their charge in this important duty and to inform them that it is very good and profitable to fly unto their prayers for help and refuge that we must daily invocate the Blessed Virgin and that it is a wicked and most hainous crime to doubt either her readiness to help Cateâ—â— â—om p. 584. or that her merits are most prevailing for this end Their practise doth inform us that there is not any blessing which our Souls can wish for but Christians should implore it from them And if their Doctrine were according unto Piety their practise must assuredly he so For what more proper then to implore their aid who are so highly instrumental to preserve us from our most fatal Enemies and to procure all those blessings which are needful both to the Piety of this present life and to the felicity of that which is to come St. Paul is in like manner large and copious in these instructions which he gives unto the Pastors of the Church and to the people committed to their charge He informs us that we must all pray and for all men that we must pray with pure hands and with hearts free from wrath and doubting He tells us in what language we should frame our prayers viz. in such a language that all that hear may understand 1 Cor. 14. and say Amen to our Petitions in what posture both men and women ought to pray and that this duty ought to be performed in all places And yet this person who descends to these minute particulars speaks not one word of this important duty so pious and profitable in it self so necessary to preserve us from the worst of Enemies and to procure the greatest blessings Nay in all the Scripture which was written to make us wise 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and thorowly instructed unto all good works we have not the least mention of it In those Epistles they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in prayer to pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Eph. 6.18 and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints To continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving To pray without ceasing Col. 4.2.1 Thess 5.17 1 Tim. 2.1 Phil. 4 6. To put up supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men To be careful for nothing but in every thing with prayer and thanksgiving to let our requests be made known unto God And to go unto that God for wisdom who giveth unto all men liberally James 1.5 and upbraideth not They also do exhort us to pray for others that they may be saved particularly 5.16 1 Joh. 5.16 for every brother that hath not sinned unto death Now surely they who do so frequently discourse upon this subject and upon the lesser circumstances of this duty would not have omitted to mention something of this so profitable practise if they had really believed it so to be For wherefore do they give us these directions but to preserve us against the power of temptation and the assaults of Sin and Satan Why do they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in the performance of this duty but that we may obtain those spiritual blessings which without great danger to our souls we cannot want If then the Invocation of the Saints departed and especially of the Virgin Mary be so highly profitable to these ends why should these men I say be silent in this matter who being guided by the Holy Spirit could not forget to do it and being as concerned for the Churches welfare as the Trent Fathers could not for want of zeal unto Gods glory or the good of Souls neglect to charge all Pastors diligently to instruct the people in this most profitable and pious practise Why should these men who both by precept and example do instruct us to request the prayers of living friends be wanting both in precept and example to move us to request the more prevailing prayers of Blessed Spirits they who command us when we are infirm to have recourse unto the prayers of surviving Pastors and to pray for one another because the fervent supplication of a righteous man availeth much why should they never send us to the B. Virgin to the Patriarchs and Prophets to St. Stephen and St. James and other early Martyrs of the Church whose Prayers if we believe the Roman Church are highly meritorious and far more prevailing Nay they had the greater reason to inculcate this because it was a novel practise and never used by the Jewish Church and therefore they had need of an Express to move and to encourage them to such devotions Whereas it was the daily custom of all Jews to put up their petitions to the God of Heaven Since therefore neither Paul or Peter or James or John Apostles or Evangelists have left us any precept or example for this practice we may be certain they did not approve it Moreover to move us more effectually to the performance of this duty they tell us That the eyes of God are still intent upon the just 1 Pet. 3.12 and his ear open to their prayer that he is well acquainted with those inward groans and wishes Rom. 8.26 which we do or cannot utter and is also able to perform exceedingly above what we can ask or think Eph. 3.20 Marth 7.7.11 James 1.5 that he is good and gracious to all that call upon him faithfully that he will fulfill the desires of them that fear him Thus also do the Latines teach concerning the Saints departed they tell us in the words of Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they confidently ascribe unto them Summan juvandi voluntatem the greatest readiness to help and the most prevailing merits Catech. Rom. p. 585. and this they do most sutably to that presumption they have taken up for all these things are the more needful to be taught because both Scripture seems to say the contrary affirming that Saints departed are ignorant of us and our concernments here on Earth and denying that any besides God can know the secrets of the heart And secondly the things themselves seem difficult to be believed viz. That Creatures at so infinite a distance can be acquainted with what is done on carth much more that they should at such a distance understand the secret motions of the heart Why is it then that the Apostles who do so often mind us of what we have less reason to suspect viz. That God is able and very ready to perform what we desire and that he hears the secret groanings of our heart should not inform us of what is so exceeding hard and yet so necessary to be believed of these Blessed Spirits Whosoever diligently reads their Writings will find them praying earnestly to God for all those blessings to be conferred upon the Christians which Papists do request from Saints and Angels That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. Origen That Angels are sometimes stiled God but notwithstanding that these Gods do also minister and bring the gifts of God unto us we must not worship them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in place of God for all our prayers and supplications by whatsoever name we call them for he mentions all the Kinds of Prayer they must be all sent up to God by that high Priest who is above all Angels and is God Why so I pray you but that all prayer is worship which alone belongs to God and Jesus Christ And therefore to offer it to any Creature or by any other Mediator is to ascribe that to him which is due to God alone had he been of the Church of Rome he must have said with them that notwithstanding you have that High Priest yet may you send up your Petitions to the Saints and Angels this is an honour to him not an Encroachment upon the office of this great High Priest it is confessed you must not worship them instead of God but notwithstanding you may put up to them Supplications Prayers Thanksgiving Intercessions you may say unto them Pater noster and ask all temporal and eternal blessings of them provided you do not pray unto them with absolute terminative and sacrificial Prayer distinctions which in reference to this matter the Fathers knew but little off The Fathers hence conclude that Christ is God Arg. 4. and that the Holy Spirit is God because we put up our Petitions to them and because that they are present to relieve us being called upon (b) Si homo tantummodo Christus qùomodo adest ubique invocatus cum haec hominis natura non sit sed Dei ut udesse omni loco possit No vat de Trinitate c. 14. p. 707. Si homo tantummodo Christus cur homo in Orationibus Mediator invocetur cum Invocatio hominis ad praestandam Salutem inessecax judicetur Novatian ibid. If Christ were only man how comes he to be every where present when he is invoked since to be omnipresent is the property of God and is not competent to humane nature If Christ was only man why is a man invoked in our Prayers as if he were a Mediator for the Invocation of a man is by Christians judged inefficacious to the obtaining of Salvation so Novatian It was so by the antient Christians but is it so esteemed by the Church of Rome Is not the blessed Virgin by them styled (c) Ave salus hominum Prosa Miss f. 35. B. Salus hominum or the Salvation of mankind Do they not say that (d) Ibid. fol. 30. God will certainly confer eternal Life on them that worship her Do they not bid the (e) Missa in Honorem proprii Angeli f. 16. Guardian Angel say unto their Souls I am thy Salvation It is written saith Athanasius be thou to me a God Protector and as house of refuge that thou mayst save me which words if Arians conceive to have been spoken of the Son (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contr. Ar. Orat p. 369. let them know that Christians or Holy Persons do not Petition any thing that was begotten to be an helper to them or a house of Refuge What are they then who do declare that it is good and profitable (g) Concil Trid. Sess 25. ad corum opem auxiliumque confugere to fly for refuge to their help and aid whose daily practise is to fly unto the blessed Virgin (h) Catech Rom. Par. 4. c. 5. Sect. 8. ab eâque opem auxilium implorare i. e. and to petition her to be our helper who do advise us (i) Sub Matris refugio fuge causa veniae Prosa Miss f. 33. B. 34. A. to fly under her refuge for the pardon of our sin Lastly vvho say unto their Guardian Angel (k) Exurge Angele in adjutorium meum Miss in Hon. Pr. Angel f. 16. Arise O Angel to my help Origen lay's down this as a most certain Rule (l) Sed in Principio Epistolae quam ad Corinthios scribit ubi dicit cum omnibus qui invocant nomen domini Iesu Christi in omni loco ipsorum nostro cum cujus nomen invocatur Deum Iesum Christum esse pronunciat Si ergò Enos Moses Samuel invocabant Dominum ipse exaudiebat eos sine dubio Christum Iesum Dominum invocabant si invocare Domini nomen adorare Deum unum atque idem est sicut invocatur Christus adorandus est Christus Orig. l. 8. in Epist ad Rom. c. 10. That to invoke the name of God and to adore him is the same Whence he infers that as Christ may be invocated so also must he be acknowledged to be God and he adds that when Saint Paul doth mention those that in all places call upon the name of Christ he proves the same Having thus manifested from the judgment of the ancient Fathers that invocation is a part of worship proper to God and that it cannot be ascribed to Saints departed vvithout Idolatry much less to the inferior Heathen Daemons Pag. 1.5 We shall subjoyn what Dr. St. affirms viz. That there being other intermediate beings between the supreme God and men whose office as the Heathens did conceive vvas this to carry the prayers of men to God and to bring down help from him to them they thought it very fitting to address their solemn supplications unto them this I say being so there was the very same cause in debate betwixt the ancient Fathers and the Heathens vvhich is between us and the Church of Rome Here T.G. swells and cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a most injurious Calumny and such as scarcely ever dropt from the pen of the greatest enemies of Christianity So he this being his continual Custom to begin with false and disingenuous accusations and to confirm them by most impertinent and weak discourses We therefore will a little draw the paralel and then proceed to answer his impertinencies First then (m) Oratio porrigitur alicui dupliciter Vno modo quasi per ipsum implenda Alio modo sicut per ipsum impetranda Primo quidem modo soli Dec Orationem porrigimus quid omnes crationes nostrae ordinari debent ad gratiam gloriam consequendam quae solus Deus dat Secundum illud Psal 83. Gratiam Glorian dabit Dominue Sed Secundario modo orationem porrigimus Angelis hominibus Aq. 2 2ae q. 83. Art 4. Aquinas thus propounds the Doctrine of the Church of Rome touching the Invocation of departed Spirits a prayer may be directed to a person so as that we do request him to fulfil and by himself accomplish our desires and thus we pray to God alone or so as that we do sollicite him to beg or to obtain them for us and thus we pray to Saints and Angels now this is that very
declare this was the duty of the Christian and to reveal their Supplications to departed Christians 3. What a ridiculous office do they impose upon the God of Heaven by this fond opinion for when they pray to Apollonia for the tooth-ach God must not only tell her that such a person supplicates but also that his teeth do ake and therefore he particularly imploreth her assistance when they address themselves to any Saint in this odd language * Cum ad Imaginem Sancti alicujus quis Dominicam orationem pronuntiat ita tum sentiat se ab illo petere ut secum oret sibique postulet ea quae Dominicae orationis formulâ continentur Catech. Rom. part 4 c. 6. s 4. p. 586. Our Father which art in heaven c. which they familiarly do as is acknowledged by the Roman Catechism God must inform this Saint both of the person praying and his prayer and his intention by so doing to oblige him to use those words in his behalf †O praeco accelera piae matri◠praecare viscera Propr Fest F. 2. When they desire any Saint or Angel to go unto the Blessed Virgin this Saint must be informed first of the matter of the Prayer then must he post unto the blessed Virgin and she must go unto her Son and he unto his Father to present that request which he revealed And are not these men very bold with God to put such offices upon him and make him Nuntio to all his Creatures 2. The Saints departed do not know the hearts and the petitions of their Supplicants by vertue of the beatifick Vision This vain presumption depends on this that seeing God they must in him behold those things which in Idea are contained in him or which his knowledge doth perceive and so the refutation of this dream will be sufficient confutation of it And 1. That which the holy Spirit only knows these blessed Spirits do not know but the things of God i.e. his purposes and counsels c. knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 Ergo. If then the blessed Spirits notwithstanding the beatifick Vision do not see the mind and counsel of God without his revelation why should we think that by beholding of God they also do behold the supplications we put up unto them De vita Contemp. l. 5. c. 4. Those words of Prosper That nothing is so secret as that the knowledge of it should be denied to the perfectly blessed And that of Gregory L. 12. Moral c. 13. That they who see that God who seeth all things must themselves see all things I say those words do as much prove that blessed Spirits do know the secrets of Gods counsel as that they see the supplications we put up unto them To strengthen and confirm this Argument let us consider 1. That the Fathers do from this place conclude the holy Spirit to be God because he is the searcher of the things of God which Argument would be invalid if this could truly be asserted of the blessed Spirits 2. 1 Cor. 2.12 Observe that the Apostle argues thus That as no man knows the secrets of the heart of man besides the Spirit of man within him so none can know the secrets of the God of Heaven but the Spirit of God Now if the blessed Spirits do know the secrets of the heart of man the Argument would be invalid for the Romanist might give the baffle to St. Paul and tell him That as the secrets of the heart of man are known not only to the Spirit of man but also to myriads of blessed Saints and Angels so may the secrets of God be known not only to the holy Spirit but to many others 2. The Scripture doth assure us That those blessed Angels which always did behold the face of God had not the knowledge of those things which are revealed to us by the Gospel and that the curious Wisdom which contrived that dispensation was made known unto them by the Church Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore Peter represents them as stooping down to view this new discovery which is a signal indication of the falshood of this fond conceit That blessed Spirits seeing him who knoweth all things must have the knowledge of those things he sees and therefore of the prayers that are put up unto him they being seen and known to God 3. That we may pray in faith we must be certain that the blessed Spirits are acquainted with the desires of our hearts for he that doth command us to pray in faith and without doubting cannot be wanting to give us certain motives of this faith and therefore God who never is deficient in what is necessary would certainly have given both to Jews and Christians sufficient revelation of his will in this particular had he intended that they should pay this homage to the Saints departed whereas we have no certain evidence that they enjoy this knowledge either from Revelation or from Vision And 1. We are not certain that they behold our supplications in the beatifick Vision for many of the Church of Rome do hold the contrary and it is free for all her members so to do and so this matter cannot be held as any Article of faith or certain definition of the Church 2. It is not certain that these blessed Spirits by vertue of this Vision do behold what is contingent for this is generally denied by the Romish Doctors and yet these things are seen of God as clearly as are the secrets of the heart 2. We cannot possibly be certain that God doth reveal them for we cannot certainly conclude it from his Attributes nor have we any certain revelation that he doth reveal our minds and thoughts unto them for if we can certainly conclude it from his Attributes then God would not be God did he not thus reveal our supplications to the Saints departed And Secondly Then to deny this Revelation would be to sin against the light of nature and then not only Protestants but the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks must sin against the light of nature by holding they obtain this knowledge not by Revelation but from the Vision of that God who knoweth all things but if by vertue of some Revelation we are assured that our petitions are revealed to the Saints why do they not produce it Why doth T. G. confess that Austin and others of the ancient Fathers were uncertain what to determine in this case Why do the greater part of Roman Catholicks deny what they have certain Revelation for 3. Where is this Revelation to be found In Scripture No they confess that this is wholly silent in this matter and give us many Reasons why it was not mentioned in holy Writ Have we this Revelation from Tradition Why then do the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks reject it Sith then we have no certainty of what this practice doth suppose either from Revelation or from the beatifick
Invocation of the Saints vvhich Roman Catholicks do practise but if instead of speaking to this one case of supplication you will let me wander through the vvhole worship of those Daemons then I have three disparities to offer this is the twig the poor man catcheth hold of to save both him and his vvhole Church from sinking but in vain for the disparities which he hath represented betwixt that honour vvhich they give to Saints and vvhat the Heathen do ascribe to their inferior Daemons is not only horribly impertinent but also vain and frivolous as vvill appear by reassuming of his heads of difference as 1. The persons to whom we address our selves for their prayers T. G. pag. 351. are not Devils or wicked Wretches but the Friends and Servants of God Answ 1. St. Austin manifestly doth assert Dec. D. l. 9. c. 23. That either all or at the least the better sort of Platonists Hoc ipsum dicunt quod dicimus did assert the same of their good Daemons which we do of the blessed Angels that there was also no dissention betwixt them and Christians touching these blessed Spirits and that the controversie was but this whether they should be called Daemons as they were wont to stile them or Angels as the Christians called them and therefore it is manifest he did not think the Platonists good Daemons to be Devils or wicked Wretches as T. G. suggests 2. It is apparent from their Writings that other Heathens had the same apprehensions of them which the Papists have of Saints and Angels for they distinguished them into such Spirits as * Verum haec omnis distributio corum Daemonum fait qui quondam in corpore bumano fuere Sunt autem non posteriore numero praestantiori longe dignitate superius aliud angustiusque genus Daemonum qui semper à corporis compedibus nexibus liberi Apuleius l. de Deo Socratis p. 50. were by death delivered from the body and such as never were united to the body And hence that Law of the old Romanists †Divos eos qui coelostes semper habiti colunto ollos quos in coelum merita vocaverunt Cic. de legibus l. 2. Let them be worshipped who have always lived in Heaven and those whose merits have advanced them to that place where we have both the same objects of our worship and the same reason of that worship given viz. their merits or as Trismegistus hath it the vertues of their life And though I grant they were mistaken in their apprehensions yet he that doth so confidently assert That Roman Catholicks would not be guilty of Idolatry provided the material object of their worship should be bread because they apprehend what is bread not to be there but Christ cannot have any reason to quarrel with the Heathens because when they performed their worship to an Image in whom these Spirits were conceived to be present they apprehended no evil Spirit to be there but only pure and holy Souls and blessed Daemons 2. Their office saith he is not to inform the supreme God of what he knows but to be joynt Petitioners with us Answ Admit all this the Fathers do expresly hold they ought not to be worshipped upon that account But 2. Let me crave leave of good St. Augustine to assert That the Platonists did not conceive that God was ignorant of what was done on Earth or that he needed Daemons or any other Spirits to inform him of our words thoughts or actions St. Augustine I confess infers this Doctrine from what they did assert but that they constantly professed and taught the contrary is clearer than the Sun * Theolog. Dogm Tom 1. l. 8. c. 4. Petavius tells us That the tenth Book of Plato is spent in proving that God wants neither power will nor knowledge to make his providence concerned about the least things which are done on Earth and that expresly he declares that the Gods discern know and hear all things and that nothing which our sense or reason can perceive can be concealed from them This saith †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 10. de leg p. 955. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ammonius Comment ad librum Aristotelis de interpretatione Plotinus and Ammonius must be certain that if the Gods are the first causes of all things they cannot possibly be ignorant of any thing which is in any manner done by them Moreover the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus Enn. 5. l. 9. c. 5 Vid. Petavium T. 1. l. 4. c. 2. Platonists affirmed That God had this knowledge from and by himself and from no other and that nothing was required but his nature to make him understand all things Particularly both Platonists and others held that God was the searcher of the heart and was himself acquainted with the thoughts of men Hence (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laertius in vit Thaletis p. 24 Nihil Deo clausum est interest animis nostris cogitationibus intervenit Senec Ep. 83. Thales being asked whether the actions of men could be concealed from God he answers No nor yet our thoughts Nothing is hid from God faith Seneca he is both present to our minds and thoughts Whence he exhorts us so to live as in his sight and so to think as having one who looks into our brests (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophon memorab l. 1. The Gods saith Socrates know all things which are spoken done and which in silence we consult (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Antonini l. 12. Sect. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 11. Sect. 13. God sees all minds saith Antoninus devested of those Barks and material Vessels that contain them for with his mind alone he reacheth all those minds which are derived from him and are lodged in them Whence he exhorts us so to be (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epict dissert l. 2. c. 14. affected in our minds as that the Gods may see that nothing doth trouble or disgust us (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch de tarditate divin vindict This we are first to learn saith Epictetus that there is a God whose Providence doth reach to all things and that not only what we do but what we think cannot be hid from him It is more agreeable to God saith Plutarch to perceive the actions of the soul than of the body he therefore knows the dispositions of all men This is but little of that which might be easily produced to confirm this truth but yet it is sufficient to inform the Reader that T. G. was scandalously ignorant if he did not know it or scandalously wicked if knowing this he ventured to declare the contrary 3. We saith T. G. do not procure or buy this favour of them by offering Sacrifice to them Answ True but then you offer up your prayers unto them which in the judgment of the ancient Fathers is the best and highest Sacrifice
