the Son and the Holy Ghost partake alike with him of the Divine nature and consequently have a right to the same Adoration yet forasmuch as God the Father is the First Person and the Father who Communicates that Divine nature to them both forasmuch as John 2. 29. John 6. 27. John 5. 26. God the Father hath that Essence in himself and what he is is from none but the Son and the Holy Ghost have it by Communication from the Father and what they are they are from him this Title may bear particular and primary respect to him Accordingly Eph. 1. 3. we find the Apostles in a particular manner directing their Prayers to God the Father Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us Ver. 17. I cease not to make mention of you in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory for this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus that he would grant you But 2. The word Father in this Prayer is to be taken Essentially and not Personally and so excludes not the other two Persons of the most Holy and Undivided Trinity but only those that are of a different nature from them Now if the whole three Persons are one in Essence then when ever we Pray to and do Honour to God the Father we must at the same time Worship John 10. 20. the other two though not so directly who are one with him Thus our Saviour speaks I and the Father are one yea the whole Thre Persons are so 1 John 5. 7. as St. John tells us expresly There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one We read that 't was the John 5. 23. will of God That all Men should Honour the Son as they do the Father and that we should Honour the Holy Ghost as well as either because we are equally Baptized Matt. 28. 19. into his name Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost now if the Son and the Holy Ghost are one in Essence with the Father and to be Honoured with the same Honour then although in this Title the Father be only expresly named and invock'd the other two persons can't but be implyed and comprehended in it 3. We may consider that this Doctrine of the Trinity being in a great measure a stranger to the Old Testament and the Apostles when our Saviour gave them this Prayer not sufficiently instructed in it our Saviour might teach them to call upon God in suchh an expression which though for the present they might understand only of God the Father yet afterwards when they should come more fully to understand and beleive the Trinity might fairly be extended to take in the other two persons Son and Holy Ghost 4. Since it is by vertue of our Spiritual relation to God by Christ through the operation of the Holy Ghost that in a more special and particular manner he is Our Father when ever we call upon God as a Father and Our Father it implies that we address to him in the Name and Mediation of Christ and by the assistance of the Holy Ghost the Apostle tells believers that they had received the Spirit of Adoption wherby they cried Abba Father St. Chrysostom's notion on the Text is that the Jews Rom. 8. 15. during the time of the Old Testament being under a Servile Dispensation did seldom or never presume to call upon God by that familiar appellation of a Father but the Holy Ghost moving believers after a miraculous and extraordinary way in the first dayes of Christianity to invocke God by that name as our Saviour had directed his Disciples before might well be called the Spiâ—it of Adoption as thereby declaring them to be his Adopted Sons Another evident proof are those words of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus The natural importance of the words seems to be this that as there is but one God only and no more to whom we ought to Pray so there is but one Mediatour only and no more by whom we have access with boldness to the Thron of Grace one Mediatour Emphatically in the same sense as there is one God and you may as well make to your selves more Gods as more Mediators But to weaken the strength of this evidence the Romanists distinguish betwixt a Mediator of Redemption and a Mediator of Intercession and tell us that the Text is only to be understood of the former which indeed is but one but not of the latter which may be more then one even as many as there are Angels and Saints in Heaven but how little this distinction does serve their turn may appear by considering 1. That there is a vast difference betwixt an Intercessor and a Mediator of Intercession that Saints in Heaven out of that Charity that all the Members of Christ have for one another do in general interceed for the good of that Body of which they are a part was owned and granted before but this makes them not Mediators of Intercession to which office it belongs to receive the Prayers of others and to present them to God and in order hereunto they must hear the Prayers of others and receive information concerning their particular States and Conditions which they are not capable of 2. That this Text is especially to be understood of that part of Christs Mediatory Office that consists in interceeding for us the Apostle seems to oppose these words to the Heathen Form of Praying which was to many Gods by many Doemons who were reputed Agents or Mediatours between their chief Gods and them now all that the Heathens attributed to their Doemons was Intercession only and the Apostle shews that Christ being made a Mediatour every way effectual for that end â—â—â—re could be no necessity of any Mediatours of Intercession besides him so that the Apostle here replyes two things to the Heathens multiplicity of Mediatours 1. That God had appointed but one the God-Man Christ Jesus therefore he sayes ver 7. that he was ordained a Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Verity for establishing the Christian Faith and Truth in this particular especially of one God and one Mediatour in contradiction to the plurality of Gods and Mediatours amongst the Gentiles answerable to this are those words of the Apostle in another place Though there be many that are called Gods as there be Gods many and Lords many but to us there is but one 1 Cor. 8. 5. God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ here there is a manifest and direct opposition betwixt the Heathen way of Praying and the Christian the Heathens had many Gods and many Lords Mediatours the Christians but one God and
by the Romanists own Confession are of this opinion and though they should be mistaken as their great Cardinal thinks they were and endeavours to prove yet 't is enough to our purpose that they did not hold the one and therefore could neither teach nor practice the other 2. One chief Argument which the Primitive Fathers used to prove the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Ghost against the Arrians and Macedonians was the Catholick practice of the Church in Praying to them which would not have been of any force had they believed that any Creatures though never so highly exalted in Nature and Condition might have had that Honour payed unto them They tell us frequently in their writings that when the Gospel directs us to invocate the Son and Holy Ghost in conjunction with the Father it proves them Orig. l. 8. in Epis ad Rom. c. 10 Athan. Orat. 4. contr Arrianos to be true God that Invocation supposing them every where to be present when they are invock'd and that Omnipresence being the sole property of God For the same reason when the Arrians who conceived Christ to be no more then an excellent and Godlike Creature did yet Pray unto him the Catholicks accused them of Idolatry Had the Catholicks at the same time practised the Invocation of Saints the charge might have been returned with greater force upon themselves and whatever could have been thought of by the Catholicks to excuse themselves from that guilt might with more strength have been urged by the Arians in their behalf Had the Catholicks replied as the Romanists do now that though they did Pray to the blessed Spirits yet they did not do it with that Soveraign direct and final Prayer nor with those Sublimest Thoughts and intentions of Honour wherewith they did address to God but only with indirect subaltern and relative Prayer and with no higher intentions of Honour to them then what is proportioned to the excellencies of their finite nature the Arrians might have returned upon them with great advantage even after the same manner Sirs and with the same due limitations do we Invocate the Man Christ Jesus and whilst we do no more but so we have more reason for what we do then you can have since Christ is confessedly superiour to all Creatures and consequently deserves at least as great an Honour to be paid to him as unto any the highest amongst them though we do not think him God equal with the Father yet the Scripture assures us he is exalted far above all Angels Principalities and Powers and every name which is named in Heaven and Earth and though we may not Honour the Son in the same high degree with an as of equality as we do the Father yet the Scripture enjoyns us to do it with the same kind of Honour with an as of similitude and likeness and this is more then can be said in defence of that Honour and Invocation you offer to Saints and Angels 3. Because the Fathers condemned the Heathens as guilty of Idolatry for Invocating their Doemons or inferiour Deities which in a manner is the same with the Romish Invocation of Angels and Saints This has been invincibly proved Dean of St. P. against G. against the Romanists by a great Light of our Church who hath made the Parity and Agreement betwixt them to be very obvious as 1. In the Object of their Invocation the Heathens had one Supreme God and a multitude of Inferiâ—uâ— Deities the Romanists have also besides one God above all a multitude of Angels and Saints departed It may be the Vulgar and Ordinary People might mistake for their Gods Jupiter of Crete Mars Venus Vulcan Bacchus Persons that had been famous for Lewdness and Adulteries and if they did 't is to feared not much better an account can be given of many of the Canonized Saints in the Church of Rome but the Wiser sort had farr different apprehensions of their Deities they said and believed the same of the Supreme God as Christians do That he made the whole Plot Enn. 5. l. 9. c. 5. Laert. in Vit. Thal. p 24. Senec. Ep. 83 World and sees all things that he wants neither Power nor Will nor Knowledge to make his Providence concerned in the least things that neither the Actions nor the very thoughts of Mens minds can be hid from him Accordingly we find St. Paul affirming of the Heathens that they knew God ascribing to the Heathens Jupiter he being the Creator of all things so he told the Athenians Him whom ye Ignorantly Worship declare I Acts. 17 unto you God that made the World and the being the Father of all Mankind when he said in the words of one of heir Poets for we are all his off-spring And then for their Inferiour Deities there is so very little disparity betwixt them and the Angels and Saints Invocated by the Church of Rome that it seems to be only in name Accordingly St. Austin Confest that the Platonists did affirm the same things of their good Daemons as Christians St. Aust de civit Dei l. 9. c. 23. did of the blessed Angels did they distinguish their Inferiour Deities into such Spirits as were by Death delivered from the Body and such as never had any into such as alwayes lived in Heaven and such Apul. de Deo Socr. p. 50. cic de leg l. 2. whose merits had advanced them thither how exactly doth this sute with the difference given by Romanists betwixt Angels and Saints departed and the reason of their Worshiping of them The spiritual and Heavenly Nature of the one and the Merits of the other 2. In the Office ascribed to them The imployment the Heathens put upon their Daemons was to Aug. de civ Dei l. 8 e. 18. carry up the Prayers of Men to God and what they had obtained to bring back to Men imagining the Supreme God to be of too pure and sublime a Nature immediately to converse with Men they look'd upon these as Advocates and Mediators betwixt God and Men and as Intercessors and Procurers of their desired blessings and is not this the same thing the Church of Rome sayes touching the Office of Angels and blessed Spirits in the behalf of Men such as do solicite God for them and by their more prevailing merits and interest in God obtain of him what they themselves Pray for 3. In that which they make the Foundation of their Worship and Invocation to them viz. a middle sort of excellency betwixt God and Men so said the Heathens that there were a sort of Beeings between God and Men that participated of both Natures and that by means of those intermediate Beeings an intercourse was maintained betwixt Heaven and Earth and as God was to be Worship'd for himself so the others to be Loved and Honoured for his sake as being Gods by way of participation as likest to him as his Vicars and as Reconcilers betwixt them And is
miraculous signs of their Apostolical Office And if they had not had such Assurance themselves and could not have given proof to others of their mission there would have been a defect in the first promulgation of the Gospel and such as could not afterwards have been amended That which at first had been delivered with uncertainty would with greater uncertainty have been conveighed down to after Ages and Men who in process of time graft error upon certain Truth would much more have grafted error upon uncertain Opinion Ever since the Apostles times there has been True Faith and the Profession of it in the Catholick Church And it will be so till Faith shall expire and Men shall see him on whom they before believ'd For a Church cannot subsist without the Fundamentals of Christianity And Christ hath Sealed this Truth with his promise that there shall be a Church as long as this World continues * S. Mat. 28. 20. I mean by a Church a visible Society of Christians both Ministers and People for publick Worship on Earth cannot be invisible But the True Faith and the Profession of it is not fixed to any place or to any succession of Men in it God's Providence has written the contrary in the very Ashes of the Seven Churches of the lesser Asia Neither is any particular Church though so far infallible in Fundamentals as to be preserved from actual error an infallible Rule to all other Christians If they follow the Doctrine of it they erre not because it is true but if they follow that Church as an unerring Guide or Canon they mistake in the Rule and Motive of their Faith For that particular Church which Teacheth Truth might possibly have err'd and the Church which erres might have shined with the True Light But the whole Church cannot erre in any Age for then the very being of a Church would cease Neither doth it hence follow that the Faith of the Roman Church when Luther arose was the only true and certain Doctrine For that Church was not then the only visible Church on Earth The Greek Church for instance sake was then more visible than now it is and more Orthodox The Rich Papacy having much prevailed upon the necessities of it by Arguments guilded with Interest That Church did not erre in Fundamental Points the Article of the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father by the Son which the Romans accuse of Heresie being easily acquitted of it if Men agreeing in the sense forbear contention about the Phrases Besides if our Fore-Fathers under the Papacy embraced the True Faith we have it still the Faith not being removed but the Corruption Their Question therefore Where was your Religion before Luther is not more pertinent amongst Disputers than this amongst Husbandmen Where was the Corn before it was weeded We have seen that necessary Faith is perpetual and it is as Prop. II manifest that wheresoever God requireth the belief of it he vouchsafeth sufficient means for information and unerring Assent Of all he does not require this belief for to all the Gospel is not preached and where it is preached there are Infants and Persons of Age so distempered in Mind as to remain unavoidably Children in understanding And though thâ— same sum of Doctrines is generally necessary to Salvation yet the Creed of all men is not of equal length seing they have unequal capacities But wheresoever there is a particular Society of Men who call themselves a Church yet erre actually in the necessary Articles of the Faith it is certain they were not forced into that error for want of external means For the Just Judge of the World would never have required Unity in the Faith upon pain of his Eternal displeasure if he had not given to Men Power sufficient for such Unity No Tyranâ— on Earth has been guilty of such undisguised injustice as that is which maketh a Law for the punishment of the Blind because they miss their way The Articles of Christian Religion come not to the Mind by natural reason but by Faith and Faith comes by hearing or reading and where these means are not offered a Man is rather an Ignorant Person then an Unbeliever Wherefore our Saviour told the perverse Jews * Joh. 15. 22 23. that if the Messiah had never been revealed to them they had not been answerable for the Sin of Infidelity But that since he was come to them and by them despised their Infidelity was blackned with great aggravation The means then are sufficient wheresoever the end Prop. III. is absolutely required but whatsoever those means are the Act of Assent is to be utlimately resolved into each Mans Personal reason For no Man can believe or assent but upon some ground or motive which appears credible to him He could not believe unless he had some reason or other why he believed When all is done said Mr. Thorndike * To the Reader of the Dis of Govern of Churches Men must and will be Judges for themselves I do not quote the saying because it is extraordinary but because that Learned Man said it who was careful to pay to Authority its minutest dues If a man believe upon Authority he hath a farther reason for the believing of it He is not willing to take Pains in examining that which is proposed to him or he thinks himself of less Ability in understanding then those from whom he borrows his Light If he desireth another to judge for him his choice is determined by the Opinion he hath conceived of him Every Man has his reason though it be a weak one and such as cannot justify it self or him Something at last turns the Ballance though it be but a Feather This the Romanists own as well as the Reformed till it toucheth them in the case of a new Convert To induce a Man of another particular Church to embrace their Communion they submit these weighty points to his private Judgement What is a True Church and which are the marks of it What is the Roman Church And whither the marks of the True Church do only belong unto the Roman What Men or what Books spâ—â—k the sense of that Church They tell us †R. H. Guide in Controv. in Pref. p. 3. That the Light of a Man 's own reason first serves him so far as to the discovery of a Guide Also that in this discovery the Divine Providence hath left it so clear and evident that a sincere and unbyassed quest cannot miscarry But when once this Guide is found ouâ— the Man is afterwards for all other things that are prescribed by this Guide to subject and resign his reason As if it were not as difficult to judge of such a Guide as of his direction It seems the Roman Church is like a Cave into which a Man has Light enough to enter but when once he is entred he is in thick Darkness But how subservient soever our reason may be
