succeeded them for certaine ages continued in their Doctrine and exercised the deuotion of Prayer according to the forme appointed by them And concerning latter times our exception is the same with our Sauiours in another case Math. 19.8 From the beginning it was not so and we say with Saint Cyprian to all latter examples If veritie be changed or leane a toside wee must looke backe and returne to Diuine Euangelicall and Apostolike Tradition and deriue the order of our Action from the originall ground where it first began And Tertullian saith If a custome proceeding from ignorance or simplicitie be confirmed by vse of succession and opposed against veritie we must obserue that neither space of time nor priuiledge of persons may prescribe against truth for Christ is eternall and before all and in like sort veritie is most antient IESVIT I answer That the Primmar or Office so tearmed of our Ladie is not an Office properly and principally directed vnto her but an Office containing praises of God taken out of holy Scripture wherein commemoration of her is made so as I dare say That the Prayers of the Office of our Ladie that are directed towards her make not the hundred part thereof And seeing it is most certaine that the Christian Church in her best times did frequently pray vnto Saints what reason haue wee to thinke that in her set forme of Prayers she did not vse to craue the intercessions of Saints If it be lawfull pious and profitable when we pray vnto God to pray also to Saints by their Mediation offering our Prayer to him why should any dislike the doing of this in a set forme that is allowed by the Church why should this displease rather than an extemporall forme But further wee can prooue That the Church in her best times did pray vnto Saints in set formes as Catholickes now doe euen with a kinde of Lettanies a forme of Prayer acknowledged and confessed by the Magdeburgians to haue beene in vse euen in the fourth age after Christ. Jn which age the foure first generall Councells were held ANSWER You denie that the Primar or Office of our Ladie is an office properly and principally directed to her c. But the reason whereupon you ground this denyall is slight for although there is a mixture of Prayers and Praises to God contained in this Office yet the Virgin Marie is as directly and properly inuocated therein as God himselfe or Iesus Christ besides you haue many Psalters and Primers of our Ladie and in some of them the Virgin Marie is the most speciall Obiect and matter of the seruice The Romane Breuiarie saith In this day of solemnitie and gladnesse wee call vpon the sweet name of Marie And to the Apostles O yee to whose command the health and infirmitie of all is subiect heale all those that bee sicke in manners restoring vs to vertues To Thomas Didimus O Thomas Didimus by Christ whom thou deseruedst to touch we beseech thee with our loud sounding Prayers to succour vs wretches that wee be not damned with the wicked in the comming of the Great Iudge To the blessed Virgin Wash away our offences that we being redeemed by thee may be able to obtaine the seate of euerlasting glorie Also All haile holy Virgin the medecine of all our sorrowes by whom death was expelled and life brought in The Romane Breuiarie teacheth vs to pray That the merits of the Saints Abdon and Senon interceding we may deserue to be deliuered from all our necessities And for Leo his merits interceding absolue vs from all sinnes Also By the sword of sorrow which went thorow the Virgins heart and the compassion of teares which she shed vnder the Crosse haue mercie on vs. Also Let the Host to be consecrate bee pleasing vnto thee by the celebritie of the Martirs Primus and Faelicianus that by their glorious merits and Prayers it may purge our sinnes and reconcile to thee the Prayers of thy seruants The like superlatiue boldnesse was in the enditing and publishing Bonauentures Psalter wherein God and Christ are sacrilegiously robbed yea blasphemously dishonoured to embelish the Virgin Marie yet all this the Church of Rome digesteth permitteth authoriseth c. In that Psalter these and the like formes of Prayer are extant Oh blessed Lady my Sauiour I will put my confidence in thee and I shall not need to feare Oh blessed Ladie our Saluation is placed in thy hands who thou pleasest shall be saued and they shall perish eternally from whom thou turnest away thy face Blessed art thou my Lady the mother of the God of Israell who by thee hath visited and sent redemption vnto his people and hath raised vp the horne of Saluation euen thy chastitie in the house of Dauid thy seruant c. Thou ô Marie shalt be called the Prophet of God by thee hath he giuen the knowledge of Saluation for the remission of sinnes by the bowels of the multitude of thy mercies Visit vs ô thou day starre arising from an high Thou art the gate of Paradise the ladder of Heauen the Arke of Pietie and Grace the spring of Mercie the Mediatrix of God and men And in the same Psalter these words are found Whosouer will be saued aboue all things he must haue stedfast Faith of the Virgin Marie and the right Faith is among other Articles God assumed her bodily into Heauen where she sits on the right hand of Christ c. Secondly the Iesuit prooueth that set formes of prayers to Saints are lawfull by this Argument If it be lawfull to make intercessions to Saints then it is lawfull to performe this in a set forme But the first is true for the Primitiue Church did this and the Magdeburgians confesse That a kind of Letanie to Saints was vsed in Primitiue times Ergo c. I answer That if by Primitiue Church be vnderstood the Church Primitiue comprehending the Apostles and their immediate successours then the proofe of the assumption is false for that Primitiue Church vsed no such deuotion And if by Primitiue Church be vnderstood extensiue exclusiue the Church after the three hundred yeares inuocation of Saints was not vsed by the whole Church for three hundred yeares more neither can the practise of any Church excluding the Apostles produce doctrine of Faith or of necessarie duetie The Magdeburgians rehearse out of a counterfeit worke fathered vpon Athanasius a set prayer vsed to the Virgin Marie but they adde apparet multa esse deprauata supposita in istorum doctorum scriptis It is apparant that many things depraued and supposititious are found among the writings of these Doctors IESVIT But they will perchance say that they do not so much dislike set formes of prayer vnto Saints as some phrases and speeches in our praying bookes that seeme to giue too much vnto creatures as our calling the blessed Virgin Mother of
Sacrifices were offered to God onely Exod 22.20 Iud. 13.16.2 Chron. 34.25 so likewise oblations and vowes Deut. 23.21 Leuit. 24.5.6 and as the Lord condemned people of Idolatrie for sacrificing to creatures so the Israelites are reprooued for burning incense to the brasen Serpent 2. Kings 18.4 and to the queene of heauen Ierem. 44.25 This law in respect of the substance is morall and consequently obligeth Christian people as well in case of Oblations as of Sacrifices Now by what authoritie and right the Roman Church can abrogate this law in whole or in part and appropriating Sacrifices to God make prayer vowes Incense and oblations common to God and Saints our aduersaries haue not as yet made remonstrance and the Iesuit in this place alleadgeth no diuine authoritie to giue his Maiestie satisfaction but produceth onely an historicall narration out of S. Augustine and 〈◊〉 who report certaine miracles wrought by God Almightie at the Sepulchres of Martyrs IESVIT I answer if any Catholike should offer to the blessed mother of God by way of sacrifice any the least thing he were seuerely to be rebuked and better instructed for sacrifice is a religious homage due to God onely in which respect the sacrifice of the holy Eucharist is neuer offered vnto any but vnto God in memorie and honour of Saints herein the Collyridians women Priests did erre who did sacrifice a wafer cake vnto the blessed Virgin which kind of worship vnder the title of adoration S. Epiphanius reprooues allowing the Catholike worship as thereby tearming her honourable not for humane or ciuill but for diuine and supernaturall respects True it is that in Catholike countryes people offer vnto Saints lights flowers and cheynes not as sacrifices but as ornaments to set foorth their tombes and shrines wherein they doe not dissent from antiquitie nor from Gods holy will who hath confirmed such deuotions by miracle as diuers Authours worthy of all credit relate particularly S. Augustine by Protestants allowed as the most faithfull witnesse of antiquitie He tells that a woman starke blind recouered her sight by laying to her eyes flowers which had touched the shrine wherein were carried about the Relikes of the most glorious Martyr S. Stephan A more wonderfull example in the same kind he relateth done vpon an old man of good note who being sicke and readie to die did yet very obstinately refuse to beleeue in Christ and leaue his Idolatrie although he was very earnestly mooued thereunto by his children that were zealous Christians His son in law despairing to preuaile by persuasion resolued to goe and pray at the tombe of S. Stephan and hauing performed his deuotions with burning affection with many groanes and 〈◊〉 being to depart tooke with him some flowers that were on the shrine and laid them secretly vnder his father in law his head the night as he went to sleepe Behold the next morning the old man awaking outof his sleepe cryeth out desiring them to come to call the Bishop to baptise him He had his desire he was baptised afterwards as long as he liued he had this prayer in his mouth Lord Iesu receiue my spirit being altogether ignorant that that prayer was the last speech of S. Stephan when he was stoned to death by the Iewes which also were the last words of this happy old man for not long after pronouncing these words be gaue vp his soule Other oblations also Catholikes vse to offer vnto Saints not as sacrifices but as memories and monuments of benefits receiued as pictures of limmes by Saints prayers miraculously cured that therein they doe not deflect from antient Christian deuotion and that the Christian Church in her best times vsed vniuersally to make such oblations Theodoret is a sufficient witnesse who writing against the Gentiles alleadgeth as a manifest signe of Christs Godhead and omnipotencie that Idols being excluded he brought in Martyrs to be honoured in their roome not superstitiously as Gods but Religiously as diuine men inuocating and beseeching them to be Intercessours for them vnto God And those that piously and faithfully pray obtaine what they desire as testifie the oblations which they being therevnto bound by their vowes present in the Chappels of the Saints as tokens of health recouered for some hang vp images of eyes others of eares others of hands some made of