Apostles unless it had been also delivered in writing and unless those writings had been brought down to our Hands And blessed be God! there was such a Delivery in the Books of the New Testament In which Books the Apostles bearing witness as they do to the Scriptures of the Old Testament that they were Written by Divine Inspiration and that they are able to make us wise to Salvation through Faith in Iesus Christ and delivering the Faith in Iesus Christ as they do in their own writings to the end that all men may believe on him to Eternal life Therefore in these Books of the Old and New Testament together we have a Standard of the Apostles Doctrine and we have not the like for any other than what is written in these Books Here is all that we can surely call the Doctrine of the Apostles unless we know more than the Fathers of the Primitive Church They through whose hands this Doctrine must pass before it could come into ours knew nothing but what they had in the Scriptures This was constantly their Standard and Rule of all things in the words of St. Chrysostom Who says again All things that are necessary are plain and manifest in the Scriptures So St. Austin says All things that belong to Faith or Life are to be found in plain places of Scripture St. Basil saith Believe those things that are written inquire not into things that are not written St. Ierom Non credimus quia non legimus we believe no more than we â—ead In like manner say many other of the Fathers And though they did sometimes quote the Apostles Traditions for Ritual things yet in matters of Faith if they prove any thing from Tradition it is either the Written Tradition of Scripture of if Unwritten 't is no other than the Creed as it were easie to shew in many Instances And withal they believed there was nothing in the Creed but what they could prove from the Scriptures and they did prove it from the Scriptures upon occasion in every Particular So that in their Judgment it is not only a sufficient but the only Measure of the Doctrin of the Apostles And by this we may judg as to matter of Doctrin who are and who are not Members of the Apostolical Church The next Character is this that they continued in the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fellowship a word that has diverse senses in Scripture In this place it seems to be the same as Society They were in the Apostles Society or Communion Now to continue in their Society considering what they were men deputed by Christ for the Government of his Church it could be no other than to continue as Members of that Body which Christ put under their Government But how can any be so now they being dead so many Ages since and their Government so long since expired with them No their Government is not expired though they are For it was to continue till the end of the World So that according to the common saying among the Jews Whosoever one sends being as himself So our Saviour having sent the Apostles saith Whosoever receives you receives me In like manner whosoever were sent by the Apostles were as themselves And whosoever continued in their Fellowship were in the Fellowship of the Apostles Now their Government is declared to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Bishopric And in this Office they were equal among themselves as our Saviour describes them sitting on twelve Thrones and judging the twelve Tribes of Israel It is observable that this was after his Promise to St. Peter Mat. xvi 16 c. Which Promise I consider by the way because 't is so much pressed by the Romanists to prove a Power which Christ had given St. Peter over the rest of the Apostles If Christ had truly given it we must then have considered whether St. Peter left any Successors in that Power And if so why not St. Iohn the Apostle by Survivance why not the Bishop of the undoubted Mother-Church at Ierusalem Why not the Bishop of some other City where the Scripture has assured us that St. Peter Preacht rather than of Rome where if he did preach we have not a word of it in Scripture These and sundry more such Questions would have risen upon that Hypothesis of such a Power given to S. Peter But it is out of Question that the Apostles never so understood those words of Christ. They knew of no Power that was promised to St. Peter more than to themselves in that Text. For after this they were at strife among themselves who should be chief After this they disputed it again and again and Christ chid them every time but never told them I have promised it to Peter Nay it appears that Christ did not intend it by his open Declarations to the contrary That it should not be among them as in Secular Kingdoms and Monarchies It appears more plainly in the fulfilling of his Promise For he both ordained the rest with S. Peter without any Difference And when they all together had received the Holy Ghost in this Chapter St. Peter stood up with the eleven ver 14. And upon him and them Christ built his Church even all these who continued not only in his but in the Fellowship of all the Apostles Now if all the Apostles were equal in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Government then it is certain that their Successors must be so in like manner Though one must have Precedence before other for Order's sake as St. Peter had usually among the Apostles when they were together And though one may be above others in the same National Church as all Primats are by Human Laws Yet none by the Law of God hath Authority over others I say none among their Successors any more than among the Apostles themselves So St. Cyprian declares oftentimes in his Writings Not to mention the like as I might from many other of the Fathers Now the Bishops in after times in their several Churches were undoubtedly held to be the Successors of the Apostles We have as great a consent among the Antients for this as we have for the Observation of the Lord's Day And it is evident from the Primitive Writers that they lookt upon Communion with their Bishops as Communion with the very Apostles They held it the Duty of every Christian to obey them in Spiritual things They held it the Duty of every Bishop to govern and feed his own Flock To attend to that only and not to usurp upon his Brethren But all as occasion served to do all good Offices one for another and to join their endeavours for the common Concernments of the Church And for them so to govern the Church and for the People to live under their Government in Spiritual things This was to
pretend indeed that it is clear in the Tradition of the Fathers But for the Fathers that received the Scripture from the Apostles it is evident that they could not find any such thing in it Nor could any of them that lived in the first six hundred years Nay they were to seek for it that lived above a thousand years after the Apostles times Some indeed of the Antients have spoke of an unbloody Sacrifice and that offered by every Christian as well without the Sacrament as with it But as they alway denied any more Bloody Sacrifice So little did they think of an unbloody to take away sin and that such as none could offer but the Priest How much less that Chirst himself must be that Sacrifice nay must come from heaven both to offer and to be offered and that upon such pitiful small or needless occasions The most common pretence not to mention any worse is to fetch a soul out of Purgatory Which the Priest is to do for a small piece of Silver But they have other devices to do the same thing Therefore why must Christ come from Heaven to earn this mony And be sent on these errands ten thousand times a day And every time suffer as much as it cost him to Redeem all mankind This horrible Mystery unknown to former Ages was kept for times worthy of such a discovery Those dark dismal times that brought in the Grossest errors of Popery Other things in their Worship are new and bad Enough though they do not come up to the Monstrousness of this Namely their prayer to Angels and to Saints departed