altaria in quibus sacrificemus martyribus sed vni Deo martyrum nostro sacrificium immolamus ad quod sacrificium sicut homines Dei qui mundum in eius confessione vicerunt suo loco ordine nominantur non tamen à sacerdote qui sacrificat inuocantur We build not churches to our Martirs as to gods but we make memories as to dead men whose soules liue with God neither doe we reare vp altars there in which we may offer sacrifice of laud to the martyres but we offer sacrifice of thanksgiuing to one God the God of martyres and ours at which sacrifice they are named in their place and order as the men of God that haue ouercome the world in their confession neuerthelesse they are not inuocated or prayed vnto by the priest that offereth the sacrifice Of honour and reuerence due to Saints Eusebius Caesariensis maketh sufficient relation in these words Neque ChristuÌ„ aliquando possumus derelinquere qui mortem pro totius mundi salute sustinuit neque alium quenquam colere quoniam verum Deum qui solus colendus sit nouerimus martyres vero tanquam discipulos domini dâ—ligamus veneremur quasi integrè fidem magistro seruantes domino quorum nos quoque in fide perseuerantia charitatis optamus esse participes We can neither forsake Christ at any time who suffred death for y e saluatioÌ„ of the whole world neither can we worship any other but him because wee knowe him to be the tru God him that only is to be worshipped yet let vs loue and honor martires as the disciples of our Lord as those that keep their faith vndefiled to their master lord with whom also our selues desire to be partakers in faith and perseuerance of charitie What need more Christ himselfe saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him onely shalt thou serue And saint Iohn was forbidden to worship the angell The first obiection God honoureth his saints and reputeth them for his deare friends Ergo it is our duetie also to honour them The answer We honour them with that honor which God hath appointed we acknowledge their faith their humilitie their patience their constancie and all their gratious gifts and wee desire to imitate the same and this is al the honor that saint Austen wil affoord them as you haue heard The second obiection The saints in heauen pray for vs and therefore it is meete that we inuocate and call vpon them For the angell saide O Lord of hostes how long wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusalem and to the cities of Iudah with whom thou hast bin displeased now these threescore and ten yeeres Baruch witnesseth that the dead pray for vs when he saith O Lord almightie heare now the prayer of the dead Israelites and of their children which haue sinned before thee Iudas Machabeus had a vision in which he saw Onias holding vp his handes toward heauen and praying for the whole people of the Iewes And saint Iohn saw 24. Elders fall downe before the lambe hauing euery one of them harpes and golden vialles full of odours which are the prayers of saints The answere I say first that although we grant both angels and saints in heauen to pray for the liuing on earth as they doe indeede in some cases for some respects yet doth it not follow that wee must inuocate and pray to them as shortly shall bee proued I say secondly that there is not the same reason in the saints and angels for the charge and defence of the church in this life is committed vnto the angels Besides this the angell in Zacharie praieth onely for the particular calamities of Iuda which were apparant aswell to men as to angels I say thirdly that Baruch speaketh of the prayers of the Israelites that were yet liuing but as dead for their manifold sins I say fourthly that the booke of Machabees is not canonical as I haue proued in my Motiues at large I adde that albeit Onâ—as prayed for the liuing yet must not the liuing inuocate or call vpon him as is alreadie said I say fiftly that the 24. Elders wherof S. Iohn speaketh do represent the church militant heere on earth and consequently the prayers there mentioned are of the liuing on earth not of the Saints raigning in heauen which interpretation must needes be sound and authenticall because the holy ghost doth confirme the same in the tenth verse following For among other thanks to God one is this that he hath made the elders to raigne on earth S. Irenaeus agreeth hereunto neither is any ancient approued writer of the contrarie opinion The third obiection Yee bewray your ignorance not knowing the difference betwene Latria and Dulia and so wrest the scriptures against the lawful worshipping of saints for the worship prohibited in the gospel and in the Reuelation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that worship which is proper to God alone The answere I say first that though Saint Augustine made difference betweene Latria and Dulia in ecclesiasticall signification which was the cause of great superstition afterwarde in the Romish church yet did hee ascribe and giue all religious worship to God alone no other then ciuil worship to any creature whatsoeuer Which thing I haue proued out of Saint Austen already and shall more at large hereafter I say secondly that though saint Austen say that Latria is alway or almost alway taken in the scripture for diuine worship yet doeth Lodouicus Viues a learned papist oppose himselfe against saint Austen therein alledging sundry texts of the olde testament for his probation Yet the same Viues addeth that he is coÌ„tent with the distinctioÌ„s inuented by the popish schoole men so they will likewise allow him and others to vse wordes in their proper and natiue significations But heere I can not omit the taunt which hee by the way giueth to his scholasticall masters these are his