they shall represent God as a shadow doth the Sun God hath clearly reveal'd himself to us in his Holy Word and you have drawn a veil upon him by your Dysanalogical Images and Pictures you take from the People the Holy Scriptures and teach them by Pictures according to that memorable Saying of a Pope Pictures are Lay-mens Books But God is a Spirit saith our Blessed Savior and Men must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Joh. 4. 24. And â—o by your Pictures of God you determine the Worship and the Imagination of deluded People to the shadow and representation of a Body And because Man is the most excellent of all bodily and visible Creatures you have favor'd God with an human shape whereas the Heathen vile wretches worship him under the shape of an Ox that eateth grass Phil. If God was pleased to manifest himself in an human shape as you have heard Why may not we represent him so to the People Theoph. First there is a great mistake in those Apparitions of God in the Old Testament you make use of them to represent God the Father in a human shape whereas the Fathers generally hold that God the Son assumed those appearances and therefore they call'd them Praeludia Incarnationis the Prologues of his future Incarnation and so they cannot warrant your Picturing of God the Father But to come more close to our present purpose such Visions of God which we read of were transient cited only to the present purpose as in that of Daniel concerning the ancient of days it represented Gods dreadful coming to Judgment as you may read at large the 9 th Chapter Now you would make a standing Representation of God thereby to all ends and purposes whatsoever And again when the Prophet had his Vision it was also revealed to him what it signified otherwise an old Man with white garments and the hair of his head like wool could not have represented God to the Prophet It was no Image that did bear any Analogy or Resemblance of the Divine Nature or of any Person of the Trinity and therefore cannot be made use of by it self to represent God a 3. Dist 9. Qu. 2. Durandus a great School-man tells us Such Forms wherein God appeared in the Old Testament were not assumed into one Person with the Divine Nature as was the Humane Nature of Christ and when the present design was over they were laid aside as we put off our clothes And you may as well make a suit of Clothes the Image of a Man as these Forms the Image of God Suppose any Man should converse with you a day or an hour under a Vizar would he like it if you should take his Picture and the standing copy of his countenance from the Vizar When the Holy Scriptures mention the Eye of the Lord and the Mouth of the Lord his right Hand and his Holy Arm will you take these parts and set them together and make the Image of a Man to represent God and bring these Autorities of Scripture for your warrant This is a ready way to make our People Anthropomorphites to create in them an Imagination that God consists of Parts and Members as a Man and that his Image after which God made Man was imprinted in the Body In the Gatechizing of Youth we find it an hard work to take their minds off from such conceits notwithstanding all the help of Holy Scriptures which expresly declare That God is a Spirit and not flesh invisible and not a Body When we tell them that in such Expressions of Gods Eye and Hand and Mouth c. the Holy Ghost descends to our capacity and speaks of God after the manner of Men That he seeth all things without Eyes he maketh all things without hands for he spake the word and all things were made and yet the Heavens are call'd his handy-work and so the whole Creation because Man performeth several Operations by several Organs of the body therefore for our better apprehension these Members figuratively and by a Trope are ascribed to God altho he worketh all things by himself by the Almighty Power of his will and pleasure Now when we labor to explain these things unto the People they hardly sink into their hearts to take them off from terrene Cogitations of God and much more would they be confirm'd in such low conceits of the Divine Nature if they should constantly behold God pictur'd and worship him under an humane shape Phil. For no other end do we represent God under an humane shape but to descend unto vulgar capacities and our Priests can instruct them as well as you that God is an invisible Spirit Theoph. Such Images which you make of God are not Tropes and Figures to represent him to the minds of Men but real Representations to the Eye and so are apt in undiscerning Persons to improve the imagination that God is like unto us in our Earthly Members and for this cause among others he hath forbid such Images and you transgress the Commandment of God and endanger the Souls of deluded People in making and expressing such Pictures unto public view and adoration And it is worthy Observation That altho God would borrow a visible shape to appear unto a discerning Patriarch and a Prophet yet he would not do so when he would manifest his prefence to the whole Congregation of Israel he descended upon Mount Sinai in a Cloud in the voice of Thunder and he expresly makes the Observation to the People when he prohibited any likeness of God to be made Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4. 