gold some of siluer Thus he So generall and so notorious euen vnto Infidells was this Christian deuotion ANSWER Touching the Collyridians I answer that notwithstanding there is some difference in the materiall act betweene Romists and them yet because Epiphanius condemneth not onely externall sacrifice but all Oblation to the blessed virgin and alloweth onely that honour and not adoration shal be yeelded vnto her therefore Prayers incense-offerings and presents to Saints deceased were held vnlawfull in this Fathers dayes Secondly Saint Augustine de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. doth not mention any Prayers Oblations Vowes or donatiues offered to Saints and Martyrs but he reporteth what miraculous cures were performed at the toombes of some Martyrs now because these things were extraordinarie and the credit of diuers of them dependeth vpon fame which is many times vncertaine and St. Augustine himselfe saith They are not commended vnto vs by such waightie authoritie as that without all doubt they must needs be credited they cannot be sufficient grounds or foundations of Catholicke Doctrine or Practise Thirdly Theoderit d. cur Graec. Affect lib. 8. saith Wee Oh Grecians neither offer sacrifice to Martirs nor drinke offerings but honour them as holy men and as the friends of God And whereas he further saith That some hang vp the shapes of eyes others of eares c. he meaneth that these were monuments of miraculous cures wrought in those dayes extraordinarily by God at the Sepulchres of Martyrs but he affirmeth not that they were oblations offered to Martyrs And yet the particular practise of some people in those dayes whatsoeuer it was if it haue not ground in Diuine Reuelation cannot raise an Article of Faith or necessarie dutie IESVIT § 8. The Romane Church set formes of Prayer without cause misliked FInally Protestants dislike the circumstance of praying in a set forme vnto Saints and that we appoint a particular office to the blessed Virgin Mary which cannot be proued to haue been vsed in the Primatiue Church ANSVVER THe Romish set formes of Prayers to the Virgin Marie and other Saints deceased are iustly condemned by vs not meerely because they are exercised in a set forme which is accidentall but in respect of the matter and substance of them neither can our Aduersaries demonstrate that such Prayers either in a set forme or by sudden inspiration were vsed in the Primatiue Church for the holy Apostles which are the prime Fathers and founders of that Church prescribed and practised no other forme of Prayer than such as was consonant to their Scriptures and the Churches which
Luc. 18 38 39. Esa. 6. 3. Psal. 136. Math. 26. 39. to 45. Marc. 14.39 Luc. 22. 42. Ergo Repetition of Paternosters Creedes and Aues according to the formes prescribed in the Romish Primers and Rosaries are pious and lawfull I answer Granting that repetitions in prayer and thanksgiuing which agree with the examples of sacred Scripture are pious and lawfull but the Illation from these to the Roman Battalogees is inconsequent because the repetitions in question differ from the patterne expressed in holy Scripture First in the kind and obiect for this latter are in part directed to creatures and not onely to the Creator and of this deuotion there is no example in Scripture Secondly they are multiplyed to an excessiue and portentuous number and doubtlesse the Romists exceede and transcend their brethren the Pharisees in the number and vaine repetition of such superstitious Orisons Thirdly the Creed and Aue-maries are no prayers or thanksuings either formally or vertually Fourthly our A duersaries maintaine That if these repetitions be vsed without vnderstanding of the words and consequently without present actuall attention they are pious and effectuall But the Romists cannot produce approoued examples out of holy Scripture of such repetitions and therefore their argument from example concludeth not It is also apparent that the repetitions which are practised among Papals in manner aforesaid doe rather resemble the superstitious Battalogie of the Pharisees Math. 6.7 than the deuout prayers and thanksgiuings recorded for our instruction in holy Scripture IESVIT Jf any thinke to merit by reason of the number of his prayers hee is ignorant of the doctrine of the Catholike Church which attributes no merit to prayers in regard of their number further than the number awakes in vs deuout thoughts which is the onely thing that by the number we aime at Wee say Paters Aues and Creedes to the number of three in memorie of the blessed Trinitie seeking Gods fauour and grace by glorifying that incomprehensible Mystery to the number of fiue in memorie of the fiue speciall wounds our Sauiour receiued that pierced into and through his sacred body to the number of 33 in remembrance of the 33 yeares our Sauiour wrought our saluation vpon earth giuing him thankes for his labours desiring the application of his merits stirring vp our selues to the imitation of his vertues The like reason mooueth vs to pray in the number of sixtie three Angelicall salutations to call to mind the yeeres the Mother of God liued on earth according to one probable opinion And because the opinion that she liued seuentie two yeeres now begins to be much followed many Catholickes therupon particularly in Spaine haue thereupon increased the Corone of our Ladie to seuentie two Aue-Marias a manifest signe that they neuer attributed merit vnto the number of sixtie three but onely to the deuout memories of the blessed Virgins vertues exercised in the yeeres shee conuersed in this world giuing to God thankes for his great graces bestowed on her The Psalter of our Ladie and the Iesus Psalter containe one hundred and fiftie repetitions of Prayers the one of Aue-Marias the other of Iesu Iesu Iesu in imitation of the deuout Royall Prophet whose Psalter containes Psalmes in Gods praise to the samè number ANSVVER The true Catholicke Church which the Roman is not maketh no Prayer meritorious in condignitie for what can be imagined more absurd than to maintaine that beggers doe merit by crauing and receiuing almes And the number of Pater Nosters Aues and Creeds which moderne Romists prescribe is a nouell Inuention and was of small esteeme vntill the dayes of Friar Dominicus It was expected that the Iesuit would haue confirmed his Romish deuotion by the Testimonie of antiquitie and by the practise of Apostolicall Churches in the best ages thereof But in place hereof hee reciteth onely what the practise of the moderne Romists is in repeating Pater Nosters Aues and 〈◊〉 to the number of three fiue and thirtie three sixtie three seuentie two c. But these deuices are voluntarie and grounded vpon vncertaine causes for what connexion is there betweene the Antecedent to wit the fiue wounds of Christ and sixtie three or seuentie two yeeres of the blessed Virgins Temporall life and the deuotion inferred and proportioned because Christ had fiue wounds and the Virgin Marie liued seuentie two yeeres in the world therefore it is a seruice pleasing God and such a meanes to honour the blessed Virgin as God accepteth for satisfaction merit and impetration There appeareth small difference betweene the former practise and that which some Romane Casuists censure as superstitious to wit to place vertue and to ascribe effects to the precise number of words and syllables when the same is not appointed by God IESVIT Neither are we in this point of repeating Prayers vpon Beades or little stones in a certaine number for the causes before mentioned destitute of the example of Saints that liued in the best ages of the Church Palladius in his Historie setteth downe some examples of Saints praying in this kinde yea the Centurie Writers and Osiander acknowledge the example of Saint Paul a most holy Monke liuing in the fourth age after Christ that In dies singulos trecentas orationes Deo velut tributum reddidit 〈◊〉 ne per imprudentiam in numero erraret trecentis lapillis in sinum coniectis ad singulas preces singulos eijcit lapillos consumptis igitur lapillis constabat sibi orationes lapillis numero pares abs se expletas esse Which example of so great a Saint so knowne and notorious and neuer censured by any Father may more than abundantly suffice for satisfaction in a matter of no more moment than this for wee are not curious in this point nor doe require of any man that he say his Prayers in a certaine number so as that he may not say more or lesse as his deuotion serues him ANSVVER Palladius his writings are of small credit and this Authour was long agoe censured by the Antient Paulus the Monke in Sosomene made three hundred Prayers to God but not any to the blessed Virgin and his vsing of stones when he said his Prayers is an onely example not paralelled in Antiquitie But singular examples are no rule neither doe they alwayes prooue the thing done to be lawfull for Batheus a Monke in the same Historie vsed such abstinence that wormes bred in his teeth Pior another Monke refused after fiftie yeres absence to looke vpon his naturall sister Ammonius being sollicited to bee a Bishop cut off his owne eare to make himselfe vncapable These and the like examples are not censured by the Historian reporting them and yet it is more than probable that it is not safe for others to imitate them In like sort Paulus his beades are a matter of singularitie rehearsed by Sozomene rather for noueltie than
