meates and Marriage at some times and to some persons as things sinfull and vnlawfull And whereas the Fathers almost in generall say that it is better for such as haue vowed continency to marry then to fall into the fire of lust they conclude filthily to their eternall disgrace It is better for a Priest to play the whoremonger and keepe a Concubine then after his vow of continency to be coupled in wedlocke 39. But Bellarmine couereth her nakednesse whereof he is as it seemeth some what ashamed with a figge leafe of a distinction for he saith that fornication is not simply better then marriage but in respect that a man hath before entred into a vow in which regard to marry after the vow is a greater sinne then to commit fornication and this hee proueth by an example from a married woman whose husband is eyther continually absent or sicke so that hee cannot performe the marriage debt vnto her It is not sayd vnto her It is better to marry then to burne but shee ought to keepe her faith to her husband and by fasting and prayer keepe vnder and tame the concupiscence of her nature and therefore saith hee that precept or permission Let him marry is not spoken to all but only to such as are free and not if they be bound and haue giuen their faith vnto God 39. To which I answere two things First I aske him whether this vow which 〈◊〉 talke of be onely against marriage or against all manner of incontinency If they say that it is the vow of chastitie and that it is against all manner of incontinency then how can it bee that it should bee broken more by marriage then by fornication by hauing a wife then by keeping a whore and that to marry in respect of the vow should be a greater sinne then to commit whoredome especially seeing marriage is Gods ordinance and fornication of the Diuels institution that an honourable and holy estate and this a filthy and vgly sinne If they say that the vow is against marriage onely then what a Religion is Popery that teacheth her people to vow against marriage and not against fornication against wiues and husbands but not against whores and varlets Surely that Religion that maintaineth this cannot be of God 40. Secondly to his example I answere Marriage cannot be inioyned to her that is married already albeit her husband bee eyther absent or impotent for that is contrary to Gods ordinance Mal. 2. 14. Mat. 19. 5. But the vow of single life is not Gods ordinauce especially in so high a degree as marriage is for at the most it is but a Council whereas the other is a flat Precept to all that cannot containe and besides they that are married may expect the blessing of God vpon them vsing the meanes for their restraint in a godly manner and begging continency at Gods hand because they are in a calling ordayned by God but they that are in a vow who either enter rashly or are thrust in against their wills and contrary to Gods Commandement not being able to abstaine but proudly presume vpon their owne strength how can they hope for Gods blessing vpon them to strengthen them against the temptations of the flesh And thus this example together with the distinction it selfe maketh no whit to the iustifying of their doctrine but that it still remayneth in plaine contrariety and opposition to the Gospell of Iesus Christ 41. The Gospell teacheth that there is one true and solide foundation vpon which the Church of God is built 〈◊〉 to wit our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ But the Romish congregation cryeth out that Peter and the ordinary succession of Popes and the Church of Rome is the foundation of the whole Church and that the Church is built vpon them and not vpon Christ alone 42. Bellarmine distinguisheth of foundations and saith that Christ is the primary and principall foundation of the Church but that doth not hinder but that there may be secundary foundations and for proofe thereof he alledgeth Ephes 2. 20. where it is said that we are built the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and Apoc. 11. 14. where the twelue Apostles are made the twelue foundations of the Church 43. To which I answere three things First that though it be trueâ—â— that the Apostles bee the secundary foundations of the Church layd vpon Christ the true Rocke and foundation as twelue goodly stones and that vpon them the Church is built to wit vpon Christ primarily and principally and vpon them secundarily yet it doth not take away the Antithesis of their doctrine to the Gospell for they say that Peter is the onely secundary foundation and that hee as the chiefest stone is layd next vnto Christ and the rest of the Apostles built immediately vpon him and mediately by him vpon Christ But those Scriptures say that the twelue Apostles are twelue precious stones laid one by one vpon Christ and not one vpon another and twelue foundations equally proportioned to each other and not one placed vpon the top of another and so it is true that as the prerogatiue of the onely singular foundation belongeth to Christ so the honour of being secundary foundations is equally deuided among the twelue Apostles and so Peter in this respect hath no greater prerogatiue then the rest And therefore this distinction deliuers them not from the snare seeing that it maketh all the twelue Apostles altogether ioynt-foundations of the Church and they would haue Peter to bee the onely foundation next vnto Christ vpon whom both the Church of God and the Apostles themselues are built 44. Secondly I answere that when the Apostles are said to be foundations of the Church it is not meant of their persons but of their doctrine as witnesse almost all the Fathers for concerning person it is true which Saint Paul saith No man can lay any other foundation beside that which is layd Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. 11. But the Romanists would not haue the doctrine of Peter but the person of Peter to be this foundation and for proofe thereof Bellarmine fetcheth this argument from the
for sinne that as by Chaucers Canterbury tales may appeare it deserueth rather to bee called a pastime than a penance If Almes be enioyned by the Confessor to the poore penitent then must an Abby be built or some religious house to nourish a company of idle drones good for nothing but fruges consumere or suppose an high-way bee repayred or a Church reedified or an Hospitall erected what terrour can this be from sinne when the penalty may thus be discharged by the purse As for their Fasting watching whiping going barefoote though it carry a shew of zeale in respect of not sparing the body yet it is a plaine imitation of Baals Priests and little profitable as Saint Paul saith to godlinesse but rather an incitation to loosenes For when a man is perswaded and taught that all his foule sins committed the whole yere before are vtterly blotted out and done away by fasting one meale euery Wednesday and Friday and eating nothing but Fish during the holy time of Lent except Iunckets and sweet meates and wine and Sugar which they gorge themselues withall and yet fast too and bearing ashes on Ashwednesday going woolward on Good-friday or giuing himselfe halfe a dozen lashes on the back or creeping to a crosse and such like trumpery I say when a man is perswaded that this short paine is a sufficient satisfaction for the punishment of all his former sinne for so they teach who would not returne againe to his vomit of wickednesse