and the ordinary Seats of Roman Saints and when Bellarmin with some others say that they do honor these Images as signs only representing and and not as Seats and Instruments inhabited or assisted by the invisible Spirit of their Saints they are confuted by these two waies the visible Practice of their Church and the invisible Testimony of their own private Consciences What might be said more probably both in behalf of these Images and of their zealous Devotion in worshipping them is what frees them from the reproach which Holy Scripture casts on Idols that they have Eies and see withal they have Hands wherewith they handle and somtimes give terrible blows if they have Mouths it is not in vain since they can cry and laugh and speak and somtimes also Prophesie Feet have they and thereon leap and walk and flee and if they have Noses they smell therewith and can tell where the wanton and the wicked Persons are All this I say from their own approved Authors Only the main difficulty remains and I conjure all sober Men as they tender their Salvation to look how to satisfie it well to know what is the inward Principle Spirit or Soul which moves and animates these dead Figures to all and more then what living Bodies can perform with the help of their living Souls Here let the Roman Catholics well consider whether to justifie them by these acts of activity from being Idols doth not by the same means both accuse and convince them of being Devils The Holy Scripture warns Men often against false Christs and false Prophets against false Apostles and false Spirits it were strange if we had no need of warning or of being wary against false Saints I find somtimes the best Roman Monks much puzled what to think of their most celebrated Apparitions and tho they trust too much their Holy Water a pitiful trial God knows in the discernment of the good from the bad Spirits yet they do not think it uncatholic to demur somtimes in such matters It is neither want of Learning nor want of Faith in the School-men the Primitive Fathers of Popery which makes them dispute now and then whether that which they see at Mass under the Figure of raw Flesh or a young Child be Christ himself or a Phantome and certainly we have no ground either in Scripture or in Reason or in Experience to secure us but that the Devils which play such pranks both in Apparitions and on Altars may juggle as well and play worse tricks about consecrated Images First It is no small prejudice against these Roman Images and the Roman way of using them that both came so late into the Church and that in the best Primitive Times when the Church was a purer Virgin none but Heretics had Images whereas in these later and worse Ages when the Church is confessedly worse too no Roman Catholics are without them It is also no small prejudice against the best as it is supposed and the most famous of these Images that when they were admitted at first as either visible Records of Ecclesiastical Antiquity or as Ornaments of new Walls not one of them did work Miracles or if it did 't was in behalf of Infidels and Pagans only as it is presupposed by Patriarch Tharasius n Nicaen Synod secund Act. 4. pag. 626. Edit Bin. Paris 1634. the great Promoter of Image Worship whereas now since they are become both the Objects and the Instruments of Roman Devotion and Blessing they generally work all Miracles in behalf of the Romanists The alteration in the Church as it is now full of Images from the Church as it was then without any Image Worship as it is visible and great must have some visible and great Cause Is it because the Pagans and the Heretics then and the Mass-Priests and Papists now understand the worth of Images and the right use of Image-worship better then the Holy Apostles did Or is it because the Holy Apostles had neither Patriarchs nor Prophets nor Martyrs to make Saints of or to consecrate Images to Is it not more probable to think that this Alteration hath thus happened because both Pagans and Papists are of the same mind as to Images And because the Spirits which Christ and his Blessed Apostles had silenced and beaten off from most of their Pagan Quarters having long wandered among the Heathen and in dry places have at last found better shelter and emploiment at Lauretta Montserat and other great Roman Oracles What can one think else of Images which having kept themselves close dumb and obscure in the best and Primitive daies take now their advantage to start up and to make a noise and to shew Miracles in these later times of the Church when both by Christ and his Apostles Predictions and the Judgment p Joseph Acosta de Temporib Novissim l. 3. c. 3. 