The Life of William Archbishop of Canterbury Examined, Chapter 6
CHAP. 6. Anent their Superstitions.
IN the Church of Rome, the Canterburians use to professe corruptions of two kinds, errours and Few of all Romes superstitions are against their stomack.superstitions; as for heresies or Idolatries, they are loath that any such crimes should be laid to the charge of their mother church, how many, and how grievous errors they finde Rome guilty of, they had need to declare; for in the most of those wherein the protestants place the chief of the Romish errours, you have heard them plainly take their part, readily it will prove no otherwise when wee come downe to trie them in the particular heads, wherein papists are reputed most superstitious.
The superstitions which in papists are most remarked in their private carriage are these four: In their frequent saining of themselves with the signe of the crosse: In wearing about their neck a crucifix or some such toy of an image or relique: In saying their praiers on their beads: In abstaining from flesh on friday, wednesday, lent, or some great festivalls Eave; Our men are farre from disproving of any of these practises. For the first, they avow that saining with the signe of the crosse at rising or lying down, at going out or comming in, at lighting of candles, closing of windowes, or any such action is not only a pious and profitable ceremony, but a very Apostolicke tradition. aSamuel Hoards Sermon, pag. 15: Reckons out among his traditions the crossing of themselves when they went out, or when they came in, when they went to bed, or … they rose, … they sat down to meat, or lighted candles, or had any businesse of moment to doe. Montag. apeal. p. 268. What hinders but that I may signe my self with the … of the crosse in any part of my body, at any time when I goe to bed, in the morning when I rise, at my going out, at my returning home, the ancient Church so used it, and so may we (for ought I know) without just scandall or superstition.2. They avow expressely the carrying of these holy trincats about their neck, in cases of silver or gold. bMontag. antid. p. 17. Ego certe illas … fasciis involvam; …, admovebo labiis ac collo suspensas … oculisque … as …. … pag. 24. Imagines praesertim … diligenter & cum cura: sunt apud nos per fenestras, …, …, ….3. The saying of their prayers; yea, their Ave Maries upon their beeds is to them an holy … worthy of praise and imitation. cFemale glory, pag. 148. Among the other praises of his holy Nuns, this is one, You who ply your sacred Arithmetick, and have your thoughts cold and cleare as the crystall beeds you pray by: And in his proemials, … terra revibrat ave.4. Wednesday, Friday, and Lent-fasts, are to them not only lawdable practises of the ancient Church, but also traditions come from Christ and the Apostles, which for Religions cause all are obliged to embrace.dMontag. antid. pag. 164. Quadragesimale jejunium libenter ego concesserim ab Apostolis constitutum, & apud vetustissimos … proceres usurpatum. Ibid. p. 9. Doceatur esse aliquid ab ipsis Apostolis institutum, utpote jejunium quadragesimale; Causam non dicam quin haereseos accuser, si non ut ab Apostolica authoritate sancitumpropugnavero. William Wats sermon, p. 50. Most precise and severe observers were they of Lentfast, which the whole primitive Church did believe to be of Apostolicall institution, so that they had their Saviours and his Apostles example for that strictnesse. I passe their observation of Wednesdayes and Fridayes fast weekly, which Epiphanius among many others assureth to be of Apostolicall …. … devotion: It hath also beene an ancient and religious custome, to fast all the Fridayes in the yeare, except those which fall within the twelve dayes of Christmasse. The Lent which now is, and ever hath beene reputed an Apostolicall constitution, and wee adde out of Chrysologus that it is not an humane invention, as they call it, but it comes from divine authoritie that we fast our fourtie dayes in Lent, pag 221.
