nature but our equals however are not our Gods It is a state of liberty freedom and honour to be subject to God who is our natural Lord and Soveraign But to fall down to our fellow creatures and to worship them with Divine honours with all humility of address and sacred and awful regards is to debase our selves as much below the dignity of our natures as we advance them above it The excellency and perfection of reasonable Creatures principally consists in their Religion and that is the most perfect Religion which does most advance adorn and perfect our Natures but it is an argument of an abject mind to be contented to worship the most excellent creatures which is a greater dishonour then to own the vilest Slave for our Prince Mean objects of worship do more debase the Soul then any other the vilest submissions and the more our dependencies are and the meaner they are the more imperfect our â—tate and Religion is 3. The greatest perfection of Religion consists in the nearest and most immediate approach to God which I think these men cannot pretend to who fly to the patronage and intercession of Saints and Angels to obtain their Petitions of him Though we should allow it lawful to pray to Saints and Angels to meditate for us with God yet we cannot but own it a more perfect state to do as the Saints and Angels themselves do go to God without any other Advocat but Christ himself It is a great happiness to have a friend at Court to commend us to our Prince when we have no interest of our own but it is a greater priviledge to go immediately to our Prince when we please without any Favourite to introduce us This is the perfect state of the Gospel that we have received The adoption of Sons and because Gal. 4. 5. 6. we are Sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father This is this Holy Spirit which dwells in us teaches us to call God Father and to pray to him with the humble assurance and confidence of Children This is the effect of Christs intercession for us That we may now come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy Heb. 4. 16. and find grace to help in a time of need The throne of Grace certainly is not the shrine of any Saints but the immediate throne and presence of God whither we may immediately direct our prayers through the merits and intercession of Christ Upon the same account the whole body of the Christians are called a Spiritual house that is the Temple of God where he is peculiarly present to hear these Prayers that are made to him An holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD through Jesus 1 Pet. 2. 5. 6. Christ And a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people This is a priviledge above what the Jews enjoyed they had a Priesthood to minister in holy things and to offer their Sacrifices to them but the whole Nation was not a Priesthood nor had such immediate access to God but now every Christian has as near an access to God as the Priests themselves under the Law had can offer up his Prayers and Spiritual Sacrifices immediately to GOD and that very acceptably too through Jesus Christ our great High Priest and Mediator and if our Prayers be acceptable to God by Jesus Christ we need no other Mediators or Advocats This is the only direction our Saviour gave his Disciples a little before his death to ask in his name with this promise If ye ask any thing in my name I will do it Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall Joh. 14. 13 15. Joh. 16. 24. receive that your joy may be full and to give them the greater assurance of acceptance he acquaints them with Gods great and tender affection for them such as a Father has for his Children At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father ver 26 27. for you for the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God a reason which equally extends to all those who shall believe in Christ to the end of the world And can we now imagine that when our Saviour has purchast for us this liberty of access to God he should send us round about by the shrines and Altars of numerous unknown Saints to the Throne of Grace When he will not assert the necessity of his own prayers for us while we pray in his name because our heavenly Father hath such a tender affection for all the Disciples of Christ can we think it necessary to pray to St. Paul and St. Peter and the Virgin Mary to pray for us This is none of our Saviours institution nor can it be because Christ by his death and sufferings and intercessions brings us nearer to God as the Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Apostle to the Hebrews speaks Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an high Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith But the worship of Saints and Angels removes us at a great distance from God as not daring to approach his presence without the mediation of some Favourite Saint And though the Church of Rome does sometimes pray directly to God only in the Name and Mediation of Christ as the Pagans themselves sometime did to their Supreme Deity yet it seems this is what they dare not trust to and therefore joyn the Meditation of Saints with their prayers to God and never pray to God without it SECT VIII 5. THat the Gospel of our Saviour has made no alteration in the object of our worship appears from that Analogy which there is and ought to be between the Jewish