notes are ch 5. 8. ch 6. 10. ch 8. 3. which we shall touch below but hear what he saith in his next disputation * Non fuisse morem in V. Tâ—â—adeundi Sanctos Intercessores Erat etiam olim periculum Idololatriae Salm. disp 8. sect postremo It was not their manner in the Old Testament to use the Saints as intercessors the Reason because they were not then glorified and because of old there was danger of Idolatry Mark the danger of the Romish practises in Religion and Worship But was there not danger under the New Testament he acknowledges it saying it is not express but was left to Tradition secretly to be delivered which he cals * Tacitam Spiritus suggestionem ibid. the silent suggestion of the Spirit but why because †Quia durum erat id Judaeis praecipere Gentib daretur occasio putandi multos sibi deos exhibitos pro it was hard to command such a thing to the Jewes and it was likely to give occasion to the Gentiles of thinking that many Gods were put upon them in stead of the many Gods they had forsaken And might not the same Reasons still be good against Romish Invocation and Image-worship either to keep them out or cast them out of the Church seeing they give such occasion of scandal to Jewes and Infidels throughout the Romish Communion The Cardinal is not so liberal with us Bel. l. 1. de Beat Sanct. c. 19. Non consuetum Nec ordinariè cognoscere preces c. 20 sect sed dices for he would confine it to the Old Testament acknowledging It was not the custom then to say Holy Abraham pray for us and his reasons are because they did not see God and could not ordinarily i. e. without special Revelation know the prayers of the living Neither is the Cardinal so ingenuous with us as was his fellow Salmeron for albeit he gives reasons why prayers were not made to them in the Old Testament which reasons were good against their Invocation till our Saviours ascension yet he brings places out of the Old Testament for a seeming proof of it Some of them indeed concern Invocation of Angels as that Gen. 48.16 Job 5.1 to which we briefly answered †Chap. II. nu 9. above And though the Cardinals reasons which exclude the Saints of the Old Testament do not conclude against the Angels which did see Gods face and as well hear and know what was said and done below on Earth in the time of the Old Testament as after yet Salmerons Reasons might prevail against invocation of them because of danger of Idolatry then and it would have seemed strange and hard to the Jewes And albeit they had Cherubins in the picture yet not Angels in their worship Which is acknowledged by Azor and Vasquez and that out of several Fathers clearing the Jewish Church from Worshipping of Angels or Images and somthing to this purpose was said †Chap. III. nu 10. above Now for the places out of the Revelation Places of Scripture alledged for Invocation which are the only Texts that have any semblance or pretence for Invocating Saints or Angels they are mistaken as applied to that purpose That Text Rev. 5.8 where the four living Creatures and the 24 Elders are set out as falling down before the Lamb having harps and viols full of odours or incense which are the prayers of the Saints Here the Romanists that would have these prayers of the Saints to be meant of the prayers of men living offered up by the Saints in heaven are mistaken for the whole place is a representation of the Church below offering up prayers to God by Christ the Lamb and those Eucharistical or prayers of thanksgiving and praise chiefly for the Victories of the Lamb and Redemption by Christ as the next verse specifies them Thus Viega understands them of the Church below and he follows good Authors in it The next is Rev. 6.10 how long O Lord Here also is a great mistake of Romanists making this a formal prayer of the Martyrs for revenge which stands not with that charity they have in so great a degree and therefore this is but a figurative or emblematical representation of their Souls lying under the Altar and calling for revenge only to shew the certainty of that judgement and vengeance which God would in time bring upon the Heathen Persecutors for their bloud as when Abels bloud is said to cry for vengeance And for the Argument they make If the Souls of Martyrs cry for Vengeance upon their Enemies therefore their charity much more prompts them to pray for Gods servants It fails first in the Antecedent for they do not as we see make any formal prayer for vengeance and then it fails in the Inference for it would only conclude that they do pray for the Church Militant which we grant not that they offer up prayers made to them which is the point in question The third Text Rev. 8.3 where Another Angel is said to stand by the Altar having a golden Censer and much incense was given to him that he might offer it with the prayers of all Saints A great mistake this and impious to make this the office of any created Angel for the very Text seems to imply that this was a special Angel differing from the seven Angels set out in the second verse as ministring Spirits and what one created Angel is sufficient for this to receive and offer up their prayers that are made by all the Saints or just men on Earth Therefore generally it is interpreted of Christ the great Angel of the Counsel of God as Viega and other modern Writers and herein they have Ambrose Haimo Rupertus and the Interlinâ—ary Gloss consenting To whom I may add what Irenaeus saith reflecting upon this place and the other cap. 5.8 where speaking of the Church offering up all by Christ applies to it that of Malachi cap. 1.11 in every place Incense shall be offered then adds Now †Iren. l. 4. c. 33. Incensa autem Joan. in Apocal. Orationes ait esse Sanctorum Tert. advers Marcion l. 4. c. 9. Per Jesum Christum Catholicum Patris sacerdotem St. John in the Revel saith that Incense or the sweet odours are the prayers of the Saints And Tertul. upon that of our Saviour to the Leper cleansed shew thy self to the Priest and offer Mat. 8.4 Inferreth we must offer up all our prayers and thanksgivings by Jesus Christ the Catholick or universal Priest of the Father No Created Angel can be such a Catholick Priest to offer up the Prayers of all Saints Thus much for Scripture to shew how destitute they are of any real proof and therefore want the first and main ground of Catholick faith and doctrine Sect. 1. in Introduct according to Vincentius his certain and safe Rule at first mentioned Now let us make a brief Survey of Antiquity and see
examination and for reasons following it will appear plainly that the worship as by them allowed and performed to Saints and Angels must be call'd Religious according to his first and stricter sense of Religion and so by his own confession undue to Creatures But before we come to our reasons let us hear how Greg. Val. in Tho. 2. 2ae disp 6. qu. 1. punct 2. de Val. expresses this matter a little more clearly He speaking of the Acts of the vertue of Religion as the School calls it tells us some of them pertain to it remotè imperativè remotely and only as commanded by it this with Mr. Spencer is religious in the larger sense some pertain to it proximè elicitive immediately and more inwardly proceeding from it and declaring a subjection due to God such acts are prayers oblations sacrifices vows c. This is religious in Mr. Spencers first and stricter sense accordingly the Schoolmen treat of those particulars as Acts or immediate exercises of the vertue of religion Now albeit Valentia and Mr. Spencer and all of them affirm that religious worship according to this sense is due only to God which is a great truth and do deny that the worship they give to any creature is to be called religious so or that it pertains to religion in that stricter sense which is also true as to many things they do to Saints and Angels being not so much as remotè and imperativè by way of command from true religion yet as used and exercised by them those acts of their worship are interpretativè acts of religion according to the first sense so to be interpreted and accounted of as to them and their performance as all undue and misapplied worship given to the Creature in way and exercise of religion yea given to a false God is to be accounted of This will appear in the reasons following The first reason shall be that which Azorius one of the same Society gives How the Romish creature-worship must be accounted religious Azor. Instit Mor. part 1. l. 9. c. 10. qu. 2. because the virtue of religion is not of two kindes one which gives God his worship and another which gives worship to Saints their Images and Reliques And they saith he that think religion is not of one kind are moved by the reason of the several kindes of dignities and excellencies in things this was Mr. Spencers reason of his several sorts of worship as above nu 3. and so it is Bellarmines reason but religion saith Azor is not a virtue which generally gives to any one worship for the excellency but which gives Divine worship and honour to God and * Non igitur religio quicquid excellit honorat colit sed â—â—icquid divinum est et quâ ratione divinum est quemadmodum ergò unus Deus est fic una quoque specie religâ—o est Azonâ— ibid. therefore the virtue of religion does not honour and worship whatsoever excels but whatsoever is Divine and as it is Divine wherefore as God is but one so religion is but one in kinde Now this is very true and rational and concludes all religious worship to be Divine and only due to God and that albeit there be an honour due to such excellencies an honour commensurate to them yet not a religious worship But what will Azorius then say to the religious worship given to Saints and their Images in the Church of Rome It is the objection immediately following and he answers not by mincing the matter as most of his fellowes do by saying it is religious in a remote or a large sense such a sense as considering what they do and allow in that Church speaks nothing to the purpose or by saying it is an act of special observance as Greg. de Val. would lessen it to no purpose as see below num 8. or by other frivolous distinctions used by them in this point of worship No. He seemed to consider what is done and allowed in their Church and that all such excuses help not therefore * Sanctos honoramus non solum co cultu quo homines virtute dignitate praestantes sed etiam divino cultu qui est actus religionis Sed divinos cultus honores non damâ—s sanctis propter seâ—psos sed propter deum qui eos sanctos effecit Azor. ibid. qu. 5. he saith down right and saith it often in this chapt that it is Divine which in Mr. Spencers strict sense is religious honour and worship which is