seeing the pleasures which he hopes to enioy by his sinnes are farre longer and greater then the punishment wherewith he maketh satisfaction 22. Secondly to shew that all this great noyse of satisfactions is nothing but a meere May-game and mockery obserue diligently their owne doctrine Thus they teach that all satisfactory punishments may be released by a pardon Aquinas their illumined Doctor giueth this reason thereof Christ might release the fault without any satisfaction and so might Paul ergo so may the Pope and this is one of their late definitions of a pardon Indulgentia est remissio harum actionuÌ„ quae sunt a Confessario iniunctae peccatori It is the remitting of that penance which is enioyned a sinner by his Confessor And therefore another Iesuite truely confesseth that the Indulgences haue taken away all vse of seuere discipline out of the Church haue they so good Iesuite Then thus it followeth you let out satisfactions which you so much extoll and withall let in great liberty into the Church not onely by opening the dore to pardons but bewray your own absurdities For what a ridiculous jest is this he that hath offended must do penaÌ„ce after his confession or else hee cannot be saued and after his penance is assigned get but a pardon and then there needes no further satisfaction And how is a pardon procured why for a little peece of money omnia venalia Romae The Pope hath his pardon Pedlers in all Countries thou needest not go farre for it they will bring it home to thy dores at least if thou beest sat and able to greaze them well Pope Boniface the ninth sent out his Buls into diuers Countries releasing for a certaine summe of money all offences whatsoeuer without any penance And Leo the tenth offered to free for ten shillings any soule you would name out of Purgatory much more a mans owne soule that it should neuer come thither here is a doctrine indeede of seuerity if any was among the Epicures who will not say but this is a Censorious and strict Religion 23. I but some will say peraduenture oh it is an hard matter to pay tenne shillings for a pardon this is the penance of the purse which to a couetous rich man or to a miserable poore man is worse theÌ„ the penance of the carkeis Why but thou mayst haue it cheaper if thou wilt and therefore indeed he is a foole which will part with a penny for the purchase of a pardon say but deuoutly a little short prayer in the Primer thou shalt haue three thousand dayes pardon of mortall sinnes and twenty thousand dayes of veniall giuen by Pope â—ohn the twenty two And if that Prayer bee too long say fiue Pater-nosters before the Vernacle and thou shalt haue tenne thousand dayes pardon graunted by the same Pope and if so many Pater-nosters be too tedious say but an Aue at the Eleuation thou shalt obtaine pardon for 20000. daies or if thou dwellest neere Rome doe but visite the Church of Saint Paul without the walls haue eight forty thousand yeres of pardon Who would stand vpon dayes when he may haue thus many thousand yeares If thou beest weake or sick and not able to visite a Church then doe but deuoutly worship the Crosse or the nayles whip launce heart or hands of Christ painted in thy chamber and that shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all thy sinnes Here is stuffe with a witnesse for can a man forbeare laughter to heare these May-games and yet this is not the tenth part of these incredible absurdities But I passe them ouer being sufficiently discouered by others to the shame of the Romish Religion It sufficeth that by this little it is euident that satisfactions are so farre from restraining that they rather remit the reines to all liberty and licentiousnesse 24. Lastly to conclude if so be their imposed penance be at any time strict seuere it is when the Pope iâ— offended not when God Men may franckly sin against God no man will say vnto him blacke is thine eye or if vpon his shriuing they enioyne him penance either it shall be so easie that it will not much trouble him to endure it or if it be too hard he may either redeeme it with his purse or at least commute it into another kind But if their Lord god the Pope be offended so the Canonists stile him then not onely seuerity but cruelty must be exercised then the whip and the scourge then the fire and the fagot Et scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello That which deserued but a flap with a ferula must be chastised with a scourge As on the contrary if the offence was only against God and not the Pope then that which deserued to be seuerely corrected must haue nothing but three flaps with a Fox-tayle which is credibly reported by some Writers to haue beene the penance of a Nunne which was gotten with childe in her Cloyster Albeit another Nunne at Watton in Yorkeshire fared farre worse for her wantonnesse with a yong Monke of the same house for being gotten with childe by him she was first imprisoned saith the Story and then beaten vnreasonably and vnseasonably too being great with childe then the Monke that committed this trespasse being taken and stript and bound fast to a stoole a sharpe knife was put into the Nunnes hand and shee was compelled by most cruell
An officious lye and a lye in sport are but veniall sinnes saith Molanus the same Authour affirmeth that if any man steale some little thing suppose an halfe peny as Bellarmine giueth instance whereby no notable hurt is caused this is to bee esteemed no mortall sinne Againe rash iudgement though consent bee added thereto is regularly but a veniall sinne so also is the painting of the face saith Molanus Cardinall Caietane reckoneth vp a number such like as for example Partiality in iudgement and acception of person if it be not pernitious Flattery when we praise one for veniall euils and it be without any manifest hurt Ambition that is an inordinate desire of honour if it be not for euill deeds or immoderate Arnogancie whereby a man attributeth that to himselfe which is farre aboue him if it be without preiudice of his neighbour Craft if it bee not ioyned with damage Couetousnesse as it is opposed to liberality that is an inordinate desire of money and greedy keeping of it being gotten because it is not against but besides charity Contempt of our neighbour and Superiour in small trifles To contend in words against a known truth if the opposite falshood be not pernitious To rayle vpon our neighbour to his face if it proceede from passion or bee but a light reproach Curiositie if it bee naked without some other euill ioyned with it To mocke and scorne our neighbour if in a small matter Drunkennesse if it be not full and compleat to wit if a man drinke till the house seeme to goe round and yet is not depriued of reason yea if it bee of purpose and with full intention For a childe not to reuerence his Parents so that it be free from notorious iniurie and contempt To deceiue if in a small mater Gluttony is then onely mortall when a man makes the delight in eating the last end Hypocrisie to wit thus farre forth if a man faine himselfe to be good in some thing when hee is not or better then he is Filthy speech is most vsuall but veniall To disdaine a mans neighbour is commonly but a veniall sinne To iudge rashly of our neighbour is either veniall or mortall according to the greatnes of the thing where of we giue iudgement Idlenesse if it haue no other mischiefe to accompany it These