in an Assent to the Existence or Being of them precisely upon the extrinsick Testimony of that Legal Proposer of their being reveal'd who must be acknowledg'd by All to be the most convinceing to any prudent Enquirer after Christian Truth and further to be most conspicuously authoriz'd and attested by the written Word of God. However from these several rehears'd wayes of Intuitive and Abstractive Knowledges which the Saints in Glory may have of us Mortals and of our most secret thoughts and Affections at any distance It appears evidently That this their knowledge of our Petitions here made to Them is possible and is confirm'd from the aforesaid Matters of Fact several Prophets and Saints by such a Vision or Revelation or otherwise exactly knowing Things done or spoken in Absence and at a vast Distance even those things which had then no being but in the Divine Essence or in their abstractive Images as is evident in the Prophecies of the Birth Wonders and Kingdom of JESVS under the Old Law and of the Kingdom of GOD and the Saints in the New. LXVIII Thus then the glorious Saints if not by the Vivacity of their own Intellectuals in that elevated State of bliss yet by those other Mediate Helps know such Requests of their Petitioners at whatever distance as may concern Them considering their State of superabundant Charity and Pitty and the thence amplifi'd Communion of the Saints in spiritual Favours amongst themselves and also to and for us God of his Fatherly Love and Mercy graciously indulging the use of such Advocates for us who were sometimes acquainted with our Miseries and from what they then suffer'd and needed learn'd to compassion the yet afflicted Members of Christ still groaning in the Chains of Sensuality LXIX This suppos'd 't is manifest That our Addresses to the holy Mother of JESVS so Innocent so full of GRACE so exalted in Glory First by Praises Titles of Honour and sensible Acts of Veneration suiting with the degree of her super-eminent Excellencies above All Pure Creatures of whatever Stile or Perfection Next by express Invocation of her Aid for the procuring those Favours we hope by Her efficacious Intercession to God for us grounded on those Her endearing Grandeurs and Gods gracious Promises are exceedingly useful to us LXX For absolutely and universally to make void this congruous and comfortable Advantage of Saint-worship as to All Saints All Requests and All Petitioners It must be peremptorily resolv'd First That no Saint ever petition'd by Mortals can possibly by any power of God or at least doth not by any Means know any one Thing done here or at least Not any one single Request of ours Or that knowing any yet will not Mediate to God for our relief Or that Mediating for us They cannot obtain the Grant of any one Request by Them made to God for us Secondly That neither the Saint so petition'd by us nor any other Saint or Angel upon our Petition made to Them or to God through them these our Petitions known or not known to Them but seen distinctly by God They either Mediating in particular for some or more amply for all their Petitioners at any time being or yet more Generally for all their Co-members here in distress These either begging or not begging their Aid or Gods gracious Regard to those Intercessions of the Saints one of those ways made to God It must be further Resolv'd That no Saint can be assum'd even by the absolute and extraordinary Power of an Omnipotent God at his own pleasure as an Instrument of his Free and unlimited Providence for the Relief of our Necessities And that God in any wise cannot establish one Hierarchy or Empire of Illuminating Inflaming and Ministring Spirits in the two Churches Militant and Triumphant and this precisely because He is our Soveraign Lord can Himself relieve our Wants and doth with a fatherly Love invite us to come to Him Mat. 11.28 LXXI But this surely were too great boldness peremptorily to Assert since the secrets of Gods Power and Counsels are unscrutable and that the Mediation of the Saints for Sinners taught and practic'd by the Catholick Church is so congruous no where forbidden nor involves any apparent Contradiction or Vndecency For if any such knowledge of our Petitions can be in the Saints or any such Petition be made by Them to God or any Divine regard be had to our Petitions for any Saints-sake so prais'd Honour'd Worship'd or Requested by us It follows manifestly That our Saint-servitude is useful to us Because if any Saint doth any