a holy Nation Which words God commandeth Moses and his Prophets continually to repeate vnto the children of Israel So our Lord Iesus Christ also making large promises to his Apostles and in their names to all Christians to abide with them through the communication of the wholesome gifts of his holy spirit euen to the end of the world putteth them oftentimes in minde of this condition If yee loue me if yee keepe my words if yee abide in me if my words abide in you if yee shall keepe my commandements my Father will loue you ye shall be my friends and my Father and I will come vnto you for to make our abiding with you in the Gospell according to S. Iohn chap. 14. vers 14. All these conditionall promises signifie vnto vs euidently that those which are acknowledged for the members of the visible Church may fall either into some fault against the second table as it chanced to Dauid who committed adulterie with Bathsheba the wife of Vriah and sent him to the campe with letters of commaund to Ioab to expose him to the enemies that he might be slaine 2. Sam. 11 or in some error against the first table as happened vnto Aaron the high Priest who formed a golden Calfe for the Israelites to worship Exod. 32. 4. and after that to many Iudges and Kings as to Gedeon Iudg. chap. 8. vers 27. and to Salomon 1. King 11 or into some reuolt from the Christian faith or into some other abuse as appeareth by the fall of S. Peter who trusting too much to himselfe denied his Master thrice and after his repentance and confirmation into his Apostleship was reproued by the Apostle S. Paul in the citie of Antioch because that in constraining the Gentiles to become Ierish as the Apostle speaketh thereof in the second chapter and 14. verse he went not with a right foote to the truth of the Gospell And if those which are in the visible Church cannot fall why doth the Apostle then reproue the Galathians first chapter 6. verse that in forsaking him which had called them by grace that is to say Christ they had transported themselues to another Gospell And in the third chapter and third verse that hauing begun in the spirit they would make an end by the flesh Wherefore hauing pourtraied before the eyes of the Corinthians sundrie faults and transgressions which the Israelites had committed against the Lord in the wildernesse hee addeth that these haue been examples for them to the end to admonish them to stand vpon their gards and that he which thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fall Surely if the Apostolicall Church could not haue failed the Apostle S. Paul had had no reason to haue feared so much lest the Corinthians which he called the members of God and sanctified in Christs Iesus and Saints by calling should be corrupted in their thoughts turning themselues aside from the simplicitie that is in Christ as the Serpent beguiled Eue through his subtiltie 2. Cor. 11. 3. Secondly I answere that you presuppose that which we neuer will grant you to wit that the Clergie and generall Councell which represents the Church cannot erre and that whatsoeuer at any time hath been determined and decreed by the Councels is certaine and ought to be receiued without contradiction To begin then with the Councell of the 4. hundred Prophets of King Ahab I require of you if the assemblie of these Doctors of lies who flattered the said King and counselled him all with with one consent to make warre against the Syrians haue not erred The Historiographer sheweth vs that all of them were possessed with the spirit of error and that onely Michaiah resisted them couragiously and although he was cōdemned smitten and cast into prison that the King notwithstanding would experiment it and that euen with the perill of his life hee was deceiued by the lying spirit of his foure hundred Prophets You Catholikes will also graunt me that the Councell of the chiefe Priests the Scribes and the Elders of the people assembled in the hall of the high Priest called Caiphas erred greatly when they held a Councell and consulted together how they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kill him according as the Euangelist S. Matthew teciteth it in the 26. chapter of his Gospell the third and fourth verses If you suppose that the successors of S. Peter and the other Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ haue receiued the priuiledge that they could not erre you abuse your selues For the Apostle S. Paul aduertiseth all Christians in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians of an Apostasie and generall reuolt which should come to passe in the Church of the New Testament and declareth to them that this mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in his time and should be reuealed by the comming of the sonne of perdition which exalteth himselfe against God euen to be set as God in the Temple of God bearing himselfe as if he were God Now as this seducement of sinne glided by little and little into the Primitiue Church through the craft and malice of Satan so hath