August ibid. they gave not divine worship to them 2. That Reverence and honour which they oppose to this Latria or divine worship and which they acknowledg to be due and given by them to Saints departed they comprize in the forementioned particulars or in such other matters as are and do include no formal prayers and no elicite actions of Religion whence we may rationally conceive that neither Prayers nor Vows nor any actions which were properly religious were then tendred to them and that they did not think them parts of that Dulia which was due to Saints Contra Faustum lib. 20. c. 21. but rather parts of that Latria which was due to God alone This is apparent from St. Austin's Answer unto Faustus viz. the worship therefore which we give the Martyrs is that worship of Society and Love which we afford unto those holy men whom in this life we worship but with that worship which is called Latria we worship God alone Where 1. observe that he ascribes unto the Martyrs only that worship which in this life we give unto our fellow Saints Now is it any part of that affection or society we bear unto the living to put up our petitions to them when at great distance from us and invisible 2. Unto this worship of Society and love which doth not comprehend addresses made by way of Prayer to persons absent and invisible St. Austin doth oppose Latria the worship proper to God Whence we infer that worship which could not be included in these expressions of Society and Love viz. all mental prayers and supplications made by Speech to persons at great distance and invisible must in St. Austins judgment be Latria or the worship proper unto God alone The like we may observe in Cyril for having said We neither do affirm the Martyrs to be Gods nor do we worship them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Latria but with the worship of honour and affection He gives three instances of their honour †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril adv Jul. l. 6. p. 204. We give them all Veneration we honour their Sepulchers and we remember their resplendent Vertues Moreover the honour given to them seems therefore to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or relative Because as Basil notes the honor given to the best of our fellow Servants is the sign and demonstration of our good will and respect towards our common Lord. Whence that of St. Gregory Nyssen speaking to the Martyr Theodorus Orat. de Theod. Martyre We hold this assembly for thee to adore our common Lord and make full commemorations of thy Victories So then these Answers and Objections which T. G. reckons a confirmation of this practice of invocation of the Saints departed are rather a just prejudice against it it being never mentioned by them upon these occasions as any portion of that honour they bestowed upon these blessed Spirits nor yet contained in what they mention Secondly §. 10. Observe it was the custom of those times to put up their Petitions at the Martyrs Tombs and this they did for these considerations viz. 1. From a presumption that when the Christians came unto these Tombs the blessed Martyrs joyned their Supplications with them and by so doing helped to speed them Whence Basil in his Oration on the 40 Martyrs saith Together with these Martyrs let us pour forth our Prayers for here are 40 sending up one Prayer and if where two or three be gathered together God is present who doubts his presence where forty are 2. That their Devotions might be enlivened and their affections raised by the place Thus Austin tells us that * Quod offertur offertur Deo qui Martyres coronavit apud memoriam corum quos coronavit ut ex ipsorum locorum admonitione major affectus exurgat â—d acuendam Charitatem in illos quos imtrari pâ—ssumus in illum quo adâ—â—â—nte pâ—ssuâ—us Contra Faustum Man l. 20. c. 21. What was offered to God was offered at the memories of the Martyrs that by the admonition or remembrance which the very places give us a stronger affection may arise to inflame our charity both toward those whom we imitate and him by whose assistance we may be enabled to do it Another custome of these Ancients was to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech Mystag 5. p. 241. Ideo ad ipsam mensammon sic cos commemoramus quemadmodum alios qui in pace requiâ—scunt ut etiam pro iis o emus sed magis ut ipsi prò nobis orent August Tract 84. in Joh. pray unto God §. 11. that for the intercession of those Saints and Martyrs he would grant them their requests just as the Israelites did desire kindness for the sake of Abraham and David And this saith Austin haply may be conceiv'd that ‖ De cura pro Mortuis cap. 16. they in general making addresses unto God as we do for the Dead although we know not where they are or what they do for all the wants of such as come to these assemblies God may be moved by their Prayers to grant what he sees needful for them as haply he is moved by the fervent Prayers of some Relations distant from us to vouchsafe us blessings and by the addresses of some Churches to grant deliverance from Persecution unto others This observation is a sufficient Answer to many of those passages which T.G. cites to prove it was the custome of the ancient Church to invocate the Saints departed as V. G. Ruffinus doth relate of Theodosius * Hist Eccles l. 2. c. 33. That he went to all the places of Prayer and lying prostrate before the Martyrs and Apostles Tombs he asked succors by intercession of the Saints which upon supposition that they prayed with him and did continually intercede for all that put up their petitions there or for the whole Church militant he might well do but then it is not intimated that he beg'd these succors by invocation of the Saints We also hope for benefit and succour from the intercessions of our pious friends and of the whole Church militant and may entreat God to help us for the sake of their petitions yet is not this a warrant to put up supplications to our pious Relatives or to the universal Church St. Basil in his Oration on the forty Martyrs saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas Hom. 20 in XL. Mart. p. 459. He that is pressed with affliction flyeth to them and he that is glad runneth to them the one that he may be freed from his affliction the other that he may continue in that joyful state But then to fly and run unto them is only to fly and run unto the Tombs and Churches where they were interred as is apparent from the following words Here it is that a woman praying for her Son is heard And from the Exhortation following Wherefore together with these Martyrs let us pour forth our
Prayers Here therefore is a demonstration that this blessed Chorus were judged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-helpers of our Prayers by interceding with us as are our fellow Christians here on earth 2 Cor. 1.11 Rom. 15.30 but here is not one tittle to demonstrate that they did or that we ought to pray to them 4. When Austin saith that Christian People do with religious solemnity celebrate the memory of Martyrs both to excite them to the Imitation of them and that they may become partakers of their merits or Good works and may be helped by their Prayers This passage only proves that Austin held what was then commonly asserted that when the Christians came to Church the blessed Martyrs joyned their Supplications with them and by so doing helped to speed them But it is no evidence that either Christians prayed unto the Martyrs or that the solemnity was stiled Religious upon that account For Protestants do bring their Children to the Church to be baptized not only that they may be excited by that rite to the performance of the Christian Covenant but that they may obtain advantage by the Churches Prayers but yet they do not pray unto the Church And T.G. may perhaps expect advantage from the Prayers of Christs Church Militant and yet I hope he is not so express for Invocation of the members of it as for the invocation of the Church Triumphant De cura pro Mort. c. 16. Besides Austin himself expounds how we are helped by their Prayers viz. because that God may be induced by their intercessions made in general for all that pray to grant what he sees needful for them Moreover that this passage is no evidence that Christians held Religious Solemnities to the Martyrs or did religiously worship Martyrs is extreamly evident For Protestants do also celebrate the memories of their deceased Friends with a Religious Solemnity performed in those places where they were interred and yet they give unto from no Religious Worship It therefore may be â—â—â—ed a Religious Solemnity because of the Devotion paid to God and not unto the Martyrs But this Exposition saith T. G. is opposite both to the words themselves p. 432. and is refuted by St. Austin for he declares himself not to speak of that Religious Worship which is due only to God but such a kind of Worship with which even holy men in this life are worshipped we worship therefore saith he the Martyrs with the Worship of love and society thus T. G. And yet in the same page he adds It is evident that St. Austin speaks of such Religious honour as is due to God himself If then within the space of ten lines St. Austin speaks both of Religious Worship and of that Worship which is not in the strictest sense Religious I hope the Dr. may be allowed to Answer with T. G. that when St. Austin saith We worship Martyrs with the worship of love he did not speak of Religions Worship though in this sentence he expresly doth so For doth not St. Austin say That to speak †Ipsa Religio quamvis distinctius non quemlibet sed Dei cultum significare videatur c. de C. D. l. 10. c. 1 properly Religion signifies that Worship which is due to God alone Doth not he thus advise all Christians ‖ Non sit nobis Religio cultus hominum mortuorum quia si pie vixerunt non sic habentur ut tales quaerant honores sed illum à nobis coli volunt quo iltuminante laetantur meriti sui nos esse consertes Let not the worship of the Dead be any part of your Religion for if they have lived well they will not seek these honours Doth not he say * Henorandi ergo sunt prepter imitationem Non adorandi prepter Religionem August de vera Rel. Tom. 1. cap. 55. pag. 166. B. They should be honored with our imitation but not be worshipped with Religion and is not this sufficient reason to conceave that when he saith we honour the memory of Martyrs with religious Solemnity the Religion of that Solemnity belongs to God and not unto the Dead Secondly St. Austin saith †Populus autem Christianus memorias Martyrum religioso solennitate concelebrat ad exitandam imitationem ut meritis corum consoctitur atque orationibus adjuvetur ita tamen ut nulti Martyrum sed ipsi Dâ—o Martyrum quamvis in memorias Martyrum constituamus Altaria l. 20. contr Faustum Manich. c. 21. We Christian People do celebrate the memory of Martyrs with Religious Solemnity but albeit we erect Altars in memory of the Martyrs we do not do it to them but to the God of Martyrs If then constituere Altaria in memorias Martyrum be to erect Altars to God in memory of the Martyrs to celebrate Religious Solemnities in memory of the Martyrs ought in all reason to admit of a like sense viz. we celebrate Religious Solemnities to God in memory of Holy Martyrs Whereas S. Austin saith It is an injury to pray to Martyrs unto whose Prayers we ought to be commended This also may refer to the forementioned presumptions viz. That we ought to commend our selves to their Prayers by going to the places where the Martyrs pray together with us or by entreating God to hear us by vertue of their intercession as doth the Church of Rome Elsewhere he teacheth that we commend our Friends unto their Prayers by burying of them where the Martyrs lye interred so that we see this commendation of our selves and others to the Martyrs Prayers doth not imply the Invocation of those Blessed Spirits The same St. Austin in his Book de Cura pro mortuis speaking of such as did forecast to bury their departed friends about the memories of the Saints passeth his judgment of that action thus * Cum talia vivorum solatia requiruntur quibus eorum pius in suos animus appareat non video quae sunt adjumenta mortuorum nisi ad hoc ut dum recolunt ubi sint posita eorum quos diligunt corpora iisdem sanctis illos tanquam patronis susceptos apud dominum adjuvandos orando commendent Cap. 4. f. 214. E. When the survivors seek such comforts wherein their well disposed mind towards their friends may be conspicuous I see not what advantage these things may be unto the dead except that whilst they cast about where the bodies of them that are dear to them should or may be laid they may commend them so received to the Saints as to Patrons to be helped by their prayers to God Which passage only doth import that by depositing their bodies by the Martyrs shrines they engage the Martyrs to pray to God for them And to the like effect is that which follows viz. †Cum itaque recolit animus nbi sepultum sit chari ssimi corpus locus nomine occurrit Martyris venerabilis eidem Martyri animam
the very ground and reason of that practice viz. the benefit we may receive by putting up requests unto them and the concernments which ly upon us so to do in order to our preservation from all evil and the obtainment of the greatest blessings for he expresly tels us our care must be to get his favour who alone is God and that if Celsus or the Church of Rome would have us to procure the favor of the inferior beings he must know that all good Spirits Souls and Angels if we do obtain Gods favor when we pray to him they need not be called upon for the assistance of their prayers for they will pray together with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being called upon so to do This he doth frequently repeat and indeed it is the common language of those times he lived in witness the like expression of Arnobius * In hoe omne quod colendum est colimus quod adorari convenit adoramus quod obsequium Venerationis exposcit Venerationibus promeremur Cum enim divinitatis ipsius tencamus caput à quo ipsa Divinitas divorum omnium quicunque sunt ducitur supervacuum putamus personas ire per singulas cum ipsi qui sint quae habeant nomina nesciamus cujus sint praeterea numeri neque liquidum neque comprehensum neque exploratum habere possimus Atque ut in terrestribus Regnis necessitate nulla compellimur regalibus in familiis constitutos nominatim cum Principibus adorare sed in Regum ipsorum cultu quicquid illis annexum est tacita se sentit honorificentia comprehendi Non alia ratione quicunque hi Dii sunt quos esse nobis proponitis fi sint progenies Regia principali oriuntur è capite etiam si nullos accipiant nominatim à nobis cultus intelligunt se tamen honorari communiter cum suo Rege atque in illius venerationibus contineri Arnobius contra Gentes lib. 3 p. 101. In worshiping the Father and the Lord of all things we worship all things that are to be worshiped we adore all things that may conveniently be adored we venerate all that calls for veneration For holding to the head from whence these Divi borrow their Divinity we think it needless to go to every Person seeing wee know not what they are what names they have or of what order they may be And as in honoring the King wee honor all that do belong unto him so what ever Gods you do propose unto us if they be of this Kingly progeny and do belong unto this head although they do receive no worship from us they understand that they are worshiped together with their King and are included in that veneration which we pay to him 4. This Answer renders the discourse of Origen impertinent and a perfect declination of the Question betwixt him and Celsus For Celsus thus disputes no God nor any Son of God can possibly descend from Heaven but if you do assert this of the Angels of God these are no other than our Daemons Orig. l. 7. 5. p. 23â— To this St. Origen returns this Answer 1. That to deny that any God descends from Heaven is to deny what was esteemed a thing common by the Heathen World 2. That Christians do indeed confess this is the office of the Angels to come down from and to ascend to Heaven and to offer up the Prayers of men to God but yet saith he we must not worship them as God for all our Prayers must be directed to God and to his Son Christ Jesus who is the living Word and God Which argument if it have any strength at all consists in this that whiâ—h you must not worship and adore as God you must not pray unto but Angels you must not worship and adore as God Ergo Angels you must not pray unto This is that Fathers plea to which T. G. may answer in behalf of Celsus as well as of the Church of Rome that he apparently distinguisheth those Angels both from God and from the Son of God and therefore did not contend that we should pray unto them as to that God who is the Author of all good but only as to the Ministers and Servants of God whom he appointed to preside over such persons Families and Countries And therefore he was contented only that it might be lawful to say unto them as doth the Church of Rome to St. Sebastian Cerne familiam tuam id est behold thy family and to St. Gabriel preserve thy Countrey 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus objects that if with God we do adore his Son then may we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerate his Ministers To this St. Origen replies that if †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. Contra Celsum lib. 8. p. 386. Celsus by the Ministers of God had understood Gabriel and Michael and other Angels and Archangels and had contended that they should be venerated perpaps by purifying of the word and of the actions of the venerators we might say something of that matter i.e. Perhaps some actions which in some sense may bear the name of veneration might be performed to those Angels This T. G. thinks a great advantage to his cause and wonders that the Doctor would produce this passage But I conceive it is the clearest confutation of it that we could desire For having granted this and then restraining our petitions unto God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ as he expresly doth he most apparently demonstrates that prayer could be no part of the forementioned service he allowed to Saints 2. In that he thus distinguisheth of veneration and never doth distinguish in the like manner of prayer and supplication or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est of adoration and worship it follows that although he thought some veneration might be allowed to Angels in some inferior kind yet no petition was to be put up unto them and that no worship and adoration should be given unto them 3. When Origen in answer to this passage saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. we Christians venerate with supplications only God and his Son Jesus Christ and put up our petitions to God by his only Son If he doth understand only such supplications as are made to him as to the Author of all good he is as vain and impertinent as T. G. in his Answers to the Dr. for Celsus only doth contend for such a worship and consequently for such addresses only as agree unto the Ministers and Servants of God 4. Origen plainly doth inform us that the veneration he allowed to Angels was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 8. p. 416. to speak well of them and pronounce them blessed and imitate to their virtues and what is this to supplication 3. Celsus objects that Daemons do belong to God and therefore must be prayed unto and
