iuuare eos precibus sanis atque interuentu suo apud Deum Non erit inconueniens Scriptum nanque est in Machabeorum libris ita Hic est Hieremias propheta Dei qui semper orat pro populo That is to saye But it shall not bee inconueniente yf it bee sayd that all the Saintes whyche bee departed out of thys lyfe hauynge yet a loue and charitie towardes them that be in the worlde bee carefulle ouer theyr saluation and healpe theym with theyr prayers and intercession vnto God For in the booke of the Machabees it is thus writen This is Hieremie the Prophete of GOD that prayeth alwayes for the people These woordes seeme vnto me very playne Philalethes Answer It is a wonder and meruaile that this old ancient father should go about to confirm and establish the intercession and prayeng of the Saynctes for vs in heauen which is a doctrine no where set foorth vnto vs in all the Canonicall Scriptures by the testimonie and authoritie of an Apocryphicall booke For Origene hymselfe if that bee trewe that Eusebius writeth of hym doothe numbre no more than .xxii. canonicall bookes secludyng the bokes of the Machabees Moreouer Hierome in his preface vnto Damasê° which he did set before the .ii. treatises or homelies of Origene vpon the CaÌ„ticles doth testifie that Origene did write these .ii. treatises vpon the caÌ„ticles whiche Hierome hyâ—selfe dydde turne or translate into latin and .x. bokes which he sayth he dyd not translate because it was a woorke that required muche leysure tyme labour and coste Nowe those that wee haue at this present vnder the name and title of Origene are not called bookes but homelies where as in the meane whyle he wrote none but those .ii. which Hierom did translate But put the case that they be Origenes shall we set more by the authoritie of man than by the authoritie of the Canonical scriptures Lu. 7. Math. 15. Obie 2â— Albion It is written in Luke that the Centurion dyd sende the elders of the people vnto Christ beseching him that he wold come and heale his seruant And why because that he thoughte not hymselfe worthy to come vnto hym Dyd not the the Apostles lykewyse make earneste sute vnto Christ for the woman of Chanance why shoulde wee not likewyse thynking our selues vnworthie by reason our synnes to come vnto God praye vnto the dead Saintes that be already in heauen with their head our sauior Iesu Christe to make intercession for vs Philalethes Answer vvhiles vve liue in this vvorld vve are bound to praye one for another We haue alreadye declared that whiles we yet liue in this worlde we may pray one for an other yea we are bound by goddes worde so for to doo But that we shoulde doo the lyke after we be ones deceassed or departed out of this lyfe and haue fulfiled our course we haue not one onelye iote in al the whole body of the scriptures that testifieth any suche thyng vnto vs Albion Obie 14 Reuel 5 Ye shall not nede to make any repetition of that which hath ben saide alreadie For I doo wel beare in mynd the whole matter Therfore I wil com to the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iohn There wee haue these woordes And when he had taken the boke the fower beastes and the foure and twentie elders fell downe before the lambe hauyng euery one harpes and golden viols full of odours which are the prayers of the Sainctes And in an other place of the same booke he saieth Reue 8. And an other angell came and stoode before the aultar hauyng a golden censer and many odoures were geuen vnto hym that he should offer of the praiers of the Saintes vpon the golden aultar which is before the throne These places doo seeme vnto me to proue manifestly the inuocation of the dead Saintes Phila. Answer Tvvo â—yndes of praiers Ye must vnderstande that there be .ii. kyndes of prayers the one is inuocatioÌ„ or petition and the other is geuyng of thankes laude and prayse This petition yf nede were might be proued by the iiii chapiter of the epistle to the Philippians we cal that inuocation when we desyre some good thing to be geuen vnto vs or some euyll to bee taken awaye from vs. Geuyng of thankes doth contayne the praising and lauding or magnifieng of the name of god for his exceading great benefyts which we receaue dayly and hourely at his handes It is manifeste by that whiche doth immediatly folow that the Apostle doth speake of this laste and not of the first These be the wordes And they sounge a newe song Reuela 5. saieng Thou act worthy to take the boke and to open the seales therof because thou wast killed haste redemed vs to God by thy bloude oute of euerye kynred and tongue and people and nation and haste made vs vnto our God kinges and prestes we shal raigne on the erth Therfore what doth thys make for the intercession of the blessed spirites or soules that the saints do sing praises vnto god in heauen In the other place none other thing is ment Reuela 8 but that the aungell did ioygne his laudes and praises whiche he gaue vnto God with the himnes and songes of the elders Saint Augustine August expoundyng this place writeth thus Alius angelus ipse est Iesus Christus habens thuribulum aureuÌ„ quod est corpus sanctum Ipse enim dominus factus est thuribulum ex quo deus odorem suanitatis accepit propitius factus est mundo quia obtulit seipsum modoreÌ„ suauitatis Et accepit angelus thuribuluÌ„ impleuit illud ex igne altatis Accepit Iesus corpus id est ecclesiam perficieÌ„do patris voluntatem illam igne spiritus impleuit sancti That is to saye The other angell is Iesus Chryst hauyng a golden censer whyche is an holy body For the LORD hym selfe was made a censer oute of the whyche GOD receaued a swete odour and was made mercifull vnto the worlde For he offered hym self a sacrifice of swete smell And the aungell didde take the censer and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the aultare IESVS tooke a bodye that is to saye the churche and dydde fyll it wyth the fyre of the holye Ghoste DYDIMVS Obie 25 Râ—ffâ— lâ—â— Eccle. historiae I perceaue brother Albion that ye muste seeke for helpe som other where than in the scriptures of the old and newe testament sith that youre inuocation of the deade Saintes is already driuen out of the Apocalypse or reuelation of Iohn Albi. I haue yet somme what in store These wordes we do reade of Theodosius the emperor in the eleuenth boke of the ecclesiasticall hystorie whiche one Ruffinus dyd write Ciren nibat cum sacerdotibus popâ—lo omnia orationum loca ante martyrum apostolorum thecis â—acebat cilitio prostratus auxilia sibi fida sanctorum intercessione poscebat That is he did with
the priestes the people goe aboute all the places of prayers and dyd lye prostrate in suckeclothe before the shrines of the martirs and Apostles and did require helpe for hymselfe by the faithful intercession of the Saintes What will ye say now to this No man can deny but that this is a moste auncient hystorie Answer Antiquâ—â—â—â— vvithout trueth proueth nothing Eutrapelus I haue many tymes hearde oure brother Philalethes saye that antiquitie without a truthe or without a good foundation or grounde in gods booke proueth nothyng Againe when certaine arguments of Hierom wer discussed it was by sufficiente testimonies and authoritie of the scriptures proued that the examples of such kynges and bishoppes which are brought foorth without any authoritie of the scriptures doo in such weightie matters proue nothynge Ye do not reade in al the boke of God that any of the godly and faithfull kynges dyd euer lie prostrate before the shrines of the righteous and did craue for help by the faithfull intercession of the dead For they did all crye out My helpe is from the Lorde whiche made both heauen and the earth The Lorde shal preserue thee from all euyll the Lord shall kepe thy soule The Lorde shall keepe thy goyng out and thy goyng in frome hensefoorth worlde without ende The exposition of Ruffinus vvorâ—â—â— Philalethes Besydes Ruffinus wordes doo appeare to be suche that they ought rather to be vnderstanded of the intercession of the saints that were in the earth For it seemeth that the prince went about all the oratories or prayeng places where the congregation of the sainctes was assembled and that he dyd desyre the faithfull to praye most earnestly vnto god that he would vouchsafe to geue him the victorye and to preserue his empire to the commodity profite and vtilitie of many men The like in a manner haue we in the said Ruffinus li. 10. ca. 8 where wee haue these woordes