our most gracious King should speake or doe any thing for Antichrist against Christ whose Hope and Vertue and Honour is all in Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS CONTAINED in this Booke A ACcidents of Bread and Wine without substance Fol. 430 439 Acts of the Apost chap. 2. v. 42. 507 Adoration and Veneration 208 S. Ambrose receiuing the Sacrament in one kind 503 Angells reioycing at a sinners repentance 515 Angells whether adored 327. 525 527 Antecedent will of God 78 Apostolicall Church 64 98 Assurance of faith 165 S. Augustine 21 68 122 132 200 219 273 296 323 443 Authoritie of the Church 10 133 300 B Baptisme 175 177 Beginning of errour not alwayes assigneable out of historie 131 A Body in many places 180 182 183 The Brasen Serpent 209 Bread called Christs body 397. a figure 401. This is my body 398 416. Christs body no fancie 410 448. not in many places at once 450. Truely receiued in the Sacrament by faith 184 C Caietan and others of Transubstantiation 414 182 A Cammell through the eye of a needle 411. Canonising of Saints 297 The Canopie in the Greeke Church 378 Chastitie of votaries 83 Certainetie of faith not from the Rom. Ch. onely or principally 5 Catholike Church 194 Church taken in diuers notions 49 It consisteth principally of iust persons 51. 53. Obseruations concerning the acceptation of the name Church 51. the authoritie thereof in things adiaphorous 133 300. How the ground and pillar of truth 3.53 The true Church perpetuall 58. It may erre in deliuerie of Tradition 88. it may be in few 59 67 76 104 A corrupt Church may teach some veritie and preserue the text of Scripture 59 117 The present Church not equall to the Apostolicall 118 Councells and Praecepts 527.531 Coloss. cha 1. v. 24. 559 Communion of Saints 557 Communion in one kind 459.470 Concomitance 460 The Councell of Constance 474.501 The Councell of Elliberis 251 No generall Councell for the first 300 yeares 119 Councells of the late Rom. Ch. neither generall nor lawfull 159. Papall Vsurpation and Tyrannie in them 153 A lawfull generall Councell desired by Protestants 157. Acts of Councels not preserued faithfully 128 Corruptions in the Hierarch Rom. Ch. 55.57.97 Conuersion of bread into Christ Bodie 399.400.421 The new Creed of Rome 125 Curiositie to be auoided 582 D Daniel chap. 2. vers 35. 4 Daniel chap. 4. vers 24. Redeeme thy sinnes 546 Discord among Teachers 71.73 Discord of Romists 108.583.585 E Epiphanius of Images 252 Errours in the Church 135. fundamentall and preterfundamentall 147.197 Esay chap. 2. vers 1. 4 Esay chap. 63. 16. 320 The Eucharist receiued by the hand 491. sent to priuate houses in both kinds 504. no reall Sacrifice 464 Exposition of Scripture by Fathers 45 F Faciall vision 35 Diuine Faith not grounded vpon Eccles Historie 128. Historie not alwayes assigneable for change of Faith 131 Fasting not satisfactorie to God for sinne 549 Fathers authoritie 68.87.129 their consent 121 Doctour Field 73.140.196.586 A Figure in the words This is my bodie 396.397 G Galath chap. 3. 〈◊〉 maketh not for Images 281 Gelasius against Transubst 436. and against Communion in one kinde 499 Glasse of the Trinitie 308 Generall Councels 152 156 Good Workes strengthen Faith 519 The Greeke Church 115 H Halfe Communion no Sacrament 484 An Hereticke defined 195 Hierarchiall Church 55.57 Honorius Angustudonensis of the iniquitie of Romists 112 Humane Historie no rule of Faith 128 131 I Idololatrie 269 Indulgences and Popes Pardons a late deuise 562. granted for many thousand yeeres 564 Images and their Worship 206.212 Images of the Trinitie 265 Images a snare to the simple 267 Influence of Christ into Workes maketh them not meritorious 515.516 Inuocation of Saints 288 S. Iohn chap. 20. vers 23. Whose sinnes you remit c. 191 Iustifying Faith 162 K The Kingdome of Christ deuided with the Virgin Marie 362 Kings may bee deposed by Popes and Bishops is the Doctrine of many Pontificians 575 L Latria or diuine Worship 241 Liturgie in a strange tongue 365 Liuing Saints Prayers to them 333 M Manner of Presence in the Eucharist 391.406 Math. 16.18 Vpon this Rocke c. 3 Math. 22.37 Loue the Lord with all thy heart 523 Math. 26. Drinke ye all of this 488.492 Math. 28.20 I will be with you alwayes c. 94.99 Merit of Workes 172.511 Merits of Saints deceased 240 Mediator supreame and subordinate 336 Miracles 85.102 Mother Church 126 Mother of mercie 361 N Nicene second Councell 247 O Omnipotencie 181.446 Oblations to Saints 348 Opposition to the Rom. Ch. 136 Ordination and Vocation of Pastors 98 P Penance no Sacrament stricter in the Primitiue Church 192. 539. 543 Penitentiarie taxe 113 Popes no Lords of Purgatorie 567 Popish Faith nouell 129 Polidor Virgil of Images 249 Prayer to Saints in set formes c. 352 Prayers in a knowne tongue 366.373 on beades 388. not meritorious 548 Priuate Prayer in a knowne tongue 383 Primacie of Peter 157.570 Promise maketh not Workes meritorious 518 Punishment of chastisement 540 Purging Authors 125 Q The Queene of Heauen 363 R Reading Scripture 35.271.272.277.279 Reall presence 178.395 Reason when to be beleeued 438 Receiuing Scripture from the Church 118 Religious honouring of Saints 322 Repetitions of Creeds and Auees 784 Reseruation of the Eucharist 432. in both kinds 505 Resolution of Faith 13 15 20 25 31 38 47 Romane Church 1 2 103 145. a particular Church 109. not vniuersall 111. not Catholicke 201. a stepmother 126. equall to other Churches 109.145 Romists want Apost Traditions 125 586 Romists causers of discord 109 Rule of Faith 〈◊〉 S Sacramentall vnion 405 Saints not omniscient 304. no Prophets 312. in what manner like Angels 317. no Patrons 344 Sanctitie of the Church 81 101 102. and want heereof in the Rom. Ch. 5 57 Satisfaction 534 541 544 555 575 Separation from the Rom. Ch. 106 Serapions Historie about one kind 503 Schisme 107 Silence of Historie no proofe of Faith vnchanged 116 131 143 144 255 Spirituall presence 396 Spirituall eating and drinking 184 Scripture how proued Diuine 24 30 the Mouth and Hand of God 91. Sufficiencie thereof 37 43 147. preserued incorrupt in all ages 23 117 124. wherein obscure 35 45. the translation thereof 29. the exposition and sense 45 121 123. more fundamentall than Tradition vnwritten 49 90. Papists depresse Scripture 92 Succession of Pastors 65. of Romists 115 Successor of Peter 160 Supererogation 522 528 Supremacie Papall hath no ground in Scripture 570 T Tertullian of the Scripture 9. of Indulgences 2. Timoth. 3. 15. c. 39 Theoderit of Transubstantiation 436 Titles of Canonicall Bookes 19 Tradition 45 91 93 150 151 580 Transubstantiation 390. not grounded on Scripture 182 447. the same defined 419. Caietan Scotus c. touching it 182 414 Transelementation 421 Transmutation 420 The Treasure of the Church 552 V Vasques about Adoration 232 Vertues of iust persons 170 The B. Virgin
of Saints and Angels IESVIT I Haue ioyned these two Controuersies together hoping I might doe it with your Maiesties good liking the maine difficultie of them both being the same to wit Worship and Inuocation of Angels and Saints For I am most fully persuaded that if your Maiestie did allow Inuocation of any Saint you would neuer denie that Deuotion vnto the Blessed Virgin Mother of God whom you honour and reuerence aboue the rest though perchance you may dislike some particular formes of our Prayers that seeme to giue her Titles aboue that which is due to a Creature about which I shall in the end of this Discourse endeuour to giue your Maiestie satisfaction ANSVVER ALthough it were granted that some kind or manner of Petition or Compellation made by the Church Militant to the blessed Saints and Angels were lawfull and that we might request them to be Comprecants and to make intercession to God in our behalfe yet the Inuocation of them according to the practise of the Romane Church wherein they pray first of all to Saints and in the last place to Christ and their excessiue worship by Vowes Oathes Offertures conioyning their satisfactions with Christs and confidence in their merits and adoring their Images cannot be iustified for this manner of Deuotion hath no foundation expresse or infolded in Diuine Reuelation and the Primitiue Church did not appoint or practise the same And it encroacheth so neerely vpon the Office of Christ our sole Redcemer Mediator and Aduocate that without expresse and manifest Precept or approbation of the Holy Ghost wee may not esteeme it lawfull The Doctrine of our Church concerning Inuocation and Adoration of the blessed Trinitie our accesse to God by Supplications and Prayers in the name of Iesus Christ our dependance vpon the sole Merits and Satisfactions of our all-sufficient Redeemer and Sauiour haue Precept Example Promise Reasons and Warrantie deliuered in the expresse manifest and indubitate Word of God Ioh. 14. 13 14. cap. 16.24 1. Ioh. 2.1 Heb. 4. 15 16. 1. Pet. 2.5 Heb. 13.15 Also wee haue certainetie of Faith That Christ Iesus our Intercessor and Aduocate hath distinct and perfect knowledge particular and generall of our qualitie state and actions Heb. 4.13 His office is to make intercession for vs Rom. 8.34 Heb. 7. 25. He inuiteth vs most louingly to come vnto him Math. 11.28 Our heauenly Father alwayes heareth him Iohn 11. 42. His compassion towards vs exceedeth the pietie of any creature Ioh. 10. 11. 15. 13. Heb. 4 15. Wee may more safely and with greater comfort speake to our Sauiour than to any Saint or Angell the holy Spirit helpeth our infirmities and teacheth vs to make intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. Therefore our praying to God in the name of Christ onely our supplication to the Father to accept vs for the sole merits of our Sauiour is a most safe and faithfull deuotion and our assurance is grounded vpon the word of faith and hauing such promises we cannot be deceiued in our hope 2. Tim. 2.13 Tit. 1. 2. But on the contrarie Romish inuocation directed to Saints Angells and the blessed Virgin their oblation of the merits and satisfaction of creatures with many other branches of their holy seeming deuotion haue neither precept example or promise in the large booke of God notwithstanding the same booke is most abundant in teaching the dutie and forme of prayer And some of our best learned Aduersaries confesse that the doctrine of inuocation of Saints is neither expresly nor infoldedly taught in holy Scripture Therefore his most excellent Maiestie our Soueraigne Lord and King to whose sacred person the Iesuit directeth his former speech may with vnspeakeable ioy and comfort glorie that he is in this article a defender and propugner of that faith which is taught from heauen by the holy Ghost and Papisticall inuocation is no plant growing in the Paradise of holy Scripture by their owne confession neither haue they any meanes infallible to ascertaine themselues and others that the same is a plant which the heauenly Father hath planted or that their deuotion in this kind is necessarie profitable or acceptable to God IESVIT In which question I will suppose without large and particular proofe being able to prooue it by testimonies vndeniable if neede be That worship and inuocation of Saints hath beene generally receiued in the whole Christian Church at least euer since the dayes of Constantine A thing so cleere that Chemnitius doth write in this sort Most of the Fathers as Nazianzen Nissen Basill Theodoret Ambrose Hierome Austin c. did not dispute but auouch the soules of Martyrs and Saints to heare the petitions of those that prayed they went often to the monuments of Martyrs and inuocated Martyrs by name And seeing these Fathers praysed and practised this custome as receiued from Ancestours and as a matter of faith condemning the contradictors thereof as Nouelists and Heretikes to wit Aerius and Vigilantius as is confessed I may further conclude that that custome did not then begin but was come downe from the Apostles which is confirmed by testimonie of the Magdeburgians in acknowledging that in the Fathers next 〈◊〉 the Apostolicall times were found Non obscura vestigia Inuocationis Sanctorum as appeareth by the testimonie of Saint Ireneus tearming the 〈◊〉 Virgin the aduocate of Eue that is of her children ANSVVER You presuppose that which notwithstanding your facing you will neuer bee able to prooue to wit That innocation of Saints according to the doctrine and practise of the late Roman Church hath beene generally and vniuersally receiued as an article of faith or necessarie dutie euer since the dayes of Constantine neither hath Chemnitius whom you alleadge affirmed this but rather said the contrarie First he saith That in the Primitiue Church vntill two hundred years after Christ this doctrine and practise was vtterly vnknowne Secondly he affirmeth that about the yeare 240. some seedes of this doctrine began to be sowne in the Church by Origen Thirdly He saith expresly that for three hundred and fiftie yeeres and vpward the publike practise of Inuocation was vnknowne in the Church And then about the yeere 370 it began to be spoken of in publicke assemblies by Basil Nyssen and Nazianzen vpon occasion of their Panegyricall Orations Fourthly He addeth That notwithstanding these Orations it was not generally and vniuersally receiued in those times but both doubted of and also reprooued and condemned by some and about the 400. yeere Saint Chrysostome interposed and laboured to reduce people to the antient forme of Inuocation And proceeding in his Historicall Narration he sheweth out of Nicephorus lib. 15. cap. 28. that Petrus Gnapheus Anno 470 condemned by the first vniuersall Synode of Heresie was the first Author among the Grecians of mixing
