pardon at their death they miserably perish to euerlasting death where as S. Augustine speaketh nec tortores deficiant nec torti miseri moriantur sed per millia Aug. ser 55. millia annorum cruciandi nec tamen in secula liberandi neither tormentors are wanting nor the miserably tormented any waies eased but for thousand thousands of yeeres plagued and yet neuer to be deliuered and there shall be saith Isidorus semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non Isido tom 1. de summo 〈◊〉 erit a will neuer satisfied and a nill nener gratified neuer inioying the ease they would and alwaies suffering the paines they would not Oh then beloued Brethren let this one point of Doctrine teach vs a double instruction 1. To terrifie the wicked from their sinfull waies for they may assure themselues that so long as they remaine wicked they haue no promise of grace but a most fearefull expectation of eternall destruction Si durus est hic sermo If this be a hard saying it is quia cor durius because their hearts are harder for if they returne vnto the Lord the Lord will soone receiue them but if God offereth grace and they refuse the same then the heauens may wonder and the earth may tremble if we tremble not at the consideration of this doctrine For if the Sunne did stand still at the prayer of Iosua if it retired 10. degrees in the diall of Ahaz at the word of Esayas and was darkened at the Passion of our Sauiour then no maruell if it stood still and neuer moued if it retired to the vttermost parts of the world and neuer returned or be vtterly darkened and neuer inlightened for very shame and wonder that light should come into the world and yet men should loue darknesse more then light that the grace of God should be offered and yet that grace should be refused And if mount Sinai trembled at the giuing of the Law or the wals of Iericho fell downe when the Priests founded their trumpets and the earth quaked at the passion of our Sauiour as fainting vnder such a hideous burthen that the most accursed sonnes of mortall men should put to death the most blessed Son of the immortall God then no maruell if the whole world trembled to see the wicked making no account of this Law or if the fabricke of heauen should fall when the Priests and Preachers of Gods word doe sound the trumpets of vengeance against the transgressors of this Law or if heauen and earth should be dissolued into their ancient Chaos when truth it selfe shall threaten vengeance to the refusers of his grace and assure woes and curses to the enemies of his crosse and despisers of his Spirit and yet for all this that they should still continue fearelesse and carelesse in their most vile and abominable courses But indeed the heauens and the earth are reserued for that great and terrible day which is to come and are now sustained for the good of the Saints and the further condemnation of the wicked which will hastily come vpon them if they doe not speedily repent 2. This should perswade the good and godly Saints to haue nothing to doe with the stoole of wickednesse but to separate themselues from the societie of wicked men as the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Ephes 5. 7. That Christ died for all men De 2. Whether Christ Iesus came into the world to die for all men that all men might be saued if they would receiue him and beleeue in his name I answer that he did for so the Apostle teacheth that he gaue himselfe a ransome 1 Tim. 2. 6. Heb. 2. 9. for all men that he tasted death for all men S. Iohn saith that he is the propitiation not only for our sins whereby he meaneth the elected Saints but also for the sinnes of the whole world i. of all 1 Ioh. 2. 2. the men in the world But to these and all other such places it is answered 1. That either all is put for many as he healed all that were oppressed of the Deuill a Acts 10. 38. i. verie many or all that came vnto him or all that besought him and so it is said that all the land of Iudea and they of Ierusalem went vnto Iohn the Baptist and were all baptized of him b Mar. 1. 5. i. abundance of people whole multitudes went vnto him and not euerie particular man whatsoeuer 2. Or else that all is put pro singulis generum non pro generibus singulorum for all of one kinde as where Christ is said to haue healed all sicknesses and Matt. 4. 23. diseases The meaning is that he healed all kinde of diseases or diseases of all kinde leprosie palsie feauers c. and not that he healed euerie particular man that was diseased The like phrase is vsed Acts 10. 12. c. For it cannot be denied but that by all is vnderstood 1. Sometimes the elect only as Ioh. 12. 