The popish publick superstitions are very many, They embrace the grossest not only of their private, but also of their publick …,but of these which that whole Church doth allow, very few comes to my minde which stand much against the stomack of our men: Those that come first to my thoughts are all pleasantly digested; Protestants wont to deride the popish conceats of their holy ground, of their consecrate walls, and the sanctuarie of their Chancels, their turnings towards the East, their manifold toyes in Baptisme, and the Lords supper joyned with the sacramentall Elements, their gesticulations in time of publicke service, their hallowing above the Sabboth a multitude of Festivals, their pilgrimages, their processions, and many such their practises. In this behold the minde of our men, they tell us first that Kirkyards by prayers, and conspersion of holy water must be made holy ground; that before these episcopall consecrations, no Christian buriall may bee made therein, but after that the Bishop hath used the pontificall ceremonies thereupon, no Heretick, no Schismaticke, no Excommunicate person may bee brought there, no worldly, no common action there performed without the profanation of the holy place. eLaurence sermon p 9. Christians distinguished their oratories into an atrium, a Church yard, a sanctum, a Church a sanctum sanctorum, a Chancell, they did conceive a greater degree of … in one of them, than in another, and in one place of them than another, Churchyards they thought profaned by sports, the whole circuit both before and after Christ was … ledged for refuge, none out of the communion of the Kirk permitted to … there, any … ground … for interment before that which was not …, and that in an higher esteem which was in a higher degree of consecration, and that in the highest which was neerest the altar. Halls sermon at the consecration of a buriall place, p. 38. Out of the consideration of the holy designation of these peculiar places came both the title and practice of consecration of …, which they say is no lesse ancient than the dayes of Calixtus the first who dedicated the first Cemiteries, albeit it was decreed by the Councel of Arles, that if any Church were consecrated, the Churchyard of it should require no other hallowing but by simple conspersion, p. 40. It is meet & necessary that those places should be set aside to this holy use by a due & religious dedication, by praiers & holy actions tending therunto, if the Jews used these dedications, how much more we Ib. in the preface, an act worthy both of this common celebration & of that episcopall service of mine.Again they shew us that the church by the bishops anointing some stones thereof with oyl and sprinkling others with water, and using from the Roman pontificall some mo prayers, some mo ceremonies upon it, becomes a ground more holy: That before these consecrations though the people of God for many yeares have met into a Church for divine service, yet it is no more holy than a …, a …, a tolbooth; but after these consecrations there is such holinesse in the walls, that even when there is no divine service, men at their comming in, and going out must adore and all the time of their presence stand discovered, and never so much as sit downe were the service never so long, except upon great infirmitie. fTedders sermon, p. 8. It is the consecration that makes them holy & makes God esteem them so, which though they be not capable of grace, yet receive by their consecration a spiritual power, wherby they are made fit for divine service, and being consecrate, there is no danger in ascribing holinesse unto them, if we beleeve S. Bernard, quis parietes istos sanctos dicere vereatur, quos manus sacratae Pontificū … sanctificavere mysteriis. When we come to Church, say the holy Fathers of the devotion of those primitive times, corpora humi …, they that shewed the least devotion did bow, all the time that they were there none presumed so much as to sit, as being too … & lazie a posture in Gods house, but only for infirmitie or some other cause were … with. There were some that would not have their shooes on their feet in the temple, a shame to them that have their hats on in Gods house. Shelf p. 51. Some profane Gods house by going out with headscovered, as if God were not present, & it were not his house when service was ended. Pokling. …. p. 141. hurches when they were made they were consecrate, for a man may as lawfully and Christianly administer the sacrament in a barn or town hal as in any place that is not consecrate to such holy uses, Queen scoole p. 223. S. Giles Church in the fields being newly repaired after two years service, sermon & sacraments in it in D. Montary B. of Londons time, was required to be consecrate by his successor D. Laud, the parochin refusing, the Bishop caused sequester, & … up the house for a month, & forces the parish after 50 pound fine to put up a … upon the East window, & receive the other orders of consecration. The foundatiō stons of there air of Pauls were solemnly blessed by the Bishop, his main reason for urging of the visitation of Cambridge was, that two chappels there was not yet consecrate, notwithstanding of divine service in them for some score of years past.3. That the Chancell and the Altar must not onelyonly bee dedicate with prayers and unctious, but