The Novelty of Popery Discovered, Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAPTER XI.
The Noveltie of the invocation of Saynctes departed.Cōcil. Trid. Sess. 9 and Bulla Pii 4. pro ferm… cōfess. fid…i dat. Rom. 1564.
FOr discoverie of the Noveltie of which doctrine obtruded, to bee believed and practised by all Catholickes, vnderunder payne of damnation, wee hauehave before CHRIST the first foure thousand yeares prescription, agaynst anie such doctrine or practise in the Church of GOD, by the confession of Bellarmine, Bell. l. 1. de sanct. c. 19.and all other Romanistes, who graunt, That during all that tyme, both before and vnderunder the Law, there was no invocation of Saynctes departed.
Next,A. Eckii Enchi tid. c. 15. if wee come to our SAVIOVR'S tyme and his Apostles, their owne Eckius (Luthers great Antagonist) declareth, That in the New Testament the Apostles and Evangelistes, neyther taught by word, nor delyvered or left anie such thing by writ, that the Saynctes departed should bee invocated; neyther would the holie Ghost, (sayeth hee) suffer them so to doe, by whose inspiration they spake.D. B…nnes, in 2a. 2•. q. 1. art. 10 Sal… meron in 1. Tim. 2 disp. 8 The same also doeth their Dominicus Bannes, and the Iesuit Salmeron testifie, rendring this reason, Because it would seeme hard to the Iewes, (sayeth hee) who were never taught so to doe by Moses nor the Prophets, and the Gentiles should hauehave thought, that there were manie gods exhibite to them, in place of the multitude of gods, which they had forsaken.
Beholde, th…n, heere a doctrine of the Romane fayth, confessed to hauehave for the warrand there of, neyther Gods written word, nor yet Apostolicall vnwritten tradition: now if it was neyther written, nor preached by them, let anie man consider if the Noveltie thereof bee not cleare, and that they can not eschew the Apo…tles Anathem… ▪ who sayeth.Gal. 1. 8. If an Angell from Heaven should preach vntounto you, beside th…t which I hauehave preached, let him bee accursed.
Next, to the Apostles tymes, if wee come to after ages, and inquyre howe lo…g was it after the Apostles▪ before anie mention was ever heard of anie such thing, their owne Bishop Poresi…s, P…resius de trad. 3 part de cul…us sanct.Will playnlie tell vsus, saying, That be…ore the …yme of the Martyr Corneli…s, (which was abou… 252 yeares after,) there was no mention, (sayeth hee) so farre as wee can see, of anie invocation, or intercession of Saynctes.
What was the practise lykewyse of the Church, in S. Augustin's tyme, (who lived after the 400 yeare of CHRIST,) and speciallie of the westerne or Romane Church, himselfe doeth declare, saying of the Martyres and Sayncts departed, As for such men of God,Aug. l. 2…. de civit. Dei c. 10▪ (sayeth hee) who hauehave overcome the world, in confessing of Him, they are named in their owne place and order, but they are not prayed vntounto.
Yea, in the 1200 yeare of God, Bernard did put it in doubt,Bernard do obi… Hum berti. whether the Saynctes departed, anie wayes heard the living: which if they doe not, then speaking to them by prayer, were altogether foolish: for speaking of devoute Humbert, hee sayeth, Neyther see I him now, nor perhaps doeth hee heare mee.
More-over, it is to bee observed, that the Fathers of the primitiue Church, vsed this as a spec…all Argument, to proue Christ to bee GOD, because Hee was everie-where prayed vntounto. Which Argument had beene of no force, if in those tymes they had prayed eyther to Saynctes or A…g…ls.
Therefore O…igen showeth,Origē l. 8. in Epist. ad Rom. c. 10. So No vatia nus de Trinit …. 14. That PAVLL (1▪ COR. 1. 2.) proveth heereby CHRIST to bee GOD, because His Name is everie where incalled vponupon; for the Apostle (sayeth hee) doeth thereby pronounce IESVS CHRIST to bee GOD, because His Name is incalled vponupon. And if to incall vponupon the Name of GOD, and to worship GOD, bee all one and the same thing, then as CHRIST is incalled vponupon, so is Hee to bee worshipped (sayeth hee.)
