saith he rauished with all my affection there will I attend with my deuotion There through loue do I take all my delight and thereunto will I hold my selfe by consent Now although this zeale of S. Austin and S. Bernard hath been followed and obserued badly by their successors who since their time gaue too much credit to their owne Councels and humane fantasies yet Gerson neuerthelesle sought to remedie this abuse through his wholesome aduertisements For in his booke of the spirituall life of the soule he sheweth that the sayings of the Apostles and their disciples were of another kinde of authoritie namely in things which purely concerne our faith then the instructions of their successors and consequently that the authoritie of the Primitiue Church is farre greater then that which is at this day and that there is neither Pope nor Councell that can abate any thing of that which was giuen vs by the Euangelists and S. Paul or which hath the like authoritie to make that any thing should bee of faith as some men dreame And in another place vpon this question if in points of faith one might be called before the Pope No particular man saith he not the Pope himselfe neither the Bishops can make a proposition which is hereticall to be catholicall or which is catholicall to be hereticall And againe in the triall of doctrines Consider 5. Tom. 1. That in case of doctrine more credit is to be giuen to one simple lay man excellently skilfull in the Scripture then to the Popes declaration insomuch as it is certaine that one ought to beleeue the Gospell rather then the Pope Also that such a learned man ought to oppose himselfe against a whole Councell if he be there present and seeth the greater partie to be inclined either through malice or ignorance to that which is contrarie to the Gospell according to the example of S. Hilary Whereunto doth agree that which the Abbat Panorma wrote in his chapter intituled Significat extra de Elect. to wit that in things which concerne faith the saying of a priuate person ought to be preferred before the saying of the Pope if so be it is fortified with better reasons out of the old and new Testament Franciscus Picus de Mirandula saith If in a whole Councell the greater partie would ordaine some things which are â—ontrarie to the holy Scriptures and against things that are not lawfull to bee violated the other which are of the lesser number opposing themselues against the greater wee must rather cleaue vnto the lesser number as it happened in the Councels of Rimini and the second of Ephesus Yea euen a simple countriman a childe or an old woman are more worthie to bee beleeued then the Pope and a thousand Bishops if they should speake against the Gospell Now that which wee haue spoken of the authoritie of Councels ought to be appropriated to the censure of our fathers pastors of the ancient Church to wit that wee ought not to receiue their writings with such a reuerence and obedience of faith as wee receiue the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles but to iudge and examine them by the Scriptures according to that good counsell and example of some faithfull Doctors of the Primitiue Church We ought not saith S. Ierome inter cap. 9 on the 98. Psalme to follow the errors of our Fathers but the Scriptures authoritie and the commandements of God which â—nctruct vs. Euery other thing which shall be spoken after the Apostles time ought to bee cut off let it haue no authoritie then though the author thereof be holy or eloquent Reade me those things saith S. Austin in his booke of the Church chap. 6. in the Law in the Prophets in the Psalmes or in the Epistles reade them there and we will beleeue them All others saith he how holy or learned soeuer they be I may reade them not to beleeue what they say is true because they say it but in so much as they proue it by those canonicall authors or by probable reason And in his epistle to Fortunatus We ought not saith he to esteeme of all disputes though they proceed from praise worthie and catholike men as the canonicall Scripture but that in such a sort as is lawfull with the honour due vnto such men to gainsay them or to reiect some things in their writings if per aduenture we finde they iudged otherwise then stands with the truth found out through the helpe of God either by others or by our selues For I am such a one in the writings of other men as I would they should be in mine Doe not stand saith he in his preface of the third booke of the Trinitie vpon my words and writings as vpon the canonical Scripture What soeuer in them thou shalt finde beleeue it without doubting but in my writings that which thou holdest not for very certaine or if thou vnderstaÌ„dest it not hold it not as firme The like saith he of S. Cyprians bookes in his second booke against Crescon chap. 32. I hold not S. Cyprians bookes for canonicall that which agreeth with the authoritie of holy Scripture I receiue it with his praise but that which agreeth not with them I reiect by his good leaue and we doe him no wrong to make a distinction betweene his writings and the canonicall For this wholesome canon of the Church was not without cause established whereunto were brought certain bookes of the Prophets and Apostles which wee dare not at all iudge and according vnto which we freely iudge of all other bookes either of beleeuers or Infidels The like saith he also of S. Ieroms books of S. Ambroses and of the rest of the Fathers which haue written since the Apostles time in his epistle 112 and 11 booke against Faustus Manichean cap. 5. I would not bring in the opinions of those great personages lest thou shouldest thinke that it behoueth me to follow the iudgement of any man as the authoritie of the Scripture In all their bookes the reader or hearer hath a free iudgement to approue or reiect them without the necessitie of beleeuing them but with freedome to iudge thereof From thence it commeth that hee exhorteth Vincent his friend in his 48. epistle that hee should take heed of gathering against so many holy cleere and vndoubted testimonies some cauils out of the writings of the Bishops whether saith he of our owne or of Hilaries Cyprians or Agrippines for such writings ought to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon for men reade them not so is it were to draw any testimonie from them contrary to which it should not be lawfull to deeme if peraduenture their opinion were otherwise then the truth requires Wherewith the sentences of our Fathers agree We haue no commandement frÌ„o Christ saith Iustine the Martyr in Triph. pag. 207 to beleeue in humane doctrines but in those which his Apostles haue preached and himselfe hath taught Therefore