wordes Obiter tamen admonebo eos duliam latriam penultimam habere longam ne breuem faciant sed has leges ipsi conteÌ„nere se dicunt quia nesciunt Yet must I saith he admonish them by the way that Latria and Dulia haue the last syllable saue one long lest they make it short But they say they care not for these rules because they know not what they meane Which checke doubtlesse were a bloodie word if any but a papist had giuen the same I say thirdly that Valla Suidas and Zenophon all three very skilfull in the greeke tongue affirme Latria and Dulia to haue one and the selfe same signification and that Latria is taken for that common seruice which one creature doth to another Thus writeth Zenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I O Cyrus would redeeme euen with my life that she should not serue Suidas also affirmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Latria is seruice for hire I say fourthly that if this
is not in another yet god is neither circumscriptiuely nor definitiuely in place because he is euerie where And Damascenus agreeth with Aquinas affirming that angels while they are in heauen are not on earth I say secondly that the angels as S. Paul saith are indeed Gods ministring spirits sent forth for their sakes which shalbe heires of saluation And the angels as Moses saith went vp and down by Iacobs ladder which reached from earth to heauen that the angels as Daniel writeth are defeÌ„ders of y e church vnder Christ for that purpose are sent vnto vs. But neuerthelesse they are but in one onely place at once while they see what is done in one place they are ignorant what befalleth to another for they passe to fro from affaires to affaires from place to place from person to person from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen again according to their appointed seruice so that no one angel doth or can know the hundreth part of our petitions much lesse the saints in heauen who haue no such appointed ministerie The third replie The saints are equall to the angels and are the sons of god since they are the children of the resurrection therfore they are present and see our affaires euen as doe the angels The answere I answer that the time by Christ named is after y e resurrection neither is the equalitie he speaks of general but particular to wit in that y e saints shal haue no more need or vse of mariage then y e angels But that the saints shalbe sent as the angels for y e seruice of the church the ministerie of the faithful it is nether recorded here nor in any other place of y e scripture For Christ here only answered to the captious Saduces who denying the resurrection asked whose wife she should be in y e resurrection that had bin maried to 7. brethren al dying without issue The 4. replie The angels in heauen reioyce when sinners repent heere on earth which they could neuer do if they did not vnderstand our affaires our prayers and our penitent hearts The answere I say first that Saints in heauen do not know what we doe on earth for as the Prophet recordeth Abraham was ignorant what the Israelites did and Iacob knew them not I say secondly that the text doth not say that the angels in heauen reioyce but simplie that the angels reioyce and so the reioycing which the text speaketh of may bee vnderstoode to bee done on earth while the angels are present I say thirdly that the angels which are appointed for our seruice on earth and thereby know our affaires on earth may make relation thereof in heauen and so the whole companie of angels in heauen may reioyce thereat together or it may please God sometime to reueale the conuersion of some sinner to the saints or angels in heauen But hereupon will it neuer be concluded that either the saints or the angels do knowe the secrets of our hearts or our petitions vniuersally as is alreadie said The fift replie To do myracles is as proper to God as to know the secrets of our hearts therefore since God hath communicated the one to his seruants so may he without contradiction do the other The answere I say first that God himselfe did euer worke the myracles and did onely vse the ministerie of his apostles and seruants in the externall act I say secondly that God can hath de facto reuealed the secrets of mens hearts euen to his holie prophets yet hee neuer did that generally but in measure at certaine times to speciall persons for the good of his church The sixt replie Although God cannot giue anie inherent qualities to the saints in heauen by which they may knowe all the desires and prayers of the liuing heere on earth because no creature is capable thereof yet may God from time to time reueale all such prayers to his Saints The answere I say first that it is not impossible for God so to doe though God should be so driuen without need to worke innumerable miracles that almost euery houre I say secondly that thogh god shuld bestow such reuelations on his saints yet would many absurdities folow therupon For first these reuelatioÌ„s must follow the prayers and not goe before them and so my conclusion is still in force Secondly thus to require myracles at Gods hands were to tempt God grieuously Thirdly such prayers should be a flat mockerie in Gods sight because God must first reueale the prayers to his Saints then must he giue eare to the saints while they inculcate the same prayers lastly he may grant theÌ„ if he list Fourthly in this maner of praying they leaue God whom they should inuocate they run to theÌ„ at whom they should not come Fiftly they do al this of infidelitie because they haue no warrant from God so to make their prayers The 7. replie Yee cannot denie but that the liuing may pray one for another and also desire one an others