our Arguments against your Doctrine We have already shew'd that your Doctors can make no proof or give any assurance that the Saints in Heaven do hear our Praiers and therefore that we should call upon them in vain But yet further as to our thoughts and mental Praiers the Saints cannot discerne them and therefore are not meet Objects of our Invocation Phil. Yes in the glass of the Trinity even mens thoughts may be represented to them Theoph. Never tell me what may be but do you believe they do discerne our though's you know in Scripture to search the hearts and know the thoughts of men is made an incommunicable property of the divine Nature Thou even thou only knowest the hearts of men saith Solomon 1 Kings 8. 39. Phil. To this Bellarmin answers that God only naturally and by hiw own vertue know's mens thoughts but the Saints by Revelation and the beatific Vision Theoph. These are meer Dictates without proof Devices to shift of unanswerable Arguments How can your great Doctor prove that God reveles the thoughts of Men and Women and Children and their mental Praiers to the Saints in Heaven or that they behold them in the Beatifical Vision whereas he is foret to acknowledg that other things are conceled from them for instance neither Angels nor Saints know the day of Judgment Phil. This wise discourse signifies but little For if the Saints in glory cannot difcern nor hear mental Praier let us put up vocal Supplications unto them Theoph. If you cry aloud and they cannot hear you what then however there is more in this consideration then so Would you have the blessed Virgin as soon interceed for Hypocrites as for sincere Christians shall Peter admit you all promiscuously into Heaven such Mediators as you make the Saints ought to be qualified for their high office with a discerning faculty of the sincerity of men's hearts who call upon them and withal when men are speechless upon their death-beds and most need the help of their Fraiers by your last supposition they must go without them Phil. Why is this Argument of not discerning the thoughts of mens hearts of force against the Saints Intercession in Heaven more then against the Intercession and praiers of Saints upon Earth for one another Theoph. Your selves make the wide difference between the Intercession of the Saints in heaven and of the faithful here upon Earth And that shall be the ground of our next Argument against your Invocation of Saints and their Intercession because you make their Mediation much to derogate from the Meditation and Intercession of Christ Phil. That indeed is a material Objection but how do ye prove it a Ibid. Cap. 20. Bellarmin saith expresly We do not call upon the Saints to perform the Offioe of Christ but only that they would assist us with their Praiers the more easily for us to obtain our requests from God thro Christ He acknowledges Christ to be the one only Mediator between God and man by way of Redemption and satisfying the debt and by Nature as being God and man and because he only stands in need of no other Mediator whatsoever others obtain of God either for themselves or others they obtain it thro Christ. Now altho the Saints and Angels do not satisfie for our sins and pay the debt yet they may beseech God for Christs fake to forgive them Theop. If this were all we would not much contend with them about the Saints Intercession as prejudiciall to the Mediation and Intercession of Christ But the Doctrine of your Schools goes further That the Saints intercede for us not only by their Praiers but also by their merits b Sent. l. 4. dist 45. ad finem so Peter Lombard the Mr. of the Sentences Interprets the Act of Intercession We pray to the Saints to Intercede for us i. e. That their merits may become our assistance and Immediately before he saith c Intercedunt merito affectu The Saints interceed with God for us by their Merits whilst their Merits plead for us and by their Love desiring to have our requests granted Bonaventure explains him Altho first he the Saints in glory Non sunt in statu merendi are not in a state of Meriting and are sufficiently recompenc'd for their Merits in this life d In 4. Sent. dist 45. yet because they did supererogate much They have obtain'd such honor by there Merits not only to deserve beatitude and glory for themselves but also to prove suffragans for others so that he who was before unworthy by Praying to the Saints thro their Patronage becomes worthy Now we say that thro the Merits of Christ we who are otherwise altogether unworthy have access with boldness unto the Father and therefore we implore his Patronage and Advocation and Intercession and take him as the only Mediator between God and man and for all this we have the full and express Authority of Gods word Thro Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father In whom we have boldness and access with confidence thro faith in Him Ephe 2. 18. and 3. 12. Again If any Man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous e Quia multa supererog suis meritis adepti sunt locum c. and he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 1 John 1. 2. Again There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himselfe a Ransom for us 1 Tim. 2. v. 5. 6. Phil. I have shew'd above how Bellarmin acknowledgeth Christ to be the one only Mediator by way of Redemtion and solution of the debt but the Saints may be Mediators by way of Intercession Theoph. If you meant only the Intercession of Praiers it were tolerable but your Doctors bring in the intercession of their Merits and that implies satisfaction of the debt at least in some part their Superogation supplying our defect Phil. This refers unto another Point to be discust hereafter touching the Saints Merits and Superogation and therefore we will not now determine it Theoph. Mean while upon your own grosse suppositions you make the Saints so to Interpose with God for us as to Intrench upon the Intercession of Christ who is therefore represented to be our Advocate because He is a propitiation for Sin 1 John 2. 1 2. As our Mediator because He gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. Phil. You may take our Blessed Saviour as the principal in Intercession and satisfaction and the Blessed Saints may come in as Inferiour Advocates and Patrons Theoph. This is the Rock against which your Schole-men generally Ship-wrack Concience First They take all things taught or practis'd in the Church of Rome as infallibly true and then when any thing is objected out of Gods word or the Testimony of the Ancients against them they salve themselves by a
