Yet let them stay, and take this verball note,
They who would better write, must larger quote.
Bidding adew to my company, and this Library, I longed to view the gorgeous Mosaicall worke of S. Peters Church: The matter was no sooner conceived, but I went to the doore, yet afraid to enter, because I was not accustomed with the carriage, and ceremonies of such a Sanctum Sanctorum: but at the last, abandoning all scrupulosities, I came in boldly, and on my right hand, as I entred within the doore, I espied the portrayed image of S. Peter [I. 18.]The brasen Image of Saint Peter.erected of pure Brasse, and sitting on a brasen Chaire. The fashion of the people is this, entring the Church, they go straight to this Idoll, and saluting with many crosses his senslesse body, kisse his feete, and every one of his severall toes: insomuch that those his comfortlesse feete are growne firy red, while his body, save his breasts, remaineth brazen blew: and yet forsooth some of their learned Rabines will not have this superstition, but an humble commemoration of their adored Saints, or the like, for procuring favour of intercession, whilst the erected Idoll (interum) receiveth all their superfluous abhominations of diurnall worship. Next, they lay their heads under the sole of his right foote, and arising, rub their Beades on his hard costed belly: thus adoring that breathlesse masse of mettall, more then though it were a living creature.
O wonderfull and strange spectacle? that these onely titular Christians, should become worse of knowledge then Ethnicke Pagans, to worship and reverence the workemanship of mens hands. Woe and shame be unto you all blind Hereticall Papists; Why should you make to your selves Idols and Images of gold, silver, brasse, yron, stone, earth and tree; And notwithstanding would excuse the matter with a superstitious reason, alledging, you do it onely in remembrance, where otherwise it is a damnable signe of wilfull obdurate ignorance: May not the prohibition of the 2. Commandement of Gods Law, which absolutely you abrogate, dividing the last Commandement in two; confound the errour of this Idolatry, ingrafted in your hardned hearts.
What vertue can be in a lumpe of brasse? or what comfort in the devices of handy-crafts-men? Alas, nothing but eternall sorrow & condemnation. This was [I. 19.]one of the lamentable errors I saw in the Roman Sea, amongst many other thousands: When the foolish Listranes or Licaonians would have sacrificed Buls to the honour of Paul and Barnabas, they rent their cloaths, and ranne in among the people, crying, and saying; O men, why doe you those things, we are even men subject to the like passions that you be: How is it then, That the Apostles being alive, would have no acknowledging by any homage of man; yet when they are dead, the Superstition of Papists.Romanists will worship their counterfeit similitude, in stone or tree. What unworthy-fained traditions and superstitious Idolatry? What strange new devising trickes they use, to plant idle monasteriall Loyterers? How many manner of wayes these belly-minded slaves Epicure-like leade their lives? And what a Sea of abhominable villany they swimme into, practising even unnatural vices, I meane of their wrongfuly called Religious Bishops, Priests, Friers, Curates, and all the hypocriticall crew, of these pervers’d Jebusites, no heart can expresse; nor the most eloquent tongue can sufficiently unfold. Whose luxurious lives are vulgarly promulgat in this Hispanicall proverbe:
Unnas tienen de gatto, y el habito de beato,
El cruz en los Pechos, ye el diabolo en los hechos.
They have a Cats clawes, and a blest Saints weed,
The crosse on their breasts, the divels in their deed.