THE REFUTATION OF AN EPISTLE, WRITTEN BY A CERTAIN DOCTOR OF the Augustins Order within the City of Liege: TOGETHER WITH THE ARGUMENTS, which he hath borrowed from Robert Bellarmine, to prove the invocation of Saints.  
By JOHN POLYANDER, Minister unto the French Church in Dort: And now translated by HENRY HEXHAM, out of French into English.  
1. PETER 4. 11. If any man speak, let him talk as the words of God.  
AT LONDON Imprinted by F. K. for Thomas man.. 1610.   

TO THE HONOURABLE AND RIGHT WORTHY, SIR HORACE VERE, Knight, Lord Governor of his majesties Cautionary Town of Briel in Holland; and chief Commander under his Excellency of all the English Forces, in the service of the Lords the States of the united Provinces.  
RIght Honourable, and my best Lord; it shall not offend any that know your Lordship, how God hath honoured you with the eminent marks of Honour in your noble Birth, great Exploits, true virtues, and unfeigned godliness, (so much the greater, by how much the rarer dignities) that I style you, right Honourable: and I trust it will not offend you, that I call you my best Lord, whom I have long followed, and next under God do depend upon. If ought need excuse, it is then this boldness, that I presume upon your favour so much, as to dedicate this Treatise unto your name, and that without your Lordship's privity.  
The Treatise (right worthy) being considered in itself, is not unworthy a noble Patron, being written of a notable argument, and by a notable Minister, and in my opinion so much the more agreeable unto you, by how much you declare yourself a zealous lover of that Truth which this author maintaineth, and have with loss of blood and hazard of life, defended with your sword, what this man by his pen.  
As touching my part therein, which is the least, and the translation; though it be not so well worthy of you: yet because it is due to you, being done by one of your Lordship's Company, and in the town of your Garrison, where it was also penned, and by me that have devoted myself unto your service in any duty I can perform: I hope your Lordship will not only pardon my boldness, but accept my dutiful affections in this, which in my prayers to God for you shall ever show themselves to be such as becometh me.  
Your Lordship's Soldier ever to be commanded, Henry Hexham.   

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.  
THe extreme liberty, which this scribbling age taketh of writing, and publishing idle and unprofitable pamphlets, and the double diligence of Popish Writers in painting the old and withered face of their jezabel; not only may, but aught to provoke those that can dee it, to set forth wholesome things as counter-poisons or preservatives against the foresaid poisons of manners and doctrine.  
Hereupon I confess to have encouraged the translator of this present Treatise to publish the same in our language, into which he had (and so far as I can judge both faithfully and fitly) turned it out of French, that our countrymen might see, how the Ministers of other Churches are assaulted, and do make their just defence with the same weapons with which our own.  
Touching the author of this book, I may not conceal that he is a man of singular note, for his learning, gravity, piety, and conversation, and hath so stood in the service of the French Church at Dort in Holland, for the space of eighteen years to the praise of God.  
Concerning the work, I will not so much overvalew myself, or undervalue it, as to recommend it upon my word unto the Churches of God: for who am I? but signify that the several impressions of it in French, the translating thereof into the Dutch tongue, and the good respect thereof in the French and Dutch Churches, do more then sufficiently commend it unto all men: wherefore (good Reader) I leave it thus commended unto thee, and pray God to make it profitable to thee, as it hath been to many others.  
Thine in the Lord john Burges, Preacher to the English at the Hag●●e in Holland.   

TO THE FRENCH CHURCH ASSEMBLED together at Dort.  
THere is no exercise (most dear and worthy Brethren in the Lord) more needful, nor more convenient for a Christian man, then to call upon his Creator and Saviour. For sith that he receiveth from his hand all manner of blessings, aswell for this present life, as for that which is to come, he is therefore bound continually to invocate and call upon him for aid, 
james 1. 17.  who is the Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good giving, and every perfect gift. Beside, it is also that mark by which the children of light are discerned from the children of this world, who, as it is written in the 14 Psalm, have no care to call upon the Lord. Moreover, it is one of the parts of that Christian acknowledgement, whereby we make profession to believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him, 
Heb. 11. 6.  as the Apostle witnesseth in the 11. Chapter to the Hebrews, and sixth verse. It is a sweet communication and a familiar discourse with God, whereby we freely declare to him our necessities, and beseech him to return an answer to our petitions in due time. It may also be called an embassage, or a trusty Post, which swiftly mounting up to heaven, knocketh at the gate of God's palace, there to present before him all our requests. Finally, it is the very soul of our souls, and like as our bodies cannot live, nor subsist without our souls; so likewise cannot our souls persevere in the faith and hope of the grace of God, which is the fountain of life, without the exercise of prayer. Which point the Fathers of the old Testament considering, ere they betook themselves to any of their affairs, began them evermore by calling upon the name of God, 
Psal. 124. 8.  saying, Our help is in the name of the Lord which hath made heaven and earth. Which also the jews from the godliness of their forefathers hold yet unto this day, and observe it so carefully, that they address their prayers to none, but to that sole Creator of all things. Wherein these ignorant people, which neither know the Son, nor the Father, show themselves far more wise and religious, than the Papists, which call themselves Christians and Catholics, and yet notwithstanding are so blockish and superstitious, that in stead of addressing themselves to the only God Almighty & immortal, they implore the aid of the dead, and their Idols, not considering what the Lord speaketh by his Prophet Esay in the 42. chap. and 8. verse, 
Esay. 42. 8.  that his glory he will not give to another, neither his praise to graven Images. But what? the devil (sworn enemy against the honour of God, and man's salvation) hath with such an efficacy breathed this impiety into the hearts of those lying Doctors, that albeit they are convicted by an infinite number of sentences of holy Scripture, by which God expressly forbiddeth us not to worship any but himself, yet they obstinately maintain the contrary, and that oft times against the feeling of their own consciences, withholding the truth in unrighteousness, and shutting their eyes and ears against this admonition of the Apostle S. Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, 
2. Cor. 13. 8.  chap. 13. vers. 8. That we cannot do any thing against the truth, but for the truth. Which (Truth) although that in these latter days, it is represented unto us more clearer than ever it was; yet notwithstanding of many it is unknown and abandoned, which follow on apace the foolish devotion of their blind leaders, and who to please and obey them, rather than our Sovereign Doctor and Master jesus Christ, will not vouchsafe to take so much pains, as to inform themselves of this truth, by reading of the holy Scripture, but like better to depend wholly upon the Traditions of their Teachers, despising through their voluntary ignorance the exhortation which the Apostle. S john giveth unto all Christians in his first epistle, 4. vers. 1. dearly beloved, 
1. Epist. chap. 4. vers. 1.  believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: for many false Prophets are gone out into the world. Now, the more furiously the Truth is assaulted by Satan and his slaves, so much the more courageously ought it to be maintained and defended by the zealous lovers of pure religion; but especially by the Ministers and Pastors of the holy Gospel, who according to that rule which the Apostle S. Paul prescribeth them in his Epistle to Titus, 1. 9, aught to employ themselves diligently to exhort with wholesome doctrine those which are willing to be instructed, and to improve the gainsayers. I then being called by God into the labour of his holy ministery, have employed myself amidst you (according to that talon which it hath pleased him to bestow upon me) for the space of sixteen years on these two parts of my vocation; and having respect to the multitude, and sufficiency of my predecessors, who have taken pen in hand to instruct the ignorant, and to refute false Teachers by their writings, I have contented myself hitherto to follow their traces in my public Sermons and private Conferences, with such as were desirous to profit with me in knowledge of the fundamental points of our Christian faith, according to the occasions which were presented. But of late having seen an Epistle written by a certain Doctor of the Augustins Order, touching the invocation of Saints, sent unto one of my Auditors to seduce thereby the sheep which our Sovereign Shepherd jesus Christ hath recommended to me; I held it my duty to return it back again to Liege with my answer, to satisfy the desire of one of his disciples; by whom the said Doctor having received my answer, promised him that shortly after he would write back unto me again, and that effectually. But seeing there are almost two years past since he held my refutation, and that in all the time he could not make some small Treatise to fulfil and accomplish his promise, his silence maketh me to think, that he having considered well, examined and weighed the arguments of my reply, hath repent himself for his foolish boasting, and that (if his conscience be not ●eared) he feeleth himself already checked by the truth that shineth in my Refutation; which in the mean time I have amplified, and now published with his Epistle, following the counsel of some excellent learned personages, with hope that I shall see it bring forth some fruit, if not in the abovesaid Doctor, or in some of his obstinate scholars, yet at least in such as are teachable, and especially in you my most dear and worthy brethren, of whom I have conceived this hope, that whereas heretofore ye have willingly heard me to entreat of this subject aswell in my Sermons, as in my familiar discourses with you, so ye will now take no less delight in hearing me to discourse of it in this small book, which here I present you as appertaining unto you by a double right. For first of all being consecrated to your service from the beginning of my ministery, the propriety of every instruction (which through God's grace I propound unto men) is wholly yours. Besides, seeing that the intention of my dispute is, to show the difference between a true, and a false adoration, and to persuade every man by all possible means to stand fast in the true, and to reject the false; to whom could I better appropriate it then to you, to whom above all things I am bound to teach the first point and fruit of our faith, which is, to worship God the Father of our Lord jesus Christ in spirit and truth, and to call upon none but him in our necessities? Whereunto, as I seek to give you some help by this present Treatise, so do I give thanks to the Lord, for that already ye are so well grounded and instructed in this principle of true religion, assuring myself that he which hath sown this good seed in your souls, will make it abundantly to grow up, and to fructify in such a sort, that thereby his name shall be glorified, your neighbour edified, and your hearts fortified against all manner of temptations. Finally, if I perceive that this small Treatise, which I publish under your names, be acceptable and pleasing unto you, your courtesy will serve as a spur to prick me more cheerfully forward in my commenced Career, and one day hereafter to entreat more at large upon this subject, through the grace of our blessed God and heavenly Father: to whom I recommend you, beseeching him with all my heart, that it will please him (most dear and worthy Brethren) to maintain you even to the end in the profession of his truth, and to replenish you with his temporal and eternal blessings, for the advancement of his glory, and the salvation of your souls. From my Study this 4. of August, 1607.  
Your no less affectionated than serviceable Pastor and brother in the Lord, john Polyander.   

A small Table of the principal points contained in this Treatise.  

FIrst, Papists themselves acknowledge and confess, that the invocation of Saints cannot be proved by Scripture. pag. 18  
Praying to Saints cannot be proved by Scripture, but absolutely disproved. 19  
We must call upon God only, not the Saints. 19 20. 21. 22  
Christ is our only Mediator, the Saints are no Mediators. pag. 22. 23  
Christ is our only Mediator aswell of intercession as redemption. 23  
Saints are no Mediators of redemption. 25  
Papists reject Christ, placing the Saints in his place. 26  
Papists exalt the Virgin Mary into the place of Christ. pag. 29. 30. 31  
Papists place the Virgin Mary above Christ. 32. 33  
The Papists place Franciscus & Dominicus in Christ's room. 34. 35. 36  
Priests and Prophets may err. 38  
The Church may err. 38. 39  
Counsels have erred. 39 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45  
Variance and contradiction among the ancient Counsels. 46  
The holy Scripture is the touchstone of doctrine. 47  
The Fathers have erred. 49. 50  
The Fathers invocated the name of God only. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57 58. 59  
The Fathers prayed not to the Saints. 61. 62. 63. 64  
The Fathers called upon God alone. 65. 66. 67. 68 etc.  
The Fathers condemned the worshippers of angels. 57 58. 59 60  
The ancient Fathers condemned the Adorers of Marie. 61. 62. 63. 64  
The ancient Doctors condemned the worshippers of creatures. 52. 53. 54. etc. 59 etc.  
Books of the Fathers falsely fathered on them. 81. 82. 83  
An answer to his testimony taken out of the writings of Irenaeus 85  
An answer upon his testimony taken from Athanasius and Basil. 85. 86  
An answer to his testimony of Damascenus. 88  
Answer to his allegation of Hierome. 88 89 90  
An answer to his allegation out of Anselmus and Bernard. 91. 92  
A particular answer upon S. Bernard's testimony. 94. 95  
An answer upon his citations out of Origen. 96. 97  
Books perverted and altered by the Jesuits. 98. 99 100 101  
We ought to follow that form of prayer which Christ hath taught us. 102  
False Prophets have done miracles. 103. 104  
Sorcerers have done miracles. 105  
The Saints departed cannot hear our prayers. 105  
The invocation of Saints hath no ground nor foundation in the holy Scripture. 107. 108  
Touching his example of Abraham. 111. 112. 113  
What is to be understood by Abraham's bosom. 112. 113  
There are but two ways. 112  
Of Lazarus and the rich Glutton. 111. 112. 113. 14. 15  
The departed do not busy nor trouble themselves with our affairs. 119. 120  
The Saints deceased cannot hear us. 122    

AN EPISTLE WRITTEN BY A CERTAIN DOCTOR OF THE AUGUSTINS ORDER WITHIN THE CITY OF LIEGE, AND sent to a Leigois Merchant at DORT.  
AFter my most humble salutations: this present may serve (according to my small power) for to make clear unto you, some certain doubt which I understood you have, to wit, 
The sum of the demand.  Whether it is true, or, how it is possible that the Saints, which are above in heaven, can hear our Prayers, which we make to them here beneath on earth?  
For the better cleared then of your demand, 
The answer thereof divided into two parts.  we will here handle two points as briefly as we can, beseeching you at your leisure you will be pleased to read them over attentively. The first will show that it can be no otherwise then very good to pray and recommend us to the Saints. The second will declare the manner how they may hear our prayers and supplications. For the first, you must know, that this hath always been the doctrine of the Catholic Church, to say and teach, that this was a thing more than reasonable, yea and most profitable for man to invocate the Saints, which the Church hath taught for the space of 1605 years, even unto this day. But you must know this also, that certain heretics which are sprung up within this forty or fifty years, have meant to teach and preach the clean contrarir, to wit, the Lutherans and Caluinists, (who within a few years, seeking to overthrow so ancient a doctrine) say that we must not pray unto the Saints, but unto God only. Now let us see whether these novel Doctors have been clearer sighted, wiser, or better replenished with the spirit of God than all the Ancients. The reason and most ordinary argument which they bring against this doctrine, is this; It is (say they) to do wrong and injury unto God, to address ourselves to any other then to him. Lo this is that great piece of Canon wherewith they thunder against the walls of the town and city of God, which is his Church. For proof whereof, they allege Saint Paul in his first Epistle to Timotheus, the second Chapter, and fifth verse, saying, that he calleth jesus Christ our one and only Mediator, our Intercessor, and our Bishop. Let us cite the words of the Apostle: For, There is (saith he) one God, and one Mediator between God and man, which is the man Christ jesus. These words of Saint Paul will say, that there is one sovereign Mediator, which is jesus Christ, in that he is man: but that hindereth not but there may be more which are subordinate, and not sovereign, though that jesus Christ be truly our only Mediator, sole Advocate, and only Redeemer. My masters, the Ministers and Preachers will reply and answer us; But how can these things agree together, that jesus Christ should be the only Mediator, and sole Intercessor for us; and yet nevertheless we should have some others, namely the Saints? If he be alone, how hath he so many companions? To answer this objection, we evermore confessse, that jesus Christ is our true Mediator, and Intercessor unto God for us: but we say also on the other side, that the Saints may be likewise Mediators and Intercessors for us. 
Although that Christ be our only mediator, yet the Saints are called mediators for three reasons.  And if you ask me again; If the Saints may also be called Mediators, (and be so indeed) how is it then, that we call jesus Christ the only Mediator? I answer thereunto, that it is for certain causes and reasons, which my masters the Ministers are either ignorant of, or maliciously hide and conceal them from the people. They are three in number.  
The first cause why our Lord jesus Christ is called the only Mediator, though the Saints be likewise after their manner, is, because he alone hath trod upon the grapes in the wine press, and with the price of his blood hath paid our ransom, and hath reconciled us unto God his eternal father, not only in praying, (as the Saints may do) but also in paying that which we did owe, which the Saints have not done, nor cannot do: for he alone hath redeemed us. And for this cause we call him the only Mediator, that is, of ransom and of redemption. And this is that which the Apostle Saint Paul would have said in the place alleged. For after he had said, that we have one Mediator between God and man, which is the man Christ, he (explaining himself) presently addeth these words, Qui dedit redemptionem semetipsum pro omnibus: that is to say, Who gave himself a ransom for all men.  
The second cause wherefore our Lord jesus Christ is called the only Mediator, is, because he is not only such by reason of the office whereby he mediats for us, and reconcileth us to God; but also by reason of his nature, for he is in the midst between God and man, being both God and man together, which the Saints are not. And for this cause he is called the only Intercessor, like as the good and holy Fathers have in times past taught us, to wit, S. Austin in his 9 book of the City of God, and 17. Chapter, S. Cyril in his 12. book, S. Fulgence in hi● 2. book ad Petrum, chap. 2. and S. Theodoret upon that very place of S. Paul with many others.  
Thirdly, jesus Christ is called the only Mediator, because that he is Mediator for all men in such a sort, that he hath no need of any other Mediator either for himself, or for other men. Now the Saints as well in this world, as in the other, although they be mediators and intercessors for us, in reconciling us unto God through their prayers, yet nevertheless have had need of jesus Christ to be reconciled unto God themselves through his intercession, and in his name they obtain all whatsoever they do obtain for us. But jesus Christ, saith S. Paul, of himself without the interposition of any man, approacheth unto God, to make intercession for us. This reason hath been noted by S. Austin, that great Doctor of the Church, when he speaketh thus; The Christians (saith he) pray for one another, but he for whom no man maketh intercession, and who maketh intercession for all men, is the only and true Mediator, We then which are Catholics do confess, that according to these abovesaid significations, jesus Christ is truly the sole and true Mediator, only Advocate and Intercessor. But we say also again, and that with all truth against these heretics, that that hindereth not, but the Saints living or departed, may be so also after their manner. For truth whereof, I will refer myself to the holy scripture. For in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie, Moses calleth himself a Mediator, saying thus; 
In French Sequestre.  I have been an umperer, and a Mediator, between God and you: that is, speaking of the Hebrews. Unto which words, S. Paul making an allusion in the 9 Chapter of the Hebrews, calleth jesus Christ, Mediator of the new Testament; to make a difference between him and Moses, which had been so of the old. And S. Gregory Nazianzenus calleth the Martyrs, Mediators between God and us: and Saint Cyril saith the same of the Apostles and Prophets. For more ample confirmation thereof, is it not certain that we have but one Saviour of the world, which is the same jesus Christ? Verily, there is nothing more sure. And nevertheless the scripture (which cannot lie) giveth the same title of honour to others, (though it be not for the same reason) without doing wrong or dishonour to jesus Christ; as namely to Othoniel in the third chapter of the book of judges: and Nehemiah also in the 9 Chapter of his book confirmeth the same. King Pharaoh likewise (as appeareth in the 41. Chapter of the book of Genesis) calleth joseph in the Egyptian tongue, not only Saviour, but Saviour of the world. Therefore by these three small reasons, it is easy to be understood, how the Saints may also be Mediators and Intercessors unto God for us. And if they are so, we may and aught to call upon them in our necessities and human miseries. Neither will follow from thence, that we do reject the Son of God, seeing we always give unto him the first rank of being the true and only Mediator, according to the fashion above said, and the Saints in their sort and manner. So than it can be no otherwise then exceeding good to call upon them, as evermore they have done in our Catholic Church, which we will show you by the authority of general Counsels, and by the holy Fathers and Doctors, which have all approved the invocation of Saints. Let us come to the Counsels.  
First in the Epistle sent to all the Bishops of Europe, 
Other proofs taken from the authority of Counsels.  which is annexed to the Council of Chalcedonie, and solemnized under the Emperor Leo; you snall there find these words; We put the most holy Father Proterius into the rank of the Martyrs, craving the mercy of God. Secondly, in the eleventh Action of that Council, the holy Fathers being there assembled and treating upon Flavian the Martyr, say all with one consent as followeth: Flavian Martyr, which livest after thy death, pray for us. Thirdly, in that general Council, cap. 7. it is thus said; The Christian having adored one only God, let him pray unto the Saints, that they might vouchsafe to make intercercession for him to the divine Majesty. Furthermore, in the seventh general Council the holy Fathers speak in this manner: Let us do all things with a convenient fear, craving the intercessions of the most pure mother of God, of the holy Angels, and of the Saints. Behold, therefore we say the Litanies, which are certain prayers, addressing ourselves to the Saints: first to the most holy Trinity, to the glorious Virgin Mary, to the Apostles, to the Martyrs, to the Confessors, and to the Virgins. And these above said Litanies, have been commanded by many general Counsels, as by that of Gerund, by the fifth and sixth of Toledo in Spain, by the eleventh of Brachara in Portugal, by the first of Orleans in France, and finally, by that of Magence in Germany, which was solemnized under Charles the Great. All which Counsels (being graced with a number of excellent and learned personages) commanded for the good and utility of the Christians, to say these above said Litanies three days before our Lord's ascension, and also at other times appointed. Which commandment and ordinance is for us that are Catholics, a clear, evident, and a general testimony of the invocation of Saints, as a thing which for a long time hath been believed, received, approved, and practised in the Church of God. For as much as these above said Counsels have all of them been solemnized almost a thousand years ago.  
Let us now show, that the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church, have all of them with one consent taught the same. Saint Denis, the disciple of S. Paul, cap. 7. Eccle. Hierarc. saith thus; He which requireth the intercession of Saints, and will not imitate their holy works, is like unto the man that putteth out his eyes, and yet would be partaker of the beams of the Sun. The same doctrine S. Irenaeus teacheth in his 5. book against Haeres. cap. 19 treating of the virgin Mary and Eue. S. Athanasius, in his most devote sermon de a●nunt. of the most glorious Virgin, prayeth thus unto her; Marry incline thine ear to our prayers, and forget not thy people. And presently after he saith; We cry unto thee: Remember us most holy Virgin. And a little lower he addeth; Make intercession for us, our Mistress, our Lady, our Queen, Mother of God. Saint Basil in his sermon of the Martyrs, saith; If any man be in tribulation, let him have his recourse to these Saints. He which is in joy, let him call upon them also; the one to be delivered from his evil, the other to be confirmed in his good. And S. john Chrysostome in his 66. Hom. ad Populum; The Emperor (saith he) which is clothed in scarlet, cometh for to embrace the sepulchres, and laying aside all pomp, standeth up to entreat the Saints to make intercession for him; and he which marcheth crowned with a diadem, prayeth unto a tentmaker, and a fisherman, as protectors of the diadem, Saint john Damascenus, lib. 4. des fide, cap. 16. treating of the profit and benefit that cometh unto us through the invocation of Saints, saith; By the Saints, the devils are chased away, the sick healed, the blind see, the leprous cleansed, temptations and vexations overcome; and by them, every good thing cometh from the Father of lights, in favour of those that crave it with a steadfast faith. Furthermore, S. Ambrose saith in his book Deviduis, that, It behoveth us to invocate the Angels, which are given us for our savegards; and to pray to the Martyrs also, whose favour we pretend through the alliance of the same nature, that they make intercession for our sins, having by their own blood washed off those which themselves might have. These the Martyrs of God are our Prelates, and beholders of our lives and actions. Let us not then be afraid to take as Intercessors, those which in the midst of their victories knew their own infirmity. Saint Hierom in his Epitaph to Paula, invocating this holy Lady Paula, said; Farewell O Paula, help by thy prayers the later age of thy devoted servant: thy faith and thy works associate thee with jesus Christ, and being there present, thou mayest more easily obtain thy request. And the most learned and most devout Doctor S. Austin in his Mediations, cap. 40. calling upon the Virgin, saith; Holy and immaculate Virgin, mother of God, Mary the mother of our Lord jesus Christ, deign to make intercession for me unto him, of whom thou hast been made the holy temple through thy virtues and merits. And afterward, having invocated all the Saints in order, he concludeth; I am become so bold to beseech thee, that it may please thee to pray for me; to the end that I may merit to be plucked out of Satan's throat, and from eternal death. I let slip many other excellent speeches which this Doctor hath written in his 18. sermon made of Saints. I will not here recite S. Leo and S. Gregory (which were) Popes, neither S. Gregory of Tours, S. Anfelmus, S. Bernard, and many more, which teach the same in this matter, for the confirmation of our faith; of whom the half were more than too sufficient, to make all Lutherans and Caluinists to blush, if they had any blood in their hearts. I will let pass in silence the many miracles done through the invocation of Saints, which the holy Father S. Austin (of whom my masters the Ministers so willingly do help themselves, but would to God it were to a good end) setteth down before us in his 22. book of the City of God, cap. 8. I cite the book because they might read them, and to the intent they would cease from calling us Idolaters, seeing we do it after the example of all these holy and wise Doctors, with whom these new Doctors deserve not to be compared. In the year two hundred and twenty, when Doctor Origen prayed unto the holy Prophet job, was he an Idolater? In the year three hundred and sixty, when S. Gregory Nazaanze●us prayed unto S. Basil in the Oration which he made for him, was he an Idolater? At that time as S. Basil cried to the 40. Martyrs, when S. Hierome recommended himself to the prayers of the holy Lady Paula, and likewise S. Austin to those of the Virgin Maries, were all these excellent and learned men Idolaters? I believe no. Why then should these new Reformers, or rather deformers of the Church call us Idolaters, seeing we do the same after all these holy Doctors?  
But there is one thing (you will tell me) which troubleth much these Heretics, that is, that they cannot understand, nor imagine that the Saints can hear us, affirming it is impossible, that a man which is praying upon the earth can be heard of them into Heaven. Behold this is the second point which in the beginning of this Epistle we have propounded: let us now come to examine it. Know then, that the Ministers and Preachers, among some of their arguments which in them I have noted, and in their writings this, of all other, they esteem the most strongest, and that which they most set by. Their Captain Calvin in the third book of his Institutions, Chap. 20. sect. 24. thinking to allege some rare and newfound thing against us, setteth down one thing which is most ridiculous, and unmeet, I say not of a Doctor in Divinity, but even for a simple Scholar, discoursing in this manner: Who hath revealed to us (saith he) that they have ears so long as to reach down unto our words, and eyes so sharp that they can consider of our necessities? By these words he would say, that the Saints to understand our prayers ought not only to have both eyes and ears as they had upon the earth, but besides that, they must have long ears, and great eyes, which should penetrate down unto the earth. Wherein this good Doctor shows, that he hath failed as well in Philosophy as in Divinity; and that he himself never had either eyes or ears in his soul to know the truth. It was pity that he had not spoke this in some of the ancient Philosopher's School; how had he been mocked! For what a folly, or what an ignorance is it, to think that Souls being separated from their bodies, cannot understand without the instruments of the body? Men never yet found Philosophy, which acknowledgeth not even by natural light only, that the soul being freed from the body, knoweth more, yea better, and much more easily, then when it was within the body. Therefore, to account that one should have long ears to hear the better, it is to bring Asses ears into great request. And if so be that all Asses could speak, as well as that Ass which was the false Prophet Balaams', I believe they would confess, that the length of their ears makes them never a whit the quicker of hearing; but would say that such as think it so, are greater Asses than themselves. So then this great Doctor Master Calvin hath abused himself in his doctrine. And since his time, his and Luther's scholars, to show themselves wiser than their Masters, have begun to require of the Catholics some express texts and examples taken out of the holy Bible, whereby it might appear that the Saints which are above in Paradise can understand and hear our prayers. But he that will answer them well, should demand also of them (because they refer the deciding of every question to the Scripture) some certain places and texts, by which the contrary might appear, to wit, that the Saints cannot hear our prayers: and were not this enough? would they not be confounded and overthrown? yes undoubtedly, for they could never be able to produce so much as one only text either out of the old or new Testament, let them read over the Bible as oft as they list; and this were an excellent way to convict them, by answering them in this manner. But to the end they should not think that we would use shifts (as they do in this point, and in all other occurrences) rather then by giving a good answer, we will show them, that the Scripture faileth us not in this point, and that it maketh for us, seeing they will have it so. Note then how this is one express text of Scripture, that the Angels in heaven understand our prayers, considering they are the reporters of them to the Divine Majesty. Now this is also another express text of Scripture, that the Saints in heaven shall be like to the Angels according to the saying of the Son of God in the holy Gospel. We must then conclude, that the Saints hear our prayers, seeing the Angels (unto whom they are likened) hear them.  
