Against the New Idol and Old Devil, Part 4 – Part 5
BUt go to nowe, let vsus graūt here agayne, that this groſe and excedyng great lye was forged & ymagyned of good Bēno, to thentent to bowe and ſupple the mynde of ye Pope, & to tendre his herte. For ye holy ſee of Rome is more moued and ſtyrred, and taketh more delectacyon & pleaſure of prynces be in any place euyll entreated & ſharpely handeled, whan they hauehave ben bolde to laye hande vponupon ſpirptuall goodes: than of the hole worlde were made holye. And therfore they hauehave alſo heaped togyther, and repeted in ſo many legēdes and examples and bokes thoſe thinges, whiche dyd appertayne vntounto this matter: to thentente doubtles, that they myghte purchaſe and gette vntounto them ſelfe plenty of goodes and pleaſures in this worlde / & that they ſhuld not be conſtrayned to obſerue & kepe or fulfyll the goſpell. And yf this thynge be true: than (I ſaye) this agayne that Benno is none other wyſe a ſaint, than are Annas & Cayphas: Annas. Cayphas.oneles peraduenture he toke repentaūce afore his dethe for his lyfe afore ledde / And they do not a lytle diſhonoure and ſhame to Benno: whiche do boſte and openly reaporte ſuche dedes of hym. For yf thoſe thyngs be true, which they do carye about and boſte in the bulle: than is Benno one of the deuylles ſayntes. And yf they be but fayned thinges: than are they with theyr conſecracyon & canoniſacyon all togyther moued and ſtyrred and ruled by the deuyll. For where it may be proued, that any mā hath not lyued accordynge to the rule and doctryne of the ſcrypture: without doubt that man can not be holy, neyther oughte he of ryght to be conſecrated and canonyſed for a ſaynt / no thoughe he dyd rayſe vp all deed men, and dyd worke all maner myracles. The goſpell.The goſpel is more mighty & of more ſtrēgth to condempne a man, than any maner ſygnes and myracles are to make hym a ſaynt. For ye goſpell can neyther erre ne lye: but myracles do often tymes deceyue, Suſpecte myracles.as Paule hathe ſhewed vntounto vsus, wytneſſynge that Antichryſt ſhulde worke with falſe coūtrefayte myracles, that he myghte alſo begyle euen the verye electe perſones / and as Moyſes alſo doth wryte in the .xiii. chapitre of Deuteronomium, yt no credence ſhuld be gyuen to miracles, whā the thynge ſemeth to be agaynſt the worde of god. For myracles ought to ſerue the worde, and to folowe it: & not to go before it, & to do preiudyce vntounto it / wherfore it is neceſſary and muſt nedes be that eyther the doctrine of Bēno be approued, or els that his myracles, be of no wayght nor value, Myracles to be proued.as it is wrytten in the laſte chapytre of Mathewe. Confyrmyng the worde ye they preached with ſygnes & myracles folowynge / he ſaythe not with myracles goynge before, or els myracles apperyng weout any worde. And moche lyke vntounto theſe thinges, is that alſo, where it is ſaid, that Bēno many yeres ago euen after his dethe, dyd for temporall goodes ſake poniſſhe Wyllyam Marchion / yt is to wytte beynge moued at the peticyon and prayer of a certayne mayſter or prouoſt, Wyllyam the Marchion of Miſnia.dyd ſtryke out the Marchions iye (as for the moſt parte holye are wonte to be gouernours of churches collegyate). For theſe noble prelates do all that euer maye be done for moneys ſake, and for cauſe of ambicyon. This theyr ambicyon they wyll to be confyrmed & eſtablyſſhed euen of the ſayntes, that be departed out of this worlde. But this example came from the deuyll, as ſure as god lyueth in heuen. For ſo that vncleane ſpirite is wonte to worke, and to do his buſyneſſe by vyſyons of deed folke, Wyſyons of deade men.that he myghte make men madde, and to make them affrayed. This is vndoubted, & of a very ſuretye, that patryarches and kynges in the olde teſtament dyd ſomtyme fyght and handle weapons: but that was onelyonly for the worde of god, & for his peoples cauſe, by the teſtymony of ſcrypture. But it pleaſeth our lordes of Miſnia & the blynde ſee of Rome, to call all that myracles, what ſoeuer doth fortifye & mayntayne temporall honoures and ryches / yea moreouer I do thīke this thyng alſo in a maner to be but a forged & fayned thynge, (lykewyſe as al the myracles are well nere, which are reherſed in all yt bulle) that the Pope with the Miſnianes by ſuche maner leaſynges & erroure wolde put good Benno to martyrdome, that not onelye they myght hauehave a confeſſour of Benno, Benno a martyr.but alſo a martyr. For yf he was a good & vertuous man, it is vndoubted that they do put hym vntounto greatter puniſſhemēt, than euer was any martyr put vntounto. For with what contumely & rebuke coulde he be more foule blotted & ſtayned, than