An answer, to a little book call'd Protestancy to be embrac'd or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy

CHAP. VI. Of the R. Catholicks Divine Worship.

SECT. I. Roman Catholicks do not agree with Heathens in their Veneration and use of Images.

OUr Divine Worship, sayes our Adversary, is not unlike that of the Antient Heathens, we adore God in Pictures, as he was a∣dor'd by Heathens in the Sun, we Worship those Images as representations of that Invisible and So∣veraign being we ••all God.

Answer. That 〈◊〉〈◊〉 may make Catholicks Idola∣ters, he makes Idolaters Worshipers of the true God. For if they adore God in Creatures, they had then the Faith of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 true God, and all their Worship and Religion was directed as to its last End, to the true and invisible God.

Wherefore then are they said by St. Paul, 1 Cor. 10. cap. v. 20, to have Sacrificed to Devils and not to God. All the Gods of the Gentils are De∣vils sayes David Psalm 95. then those to whom they directed their Worship was not God, then they and Romanists do not agree in their Religious Worship.

He sayes again, that relative Worship was severe∣ly punish'd in the Israelites. For he can't imagine they adored the Calf as a true God, unless we sup∣pose them as void of Reason as the Calf it self.

Answer. They believed the Calf to be a God, able to bring them out of Egypt, if we may be∣lieve the Scripture, Exod. 32. These are thy Gods Israel, who have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt. And (1 of the Kings according to Prote∣stants) cap. 12. v. 28. Jeroboam made two Golden Calves and said to them, go up no more to Jerusa∣lem, behold thy Gods Israel. Tho our Adversary can't imagin this. Who could have imagin'd that those great Philosophers of whom St. Paul speaks, 1 Romans v. 23. to whom God had given great Lights, by which they came to the knowledge of him, should have chang'd the Glory of an incor∣ruptible God into the Adoration of Men, Birds, four-footed Beasts and Serpents? (Does not St. Paul speak plain here?) I grant then they were as void of Reason in that, as the Calf they Ador'd. What is a Man left by God?

But what was the Reason of this their fall from Reason? Hear it from the same Apostle v. 21. having known God, they did not Glorifie him as God, nor thanked him for so great a benefit, but proud∣ly vanish'd in their thoughts, for which ill beha∣vior and ingratitude, how did he punish them? By a with-drawing of his Light; obscuratumest insi∣piens

cor cor eorum, and as a Man in the dark runs his Head against a Wall, they wanting the Light of Grace; run themselves into the shameful pas∣sions of corrupted Nature, exchanged Truth with Lyes, and gave the Honour they owed to God, to a Creature.

Mindfull of this, wonder no more that a Man who leaves God, may become as void of Reason as a Calf. To return then to our Foolish Israelits was that way of speaking, these are thy Gods, in the plural number, a representation of one God in one Essence and Nature?

From the Golden Calf let us come to our Images, they are called the Books of Ignorants, but in our Adversaries Judgement, ought rather to be term'd the Books of Ignorance, because they are the oc∣casion of many Errors, sayes he. For Example, the Picture of an Old Man, representing God the Father, a Dove, the Holy Ghost, are apt to make the Ignorant sort believe they have indeed some such shape.

Answer. VVe must then blot out of the Holy Scripture all these expressions and ways of speak∣ing, by which God is said to Heare, to See, to repent Gen: c. 6. v. 6. Lest the Igno∣rant People think that God has Ears and Eyes and sorrow in his Hart as we have. Now reflect that these Pictures are not representatives of God the Father or of the Holy Ghost immediatly, but of an old Man and a Dove which are the Symbols of God the Father, and the Holy Ghost in as much as they in some sort represent to us the de∣stinctive perfections of those Divine Persons! As the old Man is the Principle of his son, and not mutualy principal'd by him; so God the Father is the principle of God the Son and God the Holy

Ghost and is not principal'd by them.

Also the puritie and fecundity of the Dove makes us more sensible of the Sanctity we are said to re∣ceave particularly from the Holy Ghost as a foun∣tain of purity; and of the fecundity of his grace brought forth in us. The occasion then of Decep∣tion, if there be any, is not in the Images, but in the things Immediatly represented by Them.

I hope the Zeal of our Antagonist will not be so blind on this account, as to study the Extirpation of Doves, and ridding the World of old Men: since it is not to be thought that Christians are ea∣sily to be found of so gross an imagination, as to think that the Nature or Essence of God, or the Holy Ghost can be Painted out to our Eyes, al∣tho' they may be Painted in that Figure it pleased them to appear, as God appeared to Daniel with the Hairs of his Head as pure Wool, Daniel 7. v. 9. And the Holy Ghost in Form of a Dove, Luke 3. v. 22.

SECT. II. The Protestants do not Adore God in Spirit and Truth, nor the R. Catholick the Cross as GOD.

