day in Paradise that is in the state of glory as all Catholick divines profess and teach So that I do not well understand what was your aim to make this Objection The Answer 1. MY intent was to comfort the dying not to contest with the living To shew to penitent and believing Christians That for them to depart out of this life is to be with Christ because it was so to Saint Paul and to the good thief before them You are willing to lay Purgatory in their way which I look upon as a very stumbling block fit only to make their passage hence much more formidable and much less comfortable Nor can I find your Commission as you are a Christian Divine to break a bruised reed and quench the smoaking flax much less to throw it into the flames to burn and to consume it For sure it cometh nearer the office of Christ which is the foundation should be the platform of yours to preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken-hearted to comfort them that â—…ourn in Zion to give beauty for ashes not burning instead of beauty the oyle of joy for mâ—…urning the garment of praise even the immaculate robe of our Saviours righteousness for the Spirit of heaviness Isa. 61. For our Saviour Christ requiring the Ministers of his Gospel sparingly to use even true frights in bringing obstinate sinners to rely on his merits and mediation will never approve those who invent false fears to scare true Penitents that are actually with him from their comfort and hold in him 2. But this is rather to acquit my self I come now to answer you and say That Saint Paul looked upon his life as that which gave him a being with the Philippians and therefore was more advantagious to them But he looked upon his death as that which would give him a being with Christ and therefore would be more advantagious to himself This makes him desire rather to die then to live because by his death he should so depart from the one as to approach to the other His dissolution was to be his admission into heaven not his introduction towards it to let him first into Purgatory and from thence to transmit him unto Christ This is Saint Chrysostoms exposition He saith It is good to be dissolved and to be with Christ for death or dissolution in it self is an indifferent thing neither good nor bad but it is bad when a man dies to be punished and sure Purgatory in your belief is a very great punishment good when he so goes from men as to go to Christ So that if you suppose his being dissolved and being with Christ were not both together in one and the same instant Saint Chrysostom will tell you his dissolution was not good and if not good sure not desireable And if good only for being with Christ then desireable only for that being 3. Yet you say All the strength of my first argument stands upon the desire If so it cannot stand upon the dissolution and then it will follow Saint Paul might be dissolved and not be with Christ say then Saint Paul might go to Purgatory to make your good Catholicks the more willing to go thither after him But first so make them good Catholicks as not to let them be bad Christians For their desire to die so holily as to escape Purgatory is too servile to make them good Christians even in the Heathen Poets divinity Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae They are wicked men who hate to sin for fear of Punishment Therefore if they desire to avoid sin meerly for fear of Purgatory they are not good Catholicks If for love of Christ as their life is to be in him so their death is to be with him and that immediatly for else not to be with him but with some other before him which made Saint Hierom to say concerning Nepotian when he was but newly dead Scimus Nepotianum nostrum esse cum Christo corpus terra suscepit Anima Christo reddita est Hier. in Epitaph Nepot We know that our Nepotian is with Christ you now say quite contrary we know that he is not with Christ for he is in Purgatory the earth hath his body but his Saviour bath his soul See how he disposeth of a man that dies in the faith of Christ His body goeth to the dust but his soul goeth to Christ that redeemed it Oh Sir be not you so willing to allow much less to make a separation betwixt Christ and good Christians in that very instant which God hath appointed to consummate their Union since you find it so expresly said That neither death nor depth and sure Purgatory is a depth in your account shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38. and much less shall it be able to separate us from Christ Jesus our Lord of whom it is said Jesus having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end John 13. 1. Nay who hath said of himself Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Joh. 17. 24. This will of his was fulfilled not only in Saint Paul who was given him by a miraculous conversion in his life but also in the good thief who was given him as a more miraculous Convert just a little before his death yet even he was told that he should be with Christ not with tormented souls immediately upon his dissolution and that in Paradise not in Purgatory And I cannot see may not say That Christ is less willing to receive those who are now given him or shall be given him to the worlds end then he was to receive that thief And therefore I still say he was no priviledged person after his conversion to go to bliss sooner then other Penitents though he were indeed a priviledged person in regard of his conversion to be made a penitent when his fellow thief and many others were still left in their impenitency And that satisfies all the evidence you have produced against me either out of your Rhemish or out of your Romish Doctors so that you may reserve your Jo. Poean Jo. Triumphe till another occasion For that evidence makes not my assertion of his being no priviledged person any whit more inevident For he was not priviledged as to his death but only as to his conversion Wherefore since our blessed Saviour is still as ready to receive other true Penitents as he was the good thief I hope you will not say he is ready to receive them in Purgatory not in Paradise For sure you are if it were to be proved as you assert that Christ once shewed his glory in Purgatory yet he doth not now shew it there and therefore that cannot be the place for Christian souls to go to when they depart from hence because