32. and that if I were lift vp from the earth i vpon the crosse will draw all vnto me i. all the elect and so it is vnderstood in many other places of the Scriptures As a Esay 54. 13. Jer. 31. 34. 2. Sometimes the reprobate only as Philip. 2. 21. All seeke their owne and not that which is the Lord Iesus i. all the reprobates and wicked men doe only seeke for their owne profit and pleasure and not the glorie of the Lord Iesus And so it is said that no man receiued the testimonie of Christ i. none of all the reprobates and worldly men receiued the testimonie of Christ 3. Sometimes the elect and reprobates Ioh. 3. 32. as Rom. 3. 23. All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God And therefore they say that where Christ is said to haue died for all men and to be the reconciliation for the sinnes of all men or for the sinnes of the whole world it must be vnderstood of many as Matth. 26. 28. This is my bloud Mat. 26. 28. of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes or else it must be vnderstood of all the faithfull only and none else But to this faire seeming glosse of these men I answer that although this distinction or restriction of all in many places may hold good for many or for all of one kinde yet in this case where Christ is said to haue died for all all must not be restrained to the elect only for so S. Iohn saith that he is not the reconciliation for our sinnes only i. for the elect only but also for the sins 1 Ioh. 2. 2. of the whole world And where it is said that God gaue his Sonne to die for the Ioh. 3. 16. world and Christ saith that he came to saue the world we must not restraine Cap. 12. 47. the world vnto the elect
holy God should be sanctified in iustice vers 16. that is pure and holy and commended for his iustice And so you see that as the Prophet Dauid saith the Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes and though as S. Augustine saith the iudgements of God occulta esse possunt cannot bee alwayes vnderstood of vs by reason of our owne ignorance yet imusta esse non possunt they are alwayes most iust and holy and therefore hee is holy holy holy holy in the election of his creatures holy in the distribution of his graces and holy in the retribution of our deserts holy simply holy in all respects and the only fountaine of all holinesse 2. There are other things called holy by communication of holinesse or by receiuing the same from this fountaine of holinesse and in this sense wee finde holinesse ascribed to the creatures and especially to foure sorts of them viz. 1. To the man Christ Iesus 2. To all truely faithfull 3. To all outward Profâ—ssors 4. To all things dedicated 1. In this kinde of holinesse the man Christ Iesus holdeth the first place for hee is perfectly holy and so is none Aug. to â— Beda in Lu. l. 1. c. 2 f. 63. besides him saith S Aug and therfore Beda saith that hee is singulariter Sanctus singularly holy and perfectly holy in a double respect 1. By reason of the hypostaticall vnion with the Deity 2. By reason of the most perfect quality of holinesse impressed in his humanity For hee receiued the Spirit of Sanctity without measure and therefore he is called that holy thing and that holy one conceiued without sinne because conceiued of the holy Ghost borne without sinne because borne of a Virgin and liued without sinne because in his mouth was found no guile and therfore among all creatures hee only is perfectly and singularly holy 2. S. Bernard tells vs that among other creatures there bee Saints from heauen whereby as I thinke he meaneth the Angels and Saints from the earth whereof saith he there be 1. Some in heauen 2. Some in earth 1. Those that are in heauen are these holy men that hauing ouercome the world and being deliuered from all sinne and endued with perfect holinesse doe now triumph with Christ and alwayes behold the face of God And because they are perfectly deliuered from sin and from the striuing betwixt the flesh and the spirit and are now receiued into that Sanctum SanctoruÌ„ the holy of holies into which none vncleane thing shall enter Reu. 21. vlt. and are likewise now not onely holy by the imputatiue righteousnesse of Christ but also by a perfect inherent righteousnesse quia facti sunt propè because they are made neere vnto God not onely by a blessed communion through the inhabitation of grace but also by an immediate coniunction through the fruition of glory therfore the name of Saints may more properly bee giuen and ascribed to them then to the holiest and godliest man vpon the face of the