can be produced to depose for the Sacrifice of the Eucharist than the sense of those Scriptures of the New Testament already handled which are in a maner all that have any mention of it will inferr and allow There is much noise made with the Priesthood of Melchisedeck of whom wee reade Gen. XIV 19 24. And Melchisedeck King of Salem brought forth bread and wine for hee was the Priest of the most High God And hee blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham of the most High God which owneth heaven and earth In reference whereunto the Psalmist speaking of Christ Psal CX 4. The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck And the Apostle taking for granted that hee is a figure of Christ in the mystical sense Ebr. VII 13. argueth the voiding of the Levitical Law from the purpose of setting up another Priesthood declared by the Psalm But no where in all that Chapter which is all spent about the Exposition of it so much as intimateth the Priesthood of Christ to consist in any thing but in offering up to God in heaven his own body and bloud sacrificed upon the Crosse to make expiation for the sins of his people and to obtain of God that grace and assistance that comfort and deliverance which their necessities from time to time may require Be it granted neverthelesse that seeing of necessity Melchisedeck is the figure of Christ those things which Melchisedeck is related to have done are also necessarily figures of things done by our Lord Christ For otherwise were not the mystical sense of the Old Testament a laughing stock to unbelievers if it should hold in nothing but that which the Spirit of God hath expounded in the New Testament by our Lord and his Apostles I have therefore to the best advantage translated the words of Moses For not and hee was the Priest of the living God That whoso will may argue thereupon that his bringing forth bread and wine was an act of his Priesthood Which if I would deny no man can constrain mee by virtue of these words to acknowledg But I cannot therefore allow that Translation which sayes Obtulit panem vinum that as Priest hee offered bread and wine in sacrifice to God The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so evidently signifying protulit not obtulit hee brought forth not that hee offered that hee brought forth bread and wine to refrâ—sh Abraham â—nd his people returning weary from the slaughter of the Kings not that hee offered them in sacrifice to God as his Priest the mention of his Priesthood râ—ther advancing the reason why hee blessed them than why hee fed them As both Moses in the words next afore and the Apostle also Ebr. VII 1. intimateth or declareth the intent why hee brought them forth Though if I should grâ—nt that custome which was common to all Idolaters to have been in forâ—e under the Law of nature because wee see it retained and inâ—cted by the Law of Moses not to taste of any thing till some part of it had been dedicated to God in the nature of first-fruits to the sanctifying of the whole till when it was not to be touched I say though I should grant this for a reâ—son why hee may be thought to have offered bread and wine to God not why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be translated protulit hee brought forth no man would have cause to thank mee for any advantage from thence For still the correspondence between Melchisedeck â—nd our Lord Christ would lye in this that our Lord by appointing this Sacrâ—ment brings forth bread and wine to strengthen the peoâ—lâ— of Abraham in their warfare against the powers of darknesse as in the dayes of his flâ—sh hee fed those that attended upon his doctrine least they should faint in their travail Now this will first inferr that it is bread and wine which our Lord feeds us with in the Eucharist And again that it hath the virtue of sustaining us by being made the body and bloud of Christ as in a Sacrament by virtue of the consecration past upon it Which is all that which I say to a hair that by being made a Sacrament it becomes the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse to be feasted upon by Christians In like maner be it granted that the words of the Prophet Malachy I. 11. From the rising of the Sun to his going down my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure meat offering For my name shall be great among the Gentiles saith the Lord of Hosts is a Prophesie of the institution of this Sacrâ—ment because it is contained in those kindes of breâ—d and wine which served for meat and drink offerings in the Law of Moses But this being granted what shall wee do with the incense and the meat offering which the Prophet speaks of unlâ—sse wee say that they signifie that which corresponds to the meâ—t and drink offerings of the Law and their incense under the Gospel And will not thâ—t prove to be the spiritual sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which God under the Gospel is served with by all Nations Though those prayers and prâ—â—es of God being by the institution of the Eucharist limited and determined to be such as the celebration thereof requires it is no inconvenience nay it will be necessâ—ry to grant that the sacrifice thereof is fore-told by these words not signifying neverthelesse the nature of it to require any thing more thâ—n is exprâ—ssed by the premises Be the same therefore said if you please of all the Sacrifices of the Old Law of all the Prophesies in which the service to be rendred to God in the New Testament is described by the offering of Sacrifices As for the words of our Lord to the woman of Samaria John IV. 