from page 478 to page 496. Where also you may find them teaching that the Dominion of the blessed Virgin is equal to the Dominion of her Son that all power in Heaven and Earth was given to her that she is constituted over every Creature and whosoever boweth his knee unto Jesus doth fall down also and supplicate unto his Mother so that the glory of the Son may be judged not so much to be common with the Mother Ibid. as to be the very same That the mighty God did as far as he might make his Mother partner of his Divine Majesty and power giving unto her of old the Soveraignty both of Coelestial things and Mortal p. 478. That in the redundance of effusion of Grace upon the Creatures the Lords power and will is so accommodated unto her that she may seem to be the first in that both Diadem and Tribunal p. 481. And that all things are subject to the command of the Virgin even God himself p. 482. They also teach that by sinning after Baptisme men seem to have contemned and despised the Passion of Christ That so no Sinner doth deserve that Christ should any more make Intercession for him to the Father without whose Intercession none can be delivered either from Eternal Punishment or the temporal nor from the fault which he hath voluntarily committed And therefore that it was necessary that Christ should constitute his well-beloved Mother a Mediatrix betwixt us and him And so in this our Pilgrimage there is no other refuge left unto us in our tribulations and adversities but to have recourse unto the Virgin Mary our Mediatrix that she would appease the wrath of her Son Ibid. That as he is ascended into Heaven to appear in the sight of God for men Heb. 9.24 So she ought to ascend thither to appear in the sight of her Son for sinners that so mankind might have alwayes before the face of God a help like unto Christ for the procuring of his Salvation And that she is that throne of Grace p. 484. whereof the Apostle specketh Heb. 4.16 Let us go boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need That she comes before the Throne of Grace not entreating but commanding p. 486. In the Psalter of our Lady we have these Addresses Blessed are they whose hearts do love thee Ps 31. O Virgin Mary their sinns by thee shall be mercifully washed away Have mercy upon me O Lady Ps 50. who art called the Mother of Mercy and according to the bowels of thy Mercies cleanse me from all mine Iniquities Save me Lady by thy name Ps 53. Ps 71. and deliver me from mine unrighteousness Give the King thy judgement O God and thy mercy to the Queen his Mother Oh come let us sing unto our Lady Ps .. 94. Cant ad Virg. M. post Psal Let us make a joyful noise to Mary our Queen that brings Salvation Oh our Omnipotent Lady thou art my Salvation thou hast freed me condemned to death thou art the beginning and the finisher of my Salvation There you may find them teaching that by her Ps 118. Ps 41. Ps 136. De Arcan Ca. thol verit l. 7. c. 10. White p. 357. Sinns are purged by her true satisfaction is made for sinns the Death and Passion of Christ and of the blessed Virgin saith Petrus Galatinus conduced to the redemption of Mankind The Stellarium Coronae beatae Mariae saith she bought us and as Christ Redeemed Mankind by his Flesh and Blood so she redeemed the same with her Soul These Doctrines and many other of the same Blasphemous stamp are taught and held by many Doctors of the Roman Church these books and doctrines are written and licensed by that Church and so have Catholick permission no censure ever passed upon them no Expurgatory Index hath cleansed them from these horrid Blasphemies but it is still left free for any of the Doctors of that Communion to maintain and propagate them and for any of the members of that Church to practise sutably to these conceptions To ascribe all this power and Authority to the Blessed Virgin and all this vertue to her Death to give her the praises of it and accordingly to trust in her to pray unto her for the blessings she hath purchased and for the distribution of those Favours which naturally do result from this advancement and when they address themselves unto her to use the most extravagant expressions contained in the Ladys Psalter and in other books of the like nature with it Whence it will follow 1 That any person who acts according to these Doctrines and puts up these Petitions doth not deviate from that Tradition which the Catholick conceives to be his only rule of Faith id est a person may be guilty of horrid Blasphemy and Idolatry and notwithstanding be a good Roman Catholick 2. It follows that no man ought to be condemned for writing or asserting any of these Tenets or for using any of the formes contained in those books for Oral Tradition cannot be conceived to condemn what is allowed and practised without censure in the Church of Rome 3. Hence evident it is that private Catholicks may unavoidably be subject to these evil practises for seeing in these matters they cannot have the judgement of the Church and must not be permitted to act according to their private judgements what remains but that they follow the judgement of their Priest which as we have seen is often impious and Blasphemous 4. Hence evident it is that neither these opinions nor practises can ever be condemned by the Church of Rome for to make the contrary Tenets pass into Tradition or to make them Articles of Faith is to empower the Church to coyn new Articles and to pretend Tradition where it is not to be had So that all these Blesphemous and Idolatrous Devotions must be as lasting as the Church of Rome Secondly I have observed this method in my whole discourse 1. To confirm the propositions which I have laid down by Scripture and by reason and then to introduce the Judgement of the Fathers Whereas T. G. is very sparing both as to Scripture and Reason and doth endeavor to supply his want of Reason and of Scripture by some impertinent citations from the Fathers This I conceive to be a very weak and disingenious way of arguing for if the Testimonies of some few Fathers be not sufficient to confirm an Article of Faith and to give us the true sense of any text of Scripture he must confess that what he thus discourseth is weak and infufficient to prove what he hath undertaken to demonstrate but if he shall assert this method to be good and cogent then it will clearly follow 1. That the Doctrine of the Trent Council must be false for they have certainly decreed that Doctrine which was asserted by Pope
on the diseased Christians if then in all those Miracles we cannot find one instance which was not made apparent to the senses of mankind what reason have we to esteem this so Besides is not a Miracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a sign sure I am the Scripture often calls it so and is not every sign declared by St. * Signum est res praeter speciem quam ingerit sensibus aliud aliquid ex se faciens in cogitationem venire De Doctrina Christiana l. 2. c. 1. Austin to be something sensible whereby we do perceive what is not sensible what therefore is no object of the sence can be no sign or Miracle Secondly we cannot possibly obtain a greater evidence that any Revelation is Divine than is the evidence of sence whence it doth follow that we can have no reason to believe a Revelation more than we do our sences as T. G. asserts for all the certainty we have of any object of our Faith depends on our assurance that the deliverers of it were infallibly assisted by the Divine Wisdom in that delivery and is not this attested by the Miracles they wrought the Prophesies they delivered the Doctrine they taught and that by sence should any of them be questioned must not we recur unto the sences of the Primitive Christians to confirm them and must they not then be the ultimate foundation of our Faith and our Traditions must we not be surer of the proof than of the thing proved And consequently of the evidence of sense than that of Faith which deriveth from it if not why Secondly doth our Lord pronounce them rather Blessed who believe and have not seen 20 Joh. 29 than Thomas who first saw and felt and then believed is it not because they do it upon lesser though sufficient evidence and so their Faith is more illustrious and praise worthy Thirdly should it be otherwise how cometh it to pass that men are equally assured of what equally they see but have not the like fulness of perswasion in what they believe That being once assured of the objects of sence they can admit of no greater certainty whereas after all our boasts of a Plerophory of Faith we have still need to strive and labour to encrease it Since then the certainty of Faith is proved inferior to that of sence It is not possible we should have greater reason to believe a Revelation or any matter of our Faith than to believe our sences as T. G. suggests hence also it doth follow that we can have no greater reason to believe that these four words this is my body are contained in Scripture or that they do assert the Sacrament to be Christs Body than that assurance which the sences of all Christians do afford us that it remaineth Bread And Thirdly hence it follows that we can have no greater reason to profess the Christian Faith than we have to reject the Figment of Transubstantiation Answer 3. As for that vain pretence that Christ hath said this is his Body and therefore we stand bound to think that he doth work a Miracle to make it so although it be against the sence and reason of mankind that he should do it This will oblige us also to believe that by some other like prodigious Miracle before his Incarnation he was Transubstantiated into the Rock which ministred water to the Jews during their Travels in the Wilderness for of that it is expresly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.4 or that Rock was Christ 2. This will oblige us to believe that Christ hath neither Flesh nor Blood because the Scripture doth assure us that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 which yet Christ Jesus doth inherit We unbelieving Protestants perhaps might think it strange that Christ should have neither Flesh nor Blood yet the Sacrament should be his very Flesh and Blood but as for you you know the danger of not believing God more than your sences and your reasons and therefore this and many thousand contradictions of like nature can be no reason why you should not embrace the Letter 3. This will oblige us to be Anthropomorphites and to confess that all the arguments which have been urged against that Tenet by the Church of Christ are vain and ineffectual for Scripture hath not only said that man was made after the likeness and similitude of God but also doth in very many places attribute unto him the parts and members of an humane body what then will you oppose against them sence and reason T. G. will give this answer for them that they well know the danger of not believing Holy Scripture more than their sences or their reason Will you confute them by a Text of Scripture which seems to contradict their Doctrine alas that which is often stiled Bread must not be thought to be so because Christ hath once said it is his body and can we be so vain as to imagine that one ambiguous passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be rendred God makes or searcheth God loves or seeks the Spirit 4 Joh. 24. should carry it against so many which more expresly do ascribe unto him the members of an humane body or shall we fly unto Tradition alas is it not that which is derived from the sences of those men which in the matter of Transubstantiation have been all constantly deceived and if their hearing be a sufficient ground of Faith against the Doctrine of the Anthropomorphites must not their eyes and tast and smell and feeling be as cogent against the Doctrine of Transubstantiation Fourthly This must oblige us to believe what is the greatest Blasphemy viz. That Christ by all the Miracles he wrought among them gave no sufficient motive to the Jews to own him for the true Messiah for all his Miracles were only motives to believe that Law should be abolished which God hath often said should last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for ever Doth nor he tell them that the things he had revealed belonged to them and to their Children for ever Deut. 29.29 Exod. 12.17 that they might do all the things of this Law Doth not he call the Passover an everlasting Statute Hath not he said the Law of their first fruits shall be a Statute for ever throughout their Generations 23 Lev. 14 And if you answer that this word Gnolam doth not alwayes signifie an infinite duration but is sometimes used for such duration as admits a period and so must not be urged against so great conviction of their sence and reason Will not this answer justifie the Protestants when they produce so many instances to shew that when a thing in Scripture is stiled this or that the meaning only is that it doth signifie what it is said to be for to omit those passages so often cited 40 Gen. 12. 41 Gen. 26. 7 Dan. 38. 8 Luk. 11. 13 Mat. 38 39.
