History of the First Ten Persecutions, History 3 · Chapter 3 · Treatise 2

History of the First Ten Persecutions · History 3 · Chapter 3 · Treatise 2

CENT. 3. A Treatise of Reliques of Saints.

SVch is the corruption of mans nature, that in nothing can we keepe the golden mediocritie commanded by God. Sometimes wee hate and persecute Gods seruants, at other times wee giuegive vntounto them the honour The corruption of mans nature.that is due to God alone. And in this great confusion and disorder howe can order bee kept? yea these idolaters themselues, who at sometimes honour the saintes with excessiue and vncompetent honour, they keepe not one and the selfe-same order. Sometime they begin at excessiue honour, and they end at excessiue contempt, as the men of Listra, first, they called PAVL & BARNABAS gods, and afterward they stoned PAVL as an euill doer, Act. 14. At other times they begin at excessiue contempt, and they mount vp to excessiue honour as the people of the Isle of Malta first counted PAVL to be a murtherer, after to be a god, Act. 28. Many other examples may be giuen, specially in the person of MOSES vnderunder the Lawe, and of the Apostles vnderunder the Gospell. The carnal Iewes that came out of Egypt murmured many times against MOSES, but their more carnall and vnhappy posteritie preferred MOSES to Christ, Ioh, 9. ver. 29. saying, We know that God spake to Moses, but this man know wee not from whence he is. This is the malice of Satan changing our prison, but not suffering vsus to be set at libertie. For when a man is incarcerate in any vpper house, and then his prison is changed, and hee is prisoned in the lower prison, where there is lesse libertie of aire, and great stincke & filth, the estate of this man is not better but worse by his change: euen so when men hauehave misregarded in most contemptible Simil.maner the seruants of God, this is a snare of the deuill, but when they giuegive vntounto them the honour that is due to God, this is a greater snare, for they who called PAVL a mutherer (who was indeed the prisoner of Christ) at that time they lied, yet they attributed nothing to PAVL but that sin wherunto by nature hee was inclined, and also practised before his conuersion, Act. 9. but when they called him a god, they attributed vntounto him that honour that was not competent to a mortall man, Act. 28.

Albeit we be not able to comprehend the deepe and subtle slights of Satan yet in the first entrie we may grope some The great slight of Satan.deceitfulnesse in Satans dealing, because hee dealeth one way with Gentiles and Pagans who knew not God, and another way with Iewes and Christians who had some knowledge of the true God. He stirreth vp the Gentiles forthwith to call men Gods, by whose hands the Lord wrought a miraculous worke, Act. 14. and Act. 28. but hee dealeth otherwise with the Iewes who had some knowledge of God, not incontinent to equall MOSES to God, but to preferre him vntounto other teachers, and to Iesus whome they denied to be God. In like maner he moued the Iewes to deck and beautifie the sepulchres of the Prophets, Mat. 23, which seemed to be no fault, but Satan was craftily vnderunder colour of honouring the seruants of God, leading them to persecute the master himselfe, euen Christ Iesus the great prince of all Pastours. And therefore Christians should beware of the slights of the deuill, because vponupon very small and not disalowable beginnings (as would appeare he laboureth to leade them in end to horrible idolatrie.

Againe Satan is so craftie and deceitfull that he wil build Another craft of Satan.vponupon another mans foundation. It was not Satan but the Lord himselfe that would hauehave the funerals of his Saintes reuerently handled. God saide vntounto IACOB that IOSEPH should close his eyes, and that the Lord himselfe would reduce him backe againe to Canaan, that is. the Lord would attend vponupon his funeral in his backe comming againe, Gen. 46. ver. 4. yet that craftie aduersarie Satan building as it were vponupon the Lordes owne ground vnderunder pretence of honour to bee done to the bodies of the Saintes, as the temples whereinto the holy Ghost dwelt, he hath brought men so farre forwarde, that they hauehave opened the graues of the Saints, raised their bones, caried them in procession, and made their prayers before them with hope to be the better heard of God, because they bowe themselues before the reliques of Saintes,