Me thinks I hear already my Masters the Ministers to answer and say, that this similitude of the Angels and Saints of which our Lord speaketh in the Gospel, consisteth but only in their felicity and blessedness, and not in their nature or office, that is, our Lord would say that the Angels and the Saints should be equal, and like to each other in heaven, because both of them should be blessed, enjoying one self-same glory and felicity. But let us suppose that the case were so, let us grant and admit that the answer of these my Masters be true; yet notwithstanding even by the same we can ensnare and entrap them. For, seeing the estate, and happiness of future life, hindereth not the Angels from hearing the prayers of mortal men, wherefore, or how can it be, but the Saints, being in the self-same felicity as the Angels are, may not also hear our prayers as well as they? this text then of Scripture showeth, that the Saints hear our prayers: they hear us, they see us, neither are ignorant of that which is done upon the earth, which once more I will show you out of the Scripture. For, the holy Patriarch Abraham being dead and in Limbo, knew many things, which were done among the children of Israel, as you may see in the sixteenth Chapter of S. Luke. First, he knew that the people had the books of Moses and the Prophets, of whom the ancientest was Moses, who had written more than four hundred years after the death of Abraham. Secondly, he knew the life that the rich Glutton had led upon the earth, and the misery which poor Lazarus had there endured. Thirdly, he saw and knew the estate and condition of that unhappy wretch, and heard his prayer (though he was not heard) when he cried, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus etc. And yet nevertheless there was a great distance between the one and the other, as Abraham plainly told him. Finally, the rich Glutton, though he was damned, saw he not Abraham? heard he not his answer? gave he not his replies? for all there was the distance of a great Gulf between them? Now (I hope) there is no man that dareth deny all this, for it is written in the holy Gospel, and is a history pronounced by the mouth of him which cannot lie, but is the truth himself, even jesus Christ. If this thing and story be true (as it is) I then charge all the Calvinian, and Lutherian Ministers, and say unto them in this manner: If Abraham (my masters) shut up in Limbo, not enjoying at that time the sight of God, and being not yet blessed but through hope, notwithstanding knew the things of this world, 
An Argument from the least to the greatest.  knew the state and misery of that rich Glutton, and heard him make his prayer and request, will you think then that the Saints in Paradise beholding God and enjoying his most bright sight, are less privileged than Abraham? therefore the father S. Austin saith excellent well, Quid non vident qui videntem omnia vident? that is, What is it (saith he) that the Saints above in heaven see not, seeing they see him that seeth all things, which is God? And that which seemeth more, If the damned themselves hear those speak which are afar off from them, as the rich man heard Abraham, and by those words showed himself mindful and careful of his brethren which were yet in the world, being afraid lest they should come into the same place of torment wherein he was, as you may see what he spoke unto Abraham in the Gospel; shall we imagine that the Saints and all those which are in the kingdom of heaven see and know not that which we do upon the earth? And if the Saints, and all the blessed ones that are departed this life, know the things of this world, what ought they to hear or know more than the prayers which are made unto them? And if they understand and can hear the voice of the damned, is it possible in your opinion that they should not understand the prayers and requests of those which desire to be saved? If the damned themselves (as appeareth by the story of the rich Glutton) would procure that no harm might happen to their brethren and friends, will those which are saved be less charitable? will not they advance, and help forward (as much as in them lieth) the salvation of their friends and Christian brethren? and that so much the more, if they see and hear that one requireth them thereunto.  
Sir, now you may demand of me and say, If so be I should conesse that the Saints hear our prayers, yet fain would I know, how and in what manner they hear us? To say the truth, this is a very hard thing to be understood, and nevertheless it is true. The father S. Austin acknowledging the hardness of this question, and through humility the small capacity of his spirit (though it was very great) in his book which he hath made and entitled, De cura pro mortuis agenda, c. 16. saith, that In truth this question surpasseth the force of my understanding, being not able to conceive after what a fashion the Martyrs help those which we know to be entirely helped by them.  
By these words S. Austin acknowledgeth well, that it is hard for him to understand how they know the things of this world; nevertheless, he believeth that they know them, and that indeed and certainly (as he saith) we are succoured by them. Wherein it may please you to note one difference among the rest, that there is between our Catholical Doctors, and the Heretical Doctors, that is, Ours if they cannot attain to the total and perfect knowledge of that matter or question which they handle, they will not dispute it so far, as to deny the question and thing because they find it hard and surpassing their understandings; but admitting of the thing with humility they acknowledge only the smallness of their capacity, as with very great modesty the most learned father S. Austin hath done in this point. But these new heretical Doctors which are come up with and after Luther and Calvin, though the thing or question disputed be true, and grounded upon good reason, because they cannot comprehend nor compass it within their understandings, flatly deny and reject the thing, as we see them daily do in many other points and articles of religion, seeking always to reduce them within the capacity of their spirits (which very often is but small) and ruinating the nature of faith, which consisteth in believing things that surpass the reason and understanding of man. And the like they do even in this subject whereof we now entreat. And therefore because they cannot conceive how the blessed ones do hear us, they say and preach they cannot hear us. They must also then deny, that God of nothing hath created this world; for it is impossible to comprehend how God was able to create of nothing so huge a frame as this whole world is; and yet notwithstanding both they and we steadfastly believe that God even of nothing was able to create it, though our understandings cannot conceive a jot of it. Let them then also deny the general resurrection of the dead, if one must deny all things which they cannot understand; or let them show me how God is able to restore again unto man his own flesh, his own bones, and the rest of the parts of his body (and not another's) after it hath been eaten up of worms so many thousand years before, and yet neither we nor they make doubt thereof, though we understand it not. The like could I say unto them of the mystery of the holy Trinity, and many other things contained in the holy Scripture, that albeit they are hard to be believed, yet they cease not to be true. Therefore it were much better for my masters the Ministers to confess with humility their weakness with the good father Saint Austin, and with him and us to believe that the Saints can hear and assist us. But what? Heresy is too proud, and the Heretics will never be overcome, they may be convinced (as Saint Bernard saith) but not overcome, because they are too passionate in maintaining their errors. One may confound them rather than make them confess their fault, and as the proverb saith, Rather break then bend.  
Now to the end the Caluinists and Lutherans (because we say with our father S. Austin, that this is a very hard demand to be understood) should not think that we seek an escape through the bogs, and that the truth maketh not for us, we will let down before them the doctrine of that same Doctor S. Austin in his abovesaid book De cura pro mortuis agenda. For S. Austin minding particularly to declare how Abraham knew that the rich glutton had taken his pleasure in his life time, and that Lazarus had suffered so much, giveth us three manner of ways whereby the souls departed may know and understand that which is done in this world. 
Three reasons whereby the dead understand.  First, by the arrival of those which depart out of this life, and go from hence unto them, who (to wit) may advertise them of the things which happen upon the earth, and especially of that which most of all concerns them. The second, by the report of the Angels, which on a sudden mount up into heaven, and on a sudden again even in a trice are about us. The third, by the revelation of God's spirit, which may bear itself towards the blessed departed into heaven, even in like manner as heretofore it bore itself towards the Prophets upon the earth, revealing secret things to them, and such as should be done a long time after them, as the Scripture witnesseth, so that God who seeth and knoweth all things whatsoever we do, say, and think, may reveal unto them our prayers. S. Gregory (lib. 12. Mor. c. 13.) giveth us beside these another sort or manner, saying, that the Saints beholding the face of God, see all that which in any sort and manner appertaineth unto them, and consequently, that they also hear our prayers. So then by the doctrine of these holy Fathers we may somewhat gather how the blessed Saints hear us when we call unto them. I will make one more small argument against all these Heretics, and therewith I will conclude the whole. All the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church have invocated and prayed unto the Saints; they hear then our prayers. The Antecedent hath been already proved, when we cited a great number of those which have called upon them. The Consequence is clear: for seeing that so godly and learned personages prayed unto them, it is a sign and followeth necessarily, how they believed with the Church that the Saints could well hear our prayers, otherwise they would not have been so simple as to have prayed unto them. To say (as sometimes the Ministers say against us) that they were men, and as men might have erred, that were too absurd to answer us. For could it be possible that among so great a number of admirable, virtuous, and wise Doctors all of them should fail, and that not one of them should have thought whether the Saints could hear them or no? Could it be possible that the whole Church should be in error for a thousand and so many years, and that in so many ages the Church should have been ignorant of that which the Lutherans and Caluinists pretend to know since so small a time? Could it be possible that all the ancient Fathers, and such excellent personages, as S. Denis, S. Athanasius, S. Basil, S. john Chrysostome, S. john Damascenus, S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, S. Gregory, S. Austin, and many other lights of the Church, have presented so many prayers and petitions to those which neither had ears to hear them, nor eyes to behold their necessities, and so consequently have cast their prayers into the wind, into the air, and at random? Shall we believe that of them? Shall we believe that all have erred, and that our Ministers only say well? That all have ben● blind, and that our Ministers only are clear sighted? That all of them have been simple Scholars and disciples, and our Ministers their Doctors and Controllers? No, we will never believe any such thing. We had rather hear the voice of our ancient, godly, and wise Doctors, than the voice of new and unlearned, which for this cause deserve not the name of Pastors and shepherds, but Mercenaires only, suffering their sheep to be devoured up, yea themselves through their pernicious doctrine casting them into the throat of that infernal wolf; from whom (Sir) I pray God through his infinite mercy to preserve you: beseeching you to take in good part this which in haste I send you, though unknown unto you: protesting before God, who knoweth the hearts of all men, that all this which here I have spoken is only for his glory, and your soul's health.  
Farewell, from Liege, this fifth of August. 1605.   

AN ANSWER TO THE ABOVESAID DOCTOR'S EPISTLE of the Augustins order, Upon the subject of the invocation of Saints.  
Having of late seen and read your Letter, touching that controversy which is between you and us, Whether it is true, or how it is possible that the Saints which are above in heaven, can hear the Prayers that you make unto them, from here beneath on earth; I held it my duty to answer thereunto, and chiefly to these two points, whereof the first is, That it can be no otherwise then very good to pray and recommend us to the Saints: the second signifieth, How and in what manner they may hear your Prayers and Supplications. For to build the first point, you lay down two Articles and principles most false: The one, That this hath always been the doctrine of the Christian Church, to say and teach that this was a thing more than reasonable, and most profitable to man, to invocate the Saints, yea, that the Church hath taught the same for the space of 1605 year unto this day. The other, How certain Heretics which are sprung up within this forty or fifty years, have meant to preach and teach the clean contrary; to wit, those whom you call Lutherans and Caluinists; who, but a few years ago, endeavouring to overthrow so ancient a doctrine (according to your opinion) have said and say still, that we must not call upon any of the Saints, but upon God only. I say that your first foundation is false, because (as Eckius one of your principal Doctors plainly confesseth in his book of the worshipping of Saints) that it is impossible for you to allege one only text either out of the old or new Testament, whereby you can prove that either Christ, his Evangelists or Apostles have commanded us to adore the Saints, or have recommended this service to us, as very profitable or reasonable. Also Petrus à Scoto confesseth, that the invocation of Saints, is not taught in the books of the Prophets and Apostles, but is there insinuated. And likewise some of the jesuits say, that it is not manifestly represented in them, but obscurely and mystically, or by certain consequences which are pretended, and not well grounded. And for this cause the Council of Trent recommending it unto the Christians, makes no mention of the authority of the holy Scripture, but of the ancient custom only, of the consent of fathers, and of the decrees of holy Counsels. From whence followeth, that this commandment of invocating the Saints, hath not been given to the Christians (as you write) a thousand six hundred and five years ago or thereabouts, but hath been a long time after forged (as I will prove in due place) by your Predecessors, who have made no conscience to teach for doctrine of salvation their own traditions, and humane inventions▪ Which having showed, your second foundation will tumble down of itself, that is, how this rule of worshipping God alone hath been invented by those whom wrongfully you term Lutherans and Caluinists: for we acknowledge none for our sovereign Doctor and Master, but our Lord jesus Christ, the only perfect wisdom, and essential word of his Father; who hath spoken heretofore to our Fathers by the ancient Prophets, and since being manifested in our flesh, 
We are not of Paul, nor Apollo, but of Christ.  hath spoken himself by his sacred mouth to his Disciples, and after his Ascension by his Apostles, who as faithful Secretaries, and dispensators of the secrets of God, have left us in writing the fundamental points of pure Religion, and touching this point have taught us, that God only (and no other) ought to be called upon by us in our necessities. And although this is as clear, as the Sun shine in a bright day at noon, yet because you are blind, and leaders of the blind, as your predecessors the Scribes and pharisees were in the time of jesus Christ, we will allege against you some certain proofs for that which is abovesaid, to the end they may serve as a clear light to those which wink not with their eyes, that they might not see in seeing, but open them with a holy desire to behold this light. When God saith in the first Commandment of his law, given by Moses to our Fathers, 
* Exod 20. 3. A particular refutation from the authority of holy Scripture.  * Thou shalt have none* other Gods before me: what doth he signify by this prohibition, but only that we ought not to acknowledge any other God and Saviour but him, nor to attribute to any one, that honour which is proper to him? that is, to call upon him only in our anguishes, according to that express command which he giveth us in Deuteronom. 
Deut. 6. 13.  Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and serve him. And by the Prophet Asaph in the 50 Psalm, 
Psal. 50. 14. 15.  verses 14. 15. Offer unto God praise, and pay thy vows unto the most high, and call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And to stir us up the more thereunto, he denounceth by the Prophet Esay, 
Isaiah 42. 8.  chap. 42. and 8 verse, I am the Lord, this is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven Images. And in the 45 chap. and 21 verse, 
Isaiah 45. 21.  Have not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. And in the 22 verse: Look unto me and ye shall be saved: all the ends of the earth shall be saved: for I am God, and there is none other. If hereupon you object against me, that God commandeth not by these places that we should only worship him, and none other beside him: 
Anticipation.  The answer is clear, to wit, that this commandment of God was so interpreted by the Prophet Samuel, and in the fullness of time by our Sovereign Doctor jesus Christ himself. For therefore you may see how the Prophet warneth all the house of Israel in the 7 chapter of his book and third verse, where he saith: If ye be come again unto the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtoroth, and direct your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he shall deliver you out of the hand of the Philistims. By which you may see, that the Prophet Samuel showeth unto the children of Israel, that the means and way to convert and direct themselves unto the Lord with all their hearts, is to serve him only, and to take away from before his eyes the Idols of the Heathen, which he calleth the gods of the strangers. Even so also our Lord jesus Christ, being tempted in the wilderness by the wicked spirit, which had transported him upon a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, with promise, that he would give them all unto him if so be he would fall down and worship him, he allegeth against Satan that which is written in the sixth chapter of the book of Moses called Deuteronomie, expounding the intention of his father, as he which is his Counsellor (witness the Prophet Isaiah in his ninth chapter and fifth verse) he addeth thereto this word (only) when he answereth Satan, that in that place it is written, 
Matth. 4. 10.  Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: as though he would have said, That the service which is due unto God only, is to worship him, and to prostrate ourselves before him. And to this end and purpose the sons of Korah, who composed the 44 Psalm, teach us, in the 20 and 21 verses, that to call upon any other besides God, is to forget and deny him. 
Psal. 44. 20. 21.  If (say they) we have forgotten the name of our God, and holden up our hands to a strange god, shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. And when the Apostle S. Paul maketh this demand in his Epistle to the Romans, 
Rome, 10. 14.  How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? he showeth thereby, that as man is forbidden to believe in any other but in God only, 
Invocation ought to have the same object, as faith.  so is he not permitted to pray unto any other then to the Creator of heaven and earth, seeing that invocation is the companion of faith. And therefore King David in his Psalms addresseth his prayers to none but only unto God, with a full assurance of faith, oftentimes calling him, his buckler, his shield, his retreat, his foundation, his deliverer, his tower, his fortress, his defender, and the horn of his salvation. According to which the Prophet Asaph (in the 73 Psalm, 
Psal. 73. 25.  and 25 verse) signifieth, That God only is his refuge in his distresses: For (saith he) whom have I in heaven but thee? and I have desired none in the earth with thee. Also it is written in the 2. of the Chron. 20. 9 that King jehoshaphat, being afraid of the Moabites and Ammonites which were come to assail him, disposed himself to pray unto the Lord, and in the prayer which he made in the temple in the name of his people, saith: 
2. Chron. 20. 9  If evil come upon us, as the sword of judgement, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and in thy presence (for thy name is in this house) and will cry unto thee in our tribulation, and thou wilt hear and help. But to come now unto your Argument, which scornfully you call The great piece of Canon, wherewith we thunder against the walls of the town and city of God which is his Church; this it is, That whosoever addresseth himself to any other but to God, doth wrong to God. For proof whereof you add that which we allege out of the first Epistle of S. Paul to Timotheus, the second chapter and fifth verse: 
1. Tim. 2. ●.  That as there is (but) one God, so there is (but) one Mediator between God and men, to wit, the man Christ jesus. You shuffle together, either through ignorance, 
Transition for the examination and true understanding of our Arguments.  or malice, the Questions that are distinct, and severally handled by our Divines. The first is, Who is it that we ought to call upon? whereunto we answer, God only. The second, In whose name? whereunto we answer, In the name of jesus Christ, who is our only Advocate and Intercessor. For confirmation not of the first, (as you presuppose) but of the second answer, we allege the abovesaid text out of the first Epistle to Timotheus, in the second chapter and fifth verse: which I pray you against an other time to note, and to take better advice and consideration upon our Arguments, that you may propound them more sincerely. Touching your exception, though the Apostle S. Paul teacheth us in that very text which I have named, that there is but one Mediator, yet (you say) that That hindereth not but there may be some which are subordinate and not sovereign. 
The distinction of Mediators subordinate and not sovereign, refuted as vain,  It shows from what a spirit it cometh forth, even from the spirit of lying and contradiction. Of lying, because you add thereto, that which is not found, nor can be gathered from that abovesaid text of the Apostle, to wit, that jesus Christ is the sovereign. Mediator only in regard of others which are inferior. Of contradiction, because you yourself say thus: Though that jesus Christ be truly our only Mediator, sole Advocate, and only Redeemer, that that hindereth not but there may be more which are subordinate and not sovereign, For, to be only Mediator, & to have some others besides, as subordinate, are things contradictory. And if you will, that we should admit of such a gloss, you must then grant to us, that out of this very text will follow, that when the Apostle saith, There is but one God, he meaneth one sovereign God; and albeit that verily he is only God, yet notwithstanding there be others subordinate, which one can neither speak nor think without blasphemy. Hereupon you allege two replies of our Ministers: The first, How can these things agree together, 
The examination of the Sophists first reason.  that Christ is our only Mediator, and sole Intercessor for us, and nevertheless there are some others besides him, to wit, the Saints? The second, If the Saints may also be called Mediators (and are so indeed) how then is it that jesus Christ is called the only Mediator? To speak properly, these two replies are but one: now let us see your answer upon the latter, and the answer which you allege therein with share reproach, that our Ministers are either ignorant of them, or maliciously hide and conceal them from the people. Now what are they? The first, is 
Although that Christ only hath redeemed us with his precious blood, it followeth not from thence, that he is only the Mediator of redemption,  that jesus Christ is called the only Mediator, because that he alone hath tro●de upon the grapes in the winepress, and through the price of his blood hath paid our ransom, and hath reconciled us unto God his eternal father, not only in praying, but also in paying that which we did owe: which the Saints have not done, nor cannot do. All this is true, but that which you add is false, that jesus Christ is the only Mediator, that is to say, only of Ransom and Redemption, and this is that which S. Paul means in the place alleged: for after he saith, We have one Mediator between God and men, which is the man Christ jesus, in explaining himself he presently addeth these words: Quit dedit redemptionem semetips●m pro omnibus, that is, who gave himself a ransom for all men. For although the Apostle maketh no mention in this place, but of the first effect: of the mediation of our Lord jesus Christ; it followeth not from thence, that his intent was to exclude the second, which he setteth down elsewhere expressly, and namely in his Epistle to the Romans, and 8. chapter, vers. 34. where he joineth together those two fruits of the mediation of our Redeemer: for when he first demaudeth this, 
Rom. 8. 34.  Who shall condemn us? and answereth himself; It is Christ which is dead, yea, or rather which is risen again, to wit, for to deliver us from condemnation, in those words he setteth down the first effect and going forward in answering, 
A forcible reason to show that Christ is our only Mediator, aswell of intercession as of Redemption.  who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for us, he likewise setteth down the second, and giveth us sufficiently to understand, that jesus Christ is our Mediator and Advocate towards God, not only in so much as he hath redeemed us, but also in so much that he maketh intercession unto God his father for us, and presents to him our supplications. And albeit that the Apostle in the abovesaid text to Tim. chap. 2. speaketh nothing of the intercession of jesus Christ, yet nevertheless S. Austin having respect to that which the Apostle admonisheth us of in the verses going before, that is, to make requests unto God for all men, and that in the name of his son jesus Christ, he expounded it, as though the Apostle had there made an express mention of our Saviour's intercession, as you may perceive by those words of his second book contra Parm. cap. 8. The mutual prayers (saith he) of all the members which yet labour upon the earth, aught to ascend up to the Head, which is gone before into Heaven in whom we have the remission of our sins. For if S. Paul were a Mediator, the other Apostles would be so also, and so there would be many mediators, which would not agree with that, which elsewhere he saith, That there is one mediator between God and men.  
The second cause, 
The examination of the Sophist second reason by concession.  why you confess that jesus Christ is called the only Mediator, is because he is not only so, by reason of that office whereby he mediates for us and reconceleth us unto God, but by reason also of his nature, for he is in the midst between God and man, being both God and man together, which the Saints are not. And for this cause he is called the only Intercessor, like as the good and holy Fathers in time past have taught us, to wit, S. Austin in the ninth book of the City of God, and 17. chapter, S. Cyril in his 12. book, S. Fulgence in his second book ad Petrum, chap. 2. and S. Theodoret upon that very place of S. Paul, with many others. We grant you this second reason, and beside we say that it maketh wholly for us. And Tertullian, or as some think, Novatianus, which in those days was Priest to the Roman Church, proposeth us this reason incommunicable to the Saints in the book of the Trinity, chap 13. 16. to show us that if Christ were only Man, as the Saints are, he could not be out Mediator, not hear and succour us unto God his father through his intercession. If (saith he) Christ were man only, how is he present every where being called upon, seeing it is not the nature of man, but of God, that he can be present in all places? And if Christ were man only, why is a man invocated in our prayers for a Mediator, seeing the invocation of a man is judged to be forceless to perform salvation! If Christ also be only man, why is confidence put in him, seeing that the hope which is placed in man is accursed? Wherefore he which is declared to be made Medtatour between God and men, is found to have united in himself both God and man..  
The third reason which you allege that jesus Christ is called the only Mediator is, because that he is mediator in such a sort for all men, that he hath no need of any mediator either for himself or for others. Now the Saints aswell in this world as in the other, though they are Mediators and Intercessors for us, in reconciling us to God through their prayer, have nevertheless needs of jesus Christ themselves to be reconciled 〈◊〉 God through his intercession, and in his name they 〈◊〉 all that which they do obtain for us. 
The examination of the third reason.  But jesus Christ (saith S. Paul) without the interposition of any other goeth unto God of himself to make intercession for us. This reason hath been noted by Saint Austin that great doctor of the Church, 
Partly by concession, and partly by Negation.  when he saith thus: The Christians pray one for another, but be for whom no man maketh intercession, and who maketh intercession for all, is the true and only Mediator. We also admit of this third reason, that jesus Christ is the only Mediator, because that he hath no need of any other Mediator, either for himself or for others. But we deny that which you affirm without any proof out of the holy Scripture, to wit, that the Saints aswell in this world as in the other, 
Anticipation.  are our mediators and Intercessors. For albeit, the Scripture commandeth the Saints living in this world to pray the one for the other; yet you can in no wise from thence conclude that they are our mediators and intercessors, but that they are our companions and fellow-helpers, who to assist us, join their prayers with ours, to move (as much as in them lieth) our heavenly father to mercy, as being fellow-brethrens, and members with us of one self-same spiritual body, whereof Christ is the head. And this is that which S. Austin understood in saying, That all the members pray the one for the other, but the head is Mediator for all. Now touching the Saints departed, I am astonished that you dare maintain they are our mediators; seeing the holy Scripture expresseth nothing thereof; but concontrariwise, S. john (including himself in the rank of all the other faithful members dispersed in this world, for whom jesus Christ was made a Propitiation, and for whom he maketh intercession to God his father) teacheth us in his first epistle, second chapter and first verse: that If any man sin we have an Advocate with the father, 
1. john 2. 1.  to wit, jesus Christ the just. And our Lord jesus Christ calling himself, The way, The truth and the life, saith expressly that No man cometh unto the Father but by him: in the Gospel written according to S. john, c. 14. and 6. v. Whereunto the Apostle S. Paul conformably saith: 
Ephes. 3. 12.  that by the faith which we have in Christ, we have boldness and entrance to the Father with confidence. Ephes. 3. 12. to the end that we may receive mercy, 
Heb. 4. 16.  and find grace to help in time of need. And that by the blood of jesus, we may be bold to enter into the holy place, by the new and living may, which he hath prepared for us, through the vail, 
Heb. 10. 19 10.  that is, his flesh. Heb. 10. 19 20. In fine, that his priesthood is everlasting. Wherefore he is able also perfectly to save them that come unto God by him, seeing he everlineth, to make intercession for them. 
Heb. 7. 24. 25. Re●u●at● on of the Sophists conclusion against us.  Heb. 7. 24. 25. But to come to your conclusion: we which are Catholics (say you) confess well, that according to those significations abovesaid, that jesus Christ is truly the Sole Mediator, only Advocate and Intercessor: but we also say, and that in all truth, against these heretics, that that hindereth not, but the Saints living or departed, may be so also in their fashion. But now what will you say if I should show you by the Formulary of your prayers, that according to those significations abovesaid, you do not hold jesus Christ for your only Mediator and Intercessor? 
Here is showed how our adversaries cut the throat of their own cause, with their own knives.  Say you not, Precibus & meritis beate semperque virginis Mariae, & amnium sanctorum, perducat nos dominus ad regna caelorum? That is to say: By the prayers and merits of the most blessed and always virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, the Lord bring us into the kingdom of heaven. What is that I pray you but to attribute to the virgin Mary, and the rest of all the Saints departed, not only that they should pray for us, but also that they have merited for us? and so consequently that they are our Mediators, not only of Intercession, but also of ransom and redemption. Do you not teach in your Catechism made by the authority of the Council of Trent, That men ought to invocat the Saints, inasmuch as God through their merit and grace doth us good? Approve you not that which Barnardine de Busto writeth in his Marial of the virgin Mary, That first of all she is Mediatrix of our salvation: 2. Mediatrix of our conjunction and union: 3. Mediatrix of our justification: 4. Mediatrix of our reconciliation: 5. Mediatrix of our intercession: and 6. Mediatrix of our communication? Sing ye not, O pia puerpera, nostra pians scelera, iure matris impera Redemptori: that is, O godly Child-bearer, thou which purgest us from our sins, command our Redeemer by the authority of a mother? Allow you not also the sentence of Lombard, who saith in the 4 book of his Sentences, Dist 45. That the Saints make intercession for us, both by their merits, in that they supply the defect of ours, and by their affection, in that they join themselves to our prayers? and therefore (saith he) ●e pray unto them, that they might make intercession for us, to wit, that their merits may be allowed us, and that they might wish our good, because that they wishing it, Godwils it also. See now how your own words, and those of your Doctors, convince you of contradiction and manifest falsehood. As for the other part of your Conclusion, it is weakly grounded, and even by your own reasons is easy to be overthrown; that is, seeing with us you confess, that jesus Christ only hath redeemed us, through the merit of his death and passion, and that he is only true God and true man, that he alone hath no need of any other Mediator, either for himself or for others: you cannot maintain against us with truth, that the Saints living or dead, are in any fashion our Mediators and Intercessors: yet you seek nevertheless to prove it by some texts out of the Bible. For truth whereof (say you) I refer myself to the holy Scripture; for in the fifth Chapter of De●terenomie, Moses calleth himself a Mediator, 
Sequestre.  saying, I have been an Vmperer, and a Mediator between God and you, speaking to the Hebrews. Unto which words S. Paul making an allusion in the 9 Chapter and 15. verse to the Hebrews, calleth jesus Christ the Mediator of the new Testament, to put a difference between him and Moses which had been of the old. Howbeit this example of Moses will not serve your turn as a proof, 
The Popists do wrong unto the word of Mediator, either through ignorance or malice.  but to the first part of your Affirmation, to wit, that the living are Mediators and Advocates for others. I tell you moreover, that in this lense, Moses never calleth himself a Mediator between God and men: but, as himself hath well interpreted it, he bore messages between both the parties, that is, between God and the children of Israel. For in the Hebrew tongue you shall there find these very words of Moses, 
Deut. 5. 5.  saying: At that time I stood between the Lord and you, to declare unto you the word of the Lord. If you reply hereupon, that Moses is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (that is, a Mediator) in the Epistle to the Galathians, the third chapter and nineteenth verse: I answer, that sometimes this Greek word signifieth an Interpreter, which goes and comes to and fro between two parties, and that in this signification it is said by the Apostle to the Galathians, that the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator, to wit, Moses who twice went up to the mountain, and came down again with the two Tables of the law of God, to read and expound them to the Israelites. In which sense we grant you, that he, the high Priests, and the ancient Prophets, who have interpreted the will of God, and have offered up unto him in the name of our Fathers, may be called Mediators, and the Apostles also: but not in that sense in which heretofore we have declared, that the Apostle S. Paul calleth jesus Christ the only Mediator, in the first epistle to Timothy, the second chapter and fifth verse, where the Apostle taketh this word of Mediator for a Reconciler, as himself expoundeth it, saying, That he gave himself a ransom for us: in which sense this title beseemeth none properly, but jesus Christ only, neither can it be attributed (without blasphemy) to the members of his Church.  
