evident that all the instances produced leave it uncertain whether St. Ambrose did intend a proper change of substance or only a change of qualities and vertues Secondly had Ambrose only given instances of a substantial change it would not hence have followed that he did intend to prove the Sacramental Symbols were so changed but only a majori to prove that he who was the Author of such substantial mutations could certainly effect that change which was but accidental Thus from the substantial conversion of water into Wine he proves u Credendum jam est ex hoc mortalem hominem in immortalitatem posse converti quando vilis substantia in pretiosam conversa est substantiam Serm. 19. we ought to think that God can change our mortal into a glorious and immortal body which change is only accidental and from x Si ergo inquit superveniens Spiritus Sanctus in virginem conceptionem operatus est generationis munus implevit non utique dubitandum est quod superveniens in fontem vel super eum qui Baptismum consequitur veritatem regeneratiouis cooperetur cap. 9. de his qui initiantur the supernatural production of our Lord by vertue of the holy Ghost he in this very Chapter proves we must not doubt but the same Spirit can Regenerate the Baptized person So that we see it is familiar with him to prove the possibility of accidental changes by examples of a change substantial Ob. St. Ambrose saith a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Act. Hom. 23. the Symbols are not what nature formed them but what the Benediction consecrated them Answ True because they are not only so but by this more excellent and Spiritual change obtain a name which is more excellent denominations being taken from the better Thus Chrysostom affirms That such is the power of Baptism that it doth not suffer men to be still Men. And Leo b De Pass Dom. Ser. 14. That the Baptized person is not the same-before and after Baptism And Epiphanius That when we are endowed with Temperance the Flesh it no more Flesh c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haeres 66. Whence yet it were ridiculous to argue that either Baptism or Teâ—perance offentially change either the flesh or nature of a Christian Ob. He affirms further That by this Benediction nature is changed Answ True but then that word not only in the Authors before mentioned but in St. d De Virg. l. 2. Haxamer l. 3. c. 2. Ambrose doth very often signisie only a change of quality and virtue For he affirms That Thecla changed the nature of the Beasts that were designed to devour her and that the Beasts themselves had changed their nature i.e. their fierceness and rapacity and in this very place he saith That the Nature of the water of the River Jordan was clearly changed because that it was driven back We must be told that Chrysostom doth say T. G. p. 303. that things that lye before us are not the works of humane power we only hold the the place of Ministers but he that Sanctifieth changeth them is Christ But then we must not know that in this very Homily the Consecrated Elements are stiled the Symbols of Christs Body In Mat. Hom. 82. p. 510. l. 36 and that disputing against Marcian and Valentinian who held Christ had no real Body he confutes and stops their mouth by saying That in the Blessed Sacrament we have the Symbol of that Body Whereas could he have truly said we have their real Flesh and Blood he had then spoken what would have more effectually confuted their absurd position 2. We must not know that in that very place he confutes the Heresie of the Encratitae P. 511. l. 10 15. by shewing That when our Lord delivered the Mysteries he delivered the Wine and that after his Resurrection he drank wine to verifie this saying I will no more drink of the Fruit of the Vine till I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome Nor Thirdly That Christ in those Holy Mysteries doth give himself unto the Faithful but to none other P. 514. l. 28. But had we no such indications of the mind of Chrysostom the words themselves are very insignificative and unconcluding for that which Chrysostom affirmeth of the Eucharist that these things are not the works of humane power we Protestants acknowledge as knowing that it is no work of humane power to cause the virtue of the Holy Spirit to attend these Mysteries and to make that to be food of the Soul which naturally can only feed the Body He that thus Sanctifies and changeth these material Symbols must be God And hence St. Chrysostom informs us the case is just the same in Baptism That it is not an Angel who there moves the Water Hom. 35. in Joh In 1 ad Cor. Hom. 8. but that it is Lord of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who works all things there That man doth nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that it is the power of God that worketh all things And whereas he adds that it is he who Sanctifies these things and changeth them St. Cyril doth inform us Catech. Mystag 5. that whatsoever the Holy Spirit toucheth is Sanctified and Changed St. * Paedag. l. 3. c 2. In Cant. Hom 4. In Gen. Hom. 41. vid Albert de sacr Euch. l. 2. P. 545. Clemens That the Devil doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. transmute Women into Whores Nyssenus that Regeneration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. doth change us into the Sons of Light and of the day And Chrysostom himself informs us That to make the barren Womb to bear is an example of this Transmutation Such therefore we may rationally conceive that change to be of which St. Chrysostom here speaketh Gaudentius must tell us T. G. p. 306. That the Maker and Lord of natures who produceth Bread out of the Earth doth again of Bread because he can and hath promised to do it make his own Body and he who made Water of Wine maketh of Wine his own Blood But then we must not know Tract in Ex. 2. that in the same place he asserts That when our Saviour said This is my Body he gave to his Disciples Consecrated Bread and Wine Or that because our Saviour in the Gospel saith I am the true Vine he did sufficiently declare that all the Wine he offered in the figure of his Passion was his Blood or that we eat his Flesh when we receive his Doctrine which doth sufficiently confute the Roman Doctrine and shew the change of which Gaudentius speaks to be Spiritual and Mystical For if the Consecrated Signs be Bread and Wine they are not properly Christs Body if what is offered be a Figure of his Passion it is not the Truth For as Gandentius there telleth us figura non est veritas sed imitatio veritatis i.e. a figure is the imitation of the truth but
declare this was the duty of the Christian and to reveal their Supplications to departed Christians 3. What a ridiculous office do they impose upon the God of Heaven by this fond opinion for when they pray to Apollonia for the tooth-ach God must not only tell her that such a person supplicates but also that his teeth do ake and therefore he particularly imploreth her assistance when they address themselves to any Saint in this odd language * Cum ad Imaginem Sancti alicujus quis Dominicam orationem pronuntiat ita tum sentiat se ab illo petere ut secum oret sibique postulet ea quae Dominicae orationis formulâ continentur Catech. Rom. part 4 c. 6. s 4. p. 586. Our Father which art in heaven c. which they familiarly do as is acknowledged by the Roman Catechism God must inform this Saint both of the person praying and his prayer and his intention by so doing to oblige him to use those words in his behalf †O praeco accelera piae matri◠praecare viscera Propr Fest F. 2. When they desire any Saint or Angel to go unto the Blessed Virgin this Saint must be informed first of the matter of the Prayer then must he post unto the blessed Virgin and she must go unto her Son and he unto his Father to present that request which he revealed And are not these men very bold with God to put such offices upon him and make him Nuntio to all his Creatures 2. The Saints departed do not know the hearts and the petitions of their Supplicants by vertue of the beatifick Vision This vain presumption depends on this that seeing God they must in him behold those things which in Idea are contained in him or which his knowledge doth perceive and so the refutation of this dream will be sufficient confutation of it And 1. That which the holy Spirit only knows these blessed Spirits do not know but the things of God i.e. his purposes and counsels c. knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 Ergo. If then the blessed Spirits notwithstanding the beatifick Vision do not see the mind and counsel of God without his revelation why should we think that by beholding of God they also do behold the supplications we put up unto them De vita Contemp. l. 5. c. 4. Those words of Prosper That nothing is so secret as that the knowledge of it should be denied to the perfectly blessed And that of Gregory L. 12. Moral c. 13. That they who see that God who seeth all things must themselves see all things I say those words do as much prove that blessed Spirits do know the secrets of Gods counsel as that they see the supplications we put up unto them To strengthen and confirm this Argument let us consider 1. That the Fathers do from this place conclude the holy Spirit to be God because he is the searcher of the things of God which Argument would be invalid if this could truly be asserted of the blessed Spirits 2. 1 Cor. 2.12 Observe that the Apostle argues thus That as no man knows the secrets of the heart of man besides the Spirit of man within him so none can know the secrets of the God of Heaven but the Spirit of God Now if the blessed Spirits do know the secrets of the heart of man the Argument would be invalid for the Romanist might give the baffle to St. Paul and tell him That as the secrets of the heart of man are known not only to the Spirit of man but also to myriads of blessed Saints and Angels so may the secrets of God be known not only to the holy Spirit but to many others 2. The Scripture doth assure us That those blessed Angels which always did behold the face of God had not the knowledge of those things which are revealed to us by the Gospel and that the curious Wisdom which contrived that dispensation was made known unto them by the Church Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore Peter represents them as stooping down to view this new discovery which is a signal indication of the falshood of this fond conceit That blessed Spirits seeing him who knoweth all things must have the knowledge of those things he sees and therefore of the prayers that are put up unto him they being seen and known to God 3. That we may pray in faith we must be certain that the blessed Spirits are acquainted with the desires of our hearts for he that doth command us to pray in faith and without doubting cannot be wanting to give us certain motives of this faith and therefore God who never is deficient in what is necessary would certainly have given both to Jews and Christians sufficient revelation of his will in this particular had he intended that they should pay this homage to the Saints departed whereas we have no certain evidence that they enjoy this knowledge either from Revelation or from Vision And 1. We are not certain that they behold our supplications in the beatifick Vision for many of the Church of Rome do hold the contrary and it is free for all her members so to do and so this matter cannot be held as any Article of faith or certain definition of the Church 2. It is not certain that these blessed Spirits by vertue of this Vision do behold what is contingent for this is generally denied by the Romish Doctors and yet these things are seen of God as clearly as are the secrets of the heart 2. We cannot possibly be certain that God doth reveal them for we cannot certainly conclude it from his Attributes nor have we any certain revelation that he doth reveal our minds and thoughts unto them for if we can certainly conclude it from his Attributes then God would not be God did he not thus reveal our supplications to the Saints departed And Secondly Then to deny this Revelation would be to sin against the light of nature and then not only Protestants but the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks must sin against the light of nature by holding they obtain this knowledge not by Revelation but from the Vision of that God who knoweth all things but if by vertue of some Revelation we are assured that our petitions are revealed to the Saints why do they not produce it Why doth T. G. confess that Austin and others of the ancient Fathers were uncertain what to determine in this case Why do the greater part of Roman Catholicks deny what they have certain Revelation for 3. Where is this Revelation to be found In Scripture No they confess that this is wholly silent in this matter and give us many Reasons why it was not mentioned in holy Writ Have we this Revelation from Tradition Why then do the prevailing part of Roman Catholicks reject it Sith then we have no certainty of what this practice doth suppose either from Revelation or from the beatifick