and a number such like are reckoned vp by that Author to which I might adde many more out of other Romish writers but these may suffice for our purpose to demonstrate what liberty this doctrine giues to loosnesse For hence men may be bold to sweare to curse to raile to back-bite to steale to be drunke to be idle c. cloke all vnder this vaile They are but veniall sinnes Yea and because the common people are not able to vnderstand their nice distinctions of against and beside charitie surreption and irruption great and small dammage c. therefore often grosse and great sinnes creepe in vnder the name of venials if this be not a doctrine of liberty what is 40. The sixt and last doctrine tending to loosnesse the last I meane of those which I intend to propound in this Discourse for there are many more that tend to the same end is their doctrine of implicite and infolded faith where by they teach that if a man know some necessary poynts of Religion as the doctrine of the God-head of the Trinitie of Christs incarnation and Passion c. it is needlesse to busie himselfe about the rest by a particular or distinct knowledge but it sufficeth to giue assent to the Church and to beleeue as the Pastors beleeue This implicite faith is the mother of ignorance and this ignorance say they is the mother of deuotion but what kind of deuotion I pray you such as the mother is such is the daughter a blinde mother and a blinde daughter such a deuotion and zeale which the Iewes had when they crucified Christ or as Saint Paul had when he persecuted the Church of Christ or which the Gentiles had when they thought they did God good seruice by putting to death the primitiue Christians Like Poliphemus when his eye was bored out by Vlisses dashed himselfe against euery rocke so doe these blinde Romanists the eye of knowledge being bored out by this pernitious doctrine dash themselues against the rocke of Heresie in matter of faith and impietie in manners for all errour in doctrine ariseth from ignorance of the Scriptures You erre not knowing the Scripture and the power of God saith our Sauiour and erring in manners proceedeth from the same fountaine for if the hyding of Gods word in the heart is a preseruatiue against sinne as the Prophet Dauid auoucheth then the ignorance of Gods word must needs be the cause of many errours and enormities in life To this agreeth the opinion of Chrysostome Scripturarum ignoratio haereses peperit haec vitam corruptam inuexit haec sursum ac deorsum omniamiscuit The ignorance of Scripture hath bred heresies brought in corruption of life and turned all things vpside downe And also of Saint Hierome who sayth plainely Ama scientiaÌ„ Scripturarum carnis vitia non amabis Loue the knowledge of the Scriptures and thoushalt not loue the vices of the flesh Whereby hee giueth vs to vnderstand that where there is no loue of knowledge there must needs be the loue of vice the reason is manifest because the Scripture is a most exquisite rule and exact squire to try all our actions by as Chrysostome calleth it and a straight and inflexible rule as Gregory Nissen termeth it Now if this rule squire and ballance be hid from vs how can we square our actions aright how can wee giue them their iust poyse and weight As the Carpenter that hath lost his rule and line cannot but erre grosly in his worke So the Christian that is depriued of this knowledge of Gods word must needs runne into infinite foule and grosse enormities 41. From this fountaine conioyned with those which went before springeth the monstrous corruption of manners in all places whâ—â— Popery raigneth especially in Italie and Rome vnder the Popes nose They obiect to vs the great and horrible disorder and corruption which is among Protestants but we on the other side as we stand not to iustifie our selues in this kind but rather be waile the prophanenesse of all estates in these dayes euen vnder the Gospell so we dare boldly say that in the time of Popery heretofore and in places where it now swayeth their impiety and prophanenesse doth as farre exceed ours as a great mountaine doth a little molehill Of all Countries in the world Italie is the Popes owne peculiar and yet that is the very siacke of the world for sinne witnesse Aencas Siluius who liued almost two hundred yeares since who sayth
a small neither shalt thou haue in thy house diuers measures a great and a small but thou shalt haue a right and a iust weight a perfect and a iust measure Let no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter How contradictory these plaine precepts and enunciatiue propositions of Gods word are vnto the positions of the Cardinall no man can but discerne that is not bewitched with the soâ—cerie of Iezabel either therefore let him shew out of holy writ some exception from these generall rules or let him acknowledge his Doctrine and Religion to be the vpholder of most grosse and palpable theft 22. If any man say that these be the opinions of priuate men and not the doctrine of the Church I answere that this is a most friuolous conceit for none of their bookes are admitted to the presse before they be examined by certaine Censurers deputed to that purpose by the Church and if any thing dislike them or seeme to sauour of heresie as they call the trueth presently it is either gelded out or corrected at their pleasures And that which goeth for currant hath his allowance subnexed That it containeth in it nothing contrary to the Catholike faith of the Church of Rome These positions then of these Iesuites standing thus approued by the common consent of their Censurers and priuiledged to be both printed and read of all men as containing nothing contrary to wholesome doctrine cannot be thought to be the vnaduised opinions of priuatemen but euen the doctrine and religion of their Church 23. Lastly that I may conclude this second argument they maintaine also the prophanation of the Sabboth which the Lord hath enioyned to be sanctified with so great and vrgent a precept Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabboth day Adding â— mâ—menâ—o before and fencing it with so many reasons after that it might not seeme a light matter but a coÌ„mandement of great consequence yet these impudent preuaricators make it a matter of no moment yea giue liberty to the open breach and transgression of it For thus writeth Cardinall Tollet Homo tenetur c. A man saith he is bound vpon paine of a mortall sinne to sanctifie the Sabboth but is not bound vnder the same paine to sanctifie it well As if forsooth it could be sanctified at all if it be not well sanctified or as if the prophanation of the Sabboth were the sanctifying of it for not to sanctifie it well is nothing else but to prophane it howbeit if this were all the iniurie hee doth to Gods Sabboth it might be borne withall but the bold Cardinall taketh vpon him to breake in pieces the barres thereof and to expose it being the Lords day and therefore fit to bee employed onely in the Lords worke to most vile and base offices for thus hee writeth in the same booke Licet iter facere c. It is lawfull to take a iourney on the feast day with this caueat that diuine seruice be first heard It is lawfull to hunt and doe such like things It is lawfull for Iudges especially rurall to giue iudgement on the feast day it is no sinne for a Barber to exercise his trade on the feast day for commodity if he had no leasure to doe it