given to Saints in erecting Altars Offering making vowes to them invoking of them c. and excuses it from Idolatry by saying it is given them not for themselves but for Gods sake that made them such But there is enough in Greg. de Val. and Bell. and other Romish writers to shew that divine honour given to the creature though with such reference to God cannot be defended which is a great truth so then between these truths the Church of Rome must be in a great strait it gives and allowes according to what Azorius proved a divine and religious worship to creatures and according to the truth that the other deliver it cannot be defended in it Second reason What does religion in Mr. Spencers strict sense sound but that virtue and devotion of the heart which sends out such expressions of subjection and worship in the exercises of religion and what is the Romish worship but the exercise of that devotion or religion which is in the heart of any Romanist so desiring to express it self and how is it expressed and performed but by their addresses to God Saints Angels by the former acts of Religion Prayers Praises Vows Offerings Look into their offices private publick observe what is done at their Altars Shrines Images what prayers offerings vows made there see their incense burned before an Image which is a consumptive oblation and as much as was done to the brazen Serpent and as for Prayer one of the Acts of religion under it * Val. disp 6. qu. 2. de oratione â—unct 10. Valentia puts their dayly recital of the office which contains prayers to Saints and Angels and therefore this worship by prayers vows to Saints in their way of religion must belong to religion in the first sense as immediate exercises thereof Thirdly they do not only use those immediate acts of religion prayers praises vows giving them to Saints in their exercise of religion but in these religious acts joyn the Saints with God Athan Orat 4. contra Arianos which Athanasius makes an Argument of the unity of the Son with the Father else he could not be joyned with him in prayers in praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to joyn the Son to the Father which he denies to all creatures so when St. Paul prayes 1 Thess 3.11 Now God himself and our Lord Jesus direct c. Now see how in the Church of Rome they joyn the
Saints with God in their vows as at entrance into some religious orders I vow to God and the blessed Virgin in their Praises that Psalm or Hymn venite adoremus Psal 99. is in some of their books thrice broken by Ave Maries inserted Bellar. and Valentia close some of their books thus Laus Deo Beatae Virgini praise to God and the blessed Virgin and as I remember in the Lyons Edition Bellarm. closes his book de cultu Sanctorum thus Laus Deo Virginique Mariae Jesu item Christo praise be to God and to the blessed Virgin Mary also to Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God the like is done by Valentia at the end of some of his books Now what is this but to set her if not in equal rank with God yet surely as high as the Collyridians did And what can this import but religion in the first sense A presumptuous entrenching on what is due to God Fourthly when they divide worship into Latria and Dulia it is not a Division of the word worship at large as when it is divided into religious and civil but it is a division of religious worship given by them with this distinction to God and the creature in the way and exercise of their religion also the word service implied in Dulia being not a civil service with them necessarily implies a religious service such as God forbids to be given to creatures also when they affirm the same worship given to the Image of Christ as to Christ is it not religious in the high sense The defenders of this take ground from their known Church Hymn Hail O Cross our only hope c. as the * Bel. l. de Imag. c. 19. fundamenâ— Cardinal acknowledges and would shift it off by many figures in the speech Lastly when they pray to God which they grant is the exercise of religion in the strict sense they acknowledge they do it by the mediation of Saints and Angels prayed unto for that purpose and what is this else but a performing of the creature-worship out of the virtue of religion and in way of religious offices or devotions in and together with and in order to a worshipping of God at the same time begging of God the gift of mercy and begging the Saints mediation for presenting that prayer or joyning his intercession with it As for his large and lax sense of religious for that which proceeds from and belongs to religion Religious in their large sense not excuse their creature-worship it is so general that it brings in all the duties of the second table as that act of mercy he instanced in out of Ja. 1. ult And here by that and his other instance out of Lev. 7.6 we might expect if he will have this creature-worship any way belong to religion he should have showen it commanded by God as those two particulars were which he brought as instances but it is the profession of this Author in the name of his Church that it is not commanded but commended as good and profitable i. e. as invented and taken up of themselves and pertaining to and proceeding from religion i. e. the religion of the Romish Church far from being Catholick in this point indeed if we speak of a worship due to Saints and Angels that is an acknowledgement and honour we owe them answerable to the worth and excellency in them it is a duty or thing commanded and so religious in that large sense by the fifth commandment yea and tends finally to Gods honour as the Author of all gifts and excellencies in the creature And we are ready to express this inward acknowledgment or honour and do it sufficiently by celebrating their memories by thanksgiving to God for them by proposing their vertuous examples for imitation but as for the worship they perform and plead for whatever inward acknowledgment they pretend to have commensurate to the worth of those glorious creatures yet such are the acts they express it by as do plainly shew it a worship neither commanded nor commended nor consistent with that worship which we finde commanded those acts and acknowledgments of honour and subjection which God requires in his worship Lastly the examples he brings out of Scripture for countenancing his worship who sees not how far they fall short of what he should prove They are of Lots bowing to the Angels that came unto him and of the Shunamite worshipping Elisha and the Captain of fifty Elias p. 25. and this he will have religious worship because of their Authorities derived and acknowledged only from faith and religion Be it so and that they had a motive for that worship more then meerly â—ivil we need not fear if it be call'd religious in so large and remiss a sense viz. such a religious worship or reverence as is given to holy men living But I would ask this Author if it would not be held abominable in the Church of Rome to give unto any holy men living the worship and service they do to Saints departed as to erect Altars Temples to them fall down before their Images burn incense to them make vows and prayers to them at any distance and in the same forms and in the same place and time where and when they do to God Well leaving this for him to think of Mr. Spencers mincing of the matter hear how he concludes this discourse pag. 27. where to the praise of his ingenuity but prejudice of his undertaking he saith If any wilfully deny all kind of religious worship in how large a sense soever to be lawfully exhibited to any save God alone so long as he yields the thing it self that is to exhibit reverence and worship to persons and things in acknowledgment of the supernatural gifts and graces and blessings of God wherewith they are enriched let him call that worship Christian or pious or an extraordinary rank of civil worship I shall not contend about the name when the thing is done This is fair if he deal plainly and do not expect by seeming to be content with the thing we yield such a thing as they make of this worship for we are ready to yield the thing that is due that is a reverence and honour commensurate to their excellency as much or more then was given to holy men living and to do it by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bowing or prostration where it can be done to an Angel if visibly appearing to us as to Lot And as for the Saints departed they are not by reason of their absence capable of that which was given to holy men living but we are willing to express the honour we owe them as we can by commemorating and praising their vertues propounding their examples for imitation And if we must properly speak what the worship is which they exhibit to the Saints departed Superstition it must be call'd superstition which as the notation of the word shews is a
they acknowledge the Mass conteins magnam populi eruditionem great edification and instruction for the people yet decree it not expedient to have it or the Liturgy in the popular or vulgar tongue cap. 8. But if the Court of Rome had seen it equally to their advantage they could have held the people to that which they ought viz. the Communion as well as keep all their Priests from that which they ought not viz. Marriage They acknowledge that Justification precedes good Works Sos 6. c. 8. yet deliver this doctrine Justified by Works grosly to the People They know how it is to their advantage And in the 16. chap. of that Session They acknowledge the grace of God for performance of the work and his gracious promise of the reward yet decree that good Works do truly Merit Add to this their mincing of points of doctrine when they are put to it As when the enquiry is driven home what worship is due to Saints and Angels What Invocation to be used VVhat worship or adoration to be given to Images We see how they lessen it and seem to be contented with very little as we observe in Mr. Spencers concessions upon those points yet do they keep up the practise in the height and full extent suffering if not encouraging the people to perform it grosly and superstitiously as they must needs do being uncapable of such nice distinctions as are used to excuse that worship So when they are put to it in the points of Satisfactions Purgatory Indulgences to shew what is satisfied for what is remitted and consequently what is granted in the Indulgence and to what sort of Persons they are forced to bring it to such an uncertainty and to so small a scantling that the people if they knew it would consider well what they laid out that way before they parted with it but these points are so in gross propounded