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Though I grant as afore that this is fulfilled by the celebration of the Eucharist when once wee suppose our Lord to have limited the worship of God under the Gospel to the form of it yet there can be no consideration of a sacrifice signified by these words which neither suppose nor expresse the sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse the Eucharist no way bearing the nature of a sacrifice but as it is the same with it But for the same reason and by the same correspondence between the sacrifices of the Law and that of Christs Crosse it may be evident that it is not nor can be any disparagement to the Sacrifice of our Lord Christ upon the Crosse to the full and perfect satisfaction and propitiation for the sins of the world which it hath made that the Eucharist should be
their sufferings under Epiphanes The purpose of these Visions toward the Jews being the same with that of the Apocalypse toward the Christians to comfort them with resolution to adhere to the Law under to great trials the good success whereof the same Prophesie which foretold the Persecutions assureth It is not my businesse here to enter into any farther exposition of the particulars presuming that the reasons which confine the Interpretation being so concluding those that will look into the writings of those that walk within the bounds of Epiphanes his time especially Grotius the latest and ablest will find a more proper sense within those times than any can be imagined otherwise If therefore the Persecutions then related be fulfilled in the sufferings of the Jews under Epiphanes then the Kingdom which there is soretold to be given the Saints and People of God after vengeance executed upon him Dan. VII 18 22 27. XII 2 3. must also of necessity be understood of that Dominion which that Nation attained by freeing themselves from the Dominion of the Macedonians under the Maccabees Now there being such correspondence not onely between the main intent of both Prophesies but also between the particulars of them in very many things which no man can read both with diligence but must observe though it is true that many figures are used in S. Johns Revelations which are found to correspondent purposes in the Visions of others of the Prophets concerning Gods ancient people I conceive no man will be able to reprove the consequence that both the Persecutions which pretended to make the Christians renounce Christ as Antiochus pretended to make the Jews renounce the Law are intended by the fifth Seal and also the coming of Constantine to the Empire whereby the Government of the world came into the hands of Christians by the sixth Seal As well as the Dominion of the Maccabees succeeding the persecution of Epiphanes by the raign of the Saints foretold by Daniel From whence I argue that S. Pauls Prophesie cannot intend any that should professe Christianity with an intent to corrupt it because of the terms which hee useth Hee that exalteth himself against all that is called God or to be worshipped so as to seat himself in the Temple of God showing himself that hee is God Being the same in which Epiphanes is described Dan. XI 36 37. And the King shall do what him list Hee shall exalt himself and magnifie himself against all that is God and shall speak marvelous things against the God of Gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished For the determination is made Neither shall hee regard the God of his Fathers nor the desires of women nor care for any God For hee shall magnifie himself above all For who is it that magnifies himself above all that is called or accounted God and worshipped for God though by his own Predecessors but hee that appoints the Jews whom they shall worship for their own the true God in the Temple But hee that appoints the Christians to whom they shall sacrifice Which as of all other Princes that had the Jews in their power none did but Epiphanes so all the Emperours that raised persecution against the Christians did necessarily do For as it is manifest that both the Macedonian Kings and Roman Emperours were themselves worshipped for Gods by their Gentile Subjects so can none be said to advance himself above all that is called or worshipped for God but those that first forbid the worship of the true God then of false Gods allow or disallow the worship of whomsoever their own fansie directs which is a thing common to Antiochus Epiphanes with the Roman Emperours For the saying of Tertullian is well enough known Apolog. V. cap. Nisihomini deus placuerit deus non erit Spoken in regard of the Power that State used to allow or disallow the Religions and the Gods which they pleased Whereupon hee rests and sayes That such Gods if they have not man to friend must be no Gods And besides the Emperours by assuming the Legal power of Pontifex maximus were invested with a Civil Right of allowing or disallowing whomsoever should pretend to be worshipped for God within the bounds of the Empire Whether then that wee suppose that the Prophesie of S. Paul to the Thessalonians and the Revelations made to S. Iohn do concern Antichrist or not seeing the Scripture no where saith that either the one or the other intendeth to speak of Antichrist And for the present omitting the dispute whether that Antichrist whom S. Iohn in his first Epistle II. 18 19. IV. 1 2 3. admitteth to be appointed to come though other Antichrists were come afore whether I say that Antichrist be such a one as by persecution should seek to