therefore depending vpon their office do also cease Now I subsume to pray for people distinctly and in particular dependeth vpon the calling and office of men whiles they are liuing but when they are defunct this calling and office ceaseth Or if they denie this let the Aduersaries prooue the contrarie by diuine Reuelation therefore although Abraham and Iob prayed for Abimelech and Eliphas c. whilest Abraham and Iob liued and although Abimelech and the rest must by Gods Precept be holpen by their Prayers yet it followeth not from hence that the liuing ought to make intercession to the Saints deceased Verily he that reades this Section of the Iesuit may well wonder and aske Whether such discoursors euer beleeued or heard that the Sonne of God was incarnate that he is our Aduocate and that by him we haue accesse to the Throne of grace 〈◊〉 Or that the holy Ghost hath left a manifest and certaine rule of Prayer in the Church considering that these men are so presumptuous vpon their owne friuolous surmises to prescribe a forme of religious Inuocation IESVIT § 5. Inuocation to Saints not an iniurie but an honour to Christ the only Mediator ANother shew of pietie pretended against Prayer vnto Saints is that it seemes to ouerthrow the Mediatorship of Christ which S. Paul commends as onely vnus Mediator Dei hominum Christus Iesus But in shewing the inanitie of this shadow I shall not need to be long seeing this respect would make vs also neglect and not vse the mediation of liuing Saints out of feare of disanulling the onely Mediatorship of Christ. It is no more against the honour of the onely Mediatorship of Christ to pray vnto Saints deceased than vnto Saints liuing yea the praying vnto these kind of Saints may seeme more dishonorable these being imprisoned in mortalitie militant in dangers and not wanting some blemishes and defects whereas the other Saints are glorious pure from any the least imaginable spot settled in the consummation of ineffable blisse But the Scripture allowes yea commands Prayer vnto liuing Saints and consequently praying vnto them is not iniurious vnto the onely Mediatour Christ Therefore the praying vnto Saints deceased that are in glory with God is not iniurious vnto the onely Mediatourship of Christ. ANSWER Our argument which you tearme an emptie shadow will not so lightly be shaken as you imagine for if Christ Iesus alone in the state of the new Testament is the Mediatour both of redemption and intercession then no Saint liuing or deceased is a Mediatour c. But the first is true because God hath constituted Christ to be a Mediatour and he hath appointed no other Saint liuing or defunct to be so Ergo Christ Iesus alone in the state of the new Testament is the Mediatour of Redemption and Intercession Then I subsume Papists make Saints deceased partial Mediatours to wit of Intercession Therefore they yeeld some part of Christ the sole Mediatour his office vnto Saints The Iesuit answereth by distinction of Mediatour principall and subordinate or dependent saying That they appoint no Saints Medtatours of the first kind but onely of the second And that this is no iniurie to Christ or encroachment on his office but an honour to him and a meanes to apply or make his Mediation effectuall to vs and he vseth certaine Paralogismes to conclude this First the Scripture saith he allowes and commands prayer to liuing Saints c. but these are not iniurious but honourable to Christ. It is answered That vnlesse the Iesuit aequiuocate the Scripture commandeth not inuocation of liuing Saints but onely the requesting of their charitie and prayers to God for men Rom. 15.30 Eph. 6.19 Col. 4.3 1. Thes. 5.25 Heb. 13.18 But the liuing are present and conuersant with the liuing they conioyne their common prayers Vt deum quasi manufacta praecationibus ambiant saith Tertul. Apol. c. 39. That going to God hand in hand they may intreat him Besides inuocation and prayer properly taken praesuppose in them wee pray vnto vnderstanding the thoughts and motions of the heart and all religious prayer is a mentall action vnderstood by him whom men deprecate But the liuing Saints vnderstand not the secrets of each others hearts Therefore speaking properly no man prayeth to liuing Saints Also religious prayer is a Communication with God and a proper worship of God and an action of Latria Lastly no precept or example is extant in holy Scripture proouing that iust persons did at any time pray to liuing Saints being absent or to liuing Saints by Collets or set formes of publike deuotion in such manner as Romists doe to Saints deceased As for petition or request which is all the Scripture mentions the same is onely generall and materiall in prayer and therefore we cannot conclude affirmatiuely saying They made request to the Saints liuing to assist them with their prayers Ergo they did inuocate and make religious prayers to them any more then we may conclude It is a liuing creature Ergo it is a man It hath one act of prayer Ergo it is Prayer It is a promise therefore it is a vow c. If it be replyed The requesting of the liuing to pray for vs and their supplication according to this request is not iniurious to Christs office c. Ergo Our Inuocation of Saints deceased is no iniurie c. We answer That as in humane and ciuill affaires it is an iniury to the supreame Magistrate for any of his Subiects to constitute a master of Requests preferring their suites vnto him without his authoritie so likewise it is an iniurie to Christ our Mediatour for vs men which are wormes of the earth without warrant and Commission from Gods word to constitute Saints and Angells Mediatours of our prayers And when the Lord of heauen hath giuen vs an all-sufficient Aduocate and withall hath prescribed the meanes by which we must haue accesse vnto this Mediatour is it not wicked presumption in man to cancell this sacred ordinance and to appoint other meanes of his owne deuising S. Cyprian saith For men to pray otherwise than the Lord hath taught is not onely ignorance but iniquitie for he hath said Ye reiect the Commandement of God that you may establish your own tradition And Tertullian They are iustly reproached with vanitie because in prayer they doe this without any warrant from Christ or his Apostles In the Court of heauen he which appoints the supreame appoints the subordinate and as no creature may assume so no creature may yeeld either supreame or subordinate iurisdiction to any in things of this nature besides or without Commison from the highest Therefore the distinction of Mediatours into supreame and secondarie founded vpon mans owne Inuention freeth not the Inuentors from impietie against God and Christ but is such as if a mortall man should imagine subordinate Creators Inspirators yea subordinate Gods for the Apostle conioyneth these two as
Grace Mother of Mercie saying to her Ladie protect vs from the Diuell receiue vs in the houre of death giue light to the blind pardon the guiltie remooue from vs all euill c. A answer These speeches cannot iustly bee disliked because they are vnderstood in a pious sence knowne to a Catholicke a sence obuious and plaine according to the phrase of Scripture and which the words may well beare euen according to the common custome of speech The nature of things being various and the answerable conceits of men copious but words to expresse such conceits scant and in great paucitie Necessitie doth inforce to vse words applicable to diuers senses For example one man may deliuer another from death either by authoritie pardoning him as do Kings or by iustice defending him as do Aduocates by force taking him out of his enemies hands as do Souldiors or paying his ransome to them that keepe him captiue as Almoners finally by begging his life of them that haue power to take it away as Intercessors These be verie different wayes of reliefe yet haue we but one word to expresse them all to wit to saue a mans life which therefore is to be vnderstood according to the subiect it is applied and if men want vnderstanding or will to take our wordes according to the matter they are applied vnto there can neuer want cauills vnlesse we either speake not at all or when we speake euer vse long circumlocutions which were ridiculous and in verse impossible the meeter not permitting it And yet the aforesaid misliked phrases in the office of the blessed virgin are taken out of the hymnes and verses thereof If they that by begging obtaine of the King the life of one condemned to death may be and are commonly said to saue his life though they saued him by intercession not by their proper authoritie Why may not Saints bee said to giue vs the things which by their prayers they obtaine for vs Why may not the Church speake in hymnes and in verse as the learnedest Fathers speake euen in prose neuer imagining that any would mistake their meaning ANSVVER We condemne the verie substance of your prayers in this kind and not only some phrases c. For what Prophet or what Apostle or Euangelist did euer teach Gods people to pray in this manner And whereas some formes of your prayers to Saints being vnderstood according to the sound of words are blasphemous you labour to qualifie this by a fauourable exposition pretending that you say one thing and meane another and that herein you varie not from the Scripture You call the blessed Virgin Mother of Grace Mother of Mercie Queene of Heauen c. you say that all power is giuen her in heauen and in earth and because she outliued her sonne she was by naturall right heire of all the world Yea some of you go further teaching that as Christ redeemed man-kind by his flesh and bloud so she redeemed the same with her soule and that all grace and glorie comming from Christ the head passeth to the Church by the Virgin Marie as by the necke and she as his mother hath all right authoritie and dispensation of his mercie This lying doctrine is coloured with certaine distinctions and forced instances of holy Scripture which notwithstanding agree to the present question like Harpe and Harrow Men indeed which are instruments of preseruing life and sauing others may be said in largenesse of speech to giue life or to be sauiours Iud. 3. v. 9. 