have these words †Confiteer Dâ—â— omnipotenti Beatae Mariae sâ—mper Virgini Beato Michaeli Archangelo Beato Joanni Baptistae Sanctis Apostolis Petro Paulo ominibus Sanctis vâ—bis Fâ—atres quâ—â—â— peccavi nimis cogicatione v rbo opere Ideo precor Beatam Mariam semper Virginem Beatum Michaelem Archangelum Beatum Joannem Baptistam Sanctos Apostelos Petrum Paulum omnes Sanctes vos Fratres crareprome ad Dominum Deum n sirum Ordinarium Missae p. 217. Ed. Antuerp F. 1605. I confess to God Almighty and to the ever Blessed Virgin to Blessed Michael Archangel to Blessed John Baptist to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints and to you Brethren that I have sinned in thought word and deed And therefore I entreat the Blessed Virgin the Archangel Michael St. John the Baptist St. Peter and St. Paul and all the Saints and you my Brethren to pray for me to our Lord God This is the doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome and it contains these seven particulars 1. That it is good and profitable for every faithful man and exiled Son of Eve to pray unto the Blessed Virgin and the Saints departed 2. That it is good and profitable thus to intercede not only for the good and welfare of the Church in general but for every single person 3. August Ser. 37. de Sanctis Ser. 3. de pluribus Mart. In Com. plurium Mart. extra tempus Pasch Lect. 4. Whereas the ancient Church spake thus As often as we celebrate the solemnities of holy Martyrs let us so expect by their intercession to obtain from the Lord temporal benefits that by imitating the Martyrs themselves we may deserve to receive eternal which words are still retained in the Roman Breviary we are now taught to pray unto them for all the blessings necessary to eternal life nay we are told that * Gunde mater miserorum quia pater saeculorum dabit te colentibus Congruentem hâ—c mercedem faelicem polisedem Regnis in caelestibus Prosa de Beata Maria f. 30. apud Missale Rom. Ed. Aâ—tuerp 1577. God will give eternal life to those that do adore the Blessed Virgin 4. It is the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that Saints departed may and should be invocated as well by mental as by vocal Prayer This was decreed at Trent this Pastors are enjoyned to teach their People and lastly this we have confirmed by their practice in these words With the desires of our hearts we pray unto you regard the ready service of our minds 5. These Practices and these Petitions are many of them built upon this supposition that the Blessed Saints do hear our prayers and are acquainted with our hopes and with the praises which we offer to them and consequently the Church of Rome in whose solemnities these prayers are used must be deemed to ascribe this knowledge to them For what more foolish and absurd than constantly to call upon them to bear behold and to receive to regard favour and promote our prayers when we complain to pity and consider them that pray to be their Advocates and plead their causes if these addresses be not understood by those Blessed Spirits to whom they are particularly directed Who knows not that to be our Advocate is to commend our cause to God and to entreat that our desires may be granted And who knows not that our cause cannot be thus commended or our disires represented till they first be understood Moreover seeing they do request these Blessed Spirits to receive their vows and to take care that they be paid to God to hear and to receive their praises seeing they do consess their sins unto them and therefore do entreat them to intercede with God in their behalf seeing they do endeavour to move them to commiserate their state by saying that they place their hopes and only confidence upon their intercession they mast acknowledge that these Blessed Spirits are acquainted with their confessions and their vows their hopes and praises and therefore albeit this consequence should be denied T. G. p. We pray unto the Saints departed therefore they do hear us yet this can never be denied We pray unto them to hear and to receive our prayers and praises vows and confessions and therefore we believe they do 6. Hence it is manifest that Papists do not only pray unto them to intercede with God for blessings but do desire that the Blessed Spirits would themselves confer them Thus they entreat St. Peter by the power given to him to unty the bonds of their iniquity and the Apostles to absolve them from their sins by their command and to their Guardian Angel they speak thus Take hold of sword and buckler and rise up to help me say unto my soul I am thy salvation And therefore that they only do entreat them to pray for and with us is a great untruth 7. Seeing the Church of Rome allows of mental Prayers addressed to the Saints seeing their Lyturgy speak thus With the desires of our hearts we pray unto you receive the ready service of our minds seeing they do instruct us in all places and upon all occasions to fly unto their help and succour seeing they do ascribe unto them the knowledge not only of their vows and praises but of their inward hopes they consequently do ascribe unto them the knowledge of the heart and the internal motions of every supplicant as far as these petitions and other actions do require it This is that Doctrine of the Church of Rome which we think justly charged with Idolatry For 1. To ascribe unto the Saints departed by way of worship that excellency which is proper to God is Idolatry but to ascribe unto them by an act of worship the knowledge of the hearts of them that pray unto them is to ascribe unto them that excellency which is proper to God by Propos 2. Ergo. 2. Prayer offered and put up in any time or place to an invisible and incorporeal Being is the oblation of that worship to it which is due to God by Prop. 4. Corol. 3. but this devotion of the Roman Church is prayer offered up in any time or place to an invisible and incorporeal Being and therefore must be the oblation of that worship which is due to God and being offered to those Blessed Spirits which are confessedly Creatures it must be the oblation of that worship which is due to God unto the Creature which we have proved to be Idolatry 3. To vow to Saints departed is to ascribe unto them the honour due to the Creator by Prop 4. Corol. 2. but Papist vow unto the Saints departed therefore they do ascribe unto them the honour due to the Creator The Answer Bellarmine returns unto the Major of this Argument is this That to vow in sign of gratitude to the first and chiefest Good and in recognition of a benefit received from him as the first Author
the very ground and reason of that practice viz. the benefit we may receive by putting up requests unto them and the concernments which ly upon us so to do in order to our preservation from all evil and the obtainment of the greatest blessings for he expresly tels us our care must be to get his favour who alone is God and that if Celsus or the Church of Rome would have us to procure the favor of the inferior beings he must know that all good Spirits Souls and Angels if we do obtain Gods favor when we pray to him they need not be called upon for the assistance of their prayers for they will pray together with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being called upon so to do This he doth frequently repeat and indeed it is the common language of those times he lived in witness the like expression of Arnobius * In hoe omne quod colendum est colimus quod adorari convenit adoramus quod obsequium Venerationis exposcit Venerationibus promeremur Cum enim divinitatis ipsius tencamus caput à quo ipsa Divinitas divorum omnium quicunque sunt ducitur supervacuum putamus personas ire per singulas cum ipsi qui sint quae habeant nomina nesciamus cujus sint praeterea numeri neque liquidum neque comprehensum neque exploratum habere possimus Atque ut in terrestribus Regnis necessitate nulla compellimur regalibus in familiis constitutos nominatim cum Principibus adorare sed in Regum ipsorum cultu quicquid illis annexum est tacita se sentit honorificentia comprehendi Non alia ratione quicunque hi Dii sunt quos esse nobis proponitis fi sint progenies Regia principali oriuntur è capite etiam si nullos accipiant nominatim à nobis cultus intelligunt se tamen honorari communiter cum suo Rege atque in illius venerationibus contineri Arnobius contra Gentes lib. 3 p. 101. In worshiping the Father and the Lord of all things we worship all things that are to be worshiped we adore all things that may conveniently be adored we venerate all that calls for veneration For holding to the head from whence these Divi borrow their Divinity we think it needless to go to every Person seeing wee know not what they are what names they have or of what order they may be And as in honoring the King wee honor all that do belong unto him so what ever Gods you do propose unto us if they be of this Kingly progeny and do belong unto this head although they do receive no worship from us they understand that they are worshiped together with their King and are included in that veneration which we pay to him 4. This Answer renders the discourse of Origen impertinent and a perfect declination of the Question betwixt him and Celsus For Celsus thus disputes no God nor any Son of God can possibly descend from Heaven but if you do assert this of the Angels of God these are no other than our Daemons Orig. l. 7. 