But let us examine a little your proof that followeth: Is it not true (you demand me) that we have but one Saviour of the world, which is jesus Christ? Whereunto you answer, that there is nothing more true. And nevertheless the scripture which cannot lie giveth the same title of honour to others, without doing wrong, or dishonour to jesus Christ: as to Othoniel in the third chapter of the book of judges, and ninth verse. And Nehemiah in the ninth chapter of his book confirmeth the same, King Pharaoh also, as appeareth in the 41. chapter of Genesis, calleth joseph in the Egyptian tongue, not only Saviour, but Saviour of the world. From whence (with a long circumlocution of words) you conclude, that by these three small reasons it is easy to be understood how the Saints may also be mediators and intercessors unto God for v● and if they are so, 
It is 〈…〉 from the 〈◊〉 of a Saviour, given to some as types of the Saviour himself.  than we may and aught to call upon 〈…〉 our humane necessities; and that it will not follow from thence● that you should reject the son of God; for as much as you always give to him the first rank of being the true and only mediator, according to the fashion as you have said, and the Saints is their sort an●●man●r. So than it will be exceeding well done to invocate them, as they always have done in your catholic church.  
It goes well with you, when you yourself term your reasons small, and confess beside, that the holy scripture giveth this title of honour to others then to our Lord jesus Christ, though it be nevertheless for some other reason. And indeed those which you have named in the old Testament are called saviours or deliverors; yet was it in regard that God had ordained them as instruments of deliverance for his people, and for types and figures of the Saviour which was to come. But the holy scripture in no manner calleth the deceased Saints mediators: neither doth it teach us, that they are established by God for instruments of mediation between God and us; so that this argument of yours drawn from the name of saviour, makes nothing for your cause. As touching your Anticipation and excuse: that although you pray unto the Saints yet nevertheless you do not reject the son of God, 
In vain do the papists boast of giving lesus Christ the first rank of Invocation.  because you always give unto him the first rank of being the true and only mediator, according to that fashion which formerly you have spoken of: it is easy to answer and prove the contrary by the manner & custom of you● catholic church, whereupon you ground your superstitions. So it is then, that in the hours & rosary appointed for the virgin Mary, you equal her with our redeemer, in calling hit Reparatrix and Sal●atrix of mankind: The queen of mercy, the valiant woman, which hath broken the serpent's head, and she alone that hath rooted out all the heresies in the world. Cardinal B●nauenture makes no conscience to appropriate to hit all that David in his psalms hath attributed to God the father, the son, and the holy Ghost. Blessed● is that man (saith he) which liveth Mary, which giveth praise unto 〈◊〉 name, which putteth his trust in her, 
Execrable blasphemies of the Romish church.  which hopeth in hit. Come unto her all ye that are weary, and she will give rest unto your souls. The heavens declare thy glory: The earth and her fullness is thine, thou reignest eternally with God: blessed are those which make much of thee, because in thy mercies thou wilt wash their sins: have mercy on me, mother of mercy, and according to the bowels of thy mercies wash me from all mine iniquities. Wicked serpent whereof boastest thou thyself? put thy neck under Mary, o Lady bruise him by the virtue of thy foot: cast him down by thy force into the bottomless pu. Save me in thy name, and deliver me from mine unrighteousness: take pity on me, for my heart is ready to receive thy will. Lord for our sins thou hast repulsed us, and because of the virgin Marie hast taken pity on us. Let Marie arise, and all her enemies shall be destroyed. Lord give thy judgement to thy son, and thy mercy to the queen his mother. God is the God of vengeance: Lady, salvation and life consists in thy hand. O how good is God unto them that worship his mother! Come and let us adore the Lady, let us give praise unto the virgin that hath saved us. Let us worship her, and confess unto her our sins. The Lord reigneth, Mary fitteth upon the Cherubins at his right hand; wh● dwelleth under her wing is under a safe protection: have remembrance o Lady of David, and of all those which call upon thy name. The Lord said to my Lady, sit my mother at my right hand: thou hast taken pleasure in goodness and holiness; and therefore shalt thou reign with me. Praise the Lord because he is good, for his mercy is given by Mary. You transfer in like manner to the Virgin, that which in all humility of heart, she sung to the honour of her Creator and Saviour. And in stead of that which she sung (as the Evangelist S. Luke witnesseth in the first chapter, and 45. verse) My soul magnifieth the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour, etc. Because he that is mighty, hath done for me great things, etc. you say, My soul magnifieth my Lady, and my heart rejoiceth in my Lady: because he that is mighty, hath done for me great things through Mary his mother. What should I say more? You celebrate in your Canticles the Virgin Mary, as Lady of the Angels, espouse and Mother of the eternal king; Promise of the patriarchs; Verity of the Prophets; Teacher of the Apostles; Mistr●s of the Evangelists, Lady of the Word, and Queen of Heaven. And hereupon you beseech her that she would save her people. Likewise you crave of her in express terms, all that which God himself will or can give unto us, by his only son jesus Christ: Impetra nobis veniam, applica nobis grattam, prapar● nobis gloriam: that is to say, Obtain pardon for us, apply grace unto us, prepare glory for us. You have corrupted Simeons' song, and in stead of that which the Evangelist Saint Luke reciteth in the second chapter, and 29 verse, how this good Father holding the Saviour of the world in his arms, blesseth God and saith, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: you misturne these his words to the handmaid of the Virgin Mary, 
Depravation of an express text of Scripture, by those in popedom.  saying: Lord now lettest thou depart in peace the handmaid of the Virgin Mary: for mine eyes have seen the salvation of Mary, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, etc. You hold her for the true salvation, the true felicity, the greatness of charity, the largeness of piety, unto whom the Angels obey: as by one of your Litanies appeareth. Which is worse, your Cardinals and Bishops assembled in the Council of Constance, in which they condemned to death john Hus, and Jerome of Prague, both of them Bohemians, constant in the true faith, to add unto the heap of their cruelty against these Martyrs some token of their impiety, and hatred against the holy Ghost, which had endowed these two witnesses with his truth, and with such a mouth and wisdom against which these good fathers were not able to resist: they thought good to apply unto the Virgin Mary, that prayer which is made to the honour of the holy Ghost, and in stead of saying, as before, Veni sancte Spiritus, etc. to have made them sing: Veni maier gratiae, fons misericordiae, miseris remedium, veni lux Ecclesiae, tristibus laetiti●, ●●ne infund● radium, Simonis nanicula, fiery tunicula, 〈◊〉 scindatur prohibe▪ quae Deum hominibus, & 〈◊〉 inngis o puerpera! Hereses interim, schismataque reprime, firm● pacis f●●era. That is to say: Come mother of grace, fountains of mercy, remedy of the wretched, c●●e light of the Church, shed upon these heavy souls, the beam of joy. the small ship of Simon surnamed Peter: suffer not the little coat● of thy son to be torn in pieces, o mother in childbed, which co●ioynest God with men, and the inferior creatures with the celestial: abolish Heresies, repress Schisms, and establish the covenants of peace. I am astonished at the blasphemies of Barnardine de Busto, and Anthonine Archbishop of Florence, who set the Virgin Mary above the only son of God: for see what Barnardin● saith of her in his marial: Men may say of the Virgin Mary, that she is the light of the Gentles and the glory of her people Israel. For God at her nativity said unto her, I have given thee as a light to the Gentiles, to the end thou mayst be our salvation to the ends of the earth, a light to lighten the Gentiles. All graces (saith he) come down upon us from the Father and the Son by the Virgin Mary, mediatrix between God and men: no grace cometh from heaven but by her hands. All graces enter into her, and come forth from her: They are in Christ ●s in the head from whence they flow they are in Mary as in the neck which distributeth them. 
These whole pages show, how the pretended Catholics, which differ much from the words of lesus Christ, do indeed bereave him of his most sweet flowers of honour, to adorn the Virgin with them.  Moreover, If any man feel himself grieved at God's justice, he may appeal to the Virgin Mary: which hath been signified in the book of Ester, chap. 5. where it is said that King Abashueros● being in anger and wroth against the jews, Queen Ester came to appease him, and found such favour with the King, that he said unto her, What is thy request? it shall be given thee, even to the half of the kingdom. This Empress (saith he) figured the Empress of heaven, to whom God hath given the half of his kingdom: for God having his justice and his mercy, hath reserueah is justice to exercise it in this world, and hath left mercis to his Mother. Therefore if any one feel himself grieved as the Court of God's justice, let him appeal to the Court of the mercy of his Mother, etc. Whereunto is also conformable that which Anthonine the Archbishop writeth in his sum, par. 3. tit. 12. chap. 8. & par. 4. tit. 15. chap. 14. & 44. That as it is impossible, that they from whom the Virgin Mary ●●rneth the eyes of her mercy, should be saved; so is it necessary, that those upon whom she turneth them, praying for them, should be justified and glorified: because Christ is not only an Advocate, but also a judge, who will examine all things in rigour, and will leave nothing unpunished. So the good God hath provided us such an Aduocatesse, in whom there is nothing but benignity and gentleness. Hereupon abusing impudently the exhortation of the Apostle in his Epistle to the H●brewes, in the 4. chapter and 16 verse, he admonisheth us to go boldly unto the throne of God, which is (saith he) the Virgin Mary, in whom he hath placed it: let us go (concludeth he) unto her with assurance, as the Apostle saith to the Hebrews, to the end we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time of need. Whereunto to bring the ignorant, he likewise is not ashamed to tell this fable, that the blessed Seraphins and angels would have withheld the Virgin Mary, as she ascended up into heaven, to have enjoyed her company, and to have placed her in the highest degree of their order, as she which surpassed and excelled them both in glory, and in the flame of charity. But what said she to them? I take pleasure in your order, and congratulate you most affectionately for your divine f●r●encie. But the Scripture must be accomplished, saying, It is not good that man should be alone, let us make him a help like to himself; so than it is not good that my Son should be alone, but that I must assist him, seeing I am his mother, and have been given him for an aid; in redemption through compassion, in glorification through intercession for mankind, to the intent that if God should threaten to drown the earth, and to punish the sins of man by the flood of his scourges, I may appear before him as the Rainbow, that he may call to mind his covetst and may reconcile himself with them, and not destroy the world. You speak not so audaciously of the other Saints departed: howbeit Vives the Spaniard confesseth plainly in his discourse on S. Augustine's 8. book of the City of God, that he cannot perceive, that there is any difference between the opinion you hold of your Saints, and that which the Pagans held of their goods, considering you do unto them, the same honours as unto God himself, and to his Son jesus Christ. And indeed your Master of Sentences, and his disciples, makes no bones, to call the Saints the Mediators of our salvation, & to teach how they through their works of supererogation have purchased so great credit in heaven, that they have not only merited eternal glory and happiness for themselves, but by those works also may succour those which yet walk in this vale of misery, and to help their necessities. The praeyers of the Saints (saith Bonaventure in the 4. book of his Sentences, dist. 45. qu. 2) may obtain us many good things (as the Master, to wit of Scholastical sentences, saith) by their affection, and through their former merits, by which readily and promptly they hau● served God. On the other side: Our duty is (saith Alexander of Alice in his fourth sentence, and 92 question) to pray unto the Saints for three reasons: Because of our necessity, the glory of the Saints, and the reverence to God. I say, because of the want and defect of our own merits, to the end that when we have not sufficient and enough of our own, the merits of others may help and defend us. I would willingly come forth of that bottomless pit of your execrable blatphemies, but my conscience will not suffer me to dissemble those great praises which you attribute unto S. Francis, (who was condemned of impiety by Pope john the 22.) and to S. Domini●●s, as it were in despite of God and of his Son jesus Christ: nevertheless, because I will not be too tedious, I will not here cite all that is found written of them in the books allowed by your Church: only I will draw forth some drafts and principal points: whereof the first is, that it is written in the book of Conformities, 
Blasphematory praises attributed by Papists, to two wicked fellows, Saint Francis and S. Dominic.  How the Virgin Marie, and the rest of the Saints in heaven, go in procession everse one in their order: but as for Saint Francis he is harboured in Christ's side, and cometh forth through his wound is Ensign bearer, to conduct them with the banner of his Cross in his hand. And in the Prose of S. Francis, that he is The figurative Saviour, the way, the life, and a singular one crucified, who having received in a vision the same wounds as Christ had, (according to the devils attestation, which herein is your Doctor) purgeth you from your sins. Wherefore in good 〈◊〉 he may say that which is sung in the Gospel upon his feast day: All things are given to me of my father, for as much as through his merits he hath been made the son of God, and hath received a billet from heaven, wherein was written: This man is the grace of God. So that now through the merits of his works, which are so holy, that if an Angel had done them, they could not have been more admirable: He is the model of all perfection, in whom we may jointly see all the virtues of the Saints aswell of the old as of the new Testament: for he hath observed the Gospel to a letter, and hath accomplished all the commandments of God. In such sort that according to the prophecy of jeremy in the 50 Chap. vers. 20. Men shall seek for his sin, but they shall not find it. And of him the Psalmist hath spoken; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, and hast set him ever all the works of thine hands. For according to your belief, he is in the glory of the Father, as it is written, Phil. 2. he is deified, and in the glory of God. But which is more, he maketh one self-same spirit with God, he sitteth above in heaven as Advocate of all the Church militant: he is most nearly knit unto God, and beareth rule over every creature. By one Mass he hath appeased God towards all the world. And to allege your own words, Christus ●rauit, Franciscus exoravit: that is to say, Christ hath prayed, Francis hath obtained. Let us now come to S. Dominicus, who hath been like unto the Lord (as Authonine the Archbishop writeth) and consequently hath been Dominicus in name and in deed; being that in possession, which Christ is in authority. Which Anthonme showeth by many comparisons between Christ and Dominicus: alleging first, that as Christ said, I am the light of the world, even so the Church singeth of Dominicus, Thou art the light of the world. Secondly, like as jesus Christ praying unto God his father was always heard when he would: so likewise Dominicus never demanded any thing of God, but ●e obtained it entirely according to his desire. This nevertheless is not to be omitted, that herein he preferreth his Dominicus before jesus Christ, that he hath demanded no thing of God, as jesus Christ did in the garden, according to sensualized, that is to say, according to the infirmity of the flesh, but all things according to reason, and for this respect his prayer was always heard, as Dominicus (a witness not worthy of belief in his own cause) recounted it himself to one of his familiar friends. To proceed unto the comparisons of this Adorator of Dominicus: As Christ before his departure out of this world bade his Disciples farewell, promised them the great Comforter, the Spirit of truth, and showed them that it was expedient he should depart: even so, saith this braving fellow, Dominicus answered his well-beloved friends; Weep not my well-beloved, and let not my bodily departure (these are his very words) trouble you: where I go, I shall be more profitable to you, than I have been here, and after my death you shall have me for the best Advocate, you can have in this life.  
These fine fables have been verified by your Friars, and authorized by your Popes, who have canonised these holy Fathers, and ranked them with those which have merited to be adored. Is it not then with false shows, and against your conscience, that thus you do boast yourselves, that praying to the Saints you do no wrong nor dishonour to jesus Christ, whom ignominiously you cast out of his place, setting him beneath the Virgin Mary, & these two seducers of the people which I have named? And yet this is not all; for the Evangelists make mention, that the soldiers of Pontius Pilate, to expose our Saviour to open reproach and scorn before all the world, nailed him on the Cross between two thieves, as captain of the malefactors: but you, as though it were a virtue in you to do worse, place him in heaven amidst many seditious fellows and murderers, canonised by your Popes, and too well known by your jacobins and Jesuits. What would Bonaventure say at this, who at last corrected his own excessive praises aswell to the Virgin Mary, as to the other Saints departed, confessing in his 3. sentence, dist. 3. quest. 2. Sith that jesus Christ is the Saviour and universal Redeemer of all mankind, who hath opened the gates of heaven, he only dying for all, therefore one ought not to shut out of this generality, (that is to say, from the company of all those which Christ hath saved) the blessed virgin Mary, nor to amplify the excellency of the Mother, to diminish the glory of the Son, because that in so doing, we should provoke her to wrath, as she, who being but a creature, and he a Creator, had rather that her Son should be exalted then herself? Would he not say the same which john Wicliffe did, (whom God shortly after raised up to awaken the world, buried in the dreams of your vain Traditions) that it was a great folly, yea and a detestable impiety, to make a scurram (that is to say, a bouffon or a base fellow) his Mediator?  
And as for the authority of the Catholic Church, 
An excellent comparison, between the Prelates of these days, and the Priests of old time.  of general Counsels, of holy Fathers, and Doctors, whereby you think to dazzle our eyes and to amaze us: First of all I answer, that you are of the same humour, as the high Priests and inhabitants of jerusalem were, extremely rebellious to the doctrine of the Prophet jeremy, who in time past did say the same as you do at this day, and maintained also obstinately as you do, that they could not err: The law (said they) shall not perish from the Priest, 
jerem. 18. 18.  nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the Prophet: Come, and let us smite jeremy with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words, according to the complaint which the Prophet jeremy maketh thereof in the 18. chap. and 18. verse. But what did the Lord answer them by the mouth of his Prophet? Trust not in lying words, 
jerem. 7. 4.  saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, 
Verse 11.  this is the temple of the Lord. Is this house become a den of thieves, whereupon my name is called before your eyes? behold, even I see it, saith the Lord. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shilo, 
Verse 18.  where I set my name at the beginning, and behold what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 
Verse 14.  Therefore will I do unto this house, whereupon my name is called, wherein also ye trust, even unto the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done unto Shilo. 
Verse 15.  And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. The Priests said not, 
jerem. 2. 8.  where is the Lord? and they that should minister the law knew me not: and the Pastors also offended against me, and the Prophets prophesied in Baal, and went after things that did not profit. 
jere. 8. 10.  Moreover, From the least even unto the greatest every one is given to covetousness, and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsely. Likewise by the Prophet Ezek●el, chap. 22. vers. 26. 28. Her Priests have broken my law, 
Ezek. 22. 26. 28.  and have defiled mine holy things, they have put no difference between the holy and profane. And her Prophets have seen vanities, and diumed 〈◊〉 unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. In like manner the Prophet Azariah. 2. Chron. 15. vers. 2. 3. The Lord is with you while ye be with him: 
2. Chron. 15. 2 General Counsels, Fathers, and great Doctors, h●ue no authority, if they do not conform themselves unto the word of God.  and if ye seek him he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without Priest to teach, and without law. Where we are to note, that God promised to the conductors of Israel, that thee would remain with them, not simply, but with this condition, if they would abide with him, and follow his holy Commandments. And he addeth evermore this condition to the promises of his Covenant with the children of Israel: If ye will hear my voice indeed, (saith the Lord by Moses in the 19 
Exod. 19 5. 6.  chapter of Exod. 5. 6. verses) and keep my covenant, than ye shall be my chief treasure above all people, though all the earth be mine: Ye shall be unto me also a kingdom of Priests, and a holy Nation. Which words God commandeth Moses and his Prophets continually to repeat unto the children of Israel. So our Lord jesus Christ also, making large promises to his Apostles, and in their names to all Christians, to abide with them, through the communication of the wholesome gifts of his holy spirit even to the end of the world, putteth them oftentimes in mind of this condition; If ye love me, if ye keep my words, if ye abide in me, if my words abide in you, if ye shall keep my commandments, my Father will love you, ye shall be my friends, and my Father and I will come unto you for to make our abiding with you, in the Gospel according to S. john, chap. 14. vers. 14. All these conditional promises, signify unto us evidently, that those which are acknowledged for the members of the visible Church may fall, either into some fault against the second table, as it chanced to David, 
The example of the Saints ought to be reform to the law, and not the law to their examples.  who committed adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Vriah, and sent him to the camp with letters of command to joab to expose him to the enemies, that he might be slain, 2. Sam. 11: or in some error against the first table, as happened unto Aaron the high Priest, who form a golden Calf for the Israelites to worship: Exod. 32. 4. and after that to many judges and Kings; as to Gedeon, judg. chap. 8. vers. 27. and to Solomon, 1. King. 11: or into some revolt from the Christian faith, or into some other abuse, as appeareth by the fall of S. Peter, who trusting too much to himself, denied his Master thrice, and after his repentance and confirmation into his Apostleship, was reproved by the Apostle S. Paul in the city of Antioch: because that in constraining the Gentiles to become jerish, (as the Apostle speaketh thereof in the second chapter and 14. 
Gal. ●. 14.  verse) he went not with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel. And if those which are in the visible Church cannot fall, why doth the Apostle then reprove the Galathians, first chapter, 6. verse, 
Gal. 1. 6.  that in forsaking him which had called them by grace, that is to say, Christ, they had transported themselves to another Gospel? And in the third chapter and third verse, 
Gal. 3. 3.  that having begun in the spirit, they would make an end by the flesh? Wherefore having portrayed before the eyes of the Corinthians sundry faults and transgressions, which the Israelites had committed against the Lord in the wilderness, he addeth, 
1. Cor. 10. vers. 6. 11, 12.  that these have been examples for them, to the end to admonish them, to stand upon their guards, and that he which thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Surely, if the Apostolical Church could not have failed, the Apostle S. Paul had had no reason to have feared so much, 
1. Cor. 1. 2.  lest the Corinthians, which he called the members of God and sanctified in Christ's jesus, and Saints by calling, should be corrupted in their thoughts, turning themselves aside, from the simplicity that is in Christ, 
2. Cor. 11. 3. It is a foolish reason that Papists hold that general Counsels cannot err.  as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety: 2. Cor. 11. 3. Secondly I answer, that you presuppose that which we never will grant you, to wit, that the Clergy and general Council, which represents the Church, cannot err, and that whatsoever at any time hath been determined and decreed by the Counsels, is certain, and aught to be received without contradiction. To begin then with the Council of the 4. hundred Prophets of King Ahab, I require of you, if the assembly of these Doctors of lies, who flattered the said King, and counseled him all with with one consent to make war against the Syrians, have not erred? The Historiographer showeth us that all of them were possessed with the spirit of error, 
1. King. 22.  and that only Michaiah resisted them courageously: and although he was condemned, smitten, and cast into prison, that the King notwithstanding would experiment it, and that even with the peril of his life, he was deceived by the lying spirit of his four hundred Prophets. You Catholics will also grant me, that the Council of the chief Priests, the Scribes and the Elders of the people, assembled in the hall of the high Priest called Caiphas, erred greatly when they held a Council, and consulted together how they might take jesus by subtlety and kill him, according as the Evangelist S. Matthew teciteth it in the 26. chapter of his Gospel, the third and fourth verses. If you suppose that the successors of S. Peter and the other Apostles of our Lord jesus Christ have received the privilege that they could not err, you abuse yourselves. For the Apostle S. Paul advertiseth all Christians, in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, of an Apostasy and general revolt, which should come to pass in the Church of the New Testament; and declareth to them, that this mystery of iniquity began to work in his time, and should be revealed by the coming of the son of perdition, which exalteth himself against God, even to be set as God in the Temple of God, bearing himself as if he were God. 
* As human infirmity is perpetual, so men at all times have been and will be in danger of error.  Now as this seducement of sin glided by little and little into the Primitive Church, through the craft and malice of Satan: so hath it by many degrees discovered itself more and more, and one day hath added error to another, because in the beginning there was no heed taken to the Counsels and assemblies of the ancient Bishops, who have not always followed the true pattern of the wholesome words, which 〈◊〉 received from the Apostles, and from their purer predecessors, but giving ear to the lying and ambitious spirits of their companions, which pleased them in their inventions, are gone astray from the truth. Even so the Fathers assembled in the Counsels of Neocesarea and Laodicea have there concluded, that by the doctrine of the Apostle S. Paul, it was permitted to the Christians to take in marriage a second wife: but according to reason and the rule of truth, it is a kind of whoredom: and for this cause they forbade the Priests not to be present at the feast of any second wedlock, and enjoined those which were married to their second match, to do penance for the same. Whereupon you must needs grant me one of these two things, either that the Apostle S. Paul hath erred in that he hath not only permitted a second marriage in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 7. 27. 28.  chap. 7. verses 27. 28. where he shows to him that is loosed from a wife, that he sinneth not in marrying himself again, but giveth counsel also to the widows in his first Epistle to Timoth. 
1. Tim. 5. 14.  chap. 5. vers. 19 saying, I will therefore that the younger women marry, and bear children, and govern the house, etc. Or that the Bishops of the aforesaid Counsels have erred, 
Counsels are subject to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, and to no doctrine contrary to them.  in that they held the covenant of second wedlock for an unlawful thing and fornication, forbidden by God in the seventh commandment of his law. I presuppose that you will grant me rather that there was no error in the instruction of the Apostle S. Paul, which was divinely inspired into him, but in the Bishops assembled in the Counsels above said. In confidence whereof, I will come unto the Council of Nice, which imposed three years penance upon the Christians, who having abandoned their Arms, afterward returned to the wars again: which rigour is condemned by S. john Baptist, who did not command soldiers to forsake their Arms, but exhorteth them to content themselves with their pays, and to demand nothing beside that which was ordained for them. The Fathers assembled in the Arelatan Council, have prohibited the admitting of a married man into the vocation of the holy ministery, by an article clean contrary to the 〈◊〉 the Apostle S. Paul, 
1. Tim. 3. 2. That which is happened to one, or many Counsels, may happen to us; if we do n●t hold ourselves to the rules of holy Scripture.  who saith in the first Epistle to Tim. chap. 3. that a Bishop must be the husband of one wife. The second Council of Nice allowed the adoration and service of Images; a fault which you will not correct, to obey the second commandment of the Lord, who saith in Exodus, chapter 20. verses 4. 5. Thou shalt make thee no graven Images, neither any similitude of things that are in heaven above, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the waters under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, neither serve them. In the Lateran Council which was held under Pope Innocentius the third, it was decreed that men should believe, that the bread and wine was changed into the substance of the body and blood of jesus Christ, by the virtue of these five words, Hoc est enim corpus meum. Which is a false opinion and easy to be overthrown by many places of holy scripture, 
Note.  and especially by the 11. chapter of Saint Paul's first Epistle to the Corinth. where after he had recited the institution of the Lords Supper, and treated of the consecration of the bread and wine, by these very words of our Lord jesus Christ, This is my body, etc. he retaineth those same words of bread and wine. For (he saith) as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye show the Lords death till he come. Again, Whosoever shall eat this bread: finally, let a man therefore examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. By which manner of speech he teacheth us, that there is no transubstantiation in the holy Supper, but that the bread remaineth bread, and the wine keepeth it own natural property. They also which were present in the Council of Toledo, have they not judged that he which in stead of being espoused to any honest woman, kept a concubine; aught nevertheless not to be cast out of the communion of the Lords Supper? Doth not this sentence overthrow the institution of holy Matrimony, which by the Apostle S. Paul is called an undefiled bed, and honourable among all men? Heb. 13. 4. Doth it not also favour whoremongers, which possess the vessels of their body in dishonour, and are condemned by God as well in the seventh Commandment of his law, as by many holy remonstrances of the Prophets and Apostles? Moreover, the 72 Canon of the 6. general Council, approved by Pope Adrian; doth it not say that men ought to break the promises of Marriage, which the Catholics have made with heretics, and to hold them for nought, as though they never had been made? Is not this too too dangerous a Canon, forged by the spirit of disloyalty and dissension? For the spirit of truth, which guided the pen of the Apostle S. Paul, doth it not signify to us in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the 7. chapter and 15. verse, that God hath called the married in peace, and that to entertain and keep it? 
1. Cor. 7. 12.  If any brother have a wife that believeth not, if she be content to dwell with him, he ought not to forsake her: and if any woman hath an husband that believeth not, 
verse 13.  if he be content to dwell with her, she ought not to forsake him neither. Whereunto the Apostle addeth this reason as most worthy of consideration, namely, the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, 
verse 14.  and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, and that through this conjunction their children are holy, which else would be unclean. The Council of Worms abusing that admonition of the Apostle S. Paul, (in the 1. Epistle to the Cor. chap. 11. 28, where he saith: Let a man therefore examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup) thought it a matter of no moment to admit thieves and other scandalous persons unto the Lords holy table, upon the trial and testimony of their own consciences. These are the Counsels very words: It oftentimes happeneth, that the Monks in their Cloisters do commit some crime of theft: behold we therefore judge, that these brethren being accused of such a fact, aught to clear themselves thereof, and ordain to this effect, that the Abbot, or some one among them of their brethren, celebrate the Mass, and that all trying and proving themselves do participate the same. And in another Canon: If any one hath charged the Bishop or Priest, with some mischievous deed, he ought to celebrate the Mass, and to show thereby, that he knows himself innocent and guiltless of that crime which is laid unto his charge. 
All these examples of abominable errors, show how necessary it is to try the spirits.  This canon hath not only been approved, but also put in practice by Pope Gregory the seventh, named before his popedom Hildebrand, who being advertised by letters, that he was accused of sorcery and simonical heresy, answered, that to satisfy every man, according to that good canon of the Council of Worms, and to take away that scandalous report of him out of the Catholic Church, he would receive the body of our Lord in token of his innocency. True it is that afterward (as Bellarmine writeth) the Bishops thought good to abolish that pernicious canon, whereby their predecessors had prostituted the communion of the body and blood of our Lord jesus Christ to all sorts of lewd persons, to be unworthily trampled under their feet and profaned. But Bellarmine notwithstanding is driven to confess so much, that it was received and allowed for some time in your Church.  