14. of sober Papists all must be full of false Prophesies of strong Illusions and lying Wonders Secondly That which aggravates the suspition of appearing in unhappy Times like the coming of Thieves and unexpected Straglers in dark Nights is the ugly and pitiful Holes where most of these Images were at first found For these Images I mean those wonderful and famous ones which the Roman Church runs most after were neither lately made by common Painters nor consecrated by ordinary Roman Bishops they are supposed to have bin made and consecrated by no meaner Workmen then God himself his Christ his Angels and such of his Saints as S. Luke S. Nicodemus c. were and so left and deposited to the Christian Church and Catholic Tradition Hereupon let me ask two things absolutely necessary for any sober satisfaction The first When and where if ever at all these Saints made these Images and by laying on of their Hands or otherwise conferred on them the Gifts of Speaking of Prophecying and working Miracles or put in them an inward or assisting Spirit to make them speak foretel and do strange things The second When and where having used them as it is supposed they have they thought fit to bury them under Ground and to hide some among Thorns some under Brambles all in most pitiful places as dark Holes and hollow Trees where they were found and where any wise Man would rather look for Worms or Toads If you say they hid them in those places for fear of the Pagan Persecuters Pagans were not haters at all nor destroiers of Images contrariwise they loved Images as Papists do But since they were great Burners and Destroiers of Holy Scriptures Why would the Apostolical Men rather hide their Books under ground which were most principally both hated and sought after then their Images which were not so And if they hid both Images and Books together by what universal Mischance did they never find any of these where they found those How came the Holy Scriptures to discover themselves so soon ever in cruellest times of the Primitive
them after they are dead without Repentance It is enough for you to know y Rich. ibid. she doth it And what might she not do for these Villains since she can with her two Angels be a Midwife z Discipulus De Miracul Mar. Tom. 2. Serm. Exempl 25. Palbart l. 21. c. 13. to very whores your main Interest is to see in return of these great Mercies Kindnesses and Protections what Services now she will have CHAP. VI. Concerning the Adoration and new Waies of serving the Virgin Mary WHEN the Roman Doctors are among themselves either worshipping at their Altars or discoursing in their Pulpits or teaching in their public Scholes they freely talk of adoring a Vid. Concil Nicenum 2. the blessed Saints they think them to be Canonized most principally for this end that they may publicly b Antonin Sum. part 3. l. 22. c. 8. be adored and praied to and they highly commend the Greek who at his first Conversion professed that he did c Salazar Prov. c. 8. v. 15. n. 114. adore from his heart our Lady the Queen of the world And their S. Damascen is herein their great Goliah driving before him all the Fathers with this weapon Decet enim c. It must be so f Damasc 1. De Nativ 2. de Assumt or t is fitting that this Mother of God should enjoy that which belongs to her Son and therefore the Glory of being adored by all men But when the Papists are amongst us tho they keep still their hearty thoughts they do quite reform their Language they are ashamed to say in England what they are proud to do at Rome If you believe what they say here it was never heard in their Church that they must adore any Saint g Censura Colon. p. 228. unless by chance it be in that sense in which Jacob adored his Brother and Abigail King David which is no Divine honor at all but only such a reverence as is deferred h Coster in Enchirid. to Kings or Fathers or such honorable Persons and therefore and justly too why not to Saints And if you be inquisitive and press them farther about this Point then they will run out into so many Distinctions and terms of Art as will puzle any Lay-man Dulia Latria hyperdulia Absolute and Relative Worship Divine Adoration and bordering upon Divine Godhead essential and Godhead participated so that it will go very hard with them if they do not leave him whom they pretend to satisfie as ignorant and more confounded then he was before They will tell you that they intend not either to adore