it by many degrees discouered it selfe more and more and one day hath added error to another because in the beginning there was no heede taken to the Councels and assemblies of the ancient Bishops who haue not alwaies followed the true paterne of the wholesome words which 〈◊〉 receiued from the Apostles and from their purer predecessors but giuing eare to the lying and ambitious spirits of their companions which pleased them in their inuentions are gone astray from the truth Euen so the Fathers assembled in the Councels of Neocesarea and Laodicea haue there cōcluded that by the doctrine of the Apostle S. Paul it was permitted to the Christians to take in mariage a second wife but according to reason and the rule of truth it is a kinde of whoredome and for this cause they forbad the Priests not to bee present at the feast of any second wedlocke and enioyned those which were married to their second match to doe penance for the same Whereupon you must needes grant me one of these two things either that the Apostle S. Paul hath erred in that he hath not onely permitted a second marriage in the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 7. verses 27. 28. where hee shewes to him that is loosed from a wife that he sinneth not in marrying himselfe againe but giueth counsell also to the widowes in his first Epistle to Timoth. chap. 5. vers 19. saying I will therefore that the younger women marrie and beare children and gouerne the house c. Or that the Bishops of the aforesaid Councels haue erred in that they held the couenant of second wedlocke for an vnlawfull thing and fornication forbidden by God in the seuenth commandement of his law I presuppose that you will grant me rather that there was no error in the instruction of
euery man must haue his recourse to the Scriptures that he may finde assurance in all things Wee haue faith Irenaeus in his third booke chap. 1. knowne the disposition of our saluation by no others but by those by whom the Gospell is come vnto vs which in their time they also preached and afterward through the will of God haue giuen it to vs in the Scriptures to the intent it might be the pillar and foundation of our faith Againe Iustine the Martyr saith in his exposition of true faith that among the children of the Church diuine things ought not to be comprehended within humane reasons and discourses but that diuine words ought to be expounded according to the will instruction and doctrine of the holy Ghost S. Tertullian in like manner in his dispute touching the flesh of Iesus Christ saith I receiue not this which thou bringest of thine owne beside the Scripture if thou art Apostolicall then follow the Apostles doctrine Likewise S. Ierome in his Annot. vpon the fifth chapter of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Galathians saith plainly Nulli kne verbo dei esse credendum that is We must not giue beleefe to any one without the word of God Also S. Cyril which was Bishop of Ierusalem Cath. 4. saith That it is not necessarie to teach any thing rashly touching the secrets of faith without the holy Scripture If then I should teach thee these things simply and without any proofe beleeue me not vnlesse thou receiuest some demonstration thereof by the Scripture for the saluation of our faith proceedeth not from a well composed discourse but from the demonstration of diuine Scripture By these sentences our Fathers reduced themselues to the holy Scripture commanding vs seriously to examine their sayings and writings by them and if wee found them not agreeable and correspondent to that vniuersall rule of all sorts of Ecclesiasticall doctrines to hold them in suspition and without any difficultie to reiect them wherein wee cannot bee too rigorous seeing that S. Paul with his companions and the Angels make themselues subiect to that ballance saying in his epistle to the Galathians the first chapter and 8. verse Though that we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Whereupon the Abbat Vincent Lirinensis made an excellent obseruation in his Treatise of the holy Scriptures Canon chap. 22. That the Apostle S. Paul would spare no man no not himselfe nor Peter nor Andrew nor Iohn nor all the rest of the Apostles but hath denounced that all those which would publish beyond that which the Apostles haue published these are the Abbats very words should be accursed thereby to maintaine the first faith stedfastly and strictly Wherein according to the very iudgement of your owne Doctor Canus we do no wrong to our Fathers For hee confesseth freely in the Centur. 