5. p. 23â— To this St. Origen returns this Answer 1. That to deny that any God descends from Heaven is to deny what was esteemed a thing common by the Heathen World 2. That Christians do indeed confess this is the office of the Angels to come down from and to ascend to Heaven and to offer up the Prayers of men to God but yet saith he we must not worship them as God for all our Prayers must be directed to God and to his Son Christ Jesus who is the living Word and God Which argument if it have any strength at all consists in this that whiâ—h you must not worship and adore as God you must not pray unto but Angels you must not worship and adore as God Ergo Angels you must not pray unto This is that Fathers plea to which T. G. may answer in behalf of Celsus as well as of the Church of Rome that he apparently distinguisheth those Angels both from God and from the Son of God and therefore did not contend that we should pray unto them as to that God who is the Author of all good but only as to the Ministers and Servants of God whom he appointed to preside over such persons Families and Countries And therefore he was contented only that it might be lawful to say unto them as doth the Church of Rome to St. Sebastian Cerne familiam tuam id est behold thy family and to St. Gabriel preserve thy Countrey 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus objects that if with God we do adore his Son then may we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerate his Ministers To this St. Origen replies that if †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. Contra Celsum lib. 8. p. 386. Celsus by the Ministers of God had understood Gabriel and Michael and other Angels and Archangels and had contended that they should be venerated perpaps by purifying of the word and of the actions of the venerators we might say something of that matter i.e. Perhaps some actions which in some sense may bear the name of veneration might be performed to those Angels This T. G. thinks a great advantage to his cause and wonders that the Doctor would produce this passage But I conceive it is the clearest confutation of it that we could desire For having granted this and then restraining our petitions unto God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ as he expresly doth he most apparently demonstrates that prayer could be no part of the forementioned service he allowed to Saints 2. In that he thus distinguisheth of veneration and never doth distinguish in the like manner of prayer and supplication or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est of adoration and worship it follows that although he thought some veneration might be allowed to Angels in some inferior kind yet no petition was to be put up unto them and that no worship and adoration should be given unto them 3. When Origen in answer to this passage saith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. we Christians venerate with supplications only God and his Son Jesus Christ and put up our petitions to God by his only Son If he doth understand only such supplications as are made to him as to the Author of all good he is as vain and impertinent as T. G. in his Answers to the Dr. for Celsus only doth contend for such a worship and consequently for such addresses only as agree unto the Ministers and Servants of God 4. Origen plainly doth inform us that the veneration he allowed to Angels was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 8. p. 416. to speak well of them and pronounce them blessed and imitate to their virtues and what is this to supplication 3. Celsus objects that Daemons do belong to God and therefore must be prayed unto and
alone to know the secrets of the hart then Christ who was acquainted with them doth very well deserve to be accounted God So Novatian (l) De Trin. c. 13. p. 715. In the like manner they are wont to argue and conclude the holy Spirit to be God for if to know the secrets of men be a propriety of God to search the hidden things of God as doth the holy Ghost must be a greater demonstration of his Majesty so Paschasius If we especially conceive him to be God who sees the secret thoughts of man much more is he to be esteemed God who searcheth what is hidden in the Fathers breast So (m) Hom. de Trin. Eusebius Emissenus (n) Quia nemo inferior superioris scrutatur interna divinae enim solius est potestatis ecculta novisse similiter ergo scrutatur Spiritus Sanctus ut Pater Ambros de Sp. Sancto l. 2. c. 12. f. 108. B. Col. 2. L. It is recorded of God that he doth search the heart and reins whence it is evident that in like manner this is performed by the holy Spirit for no inferior doth search the hidden things of his superior So Ambrose v. Petav. Theol. dogm de Angelis l. 1. c. 7. de Trin. l. 2. c. 14. It would be endless to recite all that the Fathers have delivered to this effect if then they taught as doth the present Church of Rome and practised that invocation both of Saints and Angels which doth apparently suppose them conscious to the requests and inward motions of the heart is it not matter of the highest admiration and a just reason to suspect the ingenuity or common prudence of such men who did so often urge that as an instance of Divinity which they acknowledged to agree and by their daily practice did ascribe unto the Creature Wherefore we are constrained in reverence to their great names and memories to judge they never held this knowledge was communicated to Saints and Angels nor practised that which doth suppose it Which will be further evident if 3ly we consider that they affirm without distinction or exception that to perceive the secrets of the heart is a thing proper unto God alone this by the concurrent judgment of the â—ather being no more communicated to the Creature than was the knowledge of what was future and contingent The Almighty Father only knows the hidden things saith * Lib. 5. in Ezech. cap. 16. pag. 191. E. Mat. 6.4 Psal 7.9 1 Kings 8.29 Jerome alledging for the proof of this these Texts Thy Father that seeth in secret c God searcheth the hearts and reins And Thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men It is the property of God alone saith †In Matt. Hom. 29. p. 201 202. Ed. Savil. Jer. 17.9 1 Sam. 16.7 Chrysostom to know the secrets of the heart For the proof of this besides the passages now mentioned he add that of Jeremiah The heart is deceitful above all things who can know it And that of Samuel Man looketh on the out ward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart And of this saith he we have many evidences This he again repeats Hom. 24. in Joban and proves it from those words of Solomon Thou only knowest the heart of man (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Matt. Hom. 19. p. 134. If thou dost thy good works in secret wilst thou have no spectactor of what is done saith the same Author yes thou wilst have not indeed Angels or Arch-angels much less Saints and Martyrs but God over all Hence was it held a signal honor done to God and a great act of faith to pray in silence (p) Qui in silentio orat fidem defert confitetur quod Deus serutator cardâ— renis sit erationem tuaâ—an è lile audiat quà m tuo ore fundatuâ— Ambros de Sucram l. 6. c. 4. He that doth pray in silence saith St. Ambrose brings faith with him and confesseth that God is the searcher of the heart and reins and that he can hear his prayer before that it is uttered by his mouth (q) Consideremus bened ctâ—â—â—eleslem Christi Sephiaâ— imprimis de praecepto secretè adorandi quo fidem hominis exigebat ut Dei omnipotentis conspectum auditum sub tâ—ctis in abdus etiam adess confideret m destum fidei desideraâ— it ut quem uâ—ique audire videre fideret ci soli religionem saam offâ—â—â—â— Tert. de Orat. c. 1. §. 8. Let consider saith Tertullian the heavenly wisdome of our Lord in his injunction to praÌ„y in secret whereby he both requires the faith of man confiding that God omnipotent both hears and sees under our roofs and in our secret places and also that our faith be modest so that we offer our Religion unto him alone whom we are confident doth see and hear us every where That to ascribe this knowledge to any Creature to whom God doth not thus discover the secrets of the heart Prop. 3. §. 3. and to pay that honor to it which doth suppose such knowledge is Idolatry This I make good 1. From the confessions of our Adversaries and from the Argument they use on like occasions It is truly acknowledged by the Church of Rome Catechism Rom. part 3. c. 1. § 7. That Magick Augury and such like wicked Arts are sins forbidden by the first Commandment and such as cannot be committed without gross Idolatry Because whoever doth expect or seek from evil Spirits or any other Creature what the Magician promiseth by seeking hoping or expecting that from them which only ought to be expected from God they act towards that Creature as if they thought it to be God For instance he that attempteth to foretell what is future and contingent without a revelation from God he doth unduly do it 2ª 2ª q. 95. Art 1. saith the learned Sylvius for since the causes of such thing are undetermined it is not possible we should attain to this knowledge of them from themselves or from their causes and whether we do speak of things contingent or of the knowledge of the conceptions of the heart it is certain God alone can know them it being said Isa 41.23 Thou only knowest the hearts of men and again Declare the things that are to come that we may know that you are gods he therefore that attempteth to foretell such things we therefore say that he divineth because after a sort he acts the God usurping that which only doth belong to him 2. From the two passages of Scripture cited by him it is evident That albeit God sometimes did reveal unto his Prophets the knowledge of things future and of the secrets of the heart yet is that knowledge to be esteemed the property of God and a sure indication of divinity and therefore to ascribe this knowledge to a Creature God having not revealed it to him is to ascribe divinity unto
c. 12. Run through all the words of holy Prayers and you will be able to find nothing which is not included in the Lords Prayer in this both Protestants and Roman Catholicks agree Hence therefore I assume if when we pray for any thing contained in this Prayer we are enjoyned to pray to God then all our acceptable Prayers must be directed to him and whensoever we do pray for any blessing we must call upon him besides Our Father doth belong to every Petition no other person being mentioned in this Prayer so that the sense runs thus Our Father c. let thy Kingdome come Our Father let thy will be done c. And then the import of this injunction will be this when you pray for the advancement of Gods Glory or the promotion of his Kingdom or the performance of his Will when you solicite for any Temporal blessing or for the pardon of your Sin or lastly for the prevention of any Evil or Temptation of what kind soever when you desire any of these mercies for your selves or others pray to your Heavenly Father for them 3. None of these blessings must be asked of him to whom the Kingdom Power and Glory doth not of right belong For this is added as the cause or motive of making these addresses to God and where the motive or cause is wanting the effect must cease Now to God only the Kingdome Power and Glory doth agree Jude 25. We therefore must address our Prayers to him only for the obtaining of these blessings And least you should object that this Argument excludes the third and second persons of the Sacred Trinity let it be noted that all the Schoolmen do affirm That the word Father in this Prayer must not be taken personally but essentially and so excludeth not the other Persons of the Trinity but those things only which have not the same nature with them 2. Prayer offered up in any time or place to an invisible and for any thing we know a Being absent from us as far as Earth from Heaven doth ascribe unto that Being the knowledge of the secrets of the heart now to worship any Being whether Saint or Angel with such a kind of worship which doth ascribe unto it the knowledge of the desires and secrets of the heart both where and whensoever they are conceived or uttered is to ascribe unto them by way of worship what is not due to Saints or Angels but alone to God as hath been proved already and may be further thus confirmed 1. If Saints departed were acquainted with the desires of our hearts why did Elijah speak unto Elisha thus 2 Kings 2.9 Ask what thou wilst before I am taken from thee The Scripture