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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09831	The refutation of an epistle, written by a certain doctor of the Augustins order within the citie of Leige together with the arguments, which he hath borrowed from Robert Bellarmine, to proue the inuocation of Saints. By Iohn Polyander, minister vnto the French Church in Dort: and now translated by Henry Hexham, out of French into English.	Polyander à Kerckhoven, Johannes, 1568-1646.; Hexham, Henry, 1585?-1650?	1610 (1610)	STC 20096; ESTC S100869	112,398	138

sure when any point of doctrine is to be disputed or of the true sense of some texts in the Bible then to hold our selues to Gods law which is a faithfull witnesse according to the counsell of the Prophet Esay chap 8. verse 20. to giue the exposition of the law of God in expounding it by the Scripture it selfe imitating the example of Esdras and some other Doctors of the old Testament which is represented by Nehemiah before our eies in the 8. chapter and 2. verse Euen so when a question is of the true rule and manner of prayer there is nothing more expedient then to follow in all our prayers that only forme of prayer which our Lord Iesus Christ taught his Apostles as S. Tertullian and S. Cyprian shew vs by their excellent discourses touching the excellencie and perfection of this prayer And S. Austin in his epistle which he wrote to a Christian widow called Proba Wee say no other thing saith he then that which is contained in the Lords Prayer if we pray rightly and conueniently And whosoeuer should say any thing which is not agreeable with this Euangelicall prayer though he prayeth not vnlawfully yet he prayeth carnally and I know no reason why but that one may say he prayeth vnlawfully sith that such as are regenerated by the holy Ghost ought to pray spiritually By which admonition S. Austin signifieth to all Christians that all prayers which haue not their foundation in the prayer of our Lord Iesus Christ as are such which be addressed to the Saints departed are carnall and vnlawfull But to returne to your obiections where you say that you ●et slip in silence the miracles done through the inuocation of Saints and yet you send vs to the 22 booke of the Citie of God and we send you back againe to that which wee haue formerly noted to wit that Viues testifieth that many sentences haue been annexed to that booke of the Citie of God and for that reason we ought to giue no beleefe thereunto But rather as Origen witnesseth vpon Ieremiah it behoueth vs to call for witnesses the holy Scriptures forasmuch as without those witnesses our sense and discourses are of no credit which S. Austin also giueth vs to vnderstand by this exhortation that whatsoeuer wee would haue men to beleeue we must proue it by cleere testimonies of holy Scripture and vse them against the enemies of the Church And if we should grant you that many miracles haue been done by the inuocation of Saints yet you cannot with a good conscience gather frō thence that this seruice was pleasing to God seeing that the false prophets and ministers of Satan haue sought to set vp their impieties through the lustre of many miracles Thereupon Moses aduertiseth the people of his time saying in Deut. ●3 1. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames and give thee a signe or wander and the signe and the wonder which he hath told thee come to passe saying Let vs go after other gods which thou hast not known 〈◊〉 let vs serue them Thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of that prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule And Iesus Christ in the 24 of Matthew and 23 verse saith If any shall say vnto you loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect Behold I haue told you before according to which Saint Paul writeth in the ● of Thes● 2. that the comming of the Sonne of perdition who s●●ll sit as God in the temple of God and shall exalt himselfe against God and shall be by the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all 〈◊〉 of vnrighteousnesse among them that 〈◊〉 Whereupon S. Austin grounding himselfe saith on the 9. Psalme That Antichrist shall vse force in his empire and deceit in his miracles And in the treatise of Antichrist which is added to his bookes Antichrist saith he shall rise vp against the elect by three manner of waies by terrors by gifts and by miracles And Chrysostome speaking of the false Doctors on the seuenth chapter of S. Matthew They cast forth diuels saith he in the name of Christ hauing the spirit of the enemie or they rather doe not cast them foorth but seeme to cast them foorth through the collusion which they haue with the diuels and so alwaies they cast them foorth and neuer doe heale The diuels euermore crie before them as if they were chastized and they neuer come foorth of them as though they were afraid Behold therefore Theophylact teacheth vs in the explication of the seuenth chapter of S. Luke and namely on the second verse that preaching is confirmed by miracles and miracles by preaching for oftentimes diuers haue done wonders by the diuels but their preaching was