15. But the blessed Virgin and Saints deceased since their departure are not by any new actions instruments of spirituall life nor bestowers of grace and saluation vpon the liuing And when the Prophets and Apostles exercised their office and ministerie vpon earth Who euer stiled them Sauiours or prayed vnto them with such a conceit or by vsing such titles They themselues gaue all glorie to God and Christ and instructed the Church to do the like The Virgin Marie was neuer stiled a Redeemer Mediatour or Sauiour by the holy Ghost but she saith in her thankesgiuing My spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour Some names are common and sometimes that which was common or typically giuen to certaine persons in the old Testament is appropriated in the new as we obserue in the names of Sauiour Iesus Redeemer Mediatour High Priest and the like Sometimes the effect of the principall cause is attributed to the instrumentall but in all these Regulam habemus praeter quam loqui fas non est We haue a rule beside which we may not speake And we are not so straighted for words that we must of necessitie applie or communicate the titles of Christ vnto the creatures Now to that which you adde by way of excuse for your improper or abusiue speaking saying in verse impossible the meeter not permitting I answer What an impudent and ridiculous plaster is this will not verse permit vs to implore benefits only at Gods hand by Christ or will not the measure and number of poeticall feet without pinching in the stockes be applied to direct and euident compellation of Saints to pray for vs without crauing the benefits we desire at their own hands Nay who so readeth the Papisticall poeticall Church hymnes shall in the most of them find versing laws most broken where the lawes of inuocation are most transgressed A reasonable Poet in lesse than a weekes worke would make so many hymns in exact verse and yet without ridiculous circumlocutions expres that which might better beseeme the triumphant Church to heare from the militant But that is verified in you which Arnobius said of the Gentiles Quod semel sinè ratione fecistis nè videamini aliquando nescisse defenditis meliusquè putatis non vinci quam confessae cedere atquè annuere veritati That which you haue once done vnreasonably you wil still persist in defending least you should seeme to haue beene ignorant and you rather desire to haue it appeare you are not ouercome than to submit your selues to euident truth IESVIT Saint Gregorie Nazianzen for his excellent learning tearmed by the Grecians The Diuine thus prayeth vnto Saint Cyprian Looke downe on vs from heauen with a propitious eye guide our words and wayes feed this holy flocke gouerne it with vs dispose some of them as farre as is possible to better state cast out importune and troublesome wolues that cauill aud catch at syllables vouchsafe vs the perfect and cleare splendor of the blessed Trinitie with whom thou art alreadie present ANSWER That Gregorie Nazianzen prayed vnto Saint Cyprian is more than you can prooue he vseth indeed an Oratoriall Apostrophe but your selues make a difference betweene a Prosopopeia or Apostrophe and Prayer you say you make an Apostrophe to the Crosse when you vse this Hymne All haile oh Crosse c. And I thinke you will not grant that the wodden Crosse heareth you So by
your owne Glosse Nazianzen might by an Apostrophe speake to Cyprian not thinking or at least not being assured that he heard him Sixtus Senensis deliuereth this obseruation concerning the Fathers That in their Sermons wee may not take their words strictly and in rigour because they many times breake out into declamations and enunciate and inculcate matters by Hyperboles and other figuratiue speeches We finde in Lipoman one speaking to the girdle of the blessed Virgin in this manner O veneranda zona fac nos haeredes aeternae Beatae vitae hanc nostram vitam ab interitu conserua Tuam haereditatem tuum populum O intemerata zona intemeratum conserua ô venerable girdle make vs heires of eternall and blessed life and preserue this our present life from perdition ô vndefiled girdle preserue thy people from pollution If our Aduersaries will haue this speech to be figuratiue they haue more reason to grant the same touching Nazianzene of whom it is certaine that hee doubted whether the B. Saints heare all our prayers or not IESVIT And not onely Fathers but also Scriptures speake of Saints in the same sort our Sauiour saying Make to your selues friends of the riches of iniquitie that when you dye they may receiue you into the eternall Tabernacles If then the Saints of God by the mouth of veritie it selfe be said to receiue their friends when they die into the eternall Tabernacles because God mooued by their prayers admits them into the blissefull vision of his essence Why may not the Church and her children craue the blessed Virgins intercession in these words Mother of mercy receiue vs in the houre of death And seeing God is tearmed in Scripture Mercy Why should not she be stiled Mother of Mercy that is vndoubtedly Mother of God especially seeing that in and of her the Author of mercy and grace was conceiued and borne and she filled with grace and charitie aboue all other Creatures ANSWER Our Sauiour speaketh not of blessed Saints but of indigent people to whom men distribute their almes and these are said to receiue their benefactours into heauen because they are the obiect of charitie and beneficence for which Christ receiueth mercifull persons into heauen Math. 25.35 But was any mans vnderstanding so poore and beggerly as therefore at any time to inuocate beggers and in giuing almes to vse this forme of prayer Oh blessed Mendicants receiue our almes and receiue vs your benefactours into heauen Also some expositours referre the former saying to God and the Angels which receiue charitable persons when they decease into the state of blessednes Neither do Romists when they stile the blessed Virgin Mother of mercy and pray vnto her to receiue them at the houre of death vnderstand these words 〈◊〉 but properly for they hold that she is a Mother of mercy not onely by way of Intercession but of distribution and dispensation and she receiueth soules into heauen by her office and authoritie This is affirmed by Rutilius Benzonius a moderne Roman in his Commentarie vpon the Magnificat And Stellarium Coronae Mariae saith She hath this right because she hath bought vs with a Price And Viegas the Iesuit citeth Arnoldus Carnotensis saying She is placed ouer all creatures and her glory is not onely common but the very same with her sonnes And Viegas applyeth the words of Ecclesiasticus to her In me is the grace of all life and veritie in me is all hope of life and vertue Paulus Cararia saith Whatsoeuer Christ giueth must passe vnto vs by the hands of Mary as by a Mediatrix Osorius the Iesuit saith Euen as the heauens haue that eminencie that all generation perfection and motion of things inferiour depends vpon them so likewise God bestoweth all spirituall gifts to men by Mary IESVIT That other phrase much disliked by your Maiestie That God reseruing Justice to himselfe hath giuen away his Mercie to his Mother is not vsed by the Church in any of her Prayers nor allowed of by Catholike Diuines nor will wee iustifie it being an harsh and vnfitting Metaphor though thereby the Authors thereof meant to expresse a Truth to wit that the blessed Virgin is exceeding gracious with her Sonne and her intercession verie potent alluding to a phrase of Scripture Hester cap. 5. 3 6. cap. 7. 2. Mar. 6. 23. whereby such as are gracious with a Prince are said that they may haue any thing of him though halfe of his Kingdome So diuiding Gods Kingdome into Iustice and Mercie to shew how gracious the blessed Virgin is with her Sonne they say God hath giuen her one halfe of his Kingdome to wit his Mercie which is a Metaphor farre-fetcht not to be vsed howsoeuer in Charitie it may be excused ANSVVER It is not a Phrase onely but a blasphemous Doctrine which his Maiestie misliked For what can be more impious than to maintaine That Christ reseruing the Kingdome of Iustice to himselfe hath graunted the Kingdome of Mercie to his Mother To veyle this Sacriledge the Iesuit affirmeth two things First That this forme of speaking is not vsed by the Romane Church nor approoued by Catholike Diuines secondly That being expounded charitably it containeth a Truth But these excuses are Figge-leaues and painted Sepulchers for learned Papists both of elder and moderne times maintaine the same to wit Thomas Bonauenture Gerson Gabriel Biel Antoninus Bernardinus Gorrhan Holcoth Rutilius Benzonius Blasius Viegas Osorius Paulus Cararia Bonauenture saith O God giue thy Iudgement to the King thy Sonne and thy Mercie to the Queene his Mother Gerson Gorrhan c. say The B. Virgin is so magnified at this day that shee may rightly be called the Queene of Heauen yea and of Earth for shee hath preheminence and iufluxiue vertue ouer all Shee hath the moitie of Gods Kingdome if one may presume to say so vnder the Type of Hester and Assuerus For the whole Kingdome of God consisteth of Power and Mercie and Power being reserued to God himselfe the moitie of the Kingdome to wit Mercie is shared after a sort with the Mother and Spouse of Christ reigning together with her Sonne Benzonius saith The whole Kingdome of God consisteth of Iustice and Mercie as it were of two Moities Psal. 84. Now to the end that God might honour his Mother diuiding as it were his Kingdome he hath reserued Iustice to himselfe and his Sonne c. and the other part of his Kingdome which is gouerned and compassed with Mercie he hath graunted to the Queene his Mother Euen as King Assuerus offered halfe of his Kingdome to Queene Esther and as Raguel graunted halfe of his goods to Tobia c. as Moses Exod. 24.6 tooke halfe of the bloud and put in Basins and halfe of the bloud he sprinkled on the Altar so Cod put as it were halfe of his Kingdome that is that part of the bloud of Christ from which
