A Golden Chain, Section 14
The XIV. point. Of the worshipping of Saints, specially of Inuocation.
Our consent.
Conclus. I. The true Saints of God, as Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, and such like, are to be worshipped and honoured, and that three waies: I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner. Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth, that all nations shall call her blessed, Luk. 1.48. When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ, he saith, this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her, wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world, Mark. 14.9. This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses, Aaron, Phineas, and the rest that are commended, Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes,chap. 11. vponupon the Patriarkes and Prophets, and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament. II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them, and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vntounto his Church. Thus Paul saith, that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion, they glorified God for him, or, in him. Gal. 1.13. And the like is to be done for the Saints departed. III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith, humilitie, meeknes, repentance, the feare of God, and all good vertues wherein they excelled. For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament, are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion: for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan: so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men, that hauehave beleeued in God before vsus, and hauehave walked the strait way to life euerlasting.
Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques, that is, their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed, we keepe and respect with due reuerence. Yea if any man can shew vsus the bodily relique of any true Saint: and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it, yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument, if it may conueniently be done without offence. And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome. Further we must not goe.
The dissent.
Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints. The Papists make two degrees of religious worship. The highest they call Latria, whereby God himselfe is worshipped, and that alone. The second lower then the former is called Doulia, whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God, and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen, are worshipped. This worship they place in outward adoration, in bending of the knee, and bowing of the body to them being in heauen: in inuocation whereby they call vponupon them: in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vntounto them: in sabbaths and festiuall daies: lastly in pilgrimages vntounto their reliques and images. We likewise distinguish adoration or worship: for it is either religious or ciuill. Religious worship, is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things, the searcher and trier of the heart, omnipotent, eueryevery where present, able to heare and helpe them that call vponupon him eueryevery where, the author and first cause of eueryevery good thing: and that simply for himselfe, because he is absolute goodnes it selfe. And this worship is due to God alone, beeing also commanded in the first and second commandement of the fist table. Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set aboue vsus by God himselfe, either in respect of their excellent gifts, or in respect of their offices & authoritie whereby they gouerne others. The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we reuerence the gifts of God, and that power which hee hath placed in those that be his instruments. And this kind of worship is commanded onelyonly in the second table and in the first commandement thereof. Honour thy father and mother. VponUpon this distinction wee may iudge, what honour is due to eueryevery one. Honour is to bee giuen to God, and to whome hee commandeth. He commandeth that inferiours should honour or worshippe their betters. Therefore the vnreasonable creatures, and among the rest images are not to be worshipped, either with ciuill or religious worship: being indeede far baser then man himselfe is. Againe vncleane spirits the enemies of God, must not be worshipped: yea to honour them at all is to dishonour god. Good angels, because they excell men both in nature and gifts, when they appeared were lawfully honoured: yet so, as when the least signification of honour was giuen that was proper to god, they refused it. And because they appeare not now as in former times, not so much as ciuil adoration in any bodily gesture is to be done vntounto them. Lastly, gouernours and Magistrates hauehave ciuill adoration as their due: and it can not be omitted without offence. Thus Abraham worshipped the Hittites, Gen. 23. and Ioseph his brethren, Gen. 50. To come to the very point; vponupon the former distinction, we denie against the Papists that any ciuil worship in the bending of the knee or prostrating of the bodie, is to be giuen to the Saints, they being absent from vsus: much lesse any religious worship, as namely inuocation signified by any bodily adoratiō. For it is the very honour of God himselfe: let them call it latria, or doulia, or by what name they will.
Our reasons.
Reason. I. All true inuocation and praier made according to the will of God, must hauehave a double foundation: a commandement, and a promise. A commandement, to mooue vsus to pray: and a promise, to assure vsus that we shall be heard. For all and eueryevery praier must be made in faith; and without a commandement or promise there is no faith. VponUpon this vnfallible ground I conclude, that we may not pray to Saints departed: for in the scripture there is no word, either commanding vsus to pray vntounto them, or assuring vsus that wee shall be heard when we praie. Nay we are commanded, only to cal vponupon God, him only shalt thou serue, Mat. 4.10. And, How shall we call vponupon him in whom we hauehave not beleeued? Ro. 10.14. And we hauehave no promise to be heard but for Christs sake. Therefore praiers made to Saints departed are vnlawefull. Answere is made, that inuocation of Saints, is warranted by miracles and reuelations, which are answerable to commandements and promises. Ans. But miracles & reuelations had an end before this kind of inuocation tooke any place in the Church of God: and that was about three hundred yeares after Christ. Again to iudge of any point of doctrine by miracles, is deceitfull; vnlesse three things concur: the first is, doctrine of faith and pietie to be confirmed: the second is praier vntounto God, that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine: the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former. Where any of these three are wanting, miracles may be suspected: because otherwhiles false prophets hauehave their miracles to trie men whether they will cleaue vntounto God or no Deut. 13.1,3. Againe miracles are not done, or to bee done for them that beleeue, but for infidels that beleeue not: as Paul saith, 1. Cor. 14.22. Tongues are a signe not to thē that beleeue, but to vnbeleeuers. And to this agree Chrysostom, Ambrose, & Isidore, who saith, Behold a signe is not necessarie to beleeuers which hauehave alreadie beleeued, but to infidels that they may bee conuerted. Lastly, our faith is to be confirmed not by reuelations and apparitions of dead mē, but by the writings of the Apostles & prophets, Luk. 16.29.
