holy Ghost or a mockery of him a sacrilegious put loyning of that which was brought vnto the Sanctuary and solemnly consecrated to the Lord of the Temple CHAPTER XXVI That the Worship which Sathan demanded of our Saviour was the very same wherewith the Romish Church worshippeth Saints that is Dulia not Latria according to their distinction That our Saviours answere doth absolutely prohibite the offering of this worship not onely to Sathan but to any person whatsoever besides God The truth of this assertion proued by S. Iohns authoritie and S. Peters 1. THe doctrine delivered in the former Chapter was a truth in olde times so cleare and so well approued by the constant practise of liuing Saints that the very quotation of that Law whereon wee ground it did put the Devill himselfe for the present to a non-plus But he hath bethought himselfe of new answers since and found opportunitie to distill his intoxicating distinctions into moderne braines through Iesuiticall quills Howsoever to eyes not darkned with the smoake of hell it will never take the least tincture of probabilitie much lesse any permanent colour of solid truth that the Tempter should demand cultum latriae as now it is taken by the Iesuites of our Saviour Or although he had set so high a price at the first word vpon so faire commodities as he proffered there could be no doubt of his readinesse to fall lower at the second rather than to hazzard the losse of his Market For he loues to play at small games rather than altogether to sit out And if the Iesuites answers to our arguments were currant their Master with halfe of one of their skill in Sophistrie might haue put ours to a new reply as he did him twice to a scriptum est It is written sayth our Saviour Thou shalt worship thy Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue True sayth the Iesuite cultu latriae for it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this kinde of worship exprest by the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our Adversaries doctrine is due to Saints What was it then which the Devill did expresly demand of our Saviour Latria or Dulia neither expresly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adoration But this Worship may be demanded vpon some higher style than befits Saints to accept or vse It may be demanded in testification of homage royall or in acknowledgment of the partie to whom it is tendred for Lord and Soveraigne of the parties which tender it To him that would thus reply the reioynder is readie out of the text for the Devill did not exact any externall signe of submission vnto himselfe as vnto the supreame disposer or prime fountaine of the temporall blessings which he promised The tenor of his promise was thus All this power will I giue thee and the glory of the kingdomes for that is delivered vnto me By whom questionlesse by some Superior more soveraigne Lord from whose right he sought to deriue his warrant to bestow them To whomsoever I will I giue it The warrant pretended in respect of the parties capable of the donation of it is very large but not without conditions to be performed by them If thou therefore wilt fall downe before me and worship me all shall be thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or falling downe before him being all the Tempter did demaund our Saviours reply had neither beene direct nor pertinent vnlesse the exclusiue particle onely be referred as well to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship or prostration as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or supreame service Is it then but a meere tricke of wit or poynt of Sophistrie without sinne thus palpably to divide that sense of Scripture which God had so closely joyned Is it a pettie presumption onely for a Iesuite to thinke he could haue caught the Devill more cunningly in his owne play or haue gone beyond him with a mentall reservation or evasion if the like proffer had beene made to him as was to our Saviour For this in effect is the Iesuites answer The Law forbids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely the Devill required onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore he demaunded nothing forbidden by the Law To be able thus to play fast and loose with the sacred bond of Gods Law at his pleasure or to loose the linke of absolute allegiance to supreame Maiestie with frivolous distinctions pretended from some slips of the Auncients is that wherein the Iesuite glories Such of this sublimated sect as stifly maintaine that not onely all Image-worship but all civill vse of Pictures was forbidden the Iewes are not ashamed to stand vpon the former glosse as the best rocke of their defence for maintaining the distinction between Dulia and Latria But the words of the Law are still the same and therefore can admit no distinction now which they might not then haue borne Howbeit were that Law abrogated so far as it concernes the vse of Images