hold That the Souls of the Faithful departed before Christs Resurrection did not enter into Heaven neither see the Face of God nor know the State of things here above them and therefore it was not usual in the Church to call upon them and say Holy Abraham pray for us Your Doctors hold a Bell. ib. c. 19. Notandum ante adventum Christi qui moriebantur non intrabant in Coelum non Deum videbant nec ordinarie poterant cognese preces sapplicantium That the Spirits of the Patriarchs and Prophets and People of God were shut up in Limbo Patrum as they call it in a subterraneous place the uppermost verge of Hell beneath us without pain and without joy in the Vision of God waiting for their redemtion out of that Prison by the coming of Christ who descended into Hell to set them at liberty and to conduct them triumphantly into Heaven When we urge that Text Isa 63. ver 16. Doubtless thou art our Father tho Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not to shew how the Saints departed know not the Affairs and Transactions here below You answer So it was before Christs Ascension the Saints departed were not in Heaven until Christ opened the Kingdom to them but they were shut up from the Vision of God and from all knowledge of the concerns of this World and yet contrary to this their own Hypothesis you see how they give Instances of Moses and Samuel and Onias and Jeremiah praying for their People the Jews and sollicitous for them in their distress Phil. You may therefore observe the limitation of Bellarmine Non poterant ordinarie preces cognoscere c. In that state they understood not ordinarily the Affairs upon Earth nor heard the Prayers of the People but God might reveal them and so excite them to pray for the People upon which account some of our Doctors hold a Azorius Instit. Moral lib. 9. c. 9. Medina de Orat. Quaest 4. That Prayers might be made to the Fathers in Lymbo yea even to the Souls in Purgatory because they are in a state of Grace and Charity and by the gift of God or by the Ministery of Angels they may hear our Praiers Theoph. Upon the same ground we may daily implore the Assistance and Prayers of our Friends that are absent living at a great distance from us for God may reveal our Desires and Petitions to them but alas these are weak props and suppositions to uphold a feeble cause and hitherto your Learned Cardinal hath not bin demonstrative in the point Phil. Before we conclude I do not doubt but you shall change your note In the New Testament we read Rev. 5. 8. How the 24 Elders fall down before the Lamb having golden Viols full of Odors which are the Praiers of the Saints Theoph. What Argument can Bellarmin or you frame out of this Text I understand not his design Phil. Bellarmin shews how Interpreters understand by the Praiers of the Saints Intercessions made by the Saints in Heaven for the confirmation and support of their weak Brethren upon Earth Theoph. It seems then even the Saints in Glory make use of Mediators of the four Beasts and the twenty four Elders to present their Prayers to the Lamb. The more general Interpretation of that place is That these Odors filling the golden Vials are the Praiers of the Faithful upon Earth which are represented in the Psalm To ascend like the Incense Psal 141. ver 2. Phil. This gives as full testimony to our purpose as the other for thereby it appears the Praiers of the Saints on Earth are presented unto God and to the Lamb by the Saints and Angels in Heaven And to this effect we read Rev. 8. ver 3 4. how an Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the Praiers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne And the smoke of the Incense which came with the Praiers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Now this Incense offered up with the Praiers of the Saints on Earth we may suppose are the Merits and Intercession of the Saints in Glory Theoph. And we may suppose they are the Merits and Intercession of Christ whom Primasius understands by the Angel in this place we know it is said expresly Heb. 9. 24. That Christ is entred into the Holiest of all into Heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us and that by him we offer up to God continually our Sacrifices of Praise Heb. 13. 15. and without all peradventure he is most properly said to add Incense and sweet Odours to our Praiers and Praises because for his sake only they are acceptable to the Father However I cannot but observe what a leap your Cardinal hath taken over all the New Testament to produce his first and cheifest Arguments out of the Revelations of S t John for the Saints hearing and presenting our Prayers unto God purposely to involve himself and others in mysteries and visions which can admit no clear Interpretation neither become useful to lay the Foundation of a Doctrine which takes up the greatest part of the peoples devotions in the Church viz. of the Invocation of Saints In a like case S t Augustine cried out to the Donatists a A Ferte aliquid quod non egeat Interpret Bring forth such proofs as want no Interpretation Suppose I should undertake to prove That the Souls of the just departed are not in Heaven neither do enjoy a perfect state in bliss Rev. 6. vers 9. c. because when the fift seal was opened S t John saw under the Altar the Souls of the Martyrs of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord Holy and true dost thou not judg and avenge our blood upon them that dwell on the earth and white robes were given unto every one of them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants and their Brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Suppose I should from the same Text urge that the Martyrs do expressly pray for Divine vengeance upon their enemies but no mention is made of any intercession for their Freinds you would not well approve Arguments drawn from such mysterious visions and Revelations and therefore do not your self make use of them b Tom. 30. in Epistolis ad Paulinum ad Marcellam S t Jerom tells us That the book of the Revelations hath as many mysteries as words and that the whole is to be understood in a spiritual sense and not literal Phil. These things were certainly written for our Instruction and Bellarmine very well argues That if the Saints in Heaven and Martyrs do pray for jugdment upon their