3. that al the Saints except those which haue written the canonicall bookes haue spoken by a humane spirit and at sometimes haue erred both in word and in writing euen in the points of faith what learning or innocencie soeuer wee might conceiue in them Behold therefore some of your Doctors make no bones to reproue our Fathers whensoeuer they are of an opinion that they are gone neuer so little astray from the naturall sense of the holy Scripture Without going any further Robert Bellarmine reiecteth the opinion of S. Austin expounding that which S. Luke writeth of the fruite of the vine and saith therein he hath not well obserued the Euangelist text Also he accuseth Durand and Rupert of error as appeareth by the 13. and 15. chapters of his third booke de Eucharistia Whereunto I will adde some of the ancient Fathers directly contrary to yours whereby they wholly reiect the inuocation of Saints as superstitious and hauing no ground in the holy Scripture To begin then with Ignatius the disciple of S. Iohn he giueth this exhortatiō to virgins in his sixth epistle to the Philadelphians Virgins set before your eyes in your prayers one only Iesus Christ and his Father being illuminated through his holy spirit And in his third epistle to the Magnesians Assemble together to pray in one place let your prayer be common one spirit one hope in charitie and faith without spot in Christ runne together as it were one man to the temple of Christ the high priest of God Also Eusebius reciteth in his historie lib. 4. cap. 14. that the other disciple of S. Iohn named Polycarpus being bound to a stake there to be burned for the name of Iesus Christ he calleth not to minde his master in Christ S. Iohn nor any of the Martyrs or holy men which had been before him to pray them to make intercession for him but hee prayed vnto God alone through Christ the only Mediatour and high Priest betweene the iustice of God and the sinnes of his people saying Father of Iesus Christ thy Sonne by whom we haue had knowledge of thee God of Angels and Powers God of euery creature and of all the righteous and of all sorts of races which liue before thy face I giue thankes that thou hast vouchsafed to grant vnto me this happie day and this blessed houre wherein I shall be in the number of the Martyrs and made partaker of the cup and passion of thy Christ vnto the resurrection of eternall life both in soule and body through the immortall vertue of thy holy spirit among which Martyrs I pray thee that I may be received before thy face as a fat and pleasant offering And for all these things I praise thee I blesse thee and I glorifie thee through Iesus Christ thy most deare Sonne and high priest through whom vnto thee with him and with thy holy spirit be glory now and for euermore Also this same Historian sheweth vs in his 4. booke and 14. chapter that the Iewes and Gentiles came to pray the Gouernour Nicetes not to deliuer the bodie of Polycarpus to the Christians lest in forsaking their Christ crucified they should religiously begin to honour him Whereunto the author answereth that these sillie superstitious men had therein through their ignorance deceiued themselues and considered not that true Christians can neuer forsake Iesus Christ who suffered for the saluation of the world neither will they honour religiously any other as God because they know the true God and him which alone as hee addeth ought to bee serued religiously Likewise Clement according to your opinion successor vnto the Apostle S. Peter teacheth vs in his recognitions and Apostolicall institutions that it is not lawfull for the Christians to pray vnto the departed as the Heathen did but that all our meditations and prayers ought to bee addressed onely vnto God and that no man is permitted to come vnto him but through his Sonne and our Aduocate Iesus Christ. Also Irenaeus testifieth in his second booke and 57. chapter
I am afraid that an Angel should be angry if I serue him not in stead of my God but he will be offended when aâ— thou wouldest serue him for he is good and loueth God And as the Diuels waxe angrie when they are not serued so Angels grow angry when they are serued by way of religion in stead of God And in his Meditations vpon the 96. Psalme Let vs behold saith he the holy men which were like to the Angels when thou hast found out a holy man which is the seruant of God and if thou wouldest worship or serue him for God hee will hinder thee from it because hee will not be to thee in stead of God but with thee vnder God Euen so did Paul and Barnabas for it tearing their cloathes told them Men and brethren what doe you we are men subiect to passion as ye are Consider then these examples which shew that godly men hinder such as would serue them by way of religion for Gods and had rather that one only God be serued one only God worshipped and that to him alone oblation be made And so all Saints and Angels seeke not but the glory of this only God whom they loue They haue no other study then to inflame vs and to draw by force all those that they loue to his seruice to his contemplation and to the inuocation of his holy name The Angels declare this alone God and not themselues For for that cause are they called Angels that is to say messengers of God because they are his souldiers they seeke nothing but the glory of their Captaine if they seeke after their owne glory they are as tyrants condemned and such the diuels haue been who haue filled the Temples of the Heathen and haue