A General View of Papistry, Book 2 · Controversy 9 · Part 2 · Question 4
THE FOVRTH QVESTION CONCERning the reliques of Saints.
THis question hath 4 partes. 1 Whether the reliques of saintes are to bee worshipped. 2 Of the translation of reliques. 3 Of the keeping and preseruing of reliques. 4. Of the miracles wrought at the tombes and reliques of Martyres.
THE FIRST PART CONCERNING the worshipping of Reliques.
The Papists.
THe reliques of saintes, that is their bodies and bones, and sepulchres, where error 31 they are buried, are to be adored and reuerenced, Trident. concil. sess. 25. though with lesse honour somewhat, then the Saints themselues, Bellarm. de reliquijs sanctor. lib. 2. cap. 21. And not onelyonly their bodies (say they) are worthie of due reuerence, but other monuments of theirs, as S. Peters chaire at Rome, Rom. 16. vers. 16. the prison, wherein S. Paul was kept in Malta, Rhemist. Act. 28.1. the chaine that S. Paul was bound with at Rome, Act. 27.4. the stone that hit Saint Stephen vponupon the elbowe now to bee seene at Ancona in Italy, Act. 7. sect. 6.
Ans. As for S. Peters chaire, and S. Pauls chaine, they are neither able to shew that Peter sate in such a chaire, or that it is the very chaine which they shewe, wherewith Paul was bound. Concerning the prison house at Malta, they shew that, which neuer was: Paul was a prisoner, but not in prison there: that of the stone that smote Stephen vponupon the elbow is a meere fable: See Fulk vponupon that place.
Argum. 2. Iosias, when he caused the bones of other dead to be burned, yet he commanded them to let the Prophets bones alone, Bellarm. cap. 3. The disciples of Iohn came and buried his bodie: an example of duetie and religious deuotion to the dead bodies of Saints, Rhemist. Math. 14. sect. 2. Their bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost, and shall be raised againe to life: Ergo, they must be adored and worshipped, Trident. Concil. sess. 25.
Ans. One answere may serue for all these arguments. We denie not, but that the dead bodies of the faithfull are to be layd vp with reuerence in hope of the resurrection, but it therefore followeth not, that they must be abused to idolatrie: Iohns disciples buried his bodie, but shrined it not to be worshipped: Iosias made difference betweene the bones of the idolatrous priests, and of the true Prophet: the one he burned, and thought them vnworthie of honest sepulture, the other he suffered to rest, and enioy the honour of buriall. But of any adoration or worshipping of his bones, we reade not.
The Protestants.
THe bodies of Martyrs are reuerently to be brought to the ground, in testimonie of our hope of their resurrection, and their memorie is to be honored, as in praising God for their constant martyrdome: so the Psalmist sayth, Right precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints, Psalm. 116. As also in following their steps, and propounding vntounto vsus their good example: but to adore and worship their bones, to kisse, and kneele downe at their sepulchres, is to too grosse idolatrie, and not to be vsed amongst Christians.
1 The Lord did of purpose himselfe burie the bodie of Moses in a secret place, which was neuer knowne to the Israelites: and this reason is generally rendered by most writers, lest the people of Israel should worship his body, and so commit idolatrie: Ergo, the adoration of the bodies of Saints displeaseth God: Argum. Caluin.
Bellarmine answereth, that though the people of Israel might by that meanes hauehave fallen into idolatrie, yet the people of God may now more safely honour reliques, because they are not so prone to idolatrie.
Ans. Experience of popish idolatrie proueth the cleane contrarie: for the like superstition and worshipping of images was neuer so common and vsuall, no not in the most corrupt times of that Church, as now it is in poperie.
2 Our Sauiour Christ reproueth the Scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites, because they did garnish the sepulchres of the Prophets, whom their forefathers put to death, Math. 23.29. But their doctrine they neglected and regarded not. Such hypocrites are the Papists at this day, who commit a double fault: for they contemne the doctrine of the Apostles, whose memories they would seeme to honour: and againe, in the superstitious honour and worship, which they yeeld vntounto them, they exceed the bonds of Christian pietie.
