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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09830	A disputation against the adoration of the reliques of saints departed Wherein nine palpable abuses are discouvered, committed by the popish Priests in the veneration thereof. Together with, the refutation of a Iesuiticall epistle, and an index of the reliques, vvhich euery seuenth yeere, are shovvne at Avvcon in Germanie vnto the superstitious people and pilgrimes, compiled by the canons of S. Maries Church an. 1608. By Iohn Polyander Professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Leyden in Holland, & translated by Henry Heham, out of French into English.	Polyander à Kerckhoven, Johannes, 1568-1646.; Hexham, Henry, 1585?-1650?	1611 (1611)	STC 20095; ESTC S119215	57,951	182

called S. William vppon the desert and in a towne in Anssoy called Ecrichen S. Ferrcels at Vses in Languedoc al Breienda in Auvergne and S. Longins transformed from a speare by a monstrous meta morphesie into a blinde man both in our Ladies church de l'isle by Lions and at Mantoua in Italie Vpon others they bestowe three bodies as to S. Matthias to Lazarus to S. Gervis to S. Protis and to S. Wolfe For they shew the corps of S. Matthias at Rome at Padova and at Trier S. Lazuruses at Marseille at Authun and at Avalon S. Gervises and S. Protises at Milan at Brisac and at Bysanson S. Wolfes at Lyons at Senes and at Ausserre To some others they attribute foure as to S. Sebastian whereof the one is nigh vnto Narbonna in the place of his nativitie the second at Rome in S. Laurences Church the third at Soissons and the fourth at Piligni neare vnto Nantes They attribute to Matthias foure heads whereof one is to bee seene at Padoua an other at Tryer and the other two at Rome and also seaven armes three at Rome two at Tryer and two at Padoua To S. Andrew three heads one at Thoulouse and other at Melphe and the third at Rome and fiue armes two at Thoulouse two at Melphe and one at Rome then fiue feete one at Awcon in Provence two at Thoulouse and the other two at Melphe To S. Barthelmew fiue handes one at Pisa two at Rome and two in the kingdome of Naples To S. Phillip three feete one at Rome and two at Thoulouse To S. Stephen two heads one at Arles an other in his owne Church at Rome To S. Laurence three armes two at Rome in his owne church another in the church surnamed Palisperna To S. Anthonie fiue knees one in S. Augustins Church of Albi two at Arles and two at Vienna To S. Sebastian twelue armes one at Mombrison in Forest an other at S. Servins de Tholose an other at Case-Dieu in Auvergne an other at Anger 's two at Soissons two at Piligni two in the place where he was borne and two at Rome To S. Lambert two heads one at Tryer and an other at Leige To S. Anne fiue heads one at Lions an other at Apt in Provence the third at S. Annes in Turingue the fourth at Duran in Iuilliers and the fifth at Trier To S. Vrsell two one at S. Iohn Angeliques an other at Cologne Likewise to S. Hilarie two one with his Corps at Venise the other separated from his bodie at Cologne Moreover they shew the blood of Christ in so many places and in so many goble●s that on maye plainely see they mock at the effusion of the most precious bloode of our Redeemer and willingly are ignorant that the bloode of Christ could not bee sheade in such an abundance as th●y showe in diverse of their Chur●hes neither was it taken vp so fluently by some of the Apostles or friends of Christ when his hands and fe●te were nailed and his breast wounded with the push of the speare To conclude I could heare speake of the multiplication of the virgin Maries milke through the craft of these Alcumists of her smockes kerchiefes phillits girdles gownes pantofles combes Needles Des kes Linnen pictures and jewells Likewise of the garments of Christ of his teares of the Cupp out of which hee dran ke with his Disciples of the linnen girdle wherewith hee girded himself when hee washed their feete of his purple garment of his speare which wounded his side of the dice which in those daies were not in request of the stone pichers of Cana in Galile of the miraculous Loanes wherewith our Saviour fed fiue thousand persons of his garment without seame of the reede which they put into his handes in steade of a Scepter of the spunge wherewith they put gal into his mouth of the Crown of Thornes they set vpon his head of the pillar whervnto according to their tradition they bound him to scourg him of the Staires of the Sessions-house of Pontius Pilate besprinckled with the drops of the bloode which fell from his body In like manner of the bones ashes garments chaines and other reliques of the Apostles and Martyrs of Christ but who is able to number vp all the inventions of the olde raggs found out in the shopps of the brocards of the Romane church For albeit Calvin hath made a booke expressely against them yet he confesseth therein