that believes he has a Soul to be saved she has not a vast advantage of our Church since 't is so manifest that even the Fathers of the Council of Trent were sensible and confest that there were then Superstitious and Idolatrous Practices in our Church and that the Members of it might very easily and without extraordinary care of the Bishops and Pastors fall into Superstition and Idolatry Quere XII Pray Reverend Fathers What Original Treatise Book of Directions or Sermon is there set out by our Church to preserve our People from Idolatry and Superstition Some such thing seems to me to be extream necessary after what the Fathers of the Council of Trent have said of the danger of the Peoples falling into these Sins by their use of our Service and Worship Unless you can give some good reason why the People of our Communion in this Age are wiser then in the Age of the Council of Trent Quere XIII But to conclude this Section I humbly enquire of you Reverend Fathers What is the true Definition of Idolatry and Superstition Pray give me such an one of each distinctly and severally as you 'll abide by and answer to our Learned Adversaries and be content that all our Doctrines and Worship and Practice shall be try'd by Also such an one as is exactly agreeable to the Holy Scriptures and Definitions of the Fathers and Doctors of the Ancient Church For I consider that the nature of Idolatry and Superstition is the same now as it was then Be pleas'd likewise to let your Definition be so full clear and certain as may infallibly which sure I may request from the Priests of an Infallible Church guide and direct me in my Thoughts Worship and Adoration of the Holy Sacrament or Host and of the Angels and Saints and of the Cross and Relicks that so I may be safe from all danger of committing or falling into these grievous Sins or any degree of them For I infinitely desire to have a right Notion of GOD and his Worship and would not offend and affront him while I think I am pleasing and doing him honour SECT II. Quere I. THE Catechism of the Council of Trent now lately Publish'd in English p. 344 says That there is an Honour which is due to GOD alone and is not to be given to an Angel and p. 464 there is a great Charge given That what is proper to GOD be not given to any besides him Now to me it seems not a little strange that in so weighty a matter and wherein both GOD and Mankind is so much concern'd that neither the Council of Trent nor this Catechism when they had so fair occasions should not I say freely and plainly tell what that Honour and Worship is which is proper and due to GOD alone and wherein it consists and by what it is signified and express'd This omission is apt to create no very honourable thoughts either of the Catechism or Council but since neither the Fathers of the Council nor the Composers of the Catechism thought convenient to do so just and honest a piece of Service to the Christian World suffer me here Reverend Fathers humbly to enquire of you What is that Honour and Worship which is proper and due to God only Wherein does it consist And by what Words and Acts is it signified and express'd Quere II. How and in what does that Religious Worship which by our Church we are commanded and which we do give to the Angels and Saints and particularly to the B. Virgin differ from that Worship which is proper to GOD alone Quere III. How and in what does that Honour Worship or Veneration which we give to Angels and Saints and particularly to the B. Virgin differ from that Honour Respect or Reverence we pay to Kings and Princes and good Men upon Earth By what Words Acts or Signs do you distinguish this from that Quere IV. Whether the ground and reason of our Worship of GOD he not his Divine his Infinite and Incommunicable Attributes and Perfections such as his Omnipotence his Omniscience and Omnipresence c. Quere V. Whether Prayer or Religious Invocation has not been always lookt on as and is not an essential part of that Worship which is due to GOD alone Insomuch that Prayer is usually put for the whole and the publick Place of GOD's Worship from hence is by GOD himself in Scripture call'd The House of Prayer Quere VI. If Religious Worship is due only to GOD and that upon the account 〈◊〉 his Infinite and Incommunicable Perfections are not all Kinds and Degrees also of Religious Worship for the same reason peculiar and due to GOD alone unless there be some other Being besides GOD who has those Infinite Attributes and Perfections But if all Kinds and Degrees of Religious Worship be not due to GOD alone I consider that our Saviour's Answer to the Devil in the 4 Chapter and 10 Verse of St. Matthew had been very imperfect For when the Devil would have been adored by him to what purpose was that Answer of the Holy Jesus It is written the Lord thy God shalt thou adore and him only shalt thou serve unless our B. Saviour had intended by it and by using of those two words adore and serve which I am told in the Original Greek signifie and comprehend the meanest and lowest as well as the highest kind and degree of Honour and Service to include and appropriate all manner parts and degrees of Religious Worship to GOD For who can imagine but that the Devil would have been