we may die well Nor is it the Blessed Virgin only to whom they thus address The Prayer to St. John is in the same strain 7 Ut queant laxis resonare fibris Mira gestorum famuli tuorum Solve pollati labii reatwn Sancte Johannes That he would loose the Guilt of their polluted Lips that the Tongues of his Servants might sound out his Praise And in general thus they address to the Apostles and Evangelists 8 Vos saecli justi Judices vera Mundi lumina votis precamur cordium audite preces supplicum Qui Coelum verbo clauditis serasque ejus solvitis Nos à peccatis omnibus solvite Jussu quaesumus Quorum praecepto subditur salus languor omnium Sanate Aegros moribus Nos reddentes Virtutibus Ut cum judex advenerit Christus in fine saeculi Nos sempiterni gaudii Faciat esse compotes ibid. p. 497. O ye just Judges and true Lights of the World we pray unto you with the Requests of our Hearts That you would hear the Prayers of your Suppliants Ye that by your Word shut and open Heaven We beseech you deliver us by your Command from all our Sins You to whose Command is subjected the Health and Sickness of all Men Heal us who are sick in our Manners and restore us to Vertue that so when in the end of the World Christ the Judg shall come He may make us partakers of Everlasting Joy For the next Point the Merits of their Saints 't were infinite to repeat the Prayers they make of this kind I will subjoyn two or three In the Feast of St. Nicholas Dec. 6th 9 Deus qui B. Nicolaum Pontificem innumeris decorasti miraculis tribue quaesumus ut ejus Meritis Precibus à Gehennae incendiis liberemur O God who hast adorned thy Bishop St. Nicholas with innumerable Miracles grant we beseech thee that by his Merits and Prayers we may be delivered from the Fire of Hell Offic. B. Virg. p. 561. And many there are of this nature all along their Office But since the main question is about their recommending to God their Offerings and Sacraments by the Merits of their Saints we will see that too And for an instance of these we need go no farther than their very first Saint 10 Sacrificium nostrum tibi Domine quaesumus B. Andraei Apostoli precatio sancta conciliet ut in cujus honore solemniter exhibetur Ejus Meritis efficiatur acceptum Per. Missale Rom. Fest Nov. p. 513. St. Andrew to whom in their Secretum they thus address We beseech thee O Lord that the Holy Prayer of the Blessed Apostle St. Andrew may procure thy Favour to our Sacrifice that as it is solemnly offer'd in his Honour so it may be rendred acceptable by his Merits through our Lord. He that shall survey the following Festivals will find either the Secretum or Post-communio to run in the same strain I shall instance only in the Saints I formerly mentioned 11 Ut haec Munera tibi Domine accepta sint S. Bathildis obtineant Merita quae seipsam tibi hostiam vivam sanctam beneplacentem exhibuit Let the Merits of St. Bathildis O Lord prevail that our Gifts may be accepted by thee 12 Praestent nobis quaesumus sumpta Sacramenta praesidium salutare intervenientibus B. Martini Confessoris tui atque Pontificis Meritis ab omnibus nos absolvant peccatis See Missale in usum Sarum fol. 9. 68. in Fest Nov. Let the Sacraments which we have received we beseech thee be our saving Defence and through the Merits of thy Blessed Martyr St. Martin interposing absolve us from all Sin Such is their Service of the Saints How agreeable to that Duty we owe to God or to the very pretences of Monsieur de Meaux and the Vindicator let the World judg ARTICLE IV. Images and Reliques IN this Article the Vindicator takes notice Vindicat. p. 31. and that truly of my complaining that the approved Doctrine of their most reputed Writers should so much contradict what Monsieur de Meaux would have us think is their only design in that Service He tells us that properly speaking according to the Bishop of Meaux's sense and that of the Council The Image of the Cross is to be lookt upon only as a representative Ibid. p. 32. or memorative Sign which is therefore apt to put us in mind of JESVS CHRIST who suffered upon the Cross for us and the Honour which we there shew precisely speaking and according to the Ecclesiastical Stile is not properly to the Cross but to Jesus Christ represented by that Cross To this I opposed the Doctrine of St. Thomas and the Authority of their own Rituals to shew that they expresly adored the Cross of Christ and not only Jesus Christ represented by that Cross In answer to the former of which Vindicat. p. 38. the Doctrine of St. Thomas he tells me that he is not to maintain every Opinion held by the Schools That had I been sincere I ought to have taken notice of the reason brought by St. Thomas and his Followers which shews that it is purely upon the account of Jesus Christ represented and not upon