the whole But take heed whiles you say so that they who are against you and deny Purgatory tax you not of blasphemy for saying that which is not in being is a part of Christs Kingdom for to make Christ a King in Utopia in a place which is not is to make him no King And that they who are with you and affect purgatory tax you not of infidelity for believing that Christ hath taken possession of his whole Kingdom upon no better grounds then upon a meer uncertainty 6. For even your own Bellarmine though in his first Book de Purgatorio he writ so confidently as if all men were bound to believe Purgatory that will be saved yet in his second Book de circumstantiis Purgatorii He writes so ambiguously as to enfeeble any unprejudicate mans belief I will give you some few instances and then leave you to judge what small reason he had for his so great confidence Cap. 6. de loco Purgatorii He saith The Church hath not defined in what place Purgatory is for that the purgation of souls may be in many places and some are purged where they sinned but after several other opinions he seems to like that best which placeth Purgatory in the bowels of the earth because of several eruptions of fire out of the earth in several parts of the world Be it so if we must needs have a Purgatory that they may have the greatest share in it and terrour from it who were once the first inventers and now are the chiefest maintainers of it even the Italian Monks and Fryers for the most notorious eruptions of fire in these parts of the world are either in Italy as at Mount Vesuvius or not far from it as at Mount Aetna in Sicily Cap. 9. De tempore quo durat Purgatorium Of the time that Purgatory lasteth which is as uncertain as the place Quando ab hoc loco in coelum avolant res est incertissima How long the souls must stay in Purgatory before they can get to heaven is a matter of the greatest uncertainty Cap. 10. 11. Qualis sit purgatorii poena The quality of the Torment in Purgatory is as uncertain as either the time or place De poenâ Purgatorii quaedam sunt certa quaedam dubia As concerning the punishment of Purgatory some things are certain some are doubtfull Certa sunt Carentia visionis poena sensus poena ignis T is certain saith he the souls in Purgatory are under the punishment of loss for want of the beatifical vision and are under the punishment of sense by torment of fire Do they want the beatificall vision say then God hath thus sentenced them at their particular Judgement Depart from me ye cursed and let them hereafter be accounted not blessed but cursed souls not in a Communion with God but in a separation from him yet in saying so remember you bid your best Champion recall even the very subject of this whole Controversie which indeed is the best if not the only way to end it De Ecclesiâ quae est in Purgatorio of the Church which is in Purgatory for that cannot be a part of Gods Church which is in a separation from God And sure I am your Cardinal is beholding to the latter part of this same sentence to prove that souls in Purgatory are under the punishment of sense by fire for he proveth it by these words Ite in ignem aeternum Go into everlasting fire Mat. 25. And why not also prove their punishment of loss in the want of the beatifical vision from the first part of the same sentence Depart from me ye cursed For the same sentence denounceth the judgement of loss and of sense of loss in Depart from me ye cursed and of sense in Go into everlasting fire And we may fancy the one to be Temporarie as well as the other and to belong to righteous souls as much as the other but surely the Text saith both are eternal and belong only to the cursed And indeed t is a strange proof which brings Hell to prove Purgatory yet this is the best he can find in all the Scripture For here he proves that material fire can punish immaterial souls because it was provided to punish the Devil and his Angels which are immaterial spirits But still the proof concerneth only Hell fire so that in plain truth He alledgeth hell to prove Purgatory All the doubt is how he can make it so This proof is yet further enlarged in the next Chapter where he answers some chief doubts concerning Purgatory as whether it be a true real fire and how it can act upon separated souls and both are answered from these words Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Ignem Purgatorii esse corporeum quia in Scripturis passim poena impiorum vocatur Ignis Et regula Theologorum est ut verba Scripturarum accipiantur propriè quando nihil absurdi sequitur The fire of Purgatory is corporeal for commonly in the Scripture the punishment of the wicked is called fire what is the punishment of the wicked to the righteous or must men turn wicked that they may go to Purgatory and it is a rule of Divines That the words of Scripture are to be taken properly if there follow no absurdity and a little after Corpora damnatorum puniuntur igne Mat. 25. Ite in ignem aeternum est autem idem ignis corporum damnatorum spirituum corpore vacantium nam ibidem dicitur qui paratus est diabolo Angelis ejus The bodies of the damned are punished with fire Go into everlasting fire Mat. 25. but it is the same fire which punisheth their bodies and other souls or spirits without bodies as it is said Which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Pray Sir why should any Christian be taught to desire to go to that fire which was prepared for the Devil and his Angels and if he do once go thither how shall he ever return from thence And yet your Cardinal would have us believe Purgatory that we may have the happiness to go thither and saith if we do not we shall burn for ever in Hell-fire A new Apostle sure he speaks not only so resolutely but likewise so authentically yet not dropt down as the rest from Mount Sion bùt from Mount Sina as we may guess by his Thunder and Lightning Seriously it is a sad thought for all good Christians that any Divine should after Nadab and Abihu dare offer strange fire for God is not well pleased with such an offering But it is a joyful thought for us poor Protestants that this fire of Purgatory is not only a strange but also a false fire for so we are sure it cannot burn us Else it seems after it hath been your Purgatory it should be our Hell However it is palpable That your Cardinals talk only is of Purgatory but his proof is of Hell Thus himself hath brought his certainties concerning
the one it is a personal in the other it is a doctrinal sin and therefore is rather to be confessed by your Clergy then by your Laity rather by your Ministers then by your People â—…or whereas your People are but single your Priests are double Idolaters that is to say not only in their practice but also in their doctrine in that they have set up the Inventions of men instead of the Commandement of God and magnified the authority of men not only against but also above the authority of God in Gods own worship So that your Priests had need doubly ask God forgiveness concerning this second Commandement first for the Idoloatry of their Images and next for the Idolatry of their Imaginations CAP. V. Of Praying to Saints and Angels 1. CHrist our only Sanctuary in the day of Judgement should be so now 2. Praying to Saints is asking both in vain and in sin 3. Angels not trusted with themselves or with others but in part God found no stedfastness or Put no trust in the Angels are both one 4. That literal sense most proper in doubtful Texts which is most agreeable with the comparative and illative sense of the same is a rule which keeps the unlearned from being interpreters of the holy Scripture and the learned from quarrelling with sound or judicious interpretations 5. Gods putting no trust in his best servants whether Saints or Angels a sufficient reason that men should not pray to them 6. His finding no steadfastness in them proves the same concerning those confirmed in Grace and Glory 7. Papists swallow the mis-allegations of their own writers but quarrel at the true and proper allegations of the text by Protestants 8. Bellarmines allegation for the Invocation of Angels from sacobs practice Gen. 48. 