at another time they are excused also which sell flesh kill beasts and sell necessary victuals on holy dayes And if the occasion of a great gayne would otherwise bee lost as in fishing for Herring and Tunnes which come not but vpon certaine dayes it is lawfull to fish on the holy day In publique solemnities it is lawfull to prepare the wayes and to build for spectacles This is the doctrine of that renowned Cardinall whose writings are so approued of the Church of Rome that whatsoeuer hee speaketh is held for trueth But here it may be answered that he nameth not the Sabboth but the festiuall or holy day to which I answere First that the title of that Chapter is de Sabbathâ— and therefore if he meaneth not that hee swarueth from his purpose Secondly that the expresse words and drift of the whole Chapter demonstrates that vnder the name of the festiuall or holy day he includeth also the Sabboth And thirdly how could he giue instructions touching the cases of the Sabboth if he intended not the Sabboth seeing all his rules runne vnder this generall terme on the festiuall or holy day This therfore is but a mist to blinde mens eyes that they might not see their impietie 24. Can this Religion thinke you be of God which in thus many points crosseth and trampleth vnder foote the law of God Doth not the head of that congregation euidently shew himselfe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that outlaw which S. Paul speaketh of 2. Thess 2. that is such an one as opposeth himselfe to the law of God Doe not the necke and shoulder which are supporters of that head I meane the Cardinals and Bishops shew themselues to be of the same nature and disposition with it and the whole body which is quickned by the life of his doctrine to be meerely Antichristian He that seeth not this is blinde and cannot discerne a farre off hee that seeth it and confesseth it not is carelesse of his owne saluation Let vs leaue them therefore either to bee conuerted which God graunt for Christ his sake or to bee confounded if they continue in their errours MOTIVE III. That Religion which imitateth the Iewes in those things wherin they are enemies to Christ cannot bee the truth but such is the Religion of the Church of Rome Ergo. THe malice of the Iewes towards Christ our Sauiour and his Church from the beginning vnto this day is so notorious that the whole world is witnesse thereof Saint Paul witnesseth of them that they killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets and persecuted the Apostles and were contrary to all men and forbad them to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfill their sinnes alwaies and that the wrath of God was come vpon them to the vttermost And as it was at that time so euer since they haue not any whit remitted but increased in their rancour for still they crucifie vnto themselues the Lord of Life though not in his person which is at the right hand of God yet in his meÌ„bers whoÌ„ they persecute vnto death asmuch as in them lyeth and in his Gospel which they still pursue with a deadly hatred Yea so great is their malice that many times they haue taken Christian children vpon their preparation day to the Passouer and nailed them vpon the Crosse loaded them with reproaches and scornes in disgrace of Christ and miserably tormented them to death as was done by the Iewes of Inmester a Towne scituate betwixt Chalchis and Antiochia as witnesseth Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History and in Germany at Fretulium as also in England at Lincolne and Norwich as our Chronicles testifie Yea it
Passeouer Pentecost feast of Tabernacles of Trumpets reconciliation new Moones Purim and dedication but these haue their Holy-dayes for euery Saint for the Crosse Corpus Christi All Saints All Soules and what not insomuch that their friend Erasmus complaineth that in Ieromes age there were few Holy-dayes besides the Lords day but now that there is neither end nor measure in the multitude of them The Iewes obserued a few fasting dayes by Gods appointment and others taken vp by their owne tradition as the second and fift day of the weeke but the Romish fasts exceede both in number and superstition for besides two dayes in euery weeke euery Saints Eue almost is a fasting day with them besides their Lent fast continued whole sixe weekes without intermission if to abstaine from flesh and glut themselues with other viands as nutritiue to the body be to be termed a fast The Iewes Priest-hood was distinguished but into two maine orders Priests and Leuites and these later assigned to some few distinct offices about the Temple but the Romish Priest-hood is pestered with a swarme of the seuerall orders of Friars Monkes Anchorites secular and regular Priests that almost serue for nothing but to consume the fruits of the earth The holy garments for the Leuiticall Priest-hood were but few in number in comparison of the Romish vestments for the high Priest of the Iewes had but sixe garments appointed to him the Ephod the brest-plate the Robe the linnen coate the girdle and the crowne and for the inferiour Priests but foure linnen coats bonnets linnen breeches and girdles but the Romish haue sixe garments in token of perfection and the Bishops nine because there are as they say nine orders of Angels in all fifteene answerable to the fifteene degrees of vertues What should I reckon vp their manifold crossings kissings kneelings whisperings washings anoyntings spittings breathings saltings with an infinite number besides of vaine and strange obseruations which are vsed in their Church which the Iewish Synagogue may not compare withall either for multitude or strangenesse And thus they are not onely equall to them but farre exceed them in the number of their Ceremonies And this is euen confessed by many of their fauourites for Cornelius Agrippa saith that Christians are now more oppressed with ceremonies then the Iewes were in former times And Polydore Virgsll that a very wood of Iewish and heathenisâ— ceremonies pestered the Lords field Yea Saint Augustine complaineth of the same superstition in his time when Antichristianisme was but in breeding when he saith that the Church was pressed contrary to Christs mercifull institution with such a seruile burden of Ceremonies that the state of the Iewes vnder the law was mâ—re tolerable then the condition of Christians seeing they were subiect onely to Gods ordinances and not to humane presumptions as Christians are But if he had liued at this time and seene the fruitfull multiplication of them in respect of his age how would hee haue complained And thus in respect of multitude of Ceremonies the Romish Church is by many degrees before the Church of the Iewes 5. To descend to particulars The Iewes had their sacrificing Priests whereof one was their chiefe Priest and the other of an inferiour ranke The Romanists in an apish imitation haue their sacrificing Priests too the Pope their chiefe and the vnder-shauelings his vassals as if Aaron was a type of the Pope and not of Christ or as if all Christians were not Priests vnder the Gospell both which are euident in the new Testament but we no where find that the high Priest of Ierusalem was a type of the high Priest of Rome or that the Ministers of the Gospell are sacrificing Priests This latter is confessed by Bellarmine who saith that the Christians of the Primitiue Church did purposely