History of the First Ten Persecutions, Treatises 1 · Treatise 1

History of the First Ten Persecutions · Treatises 1 · Treatise 1

p. 85A TREATISE, Of Inuocation of Saintes.

IT is more easie in this TREATISE to disapproue the doctrine of Inuocation of Saintes, then accurately to point out the minute of time whereinto this abuse sprang vp: for the inuious man, who sowed tares in the husbandrie of GOD, hee did it while Matth. 13Matt 13men were asleepe. And no good Christian, how vigilant soeuer hee be, can bee at one, and the selfe same time both sleeping and waking. Neuerthelesse, albeit the sowing time bee vnknowne to vsus, the time whereinto the blade springeth vp, and manifesteth it selfe vntounto the sight of men, may be knowne: And therefore I hauehave referred this Treatise vntounto the fourth CENTURIE. It is true, that Origene about the yeere of our LORD 240. like as he disputed curiously of all things without any certainty of sacred Scripture, yea euen of plurality of worlds: so in like maner he disputed of the charity and affection that good Christians departed this life, might possibly beare to Origen. homil. 3. in cant.the members of the MILITANT CHURCH of CHRIST. p. 86And hee thought it not inconuenient to suppose, t…at they had a care of our saluation, and supported vsus with their prayers, Neuerthelesse he spake doub…somely, Ego sic arbitrior, that is, I suppose it is so: but he durst not with ful assurance affirme any such thing.

In the third CENTURIE also wee reade of a commemoration of the names of holy Martyres, in time of ministration of the holy Sacrament, but neither of purpose to pray for them, who were already possessed into their rest, nor of purpose to request them to pray for vsus: for such grosse errour was not yet admitted into the bosome of the Church: But rather of purpose by such a commemoration, … animate the godly to follow the foote-steps of those men in well-doing, whose names were thought worthie at solemne times to bee commemorated in the Church.

The Rhethoricall libertie of Basilius Magnus and Nazia… nus, brought inuocation of Saintes in the mouthes of all the …asil. in 400 Martyr.people: for it is their custome, after they hauehave commended the patient suffering of Martyres, in end they desire to bee supported by the prayers of the holy Martyres. These glorious Oratours learned not this lesson in the bookes of holy Scripture: but rather in the schoole of Libanius, whose frequent incalling vponupon foreign in his declamations, accustomed Basili…s & Nazi… zenus to call vponupon the Martyrs, to the end that foreign and foreign of the Gentiles might bee forgotten, and the holy Martyres, by whose examples men might bee led into the foote-steps of vertue and godlinesse, might be remembred. Alwayes seeing these learned Fathers had no warrand in Scripture for inuocation of Saintes, they are compelled to speake doubtsomely foreign, N…zianZ. in …audem Gorgonie. Idem orat. in sunere patris. Idem orat. 1. in ….that is, as I suppose. And againe foreign, that is, if it bee not too much bolden esse so to speake. And againe, foreign, that is, if there be any sense, to wit, in those that are dead. If they had followed the certaintie of Scripture, what needed such doubtsome and staggering speeches. When a tall Cedar falleth, many little trees are bruised by the fall of it: and Similitude.when worthie men doe fall into an errour, it is offensiue to manie. The dolorous examples of Iacob, Dauid, Salomon, and the plurality of their wiues, contrary to the first institution of GOD, p. 87Gene…. 2.proueth this to bee true. Helcana the father of Samuel was not 1. Sam. 11 Sam 1free of this fault. And when the Apostle Paul writeth of the giftes that are requisite in a bishop, hee would hauehave him to bee 1. Tim. 3 verse, 2.1 Tim 3the husband of one wife: which exhortation had beene vnnecessary, except the preposterous following of the faultes of holie Fathers had beene so uniuersally ouer-spread, that scarce the Pastors themselues were free of the contagion of this disease. But the GOD of Heauen hath permitted this to bee for our triall, euen to trie whether wee louelove the LORD our GOD with all our heart, or no: for if wee louelove the LORD with all our heart, wee will neuer prefer men to GOD, nor mens examples, to GODS Commandements, how holy and godly so euer they hauehave beene. But now to returne to these two learned Fathers, of whom I began to speake: Some excuse this weakenesse, by the libertie of Rhethoricall ornamentes. And indeede, incase a lap of this transparent-couering bee not spred ouer the speeches of Nazianzenus, who preferreth the paine…ull trau…ls of Basilius, to the trauels of the Apostle Paul, who filled the Monodia in …asil. v….world with the preaching of the Gospel, from Iudea to Ilyricum, If (I say) this forme of speaking bee not excused by Rhetho…icall ornamentes, and namely the figure Hyperbole, no Christian man coulde gladly lende his eare to such speeches.

But now to leaue the sandie ground of mens speaches, & to conuert our selues to the doctrine of diuine Scriptures, as to a sure foundation, wherevpon if wee leane, we shall not bee deceiued. The LORD saith in his word, Call vponupon me… in the day of thy Psal. 50 verse, 15.Ps 50trouble, and I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee. From this ground of holy Scripture let our Treatise arise, wherein, GOD willing first wee shall consider the purpose of the Prophet: next wee shall declare, that Prayer is a part of spirituall worship, onlie belonging to GOD: thirdly, that IESUS CHRIST is the only mediator of our intercession: and last, that prayers to Angels, to the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD, and to the Saintes departed, hath no grounde in Scripture, and this custome was disliked by many of the ancient Fathers.