this that he is ſayde to hauehave lyued otherwyſe than the goſpell dothe teache / and that thoſe vyſyons are aſcrybed vntounto hym, whiche euen the deuyll hym ſelfe is wonte to handle? Howe moche more wyſdome than ſhuld it hauehave ben for you, O you worſhypfull Miſnianes, to hauehave kepte you ſtyll at home with your Benno & ſuche maner myracles? And I wolde coūſayle you, and aduertyſe you to be more ware and more wyſe hereafter, and not to contynewe & holde on with ouer many ſuche folyſſhe and peuyſſhe thynges to dyſhonoure & blaſpheme god. For here you do ſe, yt youre boſtynge, eyther is but forged and vntrue: or els doubtles yt Benno is dampned. And yf it be ſo, that you do holde on with obſtynate myndes to ronne hedlonge, and to mayntayne and defende your lyes, or ſo open & many feſte vyces of Benno: than am I innocent from your bloode, and from the bloode of all thoſe, which do take parte with you. It myghte ſeme yt you hauehave hytherto mocked ynough & more thā ynough / and that it is tyme ones to take vp with ſuche thynges. And the other miracles are ſo vayne, and ſo nothing worthe and very tryfles: that the thynge is worthye to be petyed becauſe I wyll not ſpeake here, that blynde men are ſoone and eaſely begyled, & they whiche are redy to tell and here lyes. For who I pray you wolde not laugh at this, that the belles which were halowed of Benno, do dryue away tempeſtes of wether? as who ſhulde ſaye yt other belles coulde not do the ſame, or as thoughe the deuyll, whiche coniured into a glaſſe doth ſuffre hym ſelfe to be ſent awaye agayne, coulde not brynge in, & chaſe awaye a tempeſt, that ſo by the permiſſyon & ſufferaunce of god he may deceyue wretched men. For yf eueryevery thynge yt is rare, ought the ſame forthwith to be a myracle comen from heuen: than ſhulde there neuer any falſe myracle be done any where. Of whiche ſorte is this alſo, that Bēno went beyonde Albi, & was ſene in this place & that place, bothe at one tyme. Who knoweth, I pray you whether this were Bē no, or els ſome deuyll? For howe many tymes hathe the deuyll played ſuche prankes? For howe harde a thynge, or howe great a mayſtrye ſhall it be, thynke you, to the deuyll, The prynce of this worlde.whiche is prynce of this worlde, to make feble, or to bewytch any man yt is his owne all redye throughe vnbelefe in Chryſt, and afterwarde to bydde and cōmaunde hym to be ledde vntounto ſome ſaynte, where he may be delyuered and rydde from his dyſeaſe or euyll? And than this thynge ſtreyght wayes ſhall be aſcrybed god wotte, vntounto yt ſaīt. But O good lorde, howe vncircumſpectelye & vnwyſely do we al thinges? Howe raſſhely & vnaduyſedly do we ronne on forthe as it were certayne blynde men? Howe pyteouſlye dyd the deuyll deceyue ſaynte Gregorye in his dyaloges? Saynte Gregory.For there is in eueryevery place ſo moche plentye of ſuche maner iuggelyng caſtes and deceytes, whiche he hath exercyſed, & yet doth exercyſe, that I coulde of them make tenne other ſuche ſayntes, as Bēno is / who agayne can ſufficyētly proue, that the holye fountayne was broughte forthe by Benno: ſauyng onelyonly that the comon opynyon goeth ſo aboute of it? For a man may fynde many lyke thyngꝭ / the nature and origynall cauſe wherof is ſtraunge and vnknowen / of which ſorte there are many thinges at Rome. Brieffely, who ſoeuer wyll deſcrybe and ymagine yt good lyfe of an holy byſſhop: He ought of neceſſyte to brynge forthe the wordes and doctryne, Sygnes of true holyneſſe.wherin he was excellēt. And alſo faythe, charyte and the croſſe of perſecucyon whiche was layde vpō his backe for his doctrynes ſake. Theſe thynges onelyonly are the true tokens of an holy man / But nowe this bulle ſaythe in dede, that Benno dyd preache: but what he dyd preache, or what he dyd vtterly beleue, it maketh no mencyon at all / neyther is there ſo moche as any mencyon at al made of charyte, and of the croſſe / onelyonly it ſpeketh of his ceremonyes, & howe that in great angre he ranne away & afflycted and vexed certayne men for the goodes of the churche. Beſydes this there is caryed aboute tales of certayne ſpirites and phantaſyes or ymagynacions of vncertayne and fayned myracles, whiche ſhulde nede moche more probacion, whether they dyd chaūce accordynglye and verely or not, than this, whether Benno be a ſaynte or not. But this thynge myght eaſely be perſwaded vntounto me, that Benno in dede was a good man, but yet was in many thyngꝭ ſeduced and deceyued of the Pope: Benno ſeduſed and begyled.and yet neuertheleſſe at the laſte throughe the vnmeſurable mercy of god was ſaued in lyke maner as it hathe chaunſed to Bernarde, & to very many other electe & choſen