A stronge battery against the idolatrous inuocation of the dead saintes, and against the hauyng or setting up of images in the house of prayer, or in any other place where there is any paril of idolatrye, made dialoguewise by Iohn Veron.

¶To the righte honora∣ble, sir Nicholas Bacon knight Lord keper of the great Seale of Eng∣lande, and one of the Queenes most honorable priuye Counsayle, Iohn Veron wys∣sheth grace, peace of conscience, and increase of godlye ho∣nour, from god the father, throughe hys son Ie∣su Christ oure Lorde.

SOme be of this opiniō, right honorable sir, that those thin¦ges that bee in controuersie, betwixt vs & the Catholikes are not of so greate weighte and importaunce that wee ought therfore to stirre vp suche tragedies, or make so muche a doe, syth that they confesse one true lyuinge God with vs, and his sonne Iesu Christe, do alowe the scriptures of the old and new testament, and all the articles of our beleue: But yf al thinges be considered a right, and wayed with the euen balaunce of gods worde, it shalbe easie for any man to vn∣derstande that it is not without a iuste cause that we do bothe dissente from them, and a••so moste earnestly impugne their pernitious and damnable doctrine: and al their abhominable

erroures and diuel she opinions. For first and foremost, it can not iustly be sayde, that they do confesse the onely true liuing ••od, sith that they do not confesse him as he doeth setforth and reueale him selfe in his holye and sacred word, but do so cōfesse him, that thei do make of him a plaine e••dole Herin then do we dif∣fer from them: that we do acknowledge and confesse him, as he doeth reueale himself vnto v in his holy & sacred word where he fetteth forth him self vnto vs an omnisufficient god, and in whom only we ought to seke all ma∣ner of thinges that are necessarye both for our bodyes and soules. The heauens are thine (say the scriptures) the earth also is thine, thou haste layed the foundacion of the world, and all that therein is: all the kingedomes of the earth are thine. And thy kingome is an euer∣lastinge kingdome, and thy dominion endu∣reth throughout all ages. Thou fittest on the rounde bale or circle of the earthe, and the in∣habitauntes of it are as Locustes in thy sight. Thou makest to stande, and doest putte to flight. And onlesse thou kepest the citye, h•• watcheth in vaine, that doth kepe it. Al coun∣sayles and helpes are from thee. But do not ou•• aduersaries most sacrilegiouslye, robbing go•• of his glorye, attribute al those thinges to hy•• dead creatures, I mean, to those that be already

departed out of this worlde? what haue they ••eft vnto god? what help what aid and succour that they haue nede of, doe they not craue at the deade: handes? The Frenche men in their perillous warres and battayles, do rather cal v∣pon Saint Denyle, than vpon the mightye Ie∣••ou••h, the lorde god of hoostes. The Englysh men had in stede of god Mars, whom the heathen worshipped for the god of Battailes, that lustre knight Saint George of Cappado∣cia. The Scotes, their Saint Andrew. The Spa∣niardes and Gallycians, haue yet at this houre their holy Saint Iames, whom they do rather call vpon, then vppon the eternall and euerly∣uing god, in their moste perillous affayres. They that trauaile by the Sea, haue in stede of Castor and Pollux, their Saint Nicholas, vnto whome they ioygne fo a felowe helper that ••itle pretye one Sainct Christophore, who by their description maye bee likened vnto that mounstruous Poliphemus, which Virgill do∣eth speake of. Do they not worshippe Saint Valesiane (as they do communely call him) as the heathen had in times paste woorshipped their Acolus, whom Iupiter had appointed to be king & ruler of stormes and tempestes? For they persuade them selues, that if they do dili∣gently worship him, he wil kepe of the haile from their corne, and from al other fruites of

the earthe, he will cease the ragiouse windes, and appease the tempestes. Some other do at∣tribute this office vnto Iohn and Paul. Saint A¦gathe must se their houses to be preserued frō fire. And therfore when there is any ieopardy of fire they do rather call vpon her, than vpon him that hath all his creatures at his beck and commaundement. But bicause she is a wo∣man and therefore frayle and timorous, they haue associated vnto her saint Florinian, who being in complet harneyse, doeth hold a paile for to cast water vpon the fier, for to quenche the burninge? when god doeth by his righ∣teous iudgement punish the world with pes∣stilence haue they not their Saint Sebastian? And when they be smyttē with botches sores and boyles haue they not their Saint Rocke? more trust haue they in those dead creatures, of whō we do doubt whether they be in hea¦uen or not, than they haue in the liuyng god, the on••ly autour of al health both of body & soule in their agues and seuers saint Petronil∣le. Peters daughter must be their phisition. And no maru••••le. For▪ when our Sauiour Iesus Christ did heale her grand dame, she cre∣ping in vnawares did learne the arte of medi∣cin. Touthlesse Appoleyne must helpe the touth ache▪ as blynd Otilia bearinge her eyes vpon her booke, being sallen out of her head▪