own copy was so faulty ut emendare non possim nec editum à me dici vellem And withal he asserts nothing but only saith here Job seems to call upon the Angels or the Saints that they would pray for him being penitent Angelos postulare videtur aut certè Sanctos ut pro paenitente orent Now Bellarmine himself will not grant the Saints deceased in those daies should be invocated besides the literal sense which I have given is cleer and therefore we look not further to the Allusions of Interpretors The third proof is a Text full of obscurity fit for the Cardinall to amuze his reader with out of the Original we read A Messenger or Interpreter one among a thousand who should shew unto Man his Duty and bring him to repentance and pray for him that the Lord may spare him As Isaiah praied for Hezekiah being sick saith Jerom. Gregorie the Great found no advantage or proof out of this Text for the Invocation of Saints or Angels altho he favour'd the opinion but interprets that of Christs Intercession The Septuagint mention a thousand Angels but not to your Cardinalls purpose but against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If there were a thousand destroying Angels yet not one of them shall wound him if he seriously purposeth in heart to return unto the Lord. And thus you see what blind arguments your Doctors urge to maintain their delusions if you are not better provided to prove the Invocation of Saints then you have been of Angels I could wish you to study our case and the reputation of your Doctors by conceling them Phil. You are very pleasant but I shall make you change your note you read how Moses did beseech God to spare his people for the sake and merits of their forefathers Remember Abraham and Isaac and Israel thy Servants to whom thou swearest by thine own self and saidst unto them I will multiplie your seed as the Stars of Heaven c. Theoph. In this Text Moses praies to God not to Patriarchs and therefore it doth not confirm your Doctrine of Saints Invocation Phil. It shews that they did allege the merits of the Saints departed as an help and advantage unto their prayers as Theodoret upon the place when Moses thought himself insufficient to appease the wrath of God he takes in the patronage of the Holy Patriarchs Therefore if they had not the benefit of their praiers as not being in the presence of God they did reap the fruits of their merits Theoph. There is a great mistake in this argument Moses doth not urge the merits of their forefathers but the Covenant God was pleas'd to make with them that he would multiply their seed and give them possession of the promised Land Of this promise he puts the Lord in remembrance that he would please to spare his people and perform the promise made to their forefathers So God promiseth unto the righteous that he will bless their seed unto many Generations Exod. 20. 6. Yet their children do not urge their Fathers merits but the gracious covenant of God As for the Testimony of Theodoret Bellarmine hath made it to his purpose by interposing Patrocinium a Faciens Patriarcharum mentionem Patriarcharum the patronage of the Patriachs instead of making mention of the Patriarchs and of the Covenant with them made beseeching God not to break the Covenant for these are Theodorets words Phil. The Cardinal shews this general answer touching Gods Covenant with the Patriarchs to be insufficient b Pactum Dei justitia Sanctorum simul commemorantur because we shall find express mention made of their righteousness together with the Covenant Lord remember David and all his meekness Psal 132. 1. and ver 10. For thy servant Davids sake turn not away the presence of thine Anointed saith Solomon For Davids sake and not only for the Covenant made with David Theoph. Express mention of that Covenant immediatly follows The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David Of the Fruit of thy Body shall I set upon thy seat As tho he should have said Lord seeing thou were graciously pleased to make a Covenant with my Father David be pleased upon the same Motives to make good that Promise As for the first part Remember David and all his mansuetude and virtue so your vulgar Translation reads it But according to the Original it is thus rendred Remember David and all his troubles And then immediatly follows Davids vow to build an House unto the Lord and Gods Promise That one of his Sons should build him an House in remembrance whereof Solomon puts up his Supplication And after all you may consider how these Texts are impertinently urg'd making nothing for the Invocation of Saints the consideration of their Merits may fall in more seasonably hereafter Phil. c Ib. c. 19. Hoc Argumentum Adversarii nunquam solvere potuerunt Bellarmin hath one Argument more for the Invocation of Saints grounded upon the Word of God which he accounts unanswerable It is this We read the Faithful have requested the Praiers of the Saints living God himself sends Jobs three Friends to him to intercede for them Job 42. St. Paul beseecheth the Saints at Rome to help him with their Praiers Rom. 15. 30. and the like in many of his Epistles Therefore saith the Learned Cardinal it is lawful even now to call upon the same Saints reigning with Christ For if it be not as lawful to call upon them for the assistance of their Praiers now they are with God in Heaven as when they were living upon Earth It is either because First they are not willing or 2 ly are not able to pray for us or that because 3 dly They cannot hear and receive our Praiers or 4 thly Because their Intercession would be injurious to the Intercession of Christ The two first cannot be suppos'd because their Charity in Heaven is intended and enlarged and their Praiers more effectual neither the third Because as the Angels in Heaven know our state and can hear our Praiers so likewise the Blessed Saints nor the fourth Because as the Intercession and Praiers of the living for their Brethren and for all men are not injurious unto Christs Intercession so neither are the Praiers of the Saints departed Theoph. Alas This Achilles will prove a very Dwarf Your Cardinals unanswerable Argument is of no force First To answer it in general we must tell you That we have no warrant in Holy Scripture either of President or Precept to recommend our selves unto the Praiers of the dead as we have of the living and therefore the consequence holds not good from one to the other Bellarmine knew this well and was so wise to take no notice of it yet it is the main hinge whereupon our regular Devotions must turn even the rule of Holy Scripture wherein God hath reveal'd how and to whom we must direct our Praiers His Argument of four