and Christian Worship The Jewish and Christian Church are but one Church and their worship the same worship only with this difference that the Jewish worship was in Type and Figure and Ceremony the Christian worship in Truth and Substance And therefore if this Evangelical worship be the same it must have the same object for the object is the most essential part of worship So that if it appear not only from the express letter of the Law of Moses but from all the Types and Figures of the Law that God only was to be worshiped by the Jewish Church if Christ was to fulfil all these Types and Figures in his own person and in the Evangelical worship then it is certain that the object of our worship must be the same still for if the Type was confined in its nature and signification to the worship of one God
excepting the Dispute between the Latin and Greek Church about the Filioque or the Holy Spirits proceeding from the Father and the Son received by all catholick churches to this day which is as compleat and perfect Succession as any Doctrine can have therefore when the Church of Rome asks us Where was our Religion before Luther we tell them it was all the World over all Catholick churches believed what we do though we do not believe all that they do they themselves did and do to this Day own our creeds and Articles of Faith excepting such of them as are directly opposed to their Innovations So that we are on a â—ure Foundation our Faith has been received in the catholick church in all Ages But now the church of Rome cannot shew such a Succession for her new Doctrines and Articles of Faith which were unknown to the Primitive church for many Ages which were rejected by many flourishing churches since the first appearance of them which never had a quiet possession in her own communion and were never formed into Articles of Faith till the packt conventicle of Trent This I think is a sufficient Answer to this Paper and it pities me to see so many well-meaning Persons abused with such transparent Sophistry FINIS A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed CHURCH OF ENGLAND Made by the PAPISTS Asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before LVTHER LONDON Printed and Edinburgh Re-printed by J. Reid for T. Brown and G. Schaw and A. Ogston and G. Mosman Stationers in the Parliament Closs 1686. A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists c. THe Christian Doctrine was once by the way of trust delivered by Christ and his Apostles unto the Saints Men of Care and Honesty and who should preserve it in its first purity and Spiritual intention only to prescribe methods unto Men by Faith and an Honest conversation how they might arrive at Heaven that this Religion might make a deeper impression upon their minds and memories and be more faithfully kept it was set down in plain and significant Terms and reduced into 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Rom. 6. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 20. short summaries called a form of sound words that good thing that Form of Doctrine a depositum or trust and by the Church afterwards a creed That it might be believed and valued it was in its own Nature of the greatest importance confirmed with variety of the best of Arguments Miracles Prophecies innocent carriage and Death of its numerous Disciples and severe curses denounc'd against any that should add to or take from it till Gal. 1. 8. 9 Rev. 22. 18. their great Master And its Author Jesus should come from Heaven again Yet notwithstanding all this by the Malice and Subtility of the Devil the Designs and Passions of Men the Ignorance and Negligence of some the Cunning and Industry of others this plain and simple Religion began by degrees to be corrupted by the mixtures of Philosophy and niceness by the Rules of Stat Craft and Policy by idle Traditions and Inventions by the Melancholy of some and the gayety of others and the natural Face of it was so strangely changed that it seem'd another Gospel and you might seek Christianity in the Christian World and yet scarce find it Many Kingdoms and People were to blame in this being Teacherous to their Master and false to their trust suffering so Pure and chast a Religion to be corrupted 2. Cor. 11. 2 or Stolen away but the Church of Rome seems the most Guilty of them all especially upon her own grounds her Bishop being the Infallible Vicar of Jesus to whom are committed the Oracles of GOD once indeed renowned Cyp. Epist Ox. Edit p. 5. 6. Rom 18. Platina vitâ— Bon 7. p. 159. vide quaeso quantum degeneraverint c. for her Faith and Pious Governours but now as famous for their Degeneracy as well in Religion as in their Lives Whose Ambition or Interest prostituted the Faith to those Designs and made it Earthly and Sensual or their Negligence and Stupidity suffered the Enemy in the night of Ignorance to sow the tares which so grew up and choakt the Wheat that Faith was turn'd into Fables and Lyes Foppery and Superstition were Nick-nam'd Devotion Ridiculous Gestures and Habits past for Repentance and Mortification the Bible was shut up and contemned and the Legends open'd and praised Honest and Good Men were butchered and unknown Persons and Malefactors canonized Saints with their Pictures and Reliques were made Rivals to Christ in Mediation and Intercession Good Works were spoiled by Merit and Arrogance or