Works of Joseph Hall, Section 20
SECTION XX. Of the Number of Mediators, and the Inuocation of Saints.
IT doth not more belong to the Prieſthood of Chriſt, that he offered himſelfe once for vsus (a ſpotleſſe Sacrifice) vponupon the Altar of his Croſſe, than that he daily offers to his Father, the incenſe of our Praiers, on the Altar of Heauen. As therefore many Sacrifices; ſo many Mediators, plainly ſeeme to put Chriſt out of Office. Neither indeed hath the number of Interceſſors more increaſed in this old Age of the World, than the impietie of imploring them: For the modeſter iudgement of the former Schooles, ſo framed to it ſelfe a diſtinction of Mediation; that it challenged one kinde thereof as proper onelyonly to Chriſt, thinking the other might be imparted vntounto Saints; but our late Doctors (wilfully breaking the barres both of Logicke and Diuinity) hauehave raſhly incroched vponupon all the Offices of a Mediator; and whatſoeuer might by any right belong to an Agent for peace; all that (if not more) hauehave they attributed to the Saints. Hereupon one ſaies to the bleſſed Virgin, O Sauioreſſe, ſaue me: Another, Obtaine thou pardon, apply grace, prepare glory for me. Others (if we may beleeue Caſſander) famous Diuines hauehave ſaid, That God hath tranſlated one halfe of his Kingdome, which conſiſts of Mercy, to the bleſſed Virgin Marie; reſeruing the other halfe of Iuſtice, to himſelfe: Others, that we may appeale from the Barre of Gods Iuſtice, to Maries Court of Mercy; Others hauehave ſo compared their Francis with Chriſt, that (I tremble to ſpeake it) whether of theſe was the typically Ieſus, might ſeeme queſtionable to the Reader: Heare the holy Muſe of Turſellius;
FRANCIS that was, ſhall now be CHRIST to thee,Qui Franciſcus erat, iam tibe Chriſtus erit.
And ſoone after;
And CHRIST that was, Saint FRANCIS now ſhall …e.Iam Franciſcus erit, qui modo Chriſtus erat.
O Tongue worthy to be cut out of that blaſphemous mouth (as Hierome ſaid of his Vigilantius) and made into gobbers! Neither hath this impious Paraſite, or his Sedalius done more for their Stigmaticall Francis, than the holy Archbiſhop Antoninus hath done for his Dominick; Hen, Steph. Apol. Herod. Fox, in Martyr.in an emulation of blaſphemy: There wants nothing (that I can ſee) but that euerlaſting Goſpell of the Friers: and it wanted not much (if Hiſtories ſay true) of preuailing;
Oh, what mad Gownes hauehave ſwaid the Roman State!
Martial.as their Poet ſaid of old:
Others hauehave ſacrilegiouſly turned Letanies, Creeds, Pſalters, and what-euer God meant to honour himſelfe by, vntounto the name of the holy Virgine: And I would to God this were only the priuate miſ-deuotion of ſome ſuperſtitious old wife, or ſome idle and ſilly Cloyſterer: Faine would out charity conceiue ſo; which is ſtill credulous, and (as the Apoſtle commands) thinkes not euill; if Caſſander did not directly tell vsus, that they publikely ſing in their very Churches this deuout Antheme,
O foel…x … per a Nostrapians ſcelcra, Iu…e matris impera Redemptori.O happy Mother of that Sonne
Which haſt all our ſinnes for done;
Out of a Mothers right, we pray thee
Bid our Redeemer to obey thee.
If all theſe were not openly approoued by the holy Cenſors of the Romane Church (ſeuere Controulers of manners) yea, by the voyces of their owne Popes; If at this day (witneſſe the Muſes of Bencius, and Bonarcius) the Ieſuites did not both ſpeake, and write thus: But let vsus leaue theſe bold impieties (if you will) to their Bernardines, Antonines, Bartlemewes of Piſa; Turtellines; being vsus foorth their more ſober Diuines, Polydores, Caſſanders, Viues: Euen their opinions will not downe with vsus, which teach that the Saints are in any wiſe to bee prayed vntounto. Indeede,Lib. de Beatit. Sanct c. 15. Caſſ. in Conſ. Ca. de Inuocat. Sanct. The ſame is confeſſed by Luth. Oecol. Melanct. Brent. ſee Mort. Apocal. 1.2.12. ſ. 1. the Proteſtants ſay (as Bellarmine grants) that the Saints pray for vsus; but, onelyonly in a generality: Bucer ſaid truly, that the Saints hauehave great louelove to their militant brethren; great deſire of their ſaluation; and ſo doubtleſſe hauehave the Angels: But muſt wee therefore ſingle out any one of thoſe bleſſed Spirits to aid vsus, to ſue for vsus in the Court of Heauen? God forbid. For, vponupon what faith muſt theſe prayers of ours bee grounded? vnleſſe perhaps (as Hoſius ſaith) wee muſt beleeue in the Saints alſo? yea, how ſure are we, that none of the Saints can either ſearch the heart, the fountaine of our Prayers, or at once heare tenne thouſand of their Suppliants, diſtant in place from each other; yea further, if (as there ſhould bee no limits ſet to Religion) all the world ouer, deuout Clients ſhould at once ioyntly commend, and proſtrate themſelues humbly to ſome one Saint; It is … a ſwiftneſſe of nature (as Hierom contends) that would ſerue the turne; a true vbiquity (as Bellarmine confeſſes) muſt be required to the hearing of all thoſe prayers: What hinders now, but that they, which of ſinfull men hauehave made Saints, ſhould of their Saints make Gods alſo? Beſides, which of the Prophets, which of the Apoſtles euer commanded this? which of the Saints of the former world hath euer done it? Or what other (if credit may bee giuen to Theodore… ) did Saint Paul forbid, vnderunder the worſhip of Angels to his Coloſsians? Or what was the Hereſie of the Collyridicus, if this muſt goe for piety? That rule of Epiphanius ſhall be euer a ſafe courſe for vsus:Epiph…her 79. foreign. Let Mary be honoured; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt worſhipped; Heere is no feare of danger, but that wee may goe ſafely to that God, which cals vsus to him; and proſtrate our ſelues to his Chriſt, our Gracious Sauiour; None of the Saints can enuy God this Honour: none of them euer did either arrogate it to himſelfe, or ſuffer it to be giuen him: Neither is there any of them whom God euer allowed either to take it to himſelfe, or to impart it to others, or to accept it quietly, being imparted to him by others: The Papiſts therefore may come to vsus, when they will, with ſafety and aduantage; wee may not yeeld to them, without manifeſt danger of Idolatrous dotage.