content and very glad if our Saviour would but have worshipp'd him in any kind and with the most inferiour degree of Worship Quere VII But besides Reverend Fathers I farther enquire of you that if our Blessed Saviour had not by this Answer of his to the Devil also intended to exclude all the Worship of good as well as bad Spirits whether 't is not rational to think he would have answer'd the Devil thus The Lord thy God and good Spirits shalt thou adore and them only shalt thou serve And whether our Saviour's not mentioning of good Spirits either Angels or Saints or the B. Virgin but on the contrary confining Religious Worship and Service to GOD Only is not an unanswerable Objection and Argument against our Worshipping of Saints and Angels together with GOD and so makes us guilty of Idolatry For till you oblige me with a perfect Definition of Idolatry and convince me of an Error at present I humbly conceive Idolatry does not consist meerly in forsaking the Worship of the Supreme GOD but also in Worshipping any Being or thing else together with the Supreme GOD or while we continue to Worship the Supreme GOD. But if what I have now discours'd from this Answer of our Saviour be not the true meaning I beg you then to give me the true sence of it and prove your Interpretation by Vincentius Lirinensis's Rule Quere VIII If
is acceptable with GOD we should have many Now here I humbly enquire of you Reverend Fathers From whom he learnt this Distinction From GOD or from Man if from GOD Should he not prove it from Scripture And how can he do it since it is there so plainly reveal'd that GOD hath appointed the Mediator of Redemption to be also our Mediator of Intercession and that his Intercession is grounded upon his Redemption thus Hebrews chap. 7. ver 25. Whereby he is able to save also for ever them that go by himself to God always living to make intercession for us and 1 Tim. chap. 2. ver 5 6. For there is one God one also mediator of God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a redemption for all Now Reverend Fathers Can you shew me such another Text for the Saints being our Mediators of Intercession But if you say this Distinction is from Man then I desire to know How any Man or all the Men upon Earth came by such an Authority as to appoint any Mediators with GOD besides himself And lastly Reverend Fathers Can you shew from Universal Antiquity that the Saints departed are by GOD appointed Mediators of Intercession as well as the Man Christ Jesus If you can I desire you to do it Quere IX Pray Reverend Fathers upon what Ground or Authority does our Church distribute the Patronage of particular Countries the Cure of several Diseases and the Protection of all distinct Professions of Men and all kinds of Creatures to particular Saints Quere X. Why Reverend Fathers are there in Catholick Countries as Italy Spain and France more Churches built more Altars erected more Presents made and more Cost bestow'd more Prayers pour'd out and Vows made and Offices perform'd to the Virgin Mary who is but a Creature after all than to our Dear Saviour who is GOD the Creator Quere XI I am told Reverend Fathers That towards the latter end of the Fourth Century a certain Sect of Women did appear which met together to offer certain Cakes and otherwise to Worship the Virgin Mary which Cakes were call'd Collyrides and the Women from them Collyridians and that the good Bishop St. Epiphanius did write zealously against them and treated them as Hereticks and said Let Mary be honour'd but the Father Son and Holy Ghost Worshipped Now Reverend Fathers I desire to know of you Whether this is true and Whether we do not offer Candles and Incense to the Virgin Mary And if those Women were Hereticks for offering Cakes to her Pray what are we for offering up to her Candles Pray where 's the difference between Cakes and Candles as to their being made an Offering Does not this Example abundantly Confute those Men who say It is impossible that any now should be so sottish to make a GOD of her and Worship her with that Worship which is due to GOD only For if there were People so grosly silly to commit Idolatry about her Pray why not much rather now Are not the present allow'd Doctrines and Prayers capable enough to draw People into the like Crime And are there not both Women and Men too in this Age of as weak Understandings and of as Superstitious and Idolatrous Inclinations as then Quere XII I am told Reverend Fathers that the aforemention'd Cardinal Bona in his said Book Entituled Horolog Ascet tells us That the Rosary is so call'd because 't is Compos'd of One Hundred and Fifty Ave Maries as of so many sweet-smelling Roses Now I humbly beg of you to know the true reason Why the Ave Maries are Roses rather and smell sweeter than the Pater Nosters When a Man reflects that the Pater Nosters are of our dear Lord 's own composing he is apt to think that they might deserve the name of Roses as well and smell at least as sweet as the Ave Maries the one being a solemn Prayer contriv'd and dictated by the Eternal Wisdom for the needs and benefit of his poor Creatures and the other only a common Form of one Creature 's Saluting another and which by I know not what authority nor with what