doth affirm that he was taken up into the Heavens and therefore did behold the face of God And Roman Catholicks themselves deny that he was held in Limbo as they imagine other Prophets were being in Heaven his love unto Elisha and the Church of God was not diminished but enlarged and therefore upon that account he had a stronger reason to ask what he desired then before Besides the Prophet being now with God in Heaven his Prayers would more effectually prevail for any Blessing for his Friend and therefore he had greater reason to have said had he believed this Doctrine of the Church of Rome Ask what thou wilst when I am taken from thee And therefore we have reason to presume that he did not believe this Doctrine but rather thought that his departure would render all Elijah's future wishes and add resses to him vain and ineffectual 2. From that known passage of Isaiah Abraham nescivit nos Israel ignoravit nos St. Augustine thus concludes (o) Si tanti Patriarchae quid erga populum ex his procreatum ageretur ignoraverunt quibus Deo credentibus populus ipse ex corum stirpe promissus est quomodo mortui suorum rebus atque actubus cognoscendis adjuvandisque miscentur ibi ergo sunt spiritus defunctorum ubi non vident quaecunque aguntur aut eveniunt in ista vita hominibus De curâ pro mortuis c. 13. If such great Patriarchs were ignorant of what was done towards the people that proceeded from their Loins how should the dead be conversant in knowing or helping of their friends in what they do There therefore are the Spirits of dead persons where they do not see what things are done or happen to men in this life 2. I reason thus this practice doth ascribe unto the objects of our Prayer such knowledge of the heart and such a cognisance of all petitions presented to them at all times and in all places of the world which we have proved to agree to God alone or such a presence in all places which is proper to him and therefore it ascribeth to them the honor due to God alone 2. If Saints departed do know the minds and inward thoughts of those who put up their petitions to them they have this knowledge either from Revelation or from the beatifick Vision but they have no such knowledge either from Revelation or from the Beatifick Vision Ergo. And 1. God doth not ordinarily reveal unto them the knowledge of the hearts of their petitioners For if they do not want this Revelation God who doth nothing vainly must not be supposed to impart it But these blessed Spirits do not want it for did they need this Revelation to perceive our minds saith Bellarmine the Church would not so confidently say to all the Saints Votis precamur cordium audite preces supplicum Brev. in Com. Apost p. 2. pray for me much less we offer to you the desires of our hearts but sometimes would desire God thus to reveal our prayers and to acquaint them with the desires of our hearts 2. If God thus reveal the Prayers of the Petitioner to the deceased Saints what reason can be given saith the forementioned Author why all the holy Patriarchs and Prophets were not invoked by the Church of Israel before our Saviours advent and he had reason to make this enquiry For 1. It is as easie to Almighty God to make this Revelation to the souls in Limbo that Papal prison of the Antient Patriarchs and holy Prophets as to the souls in Heaven nor have we one example or declaration that what God is supposed now to do he was not willing to do then 2. Certain it is the charity of those departed Patriarchs and Prophets towards their relatives and friends and the whole Church of God must be exceedingly advanced by their change they must be more the friends of God and their petitions must be more prevailing then whilst they did continue in the flesh Wherefore the Jews had as good reason to invoke these Patriarchs and Prophets as hath the Romanist to call upon the Christian Martyrs And God had equal reason to declare this was the duty of the Jew and to reveal their Supplications to the Patriarchs as to
conversing with God †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bosil Tom. 1. Orat. in Jusiti Martyr p. 318. Prayer is a request of some good thing which is made by pious men to God saith Basil whence elsewhere he asserts that Prayer is not directed unto man but God ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nyss de Orat. Dom. or 2. p. 724. D. Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 30. Prayer is a conference with God saith Nyssen and a request of good things which is offered with supplication unto God Prayer is a Colloquy with God and every one that prays discourseth with God so St. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 4. p. 139. Chrysostome Hence on that expression of St. Paul with all that call upon the name of the Lord he notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that St. Paul doth not say that call on this or that i.e. of any thing but Christ and on these words Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus he comments thus i.e. do all things praying unto him for help and before all thy business making thy supplication to him or he saith thus say and do all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or according to God and introduce not Angels But T. G. hath some Arguments to prove that Saints and Angels have the knowledge of our hearts and actions viz. It is said Luke 15.7 Object T. G. p. 419. There shall be joy in Heaven and v. 10. There shall be joy before the Angels of God upon one sinner that doth penance And the Saints in Heaven no doubt rejoyce as much at the conversion of a sinner as the Angels do Not only the Angels of God Answ White against Fisher p. 315. but holy men on earth rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15.24 2 Cor. 7.9 Likewise Parents Ministers and Friends rejoyce c. And yet it followeth not from hence that holy men on earth which rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner see the secrets of the heart 1 Cor. 2.11 So likewise Angels which are ministring Spirits Hebr. 1 14. may understand by the signs and fruits of true repentance the conversion of divers sinners and consequently they may rejoyce without intuitive knowledge of the heart 2. Our Saviours words Luke 15.10 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conclusion of a parable which must not be strained beyond the true scope But according to the exposition of sundry †Anbrâ—s l. 7. in Lucam Hilar in Matth. 18 Isidâ—r lib. Alleg. Chrysol Serm. 168. Fathers and some learned ‖ Cojet Titus Bostrensis in locum Papists The hundred sheep v. 4. represent the whole body of the Elect consisting of Men and Angels the ninety and nine sheep not lost were the Angels persisting in their prime integrity The stray sheep all mankind sinning in Adam To recover this lost sheep the Son of God that good Shepheard Jo. 10.11 was incarnate and by the gracious work of Redemption he laid the same on his shoulder Now there is great joy in Heaven before the coelestial Angels for this recovery and salvation of mankind So that no more can be inferred from this parable but that the Court of Heaven and in the same the holy Angels rejoyce because of mans Redemption 3. When it is said that there is joy in Heaven we may expound it as Dr. Hammond doth not of the joy of Angels but of God and had we no reason to confirm this sense it is sufficient to destroy the force of what T. G. doth hence conclude from this citation that it may fairly be expounded in that sense which rendereth it impertinent to his design but since it is not said to be the joy of Angels but that joy which is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. before the holy Angels this doth sufficiently demonstrate that it is the joy of him before whose face they stand continually Moreover it is confessedly God who is compared to the Shepherd and to the Woman seeking the lost Groat And therefore the similitude requires that the joy conceived when the lost Sheep and Groat is found should be ascribed to him Whereas our Savour himself saith Object T. G. ib. That the just in the Resurrection shall be as the Angels in Heaven Matth. 22.30 the equality as to knowledge not depending upon the body it follows by the Analogy of Faith that our prayers and concerns are known also to the Saints now injoying the same blissful Vision with the Angels Christ doth not only say Answ That the Spirits of just persons shall be like the Angels but he expresseth wherein they shall be so to wit 1. In freedom from secular actions and passions 2. Inglorious Adoption or real Possession of all the priviledges of the Sons of God We cannot therefore hence infer a parity of qualities and operations betwixt the Angels and the Spirits of just men but only a similitude of state and priviledges as * Verum haec authoritas ut ingemiè fatear solum aequat homines Angelis in hoc quod nullum mutrimonti usum haâ—ebunt siâ—â—t nec Angeli non tamen ibidem facit pareâ— quantum ad facialem visionem Det. Alph. de Castr l. 3. c. Haer. v. Beat. v. Jansen Harm Evang. c. 117. Papists do themselves consess 2. Christ doth not †In illa requie positus ceitè securus expectas judicii diem quando reeipias co â—us quande immuteris ut angelo aequaeris Aust in Ps 36. f 61. say The Spirits of just men are as the Angels now but that at the Resurrection they shall be so White p. 380. Now I admire what Papists can extort from hence for invocation of Saints for there is no connexion between this Antecedent and Consequent to wit just men at the Resurrection shall live as Angels remote from all the necessities of a worldly life and they shall be as the Angels of God free from material and corporeal passions and equal to the Angels in fruition of blessedness Ergo The knowledge of our prayers which we make in this life is not to be denyed unto glorious Saints the fellows of Angels The smoke of the Incenses of the Prayers of the Saints ascended from the hand of the Angel before God Apoc 8.4 Ergo Object ibid. Our prayers and actions are not unknown to the Angels 1. This place of St. John proveth not Answ White p. 314. either clearly or obscurely That holy Angels hear the Prayers or see the actions and affections of men For the Angel mentioned is expounded by the antient Expositors and by the Romanists themselves not of an Angel by Nature but of an Angel by Office and by some of them of an Angel by Type * In locum Albertus in his Commentary St. John saith Another Angel that is Christ who is the Angel of the Covenant Esay 9. Dionysius Carthusianus (a) Doctores Caeâ—belici per Angelum isium intelligunt Christum qui magni