Wickedness against God are men fallen into What dishonour do the Creatures to their Creator and Maker And if we remember God sometimes yet because we doubt of his Ability or will to help us we joyn to him another Helper using these sayings Such as Learn God and St. Nicholas be my good speed Such as Neese God help and St. John To the Horse God and St. Loy save thee Thus are we become like Horses and Mules which have no Understanding For is there not one God only who Governeth the same and by his goodness maintaineth and serveth them be not all things of him by him and through him Why dost thou turn from the Creator to the Creatures This is the manner of the Gentil-Idolaters but thou art a Christian and therefore by Christ alone hast access to God the Father and help of him only These things are not written to any reproach of the Saints themselves but against our foolishness and wickedness making of the true Servants of God false Gods by attributing to them the Power and Honour which is Gods and due to him only And for that we have such opinions of the power and ready help of Saints all our Legends Hymns Sequenses and Masses did contain stories Lauds and praises of them and prayers to them and this we do altogether agreeable to the Saints as did the Gentile-Idolaters to their false Gods If answer be made that they make Saints but Intercessors to God and means for such things as they would obtain of God That is even after the Gentile-Idolatrous usage to make them of Saints Gods called Dij medioximi to be mean Intercessors and helpers to God This is the Doctrine appointed to be read and taught in every Parish Church of England In the Injunctions of Edward the Sixt published 1547. All Pastors are enjoyned to teach for the reproof of Surerstition and Pilgrimage made to Saints that all goodness health and grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author and Giver of the same and of none other And in the Injunction of Queen Elizabeth 1559. We have the same reiterated viz. To the intent that all Superstition and Hypocrisie crept into divers mens hearts may vanish away they shall teach that all goodness health and grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author and giver of the same and of none other And now to evidence the Truth and Justice of this imputation §. 3. we shall first shew what is the nature of Idolatry and what actions may be duely charged with it Next we shall faithfully relate the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome from her own Catechism Church-service and Authentick Councils Thirdly we shall consider what T. G. and others of that Church have offer'd to excuse her practice from this imputation And then shall leave it to the judgment of all impartial and discerning Readers whether we have not such convincing clear and pregnant reasons to pronounce her guilty of this most hainous sin that the most subtil wit cannot evade nor the most obstinate deny And first to shew wherein the nature of Idolatry consists and to confute and baffle all the tricks and Salvo's which the adverse party hath of late invented to excuse their practice in this matter from this hainous guilt we assert as followeth That to render any person guilty of Idolatry Prop. 1. it is not necessary that be should conceive the Creature which he worships to be the great Creator and the chiefest good the end and the beginning of all things or to conceive that which he worships is no Creature For first if this were requisite to render any person guilty of this crime then no man could commit Idolatry who knows and doth acknowledge the true Jehovah to be the only God Though he should Sacrifice to Devils and to stocks and stones Though he should worship the Sun Moon and Stars and all the host of Heaven with all the Rites and Ceremonies that have been used by the Heathen world nay should he have as many petty and inferior Gods as Aegypt Rome or the whole Heathen world did ever own and should perform that homage which according to the custom of those Nations where they were received was due unto them yet would he not be guilty of the least Idolatry because he could not possibly conceive them to be the great Creator or the highest God and yet conceive the true God to be only so 2. Hence it would clearly follow that those Christians who refused to Sacrifice or offer Incense unto the Images and Statues of the Heathen Emperors and to those Daemons which they worshiped as inferior beings and subject to that being whom the Heathens stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Supream and highest God were miserably out and wretchedly deceived in their apprehensions for it is evident by all their writings and by the accusations of their Adversaries that they refused to pay this homage to them because they thought it was Idolatry whereas according to this Rule it was not possible that they who owned the true Jehovah in contradiction to all others could commit that sin or justly be suspected of it 3. The Christians constantly pronounced the Heathens guilty of Idolatry in worshiping their lesser Deities And when the Arians and Nestorians sprung up they with one voice pronounced them guilty of the like hainous crime because by giving that homage which the Orthodox conceived due to God to him whom they affirmed to be only man they did * Basil Hom. 27. Ed. Paris P. 510. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. they introduced that Idolatry the Heathens practised the Angelitae as * Nomo Can. Tit. 12. c. 8. Cod. Can. Ecc. Univ. Cant. 139. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. 79. p. 1061. B. Photius or the Angelicks as St. Austine stiles them who prayed to Angels and by them thought to have access unto the Father The Church of God did antiently condemn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being guilty of occult Idolatry The Collyridians who offerd Cakes unto the blessed Virgin were said to do a devilish work and introduce a custom which made them guilty of Idolatry and yet it is exceeding manifest that neither any of those Heathens did conceive those petty Gods as they are pleased to stile them the supream being or the great Creator of the world nor could the like conceptions of Christ the blessed Virgin or the Angels be any ways consistent to that Christianity which the Arians Angelicks and Collyridians did constantly profess As for the Heathens their Daemons were accounted a Plutarc de Def. Or. p. 416 417. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministers of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundary Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sen b Apuleus de demon Socratis p. 45. potestatis Mediae a middle sort of Intercessors c Sen
Eliensis Respon ad Apol. Bel. pag. 7. Garnet openly confessed and therefore though they stande obliged to believe that the Bread is Transubstantiated some where or other at some time or other by some Priest or other yet they think no man is obliged to believe that any Priest now or at any one certain time does consecrate effectively And this concession is not very liberal if we consider what is acknowledged by Suarez b Multae sut causae propter quas potest accidere ut Christus non sit praesens ut si sacerdos non sit baptizatus vel non sit ritè ordinatus quod pendet ex multis aliis causis quibus ferè in infinitum progredi possumus ut ex parte materiae saepe accidit defectus Suarez in 3 Thom. qu. 79. Art 8. Disp 65.2 That we may almost infinitely proceed in the enumeration of the defects which will obstruct Christs presence in the Holy Sacrament For as we are informed by the Roman Missal if the c Si aliquid desit ex iis quae ad integritatem verborum in ipsâ consecratione requiruntur Verba autem consecrationis quae sunt forma hujus Sacramenti sunt haec hoc est enim corpus meum hic est enim calix sanguinis mei novi aeterni Testamenti misterium fidei qui pro vobis pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Si quis autem aliquid diminueret vel immutaret de forma consecrationis corporis sanguinis in ipsa verborum immutatione verba idem non significarent non Conficeret sacramentum Miss Rom. de Defec Miss p. 35. Priest happen to diminish or alter any of the words of Consecration so that the sense be varied or any word belonging to the form of Consecration be ontitted in all these cases Christ is not present in the Sacrament but it remaineth Bread now since the form of Consecration of the Cup containeth 11 words and so is the more subject to diminution or alteration seeing the Priest doth always speak the words of Consecration in a d Si quis dixerit Ecclesiae R. ritum quo submissa voce pars canonis verba consecrationis proseruntu◠damnandum esse aut lingua tantum vulgari missam celebrari debere anathema sit Concil Trid Sess 22. Can. 9. secret voice and not to be heard and in the Latine Tongue none of the People can be certain that he speaks the words of Consecration so fully and so regularly as to secure them from Worshipping a piece of Bread Secondly e Si panis non sit triticeus vel si triticeus sit admixtus granis alterius generis in tanta quan titate ut non maneat panis triticeus vel sit alioqui corruptus non conficitur Sacramentum ibid. pag. 34. If the Bread be corrupted or if it be not Wheaten-Bread then is it not converted into Christs Body and if the Wine be sowre or turned into Vinegar if it be made of unripe Grapes if it be mixt with so much Water as will corrupt the Wine then is it not converted into the Blood of Christ Now by what means the person that adores the Sacrament can be assured that the Bread and Wine is subject unto none of these defects it is not easie to conceive f Si vinum sit factum pe nitus acetum vel penitus putridum vel de uvis acerbis seu non maturis expessum vel admixtum tantum aquae ut vinum sit corruptum non conficitur Sacramentum ibid. Thirdly g Siquis non intendit conficere sed delusorie aliquid agere non consecrat quiarequiritur inten tio ibid. P. 35.36 If the Priest have uo intention to consecrate the Bread and Wine if in this matter he acts dilusorily if he be asecret Atheist a Moor a Jew in all these cases the person Worshiping must give Latria to a Creature if none of all this happen yet h Quicquid horum deficit scilicet mat eria debita for ma cum intentione ordo Sacerdotalis in conficiente non consicitur Sacramentum ib. p. 34. if the Consecrated Priest were not Baptized with due form of words or if the Person that Baptized him doth not intend to do as the Church doth if he be not a Priest which often happens saith Pope * In quaest quodlib quaest 3. Adrian and certainly falls out when he that doth Ordain him doth noth not intend to do so or faultreth by diminution of or by addition to the form of Ordination so that the sence is changed or made imperefct or lastly if the Bishop that Ordain'd this Priest that doth now Consecrate were not himself Ordained and Baptized with due matter form and intention or if this happened to any Priest to Bishop before him or any one in the same Line of Ordainers till you come unto St. Peter that is if this hath happen'd out in sixteen hundred years then will the Elements remain still Bread and Wine as wanting Consecration by a real Priest for Baptism and Ordination being necessary requisites to Priesthood he who by the defect of these is only a supposed Priest can give but a supposed Priesthood and they that do receive their Priesthood or do derive it from such as have received it from them can receive nothing but a shadow it being undeniably certain that the unsupplyable defect of any necessary antecedent doth cause a nullity in all those consequences which depend upon it So that no R. Catholick can be assured he doth not Worship Bread without he can have no assurance there being no necessity that they should be true From the consideration of all these defects it is exceeding evident That all that live in the Communion of the Church of Rome and daily practice the adoration of the Host are unavoidably subjected to the continual peril of Idolatry and have just reason to suspect although the Doctrine of Transubstantiation should in the general be certain that the material object of their Worship is but Bread and Wine On this Objection T. G. reflects with so much insolence and triumph as if it were the vainest scruple that a tongue could utter and had been managed by the Dr. with the greatest weakness And yet so little reason had he to be thus insolent and pert that by his first reply unto it he hath quite overthrown the Roman Cause and given all considering persons such a clear convincing motive to desert the Church of Rome that nothing can be more prevailing For thus he speaks The absurdness of the assertion that another mans defect and wickedness should make me incur the Crime of Idolatry whether I will or no might suffice to make any reasonable man depose so Chimerical a seruple This I confess is a most clear and certain truth that it is infinitely absurd to say I should be guilty of so great a Crime only by reason of anothers fault or wickedness But then it must
can we know what is the present judgment of the Church of Rome but by our eyes and ears since therefore one of her determinations is that all our senses in the Eucharist do actually deceive us how can we be infallibly assured of her judgment by what she hath declared to be fallacious CHAP. V. The CONTENTS The Host was not worshipped with Latria in in the primitive Church 1. Becâ—use we have no command in Scripture for this worship § 1. 2ly Because the Holy Scripture and the Fathers have spoken things extremely contradictory to this worship § 2. Thirdly Because the Antient Fathers have not informed us of this Worship § 3. Fourthly Because they have both said and practised many things which are very inconsistent with this Opinion that it ought thus to be Worshipped § 4. An Objection Answered § 5. The Instances produced by T. G. to prove this practise are considered § 6. THe Doctrine of Transubstantiation being overthrown Sect 1. the Adoration of the Host must fall together with it p 222. But since T. G. affirms That it was Vniversally practised and recommended by the Fathers of the primitive Church both Greek and Latine whereas it was not practised or commended by any single person for Eight hundred years after the coming of our Saviour We shall proceed to evidence the vanity and the absurdness of this practise and the unconscionable falshood of this bold assertion And 1. The commandment to Worship God alone is so express saith Bishop Taylor the distance betwixt God and what our senses represent as bread of Transubst p. 338. so vast the danger of Worshipping that which is not God or of not Worshipping that which is God is so formidable that it is infinitely to be presumed that if it had been intended that we should have Worshipped the Holy Sacrament the Holy Scripture would have call'd it God or Jesus Christ or have bidden us in express terms to have Adored it that either by the first as by a reason indicative or by the second as by a reason imperative we might have had sufficient warrant direct or consequent to have paid Divine Worship to it To strengthen and confirm this Argument it may deserve to be considered 1. That the Evangelists and the Apostle Paul are very punctual in the Relation of what our Saviour did or enjoyned in this Institution they all inform us that Christ commanded them to eat the Bread and drink the Cup which he had given to them and had he given them to be adored would they who mention things so obvious forget to tell us that either Christ intended they should be Adored or that they were Adored by them that which induced St. Paul to mention this Institution and to assert that he received it from our Lord was the irreverence of those that did participate 1 Cor. 11 18 28. and their want of preparation to receive those Holy Mysteries To cure this disease he tells them that the Holy Sacrament was Christs own Institution the charge he left behind him that very night in which he was beirayed and that the Institution was intended for the Commemoration of our Saviours death all which is proper to beget within us a greater Reverence and care in celebration of these holy mysteries but yet it cannot be denyed that this consideration viz. That what they thus irreverently treated was that very Son of God which suffered for them and that it was that Host which they and all good people did Worship for their God I say this one consideration would have been infinitely more proper and effectual to aggravate the sin of those who slighted it and irreverently behaved themselves at the participation of this Sacrament This therefore was omitted by St. Paul upon no other score but the absurdity and falshood of the thing Secondly consider with what expreseness the Scripture doth inform us that Christ is God true God God blessed for evermore and yet because his conversation in the World was in the habit and likeness of a Man and his Divinity was hid under the veil of humane flesh and because this Jesus was made subject to an ignominious and accursed death the Scripture thinks it not sufficient to ascribe unto him in 100 places the nature proprieties of God and to leave us upon Record a Mat. 2.11 8 2 9 18 15 25 20 20 28 9 17. examples of his Adoration by the wise Men of the East and by his own Disciples and by divers others I say the Scriptures think it not sufficient to have done all this and therefore they inform us that this is the decree of Heaven that to the name of Jesus every knee should bow Phil 2 10 Joh 5.23.1 Heb. 6. and that all should honour the Son even as they honour the Father and that when this first born came into the World Gods Angels were commanded to Adore him now it is evident the humane nature did not so much conceal the Deity as do the accidents of Bread for God sometimes did appear unto his Prophets in a human shape but never in the shape of Bread and Wine Christ while encompassed with our flesh gave signal demonstrations of his Divine perfections by Miracles and by declaring that he knew the thoughts of those with whom he did converse but in the Sacrament Christ giveth not the least appearance or demonstration of his presence He doth not rescue his most Sacred body from the Mouse or Rat or from the Sacriligious hands of Theives and Sorcerers Here then was greater reason to have told us as often that the Sacrament was God and was to be adored as they have told us Christ was God and was to be adored Since therefore we have no precept or example in the Holy Scripture for adoration of the Sacrament nor any information that the nature and properties of God do belong unto it seeing it is asserted of the Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 6 15.1 Pet. 2.4 and of the Church that they are Christ and of the Saints that they are made Partakers of the Divine nature but it is not once asserted of the Sacrament that it is Christ or that it partakes of his Divinity but only that it his body we have just reason to conclude that it neither was adored by Christs Disciples nor was intended so to be If that which Romanists adore were truly Christ Arg. 2. § 2. Brevint p. 72 one might safely aver what even to think were Blasphemy That neither Prophets nor Holy Fathers in their Speeches against Heathenish Gods either considered well what they said or ever thought well of their Saviour And First to begin with their Original when the Prophet Isaiah inveighs against them who worship Gods made by a Carpenter of a Tree which the worshipers had Planted and after hewen into pieces whereof one was to heat an Oven and the other to make a God Can any rational Man think that the Holy Ghost did foresee That