Hence it is also,Bell. l. 1. de bonis operibus in partic c. 1. that the Fathers in their severall definitions of prayer, (which Bellarmine rehearseth out of them) maketh the same to hauehave expresse reference to GOD o…elie, and therefore also styleth it, That …atte and greatest Sacrifice,Tertul Apologet. c. 30. Clem, Alex▪ l. 7. strom. Bell. praef. de sanctis Aug. l. 8. d… civit. Dei, c. 27. Amb. in Rom. 1. which Himselfe hath commanded to bee offered vp vntounto Himselfe, (sayeth Tertullian) and that best and most holie Sacrifice of anie: (sayeth Clemens of Alexandria) yea, that most excellent sort of worship, (as Bellarmine calleth it.) Now as Augustine showeth, and the Romanistes confesse, There is no Sacrifice that is lawfull to bee offered vp vntounto anie creature, and therefore least of all that of Prayer, which is the greatest and best.
And as for that reason, which Romanistes giuegive for their recourse to Sainct…s, the Fathers also hauehave not fayled to take that away: S. Ambrose telling vsus, that the verie heathen Idolaters, pretended this miserable excuse, saying, That they had recourse to such that had departed whom they worshipped, that they may hauehave acce…se to God by them, as by Courtiours to a King: and then hee subjoyneth, saying, But is there anie man so mad, (sayeth hee) and so vnmyndfull of his salvation, as to giuegive the Kings honour to a Courtier? whereas if anie were found to doe so, they would bee justl…e c…ndemned as guil…ie of Treason: and yet these men thinke not themselues guiltie▪ who giuegive the honour of GOD'S Name to a creature.
In lyke-manner sayeth S. Chrysostome▪ When thou hast neede… to put vp a sute v…to men,Chrysost. Serm. 7. de p…nit. …om. 6 ed…t. Savi…. p. 802 qui in allis edit. est Serm. 4. Chrysost. in …. Cana ne… tom. … edit. Sa…il. P. 190 thou… art forced first to deale with doorekeepers, and to intreate flatterers, and to goe a long way: but with GOD there is no such matter, without an intercessour Hee is intreated: it sufficeth onelie that thou crye in thy heart, and bring teares with thee,
And therefore hee biddeth vsus marke the wisedome of the Canaanitish Woman: shee intreated not Iames, (sayeth hee) shee besought not Iohn, neyther did shee come to Peter, but brake thorow the whole companie of them, saying, I hauehave no neede of a mediatour, but taking repentance with mee for a spokes man, I come to the fountayne it selfe, for this cause did hee descend, for this cause tooke Hee flesh, that I might hauehave boldnesse to speake to Him.
Last, to what hight of impietie and grosse Idolatrie, this Romish Noveltie is come vntounto, let vsus see in the last rowme: First, then, their owne Vi…es testifieth, that they worship no otherwyse their hee and sh…e Sayncts,Viv… in c. 27. l. 8 Aug. de civit. D… than GOD Himselfe: neyther see I (sayeth hee) in manie thinges, what difference there is betweene their opinion of Saynctes, and that which the verie Heathen had of their gods.
Lyke-wyse they are come to that hight of Blasphemie,See al…so the same in the virgins Psal…r Psal. 25. as they are not ashamed in their publicke Romane missall, to say to the Virgine Marie,
O foelix puerpera, nostra pians scelera
Iure matris, impera Redemptori.
Tua semper ubera nostra sanent vulnera.
that is, O happie Mother, who expiateth our sinnes, by the authoritie of a Mother, command our Redeemer, and let thy Pappe-milke heale our woundes.Amphitheatrum honoris Caroli Bonartii,
Even as of late Carolus Scribenius. Provinciall of the Iesuits, hath written, saying,
Lac matris miscere volo cum sanguine nati,
Non possum antidoto nobiliore frui.
