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THey say, that it doth appertaine onely to the Pope, to Canonize a Saint for [error 24] the whole Church: and that none ought to be acknowledged for Saints, but they that are so Canonized by him: And that herein the Pope is of so infallible a iudgement, that he can not erre in Canonizing of Saints: because that ordinarily
none are Canonized by the Pope for saintes, which haue not beene knowne to worke miracles, Bellarm. lib. 1. cap. 8.9, 10.
FIrst, if saintes were to be registred and Canonized as they say: yet it should not belong to the Pope, but to the whole Church.
Argum. 1 The Pope hath no authoritie ouer the whole Church: no nor yet in any other Bishoppes dioces, no more then they haue in his: Let him be content with his owne dioces (and it were to be wished, that he could rule that well) the whole world is too large a prouince for him.
2 The whole Church hath power to excommunicate and deliuer vp to sa∣than, 1. Corinth 5.4. and to cut off the prophane and wicked from the Church of God, as heathen and publicanes, Math. 18.17: Ergo, to iudge who are members of the Church, and saintes of God, is a matter which appertaineth to the whole Church. 3 Before Anno. 800. in the time of Carolus magnus, there was no saint publiquely Canonized by the pope, as Bellarm. confesseth: but the truth is, this custome of Canonizing saints beganne not till more then 1000. yeare after Christ, til Alexander the 3. his time, and Gregorie the 7. I pray you then, were there no saints before? if there were, who canonized them?
Secondly: So much as is to be knowne of saints and holy men, euery Chri∣stian is to acknowledge, without any publike decree or determination of the Pope or any other: for the word of God giueth rules, whereby we may discern the righteous from the vnrighteous: Christ speaking of false prophets, sayeth, By their fruites ye shall know them, Math. 7.16. And againe, he fayth thus to his A∣postles, By this shal men know that you are my disciples, if you loue one ano∣ther, Iohn 13.35. By these rules, it is easie for euery Christian to iudge who for the present time, are the true disciples of Christ, who otherwise.
Thirdly, it is a most impudent and shameles saying, that the Pope can not erre in canonizing of Saintes: 1 Miracles are no sufficient proofe of a saint: for many, that shal be condemned in the day of Iudgement, haue had power to do straunge workes, Math. 7.22, 23. 2 What better argument can wee haue of this, then common experience? For the Popes haue registred in their Calen∣dars notorious wicked mē, and traitors to their Princes, as saints and holy men: Such an one was Thomas Becket, who som hundreth yeers was worshipped as a saint, by the name of S. Thomas of Canterbury: and yet was a plaine traitour to his prince, Fox page 225. And therefore his shrine was iustly put downe in King Henrie the 8. dayes. Richard Scroope of York was openly in armes a∣gainst Henry the fourth.* 1.1 Thomas Earle of Lancaster a rebell against Edward the second, yet both are the popes canonized saintes.
* 1.2Elizabeth Barton was called the holy Maide of Kent, and fayned that she had many reuelations: yet was found to be a traitour, & executed: these are the
popes saints. And on the other side, they haue condemned the true saintes and Martyrs of God, and accursed them to the bottomlesse pit of Hell: as they delt most wickedly with Iohn Husse that zealous seruant of God, vpon whose head they set a crowne of paper pictured with deuilles, as if he were giuen into the power of Satā. But we do iudge of these holy men, as the scripture teacheth, which sayth, that they are blessed which dye in the Lord, Apocal. 14.13. Their good life, holy profession, and constant death and martyrdome decla••••d no lesse; and that assurance, which God gaue them of their election: as it appeared in that worthy Martyr doctor Barnes, who being brought to the stake, sayeth thus vnto the people: If saintes do pray for vs, I trust to pray for you with∣in this halfe houre: who at the same time vttered his opinion, that not withstan∣ding to pray vnto saintes was against the worde of God,* 1.3 although it should be granted, that they pray for vs.
Let them now be ashamed to say still, that the pope cannot erre in Cano∣nizing saints, who condemneth good men, and iustifieth the wicked, according to the common saying, Many are worshipped for saints in heauen, whose soules do burne in Hell.
Thirdly, Augustine thus writeth of this matter: Per has humanorum cordium tenebras, res multùm miranda & dolenda contingit, vt eum nonnun∣quam quem iniustum putamus (iustiu tamen est) auersemur, & hominem bonum tanquam malum affligamus, quem nescientes amamus. By reason of the darke∣nes and ignorance of mens heartes, a pitifull and strange thing many times falleth out, that we should hate a man, whome we take to be a wicked and vn∣godly one (and yet he is a righteous man:) and so wee punish a good man for a bad, whom we notwithstanding do vnwittingly loue for his goodnes, tract. in Iohan. 99. Ergo the iudgement of men is vncertaine, and the best may be de∣ceiued in iudging of others, who are bad, and who good.
Fox. pa. 579
Fox p. 1054
Fox. page. 1199.