thus introduced: "Where two or three are gathered

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together in the name of the Lord, there is He in "the midst of them. Where there are forty, [in "allusion to the relics of the forty Martyrs,] who "doubts that He is present? The afflicted takes refuge with the forty Martyrs [i. e. in their Church]." Then follows the remainder of your quotation. The meaning is, that prayers may be offered to God in the Church of the Martyrs, with peculiar confidence. The passage from St. Ambrose (p. 61, 62.) distinctly supposes that the Angels and Martyrs aid us by their prayers, and that they are creatures as we are.

In none of these cases were "direct prayers" offered to Saints, for favours which God alone 66 can bestow."

The next passage, from St. Ambrose, is an exhortation of a pious matron to her son to devote himself entirely to God, in which she says, "There we deposited our vows whence we took 66 the name. The effect followed our vows: give "therefore back to the Martyr, what thou hast "received from the Martyr." The meaning is, that she had offered her vows to God at the Church of the Martyr St. Laurence, and that the Martyr had "obtained" (p. 63.) by his prayers this child. This merely supposes that the prayers of a Martyr had great efficacy. The language in reference to

e

Basil. Homil. in XL Martyrs, t. ii. p. 155. ed. Benedict. f Ambros. Exhort. Virgin. c. iii.

Felix and Laurentius (p. 63.) is poetical, and cannot be judged with the strictness which should be applied to prose compositions. The samé observation is applicable to that of S. Prudentius (p. 64.) Doubtful of his own merits, he wishes for the additional prayers of the Saint. of the Saint. As for the sentiments of Valerian, bishop of Cemela, we cannot attach any weight to what has been rather injudiciously said by this obscure writer, in opposition to the sentiments of the most eminent Fathers which I shall hereafter produce.

In conclusion, I will only observe, that in no one of the passages adduced by you are there any direct prayers to Saints for favours which God only can bestow : nor are the Saints addressed at the same time and in the same manner as God. Consequently the objections which have been offered to your prayers and language remain unanswered.

j. 5. Romanism condemned by Catholic Antiquity.

Having now completed the examination of your defence, and shewn that the appeal which you have made to Catholic Antiquity in justification of Romish addresses to Saints and Angels, is perfectly unavailing; it remains for me to produce the real sentiments of the Fathers, not derived from spurious or heretical compositions, but from their own genuine writings. It remains for me to shew, that the principles and the practice of Romanists are

equally condemned by Catholic Antiquity-that they are derived from Heresies and Idolatries repudiated by the Catholic Church. You have appealed to Catholic Antiquity. Will you consent to stand or fall by its real verdict?

Which doctrine then is the most conformable to that of the primitive Church? We are of opinion that religious worship is due to God only, and not to any creature whatever, be it angel, spirit, man, beast, or inanimate creature. We honour and love Angels and Saints, because they are loved by God; but we think it wrong to offer religious worship to any being whatever but God. We hold that prayer ought only to be offered to God-that it is a species of sacrifice which is only due to the Divine nature. We think that it is unlawful to repose our hope, trust, or confidence in any creature. We think it needless to ask for the intercession of Saints and Angels to render us acceptable to God; and we believe that we ought ourselves boldly to approach the Throne of Grace, confiding in the intercession of Jesus Christ. We think it unlawful to unite the name of God with that of his creatures in prayer, and to offer the same acts of homage to them. The doctrines and practice of Romanists are opposed to ours on all these points. Let us then place the question before the Fathers, and ascertain their decision.

I. Is it lawful to worship any other being but God? Is all religious worship to be offered to Him

alone? And are the Saints, Angels, and other created beings, only to be loved, honoured, imitated, or regarded, as the case may be ?"

The doctrine of Christian Antiquity is decisive on this point. Justin Martyr, who wrote little more than a century after the death of our Lord, in describing to the Emperor Antoninus the doctrines inculcated by our Saviour, speaks thus: "That it is necessary to worship God alone, (Christ) thus persuaded us, saying, 'The greatest "commandment is, Thou shalt worship the Lord

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thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve, with "all thy heart and with all thy strength; even "the Lord God who made thee;' and when a "certain person came and said to Him, Good "Master,' He answered, saying, None is good save God only, who made all things.' But they who are not found living according to his "instructions, be it known that they are not Chris"tians. . . . He answered them, saying, Render "therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, "and to God the things that are God's.' Where"fore we worship God only, but in other respects

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we are gladly obedient to you." It may perhaps be said, that the restriction of all worship to God in this passage, had reference only to the Heathen worship of false gods or deified men, and was not intended as any denial of that worship

* Justin Martyr, Apologia Prima, p. 25, 26. ed. Thirlby,

which is due to Saints and Angels. This is a distinction entirely without foundation, because, as will be shewn, the Fathers objected in general to the worship of any creatures whatever; and on this one broad principle rejected equally the false gods of the Heathen, and the idolatrous heresies of the Collyridians and Angelici. But I shall now produce a passage to which you have alluded, (p. 48.) and which is conclusive against you.

It is taken from perhaps the most beautiful monument of Christian Antiquity-I mean the Acts of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, which were composed A. D. 167, immediately after the events which they narrate. It appears, that after the martyrdom of Polycarp, the enemies of the Christians endeavoured to prevent them from obtaining his remains. They urged the Roman Proconsul not to give up the body," Lest, forsaking the crucified (Jesus), they "should begin to adore this man. And this they "said by the suggestion and aid of the Jews, who "had watched our endeavours to remove him from "the fire, being ignorant that we can never forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of those "who are saved out of all the world, nor adore any other. For Him, as being the Son of God, we worship; but the Martyrs, as being disciples and imitators of the Lord, we love as they deserve, on account of their unconquerable love to their