this life and their prayer for Souls in Purgatory which things together make up a great part of their Offices in the Roman Church For the first of these Prayer to Angels We cannot say that there was no such thing in the Apostles times For an Apostle by mistake was like to have used it but was forbid by the Angel to whom he offered worship And another Apostle writ purposely against it as being a Superstition that some would then have brought into the Church But those instances sufficiently shew that it could be no part of the Apostles Prayers For Prayer to Saints as the Apostles have left no Example so they could have none before them according to the Doctrine of the now Roman Church Nor is there any colour for it in Scripture nor in the Tradition of the Apostles Age. There are many things in both to the contrary But after some hundreds of years when Christianity was the Established Religion and Heathens came by droves into the Church It is no wonder that they who in their Gentilism Prayed to Deified men more than to God were apt to run into this Superstition They were still for a Religion that would affect the sense And they found matter for it at the Memories of the Martyrs where from the Miracles that were wrought for the Testimony of their Faith They took occasion to treat the Saints as before they had done their Heathen Gods and to address themselves to them for those Temporal benefits which they took to be conferred by their means It may seem strange that some of the Fathers of the Church should give countenance to this popular Error But however they complied with the weakness of the people in hope to promote their Zeal to Religion and perhaps they might have some other Hypotheses of their own yet they writ things which could not consist with this worship And some of the Fathers writ directly against it They asserted to God the whole duty of Worship They owned no other Mediator but Christ. This they all acknowledged to be the sense of the Catholic Church But the darker times grew the more that Error prevailed The people led their Guides and tolled them on with worldly advantage who repaied them with lying Wonders and Visions to confirm them in their Error At last by Poetry it got into the Offices of the Church And yet then they had no Doctrine sufficient to bear it A thousand years after Christ they were not sure that the Saints heard their Prayer or that the Saints are in Heaven which is the very Foundation of their worship Their very Prayers e taught them the contrary And therefore they that came after altered them in some places But yet still there is enough left in the Mass Book f to shew them how far they are removed from the Old Roman Church The Prayers for Souls in Purgatory could be no antienter than the Doctrine of Purgatory was And therefore having shewn that the Apostles had no such Doctrine I need not prove that these were none of their Prayers But if they prayed for the dead on any other account it doth not concern the now Roman Church For she pretends not to pray for any dead but for them that are in Purgatory And yet to do her Right she hath not one prayer expresly for them in all her Offices for the dead The Reason is because those Offices were made before that Fiction was generally believed The Offices were fitted to those Doctrines which were Then in the Roman Church Which as I have shewn were much different from what she hath now So where their Doctrines were doubtful there the Prayers are in ambiguous terms But they are plain enough in that which is of Faith that is where they pray as we do for a blessed Resurrection But because that is assured to all that die in Christ whether in a Perfect or Imperfect estate and men will not buy Prayers for that which will come without asking Therefore to get their mony there was no better way than to persuade them that their friends might be fetched out of Purgatory or might be eased in it by such Prayers as were then used in the Church There might have been new Prayers made for the purpose But as bad as times were in that darkness of Popery some would have declared against such a gross Innovation Therefore it was thought enough to keep the old Prayers and get the Church to interpret them as she hath done sufficiently to shew her own Novelty in this matter For the other parts of their Worship we read that the Ptimitive Christians that lived next the Apostles times had their Lessons from the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament So they have some likewise in the Roman Church But for every such Lesson they have Two Lessons out of other Books And no small part of them I say no more than I can prove are as arrant Fables as any that are in the Heathen Poets For the Language of their Prayers and Offices in their Church it is all in Latin and that is an Unknown tongue It is a chance if any there understands it And
their Church is not concerned that they should understand it But St. Paul was as we read 1 Cor. xiv 14. If I pray saith he in an Unknown tongue my Spirit prays but my Understanding is unfruitful But I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Understanding also Again verse 16. How shall he that stands in the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he Understands not what thou sayest Again verse 9. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my Understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an Unknown tongue These are plain Texts of Scripture which the Roman Church evidently transgressing does wisely no doubt to keep the Scriptures from the Reading or Understanding of her people For otherwise it could be no great comfort to them to find how directly she goes against as well the Precepts as the Practice of the Apostles I shave shewn that she doth it not only in One or a few Instances But in Many and those of the greatest note In all the Notes that the Apostles have given us of a true Christian Church Having given this account of her that calls her self the Catholic Church Having shewn how far she is removed from this Church in my Text I shall not pass any judgment upon her as she peremptorily doth upon others damning all that are not of her Communion Better leave that to God and they will find so at the last day Only being as she is I think we have all reason to beware of her to thank God that we are at this distance from her to bless her for her curses that have caused that distance to Pray for her and her Children that they may be purged from their Errors And till then to Watch and Pray for our selves and to put it at least in our Private Litany it shall alway be in mine from Popery good Lord deliver us Let us next consider our own Church and when I say our own I know you all understand me that I speak of the Church of England in the first place and proportionably of all other Reformed Churches And this I say If any Church which holds the same Doctrine which retains the same Government which partakes the same Sacraments and the same Worship of God as they did in the Apostles times be a true Apostolical Church We are bound to bless God who hath placed us where we are who hath made us Members of such a Church which hath all those Characters so entire and so visible in it First for Doctrine we profess to believe the Holy Scriptures which I have shewn have been antiently thought to contain the whole Doctrine of the Apostles We acknowledg for Canonical Scriptures neither less nor more than all those Books whose Authority is undoubted in the Church We profess the same Faith and no more than all Christians have professed in all Ages namely that which is briefly comprized in the Apostles Creed explained in the Creeds called the Nicen and that of Athanasius and proved in every Article or Point by the Holy Scriptures taken in that sense which is both most evident in the words and which hath been approved by the consent of the Universal Church Secondly for the Government of our Church as to the Constitution of it it is according to the Scripture rules