16. refuted by the context because it is interpreted in such a Grammatical as is against the Theological and Logical sense of the words that is in such a sense as is against the analogy of Religion in the Decalogue which is as necessarily observed in the interpretation of doubtful propositions in the Old as the analogy of faith is in the New Testament and against the anaolgie of Reason both in the proposition and in the connexion and in the deduction And generally all the texts alledged for this false invocation are so mis-interpreted particularly this in the judgement both of Greek and Latine Church 9. The Latine translation of Job 5. 1. intemperately defended by Bellarmine against Chemnitius Spirituael drunkenness worse then Carnal and makes the more scandalous Minister in Gods account 10. The words of Job not to be interpreted of the Invocation of Saint by Bellarmines own professiâ—…n both as a Critick and as a Divine though not as a Disputant and much more by Text. 11. Invocation of Saints is against the analogie of saith in the Câ—…ed and of righteousness in the Decalogue and against all the devotions taught us in the holy Bible and consequently doth leave Christs Communion and must lose Christs interâ—…ssion as being a piece of Religion not of Gods but of mans making 12. The Invocation of the blessed Virgin used by the Romanists faulty in the object of worship and the manner of worshipping and consequently falsly imputed to the Catholick Church which is a Communion of Saints not of sinners 13. Protestantism in Popery against this false worship 14. The Catholick Church falsly alledged for this false worship which yet could not make it true worship since it is against Gods Commandements The Church not having an absolute power in the exercise of Religion to act against Gods Law but only an orderly power to act according to it The Churches threefold foundation 1º In her Religion 2º In her Communion 3º In her authority admits not her authority before much less against her Religion and her Communion 15. Prayers to Saints as to the authors of the blessings prayed for unlawful by Bellarmines own Confession who labours to excuse his Church for using such prayers but unsuccessfully The â—…esuites maintain such prayers both by their doctrine and by their Practice 16. Gods trusting the holy Angels with his Elect is no sufficient ground for their praying to Angels 17. Baronius unjustly quarreling with Theodoret about the worshipping of Angels and falsly interpreting the Canon of Laodicea 18. No ungratefulness in our not praying to Angels because ungâ—…dliness in praying to them 19. The Papâ—…sts invocation of their Guardian Angel not to be justified The fifth Exception IBidem sect 5. p. 219. Against Praying to Saints you alledge Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly Job 4. 18. Our Latine Vulgar reads thus Ecce qui serviunt ei non sunt stabiles in Angelis suis reperit pravitatem Conformably whereto your old translation reads Behold be found not stedfastness in his Servants and laid folly upon his Angels And Job 15. 15. your old repeats He found no stedfastness in his Saints though your new He putteth no trust in his Saints Now according to our Latine and your old English translation this place must needs be understood of the bad Angels that fell as is evident by those words 2 Pet. 2. 4. If God spared not the Angels that sinned where both your old and Mr. Beza also quotes in the margent this very place Job 4. 18. Here is nothing then against praying to Angels and Saints confirmed in grace and glory If your new then be to be understood of them as you understand it and urge it too That 〈◊〉 paâ—…teth no trust in his servants nor Saints it is contrary to it self and to all Divine Scripture For to omit a thousand â—…stances thus saith Saint Paul though yet alive upon earth 1 Thes. 2. 4. we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel and 1 Tim. 1. 11. the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to my Trust And doth God put no trust in him now being a glorified Saint in heaven think you you cannot deny but in blessed Angels at least Otherwise why do you so earnestly beg of God to put them in trust with your self both body and soul praying in your ejaculation 34 O God let them compass me about whâ—…st I am living and carry my soul into Abrahams bosom when I shall die Let them in in my sickness succour and defend me and in my death convey my soul to the everlaâ—…ing mansions Now since God puts this great trust in them with us oughâ—… 〈◊〉 we to put them in trust by reverently â—…mmending our selves â—…nto them and by humbly praying them to do those good offers for us which you very piously here mention least we should ungratefully slight them contrary to Gods command Ex. 23. 21. Observa eum audi vocem ejus nec contemnendum putes The Answer 1. I Will not spend words with you like a Sophister but sense like a Divine nor will I wonder with what face you made this Exception but see
Christ himself hath said concerning them I will that they be where I am that they may beâ—…old my glory I will that they be where I am not where I have been for then they might still remain on the earth or when they go hence sooner go to Hell then to Purgatory since it is without doubt say your authors Christ was once in Hell but much doubted whether he were once in Purgatory because that is looked on as a fictitious Place and so could not receive him But in truth the words will have those who are given unto Christ to go immediately unto Heaven for that is our Saviours meaning I will they be where I am viz. in heaven for there he then was in his Divinity in which respect we are taught to say to him Our Father which art in heaven and I think you must have recourse to the Divinity of Christ to prove that the good thief enjoyed his promise to be with him that day in Paradise for his body was in the grave and his humane soul in Hell say you and for ought we can prove only his Divinity was in heaven Wherefore whiles Christ was in the state of Humiliation all those who were given him were at their deaths with him as God But now he is in the state of his Exaltation all that are given him are at their deaths with him not only as God but also as man that they may behold his glory whether given him of the Father by eternal generation as God or by temporal dispensation as man And surely if they be with him that they may behold his glory they cannot be in Purgatory for neither he nor his glory is there And how their faith can be so long suspended from Vision their hope from comprehension their charity from fruition by the interposition of some continuance in Purgatory not to be measured by time for they are past that nor by eternity for they are not yet come to that I cannot see without a great injury to their soulâ—… which may not part with these Theologicall vertues till they be fully perfected and yet a greater injury to their Saviour whose merit and satisfaction is not thought enough to perfect them 4. As for those words Bellarmine himself confesseth de Purgatorio incertum est T is clear by the context they are to be understood only of the humane soul of Christ that it is uncertain whether that were ever in Purgatory or no