contemn'd death might learn much more to contemn their Burial He shews That Funeral Solemnities are a Magis sunt vivorum solatiaquam subsidia Mortuorum rather comforts to the living then assistances to the dead And then coming near unto the Question touching the advantage of being buried in a Martyrs Temple He answers in those words which Bellarmin cites I see not how such a provision can benefit the Person deceas'd unless herein That whil'st his Friends remember where his Body lies Interr'd they may be apt to commend him to the Patronage of that Saint for assistance with God Phil. This plainly proves the particular Invocation of Saints departed Theoph. Have patience and S t Augustin in the next Chapter will shew what he meant by this recommendation The pious Mother saith he did desire her Son should be buried in the Martyrs Temple believing that so his Soul should reap some benefit from the Martyrs merits And then he immediatly adds b Hoc quod ita credidit suppli catio c. This belief of hens was a kind of Praier and if any thing did profit her Son This was it You plainly see how doubtfully the good Father speaks concerning the benefit of burial near a Martyr and how he expresly interprets praying to the Saint to be our believing that by his Merits we shall reap some advantage to our Souls He proceeds in that Book to shew That altho there have bin appearances of Ghosts complaining That their Bodies did lie unburied yet these things may come to pass by Divine permission thro the Ministry of good or evil Angels the Spirit departed knowing nothing of the Apparition He gives an Instance of an Executor who after his Fathers decease was much distressed with the demand of a great Debt which was supposd to have bin paid but having no Discharge to shew it was like to lie upon him Mean-while his Father appears to him and directs him to the place where he should find the Acquittance and a full discharge of the Debt Now by this Apparition Men may be apt to conclude That the deceas'd Father understood and compassionated his Sons condition and came to his relief and yet saith S t Augustin All this might come to pass by Divine Providence without his deceased Fathers knowledge And gives an Instance of himself appearing to a Friend of his in his Dream whilist himself knew nothing of it Eulogius was to read a solemn Lecture before a great Auditory in Carthage upon Tullies Rhetoric and one obscure passage there was which he did not well understand and was very solicitous how to interpret it And lo the night before saith S t Augustine as Eulogius declares I appeared to him in his Dream and shew'd him an apposite sense of the Words This is in the 11 th Chapter of the Book In the 13 th Chap. he concludes That of such Apparitions whether of Persons living or defunct are made to others themselves being altogether ignorant thereof And he concludes farther That there is no commerce between the living and the dead for otherwise saith he my most deer Mother would have often appear'd to me and manifested her care and love for God forbid That I should think she is become cruel by her state of Happiness And if our Parents and nearest Friends have no communion with us after death How should others thay are Strangers S t Augustin goes on to tell us That the Children of Abraham expresly say to God Isaiah 63. 16. Surely thou art our Father altho Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not That Josiah was gathered to his Fathers that his eyes might not see the evil which should be brought upon Jerusalem 2 Kings 22. 20. implying That after death he should not know it Therefore saith he b Ibi sunt spiritus defuncti ubi non vident quae hic aguntur c. The Souls of dead Men are where they do not see what things are done here below And how then can they see their own Tombs And whereas Abraham did know Moses and the Prophets and their Writings when he directed Dives his Brethren unto them He might know them saith he by their own Relation after their decease In the 15 th Chapter he concludes fully c Fatendum est Nescire Mortuos quid hic agatur We must confess that the dead do not know what is here done unless somthing may be made known to them by the relation of Angels or persons lately deceas'd And whereas saith he at the Shrines and Monuments of Martyrs Miracles have bin wrought and Martyrs themselves have appear'd to the living yet they might not themselves know that they did appear as we read That Ananias appear'd to Saul in Damascus himself knowing not of it until the Lord acquainted him therewith The Lord said unto Ananias Acts 9. 