A Defense of the Catholic Faith, Book 2 · Article 6
ARTICLE VI. Touching the memory of Saints and of their Feaſts and holy dayes.
AS for the Saints departed; I honour their memory, The KINGS Confeſſion.and in honour of them doe wee in our Church obſerue the dayes of ſo many of them, as the Scripture doth Canonize for Saints; but I am loath to beleeue all the tales of the Legended Saints.
Here Coeffeteau beginneth to skirmiſh without neede.Fol 13. He complayneth for that the King ſpeaketh onelyonly of ſolemnizing the memory of thoſe Saints of whom mention is made in the Scripture. He ſaith that the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feaſt of the Martyrdome of Polycarp. That Baſil did recommend the Feaſts of S. Iulitta, and of the forty Martyrs. That Gregory Nazianzene did ſolemnize with the other Chriſtians the Feaſt of S. Cyprian and S. Gregory of Niſſa that of the Martyr Theodore: That Cyprian commanded that they ſhould marke out the dayes of the Paſſion of the Martyrs, to the end that they mighcelebrate their memories. That S. Auſtins twentieth booke againſt Fauſtus Manicheus, cap. 21. ſaith that the Chriſtian people did celebrate the memories of the Martyrs: And yet that S. Polycarpe, S. Iulitta, &c. are no Saints, of whom there is any mention in the Scripture. Hee addeth notwithſtanding that the Church of England is in that, leſſe irreligious then the Caluiniſts of Fraunce, who hauehave cut off all ſorts of holy-daies of Saints, aſwell Apoſtles as others. As touching the Legends, We are, ſaith hee, no more credulous of them then you. He ſaith he doth not receiue miracles, vnleſſe they be approued by the publique teſtimony of the Church: and that euen in the firſt ages they ſuggeſted and foyſted in, falſe actes of Martyrs.
Theſe paſſages which he alleadgeth are in part falſe, partly they are of no vſe to proue the Queſtion. Let vsus begin with the falſhood.
Firſt in alleadging out of Euſebius the example of the Church of Smyrna, who buried the bones of Polycarpe with honour, and celebrated his memory Anniuerſarily eueryevery yeare, there is no mention made of his Feaſt or Holy-day, but onelyonly of a day dedicated to the commemoration of his Martyrdome;Ignorantes nos Chriſtūnunquam relinquere, qui pro totius ſeruan dorum mundi ſalute paſſus eſt, nec alium quenquam colere poſſe. Nam hunc quidem tanquā filium Dei adoramus, Martyres verò tanquam diſcipulos & immitatores Domini diligimus. which thing was done without any preciſe neceſſity of making it holy-day.
Secondly, he doth malitiouſly diſſemble the excellent words which goe before, where the Church of Smyrnaſpeaketh in this manner: They are ignorant that we neuer leaue Chriſt, who died for the ſaluation of them of the world, who are to be ſaued, and that we can yeelde ſeruice to none other but to him: For him we adore as the ſonne of God, but we louelove the Martyrs as his Diſciples and imitators. Wordes which ſhew to what end, and in what manner the Smyrnians honoured the memory of Polycarpe.
So is it alſo falfe that S. Baſill recommendeth the Feaſts of S. Iulitta and the forty Martyrs, for in thoſe two Homilies there is no ſpeech at all of Feaſts.