to the people that they have cause to think as generally they do they are by these satisfactions and indulgences freed from any sin and do escape thereby Hell fire it self This which has been said speaks concessions and yieldings on their part and shewes a possibility of agreement and that some fair way might be found for some tolerable accord did not filthy lucre gotten by those points and the exorbitant greatness of Papal power obstruct it the Court of Rome as we see in all the offers made for reformation being alwaies more sollicitous of upholding it self then of reforming the Church of advancing its own greatness then of promoting the peace of Christendom To conclude The peace of Christians the agreement of the Roman and other Churches is possible if 〈◊〉 e possible for the Pope to do his duty or Christian Princes theirs that is if he would do the duty of a Bishop of Rome or prime Patriarch the duty he is bound to sworn to in taking oath to observe the Canons of the Ancient General Councils which prescribe the bounds of the Roman and other Patriarchal Jurisdictions But if he make light of this and all other bonds of duty why should it not be possible for Christian Princes to do their duty in reducing him within those known and confessed bounds fixed by the Ancient Church In the mean time let them cease to reproach us with Schism till he return to his station where he may receive the obedience due to him by those Ancient Canons let them rather consider whom they follow in all his transgressions and extravagances thereby engaging themselves in his Schism against the whole Catholick Church And let them not please themselves with the specious Name of Catholicks for holding such points of Difference from other Christians as will upon trial appear to be far from the Truth and soundness of Catholick Doctrine And to make this appear by the undeniable Rules of Christian verity Scripture and Catholick Tradition as they are solidly set down by Vincentius is the scope and purpose of this ensuing Treatise If any of their Masters shall think fit to make any Reply let him do it not as one carping at small things and catching at seeming advantages but as one really intending the Manifestations of Truth and the Expedients of Peace the restoring of which throughout the Catholick Church is the Prayer of H. Ferne. The Points of Doctrine here Examined I. OF the worship of Saints and Angels II. Of the Invocation of Saints and Angels III. Of the worship of Images IV. Of Justification by Works V. Of the Merit of Good Works VI. Of Purgatory VII Of Real Presence VIII Of Communion under one kinde An Answer to Mr. Spencers Book INTITULED SCRIPTURE MISTAKEN By the Protestants CHAP. I. The first Point Of the Worship of Saints and Angels THis Author first tells us Introduction what the Council of Trent delivers touching the Worship and invocation of Saints and Angels not as Gods or Saviours but as Creatures dependent on God and Christ and that it is not commanded as necessary but commended as profitable and this to disabuse vulgar Protestants who think the Roman Church teaches it is as necessary to salvation to invoke and worship the Saints as to invoke and worship Christ himself Pag. 3.4 The Council indeed touches this point warily and in general which circumspection and cunning we finde used in most of the decrees they best know wherefore But Vulgar Protestants are not abused when they are told that according to the practice of that Church if we look into the applications made to Saints and their shrines both for the forms and the frequency there appears not much of that dependency on Christ but very much of an opinion connived at if not rather cherished among the Vulgar Papists that it is as necessary and profitable if not more to invoke and worship them then Christ himself But if they will commend this as profitable why did not the Council for the disabusing their own people condemn those unprofitable poisonous forms of invocation yet extant in their books and used in their Churches why has it not yet anathematiz'd that blasphemous Lady Psalter and that horrid doctrine broached by Aquinas and still maintained by most of this Authors soâ—iety that the Image is to be worshipped * Greg. de Val. in Thâ—disput vi Qu. xi puncâ—o 6. Azor. Instit Mor. To. 1. li. 9. c. 6. qu. 5. with the same worship with which he is whose Image it is So that if it be the Image of Christ it is to be worshiped with divine worship The †Bel. de Imaginib l. 2. c. 22 Cardinal acknowledges they which speak so are forced to use distinctions which they themselves scarce understand much less the people So that Mr. Spencer had need look home to disabuse his own people The first place of Scripture Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Numb I Here he needlesly spends time in shewing that worship and service may be given
to others besides God The quest is about Religious worship and therefore notes it as a double mistake of the Protestants to infer from this place that worship and service are only due to God pa. 5. c. It seems he was bound to make up his tale or number of mistakes he does so causelesly fasten them upon the Protestants for he knows they do not argue from this place that all kinds of worship or service are to be given to God only but that kind of worship which according to his own expression pag. 8. is performed by an act of Religion i. e. religious worship or as S. Aug. gives us the limitation of that Word Worship and indeed the determination of the question that if we add Religion to that word Aug. de Civ l. 10. c. 1. then it speaks that worship which is due to God only This Author knew well enough that Protestants confine their dispute here to a Religious worship and he speaks it pa. 11. that this place Mat. 4.10 must according to Protestants be understood to forbid only religious worship to any save God and therefore applies himself under his second pretended mistake to the consideration of it endeavouring to finde out such a worship given to Creatures as may be call'd Religious All that he brings we shall see very far short of the purpose altogether insufficient to excuse their practice or answer what we charge them with for their encroachments upon the Worship and Service due to God in the way of Religion The first thing we need take notice of is his premising the distinction of Worship The Acts of Worship inward and outward into Interior Exterior as subservient to his purpose pa. 1.2 telling us pa. 13. The External deportment as prostration may be the very same when we worship God or Saint or Angel Bishop Apostle King Magistrate Father Mother yet they become different kinds of Worship according to the different humiliations intentions and acknowledgments which he who worships desires to express by those outward deportments of the body It is true that the inward intent makes a difference in the worship given when the outward act is the same though not alwaies so different a kinde of worship as he would have the worship of Saints and Angels to be in regard of the Civil worship and honour as we shall see below But here note for there will be use of it hereafter that in all this discourse of worship he only insists in such outward expressions Some Acts of worship proper to God as properly fall under the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as bowing kneeling prostration which are indeed common to the worship of God and Creatures but there are other which both in Scripture and in the nature of the thing appear proper to God and the worship due to him Altars burning incense oblations nuncupation of Vows upon which score we may finde the Church of Rome faulty as in doctrine so much more in practice The * Bel. de Beat. sanctorum l. 1. c 12. Cardinal having said the external acts are common to all worship makes his exception of sacrifices and those †Greg. de Val. in Tho. 2.2 Disp 6. qu. 5. de virt Riligionis puncto 2. things which have relation to them And Greg. de Val. acknowledges it of Prayer Oblations Sacrifices c. that they immediately belong to Religion and do peculiarly contain a certain subjection of the creature to God The second thing we are to take notice of Excellency Dignity how the Reason of Honour and Worship is that to lay some ground-work for raising such a worship on as they give to Saints and Angels he sets himself to shew that besides the Civil and Divine dignities or excellencies there is a third sort neither infinite as the Divine nor humane as the Civil but Spiritual and Supernatural and would make his Readers believe that all the difficulty in this matter consists in shewing there are three worths or excellencies to be acknowledged and honoured by an act of worship pag. 14. Whereas we grant such supernatural excellencies in Angels and Men and that there ought to be an acknowledgment and honour in the mind commensurate to such a worth or excellency and that to be expressed by such acts as are fitting and we believe that the Romanists have not such an acknowledgment in their minds when they worship Saint or Angel as they have when they worship God Almighty but whether that acknowledgment they have be commensurate to created Excellencies and no more they know best We cannot but say the expressions they make of it in the several particulars of their Religious Worship do too plainly shew they yield them more devotion of soul then is due to meer Creatures entrenching far upon the religious worship and service due to God The third thing we take notice of is that albeit he said Of the words Religion and Reliigous worship All the difficulty consisted in clearing the third sort of worth or excellency to be acknowledged and honoured yet he knew well enough the difficulty stood not in that but in the acknowledging and honouring them with acts of Religious worship And therefore pa. 20 21. he sets himself to distinguish of the words Religion and Religious that among all the acceptions of those words mentioned in Scripture he might finde some according to which the worship of Saints and Angels may be called Religious Religion saith he pa. 20. may be taken either in a strict sense for the vertue of Religion So when the School Doctors dispute about the nature of infused graces or largely for the whole belief or profession of those that esteem themselves to have the true way of serving God so when we say the Religion of the Christians or of the Jews having thus distinguished he determins pa. 22. It will be sufficient for the defense of the Cathol Roman faith in this point to affirm that when the Doctors say that any thing created may be or is worshipped with religious worship it is religious in the larger sense i. e. vertuous pious Christian as belonging and proper to our Religion and tending finally to the acknowledgment of God and our Saviours honour as Author of our faith and religion and pa. 23. instances in Levit. 7.6 where the giving of the brest and shoulder of the sacrifice to the Priest is call'd a perpetual religion in their generations and then in Ia. 1. ult where a work of mercy done to the poor to a Creature is called Religion i. e. proceeding from and belonging to Religion But this together with all the instances be can give of Religion or Religious in such a sense comes not home either to the thing in question Religious worship or to defence of his Catholick Roman Church attributing more to Saints and Angels then he can bring out of Scripture or Fathers either either to parallel or excuse it For upon