seduced them to set vp Images for them and to offer them sacrifices And therefore he reproueth the follie and rashnesse of such who seeking to returne vnto God and were not of themselues able had attempted this way to come vnto God through the mediation of Angels and Saints departed of whom he saith in his tenth booke of his Confessions chapter 42. that they were deceiued through the craft of Satan and through the iust iudgement of God were fallen into the desire of curious visions At which he taking an occasion describeth to vs in that same place and many others the personall vnion of two natures to wit diuine and humane which is to be found but only in our Redeemer Iesus Christ and prooueth besides that without this vnion Iesus Christ himselfe could not haue been capable to accomplish the office of a Mediatour betweene God and men It behoueth saith he that the true Mediatour betweene God and men had something like vnto God and something like vnto man Lest that being in the 〈◊〉 and in the other like vnto men he should haue bin too farre from God and in the one and in the other like vnto God he should haue been too farre from men and so could haue been no Mediatour This true Mediatour saith hee which God hath showne to the humble through his secret mercie hath appeared betweene mortall sinners and the immortall iust one being mortell with men and that forasmuch as the reward of iustice is life and peace iust with God that through a iustice ioyned with God he might abolish the death of sinners which he would haue in common with them Behold therefore saith he addressing himselfe to God the Father I haue in good earnest my strong hope in him which sitteth at thy right hand and beleeue that thou wilt heale all my griefes through him who maketh intercession for vs vnto thee without that I should despaire c. Likewise in his 28 epistle which he wrote to S. Ierome I know saith he there is not so much as one only soule in all mankinde for the deliuerance of which the Mediatour between God and men which is the man Christ Iesus was not necessary And in his second booke of the visitation of the sicke hee faith There is no saluation but in one only Iesus Christ there is no other name giuen vnto men vnder heauen by which man can be saued Let vs then familiarly turne our faces towards our Mediatour who knoweth how to haue compassion of our infirmities I speake more ioyfully and more assuredly to my Iesus then to any of the holy celestial spirits because God hath vouchsafed to be made that which I am He hath taken the seede of Abraham and not the Angels to be our High-priest mercifull and faithfull in the things toward God to the end to make a reconciliation for our sinnes Now as S. Austin preached this doctrine to the Hipponians for the space of fortie yeeres to wit from the yeere of our Lord Iesus Christ about 391 vnto the yeere 430 so would he confirme it by his writings which I haue alleaged and by many formes of praier which he made to God only which here I cannot cite except I should bring in some of his whole bookes which is in no wise necessarie seeing that by those peeces and parcels which I haue alreadie produced out of them euery man may perceiue what was the doctrine of S. Augustine concerning this matter Which was approued by the Councels in which he was present and namely by the third Councell of Carthage wherein was ordained to all Christians by an expresse article that they euermore should addresse their prayers to God the Father and to vse no prayers composed by any for his owne vse if first they had not conferred them with some one of their best instructed brethren I will anâ—ex hereunto that which S. Austin himself testifieth in the first booke of the manners of the Catholike Church How the true Christians and Catholikes haue followed this rule in his time to stop the mouthes of the Manicheans and Doctors of the Heathen which vpbraided them that the Christians did call vpon the Saints Cull me not out saith he from the professors of the Christian name such as know not neither doe follow the vertue of their profession search not out against me the troupes of the ignorant which are superstitious euen in the true religion and so much giuen to their likings that they haue forgotten what they promised vnto God I know there are many which adore the sepulchres c. And it is no maruell among so many people Leaue off in time then I pray you from detracting the Catholike Church in blaming the fashions of such as it selfe doth condemne and daily seeke to correct them as vnto ward children And in his answere to the false accusations of a certaine Philosopher called Maximus To answere thee briefly saith he because thou mightest pretend no ignorance and that it should not draw thee into a scandalizing sâ—criledge know this that the Christian Catholikes of whom euen in your town there is a Church established doe not serue religiously any of the dead nor worship in stead of
