A discourse of the unlawfulness of praying to saints and angels being a full answer to a letter of Sabran the Jesuite : wherein the practice of the Church of Rome, in praying to saints and angels is plainly proved to be contrary to the doctrine of Christ and the presented authority by him produc'd, to be either forged or impertinent / by Titus Oates, a presbyter of the Church of England.

AN ANSWER TO SABRAN the Jesuit: SHEWING The Unlawfulness of Praying TO Saints and Angels,

SIR,

I Perceive you are very earnest in the defence of a great Point much controverted between the Divines of the Reformed Churches, and the Church of Rome, viz. The Doctrine of Pray∣ing to Saints and Angels; a Doctrine exploded by the Prote∣stants, and as zealously defended by those of your Communi∣on: And because the unknown Minister hath not (as you would make the World believe) dealt ingenuously with you, you take occasion to fall upon Mr. Needham for Licensing those Replies made to your Sermon, in which you were pleased to defend that Doctrine, so much opposed by us of the Reformed Religion. I will not go about to use any unhandsome Reflection upon you, or any of your Communi∣on, for any point of Religion, which I am satisfied in my Conscience to be contrary to the Doctrine of God our Saviour. Amongst the many Errours the Church of Rome doth hold, and maintain, I humbly conceive this to be one, and an Errour tending highly to the overthrowing of the Mediation of Christ, the High-Priest, and Apostle of our Profession.

Therefore the Point that I shall lay down, is this: That your Pra∣ctice

of Praying to Angels, and Saints departed this Life, is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ, and abominable in the sight of God.

I shall not, Sir, trouble you at present with those many Reasons those of our Church and Communion, have offered to justifie this Assertion of mine; therefore I shall only tie my self up to these few.

First, Our Divines have rejected the Doctrine of Praying to Saints and Angels, and look upon it as a Doctrine, contrary to the Doctrine of Christ, and abominable in the sight of God, because it hath no Warrant from the Word of God. This, Sir, is acknowledged by the most Learned of your Communion. Bannesius saith, Orationes ad Sanctos faciendos, neque expresse, neque involute, Sanctae Literae docent, 2 Qu. 1 Artic. 10. Lib. 1. Which in plain English is this: That it is not taught in the Holy Scripture, neither expresly, nor covertly, that Prayers are to be made to Saints. Bellarmine de Beat. Sanct. cap. 19. saith plainly, It was not the manner under the Old Testament, to say, Holy Abraham, pray for us: for which he gives several Reasons, as that the Fathers were then shut up in Prison, and did not see God. So that by the confession of that Learned Doctor, it was no Practice of those that lived under the Ministry of Mo∣ses his Law. Salmeron in 1 Tim. 2. saith the same, and withal adds, That there is nothing expressed in all the Gospels, or Epistles of the Apostles, touching the matter. And withal he saith, It would have been hard to en∣joyn such a thing upon the Jews; and the Gentiles would have thought that many Gods were put upon them, instead of the many Gods they had forsaken. His own words, Sir, are these, Durum eratie Judaeis percipere, & Genti∣bus daretur occasio putandi, multos sibi Deos, &c. Therefore be pleased to observe, that it was the Practice of the Church of God to require Christians, when they did labour under any Distemper, whether of Bo∣dy, or Mind, to have recourse to the Prayers of living Saints, and were taught that the Prayers of such were prevalent; and if the Prayers to Saints, supposed to be in Heaven, were a Doctrine according to truth, why were they not then order'd to apply themselves to the Patriarchs and Prophets, to the Blessed Virgin, to St. Stephen and St. James, and o∣ther more early Martyrs of the Church, whose Prayers, by your com∣mon received Opinion in your Church, are highly meritorious, and far more prevailing? But, Sir, you see these great Doctors of your Church, and men of great Reading, confess that there are not the least foot-steps in the Scripture for this Practice; as also Suarez, Tom. 2. in disput. Thes. 42. Sect. 1. Eccius in Enchyrid. suo. But suppose, Sir, that these Great Men had not been so ingenuous as to confess; yet give me leave to tell you, that it is not possible for you to find the least intimation of any War∣rant for this Practice: which is apparent, if you will but consider that in the Book of God there is neither one Precept from our Lord, nor one Precedent to justifie such a Worship. Now if you can produce no Command from God, nor Example from any of the Saints of God, in the time of the Apostles, you cannot expect to gain one Soul, that hath

the least consideration, to the belief of that Proposition of the Lawful∣ness of Praying to Saints and Angels, which you so fiercely maintain. If you have a Warrant from God's Word, then it will lie upon you, first to produce the Command, then you must produce the Promise, that the complying with that Commandment shall be acceptable; for there is not one Command enjoyned us in the New Testament, but hath its pe∣culiar Promise: and you must also produce a Threat, if this Command be not obeyed. Then secondly, shew but where and when the holy Apostles, in their day, or any Christian under their immediate Mini∣stry, did ever practise Praying to Saints and Angels, and you shall be my great Oracle in Controversies of Religion: otherwise you must give me leave not to believe Father Sabran's Ipse Dixit in this case.

Sir, give me leave to put you in mind, that the Holy Scripture every∣where makes God to be the only Object of Prayer and Invocation. How many hundred Petitions or Prayers are upon Record there? and not one of them put up to any other. When our Lord taught his Dis∣ciples, and us in them, to pray, he directs them to say, Our Father, which art in Heaven. The Scripture often expresseth this Duty, by the term of Praying, without any mention of the Object. When you pray, use not vain Repetitions. When thou prayest, enter into thy Closet. And hereby it is intimated, that Prayer in matter of Worship, can signifie nothing else but Praying to God. It is not Prayer, if it be directed to any other.

From all which, I must necessarily conclude, that your Practice of Praying to Saints and Angels, must be an Abomination; for God will allow of nothing in his Service and Worship, but what he himself hath instituted: Therefore all Protestant Divines have with one consent a∣greed, that all necessary parts of Religious Worship do so depend upon the Will of God, revealed in his Word, that whatsoever is not founded on his Word, is contrary to his Will. Therefore, Sir, hear what the great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine saith, De Consens. Evangel. Deum sic colere Op rtet, quo modo seipsum Colendum esse praecepit. We ought so to worship God, as he hath appointed himself to be worshipt. Be pleased to remember what the Scripture saith, Deut. 12. last verse, The Israelites are dehorted from using the Religious Rites and Customs of the Heathens, in the worshipping of God. How then? in what man∣ner must they worship him? Whatsoever thing he commands, they must observe to do; they may not add thereto, nor diminish from it. To which, Sir, let me add that of our Saviour, Mat. 15. 9. In vain do they worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men: that is, pressing mens Traditions in the room of God's Institution.

Sir, give me leave to press one thing more, as worthy of your consi∣deration; that is, that the worshipping of Saints and Angels, of which Prayer and Invocation is a principal part, and is not only without any Warrant from the Word of God, but also is forbidden in the Scripture:

there it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. I must here tell you, I am not ignorant of your distinction of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the former your Divines say belong to God only, and the latter may be applied to the Creature: But, Sir, you very well know these are reciprocally used both in Sacred and Profane Writ. And some Learned men of your own Communion have been so ingenu∣ous, as to acknowledge the same. Quid si & una Religionis vertus sit quae Latriam duliamque continet certe plurimis atque Sapientissimis ea est O∣pinio. You know well enough who it was that coyned this distinction; and that though he was a great Light in the Church of God, yet he was no Critick in the Greek Tongue, as he himself saith, Ego quid Linguae Graecae perpurum—assecutus sum & prope nihil. It was St. Augustine himself, whom you very well know did never intend it for that end and purpose, for which it is now used: for he confesseth, That the one is due to him as he is our Lord, and the other as he is our God. These are St. Au∣stin's own words, which taketh away, to all intents and purposes, that imaginary difference between your Latria and Dulia: therefore when I meet with any of yours, urging the one to signifie the honour that be∣longeth only to God, recognizing his Supream Dominion, and the other to signifie service that is due to the Creature. I find that they say just nothing, but thus much: We must honour God, and serve the Saints. It is like the Saying of your Lyra; One Knee we may bow to a Noble Personage, but upon both we may kneel only to God. This Lyra thought he had done the business, when he had so learnedly salved the matter.

But I pray, Sir, what if the common people understand no Greek, and cannot so learnedly discern Latria from Dulia, but take the one Adora∣tion for the other, truly as it now fareth in your Church, they use them universally without difference? therefore this distinction, thus applied, seemeth much like to the Physician's Wife, that once said, that Pepper is cold in working, and hot in operation: for I humbly conceive this di∣stinction, so much made use of by the Divines of your Church, standeth not in difference of matter, but only in words.

Certainly, Sir, Constantius the Bishop of Constantia, in the second Nicene Council, was so zealous for the Worship of Images, that he laid aside this distinction of Latria and Dulia, and very roundly in Libro Ca∣role Magni, tells you his thoughts of the Worship of Images. Ego Imagi∣nibus cultum honoris exhibeo eundem, qui debetur Individuae Trinitati; & si quis nolit idem facere eum anathematizo ut Martionem & Manichaeum: I for my part yield unto Images the same Adoration of honour, that is due to the Holy Trinity; and if any man refuse to do the same, I accurse him, as I do the Hereticks Martion and Maenicheus. Now, Sir, this distinction of your Church-men falls to the ground, if the Authority of this Doctor and Bishop of your Church may pass for currant; but lest you should wave the Authority of this Bishop, I pray consider the determination of the second Council of Nice, where it was determined thus: Non sunt duae Adora∣tiones,

sed una adoratio, Imaginis & primi exemplaris Cujus est Imago. There are not two sorts of Worship or Adoration (the one called Latria, the other Dulia) as your Divines divide them, but one only Adoration, both of the Image, and also of the Pattern whereof the Image is.

Likewise your Great Doctor Thomas of Aquine, after a long Debate upon the Point of the Worshipping of Images, and shewing with what Worship they ought to be Worshipped, The Image, saith he, and the Thing thereby represented, must be Worshipped with one and the same Adoration, Tho. 3 Senten. Dist. 2. And for example, saith, The Cross or Image of Christ, must be Worshipped with Latria (that is with God∣ly Honour) because Christ himself is so honoured; and the Image of our Lady with Dulia; because that Honour, as he saith, is due unto our Lady. But this Determination is reproved by Holcot in his Readings upon the Book of Wisdom, Reading 158; and his Reason is this, Latria, or Godly Honour, is due only unto God; but the Image of God is not God, therefore Latria, or Godly Honour, is not due to an Image; o∣therwise, saith he, the Creator, and the Creature would be Worshipped, or Adored with one and the same Honour: and notwithstanding Hen∣ricus de Gandavo, Petrus de Aquila, Johannes de Gui Verra, Durandus, and other School-Doctors of your Communion, agree with Holcot, and their Judgment seems more agreeable to reason: yet your Author that wrote Fortalitium Fidei, saith, The common Opinion and Practice of your Church holdeth to the contrary. And one Jacobus Payva, a great Stickler on that side, with great assurance, writeth thus, Non Tamen In∣ficiamur hac—Nos Latriae Adoratione Christi praeclarissimam, Crucem colere, & Venerari: We deny not but we do Worship and Adore the Most Noble Cross of Christ, even with this Godly Honour that we call Latria.

Sir, Be pleased to take Notice that some of your Divines, the better to colour the absurdity of this way of Adoration, they will in all their Writings refer the Adoration of the Thing represented by the Image; yet I find that Jacobus Nauclantius, the Bishop of Clugium in Italy, is so zealous, that he tells you, That the Image, and the Thing represented by the Image, must be Worshipped with one and the same Adoration. Be pleased, Sir, to observe his Words, which are these, in Epist. ad Roman. Cap. 1. Ergo non solum fatendum est, fideles in Ecclesia Adorare coram Imagine, & nonnulla ad cautelam, fortè loquuntur, sed & Adorare Imaginem, sine quo volueris scrupulo, quin & eo illam, venerari cultu, quo & proto typon ejus; propter quod si illud habet Adorari Latria, & illa ha∣bet adorare Latria. Therefore we must confess that the faithful People in the Church, do not only Worship before the Image, as some men use to speak for more assurance, but that they Worship the Image itself, and that without any manner of scruple of Conscience whatsoever: yea, and further, they Worship the Image with the same Honour, wherewith they Worship the Thing represented, as if the Thing represented by

the Image be Worshipped with Godly Honour; then must the Image itself be Worshipped with Godly Honour. These, Sir, are the Do∣ctors of your Church, Men of no small figure in their day. The Bi∣shop's Works were Printed at Venice, 1557; and Pava was Printed at Cologne, 1564, both allow'd, as not being against the Catholick Faith: From all which, what availeth your Distinction of Latria and Dulia? For the one by your Doctors is given to the Creature, as well as the o∣ther. Why may not the Virgin Mary have Latria, as well as a Stock, or Stone, which have Eyes and see not, and Hands and handle not, a Nose and smell not, Ears and hear not, Feet and walk not? So that if you trust to the Distinction, you will fail of your expectation, Ser∣vice and Worship being only due to God; Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: hereby both Dulia and Latria applyed to God, and to none else; for if you compare the Text, with the Text in the Old Testament, Deut. 6. 13. you will find the word Only not used; but our Blessed Redeemer puts it in, to shew, that God, and none but him, is the Object of our Latria and Dulia, the one signi∣fying Religious Worship, and the other signifying Religious Service. In the Text, if you please to consider the occasion that was then given to the Blessed Jesus to speak those Words, in Matth. 4. our Lord was tempted by the Devil to Worship him, the Reply Christ makes is this, Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. You cannot imagine, Sir, that the Devil did desire of Christ to pay that Service to him, which you call the superiour, and highest Service; nor did he pretend to be God him∣self, but only his Minister, and enjoy what he offer'd, by the Bounty of God, and a little Religious Prostration would have served his turn; I say, the most he could appear to be, was an Angel of Light; yet Christ refused to pay to him, either your Latria or Dulia, for he saith, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: where you must observe, that as the Devil had no Right to any Religious Wor∣ship, so no Creature can pretend to it, it being due to God only.

Sir, Be pleased further to consider that passage in the Revelations, 19. 10. where St. John seeing an Angel, I fell, saith he, at his feet to wor∣ship him, and he said unto me, see thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; worship God. This St. John was so transported with the Great and Glorious Tidings he had received from Heaven by the Angel, he falls on his Face to acknowledge to the Angel his Joy for his News, and his Thankfulness to the Messen∣ger; but he is forbidden, and commanded to Worship God; See thou do it not, but worship God. And see Revel. 22. 8, 9. And I John saw these things, and heard them, and when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things; then said he unto me, see thou do it not, for I am thy follow-servant, and of thy brethren the Prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book;

worship God. Hence you may see that the Angel forbids St. John Wor∣shipping him; nay, he chides him for offering to pay him a Religious Worship, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I am thy Companion in Dulia, therefore Worship not me, but God, as the only Object of Religious Worship, do not Worship me that am thy Fellow-Servant, and Fellow-Worshipper.

Secondly, I pray Sir, be pleased to consider, that the Almighty hath enjoyned us a Rational Worship and Service, fit for Mankind to perform, and as most suitable with the Glory of his Holy Name: but I conceive the Practice of the Church of Rome in this Point of Praying to Saints and Angols, to be irrational; and by your leave, let me tell you, that no∣thing can be more irrational, and absurd; this I shall make appear in these two Particulars.

I. Consider that the Saints and Angels are under an incapacity of hearing the Prayers that are directed to them; and if so, then, Sir, you will own it to be ridiculous and irrational to pray to them that cannot hear our Prayers; I remember the Scripture saith, How shall we call on them in whom we do not believe? I may with as much reason say, How shall we call on them who cannot hear us? that this is the Case of the Glorified Spirits, is evident, 1. Because they are not Omnipresent, they are circumscribed and finite Creatures, and can be but in one place, at one and the same time. This may be affirmed with very good ground of the Virgin Mary herself, who then must be incapable of hearing the Prayers of One Hundred Thousand Persons, who it may be are Pray∣ing to her at one and the same time, some in one part of the World, and others in the other part of the World; and if she cannot hear their Prayers, I cannot suppose that she can help those who are so much devo∣ted to her Service. I pray, Sir, Why do we call upon the Name of the Great God? Is it not because he is present to observe, and present to accept our Petitions, and answer our Suits; all Men have his essential Presence, good Men have the Presence of his Grace, which doth not only flow from his Nature, but from his Promise also. Now, how can a Saint or Angel be either present to observe, or present to accept of the Petitions of those that make suit to them? That saying of the Psal∣mist is plain, Psal. 139. 7, 8, 9. Whither shall I go from thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there; if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall uphold me. Now, Sir, if God be in Heaven, Earth, Sea, Hell, and fills all Places with his Presence, this shews him an Omnipresent Being. Now produce as much of the Mother of Jesus, or of any of the Saints and Angels, and we will joyn with you in making our Addresses to them; but this cannot be said of any Saint or Angel whatsoever, there∣fore, How can they hear? How can they help? And if they can nei∣ther hear, nor help, what reason have we to pray unto them? 2. As they are not Omnipresent, so they are not Omniscient; for suppose

they could hear what Men do or speak, yet they cannot understand what they think; if we could imagine that they could hear us, what our Mouths do utter, yet we cannot imagine that they know the Se∣crets of the Heart. Now, Sir, the greatest part of our private Devoti∣ons are mental, they are conceptus Animi, such as are conceived in our Hearts and Minds; nay, Sir, let me tell you, that our most acceptable Prayers, many times consist of those Sighs and Groans which cannot be utter'd; and if you will make the Saints and Angels privy to these, it is to give that to them, which is only due to God; see what Solomon saith, the 2 Chron. 6. 30. Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men: there was no Man, nor no number of Men but will say that such Knowledge was too painful, and too wonderful for them: in a word, Sir, you well know, that to search and try the Heart is an incommunica∣ble property and perfection of Almighty God.

It hath been, Sir, a Question among the Divines of your Church, Whether the Saints in Heaven have any knowledge at all of our Human Actions, and Affairs on Earth? but I think the Scriptures are as full as may be to the contrary, (viz.) That they have no knowledge of our Affairs or Actions here upon Earth, see Isai. 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: and see the 22 Kings 20. Thine eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place: for I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou shalt be gather'd in peace: this was a Promise made unto Josiah: so take notice of Job, who tells you, that ye know not what is done after their death; Their sons may come to honour, and they know it not; and they are brought low, and they perceive it not of them. From all which you may easily conclude, that there can be no Man, whether good or bad, that can tell any thing of earthly Transactions, after they are departed this Life.

This I may assert with the greatest assurance, that the Saints have no such knowledge as is necessary in this case, they can neither know, nor understand the Prayers that Men offer up to them, nor (which is also highly necessary) with what Mind they offer their Prayers, whether in sincerity, or in hypocrisie. I pray call to mind what St. Augustine saith, Mortui nesciunt, etiam Sancti quid Agant Vivi, etiam eorum filii. This was the Opinion of that Great and Learned Doctor and Bishop of the Church of God, and it is so plain a Truth, that whatsoever shall be brought in to say in contradiction to it, it will be scarce received for a Catholick Verity, in the Church of God.

But, Sir, how can we expect any satisfaction from you, when your Divines are to this day divided about that matter, and can neither sa∣tisfie themselves, nor one another, how the Glorified Saints come to have knowledge of our Supplications, and Prayers: you know that ma∣ny nice and curious Questions have been argued in our Schools, amongst many Learned Men, for at least Six Hundred Years, Pro and Con,

without any satisfactory Determination, as Gratian Gloss, in 13. Qu. de Mortuis, and St. Augustine in his Tract, De cura pro Mortuis, they have all left the matter in doubt, As whether the Souls of those to whom they Pray be present, or absent? If they be present, whether they be present actually or virtually? If they be absent and have Information from others, then whether it be from the Angels, or from God himself, and if it be from God, then whether it be by particular Revelation from him, or by the Bea∣tifical Vision of him. Thus, Sir, you know it hath been inquired into, and debated amongst your own Doctors; one hath determined one way, and another hath determined another way, and there is not yet to this day, any Catholick Determination made of any of those Questi∣ons: 'tis true, they all agree that they are made acquainted with the Prayers, or else in vain they would be Invocated; but how they come by this knowledge, Non convenit inter Omnes, saith your Pinello, all are not agreed about it.

Some of your Divines that have been very fanciful, have been taken with the Notion of a Looking-glass in the Face of God, wherein those blessed Spirits have an exact and full view of all things past, present, and to come: the Notion is pleasant, and 'tis pity you have not had the good fortune, to beget a firm belief amongst those of your own Church, of this Point; for since this Looking-glass was broken in pieces, even in your own Church, there hath been some of your own Doctors, who could see nothing in it, but the Folly and Rashness of those who first in∣vented it, without any Warrant from the Word of God, Cajetan, Ga∣briel Durandus, Scotus, Occam, and many other great Names, think themselves no whit obliged to this imaginary Glass; for they were then satisfied of the vanity of that Imagination; nor will the Text, In thy light, we shall see light; nor will that Saying, Qui videt videntem omnia, is Videt omnia: He seeth all things, that seeth him who seeth all things: establish the belief of it: For, Sir, if it were so, he that sees God, seeth whatsoever is in God, and whatsoever God seeth. Then the Angels that always behold his Face, and look up to this Glass, would have ne∣ver stooped down to pry, as they did, into the Mysteries of the Gospel, and needed not be informed by the Church, about the manifold Wis∣dom of God; then would they not be to seek, concerning any future Events, no, nor be ignorant of the Day and Hour of the last Judg∣ment. I shall conclude this with the Saying of St. Augustine, in his Discourse, De cura pro Mortuis; If (saith that Father) so great and fa∣mous Patriarchs as Abraham and Jacob, did not understand how the World went with their Posterity, how then can it be, that the Dead should at all take Notice of the Living, or intermeddle with assisting them. That is, they neither know their Wants, nor can they give them any assistance; Why then we should make our Prayers to them? I hope, Sir, you will give a Reason: for at the present I am to seek.

Thirdly, It is, Sir, in the third place, highly destructive to the Media∣tion of Christ. It destroys both his Glory and Power, as a Mediator between God and Man. Our Divines have from the Scriptures satisfied those, over whom they by the Holy Ghost were made Overseers; and by our knowledge we have of the Scripture, we are convinced that we have no other Mediator, or Intercessor, by whom we may have access to God, but Jesus Christ, in whose Name alone all things are obtained at the hands of his Eternal Father: therefore we are much concern'd at the Vanity and Superstition we see in your Churches, not only that your Mediators are without number; though you know well, Sir, that St. Paul, in the 1 Tim. 2. 6. saith, There is but one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus.

Your Divines give it for granted, that there is but one Mediator of Salvation; but there are many Mediators of Intercession: And thus with this fond Distinction they convey themselves away, as if they had sufficiently acted their part. But, Sir, be pleased to tell us, that since you own that Christ alone is the Mediator of Salvation, why do you pretend to call upon the Virgin Mary? Salva omnes qui te glorificant: Save thou all those that glorifie thee. Here you intrude upon the Office of our dear Redeemer, and make the Holy Virgin not only Mediator of Intercession, but also of Salvation; for by your Prayers, and by the Practice of the Church of Rome, even contrary to your own Distinction, you desire Salvation of our Lady, and so make her a Mediator, not on∣ly of Prayer, but of Salvation. You shift off this, and say, That when you say, Save us, you mean no more, but, Pray for us, that we may be saved; but this is but shifting: for you shift from Saving to Praying, and from Praying to Saving, at your pleasure: but if you crave nothing from the Mother of Jesus, but only her Prayer, or Intercession, I pray, Sir, what is the true meaning of these Words, Meritis & praecibus suae piae Matris here, are not only Prayers, but also Merits. You still say, that the only thing you crave from the Virgin, is her Prayers; What then will you do with those Words so often mentioned in your Offices? Monstra te esse Matrem: Shew thy self to be the Mother, and let him know it: that is to say, Command him, he is thy Son. I pray observe, a Command cannot be Prayer, Merits cannot be Prayer, nor Salvation cannot be Prayer. But, Sir, why should your Divines stand upon this Distinction? since a fictitious Author that carryeth the name of St. Ambrose, in Serm. 6. de S. Margareta, writ thus, Reddere debemus sanctis honorificentiam qui nobis salutem profusione sui sanguinis pepererunt, qui tam sacra Hostia pro nostra propitiatione domino sunt oblati. We must yield honour unto the Saints, who have procured Salvation for us by the shedding of their blood, who also were offered up unto the Lord so holy a Sacrifice for our Salvation. If we have Salvation in and by the blood of the Saints; then is not our blessed Lord the only Media∣tor of Salvation. Therefore Sir, how shall this be reconciled to your

Doctrine? or how will you reconcile your Doctrine to this of your young St. Ambrose? for you say, that Christ himself is the only Media∣tor of Salvation, and your Author saith, that Salvation is procured by the blood of the Saints, also by which you may perceive your distin∣ction will not serve your turn upon any terms whatsoever.

