The xxv. Chapter.
A comparison betweene the heathen and papists, touching their excuses for idolatrie.
ND bicause I know, that the papists will saie, that their idols are saints, and no such divels as the gods of the Gentiles were: you may tell them, that not onelie their saints, but the verie images of them were called Divi.Divos vocant Grammatici eos qui ex hominibus dii facti sunt. Which though it signifie gods, and so by consequence idols or feends: yet put but an (ll) thereunto, and it is Divill in English. But they will saie also that I doo them wrong to gibe at them; bicause they were holie men and holie women. I grant some of them were so, and further from allowance of the popish idolatrie emploied upon them, than greeved with the derision used against that abuse. Yea even as silver and gold are made idols unto them that love them too well, and seeke too much for them: so are these holie men and women made idols by them that worship them, and attribute unto them such honor, as to God onelie apperteineth.
The heathen gods were for the most part good men, and profitable members to the commonwealth wherein they lived, and deserved fame, &c: in which respect they made gods of them when they were dead; as they made divels of such emperors and philosophers as they hated, or as had deserved ill among them. And is it not even so, and woorsse, in the commonwealth and church of poperie? Dooth not the pope excommunicate, cursse, and condemne for heretikes, and drive to the bottomlesse pit of hell, proclaming to be verie divels, all those that either write, speake or thinke contrarie to his idolatrous doctrine? Cicero, when he de/rided530. the heathen gods, Cic. de natur. deorum.and inveied against them that yeelded such servile honor unto them, knew the persons, unto whom such abuse was committed, had well deserved as civill citizens; and that good fame was due unto them, and not divine estimation. Yea the infidels that honored those gods, as hoping to receive benefits for their devotion emploied that waie, knew and conceived that the statues and images, before whome with such reverence/380. they powred foorth their praiers, were stockes and stones, and onelie pictures of those persons whome they resembled: yea they also knew, that the parties themselves were creatures, and could not doo so much as the The papists see a moth in the eie of others, but no beame in their owne.papists and witchmongers thinke the Roode of grace, or mother Bungie could doo. And yet the papists can see the abuse of the Gentils, and may not heare of their owne idolatrie more grosse and damnable than the others.