The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

Sect. 2. Of the same Article: Whether Hierom be a Pa∣pist in Inuocation of Saints.

For the vnderstanding of S. Hieroms meaning it must be considered, that the words produced from Paula her Epitaph, are rhetoricall and tropicalla, vsed in a laudatiue and panagyricke Orationb, and therefore may not be set vpon the racke, to inforce so much as the bare letter will sound; but must receiue their sence from the truth of the thing, and not from the sentence of words.

When God speaketh by the Prophet, Heare O yee mountaines. Mich. 6.2. and Dauid, Psal. 114. What ayleth thee, O sea, that thou fleddest, &c. And when Eusebius saith: Thee Oh pietie and humanitie doe I adorec, Will any man be so vnreasonable, as of a Rhetoricall Apostrophe, or Prosopopeia, to inferre a literall sence?

Our Aduersaries haue sundry hymnes and prayers di∣rected to the Image of the Crossed, whereof this is onee.

All haile Oh Crosse, our onely hope; in this time of the Passion: Increase iustice in the godly, and giue pardon to the guiltie.

Now when we charge them with praying to Images, by this and other such like examples: they tell vsf, that such prayers are to be expounded by a Prosopopeia; but in all construction it is farre more probable, that S. Hie∣roms speech should be an Apostrophe. But I answer further. 1. S. Hierom at no time by way of doctrine, maintained inuocation of Saints: and he doubted whe∣ther Saints departed could heare our praiersg. And preg∣nant occasion being offered by Vigilantiush, and he be∣ing challenged to declare his mind, neuer contests his aduersarie concerning inuocation of Saints, but onely maintaines their intercession for vs, which Protestants admit in generalli.

2. Being granted that Hierom requested the praiers of Paula defunct, either in generall, or so farre as she vnder∣stood his wants, this will not euince Popish inuocation. For it is one thing to request and aske a benefit, dutie, or fauour, which one may do of his equall or inferior, Iob. 19.16.17. and another to inuocate and request by praier.

Inuocation is a religious action, and proper seruice of God. Rom. 10.14. a sacrifice. Hebr. 13.15. distinguished by a Greeke and Hebrew name, neuer applied in Scrip∣ture to any creaturel: the life and force of it, is, the inward crie, and secret request of the heart, Rom. 8.26. 1. Sam. 1.13. Psal. 25.1. and 19.14. and 10.17. which no creature immediatlie discerneth, but God alone. Math. 6.4. 2. King. 8.39m. And that the Saints by reuelation vnder∣stand and know our prayers,k is either false, or at least vn∣certaine: And the requesting another to pray for vs, as S. Paul did the Romans, Chap. 15.30. the Ephesians,

Chap. 6.18. The Philippians and other Churches, Col. 4.3.12. 1. Thess. 5.25. Philem. v. 22. is not religious inuo∣cation, such as our Aduersaries performe to the Virgin Marie, and other Saints in their deuotion. For they vse formall praiers, and doe as deuoutlie and religiouslie in∣uocate Saints as the Lord himselfel. They make a diffe∣rence betweene their apprehension of God in their prai∣ers, and of the Saints: but the matter, gesture, and de∣uotion of praier is all one. And in their Saint inuocation they kneele downe, eleuating their eies to heauen, vnco∣uering their heads, and prostrating their bodies and soules, with sighes and groanes they say: Oh blessed Apo∣stle Paul, I beseech thee to deliuer me from the Angell of Sa∣than, and from the wrath to come, and conduct me to heauen. And to Stephen; Oh the first Martyr and Leuit of Christ, Oh holy Stephen, I flie to thee, I inuocate thee, I humbly and deuoutly beseech thee, &c. And S. Bernardm praies to the Virgin Marie in this forme: ⁿ Let thy abundant charitie co∣uer the multitude of our sinnes, and thy glorious fruitfulnesse conferre to vs foecunditie of Merits: our Ladie, our Me∣diatrix, our Aduocate, reconcile vs to thy sonne. Bonauen∣ture saith; Oh Virgin, be thou to me a strength against my sinnes that I goe not to hell, increase daily in me the flame of charitie: warme my soule with thy loue, plucke me forth of the kennell of vice; take away the filth of my sinne, thou which art whiter then snow, and together with thy Sonne

grant my request, making me a Cittizen of heaueno.

