The aunswer of Iohn Gough preacher, to Maister Fecknams obiections against his sermon, lately preached in the Tower of London. 15. Ianurie. 1570.

¶M. Fecknams second article.

2 That the Angels & Sain¦tes of heauen may heare our prayers, and there∣fore to be praied vnto.

For the confirmation hereof you alledge these Scriptures. vz. Luke. 15. Ita dico vo∣bis, gaudium erit coram Angelis Dei super vno peccatore resipiscente. &c. i. I say vnto you, that likewyse there shall be ioye in the presence of the Angels of God ouer one syn∣ner that repenteth. For the Angels in hea∣uen doe know that synners repent here in earth, and therefore doe reioyce: For they reioyce not, but because they knowe, and therefore we ought to pray to them. But though Christ saith, that they know, that sin∣ners do repent, yet he sayth not: therefore let sinners pray to Angels. S. Iohn telleth vs an other lesson, Reuela. 22. when hee was about to woorship the Angell, the same An∣gell saith: Vide ne feceris, conseruus enim tuus sum. &c. i. Se thou doe it not, for I am thy fellowe seruaunt. &c. and so concludeth, Deum adora, worship God.

And your second scripture, which you al∣ledge

out of Toby. 12. where the Angel saith: Quando orabas cum lachrimis. &c. When thou didst pray with teares. &c. Ego obtuli o∣rationem tuam domino, I offered thy pray∣ers vnto the Lord: He saith not, when thou praiedst to me, I did this and that. Neither can you proue, that either Tobias, or any o∣ther before Christ, praied vnto any of the fa∣thers or Prophetes that died before them. But all their praiers were alwaies, and at all times directed onely vnto God. And as for the new Testament, ye are vtterly voyd either of scripture, or example. And therfore your place alledged, serueth to no purpose▪ to proue the inuocation of Saintes.

Your places also alledged out of the 2. Reg. 6. of Elias, and of Peter in the Actes. 5. they then liuing in this world, maketh no∣thing to the purpose, to proue that we should pray to them being dead. Truly I muche maruayle of thys your waywarde blynd∣nes herein.

And as concerning my interpretation of Esays wordes in his .63. Chap. I sée no more iust cause, why I should more beleue Ierom herein, then you: as though Ierome neuer erred. But if you looke vnto the circum∣stance of the text, it will tel you, that my in∣terpretation goeth more nere the mynde of

the Prophet, then Ieroms. As though the Prophet would say thus or the like: When I consider my vnworthynes, it driueth me into an abashment, so that I dare not ap∣proch to thy Maiestie, and yet on the other side, if I shoulde praye to anye other, I should praye in vayne, because they heare me not. For euen Abraham him selfe kno∣weth vs not, nor Israel is not acquaynted with vs: It is therefore thou O Lord that must onely heare and helpe vs, for thou art onely our father and redemer.

And trow you, that though Origen called vpon Iob, S. Ciprian vpon the Martyrs, S. Ierom vpon Paul. &c. (as you alledge) that we thinke it well done of them, and also of vs to be followed? Nay (M. Fecknam) we must follow them, as S. Paul willeth vs to follow him, when he sayd. 1. Cor. 11. Imitatores mei estote, sicut & ego Christi. Follow me, as I do Christ. And so farre as the Fathers, ey∣ther in doctrine, religion, or conuersation fo∣low Christ, that is to say, so long as their do∣inges and doctrine do agrée with the sacred scriptures, we will & do, both receiue them, beleue them, follow them, and thanke God for them. But if they stray from the sincere rules thereof, we will leaue them: vnlesse you can shewe vs a better warrant for the

same, then I sée come from you yet.