alone to know the secrets of the hart then Christ who was acquainted with them doth very well deserve to be accounted God So Novatian (l) De Trin. c. 13. p. 715. In the like manner they are wont to argue and conclude the holy Spirit to be God for if to know the secrets of men be a propriety of God to search the hidden things of God as doth the holy Ghost must be a greater demonstration of his Majesty so Paschasius If we especially conceive him to be God who sees the secret thoughts of man much more is he to be esteemed God who searcheth what is hidden in the Fathers breast So (m) Hom. de Trin. Eusebius Emissenus (n) Quia nemo inferior superioris scrutatur interna divinae enim solius est potestatis ecculta novisse similiter ergo scrutatur Spiritus Sanctus ut Pater Ambros de Sp. Sancto l. 2. c. 12. f. 108. B. Col. 2. L. It is recorded of God that he doth search the heart and reins whence it is evident that in like manner this is performed by the holy Spirit for no inferior doth search the hidden things of his superior So Ambrose v. Petav. Theol. dogm de Angelis l. 1. c. 7. de Trin. l. 2. c. 14. It would be endless to recite all that the Fathers have delivered to this effect if then they taught as doth the present Church of Rome and practised that invocation both of Saints and Angels which doth apparently suppose them conscious to the requests and inward motions of the heart is it not matter of the highest admiration and a just reason to suspect the ingenuity or common prudence of such men who did so often urge that as an instance of Divinity which they acknowledged to agree and by their daily practice did ascribe unto the Creature Wherefore we are constrained in reverence to their great names and memories to judge they never held this knowledge was communicated to Saints and Angels nor practised that which doth suppose it Which will be further evident if 3ly we consider that they affirm without distinction or exception that to perceive the secrets of the heart is a thing proper unto God alone this by the concurrent judgment of the â—ather being no more communicated to the Creature than was the knowledge of what was future and contingent The Almighty Father only knows the hidden things saith * Lib. 5. in Ezech. cap. 16. pag. 191. E. Mat. 6.4 Psal 7.9 1 Kings 8.29 Jerome alledging for the proof of this these Texts Thy Father that seeth in secret c God searcheth the hearts and reins And Thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men It is the property of God alone saith †In Matt. Hom. 29. p. 201 202. Ed. Savil. Jer. 17.9 1 Sam. 16.7 Chrysostom to know the secrets of the heart For the proof of this besides the passages now mentioned he add that of Jeremiah The heart is deceitful above all things who can know it And that of Samuel Man looketh on the out ward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart And of this saith he we have many evidences This he again repeats Hom. 24. in Joban and proves it from those words of Solomon Thou only knowest the heart of man (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Matt. Hom. 19. p. 134. If thou dost thy good works in secret wilst thou have no spectactor of what is done saith the same Author yes thou wilst have not indeed Angels or Arch-angels much less Saints and Martyrs but God over all Hence was it held a signal honor done to God and a great act of faith to pray in silence (p) Qui in silentio orat fidem defert confitetur quod Deus serutator cardâ— renis sit erationem tuaâ—an è lile audiat quà m tuo ore fundatuâ— Ambros de Sucram l. 6. c. 4. He that doth pray in silence saith St. Ambrose brings faith with him and confesseth that God is the searcher of the heart and reins and that he can hear his prayer before that it is uttered by his mouth (q) Consideremus bened ctâ—â—â—eleslem Christi Sephiaâ— imprimis de praecepto secretè adorandi quo fidem hominis exigebat ut Dei omnipotentis conspectum auditum sub tâ—ctis in abdus etiam adess confideret m destum fidei desideraâ— it ut quem uâ—ique audire videre fideret ci soli religionem saam offâ—â—â—â— Tert. de Orat. c. 1. §. 8. Let consider saith Tertullian the heavenly wisdome of our Lord in his injunction to praÌ„y in secret whereby he both requires the faith of man confiding that God omnipotent both hears and sees under our roofs and in our secret places and also that our faith be modest so that we offer our Religion unto him alone whom we are confident doth see and hear us every where That to ascribe this knowledge to any Creature to whom God doth not thus discover the secrets of the heart Prop. 3. §. 3. and to pay that honor to it which doth suppose such knowledge is Idolatry This I make good 1. From the confessions of our Adversaries and from the Argument they use on like occasions It is truly acknowledged by the Church of Rome Catechism Rom. part 3. c. 1. § 7. That Magick Augury and such like wicked Arts are sins forbidden by the first Commandment and such as cannot be committed without gross Idolatry Because whoever doth expect or seek from evil Spirits or any other Creature what the Magician promiseth by seeking hoping or expecting that from them which only ought to be expected from God they act towards that Creature as if they thought it to be God For instance he that attempteth to foretell what is future and contingent without a revelation from God he doth unduly do it 2ª 2ª q. 95. Art 1. saith the learned Sylvius for since the causes of such thing are undetermined it is not possible we should attain to this knowledge of them from themselves or from their causes and whether we do speak of things contingent or of the knowledge of the conceptions of the heart it is certain God alone can know them it being said Isa 41.23 Thou only knowest the hearts of men and again Declare the things that are to come that we may know that you are gods he therefore that attempteth to foretell such things we therefore say that he divineth because after a sort he acts the God usurping that which only doth belong to him 2. From the two passages of Scripture cited by him it is evident That albeit God sometimes did reveal unto his Prophets the knowledge of things future and of the secrets of the heart yet is that knowledge to be esteemed the property of God and a sure indication of divinity and therefore to ascribe this knowledge to a Creature God having not revealed it to him is to ascribe divinity unto
c. 12. Run through all the words of holy Prayers and you will be able to find nothing which is not included in the Lords Prayer in this both Protestants and Roman Catholicks agree Hence therefore I assume if when we pray for any thing contained in this Prayer we are enjoyned to pray to God then all our acceptable Prayers must be directed to him and whensoever we do pray for any blessing we must call upon him besides Our Father doth belong to every Petition no other person being mentioned in this Prayer so that the sense runs thus Our Father c. let thy Kingdome come Our Father let thy will be done c. And then the import of this injunction will be this when you pray for the advancement of Gods Glory or the promotion of his Kingdom or the performance of his Will when you solicite for any Temporal blessing or for the pardon of your Sin or lastly for the prevention of any Evil or Temptation of what kind soever when you desire any of these mercies for your selves or others pray to your Heavenly Father for them 3. None of these blessings must be asked of him to whom the Kingdom Power and Glory doth not of right belong For this is added as the cause or motive of making these addresses to God and where the motive or cause is wanting the effect must cease Now to God only the Kingdome Power and Glory doth agree Jude 25. We therefore must address our Prayers to him only for the obtaining of these blessings And least you should object that this Argument excludes the third and second persons of the Sacred Trinity let it be noted that all the Schoolmen do affirm That the word Father in this Prayer must not be taken personally but essentially and so excludeth not the other Persons of the Trinity but those things only which have not the same nature with them 2. Prayer offered up in any time or place to an invisible and for any thing we know a Being absent from us as far as Earth from Heaven doth ascribe unto that Being the knowledge of the secrets of the heart now to worship any Being whether Saint or Angel with such a kind of worship which doth ascribe unto it the knowledge of the desires and secrets of the heart both where and whensoever they are conceived or uttered is to ascribe unto them by way of worship what is not due to Saints or Angels but alone to God as hath been proved already and may be further thus confirmed 1. If Saints departed were acquainted with the desires of our hearts why did Elijah speak unto Elisha thus 2 Kings 2.9 Ask what thou wilst before I am taken from thee The Scripture doth affirm that he was taken up into the Heavens and therefore did behold the face of God And Roman Catholicks themselves deny that he was held in Limbo as they imagine other Prophets were being in Heaven his love unto Elisha and the Church of God was not diminished but enlarged and therefore upon that account he had a stronger reason to ask what he desired then before Besides the Prophet being now with God in Heaven his Prayers would more effectually prevail for any Blessing for his Friend and therefore he had greater reason to have said had he believed this Doctrine of the Church of Rome Ask what thou wilst when I am taken from thee And therefore we have reason to presume that he did not believe this Doctrine but rather thought that his departure would render all Elijah's future wishes and add resses to him vain and ineffectual 2. From that known passage of Isaiah Abraham nescivit nos Israel ignoravit nos St. Augustine thus concludes (o) Si tanti Patriarchae quid erga populum ex his procreatum ageretur ignoraverunt quibus Deo credentibus populus ipse ex corum stirpe promissus est quomodo mortui suorum rebus atque actubus cognoscendis adjuvandisque miscentur ibi ergo sunt spiritus defunctorum ubi non vident quaecunque aguntur aut eveniunt in ista vita hominibus De curâ pro mortuis c. 13. If such great Patriarchs were ignorant of what was done towards the people that proceeded from their Loins how should the dead be conversant in knowing or helping of their friends in what they do There therefore are the Spirits of dead persons where they do not see what things are done or happen to men in this life 2. I reason thus this practice doth ascribe unto the objects of our Prayer such knowledge of the heart and such a cognisance of all petitions presented to them at all times and in all places of the world which we have proved to agree to God alone or such a presence in all places which is proper to him and therefore it ascribeth to them the honor due to God alone 2. If Saints departed do know the minds and inward thoughts of those who put up their petitions to them they have this knowledge either from Revelation or from the beatifick Vision but they have no such knowledge either from Revelation or from the Beatifick Vision Ergo. And 1. God doth not ordinarily reveal unto them the knowledge of the hearts of their petitioners For if they do not want this Revelation God who doth nothing vainly must not be supposed to impart it But these blessed Spirits do not want it for did they need this Revelation to perceive our minds saith Bellarmine the Church would not so confidently say to all the Saints Votis precamur cordium audite preces supplicum Brev. in Com. Apost p. 2. pray for me much less we offer to you the desires of our hearts but sometimes would desire God thus to reveal our prayers and to acquaint them with the desires of our hearts 2. If God thus reveal the Prayers of the Petitioner to the deceased Saints what reason can be given saith the forementioned Author why all the holy Patriarchs and Prophets were not invoked by the Church of Israel before our Saviours advent and he had reason to make this enquiry For 1. It is as easie to Almighty God to make this Revelation to the souls in Limbo that Papal prison of the Antient Patriarchs and holy Prophets as to the souls in Heaven nor have we one example or declaration that what God is supposed now to do he was not willing to do then 2. Certain it is the charity of those departed Patriarchs and Prophets towards their relatives and friends and the whole Church of God must be exceedingly advanced by their change they must be more the friends of God and their petitions must be more prevailing then whilst they did continue in the flesh Wherefore the Jews had as good reason to invoke these Patriarchs and Prophets as hath the Romanist to call upon the Christian Martyrs And God had equal reason to declare this was the duty of the Jew and to reveal their Supplications to the Patriarchs as to
