in Scripture then are we bound to believe it for this is a general crime in this Age that men think nothing can be true if their narrow capacities cannot comprehend it as if all the mysteries of our Faith were so open for every ones understanding to enter the knowledge of them which if they were so then there were no need of Faith because Faith is onely required in those things our natures cannot comprehend and so might every Turk and Pagan be as good a Believer as a Christian therefore for the redress of this evil we are to understand whether Christ gave this power to his Apostles or no for if they had the power to pardon sins as being the Heads of his Church the same power must remain to their Successours in that Church because otherwise all succeeding Ages would receive no benefit by that gift which our Saviour gave for the good of us all that lay hold of it And to prove that they had this power is plain and easie enough first from Saint Matthews Gospel where our Saviour telling Saint Peter he would build his Church on him he saith Mat. 16. v. 18 19. And I will give thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven by which it is clear that he had a great power given him to pardon or not to pardon and that those which he did not pardon on earth should not be pardoned in heaven which is the same in Gods Church to this day and therefore let every one consider what reason they have to be members of it by which consists our eternal salvation Again our Saviour tells his Disciples in general saying Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven Mat. 18. v. 18. and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven by which it is plain that they had this power of remission of sins and to deny the same power to their Successours in Gods Church would in my esteem be very unreasonable And as in all other points of Faith the contempt of them proceeds from a want of a right understanding of them as I have shown elsewhere so is it the same in this for it is buzzed in poor peoples ears Can man pardon sins or can Priests forgive us or the Pope absolve us without any consideration of the nature of it at all for if we rightly understood our selves or did but consult with reason we should soon be undeceived in this mystery For in the first place know that it is the gift of Christ himself and therefore not to be questioned by any man Secondly Priests cannot pardon sins by any natural power they have more then other men but by a supernatural grace from God we know and confess that it appertains to God onely by nature to pardon sins and so doth many other things as working of Miracles and casting out of Devils and healing the sick and the like which power we know God hath given unto men as well as the other proved by Christ himself where he speaking of all that truly believed in him saith he These signes shall follow Mark 16. v. 17 18. in my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover now it is certain all these excellencies appertains to God by nature but if he is pleased to give this power to men what reason have we to question or be offended with it which power is equal to that of remission of sins and we see are both given to men by God Thirdly we are to consider that Priests do not pardon our sinnes immediately from themselves but Ministerially as when they apply the words of Absolution on us God hath promised to pardon us otherwayes he will not John 20. v. 23. as Christ saith Whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained so that you see this is plainly true if you dare believe Christ himself Now that this may not seem strange to you do but consider that great vertue that is in Baptisme where by the application of water and a few words by the Priest or Minister the childe is pardoned of all its original sin now it is not the Minister nor Water nor words that pardons the Childe but God himself who is pleased by them and that means to do it and yet it is so far from dishonouring God that he is honoured by it because it is his holy will it should be so and this all Protestants believe which is as great a gift of God to mankinde as is the other and by all people thus plainly understood will not appear so strange and monstrous as they are made believe it is now we may plainly see how far those kinde of men are from being in Gods Church that do not onely not practise this truth but rail against and contemn it though it be published by our Blessed Saviour himself for the good of the whole world Again consider if God had not ordained this in his Church how should we know that our sins are pardoned by God at all or when they are so pardoned but that he hath promised when they do it on earth he will do it in heaven and this is our onely assurance and as it were a mark by which we know our sins are pardoned that we may thank his Divine Name for it which otherwise we should be very uncertain when to do I shall conclude this Chapter with that wholesome Counsel of St. Augustine who desireth That none make doubt of the Priests right in Remission of Sins Aug. No. Test q. 53 seeing the Holy Ghost is purposely given them to do the same in which case if any be yet contentious he must deny the Holy Ghost to be God and not to have power to pardon sins And onely adde that of St. Ambrose who saith St. Amb. lib. 1. c 7. de peuitent Why should it be more dishonour to God or more impossible or inconvenient for men to forgive sins by Pennance then by Baptisme seeing that it is the Holy Ghost that doth it by the Priests Office and Ministery in both Chap. 13. Proving the Churches Vniversality and that no Church is or can be Catholick but the Roman against the Opinion of Protestants OF all the great actions that God hath openly done for mankinde there is none that he hath declared more apparently then that his Church should be spread in all parts and corners of the whole world to the intent that all Nations hearing the sound of the Gospel there could be none that might plead any ignorance in the not hearing of it Now as this shall be proved by the words of Christ himself