their charge in this important duty and to inform them that it is very good and profitable to fly unto their prayers for help and refuge that we must daily invocate the Blessed Virgin and that it is a wicked and most hainous crime to doubt either her readiness to help Cateâ—â— â—om p. 584. or that her merits are most prevailing for this end Their practise doth inform us that there is not any blessing which our Souls can wish for but Christians should implore it from them And if their Doctrine were according unto Piety their practise must assuredly he so For what more proper then to implore their aid who are so highly instrumental to preserve us from our most fatal Enemies and to procure all those blessings which are needful both to the Piety of this present life and to the felicity of that which is to come St. Paul is in like manner large and copious in these instructions which he gives unto the Pastors of the Church and to the people committed to their charge He informs us that we must all pray and for all men that we must pray with pure hands and with hearts free from wrath and doubting He tells us in what language we should frame our prayers viz. in such a language that all that hear may understand 1 Cor. 14. and say Amen to our Petitions in what posture both men and women ought to pray and that this duty ought to be performed in all places And yet this person who descends to these minute particulars speaks not one word of this important duty so pious and profitable in it self so necessary to preserve us from the worst of Enemies and to procure the greatest blessings Nay in all the Scripture which was written to make us wise 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and thorowly instructed unto all good works we have not the least mention of it In those Epistles they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in prayer to pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Eph. 6.18 and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints To continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving To pray without ceasing Col. 4.2.1 Thess 5.17 1 Tim. 2.1 Phil. 4 6. To put up supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men To be careful for nothing but in every thing with prayer and thanksgiving to let our requests be made known unto God And to go unto that God for wisdom who giveth unto all men liberally James 1.5 and upbraideth not They also do exhort us to pray for others that they may be saved particularly 5.16 1 Joh. 5.16 for every brother that hath not sinned unto death Now surely they who do so frequently discourse upon this subject and upon the lesser circumstances of this duty would not have omitted to mention something of this so profitable practise if they had really believed it so to be For wherefore do they give us these directions but to preserve us against the power of temptation and the assaults of Sin and Satan Why do they frequently enjoyn us to be instant in the performance of this duty but that we may obtain those spiritual blessings which without great danger to our souls we cannot want If then the Invocation of the Saints departed and especially of the Virgin Mary be so highly profitable to these ends why should these men I say be silent in this matter who being guided by the Holy Spirit could not forget to do it and being as concerned for the Churches welfare as the Trent Fathers could not for want of zeal unto Gods glory or the good of Souls neglect to charge all Pastors diligently to instruct the people in this most profitable and pious practise Why should these men who both by precept and example do instruct us to request the prayers of living friends be wanting both in precept and example to move us to request the more prevailing prayers of Blessed Spirits they who command us when we are infirm to have recourse unto the prayers of surviving Pastors and to pray for one another because the fervent supplication of a righteous man availeth much why should they never send us to the B. Virgin to the Patriarchs and Prophets to St. Stephen and St. James and other early Martyrs of the Church whose Prayers if we believe the Roman Church are highly meritorious and far more prevailing Nay they had the greater reason to inculcate this because it was a novel practise and never used by the Jewish Church and therefore they had need of an Express to move and to encourage them to such devotions Whereas it was the daily custom of all Jews to put up their petitions to the God of Heaven Since therefore neither Paul or Peter or James or John Apostles or Evangelists have left us any precept or example for this practice we may be certain they did not approve it Moreover to move us more effectually to the performance of this duty they tell us That the eyes of God are still intent upon the just 1 Pet. 3.12 and his ear open to their prayer that he is well acquainted with those inward groans and wishes Rom. 8.26 which we do or cannot utter and is also able to perform exceedingly above what we can ask or think Eph. 3.20 Marth 7.7.11 James 1.5 that he is good and gracious to all that call upon him faithfully that he will fulfill the desires of them that fear him Thus also do the Latines teach concerning the Saints departed they tell us in the words of Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they confidently ascribe unto them Summan juvandi voluntatem the greatest readiness to help and the most prevailing merits Catech. Rom. p. 585. and this they do most sutably to that presumption they have taken up for all these things are the more needful to be taught because both Scripture seems to say the contrary affirming that Saints departed are ignorant of us and our concernments here on Earth and denying that any besides God can know the secrets of the heart And secondly the things themselves seem difficult to be believed viz. That Creatures at so infinite a distance can be acquainted with what is done on carth much more that they should at such a distance understand the secret motions of the heart Why is it then that the Apostles who do so often mind us of what we have less reason to suspect viz. That God is able and very ready to perform what we desire and that he hears the secret groanings of our heart should not inform us of what is so exceeding hard and yet so necessary to be believed of these Blessed Spirits Whosoever diligently reads their Writings will find them praying earnestly to God for all those blessings to be conferred upon the Christians which Papists do request from Saints and Angels That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give to
the Ephesians the spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him Eph. 1.17 18. the eyes of their Vnderstanding being enlightned That he would grant that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith 3.17.18.19 that they might be strengthned by his Spirit in the inner man that they being rooted and grounded in love might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height And to know the love of God which passeth knowledge and be filled with all fulness of God That the Philippians love might abound more in knowledge Phil. 1.9 10 11. and in all judgment that they might approve things that are excellent and be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteoussness to the praise and glory of God That the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisdom Col. 1.9 10 11. and spiritual understanding that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness 1 Thess 3.12 13 That the Thessalonians might encrease in love and have their hearts established unblamable in holiness before God 2.1.11.12 That God would count them worthy of his calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the God of Peace would make the Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will Heb. 13.20 21. 1 Pet. 5.10 working in them that which is well pleasing in his sight That the God of Grace would make them perfect stablish strengthen settle them These Supplications were their daily exercise and had they thought the Invocation of the blessed Virgin the Patriarchs and Prophets the Proto-Martyr and the brother of our Lord would have been needful and effectual to the attainment of these things for which they prayed so earnestly why do they never once address themselves unto them why do they never pray as doth the Church of Rome Brevarium Missal that through the deprecation intervention patrocination and intercession of these persons they may be worthy to obtain these blessings why do they never pray by the merits of these persons to be delivered from * Deus qui beatum Nicolaum P. tribue qâ—aeâ—un us ut ejus moritis pracibus 〈◊〉 Ochenna incend is liberemus Miss in sest sanâ— Nich. Dec. xi Deus q. â— beatuâ— Lodovicum ju quaesamus meritis intercessione Regis Regan â—â—su Christâ—â— fâ—l â—ui facias nos esse can oâ—tes in Fest beat Lud. Aug 25. Hell and made partakers of the joys of Heaven as doth the Roman Blashemy Why do they no declare with them that they do †In Fest faâ—ct Agapiti Aug. 28. place their confidence in the petitions of these prevailing Saints and blessed Spirits Why do they not ascribe their mercys and deliverances to the ‖ Accepta tibâ— siâ— â—â—mine sacratâ—e plebâ—s oblatio pro inorum Hâ—nors Sanctâ—um quâ—râ—mâ—â—e â—â—ritis perâ—â—â—â— de tribulatione cognoseit 〈◊〉 Miss Dee â—â—â—p 〈◊〉 Ed. Antwerp 1605. merits of these Saints as they most insolently do Assuredly on this account because they did not in their hearts approve the practise Were blessed Paul alive to see his Prophesy so punctually fulfilled That in these later times men should depart from the Faith attending to erroneous Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Doctrine of worshipping departed Souls how would he passionately cry out O foolish Romanists who hath bewitched you c. Lastly St. Paul had such an ardent zeal to the promotion of the Gospel that he omits no help which he conceives might give a blessing to his labours He therefore passionately intreats the Christians to whom his writings are directed Rom. 15.30 31. That they would strive together with him in their prayers to God that he might be delivered from them who did not believe in Judea and that his Service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints and that he might come unto them with joy and with them be refreshed That they would alwaies Eph. 6.18 19. and with all perseverance pray for him that utterance might be given unto him hat he might open his mouth boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel Col. 4.1 2 3. That they would continue in prayer that God would open unto him a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which he was in hands that he might make it manifest as he ought to speak 1 Thes 5 25.2-3.1.2 Finally Brethren saith he pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith So blessed Paul and had he thought that his addresses to the Patriarchs and Prophets the blessed Virgin the Quire of Angels or the Saints made perfect would have been more effectual to this end would not his zeal have prompted him to have put up one request unto them or one Petition to his Guardian-Angel to be defended from these unreasonable men If all these circumstances be considered it will amount to an invincible conviction of the falshood of that determination of the Church of Rome * Juxta Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae usum à primaevis Christianae Religionis temporibus receptum Concil Trid. Sess 25. that this is the practise which was derived from the Apostles and hath been still continued in the Church of Christ 2. No other reason can be given why they did not practise or commend the Invocation of the blessed Spirits besides this that they conceived this worship to be that honour God had reserved for himself and that they looked upon it as a vain and fruitless practice The knowledg of the heart and of the Prayers that are put up by All men at all times and in all places of the Earth being the knowledg proper to the God of Heaven and not communicated to the Saints deceased This will appear more evident if we consider and refute those shifts whereby they do endeavour to evade the force of this triumphant Evidence And 1. They tell us that * Si Apostoli Evangelistae docuissent sanctos venerandos arrogantiae iis datum fuisset ac si post mortem gloriam illam quaesivissent noluit ergo Spiritus Sanctus expressis Scipturis docere invocationem Sanctorum Eckius in Enchirid. loc Com. ex edit Alex. Weissenhorn Alanus Copus Dial. 3. fol. 239. had the Blessed Apostles taught this doctrine it might have been objected to them that they sought their own advancement and honour by the propagation of their Gospel and proudly did endeavour to be worshipped by their Christian followers Repl. 1.