In the meane while Constantinus trusting in godlines did euen in their own contrey subdue the SarmatiaÌ„s the Gothes other Barbarous contreys and nations those excepted which eyther by frendeship or by yelding of them selues did preuente peace And the more deuoutely and humbly he did submitte hym selfe vnto god the more God did subdue all things vnder hym He dyd also send letters to Antonie the first inhabitaunt of the wildernesse as vnto one of the prophetes desiring him that he woulde praye vnto the lorde for him and for his children So he did not onely study to be made commendable vnto god by his own merites and by the deuotion of his mother but also by the intercession of the Saints Mark how he did here take the intercession of the saintes neither doo I see any cause why wee maye not expounde that place touching Theodosius VVhat the vision of Theodosius doth signify of the intercession of the saints that were aliue here on the erth And where as they say that the Apostles Iohn and Phillip did appeare vnto Theodosius the emperour what shall they gather by it But that he was by such a vision certified of the victorye as Iudas Machabaeus was before by the appearing of Onias and Hieremy And therfore as Iudas Machabaeus dyd not call vppon Onias and Hieremie when he should ioygne in battail with his enemies but vpon the mighty Lorde of hostes In like maner Theodosius whan he sawe his souldiours turne their backes he prayed not vnto the Apostelles but vnto god sayeng O almighty god The prayer of Theodosius thou knowest that for to reuenge the iuste quarell of thy sonne Iesu Christ I haue taken in hande these warres yf it be otherwise poure thy vengeaunce vpon me But if trusting in thee and vppon a iust cause I am come hether retch forth thy right hand vnto thyne lest the gentils do say where is now their god Whereunto the same doth well agree whiche Saincte Augustine in hys fyfte booke of the city of god and .26 chapiter doothe write of this moste holy prince how that he did put his whole confideÌ„ce and trust in God as in his moste strong shield and bucklar and strong bulwark agaynst his ennemies Didymus Obie 26 The coÌ„mune people is wont to saye stil that it was a mery world when the holy virgin Mary and all the blessed sainctes in heauen were prayed vnto and woorshipped whervppon they doo gather God was well pleased withall els God would not haue sent vnto them such felicitie But nowe sens pylgremages prayeng vnto sainctes was put downe rhe worlde hath ben in all kynde of myserie Philalethes Answer Hiere 44 The lyke were they wont to lay to Hieremies charge vsing these stoute wordes agaynst hym The woorde that thou haste spoken to vs in the name of the Lorde we wil not here it of thee but we will doo whatsoeuer thyng goeth out of oure owne mouthe as to burne incense vnto the queene of heauen and to poure out drynke offringes vnto her as we haue doone bothe we and our fathers our kinges and our princes in the cities of Iuda and in the stretes of Hierusalem for then had we plentie of vitailes and were well and selfe none yll but sens we leste of to burne incense to the queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerynges vnto her we haue hadde scarcenesse of all thynges and haue ben consumed by the sworde and famyne Do not I pray you the worshippers of dead Saintes make the lyke complaintes praisyng the felicitie of the olde world as they do terme it when al kynd of idolatrie did reigne The common complaint of idolaters But this is the commune coÌ„plaint of idolaters For both Demetrianus and the commune sorte of the heathen dyd lay to the christiaÌ„s charge that it was long of them that suche cruell warres did arise emong them that theyr catell dyed of the moreyn that they were plagued with pestilence and famyne and that they had vnseasonable weathers yea that all maner of plages that the world was plagued withall oughte to be impuded vnto them Cypr contâ—â— demetrianum But Cyprian doothe so answere to al these vaine obiections that his aunswere maye serue vs for to stoppe the mouthes of the vayne Papistes whiche nowe doo make so greate a brag of the felicitie of theyr idolatrous tyme. But leauing mens auctorities I wil shew how the lord him self doth answere or rather handel this obiection of the aduersaries in his prophete Osee For Osee 1. he sayth your mother hath played the harlot for she said I wil go after my louers that geue me my bread and my water my wol and my star myne oyle and my drinke And she did not knowe that I gaue her corn and wyne and oile and multiplied her siluer and gold whiche thei bestowed vpoÌ„ Baal Therfore wyl I return and take away my corne in the tyme therof my wyne in the sea son therof and wil recouer my wol and my flaxe lent to
Galati 1. But what shall they wynne by it Yf an aungell from heauen shoulde preache vnto me any other Gospell than hathe bene preached he shal be vnto me Anathema that is to saye Tertullian de praese iphaereticoruÌ„ accursed Are not these Tertullians wordes We ought to indulge or brynge nothyng of our owne heade neyther to chose that which anye man hath brought in of his owne head or of his owne brayne We haue the Apostelles for our authors which dyd not those of their owne braynes what they should bring in but didde faithfully assigne and delyuer vnto nations that whych they receaued of the Lord. Therfore yf an aungell from heauen shoulde preache any other Gospell vnto vs we would pronounce it to be accursed Are not also these Hieromes wordes Hiero. in Ma ca 23. Quod de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That is That which hath no auctority out of the scriptures or by the scriptures maye as easely bee contemned as it is proued Ambro. de virginibus lib. 4. Ambrose also writeth on this maner We do by good ryght condemne all newe thinges that Chryste hath not taughte For Christe is the waye vnto the faythefull Yf therfore CHRISTE hath not taught that whyche wee doo teache wee dooe also iudge it execrable â–ª heare also what Origene sayeth Wee haue neede to brynge the Scriptures for a witnesse Orige ho. â— in â—â—e For oure meanynges and exposicions wythoute these witnesses haue no credite These testimonies and autorities of the forefathers do sufficientlye proue that the olde aunciente writers oughte no farther to bee beeleued than they dooe brynge Goddes woorde for theyr warraunte But in all these auctorities that bothe youre angelicall writer and also Ossus dothe brynge what warraunt of Goddes worde haue they DYDIMVS Obi. 36 Augu. 11 â—ctâ— 118. in Ioannem I doo thynke none other but that ye wyll attribute muche to Sainte Augustyne as to hym whom all menne do acknowledged to be one of the chiefe pyllours of the churche But these are his very wordes What is it that all menne doo knowe the sygne of Chryste Whyche sygne yf it bee not made eyther in the foreheades of theym that dooe beeleue or in the water wherewyth wee are regenerated or in the oyle wherwyth wee are annoyncted or in the sacrifice wherwyth they are fedde and nourysshed none of all these things is rightly done What coulde be spoken more playnely than this Eutrapelus Answer In deede this is plainly spoken But where is the scripture or woorde of God that he doothe bryng for his warraunt Heare nowe what he saieth hym self Neither ought we to take the disputations of all men Augu. episto ad fortuna 111. howe catholike soeuer and commendable they be as the Canonicall scriptures as though we may not safe the reuerence that is due vnto suche men improue and refuse any thing of their writynges if we fynd that they haue ment otherwise than the truthe dooth alow beyng by the help of God founde by vs or by other And in an other place I am not moued with the authoritie of this epistle For I do not take the letters of Cyprian as the canonical scriptures but I do try his writings by the canonical scriptures Contra Cresâ—on gâ—â—maâ—◠〈◊〉 2. c 32. And whatsoeuer in them dooth agree with thâ— autoritie of the holy scriptures I doo receaue it with his coÌ„mendation and what so euer doothe not agree with goddes woorde I doo by his good leaue refuse it Manny other places myght I alleadge out of this auncient Father but these with the rest alleadged before shall suffise to proue howe farrefoorthe menne be they neuer so excellente oughte to bee credited Nowe lette vs cope sommewhat nearer with oure ennemyes where in all those places that they bothe doo alleadge is there any iote or