Roman Church, severe controllers of manners! yea, by the voices of their own Popes: if, at this day, witness the muses of Bencius and Bonarcius, the Jesuits did not both speak and write thus.

But, let us leave these bold impieties, if you will, to their Bernardines, Antonines, Bartlemews of Pisa, Tursellines. Bring us forth their more sober Divines, Polydores, Cassanders, Vives: even their opinions will not down with us, which teach that the saints are, in any wise, to be prayed unto.

Indeed, the Protestants say, as, Bellarmin grants *, *, that the saints pray for us; but, only in a generality. Bucer said truly, that the saints have great love to their militant brethren, great desire of their salvation; and so, doubtless, have the angels: but, must we therefore single out any one of those blessed spirits to aid us, to sue for us in the court of heaven? God forbid! for, upon what faith must these prayers of ours be grounded? unless perhaps, as Hosius saith, we must believe in the saints also.

Yea, how sure are we, that none of the saints can either search the heart, the fountain of our prayers; or, at once hear ten thousand of their suppliants, distant in place from each other! Yea, further, if, as there should be no limits set to religion, all the world over, devout clients should, at once, jointly commend and prostrate themselves humbly to some one saint; it is not a swiftness of nature, as Jerome contends, that would serve the turn: a true ubiquity, as Bellarmin confesses, must be required to the hearing of all those prayers.

What hinders now, but that they, which, of sinful men, have made saints; should, of their saints, make gods also?

Besides, which of the Prophets, which of the Apostles ever commanded this? which of the Saints of the former world hath ever done it? Or, what other, if credit may be given to Theodorit, did St. Paul forbid, under the worship of angels, to his Colossians? Or, what was the heresy of the Collyridians †, if this must go for piety?

That rule of Epiphanius shall be ever a safe course for us: "Let Mary be honoured; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost worshipped." Here is no fear of danger, but that we may go safely to that God which calls us to him; and prostrate ourselves to his Christ, our Gracious Saviour. None of the saints can envy God this honour: none of them ever did, either arrogate it to himself, or suffer it to be given him. Neither is there any of them, whom God ever allowed, either to take it to himself, or to impart it to others, or to accept it quietly being imparted to him by others.

The Papists, therefore, may come to us when they will, with safety and advantage: we may not yield to them, without manifest danger of idolatrous dotage.

(3.) But, if any good natured Reconciler shall be so indifferent,

* Lib. de Beatit. Sanct. c. 15.-Cass. in Cons. c. de Invocat. Sanct.-The same is confessed by Luth. Oecol. Melanct. Brent. See Mort. Appeal. 1. 2. 12. s. 1. † Epiph. Нær. 79.

as to think these weighty points of difference not to be so heinous, but that every one might secretly maintain what opinion he list; yet so, that, as Constantine said to Alexander and Arius *, while the minds differ, the outward peace may be preserved; let him further understand, that the continual practice of the religious worship and service of God, will ever both raise and proclaim no less hostility, than matter of judgment.

In our devotions, and public exercises of piety, and places consecrated to this use, there is nothing, that can offend either the eye or the mind of a Papist, except the bareness of our walls, and the apostolical simplicity of ceremonies: an easy fault; and such, as it is no praise of their ingenuity to wink at: for, long since have those clauses of our Public Liturgy been purposely blotted out, which, in our grandfathers' days, did but lightly touch this galled sore of Popery.

But, contrariwise, in the Popish churches there is scarce any thing either said or done, whereof we can, with a clear and unwounded conscience, be either partakers or witnesses. Their very walls kill us dead: but their ridiculous or demoniacal service, who can endure?

We honour, as we ought, the dear and happy memory of the Saints; and, chiefly, the leader of that heavenly choir, the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God: and whatsoever she can think not too dishonourable to herself and her Lord and Saviour, we will most gladly give it her to the full.

Neither will we only glorify God in his saints, as Augustin hath taught Durand to speak; but we will magnify the saints, as opportunity serves, for their excellent graces and worthy acts, both in God and in themselves: we will admire, extol, and, what we may, imitate their singular constancy, faith, sanctity; as Sidonius said of his Claudian,

No tomb can either soul or glory shroud †.