the account of the Cross it self that he allows Adoration to it In short He concludes the Doctrine of St. Thomas to be in effect the same with Monsieur de Meaux 's Exposition That it is an Adoration of Jesus Christ represented by the Crucifix but not an Adoration of the Crucifix it self And the same is the account he gives of the Pontifical which he confesses admits of an Adoration in the same sense For the business of the Pontifical we shall see more particularly hereafter In the mean time this short instance may serve to shew that his Destinction is purely arbitrary ‖ Pontific Ord. ad recip processionaliter Imperat p. 205. col 2 si verò Legatus Apostolicus Imperatorem reciperet aut cum eo Urbem intraret vel alias secum iret vel equitaret ille qui Gladium Imperatori praefert alius Crucem Legati portans simul ire debent Crux Legati Quia debetur ei Laerla erit à dextris Gladius Imperatoris à sinistris In the Order of receiving an Emperour it is appointed that if there be a Legat present his Cross shall take the upper hand of the Emperors Sword because a Divine Worship is due to it †Thomas 3. p. q. 25. art 4. Utrum Crux Christi sit adoranda adorationi LATRLAE Conclus Crux Christi in quà Christus crucifixus est tum propter repraesentationem tum propter membrorum Christi contactum LATRIA ADORANDA EST Crucis verò Effigies in aliâ quâvis materià priori tantùm ratione LATRIA ADORANDA EST. And in the body Unde utroque modo adoratur eâdem adoratione cum Christo scil ADORATIONE LATRIA As to St. Thomas he tells us only this That
the Cross is not to be adored upon its own acccount but either as it is the figure of Christ crucified or because it toucht his Members when he was crucified upon it That the Wood of the true Cross is to be worshipped with Divine Adoration upon both these accounts but any other Crucifix only upon the former What does all this avail to the pretences of the Vindicator It shews indeed St. Thomas's grounds for his Conclusion but we are little concerned in them nor was it any unsincerity in me not to transcribe all his Reveries The Conclusion he makes is plain and positive and neither to be reconciled with the Vindicator's Fancy nor to be eluded by his Sophistry That the CROSS of Christ is to be ADORED with DIVINE ADORATION What his reason is we matter not sure we are that no good one can be brought by him or any body else for it The next Argument I made use of was That in the Office of the Benediction of a new Cross there are several Passages which clearly shew that they attribute such things to the Cross Vindicat. p. 39. as are directly contrary to Monsieur de Meaux's Pretences As that they who bow down before it may find health both of Soul and Body by it This he cannot deny but charges me with leaving out two words that he says would have explain'd all viz. Page 39. Propter Deum for the sake of God It is very certain that I did leave out these words as I did several others I believe as much to the purpose as these But that I may shew how little reason there was for my expressing them and to convince the World how clearly this passage charges them with Adoring the Cross I will now propose it in its full length In the form of consecrating a new Cross Pontificale de benedictione novae Crucis pag. 161. col 2. First the Bishop makes several prayers †Rogamus Te Domine pater omnipotens sempiterne Deus ut digneris benedicere hoc lignum Crucis tuae ut fit remedium salutare generi humano sit soliditas fidei bonorum Operum profectus redemptio Animarum sit solamen protectio tutela contra saeva jacula Inimicorum Per. That God would bless this Wood of the Cross that it may be a saving Remedy to Mankind An Establishemnt of the Faith for the Increase of good Works and the Redemption of Souls a Comfort and Protection against the cruel Darts of the Enemy After some other Prayers to the same purpose the Bishop blesses the Incense sprinkles the Cross with Holy Water and incenses it and then Consecrates it in these words * Ibid. p. 162. col 1. Sancti †ficetur istud lignum in Nomine Pa †tris Fi †lii Spiritus †Sancti Et benedictio illius ligni in quo sancta membra salvatoris suspensa sunt sit in isto ligno ut orantes inclinantesque se propter Deum ante istam Crucem inveniant Corporis Animae fanitatem Per. Let this Wood be sanc †tified in the Name of the Fa †ther and of the S †on and of the Holy †Ghost Let the blessing of that Wood on which the members of our Saviour were hanged be in this present Wood that as many as pray and bow down themselves for God before this Cross may find health both of Soul and Body through the same Jesus Christ ‖ Tum Pontifex flexis ante CRUCEM genibus ipsam devotè ADORAT osculatur Then the Bishop Kneels down before the CROSS and devoutly ADORES it and kisses it But if the