constrain Christians to renounce Chirst or such a one as by professing Christianity should induce Christians to admit the corruption of Christianity and thereby to forfeit the benefit of it I say omitting to dispute this for the present out of the premises I shall easily inferr that there is neither in S. Pauls Prophesie nor in S. Iohns Revelations any thing to signifie that they are intended of any that should bring in the corruption of Christianity by making profession of it Whereupon it followeth that though wee suppose the mystery of iniquity which S. Paul foretelleth to be the same that S. Iohn saw as truly I do suppose and both to begin with the preaching of Christianity yet from thence no exception can be made to the interpretation of the Scriptures and the determination of things questioned in Christianity from that which may appear to have been received by the whole Church from the beginning Onely I will adde that it is a very barbarous wrong that is done the Church whether by the Socinians or by whosoever they are that allege the testimony of Hegesippus in Eusebius acknowledging That the Church which during the time of the Apostles was a pure Virgin after their departure began to be adulterate with the contagion of pestilent doctrines to argue that this being the mystery of iniquity which S. Paul prophesieth is also the corruption of the Papacy which beginning so early leaves nothing unsuspected that can be presumed upon the consent of the Church For it is manifest that Hegesippus speaks of the abominable doctrines of the Gnosticks which as it is manifest by the writings of the Apostles that they were on foot during their time so may wee well believe Hegesippus that upon their death they spread so sarr that in comparison of what succeeded the Church of the Apostles may well be counted a pure Virgin It is also manifest from the premises that the Gnosticks could finde in their hearts to counterfeit themselves as well Christians as Jewes or Gentiles to secure themselves from punishment and winn followers But it is also manifest that as they were discovered by the Church so they were put out of the Church and forced
are justified before God But the inward and Spirituall observation of them at least the purpose and intention of it as it depends upon the grace of Christ which the Gospel publisheth so must it necessarily be included in that faith which in opposition to the works of the Law qualifies Christians for those promises which the Gospel tendereth But that which must remove all doubt of the Apostles meaning in this point must be the removing that difficulty which held the Jewes then and still holds them in the opinion of obtaining righteousnesse and salvation by the Law For certainely could S. Paul have perswaded them that the ancient Fathers from the beginning of whose salvation theyh could not doubt though under the Law yet obtained not salvation by the law but by the Gospel it had been an easie thing for him to have perswaded them to it The Apostles intent therefore is to perswade them to that which because it was hard to perswade them to therefore they continued Jewes and refused to become Christians Now let us suppose that which I have premised that the Law expressely covenanteth onely for the worldly happinesse of that people in the land of promise requiring in lieu of it onely the outward and civil observation of the law But the summe of that outward observation thereof which is expressely covenanted for consisting in the worship of one God whose providence in the particular actions of his creatures it presupposeth maintaining also a Tradition of the immortality of mans soul and of bringing all mens actions to account shall not all that are born under this Law stand necessarily convict that they owe this God that inward and spirituall obedience wherein his worship in Spirit and truth consisteth And seeing the same God tenders them terms of that reconcilement and friendship which maintaines them in that state of this world whereby they may be able and fit to render him such inward and spirituall obedience punctually making good the same to them Have they not reason enough to conclude that they shall not faile of his favour and grace so long as they proceed in a course of such obedience How much more having the examples of the ancient Fathers the doctrine which they delivered by word of mouth the instructions of the Prophets whom God raised up from time to time to assure them that this was that principall intent of Gods law though it made the least noise in it how much more I say must they needs stand convict both of their own obligation to tender God this obedience and also that tendring it they could not faile of Gods favour toward them even as to the life to come Though this cannot be said to be the Gospel of Christ because it containeth not the dispensation of his life in the flesh nor the expresse tender of the life to come in consideration of the profession of his Name and of living according to his doctrine Yet if it be truly said that the Gospel is implied and vailed in the Law either this signifies nothing or this is the thing that it signifies For upon this ground it is manifest that there was alwayes a twofold sense and effect of Moses Law and by consequence a twofold law By virtue of which difference whereas it is said Heb. VII 16. That the legall Priesthood stood by the law of a carnall precept And the precepts thereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I said afore And the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of the red heifer are said to sanctifie to the cleansing of the flesh Heb. IX 10. 