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
right of the People to the Sacrament c. and your answer supposeth an offence whereupon the right may be taken away But Bellarmin speaks absolutly Jus Laicorum c. The right the People have to the Sacrament is from the Priests concession I thought it had bin from Christs Institution and command And Bellarmins Inference is insufferable that as the Church and the â—ishops have power to keep Offenders from the Sacrament altogether so can they dispose of and give the Sacrament under one kind or both as they think fit And the absurdity appears herein Christ hath given power to his Church to Excommunicate Offenders but not to alter his Institution of the Sacrament If we had not found it written we could not believe a Man of Learning should make such Inferences absurd and irreligious Phil. If you like not this Answer you may his second Thoughts c Ib. Habuissent certe ex censuet illius temp ergo cum sit contr consuet introducta non habent amplius jus illud That if in Cyprians time the people had a right to demand the Cup they had it certainly from the custom of that time and therefore seeing now another Custom is introduc'd and a Law made for the Sacrament in one kind they have no claim or right to the other Theoph. 'T is horrible insolence in Bellarmin to assert That if the People had a right to claim the Cup certainly they deriv'd it from Custom and to take no notice at all of Christs Institution and the Apostles Tradition and Practice And that he should presume to ballance the custom of so many former Ages of the Church with a custom not many Ages introduc'd and withal not to allow one grain unto all we read of both kinds in the Holy Scripture to turn the Scale And why doth he take so great pains to answer the Testimonies which we bring out of the Fathers for the giving of the Sacrament in both kinds seeing he might cut all off with this stupendious Solution It was the custom of so many Ages to receive the Communion in both kinds it is our custom to receive the Communion in one kind But notwithstanding this compendious answer of your Doctor I will go on to prove the practice of the Church to give the Cup and then I will make the Inference a Hom. 6. in Numeros dicam vobis quis sit Pop. qui in usu habet sang bibere non solum Sacr. ritu c. Origen gives a full Testimony on our side I will shew you who are the People who are accustomed to drink Blood not only in the Sacrament but in hearing the word of God Phil. b Ib. In usu habet non praecepto Bellarmines answer to this Testimony is short and full They are accustomed but not commanded Theoph. c De Caena Domini Lex prohibet ejus sang Evangelium praecipit ut bibatur Cyprian shews the Precept as well as the use The Law saith he forbids to eat with the Blood but the Gospel commands that we should drink it Phil. d Praecipit ut bibatur at non ab omnibus Bellarmin answers The Gospel commands that the Blood of Christ should be drank but not by all Theoph. Christs words are Drink ye all of this And e Qu. 17. in Levit. ad bibendum sang omnes exhortantur qui volunt habere vitam Augustin saith All are exhorted to drink this Blood who will have life In the fourth Century the Fathers of the Greek and Latin Church are all for us f Epist 289. ad Patriciam Caesariam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil the Great writing to a great Lady tells her It is good to Communicate every day and to partake of the holy Body and Blood g Regulâ— 80. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Again elsewhere he puts the Quest What is proper for a Christian And he gives the Answer To cleanse himself from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and perfect Holiness in the fear of the Lord and so to eat the Body of Christ and drink his Blood h Oratione 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Greg. Nazianzen gives advice Without doubting eat the Body and drink the Blood if thou desirest Life i Homil. 18. in 2. ad Cornith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostom hath a memorable Passage to our purpose I can shew you saith he where the Priest differs not from the People when we enjoy the dreadful Mysteries for we are all alike vouchsaf'd them One Body and one Cup propos'd to all Phil. k Bellarmin shews how Chrysostom understands the thing that is Communicated and not the Signs and so all receive whole Christ altho under the Species of Bread Theoph. Seeing there is express mention made of one Cup offered to all you cannot understand thereby receiving Christs Blood only by Ib. Rom Sacramenti c. concomitancy with the Body of Christ under the Species of Bread And whereas Bellarmin faith Both the Priest and People did eat of the same Sacrifice under the Law and therefore the difference between us under the Gospel and them could not herein consist That as well the People as the Priest equally share in the Sacrament I answer that in the Peace-offering he that brought it had his part as the Priest his but they were different heterogenial parts the wave-breast and heave-shoulder were the Priests share Lev. 7. 