that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion But yet as plain as it is the saying is so downright a contradiction to the common sense of Mankind that I think a Man may venture as roundly to assert that it is plain a Man may see without Light as that he may pray without Affection and Devotion though he do not understand and with as great as if he did And he may with as good a Grace maintain that the best way to see is to put out the Light as affirm with them That such as pray in Latin though they do not understand oftentimes pray with more Affection and Devotion then they that do understand But because this is asserted with so much confidence and that To say that people are not profited without they Ledesma c. 13. n. 13. Censura proposit Erasmi prop. 5. understand is condemned not only as an erroneous but wicked assertion I shall look back and leaving the extravagancy of the latter as self-exposed consider whither the Affections are not without benefit and that the Soul can be devout and affected where the Understanding is not instructed nor the Mind is concerned in the service we are conversant in The resolution of which depends upon the consideration of the Soul of Man and the several faculties of it Concerning which it shall suffice to observe 1. That in all reasonable and deliberate Acts there is more or less so necessary a concurrance of the prime faculties of the Soul viz. the Understanding Will and Affections that none of them can be said to be excluded 2. That in all such Acts if the Understanding be not the leading faculty and of such influence that the others cannot act without it which must be supposed for how can a person affect or choose what he doth not know Yet without that the acts cannot be termed reasonable So Cassiodore No body doth any thing wisely which he doth not understand 3. That in the Acts of Religion the presence of the understanding In Psal 46. is as much required as in any other rational Acts whatsoever The renewing of the Mind being there Rom. 12. 1 2. the Spring of all spiritual Action and the whole called from thence a reasonable Service And therefore if in other Cases the affections cannot move or be profited without the help of the Understanding then as little can it be supposed in Religion and the Offices belonging to it where the Understanding is Sonus Cordis as St. Austin cals it applying it to our purpose The note of the Heart Now to say That the affections are not without In Genes Lit. L. c. 8. in Ps 99. profit though the Mind be not instructed and that they that do not understand do pray with as little tediousness and as great Affection and Devotion as they that do understand not to repeat the rest of the stuff before cited is to say that the Affections have no dependance in Nature upon the Understanding or that Religion requires less of us then any other reasonable acts whatsoever and that what we cannot do without being Lunaticks or Idiots in other matters we may there creditably do and speak and Act as absurdly as we will with allowance But this kind of Doctrine is only to serve a turn being fitted to those that are fitted for it and to whom nothing can be absurd which some Men say For there are those amongst them cannot digest it and do determine otherwise So Salmeron the Jesuit If any one prayes privately and the things prayed for are not understood by by him he wastes his time So he that speaketh publickly in an Vnknown Tongue which others do not understand In 1 Cor. 14 be doth yield no Fruit And then certainly others can receive none others receive none This the Council of Trent doth acknowledge when it declares as abovesaid It seems not expedient to the Fathers That the Mass be celebrated in the Vulgar Tongue And presently adds Lest the Sheep of Christ should hunger and when the little ones ask bread there is none to break to them the Holy Synod commands all that have the care of Souls frequently c to expound somewhat of it So that they grant without Explication the Faithful may hunger and be without profit for what need would there be of exposition if the people may be as devout without it as with it I shall conclude this with that of S. Austin We ought to understand that we may sing with humane reason Eposit in Psalm 8. not as it were with the Voice of Birds For both Parrots and Crows and Pies and the like are often taught by Men to pronounce what they do not know But to sing with understanding is granted by the Divine Will to mankind So that according to him if we set aside the Understanding the Parrot of the Cardinal Ascanius had it been taught the LORD'S Prayer or other Forms of Devotion as well as the Creed Rhodiginus l. 3. c. 32. might have contended in competition with those that hear and sing and pray with Words without understanding Since whatever Affection and Devotion is pretended to without Knowledge is like a Vision of a mans own Heart and not of Jerem. 23. 16. Divine Illumination that doth either proceed from Imagination or Imposture But that we may not think this Assertion of theirs that there may be profit without understanding and Devotion without knowledge to be unreasonable they both produce Experience and endeavour also to give a rational account of it The former is appealed to by the Rhemists As for Page 461. Hosius p. 9. Edification that is for increase of Faith truth Knowledge and a good Life the experience of a few Years hath given all the World a full demonstration whither our Fore-Fathers were not c. as devout as we are in all our Tongues translations and English Prayers And we are told That the people know what is done in the general to wit that GOD is worshipped Ledesma c. 21 n. 23. and honoured that the Priest prayes to him that good things are asked of him for the People and thanks given to him that the memory of Christ and his Passion are celebrated and the Sacrifice offered to GOD. This no Clown is ignorant of and this is enough This is somewhat like the course taken by Sâ—crates that said He only pray'd in general because what particular things were good for him the Gods knew better then himself But whither this be done among them with as much reason and whither with any respect to our Religion and the several Offices of it is now to be considered For our satisfaction herein we may observe I. They grant that the People can and do understand no more by their Service then the general intent and points of it II. That the People cannot apply these generals to the particular Points of it So the Rhemists The simple People are not bound to know to what Petition