15. Phil. Your worthy Observations must not think to carry the cause against the Traditions and Determinations of the Church Theoph. I do not expect they should when the Commands of God do little move you However to keep others out of the snare we will not spare to represent the ill effects of your picturing God when you usually draw the Image of the Trinity after this manner An old reverend Man with a little Youth and a Dove to represent the Holy Ghost here you conceive you have given us the three Persons but where is the one Substance the one only true God These Images necessarily represent a diversity of Natures and of Substance as well as a distinction of Persons And when you make God the Father ancient and God the Son as an youth you sensibly confirm the Doctrine of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrius who maintain'd That Christ the Son of God was yonger then his Father and that there was a time when the Son of God was net And therefore Abulensis a Cap. 4. Deut. qu 5. Erroris inductivae sunt cum periculo Idolatriae Herefis c. peremtorily determins against making Images of God or of the Holy Trinity
upon the Saints in Heaven Theoph. Make that good and I shall undoubtedly become your convert Phil. Remember this when we draw towards a conclusion mean while I will not spare to give the premises and proofs Bellarmine undertakes to prove expressly b Quod Sancti sive Angeli sive homines piè ac utiliter à viventibus invocantur That the Saints in Heaven whether Angels or men are piously and profitably call'd upon by us who are Living Theoph. Can you tell the reason why he puts his proposition in such unusual terms the common distinction is of the Angels and Saints in Heaven but he calls them Angels and men and both by the name of Saints Phil. You cannot deny but that Angels are Holy Persons and by consequence that they are Saints Theoph. It is not material what they are by consequence but you know the Angels are not commonly call'd Saints when you propose to speak of the Saints in Heaven none will understand you of the Angels and then for the other member of the distinction c Sive Angeli sive homines Men the Souls of just Men departed are not men The man is dead his immortal Spirit lives and upon this Account when you call upon Peter and Paul to pray for you alas Peter is dead and Paul is dead their blessed Spirits are with God but not their Persons before the general Resurrection Phil. These are but frivolous exceptions do not betray your fears by diverting me from the Cardinals proofs First he alledgeth that plain Text for the Invocation of Angels Gen. 48. 16. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads You see the Holy Patriarch Jacob invocates the Angels blessing upon Josephs two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh Theoph. It is Jacobs Option not a formal Invocation his desire not his praier we may suppose rather that Jacob sends up his hearts desire to God that the Angel which did alwaies deliver him might be a Guardian to these Lads when Isaac blessing Jacob said Gen. 27. vers 29. Let the people serve Thee and Nations bow down to Thee doth he therefore invocate Nations and People or rather pray to God that he would bring it to pass This answer sufficeth if Jacob by the Angel understood a created Spirit but the context makes it evident That the Angel stands for Christ the second person of the Sacred Trinity because he is join'd in this Benedicton with the God of Abraham God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk the God that fed me all my life long until this day the Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads Observe I pray what great d Oratione quarta contra Arrianos Athanasius saith to this place having prov'd the unity of the Father and the Son because they are join'd in the same prayer 1 Thess 3. 11. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you He proceeds to declare That no man can pray to receive any thing from the Father and from an Angel or any other creature no man will say let God and the Angels give Thee and then directly answers this Benediction of the Patriarch That he did not joine a created Angel with God that made him in the blessing neither forsaking him that nurisht him doth he seek for an Angels blessing upon the children but stiling him the Angel that deliver'd him out of all his troubles he manifests that he did not understand any created spirit but Christ the word whom he joines with God the Father in the blessing knowing that he is called The Angel of his great Councel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint Herunto agrees a Thes l. 30. cap. 10. Cyrill of Alexandria The Patriarch of God means the Father and by the Angel the word of the Father whose name is the Angel of his councel b Hemil. 