Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	church_n	communion_n	perform_v	3,059	5	9.9633	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33770	Theophilus and Philodoxus, or, Several conferences between two friends the one a true son of the Church of England, the other faln off to the Church of Rome, concerning 1. praier in an unknown tongue, 2. the half communion, 3. the worshipping of images, 4. the invocation of saints / by Gilbert Coles.	Coles, Gilbert, 1617-1676.	1674 (1674)	Wing C5085; ESTC R27900	233,018	224

horns hath little strength but could he have added to them this fifth Horn That the Word of God approveth the Invocation of the dead as of the living we must have fled before it But alas all the attemts to confirm this Doctrine of your Church out of Holy Writ have prov'd so unsuccessful that some of your own Doctors have had so much Ingenuity as to acknowledg That it is not expresly delivered in Holy Scripture So a Invocatio Sanctorum non expresse traditur in Script Eccius in his Enchiridion of Catholic Confession and therefore it must pass for an unwritten Tradition whereof Martin Peresius confesseth we have b De Trad. p. 3. consid 7. Ne vestigium ante divum Cyprianum no footsteps before Cyprian Phil. Peresius gives a rational account together with others why the Holy Apostles did not lay the foundation of this Doctrine It was say they c Causa erat humilitas mod Apostolorum nese Deos facerent out of their great humility and modesty least they should appear to establish in the Church their own Apotheosis make themselves as Gods by directing the People of God to put up their Supplications after their decease to them Theoph. Methinks That which prevail'd with the Apostles not to deliver this Doctrine of the Invocation of Saints should likewise have prevail'd with the Church never to have establish'd it and without doubt had it bin according to the will of God and profitable to the Church the Holy Apostles would never have concel'd it out of modesty and humility S t Paul declares expresly to the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. 19 20. That serving God with all humility of mind he had kept back nothing that was profitable unto them And doubtless it was presumtion and pride which introduc'd this Error tho under shew of voluntary humility for if the Apostles were afraid to recommend themselves as Gods unto the People by giving them directions to pray to them after their decease the Pope who undertakes to Canonize Saints and to encourage the People of God to pray to them in spight of the Apostles humility and fear takes the boldness upon him to make them as God Phil. You make so many Excursions that you come not to the Point How do you answer the four Particulars of Bellarmins Argument Theoph. I have already cut off the four Horns with one blow He saith That if we may not pray to the Saints departed as well as desire their Praiers when living it must be for one of those four causes fore-mentioned either they are not willing or are not able to pray for us or they cannot hear our Praiers or their Intercession would be injurious unto Christs Intercession but I say is enumeration is lame and imperfect for I have shew'd a fifth reason why not because the Word of God obligeth not to one as to the other It requires that we should desire the mutual assistance of one anothers Praiers living but not after our decease all civil commerce being intercepted by the will of God between the living and the dead Phil. Do you reckon our Invocation of the Saints departed a part of civil commerce I thought it had bin a Religious act and duty Theoph. I grant Praier to be such and therefore a part of Divine Worship to be given only to God But that Invocation of Holy Men living as you call it or as I term it That pious desire and request which one Christian makes unto another that he may enjoy the benefit of his Praiers from whence you draw an Argument for Invocation after their decease that doubtless is a civil Request wherewith Christians mutually call upon and oblige one another to remember them in their Praiers So likewise the honor which Subjects yield unto their Prince presenting their Petitions with bended knees is civil And so Children begging the Blessing of their Parents these are formally Civil not Religious Acts. A good Christian indeed gives honor to his Prince and to his Parents not only upon a civil account but also Religious it being a duty requir'd in the Word of God yet the honor it self is civil the motive unto us wherefore we give it is Religious the will and command of God Phil. You are willing to involve the Discourse with subtle Notions and nice Distinctions Such honor as you give to Princes and Parents vouchsafe to the Saints in Glory begging the assistance of their Praiers upon your knees and it shall suffice Theoph. Your self caus'd this Digression You suppos'd the Invocation of Saints departed to be a Religious act and so in truth you generally make it a great part of your Religion I have shewed how the desire and request which Christians