Against Popery, Addition · Part 2
THE SECOND PART.
1 IN an other popiſh ſeruice booke, like vntounto the former, called Portiforium ſe… Breuiarium ad vſum eccleſie Sarisburienſ…s, caſtigatum, ſuppletum, marginalibus quotationibus This booke was printed at Paris, anno 1555.adornatum: that is, A Portus or breuiarie, for the vſe of the Church of Salisburie corrected, ſupplied, and adorned with marginall quorations, &c. In this booke I ſay to omit the like blaſphemous praiers to the virgin Marie as before hauehave beene noted. I finde theſe ſpeciall things following, not mentioned in the former. For the tranſlation of Saint Martin, there are theſe things read for the ſecond and third leſſon.
Lectio ſecunda.
Anno ſexageſſimo quarto poſt tranſitum beati Martini, beatus Perpetuus predicte ſedis epiſcopus: corpus beati Martini, transferre dispoſuit, conuocatiſ que vicinis Abbatibus & clericis, & cum hoc in kalendis …ulij agere vellent, vigilata prius vna nocte, per totam diem laborantes, nihil proficiebant. Tunc quidā ex clericis ait. Scitis quod poſt tridu…, natalis epiſcopatus eius eſt: & forte in hac die nos transferr…ſe admonet.
Lectio tertia.
Quarta autem die accedentes non valebant mouere ſepulchrum. Pauore autem omnes exterriti vaſculum terra cooperire cogit abant. Tunc apparuit eis veneranda canitie ſenex, dicens ſe abbatem: & ait quid turbamini & tardatis? Nonne videtis beatum Martinum aſtantē vobis iuvare paratum: ſimanus apponatis, & iactans pallium poſuit manum cum alijs ad ſarcophagim. Quod pratinus cum ſumma leuitate commotum: in locum quo nunc honoratur tu… hymnis domino annuente perducitur. Poſt haec requiritur ſenex, nec exite viſus eſt, nec ibi inuenitur.
The ſecond leſſon.
In the 64. yeare after the death of bleſſed Martin, bleſſed Perpetuus biſhop of the ſea A tale of Saint Martin read in the Church for a leſſon.aforeſaid (that is, of Toures in France) determined to tranſlate the bodie of bleſſed Martin. And hauing called together the neighbour abbots and learned men, when they would hauehave done it the firſt daie of Iuly, hauing firſt watched a whole night, they did alſo labour a whole daie and did no good. Then one of the learned men ſaide, Ye know that after three daies, is the birthday of his biſhopricke, and peraduenture on that day he admoniſheth vsus to tranſlate him.
The third leſſon.
But when they came the fourth daie, they could not remooue the ſepulchre. Now beeing ſtricken with feare, they thought to coue… the veſſell with earth. Then appeared vntounto them an old man with a reuerence, hore headed, that called himſelfe an abbot: and he he ſaid, Why are ye troubled, and why prolong ye the time? doe ye not ſee bleſſed Martin ſtanding by you readie to helpe, if ye put to your hands? And throwing away his clocke he put to his hand with other vntounto the ſepulchre; the which preſently with very great caſe beeing remooued, was by the fauour of God, brought to the place, where now it is honoured with hymnes. After this they ſought for the olde man: but neither was he ſeene to goe forth, neither did they finde him there.
