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
the loue of their children Euen so almightie Father through the loue thou bearest to thy almightie Sonne I beseech thee draw my soule out of prison to the end it may confesse thy name deliuer me from the bands of sinne through the intercession of this thy precious Sonne which sitteth at thy right hand For surely I know not what other intercessor I could addresse towards thee for me but only he which is the propitiation for our sinnes who sitteth at thy right hand who through the glorie which is common to him with thee soliciteth thy goodnesse for vs. Behold O God and Father my Aduocate with thee behold my High-priest which hath no need of being cleansed through the blood of any one because hee shineth being sprinkled with his owne blood I haue addressed thy welbeloued Sonne for my Aduocate I haue made him a Mediatour betweene thee and me an Intercessor through whom I am sure to obtaine pardon behold he is my hope lâ—e in him is all my confidence If thou rereiect me for mine iniquitie as I haue deserued regard me yet at the least in thy Sonne that propitiation which thou hast prepared by one that serued thee Remember what thy Sonne hath suffered and forget that which a wicked wretch hath done In like manner we finde in his Epistles another forme made for the instruction and consolation of the sick which prepare themselues to die in forme of a discourse wherein the Pastor demandeth and the sick person answereth Art thou glad in thy selfe saith the Pastor to the sick that thou diest in thy Christian faith Yea answered the sicke P. Doest thou confesse to haue liued so ill as thou hast merited eternall punishment S. Yea. P. Beleeuest thou that our Lord Iesus Christ died for thee S. Yea. P. Doest thou giue him thankes therefore S. Yea. P. Beleeuest thou that thou canst not bee saued but by his death S. Yea. P. Got to then whilest yet thy soule is in thee set all thy saluation only in his death Haue confidence in no other thing trust and commit thy selfe wholly to this death couer thy selfe only therewith and with it wrap thy selfe round about And if the Lord would iudge thee say Lord I oppose the death of Iesus Christ our Lord betweene me and thy iudgement otherwise I could not debate with thee And if hee say vnto thee that thou art a sinner say Lord I put the death of Iesus Christ our Lord betweene thee and my sinnes And if hee should say once more vnto thee thou hast merited damnation say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus betweene thee and my damnation I offer vnto thee his merit in stead of that which ought to be in me in whom there is none And if hee should say yet vnto thee that he is angrie against thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus betweene me and thy anger This being accomplished let the sicke say three times Lord I recommend my spirit into thy hands Thus Saint Bernard hath oftentimes exhorted the people in his sermons not to stand vpon the Apostles nor any other Saint which is but a man neither to any Angel but to goe straight forward vnto the Father of lights who is the only iudge and witnesse of our thoughts and to his Sonne Iesus Christ the only Sauiour and Bridegrome of the Church For in his 23. Sermon expounding this sentence of our Lord Iesus Christ I am the way the truth the life Who will saith he making Christ himselfe speake come let come after me let him come by me let him come to me After me saith the Lord for I am the truth by me for I am the way to me for I am the life And in his 15. Sermon on the 91. Psalme The Church saith he is excellent well described in the Canticle of Canticles that hauing found the watchmen or rather being found by them for she sought them not she staieth not with those watchmen neither contenteth her selfe in their companie but hauing enquired after her welbeloued flies right towards him for her heart had no trust in those watchmen but in her Lord and it may be she would haue said to those which should haue counselled her otherwise I haue my confidence in the Lord which the Corinthians did not well obserue when they met with those watchmen but staied with them and passed no further I am said they of Cephas and I of Paul and I of Apollo but what haue these sober and well aduised watchmen done For they would not take to them the Bride they which were ielous about her euen with a godly ielousie who had vowed to render her as a chast virgin to her husband And if I deceiue not my selfe they pushed her forward to the end she might passe further to finde out her welbeloued And it is to be considered with what arrowes the Apostle S. Paul woundeth those which some to stay with the watchmen Paul hath he been crucified for you or haue yee been baptized in the name of Paul And immediatly after I will deliuer him saith the Lord in the 91 Psalme because hee hopeth in me not saith hee in the watchmen not in man not in Angel but in me Expect no good from any but from me and not by them for euery good gift is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights for through me the watchmen are profitable But for the rest the watch of the secret intention which is in the bottome of the heart must not only be of me but also is made by me because the eye of man cannot penetrate so deepe nor likewise the eye of an Angel Also in his 174 epistle he admonisheth the Monks of his time that the Vrgin Mary would be honoured with iudgement because she hath no need of false honors being adorned aboue in heauen with true honors She takes no delight saith he in a proud noueltie the mother of rushnesse and sister of lightnesse to honor her in such a sort is not to honor her but to take away honor from her Moreouer manifesting his faith to be only in God in his 61 Sermon vpon the Canticle of Canticles My merit saith he is the mercie of the Lord for I haue no want of merit so long as he hath no want of mercie I boldly take from the bowels of the Lord what I want because they are full of mercie Besides he died in this beleefe saying I confesse that I am not worthie of the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen and the which through â—ine owne merits I cannot obtaine but my Lord which holdeth it by a double right that is both by the inheritance of his Father and through the merit of his owne passion content with one he giueth me the other And if I attribute it to my selfe by vertue of the gift which he hath giuen me I am not confounded It is not yet fiue hundred yeeres since S.