way know and relieve any Petitioner to Them or to God through Them It is useful at any time and for any want to implore their Help and Acceptableness to God who being super-abundantly Good and Bountiful 't is likely may then and thus give Relief unto us And if thus for any Saint much rather for the Glorious Mother of JESVS super-eminently priviledg'd above all Saints and Angels LXXII But there be some who would fasten upon our Catholick Addresses to the Glorious Saints That either we who pray to the Saints or God who reveals to Them our Petitions therefore doth it That the Saints may further to God the knowledge either of our Prayers or of our Wants in order to work a greater Indulgence in God to us which is an unjustifiable Calumny no where hinted at by any Catholick Tradition Council Father or Practice All agreeing in this one Verity That the Glorious Saints being exceedingly in favour with God upon account of their participated super-natural Endowments of Grace and Glory inherent in Them and transfiguring Them into a Divine Likeness and Being may more effectually obtain of Gods Clemency the Grant of our Petitions we for our Great and Frequent sins oft deserve not And it is indeed a large demonstration of our good Gods super-abundant Love to us that he makes known our Prayers to the glorious Saints by occasional Intuitive or Abstractive Illuminations and is kind to us for their sakes Albeit too God thereby preserves a congruous Subordination co-herency and Communion between the Members of the Militant and Triumphant Churches under the gracious Illapses of super-natural Lights and Graces for supporting the Dignity and Order of the spiritual Hierarchy of the Elect from the Supream Monarch of both and for the encouraging Humble and Timorous Petitioners by assigning us such glorious Advocates such powerful Co-adjutors at the Throne of a so oft provok'd Judge and amidst so many desperate and entangling Miseries Sect. XVI That the Contemplations are only a Continuation of the Antient Doctrine and Practice of the Catholick Church LXXIII THere remains now only the second and conclusive Point of this Apology The shewing from the Records of all past Ages the Doctrine and Practice offer'd to the Devotes of holy Mary the Mother of JESVS in the Contemplations on Her Life and Glory to contain nothing New besides the Method and therefore to be blameless both in the Matter
the Holy Mother of JESVS they signify a super-eminent Saint-Servitude towards Her Esteem of her super-natural State and Confidence in her Protection and Mediation Bed. Serm. de S. Mar. Inter Varia German Patr. Constant Theoria Rer. Eccles These Rules and Limits being ever observ'd in our Catholick Addresses to the Mother of JESVS what hazard can there be of dis-respect to God by usurping the Rights of his Sacred Throne and Dignity What of scandal to the Godly by equalling a Creature to the Creator Such however is the Innocent Catholick Doctrine and Practice mis-represented through Love of Party and heat of Passion mis-guided by private false Lights Sect. VIII That the Worship given to the Holy Mother of JESUS is Religious and Laudable XXVI THe Opposers of the Contemplations cannot conceive How a Worship can be Religious and not begin from a Divine Motive tend to and end in God God only So that if Religious Worship be given by us to Holy Mary they conclude our Worship to be Sacrilegious because it invades the Rights of Gods Throne and makes her a DEITY To disperse this Mist of Misrepresentation 't is confess'd That Religion though not a Theological but Moral Virtue and a branch of Justice yet hath it for its chief Act and End To give due Worship to God for his own infinite Glory whereby he is our Supream and absolute Lord our first Cause and last End. The exact and adequate Object of Religious Worship in chief is a Collection of all those sensible Signs which are apt most effectually to testify to the World our sincere Esteem Love and Submission to God in Right of those his Infinite Excellencies and therefore those Divine Perfections are the original Motive and Measure of the whole Collection of those Signs Now because those Divine Perfections so conspicuous in God do as manifestly argue in us an unavoidable dependence on God as to our whole Being Motion and Rest therefore do they create in us an indispensable obligation of using those Signs under fit Circumstances wherefore they are not only the ultimate but also the Immediate Motive and Measure of this our Religious Worship and the End of this Religious Worship is God for his own infinite Excellency by those outward Signs blessed by us who in himself is blessed for evermore XXVII Within this Collection of sensible Signs of our Religious Worship the Offering of Sacrifice is one so proper so due to God only because it manifestly testifies His and His only absolute power over Life and Death That This in all States of the Church hath been specially reserv'd as the Holy Test of Mans dependence on and Duty to God his Creator and last End as both Laws and all Fathers and Divines do affirm Malach. 