To come now unto the errors of some other Counsels. The Counsels of Carthage and of Florence have enrolled for canonical books, 
The Papistical Doctors agree not among themselves, and nevertheless they hold unity and consent for the mark of their Church.  and as divinely inspired, to serve all men in the points of religion, for a rule and as a law for their discourses, the books of Tobit, judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus and the Maccabees: which nevertheless, according to Cardinal Caietan's own confession, are accounted by S. Jerome, among the Apocrypha, and not receivable for to ground upon them any article of faith and to the end the Reader may not be troubled in that the abovesaid Counsels, and the Pope's Innocentius and Gelasius have reckoned these books among the Canonical, the said Cardinal giveth him this counsel in his observations upon the tenth chapter of Ester, to reduce them to the rule and correction of 
A grave and a religious judgement of Charles the grea● touching the Council of Nice.  S. Jerome. Charles the Great speaking of the two Counsels of Constantinople and of Nice, in a book made at the Council of Frankford, touching the adoration of Images, blameth the Council of Nice of impiety and idolatry forbidden by God in his holy word; when he complaineth, that not only the Kings of the Eastern provinces, but also the Priests and Prelates (rejecting that which is said by the Apostle, that if any one preach otherwise, then that which hath been preached, though he were an Angel from heaven, let him be accursed) have sought to bring into the Church through Counsels, fond and infamous, things one knows not what, which neither the Saviour, nor any of his Apostles have ever brought in, that is, as he himself expoundeth them, Novelties of words, and the foolish invention of the worshipping of Images; and afterward he rebuketh the temerity and boldness of Irene. mother unto Constantine the Emperor, in that she had borne the chief sway in that Council of Nice, saying, The Empress did there all in all; a woman, unto whom it was forbidden to teach in the Church, hath taught and ordained; she there intruded herself with the Bishops and all Ecclesiastical Orders, teaching things unprofitable. Thirdly, he accuseth that Council in that they admitted thereunto Tharasius Patriarch of Constantinople, and gave too much credit unto him, who (as he speaketh) was at a jump come from the vulgar conversation, into the dignity of Priesthood, from the life of a Soldier, to a religious life, from the noise of the market, to the preaching and distributing of holy mysteries, and that in sum, he was of an ill judgement, and spoke not well concerning the holy Ghost. Whereunto he addeth beside, that for the rest of all this Council they were ignorant, barbarous, insufficient, fond and unapt both in their sense and in their words, and nevertheless proud beyond all pride: which durst command that which never the Apostles, nor their successors ordained, and in one part of the Church, to condemn and accurse all the Churches in the world; which he proveth in that they made it to be called a universal Council held for the worshipping of Images; without the consent of many other faithful and Catholic Churches of God, and were so audacious even rashly to accurse so many and so great Churches, which are the body of jesus Christ, and to attempt to establish the worship and service of insensible things against the institution of divine scripture. Now like as Charles the Great, who was present in the aforesaid Council of Frankford assaulted the Council of Nice; so likewise S. Austin, with many other of the ancient Fathers, have reproved oftentimes the writings of their companions in the work of the Lord, and the ordinance of their Counsels, in calling them back to be tried by the holy Scripture, and admonishing them, that through many of their false conclusions they were gone astray from the same: which S. Austin testifieth (in his second book and third chapter of Baptism) against the Donatists. The Epistles (saith he) of the particular Bishops, are corrected by the Provincial Counsels, and the Provincial Counsels by the universal, and the first universal Counsels by the latter: when by experience that which was locked is opened, and that which was hid is brought into light. 
Counsels refuted by other Counsels.  This is the cause wherefore one Council hath oftentimes retracted and repealed, that which a former had decreed. As for example, the general Council of Nice permitted the Priests to marry, which afterward the Counsels of Neccesarea, of Magence, and the second of Carthage forbade them to do. The Council of Carthage, in which S. Cyprian was present, decreed that such as were baptised by Heretics should be rebaptized; which was shortly after broken and disannulled by another Council of Carthage. The second general Council of Ephesus approved the error of Euryches, who acknowledged but one only nature in Christ, to wit, the divine; but the general Council of Chalcedon refuted and condemned that heresy. You are not ignorant also how the Bracharean Council condemned and accursed those which abstain themselves from eating of flesh, and how the third Council of Toledo having confirmed that decree; the clean contrary was ordained by the Council of Rome, forbidding the use of flesh upon certain days i the year. The Council of Constantinople decreed that they should throw and break down all the Images which were put up in Churches; but this ordinance and decree was over thrown again by the second Council of Nice, assembled by Irene mother unto Constantine the Emperor; in which was commanded to re-establish and set up those Images again. These examples may suffice to show that Counsels may err, and that oftentimes there hath been great dissension between Counsels, and contrariety in the articles of the ancient Synods, and that many things have been proposed, received, and maintained in them, without and beside the holy scripture: which, as S. 
Truth is one, and that which is one cannot be contradicted.  Tertullian saith in his Treatise against Praxeas, is not in danger of saying things contrary, but always is consonant and agreeth in itself, as appeareth by the mutual correspondency of the texts aswell of the old as of the new Testament; which is alone without error, and exempt from lying, as Cardinal Baronius also himself teacheth you in his Annals, tom. 2. This war, and manifest contradiction of the ancient Counsels, doth it not advertise us as it were of itself that we ought not to equal the canons of Counsels with the rules of holy Scripture? and yet nevertheless your ancestors have done it, who have equalled the decretal epistles of their Popes with the epistles of the Apostle S. Paul, and the decrees of the four Counsels, of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon, with the books of the four Evangelists. Now in this great diversity of Counsels, to which, I pray you, shall we have our recourse to assure our consciences, but to the word of God which is the touchstone and balance whereby we must prove and weigh all the traditions of men? As S. Austin did in his dispute against Maximine Bishop of the Arrians, lib. 3. cap. 3. I ought not to allege (saith he) the Council of Nice, 
We are bound to hearken to the Church in the things wherein she giveth ear unto her Master.  thereby to prejudice thee, nor thou against me that of Rimini: I am not bound nor tied unto the authority of that Council, ner thou unto the other. It is by the authority of the Scriptures, which are not partial to either of us, but are common witnesses aswell to the one as to the other; and that by them we ought to dispute in alleging cause against cause, and reason against reason. According to which rule S. Bernard in his 9●. Epistle signified to the Bishops, which in his time were assembled to handle ecclesiastical affairs, that he was very desirous to be present in their Council, and in their assemblies, where the traditions of men were not obstmatel● maintained, nor superstitiously observed: but where the good and perfect will of God was sought after in all humility and diligence, there am I (saith he) ravished with all my affection, there will I attend with my devotion. There through love do I take all my delight, and thereunto will I hold myself by consent. Now although this zeal of S. Austin and S. Bernard hath been followed and observed badly by their successors, who since their time gave too much credit to their own Counsels and human fantasies; yet Gerson neverthelesle sought to remedy this abuse through his wholesome advertisements. For in his book of the spiritual life of the soul, he showeth that the sayings of the Apostles and their disciples were of another kind of authority, namely in things which purely concern our faith, than the instructions of their successors; and consequently that the authority of the Primitive Church is far greater than that which is at this day, and that there is neither Pope nor Council that can abate any thing of that which was given us by the Evangelists and S. Paul; or which hath the like authority, to make that any thing should be of faith, 
All the doctrine of men ●ath no authority, but in that which is borrowed from the Scripture.  as some men dream. And in another place upon this question, if in points of faith one might be called before the Pope: No particular man (saith he) not the Pope himself, neither the Bishops can make a proposition which is heretical to be catholical, or which is catholical to be heretical. And again, in the trial of doctrines, Consider. 5. Tom. 1. That in case of doctrine more credit is to be given to one simple lay man, excellently skilful in the Scripture, then to the Pope's declaration; insomuch as it is certain that one ought to believe the Gospel rather than the Pope. Also that such a learned man ought to oppose himself against a whole Council, if he be there present, and seeth the greater party to be inclined either through malice or ignorance to that which is contrary to the Gospel, according to the example of S. Hilary. Whereunto doth agree that which the Abbot Panorma wrote in his chapter, entitled, Significat extra de Elect. to wit, that in things which concern faith, the saying of a private person, aught to be preferred before the saying of the Pope, if so be it is fortified with better reasons out of the old and new Testament.  
Franciscus Picus de Mirandula saith, If in a whole Council, the greater party would ordain some things, which are contrary to the holy Scriptures, and against things that are not lawful to be violated: the other which are of the lesser number, opposing themselves against the greater, we must rather cleave unto the lesser number, as it happened in the Counsels of Rimini, and the second of Ephesus. Yea even a simple countryman, a child, or an old woman, are more worthy to be believed, than the Pope and a thousand Bishops, if they should speak against the Gospel. Now that which we have spoken of the authority of Counsels, aught to be appropriated to the censure of our fathers & pastors of the ancient Church, to wit, that we ought not to receive their writings, with such a reverence and obedience of faith as we receive the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, but to judge and examine them by the Scriptures, according to that good counsel and example of some faithful Doctors of the Primitive Church: 
Our faith is not of eloquence, or human persuasion.  We ought not (saith S. Jerome inter. cap. 9 on the 98. Psalm) to follow the errors of our Fathers; but the Scriptures authority, and the commandments of God, which ●nctruct us. Every other thing which shall be spoken after the Apostles time ought to be cut off; let it have no authority then, though the author thereof be holy or eloquent. Read me those things (saith S. Austin in his book of the Church, chap. 6.) in the Law, in the Prophets, in the Psalms, or in the Epistles read them there, and we will believe them. All others (saith he) how holy, or learned soever they be, I may read them, not to believe what they say is true, because they say it; but in so much as they prove it by those canonical authors, or by probable reason. And in his epistle to Fortunatus; We ought not (saith he) to esteem of all disputes, though they proceed from praise worthy, and catholic men, as the canonical Scripture; but that in such a sort, as is lawful (with the honour due unto such men) to gainsay them, or to reject some things in their writings; if per adventure we find they judged otherwise then stands with the truth found out through the help of God, either by others or by ourselves. For I am such a one in the writings of other men, 
We must try the spirits.  as I would they should be in mine. Do not stand (saith he in his preface of the third book of the Trinity) upon my words and writings as upon the canonical Scripture. What soever in them thou shalt find, believe it without doubting; but in my writings that which thou holdest not for very certain, or if thou understandest it not; hold it not as firm. The like saith he of S. Cyprians books in his second book against Crescon chap. 32. I hold not S. Cyprians books for canonical: that which agreeth with the authority of holy Scripture I receive it with his praise; but that which agreeth not with them, I reject by his good leave: and we do him no wrong, to make a distinction between his writings and the canonical. For this wholesome canon of the Church was not without cause established, whereunto were brought certain books of the Prophets and Apostles, which we dare not at all judge, and according unto which we freely judge of all other books either of believers or Infidels. The like saith he also of S. jeroms books, of S. Ambroses', and of the rest of the Fathers, which have written since the Apostles time, in his epistle 112, and 11, book against Faustus Manichean. cap. 5. I would not bring in the opinions of those great personages, lest thou shouldest think, that it behoveth me to follow the judgement of any man, as the authority of the Scripture. In all their books, the reader or hearer hath a free judgement to approve or reject them, without the necessity of believing them, but with freedom to judge thereof. From thence it cometh that he exhorteth Vincent his friend in his 48. epistle, that he should take heed of gathering against so many holy, clear and undoubted testimonies, some cavils out of the writings of the Bishops, whether (saith he) of our own, or of Hilaries, Cyprians or Agrippines: for such writings ought to be distinguished from the authority of the canon, for men read them not so, is it were to draw any testimony from them, contrary to which it should not be lawful to deem, if peradventure their opinion were otherwise then the truth requires. Wherewith the sentences of our Fathers agree! 
Godly and excellent texts out of the Fathers.  We have no commandment from Christ (saith justine the Martyr in Triph. pag. 207) to believe in human doctrines; but in those which his Apostles have preached and himself hath taught. Therefore every man must have his recourse to the Scriptures, that he may find assurance in all things. We have (faith Irenaeus in his third book, chap. 1.) known the disposition of our salvation by no others, but by those by whom the Gospel is come unto us, which in their time they also preached, and afterward through the will of God have given it to us in the Scriptures, to the intent it might be the pillar and foundation of our faith. Again, justine the Martyr saith in his exposition of true faith, that among the children of the Church, divine things ought not to be comprehended within human reasons and discourses; but that divine words ought to be expounded, according to the will, instruction, and doctrine of the holy Ghost. S. Tertullian in like manner in his dispute, touching the flesh of jesus Christ, saith, I receive not this which thou bringest of thine own beside the Scripture; if thou art Apostolical, then follow the Apostles doctrine. Likewise S. Jerome in his Annot. upon the fifth chapter of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galathians, saith plainly: Nulli kne verbo dei esse credendum, that is, We must not give belief to any one without the word of God. Also S. Cyril, which was Bishop of jerusalem, Cath. 4. saith, That it is not necessary to teach any thing rashly touching the secrets of faith without the holy Scripture. If then I should teach thee these things simply, and without any proof, believe me not unless thou receivest some demonstration thereof by the Scripture: for the salvation of our faith proceedeth not from a well composed discourse, but from the demonstration of divine Scripture.  
By these sentences our Fathers reduced themselves to the holy Scripture, 
We ought not to be ashamed to subject ourselves unto that which the Apostles and the Angels are subject unto.  commanding us seriously to examine their sayings and writings by them, and if we found them not agreeable and correspondent to that universal rule of all sorts of Ecclesiastical doctrines, to hold them in suspicion, and without any difficulty to reject them: wherein we cannot be too rigorous, seeing that S. Paul, with his companions and the Angels make themselves subject to that balance, saying in his epistle to the Galathians, the first chapter and 8. verse, 
Galath. 1. 8.  Though that we, or an Angel from heaven preach unto you otherwise, then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Whereupon the Abbot Vincent Lirinensis made an excellent observation in his Treatise of the holy Scriptures Canon, chap. 22. That the Apostle S. Paul would spare no man, no not himself, nor Peter, nor Andrew, nor john nor all the rest of the Apostles, but hath denounced, that all those which would publish beyond that which the Apostles have published, (these are the abbots very words) should be accursed, thereby to maintain the first faith steadfastly and strictly. Wherein, according to the very judgement of your own Doctor Canus, we do no wrong to our Fathers. For he confesseth freely in the Centur. 3. that all the Saints, except those which have written the canonical books, have spoken by a human spirit, and at sometimes have erred both in word and in writing, even in the points of faith, 
The Papists are condemned by those which they cite against us as adversaries.  what learning or innocency soever we might conceive in them. Behold therefore some of your Doctors make no bones to reprove our Fathers, whensoever they are of an opinion, that they are gone never so little astray from the natural sense of the holy Scripture. Without going any further; Robert Bellarmine rejecteth the opinion of S. Austin, expounding that which S. Luke writeth of the fruit of the vine, and saith therein he hath not well observed the Evangelist text. Also he accuseth Durand and Rupert of error, as appeareth by the 13. and 15. chapters of his third book de Eucharistia. Whereunto I will add some of the ancient Fathers directly contrary to yours, whereby they wholly reject the invocation of Saints as superstitious, and having no ground in the holy Scripture. To begin then with Ignatius, the disciple of S. john, he giveth this exhortation to virgins in his sixth epistle to the Philadelphians: 
A gra●e exhortation of Ignatius, to pray only unto God.  Virgins set before your eyes in your prayers one only jesus Christ, and his Father, being illuminated through his holy spirit. And in his third epistle to the Magnesians: Assemble together to pray in one place; let your prayer be common, one spirit, one hope in charity and faith without spot in Christ: run together as it were one man, to the temple of Christ, the high priest of God. Also Eusebius reciteth in his history, lib. 4. cap. 14. that the other disciple of S. john, named Polycarpus, being bound to a stake there to be burned for the name of jesus Christ, he calleth not to mind his master in Christ S. john, 
A testimony given by Polycarpus, who would not add●efle himself to any but God.  nor any of the Martyrs or holy men, which had been before him, to pray them to make intercession for him, but he prayed unto God alone, through Christ the only Mediator and high Priest between the justice of God and the sins of his people, saying, Father of jesus Christ thy Son, by whom we have had knowledge of thee, God of Angels and Powers, God of every creature and of all the righteous, and of all sorts of races, which live before thy face: I give thanks that thou hast vouchsafed to grant unto me this happy day, and this blessed hour wherein I shall be in the number of the Martyrs, and made partaker of the cup and passion of thy Christ unto the resurrection of eternal life, both in soul and body through the immortal virtue of thy holy spirit; 
An excellent prayer.  among which Martyrs I pray thee that I may be received before thy face, as a fat and pleasant offering. And for all these things, I praise thee, I bless thee, and I glorify thee through jesus Christ thy most dear Son, and high priest, through whom unto thee, with him, and with thy holy spirit, be glory now and for evermore. Also this same Historian showeth us in his 4. book and 14. chapter, that the jews and Gentiles came to pray the Governor Nicetes, not to deliver the body of Polycarpus to the Christians, lest in forsaking their Christ crucified, they should religiously begin to honour him: Whereunto the author answereth, that these silly superstitious men had therein through their ignorance deceived themselves, and considered not that true Christians can never forsake jesus Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the world, neither will they honour religiously any other as God; because they know the true God, and him which alone (as he addeth) ought to be served religiously. 
The piety of Clement.  Likewise Clement (according to your opinion) successor unto the Apostle S. Peter, teacheth us in his recognitions and Apostolical institutions, that it is not lawful for the Christians to pray unto the departed, as the Heathen did, but that all our meditations and prayers ought to be addressed only unto God, and that no man is permitted to come unto him but through his Son and our Advocate jesus Christ.  
Also Irenaeus testifieth in his second book, 
A testimony of Irevaeus.  and 57 chapter, that in his days the Church was exercised in works of piety and charity, and not by the invocation of Angels and Saints departed, nor in enchantments, or any other wicked curiosity, but addressing purely and manifestly their prayers to the Lord, who made all things, and in the name of jesus Christ, according to the necessity of every one. Clement Alexandrine treating upon this subject, was sore grieved at the Christians, which worshipped the spirits of the deceased, 
A reproach of Clement Alexandrine.  saying in his 7. book, that it is a great brutishness to crave any thing of those which were not Gods. And hereupon having respect unto the true rule of invocation, the which he followeth with the rest of all the Christians, after the imitation of the Angels, he addeth, That whereas there is but one only good, that is God, both we and the Angels pray unto him either to give us or to let us have such blessings, as he knoweth to be healthful for us. And in his first book of pedagogy, chap. 7. jesus Christ (saith he) is our schoolmaster, who as children hath led us unto everlasting life, and hath taken care of us. And if we suffer ourselves to be instructed, by this schoolmaster and conductor, we shall obtain all things of God, which we can justly demand of him. 
Tertullians' testimony.  The Church also with S. Tertullian hath followed this rule, who speaking of his fashion, and of all the Christian Church in his Apology, chap. 3. We pray (saith he) for the welfare of Emperors, unto the eternal God, the true God, the living God, and lift up our hands to heaven for them, beseeching God that it would please him to give unto them a long life, and empire without fear, a safe Court, a strong army, a faithful Magistrate, a loyal people, and a peaceable world. These things can I demand of none in my prayers, but of him from whom I know I can obtain them, because he only hath made them, and I am his servant which looks up to him alone, and unto whom he will grant them. 
Testimony from Origen.  The like also saith Origen against Celsus, lib. 8. We present (saith he) the first fruits only unto him, to, whom we address our prayers, to wit, unto God, having an high Priest which is entered the heavens even jesus Christ the Son of God, and we shall hold constantly the profession of this faith, so long as through the blessedness of God, and of his Son who hath manifested himself amongst us, we do remain alive: And although we know that not the devils, but the Angels over see the abundance of fruits, and the multiplication of cattle, yet nevertheless we must not give unto them that honour which is due only unto God: for God will not have it so, nor they unto whom such charges are committed; but they love us, because we offer no sacrifices unto them, nor have they any need of his odours; and we are but to pray unto one only God and to appease him, who is the Lord of all things, and to seek only his favour through piety and other virtues. In that prayer which S. Cyprian hath composed, 
An example of S. Cyprians.  and repeated so many times in memory of the benefit of the death and passion of our Lord jesus, he betaketh himself to none but to God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, without making any mention therein either of Angels or of Saints. I should be too long and troublesome to recite it at length, only we will content ourselves to propound briefly the conclusion thereof to the Reader, to the intent he may censure thereof: Through thy name Lord jesus (saith this good Father in the end of his prayer) deliver me from the power of the adversary, thou that are a mighty deliverer, and the advocate of our prayers for the requests of our souls, solicit night and day for my sins, present my prayer to thy Father; and thou Lord O holy Father deign to behold and look upon my prayers, as upon the offerings of Abel. Vouchsafe to deliver me from fire and eternal pain, and from all torments that thou hast prepared for the wicked, through our blessed Saviour jesus Christ, through whom be all praise, glory and honour to thee for ever and ever. 
An example of S. Hilaries.  In that most excellent prayer which S. Hilary made unto God, to beseech him to give him his grace to expound well the great mystery of the holy Trinity, he addresseth himself to none but unto God, building upon his promise, that to him which asketh he shall receive, to him which seeketh he shall find, and to him which knocketh it shall be opened. Also Eusebius in his books of preparation, showeth that in his days the Christians worshipped only God in spirit and truth. For what writeth he thereof in his 4. book of Preparation? We are taught (saith he) to serve religiously the only God of all creatures, 
Forcible reasons of Eusebius to prove that we are to invocate none but God.  and for this cause we attribute to him alone, the worship that appertains unto him, serving him only by way of religion. Afterward, treating in another place of the intercession of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, and the reasons wherefore the Christians call upon God, in the name of his only Son, first he rehearseth that it is because he being become man, and taken our flesh upon him, hath suffered for our sakes all manner of wrongs and reproaches. Secondly, because he prayeth unto his Father for us, and through his request which he makes unto his Father for us, repulseth behind us all our enemies both visible and invisible. Thirdly, because neither S. Paul, S. Peter, nor any of the other Saints have been crucified for us, but our only Redeemer jesus Christ: from whence he concludeth, that the intercession which he maketh unto his Father is proper to him, and incommunicable to the Saints, seeing he is the only high Priest, who once hath offered himself in a sacrifice to God his Father, both for us, for himself, and for man which he had taken out of the earth, who is ascended up into heaven, there to celebrate for us the spiritual sacrifices, to wit, our supplications which he presenteth unto God his Father, praying him with us, that for his sake he will be merciful and favourable unto us. According to which he giveth us this testimony of S. Denys Bishop of Alexandria in his Ecclesiastical story, lib. 7. cap. 10. who being called before Aemilian Governor of Egypt to render an account of his faith, and to answer unto his demands, and among the rest unto this, unto what God he and the other Christians address their prayers? He answereth him freely, that himself, nor the rest of the Christians did neither worship, or serve religiously any other, but that God which only is he who hath created of nothing, the heavens, the sea, the earth and all things which are in them. Moreover, he repeateth in this very history, lib. 10. cap. 4. that Paulin Bishop of tire, taught publicly both by mouth and writing, that Christ is our only Advocate, the only author of life, the alone giver of light, our great Physician, our King, our only Lord, and the Christ or anointed of God his Father, who alone is capable to make intercession in heaven for us, as he who hath borne our corruptions and sorrows upon him, who only hath established poor sinners again, which were not only half dead, but already rotten in their graves, and who heretofore and yet unto this present hath of his own gracious affection preserved us, contrary to our own hope and expectation. Finally, that none of those which are in heaven had that power to re-establish mankind, and to deliver him from the perdition whereinto he was fallen, but this only Saviour jesus Christ. Therefore to this intent it is written of Constantine the Emperor in the fourth book of his Ecclesiastical History, chap. 21, that he was so zealous at his prayers, and calling upon the name of God, that every day for certain hours he locked himself into some secret place of his palace, falling down upon his knees and speaking unto God, craving of him that which he had need of. Furthermore, 
A testimony given by Constatine, not to address our prayers but to God only.  that he commanded his officers and soldiers daily to pray for him and the prosperity of his kingdom, and to call only upon God, according to the rules and instructions of holy Scripture, and in praying to say, Lord we acknowledge no God but thee, thou art our King, we call upon thee for our succour, through thee we have obtained victories, from thee we expect felicity both present and to come.  
Moreover, because the Christians should not only invocate God the Father, but also his son jesus Christ, S. Athanasius disputing against the Arrians, to prove the Godhead of our Lord jesus Christ, groundeth principally his argument upon this holy and commendable custom of the ancient Church: Never any (saith he, ser. 4.) hath prayed to receive any thing of God and of the Angels, 
A necessary doctrine to refute the service of Angels.  or of some other creature: and never any man hath conceived such a form of words, as, God and the Angels grant it thee, but chose from the Father and the Son, because of the union, and uniform reason of giving. And as touching that that jacob, blessed Ephrai● and Masasseh, 
Gen. 48. 15. 16.  saying, The God which hath fod me all my life long unto this day. The Angel which hath delivered me from all ovill, bless the children, etc. He hath not joined with God the Creator, andy of the created Angels, and which of their own nature were Angels; he hath not for saken God his nourisher to crave his blessing of an Angel upon his little sons: but insomuch that he exprosly spoke of that Angel which had delivered him from all evil, he hath shown sufficiently, that his meaning was not to speak of any one of the Angels created, but of the Son of the Father, whom he joined as a companion with his Father in his prayers, by whom God delivereth such, as it pleaseth him; for he had acknowledged him for the Angel of the great Counsel, and hath not by his words signified any other than he alone which blesseth and delivereth from evil. For he meant not, that the blessing which be craved of God, should be given to him and his little sons by an Angel, but by him only which elsewhere he prayeth unto, saying, 
Gen. 32. 26.  I will never forsake thee except thou bless me. And he was God, as Jacob's words make mention when he saith, I have seen God face to face: and unto him (say I) jacob prayed for to bless his children. For jacob called upon no other than God, saying, Lord deliver me from the hands of my brother Esau, etc. Nor David also called on no other for his deliverance, saying, Lord I have cried unto thee in my tribulation, and thou hast heard me; Lord deliver my soul from lying lips, etc. Likewise the Apostle S. Paul: God in whom we have hoped, hath delivered me from evil, and will deliver me, etc. And thereby thou mayst perceive that it appertaineth to none but unto God, to bless and deliver: for no other could deliver jacob but God, and jacob called only upon him as his deliverer. It appeareth then that this Patriarch did not couple with God any one is his prayers, but the Word of God, (of whom S. john writeth, to wit, that in the beginning it was God & with God.) which Redeemer he calleth an Angel, because it is he alone which revealeth and showeth God unto us: and which thing the Apoctl● S. Paul doth also oftentimes, when he saith, Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ. And in his second sermon it is written: Be my protector, O God, and a fortress for my refuge, to the end thou mayst defend me. Item, The Lord is made the refuge of the poor, and all the rest which is found semblable in the holy Scripture. But if our adversaries maintain, that these words have been spoken of the Son, as it is most likely, let them then know, that the Saints do not entreat of a creature, that he should be their aid, and hereafter let them refer these words (he hath been made, he hath made, he hath created) to Christ's coming in the flesh, when he hath taken up to the cross our sins upon him and said, Come unto me all ye which are laden, and I will ease you.  
In like manner Arnobius in his dispute against the Pagans, 
A grave exhortation of Arnobius.  who through the intercession made unto their little gods and mediators, addressed themselves to the principals, signifieth unto them in his third book, that to serve the Godhead it sufficeth us to worship the chiefest God, who is the sovereign Father, the supreme Lord, Creator and conductor of all things, and that in him only we serve whatsoever is to be served religiously, and worship whatsoever is to be worshipped. And in the end he concludeth, speaking to the Gentiles of the intercession of our only advocate jesus Christ, Ye must learn (saith he, of us) that souls cannot receive the force of life and salvation from any, but from him, which this great king hath established in this charge; because the almighty Emperor was willing that he should be the way unto salvation, and, as I may say, the gate of life; through him there is an entrance into light, for by no other way can we attain, or enter in by force, all other be shut up, inaccessible, and fortified with an inumcible fortress.  
All these prayers and exhortations of the first successors of the Apostles are as so many faithful witness, 
The invocation of one only God hath remained entire, after the nativity of Christ, notwithstanding the assaults of Satan.  which all with one consent do testify, that these ancient Fathers have maintained carefully the adoration of one only God, to wit, of the Father, the Son, and of the holy Ghost, more than for three hundred years after the nativity of our Lord jesus Christ. And although that shortly after some Monks and disciples of the Gentiles, newly come forth of Egypt and Syria, with the old leaven of their idolatries, sought to bring up the invocation of Angels and Saints departed, into the Christian Church; yet was it not received of all, but only of some particular persons, which were reproved and condemned therefore, aswell by the judgement and sentences of the Churches of Asia assembled in the Council of Laodicea, as by many other excellent discourses of the principal Bishops of the Greek and Latin Churches. The sentence of the general Council of all the Churches of Asia is described unto us by S. Theodoret in his Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Colossians, and the exposition of those words of the Apostle contained in the second chapter, 
Coloss. 2. 18.  and 18 verse, to wit, Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you by humbleness of mind, and worshipping of Angels, 
A sentence of S. The●dorets.  etc. Those (saith Theodoret) which forbade the law, seduced them to worship Angels, alleging that the law had been given by them. Now this sin remained for a long time in Phrygia and Pisilia, till that the Council assembled in Laodicea, the capital city o' Phrygia, forbade them by an express law not to pray unto the Angels: so that yet unto this day is to be seen among their neighbours the Oratories of S. Michael. Now because they counseled the Christians under the cloak of humility to worship the Angels, S. Paul commandeth them the contrary, that they should beautify all their sayings and deeds with the remembrance of our Lord jesus Christ. Givo thanks (saith he) unto God the Father through him, and not by the Angels. And the Synod of Laodicea following this law, as willing to cure this ancient malady, ordained and provided by another law, that they should not pray unto the Angels, to the end they should not forsake our Lord jesus Christ.  
