horns hath little strength but could he have added to them this fifth Horn That the Word of God approveth the Invocation of the dead as of the living we must have fled before it But alas all the attemts to confirm this Doctrine of your Church out of Holy Writ have prov'd so unsuccessful that some of your own Doctors have had so much Ingenuity as to acknowledg That it is not expresly delivered in Holy Scripture So a Invocatio Sanctorum non expresse traditur in Script Eccius in his Enchiridion of Catholic Confession and therefore it must pass for an unwritten Tradition whereof Martin Peresius confesseth we have b De Trad. p. 3. consid 7. Ne vestigium ante divum Cyprianum no footsteps before Cyprian Phil. Peresius gives a rational account together with others why the Holy Apostles did not lay the foundation of this Doctrine It was say they c Causa erat humilitas mod Apostolorum nese Deos facerent out of their great humility and modesty least they should appear to establish in the Church their own Apotheosis make themselves as Gods by directing the People of God to put up their Supplications after their decease to them Theoph. Methinks That which prevail'd with the Apostles not to deliver this Doctrine of the Invocation of Saints should likewise have prevail'd with the Church never to have establish'd it and without doubt had it bin according to the will of God and profitable to the Church the Holy Apostles would never have concel'd it out of modesty and humility S t Paul declares expresly to the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. 19 20. That serving God with all humility of mind he had kept back nothing that was profitable unto them And doubtless it was presumtion and pride which introduc'd this Error tho under shew of voluntary humility for if the Apostles were afraid to recommend themselves as Gods unto the People by giving them directions to pray to them after their decease the Pope who undertakes to Canonize Saints and to encourage the People of God to pray to them in spight of the Apostles humility and fear takes the boldness upon him to make them as God Phil. You make so many Excursions that you come not to the Point How do you answer the four Particulars of Bellarmins Argument Theoph. I have already cut off the four Horns with one blow He saith That if we may not pray to the Saints departed as well as desire their Praiers when living it must be for one of those four causes fore-mentioned either they are not willing or are not able to pray for us or they cannot hear our Praiers or their Intercession would be injurious unto Christs Intercession but I say is enumeration is lame and imperfect for I have shew'd a fifth reason why not because the Word of God obligeth not to one as to the other It requires that we should desire the mutual assistance of one anothers Praiers living but not after our decease all civil commerce being intercepted by the will of God between the living and the dead Phil. Do you reckon our Invocation of the Saints departed a part of civil commerce I thought it had bin a Religious act and duty Theoph. I grant Praier to be such and therefore a part of Divine Worship to be given only to God But that Invocation of Holy Men living as you call it or as I term it That pious desire and request which one Christian makes unto another that he may enjoy the benefit of his Praiers from whence you draw an Argument for Invocation after their decease that doubtless is a civil Request wherewith Christians mutually call upon and oblige one another to remember them in their Praiers So likewise the honor which Subjects yield unto their Prince presenting their Petitions with bended knees is civil And so Children begging the Blessing of their Parents these are formally Civil not Religious Acts. A good Christian indeed gives honor to his Prince and to his Parents not only upon a civil account but also Religious it being a duty requir'd in the Word of God yet the honor it self is civil the motive unto us wherefore we give it is Religious the will and command of God Phil. You are willing to involve the Discourse with subtle Notions and nice Distinctions Such honor as you give to Princes and Parents vouchsafe to the Saints in Glory begging the assistance of their Praiers upon your knees and it shall suffice Theoph. Your self caus'd this Digression You suppos'd the Invocation of Saints departed to be a Religious act and so in truth you generally make it a great part of your Religion I have shewed how the desire and request which Christians make to one another whilst they are in the Flesh mutually to be remembred in their Praiers is a civil request and therefore no sufficient ground for your Religious Invocation of the Saints in glory But at length you are content we should make the same civil Requests to the Saints in Heaven for their Praiers as to the Faithful who are living You may observe it generally such as are in the wrong will accept of any composition But we cannot grant it for this reason because Death intercepts all civil Obligations and Commerce between Persons Parents when they are dead cease to be provident for their deer Children and these expect it not from them The rich Man departed cannot relieve the poor nor lend him Money at his need You formerly did urge there was a communion between the Church Militant and Triumphant but that is mystical as Fellow-members of Christs Body But the civil communion between Brethren and Neighbors and the relation of Parents and Children Masters and Servants Princes and Subjects Husband and Wife is interrupted altogether by death and so by consequence all those acts which depend upon or flow from that communion That Children should ask their Fathers Blessing after his decease I never yet did read your Doctors have asserted Phil. I am well confirm'd by these your Digressions That notwithstanding you would appear to slight Bellarmins Argument and pretend to cut off all the four Horns at one blow by giving a general answer yet in truth you do warily decline the force of it and are not willing to come to the four Particulars whereupon he hath insisted That seeing the Saints departed are as willing and as able to help us now with their Praiers as when they were living amongst us and seeing they know our state and can hear and receive our Addresses to them and seeing their Intercession now for us is not injurious to the Intercession of Christ therefore we have as much and more reason to Invocate them now in Heaven then when they were conversant with us upon Earth Theoph. Not excluding the confutation already given I will now take these four Particulars into consideration The two first may easily be granted if there could be mutual communion between them and us
against any desire That the Faithfull living should assist us with their praiers Theoph. You should not join together the Mediation Intercession of Christ and of the Saints whether in Heaven or Earth And you may observe the Father speaks of k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intercessors in the plural as of many Implying That one is our Mediator between God and men even the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. And withall the Testimony is sufficient against that fond conceit That we are unworthy to draw neer to God in our own persons but by others Intercession Phil. You will draw out your discourse in infinitum by your rejoinders and remarks but I hast to an end The second Greek Father I propos'd was Theodoret a Learned Bishop of Cyprus who in his History of the Lives of Holy Fathers concludes each Life after this manner l Huic narrationi finem imponens rogo ut per horum intercess div cons cuxil I putting a period to this relation and history do pray and beseech that by the Intercession of these Saints I may obtaine Divine assistance Theoph. It is not here exprest that he did pray unto these Saints but we rather suppose to God upon the opinion of their Intercession That he might reap the benefit therof withall he was infected with the hereâ—y of Nestorius and wrote bitterly against Cyrill of Alexanria his twelve Theses and that work of his was condemn'd in the fift general Council and himself thro the violence of oppositions was compell'd against his judgment to pronounce Nestorius accurs'd yet we honor his great Learning and let his memory be precious Phil. I am glad to discover your moderation for there is another most considerable testimony out of him full to the point of Saints Invocation m Libro 8. De curandis Graec affectibus The Temples of the Martyrs are magnificent beautifull in them we often keep festivals such as enjoy health pray to the Martyrs to preserve it such as are sick desire health of them Men and Women who are unfruitfull ask of them Children Such as go a journey desire their conduct and after their safe return they pay their thanks to them owing their security to their favour Now saies he they do not pray to these Martyrs as to God but as unto Holy men whose Intercession they desire and that they often obtain'd their requests the numerous gifts devoted to these Martyrs do testify hanging up in the Martyrs Temples the pictures of theirs eyes and hands and legs in gold which their votaries recover'd by their merits and praiers and Intercession Theoph. These are high things and great assignments unto the Martyrs Methinks there should of right have bin som reflexions upon God in these deliverances and cures sure there was somthing in the wind that Bellarmin only refers to this passage and doth not set it down in full length being so full to his purpose in the 18 th chap. he hath part of this quotations but not the whole Perhaps the Cardinal was not fully satisfied with the person of Theodoret or rather with the book it self which n Niceph. l. 44 c. 54. Nicephorus doth not reckon up among Theodoret's Works when he gives an account of all his books these 8 books De curandis Graecorum affectibus are not mentioned o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Those which he wrote are these c. And withall your Learned Cardinal knew well That what Theodoret if this book were his did build with one hand he pull'd down with another as to this point of Invocation of Saints or Angels For in his Commentary upon the 2 d chap. of S t Paul to the Colossians vers 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels I say Theodoret in his Commentary upon this place cuts off the sinews and foundation of Saints and Angels Invocation He shews how some Jewish Christians in Phrygia and Pisidia being zelous of the Laws did worship Angels by whom the Law was given and build Temples to S t Michael and others and that this course continued long among them p Bin. Concil Lacd Tom. 1. can 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And therfore that in the 4 th Century a Council of Bishops in Laodicea the Metropolis of Phrygia neer neighbor to Colosse did expresly forbid the worship of Angels calling it Idolatrie That Christians ought not to leave the Church of God and depart and call upon the Angels and make assemblies and if any be found to be conversant in this hidden Idolatrie let him be accursed Now this voluntary humility which S t Paul mentions refers to that humble pretence That sinners are not worthy to draw neer to God themselves but by the Intercession of Saints Angels Intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up in his fleshly mind saith the Apostle That is saith Theodoret a Propriis utens rationibus cogitationibus using his own reason and imaginations c. now saith he the b Synodus volens veteri illi morbo mederi cavit ne precarentur Angelos Synod of Laodicea desiring to cure this old dicease forbids them to pray unto Angels And you will grant if we must not pray to Angels neither to the Saints For you have deriv'd cheifly the Invocation of Saints from that of Angels Phil. c Ibid. cap. 20. Bellarmin hath answer'd this passage of Theodoret and of the Council of Laodicea and the Text of the Apostle together Namely d Apostolum damnare haeresin Simenis Magi qui decuit Angelos quasi minres c. That the Apostle condemns the heresie of Simon Magus who taught like Plato that the Angels should be worships as lesser Deities and that none could please the invisible God but by the Angels And he tells us That the Council e Concilium non damnat quamvis venerationem Ang. sed quae Deo propria did not condemn all worship of Angels but only such veneration as is proper to God Theoph. Observe the incongruity of this Answer as to several particulars He saith the Council condemns not all Veneration of Angels but only such as is proper to God the supreme Deity and yet according to his own relation Simon Magas and the Jewish Christians that worshipt Angels did not worship them as the Supreme Deity but only as subordinate Intercessors And S t Paul and the Councel of Laoduea condemns this That in voluntary humility they should deprive them selves of that priviledg to come to God themselves and so make way unto him by the Intercession of Angels The Apostle therefore and the Council sorbid this inferior worship as Theodoret observes f Ne precarentur Angelos That they should not pray to the Angels to make way for them unto the Great God And in the next chap. of S. Paul to the Colossians vers 17. the Apostle
contemn'd death might learn much more to contemn their Burial He shews That Funeral Solemnities are a Magis sunt vivorum solatiaquam subsidia Mortuorum rather comforts to the living then assistances to the dead And then coming near unto the Question touching the advantage of being buried in a Martyrs Temple He answers in those words which Bellarmin cites I see not how such a provision can benefit the Person deceas'd unless herein That whil'st his Friends remember where his Body lies Interr'd they may be apt to commend him to the Patronage of that Saint for assistance with God Phil. This plainly proves the particular Invocation of Saints departed Theoph. Have patience and S t Augustin in the next Chapter will shew what he meant by this recommendation The pious Mother saith he did desire her Son should be buried in the Martyrs Temple believing that so his Soul should reap some benefit from the Martyrs merits And then he immediatly adds b Hoc quod ita credidit suppli catio c. This belief of hens was a kind of Praier and if any thing did profit her Son This was it You plainly see how doubtfully the good Father speaks concerning the benefit of burial near a Martyr and how he expresly interprets praying to the Saint to be our believing that by his Merits we shall reap some advantage to our Souls He proceeds in that Book to shew That altho there have bin appearances of Ghosts complaining That their Bodies did lie unburied yet these things may come to pass by Divine permission thro the Ministry of good or evil Angels the Spirit departed knowing nothing of the Apparition He gives an Instance of an Executor who after his Fathers decease was much distressed with the demand of a great Debt which was supposd to have bin paid but having no Discharge to shew it was like to lie upon him Mean-while his Father appears to him and directs him to the place where he should find the Acquittance and a full discharge of the Debt Now by this Apparition Men may be apt to conclude That the deceas'd Father understood and compassionated his Sons condition and came to his relief and yet saith S t Augustin All this might come to pass by Divine Providence without his deceased Fathers knowledge And gives an Instance of himself appearing to a Friend of his in his Dream whilist himself knew nothing of it Eulogius was to read a solemn Lecture before a great Auditory in Carthage upon Tullies Rhetoric and one obscure passage there was which he did not well understand and was very solicitous how to interpret it And lo the night before saith S t Augustine as Eulogius declares I appeared to him in his Dream and shew'd him an apposite sense of the Words This is in the 11 th Chapter of the Book In the 13 th Chap. he concludes That of such Apparitions whether of Persons living or defunct are made to others themselves being altogether ignorant thereof And he concludes farther That there is no commerce between the living and the dead for otherwise saith he my most deer Mother would have often appear'd to me and manifested her care and love for God forbid That I should think she is become cruel by her state of Happiness And if our Parents and nearest Friends have no communion with us after death How should others thay are Strangers S t Augustin goes on to tell us That the Children of Abraham expresly say to God Isaiah 63. 16. Surely thou art our Father altho Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not That Josiah was gathered to his Fathers that his eyes might not see the evil which should be brought upon Jerusalem 2 Kings 22. 20. implying That after death he should not know it Therefore saith he b Ibi sunt spiritus defuncti ubi non vident quae hic aguntur c. The Souls of dead Men are where they do not see what things are done here below And how then can they see their own Tombs And whereas Abraham did know Moses and the Prophets and their Writings when he directed Dives his Brethren unto them He might know them saith he by their own Relation after their decease In the 15 th Chapter he concludes fully c Fatendum est Nescire Mortuos quid hic agatur We must confess that the dead do not know what is here done unless somthing may be made known to them by the relation of Angels or persons lately deceas'd And whereas saith he at the Shrines and Monuments of Martyrs Miracles have bin wrought and Martyrs themselves have appear'd to the living yet they might not themselves know that they did appear as we read That Ananias appear'd to Saul in Damascus himself knowing not of it until the Lord acquainted him therewith The Lord said unto Ananias Acts 9. 11 12. Arise and go into the street which is called Strait and enquire in the House of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he Praieth and hath seen in a Vision a Man named Anaâ—ias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight At length he concludes d An ista fiant Dei nutu per Angelicas potestates in honorem c. Such Miracles at the Shrines of Martyrs may be done by Gods permission thro the Ministry of Angels and Holy Powers in honor of the Saints and for the benefit of Men the Saints themselves being enter'd into the highest rest and attending unto more excellent things being sequestred from us and praying for us Phil. S t Augustin acknowledgeth you see that the Saints and Martyrs do pray for us Theoph. Yes in general as he expresseth it in the 16 th Chap. e Ipsis in loco suis meritis congruo ab omni mortalium conversatiens remotis c. They being remov'd from the society of Mortals in a place suitable to their merits and yet in general praying for the indigency of poor Supplicants As we pray for the dead with whom we are not present neither know we where they are or what they do Thus have I given an account of S t Augustins Judgment out of this Book to shew That he did not believe the Saints departed knew our conditions or that Praiers were to be made to them That which he mentions concerning the Praiers of the living for the dead that will fall into consideration hereafter Now as this excellent Father is voluminous so are there scattered in his Works many other Passages to take us off from the Invocation of Saints That even at their Shrines we ought not to pray to them but to God a Lib. 8. De civit Dei cap. ult He tells us That whatsoever Religious Obsequies are used in the Temples and Places of the Martyrs they are Ornaments of their Memory That we may give thanks to God for their Triumph and may encourage others to their Imitation from the renewing of their Memories