declare this was the duty of the Christian and to reveal their Supplications to departed Christians 3. What a ridiculous office do they impose upon the God of Heaven by this fond opinion for when they pray to Apollonia for the tooth-ach God must not only tell her that such a person supplicates but also that his teeth do ake and therefore he particularly imploreth her assistance when they address themselves to any Saint in this odd language * Cum ad Imaginem Sancti alicujus quis Dominicam orationem pronuntiat ita tum sentiat se ab illo petere ut secum oret sibique postulet ea quae Dominicae orationis formulâ continentur Catech. Rom. part 4 c. 6. s 4. p. 586. Our Father which art in heaven c. which they familiarly do as is acknowledged by the Roman Catechism God must inform this Saint both of the person praying and his prayer and his intention by so doing to oblige him to use those words in his behalf †O praeco accelera piae matri◠praecare viscera Propr Fest F. 2. When they desire any Saint or Angel to go unto the Blessed Virgin this Saint must be informed first of the matter of the Prayer then must he post unto the blessed Virgin and she must go unto her Son and he unto his Father to present that request which he revealed And are not these men very bold with God to put such offices upon him and make him Nuntio to all his Creatures 2. The Saints departed do not know the hearts and the petitions of their Supplicants by vertue of the beatifick Vision This vain presumption depends on this that seeing God they must in him behold those things which in Idea are contained in him or which his knowledge doth perceive and so the refutation of this dream will be sufficient confutation of it And 1. That which the holy Spirit only knows these blessed Spirits do not know but the things of God i.e. his purposes and counsels c. knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 Ergo. If then the blessed Spirits notwithstanding the beatifick Vision do not see the mind and counsel of God without his revelation why should we think that by beholding of God they also do behold the supplications we put up unto them De vita Contemp. l. 5. c. 4. Those words of Prosper That nothing is so secret as that the knowledge of it should be denied to the perfectly blessed And that of Gregory L. 12. Moral c. 13. That they who see that God who seeth all things must themselves see all things I say those words do as much prove that blessed Spirits do know the secrets of Gods counsel as that they see the supplications we put up unto them To strengthen and confirm this Argument let us consider 1. That the Fathers do from this place conclude the holy Spirit to be God because he is the searcher of the things of God which Argument would be invalid if this could truly be asserted of the blessed Spirits 2. 1 Cor. 2.12 Observe that the Apostle argues thus That as no man knows the secrets of the heart of man besides the Spirit of man within him so none can know the secrets of the God of Heaven but the Spirit of God Now if the blessed Spirits do know the secrets of the heart of man the Argument would be invalid for the Romanist might give the baffle to St. Paul and tell him That as the secrets of the heart of man are known not only to the Spirit of man but also to myriads of blessed Saints and Angels so may the secrets of God be known not only to the holy Spirit but to many others 2. The Scripture doth assure us That those blessed Angels which always did behold the face of God had not the knowledge of those things which are revealed to us by the Gospel and that the curious Wisdom which contrived that dispensation was made known unto them by the Church Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore Peter represents them as stooping down to view this new discovery which is a signal indication of the falshood of this fond conceit That blessed Spirits seeing him who knoweth all things must have the knowledge of those things he sees and therefore of the prayers that are put up unto him they being seen and known to God 3. That we may pray in faith we must be certain that the blessed Spirits are acquainted with the desires of our hearts for he that doth command us to pray in faith and without doubting cannot be wanting to give us certain motives of this faith and therefore God who never is deficient in what is necessary would certainly have given both to Jews and Christians sufficient revelation of his will in this particular had he intended that they should pay this homage to the Saints departed whereas we have no certain evidence that they enjoy this knowledge either from Revelation or from Vision And 1. We are not certain that they behold our supplications in the beatifick Vision for many of the Church of Rome do hold the contrary and it is free for all her members so to do and so this matter cannot be held as any Article of faith or certain definition of the Church 2. It is not certain that these blessed Spirits by vertue of this Vision do behold what is contingent for this is generally denied by the Romish Doctors and yet these things are seen of God as clearly as are the secrets of the heart 2. We cannot possibly be certain that God doth reveal them for we cannot certainly conclude it from his Attributes nor have we any certain revelation that he doth reveal our minds and thoughts unto them for if we can certainly conclude it from his Attributes then God would not be God did he not thus reveal our supplications to the Saints departed And Secondly Then to deny this Revelation would be to sin against the light of nature and then not only Protestants but the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks must sin against the light of nature by holding they obtain this knowledge not by Revelation but from the Vision of that God who knoweth all things but if by vertue of some Revelation we are assured that our petitions are revealed to the Saints why do they not produce it Why doth T. G. confess that Austin and others of the ancient Fathers were uncertain what to determine in this case Why do the greater part of Roman Catholicks deny what they have certain Revelation for 3. Where is this Revelation to be found In Scripture No they confess that this is wholly silent in this matter and give us many Reasons why it was not mentioned in holy Writ Have we this Revelation from Tradition Why then do the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks reject it Sith then we have no certainty of what this practice doth suppose either from Revelation or from the beatifick
their charge in this important duty and to inform them that it is very good and profitable to fly unto their prayers for help and refuge that we must daily invocate the Blessed Virgin and that it is a wicked and most hainous crime to doubt either her readiness to help Cateâ—â— â—om p. 584. or that her merits are most prevailing for this end Their practise doth inform us that there is not any blessing which our Souls can wish for but Christians should implore it from them And if their Doctrine were according unto Piety their practise must assuredly he so For what more proper then to implore their aid who are so highly instrumental to preserve us from our most fatal Enemies and to procure all those blessings which are needful both to the Piety of this present life and to the felicity of that which is to come St. Paul is in like manner large and copious in these instructions which he gives unto the Pastors of the Church and to the people committed to their charge He informs us that we must all pray and for all men that we must pray with pure hands and with hearts free from wrath and doubting He tells us in what language we should frame our prayers viz. in such a language that all that hear may understand 1 Cor. 14. and say Amen to our Petitions in what posture both men and women ought to pray and that this duty ought to be performed in all places And yet this person who descends to these minute particulars speaks not one word of this important duty so pious and profitable in it self so necessary to preserve us from the worst of Enemies and to procure the greatest blessings Nay in all the Scripture which was written to make us wise 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and thorowly instructed unto all good works we have not the least mention of it In those Epistles they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in prayer to pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Eph. 6.18 and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints To continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving To pray without ceasing Col. 4.2.1 Thess 5.17 1 Tim. 2.1 Phil. 4 6. To put up supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men To be careful for nothing but in every thing with prayer and thanksgiving to let our requests be made known unto God And to go unto that God for wisdom who giveth unto all men liberally James 1.5 and upbraideth not They also do exhort us to pray for others that they may be saved particularly 5.16 1 Joh. 5.16 for every brother that hath not sinned unto death Now surely they who do so frequently discourse upon this subject and upon the lesser circumstances of this duty would not have omitted to mention something of this so profitable practise if they had really believed it so to be For wherefore do they give us these directions but to preserve us against the power of temptation and the assaults of Sin and Satan Why do they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in the performance of this duty but that we may obtain those spiritual blessings which without great danger to our souls we cannot want If then the Invocation of the Saints departed and especially of the Virgin Mary be so highly profitable to these ends why should these men I say be silent in this matter who being guided by the Holy Spirit could not forget to do it and being as concerned for the Churches welfare as the Trent Fathers could not for want of zeal unto Gods glory or the good of Souls neglect to charge all Pastors diligently to instruct the people in this most profitable and pious practise Why should these men who both by precept and example do instruct us to request the prayers of living friends be wanting both in precept and example to move us to request the more prevailing prayers of Blessed Spirits they who command us when we are infirm to have recourse unto the prayers of surviving Pastors and to pray for one another because the fervent supplication of a righteous man availeth much why should they never send us to the B. Virgin to the Patriarchs and Prophets to St. Stephen and St. James and other early Martyrs of the Church whose Prayers if we believe the Roman Church are highly meritorious and far more prevailing Nay they had the greater reason to inculcate this because it was a novel practise and never used by the Jewish Church and therefore they had need of an Express to move and to encourage them to such devotions Whereas it was the daily custom of all Jews to put up their petitions to the God of Heaven Since therefore neither Paul or Peter or James or John Apostles or Evangelists have left us any precept or example for this practice we may be certain they did not approve it Moreover to move us more effectually to the performance of this duty they tell us That the eyes of God are still intent upon the just 1 Pet. 3.12 and his ear open to their prayer that he is well acquainted with those inward groans and wishes Rom. 8.26 which we do or cannot utter and is also able to perform exceedingly above what we can ask or think Eph. 3.20 Marth 7.7.11 James 1.5 that he is good and gracious to all that call upon him faithfully that he will fulfill the desires of them that fear him Thus also do the Latines teach concerning the Saints departed they tell us in the words of Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they confidently ascribe unto them Summan juvandi voluntatem the greatest readiness to help and the most prevailing merits Catech. Rom. p. 585. and this they do most sutably to that presumption they have taken up for all these things are the more needful to be taught because both Scripture seems to say the contrary affirming that Saints departed are ignorant of us and our concernments here on Earth and denying that any besides God can know the secrets of the heart And secondly the things themselves seem difficult to be believed viz. That Creatures at so infinite a distance can be acquainted with what is done on carth much more that they should at such a distance understand the secret motions of the heart Why is it then that the Apostles who do so often mind us of what we have less reason to suspect viz. That God is able and very ready to perform what we desire and that he hears the secret groanings of our heart should not inform us of what is so exceeding hard and yet so necessary to be believed of these Blessed Spirits Whosoever diligently reads their Writings will find them praying earnestly to God for all those blessings to be conferred upon the Christians which Papists do request from Saints and Angels That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give to
the Ephesians the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Eph. 1.17 18. the eyes of their Vnderstanding being enlightned That he would grant that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith 3.17.18.19 that they might be strengthned by his Spirit in the inner man that they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of God which passeth knowledge and be filled with all fulness of God That the Philippians love might abound more in knowledge Phil. 1.9 10 11. and in all judgment that they might approve things that are excellent and be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteoussness to the praise and glory of God That the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisdom Col. 1.9 10 11. and spiritual understanding that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness 1 Thess 3.12 13 That the Thessalonians might encrease in love and have their hearts established unblamable in holiness before God 2.1.11.12 That God would count them worthy of his calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the God of Peace would make the Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will Heb. 13.20 21. 1 Pet. 5.10 working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight That the God of Grace would make them perfect stablish strengthen settle them These Supplications were their daily exercise and had they thought the Invocation of the blessed Virgin the Patriarchs and Prophets the Proto-Martyr and the brother of our Lord would have been needful and effectual to the attainment of these things for which they prayed so earnestly why do they never once address themselves unto them why do they never pray as doth the Church of Rome Brevarium Missal that through the deprecation intervention patrocination and intercession of these persons they may be worthy to obtain these blessings why do they never pray by the merits of these persons to be delivered from * Deus qui beatum Nicolaum P. tribue qâ—aeâ—un us ut ejus moritis pracibus 〈◊〉 Ochenna incend is liberemus Miss in sest sanâ— Nich. Dec. xi Deus q. â— beatuâ— Lodovicum ju quaesamus meritis intercessione Regis Regan â—â—su Christâ—â— fâ—l â—ui facias nos esse can oâ—tes in Fest beat Lud. Aug 25. Hell and made partakers of the joys of Heaven as doth the Roman Blashemy Why do they no declare with them that they do †In Fest faâ—ct Agapiti Aug. 28. place their confidence in the petitions of these prevailing Saints and blessed Spirits Why do they not ascribe their mercys and deliverances to the ‖ Accepta tibâ— siâ— â—â—mine sacratâ—e plebâ—s oblatio pro inorum Hâ—nors Sanctâ—um quâ—râ—mâ—â—e â—â—ritis perâ—â—â—â— de tribulatione cognoseit 〈◊〉 Miss Dee â—â—â—p 〈◊〉 Ed. Antwerp 1605. merits of these Saints as they most insolently do Assuredly on this account because they did not in their hearts approve the practise Were blessed Paul alive to see his Prophesy so punctually fulfilled That in these later times men should depart from the Faith attending to erroneous Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Doctrine of worshipping departed Souls how would he passionately cry out O foolish Romanists who hath bewitched you c. Lastly St. Paul had such an ardent zeal to the promotion of the Gospel that he omits no help which he conceives might give a blessing to his labours He therefore passionately intreats the Christians to whom his writings are directed Rom. 15.30 31. That they would strive together with him in their prayers to God that he might be delivered from them who did not believe in Judea and that his Service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints and that he might come unto them with joy and with them be refreshed That they would alwaies Eph. 6.18 19. and with all perseverance pray for him that utterance might be given unto him hat he might open his mouth boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel Col. 4.1 2 3. That they would continue in prayer that God would open unto him a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which he was in hands that he might make it manifest as he ought to speak 1 Thes 5 25.2-3.1.2 Finally Brethren saith he pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith So blessed Paul and had he thought that his addresses to the Patriarchs and Prophets the blessed Virgin the Quire of Angels or the Saints made perfect would have been more effectual to this end would not his zeal have prompted him to have put up one request unto them or one Petition to his Guardian-Angel to be defended from these unreasonable men If all these circumstances be considered it will amount to an invincible conviction of the falshood of that determination of the Church of Rome * Juxta Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae usum à primaevis Christianae Religionis temporibus receptum Concil Trid. Sess 25. that this is the practise which was derived from the Apostles and hath been still continued in the Church of Christ 2. No other reason can be given why they did not practise or commend the Invocation of the blessed Spirits besides this that they conceived this worship to be that honour God had reserved for himself and that they looked upon it as a vain and fruitless practice The knowledg of the heart and of the Prayers that are put up by All men at all times and in all places of the Earth being the knowledg proper to the God of Heaven and not communicated to the Saints deceased This will appear more evident if we consider and refute those shifts whereby they do endeavour to evade the force of this triumphant Evidence And 1. They tell us that * Si Apostoli Evangelistae docuissent sanctos venerandos arrogantiae iis datum fuisset ac si post mortem gloriam illam quaesivissent noluit ergo Spiritus Sanctus expressis Scipturis docere invocationem Sanctorum Eckius in Enchirid. loc Com. ex edit Alex. Weissenhorn Alanus Copus Dial. 3. fol. 239. had the Blessed Apostles taught this doctrine it might have been objected to them that they sought their own advancement and honour by the propagation of their Gospel and proudly did endeavour to be worshipped by their Christian followers Repl. 1.