Reason II. To pray vntounto Saints departed, to bowe the knee vntounto them while they are in heauen, is to ascribe that vntounto them which is proper to God himselfe: namely, to knowe the heart, with the inward desires and motions thereof: and to know the speeches and behauiours of all men in all places vponupon earth at all times. The Papists answer, that Saints in heauen see and heare all things vponupon earth, not by themselues (for that were to make them Gods) but in God, and in the glasse of the Trinitie, in which they see mens praiers reuealed vntounto them. I answer first, that the Saints are still made more thē creatures; because they are said, to knowe the thoughts and all the doings of all mē at all times, which no created power can well comprehend at once. Secondly I answer, that this glasse, in which all things are said to be seene, is but a forgerie of mans braine: and I prooue it thus. The angels themselues, who see further into God then men can do, neuer knewe all things in God: which I confirme on this manner. In the temple vnderunder the lawe, vponupon the arke were placed two Cherubins, signifying the good angels of god: & they looked downward vponupon the mercieseat couering the arke, which was a figure of Christ; & their looking downward figured their desire to see into the mystery of Christs incarnation and our redemption by him; as Peter alluding, no doubt, to this type in the olde Testament saith, 1 Pet. 1.12. which things the angels desired to beholde: and Paul saith, Eph. 3.10. The manifold wisdome of God is reuealed by the Church vntounto principalities and powers in heauenly places, that is, to the angels: but howe and by what meanes? by the Church; and that two waies, first by the Church, as by an example, in which the angels saw the endlesse wisdome and merciemercy of God in the calling of the Gentiles. Secondly by the Church, as it was founded and honoured by the preaching of the Apostles. For it seemes that the Apostolicall ministerie in the new testament reuealed things touching Christ, which the angels neuer knewe, before that time. Thus Chrysostome vponupon occasion of this text of Paul saith,Prolog. in Ioh. that the angels learned some things by the preaching of Iohn Baptist. Againe, Christ saith, that they know not the houre of the last iudgement, Math. 24. 23. much lesse doe the Saints knowe al things in God. And hence it is that they are said to be vnderunder the altar, where they crie:Reu. 6.9. How long Lord holy and true! wilt thou not reuenge our blood? as being ignorant of the daie of their full deliuerance. And the Iewes in affliction confesse Abraham was ignorant of them and their estate. Isa 63.16.
Reason III. Math. 4.10. Christ refused so much as to bowe the knee to Sathan vponupon this ground, because it was written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. Hence it was, that Peter would not suffer Cornelius so much as to kneele vntounto him, though Cornelius intended not to honour him as God. Therefore neither Saint nor angel is to be honoured so much as with the bowing of the knee: if it carrie but the least signification of diuine or religious honour.
Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church. August. Wee honour the Saints with charitie, and not by seruitude: neither doe we erect Churches to them. And, Let it not be religion for vsus to worship dead men. de vera relig. c. 53. heres. 79.And, They are to be honoured for imitation, and not to be adored for religion. Epiphan. Neither Tecla nor any Saint is to be adored, for that auncient errour may not ouerrule vsus, that we should leaue the liuing God, and adore things made by him. Againe, Let Marie bee in honour: let the Father, Sonne, and holy ghost be adored: let none adore Marie; I meane neither woman nor man. Againe, Marie is beutifull, holy, and honoured, yet not to adoration. When Iulian obiected to the Christians that they worshipped their Martyrs as God, Cyrill graunts the memorie and honour of them, but denies their adoration: and of inuocation, he makes no mention at all. Ambrose on Ro. 1. Is any so mad that hee will giuegive to the Earle the honour of the King—?yet these men doe not thinke themselues guiltie, who giuegive the honour of Gods name to a creature, and leauing the Lord, adore their fellowe seruants, as though there were any thing more reserued for God.
Obiections of Papists.
I. Gen. 48.16. Let the angel that kept me blesse thy children. Here (say they) it is a praier made to angels. Ans. By the angel is meant Christ, who is called the angel of the couenant, Malac. 3.1. and the angel that guided Israel in the wildernes, 1. Cor. 10.9. compared with Exod. 23.20.
Obiect. 11. Exod. 23.13. Moses praieth that God would respect his people, for Abrahams sake, and for Isaac and Israel his seruants, which were not then liuing. Ans. Moses praieth God to bee mercifull to the people, not for the intercession of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, but for his couenants sake which he had made with them, Psal. 123.10,11. Againe by popish doctrine, the fathers departed knew not the estate of men vponupon earth, neither did they pray for them: because then they were not in heauen but in Limbo Patrum.
III. Obiect. One liuing man makes intercession to God for another: therefore much more doe the Saints in glorie, that are filled with louelove pray to god for vsus; and we pray to them no otherwise then we desire liuing men to pray for vsus. Ans. The reason is naught: for we hauehave a commandement, one liuing man to pray for another, and to desire others to pray for vsus: but there is no warrant in the word of God, for vsus to desire the praiers of men departed. Secondly there is great difference betweene these two: To request our friend either by word of mouth or by letter to praie for vsus: and by Inuocation to request them that are absent from vsus & departed this life to pray for vsus: for this is indeede a worship, in which is giuen vntounto them a power to heare and helpe all that call vponupon them, at what place or time soeuer, yea though they be not present in the place in which they are worshipped: and consequently the seeing of the heart, presence in all places, and infinit power to helpe all that pray vntounto them; which things agree to no creature but God alone. Thirdly when one liuing man requests an other to pray from him, hee onelyonly makes him his companion and fellow member in his praier made in the name of our mediatour Christ: but when men inuocate Saints in heauen, they being then absent, they make them more then fellow members, euen mediators between Christ and them.