An abridgement or suruey of poperie conteining a compendious declaration of the grounds, doctrines, beginnings, proceedings, impieties, falsities, contradictions, absurdities, fooleries, and other manifold abuses of that religion, which the Pope and his complices doe now mainteine, and vvherewith they haue corrupted and deformed the true Christian faith, opposed vnto Matthew Kellisons Suruey of the new religion, as he calleth it, and all his malicious inuectiues and lies, by Matthevv Sutcliffe.

CHAP. X. That Popery is a sinke of heathenish idolatry.

OF this argument I haue spoken at large in my last chal∣lenge. much therefore I shall not need to say in this briefe suruey. yet for that we perceiue, that by the secret and cunning practise of the Diuell, the idolatrie of the heathen nations, ouerthrowen by the preaching of the Gospell, is brought backe againe vnder colour of Christianity, briefly we are to say somwhat of the former argument. It may please God percase to open the eies of some Papists, and to worke a detestation in them of popery, if they may see, that as a sink it hath together with heresie receiued into it self most grosse and heathenish idolatrie. but this is prooued first by these words of the law Exod. 20. thou shalt haue no other Gods be∣fore me. for this being directed principally against the hea∣thenish worship of more Gods than one, certaine it is, that whosoeuer doth worship more Gods than one, or giueth the honour of God to creatures, is an idolater. but this fault is diuersly incurred by the Papists. for first they call the Pope their Lord and God, in gloss. in c. cum inter. extrau. Ioan. 22. de verb. signific. and both Felm, and Baldus, as I shewed in the last chapter, doe call him a God on the earth. absolutely also he is called God in the chap. satis, dist. 96. and diuers other places. secondly they cal the sacrament their Lord and God,

as appeareth by Allens treatise de sacrsic. eucharist. c. 41. and Bristow in his 26. motiue. neither will they deny, but they giue vnto it diuine honour, as to God. thirdly Bellarmine lib. 1. de cult. sanct. c. 9. doth call Saints Gods by participation. but whosoeuer is God by participation, hee is absolutely God. for the deity is not communicable to any creature. lastly to the sacrament, and to the crosse they giue diuine honor say∣ing to the crosse, ô crux, aue spes vnica, and falling downe like beasts before the pixe. they doe also make vowes to Saints, sweare by Saints, and confesse their sinnes iointly to them, and to God. therefore plainly are they idolaters. for these are honours not due to any but to God, as at large I haue shewed in my treatise against Bellarmines disputes de culiu sanctorum.

My second argument is drawn from the second comman∣dement directed against the heathenish idolatrie of those, [unspec 2] which worshipped God in grauen images. for that forbid∣deth the making either of grauen image, or likenesse to the intent to adore it or worship it. but the Papists both make such images and pictures, and fall downe before them, and worship them. to the crosse they pray,a auge pijs iustitiam, reis{que} dona veniam. that is, increase righteousnesse in the godly, and grant pardon to sinners. to these images they burne in∣cense, as did the heathen to their idols. nay Alexander Hales p. 3. q. 30. art. vlt. and Thomas Aquinas 3. p. q. 25. art. 3. and other schoolemen affirme, that what honour is due to the originall, the same is also due to the image. which is more than the heathen euer supposed. lastly they kisse these images, touch them with their beads, and because they are blind, set vp light before them.

Thirdly we read Deut. 4. that God to represse the idolatry of his people told them, [unspec 3] that when they heard him speake out of the fire in mount Horeb, yet they saw no likenesse of any thing. do they not then run into this sin, that make the like∣nesse of God, and represent God the father in the image of an old man, and God the holy ghost in the figure of a doue? if this be not idolatry, yet it is certainly idolatry to giue the

same honour to one of these images, which they giue to God. neither will they denie, that it is idolatrie to giue Gods honour to creatures. they must therefore either de∣nie these images to be creatures, or confesse themselues to be idolaters.

Fourthly, where God by the Prophet Psal. 81. [unspec 4] forbiddeth the hauing of new Gods, or worshipping strange Gods, saying, non erit in te Deus recens, ne{que} adorabis Deum alienum, wee are taught, that it is idolatry to haue new Gods, or to worship strange Gods. but the Papists euerie day make new cruci∣fixes, and new Gods of the altar, and the Pope also canoni∣zeth new Saints, which euery one of his followers is bound to worship. these are also most strange Gods. for neither were they knowen to the people of God before Christ, nor were any such things worshipped by the ancient catholike Church. finally some crucifixes are so euilfauoured, and some saints so huge and monstrous, that they are more fit to scare crowes, than to be worshipped of Christians.