S. Paul sayth 1. Tim. 2, Vnus enim Deus, v∣nus etiam conciliator, Dei & hominum, ho∣mo Christus Iesus. i. There is one God, and one Mediatour betwene God and man, the man Iesus Christ. And 1. Iohn. 2. Filioli mei, haec scribo vobis, Me lyttle Children, these thynges I wryte vnto you. &c. Aduocatum habemus apud patrem, nempe Iesum Chri∣stum iustum. i. We haue an aduocate wyth the father, euen Iesus Christ the iust, Ioh. 14. Christ saith: Ego sum via, veritas, et vita, ne∣mo venit ad patrem, nisi per me. i. I am the way, the truth and the life, no man commeth to the father, but by me. And Iohn. 16. Que∣cun{que} petieritis patrem nomine meo, dabit vobis. Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he shall or wyl geue it you. And why we ought so to do, our Mayster Christ rendreth a reason before. Iohn. 14. Si quic∣quid petieritis nomine meo, hoc faciā, vt glo∣rificetur pater per filium. i. If ye shall aske a∣ny thing in my name, I wil do it, that the fa∣ther may be glorified by the sonne.

Here you see (M. Fecknam) that S. Paul and S. Iohn sayth, that Christ is onelye our Mediatour. And Christ him selfe telleth vs, that he onely is the waye to God, and that we haue no accesse to God, but onely hy him.

And also you sée, hee promiseth helpe, if our prayers be made to God the Father in hys name, and also that thereby God is glorified. And therefore of necessitie it must followe, that as God is glorified, when we praye to Christ, as to our Mediatour: so it must also of necessitie followe, that hee is dishonored, when wee of our owne heades appoynt to our selues of Creatures, sundry and seuerall Mediatours. And therefore we may not in any wyse impart his honor to any creature: for if we do, we shall heare God crye out a∣gaynst vs, by the Prophet Esay. 42. Ego do∣minus, hoc est nomen meum, & gloriā me∣am alteri non dabo. &c. i. I am the Lord, and that is my name, and I wil not geue my glo∣rie to an other. &c.

By these scriptures therefore I am mani∣festly taught, that onely Iesus Christ is our Mediatour, and therefore no creature ought to be inuocated, or prayed to. &c. Now let vs see what the Fathers say to this matter.

S. Augustine in his booke De spū & anima ca. 29. saith thus: Ibi siquidē sunt spiritus de functorū, vbi nō vident, ne{que} audiunt, que agū¦tur, aut eueniunt in ista vita hominibus. i.

In such a place doubtles, are the Spirites of those that are departed, where they see not, neyther do they heare, what thinges are done, and what do chaunce to men in this life.

Epiphanius in his booke Contra Heres. lib. 3. To. 2. Heres. 29. saith thus: Sed ne{que} Helias adoradus est, etiam si in viuis sit, ne{que} Iohan∣nes adorandus, quanquam {per} preces suas pro prias Dormicionem suam admirandam, ef∣fecerit, imo potius, ex Deo gratiam accepe∣rit. Sed ne{que} Thecla, ne{que} quisquam Sanctus adoratur. Non enim dominabitur nobis an∣tiquus error, vt relinquamus viuentem, & a∣doremus ea, quae ab ipso facta sunt. Colue∣runt enim & adorauerunt creaturam preter Creatorem, & stulti facti sunt, Si enim an∣gelos adorari non vult, quanto magis eam, que genita est ab Anna, que ex Ioachim do∣nata Annae que {per} preces, & omnem diligen∣tiam, secundum promissionem patri ac ma∣tri data est? nō tamen aliter genita est, preter hominum naturā, sed sicut omnes ex semi∣ne viri, & vtero mulieris. That is.

But neyther Helias is to be woorshipped, al∣though he bee yet aliue: Nor yet is Iohn to bee worshipped, although by his own praiers he made his slepe wonderful. Nay rather he receiued grace from God. But neither Thecla nor any Saint is worshipped. For that old errour shall not rule in vs, that we should forsake the liuing God, & wor∣ship those things that were made by him. For they haue honored and worshipped the creature besides the Creator, and they were made fooles. For if he wil not haue the Angels to be worshipped, how much more y^t which was borne of Anna, which by Ioachim being geuen to Anna, which by prayers

and all diligence was geuen according to promis, to the father and mother? Notwithstanding was not borne otherwise besides the nature of men, but like as al men, of the sede of the man, & the wombe of the woman.