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. Origen That Angels are sometimes stiled God but notwithstanding that these Gods do also minister and bring the gifts of God unto us we must not worship them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in place of God for all our prayers and supplications by whatsoever name we call them for he mentions all the Kinds of Prayer they must be all sent up to God by that high Priest who is above all Angels and is God Why so I pray you but that all prayer is worship which alone belongs to God and Jesus Christ And therefore to offer it to any Creature or by any other Mediator is to ascribe that to him which is due to God alone had he been of the Church of Rome he must have said with them that notwithstanding you have that High Priest yet may you send up your Petitions to the Saints and Angels this is an honour to him not an Encroachment upon the office of this great High Priest it is confessed you must not worship them instead of God but notwithstanding you may put up to them Supplications Prayers Thanksgiving Intercessions you may say unto them Pater noster and ask all temporal and eternal blessings of them provided you do not pray unto them with absolute terminative and sacrificial Prayer distinctions which in reference to this matter the Fathers knew but little off The Fathers hence conclude that Christ is God Arg. 4. and that the Holy Spirit is God because we put up our Petitions to them and because that they are present to relieve us being called upon (b) Si homo tantummodo Christus qùomodo adest ubique invocatus cum haec hominis natura non sit sed Dei ut udesse omni loco possit No vat de Trinitate c. 14. p. 707. Si homo tantummodo Christus cur homo in Orationibus Mediator invocetur cum Invocatio hominis ad praestandam Salutem inessecax judicetur Novatian ibid. If Christ were only man how comes he to be every where present when he is invoked since to be omnipresent is the property of God and is not competent to humane nature If Christ was only man why is a man invoked in our Prayers as if he were a Mediator for the Invocation of a man is by Christians judged inefficacious to the obtaining of Salvation so Novatian It was so by the antient Christians but is it so esteemed by the Church of Rome Is not the blessed Virgin by them styled (c) Ave salus hominum Prosa Miss f. 35. B. Salus hominum or the Salvation of mankind Do they not say that (d) Ibid. fol. 30. God will certainly confer eternal Life on them that worship her Do they not bid the (e) Missa in Honorem proprii Angeli f. 16. Guardian Angel say unto their Souls I am thy Salvation It is written saith Athanasius be thou to me a God Protector and as house of refuge that thou mayst save me which words if Arians conceive to have been spoken of the Son (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contr. Ar. Orat p. 369. let them know that Christians or Holy Persons do not Petition any thing that was begotten to be an helper to them or a house of Refuge What are they then who do declare that it is good and profitable (g) Concil Trid. Sess 25. ad corum opem auxiliumque confugere to fly for refuge to their help and aid whose daily practise is to fly unto the blessed Virgin (h) Catech Rom. Par. 4. c. 5. Sect. 8. ab eâque opem auxilium implorare i. e. and to petition her to be our helper who do advise us (i) Sub Matris refugio fuge causa veniae Prosa Miss f. 33. B. 34. A. to fly under her refuge for the pardon of our sin Lastly vvho say unto their Guardian Angel (k) Exurge Angele in adjutorium meum Miss in Hon. Pr. Angel f. 16. Arise O Angel to my help Origen lay's down this as a most certain Rule (l) Sed in Principio Epistolae quam ad Corinthios scribit ubi dicit cum omnibus qui invocant nomen domini Iesu Christi in omni loco ipsorum nostro cum cujus nomen invocatur Deum Iesum Christum esse pronunciat Si ergò Enos Moses Samuel invocabant Dominum ipse exaudiebat eos sine dubio Christum Iesum Dominum invocabant si invocare Domini nomen adorare Deum unum atque idem est sicut invocatur Christus adorandus est Christus Orig. l. 8. in Epist ad Rom. c. 10. That to invoke the name of God and to adore him is the same Whence he infers that as Christ may be invocated so also must he be acknowledged to be God and he adds that when Saint Paul doth mention those that in all places call upon the name of Christ he proves the same Having thus manifested from the judgment of the ancient Fathers that invocation is a part of worship proper to God and that it cannot be ascribed to Saints departed vvithout Idolatry much less to the inferior Heathen Daemons Pag. 1.5 We shall subjoyn what Dr. St. affirms viz. That there being other intermediate beings between the supreme God and men whose office as the Heathens did conceive vvas this to carry the prayers of men to God and to bring down help from him to them they thought it very fitting to address their solemn supplications unto them this I say being so there was the very same cause in debate betwixt the ancient Fathers and the Heathens vvhich is between us and the Church of Rome Here T.G. swells and cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a most injurious Calumny and such as scarcely ever dropt from the pen of the greatest enemies of Christianity So he this being his continual Custom to begin with false and disingenuous accusations and to confirm them by most impertinent and weak discourses We therefore will a little draw the paralel and then proceed to answer his impertinencies First then (m) Oratio porrigitur alicui dupliciter Vno modo quasi per ipsum implenda Alio modo sicut per ipsum impetranda Primo quidem modo soli Dec Orationem porrigimus quid omnes crationes nostrae ordinari debent ad gratiam gloriam consequendam quae solus Deus dat Secundum illud Psal 83. Gratiam Glorian dabit Dominue Sed Secundario modo orationem porrigimus Angelis hominibus Aq. 2 2ae q. 83. Art 4. Aquinas thus propounds the Doctrine of the Church of Rome touching the Invocation of departed Spirits a prayer may be directed to a person so as that we do request him to fulfil and by himself accomplish our desires and thus we pray to God alone or so as that we do sollicite him to beg or to obtain them for us and thus we pray to Saints and Angels now this is that very
Invocation of the Saints vvhich Roman Catholicks do practise but if instead of speaking to this one case of supplication you will let me wander through the vvhole worship of those Daemons then I have three disparities to offer this is the twig the poor man catcheth hold of to save both him and his vvhole Church from sinking but in vain for the disparities which he hath represented betwixt that honour vvhich they give to Saints and vvhat the Heathen do ascribe to their inferior Daemons is not only horribly impertinent but also vain and frivolous as vvill appear by reassuming of his heads of difference as 1. The persons to whom we address our selves for their prayers T. G. pag. 351. are not Devils or wicked Wretches but the Friends and Servants of God Answ 1. St. Austin manifestly doth assert Dec. D. l. 9. c. 23. That either all or at the least the better sort of Platonists Hoc ipsum dicunt quod dicimus did assert the same of their good Daemons which we do of the blessed Angels that there was also no dissention betwixt them and Christians touching these blessed Spirits and that the controversie was but this whether they should be called Daemons as they were wont to stile them or Angels as the Christians called them and therefore it is manifest he did not think the Platonists good Daemons to be Devils or wicked Wretches as T. G. suggests 2. It is apparent from their Writings that other Heathens had the same apprehensions of them which the Papists have of Saints and Angels for they distinguished them into such Spirits as * Verum haec omnis distributio corum Daemonum fait qui quondam in corpore bumano fuere Sunt autem non posteriore numero praestantiori longe dignitate superius aliud angustiusque genus Daemonum qui semper à corporis compedibus nexibus liberi Apuleius l. de Deo Socratis p. 50. were by death delivered from the body and such as never were united to the body And hence that Law of the old Romanists †Divos eos qui coelostes semper habiti colunto ollos quos in coelum merita vocaverunt Cic. de legibus l. 2. Let them be worshipped who have always lived in Heaven and those whose merits have advanced them to that place where we have both the same objects of our worship and the same reason of that worship given viz. their merits or as Trismegistus hath it the vertues of their life And though I grant they were mistaken in their apprehensions yet he that doth so confidently assert That Roman Catholicks would not be guilty of Idolatry provided the material object of their worship should be bread because they apprehend what is bread not to be there but Christ cannot have any reason to quarrel with the Heathens because when they performed their worship to an Image in whom these Spirits were conceived to be present they apprehended no evil Spirit to be there but only pure and holy Souls and blessed Daemons 2. Their office saith he is not to inform the supreme God of what he knows but to be joynt Petitioners with us Answ Admit all this the Fathers do expresly hold they ought not to be worshipped upon that account But 2. Let me crave leave of good St. Augustine to assert That the Platonists did not conceive that God was ignorant of what was done on Earth or that he needed Daemons or any other Spirits to inform him of our words thoughts or actions St. Augustine I confess infers this Doctrine from what they did assert but that they constantly professed and taught the contrary is clearer than the Sun * Theolog. Dogm Tom 1. l. 8. c. 4. Petavius tells us That the tenth Book of Plato is spent in proving that God wants neither power will nor knowledge to make his providence concerned about the least things which are done on Earth and that expresly he declares that the Gods discern know and hear all things and that nothing which our sense or reason can perceive can be concealed from them This saith †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 10. de leg p. 955. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ammonius Comment ad librum Aristotelis de interpretatione Plotinus and Ammonius must be certain that if the Gods are the first causes of all things they cannot possibly be ignorant of any thing which is in any manner done by them Moreover the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus Enn. 5. l. 9. c. 5 Vid. Petavium T. 1. l. 4. c. 2. Platonists affirmed That God had this knowledge from and by himself and from no other and that nothing was required but his nature to make him understand all things Particularly both Platonists and others held that God was the searcher of the heart and was himself acquainted with the thoughts of men Hence (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laertius in vit Thaletis p. 24 Nihil Deo clausum est interest animis nostris cogitationibus intervenit Senec Ep. 83. Thales being asked whether the actions of men could be concealed from God he answers No nor yet our thoughts Nothing is hid from God faith Seneca he is both present to our minds and thoughts Whence he exhorts us so to live as in his sight and so to think as having one who looks into our brests (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophon memorab l. 1. The Gods saith Socrates know all things which are spoken done and which in silence we consult (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Antonini l. 12. Sect. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. l. 11. Sect. 13. God sees all minds saith Antoninus devested of those Barks and material Vessels that contain them for with his mind alone he reacheth all those minds which are derived from him and are lodged in them Whence he exhorts us so to be (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epict dissert l. 2. c. 14. affected in our minds as that the Gods may see that nothing doth trouble or disgust us (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch de tarditate divin vindict This we are first to learn saith Epictetus that there is a God whose Providence doth reach to all things and that not only what we do but what we think cannot be hid from him It is more agreeable to God saith Plutarch to perceive the actions of the soul than of the body he therefore knows the dispositions of all men This is but little of that which might be easily produced to confirm this truth but yet it is sufficient to inform the Reader that T. G. was scandalously ignorant if he did not know it or scandalously wicked if knowing this he ventured to declare the contrary 3. We saith T. G. do not procure or buy this favour of them by offering Sacrifice to them Answ True but then you offer up your prayers unto them which in the judgment of the ancient Fathers is the best and highest Sacrifice
traditur nullam creaturam colendam esse animae libentius enim lâ—quor his verbis quibus mihi haec insinuâ—ta sunt sed ipsum tantummodo rerum quae sunt omnium Creatorem August l. de quant animae p. 34. in the Catholick Church it is divinely and singularly delivered that us Creature is to be Worshipped by the Soul but he only who is the Creator of all things But Roman Catholicks do and upon supposition that they have the Knowledge of the Hearts and do by seeing God p. 418. perceive the Secrets of it And as T. G. asserts do know both our Necessities and Prayers Concerns and Actions I say upon this supposition they ought to worship Saints and Angels not only with the Body but the Soul for seeing mental Prayers Vows and Thanksgivings are by all confessed to be parts of that Religious Worship which our Souls perform to God to make such Vows and put up such Petitions and Thanksgivings to the Saints and Angels must be to Worship Saints and Angels with the Soul Besides all inward Fear and Reverence must be the Worship of the Soul And yet if we may Vow and Pray and tender our Thanksgivings to them upon presumption that they know the inward Motions of our Hearts we may well be affraid to do these actions Hypocritically and remisly upon the same account We may well dread to think or vow or pray amiss and fear their Anger and their just Displeasure if we do so thus to deter us from our secret Sins the Stoicks tell us not only God but our good Doemon is in secret with us And when St. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To. 1. p. 741. A. Basil had asserted that these Angels did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold us every where he adds that upon this account the Virgin that was devoted to God ought to reverence those blessed Spirits And surely then by parity of Reason if their Knowledge reach unto the Heart and inward Motions of the Soul we ought to have that Fear and Reverence of them upon us in reference to all those motions 3. This may be strongly argued from two Considerations § 5. 1. That the Jewish Church had no such practice 2. That they abstained from this practice because they did not think this honour to be due to Angels but to God alone And 1. I say the Jewish Church had no such practice for run over all their Sacred Records the Law the Prophets and the Psalms Look into their most antient Writers Philo Judaeus and Josephus into their Litanies or forms of Prayer their Misnah or Traditions and in all these Records you shall not find one Precept or Example of any Invocation directed to the Saints departed consider all the Motives which have induced the Church of Rome to use this practice and you will find that they are chiefly taken from the Jewish Records and from those sayings of the Psalms of David which tell us that the Angels of the Lord do pitch their tehts about them that fear him to deliver them 34 Psal 7. And that he gives his Angels charge concerning them that they dash not their foot against a stone 91 Psal 11. Or from those Doctrines which were received by that Church Besides they had great evidence and manifold Examples that God did Minister his Blessings to them by the holy Angels an Angel lead them out of Aegypt through the Wilderness into the Land of Canaan the Law was given to them by the hand of Angels they often did appear unto them in an humane shape and God himself when he appeared was still attended with an Host of Angels and by them they were oft preserved from their Enemies Sith therefore notwithstanding all these Motives they never put up one Petition to an absent Angel We have just Reason to believe that in the judgment of the Jews they had no knowledge of the Heart or the desires of the Soul especially when absent from us and that this honour was not to be given to them but was intirely to be reserved for the God of Heaven Add to this that they do frequently entreat of God that he would cause those Angels to preserve them and annoy their Enemies Psal 35 5 6 7. Let them be as Chaff before the wind saith David and let the Angel of the Lord chase them Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them Why therefore do they never use the Language of the Church of Rome Horae Sec. Us Rom. Manual of Godly prayers 1610. with license Horae Sec. Us Sarum Why do they never pray to Michael the Captain of Gods Host the vanquisher of evil Spirits to be their refuge and defence against the Power of the Enemy to drive away their foes and overthrow their Machinations Why do they never call upon their Guardian Angel to take hold of Sword and Buckler and rise up to help them Or to their valiant Champion Gabriel to rise up to help them against the Malignants and to be with them against all their Adversaries 3. According to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome when they appeared the Jews did sometimes put up their Petitions to them Why therefore did they not invoke them when absent and invisible if they had held as doth the Chuch of Rome that being absent they were as able to perceive their supplications and obtain the Blessings they did want and that their aid was such an excellent and present help against the violent assaults of a Temptation and all those Floods of Evils we are continually exposed to With us consent the Antient Fathers in this matter * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. l. 5. p. 234. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 235. none that observes the Law of Moses doth worship Angels For so to do is not a Jewish Custom but a transgression of their Customes saith the Learned Origen * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 4. cont Arrian Jacob and David did request deliverance of none but God saith Athanasius And whereas T. G. and the Roman Catechism Object § 6. produce those words of Jacob the Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads as an example of this Invocation and a proof that it was practised by the Antient Jews If we consider what the Fathers have delivered upon this Text and how expresly they assert these words must certainly be understood of Christ We may admire that any Roman Doctor who stands obliged by his Oath * Nec eam unquam nisi juxta unanimen consensum patrum accipiam Interpretabor Bulla pii 4. super forma juramenti professionis fidei not to Interpret Scripture but according to the unanimous consent of the Holy Fathers should make so little Conscience of that Oath as to Interpret this and many other Scriptures in opposition to the prevailing Judgment of those Fathers 2. It is admirable to consider with what incredible
so frequent in those Writers of the Church of Rome which comment on the places mentioned These blessed Apostles were not so careful to prevent the Errors and Mistakes of Hereticks in this particular as are the Doctors of the Roman Church they do not seem so tender of the Invotion and Worship of those blessed Spirits or so sollicitous we may not loose so great a benefit as are those Roman Doctors which gives us reason to conjecture not that their Knowledg or their Piety was less but that they did not very much aprove that Doctrine which gave the rise unto this Superstition of the Romish Church and so much for the first particular 2. That both the Jews and Christians abstained from this practise because they did not think this honor to be due to Angels but to God alone is evident from what we have discoursed already to confirm this inference the Apostles and Evangelists left us no precept or example to put up our petitions to departed Saints and therefore they conceived it the Worship due to God alone 2 Having removed and taken off those reasons which the Romanist assignes of this neglect it follows that that reason must stand good which we assigne at least till they can find a better With us consent the learned Jews (a) Joseph Albus l. 3. in Icarim c. 18. Idololatriam primam corum fulsse existimans qui Angelos similes creaturas ut sequestres inter se at Deum colluissent ait Deum in Decalogo quando ait Non cruâ—t tibi Dit aâ—ieni ante faciem meam id voluisse ne homines ullos ponerent sequestres aut deprecatores inter se ipsos Vossiu in Maim de Idolol c. 2. Sect. 1. Josephus Albus supposeth this Worship of the Angels as Mediators betwixt God and us to be the most antique Idolatry and (b) Fundamentum Mandati de Idololatria est nequis Serviat Creaturae non Angelo non Sphaeâ—ae non Stellae quanquam autem is qui ca colit sciat illa non esse Deum ac colat Creaturam hanc quomodo coluit Euos illius coaetanei nihilomiâ—us est Idololatria Maim ibid. Maimonides sue definitione non tantum se complecti ait Eos qui creaturis cultum exhibent us Deo verum qui iis supplicant ut ministris Dei Dionys Vossius in locum Maimon adds that the foundation of the precept of Idolatry is this that no man serve or Worship any Angel or created being As the Foundation of our last evidence of that Idolatry which is in this particular committed by the Church of Rome §. 