This answer gives us some shew of reason why this Invocation was not enjoyned in Scripture but it affords not the least shadow of a reason why it was not practised 2. Either this Invocation was practised by the Church in the Apostles time or not if not Quem seuâ—per Ecclesia Catholica adhibuit Câ—t Rom. p. 3 c. 2. Sect. 8. then the Trent Council and the Roman Catechism falsly do assert that this was the perpetual and Apostolick practice of the Church of Christ if it was practised then that practice must give rise unto the same Objection viz. that the Disciples of Christ had brought into the world this custom on purpose to advance their honour and to procure worship to themselves 3. This doctrine had it been consistent with the Christian Faith ought more especially to have been often preached to the Jews to reconcile them to that Faith by giving them assurance that they might have recourse unto the prayers of Father Abraham and their beloved Moses and that Noah Job and Daniel Elijah Samuel and all the blessed Patriarchs and Prophets who were so powerful with God on Earth would upon their request be ready to procure for them the greatest Temporal and Spiritual blessings since therefore we have no such Revelation in any of these Writings or Epistles which are especially directed to them and were designed for their conversion and satisfaction it may be well concluded this was no doctrine of the Christian faith 2. Some others do assert That the Apostles did abstain from giving any precept or example of this Invocation lest Heathens should conceive that for the multitude of Heathen * Nondum erat tempus in ipsius fidei exordiis eam mundo doctrinam divulgandi ne Gentiles arbitrarentur plures nos Deos colere Alanus Copus Dial. 3. f. 239. Eckius ubi supra Deities they worshipped the Christians only introduced a multitude of Christian Gods Repl. 1. This evasion is a meer conjecture of which we have not the least hint in any of the Ancient Fathers or the Church Historians which is sufficient to crack the credit of it for that such a change should happen in the worship of the whole Church of Christ without the notice or observation of any single person is incredible Besides this figment thwarts that declaration of St. Paul that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and that profession that he with-held not from them any useful Doctrine Act. 20.20 it thwarts that Doctrine and Assertion of the Church of Rome that this hath been the constant custom of the Church of God including the Apostles time Besides the reasons of abstaining from this practice must continue as long as there were Heathenâ— to be converted to the Christian Faith and so beyond the time of Constantine Now albeit it be a certain truth that Christians till after the days of Constantine abstained from this practice yet cannot that Assertion consist with the pretences of the Church of Rome for Apostolical Tradition and derivation of these Doctrines which they obtrude upon us from the Apostles of our Lord. 4. Either these Primitive Professors were not well advised to let this fear of Scandal deter them from the publication of a truth so pious and profitable to the Church of Christ or else the Roman Doctors are not so cautious in their attempts to propagate the Gospel as they ought to be as not concealing from the †8. Dali. de cultu Latin To. 1. l. 3. cap. 25. p. 493. Pagans whom they endeavour to convert this so suspicious practice of their Church In a word if the Apostles and the Church of Christ which was converted by and flourished under them had no such practice certain it is we have no reason now to do what they did never practise or command for all instructions we embrace as from them must be what they did teach or practise but if they did admit this practice then could not Jews and Heathens want the knowledge of it seeing the number of Apostates and hypocritical Professors was so great and there were many who took upon them the profession of the Christian Faith Cal 2 4. Phil. 1.16 only to spy out what they practised 3. If it be said they might abstain by reason of some precept which forbad this Invocation I reply that which Gods wisdom doth forbid us to give unto the noblest of his Creatures he by so doing doth declare that he reserves unto himself and when we act against his precept we may be certain that he will not reveal or manifest that supplication which he hath forbidden and therefore they that tender to these Blessed Spirits this forbidden worship must ascribe unto them that knowledge which agrees to God alone and that honour which he will not give unto another and so be guilty of Idolatry To conclude If this Invocation were so beneficial to mankind and was not derogatory to Gods honour it might be well presumed that Christ and his Apostles would have been careful to instruct us in it for they neither wanted knowledge to perceive the benefit or love sufficient to engage them to acquaint us with it Lastly P. 420. Whereas T. G. objects That it is certain by many and great Miracles wrought by God upon addresses made to the Saints that those who call upon them are heard and obtain what they desire and that therefore it cannot be unlawful or Idololatrical to desire their intercession Answ This is an Argument in which the Romanists much triumph but it is only what their Brother Donatists had urged long before L. de unitate Ecc. contra Petâ—liani Donatistae Epistolam and what St. Austin hath admirably answered And first I say It is but a Translation of that Argument which formerly was used by the Donatists in confirmation of their Schism for thus St. Austin propoundeth their Objection * Non dicat verum est quâ—a hoc 〈◊〉 dico aut quia hoc dixit ille Collega meus aut illi Collegae mei aut illi Episcepi vel Clerici vel Laici nosiri aut ideo verum est quia illa illa Mirabilia fecit Donatus vel Pontius velquilibet alius aut quia homines ad memorias mortuorum nostrorum orant exaudiuntur aut quia illa illa ibi contingunt aut quia ille Frater noster aut illa Seror nostra tale visum vigilans vidit vel tale visun dormiens somniavit removeantur isâ—a vel figmenta mendacium hominum vel portenta fall icium Spirituum aut enim non sunt vera quae dicuntur aut si Haereticorum aliqua mira sunt facta magis cavere debemus quod cum dixisset Dominus quesdum futuros esse falleces qui nonnuâ—la signa faciendo etiam Electos si fieri posset fallerent adjecit vehementer commendans dit ecce praedixi vebis unde Aposiclus admenens Spiritus autem manifesâ—e decet
that Prayer must be offered unto none but God and by no other Intercessor but our Saviour Christ Sect. 1. And this Assertion they prove 1. Because God only can be called good 2. Because he only can answer our Petitions ibid. 2. They do affirm That by addressing a Petition to a Saint or Angel we become guilty of distraction from God and of deserting our Lord Jesus Christ Sect. 2. 3. That to pray unto a Creature or to that which is no God is to worship it as God or give that honour to it which is due to God alone Sect. 3. 4. They hence infer that Christ is God and that the Holy Ghost is God because we put up our Petitions to them Sect. 4. 5. Because the invocation of the inferior Heathen Daemons was by the Fathers censured as Idolatry And there is no desparity betwixt the invocation of those Daemons and that invocation of the blessed Martyrs which is now practised in the Church of Rome sufficient to acquit the Papist from that Guilt if it be duly charged on the Heathens by reason of their Supplications tendred to inferior Daemons Sect. 5. 6. The Fathers dispute against the Heathens with such Arguments as perfectly destroy this practise and confute this Doctrine Sect. 6. 7. Because the ancient Fathers prayed for all the Saints without exception of Martyrs or Apostles or the blessed Virgin 8. Because the Fathers gave no Rules touching the Canonizing of the Saints departed ibid. TO what we have discoursed from the holy Scriptures and from the Principles of Reason we shall now add the suffrage of those ancient Fathers who flourished in the first and purest Ages of the Church Who do not only say expresly that our Prayers should only be directed to God asserting this without those limitations and distinctions which are now used by the Church of Rome but also do it upon the very same enducements and motives which Protestants are wont to use for confirmation of this truth Moreover in their conflicts with the Arrians and other Adversaries of the Church of Christ they use those very weapons wherewith we fight against the Church of Rome and do pronounce that Doctrine and Practice which that Church contends for to be the giving to the Creature what is due to God And first the Fathers do assert that prayer must be offered unto none but God and by no other Intercessor but our Saviour Christ When Celsus had pronounced that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 394. Heathen Daemons did belong to God and thence inferred we should entreat their favour Origen replys two things 1. That those Daemons being wicked Spirits could not belong to God 2. That this advice of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen contra Cels lib. 8. p. 395. Celsus to put up our Petitions to them was to be utterly rejected and by no means allowed by Christians Because God only was to be made the object of our prayer nor were we to sollicite any other than our great High Priest to offer and present them to the Father And hence in two Catena's both published by the Doctors of the Church of ‖ Nicet Caten in Psal 5. Rome we have this free confession of an antient Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We Christians pray to God alone And upon this account they tell us the Psalmist uttered this expression Attend unto the voice of my petition my King and my God For unto thee will I pray because (a) Oraâ—io enim soâ— Deo â—ffâ—rtur Aurea Catena in 50. Psal edit Venâ—t Anno 1569. Pag. 53. Petitions were to be offered unto God alone according to that Question of St. Austin (b) Cui alteri praeter te clamabo Aug. Confess lib. 1. cap 5. to whom else shall I cry but unto thee and that expression of (c) L. de Creatione Dracontius esse nihil prorsus se praeter ubique rogandum that nothing besides God should be invoked And this assert on they do not barely offer but also they confirm it by many pregnant Arguments as first He only must be prayed unto because he only can be called Good (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand Strom. l. 7. p. 721. since God alone is good saith Clemens it is reasonable we should sollicite him alone for the Donation and Continuance of good things 2. because God only is present in all places and so at hand to hear and help us wherever we address our prayers to him It is an absurdity saith (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. contra Celsum lib. 5. pag. 239. Origen having that God with us and nigh at hand who filleth Heaven and Earth to go about to pray to that which is not omnipresent This I confess is spoken to demonstrate that intercessions were not to be made unto the Sun and Moon and Stars but then it must be noted that this Father held both Sun and Moon and Stars to be intelligible Creatures and in this very place asserts that (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id pag. 238. they do offer up their Prayer to God and from this very Argument concludes we must not pray to them because they pray to him Whence it will follow that he conceived them as fit and able to be our Intercessors as the Saints departed and that it was absurd to pray to any who themselves properly did pray for us And 2. he adds (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id ib. if any Christian be not sufficient immediately to direct his Prayers to God let him address them to the Word of God making no mention of an address to be preferred either to Saint or Angel or to the B. Virgin in this Case 3. He adds that put the (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. p. 239. Case that Sun Moon and Stars were heavenly Angels and Messengers of God yet were they not to be adored for this but he whose Messengers and Angels they were Where by the way observe that he insensibly slides from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to adore Whence we may certainly conclude that in the Judgment of this Father it was the same to pray to any person and to adore that person and that nothing may be invocated which may not be adored Lastly it is evident his reason will hold good as well against addresses made to Saints as to the Sun and Moon they being neither of them omnipresent 3. They say he only must be prayed unto who seeth and heareth every where Let us consider saith (i) De Orat. c. 1. Sect. 8. Tertullian the Heavenly Wisdom of our Lord in his Injunction to pray in secret whereby he both requires the Faith of Man confiding that God omnipotent both hears and sees under our Roofs and in our secret Places and also that our Faith be modest so that we offer our Religion unto him alone whom we are confident doth
see and hear us every where And Chrysostom upon the same Expression finds fault with those that pray aloud and bids us Imitate the Hymnes and Melodies of holy Angels who pray with us although we do not hear them for saith he (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 2. Homil. in Matt. 19. pag. 137. thou dost not pray to Man but to God omnipresent to him that hears before thou speakest to him that understandeth what the Mind doth not utter 4. Because he only can Answer our Petitions and from him only can we obtain what we desire * Precantes sumus proomnibus Imperatoribus vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domun tutam populum probum orbem quietum quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt Haec ab alio orare non possum quam à quo me scio consequnturum quoniam ipse est qui SOLVS praestat ego sum cui impetrare debetur famulus ejus qui eum Solum observo Tertul. Apol. c. 30. Sect. 2 3. We beg for all our Emperors long life safe Empire valiant Armies a faithful Senate an honest People and a quiet World and whatsoever any man or Emperor could wish So Tertullian And then he adds These things I may not pray for from any other but from him of whom I know I shall obtain them because both it is he who alone is able to give and I am be to whom it appertaineth to obtain that which is requested being his servant who observe him alone From all which sayings it is evident these antient Fathers did not only think as we now do that all our Intercessions should be made to God but also that they did it for these very Reasons we alledg viz. that he alone is omnipresent that he alone discerns the secrets of the Heart that he alone is able to confer the Blessings which we want and pray for 2 The Fathers do affirm that by addressing a petition to a Martyr Saint or Angel we become guilty of distraction from God and of deserting our Lord Jesus Christ (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 15. pag. 135. We cannot be induced saith the Church of Smyrna to forsake Christ or worship any other Person where first it well deserveth to be noted that what is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the antient Interpreter of the Acts of Polycarp Alteri cuiquam Orationis precem impendere we cannot pray to any other Act. Polyc in Append Ignat Usser p. 27. And what the Jews objected that if the Christians could obtain the Martyrs body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deserting Christ they would begin to worship him is by the Metaphrast thus rendred huic fundenda esset oratio singulorum they would all pray unto him Now seeing this Translation was of such credit in the Western Church that it was read in their assemblies it is most certain that Church did antiently conceive 1. that the Church of Smyrna did deny that any genuine Christian would pray to any Saint departed 2. That to put up a petition to a Martyr was to renounce their Saviour And 3. that to pray to and afford religious worship to a Martyr was the same And 4. that we must only put up our petitions to the Son of God because he only must be worshipped Secondly observe the reason of this assertion of the Church of Smyrna We cannot worship any other delivered in these words For him being the Son of God we worship but the Martyrs as the Disciples and followers of the Lord we highly love for their exceeding great affection to their own King and Master The Church of Rome could have informed them of a better Reason why they should affect them viz. as being Intercessors and Mediators for and Patrons of the Christian Church and the Procurers of all spiritual Blessings for them She could have told them it was ignorantly done to comprehend that Service vvhich was due to the deceased Martyrs in this one expression We love them worthily For if the Veneration and Worship of the Saints departed nay the Worship of their very Ashes hath been the constant Custom of the whole Church of God and if the Invocation of them be that which Holy Scripture teacheth and the Apostles have delivered and which the Church of God hath alwaies practised as is delivered in the * Catechism of the Church of Rome Part. 3. c. 2. Sect. 8. it may be well admired that the Church of Smyrna which daily practised say they this veneration and invocation of the holy Martyrs should without distinction appropriate all worship and adoration to the Son of God in opposition to the Martyrs and comprehend the Service they performed to the blessed Martyrs in a word which doth not in the least import the Veneration which they daily practised 2. Observe the Reason vvhich is given by the Church of Smyrna why they could not worship any other viz. Because they worshipped the Son of God if any worship had been then paid to Martyrs or any other Saints departed by the Church of Christ what could have been more stupid than this Way of reasoning Now that this Doctrine is introduced into the Church of Rome we hear them speaking thus †Tantum abest ut Sanctis invocandis Dei gloria minuacur ut eo maximè augeatur Cat. Rom. part 3. c. 2. Sect. 11. We worship Saints and Martyrs in honour of the Son of God So far do they esteem that honour which they pay to him from being any prejudice unto the Worship of those blessed Spirits 3. Observe the Argument which the Jews urged to move the Proconsul to retain the body viz. That if the Christians could obtain it it might be feared they would leave Christ and worship Polycarp The Jews could not be ignorant of what the Christians practised in this case by reason of those numerous Apostates who daily left the Church and of that liberty they had to come to their Assemblies Had then the Christians worshipped other Martyrs with Christ and had they professed to do it for his sake and honour could this have been objected by the Jews with any sense and reason that they would quit Jesus Christ that they might worship Polycarp Must they not rather have objected that with Christ they would worship Polycarp which since they did not we may well suspect the practice of the Church gave them no reason so to do Athanasius discoursing upon these words of Jacob The Angel that delivered me from all evil defend the Lads which by the Arians were urged to the same purpose as they are used by Roman Catholicks viz. to prove that Invocation was not so proper to God but that it might be used to Creatures and therefore that it was no evidence that Christ was God declares that Jacob did not speak of a created Angel 1. Because he joyns the Angel with God and saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