Also Satans craft appeareth in this, that as the Philistims did not send SAMPSON immediatly to grind in their mill vntill The third craft of Satan.they had first pulled out his eyes, Iudg. 16 21. euen so Satan mooued not men to bowe their knees and to say their prayers before dead mens bones at the first instance, vntill he had of along time blind-folded their eyes with a mistie cloud of ignorance, so that all things were welcome that pleased their blind guides to thrust into their hands. And so we shall see (Godwilling) that in the first 300. yeeres after the ascension of our Lord there was no adoratiō of reliques. We reade of graues opened for dishonouring but not for honouring. of bones.Now let the history speak for it self. In the old Testamēt we read that some mens bones were raised out of their graues to dishonor thē, as the bones of the priests of Bethel, which were burned vponupon the altar of Bethel by IOSIAH, 2. Reg. cap. 23. 16. but in that same chapter it is expresly noted, that the bones of the true Prophet who came from Iudah and foretold all these things, ibid. ver. 17. these bones, I say, were not raised to honour them as the bones of the idolatrous priestes were raised out of their graues to dishonour them. The body of MOSES buried in the plaine of Moab, Deut 34. ver. 6. whose sepulchre was vnknowne to man, but knowne to Satan, yet he who knew it had not libertie to open it, & to discouer the reliques of his body, left it should hauehave bene an occasion of idolatrie, because MICHAEL the Archangell of God stroue against him in this point, epist. …ud. ver. 9. The graue of the Prophet ELIZEVS was opened not of purpose to raise his bones, and to honour them, but vponupon a great suddentie to cast in another dead man: and albeit the Lord wrought a great miracle by touching of ELIZEVS bones, 2. Reg. 13. ver. 21. yet no man was so foolish as to raise them out of the graue, or to carie them into the Temple to be adored and worshipped. The bones of IOSEPH that were in a chest, and transported out of Egypt by MOSES, Exod. 13 ver 19. yet in the wildernesse were not worshipped, no not by these carnall Iewes, who worshipped the golden calfe. And so the historie of the old Testament may be laide aside as an holy historie furnishing no fuel to hold in this fire of Popish superstition anent adorations of dead mens bones.

In the new Testament like as the doctrine of resurrection No example in the n…w Testament of ra…sing bones out of the graue to be worshipped.was clearely preached and beleeued amongst all Christian people: so likewise a great care was had that the bodies of the Saintes should be honourably buried as bodies appointed to an happie resurrection. This perswasion grounded in the heartes of Christians made them to count death a sleep, the graue a bed, & resurrection a wakening of men out of their sleepe, Ioh. 11. Act. 7. Now this sleepe differeth from other sleepes in this, that when a seruant conueyeth his masters sonne to bed to sleepe and rest, pos…bly this same seruant will waken him againe in the morning that he may rise and walke: but when we are conueyed to the graue by the Lordes seruants, these seruants will not get that honour to raise vsus vp againe out of our bed, but let vsus sleepe on still vntill it shall please our Lord and master Christ Iesus to come againe, and raise vsus vp out of our bed and sleepe. But foolish seruants to be troubling the graues of the Saintes and digging out their bones which they cannot cloth with flesh, sinewes and skin, neither can they breath a spirit in them, it is both foolish, superfluous, and vntimous diligence, whereof no example is to be found in the new Testament.

In the ecclesiasticall historie it is to be noted that the fathers who liued neerest vntounto the dayes of the Apostles were also freest of this superstition of worshipping of bones and The fathers neerest to the Apostles dayes, freest of superstitionother reliques. In the fourth persecution POLYCARPVS Bishop of Smyrna was martyred (as hath bene declared) at what time great care was taken both by Iewes and Paganes that the dead body of POLYCARPVS should not come into the handes of Christians: and to this purpose it was burned with fire. The Christians who waited on diligently to honour that blessed body, which had patiently suffered rebuke for the cause of Christ, in end they got his bones, which albeit they counted to bee more pretious then gold and siluer, yet they worshipped them not, as EVSEBIVS clearely declareth, lib. 4. eccles. hist. cap. 16. but they buried them honourablie into a convenient place. Moreouer that day whereinto hee was burnt for the Name of Christ, was called by the fathers natalis, or natalitium POLYCARPI, that is, the birth-day of POLYCARPVS, because by his death he made it manifest that he was the true childe of GOD, begotten and borne of the vncorruptible seede of the Word. And in that place where his bones were buried, and vponupon the very day of his martyrdome, Christians conveened to glorifie God for the constant suffring of the Martyr & to exhort others with constant perseuerance to be ready to do the like, Euseb. ibid.