worship of the dead exhibited to them by those that overlive them or remain after them or as Lactantius tells us they are call'd * Superstiriosi sunt qui superstitem memoriam defunctorum colunt eorumque Imagines celebrant Instit l. 4. c. 28. superstitious who worship or religiously honour the remaining memory of the dead and celebrate or honour with religious service their Images And now let this Author if he can defend his Catholick Roman Church in her pretended religious worship from this charge of superstition and then consider if she be not also so far chargeable with Idolatrous practice as those applications to Saints and Angels those expressions of worship which they make by vows oblations prayers and adorations shall be found to yield to the creature any thing proper to God To conclude we have seen how the worship which they religiously The honour due to Saints and Angels of what sort iâ— it but unduly give to Saints and Angels stands charged now if for the perfecting of this discourse it be enquired to what sort of worship that honour which we acknowledge due to Saints and Angels the thing which he said we yield may indeed be reduced we have two sorts of worship apparent and unquestionable Divine and Civil the divine is due to God by reason of his supereminent majesty and by reason of his dominion over the whole man and contains all the religious worship and service all the obedience man can give him according to any of his commands all the honour he can return him upon any due occasion The civil is due to man upon that dominion he has over others according to the outward man and affairs of this life and contains the honour subjection and obedience due to Magistrate Masters Parents Between these two the Cardinal whom this Author follows every where fixes the worship or honour due to a finite supernatural excellency such as is in Saints and Angels And it is true that if we give the creature no more then is commensurate or due unto it the honour given will not be a Divine or Religious nor yet a Civil worship properly because given without respect to dominion or subjection But there is a worship or honour due to persons to whom we owe not subjection as they are endowed with qualities and excellencies though not supernatural as Wisdome Learning Justice and other Vertues which worship is not Divine or Civil properly but as some call it the worship or honour of Moral reverence due to all moral vertuous endowments or as others Cultus officiosus officious or out of courtesy So likewise the honour due to gracious and supernatural gifts and qualities may though in a higher degree be call'd the honour of moral reverence making but one kinde of both because the motive or ground of both is a thing of moral perswasion arising from the worth and excellency of gifts and endowments without the reason of dominion Greg. de Val. Val. in Thom. 2.2 disput 6. qu. 11. punct 5. has a phrase for it not much differing telling us the worship due to Saints is not an act of religion immediately but singularis observantiae of a singular observance or respect to saints that it is not religion immediately which procures them that esteem commensurate to excellent Creatures but peculiaris observantia i.e. that special observance reverence w ch such excellencies deserve Now this is to speak what is due to saints not what the Romanists allow them or suffer their people to give them w ch often falls into the way and acts of Religion by their vows prayers raise oblations to Saints That this worship or honour which may be call'd an act of moral reverence or of officiousness or of special observance if they please is of a differing kind from the religious or divine and may be differenced from the civil or humane cannot be denied but if asked to which of the two it is reducible or analogical we say to the civil For gifts and virtues which for their principle and Original are supernatural are for their use civil i. e. for the good of the concives fellow Citizens members of the same society of the Church yea Saints and Angels are concives fellow Citizens with us Eph. 2.19 So that civil worship might be divided into that humane civil according to the Polity of the world and this of moral reverence which is analogically civil according to the Polity of the Church society But they must reduce it to Religious worship which they divided into Latria and Dulia as above ehre its made medius cultus a middle worship between Divine and Civil as the Card inal and they all do Bel. de Beat. Sanctor l 1. c. 12. to bring it nearer to the Divine and then to make it intrench upon the divine or religious worship by such applications and expressions as we heard above As for their usual starting hole to which they commonly retire in this point of worshipping of Saints Angels Images to say they have no such acknowledgment of them as of Gods or infinit excellencies it will not secure them so long as they yeild them some acknowledgment not commensurate to them and express it by such acts and exercises of religious worship as above said We shall find the Heathens made the like excuses for the worship they gave to the inferior Deities and to their Images Nor could the people have such a conceit of Moses's dead body or carcass as of an Infinite and divine excellency which yet God hid from them least they should make an Idol of it as the Cardinal saith * Bel. Apol. pro respons sua ad Reg. Jacob. cap 8. Sect. jam vero that is least they should do to it and give it such acts of worship as the Church of Rome doth to Angels to Saints and to their Reliques Now least there should be made some pretenceâ— of plea from what the Author said of supernatural worship and excellency Of the Authority and Rule that Saints and Angels are said to have over us which he seemed to raise not only upon supernatural gifts and graces but also upon that dignity and authority which is more then humane or Civil and truly by him call'd Ecclesiastical such as was in Prophets and Apostles and withall mentioned several places of Scripture to imply the dignity and authority in the Saints and Angels as 1 Cor. 6.2 that they shall judge the world Rev. 5.19 that they shall reign upon the earth And that the Angels were Promulgators of the Law Act. 7.53 Captains of the Armies of God Jos. 5.14 Controlers of Kingdomes Dan. 10.12 So he pa. 17.18 I say least by this Authority which he seems to ascribe to them he should imply for he does not plainly infer a subjection to them and upon that account a duty of worship therefore to exclude all pretences It may be said 1. That in Prophets and Apostles there was a dignity
Angels worship him might receive this answer it is a religious worship of the inferiour rank such as may be given to the most excellent creatures and doubtless the Arrians would have made use of this distinction had the Church of Rome then taught this doctrine so then either the Apostle was mistaken in his argument or the Church of Rome is in her distinction And if we be mistaken in our argument from this Scripture then was their Gregory the great mistaken who against Image-worship urges the same text Gregâ— ep l. 9. ep 9. quia scriptum est dominum Deum odorabis soli servies because saith he it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve To conclude Peresius a Romish writer moved with what the Scripture and St. Aug. saith against this cultus servitutis this worship of service given to the creature acknowledges as * Bel. de Beat. Sanctorum l. 1. c. 12. the Cardinal relates it and checks him for it that he did not approve the name of Dulia to signifie the worship of Saints for we are not servants of the Saints but fellow-servants Rev. 22.8 9. See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant worship God Here as elsewhere he needlesly multiplies mistakes Of worship refused by the Angel and by St. Peter repeating what he had above of Angels receiving worship from Lot and of men receiving worship as Elias and Elisha though Peter refused it from Cornelius Act. 10. and affirms the worship of Elias and Elizaeus to be the very same with the worship which by Roman Catholicks is given to Saints and Angels pa. 35 36. How all this comes short of the purpose both as to the worship which the Church of Rome gives by many moe expressions then prostration or bowing of the body which is all the worship that his places of Scripture and instances concern and also as to the term religious which in his large sense comes not home to the question I say how far all this falls short was abundantly shewen above Now for the Text Revel 22. That which we gather from it against their Angel-worship does not arise from the bare prohibition of worship but rather from the reason of it for I am thy fellow servant and so from St. Peters reason for I am a man which shews some undue worship was given yet not as to a God but too much entrenching upon that which was due to God The Romanists feign two reasons of this prohibiting or refusal of worship first * Bel. Post Christi adventum prohibuisse ob reverentiam humanitatis Christi de Beatit Sanctor cap. 14. that the Angels refused after Christs coming in the flesh to be worshipped of men for the reverence of the humanity of Christ But if they did right in refusing it then must the Romanists think they do ill in giving it to them for we men are bound to have as great a reverence and respect to Christ as the Angels are and note the Cardinal saith not only that they refused the worship but forbad it prohibuisse saith he Secondly because John took the Angel for Christ but we may ask how did the Angel know what St. John thought Besides it was improbable that he took the Angel for our Saviour Christ for this is the second time that he thus worshipped neither do we find that our Saviour in all the visions appeared to him after such