2 In the tranſlation of Thomas Becket, many blaſphemous praiers, and ſome other Many blaſphemous praiers in the tranſlation of Thomas Becket.thinges are in the ſame booke mentioned. Firſt of all thus they pray vntounto God, Deus qui nobis tranſlationem beati Thome martyris tui atque pontificis celebrare concedis: te ſupplic… exoramus, vt eius meritis & precibus a vitijs ad virtutes, & a carcere transferamur adregnum: that is, O God which graunteſt vsus to celebrate the tranſlation of bleſſed Thomas thy This Thomas (as our Chronicles teſtifie) was put to death for treaſon, yet ſee how they honour him.martyr and biſhop, we humbly beſeech thee that by his merits and praiers, we may be tranſlated from vice to vertue, and from priſon to a kingdome. After that they ſaie, apparuit ei dominus & dixit, Thoma, Thoma glorificabitur in ſanguine tuo eccleſia mea: that is, the Lord appeared vntounto him, and ſaid, Thomas, Thomas, my church ſhall be glorified in thy blood. In the ſixt leſſon for his tranſlation, they S. Thomas … miracles.ſpeake of many miracles that he did, namely that he reſtored ſight to the blinde, hearing to the deafe, ſpeach to the dumbe, and life to the dead. Then they praie againe, Ieſus Chriſte per Thome vulnera quae no… ligant relaxa ſcelera, &c. Ieſus Chriſt by the wounds of Thomas looſe the ſinnes which doe binde vsus. Then they ſay in further commendation of him, Felix locus, felix eccleſia in qua Thome viget memoria: felix terra que dedit preſulem: felix illa que fouet exulem. Happie is the place, happie is the church wherein remaineth any memorie of Thomas: happie is that land which gaue him for a biſhop, and that likewiſe entertained him a baniſhed man. Againe, Thome cedunt & parent omnia: peſtes, morbi, mors, & demonia, ignes, aer, tellus & maria. Thomas mundum All things obe… Thomas and he filleth the world with glorie.repleuit gloria: Thome mundus preſtat obſequia. All things giuegive place and obedience vntounto Thomas: peſtilences, ſickneſſes, death and the deuills. The fire, the ayre, the earth and the ſeas. Thomas hath filled the world with glorie. The world yeeldeth humble ſeruice vntounto Thomas. Then follow the eight & nine leſſons for the ſaid Thomas B…ckets day; the ſumme of which leſſons is this. A certaine man deſirous to viſit his ſhrine, for praiers ſake, meeting with a carre vponupon Kainford …. Thomas ſa…eth a man frō drowning.bridge by London, was throwne into the water. He remembred therefore Thomas, and praied vntounto him, that he might not be drowned. Now although he ſuncke fiue times to the bottome, and ſtill came vp againe, yet he did earneſtly proteſt, that he felt no griefe either in his mouth, or in his noſtrills, but that onelyonly in his falling, he tooke a little ſalt water He alſo added, that when he began to be drowned, a certaine biſhop ſupported him, that he could not be drowned. Then they note that the tranſlation of Thomas was cō ſummated ann. 1220. in the nones of Iuly, about three of the clocke, but whether in the morning or euening they tell vsus not, in the 40. yeare after his ſuffering. After they ſay, Aqua Thome quinquie… varians calorem (that perhaps ſhould be colorem) in lac ſ…mel tranſ…t & quater in cruorem. The water of Thomas fiue times changing the heat (or rather S. Thomas his water turned into milke and blood.the colour) was turned once into milke, and foure times into blood. Then they adde. Ad Thome memoriam quater lux deſcendit, & in ſancti gloriam, cereos accendit. For the remembrance of Thomas light deſcended foure times, and lighted the waxe candles vntounto the glorie of the ſaint. Then they praie. Tu pro Thome ſanguine, quem prote impendit, fac nos Chriſte ſcandere, quo Thomas aſcendit. For the blood of Thomas which for thee he did ſpend, cauſe ſome of vsus, O Chriſt to clime thither, where Thomas did aſcend. And after that to Thomas himſelfe they praie thus: Opem nobis O Thoma porrige, rege ſtantes, iacentes erige, mores, actus & vitam c…rrige, & in pacis nos viam dirige. Reach forth thy helpe, O Thomas vntounto vsus, gouernevs ſtanding, raiſe vsus vp lying, correct our manners, our workes, our life, and direct vsus into the way of peace. Afterward they ſalute Thomas, thus: Salve Thoma virga iustitie, mundi iubar, robur eccleſiae, plebis amor, cleri delitie, ſalue gregis tutor eccleſiae: ſalue tue ga…dentes glorie. Good morrow Thomas the rodde of iuſtice, the ſunne-beame of the world, the ſtrength of the Church, the louelove of the common people, the delight of the cleargie. Good morrow O gouernour of the flocke thy Church: ſaue them that reioyce in thy glorie. Beſides many fooliſh and ridiculous things in theſe wordes that I hauehave noted concerning the foreſaide Thomas, who ſeeth not alſo many horrible and outragious blaſphemies, in that that many thinges proper onelyonly to God and his Sonne Chriſt Ieſus, are attributed vntounto him whereby he is made euen equall with God and with Chriſt Ieſus. In the feaſt of relikes, firſt reading theſe wordes, Matth. 5. at that tim… Ieſus ſeeing the multitude, went vp into a mountaine, and when he was ſet his diſciples came vntounto him. Then they make this gloſe vponupon them: Mons in quo ſedit dominus myſtice ſignificat, maiora precepta iuſtitiae, quia minora erant queiudeis data ſunt, &c. Myſtice etiam ſeſſio domini incarnatio eius eſt, &c. that is, the moū taine in which the Lord did ſit, doth myſtically ſignifie the great precept of iuſtice, becauſe they were the leſſe which were giuen vntounto the Iewes. The ſitting alſo of the Lord is myſtically his incarnation. Is not this clerkly done?