3 Their bodies were not to be worshipped when they were aliue, much lesse now they are dead. What are they now but earth, dust and ashes? according as the Lord sayd to Adam, Thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou returne, Genes. 3.19. What is this els, but to worship the earth, euen dust and ashes? So Augustine saith: Timeo adorare terram ne damnet me, qui fecit coelum & terram: I am afraid to worship the earth, lest he condemne me, that made both heauen and earth. OnelyOnly in Christ (sayth he) I finde, quomodo sine impietate adoretur terra, how the earth, that is, his body, may be worshipped without any impietie: namely, because of the neere coniunction and vnion of his humane nature with the Godhead in one person: for otherwise of it selfe the bodie of Christ is Gods creature and workmanship, and not capable of diuine worship. This then is the priuiledge that Christ hath, more then all Saints and Martyrs beside, that in him onelyonly the humanitie is adored.
THE SECOND PART OF THE TRANSLAtion of the bodies of Saints.
The Papists.
IT is an vsuall thing amongst them to translate, and carrie from one place to error 32 another the bones and reliques of Saints: as they say Iohn Baptists head was translated from Samaria to Alexandria, and is now at Amiens in France, Rhemist. Math. 14. sect. 1. So the body of S. Luke was remoued, they say, from Achaia to Constantinople, and from thence to Padua in Italy, where now it remaineth: Argument. in Luk. Rhemist. The stone also that hit S. Stephen is now at Ancona in Italy, Act. 7. sect. 6.
Argum. 1. Ioseph gaue charge concerning his bones when he died, and they were remoued from Egypt to the land of Canaan, at the departure of the Israelites, Exod. 13. Heb. 11.22. Ergo, the remouing and translation of Saints bodies or reliques lawfull, Rhemist. Bellarm. cap. 3.
Ans. Ioseph gaue commandement concerning his bones, to testifie his faith and hope in the promise of God, for the inheritance of the land of Canaan: they were not remoued to be adored or worshipped: Ergo, no such translation of reliques is hereby proued. Secondly, you can shew no such charge, that S. Paul, Peter, or any of the rest, gaue concerning the translation of their bodies, as Ioseph gaue vntounto his posteritie.
The Protestants.
WE denie not, but that the bodies of the dead, before they be interred, may bee conueyed vntounto the place of their buriall, as Iosias was carried being dead by his seruants from Megiddo to Ierusalem, where a sepulchre was prepared for him, 2. King. 23.30. But either for the dead to be remoued to be buried in some one place more then another, for the holinesse thereof: or the bones of Saints to be raked out of their graues, and translated, with intent to shrine them, and set them vp to be adored: they are superstitious customes, and not vsed of ancient time among the people of God.
Argum. 1. That the place profiteth not the dead, but vntounto them it is all alike wheresoeuer they are buried: we hauehave shewed afore, 1. part. controuer. 9 quaest. 2. part. 4. The example of Augustines mother is notable, and worthie the memorie: She had with great care prouided her a sepulchre neere vntounto her husband, who dyed at Thagasta in Africa, and was there buried, and was purposed her selfe to lye by him: but the Lord so disposed, that she left her life at Hostia in Italie, and being readie to depart, she sayd thus to her sonnes: Ponite hoc corpus vbicunque, nihil vos eius cura conturbet: Burie my bodie where you thinke good, take no great care for it. And being asked, if it grieued her not to leaue her body so farre off from her owne citie, she gaue this godly answere: Nihil longe est à Deo, neque timendum est, ne ille non agnoscat in fine seculi, vnde me resuscitet: August. lib. confess. 9. cap. 11. No place is neerer to God then other, neither am I to feare, lest the Lord should not as well raise me vp in this place, as in mine owne citie: Ergo, in respect of the dead, it skilleth not where they are buried.