syllable of goddes woorde But the Doctoures wyll bee beleued but as farre foorthe as they doo brynge Goddes worde for theyr warraunt therefore in all those authorities that they haue brought I maye choose whether I wyll beleeue theym or not Howe manye thynges haue beene vsed by those forefathers whyche afterwardes haue been abolished In Tertullians tyme Many thinges did the olde mei fathers vse vâ—hich by good right are novv out doune mylke and honye was geuen and offered vnto theym that were baptised Bothe in Cyprians and in saynt Augustine tyme they mynistred the communion vnto younge infantes and babes But yet all these thynges haue beene by good ryghte abolysshed so maye it bee of all other thynges that haue been vsed withoute the woorde of GOD as is theyr consecrated or holye oyle whych which they called Chrisme the signe of the crosse and other lyke thynges that haue no expresse commaundemente in Gods booke Dydimus Obie 37 Howe chaunceth that by the signe of the Crosse as they say the diuels and vncleane spirites haue ben dryuen away if it bee not allowed of God nor yet by his worde EVTRAPELVS Answer It maye be that this as all other myracles was graunted for a tyme for to get more authoritie vnto the doctrine of the gospell and vnto the christian religion emonge the vnbeleuyng Gentiles Chr. 49 in Ma. 24. ca Augu. lib 1. â—etract ca. 23. but nowe yea a greate whyles sens as bothe Chrysostome and Augustine dooth testifye the woorkynge of myracles is ceassed So that nowe we oughte rather to take good heede vnto oure selues leste we be seduced and deceaued by Sathan the dyuell and made to put oure truste where no truste is to bee putte What crossynge I praye you doo the coniurers charmers and sorcerers of oure tyme vse I doo not denye but that the vncleane spirites make sometimes as thoughe they were wounderfullye scarred with theyr crossynge But wherefore is this but for to brynge theyr diuellyshe arte whereof the vncleane spirites theyr selues are authors to greater credite To bee shorte they go aboute by this doctrine to make vs to leane that wherein our whole truste oughte to bee and to put oure truste in thynges of naught Ye know what lyeng tales we haue hearde of theyr coniured water of what vertue power The lvinge â—ales touching coniured vvater and strength it hathe been for to dryue awaye vncleane spirites where soeuer it shoulde bee sprinkeled so that they dydde mooste sacrilegeously attribute vnto theyr beggarlye inuentions the same that oughte onely and solely to be attributed vnto the bloode of our sauyour Iesu Christe beeyng thorough faythe and by the myghtye operation of the holye ghoste sprynkeled in our consciences Exo. 12 For as the bloode of the lambe beeyng stryken on the twoo poastes and vppon the vpper poste of the doore of the Hebrewes houses dydde keepe of the destroyer not beecause that the bloudde of a brute beaste had any suche vertue of it selfe but beecause it was the Lordes Instytution buylded on his woorde and thorough faythe obeyed of the
vestrae Are my waies lyke vnto your waies if the same causes coulde be founde in God why we myght not come before his maiesty without mediators that commonly be found in erthly kinges and princes their similitude should haue som appearance of a truth But no such causes can we fynd in our heauenly father First and foremost yf a king be a louer of vertue and an ernest maynteyner of iustice as many wicked vngodly persons as he hathe within his dominions so many deadly enemies hath he And therefore it is not meete and conuenient that euery manne that woulde shoulde be suffered to come to suche a king For so he might be murthered vnder the color pretence of suite Titus linius 1 de ca. li 1. Psal â— as we reade of Tarquinius Priscus But there is no such peril in our heauenly kyng For why he is in heauen hath all his enemies in derision yea he shall speake vnto theÌ„ in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure Secondelye we see that at many times hapneth that worldly princes do waxe so proude and so high minded that they disdain to speake with their gret lords much lesse that thei wold suffer euery rascal to come vnto theÌ„ But our eternal euerlasting king doth call all meÌ„ indiffereÌ„tly vnto him saterig Math. 11. Come vnto me al ye the labour are laden I wil refresh you Thirdly let vs graunt that the prynce is neyther affrayde of treason nor yet pufte vppe with suche pride as we spake of but is most ready to heare all mens suite yet he can here but one mans suite at ones so that yf all men shoulde be suffred to come in with their suite he must nedes be ouercharged But the liuyng god our heueÌ„ly father is able to here at once al meÌ„s petitions though all nations and peoples that be vnder heauen shoulde in one instant call vppon hym and make their suite vnto hym Ambro incoÌ„meÌ„ suis in 1. caput ad Domanns Vnto all these the sayeng of Ambrose may be added where he sayth Nam ideo ad regem per Tribunos Comites itur quia homo vtique est rex nescit quibus debeat Rempub. committere Ad Deum auteÌ„ quem vtique nihil latet omniuÌ„ enim merita nouit promerendum suffragatore non est opus sed mente deuota That is to say They doo therfore come vnto a kyng by his captaines lordes and wayting seruantes because forsothe that the kynge is a manne and knoweth not to whome he shoulde commit the commune wealthe But to gette and obteyne the fauoure of GOD from whome nothyng is hidden for he knoweth al mens merites we haue no neede of a Mediator but of a deuoute mynd Let your Pope catholikes rede the wordes that go before in the same place of sainct Ambrose Albion But what say ye to those authorities of the scriptures that our neighbour Didymus dyd aleadge 2 Sam 4 â—he histoly of Absaron PHILE I wyl first begynne with the historie of Absalon Firste it was not without a iust cause that he dyd not by hymself sue to be reconciled with his father It dyd well appeare afterwardes that he bare no true hearte to the kyng his father but was all drowned in ambition Againe he knew right well that his father loued Ammon moste entierly and that therefore it coulde not be but that he was sore offended for the which cause he durste not come in his syghte And that Dauid woulde not see hym that ought to be attributed to the great heauinesse and sorowe that he was in for the deathe of his sonne Ammon But no such humain passioÌ„s can be applied vnto God onlesse we will condemne the scriptures of deceatfulnesse leasyng Agayne that Dauid beeyng by the meanes of Ioab reconciled vnto his son would not suffer him to come into his syght it was a token that he kepte yet som rancor and malice in his heart But the recoÌ„ciliacion wherby the true repentant sinners are reconsiled vnto god is full and perfect â–ª for there can be nothing more acceptable vnto him thaÌ„ the vnfeigned conuersion or turning again of his children for so doth he crye out by his prophete Esay Let the wicked forsake his wayes Esay 55. and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lorde and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our god for he is very redy to forgeue for my thoughtes are not your thoughtes neither are your wayes my wayes saieth the lord When thinke ye woulde Dauid haue said Lette Absalon forsake his wickednes and returne vnto me being his fathâ—r I wil haue mercy vpoÌ„ him for I am very redy to forgeue And as for adoniah he had coÌ„ceiued treason against his brother Salomon whom he sought for to depose that he might make hym self king elles he mighte withoute any perill haue come to the king 1 King 2 The history of Adoniah Howbeit the history doth declare that the intercession that Bersebah dydde make for hym vnto hir sonne Salomon dydde coste hym hys lyfe EVTRAPE Vse that kynd of intercession that list 2. Sa 19. me think it is naught for the necke Phila. More ouer if such histories do please them so muche why doo they not bryng forthe the historie of Semei who although he had moste greuously offended Dauid yet came by himself without any mediator vnto hym and fallyng downe at his feete desired hym of pardon why is the example of the prodigall son omitted and left of Eutra Luc. 15. The similitude of the papistes ouerthrovven by an other similitude As vnskilfull in diuinitie as I am me thynke I coulde bryng a similitude or example whiche must nedes be farre better that theirs If any earthely kyng or prince should by act of parliment or by proclamation commaunde all his subiectes in theyr trouble to come boldely vnto hym promysyng to heare theym and to rydde theym out of theyr trouble aduersitie and affliction What neede I praye you shoulde these subiectes haue to seeke Mediatours that by theym they might come to the kyng and haue their matter hearde euen so nowe sythe that we haue so many proclamations set out in that moste glorious councell or parlensent of the blessed Trinitie wherby we are bydden to come with a stedfast confidence and trust before the mercy seate of our heauenly kyng and father what shold mediators do First and formost Psal l. our heauenly Father setteth out this proclamation Call vpon me in the daye of thy trouble and so I will deliuer thee and thou shalt heare me Math xi The sonne setteth oute this and dothe proclaime it hymselfe Come vnto me all ye that labour Ro. m 10 and are laden and I will refreshe you The holy gost dothe by the holy apostle crie out Who soeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shal be saued Are not these sufficient proclamations to enbolden vs