prayer therefore since the faithful departed loue vs as much as before are as mindful of vs as before and are as deare in Gods sight as before we do no more iniurie or dishonour to God in praying now to them then when they were liuing here among vs. The answere I say first that we haue coÌ„mandement promise examples to pray one for another while we are yet liuing on earth but we haue no such thing in the holy scriptures neither in the olde nor in the new testament concerning the inuocation of saints departed I say secondly that if the saints departed could heare and vnderstande our prayers as the liuing do then might wee without dishonour and iniurie to God desire them to pray for vs as wee doe the liuing neuerthelesse such kind of praying should be in vs great temeritie and presumption because wee haue neither coÌ„mandement nor example in gods word so to do I say thirdly that if the liuing should desire the prayers one of another as the pâ—pists desire the prayers of saints they shoulde not onely derogate greatly from Christs holy mediatourship but withal commit flat idolatrie For the papists desire as is alreadie proued to be saued by the merites and blood of saints for the coÌ„plement wherof I wil here adde a memorable testimonie The vsual practise of the papists especially of the Iesuites is to adde in the ende of their absolution these words Passio D.N.I. Christi merita B.V. Mariae omnium sanctorum quicquid bonifeceris vel mali sustinueris sit tibi in remissionem peccatoruÌ„ tuorum in augmentum gratiae praemium vitae aeternae The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the merits of the blessed virgin Mary and of al saints all the good thou shalt do and punishment thou shalt suffer be to thee for the remission of thy sins for increase of grace for
that by writing which he doth approue at least so farre forth as mans iudgement can haue place The fyft Paragraph That the holy Eucharist is a figure and signe of Christes body and bloud not the thing it selfe that is thereby signified corporally but in a diuine and spirituall sort FOr the perspicuous explication of this Paragraph I will vse certaine effectuall and distinct proofes and that done I will succinctly aunswere to such obiections as may be made against the same My first proofe is grounded in the analogie of our christian faith for first Christ tooke our nature vpon him and that so really and truly as it was like vnto ours in euery thing sinne only excepted The former part saint Paul prooueth in these wordes who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man The latter part S. Peter proueth in these words for Christ suffered for you leauing you an ensample that ye should follow his steps who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth And S. Paule sayth for he hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him Now our bodies are such as they can not with one act be made to be in two places at one time ergo the priests words can not make Christs body in a thousand places at once for if he could so do Christs body should be of an other nature then ours contrary to the holy scripture Secondly Christ sayth Ye worship that which ye know not God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Thus doth our faith tel vs but the Papists say that we must worship God in a round cake that we must worship for God that which neither we nor they know to be God for if the priest either want intention to consecrate which often chaunceth by reason of wandring imaginations or of purpose meaneth not to consecrate or of negligence omitteth any one word of consecration then by popish religion the thing adored is but pure bread and yet do they worship it for the euerliuing God It is therefore truely said to them that they worship they know not what Thirdly Christ must so be eaten of vs as he abideth in vs for to that end do we eate him that he may dwell in vs and yet is it certaine that he dwelleth not in vs corporally but spiritualy by faith The former part is not only euident in it selfe but verified by Christ himselfe in these words he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him the latter part S. Paule proueth in these words that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Fourthly Christ ascended vp visibly into heauen and there must remaine til the day of generall doome as our faith telleth vs therefore we must feede on him in heauen by faith and not on earth with our teeth For which cause the auncient Church exhorted y e people before the communion to lift vp their hearts vnto the Lord as if it had beene said ye must not affixe your mindes to these visible creatures but meditate on heauenly things which are promised by y e reuereÌ„t faithfull vse thereof Fiftly S. Paul saith plainly that the faithfull in the old testament did all eate drinke Christs body bloud which they could not do but by faith because Christ was not then incarnate and euen so do we eate Christ spiritually by faith not corporally with our teeth To which effect grauely said S. Austen vt quid paras ventrem dentem crede manducasti Credere enim in eum hoc est panem vinum manducare qui credit in eum manducat eum Wherefore preparest thou a belly and a tooth beleeue thou hast eaten for to beleeue in him is to eate bread wine he that beleeueth in him eateth him Thus saith S Austen euen as their owne Gratian hath alledged him Sixtly S. Paule saith that so often as we eate and drinke of Christs cup so often do we shew his death till he come but doubtles if he be corporally present vnder the accidents of bread and wine then is he already come nay more truely is it said that he was neuer gone For as S. Austen saith donec seculum finiatur sursum est