ALtho' our Adversary think it undeniable, that Protestants Adore more than R. Catholicks in Spirit and Truth, because they Adore God imme∣diatly,

sayes he, without having recourse to Images: Yet I think, I reasonably deny both parts of his proposition; the first, because as a Protestant, to make me believe that he has Faith, must prove it by his Works, according to St. Iames 2. v. 18. so to perswade me that he Adores God in Spirit, he must manifest it to me by his outward respect to him. Shall I say, that Mans Heart Adores God whose Hand does not do his duty to him? Pro∣testants do not give to God the chief Adoration, which is due to him, as he is above all Creatures, I mean a proper Sacrifice, which was ever esteem∣ed by all, and is the great Act of Religion, and how shall I believe that their Spirit Adores him?

Self-denyals and Mortifications of the Flesh, in∣stituted and practised by the Antient Church out of a respect to God they retrench, and how shall I know that in Spirit they Adore him? He requires as an Homage from Men to keep his Commands, saying, my Yoke is easie and my Burden is light, and Protestants tell him flatly; they can't do it. Is this to submit their Judgment to his, and so in Spirit Adore him?

Neither do they Adore him in Truth. Who knew which way God was to be truly Ador'd, or according to his will before he reveal'd it? Now that he has reveal'd it in the Holy Scriptures, and ad∣drest us to the Church, for the understanding of this way of Adoring in these Words, Matth. 18. v. 17. Who will not hear the Church let him be to the, &c. Since Protestants will not hear Her, shall I say that doing contray to his Command, they Ho∣nour him truly or in Truth Adore him? When Saul sent to destroy Amalek spared the best of the spoil, 1 Sam. 15. (as he excus'd himself to Samuel) to Sa∣crifice to God, did he in that truly Adore God? No,

but his own will transgressing the Command of God; so Protestants taking a way of their own, to serve God contrary to his Command, in his Holy Word they do not truly serve him, nor in Truth Adore him.

When our Adversary condemns our serving of God by the help of Images, he condemns himself. For he can't Adore God without thinking of him; this thought a good will cherishes, drives away o∣thers which hinder or weaken it, strives to con∣serve it, and beggs of God to continue it, and so shows by all this a great respect for it: And why so much respect for it? Because it helps the will to move more frequently and attentively to GOD. And at last this good thought is found to be an I∣mage, for it is an Act of the understanding, and every Act of the understanding is a representation of its Object, and this representation is an In••ge presupposing another Image more material in the Imagination.

And this same, is all the use Romanists make of Images.

O, but you Adore, sayes he, confessedly the Cross, cultu latriae, with that Soveraign cult be∣longing to God only, and what can we instance in defence of our Innocency?

Answer. This assertion is false, I instance First, the second Council of Nice, Act. 7. Where it saies that Pictures are to be Worshiped, but not with the cult of Latry which is the Worship we give to God. And speaking particularly of the Cross, saies, our Adoration of it is only a Salutation Aspasmos, and brings a number of Examples of it, as Iacob is said to have Ador'd Esau, Gen. 33. v. 3. And Abraham the Sons of Heth, for the Field he received from them, for the Burying place of Sara his Wise, Gen. 23. v. 7.

I instance secondly, for our Innocency of this Crime, the Council of Trents Words. Ses. 25. de Invoc. Vener. reliquiarum S. S. Sa. Imag. mandat Sancta Synodus, &c. Imagines Christi, Deiparae Virginis, & aliorum Sanctorum in Templis preser∣tim habendas & retinendas eisque debitum honorem & venerationem impertiendam; non quod credatur inesse aliqua in iis divinitas, vel virtus propter quam sint colendae, vel quod ab eis sit aliquid petendum: Vel quod fiducia in Imaginibus sit figenda, vel uti olim fiebat a gentibus quae in Idolis spem suam col∣locabant, sed quoniam honos qui eis exhibetur re∣fertur ad prototypa quae illae representant. Ita ut per Imagines quas osculamur & coram quibus caput aperimus & procumbimus, Christum adoremus, & sanctos quorum illae silmitudinem gerunt, venere∣mur. Id quod Niceni Synodi Decretis, (Can. 2. Act. 3, 4.) contra. Imaginum oppugnatores est sanci∣tum. That is,

The Holy Synod, &c. commands the Pictures of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of GOD, and other Saints, to be had and retained, especially in Church∣es, and that one give to them the due respect and Veneration; not that we believe that there is any Divinity or Vertue in them, for which they are to be Honour'd, or that we ought to ask any thing of them, or that we ought to put our trust in Pictures, as the Gentiles did, who plac'd their hope in Idols; but because the Honour which is given to them, is di∣rected to the Originals, which they represent: So that by Images which we kiss, and afore which we take of our Hats and bow down, we Adore Christ and Worship the Saints, whose likeness they repre∣sent to us. And this is ratified by the Decrees of the Council of Nice, (Can. 2. Act. 3, 4.) From Image Worship he comes to that of the Consecrated Host,

and saies this is more intolerable, because the Priest may forget the intention of Consecrating, or de∣signedly will not to Consecrate it.