and partial corruption Secondly A Protestant may without Submission Assert II. of his judgement to the Roman Church find out in the Books of Holy Scripture the necessary Articles of Christian Faith Two things are here supposed and both of them are true First That the Scriptures contain in them all the necessary Articles of our Faith Secondly That the sense of the Words in which these Articles are expressed in Scripture may be found out by a Protestant without the Submission of his Judgement to the Papacy First The Scriptures contain in them all the necessary Articles of the Faith This is true if the Scriptures themselves be so For this they Witness * See S. Joh. 20. 30. 31. c. 21. 25. St. Paul b 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16 17. saith of the Old Testament as expounded of Christ that it was able to make a Man wise unto Salvation Much more may this be affirmed of the entire Canon The Apostles preached the necessaries to Salvation and what they had preached they wrote down * Iren. l. 3. c. 1. concerning the manner of it Eusebius may be consulted †Eus Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 14. For the Primitive Fathers they allowed the Scriptures to be a sufficient Rule Irenaeus said of them they were perfect * Iren. l. 2. c. 47. S. Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 9. and of the words of St. Austine this is the sense Among those things which are plainly set down in Scripture all those things are to be found which comprehend Faith and Good Manners Nay the Romanists themselves attempt to prove their very additional Articles out of the Bible That there are in it the Articles of the Apostolical Creed is evident enough to a common Reader But how the Romish Articles should be found in that Bible which was written some hundreds of years before they were invented is a riddle beyond the skill of Apollo Secondly the sense of the Scriptures in matters necessary to Salvation may be found out by Men of the Reformed Religion without Submission to Roman Infallibility The Learned know the Originals and the true wayes of Interpretation And amongst us those of the Episcopal Clergy have obliged the World with such an Edition of the Bible in many Languages as was not before extant in the Roman Church And a Romanist who writes with great mastery in such matters prefers it before the great Bible of Paris a V. P. S. p. Hist Critique p. 583 Mais elle est plus ample plus commode c. For those of the Laity who are Unlearned they have before them a Translation which erres not in the Faith And the phrases are not so obscure but that by study and Ministerial helps they may understand them They have before them a Translation which erres not in the Faith Of this the Italians and the French may be convinced by comparing the Translations of James de Voragine and the Divines of Lovain with those of Signior Diodati and Olivetan or Calvin And the English may receive satisfaction in this matter by comparing their Translations with that of Doway In all of them they will find the same Fundamental Doctrines of Faith And were there any such material alteration made in our Bible it would appear by the notorious inconsistence of one part of the Canon with another It would have been long ago detected and exposed to publick shame both by the Romanists and the other Dissenters from our Communion But the former are not able to produce one instance and the latter agree with us in the use and excellence of the Translation though in other things they extreamly differ from us And where they do but dream we erâ—e they forbear not to proclaim it In so much that a difference in the Translations of the Psalter which concerns not Faith or Manners †See Hook Eccl. Pol. Book fifth Sect. 19. and a supposed defect in the Table for keeping Easter have been made by them publick Objections * Mr. Hs. peaceable design renewed p. 14. and stumbling blocks in the way to their Conformity It is true there is a Romanist who hath raved against the Bible of the Reformed in these extravagant words ‡ A. S. Reconciler of Religions Printed 1663. c. 11. p. 38 39. The Sectaries have as many different Bibles in Canon Version and sense as are dayes in the year The Sectarian Bible is no more the Word of GOD then the Alcoran Almanack or Aesops Fables Of great corruption he speaks in general but his Madness has admitted of so much caution that he forbears the mention of any one particular place The Learned Romanists understand much better and the Ingenuous will confess it And they are not ignorant that we Translate from the Original Tongues after having compared the Readings of the most Ancient Copies and of the Fathers Whilst they Translate the Bible from the Vulgar Latin which indeed in the New Testament is a tolerable but in the Old a very imperfect Version If our English Bible were turned into any one of the Modern Tongues by a Judicious Romanists who could keep Counsel it would pass amongst many of that Church for a good Catholick Translation And this is the rather my perswasion because I have read in Father Simon a Historie critique ch 25. p. 392. 393. that not unpleasant story concerning the Translation of Mr. Rene Benoist a Doctor of the Faculty of Paris This Doctor had observed that a new Latin Translation of the Organon of Aristotle performed by a person who understood not the Greek Tongue had been very well received Upon this occasion he was moved to turn the Bible into the French Tongue though he was ignorant of those of the Greek and Hebrew For the accomplishing of this Design he served himself upon the French Translation of Geneva changing only a few words and putting others of the same signification in their room But it seems he was not exact enough in this change of words For he having overlooked some words which were used by the Genevians and not the Romanists a discovery was made by the Divines of Paris and this Edition of the Bible was condemned by them though published under the name of one of their Brethren I do not say that such places of Scripture as contain Matters of Faith are plain to every Man But those who have a competence of capacity who are not prejudiced against the Truth who pray to God for his assistance who attend to what they read who use the Ministerial helps which are offered to them shall find enough in Holy Writ to Guide them to everlasting life In finding out the sense of the Scriptures the Church gives them help but it does not by its Authority obtrude the sense upon them The Guides of it are as Expositors and School-Masters to them And by comparing phrase with phrase and place with place and by other such wayes they teach them how to judge of
the meaning themselves They give them light into the nature of the Doctrine they do not require them to take it upon trust They endeavour to open their understandings that they may themselves understand the Scriptures And if they cannot themselves understand the Doctrine it will be of little use to them in their lives For they then believe in general that it is a necessary Truth but what Truth it is or for what ends it is necessary they apprehend not A Foolish Master in the Mathematicks may require his Schollars to take it upon his word that a Problem is demonstrated But a wâ—se and useful teacher will give them light into the manner of the demonstration in such sort that they themselves shall at last be able to judge that it is truly performed And till they can do this they are not instructed St. Hierom relates it in praise of Marcella a Roman Lady a S. Hieron in praef ad comment in Epist ad Galat Vt sentirem me non tam Discipulam habere quam Judicem v. Psal â—19 99. that she would not receive any thing from him after the Pythagorean manner or upon bare Authority She would with such care examine all things that She seemed to him not so much his Schollar as his Judge It is certain that there are great depths and obscure Mysteries in the Holy Bible But the Doctrines of Christian Faâ—th are to the sincere and industrious and such as wait on God in the way of the Reformed Church sufficiently plain But to the Idle the prejudiced the captious Light it self is Darkness The Romanists affright with this pretence of obscurity and profoundness as if we must not adventure into any part of the Waters because in some places we may go beyond our depth If there are hard and difficult places which the Vnstable wrest who required their meanness to make a Judgment of that for which they might perceive themselves to be insufficient But whilst St. Peter speaketh of some few places in St. Paul's writtings which are obscure he does at the same time suppose many others to be plain enough for the capacities of the Unlearned And if they be evil Men though very Learned they will wrest the plainest places and as some did in St. Hieroms * S. Hieron in Ep. ad Paulin. ad sensum suum incongrua aptant testimonia Et ad voluntatem suaÌ„ S Scripturam repugnantem trahunt days they will draw violently to their private sense a Text of Scripture which is incongruously and with reluctance applied to it It is true all Sects of Christians cite the Scriptures but that does not prove the obscurity of those Sacred writings It rather shews the Partiality Boldness and Sophistry of those who alledge them All Laws are obscure if this Argument hath force in it For every Man in his own case has the Law on his side Men take up their opinions and Heresies from other reasons and then because the name of Scripture is venerable they rake into the several Books of it and they bend and torture places and force them on their side by unnatural construction So do the Socinians producing all niceties of Grammar and Criticism in a matter of Faith Yet the Guide in Controversies a R. H. Guide c. Disc 4. p. 375 376 377 378. c. useth it as an Argument against the plainness of this Rule of Faith that the Socinians cite the Holy Scriptures in favour of their Heresie But is not this Argument two-edged And will it not cut as well on the other side and do Execution against the words of Fathers and Councils and the Apostolical Creed it self For the Socinians those especially who are turned Arians since Petavius hath furnished them with Quotations will cite the writings of the Ancients And Slichtingius a mere Socinian * V. Confess fid Christ ed. nom Eccl. Polon c. hath expounded every Article of the Creed in a sense agreeable to the Heresie of his Master But if the Scriptures were so obscure in necessary matters what remedy would be administred by the Roman Church They cannot offer to us any Ancient Infallible exposition What the Antienâ—s have said the Reformed generally understand much better then Popes amongst whom there have been some who could scarse read the Holy Gospel in Latin For the Fathers of the earliest Ages they were more busied in writing against Heresies then in explaining of Scriptures Nor to this day hath the Roman Church given any Authentick Collection of Expositions either of the Ancients or of her own And if we must go to any Church for a comment on the Scriptures let the Roman be one of our last Refuges For it is manifest that the Key the Papalins use is the Wordly Polity of that Church And as they like so they interpret Had not they governed themselves by this art we should not have found in the writings of their Popes and in the very Caâ—â—â— Law it self those words which were spoken to Jeremiah expounded of the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome a V. Innoc. 3. in decret Greg. l. 1. tit 33. c. 6. Greg. Ep 12 Extrav de Major Obed. 1. P. Pi. 5. in Bulla Cont. R. Eliz. in Camd. Annal A. 1570. I have set thee over Kings to root out to pluck up and to destroy b Jerem. 1. 10. The Donatists found their Church in these words of the Canticles Tell me thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy Flock to rest at noon For they expounded this as it 〈◊〉 them best of the Flock of their 〈◊〉 the Southern Countrey of Africa Such Exâ—â—unders of Scripture are those Popish Writers who interpret Feed my sheep of the Universal Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome and conclude that a Pastâ—r must drive away Wolves or depose Princes huâ—â—ul to the Church But the straining of such Metaphorical expressions as an excellent Person * D. Falkner in Christ Loy p. 315. saith proves only that they want better proofs And by a like way of interpretation from the same Text it might be concluded that all Christians are Fools because Sheep are silly Creatures No expositions are more besides the sense of the Text or more ridiculous then some of those which may be found in the Roman Church And those who composed them appear to have looked asquint on the Scriptures For whilst they looked on them they seemed to have looked another way I will instance only in a few of those many absurd expositions with which the Roman Breviary abounds The words of the Angel to the Holy Virgin a sword shall go through thine own soul also are a Domin infrâ— Octav. Nati v. in 2. nocturno Lect. 8. p. 175. interpreted of that word of God which is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged sword And this sense is designed as an evasion of their reasoning who from that Text conclude concerning the blessed Virgin
excepting the Dispute between the Latin and Greek Church about the Filioque or the Holy Spirits proceeding from the Father and the Son received by all catholick churches to this day which is as compleat and perfect Succession as any Doctrine can have therefore when the Church of Rome asks us Where was our Religion before Luther we tell them it was all the World over all Catholick churches believed what we do though we do not believe all that they do they themselves did and do to this Day own our creeds and Articles of Faith excepting such of them as are directly opposed to their Innovations So that we are on a â—ure Foundation our Faith has been received in the catholick church in all Ages But now the church of Rome cannot shew such a Succession for her new Doctrines and Articles of Faith which were unknown to the Primitive church for many Ages which were rejected by many flourishing churches since the first appearance of them which never had a quiet possession in her own communion and were never formed into Articles of Faith till the packt conventicle of Trent This I think is a sufficient Answer to this Paper and it pities me to see so many well-meaning Persons abused with such transparent Sophistry FINIS A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed CHURCH OF ENGLAND Made by the PAPISTS Asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before LVTHER LONDON Printed and Edinburgh Re-printed by J. Reid for T. Brown and G. Schaw and A. Ogston and G. Mosman Stationers in the Parliament Closs 1686. A DISCOURSE About the Charge of NOVELTY Upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists c. THe Christian Doctrine was once by the way of trust delivered by Christ and his Apostles unto the Saints Men of Care and Honesty and who should preserve it in its first purity and Spiritual intention only to prescribe methods unto Men by Faith and an Honest conversation how they might arrive at Heaven that this Religion might make a deeper impression upon their minds and memories and be more faithfully kept it was set down in plain and significant Terms and reduced into 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Rom. 6. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 20. short summaries called a form of sound words that good thing that Form of Doctrine a depositum or trust and by the Church afterwards a creed That it might be believed and valued it was in its own Nature of the greatest importance confirmed with variety of the best of Arguments Miracles Prophecies innocent carriage and Death of its numerous Disciples and severe curses denounc'd against any that should add to or take from it till Gal. 1. 8. 9 Rev. 22. 18. their great Master And its Author Jesus should come from Heaven again Yet notwithstanding all this by the Malice and Subtility of the Devil the Designs and Passions of Men the Ignorance and Negligence of some the Cunning and Industry of others this plain and simple Religion began by degrees to be corrupted by the mixtures of Philosophy and niceness by the Rules of Stat Craft and Policy by idle Traditions and Inventions by the Melancholy of some and the gayety of others and the natural Face of it was so strangely changed that it seem'd another Gospel and you might seek Christianity in the Christian World and yet scarce find it Many Kingdoms and People were to blame in this being Teacherous to their Master and false to their trust suffering so Pure and chast a Religion to be corrupted 2. Cor. 11. 2 or Stolen away but the Church of Rome seems the most Guilty of them all especially upon her own grounds her Bishop being the Infallible Vicar of Jesus to whom are committed the Oracles of GOD once indeed renowned Cyp. Epist Ox. Edit p. 5. 6. Rom 18. Platina vitâ— Bon 7. p. 159. vide quaeso quantum degeneraverint c. for her Faith and Pious Governours but now as famous for their Degeneracy as well in Religion as in their Lives Whose Ambition or Interest prostituted the Faith to those Designs and made it Earthly and Sensual or their Negligence and Stupidity suffered the Enemy in the night of Ignorance to sow the tares which so grew up and choakt the Wheat that Faith was turn'd into Fables and Lyes Foppery and Superstition were Nick-nam'd Devotion Ridiculous Gestures and Habits past for Repentance and Mortification the Bible was shut up and contemned and the Legends open'd and praised Honest and Good Men were butchered and unknown Persons and Malefactors canonized Saints with their Pictures and Reliques were made Rivals to Christ in Mediation and Intercession Good Works were spoiled by Merit and Arrogance or done by way of composition for vices the fear of Hell was abated by the invention of Purgatory Christ was fetch from Glory by the Magick of a Priest and put into a Wafer or into a more sordid place riddles and quirks of their Schools were made Articles of Faith in short old truths were rooted up and new errors grafted on them Power and Profit were Stiled the church the court of Rome was brought into the Temple and called the Holy of Holies Such errours as these in the christian Faith came from Rome and infected our Ancient British church not at first planted by the Labours of the Romish Bishops of old but corrupted by their later Emissaries and lasted a long time among us being supported by Power twisted with Interest sutable to the pleasures and vices of Men incorporated into the Government having put out Mens reason to try and discern between Truth and Error and at length became Fashionable Legal Terrible with Fires and censures which made us Sick unto death absolute almost and beyond recovery Such was our condition here of Slavery and Ignorance but it pleased him that dwells between the Golden Candlesticks to dispel our Darkness and restore the Ancient light of Primitive Christianity His Wisdom and Goodness improving the passions and inclinations of some in temporal changes and concerns to Spiritual purposes encouraging the secret groans and desires of others putting many more upon search and enquiry after Truth and infusing courage for it at length came to a resolution of Arguing and Debating the Errors of the Romish Faith and manners of reforming the abuses in Discipline and Devotion and to call back True Christianity again and being dispossest of the Spirit of Rome which oft tore them and rent them till they foamed again are now cloath'd and in their Wits once more upon this account the Friends of Rome call us Hereticks Schismaticks and Innovators Discharge Censures and Excommunications and Eternal Damnation against us are full of Wrath and indignation and to shew a little Wit in their Anger And pretended reason pertly ask the Question where was our Religion before Luther This is the common and trite objection against our Religion very frequent not only in the Mouths of their Bellarmine Campian Smith more Ordinary