Therefore Sir, give me leave to offer this to your consideration; that the end, and office of Christs Mediation of Intercession, as also of Sal∣vation, is to reconcile us to God, and to procure us Mercy, which Christ performeth; for he reconcileth us to God, he presenteth us unto the Throne of Grace; and therefore as St. Paul saith, Rom. 8. 34. That he is at the right hand of God, and maketh Intercession for us, and that there is one Mediatour between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus, Tim. 2. 5. I confess that God hath commanded his Saints and Servants to Pray one for another; but St. Paul never commanded the People to Pray to Saints. I pray take notice of the words of St. Augustine, Paulus non facit se Me∣diatorem, inter Populum & Deum, sed Rogat ut pro se orent Invicem, ont∣nia Membra Corporis Christi: Paul maketh not himself a Mediator be∣tween God and the People, but requireth that they Pray one for ano∣ther, they being all the Members of Christ's Mystical Body, Aug. E∣pist. Parmen. Lib. 2. Cap. 8. And of St. John he saith, Si Johannes ita diceret, hoc scripsi vobis ut non peccetis, & siquis peccaverit Mediato∣rem me habetis, apud Deum, & ego, exoro pro peccatis vestris. Sicut Permenianus quodam loco Mediatorem posuit Episcopum, inter Deum, & Populum, quis eum ferret bonorum, atque fidelium, Christianorum? Quis sicut Apostolorum, Christi & non sicut Antichristium intueretur? If St. John would say this, I have written unto you, that you sin not; and if you sin, you have me your Mediator before God, and I will intreat for your Sins. As Parmenian the Heretick, in a certain place, made the Bishop a Mediator between God and the People: What good and faithful Christian could abide him? Who would look upon him as the Apostle of Christ, and not rather think him to be Antichrist? Thus you may see that it is repugnant to the Sence of St. Augustine, and other of the Doctors of the Church. That Christ is the only Mediator of Salva∣tion, and that he is not the only Mediator of Intercession; for whosoe∣ver takes that upon him is Antichrist, St. Paul himself not assuming to himself the Office of a Mediator, Why should we without any just ground judge and deem him so? since no Man can take this honour to himself, unless called of God, as was Aaron to this High-Priesthood of Intercession, which the Blessed Lord himself did not take upon him till he was thus called: so that you may plainly see that St. Augustine is as positive as may be, that no Man can be a Mediator of Intercession, but Christ himself alone, who ever liveth to make Intercession for us; and your young St. Ambrose he saith, That Christ is not alone the Mediator of Salvation: Therefore, what is become of your Distinction of his being the only Mediator of Salvation, but not the only Mediator of Interces∣sion?

And, by the by, be pleased to observe, that Parmenianus the He∣retick, against whom St. Augustine wrote, never thought that the Bi∣shop was a Mediator of Salvation; and yet St. Augustine saith, That if St. John would have said so much of himself, (viz.) That he had been a Mediator of Intercession; he had not been the Apostle of Christ; but rather should have been judged, and taken for Antichrist. This, Sir, I humbly conceive, is worthy of your Consideration: And I hope that you will not for the future, rely much upon that Distinction.

I must mind you of that Saying of the Prophet, Where are thy Gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy Cities, are thy Gods, O Judah, Jer. 2. 28. chap. 11. 13. And according to the number of the Streets of Jerusalem, have you set up Altars to the shameful Thing, even Altars to burn Incense unto Baal. So you have your innumerable Company of Saints, to whom ye erect Altars; insomuch, that those of your Communion cannot tell to which Saint it were best to turn them first: yet you have assighed every one of them their Office, and direct your Disciples what things they ought to ask, and what to give, and what to bring to pass, under their respective Protections, without any manner of Warrant from the Word of God. But, Sir, be pleased to understand me, I do not apply these false Gods to the Saints, for that would be Blasphemy, and it were to call them Idols, which is absurd, seeing that they see the Face of God evermore, and are with God in Glory; but in respect of those horrible Abuses, and vain Fancies of those of your Communion, the words of the Prophet may be justly applyed: for you in your Imagination of the Saints of God, you have made Idols, and have so multiplied and increased the same, that the number of them have exceeded the number of your Cities and Towns: But, Sir, if you will give me your patience, I will shew you that an eminent Light in the Church of God, did apply these very words of the Prophet, unto the Blessed Mother of Jesus, being then abused most Idolatrously by the Hereticks Collyridians, in the same manner as you abuse her, and other Saints now, even to the highest Idolatry; it was the old Father Epi∣phanius, Lib. 3. Haeris 79. Nequis comedat de Errore qui est propter Sanctam Mariam, tam & si enim pulchrum sit lignum, tamen non'est ad Cibum, & si Pulcherrima est Maria, & Sancta, & Honorata, at non ad Adorationem. Hae vero Mulieris colentes Mariam, rursus Renovant fortunae mixturam, & praeparant Mensam Diabolo, non Deo, quemadmodium Scriptum est pas∣cuntur cibo impietatis, & rursus & Faeminae terunt Pollinem, & Filiis colli∣gunt Ligna ut faciant Placentas Oleo subactus Reginae Caeli: Compescantur Jeremia; tales Mulieres ne turbant Orbem Terrarum; ne dicant Ho∣noramus Reginam Coeli: Let no Man feed upon this Error, touching St. Mary; for though the Tree be fair, yet is not the Fruit to be eaten; and though Mary be Beautiful, Holy, and Honourable, yet is she not to be Adored: But these Women Worshipping St. Mary, run again to

the Sacrifice of Wine mingled in the Honour of the Goddess Fortune, and prepare a Table for the Devil, and not for God, as it is written in the Scriptures, they are fed with the meat of wickedness: and again, their Women boult flower, and their Children gather sticks, to make Cakes in honour of the Queen of Heaven: therefore let such Women be rebu∣ked by the Prophet Jeremiah, and let them no more trouble the World, and let them not say, We worship the Queen of Heaven.

Here you may see, Sir, that these words were spoken of the filthy I∣dols of the Heathen, and by this holy Father applied to the Mother of our Lord; not to deface that blessed Woman, but to declare the fond Errours of those Hereticks, what is done less to that great Saint in those Countries that pay Obedience to the Church and See of Rome, than these Hereticks did, of whom this holy man thus complaineth? Do you not offer to her Candles, Incence, Garments, Jewels of Silver, and Jewels of Gold? Are not, by pretence of Worship, your Churches inriched? And all this you do, because you say, She is the great Mediator of Intercession. But you pay the same Homage to her (if not more) as you do to her Son the Redeemer of the World. You pray to her to save and defend you in Body and Soul, now and in the hour of death: for you call her, The Queen of Heaven, the Lady of Angels; you say to her, Command thy Son, shew thy self to be a Mother. Your Cardinal Bembus telleth the Virgin, Dominam & Deam Nostram, Bemb. in Epist. ad Carolum 5. Ambrosius Catharinus, one of the Council of Trent, Sess. 2. calleth the Virgin, God's Fellow; Fidelissima ejus Socia. Nicholaus Cusanus, a Cardinal of Rome, saith, Excitat. Lib. 8. Hoc cedit ad Laudem dei & Virginis Mariae Matris, quod ipso suo principatu Authoris mortis nullo unquam tempore fuit non in∣diguit virgo Liberatore, qui ipsam absolveret a sententia in Adam & in posteres, Lata, Maria non est deleta de Libro Mortis, quia nunquam in eo scripta fuit. This thing turneth to the praise of God, and of the Virgin Mary the Mother, that she never was at any time under the power of the Author of Death; that Virgin needed no Deliverer, that should ran∣som her from the Sentence pronounced against Adam and his Posterity. Mary was never razed out of the Book of Death, for she was never written in it. When our Nation did profess the Romish Religion, I meet with a Council held at Oxford, where the Name of Christ is quite left out, and Mary's Name put in; for thus it beginneth: Authoritate Dei Patris, & Baeatae Virginis, & omnium Sanctorum; By the Authority of God the Father, and the Blessed Virgin, and of all Saints.

Do you not in your Offices call her Mediatrix and Redemptrix? Why then do you shuffle off your Hearers with this distinction, that Christ alone is the Mediator of Salvation, and that the Virgin and Saints are only Mediators of Intercession, and not of Salvation? I would once more pray you to observe how you contradict your own Doctrine left by men, whose Authority was not to be question'd by any that did suc∣ceed them. If your St. Ambrose saith true, The Saints by shedding their

Bloud did purchase Salvation for us, how comes it to pass that they are not Mediators of Salvation? But if they did not purchase Salvation for us, I pray how comes it to pass that they are Mediators of Intercession? When did this Priesthood of theirs commence? When did God say to any one of them, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? The Saints did not glorifie themselves to be made Priests, nor did God call them to that Priesthood that should intitle them to such a Mediatorship that you would put upon them; and Christ himself had not glorified himself to be made an High-Priest, but God glorified him, and said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Heb. 5. 8. From all which, Sir, we may conclude, that if your Doctors are in the right, your Ambrose, and your Bembus, and your Ambrosius Catharinus, your Cusanus, if they be in the right, and your Offices, the which I have by me, are in the right, then the Virgin Mary and the rest of the Saints, are Mediators of Salvation, as well as Jesus Christ; and upon that consideration you must part with your fond distinction between being a Mediator of Salvation, and of Intercession. Now if it be true, that none ever arrived to that Priesthood but Christ himself, who was called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. 5. 7. and he took not the Office upon him, till God did so call him; then how dare you thrust this Office upon them, which is only due to Jesus Christ? And because he is the Great High-Priest and Apostle of our Profession, the An∣gels of God are commanded to worship him: And till you prove the Saints to be such, you must pardon us, we will pay them no Worship; we do praise God for them, but we will not pray to them.

Sir, I know you make a great account of the Virgin Mary, upon the consideration that she was the Mother of our Lord: It was a great Ho∣nour and Grace that God Almighty conferred upon her, and therefore you run into those extravagant ways of worshipping her. Truly I, with very good assurance, do affirm, that it is a greater Honour to be a Child of God, than to be the Mother of Jesus Christ. Observe what St. Au∣gustine saith, Beatior ergo Maria fuit percipiendo fidem Christi, quam con∣cipiendo carnem Christi: Materna propinquitas nihil Mariae profuisset, nisi felicius Christum Corde quam Carne Gestassit. Mary was more bles∣sed in that she received the Faith of Christ, than that she conceived the Flesh of Christ: Motherly kindness could have done Mary no good, un∣less she had born Christ more blessedly in her heart, than she bear him in her flesh, Aug. de Sancta Virginitate, cap. 3. Again, he saith, Mater mea quam appellastis foelicem, unde foelix est, quia verbum Dei custodivit, non quia in illa verbum caro factum est. My Mother whom ye have called blessed, therefore is blessed, because she hath kept the Word of God, not be∣cause the Word in her was made Flesh, Aug. in Joh. Tract. 10. To the words of this holy Doctor give me leave to joyn the words of Christ himself, in Luke 11. 27, 28. And it came to pass, as he spake these things that is, while he preached to the people, a certain woman of the company lift up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bear thee, and the paps which

thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. I pray you to observe the words of Epipha∣nius, Lib. 3. Haeres. 79. con. Collyridianos, Christus dixit quid mihi, & ti∣bi est mulier? nondum venit hora mea, quò non putarent aliquis magnis exi∣mium esse Sanctam Virginem, mulierem eam appellavit voluti prophetans quae essent futura interra sectarum & Haereseon genera ut ne aliqui nimium admirari Sanctam in hanc Haeresim ejusque deliramenta delebantur est enim Ludibrium tota Res, & Anicularum fabula, & ut ita dicam tota Haeresis tractatio. Christ saith unto his Mother, Woman, what have I to do with thee? my hour is not yet come. Lest any man should think the Virgin Mary was of greater Excellency, he called her Woman; as it were pro∣phesying of the kinds of Sects and Heresies that were to come into the World, lest any man, having too great an Opinion of that holy Saint, should fall into the Heresie and the Dotage of the same: for indeed the whole matter is but a Mockery, and Old Wives Tale, and truly to say nothing else but the handling of an Heresie. You see St. Epiphanius his Judgment of the Worship that is due to the Virgin Mary. We do not find him to call her Redemptrix or Mediatrix; he takes no notice at all of that, but in plain words tells you, that she is not to be worshipped: Now if she had been in any sence a Mediator, she would have had some title to be worshipped and adored.

In short, Sir, you can never prove her, in any case whatever, to be a Mediator. Then do you not do the greatest affront and contempt to Jesus Christ, by applying your selves to her as a Mediator, or to any o∣ther Saint whatsoever? Do you not in your Offices pray to them all, that they through their merits would obtain for you life everlasting? But, Sir, to be plain with you, it is necessary that you consider that there are, as the effects of Christ's death for us, three great Products, which are the Rule and Measure of our Prayers, and of our Confidence. 1. Christ's Merits. 2. His Satisfaction. And 3. His Intercession. By these three we come boldly to the Throne of Grace, and pray to God through Jesus Christ: But if we pray to God through the Saints too, and rely upon their Merits, Satisfaction, and Intercession, do we not make them equal to Christ in the great Office of his Priesthood? You know very well that this is the publick avowed Practice of the Church of Rome, to rely upon the Saints Intercession, to be made valid by the Merits of the Saints, together with their Satisfaction: for if by the shedding of their Bloud for the Church, hey purchased Salvation for the Church; then by shedding their Bloud for the Church, they made satisfaction for the sins of the Church: So that you make the Virgin Mary and the Saints equal, if not superiour to Christ, in the great Work of obtaining Salva∣tion for us. Give me leave, Sir, to put you in mind of some of your Prayers that have been used, and whose use still continues in your Church. In the first place, take notice of a Prayer to one Etheldred an English Saint, in these words: Look, O most gracious Virgin, upon our Troubles

which we most deservedly sustain, and by the Merits and Intercession of thy Holiness, both appease the Anger of the Judge, whom we have offended, and obtain that Pardon which we have not deserved. Sacrum Breviary, fol. 100. In the Office of the Hours, as it is used at Rome: Omnes Sancti, & Sanctae Dei, subvenite mihi, & ut per merita vestra per venire valeam ad eternae beatitudinis Patriam. There is another Prayer in the Roman Breviary, directed to St. Jude; in English it is thus: We pray thee, O St. Jude the Apostle, that by thy Merits thou wouldest drive me from the custom of my sins, and snatch me from the power of the Devil, and advance me to thy in∣visible power. I pray consider another Prayer in your Offices, for the Sunday before the Ascension of our Lord, made to St. Mary Magdalen, in these words: O Mary Magdalen, hear our Prayers, which are full of Praises, and most clemently reconcile this Company unto Christ, that the Fountain of Supream Piety, who cleansed thee from thy sins, giving pardon, may cleanse us who are his Servants and thine. But above all, see that excellent Prayer to St. Becket, whose Bloud ye have supposed to be as soveraign as the Bloud of the Son of God. 'Tis not enough to pray as you do, that by his Merits and Prayers you may be deliver'd from Vice to Virtue, and from the Prison to the Kingdom; this you hope for from the more ordinary Saints: but as for St. Thomas of Canterbury, you pray, That by his Bloud you may climb to Heaven, as he hath done before you. Now do you judge in your own Conscience, Whether this and all your Saints be not made equal to Christ? and whether you do not make them Mediators of Salvation, as well as Intercession? And more than all this, one of your own Doctors tells us, That the Intercession of the Saints is more available, than the Intercession of Christ; and that as Christ wrought greater Miracles by his Saints, than by himself, so oftentimes he sheweth the force of their Intercession, more than his own. This Doctor of yours put a Question, Whether it is better to pray to God through Christ alone, or thro' the Saints? which Question he determineth, That it was better to pray to God through the Saints. So that by the Doctrine of your Learned men, you may, nay you ought to go to God through the Merits, Satisfaction, and Intercession of the Saints; so that there is nothing remaining of the Honour due to Christ our Saviour, and our Confidence in Him, but the same in every kind is by your Church imputed to the Saints: therefore the Being and Oeconomy of Christianity is destroyed by these Prayers, and the People are not, and cannot be good Christians in these Devoti∣ons; and what hopes are laid up for them who Repent to no purpose, and pray with derogation to Christ's Honour, is matter of deepest consi∣deration: Therefore our Church will take care that her Members may not be seduced with little Tricks and Artifices, of useless and laborious Distinctions and Protestations against Evidence of Fact. Therefore, Sir, you ought, with Fear and Trembling, to consider what God said by the Prophet; My people have done two great evils, they have forsaken me, the living fountain, (that is, the strong and living God) and have digged to

themselves cisterus (that is, little phantastick helps) that hold no water, that give no refreshment, Jer. 2. 13. Or as St. Paul expresseth it, They worship and invocate the Creature, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, beside the Creator: so the word properly signifies, and so it is used by the Apostle in other places, 1 Cor. 3. 11. and Gal. 1. 8. But to conclude this Head, I beseech you, Sir, to remember the words of St. Augustine: Tutius, & jucundius loquar ad meum Jesum, quam ad aliquam Sanctorum Spirituum Dei: I can speak more safely, and more cheerfully to my Jesus, than to any of the Saints and Spirits of God, Lib. 1. Cap. 2. De Visitatione Infirmorum. For that Holy Father knew that Jesus was the only Mediator, and it was highly tending to the prejudice of Christ's Priesthood, who only ever lives to make Intercession for us, to pray to any of the Saints.

Fourthly, You know, Sir, that Christians are every-where exhorted to flee from Idolatry, and to keep themselves from Idols: for this I shall not need to use many Arguments, to satisfie you or any man; therefore we cannot consent to your Practice of Praying to Saints and Angels▪ because it is Idolatry. I confess this is, and hath been a Charge which none of your Communion could bear, but have been, and are still highly offended at it. Any man (saith a Doctor of your Church) of com∣mon Reason, would think it as easie to prove the Snow to be black, as so inno∣cent a Practice to be Idolatry. But, Sir, I humbly conceive that Learned Person may be mistaken: for it is agreed by both the Romish Doctors, and those of the Reformed Religion, That Idolatry, in the proper no∣tion of it, is a giving that Worship and Service to the Creature, which is due only to God; yea, though men worship God, yet if they worship the Creature also, they are Idolaters.

The holy Apostle reproves those (Rom. 1. 25.) that worshipped the Creature besides the Creator. And this was the Idolatry of those whom the King of Assyria sent to inhabit Samaria. The Text saith, They fea∣red the Lord, and served other or their own Gods, 2 King. 17. 33. Now that you worship Saints and Angels, as well as Almighty God, is notori∣ous enough; for you profess and practise it: and is not that a worship∣ping the Creature besides the Creator? And if to worship the Creature besides the Creator, be Idolatry, how shall you be excused from the just Charge of Idolatry? The distinction that you think to help your selves out withal, is that of Latria and Dulia; which I think is as ill applied, as ever any distinction was. I confess, I am no Proficient in the He∣brew, but those that are Masters of that Tongue, tell us, there is but one word in the Hebrew for Dulia and Latria; but that skill I have in the Greek assures me, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are indifferently taken in the Old and New Testament, both for one and the same thing; and both applied to God, the former to him as he is Lord, and the latter as he is God, as St. Augustine saith, that first made the distinction: and there∣fore, as I said before, I repeat it to you again, it was neither made by him, nor used by him, to justifie any such Practice, as you maintain in

your Church. But there is another distinction of yours, much to the same purpose, that is of Superiour and Absolute Worship, which you say is only due to God; and Inferiour and Relative Worship, which is ap∣plicable to the Creature. Now, Sir, if by Inferiour and Relative Wor∣ship, you mean a Religious Worship, as you must do, if you will justifie your own Doctrine; then give me leave to tell you, that you have no ground for this distinction in all the Word of God: and had the Arians found out such a distinction, by its help they might have destroyed the force of the Apostle's Argument, whereby he proves the Deity of Christ, because the Angels of God are enjoyned to worship him, Heb. 1. 6. Psal. 97. 7. To this they might readily have replied, that the Text intends a Religious Worship of an Inferiour degree, such as may be given to the most excellent Creature. But, Sir, you know that shift was not found out then; and therefore they were not able to give any answer, but were necessitated to silence. You must either prove that this distincti∣on is grounded on the Word of God, or you must quit your distinction: And if you quit that, then it roundly follows, that your paying that Worship to the Creature, which is only due to the Creator, you bring the just Charge of Idolatry upon your selves, which we are commanded to avoid.

I beseech you, Sir, to tell us wherein you differ from the Gentiles in their Idolatry: Do you not do by your Saints and Angels, as they did by their Gods? Do you not manifestly revive their Doctrine of Daemons, which is foretold in Scripture, as that which should fall out in the latter days, amongst the degenerate and apostatizing Christians? So the Apo∣stle tells us, 1 Tim. 4. 1, 2. That in the latter times, some should revolt from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils or Dae∣mons. Now what these Daemons were, I will not pretend to inform you, but only remind you, that the Idolatry of the Gentiles, and their no∣tions of Daemons, is revived and re-enforced in your Church. The Gentiles feighned that their Daemons were an inferiour sort of deified Powers, that stood in the midst between the Soveraign Gods and them. The Soveraign Gods were by them supposed so sublime and pure, that Mortals could not, and might not approach; therefore they introduced this middle sort of Divine Powers, to be as Mediators and Agents be∣twixt them. These Daemons, or Mediators, were supposed to be of two sorts; some were the Souls of men deified after their death: for you must understand that the Canonization of Heroes and deceased Wor∣thies, is somewhat older than your Canonizations in your Church, for Rome, whilst it was under the Clouds of Heathenism, had a custom to canonize their deceased Emperours, and they called them Divine or Saints, as well as the Church of Rome hath now. We read of a Divus Augustus, as well as of a Divus Augustinus.

The Gentiles, I say, had another sort of Daemons, which were more sublime, and had never dwelt in mortal bodies, but were from the be∣ginning

always the same: These second sort of Daemons do fitly answer those Spiritual Powers which we call Angels as the former above-men∣tioned sort do to those we call Saints. To these Daemons they built their Temples and their Images, Shrines and Reliques, they worshipped with all Religious Devotion. So that in many respects, the Idolatry of the Pagans, is a perfect Pattern of the Idolatry of your Church; the one hath great affinity with the other, and is exactly parallel with it: and your Practice of Praying to Saints and Angels, hath its Rise and Being from the Adoration that the Gentiles paid to their Daemons.

The Gentiles distributed Offices, and several Duties limited, and ap∣pointed to each Daemon, in his station and degree; which I prove out of Augustine de Civit. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 12. who there saith thus: Varro di∣cebat, ita esse utilem cognitionem Deorum, si sciatur quam quis quae Deus vim aut potestatem habeat, cujusque rei ex eo enim inquit poteremus scire, quem cujusque rei causam Deum advocare, atque invocare debeamus, ne fa∣ciamus ut Mimi solent, & Optomus à Libero aquam, & à Lymphis Vinum. Varro said, the knowledge of the Gods is profitable, if a man understand what Power and Authority each God hath in every thing: for so, saith he, we may know whom to call upon, and whom to pray unto, lest by chance we do as certain Mimi are wont to do; that is to say, lest of Bacchus, the God of Wine, we beg Water; and of Cymphae, the Goddess of Water, we beg Wine. These things having their beginning amongst the Pagan Idolaters, have since been brought into the Church of God, to the high displeasure of Almighty God, and great scandal of the glori∣ous Gospel of his dear Son.