The holy scriptures Amos. 5. and Act. 7. [unspec 5] condemne them for idolaters, that worshipped and serued the host of hea∣uen. but the Papists deny not, but that Dulia and seruice is due to Angels, and Saints, and all the host of heauen, and accordingly they doe them seruice in most ample man∣ner.

The gentiles are condemned Psal. 114. [unspec 6] for that they wor∣shipped images of siluer and gold, and the worke of mens hands. images I say, that had mouthes & spoke not, eies & saw not, noses and smelled not, hands and handled not, feete, but walked not, and that were not able to viter one word out of their throte. now gladly would I haue any Papist to shew me, that their ima∣ges are of other matter and forme, and that they haue more perfect senses, then the images of the gentiles. the lady of Loreto, notwithstanding the report of her great miracles, neither seeth, nor speaketh one word.

The gentiles did thinke they offred sacrifices pleasing to God. yet the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. [unspec 7] because they were offered without warrant, saith, they offered them to diuels. if then

the Papists haue no warrant for their sacrifices in the honor of Angels and Saints, then are they to be reputed as idola∣ters and sacrificers to diuels.

The Prophet Hicremie c. [unspec 8] 7. declareth them to be idola∣ters, that built high places neuer commanded by God, and made vowes to the Queene of heauen, and serued her. but this is iust the case of Masse-priests, that in euery great church haue high altars, and that without commandment of God, or precedent of ancient Catholikes. they doe also make vowes to our lady, whom they call the Queene of hea∣uen, and serue her most diligently, saying more aue Mariaes, then praiers to God.

In the booke of Baruch c. [unspec 9] 6. the Babylonians are reputed to beidolaters, for that they caried their Gods of gold, siluer, wood, and stone vpon their shoulders, adorned them with costly ap∣parell and iewels, worshipped them, albeit their faces were dusty, and they vnable to gard themselues from rust, cor∣ruption, and theeues. why then should not the Papists be so reputed likewise, seeing they adorne dumbe idoles, and worship them, that cannot gard themselues from corrup∣tion and rust, and are often stollen away by theeues, or molten to serue base vses? is it more ridiculous in the hea∣then to cary about their images, then for the Papists?

The idolatrous Iewes were condemned for saying to a stocke, [unspec 10] thou art my father, and to a stone thou hast begotten me; as we read Hieremy 2. and yet the Papists before stocks and stones say pater noster, and the babling Friers in their chaires turning to a little crucifixe of wood or mettall set by them, say, thou hast redeemed vs, thou hast reconciled vs. and this Bel∣larmine lib. 2. de cult. sanct. c. 23. is not ashamed to allow. but all of them together must be thrust into the rolle of ido∣laters.

S. Iohn giueth Christians warning to keepe themselues from grauen images 1. Iohn. 5. but why so, [unspec 11] if there were no ido∣latry in worshipping them? either must the Papists denie their images to be simulachra, and themselues to worship them, or confesse themselues to be idolaters.

The Israelites Iudges 10. [unspec 12] confesse their seruice of Baalim or other Lords, to be leud and idolatrous, and God taxeth them there for seruing and inuocating other Gods. if then the Papists call vpon their volto santo, or their crosses, or the Queene and hoast of heauen, and serue them; they can∣not cleere themselues from the faultes of the idolatrous Is∣raelites.

The worship of Angels both by scriptures and fathers is condemned as idolatrous. the Apostle Coloss. 2. [unspec 13] exhorteh Christians to beware, least they be seduced by humility and re∣ligion of Angels. the Angell Apocalyps. 22. forbad Iohn to worship him, and addeth this reason, for that he was his fel∣low seruant. the worship of Angels by the councell of Lao∣dicea c. 35. is declared to be idolatrous. Christians must not leaue the church saith the councell, and make meetings for the idolatrous worship of Angels. Theodoret in Coloss. 2. saith that by this councell those were condemned, that praied to Angels. S. Hierom. in epist. ad Riparium saith, that Christians neither adore Angels nor Archangels. we honour them with loue saith S. Augustine de ver. relig. c. 55. and not with seruice, nor do we build temples to them. God will not haue vs to adore Angels saith Epiphanius haeres. 79. finally Tertullian de praescript. ad∣uers. haeret. sheweth, that the seruice of Angels was accounted to be idolatrie, and that it descended from Simon Magus. but the Papists cannot denie, but they serue Angels. they also pray vnto them in their publike letanies saying, sancte Mi∣chael, sancte Gabriel, sancte Raphael, omnes Angeli & Arch∣angeli orate pro nobis. in their Masse they confesse their sinnes to Angels, saying, confiteor Beato Michaeli Archangelo. in their breuiaries they praie to an Angel vnknowen, whom they call their gardian. but praying to them, and seruing them they shew themselues to haue a tacke of heathenish idolatrie.

