that I may not say further that to be set on the right hand of God is to haue a like power and equall glory with God himselfe Againe that the Romish Church is an idolatrous assembly I proue it out of the Romish Masse booke where in the Seruice appointed for Good Friday it is said that the Priest so soone as hee hath put off his shooes and then approcheth to adore the Crosse shall kneele three times before he kisse the Crosse and then afterward the Ministers of the Altar they must also kneele and three times adore the Crosse. II. Arg. That Church which approueth manifest crimes is not the pure Church but the Church of Rome is such Ergo. The Proposition is herein manifest for that the Papists themselues do yeeld sanctity and holinesse of manners to be a note of the Church The assumption I confirme for that the Pope doth dispence for Incest Sodomy and other most grieuous crimes See the Taxes Fines or Nundinations of the Court of Rome described at large in Musculus his Common Places 2. It is confirmed out of Costers Enchiridion where you shall find it written that a Priest committing fornication or keeping a concubine in his house does not so grieuously sinne as he that doth marrie This doth Gretzer allow of in his History of the Iesuiticall order pag 115. Most truly wrote our Coster that a Priest should not so grieuously offend if hee should commit Fornication then if hee should marrie And hee addeth Yea it is truly spoken that a Priest doth lesse sin in committing Adulterie then in marrying a Wife Bellar. 2. lib. de Monach. cap. 30. It cannot be truly said of a Nun that hath vowed continence that it is better to bee married then to burne for both in her is euill to bee married and to burne yea worse it is to bee married then to burne whatsoeuer our aduersaries say to the contrarie that it is written 1. Cor. 7. It is better to marry then to burne Here that is worthy marking which Sleidan sets downe in his first booke that a certaine Italian Bishop Casa by name hath written a whole booke in the praise of filthy Sodomy where we may note for a conclusion that although al those things be granted to the Papists which they most gloriously dispute about the Church yet they can gaine nothing hereby because they ought to make it plaine first vnto vs that the Popedome is the true Church which in that they haue not as yet prooued nor shall euer bee able to prooue it they do but delude themselues with a vaine title of the Church And whereas they say that it is absurd before the point of the Church bee discussed to take in hand to dispute of any of the Articles of faith that also can little auaile them because wee doe dispute and iudge of doctrine and faith by the word of God and it may so bee disputed although that point of the Church be not before handled for the Word of God is before the Church and aboue the Church neither hath the Church any authoritie to wrest the Scripture as we haue formerly proued in the common place of Scripture But here I would haue noted the exceeding fraud of the Popish Writers that when they haue made a great stirre about the Church and stood long vpon it at length they conclude the Church to be a Councell consisting of the Pope the Cardinals and Bishops and so exclude all other which are neither Cardinals nor Bishops from the Church at least remouing them so farre that they shall not make vp the Church properly so called and principally that hereby they might the more establish the insolent pride of their Spiritualtie against the manifest Word of God You haue made plaine the Doctrine of Redemption vnto mee now it followes that you instruct me in the matter of Iustification of man before God wherfore shew me I pray you what is Iustification It is the absoluing of sinfull man from his sinnes or it is a forgiuing of sinnes by the meere grace and fauour of God for the merits of Christ imputed and applied vnto vs by faith What are to bee considered about Iustification Foure things 1. the principall cause 2. the instrumentall cause 3. the effect and fruite and lastly the necessary adiunct What is the principall cause of Iustification before God The principal cause is either primarie or secondary the prime cause is the grace and mercy of God the other cause is the merit of Christ or the death and passion of Christ made ours imputed vnto vs or appropriated vnto vs so truely that the Passion of Christ should besteede vs as much as if we our selues had hanged on the Crosse and had died for our owne sinnes Hereof wee haue manifest testimonies of the Scripture Rom. 5. vers 8. As by one man many were made sinners c. Rom. 4. vers 5 6. Blessed is that man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without the workes of the Law 2. Cor. 5. vers 8. He made him which knew not sin to be sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.15 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law whilest hee was made a curse for vs. Philip. 