1.11 1 Cor. 11.26 Aug. l. 20. contr Faust c. 21. l. 10. Civ c. 4. Nic. 2. act 6. Trid. Sess 22. c. 1. D. Th. 2. 2 q. 83. Bell. l. 1. Miss c. 6. Less l. 2. Just c. 38. n. 19. Her. p. 4. tr 3. d. 8. n. 3. Therefore do the Fathers condemn the Arabian Collyridians of a gross Idolatry in offering their Cake-Sacrifices to the Mother of JESUS Epiph. haeres 78. 79. Baron ad Ann. 373. n. 30. Sander haeres 92. Gualter haer saec 4. c. 32. which no ways reflects on those Lights and Perfumes Catholicks do sometimes burn to the honour of the holy Virgin since by none look'd on as Sacrifices or as Protestations of a Supream Dominion but only as outward Symbols of their own lively Faith and of the ascent of a clean Soul to God by Prayer For this Royal Virgin needs not our Vain and Counterfeit Honours Bern. Epist 174. being dignify'd with real Excellencies of the first Magnitude next beneath the Majesty and Attributes of the Son of the Eternal God. Greg. in 1. Reg. 1. Anselm l. Excell Virg. c. 4. Suar. de Myster Christ d. 18. Sect. 4. Her. 4. tr 1. d. 4. n. 15. XXVIII But as to other sensible Actions by Us us'd in our Worship of God as Tests of our inward Value of Gods Omnipotency and Protestation of our own absolute dependence though they may be indifferently us'd by us as well in our Civil as in our Sacred acts of Veneration we owe to our Betters in either States Yet being assum'd and directed by the Virtue of Religion and having the Majesty of God for their Motive and the acknowledgement of his Omnipotency and of our dependence for their Ends They are properly and perfectly Acts of Religious Worship Yea these same Acts by reason of the aforesaid Indifferency to signify any Civil or Sacred Worship even as us'd in our Saint-Servitude only to express our acknowledgement of their Holy and Glorious State may proceed from the Motive End and Inclination of Religion whereby whether Immediately or only Mediately we do ever ultimately make profession of Gods Glory to which all knees must bow So that all these indifferent Actions even when refer'd to the Saints may be call'd Religious without giving the Saints any Divine Homage or otherwise invading the Just Limits of Gods Sanctuary XXIX For clearing this Truth and for removing the Ismaelites Rock of Scandal Observe That the participated Excellencies of Holiness Grace and Glory of the Saints may be consider'd two ways First absolutely and as those super-natural Gifts are habitually inherent in them and being diffus'd through their Souls do intrinsically imbellish Them and render them really Holy Just and Glorious Creatures Secondly Relatively or as those Excellencies do confer on these blessed Spirits a special super-natural and transfigurating Report to God whose accomplish'd Images they now are by consummated Holiness Grace and Glory and by Divine Vision Fruition and Tention made One Spirit with God intentionally in that blessed State. 2 Cor. 3.18 1 Jo. 3.2 2 Petr. 1.4 Aug. tr 2. in 1 Jo. Dion l. Div. Nom. c. 4. Bon. p. 4. Centiloq Sect. 1. For thus Divine Grace as the Seed of God 1 Jo. 3.9 transforms glorified Creatures into a Divine Being by participation of Authentick Marks and Covenants of Gods intimate Presence within Them of indelible Badges of his Friendship to Them and of their powerful Acceptableness to Him in his Sacred Courts and Councils for the promoting and propagating the Communion of the Saints and consequently by These Excellencies Seals the Saints with a super-naturalizing Character of Gods Image dignifies them with the Tale of his Temple and Sanctuary and adorns them with the stupendious Prerogatives of his Friends Favourites and adoptive Children XXX Now although the Super-natural Perfections of the Saints positively or absolutely consider'd as their glorious Endowments do challenge from us Mortals in this our State of Exile some Servitude or Worship and this far above Civil Respect by the Rules of Moral Politicks due to the Grandees of this World because they confer a degree of Excellency transcending the whole Sphere of Moral Vertue Civil power and Imperial Majesty Jo.