abstaine from the names of Temple and Priesthood vntill the dayes of Tertullian lest that they should seeme to haue retained some Iewish Ceremonies Why then doe they now entertaine those names whereof the purer times were ashamed do they not shew thereby that they are degenerated from that primer purity which they so much bragge of And yet we doe not dislike the name of Priest if it bee rightly taken for such an one as ministreth in holy things betwixt God and the people but that the Ministers of the Gospel should be sacrificing Priests is Iewish as also that the man of Rome should be the Arch-priest on earth whereas we haue but one high Priest euen Christ our Sauiour who hauing once offered himselfe a sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God And that we may plainely see that in their Hierarchie they imitate the Iewes Bellarmine is a sufficient witnesse who to proue that there ought to be a visible Monarch in the Church alleageth that Aaron was not onely a type of Christ but also of the Pope because the sacrifices of the law did not onely represent the bloudy sacrifice of the Crosse but also the vnbloudy sacrifice of the Masse Which if it be true then there can be but one high Priest in the Church of Christ as there was but one in the Church of the Iewes for the argument will stand thus in good moode and forme being built vpon their owne ground As the Church of the old Testament was gouerned so ought the Church of the new but the old was gouerned by one onely high Priest therefore the new ought also to haue but one onely for either he must shew that there were two high Priests in the Church of the Iewes one subordinate vnto the other or conuicted by his owne principle he must acknowledge that there ought not to bee two in the Church of Christ or at least confesse that this argument is lame drawne from the imitation of the Iewish Hierachy and then if it be not true which he affirmeth what will be the sequell therof but either ignorance in symbolizing those things which are no wise matches or impiety in dethroning Christ from his office and setting the Diademe vpon the Popes head and so that in their Romish Hierarchy they are the Iewes Apes in that thing which most tendeth to the dishonor of Christ 6. As they imitate the Iewish Priest-hood so do they also their Altar and sacrifices for they are not content with the name of the Lords Table which name was vsed both by the Apostles and primitiue Church For which cause as testifieth Arnobius Cyrill and Chrysostome they were challenged by the Pagans of impiety nor yet to take the name of Altar and Sacrifice in an improper signification as some of the later Fathers did calling the Lords Table an Altar because on it was represented the sacrifice of the Crosse and the action in the Eucharist a sacrifice because it was a commemoratiue representation of that sacrifice as their writings plentifully testifie but they will haue a very Altar in proper phrase of speach and
Prophet Esay saying Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a sure foundation which is a playne and manifest Prophecie of Christ and not of Peter as the Apostle Peter himselfe expoundeth it where by the way we may note the feareful outrage of these Romish Rabbies against the truth of God and the God of truth whilst to the end they may aduance their Popes dignity by Peter they wrest and peruert the Scriptures and apply the Prophecies belonging to the Sonne of God to his seruant Peter and so make Peter himselfe nay the holy Ghost a Lyar. It were not credible that such blasphemous thoughts and words should nestle in the heart and issue out of the mouth of any but that the Apostle Saint Paul hath fore-told vs that in the time of Antichrist because men would not receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God would send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lyes c. But to the point If Christs person be the onely true foundation of the Church in whom all the building being coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord and that not the persons but the doctrine and faith of the Apostles are those secundary foundations which the Scripture speaketh of as hath beene proued out of the Fathers then the opposition is vndefeasible namely that there is but one person the foundation of our Church which is our Lord and Sauiour the Sonne of God Christ Iesus and yet that Peters person should be the foundation of the Church also together with Christ 45. Thirdly I answere that both in truth and also in proprietie of speech there can bee but one foundation of one building those stones that are layd next to the foundation are not properly a secundary foundation but the beginning of the building vpon the foundation and for that cause when Peter and the rest of the Apostles are called twelue foundations it cannot bee vnderstood that they were any wayes properly foundations of the Church either first or second but that our Sauiour who is the substance and subiect of their doctrine is the onely true and singular foundation of the Church and that there is none other besides him for if when it is said that we are built vpō the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is meant the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as must needes bee because the Prophets are coupled together with the Apostles which liued not in the Christian Church and therefore could not be personall foundations of it and Christ crucified is the substance of their doctrine then it must needes follow that the Apostles meaning is nothing else but that we are built vpon Christ whom the Prophets and the Apostles preached and beleeued in And thus S. Hilary vnderstood it and Saint Ambrose and Anselmus who giuing the foundation of the Church to Peter expoundeth it sometimes of his faith in Christ and sometimes of Christ himselfe in whom he beleeued And thus doe also Salmeron the Iesuite and Cardinall Caietane in their commentaries vpon that place and Peter Lumbard together with the glosse vpon the place interpret And so this distinction of a primary and secundary foundation hath no foundation in the word of God 46. The Gospell teacheth that no Apostle or Bishop or other Minister of the Gospell is superiour to another of the same ranke or hath greater power and authority then another in respect of their ministerie but that all Ministers in their seuerall degrees haue equall power of preaching the Gospell administring the Sacraments binding and loosing But the Bishop of Rome challengeth to himselfe a supreme power ouer all other Bishops and ouer the whole Church and braggeth that he hath by right a title to both the swords both spirituall and temporall and that both iurisdictions doe originally pertaine to him and from him are conueyed to others c. 47. Bellarmine heere first confesseth and secondly distinguisheth hee confesseth that the Bishop of Rome hath a supreme power ouer all other Bishops and the whole Church and denyeth that eyther those places here quoted or any other doe prooue the contrary 48. To which I answere first that whereas out of Luke 22. 26. and 1. Cor. 3. 