manners and tongues Thirdly it is repugnant to the nature and end of vocall Prayer that the same should be exercised in a forme of words which people that pray together vnderstand not for prayer is an ascending of the mind to God and according to Aquinas and other Schole-men it is an action of the vnderstanding facultie and in the same people confesse their sinnes and request of God such things as they haue need of They giue thankes for benefits spirituall and temporall general and speciall conferred vpon them and the effect of prayer dependeth vpon their inward humiliation and sence of their wants 2. Chro. 34.27 Psal. 51.19 and vpon their speciall faith in the diuine promises Math. 9.28 Marc. 9.23 and Marc. 11.29 And Tertullian saith God is not so much an hearer of the voice as of the heart But these things cannot be performed where people vnderstand not what they confesse request or praise God for And words are appointed to instruct excite and edifie men and if they vnderstand them not to what vse serueth vocall prayer for we vse not words to teach God but to instruct and excite our selues And hereby the Popish euasion is answered wherein they affirme that euen as When a Supplication is preferred to a King or Iudge which the Suppliant vnderstandeth not it is all one in what language soeuer the same be preferred the Iudge vnderstand it So likewise because God vnderstandeth all languages it mattereth not though people pray to him in a strange tongue for our words in vocal prayer concern our selues mutually principally but God himselfe requireth the vnderstanding and affection of our heart Read S. Augustines words cited in the margent Also the Iewes vnder the Law and the Prophets prayed in a language which they vnderstood our Sauiour and his Apostles and the Primitiue Church did the like and the gift of languages was bestowed vpon Pastors and people in common Act. 2.3 Also the former Doctrine is so apparant that some of the best learned Romists teach that publicke seruice in a knowne language is most fruitfull and conuenient Caietan saith It appeareth by S. Pauls Doctrine that it is better for the edification of the Church that common Prayers which are made in the hearing of the people be said in a vulgar tongue vnderstood indifferently by Priest and people than in Latine Lira saith If the people vnderstand the prayer of the Priest they are better brought to God and they answere Amen with greater deuotion And the reason hereof is manifest for deuotion compunction desire and affection depend vpon vnderstanding and follow the same and the more distinct and particular the vnderstanding of the obiect of these is the more feruent and perfect the actions are IESVIT For we may imagine a triple state of Liturgie in an vnknowne tongue The first in a language altogether vnknowne in which no man in the Church speakes no man vnderstands besides the celebrant himselfe nor he neither but by Enthusiasme or inspiration of the holy Ghost Without question it is inconuenient that publique prayer should be said in a language in this sort vnknowne and this is prooued by the reasons the Apostle brings against an vnknowne tongue in the Church ANSWER This first imagination is a Chimera or 〈◊〉 for there was neuer in the world any such kind of common or ordinarie Seruice or Liturgie And S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. condemneth in generall the vse of vnknowne tongues in the congregation vnlesse they be interpreted and referred to mentall edification As for the vnlearned Ideot which is ready to ioine with the Priest in prayer what is it to him whether the Priest speake by Enthusiasme or by discipline an vnknown language his ignorance and impossibilitie of speciall concurrence in prayer is the same as well in the one as in the other IESVIT Secondly in a language vnknowne to most euen of the better sort of the Church yet some know it and other may with facilitie learne it To vse a language in the Church for publique prayer in this sort vnknowne cannot be prooued vnlawfull nor forbidden by the Apostle seeing the reasons brought by him against a language vnknowne make not against this For S. Paul reprehends in the publique Liturgie a language vnknowne as the Minister of the Church that supplies the place of the Ideot and ignorant cannot vpon his knowledge of the goodnesse of the prayer say thereunto Amen in the name of them all But when the language is knowne to some of the Church and may with facilitie be learned of others there is or may easily be found one able to supplie the place of Jdeot and ignorant and answere in their person Amen out of his intelligence of the prayer in that vnknowne tongue ANSVVER That is forbidden by the Apostle to bee vsed in prayer and consequently it is vnlawfull whereby all states and sorts of people being of ripe yeres may not be edified in their vnderstanding and to which being read pronounced or heard they are not able to say Amen hauing some distinct vnderstanding of the things which are spoken 1. Cor. 14.16 17. 19 20. but all states and sorts of people being of riper yeares cannot be edified in their vnderstanding neither are they able to say Amen c. to prayers which are heard by them being read or pronounced in a strange language Ergo Common prayer read and pronounced in the Church in a strange tongue is prohibited by the Apostle and consequently such forme of ordinarie prayer is vnlawfull The Iesuit restraineth the words of S. Paul either to the Minister supplying the place of the Idiot or to the Clerke of the congregation But the Apostle requireth that all those which ioyne in prayer and among these the Idiots and vulgar sort be edified in their minds and they must pray and giue thanks vnderstanding the sence of words spoken and vpon this vnderstanding say Amen And except saith he ye vtter by the tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significant words or words carrying a perspicuous sence with them ye shall speake in the ayre and be as Barbarians to the hearers v. 9.11 and the Idiot mentioned by him v. 16. is not the Priest or the Clarke alone but the vulgar sort of people ignorant of the language and words which are vsed in preaching reading or praying as all the Fathers and sundry Pontificians deliuer which comment vpon this text As for the Latine the same is as vncouth to a great part of the congregation as to the Chineses they can onely gape at it and returne home from Masse and Mattens as wise as they went for ought they learne by the language The old rule was Barbarus hic ego sum quia non intelligor vlli and accordingly your Masse Priests are meere barbarians to the ordinarie sort of people IESVIT Notwithstanding the Roman Church doth not
meanes by Catechising c. is a going about the bush the effect is vncertaine and vnsufficient to affoord distinct vnderstanding of an vnknowne language IESVIT Now that S. Paul did command that Seruice should be in such a language as euery woman in the Church might bee able to vnderstand it word by word is incredible nor are our Aduersaries able to prooue it ANSWER A most ridiculous Paralogisme for admitting that S. Paul descended not precisely to euery single word explained in such manner that euery particular woman might at the first hearing vnderstand the same yet the conclusion followeth not That he commanded not the common Seruice should be in a knowne language First your selues acknowledge that Preaching and Prophecying should be in a knowne tongue and yet euery word or perhaps euery sentence cannot speaking morally bee vttered so plainely that euery person shall at the first sight distinctly conceiue the meaning Secondly the ignorance of the distinct notion of euery word hindereth not sufficient edification when the ordinarie necessarie and common passages of the publike Seruice are intelligible IESVIT Neither can they shew by any records of Antiquitie that such a Custome was in the Primatiue Church yea the contrarie may more than probably bee shewed because the drift of the Church in appointing Liturgies or set formes of publicke Prayer at the Oblation of the Eucharisticall Sacrifice was not the peoples instruction but for other reasons First That by this publike Seruice a continuall daily tribute of homage of Prayer of Thankesgiuing might be publikely offered and paid vnto God Secondly That Christians by their personall assistance at this publicke Seruice might protest and exercise exteriourly Acts of Religion common with the whole Church represented by the Synaxis or Ecclesiasticall meeting of euerie Christian Parish Finally To the end that euerie Christian by his presence yeelding consent vnto the publicke Prayers Praises and Thankesgiuings of the Church and as it were subscribing and setting his Seale vnto them by this assisting at them might ordinarily participate of the graces benefits and fruits which the Church doeth obtaine by her Liturgies and publicke Oblations Now for this end there is no need that euery one should vnderstand word by word the Prayers that are said in the publicke but it suffiseth that the Church in generall and in particular Pastours and Ecclesiasticall persons dedicated vnto the Ministeries of the Church and who watch being bound to giue an account of soules committed vnto their charge haue particular notice of all the Prayers that are said and that all that will may be taught and instructed in particular if they will vse diligence and desire it ANSWER We can prooue by Records of Antiquitie that the publike Seruice was ioyntly performed by the Ministers and people in a language common to both And the drift of the antient Church in their Seruice was that God might bee honoured by voyce heart and minde of all which were present Iohn 4. 24. But God in the state of the Gospel is not honoured with dumbe shewes and with lip labour nor with Prayers and Praises which the Offerers vnderstand not The reasons which you produce to prooue That it is not necessarie for vnlearned people to vnderstand the Common Seruice or Liturgie are lame and disjointed First Although the sole or principall end of appointing set formes of publicke Prayer was not to teach or instruct people in knowledge but to worship God c. yet because the latter cannot intirely be performed without the former because they which come to God with sound of words without sence and vnderstanding of matter offer the sacrifice of fooles therefore the placing of the one excludeth not the other for although the end of priuate Prayer is to worship God Psal. 50. 15. yet our Aduersaries themselues holde it requisite that such Prayer be made in a knowne Language Also one end of celebrating and receiuing the holy Eucharist is to commemorate and shew foorth the Lords death vntill his comming againe 1. Cor. 11. 