66. in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostom makes God and the Angel to be the same whose benediction Jacob implores A graceful Soul to God saith He how doth he retain the memory of his favors fixt in his heart He that nurisht me from my youth hitherto he that deliver'd me out of all evil bless these Lads 'T is much the Learned Cardinalshould take no notice of these signal Autorities but bring a Text in two regards impertinent to his purpose as you have heard to prove the Invocation of Angels which would not however infer the Invocation of Saints departed Because Angels are Gods ministring Spirits and more constant in the affaires here below then are the Saints in Heaven of whose Ministerie upon earth we have no account given in the Holy Scripture only that they sing and Bless God and worship him incessantly in Heaven Phil. Give me leave to proceed and shew how our Doctors prove the Invocation of Angels and then I will manifest likewise how it confirms the Invocation of Saints Bellarmine brings three Texts out of the book of Job to shew the early usage of praying to the Angels Job 5. 1. Call now if there be any to answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn Job 19. 21. Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my freinds for the Hand of the Lord hath touched me Job 33. 23. If there be a Messenger with him an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Then he is gratious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom Theoph. If these be proofs nothing can miss the mark if calling be invocating and Saints be Angels then the first Text may stand the Cardinal in some stead and Eliphaz his Autority must uphold it But the context shews the meaning of the words Eliphaz would have Job enquire and call any one that fears God to witness whether any perished being Innocent Chap. 4. vers 7. or whether a man can be more pure then his Maker Vers 17. Job had complain'd sadly of his affliction and his friends design'd to put him upon the search whether these severe Judgments did not fall upon him for some secret sins The second proof is as wide from the mark as Heaven from the earth his three friends did persecute his Innocency with their grand error and mistake That God never afflicts but for sin and Job intreateth them to spare and pity him For why do ye persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh as it follows in the next vers 22. Phil. Bellarmine shews how S t Augustin in his Commentary upon Job refers both these Texts unto the Angels Theoph. Read S t Augustin in his second book of Retract c. 13. and you will find him doubtful whether he should call it his book Liber cui titulus Annotationes in Job utrum meus habendus est haud facile dixerim Or rather his who collected his imperfect notes he tells us his
them except we could be better assur'd that they do hear us This therefore is a fallible and ambiguous proof unless ratified by some other passages out of Chrysostom Phil. The Cardinal refers to other places in that Father for the same proof Theoph. He doth so to his great shame and disadvantage to the demonstration of his supiness not of the point He sends us to Chrysostoms fift Homilie upon S t Matthew where the Holy Father in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the application or Moral upon the text presseth much upon us the duty of being sober and watchfull in praier to God for our selves and not depend upon the praiers of others For no man may deliver his Brother nor make agreement to God for him Ps 49. 7. He instanceth in Moses that could not prevail for Miriam nor Samuel for Saul nor Jeremy for his People c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c If we our selves be negligent others cannot help us if we be watchfull we may prevail for our selves more then by others Intercession For God chooseth rather to give his blessings to us for our selves then for others praying for us For so saies he he had compassion upon the Canaanitish woman saved the harlot Theif d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none mediating or playing the Advocate to God for them Would any sober man believe Bellarmin should direct us unto this Homilie for the proof and encouragment unto the Invocation of Saints departed Phil. Perhaps he reflected upon Chrysostom's next word in that Homilie e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I speak these things not that we should not desire the praiers of the Saints but that our selves should not be slothfull He would not discourage men from suing to the Saints Theoph. To the Saints