But the falfeſt peece that hee produceth is the Oration of Gregory Nyſſene in praiſe of the Martyr Theodore, which was ridiculouſly framed by ſome Greeke Monke, in the time that the Scythians, otherwiſe called the Huns and Tartars ouer-ran Galatia, Cappadocia, and Armenia; which In Rhodes began in the yeare 520 as both Cedrenus and Zonaras teach.Cedrenus in Anaſtaſio, Ann. 23. foreign. For about the ende of this Oration the Authour entreateth this Martyr to defend his Countrey againſt he incurſions of the Scythians: of which there was neuer word ſpoken in the time of Gregory Nyſſene: for they fell out about one hundred and twenty yeares after. The whole ſtory alſo of this Martyr is euedently fabulous. The Authour ſaith that he was of Iobs Country, and conſequently an Arabian, whereas Theodorus is a Greeke name. Within a little while after, contradicting himſelfe, he ſaith that he ſuffered at Amaſia, a Cittie of Cappadocia, and that the place of his death was alſo his Countrey. He ſaith that he was a Souldier in the Romane bandes: But at that time (to wit, vnderunder Diocleſian and Maximinian) the Romanes did not entertaine the Arabians in ſeruice. Moreouer the Story of his Martyrdome is plainely fabulous. Being interrogated and examined by his Paynim Iudges, with all gentleneſſe and mildenes, he anſwered at the firſt day with iniurious ſpeeches, comparing the Godddeſſe whom they ſerued to an hare, or to a ſow. All this notwithſtanding the Iudges ſent him away, and gaue him time to bethinke himſelfe aduiſedly; he in ſtead of retracting any thing, ſet fire on the great Temple of the mother of the Gods: and being called for, againe by the Iudges, confeſſed the fact: thereupon the Iudges flatter him euen ſo far, as to promiſe to this ſimple ſouldier (which was a ridiculous thing) to make him Biſhoppe. But this Theodore burſt out a laughing for a long time together, mocking for that the Emperours tooke vponupon them the title and purple of Biſhops. The Angels ſinge melodiouſly with him in priſon, and lighten all the Towne ouer with Torches. But he that knoweth how vnderunder Diocleſian they burnt whole Chriſtian Townes without any forme of proceſſe; and that this monſter made a butchery, a ſlaughter and channell-houſe of the whole Empire, will acknowledge the falſhood of this Story, which hath beene forged by ſome worſhipper of Images and Reliques about the time of the ſecond Councell of Nice.
I put not in among his falſifications, that Coeffeteau hath put in the margent the eighteenth Oration of Nazianzene for the fifteenth: hee that borroweth his Allegations, and writeth vponupon truſt, is eaſily deceiued.
Now to his falſhoods let vsus adde the vnprofitableneſſe of his impertinent quotations, which ſurely doe not touch the Queſtion: For if the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feaſt of Polycarpe, or the Church of Caeſaria that of S. Iulitta: what is that to England, who did no more then, then nowadayes it doth celebrate thoſe Feaſts, no more then doe the Churches of Spaine or of Fraunce? And why ſhould England be more bound therevnto now at this day?
Secondly, to what purpoſe is it, to ſpeake of the Feaſts of the auncient Chriſtians, and of the ſolemnity of the Martyrs; to eſtabliſh the Feaſts of the Church of Rome, which are cleane different, and hauehave no community with them. See here the differences.
1 This commemoration of the Martyrs in the auncient Church, was done in the Church-yards and vponupon the Tombes: VponUpon which the Chriſtians did often celebrate*Thence commeth the cuſtome of the Church of Rome to hauehave bones hid vnderunder the Altar. Nonne vides ad memorias Martyrum, Criſtianū a Chriſtiano cogi ad ebrietatem? the Euchariſt, and then fell to banquet vponupon the ſame Tombes, where oftentimes the Chriſtians committed many abuſes and exceſſes, euen ſo farre as to drinke drunke, and to bury their reaſon vponupon thoſe Sepulchres, as witneſſeth the Authour of the booke of Double Martyrdome, attributed to S. Cyprian; and S. Auſtin in his firſt booke of the manners of the Catholicke Church, cap. 34. And againſt*Qui in memorijs Martyrum inebriantur, &c. Faustus Manicheus, in his twentieth booke, chap. 1. where namely he ſaith, that he was conſtrained to tolerate this cuſtome. The Church of Rome hath left this abuſe of the auncient Feaſts.
2 The commemoration of the Martyrs was done in times paſt, in eueryevery Church according to the ordinance and appointment of the Biſhoppes and Paſtors of the place, without attending the commandement or aduiſe of the Biſhop of Rome thereupon,In the booke of the holy Ceremonies, lib. 1. Sect. 6. who at that time did not Canonize Saints. For now-adayes to be held a Saint, a man muſt hauehave the Pope to bee fauourable vntounto him, and his cauſe muſt be pleaded in the Conſiſtorie: If it be iudged that he ought to be acknowledged for a Saint, then his Holineſſe doth ordaine a Feaſt or Holy-day to this new Saint.