dominus sed tamen etiam hic nobiscuÌ„ est veritas domini corpus enim in quo resurrexit in vno loco esse oportet veritas autem eius vbique diffâ—sa est Our Lord is aboue vntill the worlds end but yet his truth is with vs heere for the body of our Lord wherein he rose againe must needes be in one place but his truth is diffused euery where Againe the same S. Austen writing against Faustus the Manichee hath these expresse words Secundum praesentiam quippe spiritualem nullo modo illa pati posset secundum praesentiam vero corporalem simul in sole in luna in cruce esse non posset For his flesh could no way suffer according to his spirituall presence and according to his corporall presence it was not possible for him to be both in the sunne and in the moone and on the crosse at one and the same time Againe he saith in another place after this manner Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem Ille enim qui ascendit in coelum vt tolleretur ab oculis vestris promisit vobis dicens ecce ego vovestris promisit vobis dicens ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque in consummationem seculi Beholde Christ ascending beleeue in him absent trust in him that is comming and for all that feele him also present by his secret mercie Thus ye see the flat opinion of this graue writer of this ancient father of this holy learned doctour his resolution is so euident and so free from all obscuritie as none can pretend ignorance that once read his words For first he telleth vs that Christs naturall body must needes be in one onely place at one time Secondly hee telleth vs that Christs naturall body can not bee at one and the same time both in the Sunne and in the Moone and on the crosse Thirdly he maketh the same assertion plain by comparing his corporall presence with his spirituall For he saith that the one may be in many places but the other cannot as if he had saide Christs body may be spiritually in the sacrament but corporally it cannot be there Fourthly he proueth Christs corporal absence by the veritie of his ascension exhorting vs to beleeue in him that is corporally absent and withal to feele
and then vttered the wordes of drinking the fruit of the vine For the papists would gladly haue Saint Luke to tell the storie out of order and that Christ spoke these wordes before the deliuerie of the sacrament that is before the consecration of the cuppe which Saint Crysostome and other fathers doe denie Saint Cyprian hath these words Dico vobis non bibam amodò ex ista creatura vitis vsque in diem illum quo vobiscum bibam nouum vinum in regno patris mei Qua in parte inuenimus calicem mixtum fuisse quem Dominus obtulit vinum fuisse quod sanguinem suum dixit I say to you I will not drinke henceforth of this creature of the vine vntill that day in which I wil drinke new wine with you in the kingdome of my father Wherein we find that the cup was mingled with our Lord offered and that it was wine which he called his body Out of these words I note first that Saint Luke spoke of the consecrate cup when hee tearmed it the fruit of the vine as is proued already out of Saint Clement and S. Chrysostome I note secondly that the consecrate cup contained naturall wine and not Christs corporall bloud indeed This testimonie doth conuince and so effectually confuteth transubstantiation and the popish reall presence as if S. Cyprian were this day liuing and knew the blasphemous doctrine of the papists yet coulde hee not decide more plainely the controuersie betweene them and vs. Yea this testimonie of saint Cyprian may bee a generall rule for vs as well to expounde himselfe in other places as also the rest of the holy fathers For when they tearme the holy communion or Eucharist Christs bodie and blood the bloud that issued out of his side the body that was nayled on the crosse the flesh that was borne of the virgin the price of our redemption all this is truely saide in their godly meaning that is to say all this is truely verified sacramentally mystically spiritually but not corporally as the Papistes teach For all the Fathers admitte this doctrine of Saint Cyprian that euen after consecration remayneth still the true nature of bread and wine Sixtly Tertullian being consonant to the other fathers hath these wordes Acceptum panem distributum discipulis corpus suum illum fecit hoc est corpus meum dicendo id est figura corporis mei Figura autem non fuisset nisi veritatis esset corpus Caeterum vacua res quod est phantasma figuram capere non potest Hee made that bread which hee tooke and gaue to his disciples to bee his bodie saying this is my body that is to say the figure of my bodie and there shoulde not haue beene a figure vnlesse there had been a true body indeed for a vain thing which is but a falâ—â— imagination cannot receiue a figure Out of these wordes I note first that y â— which Christ gaue to his disciples was bread I note secondly that it was the figure of his body I note thirdly that to be Christes body as Christ himselfe and the fathers speake is nothing els but to be the figure or signe of his body For so doth this learned father declare the very phrase I note fourthly that the thing figured is much different from the figure and consequently that Christes body cannot be the figure of it selfe Seuenthly S. Theodoret hath these words Neque enim signa mystica post sanctificationeÌ„ recedunt à sua natura Manent enim in priore substantia figura forma videri tangi possunt sicut prius The mysticall signes after the sanctification depart not froÌ„ their nature but they abide in their former substance and figure and forme and may be seen and touched euen as before Out of these most golden wordes of this auncient and learned father I