These things no man can justly vituperat in the ancient Church, because their purpose was to glorifie GOD by meanes not vnlawfull, and to f…ster in the heartes Buriall of Christians hindered to quench the hope of resurrection.of the people, the assurance of the resurrection of the dead, by honourable buriall of such as died for Christ, And so much the more they were moued so to do, because the persecuting Pagans hindered the Christians from burying their dead, to the end they might quench the hope of the resurrection in their hearts, as Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 1. clearely declareth speaking of the Martyrs in France, who suffered death in the fourth persecution vnderunder ANTONINVS VERVS, whose bodies were left vnburied for a ti…e, and afterward were burnt with fire, and resolued into ashes, and the ashes were cast into the riuer of Rhodanus, ne ullam amplius resurrectionis spem habeant, that is, to the end they should hauehave no more hope of the resurrection. And doubtlesse there is no Christian heart that liued in these dayes, but behoued to encrease their cair in burying the bodies of the Saints, because in want of buriall the Pagans wold hauehave quenched the hope of refurrectiō.

The custome of transporting the bones of the holy men of God from one place to another more honourable place (as What time transporting' of the bones of the Saints began, and how long this custome continued without adorationseemed to the transporters) it was not so ancient as it can be prooued by examples for the space of three hundreth yeeres after the ascension of our Lord, yet these bones were transported after a manner, as the bones of IOSEPH from Egypt to Canaan, to be buried in a more honourable place. Iosu. 24. vers. 22. without any kind of adoration, as the bones of BABYLAS B. of Antiochia, in the dayes of IVLIAN the apostat. Theodoret. lib. 3. cap 3. 10. The bones of PAVL B. of Constantinople, were transported and buried in the Church of Constantinople, that was builded by his persecuter MACEDONIVS. Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 10. This was done in the dayes of THEODOSIVS the Emperour, and the wordes are to be marked. transtulis corpus ejus & in Ecclesia condidit quam MACEDONIVS persecutor ejus adificaverat, that is to say, he transferred his body, and buried it into the Church which his persecuter MACEDONIVS had builded. In the dayes of the Emperour ARCADIVS the reliques of SAMVEL were brought to Constantinople. Theodor. lector collect. lib. 2. & in the daies of THEODOSIVS 2. his son, the bones of CHRYSOSTOM were transported to Cōstantinople. Al this time, bones & other reliques were trāsported & buried, but not set vp vponupon altars nor worshipped.

If it be objected that IEROME disputing against VIGILANTIVS defendeth the custom of women, who in the very day time went to the graues of the martyres with lighted An answe… to an objection.torches of waxe to honour them by so doing. To this I answere that the wordes of IEROME make litle against our opinion. First, because his wordes import that the bones of the saintes were lying in their graues Secondly, the women who lighted these waxe torches IEROM granteth that they had a zeale to God, but not according to knowledge. Thirdly IEROM in cōpating these lighted torches to the pretious oyntment powred out by MARIE vponupon Christs head, Ioh. 12. whereof Christ had no neede, and no more hauehave the martyres neede of waxe torches to bee lighted at the places of their sepulchres, with IEROMS fauour (for honour of his learning) his comparisons are not good: for MARIES fact was done in zeale mixed with knowledge, & hath an approbation in Christs own mouth: but the sact of those women was done in zeale without knowledge, and hath but a slender approbation in IEROMS own mouth Hieron contra Vigilant..