make to one another whilst they are in the Flesh mutually to be remembred in their Praiers is a civil request and therefore no sufficient ground for your Religious Invocation of the Saints in glory But at length you are content we should make the same civil Requests to the Saints in Heaven for their Praiers as to the Faithful who are living You may observe it generally such as are in the wrong will accept of any composition But we cannot grant it for this reason because Death intercepts all civil Obligations and Commerce between Persons Parents when they are dead cease to be provident for their deer Children and these expect it not from them The rich Man departed cannot relieve the poor nor lend him Money at his need You formerly did urge there was a communion between the Church Militant and Triumphant but that is mystical as Fellow-members of Christs Body But the civil communion between Brethren and Neighbors and the relation of Parents and Children Masters and Servants Princes and Subjects Husband and Wife is interrupted altogether by death and so by consequence all those acts which depend upon or flow from that communion That Children should ask their Fathers Blessing after his decease I never yet did read your Doctors have asserted Phil. I am well confirm'd by these your Digressions That notwithstanding you would appear to slight Bellarmins Argument and pretend to cut off all the four Horns at one blow by giving a general answer yet in truth you do warily decline the force of it and are not willing to come to the four Particulars whereupon he hath insisted That seeing the Saints departed are as willing and as able to help us now with their Praiers as when they were living amongst us and seeing they know our state and can hear and receive our Addresses to them and seeing their Intercession now for us is not injurious to the Intercession of Christ therefore we have as much and more reason to Invocate them now in Heaven then when they were conversant with us upon Earth Theoph. Not excluding the confutation already given I will now take these four Particulars into consideration The two first may easily be granted if there could be mutual communion between them and us

ver 24. the Jews sent Priests and Levites to ask him Who art thou and that they who were sent were of the Pharisees not that the Scribes and Pharisees sent them And d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cyril expresly saith That Christ gave the exhortation to search the Scriptures unto the People of the Jews and the 5 th Chapter thro-out sheweth our Saviors discourse was with the People some opposing and others believing him Phil. Stapleton gives another answer to that Text e Christum non constituit generale praeceptum aut necessarium perpet quod omnes semper obliget That it was no general Precept necessary and perpetual which should alwaies oblige all men that it was given by way of indulgence to the Jews now because of their unbelief For he had before stated the f Grassantibus Haeresibus tetam spript permitendam aliquibus Question and granted That when Heresies did abound all the Scripture should be allowed to some Theoph. He was so over-seen in his first answer that he gives the second with very great caution No general Precept necessary and perpetual which should alwaies oblige all Men so many limitations to help him at a dead lift But as to the later part of his Answer if because of their unbelief they were exhorted to search the Scripture and when Heresies prevail and Errors then now certainly as much as ever and they should not envy us the Scripture in our vulgar Tongue who are so hard to believe their new coin'd Articles and therefore by them reputed Heretics Neither should they with-hold the Scripture from their Laity seeing Errors so much abound in the World But leaving these shifts will you hear what Origin saith to this Text. a Homil. 2. in Isaid Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est Scrut Script I would that all of us would observe and do that which is written Search the Scripture hear also what Basil saith b Lib. 2. de Bapt. cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us bear with our Lord saying Search the Scripture Hear what Augustin c Serm. 45. De verb. Dom. Judaeis dicit caput nostrum quod vobis Corpus Serut Script Christ the Head said to the Jews what his Pody the Church saith unto the Donatists Search the Scripture You see S t Augustin urgeth the Enemies of Truth and of the Church to search the Scripture as the best way to reclaim them You have heard how the Jews were exhorted by Moses and David and by our Blessed Savior to search and read the Scripture In the next place we will consider Believers under the Gospel we shall read Acts 17. 