Now the purpose of the Prophet in the fifty Psalme is manifest, namely this, to conuict Hypocrites, who contenting themselues with outward sacrifices, neglected the spiritual worship p. 88of GOD, wherein GOD hath principall delight, as CHRIST saith, GOD is a Spirit, and they that worship him, …oan; 4 verse, 24.must worship him in spirit and trueth. But Hypocrites will needes present vntounto GOD chaffe in stead of Corne, & drosse in stead of Golde, and an outward scroofe of externall worship in stead of the very substance of his spirituall seruice. To draw them from this grosse imagination, he brings in GOD himselfe, speaking from his holy Sanctuarie, and declaring, that outward sacrifices hauehave bene oft times intermitted, without any reproofe of them who beeing compelled by necessitie, and not willingly, left off the offering of sacrifices. In Aegypt the Iewes coulde not offer such beasts, as the Aegyptians worshipped, els they would hauehave Exod. 8 verse, 26Exod 8stoned them to death. In Babylon they had not an Altar, whervpon they coulde offer sacrifices to GOD lawfully. And at some times, when both Alter and sacrifices were at hand, yet Dauid complaineth, that by violence he was debarred from the P…lm, 42 and 84Courtes of the LORD. All these times GOD did not reproue his people, for omitting of externall sacrifices, because they were constrained by necessitie to intermit such outward exercises. In the meane time they worshipped GOD in spirit and trueth, and it lay not in the power of their hatefull enemies to hinder them from worshipping GOD spiritually.

Secondly, the Prophet brings in the LORD, declaring, that hee had no pleasure in bloody sacrifices, because hee neither eateth flesh, nor drinketh blood: and in case hee delited in such things, hee would not require them at mens handes, seeing that all the foules in the Mountaines, and all the beastes in the Forrest are the LORDS, and hee may use them according to his owne will and blessed pleasure. But the LORD did institute such kind of sacrifices to last for a time, as shadowes of thinges Hebr. 10 verse, 1Heb 10to come, but they coulde neuer sanctifie the commers the reunto. Therefore if they bee separated from CHRIST, to whom they led the people, as Types and Figures of his euerlasting sacrifice, the LORD had no kind of regarde of them. True it is, that Sathan hath a delite in bloody sacrifices, euen in so far, as they are bloody, and a destruction of the creatures of GOD, as the sacrifices in the valley of Ben-hinnon doe testifie, and the sacrifices offered to Dia…a in Taurica chersonesus, and the bloody p. 89tribute paied by the Athenians to Minos King of Candie, by the expresse aduice and counsel of Apollo, as Chrysostome clearelie Ch…sost. … …pist, Pauli, …d Tit. cap. …. …il. 5affirmeth. And this declareth that the deuill, who was a murtherer from the beginning, hath a delite in bloody sacrifices. But God delited not in such sacrifices, except only in so far as they were types and figures, leading to the sacrifice of Christ. Yea, the sacrifices of the Law were like vntounto the fire set vponupon the top of the marble towre of Pharos, for the wellfare of ships, and to direct them vntounto the right harboure of Alexandria: and Similitude.like vntounto the fire set vp vponupon the vttermoste wall of HIERUSALEM, on the North side, called by Cosmographers, Turris furnorum: This serued to direct the foote-steps of them, who in the night season were journeying to the holy Citie, that they shoulde not aberre from the right entrie of the gates of HIERUSALEM. Notwithstanding children sate about these fires and warmed themselues, and knewe none other use, wherefore they were appointed, saue onelyonly to warme those, who were acolde in winter nightes: euen so carnall Iewes reposed vponupon sacrifices, but marked not the right ende wherefore they were appointed by God.

But the Prophet leades a carnall people from externall sacrifices, vntounto spirituall exercises: and namely, vntounto prayer and thankesgiuing: and consequently to the obedience of faith, the very vndoubted grounde of prayer, and thankesgiuing: for in these exercises consist deeper pointes of the worship of God, then in outward sacrifices, whether we looke to God, or to our selues: when wee looke to God, hee is a spirit, and consequently hee deliteth in spirituall seruice: and when wee looke vntounto our selues, wee hauehave an earthly bodie, and a spirituall soule, and if we present vntounto God the seruice of the most base part of our person, and not the best part, then wee fall vnderunder the curse threatned by Malachie, who saieth, Cursed bee the deceiuer, which hath Malac. 1 verse, 14Mal 1in his flocke a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth vntounto the LORD a corrupt thing. This grounde being first laide, that the principall purpose where …t the Prophet aimeth, is not vnknowne, it is the more e…sie to step to… to the wordes.

The Prophet bringes in the Lord, saying, Call vponupon mee, in the dry of thy trouble, &c, This presupponeth, that wee shall bee p. 90exercised with manifolde troubles, as our maister CHRIST IESUS was crowned with thornes, before hee was crowned with glorie: yea, and that wee shall bee so dashed with the vehement Matth. 27 verse, 29Matt 27tempest of troubles, that except wee bee well taught in the Schoole of GOD, wee shall not know what hand to turne vsus vntounto: as the ship-man did, who sailed with Jonas, eueryevery man prayed to his owne GOD: onelyonly Ionas, who was taught in the Ionas, 1right Schoole, directed his prayers to the liuing GOD, who made the Heauen & the Earth, and was heard when he prayed out of the Whales bellie. Nowe seeing that GOD inuiteth vsus Ionas, 2to bee his Disciples, and hee will teach vsus, to whom and in what maner wee should pray in time of our troubles: let vsus lend our eare to our great School-maister, & not be ashamed to opē our e…re and to bind vp our mouth with silence, when the LORD speaketh, and count all the speeches of Fathers, that repugne vntounto this great Oracle of GOD, to be like vntounto eares of corne withered, thinne, and blasted with the East wind, wherein there is no nourishing food.Similitud….