Apostle Saint Andrew hadde preached And as touching the miracles wonders that he doth speake of who doth not see that thin good man hauyng forgotten hym selfe dyd attribute the same vnto the dead bones of the Saints which the true seruantes of god being aliue wold neuer haue suffred to be attributed vnto them Neither ought his examples to in due vs any thing For in receiuing or settyng out religion The facte of a priuate man in maters of religion proueth nothing the priuate facte or deede of men proueth nothyng unlesse it be manifest that it is wel done But that only is wel done which is boone by the auctoritie of the scriptures and not against the law of God Now if we shold reade the whole Bible ouer and call to remembraunce all the examples of the true and faithfull seruauntes of God mentioned of in the scriptures A poore helpe in tyme is muche vvaith we shall not fynde there one onely iote or syllable of the gatheryng translatyng or honoring of the relikes of the Sainctes DIDYMVS It semeth that ye do now condemne Constantine and Archadius and those godly byshops with Helenâ— the mother of Constantine the greate whose examples Hierome dooth bring foorth for the probatioÌ„ of his doctrine Philalethes It foloweth not because I do disalow their fact in this point that therfore I do vtterly condemne them or laye any sacriledge to their charge The holy Apostle doth write after this maner of his contreymen the Iewes Rom. 9. I beare them recorde that they haue a zeale of God but not accordynge to knowledge And I doo not doubt but that they dyd of a zeale that which they dyd but in the meane whyle they dyd minister a great occasion of stumblyng to theym that came after Whereby it foloweth that they synned greuously againste the Lorde 1 Ch. ca 17 The holye scripture doothe saye thus of Iosaphat And the Lorde was with Iosaphat because that he walked in the first wayes of Dauid his father and soughte not Baalim but sought the Lord GOD of his father and walked in his commandementes and not after the trade of Israell Agayne 1 Cht 20. he walked in the way of Asa his father and departed not there from doyng that which was right in the sight of God Howbeit the hye places were not taken away For the people had noy yet prepared theyr heartes vnto the god of their fathers Who wold vtterly condemne this holy prince for that error or lay any sacrilege to his charge But who would againe allowe that whiche he dyd So we ought not by and by to condemne those godlye princis Constantine and Archadius ConstaÌ„tine Arcâ—â—dius with the byshops muche lesse to laye sacrilege to their charge whom we beleue to be in blessedfulnes with their head and kyng our sauiour Iesu Christ Yet in the meane while we may not alowe that fact of theyrs for asmuche as it was withoute any warrant or example of the scriptures Gedeon Gedeon emong the Iudges of Israell was coumpted most vpright and moste godly and yet being caried away with to greate a zeale towarde religion he sinned moste greuouslye againste the Lorde his God For hauing gathered together of the pray of the ennemies earerynges and other lyke iewelles of golde he dyd make vnto hymselfe an Ephod VVould god al kinâ—e prinâ—es that in profeâ— Christe vvoulde maâ— this history not for to set vp a newe religion 〈◊〉 straunge worshipping but for a memoriall of the greate victorye that god had geuen him against his enemies At the first it did not seme to be any great offence but at length by the reason of it great Idolatry was coÌ„mitted in the lande as the holy scripture doth testify saiyng And all Israell wente a whoring after it in Ophra which was the destruction of Gedeon his house yf Gedeon hadde bene wyse he should haue asked councell of goddes worde and not folowed his good intente Yf those godly bishops emperours that Hierome doth speake of had asked couÌ„cell of the scriptures and had bene ruled by them they would not haue opened the sepulchres or graues of the dead nor yet set forth their bones to be worshipped For vnto whom of the Saintes either in the new or in the olde Testament was euer this done Eutra Yf men would haue conteÌ„ted them selues with the same rule that God hath prescribed vnto vs in his worde and wyth the laudable examples of the same such inconueniences would not haue groweÌ„ in the chirch nor yet could such abhominable idolatry haue takeÌ„ place amoÌ„g christen meÌ„ as we se now to reigne almost in al places Ph This shal wee fynde written of Moises Den. 34. The historie of the death and buryeng of Moses So Moyses the seruant of the lord died there in the lande of Moab according to the worde of the lorde and he buried him in a valley in the lande of Moab ouer against Beth-peor but no man knoweth os his sepulchre vnto this daye Yf the taking vp translating of dead mennes bodies had bene expedient for the glory of God for the saluatioÌ„ of men verely the lord wold not haue hidden such pretious relikes of his well beloued and faithfull seruant For without all controuersye Moses was the chiefest amonge all the prophetes of whoÌ„ we do rede after this manner Nume 12 Yf there bee a prophete of the lord among you I will be knowen to him by a vision will speake vnto him by dreame My seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house Vnto hym will I speake mouth to mouth and by vision and not in darke woordes but he shal see the similitude of the lorde Thys place doth the holye Apostle aleadge in his epistle to the Hebrues And yet for all this Moises beynge suche a man is neyther translated nor layed vp in a golden or syluer shrine ther is no chapel nor church builded for him he is not caried about in processioÌ„ among a sorte of superstitious menne Ther were some at that time that would gladly haue doone it and woulde haue spared no cost at all Do we not rede in the Apochryphes that ther was a strife betwixt the aungelles and the diuel about the body of Moses whereof Iude maketh mention in his Epistle And doubtles Iudes pâ—stle this was because that the diuel would kepe aboue the grounde the body of the faithful seruant of god and bring it foorth vnto superstitious men for to be worshipped â–ª which thinge the good angels perceauing what abhominable idolatrye would haue risen thervpon would in no wise suffer hauing a respect vnto the glory of God and to mens saluation which next vnto gods glorye they do seeke aboue al thyngs Albion Do we not reede in the first boke of Moses that the Israelites did enbaâ—â— the bodye of Ioseph did put it vp in a cheste in Egipt This I am sure is an exaumple of