living not the deceased All his instances in the Homilie shew this in Samuel's praying for Saul and Moses for Miriam and their praiers were unsuccessfull because the persons for whom they prai'd were not worthy In the next place your Cardinal sends us to the eight Homilie where there is not a syllable for his purpose There in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shews That neither the iniquity of our Fathers nor of the place wherein we live shall hinder us in the course of Vertue if we will take heed unto our selves As Joseph lived vertuously in Egypt and the three Children in Babylon and Hezekiah was a good Son of wicked Ahaz and Abraham of Terah an Idolater If this proves the Invocation of Saints let it be so In the next place we follow him unto Chrysostoms 43 Homilie upon Genesis where we have the former Text. No man may deliver his brother c. if we neglect our selves neither Father nor Kinsman can stead us no not the Saints righteous men who have great confidence with God Only a Jesuit's chymical brain can extract the Invocation of Saints out of these passages of Chrysostom Come we now to the next place of Chrysostom whether Bellarmin refers us to his first Homilie upon the first Epistle to the Thessalonians There the good Father exhorteth us in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be watchfull and sollicitous for our selves and then others praiers also may benefit us f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. T is good saith he to enjoy the prayes of the Saints but when we are co-workers with them Where he evidently speaks of the praiers of the living for us instancing in Peters deliverance out of prison thro the servent praiers of the Church Act. 12. and in Pauls desire the Saints should contend in praier for him Phil. 1. 19. And now tell me is not this a great deceit cheat upon the Reader when the good Father speaks of the praiers of the Saints living which we should desire for Bellarmin to transfer it unto the praiers of the Saints departed In the last place your Cardinal sends us unto Chrysostoms Panegyrick upon two Martyrs Jubentius and Maximinus tom 5. And I suppose he had an eye unto that passage of the Father As Souldiers shewing their wounds receiv'd in warr appear with great confidence before the General or their Prince so these Blessed Martyrs presenting their heads which were cut off in their hands may easily obtain what they shall desire of the King of Heaven Now from hence what would you infer Phil. That as they can prevail much with God we should the more importunatly beg the favour of their Intercession Theoph. Why did not the Holy Father make that inference himself or make his Application to them in praier we say because he did not approve the doctrine of praiers to the Saints in Heaven All that he exhorts his hearers unto in the close of his Panegyrick is this To go unto the Monuments of these Martyrs with faith and joy that by the sight of their shrines and remembrance of their glorious sufferings they may reap much fruit and so live That they may share in their happiness Would he not have encouraged the people of God to pray unto these Martyrs if he had thought it beneficial or duty And now I begin to understand That when your subtle Cardinal refers to a place by figures quotes not the words at length he well knew they would not serve his turn only to impose upon the credulous Reader either to believe him or to be put to an endless trouble in the search discovery But I have bin content to devour this trouble have with great indignation found him a deceiver and and yet before I leave S t Chrysostom I will refer you to one of g Tom. 5. Hom. 60. his Homilies where in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the history of the Canaanitish woman he shews h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That we prevail most with God by our own praiers rather then others Intercessions The Apostles saith he interpos'd for that woman but our Saviours answer was a deniall I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of Israel but her own importunity prevail'd for her daughters recovery which was the sum of her desire There Chrysostom expresly tells us Thou hast no need of Mediators with God to fawn upon others to pray for thee but if thou art destitute of all Protectors thy self by thy self calling upon God shalt thou obtain all canst desire He will not grant unto us upon the request of others so as upon our own He puts the objection which your Doctors usually propose That we are not worthy to appear in the Lords presence i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What saist thou art thou unworthy become worthy by thy perseverance in praier to God Our Blessed Saviour saith he compar'd the woman of Canaan to a Dog unto whom the Childrens bread must not be given and yet soon after he cry'd out O woman great is thy faith Phil. You may as well urge these like passages of Chrysostom against the Mediation and Intercession of Christ and