3. vers 8. That I may bee found not hauing my owne righteousnesse but that which is by the faith of Christ. Now there is no opposition in this wee say that a sinner is iustified by the meere grace of God and yet by the merit of Christ because it was brought about by the meere mercie and grace of God that Christ performed that meritorious worke for vs for Christ was in no wise bound vnto vs to die for vs but hee out of his meere grace and mercy did vndergoe death for vs. What is the instrumentall cause of Iustification Onely faith in Christ insomuch as by faith euen as by a hand and instrument we lay hold on and apply vnto vs the merit and satisfaction which Christ hath performed for vs. What is faith Faith is not onely a bare knowledge of the Historie of Christ but it is also a sure confidence of the heart whereby we set downe in our selues for certainty and be perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs of God for the death and passion of Christ. Note here two maine errors of Poperie whereof the first is that faith is onely a certaine Historicall knowledge and no true and sure confidence of the heart whereunto the Scripture it selfe directly speaketh Rom. 8.20 where faith is called a sure trust and perswasion See my Gymnasium logicum wherein you haue this in that Theame Fides somewhat opened The second errour is that we come by the remission of sinnes not by faith alone but also by the merit of good workes contrary vnto those sayings in the Scripture Ephes 2.8 By the grace of God you are saued through faith and not of your selues Rom. 4. Abraham belieued and
fourthly fully purposing to conforme our selues according to Gods holy Lawes and Commandements Which sorrow of heart for by-past sinne and good purpose of mind to preuent sinne hereafter if wee shall find in vs then may wee perswade our selues of true and vnfained Repentance Touching our Faith in this manner Sin was that by which man became miserable and because he brake the commandements of God and lightly regarded the behests of the most High therefore was he not onely turned out of his most blissefull and happy estate but stood guiltie of eternall death and condemnation both of body and soule for sinne When man sinfull man stood in this dolefull case destitute of all help and succour either from himselfe or other creature liuing in the world it pleased God of his owne loue and free mercy graciously to behold wretched man and to send him a Sauiour euen Iesus Christ the righteous promising remission of sins libertie from the snare of the diuell and in stead of condemnation euerlasting life to all those which with a true faith and stedfast beliefe lay hold on Christs merits applying the promises of God in Christ to their owne soules in particular This when wee shall haue diligently weighed in our mindes then let vs turne to our hearts and see whether wee feele our consciences assured by the Spirit of God that the punishment of our sinne is fully in Christ discharged and that whatsoeuer â—ee hath done for man appertaineth not onely vnto others but euen to vs also And thus if wee shall perceiue our hearts affected wee may perswade our selues of a true and liuely faith Touching Charitie on this wise As charitie is the fruit and effect of a true and liuely faith so that it is impossible we should haue a sound faith but wee must bee fruitfull in good workes and deeds of charitie for as the light can in no wise bee separated from the sunne nor heate from the fire so neither can these two inseparable vertues be disioyned but if faith be the root good workes and charitable deeds will be the fruit insomuch that hereby may wee more then probably iudge of the purenesse and sinceritie of our faith So likewise many be those fruits and effects of true charitie and Christian loue which if by our search wee shall find in vs wee may certainely assure our hearts of the possesion of that rich gemme and precious vertue Charitie They be set downe by Gods own Spirit the Pen-man is the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 13.4 5 c. Loue suffereth long is bountiful loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe it is not pussed vp it disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euill c. This place when wee haue read distinctly and discreetly let vs enter into a serious cogitation and examine our selues first whether wee bee reconciled vnto such as wee haue offended and heartily forgiue such as haue offended vs and secondly bee readâ—e withall to doe them all the good