pertinency is since converted into a Form of Religious Prayer And do not you really think Reverend Fathers that this magnifying the Excellency and the Odour of the Ave Maries above the Pater Nosters is not to speak softly a little contrary to the Laws of Good Manners Quere XIII Whether the Honour that is due to a glorified Soul ought to be any more than that of Love or Charity Respect and Imitation And whether in our allow'd Prayers c. we do not give to the Virgin Mary and other Saints that of Service as to our Lords and Masters And whether that Honour or Respect that is to be given to a Saint or an Angel or an Image must not be such as is proper to a Saint or an Angel or an Image and not Worship or Adoration Quere XIV Whether the Common People understand the nice Scholastical Distinctions and Degrees of Divine Honour and Worship which 't is said our cunning Doctors and subtil School-men have devis'd to excuse our Doctrines and Practices from Idolatry such as Latria Dulia and Hyperdulia As you hope to be saved Reverend Fathers Do you believe that the more ignorant Men and Women nay the more knowing Persons when they are in the Act of Prayer and Adoration do or can make use of these nice and learned Distinctions and make this just separation in their minds And yet if they do not is not their falling into Idolatry unavoidable To what fatal Dangers are we poor Catholicks expos'd Quere XV. But to conclude this matter of Invocation c. I farther enquire of you Reverend Fathers Whether you can shew any footesteps of Prayers to Saints for the first 300 years I have heard that some Learned Protestants dare give you 350 years after Christ in any genuine Father or publick Office or Liturgy If it had been the Doctrine and Practice of that time as 't is now among us can it enter into any but a mad Mans head to believe that it would not be found either in some publick Office or Liturgy or in some of the Fathers in that compass of time And if we cannot make it appear to have been the Doctrine and Practice in all that time for God's sake Reverend Fathers What reason have we to make such a considerable addition to the Religion of those Ages Why may not we be saved now without it as well as the Christians then But Reverend Fathers I am farther told which in my mind is an invincible argument against us in this affair viz. That the Protestants have made it plainly appear from the Writings of the Ancient Fathers both Eastern and Western by the Greek Canon the Liturgies father'd upon St. James and the other Apostles and the Liturgies of St. Basil and those of Egypt attributed to St. Basil Gregory Nazianzen and St. Cyril and that of St.
you say as I hope for the Honour of GOD and the Love of Truth you will that all kinds parts and degrees of Religious Worship are due only to GOD and that Prayer or Religious Invocation is a part of that Worship then Reverend Fathers I enquire of you Whether 't is not too plain that we Catholicks in our Religious Invocation of and Praying to the Saints and Angels are highly guilty of Idolatry since the most excellent Saint or Angel or even the B. Virgin herself is but a Creature and we give part of that Honour to it which is due to GOD who created that Angel or Saint And do not we likewise in Inovocating and Praying to the Saints and Angels attribute to them at least Omniscience or Omnipresence or else what superlative Nonsence is it to pray to them at all What shall we answer to GOD for thus robbing him of those Perfections peculiar to his infinite Essence And what will it avail us at the Great Day to say Lord we gave but an inferior degree of Religious Worship to some of thy Creatures which we believ'd more excellent than others and thy dear Friends when at the same time the Angry and Jealous GOD shall tell us That he had plainly reveal'd to us that every part and degree of Religious Worship was due only to him and that Prayer was a principal part of that Worship that was peculiar to him I say Reverend Fathers what will become of us when we shall be charg'd with giving part of that Honour and Worship tho' never so inferiour and for GOD's sake too to the Creatures which was only due to GOD the Creator This is a matter of vast consequence and therefore I humbly and earnestly beg you to give me a full Answer for my Mind and Conscience is extreamly perplex'd about it I have a great respect for the Authority of our Church but I must needs tell you Reverend Fathers that I begin to have a far greater regard to the Authority of GOD. Quere IX But Reverend Fathers I must trouble you with more Enquiries into this Affair for I look upon 't to be of far greater concern than the generality of our People do To deal freely with you till I am much better satisfied about the lawfulness of it I shall forbear offering up any Prayers either Vocal or Mental to the greatest and most glorious Saint or Angel in Heaven or even to the B. Virgin herself for doubtless as slight as we make of the matter yet a right Object of Worship is of infinite concern and I am now fully convinc'd not only that this Article of Invocation c. is one of the most essential in Religion but also that no less then our Eternal Salvation or Damnation depends on 't and therefore let no