An Exposition of the Last Psalme | Page 3

Bible: they translate Gen. 3. 15. _ipsa conteret caput tuum_: she shall breake thine head, although (as their owne Iesuit [ae]Ribera confesseth honestly) the Hebrew text, the Chaldee paraphrase, the translation of the Septuagint, and all good Latin copies reade ipse conteret, he shall bruise the serpents head, applying it to Christ, according to that of Paul, The God of peace shall tread downe Satan vnder your feete, Rom. 16. 20. by this euidence you may see that the gunpowder crue praise not God in the saints, nor the saints in God: but on the contrarie the saints as God.
[Sidenote y: _Tit. de sanct. inuocat._]
[Sidenote z: _See D. Fulke in 1. Tim 2. 5._]
[Sidenote aa: _Bellar. de sanct. beat. cap. 17._]
[Sidenote ab: _Apud Magdeburg. Cent. 10. Coll. 275._]
[Sidenote ac: _See Gospell Annunciat._]
[Sidenote ad: _Chemnit. exam. Con. Trident. part. 3. pag. 151._]
[Sidenote ae: _In Habacuc. cap. 1. num. 32._]
Againe these S. Peter men (and as I haue warrant to terme them on this day _Salt Peter men_) erre from the true meaning of our text, because they doe not praise God in sanctis eius, in his saints: but dishonour God in sanctis eorum, in saints of their owne making, vsually praying vnto some who were no men, and to many who were not holy men. It is doubted by the two great lights in their glorious firmament, Bellarmine and Baronius, whether there were euer any such man as S. George, or such a woman as S. Catharine. Cardinall Bellarmine _lib. de beatitudine sanct. cap. vlt. ��. respondeo sanctorum_ doth acknowledge that they worship certaine saints whose stories are vncertaine, reputing the legend of S. George apocryphall according to the censure of Pope [af]_Gelasius:_ and Cardinall _Baronius ecclesiast. annal. Tom. 2. ad an. 290._ according to the impression at Rome, fol. 650. as also _de Martyrologio Romano, cap. 2._ confesseth as much of Quiriacus and Iulitta, declaring plainely that their acts are written either by fooles or heretikes, and in his annotations vpon the Romane Martyrologie 23. Aprill, he taketh vp Iacobus de Voragine for his leaden Legend of our English S. George, concluding in fine, that the picture of Saint George fighting with a Dragon is symbolicall, and not historicall. If the Scripture be true [ag]_whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne_: then assuredly these men (as [ah]Paul speaks) are damned of their owne selues in their owne conscience, who (notwithstanding all their doubts) pray still in their publike seruice, [ai]_Deus, qui nos beati Georgij martyris tui meritis & intercessione l?tificas, Concede propitius, &c._ An Idoll as Paul affirmes, 1. Cor. 8. 4. is nothing, Ergo, the Papists in worshipping S. George which is nothing, commit (euen themselues being Iudges) abominable Idolatrie.
[Sidenote af: _Can. sanct. Roman. dist. 15._]
[Sidenote ag: _Rom. 14. 23._]
[Sidenote ah: _Tit. 3. 11._]
[Sidenote ai: _Missal. Roman. ex Con. Triden. decret. restit. in festo Georgij._]
As they worship some who were no men, so many who were not [ak]holy men, as a reuerend [al]Doctor of our Church accutely, _Non martyres domini sed mancipes diaboli_: the Souldiour who peirced Christs holy side was a Pagan,[am] neither doth any storie which is authenticall speake of his conuersion, and yet they worship him vnder the name of S. Longinus, or Longesse, March 15. Papias (as [an]Eusebius and [ao]Hierome report) held the heresie of the Millenarians, and yet he is honoured as a saint in the Romane Calender vpon the 22. of Februarie. Becket was a bad subiect in his life, and no good Christian at his death, in that hee commended himselfe and the cause of his Church vnto S. [ap]Denys and our Lady. Yet S. Thomas of Canterburie was honoured at Canterburie in the daies of popish ignorance more then either the worlds Sauiour, or the blessed Virgine his mother: in which relation I appeale to the records of that Church, as also to the very stones vnder his shrine worne with the knees and hands of such as came thither to worship him. Boccace reporteth how one Sir Chappelet a notorious Italian Vsurer and Cousoner came to be honoured as a Saint in France. Sanders among them is a saint, albeit he liued in plotting, and dyed in acting rebellion against his gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of famous and blessed memorie. Nay Dauus is Diuus, Saul is among the Prophets, pater personatus, father Parsons all the daies of his life was a perpetual Martyr, as his fellow [aq]Ribadeneira termeth him: and yet one (who sometime was his inner man, and knew him as I presume, better then euer did _Ribadeneira_) transposing the letters of Robertus Parsonius Iesuita, found this anagramme, _Personatus versuti oris abi_: the wit-foundred drunkard, Henry Garnet (who did not according to the Counsell of [ar]Paul vse _vino modico_: but as [as]Paulinus pretily _modio_) that lecherous treacherous Arch-priest, Arch-traitor,