13. On the other side S. Paul saith that the Law is spirituall and that the commandment was given to life and therefore discovers concupiscence to be sinne Rom. VII 7 10 14. And S. Steven saith to his people of Moses that he received living oracles to give unto us Acts VII 38. And S. Paul of himself and his fellow Apostles delivering the doctrine of the Gospel Which things we speak saith he not with words taught by mans wisdome but taught by the holy Ghost comparing spiritual things with spiritual things 1 Cor. II. 13. that is the spiritual things which the Gospel expresseth with the same spiritual things implied by the law As I shewed afore that the same S. Pauls meaning is that the man of God is perfectly furnished to every good work when he is able to make the Scriptures of the Old Testament usefull to instruct reprove teach and comfort Christians in Christianity 2 Tim. III. 16 17. And truly whatsoever is said in the writings of the Apostles or the sayings of our Lord Christ supposing the difference between that which is Spirituall and that which is carnall or literall in the Scriptures must be expounded upon this ground of the Apostle that all the promises of God are yea in Christ and in him amen as S. Paul saith 2 Cor. I. 20. That is to say that the temporall promises of Moses law were intended for and fulfilled in the eternall promises of Christs Gospel For upon this ground there is a Jew according to the letter and a Jew according to the Spirit that is a Christian Rom. II. 28 29. There are sons according to the flesh and sons according to promise Rom. IX 8. and he that was born of the bondmaide was born according to the flesh and persecuted him that was born of the free woman according to the Spirit Gal. IV. 23. 29. For this reason it is said That the Fathers all eat the same spirituall meat and drank the same spirituall drink as we Christians do For they drank of the spirituall rock that followed them which rock was Christ 1 Cor. X. 3 4. Because as Christianity was intended by the law so was Christ by the figures of the law neither is there any other reason to be given why the letter killeth but the Spirit quickneth as S. Paul affirmeth 2 Cor. III. 6. but this Because as the law in the literall sense provides no remedy for those that fall into Capitall crimes but leaves them to the justice of the law So the Spirituall sense of it was not available to bring men to life though available to convict them of sinne So that the Jews whom S. Paul pursueth as guilty of sinne by the conviction of the law stand noverthelesse convict that they were never able however convict of sin to attain righteousnesse by the help of it alone and therfore that they are no lesse obliged to have recourse to the Gospel and to imbrace Christianity then the Gentiles themselves who had no other pretense to avoid the judgement of God which the Gospel publisheth This is the intent of S. Paul in the first chapters of his Epistle to the Romanes which he recapitulates in this generall inference Rom. III. 9. We have pleaded before that Jewes and Gentiles both are under sinne And againe Rom. XI 32. God hath shut up all under disobedience that he might have
unto his people which obliged them to resort thither as we see they did by the beginning of Samuel but that this purpose being declared void by the captivity of the Ark the high places came to be permitted again as before the Ark had begunne to settle in Shiloh In the mean time I hold the opinion neither blameable nor improbable which the best learned do advance for the beginning of Synagogues in the Land of promise that is to say of places where the people might and were to assemble for the service of God which was not confined to the Ark To wit that these high places were afterwards deputed to the residence of Prophets and their Disciples and to that service of God which all Israel could not be present at in the Temple Though those that submitted not to the Law as the determinaâ—ion of Gods choice to Jerusalem did not cease to offer sacrifices and burn incense in the High places especially in such times when Idolatry was grown so strong that it could not be punished by exterminating those Cities that were found to have a hand in it according to the Law Deut. XV. For it is evident that offering sacrifice in the High places was a great mean to palliate Idolatry and for that reason had been forbidden by the Law But what reason hath any man to reject this opinion having no beter evidence for any other place or opportunity for any religious assembly of Gods people but onely that before the Ark for so long time Indeed in those Psalms that are intitled to Asaph from LXXIII to LXXXIII there is mention more then once of other Houses of God besides the Temple But of those Psalms and the author and time of them there is difficulty made whither written by Asaph or afterwards given to his posterity to sing in the Temple For seeing they not onely seem to point out Nebuchadnezzar by the wilde bore out of the wood LXXX 13. but also the time when they had no Prophets LXXXIV 9. either we must grant that these things are said by the spirit of Prophesy or that they were written in after times I do indeed continue rather of the former judgement But I spare not to allege the uncertainty for an evidence how farr they were from having any written Law for the building of Synagogues which nevertheless was a thing so necessary for maintenance of their Religion and the service of God according to