so frequent in those Writers of the Church of Rome which comment on the places mentioned These blessed Apostles were not so careful to prevent the Errors and Mistakes of Hereticks in this particular as are the Doctors of the Roman Church they do not seem so tender of the Invotion and Worship of those blessed Spirits or so sollicitous we may not loose so great a benefit as are those Roman Doctors which gives us reason to conjecture not that their Knowledg or their Piety was less but that they did not very much aprove that Doctrine which gave the rise unto this Superstition of the Romish Church and so much for the first particular 2. That both the Jews and Christians abstained from this practise because they did not think this honor to be due to Angels but to God alone is evident from what we have discoursed already to confirm this inference the Apostles and Evangelists left us no precept or example to put up our petitions to departed Saints and therefore they conceived it the Worship due to God alone 2 Having removed and taken off those reasons which the Romanist assignes of this neglect it follows that that reason must stand good which we assigne at least till they can find a better With us consent the learned Jews (a) Joseph Albus l. 3. in Icarim c. 18. Idololatriam primam corum fulsse existimans qui Angelos similes creaturas ut sequestres inter se at Deum colluissent ait Deum in Decalogo quando ait Non cruâ—t tibi Dit aâ—ieni ante faciem meam id voluisse ne homines ullos ponerent sequestres aut deprecatores inter se ipsos Vossiu in Maim de Idolol c. 2. Sect. 1. Josephus Albus supposeth this Worship of the Angels as Mediators betwixt God and us to be the most antique Idolatry and (b) Fundamentum Mandati de Idololatria est nequis Serviat Creaturae non Angelo non Sphaeâ—ae non Stellae quanquam autem is qui ca colit sciat illa non esse Deum ac colat Creaturam hanc quomodo coluit Euos illius coaetanei nihilomiâ—us est Idololatria Maim ibid. Maimonides sue definitione non tantum se complecti ait Eos qui creaturis cultum exhibent us Deo verum qui iis supplicant ut ministris Dei Dionys Vossius in locum Maimon adds that the foundation of the precept of Idolatry is this that no man serve or Worship any Angel or created being As the Foundation of our last evidence of that Idolatry which is in this particular committed by the Church of Rome §. 9. we do premise 1. That Magick is that art of Divination which in conversant about the Revelation of things coâ—tingent and concealed as v. g. touching the victory of contending parties the future condition of the Church c. The declaration of our future State Fortune Marriage Death Prosperity Adversity and many other things which it is very useful for Mankind to know Alii dicunt hos esse effectus bonorum Angelorum Delrio disq Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. 2 I premise that there was amongst the antients an oppinion that by the help of Souls departed or good Angels they might obtain the knowledge of things contingent and concealed and hence that Divination which they exercised who did pretend to know things secret or contingent by their means was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or white Magick in opposition to Divination by evil Spirits which they stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or black Magick it was a very old opinion especially of the Platonists of Jamblick Porphyry Plotinus Proclus and Julian the Apostate that Divination was the effect of holy Angels So (a) Disquis Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. Delrio (b) Strom. 3. Magicians who observe Angels and Demons are careful to abstain from Wine and Venery and living creatures So St. Clemens And 3. I premise that this white Magick is by the Church of Rome condemned as Idolatry For such is all unlawful Magick saith (c) Tacita Idololatria est omnis Magia prohibita Belrio l. 1. disqu Mag. cap. 1. p. 3. Col. 3. Delrio Whosoever exerciseth the art of Divination or consults them that do it are guilty of having other Gods saith (d) Estius in Sent. 3. dist 4. Sect. 6. p. 130. Estius because they attribute unto the Creature what is Gods propriety viz. The knowledge of things future and which in nature have no certain Causes but which depend upon the will of man or other things which are mutable Valentianus adds That they affront his Majesty by a vain expectation of those things from Creatures which are to be expected only from God for God having said declare to us things future that we may know that ye are Gods the knowledge of things future and contingent must be the knowledge proper unto God alone And again the procuration of the knowledge of things hid or secret belongeth to Divine Worship for these are to be expected only from God by prayer and other lawful means when therefore we expect them vainly from the Creature we do ascribe unto the Creature that Worship which is properly Divine These things premised 4. I add that either this white Magick must be lawful or else the Invocation of Saints and Angels as it is practised in the Church of Rome must be unlawful and guilty of Idolatry either we vainly do expect that they should hear and understand our mental Prayers and know the secrets of our Hearts or the Magicians who do expect the knowledge of things secret or contingent by those blessed Spirits cannot be justly charged with Idolatry For whatsoever the Romanist pretends in vindication of the first doth equally excuse and vindicate the second for if you do conjecture with the Church of Rome that the affection of those blessed Spirits to mankind is so exceeding great that it will prompt them most assuredly to intercede in our behalf for other temporal concerns to be our refuge and Protectors and to Minister to the concernements both of this and of the future life why may we not conceive that the same love should move them to declare those future things which it doth Equally concern us to know both that we may obtain the greatest blessings and may be able to fly and to prevent the greatest perils or may prepare to bear those evils with a Christian courage which we cannot escape When Florentius having lost his Cloak T. G. p. 424. and had not where withall to buy another by praying to the twenty Martyrs caught a Fish with a Gold Ring in t sufficient I suppose to buy another Caniw e doubt but when we lose a Cloak that praying to all Saints and Angels some kind hearted Saint that perhaps in his life time lost his own and so must be supposed according to * Part. 3. cap. 2. Sect. 4. T. G. to be more ready than the rest to pitty any
Anathema then shall I think this Synod and the whole Church of Christ intending only to forbid such invocation of the Blessed Angels as made them Gods or sole and primary Mediators would make a Law M 〈◊〉 not to pray to Angels and thus decree whosoever shall go and invocate the Angels let him be Anathema When I can find that such determinations and decrees shall pass for current in a Church or Nation without all limitation or restriction for some hundred years though contradictory to what they practise and believe then shall I be induced to believe this Canon could be thus admitted and confirmed as a Law of the whole Church of Christ in contradiction to their Faith and practise CHAP. XII The CONTENTS The Invocation of Angels confuted from the Testimony of Irenaeus and st Augustin c. Sect. 1. From the Testimonies of Origen Sect. 2. The exceptions of T. G. against them largely confuted Sect. 3. The Testimony cited from Origen Hom. in Ezech. considered Sect. 4. TO this so pregnant Testimony of the whole Church of Christ we shall adjoyn such sayings of the antient fathers as do directly overthrow this doctrine or manifestly affirm that no such practise was allowed by the Church of Christ Non est numerum dicere Gratiarum quas per universum Mundum Ecclesia a Deo accipiens in nomine Christi Jesu crucifixi sub Pontio Pilato per singulos dies in opitulationem Gentium perficit neque seducens aliquem nec pecuniam ei auferens nec invocationibus Angelicis faciat i. facit aliquid nec incantationibus nec aliqua prava curiositate sed mundè purè manifestè orationes dirigens ad Dominum qui omnia fecit nomen Domini nostri Jesu Christi invocans virtutes secundum utilitates hominum sed non ad seductionem perfecit Iren. l. 2. c. 57. Thus in the second Century it is declared by Irenaeus that the Church of Christ did nothing by the Invocation of Angels but purely simply and openly addressed her prayers to God and the Lord Jesus Christ To this T. G. Replies that Irenaeus speaks only of such superstitious Invocating of Angels as was used by the Martionites and Carpocratians in their Magical operations and working of false Miracles p. 388. Repl. 1. The words of Irenaeus do absolutely say that Christians did nothing by the Invocation of angels which if T. G. will limit thus he stands obliged in equity and and by the Laws of Disputation to give some reason of that limitation which since he hath not done it is apparent that he hath answered nothing to the Doctors argument But 2. what he replyes as it is absolutely groundless so is it false and inconsistent with the words of Irenaeus For he doth manifestly distinguish betwixt those magical operations and the invocation of holy Angels and affirms that the Church doth nothing by incantations or by Angelick invocations 3. He doth oppose unto this Angelick invocation the invocation and directing of our Prayers purely to God and Christ What therefore he ascribes thus purely unto God and Christ he must be deemed to deny to Angels and consequently must deny that they directed their petitions to them Besides why doth he tell us that the Church addresseth her petitions to that God who made all things if not to shew that this was the true reason of our praying to him alone seeing he only is the maker of all things 4. He manifestly speaks of the miraculous gifts of Christians in curing diseases and casting out of Devils which things not only Irenaeus but * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. contra Celsum p. 124. l. 1. p. 7. Origen affirmes to be performed only by the invocation of the name of God and Christ Lactantius tels us that * Ille autem preses Mundi rector Universi qui scit omnia cujus divinis oculis nihil septum est solus habet rerum omnium cum Filio suo potestatem nec in Angelis quicquam nisi parendi nicessitas it que nullum sibi honorem tribui volunt quorum omnis honor in Dao est l. 2. c. 16. the holy Angels will not have any honor bestowed on them because their honor is in God and they have nothing else to do but to obey S. Chrysostome is very copious on this subject For 1. he tels us the Devil brought in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Calling upon Angels as is apparent from its opposition to calling upon God and that saith he he doth endeavoring to rob us of this honor of going unto God by Christ alone as is apparent from the words preceding (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do all things by God and introduce not Angels And lastly he concludes in these expressions (c) Hom. 9. in Epist ad Coloss Tom. 4. p. 139. be he Angel or Archangel or Cherubim do not suffer it for neither will these powers receive this honor but reject it when they see their Lord dishonored I have honored thee saith God and have said call upon me and dost thou dishonour him Again * Hom. 3. ad Heb. p. 443. Why gape ye saith he after Angels they are our fellow servants Now from that very name the Fathers argue that they are not to be adored Hence (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orat. 3. p. 394. Athanasius concludes no Creature ought to adore his fellow Creature though he be an Angel because the Angel said to John see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant And Gregory Nazianzen saith (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. Orat. Qudragessim p. 668 669. If I adore the Creature what shall I say to the Idolatrous Heathen since I my self adore my fellow servants For Creatures are all servants though some more excellent than others Of the same judgement was St. Angustin who speaks thus * Quem invenirem qui me reconciliatet tibi an eundum mihi suit ad Angelos qua prece Quibus Aacramentis multi conantes ad te redire neque per seipsos valentes sicut audio tentaveâ—unt haec inciderunt in desiderium curiosarum visionum digni habiti sunt illusionibus Consell l. 10. c. 42. Whom should I find that might reconcile me unto thee should I have gone unto the Angels With what Prayer With what Sacraments many endeavoring to return unto thee and not being not able to do it by themselves as I here have tryed those things and have fallen into the desire of curious visions and were accounted worthy of illusions de C. D. l. 9. c. 23. Elsewhere he tels us those blessed Spirits however they are called are no Mediators to bring miserable mortals to blessedness and immortality where saith the Doctor p. 154. It would be ridiculous to distinguish between Mediators of Redemption and Intercession for all that they attributed to their good Spirits was only Intercession to this T. G. Replyes p. 375 376. that