Argum. 2. The other custome of translating of reliques to be worshipped, is farre more impious and superstitious: for hereupon it commeth, that the people hauehave been deceiued with false reliques: yea one and the selfe same relique is sayd to be in diuers places. As of S. Iohn Baptists head: his face, they say, is at S. Iean Angelz: the rest of his head at Malta: his skull at Nemours: his braine at Nouium Rastrouiense: his iaw bone at Vesalium: a peece of his eare at S. Floride: his forehead and haires in Spayne at S. Saluadores: and yet for all this his whole head is to bee seene at Saint Siluesters in Rome, and at Amiens in France: Fulk. Matthew 14.2. Thus they hauehave mangled also the bodie of Saint Peter: halfe (they say) is at Saint Peters in Rome, halfe at Saint Paules: his head at Saint Iohn Laterane: his neather iawe with his beard at Poycters in Fraunce: at Triers many of his bones. Fulk. Rom. 16. sect. 4. See what mockage and cosoning here is, and abusing of simple people? How can their whole bodies bee in one place, and yet their parts and bones in another? And where doe they learne thus to dismember their bodies, and to rake them out of their graues? The honouring of the bodies of Martyrs, is to suffer them quietly to rest in their graues, and not to rot aboue the ground. Iosias honoured the Prophets sepulchre, and would not remoue his bones: herein therefore they dishonour the Martyrs, and offer violence to their bodies, thinking falsely that they doe great worship vntounto them.
Augustine sayth, that hee which would now renewe the ceremonies of the Iewes, that are as it were buried: tanquam sopitos cineres eruens, non erit pius deductor aut baiulus corporis, sed impius sepulturae violator. Epistol. 19. He should be as one raking in the ashes of the dead, and so bee rather a violator of Christian buriall, then a bringer of the bodie honestly to the ground. So by Augustines iudgement, eruens sopitos cineres, he that pulleth out dead mens ashes, bones, or reliques, is sepulturae violator, a prophaner of their buriall.
THE THIRD PART, OF THE KEEPING and preseruing of reliques.
The Papists.
error 33 WE must not thinke it impossible, that the monuments of Saints, as their garments, reliques, bones, should endure a long time, seeing Manna was kept so many hundred yeeres in the pot, which was placed by the Arke, being a thing so apt to putrifie, Rhemist. Hebr. 9. sect. 4.
Ans. When we hauehave a commandement for the reseruation of such things, as the Israelites had, we may beleeue they will keepe so long. And againe, the Israelites for all that did not worship the pot of Manna, though it were of such long continuance.
The Protestants.
THe bodies and bones of men departed neither are to be kept out of their graues, as we hauehave shewed, neither can they be preserued without corruption.
Argum. 1. VntoUnto all Adams seede it is sayd, Dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou returne: only the bodie of Christ had this priuiledge, Psal. 16. Not to see corruption: Ergo, the bodies of men departed, though they were neuer so holy, being all the seede of Adam, must be turned to dust.
Argum. 2. If they would glorifie God and speake the truth, they doe very wel knowe by experience, that the reliques of Saints hauehave no such promise or warrant for their continuance: for most, if not all of their reliques, were forged and deuised, and no such thing indeed. S. Peters braine at Genoua was found to be a pumice stone: S. Antonies arme was found to be an Harts pissle: at Toures of late the image of Venus in an Agate was worshipped for the image of the Virgine Mary: the blood of Hales in England was descried to be but the blood of a drake: the three hostes at Caleis were but three white counters sodred into a marble stone. These and many such monuments and reliques of Saints the Church of Rome hath great store: no maruaile now, if they be of long continuance, for stones and counters may last a great while: and drakes blood, with other such stuffe, is not so daintie, but it may be still renewed.
Of such cosoning trickes Augustine complained in his time, speaking of runnagate Monkes, he saith: Alij membra martyrum, si tamen martyrum, venditant: Alij fimbrias suas, & phylacteria magnificant: Some doe boast of reliques of Martyrs, which they carrie about, & perhaps they are no such reliques: some doe extoll their habite and Monkish weede: De opere Monachorum, cap. 28.
See then, I pray you, what diuellish idolatrie was this, to cause the people to worship counters, drakes blood, Harts sinewes, and other such base creatures, in stead of reliques: which, though they were such indeede, ought not to be worshipped.
THE FOVRTH PART CONCERNING VISIsions and miracles done at the Tombes and reliques of Martyrs.