earth And therfore this should teach vs as not to ascribe too much honour so not to deny their due honour vnto them Bellarmine indeed doth ascribe too Bellar. l. 1. c. 7. de Sanct. beatitud too much vnto them as 1. The canonization of some of them for Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboue all others 2. The inuocatioÌ„ of theÌ„ in our praiers 3. The erection of Temples to them 4. The oblation of Eucharisticall sacrifices vpon their canonicall houres 5. The celebration of so many holidayes to them 6. The collation of their Pictures in our Churches 7. The adoration of their reliques All which the word of God neuer commanded themselues neuer required the primitiue Church neuer practised in that sort as our aduersaries haue maintained for 1. Their canonization began not C. 1. extra de reliq sanctor till 880. when Adrian tooke vpon him this authority and Alexander the 3. confirmed it or not before Leo the 3. as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth 2. Their inuocation by vs and intercession for vs was a point neuer questioned vntill the time of Origen Orig. lib. 2. ad Rom. ho. 3. in Cant. Nazian Orat de laude Gorgoniae and afterwards by Nazianzen it was proposed doubtfully but neuer receiued certainly 3. The dedication of Temples was but onely a naming of the Churches after their names either because they were builders of them or onely for distinction sake to know one Church from the other for S. Augustine proueth Aug. l. 1. cont Maxim none but God should haue any Temple erected to him and S. Basil and S. Ambrose doe proue the Holy Ghost to bee a true God because hee hath a Temple 4. The Canonicall houres were not intuted Walfridus de rebus eccl c. 15. a long while after the time of the Apostles saith Walfridus 5. For holy daies wee celebrate as many as the first Christians did 6. Their pictures wee confesse may bee vsed for ciuill vses but not in Temples to bee worshipped nor for Lay-mens bookes to bee accounted 7. Their reliques are but forgeries wee know not which they bee for though the crosse of Christ was no bigger then a man might beare yet the parcles of wood that they say were parts of that crosse if they were gathered together would loade a ship and so wee may thinke of all other reliques And therefore though they bee perfect Saints in Heauen yet dare we not giue more honour vnto them then the word of God doth warrant vnto vs. But on the other side we should not derogaâ—e their due from them for as Heluidius in the time of S. Ierome was a Mariae mastix as Roffensis termes Roffensis l. contr Lutherum f. 8. in margine him so haue wee many that are the scourge of the Saints cannot endure to call them Saints wee must therefore vnderstand that the Saints in heauen are to bee honoured and highly esteemed of vs for naturale est praemium virtutis Arles l. 1. c. 12. aethic honos it is a naturall thing that praise should bee the reward of vertue so God promiseth that men should speake of their wisedome and the congregations should declare their praises and therefore the sonne of Syrach doth Ecclus. 44. highly commend the Saints of God and so Saint Paul himselfe and S. Augustine saith in Deo laudandi sunt they Heb. 11. Aug. to 2. f. 223. Damasc l. 4. c. 16. de fide Orthod Amb. serm 6. in fine are to bee praysed in the Lord and Damascen saith that it behooueth vs to honour the Saints as the friends of Christ and as the sonnes and heyres of God and S. Ambrose saith that whosoeuer honoureth a Martyr honoureth Christ and hee that despiseth the Saints despiseth the Lord for that they are not onely the consorts of Angels but also the glory of God as Theophilact speaketh f. 191. 2. For that wee receiue much benefit by them for by
contra Mendac ad Consent but only those are to be followed wherein they follow Christ for he is that true way which leadeth vnto life and that true vibilia which will preserue euery man from wandering that will be guided by his direction and therefore to say we haue erred with our Fathers whether in life or doctrine will not excuse vs in the day of triall 3. Zanchie obserueth that all those Zanch. in c. 1. ad Philip that are baptized and doe professe Christian Religion are likewise called Saints for though many of the Iewes were wicked people yet because they professed themselues separated from the world and associated themselues to the communion of Saints they were all called gens sancta populus Sanctus a holy nation and a chosen people Euen so the professors of Christ are called Saints before men though they be neuer so wicked before God but herein standeth the