11. how they of Berea were commended in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scripture daily whether those things were so as Paul and Silas taught them The Holy Ghost saith These were more worthy then those of Thessalonica c. Phil. The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more noble Men of better parts and abilities and to such we allow the reading of the Scripture as not being so much in danger to be led by the Word of God into Error Theoph. I had thought the Word of God would lead Men into Truth rather then into Error Phil. Yes sober wise and learned Men but the unlearned wrest the Scripture to their destruction as you have heard Theoph. I have already answered that place of Peter but for your Criticism upon the Original Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of more eminent Parts and Learning you may observe how the commendation is given to the Synagogue of the Jews at Berea and their eminency was That they did mind Paul's Preaching and compare the Scripture as in truth True Piety is the best Nobility and I may with better color invert your Argument Because they were Men of Eminency and Learning they did search the Scripture say you because they did search the Scripture they were Men of Eminency and Learning say I. But Chrysostom d In locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gives the best Interpretation of the word They were more noble that is more gentle and courteous then those of Thessalonica who as we read verse 5. Being moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows and set all the City in an uproar and assaulted the house of Iason and sought to bring Paul and Silas out to the people c. but these of Berea were not of such a persecuring turbulent Spirit and therefore they were more noble Again S t Paul exhorts the Coloss●tns Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Phil. The Text answers it self Such as must teach and admonish others must be well vers'd in the Scripture but it doth not follow that such should be so who must learn and hear Theoph. This is a meer shift the Original Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and your vulgar Translation renders it vos metipsos reaching and admonishing your selves or if the scope of the Words favor our Translation Teaching and admonishing one another You see it is mutual and implies the duty of all Christians within their own Sphere to instruct others one Neighbor another in mutual conference Parents their Children Masters their Family And to this end the word of God should dwell in them abundantly Observe what Chrysostom a In Locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith upon this Text directly against your Interpretation Hear all ye who are immerst in the Affairs of the World and have Wife and Children to take care of how you especially are exhorted to read the Scripture with great diligence Phil. The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather signifies Permission then Exhortation Theoph. And so should you permit secular Men to be conversant in the Scripture but this will not help you for the Exhortation or rather Command runs not by way of permission but of duty In the same Homily b Hom. 16. In Epistolam ad Coloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he tells every one of his hearers That he should not wait for any other Teacher Thou hast saith he the Oracles of God none can instrust thee like them And then it follows c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beseech you hear ye men of the World Buy you Bibles which are the souls physick if not purchase the New Testament or Pauls Epistles or the Acts of the Apostles or the Gospels Masters that will never intermit Instruction And then he rounds them in the ear d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the cause of all evils not to know the Scripture And lastly in order to their instructing one another he tells them That they ought to help and not leave all the burthen upon him

Gods Word But leaving the Cardinals Excuses and Guesses to himself Aquinas and the rest give their own Reasons for their Opinions the Church hath taught us to put our hope in the Cross and therefore we worship it with Divine Worship the honor of his Image tends to Christ The thing represented is in the Image as in a Looking-glass and therefore we adore it Nay Azorius takes notice of the Nicene determination and shews how in one sense it is true in another not take the Image of Christ materially as a Consecrated thing so it is not worship'd with Divine Worship but formally as an Image representing Christ so Divine Worship is given to it Now such allowed Distinctions as these and Doctrines have prevail'd upon the unwary People to give the same worship to the Image and the Exemplar nay to give Religious Worship to all Images In the Schools they tell us of divers kinds of Worship whereas in their Churches there is no sensible difference what Worship the People give to God the same they give to the Saints they Pray they fall down and Worship And to our purpose a In Psalm 113. Quis adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic afficitur ut ab eo se exaudiri putet ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret Augustin proposeth a serious Question Who Praies or Adores beholding an Image and is not so affected that he believes the Image bears him and hopes to