So all the Saints in Heaven have been appointed, each one in his Or∣der, to his several Office, lest any one should intrude into anothers Room. Observe what Antonius, a Bishop of your Church, (nay, if I mistake not, he was Archbishop of Florence) saith in his time, He saw Sr. Paul and Fryer Dominick painted together: Under the Image of St. Paul there was written, Per hunc Itur ad Christum; We may come to Christ by this Saint: but under the Picture of Fryer Dominick they wrote thus, Sed Magis per Istum. What did they mean by this, Sir, but that Fryer Dominick's Office and Authority before God, was some∣what better and of more credit than St. Paul's? You teach your Peo∣ple to pray to St. Gal, for the fecundity and health of their Geese; and to St. Windiline, for their Sheep; to St. Antony, for their Hogs; St. Pe∣lagius, for their Oxon. Nay, your several Trades-men have their par∣ticular Saints; the Physicians are patronized by Cosmas and Damian, as Aesculapius was to the Physicians in the time of Paganism. The Hea∣thens were wont to invok Lucina, in the Pains of Child-birth; but you do judge St. Margaret the better Midwife, and therefore you pray to her.

The Pagan Sea-men, they called upon Neptune; but your Church judgeth St. Nicholas to have as much or more power than he: therefore

your Sea-men call upon him. Your Painters have St. Luke for their Patron; and the Pagan Painters had Appelles for theirs. Your Porters have Goalus: And the Hunts-men, Eustachius. Your Curtezans have St. Affra, and St. Mary Magdalen. You, I suppose, know who was the Patroness of the Pagan Ladies of Pleasure. The Heathens did rely upon their particular Daemons, for the cure of several Diseases; and you rely upon your particular Saints. St. Sebastian and St. Roch, have a special priviledge to cure the Plague; St. Petronilla, the Fever, with the help of St. Sigismund; St. John and St. Bennet the Abbot, to cure Poy∣son; St. Apolonia, the Tooth-ach; St. Oliva fore Eyes; St. Apollinarius, the French-Pox, for he had got that Employment since the discovery of the West Indies: St. Vincentius hath a special faculty of restoring stoln Goods; and St. Liberius doth infallibly cure the Stone; and St. Faelici∣tas will give the Teeming Mother a fine Boy. It is strange, that if nothing but the Intercession of these Saints were intended, that they cannot as well pray for other things as these; or that they have no Commission to ask of those any thing else. I pray, Sir, compare your Readings together, and see whether or no the Heathens had not their particular Gods for these things, to whom they did pay all Worship, and therefore were charged by God himself with Idolatry, and their Gods were termed Idols; and the reason why they were Idolaters, was, because they gave Worship to their Gods, which were but Crea∣tures, which was only due to the Creator.

You may say, Sir, that these Daemons, or Inferiour Deities of the Heathens, were the Souls of wicked men and Devils; whereas those that are invocated and adored by us, are the Spirits of just men and Angels. And as to the distributing to every Saint his peculiar Office, we are not tyed to defend the Superstitions of the Vulgar, or the A∣bused. To this, Sir, I must reply, and tell you, We do not think you lie under any such Obligation; but you are bound to inform the Abu∣sed, and to reprove this notorious Idolatry, as all the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God, do in the Reformed Churches, and declare against such Abominations. I confess, the Tri∣dentine Chapter very zealonsly forbids all Superstitions, but wisely for∣bears to tells the World what is Superstition, and what is not: So that the Members of your Church still go on in those Superstitions and Ido∣latrous Practices.

Nay, every Nation hath its Saint, as England hath St. George, Scot∣land St. Andrew, Ireland St. Patrick, Wales St. David, Spain St. James, France St. Dennis; nay, every City, every Family, almost every House, and every devout Person chuseth his particular Saint, whose Altars they more devoutly frequent, whose Images they more Religiously Worship, to whose Relicks they more readily go in Pilgrimage, to whose Honour they say more Pater Nosters, and Ave Maria's, whose Festivals they more solemnly observe, spoyling their Prayers by their Confidence in un∣known

Persons, living in an unknown Condition, diminishing that Wor∣ship they owe to God, and that Honour they owe to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that Affiance they ought to have in God through Christ, and pay it to them who cannot save.

Give me leave to tell you, that the number of your Saints are so many, that your People can scarce tell, which Saint to turn himself to first; and if you will take the Authority of a Writer of your own Church, you will find that your Church have been so far from correct∣ing of the Superstition, and Idolatry of the Common People, and the a∣bused Zealots of your Communion: for Isuardus a French Monk, dili∣gently searching out the number of Saints, found that in every day in the year, there are more than three hundred Saints to be served: such a number of Saints have the Bishops of Rome brought into the Church of their own Authority, whom they have Sainted partly for Favour, and partly for Money, and partly of blind Zeal, and partly for satis∣fying other Mens corrupt Affections; these I say, must be Worshipped, and Prayed unto; so far are you from reproving Idolatry, that you incourage and promote it. Another saith, That from the time the Bi∣shops of Rome began first to Canonize, and make Saints, unto the time of John the two and twentieth Bishop of Rome, there were Canonized five thousand five hundred fifty five Saints; this I have from the Au∣thor Fasciculus Temporum. Therefore, Sir, you must confess the Extra∣vagancy of those who have had the Guardianship of the Church. It is not the fault of the People only running wilfully into such Idolatrous Practices; but it is the Practice of your Church, warranted and taught by some of her Guides. Now, whereas, your Divines have pleaded, That the Worship that the Pagans give to their Gods was Idolatry, be∣cause they were the Souls of wicked Men, and Devils; and that your Worship that you pay to Saints and Angels, cannot be Idolatry, because they are such.

This, I humbly conceive to be a great Mistake, for though there be a disparity, because the Idolatry of the Pagan World, did not lie in the ill choice they made of their Daemons, they Worshipped; but in giving that Religious Worship to a Creature, which was due only to the Crea∣tor. Let him be a good or a bad Angel, a just or a wicked Person since he is but a Creature, 'tis Idolatry to offer Religious Worship, or to Invocate him; so that if it be Idolatry to Worship ill Men, or De∣vils, because they are Creatures, then it is Idolatry to Worship good Men, or Angels, because they are Creatures likewise. Before I con∣clude this Head, let me tell you the Opinion of one of your Church up∣on this matter, his Words are these: Multi Christiani in re bona ple∣rumque peccant quod Divos, Divas que non alitur Venerantur, quam De∣um, nec video in multis quid sit discrimen, inter eorum Opinionem de San∣ctis, & id quod Gentiles putabant de Diis suis: Ludvi. Not. in Aug. De Civit. Dei, Lib. 3. Cap. 27. Edit. Anno 1596. Many Christians, do

for the most part transgress in a good thing, that they Worship Hee-Saints, and Shee-Saints, no otherwise than they Worship God: nor do I see in many things, wherein their Opinion of the Saints do differ from that which the Heathens had of their Gods. I think no Protestant could have said more.

Sir, Let me ask you, Was it not Idolatry in the Jews to burn In∣cense to the Queen of Heaven? And was not God highly provoked at it? What difference is there betwixt burning Incense to her whom you call the Queen of Heaven, and the Jews burning Incense to the Queen of Heaven, which is termed Idolatry? Is not this your Practice to this day? And if the Jews were guilty of Idolatry for that Worship, how can you expect to clear your selves from the same Charge? If they Worshipped that which was not, and therefore were guilty of Idolatry. I pray what is your Queen of Heaven? when was she made so? and by whom? What Text can you bring to prove any such thing? Did God ever say to the Virgin Mary, (whom you call Queen of Heaven) Sit thou at my right hand? Or did he say, Let all the Angels of God Worship Her? If he did, produce your Text, and you will do much; and till then you will not easily perswade those of our Church, either to joyn with you in any Worship to the Virgin, or quit you from the Charge of Idolatry. I will leave these to your Consideration, and so conclude this Head.

Fifthly, As your Practice of Praying to Saints and Angels, is the vilest Idolatry, so it is the greatest Blasphemy; and from hence we conclude it to be an unreasonable Service, and an Abomination in the sight of God. To prove this, Sir, I will take notice of some of those Prayers to the Saints, used in your Offices, and shew how you attribute that to them, which only belongs to the great God, that made the Heavens, and the Earth. You must know, Sir, that God hath several Attributes that are incommunicable; and to give these to any Creature whatever, must be the highest Blasphemy against God.

The Council of Trent, I confess, is more modest than some of your private Doctors, but blasphemous enough in its Determination: C. Trid. Sess. 9. Sanctis una cum Christo Regnantibus, & Orationes pro Haminibus offerentibus, bonum, atque utile est supplicare, eos Invocare, & ob Benefi∣cia a Deo Impetranda, per filium ejus Jesum Christum, qui solus noster Re∣demptor, & Salvator est, ad eorum Orationes opem, Auxiliumque, Confu∣gere: That is the Saints Reigning with Christ, and offering their Pray∣ers for Men, it is good and profitable, humbly to Invocate them; and that we may obtain benefits of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is our only Redeemer and Saviour, to have recourse to their Prayers, Aid, and Assistance. In which, Sir, you may see that Council doth at∣tribute the power of helping, and aiding Men; which only belongs to an infinite God, to the finite Creature, that is not able to help. Your Catechism set forth by the Decree of that Council, hath it thus, Invo∣candi

sunt Sancti, eo quod Salute hominum preces assidue faciunt, multa∣que eorum Merita, & gratiam, nos Deus confert beneficia, Rogati peccato∣rum veniam, nobis impetrant & Concilliant nobis Deus gratiam. Where the obtaining of Grace is attributed to them, which only belongs to the Intercession of Christ, as he is our great High-Priest that is gone into the Holy of Holies, not made with Hands, to appear in the Presence of God on our behalf: for you see he is by your own Council called, Solus Redemptor & Salvator: and what greater blasphemy and contempt a∣gainst Christ our Lord can be committed, than to attribute that which is due to him, to any Creature; since that God hath given him all Pow∣er both in Heaven and in Earth, Who is he that can justifie the com∣municating and attributing this Power to another, without the just Charge of Infamous Blasphemy? Give me leave to take a view of those Prayers inserted in your Publick Offices, performed in your Publick As∣semblies, in the Breviary, or Hours of Sarum, which was in great Re∣quest before the Reformation; wherein I find many blasphemous Strains of Devotion, sometimes to the whole Quire of Angels in general; some∣times to this, or the other Angel in particular; as to Michael, Gabriel, Rapheal, whom you dignifie with the Title of Arch-Angels; but in that, and in other Breviaries, you are more liberal of your Prayers to the Saints, though they are lower, yet your Devotion is carried much higher than to the Angels. To the Saints, Sir, you are more particularly di∣rected, and to use the same shew of Affection which you use to God himself. In the Office of the Hours, as in use at Rome, on the Sixth Day of June: Sancte Claudi! Desolatorum, Consolator, Captivorum Libe∣rator, Resurrectio Mortuorum, Lumen, Caecorum, Auditus, Surdorum, Sana∣tor Languidorum, T••tor Naufragantium, Via Errantium, Salus in te om∣nium Sperantium. What could have been said more to the Eternal God, or Christ himself? And can you say this to any Creature whatsoever, and escape the guilt of Blasphemy? Sir, Consider that Prayer in the same Office: O Beati Apostoli Dei! Solvite me a Peccatis Defendite me a Poenis Inferni, & de potestate Tenebrarum confortate me, & ad Regnum, aeternum me perducite, Omnes Sanctae Virgines Dei! adjuvate me, ut ha∣beam bonam Voluntatem Cordis, Corporis Sanitatem Castitatem, & post Cursum Vitae meae, Societatem perpetuae Beatitudinis. Who can loose us from our sins, but God, through Jesus Christ? Who can deliver us from the pains of Hell, but God, through Faith in the Bloud of his Son? Who can deliver us from the power of Darkness, but God, by the Ministry of the glorious Gospel? It was great Blasphemy in the Jews, to attribute the great Power by which Christ did work Mira∣cles, to the Prince of Devils; and then it follows, that it is also Blasphe∣my in our Devotions, to attribute that Power to the Creature, that be∣longs alone to Almighty God himself. But let us see a little more of your Devotions: In the Hours of the Blessed Virgin you pray thus: O generous Mary, beauteous above all, obtain pardon for us, apply Grace unto

us, prepare Glory for us. Hail thou Rose, thou Virgin Mary, Grant us to use true Wisdom, and with the Elect to enjoy Grace, that we may with Me∣lody praise thee; do thou drive away our Sins away: O Virgin Mary give us Joys. These, and divers others like these, may be found in those Hours of the Virgin Mary. I will give you another touch of this sort of Devo∣tion in the same Offices:

Reparatrix, & Salvatrix, desperantis Animae, Irroratrix, & Largitrix, Spiritualis Gratiae, Quod Requiro, quod Suspiro Mea Sana Vulnera, Et da menti, te Poscenti, Gratiarum Munera. Ʋt sim Castus & Modestus, &c. Corde prudens, Ore studens, Veritatem Dicere, Malum Nolens, Deum Volens pio semper Opere.

That is, Thou Repairer, and Saviour of the dispairing Soul, dew Giver, and Bestower of Spiritual Grace; heal my Wounds; give to the Mind that prays to thee, the Gifts of Grace, that I may be chast, modest, wise in Heart, true in my Sayings, hating Evil, loving God in every good Work: and much more to the same purpose.

I do not now marvel that Bishop Leo the tenth, calls her a Goddess; and Father Turcelin, one of your Order, calls her, Divinae Majestatis, Potestatisque Sociam, huic olim Coelestium Mortaliumque Principalium, de∣tulit ad hujus arbitrium (quo ad hominum Tutela Postulat) Terras Maria Coelum, naturamque moderatur, hac annuente & per hanc Divinos The∣sauros, & Coelestia dona largitur: The Companion, and Partner of Di∣vine Majesty, and Power, to her long since gave the Principality of all heavenly and mortal things at her Will (so far as the Guardianship of Men requires) she Rules the Earth, Sea, Heaven, and Nature, and she consenting he gives Divine Treasure, and Celestial Gifts. Nay, in the Mass-Books, Printed 1538, and used in the Polonian Churches, you call the Blessed Virgin, Mary viam ad vitam, Mundi Gubernatricem, Pecca∣torum cum Deo Reconciliatricem, fontem, Remissionis Peccatorum, lumen humanum: The way to Life, the Governess of the World, the Recon∣ciler of Sinners with God, the Fountain of Remission of Sins, and at last you Salute her with an Ava Maria, Ʋniversae Trinitatis Mater: Hail Mary! thou Mother of the whole Trinity. Sir, you are a Man of Reading, and certainly you can never be such a Biggot, as to forget your Reason: Is not Christ himself the Door and Way to Life? Is not he our Reconciler? Is not God alone the Governour of the World? Doth not our Creed tell us, That he is God of Gods, and Light of Lights? Is not he the Fountain of Pardon? Yea, Sir, he is an unexhaustable Fountain of Remission, And what greater Blasphemy can be spoken, than to call her the Mother of the whole Trinity? Can you think with your self, that any thinking number of the Church of England, or

of any other Reformed Church, can be brought to joyn with you in such irrational Practices as these? Be pleased, Sir, not to mistake me, I do not pick out these only as the most singular, and the worst Forms; for such as these are very numerous, as may be seen in your Breviaries, Missals, and Hours of our Lady, and in the Rosary of our Lady, and Litanies of our Lady, the Speculum Rosariorum, the Hymns of Saints, and Portuices, and Manuals, these are only the Instances, amongst which many others do occur. A few things I shall only add, instead of many more that might be represented.

I. The first is, that Hymn which you in your Church (for what Reason or Etymology I know not, and should be at little cost or trou∣ble to be informed) calleth a Sequence. The Council of Constance, did to Invocate the Blessed Virgiu, in the same manner as the Council did use to Invocate the Holy Ghost: they call her the Mother of Grace, the Remedy to the Miserable, the Fountain of Mercy, and the Light of the Church, Attributes proper to God; and incommunicable they Sing her Praises, and Pray to her for Grace; they Sing to her with the Heart; they call themselves her Sons; they declare her to be their Health; and Comfort in all Doubts; they call on her for Light from Heaven; they trust in her for the destruction of Heresies, and the repression of Schisms, and for the lasting Confederations of Peace. This Piece of Service and Worship, did the Prelates of that remarkable Council perform. And, Sir, you may know that many approved Doctors of your Church, have followed the Footsteps of those Counsellours: One saith, That she being the Mother of God, who doth give the Holy Ghost, are by her Hands admi∣nistred to whom she pleaseth, when she pleaseth, and how she pleaseth, and as much as she pleaseth. Bernardin. Senen. Sermon 6. Art. 1. Cap. 8. Your Doctors have taught, and I do not believe them Changlings: That she is Constituted above every Creature; and whosoever doth bow his Knee to Jesus, doth fall down also and supplicate his Mother. So that the Glory of the Son may be judged not to be so much common with the Mother, as to be the same. I will do your Writers no wrong, for I will set down the very words of Barnerdinus Senensis, which are these: Mater est filii Dei, qui producit Spiritum Sanctum, Ideo omnia Dona Ve∣ritatis, & gratiae ipsius Spiritus Sancti, quibus vult, quando vult, quomodo vult, & quantum vult, per Manu ipsius administratum. The other Say∣ing hath for its Author, Arnoldus, De Laudibus Beatae Virginis, Constitu∣ta est super omnem Creaturam, & quicunque Jesu Curvat Genu, Matri quoque pronus supplicat, & filii gloriam cum Matre, non tam communem Judico, quam eandem. But, Sir, to proceed, there is another Saying of Bernardus Senensis: Ipsa Dei Mater de omnipotentia filii sui ••ui est innixa, quando vult sibi assumit, de Bust. Ma. P. 12. Ser. 2. That she assumeth to herself as much of the Omnipotency of her Son, as she pleaseth. Da∣mian. Serm. 1. de nat. B. V. accedit ante aurum humanae Reconciliationis Altare, non solum Rogans, sed Imperans, Domina, non ancilla: That

she comes before the Altar of Human Reconciliation, not Interceeding only, but Commanding, as Mistress, not a Servant. A Divine of your Church that was willing to shew the strength of his fancy, tells us: That the History of Ahasuerus in Esther, was a figure of God's bestowing half his Kingdom upon the Blessed Virgin, that having Justice and Mercy as the chiefest Goods of his Kingdom, he retained Justice to himself, and granted Mercy unto her. Hence, if a Man find himself agrieved in the Court of God's Justice, he may appeal to the Court of the Mercy of his Mother; she being that Throne of Grace, whereof the Apostle speak∣eth in the Hebrews, chap. 10. my Author is Gabriel Breit, upon the Ca∣non of the Mass, Reading 80.

Well, Sir, there is a Prayer to the Virgin Mary, in the Psalter, ap∣proved by th•• Doctors of the Sorbonne, that is well worth considering▪ and 'tis this, My only Succour, my Lips are bound to publish no other Prai∣ses but thine: by thee the Head of the Serpent hath been bruised, the World repaired; thy Power is boundless; unto thee I confess my Sins, into thy Hands I commit my Soul; come unto Mary all ye that have thirst, pray unto her, that with her Water she will wash away the filthiness of your Sins. This, Sir, is your Devotion, and how blasphemous it is, I leave to the World to judge. The latter part, I suppose, is intended for some pi∣ous Meditation, rather than a Prayer; but here you make her infinite in Power, for you say her Power is boundless; here you make her to have bruised the Head of the Serpent, which is only to be attributed to Christ Jesus; here you commend your Souls into her Hands, who are all at the disposal of Almighty God. Christ saith, Come unto me; but your Doctors call upon Men to come to our Lady. God through Christ hath Power to forgive Sins; but you say the Virgin Mary hath that Power, What can be greater Blasphemy then this? In a word, in this Prayer you give the Virgin the same Power that God himself hath; nay, some will give her more, and impudently justifie themselves there∣in. But at this also, I do not wonder, for your Barnardinus tells us, That in respect of her, God after a sort is more bound to us, then we are to him: Propter Beatam Virginem Deus quodamodo, plus obligetur no∣bis, quam nos sibi. Then again the said Writer saith, speaking to the Virgin: Tu fecisti Majora ei qui Potens est: she saith, He that is mighty hath done great things for me: but of her we may say, she hath done greater things that is mighty. The same Author further saith: Though she be subject to God, inasmuch as she is a Creature; yet she is said to be superior and preferred before him, inasmuch as she is his Mother. And is not that the reason, why ye direct more Prayers to her, than to God him∣self? Do you not teach your People to say ten Ave's, for one Pater? And she hath more days set apart for her, then Christ himself.

I have but one thing more to trouble you with upon this Head, and that is the Psalter of our Lady, which is made in imitation of David's Psalms, the Name of the great God is every-where put out, and the who

Name of the Virgin Mary is put in its place. You know very well who the Author is, that it was compiled by your Seraphical Doctor, Bonaventure Bishop of Alba, and Presbyter-Cardinal of your Church. You may know also the great esteem it is in the Church of Rome: it hath been several times Printed at Venice, and Paris, and else-where. Instead of, In thee, O Lord; you read it, In thee, O Lady, have I put my trust, let me never be confounded. Instead of, Let the Lord arise; it is, Let our Lady arise, and let her Enemies be scatter'd. And instead of, O come let us sing unto our Lord; it is, O come let us sing unto our Lady; let us make a joyful Noise unto the Queen of our Salvation. Now, whe∣ther these things can be said without horrible Blasphemy, I suppose, needs not much disputation. From all which, I must conclude, that it is irrational to practise Praying to Saints and Angels; because of the horrid Blasphemy, those that perform this Worship and Service, are guilty of.

Sixthly, The Practice of your Church, in Praying to the Saints, is irrational and abominable; because upon a due consideration of what manner of Saints you Invocate, they are such, whose Saintship, nay, whose Existence is by us justly to be question'd. I pray call to mind what Cassander, one of your own Church, speaketh by way of complaint, in his Chapter De Meritis & Intercessione Sanctorum. These are his words, The People do now almost despise the Old Saints; and serve with more Affection the New, whose Holiness is less certain. Yea, there are some of them, of whom we may justly doubt, whether ever they lived in the World.

I. You pray to some of doubtful Saintship, or Holiness, who instead of reigning in Heaven, it may be are frying in Hell. You, I suppose, very well know that I do not now speak without Authority; for it is a famous Saying of Gregory the Great, That the Bodies of many Persons are Worshipped on Earth, whose Souls are tormented in Hell. This is not on∣ly the opinion of one Doctor, but Thomas of Aquine, and Cardinal Ca∣jetan, and others, do acknowledge that in a matter of Fact his Infalli∣ble Holiness may be mistaken; and that his Holiness may be in an Er∣rour in this very business of Canonization. And many of your Church have taken great offence at that prostitution of Devotion, usual in your Publick Assemblies, to every upstart new Saint: Do you not in this, Worship, many times, ye know not what? Christ put the Question to the Samaritan Woman; give me leave to put the same to you, I pray, Who is it that you Worship? How came they to be the Objects of your Worship, and great Devotion paid to them in your Churches, after they were dead, whose Conversations were much questioned, whilst alive, against whom many Scandals were proved? How many of your Saints, Sir, have been made f••r Money? Many of them Traytors to the Government, under which they then lived. It would be an end∣less Task for me to make Observations upon the Lives of some of your Saints, Murderers, and common Disturbers of the Peace of Christen∣dom.

Sir, I will instance in the Lives of those Saints that have been of Note in the English Nation: The first Instance that I shall give you, is that of Austin the Monk, and Archbishop of Canterbury, who was sent into this our Nation by Gregory the Great, and therefore called by your Church, The Great Apostle of England: this Monk, with others, were by this Gregory sent into this Island, to turn the People to the Romish Religion; which Augustine, when through his pretended Holiness, or rather Hypocrisie, had got a Party to own him, and had obtained of King Ethelbert, to be Archbishop of Canterbury, and Primate of all England; went into Wales, where he found many Godly, and Learned Bishops, and Preachers of God's most Holy Word, which sincerely and truly taught the Doctrine of the Scriptures, and rightly administred the Sacraments, according to Christ's Institution; whom this Austin the Monk laboured to the best of skill and power, to allure from the Since∣rity and Simplicity of Christ's Religion, unto the Superstition and Idola∣try of your Church: setting out that he was a Legate of the Most Ho∣ly Father the Pope, sent from Rome; and that he was made and or∣dained the chief Bishop and Primate of all England, and therefore he commanded them to obey him, and his Doctrine, and to receive that Most Holy Father of Rome, and his Religion: but the Godly and Learned Fathers boldly answer'd, That they were already true Christi∣ans, and according to the Word of God they governed their Churches, therefore would neither obey him, nor submit themselves to the Autho∣rity of that strange Romish Bishop, nor yet receive his strange Supersti∣tious Ceremonies; but continue as heretofore they had done, in their old way of serving of God. For which cause Austin the Monk, with his Companions departed, and being not satisfied with the entertain∣ment these holy men gave him, he found a way to give these Christi∣ans great trouble, because they would not obey him, nor comply with the Bishop of Rome's pretended Title over them. This develish Priest he complained to King Ethelbert, that the Britains would neither obey him, nor any man but only the Archbishop of Carleon; which thing thus represented to the King, it moved him to wrath, and threatned to destroy them all. Writing to Elfrid King of Northumberland, that he would come to him with all the Force he could raise, and that he would meet him at Leicester, and from thence they would go into Wales and de∣stroy the Archbishop of Carleon, and all those who had refused to obey Austin and his Doctrine.