must help sore eyes. To be short, they haue for all the partes of the body certain appoin∣ted Saints, as they haue for euery kind of cat∣tel. Which thing they would not do, if they did confesse and acknowledge god, as he doth reueale himself in the scriptures. For, there we learn, that the Lord our god, is one God: That he doth al things with his diuine prouidēce, and that as all thinges, are of him by him and in him, so he is the onely autour of lyfe and deathe, of rychesse and pouerty, of wisedome and foolyshnes, of health and sickenes. And sith that we are bothe hys creatures and ser∣uauntes, and do owe our selues whollye both body & soule vnto him: is it not against al rea∣son, that we should turne out selues from the creatour vnto the creatures? The heathen do the same. But we ought to be Christians, and to cleaue onelye to Christe, and by him to be made one with the father. If the saintes do all thinges, yf they haue the gouernement, tuiti∣on defense & protection of cities and townes, if the standing manfullye in battaile, the ren∣nyng awaye, and victory, if the curinge of dis∣eases, if the benefit of health be in their hāds, if they haue power ouer the windes stormes & tempestes, if they possesse al the lymmes of a mannes body, what doth god in the meane while? Where is his diuyne prouidence? will

they say that god being wearye, doeth cōmit the gouernement of his creatures vnto other? But no suche infirmities is god subiect vnto. It is euident and pla••ne then, right honorable sir, that they doe make of him a plaine Idole, yea they make of him no god at all. For take his diuine prouidēce away or make him sub∣iect to any infirmities, and then he is no god. It is farre otherwise with vs. For beinge in∣structed by the scriptures and worde of god, we do wholly depend vpon his fatherly pro∣uidence, vsing with most harty thankefulnes, all those lawful meanes that he hath appoin∣ted, and ordeyned for vs, and so gyue him onelye the whole glorye of the go∣uernement of al thinges, for the commoditye and profit of his chosen and electe people. A∣gain: is not this a denial of god, to go aboute to worshippe and serue him otherwise then he himself doeth appoint, and prescribe in his holy and sacred word? Socrates being an hea∣then, doeth plainlye say, that in religion it is requir••d, that euery god be worshipped after his own wil, and not after the wil of his wor¦shippers. If this did take place in false religiō, howe muche more ought it to take place in true religion? I meane in that religion, that god hath set fourth vnto vs by his eternal and euerlasting wisedome? These are his wordes:

Ye shal not do euery man that thing that see∣meth vnto you best. I am the Lorde my god, that thing only, that I commaunde thee, se that thou doest it add nothing vnto it, and minish nothing from it. Again: They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines and preceptes of men. But howe wel these thinges haue bene and are obserued of our frends the catholikes, let your honour be iudge. Those wayes that god wilbe worshipped and serued, they haue stoutly contemned, & chose eueri day straunge kindes of worshipping and seruice, which the Lord doeth not once mencion of in the scrip∣tures. This then is an other differēce betwixt them and vs, that we will haue god to be ho∣noured worshipped and serued, accordinge to his worde, and as he himselfe doeth appointe and prescribe in his sacred scriptures, submit∣ting our selues wholy, our wit and reason, & al the wisdome that can be in vs, vnto his vn∣sercheable wisdome and cōtenting our selues with that fourme and maner of religyon, that he hath sett fourthe vnto vs by his sonne Iesu Christ, whom he hath appointed, by his holy spirit to be the only teacher & scholemaster of his church, we do study & labour to the vtter∣most of our power & with al due submission and obedience, to kepe our selues within the limites and boundes, of his prescribed rules &