that the number of them is innumerable I entreat therefore the Reader to content himself at this present with the proofs of these brasen-fac'd inventors of reliques which I haue vttered and to consider thē without passion By meanes whereof I assure my selfe hee will judge that wee haue just reason to haue in abhomination these deceiuers of the ignorant and to hold the adoration of their reliques for a heathenish superstition and Idolatrie condemned and forbidden by the Lord and not to be tollerated by those whose eyes God hath opened to see the abuses thereof FINIS A Iesuiticall Epistle TOVCHING THE SAINCTS RELIQVES WHICH OF late they haue showne at Awcon vnto the Superstitious people from the 10. of Iuly vntill the 24. of the same Month Anno. 1608. Published by the Canons of Awcon translated out of Latin into French and brieflie refuted By Iohn Polyander Professour in the Vniversitie of Leyden And since Turned out of French into English by Henry Hexham 1611. S. Augustine in the preface of his Hypognostiques against the ●●elagians WHen the Adversaires of the Catholique faith seeke to impugne the rule of trueth through diabolicall armes they make vs the more vigilant and carefull to answere them and when they lurke in hypocrisie to annoy vs they a waken vs as it were out of a Slumber to the intent that taking the buckler of trueth wee maye watch with hearts resisting their falshood the Trumpet of God sounding in our Eares Watch and pray that ye enter not into tentation THE INSCRIPTION AND PREFACE OF THIS IESVITICALL EPISTLE touching the visitation of the holy reliques which are to bee seene in our Ladies Church at Awcon put foorth by the Canons of the said Church The Provest Deane and Chapiter of the royall Church of our B. V. Marie at AW●on wish all health and happinesse vnto the godly and Benevolent Reader IT was ordained in holy writt benevolēt reader that the devote lovers of religion should spend their limited weekes not onely for a certaine number of daies but of yeeres tha● during the same time as wel those of their own contrey as strāgers shoul● rest from their labours kepe a feast watching afte● an extraordinarie fashio● to the praises of the Lord The which our an cestor● here at Awcō in som● other places throw a godly ceremony haue brogh● into a custome and many yeers agoe began to ope● every seaventh yeere th● sacred and most preciou● treasurie of their holy Reliques to lay thē abroad for certaine daies

is Propitiare nobis quaesumus Domine famulis tuis per horum sanctorum tuorū N. N. atque aliorum qui in praesentirequiescunt Ecclesia merita gloriosa vt eorum pia intercessione ab omnibus semper protegamur adversis That is to say O Lord be fauourable vnto vs thy servants for the glorio us merits of these Saincts N. N. and of all others which rest here in this Church to the end that through their Godly intercession wee may evermore bee preserved in all our adversities I maintaine that this opinion is false that God heareth soner our Prayers neere vnto the reliques of the dead then else where because it is grounded on principles directly contrarie to the infallible instructions of holy Scripture where of the first is That Christians are permitted to invocate the departed Saincts and to honour religiously their reliques The second that the deceased Saincts know whatsoeuer is done vnder the Sunne and consequently vnderstand the Prayers of those which crie vnto them in this world The third that the Saincts after their departure should regard the seruice of such as salute kisse and honour their reliques by way of religion Fourthly that God hath instituted the pilgrimages which they obserue in the Romane Church and had rather be worshipped in a place wherein there is some reliques or memorials of the Saints thē where there is none Now inregard they haue not long agoe reimprinted at Sedan my refutation against the invocation of Saincts by which I haue represented vnto the reader the falshoode of the three first principles I will send the Reader vnto it But for the latter I will set downe before him that which S. Gregorie Nyssene iudgeth thereof in his Epistle against the pilgrims that went to Ierusalem to see the sepulchre of Christ and the most remarkeable memoriall of our Redeemer When the Lord saith Gregorie Nyssene calleth the blessed into the inheritance of the kingdome of Heaven he places not amonge the number of their workes which brings them thither the pilgrimage vnto Ierusalem neither maketh hee anie mention of such a worke amonge the number of the Blessed And why should men employ their time then in doing that which neither makes them happie nor is available vnto the Kingdome of Heauen Wherein cann that man advantage himself which should come into those parts as if more abundance of the holy Ghost were there and that his grace were more ample in that place If Grace were more abounding in Ierusalem then sinne would not bee so rife amonge