It appeareth both by scriptures, [unspec 14] and practise of the church, that to burne incense to grauen images hath beene reputed idolatrous. the idolatrous Iewes 2. Paral p. 30. are noted as burning incense to their idols. Marcellina burned

incense to the images of Iesus, Paul, Homer and Pythagoras, and is therefore taxed by S. Augustine de haeres. neither did the heathen Emperours require more at the hands of Chri∣stians, than that they should offer certaine graines of incense to their Gods. but euery man knoweth how the Papists place images on their altars, and continually offer incense vnto them. they burne also incense in the honour of Angels and Saints, and set vp lights before their images.

They that offer sacrifice to creatures are idolaters. [unspec 15] for sa∣crifice is the highest honour, that is done to God. and this the Papists themselues confesse. but the Masse-priests offer the sacrifice of praiers and praises to Angels and Saints, and incense to their images. they offer also the body and bloud of Christ, as they say, in honour of them. neither can they excuse themselues by saying. that they offer not the sacrifice of the Masse to Angels or Saints. for in the time of the law no sacrifices were offered in the honour of any creature. nei∣ther is there any difference betwixt offering to God, and in the honour of God.

Saint Ambrose teacheth vs, [unspec 16] that to worship the crosse or crucifixe is plaine idolatrie and paganisme. Inuenit Helena crucem Domini, saith he,a regem adorauit: non lignum vit{que}, quia hic gentilis error, sed adorauit illum, qui pependit in cruce. Helena found the Lords crosse, and adored her king; not the wood; for that is the error of the gentiles. but she adored him, that hung vpon the crosse. the Papists therefore adoring the wooden crosse, naie adoring euery sticke put a crosse, are grosse ido∣laters, and like the gentiles, if Ambrose may sit iudge.

Epiphanius haeres. [unspec 17] 79. sheweth that the diabolicall inuenti∣on of images hath adulterated the seruice of God, and brought in spirituall fornications.

[unspec 18] The councell of Francford, vnder Charles the great shew∣eth, that images being worshipped in Churches, are idols, as may be gathered out of these words that are in his booke de imaginibus. non nos imagines in basilicis positas idola nuncupamus, sedne idola nuncupentur, adorare & colere eas recusamus. we doe not call images placed in great Churches, idols, but wee re∣fuse

to worship and adore them, least they should bee called idols.

Hierome in Abacuc. 2. writeth, that all peruerse opinions, [unspec 19] which of the inuenters thereof are adored, are grauen images. and by that he meaneth idols. but I haue shewed, that Pa∣pists maintaine many hereticall opinions.

Finally their owne confession doth testifie against them. [unspec 20] for Bellarmine doth confesse lib. 2. de imaginib. c. 5. that an idol is a false similitude, and representeth that, which is not. but Papists worshipping S. George that killed the dragon, and S. Catherine that broke the wheele, and the image of God the father, worship false images. for neither shall they proue, that God is like an old man, or that the images of George & Catherin expresse any truth. they say also, that it is idolatry to giue diuine honour to creatures. but they giue diuine honour to the sacrament, to the crosses and to the images of the Tri∣nity: which I hope they will not deny to be creatures.

Neither doe they bring any better excuses, then the hea∣then idolaters. Bellarmine lib. 2. de imaginibus c. 24. saith, that images are not worshipped by them per se & propriè, that is for themselues, and properly. but well could the gentiles say as much.

Againe he saith, they worshippe not images as Gods. so like∣wise did the gentiles answere, as Lactantius sheweth instit. lib. 2. c. 2. non ipsa, inquit, timemus &c. we doe not feare them, say the idolaters speaking of images, but them, to whose like∣nesse they were made, and for whose sakes they were consecrated. the same may be prooued by the testimonie of S. Augustine in psal. 113.

Lastly they say, they put no trust in images. but neuer did the gentiles trust so much in the images of Iupiter or Iuno, as the Papists trust in the images of our Lady of Loreto, Iames of Compostella, the Rood of Mantua, and such like.

Notes

• a

  In breuiar. Rom.
• a

  De obitu Theodosij.