In the second part of this Treatise, it is to bee proued, that Prayer is a spirituall sacrifice, onelyonly to bee offered to GOD, and to none other, neither in Heauen, nor in earth, for three principall reasons. First, in Scripture wee are taught, to pray to him onelyonly, in whom wee trust, and consequently to pray onelie to GOD. The Apostle Paul saith, But howe shall they call on Rom. 10 verse, 14.Rom 10him, in whom they hauehave not bel…eued? Yea, and the Prophet Ieremie saith, Cursed bee hee that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his ari…e, and with-dr weth his heart from the LORD. GOD is the just Ierem. 17 verse, 5Jer 17proprietare and owner of our soules: for hee hath bought and purchased them with his owne blood: and the LORD wil part Act. 20 verse, 28Acts 20stakes with no man, neither can hee admit a corriual in points of his honour: as the naturall mother coulde not abide to see her sonne diuided, because hee appertained totally and wholly 1. Reg. 3 verse, 26 Isai. 42 verse, 8 Act. 5 verse, 41 Kgs 3Isa 42Acts 5vntounto her selfe: so can not GOD abide, that his glory be giuen vntounto another, or yet that any part of that thing that is once dedicated to GOD should bee conuerted to another use.

In holy Scripture wee reade of three moste abominable Altars, to wit, of the A…tar of Damascus, and the Altar of Bethel, and 2. Reg. 16 verse, 102 Kgs 16the Altar at Athens to the vnknowne GOD. The Altar of p. 91Damascus was abominable, because it was builded to the worship of a false god. The Altar of Bethel was abominable, because on it the true GOD was worshipped in a forbidden maner. 2. Reg. 23. verse, 152 Kgs 23And the Altar of Athens to the vnknowne GOD was abominable, because they neither knew whom they worshipped, Act. 17 verse, 23Acts 17nor yet the right maner of his worshipping. Therefore in the matter of the worshipping of GOD, let vsus set our compasse right, lest a little aberration procure a great ship-wracke: and in the matter of Prayer let vsus call vponupon him onelyonly, in whome wee trust, as wee are taught by the holy Apostle, And let vsus offer 1. Pet. 2. verse, 51 Pet 2spirituall sacrifices, acceptable to GOD through IESUS CHRIST.

The seconde argument, whereby I proue, that our prayers should bee made onelyonly to GOD, is this: Wee should pray only to him, who is Omnipotent, and can support vsus in al our distresses: ergo, wee ought to pray onelyonly to GOD. The antecedent of this argument is euident, by the latter part of that short prayer indited by CHRIST to his Disciples, For thine is the Matth. 6 verse, 13Matt 6Kingdome, and the Power, and the Glory, for euer. In that short forme of perfect prayer the first words leadeth vsus to a consideration of the louelove of GOD toward vsus, who is content to be our Father in IESUS CHRIST. In the last wordes his power is described to bee infinite, such as becommeth him, who is King of Heauen and Earth: who like as hee hath made all thinges, so likewise hath hee an absolute Souereignitie ouer all thinges, both in Heauen and in Earth. Now that Omnipotencie is an attribute onelyonly belonging to the diuine nature, the very Gentiles could not denie it, who attributed the word foreign onlie to God. And it is certaine, that all the Angels of Heauen could not hauehave supported the disasterous estate of man after his Genes, 3fall, if God himselfe had not put hande to worke, who onelyonly knew the way howe his justice and mercy coulde kisse one another, in the person of the Mediator. Therefore seeing God onelyonly is Omnipotent, and none but hee, what fooles are wee to put our trust vnderunder the shadow of the bramble, as the Sichemites Iud. 9 verse, 15Judg 9did, and not to dwell in the secrete of the moste High, and abide in the shadow of the Almightie? I doe no wrong to the Angels in Heauen, when I compare them to brambles, in comparison Psal. 91 verse, 1Ps 91of the eternall God: their power is finite and bounded, th…ir p. 92prouident care ouer vsus hath a beginning, namely, the time of their employment, whereinto GOD appointed them to attend vponupon vsus: but the power of GOD is infinite, & in his prouident Psal. 34 verse, 7Ps 34care he appointed a kingdome for vsus before the foundation of the worlde was laide. Let vsus therefore trust vnderunder this Mat…h. 25 verse, 34shadow of the Almighty, and call vponupon him, in whom we trust.

Thirdly, it may bee proued, that wee should pray to GOD onelyonly, and to none other, because their is neither commandemēt, nor example, nor promise, to be heard in Scripture, except that prayers bee made to the Creator onelyonly, and not vntounto the creatures of GOD. And in this argument I find that some learned Papists giuegive ouer reasoning in the contrary, and they render reasons wherefore there is no example in the old or new Testament, of Inuocation of Saints: namely this, that in the old Testament, the-Patriarchs and Prophets, who departed this life, went not presently to Heauen, and had not the fruition of the presence of GOD incontinent: but they went to Limbus patrum, where their soules remained vntill CHRIST died, and arose againe from death, and then hee carried their soules to Heauen. And this is the cause (say they) wherefore there is no example found in the old Testament of Inuocation of Saintes. Likewise, they say concerning the new Testament, that if the Apostles had set downe any precept concerning Inuocation of Saintes, it woulde hauehave seemed vntounto the people, that they were desirous that this honour should bee done vntounto themselues after their death. These are the foolish conjectures of Eccius. Neuertheles the places that Papists cite out of Scripture to proue inuocation of Saints, declare with what conscience a great number of them entrea…e this argument.