erred 49. 50 The Fathers inuocated the name of God only 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59 The Fathers prayed not to the Saints 61. 62. 63. 64 The Fathers called vpon God alone 65. 66. 67. 68. c. The Fathers condēned the worshippers of angels 57. 58. 59. 60 The ancient Fathers condemned the Adorers of Marie 61. 62. 63. 64 The ancient Doctors condemned the worshippers of creatures 52. 53. 54. c. 59. c. Bookes of the Fathers falsely fathered on them 81. 82. 83 An answere to his testimonie taken out of the writings of Irenaeus 85 An answere vpon his testimonie taken from Athanasius and Basil. 85. 86 An answere to his testimonie of Damascenus 88 Answere to his allegation of Hierome 88. 89 90 An answere to his allegation out of Anselmus and Bernard 91. 92 A particular answere vpon S. Bernards testimonie 94. 95 An answere vpon his citations out of Origen 96. 97 Books peruerted and altered by the Iesuites 98. 99. 100. 101 We ought to follow that forme of prayer which Christ hath taught vs. 102 False Prophets haue done miracles 103. 104 Sorcerers haue done miracles 105 The Saints departed cannot heare our prayers 105 The inuocation of Saints hath no ground nor foundation in the holy Scripture 107. 108 Touching his example of Abraham 111. 112. 113 What is to be vnderstood by Abrahams bosome 112. 113 There are but two waies 112 Of Lazarus and the rich Glutton 111. 112. 113. 14. 15 The departed doe not busie nor trouble themselues with our affaires 119. 120 The Saints deceased cannot heare vs. 122 AN EPISTLE WRITTEN BY A CERTAINE DOCTOR OF THE AVGVSTINS ORDER WITHIN THE CITIE OF LEIGE AND sent to a Leigois Merchant at DORT AFter my most humble salutations this present may serue according to my small power for to make cleere vnto you some certaine doubt which I vnderstood you haue to wit Whether it is true or how it is possible that the Saints which are aboue in heauen can heare our Prayers which we make to them here beneath on earth For the better cleering then of your demand wee will here handle two points as briefly as wee can beseeching you at your leisure you will be pleased to reade them ouer attentiuely The first will shew that it can be no otherwise then very good to pray and recommend vs to the Saints The second will declare the maner how they may heare our praiers and supplications For the first you must know that this hath alwaies been the doctrine of the Catholike Church to say and teach that this was a thing more then reasonable yea and most profitable for man to inuocate the Saints which the Church hath taught for the space of 1605 yeeres euen vnto this day But you must know this also that certaine heretikes which are sprung vp within this fortie or fiftie yeeres haue meant to teach and preach the cleane contrarir to wit the Lutherans and Caluinists who within a few yeeres seeking to ouerthrow so ancient a doctrine say that we must not pray vnto the Saints but vnto God onely Now let vs see whether these nouell Doctors haue been cleerer sighted wiser or better replenished with the spirit of God then all the Ancients The reason and most ordinary argument which they bring against this doctrine is this It is say they to doe wrong and iniurie vnto God to addresse our selues to any other then to him Loe this is that great peece of Canon wherewith they thunder against the walles of the towne and citie of God which is his Church For proofe whereof they alleage Saint Paul in his first Epistle to Timotheus the second Chapter and fifth verse saying that he calleth Iesus Christ our one and onely Mediator our Intercessor and our Bishop Let vs cite the words of the Apostle For There is saith he one God and one Mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus These words of Saint Paul will say that there is one soueraigne Mediator which is Iesus Christ in that he is man but that hindereth not but there may bee moe which are subordinate and not soueraigne though that Iesus Christ be truly our onely Mediator sole Aduocate and only Redeemer My masters the Ministers and Preachers will reply and answer vs But how can these things agree together that Iesus Christ should be the onely Mediator and sole Intercessor for vs and yet neuerthelesse wee should haue some others namely the Saints If he be alone how hath he so many companions To answere this obiection we euermore confessse that Iesus Christ is our true Mediator and Intercessor vnto God for vs but we