The sixt Chapter. 102.
Apollo, who was called Pytho, compared to the Rood of grace: Gregories letter to the divell confuted.
WHAT need manie words to confute this fable? For if Gregorie had beene an honest man, he would never have willinglie permitted, that the people should have beene further cousened with such a lieng spirit: or if he had beene halfe so holie as Eusebius maketh him, he would not have consented or yeelded to so lewd a request of the priest, nor have written such an impious letter, no not though good might have come thereof. And therefore as well by the impossibilitie and follie conteined therein, as of the impietie (whereof I dare excuse Gregorie) you maie perceive it to be a lie. Me thinks they which still mainteine that the divell made answer in the idoll of Apollo, &c: maie have sufficient persuasion to revoke their erronious opinions: in that it appeareth in record, that such men as were skilfull in augurie, did take upon them to give oracles at Delphos, in the place of Apollo: of which number Tisanius the sonne of AntiochusZach. 10. was one. But vaine is the answer of idols. Our Rood of grace, with the helpe of little S. Rumball, was not inferior to the idoll of Apollo:138. for these could / not onlie worke externall miracles, but manifest the internall thoughts of the hart, I beleeve with more livelie shew, both of humanitie and also of divinitie, than the other. As if you read M. LambertsW. Lambert in titulo Boxley. booke of the perambulation of Kent, it shall partlie appeare. But if you talke with them that have beene beholders thereof, you will be satisfied herein. And yet in the blind time of poperie, no man might (under paine of damnation) nor without danger of death, suspect the fraud. Naie, what papists will yet confesse they were idols, though the wiers that made their eies gogle, the pins that fastened them to the postes to make them seeme heavie, were seene and burnt together with the images themselves, the knaverie of the priests bewraied, and everie circumstance thereof detected and manifested?