note first that hee writeth against certaine heretickes who held that Christes body was chaunged into his deitie after his ascension And they prooued it because as the bread and wine after consecration were changed into the body and bloud of Christ euen so was his body changed into his deitie after his ascension This note is plainly set downe in the wordes aforegoing I note secondly that S. Theodoret confuteth the heretickes euen by their own reason For the mysticall signes saith hee remaine still in their former substance and nature euen after the sanctification therof As if he had said ye lay not a good foundation your supposall is false ye take that as graunted which is flatly denied For although the creatures of bread and wine be sanctified by Gods word and accidentally changed into the mysticall signes of his body and bloud yet doe they still retaine their former nature and substance yet doe they still remaine truely bread and truely wine I note thirdly that though the bread and wine haue gotten by sanctification a new diuine qualitie yet haue they lost nothing that they had before for they haue the same nature the same substance the same figure the same forme they may be seene tasted and touched euen as they might before All the papistes in Europe cannot answere this reason For Theodoret prooueth against the heretickes that as bread and wine are as truly bread and truely wine after consecration as they were before consecration euen so is Christes body as truely a body now after his ascension as it was afore heere on earth So as the papistes cannot now say that the bread and wine haue lost their true natures in y e eucharist vnlesse they wil also say y t Christ hath lost y e nature of a true body now in heaueÌ„ Eightly S. Austen a worthy pillar of Christes Church as the papistes themselues doe graunt hath these wordes Nisi manducaueritis inquit carnem filij hominis sanguinem biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis Facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere Figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum suauiter atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vulnerata sit Vnlesse saith Christ ye shall eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no life in you Hee seemeth by these wordes to commaund to doe an heinous offence It is therefore a figure commanding vs to be partakers of Christes passion and sweetly and profitably to lay vp in our mindes that his flesh was crucified and wounded for our sakes In another place hee hath these words Cum videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius certe vel tunc videbitis quia non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum certe vel tunc intelligetis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus When yee shall see the sonne of man ascending thither where hee was before then doubtlesse shall ye see that hee giueth not his body in such sorte as ye imagine then
The suruey of Popery Wherein the reader may cleerely behold not onely the originall and daily incrementes of Papistrie with an euident Confutation of the same but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension contained in the first and second Part thereof and throughout the third Part Poperie is turned vp-side downe 1. Cor. 13.11 When I was a child I spake as a childe but when I became a man I put away childish things LONDON Printed by Valentine Sims dwelling on Adling hill at the signe of the white Swanne 1596 To the right Honourable Lords Iohn the L. Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace one of her Maiesties most Honourable priuie counsell Matthew the L. Archbishop of Yorke Primate and Metropolitane of England Sir Thomas Egerton Knight the L. Keeper of the great Seale of England and to the right reuerend father in God Tobie the graue and learned Bishop of Durham Grace and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. IF manie haue laudably emploied much time and studie right honourable and my very good Lordes and that onlie to attain skil in prophane stories much more doubtlesse are their studies commendable who haue spared no time no labour no watchinges no lucubrations to atchieue exact knowledge in the holie scriptures and histories ecclesiasticall verie necessarie for the accomplishment therof In which kind of neuer enough commended exercise sundrie vertuous learned men haue so profited the church of God as their worthie monumentes haue gotten theÌ„ immortal fame before God and al mortal men Yet such is the condition of our state during this pilgrimage of mortalitie that the best learned neither haue said neither can say so much but stil more very fruitfullie may be said therein For which cause very wisely wrote S. Austen that he did learn would learne daily euen to the last houre While I reuolued these matters deeplie with my selfe I found some writers tedious some obscure some confuse some abounding some wanting no one answerable to al desires In regarde whereof albeit I cannot bring gold siluer pearles hyacinths and pretious stones yet am I verie desirous to carrie morter to the building vp of the walles of Gods Sion not for that I thinke I can saie better then is alreadie saide by others as who acknowledge my selfe the meanest of manie thousandes but because I couet to supplie for the measure of my small talent such wantes for the common good of the simple sorte and of others who haue not store of bookes as heretofore I finde omitted in farre more learned workes What varietie what confusion what obscuritie what vncertaintie is amongst historiographers and Chronographers none doth know or can know sufficiently but he that doth studie the same seriously What is more