those that inhabit there but at this present there is noe manner of wickednesse which is left vncommitted amonge them Let our exsample offend noe man but let rather our perswasion finde beliefe seing wee diswade them from that which wee haue seene with our eyes As for vs before and after wee came thither wee alwaies confessed that Christ is true God and our faith was neither impaired nor engmented therby This good I haue gathered by it that by the conference I haue had therof I must alwaies acknowledge that there is more sanctitie in vs which dwell fardest from it You then which feare God praise him at home in the places were you make your abode for the alteration of the place makes not God to come the neerer vnto you But wheresoeuer thou shall be he wil come vnto the if he finds the Lodging of thy soule readie to entertaine him But if the inward man bee laden with wicked thoughts thou shalt not receiue Christ though thou wert in Golgotha in mount olivers or in the tombe of his resurrection Perswade the Bretheren then that they goe on pilgrimage out of their Bodies vnto the Lord not out of Cappadocia into Palestina If that which was done there in the beginning did last still the holy Ghost dispensing his gifts in the likenesse of fire then would it behooue vs all to be present there where he maketh such distribution to all But if the Spirit bloweth where it pleaseth him those which haue beleeved there are made partakers of his diuine gift according to the proportion of their faith and not according to their pilgrimage vnto Ierusalem I could here likewise coppie out S. Chrisost admonition that to obtaine pardon for his sinnes he needed not to make any long iourneis into farre Countries neither to spend his mony Also that of S. Aug. that God commaunds vs not to goe into the East nor to saile into the West to seek out righteousnesse likewise that of S. Bernards that to finde the Lord it behooues vs not to passe the Seas and Alpes but that euerie man should goe vnto God within himself many other instructions of the true Doctours Fathers of the primitiue Church conformable to those of Christ his Apostle S. Paul that God wil bee worshipped by vs in al places in Spirit truth if I feared not to abuse the Readers patiēce and knew moreouer that our adversaires makes no account of the Doctrine of the Orthodoxe Fathers whēsoeuer it refelleth their inventions is repugnant vnto the authority of their Pope whome they preferre as wee can proue by their writtings before a thousand Chrysostomes Augustins Bernards and Gregories The third abuse is that through the visiting of these reliques the hearts of superstitious men are moued to transferre that worship which is due onely vnto the liuing and incorruptible God to dead corruptible things For as in the time of S. Ierom S. Christostom S. Augustin the Christiās were adicted vnto this ceremonie of going to visite the sepulchres and monuments of the Martyrs and other holy men and to solemnize yeerely certaine solemne feastes in memorie of them So ever since their foolish Imitatours haue buylt Temples Altars in honor of their reliques lighted vp Candles about them and haue craued succour and help by their praiers not onely of God himself and his saincts but also from these dead an insensible things which neuer had any communion with humane life neither could in any wise vnderstand them nor neuer shal be capable of hauing participation in the knowledg of our God and of that eternall life which he hath promised vnto his children For confirmatiō whereof I wil not here speake of the Monkes which in time past worshipped the arme of S. Maurus nor of some other Idolaters which praied to the bones of their Saincts nor of those which adore our Sauiours crosse vnto this day onely for the present I will but re●ite the praier which the Monkes of the Abbey of Fons make ordinarily vnto the table-cloth vpon which according to their tradition they saie our Sauiour and Lord Iesus Christ hath celebrated the holy Sacrament with his disciples And those which the Monkes of Cahors sing vsually going in procession in honour of his kerchiefe and to the great dishonor of the person of our blessed Sauiour and onely mediator Iesus Christ. The Monkes of Fons esteeming more