Againe if it be objected that miracles were wrought at Answere to another objection.the graues of the Martyrs, as namelie in Millain, where AVGVSTINE was present, at the sepulchres of PROTASIVS and GERVASIVS a blinde man was restored to his sight, and AVGVSTINE himselfe beareth witnesse of this miracle, because he saw it done with his owne eyes. August lib. confess. 9. cap. 7 To this I answere that God wrought a miracle at the sepulchre of this holy Martyr PROTASIVS to confirme that true faith for which he suffred martyrdome. Like as God wroght a greater miracle at the sepulchre of ELISEVS in restoring a dead man to life againe. 2. Reg 13. to confirme the doctrine of ELISEVS that it was of God. But the end of these miracles was not to raise vp their bones out of the graue & to worship them, in regarde that such superstitious facts plainly repugned to the summe of their faith and doctrine. Now by good reason the Papists are reduced to this strait, that either they must prooue that the adoration of dead mens bones was a point of ELISEVS doctrine, and PROTASIVS faith, or else these miracles were wroght to teach men to raise out of the graue, and to worship the dead bones of the Prophets & martyrs of God. And AVGVSTINE himselfe clearelie declareth what was the issue of this miracle. First, men tooke occasion by the sight of hat miracle to glorify God, but not to worship PROTASIVS & GERVASIVS bones. The other end of the working of that miracle was to stay the fury of IVSTINA the mother of VALENTINIAN the second in persecuting of AMBROSE B. of Millain, albeit the fame and notoriousnes of this miracle did not convert her to the true faith, yet it auailed to abate her furie and rage in persecuting the innocent feruant of Christ. August ibid. confess. lib. 9. cap. 7.

Againe, if it be objected that the dead bones of BABYLAS An answere to the thirde obje…tion.stopped the mouth of APOLLO, so that he could not vtter his oracle, vntill BABYLAS bones were raised, and transported into an other place. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 19. and therefore there is vertue in the bones of the Saints to helpe the godly, and to confound the power of the deuill. For answere I say we should not hearken to the deceitfull speeches of Satan, who seeing Christians already inclined to transport the dead bones of the Saints, for al his simular and fained dumnesse, yet he could speake that whereby superstition afterward should be mightilie increased and augmented. Hist. Magdeb. Cent. 4. cap. de miraculis. But arguments drawen out of the fountaines of Scripture, if they were rightly inferred, should hauehave greater countenance, credite and regarde, No testimonie in scripture to pro…e the Worshipping ofreliques.then the testimonies of all the fathers joyned together. Therefore they will not seeme to be destitute of this armour also. The shadow of PETER Acts. 5. 15. was helpfull to diseased persons, and the napkins, and hand-kercheefes taken from the bodie of PAVL, helped diseases, and made vncleane spirits to depart from men. And therefore (say they) to attribute vertue to reliques of Saints, is no derogation to the glorie of God, but rather a great confirmation of Gods trueth. To this I answere, that scripture hauing intention to glorifie God indeed doth in these miracles neither magnifie PETER nor PAVL, nor PETERS shadow, nor PAVLS napkins, wherin there was no sauing vertue, but the text clearlie saith that Godw ought miracles by the hands of PAVL Acts 19. ver. 11. Which verse is cast in of purpose to turne our hearts from PAVL the instrument, alanerly to God the author of these miracles. And if the holy Scripture will not suffer vsus to repose vponupon PETER and PAVL, and other Apostles, as if by their owne power and vertue they had made any man whole, Acts 3. ver. 12. how much lesse can God be pleased with this, that power and vertue be attributed to PETERS shadowe, and PAVLS napkins? And albeit vertue had bene in these things, yet PETERS shadow could not hauehave bene kept as a permanent relique to the posteritie, nor yet PAVLS napkin, except miraculouslie, could hauehave continued so long. But this sufficeth our purpose, that in al the scripture there is not a word of the worshipping of PETERS shadow, nor PAVLS napkin. If I were disputing vponupon words, I would demand of those that recken PETERS shadow among reliques, by what reason they do it, seeing that it hath no remaining amongst vsus, after that his body is taken from vsus, and therefore, cannot be called a relique? But I leaue off to speake of the shadow of words aswell, as of the shadow of bodies.