In like maner the factes and wordes of ancient Fathers are miserably abused. When Papistes reade in the Epistles of Augustine, that the Emperour went vntounto the tombe of the Apostle Augu…. epi…. 42Peter, sometime a fisher, and laide aside his Emperiall Diademe, and humbly bowed his knees, and prayed at the sepulchre of P…ter, they clap their handes, and shout for joy, as if their cause were wonne. But such transparent visardes will blind no mans eyes, except onelyonly the eyes of simple ignorant people, and the eyes of those who are wilfully blinded, because the praying p. 93at the sepulchre of Peter, will not proue, that the Emperour prayed vntounto Peter, but onelyonly to GOD. And this custome was the more tolerable, because Christians, for the space of three hundreth yeeres, were accustomed to heare GODS worde preached, to receiue the Sacramentes, yea, and to pray in such places, whereinto Martyres had glorified GOD by patient suffering of death for CHRISTES sake. In all these actions they worshipped GOD, whose worde they hearde preached in that place, whose blessed Sacraments they receiued also in that place, and they bowed their knees, and prayed to GOD, and not to the Martyres in that place: yea, and when the persecution ceased, and Temples were builded, there was a reuerent commemoration of the names of the Martyres, without Augu…. d… ciuttate D…i, lib. 22. c…p. 10any inuocation and praying vntounto them, as Augustine expresly declareth.

Nowe let this grounde bee deepely setled and rooted in our heartes, that GOD is the onelyonly Fountaine and giuer of all good giftes, who also knoweth all our miseries, and is Omnipotent, and can support them at such time as his Majestie knoweth to be expedient: For the vision of GOD (as saith the Haba…. 2 verse, 3Prophet) hath the owne appointed time, and at the last it shall speake, and not lie: though it tarie, Waite, for it shall surely come, and shall not stay. And so much the more let vsus with patient expectation, awaite vponupon the support, that commeth from the throne of the grace of GOD, because the LORD neuer commeth to vsus with an emptie hande, and neuer visiteth vsus out of season, as earthlie Phisitions doe oft times: but euen when hee findeth vsus lying in our graues, and rotting in the stinke of a tab…rnacle forsaken by the ghost, who was wont to dwell into it, then can hee raise vsus out of graues, as hee did LAZARUS.Iohn, 11 vers. 43, 44

This grounde beeing deepely fixed in our heartes, I proceede to the n…xt heade, to declare, that no man can approach neere to GOD without a MEDIATOR: and that CHRIST is the onelyonly MEDIATOR, both of our Redemption, and also of our Intercession, and none other, except hee onelie. As concerning the first assertion, that wee hauehave neede of a MEDIATOR, there is no man so p. 94voide of vnderstanding, who will denie it. Like as in the fabricke of the worlde, fire and water are elementes of so discrepant qualities, that the Lord would not set them contiguouslie Similitude.together, lest the one should hauehave comsumed the other. Therefore the Lord in his vnspeakeable wisedome, hath set an element of a mid nature betwixt them, to wit, the Aire: In the vppermoste parte of it, not abhorring from the qualities of the fire, and in the lower region of it conforming to the qualities of the water: Euen so there can bee no fellowship betweene the holy God and sinnefull man, without a Mediator. And it was well said by Iosua, Yee cannot serue the Lord, for hee is an holy God, he will not pardon your iniquitie, nor your sins. Therefore necessitie driueth Iosu 2, 24 verse, 19Josh 2:24vsus in the Treatise of Inuocation to speake of the Mediator.

I will not paine my selfe to proue the thing that is not denied: Papistes themselues grant two thinges: First, that Christ is the onelyonly Mediator of our redemption: Secondly, that Christ is the onelyonly Mediator of intercession betwixt God and vsus. But herewithall they affirme that the Saints are mediators betwixt Christ & vsus. Of that which is fully grāted, that Christ is the only Mediator of our redemption, I infer according to the grounds of holy Scripture, that Christ is also the onelyonly Mediator of intercession: For these two are vnseparably lincked together, and he who hath the one honour hath both. In the Epist. to the H… brues it is said, that Christ is the onelyonly Mediator of our redemption: and hereof it is inferred, that hee is the onelyonly Mediator of our intercession: the wordes of the Apostle are these, speaking of Christ, But this man, because hee indure…h for euer, hath an euerlasting Priesthood. In these wordes Christ is set downe as the onelyonly Hebr, 7 verse, 24Mediator of our redemption. Now marke that which followeth as a necessary consequence vponupon the fore-mentioned grounde, Wherefore hee is able also perfectly to saue them, that come to GOD by ibid, ver. 25him, seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them. Heere Christ is pronounced to bee the onelyonly Mediator of our intercession: and this conclusion is gathered vponupon this ground, because hee hath saued vsus by his euerlasting sacrifice, which is as much as to say, because hee is the Mediator of our redemption. Againe holie Scripture will inuert this order, and set intercession in the first place, and vponupon this ground, that Christ is the only Mediator p. 95of our intercession, will conclude that Christ is also the onlie Mediator of our redemption. Marke the words of the holy Iohn, 1 cap. 2 verse, 1, 2Apostle, My babes, these thinges write I vntounto you, that yee sinne not: and if any man sinne, wee hauehave an Aduocate with the Father, IESUS CHRIST the Iust, and hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes: and not for ours onelyonly, but also for the sinnes of the Whole Worlde. In these wordes Christ is first called our Aduocate: and hereof is inferred, that hee is our propitiation, which is all one, as if hee had saide, CHRIST is the onelyonly Mediator of our redemption.