against any desire That the Faithfull living should assist us with their praiers Theoph. You should not join together the Mediation Intercession of Christ and of the Saints whether in Heaven or Earth And you may observe the Father speaks of k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intercessors in the plural as of many Implying That one is our Mediator between God and men even the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. And withall the Testimony is sufficient against that fond conceit That we are unworthy to draw neer to God in our own persons but by others Intercession Phil. You will draw out your discourse in infinitum by your rejoinders and remarks but I hast to an end The second Greek Father I propos'd was Theodoret a Learned Bishop of Cyprus who in his History of the Lives of Holy Fathers concludes each Life after this manner l Huic narrationi finem imponens rogo ut per horum intercess div cons cuxil I putting a period to this relation and history do pray and beseech that by the Intercession of these Saints I may obtaine Divine assistance Theoph. It is not here exprest that he did pray unto these Saints but we rather suppose to God upon the opinion of their Intercession That he might reap the benefit therof withall he was infected with the hereâ—y of Nestorius and wrote bitterly against Cyrill of Alexanria his twelve Theses and that work of his was condemn'd in the fift general Council and himself thro the violence of oppositions was compell'd against his judgment to pronounce Nestorius accurs'd yet we honor his great Learning and let his memory be precious Phil. I am glad to discover your moderation for there is another most considerable testimony out of him full to the point of Saints Invocation m Libro 8. De curandis Graec affectibus The Temples of the Martyrs are magnificent beautifull in them we often keep festivals such as enjoy health pray to the Martyrs to preserve it such as are sick desire health of them Men and Women who are unfruitfull ask of them Children Such as go a journey desire their conduct and after their safe return they pay their thanks to them owing their security to their favour Now saies he they do not pray to these Martyrs as to God but as unto Holy men whose Intercession they desire and that they often obtain'd their requests the numerous gifts devoted to these Martyrs do testify hanging up in the Martyrs Temples the pictures of theirs eyes and hands and legs in gold which their votaries recover'd by their merits and praiers and Intercession Theoph. These are high things and great assignments unto the Martyrs Methinks there should of right have bin som reflexions upon God in these deliverances and cures sure there was somthing in the wind that Bellarmin only refers to this passage and doth not set it down in full length being so full to his purpose in the 18 th chap. he hath part of this quotations but not the whole Perhaps the Cardinal was not fully satisfied with the person of Theodoret or rather with the book it self which n Niceph. l. 44 c. 54. Nicephorus doth not reckon up among Theodoret's Works when he gives an account of all his books these 8 books De curandis Graecorum affectibus are not mentioned o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Those which he wrote are these c. And withall your Learned Cardinal knew well That what Theodoret if this book were his did build with one hand he pull'd down with another as to this point of Invocation of Saints or Angels For in his Commentary upon the 2 d chap. of S t Paul to the Colossians vers 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels I say Theodoret in his Commentary upon this place cuts off the sinews and foundation of Saints and Angels Invocation He shews how some Jewish Christians in Phrygia and Pisidia being zelous of the Laws did worship Angels by whom the Law was given and build Temples to S t Michael and others and that this course continued long among them p Bin. Concil Lacd Tom. 1. can 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And therfore that in the 4 th Century a Council of Bishops in Laodicea the Metropolis of Phrygia neer neighbor to Colosse did expresly forbid the worship of Angels calling it Idolatrie That Christians ought not to leave the Church of God and depart and call upon the Angels and make assemblies and if any be found to be conversant in this hidden Idolatrie let him be accursed Now this voluntary humility which S t Paul mentions refers to that humble pretence That sinners are not worthy to draw neer to God themselves but by the Intercession of Saints Angels Intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up in his fleshly mind saith the Apostle That is saith Theodoret a Propriis utens rationibus cogitationibus using his own reason and