of an olde and false table-cloth then of our Lord Iesus Christ the authour of truth and niewnesse of life call vpon it for aide in this manner Sanctissima Dei mappa ora pro nobis O most holy table-cloth of God pray for vs. The Monkes of Cahors addressing thēselves rather vnto the Napkin or kerchief which our Redeemer left behinde him to rot in his sepulchre thē vnto this high Priest who shortly after his resurrection was takē vp by his Father into Heavē to make there continuall intercession for vs cryes vnto it singing in this manner Sancte Sudari ora pro nobis that is O holy handkerchiefe pray for vs. againe Sudarium Christi liberet nos a peste morte tristi that is O kerchiefe of Christ deliver vs from plague and a heavie death Moreover they cr●ue that for his kerchiefes sake representing the face of Christ by picture it would please him to let them behold his face aboue in Heauen Omnipotens sempiterne Deus qui in memoriam passionis vnigeniti Filij tui sanctam eius sindonem cum expressaipsius effigie venerandam reliquistiin terris tribue quaesumus vt per virtutem eius sanctae sindonis faciem tuam contemplari mereamur in coelis That is to say O Almightie and Eternall God which in memorie of the passiō of thy only begottē son hast left behinde him on earth his holy Sindon with his shape printed vpon it graunt that through the vertue of this holy lunen wee maye merrit to contemplate thy face in Heaven O Lord how long wilt thou endure this idolatrie ô poore Superstitious men how long will yee continue on in seeking our Lord Iesus Christ who is all in all of vs in things that are nothing worth The fourth abuse consisteth in the adoration of false reliques so artifcially counterfeited and invented by the one as foolishly beleeved and receiued by the other The cause why S. Augustine complaineth in his treatise touching the travelling Monkes that Sathan had dispersed throwout Christendome many Hypocrites vnder the habit of vagabond Monkes straggling vp downe through countries not sent neuer still nor never setled whereof some of them made Marchandise of the members of the Martyrs which made him to doubt suspect that they were not the right members of the Martyrs To this purpose Socrates reporteth in the 14. Chap. and 7. booke of his Historie that the Christians for some time honoured through ignorance the dead carkiese of a seditious Monke called Ammomus thinking it had bene the body of some holy Martyr Also Erasmus of Rotterdam reporteth in his Conferences that two Pilgrims arriving at Canterburie the one of them was so amazed at the impudencie and deceit of those which presented before them al sorts of reliques to be worshipped and amonge the rest an Arme bleeding with the flesh vpō it that they seemed thereat to be horribly affrighted flying back would not kisse it Gregorie surnamed Turonensis and diverse other Historians affirme that in the shrine of a departed Sainct they found the roots of sundry plantes the teeth of Moses the bones of Mice and the feete of foxes in stead of the true reliques of his bodie It is most manifest that presently after the reformatiō of the Churches in France Helvetia Germanie and some other adjoyning places they founde in the shrines chestes of the papall reliques the bones of diverse Beasts pieces of brickes spriggs of trees cordes and manie other trifles small trash which these superstitious men had worshipped during the night of their ignorance the thicke darknesse of their idolatries Calvin noteth in his admonitiō against the reliques of the Romish Church that they found at Geneve the taile of a Hart which these Superstitious people had often times kissed imagining that it had ben S. Anthonies Arme and a pumeise stone saluted by these Doltes besotted with this opinion that it was S. Peters braines Theodorus Besa proueth by the testimonie of more then fiftie eye-witnesses in his Apologie against the calumnies of a certaine Apostate by name Francis Bauldwin that at Bourges they found a wheele turning about vpon a staff adorned with this laciuious and magicall verse written vpon a scrole of parchment Quand ceste roue tournera Celle que saime m'aimera That is to say When this wheele shall turne about Shee whome I loue shall loue mee And at Tours a Card which gamesters call the knaue of Dyamants with a bawdie and villennous song written vppon it by some whoremonger put into a silver Arme. And after that a silver crosse besett with many precious perles and with an Agath wherevpon was engravē the picture of Venus bewailing the death of Adonis her Louer lying by her which the vulgar sort of people adored vpō the day of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rodulphus Hospaniā attesteth likewise in his recitall of the originall of Reliques that in the shrines treasuries of the Catholique Church at Zurich they foūd some of the ribs of a Cat or some such like creature with a cord twelue ells long which before the reformation of the said Church was worshipped by the blinde people there perswaded there-vnto by the guilfull gloses of their pastours that they were the reliques of Felix and of some other holy Martyr Although these Testimonies are worthy of beliefe and approved by every man without contradiction yet I assure myself that our adversaries will take a small occasion at the very name of these Authours to quarrell at the Title of their bookes to call them in question and reject them I feare I shall not get much more by inserting here the wordes of George Cassander one of their chiefest writers whereby he admonisheth the Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian that this