When these holy men heard of this, and that the two Kings, with their Armies, did approach, to the end they might destroy them, they sent unto the Kings certain holy and good men, who went barefoot, and with all Humility and Meckness besought them to cease from so ungodly an Action: But these wicked Kings would not speak to these holy men, but presently order'd them to be slain, which was presently done, being in number five hundred and forty, (some say eleven hun∣dred.)

And from thence these Kings went to Bangor, in order to destroy all the Britains; but they having received notice of the inten∣tions of these instigated Princes, they assembled themselves, and raised all the Force they could, resolving to fight in the defence of their Reli∣gion and Country: so that in the Battel King Ethelbert was slain by the just Judgment of God, and Kind Elfrid was sore wounded in the Battel, and forced most shamefully to fly; the whole Army also were defeated, and almost all destroyed. Thus God gave his Servants Vi∣ctory over their Enemies. Ex Chron. Angl.

This, Sir, is a Saint to whom great Devotions are paid by your Church, for that, as your Divines say, he was the first that brought the Faith into this Land; which is false, the Faith having been Re∣ceived by the Inhabitants thereof many hundred years before he was born. But behold his Pride and Cruelty! two Vices that did rather intitle him a Devil than a Saint. His Pride is sufficiently set forth by Venerable Bede, who tells us, That he did disdain to rise up in token of Reverence to seven Bishops, and other Learned and Grave men of Britain, when they made their appearance at his Council: And be∣cause of this his Pride, they would not hearken to his Demands, nor take him for their Archbishop; thinking that if he carried himself so insolently to them whilst a Stranger, what Respect might they hope for when they came under his Jurisdiction. His Cruelty appears in stirring up two Kings to commit such barbarous Murders.

Now, Sir, what reason have we to pray to such a Saint as this, that had stained his Life with such foul Crimes as these? Besides, I could never yet read of his Repentance for that Bloud which he had occa∣sioned to be shed. Nay, see but the old Chronicle, written in French above three hundred years ago by Thomas Gray, a Member of your own Church, you shall find him thus to speak: Austin being thus Refu∣sed of the Bishops and other learned men of the Britains, made such complaint thereof unto Ethelbert King of Kent, that he forthwith levyed his Power, and marched against them, and slew many of them most barbarously, &c. Hereby it appears that he was not only proud, but envious, and an in∣flamer of Wars, and a causer of Slaughters; yet a Saint, and much De∣votion paid to him. He did not only stir up War, but went in person himself in company with the Kings that made War against the innocent Britains. I shall be so far from praying to such a Saint, that instead thereof, I and all Protestants must pray, From such a Saint, good Lord deliver us.

Another of your Saints is St. Anselmn; he is a person that is canoni∣zed, and by your Church he is worshipped and prayed to: therefore I shall observe to you a little of his Saintship, which appeared in his be∣haviour to Henry the First, his Soveraign Lord, with what Impudence, Insolence, and Disloyalty, did he carry himself to that King, till he was forced to banish this Anselmn the Realm? and so he continued for

some time, till the King, partly through fear of the displeasure of the Bishop of Rome, who was then very potent, and partly through his Zeal to the Church of Rome, did permit the return of this Bishop, who when he was returned, made such havock in the Church of England, as never the like was heard of before, and what Wars he occasion'd, testifieth, that he was no Saint on Earth; I doubt therefore, the Pope could upon no terms justifie his being canonized; and you can by no means be justified in paying any Devotion to such a Wretch. Ex Chron. Angl. p. 253.

Another of your Saints is Thomas Becket, whom you call St. Thomas of Canterbury. The Prayers you make to him are so extravagant, that flesh and bloud is not able to bear them; they are so full of Blasphemy, that it's a shame they should be named amongst Christians; him you call a Saint and Martyr. But, Sir, to be plain with you, he was nei∣ther Saint nor Martyr; 'tis true, he was slain at Canterbury, but the true cause of his death, was his Ambition, and Vanity, and Wilful maintain∣ing of manifest Wickedness of the Clergy, to the dishonour of God's ho∣ly Name, as by the Writers of that time it doth fully appear; and for proof of this, I pray be pleased to read the Story of Guilielmus Nubri∣gensis, that lived in the same Age with this high and mighty Saint of yours, who thus writeth of Becket:

That Henry the Second took him into his especial Favour, and being only the Arch-deacon of Canterbu∣ry, made him Lord Chancellour of his Realm, and so treated him with all kind of Honour, that he seemed to Reign as well as the King; that afterwards he promoted him to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, and sent him to the Council of Towers, then holden in France; being there, as upon some remorse of Conscience he misliked, and secretly refused the King's Gift, and resigned the Archbishoprick unto the Pope, and received it again at his hands; and so he secretly betrayed his Princes Right unto a Stranger. At his return, there grew a great Question within this Realm, touching the Prerogative of the Clergy: The Judges complaining that there were many Rapes, and Robberies, and Murders committed within the Realm, to the number of one hundred, by Ecclesiastical Persons; and therefore made Request to the Parliament, That some consideration might be had of it; for that they themselves being Temporal Ministers, had neither Law nor Ju∣risdiction against them. As for the Bishops (saith Nubrigensis) whose part it was to see such Disorders corrected, of so many thousand wic∣ked Priests, they never degraded, nor punished so much as one; for they (saith he) seeking more carefully how to maintain the Dignity, and Liberties of their Clergy, than the Correction of their Manners, think they do good Service to God, and his Church, if they maintain wicked Priests against the Government: whereby, saith he, it cometh to pass, That the Priests that should shine as the Stars in Heaven, having free liberty to do what they list, care neither for God nor Man; for

redress whereof the King was resolved to take Order by his Parlia∣ment: all the rest of the Bishops, not one excepted, agreed thereunto, and confirmed the same under their Seals, only Thomas Becket Archbi∣shop of Canterbury, stood stiff, and stout, and would not yield; after∣wards when he saw the King's displeasure grew against him, in the Morning before he should come to make his Answer, he caused the Mass of St. Stephen's Office to be sung, with this Preface, Sederunt Princi∣pes, &c. The Kings sat down to speak against me, and the wicked sought to persecute me. This done, he took his Silver Cross in his hand, and went boldly to the Court, but perceiving the King was much moved, and misliked his stoutness, the next Night following he fled over into France, and afterwards sought Aid of the Pope; at the last being re∣conciled unto his Prince, and returning again into England, he brought with him the Pope's Suspension, and thereby suspended all the Bishops of the Realm, and would never agree to release them; by reason of which the whole Church, and Kingdom was much disorder'd, and shortly after ensued his Death.

This is the true Story of Thomas Bec∣ket, Lib. 2. Cap. 16.

Sir, not only Neubrigensis, but also Baronius, by the account he gives of Beckett, shews us, That they were both strongly of the opinion that the Pope was out when he Canonized this Becket, and commanded the People of England annually to Celebrate the Day of his Passion, and that by Prayer to him they should endeavour to merit the remission of their Sins. Now Sir, this Becket for ought that can appear by these your own Historians was a proud Praelate, a Rebel to his Prince, one that had set the Nation in a Flame, to defend the Pope's Quarrel against the King, and when he dyed, was rather the Pope's Martyr, then Gods. Seeing he dyed not for the Faith of Christ, but for the Defence of the Popish Tyranny, and Usurpation. This Sir is owned, That the People were so devoutly Affected to this new Saint, that in respect of him they had little or no Consideration of the Blessed Virgin, or of Christ himself; and to incourage the Peoples Devotion, many Stories were told, and Re∣ports made of the many Miracles that were by him wrought on them that did pray unto him.

I fear Sir, I shall move your Patience, I will but instance in one Saint more, whose Saintship I must call in Question, so do all the Reformed Divines, it is St. Francis, the great Founder of the Order of Fryars called Franciscans, he is no ordinary Person in your Church, you make him e∣qual with Christ in his Birth, Life, Temptations, Doctrine, Miracles, and what not; This and a great deal more may be Read of him in his Book of Conformities, which was Published with Allowance in the Year 1590. of him, Turcelline Sings, Qui Franciscus erat, nunc tibi Christus erit. Your Bonaventure Sware at Paris, That it was revealed to him by Almighty God, that Saint John by the Angel that had the Seal of the Living God in the Revelations, was meant no other then this Saint Fran∣cis;

yea, such is your Esteem of this Intercession, that some of you have preferred it to Christs, and say, Christus Oravit, & Franciscus exoravit, Christ hath Prayed, and Francis Obtained.

I pray you seriously to Read his Book of Conformities, and Bonaven∣ture of his Life, and if you please, those other Chronicles and Records under the Hands of Writers that were of your own Communion; then you will soon find that he was a strange sort of a Saint, and that he did a multitude of things that argued him destitute of common Sence. What can you say of a Man that shall Preach to Birds and Beasts, and salute them kindly, saying, Brother Bird, and Brother Beast? How can you approve of his taking up the Lyce that were fallen from his Garments, and putting them on again, for fear of wronging those Innocent Crea∣tures? What can be said for his cutting his Garments in pieces, and gi∣ving them away? What account can be given of his tumbling in the Mire? unless it were some significant Ceremony; you must certainly have more Sence than to justifie his making his Crucifixes of Mortar, as Children do Babies of Dirt. What can you say for his making a Wife of Snow, and embracing her to Allay his Amarous and Lustful Heat? These with many more such rediculous Actions shew him to be no Saint, but rather a Bedlam, Sick-brained Creature, What reason then for his being Sainted? Why should he be Adored?

Sir, In short, concerning the Doctrine and Practice itself, I may say to you, as our Lord said to the Woman of Samaria, Ye worship ye know not what; such are St Fingare, St. Anthony of Padua, Charles Borromae∣us, Ignatius Loyola, Xaverius, and many more, of whom Cardinal Bessa∣rion complains, that many of them were such persons, whose Lives he could not approve of, and such concerning whom they know nothing but from their own parties, and by pretended revelations made to par∣ticular and Hypocondraical persons, In Libro de Sanctis Hibernicis. A∣nother of your own Writers Augustinus Triumphus affirms, that all who are Canonized by the Pope, cannot be said to be in Heaven; and this is apparent beyond all dispute; for Prateolus tells us, that Herman the Author of the Heresie of the Fratricelli, was for Twenty years toge∣ther honoured for a Saint, and at last his body was taken up and burnt, but then since (as Ambrosius Catharinus and Vivaldus observes) if one Saint be called in question, then the rest may; what will become of the Devotions that have been paid to such Saints as have been Canonized for these last eight hundred years? concerning whom we can have but slender Evidence that they are in Heaven at all, and therefore the Car∣dinal of Cambray, Petrus de Aliaco wishes that so many new Saints were not Canonized.

Secondly, You Worship some Saints who are of dubious Existence, as well as Holiness, as many of your Saints have been suspected; so you have many feigned, or fabulous Saints in your Church. In the Breviary of Sarum, I find you there pray to Saint Christopher, so in the Roman

Breviary, this Saint, Sir, your Divines, and other Writers have suppo∣sed him to be a Giant of prodigious stature; Mantuan, Lib. 7. Fast. saith he was many Ells high; Ludovicus Vives saith, he saw a Tooth of his bigger then his Fist: your Writers report, That he carried Christ over Marinum Flumen, an Arm of the Sea, and at last became a Mar∣tyr of Christ. This Saint is in much request, though but an imagina∣ry one. Who could ever have thought that any number of Men should be so besotted as to worship such a Saint, that rather is a Monster than a Saint, or only a nominal Saint, of whom we have no account but what is romantick, or fabulous.

Another Office we find to the three Kings of Cullen, King Jasper, King Melchior, and King Balthazer, and are intreated by the King of Kings, whom they merited to see crying in his Cradle, to shew compas∣sion to their Petitioners in their distress.

And in another Office we find for the most Holy Ʋrsula, and eleven thousand Virgins, who you say were her Companions in Martyrdom, and were killed at Cullen, as your Writers tell us, by the barbarous Hunns; where they were all Interred, and many of their precious Re∣licks reserved to this day; and it did not a little encourage them in their Martyrdom, that Christ had sent his Vicar amongst them, Pope Ceriacus, to absolve them from their Sins, and to die a Martyr with them: but there is so great a difference and disagreement amongst your Writers, that we of the Reformed Religion must be excused if we doubt whether there were any such number of Virgin-Martyrs, or no; and must suppose your Church to be in a great Errour, to Pray to Saints, of which she herself hath great reason to doubt. I could give you several other instances of these sort of Saints; as the Seven Sleep∣ers, who slept in the time of grievous Persecution, three hundred sixty two years, till the time of Theodosius, at which time they awaked: and are Worshipped as Saints in your Church. And St. Longuinus the Sol∣dier, that with his Launce pierced our Lord Jesus upon the Cross, and being almost blind, with the sparkling of that Blood, immediately re∣ceived his sight; of which the Evangelist makes no mention, though a most considerable passage; this Saint you say upon receiving his Sight, believed, and being instructed by the Apostles, forsook his Military Profession, and lived thirty eight years a Monastick Life; and was at last Martyred for the Christian Faith. If this had been true, I am sure his Name would not have been omitted, and therefore I must conclude it to be a meer fiction, and that there was no such Saint. To conclude therefore this Argument, upon a serious view of the Roman Breviary, I have met with many more of this sort, yea, which some of your own Church calls Symbolical Saints, which are yet Worshipped, and Invooa∣red with the greatest formality, but this is sufficient to prove that your Praying to Saints and Angels is absurd, and irrational, and abominable in the sight of God.

Give me leave, Sir, now, to make some observation upon those Te∣stimonies you did produce, in your Letter to Mr. Needham, to prove the lawfulness of Invocation, and Adoration of Saints. The first Ad∣vocate you bring upon the Stage, is St. Athanasius, who you say in his Book, De Incarnatione Verbi, hath these words: Hearken, O Daughter of David, and Abraham, and stoop thy Ears to our Prayers, and forget not thy People, we lift up our Voice to thee: Remember us, Holy Virgin, and return us for these inconsiderable Speeches, great Gifts, and Riches of your Grace. Hail, most Gracious, the Lord is with thee, Interceed, O Mi∣stress. O Lady, O Queen, and Mother of God. Sir, I must tell you a Story that this Athanasius is said to be the Author of, and that consi∣dered, you will find these words, thus cited, to smell more of Rome, than of Alexandria: Your Divines represent him to tell a mighty formal Story of an Image that was abused by the Priests of the Jews; the Sto∣ry is this: A Christian having occasion to remove his Family, from an House he had long inhabited; amongst his other Goods he had an Image of Christ, equal to him in length and breadth, and in all proportion, through forgetfulness leaveth it in a secret place in his House, out of which he removed; after him a Jew doth inhabit the same House, for some time, and seeth not the Image; a strange Jew sitting there at Din∣ner, immediately espyeth it, standing open against a Wall. This is your Athanasius, not Bishop of Alexandria, but an Athanasius of your own making: one while it is open, and another while it is in a secret place. The Priests and the Jews came together, and abuse it with all Villany, they Crown it with Thorns, and make it drink Vinegar, Gall, and stick it to the Heart with a Spear; out issueth Blood in a great quantity, the Powers of Heaven are shaken, the Sun is darkned, and the Moon looseth her light; and from hence, saith your young Athana∣sius, we have had Hailstones of Blood, and all other like Blood, through∣out the World. Nay, you make him to tell another doughty Story: How that Nicodemus, that came to Jesus by Night, made an Image of Christ with his own Hands, and that when he lay upon his Death-bed, he deliver'd it to Gamaliel, that was Schoolmaster to St. Paul; and when that Gamaliel saw that he should die, he deliver'd it to James; and James left it to Symon, and Zacheus, which Image came from hand to hand by Succession, and continued a long time at Hierusalem; and from thence it was carried into Syria; and from thence into a City called Berytus, not far from Tyre and Sydon, where it was abused by the Jews, and a great many Wonders were shew'd by that Image. This, Sir, is Athanasius of your Church; but not St. Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria. And he that was the Author of these Fables, was the Author of that blasphemous Prayer to the Virgin Mary. For I suppose you well know, that St. Athanasius wrote concerning that mat∣ter; and the Heresie of the Arrians gave him occasion for it. They maintained, That Christ was a meer Creature; and yet they prayed

to him. He on the contrary asserted, That if he were Created, he must not be Invocated, and Adored. Observe his third Oration against the Arrians: To God alone (saith he) it belongeth to be Wor∣shipped; and the Angels themselves are not ignorant hereof: for al∣though they excel in Glory, yet they are Creatures, and are none of those that are Worshipped; but of those that Worship the Lord. Again, Because that Jesus Christ is not a Creature, but is begotten of the Substance of his Father, and is by Nature the Son of God, therefore is he to be Wor∣shipped. 'Tis true, the Arrians did Worship Christ; but it was not upon a good consideration; for they Worshipped Christ, upon the ac∣count, that the Word of God abided in him. This great Doctor shews them the absurdity of the Reason of their Worshipping of Christ: For (saith he) by the same Reason you may Worship the Saints, who have the Word of God abiding in them. He doth not at all countenance the Wor∣shipping of Saints: but shews that the Worshipping of Saints is the sad consequence of Worshipping of Christ, because the Word of God did dwell in him. You are pleased to represent St. Athanasius to say thus: If you Worship the Man Christ, because the Word of God dwelleth there; at the same time Worship also the Saints, on God's account, who hath his Word dwelling in them: which you make use of to prove the lawfulness of Praying to Saints; when as he useth it as an Absurdi∣ty the Arrians run into, they Worshipping the Man Jesus, only as the Word of God dwelling in him.

Another Author for Praying to Saints, is St. Cyril of Alexandria, at the Council of Ephesus, who presided in that Council as Pope Caelestine's Legate; and at the Second Action, or Session of that Council, in the Presence of the Bishops that sat in Council, and in their Names, and in the Names of the whole Council, he (you say) spake these words: Hail in all our Names, Holy Mother of God, most excellent Ornament of the whole World, unextinguishable Lamp, Crown of Virginity, Scepter of right Doctrine, Temple never to be destroyed, the Dwelling-place of him that cannot be contained within any place, Mother and Virgin by whom he is named Blessed in the Gospel, who comes in the Name of our Lord. Hail you that did bare in your Holy Virgin's Womb, him that is Immense, and Incomprehensible, by whom the Holy Trinity is glorified, and adored, the u∣niversal World over, by whom the Earth exults, by whom Angels, and Arch-Angels rejoyce, by whom the Devils are put to flight: then you say, he concludes, That none can sufficiently praise that glorious Virgin: and ends his whole Discourse with these words: Let us fear and worship the undivided Trinity, Celebrating with Praises Mary, the ever Blessed Virgin, to wit, the Holy Temple of God, and her Son, and immaculate Spouse.

This you say was plain and full; and so say I: But how do you prove, 1. That Cyril was there President of the Council of Ephesus, as Legate to Pope Coelestine? 2. How do you prove that he said the Words in the Name of the whole Council? 3. How do you prove

that ever he spake them at all? These are three Particulars worthy of consideration. I perceive your great Voucher; and if so, the whole thing is to be suspected as a meer Forgery of your Church. You are pleased to give the Words in Greek to Mr. Needham, who understands Greek; and so do others: yet your putting it into Greek, will give you no Reputation in this point, only that you may understand Greek. Therefore, Sir,

Consider in the first place, that Cyril of Alexandria, did not preside in that Council, by Virtue of any Legantine Authority he received from the Bishop of Rome; for the Bishop of Rome did not Summon that Council; nor indeed had he that Power in him for the first five hun∣dred years after Christ. For Cusanus, a Cardinal of your Church saith; Authoritas Consilii non ita sependit a Congregante, ut nisi a Papa congre∣getur non sit Concillium, quia tunc omnia Octo Ʋniversalia Concilia non fuissent firma, quoniam per Imperatores Conv••cata Leguntur & Romanus Pontifex instar aliorum Patriarcharum, divales Sacras Jussiones de venien∣do, aut mittendo ad Concilium recepit: The Authority of the Council doth not so depend upon him by whom it was Summoned; so that unless it be Summoned by the Pope, it can be no Council: for so we shall avoid the first eight General Councils; for we read they were Sum∣moned by the Emperour, and not by Popes: and the Pope received the Emperour's Majesty's Commandment, to come, or send to Councils, as other Patriarchs did.

And your own Writers have owned, that the Council of Ephesus, which was the third General Council, was held under Theodosius the younger, and by his Order that Holy Father did preside; and not from any Legantine Authority he received from Pope Coelestine. Here you fail in this particular, and therefore we have just cause to question the whole. But this shall suffice, as to the first Enquiry.

2. I pray how do you prove that Cyril spake this in the Name of the whole Council? For if that the whole Council was not for Praying to the Saints and Angels, he could not be said to speak in their Names: Then how could he in their Names make such an Address to the Vir∣gin, without being deputed by them? If it had been said by you, that he did in the Name of Theodosius the Emperour, make this Prayer, you had said something; for Praying to Saints was then scarce heard of in the Church of God. I confess, toward the latter part of the fourth Century, it began to creep into the Church, but was questioned again by the Council of Carthage, and the Council of Laodicea, both which Councils determined against the Invocation of Saints and Angels. In the 35 Canon of the Council of Laodicea, it was thus determined, That Christians ought not to leave the Church of God, and go and call upon Angels, and make Meetings, which are things forbidden; Let him be accur∣sed, because he hath forsaken the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and ap∣plied himself to Idolatry. Theodoret, in his Exposition upon the Colossians, doth

twice mention this Canon, and declare the Sence of it upon Col. 3. 17. The Apostle (saith he) commandeth us to adorn our Words and Deeds with the Commemoration of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to send up our Thanksgi∣ving unto God the Father by him, and not by Angels. The Synod of Lao∣dicea following also this Rule, and desiring to heal this old Disease, viz. Angel-Worship, made a Law, That they should not Pray unto Angels, nor forsake our Lord Jesus Christ. And on Col. 2. he adds, That this Vice continued long in Phrygia, and Pisidia; for which cause the Sy∣nod assembled at Laodicea, the chief City of Phrygia, and forbad them by a Law, to Pray unto Angels. Can it then be supposed that the whole Council of Ephesus, should be agreed in the Point of Praying to Saints and Angels? Since both these Councils had determin'd against it, how then could St. Cyril do this in the Name of the whole Council? For it is well known, that there was yet never any General Council that had determin'd for it.

3. Let us know, Sir, how you prove that ever St. Cyril did speak those Words, or make such a formal Prayer, as you pretend he made. I have given myself the trouble of Reading the Council of Ephesus; but I find nothing at all of the business; and therefore you would do well to examine that Council once more; and let us have the Prayer in Greek, without an &c. But I will tell you I have great reason to su∣spect the truth of it, because, I perceive, you take it upon the credit of Baronius, who was one of your own Writers, and therefore worthily suspect it: for certainly it was his design in all his History to promote the Doctrine, and Interest of the Church, and See of Rome. If you would shew us St. Cyril's Speech, it would go a great way further as to its reputation. Yet, Sir, consider your Divines have falsified that Coun∣cil of Ephesus, and have represented that Council to have determin'd a∣gainst administring the Communion in both Kinds, which is a meer falshood because the Cup was not denyed to the Laity, for several hun∣dred years after; But if it were taken away, why was there no De∣cree made thereupon, that is extant in that Council, nor any mention of, by any Learned Man, within a great time after; and those that laid first that Doctrine upon the whole Council, might as easily make a Speech for St. Cyril, and a Prayer for him too, to the Virgin Mary, the better to give countenance to that way of Worship.

The next proof you bring sorth is a Prayer of St. Gregory Nyssen, un∣to St. Theodore, in these words: Martyr, use the liberty you enjoy, speak for your Fellow-Servant; you have conquer'd the World, but you have not forgotten the Passions and Necessities our human Condition is liable unto: Ask for Peace, that those Publick Meetings may continue, that the enraged and wicked Barbarians may not plunder and destroy our Churches and Al∣tars, that no impious Man tread the Holy Thing under-foot; for we that have been untouched, and alive, do own ourselves obliged to you for that Bles∣sing, and will ask your Protection and Security for the future.