the Virgin or to adore her otherwise then respectively that it is in a mere relation to her Son and those Intentions being in their hearts it is impossible there to search out either the Truth or the untruth of what they say But if you look to what they do instead of hearkning to what they say their most solemn and practical Devotions have such a plain and real language as must declare to all the world both what their Religion is in it self and what you may best think of it 1. First they bestow and accumulate upon the Virgin all the best Titles which both in the Church and in the Scripture are proper to God For in their most solemn Devotions she is a She God a She Savior the Queen of Queens the Fountain of Salvation the Ladder and Gate of Heaven c. And it were great folly in us to think that they do not worship her according to what they call her since it is not in such Rencounters that men use to play the Hypocrites 2. Secondly in their ordinary Praiers and Praises and Giving of Thanks they do most commonly join her with God Jesu Maria comes in one word out of their Mouths and Glory be to God and to the blessed Virgin is but one compleat Doxologie at the end of most of their Books Now such an Association as this is in the judgment of the Fathers a clear Evidence of being God Thus they prove i Athanas Orat. 4. contr Arian pag. 260. Edit Comel against the Arians that the Angel whom Jacob praied to when he blessed his Grand-children Gen. 48.16 is the Lord Christ because in that praier he is joined with the God of his Fathers and that this Christ is very God k Ibid. p. 159. because the Apostles join him with God both in their Praiers and their Praises Grace be to you and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 1.7 c. The strength of their Demonstration consists in this that in all those daies both when the Prophets and Apostles did write the Holy Scriptures and when the holy Fathers did maintain the Faith which is contained in them no man was seen or heard praying l Athanas suprà Cyrill Alexand. Tom. 5. in Thesaur pag. 115. Ed. Paris 1638. for any thing both to the Father and to an Angel or to any other Creature for Popery was not yet abroad nor wishing that God or his Angel or any greater Creature whatsoever would grant or give him any thing And they take it for an insufferable piece of m Cyrill Alex. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sawciness when the Arians dare couple as upon their Principles they do any Creature with the Lord God Such was the known Catholic Faith and Profession of the Primitive times for otherwise judicious and learned Men would not have produced it in that manner as an undoubted Evidence against such subtil and dangerous adversaries Now both the Roman Faith and practice taking a quite contrary way we I hope are more bound to think that the Papists who follow this are Idolaters then that the holy Fathers who went on in that were very Fools 3. Thirdly The Papists apply to the Virgin the most illustrious Places of Scripture that belong directly to Christ and by this means either disable all true Christians from the possibility of proving by the Scriptures that He is God or prove as well that She is so too I will mention out of many but few Instances Every word almost of the eighth Chapter of the Proverbs which doth describe the Eternal Wisdom of God which by the Fathers is applied to Christ alone and which is none of the least cogent Mediums they stand upon to demonstrate him to be that true essential and uncreated Wisdom is now turned another way n Vid. Salazar in Prov. to deifie their Virgin It is by her namely the Virgin if you believe those Abusers of Holy Scripture that Kings reign and that Princes decree Justice v. 15. By her Princes rule and Nobles and all Judges of the Earth 16. Riches and honor are with her true durable Riches and Righteousness 18. She leads in the way of Righteousness she causes them who love her to have substance The Lord saies she out of these Blasphemers