and Chaldeis whiche were Cains or Cainites that the same heresy did deny the resurrection of the fleshe Hierom contra Vigilantium Hierome doth that Vigilanâ— vvith many heresies but how timely ye shall after vvardes knovve And therfore Hierome sayeth Mortuum suspicaris ideirco blasphemas Lege euangelium Deus Abraham Deus Isaac Deus Iacob non est deus mortuorum sed viuentium Thou doest saieth he suspecte that he is deade and therfore doest thou blaspheme Reade the gospell The God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the god of Iacob He is not the GOD of the deade but of the liuyng Againe doth he not charge him with the heresy of the EunomiaÌ„s hys words are these Rides de reliquis martyrum cum autore huius haereseos Eunomio ecclesus Christi calumniam struis nec tali societate terreris vt cadem contra nos loquaris qux illè contra Ecclesiam loquitur Omnes enim sectatores cius Basilicas Apostolorum martyrum non ingrediuntur vt scilicet mortuum adorent Eunomium cuius libros maioris autoritatis arbitrantur quam euangelia That is to saye dooest thou make a laughynge stocke of the relykes of the martyres and wyth the auctoure of thys heresy Cunomius brynge a calumnie or sclaunder vppon the churches of CHRISTE neyther arte thou frayed wyth suche felowshyppe that thou dareste speake the same agaynste vs that he speaketh agaynste the Churche For all hys dysciples or sectatoures and folowers doo not enter into the churches of the martyres and Apostelles that so they maye worshyppe Eunomius beeynge deade whose bookes they dooe iudge to gee of greater auctority than the Gospelles Yf these thynges bee true small credyte Answer oughte to bee geuen vnto hym PHILALETHES And I wonder and meruaylle that thys holye Father durste saye any suche thynge to Vigilantius charge Hovv falsly Hierom dâ—i laye those heresies to Vigilantius charge For as touchynge the fyrst Vigilantius neuer denyed the resurrection or rysynge agayne of the fleshe nor yet the Saluacion of the same but dydde onelye resyste the superstitious worshyppynge of it in the dead creatures Dothe he I pray you denie the resurrection of the flesh that doth forbyd the superstitious worshipping of it Saiâ—â— Augustâ—â— â–ª 〈◊〉 heresies of the C◠〈…〉 Saint Augustin in his boke of heresies saith that the Caines were smitten with suche blyndenesse that they worshipped that wicked man Cain and Hierome is not ashamed to call them Cainites whiche will not worship men nor the bones of men This foule name oughte rather to bee geuen vnto them that teach and maintaine the idolatrous woorshypping of dead men Eunomius and 〈…〉 Nowe as touchyng the seconde Eunomius was a greate portion of Arrius and therfore he did deny the diuinitie or godheade of Christe wherof it came to passe that he did vtterly despise the testimonies of the Apostles and martyrs whiche they hare vnto our sauior Iesu Christ yea he contemned also the bodies of the sainctes and the miracles that vertue of Christ dyd worke about theim for a testimonie and profe of his godhead He had written bokes against Christ The dâ—â—â—rence is 〈◊〉 and dyd attribute the miracles of the holy Apostles vnto the power of Sathan But Vigilantius dyd neither deny the godhead or Christ â—ilantius â—nd â—uno â—â—s nor yet dyd in any wise contemne the bodies of the saintes nor the miracles that were wrought and done about them as Eunomius accordynge to his damnable heresie had doon but he did teache to worship one God whoÌ„ the martyrs did preach and whervnto the myracles that were wrought did leade vs how beit he did catholikely forbidde that the bones of the dead should in no wise be worshipped and yet beyng of so an vpright and sounde iudgement he is of Hierome most shamefully condemned of heresy though he coulde not be ignorant that there was great difference betwixt the faith and religion of Vigilantius and the abhominable heresy of Eunomius Where â—â—e oâ—e â—â—d â—â—araâ— the â—tick that â—e 〈◊〉 against â—iâ—iâ—antius Eutrapelus This had Hierom learned of his Rhetoricians which do teache that we muste with odious names and titles vrge them whome we can not ouercome with iust argumentes Philalethes All men I truste doo well sâ—t â–ª what weake argumentes Hierome did bring and how that he dyd wrongfully burden Vigilantius with the heresy of the Cainites and of Eunomius sith that he did both coÌ„fesse Christ his diuinity and godhead and also the resurrection or risyng agayne of the fleshe Therefore fearynge nothyng suche odions titles and names that the enemies of the truthe bee wont to defame vs with all lette vs attribute more to the insallible testimonies of the scriptures then to the weake reasons argumentes either of Hierome or of any other besydes thoughe he were an aungell that came downe frome heauen sithe that in the mattiers of religyon we ought to beleue or credite no manne bicause that he is either lerned or holy but bicause that he doth strongly proue by the vndoubted and infallible tertes and authorities of the scriptures the thyng that he doothe take in hande to teache Nothing is here spokâ— in the dispraise of Hierome I haue not spoken this of any affection or in the dispraise of that holy father but in the defence of the truthe and for the edifying or profite of the faithfull congregation I gladdely always acknowledge and reuereÌ„ce in hym the excellente gyftes of GOD but in the meane whyle wee doe also confesse that he dydde as man write and sette foorth many thynges which we can not with a safe conscience receaue or allowe Albion Obie 13 Cypri liâ—e pi prima Thus I am sure doth the holy martyr S. CypriaÌ„ write in his Epi. 10 Corneliê° Memores nostri inuiceÌ„ simê° coÌ„corders atque vnanimes vtrobique pro nobis semp oremê° pressuras angustias mutua charitate releuemus si quis hinc nostrum prior diuinae dignationis celeritate praecesserit perseueret apud Deum nostra dilectio pro fratribus sorotibus nostris apud misericordiam patris non cesset oratio That is to say Lette vs be myndefull one of an other and beyng of one heart mynde both where lette vs always praye for eche other and with mutuall charitie and loue releue our afflictions and troubles or anguysshes And if any of vs doo by the diuine callyng of God or by the celeritie or quicknesse of his diuine dignation wille or pleasure departe hence afore â—ette oure loue perseuere or continue with God and our prayer in no wyse ceasse vnto the mercye of GOD for oure bretherne and sisters whyles they are here These wordes of the holy martyr do plainlye testify that the deade Saints do praye for vs Answer Cypâ—â— de lapsis as longe as we bee here in this vale of miserye Phila. None can better make aunswer to that whiche ye haue aleaged than Cyprian him self
saye Praise God in his Sainctes The beâ—st liâ—â—s of the papists in aleaging the scriptures Philalethes Who wold not laughe at the beastlynesse of these blynde bussardes for if they will haue this sayeng Prayse the Lorde in his saynctes to bee lyke vnto this Call vpon the saâ—nctes of the Lorde then by as good reason we may say That the trumpette the viole and the harpe c. oughte to bee called vppon For it foloweth immediately after Prayse hym in the sounde of the trumpette in the violle and in the harpe But the Catholike veritie and truth dothe bothe reade and vnderstande the wordes of the prophete after this sorte Prayse the Lorde in his sanctuarie or in his hoynesse that is Prayse hym that dwelleth in heauen Psal 134. For in an other place he sayth Lifte vp youre handes vnto the sanctuary and praise the lord Whyche is as muche as yf he shoulde haue sayde Lyfte vp your handes vnto heauen and prayse the Lorde and geue hym thankes for his benefittes Whervnto the addeth with what instruments they wer wont to stirre vp the hertes of the people to sing prayses to be thankefull vnto the Lorde But nowe vnder Christ suche ceremonies of the olde lawe are cleane abolyshed Ob e. 20 aâ—â— 3 Didy I remembre that ones this place of Baruch was alleadged for the mayntenaunce of the inuocation of the Saintes O Lorde god almyghtie the God of Israell heare nowe the prayers of the dead Israelites and of their childreÌ„ which haue sinned before the and haue not hearkened vnto the voyce of thee their God therfore these plagues hang vpon vs. Albion If ye had not preuented me Answer I wolde haue alleged the same place For it seemeth vnto me to make muche for the purpose Of vvhat maner dead Baruch doth speak Philalethes Ye muste marke brother Albion that Baruch in his prayer speketh not of them that were dead with the bodyly deathe but of the wicked whiche lyuyng vnto the worlde were deade vnto God whiche figuratiue maner of speakynge is oftentimes vsed in the scriptures For in the gospell our sauiour Iesus Christ doothe saie Math. 8. Suffer the dead to burye their dead As if he shoulde saye Lette the worldlings that be dead to God and good woorkes burye theim that bee departed oute of this lyfe for that is an office moste mete for them but doo the thinges that be for the lyuing The like phrase or maner of speaking dooth the holy apostle vse 1. Tim. 5. when he sayth A wydowe lyuyng in delitiousnesse though she be alyue yet she is deade It is also oftentimes sene that in the thirde person we be wont to speake of our selues Baruch besydes by such kynde of wordes