Canons, hauing alwayes this saying of Samu∣ell before our eyes: Hath the lord as great plea∣sure in burnt offeringes and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed? Behold to o∣beye is b••••ter then sacrifice: and to hearken is better then the fatt of Rammes. Whereas they neglect nge g••des commaundementes, that so they may set vp their owne traditions, and go∣ing about moste vngodlye to sett the wise∣dome of god to schoole do bring in, all maner of tr••ssh tr••ssh, shippes full of dombe and beg∣gerly ceremonies, whiche they vrge with fire and sworde, and maintain them, with al kinde o•• cruel t••r••••nye. Whereby the externe and outward worshippinge of god whiche con∣sisteth in the preaching of the doctrine and in the right and due ministration of the sacra∣mentes accordinge to the institution and or∣deynaunce of our sauiour Iesu Christe, and in the faythful prayers of the church, is clen ab∣olyshed and put downe. Howe peryllous a thinge it is to attempte to serue god other∣wise than he himself doth appointe, it is ea∣sye to see in the x. Chapyt. of Leuiticus, and in the ij. booke of Samuel and syxt chapt. and in the .i. boke of Cronicles, & xiii chapyter, well this is most sure and certain that they do pre∣farre their wisedome before the wisdome of god▪ which is a playne denial of god. For yf

he be not of a perfect wysdome, he is no god. Againe, this that they do, is a manifest forsa∣king of the couenaunt of the lorde, as it may be proued by manye places of the scryptures: but specially by the xxij. chap. of Ieremy the Prophete. But now let vs come to their con∣fession of our sauyour Iesu Christ. How do they confesse him, I pray you? Euen as the vn∣clean spirytes did, who euery where acknow¦ledged him to be the sonn of god, the sonne of the highest. To confesse Christe a right, then, it is not onely to confesse him to be true and naturall god, equall and of one substaunce with the father, and to be true & natural man equal and of one substaunce with vs, beyng in al thinges lyke vnto his bretherne, synne only excepted: But to confesse and acknowledge him, to be an omnisufficyent, and moste per∣fect Sauiour of all those that beleaue in hys name, and put their whole trust in the mery∣tes of his death passion and bloudsheddinge, and to be the onely mediatour betwixt God and men. For, therefore did he come, and did take vpō him our fraile nature that destroiyng the works of the diuel, he should saue sinners, most perfectly and to the vttermost, I meane as manye as come vnto God by him, so that there is none other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men wherin we muste be saued, but the

name of our sauiour Iesu Christe. This there∣fore is oure confession and beleue, that by the merites onelye of the death passion and bloodshedding of oure sauiour Iesu Christe, being apprehended and taken holde vpon by faythe, we obteyne full saluation, forgeuenes of our synnes, and deliueraunce from eternal, and euerlasting damnation. Whefore we do attryhute vnto him the whole glorye of the saluation of mankinde, acknoweledgynge hym, to be oure onelye mediatoure ad∣uocate and intercessour, accordinge to these scriptures: I am the waye, the trueth, and the life▪ no man cometh vnto the father but onely by me: Whatsoeuer ye aske my father in my name it shalbe geuen vnto you: It is Christe, which is deade yea, rather whiche is risen a∣gain: who is also att the right hand of the fa∣ther, and maketh intercession for vs: There is one god, and one mediatour betwixte god and man, which is the man Christ Iesus, who gaue himself a raunsome for all men the is able perfectly and sullye to saue theym that come vnto god by hym, syth that he euer ly∣ueth to make intercession for them. Christe is not entred into the holy place, which is made with handes, but in to heauen, there to appeare in the sight of god for vs. And againe: These thinges do I write vnto you, that ye sinne not,

and if any man doeth sinne, we haue an aduo∣cate with the father, Iesu Christe the righte∣ous. But as for our aduersaries without anye warrant of gods worde, yea, against all scrip∣tures, they doe attribute the best parte of their saluation, to their owne merites, and to the workes of their own handes, yea, to such kind of works, as neuer were commaunded of god, and for asmuch as thei can not be of faith, they are mere sinnes in the sight of god, Is not this most blasphemous against the blood of christ, that they be wont to singe in their seruice? Tu¦per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impen∣dit, fac nos Christe scandere, quo Thomas as∣cendit. That is: O Christ, do by the bloode of Thomas, which he spent for thee, make vs to ascende thether whither Thomas is ascended. But why shoulde I ••e to tedious vnto youre honour, in rehersing many suche thinges, sith that all theyr bookes are full of such damna∣ble blasphemies? Doe they not attribute more vnto their ••oly father the Pope, than vnto our sauiour Iesu Christe? for they doe plainlye af∣firme that through fayth in our sauioure Iesu Christ we do onely obtain forgeuenes of the coulpe, fault, or giltines, but not of the pun sh∣ment that is due vnto vt for our sinnes. For that do they reserue to their holy father, who alone for a pece of money is able to geue par∣done