In the Law of Moses the high Priest was only but a type of the true Mediator of intercession: yet while hee was presenting the Levit. 16 verse, 17Lev 16blood of the sacrifice of propitiation into the most holy place, all the people stood without, and neither Priest nor people remained within the court, where the Altar of brunt offering was, vntill the high Priest came foorth out of the moste holy place. Now seeing our Lord Iesus hath offered a sacrifice for our sins, …nd hath caried the blood of the euer lasting Couenant vntounto the moste holy place, that is, vntounto Heauen, and is actually performing the office of our great Aduocate, and making intercession for vsus let no man presume to step to the Alt…r, and to take vponupon him to bee a Mediator of redemption or intercession: our high Priest is doing that worke in his owne person, tarie vntill hee come foorth out of the moste holy place, and then there shall bee no more disputation anent Mediators of interc…ssion. Augustine vtterly excludeth Peter and Paul from this honour, August. contra Parm… nianum, lib 2. Ephes. 6 verse, 19Eph 6to bee counted Mediators of our intercession, because like as they prayed for others, euen so in like maner they craued that others shoulde make supplications to God for them. But hee who is Mediator of intercession, he prayeth for vsus, and hath no neede that any man should pray for him. In like maner, Ch…ysostome 1, Timo, … verse, 5writing vppon these wordes of the Apostle, For there is one GOD, and one Mediator of GOD and man, the man CHRIST IESUS. plainely affirmeth that the Mediator of our intercession must bee partaker both of the diuine and humane nature: And consequently there is no Mediator of intercession, except Chrysos…om, i… 1. Tim… cap, 2 bomil. 7Christ onelyonly, who is both God and man. In like maner speaking of the Canan…tisb woman, hee saith, that shee went not to Peter, nor to Iames, nor to …ohn, but shee went directly to Christ, bringing p. 96with her repentance as an aduocate: and beeing moued with vnspeakeable admiration of the goodnesse of Christ, hee saith, O admirandares! sursum tremor, & Deorsum fiducia, miserere C…rysost. exvarii… in Matth. lo…is …il. 16mei, non opus habeo mediatore: that is, O admirable thing! there is trembling aboue, and confidence belowe, hauehave merciemercy vponupon mee, I hauehave no neede of a mediator, to wit, betwixt Christ and mee. Thus wee see, that when ancient Fathers spake of a mediator of intercession, they spake of a mediator betwixt God and vsus, and not betwixt Christ and vsus.

But now let vsus take vp out of groundes of holy Scripture a true description of the mediator of intercession: Out of two principal places of Scripture the description shal be grounded. In the Gospell of Matthew it is saide, This is my Well-beloued Sonne, in whom I am Well pleased. And in the Epistle of Peter we are Matth. 3 verse, 17 1. Pet. 2 verse, 5Matt 31 Pet 2warned, to offer up spirituall sacrifices, acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ. Of these two places of Scripture I gather a description of a mediator of intercession, in this maner: Hee for whose sake onelyonly our persons are in fauour with God, and for whose merites onelyonly our prayers are acceptable to God, hee is the onelie mediator of our intercession: But so it is, that in Christ onelie God is pleased with our persons, and for his sake onelie God accepteth our prayers, ergo, Christ is the onelyonly mediator of our intercession.

The similitude that is vsed by Papistes in stead of an argument, is to bee discussed. Like as subjectes should not step rudelie to the King, but by mediate persons, who are in fauoure and credite, present their sutes vntounto his Highnesse: Eu…n so (say they) wee shoulde not bee so bolde as to present our prayers to Christ at the first instant, without the intercession of Saints. To this similitude Origen himselfe (albeit the first inuenter of the seminarie of this error) hee answereth by another similitude: …. …. ….That like as the shadow doeth follow the bodie in moste absolute maner, so that if the bodie be moued, the shadow also moueth: and if the bodie rest, the shadow also resteth: Euen so, if 2 man can bee in fauour with the eternall God, then shall he also be in friendship with all the creatures of God. And this agreeth well with the wordes of holy Scripture. That the stones in the fielde shall bee in league with us, and the beastes of the fielde shall bee at peace p. 97Job, 5 verse, 23with vsus, to wit, when wee are reconciled to our GOD. To this same similitude both used of olde by some, and rejected by the learned, S. Ambrose giueth this answere, writing vponupon the words of P…l, They serued the creature, forsaking the Creator, who is Rom. 1. verse 25Rom 1:25blessed for euer. VponUpon these wordes hee writeth, that men who hauehave neglected praying to GOD, they defende themselues with a miserable excuse, saying, that by Saintes they may hauehave accesse to GOD, like as by noble Courteours accesse vntounto the King is purchased: but go toe (saith hee) is any man so foolish, Ambros. i… epis… ad Roman… cap. …or so vnmindfull of his owne safetie, that he dare giuegive vntounto the fore-saide noble Courteour that honour, which is due to the King: for if any man bee found trafficking about such businesse, hee will bee justly condemned of treason. Yet these men count them not guiltie, who giuegive the honour due to GOD, v…to a creature, and forsaking GOD, they worship their owne fellowseruantes, as if there were anie greater seruice that coulde bee exhibited to GOD (to wit, then Inuocation of his blessed NAME) For this cause, saieth hee, men procure accesse to the King by Nobles and Tribunes, because the King is but a man, and knoweth not to whom hee shoulde concredite the affaires of the kingdome, but to purchase the fauour of GOD, to whom nothing is vnknowne (because hee knoweth the deseruinges of all men) there is no neede of suffragantes, but of a deuote Ambros. da Isaack. & anima.minde. And in his booke written of Isaac and the soule, he writeth of CHRIST very holily, and according to Scripture. CHRIST is o…r mouth, by whom wee talke with the Father, hee is our eye, by whom wee see the Father, he is our right hand, by whom wee offer our selues vntounto the Father, who if hee intercide not for vsus, neither wee nor the Saints hauehave any thing to do with GOD. Albeit it may bee sufficiently prou…d, that euen Ambrose himselfe was somewhat intangled with the errour uniuersally ouer-spred amongst the common people: for they were so fonde vponupon Inuocation of Saintes, that learned Preachers yeelded somewhat to the madnesse of an …uill disposed people, as Aaron did to the carnall I…wes, when they worshipped Exod 32Exod 32the golden Calfe. Neuerthelesse, any man who readeth the fore-mentioned places of Ambrose, may perceiue, that in heart and mind hee disliked the Inuocation of Saints.