a manner But this falling down at the Angels feet shews it was in St. John a transport of joy for the revelation of such things as the Angel brought and thereupon an expression of that more then beseeming reverence to the messenger and it is evident the Angel conceived he gave some undue reverence for which he admonishes him to give none but what befits a fellow servant which ought not to be a religious worship or service entrenching upon any thing due to God the very reason that * Aug. de vera religioone cap. 55. Honoramus Angelos charitate non servitute St. August gives to exclude all such worship by the word service or servitude We honour Angels saith he in charity not service and immediately before insinuated God is communis Dominus our common Lord Lord of Angels and men that is as the Angel said we are fellow-servants So we need not contend so much what the Angel thought as look to what he said whether he thought St. John took him for our Saviour which this Author strives to make probable is uncertain but the reason the Angel gave is clear and enough to exclude their Angel-worship So that which St. Peter refused Acts 10. was not a Divine worship and therefore refused for this Author grants pa. 38. that Cornelius could not suppose him to be a God nor was it a due bounded worship and refused only out of humility as he supposes here for then he would not have given this reason I am a man The Protestants are not bound to say as he thinks they must pa. 37. one of the two either that Cornelius gave him divine worship as to a God or that St. Peter refused it out of humility For though the Protestants acknowledge there was humility in this refusal for humility is seen in refusing not only due but undue honour too yet have they cause to say it is evident that Cornelius gave him some undue worship exceeding his condition and entrenching upon something due to God and therefore St. Peter gives him the reason of his refusing it for I am a man as the Angel for I am thy fellow-servant Col. 2.18 Worshipping of Angels He will have us here mistaken because this text speaks of a worshipping of Angels How far the Romanists agree with those worshippers of Angels whereby they are made equal to Christ or that Christ is depending on them which Roman Catholicks saith he condemn as injurious to Christ pa. 43. His reason is because the Apostle adds not holding the head by which it appears such a worshipping of Angels is forbidden as destroyes the belief of Christs being soveraign head of the Church pa. 44. to which he subjoyns as a proof the Testimonies of several Fathers witnessing that Simon Magus and other ancient Hereticks broached such phansies of the Angels pa. 48. That there were ancient Hereticks that held strange phansies about Angels is very true but that these worshippers of Angels were such as held such a phansie of making them equal or superiour to Christ cannot be proved that they were not such appears rather for the Apostle first tells us this was done in a pretence of voluntary humility now what humility is there in going to God by any equal or superiour to his Son therefore they went to God by Angels as inferiour mediatours and they of the Church of Rome have a pretence not unlike in their applying to God by the mediation of Saints and Angels Secondly the Apostle in this chapter speaks
against those that joyned the observation of legal ordinances with the profession of Christ and therefore it is very probable he condemns such worshipers of Angels as did it upon that account because the law was given by the disposition of Angels * In Colos c. 2. Theodoret who is shuffed in among the rest of the Fathers cited by this Author speaks directly to this purpose that these worshippers of Angels were such Christians as joyned the observation of the law with the Gospel and therefore used them as mediatours because the law was given by their ministry The other Fathers cited by him speak of strange phansies of some Hereticks about Angels but without such reference to this place of the Apostle as Theodoret doth who comments upon the Text and cites the canon of the Synod of Laodicea a place not far from Coloss forbidding any to pray to Angels Oecumenius also upon the text agrees with Theodoret touching these Angel-worshippers and out of Chrysostome for he borrows it from him shews the pretence they made of humility in this their going to God by Angels saying * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst Oecum in locum It was more then belonged to us to go to God by Christ which excludes Mr. Spencers pretence above that these were such as made Angels equal or superiour to Christ when its plain they in humility applyed to them as of inferiour rank As for his reason from the Apostles adding not holding the head that proves not that they placed the Angels in Christs stead or destroyed his soveraign headship directly as the phansie of those Hereticks he would have here to be meant did for he may be said not to hold the head that holds it not in that manner he ought or because this worshipping of Angels was the way to let go the head as in the Church of Rome their worshipping of Angels and Saints and their Images draws off the people much from Christ And albeit the Church of Rome does not retain the observation of the law as these did and so has not the same cause of their worshipping Angels as they had yet let the cause or motive be what it will for the same deslexion from truth and duty has not alwayes the same motive they of the Church of Rome have the same pretence of humility in their coming to God by the mediation of Angels and do place the Angels where they should not intruding into things they have not seen and not holding the head the one mediatour between God and man as they ought Again he will have us mistaken * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion of Angels in rendring the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worshipping when it should be translated a religion of Angels and thereupon declaims against Protestants as having a design in it pa. 45.46 But this is needless for the word religion had been more advantageous to us in as much as we yield a worship to creatures but when religion is added to it we mean it a worship due to God as St. Aug. also said above Indeed if we look into the Church of Rome and well consider their exercises of devotion how they are directed how frequented there will appear a very religion of Saints and Angels And as in this point the Romanists are too like these half Christians whom the Apostle blames for their worship or religion of Angels so will they appear not much unlike to the Heathen Platonicks in their worship or religion of their Daemons and Hero's whom they placed and worshipped as celestial messengers and mediatours between men and the supream God Of which below * in the consent of Antiquity But to make up his number of mistakes he must needs repeat here also pa. 49. how worship was given to Angels by Lot and Joshua and that it may be call'd religious by Ja. 1.26 27. not remembring how much he is mistaken in giving us still for the worship we blame in them examples only of the worship we allow the bowing of the body to Angels when they appeared whereas we charge them with the worship which the Laodic Synod forbad which the Apostle here blames the praying to them and making them mediators nor will he remember how he is mistaken in telling us still St. James calls a work of mercy religion as if this were any thing to the religious worship they give to Saints and Angels which is the exercise or performance of their religion and devotion as religion belongs to the first table in a stricter sense whereas that work of mercy as all duties of the second table because commanded and proceeding from religion may in that general sense be call'd religious works not religious worship But indeed this Romish worship cannot truly be call'd religion in the larger sense or in any sense for it is not commanded it proceeds not from religion not dictated by that devotion and religion we owe to God it pertains not therefore to religion unless it be to the Romish Of all this more largely above CHAP. II. Of Prayer and Invocation NOw we are come to a special act of worship given to Saints and Angels the places of Scripture here examined are Come unto me Mat. 11.28 Ask the Father in my name Jo. 16.21 When ye pray say Our Father One mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 We have an advocate 1 Jo. 2.1 The Protestants inference therefore we must come to God by no other Name Mediatour Advocate he will have inconsequent Indeed such arguments from the affirming of one to the denying all others are not for the most part concluding and valid yet in the point of Gods worship they are of good force if we allow the truth of the rule which S. Aug. de consensu Evang. l. 1. c. 18. Aug. saith that Socrates allowed God is so to be worshiped as he has commanded himself to be worshiped A general Rule for worship So that it must be a bold presumption in man when the Lord has in so many places prescribed the way to add thereunto by admitting and using other Mediators though inferiour to Christ What he saith to the Lords Prayer comes to this The form of the Lords prayer that Protestants by like argument might prove We are only to pray to God the Father and that one Christian living may not pray for another pa. 57. But this is not alike for we have command and direction to come and pray unto the other persons of the Trinity and also for one another living And we may call any of the Persons Father for all the works of the Trinity ad extra towards the Creature as giving life and being nourishing and preserving Fatherly acts toward us are as the School saith undivided common to all the persons but because we can also call God the Father our Father upon special relation by and through his only Son therefore this forme implies we ought to come in prayer to God the Father only