9. we do premise 1. That Magick is that art of Divination which in conversant about the Revelation of things coâ—tingent and concealed as v. g. touching the victory of contending parties the future condition of the Church c. The declaration of our future State Fortune Marriage Death Prosperity Adversity and many other things which it is very useful for Mankind to know Alii dicunt hos esse effectus bonorum Angelorum Delrio disq Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. 2 I premise that there was amongst the antients an oppinion that by the help of Souls departed or good Angels they might obtain the knowledge of things contingent and concealed and hence that Divination which they exercised who did pretend to know things secret or contingent by their means was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or white Magick in opposition to Divination by evil Spirits which they stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or black Magick it was a very old opinion especially of the Platonists of Jamblick Porphyry Plotinus Proclus and Julian the Apostate that Divination was the effect of holy Angels So (a) Disquis Mag. l. 2. qu. 2. p. 96. B. Delrio (b) Strom. 3. Magicians who observe Angels and Demons are careful to abstain from Wine and Venery and living creatures So St. Clemens And 3. I premise that this white Magick is by the Church of Rome condemned as Idolatry For such is all unlawful Magick saith (c) Tacita Idololatria est omnis Magia prohibita Belrio l. 1. disqu Mag. cap. 1. p. 3. Col. 3. Delrio Whosoever exerciseth the art of Divination or consults them that do it are guilty of having other Gods saith (d) Estius in Sent. 3. dist 4. Sect. 6. p. 130. Estius because they attribute unto the Creature what is Gods propriety viz. The knowledge of things future and which in nature have no certain Causes but which depend upon the will of man or other things which are mutable Valentianus adds That they affront his Majesty by a vain expectation of those things from Creatures which are to be expected only from God for God having said declare to us things future that we may know that ye are Gods the knowledge of things future and contingent must be the knowledge proper unto God alone And again the procuration of the knowledge of things hid or secret belongeth to Divine Worship for these are to be expected only from God by prayer and other lawful means when therefore we expect them vainly from the Creature we do ascribe unto the Creature that Worship which is properly Divine These things premised 4. I add that either this white Magick must be lawful or else the Invocation of Saints and Angels as it is practised in the Church of Rome must be unlawful and guilty of Idolatry either we vainly do expect that they should hear and understand our mental Prayers and know the secrets of our Hearts or the Magicians who do expect the knowledge of things secret or contingent by those blessed Spirits cannot be justly charged with Idolatry For whatsoever the Romanist pretends in vindication of the first doth equally excuse and vindicate the second for if you do conjecture with the Church of Rome that the affection of those blessed Spirits to mankind is so exceeding great that it will prompt them most assuredly to intercede in our behalf for other temporal concerns to be our refuge and Protectors and to Minister to the concernements both of this and of the future life why may we not conceive that the same love should move them to declare those future things which it doth Equally concern us to know both that we may obtain the greatest blessings and may be able to fly and to prevent the greatest perils or may prepare to bear those evils with a Christian courage which we cannot escape When Florentius having lost his Cloak T. G. p. 424. and had not where withall to buy another by praying to the twenty Martyrs caught a Fish with a Gold Ring in t sufficient I suppose to buy another Caniw e doubt but when we lose a Cloak that praying to all Saints and Angels some kind hearted Saint that perhaps in his life time lost his own and so must be supposed according to * Part. 3. cap. 2. Sect. 4. T. G. to be more ready than the rest to pitty any
this is manifestly false and that Doctor Stillingfleet not only contradicis the Truth but himself too to wit because he had before affirmed that the Aegyptian Daemons saith Celsus healed the diseases of the parts proper to themselves and therefore might justly be Invocated And 2. because he had told us from S. Augustin that it was their Office to inform the superior Gods of what they could not know otherwise this is the only ground of this rude imputation of falsehood and contradiction to the Doctor and yet this ground is as ridiculously vain as if I should affirm this Proposition to be false that all the Heathens attributed to their good Spirits was only Intercession because they attributed to them Wings and an Aetherial body who is so blind as not to see that when the Doctor saith they made them Mediators of Intercession only not Mediators of Redemption by that exclusive only he could not intend to say that they asserted nothing else concerning them as he most grosly doth mistake or most unconscionably doth interpret him but only that they ascribed nothing to them which made them Mediators of Redemption Moreover is it fair dealing when he thus rails against Dr. Stillingfleet to do himself what he imputes unto the Doctor and quote him falsely in that very place which yet he manifestly doth in setting down this passage as the Doctors words viz. that the giving them Divine Worship proceedeth upon that superstition c. For both to this citation and to many passages pretendedly translated from the Fathers or cited as the sense and meaning of their words he adds this word Divine where it is not expressed or in the least intended only that he may seem to answer when he doth nothing less which is a fraud so horrible and disingenious that no man can sufficiently detest it or judge that man can make a conscience of his actions who makes a common practice of it 2. Let any man peruse S. Augustin's whole discourse upon this matter and he will find that to overthrow this Tenet of * Sed quia eosdem Daemones inter homines Deos ita medios constitutos putant tanquam nullus deus homini misceatur ut hine perferant desiderata inde referant impetrata atque hoc Platonici precipui Philosophorum ac nobilissimi sentiant cum quibus velut cum excellentioribus placuit istam examinare quaestionem utrum cultus plurimorum Deorum prosit ad consequendam vitam beatam quae post mortem futura est De Civitat Dei l. 9. c. 1. p. 268. D. Apuleius and all Philosophers that were of the same judgement with him and held that their good Doemons did so mediate betwixt the Gods and men as that they carried our petitions up to them and did return the Aids and Blessings of the God to us He undertakes the Refutation of this Platonick Doctrine and the examination of this Question whether the worship of those many Gods or Daemons was profitable to the obtaining of our future Bliss and to confute this Doctrine of the Platonists and to prove this Mediation not to be profitable to this end he argues thus * Proinde mediatorem inter nos Deum mortalitatem habere oportuit transeuntem beatudinem permanentem ut per id quod transit congrueret morituris ad id quod permanet transferret ex mortuis Boniigitur Angeli inter miseros mortales beatos immortales medii esse non possunt quia ipsi quoque beati immortales sunt Id. ib. c. 15. vid. etiam c. 13. Multi sunt medii Separatores ne possit ad illud unum beatificum perveniri ad quod ut perduceremur non multis sed uno Mediatore opus erat hoc eo ipso cujus participatione sumus beati hoc est Verbo Dei non facto sed per quod facta sunt omnia Ib. c. 15. A. This Mediation cannot be performed but by a middle person who partakes of some what that makes him like unto hoth parties and therefore cannot be performed by good Angels such as the Platonist asserts these Daemons are because Good Angels have happiness and immortality with God but neither misery nor mortality by which they may agree with Man This is his argument even in that place whence Dr. Stillingfleet doth cite these words that those who are Christians do believe that we need not many but one Mediator and that such a one by whose participation we are made happy i. e. the word of God not made but by whom all things were made Now here the Doctor is with great confidence p. 373. and with as little reason accused of false translation and addition to St. Austins words of addition because he saith those that are Christians do believe Of false Translation in those words we need not many but one Mediator but it is easie to vindicate the Doctor from these false aspersions for that Christians only could be brought to the Enjoyment of God was certainly St. Austins Faith so then ut perduceremur sc nos ad Deum non multis sed uno Mediatore opus erat sc nobis must import thus much That we Christians may be brought to God we have no need of many Mediators To cavil at this Translation is to expose his ignorance to every School Boy But to the Testimony of St. Austin he returns this Answer that it is plain he speaks of such a Mediator p. 374. by whose participation we are made happy that is a Mediator of Redemption and not a Mediator of Intercession Rep. it is as plain that St. Austin speaks of such a Mediator who is the word of God not made but making all things and that the Platonist acknowledged his Mediating Demons to be made by God the Platonist may therefore with T. G. infer that it is plain he speaketh not against them though he designed nothing else because he speaks of such a Mediator by whose participation we are made happy that is sayth he the word of God not made c. 2. Doth not St. Austin tell us in the begining of this Book that seeing some Philosophers affirmed that their Good Demons were Ministers to intercede with God or carry up our Prayers to him and to bring back his Blessings unto us therefore he would enter upon this dispute whether the worship of those many Gods was profitable to Salvation And therefore it is evident he stood obliged to shew they did not contribute to our Salvation by being Mediators of Intercession for us as well as to exclude them from from being Mediators of Redemption The Works of Origen against Celsus §. 2. are so express and clear against this practice of the Church of Rome that if he had designed to confute the Doctrine of that Church he could not have devised expressions more repugnant to it for having confessed that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 233. holy Angels did carry up our