accusation which runs thus viz. That the Dr. saith that Baronius very fairly tells us p. 383. that not only what Theodoret condemned but what St. Paul too condemned was the practice of the Church of Rome Answ These words Baronius fairly tells us saith the Dr. that what St. Paul condemned was the practice of the Church are a malicious untruth the Dr. having taken all the care imaginable to prevent this mistake in all judicious Readers for this expression and St. Paul too which is the only ground of this rude charge he did not only put in a Parenthesis but in a different Character that so no Reader might have the least appearance of colour for so false an imputation This T. G. saw as is apparent from the words cited by him p. 380. And therefore when he comes to lay his accusation p. 383. Sect. 3. he very craftily sets down the Doctors words without Parenthesis or any difference of the Character This I am sure is foul dealing and these are pitiful arts of Sophistry What therefore Dr. Stillingfleet asserts is only that Baronius tells us * Ex his videas quod necessario dicendum est Theodoretum haud feliciter ejus pace sit dictum assecutum esse Pauli verborum sensum cum in hujus ad Colossenses Epistolae commentariis dicit haec a Paulo esse scripta quod tum grassarentur haeretici qui Angelos colendos esse jactarent sic ergo errore semel lapsus in alium Graviorem impegit ut diceret Canonem trigessimum quintum Laodiceni concilii de his Haereticis esse intelligendum qui Angelos colendos esse docerent quique in eadem regione Asiae oratoria erexissent Sancto Michaeli Archangelo incautè nimis quae a Catholicis essent antiquitus instituta haereticis quorum nulla esset memoria tribuens Annal. An. 60. § 20. caeterum Angelos venerari non Haereticorum sed Catholicae Ecclesiae mos fuit § 21. That what Theodoret condemns and in his judgment St. Paul too was the Practice of the Roman Church than which nothing can be more true and certain for having told us that Theodoret asserted haec a Paulo esse scripta quod tum grassarentur haeretici qui Angelos colendos esse jactarent or that the admonition beware least any Man deceive you by worshipping of Angels c. was written by St. Paul by reason of some Hereticks who taught that Angels should be worshipped and that the 35 Canon of Laodicea was directed against such Hereticks as worshipped Angels he adds caeterum Angelos venerari non haereticorum sed Catholicae Ecclesiae mos fuit this he erroneously taught but to worship Angels was not the Custome of Hereticks but of the Church Catholick And now let the discerning Reader judge what reason T. G. p. 381. had to say that these are not Baronius his words but the Doctors which is another of his Demonstrations that it is but too too evident that the Dr. hath not dealt fairly with Baronius But saith T. Ibid. G. these are not Baronius his words but the Doctors for Baronius saith there expresly that Theodoret as to the Doctrine of the veneration of Angels recta sensit that is held the same which the Roman Church holds at his day To which I answer in his own expressions such arts as these were enough to make a Man suspect a good cause p. 145. much more to desert a bad one for Baronius doth not absolutely say that Theodoret did rectum sentire but makes a manifest exception as to this his Interpretation of St. Paul and the forementioned Canon his words are these * His igitur de germano sensu illius Canonis Elucidatis satis Theodoreti perperam facta interpretatio remanet refutata cum Alioqui N. B. in his quae spectant ad dogmata non sit dubium ipsum rectum sensisse de Angelis Annal. An. 60. § 23. These things touching the true sence of this Canon being thus cleared the false Interpretation of Theodoret remains sufficiently confuted whereas otherwise as to his Doctrine it is not to be doubted but he thought right of Angels which passage doth not only manifest the wretched fraudulency of T. G. p. 380. but gives him an example of what he thought incredible for if Theodoret could affirm the practice of the Roman Church was an heretical practice and as such condemned both by St. Paul and by the Canon of the Universal Church and yet hold the same with the Roman Church why might not Baronius do the like either Theodoret was a very great Dolt or Baronius deals not fairly with him which is but too too evident 2. T. G. concludes that these are not Baronius his words p. 381. because the point in which Baronius differs from Theodoret is not that those were not condemned by him And St. Paul too who worshipped Angels upon the Erroneous account aforesaid viz. That access could only be made to God by Angels But that Theodoret judged Baronius mistaken in asserting the Authors of that Doctrine not to have been the Heathen Philosophers but certain Hereticks This is what Baronius saith Where first he cunningly but falsly doth insinuate that in the judgment of Theodoret St. Paul and the forementioned Canon only condemneth them who worshiped Angels upon this erroneous account that access could only be made to God by the Angels and if this be the grievous error and that false interpretation p. 379. with which Baronius doth so smartly charge him T. G. does very ill to espouse it in his Interpretation of this Canon But the truth is Theodoret in the Exposition of this passage of St. Paul only affirms that this was the opinion of the Hereticks but doth not in the least insinuate that either the Council or St. Paul condemned them only upon this account but without all limitation or exception he affirms that they condemned praying to them 2. What he says was not the point in which Baronius differs from Theodoret is so apparently the point though not the only point that nothing can be more For his great peak against him is that he asserted that both St. Paul and the forementioned Council condemned the Hereticks for teaching the Worship of Holy Angels whereas saith he this was the very practice of the Church of Christ and not of Hereticks Another instance of the Doctors juggling tricks The Dr. translates it eqquivocally to perform any sacred offices T.G. p. 386. T. G. produceth p. 386. viz. that when St. Austin had affirmed the blessed Spirits are not willing we should Sacra eis facere perform sacred Offices to them he translates Sacra facere to perform sacred Offices as if he did imagine ignorant person that he was that Sacra signified Sacred Offices and facere to perform whereas T. G. informs him that Sacra facere is to Dedicate and because this ridiculous interpretation would not help him out for Papists dedicate their service to the blessed
Doctor do very evidently prove the Invocation of Blessed Saints and Angels to be according to their judgements the giving of that honor to them which is due to God and so is properly divine I might be large upon the second head viz. § 12. in giving many pregnant demonstrations that he nâ—ost wretchedly corrupts those Fathers which he cites or Answers But reader having glutted thee with manifold examples of thiskind already part 2. I beg thee to accept of these few instances which I shall represent unto thy view noteing what he hath added to the words of those few Fathers which he hath ventured to produce or Answer in a larger Character 1. 1. The words of Celsus are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. advers Cels l. 8. p. 416. What T. G. cites is no where to be found The invocation which Celsus contended for was Votiva illis Sacrificia reddere T. G. p. 363. 2. Celsus his evasion was that none are to be honored for Gods but those to whom the supreme God doth communicate it 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus apud Orig. l. 8. p. 384. T. G. p. 357. 3. 3. The words of Celsus are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. p. 385. By Celsus this was not objected but only that they were by the same rule by which they worshiped Christ for God to worship in like manner the inferior Deities p. 358. 4. Chrysostom saith that some among the Collossians said that We ought to be reconciled and have access to the Father not by Christ but by the Angels 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in locum T. G. p. 378. 5. The reason why they did so is given by Theophylact because they esteemed it a thing unworthy of the Majesty of the Son of God on the one side to make this reconciliation 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in cap. 2. ad Coloss and far transcending mans poverty and lowness on the other T. G. ibid. This I confess is not so properly an addition because he ownes it so to be as a most palpable depravation of the Fathers sense These are some few discoveries of the unchristian arts and disingenious deportment of T. G. towards the Dr. I wish I could say something better of his learning or his judgement But alass the whole Book clearly manifests that he is unacquainted with the thing called Learning Let any man produce in his 440 pages one considerable notion which is not ushered in with the great names of Dr. Taylor or of Mr. Thorndyke let him point but to one single instance wherein he shews himself a Scholar or a man of reading let him produce one observation or Authority which is not trivial and common in almost every Roman Pamphlet and I will beg his pardon for passing so severe a censure on him In short the only new thing in his book is this p. 369. that he advises Whores to have recourse to Mary Magdalene Lastly his want of judgement and dexterity in making inferences Note that the word Honoring though it be printed in the Italick Character is an addition of his own the Canons cited by him only do enjoyn us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be doubted by any who considers what he hath discoursed p. 222 223. and p. 418. all which I have abundantly refuted with an ha ha he and to consider all the examples of like nature to them would be to frame a second Answer to his book One farther instance of this kind we have p. 384. where he thus argues The Council of Laodicea both in in the Canon 34 as also Canon 51. alloweth the honoring and celebrating the Feast-dayes of the Martyrs which is a plain indication that it intended not to condemn in this Canon the worship due to Angels Which Syllogistically runs thus they who allow the honoring and celebrating the feast dayes of the Martyrs cannot intend to forbid the invocation of Angels but the Canons of Laodicea do allow the honoring and celebrating the feasts of the Martyrs Ergo. Answ And is it not notorious that the Protestants allow the honoring and celebrating the Feast-days of many Martyrs why therefore doth he not conclude that they cannot condemn the invocation of the blessed Angels Again they who are more to be honored than men are to be invocated according to T. G. but Angels in the Judgement of Theodoret are more to be honored then men Ergo. Answ and is not this the judgement also of the Protestans why therefore did he not infer that Protestants do not condemn this invocation And now consider whether T. G. had reason to usher in this inconsiderate and Childish tatle with the ensuing Preface it is manifest that the Council of Laodicea cannot with any shew of probability be understood of that worship which the Catholick Church gives to holy Angels And to conclude with such a triumph by this the Reader may see whether we had more reason to fear the force of this Canon c. Whereas that which is manifested and plainly indicated by this whole discourse is chiefly this that T. G. labours not only under a great want of Learning but of judgement too But to them who know that he is an Apostate from the Church of England all demonstrations of this nature must be needless What I have written I am humbly confident must be sufficient to convince his conscience of that horrid action if God peradventure will give him repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth which is the hearty desire of him who honors his Person and his Wit whilest he detects his want of Learning and of Judgement and refutes his Calumnies FINIS
Ep 110. p 840 inferioris notae de plebe Dii inferior vulgar Gods Secondly they held them to be d Austin de C. D. l. 9. c. 3. Dâ—i facti a summo Deo conditi i.e. such as received their beings from the supream God who therefore by the Latines was so often stiled Divum Pater and by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like And Thirdly they say the Heathens had their e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julian apud Cyril Alex. l. 4. p. 115. Commission from God and only were his undergovernours and by him placed over Towns and Countreys Fourthly they held the worship due unto them to be a middle and inferior kind of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hierocles that is God must be worshiped with Latria but those inferior Daemons with Dulia and that to worship them f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroc p. 10. according to that Dignity they had received from their God and Father was the true worship due unto them and hence they gave this caution in paying homage to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles page the 10. not to give more than was consistent with their Dignity The g This was their Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret in c. 2. ad Coloss Angelicks did not doubt but that those Angels whom they used as Intercessors were the Creatures and Ministers of God nor could they hope to reap advantage by their Intercession had they intended by so doing to confer upon them the worship proper to that jealous God who will not give his glory to an other The Arians had the same apprehensions of Christ Jesus they stile him Dei instrumentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Ministers his Creature from whence it follows that they could intend to offer up no other worship to him but what was proper to a Creature And hence the Fathers tell us that they performed to the Sacred Trinity honorificentiae imparis officium h Rulg l. 2. ad Monim c. 2. unequal honours and could not be induced to worship Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with worship equal to the Father k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gregor Nyssen l. 4. Contr. Eunom p. 588.13 And that if any man conceived these words of the Evangelist St. John that all should worship the Son as they worshiped the Father to contain a precept or injunction to give unto the Son a worship equal unto that we give the Father he was exceedingly mistaken 4. The Apostle tells the Church of Corinth that he who in the Temple of an Idol did eat and drink of what was Sacrificed to the Idol did drink the Cup of Devils and was made partaker of the Devils Table and had Communion with them 1 Cor. 10.20 21. and so was guilty of Idolatry to introduce and to confirm this charge he layes down this assertion vers 7. that they who did sit down to eat and drink of what was offerd to the golden Calf were by so doing guilty of Idolatry and upon this account he thus exhorts those persons who endulged themselves in this unlawful practice be ye not Idolaters as were some of them Whence it is clear that St. Paul judged this practice well deserved that imputation and yet it is as certain that they who used it were induced to do so upon this presumption that they conceived the Idol to be nothing 1 Cor. viii 4. x. 19. and therefore not the great Creator and the chiefest good Hence therefore we infer the vanity and falsness of those descriptions of Idolatry which are delivered by the Doctors of the Roman Church who being conscious to themselves and having openly confessed that to the (l) Constans est Theologorum sententia imaginem eodem honore cultu honorari coli quo colitur id cujus est Imago Azor Instit Moral To. 1 l. 9. c. 6. Images of Christ and of the Cross and of the blessed Trinity they give that worship which they stile Latria and which is properly Divine excuse themselves from this enormous guilt by saying that they do not give this worship to them as to God and make the formal reason of Idolatry consist in giving Divine worship to the Creature upon this apprehension that it is a God Idolatry saith (n) L. 2. de Idol c. 1. Gregory of Valence is a Superstition whereby we tender Divine honour to the Creature as to God Latria or that Adoration which agrees to God alone is the most profound prostration and inclination of the will attended with an apprehenssion of God as the first principle last end and chiefest good So Bellarmine (o) L. 2. dâ— Eccâ Triumph c. 12. p. 1503 B. Those words of Christ thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. must thus be understood Thou shalt not worship false Gods as the Heathens do but that true God who is but one to whom alone theou shalt exhibite Divine worship as to the true God So (p) Manual l. 1. c. 7. qu. 1. Becanus whence he infers they are not to be counted guilty of Idolatry by Invocation and Adoration of Saints departed quia non adorant eos tanquam Deos (q) Just weights chap. 19. The like mistake to say no worse we find in Mr. Thorndike when he asserts that this is requisite to make the Romanists Idolaters Viz. to take the Elements for God That worship may be guilty of Idolatry Prog. 2.5.5 which is not given to a Creature with an intention to make that Creature be esteemed for a God or with an intention to ascribe unto that Creature the excellency which agrees to God alone This proposition may be confirmed by what we have discoursed upon the first being certain that the Eunomians Arians Nestorians did not intend by any worship they performed to Christ to work in any this estimation that he was a God but that above all things they did endeavour to perswade the contrary and they who sate at meat in Idols Temples and by partaking of things Sacrificed to them were guilty of Spiritual whoredom or Idolatry Believed themselves and taught to others this assertion that an Idol was nothing in the world And it is apparent also that according to this principle the holy Martyrs might have worshiped with all kinds of honour not only Emperors and Kings but even ther Prince of Devils without the imputation of Idolatry Provided they did not inwardly intend by any act of worship to procure unto them the estimation of a Deity 4. They who resort unto the Hag and the (r) Peccant in primum preceptum qui somniss auguriis caecerisque vanissmais is rebus fridem dem habent Catech Rom part 3. c. 1. ss 7. Magician the Sorcerer and Wizard do not believe much less endavour to work this estimation in the hearts of others that they are truly God And yet the Chuch of Rome condemns them who thinking they can do what they