p. 98The more particularly that wee descend into this argument… the trueth shall bee the more clearely manifested: Let vsus therefore search out whether or no it was counted lawfull of olde to pray to the Angels, to worship the Virgine Marie, and to in…ocate the Saintes. In holy Scripture wee find, that vnderunder colour of humilitie, some did worship the Angels, and pray vntounto them. But the holie Apostle Paul, who was taught immediately by CHRIST, calleth this forme of deuotion rashnesse, and the Collo…s. 2 verse, 18conceit of an heart puffed vp with a fleshly minde. There is no pride comparable to the pride of a foole, hee will speake of thinges hee neuer saw nor heard, and of thinges whereof he can render no reason. The Angell who reuealed great mysteries Apocal. 19 …, 10 ibid, cap. …2 verse, 8. 9Rev 19:10to the Apostle Iohn, woulde not bee content to bee worshipped by him, but rebuked him at two diuerse times, for presuming to worship him & said at both times he should worship GOD. And the Council of Laodicea damned the worshipping of Angels, as Concil. Laodi…. n. …. 32 verse, 31 Philip. 2 verse, 10Phil 2Idolatrie, and a forsaking of CHRIST. The Angell who blessed Iaakob was not one of the ministring Spirites, but the great Angell of the Couenant of GOD, euen CHRIST IESUS, to whom all knee should bee bowed.

Concerning the adoration of the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD, it is grounded vponupon the fabulous narrat…on of her assumption written by Nicephorus, whereunto the lesse credite …. lib. 15 …. 14is to be giuen, because in it the glory onelyonly due to CHRIST is giuen to the Virgine Marie: namely, that her body saw no corruption. Alwayes shee died, and was buried in the valley of P…al. 16 verse, 10Iosaphat, and shee did not beare the chastisement of our transgressions, as her Sonne CHRIST IESUS did. Howe then Act. 2 verse, 29 30. 31Acts 2could shee die, if shee had beene free both of originall & actuall sinne, as Papistes affirme? …uvenalis Bishop of …rusalem, is saide to hauehave made narration of the assumption of the bles…ed Virgine to Pulcheria Empresse and wife of the Emperour Martianus, at that time when the Generall Councill of Chalcedon was ass…mbled. But there are so many circumstances, derogating credit… to that alleadged history of the assumption of the Virgine Marie, that it is hard for a Christian to leane vponupon such vncertaine and doubtsome groundes. First the writer of it is Nicephorus, the father of many fables. Secondly, the reporter of it was Iuvenal…s, p. 99Patriarch of Hierusalem, an Eutychian Heretique, vntill the feare of the authoritie of the Generall Councill compelled him to reuoke his errour. Thirdly, in what place and to whom made Iuvenalis this narration: namely, in the chamber secretely to P…lcheria: not in the Generall Councill openly, where manie learned Fathers, well acquainted with holy Scriptures, were present, who could hauehave controlled him, & declared, that amongst those who died, one onelyonly, to wit, the holy One of GOD, hath that priuiledge not to see corruption. Epiphanius, for causes Epiphan. c… tra her…ses.knowne to himselfe (for hee had heard this narration long before the dayes of Iuvenalis) standeth not vponupon the refutation of the assumption of the blessed Virgine: but hee vtterly damneth the Collyridians as Heretiques, who worshipped the Virgine Marie. And in the matter of worshipping hee compareth her to the fruite of the forbidden tree: It was a faire fruite, but herewith a fruit forbidden to bee eaten: So was the mother of our LORD, a blessed woman aboue all women, yet was shee not GOD, and consequently not to bee worshipped. So that Epiphanius passeth by the ground of the argument: giuing, and not granting that the tradition of her assumption were true, yet this consequence can not followe, that shee shoulde bee adored and worshipped. In like maner Ambrose saieth, that the Virgine Marie was the Temple of GOD, but not the GOD of the Temple. In Ambros… de spirit. lib. 3 cap. 12which wordes, like as hee alloweth the worshipping of the holie Ghost, so in like maner hee disalloweth the worshipping of the Virgine Marie. The Booke of August. De assumptione beatae Mariae V…rginis, together with a Sermon of his In festo assumpt…onis beatae Mariae, are knowne to be supposititious: and Censura Lovani…nsis in the frontispice of that booke, prefixeth this superscription, NON EST AUGUSTINI.