authority of Councels An Argument from the least to the greatest Three reasons whereby the dead vnderstand We are not of Paul nor Apollo but of Christ. * Exod 20. 3. A particular refutatioÌ„ from the authoritie of holy Scripture Deut. 6. 13. Psal. 50. 14. 15. Isaiah 42. 8. Isaiah 45. 21. Anticipation Matth. 4. 10. Psal. 44. 20. 21. Rom 10. 14. Inuocation ought to haue the same object as faith Psal. 73. 25. 2. Chron. 20. 9. 1. Tim. 2. â— Transition for the examinatioÌ„ and true vnderstanding of our ArgumeÌ„ts The distinction of Mediatours subordinate and not soueraigne refuted as vaine The examination of the Sophists first reason Although that Christ onely hath redeemed vs with his precious blood it followeth not from thence that he is only the Mediatour of redemption Rom. 8. 34. A forcible reason to shew that Christ is our only Mediatour aswell of intercession as of Redemption The examination of the Sophist second reason by concession The examination of the third reason Partly by concession and partly by Negation Anticipation 1. Iohn 2. 1. Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 4. 16. Heb. 10. 19. 10. Heb. 7. 24. 25. Reâ—uâ—atâ— on of the Sophists conclusion against vs. Here is shewed how our aduersaries cut the throat of their owne cause with their owne kniues Sequestre The Popists do wrong vnto the word of Mediatour either through ignorance or malice Deut. 5. 5. It is 〈…〉 from the 〈◊〉 of a Sauiour giuen to some as types of the Sauiour himselfe In vaine doe the papists boast of giuing lesus Christ the first ranke of innocation Execrable blaspâ—â—mies of the Romish church Deprauation of an expresse text of Scripture by those in popedome These whole pages shew how the pretended Caâ—holikes which differ much from the words of lesus Christ doe indeed bereaue him of his most sweet flowers of honour to adorne the Virgin with them Blasphematory praises attributed by Papists to two wicked fellowes Saint Francis and S. Dominic An excellent comparison betweene the Prelats of these daies and the Priests of old time Ierem. 18. 18. Ierem. 7. 4. Verse 11. Verse 18. Verse 14. Verse 15. Ierem. 2. 8. Iere. 8. 10. Ezek. 22. 26. 28. 2. Chron. 15. 2 Generall Councels Fathers and great Doctors hâ—ue no authoritie if they doe not conforme theÌ„selues vnto the word of God Exod. 19. 5. 6. The example of the Saints ought to be reformed to the law and not the law to their exaÌ„ples Gal. â— 14. Gal. 1. 6. Gal. 3. 3. 1. Cor. 10. vers 6. 11 12. 1. Cor. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 11. 3. It is a foolish reason that Papists hold that general Councels cannot erre 1. King 22. * As humane infirmitie is perpetuall so men at al times haue been and will be in danger of error 1. Cor. 7. 27. 28. 1. Tim. 5. 14. Councels are subiect to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and to no doctrine contrary to them 1. Tim. 3. 2. That which is hapned to one or many CouÌ„cels may happen to vs if we doe nâ—t hold our selues to the rules of holy Scripture Note 1. Cor. 7. 12. verse 13. verse 14. All these examples of abominable errors shew how necessarie it is to trie the spirits The Papisticall Doctors agree not among themselues and neuerthelesse they hold vnitie and consent for the marke of their Church A graue and a religious iudgment of Charles the greaâ— touching y e Councâ—ll of Nice Councels refuted by othâ—r Councels Truth is one and that which is one cannot be contradicted We are bound to hearken to the Church in the things wherein she giueth eare vnto her Master All the doctrine of men â—ath no authority but in that which is borrowed from the Scripture Our faith is not of eloquence or humane perswasion We must trie the spirits Godly and excellent texts out of the Fathers We ought not to be ashamed to subiect our selues vnto that which the Apostles and the Angels are subiect vnto Galath 1. 8. The Papists are condemned by those which they cite against vs as aduersaries A graâ—e exhortation of Ignatius to pray only vnto God A testimonie giuen by Polycarpus who would not addâ—efle himselfe to any but God An excellent prayer The pietie of Clement A testimonie of Ireuaeus A reproch of Clement Alexandrine Tertullians testimonie Testimonie from Origen An example of S. Cyprians An example of S. Hilaries Forcible reasons of Eusebius to proue that wee are to inuocate none but God A testimonie giuen by Constatine not to addresse our prayers but to God only A necessarie doctrine to refute the seruice of Angels Gen. 48. 15. 16. Gen. 32. 26. A graue exhortation of Arnobius The inuocation of one only God hath remained entire after the natiuitie of Christ notwithstanding the assaults of Satan Coloss. 2. 