pretend to consult these wicked Artists as persons guilty of Idolatry T. By the like reason no married man commits Adultery by lying with another woman provided he intends not to con verse with any other under the notion of a wife a fine expedient in this debauched age to make new converts to the Church of Rome And in like manner no Subject will he guilty of Rebellion though he desert his Prince follow the Ensigns of his Enemy and fight in his defence against his Soveraign provided he intend not by so doing to procure to his Enemy the estimation of a King These false opinions being thus removed § 6. we assert That Idolatry is then committed when any honour due to God alone is attributed to or is conferd upon any thing that is not God and that all actions which give unto the Creature the honour due to the Creator only are Idolatrous And this description of Idolatry is that which was received by the antient Schoolmen till the disputes of Protestants constrained them to renounce and vary from it Thus in the judgment of (s) 2a 2ae qu. 94. Art 1.3 Aquinas it is Idolatry cuicunque Creaturae divinum cultum exhibere honerem divinum Creaturae impendere divinum cultum exhibere cui non debet exhiberi To impart divine worship to any Creature or any thing to which it ought not to be given All divine worship given to a Creature is Idolatry So (t) Part. 2. qu. 160. Alexander Halensis to omit divens others This also is the definition or description of Idolatry we have received from the antient Fathers of the Church [u] Vid. voss de Idol l. 1. c. 3. p. 9. Rainold de R. Ecc. Idol l. 2. c. 9. §. 4. Tertullian and Nazianzen St. Augustine and almost all the Greek and Latine Fathers with one voice consent to this Idolatry is then committed when divine honour is ascribed to another hence that of Hilary the Deacon Idolatry usurps the honour hue to God and gives it to the Creature * Idololatria Dei honorisicentiam usurpat vendieat creatuax in cap. 5. ad Ephes This Thirdly may be evidently proved from Scripture for that the Gentiles were guilty of this hainous crime cannot be doubted by the Christian now their Idolatry did in the judgment of St. Paul consist in this that they did homage to those beings which by nature were not Gods but Creatures only Secondly the first commandment in the affirmative * Gal. 4.8 commands us to have the true Jehovah for our God and consequently to give unto him that worship which is due to God when therefore in the Negative it doth enjoyn us to have no ether God besides him it must be deened to enjoyn us also to give unto no other that worship which we owe unto him and by which we acknowledge him to be our God and even reason will instruct us that he who doth ascribe Gods worship he gives his glory to another and acknowledgeth another God as much as any man can do For we know no other way whereby we can acknowledge any thing to be a Deity but by ascribing to it in our thoughts or actions that worship which is due to God alone CHAP. II. The CONTENTS Prop. 1. That if the Sacrament continue after Consecration to be Bread the Church of Rome is guilty of Idolatry Prop. 2. That if it really be doubtful whether it be Bread or not she cannot be excused from that Crime Prop. 3. That we have just cause to doubt of every particular Host according to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that it is not duely consecrated and consequently that the Sacrament is after Consecration Bread and Wine Prop. 4. That were it certain that every particular Host contains Christs real Flesh and Blood yet have we no just warrant upon that Supposition to adore it with Latria THe Church of Rome expresly doth enjoyn us to give the Worship of Latria * Nullus itaque dubitandi locus relinquitur quin omnes Christi sideles Latrix cultum qui vero Deo debetur huie Sanctissimo Sacramento in veneratione exhibeant neque enim ideo minus est adorandum quod fuer it a Christo Domino ut sumatur institutum Concil Trid. Sess 13. c. 5. huic Sanctissimo Sacramento to the Holy Sacrament § 1. as the Trent Council hath defined that is unto that very being vvhich the Priest puts into the mouth of the Communicant and vvhich he must svvallovv dovvn into his Stomack for that they call the Holy Sacrament Hence presently they tell us That this Holy Sacrament ought not to be the less adored because our Lord commanded that it should be taken This practice vve conceive to be Idolatry and to make good the charge vve lay dovvn these preparatory Propositions We may be guilty of Idolatry in paying divine Homage to a Creature Prop. 1. though we conceive that Creature to be God and sointend to give that worship only to God for if such a vain conception which we may have just reason to reject but can have no inevitable and certain reason to embrace can be sufficient to excuse this guilt then he who thus conceits touching the vilest Creature cannot justly be charged with Idolatry what ever act of worship he should pay unto it admit we then the Heathen Jupiter the World the Sun the Earth and whatsoever else was worshiped by the ignorant and superstitious world as their supream Creator to be the vilest Devils pitty we may their ignorance and folly but no man should accuse them of Idolatry for paying Adotation to a Subject which in their apprehensions did so well deserve it p. 363. and what T. G. so often mentions as an Aggravation of that worship which Pagans gave to their inferior Daemons viz. that they esteemed them to be Gods would be their best excuse and the extenuation of their guilt And those expressions of the Prophets which reproach the Jevvs and Heathens for saying to a stock or stone thou art my God Jet 2.27 Hos 4.12 if they be literally understood as many Roman Doctors do conceive they ought to be will be so far from proving that they were Idolaters that they will perfectly excuse them from this crime because according to that supposition they worshiped only that which they conceived to be God The Collyridions if we be well informed by Baronius conceived the blessed Virgin vvas a real Deity and yet St. Epiphanius calls them a Sect of Idol-makers who offered their Cakes unto her Haer. 79. p. 1061. B. The (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol 2. p. 69. Samaritans who worshiped Simon Magus The Romans who if Justin Martyr may be credited p. 91 in honour of him did erect a Satue with this inscription Simoni Deo Sancto to Simon the Holy God and many others who as (c) Hic sgitur a multis quasi Deus Glorificatus est Iren
Prayers to God and bring down blessings from God to us as he had learned in the School of Plato least any should be tempted to infer from this that we should pray unto these Angels or that it was useful or needful so to do that so these Blessed spirits might be more propicious or helpful to us he doth expresly say that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 233. to invoke them is no reasonable thing and this assertion he confirms by many arguments 1. It is absurd saith he to call upon them because we want the knowledge of their nature nd because it is above the reach of Man And 2. That if we could attain unto this Knowledge that very Knowledge which declares their Nature and their Offce to us would not permit us to pray to any other but unto God the Lord of all who is abundantly sufficient for all by the Son of God 3. He reckons up in the Apostles language all the kinds and sorts of Prayer (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. contra Celsum l. 5. p 233. Petition Deprecation Intercession and Thanksgiving And then he adds all these we must put up to God by that high Priest who doth Transcend all Angels and that this worship in any of the kinds forementioned was therefore not to be conferred upon the Angels because they were not to receive (b) Ibid. the worship due to God 4. He adds that it was sufficient to obtain the favour of the holy Angels and the assistance of their Prayers to labour to have God propitious and to procure his good will by godliness and vertue and by imitation of the Angels Piety And therefore not only in his answer to this objection Lib. 5. p. 233. but elsewhere he tells us me must endeavor to approve our selves to him who is one God over all and we must pray to him for mercy and that if Celsus will yet have us to procure the good will of others after him who is God over all he must consider that as when the body is moved the motion of the shadow thereof doth follow so in like manner having God favourable unto us who is over all it followeth that we shall have all his Friends both Angels and Souls and Spirits loving unto us For they have a fellow feeling with them that are thought worthy to find favour from God To whom they are not only favourable but they pray with them So as we may be bold to say that when Men which with resolution propose unto themselves the best things do pray unto God many thousand of the sacred powers pray together with them unspoken to Moreover when Celsus affirmed Id. l. 8. p. 420. that thanks were to be given to Daemons and that our Prayers and first Fruits were to be offered to them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 396. that so we might obtain their presence with us and their favour to us who have obtained of God to be Dispensers of inferiour things to this it is replyed by Origen 1. That God had given no such Government to Daemons * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. p. 400. 2. That first Fruits must be offered to God alone who said let the Earth bring forth Fruit and to him to whom the Christians offered their first Fruits they offered also their petitions 3. He doth acknowledge that office which Celsus had ascribed to wicked Daemons did agree to Angels who upon that account in Scripture were stiled ministring spirits and do encamp about Gods servants for their protection and deliverance But least we should infer with Celsus that we must therefore pray unto them to be thus propicious he adds we shall sufficiently obtain their favour by imitation of their Piety and Invocation of that God to whom they pray For thus he speaks If we have a desire to a multitude whom we would willingly have to be favourable unto us l. 8. p. 400. we learn that thousand thousands stand by him and Millions of Millions minister unto him who beholding them that imitate their Piety towards God as if they were their Kinsfolkes and Friends help forward their Salvation and call upon God and pray sincerely appearing also and thinking that they ought to do service to them and as it were upon one watch-word to set forth for the benefit and salvation of them that pray to God unto whom they themselves also pray Now to all these and all the Arguments that any man can bring T. G. returns this Answer §. 3. p. 360. Viz. That Prayer implies either a total dependance upon God as the Author of all good and so we ought to pray to God alone or an address unto the Members of the Church triumphant for the assistance of their Prayers to him who only can give what we ask and in this sense it is still used by Roman Catholicks when it is applied to Saints and Angels when therefore Origen denies that our Prayers are to be offered to any but to Christ alone he speaks of Prayer in the first sense This is that Catholick answer which upon all occasion he produceth This Origen and all the Fathers mean verily it is this and nothing else Not that the Fathers of the four first Centuries when they so roundly and frequently assert that Prayer is to be offered unto God alone did ever thus distinguish or speak one title of this nature no simple Creatures as they were they absolutely and without all distinction condemned what they daily practised and practised what they had condemned they all spake what was absolutely false and meant only what was true so that no Man could have imagined this to have been their meaning had not T. G. been their Interpreter Thus when Origne expresly saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 402. It is no reasonable thing to pray unto the Angels †l. 5. p. 258. we must only pray to God and to his Son Christ Jesus He nust affirm what was a plain and absolute contradiction to the Churches Doctrine but then his meaning must be Orthodox and contradictory to what he doth assert When he adds almost by way of Syllogism to whom we Christians offer our first Fruits to him we offer up our Prayers But to God alone we offer up our first Fruits Ergo to him alone we offer up our Prayers When he informs us that the Christians were such as did not pray to Angels but undividedly and inseparably did worship God by Jesus Christ l. 8. p. 382. and came to God by Christ alone and so as to transcend even those blessed spirits which are called Gods He must apparently bely the Christian World according to the plain Interpretation of his words but his intentions must be Orthodox And yet 3. he doth not only deny the Doctrine and the practice of the Church of Rome to be the Doctrine and practice of the time wherein he lived but he destroys
the very ground and reason of that practice viz. the benefit we may receive by putting up requests unto them and the concernments which ly upon us so to do in order to our preservation from all evil and the obtainment of the greatest blessings for he expresly tels us our care must be to get his favour who alone is God and that if Celsus or the Church of Rome would have us to procure the favor of the inferior beings he must know that all good Spirits Souls and Angels if we do obtain Gods favor when we pray to him they need not be called upon for the assistance of their prayers for they will pray together with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being called upon so to do This he doth frequently repeat and indeed it is the common language of those times he lived in witness the like expression of Arnobius * In hoe omne quod colendum est colimus quod adorari convenit adoramus quod obsequium Venerationis exposcit Venerationibus promeremur Cum enim divinitatis ipsius tencamus caput à quo ipsa Divinitas divorum omnium quicunque sunt ducitur supervacuum putamus personas ire per singulas cum ipsi qui sint quae habeant nomina nesciamus cujus sint praeterea numeri neque liquidum neque comprehensum neque exploratum habere possimus Atque ut in terrestribus Regnis necessitate nulla compellimur regalibus in familiis constitutos nominatim cum Principibus adorare sed in Regum ipsorum cultu quicquid illis annexum est tacita se sentit honorificentia comprehendi Non alia ratione quicunque hi Dii sunt quos esse nobis proponitis fi sint progenies Regia principali oriuntur è capite etiam si nullos accipiant nominatim à nobis cultus intelligunt se tamen honorari communiter cum suo Rege atque in illius venerationibus contineri Arnobius contra Gentes lib. 3 p. 101. In worshiping the Father and the Lord of all things we worship all things that are to be worshiped we adore all things that may conveniently be adored we venerate all that calls for veneration For holding to the head from whence these Divi borrow their Divinity we think it needless to go to every Person seeing wee know not what they are what names they have or of what order they may be And as in honoring the King wee honor all that do belong unto him so what ever Gods you do propose unto us if they be of this Kingly progeny and do belong unto this head although they do receive no worship from us they understand that they are worshiped together with their King and are included in that veneration which we pay to him 4. This Answer renders the discourse of Origen impertinent and a perfect declination of the Question betwixt him and Celsus For Celsus thus disputes no God nor any Son of God can possibly descend from Heaven but if you do assert this of the Angels of God these are no other than our Daemons Orig. l. 7. 5. p. 23â— To this St. Origen returns this Answer 1. That to deny that any God descends from Heaven is to deny what was esteemed a thing common by the Heathen World 2. That Christians do indeed confess this is the office of the Angels to come down from and to ascend to Heaven and to offer up the Prayers of men to God but yet saith he we must not worship them as God for all our Prayers must be directed to God and to his Son Christ Jesus who is the living Word and God Which argument if it have any strength at all consists in this that whiâ—h you must not worship and adore as God you must not pray unto but Angels you must not worship and adore as God Ergo Angels you must not pray unto This is that Fathers plea to which T. G. may answer in behalf of Celsus as well as of the Church of Rome that he apparently distinguisheth those Angels both from God and from the Son of God and therefore did not contend that we should pray unto them as to that God who is the Author of all good but only as to the Ministers and Servants of God whom he appointed to preside over such persons Families and Countries And therefore he was contented only that it might be lawful to say unto them as doth the Church of Rome to St. Sebastian Cerne familiam tuam id est behold thy family and to St. Gabriel preserve thy Countrey 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus objects that if with God we do adore his Son then may we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerate his Ministers To this St. Origen replies that if †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. Contra Celsum lib. 8. p. 386. Celsus by the Ministers of God had understood Gabriel and Michael and other Angels and Archangels and had contended that they should be venerated perpaps by purifying of the word and of the actions of the venerators we might say something of that matter i.e. Perhaps some actions which in some sense may bear the name of veneration might be performed to those Angels This T. G. thinks a great advantage to his cause and wonders that the Doctor would produce this passage But I conceive it is the clearest confutation of it that we could desire For having granted this and then restraining our petitions unto God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ as he expresly doth he most apparently demonstrates that prayer could be no part of the forementioned service he allowed to Saints 2. In that he thus distinguisheth of veneration and never doth distinguish in the like manner of prayer and supplication or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est of adoration and worship it follows that although he thought some veneration might be allowed to Angels in some inferior kind yet no petition was to be put up unto them and that no worship and adoration should be given unto them 3. When Origen in answer to this passage saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. we Christians venerate with supplications only God and his Son Jesus Christ and put up our petitions to God by his only Son If he doth understand only such supplications as are made to him as to the Author of all good he is as vain and impertinent as T. G. in his Answers to the Dr. for Celsus only doth contend for such a worship and consequently for such addresses only as agree unto the Ministers and Servants of God 4. Origen plainly doth inform us that the veneration he allowed to Angels was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 8. p. 416. to speak well of them and pronounce them blessed and imitate to their virtues and what is this to supplication 3. Celsus objects that Daemons do belong to God and therefore must be prayed unto and