And they seem to acknowledge we do not and therefore to make up the matter pretend a Divine Authority in the Church to cast new Articles and Truths fere de fide almost fit for a Creed and some others of them confess that some of their Opinions as Image-Worship and others were not maintain'd in the first Ages of Christianity for fear of coming too near the Heathens Worship and out of other Prudential considerations so that whosoever doth compare the Doctrine of our Church with that of Christ and his Apostles must needs conclude that our Religion is Ancient Christianity and that the charge of Novelty is groundless 2. The Nature of Reformation which was not to found a New Church but correct an old one Christianity that Pearl of great price was hid with trash and Mat 13. 3. filth that the Romish Church had heap'd upon it our Reformers removed only what loaded and obscur'd it and restored it to its first Beauty and Lustre Such a Reformation indeed is later then their errors and it must needs be so it naturally supposing them before otherwise 't is not Reformation but a destructive change but Primitive Christianity which is our Religion was long before the Dâ—sease of Popery though the cure of this Disease was after or later then the disease it self but the sound Body of Christianity for which we are concern'd was before them both for 't is not Reformation barely that we are pleased withal no more then with a Pill or Potion but only as necessary to drive away an inveterate Disease and recover an old Religion to its â—ormer Health When Christ reformed the Jewish Religion from the false senses and glosses that the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon it and grafted Christianity upon the old stock will the Romanists call this a New Religion or rather an old one well amended and improved by Divine Authority Bellarmin doth allow this for Truth and saith that Christianity was rather a new State and Condition then a new church and he that can call our Religion New because 't is mended and made now what it was about 1600 years ago may affirm that Christ built a new Temple when he Whipt the buyers and sellers out of the old And that Hezekiah built a 2 Chron. 305 New Sanctuary and Instituted a New Passover because he cleans'd the one and restor'd the other to its first Institution our Reformation did no more it only scal'd off the Leprosie that stuck to the Body of the Romish church it only pair'd off those Additions that Interest or Superstition Niceness or Foppery had glew'd to it what after remain'd was our Religion the same that Christ and his Apostles taught the world at first And if they can shew that any thing hath been added since pernicious to the Nature of the True and Old Religion our church is ready to remove it or that any thing is wanting that is necessary to its complement and perfection she is ready to entertain it with the same spirit of meekness and Wisdom and Regard to the Gospel that she used in the Reformation but hitherto upon good grounds and strict inquiry She is fully satisfied that Her Religion is absolute and compleat Christianity 3. We have many and impartial Judges on our side that our Religion is Pure and Old Christianity The particular church of Rome indeed that supports her self by a pretended Infallibility to be true to her Principle refuses to be tryed by any other Church but will be only Judge of her self and others too yet we that are certain and sure of the Truth of our Religion though not Infallible dare appeal to the Judgment of other Christian churches The Greek church condemns their half Communion the Doctrines of Purgatory Merit and Supererogation The Adoration of Images their locking up the Scriptures in an unknown Tongue their extreme Unction and sale of Masses and laughs at their Infallibility the thing that makes their errours in Faith incorrigible the Arminian Christians reject the Supremacy Baron Tom. 10. P. 256. of the Pope Transubstantiation Purgary and excommunicat those that worship Images The Jacobites the Indians of St. Thomas the Egyptian and Abassine Christians dissent from most or all of the Romish errours which we condemn We have all the truly ancient Christian Churches on our side and most of the Modern whom the busie Emissaries of Rome have not terrified or seduc'd into their Party Our Writters have appealed with great success to the Ancient Councils the holy Fathers and to the Learned and Pious Bishops and Priests of old and from thence discovered the Novelty of the Romish Faith and the good old way of the English Church And they dare not stand the trial when we desire to be determined by the best and infallible Judge the holy Scriptures exept they must give the meaning of them otherwise they load them with Ignominious Names of â— Lesbian rule mere Ink and Paper and a Nose of Wax Who will they be try'd by by a Council truly General No except it be called manag'd and Confirm'd by the Pope Will they be Judg'd by any that differ from them yet are men of good honest and unprejudic'd Judgements No they are out of the pale of the Church and stubborn Hereticks And the best reason they have for their assurance that they are in the right is that they are sure they are so and keep themselves safe in their Enchanted Castle of Infallibility The Arabian Philosopher was offended at and abhorr'd their barbarous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and eating of their God and resolv'd to stick to his Philosophical rather then be of such a Christian Religion The Roman Images and the Worship of them have laid a Stumbling block before the Jews who therefore approved our Sentence and condemnation of them having therefore such a number of good Testimonies and Judgements on our side we rise up and reverence the gray Hairs of our Religion which Rome once cloath'd in a wanton and phantastick dress and made it ridiculous which because we have pull'd off and put on its ancient habit and made it look manly with the Image of GOD and Christ upon it they call us Innovators Many of their own Writers have spoke in favour of the English Church and many of their distinctions in a fair sense have concluded for her Doctrine and shewn their dislike of many opinions of their own Church 4. That our Religion was long before Luther will appear from the oppositions that were made to the Papal corruptions which did not enjoy so quiet a life but were frequently disturb'd and cry'd oâ—t against not only by other Churches but by many honest and considering men in their own Communion Men they were not of Interest and Discontent Peevishness and given to change of little Learning and less conscience and not in the World but men eminent in their Generation men of Probity and Studies of Temper and consideration men that stood not alone
glorious with arrogant Titles and borrow'd Names Search into the Pedegree of Romes Religion we do not find Christ or St. Peter or any of his Apostles to be the Authors of it but Pride Interest and Design old Vices indeed but new Fathers of a Christian church which brought in a late and new generation of Opinions and additions to Christs Religion clothing them with the venerable Names of Primitive and Apostolical Where was the Romish Religion before the Council of Trent concluded onely about the year 1563. of a latter date then when Luther first began which legitimated all their Innovations the issue of Scholastick Wranglings pretended Dreaâ—â—s and Visions forc'd and unnatural Senses of Scripture Ambition and Profit the Fxchequer of Rome to be made Sons of the Church and Fundamentals of the Christian Faith Many of their own Writers confess that for 1400 or â— 500 years the Pope was not believ'd to be infallible till of late some of their flaming Zealots have vested him with infallibility whereby the Roman Church is sick unto death and no cure is to be applyed because she is so certain and sure that she is well Their lewd Doctrine of Transubstantiation was not made an Article of Faith till the Council of Laâ—eran under Innocent the third above 1200 years after Christ and many of their own Writers are still dissatisfied about it The Title of Vniversal Bishop was obtained by Pope Boniface the Third not till about 600 years after Christ fearing a powerful Rival the Constantinopolitan Bishop who affected the same and therefore by the Popes themselves was declaimed against as proud and Antichristian but now by Hypocrisie and base compliance with the wicked Phocas who was guilty of Treason and Murder against the Emperour Mauritius Rome gained the delicious point and has made it a fundamental Article of her new Religion though the Popes came not up to their swaggering temper and Power of Hectoring Christian Princes some hundred of years afâ—erwards The Doctrine of Purgatory which some derive from the Platonick Fancies of Origen the Montanism of Tertullian pretended Visions and Pagan Stories Rhetorical Flourishes and doubtful Expressions of the later Fathers yet it was not positively affirmed till about the year 1140. and not made an Article of Faith till the Council of Trent then indeed a good Estate became a surer way to Heaven then a good Life and Conversation The use of indulgences was the Moral to the Fable of Purgatory and began to grow much what about the same time though it came not to the height and perfection till Pope Leo the Tenths time when Luther so stoutly opposed them then Heaven was set to sale and the best Chapman was the greatest Saint though they boast of the second Council of Nice for the Antiquitie of their Image Worship And if it will do thern any good so they may of Simon Magus who was of an elder date and a very fit Patron of Acts 11. 13 such an Opinion yet the Council of Frankfurt condemned it and the purest times did not so much as allow the making of Images And it was not the Catholick Doctrine in France for almost 900 years after Christ nor in Germany till after the 12th Câ—â—tury then indeed such a Doctrine might be very proper when true Religion was turned into Pageantry and a form of Godliness The number of the seven Sacraments is now an Article of the Romish Faith yet the Council of Florence ended in the year 1439 was the first Council and Peter Lombard the first man that precisely fixt that number That the Laity ought to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper onely in one kind was never made an Article of Faith till the Council of Constance concluded in the year 1418 then indeed that Council with the greatest insolence and a direct Invasion of the Authority of CHRIST took the Cup from the Laymens mouths notwithstanding as it was then acknowledged the Institution of CHRIST to the contrary and they may as well Christen the Laicks Children only in the name of the Holy Ghost leaving out the Father and the Son by the way of concomitancy it being as Lawful to Baptize as Communicat by the halfes For what cannot such a pretended Power do The prohibiting of Priests to Marry was not in perfection as 't is now till Pope Gregory the Sevenths time Let them tell us where 't is said by Christ or his Apostles or any of the truly Ancient Writers of the christian Church that Pennance is a Sacrament or that Auricular Confession is necessary to Salvation or that Prayers ought to be made in an unknown Tongue or that good works are strictly meritorious or where can they find the many Impieties and absurdities of their Mass in those early times of Antiquity And since they are fond of asking us this Question we might ask them many more about the many Fopperies and Innovations in their Faith and Devotion and many they are and large is the inventory almost as many as are the Christian Truths in direct opposition to them or prevarication from them But they seem to confess the newness of their Religion when they arrogantly set up a Power in their Church to frame new Articles of Faith and many things only Opinions and Notions at first have grown up by degrees to Fundamental Truths and having once slipt into errour they are bound to maintain it for the Reputation and Autâ—ority of Holy Church And who knows how many of this Nature are upon the Romish forge ready to be put into their Creed and where must we end not till it be believed that consecrated Feathers and Holy Water can convey Divine Grace to us and drive away wicked Spirits and the Weathercocks of our Churches be thought Pâ—illars of it Would the Champions of Rome speak out they would tells us as their Eckius did the Duke of Bavaria That the Doctrine of Luther might be overthrown by the Fathers though not by the Scriptures 't is a plain confession that we have the truest Antiquity on our side and in the beginning it was not so But we add that we have the Fathers also on our side for otherwise what mean their Expurgat orian Indices of the Fathers and other Ancient Writters but that they very well know that these are old Enemies to Pope Pins's new Creed and the Truth in them confounds their errour Such an account as this about the Original and Progress of their new Additions to the old Faith was convenient to be given not because the Nature of the thing did necessarily require it for it had been sufficient only to have prov'd that these Romish Additions to the Christian Faith are contrary to the Word of GOD and no where to be found in any of the Divine Writings the only Infallible Rule of Faith and that they have no power of minting new Articles Fundamental to Salvation but because the Disciples of Rome so frequently ask us the Question and
or thing make the same inclosures about the Catholick as about the Roman Church and are as free in their severest censures of all others and as haughty in what they assume to themselves alone as they were though not proceeding upon the same grounds But what that holy Father every where presseth upon them reacheth as nearly our Antagonists the indispensable necessity of Charity that great bond of Unity in the Church and principal evidence of the Divine Spirit which animates the whole without which the highest gifts and most Sacred Ministrations are rendered ineffectual This is one of the prime characteristick notes of the true Catholick Church and every living Member thereof and nothing is more opposit to their Principles and Practices who have formally excluded all other christians and churches from any share therein not only those in the West that have deservedly cast off that Power which they had unjustly arrogated and tyrannical exercised but also the Greeks and others in the East that never owned any subjection to them But most securely may the Church of England glory in true Catholicism which to all her other priviledges and advantages that she may boast of above almost any other Church still maintains and evidences the greatest charity to others of any that I know in the world makes no other inclosures then those which GOD himself hath made not assuming any Authority to command yea or to pass hasty judgment upon any but only to provide for her own the best she can and with such tender regard to common Christianity and the Rights of all other Churches that she seems designedly to have chalk'd out the way of restoring the most desirable â—â—uits of Christian Unity throughout the whole Church and we should have been sensible of considerable effects by it had other Churches pursued like methods That Church sure is most Catholick that makes provision for the most Catholick Communion Peace and Unity and which imposes no other terms or conditions of it but those most universally received throughout all Ages in all places and by almost all Christians which may soon decide the competition whither the Church of England more truely vindicates to her self a part of the Catholick Church or they of Rome arrogate to themselves the whole Or which are the Schismaticks from it they which exclude none whom they own no power over but invite all to them and joyn with any in what is good and agreeable to the Institutions of our common LORD or they who shut out all but those who will subject themselves to their usurp'd Authority and most unjustfiable Impositions a Firmilianus de Stephano Episcopo Rom. ad Cyprianum Ep. 7â— p. 228. Ox. Ed. Siquidem ille vere Schismaticus qui se a Communione Ecclesiasticae unitatis Apostatam fecerit dum enim putas omnes a te abstineri posse solum te ab omnibus abstinuisli Farther the term Catholick is sometimes taken for Orthodox and so the Catholick Church interpreted for that which holds the Catholick Faith opposed to heretical Opinions and Doctrines as well as to Schismatical Separations b S. Cyril Hieros Cat. 18. p. 2. Catholike men â—â—â— kaletai dia to kata pases einai tes oihoumenes apo peraton ges heos peraton kai dia to didaskein catholikes kai anellei pos hapanta ta cis guosin anthropon elthein ophelonta dogmata Sozomen Hist L. 7. c. 4. In this sense the Church of England hath as good a claim in the Catholick Church as any whatever Receiving all the Articles of Christian Faith delivered in Scripture and received in the Primitive Ages for more than five hundred years No Principles having been so formally declared then and for some time after as the catholick Faith of all christians and as such necessary to be own'd which she rejects whatever private opinions there might be then among some eminent Doctors of the Church in which they oft differed one from the other or although there might be some observances then generally received which she thinks her self not bound to retain But ill will this charecter agree to the Romanists who have added so many new dangerous Articles to the common Faith of Christians not only beside the original Rule which they cannot but own with us but too often against it and the professed belief of the first and best Ages of the church Wherefore we reject not these Innovations meerly from negative arguments because not sufficiently proved and yet that way of arguing hath been alwayes allowed in the Fundamentals of Faith which must be grounded upon express Divine Authority and Testimony But we lay the greatest stress of our aversations to them upon that direct opposition which we undertake to prove most of them have to the common Faith and revealed Will of GOD which they and we both own And surely that Church in this acceptation is most Catholick that relies on such Catholick Principles and refers all others to be examined by this touchstone V. But in the fifth place some Objections lie in our way fit to be answered Object 1. They urge against us that we reject several Doctrines since formally determined in the Church by the known and received Authority thereof in Councils more general or particular which they pretend were believed through all Ages but then established when they came first to be called in question Answ We are not much concerned in the first part of the objection though very many exceptions might come in especially as to the formality and regularity of those Councils but as to the latter part in which the main stress lies here we never refused a fair trial thereof 1. From Scripture against which no Authority Civil or Ecclesiastical in single persons or the greatest Assemblies no time or custome of whatever date can prescribe a Tertullian de velandis virginibus c. 1. p. 172. hoc exigere veritatem cui nemo prescribere potest non spatium temporum non patrocinia personarum non privilegium regionum S. Cyprian Ep. 63. p. 155. Quare si solus Christus audiendus est non debemus attendere quid alius ante nos faciendum putaverit sed quid qui ante omnes est Chriflus prior fecit neque enim hominis consuetudinem sequi oportet sed Dei veritatem S. Basil de judicio Dei T. 2 p. 392. ejus moral T. 2. p. 423. S. Hierom. adv Joh. Hieros T. 2. p. 185. in eodem T. ex Ep. Aug. ad Hierom. p. 353. 359 c. This hath been ever received till of late as the perfect and intire Rule of all necessary doctrines of Faith and practice of which abundant Testimonies may be seen in most Protestant Writers 2. We appeal also to the Primitive and best Ages of Christianity which either knew nothing of these Additions that we can find or sometimes give as express declarations against them as could be expected at this distance But to take off much of the strangeness of