11 12. Arise and go into the street which is called Strait and enquire in the House of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he Praieth and hath seen in a Vision a Man named Anaâ—ias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight At length he concludes d An ista fiant Dei nutu per Angelicas potestates in honorem c. Such Miracles at the Shrines of Martyrs may be done by Gods permission thro the Ministry of Angels and Holy Powers in honor of the Saints and for the benefit of Men the Saints themselves being enter'd into the highest rest and attending unto more excellent things being sequestred from us and praying for us Phil. S t Augustin acknowledgeth you see that the Saints and Martyrs do pray for us Theoph. Yes in general as he expresseth it in the 16 th Chap. e Ipsis in loco suis meritis congruo ab omni mortalium conversatiens remotis c. They being remov'd from the society of Mortals in a place suitable to their merits and yet in general praying for the indigency of poor Supplicants As we pray for the dead with whom we are not present neither know we where they are or what they do Thus have I given an account of S t Augustins Judgment out of this Book to shew That he did not believe the Saints departed knew our conditions or that Praiers were to be made to them That which he mentions concerning the Praiers of the living for the dead that will fall into consideration hereafter Now as this excellent Father is voluminous so are there scattered in his Works many other Passages to take us off from the Invocation of Saints That even at their Shrines we ought not to pray to them but to God a Lib. 8. De civit Dei cap. ult He tells us That whatsoever Religious Obsequies are used in the Temples and Places of the Martyrs they are Ornaments of their Memory That we may give thanks to God for their Triumph and may encourage others to their Imitation from the renewing of their Memories
death And for a farther Confutation we shall find in his Works undoubtedly belonging to him that altho in some places he dubiously allows the Intercession of the Saints in Heaven for us Mortals yet he no where approves their Invocation but rather the contrary a Hom. 3. In Cantieum Sol. The Saints departed this life saith he having a great love for those who are in the World it will be no inconvenience if we say they have a care of our wellfare and do assist us with their Praiers and Intercession with God Again b In cap. 13. Josue Ego sic arbitror c. I am of the Opinion That all the Fathers who are asleep before us are helpful to us by their Praiers And yet afterwards he accounts this Opinion of his Apocryphal c Lib. 2. In Epistolam ad Rom. Non procul à principio as being not manifest by good Autority If such as are without the Body and now with Christ do any thing for us after the manner of Angels who are ministering Spirits d Habeatur inter occultanda mysteria nec chartulx committenda let this as a Mystery be concel'd and not publish'd and committed to Paper Phil. e Ibid. c. 20. Bellarmin takes notice of this Passage out of Origen and answers That he speaks of their daily and constant converse with us which is not so certain as that they know our state and Pray for us whereof Origen asks the Question f Homil. 26. in Numb Quis dubitet c. Who doubts of it That the Saints do help us with their Praiers and confirm and encourage us by the example of their good Works Theoph. By degrees he proceeded from doubting to affirming and yet the Assertion only maintains That the Saints do pray for us in common which we have not denied but himself rejects the Consequence That because the Saints do pray for us therefore we should pray to them g L. 8. Contra Celsum For when Celsus had objected That it could not displease the Supreme Deity if inferior Demons as Friends of God should be worship'd and implor'd to become the Advocates of poor Mortals with him Origen answers That Christians acknowledg no such Demons but know that the Angels are Gods Ministers and the Blessed Saints his Friends And then he proceeds to shew the practice of Christians in Invocation We humbly present our Petitions to the most high God thro his only begotten Son to whom also we make our Supplications as being the propitiation for our Sins and as being our High Priest to offer up our Praiers to God For God only saith he is to be worship'd and God the Word our High Priest to be call'd upon that those Requests which come to him he would please to present unto the Father If we desire as he goes on the favor and assistance of the Angels they assuredly are Friends to such who imitate their Holiness and call upon God with devout hearts and worship him whom they adore and worship And therefore he sheweth the most compendious way is to commit our selves to the great Ruler of the Creation thro Christ who hath taught us so to do and from him to expect that help and protection which by the ministery of Angels and by the Spirits of Just Men is communicated to us And whereas Celsus had objected as your Doctors many of them do unto this day that as in the Courts of Princes we make our Applications first to his Nobles and Favorites to appease his Displeasure and obtain his Favor so in our