4. he extracteth a disparity and an inequality I answere that no man denyeth it and therefore he fighteth with his owne shadow hee should prooue not a bare superiority which wee confesse but a superiority in the same degree as of one Bishop to another and that in power not in execution wherein standeth the point of opposition 49. Secondly whereas he saith that though the power of remitting and retayning finnes and binding and loosing was communicated to all the Apostles yet Peter was ordayned chiefe Pastor ouer them all because our Sauiour Christ sayd vnto him alone Feede my sheepe and To thee will I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen I answere that in this hee crosseth both himselfe the Fathers and the truth himselfe for elsewhere hee confesseth that the keyes both of Order and Iurisdiction were giuen to all the Apostles indifferently and therefore it must needes follow that Tibi dabo claues was not spoken singularly to Peter but generally to them all for if Christ gaue the keyes to them all as he confesseth then without doubt he promised them to them all or else his word and his deede should not accord together And againe hee acknowledgeth that all the Apostles had both power and commission to feede the sheepe of Christ when Mat. 28. he bade them all Goe teach and baptize and they all did put that commission in execution therefore it must needes follow that no singular power was giuen to Peter when as Christ said vnto him Feede my sheepe vnlesse we will say that the rest had not the same commission 50. The Fathers for Saint Cyprian saith plainely that all the Apostles were the same with Peter indued with equall fellowship both of honour and power and that a primary was giuen vnto Peter that the Church might appeare to be one Saint Hilary is of the same minde You O holy and blessed men saith he for the merit of your faith haue receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and obtained a right to binde and loose in Heauen and earth Saint Augustine saith that if when Christ said To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen he spake onely to Peter then the Church hath not the power of the keyes but if the Church hath it then Peter receiuing the keyes represented the Church And lastly Leo one of their owne Popes confesseth asmuch when hee affirmeth that the strength of this power of the keyes passed vnto all the Apostles and the constitution of this decree vnto all the Princes of the Church 51. Lastly the truth for when the Apostles stroue for superiority Christ who is truth it selfe and would not haue concealed so necessary a trueth if
errour 86. Secondly hee sayth that there are two kindes of Readers One that read with fruit and profit others that read without fruit yea rather with hurt Now the Scripture may bee read of the first but not of the second But I would know of him againe who hath that power to discerne betwixt these two Doe they know the heart of a man Or can they prophecy of that which is to come If they cannot doe these things then they ought not to locke vp the Scriptures from any vpon this surmise but permit the vse of that which is good to all and leaue the successe to God Againe because some peruert the Scripture to their damnation shall therefore all bee forbidden to reape comfort by it Because the theefe robs and kils with his sword shall not therefore an honest man vse one for his owne defence Because the Spider sucks vp poyson out of the flowre therefore shall not the Bee suck honey This is to take away the vse of all good things For as the Poet sayth Nil prodest quod non laedere possit idem Nothing so profitable in the vse but in the abuse may be hurtfull and nuisant 87. Lastly are the ignorant common people more subiect to erring and heresie then the learned Let Espensaeus a learned Bishop of their owne informe him to the contrary I remember sayth hee that an Italian Bishop told me that his countrey-men were scarred from reading the Scriptures lest they should become heretikes as if heresies did spring from the study of the Scriptures and not rather from the neglect and ignorance of them And if he will not beleeue him let another learned Roman si step out tel him that very few ignorāt persons were the authors of heresie another that learned men indued with great wits fall by their pride into heresie so that he need not so much feare lest heresie should build her nest in the bosome of the poore ignorant man as lest like the Eagle shee should flye aloft and set her selfe in the top of the high Cedars of the Church 88. But what doe I stand to ouerthrow this vaine exception since it is no better then a meere deception confuted by the practice of their owne Church for without difference any that will pay for it beeing neuer so ignorant might haue a licence to read the Scriptures And we had heere in England in Queene Maries dayes a Romish indulgence that hee that could dispend a certaine reuenue by the yeere might read the Bible in English as is reported by Master Cartwright in his answere to the Preface of the Rhemes Testament So that is as cleare as the day that it is not the fruit and benefit that should come to the Reader that they regarded but the profit and gaine that should accrue to their owne purses neither was the feare of erring the cause of their prohibition but rather the feare of too much knowledge lest thereby the grosse and foule abominations of their Church should bee discouered and so come to bee abhorred and detested 89. The Gospell teacheth that none can forgiue sins but God because sinne is a preuarication of Gods Law and therefore none can remit it but hee against whom it is committed Vpon which ground venerable Bede writing vpon these words of the fift of Luke Who can forgiue sinnes but God sayth that the Pharises said truely therein because no man can forgiue sinnes saue God alone who also forgiueth by them to whom hee hath committed the power of the keyes and therefore Christ is proued to bee truely God by this that hee can forgiue sinnes as God and it may be proued further to bee true because our Sauiour himselfe approoueth of that speech of theirs not shewing any manner of dislike thereunto And therefore Saint Ambrose affirmeth plainely that to forgiue sinnes is not common to any man with Christ This is sayth he the onely office of Christ who tooke away the sinne of the world And Cyprian as directly Onely the Lord can take pitty and grant pardon to sinnes which are committed against him But the Synagogue of Rome teacheth that though this power bee originally and fundamentally in Christ yet he hath committed the same to his Vicar the Pope and from him it is deriued to Cardinals Bishops and infetiou◠Priests vnder the commission and authority of the keyes and that not ministerially and by way of declaration onely which wee confesse but absolutely and iudicially and as Christ himselfe and that not onely to the liuing but to the dead also that are in Purgatory For it is a rule without exception amongst them that all satisfactory punishments may bee released by a pardon And it is as sure that a pardon for any manner of sinne may bee obtained for a price And therefore there is a certaine rate set downe for all kinde of sinnes as Murther Incests Sodomy Sacriledge c. And Aquinas thus reasoneth If Christ might release the fault without any satisfaction then so may it be that the Pope By which wee see that according to their doctrine the Pope hath asmuch power to forgiue sins as Christ himselfe hath which is the Scribes and Pharises liued and heard they would cry out O blasphemie This is the expresse doctrine of the Church of Rome 90. For the making good of this doctrine they haue a double