34. whereof he that brought the Offering did not eat And so the Shew-bread belong'd to the Priest to eat and not to the People Now at the Lords Table there is a clear parity between Priest and People alike partaking of homogenial things eating the same Bread and drinking the same Cup. And this was Chrysostoms design to shew in these words a Ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Not as under the Law the Priest eat some things and the People other and it was not lawful for the People to partake of those things which were assign'd to the Priest Phil. b Ib. Manifeste patet c. Bellarmin shews plainly the custom in Chrysostoms time to receive in one kind by a miraculous Instance related out of Sozomens History Lib. 8. Of an heretical Woman who would dissemble Catholic Communion and received the Bread in Chrysostoms Church but kept it by her and eat common Bread which her Maid brought with her and it became a stone in her mouth Now saith Bellarmin If she must also have receiv'd the Cup How could her first jugling about the Bread concele her Theoph. Such Legends as these prove little If truth she might think in the throng to escape the Cup or else set her lips to the Cup and drink nothing and so Bellarmins manifeste patet is manifeste latet in a sinking Cause he laieth hold of every Reed to support it Other Testimonies we have out of Chrysostom c Hom. 23. in I ad Cor. 〈◊〉
they shall represent God as a shadow doth the Sun God hath clearly reveal'd himself to us in his Holy Word and you have drawn a veil upon him by your Dysanalogical Images and Pictures you take from the People the Holy Scriptures and teach them by Pictures according to that memorable Saying of a Pope Pictures are Lay-mens Books But God is a Spirit saith our Blessed Savior and Men must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4. 24. And â—o by your Pictures of God you determine the Worship and the Imagination of deluded People to the shadow and representation of a Body And because Man is the most excellent of all bodily and visible Creatures you have favor'd God with an human shape whereas the Heathen vile wretches worship him under the shape of an Ox that eateth grass Phil. If God was pleased to manifest himself in an human shape as you have heard Why may not we represent him so to the People Theoph. First there is a great mistake in those Apparitions of God in the Old Testament you make use of them to represent God the Father in a human shape whereas the Fathers generally hold that God the Son assumed those appearances and therefore they call'd them Praeludia Incarnationis the Prologues of his future Incarnation and so they cannot warrant your Picturing of God the Father But to come more close to our present purpose such Visions of God which we read of were transient cited only to the present purpose as in that of Daniel concerning the ancient of days it represented Gods dreadful coming to Judgment as you may read at large the 9 th Chapter Now you would make a standing Representation of God thereby to all ends and purposes whatsoever And again when the Prophet had his Vision it was also revealed to him what it signified otherwise an old Man with white garments and the hair of his head like wool could not have represented God to the Prophet It was no Image that did bear any Analogy or Resemblance of the Divine Nature or of any Person of the Trinity and therefore cannot be made use of by it self to represent God a 3. Dist 9. Qu. 2. Durandus a great School-man tells us Such Forms wherein God appeared in the Old Testament were not assumed into one Person with the Divine Nature as was the Humane Nature of Christ and when the present design was over they were laid aside as we put off our clothes And you may as well make a suit of Clothes the Image of a Man as these Forms the Image of God Suppose any Man should converse with you a day or an hour under a Vizar would he like it if you should take his Picture and the standing copy of his countenance from the Vizar When the Holy Scriptures mention the Eye of the Lord and the Mouth of the Lord his right Hand and his Holy Arm will you take these parts and set them together and make the Image of a Man to represent God and bring these Autorities of Scripture for your warrant This is a ready way to make our People Anthropomorphites to create in them an Imagination that God consists of Parts and Members as a Man and that his Image after which God made Man was imprinted in the Body In the Gatechizing of Youth we find it an hard work to take their minds off from such conceits notwithstanding all the help of Holy Scriptures which expresly declare That God is a Spirit and not flesh invisible and not a Body When we tell them that in such Expressions