Let vsus remember this well, that GOD worketh great works by very contemptible meanes, to the end the glory may be attributed to GOD alone. Now seeing that GOD The sheep-heards staffe of Moses.wrought great workes by the sheep-heards staffe that was in the hand of MOSES, he dantoned the land of Egypt, divided the red sea, and by the stroke of the staffe broght forth waters out of the hard rocke: Seing (I say) that God wroght so great workes by so contemptible a meane, what became of this sheepheards staffe after the death of MOSES? Some of the learned say that God buried it with MOSES in the plain of Moab, lest it should hauehave bene an occasion of idolatry: How euer it be, the remembrance of it is buried in scriptures, and we cannot tell what became of it. But if it had bene in time of Poperie, it had bene laid vp and worshipped among their principall reliques.

The c…oake of ELIAS where-with ELIZEVS divided the The cloake of Elias.waters of Iordan semeth to be a relique of ELIAS, hauing vertue to worke miraculous works, but the text it selfe declareth the contrary, that there was no power in the cloake, but in the GOD of ELIAS for when ELIZEVS came to the riuer side, he lifted vp his heart to GOD, saying, where is now the GOD of ELIAS? 2 Reg. 2. ver. 15. So that all scripture The Church of the lewes might hauehave had moe reliques then the Romane Church.both in old and new Testament with one consent sendeth vsus from cloakes, staues, shadowes, hand-kerchiefes, and such like means, to the power of almighty GOD, working where, when, and by what meanes he pleaseth.

Now if al things wherby or wherin God wroght miracles, should be kept as holy reliques, then the church of the Iewes might hauehave surpassed the Romane church infinit degrees. For who can deny but God wrought miraculous workes in and by ail the coates, hose▪ shooes shirts, headcouerings, napkins, and such other garments that were among the people of the Iewes? Their garments waxed not old, and their feete swelled not all the space of fourtie yeeres that they were in the wildernesse. D…ut. 8 ver. 4. If all these garments had bene laide vp in store after they entred into the land of Canaan, the Iewes might say that their Church was holier then all the Churches in our daies, if holines be esteemed according to the multitude of reliques. Let vsus now set forward and declare when this corruption of worshipping of reliques crept in into the Church of God. In the Apostles dayes no such thing. In time of the ten persecutions was burying of Martyrs and celebration of Natalitia Martyrum, as hath bene declared. From the three hundreth yeere of our Lord, till the foure hundreth, & almost till the fiue hundreth yere there was some transporting of holy mens bones to be buried in a more honorable place (as said is) but not worshipping. There were torches and waxe candles caried to the sepulchres of the martyrs, which custome was disallowed by some, and excused by others: there was also banquetting at the sepulchres of the Martyrs, which custome hath not great allowance of AVGVSTINE, de moribus ecclesiae catholicae, cap. 34. for he thought that some of them who banquetted in such places, buried themselues aboue buried men. Yet all this time no worshipping of reliques,

But after the fiue hundreth yeere of our Lord, in the daies of ANASTASIVS, IVSTINVS the elder, IVSTINIAN, IVSTINVS Worshipping of reliques after the 592. yeere of our Lord.the yonger, TIBERIVS, MAVRITIVS, PHOCAS &c. superstition began to abound and reliques were worshipped, and the very pens of ecclesiasticall writers, who wrote the historie of that time such as EVAGRIVS, smell of superstition. We reade that the crosse of Christ was caried through Apamia, & worshipped Euag. lib 4. cap. 26. The reliques of S. SEBASTIAN were caried out of Rome to Ticinum, & laid vponupon an altar for staying of the deuouring plague. PAVLVS DIACONVS de gestis Longobard. lib. 6. cap, 2. SERGIOPOLIS is saide to bce preserued from the furie of COSROES king of Persia by the vertue and holinesse of the reliques of the martyre SERGIVS. gEuagr. lib. 4 cap. 28. Yea, the blind guides of this time were not content to fill the world with the reliques of the Saints, but also to ground this opinion in the peoples hearts, that these reliques ought to be worshipped, they found out a thousand lieing miracles, so that it was fulfilled that was spoken by the Apostle PAVL, that the comming of the Antichrist should be by the operation of Satan in all power, and sig…es and Wonders of lying. 2 Thess. 2. ver. 9 Surely at this time the fore-runners of the Antichrist were ryding poste, and busilie preparing the way to that man of sin, and child of perdition, and therefore lying miracles were neuer more frequent then at this time.