and Primitive patterns And for the Exercise of it It goes as far as the looseness of the Age will bear If this hath weakened the Discipline of our Church we know the same looseness hath the same effect elsewhere even in those Churches of the Roman Communion And it had no less in the Church of Corinth in the Apostles times For the persons that are emploied in the Ministery They are such as are lawfully called to it they are Consecrated and Ordained for that purpose and that according to the Scripture and Canons of the Universal Church They are such as wholly attend on this very thing in the Apostles words And for our Church of England I may add without prejudice to any other we can derive the Succession of our Bishops from the Apostles as high as most Churches can even of them in the Roman Communion Thirdly for our Sacraments we use the same and no other than those which Christ expresly left to his Church I mean which he both Instituted and Commanded us to use Which can be said of no other than only Baptism and the Lords Supper Lastly For our Public Worship we have cause to bless God that has given us such a Liturgy in which according to all the measures we have of the Apostles we can see nothing but what as to the Substance is Theirs And our most malicious Enemies can tell us of no other ill they see in it but only this that the Words of it are Ours The Ministration of this Worship and of these Sacraments is in a Language understood by all those that are concerned in them They can all say Amen to their Prayers It is performed with such Rites as are not against the word of God but are agreeable to it being only for order and decency And we use them not as necessary in themselves but in obedience to the Authority which every Church hath over its own Members We do according to Saint Cyprians rule condemn or judg no other Church We separate from none any otherwise than by purging our selves from those things which we believe to be Corruptions and Errors to which end several of those Articles were framed to be subscribed by our own Clergy without imposing them on any other In all these respects our Church holds a Communion or hath done nothing to break it with any other National Church no not with those of the Roman Communion and is not only what they deny a true Member but what they are not a Sound member of that one Holy Catholic Church which was from the beginning and which will be to the end of the world The last thing is having proved we have a true Church to persuade you First to continue in it stedfastly And Secondly in the Belief and Practice of those things by which it appears to be a true Church And Lastly to profit by them and so to adorn our Holy Religion with a Holy and good Conversation First to persuade you to continue stedfastly in this Church it is enough if you are convinced that you cannot mend your selves by any Change Who would not desire to continue where he is well Who would not stick to that which is the best he can chuse Who would needlesly run the danger of any loss Especially of losing himself which is the greatest loss that is possible and yet That we have reason to expect from the just indignation of God if we shall reject the great
benefit that he hath given us to be born in the womb and bred up in the bosom of such a Church No doubt you hear for who does not on every side the voices of them that would allure you or would threaten you out of it But whatsoever they say remember what the Philosopher made the first part of wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not believe all that is said Remember how our Saviour forewarned if any tell you Christ is here or Christ is there believe him not If Antiquity be pretended on the one hand if large boasts of Purity on the other many fine things are said believe them not And if many have been seduced by these means let them answer for themselves you had best to look before you follow them If many have fallen off from our Church so did many from Christ. But some were wiser and considered what they should get by it They said whither should we go Thou hast the words of eternal life If our Church has but that whatever she wants else it will be our wisest way to continue in it But then secondly you are to continue in those Characters by which it appears to be a true Church And to exercise your Communion in all the Acts that belong to these Characters namely in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in the Sacraments and in Prayers First for Doctrine Hold fast the form of sound words which you have received Contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints Seek it not in muddy Streams but in the living Fountains of Scripture All Scripture is given by inspiration from God and is enough to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnisht to every good work It is sufficient to make us wise to salvation So that if we mind only that we have no need of any other and yet we would refuse no other that could be made out as this is to be the Doctrine of the Apostles of Christ. Secondly as to the Apostles Fellowship we have heard it is continued in the Bishops their Successors Therefore we ought to take heed how we break Communion with them We are both to acknowledg and make use of their Ministery to obey them in spiritual things as being those that must give account for our souls Thirdly for the Sacraments and Worship of God forsake not the assembling of your selves together nor run into separate Meetings as the manner of some is Some will alway be stragling we cannot help what they do and what they do among themselves we do not enquire They that are of the Catholic and Apostolic Church will be only for the Catholic and Apostolic Sacraments Namely for those which Christ himself instituted in his Church Baptism by which we are planted into Christs death and the Lords Supper in which we keep up the remembrance of it till he comes We have also the same worship of God which was in the Apostles times and which hath been ever since in the Church They who are now Saints in Heaven while they were upon earth prayed to no other but God only If we pray not to them they will excuse us we do as they did And we do it in assurance that the same worship which they used will bring us as it did them to be Saints in Heaven too if we continue in it Lastly continuing in the Church and in all the Characters of it our business is to profit by all these to grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord Iesus Christ. It concerns us not only to be in a true Church but to see that we our selves are true Christians and that can no otherwise appear than in the likeness of Christ in Righteousness and Holiness of life Without this though you be of a true Church you will not be so long or you will be so to no purpose A wicked life will in time eat out all the sense of Religion or the more sense one hath he will find the less comfort in Ours Our Religion hath no comfort for him that is and will be Wicked Our Religion hath no Purgatory to keep him from Hell Our Religion can make him no penny-worths of Heaven Our Religion hath no pardon for sin but on Repentance No Repentance but on real amendment of Life He that cannot come to that Alas what does he in our Religion As it cannot if he knows it but be uneasie to him so he will make himself unworthy of it He will provoke God to deprive him of the benefit And it is all one which way he deprives him whether by letting him now run out of the Church or whether by shutting him out of Heaven at the last For that it will come to when all is done without holiness there is no coming thither Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. None shall If you want that not you in particular and then what will your Religion signifie Though your Church hath all that the Apostles Church had What good will this do you if you perish in it Though your Ship will go its Voyage what is that to you if you die of a surfeit by the way Though you have the True