Address to the most High God we should make our way by the Intercession of his choisest Friends and Servants Origen answers Altho in the Courts of Princes so it be yet to us one only God is to be appeas'd with Piety and Virtue and his Favor to be desired as for the blessed Saints and Angels their favor and assistance follows a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the shadow the Body They love and serve those who are in the favor of God This I do assure you saith he when we have propos'd to our selves great things and made our Request known to God by Prayer and Supplication All the Heavenly b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Powers of their own accord without our Invocation do pray with us and for us Nothing could more be said against the Invocation of Saints and Angels and the Heavenly Powers and this I am perswaded was the principal reason why your Learned Cardinal brought not the Testimony of Origen to confirm your Praiers to the Saints departed as others of your unadvised Doctors have done Phil. To proceed We find in the same Century how Cyprian a Blessed Martyr was so far perswaded of the Saints Intercession in Heaven that as he desired in his Epistles to him the Praiers of Cornelius the Pope living So farther That he would please to enter with him into a serious Engagement That whether of them by Divine dignation should first leave the World he should be mindful to persevere with God in servent Praier for his Brethren the Faithful left behind him c Tom. 2. l. de disc Ethabitis Virginum ad finem Again in his Book to the Virgins he exhorts them To hold out couragiously to proceed Spiritually and to obtain Happily and then saith he Remember us when your Virginity shall receive the Crown Theoph. This is an Instance of Praier to the living for their assistance when they should be translated into Heaven but nothing to the Point of the Invocation of Saints departed It was his private Opinion That the Saints in Heaven might retain the remembrance and affection towards their Friends and Relations whom they left behind and commend them particularly in their Praiers but not distinctly know their condition or hear their Praiers if they should call upon them this mutual stipulation before their decease rather implies that they conceiv'd they should not have opportunity after ones decease for the other to call upon him And now good Friend having conferr'd notes together about the Testimony of the three first Centuries of Christianity there appears none for the Invocation of the Saints departed not so much as any foot-steps of this Doctrine before Cyprians a Martinussius Pere Ne vestigium quidem unte Cypriutum say some of your Doctors and we have not found a word in Cyprian that doth confirm it For a close therefore we may answer all your Pretensions with our Blessed Saviors words Matth. 18. 8. but from the beginning it was not so And taking in Tertullians Rule b Id verum quodcunque primum id Adulterum quad posterius That is truth which is first what comes after is adulterate We may conclude your Doctrine to be innovate and a fruit of Spiritual Fornication Phil. You must not so soon condemn so many of the Primitive Fathers who have deliver'd this Doctrine and therefore I pray
devices of the evil Spirit and obtain the kingdom of Heaven Again speaking of the Holy Scriptures he tells them b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They are spiritual food the nerves and sinews of Ratiocination making the soul vigorous and in tune and more Philosophical not suffering her to be carried away with brutish passions giving her a swift wing and translating her as I may so speak into Heaven Wherefore I beseech you let us not deprive our selves of such advantages but in our own houses let us give all diligence in reading the Holy Scripture In his Tom. 2. c Hom. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He upbraids them of not minding the Scripture And who is there saith he of this great Congregation that being requir'd can say one of Davids Psalms or any other part of Scripture d Hom. 2. in Matt. ad finem And what do ye plead for your excuse I an no Monk I have a Wife and Children and the care of a Family c. Phil. He justly reproves such who out of supine negligence had learn'd none of Davids Psalms or other parts of the Scriptures but our Church recommends the Penitential Psalms and many others to be learn'd by heart Theoph. That which follows expresly mentions reading the Bible e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This mars all saith â—e that ye think it belongs only to Monks to read the Word of God when as ye want the comfort of the Scripture more then they such as are conversant in secular affairs and every day receive wounds do most stand in need of Physic And he goes on to tell them f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That if there be a sin greater then the neglect of reading Gods Word it is this To be perswaded we need not read the Scripture This is the studied suggestion of the devil whereas Paul tells us These things were written for our instruction 1 Cor. 10. 