3 Then this ſolemnity carried with it an Anniuerſary commemoration, but did not bring with it any neceſſity of keeping Holy-day; whereas now-adayes there be many Saints Feaſts which they keepe Holy-day with more ſcruple, and are celebrated with more ſolemnity, then the Sunday it ſelfe.
4 Againe, then theſe dayes of commemoration of Martyrs were few in number, in ſtead that now there is ſcarcely any day in the Calender which doth not carry the name of ſome Saint. And there is ſuch a number of Feaſts to be kept holy, that many poore people crie out, they are famiſhed. They make them deuout whether they will or noe, for they be kept and hindered by this ſuperſtition from working to get bread for their children, hauing their handes bound with a ſcrupulous ſlothfulneſſe, and a forced idleneſſe.
Epiſt. 174. Nouam inducendo Celebritatem quam ritus Eccleſiae neſcit, non probat rat…o non comme…dat antiqua Traditio, &c.5 Then alſo men were ignorant of ſo many new-made holy-dayes, as the feaſt of the conception of the Virgine Mary, which S. Bernard ſaith to hauehave beene inſtituted againſt reaſon, and the auncient Tradition: the Feaſt of the Aſſumption: the Feaſt of S Peters Chaire: the Gods feaſt, otherwiſe called Corpus Chriſti day; to giuegive him contentment. For ſeeing that eueryevery Saint had his Feaſt, it was iuſt and reaſonable that God ſhould hauehave his alſo.
6 Then they ſung no Maſſes in honour of the Saint, whoſe Feaſt they celebrated. And theſe Maſſes carry now a dayes the name of the Saint. There is the Maſſe of S. Geneuiefue: the Maſſe of S. Roth: the Maſſe of S. Anthony, &c. Amongſt which Maſſes, we ſee in the ſame rancke, the Maſſe of the Holy Ghoſt, to teſtifie that the reſt are not of that ſtampe.
7 Then they did not diuerſifie the furniture and preparation for their Maſſes, in ſinging great or leſſer Maſſes according, to the greatneſſe of the Feaſt. Men were ignorant alſo of the diſtinction of high and low Maſſes; Drie Maſſes, and running Maſſes. Maſſes in white or in greene. There is nothing ſo pie-bald and new-fangled. The Apoſtles vnderſtood nothing in a manner in all this.
8 Alſo in thoſe times, men knew not what it was to ground Feaſts vponupon an Alluſion of Sillables. As now adayes the Feaſt of the Mat-makers which they call Nattices, is the day of the Natiuity of our Lady: the Feaſt of Fel-mongers is, Magdalen tyde, La Magdalaine, becauſe they make L'amas de Laine an heape of wooll: the Feaſt of Cooke-roſters is the Aſſumption of our Lady, becauſe aſſum is Latine for roſted: The Feaſt of the Tylers or Slatters is Aſcenſion day, becauſe they aſcende and climbe the tops of houſes.Becauſe Alga alludeth to Algeo, which is to quake with colde. So in the Phyſicke Alga aduerſus querquerum, as Apuleius ſpeaketh; You muſt giuegive Seaweede or Sea-ore to one that is in a ſhiuering colde fit of the Ague: Or to giuegive to a man that is hard bound a bunch of Keyes becauſe there is nothing more opening. Oh what a good time hauehave my Maſters the Prelates had, and how hauehave they dallied with Religion at their idle howers?
9 But I would willingly know, how it commeth to paſſe, that thoſe auncient Patriarkes; ſuch excellent perſonages, Abraham, Moſes, Dauid, Daniel; to whom there will not any be found comparable, of all that hauehave liued within theſe fifteene hundred yeares; how they notwithſtanding all this, hauehave no Feaſts in the Church of Rome: that no man prayeth in particular to Moſes, nor Samuel, &c. that no Temple beareth their name: that it would indeede ſeeme a thing ridiculous to ſay S. Moſes, or S. Daniel, or S. Ioſaphat, ſeeing that for a man but to beare the name of Iſaac, or Daniel, or Abraham, is enough to make a man to be ſuſpected, as a marke of Hereſie.
