Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A43414
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A letter concerning the test, and persecution for conscience to an honourable member of the House of Lords
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W. H.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing H156; ESTC R6528
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4,346
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8
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A LETTER Concerning the TEST AND Persecution FOR CONSCIENCE TO AN HONOURABLE MEMBER OF THE House of Lords Published with Allowance LONDON Printed for Matthew Turner at the Lamb in High-Holborn 1687. SIR I Read in the Acts of the Apostles how that S. Peter preaching to the Jews who had crucified our B. Saviour he told them indeed roundly of their Fault and how God had glorified his Son Jesus whom they had delivered up and denied before the Face of Pilate he judging him to be released But you say's the H. Apostle denied the holy and the just One and asked a murtherer to be given unto you but the Author of Life you killed whom God has raised from the dead Yet withal he added Now brethren I know that you did it through ignorance as did also your Princes Do pennance therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Sir Be not offended if I use the freedom to admonish you that by taking the Test you have renounced two Articles of the Christian Faith Transubstantiation and Invocation of Saints and have embraced in stead of them two notorious Heresies But I know Sir you did it through ignorance as did also your Bishops Do penance therefore and be converted that your sin may be blotted out In order to make you understand what you have done I beseech you consider what a sad Blot it would be to Christianity and to our Lord Jesus himself if Invocation of Saints were indeed Idolatrous That the Son of God should come down from Heaven to establish a Church which the Gates of Hell should never prevail against and to teach the right way of Worshipping the Divine Majesty and this should be no sooner peaceably published to the World as it was in the time of Constantine the Great but its prime Doctors eminent for Sanctity and Learning should become gross Idolaters and should so continue for 1300 years together and profess and prove to all the World that their Lord Jesus who was gone to Heaven had confirmed their Idolatry by a thousand Miracles if any Credit can be given to as Authentic Records as can possibly be made by Men and which there is no means left to confute but the bare groundless Asseverations of their Accusers that they are Forgeries Who in his right Wits could rationally be a Christian if these things were so but ought not rather to go on and accuse the Holy Evangelists themselves also of Forgery and impudently deny all the Miracles recounted by them to have been wrought by our Blessed Lord himself For Christianity sake therefore Worthy Sir do not assert Invocation of Saints to be Idolatrous But have then the most eminent Christian Doctors for Learning and Sanctity as soon as Christianity was peaceably and publickly profess'd in the World taught and practis'd Invocation of Saints Nothing more certain Consult our Controvertists and you cannot doubt it Take a Testimony or two of some few Christian Doctors whom I am sure such is your Reverence at least for the Primitive Fathers of the first 600 years you will blush to accuse of Idolatry S. Chrysostom Hom. 66. ad Populum circa finem He who is clothed in Purple comes and embraces their Sepulchers and laying aside his Pomp stands making Supplication to the Saints that they would intercede for him to God and he who is crowned with a Diadem beseeches the Tent-maker and the Fisherman to be his Protectors S. Ambrose lib. de Viduis The Angels ought to be entreated who are given us for our safeguard the Martyrs ought to be prayed unto c. S. Hierom in Epitaphio Paulae Farewell O Paula and help with thy Prayers the extream old age of thy Worshipper Like Testimonies are to be seen at large in Ballarmin out of S. Basil Orat. in 40 Martyres S. Gregory Nazianzen Orat. in Cyprianum S. Gregory Nyssen Orat. in S. Theodorum S. Ephrem Serm. de laudibus S. Martyrum S. Prudentius in Carmine de S. Laurentio S. Augustin lib de Cura pro mortuis cap. 4. and other Ancient Fathers of the first 600 years At least for the first Pretended-Reformers sake do not say 't is Idolatry to pray to Saints Martin Luther the Head of Novel Protestants says The Devil in a Conference he had with him taught him that to Invocate the B. Virgin was to deprive God of his Honor. A Doctrin indeed worthy of such an Author Another Pretended-Reformer Mr. Latimer gives us his Sentiment concerning Invocation of Saints in the following words First Images are called Saints and so they are not to be worshipped taking worshipping of them for praying to them for they are neither Mediators by way of Redemption nor yet by way of Intercession And yet they may be well used when they are applied to that use that they were ordained for to be Laymens Books for remembrance of Heavenly things c. Take Saints for Inhabiters of Heaven and Worshipping of them for Praying to them I never denied but that they might be worshipped and be our Mediators though not by way of Redemption for so Christ alone is a whole Mediator both for them and us yet by way of Intercession Fox Mart. Tom. 3. p. 464. A.D. 1555. And I denied not but that we may well say Ave Maria c. Ibid. The Compilers of Edward the Sixth's Common-Prayer Book teach to pray thus Command these our Prayers and Supplications by the ministry of thy Holy Angels to be brought up into thy Holy Tabernacle before the sight of thy Divine Majesty If not for the first Pretended-Reformers at least for the Sentiment of divers of the most Learned of your Clergy of the present Age be not so severe Dr. Forbes late Bishop of Edinburgh in his Pacifical Considerations says Invocation of Saints is neither unlawful nor unprofitable And the late Bishop of Ely thought it unreasonable solemnly to abjure Doctrins about which Learned Men dispute And himself told me he did not think Advocation of Saints or a single Petition to the Saints to pray for us to be Idolatrous but only Invocation that is a calling upon them with a Faith in them as Gods according to that of S. Paul How shall they invocate him in whom they have not believed Now what Roman-Catholic invocates Saints believing them to be Gods Dr. Sanderson also late Bishop of Lincoln told me himself That though he did not approve of Invocation of Saints yet he did not think it Idolatry And the present Bishop of Bath and Wells teaches the Scholars of Winchester in his Manual of Devotions for that School to Invocate the whole Court of Heaven Hear his own Words Help me then O ye Blessed Host of Heaven to celebrate that unknown Sorrow that wonderful Love which you your selves so much admire Help me to praise my Crucified Saviour Pag. 39. So that all the difference now betwixt S. Omars and Winchesters School is if they follow their Doctor 's Advice The Scholars of S. Omars pray Holy Mary