Now it resteth in us to see whether our Fathers have not taken great pains to have plucked up the roots of this darnel and dangerous weed, 
Not to err in points of Religion, we must not give ear but to the pure word of God.  which the devil (sworn enemy against the glory of God) had sown by night among the good grain of the pure invocation of the Lords name. True it is that in the beginning some have sown this wicked seed under the shadow of devotion: others have received it to a good end and intention; and some others not seeing to it before hand, giving it too long a time of growth, it sprouted up higher and higher, and finally would have overtopped the truth and have stifled it; they suffered it to grow for a time with the good grain: but when they perceived that this baneful weed began to over grow and choke that which by the Apostles had been planted in the Church, and watered by their successors, they then were constrained wholly to root it out, 
The doctrine of Epiphanius, an ancient Doctor for the true invocation.  beginning this holy labour first in the East, and went forward with it towards the West. For S. Epiphanius and divers others of the servants of God in the Eastern Churches, having understood that some superstitious women presented certain cakes to the Virgin Mary, took occasion from thence to reprove this abuse, and to admonish them thereof in general, that they should not honour the Saints beyond measure, but to honour their Lord, and so consequently such as had been seduced aught to renounce their errors, and to consider that Mary is not God, nor hath any celestial body: but that she is of the conception of man and woman, who (as Epiphanius saith in his Treatise of Heresit) steepeth in honour, is dead in charity, and hath received her crown in virginity: let none then (concludeth he) offer up in her name, for if he do, he loseth his soul. Moreover, he condemneth these women of heresy by these words: In them is accomplished that which was foretold, some shall revolt from the wholesome doctrine, betaking themselves to fables and the doctrine of devils: for there shall be some (saith he) which shall give divine honours to the dead, as heretofore they honoured them in Israel. And the glory of the Saints in their time in opposition to God, was an error for others which saw not the truth. And this little have we considered and written to such as will learn the truth in the Scripture, and not to brave it out through vain discourses, neither to arm themselves with a blasphematorie tongue; so that if some will not suffer them, nor receive these profitable things, but rather the contrary, we must say to him, how little soever we are, that he which heareth, let him understand, and he which is disobedient, let him disobey, and let him trouble us nor the Apostles no more. For we have spoken of the holy Virgin what we deemed to be the most religious and the most profitable for the Church. Afterward, he addresseth himself to these women, 
A grave censure of the feminine superstition.  and rebuketh them, in that they had decked a chariot or a four squared chair, spreading a linen vail over it, and set it once a year before the virgin Mary, and presented thereon to her certain loaves of bread for the space of some days. He calleth this superstition a heresy, and the root of all idolatry, women's rage, a false opinion, eves malady, who by the serpent was deceived, the promise of error proceeding from that wicked beast, which bringeth forth no goodness, neither accomplisheth the things promised, but calleth those which are not as though they were, the cause of death, the mistress and guide unto disobedience, and revolt from the truth itself: Item, a diabolical enterprise, a cursed affection to the forging of Idols inspired of the devil, which under the cloak of righteousness ordinarily creepeth into the spirits of men, and through divers cunning sleights deifieth a mortal nature. Also he compareth the idolatry of these women unto the adultery and whoredom of common strumpets, which heat themselves in the superfluity of many beds; and trample under their feet the chaste company of one legitimate husband. 
The virgin Mary is sanctified, but not defied, and aught to be honoured, but not worshipped.  Hereupon he confesseth that which these superstitious women were able to propound unto him, namely, that the body of the Virgin was holy: whereunto he answereth, that she was not therefore God; that she was a virgin worthy of all honour, but not given us from God to be adored, but that even she herself hath worshipped him, who of her was borne according to the flesh, and who is descended from heaven out of the bosom of his Father. Therefore ye may see (saith he) why the Gospel fortifieth us, 
None was able to know better than jesus Christ how much the virgin ought to be glorified.  reciting what the Lord himself said unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. To the intent that none should presume of more than appertaineth unto this holy virgin, neither should attribute too much excellency unto her, he calleth her woman, as prophesying of the things which should come to pass in the world, by reason of partialities and heresies, lest that some in admiring her too much, should fall into the roming of this heresy: for the whole discourse of this story is but trash, and, as I may term it an old woman's tale. Moreover, to take away the occasion of all excuses and replies, he cleanly cutteth it off, and saith, that never any Scripture hath taught us this kind of adoration, nor that any of the Prophets have ever commanded us to worship a man, much less a woman. Verily she is (saith Epiphanius) an excellent chosen vessel, 
The Saints are more to be honoured for having believed, than the virgin Mary, who bore the Son of God in her belly, or as Simeon which bore him between his arms.  yet notwithstanding she is a woman, whose nature hath not in any thing been changed; but as she that in honour hath been raised up, as the body of the Saints; and if more may be said in her honour, like as Elias a virgin from the belly of his mother, which always kept his virginity, was taken up into heaven, and saw no death: or as john whom the Lord loved, and who leaned upon his bosom, or as holy Thecla; but Mary is to be honoured much more than these, because of the dispensation of that secret whereof as worthy she was reputed. But Elias, though he yet be living, ought not to be worshipped, nor john; albeit that by his own prayer he made his death to be admired, or received this grace from God rather, no nor Theela, nor any 〈◊〉 Saint ought to be adored: The reason is, because (saith he) that the ancient error should not domineer over us, that in forsaking the living God, we should not worship the things which he hath created. For they have worshipped and served the creature, ha●ing forsaken the Creator, and are become fools. For if he will not suffer us to adore the Angels, much less her that is borne of Anna, who to Anna was given by joaechim, she that through prayers and all devotion was given according to the promise made to her father and mother: and who in that respect is borne no otherwise, then according to the nature of others, 
The end wherefore jesus Christ would take his flesh of woman, was not to the intent that she should be worshipped, but that the world might believe that he had taken out nature upon him.  but as all of the seed of man, and out of the womb of a woman. For although the story of Mary and the traditions do report, that it was said to her father joachim in the wilderness, Thywife hath conceived, yet was it not said, that it should be without copulation, or without the seed of man. But the Angel which was sont, foretold that which was to come, to the intent we should not enter into doubt, because of that which in truth hath been done, as already it had been ordained and promised to the righteous: and we see that the Scripture in many places declareth it to be so God then being descended out of heaven hath form himself of the Virgin, as of earth, the Word having taken his flesh of the Virgin Mary: nevertheless, not to that end that the Virgin should be worshipped, neither to the intent that he would deify her, nor with meaning that we should offer up in her name. Hereupon returning to the first original of the error of these women, he crieth out, saying, From whence then is come this crooked Dragons from whence are these crooked Counsels renewed? let Mary be in honour, but let the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost be worshipped; let none worship Mary, nor any other woman, no nor a man likewise, for this mystery is due only but to God. The Angels themselves are not capable of such an honour, therefore let the covetousness of the tree be taken away from before your eyes: let the creature return unto his Creator, 
She which is bound to worship, is not capable of being worshipped.  let Adam with Eve come again to reverence and serve God only, let her be no more seduced by the Serpent's voice; but let her abide in the commandment of God, Thou shalt not eat of the tree. This tree was not the error, but by the tree came the disobedience of error: let none then eat of the error, which is for the Virgin Maries sake; for although the tree be fair, it is not therefore good to be eaten. And though that Mary be exceeding fair, holy, and to be honoured, yet is she not to be worshipped. But these women renew a mixtion at hab nab, and prepare a table not for God, but for the devil; let jeremy stay and withhold these peevish women, that they may not trouble the world, nor say no more, We honour the Queen of Heaven. 
Honour beseemeth all the Saints, but adoration belongeth to God only.  Whereupon briefly concluding his discourse, he saith, Let Mary be in honour, and let the Lord be worshipped. For the righteous (saith he) give no occasion of error to any one, God is not tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man, nor likewise his servants to deceive us.  
If this holy Father had such zeal and courage to cry out so loud against these women in his time, which offered but a cake unto the Virgin Mary, and that all the East trembled for it; what would he do at this day, if he heard the prayers of your jesuits, wherein they ioune ordinarily the Virgin Mary with the holy Trinity, saying, To God one in Trinity, and to the mother of God, Mary always virgin be glory and thanks giving unte eternity? What would he say of your prayer contained in the Psalter, approved by the Doctors of Sotbon, and judged not only worthy, but also very profitable to be published, in which you say to the Virgin Mary: My only succour, 
If the Virgin could speak from heaven, she would rebuke these blasphen atory vows & p●ayers which they make unto her.  my lips are bound to publish no other praises than thine, I have put all my hope in thee, to thee only I address my prayers, I will love no other than thee; by thee the head of the Serpent hath been bruised by thee the world is repaired, thy power is boundless, unto thee I confess my sins, into thy hands I remit my soul: Come unto Mary ye which have th●rst, pray unto her, that with her water she will wash away the filthiness of your sins; promised woman to bruise the Serpent pray for us; which suffered'st on the cross with Christ, take pity on us. What would he judge of justus Lipsius, who putting out his eyes wherewith he had seen the light of truth in Holland and who not long ago hath abused his pen to renew and disguise through the craft and cunning of his tongue, the false rumours of the miracles of the Ladies of Hates and of Montague? would he not liken this golden fable of Lipsius, and the flourish of prayers which you make to the Virgin Mary, to the Cantarids and green flies, which are of colour very fair and shining like gold, and yet are very dangerous and full of venom, which they spew up, and cast on every side upon the trees and fruits of the earth? would he not cry out much more louder and far more rougher against your superstitions, 
Our prayers one for another be witnesses only of our obedience to God, and the charity we beat unto our neighbour, which cannot be 〈◊〉 into the intercession of the Son of God.  than he did in times passed for the presenting but of a cake to the Virgin Mary? Had he not greater reason to call the praises and prayers which daily you offer to the holy Virgin, the instruments of error, diabolical enterprises, a spiritual adultery, a doctrine blasphematorie, and finally a forging Idol heresy? Now as for Chrysostome, he teacheth us in his sermons, and upon the exposition of the formular of the prayer which jesus Christ gave unto his Disciples, that God requireth not of us, that we should address our prayers to any other, but only unto him, and to his Son jesus Christ our sole Mediator, to induce him to receive and hear our supplications. And albeit that God in his word hath commanded us to succour one another with our mutual prayers, with promise to hear us, notwithstanding, he showeth us, that to purchase the favour of God, we have no need of any other help, then by addressing ourselves to our only Saviour jesus Christ, we have free access unto his grace, and stand sure in the same. God (saith he in his fifth sermon upon the 8. chapter of S. Matthew) will not grant us so much of his grace, at the request of them which pray for us, as when we ourselves pray, to the end we might use freedom in speaking to him, and that desiring to reconcile him unto us, we may reform ourselves. For so took he pity on the Canaanitish woman, 
We have no need or ●ny other Intercessors t●en we ourselves; ●n that we pray in the name of the Son of God.  so on the thief without either the intercession of advocate or mediator. And wilt thou learn this, that we in praying for ourselves do more good with God then when others pray for us? The Canaanitish woman cried, and as the disciples came unto him they besought Christ, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us; and Christ jesus answered, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel: but when she came herself and continued on her crying▪ saying. Truth Lord, yet indeed the whelps eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table, than he did her good, and said: Be it unto thee as thou desirest. Thou mayst see ho● he put her off when others prayed for her, and heard her when she herself prayed. In like manner, in his 16. sermon upon certain texts of the Gospel, according to S. Matthew, he saith, Is God far from thee, that thou goest to seek him in some place? He is not shut up in any place, but always he is by thee. And he which no place can contain, faith will contain him. For if thou wilt pray unto a man, thou inquirest what he doth, and he to whom thou speakest heareth thee dreamingly, or hath not the leisure, or will not vouchsafe to answer thee. With God all this is needless, but in what place soever thou art if thou callest on him he is at hand: Thou ●ast no need of an usher, mediator, or servant, do but say, take pity on me, and as soon as thou hast spoken he is there; neither canst thou have finished thy speech, but he will say, here I am. Again, in his discourse upon the Canaanitish woman, Tell me woman, how dared thou address thyself to jesus Christ, thou which art sinful and wicked? I knew well what I do, answered she. Behold the wisdom of the woman, she prayeth not to james, she addresseth not herself to Peter, she cares not for all the Apostles: she seeketh no Mediator, but in stead of all these, she taketh repentance along with her for her con●vanion, which was in place of a Mediator for her, and so is gone unto the sovereign fountain. For (said she) therefore is he descended from heaven, therefore took he flesh upon him, and made himself man, that I might dare to speak to him; 
A contrite heart is that which can lead us unto God.  above in heaven the Cherubims tremble before him, the Seraphi●s fear him, and here beneath on earth a woman of a wicked life speaketh unto him, and saith, have mercy on me: o admirable! above trembling, beneath boldness! have mercy on me, I have no need of a Mediator. He repeateth this doctrine in his treatise of Repentance. God only (saith he) can cure the heart, who hath made the heart of every one, and who every day understandeth our affairs. He then can enter into our consciences (which is not possible for the Angels and Saints departed) to touch our spirits, and bow our souls. Knowing then these things, let us have our recourse unto God, who will and can separate our vexations. For when we have to do with men, to obtain any thing at their hands, we must first meet with porters, then persuade flatterers, and oftentimes take a great journey. With God there is no such thing, without either mediator or spokesman he is inclined to hear thee, without either money or charge he yieldeth to thy prayer: 
It is a great folly in men to address themselves to their equals, which often pace them with excuses, in stead of bringing them strait unto God, who is ready to hold his arms open to receive them.  It is sufficient if thou criest only to him with thy heart, or sheadest thy tears, he is then quickly moved to mercy. He addeth upon the fourth Psalm: Thou canst not say, I am afraid to come near and pray unto God, for thou hast no need of any ushers which should bring thee unto him, nor guards, nor friends: but when thou art alone by thyself, then is the principal time in which he will hear thee, for even so did he with the Canaanitish woman: when Peter and james came unto him, he did not grant her request, but when she persisted on, than he gave her that which she craved. From whence he draweth this conclusion, in his sermon of the profit and advancement of the Gospel: Thou hast no need of any advocates unto God, nor of any long discourse: but although thou be'st alone, 
The faithful man is never better accompanied, then when he prayeth alone in his closet.  without an advocate, and prayest thyself unto God, thou shalt obtain thy desire.  
Touching the intercession of the Saints departed, he determineth nothing thereof particularly: but writing to R●parius he admonisheth us in general●, that we ought not to worship, neither Relics, Angels, nor any other creature whatsoever. And so oft as he treateth of prayer, he exhorteth us not to have our recourse to any creature, but unto God only: and to follow in our prayers that form of prayer and instruction of our Lord jesus Christ, which he recommendeth unto us in his 14 Sermon upon S. Matthew, where he saith, that he which prayeth not as Christ hath taught, 
None can do more with the Father then the Son.  is none of Christ's disciples, and that the Father willingly heareth the prayer, which his Son hath indicted, because the Father knoweth the intention and words of his Son; neither receiveth any thing but what his wisdom hath expounded, rejecting all that men have invented and followed through custom and usurpation. So is it then, that jesus Christ the only Son of God hath taught us to call upon our heavenly Father, but in his name. And S. Chrysostome expounding the fifth verse of the first Epistle to Timothy, Chap. 2. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, which is the man Christ jesus, noteth upon this place that Christ to be our Mediator, aught to be joined with God and Man, and that if he were separated from the substance of the Father, and had no natural communion therewith, he could in no wise be our Mediator. And to the end▪ we should not think that God is pleased with doing us good, and giving ●are to our requests, for the sake and merit of any other Saint, he signifieth to us, that all men (except our Redeemer jesus Christ) have been defiled here with some sin. God (saith he, in his 40. Sermon on Genesis) permitted that sometimes the righteous through their own will should fall into sin, to the intent that he alone should be without sin. From hence it chanced that Abraham hath sinned through infidelity, and Moses through ingratitude, not glorifying God, who gave him water out of the rock. And in his 45. Sermon upon S. Matthew, he maketh mention of the Virgin Maries ambition, which moved her to importune our Lord jesus Christ to do miracles. And upon this sentence of the 14. Psalm and third verse, There is none that doth good, no not one, he citeth again for confirmation hereof, the vices and imperfections of the Virgin Mary, and of all the Disciples of our Lord jesus Christ, saying that when Christ was crucified, there was none that did good: all his Disciples fled away, john stark naked, Peter denied him, and the s●ord of doubt or diffidence pierced the soul of the Virgin Mary.  
Among other arguments, which your Doctors use to verify that which you have proposed in the beginning of your Epistle, to wit, that the Church hath taught & approved the invocation of Saints for the space of 1605. years: behold one of the principal saith, namely, that the Gentiles (into which number julian the Apostate ranked himself) called the Christians Idolaters, aswell for the veneration of Saints, as for that of Angels. But to refute your proposition, and to discover the falsehood thereof, I will here cite that answer which S Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria gave expressly to julian the Apostate, 
A lie given to julian the Apostate.  upon that false accusation and reproach: It is not so as thou thinkest (replied S. Cyril to julian the Emperor) that we deify a man, and that we should not give the honour of adoration to him which by nature is God; but we say rather, that the Word proceeded from the Father, by whom all things have been created, and who ordained to save mankind hath taken flesh, and hath been made man. He is not worshipped (as thou sayst, and wouldst believe) in that he is man; for why should we say so, but acknowledging that this man which appeared to us is the Word of God? we go unto him in as much as he is also God, and who came from God the immutable Father. As for the Martyrs, we reckon them not as Gods, neither have we accustomed (note this word) to worship them: we only praise them and honour them with great honours, because valiantly they have fought for the truth, and in that they ●eld the purity of their faith, even to despise their own lives. Besides, thy Plato saith of such as have lived well and died honourably, that they are made Demons, 
To deprive the Saints of unmeet adoration, is not to frustrate them from their due reverence.  that is to say, Gods, and that after their death they ought to be served, and their sepulchres worshipped. But as for us, we say not that the holy Martyrs are made Gods, but have accustomed to honour them as much as may be, yielding them every where in recompense of their noble virtues, a memory that never perisheth, Neither shall you ever prove, that we worship men, or should attribute to them the glory of God. He showeth the like in his books of the Trinity, and in his Commentaries upon the Gospel of S. john: We come not unto God (saith he in his first book of the holy Trinity) otherwise then by Christ. And in his third book: Our faith justifieth, and maketh us familiar with God, and advanceth us near unto him. This faith is not simply in the man, but in the nature of God; and in as much as the Word was in the flesh. And in his Treatise of true faith: Our faith, and hope is in God, when Christ then said, believe in me, doth he not manifestly show that he is God? And if in the Spirit of the Son, we have confidence in calling upon the Father; how is not Christ then god also, after that the Word was made flesh? Which he more amply and clearly expoundeth in his discourse upon the exhortation, which Christ made to his Disciples before his departure out of this world, to pray unto the Father in his name, oftentimes promising to them, that they should obtain whatsoever they demanded of his Father in his name. 
Seeing Christ commandeth us to pray unto the Father in his name, he excludeth all other names.  He addeth, In my name, (saith S. Cyril) to show that he is the Mediator, and that the Father communicateth his blessings to us, through the Son, by whom we have access to the Father in the Spirit, as it is written. Therefore he calleth himself the gate, and the way; because (saith he) no man cometh unto the Father but by me. For in as much as he is the Son & God, he giveth us his blessings with the Father. Which S. Paul minding to show us, said, Grace be with you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ, But in so much that he is Mediator, Highpriest and Advocate, he presenteth our prayers to God, for he alone giveth us liberty and boldness unto the Father. We must then pray in the saviours name, if we will be heard of the Father. None can be made holy or sanctified by the rule of living well, but through the help and intercession of Christ, 
The Father will never yield unto any, but 〈◊〉 in whom he hath taken his good pleasure.  nor joined also to the Father, but through his mediation. He permitteth us in no wise to ask any thing from his Father, but in his name only, and promiseth that his Father will readily grant it us. And in his fourth book upon the Prophet Esay: All prayers are directed by Christ, for by him we make our demands to God his Father, and by him we make our prayers, confessing also that God is in him. And in another place: To whom behoveth it better, to grant unto the Saints their desires, and to give them that which they require, then to him which only is naturally and verily God? 
The Saints have received the crowns of righteousness, but they cannot give them.  The Saints who have been sanctified through the communication of God, which sanctifieth them, may well preserve this gift, if so be they keep his commandments: but they cannot sanctify others. For no man sanctified through the communication of the holy Ghost, hath the power to communicate this grace to others. There is none but the only fountain of holiness, which of itself can give this holiness to all. The Saints then who have received this gift through grace and through communication, cannot distribute it to others at their pleasure: but the Son, who is the fountain of holiness, sanctifieth his Disciples, saying, Receive ye the holy Ghost. All which are arguments worthy to be noted, whereby Saint Cyril rebuketh the folly of such as forsake the wellspring of living waters, to search broken cisterns which will contain no water. S. Ambrose doth no less upon this subject in his sermons and discourses. For in his Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Romans, he mocketh those greatly, who in stead of praying personally to God, and should not speak to him but in the name of his well beloved Son, do betake themselves to the Saints deported, as to his faithful vassals and familiar friends to approach unto his divine Majesty, and to obtain his grace through their entreaty and intercession. He compareth them to the Heathen and Idolaters of whom the Apostle S. Paul speaketh in his first chapter of that said Epistle, counting themselves wise (saith he) they became fools; and when they were ashamed that they had forsaken God, they accustomed to use a miserable excuse for themselves, saying they had access unto God through them, as in a Court by the Earls and Lords one hath access unto the King. But I pray you is there any man so foolish, 
Whosoever is called aught to come unto God without waiting for any other name.  and so careless of his preservation, as to attribute to an Earl, the honour of his King, sith that in using him so, it is by right high treason? and will not those men think themselves to be guilty, which attribute to the creature, the honour due unto his Creator, and abandon their Lord, to adore their fellow servants? For surely the reason why men come unto the King, by officers or Earls, is, because the King is a man, and knoweth not whom to trust unto in his Commonweal. But to procure▪ God to be favourable unto us, from whom nothing is hid, and who knoweth what is in every one of us, there is no need of any intercessor or spokesman, but of a devout spirit: for in what place soever such a man will speak unto him he answereth him. And in his third book of the Holy Ghost, 
The sighs of the heart penetrate the heavens.  and 12. chapter, We must not adore any thing beside God; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. If then the mystery of the incarnation is to be adored, as a work of the holy Ghost, according as it is written, The holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Son of God; without all doubt the holy Ghost also ought to be worshipped, seeing we worship him, who according to the flesh was conceived by the holy Ghost. But let no man strain that unto the Virgin Mary; 
We ought to worship in the Temple, but not the Temple.  she was the temple of God, but not the God of the Temple: and therefore he only ought to be adored, which wrought in that temple. And upon the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians: The Apostle (saith he) hath declared from the beginning, how exceeding great and infinite the omnipotence of Christ is, to the intent to teach us, that it is he alone in whom we must put our trust; because that through him all things are, and nothing can live without him either in heaven or earth. 
The Father hath exalted his Son above all creatures, by that voice which speak from heaven, Hear him.  So that if any one think he ought to affectate his devotion to some one of the elements, to the Angels, or to the superior powers, let him know that he erreth. Therefore Christ ought only to be heard, and only served by way of religion, and none ought to be esteemed of in respect of him, because he which is the head, hath all others subject to him, for he which humbleth himself before his subjects erreth; because that in holding not on the head, he is a stock, that is, he is like unto a twig cut off from the tree, and which hath no root, in such sort, that such a man is without the head, whereof (saith he) dependeth the life of the rest of that body. Also upon his admonition of S. Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians, chap. 2. vers. 8. Beware lest there be any man that spoil you through Philosophy, and vain deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. He declareth that through vain deceit and traditions of men, we must understand the superstition which serveth the world for a Religion, and not God, which is one, and which leadeth us not to jesus Christ, in whom is the perfection of the Godhead. Moreover, Saint Jerome in his disputes against Vigilantius, speaking generally of the Christians in his time: We shorship not (saith he) nor serve by way of Religion, neither Angels, nor Archangels, nor Cherubin's, nor Seraphins, nor any name which is named, neither in this present world, nor in the world to come, lest we should rather serve the creature, than the Creator, which is blessed eternally. S. Cyprian proceedeth further, and saith in his fifth Sermon of such as are fallen: Cursed is the man which putteth his hope in man. We must pray unto the Lord, and call upon God the Father in the name of his Son jesus Christ: as he himself expoundeth it, in his excellent discourse upon the Lord's Prayer: where he admonisheth us, that there is no prayer more certain, or more pleasing to the Father, then that which by the mouth of his Son hath been pronounced, who is the Truth, and that to pray otherwise than he hath taught us, is not only ignorance, 
The sin of those which pray in another name than jesus, participates not so much of ignorance, as of scorn.  but an absurd fault, and like to that of the jews, whom the Lord rebuketh, that they did reject the commandment of God, to establish their own traditions. Let us pray then (saith he) even as our Lord hath taught us. Prayer is acceptable to God, when as we pray with a prayer which is his own, and that we send up into his ears the words of his Son. The Father knows the language of his Son, when we make to him our prayer. L●t him that dwelleth in your hearts be in your voice, and upon your tongue. And seeing that the Son is our Advocate, whensoever we crave pardon for our faults, let us take our Advocates words 〈◊〉 our mouth: for sith he saith, that whatsoever we shall ask of the Father in his name, it shall be granted us; when can our prayers then take greater force, if not when we call upon him with that prayer which himself hath made?  
According to which S. Cyril teacheth us in his 16 book upon the 17 chapter of S. john, 
God will never reject the requests which himself hath commanded us to address unto him.  That if we would be heard of the Father, we must pray in the name of our Saviour. And S. Lactantius saith, That they which pray unto the dead, shall bear the pain of their impiety and wickedness. Likewise S. Ambrose, That those which forsake the living God, to seek after the dead, are accounted among the dead. For, as he expoundeth it himself in his book of Isaac, and of the blessed life, saith, that, jesus is our mouth, by which we speak unto the Father, our eye, by which we behold the Father, and our right hand▪ whereby we offer ourselves unto the Father: without the which Mediator, these is no approaching unto God, neither for us, nor for any of the Saints. And S. Austin, who sometimes was an Auditor of S. Ambroses' Sermons▪ saith the like thereof upon the 105. Psalm; to wit, that the prayer which is not made through Christ; Christ not only cannot blot out the sin, but turneth it also into sin. Also on the 29. Psalm, If we consider (saith he) what God thundereth forth by S. john, as it were out of a cloud, saying, do the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God. 〈…〉 was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. In it was life, and the life was the light of men. 
It is the humanity in our Mediator which prayeth for us, and his Godhead which decreeth upon our prayers.  And the light shined in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. Hitherto (saith he) 〈◊〉 find no prayer, nor cause▪ nor place of 〈◊〉. But because 〈◊〉 immediately after he saith, And the Word was made flesh, and d●●lt among us; thou hast a Godhead, to which thou addressest thy prayer, and a humanity which prayeth for thee. This was spoken by the Apostle, even since the resurrection of our Lord▪ which sitteth at the right hand of God and soliciteth for us, because he hath vouchsafed to be our Mediator. And what is he but a Mediator between God and men? not between the Father and men, but between God and men.  
What is that God? 