man think strange that I should cease Invocating Saints till I meet with ample satisfaction to my Doubts and Scruples For I have learnt of St. Paul That all that is not of faith is sin And of another Spiritual Guide That when a man's mind is in doubt the safer part is to be chosen and in Religious Doubts that which is most for the Honour of GOD which at present I am perswaded praying to and depending upon him alone is But I enquire Reverend Fathers Whether any Creature tho' never so excellent whether it be Angel or Saint or even the B. Virgin herself has any natural and inherent Right to any kind or degree of Religious Worship If it has I desire you to make it out if it has not then I enquire Whether to justifie a Practice of such vast moment we are not bound to shew an express positive Law of GOD And if there be such an express Divine Command I beseech you Reverend Fathers for mine and the quiet of other mens Consciences in this weighty matter to produce it But if you can neither shew that the most excellent Creature imaginable has a natural Right nor an express Command from GOD for any kind or part of Religious Worship then I further ask How can our Church in commanding and we in giving Religious Worship to Saints and Angels be acquitted from gross Idolatry And how can the Protestants be guilty of the least Sin for refusing and not doing an Action for which there is neither a Law of GOD or Nature But I further enquire Reverend Fathers and supposing the Protestants are mistaken and are over nice and curious in refusing to give any Divine Worship to Angels and excellent Saints c. Whether they are not in a much more innocent and pardonable condition than we of the Church of Rome since they do not give that Religious Worship to the Angels and Saints which innocently they might have done but were not bound to it by any Law of GOD and refus'd to do it not out of any contempt or disrespect to those excellent Spirits but purely through a mighty reverence to GOD and fear of giving his incommunicable Glory to a Creature But Reverend Fathers I have a mighty dread upon me that at the Great Day we shall have nothing to plead for our selves in case we be mistaken in giving any degree of Religious Worship tho' never so small to Creatures which is all due only to the Supreme GOD For tell me sincerely what can we offer in our excuse No positive Law of GOD for that I doubt forbids all Creature-Worship nor the Principles of Natural Reason for a very small measure of Natural Light tells us we cannot and we ought not Religiously to Worship any other Being than that which guides us and preserves our Being Quere X. Though I have already Reverend Fathers in this Section made some Enquiries concerning the Nature of that Worship which is due to GOD only and that which is due to his Excellent Creatures yet I cannot forbear enquiring further upon my meeting since with what the Catechism of the Council of Trent says in p. 344 concerning the Worship and Invocation of Saints viz. That whereas we read that the Angels refus'd to be worshipp'd by Men it must be understood that they did so because they would not have that Honour done to them which was due to GOD alone For the Holy Spirit who says Honour and Glory be to GOD Only the same has commanded to honour our Parents and Elders Besides Holy Men who Worshipped one GOD only did adore Kings also i. e. did humbly reverence them Now here Reverend Fathers give me leave humbly to enquire of you Whether that Honour which is due to GOD alone and this Honour which we are commanded to give to our Parents and Elders and to Kings is of the same kind and nature and differ only in Degrees If it differs only in degrees how many degrees are due to GOD alone and how many to his excellent Creatures such as Angels and Saints and where is this determin'd in Scripture for that I must tell you I take to be the only external Revelation of the
Chysostom and by the Mozarabical Office us'd in Spain that whereas we now Pray To the Christians then Pray'd For the Souls of the Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs Confessors Preachers Evangelists and Apostles and all the Souls of the Just which died in the Faith but chiefly for the Holy Glorious and Perpetual Virgin Mary the Mother of GOD. Now I desire to know of you Whether any Protestant Writer has done this or whether it is true or false But if these things are true and can be made appear as I am pretty sure they can then I desire to know Whether the Protestants cannot with great Truth and Justice make these Conclusions upon us 1. That our Church and People now prays and makes their Confession To those very departed Souls For which the ancient Christians pray'd 2. That the Prayers which were then in use were for such Persons as by the confession even of our selves never were in Purgatory for who among us dare say that the Soul of the B. Virgin ever was in Purgatory 3. That the Ancients Practice of praying for the Dead does not at all prove their belief of a Purgatory and that there may be Prayers for the Dead and yet no Purgatory 4. That the Christians of those Times did not believe the Saints departed enjoy'd Beatifical Vision and so to be sure did not pray to them For is it not a