agree together in the Summons place or time of meeting or about the persons who are to resort to it from their several Dominions While the Roman Empire was intire the Emperours Edict alone was Summons sufficient to almost the whole Christian Church But now who shall take upon him to call or invite so many from so distant places no way under his Authority And that the Pope ever pretended to this power till of late can scarce be pleaded against such clear evidences and Examples and where he is so much concerned it will be judged more unreasonable for him to demand it If this difficulty were overcome by any consent or condescension yet so many jealousies and cross interests are behind that will be and have been laid in the way of their first meeting together with a requisite peaceable disposition as are not easily foreseen and less readily governed not to interpose the difficulties of the journeys from such distant places and of the discontinuance so long from home of the chief Governours of the Church many doubts and controversies of the number and quality of persons having right to vote therein by themselves or representatives will not soon be adjusted and without these and such like be determined there is no preparation made for so venerable an Assembly After all when never so duely met we have neither Reason Promise or Example to suppose them now infallibly Ecclesia non numerus Episcoporum Tertullian de pudicitia c. 22. guided in their determinations but that they or the greater part may be mistaken themselves or mislead others through passion and false interest or be carried away in the noise or torrent of a multitude or be imposed on by the crafty He that considers matter of fact more then the finest Schemes and most subtil Reasonings of his own brain how things are oft strangely and unaccountably carried in publick meetings of men of extraordinary Fame yea in some Councils themselves and some of very sacred Repute in the Church a Greg. Naz. Epist 55. p. 814. Ep. 72. p. 829 Ep. 135. p. 864. ejusd Orat. 15 init p 451. Theod. Ep. 112. Vol. 3. p. 582 983. will think this no hard supposal though their orderly Sentence carries the most venerable Authority below Heaven It seems to argue the heighth of Blasphemy to arreign God himself of indiscretion if it be possible for any man or number of men to erre from their Duty And very presumptuous it is to charge the Supreme Providence of defect in the provision for the continuance of his Church if they be capable to fall away yea let GOD be true but every man a liar when brought in competition He will not be tyed up by our most plausible Methods in the way of securing his own Truth which shall at last prevail though condemned Whose wisdom is unsearchable and his wayes oft past our finding out He will bring to pass his own holy designs though by means to us most unlikely or it may be seemingly opposite Whoever seriously reflects upon these things will have little reason to quarrel at the Reformation for want of this formal establishment in Council No Christian or Church is chargeable with the lack of that which is not in their power to procure Men may please themselves with remote Speculations and the fairest hopes and wishes of such an Authoritative Decision of the disputes in controversie but if it be not to be had we must rest content with and make the best use we can of that provision which GOD in mercy hath indulged us for our sufficient satisfaction and safety Every particular National Church directly subject to no other may and ought to reform it self from known Abuses keeping within the Rule of GODS Word avoiding as much as possible giving just offence to any beside and being ready to give an account of its proceedings therein to all and to alter any thing that shall be found amiss or add whatever may be proved wanting to receive others into its Communion and to communicate with them so far as may be consistent with common Christianity owned by all endeavouring to preserve Peace and Unity with all that call upon the same LORD praying to GOD to increase and improve them more and more such hath been the continued aim and proceeding of the Church of England We believe no true Member of this would have refused the general communion of the truely Catholick church in St. Augustine's Age or for some after though possibly every opinion or practice then current be not suited to their present judgement or wish Neither can we think after so strange alteration of circumstances through so many degenerate Ages that holy Father in his eminent zeal for the most a S. Aug. adv Crescon Grammat l. 3. T. 7. p. 273. Ego in Ecclesia sum cujus membra sunt illae omnes Ecclesiae quaâ— ex laboribus Apostolorum notas atque firmatas simul literis canonitis novimus Earum communionem sive in Africa sive ubicunque non deseram Catholick Communion therein would now have been much moved by our present Adversaries arrogant claims of it to themselnes alone though against the Rules and Principles of it with all others No Foundation is laid for it here but by the absolute submission of all others to their usurp'd Authority and rash or impious determinations Now who can hope for an universal Peace and Unity from such terms of accommodation only fit for an insulting Conquerour to impose like those which Nabash the Ammonite propounded to the men of Jabesh Gilead to thrust out all their eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel 1 Sam. 11. 2. Object 3. Sometimes they object to us the personal miscarriages of some ingaged in the Reformation Answ If any did what they ought not or with unjustifiable designs what they ought the Church is no way accountable if what they did in the Reformation as such were good and they had sufficient Authority for doing it which we are ready to maintain that is all she is responsible for were other imputations really true which they oft are not However it will be an endless dispute and if determined would add little to the cause I may add few great and publick changes are brought about where so many interests are concerned either way to promote or hinder them in which all things are carried with that clearness and evenness that were to be desired Private Persons are not chargeable with the supposed defects of publict Administrations of which they have not the management if nothing be required of them against their express Duty and they be provided of all necessary means of their Salvation though they may be inclined to wish some things had been ordered otherwise Object 4. Our Enemies on both sides are apt to object to us the want of due Discipline if not absolutely necessary to the being of the Church yet so far useful to the well-being and
Land was a Holy Land Gods peculiar Inheritance which he gave by promise to their Fathers and the Temple was his House where he dwelt among them it cannot be expected that any other Gods might be worship'd by such a people in such a Land and in such a house as God had appropriated to himself 3. It is very considerable that we have no approved example under the Law of any worship pay'd to Saints or Angels or any other Beeing but God alone We have too many sad examples of the Idolatry of the Jews both in worshipping the Molten Calf which Aaron made and Jeroboams Calves and Baalim's and other Heathen gods but had it been allowed by their Law to have pay'd any inferiour degree of Religious Worship to Saints and Angels which is now asserted by the Church of Rome to be a matter of such great benefit and advantage to mankind it is a very strange that we should not have one example of it throughout the Scripture nor any authentick Records among the Jewish Writers All the Psalms of David are directed to God alone and yet we cannot think but such a devout man would have bestowed some Hymns upon his Patron and tutelar Saints had he worship'd any such as well as the Papâ—sts do now This the Church of Rome sees and acknowledges and thinksshe answers too when she gives us the reason why it could not be so under the Law because those Old Testament-Saints were not then admitted into Heaven to the immediate vision and fruition of God Heaven-gates were not opened till the resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour and therefore those blessed Spirits were not in a condition to be our Intercessors and Mediators till they were received into Heaven but now Saints and Martyrs ascend directly into Heaven and reign with Christ in Glorie and it seems share with him in his peculiar Worship and Glorie too Now 1. Whither this be so or not the Scriptures assign no such reason for it and therfore it is likely there might be other reasons and I think I have made it very plain that there was We are not inquiring for what reasons the Jewish Church did not worship Saints and Angels but whither they did worship them or not and it appears that they never did so that we have neither precept nor example for this during all the time of the Jewish Church which is all we intend to prove by this argument 2. But yet it is evident that this is not a good reason why the Jews did not worship Angels under the Law For certainly Angels were as much in Heaven then as they are now whatever Saints were They are represented in the Old Testament as the constant Attendants and Râ—tinue of God and the great Ministers of his Providence and therefore they were as capable of Divine Worship in the time of the Law as they are now nay I think a little more For the Law it self was given by the Ministry of Angels and their appearances were more frequent and familiar and the world seemed to be more under the Government of Angels then then it is now since Christ is made the Head of the Church and exalted above all principalities and powers And therefore sometimes the Advocates of the Church of Rome make some little offers to prove the worship of Angels in those days to this purpose they alledge that form of benediction which Jacob used in blessing the Sons of Josheph The Gen. 44. 16. Angel which redemed me from all evil bless the Lads But 1. This is not a direct prayer to the Angel but onely his committing of them to the care and patronage of that Angel with a prayer to God for that purpose And if he by experience had found that God had appointed his Angel to defend and protect him it was but reasonable to pray to God that the same Angel might protect his posterity 2. But yet according to the sense of the Antient Fathers this was no created Angel and Spirit but the Son and Word of God the Angel of the presence who is so often in Scripture stiled Jehovah a name which can belong to no created Spirit And it is no hard matter to make it highly probable that this is that Angel who redeemed Jacob out of all his troubles But it is strange if Angels were worshipped under the Old Testament we should have no clearer and plainer evidence of it then such a single Text which was never expounded either by any Jewish or Christian Writers to this sense till of late dayes and here the Priests of the Church of Rome are to be put in mind of their Oath to expound Scripture according to the unanimous consent of the Ancient Fathers SECT III. The Testimonies of the Gospel considered whither Chrâ—â—â— and his Apostles have made any alteration in the object â—f our Worship LEt us now proceed in the second place to consider Sect. 3. the writings of the New Testament and examine what they teach us concerning the object of our Worship And that Christ and his Apostles have made no change in the object of our worship will appear from these considerations 1. That they could not do it Had they ever attempted to set up the worship of any other Beeings besides the One Supreme God the Lord Jehovah the Jews were expresly commanded by their Law not to believe them nor hearken to them whatever signs and wonders and miracles they had wrought If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. sign or wonder and the sign or wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of the Prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your GOD proveth you to know whither you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his Commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and cleave unto him And that Prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death c. in which Law there are some things very matterial to be obsered in this present dispuâ—e 1. When they are forbidden to hearken to any Prophet who seduces them to the worship of any other Gods this must be extended to all those instances of Idolatrous worship which are forbid by the Law of Moses whatever is opposed to the worship of one Supreme and Soveraign Beeing the Lord Jehovah And therefore whither these Prophets seduced them from the worship of the Lord Jehovah to the worship of other Gods or perswaded them to worship other Gods besides the Lord Jehovah whither they were any of those Gods which were at that time worship'd by other Nations or any other Gods whom the ignorance and superstition of the people should create in after
nature but our equals however are not our Gods It is a state of liberty freedom and honour to be subject to God who is our natural Lord and Soveraign But to fall down to our fellow creatures and to worship them with Divine honours with all humility of address and sacred and awful regards is to debase our selves as much below the dignity of our natures as we advance them above it The excellency and perfection of reasonable Creatures principally consists in their Religion and that is the most perfect Religion which does most advance adorn and perfect our Natures but it is an argument of an abject mind to be contented to worship the most excellent creatures which is a greater dishonour then to own the vilest Slave for our Prince Mean objects of worship do more debase the Soul then any other the vilest submissions and the more our dependencies are and the meaner they are the more imperfect our â—tate and Religion is 3. The greatest perfection of Religion consists in the nearest and most immediate approach to God which I think these men cannot pretend to who fly to the patronage and intercession of Saints and Angels to obtain their Petitions of him Though we should allow it lawful to pray to Saints and Angels to meditate for us with God yet we cannot but own it a more perfect state to do as the Saints and Angels themselves do go to God without any other Advocat but Christ himself It is a great happiness to have a friend at Court to commend us to our Prince when we have no interest of our own but it is a greater priviledge to go immediately to our Prince when we please without any Favourite to introduce us This is the perfect state of the Gospel that we have received The adoption of Sons and because Gal. 4. 5. 6. we are Sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father This is this Holy Spirit which dwells in us teaches us to call God Father and to pray to him with the humble assurance and confidence of Children This is the effect of Christs intercession for us That we may now come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy Heb. 4. 16. and find grace to help in a time of need The throne of Grace certainly is not the shrine of any Saints but the immediate throne and presence of God whither we may immediately direct our prayers through the merits and intercession of Christ Upon the same account the whole body of the Christians are called a Spiritual house that is the Temple of God where he is peculiarly present to hear these Prayers that are made to him An holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD through Jesus 1 Pet. 2. 5. 6. Christ And a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people This is a priviledge above what the Jews enjoyed they had a Priesthood to minister in holy things and to offer their Sacrifices to them but the whole Nation was not a Priesthood nor had such immediate access to God but now every Christian has as near an access to God as the Priests themselves under the Law had can offer up his Prayers and Spiritual Sacrifices immediately to GOD and that very acceptably too through Jesus Christ our great High Priest and Mediator and if our Prayers be acceptable to God by Jesus Christ we need no other Mediators or Advocats This is the only direction our Saviour gave his Disciples a little before his death to ask in his name with this promise If ye ask any thing in my name I will do it Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall Joh. 14. 13 15. Joh. 16. 24. receive that your joy may be full and to give them the greater assurance of acceptance he acquaints them with Gods great and tender affection for them such as a Father has for his Children At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father ver 26 27. for you for the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God a reason which equally extends to all those who shall believe in Christ to the end of the world And can we now imagine that when our Saviour has purchast for us this liberty of access to God he should send us round about by the shrines and Altars of numerous unknown Saints to the Throne of Grace When he will not assert the necessity of his own prayers for us while we pray in his name because our heavenly Father hath such a tender affection for all the Disciples of Christ can we think it necessary to pray to St. Paul and St. Peter and the Virgin Mary to pray for us This is none of our Saviours institution nor can it be because Christ by his death and sufferings and intercessions brings us nearer to God as the Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Apostle to the Hebrews speaks Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an high Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith But the worship of Saints and Angels removes us at a great distance from God as not daring to approach his presence without the mediation of some Favourite Saint And though the Church of Rome does sometimes pray directly to God only in the Name and Mediation of Christ as the Pagans themselves sometime did to their Supreme Deity yet it seems this is what they dare not trust to and therefore joyn the Meditation of Saints with their prayers to God and never pray to God without it SECT VIII 5. THat the Gospel of our Saviour has made no alteration in the object of our worship appears from that Analogy which there is and ought to be between the Jewish and Christian Worship The Jewish and Christian Church are but one Church and their worship the same worship only with this difference that the Jewish worship was in Type and Figure and Ceremony the Christian worship in Truth and Substance And therefore if this Evangelical worship be the same it must have the same object for the object is the most essential part of worship So that if it appear not only from the express letter of the Law of Moses but from all the Types and Figures of the Law that God only was to be worshiped by the Jewish Church if Christ was to fulfil all these Types and Figures in his own person and in the Evangelical worship then it is certain that the object of our worship must be the same still for if the Type was confined in its nature and signification to the worship of one God