I will proceed no farther in vain Theoph. I give you thanks for your release It hath bin no small trouble to search your Autorities and discover in most of them either Impertinency or Forgery And withal I pray observe That as your Pretensions unto the Testimony of Holy Scripture of General and Provincial Councils for 700 years after Christ of Fathers for the three first Centuries have bin altogether ineffectual to prove your Doctrine of the Invocation of Saints That as your pretensions unto the Testimony of Fathers for the three next Centuries many of them have bin impertinent others forg'd and the rest contradicted either by themselves or others in their time So you have not attemted to shew for the practice of this Doctrine That it was receiv'd by any Church in her public Offices and therefore at most it must pass for the privat Opinion of some Doctors not the consent of the Church until your Church did introduce it among other Innovations You do not shew how early because you cannot within 600 years of Christ and afterwards the Superstition crept in upon the World slowly and by insensible degrees one National Church following the example of another a Niceph. lib. 15. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We read indeed in the Greek Church of one Peter Gnapheus or Fullo as the Latins interpret who in the latter end of the fifth Century was by craft Patriarch of Antioch he was an Heretic and Theopaschite maintaining That the God-head suffered upon the Cross and he added to that Trisagium Holy is the Lord Holy is the Strong Holy is the Immortal who was Crucified for us And for this cause he was condemn'd for an Hereseic in a Council at Rome Felix the third being Pope Anno Christi 483. This Peter Fullo b Eâ—n Tom. 3. p. 600. as Nicephorus likewise shews appointed a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That in their Praiers Men should call upon the Mother of God and Invoke her Divine Name Now it is observable That Baronius speaks much of this P. Fullo and of his Heresie and quotes Nicephorus and yet takes no notice of his introducing the Invocation of the Blessed Virgin but tells us another blind Story How this Fullo consecrated one Xenaias a Persian Bishop of Hierapolis before he was Baptized and said b Dixit sufficere pro Bapt. Consecrationem Anno Christi 483. That his Consecration might suffice instead of Baptism He farther observes how this Bishop Xenaias proved a great Eiconoclast and destroier of Images and so glories that the Enemies of Image worship had such a president as a barbarous Persian Unbaptized mean while never considering how it may be retorted upon him and his Church That an arch Heretic Petrus Fullo first introduc'd the Invocation of Saints into some parts of the Church Catholic in the public Office of Praiers That Simon Magus and some Jewish Christians first Invocated Angels That the Heathen Philosophy brought in the Intercession of middle Deities Will you now be pleas'd to hear some of our Arguments against this Doctrine Phil. Willingly For I expect they should be like your Answers of no great moment and so put off with the less difficulty Theoph. You may please your self with your own conceits but I am confident that upon serious consideration they will perplex even the refractory and convince the Ingenious Reader Phil. Their goodness depends not upon your Testimony Let me hear them Theoph. Our Blessed Savior taught his Disciples to Pray He gave them a Praier which should be a Form and Pattern to all succeeding Generations and therefore he said After this manner pray ye Matth. 6. And Tertullian in his Book De Oratione calls the Lords Praier Legem Orationis The Law and Rule of Praier Now in that Praier we have no Invocation of Saints but rather Direction given when we Pray to call upon God the Father which is in Heaven Phil. c Ibid. c. 20. Non de eo qui Orandus sed de rebus quae petendie sunt admonuit Discipulos Bellarmin answers this Argument saying That our Blessed Savior here taught his Disciples not to whom they should make their Praiers but what they should ask in Praier Theoph. Bellarmin saith but he doth not prove The Disciples request to Christ was concerning the matter and manner of Praier both Lord teach us to Pray Matth. 69. And our Savior answers both After this manner therefore pray ye and when ye pray say Our Father c. Luke 11. 2. Phil. Yours at best is but a Negative Argument That because our Blessed Savior did not in this place teach us to desire the Praiers of the Saints in Heaven therefore we ought not so to do Wherefore do you desire your Friends that are living to pray for you Theoph. Because we have warrant so to do from other places of Holy Scripture But neither here nor elsewhere have our Savior or the Apostles taught us to call upon the Saints in Heaven for the assistance of their Praiers Phil. By this Argument as Bellarmin shews we ought not to pray to God the Son or God the Holy Ghost because our Savior hath here taught us to say only Our Father Theoph. The Father is not in the Lords Praier taken Personally but as God The Blessed Trinity Father Son and Spirit is our Father by Creation and Redemption and Adoption Hence your Learned Jesuit Maldonate upon the place a Magis illorum probo sententiam qui totam hic Trinit c. I approve rather their Opinion who hold That the whole Trinity is here call'd Our Father And it is near unto Blasphemy to say with Bellarmin That the Exclusive or Negative Argument from this Praier holds as well against Christ and the Holy Ghost as against the Saints The Father Son and the Holy Ghost are essentially one Creator and Father of all Men. The Saints are Creatures and no comparison between them or consequence from one to the other Phil. You have used your self so much to bitterness of Speech That it is become even natural to you to impute unto our Doctors Blasphemy and Forgery and Impertinency and Follyâ— and what not I pray produce your Arguments and forbear your Censures Theoph. As the Apostle spake in another sense so I for an Apology must say You have constrained me but I forbear The next Argument against Invocation of Saints is that of S t Paul Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Seeing we must believe only in God and in Christ not in the Saints therefore we must not call upon them We may believe the Saints but not believe in the Saints Now the words of the Apostle are How shall they call upon him b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom they have not believ'd Phil. Bellarmin answers this Argument by shewing That the Apostle speaks of calling upon God Now we must believe on him before we
their Epistles only in Hebrew and Greek Nay Paul you know wrote his Epistles to the Romans in Greek which was not their vulgar Tongue Theoph. There is a great difference to be observ'd between Preaching the Gospel and committing it to Writing The Apostles were endowed â— See Tirinus his Chronicon â—actum c 〈…〉 â—5 with the gift of Tongues that whither soever they should come they might Preach the Gospel of Salvation unto the People in that Tongue which they understood But being to leave the Records of Holy Scripture unto all succeeding Generations they did write them in that Language which was then most common in the World viz. In Greek that in every Country the Learned who did understand the Greek might Translate the Holy Scriptures into their own Language for the better understanding of the People And without doubt most of the Saints at Rome who believed the Gospel and unto whom Paul did write his Epistle were not Natives and Italians but Strangers and Foreigners either transported by the Conqueror or choosing to follow him into the great Metropolis of the World Many Jews were at Rome when Claudius banish'd them and we may believe more Greeks The names of those Saints whom in the 16 th Chapter he salutes shew they were not Romans but only Saints at Rome And this may be a particular Consideration why Paul did write in Greek to the Saints at Rome for we may probably suppose more of them understood the Greek Tongue then the Latine but as need required Translations were made For a long season the Jews were the only chosen People of God thro-out the World to know his will and they had Moses and the Prophets in their own Tongue but when the time grew nigh that the Gentiles also should be receiv'd into Covenant with God be Fellow-heirs with the Jews and of the same Body and Partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel as the Apostle speaks Epb. 3. 6. to prepare the way for their conversion God stirr'd up the Heart of a Mighty Prince to bring about that famous Translation of the Old Testament into Greek by the 70. Interpreters and other Greek Translations followed and many more into Latine both of the Old and New Testament as Augustine shews a Lib. 2. de Doct. Chris cap. 11. Qui Script ex Hebraeâ— in Graecam vorterunt numerari possunt Latines autem Interpretes millo modo c. We may number those who have Translated the Old Testament out of Hebrew into Greek but the Latine Interpreters are without number Phil. We do not disapprove Translations in Greek or Latine Theoph. And why do you stick at other Languages seeing all was don for the better understanding of the Holy Scriptures by the People in every Country and you have already heard that one Language is not more grave and venerable then another notwithstanding Bellarmine would perswade the contrary And to ballance his great Autority in this case I will give the ample Testimony of a Pope against him b Bin. Concil Tom. 7. parte 1. Epist Johan 8. 247. We find among the multitude of Epistles written by Pope John the 8 th as he is call'd by the Champions of Rome who exclude Pope Joan out of the Catalogue of Popes otherwise Pope John the 9 th One Epistle there is written Stento pulchro glorioso Comiti To a Prince of Moravia whose Subjects did speak the Sclavonian Tongue and be commands they should have the Holy Scripture and their Service in their own Language a Vt in eadem Lin. Christ Dom. nost praeconia opera enarrantur jubemu neque c. Giving his Reasons the same with us For we are required saith he by Sacred Autority to praise God not only in three Tongues but in all Psal 117. O praise the Lord all ye heathen praise him all ye nations And the Apostles in every Tongue did speak the wonderful works of God Acts 2. 11. Hence Paul that celestial Trumpet proclaims Let every Tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 11. of which Tongues he gives his advice manifestly 1 Cor. 14. That all should be done to edification Nor is it any way opposite to Faith or sound Doctrine if Mass be sung in the Sclavonian Tongue or the holy Gospel be read or any other Lessons of the Old or New Testament being well Translated For he that made three principal Tongues the Hebrew Greek and Latine hath created likewise all the rest for his own praise and glory I have set down this ample Testimony at large because it commands what we practice and gives the same reasons as we do to justifie it And we may wonder Bellarmine and all other Creatures of the Popes of Rome should not subscribe thereunto But altho I mention'd only Translations of the Bible into Greek and Latine which you approve we early read of other Languages whereinto the Holy Scriptures were Translated The Old Testament by Onkelos and Jonathan the son of Vzial was Translated into the Chaldee b Socrates Ecclesiast Hist cap. 27. Vlphilas Bishop of the Goths found out the Gothic Letters and translated the Holy Scriptures into that Tongue that the Barbarians should have the Blessed Word of God The Septuagint into the Dalmatie by Jerome The whole Bible by Chrysostom into the Armenian Tongue as Sixtus Senensis c Lib. 4. Bibliothecae Sacrae cum in Cucuzum c. affirms when he was banish'd into Cucuzum a City of Armenia for the benefit of the People that they might the better understand the Holy Scriptures he translated the Old and New Testament into the Armenian Tongue Bellarmin hath the confidence to doubt whether Jerome translated the Septuagint into the Dalmatic the vulgar Tongue of his Country but d Ibid. usque in hanc diem utuntur hujus translationis Lectione summâ cum utilitate Sixtus Senensis tells us that unto this day they make use of the Translation with great benefit And e Lib. 1. cap. 13. Contra Haereses Alphonsus de Castro acknowledgeth it altho a great Adversary against vulgar Translations Theodoret The Learned Bishop of Cyrus f Lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de curand Graecorum affectibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. triumphs over all the obscure Books of the Heathen Philosophers in comparison with the Holy Scriptures because these were universally receiv'd among all Nations and translated into their Language We saith he evidently demonstrate the efficacy and power of Prophetical and Apostolic Doctrine in that every Nation under the Sun is full of the Divine Oracles The Hebrew Tongue i. e. the Old Testament being translated not only into the Greek but into the Roman Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythian Sauromatian Tongues and to sum up all into all the Languages which the Nations thro-out the World do speak Phil. Theodoret here speaks of the Old Testament translated into all Languages but not
they were not expos'd to public view Phil. a Lib. de Pudicitia c. 7. 10. Procedant ipsae Picturae Calicum vestrarum Ib. Paâ—tor quem in Calice depingis Tertullian shews they had Pictures in the Church early Let the Pictures saith he engraven in your Chalices be produc'd Again The good Shepheard whom you Picture in your Chalice He relates to the good Shepheard bringing back the lost Sheep upon his shoulders which Parable was engraven upon the Eucharistical Cup. Theoph. These are pitiful proofs for Images in Churches and their Worship a Parable engraven upon a Goblet not visible at any distance unto the People so as to become the object of Adoration Phil. There is an account given by Nicephorus Simeon Metaphrastes and others how our Blessed Savior sent the Picture of his Face in a Linnen cloth to Agabarus King of Edessa who hearing of our Savior and his Miracles sent a Painter to take his Picture but his Eyes were dazzled with the Glory of our Saviors Countenance and his Art fail'd him Whereupon our Savior calls for a Napkin and wip'd his Face and left his Picture therein to be convey'd to the King and thereby Miracles were wrought Theoph. We may conclude this to be a Fable as from the Fabulous Authors so likewise because b Euseb l. 1. Hist Ecclesiast Prope finem Eusebius makes no mention thereof and yet gives an account how this King of Edessa did send a Letter to our Savior intreating him to come and heal him of his Disease and that our Savior return'd an Answer Phil. But the same Eusebius lib. 7. c. 18. speaking of the City Paneas of Caesarea Philippi mentions a report That the Woman of the Gospel who was cured of her Bloody Issue was honorable and rich in that City and in memory of that Cure caus'd her own Image to be made in Brass kneeling towards another Statue of a Man in Brass stretching forth his hand to touch her And at the pedestal of the Statue there did spring up an Herb which arising unto the hem of the Coat engraven had virtue to heal Diseases and this Image was by all the Inhabitants reported to be the Statue of Christ And Eusebius gives credit to the Relation shewing it was the Custom of the Heathen People to honor with Statues those whom they accounted Saviors and tells us himself had seen the Pictures of Christ and of Peter and Paul Theoph. You may observe he saith It was the custom of the Heathen to honor so their Benefactors and therefore Christians derive this practice from the Heathen Phil. But Divine Providence hath set his Seal unto it in those miraculous Cures which the Herb wrought that grew at the foot of Christs Statue And Sozomen relates farther lib. 5. c. 20. That the Apostate Julian in scorn took down this Statue and in the place set up his own which was struck with Lightning from Heaven and broke into many pieces Theoph. These things came to pass by a special Providence not to justifie the making of Christs Statue but in the sight of the Heathen to attest the Truth of those great Things which Fame had delivered of Christ whom they knew that Statue represented And to vindicate that Affront the Apostate Julian design'd to put upon our Savior Phil. We find they had the Pictures of Christ and the Apostles very frequent in S t Augustins time For some Enemies of the Gospel entitled Magic Books unto our Savior as by him written to his principal Disciples Peter and Paul Now Augustin observes how Paul was no Disciple of Christ in the days of his Flesh and so the Imposture was easily discover'd But because saith he they had often seen the Picture of Christ and of these two chief Apostles drawn together they concluded them to have bin his most beloved Disciples and so were induc'd to bring in Christ as communicating his Secrets and Mysteries of the Art of Magic to them Theoph. Bellarmin should have given you S t Augustins observation upon this passage a Lib. 1. c. 10. De cons Evangelist sic omnino errare meruerunt qui Christum Apostolos non in Sacris Codicibus c. So altogether they deserv'd to be mistaken and err who look upon Christ and his Apostles on painted Walls and not in the Holy Scriptures and it is no wonder to see such as are Forgers to be deceived by Painters Phil. The second Council of Nice as Bellarmin shews brings many other Testimonies of the Fathers occasionally in their Books making mention of the Pictures of Christ and of the Saints usual in their times Theoph. In the series of Discourse you have led us unto that Council and I shall chuse to accept your Appeal and thither we will go But first I will prepare the way and let you know That we do not declare against Images in themselves but as they are occasions of Superstitious Worship Men prize ancient Pieces representing Famous Men Suppose Julius Caesar or Tully or the Ancestors of their Family and much more should we value Pictures of Holy Men and Women or of our Blessed Savior But you must then shew they be true Resemblances and Copies of their Countenance Pictures very like them whom they represent whereas now in the Images of the Saints there is no regard had to their likeness but only to set up an Image that shall signifie and not represent An old Man with a Sword stands for Paul with Keys for Peter with a Cross decussat for Andrew so in our Saviors Pictures you shall observe as many Forms as there are Faces or Fancies of Men. If a Painter designing to draw our Ladies Picture should take a Beautiful Courtizan for his pattern it would serve Now such Pictures which have no likeness to the persons represented deserve no regard neither are they useful for Commemoration Should any one send you your Grand-fathers Picture much unlike him and drawn at all adventures you would not honor it so much as to hang it up in your Hall or Parlor But you and I both have been led out of the way by those who write upon this subject of Images instancing in some who have altogether rejected them and in others who have approved them whereas our chief Design is to shew the unlawfulness of Image Worship to allow no other use of Pictures then to put us in mind either of Things or Persons or for ornament of places If you are content herewith the dispute shall end between us always excepting against any Image of God whether Historical or Analogical or by what term soever you may distinguish Phil. If you see the Picture of Christ will you not worship him Theoph. When by occasion of his PIcture I am put in mind of my Savior my heart must honor and worship him as at any other time when I apply my self unto him in Meditation without a Picture to help the memory But we allow no Worship or Adoration due