11. I must needs declare to you Philodoxus It makes my heart even to bleed to think how such saâ—anical suggestions as Chrysostom justly call'd them should now become the avowed Doctrine of a Christian Church if I may in Charity be allow'd to call her so Phil. Your Zeal Theophilus transports you beyond all reason g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theoph. I would to God I had no reason for this Zeal and Indignation but I have much more to produce out of this Father In another Homily he gives advice that a Hom. 5. Matth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They should not immediatly fall upon worldly business after a Sermon but call their Wives and Children together and take the Bible and make them partake of those things he had heard Phil. This we approve well that such as come to Church should heed what is taught them and carry it with them and in their Families repeat and instruct those that were absent Theoph. But there is somthing more then you allow b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That they should have Bibles in their Houses and take and read to their Wives and Children at home the Text and Proofs c. Again in the same Tome c Hom. 32. in Johan ad finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. from the example of the Woman of Samaria enquiring of our Blessed Savior about the true Worship of God c. he condemns his hearers of negligence and indifferency in matters of Religion And then he proposeth the Question Which of you being in his house will take into his band the Book of Christianity d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and search what is contain'd therein You shall find Dice in every House but the Bible in few and such as have the Scriptures are as tho they had them not They clasp them up and lock them in their Chests and are solicitous for the finest Paper and the fairest Letter but not to read them They boast they have the Bible in Golden Letters and know nothing of the Contents But the Scriptures were not given that we should have them in our Books but engraven in our hearts I speak not this saith he forbidding you to have Bibles e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exhort and earnestly beg you would procure them but I desire also the sense and words of Holy Scripture should be carried in your minds And if the Devil dares not enter into an house where there is a Bible much less will he draw near to a soul that is fraught with Sentences of Scripture neither sin nor the evil Spirit will attemt a mind so well furnish'd f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Sanctifie therefore thy Mind and sanctifie thy Body having the Holy Scripture alwaies in thy Heart and in thy Mouth In his third Tome g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in his Preface to the Epistle to the Romans he grieves his hearers were not better acquainted with Paul and his Epistles and tells them If they would with alacrity give themselves to reading the Scripture they should want no other thing or if I mistake him not no other Interpreter For the promise of Christ shall never fail seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Soon after he tells them h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. From hence dospring up myriads of evils even from the ignorance of the Scripture from hence pernicious Heresies neglected lives and labor in vain For as they who are destitute of the light cannot make strait paths so such as do not take along with them the light of Gods Word in many things necessarily do off end and stumble as walking in utter darkness But more then all this we may read in his fifth Tome in the third Homily upon Lazarus and I have already instanc'd in several passages of that Sermon where he also tells us That as Work-men cannot be without their Tools so neither a Christian without the Holy Scripture And he concludes the Preface of that Homily wherein all these passages are to be found with this asseveration a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is impossible I say it is impossible that any one who gives himself up to read the Holy Scripture with due observation should lose his labor And now after such full and frequent Exhortations of the Holy Scripture and of the Holy Fathers made unto all sorts and conditions of Men to search and hear and read the Scriptures and to be conversant in them Would you think it possible a new Generation of Doctors should arise and discourage and forbid the People to study the Scriptures urging Arguments to shew the great and many Inconveniencies of so doing as much as they can restraining the Translations of the Bible into the vulgar Tongue of every Country Phil. What the sad experience of later Times had taught them they have reason to declare and to suit their