abuse began to thrust vp her head litle by litle through the often visiting of the monuments of the renownedst Martyrs that in S. Augustins and S. Ambroses time the custome of bringing victualls in memorie of the martyrs was forbidden by S. Ambrose himself that in the ages ensuing they haue attributed too much honour vnto the memorie of the Saincts that some men of noe note had perswaded the simple to place a false confidence in a superfluous fond seruice and had added many other euils vnto it to wit that the priestes monkes coveteous of dishonest gaine haue counterfeited reliques preached false miracles to nourish superstition in the hearts of men and drew them rather vnto the admiration of their miracles then vnto the imitation of the Saincts Finally that the Devill making vse of the superstition of these men reuealed euery day new reliques when he saw that the Bishops of the Romish church were so earnestly giuen to enquire foorth the inventers and promoters of those reliques and they should finde therein as he saith abuses deceits as great and as abhominable as that was which S. Martyn discouvered who

passing by the sepulchre reliquaire of a Martyr greatly renowned in his Countrey having vnderstood after hee was throughly and seriously informed thereof that it was the tombe of a Murderer caused it to be demolished and cast downe that noe more mention might bee made thereof nor that they might vse it any more after that superstitious manner I say I shall not get much more by repeating Cassanders wordes vpon this matter because the Iesuites who dommineere at this present in the Romaine Church approue not all what this Catholique Doctour hath writ but according to the authority which was giuen them by the Council of Trent commaunds al Readers to cancel deface the best sentēces in his writtings extracted from the holy Scripture and from the true fathers and successours of the Apostles As for example they commaund in their index which they tearme purgatiue printed at Antwerp by Chrystopher Plantine Anno. 1521. to purge his writtings of that which hee teacheth in thē of the true naturall signification of the word Merit and of the ancient custome of the Fathers Apostolique Doctors concerning the administration of the holy Sacrament of the Lordes supper vnder the two signes of bread and wine vsed for more then a thousand yeeres after the comming of Christ. Likewise they cōdemne therein his booke intituled Preces ecclesiasticae that is ecclesiasticall Prayers and his exhortation touching the extenuation of the invocation of Saincts and al his Disputations vpon their merits Now if these Physitions make noe conscience to prescribe vnto Christians that they should apply their expurgatorie index vnto Cassander books to draw from them the pure blood and vitall sappe leaue nothing in them but the corrupt and badd humours haue not I then just occasion to suspect the like answere vpon the allegation of his testimonie and that they will say Cassander passed the limits of their rules and traditions in his discourse abouesaid so consequently they ought to cutt of what-soever they judge therein vicious and superfluous Not-with-standing there is the bodye of a whole Council called the Council of the auncient Bishops which their cheifest Doctours hold for perfectly found and can in no manner bee stayned with any corruption and wherein they can finde nothing that is worthie of purging and correcting whereby wee can shew them that manie ages agoe the reliques of Saints haue bē suspected by their predecessours assembled in the ancient Councils Wee reade then in the 14. Canon of the 5. Council of Carthage that Aurelius Bishop of the Carthagian Church accompanied with two and seventy Byshops of the neighbouring Churches reprooved therein certaine reliques counterfeited by some falsifiers priuily brought into the primitive Church for loe the Contents of the Canon rune thus Placuit vt altaria quae passim per agros aut vias tanquam memoriae Martyrum constituuntur in quibus nullum corpusaut reliquae Martyrum conditae probantur ab Episcopis qui cisdem locis praesunt si fieri potest evertantur Si autem hoc propter tumultus popularis non sinitur plebis tamen admoneantur ne illa loca frequentent vt qui recta sapiunt nulla tibi supestitione devincti teneantur Et omninò nulla tibi memoria Martyrum probabiliter acceptetur nisi aut ibi corpus aut aliquae certae reliquiae sint aut vbi origo alicuius habitationis vel possessionis vel passionis fidelissimâ origine traditur Nam quae per somnia per manes quasi revelationes quorum libet hominum vbique constituntur altaria omnino reprobent●r That is to say It hath pleased vs to decree in this Councill that the Altars which are built vp and downe in feilds and by the way sides as in memorie of the Martyrs In which one cannot finde that there hath ben enclossed the Bodies or reliques of the Martyrs should be cast downe if it be possible by the