among the vulgar sort of People in worshipping the Images of our Blessed Savior and the Virgin Mary and the Saints which were erected in their Temples and in the Streets he took a severe course and brake down the Images and commanded all that had such Images and Pictures under great penalties to bring them forth and burn'd them in the Market-place He sent likewise to Gregory the second Pope of Rome to desire his concurrence for a General Council of the Eastern and Western Bishops about this work of Reformation and in a sacred Epistle to the Pope he urg'd Arguments to justifie his course in taking away Images Whereunto the Pope returns an Answer a Bin. Edit Concil Tom. 5. pag. 501. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That whereas he had received frem him many sacred Letters within the first ten years of his Reign full of Piety and Wisdom together with an Orthodox Confession of his Faith denouncing a Curse upon those that should remove the Boundaries of Religion which the Fathers had set and for this cause he tells the Emperor That he had given ample Thanks to God for committing the Empire of the World unto so noble a Prince But now alas from his Epistle and from his practice he sadly perceiv'd how he was taken from the Truth and had given great scandal to the World And so he sets himself to give satisfaction unto some Particulars which the Emperor had mention'd in his Letter telling him before-hand That he would write to him dull and illiterate Things because thou thy self saith he art such And in truth the Pope is as good as his word for his Letter which he writes to the Emperor is blunt and desultory without any reason or consequence or good manners He saith That God did forbid Graven Images such as the Canaanites made and worship'd but he commanded Moses to make two Cherubins a Table and an Ark and these were similitudes made with hands for the glory of God He tells him That Moses prai'd and desired to see an Image of God that he might not err and the Lord answer'd That he could not see his face and live but his back parts he should see but under the Gospel he hath shew'd himself back and face That the Truth is made visible and Christ hath appear'd and dwel'd among us and where the carcass was that is Christ in the Body thither the Eagles came True Believers resorted to him and took his Picture and the Pictures of James the Brother of the Lord and of Stephen the first Martyr and so of all the Martyrs and forsaking the worship of Idols the whole World did worship these Images not with the worship due only to God but relatively a Distinction form'd to puzzle not to inform After this he tells him how our Blessed Savior sent a Copy of his Countenance in a Napkin to the King of Edessa 'T is truth saith he we do not Picture God because we know him not but if we had beheld him as we do his Son we would have made his Picture also and try whether you would call it an Idol The love of Christ knows saith he That when I go into the Temple of Peter the Prince of the Apostles and look upon his Image I am brought to compunction and as Rain out of the Clouds so do my Tears flow down Then he tells the Emperor how Christ restored sight to the blind but you put out the Eies of the People by removing Images You say we worship Stones and Tables not so but our memories must be rubb'd up and our dull and foolish and illiterate mind rais'd When we see the Picture of Christ we say Thou Son of God save us so when we see the Picture of the Holy Mother we say O holy Mother of God Mother of the Lord mediate unto thy Son to save our Souls and so to the other Saints and Martyrs He bids the Emperor go into the Grammar-Schools and tell the Boies I am he a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. b Epist 1. Greg. secund ad Leonem Isaurum Bin. Tom. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who persecute and pull down Images and see saith he whether they will not hurl their Books at thy head When the Emperor reflected upon that passage of Hezekiah breaking in pieces the Brazen Serpent because the People did burn Incense to it 2 Kings 18. 4. How do you think he answers it Phil. I must confess it was very apposite to his purpose who pleaded the Peoples Superstition in worshipping Images as the cause of his removing them and therefore I desire to hear what satisfaction his Holiness the Pope gave unto that Objection Theoph. He tells the Emperor a Ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Verily Ozias was thy Brother of like perswasions as thy self and he plaid the Tyrant among his People as thou dost Where you also observe how the Pope was so ignorant of the Holy Scriptures that he ascribes that memorable passage of breaking the Brazen Serpent to Vzziah and not to Hezekiah the King and in resembling the Emperor to Hezekiah in the fact of breaking Images he by a necessary consequence approves the one as the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth the other for his zeal for Reformation and Gods Honor. Phil. I did not expect such a precipitate Answer to so considerable an Argument Theoph. Give me leave to proceed He tells the Emperor and calls Christ to witness How mightily affected he was with sight of the glorious Images and Historical Pictures of the Holy Scriptures in the Churches and that it had been much better if the Emperor had bin an Heretic denying some fundamental Truth of the Gospel then a Persecuter of Images And gives his Reason Because Heretics err'd through ignorance and about things hard to be understood whereas thou errest in such things as are as clear as the Sun and therefore their Condemnation is not so great as thine It appears in his Sacred Epistle that the Emperor did write to the Pope concerning a General Council to determin the Controversie concerning Images Phil. That was the most likely way to settle the Truth and the minds of Men. Theoph. But the Pope answers No You did write to me for a General Council but it seems to me unprofitable Phil. I pray what reason did he give of his denial Theoph. He tells the Emperor He consults his Honor and that it were better for him not to have his crimepublish'd he was a desircier of Images if he would give over and be quiet the scandal would be taken away and there would be no need of a Council He calls God to witness how he had communicated the Emperors former sacred Epistles to the Princes of the West and had much commended him for his Piety and they all had him in great Honor but as soon as they heard of this Fact of Image-breaking they trampled his Lawrels under foot and invaded some of his
Images And I do not find in the second Council of Nice the term of Dulia opposite to Latria but Salutation and Adoration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 However at present we dispute not the terms but desire to know the importance of the known distinction That God only is worship'd with the worship call'd Latria and the Saints with the worship call'd Dulia In the first place therefore What is Latria a Lib. 9. Instit Moralium c. 5. Cultus soli Deo c. Azorius a Jesuit and Casuist tells us It is Service or Worship due to God alone whereby we subject our selves to him as to the supreme Lord putting our trust and confidence in him In the second place What is Dulia b Veneratio quae civibus Coeli tribuitur That Veneration saith he which is given unto the Citizens of Heaven This sheweth to whom it is given but why doth he not tell us what that Worship is and wherein it differeth from Latria And withal seeing Dulia signifieth servitude in the judgment of c Tom. 1. l. de vera Relig. c. 55. Honoramus eos charitate non servitate Augustin we ought not to give it to the Saints in Heaven We honor them saith he with love and not with servitude No distinct peculiar Service or Worship is due to the Saints in Glory for herein lies the difference between the Fathers and the School-men These appropriate a Service and Worship to the Saints in Heaven and call it Dulia to the Blessed Virgin and call it Hyperdulia But Augustin makes no difference between the Service and Worship due to the Saints in Heaven and the Saints on Earth d Lib. 20. Contra Faust. Manich. c. 21. Colimus Martyres eo cultu delect c. We honor Martyrs with that worship of love and friendship wherewith we honor holy Men of God in this life and we worship God alone with Latria When the Manichees objected That Christians made Idols of their Martyrs honoring their Tombs and erecting Altars before them e Quos etiam votis similibus colitis and making Vows unto them f Altaria erigimus Deo Martyrum quod offertur Deo offertur c. Augustin answers We erect the Altars to the God of those Martyrs and the Oblations are given to God who crowned the Martyrs A Christian with Religious Solemnity celebrates the memories of Martyrs to excite Imitation and that he may share in their merits and be assisted by their Praiers Phil. This passage of S t Augustin shews a Religious Solemnity to be kept in honor of the Saints departed and that the living may share in their Merits and be assisted by their Praiers these are Truths which you will not freely acknowledg Theoph. We do acknowledg them for by a Religious Solemnity we understand the Festivals which the Holy Church observes in commemoration of the Saints and Martyrs By the society of their Merits we understand that by imitation of the Saints we have a Fellowship in their Labors and in their Crowns And for the last Clause the assistance of their Prayers we doubt not but that the Saints in Heaven do pray for the Church of God and his Servants here on Earth but as for any knowledge of particulars when we come to that Point I can shew how S t Augustin doubts a Lib. de cura pro Mort. c. 15. Fatendum nescire quidem mortuos quid hic agatur Whether the Blessed Saints and Martyrs do hear the Prayers which are offered up at their Shrines nay he confesseth that they do not know what is done here below and that when by the power of God and Ministry of Angels Miracles were done at their Shrines themselves might not know it no not when they did appear to some upon Earth as Saul saw in a Vision one Ananias coming to him and putting his hands upon him that he might receive his sight but Ananias himself knew nothing of that appearance to Saul until the Lord declared it to him Acts 9 12 God might please to act great things at the Monuments of Martyrs b Cap. 17. Illis in summa quiete positis whil'st themselves were in perfect rest as he speaks But this by the way it belongs to another Controversie in due time to be assum'd However you have heard Augustin after all that he had said concluding We honor Martyrs with that worship of Love and Friendship wherewith we honor Holy Men of God in this Life and if you will require no more Veneration to be given to them we will grant it But then you must remember That Paul when living did forbid Cornelius to worship him and so did the Angel prohibit the Apostle John and so would all the glorious Saints in Heaven prohibit your Adoration before their Images if they could communicate in speech or any other way with you Religious Worship we deny to the Saints and their Images civil honor and respect we give Phil. Because the Saints and Angels of God are like him in their natural Powers and Qualities moral and civil honor is due to them for honor is the acknowledgment of some Excellency But then in regard unto their supernatural Gifts and Spiritual and Religious Qualities we must allow them Religious and Spiritual Honor and Veneration Theoph. c De vera Relig. c. 55. Vni Deo religamus animas nostras unde Religio dicta creditur S t Augustin observes how the very name of Religion strictly binds us to God and therefore all Religious Acts and Services are due only to him Had not Peter and Paul and the other Saints in bliss while they were living in the Flesh supernatural Gifts and Excellencies and would you have worship'd them with Religious Worship Cornelius attemted it and was forbidden Phil. There is a great disproportion between the Saints in Glory and the Saints militant here on Earth Theoph. In regard of their Happiness and Fruition they are excellent beyond compare but this is their reward the Honor we give them is in commemoration of their Works and Excellencies in this Life for our example and imitation And withal Cornelius worshipping Peter in the Flesh was sure Peter was sensible of that Honor then given and you know the Apostle refus'd it but if you worship him now being in Heaven you may rationally doubt as S t Augustin did of the Saints in geneneral whether he is sensible of that Honor more then his Image before which you fall down and worship Phil. However God accepts the Honor done to his Saints as to himself Theoph. Yes when done according to his rule But where hath God given any command or direction to worship them you bring no proofs of your Practice out of Holy Scripture we urge many Texts against it Your Arguments run altogether upon Analogy and Proportion that much more honor is due to the Saints now in Heaven then when they liv'd in the Flesh because they are much more excellent
confirm'd in Grace and Glory the great Favorites of the King of Heaven So proceed your Arguments for the worshipping of their Images we give unto them say ye a relative inferior dependent honor according to the Analogy of Reason he that loves the Person will love his Image But where is the Autority of Holy Scripture God cannot be offended you will say that the Images of his Saints and Servants should be had in honor and what is done to the Image redounds to the honor of the Saint represented by it and of God who hath highly honored him But still you must keep within your Bounds God is jealous of his Honor and will not permit any degree thereof to be communicated to any other whether Saint or Angel much less to their Images For instance Adoration falling down and worshipping the Angel refus'd it and sends the Apostle to give that to God Peter refus'd it the Divel desir'd it upon great promises If thou wilt fall down and worship me or before me a Luke 4. ver 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these things will I give Thee but our Blessed Savior repli'd It appertains only to God Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet this Adoration and Worship ye give to Images ye bow down and worship before them Phil. But this Adoration we give is infinitely inferior to the Worship of God Theoph. This you say but many of your Doctors say otherwise b Part. 3. q. 25. Art 3. Imag. Christi cultu Latr. coli deberi c. Aquinas the great Oracle of the Schools expresly holds That the Image of Christ is to be ador'd with that Worship call'd Latria and he gives the reason because the honor of the Image redounds to the Prototype and according to Aristotle saith he the same motion of the mind tends to the Image as an Image and to the thing represented by it and therefore seeing Christ is worship'd with Divine Adoration so likewise his Image c Art 4. Crux Christi adoranda est adoration Latriae Quia in ca ponimus c. In the next Article he declares the same for the Crucifix It is to be worship'd with the worship due to God and proves it thus Because in the Cross we put our hope of Salvation For upon the Passion-day saith he the Church hath taught us to say All hail O Cross our only hope Increase to the Godly salvation and give pardon to the guilty Phil. One Doctors Opinion signifies but little Theoph. If your Church do not approve it why after so long a time do they not censure it But what do you speak of one Doctor a Lib. 9. Inst Mor. c. 6. Azorius a Jesuit and Casuist shews it is the common Opinion of the Doctors and quotes Aquinas Bonaventure Alexander Hales Richardus Albertus Paludanus Almaine Marsilius Capreolus Cajetan caeteros juniores many others after them And whereas the second Council of Nice hath determin'd That the Image of Christ and the Cross is not to be worship'd Latria with that worship due to God but with such Veneration as is due to the Holy Bible and to Holy Vessels c. It is plain saith he that Council speaks of the Image and the Cross as in themselves they are sacred things and so to be honored as holy Vessels c. but if we consider them as Images representing Christ and his death so we must worship them as we do Christ with the same honor as the thing represented is worship'd And he brings the c Concil Trid. Sess 25. Honos qui iis exhibetur refertur ad prot c. Council of Trent to confirm his Opinion saving The honor given to the Image is refer'd to the Prototype so that by the Images which we salute and before which we uncover the head and fall down we do worship Christ and the Saints And because I am not willing to multiply Quotations I will refer you to d Naclantus Episcopus Clugiensis in Comment in 1 cap. ad Rom. propefinem Representatum est in Imag. sicut in speculo in quo cernitur honoratur c. one of your great Doctors whose Works are dedicated to Pope Pius the fifth He tells us The Prototype is in the Image as in a Looking glass wherein it is both seen and honored and therefore seeing the Image contains the exemplar and doth not only represent it when we speak of the Adoration of an Image as an Image referring unto and containg the thing represented we without any scruple affirm that we ought to worship not only before the Image as some would seem to speak cautiously but to worship the Image it self with the same worship as we do the Prototype In the same place he supposeth the e Respiciebat populus serpentem religiose forte obtulit c. Israelites in the Wilderness did worship the Brazen Serpent and perhaps offer Incense to it and yet without fear of Idolatry because it was a Type of Christ and therefore Moses and the seniors among them who knew the Mystery might fall down and worship it Religiously and be no Idolaters and the People also who knew not the Mystery believing as the Elders believed and resolving their Faith into the Faith of the Elders might without sin worship the Serpent altho they did not understand it to be the Type of Christ Phil. These are School-subtleties arguing from the Image to the Exemplar and from a notion of Aristotle and Naclantus going farther then the rest is but a single Testimony fancying an Image to be a Looking-glass and the thing represented by it to be presentially contain'd in it But you have heard the plain determination of the Nicene Council b Loquitur de Cruce prout est res quaedam sacra non ut refertur ad exemplar was That the Image of Christ and the Cross and so any other Image was not to be worship'd with that worship due to God but with a worship far inferior Theoph. You may perceive by this how much your School-men value Fathers and Councils when they speak not for them But why doth your Church and after Councils permit them to pass without censure and an Index expurgatorius Naclantus dedicates his Book to the Pope and therefore did presume upon his allowance and protection Phil. Baronius excuses the School-men and our Doctors in maintaining the Image of Christ and of the Cross are to be worship'd with the worship call'd Latria because saith he they were mistaken and did suppose with the Council of Francford that the Nicene Council had determin'd Divine Honor to be given to them Theoph. If this were so it manifests your Doctors and School-men to have been grosly ignorant of the Councils And secondly That they are resolv'd to assert whatsoever they believe a Council hath determin'd right or wrong yea altho it be against the dictate of their Conscience and rule of