probable then comparing it with the latter he saith it is more probable then it yet the latter is more fit for convincing the Hereticks Where note that their best way is but probable and the Hereticks must be convinced in this point by that way which is less then probable So uncertain is this Article of their faith so unlikely to convince Hereticks however they perswade their people to it This Author saith nothing to their knowing of prayers he had indeed no reason to give himself the trouble of disputing that which their Church cannot agree on Beside all that has been said to it methinks reason should tell them how improbable it is that a finite Creature should admit and take care of ten thousand suits put up to it at once or that it should be consistent with the state of bliss for those glorified souls to be taken up or avocated by the care of earthly affairs yea such as for the most part are of a dolorous nature If God reveal unto them the conversion of a sinner as Luk. 15.7 which sometimes is made an argument by them its a matter of joy and answerable to their general votes and intercession for the accomplishing of the Church and consistent with their state of bliss Now come we to the prayers of men living one for another Prayers of men living for others no argument for praying to Saints departed often urged by this and other their Authors who having no permission or appointment from Gods word for making the Saints departed their Mediators and Advocates in the Court of Heaven seek pretence from this duty of the living Therefore to a Protestant asking how dare they admit of any other Mediator or Advocate then Christ this Author rejoynds How dare Protestants permit their children to pray them to pray to God for them for what is this but to be Mediators and Advocates pa. 61. And of Protestants usually commending themselves to the prayers of others This saith he is the very same intercession we put among the Saints and Angels pa. 62. Thus they are fain some times to mince it But a great disparity there is between the desiring of the prayers of the living and their invocating of Saints or Angels also between the prayers or interceding of men living for others and that Mediation or Advocateship they put upon Saints departed First We have warrant for the one and not for the other we therefore dare desire the prayers of the living because we are commanded to pray one for another and diverse reasons there are for it which hold not in the other case The mutual exercise of charity among those that converse together on earth and much need that bond as the Apostle calls it to hold them together Eph. 4.3 Col. 3.14 also the benefit we receive by being made sensible of others wants and sufferings Heb. c. 13 3. we our selves being also in the body as the Apostle tells us Lastly in this there is no peril of superstition as there must needs be in their religious addresses to the dead Secondly our praying others to pray for us is not Invocation or a Religious worship as theirs is to the Saints departed they placing a great part of their offices of Religion both publick and private in such Invocations Thirdly As the living when they are desired to pray for us are capable of this charitable duty knowing our necessities which Saints departed do not so their praying for us doth not make them Mediators and Advocates for us that is of a middle order between us and God Almighty as they make their Mediatours of intercession but as Comprecatores fellow-suiters of the same rank condition and distance with us from God in the mutual exercise of this charitable duty they praying for us at our intreaty and we for them at theirs St. Aug. speaks home to this purpose in two instances from Scripture Aug. contra Epist Parmen l 2. c. 8. Non se facit mediatorem inter Deum populum sed rogat pro se orent invicem si Paulus mediator esset non ei constaret ratio qua dixerat unus mediator St. Paul makes not himself a Mediator between God and the people but intreats they should pray one for the other so the living praying for one another are not therefore Mediatours nay doing it upon mutual entreaty and intimation are therefore not mediatours If St. Paul should be their Mediatour it would not consist with what he had said there is one Mediatour which proves the former consequence that the mediation they give to Saints will not stand with that one Mediatour His other instance is from St. Johns we have an advocate 1 Ep. c. 2. from which he infers the Apostle could not make himself a Mediatour and so makes it conclude against Parmenian who placed the Bishop a Mediator between God and the people we shall examine the Cardinals answer by which he would shift this off when we come to tryal of Antiquity But This Author misreports St. Aug. when he saith pa 63. The Texts admit only one Mediatour and advocate of redemption and salvation but more then one of praying to Almighty God with us and for us by way of charity and society as St. Aug. saith citing contra Faust l. 22.21 I suppose it should be l. 20. for in the place cited he speaks of no such matter but in the l. 20.21 where St. Aug. speaks of our honouring them by way of charity and society as we honour holy men living which this Author misreports as if said they pray for us which is truth but his adding with us supposes they pray for us when we pray upon knowledge of our particular necessities and requests which is false He closes up this point with the proof of pretended Scripture Their Invocation destitute of Scripture-proof If any desire to have the Invocation of Saints and Angels proved by Scripture he may please to examine Job 5.1 Gen. 48.16 1 Sam. c. 28. Pitiful proofs in the first Eliphaz tells Job if he take it thus impatiently he cannot expect relief or comfort from God or Angels whose ministry in those dayes was frequent in the second place Jacob prayes to God for his blessing upon the lads and wishes the ministry of Angels for them as it had pleased God to use it in blessing and delivering him in all his troubles or we may say as Athanasius and other Fathers do that the Angel there was Christ In the third he produces Saul worshipping and invoking Samuel which many wayes fails of proving Invocation of Saints both in the truth of the thing and the consequence Proofs these fitting for such Articles of Faith CHAP. III. Of Images THe Council of Trent as we see by the Decree touching Images Pretended care for the people would seem very careful that the people be taught how they may safely conceive of and worship Images and that all superstition and filthy lucre be
also drinks his blood shed so it did till the Sacrament was instituted and so it still doth extra Sacramentum out of the Sacrament but if we apply this to the receiving of Christ in the Sacrament then drinking is as necessary both to answer the whole act of Faith and the whole purpose of the Sacrament in participating his blood shed and receiving a full Refection And therefore though eating only be expressed in that v. 57. yet he could not but see that our Saviour when he spoke in the singular number mentions and enjoyns them both v. 34 36. His instancing in the command about the Passover enjoyning to kill rost sprinkle and eat but not binding every one to perform all but some one thing some another p. 361. proves as all his former impertinent for the concernment here is in the reception or partaking of the Sacrament of the Passover by eating of the Eucharist by eating and drinking and I hope he will not deny but all and every one of the Israelites were bound to eat the Passover and to eat it as the Lord enjoyned it under pain of being cut off Exod. 12. Indeed if we take in all the actions to be done in and about the Sacrament of the Eucharist those that concern the consecration and administration as well as the reception of it every one is not bound to perform all but that which concerns the Reception belongs to all not to do all that our Saviour did but all that the Disciples then did belongs to all to do because they then represented the whole company of the faithful He closes up this point and his whole discourse with some passion against Protestants charging them with an unworthy and base esteem of the most sacred body and blood of our Saviour not thinking that either of them as they are in this Sacrament is fit to confer saving grace to such as devoutly receive them p. 363. Thus where Argument and Reason is wanting there Passion must make it out But as to the worth and power of our Saviours body and blood we acknowledge it * See N◠3. 5. above and the fitness of either to confer sufficient grace and how it does when in case of necessity the one is devoutly received but we question how they that wilfully refuse one of them the blood shed can be said devoutly to receive or can expect that sufficient grace which is given in the Sacrament to them that receive it according to our Saviours Institution It is not any derogating from the worth of our Saviours body and blood but a due regard to his Will and Command that causes us to stand upon receiving both What he adds runs still upon that Assertion that there is not any express command given in Scripture to all particular Christians to receive both pag. 365. which we shewed above to be false by our Saviours commands in his Institution of this Sacrament Drink ye all and Do this by what he severely denounced Joh. 6.53 by what S. Paul delivers as received from our Saviour 1 Cor. 11. That which this Author immediately subjoyns and the custome of the Primitive Ancient and Modern Church is evidently to the contrary will appear to be far from Truth as to the Primitive and Ancient Church when we come to the survey of Antiquity in this point To conclude I could wish that Mr. Spencer who pretends he undertook this work for no other end then to inform the misled spirits of this age as he tels us in the close of his book would have a conscionable regard to an open and apparent Truth which he contends against as in this so other points of Romish doctrine and that he would think of reducing those misled spirits which he has drawn out of the way by such deceiving assertions as he has delivered in this Treatise and bent all his wits to render them plausible to the Vulgar A Brief Survey of Antiquity for the trial of the former points Whether they can as held by the Church of Rome pass for Catholick Doctrine SECT I. Introduction VIncentius Lirinensis gives us a safe Rule for trial of Points of faith and Catholick doctrine Duplici modo munire fidem suam debet Primo divina legis authoritate deinde Ecclesiae Cath. Traditione cap. 1. If any saith he would continue safe and sound in a sound faith he ought two wayes to fortify his belief First by the Authority of Gods word or Scripture then by the Tradition of the Catholick Church bringing down from age to age the known sense of that word Then for the Tradition of the Church it must be universal to prove it Catholick Doctrine That is properly Catholick which was received or believed Quod semper ubique creditum c. 3. every where through all the Churches and alwayes through every Age. According to this Rule we ought to direct the Tryal and may justly expect that the Church of Rome imposing these and many other points upon the World for Catholick faith should give us them clearly proved by this Rule whereas we