18. A sentence of S. Theâ—dorets Not to erre in points of Religion we must not giue eare but to the pure word of God The doctrine of Epiphanius an ancient Doctor for the true inuocation A graue censure of the feminine superstition The virgin Mary is sanctified but not de fied and ought to be honoured but not worshipped None was able to know better then Iesus Christ how much the virgin ought to be glorified The Saints are more to be honored for hauing beleeued then the virgin Mary who bore the Son of God in her belly or as Simeon which bore him betweene his armes The end wherefore Iesus Christ would take his flesh of woman was not to the intent that she should be worshipped but that the world might beleeue that he had taken out nature vpon him She which is bound to worship is not capable of being worshipped Honor beseemeth all the Saints but adoration belongeth to God only If the Virgin could speake from heauen she would rebuke these blasphen atory voâ—ves pâ—ayers which they make vnto her Our prayers one for another be witnesses only of our obedience to God and the chaâ—itie wee beate vnto our neighbour which cannot be 〈◊〉 into the intercession of the Sonne of God We haue no need or â—ny other Intercessors tâ—en we our selues â—n that we pray in the name of the Sonne of God A contrite heart is that which can lead vs vnto God It is a great folly in men to addresse themselues to their equals which often pase theÌ„ with excuses in stead of bringing them straight vnto God who is ready to hold his armes open to receiue theÌ„ The faithfull man is neuer better accompaniâ—d then when he prayeth alone in his closet None can doe more with the Father then the Sonne A lie giuen to Iulian the Apostate To depriue the Saints of vnmeete adoration is not to frustrate them from their due reuerence Seeing Christ commandeth vs to pray vnto the Father in his name he excludeth all other names The Father wil neuer yeeld vnto any but 〈◊〉 in whoÌ„ he hath taken his good pleasure The Saints haue receiued the crownes of righteousness but they cannot giue them
and in what manner they may heare your Prayers and Supplications For to build the first point you lay downe two Articles and principles most false The one That this hath alwaies beene the doctrine of the Christian Church to say and teach that this was a thing more then reasonable and most profitable to man to inuocate the Saints yea that the Church hath taught the same for the space of 1605 year unto this day The other How certaine Heretikes which are sprung vp within this fortie or fiftie yeares haue meant to preach and teach the cleane contrarie to wit those whom you call Lutherans and Caluinists who but a few yeares ago endeuoring to â—uerthrow so auncient a doctrine according to your opinion haue said and say still that we must not call vpon any of the Saints but vpon God onely I say that your first foundation is false because as Eckius one of your principall Doctours plainely confesseth in his booke of the worshipping of Saints that it is impossible for you to alledge one onely text either out of the old or new Testament whereby you can prooue that either Christ his Euangelists or Apostles haue commanded vs to adore the Saints or haue recommended this seruice to vs as very profitable or reasonable Also Petrus à Scoto confesseth that the inuocation of Saints is not taught in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles but is there insinuated And likewise some of the Iesuits say that it is not manifestly represented in them but obscurely and mystically or by certaine consequences which are pretended and not well grounded And for this cause the Councell of Trent recommending it vnto the Christians makes no mention of the authority of the holy Scripture but of the ancient custome only of the consent of fathers and of the decreâ—s of holy Councels From whence followeth that this commandement of inuocating the Saints hath not bene giuen to the Christians as you write a thousand sixe hundred and fiue yeares ago or thereabouts but hath bene a long time after forged as I will prooue in due place by your Predecessors who haue made no conscience to teach for doctrine of saluation their owne traditions and humaine inuentions Which hauing shewed your second foundatioÌ„ wil tumble downe of it selfe that is how this rule of worshipping God alone hath bene inuented by those whom wrongfully you terme Lutherans and Caluinists for wee acknowledge none for our soueraigne Doctour and Master but our Lord Iesus Christ the only perfect wisedome and essential word of his Father who hath spoken heretofore to our Fathers by the auncient Prophets and since being manifested in our flesh hath spoken himselfe by his sacred mouth to his Disciples and after his Ascension by his Apostles who as faithful Secretaries and dispensators of the secrets of God haue left vs in writing the fundamentall points of pure Religion and touching this point haue taught vs that God only and no other ought to bee called vpon by vs in our necessities And although this is as cleere as the Sun shine in a bright day at noone yet because you are blinde and leaders of the blinde as your predecessors the Scribes and Pharisies were in the time of Iesus Christ wee will alleage against you some certaine proofes for that which is abouesaid to the end they may serue as a cleere light to those which wink not with their eyes that they might not see in seeing but open them with a holy desire to behold this light When God saith in the first Commandement of his law giuen by Moses to our Fathers * Thou shalt haue none* other Gods before me what doth hee signifie by this prohibition but only that we ought not to acknowledge any other God and Sauiour but him nor to attribute to any one that honour which is proper to him that is to call vpon him only in our anguishes according to that expresse command which he giueth vs in Deuteronom Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and serue him And by the Prophet Asaph in the 50 Psalme verses 14. 