not sound therefore their miracles also were not of God Which Anselmus appropriating to the miracles of Antichrist in his Commentaries vpon the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and second chapter These signes and wonders saith he shall be lying either because they should deceiue the mortall through magicall visions or else because that although they should be wonders and prodigious signes yet they should draw vnto lies such as beleeue in them Moreouer Meses recounteth in the booke of Exodus that Pharaohs Magicians haue imitated and counterfeited many miracles which he formerly had done in the countrie of Egypt Also Hippocrates reciteth in his book de Morbo Sacro that some Sorcerers in his time healed many of the falling sicknesse in making sacrifices and certaine prayers because they would be reputed as holy personages The like writeth Bodin of Appolonius Thyaneus and of some other Sorcerers which chased away diuels and did many other wonders through fainednesse and collusion This is that also whereof the Emperour Charles the Great would aduertise vs by his third and fourth bookes made vnder his owne name and approued by Pope Adrians Legats and many other Bishops of France Germany and Italie which were present in the Councel of Frankford in the yeere 794. There is great danger saith he in many miracles because there may be in them some craft of that crooked Serpent which doth transfigure himself into an Angel of light for many miracles are done by those Angels reuolted by Powers or rather by spirituall subtilties which communicate to diuers miserable wretches the gift of prophecying and doe many strange things through their officers of which sort those shal be which shall say Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy name and haue wee not cast out diuels in thy name and by thy name done many great workes To whom the Iudge will

and redemption Doe you not teach in your Catechisme made by the authoritie of the Councell of Trent That men ought to inuocat the Saints inasmuch as God through their merit and grace doth vs good Approue you not that which Barnardine de Busto writeth in his Marial of the virgin Mary That first of all she is Mediatrix of our saluation 2. Mediatrix of our coniunction and vnion 3. Mediatrix of our iustification 4. Mediatrix of our reconciliation 5. Mediatrix of our intercession and 6. Mediatrix of our communication Sing ye not O pia puerpera nostra pians scelera iure matris impera Redemptori that is O godly Child-bearer thou which purgest vs from our sins command our Redeemer by the authoritie of a mother Allow you not also the sentence of Lombard who saith in the 4 booke of his Sentences Dist 45. That the Saints make intercession for vs both by their merits in that they supply the defect of ours and by their affection in that they ioyne themselues to our prayers and therefore saith hee ●e pray vnto them that they might make intercession for vs to wit that their merits may be allowed vs and that they might wish our good because that they wishing it Godwils it also See now how your owne words and those of your Doctors conuince you of contradiction and manifest falsehood As for the other part of your Conclusion it is weakly grounded and euen by your owne reasons is easie to bee ouerthrowne that is seeing with vs you confesse that Iesus Christ only hath redeemed vs through the merit of his death and passion and that hee is only true God and true man that he alone hath no neede of any other Mediatour either for himselfe or for others you cannot maintaine against vs with truth that the Saints liuing or dead are in any fashion our Mediatours and Intercessors yet you seeke neuerthelesse to proue it by some texts out of the Bible For truth whereof say you I referre my selfe to the holy Scripture for in the fifth Chapter of De●terenomie Moses calleth himselfe a Mediatour saying I haue been an Vmperer and a Mediatour between God and you speaking to the Hebrewes Vnto which words S. Paul making an allusion in the 9. Chapter and 15. verse to the Hebrewes calleth Iesus Christ the Mediator of the new Testament to put a difference between him and Moses which had been of the old Howbeit this example of Moses will not serue your turne as a proofe but to the first part of your Affirmation to wit that the liuing are Mediatours and Aduocates for others I tell you moreouer that in this lense Moses neuer calleth himselfe a Mediatour betweene God and men but as himself hath well interpreted it hee bore messages betweene both the parties that is between God and the children of Israel For in the Hebrew tongue you shall there finde these very words of Moses saying At that time I stood betweene the Lord and you to declare vnto you the word of the Lord. If you replie hereupon that Moses is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Mediatour in the Epistle to the Galathians the third chapter and nineteenth verse I answer that sometimes this Greek word signifieth an Interpretour which goes and comes to and fro betweene two parties and that in this signification it is said by the Apostle to the Galathians that