finde them in these points pittifully destitute of Scripture which is the first and main ground-work of faith Yet because Scripture is Scripture and by all Christians received for the word of God and challenges the first place in the Rule of Faith therefore they think themselves concerned to bring Scripture for every point such as their best wits have found out any way capable of being wrested to their purpose far from that clearness and force of proof which those places of Scripture have that hold out unto us matters of Faith SECT I. Of worshiping Angels and Saints HOw forsaken the Romanists are of Scripture here may appear Romanists here destitute of Scripture proof by what could be alledged by Mr. Spencer in defence of it as we saw above Cap. 1. from the reverence given to the Angels by Lot and others or to men living as to Elias and Elisha which proved impertinent and fell short of that worship which the Church of Rome allows and practises It is also confessed by some of them * Salmeron in 1 Tim. 2. disp 8. Sect. postremò that this business of worshiping and Invocating Saints or Angels is not expressed in the New Testament and reason given for it because it would seem hard to the Jews and give occasion to the Gentiles to think new Gods put upon them As little help have they from the Tradition of the Catholick Church or witness of Antiquity which here runs with a full stream against them And now for the Trial we will first speak to the General Religious worship as incompetent to a Creature though most excellent such as are Saints and Angels the particulars of this worship by Invocation and Image-worship we shall examine below Our first evidence of Antiquity shall be from the force of the word Religion The force of the word Religion whereby the Fathers did prove and
to commend our selves This is the most that fell from St. Aug. yet this comes short of what Bell. will have him say that they are then Invocated at the Altar for he had said expresly they are not invocated and that we invocate God there to inable us to imitate them as above in the two places out of his book de Civit. Dei What then is this commending our selves to their prayers it cannot be direct Invocation for that he denies but an invocating of God or begging of him the benefit of their prayers as we shall see more below We have found the Cardinal very unfaithful hitherto in his Testimonies of Antiquity we will add two more He cites Chrys 5. Hom. in Matt. which is plainly of the prayers of the living Saints It speaks of the woman of Canaan coming of her self to Christ without suing to any of the Disciples to entreat for her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys And this saith he I speak not that we ought not to entreat or sue to the Saints The other place is that which we noted above how corruptly it was cited by the Cardinal for the Worship of Saints afterward it is again alledged by him for Vowes made to Saints it is out of Euseb de praepar Evang. l. 13. c. 11. where as we noted above in stead of making vowes and prayers at the Monuments of Martyrs the Interpreter has rendred it making Vowes to them that is to the Martyrs and this in three times alledging this Testimony the Cardinal would not see Our fourth General That practise of Invocation which began in the fourth Century was not such as the Romish is The Invocation begun in the fourth Age was not such as the Romish is either for the manner or the use that is it was not formal and direct Invocation nor used in sacred offices till long after 1. They were Wishes not formal Invocation as Nyssen upon our Saviours Nyssen de Oratione Dominica orat 2. when ye pray Luc. 11.2 distinguisheth between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vowing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praying by direct address and petition to God so we in this discourse of Invocation must distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vow or wish and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a praying to or religious address to any by petition So when they cryed out in the Council of Chalcedon Oret pro nobis Flavianus Let Flavianus pray for us it was a speaking of their judgment of Flavianus his being in bliss and a wishing of the benefit of his intercession Thus we finde in Theodorets History of the Lives of many Fathers such closures of most of them I wish and desire that by their intercession I may obtain the divine help Some think there are additions and insertions made in this work Theod. in Sanct. Patrum hist Rogo quaeso ut ipsorum intercessione divinum consequer Auxilium but whether these be Theodorets words or any others they do speak the wish of having the benefit and effect of the Saints prayers put up for the Church below But this is not Invocation 2. In that practise we meet with for the most part only Indirect Invocation that is a praying to God himself directly that he would vouchsafe the effect of the Saints Intercession or prayers they made in behalf of the Members of the Church below and give the benefit thereof unto them as he saw fit This still is not the Invocating of Saints which we contend about no more then Moses can be said to have Invocated Abraham Aug. l. 20. â— 21 contra Faustum Isaac and Jacob when he prayed to the Lord to remember them in behalf of that people Exod. 32.13 To this sense speaks that passage of St. Aug. cited somtimes by Romanists for Invocation and explained above Sect. 1. nu 4. Speaking of Christian people frequenting the Tombs of Martyrs with a Religious solennity that they may be stirred up to imitation of the Martyrs come to a fellowship of their merits and be helped by their prayers and this not by invocating or praying to them but by imitating of them and praying to God there quo adjuvante possumuâ— imitari ibid. for his aid to inable us to imitate them and for his favour in affording us the benfit of their prayers this is not Invocation of the Saints but of God and if St. Aug. had asserted a direct Invocation of the Martyrs themselves he had yielded up the Cause to Faustus To the like sense is that which we noted * Hac Sect. nu 5. above of St. Aug. his saying Commendare nos orationi we ought to commend our selves to the prayers of the Martyrs not by direct Invocating of them but of God as before And to this purpose also that of Aug. elsewhere Aug. de cura pro mort c. 4. which at first hearing sounds harsh Where enquiring what benefit accrews to a mans friends to have their bodies laid near the Monuments of Martyrs iâ—sdem Sanctis illos tarquam Patronis susceptâ—s apud Dâ—minum adjuâ—andos â—randâ— commendent He saith he sees none unless this that when they look upon the place where their dear friends lye buried they may be moved to commend them to those Saints as Patrons to finde help with God yea but he saith commend them by praying true but to God not to the Saints or Martyrs themselves To this purpose of indirect invocation speaks that of Cyril in his Catech. cited also by the Cardinal When we offer the sacrifice we make mention of the Saints does not say we Invocate them that God by their Intercession may receive our prayers Thus far it prevailed so as to have approbation and the practise of this Indirect Invocation or praying to God at Martyrs Tombs and begging for their sakes got strength by a common opinion of many that when God was so invocated or prayed to then the Martyr was present as some thought or did joyn his prayers with them as most thought This St. Aug. leaves as uncertain in his Book de Cura pro mortuis c. 16. and something of doubt in his Book de vera Relig. c. 55. But there he concludes for certain of the good Angel in illo me exaudit adjuvat he hears me in God and helps me in God that is when I pray or by my praying to God I have the Angels help we may indeed say it with comfort as Origen did above in answering to Celsus He that piously and faithfully invocates God is sure to have the Angels propitious and the benefit of their ministry So is he sure to have the benefit of the Prayers which the Saints put up in behalf of the Church Militant I may add here that place of Basil often alledged by the Romanists Basil in Orat de 40. Martyr prope finem but see how abused by the Cardinal who thus alledges it Qui aliqua premitur angustia ad hos confugiat
qui rursus laetatur hos oret He that is distressed let him fly to these again he that rejoyceth let him pray to these Where we have a double corrupting of the Text St. Basil saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth fly to these the Cardinal saith let him fly to these again the Father saith he doth run to these the Cardinal saith let him pray to these The Father in this oration at the beginning of it gives Reasons why they celebrate the Daies of Martyrs with such panegyricks viz. to praise their vertue and propound them as examples for imitation but saith nothing of Invocating them And concerning these 40 Martyrs he insinuates that at Caesarea they had a Church bearing their name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there was help to be had by their joynt prayers there saith he a mother praying for her sons is heard he doth not say praying to Them but there i. e. at their Monument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it follows immediately let our prayers be made or joyned with the Martyrs upon supposal of their continual praying for the Church below 3. By degrees it came to direct and downright Invocating of the Martyr but this not to be imputed to All or to Most but to the Excess of some private men in their devotions and applications to the Martyr It pleased God to work many wonders at the Memories of the Martyrs for the honour and confirmation of that faith for which they dyed and in those daies especially when the Roman Empire was to be subdued to the faith and confirmed in it wherefore it became a custome to frequent those places and to offer up prayers there to God And some in begging relief of God were easily led on to speak directly to the Martyr and desire his intercession such was the rise of Invocation the excess of some particular men in addresses to the Martyr And the frequency of Miracles and Cures done at their Monuments and upon those that applied there to God Almighty easily drew on the Vulgar sort to a downright application to the Martyr and caused some speeches to fall from eminent Fathers as allowing and commending that New Devotion out of their great Affection they bore to the honour of the Martyrs and their great desire of magnifying the glory of Martyrdom or suffering for the Faith And such excess of speech we meet with usually in the close of an homily or oration when the reins are let loose to Rhetorical excursion whereas when they deliver themselves dogmatically to lay down any thing by way of Doctrine they speak more safely and in this very point more conformably to the former Catholick Doctrine of Invocating God alone This is plain in Chrysostome to him that will but look what and how he delivers himself in the body of his Homily upon the Text of Scripture and then how he often lashes out in his Ethicon or Application at the end of it * Lib. 6. Annot. 