A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSVVER. [ A]

ALthough it were granted, that some kind or manner of Peti∣tion, or Compellation, made by the Church Militant to the blessed Saints, and Angels, were lawfull; and that we might request them to be Comprecants a 1.1, and to make in∣tercession to God in our behalfe: [ B] yet the Inuocation of them, accor∣ding to the practise of the Romane Church, wherein they pray first of all to Saints, and in the last place, to Christ; and their excessiue worship, by Vowes, Oathes, Offertures, conioyning their satisfactions with Christs b 1.2, and confidence in their merits, and adoring their Images, cannot be iustified: for this manner of Deuotion hath no foundation expresse or infolded in Diuine Reuelation, and the Primitiue Church did not appoint or practise the same: And it encroa∣cheth so neerely vpon the Office of Christ, our sole Redcemer, [ C] Mediator, and Aduocate, that without expresse and manifest Precept, or approbation of the Holy Ghost c 1.3, wee may not esteeme it lawfull.

The Doctrine of our Church, concerning Inuocation and Adoration of the blessed Trinitie; our accesse to God, by Sup∣plications and Prayers, in the name of Iesus Christ; our de∣pendance vpon the sole Merits and Satisfactions of our all∣sufficient Redeemer, and Sauiour, haue Precept, Example, [ E] Promise, Reasons, and Warrantie, deliuered in the expresse, manifest, and indubitate Word of God. Ioh. 14. 13, 14. & cap. 16.24. 1. Ioh. 2.1. Heb. 4. 15, 16. 1. Pet. 2.5. Heb. 13.15. Also wee haue certainetie of Faith, That Christ Iesus, our In∣tercessor and Aduocate, hath distinct and perfect knowledge,

particular and generall of our qualitie, state and actions. Heb. [ A] 4.13. His office is, to make intercession for vs, Rom. 8.34. Heb. 7. 25. He inuiteth vs most louingly to come vnto him, Math. 11.28. Our heauenly Father alwayes heareth him, Iohn 11. 42. His compassion towards vs exceedeth the pietie of any creature, Ioh. 10. 11. & 15. 13. Heb. 4, 15. a 1.4 Wee may more safely, and with greater comfort, speake to our Sauiour, than to any Saint or Angell c 1.5; the holy Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and teacheth vs to make intercession according to the will of God d 1.6. [ C] Rom. 8.26, 27. Therefore our praying to God in the name of Christ onely, our supplication to the Father, to accept vs for [ B] the sole merits of our Sauiour, is a most safe and faithfull de∣uotion, and our assurance is grounded vpon the word of faith, and hauing such promises, we cannot be deceiued in our hope, 2. Tim. 2.13. Tit. 1. 2.

But on the contrarie, Romish inuocation, directed to Saints, Angells, and the blessed Virgin; their oblation of the merits and satisfaction of creatures, with many other branches of their holy seeming deuotion, haue neither precept, example, or pro∣mise in the large booke of God, (notwithstanding the same booke is most abundant in teaching the dutie and forme of prayer.) And some of our best learned Aduersaries confesse, that the doctrine of inuocation of Saints, is neither expresly, nor infoldedly taught in holy Scripture b 1.7.