and the joyful union between the Spirits of just Men and their glorified bodies they are in some state of imperfection their appetite of Union being not fulfill'd and therefore you may observe our Savior spake of the Saints in the Resurrection expressly as to their likeness and Equality with the Angels and concludes not any thing before They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the Resurrection from the Dead neither Marry nor are given in Marriage Neitheir can they dy any more for they are equall unto the Angels Luk. 20. vers 35. 36. That they want neither knowledg nor affection to assist us and take a charge of us altho we should grant to avoid disputes yet we do not read they have such a Commission from God to attend us as have the Angels It is written Ps 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord tarries round about them that fear him and delivereth them Again Ps 39. 11 He has given his Angels charge over thee It is written Matt. 18. 10. In Heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Again Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Produce such Autorities for the glorious Saints ministery and assistance and we will yield your consequence that because the Angels of Heaven have charge over the people of God upon earth the Saints have likewise It is written 1 Thes 4. 16. That at the voice of the Archangel and the sound of the trump the dead shall rise That the Son of Man shall send his Angels at the last day to gather the elect and sever the wicked from the just the chaff from the corne Matt. 13. Dare you ascribe this office likewise unto the Saints in glory And therefore your Argument from the Angels to the Saints is groundless a meer invention of man without any warrant from Gods word Wherein it appears that the Angels are Gods messengers and Ministers between Heaven and earth but not so the Saints departed Now as God Almighty imploies the Angels so he imparts unto them the knowledg and understanding of affaires below so far as concerns their business and as they attend the Saints upon earth so they know much of their condition And so they rejoice at the conversion of a sinner But we read not a syllable of the Saints in Heaven of their knowledg or their Joy and therefore you can draw no good consequence from one to the other Phil. You conclude well upon your own suppositions but take our Doctors along with you and you will find That God hath committed the charge of the Church militant and the Saints upon earth as well to the Saints as to the Angels of Heaven c Bell. Ibid. A spiritibus beatorum regi gubernard fideles c. and that the faithful are govern'd and conducted by the Spirits of the Blessed Theoph. Shew their substantial proofs and not their confident assertions Phil. You read how the Son of God makes a faithful promise Revel 2. vers 26. 27. He that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron as the vessel of a potter shall they be broken in peices Again Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of God to uphold his Church and I will grant to him to sit with me on my throne to rule and govern with Christ his Church and to preside over the world now Bellarmine proceeds to shew how these promises are made to the Saints after this life because they are made to him that overcometh all the Temptations of life and keepeth Christs word until death And that this government belongs to them before the general Resurrection appears from that expression He shall cule them with a rod of Iron and shall brake them as a potters vessel These words imply a pastoral regiment the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall feed them as a Shepherd his sheep and it is call'd an Iron rod because inflexible from the rule of justice and therewith the refractory shall be broken in pieces the same expressions are given of Christ Rev. 12. 5. She brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of Iron Theoph. Methinks your Doctors in there deep Theologie fetch their proofs most from the Revelations of S t John Your Doctrine of the Saints in Heaven governing the World and the faithful upon earth knowing our state and hearing our praiers is a great mysterie I had almost said of Iniquity and you cheifly confirm it from some mysterious passages in the Revelation an Argument you want plain and positive proofs and therefore fly unto obscure and figurative and mystical expressions All these promises you have mention'd made to the Saints persevering unto the end serve to shew their state of transcendent blessedness and glory above their fellows who in this life were inferior to them in their sufferings and in their graces Like those in the parable who according to the improvement of their Talents had autority given them over many Cities Luk. 19. Or like the blessed servant whom the Lord at his coming shall find so doing Verily I say unto you That he shall make him ruler over all his goods Mat. 24. 