necessary for the vnderstandig of the prophesie of Daniel then the perspicuous and exact enumeration of the 70 weeks theÌ„ the ready explicatioÌ„ of the 2300 daies theÌ„ the liuely purtraâ—te of the foure monarchies what helpeth more for the true vnderstaÌ„ding of the former latter prophets then to know when where of what matter and before whom they did pronounce their prophesâ—es What is more expedient then to know the two captiuities When where by whom and for what causes the Israelites and the Iewes were so afflicted what can yâ—eld greater solace to a christian heart then to behold as in a glasse of christal the original and daily incrementes of poperie liuely discouered before our eies when where and by whom and vpon what occasion al popish errors heresie and superstitions haue crept into the church what shal I saie of the time reignes and acts of the Emperours of Rome of their kings their Consuls their Dictators what of the kings of Babylon Ashur Egypt Macedonia Persia Syria what of the kings of Iuda and of Israel What of the birth of our sauiour Christ of his baptisme of his corporal conuersation among vs what of other infinite memorable actes recorded in the old and new testament what of manie excellent and golden lessons specified in the histories of the church All which and manie other important matters are compendiously and yet sufficientlie handled in this small volume and so contriued I hope as obscure things shal seeme plaine with such breuitie as nothing can be thought tedious with such plentie of matter as no necessarie point will be found wanting and with such methode as euerie childe maie with facilitie beare the same awaie The vsual maner is in al such kinde of exercises to make choise of some worthy personages for the honest and lawful protection of the same You my L. of Canturburie did harbour me a long time in your owne house There I enioyed euerie thing not as a prisoner but as a brother not as a stranger but as a deere friend not as a meane person but as one of farre better accompt then I either was then or yet am indeed You my L. of Yorke for rare curtesies receiued both of old and late daies haue made me greatly bound vnto your grace You my L. Keeper to speake nothing of your great zeale for the free passage of Christes gospel for the sincere preaching of his sacred word and for the common good of this realme haue aswel for your rare honourable fauour towards mine owne seelie selfe as for your late kinde acceptance of my treatise of vsurie deserued a far better thing at my hands You my L of Durham although as yet ye neuer saw my face haue neuerthelesse affoorded me such christian affection and rare benignitie as I haue not often found the like I therefore present vnto you my reuerend fathers and honourable Lordes all foure these fruites of my late studies as an infallible argument of my vnfeined good will for your honourable and manifold courtesies countenances and other benefites receiued at your handes Accept the present my honourable Lordes in good part respect not so much the person that giueth as the thing it selfe that is giuen not the value of the gift so much as the minde of the giuer not so much what is done as what the partie was willing to haue done who if it shal so please the Almightie will hereafter present larger giftes as time place and other circumstances shal affoord God vouchsafe to encrease his manifold good graces in you all and to multiply your daies vpon the earth for the free passage of his holy gospel and the peace of his church From my studie this tenth of August 1595. Your Lordships in all dutifull maner THOMAS BELL. To the Seminarie Priests in Wisbich Castle and else-where dispersed in this Realme TWo yeres are fully complete and expired since my booke of Motiues came abroad and was in your hands In it I promised to subscribe if either any one among you or other Papist in Europe whosoeuer could effectually confute the same Your owne Papists here at home greatly wonder at your silence in that
the bone of a dead dogge if it be saide by any to be a relique of a saint will drawe them with facilitie to touch it to kisse it and to adore it as if it were God almightie For which cause saint Austen saieth truely that many bodies are adored vpon earth whose soules are damned in hell Yea the dead corps of Hermannus was adored for a saint twenty yeeres at Ferrara who yet was an heretique as writeth their owne Platina The first obiection They are vndoubtedly the true relikes of true saints which the church appointeth to be adored euery where And saint Austen speaketh onely against priuate abuses of certaine priuate persons not against the generall practise of y e vniuersal church For the vse of the church is first to canonize the saint and after to propose his relikes to be adored Which church being therein directed by the holy ghost cannot erre as you imagine The answer I say first that how your church both may erre and hath erred de facto is already prooued I say secondly that your abuses are as generall as your reliques For you all teach to adore all your reliques religiously in all places wheresoeuer insomuch as your owne Ludouicus Viues granteth that many christians do sinne no lesse in adoring their images and relikes then do the Gentiles in adoring their false gods I say thirdly that your worshipping of reliques is flatly reproued by S. Paul in what maner soeuer ye doe it The apostle of Christ yeeldeth this reason because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie worship◠not contained in Gods word I say fourthly that if Christs crosse must therefore be adored because it touched Christs bodie which is the reason of popish adoration euen so ought the lippes of