Therefore his most excellent Maiestie, our Soueraigne Lord and King, to whose sacred person the Iesuit directeth his for∣mer speech, may with vnspeakeable ioy and comfort, glorie that he is in this article, a defender and propugner of that faith which is taught from heauen by the holy Ghost: and Papisti∣call inuocation is no plant growing in the Paradise c 1.8 of holy Scripture, by their owne confession, neither haue they any meanes infallible, to ascertaine themselues and others, that the same is a plant which the heauenly Father hath planted, or that [ E] their deuotion in this kind is necessarie, profitable, or accepta∣ble to God d 1.9.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Alex. Hal. 4. q. 26. m. 2. Ar. 3. Solus Deus est sim∣pliciter 〈◊〉〈◊〉, &c. Sancti non simpli∣citer, &c. Magis te∣nent se ex parte O∣rantium, quasi ad∣iuuantes, quam il∣lius qui oratur. E∣stius, sup. Eph. 3. v. 12. Cath. sanctos inuocando, tantum eos adhibent vt comprecatores. Bu∣cer. sup. Rom. 8. In∣tercessio quàm pri∣dem Diuis tribuunt Ecclesiae, non potest ex 〈◊〉〈◊〉 statui aliud esse, quàm perpetua illorum vota, de nostra Redemptione consummanda. Quibus fidere ex se impium: quaerere ea in certum est: affectus tamen salutis qui eo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sese attollit, vt Diuorum quoque intercessionem in Christo, non prae Christo quaerit, non excutiens quam certum sit quò feratur, damnari non debet. Et hoc reuerentiae detu∣lisse veterum obseruationi hac in re, quae scilicet vsu, nullo autem Oraculo Scripturae inoleuit satis fuerit.
• b 1.2

  Bellarm. d. Indulg. lib. 1. c. 4. Non erit absurdum si sancti viri Redemptores nostri, aliquo modo, id est, se∣cundum aliquid non simpliciter & largo modo, & non in rigore verborum esse dicantur. Biel, in Can. Miss. Lect. 30. K. Non frustra imploramus Sanctos quos non vt Creatores gratiae siue Beatificatores inuocamus: sed vt me∣diatores, [ D] quorum meritis & intuitu, nobis Deus confert, quod ex nostris accipere sumus minus digni.
• c 1.3

  Epi∣phan. Haeres. 59. Graecè Latinae, 79. Etenim qua nam in Scripturae parte continetur? Quis vnquam Prophe∣tarum, &c. Ambros. d. Sacram. Incarn. c. 9. Quod Legi non nego imo libenter vsurpo, quod non Legi vsur∣pare non debeo. Athanas. d. Incarn. Christi. Neque loqui neque audire sustinemus, quod extraneum sit ab istis (Scripturis.) Cyril. Hierosol. Chat. 4. Mihi ne credas loquenti, nisi eorum quae praedicantur demonstratio∣nes è Diuinis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 acceperis.
• a 1.4

  August. Con∣fess. lib. 10. ca. 43. Quomodo nos a∣masti pater bone, qui 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tuo vnico non pepercisti, sed pro nobis impijs tradidisti 〈◊〉〈◊〉? quomodo nos a∣masti, pro quibus ille 〈◊〉〈◊〉 non rapi∣nam arbitratus est esse equalis tibi, fa∣ctus est subditus, vsque ad mortem crucis: vnus ille in mortuis liber, potestatem habens ponendi animam suam, & potestatem habens iterum su∣mendi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pro nobis tibi victor & victima, & ideo victor quia victima: pro nobis tibi sacerdos & 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & ideo sacerdos quia sacrificium, faciens tibi nos de seruis filios, de te nascendo, nobis seruiendo, merito mi∣hi spcs valida in illo est, quod sanabis omnes languores meos, per eum qui scdet ad dexteram tuam, & te in∣terpellat pro nobis alioquin desperarem.
• c 1.5

  Aug. li. 2. d. visit. Infir. Tutius & iucundius loquor ad meum Iesum, quam ad aliquem sanctorum Spirituum.
• d 1.6

  Aug. epist. 105. & sup. Psal. 118. Conc. 14. Greg. Mor. lib. 2. c. 30.
• b 1.7

  Dom. Bannes. 22. q. 1. ar. 10. pag. [ D] 170. Orationes ad sanctos esse faciendas, venerandas esse Imagines, neque etiam expressè, neque inuolutè Scripturae 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• c 1.8

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. c. Haer. li. 5. c. 20. Ab omni ligno paradisi es∣cas manducabis 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉, id est ab 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 Dominica man∣ducate.
• d 1.9

  Hilar. d. Trin. li. 8. Quae dicimus nisi ab 〈◊〉〈◊〉 discimus stulte dicimus.