The second part of the Defence of the Reformed Catholicke VVherein the religion established in our Church of England (for the points here handled) is apparently iustified by authoritie of Scripture, and testimonie of the auncient Church, against the vaine cauillations collected by Doctor Bishop seminary priest, as out of other popish writers, so especially out of Bellarmine, and published vnder the name of The marrow and pith of many large volumes, for the oppugning thereof. By Robert Abbot Doctor of Diuinitie.

R. ABBOT.

Here M. Bishop was disposed to play the Sycophants part, or else he might haue seene that M. Perkins meaning was otherwise then to frame any such argument as he hath hewed his words to. The point in question is the worshipping of Images. M. Perkins for our principall ground against it, alledgeth the second commaunde∣ment. To declare the meaning of the commandement he alledgeth the example of our Sauiour Christ, who when the diuell requireth hima to fall downe and worship him vpon promise to giue him the whole world, taketh exception against him, not by the indignitie of his person, but by the commaundement of the law, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onely thou shalt serue, importing thereby, that the law doth forbid the doing of that which the diuel required to any saue to God onely. He reiecteth him, I say, not in the name of a diuell, but generally in the name and condition of a creature, teaching by the law that no creature, none but only God is to be holden capable of that which he demaunded to himselfe. Now then if M. Bishops wits stand right, the argument standeth

good, that sith Christ by the law challengeth to God onely that which the diuel required of him, which was to fall downe and wor∣ship him, we are thereby to learne that we are not to fall downe and to worship any creature, not the Saints themselues, much lesse the vile idols that are set vp in their names. Here I know what they are ready to except, that Christ saith not there, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God onely, but Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and leaueth only to the other part, Him only thou shalt serue, as not deny∣ing but that other things may be worshipped beside God, but only denying vnto thē the seruice of latria, the word there being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whence latria is deriued, which they say is the seruice peculiar vnto God. But how vaine this exception is, appeareth by conside∣ring the originall words of the law, which saith in like sort of both,b Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God, and thou shalt serue him, adding the word onely to neither part. The name of feare is more generall, and containeth all religion and deuotion towards God, but in steed thereof our Sauiour Christ nameth worship, which is a part of that feare, fitting the words to the present occasion, and yet not forcing the law, because the challenge that God maketh to the whole, must necessarily be vnderstood of euery part. Now whereas the sentences in the law are set downe without the limitation of the word onely, our Sauiour Christ to shew the meaning of the Scripture in such speeches concerning God, addeth that limitation to the latter part, not as to make that onely peculiar to God, and to leaue the former in common to others, but in the one teaching vs what we are to vnderstand in both, because by what reason the one is appropriated to God, by the same is the other also, and lea∣uing vs to conceiue that whatsoeuer God challengeth as a part of his worship and glory, the same is to be giuen to no other beside him. To which purpose Tertullian very wel saith.c Truth so requireth in the defending of one God, that what is his, be his alone; for so shall it be his, if it be onely his. And so did Ambrose vnderstand the words of Christ, when he sayth,d We reade that nothing beside God is to be wor∣shipped, because it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onely thou shalt serue. And to take it otherwise, taketh away the force of Christs exception against the diuell; for it is no sufficient reason to say, I will not worship thee, because it is said, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, if other things may be worshipped be∣side

God. If to make good the answer of Christ they will rest the strength thereof vpon the latter part of the words, they confound themselues, and make our assertion good. For if in the words of the law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Him onely thou shalt serue, be an exception against that which the diuell requireth of Christ, to fall downe and worship him, it must necessarily be granted, that to fall downe and wor∣ship, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to performe a seruice of latria; to do that seruice which belongeth to God only. Wherefore wil they, nill they, they must confesse that the law intendeth to say, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and thereof we rightly gather, that because God only is to be worshipped, therefore we may not worship any crea∣ture whatsoeuer, but least of all dead and senslesse blocks. M. Per∣kins wits therefore were not wilde in the propounding of the argu∣ment, but M. Bishops honestie failed in the collecting of it, and that because his wits failed for the answering of it. As for his other terms I wil briefly answer him, that M. Beza is there now where he is free from being touched with the barking of such dogs, and that they haue the diuell for their master, to whō that belongeth which S. Iohn saith,e They worshipped diuels and idols of gold & of siluer, and of brasse, and of stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor heare, nor go, which hath no where to be verified but in the Popish Church: and lastly that they are to be accounted the diuels hel-hounds, who haue giuen themselues wholy to the diuell, as many of M. Bishops holy fathers haue done, and namely for the presentf Syluester the second for the gaining of the Popedome.

Notes

• a

  Mat. 4.9.
• b

  Deut. 10.20.
• c

  Tertull aduer. Hermog Veritas sic vnum Deum exigit defendēdo vt solius sit quic∣quid ipsius est: ita eum ipsius erit si fuerit solius.
• d

  Ambros. de Spir sanct. lib. 2. cap. 12. Neque adorandum quic quam praeter Deū legimus quia scriptum est, Dominū Deum, &c.
• e

  Reuel. 9.20:
• f

  Platin. in Syl∣uest. 2. Totum se diabolo tradide∣rat. Pontificatū adiuuāte diabolo cōsecutus est, hac lege vt post mor∣tē totus illius esset