it could not disanull this new distinction were this grounded vpon any other pregnant Scripture but so grounded it is not it cannot be 2. Such as would blush at the former Glosse will perhaps reply that the lowest degree of any worship was more than the Devill had right to chalenge and more than might be tendred to him by any Intelligent creature The exception I graunt were good if our Saviour had onely refused to worship him because he was Gods enemy but it no way toucheth the reason of his refusall which is vniversally perpetuall For he tooke no notice of the Devils ill deserts but frames such an answer to the demaund it selfe as was to stand for an vnalterable expositiō of that indispensable Law in respect of every creature either tempting or tempted in like sort to the worlds end None may worship or serue any Creature with religious Worship all of vs must so worship and serue God alone The words of the Text it selfe as well in the Septuagint as in the Hebrew are no more than these Thou shalt feare thy Lord thy God and him shalt thou serue The super-eminent dignitie of the partie whose feare and service are enioyned doth in our Saviours Logicke make the indefinite Forme of the Commaundement fully aequivalent to this vniversall Negatiue No man may tender any act of religious feare worship or service to any man or Angell to any thing in heaven or earth or in the regions vnder the earth but onely to him who made all who is Lord of all whom all are bound to feare and worship with all their hearts with all their soules and all their might And of all kindes of religious feare or service Cultus duliae is either most improperly or most impiously tendred to Saints and Angels For though as in Gods house there be many Mansions so no doubt there be severall degrees or rankes of Attendants yet the highest and the lowest members of Christs mysticall body are brethren the
Folio 217 Chapter 23. Of the generall infirmities of flesh and bloud which did dispose divers auncient professors of Christianitie to take the infection of Superstition Of the particular humors which did sharpen the appetite of the modern Romish Church to hunger and thirst after the poysonous dregs of Rome-Heathens Idolatrie Folio 220 Chapter 24. In what sense the Romanists deny or grant that Saints are to be invocated Whether the Saints by their doctrine be mediate or immediate Intercessors betweene God and man That they neither can conceale or will they expresse the full meaning of their practise Folio 229 Chapter 25. What Worship is How it is divided into civill and religious In what sense it is to be granted or denied that Religious Worship is due to Saints That the Romish Church doth in her practise exhibite another sort of Religious Worship vnto Saints than her Advocates pretend in their Disputations Folio 241 Chapter 26. That the Worship which Sathan demanded of our Saviour was the very same wherewith the Romish Church worshippeth Saints that is Dulia not Latria according to their distinction That our Sauiours answere doth absolutely prohibite the offering of this worship not onely to Sathan but to any person whatsoever besides God The truth of this assertion proved by Iohns authoritie and S. Peters Folio 249 Chapter 27. That the respect which we owe to Saints deceased supposing they were really present with vs doth differ onely in degree not in nature or qualitie from the respect which we owe vnto true living Saints That the same expressiō of our respect or observance towards Saints or Angells locally present cannot without superstition or Idolatrie be made vnto them in their absence Folio 263 Chapter 28. The Romish Church in her publicke Liturgies expressely giues those glorious titles vnto Saints vnto which no other reall worship besides the worship of Latria is answerable Folio 271 Chapter 29. Prooving by manifest instances and confessed matters of fact that the Romish Church doth really exhibit divers parts of that honour or worship vnto Saints which by her confession is onely due vnto God That her nice distinction of Dulia and Latria or the like argue no difference at all in the reallity or substance of the Worship but at the most divers respects of one and the same Worship Folio 282 Chapter 30. Solemne vowes are by confession of the Romish Church parts of that Worship which her Advocates call Latria The Romish Church doth worship Saints with solemne vowes not by accident onely but by direct intendment Folio 290 Chapter 31. That the apprehension of different excellencies in God and the Saints deceased cannot prevent the contagiō which mens souls are naturally apt to take by making solemne prayers and vowes ioyntly to God and to the Saints Folio 296 Chapter 32. A paralell betweene the affectionate zeale which the Iewes did beare vnto Moses and his writings and the like zeale which the Romanist beares vnto Saints deceased and their Legends That the Romanists zeale is obnoxious to greater hazard of