mouths possessed me in the beginning of his waies I was set up from everlasting when he prepared the Heavens I was there c. and so all along They scruple not o Bust Marial Serm. de Nomin Mariae to say of her what God Almighty saies of himself Malach. 1.11 From the rising up of the Sun unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentils And that of Christ Matth. 28.18 * Novarin Vmbra Virgin l. 4. excurs 122. n. 1149. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth and what John the Baptist saies p Antonin 4. part tit 15. c. 6. sect 3. of her Fulness have all received c. namely q Salazar Prov. c. 3. v. 29. n. 200. the Sinner Pardon the Righteous Grace the Angels joy and the whole Trinity Glory And therefore r Idiot Contempl. 1. say they as blasphemously God hath highly exalted her and given her a name above all names that in her name all knees should bow c. Phil. 2.9 10. And after the same rate what God saies of his only begotten Son Heb. 1.6 Let s Vitis Florig Lect. 27. all the Angels of God worship her and let Men boldly come unto the Throne of Grace from him to her that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Hebr. 4.16 It were endless to rehearse all 4. Fourthly They allow her a whole Psalter * Vid. Psalter S. Bondvent as the Church doth to God Almighty And whatever David could say in the Highest strein of his Zeal towards the magnifying of Gods Glory or the imploring of his Mercy or the expressing his Faith in him Gods name being out and that of the Virgin in they both transfer and improve it towards the magnifying of this Lady For Example in the first Psalm instead of Blessed be the Man c. it begins thus Blessed be the Man that loves thy name O Virgin Mary Thy mercy shall comfort his Soul c. The second Why do the Heathen c hath it thus Why do our Enemies imagine vain things against us Thy right hand O Mother of God shall protect us Come ye to her all ye that Travel and are heavy laden and you shall find rest for your Souls c. The fourth thus When I did call thou O Lady heardest me Thou wert pleased to remember me out of thy high Throne for thy mercy is on all them that call upon thy holy Name and thy Majesty be blessed thro out all Generations Glorifie her O all ye Nations c. The 16. thus Save me O Lady for I have put my trust in thee c. The 19. thus The Heavens do declare thy glory O Virgin c. The 29. thus Bring to our Lady O ye Sons of God bring praise and worship to our Lady Give strength to thy Servants O holy Mother and bless them that magnifie thee Let Heaven and Earth bless thee the Sea and all the corners of the World c. The 42. thus Like as the Hart desires the water Brooks so longs my Soul after thy love O holy Virgin for thou art the Mother of my life the Nurse and restauration of my flesh and both the beginning and end of my Salvation c. The 44. thus We have heard with our ears O Lady and our Fathers have told us that thy Merits are ineffable and thy Miracles wonderful Thy Virtues are innumerable and thy Mercies inestimable Rejoice in her O my soul for many good things are laid up for them that praise her Blessed be thou O Queen of Angels c. The 51. thus Have mercy on me Lady who art call'd the Mother of Mercies and according to the Bowels of thy Compassions make me clean from all mine Iniquities Pour thy Grace upon me and withdraw not thy usual Mercies from me c. The 68. thus Let Mary arise and let all her Enemies be crush'd under her feet c. The 72. thus Give the King thy judgments O Lord and thy Mercy to the Queen his Mother Salvation and life O Lady are in thy hand perpetual Joy and glorious Eternity c. The 73. thus Truly God is loving unto Israel even to such as worship his Mother c. The 84. O how amiable are thy Dwellings O Lady of Hosts c. The 92. It is a good thing to give thanks and confess to the Virgin Mary and to sing Praises to her Glory to tell of her Merits that rejoice the heart and to imitate her Works which rejoice the Angels c. The 94. It is the Lord God to whom Vengeance belongs but thou art the Mother of Mercy who turnest him to compassion The 95. thus O come let us sing to our Lady let us heartily rejoice in the Virgin our she Savior The 103. Praise the Virgin Mary O my Soul and all that is in me praise and glorifie her name c. The 110. thus The Lord said unto my Lady Mother sit thou at my right hand Be thou reigning with me Have mercy upon me O Lady Mother of splendor enlighten me O thou Mother of Truth and Virtue c. The 117. O praise the Lady all ye Heathen glorifie her all ye Nations for her Merciful kindness remains upon us for ever whosoever will serve her shall be justified but whosoever neglects her shall die in his sins c. The 144. begins thus Blessed be our Lady who teaches her Servants to fight c. The 148. thus O praise our Lady of Heaven praise her in the height Praise her Sun and Moon And so all along to the very last O praise the Lady in her Holiness praise her in her Virtues and Miracles Let every Spirit or every thing that hath breath praise our Lady This Service goes under the name of a Superangelical and Seraphical Doctor a