47. He shall place him in great honor saith Euthimius upon the place and he gives a caution that we should not enquire too far and with too much curiosity into these things nor collect any thing from such parabolical expressions but what they necessarily imply After the like manner Theophylact upon the place He a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. shall share in the more Honourable recompences to wit in the Kingdom of Heaven for the Saints are Heirs of all that appertain to God And so run the general Interpretations upon the ten Cities c. Among the Ancients we find no mention of this conceit That Christ communicates the charge of his Church and people and the government of the world before the day of judgment unto the Saints in glory Phil. However his proofs out of scripture may sail him Bellarmine abundantly shews from the Testimony of the Fathers that the Saints in Heaven do govern and take charge of the Saints on earth and are therefore in this regard likewise equal with the Angels Theoph. I will take the Testimony of the Antient in due season but I first desire to hear all the Arguments together out of the Holy Scripture proving That the Saints do particularly pray for us and that we must pray to Them for I suppose the foundation of this Doctrine must be sure laid in the word of God or else all will fall to the ground Phil. The Doctrines of our Church are very consonant unto the Scripture and out of them you will find sufficient proof of our duty to call
upon the Saints in Heaven Theoph. Make that good and I shall undoubtedly become your convert Phil. Remember this when we draw towards a conclusion mean while I will not spare to give the premises and proofs Bellarmine undertakes to prove expressly b Quod Sancti sive Angeli sive homines piè ac utiliter à viventibus invocantur That the Saints in Heaven whether Angels or men are piously and profitably call'd upon by us who are Living Theoph. Can you tell the reason why he puts his proposition in such unusual terms the common distinction is of the Angels and Saints in Heaven but he calls them Angels and men and both by the name of Saints Phil. You cannot deny but that Angels are Holy Persons and by consequence that they are Saints Theoph. It is not material what they are by consequence but you know the Angels are not commonly call'd Saints when you propose to speak of the Saints in Heaven none will understand you of the Angels and then for the other member of the distinction c Sive Angeli sive homines Men the Souls of just Men departed are not men The man is dead his immortal Spirit lives and upon this Account when you call upon Peter and Paul to pray for you alas Peter is dead and Paul is dead their blessed Spirits are with God but not their Persons before the general Resurrection Phil. These are but frivolous exceptions do not betray your fears by diverting me from the Cardinals proofs First he alledgeth that plain Text for the Invocation of Angels Gen. 48. 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads You see the Holy Patriarch Jacob invocates the Angels blessing upon Josephs two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh Theoph. It is Jacobs Option not a formal Invocation his desire not his praier we may suppose rather that Jacob sends up his hearts desire to God that the Angel which did alwaies deliver him might be a Guardian to these Lads when Isaac blessing Jacob said Gen. 27. vers 29. Let the people serve Thee and Nations bow down to Thee doth he therefore invocate Nations and People or rather pray to God that he would bring it to pass This answer sufficeth if Jacob by the Angel understood a created Spirit but the context makes it evident That the Angel stands for Christ the second person of the Sacred Trinity because he is join'd in this Benedicton with the God of Abraham God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God that fed me all my life long until this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads Observe I pray what great d Oratione quarta contra Arrianos Athanasius saith to this place having prov'd the unity of the Father and the Son because they are join'd in the same prayer 1 Thess 3. 11. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you He proceeds to declare That no man can pray to receive any thing from the Father and from an Angel or any other creature no man will say let God and the Angels give Thee and then directly answers this Benediction of the Patriarch That he did not joine a created Angel with God that made him in the blessing neither forsaking him that nurisht him doth he seek for an Angels blessing upon the children but stiling him the Angel that deliver'd him out of all his troubles he manifests that he did not understand any created spirit but Christ the word whom he joines with God the Father in the blessing knowing that he is called The Angel of his great Councel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint Herunto agrees a Thes l. 30. cap. 10. Cyrill of Alexandria The Patriarch of God means the Father and by the Angel the word of the Father whose name is the Angel of his councel b Hemil. 