a poe ••et culpa, that is of the punishe∣ment, and of the fault. Yf this be not a denial of Christe, I can not well tell, what we maye call a denial of Christ for, therfore came he in to the ••leshe that he might be our perfect and ful sauiour They then that denye hym to be a perfecte and full sauiour do deny him to be come into the fleshe, and so by good right ought to be takē for Antichristes. I do here let passe that by their sacrilegious and damnable sacrifice of the masse, wherein they saye, they offer dailye oure sauoure Iesu Christe bothe god & man they doe all that euer they can, to abolyshe annichilate and put downe the om∣nisuff••cēt sacr••fice of our sauiour Iesu Christ, which as it hath ben from the beginninge, is now and shalbe to the worldes end, of a most perfect efficacy vertue, strēgth & power to saue al those that put their truste in it or take hold vppon it by faithe: so can it not be reiterated or offered any more. For, Christ is not entred into verye heauen there to appeare in the sighte of god for vs, to the ende that he shoulde offer him self any more, for then he must haue di∣ed often lens the world began. He is that high priest that it became vs to haue, which being holye, harmelesse, vndefiled, separated, from sinners, and made higher than the heauens, neded not daily, as those high priestes, to of∣fer

vppe sacrifice, first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples: for that he did once, when he offered vp him self. How many me∣diatours haue they imagined and sourged vn∣to them selues besides Christe the onely me∣diatour betwixt god and man. So many as they doe imagine to be saintes in heauen, so many mediatours haue they sourged vnto thē selues, puttinge more confidence in their in∣tercession▪ wherof they haue no currentye or assuraunce at all in gods booke, than in the mediation of the onely begotten son of god. Which in so many places of the scriptures we are certified of, that onles we be worse then brute beastes, we ought to content ourselues w^t it, & to seke no farther. Adde therūto, that to acknoweledge more mediatoures besydes him, it is also to deny him to be come into the flesh. For, he dyd not only come into the flesh for to be our omnisufficient and most perfecte sauyour: but also for to be our only mediatour betwixt god and vs. And as for the scriptures of the old and new testament, yf they did frō the bottome of their hartes acknowledge thē to be the worde of god, then would they also confesse and acknoweledge that all thyn∣ges partaynynge to saluation ••are conteined in the same. Whiche thing they will neuer do, lest their whole religion which cōsisteth al∣together

in mens traditions, and vain doctri∣nes of diuels should be quite ouerthrowen.

Nowe to deny that all thinges peretining to our saluation are comptised in the scriptures, It is to denye that they be the word of god yea they that do so, do vtterly deny the holy ghoste by whole inspyratione the scryptures haue be a set fourth and wrytten, to be true and naturall god. For it is agaynst the proper∣ty of god to make any worke of imperfectiō. But that all things pertaining to our saluation be not fully conteyned in the scryptures then are they a worke of imperfection, and conse∣quently the autour of them, which is the ho∣ly ghost, is no true & natural god Do thei not besides all this, assubiectize the scryptures & worde of god to the vayne glosses, and found e••positions of their holye father the Pope? so that although their exposityons be neuer so vngodly, neuer so contrary, to the true sense and meanyng of the holy spirit of god: yet we must receyue and alowe theym for curraunt money▪ except we wil fry a fagot. Euen after the same sorte, do they confesse the articles of our beleue, m••king what gloses they lust vpō thē, although it be nothing according to the analogie of fa th, from the which they do as fa••re deferre, as the heauens are hyghe a∣boue the earth. It is then euidence and playne

that we do not withoute a iuste cause dissent from the Catholikes and so earnestlye im∣pugne their damnable and wicked opinions. But nowe to come to our pourpose, here in thys my booke, I do mayntayne and defende agaynste theym, that god onelye in the tyme of oure trouble, ought to be called vppon and that therefore they that in their necessyty∣es do by prayer flye vnto deade creatures, doe robb god of his glory, and do committ most damnable sacriledge which thing hath ben sufficientlye proued by manifest textes of the scriptures, and by strong authorityes of the auncient fathers of the primityue Church, all the obiections that the aduersaries can make beyng mightily auswered and confuted. Se∣condly it hath bene plainely shewed, that we ought to acknowledge none other mediator betvvixte God and man, but oure sauiour Iesu Christ onely, whom the scriptures do appoint vnto vs for the omnisufficient sauiour of man kynde, and for our only intercessour aduocate and mediatour. Making no mention at all of the intercession or mediation of the dead fain¦tes, which thing the holye ghost woulde not haue omitted, yf the saintes departed oute of this world, had bene either appointed or alow¦ed of god to be intercessours vnto god for vs.