the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour to wit Moses who twice went vp to the mountaine and came downe againe with the two Tables of the law of God to reade and expound them to the Israelites In which sense wee grant you that hee the high Priests and the ancient Prophets who haue interpreted the will of God and haue offered vp vnto him in the name of our Fathers may be called Mediatours and the Apostles also but not in that sense in which heretofore we haue declared that the Apostle S. Paul calleth Iesus Christ the onely Mediatour in the first epistle to Timothie the second chapter and fifth verse where the Apostle taketh this word of Mediatour for a Reconciler as himselfe expoundeth it saying That hee gaue himselfe a ransome for vs in which sense this title beseemeth none properly but Iesus Christ onely neither can it be attributed without blasphemie to the members of his Church But let vs examine a little your proofe that followeth Is it not true you demand me that wee haue but one Sauiour of the world which is Iesus Christ Wherunto you answere that there is nothing more true And neuerthelesse the scripture which cannot lie giueth the same title of honor to others without doing wrong or dishonor to Iesus Christ as to Othoniel in the third chapter of the booke of Iudges and ninth verse And Nehemiah in the ninth chapter of his booke confirmeth the same King Pharaoh also as appeareth in the 41. chapter of Genesis calleth Ioseph in the Egyptian tongue not onely Sauiour but Sauiour of the world From whence with a long circumlocution of words you conclude that by these three small reasons it is easie to be vnderstood how the Saints may also be mediators and intercessors vnto God for v● and if they are so then wee may and ought to call vpon 〈…〉 our humaine necessities and that it will not follow from thence● that you should reiect the sonne of God for as much as you alwaies giue to him the first rancke of being the true and on●ly mediator according to the fashion as you haue said and the Saints is their sort an●●man●r So then it will be exceeding well done to inuocate them as they alwaies haue done in your catholike church It goes well with you when you your selfe tearme your reasons small and confesse beside that the holy scripture giueth this title of honor to others then to our Lord Iesus Christ though it be neuerthelesse for some other reason And indeed those which you haue named in the old Testament are called sauiours or deliuerors yet was it in regard that God had ordained them as instruments of deliuerance for his people and for types and figures of the Sauiour which was to come But the holy scripture in no maner calleth the deceased Saints mediators neither doth it teach vs that they are established by God for instruments of mediation betweene God and vs so that this argument of yours drawne from the name of sauiour makes nothing for your cause As touching your Anticipation and excuse that although you pray vnto the Saints yet neuerthelesse you doe not reiect the sonne of God because you alwaies giue vnto him the first ranke of being the true and onely mediator according to that fashion which formerly you haue spoken of it is easie to answere and proue the contrarie by the maner custome of you● catholike church wherupon you ground your superstitions So it is then that in the houres Rosarie appointed for the virgin Mary

S. Ierome Charles the Great speaking of the two Councels of Constantinople and of Nice in a book made at the Councel of Franckford touching the adoration of Images blameth the Councell of Nice of impietie and idolatrie forbidden by God in his holy word when he complaineth that not only the Kings of the Easterne prouinces but also the Priests and Prelates reiecting that which is said by the Apostle that if any one preach otherwise then that which hath been preached though he were an Angel from heauen let him be accursed haue sought to bring into the Church through Councels fond and infamous things one knowes not what which neither the Sauiour nor any of his Apostles haue euer brought in that is as hee himselfe expoundeth them Nouelties of words and the foolish inuention of the worshipping of Images and afterward hee rebuketh the temeritie and boldnes of Irene mother vnto Constantine the Emperour in that she had borne the chiefe sway in that Councell of Nice saying The Empresse did there all in all a woman vnto whom it was forbidden to teach in the Church hath taught and ordained she there intruded her selfe with the Bishops and all Ecclesiasticall Orders teaching things vnprofitable Thirdly he accuseth that Councell in that they admitted thereunto Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople and gaue too much credit vnto him who as he speaketh was at a iumpe come from the vulgar conuersation into the dignitie of Priesthood from the life of a Souldier to a religious life from the noise of the market to the preaching and distributing of holy mysteries and that in summe hee was of an ill iudgement and spake not well concerning the holie Ghost Whereunto hee addeth beside that for the rest of all this Councell they were ignorant barbarous insufficient