That the Saints departed have as much charity to pray for us and that their Praiers are as prevalent with God But alas Death hath intercepted former commerce And his third Particular must be well prov'd or all will fall to the ground namely That the Saints in Heaven do hear our Praiers and know our particular needs otherwise it will be in vain to call for their assistance And this main Point your Cardinal doth but slightly touch and gives a short and fallible proof of it That because the Angels know the conversion of a sinner and rejoice thereat according to the saying of our Blessed Savior therefore likewise the blessed Saints do know our state and all our concerns Now we have already shew'd how the Consequence is weakly drawn from the knowledg of the Angels to the knowledg of the Saints in Heaven because the Angels are Gods Messengers ministring unto the heirs of Salvation they are imploi'd about us and know much of our concerns but of the Saints departed no such things are recorded And moreover doubtless the Angels themselves know not all the affairs of particular persons only of those about whom they are emploied and so far as God shall impart to them in their Embassage and Emploiments Phil. As they know the Conversion of every Sinner that repenteth and rejoice so do they know and hear the Praiers of all the Faithful especially such as do concern them and are particularly directed to them Theoph. We are much in the dark as to the measure and extent of their knowledg and must not in these things so much above us set one foot forward without the light and conduct and revelation of Gods Word Now we read in Holy Writ That the Angels have charge over us according as God has committed us unto them but how far and in what particulars is not revel'd We read They rejoice at the Conversion of a Sinner which way soever or whensoever for the improvement of their joy God is pleased to manifest it unto them perhaps by the relation of those Angels who were instrumental in the Conversion But from those Promises we cannot infer their universal Knowledg of Affairs here below and much less the universal Knowledg of the Saints in Heaven Methinks the Learned Cardinal should not so peremtorily have handled this grand Point upon which depends the Invocation of Saints for if they hear us not in vain certainly do we make our Praiers to them If they understand not our condition they cannot recommend it unto God If S t Peter knows not of any such Person as Philodoxus in being to no effect shall we beg his assistance Phil. Not so neither d Ibid. c. 20. Non frustra Sanctos à nobis Invocari etiamsi nec audiant nec agnosâ—ant preces nostras aliquis alius eorum vice fungitur Bellarmin expresly affirms That we do not pray for them in vain altho we shall grant they know not neither hear our Praiers for saith he some other may perform their office and we obtain the favor For many miraculous Instances are given in Church Records of many that have obtained their Requests whil'st they have applied themselves unto the Intercession of some Saint and therefore so we obtain our desires whil'st we pray unto them it is not material whether they hear or not it will concern us to call upon them Theoph. He had done well to point out this Aliquis alius Who is this Delegate of the Saints in Heaven to do their work whil'st themselves hear not our Prayers Whil'st we Invocate the Saints do the Angels help us The surest way then would be to apply our selves to them Doth God help us when we pray to the Saints altho it is high presumtion to make God the Saints Delegate qui eorum vice fungitur however if God helps such as pray to the Saints the most compendious course would be to call directly upon him and so did Christians in the Primitive and purest Times Ad memorias Martyrum at the Shrines and Monuments of Martyrs they did pray to God who was pleas'd to work many miraculous Cures at their Tombs in Testimony of the Faith which those Martyrs sealed with their Blood And this is the just account of the Miracles wrought by the Saints and Martyrs in Heaven at their Shrines here on Earth The Miracles were wrought by Almighty God before the Monuments of the Saints themselves not knowing of it as we shall shew hereafter out of S t Augustine his Book De cura pro Mortuis And yet from this Assertion of Bellarmin wherein I suppose he stands single That we pray not to the Saints in vain altho they do not hear us From this Assertion we must conclude him very inconsiderable and forgetful when immediatly after he approves this Consequence e Sancti recte in vocantur ergo sciunt quod petimus The Saints are immediatly call'd upon therefore they know what we ask One Supposition destroies the other If we may prudently and successfully pray to them altho they hear us not it cannot follow That if we rightly call upon them they do hear us Phil. The first Assertion of Bellarmin was by way of supposition not granted altho they hear us not yet we may profitably pray to them but he positively maintains That the Saints know humane affairs and do hear our Praiers f Quae solo cordis assectu proferuntur even such as are made only in the Heart altho there may be some dispute how they know and hear c. and he gives you the several Opinions of the Doctors Theoph. His former Supposition as we call it was ill put because it directly overthrows the Consequence which he immediatly after approves That because the Saints in Heaven are rightly Invocated therefore they do hear us But I pray proceed to shew how the Saints attain unto the knowledg of things beneath and even of our mental Praiers Phil. g Ibid. c. 20. Bellarmin proposeth four Opinions of the Doctors about the manner how the Saints in Heaven know Affairs beneath and hear the Praiers that are made unto them The first That they know them by the relation of Angels who are Messengers between Heaven and Earth The second That both Angels and Saints are in a sort every where present by the celerity and agility of their natures and so they understand the Affairs of the world and hear our Prayers And he cites S t Augustin for the first Opinion and Jerome for the second Theoph. He cites them very faintly Innuit Augustinus saith he S t Augustin intimates so much in his Book De cura pro Mortuis and there indeed the Father tells us The dead may hear of Affairs on Earth by the relation of Angels but he affirms not they do so and then they may hear some things related h Non quidem omnia sed quae sinuntur indicare but not all things And afterwards he declares Fatendum