doothe sette foorthe the myserable estate of the childerne of Israell whiche were euen as deade menne here in the worlde because of their captiuitie and thraldome and straicte bondage or slauerie that they were in whych was vnto theym as a graue or pytte that the dead bee buried in Weyghe and consyder well the circumstances of the place and ye shall fynde it to bee so Didymus Obiec 11 2. Mach. 15 And what wyll ye say to this place of the seconde booke of the Machabees where we reade that Iudas Machabeus dyd see in a dreame Onias the prieste and Hieremie the prophete praying for the people whereof he was so sure that he tolde his dreame to the people to encourage theim withall against the terroure of theyr ennemyes PHILALETHES Answer This place hath neyther commaundemente nor yet sufficient exaumple but is onely a vysyon or dreame whereby it was represented that the people of the Iewes shoulde not bee forsaken of God For yf so bee that it had sette foorth the Intercession of Saynctes Iudas Machabeus woulde haue commended hymselfe vnto the praier of Onias and Hieremie whiche thyng he dothe note but in his greate danger and perill he fleeth vnto the true liuyng God onely saying O Lorde thou that didst send thyne aungell in the tyme of Ezechias kyng of Iuda who in the host of Sennacherib slewe an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand Send new also thy good angell before vs O Lord of heauens The praier of Iudas Machabaeus for a feare and dread vnto them And let them be discoÌ„fited by the strength of thyne arme whiche come againste thyne holy people to blaspheme Howebeit no man coulde iustly blame me if I shold vtterly reiecte the place that is alleadged out of Baruch and oute of the seconde booke of the Machabees sithe that they be no Canonicall bokes but playne Apocryphes as in our talke of purgatorie it hath been sufficientely proued Reade the 3 dialogue of my huntyng of purgatorie vnto death and specially in the beginning of the thirde communication so that I shall haue no nede to repete the thyng any more sithe that all our talke touching that matter is set foorth in print Eutrapelus Me thynke it were a fonde thyng to grounde any doctrine vpon a dreame It is no vvisdâ—m to â—round any doctrin â—pon a dreame specially vpon such a dreame as the like is not ones mencioned of in all the whole bodye of the Canonicall scriptures Iudas Machabeus did think also in this his dreame that Hieremye dyd delyuer vnto him a golden sworde wherwith he should wound the aduersaries As he thenne receaued a golden swoord of Hieremie so did Onias and Hieremie pray for the people but he receaued onely the sworde in a dreame it foloweth then that the prayers of these holy men were also dreamish Philalet Adde therto these wordes of saint Augustine Augu cont a gaudenâ—◠〈…〉 li. 2. cap 1â— Non debemus quicquid in scâ—ipturis etiam dei testimonio laudatos homines fecisse legimus consentiendo approbare sed consyderando discernere adhibentes iuditium non sanc nostrae authoritatis sed scripturarum diuinarum That is to say we ought not to approue by consentyng whatâ—oeuer we reade to haue bene done by men though they be praised by the testimonie of the scriptures but with consyderyng to discern it bryngynge the iudgemente not of oure owne authoritie but of the holy scriptures By these wordes we do learn that we are not bound to folow whatsoeuer we fynd in the Scriptures to haue ben don by the men of God but fyrst we must try by the word of God whether it be well doon or not Albion Obie 22 Yet father Origen dooth alleadge this place for to proue the Inuocation of Sainctes by These are his woordes whyche ye shall fynd written in one of his fower homilies which are founde by by after the commentaries of Hierome whych he hath writen vpon Ecclesiastes Sed omnes sancti Origenes super cantâ—ca de precibus sanctorum in coelo qui de hac vita decesserunt habentes adhuc charitatem erga eos qui in hoc mundo sunt si dicantâ—r curam gerere salutis eorum
mary be in honour let the Father the sonne and the holy ghost be worshipped let no manne worshippe Marye And by and by after Let no man eate of the errour whych is for the holye Marye Although it bee a goodly free yet it is not for meate to be eaten of Although Mary he most beautifull holye and honourable yet she is not appoyncted to be worshipped Lette therfore the error of the deceaued cease For neyther is Marye a God neyther hath she her bodye from heauen but of the conception of manne and woman howbeit disposed according to the promise as the conception and byrth of Isaac was And let no manne offer in her name For he that doth it doth caste awaye his soule Again let no man rayle against her nor blasphem the holy virgin god forfende For she was not coupled vnto man neither after the byrthe nor before the byrth of the Sauiour And in the same booke contra Colyridianos Colyâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the◠〈◊〉 offeâ—e 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Mar. â— Augâ—â—â— raâ—â—â—â—â—e 〈◊〉 â—mo these are also his wordes In dede the virgine was a virgin and honourable but not geueÌ„ vnto vs for to be worshipped but rather she dothe worship hym that toke his substance of her that is to say of hir fleshe Augustin in his booke De vera religione Let not the worshippyng of dead men bee a religion vnto vs for if they haue lyued godly they be not so taken as though they doo seke for such honors but they will haue him to be worshypped of vs by whose illumination they reioyce that we shoulde be partakers of their merite By their merite he doth vnderstand the croune of immortality which thei do obtein through faith in the merites of Christ Therfore they must be honoured through imitation and folowynge and not be worshipped throughe religion Agayne in the same booke we ought sayeth he to beleue that the most bountefull aungels and the most excellent ministers of god will haue vs to worshippe one god with them by whose contemplation they are blessed Neither doo we buylde temples vnto theim For they will not so behonoured of vs because that they knowe that when we are godly we are the temples of the most hye god â— Cor. 6. 2 Cori. 6. Therfore it is wel and rightly written that man was forbidden of the aungell to worship him but one god vnder whom he was his felowe seruaunte In the thyrde booke agaâ—nst the .ii. Epistels of the Pelagians vnto Bonifacius he writeth also on this maner All the saints that haue ben either from the olde Abell vnto Iohn Baptist or from the Apostels vnto this time and afterwards vnto th end of the worlde are to bee praised in God and not in theym selues For this is the voyce of theym that were afore My soule shal bee praysed in the Lorde And this is the voyce of the latter Thoroughe the grace of God I am that I am And this is the voyce bothe of the fyrst and of the last He that glorieth Cyrillus lette hym glorie in the Lorde Cyrillus in his sixt boke contra lulianum hathe plainely these wordes we neither say that the holy martyrs are gods neither are we wont to worshyp them but rather we doo honour theim with laudes and praises because that they did stoutly fight for the truthe that they myght kepe the sinceritie of faithe Hereby do we learne that in the primitiue church the honour that was geuen vnto martyrs was to praise commende and set foorth their constancie and stedfastnes their strong faithe and pacience in aduersitie and persequution that so God who had for the profite of his chirche endued them with suche excellent vertues might bee glorified and the reste exhorted folowyng their exaumple to fyght manfully in the quarell of the truthe and couragiously to shede their bloode for the sealynge vp of the same Chrysost Likewise Chrysostome in the xlv homilie vpon Mathew writing against theÌ„ their that wold seme to honor the martirs with their substance by makyng vnto theim gorgeous tumbes by buildyng vp in the honor of theim costely oratories or houses of prayers dooth say these wordes Neither doo the martirs reioyce when they are honored with the same money for the whiche the poore dooe weepe What is that vertue of righteousnesse to rewarde the deade and to spoyle the lyuyng The same authour doothe plainly teache in an other place that the true honor of the Sainctes is to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues But what nede we the authoritie of men Math. 4. l. 11.4 sythe that we haue so playne scriptures Thou