No doubt, but St. Theodere might be a Worthy Saint, and Martyr of Christ, to whom this St. Gregory might use a Rhetorical Apostrophe, tho he were not present in Person, yet, he might be present by his Picture, or some Monument, that was set up in the Honour of so great a Saint. But, Sir, Remember the Psalmist, He calls upon Angels to Praise God, and all the Hosts of Heaven, the Sun, the Moon, and all the Stars of Light, he calls upon Dragons, and all Deeps, he calls upon the Fire, Haile, Snow, and Vapour, to Praise God; not that the Fire did hear him, or the Sun, Moon, and Stars, or Mountains, Hills fruitful, Trees, or Cedars did hear him, yet here was Invocation; but answer me plain∣ly, Were these Words spoken by way of Adoration? Was this a For∣mal Prayer to St. Theodore? or only an acknowledgment only, that God for the Sake of that Saint had preserved the Church? You know that God did for the Sake of Abraham, shew many favours to the People Israel, and for the Sake of St. Paul, a whole Ships Company were preserved, as you may see in Acts 27. 24. Fear not Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and so God hath given thee all them that Sail with thee, as in the same Sence that the People that Sailed with Paul, were obliged to Paul for their Pre∣servation: In the same Sence doth this Holy Gregory tell St. Theodore, that those who had escaped the Cruelties of the Barbarians, and were alive, they were obliged to him for that Mercy; but you will say, that St. Gre∣gory saith, That we own our selves obliged to you, for this Preservation, and we will ask your Protection for the future. That is the same Pro∣tection, he doth not pray to St. Theodore, to Protect and Secure, but saith, they will ask the Continuance of that Protection, and Security, which God was pleased to bestow upon the Church, as a Reward of St. Theodore's Sufferings, by whose Death the Church might perchance o∣therwise have sustained some loss. But you will say further, that St. Gregory prays to St. Theodore, to ask for Peace. It is true, the Bloud of Christ's Martyrs do cry to Heaven, see Revel. 6. 9, 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal, I saw under the Altar, the Souls of them that were Slain, for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held; and they cry∣ed aloud. How long O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not judge and a∣venge our Bloud on them who dwell on the Earth? And if he calls for Ven∣geance upon the Persecutors of the Peace of the Church; such a sort of asking St. Theodore might use, and for such an Intercession as this, St. Gre∣gory might perchance Invocate St. Theodore. We find such Invocations as these frequently, amongst fanciful Men, to Persons, to whom they would pay no Worship. The Noble Army of God's Martyrs, as they do Praise God in Heaven, so their Bloud calls for Vengeance upon their Persecutors on Earth. Therefore, Sir, upon the Consideration of the whole Words, there is nothing more to be said, but that they were a Rhe∣torical Strein in Honour of the Memory of St. Theodore, and not a Prayer to him, as an Act of Adoration that he paid to that Saint. The Reason that I give is this, because that in his Works against Eunomius, Lib. 5.

he most excellently speaks thus: We are taught to understand, that what∣soever is Created, is a different thing, from the Divine Nature, and that we are to Adore that Nature only which is Ʋncreated. Whose Character is this, that neither at any time began to be, or ever shall cease to be? Now compare St. Gregory with St. Gregory, and you must conclude that there is no Invocation as an Act of Adoration, nor Formal Prayer as any Act of Devotion, paid to this Saint: but as the Psalmist did Invocate the Dragons, and Deeps, Sun, Moon, and Stars; and as the three Chil∣dren did call upon the Frost, and Snow, to magnifie God without any mention of Adoration or Formal Supplication; and such an Invocation many fanciful Men at this day use.

But you are pleased to say, that St. Gregory did pray to St. Theodore to get the rest of the Martyrs, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John, to pray for the several Churches planted by them: This plainly sheweth, that it was but a Rhetorical Redundancy of Speech of St. Gregory, in Memo∣ry of that Saint. The Cryes of the Martyr's Bloud reacheth to Heaven, and is heard by God, and his avenging their Bloud upon the Persecutors on Earth, secures the Peace of the Church: but that St. Gregory did so supplicate St. Theodore, for that he believed that the Saints hear our Prayer, I cannot gather from his Words, beccause, that he is so full a∣gainst giving any Worship unto any, but the Uncreated Being, so that you may see he intends no Adoration to St. Theodore, nor any Prayer to him, as if he did believe that St. Theodore did hear him, or did make Intercession to God otherwise then his Bloud crying to Heaven for Ven∣geance. Thy Brothers Bloud cryeth to me from the Earth, saith God to Cain, Gen. 4 10. The Saints Bloud did Cry, and St. Theodoret's Bloud did Cry, What then, were they therefore Mediators of Intercession? were they to be Prayed unto, and Worshipped? as if they could hear our Prayers? No, St. Gregory doth not Invocate him for those Reasons, nor for that End.

But those warm Expressions of Holy Men, have given great occasion to your Idolatrous Practices, their Heats of Zeal were many times be∣yond the Bounds of their Judgment, by which, Sir, you may observe that we do not depend much upon the Authority of the Fathers; we ha∣ving a more sure Word of Instruction, which gives us no Warrant for this way of Worship, nor have we any Precedent in the New Testament, that ever any Worship to them was ever performed.

You say, that St. Gregory doth explain himself in his Oration on Theo∣dore the Martyr. The Christians (saith he, call on) this Martyr, as on God's Minister, who being Invocated by them, he is able to Impetrate for them, what Favours he pleases; and this you tell us is St. Gregory's Ex∣planation of himself, and you tell us, that his Prayer was as full, and as plain as could be. The Church at that time did begin to have great De∣votion to the Monuments of their Martyrs, not that they did permit any Worship to be paid to them; and their great Orators did in their Orations

on the Saint, whose Memory they kept, use a great many Rhetorical A∣postrophies, which looked like Prayer: But I tell you again, that they designed no praying to their Saints, but did Invocate them as the Mini∣sters of God: The Psalmist did so by the Angels, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and it was only in Honorem Sancti, not in Adorationem. They did use to repeat all their good Words, and all their good Works, and did speak to their Monuments, and their Reliques; and is there no dif∣ference betwixt Invocation by way of Honour? and Invocation in order to Worship? The former might perchance be used to St. Theodore, but latter not.

But you press still, and say, that St. Gregory saith, That St. Theodore being Invocated by them, is able to obtain what Favours be pleases; 'Tis true, that God doth look upon himself Honoured, when we retain a grateful Memory of those who have highly served him, and in a most Eminent Manner have suffered for him, and many times the word Invo∣cate signifyeth only a calling to, and not always a calling upon; they spake of their Saints with great Reverence, and reported their Works, and Services, and Sufferings, to induce their Hearers to follow their good Examples; then according to the custom of the Time, they did use to convert their Speeches to the Monuments, or Images of these Saints, which you call Praying to them, which was no more a Prayer than a Poets calling upon his Muse: and as for the Intercession, (you would have us take notice of) is no more then the Cry his Bloud makes to Hea∣ven from under the Altar, for upon the Account of their Sufferings, great Blessings have been bestowed on the Church of God, Sanguis Martyrum est Semen Ecclesiae, by the Example of their Constancy, many have been brought to the Faith, and by their Eminent Holiness, many have enter'd into so strickt a Course of Life, that they have been of great Use in the Church of God; and therefore these Fathers did mention the Names of these Martyrs, and did as it were speak to them, that they might engage their People to follow their good Examples, so that with them they might be made partakers of Bliss and Happiness. This is all that I can apprehend from St. Gregory Nyssen.

Another Proof you produce is St. Gregory Nazianzen, who you bring in praying to St. Basil, in these Words: O Sacred and Divine Man, look down upon us from Heaven, and either by your Prayers mortifie that Sting of the Flesh, which God hath given us for our Instruction, or move us to bare it with a couragious Mind, and direct our whole Life to that which is most fitting, and when we part out of this Life receive us there in your Taber∣nacles.

Sir, I have read over the Life of Nazianzen, written by Gregorius Presbyter, and he tells us, that Nazianzen came to Caesaria a great while after St. Basu's Death, and it is like he might Visit St. Basil's Grave: but I do not remember any Prayer he made to St. Basil, and since Gregorius Presbyter maketh no mention of it, who wrote his Life, and no mention

being made of it by Socrates, and Sozomen, nor of St. Gregory Nyssen, nor Gregory Nazianzen himself, and other old Writers of approved Credit, that also wrote St. Basil's Life, mention that Prayer made to St. Basil, by St. Gregory Nazianzen: Till you give me some Instructions where to find this Prayer, you must excuse me from believing any thing of the Matter; I partly guess at your Authour, who, if well considered, will give you no manner of Reputation.

The next Proof is a Prayer of St. Maximus to St. Agnes, which I shall not give my self the trouble of answering, till you tell me where you find that Prayer, and then I shall be in a better condition to make a Reply to it. I yet never met with any such Prayer in my Reading; I would have you tell where in your Books you meet with it, I will then tell my Thoughts of it, till then I shall forbear any Reply.

The next Proof you produce is Father Hillary of Arles, his Prayer to St. Honoratus: To this Hillary, I must confess I am wholly a Stranger, but I have considered St. Hillary, Bishop of Poicters, and he knoweth nothing of the business, and therefore I pray tell us who this St. Hillary of Arles was; but the Saint Hillary that I know, was Bishop of Poicters, and was a married Bishop, and did Learnedly write of the Holy Trinity. I have both Fathers and Councils by me, and I have read some things of this St. Hillary, but he mentions nothing of praying to St. Honoratus. I pray, Sir, tell me whether there were two St. Hillaries or no, if not, then let me tell you, that I cannot find it, till I have some directions from you; and you must excuse me from giving any Credit to it, for I doubt you depend upon an Author that will have little or no Credit, for the Prayer, as you call it, smells so much of your Romish Forgery, that I cannot well mention without great Indignation, for St. Hillary the said Bishop of Poicters lived, and flourished presently after St. Athanasius, and then praying to Saints was not in fashion. In the latter part of the fourth Century, some of the Fathers were very full of their Rhetorical Apostro∣phies, and did call upon their Saints, but not pray; their Speeches ma∣ny times were directed to them, that Men might follow their good Ex∣ample, having had an Account of their Lives: but no Prayer at all in∣tended to them.

Sir, in your Epistle to the English Peer, you make mention of one Amphilochius, as a great Defender of the Lawfulness of Praying to Saints; but in your Letter to Mr. Needham, are pleased to take no notice of him, therefore give me leave to tell you, that it is true, there was an Amphi∣lochius, that did maintain and defend that Doctrine, but he is a new Amphilochius of your Churches setting up, and not the true Amphilochius, and your Prayers of St. Gregory Nazianzen to St. Basil, and your Prayers of St. Gregory Nyssen to St. Theodore, and your Prayers of Nectarius, Patri∣arch of Constantinople to St. Theodore, are all taken out of your Amphi∣lochius; the falseness of that Author shall be made appear by, and by him you make a Writer of St. Basu's Life, and what not.

We confess there was Amphilochius, that was of Iconium, but not Bishop of Iconium, but Archbishop of Layconia; he was a stout, godly and wor∣thy Bishop, that did write against the Messalian Heretiques, whom he couragiously suppressed, and joyned with Flavianus Bishop of Antioch, and drove them out of their Diocesses; and in the Assistance of these Holy Prelates, one Laetoius, who was a Zealous Man, came and burned up their Monasteries, or as Theodoret termeth it, their Den of Thieves, Lib. 4. c. 11.

But your Amphilochius, who, as your Divines pretend, was Bishop of Iconium, and if we may believe your Church-men, was Consecrated by Angels from Heaven: He pretends to write St. Basil's Life, and was as yours say, an Ancient Father; and the Credit this Amphilochius hath; did incourage you to make use of his Name and Authority in your E∣pistle to the English Peer, for a Proof of the warrantableness of the Do∣ctrine of praying to Saints, as it is now practised in your Church. I confess, the Names of the Ancient Fathers of the Church are worthy of great Honour: The Life of St. Basil was written and published by se∣veral worthy Fathers, as by St. Gregorius Nyssenus, and by his dear Friend St. Gregory Nazianzen, by Gregorius Presbyter, by Socrates, and by Theodoret, by Sozomen, and Nicephorus, and St. Chrysostom hath some Remarks of his Life in his Works, notwithstanding of late years, he that wrote Vitas Patrum, and Jacobus de Voragine, and Vincentius in speculo, who seem to intitle this Amphilochius to be a great Writer of St. Bazil's life, and therefore from him you have the prayer St. Gregory Nazianzen is supposed to have made to St. Bazil. The reason of my suspition is, because I cannot find this Prayer, as I observed to you in any of the Works of those ancient Writers before-mentioned. If you have, I pray deal so ingeniously with us, as to tell us. But in the mean time to let you understand of what Credit your Amphilochus is, I pray see how he hath dealt with St. Bazil in his pretended writing his Life, and by that you may see what stress may be laid upon his Authority, as to the controversie now in hand. We will therefore compare your Amphilochius, with Socrates, Sozomen, Gregory Nazianzen, and Gregory Nyssen, and other Ancient Fa∣thers of undoubted Reputation in the world, that did on purpose write the life of St. Bazil, but not one syllable as ever I could see of that Pray∣er. Socrates and Zozomen do say, that Bazil in his Youth was under the Education of Libanius, and was his Scholar; but your Amphilochius saith, that he was Companion, and School-fellow to Libanius, Socr. l. 4. c. 21. Sozomen, l. 6. c. 17. Nazianzen, and Gregorius Presbyter say, that Basil living some time at Caesaria, was well acquainted with Eusebius the Bishop of that place, before he went into Pontus: Your Amphilochius saith, that at his return, which was soon after, Eusebius knew him not, neither had he ever seen or spoken with him before. Nazianzen, in vita Basilii, and Greg. Presb. in vita Nazianz. Your Amphilochius saith, that Basil was Bishop of Caesaria, in the time of Julian the Emperour, where∣upon

he tells a great many fond Fables of that Holy Basil: Nazianzen, his nearest Friend, saith, that he was chosen a Bishop there a long time after, in the time of Valens the Emperour, and was not there Bishop all the time of Julian: Your Amphilochius tells a Canterbury Story, how that St. Mercury being then dead, and a Saint in Heaven, at the Command of the Virgin Mary, took his own Speare out of his Chappel, where it was kept, and went out of the same into the Field, and slew the Em∣perour Julian, and that the same Speare was found bloudy afterwards. Nazianzen, Socrates, and Sozomen, and Theodoret say, It could never be known by whom that cursed Apostate was slain. Nazianz. in Oratione contra Julianum, Socrat. Lib. 3. c. 18. Soz. lib. 6. c. 2. Theod. lib. 3. c. 25. Your Amphilochius tells us, that Basil foretold the Death of Julian, but Theodoret saith, it was one Julianus Saba, and not Basil, Theodoret. Lib. 3. c. 2. Your Amphilochius saith, that Valens the Empe∣rour did yield unto Basil, and gave him place; but Sozomen saith, that the Emperour persisted in his Resolution, and would not yield, but per∣sisted in his Obstinacy against St. Basil: Your Amphilochius saith, that Nazianzen was present at St. Basil's Burial; but Nazianzen in his Mo∣nodia, saith, he came after his Burial, and was not present; of these two, which must we believe? Gregorius Presbyter that wrote Nazianzen's Life, saith, that he came a great while after that Basil was buried; but your Amphilochius saith, that Nazianzen came in and saw the blessed Body, and fell upon it, when it was buried; upon which you may see that your Author did not lay his Lyes together so close, but that they may be detected; for if St. Gregory Nazianzen saw St. Basil's Body, how was it buried? if it were buried, how could he see the Body? but you may see where the Prayer to St. Basil was invented, for he saw the Body, saith Amphilochius, and from thence we conclude, that he is your Au∣thor for this Prayer.

Now, Sir, What Credit can we give to this Author? that hath set himself up to contradict Authors, that are even to this day of great Credit with the Divines of your Church. I wonder that you should Rank him amongst the Fathers, that is so young as to write the Life of Thomas Becket, which was seven hundred years after your Divines sup∣pose him to have lived; and in quoting this Author, you very much be∣tray your self, for do but observe the Impudence of the Man, to pre∣tend that he wrote St. Basil's Life, and that St. Basil dedicated his Book, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 unto him the said Amphilochius. Since Nazianzen reckon∣ing up all St. Basil's Books in his Monodia, and passeth that Book by as none of his; and Sozomen writeth, Lib. 3. c. 13. that it was judged not to be St. Basil's, but the Work of one Eustathius a notable Here∣tique, a Book full of Superstition, and wicked Doctrine, and condemn'd by the Council of Gangra, praefat. in Concil. Gangren. but you did con∣sider better of it, and therefore omitted that Author in your Letter to Mr. Needham.

Another Instance for praying to Saints, is Nectarius Patriarch of Con∣stantinople, who, as you say, preceded St. Chrysostom. This Prelate having given an account why St. Theodore's Feast was kept on the Satur∣day of the first week in Lent, to wit, in Thanksgiving to the Saint, for having in a Vision forewarned the Patriarch of Constantinople, that Saint during the Persecution of Julian, that the Apostate designed to per∣vert or destroy all the Christians, by permitting no Meat to be sold in the Market, but such as had been offer'd to the Idols, and besprinkled with the Bloud of those abominable Victims; and advis'd him to prepare such a provision of Bisquets, as would suffice his Flock to feed upon: Whilst the Markets were thus shut up to them; and for having thus se∣cured their Religion, and Lives, he makes this following Prayer to the Saint, The words of the Prayer you say, are these: O Splendor of the Martyrs, Glory of the Saints, O worthy Gift of God, O Ʋnconquered Keeper and Defender of the Faithful, be not unmindful of our Poverty, and De∣jectedness, but vouchsafe thou always to pray for us, O most Admirable Man; nor do thou despise us who are daily assailed by Julian the Spiritual one, who both then and now is the Author of Evil, the Enemy of our Souls, for we believe that you live after Death; Thou then who art yet alive in Christ, and standeth near unto him, endeavour by thy Prayers to make him Gracious unto us thy Servants, that freed by thee from the present Miseries, we may attain unto the happiness that is there reserved for us.

I pray, good Sir, in what part of Nectarius his Works is this Prayer found? What Historian that writes his Life hath this Prayer. There is one Euthymius that your Divines suppose to be an Ancient Greek Fa∣ther, I thought you would have quoted him, but I commend you for your Modesty, you have recourse to Bellermine, who directs you to Lippomanes, who, I suppose you do not esteem an Ancient Father, for he was Bishop of Verona; he filled two mighty Volumes of this Stuff, which were printed at Venice, and Lovaine, about a 120 years ago. This Father Aloysius Lippomanes, you will find to have no Credit, he being so young an Author; besides it's well known that Julian was dead twenty years before Nectarius was installed in that Patriarchate of Constantinople, and therefore sat not in the time of Julian's Persecution, and stood in no need of St. Theodore's Advice in that business of providing of Bisquet for his Flock, which your Lippomanes takes no notice of, and if no such Restraint were put upon the Christians by the said Julian, then what Obligation lay upon Nectarius to return St. Theodore thanks, and that there could be no such design of Julian, in the time of the said Nectarius, for that he was, as I observed, before dead twenty years be∣fore Nectarius was Patriarch of Constantinople.

The last Prayer you offer was that of St. Gregory Nazianzen: O Ve∣nerable Virgin, chast, and most happy, hear my Voice benignly, and grant me that which is chief of all, viz. That departing this Life, I may find thee to be my Patron: This is another of your Prayers, you say; but

this smells so like the Church of Rome, that I must suspect it, till you are pleased to tell me where you find this Prayer in the Works of St. Nazianzen; Doth not your Amphilochius help you here at a dead lift? Gregorius Presbyter that wrote the Life of Nazianzen, saith nothing of it, nor do I find it in any of his Works. If Amphilochus doth not, I pray how far doth your Aloysius Lippomanes give you his assistance? For they are a couple of Fathers your Church hath of late, coyned to help them in the time of need: but if you did find it in Nazianzen, I pray tell us where, that we may give you a more satisfactory Reply; but if you have none but your young Authors, we judge it a Forgery of your Church.

Then you proceed to produce your Authority from those Fathers which did defend the Practice of Invocation of Saints, and the first you pro∣duce is that of St. Gregory Nyssen, which I have replyed to already, and will say something more: You tell us, that in his Oration upon St. Theo∣dore, that he saith, The Christians call on the Martyr, as on God's Mi∣nister, who being Invocated by them, is able to impetrate for them what Favours he pleaseth.

To this, Sir, give me leave to say, That where the Fathers are con∣trary to the Word of God, there we must leave them; where they are agreeable, there we do agree with them: but you have so ordered the matter, that you make the Fathers speak your own sence, by your fre∣quent Forgeries, putting that upon them which they never speak, or else leaving out what they did really say. And this Father's Expressi∣on doth look like a Forgery of your Church; for I find in the Life of St. Theodore, written by St. Gregory Nyssen, who wrote it with much E∣loquence in the Praise of the Church, where the Monument of that Ho∣ly Martyr was kept; and speaks of the Excellency of the Image that was made for the said Saint, which did so lively represent him, as if the whole Story of him were written in a Book: And in his Oration upon that Martyr, he doth by a passionate Apostraphe direct himself to the Image; but that he prayed to that Saint, as if he could hear him, that I deny: Because, that in his Writings against Eunominus, he saith, We are to Worship and Adore that Nature alone, which is uncreated, whose Character is this, That it neither at any time began to be, nor ever shall cease to be, Contr. Eunom. Lib. 5. But from these Words of St. Gre∣gory, you cannot prove such an Invocation, as points the least at any A∣doration intended by him, to this, or any other Saint; but certain it is, that this extravagant way of speaking to St. Theodore, is by no means to be justified, it being repugnant to the Word of God, and tending to the countenancing of an heathenish Custom, (viz.) Of bring∣ing Images into the Churches, Euseb. Lib. 7. Cap. 16. Who saith, That the Use of Images was brought into the Churches first, by the Heathens, and St. Hierom tells you, the decking of them was to deceive the simple: Argento & Auro decoravit illud ut fulgore, utriusque Materiae dicipiat

simplices, qui quidem Error ad nos usque transivit, ut Religionem in divi∣tiis arbitremur. Hieron. in Jer. Lib. 2. Cap. 10. He adorneth his Image with Silver and Gold, that by the lustre and glory of both these Me∣tals, he may deceive the simple: which Errour crept in amongst us, so that now we think our Religion standeth in Riches. I say, this was the consequence of those high flown Apostrophes, and Invocating them, though they intended no Worship to them; for they were convinced that the Saints could not hear them, therefore the end of their calling upon them, was the more to induce their Hearers to follow the good Example of these Saints, whose Works they magnified, and in their transports of Zeal they did call upon them, as some of the Fathers did upon other things, which I am sure they did never believe that they were capable of hearing them. Thus it was with this holy Nyssen in this Oration upon St. Theodore, and means and intends no Prayer at all to be made to him, but only a naming his Name, and Works, that his good Example might be followed.

Your Doctrine of the Saints Intercession is no ways proved, for St. Gregory intends no more, than to shew you, that those who name his Name, and profess the Faith he professed, and that the consideration of his holy Life, and glorious Martyrdom, working in them a willing∣ness of obedience to the Will of God, they might obtain those Favours God usually bestows on his Church, Blessings suitable to the great Suf∣ferings and Services of his Saints; and this all Protestants do own, that God for the sake of his Saints, that have been eminent in their day, hath been pleased to shew great Mercy to his People, by their Example of Holiness, and Obedience, and couragious Sufferings, many have been brought to God, and many have been confirmed in the Faith of Jesus Christ, and an holy emulation hath been by this means occasion'd a∣mongst Christians, who should out-vie each other in Practices suitable to the glorious Gospel, which they profess in the World, by following the Examples of those Saints, whose Names they had in continual re∣membrance.