in either place we know there is no coming out as Saint Luke saith Luke 16. v. 26. speaking of Dives and the other Lazarus so that we must conclude his soul to be in that temporal Hell spoken of in our Creed or no where at all and Holy David cryes out to God saying Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell for Lord thou lovest me c. Now this may be objected two wayes against Protestants First that if it meant the Grave what should his soul do to be left there And secondly if it means that temporall Hell as undoubtedly it doth then it plainly shows that his soul was there because it saith Thou wilt not leave it in Hell We may gather much to our present purpose from the last Text mentioned in Saint Luke where Dives being in Hell lift up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off ver 23. and Lazarus in his bosom which plainly proves Abraham and Lazarus not to be in Heaven for could the damned in Hell see the Saints in Heaven it would be no Hell to them since the sight of Heaven is so glorious it would take away the sense of Hell and so make them happy in that unhappy place Again if Abraham had been in Heaven according to Protestants opinion they could not hear one the other speak being at that vast distance as Heaven and Hell is for they say how can the Saints hear our prayers on earth much less if not so could they hear them in Hell We may again observe that the place where Abraham and the Fathers were was not far from the local Hell of the damned but as St. Augustine saith The upper part or over it some distance where holy Abraham saith ver 26. there was a gulf that separated the passage one to the other because they could both see and speak one to the other And thus having made it so manifestly appear I hope none that professes the truth of the Bible will now any more defile their souls with envy to the holy Catholick Church which teacheth all truth and nothing but the truth if you had but as right an understanding of all that is there taught as you have of this but be rather induced to the practice of it and with Saint Augustin to conclude Who is there but an Infidel August 99. Ep. in prin will deny that Christ was in this temporal Hell Chap. 5. Proving that Angels and Saints in Heaven do know what passeth here on Earth and so consequently may be prayed to by us for their mediation to God in our behalf THe mindes of men being naturally inclined to search and know the nature of hidden things doth oftentimes take indirect wayes to accomplish the knowledge of them and yet come short in their designs too This thing as it was the sin of our first Parents so is it a great corruption in this present age amongst many thousands which would make us believe they know on earth what power and happiness the Blessed Angels and Saints have in heaven and will grant them no more priviledge then what their shallow brains can comprehend they have quite contrary to that saying of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2. ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him so infinitely out of our understanding are the qualities of glorified souls which Angels and Saints are But to let those people know how much they deceive themselves in fostering such pernicious opinions I will prove both by Scripture and Reason that they do know all our actions here on earth and that it is agreeable to the nature of Angels to know them my first place is from Saint Lukes Gospel Luke 2. ver 13. where so soon as our Saviour was born on earth the Angels came from heaven to the Shepheards to anounce it to them and singing with great joy a little before one in particular told them ver 10. that he preached to them great joy for a Saviour was born to them by which it is plain that the Angel knew when he was in heaven that he was born so likewise our Saviour when he was in the Wilderness after his temptation the Text saith Mat. 4. ver 11. The Angels came and ministred unto him by which you may see how ready those blessed Spirits are in all things and occasions to assist in our salvation Again when our Blessed Saviour was in his direful Agony in the Garden sweating drops of Blood for us Saint Luke saith Luke 22. ver 43. There appeared an Angel to him from heaven and strengthned him from which words we may gather 1. That if Angels lent their assistance to strengthen Christ who is the God of strength much more will they to us by Gods permission who are of our selves nothing but weakness 2. That if they knew not what passeth on earth how could they so readily assist us as we read in many places of the Bible they have done and as I shall prove hereafter Our Saviour saith likewise by the same Evangelist Luke 15. ver 13. That there is joy in heaven of the Angels at the conversion of a sinner by which it is clear that they must know when every sinner is converted or how should they know when to rejoyce So likewise in the tran figuration of our Saviour Christ Moses and Elias appeared to him and talked with him so that if they being out of this world had not known of his being on Mount Thabor Mark 9. ver 4. how should they have waited upon him And again our Saviour saith That his Apostles shall sit with him in judgement Mat. 19. ver 28. and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel and Saint Paul saith The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. ver 1.2 which could not be if they did not know what passeth in the world for in reason no Judge can or will pass Sentence upon any man before he knows what he is guilty of by all which it is as manifest and clear as to see the Sun when it shines in the Firmament that Angels and Saints know what passeth here on earth Again it is very much to our purpose to consider what passed at the Death of Saint Stephen where the Text saith He looked into heaven Acts 7. ver 54 55 56. and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God from whence it is evident and plain that if Saint Stephen could upon earth see into heaven where God himself was that he can now being glorified in heaven see and know what passeth upon earth in a far larger measure and so may be prayed unto for his assistance Ver. 60. for if he at his Death had so much charity to pray