and Practice the Autority of Man and Custom will prove too feeble to support it And where I formerly produc'd the Autority of the Ancients in any Point I first had laid the sure Foundation in the Word of God However it is not my purpose to interrupt your course fortifie your Doctrine as well you can and I will attac it Phil. I believe so you have resolv'd right or worng But I shall startle you and your Reader when you shall find the general Current of Antiquity allowing and practicing the Invocation of Saints and therefore it cannot be a damnable Doctrine Theoph. Hitherto I have not so called it but when I shall descend to a more particular consideration of those horrible Blasphemies we shall discover in the practice of this Doctrine you wall give me leave to say it hath prov'd distructive unto millions of Souls mean while let it pass for a Doctrine full of Superstition and Will-worship Phil. How easily do you make Councils and Fathers criminals who have avowed the Doctrine For Bellarmin first shews how in the fourth General Council that of Calcedon the Holy Fathers unanimously cried out u Flavianus post mortem vivit Martyr pro nobis oret Flavian lives after death I et the blessed Martyr pray for us Theoph. This Council was held above 400 Years after Christ and yet I did not expect to find so early a Testimony of the Bishops in such a General Council for your purpose Give me leave therefore to search the 11 th Session of that Council from whence Bellarmin brings the Testimony In the third Tome of Tinius his Edition we shall find it and now I pray let your own Eyes be Judges In the Original Greek Copy there are no such words only general Acclamations of the Council unto the pious memory of Flavian x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let his memory be eternal the memory of Flavian the Orthodox c. But the words which Bellarmin quotes are by a Parenthesis inserted in the Latin and nothing answers them in the Greek This is a detestable Forgery and I cannot conceive the Learned Cardinal was not aware of it however you see what need there is we should examin your Doctors Quotations and here you find he is extreamly ◠Bin. Tom. 1. Concil Carth. 3. p. 182. deficient Phil. It seems the Latin Translator deceived him and it is strange such a Clause should be put in when there was nothing answerable in the Greek Theoph. Such leger de main is usual with some Zealots of your Church to uphold her Innovations Phil. Upon the least occasion given you are very severe and uncharitable in your Censures But what say you to his next Quotation of the Bishops of Europe to the Emperor Leo We have rank'd most holy Proterius in the Order and Quire of the Holy Martyrs and we desire God by his Intercession to be merciful and propitious unto us a Now you may understand that Proterius was Patriarch of Alexandria and injuriously thrust out by Timotheus and afterwards murthered by his Accomplices whil'st he did himself in the sacred Font of the Temple Complaint was made hereof by the Egyptian Bishops and the Clergy of Alexandria to the Emperor who communicated their Letters to the Bishops thro-out his Empire desiring them to give their Judgment of the Council of Chalcedon against which Timotheus and his Faction had protested and of the matter of Fact concerning Proterius his death and Timotheus his Intrusion into the See of Alexandria and among other things the European Bishops in their Answer to the Emperor give this account of Proterius That his death was Martyrdom and they desired the assistance of his Praiers Theoph. After this ingenious account given your Testimony comes not home to your purpose Observe the words They import no Invocation of the Martyr Proterius but a desire That God would be merciful unto them for his sake and Intercession Phil. They suppos'd therefore That the Saints in Heaven do make Intercession and pray for us Theoph. But why do you hereupon suppose That we must pray to them we deny not That they generally pray for the Saints militant on Earth for their Victory over all their Adversaries Heretics and Infidels and Persecutors and that every true Believer thro the goodness of God may reap the benefit of their Praiers but that we should pray to them when we cannot be assur'd that they hear us and when we have no warrant out of Gods Word to do so we dare not consent And withal in this Quotation I pray observe another Artifice of your Doctor he would have us believe this was an Epistle to the Emperor of all the European Bishops whereas it was only of four Bishops whose Subscription we find in Binius thus John Bishop of Heraclea Theophronius of Aphrodiasis Theotecnus Episcopus Cyclensis and Babulas Bishop of Theodosipolis The other Bishops of Europe give their account to the Emperor in other Epistles and so this Testimony which Bellarmin pretends to be of a Council and entitles it to the European Bishops sinks into a private Testimony of four Bishops of inconsiderable Diocesses joining Bin. Tem. 3. part 3. Concilin Calcedon in one Epistle to the Emperor and comes not up to the Point neither of Saints Invocation as you have heard Phil. You lie at catch for some exception or other But in the next place Bellarmin brings an express Canon of the sixth general Council a Can. 7. Solo Deo Creat adorato c. Requiring us to call upon the Saints that they would vouchsase to intercede for us with the Divine Majesty Theoph. It is evident That the fifth and sixth general Councils made no Canons and the Learned generally acknowledg it and therefore some Years after the sixth general Council at Constantinople was held and concluded under the Emperor Constantine Pogonatus and Pope Agatho against the Heresie of the Monothelites Jusinian the yonger summons a Council in the Registery of his Sacred Palace which because of its famous capacious Arch was called Trullus and the Council Concilium Trullanum the Council of Trullo in the time of Pope Sergius Anno Dom. 692. consisting of four Patriarchs and 215 Bishops wherein were made 104 Canons as a Supplement unto the former Councils which made none and the Council was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Bin. Tom 5. p. 419. In notis ad consilium Ouini-sextum the fifth-sixth Synod because it supplied what was wanting to them both Phil. This was indeed generally receiv'd but some time after there were found nine Canons ascrib'd unto the sixth general Council whereof this which Bellarmin quotes is the seventh Theoph. Yes Surius tells us They were found in an old Manuscript of a Monastery in Gaunt but he also declares That they are falsly ascrib'd to the sixth general Council as Binius shews Tom 5. pag. 360. And here we may justly stand amaz'd to find your Learned Cardinal cite
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
