The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 1 · Chapter 9
The ix. Chapter. VVherein is declared, that the holie Church of Rome hath gathered manie things of the doctrine & examples of the Heathen, which she hath conuerted and turned to her owne commoditie and profite.
YEa, here it is plainlie to be seene,The holie Romish Church doth followe many examples of the heathen. that she doth not helpe her selfe with the Iewes onelyonly: but likewise with all sorts of false doctrine, religion, and examples. So that it is euident, that she hath followed the steppes and Religion of the godlesse Infidels, as well Romanes as other, wheresoeuer the same might serue her turne. For out of the rounde Temple at Rome, which is called La Rotunda, which was in those dayes by the Heathen dedicated to all the Gods, and to that ende was named by a Greeke worde Pantheon: thereof hath she made (following the saide Heathen) a Temple for our Ladie, and all the Saints.All Saints in place of all heathen gods.
But is were mere foolish to stand vponupon one example, thereby to proue a matter, whereof all the bookes, and the whole Theologie of the Catholike men is full euen to the toppe. For the verie foundation it self of their doctrine & diuinitie, is much more deepely grounded and built vponupon the doctrine of Aristotle, than vponupon any, either Prophete or Apostle: by this same token, that at this present, a Doctours hoode, or the Caputium of a Theologian or Diuine at Louen, is called Aristotles breeche or Codpeece. Yea, and moreouer, the most part of all our Scotistes, Thomistes, Albertistes, Occamistes, Realistes, Nominalistes, and other Doctours, are sprong vp, of Aristotle, of Plato, of Porphyrius, Auerroes, Abeupace, and such other like Saintes, euen as out of their head spring and principall well.
In so much also, that the Doctours and Theologians of Colen hauehave very wittily conclud…d: That Aristotle hath bene Praecursor Dei in naturalibus, sicut Iohānes Baptista in diuinis: that is to saye, Aristotle was the forerunner of God in al things naturall, as Iohn Baptist was in thinges diuine and supernaturall. And for this cause,This doeth P. Barnardo of Luxenburgh witnes in the booke called Catalogus Haeveticorum. amongst other, hath the holy Church condemned Martin Luther, for that the doctrine of Aristotle (which is the verie mother of the diuinitie of the Louanistes, Sorbonistes, and Colenars) was by him reiected, and nothing set by. After this doth the worthie Bishop Durādus testifie,Durandus in the booke called Rationale diuinorum of…icior ▪ in the first booke in the Rubrike De Dedicatione Eccle. That the holy church did learne of Nabuchodonozor, to halowe their churches, and altars, euen like as he caused his golden image to be halowed and consecrated, which he would hauehave all people and nations to pray vntounto.
So that it ought not to seeme straunge to anie man, that the Church (according to his example) doeth likewise cause Heretikes to be burnt, which will not praye to her images, considering that he caused the three yong men of the Hebrewes, Sidrach, Misach, and Abednago, to be throwen into the hoate burning ouen, because they denied to praye vntounto his consecrated golden image. But what neede I to trouble my self much with these matters? The children in the streetes doe knowe well inough, that a great many of the ceremonies of the holy Church of Rome, are gathered out of the ordinances and religion of Numa Pompilius king of Rome. For the decrees,You may reade this in the boke of Decrees cap. Clericos ff. pont. dist. 21. and the booke of Sentences do very cunningly set forth, that from thence they proceede: and that, in these dayes, men call the Pope in Latin, Pontifex, because Numa Pompilius caused his high Priestes so to be named.In the 4. booke of the Sente…. …etri Lombardi in cap 10. From thence likewise the generation of Priestes hath issue. For like as Numa Pompilius had his Flamines, Numa Pompilius.Arches…amines, and Protos…amines appointed: euen so nowe hath the holy church her Sacerdotes, that is, her Priests, her Archipresbyteros, that is, her high Priests: and her Protonotaries: In the 7 booke of the … at …, an 54 cap. 2. dist. 21.as by plaine wordes is to be seene in the booke of decrees. So that Eberardus Bishop of Saltzburgh, about 200. yeres ago, at a general assemblie (called a Rii…x day) did verie wel & rightly, in naming the Priestes of Rome, Flamines Babyloniae, Petras de natali. lib. 7. …ap 3. D…ran … diuino of…. b 7. Rubr. de festo S. Petri.that is to say, Babylonish Priestes. And hath not our beare mother the holy Church ordeined the bonefire of Peter ad Vincula, in place of a holy day, whereon at the same time the Heathen did make bonefires to the honour of the Emperour Augustus? Iohannes de Voragine in h…stor. …ombar…i, cap. 105. Bapti. man…uan. fast. 8.And likewise the other saint Peters day, which is commonly calles Saint Peters Seate: is not that come in place of another bonefire daye,Durand. rational diuino of…i. lib. 7 Rubr. de ca…ed. Petrus de catho. lib. 3. ca. 140. Bap. Mant. f…t. 414.2. which the Heathen did obserue at the same time? And Cādlemasse▪ (I pray you) what is that els, but a kind of Candlemasse which the Heathen did vse, whereon they, euen at the same time of the yeare, vsed fire with burning of torches and candels, in the worship of Ceres, Proserpina, and Flora? And of whome hauehave they learned (I pray you) that euerie man must serue God, according to the vsage of his owne countrie, & as his fathers hauehave done before him, but only of Pythagoras, and of Plato? Pythagoras in the first verse of his golden verses, or aureorum carminum. Plato in his boke called Timeus, whom manie as well Greekes as Latines hauehave here in followed. Ezech. 20.18.19.A thing directly contrarie to the cōmandement of God, who saith by the mouth of his Prophete Ezechiel: You shall not liue after the commandements of your fathers, neither obserue their statutes, neither pollute your selues with their idols: for I am the Lorde your God. You shall liue after my commandements, and you shall obserue my statutes, and followe them. Where hauehave they fished out the Legende of Saint Margarete, but only out of the fable of Andromeda, or Hesiona, the daughter of Laomedon? And what is their S. George, S. George.but a dumbe or mumming Perseus, or an Hercules on horseback?Chrystopherus. And her Chrystopher is a newe Polyphemus or Nessus. And her seuen Sleepers, are not they of the kinred of Endymion? After al this, what doth this meane, that they hauehave so specially cō manded, That all their altars shoulde bee set toward the East, but that they will directly herein followe the example of the Heathen, who in honour of the Sunne, whom they named Apollo, did in all their prayers and offrings turne them selues towarde… the East? Considering especially, that God had for the same cause forbidden the Iewes, to be like vntounto the Heathen in that point, as to turne their faces towards the East. But the holy Church (as touching this matter) was much wiser tha… God:This doth Guido de monte Rocheri… write in his boke called Enchei…id. sacerdot im, that is to say, The Manuel of priestes in titulo de Sacramentis Eucharist. for shee w…ll hereby giuegive to vnderstande that Christ is risen or sprong from the highest: and that af…er the doctrine of Aristotle & other Philosophers, the East is on the right side of heauen, where as Christ, at the day of iudgement, will place his elect. Is not this a deepe speculation? Who would euer hauehave thought, that such doltish Asses, could hauehave founde out such a great and profound secret, which God him selfe did neuer thinke on?