The miracle wrought at Apamia in the bearing about of the crosse by THOMAS Bishop of Apamia, is more regarded Object.then many other miracles, because EVAGRIVS witnesseth that he himselfe was present in the town, and that he saw the bearing about of the crosse. Likewise, that he saw a fire compassing the crosse, and the Bishop THOMAS whithersoeuer he went: and that this sight was more miraculous, that this fire had a shining vertue to encrease light, but not a consuming power to offend the Bishop that bare the crosse. And the sight of this miracle so mooued the heart of EVACRIVS, that he himselfe fell down & worshipped the crosse that was in the hands of THOMAS Bishop of Apamia.

To this I giuegive these answers. First, that EVAGRIVS in describing The first answere.the deliuerie of. Apamia from the expected siege of COSROES King of Persia, and the miraculous deliuerance of SERGIOPOLIS and EDESSA two townes besieged, indeed is so fabulous, that he deserueth no more credit in this narration, then in the description of the life of BARS ANVPHIVS an Egyptian monke of whom EVAGRIVS writeth, that he inclosed himselfe within a shop beside Gaza fiftie yeeres, seene of no man, and vsing no kind of earthly thing, that is, neither meat, drinke, raiment, nor any other refreshment of earthly things. Euagr. lib. 4. cap. 33. He who can excuse this ouersight of EVAGRIVS, let him accuse me that I giuegive not credite to all that EVAGRIVS writeth.

Secondly the authority of THOMAS Bishop of Apamia & The second answere.EVAGRIVS an ecclesiastical writer, are both nothing in comparisō of the authoritie of AMBROSE, who was nerer vntounto the Apostles dayes, & tooke better attendance to the scriptures of God then EVAGRIVS did: he writeth of HELENA the mother of CONSTANTINE who is saide to hauehave found out the crosse wheron Iesus suffered, yet he saith of her Regem adoravit non lignum, that is, sh… worshipped the king & not the tree, for that had bene (saith he) the error of Ethnickes, & the vanitie of vngodly people, Ambros. de obitu Theodosu.

Thirdly I affirme that in scripture is set downe two sortes of lying miracles, & both are to be misregarded alike. 1. false The third answere.miracles wherein the senses of men only are deluded, but nothing wroght neither contrarie to nature nor aboue nature, such as were the miracles wrought by the sorcerers of Egypt, Exod. 7. 8 9. Other miracles are called lying miracles, not because the senses of men are deluded, but because they are brought forth by the operatiō of Satan to cōfirme a lying doctrine, Deut. 13. 1. 23, And in 2. Thess. cap. 2. 9. they are called foreign, because they are both wrought and alledged to confirme a doctrine of lies. In this rancke let vsus eount the miracle cited by EVAGRIVS.

Finally I say that if the cōfidence in the crosse was so powerful as to stay COSROES king of Persia frō besieging Apamia, why was it not also as powerful (the people remaining no The fourth answere.lesse superstitious thē they were afore) to saue Apamia frō the siege of ADAARMANES the captain of the armie of COSROES who afterward tooke the towne of Apamia & set it on fire? Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 10. Notwithstanding of their confidence in the crosse this superstitiō was no defence vntounto them, but rather fuell to augment the flame of the wrath and indignation of God against them. And thus I leaue EVAGRIVS sporting himselfe with his own conceits, wherof what account I make, I hauehave already declared.

In end, Satan counting the ignorance of mankinde to be his gaining, brought in false reliques into the world, which False reliques.were worshipped with no lesse reuerence and deuotion then the true reliques were. And Satan vsed the world as the Philistim… vsed SAMSON, Iudg. 16. First they bound him, secondly they pulled out his eyes, thirdly they compelled him to grind in their mil: and last of all they made a play-soole of him. But when they were at the hight of their contempt, Simil.then suddenly came their destruction. Euen so after that Satan had bound the world with the bands of idolatrie, and blindfolded them, and made them to serue in vile and filthy offices, in end with false and forged reliques, he would mak a playfoole of the world: but then in the merciemercy of God the kingdome of the deuill began to be shaken and ouerturned. The coat of Christ, his purple garment, his teares, the foreskin of his circumcision, the crowne of thornes, the speare, that pearced his side, the lots that were cast for his garments, the linnen clothes whereinto his blessed body was wrapped, all these reliques the Romaine Church bragge that they hauehave them, together with the very house of Bethleam wherein the Lord was borne, miraculously transported from Iudea to Italie: so impudent are they in forging lies. But if all these things had bene left by Christ in testamental Legacie to the Church of Rome, they had not bene so careful in keeping of thē, as the negligent keeping of the purity of the word & holy sacramēts clearly declareth: for they hauehave lost the key of knowledge. They hauehave added many things to Baptisme, and paired a substantiall part from the Supper of the Lord. And no doubt if the forenamed reliques had bene left in Testament also to the church of Rome (like vntounto false executers) they had made hauocke of these in like maner.