imaginations c. now saith he the b Synodus volens veteri illi morbo mederi cavit ne precarentur Angelos Synod of Laodicea desiring to cure this old dicease forbids them to pray unto Angels And you will grant if we must not pray to Angels neither to the Saints For you have deriv'd cheifly the Invocation of Saints from that of Angels Phil. c Ibid. cap. 20. Bellarmin hath answer'd this passage of Theodoret and of the Council of Laodicea and the Text of the Apostle together Namely d Apostolum damnare haeresin Simenis Magi qui decuit Angelos quasi minres c. That the Apostle condemns the heresie of Simon Magus who taught like Plato that the Angels should be worships as lesser Deities and that none could please the invisible God but by the Angels And he tells us That the Council e Concilium non damnat quamvis venerationem Ang. sed quae Deo propria did not condemn all worship of Angels but only such veneration as is proper to God Theoph. Observe the incongruity of this Answer as to several particulars He saith the Council condemns not all Veneration of Angels but only such as is proper to God the supreme Deity and yet according to his own relation Simon Magas and the Jewish Christians that worshipt Angels did not worship them as the Supreme Deity but only as subordinate Intercessors And S t Paul and the Councel of Laoduea condemns this That in voluntary humility they should deprive them selves of that priviledg to come to God themselves and so make way unto him by the Intercession of Angels The Apostle therefore and the Council sorbid this inferior worship as Theodoret observes f Ne precarentur Angelos That they should not pray to the Angels to make way for them unto the Great God And in the next chap. of S. Paul to the Colossians vers 17. the Apostle
b Eodem Deo invocato in auxilium The same Lord being call'd upon for our assistance Mark it God being call'd upon for his assistance that we may imitate the Martyrs Virtues c Lib. 20. Centra faustum Manich. c. 21. Quod offertur Deo offertur c. Again he tells us That which is offer'd at the Shrines and Memories of the Martyrs is offered to God Phil. This is true as to Sacrifices which belong only to God but not as to our Praiers Theoph. Our Praiers are Christian Sacrifices ascending up like the Incense and the Evening Sacrifice Psal 142. 2. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the most highest and call upon me in the time of trouble saith the Prophet David Psal 50. 14 15. So Tertullian Phraseth it d Lib. Ad Scapulam Sacrificamus Deo pro salute Imperat. sed prece pura We sacrifice unto God for the health of the Emperor but with pure Praier And in his Apology for Christians Chap. 30. e Offero opimam majorem Hostiam orationem de carne pudica c. I offer to God saith he a more excellent Sacrifice even Praier proceeding out of pure lips and an innocent heart and from the Holy Ghost So Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 7. Stromatum f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We honor God by Praier and send up this best and most holy Sacrifice Our Praiers therefore are the most acceptable Sacrifices from us to God Of your transcendent Sacrifice of the Mass we may God willing treat hereafter Again in his first Tom. Lib. De ver a Relig cap. ult he tells us That the service of the Body may be due to Princes the service of the Soul to God He tells us farther g Ecce unum Deum colo quisquis Angel diligit hunc Deum certus sum c. Behold I worship one God the Fountain of all things and the Angels that love God I am sure they love me Whosoever abides in him and can hear the Praiers of Men in him he heareth me and in him he helps me h Religat ergo nos Religio uni Omnipotenti Deo Religion therefore binds me to one Omnipotent God The good Father often tells us That the Blessed Saints and Angels expect no such service from us but expresly saith he they direct us to pray to God i Psal 96. Tom. 8. Omnes Sancti Angeli c. Ad ejus cultum c. All the Saints and Angels seek his glory whom they love and they study to draw all whom they love to his Worship and to his Contemplation and to pray to him To this effect elsewhere he tells us a Lib. de Pastoribus c. 8. Sunt montes boni sc autores divin script The Authors of Holy Scripture are good hills and when we look unto them they will send you back to God in whom standeth your help b Si in iis spem posueris contristabuntur If you put confidence in them they will grieve The Angel saith he that related many Mysteries to John being worship'd by him he calls him back to God c Tanquam levantem oculos ad Montem revocat ad Deum as one that did lift up his eyes to the hills saying See thou do it not worship God I am thy Fellow-servant d Enar. upon Psal 64. 