25 26 but without vnderstanding the Language wherein the Lords Supper is administred people cannot call to remembrance or shew foorth the Lords death at least wisè so clearly and distinctly as is fit for them to doe Secondly A distinct and explicite inward deuotion ioyned with externall saying Amen is more effectuall and pleasing to God than a confused and generall But when people vnderstand the publike Prayers and Seruice of the Church in a familiar Language they are inabled to conioyne distinctly and explicitly inward and outward deuotion mentall and vocall saying Amen Therefore it is most expedient and necessarie for the Church to celebrate Diuine Mysteries and offer publicke Prayers in a Language which the people vnderstand IESVIT Moreouer the Churches antiently euen in the purest times of Christianitie had Chancells into which Lay-men might not enter and so could not particularly and distinctly vnderstand the Prayers said by the publicke Minister of the Church within the said Chancels they did also vse to say a good part of the Liturgie secretly so that their voyce was not audible vnto any yea the Greeke Church did antiently vse a vaile wherewith the Priest was for the time of the sacred Oblation compassed about which are manifest signes that the Church did neuer thinke it necessarie that all the publicke Liturgie should be heard much lesse word by word vnderstood by the whole vulgar multitude present thereat ANSWER It is not certaine at what time Chancells began neither were all Lay Persons prohibited to enter for the Emperour had his seate within the Chancell vntill the dayes of Theodosius the Elder as Theoderit and Sozomene report And although Lay persons were not seated in the Quire or Chancell yet the Seruice was pronounced by the Ministers in that place with an audible voyce so as the people in the bodie of the Church heard the same Iustinian the Emperour made this Decree following Wee command that all Bishops and Priests within the Romane Monarchie shall celebrate the sacred Oblation of the Lords Supper c. not in secret but with a lowd and cleare voyce that the mindes of the hearers may bee stirred vp with more deuotion to expresse the praises of the Lord God for so teacheth the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. Honorius in gemma Animae lib. 1. cap. 103. It is reported that in antient time when the Canon of the Masse was openly recited c. Iohn Billet cited by Cassander saith In times past the Masse was pronounced with a lowd voyce whereupon Lay people knew the same c. And mumbling and whispering in the Masse is not much more antient than Pope Innocent the third The Liturgies also fathered vpon S. Basil and S. Chrysostome haue a knowne Mother to wit the late Roman Church but there is besides many other iust exceptions so great dissimilitude betweene the supposed Fathers and the Children that they rather argue the dishonest
the Roman Church Now the reasons which the Aduersarie and his consorts vse to prooue the inconuenience of Translations c. are no other than such as will make against Preaching and Catechising in a knowne tongue as well as vsing publique Seruice in the same For are Romists able to translate Catechismes Homilies Meditations and priuate Prayers into a vulgar tongue and to accommodate all sorts of people according to the diuersitie of their languages without detriment to the common Faith and shall it be impossible to do the like in translating Scripture and the Seruice of the Church And to the reasons I answer First the whole Church whensoeuer it is requisite may iudge of translated or peculiar Liturgies by the helpes of the learned and iuditious who vnderstand both the vulgar language of the place and also Latine or other Language fit for Ecclesiasticke communication Secondly It may take notice of heresies and iudge of Translations by the same meanes And in the third fourth fift and sixt place as the obiected inconueniences are preuented in Preaching Catechising and priuate Prayers so they may bee preuented in publicke Liturgies yea God Almightie will giue a blessing and bee assistant to such as obserue his owne Ordinance The same also would be so farre from causing Ignorance and barbarisme in the world that nothing could more increase good literature and polish barbarous Languages than the often comparing of one Language with another and the refining and inlarging of that which is rude and ouer-narrow and sparing out of Tongues more ample and elegant Experience teacheth this in Great Britaine whose deficient and rude natiue Language by meanes of all sorts of Translations is made most polite and copious IESVIT Priuate Prayer for ignorant people in their vulgar Languages we practise we allow yea the Pater noster and the Creed are to be knowne of all in their mother Tongues which two formes containe the whole substance of Prayer For the end of Prayer being threefold to praise God for his infinite perfections to giue him thankes for his benefits bestowed vpon vs to demand of him such necessaries as we want as well for the maintaining of this present as for the attaining vnto eternall life The Creed being a summe of the perfections of God and his benefits towards man affoords sufficient knowledge to complie with the two former ends of Prayer and the Pater noster being an abridgement of all those things which we need containes a full instruction for the third Other Prayers doe but more plainely expresse things contained in the Pater noster and the Creed and our many Bookes doe shew that these kind of Prayers in vulgar Languages are by vs written esteemed and practised We adde that ordinarily speaking Common people doe more profit by saying Prayers in their mother tongues than in the Latine because not onely their affections are mooued vnto pietie but also their vnderstanding edified with knowledge Notwithstanding some Prayers though translated into English be so difficile to be vnderstood as they will rather distract ignorant especially curious people than instruct of which kind are many Psalmes of Dauid and these Prayers as wee thinke may more profitably be said in Latine So that I see no great difference either in practise or in Doctrine betweene Protestants and the Romance Church concerning priuate Prayers in a Language vnknowne ANSVVER The Opposition of Protestants hath brought you to this and yet you enterfere in your Tenet for many of your fellowes teach That it is not necessarie to make priuate Prayer in a knowne Language And as you permit vulgar Translations of holy Scripture rather to satisfie the importunitie of people than for any good will you beare the Scripture so likewise if your Kingdome were as absolute in the World as sometimes it was wee may iustly suspect that you would recall your later Indulgences and reduce each thing to the old Center But taking you at the best it 〈◊〉 strange to vs that you should approoue a knowne Tongue as most fit for priuate Prayer and account the same a Canker in the publike Liturgie One of your Order is not ashamed to traduce our Seruice because it is vsed in a common Language as pernicious prophane sacrilegious detestable and opposite to all Religion and Apostolicall Tradition But hauing examined whatsoeuer this Author or your selfe can say I obserue in neither of you so much as one probable Argument to support the high conceit you haue of your Roman Seruice and the partiall respect or rather despect you carrie against ours It is Custome therefore and not Veritie which hath emboldened you and you leane vpon a broken Reed when you ground your Faith in this and other Questions vpon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Trident Synod Sapientiam sibi adimunt qui sine iudicio inuenta maiorum probant ab alijs more pecudum ducuntur saith Lactantius They remooue wisedome from themselues which without iudgement maintaine the inuentions of their Elders and which like Animals are led by other mens Deuices THE FIFTH POINT REPETITIONS OF PATER-NOSTERS AVES AND CREEDS ESPECIALLY affixing a kind of Merit to the number of them IESVIT I Am persuaded that your Maiestie doth not intend to dislike Repetition of Prayers so the same be done with renewed Deuotion and Affection For this Repetition is iustified not onely by the example of the blind man who still cryed vpon our Sauiour with Repetition of the same Prayer Iesu fili Dauid miserere mei by which Repetition he obtained his sight Nor onely of the Princely Prophet who in his 135. Psalme repeats 27 times Quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius Nor onely of the Seraphins who in praysing their Creator repeat three times ouer the same word Holy Holy Holy But also by the example of our most blessed Sauiour himselfe who thrice at the least in the Garden repeated the same Prayer Pater si fieri potest transeat à me Calix iste veruntamen non mea voluntas sed tua fiat Wherefore to repeat the same Prayers is very good and pious so the same be done with new Deuotion which new deuotion that it may not be wanting there is appointed for euery Pater noster Aue and Creede a speciall Meditation that may stirre vp new deuotion at euery repeated praier and seeing we cannot pray long but we must needs repeat ouer the Pater noster in sence for what can we demand of God that is not there conteyned Why may wee not also repeate the same in words ANSVVER TWo points are controuerted in this Article First Whether the repetitions of Creedes Aues and Paternosters according to the formes prescribed in Primers and Rosaries is a conuenient meanes to honour God and the Saints Secondly Whether the same be meritorious and satisfactorie Concerning the first the Iesuit vseth this argument Sundry examples are extant in holy Scripture of repetitions vsed in prayers and thanksgiuing to wit
at the day of Judgement to iustifie our not beleeuing any part of Gods word by reason of the seeming absurditie thereof ANSWER You are not able to demonstrate that God will haue vs beleeue that the whole Organicall body of Christ hauing the stature quantitie and magnitude of a perfect mans body is contayned in the compasse of a small Hoast or in a crum of Bread for that Christ Iesus hath a true and perfect body differing in kind from a Spirit from an Angell and from an immateriall substance diuine reuelation teacheth but that the same indiuiduall and corporeall substance partaketh the spirituall manner of Angelicall existence and the diuine immensitie simplicitie and omnipresence as Bellarmine affirmeth is not reueiled vnto vs by the holy Ghost neither can the same be inferred ex Reuelatis from any plaine and euident truth which God hath reuealed Neither is it reuealed that the Abstracted formes and accidents of Bread and Wine subsist or are tasted and felt or nourish the body and are afterwards corrupted according to the manner of corporeall food hauing no substantiall or materiall nature in them Therefore this large tract wherein the Obiectour laboureth to prooue a possibilitie of the former by diuine miracle and omnipotencie is vnworthy our examination for we make no question of Gods omnipotent power in effecting whatsoeuer himselfe pleaseth as hath beene formerly answered Pag. 181. Yet the Fathers and Schoolemen very well teach vs That such things as implie a contradiction and falsitie are not the obiect of diuine power and they teach vs further that there is a twofold power in God Ordinata Absoluta one according to the order which himselfe hath fixed by his word and will the other according to the infinitenesse of his essence and which exceedeth his will Now according to the power of God measured and regulate by his