If a man demaund whence commeth this great multitude of Feaſts? I ſay that auarice hath hatched them, and that ambition hath bred them vp: for the more Feſtiuall holy-dayes that there be, the more often men goe to the offering, and the pardons are more frequent: when artiſans and tradſemen ſhut vp their ſhoppes, then the Prieſts open theirs. The Prelates alſo are herein much honored, for it is a great honour to theſe great Maſters, that at their commaundement the trafficke ceaſeth, the ſhops are ſhut vp: the Seſſions of the Iuſtices and of the Priuy Councell are by them broken vp. And therefore when they are among themſelues, they gaude and mocke at the ſimplicity of the people. For indeede they liue vponupon their blindenes.
Let them then ſet vp the auncient ſimplicity againe; let them reſtore to the Churches the liberty of gouerning themſelues heerein according to the exigence of the time and place, and we will not condemne their Feaſts. For indeede we doe not condemne this celebration of the memory of Martyrs and of Saints. We like well the cuſtome of the Engliſh Churches, who hauehave certaine dayes affected and applyed to the commemoration of the Apoſtles: for they are done without impoſing neceſſity of keeping ſtrict Holy-dayes, and without opinion of merite, without commandement of the Pope, and without condemning the French Churches, who hitherto hauehave feared to aſſigne any Feaſts to any man, becauſe that liuing in a Countrey where ſuperſtitions doe ſwarme, their people would eaſily be drawne into abuſe, and attainted with that running and ouer-ſpreading contagion which is to attribute that to the creature, which belongeth to the Creator: Meane while we let not to celebrate in our Churches the memory of the Saints and Martyrs, but without any ſet day. And we hold this rule for inuariable, that God hauing ſaid in his law, in expreſſe termes: Sixe dayes ſhalt thou labour, he oppoſeth himſelfe againſt God, who ſaith, Thou ſhalt not worke ſixe dayes, but thou ſhalt keepe holy thoſe Feaſts on the weeke dayes which I commaund thee. Now if in the old Teſtament there be found any ſolemnities or Feaſts, beſides the Sabboth day, they are very few in number, and ordayned by God himſelfe, who as he can giuegive the rules, ſo alſo can he giuegive the exceptions: Or if there be any feaſt found, that was inſtituted by men: you ſhall neuer be able to prooue, that it was held vnlawfull to trauell vponupon that day.
There ſhould yet remaine to ſpeake ſomewhat of Legends; but I ſee that Coeffeteau is aſhamed of them, and would caſt the blame vponupon ſome particulars. Legends neuertheleſſe, which hauehave beene for a long time, & yet are both in Italy and Spaine the ſubiect of Sermons; yea very Fraunce is not exempt. And thoſe very miracles of which Coeffeteau is aſhamed, are thoſe which we ſee painted on the walles, and in the hangings of the Church: As at Paris in the Cloyſter of S. Geruaſe, an Aſſe worſhippeth and adoreth the Hoſte: neere thereto adioyning, the Bees build a Chappell of waxe, for an Hoſte which they found in the fieldes. In the Temple of S. Paul, behinde the Quire, on the left hand, after the miracles of S. Roche painted, promiſe is made vntounto the people, that they ſhall be healed of the ſwelling of the plague, by adoring his pretious body: at S. Benedict or S. Benets Cloyſter wee ſee the ſaid Saint tumbling himſelfe ſtarke naked amongſt thornes, and ſtopping the dogges with the ſigne of the Croſſe. In the forefront of the Church, called Des Billettes, an Hoſte being pricked and ſtabbed by a Iew, bleedeth with great droppes, and being caſt into a ſeething Caldron, became a man in his viſible greatneſſe, that is to ſay, Ieſus Chriſt boyling in a Caldron. An infinite company of ſuch things are ſo publick, that Coeffeteau cannot condemne them, without oppoſing himſelfe to the whole Church of Rome; Fictions that were built vp by the fauour of the night, whiles they put the holy Scripture, the onelyonly light of our ſoules vnderunder a buſhell. And indeede very lately there hauehave beene compoſed two great Tomes of the Chronicles of S. Frauncis, which challenge all the Legends, and giuegive place to none of them for lies. Inſomuch that S. Dominicke, Coeffeteaus Patron, will henceforward be nothing in compariſon of S. Frauncis.