The false reliques attributed to the blessed Virgin the mother of our Lord, to MICHAEL the Archangel, and to the martyrs & saints, some of them hauehave such babish conceits in them, others such absurditie, as it were a shame to make rehearsall of them, if so be we had not to do with a shamelesse harlot, who hath dighted her mouth, & saith, I hauehave cōmitted none iniquity, Prou, 30. ver. 20. The virgins haire in quantitie more then is beseeming to attribute to one person, her milke in qualitie better then is beseeming to attribut to any mortal creature: her combe wherwith she combed her haire, her girdle & many other reliques vnknowne to antiquitie. In the strife of MICHAEL the Archangell of God against the deuil for the body of MOSES, epist. Iud. ver. 9. the dagger and shield wherewith he fought, are among the number of Popish reliques: as if Satan could be ouercome with the weapons of corporal warfarc, whē as men themselues are taught by the Apostle to fight against spirituall wickednesse with spirituall armour. Ephes. 6.

The coales of S. LAVRENCE, the incorruptible finger of IOHN Baptist that pointed out Christ, the yron chaine that boūd PETER, the teeth of APOLLONIA, the body of S. DIONISE cōplet aleged to be both in France & Germany, the multiplied body of S. SEBASTIAN & innumerable other forged reliques wherof they who hauehave inuēted thē hauehave cause to be ashamed. And what shal we say of the superlatiue degree of al absurditie in defending forged reliques? The arrowes that pearced S. SEBASTIAN, the stones that stoned S. STEPHAN, the 30. pieces of money which the traitor IVDAS receiued to betray his master, shall all these also be consecrated & worshipped? SIMON MAGVS mony was cursed & execrable as wel as himself, Act, 8. 20. because he thoght that the gift of the holy spirit could be bought with money. Shall not the 30. pieces of money wherewith the blood of Christ was bought be also cursed & execrable? Now we see in our time a filthie stable ful of forged reiiques & more filthy then euer the stable of AVGIAS king of Elis was, which couldby no other means be purged, but by the riuer of Alpheus, which beeing let in into the stable the great heape of 30 yeres dung was in few dayes washed away: Euen so the great heape of forged reliques, wherewith the world hath bene bewitched these many hundreth yeres, can by no other means be abolished but by the spate of the authoritie of godly Princes, whose harts the Lord stir vp to purge the world from the filth & stincke of false reliques by false teachers so obstinatly defended.

The best remedie to correct all abuses in the Church was euer this, to reduce all things vntounto the first & originall purity which was this, to do as the men of God in the Apostles daies did. They followed the saints in so farre as the saintes followed Christ, 1. Cor. 11. If the saints departed this life, they buried them honestly, as deuote men did burie STEPHAN, Act. 8 2. with some lamentation, but not excessiué as they doe who are without hope, 1. Thess. 4. 13 After their death if they remembred any good they had done in their lifetime, they commended it, that others might follow their example, because Christ saith that the fact of MARIE should be told for a memoriall of her, & that in all places whersoeuer the Gospel should be taught, Mat. 26. ver. 13. If they had patiently suffered any euill for Christs sake, they kept a memoriall of that also, as the godly fathers of the primitiue Church did in natalitus martyrum. Thus doing, we honour the saintes and follow them as they followed Christ, but we cloth them not with the royall apparell which is only due to Christ, to whom be euerlasting glory and honour.

Amen.