distinction answerable to the double manner of remitting sin vsed in their Church one touching the absolution of a sinner by the Priest in their Sacrament of penance The other touching the Popes indulgence out of the Sacramēt groūded vpon the treasure of supererogatory works which they say is in the Church and consequently in the Popes dispensation Concerning the first they say that Christ absolueth a sinner by his owne power but the Priest by the power of Christ committed vnto him in that famous Legacy Whose sinnes yee remit on earth they are remitted in Heauen 91. To which I answere two things First that heerein they cōtradict their ancient schoole For Peter Lumbard one of the masters of the schoole doth plainly affirme that such only are worthily absolued by the Church who are absolued in Heauen because by the error of man it may so happen that hee that seemeth to bee cast out of Gods family bee still within and he who may be thoght to remaine within is notwithstanding cast ou◠And that therefore God absolueth differently from the Church God by remitting the sinne purging the soule from the blemish thereof and freeing it from eternall punishment the Church by declaring who are absolued by God By which not onely his opinion is manifest that the Priest hath no absolute power of absoluing a sinner but onely of declaring that hee is absolued which is our doctrine but also his reason is inuincible that because the Priest may erre in his absolution therefore hee hath no such absolute power committed
great antiquity And indeed why should it not bee obserued if the Pope cannot erre or if it be not fit to bee obserued how is it true that the Pope erreth not in defining matters of Religion The fourth was ordained by Paulus the second anno 1466. as they themselues will not deny 25. Besides these of the Virgin Mary they haue many other festiuall dayes of the same nature and stampe as the feast of Corpus Christi of the inuention of the Crosse of the dedication of Churches of All soules and a number such like all which are confessed nouelties for in the Apostles times and Primitiue Church during the space of foure hundred yeeres none of these were once heard of The feast of the Crosse was Gregory the fourths inuention anno 828. and Corpus Christi day was first ordained by Pope Vrbane the fourth about the yeere 1264. as confesseth Bellarmine himselfe who of his Apostolicall power gaue spirituall wages and special pardon to all that should personally obserue the houres of this holy solâ—mnity as at Mattens an hundred dayes pardon at Masse asmuch and so at first and second Euen-song at the houres of prime of tierce of sixth of noone of complete fourty dayes apiece and thus in like manner for the whole weeke following 26. The annuall seaâ—ts of dedication of Churches grew from a sinister imitation of Constantine the great who because hee kept a solemne day at the dedication of a certain Church which hee had built therefore it was receiued as a Law for Princes actions are the peoples directions to solemnize euery yeere a holy day vpon the day of the dedication of their Church And all Soules was the deuice of one Saint Odyll who as they write in Cicilia in the I le of Vulcane heard the voyces howlings of Deuils which complained with great griefe that the soules of them that were dead were taken away out of their hands by almes and prayers whereupon this feast was ordained wherein prayer should be made for al Soules And as for this so for the other they deuised strange miracles to win credit vnto them which plainely argueth their nouelty in that they stood in need of miracles to confirme them as for example touching the inuention of the holy Crosse they fable that it was first found in Paradise by Seth the son of Adam to whom Michael the Angell gaue a branch of the forbidden tree which hee planted vpon the graue of his Father Adam which tree beeing after found by Salomon in mount Libanus was translated vnto his house and there beeing worshipped by the Queene of Saba and foretold to bee the tree whereon the Sauiour of the world should bee hanged and by which Ierusalem should bee destroyed was therefore taken downe and buried deepe in the ground by Salomon in which place afterward the Iewes diging a pit for a poole to water their cattell found this tree from which such vertue arose to that poole that the Angels descended to mooue the water so that the first that bathed himselfe therein after the motion was healed of his disease whatsoeuer it was as wee read Iohn 5. Now vpon this tree was Christ crucified which being afterward buried againe in the earth was found out by Queene Helene the mother of Constantine through the discouery of one Iudas a Iew who was conuerted to the Christian faith by the sweet sauour that arose from the Crosse and the quaking of the earth and then that Crosse was discerned from the two other Crosses of the theeues by restoring life to a dead corps whereupon it was laide and the Deuill cryed in the aire that this Iudas had betrayed him as the other had done his Master Christ By these strange miracles they dignisy that holy feast and indeed shew it to bee nothing els but a meere fable and forsooth all this they fetch out of the Gospell of Nichodemus 27. So for the dedication of Churches they tell vs this miracle that when a Church of the Arrians was hal owed by Christian men and the reliks of Saint Fabian Saint Sebastian Saint Agathe brought into it the people being assembled heard suddenly the fearefull gronings gruntings of an hog running vp and downe inuisibly and seeking a passage out of the Church and for three nights together â—umbluâ—g in the roofe with an hideous noise which say they was nothing but the banishing of the Deuill out of that Church by the hallowing and dedicating of it Who would not then obserue deuoutly this feast seeing the benefit is so great that commeth by the thing it selfe whereof it is a memoriall But let vs leaue these tables to their golden or rather leaden Legend of lyes as their owne Canus termeth it and shut vp the point that both these heere named and a number such like festiuall dayes more precisely honoured and obserued in the Romish Church and with greater deuotion t 〈…〉 n Gods holy Sabbath it selfe are new inuentions as sprung vp from superstition so ordained to maintain the same and haue no ground either of true antiquity to countenance them or holy Scripture to vphold them but Iewish fables Apocrypha writings old wiues tales and forged miracles 28. Fourthly I requiâ—e satisfaction for their ceremonies vsed in both the Sacraments as first in the Eucharist their pompous circumgestation of it to bee seene viewed and adored which Cassander acknowledgeth to haue beene Praeter veterem morem mâ—ntem haud longo tempore inductaâ—â— Beside the custome and meaning of antiquity and brought in of late time And Bellarmine also to haue beene first ordained by Vrbanus the fourth their mixture of water with the wine and separation of leauen from the bread came both in from Pope Alexander the seuenth as witnesse both Polidore Virgill and Durantius Yea and Bonauenture doth confesse that this practice of mixing of water cannot bee read of in all the Scriptures nor found in the first institution of the Sacrament Their not breaking the bread out of a loafe but giuing it in small cakes Salmeron the Iesuite acknowledgeth to be contrary to the ancient practice of the Church Their dipping the consecrated hoste in the cup Suarez another Iesuite yeeldeth not to haue beene vsed by our Sauiour Christ and therefore must needs bee an Innouation Their putting the Sacrament not into the hands but into the mouths of the communicants the former Salmeron doth freely confesse to bee an action contrary to the first institution Lastly their various and ridiculous gestures murmuring dopping staring crossing c. with the strange garments vsed by the Priests in the time of their administration Six of Priests in signe of perfection because in sixe dayes God created Heauen and earth nine for Bishops in token that they are spirituall like the nine orders of Angels and fifteene for both in token of the fifteene degrees of Vertues No man can bee so simple but must needs see that they were neuer