But, to dig up their holy bones, that I may borrow Luther's word, out of their quiet graves; and to fall down before these worm-eaten monuments of the saints; to expect from them a divine power, whether of cure, or of sanctification; equally to respect Francis's cowl, Anna's comb, Joseph's breeches, Thomas's shoe, as Erasmus complains, with the Son of God himself; can seem no better to us, than a horrible impiety.

Neither can we abide, either to deify men, or to canonize beasts. It seems, that Cardinal could abide it well, in whose garden is yet to be seen this epitaph, which he wrote upon his too-dearly-beloved bitch:

This tomb for thee, dear bitch, I builded have,
That worthier wert of heaven, than a grave ‡.

We, profane Huguenots, cannot skill of worshipping Martin's *Socrat. l. i. c. 7. + Sidon. in Epita. Claud. Mamert. Poet. Italorum.

Poem. Illustr.

boots; or, George's scabbard; or, Crispin's paring-knife; or, which they say is kept in a certain town of Liguria, the tail of that ass which Christ rode upon *; or, Roche's dog; or, Antony's swine: and, surely, he had need of a very thick hide, that can do this.

But, in earnest, say we should yield these adorations to be lawful and godly, what Macarius, amongst so many woods of counterfeit trees, can shew us the true cross? or, what Helena, amongst such heaps, yea hills of iron, can shew us the true nails? Assuredly, both these jugglers smile one upon another, while they shew these relics to their people: and now, even the silly vulgar begins, not without indignation, to descry this cozenage.

To omit, therefore, these ridiculous tricks and knavish conveyances of their shavelings, let us, in this case, appeal even to Cassander's own moderation; who, having first honestly acknowledged the ancient complaints of Basil, Ambrose, Augustin, about the business of these abuses, goes on thus: "It appears," saith he †, "that, in the latter times, there hath been too much given to the relics and monuments of the saints: so as even good men, and those which were zealously devout, were grown to that pass, that they placed the sum of all religion in gathering together the relics of the saints, and in garnishing them richly with gold and pearls, and building sumptuous chapels and temples to them. And, again, those, that were lewd and godless, put all their confidence, though vain and false, in the foolish and superstitious worship of relics: wherefore, in the Council of Cabilon, those are reproved, who, in a pretence of devotion, go on pilgrimage to Rome, or Turon, or any other like places; as if they thought, that the frequenting of these holy shrines could both purge them from sin, and license them to sin with impunity. And, unto this, yet another mischief hath been added, that, for covetousness' sake, to entice the simple people, false relics have been devised, and feigned miracles reported; and, by those miracles, the superstition of the multitude was so fed, that they were rather taken up with an admiration of the wonders, than drawn to a holy imitation of the saints. And, many times, by the subtlety and illusion of the Devil, abusing the superstition of men, new relics were, by dreams and visions, revealed to the world; and, by the operation of the same Devil, miracles seemed to be wrought for the confirmation thereof." Thus saith Cassander; like a true German, shall I say, or like a true Israelite? But, we, that have been better taught, dare freely and confidently say of ourselves, as Jerome professed of old, in the name of all Christians, "So far are we from adoring the relics of martyrs, that we worship neither sun, nor moon, nor angels, nor archangels, cherubin, nor seraphin, nor any name that is named either in the present world, or in the future; lest we should serve the creature, rather than the Creator which is blessed for ever."

Then, that from relics we may descend to images, is it possible,

* Mores in Scot. Orig. Pap.

Hier. ad Riparium adver. Vigil.

+ Cass. Consult, de Reliq. Sanct.

*

that we should not be ever displeased with that frantic superstition of the Romish Church? that, against the tables of God's Law, against the institutions of the Apostles, against the practice of the Ancient Church, against the manifest decrees of Councils, against the clear testimonies of Fathers, in defiance of God and men, the churches of Christians should be no less pestered with idols, than the temples of the Heathen? that, as Jerome complained of old, the native beauty of the Church should be polluted with the filth of Paganism? that, which Eusebius justly taxeth of madness, there should be a visible and bodily image or representation made of the Invisible and Spiritual God? that we should put our confidence in Agnis Dei, grains, tapers, roses, swords, ensigns, bells ridiculously, after their manner, enchanted †? that, by certain magical exorcisms, the Devil should be driven out of those creatures, wherein he never was? Nay, let us even enter into league with Satan himself, if we shall give either allowance or connivance to such diabolical practices of will-worship.