Gods Word But leaving the Cardinals Excuses and Guesses to himself Aquinas and the rest give their own Reasons for their Opinions the Church hath taught us to put our hope in the Cross and therefore we worship it with Divine Worship the honor of his Image tends to Christ The thing represented is in the Image as in a Looking-glass and therefore we adore it Nay Azorius takes notice of the Nicene determination and shews how in one sense it is true in another not take the Image of Christ materially as a Consecrated thing so it is not worship'd with Divine Worship but formally as an Image representing Christ so Divine Worship is given to it Now such allowed Distinctions as these and Doctrines have prevail'd upon the unwary People to give the same worship to the Image and the Exemplar nay to give Religious Worship to all Images In the Schools they tell us of divers kinds of Worship whereas in their Churches there is no sensible difference what Worship the People give to God the same they give to the Saints they Pray they fall down and Worship And to our purpose a In Psalm 113. Quis adorat vel orat intuens simulachrum qui non sic afficitur ut ab eo se exaudiri putet ab eo sibi praestari quod desiderat speret Augustin proposeth a serious Question Who Praies or Adores beholding an Image and is not so affected that he believes the Image bears him and hopes to receive from it that which he desires and praies for Phil. S t Augustin speaks of the Heathen and their Idols Theoph. And it is very applicable unto your deluded People and their Images for let us no longer hover in the Clouds and in the general Notion of a Divine Worship call'd Latria due only to God and of an inferior Worship call'd Dulia given unto the Saints in Heaven and to their Images You know the saying Dolus in universalibus Much deceit usually lurks in general terms We will descend therefore to some particulars what are precisely the Acts of Divine Worship a Azorius tells us To put our trust and confidence in him is one special act of Latria the peculiar Worship due to God And yet Aquinas hath shew'd how your Church teacheth us to put our only hope in the Cross Ave Crux spes Vnica Phil. This we must conceive to be a Prosopopoea or Speech made to Christ upon the Cross in the day of his Passion Theoph. The common People doubtless understands your Figure of Prosopopoea singularly well And why doth your Church choose to speak to the Cross after that manner and not rather to Christ upon the Cross And how comes it to pass that Aquinas understood not this Figure but supposeth it to be spoken to the Cross directly and so frames his proof of Divine Worship due to the Cross because we put our trust in it Again for Churches and Temples built and dedicated to the Saints b Tom. 6. lib. 10. contra Maximinum Nonne si templum alicui Sancto Angelo excellentiss de ligno lapide faceremus Anathematizeremur à veritate Ecclesia Dei quonium Creat exhiberemus eam servitutem quae soli Deo debetur Augustin saith expresly If we should make a Temple to any Holy and most excellent Angel either of Wood or Stone Should we not be separated and accursed from the Truth and from the Church of God because we exhibit to a Creature that service which is due only to God c Hoc nunc fit quibuslibet Divis. And Erasmus his Marginal Note upon this Passage of Augustin is This now is every where done unto the Saints d Lib. 1. De vera Rel. c. 55. Honoramus cos charitate non servitute nec iis templa construimus Again Augustin in another place speaking of the Saints saith We honor them with love not with service neither do we build Temples to them e Horae Virg. Mariae secundum usum sacrum Sancti Dei in quorum honore commemoratione haec Sancta est dedicata Ecclesia haec altaria consecrata c. So at the entrance into the Church Men are taught to direct their Praiers unto the Saints to whom the Churches are dedicated saying O ye Saints of God in the honor and remembrance of whom this Church is dedicated and this Altar consecrated c. Now the Temple is call'd The House of Prayer and the House of God because to him only who heareth Praier we sheuld send up our Supplications Again Altars as well as Images are frequently erected unto Saints and yet Saint Augustin saith An Altar implies a Deity the Altar shews they take the Statue for a God and the Altars of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints are common upon which their Votaries offer Gold and Jewels and Pearl and embroidered Garments c. Phil. Bellarmin shews how the Altars are erected and Churches f Sermone 6. de Verb. Domini secundum Matth. Quod pro Numine accip illam siatuam Altare testatur dedicated to God and so the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and of Praier and Praises are offer'd up to God in honor to the Saints and they are call'd upon in the public Prayers of the Church c. Theoph. a Bell. Tom. 2. lib. de Beat. Sanctorum c. 7. Invocantur Sancti in publicis Ecclesiae precibus c. Bellarmin acknowledgeth enough to condemn the practice of your Church in ascribing more honor to the Saints then the Holy Scriptures allow them Christ saith Do this in remembrance of me And Bellarmin saith The Sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered to God in remembrance and honor of the Saints And withal you should do well to consider That if these Religious Acts are perform'd to God in honor of the Saints they are terminated in them as the finis ultimus the chief end As when you say The honor and worship of the Image redounds to the honor of him whom it represents and the honor done to the Servant redounds unto the Master so the several acts of worship perform'd to God in honor of the Saints redound more to their glory then to the glory of God they are the chief end and his service but subordinate unto their honor And so you run in a Circle and intangle your selves in a Labyrinth to maintain a gross and palpable Error of giving a Religious Worship to the Saints and to their Images calling the Cross Our only hope the Images of the Saints Pledges of our Salvation lighting Tapers and burning Incense to them and such like and after all you wash your hands of Idolatry and tell the World That ye give inferior petty honor to the Saints and their Images and to the Cross even such as to sacred Utensils of the Church or to the Holy Book of Scriptures or to the Chair of State in the Kings Palace or to the Kings Image or to the name of Jesus or to
the Communion Table Now if all that I have said implies no more I yield the Cause Phil. b Lib. 2. de Idol c. 1. Idololatriae genuina Ratio est Creaturae c. Gregory de Valentia seems to reconcile all the difference with this Distinction Formal Idolatry is to give Divine Honor to a Creature as to God If therefore I give Divine Honor to the Saints or their Images as Creatures not as God I am not guilty of Idolatry Theoph. He was driven to this shift to justifie the practice of your Church and free it from Idolatry but it will not serve for Divine Worship is due only to God and therefore should not be communicated to a Creature upon any account Phil. You will have the last word and I yield to you because the Night comes on and I suppose both of us are sufficiently tired with the length of this Controversie and you are almost fallen upon another Controversie of the Honor and Adoration of Saints which will require another season to determin it Theoph. The honor of Saints and of their Images having near affinity have bin some time taken into consideration together but my chief design was against Image worship as giving great occasion of Idolatry and Scandal in the Church And what I have said I leave to your serious consideration giving you many thanks for this opportunity and freedom of Discourse and for my noble Entertainmentall this time I have been your studious Opponent There are many differences between our Church and yours remaining whereupon when our occasions shall allow us other Meetings if you are willing we will treat with Gods Blessing in Charity and Love THE FOURTH CONFERENCE OF THE Invocation of SAINTS Phil. DEar Sir Since our last Meeting I have been tumultuous in my thoughts and dis-satisfied with my self That I could not give such full satisfaction to your Arguments as I at first suppos'd However I have learn'd of the Apostle Tit. 1. 9. To hold fast the faithful word as I have been taught and not permit the Truth to be wrested from me by subtle and perhaps sophistical Objections I may go to Heaven in the plain way wherein Christ and his Holy Church doth lead me without perplexing my self with emergent Difficulties and Controversies reserving them to be resolv'd until Elias as the Jews speak or rather until our Blessed Savior shall come again Theoph. It seems you are resolv'd to hold to the Conclusion strongly be the Premises never so infirm and hereunto no doubt your Doctors and your Priests advise you To yield an Implicit Faith to the Decrees of your Church and not dispute them But upon the same Motive you should always have subscrib'd and kept stedfast unto the Articles of our Church which was likewise yours and not have forsaken her Communion for Scruples and Imaginations of your own and false Suggestions of others I mean Those creeping Emissaries of Rome who swarm among us and buz into Mens Ears uncertain sounds to unsettle their minds and take them off from sound Principles and then infuse their bewitching Sorceries and Delusions making them drunk with the Cup of Fornications and then forsooth their besotted Reason must be charm'd against all attemts to awaken and to recover them If Reason and Argumentation could induce you to leave our Church whilist you gave an easie belief unto our Adversaries give us leave by the same method to undeceive and to reduce you and do not brutishly resolve to hold fast those pretended Truths which you cannot defend against our Oppositions Phil. Your Church allowing her Disciples a liberty of judging I suitably made use of her Indulgence but being now converted to the Church of Rome I am taught the obedience of an Implicit Faith and not encourag'd to dispute her Articles Theoph. A rare Artifice and Policy to keep Men hood-wink'd and in Error by forbidding them to open their Eies and make use of their Reason and Judgment to discover the Truth Our Church may easily impose the like Credulity upon her Children but she dares not use Stratagems against the Truths of God to do evil upon pretensions of good to keep her Sons and Daughters in ignorance that they may be obedient The Holy Scriptures enjoin a search and examination and trial Prove all things saith St. Paul and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5. 21. But you would have Men tenacious of their Opinions without Judgment hold to the Point without the proof S t Peter exhorts the Saints 1 Pet. 3. 15. alwaies to be ready to give an answer unto every one that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them but you are against this rendring of Reasons the Autority of your Church must suffice Phil Not so neither The Church commands and gives sufficient proof for her prescriptions and we submit to her account Theoph. Do you take the liberty for your own satisfaction to examine and judge of the account Phil. Yes doubtless the more to convince and settle us upon that good foundation Theoph. But suppose upon the search and enquiry you do not find satisfaction to your reason Suppose your Heart and Conscience may suggest Exceptions against the Doctrine and the practice of your Church what then Phil. We may have recourse unto our Priests and Doctors for solution of doubts Theoph. Taking the Holy Oracles of Scripture along with you that is not amiss but withal you should do well to consider That they will surely resolve the Question on their own side and your Church gives no liberty to hear the adverse Party and so Truths are not weigh'd in an equal ballance and differences are determin'd only one side being heard Phil. Good Theophilus trouble not your self with the non-permissions of our Church it will appear at present you have no cause to complain for I am purposely come to requite your former visit and to continue the debate in a Friendly manner concerning some other Points wherein we differ and whereas the last time you made choice of such Particulars to insist on which you thought most liable unto popular Exception you shall give me leave now to propose the subject of our Discourse Theoph. Sir besides the equity of your Demand the rule of Hospitality requires That in my own House I should design to observe you and therefore be pleas'd to make your Friendly Challenge and appoint the Field and Weapons and I will answer you Phil. Upon this fair Concession I will try your skill in one great Point concerning the Invocation of Saints and because you shall not complain of a surprizal I will principally urge Eellarmins proofs in whose Works you appear'd the last time to be so conversant Theoph. Our Church piously with-holding none of our Adversaries Writings from us that upon due Examination we may judg of Truth I have I must confess propos'd chiefly to my self the perusal of that great Cardinals Defence because I was assur'd of his great Abilities and of
and the joyful union between the Spirits of just Men and their glorified bodies they are in some state of imperfection their appetite of Union being not fulfill'd and therefore you may observe our Savior spake of the Saints in the Resurrection expressly as to their likeness and Equality with the Angels and concludes not any thing before They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the Resurrection from the Dead neither Marry nor are given in Marriage Neitheir can they dy any more for they are equall unto the Angels Luk. 20. vers 35. 36. That they want neither knowledg nor affection to assist us and take a charge of us altho we should grant to avoid disputes yet we do not read they have such a Commission from God to attend us as have the Angels It is written Ps 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord tarries round about them that fear him and delivereth them Again Ps 39. 11 He has given his Angels charge over thee It is written Matt. 18. 10. In Heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Again Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Produce such Autorities for the glorious Saints ministery and assistance and we will yield your consequence that because the Angels of Heaven have charge over the people of God upon earth the Saints have likewise It is written 1 Thes 4. 16. That at the voice of the Archangel and the sound of the trump the dead shall rise That the Son of Man shall send his Angels at the last day to gather the elect and sever the wicked from the just the chaff from the corne Matt. 13. Dare you ascribe this office likewise unto the Saints in glory And therefore your Argument from the Angels to the Saints is groundless a meer invention of man without any warrant from Gods word Wherein it appears that the Angels are Gods messengers and Ministers between Heaven and earth but not so the Saints departed Now as God Almighty imploies the Angels so he imparts unto them the knowledg and understanding of affaires below so far as concerns their business and as they attend the Saints upon earth so they know much of their condition And so they rejoice at the conversion of a sinner But we read not a syllable of the Saints in Heaven of their knowledg or their Joy and therefore you can draw no good consequence from one to the other Phil. You conclude well upon your own suppositions but take our Doctors along with you and you will find That God hath committed the charge of the Church militant and the Saints upon earth as well to the Saints as to the Angels of Heaven c Bell. Ibid. A spiritibus beatorum regi gubernard fideles c. and that the faithful are govern'd and conducted by the Spirits of the Blessed Theoph. Shew their substantial proofs and not their confident assertions Phil. You read how the Son of God makes a faithful promise Revel 2. vers 26. 27. He that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron as the vessel of a potter shall they be broken in peices Again Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of God to uphold his Church and I will grant to him to sit with me on my throne to rule and govern with Christ his Church and to preside over the world now Bellarmine proceeds to shew how these promises are made to the Saints after this life because they are made to him that overcometh all the Temptations of life and keepeth Christs word until death And that this government belongs to them before the general Resurrection appears from that expression He shall cule them with a rod of Iron and shall brake them as a potters vessel These words imply a pastoral regiment the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall feed them as a Shepherd his sheep and it is call'd an Iron rod because inflexible from the rule of justice and therewith the refractory shall be broken in pieces the same expressions are given of Christ Rev. 12. 5. She brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of Iron Theoph. Methinks your Doctors in there deep Theologie fetch their proofs most from the Revelations of S t John Your Doctrine of the Saints in Heaven governing the World and the faithful upon earth knowing our state and hearing our praiers is a great mysterie I had almost said of Iniquity and you cheifly confirm it from some mysterious passages in the Revelation an Argument you want plain and positive proofs and therefore fly unto obscure and figurative and mystical expressions All these promises you have mention'd made to the Saints persevering unto the end serve to shew their state of transcendent blessedness and glory above their fellows who in this life were inferior to them in their sufferings and in their graces Like those in the parable who according to the improvement of their Talents had autority given them over many Cities Luk. 19. Or like the blessed servant whom the Lord at his coming shall find so doing Verily I say unto you That he shall make him ruler over all his goods Mat. 24. 47. He shall place him in great honor saith Euthimius upon the place and he gives a caution that we should not enquire too far and with too much curiosity into these things nor collect any thing from such parabolical expressions but what they necessarily imply After the like manner Theophylact upon the place He a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. shall share in the more Honourable recompences to wit in the Kingdom of Heaven for the Saints are Heirs of all that appertain to God And so run the general Interpretations upon the ten Cities c. Among the Ancients we find no mention of this conceit That Christ communicates the charge of his Church and people and the government of the world before the day of judgment unto the Saints in glory Phil. However his proofs out of scripture may sail him Bellarmine abundantly shews from the Testimony of the Fathers that the Saints in Heaven do govern and take charge of the Saints on earth and are therefore in this regard likewise equal with the Angels Theoph. I will take the Testimony of the Antient in due season but I first desire to hear all the Arguments together out of the Holy Scripture proving That the Saints do particularly pray for us and that we must pray to Them for I suppose the foundation of this Doctrine must be sure laid in the word of God or else all will fall to the ground Phil. The Doctrines of our Church are very consonant unto the Scripture and out of them you will find sufficient proof of our duty to call