miscarriage the miscarriage of his affection more dangerous by his daily practise of worshipping Images Folio 300 Chapter 33. By what meanes the publicke worship of Images was finally ratified in the Romish Church Of the vnadvised instructions which Gregory the Great gaue vnto Austine the Monke for winning the Pagan-English to the profession of Christianitie Folio 310 Chapter 34. Of the disagreements betwixt the Iesuites themselues in what manner Images may be worshipped Folio 315 Chapter 35. The principall arguments which the Romanists vse to proue the worshipping of Images to be lawfull What difference there is betweene kissing of the booke in solemne oaths and the Romanists salutations of Images That Image-worship cannot be warranted by Iacobs annointing the stone or other ceremonies by him vsed Folio 323 Chapter 36. The Arguments drawne from Iacobs fact and the like examples answered by Vasques himselfe in another case and by the Analogie of civill discretion Folio 338 Chapter 37. Whether graunting that it were lawfull to worship such Saints as wee vndoubtedly beleeue to be true Saints wee might lawfully worship such as we suspect to be no Saints Folio 346 Chapter 38. Rome-Christian as vaine and foolish in making imaginary Saints as Rome-Heathen in making false Gods Folio 352 Chapter 39. That the medicine pretended by Rome-Christian for curing the former disease did rather increase than asswage it Folio 362 Chapter 40. That the medicine on which the present Romish Church doth now relie is worse than the disease it selfe That they make the Pope a greater God than the Heathen did any other God besides Iupiter Folio 367 SECTION V. Of the transformation of the Deitie or divine power in his nature attributes word or will revealed Chapter 41. Transformation of the divine nature doth issue from the same originall or generall fallacie from which Idolatrie and multiplicitie of Gods was observed to issue Chapter 17. Folio 373 Chapter 42. Aparallel betweene the Heathen Poets and moderne Romane Legendaries betweene Heathen Philosophers and Romane Schoole-men in their transformations or misperswasions of the divine nature specially of his goodnesse Folio 379 Chapter 43. Of particular transformations or misperswasions of divine goodnesse alike common to the corrupt professors of true Religion as to the zealous professors of corrupt Religion Folio 388 Chapter 44. Of misperswasions concerning Iustice and Mercie divine Folio 398 Chapter 45. Of transforming the word of God into the similitude of our private or corrupt senses Folio 404 Chapter 46. Shewing by instances of sacred Writ that the same sense of Gods word which somtimes most displeased may shortly after most affect or please the selfe same parties with the manner how this alteration is wrought Folio 414 Chapter 47. Of dreaming fancies concerning the sense of Scripture in the Romanist in the Iew in the Separatist or Enthusiast Folio 418 Chapter 48. Of the more particular and immediate causes of all the forementioned errors or misperswasions Folio 429 SECTION VI. Of qualifications requisite for conceiving aright of the divine Nature and his Attributes Chapter 49. The generall qualification or first ground for preventing misconceits of the diuine Nature or Attributes is purification of heart Folio 437 Chapter 50. What purification of heart may be expected sought after before the liue-image of God be renewed in vs. Of the directions given by Heathen Philosophers for attaining to this purification or to perfect knowledg by it Wherein their directions are defectiue Folio 441 Chapter 51. The best meanes to rectifie and perfect our knowledge of God is to loue him sincerely Of the mutuall ayde or furtherance which the loue of God and the knowledge of God reciprocally and in a manner circularly afford each to other in their setting growth Folio 451 A TREATISE CONTAINING the Originall of vnbeliefe misbeliefe or misperswasions concerning the veritie vnitie and attributes of the Deitie with Directions for rectifying our beliefe or knowledge in the fore-mentioned
weale publicke and fortitude though as the Philosopher excepts against it not the most laudable vertue in it selfe was most honoured among the people because most profitable to them Hence the valourous in lieu of their readinesse to sacrifice their bodies for their natiue Country had sacrifices and other acknowledgements of honour divine publiquely assigned to them after death The most curious and superstitious solemnitie in this kinde that comes to my present remembrance was that Festivitie annually celebrated every September by the Citizens of Platea in honourable memorie of those Worthies which there had laid downe their liues for the libertie of Greece Amongst other conditions vpon which the Oracle promised the Grecians victory over the Persians in that famous battell a principall one was offering of sacrifice to the auncient Heroicks of Greece one of whom by name Andrâ—crates