You say, That St. Basil is evidently plain, the Martyr called by his Name sheweth himself present to as many as call by his Works: Behold, say you, he useth the same terms, which express the Invocation of God, in Zachary. Sir, I must own that the Saints of God have left sweet Memorials of their Holiness and Piety, and in this Sence they may be said to be present; but by calling upon the Saints, the holy Doctor doth not at all imply any Prayer to them, but only professing the Holiness and Faith, for which they laid down their Lives. I pray, Sir, observe the words of the Prophet Zachary, 13 chap. 9. They shall call upon my Name, and I will hear them: I will say it is my People; and they shall say the Lord is my God. Where the words of the Prophet are not so much to be understood an actual Prayer to God, as an acknowledgment of him; and these words, I will hear them, we may understand thus

much, I will own them. Those shall be owned by Almighty God, that acknowledge him, both in respect of his Justice in correcting them, and in his Mercy in preserving them: which explication of the words is justified by the following words: I will say it is my People; and they shall say the Lord is my God. And, Sir, give me leave to tell you, that St. Basil saith thus much, and no more: That the Christians have great reason to own the Martyrs, and are justified in so doing: for that they art yet present by their own Works, and by those good Examples they have left us. St. Paul saith, Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ, depart from Iniquity. So let every one that nameth the Name of this, or that Saint, or Martyr, depart from Iniquity.: let Men not only call them by their Names, or pretend to own them by an outward Profession on∣ly, since they are present by their Works; that is, their Examples are left for us to follow. But what reason you had to bring this Saying of St. Basil, to prove your Doctrine of the lawfulness of the Practice of your Church in Praying to Saints? And why you should think to corroberate your Authority with the Saying of the Prophet Zachary, that I must leave to you to consider of, for at the present I do not see any tendancy that way, by the words of St. Basil.

Another Testimony you produce was an Observation of St. Augustine, on the Blessing of Job, Gen. 48. to wit, that not only Exaudition, but Invocation is used in reference to Men, as well as to God; where your Printer, I conceive, was mistaken; for there was no mention made of the Blessing of Job; but there is mention made of the Blessing of Jacob, in the fifteenth and sixteenth Verses of that Chapter, where the Text saith, That Jacob blessed Joseph, and said, God before whom my Fathers, Abra∣ham, and Isaac walked, and the God which fed me all my life long, until this day. The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the Lads, and let my Name be named on them, and the Name of my Fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and let them grow into a Multitude in the middest of the Earth. Now, I pray Sir, what do you infer from these words? I suppose that you lay some stress upon these words: The Angel which delivered me from all evil, bless the Lads: and from the Names used of Abraham, and Isaac, you would prove the Lawfulness of the Invocation of An∣gels, and that the Saints do interceed for us, that could not be Jacob's meaning: For, Sir, it was not Angelus Domini that Jacob points at, but at Angelus Dominus, who is called the Angel of the Covenant; and him only Jacob doth Invoke for a Blessing; for when he saw this Angel, he saith, I have seen God face to face, and my Life is preserved, Gen. 32. 30. And that the naming of Abraham, and Isaac, doth imply the Intercessi∣on of Abraham, and Isaac, in the behalf of his two Grandchildren, is an Errour; for according to the Sence of Bellarmine, one of your own Church, and Order, it was not the manner under the Old Testament, for Men to apply themselves to the Saints; and he gives this reason, The Fathers were then shut up in Prison, and did not see the Face of

God; therefore, if this be true, you must not conclude the Doctrine of the Intercession of the Saints from these words, or that they were to be prayed unto.

You further cite St. Augustine, and you bring him in saying, The Christian People celebrate together the Memory of the Martyrs, a Religious Solemnity, both to excite an imitation of them, and that they be partakers of their Merits, and be assisted by their Prayers. That the Christians did meet to praise God together, for the holy Lives, and happy Deaths of God's most blessed Saints and Martyrs, Sir, is no que∣stion, and that they did it in a most Religious, Solemn Manner, is be∣yond all doubt, and that they did in order to follow these good Exam∣ples that were recorded of these Saints, is as clear: And what of all this? They did Meet together to celebrate the Memory of the holy Martyrs: Ergo, They prayed to them. They met to Celebrate the Memory of the holy Martyrs, to excite an Imitation of them: Ergo, They prayed to them. This is not Logick fit for a Man of your Station and Chara∣cter: certainly no such Logick was taught in any of your Philosophy Schools at Liege. You may know, that in such Religious Assemblies congregated for the commemoration of the Saints and Martyrs, the Priests did recite the Names of the Martyrs, together with some short account of their holy Lives, and heavenly Exits they made, and of the Miracles that were wrought by them; but I do not observe any Pray∣er or Prayers were made to them; they did praise God for them, and did pray to God to give them Grace to follow their good Examples, and performed many Works of Charity, in token of the sincerity of their Prayers. But I do not find that any Direction is given by that holy Father, for any Adoration or Worship to be paid to them.

You will say the great end for which they did Celebrate together the Memory of the Martyrs, was, that they might be partakers of their Merits, and be assisted by their Prayers. Here are two things worthy of observation: 1. What is to be understood by being made partakers of the Merits of the Martyrs. 2. What is to be understood by being assisted by their Prayers: and both these seriously considered, may, I humbly conceive, satisfie any reasonable Man. To the first then, by the Merits of the Saints, I apprehend the holy Doctor intends no more than those Gifts and Graces, with which the Martyrs were in∣dued both in their Lives, and at their Deaths, and that those that did meet together, to commemorate these Martyrs, did pray for those Gifts and Graces with which these Martyrs were indued, and by which they arrived to that degree of perfection, that their Lives and Deaths were Sacrifices, with which God was well pleased: therefore to infer, that because the Christians meet together to com∣memorate the Martyrs, to the end they might be made partakers of those Gifts and Graces with which the Martyrs were indued from on high. That therefore they prayed to the Saints is a consequence which

you would not allow in any other case whatsoever. And Secondly, consider the words of that great Saint and light of Gods Church, and let us see what is to be understood by being assisted by the Prayers of the Martyrs, I have observed that the blood of the Martyrs do cry; How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood? Re∣vel. 6. 10. Abels blood it did call to Heaven, Gen. 4. 10. If you will call this praying, the point will soon be at an end. If by these prayers the faithful may be said to be in a sort assisted, then you and I shall not need to debate the Controversie any further, for we shall soon put a pe∣riod to this difference. Nay, Sir, your own Divines from those words in the Revelations, do teach, That the Saints of God are present at their Tombs and Monuments and Relicks, and have cited St. Jerome to prove the same. And therefore I perceive it is, that the Christians did meet together to commemorate the Martyrs, at their respective Tombs or Monuments, because from thence their cry did go to Heaven, and by virtue of such Prayers, and crys of these Martyrs, the Church received benefit; for calling for vengeance upon the wicked, implies a calling for Mercy upon the Church. In this sence they may be said to pray, as blood may be said to have a Voice and Cry; and doth it follow that because their blood doth pray, and their blood hath a voice and doth Cry, that we must pray to them? I pray Sir in your next lay your Ar∣guments a little closer, and conclude aright from your Premises. The Martyrs Prayers do assist the faithful, Ergo, the faithful must pray to the Martyrs, no young Logician would be guilty of such Reason∣ing.

You call St. Austin again to your Aid, to prove that there was an In∣vocation and Adoration used at the Meetings of Christians to comme∣morate the Martyrs. We offer to thee O Peter, O Paul, O Cyprian; What was it that was offered? pray in your next let us have the whole sence of the Father; these are imperfect sayings, and we will reply to them in the next; but this by the way. The words are no more than a Rhetorical Apostrophe, to the Images or Tombs of these Saints. The reason, you say, the holy Doctor gives for their Invocation is, because of the Oblation they make to God, who hath Crowned the Martyrs: their Martyrdom was a Sacrifice with which God was well pleased, and their Holiness comes up as a Memorial before God; for he is not un∣mindful of their Blood, which still doth cry from under the Altar: which after a certain manner we may term an Oblation; And in this Sence that great Doctor saith, They make an Oblation: But what then? Because St. Austin doth Invocate the Saints, that therefore he prays to them. You know, Sir, Invocation doth not imply a belief that the Person Invocated doth hear, or that the Person Invoked is pray∣ed unto. And this, Sir, will be made appear from those Divines and Doctors, for which you have no small esteem.

I suppose, Sir, you have not forgotten, that in your Church you use

thus to Salute the holy Oyl, Ave Sanctum Oleum: All Hail thou holy Oyl. Nor do I believe but that within a few days you did thus Salute a Cross of Wood, or Silver, or Brass, Ave Rex noster. I am confident you have prayed to the Cross thus, O Crux ave spes unica hoc Passionis Tempore, Auge Piis Justitiam Reis que dona veniam: All Hail, O Cross, our only Hope in this time of the Passion: Give thou increase of Righte∣ousness unto the Godly, and give thou Pardon unto Sinners. You have seen the Prayer that Pope Bomface the Eighth made to be said before a Pi∣cture and Image of the Cross: which is this: O Crux altissima, O Inno∣cens Sanguis, O Poena magna, O Christi penuria, O profunda Vulnera, O Lanciae perforatio, O Sanguinis fluctio, O Cordis Fractio, O Dei amara Mors, O Dei veneranda Dignitas, adjuva me in Vitam oeternam. Amen. O most high Cross, O innocent Blood, O great Pain, O the Penury of Christ, O the deep Wounds, O the piercing through of the Spear, O the flowing of the Blood, O the breaking of the Heart, O the bitter Death of God, O the Worshipful Dignity of God, help me unto ever∣lasting Life.

I cannot believe, Sir, that you give Divine Worship unto a corrupta∣ble Creature; or that you believe that Christ is there present under the Form of Wood. You know that the Sacrament hath been Invocated, and yet the Sacrament is a thing unsensible, as Epiphanius saith. Dyo∣nisius, who as your Divines say, did Invocate it; but see what Pathy∣meres, the Greek Paraphrast saith, Expounding the Words in this Sence: O Divinum, & Sacrum Mysterium affatur illud tanquam rem animatam. He speaketh to the Sacrament as if it were indued with Sence and Life, and yet the Sacrament is not a Thing that hath Life and Sence. So Gregory the Great saith: O Great and Holy Passeover. There∣fore, Sir, every thing that is called upon, is not Adored with Divine Honour.

Consider, Sir, what your own Abdias saith of St. Andrew, when he came to suffer upon the Cross for the Testimony of God, and his Christ, he represents the Holy Apostle thus speaking to the Cross. Salve Crux, &c. All Hail thou Cross that here standest thus looking for me, I come of my own accord unto thee, for I know thy Secrecy, I know thy Myste∣ry, I see in thee the things that are promised to me of my Lord: Re∣ceive thou me, O thou chosen Cross, that an thus humbled for my God, and help the poor Servant unto his Master. Sir, here are plain Words of Invocation, here is manifest Adoration; yet I hope you will not believe that St. Andrew did indeed give Divine Honour unto a Wooden Cross, on which he was to suffer. I pray consider the words of St. Ambrose, Lib. 10. Cap. 22. in Lucam. Observe how he doth speak to the Water of Baptism: O Aqua quae humano aspersum Sangui∣ne, &c. O thou Water that hast washed the World, stained with Man's Blood, O thou Water that deservest to be a Sacrament of Christ, thou beginnest, thou fulfillest the perfect Mysteries. Do you think

that St. Andrew's Cross had Eyes and Ears? Do you think that the Baptismal Water had Eyes and Ears? You cannot imagine therefore that St. Andrew expected to be heard by the Cross, or St. Ambrose by the Water. And as St. Ambrose did not expect to be heard, so he de∣signed no Divine Honour to the Water. I pray consider what Devoti∣on your Church doth use to the Girdle of the Blessed Virgin: O Vene∣randa Zona fac nos Haeredes aeternae, & beatae Vitae & hanc nostram, vi∣tam ab interitu conserva, tuam Hereditatem, tuum Populum, O Intemera∣tae Zona, intemerata conserva habeamus te vires, & Auxilium murum & pro pugnaculum portum & Salutare Refugium. O Blessed Girdle, make us the Inheritors of Eternal and Blessed Life, and keep our present Life from Destruction; O unspotted Girdle, of the unspotted Virgin, save thy Inheritance; O save thy People, be thou our Strength, our Wall, our Fort, our Haven, our Refuge.

This Prayer of your Divines is not taken out of Euthymius, but it is taken out of Aloysius Lippomanus, the Bishop of Verona, where you had your Prayer to St. Theodore, made by Nectarius, for in the Margin he hath made this Observation upon the Prayer: O quam magna & mira petit a Veneranda Zona: O how great and marvellous things he desi∣reth of this Blessed Girdle. From this Prayer you cannot say that ei∣ther Euthymius or Lippomanus, would have you Worship the Virgin Ma∣ry's Girdle with Divine Honour.

From all which, I easily gather, that though the Fathers did in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries, Invocate, and ask the Saints for Favours, yet in that they paid them no Divine Honour; Prayer being of its own nature due only to the Creator, and not to the Creature: nor, indeed, can any thinking Man justifie the Fathers in those Raptures, and Rhe∣torical Apostrophe's, in which their Zeal did exceed the bounds of their Knowledge; for their Judgments were otherwise when they came to be more sedate, and had taken these Raptures into consideration, which I shall shew you by and by.

By your writing I perceive that you are so fond of the notion of the lawfulness of praying to Saints, that you endeavour to deliver your no∣tion from that great objection of the incapacity of the Saints hearing us, in many places far distant from each other at one and the same time; for you must know, that at the first creeping in of this fend notion, the memory of those Martyrs were only kept up where their Bodies were Intombed, and their Relicks kept; but now you generally pray to them in many places at one and the same time, where you have no Monu∣ments of those Saints, nor any of their Relicks, which you do endeavour to prove, offering several Authorities in vindication of the same.

The first Authority you produce is St. Augustine, who, as you say saith, The Solution of this Question is beyond the reach of my Ʋnderstanding, how the Martyrs help those which most certainly are helped by them; whether or no they be themselves present at one time, in so different

places, &c. From whence you conclude, that the holy Doctor, Is certain that the Martyrs help their Clients, at one and the same time, in different places; yet uncertain whether they were themselves present. It was not, say you, his Perswasion, that then the Saints help was to be required only, where they were believed to be present. This you say is a clear demon∣stration.

Your using the word Clyents, is fitter for a Lawyer than a Divine of your station; there might another word have been sound out, but I let that pass, and tell you, that I do really believe the examples of the Martyrs have been of great use to the faithful; and in this sence they may be said to help those that follow their good example; you see it was past St. Austins understanding to solve the question, How the Mar∣tyrs did help those that were their Clients, as you call them, in his Cura pro Mort. c. 16. but Sir, suppose I should ask this question, whether or no the Saints in Heaven have any knowledge at all of Humane Affairs on Earth. I am sure there St. Austine can resolve me, and he will tell us, That the Dead can have no knowledge of our Affairs here upon Earth, Mor∣tui nesciunt etiam Sancti, quid agant vivi etiam eorum filii. Again, Si re∣bus viventium interessent animae mortuorum, &c. If (saith he) so great and famous Patriarchs, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, did not understand how the world went with their posterity, how can it be that the dead should at all take notice of the living? or intermeddle with assisting them? De cura pro Mort. c. 13. & 16. I pray Sir observe that St. Au∣stin here is so far from praying to Saints, that he tells you, they are so far from helping or assisting, that they know not your affairs on Errth, for they have not the least knowledge of our condition. Therefore when he saith, the Christians are helped by the Martyrs, you must not under∣stand help as a consequent of your Prayers to them, but of your fol∣lowing those holy Rules and Examples they have left you, for by their Examples they may be said to help men.

Another Authority you produce is St. Gregory Nazianzen in his twelfth Oration, who you say having largely shewed how the Martyrs cure Diseases, put the Devil to flight, &c. He adds where their Bodies only are, the same effect is had as from their Souls, whether they are touched or worshipped. The Reliques of Saints are much in Esteem in your Church, and no Christian, I think, should offer any Indignity to them, were they not false and fictitious, and put upon Men in order to deceive them, and those things termed to be Reliques, which indeed are not so, and many of the supposed Miracles done by them so foolish, that a Man hath no reason to expect any miraculous Effects from them, but rather ought to set them at nought, they being the Inventions of Men to deceive the Simple: but with your pardon, I think St. Gregory here only speaketh of the Miracles that have been done by the Bodies of the Saints that have suffer'd for the Testimony of Jesus. I will not dispute the Truth that the Holy Father delivers, but I think from these words you can∣not

yet justifie your Doctrine of praying to Saints. The Bodies of Mar∣tyrs cure Diseases, and put the Devils to flight say you, therefore must we pray to the Saints and Martyrs. I think it by no means will follow.

Another Authority you produce is St. Ambrose in his Sermon upon the Holy Martyrs Nazarius and Celsus, Have you invocated the Martyrs, (saith he?) He hears you every where, who is honoured in the Mar∣tyrs according to his Dispensation, who weighs your Vows, and dis∣penceth his Gifts, in so much is a nearer presence of the Intercessor grant∣ed as the Faith of the Clyent is more devout. These words, you say, are St. Ambrose's words, and so do several of your Divines: But, Sir, I will offer you another saying of St. Ambrose, as you call him, in his Sixth Sermon upon St. Margaret. Redere debemus Sanctis honorisicentium que nobis salutem, profusione suis sanguinis perpererunt, qui tam sacra ho∣stia pro nostra propitiatione Domino suo oblati. We must yield Honour unto the Saints which have procured Salvation for us, by their shedding of their Bloud, which also were offered up unto the Lord so Holy a Sacrifice for our Salvation. You must not think, Sir, that any Pro∣testant Divines will take either of these for the sayings of St. Ambrose, for your Divines have miserably corrupted this Father, and made him speak such Blasphemies against God and his Christ, which that Holy Fa∣ther would never have uttered, and especially in his Sermons upon the Feasts of the Saints. And the reason why I offer this, is because that I find St. Ambrose is corrupted by Eutropius one of your own Authors, and instead of Dominici sanguinis consecrationem: He saith, Dominici sangui∣nis dispensationem; and again we find him in his Funeral Oration upon Theodosius to say these words: Tu solus Domine Invocandus es, Tu Rogandus ut eum in filiis Representes, Thou alone O Lord art to be Invocated, Thou art to be Intreated to make up the want of him in his Sons. If a Saint and Martyr might lawfully be prayed unto, then St. Ambrose was not Orthodox in this Request he put up to God. If he were Orthodox in this, then God only is to be Invocated, and not the Saints; where∣fore I conclude, that when you Represent him, to Admonish his Hearers to call upon the Saints, that then you make him speak what your Di∣vines have Forged, and not his own Sence. And this doth further ap∣pear, if you will but consider that the Prayer you call his makes the Creature Omnipresent, which is an Incommunicable Attribute of Almi∣ghty God, of which great Blasphemy that Holy Father would not be Guilty. But I suppose your Lippomanus, or your Amphilochius hath helped you to this Prayer, for in the old Edition of St. Ambrose, I can∣not find the Title of this Sermon; but if they should be the words of St. Ambrose, you know the word Invoke, doth not always imply Prayer, but an Acknowledgement, and the word here is sometimes taken for to own, as that in Zach. 13. 9. So that the Holy Father, if he did use those words, he neither intended any Adoration, to be paid to these Saints, but only an Acknowledgment of their Graces, and great Holi∣ness,

and Faith in their Services, and Sufferings for Christ, and these were owned as Honourers of those Saints. As for the Intercession there mentioned, I never Read of any, but that of their Blood, which from under the Altar cryeth to Heaven, but that any Man was justified, or accepted, or had a promise of being accepted; but he that came to God in the Name of Christ alone, I never read or heard of from the Scrip∣tures. In a word, the Prayer as you call, it is a muddy sort of busi∣ness, and scarce Sence as you have represented it.

You bring in Gregory the Great, affirming, that greater Miracles are often wrought where the Saints Bodies are not, that our Mind being fix∣ed upon God, our Faith may have a greater Merit, for as much as we know they repose not there; and yet believe that they fail not to hear, and grant our Requests. I confess, it is true, that where the Primitive Christians did more trust in God, that greater Miracles were wrought then by the Bodies of the Saints; and those that have fixed their Minds upon God, have received Eminent Favours from God as a Reward of their Faith: But what of all this, what have you to say to St. Gregory? He is here brought in by you, but I pray for what? He doth indeed tell you, that greater Miracles were wrought where the Bodies of the Saints were not; therefore doth it follow that you must pray to them? Nay, the Bodies of the Saints not being there, occasion'd some of the Christians to have their Minds fixed upon God? Ergo, the Prayer to Saints is lawful, and they that have their Minds thus fixed, their Faith hath a greater Merit; therefore Prayers to Saints are lawful. The Chri∣stians did know that their Bodies were not reposed in the Church where they were praying, and this was an Argument of a strong Faith, and therefore the Practice of the Church of Rome in praying to Saints is lawful. You say, St. Gregory saith, That they hear and grant our Request, That is, we are owned, and obtain favour from Heaven, upon the con∣sideration of our following their good Example; for as God did much for the People of Israel for Abraham's Sake, and saved a Ships Company for St. Paul's Sake, if you will have it so worded. And when God did shew any particular Favour to any Man for his Esteem that he had of God's Servants that were Martyrs; it was often attributed to the Saint, not believing that they did do it, but only to ingage them to Honour the Memory of the Saints, and to follow their good Examples. But I think, Sir, St. Gregory the Great is somewhat too young an Au∣thor to be brought upon the Stage to prove this Doctrine.

You advanced next as Witnesses to your Doctrine by you defended, those Fathers who owned that the same Saints Reliques lay in several places, were Honoured in, and carried about to distant places; the E∣vident import whereof is, that the Saints may be worshipped in many, nay in a thousand different places. In a word, wherever the God of Saints is, as St. Ambrose you say observes, who every where manifests these Prayers to his Saints, and grants the Blessings asked by their Inter∣cession.

These, Sir, are your own words, what proof have you for this?

What doth St. Ambrose observe, he observes you say, That the God of these Saints is every where, and so do I and all Protestants, and we believe that he doth hear us at all times, and in all places? Doth St. Ambrose say that therefore we must Worship the Saints? Because God heareth us e∣very where, therefore must we pray to the Saints? They make Inter∣cession for those that pray to God, and have Blessings granted by their Intercession, How comes this to pass? God saith St. Ambrose reveals it to them. Suppose all this be true, Doth it therefore follow we must pray to them? because by Virtue of a Divine Revelation, or Manife∣station, they come to understand that we have made our Prayers to God. This is not a way of Arguing that becomes a Grave Father of the Society. The God of these Saints is every where, therefore we ought to pray to him only, as that Father saith. But I pray in your next tell us where St. Ambrose makes this Observation, and upon what Occasion: Till then, I cannot see any just Reason you have to bring in St. Ambrose for a Voucher, I believe he will stand you in little stead. But having taken your leave of St. Ambrose, you then begin to produce your main Witnesses in Defence of your Doctrine.

The first you produce is St. Gregory Nazianzen, What would you have him to prove? Would you have him to prove that the Saints Re∣licks lying in several places, and being Honoured in, and carried about to distant places, they may be Worshipped in many, yea, in a thousand different places. I pray what saith St. Gregory? He attests, that a little Dust, the least Splinter of their decayed Bones, a Lock of their Hair, their Clothes, some drops (though almost worn off) of their Bloud have as much Worship paid, as their whole Body, that the very calling of the place by the Martyrs Name was known to him to have as much Efficacy, as if the whole Body had lain there. I am much surprized at this Authority, or Witness, for here is not one word to justifie the Doctrine of praying to Saints, unless you will Argue thus: That some of Relicks of the Saints have as much Worship paid to them, as the whole Body, Ergo the praying to Saints is lawful, and they may be prayed to at one and the same time, in a thousand different places. This Logic, Sir, will not do, but let us go on, the very calling of a place by a Mar∣tyrs Name was known to St. Gregory, to have as much Efficacy, as if the whole Body had lain there. I believe as much to the full, and so you and I shall agree there, but what then? I hope you will let us see what will follow upon this, Praying to Saints is Lawful, and praying to them at one and the same time in different places. By no means, I do think Logicians of very little Proficiency would detect this way of Ar∣guing.