15. Offer vnto God praise and pay thy vowes vnto the most high and call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And to stirre vs vp the more thereunto he denounceth by the Prophet Esay chap. 42. and 8 verse I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue to another neither my praise to grauen Images And in the 45 chap. and 21 verse Haue not I the Lord and there is none other God beside me a iust God and a Sauiour there is none beside me And in the 22 verse Looke vnto me and yee shall be saued all the ends of the earth shall be saued for I am God and there is none other If hereupon you object against me that God commandeth not by these places that wee should only worship him and none other beside him The answere is cleere to wit that this commandement of God was so interpreted by the Prophet Samuel and in the fulnesse of time by our Soueraigne Doctor Iesus Christ himselfe For therefore you may see how the Prophet warneth all the house of Israel in the 7 chapter of his booke and third verse where he saith If ye be come againe vnto the Lord with all your heart put away the strange gods from among you and Ashtoroth and direct your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him only and hee shall deliuer you out of the hand of the Philistims By which you may see that the Prophet Samuel sheweth vnto the children of Israel that the meanes and way to conuert and direct themselues vnto the Lord with all their hearts is to serue him only and to take away from before his eyes the Idols of the Heathen which hee calleth the gods of the strangers Euen so also our Lord Iesus Christ being tempted in the wildernesse by the wicked spirit which had transported him vpon a high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them with promise that he would giue them all vnto him if so be he would fall down and worship him he alleageth against Satan that which is written in the sixt chapter of the book of Moses called Deuteronomie expounding the intention of his father as he which is his Counsellour witnesse the Prophet Isaiah in his ninth chapter and fifth verse he addeth thereto this word only when hee answereth Satan that in that place it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue as though he would haue said That the seruice which is due vnto God only is to worship him and to prostrate our selues before him And to this end and purpose the sonnes of Korah who composed the 44 Psalme teach vs in the 20 and 21 verses that to call vpon any other besides God is to forget and denie him If say they
S. Ierome Charles the Great speaking of the two Councels of Constantinople and of Nice in a book made at the Councel of Franckford touching the adoration of Images blameth the Councell of Nice of impietie and idolatrie forbidden by God in his holy word when he complaineth that not only the Kings of the Easterne prouinces but also the Priests and Prelates reiecting that which is said by the Apostle that if any one preach otherwise then that which hath been preached though he were an Angel from heauen let him be accursed haue sought to bring into the Church through Councels fond and infamous things one knowes not what which neither the Sauiour nor any of his Apostles haue euer brought in that is as hee himselfe expoundeth them Nouelties of words and the foolish inuention of the worshipping of Images and afterward hee rebuketh the temeritie and boldnes of Irene mother vnto Constantine the Emperour in that she had borne the chiefe sway in that Councell of Nice saying The Empresse did there all in all a woman vnto whom it was forbidden to teach in the Church hath taught and ordained she there intruded her selfe with the Bishops and all Ecclesiasticall Orders teaching things vnprofitable Thirdly he accuseth that Councell in that they admitted thereunto Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople and gaue too much credit vnto him who as he speaketh was at a iumpe come from the vulgar conuersation into the dignitie of Priesthood from the life of a Souldier to a religious life from the noise of the market to the preaching and distributing of holy mysteries and that in summe hee was of an ill iudgement and spake not well concerning the holie Ghost Whereunto hee addeth beside that for the rest of all this Councell they were ignorant barbarous insufficient fond and vnapt both in their sense and in their words and neuerthelesse proud beyond all pride which durst command that which neuer the Apostles nor their successors ordained and in one part of the Church to condemne and accurse all the Churches in the world which he proueth in that they made it to bee called a vniuersall Councell held for the worshipping of Images without the consent of many other faithfull and Catholike Churches of God and were so audacious euen rashly to accurse so many and so great Churches which are the body of Iesus Christ and to attempt to establish the worship and seruice of insensible things against the institution of diuine scripture Now like as Charles the Great who was present in the aforesaid Councell of Franckford assaulted the Councel of Nice so likewise S. Austin with many other of the ancient Fathers haue reprooued oftentimes the writings of their companions in the work of the Lord and the ordinance of their Councels in calling them back to be tried by the holy Scripture and admonishing them that through many of their false conclusions they were gone astray from the same which S. Austin testifieth in his second booke and third chapter of Baptisme against the Donatists The Epistles saith he of the particular Bishops are corrected by the Prouinciall Councels and the Prouinciall Councels by the vniuersall and the first vniuersall Councels by the latter when by experience that which was locked is opened and that which was hid is brought into light This is the cause wherefore one Councell hath oftentimes retracted and repealed that which a former had decreed As for example the generall Councell of Nice permitted the Priests to marrie which afterward the Councels of Neccesarea of Magence and the second of Carthage forbad them to do The Councell of Carthage in which S. Cyprian was present decreed that such as were baptized by Heretikes should be rebaptized which was shortly after broken and disanulled by another Councell of Carthage The second generall Councell of Ephesus approoued the error of Euryches who acknowledged but one only nature in Christ to wit the diuine but the general Councel of Chalcedon refuted