3 In the fift and ſixt leſſons of S. Margarets day there is this hiſtorie in effect. S. Margaret being in cloſe priſon for the chriſtian faith, praied vntounto God that cum inimico latente facie ad faciem haberet conflictum, that is, ſhee A notable fight of S. Margaret.might fight face to face with the ſecret enemie. Ariſing therefore from praiers ſhee ſaw a terrible dragon, readie to ſwallow her vp with his iawes: but by making the ſigne of the croſſe, he brake in the middes. After ſhee ſaw an other deuill ſitting like a blacke man, and hauing his handes bound to his knees: but ſhee tooke him by the haire and laid him all along vponupon the earth, and ſet her right foote vponupon the crowne of his head. Then ſhee praied, and ſuddenly light ſhined from heauen in the priſon: and the croſſe of Chriſt was ſeene euen to heauen, and a doue ſitting vponupon it, ſay, Bleſſed art thou, O Margaret, the gates of paradiſe doe looke for thee. Then giuing thanks to God, ſhee ſaid to the deuill, enarra mihi naturam tuam. Tell me thy nature. The deuill ſaide, Take away thy foote from the crowne of my head that I may tell thee. This beeing done, the deuill ſaide, I am as one of them whome Salomon ſhut vp in a braſen Salomon a coniurer. Diuels may be locked vp in veſſels.veſſell: and when the Babylonians came, they thought that it had beene full of golde and brake it open, and by this meanes we flew out, and euer ſithence we hauehave laid ſnares for the iuſt. After theſe and many other things the virgin ſaid vntounto him, Auoide O tempter Sathan. Then the earth opened her mouth and receiued him.
4 In the ſeauenth and eight leſſon next An other tale of the ſaid Margaret.following is added this hiſtorie of the ſaide virgin Margaret. The gouernour Olymbrius hauing grieuouſly tormented her, commanded her to be bound hand and foote, and put into a great veſſell of water. The virgin praied that that water might be made a fountaine of baptiſme vntounto eternall life. Then was a great earthquake, and a do…e came from heauen, and ſet a crowne of gold vponupon her head. By this ſight, fiue thouſand men were conuerted, beſides women and children, all which by the commandement of Olymbrius were beheaded: and he ſeeing her conſtancie commanded her in like māner to be put to death. Beeing brought forth therefore to the place of execution, ſhee deſired the hangman to giuegive her leaue to praie. This graunted, and her praier made, that eueryevery one that ſhould write her ſufferings, or reade it, or heare it, or make mention of it, might merit pardon of This maketh well for me that write this hiſtorie, ſo alſo for all them that ſhall read it, &c.his ſinnes, &c. This praier (I ſay) made to this effect, and more largely, there were great thunders, and a doue came from heauen, ſaying, Bleſſed art thou, O ſpouſe of Chriſt Margaret; behold Chriſt hath graunted all thy petitions, come therefore into the reſt of thy heauenly coū trey. Then ſhee lifting vp her ſelfe, badde the hangman execute his maſters commaundement. But he ſaide, God forbid that I ſhould kill thee. Shee anſwered, if thou doeſt it not, thou canſt hauehave no part with me. Then he trembling, cut off her head, and falling at the feete of the virgin, he gaue vp the ghoſt.