had his Temple neare to that place environed with a thicke and shadie groue a fit nest for hatching that superstition which had beene conceived from other circumstances As they had vanquished the Persians in fight so they scorned to be overcome by them in lavish ceremony towardes their well deserving dead The pompe and magnificence of this festivitie continuated from Aristides to Plutarchs time did much exceed the sooner decayed solemnities decreed to Cyrus by the Persians the gardians of whose sepulcher notwithstanding had every day a sheepe every moneth an horse allowed them to sacrifice vnto the soule of this chiefe founder of their great Monarchie the patterne of valour and royalll government 5. Thus this superstitious adoration of the dead at the first extorted from the fullnesse of respectiue affection wanting right vent did afterwards mightily overspread the world by imitation In the later and more dissolute times of the Romane Empire it was annexed by flattery as an essentiall part of civill ceremony or solemnitie due to greatnesse without any respect of goodnesse And whereas the olde worlds custome had beene onely to deifie the inventors of vsefull trades or authors of publicke good later Epicures or worthlesse favourites did adore beastly Tyrants as great Gods because they fed them with some offalls of publicke spoiles or authorized them to sucke the bloud of the needle Tullie vrgeth it as an argument of Romulus prayse that he should merit the reputation of a god in that civill and discreete age wherein he died for so he accounts it in respect of former times wherein rifenesse of error and ignorance mingled with rude affection had brought downe the price of the gods by too great plentie But from Romulus the fabulous occasion of whose consecration was an illustrious type of moderne Romish forgerie for canonizing Saints vntill the Emperours the Romanes I take it consecrated no King or Governour as gods though great benefactors to their states They onely adored such gods as tradition had coÌ„mended vnto them committing Idolatrie to vse S. Austines wordes Errando potius quam adulando through error rather than out of flatterie And as the same father obserues the vse of images vnknowne vnto their auncestors did much increase this impious superstition in posteritie and according to the wisemans observation concurred as a concause or coadiutor to base flattery The same observation is wittily exprest by Minutius Felix As for those that were so farre of that men might not worship them presently they did counterfeit the visage that was farre of and made a gorgious image of a King whom they would honour that they might by all meanes flatter him that was absent as though he had beene present And partly by this devise and partly by that other of deceiptfull Oracles many fabulous crimes which more civill and sober times had never charged their gods with were by posteritie thus polluted set forth in solemne shewes or playes in honour of these counterfeit or painted powers Not the Poet onely but the picture-maker also did helpe to set forward the superstition The relations and representations of their gods vicious liues might well embolden the most dissolute amongst the â—ace of Caesars to looke for such divine honour after death as flattery had proffered to them liuing Much worse they could not be than their forefathers or Poets did make their gods nor did they perhappes conceit any fitter cloake to cover their shame than the publicke and solemne representation of their lewdnesse who had already purchased the fame and reputation of celestiall inhabitants And hath not the tacite consent of our times almost established it as a Law That greatnesse may giue authoritie vnto villany and exempt filthinesse from censure of impietie What hath beene committed by any whilest private men ceaseth in their owne opinion to be theirs by their becomming publicke Magistrates For then they thinke not themselues to be the same men they were and what is another mans sinnes to them This is a roote of Idolatrie which did not determine with the destruction of heathenish groues or Idolls nor with the dissolution of Romish Abbies the very dregs of their impietie are yet incorporated in mens hearts of whatsoever Religion they be that seeke to be great before they be good But of this and of other branches of transcendent Idolatrie that is of Idolatrie alike frequent and daungerous throughout all ages all Nations amongst the professors of all Religions elswhere by Gods assistance The next Inquirie is Whether the Idolatrie of Rome-Christian by profession be fully aequivalent to the Idolatrie of Rome-Heathen SECTION IIII. Of the Identitie or aequivalencie of superstition in Rome-Heathen and Rome-Christian CHAPTER XXII That Rome-Christian in latter yeares sought rather to allay than to abrogate the Idolatrie of Rome-Heathen that this allay was the most commodious policie which Sathan could devise for venting