Roman Saint and a Cardinal besides whom they call St. Bonaventura Give this Worship what name you please it is all that David and Moses and other Prophets could bestow on the Lord God of Israel Now when the same is bestowed upon a holy Creature how great and holy soever yet a Creature judge what it is 5. Fifthly Lest the Lord God of Israel should receive any kind of honor from Men where the Lady had not her share what ever more eminent pieces of Divine Service they can find scattered in Holy Scripture they will be sure to give it her For example that of Moses Deut. 32. Give ear O ye Heavens to what I will speak of the Virgin Mary Magnifie her with me c. O perverse and crooked Generation acknowledg our Lady for thy she Savior Is she not thy Mother that hath begotten thee in Faith If thou forsakest her thou art no friend unto our Soveraign Cesar O that thou wert wise and wouldest consider thy last end As an Infant cannot live without his Nurse no more canst thou be saved without this our Lady Therefore let thy
should say London is all England when the King and the Parliament sit at Westminster the Tribe of Levi all Israel when the High Priest and his Sanhedrin keep their Courts there Which is to say not that all Christendom is contained in the precinct and bosome of Rome but under its hand and power Thus to be the Catholic is not to be the Universal but only the Domineering Church and so far Roman Catholic which many wise men take for a Bull perhaps it sounds better then they are aware of since the Romans love to be Masters and since the Mastering Power hath bin a great while under their hand But there is a reply against all this that no Roman Power or wit can well shift off First this notion of Catholic to signifie commanding or Monarchical is altogether unusual and unheard of among the Fathers especially St Cyprian and St Austin who are all for keeping close to the Catholic Church and Faith and all at the same time for keeping themselves and their Churches free from the Monarchy of Rome Secondly it is tho it were true impertinent to such purposes as the Papists apply it to For suppose Rome hath the Power hath she therefore the Holiness the Infallibity the Promises of being led into all truth by the Spirit Hath she all such other great advantages which are made to the Catholic Universal and not to the Catholic Reigning Church Did Aaron never make an Idol altho he was the Lords high Priest Were either the Scribes ever kept from inventing idle Traditions by being Rulers in Jerusalem or St Peter from cursing himself and denying his own Master by that Jurisdiction they say he had over the rest of the Apostles Is his Holiness for instance John the twelfth or Sylvester the 2d the one less effeminate the other less a sorcerer or either of them more holy for all the power they say they have both over all the Kings of the Earth and over all the Churches of Christ And may not the holy City of Jerusalem be turned both into a Den of Thieves or into a Synagogue of Devils altho you believe her to have a very great and eminent sway over all the Tribes of Israel Therefore it is not the Catholic that is the Monarchical but the Catholic in a better sense that is the Universal Church of Christ that hath the Promises of God and this excellent Privilege which both Papists and others look for of bringing all its truly Catholic Members to Eternal Salvation But admit all what they would have that their Church may be said to be the Catholic because it has dominion over all other Churches whence comes this Catholic Power that can make her as really to be as to be said so It comes they say by lawful succession from Saint Peter who had it and so bequeath'd it to their Popes This is I confess easily said but hardly maintained or understood For first St Paul knew nothing of it when he resisted this Soveraign both publicly and to his Face Galat. 