Miracles, Miracles were done by the saints to confirm their doc trine. Elias. Dead bones may not be worship ed. Pilgrimages. More rea soneth un.. towardly. THE THIRD CHAPTER. IN the third chapter he bringeth in miracles done at St. Stephen's tomb. I answer that the miracles done at saints' tombs were done for the same purpose that the miracles which they did when they were alive were done; even to provoke unto the faith of their doctrine, and not to trust in the place, or in bones, or in the saint. As Paul sent his napkin to heal the sick, not that men should put trust in his napkin, but believe his preaching. And in the Old Testament, Elias healed Naaman the heathen man in the water of Jordan; not to trust in the water, or to pray in that place, but to wonder at the power of God, and to come and believe, as he also did. And that his bones, when he was dead, raised up a dead man, was not done that men should pray to him, for that was not lawful then, by their own doctrine; neither to put their trust in his bones. For God to avoid all such idolatry, had polluted all dead bones, so that whosoever touched a dead bone, was unclean, and all that came in his company until he had washed himself; insomuch that if a place were abused with offering unto idols, there was no better remedy than to scatter dead bones there, to drive the people thence, for being defiled and polluted. But his bones did that miracle, to testify that he was a true prophet, and to move men unto the faith of his doctrine. And even so miracles done at the holy cross were done to move men unto faith of Him that died thereon, and not that we should believe in the wood. He saith that pilgrims put not trust in the place, as necromancers do in their circles, and saith he wotteth not what, to mock out the text of our Saviour of praying in the Spirit. And in the end he confoundeth himself saying, We reckon our prayers more pleasant in one place than in another. And that must be by the reason of the place, for God is as good in one place as in another, and also the man. Moreover where a man pleaseth God best, thither is he most bound to go. And so that imagination bindeth a man to the place with a false faith, as necromancers trust in their circles. And again, if God had said that he would more hear in one place than in another, he had bound himself to the place. Now as God is like good every where generally, so hath he made his testament generally; wheresoever mine heart moveth me and am quiet to pray unto him, there to hear me like graciously. God is like good in every place. The people were specially called to the temple to behold the monuments there, whereby they might the better And if a man lay to our charge, that God bound them unto the tabernacle, and after to the temple in the Old Temple. Testament; I say that he did it not for the place's sake, but for the monuments and testimonies that there preached the word of God unto them; so that though the priests had been negligent to preach, yet should such things that there were, have kept the people in the remembrance of the testament made between God and them. Which cause, and such like only, should move us to come to church, and unto one place more than another. long as I come more to one place than another because of the quietness, or that something preacheth God's word more lively unto me there than in another, the place is servant, and I not bound to it: which cause and such like taken away, I cannot but put trust in the place as necro·mancers do in their circles, and am an image server, and walk after mine own imagination and not after God's word. And as my learn the mighty power of God. lamb. 1 Cor. v. And when he saith, We might as well mock the observance of the paschal lamb; I answer, Christ our pas- Paschal chal lamb is offered for us, and hath delivered us, as Paul saith, (1 Cor. v.) whose sign and memorial is the sacrament of his body and blood. Moreover we were not delivered out of Egypt. And therefore inasmuch as we be overladen with our own, I see no cause why we should become Jews, to observe their ceremonies too. And when he saith, Holy strange gestures; I answer, Holy strange gestures is like anape's play. 1 Cor. xi. Pity. The true beholding of the sign of the cross. The church is a place of prayer. for the holiness I will not swear, but the strangeness 1 And a Christian man is more moved to pity, saith he, at the sight of the cross than without it. If he take pity as Englishmen do, for compassion, I say, that a Christian man is moved to pity when he seeth his brother bear the cross. And at the sight of the cross, he that is learned in God, weepeth not with ignorant women, as a man doth for his father when he is dead; but mourneth for his sins, and, at the sight of the cross comforteth his soul with the consolation of Him that died