pretends to be a part of GOD's Word were delivered to us by as universal uncontroulled Tradition as the Scripture is we should receive it as we do the Scripture But it appears plainly that such things were at first but private Opinions which now are become the Doctrines of that particular Church who would impose her Decrees upon us under the Venerable Name of Apostolical Universal Tradition which I have shewn you hath been an ancient Cheat and that we ought not to be so easie as to be deceived by it But to be very wary and afraid of trusting the Traditions of such a Church as hath not only perverted some abolished others and pretended them where there hath been none but been a very unfaithful preserver of them and that in matters of great moment where there were some and lastly warrants those which it pretends to have kept by nothing but its own infallibility For which there is no Tradition but much against it even in the Orignal Tradition the holy Scriptures which plainly suppose the Roman Church may not only erre but utterly fall and be cut off from the Body of Christ as they that please may read who will consult the Eleventh Chapter to the Romans v. 20 21 22. Of which they are in the greater danger because they proudly claim so high a Prerogative as that now mentioned directly contrary to the Apostolical Admonition in that place Be not high minded but fear CONCLUSION I Shall end this Discourse with a brief Admonition relating to our Christian Practice And what is there more proper or more seasonable then this While we reject all spurious Traditions let us be sure to keep close to the genuine and true Let us hold them fast and not let them go Let us not not dispute our selves out of all Religion while we condemn that which is false nor break all Christian Discipline and Order because we cannot submit to all humane Impositions In plain words let us not throw off Episcopacy together with the Papal Tyranny We ought to be the more careful in observing the Divine Tradition delivered to us in the Scripture and according to the Scripture because we are not bound to other While we contend against the half Communion let us make a conscience to receive the whole frequently It looks like Faction rather then Religion to be earnest for that which we mean not to use In like manner while we look upon additions to the Scripture as vain let us not neglect to read and ponder those holy Writtings When we reject Purgatory as a Fable let us really dread Hell-fire And while we do not tye our selves to all usages that have been in the Church let us be carful to observe first all the substantial Duties of Righteousness Charity Sobriety and Godliness which are unquestionably delivered to us by our LORD himself and his holy Apostles and secondlie all the Ordinances of the Church wherein we live which are not contrary to the Word of GOD. For so hath the same Divine Authority delivered that the people should obey those that are their Guides and Governours submitting themselves to their authority and avoiding all contention with them as most undecent in it self and pernicious to Religion which suffers extreamly when neither Ecclesiastical Authority nor Ecclesiastical Custom can end disputes about Rites and Ceremonies Read 1 Thess 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 11. 16. and read such places as you ought to do all the other Scriptures till your hearts be deeply affected with them For be admonished in the last place of this which is of general use and must never be forgotten because we shall lose the benefit of that Coelestial Doctrine which is delivered unto us if we do not strictly observe itâ— That as this Evangelical Doctrine is delivered down to us so we must be delivered up to it Thus St. Paul teaches us to speak in 6. Rom. 17. where he thanks GOD that they who formerly had been servants of sin did now obey from the heart that form of Doctrine unto which they were delivered So the words run in the Greek as the Margin of our Bibles inform you cis bon paredothnie This is the Tradition which we must be sure to retain and hold fast above all other as that without which all our belief will be ineffectual This is the very end for which all Divine Truth is delivered unto us that we may be delivered and make a surrender of our selves unto it Observe the force of the Apostles words which tell us first that there was a certain form of Christian Doctrine which the Apostles taught compared here to a mould so the word Typos form may be translated into which Mettal or such-like matter is cast that it may receive the figure and shape of that mould 2. Now he compares the Roman Christians to such ductile pliable matter they being so delivered or cast into this form or mould of Christian Doctrine that they were intirely framed and fashioned according to it and had all the lineaments as I may say of it expressed upon their souls 3. And having so received it they were obedient to it for without this all the impressions which by knowledge of Faith were made upon their souls were but an imperfect draught of what was intended in the Christian Tradition 4. And it was hearty obedience sincere compliance with the Divine Will such obedience as became those who understood their Religion to be a great deliverance and liberty from the slavery of sin before spoken of into the happy freedom of the service of God 5. All which lastly he ascribes to the grace of God which had both delivered to them that Doctrine and drawn them to deliver up themselves to it made their hearts soft and ductile to be cast into that mould and quickned them to Christian Obedience and given them a willing mind to obey chearfully All this was from God's grace and not their merits and therefore the thanks was to be ascribed to him who succeeds and blesses all pious endeavours Now according to this pattern let us frame our selves who blessed be God have a form of Doctrine delivered to us in this Church exactly agreeable to the holy Scriptures which lie open before us and we are exhorted not onely to look into them but we feel that grace which hath brought them to us clearly demonstrating that we ought to be formed according to the holy Doctrine therein delivered by the delivery of our selves to it By the delivery of our mind that is to think of God and our selves and of our duty in every point just as this instructs us And by the delivery of our wils and affections to be governed and regulated according to its directions And when we have consented to this we find the Divine grace representing to us the necessity of an hearty obedience to what we know and believe and have embraced as the very Truth of God To this we are continually drawn