it that no man in his right senses can question whither they were tied to it or not Be it therefore uncertain how farr Synagogues were propagated in the Land of promise before the Babylonian Captivity For after the return which is the â—oot of account for the time from whence all Idolatry was detested by them from this time when their dispersions among the Nations began together with their detestation of their Idolatries be it resolved both that they did take upon them the building of Synagoues for that service not confined to the Temple which they found themselves tied to frequent And that they ought so to doe Now when Christianity first came in not severed from Judaism but distinguished by some offices namely of Baptism and the Eucharist tha is to say by such Prayers as were made at both it is no marvail that the Christians frequenting the service of God together with the Jews either the in Temple or in the Synagogue did content themselves to celebrate the offices proper to Christianity in private Houses For I confess when S. Luke says that they broke bread that is celebrated the Eucharist as the Syriack translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is at home or from house to house Act. II. 46. I rather think this was done in private houses though Beza might be my author that they had houses set apart for that purpose if I meant to strain mine opinion beyond the evidence of it But of the Church of Corinth I say not the same where I find no appearance by S. Pauls Epistles that there was any correspondence between the Jews and the Christians or any expectation that the service of God according to Christianity â—â—â—â—eeding Judaiâ—â—â— might convert Synagogues into Churches And when S. Paul says 1 Cor. XI 22. Have yee not houses to eat and to drink in or despise yee the Church of God and shame those that have not not onely the antitheâ—â—s between houses to eat and drink in and the Church of God but also the difference between shaming the poor and despising the Church of God seems to require that a Church there signifie a Church that is the place not the people Though not doubting that the assemblies of the Christians were there held many times in ordinary houses and upper rooms Acts I. 13. XX. 8. but finding the Church at Corinth so well setled that if those of Jerusalem contributed their estates to the maintenance of the people of the Church no man can marvail that they should disburâ—â— for a Church How â—arr then the Church began to be poâ—â—â—ssed of places set apart for the offices of Christianity seems to depend upon two points severally in severall places The probability of persecution and the compliance with Judaism Unless those two be reducible to one in regard of the great appearance that at the beginning all probability of persecution depended upon the interruption of compliâ—nce and correspondence with the Jews This all reason justifieth that the Christians so far as there was appearanâ—e of probability that they might injoy the liberty of meeting at certain known places did from the beginning set apart certain places for that purpose either uâ—on contribution of the Churches or upon the liberal devotion of particular persons And for the proof of this I think I need no more then the visible example of the Jews and the advantage which their Religion and the truth of God had found by by having set places to which not onely their own might resort to serve God out of a profession of his truth but even the Gentiles be wonne from the worship of Idols by becoming acquainâ—ed with the profession which they celebrated at such certain places The effect of this advantage is evident to us by the Acts of the Apostles and the mention which there we find of their preaching in the Jews Synagogues For commonly there is also mention of devout men and devout women and such as worshipped God of the Gentiles Being indeed those that were converted from the worship of Idols to the true God whom the Jews worshipped And therefore S. Paul when he sheweth that Christianity had the like advantage by the resort of Gentiles unto their assemblies 1 Cor. XVI 23. makes me think it still more probable that they had then at Corinth certain known places set apart for their Assemblies Onely I will adde the evidence of common sense how much more opportunity there must needs be for companies that are grown numerous to assemble in certain known places set
the acts of them that teach these prayers the acts of the Church because it tolerates them and maintaines them in it in stead of casting them out it would be hard to free that Church from Idolatrie which whoso admitteth can by no meanes grant it to be a Church the being whereof supposeth the worship of one God exclusive to any thing else But the words of them are capable of the same limitation that I gave to the words of our Lord when I said that they whom Christians do good to here may be said to receive them into everlasting habitations because God does it in consideration of them and of the good done them And so when Irenaeus calls the Virgine Mary the advocate of Eve V. 19. he that considers his words there and III. 33. shall find that he saith it not because she prayed for her but because she believed the Angels message and submitted to Gods will and so became the meanes of saving all though by our Lord Christ who pleadeth even for her as well as for Eve Ground enough there is for such a construction even the belief of one God alone that stands in the head of our Creed which we have no reason to thinke the Church allowes them