5 Many other like fabulous things are reported in the ſame booke of other the like ſaints: as of Saint Oſmond, Saint Kenelme the King of the ſeauen ſleepers, of whome they The 7. ſleepers.read likewiſe for a leſſon in the church, that they fleeing perſequution, and laying them downe in a caue to ſleepe, continued there ſleeping 362. yeares. Likewiſe of Saint Oſwald the king: of Saint Laurence: Saint Dioniſ. and his fellows: Saint Edward the king: of Saint Wenefred the virgin: of theſe, I ſaie, and many other the like ſaints, many fabulous things are there reported, which I might here hauehave added: but hauing beene long alreadie in theſe ſeruice bookes, I dare not preſume further vponupon he patience of the reader. For this cauſe alſo I forbeare further addition of many moſt foule and blaſphemous prayers in the feaſt of the exaltation of the croſſe, the rather alſo becauſe I hauehave noted the like before.
6 Nowe it may be, ſome will here obiect againſt theſe things thus gathered out of their ſeruice bookes, that albeit it be moſt true indeede that ſometimes there hauehave beene ſuch praiers and ſuch pardons annexed vntounto them, yet now the church of Rome hath vtterly diſclaimed and reuoked them, and likewiſe reformed ſuch bookes as now eſpecially they vſe. To this I anſwer firſt, that if there be any ſuch reuocation and reformation of the foreſaide ridiculous toyes and horrible blaſphemies, becauſe they were ridiculous and blaſphemous, then thereby it is graunted, that the time hath beene when the Church of Rome was a fooliſh and blaſphemous Church, and their religion likewiſe fooliſh and blaſphemous. For otherwiſe, what needed they to hauehave reuoked ſuch things or to hauehave made any reformation of them? Secondly, I demand where this reuocation and reformation is. They wil perhaps wonder at this demaund, ſith I my ſelfe hauehave before named their late booke intituled, officium beatae Mariae virginis nuper reformatum, & pij quinti pontificis maximi iuſſ… editum, that is, the ſeruice of bleſſed Marie the virgin lately reformed, and by the commandement of Pius the fift high prieſt publiſhed. They will perhaps referre me to this booke it ſelfe, as pretended to be reformed; and eſpecially to the preface thereunto prefixed by the ſaid pepe Pius, wherein is a kinde of reuocation of ſome former ſeruices of the virgin.
7 Touching the booke it ſelfe, I doe onelyonly repeat my anſwer before made, namely that this booke is but onelyonly ſaid and pretended to be reformed, and not reformed in truth at the leaſt of the ſubſtantiall points moſt to be regarded. This is manifeſt by ſuch ridiculous & blaſphemous praiers, as I hauehave before noted out of the ſame booke, ſtill remaining therein. Therefore in ſetting this title before the booke, The ſeruice of the Virgin lately reformed; they doe but as many a falſe taylour doth with the garment which he hath marred in making: and as ſome careles cooks with the meate which they ſerue vntounto their maſters table, not throughly roſted or boiled. As the taylour beeing blamed for the fault of the garment, promiſeth to mende it, & taking it home with him, bringeth it againe facing out the owner that he hath mended it, when he neuer did any thing more vntounto it then at the firſt, at leaſt to any purpoſe: and as the cooke beeing rebuked for his negligence, oftentimes notwithſtanding ſendeth in the meat the ſecond time as better roſted or boiled, when either he neuer did put it againe on the ſpit or into the pot, or if he did that yet it had neuer a turne more nor any more ſeething: euen ſo the church of Rome being iuſtly blamed for the groſſe and foule blottes of their former ſeruice bookes, hauehave taken it againe into their ſhoppe or kitchin, but yet returned it vntounto vsus, or rather vntounto their miſtris and ladie, onelyonly giuing this word reformatum, reformed, that is, facing vsus or rather their miſtris and ladie, omnia eſſe bene, that is, that all things are well, when in truth the chiefe and moſt principall abſurdities and blaſphemies doe yet remaine.