his detected poysons vtterly condemned by primitiue Professors of Christianitie 1. HAD either the Romish Church no Orators at all or heathen Temples as many as skilfull and subtill as it hath to plead the lawfulnesse of their service such as devoutly serue God in spirit and truth would in the one case make no question in the other admit no dispute whether were worse The formes of their Liturgies represented to vnpartiall eyes without varnish or painting would appeare so like that if the one were adjudged nought the other could not be approved as good or both equally set forth by art if the one seemed good and currant the other could not justly be suspected for naught or counterfeit That the Romanists generally make better profession of the vnitie the nature and attributes of the true and onely God than most Heathens did argueth not their daily and solemne service of him to be better but rather referres the issue of the controversie betweene them to the determination of another like case Whether the setled and habituall carriage of a drunkard be worse in him that is daily drunk indeed hath his senses continually stupified or in one that hath wit at will to
be often given but not executed so may this apprehension be in the vnderstanding without the inclination of the will or affection as greatest school-men haue not beene alwayes devoutest Saints Or againe as many things are acted vpon presumption of some custome without iust or expresse warrant of law so the inclination of the will in which the nature of religious worship in their divinitie consists doth often prevent the distinct or right apprehension of the vnderstanding as many things are often most affected sometime or other by all of vs which the vnderstanding seasonably consulted would not esteeme the worthiest of our best affection And is there any likelihood that he which conceiues a vow in one and the same thought and professeth it with one and the same breath ioyntly to God to the blessed Virgin and to other Saints should scholastically distinguish their severall excellencies or proper titles and proportion the degrees of severall worships to them The very termes whereby they expresse them as Latria Dulia Hyperdulia argue onely difference in the apprehension of the obiect no diversitie of internall habits or graces in the heart much lesse diverse inclinations of the will or elevations of the mind and spirit wherein religious worship doth consist Or admit the apprehension of Gods excellencies and the Saints were alwayes expresse and distinct and had severall degrees or rankes of internall affection exactly proportioned vnto them and expresly intended in the conception or first profession of the Vow it is no way credible that our speculatiue conceipts or apprehensions of the vnderstanding should carry their correspondent affections so levell and paralell in the practise or performance as they should not intermingle or one crosse another We see in other cases of common life wherein the danger in all likelihood is much lesse how quickly our affections flag in pursuite of those marks whereto our soaring contemplations did first direct them No mans heart in his first ayme is set on money for it selfe but as it is the viaticum to some better end And yet how rare a thing is it to see a man much acquainted with this mettall not to affect it as his God to whose service he consecrates his best intentions True felicitie is the center whereto all our thoughts doe naturally sway but most mens cogitations are vsually drencht in the dregges of misery and basenesse being drawne awry or pulled downe by the contagious filth which their senses haue sucked in from too much familiaritie with their naturall obiects 2. And shall not the affectionate apprehension of such excellency as these men ascribe vnto Saints whom they conceit as liue spectators of their inward thoughts and outward carriage get much greater attractiue force than gold or pearle can haue over their soules these being daily powred out vnto them in prayers in vowes and other inticing issues of devotion Especially seeing their worship of what kinde soever is not intended onely as a meane or passage to the worship of God but as the marke or scope of that religious affection which they call Dulia Or admitting there were a twofold affection or inclination of the will as they imagine it were impossible that this inferior one which they call Dulia seizing so heartily vpon the Saints should not interrupt the others flight towards God and misperswade men that his worship did consist in devotion towardes them as men are drawne as it were in a dreame to thinke felicitie is seated in those meanes which are subordinate and subservient to it Finally it would so fall out in this case especially as by corruptiō of nature it generally doth in others Communia negliguntur The common good though most magnified is most neglected and Qui multis benefacit a nemine gratiam reportat