Bishops of those places But if they cannot doe it because of the popular tumult Let them never-the-lesse admonish the people not to frequent such places to the end that those which be wise may not be carryed away with superstition And let them receiue noe where any memorie of the Martyrs but in those places wherein their is some corps and certaine reliques or some tradition of the sure originall of the abode of some Martyr or of his suffring For wee haue thought it good that they wholly cast downe the Altars established by the dreames and revelations of all sort of persons By these wordes it appeareth then that wee are not the first which haue warned the superstitious first that the simplicity of their ancestours and their naturall inclination in giving eare vnto the dreames and lies of all sort of Doters hath opened the way vnto many false reliques Secondly that their foolish devotion made them lay them vnder and afterward neere vnto Altars Thirdly that their obstinacie hath by all force with-held the good Bishops from purging the Churches of them mentioned in the Canon already cited More-over we could here copie out the decrees of some other Counsells especially that of Lions whereby their Pries●s in former times haue ben advertised of this abuse and exhorted to seeke remedy for it We could also produce many sentences of the Fathers conformable to them But in doing it we should offend the Romanists who beleeue that Counsells cannot erre to alledge thē for a proofe vnto the said Cannon approoued long agoe by their predecessours and which they holde still for authentique The fift abuse testifies that one superstition hath drawne many others after her For as the Prelats of the Romane Church make noe conscience to allure the silly people vnto the adoration of their reliques So to induce them the more to put their confidence therein they promisse indulgences and pardons to such as will kisse them permits their Idolaters to carrie them vpon their neckes to sweare by them trampling vnderfoot by this meanes the second and third commaundement of the diuine Lawe and maliciously contradicting the Doctrine of the auncient Prophets Apostles who teach vs all with one common accord that no man ought not to vnderprop his faith vpon any other then vppon God himself nor to sweare by any other then by him nor to seeke the remission of his sinnes in any other then in our onely Saviour Iesus Christ. Therefore these Sacrilegious persons wil be so much the more inexcusable before God at the day of judgment because they are not ignorant that God threatens with a Curse by his Prophet Ieremiah the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme For if the Lord which in his word permitteth vs to craue the assistance of living mē as those whome hee hath ordained dispensators of his blessings to relieue vs in our necessities condemneth not-with-standing those which assure themselues of the help which they expect from mortal men hath he not farre greater reasō to curse

vnto the view of all sorts of people to moue thē by the contēplation therof to reverēce them In which times but especially before the warres dangeros waies people resorted not onely frō adjoyning places but also from farre as out of Hungary Germany France the Lowcontries in such ●n abundance that this semed not an obscure citie but rather an assembli● of manie provinces an● kingdomes together Refutation The inscription of this Epistle shewe● that these Canōs are of the same hum●● and complexion as the Scribes Phari● were in the time of Christ his Apost●● who gloried in them-selves for being 〈◊〉 pillars of the church There is this difere● betweē the swelling Titles whi●h the Scr●● Pharises attributed to thēselves to rep●●sent their dignity to the comō people 〈◊〉 they were some what Ecclesiasticall in 〈◊〉 of these that the Canons of the Sy●gogue of Awcon assume to themselve which are rather politique The preface of this Epistle demons●teth that these new Scribes and Phari● would faine constraine the Christians our age to judaisme and obserue the customes of the ceremonial law long 〈◊〉 abolished by our Lord Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 hath purchased vs the freedome to ass●●ble our selues euery day in his name and worship him in all places after th' example of his Apostles and other Christians well instructed in the faith which accounted all dayes a like the one as the other and reprooued the Superstition of those which condemned their bretheren in the distinctiō of a holy-day of the new Moone or of the Sabbath Wherevnto S. Hierome having respect acknowledged euery day was alike and that Christ was crucified not onely vpon the day of the preparation or rise againe vpon the Sunday but ads that his resurrection is alwaies and that alwaies we may liue by the flesh of Christ. He addeth morover that after the decease of the Apostles some wise men instituted certaine daies for fasting and