difference The true Saints are not only professors but also practisers of true holinesse and therefore they be Saints Sanctitate Sacramentali imputatiua inherente by profession by imputation and by an inchoated inherent sanctitie but the other are only sacramentall Saints Saints only by profession and not by practise Saints outward but not inward a great shew of holines ad extra before the world but their inward parts are very wickednesse as the Prophet speaketh And surely these Saints multiplicati There be many sorts of fained Saints sunt super numerum are infinite in number and of diuers sorts as 1. The proud Saint 2. The idle Saint 3. The prophane Saint 4. The verball Saint 5. The Herodian Saint 6. The Pharisaicall Saint or Professor 1. Are those who in their pride and womanish nicenesse do withdraw themselues froÌ„ the Church as if God and his ministers were all bound to attend them doe turne their parlors into temples their carousing pots into communion cuppes whereas S. Chrysostome Chrys to 4. in 1. Cor. hom 36. saith that neque vnguentaria taberna nec officina forensis ecclesia est wee must not make our shops or tauernes to be temples for that the Church is locus Angelorum locus Archangelorum regia Dei coelum ipsum a place or a house of Angels of Archangels the Court of God and Heauen it selfe 2. Are those who vpon a carelesse negligence are like those of whom S. Chrysostome complaineth that toto anno Idem in 2. Cor. hom 2. vix semel in ecclesia conspiciuntur are scarce seene in the Church once a yeere and therefore are worse then the very Iewes as S. Ambrose speaketh for Ambros ser 19. in Psal 119. that they came neere vnto God with their mouthes and honoured him with their lips but these giue him neither speech nor presence 3. Are those who though they come to the Church yet were it as good they came not at all for that they make the house of prayer a place of intemperate babling or else otij diuersorium Seneca â—p ad Lucil. somni domum a place of sleeping and snorting as Eutichus did 4. Are those that are like the Iewes indeed that draw neere vnto God with their lips but their hearts are farre from him 5. Are those that like Herod will be contented to amend many of their lesser faults but their deere and darling sinnes they cannot yet relinquish 6. Are those that as the Pharisies deuoured widowes houses vnder the colour of long prayers so doe these commit all villanies vnder this colour of pietie these men are oues habitu vulpes astu crudelitate lupi in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are rauening wolues none make more shew of pietie none are fuller of all iniquitie I will say no more of them but as Saint Augustine saith vae illi misero qui sanctitatem Aug. l. de Spiritu anima c. 62. seruat in memoria scribit in charta sed non habet in vita Woe to those miserable men that haue sanctitie and pietie in their mindes in their tongues and in the sight of men but not in their hearts in their liues or in the sight of God Wherefore beloued brethren let not vs be such Saints as these be for we must be holy as God is holy i. truely and sincerely without hypocrisie for God made vs in his owne image which consisteth in holinesse and true righteousnesse but these are holy as the deuill is holy and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light i. only in shew that he may deceiue vs for that tuta frequensque via sub amici fallere nomen it is easie to deceiue vnder a fained shew 4. All other things that are dedicated to Zanch. in ca 5. ad Philip. holy vses and to the seruice of God are likewise Sancta sanctified things but of these I will say nothing in this place as being without the compasse of this Text. And so much for the manifold sorts of Saints Yet one thing more I must needs note touching these differences of these Saints that some would haue these words called to bee Saints ioyned together as if the Apostle meant that they were called from the filthinesse of sinne Erasm in h. loc vnto holinesse of life and thereby would giue them to vnderstand two things 1. Terminus à quo That is from what they were called from darknes from wickednes therfore that they should not returne with the dog into his vomit or with the sow to wallow in the mire a doctrine against backsliding reuolters 2. Terminus ad quem That is vnto what they were called vnto sanctity vnto light and therefore should walke as children of light and bee now a great deale more holy and more wary to commit sinne then euer they were before for this is the end of our election Ephes 4. Holines the onely thing that God requireth of vs. Heb. 13. 