a Church in its constant Service to take suppose the Lord's Prayer in pieces and first pronounce it in Latin and then in English But as they do not permit their Offices Extract ex regist Facult Par. an 1525. Collectio p 8. Censurae An. 1655 p. 18. Procez contr Vâ—isin An. 1660. p. 53. c. Epist Cleri An 1660. p. 62. Orat. c. p. 63 not the Horae B. Virginis Breviary or Mass book to be translated into a Vulgar Tongue So the verbal translation of it during the celebration of Mass was never thought of by the Council but was thereby condemned as the cause and seedplot of many errours as we are informed in a Lettâ—â— wrote upon the occasion of Voisin's translation by the whole Clergy of France to Pope Alexander the Seventh And whatsoever the Exposition did refer to let it be what it will yet it was not to the devotional Part as Sanders declares who after he had pleaded that an Unknown Tongue with interpretation was the perfect fulfilling of S. Pauls advice perceiving a difficulty behind throws all off with this If the Interpretation of Prayers he laid aside for a seasion it is however not to be thought that it is to he ommited for ever c. So that at most no more was intended then a short exposition of some doctrinal Point or ceremony which might as well be called an Exposition of the Breviary or any other Book containing much the same things as the Missal And it is probable that so much as this also was never intended which if ever is very rarely practised amongst them Insomuch as Ledesma saith That the sense of the council was That the people should be instructed only by Sermons Indeed they would rather have this go for an Argument then Cap. 15. Sect. decret Con. Trid. n. 2. dispute it They do as the Irish by their bogs run over it lightly for fear if they tread too hard it will not supoort their cause but stifle it And therefore they wheel off again and then tell us That it S. C. Answ p. 176. being a known set Form in one set Language those that are ignorant of it at first need not continue so but by due attention and diligence may arrive to a sufficient knowledge As if the poor people are inexcusable if they do not arrrive to a sufficient knowledge of the Tongue which must be learned before the things without other helps then their own attention and diligence when the Priests and others are trained up to the knowledge and understanding of Latin by Rules Masters and frequent exercise Surely they had the Mass in Latin when the learned themselves did not understand it as Valla saith They had the Elegant Praes Mass in Latin when the greatest part of the people did not understand it as Faber relates They had In 1 Cor. 14. Cassand Liturg c. 36. Sixt. Senens Bibliâ—th 6. Annot. 263. the Mass in Latine when not only the people but the Priest and Deacons rarely understood what they prayed for as Billet c. confess And where ' was then their attention and diligence that to their lives end either daily rehearsed it or often heard it and yet never understood it And is is not so still when notwithstanding all the noise of S. c. p. 176. Exposition Manuals and Primers c. for the use of the Vulgar yet setting aside some little Forms and Ceremonies of it they are so ignorant of the Contents of the Missal or Mass Book that as to the matter of it they know it not from the Breviary nor would know it from the Alcoranâ— if read in the same Tongue alike pronounced and the same falls and postures were used in the reading of it So that what more plain then the means they have provided is not sufficient for to instruct and edifie the people and that after all they do hold this instruction unnecessary and that the people are safe without it And this is the case for it is generally resolved by their Casuists both for Preist and People that â—â— they do their duty and merit when they say their Prayers though they do not understand so Eckius so Salmeron c. And if it were otherwise very few Saimeron in 1 cor 16. Disp 3 Instrnct Sacerd c. 13. n. 5 6. would do their duty when so very few do at all understand what they say as Cardinal Tolet doth determine So in â—ulgent are they and very reasonable is it that they should be so that when they have put out the peoples Eyes they should take good care to make the way broad and smooth for them But in good earnest can we think this way as safe as it is broad and that there is no Ditch into which both Priest and People if alike blind may fall and perish And if there be must not the case of that people be very lamentable that are wholly left to the ability and sincerity of their Priest who if he wants the former may through ignorance turn the most solemn part of their Service as it happens into Nonesense or Blasphemy And if he wants the latter may use a Spell for Prayer and the ancient charm D. Stilling steet Answ to T. G. c. 3 sect 3. of Abracadabrae for Ave Maria as a learned person hath observed Nay insteed of baptizing in the sacred Name of the Father c. â—he may do by the person as a Jew under the profession of a Priest is said to have done by a certain Prince in the last Age and baptize him in the horrid name of the Devil There is then nothing so absurd or wicked which according to the case may not be praâ—â—ised And neither Prayers be Prayers nor Sacraments Sacraments nor persons Christians as long as the Priest doth alone know neither Priest nor People understand But supposing that there be no defect in either of these and that the whole Service is faithfully and understandingly performed yet if the Tongue in which it is performed be not understood of the people there can be no understanding of the sense contained in it and where the sense and matter is not understood there cannot be as I have shewed these dispositions of Soul that attention of Mind that Faith which gives the Amen to our Prayers c and which renders the Service acceptable to God and beneficial to our selves and consequently a service so contrived as shall defeat these ends is one of the greatest mischiefs that can befal a Church and must render the Romish Church inexcusable in the injunction of it and Justifie those that have reformed it SECT V. We are come to enquire Whether upon the whole the Service of God ought not to be celebrated in a Tongue vulgarly understood THe Church of Rome doth anathematize and Bellarm. c. 16 sub sin T. G. against D. Stilingfleet Sect â— n. 3. p. 28. Ledesma c 33. â— 1. doom to Hell those that
practice excepting only the object of their Worship giving them real Saints and Holy Angels instead of their feigned and impure Deities and that which makes this the more probable is that their invasion and stay in Italy and the rise and growth of Daemon-Worship there jump exactly as to time and both bear date from the Fourth and Fifth Centures III. That there is not the least proof for it from Scripture 1. ANd here we are firstâ—â— take notice that Bellar. de sanct beat c. 19. Salm. in 1 Tim. 2. disp 7. Eckius Enchirid de vener sanct c. 15. Cardin. du Perron it is â—reely confeâ—â— by some of their own Learned Divines that there is no express Text either in the Old or New Testament for this Doctrine and practice and is it not hard to make that an Article of Faith that has no Foundation to stand on in the word of God Or to make that a Duty that has no Law â—or sanction to bind us to the practice of it Were not the Scriptures written to make Men Wise unto salvation and to instruct them throughly unâ—o all good works Were they not written that 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. we might believe believing might have Eternal Life Do not the Apostles say they have made known to Man the whole will of God and kept nothing hid from them Do John 20. 30. they not abound in earnest Exhortations to Pray to Pray alwayes to pray without ceasing with all prayer Have they not left frequent directions for the right performance of it in a Language that all that hear may understand with pure hands in Faith without wrath and doubting And now can 1 Cor. 14. we imagine after all this that had Invocation of Saints been so good and profitable a Duty or that it had been so great a Crime so much as to doubt of the Blessed Virgin 's Merits and Ability to help that theâ— would have been Catech. Rom. 584. wholly silent as to this matter Were not the Apostles guided by the Holy Spirit of God Must they not be supposed to have as hearty a concern and as burning a Zeal for the Salvation of Souls and the Glory of God as the Trent Fathers had And now had this practice been so highly instrumental to promote both these as that Synod would have us believe is it to be imagined that every one of them would have quite forgot it and neglected to have given it in charge with as much strictness as they have done to all Bishops and Pastors to instruct their Flocks in the Pieâ—y and Usefulness of it Have not the Apostles both by their precept and example enjoyned Christians to beg the Prayers of one another whilst they are in the body Have they not prescribed the Sick Man as the most Soveraign receipt to have recourse to the Prayers of the Elders of the Jaâ— 5. 14. Church What reason then can be given that we have not any one example or precept to fly to the Prayers of Saints departed to their help and assistance as the more prevailing and meritorious but only this that they are not in a capacity to hear our requests or to know our conditions Nay had our Saviour and his Apostles intended this Saint-Invocation as a necessary Christian Duty it would have needed a more express command and penalty to have inforced its obligation then most other Duties of Christianity since it was altogether a thing new to the Jews and what had never been practised by them for though sometimes in their prayers to God they besought him to remember Abraham Isaac and Luk 1. 55. 72. 73. Deut. 7. â— Jacob that is his own covenant and promise he had made with and to them yet they never used them as intercessors or said Holy Abraham or Holy Isaac pray for us But to blunt the edge of this Argument that they themselves have put into our hands against it they tell us was not for any intrinsick Evil in the thing but for some particular reasons relating to the times of the Old Testament and the first Ages of the New that It was not mentioned and enioyned in scripture but if the reasons produced by them do hold with equal force against it promiscuously in all Ages as well as against it then certainly the main reason why it 's no where prescribed in scripture is that it might at no time be put in practice The reasons they give are chiefly two For the Old Testament they say it 's not there enjoyned because the Patriarchs and Saints departed during that dispensation were not admitted into the beatifick Vision and so could not ordinarily understand the Prayers of the Living but if for ought we know Abraham Isaac and Jacob are still in the same Limbo or place of rest they went to at first or if our Saviour at his ascension into Heaven did give them a happy deliverance and took them up with him into the immediate presence of God 't is not certain that they understand the desires of the Living any more then they did before then there is as much reason not to Invocate them now as there was not to do it then Many of the Romanists will not have the Saints in Heaven come to know the desires of their Living Votaries by the benefit of the beaufick Vision which they enjoy but by particular Revelation from God and if so then the Old Testament worthies were as capable of it and consequentlie there was as much reason to pray unto them before our Saviours coming when they were but in Paradise as afterwards when by his Glorious Victory and Triumph over Death they were exalted into Heaven since God could have revealed the requests of their supplicants alike to them in all places in one as well as another besides considering the great esteem and veneration the Jews ever had for those great Men the Founders of their Nation Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Joshua and others had there been no evil in the thing no reason can be given why it was not preached to the Jews by our Saviour and his Apostles as the most likely argument to win them to embrace the Christian Religion For the New Testament they say 't is not there enjoyned because it would have been a great offence and scandal to the new converted Gentiles and have given them an occasion to think that they had only changed their Gods but not their Religion that the Christian Doctrine was only a device of the Apostles to thrust out their old Daemons and Heroes and to put in themselves that as those had hitherto been Worship'd for the great services and benefactions they did in this present World so they for the future might have the some Honour done them for the full discoveries they had made and excellent directions they had given relating to a future and more happy State And is not this a good Argument and does it not hold still against Romish Invocation Is
their Tombs the blessed Martyrs joyned their Supplications with them by Praying to God to afford them the benefit of their Prayers and that their Petitions might succeed the better for the sake of their requests put up in conjunction with their own The same account may be given of St. Basils words in his Oâ—aâ—â—on on the forty Martyrs He that is in distress flies to them and Baâ—il Hom. 20. in 40. Mart. he that is in Prosperity runs to them the one that he may have his condition changed the other that he may have his continued but now to fly and to run unto them signifies no more then to fly and run to the Churches and â—omb where they lie interr'd for so it follows here a Woman Praying for her Son is heard and here let us together with those Marâ—yrs pour forth our Prayers Supposing it's likely as was mentioned before that the Marâ—yrs Souls were continually about their Tombs and Prayed for all that came thither to Pray for themselves the Father exhorts Christians to go thither not to Pray to them but to joyn with them in Prayer unto God 6. They tell us of many miracles wrought by God upon addresses made to Saints and in this they triumph as an undeniable proof that God approves of such addresses God heareth not Sinners neither will he give his Glory to another and therefore were Prayers made to Saints a sin of that sacrilegious nature as to rob God of his Honour 't is not to be thought that he 'd give suchcountenance to them against himself as to Crown them with success To this it may be answered It 's certain that at first God was pleased upon the Prayers of Christians put up to himself to work many miracles for the Confirmation of the Faith but that any were wrought in answer to such Prayers that at those places were in after Ages made to the Martyrs is very uncertain August de Civit Dei l. 22. c. 8. and much to be suspected St. Austin names but two instances of this kind that I have met withal and at the same time he mentions them blasts their credit by telling us he had no undoubted Authority for the Truth of them St. Chrysostom not only declares that miracles in his time were ceased but hath wrot a Discourse on purpose â—o give us the reasons why they are so so that all the miracles the Church of Rome pretends to on this account are either delusions of Satan which God sometimes permits him to work for the Tryal of his people or else Cheats and Impostures performed by cunning Men of their own to wheedle and impose on the easie and credulous Vulgar V. That there is full and evident proof in Scripture against it IF that general rule of St. Austin's be allowed off that God is so to be Worship'd that is as to all the Aug. de consen Evang. l. 1. c. 18 Essential parts of it as he himself has commanded to be Worship'd then all those places of the Scripture that command us to direct our Prayers only to God and only in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ do with equal force forbid us to direct our Prayers to any other object or to use any other Name and Mediation Now Texts to this purpose are inumerable Oh thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all Flesh Psalm 65. 2 come Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver Psalm 50. 15 thee Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and Matt. 11. 28 I will give you rest Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will John 16. 23. give it you In every thing by Prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving Phil. 4. 6. let your requests be made known unto God If any of you lack Wisâ—om let him ask it of God who Jam. 1. 5. gives to all Men liberally c. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. Now if none but God is to be believed in none but God is to be called upon These are very plain and convincing and no others need to be produced but because the Romish Authors have been practising upon some others endeavouring to obscure and weaken their evidence which are yet no less clear and full I shall bring them forth also and not only wip off the dust that has been cast upon thèm but restore them to their own natural sense and Prespicuity They are chiefly these Four The First is Luke 11. 2. When ye Pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Now the meaning of this precept must be one or both these two things either that we should use this form of words when we Pray or that we should compose all our Prayers after this pattern take which we will in either sense they oblidge us to direct all our Prayers to our Heavenly Father whose is the Kingdom Power and Glory whensoever we repeat this form of Prayer we address to God as the Object saying Our Father and if no Prayer is to be made but after this pattern then still it follows that no other ought to be the Object of them but he who is Our Heavenly Father 'T is generally concluded on all sides that in this absolute and perfect form of our Lord's Prayer is contained a Summary of what ever ought to be the subject matter of a Christians Prayer now since every Petition in it is directed immediately to God our Heavenly Father it follows that when ever we Pray we are not only to Pray for no other things but these blessings but also to begg them of no other Beeing but him But to put by the force of the Argument taken from this command of our Lord's When ye Pray say or Spenc. Script mistaken by Protest p. 57. after this manner Pray ye the Romanists tells us that 't is true we are to imitate this Prayer of Christ's in composing our own as to it's brevity and compendiousness as to the subject matter of it as to the the Catholickness of its Spirit oblidging us to Pray for others at the same time when we Pray for our selves saying Our Father but not as to the Object to whom our Prayers are to be addrest for then by the same Argument we may exclude the Second and Third Persons in the Blessed Trinity as well as Angels and Saints to this it 's no hard matter to give an answer And 1. It must be confest that the word Father in this Prayer is to be mean'd chiefly though not solely of the first person in the Sacred Trinity he being the Root and Fountain of the Deity and the prime Original of all our happiness may in special be called upon by us so far as is consistent with our acknowledgment of the equal Divinity of the other Two Persons for though
God Outward Acts of worship are declarative of the inward respect and veneration of the Soul to God as words are of the inward thoughts and apprehensions of the mind and as when I use such words which acording to common custom signify such a Proposition I must be concluded to mean and intend that Proposition so when I use such outward Acts of Worship which by Custom or Institution signify the Honour due to God to any other I must be thought to ascribe the Honour that 's due to God to that other The Coriâ—â—â—ians although they knew that an Idol was nothing in the World yet because they observed the Feasts that were dedicated to the Honour of the Idol Eating and Drinking in the Idols Temple are said by the Apostle to Drink the 1 Cor. 20. 21. Cup of Devils and to be partakers of the Devils Tables and to have Fellowship with Devils that is by doing those actions that in those places were used to signify the Worship of the Heathen Gods although they intended no Religion but Civility and Complement in the compliance they are said to Worship those Heathen Gods who were not Gods but Devils The Israelites that halted betwixt God and Baal although they could not but have higher apprehensions of God then Baal Yet by bowing the Knee to Baal and Kissing his Mouth by using those outward 1 Kings 19. 18. Acts of Worship wherewith the Heathens Worship'd him are said to be guilty of Idolatry In sume was a mental reservation of keeping the Heart to God and intending the highest degrees of Honour and Worship to him sufficient to clear Men from Idolatry whilst they perform outward Acts Instituted and customarily observed for Religious worship Exod. 32. 8 to any besides God the Israelites could not be guilty of it when they Sacrified to the Golden-Calf they had made nor the Wiser sort of Heathens who whilst they knew the vulgar Gods to be no Gods but Cheats and Devils did out of fear of punishment comply with the vulgar practice of burning Incense to them and the Primitive Fathers were very much mistaken who judged not only those Christians who at the Emperors Command sacrificed to Idols against their Consciences guilty of Idolatry but even those who though no threats could move them to do it in Libellatici person did yet either purchase Certificates that they had done it when they did it not or procure some others their Heathen Friends and servants to do it for them implicitly to be guilty of it I shall name but one Scripture more Col. 2. 18. Let no Man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary Humility and Worshipping of Angels and not holding the head Where we see the Apostles expresly condemns the Worship of Angels as forsaking of Christ and not â—olding the head and if the Worship of Angels it follows with greater force of reason the Worship of Saints departed What this Worship was Theodoret upon the place informs us where he says that the Jews that is Jewish Christians Having received the Law by the Ministration of Angels and holding that the God of all was Invisible and in accessible taught that Men ought to obtain the favour of God by the Means and Intercession of Angels and the same Father tells us that they had Oratories or Chappels of St. Michael This St. Paul calls â—ot holding the head because they set up more Mediators besides Christ who was the only one appointed by God and they that joyn others with him do forsake him accordingly the Council of Loadicea condemned it as Idolatrous the words of the Canon are these That christians Council Laâ—d can 35. ought not to forsake the Church of God and Invocate Angels because they that do so forsake our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and give themselves to Idolatry St. Paul and the Canon both speak so direct and home against the Romanists that Baronius it seems was hard put to it to answer them when he 's forc'd to beg Theodoret's Pardon and tells him with his good leave that he understood neither the one nor the other that it was the Religious Worship of false and Heathenish Gods not that of good Angels that was forbid and condemned by both of them and that those Oratories of St. Michael were set up by Catholicks and not by Hereticks it being then the practice of the Church to Invocate Angels And now though we might safely venture Theodoret's Judgment and Credit against Baronius's yet we have no need of his Authority to find out the true meaning of the Text whoever considers that the Apostle condemns the Worship of Angels in general and duly weighs the series of his Discourse will easily apprehend that it is not levelled against the Heathens who had not yet embraced Christianity but adher'd to the Worship of their false Gods but a sort of Judaizing Christians who retaining still a mighty Veneration for Angels as the supposed givers of the Law endeavoured to introduce the Worship of them into the Church of Christ Let no Man beguile you of your reward in Worshipping of Angels not holding the head the Apostles Argument to disâ—wade them from that Worship is that by doing so they forsook Christ which could not have been an Argument to the Heathens who had never yet believed on him VI. That the Fathers of the first and purest Ages till after three hundred are all express and positive in their Writings against it HOw fully the sacred Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament do condemn the Invocation of Saints you have seen already now that the Fathers of the purest Ages understood the Scriptures in the same sense as Protestants do as to this particular and are also very clear in their writings against it will appear from these following Considerations 1. They generally denied the Doctrine on which this of Saint-Invocation is founded viz. that Saints departed do now reign in Heaven and enjoy the Beatifick Vision 'T is by this blessed priviledge especially of seing God that the Romanists ground their belief that the perfected Spirits of just Men in Heaven come to see all things in him to know the Petitions and to be acquaintwith the requests of their humble Supplicants but now the Primitive Fathers have peremptorly affirmed that the Saints departed are not yet admitted to the sight of God but are only kept in certain hidden receptacles in the full enjoyment of Peace and rest till the general Resurrection this they have not only asserted in so many words and endeavoured to Iren. l. 5. c. 31. prove from our Saviours Soul being in Paradise which they will not have to be the highest Heaven but thinking them in a condition not yet fully and compleatly happy instead of Invocating them Chrysos Tom. 6. p. 998. did Pray for their farther Bliss Consummation So that denying the foundation they can't be supposed to grant the Doctrine built upon it No fewer then Eighteen