for I said The good Thief was without doubt to be with his Saviour and therefore was to be in Paradise not in Purgatory since it was not without doubt that Christ was in Purgatory but it was without doubt that he was in Paradise And Bellarmine himself hath said thus much in sense though not in words and I intending to meddle only with his sense thought it needless to quote either Chapter or Book since I thought his sense so known to all Papists as not to be doubted and so received by them as not to be denyed For my business was a consolation of Protestants at such a time when they wanted it very much and yet against such a time when they might want it more not a contestation with Papists and therefore I quoted only the substance of his doctrine not the words of it and not the place because not the words which is not uncouth amongst serious Divines though as you say it is amongst learned Antagonists But since you have followed this quarrelsom age which will not let Catholik Divines and honest men either live securely or die peaceably that you might be my Antagonist and have turned that into Controversie which I intended only for peaceable Divinity for I was not then in case to answer a challenge much less to send one you have made it necessary for me to quote the very place that I may not be thought to have misquoted the thing The place I pointed at in Bellarmine was lib. 4. de Christo cap. 16. the very same which after your long excursion you have alledged as you think against me but in truth for me Probabile est profecto Christi animam ad omnia loca inferni descendisse It is probable that Christs humane soul descended to all the places of Hell I knowing that he reckoned Purgatory for one of those places took this for his sense It is probable that Christs humane soul went down into Purgatory But Logick having taught me that what was asserted only as probable was acknowledged as uncertain I put his sense in such words as I thought most suitable to my purpose saying Bellarmine himself confesseth De Purgatorio incertum est that is in plain English since my Latine had so ill luck Bellarmine himself confesseth it is uncertain concerning Purgatory whether Christs humane soul went thither or no which is clearly his own doctrine by undenyable consequence For he only saith It is probable Christs humane soul went down into Purgatory which is all one as if he had said It is uncertain that Christs humane soul went down into Purgatory For if it be but probable it was so it is also probable it was not so and therefore uncertain it was so This is all Bellarmine doth say and this is more then he doth prove Nay his proofs make his assertion altogether improbable if not impossible For all the proofs he brings concerning Christs descent do speak only of Hell properly so called not of Purgatory As that of Fulgentius Ubi solebant peccatorum animae torqueri He went thither where the souls of sinners had used to be tormented Whereas Purgatory though a place of torment according to his doctrine yet is it not so for the souls of sinners but for the souls of the righteous And that other proof he brings from all the Fathers at once is like to this Et ipsi patres dum describunt terrorem gehennae daemonnm in descensu Christi aperte indicant Christum praesentiam suam illis manifestasse And the Fathers describing the frights and fears of Hell and the Devils in Christs descent do plainly shew that Christ did manifest his presence to them I think you will not allow this to be spoken of Purgatory for then you must make it all one with Hell and take it for a place of Devils not of righteous Spirits which after they have been purged in flames from the reliques of their sins not expiated by their own former penance nor their friends after payments are sure to see the face of God 5. This is all the certainty I find in Bellarmine of Christs descending into Purgatory and this I look upon as a very great uncertainty But you look upon this as a great certainty in that you give a reason for it saying it was to take possession of his whole Kingdom say then Purgatory is a part of Christs Kingdom and if Christ did not take possession of this part amongst the rest you do nòt believe He did take possession of
practice have divâ—…rted the principal streams of affiance and love from Him who had the only right unto them and turned them upon those unto whom neither so great honour is due nor so undue honour can be acceptable Sands Survey of Religion cap. 4. Jesu God heal their Tongues that preach such Blaphemy instead of Divinity heal their Hands that write it heal their Ears that hear it and much more heal their Hearts that believe it and their Lifes that practise it that though thy Truth hath been outfaced by their Lyes yet their miracles may be outvied by thy Power and their Souls saved by thy Grace and Mercy For all the miracles they can falsly attribute to thy Saints as if by their own power and holiness they could heal the Body to make us go to thy Servants for help when we should go only to Thy self are nothing in comparison of that great miracle of thy power and greater miracle of thy mercy whereby thou art pleased to heal the Soul I have been the longer upon this Argument as I was upon the former because the false Invocations and Adorations used by you have given others just occasion to depart from you even those who were under your own jurisdiction and much more those who were not For as he that kicks against Heaven stricks up his own Heels so a faction in your Church of late years kicking against Gods authority could not stand so fast as to keep their own nor is it any reason you should expect others to be dutiful to you according to the fift contrary to that duty which they ow to God according to the four first Commandements 16. But though others of your party argue much in this case from Authority yet you think fit to argue from reason saying Now since God puts this great Trust in them with us ought not we to put them in Trust by reverently commending our selves unto them no saith Reason to which you have appealed much more no saith Religion from which you have started First no saith Reason For that teacheth us to invocate none that is not All-present to hear our request All-merciful to receive it All-sufficient to grant it and Almighty to fullfil it and therefore to Invocate no creature which hath none much less all of these Secondly no saith Religion And first the Religion that is in Heaven I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voyce Worthy is the Lamb which was slain to receive power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Revel 5. 11 12. This is the Religion you must practise in Heaven and why should you practise any other in Earth since you are taught to pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven you may safely take the crowns of the Saints and Angels and cast them before the Throne giving glory and honour and thanks to Him who was dead but now liveth for ever and ever for so they do themselves Revel 4. 