Doctrine Communion Sacraments and Prayers what comfort will all this give you in that terrible day Yea what Horror will it be that being placed well by God you are fallen from it You have lost you have thrown away that great Blessing that he had given you Beloved we hope better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak I Hope and therefore Pray that all that hear me this day may be the better for being of such a Church God intended we should He has dealt exceeding graciously with us But yet he expects that we should do something for our selves That considering the Opportunity that is put in our hands Seeing how near God has brought us to the Kingdom of Heaven Seeing nothing but our own sins between us and it should that sight make us fly out and seek other ways ways that God never made nor will bless Nay rather we should break through our sins and go the way that he calls us in his Word there can be no better there is no other than this So performing his design pursuing the ends of our Calling living suitably to our excellent Religion We are indeed the followers of the Apostles in this life and shall be with them hereafter in the blessedness of Life Everlasting FINIS a Lucifer 〈…〉 1568. p. 79. 328. Prosper Chr. 〈…〉 b Iren. adv har l. 3. c. 3. cals it tâ—e Church from which every Church had its beginning Luke xxiv 47. a V. Card. Baron Annal Eccl. Anno 900. c. b 2 Tim. iii. 16. 2 Pet. i. 21. c 2 Tim. iii. 15. d Joh. xx a Chrysost. in 2 Cor. Hom. 13. Edit Savil. Tom. III. p. 624. 43. b Idem in 2
Thess. Hom. 3. Ib. Tom. IV. p. 234 19. c Aug. de Doctr. Christianâ l. 2. c. 9. Edit Basil. 1541. Tom. III. Col. 25. D. In iis enim c. d Basil. M. Hom. 29. Edit Paris 1618. Tom. I. p. 623. C. e Hieron adv Helvid Edit Basil. 1524. Tom. II. p. 13. B. a Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 2. 3. alii passim b Cyprian Testim ad Quirinum lib. 1. 2. proving all things of Faith and Life from the Scripture Constantin M. apud Theodorit Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 7. Edit Vales. p. 25. D. Offers the Scriptures for deciding all Controversies touching the Faith So Athanasius and others prove every disputed Article And when the Heretics produced Tradition on their side the Fathers always held them to the Scriptures a Mat. xxviii 2c b Mat. x. 40. c Act. i. 20. d Mat. xix 28. Luke xxii 30. a Matth. xviii â— xx 24. b Mat. Luk. xxii 24 c Mat. xx 26. xxiii 8 9 10. Luke xxii 26. d Joh. xx 21 22 23. a Usually but not always for at Jerusalem St. James being Bishop there had the Precedence Act. xv â—al ii 9. b Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. c. 3. Edit Paris 1649. p. 208. The other Apostles were also that which Peter was they had an equall share both of Honor and of Power Epist. 51. p. 80. Every Bishop orders his own affairs and is to give account to God Epist. 54. p. 95. Every one has his own Flock to govern of which he is to give account to God Conc. Carth. de Bapt. Haeret. p. 353. No Bishop can be judged by another or can judg another But we all wait for the Iudgment of Christ who is the only One that has Power both to put us into the Office and to judg of our Discharge of it Tertullian de Praescript c. 36. Edit Paris 1641. p. 245. Run over the Apostolic Churches in which are yet the very Chairs of the Apostles Ye have Corinth Ye have Ephesus Ye have Philippi Ye have Rome Cyprian Epist. 26. p. 42. Christ said to Peter Thou art Peter and I will give thee the Keys c. From thence by course of times and successions is derived the Ordination of Bishops in the Church Epist. 74. p. 163. The Bishops have succeeded the Apostles being ordained in their stead a Iren. contra Haereses l. III. c. 3. We can reckon up them who by the Apostles were made Bishops in the several Churches b Epist. 68. p. 136. The Church is a People united to their own Bishop and a Flock adhering to their own Pastor Ibid. Polycarpus by the Apostles made Bishop of the Church of Smyrna c Epist. 66. p. 128. To Steven Bishop of Rome Therefore my dear Brother there is a numerous body of Bishops united together by the bond of Concord and Vnity that if any one of our College should attempt to make a Sect and to tear and spoil the Flock of Christ the rest may come in to help and as good and compassionate Shepherds may gather the Lord's sheep into the flock a Matt. xxviii 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples so Acts xiv 21. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disciples is as much to say as Christians Acts. xi 26. b Matt. xxviii 20. c Matt. xxvi 26. Mar. xiv 22. Lu. xxii 19. 1 Cor. xi 24. d Matt. xxvi 28. Mar. xiv 24. Luke xxii 20. 1 Cor. xi 25. a 1 Cor. x. 16. b 1 Cor. x. 16 17. xi 26 27 28. c Matt. xxvi 29. Mar. xiv 25. d Matt. xxvi 27. e Mark xiv 23. a Luke xxiv 53. a Plin. lib. â— Epist. 97. b Justin M. Apol. II. Edit Paris 1636. p. 97 c. c Plin. ib. d Justin ibid. p. 98. D. e P. 97. C. f P. 64. D. g P. 97. C. and for all others every where that we may learn the truth c. h p. 63. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 64. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i P. 97. D. 98. D a Bellarmin de Conciliis Ecclesiâ lib. 4. a In the form of Profession Prescribed by Pius IV. according Decree of the Council of Trent Sess. XXIV Decret de Reform cap. 1. 12. b Concil Edit Labb Tom. XIV Col. 946. B. c Of Transubstantiation this is confest by Did in Can. Missae Lect. 40. beginning that Whether the Bread be turned into Christs Body or remains with his Body it is not found exprest in the Scriptures Bellarmin de Eucharist III. 23. Tertiò addit mentions others of their Church that had said the like and he grants it not improbable that it could not he proved out of Scripture till the Scripture was declared by a General Council meaning as he there shews that of Lateran above twelve hundred years after Christ. Of Auricular Confession Gloss. in Decr. de Poenit. dist 5. beginning Semeca saith it was instituted by some Tradition of the Vniversal Church rather than by the Authority of the New or Old Testament Panormitan super Quinto de Poenit. Remis c. Omnis utriusque saith I am much pleased with that opinion of Semeca For there is not any plain Authority which shews that God or Christ instituted plainly that Confession should be made to a Priest Biel in Sent. IV. 17. G. saith It was delivered by word and deed without any Scripture For Image Worship Bellarmin de Eccl. Triumph II. 12. can find only two Texts of the New Testament Mat. 5. 33. Swear neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by Earth for it is his Footstool and 2 Tim. iii. 15. From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures Of Purgatory Baconthorp in sent 1. 4. dist 49. q. 1. saith Others think it cannot be proved by the Authority of Scripture Petrus à Soto saith It cannot be plainly proved from testimonies of Scripture Chemnit Exam. Conc. Trid. Sess. 25. beginning Perion saith he knows no place of Scripture to prove it Bulenger saith It is hard to bring any express and clear Text for it Chamier Panstr Tom. III. l. 26. c. 2. §. 3. For Indulgences St. Antonin Summ. Moral part 1. Tit. 10. c. 3. beginning Of Indulgences we have nothing expresly from Scripture nor from the sayings of the Antients but of the late Doctors Cajetan opusc Tom. I. tract 15. c. 1. Of the Rise of them no Authority of Scripture or Antient Doctors Greek or Latin have brought this to our knowledg only within these three hundred years it hath been written c. Bishop Fisher Assert Luther Confutatio Art 18. p. 135. grants there is neither Precept nor Counsel for it in Scripture a As that What we receive in the Sacrament is Bread in it's own nature and essence and that it nourisheth our Body c. That wicked men receive no other but Bread though to the Faithful it is truly Christ's Body and therefore it is called his Body That it is a Sacrament a Sign an Image and