In the first Epistle concerning the Translation of the Bodies of Peter and Paul à Catatumbis unto the places where they now lie interr'd one in the Vatican the other in vlâ Ostensâ— he hath this passage Praying unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ that by the Intercession of his two Holy Apostles he would purge you from the stains and pollution of your sins Theoph. You see the Praier is directed to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and proves not the Invocation of these Apostles but only their Intercession But alas this Epistle manifests it self to be counterfeit one of your Roman Forgeries the Argument of it to wit the translation of these Apostles Bodies to their place of Burial is a meer Fiction a Tom. 1. In Notis ad hanc Epistolam in Not. ad vitam Cornelii as Binius doth acknowledg That it crept into the Epistle from the Lies and Errors of Damasus his Pontifical Book And they are constrain'd to confess the Forgery because the Apostles Corps were remov'd to the places where they now lie 200 Years before as appears by the ample Testimony of b Epistolarum lib. 3. Epistola 30. ad Constantiam Augusiam Gregory the Great who gives a full account of their translation unto the Princess Constantia After these Blessed Apostles were Martyr'd in Rome some of the Eastern Christians came over to carry with them the Sacred Bodies of these Martyrs into their own Country and having born them two miles from Rome they rested at a place called Catatumbae and when they attemted to take them up thence and proceed in their Journey they were so affrighted with dreadful Thundrings and Lightning and forc'd to desist from their enterprize and leave the Corps behind them which the Faithful at Rome soon brought back and honorably inter'd in the Tombs wherein they now rest c Anno Christi 221. num 3 4 5 6. Baronius takes notice of all these Passages and concludes That the Epistle of Pope Cornelius is not so creditable as the Epistle of Pope Gregory And now I pray what think you of this Fable of their translation in the time of Cornelius and of the Epistle which relates it Your Cardinal could not be ignorant of those things but the Epistle altho grosly forg'd must serve to fill up the small number of his early Testimonies Phil. Bellarmins next Argument is taken out of Eusebius Caesariensis Theoph. I pray make not such hast but take me along with you Me-thinks you have soon past over 300 Years of Christianity for Eusebius liv'd in the fourth Century and produc'd but three Witnesses Dionysius Ireneus and Cornelius and all falsified or insignificant and therefore we will now take it for granted by the Cardinal That in the three first Centuries the Doctrine of Saints Invocation was not delivered by any good Autority And now to keep even paces with you we shall find out of Authentic Records of the three first Centuries account given of the Christian Practice in the public Offices without any Invocation of the Saints departed by Justin Martyr and by Tertullian and other Apologists for Christians And e Ignatius a Disciple of S t John directs Holy Virgins to have Christ alone and the Father before their eyes in their Praiers being enlightned by the Spirit Again Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History lib. 4. c. 15. sets down at large the Epistle of the Church at d Epistola 6. ad Philadelph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Smyrna to the Churches of Pontus wherein account is given of Polycarpus their Holy Bishops Martyrdom and of his Praier at the Stake O Father of thy well-beloved and Blessed Son Jesus Christ thro whom we have known thee O God of the Angels and Powers and of all sorts of just Men which live in thy presence I thank thee that thou hast gratiously vouchsafâ—d this day and hour to allot me a portion among the Blessed Martyrs c. You see here he acknowledgeth the Angels and Just Men to stand in the presence of God yet offers up no Supplications to them In the same Epistle there follows a notable passage that the malicious Jews and others of his Persecuters desir'd the Pro-consul not to deliver his Bones to the Christians least they leaving Christ should worship them But the Church answers We can never forsake Christ who died for the Salvation of the World and we can worship none other The Martyrs we love as Disciples and Followers of the Lord we gather up his Bones after his Body is burnt more pretious then Pearls and bury them in a fitting place where God-willing we being assembled the Lord will grant that with joy and gladness we may celebrate the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Birth-day of his Martyr the day of his death being his Birth-day unto Glory both for the remembrance of such as have been crowned before as also to the preparation and stirring up of such as shall strive And this early practice continued long in the Church to assemble at the Monuments of the Martyrs and hold a thankful commemoration of their sufferings to the Glory of God and for the encouragement and imitation of the Faithful both to live and die in the Lord. Here are no tidings of the Invocation of Martyrs Phil. Seeing you will so exactly canvass the three first Centuries I will also follow you out of my road and shew how Origin in the third Century acknowledgeth the Intercession of the Saints and calling upon them for assistance and therefore the Doctrine was early receiv'd altho Bellarmin urgeth not the Testimony of Origen perhaps because in many things he is Erroneous and was condemn'd by the fifth General Council Justinian the Elder being Emperor Theoph. If his Works were condemn'd by a General Council you cannot then say His Doctrin and his Opinion was receiv'd in the Church but however take your course and shew where Origin teacheth the Invocation of Saints Phil. In that notable Lamentation of his and repentance after he had thro fear offer'd Incense to an Idol wherein we have these Expressions I will prostrate my self and beseech all the Saints That they would succor me who dare not pray to God b Sancti Dei vos deprecor c. O ye Saints of God I beseech you c. And least you should pretend he call'd upon the Faithful in the Church who were then living Members upon Earth he proceeds We unto me Father Abraham intreat for me that I be not banish'd from thy bosom Again in his second Book of his Commentaries upon Job he Praies O blessed Job pray for us Theoph. 'T is much your great Champion should let pass these notable Testimonies But he well knew as Origens Testimony would not be of any great Autority so that these likewise are none of his Pope Gelasius declares Origens Lamentation to be Apocryphal and the Commentary upon Job appears to be written by some Arrian long after Origen's