and Design being only a new model'd Continuation of the Devotions of our Fore-Fathers in several Ages Tongues and Nations supported by an uniform Tradition of Holy Fathers Doctors and Preachers and co-herent with the un-interrupted Authority of the suceeeding Chief Eminential and Representative Governours of the Catholick Church who are the Fathers of our Faith under Christ And certainly it must appear to any Rational and considering Christian to be an extream Folly and Insolent Madness according to St. Augustine's Rule Epist 118. ad Jan. to dispute a Catholick Doctrine and Duty which the whole Church hath canoniz'd as holy and profitable by her perpetual Acceptance and Practice and whose Opposers have still been branded with the vilest Notes and Characters of Ignominy by the undoubted Rulers and Pastors of that Church and accounted Violators of the Majesty Innocency Holiness and Glory of the Son while they abrogate or impair the Honour of his Divine Sanctuary Holy Mary the Mother of JESVS For the Ignominy and Scorns past on the Parent is also the contumely of the Child Eccl. 3.13 LXXIV Nor may we abridge the Veneration due to Holy Mary since her Son JESVS would not infringe a Rule of Honour to Her engrafted by Nature in All Children and by Grace confirm'd and recommended to all Luc. 2.51 Since the Holy Ghost hath through all States of Gods People since Adams Fall by the Pens of the Divine Writers pronounc'd the lofty and Magnificent Panegyricks of the Mother of JESVS Gen. 3.15 Psalm 86.3 Matt. 1.16 and since our Soveraign Lord has by a special Commission made all Christians adoptive Children of the Mother of JESVS and by his last breath oblig'd all to accept Her as such and to pay all those Marks of Honour to Her which may become that Duty and report we have to JESVS Jo. 19.27 So that there cannot be a greater Reproach cast upon a Christian next to his Apostacy from Christ by Heresie or Schism than to contaminate this holy Sanctuary of Christ by ravishing the Honour and Veneration due to Holy Mary who gave to JESVS those rich Springs of peace-making Blood which was the price of the World the Laver of our Souls and purchase of our Glory and by whom all Nations are bless'd In pursuance of which Magnificent Favours all Generations of the Catholick Church have been ever busie in the Praises Honour and Worship of that rich Fountain whence those precious Streams of super-natural Blessings issu'd and in courting Her by their humble Addresses for Protection and Intercession to God for us Whence such copious Blessings have already flow'd in the Souls of the Saints the living Images of God and Temples of his Sanctity Grace and Glory All which will manifestly appear by the following Testimonies of the Fathers in the several Ages of the Church carrying in themselves and handing unto us the sense and Practice of the Diffusive Church holding Communion with and Obedience to the Eminential and Representative Sect. XVII Illustrious Testimonies of the Reverence of the first Age of the Church towards the Holy Mother of JESUS as a Rule to all succeeding Ages thereof LXXV THE first Age offers to us the sacred and venerable Testimonies of the holy Evangelists Apostles and some Fathers of the Infant Church of Christ though only glancing briefly at the eminent Priviledges Perfections and Merits of this Divine Creature and the consequent efficacy of her Power at the throne of Mercy of her Son JESVS Under which Heads they have left unto all following Ages the most Illustrious and pithy Panegyricks on the Mother of God that could ever be proclaim'd by the Tongue of Men or Angels that have served to all succeeding Doctors and Preachers through all Nations as Theams for their Sermons and Orations and which are of that Majesty and efficacy as to bend the knees of all Pure Creatures unto her as their powerful Queen and Advocate LXXVI First then as to the Illustrious Prerogatives of Holy Mary she is stiled the Spouse of the Holy Ghost (a) What is born in Mary is of the Holy Ghost Matt. 1.20 The Holy Ghost shall come down upon Thee and the Virtue of the most High shall over-shadow Thee Luke 1.35 Matt. 1.20 Luc. 1.35 The Mother of JESVS (b) Of Mary is born JESVS Matt. 1.16 This is the Son of Mary Mark 6.2 Matt. 1.16 Mar. 6.2 and the Miraculous Instrument