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* 1.1CAIN and Abell the two sonnes of our first father Adam offered in sacrifice to GOD the firste fruites of their goodes. Abell his obla∣cion
was milke. Cain his gyfte was corne. Afterward, whē the priesthode was ordained, Aaron and his sonnes offered diuerse thynges with sundry ceremonies, whiche be shewed at lar∣ge in the boke of Leuiticus. The Gē∣tiles almoste all sacrificed to ye idols men or women after sundry rites,* 1.2 as appeareth in the histories & Gentile auctours. And if it fortune that thei omitted any suche abhominable ido∣latry, thei had greate punishment,* 1.3 de¦strucciō of their fruite, corrupcion of their waters, infeccion of ye aire deth of catel, greate droughtes, womē had eiuill deliueraunce, with many suche plages, as Dionisius Hilicarnasseus witnesseth, which the spirites of the aire procured to delude & seduce men and confirme theim in their errour.
THE holy daies emong the Ie∣wes were diuerse,* 1.4 as the Sabboth daie, the feaste of ye newe Moone, the passeouer, the feaste of swete breade, Pentecost, the feast of Tabernacles, the dedicaciō daie: whiche bee al she∣wed largely in the olde Testament.
The vsage of dedicating churches is of great antiquitie,* 1.5 for Moses did
sacrifice the tabernacle, & Salomon consecrated the temple that he buyl∣ded at Hierusalem. And Esdras af∣ter, when thei returned from the cap∣tiue of Babilō hallowed the temple newe again. Of them we receiue our rite of hallowyng of churches, albeit we haue mo ceremonies thē thei had.
* 1.6FIRE was kepte continually on the alter by the priestes, for without it and salte could no sacrifice bee du∣ly made or ordinarely offred, and we in oure Masses haue euer a taper of waxe burnyng. And the emperoures of Rome had Fire bourne afore thē,* 1.7 & the Vestales had euer perpetual Fire in the tēple where thei serued Vesta.
THE spirites of ye aire, that gaue doubtfull answeres to them that re∣quired any question of theim, wer at the commyng of Christe all destroyed For what tyme he was caried into Egipte,* 1.8 whiche is a countree full of supersticion and Idolatry, all the I∣doles of that region wer ouerthrowē & fell to the ground at his commyng thither. And in the tyme of Adriane the Emperoure, bothe the wicked sa∣crifices wer abholished, and also the
oracles of Apollo at Delphos, Iupi∣ter Hammon in Egipte, with like va∣nities wer subuerted bi the power of God through his sōne Iesus Christ.
HOLY water was ordaigned by Alexander the first to be consecrated to driue away spitites,* 1.9 and was com∣maunded that it should bee kepte as well in churches, as in priuate hou∣ses for thesame vse: whereof are gro∣wen emong the commō people many supersticiouse erroures contrary to the woorde of God, and therefore it wer no harme if the fourme of conse∣cratyng therof wer redressed, & chaū∣ged into a more godly fashion.
Cain and A∣bel sacrificed firste.
Menne were sacrifyced by the Gentiles.
Punishmētes that thei suf∣fred for omit¦tyng the obla¦cions.
Holy daies.
Dedicatyng of churches.
Fire.
Emperoures of Rome had fire bourne a¦fore theim.
Oracles sea∣sed at Christe his comming
Holy Water