perſones. But that he dyd ſuche myracles, or wrought ſuche folyſſhe wonders as the bulle doth aſſygne & aſcrybe vntounto hym: I ſuppoſe no man ſhall proue / or at the leaſte wyſe yf he can proue it: thā they do make Benno the chylde of dampnacyon, and heyre of helle / for aſmoche as his lyfe is cleane repugnaunt and contrary to the goſpell. Wherfore, as for my parte, I wolde gyue counſayle, yt no man ſhulde be any whytte moued or ſtyrred with this conſecracyon or canonyſacyon: but rather that good Benno ſhulde be lefte quyete and in reſt to the iudgement of god, which aboue dothe knowe what is done with Benno, and what condycyon & ſtate he is in / For theſe myracles do proue nothynge at all. More ouer euen his very doctryne alſo ſemeth to hauehave ben cleane repugnaunt & contrary to faythe, charytie, and the croſſe / what neded than this ſo great canoniſacyon of hym: ſyth it forceth lytle, whether he be made a ſaynte or not. For eueryevery mā may be a chryſten mā, & ſaued, all thoughe neyther Bēno, neyther yet any other mā were made a ſaynt: (to paſſe ouer and ſpeake no worde here that it can not be, but yt lucre is ſoughte here in this thynge. I aſte of all, yf it be ſo, that for all theſe thynges whiche we hauehave hytherto recyted, yet thou arte not perſwaded good louynge reader: at the leaſt wyſe the very bulle it ſelfe, (yf I be not begyled) wyll perſwade the, in whiche the Pope hym ſelfe doth confeſſe & graūte, that he hym ſelfe with his adherentes dyd make theyr prayers vntounto god, yt he wolde not ſuffre them to erre in this buſyneſſe. Here I beſeche, ſe and conſydre thyne owne ſelfe, howe the pope dothe lye vntounto vsus: The falſe lye of the Pope.and howe throughe ouermoche deſyre and ſtudy to begyle other mē he doth begyle his owne ſelfe. For yf he do pray, that god wyll not ſuffre hym to erre in declarynge & publyſſhing of Bēno to be a ſaynt: Howe can he, I beſeche you, be aſſured and out of doubt? Howe can he ꝓue, that his prayer was herde, and his peticyon graunted? What aungell dyd appere to hym, & ſhewe hym this thyng, that he myghte be aſſured of it? But ſome ſuche thynge it muſte nedes hauehave ben, ſeynge that he dothe here preſcrybe a newe artycle of the fayth: which thynge to do, is as laufull to hym, & as moche auctoryte he hathe to do it, as I hauehave to cōmaūde heuen and ye ſonne. On the other ſyde agayne, whan he reporteth and recyteth ſo ofte, that by the myracles he was certyfyed and aſſured of his holynes: wherfore I praye you dothe he aſke counſayle of god, concernynge that thynge, whereof he was all redye aſſured? doſte thou not thynke, that this is to tempte god, and to ſcorne hym: whan thou doſte aſke & deſyre to knowe a thynge, which thou haſte perfyte knowlege of all redy? But after this faſſhyon and maner the deuyll is wonte to ſhame hym ſelfe / for lyes can not agre nor ſtande togyther, but they muſte nedes alwayes impugne theym ſelfes. Lykewyſe as this our pope, The incō ſtancye of the Pope.whiche whā he goeth about to worke moſt holylye and wyttely, calleth vponupon god, and deſyreth to be certifyed: and in ſo doynge ſheweth hym ſelfe to be in doubt and vnaſſured, where as yet before he hath concluded it to be certayne and vndoubted, & alſo wylleth it to be taken for vndoubted / nothynge pceyuyng nor markyng, that whyles he prayeth & deſyreth to be certyfyed, he dothe acknowlege and confeſſe hym ſelfe to be vnaſſured and in doubt. It is therfore certayne & vndoubted that he dothe lye, eyther whā he doth praye, or els at the leaſte whan he dothe make his ſaynt. And he lyeth loude and with full mouthe, as the comen ſayeng is / For he dothe but onelye make a countenaūce and ſemblaunce of prayer: and in verye dede dothe mocke and ſcorne god. Howe be it in that he doth praye as vncertayne, he prayeth truthe. But agayne on the other ſyde he lyeth whan he ſaythe that he is certyfyed & aſſured by myracles. For aſmoche than as this matter is handeled and done by mere deceytes and lyes / by blyndyng of mennes iyes, and ſubtylte: it remayneth, that thou, who ſoeuer thou art, do beware of this newe Idole, whiche vſurpeth & taketh vponupon hym the name of Benno / whome yf thou wylte not cōfeſſe and acknowlege for a ſaynte, at the leaſte wyſe let it greue the, yt we do comenlye ſo folyſſhe and ſo chyldyſſhely abuſe deed men, We abuſe deed men.that by them we do caſte downe hedlonge the wretched kynde of men into myſchiefe / what ſhall Bēno do, yf we do vſe his bones and his relyques to Idolatrye, for cauſe to wraſt out money frō men, to ye deſtruccyon of ſo many ſoules? wherfore as concernyng theſe thyngꝭ, let this ſuffyce that hathe ben ſpoken hereto of vsus.