Your second Testimony is from Theodoret, who is brought in saying thus: Their Bodies are not each in their own Monument, but being divi∣ed amongst Cities and Villages, are by them esteemed the Preservers of their

Souls and Bodies; and called their Physicians and Honoured, as their Pro∣tectors and Guards, and making use of their Intercession, they by them ob∣tain Divine Benefits, and their divided Bodies retain their Power intire. This was a Learned Writer, but I cannot perceive what Service he doth you, here is no Prayer to Saints justified from hence. It is confessed that the Christians very early did pay great Honour to the Bodies, and Relicks of the Saints, and Martyrs; and they were induced to believe that great Cures, and mighty Effects were wrought by them, and by the visiting of the Churches, and Places where they were reposed, they had such Reports of them, and whole days were spent in giving Thanks to God for those Holy Examples they left. But I do not find any thing of any Divine Worship they paid to these Relicks, or that Theodoret here in these words doth in the least justifie the point in hand: That be∣cause their Relicks were divided amongst Cities and Villages, there∣fore the Saints and Martyrs might be Worshipped and Prayed unto in a thousand places at one and the same time. If you can make Theodoret speak thus, it will be worthy of Consideration.

Your third Witness is St. Augustine, who speaks, you say, of several Miracles, that to his certain Knowledge were wrought at the Relicks of St. Stephen, in the different places at which they were Honoured. I pray what were those Miracles, when, and where were they wrought; you found that it was not much to the purpose, and therefore you say no more. Admit the thing to be true, that there were such Relicks of St. Stephen, and that several Miracles were wrought by them, at those several places where those Relicks were reposed. What doth it prove that St. Stephen might be Worshipped at one and the same time in dif∣ferent places? You will do well to peruse St. Austin again, and see how that Doctrine is proved.

Your last Witness is St. German, who, you say, carried about him in a Reliquary for his Protection and Safeguard, the Relicks of all the A∣postles and Martyrs. The very Dust that lay about St. Alban's Monument, by a touch of those Relicks, and the Intercession of those Saints, restored Sight to a Blind Woman; this may for ought I know be as true as the rest. But, Sir, you will do well to remember your Point, which was this: That, because the Fathers owned the Saints Relicks to have been reposed in several places, and were Honoured in, and carried about to distant places, it did follow that the Saints may be Worshipped in many, yea, in a thousand different places. The Fathers, I confess, seem to take notice of the Division and Distinction of the Relicks of the Saints, and of the great Respect and Honour they had in those Churches, where they were reposed, and that many Miracles were wrought by them there, by the Power of God; but that they prove the Consequence, or import that the Saints may be Worshipped in several places, may, in a thousand places at one and the same time. That, Sir, doth not yet ap∣pear.

Give me leave, Sir, to deal freely with you. I do own that the great God of Heaven and Earth, for the Testimony of the Truth of the Gospel of his dear Son, hath oftentimes wrought great Miracles, even by the dead Carcases of his Saints, in Witness that they have been his Witnesses and Instruments of his Holy Will, in opening the Eyes of the Heathen, and turning them from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, to the end that they might receive Remis∣sion of Sins, and an Inheritance amongst them, which are Sanctified by Faith in Jesus Christ. But as these were great Instruments at first, to lead the People into the Truth, and bring them to the Obedience of the Gospel; so they became afterwards Snares to lead the People into Er∣rours and great Inconveniences, and that even in the times of the An∣cient Fathers above twelve hundred years ago.

St. Austin saith, I know many Worshippers of Graves and Images, that drink and quaff disorderly over the Dead, and offer Meat unto their Car∣cases, and bury themselves over the buried, and do esteem that even their very Drunkenness and Gluttony is a Religion that peaseth God, De moribus Ecclesiae, c. 34. Confession, lib. 6. c. 2. Galasius saith, It is reported, That with Procession they furnish up their Churches, built in the Name of the Dead, and the same for ought I can hear, while they were alive, were not altogether good Faithful Men, Galasius Can. 2. de con. dist. 1. placuit. St. Martin on a time came to a Chappel, built in the Name of a Holy Martyr, but afterwards it was revealed to him, that the same Martyr had been sometimes a common Thief, and for a Robbery had been put to Death, and by the Errour of those times, was Honoured by the Peo∣ple for a Saint: Likewise St. Austin saith, Some there be that carry a∣bout Martyrs Bones, exposing them to Sale, and yet may very well be doubt∣ed whether ever they were Martyrs or no. Consider what feigned Mira∣cles your Church hath invented to incourage the Laity in these Errours. You have made dead Images to Sweat, to Weep, and to Laugh, and to shift themselves from place to place. The Image of the Virgin was made to attend her own Candle, and other Images and Relicks were feigned to heal Diseases. Nicolas Lyra saith, In Ecclesia dei populus saepe dicipitur a Sacerdotibus fictis miraculis lucri causa. In the Church of God the Priest oftentimes deceive the People with feigned Miracles, for Lucres sake. Thus the World was born in hand, that Images and Re∣licks of Saints were not barely such, but had a secret Divine Power hid∣den within them; and therefore they ought to be Worshipped. From hence I conclude, that though God was pleased to work sundry Mira∣cles by the bodily Relicks of his Saints; yet the People were abused by them, and notorious Errours insued upon the great Esteem the Sacred Relicks were in. But had they continued in the same Station, for which they were first preserved, and no abuse at all occasioned by them; I cannot see how you can justifie your Doctrine, that, because of the ma∣ny places where the Relicks of Martyrs were reposed; that therefore

the Saints and Martyrs might be Worshipped in many places at one and the same time.

And, because you have insisted so much upon the Miracles of the Relicks, and of the Bodies of your Saints and Martyrs; but of these Miracles, the Holy Fathers without doubt was very cautious, for see St. Chrysostom saith, In fine temporis concedenda est potestas Diabolo, ut faciat signa utilia, ut jam Ministros Christi, non per hoc cognoscamus quia utilia faciunt signa, sed quia omnino haec signa non faciunt, In the end of the time Power shall be given to the Devil, to work profitable Signs and Miracles, so that we cannot know the Ministers of Christ, by that they work profitable Miracles, but by that they work no Miracles at all, Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 49. St. Austin saith, Non dicat ideo est quia illa vel illa Mirabilia fecit, vel iste vel ille aut quia illa vel illa ibi contingunt, &c. Removeantur ista vel figment a Mendacium hominum, vel protent a fal∣lacium Spirituum, Let no man say it is true, for that or this Man hath wrought this or that Miracle, for that Men make their Prayers at the Tombs of our Dead, and obtain their Desires, or for that these or these Miracles be wrought there, &c. Away with these things, they may be either the Juglings and Mockeries of deceitful Men, or else Illusions of Iying Spirits, Aug. de Ʋnitate Ecclesiae. Cap. 16. Again, St. Chrysostome saith, Per Signa cognoscabatur qui essent, essent veri Christiani qui falsi nunc autem signorum operatio omnino levata est mag is autem Invinitur a∣pud eos qui falsi sunt Christiani. In old time it was known by Miracles who were the true Christians, and who the false, but now the working of Miracles is taken quite away, and is rather found amongst them that are false Christians, Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 49. Therefore St. Augu∣stine saith, Contra illos mirabiliar is cautum me fecit Deus meus dicendo in novessimis diebus exsurgent pseudo Prophetae facientes signa & portenta ut inducunt in errorem si fieri possit etiam Electos: Against these Miracle-Mongers my God hath armed me, saying, In the latter days shall arise false Prophets, working Signs and Wonders, to deceive, if it be possi∣ble, the Elect of God. Aug. in Johan. Tract. 13.

Sir, you have told us of a great many Miracles that have been wrought by the Bodies and Relicks, of Saints and Martyrs: But I wonder, you being of the Society of Jesus, would not give us one touch of the Relicks of St. Xaverius, in East-India, and of his Relicks at Rome; nay, there is scarce a Colledge of Jesuits in Christendom, but have of them more or less, and by those Relicks many Miracles have been wrought; Why did you not prove that he might be Worshipped all over Christendom, as well as any other Saint? Why did you not give an account of the Miracles of the Saints of your Order in India? Who by their Holy Water have driven Mice out of the Country, and made barren Women to bare Chil∣dren; and such other wonderful Miracles. But you are a modest Gentleman, and would not therefore take notice of them, at this time, lest the World should not at this time of day, be under any obliga∣tion

to believe them, or any part of them; and as the World is now cautious, so have Learned Men in all Ages: Alexander of Hales saith, In Sacramento apparet Caro interdum humana procuratione interdum ope∣ratione Diabolica: In the Sacrament itself there appeareth Flesh, some∣times procured by Men, and sometimes by the working of the Devil, Alex. de Hales, Par. 4. Quest. 53. Mem. 4. Therefore from hence ob∣serve, that Miracles are not the Signs always of true Doctrine, especial∣ly of the Doctrine you defend, (viz.) Praying to, and Worshipping of Saints.

Love you know is bountiful, and as it hath produced a very fair Ac∣count of the Miracles, wrought by the Relicks of Saints, and the Bo∣dies of your Martyrs; so give me leave on my part to tell you what Mi∣racles I have seen wrought by the Preaching of the glorious Gospel of our dear Redeemer, the Blind see, and the Dumb speak, the faint-hearted are made couragious, our Bishops are stout in the Cause of our blessed Lord, our Presbyters speak now with the Tongues of Angels, the Voice of our God is heard amongst us, and the People are turned from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Antichrist, to the obe∣dience of the Gospel. The Doctrine that is Preached amongst us is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joynts and Marrow, confounding Principalities and Powers, Spiritual Wickednes∣ses, and High Places, good Men are perfected, the Body of Christ is edisied; these, Sir, if you have Eyes to see, are great Miracles. Saint Chrysostom saith, The Conversion of the World is a Miracle, Chrysost. in cor. Hom. 6. St. Austin saith, Modo Caro caeca non aperit Oculos Miraculo Domini, & Cor caecum aperit Oculos Sermone Domini: Now adays the blind Flesh openeth not her Eyes by the Miracles of our Lord, but the blind Heart openeth his Eyes at the Word of our Lord, Aug. de verbis domin. Secund. Mat. Ser. 18. Again, Modo Aures corporis surdae non a∣periuntur, sed quam multi habent clausas Aures Cordis quae tamen verbo dei penetrante Patescant? Now adays the deaf Ears of the Body be not o∣pened, but how many are there who have the Ears of their Heart shut up, which notwithstanding are opened, when the word of God that pierceth entereth? I think that these Miracles are greater Arguments why we should Worship God through Jesus Christ, then the Miracles of the Relicks and Monuments of the Martyrs are why you should Wor∣ship and Pray unto the Saints.

It may be you may not take it well if I should not take notice of your Miracles once more, therefore I will I behold the Countenance of your Glorious Miracles: Your Crosses they can speak, and your Idols can go; your Images can light their own Lamps; your Holy Water is able to drive away Mice, and to make barren women Fruitful, and to calm the Sea. This I have learned from some of your own Writers, but your Miracles and your Doctrine of Praying to Saints is much alike; but I

will conclude this Head with the Saying of St. Hierom, Mendacium Antichristi Christi Veritas devorabit. The Truth of Christ shall de∣vour the Falshood of Antichrist.

Having examined your Doctrine, that because the Relicks of the Martyrs are dispersed about into divers places, and being honoured in their respective places where their Relicks are reposed, that therefore they might be Worshipped in a thousand different places, at one and the same time; for which you produced several Witnesses, and they being all considered, you now proceed to shew that this Doctrine of Praying to Saints was authorised by four Councils, held within the space of the first five hundred years after Christ. By the Authority of those Councils you think you do your work.

First, You cite the Council of Chalcedon, and say, That in the First General Council held there, the Bishops belonging to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, publickly in the Council, and unopposed, used this Invoca∣tion to Flavianus: Flavianus lives after Death; let the Martyr Pray for us. And more, you say, you do not express in your Litanies to the Saints. This was a Practice, But I pray, Sir, where is the Injunction? There is a Decree in your Chapter, held at Tront, That the Saints shall be Prayed unto. If you can find such a Decree in the Council of Chal∣cedon, I pray let us see it; or else never pretend to cite the Authority of the Council. I was big with expectation, and truly did give myself the trouble to peruse, and consider it; but finding no Decree in the case, I therefore judge that your citing the Council, was to little or no purpose; the Practice of a number of Bishops being no Warrant for any Doctrine whatsoever, unless approved, allowed, and decreed by a General Council. You have met with sundry Debates amongst Learned Men, that have not been opposed by the rest of the Council; yet when the Question hath been put, it hath been carryed against the Debates, though they have appeared with a considerable Par∣ty.

But I will consider your Invocation here, in the Council of Chalcedon. The Words of your Invocation are these: Flavianus lives after Death; let him Pray for us. I pray, Sir, do but consider the occasion of the Words: There were two Persons that stood Candidates for the Bishoprick of Ephesus, Bassianius and Stephen, who both contended for that Bishoprick, Bassianius appears before that Council, and he having had this Flavia∣nus to communicate with him in his Life-time, and having been a great Favourite with him, he because of that intimacy, engaged the Bishops of the Obedience of Constantinople, who cryed out in the Council, in the behalf of Bassianius, Flavianus the Martyr lives after Death, he shall Pray for us. Which is no more than this, he shall intreat you to do us this favour, as to give the Cause for Bassianus, and confirm him Bishop of Ephesus, let him Pray for us, since he was a Martyr for the Faith, let his Martyrdom oblige you to appear for his Friend. These Bishops

did not say, Flavianus lives after Death, he shall pray to God for us, (for you must understand these Bishops had made the Cause of Bassianus their own) but he shall pray or intreat this Council for us. This is a worthy proof for the Lawfulness of Praying to Saints; for do but con∣sider, if it be given for granted, that the intention of those Bishops was, Let Flavianus pray to God for us: What then, doth it say, Let us pray to Flavianus? Here is not one Word of that, nor indeed of the other.

Secondly, You in the second place cite the Council of Gangrae, Can. 20. If any one through Pride, believing himself perfect, accuse those Meetings, which are had at the places where holy Martyrs Repose, or in their Chur∣ches, or believes that such Oblations as are made there, ought to be slighted; Let them be accursed. But, I pray, Sir, why do you put these words in, that is, need not the Intercession of the Saints, that is the greatest Folly that ever Men could be guilty of; What Man of Learning could ever give this Explication of a Canon, which the thing will in no wise bear. But, Sir, I will forfeit all the skill I have, if you can bring any of the Doctors of Sorbonne, or any of the Congregation, De propaganda fide, that would produce this Canon of the Council of Gangra, to prove that Praying to Saints was enjoyned by the Catholick Church: Nay, I will appeal to any of the Learned of your own Society, whether they in their Consciences do believe that it looks like a proof to justifie that Doctrine. The Canon being taken as you have laid it down, says no more, that they are accursed, who shall take down the Monuments of the Martyrs, or should believe that the Oblations made in those Holy Places were to be slighted, or should in any measure reflect on those that did frequent the Meetings, had, and held where the Bodies of the Martyrs did repose. Here is not one word of Praying to the Saints, or of the Saints making Intercession for us.

Thirdly, You produce the Council of Laodicea, held in the Year 320, as allowing the Worshipping of the true Martyrs of Christ, mentioning Churches built in their Honour, over their Monuments, whether the Christians resorted. I perceive you are faint-hearted, and durst not say the Sence of the Council of Laodicea; see the 35 Canon, where it was determined by that Council, That Christians ought not to leave the Church, and go and call upon Angels, and make Meetings, which are things forbidden. If any Man therefore be found giving himself to this secret Idolatry, let him be accursed, because he hath forsaken the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and hath applied himself to Idolatry. Theo∣doret in his Exposition upon the Epistle to the Colossians, doth twice mention this Canon, and declare the Sence of it, upon Col. 3. 17. the Apostle saith, He commandeth us to adorn our Words and Deeds with the Commemoration of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to send up thanks, giving to God, and the Father by him, and not by Angels. The Synod of Laodicea follow also this Rule, and desiring to heal this old Disease, (viz.) Angel-Worship,

made a Law, That they should not Pray unto Angels, nor forsake our Lord Jesus Christ. And on Col. 2. he adds, That this Vice continued long in Phrygia, and Pisidia, for which cause the Synod (assembled in Lao∣dicea, a chief City in Phrygia) forbad them by a Law to Pray unto An∣gels. Oecumenius hath much the same words, upon the same place; and here I am sure you find nothing of Praying to Saints, but rather for∣bidden, for if it be unlawful to Pray to the Angels, and that be Idola∣try, then it is unlawful to Pray to the Saints, for without doubt the latter is as lawful as the former.

In the Sixth, and thirty sixth Canons of that Council, you say, That the Worshipping of Martyrs was as it were allowed; or that I may not be charged for a Misrepresenter, you say, That you produced that Coun∣cil, as allowing the Worshipping the true Martyrs. With what face can you assert that, when those Canons speak nothing of the Worship of the true Martyrs. The Council makes mention indeed of the resort of the Christians to the Churches of the Martyrs, where they did use to pray, but there is nothing in that Council, that intimates any thing of the lawfulness, or the necessity of Praying to Saints, but rather forbids it.

Fourthly, The last Council you cited, is the fourth Council of Car∣thage, held, you say, in the Year 368, not only Authorizing Christiansto meet in Churches Dedicated to Martyrs, and even where-ever any Monument of a Martyr should be; but commanding that all Altars should be demo∣lished, if there be not an evident certainty of the Relicks over which they were erected. What is all this to the purpose? The Council of Car∣thage, say you, Authorised Christians to meet in Churches Dedicated to the Martyrs, Ergo Prayers to Saints are lawful. That the Councel ordered the demolishing of all Alters, if there were not an evident certainty of the Relicks over which they were erected, Ergo the Coun∣cil did command Praying to Saints. But if you will look into the third Council of Carthage, you will find it against the Praying to Saints.

You are pleased to say that this was the most expressive method of authorizing Devotion to the blessed Saints. The Council authorized Christians to meet in Churches Dedicated to the Martyrs; this was in∣deed an expressive method of authorizing Devotion to the blessed Saints, but where are your Injunctions for the Praying to Saints, what was the Decree of that Council, and what was that Council that did de∣cree for the putting in practice this Romish Doctrine of Praying to Saints. In a word, your Four Councels make no mention of any In∣junction for the people to pray to Saints, no they do not so much as intimate to us, that it was the practice of the Church at that time. You know that your Chapter at Trent makes a formal Decree, enjoyning all upon pain of a Curse, to apply themselves in their Prayers to the Saints, and if you had produced such a Decree, you would have done some small matter of Reputation to the practice of the Church.

Since your Authorities taken from these Four Councils, will do you no service, away you hasten to St. Augustine, who in his 137 Epistle, commends the Christians for flocking to the Monuments of Martyrs, there to ask miraculous Favours, and to some particular Saints, for such, and such peculiar Graces, to others again for different ones. The Christians did go to the Monuments of the Martyrs, and did ask for Favours; but I hope you will tell us from whom they asked these favours. St. Austin in all that Epistle doth not say one word of their asking the Saints, but their Prayers were directed to God, that he might obtain this or that favour or Grace which the Saint was supposed to be indued withal in the time of his or her life. Here you are failed in your Authority, for this saying of the holy Doctor proves nothing for the lawfulness of Praying to Saints.

You come to the close of the matter, and here you offer the comme∣morations of the Blessed Virgin and holy Saints, as more full and ex∣pressive in the ancient Liturgies, then any in the present Roman Missal. This I am sure is not ad Rem, for the commemoration of the Saints to bless God for them and their good examples they left us, and heavenly Doctrine they taught. In that we are all agreed; but I am inclined to joyn with you, and examine your Authorities you produce, and perhaps you may find something to drop in that may help your Doctrine of Praying to Saints, which no doubt but will give your Church some colour for that Practice.

The first Authority you produce is St. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who bears witness to this Prayer in the Liturgies of his time: We pray to thee all of us, and offer thee this Sacrifice, so as to make a Commemora∣tion of those who have slept before us; first, of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, that God through their Prayers would accept of our Prayers: We never say more than this, in any Commemoration in our Masses: Well, here is plainly set forth, that the Saints make Inter∣cession for us, but nothing of any Prayer made to them. But your Author is not very well received, because this Prayer of his, smells so rank of your Romish Superstition, that none but such an old Doctor newly set forth, could be guilty of; I am lothe to call his Credit in question, but I tell you that in his style, in his way of arguing, he is not at all like the Greek Fathers, in wording his Notions; he appears to have lived but of late Years, and therefore his Authority, Sir, will be of little Credit at this time. Yet he doth you no manner of Service; he shews that in his time, the Intercession of Saints was a received No∣tion, but hath not one word of Praying to them, and St. Augustine in his Tract in Johan. seemeth to countenance it, but doth not at all point at any Invocation, or Prayer to be made to the Saints and Martyrs. But say you, doth not the saying of St. Cyril and St. Augustine prove, that their Intercession must be asked that it may be obtained. In answer to this, I say, I do not find that either your St. Cyril or St. Augustine doth

in either of these places direct us to apply our selves to the Saints for the benefit of their Intercession, the one saith, That in the Prayer of the Liturgies in his time, the faithful did commemorate the Saints that God through their Prayers would accept of your Prayers. And St. Austine saith, That the Christians commemorate the Saints at the holy Table, that they may pray for us. He doth not say, that Christians pray to the Saints that they may pray for us. It may be worth your while to consider how little these two Authors do appear to help you out in this point, which you so zealously defend.

You say that you offered devout Prayers to the blessed Virgin out of the Liturgies of St. Basil and St. Chrysostom. Those Liturgies have both been so miserably abused, that they are not of any great value with the Doctors of you own Church, for the Interpolations are so frequent, that we can scarce tell either the order or the sence of those Liturgies. I have seen the old Copies of those Liturgies, where I find commemo∣rations of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, but I cannot find any Pray∣er made to them in latter times. They may have crowded a Prayer to the Virgin, which you perchance have used, but it is no proof. For Dr. Stephen Gardner, the notorious Bishop of Winton, he saith, (and that not without due consideration had of those Offices) that both of them were miserably disordered, that set behind which should have been before, and that the Ignorant Scribes of the latter Ages had basely corrupted both those Liturgies. This is the Credit that the Liturgies of those Fathers had, with that Bishop of your own Church, and therefore we have reason, Sir, to refuse them as Authors that have been corrupted by the Scribes of your own Church, Steph. Gard. ad object. 185.

And that St. Chrysostom's Liturgie hath been abused doth thus further appear, for in that Liturgie set forth by Claudus Sanctes, you have St. Chrysostom praying for Pope Nicholas in these words, Nicholai sanctissimi & Ʋniversalis Papae longa sunt tempora: We pray God send Nicholas that most Holy and Universal Pope a long time to live, whereas it is well known to you, that Pope Nicholas lived in the year of our Lord 857. which was almost 500. years after St. Chrysostom's decease; likewise in the same Liturgie there is a Prayer for the Empire and Victory of the Emperour Alexius, who lived in the year 1080. after the death of St. Chrysostom 700. years. Now it is very hard if we should receive the Testimonies that are Authentic, since they are made to serve all the vile Turns imaginable, so that you may see what Stuff here is that you father upon two burning and shining Lights of God's Church, and up∣on them we must ground our Faith and Salvation. We must pray we know not what, and I know not to whom. If we receive either or both your new St. Basils, and new St. Chrysostoms Liturgies, for in their old Liturgies there is no mention made of praying to Saints, nor of the Saints Intercession for us.

It hath been commonly observed when the learned Writers of your Church have wanted Scripture for any Point or Notion of Religion, which they have endeavoured to defend, then they pretend the Authori∣ty of the Fathers and Counsels to justifie them in the maintenance of their Notions, and in particular this practice of your Church, in pray∣to Saints and Angels. Your Bellarmine says, That all the Fathers both of the Greek and Latin Churches teach us to pray to Saints. Salmeron and Stapleton, and others do speak the same Language; but all of you to this day have so inured your Tongues to talk of the Fathers, that you can hardly use any other form of Speech, nay, you have attempted to bring several of the Fathers of the first four or five hundred years.

But you have not yet produced one Testimony out of any Father, whereby it may appear that any account at all was made of it; nay, those whom you have named were all against it. I could produce Te∣stimonies in abundance for this my Assertion, but it would be too tedi∣ous for me to Write, and you to Read, therefore take a tast of these few.