upon the Saints in Heaven Theoph. Make that good and I shall undoubtedly become your convert Phil. Remember this when we draw towards a conclusion mean while I will not spare to give the premises and proofs Bellarmine undertakes to prove expressly b Quod Sancti sive Angeli sive homines piè ac utiliter à viventibus invocantur That the Saints in Heaven whether Angels or men are piously and profitably call'd upon by us who are Living Theoph. Can you tell the reason why he puts his proposition in such unusual terms the common distinction is of the Angels and Saints in Heaven but he calls them Angels and men and both by the name of Saints Phil. You cannot deny but that Angels are Holy Persons and by consequence that they are Saints Theoph. It is not material what they are by consequence but you know the Angels are not commonly call'd Saints when you propose to speak of the Saints in Heaven none will understand you of the Angels and then for the other member of the distinction c Sive Angeli sive homines Men the Souls of just Men departed are not men The man is dead his immortal Spirit lives and upon this Account when you call upon Peter and Paul to pray for you alas Peter is dead and Paul is dead their blessed Spirits are with God but not their Persons before the general Resurrection Phil. These are but frivolous exceptions do not betray your fears by diverting me from the Cardinals proofs First he alledgeth that plain Text for the Invocation of Angels Gen. 48. 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads You see the Holy Patriarch Jacob invocates the Angels blessing upon Josephs two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh Theoph. It is Jacobs Option not a formal Invocation his desire not his praier we may suppose rather that Jacob sends up his hearts desire to God that the Angel which did alwaies deliver him might be a Guardian to these Lads when Isaac blessing Jacob said Gen. 27. vers 29. Let the people serve Thee and Nations bow down to Thee doth he therefore invocate Nations and People or rather pray to God that he would bring it to pass This answer sufficeth if Jacob by the Angel understood a created Spirit but the context makes it evident That the Angel stands for Christ the second person of the Sacred Trinity because he is join'd in this Benedicton with the God of Abraham God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God that fed me all my life long until this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads Observe I pray what great d Oratione quarta contra Arrianos Athanasius saith to this place having prov'd the unity of the Father and the Son because they are join'd in the same prayer 1 Thess 3. 11. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you He proceeds to declare That no man can pray to receive any thing from the Father and from an Angel or any other creature no man will say let God and the Angels give Thee and then directly answers this Benediction of the Patriarch That he did not joine a created Angel with God that made him in the blessing neither forsaking him that nurisht him doth he seek for an Angels blessing upon the children but stiling him the Angel that deliver'd him out of all his troubles he manifests that he did not understand any created spirit but Christ the word whom he joines with God the Father in the blessing knowing that he is called The Angel of his great Councel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint Herunto agrees a Thes l. 30. cap. 10. Cyrill of Alexandria The Patriarch of God means the Father and by the Angel the word of the Father whose name is the Angel of his councel b Hemil. 66. in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostom makes God and the Angel to be the same whose benediction Jacob implores A graceful Soul to God saith He how doth he retain the memory of his favors fixt in his heart He that nurisht me from my youth hitherto he that deliver'd me out of all evil bless these Lads 'T is much the Learned Cardinalshould take no notice of these signal Autorities but bring a Text in two regards impertinent to his purpose as you have heard to prove the Invocation of Angels which would not however infer the Invocation of Saints departed Because Angels are Gods ministring Spirits and more constant in the affaires here below then are the Saints in Heaven of whose Ministerie upon earth we have no account given in the Holy Scripture only that they sing and Bless God and worship him incessantly in Heaven Phil. Give me leave to proceed and shew how our Doctors prove the Invocation of Angels and then I will manifest likewise how it confirms the Invocation of Saints Bellarmine brings three Texts out of the book of Job to shew the early usage of praying to the Angels Job 5. 1. Call now if there be any to answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 19. 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my freinds for the Hand of the Lord hath touched me Job 33. 23. If there be a Messenger with him an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Then he is gratious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom Theoph. If these be proofs nothing can miss the mark if calling be invocating and Saints be Angels then the first Text may stand the Cardinal in some stead and Eliphaz his Autority must uphold it But the context shews the meaning of the words Eliphaz would have Job enquire and call any one that fears God to witness whether any perished being Innocent Chap. 4. vers 7. or whether a man can be more pure then his Maker Vers 17. Job had complain'd sadly of his affliction and his friends design'd to put him upon the search whether these severe Judgments did not fall upon him for some secret sins The second proof is as wide from the mark as Heaven from the earth his three friends did persecute his Innocency with their grand error and mistake That God never afflicts but for sin and Job intreateth them to spare and pity him For why do ye persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh as it follows in the next vers 22. Phil. Bellarmine shews how S t Augustin in his Commentary upon Job refers both these Texts unto the Angels Theoph. Read S t Augustin in his second book of Retract c. 13. and you will find him doubtful whether he should call it his book Liber cui titulus Annotationes in Job utrum meus habendus est haud facile dixerim Or rather his who collected his imperfect notes he tells us his
this Canon as of the sixth general Council when he could not be ignorant how that Council made no Canons only he was willing to found the Doctrine of Saints Invocation upon the Autority of general Councils and you see how shamefully he hath pretended to them If this be the way to uphold their Church Let not my soul enter into their Councils Your Doctor cites likewise the next general Council the second Council of Nice of which I have given you formerly an Historical large account It instituted the worship of Images and did allow the Invocation of Saints but this was held 800 Years after Christ about which time this Superstitious Worship of the Saints was publicly avowed From the general Bellarmin proceeds to the Testimony of six Provincial Councils which speak not to his purpose They appoint the Litanies of their Churches to be solemnly used in the times allotted for them now because the Saints are praied to in their new Litanies therefore your Cardinal supposeth they were so in the old and wheresoever he finds a command for the use of Litanies there he infers Invocation of Saints commanded And the Council of c Bin. Tom 6. Concil Moguntinum c. 32. Adrogandum Deum c. Mentz is one of them which your Cardinal quotes and that Council held under Charles the Great Anno 813. tells us That Litanies or Rogations are solemnly appointed to beseech the Lord and implore his mercy viz. when some diresul Calamities are eminent not one word of calling upon the Saints Phil. Bellarmin in this place shews how Walfridus Strabo in the 8 th Book of Ecclesiastical Affairs chap. 28. declaring what these Litanies were mention'd in these Councils saith a Litaniam de qua agitur in bis Conciliis esse Sanctorum Invocationem They were the Invocation of Saints Theoph. Turn to the place and you will not find it so First Strabo gives an account of the original and use of Litanies and then for their matter he saith They are not only Invocations of Saints for help b In adiutorium â—um infirmitatis cuncta quae fiunt Orationibus but any Supplications to God are Litanies He adds farther That the Invocation of Saints was brought into the Litany after S t Jeromes days but how soon after he asserts not neither that those Councils which Bellarmin quoted did include the Invocation of Saints you have heard how the Council of Mentz did rather exclude them And therefore I pray now judg upon a sober recollection of the Cardinals proofs from Councils they are in part false in part impertinent It is almost incredible that in less then one page he should manifest unto as many as shall examin him so much deceit and imprudence but we impute all to his desperate cause which can be no otherwise maintain'd then by imposing upon the unwary Reader Farewel therefore unto the Testimony of Holy Scripture and the Testimony of any Council for more then 700 Years after Christianity unto your Doctrine of Saints Invocation Phil. I presume Bellarmin relied not much upon these Councils as you observe he hudled them up in few lines but his Testimony from the Fathers are numerous and significant Theoph. I presume he well knew there was little in those Councils for his purpose yet he was willing to make his credulous Reader believe he had the Autority of all these Councils on his side and I am much satisfied for my great trouble and pains in the full discovery of the contrary being destitute of any proof from Scripture and Councils be pleas'd to produce his Allegations from the Fathers of the Church for the Invocation of Saints departed Phil. He cites a full Testimony of Dionysius the Areopagyte who lived in the Apostles daies c Ecclesiast Hierarch c. 7. That as he who puts out his eyes in vain desires the light of the Sun d Sic qui Sanctorum preces flagitat c. so in vain do we desire the Praiers of the Saints whilst we live and act contrary to their purity Theoph. The passage refers rather to the Praiers of the Saints living then of the Saints deceas'd such as neglect holiness of Life shall not be benefited by others Praiers And he instanceth in Samuels Praying for Saul and the design of that Chapter principally concerns the Rites of Burial in the Church to shew how our Praiers for the living or for the dead at their Burial avail nothing except the Persons for whom we pray are worthy And for a second answer I must tell you this Book is falsly ascrib'd to Dionysius it discovers it self to be written after the Nicene Council as I may have occasion to prove hereafter Phil. However Bellarmin takes his next Argument to be most evident It is taken from the early Testimony of Ireneus a Lih. 4. c. 19. ut Virginis Evae Virgo Marin fieret Alvocata As Eve was temted to turn from God so Mary was well perswaded to obey him That the Virgin Mary might prove the Advocate of the Virgin Eve b Quidclarius What is more evident to the Point then this saith the Cardinal Theoph. It is his Artifice to set out a weak Argument with the greatest confidence for this place doth not prove the Point He should prove the Invocation of the blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints and he attemts to shew her Advocation Phil. If she be our Advocate we ought to implore her Intercession Theoph. Not so neither as you have bin often told the Saints in Heaven may pray for the Church in general the Blessed Virgin for the Generations of Adam and Eve and yet not hear our Praiers in particular or be sensible of our condition However this Passage out of Ireneus proves not so much That the Virgin Mary is the Advocate of the Virgin Eve as the Fathers words seem to declare for the Blessed Virgin was not in being until thousands of Years after Eve was a Virgin Neither can you conceive that now she makes Intercession for the Mother of all living None of your Doctors can be so cruel as to keep our Mother Eve so long in Purgatory Ireneus his plain meaning is this That as by the prevarication of the Virgin Eve all her Posterity did suffer so by the obedience of the Blessed Virgin to the Angels Message and by the Blessed Fruit of her Womb all Man kind is comforted and relieved We have not Ireneus his Works in Greek as they were first written Suppose his word he made use of was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you know that signifies as well a Comforter as an Advocate The Virgin Mary hath made amends for the transgression of her Sex in our Mother Eve This is the sense of that comparison in the Father Phil. What sense you will fix upon his Words I see must pass for currant Bellarmin brings the Testimony of Pope Cornelius in the third Century between whom and S t Cyprian there past many Letters
give your patience to hear their ample Testimony Bellarmin gives this notable Instance out of c Lib. 3 praepar Evang c. 7 Votaque ipsiç facimus c. Eusebius in the fourth Century Honoring the Champions of the true Religion as Friends of God we come to their Tombs and make Praiers to them as to Holy Men by whose Intercession we may be much advantag'd Theoph. A notable Instance indeed to manifest the corruption of Translators and such as follow them for the advantage of the Cause Bellarmin might have consulted the Greek Copy of the Council of Calcedon and then he would not have bin deceiv'd by the Parenchesis in the Latin Translation forg'd for the advantage of the Cause as you have heard before And so now the Greek Copy of Eusebius would have spar'd this proof of Cardinal Bellarmin for Eusebius in that Book having shew'd out of Plato That Men eminent for Virtue should be honored after death he declares the practice of Christians to be agreeable To honor the Champions of Piety and Religion as Friends of God after their decease d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whence saith he it is our use to frequent their Monuments and make our Praiers there We repair to their Tombs and there make our Praiers saith Eusebius And so the Christians did frequent Memorias Martyrum and call upon God in those places But the Translator with Bellarmin reads it We repair to their Tombs and pray to them as to Holy Men. Again Eusebius saith e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We honor these Blessed Souls and conceive we rationally do so But the cousening Translator leaves this passage quite out and puts in a Clause of his own By whose Intercession we declare our selves to be much assisted with God It seems George Trapezuntius a wretched Translator suited better Bellarmins turn then the Original Text of Eusebius and therefore he chose to consult one rather then the other We see what reason we have to examine Bellarmins Quotations many times they pretend much but prove nothing but Imposture Phil. Methinks you might satisfie your self with your pretended Confutations and leave out your uncharitable Censures I proceed to the Cardinals next Quotation out of the great a Sermene de Annuntiatione ad finem Athanasius who with the People of God puts up these Supplications to the Mother of God Incline thine ear unto our Praiers and forget not thy People O blessed Virgin we cry unto thee Be mindful of us O our Lady and Mistress the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God Intercede for us Theoph. I must confess this is an ample Testimony But your Cardinal knew very well this Oration was a forgery falsly ascrib'd to that Holy Father It discovers it self to have bin written after the opposite Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches for it directly confutes them And Cardinal Baronius b Anno Christi 48. N. 19 20. acknowledgeth what I say and Numb 23. concludes like an Oracle giving a just reproof to Bellarmin and the other Doctors who make use of Lies to uphold supposed Truths c Existimamus Cathel veritatem labre factari potius c. We believe Catholic Truths rather to be weakned by such false Allegations then supported And withal holy d Oratione 2. centra Arrianos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athanasius urgeth this Argument against the Arrians to prove Christs Divinity because we call upon him and tells us That the Saints do not call upon any Created Being to be their help and succor And so I hope you apprehend the severity of my Censures to be due being put to such an intollerable Drudgery to search among the Rubbish of your falsified Records and Quotations it is the only satisfaction I have to discover your Impostures and expose them to censure and undeceive the World Phil. Well now you must take your farewel These Autorities that follow are without Exception S t Basil e Oratione in 40 Martyres hath this Passage He that is streightned with any necessity let him fly to them He that hath occasion to rejoice let him call upon them the one that he may be delivered the other that be may continue in prosperity Theoph. I wish you would make good your words and bring Quotations fair and without Exception For this of Basil is ill Translated meerly for your advantage f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oppressed flies to these 40 Martyrs 'T is in the Indicative and not in the Imparative Mood shewing the Peoples practice not his precept But that which follows shews your Doctors cheat a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that rejoiceth comes to these saith Basil and you say Let him pray to these Now you have heard it was usual for Men in every condition to come to the Monuments of the Martyrs and there call upon God for help and there offer up their Sacrifices of Praise to him not to the Martyrs Phil. What shift have you for b In Psalmum 35. Basils next Testimony Of the Spiritual Powers some are call'd Eyes because they watch over us some are call'd Ears because they c hear and receive our Praiers Theoph. What Praiers those which are made to them that doth not appear rather those Praiers which are made to God which some of the Antient from some passages out of the Revelation of S t John did conceive the Angels did present to God How doth this prove the Invocation of Saints Phil. The next Testimony Bellarmin urgeth is o. c Quia nostras excip preces Gregory Nazianzen The d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratione in Cyprianum Eminent Divine as he is generally called He relates how Saint Cyprian before his Conversion was a Magician and falling desperatly in Love with a Christian Virgin and not being able to obtain her Affection he made use of Art-Magic and Enchantments to compass his design But saith he e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Virgin made her Supplication to the Blessed Virgin to help a Virgin in distress and so was delivered from the Enchanting Powers Theoph. Nazianzen took this Fable out of a Book call'd Cyprians Repentance and Conversion where 't is related and that Book is declared spurious by Pope f Dist. 15. cap. Sancta Rom. Ecclesia Gelasius g In Catal. Script Ecclesiast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S t Jerome gives another account of Cyprians Conversion shewing how he was Rhetoric Professor in Carthage and Converted by the acquaintance and perswasion of Cecilius from whom he took the Sir-name Coecilianus Cyprianus And Pamelius and many others who have written Cyprians Life acquit him of this Infamous passage and Nazianzen was strangely credulous to assert it Phil. You are alwaies severe against such as do not please you But Bellarmin shews farther how that Holy Farther calls upon Cyprian in the end of this Oration upon Basil in the close of his Panegyrie and upon Athanasius
