The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Conclusion 1
The conclusion of this booke, to the Christian Reader.
HEre hast thou (welbeloued Reader) a short exposition and declaration vponupon the Epistle or letter of the most learned Doctour maister Gentian Haruet: which serueth not onelie thereto, but to all other bookes and writings of the Catholike writers, and defenders of the Romishe Seate. For we hauehave herein (as brieflie and expresselie as may be) rehearsed the two chiefest foundations, wheron all their Scriptures, reasons, conclusions, and Syllogismes, are founded and built, namelie:
The first, The holie Catholike Church what shee is, whereon shee dependeth, and howe farre her authoritie and power doth streatche.
And the second, namelie: The expositions of the Scripture: wherein eache may see with eyes, that howbeit the Huguenotes and Lutheranes do alwayes referre them to the text of the holy Scripture, yet our deare & louing mother the holy church can so aptlie handle the said text, that shee maketh it so fitte and pliable, as it doeth wholie bende and stretche to her aduantage.
Then reade the same, and accept our paines in good worth: and considering the grounded reasons of all commotions and insurrections, which from fourtie yeeres hitherwarde hauehave bene in Christendome, for causes of Religion and Gods seruice, pray vntounto God, that he, for his Sonne Iesus Christ his sake, will shortlie appeare, & with the breath of his mouth, and force of his holie Spirit, consume and destroy the wicked wasters, and falsifiers of his holie worde and doctrine, to the glorie of his most holy name, and the edifying of his Church and Congregation.
But seeing that here aboue in this our Bee hiue of the Romishe Churche, wee hauehave often and in sundrie places repeated, that with manie ragges and patches it is botcht and sowed togeather, and selected from diuers and sundrie sortes of flowres and herbes, to make the honnie sweete, wee will for thy delight and for the further declaration & confirmation of that whiche is said, dilate and more amplie declare the condition and propertie, or rather commoditie of our Bee hiue, the original, disposition, nature, cunning, and capeable capacitie of our Bees, in their honie and honie combes, their rule and regimentes, with all things appertaining: to the end it may be knowen wherein they doe agree with our common sorte of Honie Bees, and in what respect they disagree & decline from them. In which treatie, we will presentlie followe with the description of Bees, which Aristotle in Greeke, Varro, Columella, Virgil and Plinie in Latine, hauehave wittilie written, and for our learning left behinde them. But because none shall thinke, that we will in anie respect be iniurious to the holie Romish Church, forsomuch as we compare her holinesse and vnmoueable foundation, to Bees, and a Bee hiue, I will first and before all other matters, rehearse the high prayse and commendation which shee her selfe doeth attribute vntounto them. For beholde, these are the wordes which shee doeth vse vponupon Easter eeuen, in the hallowing or sanctifying of her Easter Tapers.
Cum igitur huius substantiae miramur exordium, In the Masse booke.Apum necesse est laudemus originem: Apes vero sunt frugales in sumptibus, in procreatione castissimae, aedificāt cellulas cereo liquore fundatas, quib. humanae peritiae ars magistra non coaequatur: Legunt pedibus flores, & nullum damnum floribus inuenitur: partus non edunt, sed ore legentes concepti foetus reddunt examina, sicut exemplo mirabili Christus ore paterno processit. Foecunda est in his sine partu virginitas, quam vtique Dominus sequi dignatus, carnalem se matrē habere, virginitatis amore constituit. Talia igitur Domine digna sacris Altaribus tuis munera offeruntur, quibus te laetari Religio Christiana non ambigit, Per Christum Dominum nostrum, Amen.
Which in our English tongue is to say:
Forsomuch as we doe maruellouslie wonder, Commendation or praise of Bees.in considering the first beginning of this substance, to wit, waxe tapers, then must we of necessitie greatlie commend the originall of Bees: for they are sober in diet, & exceeding chast in engendring. They make closettes, & found them on the souple waxe, whervnto mans▪ inuention and knowledge is not to bee compared: they gather of the flowres with their feet, and yet the flowres are not endamaged by it: they bring foorth no yong ones, but deliuer their yong swarmes through their mouthes, like as Christ (for a wonderfull example) is proceeded from his Fathers mouth: they hauehave a fertile chastitie without bearing, which example Christ hath thought good to followe, and ordeined to hauehave a carnall mother, for louelove of chastitie. Therefore, O Lord, are such worthie giftes offered and presented vponupon thine Altar, wherein Christian Religion is assured that thou delightest exceedinglie: through our Lord Iesus Christ, Amen.
Beholde, here wee perceiue, what a precious iewell these Bees are. Wherefore our deare and louing mother the holie Church of Rome, ought not to scorne or disdaine, that wee doe compare her customes and orders to a Bee hiue, considering that she her selfe doth compare the incomprehensible generation of the sonne of GOD from his Father, together with his birth, out of the pure and vndefiled Virgine Marie vntounto the Bees: whiche were in verie deede a great blasphemie, if the Bees were not of so great valour and vertue, that by them wee might liken and compare the holie Church of Rome. And seeing shee saieth, That GOD is delighted with the giftes and presentes of the Bees, why should not shee her selfe exceedinglie reioyce with our Bee hiue? Therefore can none blame vsus herein, vnlesse also they blame and accuse the holie Church of Rome for blasphemie. Which considered, we will without feare or dread, proceed with this our Bee hiue.