or which happen in the life of man These are the words of S. Austin which purposely you haue omitted to deceiue the ignorant and to take an occasion from an imperfect allegation of his discourse touching the obscuritie and difficultie of this matter of rising vp furiously against vs and falsely to impose vpō vs by a great medley of vaine words that which we cannot nor will not beleeue with S. Austin to wit that this surpasseth the capacitie of our vnderstanding For as we beleeue the creation of the world the mysterie of the holy Trinity and the resurrection of the flesh though we cānot mete them by the measure of our vnderstanding and that because they are plainly taught vs in the holy Scripture so when you shall prooue vnto vs by expresse tearmes out of the writings of the Prophets that the Saints heare vs and ought to be adored and called vpon by vs that are here beneath on earth then wee will be obedient to your counsell and will subscribe in all humilitie and reuerence to that article But what you would not that men should rebuke you nor likewise should thinke that you seeke an escape through the bogges and besides in stead of bringing in some authenticall testimonie of the Bible you begin againe to alleage to vs three manner of waies whereby S. Austin which might erre and by his retractations roundly confesseth his errors thought that the departed Saints might heare our requests The first is By the arriuall of those which depart this life and goe from hence to them who may aduertise them of the things which happen on earth and especially of that which concernes them most The second By the report of the Angels which sometimes mount vp into heauen and sometimes againe euen in an instant are about vs. The third By the reuelation of Gods spirit which may comport I retaine your fine speeches or beare it selfe with the soules of the blessed in heauen neither more nor lesse then heretofore it did comport it selfe with the Prophets on earth reuealing to them secret things and that which should be done a long while after them as the Scripture testifieth it Whereunto you adde yet a fourth manner of speech inuented by Saint Gregorie which is this That the Saints seeing the face of God see whatsoeuer appertaines to them in any sort and consequently heare also our prayers From whence you conclude that by the doctrine of the Fathers we may conceiue somewhat how the blessed ones heare vs when we call vpon them We now come to refute this fourth meane forged out of mens braines without any ground of holy Scripture First I will only aduertise the reader that it is not likely this sentence to wit that the departed Saints beholding the face of God doe see all things was forged by S. Gregorie seeing in the same chapter that you haue alleaged in your Epistle he saith the contrarie to wit that as they which are liuing know not the estate of soules departed so likewise is vnknowne vnto the dead the manner of life which those leade that remaine after them in the flesh For the life saith he of the spirit is farre different from the life of the flesh and as things corporall and spirituall are differing in nature so are they likewise in knowledge Now it resteth that we should examine those three former waies of the particular knowledge which you attribute to the Saints departed I answere then to the first that nothing is written thereof by the ancient Prophets nor Apostles and therefore wee are not bound to beleeue it Moreouer it often happeneth that the citizens which dwel in one citie know not the affaires of one another how can they then after their departure declare them to the soules of the blessed which they finde in heauen Besides there are many which in praying cast their eyes vp towards heauen whilest none of their neighbours happen to decease who is it then that should doe their message to the Saints departed And notwithstanding if so be there should be at that instant some one ready to die when one prayeth and to carry the newes to heauen what man among you can shew me by diuine scripture that God hath enioyned to him that speciall charge not one Or if you would that one should approue your first manner you necessarily must grant me that there is no Purgatory For if that soules must passe through Purgatory and stay there for some time according to the number of Masses which are caused to be said for their deliuerance how can it be possible for them to aduertise in time the departed Saints of the prayers which were made vnto them so long before Your second and third meanes are of no more certaintie then the others because it is neither written in the old Testament nor in the new that the departed Saints know our necessities by the report of the Angels neither that God indueth y e Saints after their departure with the spirit of prophecie and reuelation as at sometimes hee did to his holy seruants according as the necessitie did require to make them capable of their extraordinarie calling whereunto he had called them Now followeth your last argument which you your selfe calles least of all and that for a good reason For you number vp many of the