Wickedness against God are men fallen into What dishonour do the Creatures to their Creator and Maker And if we remember God sometimes yet because we doubt of his Ability or will to help us we joyn to him another Helper using these sayings Such as Learn God and St. Nicholas be my good speed Such as Neese God help and St. John To the Horse God and St. Loy save thee Thus are we become like Horses and Mules which have no Understanding For is there not one God only who Governeth the same and by his goodness maintaineth and serveth them be not all things of him by him and through him Why dost thou turn from the Creator to the Creatures This is the manner of the Gentil-Idolaters but thou art a Christian and therefore by Christ alone hast access to God the Father and help of him only These things are not written to any reproach of the Saints themselves but against our foolishness and wickedness making of the true Servants of God false Gods by attributing to them the Power and Honour which is Gods and due to him only And for that we have such opinions of the power and ready help of Saints all our Legends Hymns Sequenses and Masses did contain stories Lauds and praises of them and prayers to them and this we do altogether agreeable to the Saints as did the Gentile-Idolaters to their false Gods If answer be made that they make Saints but Intercessors to God and means for such things as they would obtain of God That is even after the Gentile-Idolatrous usage to make them of Saints Gods called Dij medioximi to be mean Intercessors and helpers to God This is the Doctrine appointed to be read and taught in every Parish Church of England In the Injunctions of Edward the Sixt published 1547. All Pastors are enjoyned to teach for the reproof of Surerstition and Pilgrimage made to Saints that all goodness health and grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author and Giver of the same and of none other And in the Injunction of Queen Elizabeth 1559. We have the same reiterated viz. To the intent that all Superstition and Hypocrisie crept into divers mens hearts may vanish away they shall teach that all goodness health and grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author and giver of the same and of none other And now to evidence the Truth and Justice of this imputation §. 3. we shall first shew what is the nature of Idolatry and what actions may be duely charged with it Next we shall faithfully relate the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome from her own Catechism Church-service and Authentick Councils Thirdly we shall consider what T. G. and others of that Church have offer'd to excuse her practice from this imputation And then shall leave it to the judgment of all impartial and discerning Readers whether we have not such convincing clear and pregnant reasons to pronounce her guilty of this most hainous sin that the most subtil wit cannot evade nor the most obstinate deny And first to shew wherein the nature of Idolatry consists and to confute and baffle all the tricks and Salvo's which the adverse party hath of late invented to excuse their practice in this matter from this hainous guilt we assert as followeth That to render any person guilty of Idolatry Prop. 1. it is not necessary that be should conceive the Creature which he worships to be the great Creator and the chiefest good the end and the beginning of all things or to conceive that which he worships is no Creature For first if this were requisite to render any person guilty of this crime then no man could commit Idolatry who knows and doth acknowledge the true Jehovah to be the only God Though he should Sacrifice to Devils and to stocks and stones Though he should worship the Sun Moon and Stars and all the host of Heaven with all the Rites and Ceremonies that have been used by the Heathen world nay should he have as many petty and inferior Gods as Aegypt Rome or the whole Heathen world did ever own and should perform that homage which according to the custom of those Nations where they were received was due unto them yet would he not be guilty of the least Idolatry because he could not possibly conceive them to be the great Creator or the highest God and yet conceive the true God to be only so 2. Hence it would clearly follow that those Christians who refused to Sacrifice or offer Incense unto the Images and Statues of the Heathen Emperors and to those Daemons which they worshiped as inferior beings and subject to that being whom the Heathens stile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Supream and highest God were miserably out and wretchedly deceived in their apprehensions for it is evident by all their writings and by the accusations of their Adversaries that they refused to pay this homage to them because they thought it was Idolatry whereas according to this Rule it was not possible that they who owned the true Jehovah in contradiction to all others could commit that sin or justly be suspected of it 3. The Christians constantly pronounced the Heathens guilty of Idolatry in worshiping their lesser Deities And when the Arians and Nestorians sprung up they with one voice pronounced them guilty of the like hainous crime because by giving that homage which the Orthodox conceived due to God to him whom they affirmed to be only man they did * Basil Hom. 27. Ed. Paris P. 510. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. they introduced that Idolatry the Heathens practised the Angelitae as * Nomo Can. Tit. 12. c. 8. Cod. Can. Ecc. Univ. Cant. 139. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Haer. 79. p. 1061. B. Photius or the Angelicks as St. Austine stiles them who prayed to Angels and by them thought to have access unto the Father The Church of God did antiently condemn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being guilty of occult Idolatry The Collyridians who offerd Cakes unto the blessed Virgin were said to do a devilish work and introduce a custom which made them guilty of Idolatry and yet it is exceeding manifest that neither any of those Heathens did conceive those petty Gods as they are pleased to stile them the supream being or the great Creator of the world nor could the like conceptions of Christ the blessed Virgin or the Angels be any ways consistent to that Christianity which the Arians Angelicks and Collyridians did constantly profess As for the Heathens their Daemons were accounted a Plutarc de Def. Or. p. 416 417. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministers of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundary Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sen b Apuleus de demon Socratis p. 45. potestatis Mediae a middle sort of Intercessors c Sen
guilty of idolatry it being the most clear and most unquestionable truth that the most excellent Creature is not God 2. Whatever doth import and signifie the honour due to the Ceator doth also signifie that excellency which is only due unto him We cannot then perform that act of honour which imports this excellency to the best of Creatures but we must honour it as our Creator nor can we honour it as our Creator but we must worship it as God and by so ding we must be guilty of what the Romanists confess to by paying honor to a Creature But we can pay no greater honor to the most excellent of Creatures than by ascribing to it that honor which is due to God alone and therefore by ascribing of that honor to it we must be guilty of idolatry 4. By giving of that honor to God which doth import that excellence and perfection which agrees to God alone we exercise that act of Worship which we call Latria for since Dulia doth import only the worship proper to the Creature it cannot signifie that worship which is due to him whose dignity is infinitely greater than what the best of Creatures doth enjoy if then we exercise that act of worship to the Creature we give Latria to it and in the judgment of our most rigid Adversaries to give Latria to a Creature is to be guilty of Idolatry To know the secrets of the hearts of persons praying Prop. 2. §. 2. is a divine and uncommunicated excellency This is apparent 1. from express Scripture testimony 1 Kings 8.39 2 Chron. 6.29 30. What prayer or what supplication soever shall be made by any man or by all thy people Israel when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief and shall spread forth his hands in this house hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and render unto every man according to all his wayes whose heart thou knowest for thou even thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men where first observe That there it is asserted as a thing proper to God not only that he knows the hearts of all men collectively taken but distributively i. e. that he alone doth know the heart of any man for this is given as a reason why when supplications are made by any man God should render to him according to his wayes because he only knows his heart i. e. he only knows the heart of any single person 2. Observe this knowledge of the heart is thus appropriated to God in reference to whatsoever prayer and supplication shall be made by any man Whence we infer that whatsoever prayer and supplication shall be made by any man God only knows the heart and the conceptions of the Supplicant and therefore that this knowledge is not communicated to Saints or Angels 3. Observe that to affirm this knowledge is ascribed to God alone because he only hath this knowledge from the perfection of his nature whereas it is communicated to the Saints and Angels only by way of revelation or by the vision of that God who knoweth all things Is 1. without all ground to limit what is universally pronounced in the case of prayer 2. It we admit this limitation to say God only knows the secret of the heart of him that prayeth hath no more of truth than if I should assert God only hath a being he only acts he only knows that Christ is come into the world because he only acts and hath his being from himself our beings and our power of action is derived from him and by his revelation only we do know that Christ is come into the world 3. We may on like accounts assert That even when the general hath paid his Souldiers he alone hath money because what money and of his Souldiers have was given by him and that the Master only of the School of Westminster knows Greek and Latine because his Scholars have derived that knowledge from him 4. If we admit of such a limitation then the exclusive term will not refer to what is spoken but to that which is not mentioned not to the predicate viz. the knowledge of the hearts of men which is expressed but only to the manner of that knowledge of which the Text is wholly silent Now this inter pretation gives such a forced and strained sense as in a matter of this nature ought not to be admitted without the greatest evidence Whereas the sence we plead for is the most plain and natural import of the words For it is natural to conceive the sense of this expression should be this thou and no other knowest the hearts of men whereas if we do paraphrase it thus that many myriads of Saints and Aâ—gels have this knowledge of the heart but thou alone dost naturally know what they receive from revelation this Proposition taken as it is expresed viz. God only knows the hearts of men will be both absolutely false and uncouth and what is contradictory to it viz. God only doth not know the hearts of them that pray will be absolutely true 2. If such a knowledge of the heart was not an uncommunicated excellency if it was only that which did agree to many thousands of blessed Saints and Angels then could it be no proof of the divinity of Christ and of the holy Spirit for what is answered to the Protestant by those who do ascribe this knowledge to the Saints in glory might be with equal probability alledged to baffle and evade this evidence of Christs divinity which is so often and so triumphantly suggested by the holy Fathers And hence it is confessed by the great (f) Quod argumentum nullum esset omnino si non Dei proprium id foret cogitationes intimas corda cognoscere Theol. dogm Tom. 3. l. 1. c. 7. p. 39. §. 3. Petavius that if this knowledge were not proper to God their argument would certainly be weak and groundless And yet the Fathers in his Argument are so exceeding full and copious that it were endless to collect what they deliver Our Lord saith (g) in Lucam l. 5. c. 3. Ambrose demonstrateth himself to be God by knowing of the secrets of the heart Take saith (h) Serm. 50. Chrysologus these indications of our Lords divinity hear how he penetrates the secret of thy heart see how he dives into thy hidden thoughts See saith St. (i) p. 2. Com. in Joh. p. 144. Cyril how he is that God who is the (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alex. Com. in Joh. l. 2. p. 133. E. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. p. 144. searcher of all hearts For to none other is it given to know the mind of man as is apparent from that passage of the Psalmist God is the searcher of the heart and reins for there the Psalmist mentions it as a peculiar thing which only doth agree to the Divine nature and to nothing else if it be proper unto God
c. 12. Run through all the words of holy Prayers and you will be able to find nothing which is not included in the Lords Prayer in this both Protestants and Roman Catholicks agree Hence therefore I assume if when we pray for any thing contained in this Prayer we are enjoyned to pray to God then all our acceptable Prayers must be directed to him and whensoever we do pray for any blessing we must call upon him besides Our Father doth belong to every Petition no other person being mentioned in this Prayer so that the sense runs thus Our Father c. let thy Kingdome come Our Father let thy will be done c. And then the import of this injunction will be this when you pray for the advancement of Gods Glory or the promotion of his Kingdom or the performance of his Will when you solicite for any Temporal blessing or for the pardon of your Sin or lastly for the prevention of any Evil or Temptation of what kind soever when you desire any of these mercies for your selves or others pray to your Heavenly Father for them 3. None of these blessings must be asked of him to whom the Kingdom Power and Glory doth not of right belong For this is added as the cause or motive of making these addresses to God and where the motive or cause is wanting the effect must cease Now to God only the Kingdome Power and Glory doth agree Jude 25. We therefore must address our Prayers to him only for the obtaining of these blessings And least you should object that this Argument excludes the third and second persons of the Sacred Trinity let it be noted that all the Schoolmen do affirm That the word Father in this Prayer must not be taken personally but essentially and so excludeth not the other Persons of the Trinity but those things only which have not the same nature with them 2. Prayer offered up in any time or place to an invisible and for any thing we know a Being absent from us as far as Earth from Heaven doth ascribe unto that Being the knowledge of the secrets of the heart now to worship any Being whether Saint or Angel with such a kind of worship which doth ascribe unto it the knowledge of the desires and secrets of the heart both where and whensoever they are conceived or uttered is to ascribe unto them by way of worship what is not due to Saints or Angels but alone to God as hath been proved already and may be further thus confirmed 1. If Saints departed were acquainted with the desires of our hearts why did Elijah speak unto Elisha thus 2 Kings 2.9 Ask what thou wilst before I am taken from thee The Scripture doth affirm that he was taken up into the Heavens and therefore did behold the face of God And Roman Catholicks themselves deny that he was held in Limbo as they imagine other Prophets were being in Heaven his love unto Elisha and the Church of God was not diminished but enlarged and therefore upon that account he had a stronger reason to ask what he desired then before Besides the Prophet being now with God in Heaven his Prayers would more effectually prevail for any Blessing for his Friend and therefore he had greater reason to have said had he believed this Doctrine of the Church of Rome Ask what thou wilst when I am taken from thee And therefore we have reason to presume that he did not believe this Doctrine but rather thought that his departure would render all Elijah's future wishes and add resses to him vain and ineffectual 2. From that known passage of Isaiah Abraham nescivit nos Israel ignoravit nos St. Augustine thus concludes (o) Si tanti Patriarchae quid erga populum ex his procreatum ageretur ignoraverunt quibus Deo credentibus populus ipse ex corum stirpe promissus est quomodo mortui suorum rebus atque actubus cognoscendis adjuvandisque miscentur ibi ergo sunt spiritus defunctorum ubi non vident quaecunque aguntur aut eveniunt in ista vita hominibus De curâ pro mortuis c. 13. If such great Patriarchs were ignorant of what was done towards the people that proceeded from their Loins how should the dead be conversant in knowing or helping of their friends in what they do There therefore are the Spirits of dead persons where they do not see what things are done or happen to men in this life 2. I reason thus this practice doth ascribe unto the objects of our Prayer such knowledge of the heart and such a cognisance of all petitions presented to them at all times and in all places of the world which we have proved to agree to God alone or such a presence in all places which is proper to him and therefore it ascribeth to them the honor due to God alone 2. If Saints departed do know the minds and inward thoughts of those who put up their petitions to them they have this knowledge either from Revelation or from the beatifick Vision but they have no such knowledge either from Revelation or from the Beatifick Vision Ergo. And 1. God doth not ordinarily reveal unto them the knowledge of the hearts of their petitioners For if they do not want this Revelation God who doth nothing vainly must not be supposed to impart it But these blessed Spirits do not want it for did they need this Revelation to perceive our minds saith Bellarmine the Church would not so confidently say to all the Saints Votis precamur cordium audite preces supplicum Brev. in Com. Apost p. 2. pray for me much less we offer to you the desires of our hearts but sometimes would desire God thus to reveal our prayers and to acquaint them with the desires of our hearts 2. If God thus reveal the Prayers of the Petitioner to the deceased Saints what reason can be given saith the forementioned Author why all the holy Patriarchs and Prophets were not invoked by the Church of Israel before our Saviours advent and he had reason to make this enquiry For 1. It is as easie to Almighty God to make this Revelation to the souls in Limbo that Papal prison of the Antient Patriarchs and holy Prophets as to the souls in Heaven nor have we one example or declaration that what God is supposed now to do he was not willing to do then 2. Certain it is the charity of those departed Patriarchs and Prophets towards their relatives and friends and the whole Church of God must be exceedingly advanced by their change they must be more the friends of God and their petitions must be more prevailing then whilst they did continue in the flesh Wherefore the Jews had as good reason to invoke these Patriarchs and Prophets as hath the Romanist to call upon the Christian Martyrs And God had equal reason to declare this was the duty of the Jew and to reveal their Supplications to the Patriarchs as to
Vision we must be guilty of Idolatry by our compliance with this practice 3. That this is the concurrent judgment of the Fathers and that they judged all supplications to invisible and absent Beings to attribute Gods Worship to them may be evinced from two Considerations 1. That they look'd upon it not only as a Sacrifice but as the best and greatest Sacrifice By prayer we honour God saith Clemens Strom. l. 7. p. 717. A. Apol. c. 30. p. 27. B. and send up to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best and the most holy Sacrifice I offer to him a fatter and a better Sacrifice than he himself enjoyned viz. Prayer issuing from a chast body an unspotted soul and inspired by the Holy Ghost so Tertullian And this is verily St. Austin's judgment in that place which Dr. Stillingfleet had cited to this effect and all the tragedies and outeries of T. G. against him upon this occasion are the most false and impudent that ever drop'd from Pen To make this clear it will be needful only to lay before the Reader Austin's words viz. Dâ— C. D. l. 10. c. 19. Qui autem putant haec visibilia Sacrificia Diis aliis congruere illi vero tanquam invisibili invisibilia majori majora meliorique meliora qualia sunt pâ—ra mentis bona voluntatis officia profecto nesciunt haec ita esse signa illorum sicut verba signantia vel sonantia sunt rerum quocirca sicut orantes atque landantes ad cum dirigimus significantes voces cun res ipsas in corde quas significamus offerimus it a sacrificantes non alteri visibile Sacrificium offerendum esse noverimus quam illi cujus invisibile Sacrificium nos ipsi esse debemus i.e. They that conceive these visible Sacrifices may agree to lesser Gods but that to him who is invisible the greater and the better God invisible greater and better Sacrifices do agree viz. the duties of a pure mind and a good will these persons know not that these outward Sacrifices are the signs of them viz. of the invisible the greater and the better Sacrifices as our words spoken are the signs of things as therefore when we pray or we give thanks we direct our speech to him N. B. to whom we offer the conceptions of the heart they signifie so when we sacrifice we know the outward Sacrifice ought to be offered unto him alone to whom we ought to yield our selves a Sacrifice in visible Where 1. Doth not St. Austin say That the invisible Sacrifices are greater and better than the outward Sacrifice for what is it illorum can refer to besides majorum and meliorum Doth not he say The duties of a pure mind and a good will are to be deemed invisible and better Sacrifices And is not Prayer the duty of a pure mind and a good will And must he not then say that Prayer is a greater and a better offering than any outward Sacrifice And 2. To put the matter beyond all dispute Qui ergo Divinitatem sibi arrogant Spiritus non cujuslibet corporis fumo sed supplicantis animo delectantuâ— doth not St. Austin add That these inferior Spirits who usurp Divinity require Sacrifices not that they are delighted with the smoak and vapour but with the mind of him that prayeth clearly concluding that to be the better and the higher service Doth not he intimate that they usurp Divinity more by requiring Prayer than Sacrifice And lastly Doth not he affirm That they who offer outward Sacrifice to him alone to whom their inward ought to be appropriated do also when i.e. as often as they pray or render thanks direct their words not to a Saint or Angel but to him to whom they offer the things conceived in the heart Which doth not only prove That Prayer was by him likened to Sacrifice and that mental Prayer which the Trent Council will not permit us to deny to Saints is an invisible and higher Worship than the outward Sacrifice but also that the Christians of his time did pray and render thanks to God alone for else it had been obvious to reply to the similitude St. Austin gives us That as we sometimes offer up our prayers and our thanksgivings to the Saints departed so might we offer up the outward Sacrifice And this will be sufficient to demonstrace That T. G. in his whole Answer to this place hath not one word of truth For 1. p. 391. It is a false suggestion that Auctin's Argument runs thus That external Sacrifice being the highest expression of the highest part of Prayer ought of all others to be reserved as most proper to God For his Argument is clearly this To him only do belong the signs to whom belongeth what is represented by them and therefore seeing we must offer up our selves to God alone that outward Sacrifice which is the sign of this oblation must be appropriated to him That outward Sacrifice is the highest expression of the highest part of Prayer St. Austin doth not say 2. It is a false insinuation that when St. Austin doth deny that Sacrifice is due to any other but the highest God he doth not speak of Sacrifice distinguished from Prayer for he styles it Sacrificium visibile he doth oppose it to the duties of a pure mind as the less unto the greater he represents it as the sign of the invisible and therefore it is plain stupidity to think he did not speak of the external Sacrifice as different from the internal or distinguished from it 3. It is prodigiously false that Dr. St sides with the * Dr. St. is forced to maintain an Argument of the Heathens against Austin T. G. p. 390. Do you not think the Dr. â—sed the utmost of his confidence to maintain for very good an Argument of the Heathens confuted by St. Austin in this very place The Heathen saith Dr. St. argued very well I deny it saith St. Austin T. G. p. 390. Heathens against Austin for what the Dr. pleads for viz. That Prayer was to be deemed an higher act of worship than the outward Sacrifice St. Austin doth expresly grant 4 It is as false that Austin doth confute what Dr. St. approved for Austin only doth confute this Tenet That outward Sacrifice might be imparted to inferior Spirits That which the Doctor doth approve is this That in all reason the duty of Prayer ought to be reserved as more proper to God than any external Sacrifice And lastly it is false that Austin doth deny what Dr. St. asserted for he abundantly confirms it but it is no wonder that persons given up by Gods just judgment to believe a lye should be so prone to tell them 2. The Fathers when they lay down the definition or description of Prayer they alwayes do it with express reference to God whence we may rationally conclude that they conceived this act of Worship did properly belong to him Prayer saith St. Clemens is a
