A Pleasant Purge for a Roman Catholic, Epigram 100
On, and againſt Popiſh bowing to Altars, and adoration of the Hoſt.
RIbadeniera aFleures des vies des Saincts part. 1 p. 104., a late Jeſuite,
Of Romes Saint Raimond of Rochfort, doth write,
That in the nights he uſ'd it diſcipline
Himſelfe, after the Mattins, and compline,
He all the Altars in the Church, duly
Would viſit, and unto them ſeverally
Proſtrate himſelfe, and make low reverence.
Belike our Prieſts and Prelates learnt from hence
To bow to their new Altars; ſince I find
This Saint thebHe dyed Anno 1275. firſt, who Altars in this kind
Adored; yet not conſtantly, but when
He whipt himſelfe; in nights, not dayes. If then
Our Novellers will imitate him, they
Muſt whip themſelves, ere they bow; and in day
Time quite forbeare this Complement; and uſe
It but at night: Both theſe they will refuſe.
I read, SaintcSurius Tom. 5. vita Franciſci ex Bonaventura. c. 8. et Duralt Ieſuit Flores Exemp c. 5. tit. 6. Francis the Fryer, exhorted
A Cade-Lambe (for he to Beaſts, Birds, Preached
Oft-times;) to be attentive to Gods praiſe;
And hereupon, this holy Lambe alwayes
After, the Church frequented every day,
And without any Tutor (as they ſay)
Kneeled before the Altar of our Lady,
At the Hoſts elevation; (marke you why)
In honour of her Maker;dO diſcant haeretici vel a pecude venerari matrem Chriſti, et Euchariſtiam adorare. Ibidem. Surius
Who doth relate this hiſtory to us,
Writes; O let heretiques learne to adore
The bleſſed Sacrament, and bow before
It, by this Lambes example: happily
Our Altar Worſhippers were leſſon'd by
This ſilly Lambes example, to kneele, bow,
Adore before their Altars, Tables now;
And worſhip them, and Chriſt, who ſitteth on
Them (as*Shelfold, Widdowes, Heylin, Archbiſhop Laud; and Dr. Pocklington, in their places forcited. they write) as in his Chaire or Throne:
But then they ſhould, like this Lambe, kneele only,
And bow thus, when they lift the Hoſt on high;
And that not to the Altar, but the Hoſt:
Should they this doe yet, their deſigne were loſt,
Wherefore, I doubt, theſe Wolves in *Matth 7. 15.ſheepes-clothing,
Have rather from two Aſſes learn't this thing,
Famous in Popiſh Legends, who before
The Hoſt, and Altar kneeled, to adore
Them. The firſt was, theeRihadeniera Fleures des v…es des Saints. p. 1. pag. 563. Aſſe of Bouivil,
Kept three dayes faſting, who of her Free-will
Forſooke her provender for to adore
The Hoſt her Maker, brought and held before
Her by Saint Anthony; which miracle
fP. 95.Already toucht more largely) wrought ſo well,
That it her owne did Convert, nay, more,
Teach Catholickes the hoſt for to adore.
I wonder why the *Matth. 21. 2. to 10. Mar. 11. 1. to 11.Aſſe which Chriſt rode on
Into Jeruſalem, fell not upon
Her knees, her Makers perſon to adore,
When as this Aſſe fell on her knees before
This Hoſt, which did but onelyonly repreſent
His body. Sure ſome leud Fryer did invent
This Legend; or this Aſſe was tutored
Like Bankes his horſe, to kneele thus to the bread,
To cheate the vulgar, and make them adore
The Hoſt, like this Aſſe, for their Creator;
Elſe that Aſſe whereon Chriſt rode, would as well
As this, have to him on her knees downe fell.
In memory whereof Saint Anthony
Holding the Hoſt, and this Aſſe kneeling by
Thereto, are graven on the high Altar
At Padua, where this hap'ned, or not far
From thence. But this devout Aſſe did adore
The Hoſt, not Altar; but once, and no more.
Thoſe then who bow to Altars frequently,
Tranſcend this Aſſe in devout foolery;
And the next Aſſe, or Mule; which, as I read,
FromgRibadeniera Fleures, &c. part 1. p. 151. Andelouſa in Spaine carryed
The reliques of Saint Bernard, Accurſe, and
Three Martyrs more, ſlaine by the cruell hand
Of Pagan Moore in Morrocco, unto
(If you beleeve the Legend which writes ſo)
Conimbri, by Gods conduct directly;
And went to the Gate of the Monaſt'ry
Of Saint Croſſe, where the Canons Regular
Of Saint Auſtin reſide; and ſtaying there
Ʋntill' the gates were opened to her, ſhe
Went in firſt, King Alphonſus, …is Queene, the
Whole Court, and multitudes then following her
In great proceſſion, to the high Altar;
Before which ſhe kneel'd downe, and would not ſtirre
Thence, untill they had quite diſcharged her
Of theſe Saints reliques ſhe thus carryed;
Which, for a miracle is regiſtred.
This devout Aſſe, who kneeled thus before
This Altar, taught our Aſſe-prieſts to adore
And bow before their Altars conſtantly:
Yet the but once, and that prodigiouſly
Thus kneeled; they, in this her farre tranſcend,
In that they to their Altars daily bend,
Without a miracle, and them adore;
Whereas ſhe did, not kneele to, but before
The Altar; not in to rev'rence, or pray
To God; but there her burden downe to lay.
Thoſe then who bow to Altars, farre ſurpaſſe
Saint Francis Lambe, Bonivils, and this Aſſe
In fond devotion; Beaſts, Sheepe, Aſſes, Mules
Acts, in Gods worſhip, muſt not be mens rules;
As Rome now makes them, buthPſal. 119. 9 Iohn 5. 39. Gal. 6. 16. Iſay. 1. 12 3. c. 8. 20. Luk 16. 29. 2 Pet 1 19. Matth. 15. 1 to 10. Col. 2. 8. 16. to 23. Gods word only,
Which Altar-worſhip doth not juſtify;
Nor yet the adoration of the Hoſt,
Which is not God, but ſacredi1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. c. 11 23 24. 26. 27. 28. Luk. 24 30 35. Acts 2 46. c. 20 11. Iohn 6. 32. 33. 34. 35 41. 48. 50. 51. 55. 58 compared together. bread at moſt.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, A Pleasant Purge for a Roman Catholic (1642)