Fathers which haue inuocated the Saints departed and afterward you close vp your Epistle with flouts against the Ministers of the reformed Churches But whatsoeuer you heape vp against them is 〈◊〉 winde and smoake yea dung in respect of the puritie and excellencie of the word of Iesus Christ and his Apostles which we had rather follow then that of men for we haue no certaine testimonie that their doctrine was diuinely inspired as we haue of the Prophets and Apostles and that these men of God were not led by a humane wil but were moued thereunto by the spirit of our principall Pastor and Bishop Iesus Christ in whose name I admonish you no more to protest so lightly before God his Father that whatsoeuer you haue said tendeth to his honour and the saluation of him to whom you haue sent your Epistle most preiudiciall and contrarie to the glorie of God and the repose of the true members of Iesus Christ vnto whom I pray to giue me his grace constantly to maintaine his pure truth and to accompanie this mine answere with the vertue of his holie Spirit to the end that thereby hee may moue your heart to conceiue your errors and to renounce them for the aduancement of his glorie the acquitting of your conscience and the augmentation of his kingdome FINIS Iames 1. 17. Heb. 11. 6. Psal. 124. 8. Esay 42. 8. 2. Cor. 13. 8. 1. Epist. chap. 4. vers 1. The summe of the demand The answere thereof diuided into two parts Although that Christ be our only mediator yet the Saints are called mediators for three reasons In French Sequestre Other proofes taken from the
himselfe yet they obstinately maintaine the contrarie and that oft times against the feeling of their owne consciences withholding the truth in vnrighteousnesse and shutting their eyes and eares against this admonition of the Apostle S. Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 13. vers 8. That wee cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth Which Truth although that in these latter daies it is represented vnto vs more cleerer then euer it was yet notwithstanding of many it is vnknowne and abandoned which follow on apace the foolish deuotion of their blind leaders and who to please and obey them rather then our Soueraigne Doctor and Master Iesus Christ will not vouchsafe to take so much paines as to informe themselues of this truth by reading of the holy Scripture but like better to depend wholly vpon the Traditions of their Teachers despising through their voluntarie ignorance the exhortatioÌ„ which the Apostle S Iohn giueth vnto al Christians in his first epistle 4. vers 1. Dearely beloued beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Now the more furiously the Truth is assaulted by Satan and his slaues so much the more couragiously ought it to be maintained and defended by the zealous louers of pure religion but especially by the Ministers and Pastors of the holy Gospel who according to that rule which the Apostle S. Paul prescribeth them in his Epistle to Titus 1. 9 ought to employ themselues diligently to exhort with wholesome doctrine those which are willing to bee instructed and to improoue the gainsaiers I then being called by God into the labour of his holy Ministerie haue employed my self amidst you according to that talent which it hath pleased him to bestow vpon me for the space of sixteene yeeres on these two parts of my vocation and hauing respect to the multitude and sufficiencie of my predecessors who haue taken penne in hand to instruct the ignorant and to refute false Teachers by their writings I haue contented my selfe hitherto to follow their traces in my publique Sermons and priuate Conferences with such as were desirous to profit with me in knowledge of the fundamentall points of our Christian faith according to the occasions which were presented But of late hauing seene an Epistle written by a certaine Doctor of the Augustins Order touching the inuocation of Saints sent vnto one of my Auditours to seduce thereby the sheepe which our Soueraigne Shepheard Iesus Christ hath recommended to me I held it my dutie to returne it backe againe to Leige with my answere to satisfie the desire of one of his disciples by whoÌ„ the said Doctor hauing receiued my answere promised him that shortly after he would write back vnto me againe and that effectually But seeing there are almost two yeeres past since he held my refutation and that in all y â— time he could not make some small Treatise to fulfill and accomplish his promise his silence maketh me to thinke that he hauing considered well examined and weighed the arguments of my replie hath repented himself for his foolish boasting and that if his conscience be not â—eared he feeleth himselfe alreadie checked by the truth that shineth in my Refutation which in the meane time I haue amplified and now published with his Epistle following the counsell of some excellent learned personages with hope that I shall see it bring foorth some fruite if not in the abouesaid Doctor or in some of his obstinate scholars yet at least