That is, I will mixe the milke of the Mother, with the blood of the Sonne; and so I can not hauehave a more excellent salue for sinne.
They hauehave also turned the whole PSALMES f…om GOD, to the Virgine MARIE alone, and in the 71 …SALME of that Psalter, they attribute j…stice onlie to CHRIST, and merciemercy to the Virgine MARIE: therefore also thus they begin th… 93 PSALME, saying, GOD is the Lo…d of reveng…: but thou boun…full Mother of merciemercy, doest bowe Him to showe pitie. And as Assuerus promised to Esther, to the halfe of his kingdome,Biell in can missae lect. 80. Bern. de busto Mariali part. 3 Serm. 3. even so (sayeth Biell on the Masse) seeing our heavenlie Father hath justice and merciemercy, as the best thinges of His Kingdome, r…serving justice to Himselfe, He… hath given merciemercy to the Vi…gine His Mother, wherefore it is lawfull, (sayeth their Bernardin de Busto) to appeale from the Sonnes justice, to the Mothers merciemercy.
CHAPT. XII.
The Noveltie of prayer to Angels.
THis worshipping and prayer to Angels, b…gan to bee br…ached in the verie Apostles tyme, who the…fore did fore-warne, that th… mysterie of iniquitie did then allr…adi… work…: but no …ooner did this doct…ine vnderunder a specious showe of voluntarie humilitie peepe out, but the Apostle discovered and declared the same to bee a deceatfull doct…ine of errour, whereof hee biddeth all Christians beware, saying in expresse words, Let no man dec…aue you of your reward, in a voluntarie humilitie, …oloss. 2. 18.and worshipping of Angels.
The first and principall Author, then, of this errour, wee see, was that spirit of errour and delu…ion: therefore sayeth Chrysostome, Chrysost. in Coloss. 3. Hom. 9.The Devill was hee, who brought in this worship of Angels, envying vsus the honour which wee hauehave, (to wit, of immediate accesse by CHRIST) therefore tho hee bee an Angell, (sayeth hee) or Arch-angell, and tho they bee Cherubims, endure it not; for neyther will these powers themselues admit it, but reject the same, when they see their Lord dishonoured: I hauehave honoured thee, (sayeth the LORD) and hauehave sayd, Call vponupon mee, and doest thou dishonour Him? (sayeth that holie Father.)
After these Apostolicall tymes, if wee inquyre who was the first broacher o… this errour, and setter of it on foote agayne, Origen telleth vsus,Orig. l. 8. cont. Celsū p. …06 that it was Celsus, a Philosopher, who sayde, Because the Angels vnderstood the …ffaires of GOD, therefore wee should pray to them, that they may bee favourable to vsus. Wherevnto Origen replyeth, saying. Away with Celsu… counsell, saying that wee should pray to Angels, and l…t vsus not afforde any little audience thereto: for wee must pray to GOD alone, (sayth hee) who is GOD overall, and to the word of GOD, His onelie begotten and first borne of all creatures.
Which er…our of prayer to Angels, spreading it s…lfe as a gangren in the Church, was not onlie opposed by Origen, and such others severallie, but also by a whole Councell,Theod i… Coloss. 2. Cocil. Laod. can, 35. as Theodore… sh…weth, which beeing assembled in Laodices, the chiefe Citie of Phrygia, by a law did forbid, (sayeth hee) prayer to Angels, condemning the same as Idolatrie; whereby the Communion both of CHRIST and His Church was forsaken: and therefore accursing the practisers thereof, saying, If anie bee found to giuegive himselfe to this private Idolatrie, let him bee accursed, because hee hath forsaken the LORD IESVS CHRIST, the Sonne of GOD, and given himselfe to Idolatrie.
Whence it is, that from thence, foorth, all those who transgressed this Cano…, were by the auncient Fathers, and whole Orthodox Church,Aug. de Heres. c. 39. Isidorus l. …. …. 5. accounted ever Heretickes, and therefore called Angeliei, because of their worshipping and prayer to Angels, as witnesseth Augustine, Isidore, with dyverse others moe.