Ignatius who flourished about the year of our Lord 140. in his Epistle to the Philadelphians, writeth thus: You Virgins have none but Jesus Christ before your Eyes, in your Prayers, and the Father of Jesus Christ, Ignat. ep. 6. By which Testimony it appears to me, that the Christians of his time did not so much as pray to the Virgin Mary herself. To the same effect is that of Origen: We must pray to him alone who is God a∣bove all things, to him also we must pray who is the Word, the only Son of God, and the first Born of all Creatures, Tom. 8. cont. celsum pag. 395. in eod. lib. p. 381. 384. 402. 416. 420. Tom. 5. conta. celsum lib. 8. in ep. ad Rom. c. 10. Athan. in orat 3. contr. Arrian. To God alone (saith he) it belongeth to be Worshipped, and the Angels themselves are not ig∣norant hereof, for although they excel in Glory, yet are they but Creatures, and are none of those that are Worshipped, but of those that Worship the Lord: And again, because Jesus Christ is not a Creature, but begotten of the very Substance of the Father, and is by Nature the Son of God; therefore he is to be Worshipped. Therefore, Sir, what becomes of your urging of A∣thanasius, for countenancing of Invocation and Prayer to the Saints, and of his Prayer, as you call it, to the Virgin Mary?

Consider Origen once more, and he hath this expression, if I under∣stand his Greek aright, That we ought not to Worship our Fellow-worship∣pers, nor to pray to those that pray themselves; which saying of this great Doctor agrees with that passage in the Revelations, c. 22. 9. c. 19 10. When St. John offered to Worship the Angel, he saith to him, See thou do it not, for I am thy Fellow-Servant, and of thy Brethren the Prophets, and of them that keep the sayings of this Book Worship God. That great Doctor saith in another place, If Celsus will have us to procure the good Will of any others after him, that is God over all, let him consider that

when the Body is moved, the shaddow thereof doth follow it. So in like man∣ner having God propitious to us who is over all, it follows that we shall have all his Friends, both Angels and Saints, loving to us, for they have a fellow-feeling with them that are thought fit to find favour with God; neither are they only favourable unto such, but they work with them also that are willing to do Service unto him who is God over all, and are friendly to them, and pray and intreat with them, so as we boldly say, that when Men with Resolution propose unto themselves the best things do pray unto God, many thousands of the Sacred Powers pray together with them unspoken to, Origen lib. 8. contr. celsum, p. 432, 433. The Writings of Origen are full of Evident Testimonies against this Doctrine, for which you so earnestly contend: And Athanasius wrote as much as he about this Point, and the Arrian Heresie, which had spread itself in his time in many considerable parts of Christendom, a∣gainst which he contended with great Zeal, and as great Judgment gave him occasion for it. They maintained Christ was a meer Creature, and yet they prayed unto him. The Holy Doctor on the other side, did with the Orthodox Fathers maintain, That if he were Created, he must not be Invocated, What reason had they to pray to Christ who was a meer Creature. You very well remember that their Plea was, because the Word of God dwelt in him, then he argueth upon them thus: If you Worship the Man Christ, because the Word of God dwelt in him, at the same time Worship also the Saints who have the Word of God dwelling in them. The Word of God dwelling in Christ was no manner of Plea, or Argument for his being Worshipped; but because he is not a Crea∣ture, but is begotten of the very Substance of his Father, and is by Na∣ture the Son of God, therefore he is to be Worshipped. If you find St. Athanasius to say, That the Saints are by Nature the Sons of God, and be∣gotten of the Substance of the Father, then we must Worship the Saints; but since they are the Children of God by Adoption and Grace, and by Nature they were the Children of Wrath, as well as those who are yet dead in Trespasses and Sins, though since their Conversion, the Word of God, and Seed of God remaineth in them, and they are not to be Worshipped. If the Plea of the Arrians for the Worship of Christ, who they asserted to be a meer Creature had been justifiable, then by Vertue of the said Plea it had been lawful to Worship the Saints; but as the Plea cannot maintain the Arrians in the Worshipping of Christ, so that Plea will not justifie you, nor your Church in the Practice of Praying to Saints: Hence it is that the great Doctor St. Athanasius: That if you Worship the Man Christ, because the Word of God abideth in him, Worship also the Saints who have the Word of God abiding in them.

I humbly conceive it may not be unnecessary to put you in mind, that as the Greek Fathers now cited do by no means Countenance your Do∣ctrine and Practice of Praying to Saints and Angels, there are also se∣veral

Latin Fathers, who are of the same Opinion. Tertullian who lived about the beginning of the third Century he saith, Haec ab alio orare non possum quam aquo me scio consecuturum quoniam ut ipse est qui solum praestat, &c. The substance of which words is this, He tells us that such and such things he might not pray for from any other but from him, from whom he knew he should obtain them, because it is he who alone is able to give, and I am he for whom they must be obtained, being his Servant who observe him alone, Apologetic. c. 30. There is a Discourse of the Trinity, by Novatian, which is added to the Works of Tertullian, in which you may meet this pas∣sage: If Christ be only a Man, Why is a Man called upon in our Pray∣ers as a Mediator, seeing that the Invocation of a Man is judged of no Efficacy to Salvation? Why also is Hope reposed in him, seeing Hope in Man is Accursed? From hence observe, that if Christ may not be Prayed unto, if he were but a Man, then the Saints who are but Men, may not be prayed unto. If Christ be but a Man, he cannot be prayed unto as a Mediator, therefore how can you justifie Pray∣ing to Saints as Mediators, seeing they are but Men? If a Prayer to a Man be of no Efficacy to Salvation, then Prayer to Saints can be of no Efficacy to Salvation, since they are but Men. If Christ were but a meer Man, then why is Hope reposed in him, the Saints being but Men, Why should Hope be reposed in them; for if you pray to Saints, you must not only believe that they hear you, but hope that they will answer you, which hope is in vain, because they are but Men.

Observe what he saith further, Si Homo tantum modo Christus, quo∣modo adest ubique invocatus haec-Hominis Natura, non sit sed Dei ut adesse omni loco possit? If Christ be only Man, how is he present, being called upon every where, seeing this is not the Man, but God that can be present in every place? De Trinit. c. 14. The Saints being only Men, how are they present, being called upon every where, they cannot be in all places, it being the Nature of God only to be present in every place. If the Omnipresence of God be the great Argument why we should call upon him every where, then you can give no reason why the Saints should be called upon every where, because they are not Omnipresent. We could not justifie Praying to Christ every where as Mediator, if he were but a meer Man, because as such as he could not be in every place, How then can you justifie Praying to Saints every where as Mediators, sure they cannot as Men be in every place.

Observe what St. Ambrose saith in his Funeral Oration upon Theo∣dosius the Emperour: Tu solus Domine Invocandus es, Tu Rogandus ut eum in filiis Representes. Thou only, O Lord, art to be Invocated, Thou art to be Intreated to make up the want of him in his Sons.

If this Holy Doctor saith true, which is beyond all Contradiction, then how can you justifie the Invocation and Prayer to Saints, as it is practised in your Church? Why might not St. Ambrose have applied himself to the Saints, to make up the want of Theodosius in his Sons, if that the Praying to Saints had been lawful, And if the Praying to Saints be lawful, how can this passage of that great Doctor be by you justified? If you can but reconcile this, you shall be my great O∣racle; for if God alone be to be called upon and Intreated, then none else ought to be called upon and Intreated, Why then are your Saints called upon and Intreated? Consider that passage of St. Augustine in his Confessions, he thus Prays unto God: Quem invenirem qui me Re∣conciliaret tibi an eundem mihi fuit ad Angelelos, qua prece quibus Sa∣cramentis multi conantes ad te redire, neque per seipsos volentes, ficut audio tentaverunt haec & inciderunt in disiderium curiosarum Visionem, & digni habiti sunt Illusionibus. Whom shall I find that might Re∣concile me to thee? Should I go to Angels, with what Prayer? With what Sacraments? Many endeavouring to return unto thee, and not being able to do it by themselves, as I hear have tryed these things, and have often fallen into the Desire of curious Visions, and were accounted worthy of Delusion. If Angels and Saints had been Mediators, as your Church saith they are, then St. Austin could have lain under no great difficulty of finding some body to Reconcile him to God: If praying to Angels had been a Doctrine according to Truth, he would not have wanted a Prayer. He saith, Should I have gone to the Angels, With what Prayer? If praying to Angels had been a received Doctrine, there would have been Directions given with what Prayer he should have gone to them; and the very same may be said of the Saints. Should we go then, with what Prayer? See what he farther saith: I confess and know my Soul is Defiled, But who shall cleanse it, or to whom else should I cry besides thee? Confess. lib. 10. c. 41.

Sir, The Question had been altogether needless, or else soon an∣swered, had your Doctrine been true: the Distemper that he la∣boured under, had soon been cured, had your Practice been law∣ful. If it were lawful for St. Austine to cry to none but to God, and seek redress from him, then why doth your Church engage us to call upon Saints and Angels? There is another Saying of the same Father, that doth appear against your Practice and Doctrine in Controversie in these, words: Divine & singulariter in Ecclesia Ca∣tholica, traditur nullam Creaturam collendam esse, &c. In the Catholick Church it is divinely and singularly delivered, that no Creature is to be Worshipped by the Soul, but only he that is Creator of all things: De quantit. Animae, C. 34. It is apparent that the Word of God is against you, for you have no warrant from thence, for this

assertion; nay, you have the express Words of Christ against it, Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: Which Injunction was delivered by Moses to the Jews, Deut. 6. 13. chap. 10. 20. And by the Prophet Samuel, 1 Sam. 7. 3. with a Promise of their being deliver'd out of the hands of the Phili∣stines: and not only so, but you have a Tradition of the Church Catholick: Traditur (saith the holy Doctor) in Ecclesia Catholica nul∣lam Creaturam collendam esse. From whence I argue, if no Crea∣ture is to be worshipped but God only, who is the Creator of all things, then the Saints who are but Creatures, are by no means to be worshipped, because Worship is only due to God, for that he is the Creator of all things. Again, the same Doctor saith: Christus Sacerdos est qui nunc Ingressus in interiora veli Solus ibi ex his qui Carnem Gu∣staverant interpellat pro nobis in cujus rei figura in illo primo populo & in illo primo templo unus sacerdos intrabat in Sancta Sanctorum: populus omnis foras stabat: Jesus Christ is the Priest, who being now enter'd within the Vail alone, there of them that have been parta∣kers of Flesh, doth make Intercession for us; in figure of which thing, amongst that first People, and in that first Temple, the Priest only did enter into the Holy of Holies, and all the People stood without, Aug. in Ps. 64. How came Christ to be a Priest? And of what Order is he a Priest? The Author to the Hebrews tells you, That he was a Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck: and that he was called of God: see Heb. 5. 4, 5, 6. And no Man taketh this Honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron; so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: as he saith in another place, Thou art a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedeck. Whoever termed the Saints to be Priests, after the Order of Melchizedeck? Who called them to be Priests? When did did they enter within the Vail? The Father saith, That he alone of them, which did partake of the Flesh, doth make Intercession for us. How comes the Saints now to do it? When did this Intercession of theirs commence? Christ did not enter into the Holy of Holies till after his Resurrection, then God constituted him the great High-Priest, and Apostle of our Profession; saying, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Are the Saints yet risen from the Dead? if they are not, How then can they appear in the Presence of God for us. If they do, when did their Mediatorship begin? Christ a∣lone entered, and alone doth interceed with God for Mankind. If the Saints are joyned with him, why then doth the Father here say, He being now entered within the Veil alone of them, who have been partakers of the Flesh. The High-Priest in the time of the Law was a Type of Christ, because he went into the Holy of Holies alone,

and all the People stood without: How can that be true? for you say, That Christ did not alone go into the Holy of Holies, but the Saints are entered also: Holy Men of the Jews could not go in, be∣cause they were not called to be Priests; but you croud in the Saints, though you can prove no Call. St. Austine saith, He alone doth In∣terceed▪ But you say, That Christ doth not Interceed alone. You must by no means contradict your own Bellarmine; he saith thus, The Saints in the Old Testament were not prayed unto, because they were shut up in Prison, they did not enjoy the Presence of God. Do the Saints now enjoy the Presence of God in Body and Soul? If not, how can they be Priests? And how can they interceed for us? How can they be said to have entered within the Veil? Christ, our High-Priest, he is risen from the Dead; and both in Body and Soul he appears in the Presence of God for us. Give me leave to deal freely with you, and tell you, that your Stapleton tells us, That Tertullianus, Ireneus, Origen, St. Chrysostome, Theodoret, Oecumenius, Theophylact, St. Am∣brose, Clemen, Romanus, and St. Bernard, did not believe that the Saints were admitted into Heaven, or had a clear sight of God, till the Resurrection from the Dead; therefore they did not assent to this Sentence, which is defined as a Doctrine of Faith, that the Souls of the Righteous, enjoy the sight of God before the Day of Judg∣ment; but did deliver their Opinions contrary to this Diffinition of your Church; and if so, they could not be of the Opinion, by Bel∣larmine's own confession, That Men on Earth should pray to them, as those of your Church do to this day. Do but observe this Holy Do∣ctor once more saying thus: Non sit nobis Religio cultus hominum Mortuorum quia se pie vixerunt tales non quaerunt Honores, &c. Ho∣norandi ergo sunt propter imitationem, non adorandi propter Religio∣nem: The worshipping of Men that are Dead, should be no part of our Religion, because that if they lived piously, they will not seek that kind of Honour; they are to be honoured therefore for Imitation, but not to be adored for Religion, Aug. de Ver. Relig. cap. 35. If it were no part of Religion in St. Augustine's time, to Worship Saints; then by what Authority do you make the Worshipping of Saints, to be a part of your Religion.

It lies upon you therefore to justifie your self from this great ab∣surdity, of making that to be a part of the Christian Religion, which is not really so. I hope your Saints to whom you pray, lived and dyed in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; or as this great Doctor hath it, they lived piously; If so, when did they claim or challenge this Worship as due to them; for he saith, They well not seek that kind of Honour. It lies, Sir, upon you to satisfie the World in this parti∣cular. Again, observe, That if the Memories of the Saints and Mar∣tyrs, be to be honoured only for Imitation, as I have observed before,

Then by what Authority do you adore them for Religion, since the afore∣said Doctor tells you, They are not to be worshipped for Religion? That the Memories of the Saints and Martyrs of our dear Redeemer ought to be honoured, that no Christian will deny; but that they ought to be worshipped, is by this Doctor plainly forbidden. Again, the said Father saith: Oratio quae non fit per Christum non potest delere peccatum sed etiam ipsa fit peccatum: The Prayer which is not made by Jesus Christ, not only cannot blot out Sin, but itself also is sin, Aug. in Psal: 108. From which saying, if to go to God in the Name of the Saints be sin, how much more to go to the Saints themselves; for you may remember that our sins are pardoned for the sake of Christ alone, and that we have no Promise to receive at the hands of God those things we ask, unless we go to him in the Name of his Son only. And the said St. Austin, in plain terms, calls them Here∣ticks, that were inclined to worship Angels, De Haeres. Cap. 29. Now if they were Hereticks that were inclined to worship Angels; much more are they which worship Saints; for if the more honou∣rable may not be worshipped, then the less honourable must not; if the first be Heresie, the latter cannot be Orthodox, If this Father here condemns the one, how can you, with reason, pretend to justi∣fie the other.

St. Chrysostome, who was a great Doctor in the Eastern Church, In his third Homily on the first Chapter to the Hebrews, hath this saying, Why do you gape after Angels, they are Servants to the Son of God, and are sent to divers places for our sakes. Sir, Why do we wor∣ship Jesus Christ, but because he is God over all, blessed forever, and God hath commanded the Angels to worship him, Heb. 1. 6. Ps. 97. 7. But he never commanded us to Worship the Angels; for if Worship be due to the Angels, how will it appear that he was made better than the Angels, and that he hath by Inheritance, obtained a more excellent Name than they: Nay, the Apostle makes this observati∣on in ver. 5. Unto which of the Angels, said he, at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Ps. 2. 7. And observe verse 13. of this first Chapter to the Hebrews; to which of the Angels said he at any time, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy Enemies thy footstool. And if upon these Considerations, this great Doctor useth this expression, Why gape ye after Angels? upon the same considera∣tion I may say, Why gape ye after the Saints? To which of the Saints said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: or, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine Enemies thy footstool. If God by not speaking this to the Angels, doth shew that they ought not to be worshipped; then it necessarily follows, that the Saints ought not to be worshipped, unless you can tell where, and when God used such expressions to them, as he used to his Son. Again,

we find that God made his Angels ministring Spirits, sent forth to minister to them, who shall be Heirs of Salvation, and they being no more, St. Chrysostome saith, Why do you gape after Angels? Then what can we expect from the Saints, who are not so much as mini∣string Spirits, who never were sent forth by God to minister for the People of God, here upon Earth.

St. Chrysostom, in his eighteenth Homily on the Epistle to the Ro∣mans, saith, Ʋnto whom shalt thou flee, whom wilt thou call upon to fight for, and help thee, shall it be to Abraham; he will not hear thee; shall it be to these Virgins, but they also shall impart none of their Oyl unto thee; shalt thou call upon thy Father, or Grandfather, but none of them shall be able to release, or relieve thee. These Say∣ings considered, worship and pray to him alone, who hath power to blot out thine obligation, and quench that flame: You may observe the holy Father shews the vanity of those Men that have a recourse to the Saints departed, and how they are disappointed that expect any Relief or Comfort from any other but God. Therefore the holy Doctor admonisheth Christians to have recourse to God alone, who is able to help, and to relieve them. Now, I pray, if God alone is able to help, and relieve us, to what end is it for us to have recourse to Angels and Saints, if they are not able to relieve us, and release us? And what warrant can you pretend from God, to worship or pray to any other, since this Holy Father saith, You must worship and pray to God alone?

Again, the same Father in his ninth Homily upon the Colossians, he shews us, that the Devil envying the Honour that we have, to ad∣dress our selves to God immediately, hath brought in the Worship∣ping of Angels. It is strange that you should practice that as an Institution of God, which was but a meer Intention of the Devil, and that the Council of Trent should define that as an Article of Faith, which hath been Condemned by the Fathers of the Church Catholick, as Sin, and a manifest breach of our Duty and Obedience we owe to God; and if that the Worshipping of Angels were an Invention of the Devil. Then, Sir, I pray what reason have you, or any sober Man, to think that Worshipping of Saints can be an Institution of God, and that you may see the latter, as well as the former, was a meer contrivance of Hell. I pray, consider the Doctrine which ho∣ly Epiphanius did teach the Church in his time; and largely refu∣ting the Heresies of those who were called Collyridians, from the Collyrides, or Cakes, which they used to offer to the Virgin Mary, and says, That neither Elias, nor John, nor Thecla, nor any of the Saints are to be worshipped: and again, God will not have Angels to be worshipped, much less her that was born of Anna: And again, which of the Prophets have permitted a Man to be worshipped, much

less a Woman. The Virgin is a choice Vessel indeed, but a Woman. Let Mary be in honour, but let the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost be worshipped: Let no Man worship Mary, Epiph. Hae∣res 79. This Doctor is as plain as may be, in the Point in debate. They offered her Cakes, and you Incense, and Vestments, and Can∣dles. If they were Hereticks in Epiphanius's time, for worshipping the Virgin Mary, what are you who do it now?

I have one Father more to offer to your Consideration, and that is Lactantius, who is a Doctor of great esteem with you; observe what he saith; Qui supplicant mortuis rationem hominum, non tenent Lactant. Insti. Divin. Lib. 2. Cap. 18. It is a short Testimony, but as plain as can be, in opposition to your Doctrine of Praying to the Saints, who are departed, and can neither hear your Prayers, nor are they in any capacity of granting your Desires. This sort of Service must unman you, for that you do not pray upon any good ground, nor can you pray for any good end. If you can, let us know the Principle upon which you pray, and the end for which you pray to the Saints; for all Services that have not their Foundation upon good Principles, and are not performed for a good end, are so far from being Christian Services, that those who perform them, are scarce worthy of the Name of Men.

I have taken some pains to make it appear, that the Doctrine of Praying to Saints and Angels is unlawful. I have deliver'd you my thoughts freely, in answer to those Authoiries which you have produced, which at the first view had the aspect of Prayers, but upon a strict observation they prove to be no more then Rhetorical Apostroplies those holy Fathers used, not adoring the Saints for Religion, but only honouring them, to beget in their Hearers an holy imitation of their Vertue, and to oblige them to follow those good Examples the Saints left behind them; and then I have given you the Authorities of the most eminent Fathers, both, of the Greek and Latin Churches, that with one consent condemn your Doctrine and Practice by you defended. But in truth, Sir Humane Writings are no Foundation of our Faith, we have a more sure Rule of our Faith in this particular, the Holy Scri∣ptures, which are the Word of God, whereunto you will do well to take heed, and no more endeavour to bring in the Au∣thorities of humane Writers, to stand in competition with the Holy Word of God, that hath commanded us to worship, and serve him alone, and hath sworn by himself, that he will not part with this Honour to another; but if this doth not satisfie you, I am ready to reply to any thing you shall further bring in to give countenance to the Point in hand, as it is defined and determined in your Church.

Sir, you were pleased in your Epistle to the English Peer, to reflect upon the Ordination of the Church of England, and in words at length, you did deny the Validity of the Orders of our Church. If you have a Will to enter into the debate of that point, I am ready to justifie the Validity of our Ordination; and again, you were plea∣sed to assert, that all Councils, Fathers, and Churches condemned and deposed all those who having received Holy Orders pretended to Marriage which you call Sacrilegious. I am inclined to give you manifest proof of the lawfulness of the Marriage of the Clergy, and to this end be pleased to observe,

That Pope Silvester the first ordained Degrees in Ecclesiastical Orders, and Decreed, That every Priest should be the Husband of one Wife only, according to the Doctrine of the Holy Apostles, Tim. 3. 2, 3. Tit. 1. as Platina. St. Huldrich in his Epistle to Pope Nicholas the first, tells him, that Pope Gregory the first restored Marriage again to the Priests, which he for some time before had denied them, when he saw how many great Inconveniences attended the single Life of Priests, which would take up too much time to repeat. The whole Epistle I recommend to you as worthy of your serious Considera∣tion, in which you may see that the Marriage of the Clergy is at large justified, and their Restrained Chastity, or single Life Con∣demn'd by that Reverend Prelate. In a word, I do assert that all the Councils, all the Fathers, and all Churches did not condemn the Marriage of the Clergy, nor did they esteem their Marriage Sa∣crilegious, but did esteem it Honourable in all Men, they well know∣ing it was Ordained to prevent Sin, that they who have not the Gift of Continency might Marry and preserve themselves undefiled Members of Jesus Christ.

Sir, there are many other Doctrines and Practices in your Church, which are Antichristian and Develish, tending to the total over∣throw of the whole Body of the Christian Religion, as your Do∣ctrine of the Pope's Supremacy, the single Life of the Clergy, your private Masses, your Doctrine of the Real Presence, your Doctrine of the Adoration of Images, your holding up the Sacrament over your Heads, that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion, votion, your Doctrine of Purgatory, and praying for the Dead, your Doctrine of Justification by Works, Indulgences, that the Sa∣crament was called by the Fathers Lord, and God; these are the strange Notions of, and Positions of your Church. Sir, I will if you please, begin and engage with you in any one, or all of these Points, therefore you need not give Mr. Needham any trouble in this Matter, for though he wonderfully exceeds you, or any of yours in Parts and Learning, and is much more able to cope with you, then perhaps I my self, yet I am at leisure, and he on the contrary is an

Attendant on a great Person, and may be diverted from going through in such an undertaking, therefore I am ready with all the modesty that may be to answer you, therefore be pleased to turn your Pen against me, and spare your Reflections upon our Church, which is yet able to shew it self, and will gain ground, when Babylon shall be brought down to the Dust. Dagon will never stand before the Ark of God, we have the Apostles and Prophets for our Foundation, and Jesus Christ for the chief corner Stone, so that we cannot fail of giving you, or any of yours a Reason of our Faith, when you, or any of your Church shall demand it of us.

In your Letter to Mr. Needham you conclude with a Prayer: Fas est ab hoste doceri. In mine to you I will conclude with one also, which is, That God would preserve the Church of England, that he would increase her Peace, and inlarge her Borders, and make her Fruit∣ful and Glorious, even as the Garden of God is Fruitful and Glorious; as for her Enemies, let God Cloath them with Shame and Confusion of Face, and that in her the Gospel may Flourish; to this end may all Bles∣sings, Gifts, and Graces from the God of Heaven descend upon all her Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons; let God arise and pull down Baby∣lon, and destroy all Superstition and Idolatry, all false Doctrine and He∣resie, to the Glory of his Holy Name, and Comfort of all Protestants. This is the hearty Prayer of,

SIR,

Yours so far as you are Christs, TITƲS OATES.