Cross be of any Metal or of precious Stone instead of the former Prayer the Bishop is to say another I shall transcribe only some part of it After a long preamble they beseech God * Ut Sanctiâ—fices tibi hoc signum Crucis atque cons †cres Illis ergo manibus hanc Crucem accipe quibus illam amplexus es de sanctitate illius hanc sancti †sica sicuti per illam mundus expiatus est à reatu ita offerentium famulorum tuorum animae devotissimae hujus CRUCIS merito omnà careant perpetrato peccato P. 162. That he would sanc †tify to himself this Cross and bless it That our Saviour Christ would embrace this Cross which they consecrate as he did that on which he suffered and by the holiness of that sanc †tify This That as by that the World was redeemed from guilt so the devout Souls who offer it may by the Merits of this Cross be freed from all the Sins they have committed * Tum Pontifex flexis ante CRVCEM genibus EAM devotè ADORAT osculatur Idem faciunt quicunque alii voluerint Then the Bishop as before Kneeling down before the CROSS devoutly ADORES it and kisses it I hope this length will not seem tedious to any who desire a true information of the Doctrine and Practice of the Roman Church in this Matter And I shall leave it to any one to judge what benefit those two words I omitted could have brought to excuse such foul and notorious Idolatry For the rest of my Citations he passes them over so triflingly as plainly shews he had nothing to say to them Vindicat. p. 39. All the rest of his Expressions says he drawn from the Pontifical are of the same nature either lame or patch'd up from several places and therefore if they make any thing against us are not worthy our regarding For Monsieur de Meaux I shall only beg leave to remark this One thing that if the Church of Rome looks upon the Cross only as a memorative Sign to what End is all this Consecration so many Prayers shall I say or rather magical Incantations And how comes it to pass that a Cross without all this ado is not as fit to call to mind Jesus Christ who suffered upon the Cross as after all this superstition not to say any worse in the dedication of it My third Argument to prove that they Adored the Cross was from their Good Fryday's Service Vindicat. p. 40. And here I am again accused for not giving All the words of the Church and of adding somewhat that was not there to make it speak my own sense The words I cited are these Behold the Wood of the Cross Come let us Adore it Whereas their Church intends not that we should Adore it i.e. The Cross but come Let us Adore i.e. The Saviour of the World thathung upon it To judge aright of this Cavil and yet more expose their Idolatry I shall here give a just account from the Missal of the whole Service of that Day as to this Point ‖ Note first That in the Office of the Holy Week printed in Latin English at Paris 1670 The Title of this Ceremony is THE ADORATION OF THE CROSS pag. 342. * Missale Rom.
Mother lies almost dissolved in tears for the divisions of her Children and her dutiful Sons on both sides are praying and endeavouring with all their industry to close them like an unnatural off-spring divert themselves in the quarrel find a harmony in her groans and make a droll of that which had they indeed any true zeal for Religion they ought to wish rather they could with their dearest Blood be so happy as to redress For what remains of the Vindication Vindicat. p. 106 107. I shall say but very little to it He enters upon his Conclusion with a tragical harangue of the hardships they have suffer'd both by and ever since our Reformation and how well we deserve their Excommunication upon that account And 't is no hard matter when men so well disposed as this Author seems to be to speak evil of us are to draw our Character to make it appear as odious and deformed as they desire Were I minded to recriminate I need not tell those who are but very little acquainted with the true History of these things what a fair field I should have for a requital The corruptions of the Church when this Reformation begun the unchristian lives of those Religious Inhabitants that he says were turn'd by us into the wide world the Cheats and Ignorance of the Clergy the Tricks and Artifices of their Popes to prevent that Reformation which many of their own Party no less than the Protestants desired both in the Head and the Members And since he mentions Cruelties the barbarous Butcheries executed on the Reformed in Savoy Bohemia Germany Ireland and to say no more the proceedings at this day in one of our Neighbour Countries whereof we have been our selves Eye-witnesses and of which the noble Charity of our Royal Soveraign towards these poor distressed Christians See the words of His Majesty's Brief notwithstanding all the vain