9 10. But never was it seen in Heaven That any Saint or Angel did make so bold as to take the Crown off from our Saviours Head to place it upon his own There this is the only dialect Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created v. 11. And the dialect should be here as 't is there so saith the Psalmist O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker as if he had said before no other but only Him to whom we can truly say For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Therefore secondly no saith the Religion that is in Earth that likewise answers no to your quaere Ought we not to put them in trust by reverently commending our selves into them And surely we ought not For that very Apostle who hath written most concerning the benefit and the assistance which the heirs of Salvation have by the Angels Hebr. 1. 14. forbids them to worship Angels for fear of endangering their inheritance Col. 2. 18 19. Let no man beguil you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind and not holding the Head c. where the Apostles full intent and scope is to dehort the Colossians from the worshipping of Angels first from the dangerous effect of it no less then the loss of eternal life Let no man beguil you of your reward 2. from the vain pretences for it viz. the obedience or submission we owe to them as to our Patrons and the need we have of their Patronage the first hath a shew of humility but 't is such as God never commended in a voluntary humility The second hath a real guilt of curiosity for 't is such as God never taught intruding into those things which he hath not seen 3. From the wicked and ungodly causes of it and they are two Pride of heart vainly puft up by his fleshly mind and Ignorance of Christ as Head of the Church And not holding the Head from which all the Body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Angels are a part of this Body as well as men and this Head gives life to them as to us As all is Neighbour that is not God in the Law so all is Body that is not Head in the Gospel The question is as unanswerable if asked of St. Michael or St. Gabriel as of St. Peter or St. Paul Is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptized in the name of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 13. Is Christ divided from himself that He should not be the Head of Angels as well as of men or is Christ divided from his Body on Earth more then from his Body in Heaven Hath he put that part of his Body to convey life and motion and nourishment to this or doth he not convey life and motion and nourishment to both parts immediately by Himself Was any Angel crucified for us or were we baptized in the name of any Angel Was St. Paul a lover of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrys. in denying this honour to the Apostles and can we be lovers of Christ in giving this honour to the Angels Is it more lawful for us then it was for him to give the honour of the Head to any part of the Body or can we look for a reward of our service if we serve any of the Body instead of the Head Let no men beguil you saith He of your reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man make you so run as not to receive the Prize or so run that you may not obtain you may lose the Prize by running out of the race as well
as by not running it And you most needs run out of the race if you cannot see the mark or scope to which you run This mark or scope in it self is more visible then the Sun in the Firmament for it is the Sun of righteousness why should you allow the interposition of any Body betwixt Him and you to remove him out of your sight who cannot be removed out of his own Sphaere your sins as a cloud will obscure him more then enough Oh let not even your Righteousness obscure him more If you will needs put in a solid body betwixt him and you when you pray how can the eye of your Faith look upon him in your Prayer You will here by Eclipse his light from your selves and bring darkeness upon your Souls For will you look with the Eye of your Faith upon Angels then say they were delivered for your offences and rose again for your justification and now sit at the right hand of God making intercession for you will you look with the eye of your Faith upon your blessed Saviour then let not the Angels in betwixt Him and you for they will but hinder your sight and keep you from seeing Him Or if you could with the eye of Faith look on Christ through the Angels yet were it a piece of Infidelity so to do because it is but intruding into those things which you have not seen sc. in the Law and the Gospel and so being matter of Religion cannot be Divine either in the evidence or in the assurance of Faith Your own Angelical Doctor speaks of this kind of Infidelity Infidelis non ut habens malam voluntatem circa finem sc. Christum sed ut habens malam electionem circa media quia non eligit quae sunt à Christo tradita And from thence say I such a Worshipper is an Infidel if not as having a bad will or affection towards the end of his worship which is Christ yet sure as having a bad choice or election of the means tending to that end because he choseth such means to worship Christ as Christ hath not appointed him Nay indeed St. Chrysostome in effect said so long agoe in his Comment upon this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were some that saidâ—… we ought not to come to God immediately by Christ but mediately by the Angels for the other address was too high for us Here 's the choice of such means in Gods worship as God hath not appointed for Saint Peter saith expresly that we are to offer up spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. If the Sacrifice of Prayer may be Spiritual yet it cannot be acceptable but by Christ And it follows 〈◊〉 little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why do you let go the Head to lay hold on the members that is let go Christ to lay hold on the Angels If you fall from the Head you are utterly lost Here 's the reproof of such a choice as befitting Infidels who know not Christ to be the Head nor the dangers and miseries of those men who fall from this Head rather then Christians who do know him to be the Head as well of Angels as of men and that both would alike perish were it not for the influence of life and motion derived to them by being immediatly joyned unto him The like is the Judgement of Photius as indeed he generally follows St. Chrysostome But Theodoret not only condemns the Heresy but also declares the Hereticks after this manner Those who stood for the Law stood for the worshipping of Angels saying The Law was given by them And this mistake remained a long time in Phrygia and Pisidia which made the Fathers in the Council of Laodicea the chief City of Phrygia forbid the worshipping of Angels And saith he to this day we may see amonst them and their Neighbours the Oratories of St. Michael And this they pretended to do out of Humility For that the great God of Heaven and Earth was invisible incomprehensible inaccessible by men and therefore they ought to go to Him by the mediation of Angels Thus far Theodoret and this held for unquestionable Truth above a thousand years amongst all Greek and Latine Divines till your great Annalist thought fiâ—… to question it and therefore I crave youâ—… pardon if I make bold to question him For I had much rather say with Theodoret. That they were hereticks then with Baronius