wee can And this affection if wee shall find in our selues vpon our suruey and examination wee may perswade our selues of true and sound Charitie III. The forme of our Scrutinie is after a iudiciall manner of proceeding First wee must examine our selues and take a catalogue of our sins the diuell himselfe hath in store against vs by which wee haue offended Gods iustice Secondly then according to the ten words of the Law we may frame ten seuerall actions and inditements as for instance because I would gladly speake to the capacity of my weakest Brethren muster vp before thee all thy Atheistical conceits or at least so many as thou canst remember and then indite thy selfe for the first commandement looke and see whether thou hast not set vp an image or an idoll in thine heart and so indite thy selfe for the second commandement Call to mind thirdly whether thou hast not by swearing and blaspheming taken Gods Name in vaine remember fourthly whether thou hast not often profaned Gods holy Sabbath fithly whether thou hast not beene disobedient and refractory to Parents and Gouernours sixthly whether thou hast not harboured in thy breast murthering malice and enuie seuenthly whether thou hast not set open thine eyes to vncleannesse and vanitie eightthly whether thou hast not iniured thy neighbour in his goods ninthly whether thou hast not wronged him in his good name nay whether tenthly thou hast not giuen the reines loose to all concupiscence and so for the breach of euery commandement frame a seuerall inditement and plead guiltie This maist thou do by thy selfe yet if thou art weake and desirest helpe thou shalt find the inditement drawne at large for thee in The Practice of Pietie Pag. 565 566. seqq of the eighth Edition For further helpe see Maister Theologus schooling Asunetus in Dents Plaine Mans Path-way to Heauen Pag. 322. seqq of the fifteenth Impression Thirdly then adde thereto so many seuerall sentences of condemnation and so foorthwith fourthly pronounce a perpetuall confusion due to vs with a shame for that which is past with a griefe for that which is present and with a feare of that may come hereafter And when wee can thus bring our selues into the worst taking that can be Tunc optime habet saith Bucer qui pessime habet For hauing thus pronounced this shame of face dew vnto vs God will cease from his sentence of anger nay hee will say This man hath condemned himselfe I need not to condemne seeing hee hath straightly examined himselfe I remit all I will examine him no further hee is free let him come and so let him eat of my Bread and drinke of my Cup. Then being constrained to conclude wee are vnworthy wee must in the next place goe out of our selues and faint after the righteousnesse can make vs worthy which cannot bee effected but by Faith which commeth by the blessing of the Gospel whereby we being conscious of our owne vnworthinesse doe seeke wisedome out of our selues and sue for obedience in the Sonne of God Christ Iesus our Lord. These are those duties which we must thinke vpon before we come to the Lords holy Table now for our behauiour there obserue thus much The duties which are required of vs in the celebration of the holy Communion are of two kinds either Generall or common to this and other times or Peculiar and proper to this seruice I. The generall and common duties are to ioyne with the Congregation in confessing of sinnes in singing of Psalmes and Hymnes in hearing with reuerence and deuotion Gods holy Word preached in praying and the like Secondly touching the proper duties more peculiarly belonging to this seruice and our behauiour in the receiuing of those holy mysteries as the Church hath retained it there is a commandement giuen that wee lift vp our hearts to the Lord. And we must indeed bee
of Christ were not of it selfe sufficient but needed some additament to fil it vp but there by a Synecdoche the passions of Christ he calleth all such as the members of Christ were to suffer as if he said I must also endure those afflictions which Christ shall feele in his members as he expresly annexeth I fulfill the remnant of Christs passion in the flesh for the body of Christ which is his Church that he might plainely shew that hee spake not of that passion which Christ suffered for our sinnes but of the crosses and afflictions which the Church must sustaine in this world which church by a metaphorical kind of speaking is the body of Christ. And this which wee haue spoken about the sufficiency of the passion of Christ wee must note againe against the Papists who teach and say that expiation and purging of sin is partly by good workes which shall be confuted in the doctrine of iustification partly by the Masse which shal likewise