for the pardon of his enemies that did not desire it we need not question but his charity is much more now and will be infinitely more ready to pray to God for those that are his friends and Members of the same Church which do heartily beg it of him and as we see his prayer then took effect with God for the conversion of his chiefest enemy Saul which was presently after so we may justly hope that God will bestow his graces upon us by his holy Intercession But for your further instruction consider what knowledge God gave to all the Prophets of old time to foretell all those great things that happened in the world in our Saviours time and since which we know were all true and if God gave such power to men when they were upon earth do we think that God deprives Angels or those Prophets that are now in heavenly glory of that power or that Christs blessed Mother which prophesied that all generations should call her blessed Luke 1. ver 48. doth not know that she is so called by all generations it were a madness beyond compare to imagine such a foolish thing which is so contrary to the express word of God I shall now conclude my discourse of this subject with one example which I think had there been no Scripture to have proved what I have said would be of force enough with any reasonable person to induce them to the belief of it We all know by our faith that the Devil was once an Angel of heaven and since his fall from that happy place it is all his design to make us miserable and we all by sad experience know that he knows all our actions as when we would do good he strives to hinder us and when we intend to do evil he sets us forward in the performance of it Nay when we do not intend evil he puts it into our mindes to do it and all the sins we commit is from the Devil and I pray how came he by this power but only as he was once an Angel of heaven let us not think God gave him this power since he was a Devil of Hell or that God which dearly loves our salvation as is plainly shown by him in the Death of his Son for us would give more power to the Devil to work our destruction then he doth to the good Angels which desire and assist us in our salvation we know too well that he leads thousands to sin at one time and do we not think the holy Angels endeavour the same to lead us to vertue we know or may know to our costs that he is watchful and diligent to bring us to ruine and do we not think the Angels are as careful to guard us from it so that for any one to deny this truth must certainly be possest with an heathenish spirit which will shut its eyes against all Christian verities Now what hath been said chiefly of the Angels is the same of the Saints in heaven which are in the same place and glory and esteem with God according to that of our blessed Saviour speaking to the Sadduces about the Resurrection Luke 20. ver 36. That they which should be worthy to obtain heaven should dye no more but should be equal to the Angels Thus having as I think shown sufficiently the truth of this point I shall next proceed to shew you how we may lawfully without derogation to Christs Intercession desire them to pray to God for us and with this conclude that certainly God will never permit those the society of Angels that live and dye in so poor and beggarly esteem of those glorious spirits Chap. 6. Proving that since it is evident that Angels and Saints can hear our prayers we may lawfully pray to them as Intercessours for us to God IT is a thing not a little to be admired when we consider that man which by nature loveth those things which may make him happy should yet himself be the onely obstacle of his not being truly so we all naturally desire heaven but through the corruption of that nature in us we take the wrong course to obtain it for what wise man can think that they which hate society with Angels and Saints whilst they are on earth can ever attain that happiness in heaven since those that touch at the honour of them touches the apple of Gods eye as our Blessed Saviour said to his Disciples when they were upon earth He that hateth you hateth me and he that loveth you loveth me Mat. 10. v. 42. And if any one give but a cup of cold water in the name of a Disciple he should not lose his reward so dear are all his servants to him and if so while they are on this dunghill earth sure they are much more dear to him in his Palace of Heaven and we can no wayes bonour God more next to the Worship of himself then by respecting and having communion with his heavenly Citizens whilst we are on earth and besides it is an Article of our Faith in the Creed I believe the Communion of Saints which we that are on earth can no wayes do but by our praying to them and their praying for us and this is the true Communion of Saints Gen. 48. v. 16. Agreeable to this shall you finde in Holy Scripture how Jacob after he blessed his Son Joseph he invokes an Angel to bless Josephs Sons saying The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless these lads so here you see it was the practice of this holy man by which we may have the less reason to scruple it but observe what he saith more And let my name and the names of my Fathers Abaham and Isaac be named by them which infers that they should invoke their names in the behalf of their obtaining any thing from God and it is frequently mentioned in Scripture of desiring mercy from God for Abraham Isaac and Jacobs sake and for thy servant Davids sake all this we know to be true and will it think you displease God to desire mercy from him for the Blessed Virgin Maries sake or St. Peter or St. Pauls sake Job 5. v. 1. who were as holy persons as ever the other were so we may see in holy Jobs time it was practised for Eliphaz upbraiding of him saith Call now Zach. 1. ver 1. if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn so in the Prophet Zachariah we finde an Angel praying for Jerusalem Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years now what can be desired more plain then these places are if we are not wilfully blinde It will cause every one both to the belief and practice of this sacred Communion with those blessed spirits