That they were Catholicks who worshipped Angels since next the holiness of the Holy Ghost I believe the holiness of the Holy Catholick Church and sure I am such a grievous sin as this is inconsistent with true Holiness For it is 〈◊〉 rule of common reason approved both iâ—… the Ecclesiastical and in the Civil Law Paria esse aliquid omnino non facere non rectè facere They are both equal sinâ—… not to do a thing at all and not to do it righâ—…ly not to worship God at all and not to worship him rightly or as he hath commanded and consequently 't is in effeâ—… as great a Calumny to say the Catholicâ—… Church hath had no Religion as to say she hath had a false Religion Since therefore the worshipping of Angels is convinceâ—… to be false Religion we may safely infeâ—… it hath not been it cannot be the Religion of the Catholick Church And Sâ—… Paul here proves it to be false Religion Per omnia genera causarum in regard of all four causes that is to say 1. False originally or efficiently because it came not from God but from men presumptuously intruding into things not seen and vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind 2. False formally because it is not with God it holds not the Head and therefore withdraws us from God instead of uniting us to him whereas the very formal cause of devotion is the Union of the Soul with God 3. False materially for it is a Voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels instead of God 4. False finally because it ends not in God tends not to salvation but to damnation or to the beguiling us of our reward whereas what is formally Religion in the Union with God is of it self finally salvation in the fruition of God Yet saith Baronius Theodoretum haud foeliciter assequutum esse Pauli verborum sensum quùm in Commentariis dicit haec à Paulo esse scripta qùod tùm grassarentur Haeretici qui Angelos adorandos esse jactarent Theodoret was mistaken in St. Pauls meaning when he said that St. Paul writ this against those Hereticks who then worshipped Angels He might as well have said that St. Chrysostome and Photius were also mistaken for they agree with Theodoret in the same sense of St. Pauls words And he might moreover to these have added St. Aâ—…brose to shew that the mistake was no only in the Greek but also in the Latiâ—… Church For though his Gloss name star instead of Angels yet the reason of 〈◊〉 condemns
of my heart prove me and examine my thoughts look well if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me this day and ever in the way ever lasting Ps. 139. 'T is an excellent observation of Abulenâ—…is Dicitur quod loquutus est Deus ne tantum beneficium vel tantus actus quantus est dare legem attribueretur Angelo ne crederent se Judaei obligatos Angelis Tost in Exod. 20. q. 1. It is said God spake all these words at the giving of the Law least if such a great blessing had been attributed to an Angel The Jews might think themselves obliged to the Angels The Jews might not think themselves obliged to the Angels for giving the Law and may Christians pray to them for assistance in keeping it If so how will you answer your own Baronius An. 60. n. 19. Quòd praecipuos Episcopos appellet Angelos planè significat instar hominum Angelos hominibus ministrare nec tantae esse excellentiae ut quae divina sunt iisdem tribuantur The Spirit of God in giving the Title of Angels to the chiefest Bishops doth plainly shew that as men so Angels do minister unto men and are not of so great excellency as that we should ascribe to them those things which belong to God All the world cannot say more against your daily prayer to your Guardian Angel He ministers to you no otherwise then your Bishop enlightning you Instrumentally by propounding directing applying heavenly thoughts to your understanding not efficiently by infusing or increasing them And by this reason you may no more invocate him for Illumination then you may your Bishop for he is not of so great excellency that you should ascribe to him those things which belong to God Till you can say of him that he hath opened the eyes of your body to receive the Light of nature how can you say to him Open the eyes of my Soul to rereive the light of Grace Till you can say of him he hath enlightned the darkness of the night how can you say to him Enlighten the darkness of mine understanding The Centurion had many servants under him and they all did come and go as he bade them to do any Acts of favourable assistance to the Jews should therefore the servants have the thanks and honour that was due unto their master I find that when Lazarus died he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome yet I do not find that Lazarus said to his Guardian Angel who doubtless was one of them that carried him Into thy hands do I commend my spirit nor do I see how you can say so to yours unless you can also say unto him For thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth and if you cannot commend your Soul to your Guardian Angel when you die how can you commend your Soul to him whiles you live You may say with St. Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit when it is to be carried to him by the Angels for they minister to this Lord But you cannot say Lord Jesus receive my Prayers when they are given or offered to his Angels for they are not fellow-sharers in his Lordship And this instance alone is enough to answer all your objections which you have gathered out of my ejaculations but if not you may take another The Psalmist saith The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them yet he saith not O Taste and see how gracious the Angel of the Lord is But O Tast and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him Ps. 34. 7 8. My Guardian Angel is a ministring Spirit for my comfort but my God alone is an al-sufficient Spirit for my content None but he can give the Spiritual gust taste of a blessed immortality to my Soul who hath made it immortal and since my prayers are the chiefest means to procure this spiritual gust or Taste to my Soul how shall I pray to them who cannot give it I desire my Religion may be to me the beginning of my Salvation for so is Grace the inchoation of Glory and therefore cannot delight in such prayers as will not give my Soul the Antipast of eternity that is in such prayers as do not bid me say unto my self O Taste and see how gracious the Lord is because they do not ascend up so high as the Lord For prayer being a spiritual colloquy with him to whom we pray why should I pray to an Angel which probably may not be present to partake of this colloquy and indeed cannot partake of it if it be meerly spiritual that is only in the heart or if he could why should my heart leave conversing with God to converse with his Servant Is not this to undervalue that happiness which I can not deserve should not desert nay is it not to undervalue prayer to make it the depression of the Soul to the Creature which God hath appointed for the elevation of the Soul unto himself What though one Angel destroyed 185000. Assyrans may we therefore say unto him Remember not our iniquities nor the iniquities of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins And if we may not pray to Angels for the averting of Judgements then sure not for the obtaining of mercies since God useth them as his instruments for the one as well as for the other If we may as you infer humbly pray them to do those good offices for us which God hath appointed them we may also humbly pray God to give us leave to sin against Him in our Prayers for to break his Commandement is to sin against Him and he hath expresly commanded saying Call upon me in the day of trouble Psal. 50. 