S. August. again, in lib. de vera Relig. ca. 55 saith: Non sit nobis religio, humanorum o∣perum cultus, meliores sunt enim ipsi artifi∣ces, qui talia fabricātur, quos tamen colere nō debemus. Non sit nobis religio. Cultus besti∣arum, meliores sunt enim extremi homines quos tamen colere non debemus. Non sit no∣bis religio, cultus hominum mortuorū, quia si pie vixerint, non sic habentur, vt tales que rant honores, sed illum a nobis coli volunt, quo illuminante letantur. &c. That is.

Let vs not count it religion, to woorship the workes of mens handes. For the craftes masters themselues which make such thinges, are better, whom notwithstanding we ought not to worship. Let vs not make it religion to worship brute bea∣stes, for the basest sort of men that be, be better thē they, whō notwithstanding we ought not to wor∣ship. Let vs not make it religion to worship dead men: because if they haue liued godlyly, they ar not counted, that they seeke suche honours, but they would haue him to be worshipped of vs, who al∣lumining them, do reioyce. &c.

The same August. agayne in hys booke Contra Faust. lib. 20. ca. 21. saith thus: Ipsi e∣nim Sancti, vel homines aut angeli exhiberi sibi nolunt, {quod} vni Deo debori volunt. Ap∣paruit

hoc in Paulo & Barnaba, cum com∣moto miraculis, que per eos facta sunt, Li∣caonij tanquam dijs immolare voluerunt. Conscissis enim vestimentis suis, confitētes & persuadētes se deos non esse, ista sibi fieri vetuerunt. Apparuit & in Angelis sicut in Apocalipsi legimus, angelum se adorari {pro}∣hibentem, ac dicentem adoratori suo: Con∣seruus tuus sum, & fratrum tuorum. i.

For the very Saints them selues, whether they be dead men or Angels, will not haue honour ge∣uen vnto them, which they would haue onely due to God. This appeared in Paul and Barnabas, when the men of Licaonia, astonied at their mira∣cles, wold haue done sacrifice vnto thē, as if they had bene Gods. For they, renting their garmēts, confessing and perswading them, that they wer not Gods, forbad such thinges to be done vnto them. This appeared also in the Angels, as we reade in the Apocalips. The Angell forbidding him selfe to be worshipped, and saying to him that worship∣ped him: I am the fellow seruaunt of thee, and thy brethren.

Also Ciril in his. 6. booke Contra Iulia. saith thus: At sanctos Martyres, ne{que} deos esse di∣cimus, ne{que} adorare consueuimus. Laudamus autem eos, potius summis honoribus, {que} pro veritate strenue certarūt & fidei cinceritatē seruarunt, ita vt et suam animam contemp∣serint, et mortis terroribus valedicentes, pre ualuerunt in summis periculis, tante{quod} fue∣rint fortitudinis quasi statuas fibi, sue vite

excitaturi. &c. That is to say.

As for the holy Martyrs, wee neither say that they are Gods, neither haue bene accustomed to worship them. But we prayse them rather wyth great honour, because they haue valiantly striuen, for the truth, and haue mayntayned the sinceritye of faith, in so much as they haue despised their own life: and not regarding the terrors of death, haue preuailed in very great daungers, and were of so great strength, as though they would rayse vp y∣mages to them selues of their own lyfe. &c.

Agayne S. August. in his. 8. booke De Ciui∣tate Dei cap. 27. saith: Quis autem audiuit ali∣quando, fidelium stantem sacerdotem, ad al∣tare, etiam super sanctum corpus Martyris ad Dei honorem cultum{que} constructum, di∣cere in precibus: Offero tibi sacrificium Pe∣tre, aut Paule, vel Cipriane? &c. That is.

But which of the faithful hath heard the Priest at the aultar, yea vpon the holy body of the Mar∣tyr, made forth honor and worship of God, saye at any time in his prayers: I offer a sacrifice to thee O Peter, or Paule, or Cyprian: &c.

These also (M. Fecknam) approueth my assertion true, that the Saints are not to be prayed to, and likewyse vtterlye condemne your heresy, which maintaineth y^e cōtrary