66. in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostom makes God and the Angel to be the same whose benediction Jacob implores A graceful Soul to God saith He how doth he retain the memory of his favors fixt in his heart He that nurisht me from my youth hitherto he that deliver'd me out of all evil bless these Lads 'T is much the Learned Cardinalshould take no notice of these signal Autorities but bring a Text in two regards impertinent to his purpose as you have heard to prove the Invocation of Angels which would not however infer the Invocation of Saints departed Because Angels are Gods ministring Spirits and more constant in the affaires here below then are the Saints in Heaven of whose Ministerie upon earth we have no account given in the Holy Scripture only that they sing and Bless God and worship him incessantly in Heaven Phil. Give me leave to proceed and shew how our Doctors prove the Invocation of Angels and then I will manifest likewise how it confirms the Invocation of Saints Bellarmine brings three Texts out of the book of Job to shew the early usage of praying to the Angels Job 5. 1. Call now if there be any to answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 19. 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my freinds for the Hand of the Lord hath touched me Job 33. 23. If there be a Messenger with him an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Then he is gratious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom Theoph. If these be proofs nothing can miss the mark if calling be invocating and Saints be Angels then the first Text may stand the Cardinal in some stead and Eliphaz his Autority must uphold it But the context shews the meaning of the words Eliphaz would have Job enquire and call any one that fears God to witness whether any perished being Innocent Chap. 4. vers 7. or whether a man can be more pure then his Maker Vers 17. Job had complain'd sadly of his affliction and his friends design'd to put him upon the search whether these severe Judgments did not fall upon him for some secret sins The second proof is as wide from the mark as Heaven from the earth his three friends did persecute his Innocency with their grand error and mistake That God never afflicts but for sin and Job intreateth them to spare and pity him For why do ye persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh as it follows in the next vers 22. Phil. Bellarmine shews how S t Augustin in his Commentary upon Job refers both these Texts unto the Angels Theoph. Read S t Augustin in his second book of Retract c. 13. and you will find him doubtful whether he should call it his book Liber cui titulus Annotationes in Job utrum meus habendus est haud facile dixerim Or rather his who collected his imperfect notes he tells us his
in these words h Oratione in Athanasium Do thou graciously look down upon us out of Heaven and direct this Holy People and feed and cherish us in peace and in our conflicts guide and supportus and bring us unto the same state of Glory with thy Self and such Blessed Spirits as are like Thee Theoph. Nazianzen was a great Orator and makes such Apostrophe's severally to the Saints upon whom he made his Panegyrics and yet this will not infer That he did believe they heard him or that he made this Application to them by way of Invocation no more then he did to Julian the Apostate after his decease unto whom he directs his Speech for a whole Leaf together in the close of his second Invective Nay you shall find this Orator somtimes to correct himself by an Epanor thosis in the midst of his Rhetorical Apostrophes in his first Invective against Julian in the words of the Prophet Isaiah he calls upon the Heaven and Earth to hear him a Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hear O Heaven and give ear O Earth And then it follows Hear O Soul of Constantius the Great if there be any sense in thee of these inferior things In his Fathers Funeral Oration he saith Now he advantages the Church of God more by his Praiers then before by his Doctrine and Preaching if it be not presumtion to say so And in the Funeral Oration of his Sister Gorgonia he is more expresly doubtful Whether this honor is given to the Saints departed as to be sensible of those things that are spoken of them Phil. b Illudsi non est dubitantis sed affirmant Bellarmin takes notice of such Passages and saith Those ifs are not of one doubting but asserting as when S t Paul said to