conversing with God †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bosil Tom. 1. Orat. in Jusiti Martyr p. 318. Prayer is a request of some good thing which is made by pious men to God saith Basil whence elsewhere he asserts that Prayer is not directed unto man but God ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nyss de Orat. Dom. or 2. p. 724. D. Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 30. Prayer is a conference with God saith Nyssen and a request of good things which is offered with supplication unto God Prayer is a Colloquy with God and every one that prays discourseth with God so St. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 4. p. 139. Chrysostome Hence on that expression of St. Paul with all that call upon the name of the Lord he notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that St. Paul doth not say that call on this or that i.e. of any thing but Christ and on these words Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus he comments thus i.e. do all things praying unto him for help and before all thy business making thy supplication to him or he saith thus say and do all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or according to God and introduce not Angels But T. G. hath some Arguments to prove that Saints and Angels have the knowledge of our hearts and actions viz. It is said Luke 15.7 Object T. G. p. 419. There shall be joy in Heaven and v. 10. There shall be joy before the Angels of God upon one sinner that doth penance And the Saints in Heaven no doubt rejoyce as much at the conversion of a sinner as the Angels do Not only the Angels of God Answ White against Fisher p. 315. but holy men on earth rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15.24 2 Cor. 7.9 Likewise Parents Ministers and Friends rejoyce c. And yet it followeth not from hence that holy men on earth which rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner see the secrets of the heart 1 Cor. 2.11 So likewise Angels which are ministring Spirits Hebr. 1 14. may understand by the signs and fruits of true repentance the conversion of divers sinners and consequently they may rejoyce without intuitive knowledge of the heart 2. Our Saviours words Luke 15.10 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conclusion of a parable which must not be strained beyond the true scope But according to the exposition of sundry †Anbrâ—s l. 7. in Lucam Hilar in Matth. 18 Isidâ—r lib. Alleg. Chrysol Serm. 168. Fathers and some learned ‖ Cojet Titus Bostrensis in locum Papists The hundred sheep v. 4. represent the whole body of the Elect consisting of Men and Angels the ninety and nine sheep not lost were the Angels persisting in their prime integrity The stray sheep all mankind sinning in Adam To recover this lost sheep the Son of God that good Shepheard Jo. 10.11 was incarnate and by the gracious work of Redemption he laid the same on his shoulder Now there is great joy in Heaven before the coelestial Angels for this recovery and salvation of mankind So that no more can be inferred from this parable but that the Court of Heaven and in the same the holy Angels rejoyce because of mans Redemption 3. When it is said that there is joy in Heaven we may expound it as Dr. Hammond doth not of the joy of Angels but of God and had we no reason to confirm this sense it is sufficient to destroy the force of what T. G. doth hence conclude from this citation that it may fairly be expounded in that sense which rendereth it impertinent to his design but since it is not said to be the joy of Angels but that joy which is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. before the holy Angels this doth sufficiently demonstrate that it is the joy of him before whose face they stand continually Moreover it is confessedly God who is compared to the Shepherd and to the Woman seeking the lost Groat And therefore the similitude requires that the joy conceived when the lost Sheep and Groat is found should be ascribed to him Whereas our Savour himself saith Object T. G. ib. That the just in the Resurrection shall be as the Angels in Heaven Matth. 22.30 the equality as to knowledge not depending upon the body it follows by the Analogy of Faith that our prayers and concerns are known also to the Saints now injoying the same blissful Vision with the Angels Christ doth not only say Answ That the Spirits of just persons shall be like the Angels but he expresseth wherein they shall be so to wit 1. In freedom from secular actions and passions 2. Inglorious Adoption or real Possession of all the priviledges of the Sons of God We cannot therefore hence infer a parity of qualities and operations betwixt the Angels and the Spirits of just men but only a similitude of state and priviledges as * Verum haec authoritas ut ingemiè fatear solum aequat homines Angelis in hoc quod nullum mutrimonti usum haâ—ebunt siâ—â—t nec Angeli non tamen ibidem facit pareâ— quantum ad facialem visionem Det. Alph. de Castr l. 3. c. Haer. v. Beat. v. Jansen Harm Evang. c. 117. Papists do themselves consess 2. Christ doth not †In illa requie positus ceitè securus expectas judicii diem quando reeipias co â—us quande immuteris ut angelo aequaeris Aust in Ps 36. f 61. say The Spirits of just men are as the Angels now but that at the Resurrection they shall be so White p. 380. Now I admire what Papists can extort from hence for invocation of Saints for there is no connexion between this Antecedent and Consequent to wit just men at the Resurrection shall live as Angels remote from all the necessities of a worldly life and they shall be as the Angels of God free from material and corporeal passions and equal to the Angels in fruition of blessedness Ergo The knowledge of our prayers which we make in this life is not to be denyed unto glorious Saints the fellows of Angels The smoke of the Incenses of the Prayers of the Saints ascended from the hand of the Angel before God Apoc 8.4 Ergo Object ibid. Our prayers and actions are not unknown to the Angels 1. This place of St. John proveth not Answ White p. 314. either clearly or obscurely That holy Angels hear the Prayers or see the actions and affections of men For the Angel mentioned is expounded by the antient Expositors and by the Romanists themselves not of an Angel by Nature but of an Angel by Office and by some of them of an Angel by Type * In locum Albertus in his Commentary St. John saith Another Angel that is Christ who is the Angel of the Covenant Esay 9. Dionysius Carthusianus (a) Doctores Caeâ—belici per Angelum isium intelligunt Christum qui magni
consilii Angelus per incarnationis mysterium venit in mundum stetitqae ante Altare id est in conspectu Ecclesia Dionys Carthus in Apoc. 8. Catholick Doctors c. by this Angel understand Christ who is the Angel of the great Counsel and which by the mystery of his incarnation came into the world and stood upon the Altar of the Cross Blasius (b) Nec vero rectè quidam è recentioribus argumentantur Angelum istum Christum esse non posse quod Christus nunquam Angelus absolute dicitur satis enim est ut ex consequentibus facile intelligi potest Christum esse quae nifi Christe alteri aptè accommodari non possunt Cujus enim alterius est universae Ecclesiae incensa hoc est orationes in Thuribulo aurto tanta Majestatis specie patri offerre Cujus praeterquam Christi fuit de igne quo Thuribulum aureum eaat impletum partem in terras misisse easque divini amoris igne inflammasse c. Apuaret autem Christus sacerdotis personam gerens ut ejus pro nobis apud patrem intercessio atque interpellatio monstretur Vieg in Apoc. 8. Sec. 2. Viegas a Jesuit We may easily perceive that this Angel is Christ because the thing here spoken of him can agree to no other but Christ for who but he can with so great Majesty offer up to God the incense that is the Prayers of the Vniversal Church who besides him is able out of the perfuming pann to send down into the Earth the fiery Coals of Divine Charity and to inflame People with the burning Graces of the holy Spirit With these agree (c) Ambros super Apoc. Vis 3. Cap. 8. Ambrose (d) Primas in Apoc. 8. Biblioth Sanct. Colon. to 9. p. 2. Primasius (e) Ansbert in Apoc. 8. Bibl. Sanct. Col. to 9. p. 393. Authertus (f) Bed 5. super Apoc. lib. 2. Beda (g) Haimo in Apoc. 8. Haimo (h) Hugo Card. Hugo Cardinalis and the Glosses (i) Glossae totum legunt hoc de Christe But if it were granted that this Angel were a created or ministring Spirit it cannot be proved that Angels understand the secret cogitations of mans heart any farther then the same are manifested by signs neither is it consequent that people ought to pray unto them for Priests offer up the Prayers of the Church to God and yet no man doth therefore invocate Priests It is recorded of the Saints enjoying the same blissfull vision with the Angels Object ibid. that they had golden Vials full of odours which are the Prayers of Saints that is of the faithful upon earth 1. Answ The Reverend Dr. Hammond and many other Expositors Ancient and Modern tell us that the four and twenty Elders are not the Members of the Church triumphant as T. G. without proof asserts but the Bishops and the Elders of the Church militant whose office it is to present the Prayers and Praises of the Church to God Here it is more plainly declared saith Beda that the Beasts and the Elders are the Church redeemed by the blood of Christ and gathered from the Nations also he showeth in what Heaven they are saying they shall reign upon earth So Ambrose on the Apcalyps and Haimo 2. Vossius will tell you That here is nothing intended but Eucharistal Prayers not Petitory and that the four and twenty Elders only intimate that the whole Family of Christians in Earth and Heaven did render continual Doxologies to God for the Redemption of the world by his Son The Psalmist saith I will sing unto thee in the sight or presence of the Angels Psal 137.2 Object p. 418. The Angel of the Lord said O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had Indignation these threescore and ten years And Michael is a great Prince which standeth for the Children of Gods people Ergo The Angels know the secrets of the heart and are acquainted with the Prayers that men in any place put up unto them To these Objections I answer Ha Ha He Answ Valentianus Fieri ne potest ut homo qui sic ratiocinatur homo sit The Psalmist also saith I will pay my vows in the presence of thy people Ergo All Gods people knew the secrets of the heart c. The Phanatick saith How long Lord wilt thou not remember and have mercy upon the Godly Party who have been under persecution fourteen years Ergo The Phanaticks know the secrets of the heart c. And blessed be God King Charles the Second is a great Prince who standeth for his People against the Whore of Babylon He therefore knows the Prayers and necessities of all his People he is acquainted with the secrets of the heart and we may put up mental Prayers unto him If T. G. have an estate worth begging he may well fear that his performance here and P. 222 223. will rob him of it CHAP. VII The Contents The Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome touching the invocation of the Saints departed delivered from their own Catechism and Liturgies and the decree of the Trent Councel Sect. 1. the Question stated in seven Particulars Sect. 2. The Idolatry of this practice proved 1. Because it doth ascribe unto them the knowledge of the heart and of our confessions 2. Because Prayer to an absent Being is the oblation of that Worship to it which is proper to God And so are Vows and Hymns Sect. 3.3 Because the Apostles gave us no Precept or Example so to do Sect. 4. The sequel of this Argument is confirmed and the Objections answered Sect. 5. And the Argument from Miracles confuted Sect. 6. HAving laid down these Propositions let us now view the Doctrine and Practise of the Church of Rome which the Trent Councel hath delivered in these words viz. * Mandat Sancta Synodus omnibus Episcopis clerieis docendi munuscurámque sustinentibus ut fideles diligenter instruant docentes eos Bonum atque utile esse suppliciter eos invocare ad eorum orationes opem auxiliúmque confugere Illos verò qui negant Sanctos aeterna felicitate in calo fruentes invocandos esse aut qui asserunt eorum ut pro nobis singulis orent invocationem esse Idololatricam vel pugnare cum verbo Dei adversi ique honori unius Mediatoris Dei Hominis Jesu Christi vel stultum esse in coele regantibus voce vel mente suppliâ—are impié sentire St quis autem his Decretis contraria docuerit aut senserit Anath ma sit Sess 25. c. 1. That it is good and profitable humbly to invoke the Saints and fly unto their prayers and help and that whosoever doth deny that Saints who do enjoy eternal happiness in heaven ought to be invoked or do assert that to intreat them to pray for any single person is Idolatry or is
have these words †Confiteer Dâ—â— omnipotenti Beatae Mariae sâ—mper Virgini Beato Michaeli Archangelo Beato Joanni Baptistae Sanctis Apostolis Petro Paulo ominibus Sanctis vâ—bis Fâ—atres quâ—â—â— peccavi nimis cogicatione v rbo opere Ideo precor Beatam Mariam semper Virginem Beatum Michaelem Archangelum Beatum Joannem Baptistam Sanctos Apostelos Petrum Paulum omnes Sanctes vos Fratres crareprome ad Dominum Deum n sirum Ordinarium Missae p. 217. Ed. Antuerp F. 1605. I confess to God Almighty and to the ever Blessed Virgin to Blessed Michael Archangel to Blessed John Baptist to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints and to you Brethren that I have sinned in thought word and deed And therefore I entreat the Blessed Virgin the Archangel Michael St. John the Baptist St. Peter and St. Paul and all the Saints and you my Brethren to pray for me to our Lord God This is the doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome and it contains these seven particulars 1. That it is good and profitable for every faithful man and exiled Son of Eve to pray unto the Blessed Virgin and the Saints departed 2. That it is good and profitable thus to intercede not only for the good and welfare of the Church in general but for every single person 3. August Ser. 37. de Sanctis Ser. 3. de pluribus Mart. In Com. plurium Mart. extra tempus Pasch Lect. 4. Whereas the ancient Church spake thus As often as we celebrate the solemnities of holy Martyrs let us so expect by their intercession to obtain from the Lord temporal benefits that by imitating the Martyrs themselves we may deserve to receive eternal which words are still retained in the Roman Breviary we are now taught to pray unto them for all the blessings necessary to eternal life nay we are told that * Gunde mater miserorum quia pater saeculorum dabit te colentibus Congruentem hâ—c mercedem faelicem polisedem Regnis in caelestibus Prosa de Beata Maria f. 30. apud Missale Rom. Ed. Aâ—tuerp 1577. God will give eternal life to those that do adore the Blessed Virgin 4. It is the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that Saints departed may and should be invocated as well by mental as by vocal Prayer This was decreed at Trent this Pastors are enjoyned to teach their People and lastly this we have confirmed by their practice in these words With the desires of our hearts we pray unto you regard the ready service of our minds 5. These Practices and these Petitions are many of them built upon this supposition that the Blessed Saints do hear our prayers and are acquainted with our hopes and with the praises which we offer to them and consequently the Church of Rome in whose solemnities these prayers are used must be deemed to ascribe this knowledge to them For what more foolish and absurd than constantly to call upon them to bear behold and to receive to regard favour and promote our prayers when we complain to pity and consider them that pray to be their Advocates and plead their causes if these addresses be not understood by those Blessed Spirits to whom they are particularly directed Who knows not that to be our Advocate is to commend our cause to God and to entreat that our desires may be granted And who knows not that our cause cannot be thus commended or our disires represented till they first be understood Moreover seeing they do request these Blessed Spirits to receive their vows and to take care that they be paid to God to hear and to receive their praises seeing they do consess their sins unto them and therefore do entreat them to intercede with God in their behalf seeing they do endeavour to move them to commiserate their state by saying that they place their hopes and only confidence upon their intercession they mast acknowledge that these Blessed Spirits are acquainted with their confessions and their vows their hopes and praises and therefore albeit this consequence should be denied T. G. p. We pray unto the Saints departed therefore they do hear us yet this can never be denied We pray unto them to hear and to receive our prayers and praises vows and confessions and therefore we believe they do 6. Hence it is manifest that Papists do not only pray unto them to intercede with God for blessings but do desire that the Blessed Spirits would themselves confer them Thus they entreat St. Peter by the power given to him to unty the bonds of their iniquity and the Apostles to absolve them from their sins by their command and to their Guardian Angel they speak thus Take hold of sword and buckler and rise up to help me say unto my soul I am thy salvation And therefore that they only do entreat them to pray for and with us is a great untruth 7. Seeing the Church of Rome allows of mental Prayers addressed to the Saints seeing their Lyturgy speak thus With the desires of our hearts we pray unto you receive the ready service of our minds seeing they do instruct us in all places and upon all occasions to fly unto their help and succour seeing they do ascribe unto them the knowledge not only of their vows and praises but of their inward hopes they consequently do ascribe unto them the knowledge of the heart and the internal motions of every supplicant as far as these petitions and other actions do require it This is that Doctrine of the Church of Rome which we think justly charged with Idolatry For 1. To ascribe unto the Saints departed by way of worship that excellency which is proper to God is Idolatry but to ascribe unto them by an act of worship the knowledge of the hearts of them that pray unto them is to ascribe unto them that excellency which is proper to God by Propos 2. Ergo. 2. Prayer offered and put up in any time or place to an invisible and incorporeal Being is the oblation of that worship to it which is due to God by Prop. 4. Corol. 3. but this devotion of the Roman Church is prayer offered up in any time or place to an invisible and incorporeal Being and therefore must be the oblation of that worship which is due to God and being offered to those Blessed Spirits which are confessedly Creatures it must be the oblation of that worship which is due to God unto the Creature which we have proved to be Idolatry 3. To vow to Saints departed is to ascribe unto them the honour due to the Creator by Prop 4. Corol. 2. but Papist vow unto the Saints departed therefore they do ascribe unto them the honour due to the Creator The Answer Bellarmine returns unto the Major of this Argument is this That to vow in sign of gratitude to the first and chiefest Good and in recognition of a benefit received from him as the first Author
the Ephesians the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Eph. 1.17 18. the eyes of their Vnderstanding being enlightned That he would grant that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith 3.17.18.19 that they might be strengthned by his Spirit in the inner man that they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of God which passeth knowledge and be filled with all fulness of God That the Philippians love might abound more in knowledge Phil. 1.9 10 11. and in all judgment that they might approve things that are excellent and be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteoussness to the praise and glory of God That the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisdom Col. 1.9 10 11. and spiritual understanding that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness 1 Thess 3.12 13 That the Thessalonians might encrease in love and have their hearts established unblamable in holiness before God 2.1.11.12 That God would count them worthy of his calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the God of Peace would make the Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will Heb. 13.20 21. 1 Pet. 5.10 working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight That the God of Grace would make them perfect stablish strengthen settle them These Supplications were their daily exercise and had they thought the Invocation of the blessed Virgin the Patriarchs and Prophets the Proto-Martyr and the brother of our Lord would have been needful and effectual to the attainment of these things for which they prayed so earnestly why do they never once address themselves unto them why do they never pray as doth the Church of Rome Brevarium Missal that through the deprecation intervention patrocination and intercession of these persons they may be worthy to obtain these blessings why do they never pray by the merits of these persons to be delivered from * Deus qui beatum Nicolaum P. tribue qâ—aeâ—un us ut ejus moritis pracibus 〈◊〉 Ochenna incend is liberemus Miss in sest sanâ— Nich. Dec. xi Deus q. â— beatuâ— Lodovicum ju quaesamus meritis intercessione Regis Regan â—â—su Christâ—â— fâ—l â—ui facias nos esse can oâ—tes in Fest beat Lud. Aug 25. Hell and made partakers of the joys of Heaven as doth the Roman Blashemy Why do they no declare with them that they do †In Fest faâ—ct Agapiti Aug. 28. place their confidence in the petitions of these prevailing Saints and blessed Spirits Why do they not ascribe their mercys and deliverances to the ‖ Accepta tibâ— siâ— â—â—mine sacratâ—e plebâ—s oblatio pro inorum Hâ—nors Sanctâ—um quâ—râ—mâ—â—e â—â—ritis perâ—â—â—â— de tribulatione cognoseit 〈◊〉 Miss Dee â—â—â—p 〈◊〉 Ed. Antwerp 1605. merits of these Saints as they most insolently do Assuredly on this account because they did not in their hearts approve the practise Were blessed Paul alive to see his Prophesy so punctually fulfilled That in these later times men should depart from the Faith attending to erroneous Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Doctrine of worshipping departed Souls how would he passionately cry out O foolish Romanists who hath bewitched you c. Lastly St. Paul had such an ardent zeal to the promotion of the Gospel that he omits no help which he conceives might give a blessing to his labours He therefore passionately intreats the Christians to whom his writings are directed Rom. 15.30 31. That they would strive together with him in their prayers to God that he might be delivered from them who did not believe in Judea and that his Service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints and that he might come unto them with joy and with them be refreshed That they would alwaies Eph. 6.18 19. and with all perseverance pray for him that utterance might be given unto him hat he might open his mouth boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel Col. 4.1 2 3. That they would continue in prayer that God would open unto him a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which he was in hands that he might make it manifest as he ought to speak 1 Thes 5 25.2-3.1.2 Finally Brethren saith he pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith So blessed Paul and had he thought that his addresses to the Patriarchs and Prophets the blessed Virgin the Quire of Angels or the Saints made perfect would have been more effectual to this end would not his zeal have prompted him to have put up one request unto them or one Petition to his Guardian-Angel to be defended from these unreasonable men If all these circumstances be considered it will amount to an invincible conviction of the falshood of that determination of the Church of Rome * Juxta Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae usum à primaevis Christianae Religionis temporibus receptum Concil Trid. Sess 25. that this is the practise which was derived from the Apostles and hath been still continued in the Church of Christ 2. No other reason can be given why they did not practise or commend the Invocation of the blessed Spirits besides this that they conceived this worship to be that honour God had reserved for himself and that they looked upon it as a vain and fruitless practice The knowledg of the heart and of the Prayers that are put up by All men at all times and in all places of the Earth being the knowledg proper to the God of Heaven and not communicated to the Saints deceased This will appear more evident if we consider and refute those shifts whereby they do endeavour to evade the force of this triumphant Evidence And 1. They tell us that * Si Apostoli Evangelistae docuissent sanctos venerandos arrogantiae iis datum fuisset ac si post mortem gloriam illam quaesivissent noluit ergo Spiritus Sanctus expressis Scipturis docere invocationem Sanctorum Eckius in Enchirid. loc Com. ex edit Alex. Weissenhorn Alanus Copus Dial. 3. fol. 239. had the Blessed Apostles taught this doctrine it might have been objected to them that they sought their own advancement and honour by the propagation of their Gospel and proudly did endeavour to be worshipped by their Christian followers Repl. 1.