Iudas to be adored because they touched Christs sacred mouth This reason is inuincible if it be well vrged I say fiftly that the Pope may erre in canonizing your Saints as your owne Doctour Melchior Canus telleth you neither can Aquinas indeede denie the same And certes as the pope may erre in canonizing your saintes so may he much more erre in determining such and such reliques to be the bodies bones or ashes of such and such saintes and consequently so may all papistes adoring them commit idolatry yea though it were granted that true reliques might be adored because as S. Austen grauely saide their reliques are adored on earth whose soules are broyling in hell fire I say sixtly that when the pope taketh vpon him not only to canonize saintes but withall not to erre in so doing he doubtlesse chalengeth to himselfe the authoritie of God omnipotent and may therefore fitly be called Antichrist howsoeuer the Iesuites and his other vassals labour to defend him in this The second obiection If it were not a godly act to adore holy reliques to translate them from place to place as the church hath a long time vsed holy Moses who had Gods spirite largely would neuer haue so reuerenced the dead body of S. Ioseph nor yet haue caried it so many miles The answere I say first that the flesh of Iosephs bodie was wholy consumed and nothing left but bones and ashes For the Israelites abode in Egypt about 215. yeares after the death of holy Ioseph I say secondly that as the wicked gaine nothing by being buried in temples after the christian maner euen so neither are the godly worse for being buried in places prophane For they who die in the warres for the seruice of their Soueraigne and defence of their natiue countrey are doubtlesse in as good case notwithstanding their base kinde of funerall as if they had died at home and been buried with all pompe and solemnitie I say thirdly that the translation of S. Iosephes bones out of Egypt was not for religion sake whereof holy Writ maketh no mention but to shew his hope and confidence in Gods promise and to confirme the faith of his brethren For these are the wordes God will surely visite you and yee shal take my bones away hence with you As if he had said Haue full trust in Gods promise for your deliuerance for vndoubtedly God will bring you into the land of Chanaan as he hath said and for the better confirmation thereof I appoint my bones to be taken with you thither and for this end doth the Apostle ascribe this charge giuen to Iosephes brethren to the great commendation of his faith The third obiection The scripture telleth vs that Helcana and Anna his wife went thrise in the yeare on pilgrimage to Hierusalem Sundrie of the Greekes left their owne countrey and came to adore in Hierusalem The Eunuch came from farre to adore in the same place S. Paul himselfe made haste in his iourney that he might keepe Pentecost at Hierusalem Christ likewise with his mother Mary and S. Ioseph her husband came on pilgrimage to Hierusalem The answere I say first that God appointed his temple at Hierusalem to be the peculiar place of his externall worship and that al his people should repaire thither at three seueral times in the yere To wit at Easter Pentecost and the feast of tabernacles So that S. Ioseph S. Marie S. Anna and Helcana went to Hierusalem at that day euen as we doe nowe to the Church to heare diuine seruice and sermons And therefore their pilgrimage was honourable and highly to be commended I say secondly that Christ himselfe went not of any necessity but for our sake and to giue vs an example of obedience and humilitie For hee came to fulfill the lawe not to dissolue the same I say thirdly that saint Paul hasted thither for the gospel sake because then there would be great concourse of people whom he desired to instruct with godly sermons I say fourthly that as Iosephus writeth sundry of the conuerted gentiles as the Eunuch Cornelius and others vsed to resort to Ierusalem with the dispersed Iewes where they adored the liuing God then as we do now in the church neere at home But they went not to adore stockes and stones as the papists do nor to put religion in dead creatures The fourth obiection Going on pilgrimage is a very auncient custome and that for religion sake for S. Alexander a most holy martyr who liued aboue a thousand and two hundreth yeares agoe went for that end to Hierusalem as writeth Eusebius in his historie The answere I say first that to go on pilgrimage is an holy and auncient thing indeed as which both Christ himselfe S. Paule and other holy men haue practised as I haue already graunted I say secondly that though Saint Alexander had a great affection to see those places where Christ hadde been present and wrought his miracles yet did he neither think his praiers more acceptable in y e place then in an other nor yet thought his iourney to be any part of satisfaction for his sinnes For hee knew right well