done by way of composition for vices the fear of Hell was abated by the invention of Purgatory Christ was fetch from Glory by the Magick of a Priest and put into a Wafer or into a more sordid place riddles and quirks of their Schools were made Articles of Faith in short old truths were rooted up and new errors grafted on them Power and Profit were Stiled the church the court of Rome was brought into the Temple and called the Holy of Holies Such errours as these in the christian Faith came from Rome and infected our Ancient British church not at first planted by the Labours of the Romish Bishops of old but corrupted by their later Emissaries and lasted a long time among us being supported by Power twisted with Interest sutable to the pleasures and vices of Men incorporated into the Government having put out Mens reason to try and discern between Truth and Error and at length became Fashionable Legal Terrible with Fires and censures which made us Sick unto death absolute almost and beyond recovery Such was our condition here of Slavery and Ignorance but it pleased him that dwells between the Golden Candlesticks to dispel our Darkness and restore the Ancient light of Primitive Christianity His Wisdom and Goodness improving the passions and inclinations of some in temporal changes and concerns to Spiritual purposes encouraging the secret groans and desires of others putting many more upon search and enquiry after Truth and infusing courage for it at length came to a resolution of Arguing and Debating the Errors of the Romish Faith and manners of reforming the abuses in Discipline and Devotion and to call back True Christianity again and being dispossest of the Spirit of Rome which oft tore them and rent them till they foamed again are now cloath'd and in their Wits once more upon this account the Friends of Rome call us Hereticks Schismaticks and Innovators Discharge Censures and Excommunications and Eternal Damnation against us are full of Wrath and indignation and to shew a little Wit in their Anger And pretended reason pertly ask the Question where was our Religion before Luther This is the common and trite objection against our Religion very frequent not only in the Mouths of their Bellarmine Campian Smith more Ordinary
Land was a Holy Land Gods peculiar Inheritance which he gave by promise to their Fathers and the Temple was his House where he dwelt among them it cannot be expected that any other Gods might be worship'd by such a people in such a Land and in such a house as God had appropriated to himself 3. It is very considerable that we have no approved example under the Law of any worship pay'd to Saints or Angels or any other Beeing but God alone We have too many sad examples of the Idolatry of the Jews both in worshipping the Molten Calf which Aaron made and Jeroboams Calves and Baalim's and other Heathen gods but had it been allowed by their Law to have pay'd any inferiour degree of Religious Worship to Saints and Angels which is now asserted by the Church of Rome to be a matter of such great benefit and advantage to mankind it is a very strange that we should not have one example of it throughout the Scripture nor any authentick Records among the Jewish Writers All the Psalms of David are directed to God alone and yet we cannot think but such a devout man would have bestowed some Hymns upon his Patron and tutelar Saints had he worship'd any such as well as the Papâ—sts do now This the Church of Rome sees and acknowledges and thinksshe answers too when she gives us the reason why it could not be so under the Law because those Old Testament-Saints were not then admitted into Heaven to the immediate vision and fruition of God Heaven-gates were not opened till the resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour and therefore those blessed Spirits were not in a condition to be our Intercessors and Mediators till they were received into Heaven but now Saints and Martyrs ascend directly into Heaven and reign with Christ in Glorie and it seems share with him in his peculiar Worship and Glorie too Now 1. Whither this be so or not the Scriptures assign no such reason for it and therfore it is likely there might be other reasons and I think I have made it very plain that there was We are not inquiring for what reasons the Jewish Church did not worship Saints and Angels but whither they did worship them or not and it appears that they never did so that we have neither precept nor example for this during all the time of the Jewish Church which is all we intend to prove by this argument 2. But yet it is evident that this is not a good reason why the Jews did not worship Angels under the Law For certainly Angels were as much in Heaven then as they are now whatever Saints were They are represented in the Old Testament as the constant Attendants and Râ—tinue of God and the great Ministers of his Providence and therefore they were as capable of Divine Worship in the time of the Law as they are now nay I think a little more For the Law it self was given by the Ministry of Angels and their appearances were more frequent and familiar and the world seemed to be more under the Government of Angels then then it is now since Christ is made the Head of the Church and exalted above all principalities and powers And therefore sometimes the Advocates of the Church of Rome make some little offers to prove the worship of Angels in those days to this purpose they alledge that form of benediction which Jacob used in blessing the Sons of Josheph The Gen. 44. 