the Creator to the Creature and the like and are sufficiently warded against the force of this assault by being told that Antichrist must be ushered in with Signs and lying Wonders 2 Thess 2.9 Secondly What Austin saith unto the Donatists we also say unto the Church of Rome Shew us your Scriptures for this Invocation haec sunt causae nostrae firmamenta The third Particular contained in this Answer is That the Holy Spirit hath forewarned us that in the latter times this Doctrine of Damons should prevail which Doctrine both the ingenious Mr. Mede and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adv Antidico marionitas Haer. 78. §. 23. A. Epiphanius do well interpret to be the Doctrine of worshipping the Spirits of dead Men and by the pertinency of this Sense unto St. Austins present subject we have good reason to conjecture that he approved their Opinion St. Austins second Answer to this Objection is as followeth †Porrò si aliquis in Hereticorum memoriis orans exauditur non pro merito loci sed pro merito desiderii sui recipit sive matum sive bonum nonne legimus ab ipso domino Deo nonnullos exauditos in excelsis montium Judaeae quae tamen excelsa ità displicebant Deo ut Reges qui ea non everterent crâ—lparentur qui everterent laudarentur unde intelligitur magis valere peâ—entiâ— assectium â—u â—m petitioâ—is locum ib. p. 116. Col. 2. K. L Moreover if any person praying in the memorials of Hereticks be heard it is not for the merit of the place but of his own desire that he receiveth any good Do we not read that God himself hearkned to many of those Jews who prayed in the high places although those places so displeased him that he rebuked those Kings that suffered them Whence we may understand that the affection of the Supplicant is more prevailing then the place of Prayer And accordingly we say That if any person praying to these Saints was heard it was not for the merit of this prayer considered as directed to the Saints but for the affection of his heart and as it will not follow that it was lawful for the Jew to pray in those high places or for the Christian to pray in the memorials of Hereticks because that they who prayed there were sometimes heard So neither doth it follow that it is lawful to pray unto the Saints departed because of some few instances that they who have thus prayed have received the desired Blessing Thirdly saith St. Austin ‖ De visis autem fallacibus legunt quae scriâ—ta sunt quia ipse Satanas se transfigurat tanquam Angelum lucis quia multos seduxerunt somnia sua Audiant etiam quae narrant pagani de Templis Diis suis mirabiliâ—er vel facta vel visa tamen dii Gentium Baemonia Exaudiuntur ergo multi multis modis non solum Christâ—â—ani Catholici sed Pagant Judaei Haeretici variis errorâ—lus superstiâ—ionibus dediti exaudiuntur autem vel ab spiritibus seductoribus qui tamen nihil faciunt nisi permitâ—antur Deo subliâ—iter aâ—que ineffabiliter judieante quid cuique tribuendum sit sive ab ipso Deo vel ad poenam malitiae vel ad solatium miseriae vel ad monitionem quaerendae salutis aeternae ib f. B. Col. 2. L.M. Let them hear what the Pagans tell of the Wonders done by their Gods and at their Temples and yet the Gods of the Heathens are but Daemons and therefore many not only Catholicks but Pagans Jewes and Hereticks may many wayes be heard either by those seducing Spirits which yet do nothing but with Gods permission or else by God himself either for castigation of their wickedness or comfort of their misery or in admonition of them to pursue eternal safety Which Answer also doth suggest these things 1. That the Argument is vain because it will serve the Paegan as well as it well serve the Donatist or Roman Catholick and proves as much their Invocation of Daemons to be lawful as the invocation of the Saints departed which is now practised in the Church of Rome For as (a) Quibusdam signis miraculis oraculis fidem divinitatis operatur Apol. c. 21. §. 8. Tertullian saith by Signs and Miracles and Oracles they obtained to be reputed Gods (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—om 6. p 375 l. 20. They often by their skill have cured diseases and restored to health those that were sick what should we partake therefore with them in their iniquity God forbid So Chrysostome (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Praepar Evang. l. 5. c. 2. The wicked Daemons saith Eusebius counterfeited by working many Miracles the Souls of them that were deceased and thence they were thought worthy to be celebrated with greater service (d) Frustra tantum arrogas Christo cum saepe alios sciamus scierimus Deos laborantibus plurimis dedisse medicinas multorum hominum morbos valetudiâ—ésque curasse Arnobius l. 1. p. 28. In vain say they you arrogate so much to Christ for we have often known that other Gods have given Medicines to and healed the infirmities of many Moreover these benefits they still pretended to receive by vertue of those Supplications which they offer'd to them (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Orig. l 8. p. 407. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 416. How many saith Celsus being troubled that they had no children have by them enjoyed their wishes How many being maimed in their body's have been healed by them Hence saith (f) Daut cautelam periculi mâ—rbâ—s medelam spem afflictis opeâ—â— mâ—seris sâ—latium calamitatibus laboribus levameâ—um Minur p. 7. Cecilius they give us caution in dangers and medicine in diseases hope to the afflicted help to the miserable comfort in calamities ease from labours 2. This Argument is vain because it serves the Heretick as well as Catholick For what can be more glorious then what Philostorgius records of (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philost Hist Eccl. l 2. §. 8. p. 14. Agapetus one of his fellow Hereticks That he wrought many miracles he raised the dead and healed many that were sick and converted many to the Christian Faith And of Theophilus another of his brother Arrians * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem l. 3. § 4. p. 27. That his wonders were so great and such convincing demonstrations of the Christian Faith as to constrain the obstinacy of the Jews and Silence all their contradictions Lastly Hence we may learn that although Austin should have related some few instances of persons healed by Supplications tendered to the Saints we cannot thence infer as T. G. doth that by so doing he commends them or doth relate them as patterns for our imitation CHAP. VIII The Contents The Judgment of the Fathers proved to be the same with that of Protestants because they do assert
that Prayer must be offered unto none but God and by no other Intercessor but our Saviour Christ Sect. 1. And this Assertion they prove 1. Because God only can be called good 2. Because he only can answer our Petitions ibid. 2. They do affirm That by addressing a Petition to a Saint or Angel we become guilty of distraction from God and of deserting our Lord Jesus Christ Sect. 2. 3. That to pray unto a Creature or to that which is no God is to worship it as God or give that honour to it which is due to God alone Sect. 3. 4. They hence infer that Christ is God and that the Holy Ghost is God because we put up our Petitions to them Sect. 4. 5. Because the invocation of the inferior Heathen Daemons was by the Fathers censured as Idolatry And there is no desparity betwixt the invocation of those Daemons and that invocation of the blessed Martyrs which is now practised in the Church of Rome sufficient to acquit the Papist from that Guilt if it be duly charged on the Heathens by reason of their Supplications tendred to inferior Daemons Sect. 5. 6. The Fathers dispute against the Heathens with such Arguments as perfectly destroy this practise and confute this Doctrine Sect. 6. 7. Because the ancient Fathers prayed for all the Saints without exception of Martyrs or Apostles or the blessed Virgin 8. Because the Fathers gave no Rules touching the Canonizing of the Saints departed ibid. TO what we have discoursed from the holy Scriptures and from the Principles of Reason we shall now add the suffrage of those ancient Fathers who flourished in the first and purest Ages of the Church Who do not only say expresly that our Prayers should only be directed to God asserting this without those limitations and distinctions which are now used by the Church of Rome but also do it upon the very same enducements and motives which Protestants are wont to use for confirmation of this truth Moreover in their conflicts with the Arrians and other Adversaries of the Church of Christ they use those very weapons wherewith we fight against the Church of Rome and do pronounce that Doctrine and Practice which that Church contends for to be the giving to the Creature what is due to God And first the Fathers do assert that prayer must be offered unto none but God and by no other Intercessor but our Saviour Christ When Celsus had pronounced that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 394. Heathen Daemons did belong to God and thence inferred we should entreat their favour Origen replys two things 1. That those Daemons being wicked Spirits could not belong to God 2. That this advice of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen contra Cels lib. 8. p. 395. Celsus to put up our Petitions to them was to be utterly rejected and by no means allowed by Christians Because God only was to be made the object of our prayer nor were we to sollicite any other than our great High Priest to offer and present them to the Father And hence in two Catena's both published by the Doctors of the Church of ‖ Nicet Caten in Psal 5. Rome we have this free confession of an antient Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We Christians pray to God alone And upon this account they tell us the Psalmist uttered this expression Attend unto the voice of my petition my King and my God For unto thee will I pray because (a) Oraâ—io enim soâ— Deo â—ffâ—rtur Aurea Catena in 50. Psal edit Venâ—t Anno 1569. Pag. 53. Petitions were to be offered unto God alone according to that Question of St. Austin (b) Cui alteri praeter te clamabo Aug. Confess lib. 1. cap 5. to whom else shall I cry but unto thee and that expression of (c) L. de Creatione Dracontius esse nihil prorsus se praeter ubique rogandum that nothing besides God should be invoked And this assert on they do not barely offer but also they confirm it by many pregnant Arguments as first He only must be prayed unto because he only can be called Good (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexand Strom. l. 7. p. 721. since God alone is good saith Clemens it is reasonable we should sollicite him alone for the Donation and Continuance of good things 2. because God only is present in all places and so at hand to hear and help us wherever we address our prayers to him It is an absurdity saith (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. contra Celsum lib. 5. pag. 239. Origen having that God with us and nigh at hand who filleth Heaven and Earth to go about to pray to that which is not omnipresent This I confess is spoken to demonstrate that intercessions were not to be made unto the Sun and Moon and Stars but then it must be noted that this Father held both Sun and Moon and Stars to be intelligible Creatures and in this very place asserts that (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id pag. 238. they do offer up their Prayer to God and from this very Argument concludes we must not pray to them because they pray to him Whence it will follow that he conceived them as fit and able to be our Intercessors as the Saints departed and that it was absurd to pray to any who themselves properly did pray for us And 2. he adds (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id ib. if any Christian be not sufficient immediately to direct his Prayers to God let him address them to the Word of God making no mention of an address to be preferred either to Saint or Angel or to the B. Virgin in this Case 3. He adds that put the (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. p. 239. Case that Sun Moon and Stars were heavenly Angels and Messengers of God yet were they not to be adored for this but he whose Messengers and Angels they were Where by the way observe that he insensibly slides from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to adore Whence we may certainly conclude that in the Judgment of this Father it was the same to pray to any person and to adore that person and that nothing may be invocated which may not be adored Lastly it is evident his reason will hold good as well against addresses made to Saints as to the Sun and Moon they being neither of them omnipresent 3. They say he only must be prayed unto who seeth and heareth every where Let us consider saith (i) De Orat. c. 1. Sect. 8. Tertullian the Heavenly Wisdom of our Lord in his Injunction to pray in secret whereby he both requires the Faith of Man confiding that God omnipotent both hears and sees under our Roofs and in our secret Places and also that our Faith be modest so that we offer our Religion unto him alone whom we are confident doth
Office which the Platonists ascribed to their Daemons They saith * August de C. D. l. 8. c. 18. St. Austin bring the prayers of men unto the Gods and what they beg and do obtain quae poscunt impetrata they bring back to men And again They think them so to intermediate betwixt God and men as that they carry out desires hence illinc referunt impetrata and from thence bring back what they have obtained Hence are they often stiled by them Advocates and Mediators Intercessors and Pararii i. e. the obrainers of our Suits 2. On this account they thought it reasonable to honor them with supplications * Ficinus tradit Platonem universan Deorum Synagogam unico Regi subdere prout vult sengulis imperanti Jubere primum Deum adori propter seipsum sequentes vero qui participes ejus Dii queque dicuntur amari tanquam illi similiores honorari etiam ut Vicarios imo advocari lanquam Conciliatores Plato saith Ficinus subjected the whole number of Gods unto one King who as he pleased did command them all and he commanded that the chief God should be worshiped for himself the other who are also called Gods by participation to be loved as likest to him and to be honoured as his Vicars and to be addressed to as to reconcilers And Plato hath himself determined (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epinom pag. 1010. That they ought to be honoured with our Prayers by reason of their laudable Province which he saith is double 1. (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symposium p. 1194. To be our Interpreters to God 2. To carry up the Prayers and Sacrifices of men to God and to bring back the commands and answers of God to them (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus apud Origen lib. 8. p. 394. We ought to pray unto them to be propitious to us so Celsus 3. They did not think them to be Gods properly so called but only the ministers and servants of God as I have proved above †Câ—â—cta coelestum voluntate numine autoritate fiunt sed Paer num obsequiâ— opâ—â—a ministerio Apulesus de Daemoâ—â— Socâ—ate p. 45. All things are done saith Apuleius by the will majesty and authority of the heavenly beings but by the ministry work and obsequiqusness of the Daemons Hence do they stile them virtutes ministeria Dei magni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Gods Ministers and Messengers Hence do they rank them in the second and third place from God and put this Office on them quia nullus Deus miscetur homini because no God that is properly so called doth immediately converse with man this is so plain that Austin doth acknowledg that the difference betwixt †Hos si Platonici malunt Deos quam Daemones dicere eisque annumerare quos a summo Deo conditos Deos scribit eorum autor magister Plato dicant quod volunt non enim cum eis de verborum controversia laborandum est rursus Quamvis nominis controversia videatur Aug. de Civ Dei l. 9. cap. 23. Plato's good Daemons which he acknowledged to be made by the highest God and the good Angels was only in the name Having thus drawn the Paralel we are prepared to attend T. G's pretences of a great disparity betwixt this Invocation of the Heathen Daemons which by the ancient Fathers was charged with Idolatry and that Invocation of the Saints departed which is now practised by the Church of Rome which will be quickly done since all his great disparities are only great impertinencies for what is this unto the Doctors Argument concerning Invocation that they do not offer Sacrifice unto the Saints departed which is his fourth disparity Or that the God they worship is the true immortal God who sees the secrets of the hearts which is his first disparity What is it to the purpose to say the persons they address their prayers unto are not Devils or wicked wretches but the blessed Spirits for if the same kind of Invocation be used to both it must be deemed Idolatry in both because in both it is the giving of the worship due to God unto the Creature when this is done unto the best of Creatures then is Idolatry committed when this is not done we may be guilty of Superstition or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in giving of inferior worship or Dulia to the worst of Creatures but cannot be guilty of Idolatry And this cuts of his third disparity 4. pag 351. Their Office is not to inform the supream God of what he knows not saith T. G. but to be joynt Petitioners with us and what is this unto the purpose seeing the Fathers neither did or could condemn them of Idolatry for thinking God did not know our Prayers without Interpreters But for what was consequent upon it viz. the making their addresses to them to present their requests to God and by their prayers to obtain his blessings the first opinion made them sacrilegious in robbing God of what did properly belong unto him and with this we do not charge the Papists in this case The second is Idolatrical in giving of his honor to a Creature of which they are but too much guilty This T. G. saw as well as I and therefore for the same good reason that some unskilful Painters write under their work this is a Dog a Cat Pag 352. c. T.G. at the foot of his performance writeth thus I have spoken home to the Case and then he states it thus whether the practise of Catholicks in honouring and invocating the Saints be the same with that of the Heathens in the worship of their inferior Deities T.G. pag. 440. Thus expiring Candle gathers up its Spirits and forces it self into a blaze before it dies Alass that we should all this while have been mistaken in the question The question hitherto controverted betwixt Dr. St. and him in this particular was concerning the Invocation of Saints as T. G. doth himself confess p. 350. but now like a mischievous Card that will spoil the hand this is dropt under the Table and all the show above board is whether their Invocation of Saints doth differ not from the Invocation but the whole worship of inferior Daemons The business of solemn supplication to them is the Case in debate between us and the Church of Rome saith Dr. St. If ever you would speak home to the case do it upon this point Pag. 145. I beg your pardon saith T. G. I am not free to speak upon that point I know my foot must slip if I should touch upon it and therefore though you press me and call upon me to speak home unto it I am resolved to be reserved nay I am conscious to my self that all that I have spoken is impertinent to that Case I have not nor I cannot shew the least disparity betwixt their Invocation of inferior Daemons and that
