A07146:54
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times…The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times…
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times past been brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherents: faithfully gathered out of the most faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and now newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singular profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.
London: printed by John Day, 1563London: printed by Iohn Day, 1563
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Some again pretend an excuse of their obstinacy, the forefathers,1 which lived before our days. They (say they) never received this doctrine: never believed as we are taught, &c. And yet we doubt not, they are saved. I answer. If they speak of the forefathers, which lived of late years in the times of ignorance & blindness, in the days of Papistry and false Religion: I grant, that they never received so purely the doctrine of Christs Gospel, as we do at this present, as people seduced from the way of truth through the subtle persuasions and crafty reasons of the fleshly hypocrites and filthy ⟨image 14⟩Papists, while they wrapped them in all kind of blindness, to the end that they might see no truth in a manner, but seek their salvation at their hands, at their prayers, fasts, masses, &c. and by this means be made the very slaves and captives of these spiritual Sorcerers: although I must needs confess, that they agreed with us, and we with them in the principal articles of the Christen Religion, albeit far out of the way from the true understanding of them. For they knew not the office of Christ, nor unto what end God the father sent him into this world: and therefore went they about on begging for their salvation to this creature and that creature, to this Saint and that Saint, to this block and that stock, to this pardon and that pardon, to this pilgrimage, and that pilgrimage, to this relic and that relic, to this work and that work, without any respect had to Christ, which is the alone Saviour of the world. But now will the adversaries object and say: Why, are those our forefathers damned? I answer: I leave them to the judgement of God,2 as the Apostle saith: What art thou that judgest an other mans servant.3 Whether he stand or fall, that pertaineth unto his own master. Notwithstanding, I hope that forasmuch as they knew no better, neither was their blindness of obstinacy, but of ignorance, God hath been favourable unto them, and received them unto his mercy. For as God condemneth obstinate contumacy: so likewise pardoneth he many times simple ignorance, as we read of Saint Paul, which saith: I was sometime a blasphemer,4