15. In that he hath said Call upon me he hath also in effect said Call not upon any of my Angels for that is not to call upon me Therefore dare I not pray to Angels for fear of bringing Judas his curse upon my prayers of whom it was said Let his prayer be turned into sin Ps. 109. v. 7. For if my prayer be turned into sin how will my sin be turned into Repentance or my repentance be turned into mercy and forgiveness If my prayer end in sin how will my sin not end in damnation your own Clement the 8. that corrected your Latine Translation which was of much longer standing in your Church then any of your corrupt devotions will rise up against you in Judgement if you will needs continue still in these corruptions For if he reformed your Bibles why should not you reform your Breviaries CHAP. VI. Of Justification 1. THe way of Truth in the Doctrine of Justification by Faith made dangerous by mens debates slippery by mens devices yet the truth it self never to be subverted or suppressed 2. The danger of not walking circumspectly in this way by taking either faction or phansie for faith 3. Gods Seers or Ministers above all are to
Church as appeares in that these words which are the 6 7 8. Canons of the second Milevitane Council in Binnius for the Western are the 115 116 117. Canons of the Council of Carthage in Balsamon for the Eastern Churches 17. Wherefore this being an undoubted Principle among all Christians for who can doubt that which comes to us Originally from the Scriptures and derivatively from the Catholick Church That all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. we cannot reasonably but only perversely deny this conclusion That no man can be justified by his own righteousnesse For having sinned he must needs be under the condemnation of sin and coming short of the glory of God in his duty or obligation he must also come short of his own glory in his merit of justification for his sin which makes him come short of righteousness must needs also make him come short of being reputed righteous For shall not the Judge of all the earth do right how then shall he acquit that man for righteous whom he knows to be a sinner we find he hath in effect given a contrary judgment already Hag. 2. 12 13. where this is the summe of his determination concerning two questions which neerly concerne this case 1. Whether a man that is unclean may contract purity from the touch of hâ—…ly things which he denies 2. Whether Holy things do not contract impurity from the touch of a man that is unclean which he affirmes and then makes this inference ver 14. So is this People and so is this Nation before me saith the Lord and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean The same reason holds in us as in them The Jew was unclean by the touch of a dead body and so is the Christian. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. The Jew by his uncleanness did pollute the holy things so doth the Christian even those holy works that proceed from Gods Holy Spirit and Grace The holy things by their Purity did not make him pure among the Jews who was unclean in himself so is it also among the Christians The best inherent righteousness we have from Gods Grace doth not purge away the impurity of that sin which we have from our selves therefore we must confesse that because of our Original and actual uncleanness every work of our hands and that which we offer to our God is unclean and consequently our works cannot justifie themselves much less can they justifie us And we find the same judgment of God confirmed likewise in the New Testament Luk. 17. where the Lepers pray heartily Jesus Master have mercy on us there 's one good work of piety and devotion they obey readily in going to shew themselves to the Priests as they had been commanded there 's another good work better than the former for obedience is better than sacrifice And one of them when he saw that he was cleansed turned back and with a loud voyce glorified God and fell down on his face at our Saviours feet and gave him thanks there 's many good works together one of devotion he glorified God another of zeal with a loud voyce a third of reverence he fell down on his face a fourth of humility at our Saviours feet a fifth of praise and thanksgiving he gave him thanks here is soul and body and all the powers and faculties of both wholly set upon good works yet our Saviour saith Arise go thy way thy Faith hath made thee whole v. 19. So is it also in the leprosie of our souls we are bound to pray heartily Jesus Master have mercy on us and to shew our selves to the Priests that is to use all the means of salvation which God hath appointed in the communion and by the Ministers of his Church yet when all is done if we will speak with our Saviour we must say to the Leper thy Faith hath made thee whole The good works may be acknowledged as adjunctâ—… but not as causes of the cure that must be attributed only to Faith in him who is the Physician of our souls For without doubt that holy ejaculation The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God though he be not clean according to the purification of the sanctuary is a prayer as needful now as it was in the dayes of Hezekiah or it would not have been left upon record for us 2 Câ—…ron 30. 19 It is the Lords Pardon not the mans preparation that makes him clean according to the purification of the Sanctuary and so Kimchi confesseth in his gloss upon those words ver 20. And the Lord healed the people that is saith he The Lord forgave their sin according to that of the Psalmist heal my soul for I have sinned against thee The Lord pardoned their sins that he might accept them and why should not we say that pardon and forgivenesse of our sins is the best ground and means of our acceptance with God For this is the only way to be clean according to the purification of the Sanctuary that is to be clean from all sin even to be made clean of which it is said The blood of Jesus Christ his Son 〈◊〉 us from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. If I haâ—… but one sin left upon my soul not washed away by Faith in his blood and the tears of my own repentance I shall not be clean enough to appear before the Throne of his Grace much lesse to appear at the bar of his justice I shall not be innocent enough to serve him much lesse to be judged by him I shall not be able to stand comfortably before his mercy and much less to stand confidently against his Judgement Therefore can I not hope to be saved by the first innocency that of obedience or of righteousness but only by the second innocency that of Faith and repentance And if any other man hath a better hope I pray God he may not find a worse salvation But surely God himself in his consultation how to save the Israelites concludes to do it not by their obedience but by their Faith and repentance Jer. 3. 19. But I said How shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land a goodly heritage There 's his consultation how to save them And I said thou shalt call me My Father and shalt not turn away from me there 's his conclusion to save them by their Faith and by their repentance By their Faith Thou shalt call me My Father and by their repeâ—…tance Thou shalt noâ—… tuâ—…n away from me that is not so turn away but thou shalt return again and therefore this promise is not to be interpreted of their obedience but of their repentance he that is most obedient in some cases cannot say he doth not turn away from God in other but he that is truly penitent can