16. Angel which redemed me from all evil bless the Lads But 1. This is not a direct prayer to the Angel but onely his committing of them to the care and patronage of that Angel with a prayer to God for that purpose And if he by experience had found that God had appointed his Angel to defend and protect him it was but reasonable to pray to God that the same Angel might protect his posterity 2. But yet according to the sense of the Antient Fathers this was no created Angel and Spirit but the Son and Word of God the Angel of the presence who is so often in Scripture stiled Jehovah a name which can belong to no created Spirit And it is no hard matter to make it highly probable that this is that Angel who redeemed Jacob out of all his troubles But it is strange if Angels were worshipped under the Old Testament we should have no clearer and plainer evidence of it then such a single Text which was never expounded either by any Jewish or Christian Writers to this sense till of late dayes and here the Priests of the Church of Rome are to be put in mind of their Oath to expound Scripture according to the unanimous consent of the Ancient Fathers SECT III. The Testimonies of the Gospel considered whither Chrâ—â—â— and his Apostles have made any alteration in the object â—f our Worship LEt us now proceed in the second place to consider Sect. 3. the writings of the New Testament and examine what they teach us concerning the object of our Worship And that Christ and his Apostles have made no change in the object of our worship will appear from these considerations 1. That they could not do it Had they ever attempted to set up the worship of any other Beeings besides the One Supreme God the Lord Jehovah the Jews were expresly commanded by their Law not to believe them nor hearken to them whatever signs and wonders and miracles they had wrought If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. sign or wonder and the sign or wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of the Prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your GOD proveth you to know whither you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his Commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and cleave unto him And that Prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death c. in which Law there are some things very matterial to be obsered in this present dispuâ—e 1. When they are forbidden to hearken to any Prophet who seduces them to the worship of any other Gods this must be extended to all those instances of Idolatrous worship which are forbid by the Law of Moses whatever is opposed to the worship of one Supreme and Soveraign Beeing the Lord Jehovah And therefore whither these Prophets seduced them from the worship of the Lord Jehovah to the worship of other Gods or perswaded them to worship other Gods besides the Lord Jehovah whither they were any of those Gods which were at that time worship'd by other Nations or any other Gods whom the ignorance and superstition of the people should create in after
his own Tongue And the Lord of all Tongues doth hear those that pray to him in all Tongues c. St. Cyprian at the same time doth say That the Mind in Prayer doth think of nothing In orat Dom. n. 22. else but what is prayed for And therefore the Priest before Prayer doth prepare the Minds of the Brethren by saying Lift up your Hearts that when the people doth answer We lift them up unto the Lord they may be admonished that they ought to think of nothing but the Lord. For not the sound of the Voice but the Mind must pray to the Lord. Dionysius Alexandrinus that lived in the same Age Apud Euseb Eccles Hist l. â— c. 8. in a Letter to Xystus Bishop of Rome doth write of a person that having been baptised by Hereticks upon the hearing the Questions and Answers at the Baptism of the Orthodox questioned his own Baptism But saith he we would not rebaptize him because he had for a good while held Communion with us in the Eucharist and had been present at our giving of Thanks and answered Amen St. Basil Who flourished about the year 370. Tom. 2. Reg. brev reg 27â— putting the Question How the Spirit prayes and the Mind is without Fruit Answers It is mean'd of those that pray in a Tongue unknown to them that hear For when the Prayers are unknown to them that are present the mind is without Fruit to him that prayes c. And as to the Practice of the Church in the publick Service he declares That the People Tom 1. in Ps 28 had the Psalms Prophets and Evangelical Commands And when the Tongue sings the Mind doth search out the sense of the things that are spoken And he relates how the Christians used to spend the Night in Prayers Confessions and Psalms one beginning and the rest following Tom. 2. Epist 63. Cler. Neâ—caes Tom. 1. â—exameri Hoâ— 4. sub â—n And that the noise of those that joyned in the Prayers was like that of the Waves breaking against the Shoar With him we have S. Ambrâ—se agreeing that lived much about the same time who faith It is evident that the Mind is ignorant where the In 1 Cor. 14. â— Nâ—â— siora vere Tongue is not understood as some Latines that are wont to sing in Greek being delighted with the sound of the Words without understanding