Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 3 · Chapter 1
THE FIRST CHAPTER.
THe Argument of the treatise following. In which he noteth especially The storie of the spoyle of Images in the lowe countries: The diuersitie of sectes there: The holie Bible burnt: Hermannus a preacher capteine of the spoyle.
THE defence of idolatrie, whiche he taketh in hand, beeing so abhominable to be heard among Christians,Fulk. after he hath first sought to dasell mens eyes with the vaine glitering glorie of the Romish Church, now he goeth about to tickle their eares, with a plausible tale of some disorderly doinges, in breaking of Images in the lowe countries. As though the inconsiderate zeale of a fewe image breakers, or perhaps the licentious riot of some pilfering spoylers, beeing either Papistes or of no religion that were mixed with them, were sufficient to excuse such horrible Idolatrie, as the Papistes daily commit, and M. Sander is not ashamed to defend. He pretendeth as though his purpose were no more, but to answere an obiection of I cannot tell what Protestants, nor he him selfe is able to name any of credite, which affirmed, that the casting downe of idolatrie in the lowe countries, and liberty of preaching ye gospel procured by a few naked & base men, against an armed Prince, and so many wealthy persons as were enimies to it, must come of the mightie hand of God, and that it was a great miracle. Whiche thing might well and truely be saide, without allowing of any thing, that was done beside order.
For there is no doubt, but God directed all things to his glory, although men sought not the same by lawfull & ordinarie meanes. It was no miracle saith M. Sander, because they were not resisted in suche places where the spoyle was made. But so much the greater was the miracle, that in so many places, the heartes of the magistrates with the people were so daunted, that they durst make no resistance.
The storie as M. Sander reporteth it, is, that the Lordes of the low countries, dissenting from king Philip about the Spanish inquisition, the king lyke to be assaulted by the Turkes in Naples, and Malta, resorte was made to a certaine preacher, not called by anye auctoritie, in the woods and fieldes neere to Antwerpe. The first quarrell he picketh, is to the preachers callinge, whiche in suche times as religion is in a manner ouerthrowne and defaced by Idolatrie, as now by the papistes, cannot bee but extraordinarie, and yet lawfull, as hauinge authoritie of God, and approbation of Gods Churche, mooued with chariti… to call men out of the blindnes of Idolatrie, into the light of the Gospell. This I saye, as if he had not bin called thither to preach by the Church of God, which was in persecution in those places, which is an ordinarie & a most lawfull calling. The seconde fault he findeth, is of their preaching in the woodes and fieldes, which hath not bene vsed in a Christian countrie, but in time of warre. As though he hath not reade that in Affrica, when the Arrians which are as good Christians as the papists, persecuted the true Catholikes, and draue them out of the cities, they were constrained to meete in such places, as they could, in woods, or fieldes, or desert corners.
That there were sectes amonge them, it was to be lamented, and yet not to bee marueiled, for there muste bee euen heresies amonge you, sayeth the Apostle, that they which are tryed may be made manifest: 1. Corinth. 11. verse 19.
That the feast of the Assumption was chosen, wherein they began the spoile, I hope it was of no hatred to the Virgin Mary, whom they honour with such honour as is due to her, and called her blessed, because God hath chosen her to be a mother of Christ, although they allow not the new cōception of Christs body vnderunder forme of bread, by the popish priests, compared in dignitie by papistes vntounto the blessed Virgine (as I remember) in fiue pointes. M. Sander is angry that the newe preachers hate that feast of the Assumption of Mary, & yet keepe holy the day of the death of S. Paule and S. Thomas. They hate it, because of the popishe fable of the Assumption of the body of the virgin liuing, which yet M. Sander is ashamed of, and calleth it the daye of her death. The other feastes which they keepe, they keepe not in ye honor of men, but to the honour of God, they vse the dayes in which ye people is accustomed to be assembled, as things indifferent, which except it be in cases of offence geuing, may well be vsed.
The watche worde giuen by a boye, who striking the Image saide, Marye thou must come downe, is a vaine matter, and yet much more probably to bee defended, then the prayers of the Idolaters made to that deafe Idole. Blessed Lady helpe me, &c. Pater noster qui es in coelis, &c. After the watche worde followed the spoyle of all Idoles, and monuments of Idolatrie, the magistrates forbidding in vaine. I saide before the disordered doing of priuate men cannot bee defended, although where M.S. chargeth them with stealinge and caryinge away, I am perswaded he slaundereth them, as men of as good credit as he do testifie, except some pilfering theeues thrust in amongst them, who as the report goeth, being apprehended, were iustly punished.
The maner of their vtter defacing of al tables, and all that belonged to them, whiche Master Sander so muche misliked, if it had not wāted lawful authoritie, had been verie commendable, yea euen the pissing vponupon the foule Idoll of the altar, might hauehave bene defended by the example of Iehu, which turned the temple of Baall, into a lakes, if it had bene done by the commandement of a zelous Magistrate. For M.S. most impudently doth bely vsus, when he saith, that by our doctrine, their Masse cake is a mysticall figure of Christes bodye, when it is rather a foule stinking and abhominable Idoll.
If any Library was destroied by them, with the bibles, doctors works, & maps of countries, it was very euil & barbarously done of them, & yet I am sure they burned no booke of holy scriptures, knowing them to be such, as the papists doe, not by tumult of a few ignoraunt persons, but by consultation & deliberation of the wisest of them, knowing them to be the holy scriptures, & wilfully defacing them, not more with flames of fire, then vilainous & despightful words. It is wel known yt D. Cole the papist, being visitor in Cambridge, when a Bible was brought to him to be defaced, called it bible bable.
They defaced the Friers kitchin stuffe, spoyled and caried away their vitailes & stuffe, it was more then may be defended, & I thinke more then was true, and especially that they shoulde bring strumpets into the Abbeyes to prouoke the yong Monkes and Fryers to lust, which was needlesse, for their chastitie is well inough knowne.
But lest the fault should be laid vponupon a disordered multitude without a head, M.S. saith, they had one Hermanus a preacher to their captaine, which had bin a theefe, and had lost one of his eares, if his report be true, he was like to be captaine of such a band. As for ye praier of the Nuns yt stopped his mouth, yt he was able to say no more to them, let them beleeue it, that thinke papistes cannot lye. There might be cause why Hermanus would geue ouer his perswasions, when hee sawe them obstinate, though his mouth were not stopped with their prayer. To conclude, although the defacing and destroying of Idolatrie be good, yet may it not be attempted without auctoritie and order, vnderunder pretence of zeale, and therefore this fact of the lowe countrie men is not by anye wise man defended, howsoeuer their zeale may be praised, or ye worke of god in their inconsiderate doings may be considered.