in such as are teachable and especially in you my most deare and worthie brethren of whom I haue conceiued this hope that whereas heretofore ye haue willingly heard me to entreat of this subiect aswell in my Sermons as in my familiar discourses with you so ye will now take no lesse delight in hearing me to discourse of it in this small booke which here I present you as appertaining vnto you by a double right For first of all being consecrated to your seruice from the beginning of my ministerie the proprietie of euery instruction which through Gods grace I propound vnto men is wholly yours Besides seeing that the intention of my dispute is to shew the difference between a true and a false adoration and to perswade euery man by all possible meanes to stand fast in the true and to reiect the false to whom could I better appropriate it then to you to whom aboue all things I am bound to teach the first point and fruit of our faith which is to worship God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ in spirit and truth and to call vpon none but him in our necessities Whereunto as I seeke to giue you some helpe by this present Treatise so doe I giue thankes to the Lord for that alreadie ye are so well grounded and instructed in this principle of true religion assuring my self that he which hath sowne this good seed in your soules wil make it abundantly to grow vp and to fructifie in such a sort that thereby his name shall be glorified your neighbour edified and your hearts fortified against all manner of tentations Finally if I perceiue that this small Treatise which I publish vnder your names be acceptable and pleasing vnto you your courtesie will serue as a spurre to pricke me more cheerfully forward in my commenced Career and one day hereafter to entreat more at large vpon this subiect through the grace of our blessed God and heauenly Father to whom I recommend you beseeching him with all my heart that it will please him most deare and worthy Brethren to maintaine you euen to the end in the profession of his truth and to replenish you with his temporall and eternall blessings for the aduancement of his glorie and the saluation of your soules From my Studie this 4. of August 1607. Your no lesse affectionated then seruiceable Pastor and brother in the Lord Iohn Polyander A small Table of the principall points contained in this Treatise FIrst Papists themselues acknowledge and confesse that the inuocatioÌ„ of Saints cannot be proued by Scripture pag. 18 Praying to Saints cannot be prooued by Scripture but absolutely disproued 19 We must call vpon God only not the Saints 19. 20. 21. 22 Christ is our only Mediatour the Saints are no Mediatours pag. 22. 23 Christ is our only Mediatour aswell of intercession as redemption 23 Saints are no Mediatours of redemption 25 Papists reiect Christ placing the Saints in his place 26 Papists exalt the Virgin Mary into the place of Christ. pag. 29. 30. 31 Papists place the Virgin Mary aboue Christ. 32. 33 The Papists place Franciscus Dominicus in Christs roome 34. 35. 36 Priests and Prophets may erre 38 The Church may erre 38. 39 Councels haue erred 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45 Variance and contradiction among the ancient Councels 46 The holy Scripture is the touchstone of doctrine 47 The Fathers haue
authority of Councels An Argument from the least to the greatest Three reasons whereby the dead vnderstand We are not of Paul nor Apollo but of Christ. * Exod 20. 3. A particular refutatioÌ„ from the authoritie of holy Scripture Deut. 6. 13. Psal. 50. 14. 15. Isaiah 42. 8. Isaiah 45. 21. Anticipation Matth. 4. 10. Psal. 44. 20. 21. Rom 10. 14. Inuocation ought to haue the same object as faith Psal. 73. 25. 2. Chron. 20. 9. 1. Tim. 2. â— Transition for the examinatioÌ„ and true vnderstanding of our ArgumeÌ„ts The distinction of Mediatours subordinate and not soueraigne refuted as vaine The examination of the Sophists first reason Although that Christ onely hath redeemed vs with his precious blood it followeth not from thence that he is only the Mediatour of redemption Rom. 8. 34. A forcible reason to shew that Christ is our only Mediatour aswell of intercession as of Redemption The examination of the Sophist second reason by concession The examination of the third reason Partly by concession and partly by Negation Anticipation 1. Iohn 2. 1. Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 4. 16. Heb. 10. 19. 10. Heb. 7. 24. 25. Reâ—uâ—atâ— on of the Sophists conclusion against vs. Here is shewed how our aduersaries cut the throat of their owne cause with their owne kniues Sequestre The Popists do wrong vnto the word of Mediatour either through ignorance or malice Deut. 5. 