2.11 Nor did the whole College of Apostles when they sent him with John as freely as now the Pope sends his Legats to settle the Church at Cesarea Acts 8.14 Nor the whole Church of Jerusalem when they called him to an account about his behavior with the Gentiles Acts 11.2.3 Nor the holiest Fathers of the Church when they did call his Successors that is their own Soveraigns by the familiar name of Brothers Nor the whole Church of God with them when as it appears c Aen. sylv Epist l. 1. Epist 288. pag. 202. Basil by the very Confession of one who afterwards came to be Pope they took little notice of this sort of Catholicness Ante Nicenam c. that is Before the Nicene Council they regarded little the Roman Church and by the Interpretation of Ruffinus a Roman Priest who lived but few years after it its sixth Canon restrains this pretended Universal Power within the adjacent Towns of Rome I will say more even two hundred Years after Pope Gregory the first was so little acquainted with this pretended Prerogative that he could not suffer the hearing e Greg. Magn. Regist. l. 7. Ind. 1. Ep. 33. ad Eulog of it no not in a Compliment altho bestowed sometimes on others and so little as to this point skilled in Scripture that tho he insists often on these words Thou art Peter c. Feed my Flock and I will give thee the Keies c. the present great Supporters and Demonstrations of Universal Monarchy this blind Doctor could see in them nothing tending to such a Catholic Latitude If Christ had intended any such Power for Saint Peter 't was not a business to be whisper'd privatly d Ruffin Hist l. 1. c. 6. in the Ear as the Treason he told Judas of it was to be proclamed on the House tops and in the hearing of all the World according to the practice of Moses and Elisha when they made choice of their Successors in the face of all Israel Such a public Declaration might have presently both quelled the dangerous and undecided Contention among the Disciples to wit Who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven prevented all the Disorders which have ever since troubled the Church for want of knowing this supreme and infallible Governor Then might the Roman Church have spared forging f Binius in Donat Edict Constant Conc. Tom. 1. pag. 313. 314. Edit Par. 1636. Donations Decretals to her own shame to assert her Power in Europe And the Popes might have reserved that massy weight of Gold which they gathered from the Christians under the ordinary pretences of Holy War for holier uses then were either g Avent Annal. Bocor l. 7. the arming Turks against such Churches as would not acknowledg his Grandeur or driving distressed Bishops on this account by Persecution h Vid. Quillem Tyrium l. 15. c. 15. c. and hard usage to seek for shelter among the Turks All Nations without either fraud or force might then have learned their duty towards S. Peters Chair at the same time when they heard of S. Peters Gospel and if this pretended Tradition whether written or not written had waited but at a distance on the first Preaching of Christian Faith they would certainly have submitted to it that is to that Universal Empire as they did to Episcopacy Secondly Suppose against all what I have said that St Peter had during his life an Universal Monarchy What sound Reason what clear Text of the holy Scripture or what undoubted Tradition can any one allege to shew he left it to a Successor Did he leave him also his other Gifts and Privileges and among them his Faith of Miracles his Apostolical Rod to strike men with some to the ground as they say he did at Rome Simon Magus and others to their very Graves as he did certainly Ananias and Saphira Did he pass
x Salazar Prov. c. 8. v. 15. n. 136. her Servants and her Salves The best is that this large and wide Empire is not setled on her by God as a mere Donation y Ibid. n. 121. Mendosa Virid l. 2. Problem 1. n 1. and Favor it is they say a just and proper Right of her own grounded upon natural z Ibid. n. 131. Equity both as being the a Anselm de Excell Virg. c. 4. Spouse of the Holy Ghost on which account they say b Pseudepiphan de Laud. Mar. she had Spiritual Gifts upon the Title of the Wedding present and afterwards she was to have what she hath now Heaven and Earth for her Jointure and as having c Anselm ibid. c. 11. by her own Merits saved and restored all things or d Damascen de Fide Orthod l. 4. c. 15. as being the Mother of Christ and therefore Queen e Salazar supra n. 132. upon as good a Title as he is King and even as God himself For saies another Blasphemer As God the * Ludolphus de Saxonia de vita Christi part 2. c. 86. Father is Lord of all because he hath created all thro his Power so is the Mother Mary the Lady of all because she hath repared and re-establish'd all things by her Merits These things being so as no true Roman Catholic must doubt but they are it concerns us all next to enquire First What use this Queen of the World is pleased to make of her Power Secondly What kind of Homage Men must return to that high and Soveraign Majesty for the great Favors and Blessings that flow continually from that use As to the use of her Grandeur both old and new Papists will tell you That since all Power is given to