8 Concerning the preface vntounto the former booke ſo pretended to be reformed, I graunt that therein ſeemeth to be a kinde of reuocation or diſanulling of ſome former ſeruice The auncient popiſh ſeruice bookes before mentioned, are not now diſanulled or reuoked by the church of Rome.bookes, but not of ſuch ſeruice bookes, as out of which I hauehave gathered the things before ſet downe. For in the ſame preface, after the reuocation and diſanulling of their former ſeruice bookes which it doth reuoke and diſanull, followeth a very large exception of three branches: the firſt, is of bookes printed in the latin tongue: the ſecond of bookes whoſe inſtitution was expreſſely approoued and allowed by the Apoſtolike ſee: the third of bookes that had beene in vſe for two hundred yeares before. The reuocation therefore and inhibition is onelyonly of bookes publiſhed in the vulgar tongue, whoſe firſt inſtitution was not allowed by the apoſtolike ſea, and which had not beene vſed aboue two hundred yeares.
9 Now the bookes out of which I hauehave gathered the former ſtuffe, are not within the compaſſe of the ſaide inhibition, but doe ſtill remaine in force by the former exceptions. For although the titles and pardons prefixed to the praiers in them contained be in the engliſh tongue, yet the praiers themſelues and the other ſubiect matter of the ſaide booke is all in latin. Againe their firſt inſtitution was allowed by the Apoſtolike ſee: otherwiſe they would neuer hauehave had ſuch publike vſe and ſufferance, eſpecially in Cathedrall churches as they had. Laſtly although ſome few praiers (as one in king Henrie, and an other the pardon whereof was graunted at the inſtance of Queene Elizabeth wife to king Henrie the ſeauenth, and a fewe more perhaps (although I ſay ſome ſuch praiers of late edition, are here and there inſerted, yet as touching the principall ſubſtance of the bookes, that they hauehave beene in vſe, farre aboue two hundred yeares, it may euidently appeare to them that will compare the diuers bookes of diuers impreſſions together. Wherefore as I hauehave heard that ſome great men in their laſt will and teſtament, hauehave ſometime made a gift vntounto their wife of all their houſhold ſtuff, all their plate, all their golden chaines and bracelets, all their rings and iewels whatſoeuer, and yet afterward hauehave excepted ſo many of the former things, and giuen them to their other friends, that their former gift to to their wife, hath not come to any great value, notwithſtanding all the former great words: euen ſo, although the foreſaide pope Pius the filt, ſee me at the firſt to make a large Inhibition, yet the exceptions following make the former inhibition in a manner nothing worth: becauſe there were ſcarſe any former ſeruice bookes, which might not chalenge their former vſe and allowance, by ſome of thoſe exceptions. Now further although in the ſame new booke aboue mentioned, Pius quintus doe alſo admoniſh all cō ſtantly to beleeue, that in ſome former books not within choſe former exceptions comp…iſed, many faigned praiers are interlaced, ſub falſis & confictis ſanctorum nominibus, vnderunder falſe and counterfaited names of ſaints, and that there is no certen authoritie of the church for indulgences and pardons of ſinnes graunted vntounto them that ſay many of thoſe praiers ſo interlaced; although (I ſay) this admonition be giuen by that holy father, yet this maketh not againſt thoſe praiers and titles by me before expreſſed. For many of them are made to God or Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe o… to the virgin Marie; & the other (at leaſt for the moſt part) to ſuch ſaints, as whoſe names are not counterfaited, but moſt certenly knowne to be ſuch ſaints as the Romiſh church hath alwaies worſhipped. This therefore ſhall ſuffice to hauehave noted out of their bookes of common ſeruice.