be confuted in the point of and concerning the Lords Supper and partly by Purgatory which they say is a fire in which the soules of men after this life are tormented with temporall paines and are purged from sinnes and from which the soules of such as are aliue by fauour and by prayers may be deliuered as the Councell of Trent saith in the fifth Session Against which obserue these reasons First in the sacred Volume there is no one testimony of Purgatory no not so much as one example of any one that was in that Purgatorie fire Ergo it is a nice inuention of their own braine They vrge a place 1. Co. 8. vers 13. where it is said that by the fire shall be made manifest and proued euery mans worke of what sort it is But they apply this to Purgatory very foolishly for the Apostle speaketh as touching the edification of the Church and saith that the time shall come when it shal be tried and examined how much euery one hath profited in edifying the Church by the word of God and the holy Spirit which two he calleth fire by a metaphor He addeth further Vers. 15. He shall be saued but euen as it were by the fire where abiding still in the metaphor and similitude hee saith that not all those who haue not edified aright shall straightway bee damned for euer but that they shall suffer a tryall in their own conscience because they haue not so faithfully discharged their office as they should Secondly obserue two manifest sayings of the holy Writ wherein you shall find but two places only that must bee in the next world pointed out vnto you the one for the blessed the other for those who are eternally damned Mark the last Ioh 5. Verely verely I say vnto you who so heareth my word and belieueth in him that sent mee shall not come into iudgement and by consequence not into Purgatorie which is a part of Iudgement but shall passe from death to life Reuel 4 vers 14. Blessed are they henceforth which die in the Lord. Henceforth that is frō the very moment wherein they die There is also a plaine place Luke 23.43 where Christ saith to the thiefe To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradice whereas he if any needed this Purgatorie fire I haue heard sufficiently as concerning the first part of Christs Priestly office namely the purging away of our sinnes tell me what is the second part of the Priestly Office of Christ It is that effectuall application whereby Christ doth all sufficiently and powerfully apply that his purging performed by him vnto the faithfull so that by it they may obtaine remission of sinnes reconciliation and peace What is the third part of this Office of Christ. It is his intercession for vs. What doe you meane by intercession I doe not meane any prayer or sute whereby Christ would get vnto vs againe the fauour of God as one man is said to interceed for an other that he may procure him somwhat but I vnderstād first that perpetuall value force of the Sacrifice of Christ namely in that Christ presenteth his passion which he suffered for vs vnto the eternall Father Secondly the Fathers consent resting in this Passion of Christ contented and agreeing that this Passion of Christ shall bee of force for vs for euer Which is the third office of Christ His Regall office for Christ is not only a Prophet and a Priest vnto vs but he is also a King In what points consisteth the Regall Office of Christ In foure First in that he gouerneth the Church by his Spirit and by his Word and doth not onely shew vnto vs by his Word what we ought to doe but by the worke of the Spirit in vs enableth vs to doe them Secondly in that hee defendeth vs against our enemies Satan sinne and death that they haue no power to hinder our saluation Thirdly in that hee beautifieth his Church with excellent gifts and appointeth the Ministerie of his Word making men obedient vnto this his owne ordinance Fourthly In that at the end of the world hee shall appeare to be iudge of all men and shall condemne the wicked to eternall punishments but shal make the godly to shine with eternal glorie I doe already conceiue the Office of Christ what it is and of how diuers sorts it is now I would haue you tell me what the obiect is about which Christ exercises this his Office It is the Church How many waies is Church taken Two waies in a large or in a more strict signification What is the Church taken in the large acception It is the multitude or company of all such men as haue the word of God preached vnto them in which company there be many hypocrites which doe not belieue truly and therefore are damned for euer What is the Church as it is strictly taken It is that number and company of men which are elect of Christ by faith vnto eternall life And this company is wont to be parted into two