Answer. Of this Intention I spoke enough in the matter of Baptism and how hard it is for a Priest not to have a virtual one, such as I explained there, and which suffices.

But if you suppose him to omit it maliciously, there will not be for that danger of Idolatty; for all Worship and Adoration given to the Host, altho explicitly and formally, it be absolute, yet virtually and implicitly it involves this condition: If it be Con∣secrated: So if it be not consecrated my adoration doeth not fix on it but goes to him whom I intend∣ed to adore, not to what I see, to wit, the species of Bread, and thus ther's no Idolatry commit∣ed.

Because it fals out often that he is thought the Father of a Child who really is not, did our Ad∣versary doubt to respect him who was his Father? No more Reason have Catholicks to doubt to yield to the Holy Host a Soveraign Worship.

For the reliques of Saints, because we meet with many we know not whither they be authentick or not, our respect to them always involves in it this Tacit condition (of which above) if it be the true relique of such a Saint.

As to that he sayes 'tis not of Faith that the Soul of such a Saint, for example, of St. Francis of Assisium is in Heaven; I deny it, because, altho' the Pope be not Infallible in his canonizing (as some Roman Catholicks hold) yet when his Decree is receiv'd by the acceptation of the whole Church, by their positive cult and Honouring of the Saint, its equivalent to the Decree of a General Coun∣cil.

SECT. III. Invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary does not with draw us from God, nor dishonour CHRIST.

OUr Doctrine, sayes our Adversary, relating to the Mediation of the Virgin Mary and other Saints, with-draws us from rendring to Christ due Honour and Glory, &c.

Answer. He does not remark the difference which is between Intercession and Impetration:

Intercession presupposes always a request or de∣sire, which is a Prayer, made to be presented by the Intercession to God, (or to him from whom we intend to obtain a Favour,) to whom the ad∣dress is made for the Client or Petitioner by the Intercessor. Impetration not always, for a Favour may be obtained from the King for me, on which I did not so much as Dream. Thus you see our invocation of Saints as Intercessors, does not with∣draw us from God, because it presupposes the re∣quest made to be presented by them to God.

Nay, nor from due Honour to Christ, since in all our Prayers in which the Church has her recourse to Saints, in the Mass or Breviary, after we have begun our Prayer by God, saying, O God, &c. we always end per Dominum nostrum Iesum, &c. desiring that whatsomever we Pray for to be given

us from God by the Intercession of Saints, come to us through the Merits of Jesus.

So we only Pray them that they Pray, that what we demand may be given us through the Merits of Christ. And this way is so far from Dishonouring Christ, that it Honours him more as he signified of the Centurion, who thinking himself unworthy to approach Christ, immediatly made his approach first by his Friends whom he imagin'd more in Fa∣vour with Christ, Luke 7. v. 3. and 6. And Christ praised him, Matth. 8. v. 10. For this Humility proceeding from the Faith he bad of the Grandour of his Person.

And if God had alwayes demanded our imme∣diate recourse to himself, he would not have sent Eliphaz to Iob, Iob 42. v. 8. saying, Go to my Servant Job, and my Servant Job will Pray for you, for him will I accept. Here you see, v. 7. that God would not hear Eliphaz who had offend∣ed him. Are you, who reject the recourse to Saints more Innocent afore God then Eliphaz was? Lay your Hand to your Heart: But why did God send Eliphaz to Iob? Because Iob had Honoured him, and God says, 1 Sam. 2. cap. v. 30. who will have Honoured me, I will Honour him.

Now for our Invoking the Name of Mary, is it less Holy then that of David? And yet did not Solomon Pray thus, for thy Servant David's sake turn not away the Face of thy Anointed, Psalm. 132. v. 10? As if he had Pray'd God thus, O Lord who hast said, Exod. 20. v. 5. I am the Lord thy God, a Zealous God, visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children into the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me. Thou hast also said vers 6. showing Mercies unto thousands of them that love and keep my Commandments. Thou then

who hast mercy on Children for the Sainctity of their Parents, have mercy on me for my Fathers sake.

What mean't Iacob Gen. 48 v. 14. when he bid his Name be call'd upon the Sons of Iosepth, but that he expected God should do them good upon that call for his sake?

And what mean't Moses praying for the whole People Exod. 32 v. 11. When he besought God to remember Abraham, Isaac, &c? And was not God pacified there-with? v. 14.

Note, in the old Testament they did not say as we do now to Saints pray for us, because the Fa∣thers were not yet in Heaven nor saw God. The way into the Holiest of all was not yet made mani∣fest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing Heb. 9 v. 8.

I avow then we mind indeed sick People invock Jesus and Marry together, but in a different way Jesus to save them, and Mary to Pray him for them.

If some simple People rely more on what they do then on what Christ did for them, 'tis not the Churches fault, tho' it may be the fault of some particular Pastor neglecting the Instruction of his Flock.