and condemned that heresie You are not ignorant also how the Bracharean Councell condemned and accursed those which abstaine themselues from eating of flesh and how the third Councell of Toledo hauing confirmed that decree the cleane contrarie was ordained by the Councell of Rome forbidding the vse of flesh vpon certaine daies i the yeere The Councell of Constantinople decreed that they should throw and breake downe all the Images which were put vp in Churches but this ordinance and decree was ouer throwne againe by the second Councell of Nice assembled by Irene mother vnto Constantine the Emperour in which was commanded to reestablish and set vp those Images againe These examples may suffice to shew that Councels may erre and that oftentimes there hath been great dissension betweene Councels and contrarietie in the articles of the ancient Synods and that many things haue been proposed receiued and maintained in them without and beside the holy scripture which as S. Tertullian saith in his Treatise against Praxeas is not in danger of saying things contrarie but alwaies is consonant and agreeth in it selfe as appeareth by the mutuall correspondencie of the texts aswell of the old as of the new Testament which is alone without error and exempt froÌ„ lying as Cardinall Baronius also himselfe teacheth you in his Annals tom 2. This warre and manifest contradiction of the ancient Councels doth it not aduertise vs as it were of it selfe that we ought not to equall the canons of Councels with the rules of holy Scripture and yet neuerthelesse your ancestors haue done it who haue equalled the decretall epistles of their Popes with the epistles of the Apostle S. Paul and the decrees of the foure Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon with the bookes of the foure Euangelists Now in this great diuersitie of Councels to which I pray you shall we haue our recourse to assure our consciences but to the word of God which is the touchstone and ballance whereby wee must proue and weigh all the traditions of men As S. Austin did in his dispute against Maximine Bishop of the Arrians lib. 3. cap. 3. I ought not to alleage saith he the Councel of Nice thereby to preiudice thee nor thou against me that of Rimini I am not bound nor tied vnto the authoritie of that Councel ner thou vnto the other It is by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are not partâ—all to either of vs but are common witnesses aswell to the one as to the other and that by them we ought to dispute in alleaging cause against cause and reason against reason According to which rule S. Bernard in his 9â— Epistle signified to the Bishops which in his time were assembled to handle ecclesiasticall affaires that he was very desirous to be present in their Councell and in their assemblies where the traditions of men were not obstmatelâ— maintained nor superstitiously obserued but where the good and persit will of God was sought after in all humilitie and diligence there am I
euery man must haue his recourse to the Scriptures that he may finde assurance in all things Wee haue faith Irenaeus in his third booke chap. 1. knowne the disposition of our saluation by no others but by those by whom the Gospell is come vnto vs which in their time they also preached and afterward through the will of God haue giuen it to vs in the Scriptures to the intent it might be the pillar and foundation of our faith Againe Iustine the Martyr saith in his exposition of true faith that among the children of the Church diuine things ought not to be comprehended within humane reasons and discourses but that diuine words ought to be expounded according to the will instruction and doctrine of the holy Ghost S. Tertullian in like manner in his dispute touching the flesh of Iesus Christ saith I receiue not this which thou bringest of thine owne beside the Scripture if thou art Apostolicall then follow the Apostles doctrine Likewise S. Ierome in his Annot. vpon the fifth chapter of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Galathians saith plainly Nulli kne verbo dei esse credendum that is We must not giue beleefe to any one without the word of God Also S. Cyril which was Bishop of Ierusalem Cath. 4. saith That it is not necessarie to teach any thing rashly touching the secrets of faith without the holy Scripture If then I should teach thee these things simply and without any proofe beleeue me not vnlesse thou receiuest some demonstration thereof by the Scripture for the saluation of our faith proceedeth not from a well composed discourse but from the demonstration of diuine Scripture By these sentences our Fathers reduced themselues to the holy Scripture commanding vs seriously to examine their sayings and writings by them and if wee found them not agreeable and correspondent to that vniuersall rule of all sorts of Ecclesiasticall doctrines to hold them in suspition and without any difficultie to reiect them wherein wee cannot bee too rigorous seeing that S. Paul with his companions and the Angels make themselues subiect to that ballance saying in his epistle to the Galathians the first chapter and 8. verse Though that we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Whereupon the Abbat Vincent Lirinensis made an excellent obseruation in his Treatise of the holy Scriptures Canon chap. 22. That the Apostle S. Paul would spare no man no not himselfe nor Peter nor Andrew nor Iohn nor all the rest of the Apostles but hath denounced that all those which would publish beyond that which the Apostles haue published these are the Abbats very words should be accursed thereby to maintaine the first faith stedfastly and strictly Wherein according to the very iudgement of your owne Doctor Canus we do no wrong to our Fathers For hee confesseth freely in the Centur. 