word and will all things are impossible which God will not haue to be And thus we say that it is impossible that the whole body of Christ can be in one crumme of Bread or substantially present in many places at one instant and accidents cannot subsist or be tasted felt and nourish and be conuerted into the substance of mans body without a materiall subiect of inherencie to sustaine and giue force vnto them But on the contrarie we dispute not what God is able to effect by his absolute power neither is this question of any vse in the matter now in hand for the naturall kind of the things themselues created by God and the Doctrine of holy Scriprure teach vs what is the reuealed will of God but that hee changeth this Ordinance which himselfe hath fixed no Diuine Testimonie or Reuelation affirmeth or teacheth The sole pretext which Papals haue to palliate the absurdities pursuing Transubstantiation at the heeles are the words of Institution But there is nothing coactiue in the said words to prooue this Romish Article by the confession of the best learned Papists as I haue formerly prooued pag. 414. And besides many other Reasons This Argument out of our Sauiours words is most strong against Transubstantiation If nothing bee found in our Sauiours words This is my Bodie which prooueth the conuersion of the substance of bread into Christs bodie more than which is likewise found to change the quantitie and accidents then Popish Transubstantiation being onely a conuersion of substance and not of quantitie and accidents cannot be concluded out of our Sauiours words But nothing is found in our Sauiours words This is my Bodie c. proouing any more the conuersion of substance than of quantitie and accidents for our Sauiour tooke the whole bread both according to the substance and also according to the quantitie and accidents thereof into his hands and blessed and consecrated the same intirely with the like thankesgiuing and pronuntiation of words and performed all things to the one as well as to the other Therefore if our Sauiours words prooue Transubstantiation of the substance of Bread and Wine they must likewise prooue conuersion of the quantitie and accidents into Christs bodie and blood But by the confession of Papals they doe not the latter for the quantitie and accidents are not conuerted into Christs bodie and blood and consequently they doe not the former Now this being apparent the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation hath no foundation in our Sauiours words This is my bodie c. I supersede therefore to examine the Obiectors particular Arguments among which one is learnedly borrowed from the flies wing which according to Romish Phylosophie may be thinned extended and inlarged to make a case such perhaps as Base Viols haue to put the whole world into Euery punie in our Vniuersities can distinguish betweene Mathematicall or Potentiall diuision of a bodie and Physicall or Actuall Aristotle himselfe teaching vs that there is Minima caro though there be not Corpus minimum But this fictious Cosmotecture and case may well bee paraled to the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and they are twinnes the one as credible and infallible in Theologie as the other in Philosophie But if our Aduersarie would be pleased to respite vs from beleeuing Transubstantiation as an Article of our Creed vntill his vast words cap-case made of a flies wing bee finished hee shall finde vs more flexible and prone to credite his Romish Doctrine in this and other Articles IESVIT Secondly Wee cannot imagine the bodie of Christ to bee really combined vnto the consecrated formes and not to bee polluted by such indignities as may happen vnto the formes yet wee haue seene or may see things able to make this not to seeme incredible for holy men often by Prayer so purifie their soules and by contemplation bring their spirits to such an independencie of their sences that neither bitter meates offend their tastes nor loathsome sents their smell nor shrill cries their hearing yea burnings and torturings are not perceiued their spirit being eloyned through Diuine vnpolluted affection from the contagion of the bodie vnto the substance whereof it still remaines most really vnited This being so cannot the glorious bodie of Christ graced with most Diuine Ornaments flowing from the excessiue blisse of the soule made spirituall impassible and insearchable bee really present vnto the formes of consecrated bread and yet free immune and wholly independent of any contagion or corruption that may happen to those formes especially the bodie of Christ not being so strictly and substantially tied vnto the formes as the spirit is to the bodie it informeth but is present vnto them as an Angell assistant is to the bodie wherein he worketh What dishonour can it bee to attribute to Christs most venerable bodie this spirituall manner of Angelicall presence yea rather a participation of the Diuine Immensitie for as God by his incomprehensible Immensitie exists euery where no lesse pure in the sincke than in the Sunne no lesse sweete in the dunghill than in a Garden of odoriferous
malum fama Quia velox an quia plurimum mendax quae ne tunc quidem cum veri aliquid adfert sine mendatij vitio est detrahens 〈◊〉 de mutans de veritate c Aug. d. Ciu. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. Non tanta ea commendat 〈◊〉 vt sine difficultate vel dubitatione credantur Atqui nos O Graeci homines nec hostias Martiribê° nec libamina vlla deferimê° sed vt Sanctos homines deique amicissimos honoramus Gratissime accipit eorum Dominus qualiacunque sunt dona c. a Cypr. Epist. 74. Si ad diuinae Traditionis caput originem reuertamur cessat error humanus c. Si canalis aquam ducens qui copiose prius largiter profluebat subito deficiat nonne ad fontem pergitur vt illic defectionis ratio noscatur c. Quod nunc facere oportet Dei Sacerdotes praecepta diuina seruantes vt si in aliquo nutauerit vaccillauerit veritas ad originem dominicam Euangelicam Apostolicam Traditionem 〈◊〉 inde surgat actus nostri ratio vnde ordo origo surrexit b Tertul. d. virg vel c. 1. Hoc exigere veritatem cui nemo prescribere potest non spatium temporum non patrocinia personarum non priuilegium Regionum Ex his enim fere consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignorantia vel simplicitate fortita in vsum per successionem corroboratur ita aduer sus veritatem vindicatur Sed Dominus noster Christus veritatem se non consuetudinem 〈◊〉 Si semper Christus prior omnibus aeque veritas sempiterna antiqua res Mag. cent 4. cap. 4 a In Octau Assumpt Lect. Ecce quibus b Breu. Rom. Hymno exultet Iaud c Portif Sar. in Tho. Did. d Lect. s. 〈◊〉 in seruit B. Virg. Mar. e Rom. Breu. 3. Die infra octau Assumpt Virg. Mar. Lect. 4. Iubilemus in arca Dom. f Breu. Rom. in Abdon Senon Iulij 30. g Rom. Miss in Leone h Aur. Litan i Miss sar in memor Prim. Faelic in fest Iunij a Posseu Apparat verb. Bonauentura Bulla Sixti 4. to 2. Opusc. Bonau Psalt Bonauent Miserere mei Domina quae mater misericordiae numcuparis secundum viscera misericordiarum tuarum munda me ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis Essunde gratiam tuam super me solitam clementiam tuam ne subtrahas à me quonià m peccata mea confitebor tibi coram te me accuso de sceleribus meis fructui ventris tui me reconcilia pacifica me ei qui me creauit Domina in nomine tuo saluum me fac ab iniustitijs meis libera me c. Miserere mei Domina miserere mei quià paratum est cor meum exquirere voluntatem tuam c. Eripe me de inimicis meis Domina mundi exurge in occursum meum Regina pietatis c. Deus misereatur nostri benedicat nobis per illam quae eum genuit c. Domina in adiutorium meum intende luce misericordiae tuae illustra mentem meam c. In te Domina speraui non confundar in aeternum in tua misericordia libera me eripe me c. Quam bonus Israel Deus his qui colunt matrem suam venerantur ipsa est nempè solatium nostrum in laboribus subuentio optima obtexit caligine animam meam hostis in visceribus meis Domina lumen fac omnis auertatur à me ira Dei per te placa eum meritis praecibus tuis In iuditio pro me asiste coram eo suscipe causam meam mea sis aduocata Domina venerunt gentes in haereditaté Dei quas tu meritis tuis Christo confederasti c. Benedicta sis Domina mater Dei mei Israel qui per te visitauit fecit redemptioné plebis suae erexit cornu Salutaris castitatis tuae in domo Dauid pueri sui Sicut locutus est per os Isaiae aliorum sanctorum ProphetaruÌ„eius 〈◊〉 ex inimicis praesta Virginum virgo de manu omnium qui nos oderunt pacem nobis tribue Et fac misericordiam pro parentibus nobis vt memor sis testamenti omnipotents Dei quod iurauit ad patres nostros Abraham semini eius in saecula Sic sine timore de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati quiete seruiemus illi in sanctitate iustitia coram te omnibus diebus nostris Et tu Maria Propheta Dei vocaberis quonià m nouisti quod respexit humilitatem ancillae suae per quam dedit scientiam salutis plebis eius in remissionem peccatorum per viscera misericordiae multitudinis tuae Visita nos stella matutina oriens ex alto Illumina tenebras sedentium in vmbra mortis eas luco dilectissimi filij tui digneris illustrare Miserere misericordie mater nobis miseris peccatoribus qui retro acta peccata poenitere negligimus ac multa quotidiè poenitenda committimus Quicunquè vult saluus esse antè omnia opus est vt teneat de Mà ria firmam fidem quam nisi quisquè integram inuiolatamquè seruauerit absque dubio in 〈◊〉 peribit Quam demùm ipse in Coelum assump 〈◊〉 seder ad dextram filij non cessans pro nobis filium exorare Haec est Fides de Maria Virgine quam 〈◊〉 quisquè fidelitèr firmiterquè crediderit saluus esse non poterit a Baron Anno Christi 49. n. 19. Bellar. d. Scriptor Eccles. in Athanasio Magdeb. Centur 4. cap. 4. pa. 396. 397. a Read sundrie formes of such prayers in Chemn Exam Concil Trid. p. 3. pa. 145. HerbraÌ„d c. Greg. Val. d. multipl Papat Idolom Gerhard loc com to 8. d. Inuoc Sanct. b Bernerdin d. Senis apud Benzon in magnif li. 1. cap. 18. Data est tibi ô Domina omnis potestas in 〈◊〉 in terra vt quicquid volueris valeas efficere c Benzon in Cant. Magnif lib. 1. cap. 18. Sed iure haereditario mundi Monarchiam acquisiuisse tempore mortis Christi filij eius iam demonstrandum est c. Nullus alius in terris fuit qui de iure in 〈◊〉 haereditate succederet Christo. Ius naturale postulat dictanteratione vt mater sicut 〈◊〉 in filium habet ità quoquè habeat in 〈◊〉 quae sunt filij a Coron Mar. 7. Stel. 2. Coronae lustus quiliber tradere cor suum ad vigilandum 〈◊〉 ad Dominam mundi per quam redemptus est reconciliatus Stellar Coron B. Mar. lib. 12. pa. 1. ar 2. Christus carnem pro nobis sanguinem Maria imolabat animam b Benzon in Cant. Magnif lib. 1. ca. 18. Christus cum sit caput per collum id est Mariam effundit in fideles benignitatem suam Maria vero recipiens à Christo gratias nobis liberahtèr benignè communicat c Ib. Ipsa tanquam eius mater