of the ineffable Vnion of Con-subsistence of God and Man in the Person of the eternal Word and the Rich Fountain of the Blood of JESVS saving on the Cross sanctifying in the Sacraments and pleading at the Tribunal of Gods Justice (c) Thou shalt call his Name JESVS for he shall save his People from their sins Matt. 1.21 He healed many of their Sicknesses and Sores and of evil Spirits and gave sight to many blind Luke 7.21 Neither is there any other Name under Heaven given to Men in which we have Right to be saved Act. 4.12 God fent his Son made of a Woman made subject to the Law that he might redeem those who were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Children Gal. 4.4 5. Thou wert slain and didst redeem us in thy blood Apoc. 5.9 Matt. 1.21 Luke 7.21 Act. 4.12 Gal. 4.4 5. Apoc. 5.9 Titles far above those of Queen of Angels and Refuge of Sinners LXXVII Next for the most sublime virtues of holy Mary The Evangelists recommend unto us Her fervent Practice of Divine Contemplation of Extatick Prayer and of giving praises to her Almighty Benefactor (a) Mary conserv'd all these words meditating on them in her heart Luke 2.19 All persever'd in Prayer with one accord with Mary the Mother of JESVS Act. 1.14 Let my Soul magnifie my Lord c. Luke 1.47 Luke 2.19 Act. 1.14 Luke 1.47 Her exeellent Faith. (b) Blessed art Thou who hast believed Luke 1.45 Luke 1.45 Admirable Purity (c) The Angel was sent to a Virgin espoused unto Joseph and the Name of the Virgin was Mary Luke 1.27 How shall this be done for I know not Man. 34. Let it be done to Me as thou hast said 38. Luke 1.27.34 38. Profound Humility (d) Behold the Handmaid of our Lord. Luke 1.38 Mary arising went to the Mountains 39. Luke 1.38 39. Perfect Obedience (e) Mary went to the Mountains in great hast Luke 1.39 Mary big with Child goes from Nazereth to Bethleem to obey the command of Caesar Luke 2.5 Luke 1.39 2.5 Her Fidelity and Obsequiousness (f) They found JESVS with Mary his Mother Matt. 2.11 Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months Luke 1.36 Matt. 2.11 Luke 1.56 Her incomparable Fortitude and Patience (g) Joseph goeth from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary his Spouse then big with Child Luke 2.4.5 Mary the Mother of JESVS stood near the Cross Jo. 19.25 The Sword of the Sorrows of JESVS shall penetrate thy very Soul. Luke 2.35 Luke 2.4 Jo. 19.25
that we sacrifice to any of the Saints but to the God of the Saints only though we erect Altars to God in remembrance of the Saints St. Isidore oft dilates himself in the Praises and Worship of holy Mary and shews that the Catholick Saint-Servitude derogates not from that Worship which is due to God only (d) Ildefons l. Virginit Mar. c. 12. Venio ad Te sola Virgo Mater Dei Procido coram Te humilior coram Te Rogo Te ut obtineas deleri facta peccati Mei ut jubeas mundari me ab iniquitate operis Mei ut facias me diligere gloriam Virtutis tuae ut reveles mihi multitudinem Dulcedinis Filii tui ut mihi des loqui defendere Fidei sinceritatem Filii tui Concedas etiam mihi adhaerere Deo Tibi Illi sicut factori meo Tibi sicut Genitrici factoris Mei c. I approach to Thee O only Virgin Mother of God I prostrate my self before Thee I humble my self before Thee I beseech Thee obtain the cancelling of all my sinful Works command me to be cleansed from the Iniquity of my Crimes make me covet the Glory of thy Virtues reveal unto me the Plenty of the sweetness of thy Son Grant that I may profess and defend the true Faith of thy Son and that I may adhere to God and Thee To Him as my Creator to Thee as to the Mother of my Creator c. And St. Ildephons prostrating himself before the holy Mother of God conjures her by whatever is Sacred and Mysterious in the Conception of the eternal Word to obtain of Him the Remission of his Sins to command his delivery from all Iniquity to render him emulous of her own transcendent Vertues and to give Him a relish of the delicious Treasures of the Love of JESVS XCI The Opposers of our Catholick Saint-Servitude as taught and used by Christians of all Ages and Nations of the Apostolical Church regarding more the rind and Criticism of Words than the Spirit and Truth of Christianity discover'd by the Holy Fathers are much offended at the Phrase of Command sometimes us'd in our Addresses to the Mother of JESVS in order to his Divine and Theandrick Operations appertaining to Mans Redemption and Sanctification by Grace as in this passage of St. Ildefons Thence