12 13. We have been all made to drink So Justin M. Apol. 2. p. 97. E. and 98. E. declares the manner of those times that every one of the people that were present at the Sacrament did receive it in both kinds d It appears that this manner was continued in following Ages it does not appear that it was changed in any Church till that Doctrine came in which requires men to disbelieve their Senses This being hard to do in that part of the Sacrament the Cup was taken away by degrees in these Western Churches The first that writ for this use as far as I can find was Gislebertus that lived about the year eleven hundred Aquinas that lived about one hundred and fifty years after says that then this new manner was providently observed in some Churches Summ. Part. III. q. 80. art 12. in Corp. After one hundred and fifty years more was the Council of Constance which enjoin'd it to all and that with a bold non obstante to all that Christ had said or done to the contrary For thus the Decree Sess. 13. Concil Ed. Labb Tom. XII 100. B C. Though Christ administred this Sacrament to his Disciples in both kinds of bread and wine yet Notwithstanding this the approved Custom of the Church is otherwise And though in the Primitive Church this Sacrament was then received by the faithful in both kinds Yet this Custom was brought up with good reason for the avoiding of some Perils and Scandals c. It seems they were such as Christ did not foresee or the Antient Church did not find for otherwise this had not been then to do a It makes the Sacrifice of Christ as much lower in value as it is oftener offered than the Levitical Sacrifices For the reason of their being often offered was because of their insufficiency to take away sin Heb. x. 11. Had Christs Sacrifice been like theirs he must often have suffered Heb. ix 25 26. He must have oftentimes offered the same Sacrifice Heb. x. 11. As they say he doth at every Mass in the Roman Church But this he needed not Christs Once was enough Heb. vii 27. and ix 12 26 28. and x. 10. He offered one Sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. x. 12. and by that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified V. 14. So that there is no more offering for sin V. 18. No more true proper propitiatory Sacrifice a The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was Ordained for the remembrance and representation of the propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ to be offered or made by every believer He takes eats drinks he Does this in remembrance of Christ. Luk. xxii 19. and so doing he sheweth forth the death of Christ 1 Cor. xi 26. and applieth to himself Christs body broken and his blood shed for us There goes with it an Eucharistical Sacrifice that is before the Sacrament an Oblation solemnly presented to God in and after it a Spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving an offering of our selves souls and bodies For this every Christian is a Priest 1 Pet. ii 5. The manner of it is thus described in the old Roman Missal set forth by Pamelius After the reading of the Gospel the Offertory is sung and the Oblations are offered by the people out of which Bread and Wine are set upon the Altar to be Consecrated and the Prayer is said over the Oblations After this the Priest began the Canon of the Mass and said the Commemoration in these words Remember Lord all here present who offer to thee this Sacrifice of praise for themselves and all theirs Menardi Sacr. Gregor p. 2. In those times men saw the Oblations to which those words did refer But afterward when there was no more such offering and no more breaking of Bread but a Wafer to be offered by the Priest for the People then the Antient form was improper and therefore they altered it thus Remember Lord all here present for whom We offer to thee c. So it stands now in the Roman Missal Where all the other Prayers which were designed for the Eucharist are misapplied to the new Propitiatory Sacrifice And yet still they continue these following words of the Prayer after the Diptychs through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom thou O Lord Createst all these things always good c. and givest them to us This they say over the Wafer and Wine after Consecration Of the Creatures of Bread and Wine See the end of Page 47. b Bell. de Missà Lib. l. Cap 2. Secundò saith All things whatsoever that are called Sacrifices in Scripture were of necessity to be destroyed and that by Killing them if they were living things if without life by Burning them c. a Bell. de Missà Lib. I. Cap. 27. the whole Chapter Whether by 〈…〉 c. b 1562. Jul. 24. Padre Paâ—lâ— saith Ataiâ—e Cardinal Palavicino saith Fâ—rerâ— shewed that the Sacrifice of the Mass cannot be prâ—ved from Scripture alone without Tradition particularly that it cannot be prâ—ved from Christ words at the last Supper but by the uniform exposition of the Fathers He adds that They did not so understand it as if their sense were of Faith The truth is the Ancient Fathers did not so understand our Saviours words nor perhaps did many of the Trent Fathers themselves For when the question was put whether Christ at the last Supper offered himself for a Propitiatory Sacrifice it held both the Divines and Bishops in long Dispute saith Card. Pallavicino XVII 13. 11 c. It was alledged on the one hand that if that at the last Supper was a true Propitiatory Sacrifice then that upon the Cross could be only in remembrance of this and on the other hand if it was not such a Sacrifice then there was no such Sacrifice Instituted by Christ for the words of Institution Hoc Facite could refer to nothing else but to what was done then and there I have shewed that they refer to those words Take Eat Drink and were spoken to the Disciples as Communicants and no otherwise After much time and heat at last the Doctrine was set down in these words that at the last Supper Christ offered himself for a Sacrifice without saying whether Propitiatory or Eucharistical But neither did this satisfie saith Cardinal Pallavicino XVIII 9. 3. c Suarez in tertiam Aquin. disp 41. art I. Secundò potest saith in the New Testament there are no convincing testimonies to prove that there is a true proper Sacrifice under the Gospel d None before Iustin Martyr speaks of Sacrifice among Christians unless Clemens Remanus in his Epist. ad Cor. §. 36. Where he calls Christ the High Priest of our offerings But he speaks only of the Sacrifice of praise and contrite hearts Ibid. and §. 52. But for Iustin in his Book against Tryphon p. 344. c. He proves that we are all a Holy Priesthood because God accepts none but Priests and yet all
either common to other Societies as well as a true Church or if they are proper to such a Church they are elsewhere no less nay much more in some others than in theirs As for the Essential Properties here in my Text they are but four and those are from an Infallible Authority The like whereof cannot be shewed for any other Therefore our Church desires nothing more than to be tried by these Tokens If the same way of Tryal does not please them so well in the Roman Church we cannot wonder at it for these make no way for them but against them in every Particular I shall make a short Proof of it trying their Catholic Church as they call it by these Characters of the Primitive Apostolick Church And first for the Doctrine of the Apostles If the Publick Profession of that without any other be required of any true Church and if the Scriptures contain all the Doctrine of the Apostles as it was firmly believed by the Fathers in the Primitive Church How come they of the Roman Church to find out so many Doctrines of which there is no mention in the Scripture nor in any of the Primitive Fathers In what place were they kept to be made known in after-times that were not known to them that lived in or near the Apostles times But they have I know not how many such Doctrines and they are properly Doctrines of their Church They are declared by their Councils with most dreadful Anathemas to all those that shall presume to deny them We see they Unchurch us we know what they