not this the declared reason why the Church of Rome gives Religious Worship to Angels and departed Saints Because of a middle sort of worth and excellency that is in them that 's neither infinite as the divine nor so low as the humane but Spiritual and Supernatural whereby approaching near to the Divinity they have great interest in the Court of Heaven and ought as Celsus said of their Daemons to be Prayed unto to be favourable and propitious to us So exact you see is the parallel betwixt them Now against this Daemon-Worship the Fathers replied that whatever great and supernatural excellencies were to be found in the Spirits above ought indeed to have an Acknowledgement and Honour paied to them both in Mind and Action proportioned and Commensurate to such excellencies but yet they were not to be esteemed inwardly as Gods nor to be Worshipp'd with any outward Act of Religious Worship be it erecting Altars making Vows or puting up Prayers to them as if they were such For all and every part of that was solely due to God and not to be given to any the highest Created Excellency As you may see their minds more fully in the next particular 4. The Fathers positively assert that none but God ought to be invocated And the first I shall mention is that advice Ign. Ep. ad Philadelph which Ignatius gave the Virgins of his time not to direct their Prayers and Supplications to any but only to the Blessed Trinity Oh ye Virgins have Christ alone before your Eyes and his Father in your Prayers being enlightned by the Spirit Irenaeus in his first Book taking notice of some Persons who had entertained strange fancies concerning the Power of Angels accordingly gave Divine Worship to them tells us plainly that the Doctrine and Practice of the Iren l. 2. c. 57. Church in his dayes was far otherwise and that throughout the World it did nothing by Invocation of Angels nor by Incantations but purely and manifestly directs her Prayers to God who made all and calls upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Feuardentius in his notes upon the place would have the words of the Father to be understood only of Prayers made by Evil Spirits and angels but then why did not the Father express it so Why does he exclud all Angels without distinction from Divine Worship when he sayes the whole Church every where called only upon God and his Son Christ Jesus Eusebius in his History hath set down a long Prayer of the of the Holy Martyr Polycrap which he uttered at the time of his Suffering wherein there is not any one Petition put up to Saints but every one directed to God through the Meditation of Christ closing his Prayer with Euseb l. 4. c. 15. this Doxology Therefore in all things I Praise thee I Bless thee I Glorify thee through the Eternal Priest Jesus Christ thy Beloved Son to whom with thee Oh Father and the Holy Ghost be all Glory now and for ever To which we may add what also is Recorded by the same Author that when the Church of Smyrna desired the Body of their Martyred Bishop to give it an Honourable Inteâ—ment and was denyed it by the Governour upon the unworthy suggestion of the Jews that they would Worship it they thus replied We can never be induced to Worship any other but Christ him being the Son of God we adore others as Martyrs and his sincere Disciples we worthily Love and Respect and that which here deserves a particular observation is what the Learned Primate of Armagh hath pointed out to us viz. that what in the Original Greek Sebein Religiously to Worship is in the Latin Edition that was wont to be read in all the Churches of the West rendred precem Orationis Ex passion M. S. 7. Kalend. Febr. in Bib. Eccl. Sarish Dom. Rob. Cotton impendere to impart the Supplication of Prayer The nexâ— Testimony I shall produce is that of Origen who is very full to this purpose in his Writings against Celsus he tells us We must endeavour to please God alone and labour to have him propitious to us procuring his good will with Godliness and all kind of Vertue and if Celsus will have us to procure the good will of any others after him that is God ovâ—â— all let him consider that as when the Body is moved the motions of the shadow thereof doth follow it so in like manner having God favourable to us who is over all it followeth that we shall have all his Friends both Angels and Spirits loving to us and whereas Celsus had said of the Angels that they belong to God and in that respect were to be Prayed unto that they may be favourable to us he thus sharply replies Away with Celsus's Council saying that we must Pray to Angels for we must Pray to him who is God over all and we must Pray to the Word of God his only begotten Son and the first born of all Creatures and we must intreat him that he as High Priest would present our Prayer unto his God and our God And when Celsus Objected that the Christians did not keep to their own rule of Praying to and Worshipping none but God since they gave the same Honour to Christ whom they knew to be a Man he replies that Christ was God as well as Man one with the Father and proves it from Miracles and Prophesies and Precepts that this Honour was given to him to be Worship'd as they Worship'd the Father Had Celsus Objected that the Christians Worship'd Angels and Saints departed it had been laid right and would have born hard upon them and he had inferred strongly that they might as well Worship their Inferiour Deities but Celsus Objects no such thing but only their Worshipping of Christ which Origen was well provided to answer and this is an evident proof that the Christians were not guilty of it Had there been but the least ground to suspect them for it it would have been so hugely serviceable to his cause and with so much force have rebounded back upon the Christians that 't is not to be imagined so industrious and spightfull an Adversary as Celsus would have omitted with the greatest Insult and Triumph to have laid it at their Door To these we might add the Suffrages of many more St. Cyprian who have written set Treatises of Prayer teaching us to regulate all our Prayers after that most perfect Pattern of our Lords and ever to direct our Petitions to our Heavenly Father only Gregory Nyssen saith we are taught to Worship and aktiston physin Cont. Eunom Tom. 2. Orat. 4. Oâ—at 3. Contr. Arrian De ver Relig. c. 55. de civit Dei l. 22. c. 10. Ep. 42. Adore that Nature only that 's uncreated Athanasius That God only is to be Worshipped that the creature is not to Adore the creature St. Austin sayes expresly that the Saints are to be Honoured for
te vivere te illi semper dulce sapere Rythmus St. Thom. ad Eucharist in Missal Sacrament which is before them Prayers they call them to the Eucharist f Laus sacratissimo Sacramento and 't is become a common form of Doxology amongst them instead of saying Praise be given to God to say Praise be given to the most holy Sacrament g Ad Sacram Eucharistiam Rithmus Rom. breviar as 't is in one of their Authors instead of ye shall pray to God ye shall pray to the Body of Christ i e. To the Sacrament h Orlandinus hist Sanders in his Book of the Supper of the Lord i Corpore sangiâ—â— Christi sub speciebus panis vini omnis honor Laus Gratiarum actio in secula seculerum Sanderus de caena Dom. instead of Glory be to the Father Son and Holy Ghost turns it thus To the Body and Blood of our Saviour under the species of Bread and Wine be all Honour and Praise and Thanksgiving for evermore as if it were another Person of the blessed God-head This Adoration is not only in the time of Communion when it is properly the Lords Supper and Sacrament but at other times out of it when ever it is set upon the Altar with the Candles burning and the Incense smoaking before it or hung up in its rich Shrine and Tabernacle with a Canopy of State over it And not only in the Church which is sanctified they say by this Sacrament as by the presence of God himself k Bellarm. de sanct c. 5. but when it is carried through the Streets in a solemn and pompous Procession as it is before the Pope when he goes abroad just as the Persian fire was before the Emperor l Curt. l 3. S. 3. meerly by way of state or for a superstitious end that he may be the better Guarded and Defended by the company of his God m Ad capit is illius sacri custodiam praesidialem patronalem perron de Euch. l. 3. c. 19. In all these times it is to be worshipped and adored by all persons as it passeth by as if it were the Glory of God which passed by They are like Moses to make hast and bow their heads to the Earth and worship n Exod. 34. â— but above all upon that high day which they have dedicated to this Sacrament as if it were some new Deity the Festum Dei as they call it the Feast of God or the Festum Corporis Christi the Feast of the Body of Christ for to call the Sacrament God is a general Expression among them as when they have received the Sacrament to say I have received my Maker to day and the Person who in great Churches is â—o carry the Sacrament to the numerous Communicants is called Bajulus Dei the Porter or Carrier of GOD and they alwayes account and so alwayes reverence it as Boileau falsly sayes o Eucharistiam pro praesente numine â—emper habuisse Veteres the Ancients did as a present Numen and Deity This Feast was appointed by Pope Vrban the 4th about the middle of the twelfth Century and again by â—lement the fifth in the begining of the 13th as is owned by themselves upon the occasion of a Vision to one Juliana who saw a crack in the Moon that signified it seems a great â—efect in the Church for want of this Solemnity such was the rise of this great Festival p Bzovii Annal in Contin Baron Anno Dom. 1230. and so late was its Institution in the Roman Church in which alone and in no other Christian Church of the World it is observed to this day And that the whole practice of the Adoration to the Host is Novel and unknown to the primitive Church and to the Ancient Writers I shall endeavour to make evident against that bold and impudent Canon of the Council of Trent which is the first Council that commanded it in these words q Siquis dixerit non esse hoc Sacramentum peculiari festivia celebritate venerandum neque in processionibus secundum laudabilem Vniversalem Ecclesiae sanctae ritum consuetudinem soleâ—niter circumgeslandâ—â— vel â—on publice ut adoretur populo proponendum ejus Adoratoresesse Idololatr as anathema sit Concil Trident. Can. 6. Sess 13. If any one shall say that the Sacrament is not to be worship'd by a peculiar Festival nor to be solemnly carried about in Processions according to the laudable and universal manner and custom of the Holy Church nor to be publickly proposed to the people that it may be adored by them and that the Worshippers of it are Idolaters let him be accursed To confront this insolent pretence of theirs that it was an universal custom of the church thus to carry the Sacrament in processions the ingenuous confession of their own Cassander is sufficient The Custom sayes he r Consuetudo quae panis Eâ—charistiae in publica pompa conspicuus circumferetur ac passim omnium oculis ingeritur praeter veterum morem ac mentem haâ—d ita longo tempore inducta recepta videtur Illi enim hoc mysterium in tanta religione ac veneratione habuerunt ut non modo ad ejus perceptionem sed ne inspectionem quidem admitterent nisi fideles quos Christi membra tanta participatione dignosesse existimarent quare ante Consecrationem Catecbumeni Energumeni poeniteâ—tes denique non Communicantes Diaconi voce Osliariorum Ministerio secludeb antur Cassand consult of carrying about the Sacramental Bread in publick pomp to be seen and exposed to all eyes is contrary to the mind and custom of the Ancients and seems to be lately brought in and received for they had this mystery in such religious Veneration that they would not admit any not only to the partaking but not to the sight of it but the Faithful whom they accounted members of Christ and worthy to partake of such a Mystery Wherefore all those who were but Catechumeni or were Energumeni or Penetents and not Communicants were alwayes put out and dismist at the Celebration of it Whither they be Idolaters for adoring the Sacrament I have considered already and their practice joyned with their Doctrine maks it more evident I shall now prove that this Adoration of theirs was neither commanded nor used by Christ or the Apostles nor by the Primitive Church nor is truely mean'd and designed by those Authorities of the Fathers which they produce for it and upon a general view of the whole matter That it is a very absurd and ridiculous thing that tends most shamefully to reproach and expose Christianity 1. That it was not used or commanded by Christ or the Apostles is plain from the account that all the Evangelists give us of Christs celebrating this Sacrament with his Apostles where is only mention of their taking and eating the Bread and drinking the Wine after it was blessed by
the same word We venerate Baptism †Baptismum ubicunque est veneramur Id Epist 146. as we ought to do all the Rites and Ordinances of our Religion this is meant by Origen in that first place of him produced by Boileau * de Euch. Ador p. 10. ex Orlg. Homil. 12. Nostis qui Divinis mysteriis interesse consuestis quomodo cum suscipitis corpus Domini cum omni cautela veneratione servatis ne ex eo parum quid decidat ne consecrati muneris aliquid dilabatur Reos enim vos creditis recte creditis si quid inde per negligentiam decidat Ye that are wont to be present at the Divine Mysteries know how when ye receive the Body of Christ ye keep it with all caution and Veneration that no part of the consecrated gift be let fall for ye think and that rightly that ye should be guilty of a fault if any of it should be let fall through your negligence And Christians have this care and Veneration of those consecrated Symbols of the Body and Blood of their Saviour of these wonderful Pledges of his Love that they would not willingly spill them or let them fall to the ground through their carelesness and neglect they that have that due regard to the Holy Bible which they ought would not trample it under their feet or shew any such disrespect to it it was this which Origen was recommending in that place from that example of their care and respect to the Sacrament Elements that they should give it also to the Word of God * Quod si circa corpus ejus tanta utimini cautela merito utimini quomodo putatis minoris esse praculi Verbum Dei neglexisse quam corpus ejus Ib. But if ye use such care and that very deservedly about keeping his Body how do ye think it to be a less fault to neglect the word of God then to neglect his Body The comparison here made between the Word of God and the Sacrament so plainly shews that he no way meant its Adoration that I wonder this person was not ashamed to pretend just before it that he †Alienum esse ab institutis meis ullum in medium adducere patrem quin conceptis verbis proprium Boil p 10. would bring no Authority but what was expresly for his Opinion and use none but †Animo decreverim argumenta invictissima concludere invincible Arguments but Roman Faith must be defended with Roman courage and confidence which is the only invincible thing they have The words of Theodoret are a great deal more plausible and seem at the first glance to look more fairly then any for their purpose The Elements are understood to be what they are made and they are beleived and reverenced as those things which they are beleived †Noeitai haper egeneto kai pisteuetai kai proskyneitai hos ekeina onta haper pisteuontai Theod Dialogâ— asygchyt apud Boil p 64. Here our Faith makes the Sacrament to be what it signifies to become to us the res Sacramenti as well as a sign and Representation of it and that thing is to be adored by us in the use of the Sacrament which is the true sense of Theodorets words and that he cannot mean in the Roman sense the substance of Christs Body is plain from what immediatly goes before and utterly destroyes what they would catch from half his words for he says That the Elements or the mysticall Signs do not after sanctification recede from their own but remain in their former substance †Oude gar meta tonhagiasmon ta mystica symbola tes â—oikeias existataiphyseos menei gar eiâ—eâ— proteros odfius Ibid. Thus their best Witness that seems to speak the most for them yet speaks that against them which destroys their whole cause as he must own whoever reads the Dialogue and considers the design of it which was to answer the pretence of those who said that the Body of Christ was after his Ascension turned into a Divine substance and lost the true nature of Body * hosper toinyn ta symbâ—la tu despotikon as the Symbols of Christs Body and Blood are changed say those Hereticks into what they were not before Yes sayes he Now ye are taken into your own net for they remain in their former nature and substance afterwards and so does Christs Body If then the change of these sacred Elements be only as to their use and vertue but not as to their substance according to Theodoret then he could not mean that they should be adored but only reverenced by the word proskyneitai just as the Holy Bible * is said to be reverenced and the Priests themselves by the very same word * Prosknesai met ' eulabei as to euaggelion Liturg. chrysost Hiepeis proskynetot proskynetoi Adelpboi proskynete synodos Acta concil Ephes 4. Some of the Fathers words imply that when we come to the Sacrament it should be with the greatest lowliness both of Body and Mind and as the Primitive Church used to do and as the Church of England does in a posture of Worship and Adoration in the form and manner of Worship as St. Cyril of Hieros speaks ‡ Kypton kai tropo proskyâ—eseâ—â— kaâ— sebasmatos Catech. Myst 5. or as St. Chrysottome In the form of supplicants and Worshippers †Schema hiketon kai proskyneton echomen Chrysost Homil 7. in Matth. epi to timesai kai proskynesai ton hyion tu Theu Ibid. prosenegke sy tapein ophrosynen kai tetapeinomenen kapdion Homil. de Phil. Dianastesomen toinyn heautous kai phrixomen kai pollo ton barbaron â—keinon pleiona epideixomethaâ—en eulabeian of Christ as the Magi were when they came to bring their presents to him do thou then present him with humility and a lowly and submissive heart and be not like Herod who pretended he would come to worship him but it was to murder him but rather imitate the Magi and come with greater fear and reverence to thy Saviour then they did This is the whole design and substance of what is produced out of St. Chrysostom †Boil c. 7. l. 1 And this is the plain meaning of Origen * Hom. 5. in N. T. Tunc Dominus sub tectum tuum in greditur tu ergo humilians teipsuâ—â— imitare hâ—nc Centurionem dicito Domine non sum digâ—â—s ut intres sub tecâ—â—◠〈◊〉 that when we come to receive Christ in the Sacrament we should do it with all Humility for consider sayes he That then the Lords enters under thy roof do thou therefore humble thy self and imitate the Centurion and say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof When the Fathers would give us the Picture of a devout Communicant they draw him in the greatest Posture of Humility and Reverence looking upon and †Phrixomen toinyu proâ—iontes cachariste somen prospesomen