The Papists.
FIrst, they almost make it an ordinarie thing in their Church to worke miracles: Bellarmine sayth, that it is a sufficient note of the Church, the glorie or error 34 power of miracles, De eccles. lib. 4. cap. 14. Christ sayth, that they that doe beleeue in him, shall doe greater workes then he. No maruaile then, if the image of our Ladie (say they) and the like, worke miracles, as Peters shadowe did, and that they seeme greater then Christs: for he promiseth that his Saints shall worke greater miracles then himselfe, Rhemist. annot. Iohn 14. sect. 3. They also call vponupon vsus to confirme our doctrine by miracles, because we preach newly and extraordinarily, Rhemist. 2. Corinth. 12. sect. 5.
The Protestants.
Ans. FIrst, that place alleadged proueth not such a generalitie and perpetuitie of working miracles: for then eueryevery one that beleeueth should do greater workes then Christ: for our Sauiour speaketh generally, He that beleeueth. Augustine doth farre otherwise, and in a better sense expound this place: He that beleeueth in me shall doe the same workes that I doe: Quae opera, nisi vt ex impio iustus fiat? prius ego facio, deinde & ipse faciet, quia facio, vt ipse faciat. What workes, sayth he, but that he which beleeueth of a wicked man shall be made righteous? which worke first I doe (sayth Christ,) then he himselfe doth it, because I make him to doe it. Quod vtique in illo, sed non sine illo Christus operatur: Mans conuersion is wrought by Christ in man, & not altogether without man, because Christ working in vsus, doth enable vsus by his grace to worke out our saluation: Philipp. 2.12: yet is it not our selues that worke, but the grace of God in vsus. Then it followeth, he shall doe greater workes then these: Prorsus maius hoc esse dixerim, quam est coelum & terra: The redemption and conuersion of men, is a greater worke then the heauens or the earth: Tract in Iohann. 72. Augustine therefore doth properly vnderstand this place, not of outward miracles, but of the wonderfull conuersion of the heart, which we are sayd to worke, because Christ worketh it in vsus.
2. As we denie not but that there may in these daies be miracles wrought: and all such miracles as serue to confirme the doctrine deliuered in scriptures, we doe not refuse, though we be not bound to beleeue any mans report of such miracles, but onelyonly the writings of the Apostles and Euangelists: so we affirme that there is no such necessitie of miracles, as in times past: neither that we are to be pressed to shewe miracles, seeing we professe the ancient Apostolike faith, which hath been alreadie confirmed by the miraculous workes of our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles. Wherefore we condemne the fabulous histories and reports of popish Saints, whose liues are fuller of miracles, if we wil beleeue them, then were the liues of Christ and his Apostles. Nay, there is nothing almost done in their seruice, but by a miracle: Christs bodie present in the Masse by a miracle: Diuels chased away with holy water: Saints know their thoughts, heare their prayers, are present here and there, their bodies many yeeres kept from corruption, and all by miracles: I conclude this poynt with Augustine: Aut non sunt vera, quae dicuntur; aut si haereticorum aliqua mira facta sunt, magis cauere debemus: Either they are not true miracles, which they boast of: or if they be, we must beware and take heed of them the more.
The Papists.
error 35 SEcondly, they doe as much maintaine their fabulous visions and apparitions, as lying miracles: as how Christ came in a pilgrims weede to Gregories table of hospitalitie, Rhemist. Hebr. 13.2. Peter beleeued the vision and apparition shewed to Cornelius, at his report, before it was written: Ergo, we ought to beleeue visions not written in scripture, Rhemist, Act. 10. sect. 3.
The Protestants.