with lighted Candles, burning Incense, and many other such toyes; that it must bee divided from the Church with vailes to keep not only the bodies, but the eyes of the Laicks from beholding the arke and throne wherein the body of the Sonne of God doth sit, as in a chaire of state, that none but Priests must enter there, & that with their triple low adorations at their approaching: That it is a favor for the King or the Emperour to win near that place for the short time of his offering. gPokl alt p. 141. Was not the altar the chiefest place which with most ceremony & devotion was hallowed? was there not a feast annuall kept in joyfull remembrance of the dedication of every Church. Doth not S. Austine say, Novit sanctitas vestra fratres, corsecrationem altaris celebrareus in quo unctus vel benedictus est lapis, as he cites the place in his Sunday. Quenscoole, p. 198. In the collegiat Church of Wolverhampton in the countrey of Stafford, the altar & cloaths therof were consecrate 11. Octob. 1635. As soon as the Priests come to the Church, each of them made a low congie at their first entring in at the church door, & after that three congies a peece towards the altar, so they went unto the chancell, where a bason with water & a towel was provided for the Priests to wash in, where also was incense burning; after they returned making three … a peece. After the sermon every one of them had a paper in his hand, which they tearmed a censer, & so they went up again to the altar: as they went they made … congies a peece, the Communion being ended they washed their hands, and returned giving three congies as before. Ib. 220. There are divers high … solemnly dedicated of late in divers … of Cambridge and Oxford, adorned with tapers, candlesticks, Crucifixes, basons, crosses, rich altar-clothes, crimson cushions, rich hangings. Pokl. alt. p. 24. Optatus saith that Erant Ecclesiae ex auro & argento quam plurtma ornamenta. ib p 80. At the upper end of the Chancell was a place railed in, whereunto none were permitted to enter but the Priests. The Canon is cleare, Nulli omnium qui sit in Laicorum numeroliceat intra sacram altare ingredi. A dispensation indeed there was for the Emperor to enter inhither when he would Creatori dona afferre, but stay there he might not. Laurence, p. 10. Beyond these railes duo cancelli, which distinguished the body of the Church from the Oracle, none out of orders came. A more awfull reverence was commanded to this part being barred from common view. Ib. p 29 We have the Grecians triple prostrations from their Liturgies, foreign, Ib. p. 12. The same God is thorow all the parts of the Church, but not in the same manner thorow all the parts therof, for as they are different degrees of sanctitie in them, so is there a different dispensation of his presence in them. Ib. p. 15. This followes upon the consecration, as there was a greater communication of the divine presence in those places than in others, so was there a greater communication of the same presence in some part of the temple of Solomon than in others. And as that distinction in holy places continued after Christ, so did the reason of that distinction too. The whole indeed is the house of God, for albeit the Lord be without these wals, yet is he more within, as we are not presumed to be so much abroad as at home, though the Church conceived him to be present in all parts of this house, yet it concerved him to be present more in one part of it than another, in respect of that … dispensation of his presence to that place of the Church, as of old to that place of the temple which was within the …, we having an altar here answerable to a mercy … there, as also in respect of that union … this place and … humane nature. …. Star-Chamber speech, p. 47. The altar is the greatest place of Gods residence upon …, I say the greatest, … greater than the pulpit, for … it is hoc est corpus meum, but in the pulpit is is … hoc est verbum meum, and a greater reverence no doubt is due to the body than to the word, and so in … answerable to the … where his body is usually … then to the seat whence his word uses to be proclaimed.4. That none of the ceremonies of the popish baptism, neither their salt, their spitle, nor exsufflation are superstitious. hVide supra cap. 5. (…)5. That a number duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page of the Masse toyes, which yet are not in practise in England, yea all the guises of the Masse, which can be proven to be ancient are all to be embraced. i… I was shewed a Latine determination … in one of our universities … to prove, that looke what ceremonies were used about the altar before the reformation by power and force of any generall custome, though past over in deep silence by our Liturgie, are notwithstanding commanded us by a kind of impli… …, even unto us, that live under the discipline of the English Liturgie. … authour therein, onelyonly leaves him as a man most able to justifie that writ. … are his words, as for your Sally on the author of the latin determination, I leave him to himselfe: He is of age to do you reason in this, as well as in that other quarrell you have against him.6. That who ever in the publick prayers hath their face toward the North, South, and West, must be publickly called upon to turne themselves ever towards the East. kVide