Lady there you shall read of a certaine Knight who betaking himselfe into an Abbey was long learning the Aue Mary and whereas heâ— could not get any further then the two first words of the Angelicall salutation at last he dyed and was buried and vpon his graue sprung vp a right faire flowre deluce in euery leafe whereof was written in letters of gold Aue Marie and the root of this floure was found to issue out of the mouth of the sayd Knight because as he had those words alwayes in his mouth while he was aliue so they grew out of his mouth being dead Let all the Poets match this fable if they can and yet Ouid commeth somewhat neere it in his two tales of Hiacynthus and Aiaxboth which were fabled to be turned into two flowers with the two first letters of their names imprinted in them and thus by strange and incredible fictions they maintaine the superstitious inuocation of Saints the ordinary conclusion almost of their legends being this then let vs pray to this worthy Saint and glorious Martyr that he will pray to God for vs that by his merits wee may haue pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes 16. Againe to perswade to the worshipping of relicks they tell vs diuers such like tales As that a yong man falling off his horse and breaking his neck was brought to the graue of Saint Hyacinth the Polonian and presently reuiued And a Mayde who had a yong Heifer dead by some misfortune made supplication at the Tombe of this Saint and when she returned home a Butcher being fleying the Heifer it first began to stirre the fleyed foot and then to lift vp the head and at last to rise vp as sound as euer it was We reade in the french Chronicles taken out of Turpin a Popish Wrâ—ter that king Dagâ—bert robbed other Saints of their relicks to enrich the Temples of Saint Denis Saint Rustick and Saint Eleutherie whereupon it came to passe that there arose great debate betweene the Saints for those Saints which he had spoiled as Saint Hilary Saint Fremin and others ioyned themselues with the Deuils and craued ayd of them to carry away the soule of the good king to hell but he called to his help the other Saints which he had enriched who resisted so valiantly the Deuils and the Saints wronged that they tooke away from them his soule and carried it to Paradise Who which hath any spark of grace would not enrich the Temples and relicks of these three Saints seeing their power is so great to deliuer a man from the Deuill But this next of Saint Fremin is full as strange for the golden Legend reporteth that after the Sunne had miraculously sent his beames through a stone wall vpon Saint Fremins graue and thereupon they had digged to finde out his body there issued thence such a sweet smell as they weened they had been in a Paradise which odour spread it selfe not onely through the city of Aniens where the body lay but also vnto diuers other cities the sweetnes whereof as it mooued much people to bring their oblations to this glorious Saint so it cured some a far off as the Lord of Baâ—gency from their diseases but when this body was taken vp and carried in the city of Aniens strange wonders were wrought for then the Elements mooued sayth the story the Snow that was at that time great on the earth was turned into pouder and dust and the Ice that hung on the trees became flowers and leaues and the meadowes became greene and the Sunne which by his course should goe low that day ascended as high as it vseth to be on Saint Iohn Baptists day in Summer and as men bare the body of this Saint the trees enclined and worshipped it and all manner of sicke persons what malady soeuer they had receiued health at the Inuention of the blessed body of Saint Fremin 17. Another as strange a tale wee haue touching the relicks of Saint Stephen and Saint Lawrence for when as one of them was buried at Rome the other at Constantinople sayth the Legend the Emperours daughter which was possessed with an euill Spirit was brought to touch the relicks of Saint Stephen but the Diuell within her cryed that he could not be dispossessed except the body of Saint Stephen was translated to Rome whereupon meanes was made that Saint Stephens body should be carried to Rome and in liew thereof Saint Lawrence his body should bee brought to Constantinople Now in the way as they were making this conueyance the city of Capua gat the right arme of Stephen and builded their Metropolitane Church in honour thereof but when they were come to Rome they would haue borne the body of Saint Stephen to the Church of Saint Peter ad Vincula but they that bare it were not able to goe any further and then the Deuill in the mayd cryed out Ye trauaile for nought for he shall not be heere but with Lawrence his brother therefore they bare the body thither and then the mayd touching the body was presently made whole and Saint Lawrence as reioycing at the comming of his brother and smiling turned himselfe into the other side of the Sepulchre and made roome for him to lye in and when the Greekes would haue taken vp the body of Saint Lawrence to carry it to Constantinople they were stroken dead till the Pope and his Clearks by their prayers reuiued them againe who would not now worship the relicks of Saints if such great myracles be wrought by them 18. But to conclude this poynt and not to trouble the reader with too much of this pedling stuffe thus they labour to gaine worship to Images honour to the Crosse and Crucifix and credit to Purgatory and prayer for the dead and countenance to popish single life as of many hundred examples which might be produced let these few suffice Saint George being put into a frying pan full of boyling lead made but the signe of the crosse and he was therein refreshed as if he had bin in a bath Saint Margaret was swallowed vp of the Diuell in the figure of a Dragon but making the signe of the crosse in the Dragons belly the Dragon burst and out came Saint Margaret safe and sound It is sayd also that she took the Diuel by the haire of the head and beate him about the eares Saint Goodreck with the signe of the crosse tamed Wolues and Serpents in such sort that they lay with him by the fire side without offering any hurt Saint Christopher being a Giant of twelue cubits in height determined with himselfe to serue none but the greatest King in the world and therefore being in seruice to a great King he spied him crossing himselfe against the Diuell wherefore perceiuing that he was afraid of the Diuell he went to serue him as one greater then the former and perceiuing that the Diuell auoyded the sight of a crosse he asked