Publicke benefactors though their bountie extend in large measure to each particular are lesse remembred or respected than such as gratifie vs in our priuate superfluous desires though perhaps to the preiudice of others necessities Thus howsoever the divine excellencie as well in respect of it selfe as of the benefits flowing from it to all mankind might still be most admired in every mans speculatiue apprehension or conceipt yet in as much as he is good to all without respect of persons few or none will respect him so much in their affections as otherwise they would if every one may haue his supposed private benefactors or the inhabitants of severall places their peculiar patrons in heaven The distinction of Dulia and Latria though ministred fasting to such as vow fasts or pilgrimages vnto Saints will not purge their hearts especially if they be rude and illiterate from that grosse humor which Tullie observed in the Alabandenses or Cominaeus in the Inhabitants of Pauia If such as builded them Cities or endowed their Churches with lands may haue their Images curiously wrought and adorned to be daily saluted with the same outward signes of submission which they tender vnto God or Christ the Wise-mans observatiō is not out of date in respect of these latter dayes And S. Augustine tells vs that the erection of a stately Temple vnto Iupiter eclipsed the honour of Summanus who had beene held the more honourable God before CHAPTER XXXII A paralell betweene the affectionate zeale which the Iewes did beare vnto Moses and his writings and the like zeale which the Romanist beares vnto Saints deceased and their Legends That the Romanists zeale is obnoxious to greater hazard of miscarriage and the miscarriage of his affection more dangerous by his daily practise of worshipping Images 1 WHether Images of the Godhead of the Trinitie or of the severall persons of Angels or other invisible substances may be lawfully made whether of these or other Images any lawful profitable or pious vse be granted to Christians which was denyed vnto the Iewes are parcels of that maine Question Whether the second Commandement according to our division were morall or ceremoniall of which if God permit in the exposition of the Decalogue In the meane time it is to vs it ought to be to the whole Catholicke Church a great presumption that the Commandement is one and the same to both Iew and Gentile of as great authoritie now as ever in that the primitiue Church did not reenter vpon this auncient libertie if at any time it had beene free to bow downe to graven Images to adore the pictures of Gods appearances or of men deceased The vse of Images in Churches or sacred Liturgies was held so incompatible with Christian worship of God in spirit and truth that when Adrian intended to honour Christ as a God he commaunded Temples to be erected without Images But his good purpose wanting effect the Temples so erected did beare his name not Christs or any other Gods as wanting Images to take possession of them And not their names onely but their revenewes might quickly Escheate vnto the Emperour without some visible patron to lay some claime vnto them Varroes testimony
seemes to me a truth vnquestionable is this If the wisest or most circumspect man on earth should worship God in every place after the same manner for every circumstance that Iacob did God in Bethel or if the most accurate Anatomist of his owne thoughts or affections should take every stone into such consideration whilest he worshippeth God as Iacob did that stone He should become a grosse Idolater without all helpe from any distinction wherewith the Romish Church can furnish him The truth is that Iacob did so worship God in the presence of the stone as his posteritie were bound to worship him before the Arke of the Covenant Both worshipped him in or by those creatures after such a manner as wee may not worship him in any created visible substance saue onely in that created substance wherein he dwelleth bodily The manner of his presence then at Luz or Bethel and in the Arke were shadowes or pledges of his inhabitatiō in the man Christ Iesus in whom were he present on earth wee might and ought to adore God in such a manner as would be sacrilegious to adore him in any other man or bodie 4. But it is the propertie of whoredome as well spirituall as carnall to lead such as taste her baytes with delight like Oxen to the slaughter without any apprehension of dangers approach vntill death surprise them Lots mischance is become the Romish Churches perpetuall heritage she is so besotted with the grapes of her owne planting that shee knowes not what abomination shee commits nor with whom Like an harlot drunke in a common Inne or a franticke whore in an open market she prostrates her selfe to every passenger and sets open all the temples of God whose keyes haue beene committed to her custodie that they may serue as common stewes for satiating the foule lustes of