say also on the other side that the Saints may be likewise Mediators and Intercessors for vs. And if you aske me againe If the Saints may also be called Mediators and be so indeed how is it then that wee call Iesus Christ the onely Mediator I answere thereunto that it is for certaine causes and reasons which my masters the Ministers are either ignorant of or malitiouslie hide and conceale them from the people They are three in number The first cause why our Lord Iesus Christ is called the onely Mediator though the Saints be likewise after their manner is because he alone hath trod vpon the grapes in the wine presse and with the price of his bloud hath paid our ransome and hath reconciled vs vnto God his eternall father not only in praying as the Saints may doe but also in paying that which wee did owe which the Saints haue not done nor cannot doe for he alone hath redeemed vs. And for this cause we call him the only Mediator that is of ransome and of redemption And this is that which the Apostle Saint Paul would haue said in the place alleaged For after he had said that we haue one Mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ he explaning himselfe presently addeth these words Qui dedit redemptionem semetipsum pro omnibus that is to say Who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men The second cause wherefore our Lord Iesus Christ is called the only Mediator is because he is not onely such by reason of the office whereby he mediats for vs and reconcileth vs to God but also by reason of his nature for he is in the midst betweene God and man being both God and man together which the Saints are not And for this cause he is called the only Intercessor like as the good and holy Fathers haue in times past taught vs to wit S. Austin in his 9. booke of the Citie of God and 17. Chapter S. Cyril in his 12. book S. Fulgence in hi◠2. booke ad Petrum chap. 2. and S. Theodoret vpon that very place of S. Paul with many others Thirdly Iesus Christ is called the only Mediator because that he is Mediator for all men in such a sort that he hath no need of any other Mediator either for himselfe or for other men
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
then that you affirme that the holy Scripture teacheth vs that the departed Saints heare our prayers and wee contrariwise denie it then it is not in vs to confirme our negation but in you to ratifie your negation which is vnpossible for you notwithstanding you are so imprudent or rather so impudent as to say that wee may reade ouer the Bible as oft as we list yet we shall neuer produce thereout one only text contrary to your opinion If your conscience be not seared it hath alreadie conuicted you of falsehood by the reading of those two places which alreadie I haue quoted out of the 9. chapter and 16. verse of Eccle. and Esay 63. vers 16. where the holy Ghost guiding the pen of these two men of God teacheth vs that they which are departed this life haue no portion in our businesses which are done vnder the Sunne but that they are ignorant thereof Let vs now come to your demonstration that the Scripture faileth you not in this point for to awaken our spirits you first command vs to note this expresse text of Scripture that the Angels in heauen vnderstand our prayers seeing they are the reporters of then to the diuine Maiestie as appeareth by the same scripture Secondly it is an expresse text of scripture that the Saints shall be in heauen as the Angels according to the saying of the Sonne of God in the Gospell Whereunto you adde your conclusion that the Saints heare our prayers sith the Angels vnto whom they are likened heare them If some one should propound this your argument borrowed from Bellarmine to Scholars which haue heard the rules of Logick they would quickly smell out your deceit and would replie that you doe not aptlie appropriate it to the Saints departed because to conclude from thence according to the right forme and rule of Logicians that the Saints departed vnderstand our prayers you must first haue proued that Iesus Christ saith in the 20. chapter of S. Luke that the departed Saints are Angels and not as you make them like vnto Angels They would likewise reiect your reason and confirmation which you annex vnto this sentence that the Angels vnderstand our prayers because they are the reporters of them to the diuine Maiestie as appeareth by the holy Scripture Mark you not here a fine