death And for a farther Confutation we shall find in his Works undoubtedly belonging to him that altho in some places he dubiously allows the Intercession of the Saints in Heaven for us Mortals yet he no where approves their Invocation but rather the contrary a Hom. 3. In Cantieum Sol. The Saints departed this life saith he having a great love for those who are in the World it will be no inconvenience if we say they have a care of our wellfare and do assist us with their Praiers and Intercession with God Again b In cap. 13. Josue Ego sic arbitror c. I am of the Opinion That all the Fathers who are asleep before us are helpful to us by their Praiers And yet afterwards he accounts this Opinion of his Apocryphal c Lib. 2. In Epistolam ad Rom. Non procul à principio as being not manifest by good Autority If such as are without the Body and now with Christ do any thing for us after the manner of Angels who are ministering Spirits d Habeatur inter occultanda mysteria nec chartulx committenda let this as a Mystery be concel'd and not publish'd and committed to Paper Phil. e Ibid. c. 20. Bellarmin takes notice of this Passage out of Origen and answers That he speaks of their daily and constant converse with us which is not so certain as that they know our state and Pray for us whereof Origen asks the Question f Homil. 26. in Numb Quis dubitet c. Who doubts of it That the Saints do help us with their Praiers and confirm and encourage us by the example of their good Works Theoph. By degrees he proceeded from doubting to affirming and yet the Assertion only maintains That the Saints do pray for us in common which we have not denied but himself rejects the Consequence That because the Saints do pray for us therefore we should pray to them g L. 8. Contra Celsum For when Celsus had objected That it could not displease the Supreme Deity if inferior Demons as Friends of God should be worship'd and implor'd to become the Advocates of poor Mortals with him Origen answers That Christians acknowledg no such Demons but know that the Angels are Gods Ministers and the Blessed Saints his Friends And then he proceeds to shew the practice of Christians in Invocation We humbly present our Petitions to the most high God thro his only begotten Son to whom also we make our Supplications as being the propitiation for our Sins and as being our High Priest to offer up our Praiers to God For God only saith he is to be worship'd and God the Word our High Priest to be call'd upon that those Requests which come to him he would please to present unto the Father If we desire as he goes on the favor and assistance of the Angels they assuredly are Friends to such who imitate their Holiness and call upon God with devout hearts and worship him whom they adore and worship And therefore he sheweth the most compendious way is to commit our selves to the great Ruler of the Creation thro Christ who hath taught us so to do and from him to expect that help and protection which by the ministery of Angels and by the Spirits of Just Men is communicated to us And whereas Celsus had objected as your Doctors many of them do unto this day that as in the Courts of Princes we make our Applications first to his Nobles and Favorites to appease his Displeasure and obtain his Favor so in our Address to the most High God we should make our way by the Intercession of his choisest Friends and Servants Origen answers Altho in the Courts of Princes so it be yet to us one only God is to be appeas'd with Piety and Virtue and his Favor to be desired as for the blessed Saints and Angels their favor and assistance follows a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the shadow the Body They love and serve those who are in the favor of God This I do assure you saith he when we have propos'd to our selves great things and made our Request known to God by Prayer and Supplication All the Heavenly b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Powers of their own accord without our Invocation do pray with us and for us Nothing could more be said against the Invocation of Saints and Angels and the Heavenly Powers and this I am perswaded was the principal reason why your Learned Cardinal brought not the Testimony of Origen to confirm your Praiers to the Saints departed as others of your unadvised Doctors have done Phil. To proceed We find in the same Century how Cyprian a Blessed Martyr was so far perswaded of the Saints Intercession in Heaven that as he desired in his Epistles to him the Praiers of Cornelius the Pope living So farther That he would please to enter with him into a serious Engagement That whether of them by Divine dignation should first leave the World he should be mindful to persevere with God in servent Praier for his Brethren the Faithful left behind him c Tom. 2. l. de disc Ethabitis Virginum ad finem Again in his Book to the Virgins he exhorts them To hold out couragiously to proceed Spiritually and to obtain Happily and then saith he Remember us when your Virginity shall receive the Crown Theoph. This is an Instance of Praier to the living for their assistance when they should be translated into Heaven but nothing to the Point of the Invocation of Saints departed It was his private Opinion That the Saints in Heaven might retain the remembrance and affection towards their Friends and Relations whom they left behind and commend them particularly in their Praiers but not distinctly know their condition or hear their Praiers if they should call upon them this mutual stipulation before their decease rather implies that they conceiv'd they should not have opportunity after ones decease for the other to call upon him And now good Friend having conferr'd notes together about the Testimony of the three first Centuries of Christianity there appears none for the Invocation of the Saints departed not so much as any foot-steps of this Doctrine before Cyprians a Martinussius Pere Ne vestigium quidem unte Cypriutum say some of your Doctors and we have not found a word in Cyprian that doth confirm it For a close therefore we may answer all your Pretensions with our Blessed Saviors words Matth. 18. 8. but from the beginning it was not so And taking in Tertullians Rule b Id verum quodcunque primum id Adulterum quad posterius That is truth which is first what comes after is adulterate We may conclude your Doctrine to be innovate and a fruit of Spiritual Fornication Phil. You must not so soon condemn so many of the Primitive Fathers who have deliver'd this Doctrine and therefore I pray
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
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