Christ being true man, cometh unto his equals, and through his righteousness he reuniteth them with God.  The Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. What are men? Sinners, contemners of God and mortal. Between this same Trinity, and the infirmity and iniquity of men, was made a Mediator a man not unjust, but nevertheless weak, to the end that in as much as 〈…〉, he might join us to God, in that that he was weak he might draw near to thee: and therefore to the intent he might be a mediator between God and men, the Word was made flesh, that is to say, the Word was made man. And upon this sentence our Lord jesus Christ saith, 
There is no way to come unto God, but by the Son of God himself.  I am the way, the truth● and the life▪ I am (saith the Lord) the truth; and the life▪ wilt thou 〈◊〉 I am the way: wilt thou not be deceived? I am the truth▪ wilt thou not die? I am the life. This thy Saviour saith, Thou hast nowhere to go but only to me; thou hast none to go by, but by me. Go by Christ man, and thou shalt come unto God● If thou goest to him, thou must go by him: seek not any way, by which thou mayst come unto him but by him; he was made the way by which thou art to come. I say not to thee, seek the way; he which is the way is come unto thee. Rise thou ●p and walk. Walk with manners and not with feet. Whosoever runneth out of this way, and not by him, the more he runneth, the more be strayeths; because he withdraweth himself the further out of the way. Moreover, upon the 94. Psalm: If thou seekest (saith he) thy Mediator to lead ●hee unto God, he is in heavens▪ & there prayeth for thee, even as he d●ed for thee in earth, being entered into the sanctuary of heaven, he only can present the prayers of the people, which have no near access unto God. The same author noteth the words of the Apostle S. john, 1. Epistle, chap. 2. vers. 1. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, jesus Christ the just. Where this Apostle taketh heed of making himself a companion with our advocate jesus Christ, Surely (saith he) he was a just and a great man, who drank out of the Lords bosom the secrets of his mysteries. Being notwithstanding such a man, 
The Apostle saith we have, and not you have, to show that he himself hath need of a Mediator.  he hath not said, ye have an advocate with the Father, but, If any man hath sinned, we have an advocate. Neither did he say, ye have, nor did he not say, ye have me, nor likewise ye have Christ: but he propoundeth Christ, and not himself, and said, we have, and not, ye have. He chose rather to rank himself in the number of sinners, to the end that Christ might be his advocate, then to place himself an advocate in stead of Christ, to be accounted among the damnable proud ones. Brethrens (saith he) we have an advocate with the Father, jesus Christ the just, he is the propitiation for our sins; who so holdeth that committeth no heresy, nor hath made any schism or party. For from whence are divisions come? from hence that men say, we are just, we sanctify the unclean, we justify the wicked, we pray, we obtain. But what said john? If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, jesus Christ the just. Again, in his disputation against Parmenian, lib. 2. cap. 2. If the Apostle S. john had said, He is the propitiation for your sinner, it should have seemed that he would have separated himself from sinners, as if he had had no need of that propitiation which by the Mediator is made, who sitteth at the right hand of the Father, and maketh request for us. Which if he had said, he had said it not only proudly, but falsely. 
The dignity of the Apostles hath not exempted them from the necessity of falling down at the feet of God.  Also if he had said, I have written to you, that ye might not sin: and if any man sin, ye have me for a Mediator with the Father, and I obtain the remission of your sins, as Parmenian, who in some place hath made the Bishop mediator between the people and God; what good and faithful Christians could have borne it? who would have respected him as the Apostle of Christ, and not rather as Antichrist? For Christian men (saith he) recommend one another unto God through their mutual prayers; but he which prayeth for all men, and for whom none prayeth, is the true and only Mediator. And for that his figure was represented to us, in the person of the Highpriest of the old Testament, it is not found that any should pray for the Priest. Likewise S. Paul recommendeth himself to the prayers of the faithful, as one of the members of Christ, 
The Apostle desired to be assisted with the prayer of the Saints, for as much as they were addressed to him, who is the head of the Saints.  neither doth he make himself any mediator between God and the people, but he requireth that all the members of the body of Christ pray for him; because that the prayers which the members make, that yet are labouring on the earth, mount up to the Head, which is gone before into heaven, in whom is the propitiation for our sins. Moreover, speaking of the Martyrs and other Saints departed, in his Treatise of true Religion, he expressly faith, that the service of the dead ought not to be reckoned among Christians for religion, and that we ought to honour them by way of imitation, and not to adore them by way of religion. His words are: Honorandi sunt propter imitationem, non adorandi propter religionem. And likewise of the Angels, We honour them (saith he) through charity, and not through service. And to the intent we might not think that we do wrong to the Saints departed and Angels, 
It is to dishonour the Saints, and to grieve them, ●o attribute to them, that which they know appertains unto God.  or should offend them in addressing or prayers only to God; he proveth by certain places of holy Scripture, that neither the Angels nor the Saints deceased, at any time heretofore or now would be worshipped of us; but that they rather call us back to our Creator, desiring that we should worship with them, the same and one only God, through whose contemplation they are blessed. Hear (●aith Saint Austin on the 96. Psalm) the Angel of the Lord, and the instructor of the Apostle S. john, who fell down before him to have worshipped him▪ at it is written in the 19 
Revel. 19 10.  chapter, and 10. verse of the Revelation. This Angel which sought not, but the glory of his Lord, said to him, Arise, what dost thou? worship God, I am thy fellow servant and one of thy brethren. What then, my brethren? let no man say I am afraid that an Angel should be angry if I serve him not in stead of my God: but he will be offended, when a● thou wouldst serve him, for he is good and loveth God. And as the Devils wax angry when they are not served, so Angels grow angry when they are served by way of religion in stead of God. 
The Angels and the faithful which know that God will not give his ●onor to another, of which he is jealous, will never present themselves to have part thereof.  And in his Meditations upon the 96. Psalm: Let us behold (saith he) the holy men, which were like to the Angels: when thou hast found out a holy man which is the servant of God, and if thou wouldst worship or serve him for God, he will hinder thee from it, because he will not be to thee in stead of God, but with thee under God. Even so did Paul and Barnabas for it, tearing their clothes told them, Men and brethren what do you? we are men subject to passion as ye are. Consider then these examples which show that godly men hinder such as would serve them by way of religion for Gods: and had rather that one only God be served, one only God worshipped, and that to him alone oblation be made. And so all Saints and Angels seek not, but the glory of this only God whom they love. They have no other study then to inflame us, and to draw by force all those that they love to his service, to his contemplation, and to the invocation of his holy name. The Angels declare this alone God, and not themselves. For, for that cause are they called Angels, that is to say, messengers of God, because they are his soldiers, they seek nothing but the glory of their Captain: if they seek after their own glory they are as tyrants condemned; and such the devils have been, who have filled the Temples of the Heathen, and have seduced them to set up Images for them, and to offer them sacrifices. And therefore he reproveth the folly and rashness of such, who seeking to return unto God, and were not of themselves able, had attempted this way to come unto God through the mediation of Angels and Saints departed: of whom he saith in his tenth book of his Confessions, chapter 42. that they were deceived through the craft of Satan, and through the just judgement of God were fallen into the desire of curious visions. At which he taking an occasion, describeth to us in that same place and many others the personal union of two natures, to wit, divine and human, which is to be found but only in our Redeemer jesus Christ, and proveth beside, that without this union jesus Christ himself▪ could not have been capable to accomplish the office of a Mediator between God and men. 
If jesus Christ were but simply men, he could not be capable to bring us unto God.  It behoveth (saith he) that the true Mediator between God and men, had something like unto God, and something like unto man▪ Lest that being in the 〈◊〉 and in the other like unto men, he should have been too far from God, and in the one and in the other like unto God; he should have been too far from men, and so could have been no Mediator. 
By the vail of Christ's humanity we enter into the Sanctuary.  This true Mediator (saith he) which God hath shown to the humble through his secret mercy, hath appeared between mortal sinners, and the immortal just one being mortel with men and that forasmuch as the reward of justice is life and peace; just with God, that through a justice joined with God, he might abolish the death of sinners, which he would have in common with them. Behold therefore (saith he, addressing himself to God the Father) I have (in good earnest) my strong hope in him which sitteth at thy right hand, and believe that thou wilt heal all my griefs through him, who maketh intercession for us unto thee, without that I should despair, etc.  
Likewise in his 28 epistle, which he wrote to S. Jerome: I know (saith he) there is not so much as one only soul in all mankind for the deliverance of which the Mediator between God and men, which is the man Christ jesus, was not necessary. And in his second book of the visitation of the sick, he faith, There is no salvation but in one only jesus Christ, there is no other name given unto men under heaven, by which man can be saved. 
We ought not to fly from the means of him, who hath suffered for our miseries.  Let us then familiarly turn our faces towards our Mediator, who knoweth how to have compassion of our infirmities. I speak more joyfully, and more assuredly to my jesus, then to any of the holy celestial spirits; because God hath vouchsafed to be made that which I am. He hath taken the seed of Abraham, and not the Angels to be our Highpriest, merciful and faithful in the things toward God, to the end to make a reconciliation for our sins.  
Now as S. Austin preached this doctrine to the Hipponians for the space of forty years, to wit, from the year of our Lord jesus Christ about 391, unto the year 430; so would he confirm it by his writings which I have alleged, and by many forms of prayer which he made to God only: which here I cannot cite, except I should bring in some of his whole books, which is in no wise necessary, seeing that by those pieces and parcels which I have already produced out of them, every man may perceive what was the doctrine of S. Augustine concerning this matter. Which was approved by the Counsels in which he was present, and namely by the third Council of Carthage, wherein was ordained to all Christians by an express article, that they evermore should address their prayers to God the Father, and to use no prayers composed by any for his own use, 
As from ill manner good laws are proceeded, so are calumnies against the truth of the constitutions of Counsels and good Doctors.  if first they had not conferred them with some one of their best instructed brethren. I will annex hereunto that which S. Austin himself testifieth, in the first book of the manners of the Catholic Church. How the true Christians and Catholics have followed this rule in his time to stop the mouths of the Manicheans, and Doctors of the Heathen, which upbraided them that the Christians did call upon the Saints: Cull me not out (saith he) from the professors of the Christian name, such as know not, neither do follow the virtue of their profession, search not out (against me) the troops of the ignorant, which are superstitious even in the true religion, and so much given to their like, that they have forgotten what they promised unto God: I know there are many which adore the sepulchres, etc. And it is no marvel among so many people. Leave off in time then, I pray you, from detracting the Catholic Church, in blaming the fashions of such as itself doth condemn, and daily seek to correct them as unto ward children. And in his answer to the false accusations of a certain Philosopher called Maximus: To answer thee briefly (saith he) because thou mightest pretend no ignorance, and that it should not draw thee into a scandalising s●criledge, know this that the Christian Catholics (of whom even in your town there is a Church established) do not serve religiously any of the dead, nor worship in stead of the Deity any thing which by God hath been made and created, but the only God who hath made and created all things. From whence appeareth, that the invocation of Saints bore not any sway in those days, nor any degree or title of divine service in the Christian Church, in the time of Saint Austin and his predecessors. True it is he complaineth that in his days the Church began to lose her virginity, and that they obscured not those most wholesome things which in the divine books are commanded; but that there were instituted some other ceremonies beyond the custom. He confesseth also, that the Church being settled among much chaff and tars, did bear with many things, which themselves durst not reprove nor condemn, to avoid the scandals of some persons, whereof some were holy and others seditious. But howbeit on the other side he declareth, that neither he nor the Church hath allowed the things which were against the faith and a godly life. There is a difference (saith he, in his 119 epistle to januarius) between the things that we teach, 
What prudence cannot take away, patience doth bear withal.  and the things which we suffer, between the things that we are commanded to teach, and between the things that we are commanded to amend, and constrained to support them till we have reform them. And yet notwithstanding ye would make us believe, that S. Austin, S. Jerome, S. Ambrose, S. Chrysostome, S. Basil, S. Athanasius, S. Origen▪ S. Irenaeus, and Denys the disciple of S. Paul, have not only approved the superstition of those, which worshipped the departed Saints, but that even themselves have recommended it to the people, aswell by their prayers addressed to the Virgin Mary, and some other Saints, as by the recital of their virtues and merits. Whereunto first of all I answer, that many sentences have been falsified, and many annexed to the writings of the Fathers against their intention. Which was easy to be done, because in their time the Art of Printing was not found out, 
Satan letteth slip no opportunity to sow his cockle.  but copies only in written hand. Secondly, where as many books have been falsely published under the names of the Apostles, which had been received, if the Apostle S. john, who survived the others, (according to the testimony of S. Tertullian and Jerome) had not foreseen it; so many Treatises have been deceitfully attributed to their successors, as by their complaints appeareth.  
To begin then with the writings of S. Clement Bishop of Rome, S. Jerome in his Apology against Ruffinus, saith of him, that he made some books entitled Recognitions; among which, although there was a doctrine truly Apostolical, exposed in many texts under the person of the Apostle S. Peter, yet they had mixed among them the doctrine of the Heretic Eumonius. So that it seemed in sundry places of them, there is none but he that speaketh. Eusebius also saith in his third book and 35. chapter, that it cannot be clearly known that the second Epistle, and the Commentaries which are attributed to him be his, because the ancient Fathers made no use of this Epistle, and that these Commentaries kept in no wise neither the style nor the form of the pure doctrine of the Apostles, and contain in them the communication between Peter and Appion, of which the ancients make no mention. S. Epiphanius addeth, that the Ebonians did use certain books entitled, The Peregrinations of S. Peter, written by S. Clement, stuffed with falsehood, and that S. Clement himself controlled them by his own epistles, written to the Enoclycians. Eusebius speaking of the book entitled the Pastor, in his third book and third chapter, saith, That it is Apocrypha, and that they were deceived, who thought that that Hermes, which the Apostle S. Paul greeteth in his 16. chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, was the author thereof. 
Satan seeks evermore to authorize his Ragins, to the prejudice of the truth.  So likewise Erasmus of Rotterdam saith, that many books badly patched together, have been annexed to S. Cyprians books, to wit, the Treatise of the Revelation of S. john Baptists head; which is full of fables, and superstitions, that reciteth sundry things happened a long while after S. Cyprians time: The treatise of Sina and Zion against the jews, which in no wise representeth, neither the knowledge, nor zeal of S. Cyprian. They have also mingled among S. Augustine's books, the book entitled, The true and false penance; which containeth that fine fable, how S. Andrew seeing that the people would have taken him away from the cross whereunto they had bound him; began to make this prayer to God: Lord it is time that thou layest my body in the grave, suffer them not to take me down alive from this cross: It is time that my body should be interred, etc. In like manner, Lewes Vives Valentine (one of your best Catholics) complaineth in his annotations upon the books of the City of God; that many sentences are annexed to them, which are not S. Augustine's. They have put into the books of S. Jerome, the Commentaries of some of the Epistles of the New Testament, which, as S. Austin testifieth, was composed by a Monk and a heretic called Pelagus▪ Robert Bellarmine also maintaineth in his disputations, that the book written to Orosus and attributed to be Saint Augustine's, is not his. And many other books base and illegitimate, and which even yourselves confess to have been falsely fathered on our Fathers, and in no wise receivable.  
But to answer more particularly to your allegations: You deceive yourselves in that you think (your) S. Denys Areopagite was the disciple of the Apostle S. Paul. 
The time wherein S. Denys Areopagite lived.  For in the book of Celestial Hierarchies, which you attribute to him, he speaketh of his predecessors Clement and Ignatius, which lived and suffered martyrdom under trajan the third persecutor of the Christians after Nero, and the 14. Emperor, which began to reign about the year of Christ 100, and the thirtieth year after the decease of the Apostle S. Paul; according to the calculation of your Bishop Treculphus. This book we have also in suspicion, because we find in it no mark of the true disciple of the Apostle S. Paul, neither in his language, nor in his doctrine. For there is no mention made therein for the abolishing of the ancient ceremonies, of which the Apostle S. Paul very often disputeth in his Epistles; neither doth he say in any place thereof, that that which he wrote, he did it by his master's authority. Therein he doth but sport himself with deliberate discourses, to teach the doctrine of the holy Gospel, by obscure subtleties, vain speculations, and very intricate. He there treateth of Popes, Prelates, Priests, Monks, and of many other Orders, which in the Apostles time were not in the Church, nor a long while after. Likewise to show that he did dissent from the Apostles, he applaudeth therein the Order of Monks as the highest and most excellent of all others. Causes wherefore Laurence Valla one of your chiefest Doctors flouts at such as thought this S. Denys to be the disciple of S. Paul, and the author of this book. As Erasmus of Rotterdam noteth in his Annotations upon the 17 chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Now as for that which you cite out of the 7. chapter of his said book, he himself expoundeth it, and exhorteth the faithful to seek after (not the Saints departed, but) the Saints conversant in this world, to make request for them. I judge (saith he) with the divine Scriptures, that the prayers of the Saints in this life are very profitable, and in this manner, to wit, 
The celebration of the virtues of some is charitable, but it is impiety to pray unto them.  if any man desire divine gifts, and acknowledging his simplicity and infirmity, let him go find out some holy parsonage, and pray him to assist and succour him through his prayers. I grant you, that he recounteth in the third chapter of the same book, that they made mention of the Saints departed, when they celebrated the Sacrament of the union of jesus Christ with his members; because they are one part of the Catholic Church, and of the company of those which are elected to eternal life. But there is a great difference between the recital of the virtues of the Saints deceased this world, and the invocation of them. And you will not show us that S. Denys propounding to us the end wherefore mention is made of their good lives, doth there speak of the invocation of Saints, but of the imitation of their godliness, and perseverance in the Christian faith, saying, that they prayed those which holily and religiously had lived in this world; to the end that their survivors might by their examples learn to live, and die well in God, and might be admonished that they which die in him live out of this world in a better life, and that God hath them in his memory, according as it is written, That God knoweth such as are his, and that the death of the Saints is precious before him. Secondly, you produce the comparison which S. Irenaeus maketh between Eve and the Virgin Mary in his 5. book and 16. chapter. I wonder why you represent not here unto us S. Irenaeus words, which according to Bellarmine's judgement, do clearly show, that S. Irenaeus believed and taught that the Virgin Mary aught to be adored by us as an Aduocatesse of our first Mother Eve towards God. Therefore to encounter you with your own weapons, I will here make S. Irenaeus to speak. As Eve (saith he) was seduced by the words of the wicked angel, 
The con●erence of these words of S. Irenaeus with that which the jesuit imposeth, discovereth more plainly his impudence.  to fly from God in transgressing his word: so the Virgin Mary received the good tidings by the word of an angel, to bear God in being obedient to his word: and as this (Eve) was seduced to fly from God, so was this (Marry) persuaded to obey him, to the intent that the Virgin Mary might be made an Aduocatesse of the Virgin Eue. What man is it that perceiveth not, that by this comparison S. Irenaeus opposeth the male diction come upon all mankind through Eu●s transgression, to the blessing which afterward is come to them by the faith and obedience of the Virgin Mary? Touching this word Aduocatesse, from whence Bellarmine draweth his argument against us, ye know well that it cometh not from Irenaeus who wrote in Greek, but from the translator of his book. And albeit ye may take here this name for a Mediatrix, yet you are not ignorant that this Greek word paracletos, signifieth sometimes also a Comforter, and is so interpreted by S. Tertullian, and many others of the Fathers by the name of an advocate in the same signification, as appeareth by the translation of those which have translated the promise of our Lord jesus Christ, described by S. john in his 14. chapter, and 16. verse: I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, that is to say, another Comforter. So, whosoever will take heed unto the meaning of Irenaeus and his translator, and to the proper signification of this name Advocate, in this place shall perceive that the author meant to say no other thing, but that the Virgin Mary was chosen by God, to bear the Redeemer of the world, and brought forth the Consolation to Eve, according to the promise which God made to her in paradise, that the seed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent, who had seduced her. Thirdly, you are not ashamed to utter the Sermon of the Virgin Mother of God, imprinted under the name of Saint Athanasius, calling the Virgin Mary. Lady, Mother, Regeneratrix and Mistress, saying beside, Incline thine ear to our prayers, and forget not thy people; we cry unto thee, have remembrance of us, etc. An evident sign, either that you have not read the first volume of his writings, wherein he showeth by many examples and testimonies of the Bible, that none ought to have his refuge neither to the Angels, nor any human creature, but only to God, through the address of his Son jesus Christ; or if you have read them, that you make less account of his first volume, which was approved and received by the ancient Church, then of the third which containeth, as you confess, this prayer made to the Virgin Mary. In which volume to convict you by your own Doctors, Petrus Nannius Professor in the University of Louvain, hath annexed a preface; whereby he advertiseth the reader, that he hath put into this second tome the books suspected of falsehood, and which according to his judgement were not composed by S. Athanasius. Fourthly, you cite the prayer which S. Basil made to the forty Martyrs, and you annex to it false Glosses and interpretations. For S. Basil commandeth not there the Christians (as you affirm) to have there recourse unto these holy Martyrs, nor to call upon them, but declareth in commendations of those Martyrs what they did in his time. He which is (saith he) in affliction goeth to those forty Martyrs; he which is in joy runneth to them. 
Impudency discovered.  O what audaciousness is it to bely a History, and to make of a simple declaration of the custom of the vulgar people an express exhortation! and what an impudency is it, to dare to impose that upon this holy Father, which never he thought to say! His intention was not so, as to stir up the hearts of his auditory, to invocate these Martyrs; but admonisheth them chose, to move one another through the remembrance of the Saints to imitate their zeal, and to worship and implore God in the assembly of many, to appease him, and to render him thanks for his benefits, and to edify each other by sermons of exhortation. You allege more faithfully the words of the 16. Homily, made by S. Chrysostome to the people of Antioch, where S. Chrysostome speaking of the manner of the common people, to celebrate the memory of the Martyrs, and to make their prayers unto God near unto their graves; The Emperor (saith he) 
We ought not to allege that which is done, for that which ought to be done.  which is arrai●d in purple goeth to the sepulchr●●, (that is, of the Martyrs) and laying aside all pomp and magnificence, presenteth himself to supplicate the Saints, to make intercession unto God for him, and he which beareth a diadems prayeth to a Text-maker, and a Fisherman. These words you attribute to S. Chrysostome. Nevertheless, sundry of your Writers have attributed them unto S. Austin, and some others to a certain man called Theodore Daphnopath; 
Leasings would fain cover themselves.  in such sort that you are not of one accord with your fellows, nor of one and the same opinion touching the author of these words, from which you cannot conclude that S. Chrysostome was of that mind, to recommend to the people the invocation of Saints, as a service approved by God. For he speaketh not in this discourse of that which ought to be done, according to the rule and instruction of the holy Scriptures, but of what was done by the people through their indiscreet zeal after the imitation of the Grecians, which yearly made an assembly about the graves of those which were slain in the battle of Marathon, to celebrate their Feasts, and to recount their praises, as S. Cyril noteth in his sixth book against julian the Apostate. And albeit that S. Chrysostome did bear with this custom of the vulgar people, as many other corruptions and abuses of the like nature, which he could not remedy, without hurting the weak: notwithstanding he oftentimes made his complaints thereof: See (saith he in his 12. Homily on the first to the Corinthians) how the judgements of the common people are corrupted, unprofitable, and ridiculous, partly by foolish men, and partly by children that do suck. The Martyrs (saith he in his 45. Homily upon S. Matthew) take no delight to be honoured with money, for which the poor ●rie out for: to wit, because you employ it not for their nourishment rather. And in his 48. sermon upon S. john's Gospel: When thou hearest that the Lord is risen naked from death, cease I pray thee from the foolish expense of funerals. For to what end is it good, seeing it bringeth but less to such as do is, and no profit to the dead, but rather damage? Finally, he is extremely grieved at the superstitious ceremonies which they made about sepulchres, terming them in his 〈◊〉. Homily upon the first to the Corinthians, foolish devotions, and diabolical observations. 
john Dam●soenus.  Now followeth the sentence of a certain Monk called john Dam●soenus, who for his writings began to flourish in Dam●s●us, the principal city of Syria, about the year of Christ 730. Among other books which are attributed to him, we have four touching the tradition of the Christian faith, which have been translated out of Greek into French, by a certain Philosopher named jacobus Faber Stapulensis. You affirm that in the 16 chapter of his last book concerning the Christian faith, he saith, That through the Saints, the devils are chased away, the sick are healed, the blind see, the leprous are cleansed, temptations and vexations are vanquished, and that every good thing cometh by them in favour of those which crave them with a steadfast faith. Although that superstition is chiefly come forth of the heads of the Monks, yet there is great likelihood, that this sentence was juggled in amongst his writings. For though he lived in those days, when superstition had her full sway and vigour, yet notwithstanding the Grecians were not so soon corrupted, as the Latins. And Emericus one of your writers, who lived a long while after him, reproveth the Grecians for this opinion, that men ought not to invocate the saints, nor the Virgin Mary likewise, but one only Mediator, which is Christ, and that to offer gifts to them, was to present sacrifices to the Devils.  
Let us now come to the book de Viduis, composed by S. Ambrose: When Peter's mother in law (saith he) had a fever, Andrew and Peter prayed unto the Lord for her: And thou widow, hast so many near friends which pray for thee (to wit) the Apostles and Martyrs, if thou comest to them in unity of devotion. It behoveth then to pray unto them, etc. For they can pray for our sins, sith they have washed away their own with their own blood. 
S. Ambrose and S. Jerome, etc. have passed their limits, and we ought to note, but not to imitate that which they have said.  Without searching any further, Sixtus Senensis one of your writers confesseth, that S. Jerome, and some others of the Fathers, have suffered themselves to be transported in such a sort, through the heat and vehemency of their Orations, that sometimes they made Hyperboles, that is to say, and speak more clearly, they surpassed the bonds of truth. Erasmus of Rotterdam in his preface upon this book entitled, de Viduis, saith, that in this fertile matter so pleasing to the ears of the vulgar people, he hath let loose the bridle of his tongue, and painted his discourse with the colours of Rhetoric, in such a ●ort that the ignorant people could not well judge thereof, but the learned only. In fine, that he thought he laboured to set forth his language by some artificial drafts, to make a show & flourish of the ornaments of his eloquence. Howsoever, if he were the author of this book, he hath wandered out of the way, and hath not well remembered his own lesson, That Christ●s our mouth, by which we speak to the Father; our eye, by which we behold the Father; our right hand, whereby we offer to the Father, and that without this Mediator, there is no coming unto God neither for us, nor any of the Saints. 
As the ancients did often bring in the Saints speaking, so spoke they sometimes to them, as if they had been present.  You allege also for the establishing of your superstition, Saint jeroms letter dedicated to Paula, to whom ye appropriate that title which ordinarily your companions do attribute to the Virgin Mary, that is, calling her holy Lady. But if we examine this epistle of S. jeroms, he speaketh to Paula who was absent and in heaven, as if she had been present, and that by a figure, and certain manner of speech called in schools Apostrophe, whereby he not only prayeth unto Paula, to supplicate God for Blesilla, but for himself also in his extreme age. Likewise he saluteth Paula, and saith vale to her, that is, farewell, or God keep thee in good health. If then you will take these words to the very letter, to conclude from thence that he hath called upon Paula with a full assurance that she heard him, and could persuade the divine Majesty to hear her request, you must likewise grant me, that he discoursed with her mouth to mouth, and that in praying to God to preserve her in health, he believed that she, and all the Saints in Paradise, desire that after their departure, we should recommend them to God in our prayers. But as ye will deny me the last point, so I deny you the first, and that for these three reasons: The first is, that in the Epitaph he made for his friend Nepotian departed this world, 
The adversary is driven into absurdity, by good & strong reasons.  he calleth him blessed, because he neither heard nor saw the miseries of this world, nor the barbarian rage against the Christians. Whereunto he addeth, that those words were as one would say dumb and pronounced in vain, because th●● Nepotian heard him not: and that he with the other Christians in his time was assured that Nepotian was in heaven with jesus Christ, and joined to the company of Saints. Now this that Jerome hath plainly spoken of Nepotian, that he heard him not, he also undoubtedly hath believed, and understood of Paula and the other Saints departed, who are established in their blessed estate, and received into paradise to enjoy there the same rest with him. The second reason is, that he manifestly declareth to us in his Commentaries upon the prophecy of Ezekiel, that the Saints living in this world cannot succour us, nor consequently the departed through their prayers and intercessions▪ For in his exposition of this admonition of the Prophet Ezekiel, chap. 14. vers. 14. though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and job were in the midst of jerusalem, etc. they could neither deliver them, nor their own daughters. What shall we say (saith Jerome) of those which think that by the merit and virtues of their fathers, their perverse children may be delivered from hell fire? 
The soul of him which shall have sinned, shall be that which shall die.  Every one shall die through his own sin, and and shall be saved through his own righteousness. In vain the jews say, Abraham is our father, having not his works; b●t if there be confidence in any, let us put our trust only in the Lord. The third reason, for that he testifieth of these two Christian women, who had been instructed by him, to wit, Paula and Blesilla, is, how they upon the point of their death, did not recommend themselves to the Virgin Mary, nor any of the saints in paradise, but to their only Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. When (saith he) the fever burned Blesilla, and that her bed was bes●t with her dearest friends, behold her last words were, Pray ye to the Lord jesus Christ that he forgive me▪ Likewise, who will give me wings (saith Paula) as a dove, that I may fly from hence and rest me? My soul thirsteth after thee, my flesh oftentimes wisheth for thee. Notwithstanding this, we cannot wholly excuse him. 
Wise words of two women in great extremity.  For himself requiring Paula by his prayers to succour him in his old age, followed not the rule which he himself had given to Paula and Blesilla, to call only upon God, neither the example of their confidence in the only Saviour jesus Christ, and sith that herein he hath failed, as by his own instructions we have proved, his authority bindeth not us to follow his error. Now resteth that supplication which according to your opinion S. Austin made to the Virgin Mary, and to all the saints. For proof whereof you cite the 40 chapter of his Meditations, where he saith, Holy and immaculate Virgin, mother of God, mother of our Lord jesus Christ, vouchsafe to make intercession for me unto him, of whom through thy virtues and merits thou wast made the holy Temple. You allege with a bad conscience this book of Meditations: for you know that Erasmus and some other Doctors durst not affirm it to be S. Augustine's. 