3. that al the Saints except those which haue written the canonicall bookes haue spoken by a humane spirit and at sometimes haue erred both in word and in writing euen in the points of faith what learning or innocencie soeuer wee might conceiue in them Behold therefore some of your Doctors make no bones to reproue our Fathers whensoeuer they are of an opinion that they are gone neuer so little astray from the naturall sense of the holy Scripture Without going any further Robert Bellarmine reiecteth the opinion of S. Austin expounding that which S. Luke writeth of the fruite of the vine and saith therein he hath not well obserued the Euangelist text Also he accuseth Durand and Rupert of error as appeareth by the 13. and 15. chapters of his third booke de Eucharistia Whereunto I will adde some of the ancient Fathers directly contrary to yours whereby they wholly reiect the inuocation of Saints as superstitious and hauing no ground in the holy Scripture To begin then with Ignatius the disciple of S. Iohn he giueth this exhortatiō to virgins in his sixth epistle to the Philadelphians Virgins set before your eyes in your prayers one only Iesus Christ and his Father being illuminated through his holy spirit And in his third epistle to the Magnesians Assemble together to pray in one place let your prayer be common one spirit one hope in charitie and faith without spot in Christ runne together as it were one man to the temple of Christ the high priest of God Also Eusebius reciteth in his historie lib. 4. cap. 14. that the other disciple of S. Iohn named Polycarpus being bound to a stake there to be burned for the name of Iesus Christ he calleth not to minde his master in Christ S. Iohn nor any of the Martyrs or holy men which had been before him to pray them to make intercession for him but hee prayed vnto God alone through Christ the only Mediatour and high Priest betweene the iustice of God and the sinnes of his people saying Father of Iesus Christ thy Sonne by whom we haue had knowledge of thee God of Angels and Powers God of euery creature and of all the righteous and of all sorts of races which liue before thy face I giue thankes that thou hast vouchsafed to grant vnto me this happie day and this blessed houre wherein I shall be in the number of the Martyrs and made partaker of the cup and passion of thy Christ vnto the resurrection of eternall life both in soule and body through the immortall vertue of thy holy spirit among which Martyrs I pray thee that I may be received before thy face as a fat and pleasant offering And for all these things I praise thee I blesse thee and I glorifie thee through Iesus Christ thy most deare Sonne and high priest through whom vnto thee with him and with thy holy spirit be glory now and for euermore Also this same Historian sheweth vs in his 4. booke and 14. chapter that the Iewes and Gentiles came to pray the Gouernour Nicetes not to deliuer the bodie of Polycarpus to the Christians lest in forsaking their Christ crucified they should religiously begin to honour him Whereunto the author answereth that these sillie superstitious men had therein through their ignorance deceiued themselues and considered not that true Christians can neuer forsake Iesus Christ who suffered for the saluation of the world neither will they honour religiously any other as God because they know the true God and him which alone as hee addeth ought to bee serued religiously Likewise Clement according to your opinion successor vnto the Apostle S. Peter teacheth vs in his recognitions and Apostolicall institutions that it is not lawfull for the Christians to pray vnto the departed as the Heathen did but that all our meditations and prayers ought to bee addressed onely vnto God and that no man is permitted to come vnto him but through his Sonne and our Aduocate Iesus Christ. Also Irenaeus testifieth in his second booke and 57. chapter
Hesichius In such a case saith he as thy last day findeth thee euen such will the last day of this world take thee Such as man dieth in that very day such shall he be iudged in the other And in his 10. Sermon vpon the Apostles words There are two homes the one in eternall fire the other in an eternall kingdome Likewise in his 232. Serm. intituled De Tempore Brethrē saith he let no man deceiue himselfe for there are but two places and no third for any one Whereunto his exposition serueth which in another place he speaketh of in disputing against the Pelagians The Catholique faith saith he by diuine authoritie beleeueth that the first place is the kingdome of heauen the second hell where all apostates and reuolters from the faith in Christ shall feele euerlasting torments As touching a third we are wholly ignorant of and which is more wee finde by the holy scripture that there is none Besides in the 9. booke of his Confessions he maintaineth y ◠one seeth God in Abrahams bosome and thereby he sheweth as a thing most certaine that the soule of Abraham and the faithfull fathers departed this world was in heauen and not in Limbo or Purgatorie where none can behold God but in the alone seate of the blessed according to that sentence of our Sauiour contained in the fifth chapter of S. Matthew and 8. verse Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God On the other side the same Doctor saith of the Fathers of the old Testament that they which beleeued in Christ before hee came in the flesh haue been saued through their faith in Christ Iesus I could here alleage a sentence of S. Gregorie Nazianzen whereby he comforted himselfe at his brothers death saying that he was ascended vp into heauen and rested in the bosome of Abraham and many others to the same effect but because I will not be too tedious I will now examine the second point of your opinion which is that that which Christ teacheth of the rich Glutton and Lazarus is a historie which wee denie because there are sundry circumstances which shew also that it is partly a parable For in that storie we cannot take the things literally which are recited in them neither can it be possible in all that which Christ heretofore did preach of the rich Glutton and poore Lazarus because