ends then to triflle with to Pray to them For to what purpose should they Pray to them that can't hear them Why should they beseech those to be their Advocates to God and recommend their particular cases to him whose cases they cannot by any way that we know of come to understand As for their Learning and seeing all things in the Glass of the Trinity or learning them by particular revelation from God as God has declared no such thing to us so is it not to be known by the Light of Nature but the contrary is very probable if not certain as shall be made to appear in the sequel of this Discourse It is not denyed but that blessed Spirits who are safely landed upon the Shore do pray for their Partners who are still behind beating it on the Waves it is not denied but that Saints in Heaven may Pray in particular to God for their Friends and Relations whose necessities and infirmities they were well acquainted with before they left the Body so 't was agreed betwixt St Cyprian and Cornelius that who went first to Glory should be mindful of the others condition to God for why should their Memories or their Charity be thought to be less in Heaven then they were on Earth We know 't was the practice of some good Men in the Primitive times to recommend themselves to the Prayers of the Saints that is to desire God to hear the Prayers that the Saints in Heaven did make in their behalf and to apply themselves to the Martyrs a little before their suffering when they themselves were entred into bliss to interceed with God for those who were yet on the way passing thither with fear and trembling But now is there no difference betwixt the Saints intercessions for us and our Invocation of them Betwixt their Praying for us in Heaven and our Praying to them on Earth Is there no difference betwixt one Living Christian Praying to another to Pray for him who hears his request and who is acquainted with his condition and our addressing to Saints departed to pray for us who know us not and who are are ignorant of our state Again when they pray to Saints departed they do it with all the Rites and Solemnities of a Religious Worship in sacred offices upon their Knees with uncovered Heads with Hands and Eyes lifted up in times and places dedicated to Gods Worship now though it should be true that they do no more then Pray to Saints to pray for them yet doing it in that manner with such external Acts of Devotion that are confest to be the same wherewith we call on God I do not see how they can be excused even on this account from attributing that Honour to the Creature which is due only to the Creator As God is owned to be infinite in himself and to have incommunicable perfections so there ought to be some peculiar and appropriate Acts and signs of Worship to signify that we do inwardly so esteem and believe of God and when these are once determined by the Law of God or the universal reason and consent of Mankind the applying them to any else but him is a plain violating his peculiarities and robbing him of his Honour And now in this respect also I cannot discern how the Romish Invocation of Saints is of the same nature with our requesting our Fellow-Members to pray for us For not to mention again the presence of these and the absence of the other is there no difference betwixt my desiring an eminently good Christian to pray for me and falling down on my Knees with Hands and Eyes lifted up and that in a Temple to him with that request Would not every good Man that has any regard for the Honour of God presently shew his detestation of such an action Would he not say to me as St. Peter to Cornelius falling down before him Stand up I my self also am a Man Would he not with St. Paul have rent his Garments and with much Holy indignation cryed out to me as he to the Men of Lystra designing the same Honours to him and Barnabas wherewith they Worship'd their Gods Why do ye these things we also are Men of like Passions with you As the Saints in Heaven cannot be supposed to lose any thing of their Love and Charity towards their Fellow-Members by going thither so neither can they be thought to abate any thing of their Zeal and fervour for the honour of God and therefore certainlie what they did and would have refused here on Earth they must with higher degrees of abhorrence reject now they are in Heaven Moreover if this be all they mean by all their several Offices of Devotions to Saints departed that they should pray for them unto God why in all this time that these forms have been complained of has not the sense of them been better exprest Whence I pray should we take the meaning of such prayers but from the usual signification of the Words But if not why has no Inquisition past upon them Why have not the grossest and rankest for Superstition and encroaching on the prerogative of God been expunged and blotted out Why all this while has there been no review no comments upon them no cautions and instructions written and bound up with their Breviaries Rosaries and Hours that the people might know how to understand them If the form of words in their Saint-Invocation be the same that is used to God but their sense and meaning otherwise Why don't they tell this to the World and make their explication as publick and as general as the prayers Certainlie the Bishops and Governours of the Romish Church and those that have the care of Souls amongst them are either guilty of gross and willfull neglects to the people or else whatever they say to us their will is that the People should understand those Prayers according to the customary and received use of the words and then I am sure they pray not only to saints to pray for them unto God in order to the obtaining of him such aids and supplies they want but to Saints themselves for those very blessings As will appear at large in the next particular 2. They pray to Saints departed for those very blessings that none but God can give To what purpose else do they advise us to fly not only to their prayers but their help and assistance which words help and assistance would have been Opeâ— auxiliiumque Trid. Con. fess 25. Propere veni accelera altogether superflous was not something else mean'd by them then only that of their prayers To what purpose else do they Pray to visit them to make haste and come to them did they not expect some other aid and assistance from them then bare praying for them for that certainly might have been better and more convenientlie performed in Heaven before the Face of God To what purpose else in some particular cases do they put up