b Ibid. c. 17. Maria Matergratiae Mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste c. Bellarmin tells us the Church Catholic in her Hymn to the Virgin Mary praies thus O Mary Mother of Grace Mother of Mercy Do thou defend us from the enimy and and receive us in the hour of death If we may judg of words by their signification doubtless this praier imports more then barely a desire of her assistance by her praiers Phil. Bellarmin in the same place gives you a general rule against such sinister constructions c Nos non agere de verbis at sensis verborum We dispute not of the words but of their sense Now the sense of our Church in all such petitions is that the Blessed Virgin and the Saints by their praiers and by their merits would procure these things for us Theoph. Altho this may be the sense of your Church yet it is not the signification of the words and methinks to avoid the just occasion of scandal given to your adversaries by them the occasion of errour and delusion given to your undiscerning votaries your Church should have exprest her self in more inoffensive and justifiable termes Bellarmine gives a 2 d instance in the Hymn of the Apostles he saith the Church praies thus d Quorum praecepto subditur salus languor omvium sanent aegros c. Let the Holy Apostles unto whose command both the welfare and languishings of all men are submited let them heal us who are morally sick and restore us unto a life of vertues If Command here must signify Intercession and supplication your Church would do well and wisely to set forth a new Dictionary to interpret words and sentences not after the common sense and signification of them but after the Roman glosse Mean while an impartial Judg must needs conclude these interpretations to be forc'd only to salve the inconveniencies and absurdities of such praiers and if your Church had design'd only to invocate the Saints in Heaven for their Intercession with God by their praiers she would have made use of more humble and suitable expressions but making the Intercession of Saints to consist as well in their merits as in their praiers calling upon them as well for their patronage as their Intercession This I say hath prepar'd the way for all those foremention'd presumtions and blasphemies in your addresses to them and Invocation of them If God be the Father of grace and mercy and Mary the Mother who would imagine otherwise but that these heavenly blessings flow originally and immediatly from them both Phil. It is obvious that the Blessed Virgin is call'd the Mother of mercy because she is the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the fountain of Grace and mercy Theoph. Your Doctors do not teach you so to understand it seeing they represent Christ as a severe Judge towards a poor sinner and Mary their Advocate for mercy You have heard how in the distribution of the Kingdom of Heaven the Province of Justice is allott'd to the Son and of Mercy to the Virgin Mother Your Florentin Archbishop tells us That upon the Assumtion of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven as your Doctors have carefully imprinted that belief in the hearts of the credulous people the whole person of the Virgin Mary both Body and Soul is taken up into Heaven I say we are told that when she was translated into Heaven the Seraphims attended upon her and earnestly sollicited her stay and society with their sublime Order But she deliberatly answer'd a Non est honum hominem esse solum It is not good the Man should be alone meaning her Son and that She must assist him in the Redemtion of Gods people by her Compassion and in their Glorification by her Intercession That when for the Iniquity of the world her Son should be ready to destory the Earth a second time with a floud she may appeare as the bow in the clouds to oppose his fury and mind him of his Covenant and promise These are the luxuriant fancies of your Archbishop suitable hereunto I read of b Vide Chemnit exam Trid. Concil p. 3. de Invoc Sanct. Pictures in your Temples representing Christ in his indignation casting darts and thunderbolts and the Blessed Virgin standing between his wrath and sinfull men and receiving the darts into her bosom Phil. Still you return to the fancies of private Doctors and Painters your promis'd more authentick proofs Theoph. What think you of that great promise made to uphold man immediatly after his fall concerning Christ the seed of the woman who should break the serpents head that is overcome the Devil and all infernal powers Your vulgar Translation which must be more authentick then the Original reads the Pronoun in the feminine c Ipsa conteret caput serpentis Gen. 3. She shall bruise his head instead of He shall bruise as the Hebrew and the Septuagint read it And hereupon your Doctors refer the promise unto the Virgin Mary as tho in all things she must have the preheminence Phil. Bellarmin shews how the vulgar Translation varies d Tom. 1. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei c. 12. He hath seen a Copy which reads it likewise in the masculine Theoph. What he hath searcht and found we know not but your Translation generally runs in the feminine And he acknowledgeth the Latin Fathers being misled by the vulgar Translation take it in the feminine And upon that same account your Doctors refer the Prophecyto the Virgin Phil. Bellarmin shews in the second place that he saw an Hebrew Copy which had the feminine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. This observation is like the former upon some corrupt Copy against the general reading of the Hebrew Text. And he would leave the Scriptures altogether upon uncertainties that their Translation might not be lyable to reprehension Phil. He refers to Chrysostom a Father of the Greek Church who he saith reads it in the feminine Theoph. He doth so after his accustum'd manner to deceive his Reader For it is manifest the a Homil. 17. in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father reads it in the masculine perhaps here also the Cardinal consulted some Latin Translation of Chrysostom which might serve his turn He makes some other inconsiderable pleas to justify the vulgar reading chiefly because of this modern reference unto Our Lady Whereas some Fathers of the Latin Church being ignorant of the Hebrew and the Greek follow the vulgar translation and yet as I can find never reflected upon the Virgin Mary in that promise only your new Doctors who many of them have knowledg of the Tongues sufficient to discern the error of the translation yet please them selves much therewith and make their advantage of the error to improve the honor of the Lady and make her the prime subject of that grand Prophecy By this way they may justify the petition of
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