what they say And again the unskilful hearing what he doth not understand knows not the conclusion of Ibid Quis supplet locum the Prayer and doth not answer Amen that is it is true that the Blessing may be confirmed For by those is the confirmation of the Prayer fulfilled that do ansâ—â—â— Amen c. And he doth shew what an honour is given to God what a reverence is derived upon Ibid. Sia 〈◊〉 prophetâ—â—â— our Religion and how far it excells the Pagan that he that hears understands and that nothing is in the dark And he saith This is a symphony when there Tom. 3. Com. l. 7. in Lâ—c. 1â— p. 169. Par. 1614. In 2 cor c. â— Homil 1â— Et 〈◊〉 is in the Church a concord of diverse Ages and Vertues that the Psalm is answered and Amen said c. Toward the latter end of the same Century lived S. Chrysostome who saith That the people are much concerned in the Prayers that they are common to them and the Priest that in the Sacrament as the Priest prayes for the people so the people for the Priest And that those Words and with thy Spirit signifie no thing else And what wonder is it That in the Prayers the people do talk with the Priest And elsewhere he saith That the Apostle shews that the people receive no little damage when In 1 Cor. 14. Hom. 35. they cannot say Amen To conclude Bellarmin saith that in the Liturgy which bears this Fathers name the parts sung L. 2. c. 16. Sect. idem etiam v. Chrysost Tom. 4. Par. 1621. by the Priest Deacon and People are most plainly distinguished To him let us add S. Jerom his cotemporary who declares that at the Funeral of Paula in Jerusaelem the multitude did attend and sung their Psalms in Hebrew Greek Latin and Syriack according Tom. 1. Epitap Paulae ad Euslochium Epist Paulae ad Marcellam to the Nations they were of And we are farther told That at Bethlem there resorted Gauls Britains Armenians Indians c. And there were almost as many Choirs of Singers as of Countries of a different Tongue but of one and the same Religion And the same Fathers tells us That at Rome the Tom. 10. prooem 2. ad Galat. people sounded sorth Amen like to the noise of Thunder Next let us consult Augustine of the same time who saith That no body is edified by Tom. 3. in Genes l. 12. c. 8. Lib. de Magi. stro c. 1. 7. De catechis rud C. 9. what he doth not understand And That the reason why the Priest lifts up his Voice in the Church when he prayeth is not that God but the people may hear and understand and joyn with him And that whereas the Bishops and Ministers of the Church were sometimes guilty of using barbarous and absurâ— Words they that should correct it that the people may most plainly understand and say Amen And elsewhere as has been quoted before exhorts that they be not as Parrots and Pies that say they In psalm 18. know not what Thus far our Authorities do proceed with little interruption For Bellarm doth grant That not c. 16. Sect. sed neque only in the times of the Apostles all the people were wont to answer in Divine Offices but that the same was a long time after observed both in the Eastern and Westren Church as is evident from S. Chrysostome S Jerom c. Now having derived the Tittle thus far above 400 years we need not be much solicitous for what was introduced afterwards but yet for a farther confirmation I shall add some Testimonies of a latter date Such is that known Edict of the Emperour Justinian who dyed Anno 565 in which Novel 123. See this vindicated in Bishop Jewes reply to Hardings answ p. 128. it is thus enacted We command all Bishops and Priests to celebrate the holy Oblation and the Prayers in sacred Baptism not in a low but such a Voice as may be heard by the people that thereby their heart may be raised up with greater Devotion and Honour be given to God for so the Holy Apostle teacheth in the first to the Corinthians For if thou only bless with the Spirit c. To this I shall add that of Isidore Hispalensis that lived in the end of the fifth Century who saith De Eccles off l. 1. c. 10. That it behoveth that when it is sung in the Church that all do sing and when prayers are offered that all do pray and when there is reading
Militant in general but in particular for those whose persons and conditions were well known to them on Earth and these are cunningly shufled in by the Romish Doctors as proofs for invocation of them with a design to impose on the unwary vulgar who are supposed not to take notice of the difference but 't is a wonder if they should not for 't is wide enough betwixt their Praying for us and our Praying to them Neither is this the only instance wherein those cunning Sophisters play this game First alter the Nature of the Question and then where they have no Adversary to Triumph in demonstrating the truth of it If the Question be whither the Bishop of Rome be the Supreme head of the Church and has an absolute Jurisdiction and Monarchy over all other Bishops and Churches they shall bring Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 2. c. 15. 