endeavours of some to hide it suffers no honest Englishman now to doubt All these would furnish out matter enough for a Reply and satisfie the World that were the Reformed as bad as Hell it self could represent them the Romanists yet would of all men living have the least cause to complain of them But I desire not to heighten those Animosities which I so heartily wish were closed and would rather such things as these might on all hands be buried in eternal oblivion than brought forth to prevent that Union we had never more cause to hope for than at this time And for our Laws which he says have been made against them he knows well enough what occasion was given to Queen Elizabeth and King James the 1st to establish them and I shall rather refer him to the ‖ See that and a Vindication of it by the Secular Priests An. 1601. published with some other pieces in a Collection called The Jesuits Loyalty 4to Answer which my Lord Burleigh made above 100 years since to this complaint than take the opportunity he has so fairly given me to revive the Reasons As for those injuries he tells us that Perjury and Faction loaded them with Vindicat. p. 111. we are not concerned in them It is well known that the Church of England was no less if not more struck at in those times than themselves If their present change of fortune makes them indeed neither remember those injuries nor desire to revenge them it shews only that the favour of Providence has not made them forgetful of their duty nor their present prosperity unmindful of their future Interest This is not our concern who have never that we know of injured them unless to take all fair and lawful ways to defend our Religion as by Law established may possibly in some mens apprehensions be esteemed an injury The peace and liberty which we enjoy we do not ascribe to their Civility it is Gods Providence and our Soveraign's bounty whom the Church of England has ever so Loyally served whose Rights She asserted in the worst of times when to use our Authors own words Perjury and Faction for this very cause loaded her with all the injuries Hell it self could invent But we gloried to suffer for our duty to Him then and shall not fail should there ever be occasion to do it again And we have this testimony from our King which no time or malice shall be able to obliterate That the Church of England is by principle a Friend to Monarchy and I think cannot be charged to have ever been defective in any thing that might serve to strengthen and support it For what remains with reference to the Points in Controversie the foregoing Articles are but one continued confutation of his vain pretences And I shall only add this more to them that whenever he will undertake to make good any one thing that he has advanced against us either in his Book or Conclusion I will not fail to prove what I now affirm That there is not a word of truth in either of them In the mean time before I close this I cannot but take notice how much the state of our controversie with these men has of late been changed and what hopes we are willing to conceive from thence as to the sober part of their Communion that those Errors shall in time be reformed which they already seem not only to have discovered but to be ashamed of When our Fathers disputed against Popery the Question then was Whether it were lawful to Worship Images to Invocate Saints to Adore Reliques to depend upon our own Merits for Salvation and satisfie for the pain of our own Sins This was their task and they abundantly discharged it in proving these things to be unlawful contrary to our duty towards God and to the Authority of Holy Scripture But now in these our days there is started up a new Generation of men too wise to be imposed upon with those illusions that in blind and barbarous Ages had led the Church into so much Error and Superstition These see too clearly that such things as these must if possible be deny'd for that they cannot be maintain'd And they have accordingly undertaken it as the easier task by subtile distinctions and palliating expressions to wrest the definitions of their Councils to such a sense as may serve the best to protect them from these Errors rather than to go on in vain with their Predecessors to draw the Scripture and Fathers into the Party to defend them And that it may not be said I speak this at all adventures I will beg leave in a short recapitulation of what is largely proved in the foregoing Articles to offer a general view of it Of Religious Worship Old Popery New Popery 'T IS a wicked and foolish Error of the Lutherans and Calvinists to attribute * Impius Imperitus Lutheranorum Calvinistarum Error est nullum nisi Deo Religionis honorem tribuentium Maldonat in Matt. 5.34 pag. 126. B. Index Expurgat in Athanas