152. Sixtus Senensis gives us a good caution to this purpose and he gives it with a Sape Monuimus we have often admonished that the words of the Fathers are not alwaies to be taken as they sound for in their declamatory Orations and Sermons they often speak affectuum impetu orationis cursu rapti carried on more violently by the force of affection and the course of their Oration And therefore what fals from them in this kinde we should rather cover or fairly interpret then produce it as the Romanists do in this point to make argument of it for Invocation of Saints and Angels against the former Catholick Doctrine delivered by the foregoing Fathers and therefore also in the preceding General I have endeavoured to shew that some of the Fathers speeches alledged by Romanists for direct Invocation of Saints or Angels do but indeed mean the indirect which makes the address or Prayer to God himself There are three other Testimonies out of the Fathers Chrys in 2 Cor. Hom. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are much urged One of Chrysostome speaking of the Emperour at the Monuments of Martyrs Supplicating them that they would be his Patrons with God and he that wears the Diadem Supplicates the Tent-maker and the Fisherman Paul and Peter as Patrons This the Father Rhetorically sets forth to magnifie the Faith of Christ and to shew that the greatest in this worlds glory do need the benefit of the prayers of Saints and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to need as well as to supplicate Now whether the Emperour did by direct Invocation supplicate them or beg of God to have benefit by them is not expressed if he did the first it was an excess according to the New Devotion if the second it was tolerable Another Testimony is cited out of St. Ambrose in his Book De Viduis Ambros de viduis Obsecrandi sunt Angeli Obsecrandi Martyres the Angels are to be intreated the Martyrs are to be entreated This may be interpreted to be the obsecration or Intreaty of Deeds rather then Words for there he teaches a widdow pleading she was w ak and without help to make the Apostles her friends and neighbours to procure her help Si ipsis devotion is societate misericordiae muneribus appropinques Virtutis cognatio proximos facit as Peter and Andrew entreated our Saviour to cure Peters wifes mother Now the way to make them so to her was to draw near to them in the fellowship or likeness of piety and doing good for it was not the relation of bloud but the kindred of vertue that makes the Martyrs our friends and neighbours Then a little after the Angels are to be intreated for they are given to us for ministration and Martyrs to be intreated because we are in the body as they have been The ministry of Angels and the remembrance the Martyrs have of what they suffered in the body is a good argument to assure us that Angels are ready to help and Martyrs do pray for all those that draw near to them in vertue but no argument for our Invocating them such a Doctrine is as harsh and streined as his reason which follows that the Martyrs are fit to interceed for our sins that washed their own sins in their own bloud which if not candidly interpreted is directly contrary to Scripture 1 Jo. 1.7 Rev. 1.5 But St. Ambrose is thought to be but a young Christian when he wrote that book * Ambr. de Obitu Theodosii Afterward he could say Thou O Lord only art to be Invocated The last is of Nazienzen Nazien Orat 18. in Laudem Cypriani relating how Justina a virgin calling upon the blessed Virgin in distress was helped Nazienzen was deceived in that Book of Cyprians conversion from whence he had that story for it is false and forged as to the conversion of Cyprian the Martyr But it may be said
mouth of Heathens I neither worship the very Image Aug. in Ps 113. Nec si mulachrum colo Sed per effigiem Ejus rei signum intueor quam Colere debeo nor a Devil but in the Corporal representation I look upon the sign of that thing which I ought to worship Aug. in Ps 96. Non illum Lapidem aâ—t simulachrum colo quod est sine sensu sed adoro quod video servio ei quem non video And in another place I do not worship that stone or that Image which is without sense but I adore what I see and serve him whom I do not see Thus could the Heathens plead and profefs in excuse of their worshiping Images The Romanists had need study and give out some new pretences I will close this point with the consideration of one chief Cause of Image-worship that which made it be so readily intertained and so tenaciously held as among the Heathen so proportionably in the Church of Rome and that is satisfaction of sense or sight So in Arnobius by applying to their Statues Arnob. l. 6. contra Gentes Pâ—asentiam quandam exhiberi they conceited an enjoyment of their Gods as present by praying to their Images they did as it were talk with their Gods And for this they objected to the Christians that * Minutius Felix in Octavio Deum suum nec ostendere possum nec videre they could not shew or see the God they worshiped To this satisfaction of sense in Religion belongs that of Lactantius Lact. l. 2. c. 7. Horum pulchritudo perstringit oculos nec ullam Religionem putant ubicunque haec non fulserint The beauty of these Images dazles the eyes neither do they think there is any Religion where those do not shine and appear Were not these words spoken by so ancient a Father one would think them spoken of the present Church of Rome Our third Evidence is from the Inevidence or weakness of the proof The plea made for Image worship weak and the pleaders unfaithful in their Allegations that can be made by the Adversary for Image-worship For that which they pretend to bring from before the seventh Age or Century is either out of forged writings or if out of true Authors the words are perverted or the argument made from them inconsequent as to the worship of Images This will appear if we examine the Collection which the Cardinal has made or rather some careless Scribe for him but He too blame-worthy that would not better inquire into them or think that others would not First he makes a semblance of proof from St. Bel. l. 2. de Imaginib c. 12. sect primò Hierom in his Epist to Marcella where he invites her to Bethlem saying the Tabernacle was venerable for the Cherubins But no such words in that Epistle Indeed in an Epistle of Paula and Eustochium to invite Marcella to Bethlem there is such a thing but not the words of Bellarmine Venerabantur Judai Sancia Sanctorum quia ibi erant Nonne venerabilius tibi videtur Sepulchrum Domini The Jewes say those Women worshiped or reverenced the Holiest of Holies because there was the Chernbins Ark Aarons rod and doth not the Sepulchre of the Lord seem to thee more venerable So the sentence or words are not Hieroms but the Womens nor are they their words neither as Bellarm. repeats them But let them go as he would have them the argument for Image-worship is altogether inconsequent from that reverence the Jewes gave towards the Temple or the Ark. He subjoyns immediately a Testimony out of St Aug. who in his third Book de Trin. c. 10. Loquens de quibusdam signis quae venerationem tanquâ—m religiosa merentur point pro exemplo serpentem aeneum Bell. ubi supra Speaking of certain signes which deserve veneration as things pertaining to religion puts for example there the brazen Serpent St. Aug. there gives other examples as well as the brazen Serpent as the Stone which Jacobs head lay upon when he had the Vision Gen. 28. but because the brazen Serpent was an Image this must be mentioned as also in the next testimony though falsly there and impertinently here for the brazen Serpent was not an Image of Christ but a Type or Sign as St. Aug. has it haec hâ—â— norem ut Religiosa possunt habere So St. Aug. and upon that score there was an honour due to it as to all other signs of Gods institution but when religious worship was given to it by burning of Incense which is also done in the Romish worship before Images it was broken in pieces To this the Cardi nal there * Bel. nbi suprà Tam de Imaginibus Cherubinorum quà m Serpentis aenei quod honorari debuerint pateâ— ex Regula Augustini signa divinitus instituta esse veneranda quia honor eorum ad prorotypum transit Fuisse autem illas Imagines Cherubin Serpenâ—is adds another place of St. Aug. and thus brings it in As concerning the Images of the Cherub and of the brazen Serpent that they are to be honoured appears by St Aug. in his third Book de doctr Christiana c. 9. where he saith Signs appointed of God are venerable because the honour of them redounds to the Prototype and they were the Images of the Cherubins and of the Serpent having thus repeated St. Aug words as he saw fit he makes his argument from thence If it was lawful to worship the Images of Angels why not of the Saints But first this has a falfe ground viz. that the Jewes worshiped the Cherubins * Chap. III. nu 10. as above shewed that they did not Again from the veneration or reverend respect given to the holy signs instituted of God to infer Romish worship given to Images is inconsequent upon a double account because such veneration is of the weakest sort of honor far short of the worship contended for also because there is great difference twixt holy signs instituted of God and Images of mans invention and so from that looking towards or bowing towards the Temple or Ark used by the Jewes to infer Image-worship is inconsequent and fails upon the former respects and also because a circumstantial determining of worship given to God this way rather then another as towards the Ark or Temple is far different from the objective determining or receiving of the worship as an Image doth But indeed the Cardinal wrongs St. Aug. both in his words and meaning For St. Aug. doth not there deliver a Rule nor saith as the Cardinal sets it down but only by the way saith Aug. de doctr Christiana l. 3. c. 9 Qui veneratur utile signum divinitus Institutum non hoc veneratur sed illud potiâ—s quò talia cuncta referenda He that reverenceth signs appointed of God he means the Jewish Types before Chriâ—â— does not reverence these but that to which