supra, cap. 5. B.7. That in the Church not onelyonly in the time of prayer, but at the reading of the ten commands, all must fal on their knees, but when the creed is read all must stand upright on their feet, when the epistle commeth, all may sit downe, but when the gospell beginneth, all must again arise, during the time of sermon all must stand discovered. That to these and all such pious practises we are oblidged by the sole example of the bishops or some sew of them, even before the inacting of any Law, either of church or state. l… Bughen, serm. pag. 9 We … not think … enough that we stand at the …, except wee say it also with the … with a loud voice, nor is it enough … us to stand up at the gospel, but … at the name of Jesus, not as if we were ashamed of what we did, but …, neither is it … to be bare in time of divine service, … kneell on our … commands & letanie are …. Shelfoord, pag. 20. Let us learne of our Cathedrall Churches, for there our reverend Fathers, the prelats, maketheir reverence to God in this wise, both at their entry and their returne, wherefore to follow their good & holy patterne, we are to do the like, both at our comming into Gods house, and at our going out. Ib. p. 22 The fifth office of holinesse is to rise up from our seats when the articles of our faith are read, wee also doe more reverently to stand up at the reading of the Psalmes, before, after, and behind the holy Lessons. We are also to stand at the reading of the Gospel. The reason that the old Lyturgick writers gives of this superstitious standing at the Creed & Gospel more than at the reading of the lessons & Epistles is, because these Epistles among which they put the Revelation, the Pentateuch, and sundry other parts of the old restament, contains more base doctrine than the Gospel which comes behind them, as the Master comes after his servant which goes before to make way.8. That the conscience is oblidged not only to keep religiously the greater festivities of Yule, pasch, pentecost, and the rest which are immediately referred to the honour of the Trinitie, but also a number of the festivals of the blessed Virgin, of the Saints and Angels: Those must not bee polluted with any worke or secular affaire, as wee desire to bee helped by these glorified persons intercession. mCouzins devotions, they offend against the fifth command that obeyes not the precepts of the ecclesiastick Governors. The precepts of the Church are first to observe the festivals and holy dayes appointed in the Church calendar, vide supra cap.Yet Christs Sunday must bee no Sabboth; bowling, balling, and other such games may well consist with all the holinesse it hath; yea, no law of God, no ancient Canon of the Church doth discharge shearing of Corne, taking of fish, or much other husband labour upon that day; but by the contrary acts both of church & State do warrand such labour; yea, there is so great Jewish superstition in the Land about Christs Sunday, that all preachers must bee obliged in their very pulpits to proclame the new book of sports, for incouragement of the people to their gamings, when the short houre of divine service is ended, and that under no lesse paine than ejection from the Ministerie. nWhits examinat. p. 118. The injunction maketh no difference betwixt Sunday and the other holy dayes concerning working in harvest, no speciall priviledge is given it more than the …. For King Edwards statute repeated by Queen Elizabeth saith, It shall be law full to every husband-man, labourer, fisher-man, &c. upon the holy dayes aforesaid in harvest, or at any other time of the yeare when necessity shall require, to labour, ride, fish, or work any kind of work at their free wils and pleasure. Ib. on the Sabbath. p. 217. In the new testament we read of no prohibition concerning abstinence from secular actions upon the Lords day more than upon other dayes, Et quod non prohibetur ultro permissum est. The Catholike Church for more than 600 yeares after Christ, gave licence to many Christian people to work upon the Lords day at such houres as they were not commanded to be present at the publike service by the precept of the Church. In S. Jeroms dayes the devoutest Christians did ordinarily work upon the Lords day. In Gregory the Greats time it was reputed antichristian doctrine to make it a sin to work on the Lords day. Helenes answer, p. 111. His Majestie having published his declaration about lawfull pastimes on the Sunday, gives order to his Bishops that publication thereof be made in all their severall Diocesses, the Bishops hereupon appoint the Incumbent of every Church to read the declaration to the people, and finding opposition to the said appointment, presse them to the performance of it by vertue of that Canonicall obedience, which by their severall oaths they were bound to yeeld unto their Ordinaries; but seeing nothing but contempt upon contempt, after much patience and long suffering, some of the most perverse have been suspended, as well … beneficio … …, for an example to the rest.9. Pilgrimages to Saints Reliques, and bare-footed processions to their Churches are preached and printed. oVide supra caput 5. w.Those Throats which are so wide as to swallow downe all these it seemes they will not make great bones in all the other trash which in the Romish Church we challenge as superstitious.