rankes the one Militant the other Triumphant That company of the elect and godly is called the Militant Church which remaineth yet on earth but the Triumphant is that company of the faithfull that is already in Heauen And so the rule of the Fathers is to be vnderstood He shal neuer be a member of the Church Triumphant that hath not been a member of the Church Militant But whereas the Church is diuided into the visible and inuisible Church that is no true diuision to speake properly but onely a distinction of diuers respects in the church For the church is said to be visible in respect of the men themselues which are in the Church and may be seene and inuisible in respect of the internall graces to wit of faith and other gifts of the holy Spirit which are not so obuious to the senses Which must be noted against the Papists who would haue
had he lost that his saluation but he speakes otherwise he saith onely restore comfort vnto me for a true belieuer when that he falleth into sinnes the holy spirit for all that remaineth in him yet it doth not cherish his conscience but it groweth sad and heauy and so ceaseth to bee glad and merry before times he vsed to be he doth therfore desire of God that hee would take away this sadnesse and heauinesse of heart from him and that hee would restore vnto him a ioyfull and gladsome spirit I haue heard as touching the fruit of Iustification what is that you told me was necessarily conioyned and annexed thereunto Because the iust man falls seuen timeseuen in a day therefore to Iustification there must alwaies bee adioyned Repentance True repentance of what parts doth it consist Of two parts one of them as it were contrary vnto the the other to wit griefe or sorrow for sinnes committed and the offending or displeasing of God and then comfort and confidence of the forgiuenesse of sinnes which is to be had by and for the merits of Christ. See the 467. page of my Syst. of Diuinity and in the comment vpon Vrsins Catechisme page 640. Here note a double error of the Papists whereof the first is That vnto true repentance there is required Confession to a Priest To which error we oppose our iudgements First because such a Confession is no where commanded of God Secondly because there is no one example for it of any Saint throughout the whole booke of God no example I say but which teacheth vs to make confession of our sinnes only to God So doth Dauid Psalm 51. Against thee onely haue I sinned O Lord. And the Publicane Luke 18. Standing in thâ— Temple confessed his sinnes onely to God and thence went away iustified Whereupon saith Chryst. Confesse thy sinnes to God for to doe this to man it is not safe for thee for that men may either discouer them or vpbrayd thee with them The other Popish error is that Repentance which they call Pennance is satisfactory as if wee by our repentance did satisfie for our sinnes vnto which detestable errour those places of the holy Bible are to be opposed by which we haue before made cleare that the passion of Christ doth sufficiently satisfie for all our sinnes You haue already sufficiently instructed me about Redemption now take the paines I pray you to instruct me about sanctification Sanctification Regenaration and new Obedience or conuersion vnto God are all one in signification And it is nothing els saue the changing of our depraued or corrupt nature into better and then a setled resolution to auoyd sinne hereafter and to frame our liues to some newe course which may bee pleasing vnto God and beseeming our profession of Faith and Religion which regeneration in this life certainely cannot bee perfect but onely inchoate and alwaies conioyned with a combating and a reluctance against sinne or of the flesh and the spirit As the Apostle very largely setts it downe Rom. 7. Galat. 5. The good saith he that I would I doe not But in that other life we shal perfectly be regenerated sanctified and reformed vnto the Image of God yet for all this Gods will it is our regeneration should bee begun in this life and that good workes bee done by vs as our Sauiour commandeth Math. 5. Let your light so shine before men c. 2. Peter 1.16 Labour to make your vocation and election sure by good workes that is Labour to giue vnto your selues a sure and to others an euident testimonie that you haue true Faith from whence doe spring and arise good workes for Faith without workes is dead and indeed is no Faith 1. Thess. 