as I have proved already Prop. 4. Corol. 1. 2. As Roman Catholicks do pray to Saints departed and do ascribe unto them the knowledge of the heart because they vainly do conceive these things are not so proper to God but that they may be attributed to the Creature so Heathens offered their first fruits and Sacrifices to inferior Daemons because they vainly did conceive they were not properly that worship which was due unto the highest God but such as might be given to those Daemons which they acknowledged to be Creatures This is apparent from what St. Austin doth assert concerning them viz. De C. D. l. 10. c. 19. That they conceiv'd these visible Sacrifices might agree to lesser Gods but that to him who is invisible the greater and the better God invisible greater and better Sacrifices do agree viz. the duties of a pure mind and a good will I grant they were deceived in this apprehension But if the Romanists cannot be justly charged with Idolatry although the object of their worship should be Bread because they do conceive it not to be so why should the Heathens be deemed guilty of Idolatry in this particular although the act of worship which they confer upon the Creature be proper to God seeing they also do conceive it not to be so For as Dr. Taylor argues in behalf of them if these Heathens thought this act of worship proper to God they who command us not to exceed in paying honour to them would be far from doing of it which is a demonstration that their soul hath nothing in it that is Idololatrical Lastly The Doctor saith P. 145. The wiser Heathens acknowledged one God not Jupiter of Creet but the Father of Gods and Men. P. 350. To this T. G. replies That Origen saith that Jupiter was a Devil But if Origen spake this of Jupiter of Creet or if he did not speak it of the Philosophers supreme God which T. G. never offers to assert he did De Theol. Gent. l. 1. c. 2. p. 7. what can be more impertinent The Learned Vossius had met with some as ignorant as T. G. who thought that the Philosophers God was not the true Jehovah and that the Heathens had not the knowledge of him and thus he puts the Question to them What will these persons say to Blessed Paul who calleth Jupiter God What doth he understand that Jupiter who was so infamous for his Adulteries Sure it is no such matter he with the Philosophers did understand that infinite mind that runs through all things why else doth he approve that saying of Aratus For we are all his off-spring Why doth he manifestly apply that to the true God which Aratus spake of Jupiter for he begun his Verses with him This therefore is the mind of the Apostle that we are his off-spring whom the wiser Heathens understood by Jupiter which he would not have said had not some of the Heathens had the knowledge of the true Jehovah When St. Paul saith Him whom you ignorantly worship Acts 17. I declare unto you how manifestly doth he affirm that the Athenians worshipped that very Deity of which he was about to speak viz. God that made the world c. And how can any man deny this thing saith he when the same Apostle doth affirm that they knew God Rom. 1.20 and that he had manifested to them that which may be known of God for what is more absurd than to imagine that the true and only God should manifest unto them any other God besides himself ‖ Veteres cum adversus Deorum cultores Christianam causam agunt insignium Poetarum ac philosophorum necnon Sibyllarum testimonia quamplurima referunt quae unicum Deum esse Deos autem illos quos vulgus ascivit mentitos inanes esse praedicant Petav T. 1. l. 1. c. 3. p. 17. Petavius could have informed him That it was the business of the Fathers in their Apologies and Exhortations to the Gentiles to shew that both the wisest and the most eminent Poets and Philosophers acknowledged the one true God and laughed at those vain fictitious Deities the vulgar worshipped But 2. The God whom we adore saith T. G. is not that wise Father of Gods and Men who was so high as not to know what was done here below but the true and immortal God who sees the secrets of our hearts and knows our necessities before we utter them Answ This also did the God of the Philosopher as we have largely proved * Quisquis est Deus totus est sensus totus visus totus auditus totus animae totus animi totus sui Let God be what he will saith Pliny he must be all sense all eye all hearing †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Lipsii Physiol Stoicorum l. 1. dissert 6. p. 30. He must be deemed saith Hippocrates to be immortal and to hear and see and know all things both present and to come Of this we have innumerable evidences in Lipsius Physiol Stoic l. 1. Dissert 6. xi Petav. de Deo To. 1. l. 4. cap. 1.2 3 4. and l. 8. c. 4. sec 6. and Gataker in Antoninum l. 1. sec 3. l. 6. sec 13. l. 12. sec 2. To this convincing evidence of Dr. St. That invocation of the Saints deceased was not the Doctrine of the ancient Church we add these four Considerations 1. That Lactantius and others dispute against the Heathens with such Arguments as perfectly destroy this practice and confute this Doctrine and which could never without the highest folly be alledged by those who did approve either the Doctrine or practice of the Church of Rome * Quid sibi volunt denique ipsa simulachra quae aut mortuorum aut absentium monimenta sunt Deos igitur in quorum numero reponemus Si in absentium colendi ergo non sunt si nec vident quae facimus nec audiunt quae precamur Si antem Diâ— absentes esse non possunt â—qus quoniam divini sunt in quacunque mundi parte fuerint vident audiunt universa Supervacua ergo sunt simulachra illis ubique praesentibus cum satis sit audientum nomina precibus advocare Lactant. de Origine Erroris l. 2. c. 2. Quid sibi volunt simulacra what mean their Images saith he which either are the Monuments of the Dead or absent Persons for upon this account were these similitudes invented that the memory of them might be retained who are either dead or absent from us in which of these two orders will you place your Gods If in the number of the dead men is any man so foolish as to worship them If in the number of the absent they are not to be worshipped if they can neither see what we do nor hear our Prayers Where note that it is here supposed as an unquestionable thing that persons absent can neither hear our Prayers nor see our Actions Let me then
dilectam commendat recordantis precantis affectus Ibid F. That when the mind doth cast about where the body of a dear friend may be buried and straight a place occurreth to his mind renowned for the name of some Martyr the affection of him who thus remembreth and prayeth forthwith commends the beloved soul to the same Martyr viz. that affection which induced the surviving person to think of placing his beloved friend by the memorial of that Martyr and made him choose that as the place where he would commend the soul of his beloved friend to God For that the prayer was directed to God though put up at the Martyrs Tomb is evident from the following words ‖ Plurimum intersit ubi ponat corpus mortui sui qui pro Spiritu ejus Deo N. B supplicat quia precedens affectus locum elegit sanctum illic corpore posito recordatus locus sanctus eum qui praecesserat renovat auget offectum Cap. 5. H. It may very much concern any where he should place the body of his deceased who prayeth for his Spirit unto God because both the preceding affection hath chosen an holy place and the body being placed there the remembrance of that holy place renews and augments the affection That this is the true import of the place and that the benefit St. Austin speaks of was to be expected not from any prayers put up unto the Saints but partly from the desire of burying the deceased by the Martyrs shrine upon presumption of some advantage he might receive by being there interred and partly from the increase of the affection of him that prayeth in that place to God is admirably evident from that which follows viz. * Cum ergo fide lis mater fidelis filii defuncti corpus desideravit in Basilicam Martyris poni siquidem credidu ejus animam meritis Martyrts adjuvari hoc quod ita credidit supplicatio quaed im fuit haec profuit siquid profuit quod ad idem sepnichrum recurrit anime filium precibus magis magisque commendat adjuvat defuncti Spirtum non mortui corporis locus sed ex loci memoria vivus martyris affectus Ibid G. When therefore a believing Mother desireth that the body of her Son may be buried in the Martyrs Temple as believing that his soul may be advantaged by the merits of the Martyr this very thing that she believeth thus is a kind of prayer and if any thing profiteth it is this Since therefore nothing else doth in St. Austin's judgment profit certain it is he doth not speak of prayer directed to the Martyrs for if so he could not have confessed that the fore-mentioned faith did only profit much less could he affirm it to be that supplication to the Martyr which alone did profit Lastly It is confessed that Basil Nazianzen and Nyssen do in their Panegyrical Orations seem to invocate the Holy Martyrs But then it is apparent 1. That they doubted whether these Martyrs had any sense or apprehension of the Requests put up unto them and therefore prefaced their addresses with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you have any sense 2. They do ingeniously confess that though they knew them to be absent yet they were moved to speak unto them as if they had been present and could hear them 3. They make the like addresses to insensate Creatures of whom they were assured that they could not hear them which makes it reasonable to interpret their Addresses rather as Wishes and Rhetorical Apostrophes than direct Invocations and Petitions tendred to them especially if we consider that all those Fathers when they discourse of Prayer define it to be a Colloquy with God and therefore did not think that those addresses made unto the blessed Martyrs had the true nature of a Prayer Moreover it is certain that they never offer'd any mental Prayer to Saint or Angel And 2. That they conceived the Martyrs present in those places where they offer'd these devotions and therefore were not guilty of those Doctrines and unwarrantable practices for which especially we do condemn the Roman Church CHAP. X. The CONTENTS The Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome touching the Invocation of the Blessed Angels delivered from their own Catechism and Rituals Sect. 1. The Question stated Sect. 2. The Idolatry of this Practice proved 1. This practice doth ascribe unto them by way of Worship what is proper to God viz. The Knowledge of the Secrets of the Heart Sect. 3. 2. Because it is the Worship of the Mind Sect. 4. 3. From the silence of the Old Testament Sect. 5. An objection answered Sect. 6. The Reasons of this silence which are alleged by the Romanist Refuted Sect. 7. And from the silence of the New Testament Sect. 8. 4. From the Consideration of those principles whereby the Romanists condemn White Magick as a practice guilty of Idolatry Sect. 9. THe Catechism of the Church of Rome §. 1. Published by the Decree of the Trent Council gives us the Doctrine of that Church touching the Invocation of the Holy Angels in these words * Extant divinae scriptuae testimonia hujus invocationis Jacob enim ab Angelo quicum luctatus fuerat petit ut sibi benedicat immo cogit se enim non dimissurum illum profitetur nisi benedictione accepta neque solum sibi ab eo tribui quem intuebatur sed ab eo etiam quem minimè videbat tum cum dixit Angelus qui eruit me de cunctis malis benedicat pueris istis Catechis Rom. Part 3. cap. 2. See 10. concerning this Invocation we have the Testimonies of the Scripture extant For Jacob requested of the Angel with whom he wrestled that he would bless him and he compels him so to do for he professeth that he would not let him go without his Blessing nor doth he only put up his Petition unto the Angel whom he saw but also unto him whom he saw not when he thus said the Angel who delivered me from all evil bless the Lads Agreeable unto this Doctrine is the continual practice of that Church in her Authentick Lyturgies For to St Michael they pray thus * Sancte Michael Archangele defende nos in praelio ut non percamus in tremendo judicio Miss festo Appar Sancti Mich. Maii. 8. Defend us in our Warfare we thee pray Least we should perish in the dreadful day In the Roman Ritual a Dying person is taught to pray with his Heart when he cannot do it with his Mouth thus * Hortetur praeterea ut co modo quo potest saltem ex Corde ita per intervalla precetur Maria Mater Gratiae Mater Mifericordiae tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe Omnes Sancti Angeli omnes Sancti intercedite prome mihi succurrite Rituale Ed. Antuerp 1617. All ye Holy Angels intercede for me and succour me To the Guardian
traditur nullam creaturam colendam esse animae libentius enim lâ—quor his verbis quibus mihi haec insinuâ—ta sunt sed ipsum tantummodo rerum quae sunt omnium Creatorem August l. de quant animae p. 34. in the Catholick Church it is divinely and singularly delivered that us Creature is to be Worshipped by the Soul but he only who is the Creator of all things But Roman Catholicks do and upon supposition that they have the Knowledge of the Hearts and do by seeing God p. 418. perceive the Secrets of it And as T. G. asserts do know both our Necessities and Prayers Concerns and Actions I say upon this supposition they ought to worship Saints and Angels not only with the Body but the Soul for seeing mental Prayers Vows and Thanksgivings are by all confessed to be parts of that Religious Worship which our Souls perform to God to make such Vows and put up such Petitions and Thanksgivings to the Saints and Angels must be to Worship Saints and Angels with the Soul Besides all inward Fear and Reverence must be the Worship of the Soul And yet if we may Vow and Pray and tender our Thanksgivings to them upon presumption that they know the inward Motions of our Hearts we may well be affraid to do these actions Hypocritically and remisly upon the same account We may well dread to think or vow or pray amiss and fear their Anger and their just Displeasure if we do so thus to deter us from our secret Sins the Stoicks tell us not only God but our good Doemon is in secret with us And when St. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To. 1. p. 741. A. Basil had asserted that these Angels did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold us every where he adds that upon this account the Virgin that was devoted to God ought to reverence those blessed Spirits And surely then by parity of Reason if their Knowledge reach unto the Heart and inward Motions of the Soul we ought to have that Fear and Reverence of them upon us in reference to all those motions 3. This may be strongly argued from two Considerations § 5. 1. That the Jewish Church had no such practice 2. That they abstained from this practice because they did not think this honour to be due to Angels but to God alone And 1. I say the Jewish Church had no such practice for run over all their Sacred Records the Law the Prophets and the Psalms Look into their most antient Writers Philo Judaeus and Josephus into their Litanies or forms of Prayer their Misnah or Traditions and in all these Records you shall not find one Precept or Example of any Invocation directed to the Saints departed consider all the Motives which have induced the Church of Rome to use this practice and you will find that they are chiefly taken from the Jewish Records and from those sayings of the Psalms of David which tell us that the Angels of the Lord do pitch their tehts about them that fear him to deliver them 34 Psal 7. And that he gives his Angels charge concerning them that they dash not their foot against a stone 91 Psal 11. Or from those Doctrines which were received by that Church Besides they had great evidence and manifold Examples that God did Minister his Blessings to them by the holy Angels an Angel lead them out of Aegypt through the Wilderness into the Land of Canaan the Law was given to them by the hand of Angels they often did appear unto them in an humane shape and God himself when he appeared was still attended with an Host of Angels and by them they were oft preserved from their Enemies Sith therefore notwithstanding all these Motives they never put up one Petition to an absent Angel We have just Reason to believe that in the judgment of the Jews they had no knowledge of the Heart or the desires of the Soul especially when absent from us and that this honour was not to be given to them but was intirely to be reserved for the God of Heaven Add to this that they do frequently entreat of God that he would cause those Angels to preserve them and annoy their Enemies Psal 35 5 6 7. Let them be as Chaff before the wind saith David and let the Angel of the Lord chase them Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them Why therefore do they never use the Language of the Church of Rome Horae Sec. Us Rom. Manual of Godly prayers 1610. with license Horae Sec. Us Sarum Why do they never pray to Michael the Captain of Gods Host the vanquisher of evil Spirits to be their refuge and defence against the Power of the Enemy to drive away their foes and overthrow their Machinations Why do they never call upon their Guardian Angel to take hold of Sword and Buckler and rise up to help them Or to their valiant Champion Gabriel to rise up to help them against the Malignants and to be with them against all their Adversaries 3. According to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome when they appeared the Jews did sometimes put up their Petitions to them Why therefore did they not invoke them when absent and invisible if they had held as doth the Chuch of Rome that being absent they were as able to perceive their supplications and obtain the Blessings they did want and that their aid was such an excellent and present help against the violent assaults of a Temptation and all those Floods of Evils we are continually exposed to With us consent the Antient Fathers in this matter * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. l. 5. p. 234. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 235. none that observes the Law of Moses doth worship Angels For so to do is not a Jewish Custom but a transgression of their Customes saith the Learned Origen * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 4. cont Arrian Jacob and David did request deliverance of none but God saith Athanasius And whereas T. G. and the Roman Catechism Object § 6. produce those words of Jacob the Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads as an example of this Invocation and a proof that it was practised by the Antient Jews If we consider what the Fathers have delivered upon this Text and how expresly they assert these words must certainly be understood of Christ We may admire that any Roman Doctor who stands obliged by his Oath * Nec eam unquam nisi juxta unanimen consensum patrum accipiam Interpretabor Bulla pii 4. super forma juramenti professionis fidei not to Interpret Scripture but according to the unanimous consent of the Holy Fathers should make so little Conscience of that Oath as to Interpret this and many other Scriptures in opposition to the prevailing Judgment of those Fathers 2. It is admirable to consider with what incredible
commend unto us some way or other that Invocation which they themselves approved and if the Church of Rome doth not deceive us did know to be exceeding profitable for the Church of Christ For 1. We cannot without Blasphemy conceive that Christ or his Apostles wanted the knowledge of that great advantage which Christians might receive by vertue of this supplication it is no derogation I conceive from T. G. or his Partisans to say that Christ and his Apostles knew as well as they what were the proper motives to this practise and what were the benefits it could bring to the Christian supplicant nor yet to say that they as heartily desired the Welfare of the Church as doth T. G. or the Compiler of the Roman Catechism if then they had conceived as they do they would undoubtedly have been as exact and punctual in this injunction it being in it self so highly prositable and the more necessary to be mentioned because omitted in the Law of Moses and never practised by the Jews especially if we consider that nothing could have been more properly suggested for the consolation of all Christians under those fiery tryals they endured then this consideration that they might pray in Faith as doth the Roman Missal Oh most glorious Angel the most high hath given thee to be my Refuge let then no evil come unto me Moreover the Church of Rome doth offer this as a present help in trouble unto this refuge she exhorts us all to fly * Quoties gravissima cernitaer urgere tentatio tribulatio veheme ns imminere invoca custodem tuum ductorem tuum adjutorem tuum in opportunitatibus in tribulatione inclama eum dic domine salva nos perimus Brev. in Festo Ang. Cust lec 6. ex Bern. in ps 90. P. 190. when any violent temptation doth assault and press thee when any vehement tribulation threatens thee call thou upon thy Guardian Angel thy Leader and thy helper in due season in tribulation call upon him and say Lord save us we perish So the Roman Breviary and this is their continual practice Whereas our Heavenly Father doth instruct us thus call upon me in the day of trouble 50 Psal 15. and I will deliver thee c. The Apostles and Evangelists are very copious and frequent in suggesting consolations and encouragements to bear with joy and patience those cruel persecutions with which the Primitive professors of Christianity were still infested and perplexed they have delivered many excellent discourses touching the Comforter the presence of their Saviour with them the Example of his Sufferings and of that Cloud of Witnesses which laboured under the same fiery tryals and lastly that exceeding weight of Glory which they should purchase by those Sufferings but not one hint have they vouchsafed us of this Comfort which is administred by the Church of Rome They frequently inform us that God is able and willing to preserve us from sustain us under and give an happy issue to our trouble they bid us arm our selves against Temptations by Faith and Patience and assiduity of Prayer but never tell us that we should pray to any Angel for this end St. Paul when buffeted by Satans Messenger hath thrice recourse unto our Saviour but never unto Raphael or Michael who by the Church of Rome are stiled tentatorum firma propugnacula the sure Defenders of the tempted 2 Cor 1.9 10 11. Elsewhere he tells us that being pressed above pleasure and above strength insomuch that he despaired even of Life he was delivered by that God who raiseth the Dead in whom saith he we trust that he will yet deliver us you also helping together by Prayer for us this he expresly tells us were his hopes from the petition of Surviving Saints But then he never gives us the least hint of the like expectation from the Prayers of Holy Angels nor doth he once direct a Prayer to them Is any sick saith the Church of Rome Rituale Rom. p. 117. Ed. Antue 1617. let him say to his Guardian Angel O Holy Angel of God assist me as my Keeper To all the Saints and Holy Angels let him say O all ye Holy Angels and all ye Saints intercede for me and succor me Is any sick 5 Jam. 14.15 saith the Apostle James let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick Had he believed that practice of the Church of Rome had been the more prevailing means for their recovery had he conceived it proper and beneficial to the dying person should we have had no mention of it no Rubrick to direct those Elders to mind those dying Christians of this thing The same Apostle doth command all Christians to confess their faults to one another v. 15.16 and pray for one another that they may be healed and gives this reason of that precept that the effectual fervent prayer of any righteous Man availeth much why doth he not exhort them to confess their Sins to all the Holy Angels as doth the Church of Rome why doth he never send them to the Medicinal Angel Raphael who as they do inform us Animarum corporisque optimas Medicator Her Sec. us Sarum f. 92. 1. Pet. 1.21 10. Rom. 14. 1 Jam. 5. is the best Physitian both of Soul and Body add to this that these Apostles have not been only silent in this matter but they have delivered many things which seem to be repugnant to it they do expresly teach us that our Faith should be in God and ask how we can call upon him in whom we have not believed They say if any Man want wisdom to direct him how to bear the Cross let him ask of God that giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him What therefore we are taught by them to seek from our Petitions made to holy Angels St. James directs us immediately to ask of God as being most able and most kind and therefore prone to help us Whence it is easie to collect that it seems very vain and idle to go to them who are less able and less willing so to do St. Jude concludes his General Epistle with these words to him that is able to keep you from falling v. 24 25. and to present you faultless to the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power To him alone he doth ascribe this Power to him alone he gives the Glory of all our preservations nay they assure us that Christ hath not subjected the Christian state unto the Angels 2 Heb. 5. as the Jewish was that they are now our fellow-Servants and therefore must not be adored And that we must be cautious lest any do obtrude upon us the worship of those blessed Spirits 22 Rev. 9. 2 Coloss 18. this they deliver without the least suggestion of any of those limitations and distinctions which are