14. that wee should be holy of our redemption that wee should bee holy and of our vocation that wee should bee holy yea this is the end of all that wee should bee holy For without holinesse no man shall see the face of God but the pure in heart are blessed because they shall see God and no maruell for though the Philosophers say penes scire maxime attenditur similitudo hominum ad Deum that knowledge makes men come neerest to the similitude of God yet Diuinity saith that by sanctity and purity we are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consortes 2. Pet. 1. 4. diuinae naturae partakers of the diuine nature not by transformation or incorporation of vs into the identity or nature of God but by the conformation of vs to the similitude and likenesse of God especially in this one attribute of being holy as hee is holy for licet potestas subiectionem maiestas Bern. Serm. 1. in Die nat Dom. admirationem neutra tamen imitationem though the power of God inciteth vs to subiection and his maiesty moueth vs
God onely is our father in all respects being and in respect of our spirituall being all others that are called fathers are but fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some respects as instruments only and not as the efficient cause of any being but God in both respects is our father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and absolutely because he is the efficient and principall cause both of our first and second birth And therefore in regard of this our Sauiour saith call no man father vpon earth vnus enim pater vester Deus For one is your father euen God i. principally and properly in all respects you can finde none that can be said to be your father vpon earth either in respect of generation or regeneration and therefore you should not ascribe that vnto them which is proper vnto God For this is not spoken to shew that in no respect they be our fathers which haue begotten vs either in our first or second birth but to shew that properly or principally in all respects they are not our fathers of either being And so S. Augustine saith that our Sauiour spake not this Vt hoc vocabulum honoris humani de loquendi consuetudine tolleretur sed ne gratia Dei qua in hanc vitam generamur in aeternam vitam regeneramur naturae vel potestati vel sanctitati cuiusquam hominis tribueretur That this world of humane honour should be taken away from vse but that this grace and goodnesse of God whereby we are brought into this life and begotten againe vnto eternall life should not be ascribed to nature or to any power or sanctitie of any man whatsoeuer but onely vnto God to whom it properly belongeth And thus you see how God is our Father and what is the difference betwixt this our heauenly father and all other fathers whatsoeuer And this may serue to teach vs many excellent lessons and that two wayes 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selues 1. In respect of God it sheweth these two especiall things 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue 2. The immutabilitie of his loue 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue is hereby sufficiently shewed in that he expresseth the same by no lesse title of loue then the name of a father Quia nomen patris plenissimum est amoris for the name of a father is a word full of loue And so S. Iohn sheweth Behold 1 Ioh. 3. 1. what loue the father hath shewed on vs that we should be called the sonnes of God And therefore it is apparant Quanta Domini indulgentia quanta circa nos dignationis etus bonitatis vbertas qui sic nos docuit scire eum patrem esse nostrū nos esse filios eius What indulgencie and plentie of goodnes respect the Lord sheweth vnto vs in that he hath taught Cyprian in lib. de orat dominica The loue of God is vnchangeable vs to know him to be our father and our selues his children saith S. Cyprian 2. The immutabilitie of Gods loue is likewise shewed in the name of father Nam pater etiamsi offensus est tamen pater filius etiamsi nequam est tamen filius for a father though hee be offended is still a father and a sonne though he be wicked is still a sonne A master indeed can cease to be a master but a father can neuer cease to be a father and therefore in the verie depth of sinne we may be bold to cry to God for pardon Nam et si peccator amisit ingenuitatem filij creator tamen non amisit pietatem patris for though the sinner may lose the dutie of a sonne yet the Creator cannot lose the loue and pietie of a father and therefore is hee alwayes gracious and readie to receiue vs if we had anie grace to turne