4. This is the will of God euen your Sanctification Rom. 6.12 Make your members hencefoorth weapons of righteousnesse And most dreadfull is that speach Heb. 13. Without holinesse none shall see God Wherefore if it be demanded whether good workes are necessary vnto Saluation I answer That if wee take Saluation for our first entry thereunto namely Remission of sinnes and iustification then good workes are not necessary because it is most necessarily required that first our sinnes be forgiuen vs before wee can doe any good works pleasing vnto God good workes therefore are of no force to procure remission of sinnes which we doe obtaine onely by Faith contrary to the Papists tenent but if the word be not taken for the remission of sins but for life eternall which hereafter we shal be possessed of there is neede then of good works as a meane and way but not as any meritorious cause of saluation for then indeede shall we bee cloathed vpon if we be not found naked that is in that other life we shall be fully renewed conformed if that we begin that reformation and sanctification in this life And this is that which the Apostle speaketh Heb. 7.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which none shall see the Lord. How many parts are there of our Sanctification Two Good workes and Prayer For in these two standeth our whole Regeneration and conuersion namely to doe good workes and dayly to call vpon God by Prayer What are good Workes or what things are required vnto Works which are good or pleasing vnto God Three things be requisit to good workes First that they spring from a true Faith For Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 Without Fath it is impossible to please God c. Secondly that they bee commanded by God for what works soeuer are enioyned by men and not by God those are not good works Ezech. 9.19 You must walke in my Commandements and not in the Commandements of your Fathers Matth. 18.9 They worship me in vaine teaching for doctrines mens precepts Thirdly that our good works bee alwaies referred to the glory of God and not vnto vaine glory hypocrisie 1. Cor. 11.31 Doe all vnto the glory of God Mat. 5.16 That men seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen Hereby may easily be discerned what is to bee thought of the most of the Papists workes wherewith they thinke that they worshippe GOD such as are their Watchings and Pilgrimages to holy places and adoring of Churches with Shrines and Images for such workes are no good workes First because they are not done out of Faith but out of a most pestilent opinion of meriting and satisfying for sinnes Secondly because they are not commanded by God but inuented and appointed by Popes and Bishops against the expresse commandement of God as that of Fasting and abstaining from Flesh on Friday which manner of Fasting and difference of meate is expressely against the Word of God Matt. 15. That which entreth into the mouth doth not defile the man but that which commeth out of the mouth that defileth the man 1. Tim. 4. The Apostle expressly and plainely nameth the Forbidding of certaine meates
and so of Flesh among the doctrines of Diuels Colos. 2. Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of Holydaies Rom. 14. I am perswaded by our Lord Iesus Christ that nothing is vncleane or common of it selfe but to him that thinketh any thing to be common or prophane for the Kingdome of God is neither meate nor drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost What is then the rule and square of our good workes and so consequently whence doe we know what works be commanded by God The Morall Law or the Decalogue is the onely square of our good works wherby we may know what workes are acceptable vnto God This law is reduced to two heads to wit the true worship of God and then the works of charity which wee performe to our neighbour The worship of God is set downe in the former part of the Decalogue and the loue of our neighbour with the workes of charitie is comprised in the second table Which is the other part of sanctification Inuocation of Gods name How many waies is God inuocated or called vpon Two waies the first way is Petition or begging of those things whereof we stand in need and the second is Thanksgiuing for those which we haue receiued both which kinds of Inuocation is either publike or priuate As touching both of them reade my Syst. of Diuinity pag. 487. And here must be obserued two maine errours of Poperie First is touching the Inuocation of Saints secondly about the worshipping of Images and adoring of reliques As touching the former of these twaine wee in opposition thereunto maintaine that God alone is to be called vpon in Prayer that is the deuout affection of our mind is to bee directed euen vnto God and not vnto Angels nor vnto the Virgin Mary nor vnto the Apostles nor yet vnto those fourteene Helpers as they call them by whose mediation and merits the Papists doe most blasphemously say that they are rid and deliuered from all aduersities as are George Erasmus Basil Pantaleon Vitus Christopher Dennis Dominick Achatius Eustachius Gyles Margaret Barbara and Catherine Hence is the Masse of the fourteene Helpers But vnto this their praying vnto Saints wee oppose the plaine Word of God whereby will bee conuinced that we owe â—he deuout affection of our mindes onely vnto God Deut. 6. The Lord thy God shalt thou worship c. Which place Christ repeating Matth. 