Christ therein attributeth tongues fingers and eyes to the soules of the departed which hee doth by a manner of speech which is called historicall but is parabolicall by which spirituall things are made cleere by the comparison and similitude of corporall Now although wee shall approue that which wee haue denied to wit that Abraham heard the complaints of the rich man yet cannot you solidly conclude from thence that the departed Saints also doe heare the prayers of such as liue vpon the face of the earth For Bellarmine your Doctor describeth the distance which is between Limbus and Hell in such a sort as if he had bin there himselfe to haue measured the one and the other place where hee saith there is betwixt them a great opening neither more nor lesse then is betweene two places separated only by the aire so that from the one part of this gulfe one may see and heare what is done in the other By this reckoning then the distance is not so great betweene those places as it is betweene heauen and earth seeing that these two places are shut vp on all sides and so farre separated from each other that it is not possible that the Saints which are in heauen and we which are here beneath on earth can heare or see each other Neuerthelesse to giue some colour to your opinion you bring in S. Austin vpon this point speaking in this manner Quid non vident qui videntem omnia vident What saith he doe not the Saints aboue in heauen see in seeing him which seeth all things to wit God But wherefore haue you not marked that place is it not because you dare not openly gainsay those which attribute these words to S. Gregory But howsoeuer if they were his he forgot himselfe in pronouncing these words for albeit that God seeth all things yet it followeth not from thence that the Saints which behold God should see all things likewise If you should propound such an argument in Schooles to Aristotles disciples they would presently confute you by the like argument which an ignorant person might make you of the Sunne and of vs which daily doe behold it to wit sith that the Sunne which is the eye of the world as Philosophers tearme it seeth and discouereth all things which are vnder the cope of heauen that wee likewise in beholding the Sunne should see all things which are vnder the Sunne What man is it that perceiueth not this consequence to be bad And if it were good yet yours would remaine false naughtily grounded because wee denie that which you affirme without any testimonie of holy Scripture that is that God or the Trinitie serue as a mirror to the soules of the departed thereby to behold all things as the Sunne and Moone which are as spectacles to our bodily eyes to perceiue by them the things which are represented to our sight Besides this it is an easie matter to stop your mouth and to shew by the testimonie of Christ and his Apostle in the sixth chapter of the Reuelation that the Angels and the spirits of the departed though they behold the face of God yet they see not nor know the day and houre of the last comming of Christ. Moreouer wee can conuince you thereof euen by your predecessors and can proue by their owne writings how they taught that the soules of the departed see not any thing which is done vpon the earth for you may see what Albertus Bishop of Ratisbone writeth thereof who was Master to Thomas of Aquin in his booke of our Coniunction with God and 8. chapter The departed Saints saith he busie not themselues about the affaires of this world neither care for the estate thereof neither of peace nor warre neither of faire weather or raine nor in summe for any man here below but are wholly deuoted to one God and all of them vnited and employed to apply and accommodate themselues to him Finally from the blessed you descend to the damned and as though you had heard their discourses and sounded their spirits you reason without reason aswell of their knowledge as of their charitie towards God and men suruiuing them for thus you discourse If the damned doe likewise heare those speake which are so farre distant from them as the rich man heard Abraham and shewed himselfe mindfull and carefull for his brethren which yet remaine vpon the earth being afraid left they should come into the same place of torment where he was as you may see in the Gospell by that which he spake vnto Abraham should we
Whosoeuer is called ought to come vnto God without waiting for any other name The sighes of the heart penetrate the heauens We ought to woâ—ship in the Temple but not the TeÌ„ple The Father hath exalted his Sonne aboue all creatures by that voyce which speake fâ—oÌ„ heauen Heare him The sinne of those which pray in another name then Iesus participates not so much of ignorance as of scorne God will neuer reiect the requests which himselfe hath commanded vs to addresse vnto him It is the humanitie in our Mediatour which prayeth for vs and his Godhead which decreeeth vpon our prayers Christ being true man commeth vnto his equals and through his righteousnes he reuniteth theÌ„ with God There is no way to come vnto God but by the Sonne of God himself The Apostle saith we haue and not you haue to shew that he himself hath need of a Mediatour The dignitie of the Apostles hath not exempted them from the necessitie of falling downe at the feete of God The Apostle desired to be assisted with the prayer of the Saints for asmuch as they were addressed to him who is the head of the Saints It is to dishonor the Saints and to grieue them â—o attribute to them that which they know appertaines vnto God Reuel 19. 