Also in their praiers, they offer vp the merits of Saints to God, with the same forme of words they doe the merits of Christ, saying to Thomas Becket: Oh God, who hast granted vs to celebrate the translation of blessed Thomas, we humbly beseech thee, that by his merits and prayers we may be translated from vice to vertue, and from prison to thy king∣domep.

Let our aduersaries now produce examples out of S. Hierom, prouing such a forme of Saint inuocation, and exhibition of merits to God, and we will acknowledge they speake to the matter.

But they onely corrade a few broken and vncertaine speeches, whereof some are figuratiue: other, wishes and requests, limited by ifs & ands; as, heare Oh Constan∣tines soule, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, if thou haue sence, or notion of these thingsq; or priuate deuotions & conceipts of some particular persons; or bastard sentences foysted into the writings of Fathers by Hucksters of their owne fellow∣ship: and from hence inferre a Catholike doctrine and article of Faithr, according to their moderne fashion concerning inuocation of Saints.

But if antiquitie fauour them, and this their deuotion be Catholike; why doe they not produce some publike definition of the Primitiue Church? or proue their pra∣ctise out of the doctrinall Treatises of the auncient Fa∣thers touching inuocation and prayers? or out of au∣thenticall Records, wherein the auncient forme of Chri∣stian

seruice, and religious exercises of the prime Chri∣stians are expresly relatedg? Iustin Martyr and Tertullian haue reported the same: and Eusebius in his Storie, set∣teth downe verbatim a long prayer vsed by Polycarpe Bi∣shop of Smyrna, at the time of his martyrdome: where∣in, if inuocation of Saints had beene reputed any part of Christian deuotion in those daies, he would vndoub∣tedlie in so great perill and at his death, haue recommen∣ded himselfe to God by the praiers and merits of Saints: But his forme of praier is Protestantlike, tendered to God himselfe onely by the mediation of Christh.

And the elder Fathers deliuer certaine Maximes tou∣ching praier, which ouerthrow Saint inuocation. Tertul∣lian saithi; Such prayers are to bee vpbraided with vanitie, which are made without any authoritie of the Lords or Apo∣stles Commaundement, and must rather be accounted super∣stition then religion. And Cypriank, To pray in other man∣ner then Christ hath taught vs, is not onely ignorance, but sinne: for it is written; you reiect the commandement of God, that you may establish your Traditions. And he teacheth, that the summe and generall matter of all lawfull prayer, is contained in the Lords prayer, and euery prayer is vnlawfull which is not leuelled by that forme. But Popish Saint inuo∣cation, hath neither document or example from the Lord or his Apostles; is not regulate by the Lords prayer, was altogether vnknowne in the old Testamentl, is not com∣manded in the Gospellm, nor vsed in the Apostles dayesn.

Notes

• a

  Aug. de doct. Christ. l. 3. c. 5. Cauendum ne figuratam ora∣tionem ad lite∣ram accipias.
• b

  Isidor. orig. l. 6. c. 7. Panagy∣ricum est licen∣tiosum genus dicendi in lau∣dibus, in cuius compositione, homines multis mendacijs v∣tuntur.
• c

  Euseb. vit. Const. l. 5.
• d

  Fest. inuent. cruc. O crux splendidior cun∣ctis astris, mun∣do celebris, ho∣minibus mul∣tum amabilis, sanctior vniuersis. Salua praesentem cateruam in tuis laudibus congregatam. Of∣fic. diur. ad vsum Rom. O crucis victoria & admirabile signum: in coelesti curia fac nos cap∣tare triumphum. Ib. 2. Noctur. antiph.
• e

  Offic. Rom. in fest. exalt. Crucis. & in Dom. pas∣sione.
• f

  Suar. to. 1. 3. Tho. d. 52. §. 4. Per tropum & prosopope••an explicanda est Bella•• de imag. c 24.
• g

  Hieron ep. 3. Quicquid dixe to quia ille non audi••, mutum videtur, cum quo loqui non possumus de eo loqui non desi∣namus, &c.
• h