The honourable titles and stiles giuen vntounto the Virgine Marie by Ecclesiasticall Writers, is another grounde wherevpon they doe leane, vvho vvorshippeth the mother of our LORD: shee is called foreign: that is to say, The mother of GOD, our Ladie, vndefiled, complete holy, a perpetuall Virgine, vnspotted, Paradise, a liuing Altar, the mountaine ouer-shadowed by the holy p. 100Spirit. All these honourable stiles (I say) were giuen vntounto her in the writinges of ancient Fathers, not of purpose to Deifie the blessed Virgine, nor to bring in pluralitie of Gods, but to magnifie the worke of the LORDES Incarnation. Methodus is so prodigall in his stiles, that hee calleth her foreign, that is, the bread of life, attributing to her the honour due to Iohn. 6. 35.John 6:35CHRIST onelyonly. It were better done to abst…ine from wordes of superlatiue honoures, belonging onelyonly to CHRIST, then after they are vttered, to bee compelled by tolerable interpretations to lenifie the absurditi… of vncompetent speaches. The bl…ssed Virgine while shee was conuersant with mortall men directed such as came to her selfe, to goe to hir Sonne, and to depend vponupon his blessed will and pl…asure, saying vntounto the seruantes, Ionh, 2. 5.Whatsoeuer hee saieth vntounto you, doe it: much more now when shee dwelleth in celestiall mansions, it is her will that we should depend vponupon IESUS CHRIST her sonne, & her Sauiour, her sonne & her GOD, her sonne & the creator of her bodie, whereinto hee was content to bee conceiued by the Holy Ghost.

As concerning the Inuocation of other Saintes, Papistes rejoice in the multitude of Fathers, who inuocate Saintes, not onelyonly Orators, such as Basilius and NaZianZenus: and Poets, such as Prudentius, who prayed vntounto S. Laurence, Vincentius, the Virgine Agnes, the Martyr Cassianus, S. Cyprian, S. Foelix, and the Martyrs called Calaguritani, Spanish Martyrs, and Vascones, as appeareth, but also manie others were intangled with this error: of whom I may justly say that thing which our maister CHRIST spake of the Samaritanes, who worshipped GOD vponupon mount Garizim, Yee worship that which yee know not: in which wordes Iohn, 4. 22CHRIST declareth, that whatsoeuer worship is exhibited … GOD, without the warrand of his owne commandement, it is naught: And in that point, the Fathers who prayed vntounto Saintes, they also worshipped that which they knew not: For like as the Sunne when hee riseth, and spreadeth his Similitude.be…mes throughout the worlde, then the light of the Starres giuegive place to the glorious light of the Sunne: euen so, all the writinges of Fathers must needes giuegive place vntounto the written worde of GOD, whereinto wee are commanded to call onelyonly vponupon GOD in the day of our trouble: and there is neither p. 101Psa 50. 15.Ps 50:15commandement, promise, nor example in Scripture, to warrand the doctrine of Inuocation of Saints, as hath beene already declared.

Now the authors of the doctrine of Inuocation of Saintes, if they would search out the first originall of it, they hauehave cause to bee ashamed: for it came not from the Apostles, but from the Gentiles. No man, who hath read the Dialogues of Plato, can bee ignorant, that vponupon consideration of the dissimilitude Plato dialog. Symposion. Idem de legib. lib. 4.that is betwixt mortall men, and the immortall GOD, he imagined some mid-creatures, whose endeuour was this, to carie the prayers and sacrifices of men to GOD: and againe, to carie the commandementes and oracles of GOD to men: these mediate persons hee calleth them foreign and foreign, of whom hee saieth, that they are foreign, that is, betwixt GOD and mortall man (to wit, mediators) No such doctrine is conteined in holy Scripture: Yea, and ancient Fathers, who attribute too much vntounto Martyrs, in calling them foreign, thas is, helpers, phisitions, GODS friendes and beloued seruantes, yet they abhorred from the wordes of Plato, to call them foreign, and foreign: for Theodoretus saieth, foreign, that Theodore… ad Graecos inside. les serm. 8.is, Let vsus not bee so mad. Yet Papistes rush forward to this excesse of madnesse, not onelyonly to call the Saintes departed Intercessors, but also mediators of intercession, which is Plato his errour, viuely expressed in the words aboue mentioned. foreign.

To conclude the question of Inuocation of Saintes, it is not vnlike to the controuersie that was betwixt Iphtah and the king Iudg. 11.Judg 11of Ammon, for the landes lying betwixt the Riuers Arnon, Iordan, and Iabbok: by one apparent right the king of Ammon claimed that these lands should be restored vntounto the Ammonites, to whom of old they did belong: but Iphtah refused to giuegive ouer the possession of these landes, wherein the Reubenites and Gaaites dwelt, and that for three great reasons: First, they receiued these landes out of the handes of their GOD, by whose expresse commandement and warrant MOSES faught against Numb. 22.Num 22Sihon king of Hesbon: Secondly, since the dayes of MOSES vntill the dayes of the gouernament of IPHTAH, that is, p. 102the space of three hundreth yeeres the people of Israel peaceablie possessed those landes. And thirdly, euen in the dayes of Moses these landes were taken out of the handes of the Amorites, who were possessors of them at that time, and not from the Ammonites. For the like reasons (I say) we cannot agree to the doctrine of Inuocation of Saints. First, because wee hauehave receiued a perfect forme of prayer out of our LORDS hands, wherein we are taught to pray onelyonly to our Heauenly Father, and not M…h. 6to Saints. Secondly, because the Church for the space of three hundreth yeeres after the LORDS ascension, used no other forme of prayer then this, to pray to GOD alone through IESUS CHRIST. Thirdly, if Papistes will needes make anie controuersie in this matter, let them controuert with CHRISTS Apostles, who hauehave left vntounto their true successors this forme of prayer, which we now use: and such new & young school-maisters as Papistes are, wee cannot admit. Against the seconde of the three preceeding reasons, if they object, that in the dayes of Cyprian the Christian Virgine, whom Cyprian before his conuersion pursued, with Magicall arts labouring to circumueene her, Nazi…. in …udem Cypr.shee prayed for helpe to the Virgine Marie, as Nazianzenus writeth. To this I answere, that this narration which Nazianzenus hath found in some Apocryph booke, is rejected by the learned as an vncertaine thing: whereof Ierom writing of the conuersion of Cyprian, maketh no mention. Secondly, this forme of prayer …. …. ….that a weake and timorous Virgine used, was no liturgie nor forme of prayer used amongst Christian people in their holy assemblies: and that thing which any one person doth of infirmitie and weakenesse, is not to bee counted an ancient doctrine in the Church.