exomologunmeoi ta ptaismata bemon dakrysomen ta oâ—keia penthyntes kaka ekteneis euch as apodom en to Theo meta tes prosekonses entaxias hos to Basilei prosiontes ton ouranon Chrysostom in serm 31. in natal Dom Stomen emphoboi kai entromoi katâ— neuontes to omma anâ— de ten psychen stenazontes aphonos alalazomen te kapdia Johan Hieros apud Chrysost apud Boil p. 44. enthymetheti hoti ge ou kai spodos haima kai Christu metalamb antis Chrys Ib. adoring his Saviour who died for him upon the Cross prostrating his Soul and his Body before him and exercising the highest acts of Devotion to him and with Tears in his Eyes and sorrow in his heart standing like a Penitent before him trembling and afraid as sensible of his own guilt with his Eyes cast down and with dejected Looks considering that he is but Dust and Ashes who is vouchsafed to this Honour and inwardly Groaning and sighing and Panting in his Soul saying Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof and the like And thus they may find all devout Communicants in our Church behaving themselves during the whole solemnity and celebration of that blessed Sacrament in which Mystery they alwayes adore Christ and that Flesh of Christ which was crucified for then as St. Ambrose and St. Austin speak when their minds are all the while inflamed with the most devout Affections and they are performing all the inward and outward Acts of the highest Devotion to God and their Saviour then they are upon their Knees offering up most ardent Prayers and Thanksgivings but not to the sacred symbols which are before them or the Sacrament it self as the object to which but as the circumstance at and in which all this Devotion and Worship is performed And there is a great deal of difference from all this in the Church of Rome when they direct all this to the Sacrament it self and to the consecrated Elements when they terminate their Worship upon what is before them and direct their Intentions to that as an Object and therefore when ever they have this Object appear to them they immediately fall down and worship it not only in the time of the Communion when it finds them at their Devotion but at all other times when they are standing or walking in the streets and are in no present Temper or Posture of Devotion yet all of a sudden as soon as they see the Host coming by they must put themselves into one and Adore that very Object that appears to them The Fathers alwayes speak of Persons as coming to the Sacrament and partaking of it and worshipping Christ and the Body of Christ in the Celebration of those Divine Mysteries but it never enter'd into their minds or thoughts to perswade or encourage their hearers in their most devout Discourses to Adore the Host as the Church of Rome does either in or especially out of the time of that sacred Solemnity and tho' it be very easie to make a Book out of the Fathers and to heap Authorities out of them to little purpose yet it is impossible to prove by all the places produced out of them by T. G. * Chap. 1. Of the Adoration of the blessed Sacrament or more largely by Boileau that they meant any more then what we are very willing to joyn with them in that Christ is to be worship'd in the Sacrament as in Baptism and the other Offices of our Religion and that his Body and Flesh which he offered for us and by which we expect Salvation is also to be adored as being alwayes united to his Divine Naâ—ure and that the Sacrament it self as representing the great Mystery of our Redemption is to be highly reverenced by us and that we should come to receive it with all Humility and in the most decent Posture of Worship and Adoration as the Primitive Christians did But that the Sacrament it self is to be adored as well as Christ that which the Priest holds in his hands or lies upon the Altar before us that this is to be the Object of our Worship and to have all manner of Latria both of Body and Soul directed to that as to God himself that the consecrated Elements or the sacred Symbols of Christs Body and Blood are to be worship'd by us when we receive them or when without receiving them we see them set upon the Altar or carried about in Procession this which is the Controversie between us not one Father sayes but above three hundred of them together in a council say †concil sept constant Act. 6. Ten eikona hylen exaireton egoun arâ—u ousian prosetaxe prospheresâ—hai me schematizusai anthropu morphen hina me eidololatreia pareisachthe That to prevent Idolatry Christ appointed an excellent Image and Representation of himself in the Sacrament without any manner of humane shape even the plain and simple substance of Bread But they resolve that Idolatry shall not be prevented but they will be so sottish as to commit it with that which was designed to prevent it and which one would think ' should not in the least tempt any man to it with a bit of Bread The Absurdities of which upon a general view of the whole I shall now for a conclusion represent and offer as the last Argument against it and tho' that alone might be sufficient since God never imposes any thing that is really foolish and ridiculous to be believed or practised by his Creatures yet I thought it the fittest to be produced after we are well assured that neither Scripture nor Antiquity have required any such thing And however unwilling Bellarmine * Bell. de Sacram. Euchar. l. 3. c 10. is to admit of Arguments of this nature from the Absurdity of the thing as knowing how very liable the Church of Rome was to them and tho' 't is the most unjust Reflection upon Christianity to say that any thing that is a part of that is so which they are too ready to insinuate and so bring a reproach upon the common Christianity rather then part with their own ridiculous Opinions yet after we have thoroughly informed our sâ—lves that there is nothing of a Divine Authority as one can hardly think there should be for what is so absurd in it self then an Argument from the folly and unreasonableness of the thing must be allowed to be very proper and till men have lost all their Reason it will alwayes be very cogent and here it is so very strong and presses so hard upon their Adoration of the Host that 't is no wonder that they love to set by and except against reason when ever this matter is to be tryed but it is most sad to consider that they should have so little regard and concern for the Credit and Reputation of the Christian Religion as by this means so shamefully and notoriously to expose it to the Reproach and Contempt of
whither they be contrite or attrite or neither at least when they can give no Evidence of â—â—her If they intended this only for absolution from the Censures of the Church it might be called Charity and look something like the practice of the Primitive Church which released those upon their Death-beds whom it would not discharge all their lives before tho' not then neither without signs of Attrition and contrition too but these pretend to quite another thing namely to release men in foro Conscientiae and to give them a Pass-port to Heaven without Repentance which is a very strange thing to say no worse of it Or to instance one thing more what is the meaning of their practice of giving Absolution before the Penance is performed as is usual with them unless this be it that whither the Man make any Conscience at all how he lives hereafter yet he is pardoned as much as the Priest can do it for him and is not this a likely way of Reformation I conclude therefore now upon the whole matter that Auricular Confession as it is used in the Church of Rome is only ane Artifice of greatning the Priest and pleasing the People a trick of gratifying the undevout and impious as well as the Devout and Religious the latter it imposes upon by its outward appearance of Humility and Piety to the former it serves for a palliative Cure of the Gripes of Conscience which they are now and then troubled with in reality it tends to make sin easie and tolerable by the cheapness of its Pardon and in a word it is nothing but the Old Discipline of the Church in Dust and Ashes And therefore though the Church of England in her Liturgy piously wishes for the Restauration of the Ancient Discipline of the Church it can be no defect in her that she troubles not her self with this Rubbish FINIS A POST-SCRIPT AFter I had finished the foregoing Papers and most part of them had also past the Press I happened to have notice that there was a Book just then come over from France written by a Divine of the Sorbone which with great appearance of Learning maintained the just contrary to what I had asserted esepecially in the Historical part of this Question and pretended to prove from the most Ancient Monuments of the Holy Scriptures Fathers Popes and Councils that Auricular Confession had been the constant Doctrine and Universal and Uninterrupted usage of the Christian Church for near 1300 years from the Times of our Saviour to the Laterane council So soon as I heard this I heartily wished that either the said Book had come out a little sooner or at least that my Papers had been yet in my hands to the intent that it might have been in my Power to have corrected what might be amise or supplied what was defective in that short Discourse or indeed if occasion were to have wholly supprest it For as soon as I entered upon the said Book and found from no less a Man then the Author himself that he had diligently read over all that had been written on both sides of this controversy and that this work of his was the product of Eighteen years study and that in the prime of his years and most flourishing time of his parts that it was published upon the maturest deliberation on his part and with the greatest applause and approbation of the Faculty I thought I had reason to suspect whither a small Tract written in hast by a Man of no Name and full enough of other Business could be fit to be seen on the same Day with so elâ—borate a work But by that time I had read a little further I took Heart and permitted the Press to go on and now that I have gone over the whole I do here profess sincerely that in all that learned Discourse I scarcely found any thing which I had not foreseen and as I think in some measure prevented But certain I am nothing occurred that staggered my Judgment or which did not rather confirm me in what I had written for though I met with abundance of Citations and a great deal of Wit and Dexterity in the management of them yet I found none of them come home to the point for whereas they sometimes recommend and press Confession of Sin in general sometimes to the Church sometimes to the Priest or Bishop as well as to God Almighty Again sometimes they speak great things of the Dignity of the Priest-hood and the gâ—â—at Honour that Order hath in being wonderfully useful to the relief of Guilty or Afflicted Consciences other while they treat of the Power of the Keys and the Authority of the Church the danger of her Censures the Comfort of her Absolution and the severity of her Discipline c. But all these things are acknowledged by us without laborious proof as well as by our Adversaries That which we demand and expect therefore is where shall we find in any of the Ancient Fathers Auricular Confession said to be a Sacrament or any part of one Or where is the Universal necessity of it asserted Or that secret sins committed after Baptism are by no other means or upon no other terms pardoned with God then upon their being confessed to men In these things lies the hinge of our dispute and of these particulars one ought in Reason to expect the most direct and plain proof imaginable if the matter was of such Consequence of such Universal practice and notoriety as they pretend but nothing of all this appears in this Writter more then in those that have gone before him In contemplation of which I now adventure this little Tract into the World with somewhat more of Confidence then I should have done had it not been for this occasion But lest I should seem to be too partial in the Case or to give too slight an account of this Learned Man's performance the Reader who pleases shall be judge by a specimen or two which I will here briefly represent to him The former of them shall be the very first argument or Testimony he produces for his Assertion which I the rather make my choice to give instance in because no Man can be said ingenuously to seek for faults to pick and choose for matter of exception that takes the first thing that comes to hand The business is this Chap. 2. Page 11. of his Book he cites the Council of Illiberis with a great deal of circumstance as the first Witness for his Cause and the Testimony is taken from the Seventy Sixth Canon the words are these St. quâ—s Diaconum c. i e. If any Man shall suffer himself to be ordained Deacon and shall afterwards be convicted to have formerly committed some Mortal or Capital Crime if the said Crime come to light by his own voluntary Confession he shall for the space of Three Years be debarred the Holy Communion but in case his sin be discovered and made known
Saints mentioned by St. Jude is not intirely delivered in the Scripture but we must seek for the rest in the Traditions of the Church Which Traditions say they are to be received as a part of the Rule of Faith with the same Religious Reverence that we do the Holy Scripture Now though this is not really the bottom of their heart as will appear before I have done but they finally rest for their satisfaction in matters of Faith somewhere else yet this being plausibly pretended by them in their own Justification that they follow Tradition and in their Accusations of us that we foresake Tradition I shall briefly let all our People see who are not willing to be deceived what they are to judge and say in this business of Tradition About which a great noise is made as if we durst not stand to it and as if they of the Roman Church stedfastly kept it without any variation neither of which is true I shall plainly shew in this short Discourse The meaning of the Word Which for clearness sake shall begin with the meaning of the word TRADITION which in English is no more than delivering unto another and by a Figure signifies the matter which is delivered and among Christians the Doctrine of our Religion delivered to us And there being two wayes of delivering Doctrines to us either by writing or by word of mouth it signifies either of them indifferently the Scriptures as you shall see presently being Traditions But custom hath determined this word to the last of these wayes and distinguished Tradition from Scriptures or writings at least from the Holy Writings and made it signifie that which is not delivered in the Holy Scriptures or Writings For though the Scripture be Tradition also and the very first Tradition and the Fountain of all true and legitimate Antiquity yet in common Language Traditions now are such ancient Doctrines as are conveyed to us some other way whither by word of mouth as some will have it from one Generation to another or by humane Writings which are not of the same authority with the Holy Scriptures How to judge of them Now there is no better way to judge aright of such Traditions then by considering these four things First The Authors of them whence they come Secondly the matter of them Thirdly Their Authority Fourthly The means by which we come to know they derive themselves from such Authors as they pretend unto and consequently have any authority to demand admission into our belief 1. For the first of these every body knows and confesses that all Traditions suppose some Author from whom they originally come and who is the diliverer of those Doctrines to Christian people who being told by the present Church or any person in it that such and such Doctrines are to be received though not contained in the Holy Scriptures because they are Traditions ought in Conscience to inquire from whom those Traditions come or who first delivered them By which means they will be able to judge what credit is to be given to them when it is once cleared to them from what Authors they really come Now whatsoever is delivered to us in Christianity comes either from Christ or from his Apostles or from the Church either in General or in part or from private Doctors in the Church There is nothing now called a Tradition in the Christian World but proceeds from one or from all of these four Originals 2. And the mater which they deliver to us which is next to be considered is either concerning that Faith and godly life which is necessary to Salvation or concerning Opinions Rites Ceremonies Customs and things belonging to Order Both which as I said may be conveyed either by writing or without writing by the Divine Writings or by Humane Writings though these two wayes are not alike certain 3. Now it is evident to every understanding that things of both sorts which are delivered to us have their Authority from the credit of the Author from whence they first come If that be Divine their Authority is Divine if it be onely Humane their Authority can be no more And among Humane Authors if their Credit be great the Authority of what they deliver it great if it be little its Authority is little and accordingly must be accepted with greater or lesser Reverence Upon which score whatsoever can be made appear to come from Christ it hath the highest authority and ought to be received with absolute submission to it because he is the Son of God And likewise whatsoever appears to have been delivered by the Apostles in his Name hath the same Authority they being his Ministers sent by Him as He was by God the Father and indued with a Divine Power which attested unto them In like manner whatsoever is delivered by the Church hath the same Authority which the Church hath which though it be not equal to the foregoing the Church having no such Divine Power nor infallible Judgement as the Apostles had yet is of such weight and moment that it ought to be reverenced next to theirs I mean the sense of the whole Church which must be acknowledged also to be of greater or lesser Authority as it was nearer or farther off from the times of the Apostles What was delivered by their immediate Followers ought to weigh so much with us as to have the greatest Humane Authority and to be looked upon as little less then Divine The Universal consent of the next Generation is an Authority approaching as near to the former As the Ages do one to another But what is delivered in latter times hath less humane Authority though pretending to come but without proof from more early dayes and hath no Authority at all if it contradict the sense of the Church when it was capable to be better acquainted with the mind of Christ and of his Apostles As for particular Churches their Authority ought to be reverenced by every Member of them when they profess to deliver sincerely the sense of the Church Universal and when they determine as they have power to do Controversies of Faith or decree Rites and Ceremonies not contrary to GOD's Word in which every one ought to acquiesce But we cannot say the same of that which comes from any private Doctor in the Church Modern or Ancient which can have no greater Authority than he himself was of but is more or less credible according as he was more or less diligent knowing and strictly religious 4. But to all this it is necessary that it do sufficiently appear that such Doctrines do really come from those Authours whose Traditions they pretend to be This is the great and the only thing about which there is any question among sober and judicious persons How to be sufficiently assured that any thing which is not delivered unto us in the Scriptures doth certainly come for instance from CHRIST or his holy Apostles For in this all Christians are