FIrst, that of our Sauiour Christs appearing, is an hereticall fable, and impugneth the article of our faith concerning Christs ascension into heauen, and there remaining till his second comming. Secondly, Peter was not bound to beleeue Cornelius vision, till he had been by vision admonished himselfe: the Apostles which were then endued with the gift of discerning spirits, could better iudge of true visions, then any man now can: yet we refuse not to giuegive credite to visions, when they are as crediblie reported vntounto vsus, as this was to Peter: but no vision, nor miracle, nor angel from heauen, shall drawe vsus away from the doctrine of the scriptures to beleeue errors. Lastly, we denye not, but that they may hauehave visions: but such as one Vincentius bragged of, that wrote against Augustine concerning the originall of the soule: He sayd, that another Vincentius who had been a captaine or chiefe Donatist, appeared vntounto him in vision, and bad him write those bookes: to whom Augustine thus answereth: Ille qui se transfigurat in angelum lucis, in eo tibi est transfiguratus, Lib. 3. cap. 2 de animae origine.quem tu fuisse veluti angelum lucis credidisti. He that can transfigure himselfe into an angel of light, did transfigure himself into the shape of that man, whom thou esteemedst as an angell of light. Such apparitions they may hauehave, and yet no great cause to boast of them.
The Papists.
THirdly, they say that the power of working miracles was in the Apostles actually, error 36 and that they properly did giuegive health, and other things by their miraculous gift, though they receiued the force and vertue of God. And therefore they finde fault with vsus, because we giuegive this note, A miracle done by Christ by the hands of the Apostles:
First, Peter sayth, That which we hauehave, giuegive we to thee, Act. 3.6. Secondly, we must not thinke, that they had no more power, then as dead instruments in the workmans hand, Rhemist. in hunc locum.
The Protestants.
WE both agree, that the power of working miracles was giuen of God: but herein we differ, they think that this power was inherent in the Apostles, and that hauing once receiued this power of God, they could execute it themselues: like as a man hauing the power of sense and mouing by nature, moueth and seeth when he list himselfe. But we hold against the Pelagians, Gratiam dei ad singulos actus dari, that the grace of God is daylie infused, and we hauehave need of it for eueryevery act: it is not sufficient once generally to hauehave receiued it. So then the Apostles were but the instruments of Christs working: he is better sayd in them and by them to worke miracles, then they in and by him. Neither doth it followe, that they are dead instruments: for the horse (I trowe) that draweth in the plough is no dead instrument: yet he hath neede for eueryevery boute and turning to hauehave a driuer and a guide: truely we are as vnfit for the Lords yoke by nature, as the horse is for the plough: and therefore hauehave need of the Lords continuall direction. The Apostles then gaue that they had, not as owners, but as the Lords agents, and instruments of his working.
Tractat. in Iohan. 71.Augustine thus writeth: Maiora, quam ipse fecit, dicit eos facturos, sed in eis vel per eos se faciente: He saith, they shall doe greater workes then he: that is, himselfe working in them or by them: Ergo, Christ wrought miracles by the hands of the Apostles, they were his liuely instruments in working.
The Papists.
error 37 FOurthly, they doe greatly triumph and reioyce for the miracles which are wrought by the vertue of holy reliques. First, the woman was healed by touching the hemme of Christs garment: Ergo, vertue in holy reliques, Rhemist. Secondly, napkins that had touched S. Paules bodie wrought miracles, by the vertue giuen vntounto them: Ergo, reliques may, Act. 19. vers. 12. Rhemist.
The Protestants.
Ans. TO the first: first, the vertue was not in the hemme of Christs garment, but he sayth, it proceeded from himselfe, Luk. 8.46. Secondly, it was her faith that healed her, for many that thronged Christ, touched his garments, but receiued no benefite: neither was there any vertue in his garments when the souldiers parted them amongst them. Thirdly, if it pleased the Lord to vse some externall signes, as of oyle, clay, spittle, in healing of men, yet hauehave we no warrant, that he will doe the like by touching of reliques.
To the second: first, the napkins brought from Paul had no such vertue in them: for the text is plaine, that they were wrought by the hands of Paul. Secondly, not all that touched them were presently healed. Thirdly, they were but as signes and tokens to the diseased, that the Apostle (when it pleased God, might dispense miracles, euen when he was absent. Lastly, if they hauehave to this day miracles wrought by the reliques & monuments of Saints; I feare me, nay, I dare say, they are no better then the Donatists miracles were, either figmenta mendacium hominum, vel portenta fallacium spirituum: either the glosings and fables of lying men, or the strange workings of deceiuing spirits.