infernall spirits whom she thither invites by solemne enchantments as by sacrificing and offering incense vnto Images And finding pleasure in the practice dreames shee imbraceth her Lord and husband whilest these vncleane birds encage themselues in hers and her childrens breasts CHAPTER XXXVII Whether graunting that it were lawfull to worship such Saints as wee vndoubtedly beleeue to be true Saints we might lawfully worship such as we suspect to be no true Saints 1. IF to honour true Saints and heires of blisse with prayers temples sacrifices and vowes be Idolatrie we shall want termes to expresse the abomination of their sacriledge in performing these points of service vnto such as the world hath either no warrant to account members of Christs mysticall body or just reason to suspect for sonnes of darkenesse In doubtfull cases of this nature some honestly minded Romanists vsed to conceiue their prayers with such conditions as the French-man did his to S. Cuthbert Si sanctus sis ora prome If you be a Saint pray for me It was a desperate resolution better befitting an impudent Monke than Sr. Thomas More to censure this caution of scrupulositie or to reject it as no lesse superfluous or vnmannerly than this forme of request vnto one of our living neighbours If you be an honest man I would request you to remember me in your prayers if not I will not trouble you The good Gentleman was out of his element when he wrote controversies in Divinitie for he would haue sooner taken an Apple in stead of an Nut at a banquet than haue iudged two cases of civill justice so dislike as these which he here brings by one and the same rule of law There is no man honestly wise but would sooner request his prayers whom he knows to be dishonest or of irreligious life then beare a solemne testimony of his honestie or religion Mutuall prayer is a dutie enioyned vs while we liue together the practise of it is the best meane to make bad men good and good men better But men deceased whether elect or reprobates are vncapable of amendment either by our prayers for them or theirs for vs. Nor doe the Romanists enioyne vs to pray to supposed Saints with purpose to encrease their happinesse or as if they stood in need of our devotions To pray for any whom it is lawfull publickly to pray vnto is by their doctrine a foule disgrace vnto the Saint a point of infidelitie in the supplicant Praying to Saints is by their opinion on our part a dutie or tribute wherewith we are bound to honour them their prayers or intercessions for vs are Princely favours or graces which must be sought not as acts of debt or mutuall dutie but by religious service and supplication Now admitting it were lawfull to supplicate thus vnto S. Peter or vnto others whom we beleeue and know to be true Saints yet in publike liturgies to offer vp our prayers and vowes vpon our knees either in honour of those with whose liues and deaths we are altogether vnacquainted or of those whom we suspect to haue lived and dyed not so well as we could wish to doe our selues is a sinne so much more grievous to good consciences than bearing testimony vpon oath for mens positiue honestie whom we know not as stealing of treasure out of the Church is in respect of simple theft or burglarie Testimonies given vpon oath require certaintie of sence or experiment and tendering of prayers as a tribute or honor or in testification of our religious respect requires certaintie of faith that the partie to whom they are tendred is worthy of them 2. The ground of this difference betweene praying to living men and praying to deceased Saints which the superstitious Doctors seeke to conceale from the simple may very well be gathered by analogie of Bellarmines resolution in another point of their service Promises sayth he religiously made to living members of the Church militant are but promises but so made vnto Saints or members of the Church triumphant they are truely and properly vowes His first reason is because a vow is but a promise vnto God and our promises vnto Saints are liker our promises vnto God than vnto the promises which we make to mortall men For as that which we promise vnto God is vnprofitable vnto him but profitable vnto vs and is tendered onely by vs in signe of honour and thankfulnesse so whatsoever we promise vnto Saints it cannot profit them but our selues Their happie estate stands in need of nothing that is ours all that we offer and promise them is in testimony of the honour which wee owe them or in signe of our thankfulnesse to them But performance of our promises either is or may be profitable to living men because mortalitie stands in neede of many things Secondly the Saints can haue no title to our vowes Nisi quatenus sunt Dij per participationem but in as much as they are Gods by participation Now we know the Saints which raigne with Christ to be such but that such as liue with vs are partakers of the divine nature wee may hope well certaine wee