in these words h Oratione in Athanasium Do thou graciously look down upon us out of Heaven and direct this Holy People and feed and cherish us in peace and in our conflicts guide and supportus and bring us unto the same state of Glory with thy Self and such Blessed Spirits as are like Thee Theoph. Nazianzen was a great Orator and makes such Apostrophe's severally to the Saints upon whom he made his Panegyrics and yet this will not infer That he did believe they heard him or that he made this Application to them by way of Invocation no more then he did to Julian the Apostate after his decease unto whom he directs his Speech for a whole Leaf together in the close of his second Invective Nay you shall find this Orator somtimes to correct himself by an Epanor thosis in the midst of his Rhetorical Apostrophes in his first Invective against Julian in the words of the Prophet Isaiah he calls upon the Heaven and Earth to hear him a Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hear O Heaven and give ear O Earth And then it follows Hear O Soul of Constantius the Great if there be any sense in thee of these inferior things In his Fathers Funeral Oration he saith Now he advantages the Church of God more by his Praiers then before by his Doctrine and Preaching if it be not presumtion to say so And in the Funeral Oration of his Sister Gorgonia he is more expresly doubtful Whether this honor is given to the Saints departed as to be sensible of those things that are spoken of them Phil. b Illudsi non est dubitantis sed affirmant Bellarmin takes notice of such Passages and saith Those ifs are not of one doubting but asserting as when S t Paul said to Philemon If thou count me a Partner receive him as my self ver 17. he did not doubt of Philemons affection Theoph. The Circumstances shew the contrary and Bellarmin offers no proof of his consident Assertion but only because It may be so taken in one place it must be in these If your Doctors groundless Shifts and Answers must go for Oracles you may carry all before you For instance in the first If of Nazianzen in his Apostrophe to Constantius after his decease Hear O thou Blessed Soul of great Constantius If thou hast any knowledg of these things I speak c. Dares Bellarmin suppose that Constantius did hear Nazianzen Or that he was a Blessed Soul in Heaven who was so great a Persecuter of the Orthodox Christians in his life time and Protector of the Arrians and upon this account I much wonder how this Holy Father could make such honorable mention of an Arrian Emperor as to stile him c The most famous of Princes that ever were encreasing the heritage of Christ to his power For his zeal of the Orthodox Faith he is generally stiled Gregory the Divine But here we must reckon him to be a vehement Orator and many of his Sentences must be made good only by some Figures of Rhetoric Hyperbolies Apostrophes and the like Phil. Is this your way to answer the Fathers You formerly severely censur'd this way in Bellarmin when he said Chrysostom in many places spoke like an Orator and do you now fall under the same condemnations Theoph. I have given an answer unto Bellarmins Arguments out of Nazianzen and now I make this necessary Observation to the Reader for greater caution Phil. S t Hilary liv'd in this fourth Century an eminent Bishop in France who in his Commentary upon the 129 Psalm tells us That the Angels are Presidents of Churches Theoph. He brings a strange proof of the Assertion Rev. 2. 3. from the Angels of the Churches of Asia which are generally taken by Interpretors for the Bishops of those Churches and they cannot possibly stand for the Heavenly Powers and Spirits because some Infirmities are imputed to them Rev. 2 ver 4. That the Angel of the Church of Ephesus had left his first love that he should repent and do his first works That the Angel of the Church of Laodicea was luke-warm cap. 3. 16. Phil. I pray give me leave to urge the whole Testimony of this Father he saith We may in a probable sense call the Angels The Eyes of the Lord and his Ears his Hands and his Feet for they are his Ministring Spirits And altho the Divine Nature who knoweth all things need not their information yet our infirmity in Praing to God and deserving his savor needs their Spiritual Intercession Theoph. I pray How doth the Ministery and Intercession of Angels prove the Invocation of Saints Such impertinent Quotations are only brought to fill up the number and weary the Reader Phil. Bellarmin shews how the same Holy Father in Psal 124. speaks alike of the Intercession of the Holy Apostles and Prophets Theoph. True he doth Allegorize the Mountains which stand round about Jerusalem a Nec leve praesidium in Apostolis vel Patriarchis Prophetis vel potius in Ang. to be The guard of Saints or rather saith he of Angels about Gods People But leaving S t Hilaries Allegories I pray observe what the Prophet David adds immediatly As the Mountains stand about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his People from hence-forth even for ever And Hilary thereupon declares b Benum quidem praesidium Angeli sed melius Dei The safe-guard of the Angels is good but of God much better Mean while here is not one syllable of our Invocation of Saints or Angels but only of their Intercession and Protection And by the way you may take this note along with you That Hilary was as bitter in his Invectives and had as great an Indignation against the Emperor Constantius as you but now heard Gregory Nazianzen did extol him Phil. It is not my work to commit the Fathers I proceed in Bellarmins proofs his next out of S t Ambrose is full and without Exception We must pray unto the Angels who are our Guards and to the Saints and Martyrs whose Patronage we may challenge as being of our own Substance they can intreat for our sins who have washt away their own if any they had with their Blood These are Gods Martyrs and our Bishops Over-seers of our Life and Actions let us not c Lib. de Viduis ultra medium Obsecrandi sunt Ang. c. Obs sunt Martyres Corporis pignora blush to admit these as Intercessors for our infirmities because They when they did overcome were yet sensible of the infirmity of the body Theoph. Saint Ambrose was but a young Divine a novice and Cathechumen when he was chosen Bishop of Millam he was train'd up in Civill affairs pleading Causes as a Deputy of the Country administring justice therfore we have no teason to ground our Faith upon his dictates He speaks often piously but not alwaies Orthodoxly do you allow that passage of his in this very proof
a Qui proprio sanguine laverunt si qua habuerunt peccata The Martyrs if they had any sins have washt them away with their own Blood The Blessed Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 1. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all unrighteousness Immediatly before these words which Bellarmin quotes S. Ambrose hath this passage b Infirma est caro mens aegra ad Medici sedem non potest debile explicare vestigium The flesh is weak the mind sick and feter'd with the chains of sin and so we cannot creep to the Physician but must call upon the Angels and Martyrs c. Where do you read in H. Scripture that the sick to wit the sinner cannot come to Christ the Physitian did he not come to call sinners to invite the weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest you shall hear other Fathers generally contradicting this Doctrine of Ambrose and the Holy Scripture much more yet this is the usual pretence for Saints Invocation and Intercession That we are unworthy of our selves to draw neer to an Holy God to put up our supplications to him of which more hereafter herein S. Ambrose contradicts what he hath piously commented upon the first chap. of the Epistle to the Rom. in the 4 chap. of his Commentary c Solent miserâ uti excusatione per istos posse ire ad Deum ut per Comites ad Reg. This is the miserable excuse saith he that by Angels and Saints we may have access to God being unworthy of our selves to come unto him as we go to the King by his Courtiers For which he answers d Ideo per Tribunos Comites itur ad Regem quia homo est c. Ad Deum a. promerendum qui omnium novit merita suffragatore opus non est sed mente devotâ Therefore we come to the King by his Tribunes and Officers because the King is a man and must receive information from others but to obtain the favor of God who knoweth all mens deserts we need no suffragants but a devout mind whensoever such a one calls upon Him he will answer him Nothing could be more directly oppos'd to your usuall plea for the Invocation of Saints The same Father in his book de Isaac Anima cap. 5 tells us from the third chap. of Canticles and the third vers e Anima quae Deum quaerit transit custodes enim sunt mysteria quae etiam Ang. concupiscunt videre That a Soul seeking God passeth by the keepers for there are mysteries which the Angels them selves desire to looke into Phil. Do you then follow S. Ambrose's direction in one place and I will take his advise in the other Bellarmin brings the testimony of many other Fathers of the later Ages of the Church and I must confess I am almost tired in following him especially seeing you so dextriously shift him off Gregory Nyssen speaks home to the point in the latter end of his Oration opon Theodorus a Martyr thus We want many benefits doe thou become our Legat with the King of Heaven Thou art not ignorant of humane necessities procure peace for us That we have bin safe and sound hitherto we ascribe it to thee If you want more assistance take in the quire of your Brethren the Martyrs The praiers of many Saints wash away the sins of Nations and People In the like manner he speaks in his Panegyricks of another Martyr Theoph. This is sufficient to your purpose you need look no further But I pray tell me do you take him for an Orator or Divine in these passages Is it possible he should in earnest ascribe the preservation of the Faithfull all along unto this Martyr hope for security from him for the future and never take into consideration the divine protection Is it good Divinity to say That the praiers of the Just wash away the guilt of Nations and People and never mention the Blood of Christ and his effectuall Intercession Phil. That is to be suppos'd as the principall the Blessed Saints may be instrumentall in these Blessings Theoph. What you suppose is one thing and what he expresseth another But it is neither good Philosophie nor Divinity to intitle the effect unto the Instruments and leave out the principall Agent Should I make such an harangue to an Artists Tooles give them all the honor of the excellent work he would reckon me besides my wits and himself put besides his due commendation praise Phil. You ask Questions instead of giving Answers But I have now concluded to favor you and not overlade you with innumerable testimonies The Authority of the later Fathers perhaps you will except against in this point Such as Bede and Anselme Bernard Damascene the Elder I have hitherto produc'd and yet there remaine two of the Greek Church and two of the Latin Church whose Authorities I will urge out of Bellarmin in confirmation of this point then I shall give you respite The Greek Fathers are Chrysostome and Theodoret the Latin Jerom and Augustin Theoph. You have made a noble choise herein you much oblige me whilst your wisdom and your zeal do prompt you to urge the most effectuall testimonies on your side that you determine to let the others passe which cheifly serve to fill up a number Phil. Bellarmin quotes an eminent passage out of a Homil. 66 ad pop Antioch Chrysostom but we easier find it in his 26 Homilie upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians from whence we suppose the Homilie was collected it is in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that Homilie The words out of Chrysostom are these He that weareth purple goes and salutes the sacred bodies and laying aside his state b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. stands praying unto the Saints that they would appear before God in his behalf He that weareth the Diadem beesecheth the Tent-maker and Fisherman being dead to become his Advocates Theoph. This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passage whereunto we find not a second like it in all the works of Chrysostom Bellarmine refers to other pâ—â—ces of this Father but according to his accoustum'd manner without truth and reason It is strange therefore if he were of the opinion the practice in his daies was usual to pray to the Saints before their shrines that any where else he should not speak of it and therefore I must tell you that the originall Greek doth not altogether warrant Bellarmin's translation but equally admits another which will fall short of his proof For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well signifies standing in need of the Saints Intercession as praying for it and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He wants their protection Now we may stand in need and may reap the benefit of the Saints supplications in Heaven for the people of God here on earth yet have no warrant to call upon
them except we could be better assur'd that they do hear us This therefore is a fallible and ambiguous proof unless ratified by some other passages out of Chrysostom Phil. The Cardinal refers to other places in that Father for the same proof Theoph. He doth so to his great shame and disadvantage to the demonstration of his supiness not of the point He sends us to Chrysostoms fift Homilie upon S t Matthew where the Holy Father in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the application or Moral upon the text presseth much upon us the duty of being sober and watchfull in praier to God for our selves and not depend upon the praiers of others For no man may deliver his Brother nor make agreement to God for him Ps 49. 7. He instanceth in Moses that could not prevail for Miriam nor Samuel for Saul nor Jeremy for his People c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c If we our selves be negligent others cannot help us if we be watchfull we may prevail for our selves more then by others Intercession For God chooseth rather to give his blessings to us for our selves then for others praying for us For so saies he he had compassion upon the Canaanitish woman saved the harlot Theif d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none mediating or playing the Advocate to God for them Would any sober man believe Bellarmin should direct us unto this Homilie for the proof and encouragment unto the Invocation of Saints departed Phil. Perhaps he reflected upon Chrysostom's next word in that Homilie e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak these things not that we should not desire the praiers of the Saints but that our selves should not be slothfull He would not discourage men from suing to the Saints Theoph. To the Saints living not the deceased All his instances in the Homilie shew this in Samuel's praying for Saul and Moses for Miriam and their praiers were unsuccessfull because the persons for whom they prai'd were not worthy In the next place your Cardinal sends us to the eight Homilie where there is not a syllable for his purpose There in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shews That neither the iniquity of our Fathers nor of the place wherein we live shall hinder us in the course of Vertue if we will take heed unto our selves As Joseph lived vertuously in Egypt and the three Children in Babylon and Hezekiah was a good Son of wicked Ahaz and Abraham of Terah an Idolater If this proves the Invocation of Saints let it be so In the next place we follow him unto Chrysostoms 43 Homilie upon Genesis where we have the former Text. No man may deliver his brother c. if we neglect our selves neither Father nor Kinsman can stead us no not the Saints righteous men who have great confidence with God Only a Jesuit's chymical brain can extract the Invocation of Saints out of these passages of Chrysostom Come we now to the next place of Chrysostom whether Bellarmin refers us to his first Homilie upon the first Epistle to the Thessalonians There the good Father exhorteth us in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be watchfull and sollicitous for our selves and then others praiers also may benefit us f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. T is good saith he to enjoy the prayes of the Saints but when we are co-workers with them Where he evidently speaks of the praiers of the living for us instancing in Peters deliverance out of prison thro the servent praiers of the Church Act. 12. and in Pauls desire the Saints should contend in praier for him Phil. 1. 19. And now tell me is not this a great deceit cheat upon the Reader when the good Father speaks of the praiers of the Saints living which we should desire for Bellarmin to transfer it unto the praiers of the Saints departed In the last place your Cardinal sends us unto Chrysostoms Panegyrick upon two Martyrs Jubentius and Maximinus tom 5. And I suppose he had an eye unto that passage of the Father As Souldiers shewing their wounds receiv'd in warr appear with great confidence before the General or their Prince so these Blessed Martyrs presenting their heads which were cut off in their hands may easily obtain what they shall desire of the King of Heaven Now from hence what would you infer Phil. That as they can prevail much with God we should the more importunatly beg the favour of their Intercession Theoph. Why did not the Holy Father make that inference himself or make his Application to them in praier we say because he did not approve the doctrine of praiers to the Saints in Heaven All that he exhorts his hearers unto in the close of his Panegyrick is this To go unto the Monuments of these Martyrs with faith and joy that by the sight of their shrines and remembrance of their glorious sufferings they may reap much fruit and so live That they may share in their happiness Would he not have encouraged the people of God to pray unto these Martyrs if he had thought it beneficial or duty And now I begin to understand That when your subtle Cardinal refers to a place by figures quotes not the words at length he well knew they would not serve his turn only to impose upon the credulous Reader either to believe him or to be put to an endless trouble in the search discovery But I have bin content to devour this trouble have with great indignation found him a deceiver and and yet before I leave S t Chrysostom I will refer you to one of g Tom. 5. Hom. 60. his Homilies where in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the history of the Canaanitish woman he shews h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That we prevail most with God by our own praiers rather then others Intercessions The Apostles saith he interpos'd for that woman but our Saviours answer was a deniall I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of Israel but her own importunity prevail'd for her daughters recovery which was the sum of her desire There Chrysostom expresly tells us Thou hast no need of Mediators with God to fawn upon others to pray for thee but if thou art destitute of all Protectors thy self by thy self calling upon God shalt thou obtain all canst desire He will not grant unto us upon the request of others so as upon our own He puts the objection which your Doctors usually propose That we are not worthy to appear in the Lords presence i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What saist thou art thou unworthy become worthy by thy perseverance in praier to God Our Blessed Saviour saith he compar'd the woman of Canaan to a Dog unto whom the Childrens bread must not be given and yet soon after he cry'd out O woman great is thy faith Phil. You may as well urge these like passages of Chrysostom against the Mediation and Intercession of Christ and