Nowe let vsus ſpeke of the verye ryght and true canonyſacyon, & whiche is the ſure, vndoubted, & holſome conſecracyon and makynge of a ſaynte. Fyrſt of all it is to be conſydered and marked, that the ſcripture doth make but ſmall mencyon, or els none at all any where of ſayntes yt are in heuen: Sayntes in ye ſcrypture.but onelyonly of thoſe ſayntes & holy men that are conuerſaunt & abydynge here in erthe, as ſaynt Paule doth wryte to the Romanes in ye .xii. chapytre. Gyue pte of your goodes to releue the neceſſytie & nede of ſayntes. And in the .v. chapytre. of ye fyrſt epyſtle to Timothe. yf ſhe ſhall hauehave waſſhed the fete of ſayntes.
ANd to make an ende ī fewe wordes, Paule in all his epyſtles calleth them ſayntes, vntounto whome he wryteth / ſhewynge yt eueryevery chryſten man in his lyfe is a ſaynt. But the Papiſtes do knowe no ſaynte ſauynge onelyonly thoſe whiche are in heuen: and whome they do dayly ſette in heuen: and for this cauſe doubtles they do not vnderſtāde the ſcryptures, and do depyſe and hauehave in contempte all the verye ſayntes of god. yf than we wyll make our lyfe to agree with the rule of the ſcrypture: we ought to bryng awaye our ſelfes from ye ſayntes whiche are in heuen, & to tourne our ſelfes vntounto them that are in erthe / we oughte to extolle theſe ſayntes, and theſe we oughte to honoure. This thynge, no doubt of it, is pleaſaunte and acceptable vntounto god, whiche hathe alſo cōmaunded the ſame. For as cō cernynge them that are departed out of this worlde, he hathe gyuen vsus no commaundement at all: wherfore it is not acceptable nor pleaſaunte vntounto hym, what ſoeuer it be, Idolatrythat we do beſtowe vponupon them / For this maner Idolatrye hathe ben inuented of men, becauſe this thynge dothe brynge in ſome lucre / as other men before me hauehave ſufficyently declared, and hauehave largely treated of all this matter. For hytherto I hauehave wrytten no ſpecyall thynge as yet of the veneracyon of ſayntes, (which thyng alſo certayne of my bokꝭ do wytneſſe) all thoughe it be imputed to me, and layed to my charge, as though I had ben ye authour and fyrſt begynner. And who ſoeuer hath ben the authour by the pleaſure & wyll of god, of a ſuretye he dothe not myſtyke nor diſpleaſe me, neyther dothe it greue me to beare ꝑte of another mans diſhonoure and rebuke / to paſſe ouer in the meane ſeaſon, that I do not coueyte to chalenge another mans wrytynges for myne, but I do acknowledge (as ryghte is) yt god dothe alſo worke ſome thynge by other men, becauſe I wyll not ſeme to do ye buſynes of ye goſpel, all my ſelfe alone. It is euydente therfore, howe many thynges, and howe great coſte & labour is neceſſarely required to the makynge of ſayntes as touchynge theyr bodyes: The honour and worſhyppynge of ſayntes, mēcyoned in the ſcripture.& agayne on the other ſyde howe eaſye and howe redy a thyng that true worſhippyng of ſayntes is / which is ſpirytuall, yt is to wytte ſuche as Paule doth wryte to the Romanes in the .xv. Chapytre. whan he ſaythe.
Gyue parte of your goodes to the neceſſyte of ſayntes / & agayne preuente eche one of you another with honoure / agayne lette eueryevery man eſteme another man at more than he dothe eſteme his owne ſelfe.