2. That we may plead for acceptance, grace and mercy with God, for their merits ⟨p. 396⟩and works, which our Author gilds over, but cannot deny. If he will plainly undertake the defence of either of these, and endeavour to vindicate the first from Superstition and the latter from being highly derogatory, to the mediation of Christ, both, or either, to have been known or practised in the first Churches, he shall be attended unto. To tell us fine Stories, and to compare their invocation of Saints, to the Psalmists Apostrophe's unto the works of the Creation to set forth the praise of the Lord, which they do in what they are, without doing more, and to deny direct praying unto them; is but to abuse himself, his Church, his Reader, and the Truth; and to proclaim to all, that he is indeed ashamed of the Doctrine which he owns, because it is not good or honest, as the Orator charged Epicurus. In the practice of his Church, very many are the things which the Protestants are offended with. Their Canonization framed perfectly after the manner of the old Heathen Apotheosis; Their exalting men into the Throne of religious Worship, some of a dubious existence, others of a more dubious Saintship; ⟨p. 397⟩their Dedication of Churches, Altars, Shrines, Days to them. Their composing multitudes of Prayers for their people to be repeated by them: Their divulging feigned, ludicrous, ridiculous Legends of their lives to the dishonour of God, the Gospel, the Saints themselves, with innumerable other things of the like nature, which our Author knoweth full well to be commonly practised and allowed in his Church. These are the things that he ought to defend and make good their Station, if he would invite others to a fellowship and Communion with him. Instead of this, he tells us, that his Catholics do not invocate Saints directly; when I shall undertake (what he knows can be performed), to give him a Book bigger then this of his, of Prayers allowed by his Church, and practised by his Catholics, made unto Saints directly, for help, assistance, yea grace, mercy, and heaven, or desiring those things for their merit, and upon their account; which as I showed are the two main parts of their doctrine condemned by Protestants.
2. That we may plead for acceptance, grace and mercy with God, for their merits ⟨p. 396⟩and works, which our Author gilds over, but cannot deny. If he will plainly undertake the defence of either of these, and indeavour to vindicate the first from Superstition and the latter from being highly derogatory, to the mediation of Christ, both, or either, to have been known or practised in the first Churches, he shall be attended unto. To tell us fine Stories, and to compare their invocation of Saints, to the Psalmists Apostrophe's unto the works of the Creation to set forth the praise of the Lord, which they do in what they are, without doing more, and to deny direct praying unto them; is but to abuse himself, his Church, his Reader, and the Truth; and to proclaim to all, that he is indeed ashamed of the Doctrine which he owns, because it is not good or honest, as the Orator charged Epicurus. In the practice of his Church, very many are the things which the Protestants are offended with. Their Canonization framed perfectly after the manner of the old Heathen Apotheosis; Their exalting men into the Throne of religious Worship, some of a dubious existence, others of a more dubious Saintship; ⟨p. 397⟩their Dedication of Churches, Altars, Shrines, Dayes to them. Their composing multitudes of Prayers for their people to be repeated by them: Their divulging faigned, ludicrous, ridiculous Legends of their lives to the dishonour of God, the Gospel, the Saints themselves, with innumerable other things of the like nature, which our Author knoweth full well to be commonly practised and allowed in his Church. These are the things that he ought to defend and make good their Station, if he would invite others to a fellowship and Communion with him. Instead of this, he tells us, that his Catholicks do not invocate Saints directly; when I shall undertake (what he knows can be performed), to give him a Book bigger then this of his, of Prayers allowed by his Church, and practised by his Catholicks, made unto Saints directly, for help, assistance, yea grace, mercy, and heaven, or desiring those things for their merit, and upon their account; which as I shewed are the two main parts of their doctrine condemned by Protestants.