so frequent in those Writers of the Church of Rome which comment on the places mentioned These blessed Apostles were not so careful to prevent the Errors and Mistakes of Hereticks in this particular as are the Doctors of the Roman Church they do not seem so tender of the Invotion and Worship of those blessed Spirits or so sollicitous we may not loose so great a benefit as are those Roman Doctors which gives us reason to conjecture not that their Knowledg or their Piety was less but that they did not very much aprove that Doctrine which gave the rise unto this Superstition of the Romish Church and so much for the first particular 2. That both the Jews and Christians abstained from this practise because they did not think this honor to be due to Angels but to God alone is evident from what we have discoursed already to confirm this inference the Apostles and Evangelists left us no precept or example to put up our petitions to departed Saints and therefore they conceived it the Worship due to God alone 2 Having removed and taken off those reasons which the Romanist assignes of this neglect it follows that that reason must stand good which we assigne at least till they can find a better With us consent the learned Jews (a) Joseph Albus l. 3. in Icarim c. 18. Idololatriam primam corum fulsse existimans qui Angelos similes creaturas ut sequestres inter se at Deum colluissent ait Deum in Decalogo quando ait Non cruâ—t tibi Dit aâ—ieni ante faciem meam id voluisse ne homines ullos ponerent sequestres aut deprecatores inter se ipsos Vossiu in Maim de Idolol c. 2. Sect. 1. Josephus Albus supposeth this Worship of the Angels as Mediators betwixt God and us to be the most antique Idolatry and (b) Fundamentum Mandati de Idololatria est nequis Serviat Creaturae non Angelo non Sphaeâ—ae non Stellae quanquam autem is qui ca colit sciat illa non esse Deum ac colat Creaturam hanc quomodo coluit Euos illius coaetanei nihilomiâ—us est Idololatria Maim ibid. Maimonides sue definitione non tantum se complecti ait Eos qui creaturis cultum exhibent us Deo verum qui iis supplicant ut ministris Dei Dionys Vossius in locum Maimon adds that the foundation of the precept of Idolatry is this that no man serve or Worship any Angel or created being As the Foundation of our last evidence of that Idolatry which is in this particular committed by the Church of Rome §. 9. we do premise 1. That Magick is that art of Divination which in conversant about the Revelation of things coâ—tingent and concealed as v. g. touching the victory of contending parties the future condition of the Church c. The declaration of our future State Fortune Marriage Death Prosperity Adversity and many other things which it is very useful for Mankind to know Alii dicunt hos esse effectus bonorum Angelorum Delrio disq Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. 2 I premise that there was amongst the antients an oppinion that by the help of Souls departed or good Angels they might obtain the knowledge of things contingent and concealed and hence that Divination which they exercised who did pretend to know things secret or contingent by their means was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or white Magick in opposition to Divination by evil Spirits which they stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or black Magick it was a very old opinion especially of the Platonists of Jamblick Porphyry Plotinus Proclus and Julian the Apostate that Divination was the effect of holy Angels So (a) Disquis Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. Delrio (b) Strom. 3. Magicians who observe Angels and Demons are careful to abstain from Wine and Venery and living creatures So St. Clemens And 3. I premise that this white Magick is by the Church of Rome condemned as Idolatry For such is all unlawful Magick saith (c) Tacita Idololatria est omnis Magia prohibita Belrio l. 1. disqu Mag. cap. 1. p. 3. Col. 3. Delrio Whosoever exerciseth the art of Divination or consults them that do it are guilty of having other Gods saith (d) Estius in Sent. 3. dist 4. Sect. 6. p. 130. Estius because they attribute unto the Creature what is Gods propriety viz. The knowledge of things future and which in nature have no certain Causes but which depend upon the will of man or other things which are mutable Valentianus adds That they affront his Majesty by a vain expectation of those things from Creatures which are to be expected only from God for God having said declare to us things future that we may know that ye are Gods the knowledge of things future and contingent must be the knowledge proper unto God alone And again the procuration of the knowledge of things hid or secret belongeth to Divine Worship for these are to be expected only from God by prayer and other lawful means when therefore we expect them vainly from the Creature we do ascribe unto the Creature that Worship which is properly Divine These things premised 4. I add that either this white Magick must be lawful or else the Invocation of Saints and Angels as it is practised in the Church of Rome must be unlawful and guilty of Idolatry either we vainly do expect that they should hear and understand our mental Prayers and know the secrets of our Hearts or the Magicians who do expect the knowledge of things secret or contingent by those blessed Spirits cannot be justly charged with Idolatry For whatsoever the Romanist pretends in vindication of the first doth equally excuse and vindicate the second for if you do conjecture with the Church of Rome that the affection of those blessed Spirits to mankind is so exceeding great that it will prompt them most assuredly to intercede in our behalf for other temporal concerns to be our refuge and Protectors and to Minister to the concernements both of this and of the future life why may we not conceive that the same love should move them to declare those future things which it doth Equally concern us to know both that we may obtain the greatest blessings and may be able to fly and to prevent the greatest perils or may prepare to bear those evils with a Christian courage which we cannot escape When Florentius having lost his Cloak T. G. p. 424. and had not where withall to buy another by praying to the twenty Martyrs caught a Fish with a Gold Ring in t sufficient I suppose to buy another Caniw e doubt but when we lose a Cloak that praying to all Saints and Angels some kind hearted Saint that perhaps in his life time lost his own and so must be supposed according to * Part. 3. cap. 2. Sect. 4. T. G. to be more ready than the rest to pitty any
Prayers to God and bring down blessings from God to us as he had learned in the School of Plato least any should be tempted to infer from this that we should pray unto these Angels or that it was useful or needful so to do that so these Blessed spirits might be more propicious or helpful to us he doth expresly say that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 233. to invoke them is no reasonable thing and this assertion he confirms by many arguments 1. It is absurd saith he to call upon them because we want the knowledge of their nature nd because it is above the reach of Man And 2. That if we could attain unto this Knowledge that very Knowledge which declares their Nature and their Offce to us would not permit us to pray to any other but unto God the Lord of all who is abundantly sufficient for all by the Son of God 3. He reckons up in the Apostles language all the kinds and sorts of Prayer (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. contra Celsum l. 5. p 233. Petition Deprecation Intercession and Thanksgiving And then he adds all these we must put up to God by that high Priest who doth Transcend all Angels and that this worship in any of the kinds forementioned was therefore not to be conferred upon the Angels because they were not to receive (b) Ibid. the worship due to God 4. He adds that it was sufficient to obtain the favour of the holy Angels and the assistance of their Prayers to labour to have God propitious and to procure his good will by godliness and vertue and by imitation of the Angels Piety And therefore not only in his answer to this objection Lib. 5. p. 233. but elsewhere he tells us me must endeavor to approve our selves to him who is one God over all and we must pray to him for mercy and that if Celsus will yet have us to procure the good will of others after him who is God over all he must consider that as when the body is moved the motion of the shadow thereof doth follow so in like manner having God favourable unto us who is over all it followeth that we shall have all his Friends both Angels and Souls and Spirits loving unto us For they have a fellow feeling with them that are thought worthy to find favour from God To whom they are not only favourable but they pray with them So as we may be bold to say that when Men which with resolution propose unto themselves the best things do pray unto God many thousand of the sacred powers pray together with them unspoken to Moreover when Celsus affirmed Id. l. 8. p. 420. that thanks were to be given to Daemons and that our Prayers and first Fruits were to be offered to them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 396. that so we might obtain their presence with us and their favour to us who have obtained of God to be Dispensers of inferiour things to this it is replyed by Origen 1. That God had given no such Government to Daemons * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. p. 400. 2. That first Fruits must be offered to God alone who said let the Earth bring forth Fruit and to him to whom the Christians offered their first Fruits they offered also their petitions 3. He doth acknowledge that office which Celsus had ascribed to wicked Daemons did agree to Angels who upon that account in Scripture were stiled ministring spirits and do encamp about Gods servants for their protection and deliverance But least we should infer with Celsus that we must therefore pray unto them to be thus propicious he adds we shall sufficiently obtain their favour by imitation of their Piety and Invocation of that God to whom they pray For thus he speaks If we have a desire to a multitude whom we would willingly have to be favourable unto us l. 8. p. 400. we learn that thousand thousands stand by him and Millions of Millions minister unto him who beholding them that imitate their Piety towards God as if they were their Kinsfolkes and Friends help forward their Salvation and call upon God and pray sincerely appearing also and thinking that they ought to do service to them and as it were upon one watch-word to set forth for the benefit and salvation of them that pray to God unto whom they themselves also pray Now to all these and all the Arguments that any man can bring T. G. returns this Answer §. 3. p. 360. Viz. That Prayer implies either a total dependance upon God as the Author of all good and so we ought to pray to God alone or an address unto the Members of the Church triumphant for the assistance of their Prayers to him who only can give what we ask and in this sense it is still used by Roman Catholicks when it is applied to Saints and Angels when therefore Origen denies that our Prayers are to be offered to any but to Christ alone he speaks of Prayer in the first sense This is that Catholick answer which upon all occasion he produceth This Origen and all the Fathers mean verily it is this and nothing else Not that the Fathers of the four first Centuries when they so roundly and frequently assert that Prayer is to be offered unto God alone did ever thus distinguish or speak one title of this nature no simple Creatures as they were they absolutely and without all distinction condemned what they daily practised and practised what they had condemned they all spake what was absolutely false and meant only what was true so that no Man could have imagined this to have been their meaning had not T. G. been their Interpreter Thus when Origne expresly saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 8. p. 402. It is no reasonable thing to pray unto the Angels †l. 5. p. 258. we must only pray to God and to his Son Christ Jesus He nust affirm what was a plain and absolute contradiction to the Churches Doctrine but then his meaning must be Orthodox and contradictory to what he doth assert When he adds almost by way of Syllogism to whom we Christians offer our first Fruits to him we offer up our Prayers But to God alone we offer up our first Fruits Ergo to him alone we offer up our Prayers When he informs us that the Christians were such as did not pray to Angels but undividedly and inseparably did worship God by Jesus Christ l. 8. p. 382. and came to God by Christ alone and so as to transcend even those blessed spirits which are called Gods He must apparently bely the Christian World according to the plain Interpretation of his words but his intentions must be Orthodox And yet 3. he doth not only deny the Doctrine and the practice of the Church of Rome to be the Doctrine and practice of the time wherein he lived but he destroys
a little after that to them it was given to preside over the Earth or to be patrons or Inspectors of such a City or of such a Countrey and upon that account infers we must both pray and offer our thandsgiving and first fruits unto them To all this Origen replies that we must offer up our prayers to God alone and we must pray to him alone to whom we offer our first fruits in both which places if Origen intended only to affirm that prayer was due to God which implies the object of our supplication to be the highest God and the chief Author of all Good it is apparent he doth not in the least deny what Celsus pleaded for viz. such supplication as he conceived due to such Daemons as were commissionated from God and belonged to him 5. This Answer renders the discourses of this learned Father rediculously weak and unconcluding as v. g. 1. We cannot rationally pray to Angels saith this learned Father Because we do not know their natures nor are we capable of the knowledge of them lib. 5. p. 233. Which if we understand it thus We know not what their understanding is or whether they have any knowledge of our hearts when present or of our prayers when absent And therefore do not conceive it rational to pray unto them it is both pertinent and conclusive But if we understand it thus we must not pray unto them as we do to the great God of Heaven because we do not know their Natures Nothing is more absurd and foolish for certainly all Christians knew so much of their nature as to believe they were not Gods Besides we neither know the nature of God nor are we capable of understanding it and yet it will not follow that we we may not pray unto him lib. 5. p. 239. as to the Author of all Good Again it is absurd saith he having God alwayes present with us to pray unto the Son which is not alwayes present now this absurdity doth equally respect Prayer relative and absolute for if the Son can hear our prayers and can obtain Gods blessings when he is not present it cannot be absurd to pray unto him because not present but if he cannot then must it be absurd to put up to him such petitions as the Church of Rome doth tender to the holy Angels Moreover we do not in the least contemne saith he so admirable a work of God but yet we must not pray unto the Creature or this work of God lib. 5. p. 238. because it prayes for us Now here can any man conceive he should intend no more but this you must not look on that as the supremest Deity which I have told you is his Creature No sure had he and all the Christian World prayed daily to them who do pray for us he would have rather said you must not pray unto him as to that God who is the Author of all good because he is a Creature 6. When Origen discourseth of this subject he usually saith that we must put up our petitions unto God by Christ and having once confessed that we may pray directly to Christ whom he conceived to be inferior to the Father he makes that very same distinction which our Author and his party do viz. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 5. p. 233. That prayer may be taken properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an improper and abusive sense and in this sense alone he doth approve of prayer made to Christ whereas had he allowed of any prayers made to Saints and Angels it is to be presumed having so many provocations and occasions to treat upon and to explain the subject he would have sometimes used this distinction and would not alwayes have denied this practice and condemned that doctrine without distinction or exception elsewhere he saith If any man be not sufficient viz. to go directly to God let him go to the Son of God who is able to heal him Since then he never saith as doth the Church of Rome let him go to Saints and Angels certain it is that he did not approve this practise and this is yet more evident from his reply to Celsus Orig. lib. 8. p. 416. for when Celsus had objected that according to the Doctrine of the Aegyptians every part of a man hath a particular Daemon or Aethereal God and every one of these being invocated heals the diseases of the parts proper to themselves Why then may not the Christians justly invocate the favor both of them and others if they had rather be in health than sickness To this it is replied by Origen 1. That Celsus by advising us to go to Daemons sufficiently declared his distrust of the inseparable and undivided worship of the God of all lib. 8. p. 417. and did imagine that to Worship God alone and honor him was not sufficient to preserve those that did so from diseases and the insidiations of evil spirits which is an evident conviction that he did not think the invocation of the Archangel Gabriel Michael Raphael or of Sebastian Valentinus or any other Roman Saint which they of Rome do daily invocate for their protection from these evil spirits and the diseases which they are subject to was needful for that end or that it could be practised without distrusting of the all-sufficient God 2. He adds It is much better to commit our selves to God the Lord of all things by Jesus Christ and ask of him all help lib. 8. p. 418. and in particular the custody of the holy Angels who may deliver us from these terrestrial Daemons where also it is manifest that he would have us ask the help and custody of Angels not from them as is the manner of the Roman Church but only from the God of Angels Orig. ib. 3. He affirms that health is to be sought either by means of the Physitian which is the ordinary way or by extraordinary means viz. by piety towards God in our addresses to him by which expression it is also manifest that he was ignorant of that way of seeking health which had its rise from after ages and is so common in the Church of Rome for otherwise as it is excellently observed by the learned Doctor p. 150. he must have told him that Christians were not to address themselves to Chnumen Chnaachnumen Cnat Sicat Biu Eru or any other Heathen Daemons to obtain these Blessings but unto Raphael and Appollonia Sebastian and Roach Unto the first and second argument urged by the Doctor and most apparently confounding the doctrine and common practice of the Roman Church T. G. affords us not one word of answer the evidence being too plain and pregnant to admit of a reply but over the third remark he triumphs and undertakes to render it ridiculous to all sober Readers by shewing two things 1. The difference between the Doctrine and Practice of the Aegyptians