have done more and may guess what they would do more to us for denying them But they have them in their Creed the Creed that is sworn by all their Clergy They swear first the old Nicen and add to that the new Roman Creed They conclude it in these terms Hanc esse veram Catholicam Fidem extra quam nemo salvus esse potest That this is the true Catholick Faith without which no man can be saved What a horrible thing is this to couple together I believe in God and in our Lord Iesus Christ with I believe the Doctrines of Transubstantiation Auricular Confession Image-Worship Purgatory Indulgences and what not some of which things some of themselves do confess are not so much as once mentioned in Scripture and none of them is mentioned there in plain words not in any words that were understood so by the Fathers for many Ages after Christ. For the Doctrine of Transubstantiation Besides that we find nothing for it but many things against it in the Ancients so many that we are sure it could not be the Tradition of those Times We see at its first birth it was declared to be a Novelty and a Falshood by Rabanus Arch-Bishop of Mentz and by other of the learnedst men that lived eight or nine hundred years after Christ. We find at that time and for two hundred years after it was a rude lump which askt much licking over to perfect it And then having both Shape and a Name it was defined to be of Faith by Pope Innocent in his Lateran-Council above twelve hundred years after Christ. For Confession to a Priest the necessity of it was unknown to the Fathers of the Primitive Church Nay above a thousand years after Christ it was held disputable in the Roman Church And though the Practice of it was imposed by Pope Innocent in his Council of Lateran yet even then it remained disputable as to the Doctrine till it was made to be of Faith by the Trent Council For their Doctrine of Image-Worship than which nothing can be more contrary to the Scriptures as they were understood by the Primitive Fathers we know it was established by the second Nicen Council and we know what a Council that was But it was condemned in the same Age by two as numerous Councils that of Constantinople a little before it and that of Frankfort immediately after it And the matter was held in debate all that Age in both the Eastern and Western Church till at last it was setled in the East according to the Nicen Council which they have so much out done in the Roman Church that even the Greeks charge them with Idolatry And they are not wholy excused from it by many of their own Communion For their Doctrin of Purgatory it doth not appear that any one of the Ancients hit upon it among all the different Opinions that they had concerning separated Souls till St. Austins time and yet then we are as sure it was no Catholic Tradition as we can be of any thing of that Age. After near two hundred years more it was believed by one of great Name from whose fabulous writings it got Credit And so crept by Degrees into the Faith of the Roman Church But it is received by no other Christians For their Doctrin of Indulgences It is so confessedly new It was at first so ill grounded and so wickedly designed that God seemed to have suffered them to run on into this to shew the World as afterward he did by this Example what Stuff the Lusts of men left to themselves would bring into the Christian Religion It were easie to shew the like in all their new Articles of Faith Most of them I shall consider as they come under the other Heads of my Discourse The mean while these may pass for a sample of the rest They all sprung up in late corrupt Times and went at first as Private Opinions only but being found to make well for the Interests of the Clergy they were concerned to bring them in credit with the People And they took a way for it that could not fail in such an Age by forging New Revelations and Miracles when by these means worthy of their Doctrines they had brought them into the Christian Faith then beside the Interest that first brought them in there was another reason to continue them It was necessary for the Credit of the Infallibility of the Roman Church Touch that and you shake the whole building of Popery even to the Foundation that is the Papacy it self To secure that they are brought under this miserable necessity of holding all for Catholic Faith that is once received in the Roman Church Whatsoever she bringeth forth must be fathered on the Apostles though there is not the least Colour for it in their Writings But to shew how little trust they have in the Apostles writings there needs no other instance than this that their Church hath forbid her Laity to read them and hath taken a course that if they read they cannot well understand them The Scripture was writ by the Apostles in the most vulgar language of their times the Greek which was the mother tongue of most and well
known in all Countrys where the Scripture was written And they writ it for every one to read as it appears in plain words in their writings And the Ancient Fathers required all men to read it all the Laity even the meanest of the Laity they Condemned the neglect of it they commended them that read it day and night There is nothing more frequent in the writings of the Ancient Fathers Yet now it is found out that the Laity may hurt themselves with reading it How so It will make them Hereitics One would little expect it that had read what the Fathers say of this matter But now it is Heresie to disbelieve the Roman Church And no doubt to read the Scripture will bring men to this But whose fault is it Surely theirs that instead of reforming their Church have rather chosen to silence the Scriptures Which being done in favour of their Doctrines it appears that they themselves I mean the governours of their Church have been sensible that some at least of their Doctrines are not the Doctrines of the Apostles In the next place for the Apostles Fellowship which I have interpreted to be Union under lawful Pastors and Governors They can by no means allow this Character to our Church or to any that submits not to their Universal Pastor Which title they appropriate to the Bishop of Rome and him they swear in their forementioned profession of Faith to be the Vicar of Christ and the successor of St. Peter the Apostle And to shew how far they dare go against evidence they swear also that his Roman Church is not only Mistress but also the Mother of all Churches Not to say in how many things he that will be Supream Pastor invades the just rights of other Pastors who are all in the judgment of Primitive times the Successors of the Apostles of Christ Or how little he hath to shew for his claim to a succession in that Power from St. Peter either in Scripture Story or in the writings of the Primitive Church I shall only desire you to consider these beginnings of Christianity in my Text. When the whole Church was comprehended in three or four thousand believers and they were all together with the Apostles at this time in Ierusalem It is certain that then there was no Bishop nor no Christian at Rome So that then for the Bishop or Church of Rome to be any thing which they swear they are in those Articles of their Faith was surely no part of the Apostles Doctrine Nor did the Fellowship of the Apostles consist in subjection to St. Peter Though he was the first in Order yet that he had Authority over the rest there is no ground to assert There is much evidence against it as I have shewn from sundry places of Scripture Nor granting this to St. Peter which they can never prove can they bring down a title from him to the Roman Bishop He hath a better pretence to succeed the Roman Emperors in Monarchy than he hath to succeed any of the Apostles And indeed that was the design as they know that are skild in the writers of antient times Rome seemed a place designd for Empire and when the Emperors faild then the Bishops set up in their stead What the Emperors could not hold by Arms the Bishops would fetch in