shalte woorshyp the lorde thy God and hym onely shalt thou serue saith our sauior Iesus Christ wherupon I may make this argument Who soeuer is neyther oure Lorde nor our God to hym ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to woorshyp hym But neither the angels nor the dead Saintes are our Lordes and gods but are ministers of our Lorde god and vnder hym our felowe seruantes To them therfore ought we in no wise to geue godly honor nor yet to worshyppe them Neyther do we honoure and worship Christ Christ is â—ot vvorâ—hipped be cause he is â—an but be cause he is â—â—ue and â—aturall â—nd Obie 29 because that he is holy and righteous or because that he is welbeloued of god but because that he is true and naturall God of one substance with the father the holy ghoste Albion They saye that they do honour and worshyp god as well as ye doo and that they do not honour and worshyppe the Saintes or aungels as goddes but as the trends of god Again they do not worshippe the gods of the gentiles whiche were eyther diuels or wicked men Philalethes Answer This their aunswere is not worth a ryshe For Christ doth not say Thou shalt not worship vnclene spirits or wicked meÌ„ But thou shalt honor the lorde thy god and him onely shalte thou worshyppe Eutrapelus I doo nowe remeÌ„ber a thiÌ„g which I haue read in saint Augustine where he dothe dispute why the Romaynes vvorthye history sithe that they did worship the gods of all nations could neuer abyde to worshyppe the LORDE God of Israell And he dothe aleadge the reasonne whyche Socrates dothe brynge in also that in relygion it is required that euery God be worshipped according to his owne will Socrates sayng touching the vvorshipping of god and not according to the wil and pleasure of the worshippers But false gods as filthye fornicatours do require no such thynge of their worshippers that they shoulde be worshipped alone Sith then that the true lyuing god the god of Israell wyll be worshipped alone it did come to passe that the Romaines would in no wise receaue and alowe his religion For they could not abide that for one onely gods sake all the other gods shoulde be reiected and put doune Albion Obie 30 I will go no farther in this
that place to receaue of the bearer the vayle that is sent by vs and charge them that from henseforth no suche vailes be hanged in the churche of Chryste that are contrary to our religion For it be commeth thyne honesty to haue chiefly this solicitude and care that the scrupulosity vnseemely for the churche of Christ and the people committed vnto thee should be taken away Wherein we do learne all these godlye lessons Eight godly lessons vve learne by â—â—piphaâ—â— ' 2 Firste that no place ought to be geuen in the church of Christ to those things that are agaynst the autority of the holy scriptures Secondlye that to geue place in the churche of Chryste vnto ymages it is againste the autoritye of the holy scriptures that is of that lawe which saieth Thou shalte not make to thy self any grauen image Ero. 20. Thrydely that not onely grauen molten ymages and suche as be set vppe on high vpon or ouer the aultares but also the paynted images ought to be cast out of the churches Fourthly that the image of Chryste hym selfe oughte in no wyse to stande in the churche because that of all other it is moste peryllous and breedeth the greatest Idolatrye Fyftelye that the ymages oughte to be caste oute of the churche of Chryste not onelye by sedulitye and diligence of doctrine but also b verye facte and deede Syrtelye that they ought not coldely but with a seruent and earnest zeale of the true religion be put doune defaced and broken all to pieces as we do see this holy man of God Epiphanius to haue rente and torne in pieces the vayle that had the ymage of Christe paynted whiche he dyd beyng moued with the zeale of god Seuenthlye that it is the parte and duetye of byshops to see that ymages be not set vp in the churche of Christe Last of all that it is a mere scrupulosity and superstition vnseemely for the churche and the faithfull people of god to haue images Here maye we see that this godlye auncient byshoppe did muche differ in iudgement from those fonde personnes that thinke it to bee a profitable thynge for the people of God to haue ymages standynge in the churches Lette theym waye these thynges that haue alwayes the fathers in theyr mouthes and so lette theym learne that it is more honestie for vs to be called eâ—conoclastae that is ymage breakers than to be called eiconoplastae that is ymage makers and that we do approche nerer to the example of the olde ancient church than they do although they brag and boast theym selues to be catholyke and Apostolyke Eutrapelus I would fayn it now of them what those churches ouer whome Epiphanius was apointed superindenteÌ„t or bishop did want to the right edifying of true godlinesse Philalethes As ye saye for he was a Christian bishop he dydde preache that Christe was the sauiour of the worlde he dyd dispose the misteries of hys kingdome vnto the faythful and dyd builde the house of god without ymages of wood of stones of syluer and golde Epiphauluâ— in builâ—ing god â–ª house folovved the steppes of the auncient bishoppes or without any paynted grauen or molten ymages folowing in this the steppes of the patriarches and Prophetes of Chryste and of hys Apostelles Whyche all dydde plante religion and the true worshyppynge of GOD withoute ymages Dydimus Yf wee hadde manye Epiphanius in this realme not one churche wyndowe shoulde bee lefte hole thorougheoute all England there shoulde bee neyther crosse nor crucifixe lefte EVTRAPELVS Woulde God that we christians would labour studye to know the true crosse of Christ Of the croâ— Math. 16. Our Sauiour Iesus Christe doth saye He that will come after me lette hym forsake hym selfe take vp hys crosse and folowe me Here in this place by the crosse he doth vnderstande Crosse taken for affliction and trouble the afflictioÌ„ trouble and persequution that all they that will liue godly in our sauiour Iesu Christe are subiecte vnto But the most parte of those that delyte so much in materiall crosses doo take good heede that they shal not be fayn to beare this crosse of Chryste For they flatter to wyth the worlde swimmyng still betwixte twoo waters that howsoeuer it goeth with religion they thinke to escape free and to be without all troubles Paule wrytynge to the Galathians maketh mention of an other crosse Galati 5. affyrmynge that they that bee of Chryste haue crucifyed the fleshe wyth the lustes and concupiscences of the same Crosse taken for contâ—nual repeÌ„tâ—unce and mortifieâ—g of the flesh Whereby he dothe meane the continuall repentaunce that oughte to bee in vs the mortifyinge of the fleshe and of the lustes and concupiscences of the same and the brydelyng of our corrupted and poysoned nature and of our inordinate passions There is also an other crosse 1. Corin 1 whyche saint Paul doth speake of in the fyrst epistle or the Corinthians saying Christ hath not sent me to baptize but to preach the gospell not with persuading woordes of worldely wisdome lest the crosse of Christe should be abolished For the worde of the crosse is a foolyshenesse to them that perishe Galat. 6. but to vs that obtain saluation it is the power of god And in an other place God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our lorde Iesu Christe wherby the worlde is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde In these last textes by the crosse he doth vnderstand the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christe Crosse take for the deth of 〈…〉 for the preaching of the same and the preachynge of the same As yf Paule shoulde say I seeke none other where for the free pardonne and forgeuenesse of my synnes and for my delyueraunce from eternall deathe and from the power of Sathan but in the merytes of the deathe passion and bloudesheadynge of oure Sauioure Iesu Chryste Neyther doo I delyghte to preache and sette forthe any other thinge for to declare the goodnesse and mercy of God and the saluation of mankinde but the death of hys onely be gotten sonne These kindes of crosses ought the true christians to delight and glow in Dydimus I redde but a whyle ago Aungeli a certayne booke made in tyme of persequution where wonverfull many doctours of the primitiue churche are aleaged which do al maintayn the signe Osius and as he sayth the ymage of the crosse There is also one Osius whiche hathe written lately against the religion that is nowe and he doth also bringe manye doctours which do holde with the signe of the crosse EVTRAPELVS As for the fyrst I know hym ful wel In dede we haue many suche euill wicked aungelles that go about to peruerte the sinceritye of Christes religion and that they maye doo it wyth a better coloure they wil aleadge the fathers where they haue no warraunt at all of gods worde and where they speake as menne