;

I do purposely forbear to speak of that profane paradox of the sufficiency of the outward work done, without good inward dispositions; the idle mumbling up of prayers, in a foreign tongue; the number and virtue of sacraments; the sacrilegious mutilation of the eucharist; and a thousand other monsters, both opinions and ceremonies.

These, that I have reckoned, are errors more than enough. And, I would to God, those, which we have here particularized, were not such, that there is no remedy, but that we must eternally fall out, either with God or with Rome.

Since, therefore, neither truth can ever yield, nor obstinacy will yield; let us serve cheerfully under the colours of our Heavenly Leader; and both proclaim and maintain an unreconcileable war with these Romish Heresies.

CHAP. III.

IMPOSSIBILITY OF THE MEANS OF RECONCILIATION.

AND now, since no wise man can suspect of us, that we will ever grow to that height of madness, as to run perfidiously from the standard of God to the tents of that Roman Antichrist, is there any hope, that the Papists will ever be drawn back to the sound and pure judgment of the Primitive Antiquity? Oh, that God would vouchsafe this grace to the Christian World, that we could but comfort ourselves with the hope of so great happiness!

What a sight were this, how pleasant, how worthy of God and his angels, that, as it is said ‡ of the Novatian faction and the or

* Hier. Magno Oratori Rom. + Lib. Sacr. Cerem.

Socr. 1. ii. c. 30.

thodox of old, men, women, children of both parts, without all guile and close harbours of discontentment, should mutually bring stones and matter to the building up of this temple of another, yet true, Resurrection!

We will gladly speak unto them; and, if need be, upon our knees; in Cyprian's words: "Since we may not come forth of the sound and true Church of God, and come unto you; let us beseech and entreat you, by whatsoever should be most dear unto you, that you would return to our fraternity, and into the bosom of ihat Mother Church whence ye are revolted:" and, as he said in Theocritus +, yet, at last, be persuaded." We are both brothers of one blood: why will you needs fight more against yourselves, than your brethren?

But, alas, sooner may God create a new Rome, than reform the old. Yea, needs must that Church put off itself, and cease to be what it is, ere it can begin to be once again what it was: for, as the Comic Poet I said in the like "both substance, credit, fame, virtue, honour, have at once forsaken her; and by long disuse have left her worse than nought: neither do I see how these houses can be repaired, but they must be pulled down to the very foundations, and then built from the ground."

But, if there be any likelihood of remedy yet to be hoped for, surely, it must needs come either from herself or from others.

Can it be first from herself, which obstinately defends her errors, not only with tongue and pen, but with fire and sword too? which will not yield so much, as that she can err? which refused to amend those notorious abuses, which, by the moderate verdict of her elect cardinals, were condemned? And, lastly, which, by the palpable flatteries of her last and worst parasites, the Jesuits, is grown, not secure only, but prouder than ever she was?

Can it be then from others? How oft hath this been endeavoured, in vain! Rome may be sacked and battered, as it hath often been, by military forces; but, purged by admonitions, convictions, censures, it will never be. I remember, on this occasion, what Sisinnius the lector advised § Bishop Nectarius in the like case: That he had ever found disputations so far from reconciling of schisms, that they are still wont to inflame the minds of heretics to suffer contention.

What then? can it be from herself and others? Alas, how should it; unless either others had power, or herself had will to be redressed? For, certainly, if there be any one spark of good hope yet alive, it must be in the aid and determination of a General Council: and such a Synod is no less impossible, than reconciliation it

* Cypr. l. iii. Ep. 2. † Theocr. Idyl. κβ'. Αλλ' ἔτι καὶ νῦν Πείθεσθε, &c. -nunc simul res, fides, fama, virtus,

Decúsque deseruerunt: ego sum in usu

Factus nimio nequior-nec videor mihi &c. Plaut. Mostellar.

§ Socr. 1. v. c. 10. Poteruntne verò pacem esse pati pacis dissolutores ?