commanding as Whatsoever we do either in word or deed to do all in the name of our Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Theodorets Comment is g Deo Patri gratiarum actionem emittite per ipsum non per Angelos Offer up to God your sacrifice of praise by Him not by the Angels Again we find not one syllable either in Theodoret or the Council of Laodicea concerning Simon Magus or his heresie but only those Christians which did worship and pray to Angels To conclude this Answer It is the miserable device of the Schools to shift off evident unanswerable arguments with obscure and srivolous distinctions giving no reall satisfaction either to them selves or others So in the point of Image worship They did not give to them the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which apparteins only to God but an inferior worship call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if any were so bold to maintaine That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due to the Cross or the Image of Christ yet it is in a relative and inferior manner So here the Council condemns not all Veneration of Angels but only such as is due to God Whereas the circumstances you have heard prove the contrary The Councel forbids Invocation of Angels as Intercessors for us to the supreme Deity Phil. You will never I see receive any satisfaction from us I proceed unto the two Eminent Fathers of the Latin Church Bellarmin urgeth That prayer of S. Jerom in the end of his Epitaph or Panegyrick upon Paula a Vale ô Paula Cultoris tui ultimam senectutem orationibus juva Farewell ô Paula and assist with thy praiers the extream old age of thy worshipper Theoph. From other evident passages of that Father we conclude This to be a Rhetorical Apostrophe and not the judgment practise of S. Jerom to pray unto the Saints departed For in his book against Vigilantius he first asserts That Martyrs are not to be worshipt b Quis aliquando Martyres adoravit Whoever worshipt them Phil. Althou they are not worshipt as God yet we may pray unto them Theoph. Praier is a part of religious worship due to God if you mean only civil requests such as one Christian makes to another to remember him in his praiers we would not deny it to the Saints in Heaven could we be assur'd that they do hear us But to proceed Jerom doth not bring one syllable to assert the Invocation of Saints altho if his jugdment had inclin'd the ballance that way he had occasion given by Vigilantius whose Assertion was That while we live we may pray one for another c Post mortem nullus audet pro aliis deprecari but none praies for other after death Against this Jerom riseth with great indignatien If the blessed Apostles and Martyrs while in the flesh could pray for others how much more after they are crown'd d Postquam cum Christo esse cepermt minus valebunt shall they prevail less with Christ now they are with him This is somewhat for their Intercession but not for their Invocation Nay in his funeral Oration upon Nepotian dedicated to Heliodorus Jerom saith expresly e Quicquid dixero quia ille non audit mutum videtur Whatsoever I say of him t is but silence seeing he heareth not And in the close of the Oration he saith f Cum quo loqui non possumus de eo loqui nunquam desinamus Seeing we cannot speak to him or with him let us never cease to speak of him now making praiers to the deceased is speaking to them and not of them Phil. If I should multiply Replies to your answers we should never conclude I hast unto the testimony of S. Augustin Bellarmin quotes 3 places out of this Holy Father to prove the Invocation of Saints a Tract 84. in Joannem Non sic Mart. ad Mensam commemoramus c. We do not so commemorate Martyrs at the Holy Table as we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them but rather that they may pray for us .. And the second place is like unto it De verbis Apostolorum Serm. 17. b Injuria est pro Mart. orare cujus nos debemus Orat. commendari It is an injury to pray for a Martyr unto whose Praiers we should be commended Theoph. In these two parallel passages S t Augustin shews That the Commemoration of the Martyrs at the Altar in the time of Divine Service must not be construed a Praier for them for that would be an injury to them but rather a tacite recommendation of the Congregation unto their Praiers and Intercession Here is no Invocation exprest but only a recommendation implied and so they are dubious and imperfect proofs and in the first he speaks only comparatively That Martyrs should rather pray for us then we for them And yet withal I must acquaint you That Epiphanius a Primitive Bishop who did much oppose the growing Superstition of Worshipping Saints and Images both by his Writings and Actions c Heresi 75. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be expresly tells us We pray for Martyrs and for the whole Order of Blessed Saints c. That so we may distinguish the Lord Christ from all generations of Men. Phil. Make what use of your Observations you please I pass to the third Testimony which Bellarmin brings from S t d Lib. de cura pro Mortuis c. 4. Nisi ad hoc ut dum recolunt ubi sunt c. Augustin I do not see what advantage to the dead is the care of their Friends to bury them near the Tomb of some Martyr unless herein That whilst they remember where the Bodies of their Friends do lie they may commend them unto those Saints as Patrons to be assisted by their Praiers Theoph. Notwithstanding this Testimony we shall willingly be tried by this Book concerning S t Augustins Judgment in the point of Praying to the Saints And I will therefore give you a short account of the whole Book In the beginning S t Augustin shews how he was consulted by Paulinus a Bishop whether it was any advantage to the Dead to be buried in the Temple or near the Monument of a Saint or Martyr The occasion was given by a Pious Matron Flora who was very importunate to have her Son Cynegius buried in the Temple of S t. Felix Hereunto S t Augustin answers That it is no part of our Misery if our Bodies should not be Interr'd but expos'd by the Tyranny of Persecutors unto the Fouls of the Air or to the Beasts of the Field For saith he our Blessed Savior saith expresly That after Man hath kill'd the Body he can do no more not hurt the person after death And when the Bodies of Martyrs were not permitted Burial it was no part of their Infelicity but only shew'd the cruelty of Tyrants That so Christians who
b Eodem Deo invocato in auxilium The same Lord being call'd upon for our assistance Mark it God being call'd upon for his assistance that we may imitate the Martyrs Virtues c Lib. 20. Centra faustum Manich. c. 21. Quod offertur Deo offertur c. Again he tells us That which is offer'd at the Shrines and Memories of the Martyrs is offered to God Phil. This is true as to Sacrifices which belong only to God but not as to our Praiers Theoph. Our Praiers are Christian Sacrifices ascending up like the Incense and the Evening Sacrifice Psal 142. 2. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the most highest and call upon me in the time of trouble saith the Prophet David Psal 50. 14 15. So Tertullian Phraseth it d Lib. Ad Scapulam Sacrificamus Deo pro salute Imperat. sed prece pura We sacrifice unto God for the health of the Emperor but with pure Praier And in his Apology for Christians Chap. 30. e Offero opimam majorem Hostiam orationem de carne pudica c. I offer to God saith he a more excellent Sacrifice even Praier proceeding out of pure lips and an innocent heart and from the Holy Ghost So Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 7. Stromatum f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We honor God by Praier and send up this best and most holy Sacrifice Our Praiers therefore are the most acceptable Sacrifices from us to God Of your transcendent Sacrifice of the Mass we may God willing treat hereafter Again in his first Tom. Lib. De ver a Relig cap. ult he tells us That the service of the Body may be due to Princes the service of the Soul to God He tells us farther g Ecce unum Deum colo quisquis Angel diligit hunc Deum certus sum c. Behold I worship one God the Fountain of all things and the Angels that love God I am sure they love me Whosoever abides in him and can hear the Praiers of Men in him he heareth me and in him he helps me h Religat ergo nos Religio uni Omnipotenti Deo Religion therefore binds me to one Omnipotent God The good Father often tells us That the Blessed Saints and Angels expect no such service from us but expresly saith he they direct us to pray to God i Psal 96. Tom. 8. Omnes Sancti Angeli c. Ad ejus cultum c. All the Saints and Angels seek his glory whom they love and they study to draw all whom they love to his Worship and to his Contemplation and to pray to him To this effect elsewhere he tells us a Lib. de Pastoribus c. 8. Sunt montes boni sc autores divin script The Authors of Holy Scripture are good hills and when we look unto them they will send you back to God in whom standeth your help b Si in iis spem posueris contristabuntur If you put confidence in them they will grieve The Angel saith he that related many Mysteries to John being worship'd by him he calls him back to God c Tanquam levantem oculos ad Montem revocat ad Deum as one that did lift up his eyes to the hills saying See thou do it not worship God I am thy Fellow-servant d Enar. upon Psal 64. 3. Solus ibi ex his qui carnem c. Again he sheweth How Christ is our High Priest enter'd within the veil who only of all that lived in the flesh there doth make Intercession for us And this saith he was shadowed under the Law for in the first Temple only the High Priest enter'd into the Holiest of all and offer'd Sacrifice for the People standing without Once more in the 10 th Book of his Confessions chap. 42. S t Augustin speaks fully against Invocation of Angels e Quem invenirem qui me reconciliaret Tibi Whom may I find saith he to reconcile me to thee O God! Shall I go to the Angels With what Praier with what Sacraments Many desirous to return to Thee and distrusting themselves as I hear have tried this way and have fallen into the curiosity of Visions and became meet for Delusions And now after all that you have heard out of S t Augustin I pray judg whether Bellarmin had reason to appeal to him for the confirmation of the Invocation of Saints Phil. Notwithstanding all your insulting Triumphs what hath bin brought by Bellarmin out of S t Augustin hath not bin impertinent But you forget one notable passage which Bellarmin quotes out of S t Augustin in his 18 th Chapter of this Book and Controversie you promis'd to take these Testimonies into consideration in your own season but you have forgotten it f Aljuvet nos Cypr. Orationibus suis Lib. 7. de Baptism Contra Donatist c. 10. It is a formal Invocation Let Cyprian help us with his Praiers Theoph. 'T is no Invocation of Cyprian but S t Augustins desire put up to God That the Blessed Martyr Cyprians Praiers might benefit him It implies the Supplication of the Saints in Heaven for the People of God in general and his Praier to God That he with others might reap the fruit of their Praiers Phil. I will conclude with Bellarmins last Argument the Miracles that have attested this Doctrine whereby the Saints and Martyrs have demonstrated That they do hear our Praiers and can help us Theoph. For a general Answer hereunto we have already shew'd out of S t Augustin That Miracles may be done at the Monuments of the Saints and themselves may appear unto Votaries in their Temples and yet know nothing neither of the Miracle or the Apparition God by the ministery of Angels working Miracles and Cures at their Shrines for a Testimony unto the Faith for which these Martyrs died Phil. This general Answer will not serve For the Learned Cardinal proves out of the 3 d Book of S t Bernard's Life That the Holy Father Preaching at Tholouse against such who denied the Invocation of Saints before all the Congregation blessed Loaves of Bread with the Sign of the Cross and offer'd this trial of his Doctrine That if it were true all who had Diseases in the great City eating of these Loaves should be healed And so multitudes were healed of their Infirmities Here you see God did attest the Doctrine of Invocation of Saints by Miracle Theoph. Bernard liv'd in the 12 th Century and so the Testimony runs low But withal the Abbot who wrote those four Books as a Legend of Bernards Life suited the fabulous credulous humors of these Times he makes him a Wonder-worker thro-out I well remember That above 30 Years since being a Novice in the University and reading this account of S t Bernards Life I could not choose but abhor the notorious Forgeries of the Writer I pray read and judg Phil. I see you will not be convinc'd and therefore
can call upon him Theoph. Must we not believe also in the Saints before we call upon them Phil. Yes c Non posse eum Sanctos invocare qui non suo modo credit in Sanctos Bellarmin tells you immediatly after That he cannot call upon the Saints who doth not in some sort believe in them Theoph. Bellarmin saith this Suo more to pervert the Holy Scripture with his corrupt Glosses and Interpretations The Fathers are positive That to believe in him refers only to God d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Gregory Nazianzen tells us It is not the same to believe in any one and to believe any thing of him the one belongs to God the other to any Creature So Ruffinus upon the Creed By the syllable of this Preposition In the Creator is distinguish'd from the Creature and Divine from humane things We believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost We believe the Holy Church These were the antient Rules of Faith until your Doctors gave us new And yet Aquinas here leaves you a Catena aurea In Joannem c. 14. for upon Job 14. 1. he observes That Christ saying Believe also in me testifies unto his Disciples That he is their God for altho we may believe another we must believe in God only Phil. You multiply Quotations in vain For you heard that Bellarmin did not say absolutly but that suo modo We may believe in the Saints Theoph. 'T is suo modo in truth For the Ancients allow no such Qualification Phil. You may excuse the Expression because he shews out of Holy Scripture that we may believe in the Saints In S t Pauls Epistle to Philemon ver 5. Hearing of thy Love and Faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus and towards all Saints The Griginal is Thy Love and Faith b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all the Saints Theoph He hath found one place and none like it to justifie his confident Assertions But you must understand that Text right by a fit transposition of the terms Hearing of thy Faith in Christ and of thy Love towards the Saints So Calvin reads it and Firinus a Learned Jesuit in their Commentaries upon the place Phil. You will turn and wind every Text to your own purpose But Bellarmin explains himself concerning this believing in the Saints c Credere esse Sanctos in iis ut in patronis sperare eosque ut tales diligere To believe that they are Saints to hope in them as Patrons and as such to love them Theoph. It seems by your Cardinals Interpretation of himself these three Theological Virtues Faith Hope and Love contrary to their Nature must be referr'd objectively to the Saints and so Adoration Invocation acts of Religious and Divine Worship must have the Saints for their object according to your Doctors who invert and pervert the frame and order of the ancient Theology by their new Models and modern Inventions By this rule in our Ladies Psalter as you call it many Versicles of the 150 Psalms of David are Blasphemously perverted The Name of God the Lord put out and the name of our Lady put in O Lady How are they multiplied that trouble me Psal 3. ver 1. Ponder my words O Lady and consider my Meditations Psal 5. 1. O Lady rebuke me not in thine Indignation Psal 6 10. Vnto thee O Lady lift I up my Soul c. Psal 25. 1. Have mercy upon me O Lady who art call'd the Mother of mothers according to the tender Bowels of thy Compassions cleanse me from all mine Iniquities Psal 51. 1. And so it is carried on throughout the whole book of Psalms until you come to the close Praise our Lady in her Holiness Laud her in her Miracles and Vertues Psalm 150. 1. This is the new mode more Romano This is the new Devotion of your Church Phil. Shew where our Church doth own or countenance such extravagancies Theoph. This Psalter is of Cardinal Bonaventures making a Franciscan Frier zealous for the Virgin Mari's superlative honor as ever was the while order of Franciscan's It is at larg printed in the fourth tome of his works under publick Licence a Jussu Sixti quin ti permissu superiorum by the command of Pope Sixtus the fifth and the license of his superiors and for this and other his Seraphical piety he was afterward Canoniz'd for a Saint Phil. It cannot be of that Learned Schoolman's Composure b 3. Sent. dist 3. qu. 2. dâ Cavendum ne dum Matris Exoel ampliatus c. for he writes against such trancendencies ascrib'd unto the Blessed Virgin And gives this pious caution We must beware least whilst the Fxcellency of the Mother is amplified the glory of the son be Eclipst and so in Him she also be provok't to anger who desires more the honor of her Son then of her selfe And he further answers that Objection That the honor of the Mother Redownds to the Son No saith He. c Non omnis honor qui filio acbetur Maeri tribuendus All the Honor due to the Son must not be given to the Mother Theoph. He that saieth all Honor due to Christ is not to be given to his Mother supposeth that some Honor due to Christ is to be given to her And that must be divine Honor and withal because he was not of the Opinion of other Doctors that she was Conceiv'd without Original sin he spake these words but he concludes She was boâ—n without sin Sanctified immediately after her Conception in her Mothers Womb. That She never sined actually and could not sin after her Conception by the holy Ghost because She was confirm'd in Good as the blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven However it is evident such a Blasphemous Psalter there is and if ye will have it so â—oisted into his works to procure the greater Reputation thereunto And so you confess your own Authors are corrupted for the advantage of your cause Mean while your Index Expurgatorius your high Commission Court of the Inquisition serves not it seems to Expunge out of Authors Blasphemous Spurious Writings if they any way agree with the Genius of your Church but to Expunge sound and Orthodox Divinity which sui es not with your new Principle and doctrines but of such Extravagancies hereafter I pray tell me can you Imagine so larg a Psalter consisting of an 150. Psalms together with other Blasphemous Hymns and Additions could be permitted to come abroad into the world under his Name and in his works with so much Licence and Authority if it were not well pleasing to those in the greatest Authority in your Church Now I have instanced in this Psalter to shew how ye do believe and hope in the Saints and so Rationally conclude that you ought to call upon them But we have not so learned Christ to believe and trust in man least the curse of God should light upon us To proceed therefore in