Thirdly it hath ben declared, that as the saints that be already in glory with god ought in no wise to be called vpon, nor to be takē for our mediatours: so no godly honor ought to be ge¦uē vnto thē forasmuch as it is a seruice, which is only due vnto god. Wher I had an occasiō to shew how many ways the true & faithfull ser¦uantes of god, being departed in the faith of his son Iesu Christ ma•• be honored, & that the greatest honor that we can do vnto them, is to obey their godly and sound doctrine, wherby they haue instructed vvin the true religion & worshipping of the true liuing God, and also to folow their faith, and other heauenly ver∣tues, wherby they did glorifye God, whilest they lyued here in this worlde This also hath ben done by the infallible worde of god, & te∣stimonies of the holy doctours of the true ca∣tholike churche, all the obiections of the ad∣uersaries: as before beyng quite ouerthrowen by the same. Last of all it hath ben proued that no figure ymage or likenes of god, nor of his son Iesu Christ, nor of the holy ghost nor yet of the Saintes ought to be had in the house of praier, nor in any other place whersoeuer ther i•• any peryll of idolatry, and that there can be no vse of them in the Oratories or praying pla¦ces of the Christians▪ but rather that they doo most hurte whersoeuer they be vsed and kept

where by the waye I haue shewed, what is the true crosse, that we ought to embrace and haue a pleasure in, and that as for material cros¦ses they do more hurte, than good, & that ther¦fore for auoiding of offences they ought to be taken away. These are the chiefe and princi∣pall contente, of this booke, wh••ch I do most humbly, and with all due submission de∣dicate and offer vnto your good lordship desiring your honour to accept and take it in good part, which thing if ye do: it shall encorage me to attempte greater thin∣ges▪ for the aduancemēt of gods glory▪ and for the edifieng of his churche.

Thus the lorde god of hostes, the autour of all goodnes, vouchsafe to preserue your honour, my good lady your wife, and all your good fa∣milie and householde.

Notes

• The commō complaintes of many peo∣ple.
• They do not confesse god which do not confesse him as he do¦eth reueale himself in his worde.
• Psa. 89
• Psal cxlv.
• How god re∣ueleth hym∣self in his word.
• The sacrilege of the aduer¦saries.
• Saint denis of Fraunce Saint George of England. S. Andrew of Scottland. Saint Iames of Callycia.
• The gods of idolatrous Marinets.
• Valesian.
• Acolus.
• Iohn & Paul.
• Saint Agathe
• Saint Flori∣nian.
• Sebastian & Rocke do heale the pes∣stilence and potches.
• Petronille. Peters daugh¦ter.
• Appoleyne Otilia.
• Deut. vi.
• How god ought to bee confessed.
• Howe the faithful do confesse god.
• A denial of god.
• Socrates
• Deut. xii
• Math xv
• How the god••y do worship god
• Mat. xvii
• Samu. xv
• Mat xv.
• Wherin do¦eth con∣sisterie outwarde worship∣ping of god
• Read the ouerthrow of the iustifi∣cation of workes for that.
• A forsa∣king of the coue∣naunte of god. Howe the aduersaries do cōfesse christ Math. viii. What it is to confesse Christe a∣right.
• Wherfore Christ came into the flesh. Ioa. iii. T••moth i Hel iu. vii. Actes. iiii.
• Iohn. xiiii. Io. ••vi
• Rom. viii.
• i. Timot. ii
• Hebr. vii
• Hebr. ix.
• i. Io. ii
• Wherunto the aduersa¦r••es do at∣tribute their saluacion.
• O plasphe∣mous abho¦mination
• More is at∣tributed vn¦to the pope than vnto our sauiour Iesu chr••st.
• i. Ioa. iiii.
• The sacri∣fice of Christe is omni∣sufficente and can be offered no more.
• Heb. ix.
• Heb. vii.
• How ma∣ny me∣diatoures the aduer∣saries haue
• To denye christ to be come into the fleshe.
• Howe the aduersaries do alow the scrip∣tures of the old and newe testament.
• They deny the holy ghost to be god that say that all things par∣taining to saluation, are not conteyned in the scriptures.
• The hol•• argumēt of the booke.