4. that the Angels do offer up the prayers of Men to God and surely it can never be Idolatry to desire them to do what they do Answ The minister prays for his Parish and yet should every Parishioner in his private Closet desire him to pray for them should they put up mental prayers unto him and so ascribe unto him the knowledge of the heart and of the desires of Men absent from him they would make an Idol of him Thus albeit the Angels are present in the assemblies of Saints and offer up the prayers they hear yet to invoke them when absent and with mental prayer may duly be esteemed Idolatry 2. T. G. informs us Ibid. that Origen in his first Homily upon Ezekiel invocates an Angel in these words * Veni Angele suscipe sermone conversum ab errore pristino a doctrina Daemoniorum ab iniquitate in altum loquente suscipiens eum quasi Medicus bonus confove atque institue parvulus est hodie nascitur senex repuerascens suscipe tribuens ei baptismum secundae regenerationis â— 133. E. Come holy Angel and receive him who is converted from his former Sins Answer 1. We have just reason to suspect this place is an addition to the works of Origen 1. Because it contradicts his constant plain opinion delivered so often and so industriously confirmed in his reply to Celsus it also contradicts the practice of Church then being as Origen himself declares 2. He speaks thus to the Angel Receive him and confer upon him the Baptisme of the second regeneration Now who ever heard of any Baptized by an Angel who ever heard so uncouth and absurd a Phrase as is the Baptisme of second Regeneration these therefore cannot be the words of Learned Origen as all that know him must confess Besides this speech can be applied to none but Origen himself and if it hath any sense A. d. 153. â— 121 122 123. it seemeth plainly to refer to his repentance after his lapse into Idolatry which haply is stiled the Baptism of a second Regeneration since then that story is confuted by Baronius it follows that this passage which refers unto it must be also false 3. Were it granted that those are the true words of Origen they contain only an Apostrophe such as is that of Austin to St. Chrysostome enter St. John sit with thy Brethren and others mentioned c. 9 Or 2. If I should grant them to contain a formal Prayer it is directed only to an Angel whom he conceived to be present and it is only a vocal prayer for Origen conceived not only that every person but also every Church had a * Ego non ambigo in caetu nostro adesse Angelos non solum Geperaliter omni Ecclesiae sed etiam figillatim Hom. 23. in luc particular Angel that presided over it and so was present there And therefore this Example is not pertin ent to prove what we deny viz. that it is lawful to pray unto them when we have no assurance of their presence or with mental prayer THE CONCLUSION sheweth 1. That what T. G. alleadgeth to prove the Dr. Guilty of false and disingenious Citations is most unconscionably false 2. That T. G. is notoriously Guilty of false and disingenious citations 3. That he very falsty represents the question touching the Invocation of the Saints departed 4. That T. G. is a Man of Wit but in his Book he hath not in the least discovered himself to be a Man of Learning or of Judgment but given us just reason to suspect his want of both WE are informed by the incomparable Dalle § 1. De usu Patrum Cap. 3. p. 43. that it was a Thesis publickly proposed and defended by the College of Lovain that it is no mortal sin to elude a great Authority that is detracting from or noxious to us with a Lye and that the Jansenists do frequently object against the Jesuits the same ungodly Tenet That this hath been the constant practice of T. G. and that he owes the glory of his Book to his exact Conformity to this acursed Doctrine I have demonstrated already from many instances so clear that nothing can admit of greater evidence Before I enter into a farther demonstration of this Charge I must assure the Christian Reader that from my heart I wish that I had nothing of this nature to object against T. G. and I do think my self unhappy that I have to deal with one who by so base a prostitution of his Conscience doth seek advantage to his cause Indeed the subject is so unpleasant and unwelcome to me that I would certainly have wholly waved it had not my Duty to my Brother and the disadvantage which the truth might suffer from these Arts obliged me to proceed in this discovery which both in pity to my self and to my Adversary I shall confine to the consideration of what he hath delivered Part the Third that so my Labour and his Guilt may be the less This being thus premised the Truth of what I charge him with shall be made good 1. By consideration of what he offers to crack the credit of the Dr. and cast a Disrepute on his incomparable Labors And 2. From divers instances of his endeavors by the forementioned Arts to weaken the Authorities produced against him And First §. 2. the Dr. is very often but most unjustly charged with false Citations Interpretations and suggestions touching the Authors cited by him v. g. The Dr. saith he makes a terrible blunder by his dextrous Translating c. p. 371. And again p. 373. The Dr. saith he first makes a Preface of his own as if it was St. Austins and then turns opus erat there was no need into we need not c. And p. 375. he makes the Dr. to avmâ—ch in the face of the World 156. what was a perfect contradiction to what he told us out of St. Austin p. 155. and out of Celsus p. 150. These imputations I have already proved to be false and groundless in their respective places whither I refer the Reader v. Ch. 9. § 3. Again the Dr. having given us the descant of Theodoret upon that passage of St. Paul and upon that Canon of Laodicea which forbids Christians to Worship Angels he subjoyns these words No wonder that Baronius is so much displeased with Theodoret for this Interpretation p. 155. for he very fairly tells what he condemns and St. Paul too was the practice of their Church and those Oratories were set up by Catholicks and not by Hereticks This is foul dealing saith T. G. and these are pitiful slights of Sophistry to delude an unwary Reader p. 380. And he shall wonder if the Dr. find any one that will believe him p. 383. so that what Dr. Stillingfleet hath here delivered must be incredible foul dealing or else T. G. must certainly be guilty of much disingenuity and falshood in this
stile it in this very Book Ergo prayer ought not to be offered to a Creature and now it is not easy to declare whether the folly or the falshood the confidence or the weakness of this accusation were the geater but I am not willing to expose him farther in this matter I pray God he may repent of this Iniquity and make due satisfaction to God and the World and Dr. Stillingfleet and so I pass on to some fresh discoveries of the same In his reply to the first Answer of the Dr. he affirms § 8. that Austin himself held formal Invocations a part of the Worship due to Saints This he confirms p. 25. first from that passage of St. Austin let blessed Cyprian help us with his Prayers and for a farther confirmation of it p. 26. viz. that Austin held this Invocation to be a part of Worship due to Saints We have saith he the ingenious confession of Calvin himself Instit lib. 3. Ch. 20. n. 22. where speaking of the Third Council of Carthage in which St. Austin was present he acknowledged it was the Custom at that time to say Holy Mary or Holy Peter pray for us p. 174. To this the Doctor answers thus I cannot but wonder if he saw the words in Calvin that he would produce them for Calvin doth there say that the Council of Carthage did forbid praying to Saints least the publick prayers should be corrupted by such kind of adresses holy Peter pray for us To this T. G. replies have not I more reason to wonder at his wonder p. 444. for why I pray was such a Decree made and why did the Fathers of that Council fear lest the publick prayers should be corrupted by such kind of addresses if there were no such Custome at that time either the Doctor corrupts the words of his dear Master Calvin or it is manifest they imply it was the Custome at that time to say Holy Peter pray for us Answ The Dr. doth confess that there was such a Custom condemned by Councils and Fathers as was that Custom of those times of Banquetting at the Sepulchres of Martyrs and that which is condemned by the same Council in these words It pleaseth us that the Altars which are commonly erected in the Fields and Roads as the Memorials of the Martyrs in which it is not evident that the body or any reliques of the Martyrs are preserved should be demolished by the Bishops if that can be done but if the popular tumults will not suffer it then let the people be admonished that they do not frequent these places Can. 3. so that T. G. discourseth thus that which was condemned by the Councils and Fathers was the Custom of those times but direct prayer and invocation was condemned by the Counsel and the Fathers Ergo it was the Custom of those times and if this be a good Argument this Doctrine was condemned by the Church of Christ Ergo this was the Custome of the Church of Christ Then all the Heresies that ever were condemned by Councils and by Fathers must be acknowledged to have been the Customes of the Church of Christ But T. G. will set down the words of Calvin and make it thence appear that there was such a Custom Answ By all this what the Dr. doth confess viz. That some people condemned by the Council used this Custome shall appear but what T. G. had undertaken to make good from this Citation p. 445. That St. Austin held that formal Invocation was a part of the worship due to Saints This shall disappear But then again who seeth not saith T. G. that for fear the Reader should see this the Dr. most conveniently left out of his Citation those words of Calvin which were most material to the present purpose viz. That the Decree was made to forbid direct praying to Saints at the Altar and the reason in his opinion why those Fathers made that Decree was to restrain the force of an evil Custom which they could not totally repress for had these words been put down the thing had been too clear to be denied viz. that Calvin acknowledged there was such a Custome at that time where first the Dr is introduced as one denying that Calvin did acknowledge that there was such a Custome at that time whereas he manifestly confesseth what T. G. doth affirm that he denies p. 174 for he expresly saith from Calvin that the Council did condemn and forbid those prayers which were in use by some of the people Secondly whereas he doth accuse the Dr. for leaving out the words of Calvin which were most material to the present purpose This also is a loud untruth as will appear by setting down the Doctors words and by comparing of them with the words of Calvin as they are represented in T. G. and they are these That the Council of Carthage did forbid praying to Saints lest the publick Prayers should he corrupted by such kind of Addresses Holy Peter pray for us And again the Council did condemn and forbid those Prayers which were in use by some of the People And now what is there is the words of Calvin Translated by T. G. which is not contained in the words of Dr. Stillingfleet These things I have collected not that I take delight in the discovery of this unchristian spirit of Calumny I can assure T. G. it is no small Grief to me to find a Dr. of Divinity so prone to wound his Conscience and expose his credit to the censure of discerning Men. I am afflicted that the Atheist should have such great Temptations to suspect that we are guilty of the like insincerity in managing of the Christian cause against him or that the people should have such reason to cry out behold the falshood of our Priests see here what little reason we can have to credit any thing they say since what they confidently avouch in the face of the World is so unconscionably false and full of Calumny But I intreat them to consider we have great reason to suspect t is the unhappy principles of the Roman party which do betray them to this evil practice They think it lawful to equivocate and lye to those they are pleased to call Hereticks and to promote the Cause of Holy Church by such unchristian Arts. This I in charity believe because I would not think them guilty of what this practice must import if it were used by Protestants A second Art whereby T. G. endeavors to evade this charge § 9. and bring a disrepute upon the Doctors Person and Performance is a false and disingenious representation of the Question betwixt us and the Church of Rome and an undeavour to possess the Reader with an apprehension that the Dr. waved it and durst not speak unto it Thus p. 334 That the Reader my see what a prodigious stock of Wit is râ—â—â—isâ—e to make it out that Invocation of Saints is Idolatry I will
saith he set down the Doctrine of the Church as it stands Recorded in the Council of Trent What that Council teacheth is that it is good and profitable for Christians humbly to Invocate the Saints and to have recourse to their prayers aid assistance whereby to obtain benefits of God by his Son our Lord Jesus Christ who is our only Redeemer and Saviour These are the very words of the Council and any Man but of common reason would think it were as easy to prove Snow to be black as so innocent a practice to be Idolatry even Heathen Idolatry Answ That the Reader may see what disingenuity is here insinuated it is sufficient only to advertise him that we do not accuse the Church of Rome as guilty of Idolatry for holding what she delivers in the words now cited but for holding what she insinuates in the words which follow and which T. G. thought most convenient to conceal viz. That every person may pray unto them and that not only with vocal but with mental prayer and for enjoyning the sick to pray with his heart when he cannot do it with his mouth O all ye Saints intercede for me and succour me What we teach saith he and do in this matter is to desire the Saints in Heaven to pray for us as we desire the Prayers of one another upon Earth and must we for this be compared to Heathens Do we not profess to all the World that we look upon the Saints not as Gods but as the friends and Servants of God that is as just Men whose prayers therefore are available with him where then lies the Heathenism where lies the Idolatry Answ it lies in praying to them with mental prayer and in praying to their when they are as distant as is Earth from Heaven p. 353. But saith T. G. the Question at present between Dr. Stillingfleet and the Church of of Rome p. 353. is not whether Divine Worship be to be given to the Saints but whether an inferiour worship of the like kind with that which is given to holy Men upon Earth for their holiness and near relation to God may not be lawfully given to them p. 389. now they are in Heaven And again we pray no otherwise to them than we do to holy Men upon Earth though more devoutly upon the account of their unchangeable estate of bliss Answ This he doth frequently affirm but till he can produce some instance of this practice of praying only with mental prayer to any Man alive or of petitions vocal directed unto living persons at so great a distance his affirmation can be no better than a manifest untruth but this is a peculiar Topick of which all those who vainly do endeavor to excuse this Idol worship of the Church of Rome are forced to make use of viz. to affirm her Doctrine and practice not to be what certainly it is and thence conclude her not to be guilty of that crime which could not be denied without this Artifice Again the Question between us § 10. p. 173. saith the Dr. is not how far such wishes rather then prayers were thought allowable being uttered occasionally as St. Austin doth this in St. Cyprian but whether solemn Invocation of Saints in the Duties of Religious worship as it is now practised in the Roman Church p. 44◠were ever practised in St. Austins time Here T. G. represents him as a very Shuffler and most Rhetorically cries out alass that so many Learned Men should all this while have been mistaken in the Question that they should have spent so much oyl and sweat to no purpose The Question hitherto controverted between Catholicks and Protestants was held to be whether it be lawful to invocate the Saints to pray for us and whether this were agreeable to the practice of the primitive times But now like a mischievous Card that will spoil the hand this is dropt under the Table and all the show aboveboard is whether it may be clone in the Duties as the calls them of religious worship Thus T. G. as if all persons that ever writ before them must have spoken nothing to the purpose if this had been the Question between T. G. and him or that this could not be the Question if what he mentions were another or that it were impossible that Men disputing whether this were agreeable to the practice of the Primitive times should also dispute whether it were the practice of St. Austins time Who knows not that one medium to prove this practice to be lawful is that it was the practice of the primitive times and that St. Austins times are instanced in as a sufficient Confirmation of that grand assertion This is the very method of T. G. and these are his formal word This was the Doctrine and practice of Christian people in St. Austins time p. 25. this he endeavors to confirm from that of Cyprian and unto this the Dr. returns this Answer and yet this must not be the Question betwixt T. G. and him § 11. Lastly the Dr. sayth he undertakes to shew out of the Primitive Fathers that it was the property of the Christian Religion to give Divine Worship to none but God and in this strain he runs on for no less than ten leaves together and without ever proving that Catholicks do give Divine Worship to holy Angels and Saints he most triumphantly concludes them to be Idolaters Answ The falshood of this passage is so exceedingly notorious that there is nothing requisite besides the use of reason to discern it for p. 146 159. We have this triumphant Argument Upon the same account that the Heathen did give Divine honor to their inferior Deityes those of the Roman Church do so to Saints and Angels And how unhappy T. G. was in his attempts upon this Argument I have abundantly evinced Again the Doctor Argues thus The Fathers do expresly deny that Invocation or Prayer is to be made to Angels for so Origen p. 158. and theodoret speak expresly that men are not to pray to Angels and any one that reads St. Austin will find that he makes solemn Invocation to be as proper to God as Sacrifice is 2. On what account should it be unlawful to Sacrifice to Saints and Angels if it be lawful to Invocate them May not one be relative and transient as well as the other can any man in his senses think that a meer outward Sacrifice is more acceptable to God than the Devotion of our heart is Thus the learned Doctor and there needs nothing to convince us of the strength and pertinency of this discourse but to reflect upon the vanity and weakness of what T. G. hath ventured to oppose against it See Ch. 6. Prop. 4. Corol. 3. besides in vindication of the Testimonies of Irenxus Origen Theodoret St. Austin Hilary the Deacon and of the Council of Laodicea I have clearly manifested that all these Fathers cited by the learned
ask T. G. what mean the Images of the Church of Rome which are either the monuments of the dead or absent persons in what order will you place your Saints and Angels If in the number of dead men Why then are you so foolish as to worship them If in the number of the absent they are not to be worshipped since they can neither see our actions nor hear our prayers What I have thus retorted on the Church of Rome if the like practice had then obtained in the Church of Christ might have been with like evidence returned upon Lactantius Tertullian tells the Heathens that by allowing many Gods (a) Cum alii alios Deos colitis eos quos non colitis utique contemnitis praelatio alterius sine alterius contumelia esse non potest nec ulla electio non reprobatione componitur Qui de pluribus suscipit aliquem eum quem non suscipit despexit Sed tot ac tanti ab omnibus coli non possunt Jam ergo tunc primo contempsistis non veriti scilicet ita instituere ut omnes coli non possent Tertul. ad Nationes L. 1. c. 10. they do affront as many of them as they do not worship for the prelation of any one is a reproach to all the rest which Argument doth equally impugne the worship of the Church of Rome For who knows not that many of their Saints who in some Countries are worshipped more than Christ himself are scarcely known in others 2. The Ancients prayed for all the Saints departed excepting neither Apostles Martyrs or the blessed Virgin The Liturgy of the Church of Constantinople ascribed to St. Chrysostome saith (b) Chrysost Tom. 6. p. 998 999. We offer unto thee this reasonable Service for those who are at rest in the faith our Fore-fathers Fathers Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Preachers Evangelists Martyrs Confessors Religious Persons and every Spirit perfected in the Faith But especially for our most holy immaculate most blessed Lady the Mother of God and ever Virgin Mary Remember all them who are fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection to eternal life give them to rest where the Light of thy Countenance presideth The Liturgy ascribed to St. Mark having made mention of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles c. speaketh thus (c) Biblioth Patrum Gr. Lat. Tom. 2. p. 35. A. Lord make the Souls of all these to rest in the Tabernacles of thy Saints in thy Kingdom conferring on them all the good things promised Which is a pregnant evidence that the first Authors of those Liturgies did not invoke the Blessed Virgin or the Evangelists Apostles Martyrs or any other Saints departed this being a known Rule and as (d) Cum sacrae Scripturae dicat auctoritas quod injuriam facit Martyri qui orat pro Martyre Innocent III. P. R. Decret l. 3. de celeb Miss tit 41. Pope Innocent declares the voice of Scripture that he who prayes for any Martyr doth offer an affront unto that Martyr Nay even common sense and reason shews that it is very foolish and absurd to pray for them and to commend them to Gods favour to whom we therefore pray because we think their merits and their interest with God is such as that they can prevail by vertue of them for all the blessings they can ask for others 3. The Heathens did object against the Christians that they put up Supplications to the Man Christ Jesus whose birth and ignominious death they owned (e) Inique non scis quem invocas hominem quendam factum sub custed à Pontii Pilati punitum In Act. Andr. apud Bar. A. D. 290. §. 26. Dost thou not know saith Maximus unto Andronicus the Martyr that him whom thou invokest was a man who suffered under Pontius Pilate And in Arnobius the Heathen thus disputes (f) Sed non inquit idcirco Dii vobis infesti sunt quod omnipâ—lentem colatis Deum sed quod hominem natum quod personis infane est vilibus crucis supplicio interemptum Deum fuisse contenditis superesse adhuc creditis quotidianis supplicationibus adâ—â—atis Arnobii adversus Gentes l. 1. p. 20. You Christians do adore with daily Supplications and look upon him as a God who was both born a man and suffered an ignominious Death on the Cross And had the Christians of that time put up their Supplications to the Apostles Evangelists and Martyrs and the Blessed Virgin had not the Heathens greater reason to object that they offered up their Supplications unto such as were but ordinary men and who continued in the state of death When in the dayes of Julian this custome did insinuate it self into the Church of Christ and they began in Panegyrical Orations to speak unto the Martyrs as to men present with them Eunapius presently cryes out Eunap in Aedesso p. 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they call their Martyrs Ministers and Legats of their Prayers to God That therefore this was not objected by Porphyry or Celsus or taken notice of as their objection by any of the ancient Fathers is an assurance that they had no such practice in the purest Ages of the Church 4. This will be farther evident if we consider that in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists and of the ancient Fathers we have no rules prescribed for the Canonizing of any Saints departed or any mention of this custome till the seventh Century for since it is so great a Crime to worship damned Spirits next to God seeing to celebrate their praises and to give God thanks for their Examples and for the Graces of his Spirit is so absurd a thing And yet it is a thing saith (g) Nisi judicio Ecclesiae certi Sancti proponerentur colendi facil fieri posseâ— ut populus saepe â—rraret damnatos pro Beaâ—is coleret Bellarm de Sanct. Beat c. 7. §. Sed. Bellarmine that easily might happen from the neglect of this Canonization we may conclude that they who never took the care to practise it did not allow that worship which made its observation necessary CHAP. IX The Contents General Heads of Answer to the Testimonies produced by T. G. from Antient Fathers 1. That the Fathers of that time did more unquestionably practise and approve what hath been since condemned by the Church of Rome V.G. They practised the communicating of Infants they approved the necessity of it to Salvation Sect. 1. They approved the Doctrine that the Righteous did not enjoy the sight of God before the Resurrection Sect. 3. Secondly That the Fathers cited by him do many of them in words more clear and writings more authentick deny or disapprove this practise Sect. 2. Thirdly Many of the Fathers of those times beld Doctrines inconsistent with that practise Sect. 3. viz. that Saints did not enjoy the Beatifick Vision ibid. Secondly That they did not hear or understand our words directed to them and that it was doubtful