The Papistical Doctors make no conscience to discover the shame of their fathers, seeing they attribute to them such shameful matters.  Also you are not ignorant that the Canon Garet attributeth this supplication to Fulbert Bishop of Chartres. And indeed, whosoever shall confer this prayer printed under S. Augustine's name, with his sentences, which I have already alleged against you, whereby he absolutely condemneth the invocation of Saints, will judge with these learned men, who had a better conscience than you, that none can attribute unto him this prayer, without doing him shame and accusing him of manifest contradiction in his writings, and of feigning in that which he saith of jesus Christ, that he only can present unto God his Father the prayers of his people, because there is no salvation but only in him: and of himself that he speaketh more safely to jesus Christ then to all other saints in paradise. After this as in a passage you propose against us the authority of S. Leo, and S. Gregory Popes, S. Gregory of Tours, S. Anselmus, and S. Bernard. And you could name many other protectors of your cause, if you were not of an opinion that the half of them which you have already named, were not more than too sufficient to make the Caluinists and Lutherans to blush, if they had any blood in their hearts. I confess that the invocation of Saints, and namely of the Virgin Mary, was finally authorized by the latter of these Popes, if that be true as is reported, and brought up by all force into the service of the Church about the year of Christ 600: because that in those days there was no more Athanases, 
We avouch that superstition got the upper hand, but we deny that we ought to cleave unto it.  nor Chrysostoms', nor Cyprians, nor Augustine's, to stop the breach, and repulse it from gaining the heart of the vulgar people. I confess also, that Anselmus and Bernard living in that miserable age, wherein superstition was the Mistress of the field, struck their sails and halted on both sides, to accommodate themselves to the custom of their time, through fear and carnal wisdom: but I add hereunto, that if you had ever a vein in your heart of shame, you would then blush in your soul, and would be ashamed to rank Anselmus and Bernard with these, who through their writings have confirmed your tradition, touching the adoration of Saints. For it was impossible for them to confirm you and your predecessors in your opinion, seeing themselves were never firm therein, but very inconstant and variable. For at sometimes they counseled the Christians to come unto God by the Virgin Mary, calling her the Mediatrix and Saviouresse of mankind; at other times they admonished them of the clean contrary, and to address themselves to God only, through the intercession of his only Son, and not to put their hope, but in the mercy of the Father, and in the full satisfaction which his Son hath made to him for our sins. Howsoever it be, we find in Anselmus Meditations the formal of prayer, which he made unto God, and published to the intent all Christians might use it with him for their instruction and consolation. Lord my God (saith he) I pray unto thee, 
A formular of Anselmus his prayers.  because thou art near unto all those which ●all upon thee; and those which call on thee in truth, for thou art the Truth. I beseech thee. let thy truth then teach me, that I may invocate thy clemency, for I cannot pray as I ought; but most blessed truth I beseech thee to instruct me. To be wise without thee, is to become foolish; but to know thee is perfect knowledge. O divine wisdom instruct me, and learn me thy law: for I believe that he is blessed whom thou shalt instruct, and he to whom thou shalt teach thy law. I desire to invocate thee, and entreat thee that it may be in truth. What is it to call on the truth in truth, but to invocate the Father by the Son? for what is there more sweet then to pray the Father by his only Son, and to move the Father unto compassion by the remembrance of his own Son? So have wicked livers been taken out of prison and bonds; 
A similitude.  so those which are condemned to lose their heads, recovered not only their lives, but an extraordinary favour, when they show to the angry fathers the love of their children: Even so almighty Father, through the love thou bearest to thy almighty Son, I beseech thee draw my soul out of prison, to the end it may confess thy name, deliver me from the bands of sin, through the intercession of this thy precious Son which sitteth at thy right hand. For surely I know not what other intercessor I could address towards thee for me, but only he which is the propitiation for our sins who sitteth at thy right hand, who through the glory which is common to him with thee, soliciteth thy goodness for us. Behold O God and Father my Advocate with thee, behold my Highpriest which hath no need of being cleansed through the blood of any one, because he shineth being sprinkled with his own blood. I have addressed thy well-beloved Son for my Advocate, I have made him a Mediator between thee and me, an Intercessor through whom I am sure to obtain pardon: behold he is my hope, l●e in him is all my confidence. If thou rereiect me for mine iniquity, as I have deserved, regard me yet at the least in thy Son, 
Our demerits are forgiven through the merit of the Son of God.  that propitiation which thou hast prepared by one, that served thee. Remember what thy Son hath suffered, and forget that which a wicked wretch hath done. In like manner we find in his Epistles another form made for the instruction and consolation of the sick which prepare themselves to die, in form of a discourse, wherein the Pastor demandeth, and the sick person answereth. Art thou glad in thyself (saith the Pastor to the sick) that thou diest in thy Christian faith? Yea, answered the sick. P. Dost thou confess to have lived so ill as thou hast merited eternal punishment? S. Yea. P. Believest thou that our Lord jesus Christ died for thee? S. Yea. P. Dost thou give him thanks therefore? 
Another form of Anselmus, to comfort the sick.  S. Yea. P. Believest thou that thou canst not be saved but by his death? S. Yea. P. Got to then, whilst yet thy soul is in thee, set all thy salvation only in his death. Have confidence in no other thing, trust and commit thyself wholly to this death, cover thyself only therewith, and with it wrap thyself round about. And if the Lord would judge thee, say, Lord I oppose the death of jesus Christ our Lord, between me and thy judgement; otherwise I could not debate with thee. And if he say unto thee, that thou art a sinner, say, Lord I put the death of jesus Christ our Lord between thee and my sins. And if he should say once more unto thee, thou hast merited damnation; say, Lord I put the death of our Lord jesus between thee and my damnation; I offer unto thee his merit in stead of that which ought to be in me, in whom there is none. And if he should say yet unto thee, that he is angry against thee: say, Lord I put the death of our Lord jesus between me and thy anger. This being accomplished, let the sick say three times, Lord I recommend my spirit into thy hands. Thus Saint Bernard hath oftentimes exhorted the people in his sermons, not to stand upon the Apostles, nor any other Saint which is but a man, neither to any Angel, but to go strait forward unto the Father of lights, who is the only judge and witness of our thoughts, and to his Son jesus Christ, the only Saviour and Bridegroom of the Church. For in his 23. Sermon expounding this sentence of our Lord jesus Christ, 
S. Bernard sends us to Christ.  I am the way, the truth, & the life. Who will (saith he, making Christ himself speak) come, let come after me, let him come by me, let him come to me. After me, saith the Lord, for I am the truth; by me, for I am the way; to me, for I am the life. And in his 15. Sermon on the 91. Psalm: The Church (saith he) is excellent well described in the Canticle of Canticles, that having found the watchmen, (or rather being found by them, for she sought them not) she stayeth not with those watchmen, neither contenteth herself in their company, but having inquired after her well-beloved, flies right towards him; for her heart had no trust in those watchmen but in her Lord: and it may be she would have said to those which should have counseled her otherwise, I have my confidence in the Lord; which the Corinthians did not well observe, when they met with those watchmen, but stayed with them, and passed no further: I am (said they) of Cephas, 
As we are of Christ and not of another, so ought we to stay with Christ.  and I of Paul, and I of Apollo: but what have these sober and well advised watchmen done? For they would not take to them the Bride, they which were jealous about her, even with a godly jealousy, who had vowed to render her as a chaste virgin to her husband. And, if I deceive not myself, they pushed her forward, to the end she might pass further to find out her well-beloved. And it is to be considered with what arrows the Apostle S. Paul woundeth those which some to stay with the watchmen: Paul, hath he been crucified for you, or have ye been baptised in the name of Paul? And immediately after: I will deliver him (saith the Lord in the 91 Psalm) because he hopeth in me: not (saith he) in the watchmen, not in man, not in Angel, but in me. Expect no good from any but from me, and not by them: for every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, for through me the watchmen are profitable. 
The Virgin Mary seeketh not to disrobe her son, or to be clothed with his robes.  But for the rest, the watch of the secret intention, which is in the bottom of the heart, must not only be of me, but also is made by me, because the eye of man cannot penetrate so deep, nor likewise the eye of an Angel. Also in his 174 epistle he admonisheth the Monks of his time, that the Vrgin Mary would be honoured with judgement; because she hath no need of false honours, being adorned above in heaven with true honours. She takes no delight (saith he) in a proud novelty the mother of rushnesse and sister of lightness: to honour her in such a sort is not to honour her, but to take away honour from her. 
The wellspring of our merits is in the grace of God, and not in the righteousness of men.  Moreover, manifesting his faith to be only in God, in his 61 Sermon upon the Canticle of Canticles: My merit (saith he) is the mercy of the Lord: for I have no want of merit, so long as he hath no want of mercy. I boldly take from the bowels of the Lord what I want, because they are full of mercy. Besides, he died in this belief, saying, I confess that I am not worthy of the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, and the which through ●ine own merits I cannot obtain: but my Lord which holdeth it by a double right, that is, both by the inheritance of his Father, and through the merit of his own passion; content with one he giveth me the other. And if I attribute it to myself by virtue of the gift which he hath given me, I am not confounded.  
It is not yet five hundred years since S. Bernard, who was Abbot of the Cloister of Claitual, 
The time and place when S. Bernard flourished.  lived in Burgundy, one of the principal Provinces of France, and was there in greater reputation than all the other Monks of his Order. His books do plainly witness, that he was more inclined to the invocation of our only God and celestial Father, then to the adoration of Saints, and that he believed that no man could have sure access unto his throne of grace, but by the merit of the death of our only Saviour jesus Christ. Your Fathers have brought in and received his books in their Church without any contradiction; and even unto this present you have them in your Cloisters, and handle them daily. And yet for all this you love rather to affirm against your own consciences that S. Bernard constantly maintained the invocation of Saints, than roundly to confess that he spoke thereof with some scruple of conscience, and very doubtfully, as appeareth by his writings. In the repetition of the prayers, which our Fathers have addressed to the departed Saints, you nominate that prayer of Origens', and ask me whether Origen that Doctor praying to the Prophet job (about the year of Christ 220) Was an Idolater? But sith that Origen was before S. Ieromes time, S. Chrysostom's, S. Cyprians, S. Augustine's, S. john Damascenus, and many other Doctors of the Primitive Church, according to S. Ieromes testimony, who saith that in the year of Christ 203, Origen was then of the age of seventeen years; it is marvel why you have not done him that honour, 
A double dishonour done to Origen.  to place him in his rank, and to cite his prayers aswell as others. Moreover, it is a wonder that you do this wrong to Origen, to attribute this prayer to him; O S. job pray for us miserable wretches, that the mercy of God may deliver us. True it is that Origen had many strange and dangerous opinions, in such sort that S. Jerome saith of him, that he commended his spirit, but not his faith, that he set greatly by his translations, but not by his doctrines and expositions; which he termeth venomous and far from the sense of holy Scriptures, and doing them violence: but howbeit, as we have already proved by his disputations against Celsus the Philosopher, that he spoke well of the invocation of God's name, 
Albeit that Origen was an impure writer in some other points, yet he hath showed himself pure in the article of invocation.  and maintained that religious adoration appertaineth only to God, and the presentation of out prayers to our only Mediator and Intercessor jesus Christ. If Celsus reproached Origen, that he and the other Christians worshipped our Lord jesus Christ, and from thence sought to conclude that the Christians worshipped after the fashion of the Gentiles some other then God; would not he (Celsus) also have replied that he and his followers called upon the Prophet job, and that they believed they offended not God in serving religiously his servant? would he not likewife in good earnest have flouted at this distinction of Origens', that the Christians worshipped no other but God, in calling on the name of jesus Christ: forasmuch as Christ was not a simple man, as the Prophets & other departed Saints were; nor likewise a simple creature, as the Angels, but forasmuch as he was also one God with the Father, and Lord of all things? And what likelihood is there that he besought job to pray for him, when he himself prescribed this rule to all Christians to offer their prayers only to God, through his only Son, and protesteth in his eighth book against Celsus, to have followed it with the other Christians? His rule is, 
There is no likelihood that Origen, who sent us unto God only, should address himself to men.  That we must adore the only sovereign God, and present our prayers to the only Son of God, who is his Word, and the first borne of all creatures, that as a high priest he might offer them up to his God and to our God, to his Father, and according to his word the father of all living. The practice agreeable to this rule is expressed in these words: We worship as much as we can through supplications and services one only God, and his only Son, his word and his image, offering our prayers to God the Lord of all things by his only Son, 
The words of Origen are very express against the invocation of Saints.  to whom first we do address them, beseeching him that being propitiatour far our sins, he would vouchsafe as high priest to offer unto God our prayers, sacrifices and intercessions: and therefore our faith lieth in God through his Son who hath confirmed it in us. It is not credible then that Origen hath invocated job, not the other departed Saints, not the Virgin Mary likewise, sith that he himself in his sermons comprehendeth them all together in the number of sinners, which are not entered into heaven through their own merits, but by the only faith in jesus Christ. Shall we think (saith he in his 27. Sermon and 2. tome) that all the Apostles were offended in our Lord, and that his mother was exempted? If she hath suffered no scandal in the passion of the Lord, than jesus died not for her sins. But if all have sinned, and have all need of the glory of God, to be justified and redeemed through his grace; 
What might have been the offence of the Vrgin Mary.  surely Marry was offended in that very hour. And this is it which Simeon prophesied, saying: And thy soul also (which knowest thou hast conceived without a man, and who hast heard by Gabriel, that the holy Ghost should come upon thee, and the power of the most High should overshadow thee) even thine shall a sword pierce thorough, and thou shalt be smitten with the blade of doubtfulness, and thy thoughts shall distract thee, when thou shalt see him to be crucified and put to death, whom thou hast heard called the Son of God, and knewest to be begotten without the seed of man. But what will you say, if I should show you that your own men have not held these Commentaries upon job, nor Origens' Lamentations (wherein he prayeth the Saints to prostrate themselves for him to the mercies of God) for authentical books? For, as Pope Gelasius hath rejected the book of Lamentations attributed to Origen and judged to be Apocrypha; so Sixtus Senensis showeth in his fourth book, that the Treatise upon job, 
The Papists imposture appeareth not only in that they a●de and diminish to the word of God, but in that they make the Doctors of the Church to say what i● pleaseth them.  and some such like books, were not composed by him, but by some other author, which certain of our Fathers suspected of heresy. For in his second book, he compareth these three divine persons, to wit, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to three horns of the Devil, and termeth the doctrine of the holy Trinity a sect, and a heresy of three Gods. All men of reason and discretion, taking heed to the falsehood of these allegations; will they not have in abomination your audaciousness and impudency, to prove the anciency of the adoration of Saints by witnesses of no credit, and by depraved books cast off a long while ago by your predecessors? Moreover, as the Arrians, Montanists and sundry other heretics, have mixed their poison among the sound doctrine contained in the books of the ancient Fathers: 
The Papists take delight in troubling the ●ountaine of living waters.  and like as divers superstitious persons have annexed to the wholesome instructions of those Doctors (touching the invocation of one only God, & the intercession of one only Mediator jesus Christ) the leaven of the invocation of Saints to corrupt the pure service instituted by our Lord jesus Christ in the Apostolical Church: even so the successors of these enemies of the ancient purity, perceiving that the zealous followers thereof, made use of the good books of the ancient Fathers to encounter their superstitions, have continued in falsifying more and more their books. And to make up the measure of their Fathers, being assembled in the Council of Trent, they enjoined some to change, cut off, and condemn, whatsoever they should find, and judge offensive, and contrary to their errors. Upon which, the jesuits are diligently employed, following therein the example of the idolatrous Gentiles, who perceiving (as A●nebius complaineth thereof in his third book) that they might be convicted of falsehood by Cicero's books (touching the nature of the Gods) formerly published, corrupted them, and maliciously concealed them, that no more mention might be made of them. For the Jesuits have made two Registers, 
The mystery of Satan appears notably in the lesuits Index expurgatory.  imprinted at Naples, Madril and Antwerp, wherein they have not only put sundry words and sentences of the Fathers, which expressly they commanded to change and deface out of their books; but also added certain annotations to their writings by some great personages to help and ease the memory of the Reader, yea without sparing their own Teachers, who have laboured as much to impart unto us the true exposition of the Father's doctrine, as they to bereave and rob us of it. Now to cozen the world they have entitled these fi●e books, Indices expurgatorij, that is to say, Purgative Indices, or Registers; which more aptly may be termed Putrefactives. For so far off is it, that these scullions have laboured to purge the book of the ancient Fathers, and their expositors from stains and filth; that chose they have defiled them, wheresoever they laid their clutches on them, full of stench and putrefaction. I am ashamed to discover their villainies: but seeing I have begun, I must proceed at once in manifesting it to them. In their Index of Spain they have ordained to deface these words of S. hilaries, whereby he declareth the reason why the wise virgins answered the foolish, that they could not guy them of their oil, to wit, because none ought to be succoured with the works and merits of another. 
Shreds of the abovesaid Index, whereby one may have knowledge of the whole piece.  In that very Index they command to race out of S. Anselmus book of the manner of visiting the sick these words of great consolation: Believest thou, that thou canst attain unto glory, not through thine own merits, but by the virtue and merit of jesus Christ? Believest thou that he died for our salvation, and that none can be saved through his own merits, nor no otherwise then by his death and passion? They judge also in that Index, that these words (annexed to S. Chrysostoms' Register of his books) ought to be defaced, to wit, that faith only justifieth, and faith only saveth, grounded on certain sentences of S. Chrysostoms', noted in the said Register. It admonisheth the Reader also to reject this gloss, that There are no more works in the world to come, nor any calling to repentance etc. Which was received from the discourse of Epiphanius in his treatise of Heresy, 59 
As Ravens turn aside from the sound parts of a carcase, and fall upon the rotten; so the Insults reject that which is most holy in the writings of the Fathers, and stand upon the impure.  Likewise, it ordaineth that this proposition be razed out, that Prayer be made for the living, but not for the dead. Which was taken from S. Ieromes admonition, upon the third chapter of the Epistle to the Galathians: whereupon he noteth this sentence of the Apostle, that every one shall bear his own burden: Whilst we are in this present world we may succour each other, either by prayers or counsels: but when we shall appear before the judicial thron● of Christ, neither job, David, nor Noah can pray for us, etc. What else? have not the jesuits commanded in the two Indices of Spain and the Low-Countries, to cut out of the Register added to S. Chrysostoms' books, these words, That all the Prophets have been married: whereby the Reader is sent to that which S. Chrysostome speaketh thereof in his 56. Sermon upon S. Matthew, where he proveth by the examples of Moses, Esay, and Ezechiel, that all the Prophets had wives and houses. In the low-country Index they condemn the sentences of one of their principal writers called Faber Stapulensis, whereby he maintaineth that S. Jerome and Chrysostome have taught that invocation appertaineth to none but unto God only. Also they would have one to purge the writings of George Cassander, touching the natural exposition of the word merit, and of whatsoever he allegeth in his books concerning the custom of the Apostles first successors, to wit, that they have communicated in the Lord's Supper for more than a thousand years under the two signs of bread and wine. They have also commanded to race out the annotations of Erasmus of Rotterdam upon the third chapter of the first Epist. 
It is an easy matter for the jesuits to fight with the bones of the dead, which cannot speak.  to Timothy, and in like manner those of S. Chrysostoms', That a Bishop must be the husband of one only wife. Finally, as many lines, so many corruptions and as many infallible marks of their ungodliness, and ill consciences. For albeit they seek to cover their impiety under that false mask the title of purgation; yet so it is that they do most manifestly discover it, by the sovereign authority which they take to themselves, in censuring and condemning as judges the instructions of their ancestors, conformable to the word, which God himself hath inspired into his Prophets and Apostles. And if they had made no doubt of the testimony of truth, which shined in the books of those first lights of the Church, they would not have enforced themselves to quench then so much, but might thereby have been armed to have defended and preserved themselves. 
Those which are proved falsi●iers, aught to be no more reputed as worthy of credit and belief.  On the other part, if they had been faithful keepers of their writings, which were put into their hands, they would have altered nothing neither concerning the matter, nor the form thereof, but would have been careful to have preserved them in their original purity. But knowing now that these falsaries have not kept the treasure committed to their charge, but have mixed among them their lead; with the pure gold which they received from their ancestors: what man is it among us, which will dare to assure himself of the sincerity of those authors and sentences, which they allege against us; and of the integrity of the interpretations, which they recommend unto us, and of the truth of those examples which they propound unto us? And sith I have quoted so many excellent sentences of the Fathers, manifestly contrary to those which you have produced in your epistle under the name and authority of the same Doctors; what should we do in so great a contradiction of those sundry rules of prayers, cited aswell in the one part as on the other? as already we have understood, that there is nothing more sure, when any point of doctrine is to be disputed, or of the true sense of some texts in the Bible, 
Mariners in the▪ obscurity of a tempest, have their recourse to their compass and needle, and Christians to the law.  then to hold ourselves to God's law, which is a faithful witness, according to the counsel of the Prophet Esay, chap 8. verse 20. to give the exposition of the law of God in expounding it by the Scripture itself, imitating the example of Esdras, and some other Doctors of the old Testament, which is represented by Nehemiah before our eyes, in the 8. chapter, and 2. verse. Even so when a question is of the true rule and manner of prayer, there is nothing more expedient then to follow in all our prayers, that only form of prayer which our Lord jesus Christ taught his Apostles, as S. Tertullian and S. Cyprian show us by their excellent discourses touching the excellency and perfection of this prayer. And S. Austin in his epistle which he wrote to a Christian widow called Proba: We say no other thing (saith he) then that which is contained in the Lord's Prayer, if we pray rightly and conveniently. And whosoever should say any thing which is not agreeable with this evangelical prayer, though he prayeth not unlawfully, yet he prayeth carnally: and I know no reason why, but that one may say he prayeth unlawfully, 
A saying of S. Augustine's very worthy to be noted.  sith that such as are regenerated by the holy Ghost, aught to pray spiritually. By which admonition S. Austin signifieth to all Christians, that all prayers which have not their foundation in the prayer of our Lord jesus Christ (as are such which be addressed to the Saints departed) are carnal and unlawful.  
But to return to your objections, where you say that you ●et slip in silence the miracles done through the invocation of Saints, and yet you send us to the 22 book of the City of God: and we send you back again to that which we have formerly noted, to wit, that Vives testifieth that many sentences have been annexed to that book of the City of God, and for that reason we ought to give no belief thereunto. But rather as Origen witnesseth upon jeremiah, it behoveth us to call for witnesses the holy Scriptures: forasmuch as without those witnesses our sense and discourses are of no credit, which S. Austin also giveth us to understand by this exhortation, that whatsoever we would have men to believe, we must prove it by clear testimonies of holy Scripture, and use them against the enemies of the Church. And if we should grant you, that many miracles have been done by the invocation of Saints, yet you cannot with a good conscience gather from thence, that this service was pleasing to God, seeing that the false prophets and ministers of Satan, have sought to set up their impieties through the lustre of many miracles. Thereupon Moses advertiseth the people of his time (saying in Deut. ●3. 1.) 
Deut. 13. 1.  If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams (and give thee a sign or wander, 
The reprobates themselves have done guileful miracles.  and the sign and the wonder which he hath told thee come to pass) saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known 〈◊〉 let us serve them, Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet▪ or unto that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. And jesus Christ in the 24 of Matthew and 23 verse, saith, If any shall say unto you, 
Matth. 24. 23. 24.  lo here is Christ, or there believe it not: for there shall arise false Christ's, and false Prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect. 
25.  Behold I have told you before (according to which Saint Paul writeth in the ●. of These. 2.) 
2. Thess. 2.  that the coming of the Son of perdition, who s●●ll sit as God in the temple of God, and shall exalt himself against God, and shall be by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and in all 〈◊〉 of unrighteousness among them that 〈◊〉 Whereupon S. Austin grounding himself, saith on the 9 Psalm, That Antichrist shall use force in his empire, and deceit in his miracles. And in the treatise of Antichrist, which is added to his books: Antichrist (saith he) shall rise up against the elect by three manner of ways: by terrors, by gifts, and by miracles. 
By how many means Satan shall exalt himself against the faithful.  And Chrysostome speaking of the false Doctors, on the seventh chapter of S. Matthew: They cast forth devils (saith he) in the name of Christ, having the spirit of the enemy, or they rather do not cast them forth, but seem to cast them forth, through the collusion which they have with the devils; and so always they cast them forth, and never do heal. The devils evermore cry before them as if they were chastised, and they never come forth of them as though they were afraid. Behold therefore Theophylact teacheth us in the explication of the seventh chapter of S. Luke▪ and namely on the second verse, that preaching is confirmed by miracles, and miracles by preaching: for oftentimes divers have done wonders by the devils, but their preaching was not sound: therefore their miracles also were not of God. Which Anselmus appropriating to the miracles of Antichrist in his Commentaries upon the second Epistle to the Thessalonians, and second chapter: These signs and wonders (saith he) shall be lying, 
Why antichrist's signs are called lies.  either because they should deceive the mortal through magical visions, or else, because that although they should be wonders and prodigious signs, yet they should draw unto lies such as believe in them. Moreover, Meses recounteth in the book of Exodus, that Pharaohs Magicians have imitated and counterfeited many miracles, which he formerly had done in the country of Egypt. Also Hypocrates reciteth in his book de Morbo Sacro, that some Sorcerers in his time healed many of the falling sickness in making sacrifices and certain prayers, because they would be reputed as holy personages. The like writeth Bodin of Appolonius Thyaneus and of some other Sorcerers which chased away devils, and did many other wonders through feignedness and collusion. This is that also whereof the Emperor Charles the Great would advertise us by his third and fourth books, made under his own name, and approved by Pope Adrians' Legates, and many other Bishops of France, Germany, and Italy, which were present in the Council of Frankford in the year 794. There is great danger (saith he) in many miracles, 
A notable sentence of Charles the Great, touching miracles  because there may be in them some craft of that crooked Serpent, which doth transfigure himself into an Angel of light: for many miracles are done by those Angels revolted, by Powers, or rather by spiritual subtleties, which communicate to divers miserable wretches the gift of prophesying, and do many strange things through their officers, of which sort those shall be which shall say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and have we not cast out devils in thy name? and by thy name done many great works? To whom the judge will answer, I never knew you. To this end also, S. Gregory Bishop of Rome saith, Because oft times miracles are done through the inspiration of the devil, 
The pretended miracles of Popedom, are rather a presumption of a false then of a true service.  my brethren love not those signs as are common with the reprobate. And S. Austin saith, The devils do miracles, like unto those which were done by the servants of God, etc. Considering therefore that the wicked Spirit hath often times done miracles among the jews and Gentiles, and that it was foretold that Antichrist and his supporters shall in great number do them in the latter days, to establish their errors, and seduce the elect of God, if it were possible; it is a folly in you to conclude that the miracles done, through the invocation of the departed Saints, is a service pure and approved by God. But to reprove the course of your fine discourse, adorned with this figure of prevention: 
The subject for which the Papists term us heretics, declareth them to be impostors and heretics themselves.  There is one thing (will some man say) which troubleth much these heretics, and what is it? how they cannot understand nor imagine that the Saints do hear us, affirming that it is unpossible for a man praying beneath on earth to be heard of the departed Saints into heaven. Which according to the scope of your writing is the second point which we have yet to examine. It were to be wished that in this examination you were more discreet and sincere. You consider not that in terming us heretics; because we will not believe that the Saints deceased understand and hear the prayers of those which call upon them, you also reprove Solomon the wise of heresy, who teacheth us in the first book of Kings, and 8. chapter, that there is none but God only who knoweth the hearts of all men, and that that is one of the principal causes wherefore we should call upon him; and to expect from him alone the accomplishment of our desires. 
1. Kings 8. 38.  Lord (saith he) what prayer and supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know the plague in his own heart, and stretch forth his hand in this house: Hear thou then in heaven in thy dwelling place, and be merciful, and do, and give every man, according to all his ways, as thou knowest his heart (for thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men.) Moreover, in stead of speaking seriously, you at your pleasure flout at Calvin, and our arguments. You say, that our strongest arguments, and that which we most set by, is, that which we hold from our Captain Calvin, who asketh you in the third book of his Institutions, chap. 20. sect. 24. Who hath revealed to you this secret, that the departed Saints have so long ears to stretch them down unto your words? and so sharp eyes, that they can behold your necessities? It is marvel that you, who so diligently set forth your tongue with the colours of Rhetoric, 
Calvin speaketh to the foolish, according to their folly.  understand not, that he maketh this demand of you by an Ironia, or manner of mockage, and laugheth at your foolish imagination, that the Saints, which are above in heaven, hear and see what is done here beneath on earth. For without searching any further, Calvin confesseth in that very section, that the souls of the blessed, albeit they are separated from their bodies, and use no more the instruments of eyes and ears, yet understand many things, which concern the advancement of the glory of God, and his kingdom. Yea and that they seek it with a settled and unmoved will; which may be proved by some texts out of the Bible: but he condemneth the boldness of your Sophists, 
If the Saints see all things within the mirror of eternity, it would follow that they should see the day of the coming of our Lord jesus Christ, which is false.  who without any testimony of holy Scripture, dare affirm that the brightness of God's face is so great, that in the contemplation thereof the Saints may behold as in a mirror the things which in this world do happen. But whilst you bark against this demand of Caluins, you dissemble our arguments, and accuse yourselves of falsehood and deliberate malice, seeing you vaunt that you have read the writings of our Ministers, and have therein observed the reasons which they propound against the second point of your doctrine. If it be true that you have perused the principal reasons of our Pastors; why then do you let pass in silence that which they have drawn out of the fountain of the holy Scriptures, and namely in the 9 chapter of Ecclesiastes, vers. 6. That the love and the hatred of the dead is now perished, 
Eccles. 9 6.  and they have no more portion for ever in all that is done under the Sun. 