Seeing the Apostle warneth vsus to absteine from all appearance of euill, at least Papistes in their Inuocation of Saintes 1. Thess. 5 verse, 221 Thess 5shoulde hauehave absteined from formes of speaking used in prayers made vntounto the eternal GOD, lest they should seeme to giuegive the glory onelyonly due to the Creator, to the creatures. But in the matter of Inuocation of Saintes, they hauehave set themselues forward with such impetuous speate, that they cannot absteine from the honourable stiles giuen to GOD, but these also must bee giuen to the Saintes. The Prophet Dauid calleth the LORD p. 103his Rocke, his Fortresse, his Strength, his Shield, the Horne of his Saluation, Psal. 18. …Ps 18and his Refuge. And in another Psalme, GOD is our hope and helpe, & …rength, in troubles readie to be found. Are not all these …. 46. …honourable stiles, and many more attributed to the Saintes in the ordinary prayers of the R…ane Church? Is not the Virgine Marie called the Queene of Heauen? the prouident gouernor of Heauenly and Earthly powers? the mother of merciemercy? obteiner of pardon? mediatrix to GOD-ward? restorer of the Di… 7. de …. … …. 3.grace to bee hoped for? the mother of the militant Church? the aduocate of the world? Such pretious ointment as this, is more meete to bee poured out vponupon the feete of CHRIST, then vponupon the head of the Virgine Marie: but a prodigall waster neither regardeth what hee giueth, nor to whom: they are but one steppe from calling the Virgine Marie directly eternall GOD, for they put the gouernement of Heauenly and Earthly Isai. 9. 6.Isa 9:6things vponupon her shoulder: they call her Queene of Heauen, and the prince of peace. What remaineth to bee said, but one word, that shee is almighty GOD, and this stile also will bee necessarily inferred vponupon the preceeding honourable titles attributed to her.

The honourable stile of an Aduocate, Bellarmine is the bolder to attribute vntounto the Virgine Marie, because that Ireneus writeth, Et sicut ill… seducta est ut effugeret DEVM, sic h…c suasa est …bedire DEO, uti Virginis Euae Virgo Maria fieret advocata: that is, … lib. 5 …. …and like as she (to wit, Eva) was seduced to depart from GOD, euen so this woman (to wit, the Virgine Marie) was perswaded to obey GOD, to the end, that the Virgine Marie might be an aduocate for the Virgine Eva. I am certaine that Bellarmine vnderstood not the meaning of Ireneus better then hee vnderstood the sence and meaning of his owne words. In the words immediately … ibid.preceeding Ireneus, declares, that like as sinne came in by disobedience in eating of the fruite of the forbidden tree, euen so righteousnesse came in by him who manifested his obedience in another tree, that is, in suffering death vponupon the Crosse. What neede had Be…larmine to wreast the wordes of Ireneus, after hee had set downe so cleare a commentarie of his owne words? for hee calleth the Vi…gine Marie an aduocate, in respect of her blessed birth, who by his obedience satisfied for the sinne that p. 104Rom. 5. 18Rom 5:18Adam brought in by his disobedience. Now it is true, that superstitiō is like vntounto the Feau…r called Hectica, in the beginning hardly discerned, but easie to bee cured: and in end easily discerned, but not easily cured. Euen so it was hard to know what Similitude.would bee the issue of the disputation of Origen, when he disputed concerning the affection that Saintes departed carried towarde the members of the Militant CHURCH of GOD: but it was easie to stay the course of this errour, when hee who was the first author of it durst not auow it, but in secret disputations said that possibly such a thing might bee. But in our dayes the Feauer is growne to such an height, that it is easier to discerne the errour, then to find out a way to correct it.

What is then to bee done at this time, where into errour hath preuailed so farre, and of so long time, that it is like vntounto a Gangrene, dayly becomming worse and worse, so that it is apparently a remedilesse euill? shall wee cease from damning superstition, and let the people pray as they list? It is better to follow the example of the holy Prophet Helias, albeit Idolatrie 1. Reg. 181 Kgs 18was vniuersally ouer-spred in the kingdome of Israel, yet he reproued the people for halting betweene two opinions: and hee bowed his knees to GOD, and prayed, that the LORD would send fire from Heauen to burne the sacrifice, and to seale vp in the hearts of the people, that the GOD who made the Heauen and the Earth, was the onelyonly true GOD, and onelyonly to bee worshipped. Euen so, beside reprouing of superstitious Inuocation of Saints, which also I hauehave done, according to the measure of my knowledge, in this Treatise, I pray to the eternall GOD, that hee would send from the Heauen, the diuine flame of his celestiall louelove, to the ende that the fleshly conceits of mens hearts may bee brunt vp, and that they may bee fully perswaded, that the LORD, who made the Heauen and the Earth, is hee alone, to whom spirituall sacrifices are to bee offered, and that through IESVS CHRIST, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, bee praise and glorie, now and euer,

AMEN.