receive from it that which he desires and praies for Phil. S t Augustin speaks of the Heathen and their Idols Theoph. And it is very applicable unto your deluded People and their Images for let us no longer hover in the Clouds and in the general Notion of a Divine Worship call'd Latria due only to God and of an inferior Worship call'd Dulia given unto the Saints in Heaven and to their Images You know the saying Dolus in universalibus Much deceit usually lurks in general terms We will descend therefore to some particulars what are precisely the Acts of Divine Worship a Azorius tells us To put our trust and confidence in him is one special act of Latria the peculiar Worship due to God And yet Aquinas hath shew'd how your Church teacheth us to put our only hope in the Cross Ave Crux spes Vnica Phil. This we must conceive to be a Prosopopoea or Speech made to Christ upon the Cross in the day of his Passion Theoph. The common People doubtless understands your Figure of Prosopopoea singularly well And why doth your Church choose to speak to the Cross after that manner and not rather to Christ upon the Cross And how comes it to pass that Aquinas understood not this Figure but supposeth it to be spoken to the Cross directly and so frames his proof of Divine Worship due to the Cross because we put our trust in it Again for Churches and Temples built and dedicated to the Saints b Tom. 6. lib. 10. contra Maximinum Nonne si templum alicui Sancto Angelo excellentiss de ligno lapide faceremus Anathematizeremur à veritate Ecclesia Dei quonium Creat exhiberemus eam servitutem quae soli Deo debetur Augustin saith expresly If we should make a Temple to any Holy and most excellent Angel either of Wood or Stone Should we not be separated and accursed from the Truth and from the Church of God because we exhibit to a Creature that service which is due only to God c Hoc nunc fit quibuslibet Divis. And Erasmus his Marginal Note upon this Passage of Augustin is This now is every where done unto the Saints d Lib. 1. De vera Rel. c. 55. Honoramus cos charitate non servitute nec iis templa construimus Again Augustin in another place speaking of the Saints saith We honor them with love not with service neither do we build Temples to them e Horae Virg. Mariae secundum usum sacrum Sancti Dei in quorum honore commemoratione haec Sancta est dedicata Ecclesia haec altaria consecrata c. So at the entrance into the Church Men are taught to direct their Praiers unto the Saints to whom the Churches are dedicated saying O ye Saints of God in the honor and remembrance of whom this Church is dedicated and this Altar consecrated c. Now the Temple is call'd The House of Prayer and the House of God because to him only who heareth Praier we sheuld send up our Supplications Again Altars as well as Images are frequently erected unto Saints and yet Saint Augustin saith An Altar implies a Deity the Altar shews they take the Statue for a God and the Altars of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints are common upon which their Votaries offer Gold and Jewels and Pearl and embroidered Garments c. Phil. Bellarmin shews how the Altars are erected and Churches f Sermone 6. de Verb. Domini secundum Matth. Quod pro Numine accip illam siatuam Altare testatur dedicated to God and so the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and of Praier and Praises are offer'd up to God in honor to the Saints and they are call'd upon in the public Prayers of the Church c. Theoph. a Bell. Tom. 2. lib. de Beat. Sanctorum c. 7. Invocantur Sancti in publicis Ecclesiae precibus c. Bellarmin acknowledgeth enough to condemn the practice of your Church in ascribing more honor to the Saints then the Holy Scriptures allow them Christ saith Do this in remembrance of me And Bellarmin saith The Sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered to God in remembrance and honor of the Saints And withal you should do well to consider That if these Religious Acts are perform'd to God in honor of the Saints they are terminated in them as the finis ultimus the chief end As when you say The honor and worship of the Image redounds to the honor of him whom it represents and the honor done to the Servant redounds unto the Master so the several acts of worship perform'd to God in honor of the Saints redound more to their glory then to the glory of God they are the chief end and his service but subordinate unto their honor And so you run in a Circle and intangle your selves in a Labyrinth to maintain a gross and palpable Error of giving a Religious Worship to the Saints and to their Images calling the Cross Our only hope the Images of the Saints Pledges of our Salvation lighting Tapers and burning Incense to them and such like and after all you wash your hands of Idolatry and tell the World That ye give inferior petty honor to the Saints and their Images and to the Cross even such as to sacred Utensils of the Church or to the Holy Book of Scriptures or to the Chair of State in the Kings Palace or to the Kings Image or to the name of Jesus or to