by Religion And so they obtrude upon all Christians in truth a Secular Monarchy instead of that which my Text calls the Fellowship of the Apostles Thirdly for the two Sacraments of the Apostles they tell us of seven which were instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ. In this Chapter we read of Baptism p. 41. and we read of breaking of Bread in my Text. Here are two but where are the other five They were not thought of at that time for ought that appears to us in Scripture Nay it doth not appear in a thousand years after It was eleven hundred years after when Peter Lombard wrote his Book of the Sentences before which they cannot find the least mention of that number of Sacraments But to speak of no more than that mentioned in my Text. Where is the breaking of bread As they receive it in the Roman Church there is neither breaking nor bread in their Sacrament Where is the Communion of Christs Body and Blood Their daily Worship is the Mass. But their Mass is no Communion The Priest only Consecrates and eats while all the people stand by and adore Was there ever such a thing heard of in the Primitive times In those times none were suffered to be present but only such as received And if any were present they were punishable if they did not receive What could they have thought of such a Sacrament as is now the daily Worship of the Roman Church Sure enough in the Apostles Church as oft as they met to Worship God they All did eat of that one bread 1 Cor. x. 17. And they All were made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. xii 13. And whereas of this last our Saviour having said to his Disciples who were then Lay-men Drink ye all of it St. Mark takes particular notice that they all drank of it which practice we see was followed in the Apostolic Church The Roman Church will let her Laity drink none of it None of the Cup of blessing which we bless But the Cup of Unblessed Wine the Ablution as they call it A trick which they brought up in those corrupt ignorant times I know not why if not on purpose to deceive the people that they may not miss the Wine though they have none of the Blessing So far they are removed from the Original Church in her Sacraments Lastly for the Worship of God here called the Apostles Prayers There are many things in the Roman Church whereof some were forbidden by the Apostles and others cannot consist with their Doctrine The chief part of her Worship is the Sacrifice of the Mass and that is declared in the Creed before-mentioned to be a true proper propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead This horrible affront of Christs Sacrifice and abuse of his Sacrament together was brought in upon the back of that Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence When according to that Doctrine the Priest hath made Christ Next he is to kill him or do somthing as bad for they pretend to sacrifice him to God How this is done the Divines of that Church are not yet agreed It were well if at least they could tell Why they do it For they had need for such a Sacrifice to have a clear Institution from God But they cannot pretend to that There is nothing clearly for it in all the Texts that they bring out of Scripture This they were told aloud at the Council of Trent and others since have acknowledged it They
For Auricular Confession Bellarmin produces sundry Revelations and Miracles by which he saith God witnest that the Churches Faith concerning it was true de Poenit. l. III. c. 12. Quarta Among the rest he hath that of St. Francis who raised one from the Dead to be Confessed which I take to be no less than the fetching of Trajans Soul from Hell according to their Doctrine For Image-Worship the Fathers in that second Nicene Council set it up in contemplation of the Miracles that were wrought by the Images Concil Edit Labb Tom. VII p. 252. C. So Bellarmin de Imagin Sanct. l. II. c. 12. Miracula saith The Miracles which were done by the Images were therefore done that they might prove and establish the Doctrin of Images For Purgatory Pope Gregory in his before-mentioned Dialogues l. IV. c. 55. c. declares upon what ground it was that he believed it namely from the Relation of the poor Souls themselves that were confined to the Hot Baths and kept there at hard work Swelterd as Tenders use to be From which miserable Bondage they were redeemed by Prayers and Masses as he tells us So Bishop Fisher ubi Supra p. 132. saith Purgatory was found out partly by Revelations and partly by Scriptures but Scriptures he confesseth so understood as they never were in former times And for Indulgences he tells us that they came not in use till after men had quaked a while at the flames of Purgatory The belief of that Doctrine fitted men for this And yet this had Miracles to support it So Lintur App. ad Fascic temp Anno 1489. tells how at Friburg one Devil in the Shape of a Dog helpt one to rob the Pope of all the Mony that his Factors had taken in that City for which the Thief having confessed it was put to a mâ—st direful death b Bellarmin de Romano Pontifice Praef. saith When we speak of the Popes Power we speak of the Sum of Christianity a Rule 4th of the Index made by order of the Council of Trent that Whosoever shall presumè to read or have a Bible though of a Catholic Translation without a Faculty in writing from his Bishop such a one cannot receive Absolution till he has delivered up his Bible to the Ordinary For fear this should not be enough Pope Clement VIII has added this Note that by command and practice of the Holy Inâ—isition no Bishop has power to grant any such Faculty to read or keep a Bible any vulgar tongue * Cicero pro Archia Edit Grut. l. 292. 17. a St. Iohn saith at the end of the Gospel These things are written that ye might believe and that believing ye might have Life St. Paul directs his Epistles to all in general Rom. i. 7. To All that be in Rome beloved of God c. 1 Cor. i. 2. To the Church of God at Corinth with All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. i. 1. To the Church at Corinth with All the Saints which are in all Achaia So in other Epistles b Chrysost. in Gen. Serm. 29. Tom. I. p. 225. 10. I beseech you to attend with diligence to the reading of the Scriptures and that not only while you are here but also at home to take the Bible in your hands and receive the profit of it with care Lin. 22. Let us not I beseech you neglect so great a profit but also in our houses let us diligently attend the reading of Scriptures Lin. 36. That we may not only have enough for our selves but be able to help others and instruct wife and children and neighbours c. Id. in Joh. Serm. 53. Tom. II. p. 776. 27. I beseech you get Bibles Id. in his Sermon of the profit of reading Scripture Tom. VIII p. 112. 43. Let us apply our selves to reading not only these two hours for this bare hearing is not enough to secure us but continually let every one when he is come home take his Bible and go over the sense of those things that have been said For the tree that was planted by the waters was by the waters not two or three hours but all day and all night therefore it bringeth forth leaves and fruit c. So he that is continually reading the Scriptures though he have none to interpret yet by continual reading he draws much profit Id. de Lazaro Serm. 3. Tom. V. p. 242. 30. This I alway beseech and will never leave beseeching you that you would not only attend to what is said in this place but also that when you are at home you would continually be reading the Scriptures This also at all times I have not ceased to beg of them with whom I speak in private c Chrys. in Coloss. Serm. 9. Tom. IV. p. 136. 18. On these words of the Apostle Let the word of God dwell in you richly Hear you people of the world you that have charge of wife and children how he exhorts you more than others to read the Scriptures and that not slightly or any how but with much diligence Again p. 137. 