and seeke vnto him 2. In respect of our selues this doctrine that God is our father may teach vs many excellent lessons 1. By way of comparison of our selues with others 2. By way of collection of certaine profitable instructions both for our selues and others 1. It sheweth the excellencie of men The exceeding prerogatiue of Christians aboue all creatures aboue the Angels aboue all other creatures in the world and the excellencie of Christians aboue all other men in the world For men alone are created in Gods image and so his sonnes alone of the same image and likenesse and Christians alone are his sonnes by adoption and grace and therefore herein the Christians haue a preheminence aboue the Angels for to which of the Angels said hee at any time thou art my sonne and I am thy father in a double sense i. both by creation and regeneration And in this we that are after Christs manifestation in the flesh vnder the Gospell haue a prerogatiue aboue the Patriarks that were before the Law and the Prophets themselues that were vnder the Law for before the Law was giuen Abraham saith vnto God Shall Gen. 18. I speake vnto the Lord that am but dust and ashes and in the Law God saith I am the Lord thy God but now he saith Exod. 20. I am your father and you are my children And therefore Tertullian S. Cyprian Athan. li. 2. de side Christi Aug. tract 106. in Johan fol. 209. b. 2. S. Athanasius S. Augustine and others vpon those words of our Sauiour Christ I haue declared thy name vnto my brethren doe vnderstand it of the name Father for that say they the name of father was not known vnto the Iewes Quia veteris Testamenti status erat seruorum for that the state of them which were vnder the Law was the state of seruants The beleeuers only vnder the Gospell are in the state of children Or if it was knowne vnto them I am sure it was not and could not be so fully knowen or so confidently vsed by them as it is by vs. For considering the Maiestie of God before whom Esay 6. the hils doe tremble and the Angels of heauen couer their faces and seeing our owne basenesse being but dust and ashes full of vncleannesse the slaues of sinne and the children of the deuill who durst saith S. Cyprian call God by the name of father if Christ himselfe our aduocate had not first put these words in our mouths but now seeing he which best knoweth his fathers loue and affection towards vs hath declared God vnto vs by the name of father wee doe most humbly desire him agnoscere stylum aduocati nostri filij sui to take notice of that stile which our Sauiour and his sonne hath taught vnto vs. 2. From this doctrine that God is our Father we may collect 1. Quid sperandum what we may hope from him 2. Quid praestandum what is our dutie vnto him 1. From his fatherly loue and affection wee may hope for a fourefold fruit Viz. 1. Of Instruction 2. Of Correction 3. Of Indulgence 4. Of Prouidence 1.
others that are said to be our aduocates but only he But it is obiected that the fathers taught and maintained this doctrine that the Saints doe intercede and pray Nazianz. orat de laude Basilij Aug. ser 17. de verbis Apostoli for vs as 1. Gregorie Nazianzene saith that Saint Basil was in the heauens offering Sacrifices for vs and praiers for the people 2. Saint Augustine saith it is an iniurie to pray for a Martyr by whose praiers we on the other side ought to be remembred and so many others and therefore they doe pray and intercede for vs. I answer first that whosoeuer will looke into that place of Nazianzen shall there finde that Nazianzen doth but thinke so And secondly he shall finde that he spake this Orator-like who many times speake to the absent as though they were present as Pliny saith vnto Cicero salue primus omnium parens patriae And thirdly I say that this place of Nazianzen and likewise that of Saint Augustine doe proue nothing We yeeld that the Saints doe after a sort pray for the whole Church but that in a generall manner they pray for vs as they doe for the whole Church which we doe not denie for that cannot be called an intercession but rather an approbation of the intercession of Christ and as it were clarkes vnto this high priest to say Amen to approue his will in heauen as we should in earth And so you see how Christ was annointed to be a Priest which I thinke should be sufficient to take away all contempt from the name of Priests And you see to what end he was annointed priest first to make satisfaction for our sinnes and secondly to make intercession for vs that we might regaine his fathers fauour And therfore this should teach vs 1. To cast away that