4. expounds thus And him onely shalt thou serue producing it against Satans temptation See the like places Exod. 20. Psal. 50. v. 15. Psal. 95. v. 6. Psal. 90.9 10. The Angels themselues forbid this and refuse to bee worshipped as being idolatrous Iudg. 13.16 where the Angell saith vnto Maâ—oah If thou wilt make a burnt Offering offer it vp vnto the Lord and not vnto me Reuel 19 Vers. 20. also the 22. v. 9. the Angell forbiddeth Iohn and stayes him from falling downe before him and worshipping of him Whereupon hee saith to him See thou doe not this for I am thy fellow seruant that is I am also a creature as well as thy selfe Paul Coloss. 2. expressely condemnes worshipping of Angels And note I pray you a very plaine place Rom. 10. How shall they call on him in whom they haue not belieued Whence thus I argue Wee ought not to belieue in the Saints therefore neither ought wee call or pray to them And the Apostle further in his Epistle to the Galathians Chap. 4. vers 5. blameth the Heathen for that they called on them which by nature are not Gods Whence I also argue The saints are not by nature Gods Ergo they are not to be called vpon or if they be called vpon then is committed most filthy idolatrie Yea but the Saints may mediate for vs therefore they are to be called vpon Whereto wee answere denying the Antecedent that the Saints can mediate for vs with God First because we haue one onely Mediator to wit Christ Iesus as it is written There is one Mediatour betwixt God and man euen the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2. v. 5. like places hereunto see Ioh. 19.11.13 Rom. 3.35 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 2.17 Heb. 7.25 Heb 9 12. Secondly the Saints cannot be mediators for that they doe not know the gronings and sighes of our hearts and vnderstand not our priuate troubles and afflictions for these be the conditions of an aduocate or mediator first that our mediatour be nominated and commended vnto vs by plaine and euident testimonies secondly that that same intercessour bee perfectly righteous and holy thirdly that hee also know the gronings and afflictions of him for whom he meanes to mediate none of al which agreeth vnto the saints for the Saints are neither appointed vnto vs by God to be our intercessours neither haue wee any command in holy Scripture that we are to make the Saints mediatours for vs or to call on them Nay rather quite contrary precepts hereunto which we haue before cited Againe wee find not through the whole volume of Gods booke any one example of any Saint that hath prayed vnto a Saint and entreated him to play the mediatour for him Neither does the second condition agree to them for that they are not altogether pure before God that they may mediate for others but they themselues rather haue need of a mediatour as it is said Iob. 15. Yea in his Saints he found vncleannesse Thirdly the Saints are ignorant of our afflictions and affections how can they therefore interceede for vs if they woâ— not what wee aske for God alone challengeth this priuiledge to himselfe to be the searcher of the heart and the discouerer of the thoughts and groanings of men Yea but say the Papists the Saints as the friends of God haue all our groanings and praiers disclosed vnto them in the glasse of the Trinitie Whereto I answere first that if the Saints come to the knowledge of our groanings by God what need is there that first wee should call on the Saints and to what end is it to haue any such mediators with God sithence he to whom they mediate knoweth better what is wanting to vs then the mediators themselues For it should seeme to be a preposterous course to vse any intercessour vnto a King if the King knew the party for whom the mediatour would interceed better then the mediator himselfe And how absurde should it bee if the intercessour should say Tell me I pray you O my King what this fellow asks for whom I am to mediate Secondly I say that the Scripture hath broken that prospectiue glasse al to shiuers Esay 62. Heare from heauen thine holy dwelling place for thou art our Father Abraham heareth vs not and Israel is ignorant of vs but thou art our Father thy name is from euerlasting Where it is plainely affirmed that Abraham and Israel which long agoe were dead and whose soules rested with God in the Heauens did