little too gross to think of them that if they had believ'd the Saints enjoy'd Beatifical Vision they would still pray for them And if they had believ'd that the Saints did not enjoy Beatifical Vision is it not to treat them like Mad-folks to think they would pray to them And 5. and lastly May not all this be allow'd to make up a Demonstration that at least in these Articles of Invocation of Saints and the belief of Purgatory c. our Faith Doctrines and Practice are quite contrary to the First Christians SECT IV. Quere I. PRay Reverend Fathers What is that lawful Use of and due Honour and Veneration which the Council of Trent Session 25 says Ought and is to be given to the Images and Relicks of Christ and the Saints Wherein does it consist And by what acts words and signs is it to be signify'd and express'd Is it the same that is due to Christ and the Saints or is it some other different from that Whether these words of the Council Lawful and Due does not necessarily imply that the People may be guilty of giving an unlawful and an undue Honour and Veneration and if so Wherein does that consist And how may I know it to avoid it Why was not the Council so kind and so honest to tell us poor ignorant People what was lawful and due and what was not Whether in your Conscience you do not think that in those Countries where Catholicks have their full swing and have a full liberty of Worship and no body to oppose and disturb them with questions as in Spain Italy c. a great many ignorant People do not exceed in their Vse Honour and Veneration of Images and Relicks and really give them what is unlawful and undue And if so may not a Man reasonably doubt especially too when he considers that the Fathers of this Council own'd that great Abuses were then crept into these Matters and gave such strict Charge to the Bishops to Instruct the People least they should fall into dangerous Errors that this Doctrine and this Piece of Devotion of our Church does very greatly tempt ignorant Men and Women to Idolatry and Superstition Besides I think Reverend Fathers you grant that it is not a Duty commanded by GOD Why then since there is apparent danger in it for and great Abuses and Cheats practis'd by those of our Communion and that it is a very great Block of Offence to the Reformed Churches and hindrance to their being re-united to us were it not infinitely better and wiser of our Church if she entirely abolish'd it Quere II. Whether more Respect c. is not due to the Person of the meanest Beggar than to all the Images c. of Christ and his Apostles or ten thousand Saints because 't is thought that the Poor are indeed the true Image of Jesus Christ Quere III. Whether it can be deny'd that there have been Images and Pictures made to counterfeit Tears Words and Gestures Is it not highly suspitious that the Churches connivance at them at least was to induce filly People to believe there was something of Divine in them and to procure secular Honour and Advantage to the Pastors c. If this was not the reason I desire to know Why so long they were conniv'd at and suffer'd in many Places and Countries And whether the multitude of fictitious and false Relicks the suppositious Saints the Images of a false stamp and the pretended New Miracles make it not highly reasonable for us Catholicks carefully to enquire into the truth of these things before we admit and believe them And since the Council of Trent in the same Session speaks of these kind of Abuses and gives charge about them I desire of you Reverend Fathers to know by what Infallible Rule we People must examine these matters so as that we cannot possibly be deceiv'd with Counterfeits And I humbly intreat you sincerely to tell me Whether these Tricks Abuses and Cheats were not at first brought in and practised upon the Credulity of the poor ignorant and superstitious People and afterwards kept and nourisht by the Clergy for dishonest and base gain as the aforesaid Decree speaks And whether in these days we have not as much reason to question the truth of Relicks Images Miracles c. and dishonest Practises and Designs as they had in former times And if we have not I desire you to assign me good substantial Reasons for it Quere IV. I am told Reverend Fathers that since the Council of Trent there 's a new Pontifical and in that a Form for a Solemn Consecration of Images c. Now I humbly enquire for the true reason Why you Consecrate and make Prayers in the Consecration of Images and the Crucifix Is not this a very fair way to induce silly and superstitious People to believe there 's after that some sort of Divinity in them or some more than ordinary Presence or Operation in or by them Else pray tell me Why many of us have a greater opinion of one Image than of another of the same Person and in one Place rather than in another For instance the Image of the Virgin Mary Why is it not as effectual and meritorious to Worship her before her Image at Montserat as at Mont-Aigu and near at Home as at Lorretto Why do we go long and painful Pilgrimages to certain Images at certain Places if it is not at least in hopes of being better heard and finding more sure relief for praying to and worshipping of her there Would not a wise Man be apt to think