of Gods Eye and Hand and Mouth c. the Holy Ghost descends to our capacity and speaks of God after the manner of Men That he seeth all things without Eyes he maketh all things without hands for he spake the word and all things were made and yet the Heavens are call'd his handy-work and so the whole Creation because Man performeth several Operations by several Organs of the body therefore for our better apprehension these Members figuratively and by a Trope are ascribed to God altho he worketh all things by himself by the Almighty Power of his will and pleasure Now when we labor to explain these things unto the People they hardly sink into their hearts to take them off from terrene Cogitations of God and much more would they be confirm'd in such low conceits of the Divine Nature if they should constantly behold God pictur'd and worship him under an humane shape Phil. For no other end do we represent God under an humane shape but to descend unto vulgar capacities and our Priests can instruct them as well as you that God is an invisible Spirit Theoph. Such Images which you make of God are not Tropes and Figures to represent him to the minds of Men but real Representations to the Eye and so are apt in undiscerning Persons to improve the imagination that God is like unto us in our Earthly Members and for this cause among others he hath forbid such Images and you transgress the Commandment of God and endanger the Souls of deluded People in making and expressing such Pictures unto public view and adoration And it is worthy Observation That altho God would borrow a visible shape to appear unto a discerning Patriarch and a Prophet yet he would not do so when he would manifest his prefence to the whole Congregation of Israel he descended upon Mount Sinai in a Cloud in the voice of Thunder and he expresly makes the Observation to the People when he prohibited any likeness of God to be made Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4. 15. Phil. Your worthy Observations must not think to carry the cause against the Traditions and Determinations of the Church Theoph. I do not expect they should when the Commands of God do little move you However to keep others out of the snare we will not spare to represent the ill effects of your picturing God when you usually draw the Image of the Trinity after this manner An old reverend Man with a little Youth and a Dove to represent the Holy Ghost here you conceive you have given us the three Persons but where is the one Substance the one only true God These Images necessarily represent a diversity of Natures and of Substance as well as a distinction of Persons And when you make God the Father ancient and God the Son as an youth you sensibly confirm the Doctrine of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrius who maintain'd That Christ the Son of God was yonger then his Father and that there was a time when the Son of God was net And therefore Abulensis a Cap. 4. Deut. qu 5. Erroris inductivae sunt cum periculo Idolatriae Herefis c. peremtorily determins against making Images of God or of the Holy Trinity
not doubt but stedfastly believe That whole Christ his Body and Blood is contain'd under either Species of the Sacrament And therefore such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind introduc'd by the Church and the Holy Fathers and observ'd for a most long time let it be taken for a Law Theoph. The first part is warily penn'd c Tam sub Specie panis quam sub specie vini veraciter contineri We must stedfastly believe that whole Christ is verily contain'd as well under one Species as the other So it may be if it be in neither and so we hold Christ is contain'd in neither singly but he is signified and Sacramentally represented and really and spiritually exhibited by the Sacrament in both kinds unto the Faithful Receiver His Body that was broken for us is signified by breaking of Bread and his Blood shed by the Wine poured out of the Cup and separated from the Bread in the Sacrament and therefore at present we will dismiss this School nicety and by the Councils leave not take it for granted That whole Christ Body and Soul is in either Species Quod nullus Presbyter sub poena Excommunicat communicet Populum sub utraque Specie But the principal motive follows Seeing such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind hath been introduc'd and most long observ'd by the Church and Fathers we Decree it shall be taken for a Law which shall not be changed or reprobated without the Autority of the Church b Bin. Tom. 8. Concil Basil Sess 30. Sub qualibet Specie est integer totus Christus landab quoque consuet commun Laices c. The Council of Basil makes and confirms the same Decree upon the same Motives Whole and intire Christ is under either kind and the laudable custom of Communicating the Laity under one kind induc'd by Church and Fathers and hither to most long observ'd and approv'd