16. you a number of Testimonies out of both Greek and Latin Fathers to prove St Peter had a Primacy of Honour and Authority If the be Question be whither the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament be Substantially turned into the body Bellar. de Euchar l. 2 and blood of Christ they shall write a whole Volum to prove the Truth and Reality of Christ's presence in it which we own as well as they but after a Spiritual manner not corporally and by the way of Transubstantiation If the Question be about Purgatory a place prepared for the Purification of those Souls that depart hence not quite cleansed they shall alledge you Fathers and those St. Ambr. Hil. Orig. Hierom. c. not a few of unquestionable name to prove the utter Consumption of all things by Fire at the end of the World So here when the Question is whither we ought to Pray to Saints departed they bring innumerable Fathers to prove that the Saints departed do Pray for us hence we hear of that of St. Ignatius My spirit salutes you not only Epist ad Tral now but also when I enjoy God and of St. Chrysostom in his Oration to those that were to be Baptized Remember me when that Kingdom receives you 4. They produce the sayings and practices of some few in the Church for the general and allowed Doctrine and Practice of the whole Church If the story should be true that Justina a Christian Virgin did in great distress jointly supplicate the blessed Virgin with God and Christ does it follow that it was the practice of all to do so It cannot be denied but that many of the Fathers let slip in the heat of their Affection and Oration many unwary speeches to this purpose and that many otherwise good Men were guilty of this excess of Devotion to the Martyrs the many miracles God was pleased to work at the Memorials of the Martyrs for the Honour and Confirmation of the Faith reasonably begat a custom amongst Christians to resort to those places and there to offer their Prayers to God and thinking it may be they could not easily honour those too much whom God was pleased after so wonderful a manner to declare his esteem of from Praying to God at their Tombs they began to Pray to them themselves But now We are to distinguish betwixt the speeches of some particular Fathers and the general Doctrine of the Church betwixt what they express in Rhetorical strains to move affection and what they lay down in plain terms to inform the judgement betwixt what comes from them in the heat of their Discourses and popular Orations and what in cool and deliberate debates they set down for the truth of Christ it 's generally confest that the Fathers of times hyperbolize particularly S. Chrysostom and we must not take their flights of Fancy for the Doctrine of the Church We are to distinguish also betwixt what the Church did teach and allow and what she only tolerated and was forced to bear with the Bishops and Governours of the Church being many times engaged in weightier mattersin defending the Christian cause again Heathens and Hereticks were not alwayes at leisure to reform abuses and irregular practices but were forced too often to connive at those Faults which they had not time and opportunity to redress St. Austine complains much of this piece S. Aust de morib Eccles c. 31. tom 1 Epis 119. ad Janu. approbare non possum liberius improbare non andeo of superstition in his dayes that it had got such an head that the good Father wanted power to give a check to it I can no way allow them sayes he and yet I dare not freely reprove them lest I either offend some good Men or provocke some turbulenâ— spirits 5. They cite the practice of the Ancients Praying to God that for the Intercession of those Holy Men that had died in the Lord he would grant them their requests as a good proof for direct Praying to them The Ancients generally believing that the Saints and Martyrs in the future state did continually Pray to God in behalf of the Church Militant on Earth and some that their Souls were present at their Shrines and Tombs and did joyn their Intercessions with those Prayers of the Christians that were there offered up to God were wont in their addresses to mention the Martyrs and to beg the effects of their Intercessions that God would be moved by their supplications as well as their own to grant a supply of their wants and necessities but this is no more Praying to them then Moses may be said to Pray to Abraham Isaac and Jacob when he besought God to remember them in behalf of the People of Israel then we may be said to Pray for help to that part of the Church of Christ that is at a great distance from us when we desire God to hear the Prayers of his Church Catholick disperst throughout the whole World in the behalf of all Christian people that in all places call upon him Thus it 's said by the Historian that the Emperor Theodâ—sius Ruâ—â—in Hist l. 2. c. 33. when Eugeniâ— and his Complâ—ces raised that dangerous Rebellion against him repaired With his Clergy and Laity to the Oraâ—ories and Chapples and Sanctorum intercessione there lyâ—â—g Prostrate before the Tombs and Monuments of the Aposties and Marâ—yrs begged aâ—d and succour by intercession of the Saints He did not pray to any Saintâ—r Saints he did not beg help of them but supposing they Prayed with him and for him he prayed unto God that he would send him help for the sake of their Inâ—eâ—cession in his behalf This is also the meaning of those expressions in St. Austin that They ought to commend themselves to the Prayers of the Martyrs and frequent Aug. de Cur. promort c. 4. their tombs with a Religious Solemnity that they may become partakers of their Meâ—its and be helpt by their Prayers that is not by praying to them bâ—â— holding as was then commonly believed that when Christians came to