secretly to renounce whom she alloweth to make these prayers And therefore no ground to construe them so as if the Church by allowing them did renounce the ground of all her Christianity But not ground enough to satisfie a reasonable man that all that make them do hold that infinite distance between God and his saints and Angels of whom they demand the same effects which if they hold not they are Idolaters as the Heathen were who being convinced of one Godhead as the Fathers challenge to their faces divided it into one principall and divers that by his gift are such How shall I presume that simple Christians in the devotions of their hearts understand that distance of God from his creatures which their words signify not which the wisest of their teachres will be much troubled to say by what figure of speech they can allow it Especially if it be considered how little reason or interest in religion there can be to advance the reverence of Christian people towards the Saints or Angels so farre above the reason and ground which ought to be the spring-head of it For so farre are we from any Tradition of the Catholicke Church for this that the admonition of Epiphanius to the Collyridians takes-hold of it Haer. LXXIX For they also would have been Christians being a sort of women in Arabia who in imitation of the Eucharist offered to the Virgine Mary and communicated Therefore Epiphanius reproves them by the Custome of the Church that no such thing was ever done in the Church as well as by the ground of Christianity that Christians worship onely one God This admonition then takes hold though not of the Church yet of the prayers which it alloweth signifying the same with their oblations So doth the admonition of Saint Ambrose in Rom. I. to them who reserve nothing to God that they give not to his servants So doth that of Saint Augustine de vera Rel. Cap. LV. that our religion is not to consist in worshipping the dead And that an Angel forbad S. John to worship him but onely God whose fellow-servants they were So doth the argument of S. Gregory Nyssene contra Eunom IV. and Athanasius contra Arian III. concluding our Lord to be God because he is worshipped which Cornelius was forbid by Saint Peter Saint John by the Angel to do to them saith Athanasius In fine so dangerous is the case that whoso communicateth in it is no way reasonably assured that he communicateth not in the worship of Idols Onely the Church of England having acknowledged the Church of Rome a true Church though corrupt ever since the Reformation I am obliged so to interpret the prayers thereof as to acknowledge the corruption so great that the prayers which it alloweth may be Idolatries if they be made in that sense which they may properly signify But not that they are necessarily Idolatries For if they were necessarily Idolatries then were the Church of Rome necessarily no Church The being of Christianity presupposing the worship of one true God And though to confute the Heretickes the stile of moderne devotions leaves nothing to God which is not attributed to and desired of his Saints Yet it cannot be denied they may be the words of them who believe that God alone can give that which they desire The second sort it is confessed had the beginning in the flourishing times of the Church after Constantine The lights of the Greek and Latine Church Basil Nazianzene Nyssene Ambrose Jerome Augustine Chrysostome Cyrils both Theodoret Fulgentius Gregory the Great Leo more or rather all after that time have all of them spoken to the Saints departed and desired their assistance But neither is this enough to make a Tradition of the Church For the Church had been CCC years before it began Irenaeus is mistaken when he is alledged for it as I said even now Cardinall Bellarmine alleges out of Eusebius de Praeparat XIII 10. Vota ipsis facimus We make our prayers to them But the Greek beares onely We make our prayers to God at their monuments Athanasius de sanctissima deipara whom he quotes is certainly of a later date then Athanasius Out of S. Hillary I see nothing brought nor remember any thing to be brought to that purpose In fine after Constantine when the Festivalls of the Saints being publickly celebrated occasioned the confluence of Gentiles as well as Christians and innumerable things were done which seemed miracles done by God to attest the honour done them and the truth of Christianity which it supposed I acknowledge those great lights did think fit to addresse themselves to them as petitioners but so at the first as those that were no wayes assured by our common Christianity that their petitions arrived at their knowledge You have seen Saint Augustine acknowledge that they must come by such meanes as God is no way tied to furnish Gregory Nazianzene speakes to Gorgonia in his Oration upon her and to Constantius in his first oration against Juliane but under a doubtfull condition if they were sensible of what he spake Enough to distinguish praying to God from any addresse to a creature though religion be the ground of it And when the apparitions about their monuments were held unquestionable yet was it questioned whether the same souâ— could be present at once in places of so much distance or Angels appear like them as you may see in the answer aforesaid pag. 391. 394. Nay Hugo de S. Victore in Cassander Epist XIX hath inabled him to hold that the Litanies do not suppose that the Saints hear them and therefore are expounded by some to signify conditionall desires if God grant them to come to their knowledge But of that I speak