by Doctors skilful in Gods Law and in the Holy Scripture and in Church Canons long since Let it be a Law c. Phil. Yes The Custom and Practice of the Church should prevail with sober Men not given to Faction especially when confirm'd by General Conncils Theoph. Why should not then the Custom and Practice of the Church which we have prov'd for so many Ages prevail for administring the Sacrament in both kinds especially being exactly conformable unto Christs Institution and Command and Apostolical Tradition Phil. Stay there We absolutely deny any command of Christ or of his Apostles or of the Church representative in a General Council to administer the Sacrament in both kinds and we shew two Councils forbidding it Theoph. You deny but the Scriptures affirm And the reason why no General Council determin'd the Sacrament to be in both kinds was because the Institution of Christ and the Tradition of the Apostles and the practice of the whole Church was so full and express for it It was never put to the Question as I can find until the 13 th Century and from that time when the School-men began to swarm most of them being sworn Champions of the See of Rome The laudable Custom as the Council speaks approv'd by Holy Fathers viz. Monks and Friers crept insensibly into the Church And this must be made a ground of Canons to establish the Communion in one kind and forbid the Cup and declare a Curse upon all those that shall dispute it And now when I shall declare the reason I hope your goodness will excuse that great trouble to my self and you in those numerous Quotations and Testimonies I have brought to prove the practice of the Church for 1200 Years in giving the Sacrament unto the People in both kinds It was chiefly upon this design to manifest the gross absurdity of those two Councils Constance and Basil who as you have heard do ground their Decree for one kind upon the laudable custom of the Church taken up not above 100 Years before against the Institution of Christ and the conformable practice of the Church for 1200 Years And withal to manifest their impudence in calling that a custom rationally introduc'd when such a Diutissime obs trifling Motives are brought to establish it And in saying it was diutissime observata for a long time observ'd when they cannot shew one clear Instance save in the Age immediatly before That the Sacrament was administred in public in one kind in any Christian Church Phil. It doth not become your Prudence and Moderation so to undervalue General Councils Theoph. Alass Those two pitiful Councils of Constance and Easil you may call them Oecumenical but you give no more Autority to them then you think fit As far as their Decrees suit the Genius of the Court of Rome they are confirm'd and no farther a Part. 2. Tom. 7. pag. 1134. Exparte Approbatum in iis quae consra Wicclesum c. Binius in his Notes upon the Council of Constance tells us It was approv'd in part in those Decrees against Wicliff Husse and Jerome of Prague But in the determination of the Autority of a General Council above the Pope it was abrogated by two General Councils of Florence and the Lateran b Bin. Tom. 8. Sâ—ss 34. Câ—nâ— Basil Tan suum Simâ—niacum perjurum incorig Scismaticum fide devium injurium bonarum Ecclesiâ—e pâ—â—ditorâ—m So the Council of Basil deposing Eugenius the 4 th from his Papacy As a Simoniacal and perâ— jur'd Man an incorrigible Schismatic erring from the Faith injurious and betraying the Goods of the Church And choosing Amadeus Duke of Savoy Pope called Felix the fifth and Declaring That a Council is above the Pope and hath its Power immediatly from Christ Alas for these things this poor Council is hist off the Stage of the World c Sess 11. Bin in notis in Concil â—asil p. 526. Conciliabulum Schismat c. And in the Lateran General Council under Leo the 10 th It is call'd a Schismatical and Seditious Conventicle and altogether of no Autority And yet these are the Councils upon whose Aurority you so much depend to establish your half Communion and pronounce us all Heretical and Contumacious for not submitting our Reason and our Consciences thereunto even against the Scripture and against the Fathers of the Church Phil. But the General Council of Trent hath no Exception being held 18 years and confirm'd by Pope Pius the fourth and subscrib'd by his Cardinals as appears by the Bull of Confirmation See the Council of Trent set forth in Latin by John Gallemart D. D. and Professor at Douey Theoph. Of the Council of Trent read the History of Father Paul a Frier at Venice a Man of Learning Judgment and Piety beyond compare and there you will find what just cause the World â—ath to decline the Autority and Decrees of that Cabal That great Ecclesiastical Body whose Soul and Spirit was at Rome receiving day by day Orders and Directions and
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
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