Answer to the Proud Challenge of a Counterset Catholic, Answer · Answer · Article 6
The ſixth article conteyneth 3. demandes.
1 Againe from what Church, did all the ſolemne ceremonies, and obſeruations, all feſtiuall dayes, all faſtes, all diſtinctions, and varieties of ſeruice, by diuerſities of ſeaſons, and times of the yeare, (proceede.)
FIrſt you muſt vnderſtande, that we deteſt and abhorre all your beggarly ceremonies, which you counte holy and ſolemne obſeruations: for we know, that God is not to be worſhipped with ſuch thinges but that the true worſhippers muſt worſhip him in ſpirit & veritie Iohn 4. And ſeeing we know God, or rather are knowen of him, we will not regarde the weake and beggarly elementes, becauſe they are deſtitute of God his worde, which onelyonly is duplicate page duplicate page able to geue them ſtrength and eſtimation? as for your feſtiuities, in the honour of creatures, we doe likewiſe abhorre them. we honour the Sainctes as S. Auguſtine ſayeth for imitation, but we do not worſhip them for Religion. De vera Religione cap. 55. Where he alſo ſaith. Quare honoramus eos charitate, non ſeruitute. We honor them with louelove, and not with ſeruice. And as he doth often affirme, that it is Idolatry to builde churches in the honour of Sainctes, ſo is it as great Idolatry, to inſtitute feſtiuall dayes, in the fauour of the ſame Sainctes. As for the feſtiuall dayes that were vſed in the primitiue Church, although they might hauehave bene omitted, without any hurt of Chriſtian Religion, yet were they not kept in the honour of creatures, as they are of the Papiſtes, but only for the memorie of the Martyrs, and other Saincts, that their good life might be followed. Your faſtes are alſo abhominable: for they are nothing elſe but abſtinence from meates, created of God to be receiued with thankesgeuing, which S. Paule affirmeth to be the doctrine of Diuells 1. Tim. 4. Alſo your diſtinctions and varieties of ſeruice, becauſe they conſiſte moſt of blaſphemous prayers to dead Sainctes, and ſometimes to damned ſpirites, with fooliſh leſſons, reſponſes, verſicles, &c. Lewde lies and vncertaine tales, which you reade and ſing, as God his ſeruice, they are all abhominable. In vaine do they worſhip me, ſaith our Sauiour Chriſt, teaching for doctrine the preceptes of men. Math. 15. Alſo it was decreed in the Councell of Laodicea, the 59. chapter, that nothing ſhould be ſong or reade in the Church, but the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture: wherefore if you demande whence your ceremonies, feſtiuall dayes, faſtes, and varieties of ſeruice did proceede? I aunſwere plainely, out of the bottomles pit of hell.
2 From whence did all thinges, yet indifferently for moſt part, obſerued, and allowed, on both ſides, from whence did they proceede?
IF you had vttered what thinges you meane, that are ſo indifferently allowed on both ſides, we might better hauehave aunſwered: but ſeeing you hauehave not, we muſt coniecture what you meane: if you meane any thinge that is allowed without controuerſie on both ſides, it did either proceede from the ſcripture of God, or from the primitiue Church or elſe it a thing meerely indifferent, but if it hauehave no grounde in holy Scripture, nor example of the primitiue Church, nor iudged meerely indifferent, it not indifferently obſerued for the moſt parte, nor yet allowed on both ſides.
2 And if it can be proued, that the Proteſtants Congregation, or any other Church, but ours, hath inſtituted and ordered all theſe, or any of theſe, for the comelineſſe and honour of God his houſe, I recant.