ymages Scarcelye one halfepeny is geuen to Christ beyng an hungerd in his poore lymmes but men can will fynd in their hartes to geue whole hundreths of crounes towardes the setting vp and trimmyng of images DYDIMVS Oh preposterous deuotion I knowe a churche where the roode and roode lofte did coste eleuen score poundes Philalethes But yf they had bestowed but halfe that money vppon the poore of their parishe in the time of the great dearth that was then or there about they wold haue thought them selues vndoone Lette them reade Clemens fyft booke which they say he didde write to Iames the brother of the lord Yf ye will saith he worship truely the ymage of the lord we shewe that vnto you Hovv vve may hoâ—â— the ymage of god a right which is true do good vnto maÌ„ which is made after the ymage of God honour and reuerence hym feede hym whenne he is an hungered geue hym drynke when he is a thyrste clothe hym being naked harboure him beyng harbourlesse visite him whenne he is sicke aâ—â—n prison and minister vnto hym thâ—â—e thynges that he hath neede of It foloweth what honoring of god is this to runne agaddyng to wooden and stonye ymages and to worship insensible and lyuelesse ydoles and in the meane whyle to dispise man in whome is the image of god Vnderstand therfore that this is the persuasioÌ„ of the serpent that lyeth hidde within who persuadeth you that ye shall seeme godlye when ye doo honour and worship vnsensible idoles adn that ye shall not seeme vngodlye when ye hurte the sensible and reasonable creatures Eutr Who hearing and markyng all these thinges and waying the harmes that come by images would not be at defyaunce with them Euerye man I trowe But yet this is not all For what hurt and losse hath all Christendome receaued by the occasion of ymages For as the ymages whyche Salomon didde in his olde age erecte and sette vppe were the cause of the schisme and deuision that was after his deathe in Israell I meane that at one clap Images causes of diuision in the common vvelthe of Israell and also in the empire whole ten tribes didde fall away from the house of Dauid and did chose vnto theimselues a kyng Hieroboam the Ephraimite who settynge vp the golden calues in Dan and Bethel caused all Israell to committe moste detestable ydolatrie wherof vtter destruction of bothe the realmes did ensue and folowe so the contention that dyd ryse about images betwixt the east and west churches and the damnable stoutenesse of the byshop of Rome with his adherentes in mainteinyng and defendyng not onely the ymages but also the ydolatrous woorshyppyng of theym dydde breede a very hurtefull diuysion in the Empire whereby all Christendome was wonderfully weakened For after that Rauenna with rest of Italye and all Fraunce with Germanie were by the subtile and wylye meanes of the byshoppe of Rome reuolted and fallen away from the Emperor of Constantinople The Sarasens and Mahometistes did ware wonderfully strong and at lengthe didde meruaylously preuayle For they subdewed myghtye peoples Realmes Cities defacyng and puttynge downe euery where the trewe religion of Christe The mischiefe that the contention aboute the ymageâ— did breede and settyng vppe the Mahometishe religion This was the goodly fruite of the settynge vppe of ymages of the mainteynyng of the ydolatrous woorshyppynge of theym and of the contention that dyd ryse aboute thym whyles the one dyd affirme accordynge to the scriptures that ymages ought in no wyse to bee hadde and the other agaynste the expresse worde of God and commaundement that they ought not onely to bee hadde but also to bee woorshypped whereof such an enuye and hatered dydde ryse betwyxte theym that they woulde in no wyse healpe ayde and succoure one an other agaynst the commune enemie beyng in this poynt mooste lyke vnto Iuda and Israell whyche after their dyuision whyche chaunced by reason of Idolles neuer loued or trusted one an other seekyng the frendshyppe and amitie of forayne kynges and princes nowe of the Assyrians nowe of the Babylonians now otherwhyles of the Egyptians that so they myghte the sooner destroye one an other till at length by the righteous iudgemente of God they were bothe delyuered vp into the handes of theyr ennemyes Dydimus I woulde fayn heare the whole hystorie if it were not tedious vnto you EVTRAPELVS The hystorie is very long and therefore I wyll hereafter sende it vnto you by writyng Dydimus I holde my selfe well contente with it and specially sythe that bothe oure brother Philalethes and you haue so welle satisfied our mindes in this matter Albion In deede I was neuer better satisfied in this poynt thatn I am now I thanke God moste hartily for it Fyrst and formost we haue learned that God onely oughte to bee called vppon and prayed vnto â—he concluâ—on of the â—hole boke And that therefore they that in theyr necessities doo by prayer flye vnto dead creatures do robbe God of his glorie and doo commytte moste damnable sacriledge Whyche thynge was sufficientely proued by manyfest textes of the scriptures and by strong authorities of the ancient fathers of the primitiue Churches all the obiections that the aduersaries can make beyng mightily aunswered and confuted Secondly ye haue playnely shewed vnto vs that we ought to acknowledge none other mediatour betwixt god man but oure Sauiour Iesus Christe onelye whome the Scriptures doo appoyncte vnto vs for the omnisufficient sauiour of mankynde and for our onely intercessoure aduocate and mediatour makyng no mention at all of the intercession or mediation of the deade Sainctes whiche thyng the Holy ghoste woulde not haue omitted yf the dead Sainctes or the Saintes departed out of this world hadde been eyther appoyncted or allowed of god to be intercessors vnto hym for vs. The textes of the scriptures and the authorities of the ancient writers by you alleadged are so many are so myghtie stronge that the enemies of the truth may be ashamed to maintain styll theyr grosse and idolatrous opinion Thirdely it hathe been declared that as the sayntes that bee already in glorie with God oughte not to bee called vpon nor to be taken for oure mediatours so no godly honour ought to be geuen vnto them forasmuche as it is a seruice whyche is due onely vnto God Where ye hadde an occasion to shewe howe many ways the trewe and faythfull seruauntes of God beynge departed hence in the faith of his sonne Iesu Christe maye bee honoured and that the greatest honour that we canne do vnto them is to obey their godly and sounde doctrine wherby they haue instructed vs in the trewe relygyon and worshipping of the true onelye god and also to folowe their faith and other heauenly vertues wherby they did gloryfie God whiles they lyued here in this worlde This also was doone by the infallible worde of God and testimonies of the holy Doctors of the true Catholike church all the obiections of the aduersaries beyng quite ouerthrowen by the same Laste of all ye haue proued that no fygure ymage or lykenesse of God nor of his sonne Iesu Christe nor of the Holy ghoste nor yet of the saintes oughte to bee hadde in the house of prayer or in any other place where so euer there is any perille of idolatrie And that there can be no vse of theym in the Oratories or prayeng places of the Christians but rather that they doo moste hurte where soeuer they be vsed and kepte Ye haue shewed by the waye what is the true Crosse that we ought to delyte and haue a pleasure in and that as for the materiall crosses they doo more hurt than good and that therfore for auoiding of offences they ought to be taken away These thynges haue beene so substantiallye done that I holde my selfe satisfyed in all poyntes and I do gene God moste hartye thankes that wee haue so well spent this day Dydimus In dede this day was frutefully spent Laude and praise be vnto god therfore for euer and euer EVTRAPE Amen FINIS ¶ IMPRINTED AT London by Henry Sutton for Thomas â—acket Ther. daye of Marche In the yere of our Lorde God 1561.