convocation to the intent that such as waited more vpon the worlde then vpon God who could not or at least would not assemble them-selves so much as one day in their lives to come offer vp vnto God the sacrifices of their praiers humane actions might watch pray vpon those daies if they would Whereby it appeareth painely that the observation of the Iudiciall feasts were not instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ or his Apostles but by the Doctors of the primitiue Church to expresse and record more clearely vnto the common sort of people the principal benefits of our Redeemer Iesus Christ and to accustome them to employ some extraordinarie dayes in meditating vpon them Wherevnto this testimonie of Socrates may serue as a sufficient proofe whereby he declareth that neither Christ nor his Apostles was of meaning to suspend their judgements touching Easter-day or any other feast nor instituted any lawes for them that they should bee kept nor yet denounced any condemnation against such as did not obserue them or did lay any cursse or penalty vpon them as the law of Moses vsually did but the marke whereat they aimed was to recommend to euery one that vertue and life which was pleasing to God And what an impudencie is it in these Canons of Awcon to appropriate their abuse vnto the feasts of the old Testament seing there is asmuch difference betweene their seventh yeeres Sabbath that of the Iewes as is betweene light and darknesse● For that of the Iewes was neither consecrated nor employed but onely to the glorie of God whereas that of the Canons of Awcon and their pilgrims is dedicated to the honour of the bones and raggs of mortall men Touching their pilgrimages vnto the reliques of the departed Saincts they are in noe wise grounded vpon any institution of our Lord neither from any example of the aue Iewes nor from the doctrine of the Apostles and first Doctours of the primitiue Church For Iesus Christ our Redeemer was so farr from commaunding his disciples to transport themselves from one place to another to adore the ashes of their predecessours that on the contrarie speaking vnto the Samaritanish woeman hee told her that the hower immediatly should come whē strangers should not come any more vnto the temple of Ierusalem to worship God his Father but that the true worshippers should worship him in Spirit and truth at home in their owne Countrey As for the Iewes the true Children of Abraham as it cannot be proued by holy Scripture that God enjoyned them to goe into any forraine Countrey to visite the reliques of the Saincts departed so they never resorted any whether but where God onely was invocated in all puretie shuning all other places into which they had transferred the honour of God to his creatures ●ead and insensible following therein the ●ropher Hoseas exhortation Though thou playest the Harlot ● Israell at the least let not Iudah sinne come not ye vnto Gilgal neither goe 〈◊〉 vp to Beth-avan I acknowledg that some of the ancient● Fathers traveled to Ierusalem to behold● the sepulchre of our Redeemer Iesus Christ and some other monuments of the Saincts departed but I add thereto that in the beginning they went not thither to worship their reliques but God onely neither had they any such foolish imagination as once to think that the grace of God was tyed more to one place then to an other but their onely desire was to consider the remarkeable signes of Christs redemption the place of his abode with his disciples Herevpon S. Hierom speaking of S. Hilarions journey to Ierusalem rebuketh such thought that any thing was wāting in the faith who had not seene Ierusalem and ●●steemed others that had ben there mo●● holy then they which had not The kingdom of God saith he is among you The pal●● of God is as accessible in Britainie as in Ierusalem Anthony the Monkes of ●gipt saw not Ierusalem and yet notwithstand●●● found the gate open While S. Hilariō ●●●in Palestina he went and saw Ierusalem ●●●cause he would not dispise the holy places in su●●● a iourney neuerthelesse he remained there but for a day because it should not seeme he ment to shutt vp the Lorde into a certaine place From hence it followeth that these Canons of Awcon and their predecessors takes for an example the Iewish ceremonies and ancient customes which some Christians through a superstitious imitation introduced into the primitiue church by some of their hirelings onely to encrease their dishonest gaine but let vs proceed to the first parte of their Epistle wherby they shew the reasons where fore many superstitious men in times past haue visited the Reliques which are to bee seene in their Church The first parte of this Iesuiticall Epistle They perceived what great benefites God hath imparted to mortall men through those holy Reliques and how many sundry sorts of miracles haue bene wrought by them through a supernaturall force For not onely the wordes of the Saincts as