I HaueHave aunſwered before, that the Proteſtants Congregation, geueth you leaue to bragge, that you are the inuentors of all theſe Idolatrous ſuperſtitions, & falſe worſhipping of God, and yet becauſe you offer ſo liberally to recant, if it can be proued that any Church but yours, hath inſtituted and ordered all theſe thinges, you ſhall he are what can be ſaide. Firſt, your great doctor Durande, plainely affirmeth that many of your ceremonies, and ſolemnities, had not their firſt inſtitution of your church, but were taken of the Iewes or Gentiles: And it may eaſily be proued, that many of your ceremonies, were inſtituted of heretikes, as your holy water which you ſay you vſe to put men in minde of their baptiſme, was deriued of ye heretikes called Hemerobaptiſtae, which were, baptized eueryevery daye. Epiphan. lib. 1. Tom. 1. cap. 17. Of the Oſſenes, you tooke the great eſtimation of water, ſalt, oyle, breade, &c. and vſe to ſweare by them, as they did. Epiph. contra Oſſenes 19. Of the ſame heretikes, you receiued the ſuperſtition of reliques, for they vſed to take the ſpittle, and other filth from the bodies of Marthys, and Marthana, which were of the ſeede of Elxai, that is, great Sainctes with them, and vſed them to cure diſeaſes, as Eraſmus witneſſeth, at Canterbury were kept the clowtes, In peregrinatione Religionis ergo.that Thomas Becket did occupy to wipe of his ſweate, and to blow his noſe on, which were kiſſed as holy reliques, and thought alſo to be holſom for ſicke folkes: of the ſame heretikes you learned to commande the people to pray, in an vnknowene tongue, as Elxai, the great Pope of thoſe heretikes ſayde: Nemo quaerat interpretationem, ſed ſolum in oratione haec dicat. Let no man ſeeke the interpretation, but onelyonly ſaye theſe wordes in his prayer. Which wordes were in a ſtrange tong, either the Hebrue, or the Arabike. Epiphan. lib. 1. Tom. 1. haereſ. 19. Likewiſe the Marcoſians when they baptized, vſed to ſpeake certaine Hebrue wordes, that the ignorant people might maruell the more at them, as you doe in Baptiſme Ephata, &c. Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 3. haer. 34. To make the Images of Chriſt, and of the Apoſtles, and to ſenſe them, you learned of the heretikes called Gnoſtici, and Carpocratirę, Epip. lib. 1. Tom. 2. in the preface Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 2. haer. 27. and Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 23. Of the Valentinians, you learned to hauehave in price the ſigne of the croſſe, and to abuſe the places of ſcripture for the ſame ſuperſtitious vſe: as, God forbidde that I ſhoulde reioice but in the croſſe of Chriſt, &c. Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 1. Epiphan. lib. 1. Tom. 2. haereſ. 31. Of the Heracleonites, you learned to annoynte men at the point of death, with oyle, and balme, and to caſt water vponupon dead men, with inuocations. Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 3. haereſ. 36. Of the Cayanes, you learned to call vponupon Angels. Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 3. haereſ. 38.
Of the Marcioniſtes, you learned to giuegive women leaue to baptize. Ep. lib. 1. Tom. Haer. 42. George, Biſhop of Alexandria, inuented beares to carry deade corpſes, charging all men to vſe them for his owne aduantage, as doe you Papiſtes your bearing clothes & other toyes for funerall pompes. Ep. lib. 3. Tom. 1. Haer. 76. Of the Colliridianes, you learned to make images of the virgine Marie, & worſhip them & her, with offering of candells, &c. as they did of cakes, &c. Ep. lib. 3. Haer. 79. Of the Meſſalians or Martirians, you learned to ſhaue your beardes and to let your lockes grow long. Ep. lib. 3. Haer. 80. Of the Pharizees, you receaued your ſuperſtitious maſking garments, which you call amictus dalmaticus, and pallia, as witneſſeth Epiphanius, in his epiſtle to Acacius, and Paulus. Laſt of all what ſay you to the ceremonies, feſtiuities, faſtes, and ſolemnities, vſed in the Greeke Church, and in the other Oriental Churches, if they be ſufficient to make their church Catholike, why doe you count them heretikes, and Schiſmatikes? if they be not ſufficient, why doe you reaſon of the inſtitution of the like, to proue your Church Catholike? You ſee that proued which you deſired, play the honeſt man therfore, and recant.