the Decree Ad eorum orationes opem auxiliumque confugere Phil. I have no reason to admit sinister constructions any farther then the words will necessarily force me Now the later terms may be Exegetical of the former and well transpos'd thus To fly to the aid and assistance of their Praiers And then tell me what have you gotten by this decree Theoph. Your practise will best interpret your Rule If the public praiers of your Church request more of the Saints in Heaven then the assistance only of their Praiers you may suppose your Church intended and understood and exprest more in her decree You shall find your Church often to supplicate That as well by the Merits as by the Intercession of the Saints God would be favourable unto them In the Hymnes above mentioned to the Virgin Mary she is call'd the Mother of Grace and mercy and Protection from our Ghostly Enemy is sought from her and reception into Glory So likewise in the hymne of the Apostles Grace and Vertue is desired of the Saints for such as languish in their Vices And that by the command of the Apostles as it is exprest and not by their Praiers And yet Bellarmin hath the confidence to interpret all these things according to the sense of the Church as he speaks That all these things are expected from their Praiers not from any other assistance You shall find several Popes in the Names of Peter and Paul promising great things unto Princes who shall engage in the defence and cause of the Church and threatning dreadfull Judgments from them upon such as are disobedient Pope Hadrian writing to the Emperor Constantine and Irene his Mother Congratulates their embracing the Faith of Peter and Paul Princes of the Apostles and promiseth a Binius Teme 5. p. 554. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They shall protect the Empire make them Victorious and bring the Barbarous Nations under their feet On the contrary we find direful threats from these two Apostles Pope Pius the 4 th concludes his Bulls after this sort b Nulli hominum liceat bane c vid. Concil Trid. edit per Joan. Gallemaâ—t ad finem Let none presume to infringe this our Declaration If any shall attemt to do so let him know he shall incur the wrath of God Almighty and of his two blessed Apostles Peter and Paul These things are Obvious and I will not heap Quotations to prove them I will only give you an Account of one notable Letter to this effect which I mention'd in the beginning of this Conference and will now transcribe much of it for your sake and the Readers that ye may judge what your Popes opinion was of the power and Parronage of the Apostles and so by consequence of the other Saints c Bin. Tom. 5. p. 55. Pope Stephen the 3. being grievously streightened by Aystulphus King of Lombardy who with a Potent Army besieged Rome sends a Letter in the name of S t Peter unto Pipin and his two sons Charles and Carloman Kings of France It begins thus d Petrus Apost vecatus à Jesu Christo dei filio c. Peter call'd to be an Apostle by Jesus Christ the Son of God c. Grace Peace and Power c. To you most excellent men Pipin Charles and Carloman 3 Kings c. After the salutation he proceeds e Ego Petrus Apost dietus a Christo c. I Peter an Apostle being call'd by Christ and the good pleasure of the Divine Clemency and ordain'd by his power to enlighten the whole world f Quamobrem omnes c. Therefore all Men who fulfil my Preaching and command must believe That their sins by Gods precept are forgiven in this World and shall go into life Eternal without Blemish c. Therefore I Peter c Who have Adopted you for my Sons do exhort you to defend the City of Rome and my Sepulcher and Temple there against the Incursion of my Enemies g Pro certo confidite memet ipsum c. And know ye for certain that I my self will be present with you to assist you as tho I were present and visible in the Flesh for altho I am absent in the Flesh I am present in the Spirit Now our Lady the Mother of God the Thrones and Dominions and all the Host of Heaven with the Martyrs and confessors of Christ with all obligations possible do adjure you to assist my City and People of Rome with your utmost power and speed h Et ego Petrus in hac Vita c. And I Peter by way of recompence will become your Brother in this life and in the day of Gods strict Judgment prepare Mansions for you in the glorious Kingdom of God the reward of eternal recompence and the Infinite joies of Paradice Nay whatsoever Protections and assistance you will ask I will give you I therefore Conjure you by the most beloved living God that ye permit not my City to be sackt by the Lombards least your Souls and Bodies be likewise torn and tormented in everlasting Fire with the Devil and all his Pestilent Angels i Firmiss tenete quod ego c. Ye must firmly believe that heretofore when you Prai'd unto me I did help and give you Victory over your Enemies by the power of God when you were few in number in comparison of the Enemies of the Church k Ecce chariss fili c. He concludes Behold my dear sons I have warned you if you obey with speed it shall be your great reward and my suffrage shall help you in this life ye shall overcome your Enemies and live long and eat good things and afterwards ye shall inherit Eternal life But if ye make any delay know ye that by the authority of the holy and individual Trinity and by the Apostolical grace given unto me ye shall be alienated for the transgression of this my Exhortation from the Kingdom of God and from life Eternal Phil. I have had the Patience to hear you I pray let me now understand your design in these Instances Theoph. Your Popes are public Persons and you would have them thought to be guided by an infallible Spirit especially in their Buls Epistles and serious agitations not to err And you see what power they ascribe to the Saints departed not only of Interceding but Acting for us and against our enmies And partly from thence your Doctors have taken occasion to instruct the people to invoke them as Patrons and Protectors and Saviours out of trouble Now you have a rare art of Reduction if you can bring all this under the single head of Intercession that they effect these things only by their praiers to God and not by a delegacy of his power to them Phil. It comes all to one if by their praiers they obtain such power to save and to destroy Theoph. Take your suppositions for granted and the case is clear Mean while
you put the poor ministring Angels out of Office delegating their ministery and powers unto the Saints triumphant and yet I cannot let pass without a just indignation and censure these forementioned Threats in the Popes Bulls and Letters That the indignation of our great God and of his two Apostles Peter and Paul should be threatned together as tho one were as much to be fear'd as the other and so likewise for the conferring of blessing and the return of thanks they are directed to God and to the Saints It is Bellarmin's close in every Tome a Laus Deo beatae Virgini Praise be given to God and to the Blessed Virgin and so all the Jesuits conclude Nay Gregory de Valentia puts the Virgin before our Saviour in the close of many of his Books Laus Deo beatae Virgini Mariae Domino Jesu Christo Nay we read how Pope Pius the fift ascrib'd that famous Victory over the Turks in the Battel of Lepanto to the Virgin Mary and appointed a Solemn b Festum S. Mariae à Victoriâ Octobr. 7. Feast in memory thereof We shall find likewise in c Epistolarum lib. 12. Epist. 22. Speramus in câ—nip Dei virt in beati Petri Apost Principis adjutorio Gregory the Great such expressions as these We trust in the power of the most high God and in the help of blessed Peter the Prince of the Apostles Now the holy Fathers taught us another lesson as I have intimated partly before not to join together almighty God and the Angels or any other Creature in our supplications or benedictions or threats or confidences d Oratione 4. contra Apr. Great Athanasius proves the unity of God the Father and of Christ because the Apostle hath join'd them in one praier God him self and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you 1. Thess 3. 11 And he proceeds No man must pray to receive any thing from the Father and from the Angels or any other Creature e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither may any one say God and the Angel give thee this Upon this ground as you have heard he concluded in Jacobs blessings upon the sons of Joseph that the Angel stands for the Son of God the Angel of his Counsel as the Septuagint read Is 9. 6. So a Thes l. 3. c. 1. Cyril of Alexandria No man would endure to hear any one say Would God and some Angel would direct your course to us c. But alas in your Church your ears are accustom'd to such blasphemous conjunctions Jesu Maria is an usual oath among you and God help you and the Blessed Virgin you wish if a beggar ask you Alms you say God relieve and S. Peter And so you have heard the imprecations of your Popes The indignation of God Almighty and of Peter and Paul light upon you Now saith holy Athanasius b Loco citat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It sufficeth these things should come from the Father alone no Creature communicating So ye make solemn vowes unto God and some particular Saint in trouble and after deliverance pay to the Saint your vows Nay Cardinal c In 2. secundae q. 88. Art 5. Eâdem ratione votum sit Dâ—o Sanctis nec obstat quod sit actus relig quia ejusdem virtutis est vovere â—rare Cajetan maintains That a vow is made to God and to the Saint in the same manner altho a vow be a religious Act for we may as well make vows to them as praiers And therefore notwithstanding all your qualifying distinctions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appears little difference in the Invocation of God and of the Saints especially when you come to the practice of this Doctrine These Instances which we have already given are authority sufficient unto the undiscerning people to ask all blessings from the Saints and to hope from them to receive blessings as confidently as from Almighty God Phil. No they are taught to expect blessings from God for the sake and Intercession of the Saints Theoph. And they are taught and accustom'd to ask blessings of the Saints without any such limitations but in an absolute manner Phil. If the limitation be not exprest it must be implied Theoph. It seems the ground of your peoples error is expressed when the Hymns and prayers of your Church ask grace and protection of the Saints without the reserve that they should procure them by their Intercession But that which should undeceive them is supprest or as you will have it implied that what they ask absolutly of the Saints they must understand it only in reference to their praiers and Intercession And so the ignorant people who understand only the plain words of the petition and not the sense of the Church which is understood are induc'd to hope in the Saints for their succours and to fly to them in trouble as to their cheif Sanctuary and to return their thanks and their vows to them for their deliverance d â—omm in lib. 8. Aug. de Câ—v Dei Multi Christiam divos divasque non aliter venerantur quam Deum c. Ludovicus Vives complains that the common people highly offend in not discerning between the worship of God and of the Saints nor doth their opinion saith he of the Saints want much of what the Heathen do believe of their Deities or Idols Phil. What value we Ludovicus Vives come to the point What are these praiers to the Saints which you say our Church owns and prescribes and are so offensive to your tender ears and such a snare unto the people of God among us Theoph. Such as have the opportunity to search into your Breviaries and Missals have collected their gross absurdities and your Doctors as I can find have not bin sollicitous to answer them I shall give you some instances which I have taken out of one of your service books stiled a Ordinarium secundum usum Sarum The Ordinary after the use of Sarum printed at Paris by William Merlyn In the Office of the Virgin we have these passages b Tuum nobis impende solatium per te mereamur habere praemium cum electis Dei reenum Impart to us thy comfort by thee may we deserve the reward and the Kingdom of Heaven with the Elect. Again c Tuo pio interventu c. ut per te redemti sedem gloriae c. By thy pious intervention wash away our sins that being redeemed by thee we may climb the Seat of eternal glory O holy Virgin thou alone hast slain the heresies of the World d Accipe quod offerimus redona quod rogamus c. accept what we offer give what we ask and excuse what we fear Then follows a Formal praier or Collect e O Regina Mundi Scala Coeli Thronus Dei Janua Parad. c. O Queen of the world the ladder
that stand raise them that fall Correct our Manners Actions and Life and guide us in the way of peace In their Hymne for that day they declare Wonders All things obey and veild to Thomas Plague Diseases Death and Divels Fire Water Earth and Seas Thomas hath fil'd the World with glory The world to Thomas yields obeysance Thomas shines with new Miracles He restores the Members to the Gelt He adornes the Blind with sight Cleanseth the Lepers and their spots And free 's the dead from hands of death Thomae cedunt parent omna Pestes morbi mors daemonia Ignis Aer Tellus Maria Thomas mundum replevit gloriâ Thomae Mundus prestat Obsequia Novis sulget Thomas Miraculis Membr is donat Castratos masculis Ornat uisu privatos oculis Mundat Leprae conspersos maculis Solvis Mortis ligatos vinculis Opem nobis O Thoma poâ—rige Rege stantes c. There is a farther account how a Country Man going to visit the Martyrs Tomb was just led into the River by a Waggon on the Bridge And rising and sinking five times he was at last cast upon the Shore safe For having call'd upon the Martyr for his aid and that he would not suffer his 〈◊〉 Pilgrim to perish a grave Bishop aâ—pear'd upholding and conducting him to land This is the Legend of S t Thomas of Becket which your Church hath adopted into the Service and Office for the Feast And I have bin the more particular that you may observe well the gross Fables and Absurdities therein that your Church should impose such Stories of Miracles upon the credulous People And is it possible you should be reduc'd to such a low esteem of the pretious Blood of Christ that you must Petition our Blessed Savior to bring you to Heaven by the Blood of his Martyr Thomas And for a Conclusion I pray seriously consider this pretended Martyr He died in the defence of the Popes Usurpations among us and the Pope hath requited him with a Saintship whereas he had great success to go to Heaven so immediatly with such Qualifications of a turbulent and haughty Spirit And this usâ—ers in another grievance and just Exception we take against your Invocation of Saints because you pray to some Saints of whom you have no assurance that they are in Heaven nay of whom you cannot prove that ever they were in being what think you of the Beggars Saint S t Lazarus a Part. 3. Tom. 4. Tract 2. Salmeron assures us That he is every where esteemed a Saint and Protector of the poor Canoniz'd by the Church b Baronius Tom. 1. Anno 33. N. 44. Multis locis in memoriam Lazari c. worship'd with Altars and Images and Praiers made unto him And I have read an Argument some of your Doctors have urg'd to prove it an History of Dives and Lazarus in the Gospel and not a Parable because Lazarus is a Canoniz'd Saint and therefore doubtless such a Person there was of whom our Savior in the Gospel gives an Historical account But I have shewed above from the judgment of divers Fathers that it is a Parable Theophilact calls him fool who thinks otherwise and that by Dives and Lazarus only were represented the Rich and Poor by a Fiction of Persons suited to a Parable and so your Jesuit Maldonate affirms Now for your Church to make a real Saint of this Parabolical Representation to whom you make your Addresses in Praier somthing resembles your other kind of Devotion Praying unto or worshipping the Image instead of the Saint Your Church might as well have made the Prodigal Son returning a Saint So for S t George you cannot make any Historical Demonstration that such a Holy Person and Martyr there was George of Capâ—adox was a fierce Arrian mightily opposing Athanasius but he was slain for being a Christian b 〈…〉 an â—eathen Prince and so by his Heretical Faction esteemed a Martyr whom they represented for a great Champion and Captain under Christ fighting against the great Magician of Alexandria as they impiously stiled Holy Athanasius otherwise we rather account Saint George as he is constantly represented in his Image flaying a Dragon in rescue of a Virgin to be an Emblem of our Blessed Savior overcoming the Red Dragon our great Enemy the Devil and rescuing his Church as a chast Virgin from his temtations and force a Martyrol Rom. Apr. 23. Symboli potius quam Historiae alicujus c. Baronius acknowledgeth the Picture of S t George on Horse-back armed cap-a-pe and flaying a Dragon to be a Symbolical Image rather then a true History And that Jacobus de Voragine He that made the Golden Legend made it an History An Emblem saith b Hyperius de 〈◊〉 Stud. Theol. l. 3. c. 7. Hyperius of Christian Magistrates Who defend the Church of Christ as a pure Virgin from the snare of the Devil and his accursed Instruments interposing their power against the pernicious attemts of Heretics and so by the Blessing of God S t George shall be the Emblem of our most Noble Order of the Garter even unto the end of the World What shall I say of the Gyant S t Christopher from the Etymology of whose name you have deriv'd a Fable That being of a vast height at least 12 Cubits in length he carried our Blessed Savior over a deep and dangerous River guiding himself by a Staff like a Weavers beam c Hyperius citate Villavincent us makes him an Emblem of a Preacher of the Gospel who holding forth Christ in his word visible unto the People is encompass'd with Waves and Tempests and Waters of Affliction and Persecution but supports himself and wades thro with the staff of his Christian hope the expectation of the exceeding recompence of reward After this sort to fill up your Kalendar of Saints your Doctors might do well to go down into Egypt and bring their ancient Hieroglyphics to be Canonized and Worship'd Phil. You may do better to forbare scossing and study the Defence which our Doctors make against all the Exceptions your side have produc'd concerning these and other Saints Theoph. I have search'd and find them so impertinent that I lost my labor and shall not until I be urg'd farther to it trouble you and the Reader with the discovery Phil. I thank you for sparing your self and your Friend together for I begin to be weary of this Discourse which hath bin drawn out beyond expectation and me-thinks gives but little satisfaction Theoph. My serious endeavors to open your Eyes unto a discovery of the Errors of your Church are abundantly satisfactory unto my Conscience altho the success should fail and you still stop your Ears against the voice of the Charmer And yet I must trespass upon your patience in one more consideration touching the Canonizing of Saints If an Error should be committed therein it would be diffusive and spread all over your Church Praiers may be