3. Solus ibi ex his qui carnem c. Again he sheweth How Christ is our High Priest enter'd within the veil who only of all that lived in the flesh there doth make Intercession for us And this saith he was shadowed under the Law for in the first Temple only the High Priest enter'd into the Holiest of all and offer'd Sacrifice for the People standing without Once more in the 10 th Book of his Confessions chap. 42. S t Augustin speaks fully against Invocation of Angels e Quem invenirem qui me reconciliaret Tibi Whom may I find saith he to reconcile me to thee O God! Shall I go to the Angels With what Praier with what Sacraments Many desirous to return to Thee and distrusting themselves as I hear have tried this way and have fallen into the curiosity of Visions and became meet for Delusions And now after all that you have heard out of S t Augustin I pray judg whether Bellarmin had reason to appeal to him for the confirmation of the Invocation of Saints Phil. Notwithstanding all your insulting Triumphs what hath bin brought by Bellarmin out of S t Augustin hath not bin impertinent But you forget one notable passage which Bellarmin quotes out of S t Augustin in his 18 th Chapter of this Book and Controversie you promis'd to take these Testimonies into consideration in your own season but you have forgotten it f Aljuvet nos Cypr. Orationibus suis Lib. 7. de Baptism Contra Donatist c. 10. It is a formal Invocation Let Cyprian help us with his Praiers Theoph. 'T is no Invocation of Cyprian but S t Augustins desire put up to God That the Blessed Martyr Cyprians Praiers might benefit him It implies the Supplication of the Saints in Heaven for the People of God in general and his Praier to God That he with others might reap the fruit of their Praiers Phil. I will conclude with Bellarmins last Argument the Miracles that have attested this Doctrine whereby the Saints and Martyrs have demonstrated That they do hear our Praiers and can help us Theoph. For a general Answer hereunto we have already shew'd out of S t Augustin That Miracles may be done at the Monuments of the Saints and themselves may appear unto Votaries in their Temples and yet know nothing neither of the Miracle or the Apparition God by the ministery of Angels working Miracles and Cures at their Shrines for a Testimony unto the Faith for which these Martyrs died Phil. This general Answer will not serve For the Learned Cardinal proves out of the 3 d Book of S t Bernard's Life That the Holy Father Preaching at Tholouse against such who denied the Invocation of Saints before all the Congregation blessed Loaves of Bread with the Sign of the Cross and offer'd this trial of his Doctrine That if it were true all who had Diseases in the great City eating of these Loaves should be healed And so multitudes were healed of their Infirmities Here you see God did attest the Doctrine of Invocation of Saints by Miracle Theoph. Bernard liv'd in the 12 th Century and so the Testimony runs low But withal the Abbot who wrote those four Books as a Legend of Bernards Life suited the fabulous credulous humors of these Times he makes him a Wonder-worker thro-out I well remember That above 30 Years since being a Novice in the University and reading this account of S t Bernards Life I could not choose but abhor the notorious Forgeries of the Writer I pray read and judg Phil. I see you will not be convinc'd and therefore
that stand raise them that fall Correct our Manners Actions and Life and guide us in the way of peace In their Hymne for that day they declare Wonders All things obey and veild to Thomas Plague Diseases Death and Divels Fire Water Earth and Seas Thomas hath fil'd the World with glory The world to Thomas yields obeysance Thomas shines with new Miracles He restores the Members to the Gelt He adornes the Blind with sight Cleanseth the Lepers and their spots And free 's the dead from hands of death Thomae cedunt parent omna Pestes morbi mors daemonia Ignis Aer Tellus Maria Thomas mundum replevit gloriâ Thomae Mundus prestat Obsequia Novis sulget Thomas Miraculis Membr is donat Castratos masculis Ornat uisu privatos oculis Mundat Leprae conspersos maculis Solvis Mortis ligatos vinculis Opem nobis O Thoma poâ—rige Rege stantes c. There is a farther account how a Country Man going to visit the Martyrs Tomb was just led into the River by a Waggon on the Bridge And rising and sinking five times he was at last cast upon the Shore safe For having call'd upon the Martyr for his aid and that he would not suffer his 〈◊〉 Pilgrim to perish a grave Bishop aâ—pear'd upholding and conducting him to land This is the Legend of S t Thomas of Becket which your Church hath adopted into the Service and Office for the Feast And I have bin the more particular that you may observe well the gross Fables and Absurdities therein that your Church should impose such Stories of Miracles upon the credulous People And is it possible you should be reduc'd to such a low esteem of the pretious Blood of Christ that you must Petition our Blessed Savior to bring you to Heaven by the Blood of his Martyr