§. 3. Direct. 3. It is the will of God that the Memory of the Saints be honoured on earth when they are 1dead. It is some part of his favour which he hath promised to them. Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. Matth. 26. 13. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be Preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. The history of the Scripture recordeth the Lives of the Saints to their perpetual honour. And God will have it so also for the sake of his abused servants upon earth, that they may see that the slanders of malicious tongues, shall not be able to obscure the glory of his Grace, and that the lies of the ungodly prevail but for a moment. And God will have it so for the sake of the ungodly, that they may be ashamed of their malicious enmity and lies against the godly, while they perceive that the departed Saints, do leave behind them a surviving testimony of their sanctity and innocency, sufficient ⟨p. 759⟩to confound the venomous calumnies of the Serpents Seed. Yea God will have the Names of his eminent servants to be honoured upon earth, for the honour of their Head, and of his Grace and Gospel: so that while malice would cast dishonour upon Christ, from the meanness and failings of his servants that are alive, the memory of the dead, (who were once as much despised and slandered) shall rise up against them to his honour and their shame. And it is very observable how God constraineth the bitter enemies of Holiness to bear this Testimony for the honour of Holiness against themselves! that many who are the cruellest persecutors and murderers of the Living Saints, do honour the Dead even to excess. How zealous are the Papists for the multitude of their Holy days,2 and the honouring of their Names and Relicts, and pretending many Miracles to be wrought by a very touch of their Shrines or Bones, whilst they revile and murder those that imitate them, and deprive Temporal Lords of their Dominions that will not exterminate them. Yea, while they burn the living Saints, they make it part of their crime or Heresy, that they honour not the Days and Relicts of the Dead, so much as they: To show us that the things that have been shall be, and that wickedness is the same in all generations: Matth. 23. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.
§. 3. Direct. 3. It is the will of God that the Memory of the Saints be honoured on earth when they are 1dead. It is some part of his favour which he hath promised to them. Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. Matth. 26. 13. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be Preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. The history of the Scripture recordeth the Lives of the Saints to their perpetual honour. And God will have it so also for the sake of his abused servants upon earth, that they may see that the slanders of malicious tongues, shall not be able to obscure the glory of his Grace, and that the lies of the ungodly prevail but for a moment. And God will have it so for the sake of the ungodly, that they may be ashamed of their malicious enmity and lyes against the godly, while they perceive that the departed Saints, do leave behind them a surviving testimony of their sanctity and innocency, sufficient ⟨p. 759⟩to confound the venemous calumnies of the Serpents Seed. Yea God will have the Names of his eminent servants to be honoured upon earth, for the honour of their Head, and of his Grace and Gospel: so that while malice would cast dishonour upon Christ, from the meanness and failings of his servants that are alive, the memory of the dead, (who were once as much despised and slandered) shall rise up against them to his honour and their shame. And it is very observable how God constraineth the bitter enemies of Holiness to bear this Testimony for the honour of Holiness against themselves! that many who are the cruelest persecutors and murderers of the Living Saints, do honour the Dead even to excess. How zealous are the Papists for the multitude of their Holy dayes,2 and the honouring of their Names and Relicts, and pretending many Miracles to be wrought by a very touch of their Shrines or Bones, whilest they revile and muder those that imitate them, and deprive Temporal Lords of their Dominions that will not exterminate them. Yea, while they burn the living Saints, they make it part of their crime or Heresie, that they honour not the Dayes and Relicts of the Dead, so much as they: To shew us that the things that have been shall be, and that wickedness is the same in all generations: Matth. 23. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
- 1Direct. 3.
- 2Concil Later. sub. Innoc. 3. can. 3.