proofe to say it appeareth by the Scripture that the Angels report our prayers to God without quoting so much as one testimonie From hence it comes that hauing taken your principall peeces from Bellarmine you durst not alleage that place of holy Scripture which is in the 12. chapter and 15. verse of Toby where the Angel Raphael saith That hee is one of those seuen holy Angels which presents before the Maiestie of God the prayers of the Saints If it be in regard that you make conscience to confirme your proposition out of a booke which is Apocrypha I commend you and in that I preferre you before your Master Or if it be because you haue not read nor remembred well that text which he alleageth in his book of the blessednesse of the Saints I pardon you for it Touching the rest it seemes at the first sight that you make some stop at falsifying the 36. verse of the 20 chapter of S. Luke and of following therein the example of Bellarmine Richeome who in stead of saying as Christ did in answering the Sadduces that the Saints shall be to wit in the resurrection of the flesh like the Angels they turne this text as if Christ had said that they are like to the Angels But in the repetition of your argument trussed to your conclusion you shew your selfe to be of the same humour as your School-masters aboue said are seeing you change the future tense into the present to maintaine with them that the Saints are like to the Angels and that against the intention of our Soueraigne Lord and Master Iesus Christ who disputing against the Sadduces which denied the resurrection of the bodie and had propounded this question to him worthie to be laughed at touching a woman which had had seuen husbands whose wife she should be in the resurrection sheweth them vpon this occasion that the faithfull shall then be glorified euen in regard of their bodies which shall not bee mortall nor corruptible no more but as the spirits of the Angels are and consequently shall not be enclined to mariage for the maintaining of their race and posteritie but shall be like to the Angels which doe not marrie Now foreseeing through the agilitie of your spirit what we might replie on that aboue said place you thinke that you heare vs alreadie answere that this similitude of the Angels and Saints whereof our Lord speaketh in the Gospell consisteth only in their felicitie and blessednesse and not in their nature and office that is to say as it hath pleased you to expound it that the Angels and the Saints shall be in heauen equall and like each other because both of them shall be blessed enioying one selfesame glorie and felicitie Now as you can finde nothing therein to chaw vpon you grant vs this answere and make it to serue your turne as a fowler with his net to take and ensnare vs. For behold the argument which you ground vpon our answere is that seeing the felicitie and state of future life hindreth not the Angels from hearing the prayers of the mortall why is it not possible that the Saints being in the same felicitie with the Angels and like vnto them may not heare likewise our prayers aswell as they This text of scripture them sheweth that the Saints heare our prayers We denie the consequence of this argument If the felicitie of the Angels hindreth them not from hearing our prayers that it followeth from thence that the felicitie of the departed Saints hindreth not them also from the vnderstanding of our Supplications the reason is because the Angels notwithstanding their present felicitie haue receiued from God this charge to watch ouer vs and our safetie as it is written in the 34. Psalme For which cause the Apostle S. Paul calleth them administring spirits sent for their sakes that are to receiue the inheritance of saluation which the Scripture speaketh in no place of the Saints departed You repeate afterward your affirmation that the Saints deceased heare vs see vs and are not ignorant of that which is done vpon the earth For confirmation whereof you propound vs the example of Abraham who being dead and in Limbo knew many things which happened among the people of the children of Israel as one may perceiue by the 16. chapter of S. Luke For first of all he knew that the people had the bookes of Moses and the Prophets the ancientest whereof was Moses which had been written more then foure hundred yeares after the death of Abraham Secondly he knew the life which the rich Glutton led vpon the earth and what miserie