f Petr. Damian Serm. 1. de Nativ Virg. her as to Christ it is to this Blessed purpose that all Men may receive as well of g Antonin 4. part T. 15. c. 6. sect 3. her as his Fulness Grace for Grace and that every one may take out of her Bosome h Bernard Serm. de Aquae ducti all such Blessings as he most desires Here the Sinner shall find Mercy the Righteous all increase of Grace the Angels happiness and Joy and the whole Trinity Glory Among all others Kings and Warriers are much concern'd on this account She hath a Temporal Power both of taking and giving away of Estates Thus by her help both the Spaniards and the Portugeses discovered and i Petr. Maffaeus Hist Indic l. 2. got a good part of the East Indies She turns Armies and Victories to what side she pleases Read what they say she did for Philip k Nicol. Aegidius Annal. Franc. in Philippo Aug. King of France against Otho the Emperor for l Histor. Carnot An. 1328. Philip de Valois and m Ibid. An. 1304. Philip le Bell against the Flemings and for the Cities of n Annal. Flandr l. 12. Tournay o Meyer Annal. Fland. An. 1386. Ipres †Nic. Aegidius Annal. Franc. in Carol. 7. Orleans and p Chronic. Deip. An. 1200. Poictiers against the English This last is considerable for there they say she stood like a great Queen and the Keys were conveied away by night no Body can tell how from under the Governors Pillow and found hanging in the morning by her Image Her very Shift being once set up as a Banner upon a Wall q Antonin 2 part Hist tit 16. c. 2. sect 5. routed a great Army and if any ones Shirt chance but to touch that Blessed Shift it may go near to make the whole Body as once it r Anton. Solerius de Venerat SS did invulnerable Her very Images will inspire strength for when King Arthurus was tired s Robert Holc Sapient Sect. 35. c. 3. some say that he had one of her Images which was painted upon his Shield that when he look'd on it did recover him from fainting Fits You may guess by these Shifts and Images what the Lady her self can do By virtue of this same Power about Temporal Affairs she sends or removes all Temporal Blessings and Curses Honors Riches and all manner of Earthly Prosperities are in her hand and what Gods Eternal and uncreated Wisdom is in Scripture Prov. 8.18 the same by a foolish Impiety now is the Virgin Mary in Popery Read their Sermons and see what good use they make of all the Power given to Christ †Vid. Quirin Salazar in Proverb Solom See the eighth Chapter of the Proverbs she is now made blasphemously what Christ was then the Tresuress t Idiota de Contempl. Virg. in Prolegom of all Gods Graces and the very Tresure * Ricard a S. Laurentio de Laudib Virg. l. 10. of the Church It is out of this new Store house that the greatest Scholars of Rome if you will believe them had their Learning Albert the Great was a u Leander de viris Illustrib dull Fellow and Duns Scotus a very x Wadd Tom. 1. Annal. Minor An. 1304. Dunce till the Virgin Mary gave them more wit Vdo Arch-bishop of y Canisius de B V. l. 5. c. 20. Magdeburg and St. Rupert z Eradenbach Sacr. Collect. l. 2. c. 7. Abbot of Tuits had it the same way But St. Thomas Aquinas and S. Tharlevarct are in this Point most admirable that one a Surius F. Mart. became an Angelical Doctor by swallowing down his Throat a Paper that Ave Maria was written upon and this other got the full understanding of the whole Bible by drinking out of a Silver Cup a sweet Liquor b Balanghem 25 Dec. which she gave him Not to trouble you with more Instances what can you add to what they say that She is the very c Bonavent inspecul c. 3. Ahysse and Ocean * Salazar Prov. 8. v. 27 n. 364. from whence all Blessings flow like so many streams into the Church that she is the true Mother who keeps us alwaies like Embrions in her d Ibid. v. 18. n. 190. Bowels and makes us live with her own Breath that she is both the Neck and the Hand e Idem c. 31. n. 118. that is both the passage and only means thro which our cries may go up to God and his Blessings come down to us They who will speak at a soberer rate compare the Virgin f Georg. Venet. Hav Cant. 1. T. 4. c. 38. to the Moon which both qualifies and transmits all the Influences that come to us from the Sun and other Planets that is from Christ and all his Saints But here to speak the plain Truth without terms of Astrology they do find an absolute Decree made by all the three Persons together and God knows where they can find it whereby g Salazar Prov. c. 8. v. 18. n. 193. God the Father hath obliged himself to his Daughter and the Son to his