2. Hear I beseech you all you that work for your living and get your selves Bibles for the cure of your souls Lin. 7. This is the cause of All evils that men do not know the Scriptures Lin. 9. Do not throw all upon Vs of the Clergy You are Sheep but not brutes but rational creatures d Id. de Lazaro Serm. 3. Tom. V. p. 244. 43. Take the Bible in your hands Read all the History Hold fast the known things For the dark and unknown go often over them and if thou canst not by continual reading find out what is said Go to thy teacher If he shall not teach thee God will seeing thy diligence c. a Chrysost. de Lazaro S. 3. Tom. V. p. 245. 18. The reading of Scripture is a great security against sin The ignorance of Scripture is a great precipice and a deep pit It is a great Betraying of our Salvation to know nothing of the Laws of God It is this that hath brough forth Heresies this that has brought in corrupt life this hath turnd things upside down For it is impossible I say it is impossible for any one to depart without fruit that enjoys reading continually with observation a Bellarm. de verbo dei II. 15. Quid quod The people would not only receive no benefit but would also receive hurt by the Scriptures c. Peter Sutor tralat Bibliae c. 22. fol. 96. Will not the people be drawn away easily from observing the Churches Institutions when they shall find that they are not conteind in the Law of Christ a Luke xxiv 47. Gal. iv 26. The second General Council called the Church of Ierusalem the mother of all Churches Theodorit Eccl. Hist. V. 9. Edit Vales. p. 211. D. b Considerations against Popery p. 81 82 c. a Mat. x. 2. b Dâ—m a Sâ—to in Sent. IV. dist 46. q. 1. art
that offer the Sacrifices which Christ delivered in the Eucharist or blessing of Bread and Wine are accepted of God And whereas the Jews say that since they have no temple now their Prayers are their Sacrifice So saith he I say that Prayers and Thanksgivings offered by them that are Worthy are the Only perfect Sacrifices and acceptable to God For Christians have learnt to offer these things Only and that even in commemoration of that food in which there is a remembrance of the Passion of Christ. The next Father was Irenaeus who writing adversus Haereses Lib IV. Cap. 32. and 34. sheweth that in the Oblation at the Eucharist those things which were offered to God according to the custom of those times were no other than his own Creatures of Bread and Wine See the end of Page 45. And concludes that our Altar is in Heaven for thither it is that we send up our Prayers and Oblations Which last words being taken into the Canon of the Roman Mass remain there for a Testimony against their new Doctrine e Euseb. demonstr Evang. Lib. I. Cap. 10. Edit Paris 1628. p. 38. C. Christ offered to God that eminent Sacrifice for the Salvation of us all and delivered to us a memorial to offer to God Continually instead of a Sacrifice Again p. 39. A. We are taught to celebrate the memorial of that Sacrifice of Christ on a Table by the Symbols of his body and blood He goes on thus to the end of that Chapter Austin Epist. 23. Tom. II. p. 93. B. Towards Easter we say to morrow is the Lords Passion though it was many years ago that he suffered and that Passion was but Once So on Easter-day we say to day the Lord arose though so many years are passed since his Resurrection Why is no man such a foâ—l to say we lie when we speak thus But because we name these days upon the account of their Likeness to those days in which these things were done Was not Christ but once Offered in Himself and yet in the Sacrament he is Sacrificed by the People not every Easter but every Communion day and it is no lie if being asked one should answer that Christ is Sacrificed Chrysost. in Hebr. S. 17. p. 523. 15. We offer not another Sacrifice as the High Priest did among the Jews but we offer always the same Nay rather we make a Remembrance of the Sacrifice f Pet. Lombard Sent. Lib. IV. dist 12. Puts the question Whether that which the Priest doth is called properly a Sacrifice He answers that which is Offered and Consecrated by the Priest is called a Sacrifice and Oblattion because it is a Remembrance and Representation of the True Sacrifice on the Cross. Gratian de Consecr II. dist 2. c. 48 51 53 54. is plain for the Sacrifice but seems to be against the True Proper Propitiatâ—ry a See Euseb demonst Evang. lib. 1. c. 10. p. 39 40. Where he explains it also of a Contrite heart and of Praises and Prayers So in his Eccles. Hist. l. x. c. 4. p. 386. D. and life of Constantin lib. iv c. 45. a Chrysost. in 2 Corin. v. 18. p. 647. 2. In these things there is no difference between the Priest and the Lay-man b To allay a Storm to cure Cattel c. See the Roman Missal c Conc. Triden Sess. XXII Cap. 2. It is one and the same Sacrifice with that which Christ offered on the Cross and differs only in the Way of offering it a Rev. xix to St. â—word â—aith of the Angel with whom he spâ—ke I fell down so Worship him and 〈◊〉 said to me See thou do it not I am thy fellow Servant c. Worship God Again Rev. xxii S. 9. The Apostle was like to have committed the same Error taking the Angel for Christ whom he represented and in whose name he spoke verse 13. and 16. Till he was better informed by the Angel himself For saith Athanasius cont Arianos Orat. 3. p. 394. B. Angels know that they are not of them that are to be Worshipped but if them that are to Worship the Lord. The like is said by St. Austin de vera Relig. c. 55. Tom. l. p. 717. C. b Coloss. ii 1S Let no man beguile you of your Reward in a voluntary humility Worshipping of Angels intending into things he hath not 〈◊〉 Whether is was that Superstition of the Essens mentioned by Iâ—sepâ—us de bell Jud. xi 7. Or whether that of Simon Magus serving Angels which was accounted a sort of Idolatry and condemned by St. Peter the Apostle as Tertullian saith de praefer haeret c. 33. p. 245. B. Chrysâ—st in Coloss. S. 1. p. 90. 9. Saith it was the chief design of that Epistle to beat down the Error of them that made addresses to God by the Angels Ibid. S. 5. p. 114. 14. He saith it was the Devil that put it in their heads Ibid. S. 6. p. 123. 27. They said We must come to God by his Angels and not immediately by Christ for that is a thing too high for us This Error saith Theodoret in his Comment on that Text continued long among the People of Colossae and of the adjacent Countries And for this cause a Council met at Laâ—dicet a City about twenty miles from Colossae made a Law against Praying to Angels It is the 35. Canon of that Council that no Christian so all leave the Church and go and name Angels that is call upon them in Prayer as all the Scholiasts understand it with Theodoret above-mentioned To do which thing the Council saith is Secret Idolatry a charge that so nearly touches them in the Roman Church that to avoid it they have made no Conscience of turning the word Angelos into Angulos and the Sense of the Canon into Nonsense in their Latin Editions of that Council a They hold that all that died before Christ were in Limbus Patrum till his Resurrection and therefore could not hear the Prayers of the Living This is observed by Bellarm. de Sanct. Beat. l. 19. Item Exod. Who therefore as he pretends not to bring any Text out of the New Testament So might have spared those which he brings out of the Old Testament to prove the Invocation of Saints in Heaven which is the thing in Question b Card. Pâ—rron Replique V. 12. Granteth that for Prayer to Saints there is no Precept nor any formal Example in Scripture c Ibid. V. 19. p. 871. He also granteth that in the Authors who lived next the times of the Apostles There is not to be found any Footstep of this But he comforts himself that in them there is nothing repugnant but all favourable to it Of which see more in the next note d For Scripture 1 Kings viii 39. Thou Only knowest the hearts of all men Psal. lxv 2. Thou that hearest Prayer to thee shall All flesh come Mat. iv 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him Only shalt thou serve