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*

ANSWER. [ B]

You denie, that the Primar, or Office of our Ladie, is an of∣fice, properly and principally directed to her, &c. But the rea∣son whereupon you ground this denyall, is slight; for although there is a mixture of Prayers and Praises to God, contained in this Office, yet the Virgin Marie is as directly and properly in∣uocated therein, as God himselfe, or Iesus Christ: besides, you haue many Psalters and Primers of our Ladie, and in some of them, the Virgin Marie is the most speciall Obiect and matter of the seruice. [ C]

The Romane Breuiarie saith a 1.1, In this day of solemnitie and gladnesse, wee call vpon the sweet name of Marie. And to the A∣postles b 1.2, O yee, to whose command the health and infirmitie of all is subiect, heale all those that bee sicke in manners, restoring vs to ver∣tues. To Thomas Didimus c 1.3, O Thomas Didimus, by Christ, whom thou deseruedst to touch, we beseech thee, with our loud sounding Prayers, to succour vs wretches, that wee be not damned with the wicked, in the comming of the Great Iudge. To the blessed Vir∣gin d 1.4, Wash away our offences, that we being redeemed by thee, may be able to obtaine the seate of euerlasting glorie. Also e 1.5, All haile [ D] holy Virgin, the medecine of all our sorrowes, by whom death was ex∣pelled, and life brought in. The Romane Breuiarie teacheth vs to pray f 1.6, That the merits of the Saints, Abdon and Senon interce∣ding, we may deserue to be deliuered from all our necessities. And g 1.7 for Leo his merits interceding, absolue vs from all sinnes. Also, By the sword of sorrow h 1.8 which went thorow the Virgins heart, and the compassion of teares which she shed vnder the Crosse, haue mercie on vs. Also i 1.9, Let the Host to be consecrate, bee pleasing vnto thee, by the celebritie of the Martirs, Primus and Faelicianus, that by [ E] their glorious merits and Prayers, it may purge our sinnes, and recon∣cile to thee the Prayers of thy seruants.

The like superlatiue boldnesse was, in the enditing and pub∣lishing Bonauentures Psalter, wherein God and Christ are sacri∣legiously robbed, yea, blasphemously dishonoured, to embe∣lish

the Virgin Marie; yet all this the Church of Rome dige∣steth, [ A] permitteth, authoriseth, &c.

In that Psalter, these and the like formes of Prayer are ex∣tant a 1.10.

Oh blessed Lady, my Sauiour, I will put my confidence in thee, and I shall not need to feare. Oh blessed Ladie, our Saluation is placed in thy hands, who thou pleasest shall be saued, and they shall perish eter∣nally, from whom thou turnest away thy face. Blessed art thou my La∣dy, the mother of the God of Israell, who by thee hath visited, and sent redemption vnto his people, and hath raised vp the horne of Saluation, [ D] euen thy chastitie, in the house of Dauid thy seruant, &c. Thou ô Ma∣rie shalt be called the Prophet of God, by thee hath he giuen the know∣ledge of Saluation for the remission of sinnes, by the bowels of the mul∣titude of thy mercies, Visit vs ô thou day starre arising from an high, Thou art the gate of Paradise, the ladder of Heauen, the Arke of Pietie and Grace, the spring of Mercie, the Mediatrix of God and men. And in the same Psalter these words are found, Whosouer will be sa∣ued, aboue all things, he must haue stedfast Faith of the Virgin Marie, and the right Faith is (among other Articles) God assumed her (bo∣dily) [ E] into Heauen, where she sits on the right hand of Christ, &c.

Secondly, the Iesuit prooueth, that set formes of prayers to Saints are lawfull by this Argument: If it be lawfull to make intercessions to Saints, then it is lawfull to performe this in a set forme; But the first is true, for the Primitiue Church did

this, and the Magdeburgians confesse, That a kind of Letanie [ A] to Saints was vsed in Primitiue times, Ergo, &c. I answer, That if by Primitiue Church, be vnderstood the Church Primi∣tiue, comprehending the Apostles, and their immediate suc∣cessours, then the proofe of the assumption is false; for that Primitiue Church vsed no such deuotion. And if by Primitiue Church, be vnderstood (extensiue & exclusiue) the Church af∣ter the three hundred yeares, inuocation of Saints was not vsed by the whole Church for three hundred yeares more: nei∣ther can the practise of any Church (excluding the Apostles) produce doctrine of Faith, or of necessarie duetie. [ B]

The Magdeburgians rehearse out of a counterfeit worke, fa∣thered vpon Athanasius a 1.11, a set prayer vsed to the Virgin Ma∣rie; but they adde, apparet multa esse deprauata & supposita in isto∣rum doctorum scriptis, It is apparant that many things depraued and supposititious are found among the writings of these Doctors.