inferring our manifest Idolatry in Worshipping and Invocating Holy MARY as the chief and absolute Soveraign over Souls and Author of Grace and Holiness Calvin l. 3. Instit c. 20. n. 22. Answer p. 25. Specul p. 17. XCII But as the erecting of Temples and Consecrating Altars therein under the Patronage and Protection of Holy Mary the Mother of JESVS and the Ordaining Priests to offer Sacrifice there upon Her Festivals or the Imposing her Sacred Name in Baptismal Regeneration or making Holy Vows of Evangelical Perfection in a Religious Society establish'd in Memory of some Excellent Mystery of her Life c. cannot be reputed Idolatry because none of these Acts are design'd immediately properly and absolutely to Holy Mary but to God only the Supream Lord of all Creatures though by Appropriation performed in Remembrance of Her or of some Mystery relating to Christ or of some signal Favour obtain'd of Christ by her more powerful Intercession and Protection as by a super-eminent Saint a more glorious Image of the Divine Perfections and most endear'd Favourite in the Court of Heaven gratefully piously and duely acknowleg'd by those our external Acts So neither can those sensible Marks of that great Confidence Catholicks conceive of the power of the holy Mother of JESVS within his Spiritual Empire in Requesting Her to bestow Temporal or Spiritual Gifts or even to command us to be cleansed from sin which cannot be done but by the power of JESVS only in the known sense of the holy Church he esteem'd an Invasion of Gods Imperial Power or a Giving to Holy Mary that Religious Worship which is proper to JESVS the Son of the eternal God who alone is the absolute Creator and Giver of Life Light Grace and of all Good Things Eph. 2.8 Jac. 1.17 And the Soveraign Lord of All by Essence and indispensably in whole and in part Levit. 19.4 Ps 23.1 Insomuch that although God covenanting with his Church to assist her Governours Eminential or Representative in Teaching all Truth to co-operate with her Ministers of Sacraments in Sanctifying well-dispos'd Believers and to give Life everlasting to Faithful Laborours in his Vineyard with proportion to their Merits in Christ by Virtue of his Fidelity whereby his promise and performance still run parallel Matt. 28.20 Jo. 20.23 Scot. 4. d. 1. q. 5. n. 12. 2 Tim. 4.8 Trid. Sess 6. c. ult Yet in Right of Gods Essential Supremacy over all Creatures and Independency on all no Creature of whatever Spiritual magnitude can claim any Gift of his Mercy or power over his Will upon any strict Obligation of Justice Alens p. 1. q. 39. m. 1. D. Thom. q. 21. a. 1. D. Bon. 4. d. 46. a. 2. q. 1. Scot. q. 1. n. 4. 11. Smif tom 1. disp 4. q. 5. n. 45. But as St. Aug. 1. Conf. 4. says he gives what 's due though Debter to none because as St. Anselm remarks Prosolog c. 10. God is Just not giving as due but doing what becomes his Infinite Goodness upon his promise passed in his Gospel of Truth and Grace under the Seals of his most tender Love to Believers XCIII Whence 't is manifest according to the Doctrine and Spirit of the Catholick Church First that Faith Remission of sins and sanctifying Grace are not the principal proper and Physical Gifts of any however glorious Creature Secondly that God is not rigorously subject to any power beneath himself as to the dispensing his Gifts and Graces to us Thirdly That therefore whatever the Forms of our Prayers are their design is only to desire Gods gracious and glorified Servants to pray for us and according to the amplitude of their participated super-natural Dignity and the acceptableness of their Prayers according to the Measure of that Dignity covenanted for in the Gifts of Grace earnestly and effectually to obtain of God those Gifts for us purely by their Mediation of Intercession with God according to the known Decree of this Sixth General Council under Pope Agatho c. 7. Vnusquisque Christianus solo Deo adorato invocet Sanctos ut pro se intercedere apud Divinam Majestatem dignentur Having given Divine Worship to God only let every Christian pray to the Saints that they would vouchsafe to interceed to the Divine Majesty for them Syn. Constant Gen. 6. c. 7. And according to the practice of the Fathers of the Fourth General Council under Pope Leo the Great act 11. Flavianus post mortem Vivit Martyr pro nobis oret Flavian though dead lives Let the Martyr pray for us Syn. Gen. Chalced. act 11. XCIV Wherefore although according to the true Spirit of the Gospel of JESVS Catholicks