  Hieron. l. con. Vigil.
• i

  Bellar. de beat. sanct l. c 20 Di¦cunt Protestan∣tes, Sanctos pro nobis orare in genere. Rainol. de i••••ol. Eccles. ••om. l. ••. c. 3. Gecolampad. ad serm Chrys. de inuent. & Maxim. Martyr. M••lancth loc. com, Manlij. ••ol. 151. Brent. ad ca. 16. Luc. Aug sup. Psal. 85 ad finem
• l

  Aug l de cura pro mort. c 13. & 14 & 15.
• m

  Cling. loc. com. li 4 c. 42. Est Deus speculum, in quo vident Sancti in coelo nostras orationes. Est Christus verbum Dei, quod hoc reuelat Sanctis.
• k

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• l

  Antonin. sum. hist. p. 3. tit. 23. c 6. Ecclesiam intrauit genua flectens, corde sanctum Petrum rogauit vt scelus suum ignosceret. §. 5. reatum suū confitens Deo, & beato Petro. Math. Paris. in Rich. 1. Nunc saluatorem mundi, nunc matrem eius virginem glori∣osam, nunc si∣mul omnes ele∣ctos Dei inuo∣cabam, licet specialiter per intercessionem pijssimi, sanctis∣simiq́ue Nicho∣lai, sperarem consequi petiti∣onis effectum. pag. 177. Willernus serm. gratiar. actionis in fine. lib. sup. sentēt. Francisce pater inclyte, &c. menti meae quantis viribus inspirasti non occurrit: fui erga te saepe ingratus, sed parce filio tuo, ad te modo confugienti, quem exoro attentius, me vt semper velis habere com∣missum, &c. Cassand. consult. ar. 21. Non defuerunt viri celebres, (Gabr. Biel) qui assererent id quod Hester Assuero promisit, se petenti dimidium regni daturum: in Maria completum esse, in quam Deus regni sui quod iudicio & misericordia constat, dimidium, hoc est, misericordiam transtulerit, altera sibi regni parte retenta.
• m

  Bernard. serm. 2. Aduent. Vide Bern. serm. 4. sup. Missus est. Gabr. Biel. Can. Miss. lect. 32. A. Aduocatum habere vis, ad ipsum, & Mariam re∣curre.
• o

  Bonauent. P••alter. minus. read the whole. Offic. Rom ab octa ••. Pent. vs∣que ad adu. sal∣ue Regina. ma∣ter misericor∣diae, vita, dulce do, & spes no∣stra, ad te cla∣mamus exules silij Adam: ad te suspiramus ge∣m••ntes, &c. eia aduocata nostra &c.
• p

  Missal. Satisb fest. Th. Becket. Anton. sum. hist p. 3. tit. 23. c 4 3. 7. de vir∣tute & meriti sancti Dominic. considens, &c. Ib c 7 §. 13. Sencti Thomae meritis se re∣commendantes ••per••e sunt au∣••es eorum. Biel. can. Miss. lect 30 l. n. Ob secro te p••jssi∣me Domine Iesu Christe, vt per merita bea∣••••ssinae virginis, &c. & omnium Sanctorum &c. doceas me, &c. Offic. paruum b. Mar. ad Matut. Precibus & meritis B. Mariae perducat nos Do∣minus ad regnum coelorum, &c. Leo Hostiens. l. 2. c. 27. Benedicti meritis & ope. &c. Legend. aurea, in sanct. Aegidio.
• q

  Greg. Naz cont. Iulian. or. 1. Gr. Naz. or. funebr. Gorgon.
• r

  Trid. Concil. sest. 25.
• s

  Tertul. lib. de orat. Cyprian in Dom. orat.
• g

  Iustin. Martyr apol. 2. Tertul. apol. c. 39.
• h

  Euseb. hist. lib. 4. cap. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. pag. 38.
• i

  Tertul. de orat c. 12.
• k

  Cyprian. de orat Dom.
• l

  Pigh cont. Ra∣tisb. l. 13. Ho∣rant. loc. Cath. l. 3. c. 21. Suar. 1. in 3. Th. q. 52. d. 41. §. 1. Sal∣meron. 1. Tim. 2. d. 8.
• m

  Horant. loc. Cath. l. 3 c. 21.
• n

  Peres. Aial. de∣trad. p. 3. de cultu Sanctor.