Philemon If thou count me a Partner receive him as my self ver 17. he did not doubt of Philemons affection Theoph. The Circumstances shew the contrary and Bellarmin offers no proof of his consident Assertion but only because It may be so taken in one place it must be in these If your Doctors groundless Shifts and Answers must go for Oracles you may carry all before you For instance in the first If of Nazianzen in his Apostrophe to Constantius after his decease Hear O thou Blessed Soul of great Constantius If thou hast any knowledg of these things I speak c. Dares Bellarmin suppose that Constantius did hear Nazianzen Or that he was a Blessed Soul in Heaven who was so great a Persecuter of the Orthodox Christians in his life time and Protector of the Arrians and upon this account I much wonder how this Holy Father could make such honorable mention of an Arrian Emperor as to stile him c The most famous of Princes that ever were encreasing the heritage of Christ to his power For his zeal of the Orthodox Faith he is generally stiled Gregory the Divine But here we must reckon him to be a vehement Orator and many of his Sentences must be made good only by some Figures of Rhetoric Hyperbolies Apostrophes and the like Phil. Is this your way to answer the Fathers You formerly severely censur'd this way in Bellarmin when he said Chrysostom in many places spoke like an Orator and do you now fall under the same condemnations Theoph. I have given an answer unto Bellarmins Arguments out of Nazianzen and now I make this necessary Observation to the Reader for greater caution Phil. S t Hilary liv'd in this fourth Century an eminent Bishop in France who in his Commentary upon the 129 Psalm tells us That the Angels are Presidents of Churches Theoph. He brings a strange proof of the Assertion Rev. 2. 3. from the Angels of the Churches of Asia which are generally taken by Interpretors for the Bishops of those Churches and they cannot possibly stand for the Heavenly Powers and Spirits because some Infirmities are imputed to them Rev. 2 ver 4. That the Angel of the Church of Ephesus had left his first love that he should repent and do his first works That the Angel of the Church of Laodicea was luke-warm cap. 3. 16. Phil. I pray give me leave to urge the whole Testimony of this Father he saith We may in a probable sense call the Angels The Eyes of the Lord and his Ears his Hands and his Feet for they are his Ministring Spirits And altho the Divine Nature who knoweth all things need not their information yet our infirmity in Praing to God and deserving his savor needs their Spiritual Intercession Theoph. I pray How doth the Ministery and Intercession of Angels prove the Invocation of Saints Such impertinent Quotations are only brought to fill up the number and weary the Reader Phil. Bellarmin shews how the same Holy Father in Psal 124. speaks alike of the Intercession of the Holy Apostles and Prophets Theoph. True he doth Allegorize the Mountains which stand round about Jerusalem a Nec leve praesidium in Apostolis vel Patriarchis Prophetis vel potius in Ang. to be The guard of Saints or rather saith he of Angels about Gods People But leaving S t Hilaries Allegories I pray observe what the Prophet David adds immediatly As the Mountains stand about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his People from hence-forth even for ever And Hilary thereupon declares b Benum quidem praesidium Angeli sed melius Dei The safe-guard of the Angels is good but of God much better Mean while here is not one syllable of our Invocation of Saints or Angels but only of their Intercession and Protection And by the way you may take this note along with you That Hilary was as bitter in his Invectives and had as great an Indignation against the Emperor Constantius as you but now heard Gregory Nazianzen did extol him Phil. It is not my work to commit the Fathers I proceed in Bellarmins proofs his next out of S t Ambrose is full and without Exception We must pray unto the Angels who are our Guards and to the Saints and Martyrs whose Patronage we may challenge as being of our own Substance they can intreat for our sins who have washt away their own if any they had with their Blood These are Gods Martyrs and our Bishops Over-seers of our Life and Actions let us not c Lib. de Viduis ultra medium Obsecrandi sunt Ang. c. Obs sunt Martyres Corporis pignora blush to admit these as Intercessors for our infirmities because They when they did overcome were yet sensible of the infirmity of the body Theoph. Saint Ambrose was but a young Divine a novice and Cathechumen when he was chosen Bishop of Millam he was train'd up in Civill affairs pleading Causes as a Deputy of the Country administring justice therfore we have no teason to ground our Faith upon his dictates He speaks often piously but not alwaies Orthodoxly do you allow that passage of his in this very proof