agreed that whatsoever was delivered by CHRIST from GOD the Father or by the Apostles from CHRIST is to be embraced and firmly retained whither it be written or not written that makes no difference at all if we can be certain it came from Him or them For what is contained in the Holy Scripture hath not its Authority because it is written but because it came from GOD. If CHRIST said a thing it is enough we ought to submit unto it But we must first know that he said it and let the means of knowing it be what they will if we can certainly know He said it we yield to it But how we can be certain at this distance of time from his being in the World that any thing now pretending to it was said by CHRIST which is not recorded in the Holy Scriptures there is the business And it is a matter of such importance that it cannot be expected any man should be satisfied without very good evidence of it but he may very reasonably question whither many things be not falsely ascribed unto Him and unto his Apostles which never came from them Nay whither those things which are affirmed to be the Doctrines of the Primitive Church and of the whole Church be not of some later Original and of some particular Church or private Doctors in the Church unto whose Authority that Reverence is not due which ought to be paid and which we willingly give unto the former Now according to this state of the matter any good Christian among us who is desirous to know the Truth and to preserve himself from Errour may easily discern what Traditions ought to be received and held fast and what we are not bound unto without any alteration and what are not to be received at all but to be rejected and how far those things are from being credible which the Roman Church now would obtrude upon us under the name of Apostolical or ancient Traditions without any Authority from the Holy Scriptures or in truth any Authority but their own and some private Doctors whose Opinions cannot challenge an absolute submission to them But to give every one that would be rightly informed fuller satisfaction in this business I shall not content my self with this General Discourse but shall particularly and distinctly shew what Traditions we own and heartily receive and then what Traditions we cannot own but with good reason reâ—use These shall be the two Parts of this short Treatise wherein I shall endeavour that our people may be instructed not merely to reject Errours but also to affirm the Truth PART I. What Traditions we receive 1 AND in the first place we acknowledge that what is now Holy Scripture was once only Tradition properly so called that is Doctrine by word of mouth In this we all agree I say that the whole Gospel or Doctrine of CHRIST which is now upon record in those Books we call the Scriptures was once unwritten when it was first preached by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles Which must be noted to remove that small Objection with which they of the Roman Church are wont to trouble some peoples minds merely from the Name of Traditions which St. Paul in his Epistles requires those to whom he writes carefully to observe particularly in that famous place 1. Thess 2. 15. Where we find this Exhortation Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whither by word or our Epistle Behold say they here are things not written but delivered by word of mouth which the Thessalonians are commanded to hold Very true should the people of our Church say to those that insist upon this but behold also we beseech you what the Traditions are of which the Apostle here writes and mark also when it was that theâ— were partly unwritten For the fiâ—st of these it is manifest that he means by Traditions the Doctrines which we now read in the holy Scriptures For the very first word therefore is an indication that this verse is an inference from what he had said in the foregoing Now the things he before treated of are the grand Doctrines of the Gospel or the way of Salvation revealed unto us by Christ Jesus from God the Father who hath from the begining saith he v. 13 14. chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he hath called you c. This is the sum of the Gospell and whatsoever he had delivered unto them about these matters of their Sanctification or of their Faith or of their Salvation by obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ to which they were chosen and called through their Sanctification and Faith this he exhorts them to hold fast whither it was contained in this Epistle or in his former preaching for he had not occasion now to write all that he had formerly delivered by word of mouth Which afterward was put in writing for mark which is the second thing the time when some things remained unwritten which was When this Epistle was sent to the Thessalonians Then some things concerning their salvatâ—on were not contained in this Letter but as yet delivered only by word of mouth unto this Church I say to this Church for it doth not follow that all Churches whatsoever were at the time of the writing of this Epistle without the Doctrine of the Gospel compleatly written because among the Thessalonians some Traditious or Doctrines were as yet unwritten Which can in reason be extended no farther then to themselves and to this Epistle which did contain all the Evangelical Doctrine though other writings which it is possible were then extant in some other Churches did And I say as yet unwritten in that Church because the Thessalonians no doubt had afterward more communicated to them in writing besides this Epistle or the former either viz. all the Gospels and the Acts of Apostles and other Apostolical Epistles which we now enjâ—y Which Writings we may be confident contain the Traditions which the Apostle had delivered to the Thessalonians by Word concerning the Incarnation Birth Life Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension of our blessed Saviour and concerning the coming of the holy Ghost and the mission of the Apostles and all the rest which is there recorded for our everlasting instruction And therefore it is in vain to argue from this place that there are still at this day some unwriten Traditions which we are to follow unless the Apostle had said Hold the Traditions which ye have been taught by word which shall never be written And it is in vain for us to inquire after any such Traditions or rely upon them when they are offered unto us unless we were sure that there was something necessary to our Salvation delivered in their Sermons which was never to be delivered in writting and unless we know where to find it as certainly as we do that which they have committed to writing And
case to God and interceed with him on their behalf but how could Eve alive request this of the Virgin Mary and Eve dâ—ed above three thousand years before Mary was born Or how could Irenoeus think the blessed Virgin in a capacity to do this whose opinion it was with the Iren. l. 5. c. 31. generality of the Fathers in that Age that her Soul as all others of departed Saints were yet in an invisible place and not admitted to the Beatiâ—ick Vision Or how could Eve stand in need of her Advocatship who if it were true as the Romanists hold that our Saviour at his Resurrection Aquin. Durand freed the Saints of the Old Testament from their Limbus and carried them up with him into heaven and the presence of God was a Glorified Saint in Heaven whilst she was living upon the Earth and so was in a better State to be an Advocate for the Virgin Mary then the Virgin Mary for her Thus you see as clear a proof as Bellarmin Bellar. de Sanct. beat l. c. 19. thinks this to be nothing can be more ridiculously and impertinently quoted some other meaning then of the words must be found out and the most obvious and natural is this that the Virgin Mary is here by a figure put for Christ her Son according to the Flesh and said to do that as she was the happy Mother of a Son who did it and thus indeed she is Advocate for Eve and all Eves Posterity instrumentally not by her self personally but by her Son she being that vessel made choice of by the Holy Ghost to bear him in her Womb who by taking Flesh of her became the Saviour of Eve and all Mankind For the Testimony of Eusebius it as Bellarmine Bellar. de Sanct. beat l. 1. c. 19. reports it runs thus We Honour those Heavenly Souldiers â—s God's Friends we approach unto their Moâ—â—ments and Pray unto them as unto Holy Men by whose intercession we profess to receive much help and assistance but it is apparent as many Learned Men have shewn that Bellarmine took this allegation not out of Euseâ—ins's Original but a corrupt translation made by Trapezuntius and afterwards followed by Dadrâ—â—uâ— a Doctor of Paris who set forth Eâ—sebius there being no such words as Praying to them as unto Holy Men to be found in him speaking his own Language his words are these hâ—then kai ept tas thekas aut on ethos Evang praep l 13 c. 7. hemin parienai kai tas euchas para tautais poiesthai c. It is our custom to come to their Tombs and Monuments and to make our Prayers not autois to them those Martyrs as the Translaâ—or and Bellarmine would have it buâ— para tautais i e thekais at or before their â—ombs and Monuments and to Honour those blessed â—ouls I might now pass over St. Ambrose he living beyond the time I undertook to answer for Anno 374. but whatsoever he said of this nature was said when he was but a young Christian and recalled and contradicted by him afterwards Speculatores vitae actuùmque nostrorum in his book of Widows he exhorts them to pray to the Angels and Martyrs whom he calls beholders of our Lives and Actions â—ut Baronius himself Confesses as Bishop Andrews proves â—â—out oâ— the life of St. Ambrose that this Book was written presently after his Conversion when he was but a raw Divine and had not thâ—â—ughly Learned the Christian Doctrine and this appears by some other mistakes he was guilty of besides this that are of as dangerous a Nature when in the same Book he asserts that the Martyrs either had no Sin at all or what they had they did themselves wash away with their own Blood But that St. Ambrose changed his opinion concerning this Proprio Sanguine point of Invocation we are as sure as that once he held it since we find him afterwards plainly asserting the Contrary in such words as these That to procure God's favour we need no Amb. in Rom. c. 1. tom 5. Tu tamen Domine solus es invocandus De â—bitu Theâ—d tom 3. Advocate but a devout Mind and again speaking with relation to the two young Sons of Theodosius Thou only Oh Lord art to be Invocated and Prayed unto namely for a blessing and protection upon them 2. They make the Rhetorical Flourishes and Apostrophes of the Fathers in their Panegyricks of the Martyrs to be folemn forms of Invocation of them The Fathers about the laâ—ter end of the Fourth Century observing Piety and Devotion to decay and wax cold as the Church encreafed in Riches and Prosperity thought themselves obliged by all the Wit and Art and Rhetorick they had to retrieve if it was possible the pristine heat of Devotion that was formerly in it to that purpose they spake hâ—gh and large in commendation of their Martyrs and sometimes in their Oâ—ations directed their words to them as though they had been there present not with an intent to teach the People to Pray unto them or to rely upon their merits but to signify the mighty favour they were in with God and the more effectually to excite them to an imitation of their vertues Many such strains of Rhetorick occur in the Writings of St. Hierom St. Basil St. Gregory Nyssen St. Grâ—gory Nazianzen and others Orat. in Sanâ—â— Theod. So St. Gregory Nyssen speaks to â—heodore the Martyr in his Oration Gather together the Troops of thy Brethren Martyrs and thou with them beseech God to stay the Inâ—â—sâ—on of the Barbarians So St. Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration calls unto Orat. in Athan. St. Cyprian St. Basil St. Athanasius to each after this manner Do thou favourably look upon us from on high After the same manner does St. Hierom conclude his Funeral Oration on Paula Farewel Oh Paul and help the Old Age of thy Honourer with thy Prayers Now what is there in all this but what 's usual in all Authors both Sacred and Profane The design of the Faâ—â—â—â—s was to raise the People to as hâ—gh an opinion as they could boâ—â— of the Persons of the Martyrs and their vertues that made them so illustrious and might they not make useof their best Art and Rhetorick to do it What is more in this then those Apostrophes frequently found in the Sacred Writings even to insensate Creatures Hear ye Oh Mountains the Lord's Controâ—ersy Praise the Lord ye Dragons and all Deepâ— And who will infer from hence that the inâ—ensate Creatures were hereby invock'd and addrest unto 3. A great part of the Testimonies they produce out of the Fathers are to prove the Intercession of Saints in Heaven for us and not our Invocating of them and so they change the Question and are at a great deal of pains to prove that which no body denies such sayings as assert the Saints Praying for us are frequent among the ancient Fathers and that not only for the Church
Militant in general but in particular for those whose persons and conditions were well known to them on Earth and these are cunningly shufled in by the Romish Doctors as proofs for invocation of them with a design to impose on the unwary vulgar who are supposed not to take notice of the difference but 't is a wonder if they should not for 't is wide enough betwixt their Praying for us and our Praying to them Neither is this the only instance wherein those cunning Sophisters play this game First alter the Nature of the Question and then where they have no Adversary to Triumph in demonstrating the truth of it If the Question be whither the Bishop of Rome be the Supreme head of the Church and has an absolute Jurisdiction and Monarchy over all other Bishops and Churches they shall bring Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 2. c. 15. 16. you a number of Testimonies out of both Greek and Latin Fathers to prove St Peter had a Primacy of Honour and Authority If the be Question be whither the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament be Substantially turned into the body Bellar. de Euchar l. 2 and blood of Christ they shall write a whole Volum to prove the Truth and Reality of Christ's presence in it which we own as well as they but after a Spiritual manner not corporally and by the way of Transubstantiation If the Question be about Purgatory a place prepared for the Purification of those Souls that depart hence not quite cleansed they shall alledge you Fathers and those St. Ambr. Hil. Orig. Hierom. c. not a few of unquestionable name to prove the utter Consumption of all things by Fire at the end of the World So here when the Question is whither we ought to Pray to Saints departed they bring innumerable Fathers to prove that the Saints departed do Pray for us hence we hear of that of St. Ignatius My spirit salutes you not only Epist ad Tral now but also when I enjoy God and of St. Chrysostom in his Oration to those that were to be Baptized Remember me when that Kingdom receives you 4. They produce the sayings and practices of some few in the Church for the general and allowed Doctrine and Practice of the whole Church If the story should be true that Justina a Christian Virgin did in great distress jointly supplicate the blessed Virgin with God and Christ does it follow that it was the practice of all to do so It cannot be denied but that many of the Fathers let slip in the heat of their Affection and Oration many unwary speeches to this purpose and that many otherwise good Men were guilty of this excess of Devotion to the Martyrs the many miracles God was pleased to work at the Memorials of the Martyrs for the Honour and Confirmation of the Faith reasonably begat a custom amongst Christians to resort to those places and there to offer their Prayers to God and thinking it may be they could not easily honour those too much whom God was pleased after so wonderful a manner to declare his esteem of from Praying to God at their Tombs they began to Pray to them themselves But now We are to distinguish betwixt the speeches of some particular Fathers and the general Doctrine of the Church betwixt what they express in Rhetorical strains to move affection and what they lay down in plain terms to inform the judgement betwixt what comes from them in the heat of their Discourses and popular Orations and what in cool and deliberate debates they set down for the truth of Christ it 's generally confest that the Fathers of times hyperbolize particularly S. Chrysostom and we must not take their flights of Fancy for the Doctrine of the Church We are to distinguish also betwixt what the Church did teach and allow and what she only tolerated and was forced to bear with the Bishops and Governours of the Church being many times engaged in weightier mattersin defending the Christian cause again Heathens and Hereticks were not alwayes at leisure to reform abuses and irregular practices but were forced too often to connive at those Faults which they had not time and opportunity to redress St. Austine complains much of this piece S. Aust de morib Eccles c. 31. tom 1 Epis 119. ad Janu. approbare non possum liberius improbare non andeo of superstition in his dayes that it had got such an head that the good Father wanted power to give a check to it I can no way allow them sayes he and yet I dare not freely reprove them lest I either offend some good Men or provocke some turbulenâ— spirits 5. They cite the practice of the Ancients Praying to God that for the Intercession of those Holy Men that had died in the Lord he would grant them their requests as a good proof for direct Praying to them The Ancients generally believing that the Saints and Martyrs in the future state did continually Pray to God in behalf of the Church Militant on Earth and some that their Souls were present at their Shrines and Tombs and did joyn their Intercessions with those Prayers of the Christians that were there offered up to God were wont in their addresses to mention the Martyrs and to beg the effects of their Intercessions that God would be moved by their supplications as well as their own to grant a supply of their wants and necessities but this is no more Praying to them then Moses may be said to Pray to Abraham Isaac and Jacob when he besought God to remember them in behalf of the People of Israel then we may be said to Pray for help to that part of the Church of Christ that is at a great distance from us when we desire God to hear the Prayers of his Church Catholick disperst throughout the whole World in the behalf of all Christian people that in all places call upon him Thus it 's said by the Historian that the Emperor Theodâ—sius Ruâ—â—in Hist l. 2. c. 33. when Eugeniâ— and his Complâ—ces raised that dangerous Rebellion against him repaired With his Clergy and Laity to the Oraâ—ories and Chapples and Sanctorum intercessione there lyâ—â—g Prostrate before the Tombs and Monuments of the Aposties and Marâ—yrs begged aâ—d and succour by intercession of the Saints He did not pray to any Saintâ—r Saints he did not beg help of them but supposing they Prayed with him and for him he prayed unto God that he would send him help for the sake of their Inâ—eâ—cession in his behalf This is also the meaning of those expressions in St. Austin that They ought to commend themselves to the Prayers of the Martyrs and frequent Aug. de Cur. promort c. 4. their tombs with a Religious Solemnity that they may become partakers of their Meâ—its and be helpt by their Prayers that is not by praying to them bâ—â— holding as was then commonly believed that when Christians came to