fond and vnapt both in their sense and in their words and neuerthelesse proud beyond all pride which durst command that which neuer the Apostles nor their successors ordained and in one part of the Church to condemne and accurse all the Churches in the world which he proueth in that they made it to bee called a vniuersall Councell held for the worshipping of Images without the consent of many other faithfull and Catholike Churches of God and were so audacious euen rashly to accurse so many and so great Churches which are the body of Iesus Christ and to attempt to establish the worship and seruice of insensible things against the institution of diuine scripture Now like as Charles the Great who was present in the aforesaid Councell of Franckford assaulted the Councel of Nice so likewise S. Austin with many other of the ancient Fathers haue reprooued oftentimes the writings of their companions in the work of the Lord and the ordinance of their Councels in calling them back to be tried by the holy Scripture and admonishing them that through many of their false conclusions they were gone astray from the same which S. Austin testifieth in his second booke and third chapter of Baptisme against the Donatists The Epistles saith he of the particular Bishops are corrected by the Prouinciall Councels and the Prouinciall Councels by the vniuersall and the first vniuersall Councels by the latter when by experience that which was locked is opened and that which was hid is brought into light This is the cause wherefore one Councell hath oftentimes retracted and repealed that which a former had decreed As for example the generall Councell of Nice permitted the Priests to marrie which afterward the Councels of Neccesarea of Magence and the second of Carthage forbad them to do The Councell of Carthage in which S. Cyprian was present decreed that such as were baptized by Heretikes should be rebaptized which was shortly after broken and disanulled by another Councell of Carthage The second generall Councell of Ephesus approoued the error of Euryches who acknowledged but one only nature in Christ to wit the diuine but the general Councel of Chalcedon refuted and condemned that heresie You are not ignorant also how the Bracharean Councell condemned and accursed those which abstaine themselues from eating of flesh and how the third Councell of Toledo hauing confirmed that decree the cleane contrarie was ordained by the Councell of Rome forbidding the vse of flesh vpon certaine daies i the yeere The Councell of Constantinople decreed that they should throw and breake downe all the Images which were put vp in Churches but this ordinance and decree was ouer throwne againe by the second Councell of Nice assembled by Irene mother vnto Constantine the Emperour in which was commanded to reestablish and set vp those Images againe These examples may suffice to shew that Councels may erre and that oftentimes there hath been great dissension betweene Councels and contrarietie in the articles of the ancient Synods and that many things haue been proposed receiued and maintained in them without and beside the holy scripture which as S. Tertullian saith in his Treatise against Praxeas is not in danger of saying things contrarie but alwaies is consonant and agreeth in it selfe as appeareth by the mutuall correspondencie of the texts aswell of the old as of the new Testament which is alone without error and exempt frō lying as Cardinall Baronius also himselfe teacheth you in his Annals tom 2. This warre and manifest contradiction of the ancient Councels doth it not aduertise vs as it were of it selfe that we ought not to equall the canons of Councels with the rules of holy Scripture and yet neuerthelesse your ancestors haue done it who haue equalled the decretall epistles of their Popes with the epistles of the Apostle S. Paul and the decrees of the foure Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon with the bookes of the foure Euangelists Now in this great diuersitie of Councels to which I pray you shall we haue our recourse to assure our consciences but to the word of God which is the touchstone and ballance whereby wee must proue and weigh all the traditions of men As S. Austin did in his dispute against Maximine Bishop of the Arrians lib. 3. cap. 3. I ought not to alleage saith he the Councel of Nice thereby to preiudice thee nor thou against me that of Rimini I am not bound nor tied vnto the authoritie of that Councel ner thou vnto the other It is by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are not part●all to either of vs but are common witnesses aswell to the one as to the other and that by them we ought to dispute in alleaging cause against cause and reason against reason According to which rule S. Bernard in his 9● Epistle signified to the Bishops which in his time were assembled to handle ecclesiasticall affaires that he was very desirous to be present in their Councell and in their assemblies where the traditions of men were not obstmatel● maintained nor superstitiously obserued but where the good and persit will of God was sought after in all humilitie and diligence there am I