thereon. But there is no sight, whether of the cross, or aught else, that can move you to leave your wickedness, for the testament of God is not written in your hearts. And when he speaketh of praying at church; who denieth him that men might not pray at church, or that the church should not be a place of prayer? But that a man could not pray save at church, and that my prayers were all places. not heard as well elsewhere, if I prayed with like ferventness and strong faith, is a false lie. God heareth our prayer in Acts xvii. And when he speaketh of the presence of God in the temple; I answer, that the prophets testified how that he dwelt not there, and so doth Paul, (Acts xvii.) and so doth Stephen, (Acts vii.) and Solomon, iii. of the Kings viii. 3 Reg. viii. And no doubt as the mad Jews meant, he dwelt not there; and as we, more mad, suppose also. But he dwelled there only in his signs, sacraments, and testimonies, which preached his word unto the people. And and the finally for their false confidence in the temple, God de- Jerusalem stroyed it. And no doubt for our false faith in visiting the monuments of Christ, therefore hath God also destroyed them and given the place under the infidels. temple is destroyed. of fire. And when he speaketh of the pillar of fire and The pillar cloud, I answer, that God was no otherwise present there than in all fire and in all clouds, save that he shewed his power there specially by the reason of the miracle, as he doth in the eyes of the blind whom he maketh see, and yet is no otherwise present in those eyes than in other, nor more there to be prayed to than in other. And in like manner he is no more to be prayed to where he doth a miracle than where he doth none. Neither though we cannot but be in some place, ought we to seek God in any place, save only in our hearts, and that in verity, in faith, hope, and love or charity, according to the word of his doctrine. And our sacraments, signs, ceremonies, images, relicks and monuments, ought to be had in reverence, so far forth as they put us in mind of God's word, and of the ensample of them that lived thereafter, and no further. And the place is to be sought, and one to be preferred before another, for quietness to pray, and for lively preaching, and for the preaching of such monuments and so forth. And so long as the people so used them in the Old Testament, they were acceptable and pleasant to God, and God was said to dwell in the temple. But when the significations being lost, the people worshipped such things for the things' selves, as we now do, they were abominable to God, and God was said to be no longer in the temple. God is pre sent in all places alike. All places preferred where we ship God most quiet are to be may wor ly. M. More teacheth false doctrine. Matt. xxiv. Miracles were not done for the place, but for the people. Siloam. John iv. & ii. Miracles done to draw the people to hear the word of God. THE FOURTH CHAPTER. AND in the fourth he saith, that God setteth more by one place than another. Which doctrine besides that it should bind us unto the place, and God thereto, and cannot but make us have confidence in the place, is yet false. For first, God, unto whose word we may add nought, hath given no such commandment, nor made any such coveNeither is Christ here or there, saith the Scripnant. ture, but in our hearts is the place where God dwelleth by his own testimony, if his word be there. And when he proveth it, because God doth a miracle more in one place than in another, I answer, If God will do a miracle, it requireth a place to be done in. Howbeit he doth it not for the place but for the people's sakes whom he would call unto the knowledge of his name, and not to worship him more in one place than in another. As the miracles done in Egypt, in the Red Sea, in mount Sinai, and so forth, were not done that men should go in pilgrimage unto the places to pray there, but to provoke them unto the true knowledge of God, that afterward they might ever pray in the Spirit, wheresoever they were. Christ also did not his miracles that men should pray in the places where he did them, but to stir up the people to come and hear the word of their souls' health. And when he bringeth the miracle of Siloam, I answer, that the said miracle, and that Christ sent the blind thither to receive his sight, were not done that men should pray in the pool: but the second miracle was so done to declare the obedient faith of the blind, and to make the miracle more known; and the first for the word of God that was preached in the temple, to move the country about to come thither and learn to know God, and to become a lively temple, out of which they might ever pray, and in all places. Neither was the miracle of Lazarus done, that men should more pray in that place than in another, |