APOSTASY OF THE KOMISH CHURCH. 217
she complained of was a good sign, cried out, 07//-o/ ut' ayaQuv dToXXu/M, — " Good signs liave undone me," — your lawful idolatry, if you take not better heed, will undo you. In the meantime, as to the coincid- ence you imagine between idolatry and heresy, I wish you would advise "with your " angelical doctor," who will show you how they are contradistinct evils; which he therefore weighs in his scales, and de- temiines which is the heaviest, 22se q. 94, a. ad 4. The church in the wilderness fell by its /j,offxo'^oiia, — its " making and worshipping a golden calf," as a representation of the presence of God. That they kept some parts of the doctrine of truth entire is evident from their proclamation of a feast to Jehovah. Do any men in their wits use to say this fall was by heresy, though all agree it was by idolatry? so that your church might fall by idolatry and not fall formally by heresy, according to the genuine importance of the word, the use of it in the Scriptures, or the definition given of it by the schoolmen, or any sober writer of what sort whatever. And here I must desire you to stay a little, if you intend to take Protestants along with you. They constantly return this answer unto you, in the first place, and tell you that your church is fallen by idolatry: it is fallen in the worship which you give unto the " consecrated host," as you call it ; wherein, — if the Scriptures, which call it " bread," and the fathers, who term it the " figure of the body of Christ," if reason, and all our senses, de- ceive us not, — you are as plainly idolatrous as the poor wretches which fall down and worship a piece of red cloth: so your own Costerus assures us, Enchirid., cap. viii. " Tolerabilior," saith he, " est eorum error, qui pro deo colunt statuam auream, aut argenteam, aut alte- rius materise imaginem, quomodo Gentiles deos sues venerabantur, vel pannum rubrum in hastam elevatum, quod narratur de Lappis, vel viva animalia ut quondam ^gyptii, quam eorum qui frustum panis colunt;" — " Their error is more tolerable who worship a golden or silver statue, or an image of any other matter for a god, as the Gen- tiles worshipped their gods, or a rag of red cloth lifted upon a spear, as it is reported of the Laplanders, or hving creatures, as did the Egyp- tians of old, than theirs who worship a piece of bread." This is that which made Averroes cry out, " Seeing the Christians eat the god whom they worship, let my soul be among the philosophers." You do the same in your worship of the cross; which the chiefest among you maintain to be the same that is due to Christ himself And you are in the same path still in the religious adoration you give unto the blessed Virgin, your prayers to her, and invocations of her ; which abound in all your books of devotion and general practice. And what need we mention any particular instances, when you have begim some of your conciliary actions, the greatest solemnities of Christi- anity amongst you, with invocation of her for help and assistance?
218 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVEESIONS ON FIAT LUX.
So did your council of Lateran, joining with Cardinal Cajetan, in their opening of the second session, in these words: " Quoniam nihil est quod homo de semetipso sine auxilio opeque divina possit polli- ceri, ad gioriosam ipsam Virginem Dei matrem primum convertam orationem meam ;" — " Seeing there is nothing that a man may pro- mise to himself, as of himself, without divine help and assistance, I will first turn my prayer unto the glorious Virgin, the mother of God." This was the doctrine, this the practice, this the idolatry, of our La- teran council. And again, in the seventh session, " Deiparse nostrse praesidium imploremus ;" — " Let us pray for the help or protection of our blessed Mother of God." And in the tenth session of the same council, Stephen, archbishop of Patras, prays, " Ut ipsa beata Yirgo, angelorum domina, fons omnium gratiarum, quae omnes hereses interimit, cujus opera magna reformatio, concordia principum, et vera contra infideles expeditio fieri debet opem ferre dignetur;" — " That the blessed Virgin, the lady of angels, the fountain of all gi'aces, who destroyeth all heresies, by whose assistance the great reformation, the agreement of princes, and sincere expedition against the infidels" (the business of that council), " ought to be performed, would vouchsafe to help him, that he might," etc. ; and thereupon sings this hymn unto her, recorded in the acts of the council : — " Omnium splendor, decus, et perenne
Virginum lumen, genetrix Superni,
Gloria humani generis Maria Unica nostri. " Sola tu Virgo dominaris astris,
Sola tu terrse maris atque coeli
Lumen, inceptis faveas rogamus
Inclyta nostris.
" Ut queam sacros reserare sensus
Qui latent cbartis nimium severis ;
Ingredi, et celsse, duce te benigna, M^nia terrse."
" O Mary ! the beauty, honour, and everlasting light of all virgins, the mother of the Highest, the only glory of mankind ; thou. Virgin, alone rulest the stars; thou alone art the light of earth, sea, and heaven. Do thou, O glorious lady ! we entreat, prosper my endeavours, that I may unfold the sacred senses which lie hid in the too severe writings " (of the Scripture), " and kindly give me, under thy good- ness, to enter the walls of the heavenly countries." I suppose it can- not be doubted whence the pattern of this Gonciliary prayer was taken : it is but an imitation of —