Notes

• a 1.1

  In Octau. As∣sumpt. Lect. Ecce quibus.
• b 1.2

  Breu. Rom. Hym∣no exultet Iaud.
• c 1.3

  Portif. Sar. in Tho. Did.
• d 1.4

  Lect. s. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. in seruit. B. Virg. Mar.
• e 1.5

  Rom. Breu. 3. Die infra octau. Assumpt. Virg. Mar. Lect. 4. Iubilemus in arca Dom.
• f 1.6

  Breu. Rom. in Abdon & Senon. Iulij 30.
• g 1.7

  Rom. Miss. in Leone.
• h 1.8

  Aur. Litan.
• i 1.9

  Miss. sar. in me∣mor. Prim. & Fae∣lic. in. fest. Iunij.
• a 1.10

  Posseu. Appa∣rat. verb. Bonauen∣tura. Bulla. Sixti. 4. to. 2. Opusc. Bonau. Psalt. Bonauent. Miserere mei Domina, quae mater misericordiae num∣cuparis, & secundum viscera misericordiarum tuarum, munda me ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis. Essunde grati∣am tuam super me, & solitam clementiam tuam ne subtrahas à me, quoniàm peccata mea confitebor tibi, & co∣ram te me accuso de sceleribus meis, fructui ventris tui me reconcilia, & pacifica me ei qui me creauit. Domina in nomine tuo saluum me fac, & ab iniustitijs meis libera me, &c. Miserere mei Domina, miserere mei, quià para∣tum est cor meum, exquirere voluntatem tuam, &c. Eripe me de inimicis meis Domina mundi, exurge in oc∣cursum meum, Regina pietatis, &c. Deus misereatur nostri, & benedicat nobis per illam quae eum genuit, &c. Do∣mina in adiutorium meum intende, & luce misericordiae tuae illustra mentem meam, &c. In te Domina speraui, [ B] non confundar in aeternum, in tua misericordia libera me, & eripe me, &c. Quam bonus Israel Deus his qui colunt matrem suam, & venerantur: ipsa est nempè solatium nostrum, in laboribus subuentio optima, obtexit caligine animam meam hostis, in visceribus meis Domina lumen fac, omnis auertatur à me ira Dei per te, placa eum meritis & praecibus tuis. In iuditio pro me asiste coram eo, suscipe causam meam, & mea sis aduocata. Domina venerunt gentes in haereditaté Dei, quas tu meritis tuis Christo confederasti, &c. Benedicta sis Domina, & mater Dei mei Israel, qui per te visitauit, & fecit redemptioné plebis suae, & erexit cornu Salutaris castitatis tuae, in domo Dauid pueri sui. Sicut locutus est per os Isaiae, & aliorum sanctorum Prophetarūeius, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ex inimicis praesta, Vir∣ginum virgo, & de manu omnium qui nos oderunt pacem nobis tribue. Et fac misericordiam pro parentibus & nobis, vt memor sis testamenti omnipotents Dei, quod iurauit ad patres nostros Abraham, & semini eius in saecu∣la. Sic sine timore de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati, quiete seruiemus, illi in sanctitate & iustitia coram te, omnibus diebus nostris. Et tu Maria Propheta Dei vocaberis, quoniàm nouisti quod respexit humilitatem an∣cillae suae, per quam dedit scientiam salutis plebis eius, in remissionem peccatorum, per viscera misericordiae mul∣titudinis tuae. Visita nos stella matutina oriens ex alto. Illumina tenebras sedentium in vmbra mortis, & eas luco dilectissimi filij tui digneris illustrare. Miserere misericordie mater nobis miseris peccatoribus, qui retro acta pec∣cata [ C] poenitere negligimus, ac multa quotidiè poenitenda committimus. Quicunquè vult saluus esse, antè omnia opus est vt teneat de Mària firmam fidem, quam nisi quisquè integram inuiolatamquè seruauerit, absque du∣bio in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 peribit. Quam demùm ipse in Coelum assump 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & seder ad dextram filij, non cessans pro nobis filium exorare. Haec est Fides de Maria Virgine, quam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quisquè fidelitèr, firmiterquè crediderit saluus esse non poterit.
• a 1.11

  Baron. Anno Christi 49. n. 19. Bellar. d. Scriptor. Eccles. in Athana∣sio. Magdeb. Cen∣tur. 4. cap. 4. pa. 396. & 397.