10. The Angels and the faithful which know that God will not giue his â—onor to another of which he is iealous will neuer present theÌ„selues to haue part thereof If Iesus Christ were but simply men hee could not be capable to bring vs vnto God By the vaile of Christs humanitie we enter into the Sanctuary We ought not to flie from the meanes of him who hath suffred for our miseries As from ill manner good lawes are proceeded so are calumnies against the truth of the constitutions of Councels and good Doctors What prudeÌ„ce cannot take away patience doth beare withall Satan letteth slip no opportunitie to sow his cockle Satan seekeâ—h euermore to authorize his Ragins to the preiudice of the truth The time wherein S. Denys Areopagite liued The celebration of the vertues of some is charitable but it is impietie to pray vnto theÌ„ The conâ—ereÌ„nce of these words of S. Irenaeus with that which the Iesuite imposeth discouereth more plainly his impudency Impudencie discouered We ought not to alleage that which is done for that which ought to be done Leasings would faine couer themselues Iohn Damâ—soenus S. Ambrose and S. Ierome c. haue passed their limits and we ought to note but not to imitate that which they haue said As the ancieÌ„ts did often bring in the Saints speaking so spake they sometimes to them as if they had been present The aduersary is driuen into absurditie by good strong reasons The soule of him which shal haue sinned shall be that which shal die Wise words of two women in great extremitie The Papistical Doctors make no conscience to discouer the shame of their fathers seeing they attribute to them such shamefull matters We auouch that superstition got the vpper hand but we denie that we ought to cleaue vnto it A formular of Anselmus his prayers A similitude Our demerits are forgiuen through the merit of the Sonne of God Another forme of Anselmus to comfort the sick S. Bernard sends vs to Christ. As we are of Christ and not of another so ought we to stay with Christ. The Virgin Mary seeketh not to disrobe her sonne or to be clothed with his robes The wel-spring of our merits is in the grace of God and not in the righteousnesse of meÌ„ The time and place when S. Bernard florished A double dishonor done to Origen Albeit that Origen was an impure writer in some other points yet he hath shewed himselfe pure in the article of inuocation There is no likelihood that Origen who sent vs vnto God only should addresse himself to meÌ„ The words of Origen are very expresse against the inuocation of Saints What might haue been the offence of the Vrgin Mary The Papists imposture appeareth not only in that they aâ—de and diminish to the word of God but in that they make the Doctors of the Church to say what iâ— pleaseth them The Papists take delight in troubling the â—ountaine of liuing waters The mysterie of Satan appeaâ—eth notably in the lesuits Index exâ—urgatory Shreds of the abouesaid Index whereby one may haue knowledge of the whole peece As Rauâ—ns turne aside froÌ„ the sound parts of a carkesse and fall vpon the rotten so the Iâ—suâ—ts reiect that which is most holy in the writings of the Fathers and stand vpon the impure It is an easie matter for the Iesuits to fight with the bones of the dead which cannot speake Those which are proued falsiâ—iers ought to be no more reputed as worthie of credit and beleefe Mariners in the obscuritie of a tempest haue their recourse to their compasse and needle and Christians to the law A saying of S. Austins very worthie to be noted Deut. 13. 1. The reprobats theÌ„selues haue done guilefull miracles Matth. 24. 23. 24. 25. 2. Thess. 2. By how many meanes Satan shal exalt himselâ—e against the faithfull Why Antichrists signes are called lies A notable sentence of Charles the Great touching miracles The pretended miracles of Popedome are rather a presumption of a false then of a true seruice The subiect for which the Papists tearme vs heretikeâ— declareth them to be imposters and heretikes themselues 1. Kings 8. 38. Caluin speaketh to the foolish according to their folly If the Saints see all things within the mirrour of eternitie it would follow that they should see the day of the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ which is false Eccles. 9. 6. Esay 63. 16. Luther and Caluin haue not bound their aduersaries to proue the inuocation of Saints by the Scripture The Papists are to make good that which they affirme and not in vs which denie disproue the inuocation of Saints We neither denie nor affirme any thing of our own sense but from the authoritie of the holy Scripture Eccle. 9. 16. Esâ—y 63. 16. Two false principles and grounds of the Papisticall Doctors The Papists caÌ„ neuer proue that the Angels are the reporters of the prayers of the Saints before God Our conformitie with the Angels is not yet but when we shal be glorified From things or persons which are vnlike we ought not to draw like conclusions An argument from the least to the greatest which hath more colour then strength It is impietie to say Abraham was in Limbo Matth. 8. 11. Lactantius Origen Epiphanius S. Ierome A notable saying of Iustine the Martyr An excellent doctrine of S. Ambroses The doctrine of S. Austin touching the place of our retreate at our departing this world Neither the holy Scripture nor the Catholike Fathers giue any third places to soules after their decease The historie of Lazarus is parabolicall Though Abraham should haue heard the complaints of the rich Glutton it followeth not from thence that the Saints heare our prayers The Trinitie serueth not as a mirror in heauen to coÌ„template all things therein Albert Master vnto Thomas of Aquin denieth that which other of the Popish Doctors his successors doe affirme Charitie is the marke of the children of God and not of the reprobate The aduersaries argument retorted VpoÌ„ bad foundation theâ—e can be made no good building Places suspected of S. Austins S. Austin doth absolutely deny that the Saints meddle with our affaires A good argument from the greater to the lesser Absurdities that followe if we should grant that the Saints departed haue to do with our affaires Three pretended meanes of the Papists whereby the Saints might heare our prayers There is no likelihood that S. Gregorie took pleasure in coÌ„tradicting himselfe The examination of those three meanes abouesaid of the vnderstanding of our prayers