Thomas And for a Conclusion I pray seriously consider this pretended Martyr He died in the defence of the Popes Usurpations among us and the Pope hath requited him with a Saintship whereas he had great success to go to Heaven so immediatly with such Qualifications of a turbulent and haughty Spirit And this usâ—ers in another grievance and just Exception we take against your Invocation of Saints because you pray to some Saints of whom you have no assurance that they are in Heaven nay of whom you cannot prove that ever they were in being what think you of the Beggars Saint S t Lazarus a Part. 3. Tom. 4. Tract 2. Salmeron assures us That he is every where esteemed a Saint and Protector of the poor Canoniz'd by the Church b Baronius Tom. 1. Anno 33. N. 44. Multis locis in memoriam Lazari c. worship'd with Altars and Images and Praiers made unto him And I have read an Argument some of your Doctors have urg'd to prove it an History of Dives and Lazarus in the Gospel and not a Parable because Lazarus is a Canoniz'd Saint and therefore doubtless such a Person there was of whom our Savior in the Gospel gives an Historical account But I have shewed above from the judgment of divers Fathers that it is a Parable Theophilact calls him fool who thinks otherwise and that by Dives and Lazarus only were represented the Rich and Poor by a Fiction of Persons suited to a Parable and so your Jesuit Maldonate affirms Now for your Church to make a real Saint of this Parabolical Representation to whom you make your Addresses in Praier somthing resembles your other kind of Devotion Praying unto or worshipping the Image instead of the Saint Your Church might as well have made the Prodigal Son returning a Saint So for S t George you cannot make any Historical Demonstration that such a Holy Person and Martyr there was George of Capâ—adox was a fierce Arrian mightily opposing Athanasius but he was slain for being a Christian b 〈…〉 an â—eathen Prince and so by his Heretical Faction esteemed a Martyr whom they represented for a great Champion and Captain under Christ fighting against the great Magician of Alexandria as they impiously stiled Holy Athanasius otherwise we rather account Saint George as he is constantly represented in his Image flaying a Dragon in rescue of a Virgin to be an Emblem of our Blessed Savior overcoming the Red Dragon our great Enemy the Devil and rescuing his Church as a chast Virgin from his temtations and force a Martyrol Rom. Apr. 23. Symboli potius quam Historiae alicujus c. Baronius acknowledgeth the Picture of S t George on Horse-back armed cap-a-pe and flaying a Dragon to be a Symbolical Image rather then a true History And that Jacobus de Voragine He that made the Golden Legend made it an History An Emblem saith b Hyperius de 〈◊〉 Stud. Theol. l. 3. c. 7. Hyperius of Christian Magistrates Who defend the Church of Christ as a pure Virgin from the snare of the Devil and his accursed Instruments interposing their power against the pernicious attemts of Heretics and so by the Blessing of God S t George shall be the Emblem of our most Noble Order of the Garter even unto the end of the World What shall I say of the Gyant S t Christopher from the Etymology of whose name you have deriv'd a Fable That being of a vast height at least 12 Cubits in length he carried our Blessed Savior over a deep and dangerous River guiding himself by a Staff like a Weavers beam c Hyperius citate Villavincent us makes him an Emblem of a Preacher of the Gospel who holding forth Christ in his word visible unto the People is encompass'd with Waves and Tempests and Waters of Affliction and Persecution but supports himself and wades thro with the staff of his Christian hope the expectation of the exceeding recompence of reward After this sort to fill up your Kalendar of Saints your Doctors might do well to go down into Egypt and bring their ancient Hieroglyphics to be Canonized and Worship'd Phil. You may do better to forbare scossing and study the Defence which our Doctors make against all the Exceptions your side have produc'd concerning these and other Saints Theoph. I have search'd and find them so impertinent that I lost my labor and shall not until I be urg'd farther to it trouble you and the Reader with the discovery Phil. I thank you for sparing your self and your Friend together for I begin to be weary of this Discourse which hath bin drawn out beyond expectation and me-thinks gives but little satisfaction Theoph. My serious endeavors to open your Eyes unto a discovery of the Errors of your Church are abundantly satisfactory unto my Conscience altho the success should fail and you still stop your Ears against the voice of the Charmer And yet I must trespass upon your patience in one more consideration touching the Canonizing of Saints If an Error should be committed therein it would be diffusive and spread all over your Church Praiers may be