deceitfull doctrine That we merit nothing at the hands of God of workes satisfactory or meritorie or call them what you will For this our Priest hath paid for all when we could pay for nothing and he merited all happinesse for vs when we merited destruction vnto our selues and therefore I say with Saint Bernard that sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiunt merita herein we merit best when we know that we merit nothing but hell and when we crie with the Psalmist Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight can no flesh liuing be instified 2. Seeing Christ is our only mediator that praieth for vs we should only pray to him for Abraham hath forgotten vs and Isaack is ignorant of That we should pray to none but to God alone vs but this our Priest will neuer forget vs he doth at all times heare vs and can at any time helpe vs if we doe call vnto him for helpe And therefore though we loue the Angels and reuerence the Saints their names are sweet vnto vs and their memoriall is blessed yet we will pray to none of them for we haue neither precept from God nor practise in Gods Church to doe the same But we finde the same flarly forbidden in many places For Origen saith ne quis audeat Origen l. 5. contra Celsum praeces offerre nisi soli Domino Deo Let no man dare to offer praiers vnto any but only to the Lord God And the councell of Laodicea doth anathematise all those that leaue the Lord Concil Laâ—d c. 35. Basil in orat de 40. Martyr Ambros in l. de viduis Iesus to pray vnto any Saint or Angel But against this it may be obiected that Saint Basil exhorteth vs to haue recourse vnto them in our necessities and to pray vnto them And so Saint Ambrose likewise exhorteth the widowes to pray vnto the Saints and to the Angels when they were in their necessities I answer that Saint Basil doth not say confugiat oret but confugit orat i. he telleth vs what they did and not what they should doe And it is no maruell that people That we are faine to suffer many things that we doe not approue newly conuerted from Gentilisme to Christianity should retaine something of their old idolatry and that the godly fathers should be constrained for a while to tolerate those tares among the wheat lest the good seed scarce rooted should be indangered For Saint Augustine saith that he knew Aug. l. 1. c. 24. de moribus Eccl. l. 2. c. 21. contra Faust Manich. many that adored sepulchers and pictures and such like and many that drunke most excessiuely ouer the dead but he saith aliud est quod docemus aliud est quod sustinemus hoc tolerare compellimur donec emendemus It is one thing that we teach another thing that is suffered vntill it be amended And for the booke of Saint Ambrose concerning widowes I say with Molinaeus that it is one of Molinaeus contra Coefetau his first workes that he made after his conuersion and therefore sauoreth of infirmity and faileth of sound diuinity in many points For in the same booke he saith that the Martyrs if any sinne remained in them did purge the same with their owne bloud and this is a doating of the truth and an error plaine contrarie vnto all truth For first who knowes not that no man is void of sinne And secondly who knoweth not that no man can wash away his owne sins 1 Ioh. 1. with his owne bloud For the Scripture saith plainly that it is the bloud of Iesus Christ that washeth and cleanseth vs from all sinne And therefore Saint Ambrose recalleth this errour a Ambros in c. 1. Ep. ad Roman saith it is a miserable excuse to say we goe to God by the mediation of Saints as we goe to the king by his officers for therefore saith he doe we goe to the king because he is a man knoweth not to whom to commit himselfe or his affaires but God knoweth all things and is ready to receiue all men Ideo ad Deum promerendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota and therefore we need not any other suffragan to goe to God but a deuout and pious heart And in his oration vpon the death of Theodosius he saith plainly Tu solus Deus es inuocandus turogandus Thou only O God art to be praied vnto thou only O God art to be intreated And so much for the annointing of Iesus to be a Priest 2. He was annointed to be a king That Christ was annointed to be a king For thy throne O Lord is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse c. And this we may see in Psal 2. 6. Ierem. 23. 5. 1. Chron. 17. 12. 14. and in many other places of the Scripture And this point viz. that Iesus is a king how he differeth from all other kings and what lessons we might learne from this doctrine I haue handled at large in