5. It is 〈…〉 from the 〈◊〉 of a Sauiour giuen to some as types of the Sauiour himselfe In vaine doe the papists boast of giuing lesus Christ the first ranke of innocation Execrable blaspâ—â—mies of the Romish church Deprauation of an expresse text of Scripture by those in popedome These whole pages shew how the pretended Caâ—holikes which differ much from the words of lesus Christ doe indeed bereaue him of his most sweet flowers of honour to adorne the Virgin with them Blasphematory praises attributed by Papists to two wicked fellowes Saint Francis and S. Dominic An excellent comparison betweene the Prelats of these daies and the Priests of old time Ierem. 18. 18. Ierem. 7. 4. Verse 11. Verse 18. Verse 14. Verse 15. Ierem. 2. 8. Iere. 8. 10. Ezek. 22. 26. 28. 2. Chron. 15. 2 Generall Councels Fathers and great Doctors hâ—ue no authoritie if they doe not conforme theÌ„selues vnto the word of God Exod. 19. 5. 6. The example of the Saints ought to be reformed to the law and not the law to their exaÌ„ples Gal. â— 14. Gal. 1. 6. Gal. 3. 3. 1. Cor. 10. vers 6. 11 12. 1. Cor. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 11. 3. It is a foolish reason that Papists hold that general Councels cannot erre 1. King 22. * As humane infirmitie is perpetuall so men at al times haue been and will be in danger of error 1. Cor. 7. 27. 28. 1. Tim. 5. 14. Councels are subiect to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and to no doctrine contrary to them 1. Tim. 3. 2. That which is hapned to one or many CouÌ„cels may happen to vs if we doe nâ—t hold our selues to the rules of holy Scripture Note 1. Cor. 7. 12. verse 13. verse 14. All these examples of abominable errors shew how necessarie it is to trie the spirits The Papisticall Doctors agree not among themselues and neuerthelesse they hold vnitie and consent for the marke of their Church A graue and a religious iudgment of Charles the greaâ— touching y e Councâ—ll of Nice Councels refuted by othâ—r Councels Truth is one and that which is one cannot be contradicted We are bound to hearken to the Church in the things wherein she giueth eare vnto her Master All the doctrine of men â—ath no authority but in that which is borrowed from the Scripture Our faith is not of eloquence or humane perswasion We must trie the spirits Godly and excellent texts out of the Fathers We ought not to be ashamed to subiect our selues vnto that which the Apostles and the Angels are subiect vnto Galath 1. 8. The Papists are condemned by those which they cite against vs as aduersaries A graâ—e exhortation of Ignatius to pray only vnto God A testimonie giuen by Polycarpus who would not addâ—efle himselfe to any but God An excellent prayer The pietie of Clement A testimonie of Ireuaeus A reproch of Clement Alexandrine Tertullians testimonie Testimonie from Origen An example of S. Cyprians An example of S. Hilaries Forcible reasons of Eusebius to proue that wee are to inuocate none but God A testimonie giuen by Constatine not to addresse our prayers but to God only A necessarie doctrine to refute the seruice of Angels Gen. 48. 15. 16. Gen. 32. 26. A graue exhortation of Arnobius The inuocation of one only God hath remained entire after the natiuitie of Christ notwithstanding the assaults of Satan Coloss. 2. 18. A sentence of S. Theâ—dorets Not to erre in points of Religion we must not giue eare but to the pure word of God The doctrine of Epiphanius an ancient Doctor for the true inuocation A graue censure of the feminine superstition The virgin Mary is sanctified but not de fied and ought to be honoured but not worshipped None was able to know better then Iesus Christ how much the virgin ought to be glorified The Saints are more to be honored for hauing beleeued then the virgin Mary who bore the Son of God in her belly or as Simeon which bore him betweene his armes The end wherefore Iesus Christ would take his flesh of woman was not to the intent that she should be worshipped but that the world might beleeue that he had taken out nature vpon him She which is bound to worship is not capable of being worshipped Honor beseemeth all the Saints but adoration belongeth to God only If the Virgin could speake from heauen she would rebuke these blasphen atory voâ—ves pâ—ayers which they make vnto her Our prayers one for another be witnesses only of our obedience to God and the chaâ—itie wee beate vnto our neighbour which cannot be 〈◊〉 into the intercession of the Sonne of God We haue no need or â—ny other Intercessors tâ—en we our selues â—n that we pray in the name of the Sonne of God A contrite heart is that which can lead vs vnto God It is a great folly in men to addresse themselues to their equals which often pase theÌ„ with excuses in stead of bringing them straight vnto God who is ready to hold his armes open to receiue theÌ„ The faithfull man is neuer better accompaniâ—d then when he prayeth alone in his closet None can doe more with the Father then the Sonne A lie giuen to Iulian the Apostate To depriue the Saints of vnmeete adoration is not to frustrate them from their due reuerence Seeing Christ commandeth vs to pray vnto the Father in his name he excludeth all other names The Father wil neuer yeeld vnto any but 〈◊〉 in whoÌ„ he hath taken his good pleasure The Saints haue receiued the crownes of righteousness but they cannot giue them