Infra illud quoque vacare non creditur mysterio quod summus pontifex septem modis accipit osculum videlicet ad os ad pectus ad humerum ad manus ad brachia ad genu ad pedes The Priest kisseth the aulter thrise to signifie I knowe not to whom the triple peace that is to say peace temporall peace spirituall and peace eternall Againe the Bishop kisseth the booke twise to signifie the concord betweene the old and the new testament Furthermore we beleeue this to be a great mysterie that the popes holinesse receiueth a kisse seuen maner-wise to wit to his mouthe to his brest to his shoulder to his hands to his armes to his knee and to his feete Thus gentle reader thou maiest beholde their irreligious ceremonies with their fond interpretation of the same For they had neede to put manie of their Priestes to the Schoole all their life before they will perfectly vnderstand such obscure and vnsauerie significations Yet such is the blindnesse of the seely people that they were brought into the admiration of the masse by these and other like beggarly ceremonies For the lesse they vnderstood the more magnificence and maiestie they ascribed to the thing I must needes adde hereunto the kissing of the patine Ad notandum inquit Durandus charitatem sacerdos osculatur patinam quae designat cor patens in latitudine charitatis The priest saith Durandus kisseth the Patine to giue a signe of charitie which signifieth an open heart in the latitude of charitie I weene this is a sufficient Sermon for y e whole auditorie But alas coulde the people no way be taught what charitie was vnlesse the priest kissed the Patine doubtlesse they were so farre from learning any thing thereby as neither they nor the priest himselfe commonly knewe what was meant by the same The 6. Section Of the triple breaking of the Sacrament THe papistes breake their supposed Christes body into three partes thereby to expresse this high mysterie Christes bodie risen again walking on earth and lying in the graue So saith pope Sergius in their own canon-law These are y e words Triforme est corpus Domini Pars oblata in calicem missa corpus Christi quod iam resurrexit monstrat Pars comesta ambulantem adhuc super terram Pars in altari vsque ad missae finem remanens corpus in sepulchro quia vsque ad finem seculi corpora sanctorum in sepulchris erunt The bodie of our Lord is threefold The part that is put into the chalice signifieth Christes body risen againe The part eaten signifieth Christ yet walking on earth The part remaining to the end of the masse signifieth Christes body in the graue because the bodies of Saintes shalbe in the graues till the worldes end We see here their doctrine we behold their practise Let vs now duely examine their mysteries First therefore the peece dipped into the cup is Christes body say they after his resurrection but it may more fitly represent Christes body crucified because drowning of the body is most like to y e crucifying of the same Secondly the part that is eaten may more fitly represent Christs dying then walking for as I weene a deuoured thing is past walking Thirdly Christ doth not now walke on earth and so it is a false figure or signification Fourthly this practise of reseruing some part to the ende of the masse is nowe changed for the priest this day eateth vp all euen in the church of Rome Here it shall not bee amisse to set downe the maner of the Popes receiuing because although the act bee done verie seldome yet is it not then without a mysterie and lest credit bee not giuen to my words their owne Durand shall tell the storie for them Thus doth he write Romanus pontifex ideò non communicat vbi frangit quoniam ad altare frangit ad sedem communicat quia Christus in Emaus coram duobus discipulis fregit in Hierusalem coram discipulis duodecim manducauit In Emaus enim fregisse legitur sed non comedisse legitur Ascendens igitur sedem ibi communicat siquidem secundum apostolum Christus caput est ecclesiae caput autem in corpore sublimius excellentius ob sui perfectionem caeteris membris collocatur The Pope doth not receiue the sacrament where hee breaketh it because he breaketh it at the altar but he receiueth it in his chaire For Christ brake it in Emaus before his two Disciples and he ate it in Hierusalem before his twelue apostles For we reade that he brake it in Emaus but not that he ate it He therfore ascends vp to his seate receiueth it there For as the apostle saith Christ is the head of the church and the head must be set in an higher and more excellent place then the other members in the body for the perfection thereof In these words I note first the fond resons of popish mysteries I note secondly that the Pope is nothing inferiour to Lucifer in pride I note thirdly that the Pope aduanceth himselfe aboue Saint Peter whose successour hee sometime claimeth to bee For herein hee cannot be content to imitate Peter who receiued with the other apostles his brethren but hee must haue a more excellent and higher seat euen while he eateth the eucharist that so hee may be as another Christ. What is this my dearest if it be not to shew himselfe Antichrist indeede The seauenth Section Of the Popish Miter WHen Moses that holy seruant of God came downe from the mount Synai hauing the 2. tables of the law in his hands his face shiâ—ed bright was as if it had had two horns as their vulgar latine text saieth For the resemblance wherof si dijs placet the Pope and his byshops must haue miters on at masse hearken to their owne glosse and then giue your censure for the mystery thereof Thus writeth Durand Mitra scientiam vtriusque testamenti designat Duo namque illius cornua duo sunt testamenta anterius nouum posterius vetus quae duo episcopus memoriter debet scire illis tanquam duplici cornu fidei inimicosferire Videri debet quideÌ„ subaitis episcop cornutus sicut Moses de monte Synai descendens The myter signifieth the knowledge of both testaments for his two hornes are the two testaments that before is the new testament and that behind is the olde which two the bishop must haue by hart and without the booke and must smite the enemies of the faith with them as with a double horne The Byshoppe must be horned to his subiects euen as Moses was when hee came downe from the mount Synai By this euerie child may see how fond the popish mysteries and ceremonies be This one thing I wil adde that if the Romish bishops shall neuer weare myters vntill they can the olde and new testament as is here mentioned the most of them