Esay 63. 16.  And in the 63. chapter of Esay, and 16. verse, Lord thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel know us not. Whereupon this argument of our Teachers is grounded. The holy Scripture manifestly instructeth us in those above said texts, that the Saints deceased this world have no more portion in the things which are done under the cope of heaven, nor any knowledge of our affairs. Therefore it is a folly in them, which yet walk in this vail of misery, to call upon them.  
But to proceed on with the course of your invective, you say, that the disciples of Calvin and Luther, to show themselves wiser than their Masters, have begun since that, to demand of the Catholics some express texts and examples taken out of the holy Scripture, whereby it might appear that the Saints above in Paradise understand & hear our prayers. Whereunto I reply, 
Luther and Calvin have not bound their adversaries, to prove the invocation of Saints by the Scripture.  that Luther and Calvin have not required of you any express texts by the which it might appear that the deceased Saints hear our Prayers; because they knew exceeding well, that there could not be found for it so much as one only word in the Word of God. For what saith Calvin thereof in his 3. book and 20. chapter, sect. 21? What angel or devil ever revealed to any man any one syllable of this intercession of Saints, which these men have forged? For in the Scripture there is nothing said thereof. What reason had he then to seek it there? And as for us, which are none of Luther's or Calvin's disciples, but Christ's; we require of you some proofs taken out of the marrow of the holy Scripture, not for that we think it is possible for you; but because we might have the greater occasion to confute you of leasing even by your own consciences. 
The Papists are to make good that which they affirm, and not in us which deny & disprove the invocation of Saints.  And when all is said, and when we come to that, ye fear the blows, & to save yourselves from them, you answer us reciprocally by a demand, whether we can prove our negative by some text, to wit, that the Scripture teacheth us not, that the Saints which are in heaven can hear our prayers. In your invective against Calvin, you reproach him in that he wanteth Philosophy: but herein I may rebuke you by an argument far more forcible, that you have not learned the laws Dialecticae, (that is, of Logic) which teacheth us, Quod affirmanti incumbat probatio, to wit, that he which affirmeth any thing, is bound to prove his affirmation. So it is then, that you affirm, that the holy Scripture teacheth us that the departed Saints hear our prayers, 
We neither deny nor affirm any thing of our own sense, but from the authority of the holy Scripture.  and we chose deny it; than it is not in us to confirm our negation, but in you to ratify your negation; which is unpossible for you: notwithstanding you are so imprudent, or rather so impudent as to say, that we may read over the Bible as oft as we list, yet we shall never produce thereout one only text contrary to your opinion. If your conscience be not seared, it hath already convicted you of falsehood by the reading of those two places, which already I have quoted out of the 9 chapter and 16. verse of Eccle. 
Eccle. 9 16.  and Esay 63. vers. 16. where the holy Ghost guiding the pen of these two men of God, 
Es●y 63. 16.  teacheth us that they which are departed this life, have no portion in our businesses which are done under the Sun, but that they are ignorant thereof.  
Let us now come to your demonstration, that the Scripture faileth you not in this point: for to awaken our spirits, you first command us to note this express text of Scripture, 
Two false principles and grounds of the Papistical Doctors.  that the Angels in heaven understand our prayers, seeing they are the reporters of then to the divine Majesty, as appeareth by the same scripture. Secondly, it is an express text of scripture, that the Saints shall be in heaven as the Angels, according to the saying of the Son of God in the Gospel. Whereunto you add your conclusion, that the Saints hear our prayers, sith the Angels (unto whom they are likened) hear them. If some one should propound this your argument borrowed from Bellarmine, to Scholars which have heard the rules of Logic, they would quickly smell out your deceit, and would reply, that you do not aptly appropriate it to the Saints departed, because to conclude from thence (according to the right form and rule of Logicians) that the Saints departed understand our prayers, you must first have proved, that jesus Christ saith in the 20. chapter of S. Luke, that the departed Saints are Angels, and not as you make them, like unto Angels. They would likewise reject your reason, and confirmation which you annex unto this sentence, 
The Papists can never prove, that the Angels are the reporters of the prayers of the Saints before God.  that the Angels understand our prayers, because they are the reporters of them to the divine Majesty, as appeareth by the holy Scripture. Mark you not here a fine proof, to say it appeareth by the Scripture that the Angels report our prayers to God, without quoting so much as one testimony? From hence it comes, that having taken your principal pieces from Bellarmine, you durst not allege that place of holy Scripture which is in the 12. chapter and 15. verse of Toby, where the Angel Raphael saith, That he is one of those seven holy Angels, which presents before the Majesty of God the prayers of the Saints. If it be in regard that you make conscience to confirm your proposition out of a book which is Apocrypha, I commend you, and in that I prefer you before your Master. Or if it be because you have not read, nor remembered well, that text which he allegeth in his book of the blessedness of the Saints, I pardon you for it. Touching the rest, it seems at the first sight, that you make some stop at falsifying the 36. verse of the 20 chapter of S. Luke, and of following therein the example of Bellarmine & Richeome, who in stead of saying as Christ did in answering the Sadduces, that the Saints shall be (to wit, in the resurrection of the flesh) like the Angels: they turn this text as if Christ had said, that they are like to the Angels. But in the repetition of your argument trussed to your conclusion, you show yourself to be of the same humour as your Schoolmasters 
Our conformity with the Angels is not yet, but when we shall be glorified.  above said are; seeing you change the future tense into the present; to maintain with them that the Saints are like to the Angels: and that against the intention of our Sovereign Lord and Master jesus Christ, who disputing against the Sadduces, which denied the resurrection of the body, and had propounded this question to him, worthy to be laughed at, touching a woman which had had seven husbands, whose wife she should be in the resurrection, showeth them upon this occasion, that the faithful shall then be glorified, even in regard of their bodies which shall not be mortal, nor corruptible no more, but as the spirits of the Angels are, and consequently shall not be inclined to marriage, for the maintaining of their race and posterity, but shall be like to the Angels which do not marry. Now foreseeing through the agility of your spirit, what we might reply on that above said place, you think that you hear us already answer, that this similitude of the Angels and Saints, whereof our Lord speaketh in the Gospel, consisteth only in their felicity and blessedness, and not in their nature and office, that is to say (as it hath pleased you to expound it) that the Angels and the Saints shall be in heaven equal and like each other, because both of them shall be blessed, enjoying one self-same glory and felicity. Now as you can find nothing therein to chaw upon, you grant us this answer, and make it to serve your turn, as a fowler with his net, to take and ensnare us. For behold the argument which you ground upon our answer, is, that seeing the felicity and state of future life, hindereth not the Angels from hearing the prayers of the mortal, why is it not possible that the Saints being in the same felicity with the Angels and like unto them, may not hear likewise our prayers aswell as they? This text of scripture them showeth that the Saints hear our prayers. We deny the consequence of this argument. If the felicity of the Angels hindereth them not from hearing our prayers, that it followeth from thence, that the felicity of the departed Saints hindereth not them also from the understanding of our Supplications; 
From things or persons which are unlike, we ought not to draw like conclusions.  the reason is, because the Angels (notwithstanding their present felicity) have received from God this charge, to watch over us, and our safety, as it is written in the 34. Psalm. For which cause the Apostle S. Paul calleth them administering spirits, sent for their sakes that are to receive the inheritance of salvation, which the Scripture speaketh in no place of the Saints departed. You repeat afterward your affirmation, that the Saints deceased hear us, see us, and are not ignorant of that which is done upon the earth. For confirmation whereof you propound us the example of Abraham, who being dead and in Limbo, knew many things which happened among the people of the children of Israel, as one may perceive by the 16. chapter of S. Luke. For first of all he knew, that the people had the books of Moses and the Prophets, the ancientest whereof was Moses, which had been written more than four hundred years after the death of Abraham. Secondly, he knew the life which the rich Glutton led upon the earth, and what misery poor Lazarus had there endured. Thirdly, he saw and knew the estate and condition of that wicked wretch, and heard his prayer, (although he was not heard) when he cried, Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, etc. Notwithstanding there was a great distance between the one and the other, as Abraham answered him: finally, albeit that the rich Glutton was damned, saw he not Abraham? heard he not his answer? gave he not his replies? albeit there was a great gulf set between them? Now there is no man that dares deny all this; because it is the Gospel▪ and a story pronounced by the mouth of him which cannot lie, but is the very truth himself, even jesus Christ. 
An argument from the least to the greatest, which hath more colour than strength.  And if this thing and story be true (as it is) I now charge all the Calvinian and Lutherian Ministers, and say unto them, If Abrah●m (my Masters) being shut up in Limbo, and not enjoying at that time the sight of God, nor being blessed but through hope, knew notwithstanding the things of this world, the estate and misery of the rich Glutton, and heard him make his prayer and demand; will you think that the Saints in Paradise, beholding God, and his most bright sight, are better privileged than Abraham? I will reduce your paradox and superfluity of words into this summary: If (say you) Abraham in Limbo, being not yet blessed but through hope, knew the things of this world, (as appeareth by the history thereof contained in the 16. chapter of S. Luke) the Saints in paradise enjoying the most glorious countenance of God, are not less privileged in that then Abraham. Now you presuppose that this is a sure foundation, that Abraham after his death knew the affairs of this world, and from thence you conclude, that the consequence which you draw from it is good and true. I say that in your discourse you interlard many things false and uncertain. For first you presuppose that Abraham was in Limbo, and in the place of such as are not blessed but through hope, when Christ spoke of him and Lazarus to his disciples. 
It is impiety to say Abraham was in Limbo.  Whereof we can show you the contrary in the 8. chapter of S. Matthew, and eleventh verse, where Christ saith, 
Matth. 8. 11.  that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and jacob in the kingdom of heaven. In which text you may see, that jesus Christ promiseth all those which shall believe in his doctrine, that their souls shall be transported into the kingdom of heaven, where were then at that time the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob. From whence one may easily gather, that jesus Christ understood in S. Luke by the bosom of Abraham, that which in S. Matthew he calleth the kingdom of heaven. In consideration whereof sundry of the ancient Fathers have expressed those words of Abraham's bosom, by the name of Paradise. Likewise, there are some of them, which have concluded from the abovesaid chapter of S. Luke, and some other places of holy Scripture, that men at their departure out of this life, enter (as touching their souls) either into eternal rest, or into eternal torment, and so consequently there is neither Limbo, or Purgatory. 
Lactantius.  There are two ways (saith Lactantius in his sixth book of Baptism) by which it is necessary that human life must pass: the one will carry and lift men up into heaven; the other will cast them down headlong into hell. 
Origen.  And Origen saith in his book of Works, that souls which depart this world, are either distributed into hell, or into the bosom of Abraham. 
Epiphanius.  In like manner, S. Epiphanius in his Treatise of Heresy, saith in his 19 chapter, that after death there is no succour, no pity, no repentance. For Lazarus cometh not to the rich Glutton, nor the rich Glutton to Lazarus; neither doth Abraham let fall his robes from on high, to enrich that woeful wretch; nor the rich Glutton obtaineth not also his request, though he besought it of pitiful Abraham with many prayers: For the chambers are sealed up, the time accomplished, the combat achieved, the lists made void, the Crown given, and those which have fought do rest, and those which have not gained before, are departed from thence, and those which have not fought, cannot offer themselves any more for that purpose, and those which have lost it in the lists, are put out, and all things are fully accomplished after our departure out of this world. 
S. Jerome.  S. Jerome teacheth us the like in his discourse upon the death of Paula: Let it not grieve us (saith he) for having lost her, or rather for having her still, for all things live to God, and all they which return to the Lord, be as in the number of his family; we account that we have lost her, but she is lodged in heaven: For when Paula was in her body, she was absent from the Lord, saying, I am a pilgrim, and a stranger here, as all my Fathers were, I desire to be separated from this body, and to be with Christ. She now enjoyeth the blessings which no eye hath seen, no ear hath heard, nor which ever could enter into the heart of man. Whereof justine the Martyr also speaketh very clearly in his 60 and 75. 
A notable saying of justine the Martyr.  questions: In the story (saith he) of Lazarus and the rich Glutton, there is a declaration which containeth this doctrine, that after the soul is issued forth of the body, men cannot receive any further succour, by any care or prudence. After the soul is dislodged from the body, there is presently a distinction made between the righteous and the unrighteous: For the souls of the righteous are carried by the Angels into the places of Paradise, whereof they are worthy, where they have the conversation and view of Angels and Archangels, yea even the sight of our Lord jesus Christ, according to that which is said; Being absent from the body, we are present with the Lord: But the souls of the unrighteous go into the places of hell, as it is said of Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon, Hell beneath is moved against thy coming: and that which followeth. And all souls are kept in these two places till the hour of the resurrection. Whereunto S. Ambrose subscribeth, by the exhortation which he made to Christians in his Treatise of the Good of Death, 
An excellent doctrine of S. Ambroses'.  chap. 12. When the day of our death shall come (saith he) let us march strait forward without fear into the company of the Saints: for we shall go to our fathers, and to those which have taught us the faith, to the intent that if our works do fail us, our faith may succour us, and our inheritance may defend us. Also the soul flies from hence on high, she goeth to dwell with that pure good which is both perpetual and immortal etc. The soul's rest is in the land of the living, 
The doctrine of S. Austin touching the place of our retreat at our departing this world  whereunto no sins can penetrate where liveth the glory of virtues. According to which saying, S. Austin giveth us this remonstrance in his 80. Epistle to Hesichius: In such a case (saith he) as thy last day findeth thee, even such will the last day of this world take thee. Such as man dieth in that very day, such shall he be judged in the other. And in his 10. Sermon upon the Apostles words, There are two homes, the one in eternal fire, the other in an eternal kingdom. Likewise in his 232. Serm. entitled De Tempore: Brethrens (saith he) let no man deceive himself: for there are but two places, and no third for any one. Whereunto his exposition serveth, which in another place he speaketh of in disputing against the Pelagians. The Catholic faith (saith he) by divine authority believeth, that the first place is the kingdom of heaven, the second hell, where all apostates and revolters from the faith in Christ, shall feel everlasting torments. As touching a third we are wholly ignorant of; 
Neither the holy Scripture, nor the Catholic Fathers give any third places to souls after their decease.  and which is more, we find by the holy scripture that there is none. Besides, in the 9 book of his Confessions, he maintaineth y● one seeth God in Abraham's bosom, and thereby he showeth, as a thing most certain, that the soul of Abraham, and the faithful fathers departed this world, was in heaven, and not in Limbo or Purgatory, where none can behold God, but in the alone seat of the blessed, according to that sentence of our Saviour, contained in the fifth chapter of S. Matthew, and 8. verse, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. On the other side, the same Doctor saith of the Fathers of the old Testament, that they which believed in Christ, before he came in the flesh, have been saved through their faith in Christ jesus. I could here allege a sentence of S. Gregory Nazianzen, (whereby he comforted himself at his brother's death, saying, that he was ascended up into heaven, and rested in the bosom of Abraham) and many others to the same effect: but because I will not be too tedious, I will now examine the second point of your opinion, which is, that that which Christ teacheth of the rich Glutton and Lazarus, 
The history of Lazarus is parabolical.  is a history: which we deny; because there are sundry circumstances which show also that it is partly a parable. For in that story we cannot take the things literally which are recited in them, neither can it be possible in all that which Christ heretofore did preach of the rich Glutton and poor Lazarus; because Christ therein attributeth, tongues, fingers, and eyes to the souls of the departed, which he doth by a manner of speech, which is called historical, but is parabolical; by which spiritual things are made clear by the comparison and similitude of corporal. 
Though Abraham should have heard the complaints of the rich Glutton, it followeth not from thence that the Saints hear our prayers.  Now although we shall approve that which we have denied, to wit, that Abraham heard the complaints of the rich man, yet cannot you solidly conclude from thence, that the departed Saints also do hear the prayers of such as live upon the face of the earth. For Bellarmine your Doctor describeth the distance which is between Limbus and Hell in such a sort, as if he had been there himself to have measured the one and the other place, where he saith, there is betwixt them a great opening, neither more nor less than is between two places separated only by the air, so that from the one part of this gulf, one may see and hear what is done in the other. By this reckoning then the distance is not so great between those places, as it is between heaven and earth: seeing that these two places are shut up on all sides, and so far separated from each other, that it is not possible that the Saints which are in heaven and we which are here beneath on earth can hear or see each other. Nevertheless, to give some colour to your opinion, you bring in S. Austin upon this point, speaking in this manner: Quid non vident qui videntem omnia vident? What (saith he) do not the Saints above in heaven see, in seeing him which seeth all things, to wit, God? But wherefore have you not marked that place? is it not because you dare not openly gainsay those which attribute these words to S. Gregory? But howsoever, if they were his, he forgot himself in pronouncing these words: for albeit that God seeth all things, yet it followeth not from thence that the Saints which behold God should see all things likewise. If you should propound such an argument in Schools to Aristotle's disciples, they would presently confute you by the like argument, which an ignorant person might make you of the Sun, and of us which daily do behold it, to wit, sith that the Sun, which is the eye of the world (as Philosophers term it) seeth and discovereth all things which are under the cope of heaven, that we likewise in beholding the Sun, should see all things which are under the Sun. 
The Trinity serveth not as a mirror in heaven, to contemplate all things therein.  What man is it that perceiveth not this consequence to be bad? And if it were good, yet yours would remain false & naughtily grounded; because we deny that which you affirm, without any testimony of holy Scripture, that is, that God, or the Trinity serve as a mirror to the souls of the departed, thereby to behold all things, as the Sun and Moon which are as spectacles to our bodily eyes, to perceive by them the things which are represented to our sight. Besides this, it is an easy matter to stop your mouth, and to show by the testimony of Christ and his Apostle in the sixth chapter of the Revelation, that the Angels and the spirits of the departed, though they behold the face of God, yet they see not, nor know the day and hour of the last coming of Christ. Moreover, we can convince you thereof even by your predecessors, and can prove by their own writings, how they taught that the souls of the departed see not any thing which is done upon the earth: for you may see what Albertus Bishop of Ratisbone writeth thereof (who was Master to Thomas of Aquin) in his book of our Conjunction with God, 
Albert Master unto Thomas of Aquin, denieth that which other of the Popish Doctors his successors do affirm.  and 8. chapter: The departed Saints (saith he) busy not themselves about the affairs of this world, neither care for the estate thereof, neither of peace nor war, neither of fair weather or rain, nor in sum for any man here below: but are wholly devoted to one God, and all of them united and employed, to apply and accommodate themselves to him. Finally, from the blessed you descend to the damned, and as though you had heard their discourses, and sounded their spirits, you reason without reason aswell of their knowledge, as of their charity towards God, and men surviving them: for thus you discourse: If the damned do likewise hear those speak, which are so far distant from them, as the rich man heard Abraham, and showed himself mindful and careful for his brethren, which yet remain upon the earth, being afraid left they should come into the same place of torment where he was, as you may see in the Gospel by that which he spoke unto Abraham; should we think, that the Saints, and those which are in the kingdom of heaven see not, or know not what we do upon the earth? 
Charity is the mark of the children of God, and not of the reprobate.  Poor Divine that thou art, which understands not yet, that which the holy Scripture teacheth us so clearly in many places, that the zeal and charity to the glory of God, and the desire of our neighbour's salvation, are virtues proper in the fourth degree (as in schools they teach it) only to the elect and children of God, and are never found in the damned after this life, which are sworn enemies against God, and the children of his kingdom. If then the reprobate are without charity, and are glad to see many companions of their distresses, as some of your new Doctors confess: what a stupidity is it then in you, not to consider that Christ (as already we have touched) attributeth to the rich Glutton the care of his brethren by a parable or similitude, as also the speech of a living man, using his tongue and other members of his body, which nevertheless was separated by burial from the soul cast down into h●ll? I am much more astonished, because that Saint Austin, whom (as it seemeth by your writing) you have read, saith expressly of the rich Glutton, that albeit he prayed Abraham to send Lazarus unto his brethren, yet he knew not what his brethren did, nor what did then happen to them. But to beat you with your own rod, you present us a proof, that the Saints which are in heaven see us, because they behold God, who seeth all things. From whence I argue by the contrary, 
The adversaries argument retorted.  that forasmuch as the damned, which are cast into utter darkness, see not the brightness of the face of God, therefore they see not a jot, nor have any knowledge of our affairs? Afterward you stir the pot about, and fall again into your beginning, holding as an article worthy of belief, that which you have not proved, nor ever can prove by holy Scripture, to wit, that the Saints and all blessed souls departed this life, know the things of this world, and thereupon you build your argument, which is called in Schools, From the less to the greater: If the departed Saints know all things in this world, 
Upon bad foundation: the●e can be made no good building.  must they not much more know and hear the prayers which men make unto them? Again, If they can understand and hear the voice of the damned; is it possible that they should not understand the prayers of such as are desirous to be saved? Beside, if the damned themselves (as appeareth by the story of the rich Glutton) would procure that there happen no evil to their brethren and friends; will those which are saved be less charitable? will they not advance as much as they can, the salvation of their friends and Christian brethren? and that so much the more, because they see and hear that men do seek unto them for it? To speak properly, your first argument is no argument, but a troublesome repetition of the principij, that is to say, of the principal question which needeth a proof of better stuff then as yet you have offered to satisfy us withal. The others depend on the former, and have been refuted already. I will then go on with the course of your Treatise, and advertise you, that neither he to whom you have written your Epistle, not they unto whom he hath communicated it to be read and examined, do give any belief to your false affirmations, that the Christians are commanded to invocate the Saints departed, or that they do hear their prayers. Hereupon you propound this question how the Saints can hear us and you acknowledge, that to say the truth this is a hard question to be resolved, but nevertheless that your doctrine is true. To this point you produce that which S. Austin writeth thereof in his Treatise, De cura pro mortuis gerenda, cap. 16. In truth (saith S. Austin) this question surpasseth the force of my understanding, being unable to comprehend how and in what manner the Martyrs help those which we certainly know to be helped by them. I will here briefly repeat that which heretofore I have shown, to wit, how this sentence of S. Augustine's is contrary to those which I have gathered out of his writings, into which some since his departure have maliciously sown many tars and wicked seed, 
Places suspected of S. Augustine's.  which is the cause that we hold this passage in suspicion. And though it were S. Augustine's, yet are we not bound to receive it, seeing it is contrary to the holy Scripture. But to refute you by that very book which you attribute to S. Austin; answereth not he himself to this question, whether the Saints departed intermeddle with our affairs, that he is of an opinion they do not? Doth he not reason in the same manner as we have reasoned afore, to show that his opinion is grounded in the holy Scriptures? I will here recite his own words, to the end the moderate reader may judge of them: 
S. Austin doth absolutely deny that the Saints meddle with our affairs.  Let every man take (saith Austin) as he will what I shall speak; If the souls of the departed were present in the businesses of the living, and so that we should see them, they would speak to us in dreams: to say nothing of others, my good mother than would not leave me one night alone, who for to live with me, hath followed me by sea and land. But that which is sung in the Psalm is true, My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord hath received me. If then our fathers have left us, how can they meddle with our affairs? and if our fathers and mothers be not present in them, what others of the dead are there which know the things that we do, and that which we suffer? The Prophet Esay saith, Thou art our father, for Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel hath not known us. If these Patriarches were ignorant of that which this people did, 
A good argument from the greater to the lesser.  precreated from them; how can the dead busy themselves to succour the living in their actions and affairs? and how could we say it were well with those which are departed this world, before the evils which followed their death had happened, if after their death they should likewise feel the things which come to pass in the calamities of human life; or else we should speak these things erroneously? and should we hold those to be in rest which are in pain, because of their survivors which have no repose in this life? What is that than which God promised to holy King josiah as a great blessing, that he would take him to himself by death, that he might not see the evils which he threatened the people. Behold (saith the Lord) I will gather thee to thy Fathers, 
Absurdities that follow, if we should grant that the Saints departed have to do with our affairs.  and thou shalt be put in thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. The spirits then of the deceased are in that place, where they see not the things which are done, or which happen in the life of man. These are the words of S. Austin, which purposely you have omitted to deceive the ignorant, and to take an occasion from an imperfect allegation of his discourse, touching the obscurity and difficulty of this matter of rising up furiously against us, and falsely to impose upon us, by a great medley of vain words, that which we cannot nor will not believe with S. Austin, to wit, that this surpasseth the capacity of our understanding. For as we believe the creation of the world, the mystery of the holy Trinity, and the resurrection of the flesh, though we cannot meet them by the measure of our understanding; and that because they are plainly taught us in the holy Scripture: so when you shall prove unto us, by express terms out of the writings of the Prophets, that the Saints hear us, and aught to be adored, and called upon by us that are here beneath on earth, than we will be obedient to your counsel, and will subscribe in all humility and reverence to that article. But what? you would not that men should rebuke you, nor likewise should think that you seek an escape through the bogs: and beside, in stead of bringing in some authentical testimony of the Bible, you begin again to allege to us three manner of ways, whereby S. Austin (which might err, and by his retractations roundly confesseth his errors) thought that the departed Saints might hear our requests. The first is, By the arrival of those which depart this life, 
Three pretended means of the Papists, whereby the Saints might hear our prayers.  and go from hence to them, who may advertise them of the things which happen on earth, and especially of that which concerns them most. The second: By the report of the Angels, which sometimes mount up into heaven, and sometimes again even in an instant are about us. The third: By the revelation of God's spirit, which may comport (I retain your fine speeches) or bear itself with the souls of the blessed in heaven, neither more nor less than heretofore it did comport itself with the Prophets on earth, revealing to them secret things, and that which should be done a long while after them, as the Scripture testifieth it. Whereunto you add yet a fourth manner of speech invented by Saint Gregory, which is this, That the Saints seeing the face of God, see whatsoever appertains to them in any sort, and consequently hear also our prayers. From whence you conclude, that by the doctrine of the Fathers we may conceive somewhat how the blessed ones hear us when we call upon them. We now come to refute this fourth mean forged out of men's brains, without any ground of holy Scripture. First I will only advertise the reader, that it is not likely this sentence (to wit, 
There is no likelihood that S. Gregory took pleasure in contradicting himself.  that the departed Saints beholding the face of God do see all things) was forged by S. Gregory, seeing in the same chapter that you have alleged in your Epistle, he saith the contrary, to wit, that as they which are living know not the estate of souls departed; so likewise is unknown unto the dead the manner of life, which those lead that remain after them in the flesh. For the life (saith he) of the spirit is far different from the life of the flesh, and as things corporal and spiritual are differing in nature, so are they likewise in knowledge. Now it resteth that we should examine those three former ways of the particular knowledge which you attribute to the Saints departed. I answer then to the first, that nothing is written thereof by the ancient Prophets, nor Apostles, and therefore we are not bound to believe it. Moreover, it often happeneth that the citizens which dwell in one city know not the affairs of one another; how can they then after their departure declare them to the souls of the blessed which they find in heaven? 
The examination of those three means abovesaid, of the understanding of our prayers.  Besides, there are many which in praying cast their eyes up towards heaven, whilst none of their neighbours happen to decease; who is it then that should do their message to the Saints departed? And notwithstanding if so be there should be at that instant some one ready to die when one prayeth, and to carry the news to heaven; what man among you can show me by divine scripture, that God hath enjoined to him that special charge? not one. Or if you would that one should approve your first manner, you necessarily must grant me that there is no Purgatory. For if that souls must pass through Purgatory, and stay there for some time, according to the number of Masses, which are caused to be said for their deliverance; how can it be possible for them to advertise in time the departed Saints of the prayers which were made unto them so long before?  
Your second and third means are of no more certainty than the others, because it is neither written in the old Testament nor in the new, that the departed Saints know our necessities by the report of the Angels, neither that God endueth the Saints after their departure with the spirit of prophecy and revelation, as at sometimes he did to his holy servants, according as the necessity did require, to make them capable of their extraordinary calling whereunto he had called them.  
Now followeth your last argument, which you yourself calls least of all, and that for a good reason. For you number up many of the Fathers, which have invocated the Saints departed, and afterward you close up your Epistle with flouts against the Ministers of the reformed Churches. But whatsoever you heap up against them is 〈◊〉 wind and smoke, yea dung in respect of the purity and excellency of the word of jesus Christ and his Apostles, which we had rather follow than that of men, for we have no certain testimony that their doctrine was divinely inspired, as we have of the Prophets and Apostles, and that these men of God were not led by a human will, but were moved thereunto by the spirit of our principal Pastor and Bishop jesus Christ: in whose name I admonish you no more to protest so lightly, before God his Father, that whatsoever you have said, tendeth to his honour, and the salvation of him, to whom you have sent your Epistle most prejudicial and contrary to the glory of God, and the repose of the true members of jesus Christ; unto whom I pray to give me his grace constantly to maintain his pure truth, and to accompany this mine answer with the virtue of his holy Spirit, to the end that thereby he may move your heart to conceive your errors, and to renounce them, for the advancement of his glory, the acquitting of your conscience, and the augmentation of his kingdom.  
FINIS.