we have been reconciled so also that we shall be saved And therefore we must take that for the condition of Salvation in the Covenant of Grace which sends us immediately to Him to wit Our believing and not that which sends us to our selves though it proceed from him to wit Our Doing Thus hath the common mother of all Christians the Catholick Church taught all her sons to pray That in all our works begun continued and endâ—…d in thee we may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain ever lasting life placing all the hopes of eternal life not in mans Duty but in Gods mercy that is not in Doing but in Believing He that is constantly prevented in all his Doings by Gods most gratious favour and as constantly furthered by his continual Help must needs have the best confidence of his Doings yet may not hope to obtain the promised Inheritance of everlasting life by Doing without being a Schismatick in receding from the Unity and a Heretick in departing from the Verity of the Catholick Church in this excellent Prayer unlesse we will say which were impious once to think That the Catholick Church teacheth such Devotions as are contrary to her own Doctrine 18. Nor doth this assertion any whit lessen the Obligation though it doth very much sweeten the condition of the new Testament It is the same in effect with the old Covenant as to the Matter of its Command though not as to the form of its promise for it requires what we are bound but it accepts what we are able to perform It commends our entire Obedience but it assures Life upon our unfeigned faith and repentance And it is so far from diminishing or lessening any wilful sin either of omission or of commission that it rather augments and aggravates the same For whereas wilful offenders did before trample under foot the Word of God whereby they should have been restrained now they also trample under foot the Blood of God whereby they have been redeemed from their fins Tell me what is wanting in their Obligation who are bound by promise and vow to these three things 1. To fosake the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 3. To keep Gods holy will and Commandements and to walk in the same all the daies of their life And every childe that is trained up in our Church knows he was bound to all these when he first received the Seal of the New Covenant and therefore cannot but look upon all these as the material parts of his Obligation by that Covenant and upon himself as a most perfidious wretch if He wilfully fail in any part of his Obligation and as a most miserable wretch if he do not earnestly repent of his failings But will you therefore say That because he hath failed in these he hath forfeited his Salvation Is Doing all these as they ought to be done for else 't is not doing of them the formal part of the Covenant of Grace or the condition of life in that Covenant May we not say That he forsakes the world the flesh and the Devil who doth not follow and is not led by them That he believes all the Articles of the Christian Faith who cries out with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief and that he keeps Gods Commandements who prays with hearty sorrow Lord have mercy upon me and with hearty desire Incline my heart to keep thy Law or write all thy Laws in my heart I beseech thee If we may say so then this is that which God requires to our Salvation and by this we perform the condition of that Covenant by which we hope to be saved wherefore though Doing be derived into the Constitution yet it is not derived into the Condition of the New Covenant The Constitution of the New Covenant is as it was of the Old according to Justice exacting the compleat performance of our Duty as it is said This day thou art become the People of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therefore obey his voice and do his Commandements Deut. 27. 9 10. and that is properly called Doing But the condition of the Nâ—…w Covenant is meerly according to mercy accepting our sincere resolution for our compleat performance and that is properly called Believing This is the Condition which we must fulfil or we can have no right to the promised Inheritance And since this is the only Condition we can fulfil we may not put in another instead of this no more then we may put our selves out of the Hope and Right to Gods Promises And we Protestants do conceive we have the greater reason to oppose your merit of works because That hath been a means to make you oppose the grace and mercy of Gods New Covenant yet to shew to you and to all the world That we so stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made 〈◊〉 free as to abandon all manner of Libertinism we acknowledge no other Faith to fulfil the Condition of the Covenant of Grace but such as teacheth us to fulfil all manner of righteousness A Faith that devotes the whole man to God In his understanding by knowing and believing In his will by loving and embracing In his affections by desiring and prosecuting In his Actions by conforming and obeying A Faith that believes in whole Christ even in Jesus Christ our Lord receiving him in all his Offices not only as a Priest to reconcile us by his death there 's Jesus and as a Prophet to instruct us by his word there 's Christ but also a King to rule and govern us by his Laws there 's Lord A Faith that believes not only speculatively to sanctifie the contemplation but also Practically to sanctifie the conversation having a firm resolution of obeying Christ in all things and a serious repentance for its defects and wants of Obedience And such a repentance that devotes the whole life to God by an entire aversion from all sin and by an entire conversion to all righteousness with the whole powers and faculties both of soul and body of soul to detest sin of body to decline it of soul to hunger and thirst after righteousness of body to endeavour and to act it He that is not thus qualified in some degree doth falsly think himself in the state of Grace and he that is not in the state of Grace doth in vain hope to be saved by the Covenant of Grace and concerning such a man the question is now as unanswerable and will be to the worlds end as it was at first making Can Faith save him Jam. 2. 14. For the Faith that fulfils the condition of the New Covenant labours for our full conformity with our blessed Saviour and laments and bewails all our failings and defects in the persuit and desire of that consormity It layeth an absolute necessity upon