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and prayers, as long as we live, that we may find them propitious unto us :" answer is returned by Origen in the name of the Christians, that they held it rather fit to offer first fruits unto him which said: "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind." And "to whom we give the first fruits," saith he, "to him also do we send our prayers, having a great high priest that is entered into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: and we hold fast this confession whilst we live, having God favourable unto us, and his only begotten Son Jesus being manifested amongst us. But if we have a desire unto a multitude, whom we would willingly have to be favourable unto us: we learn that thousand thousands stand by him, and millions of millions minister unto him. Who beholding them that imitate their piety towards God, as if they were their kinsfolks and friends, help forward their salvation who call upon God, and pray sincerely: appearing also, and thinking that they ought to do service to them; and as it were upon one watchword to set forth for the benefit and salvation of them that pray to God, unto whom they themselves also pray. For they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them, who shall be heirs of salvation." Thus far Origen, in his eighth book against Celsus: to which for a conclusion we will add that place of the fifth book: "All" prayers and supplications and intercessions

ι ' δὲ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς ἀποδίδωμεν, τούτῳ καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς ἀναπέμπομεν ἔχοντες ἀρχιερέα μέγαν, διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανοῦς, Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ κρατοῦμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας, ἕως ἂν ζῶμεν, φιλανθρώπου τυγχάνοντες τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν φανερουμένου. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πλῆθος ποθοῦμεν ὧν φιλανθρώπων τυγχάνειν θέλομεν· μανθάνομεν ὅτι χίλιαι χιλιάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ· αἵτινες ὡς συγγενεῖς καὶ φίλους τοὺς μιμουμένους τὴν εἰς θεὸν αὐτῶν εὐσέβειαν ὁρῶντες, συμπράττουσιν αὐτῶν τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν θεὸν, καὶ γνησίως εὐχομένων· ἐπιφαινόμενοι, καὶ οἰόμενοι αὐτοῖς δεῖν ὑπακούειν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς συνθήματος ἐπιδημεῖν ἐπ ̓ εὐερ γεσίᾳ καὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν εὐχομένων θεῷ, ᾧ καὶ αὐτοὶ εὔχονται· καὶ γὰρ πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα, διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν. Orig. lib. 8. cont. Cels. op. tom. 1. pag. 766, 767.

" Πᾶσαν μὲν γὰρ δέησιν, καὶ προσευχὴν, καὶ ἔντευξιν, καὶ εὐχαριστίαν, ἀναπεμπτέον τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ διὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων ἀγγέλων ἀρχιερέως

and thanksgivings, are to be sent up unto God the Lord of all, by the high priest who is above all angels, being the living Word and God. For to call upon angels, we not comprehending the knowledge of them which is above the reach of man, is not agreeable to reason. And if by supposition it were granted, that the knowledge of them, which is wonderful, and secret, might be comprehended: this very knowledge, declaring their nature unto us, and the charge over which every one of them is set, would not permit us to presume to pray unto any other but unto God the Lord over all, who is abundantly sufficient for all, by our Saviour the Son of God."

Tertullian and Cyprian in the books which they purposely wrote concerning prayer, deliver no other doctrine, but teach us to regulate all our prayers according unto that perfect pattern prescribed by our great Master, wherein we are required to direct our petitions unto “Our Father which is in heaven." "These things," saith Tertullian, in his apology for the Christians of his time, "I may not pray for from any other, but from him of whom I know I shall obtain them: because both it is he who is alone able to give, and I am he unto whom it appertaineth to obtain that which is requested; being his servant who observe him alone, who for his religion am killed, who offer unto him a rich and great sacrifice, which he himself hath commanded, prayer proceeding from a chaste body, from an innocent soul, from a holy spirit;" where he accounteth prayer to be the chief sacrifice, wherewith God is wor

ἐμψύχου λόγου καὶ θεοῦ, &c. ̓Αγγέλους, γὰρ καλέσαι μὴ ἀναλαβόντας τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπους περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμην, οὐκ εὔλογον· ἵνα δὲ καὶ καθ ̓ ὑπόθεσιν ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμη θαυμάσιος τις οὖσα καὶ ἀποῤῥητος καταληφθῇ· αὕτη ἡ ἐπιστήμη, παραστήσασα τὴν φύσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐφ ̓ οἷς ἕκαστοι τεταγμένοι, οὐκ ἐάσει ἄλλῳ θαῤῥεῖν εὔχεσθαι, ἢ τῷ πρὸς πάντα διαρκεῖ (fort. διαρκοῦντι) ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ, διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν υἱοῦ τοῦ Oεou. Origen. lib. 5. op. tom. 1. pag. 580.

w Matth. chap. 6. ver. 9. Luke, chap. 11. ver. 2.

* Hæc ab alio orare non possum, quam a quo me scio consecuturum: quoniam et ipse est qui solus præstat, et ego sum cui impetrare debetur ; famulus ejus qui eum solum observo, qui propter disciplinam ejus occidor, qui ei offero opimam et majorem hostiam, quam ipse mandavit, orationem de carne pudica, de anima innocenti, de spiritu sancto profectam. Tertull. apologetic. cap. 30.

shipped, agreeably to that which Clemens Alexandrinus wrote at the same time: "Wey do not without cause honour God by prayer, and with righteousness send up this best and holiest sacrifice."

And therefore, where the brethren of the church of Smyrna, relating the martyrdom of Polycarpus their bishop, whereof they were eye-witnesses, some seventy years after the decease of St. John, who had encouraged them by a letter taken from their Saviour's own mouth, to continue "faithful unto the death:" where these, I say, do constantly profess that they "can never be induced either to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of the saved (or, the saved of the whole world) or to WORSHIP ANY OTHER :" the Latin edition of that writing of theirs, which was wont to be publicly read in these churches of the West, doth express their meaning in this manner: "Web Christians can never leave Christ, who did vouchsafe to suffer so great things for our sins, nor impart the supplication of PRAYER UNTO ANY OTHER." Then, to shew the difference of this high worship proper to the Master, from the honour of love and imitation due unto his best servants, it presently followeth in that golden epistle: "Him", being the Son of God, we do adore: but the martyrs, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we love worthily, for their exceeding great affection toward their own King and Master, of

* Οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἡμεῖς δι' εὐχῆς τιμῶμεν τὸν θεὸν, καὶ ταύτην τὴν θυσίαν ἀρίστην καὶ ἁγιωτάτην μετὰ δικαιοσύνης ἀναπέμπομεν. Clem. Alexandr. lib. 7. Stromat.

z Revel. chap. 2. ver. 10.

* Οὔτε τὸν χριστόν ποτε καταλιπεῖν δυνησόμεθα, τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου τῶν σωζομένων σωτηρίας παθόντα, οὔτε ἕτερόν τινα σέBev. Eccles. Smyrn. apud Euseb. lib. 4. hist. rɛp, ɩɛ.

b Nunquam Christum relinquere possumus Christiani, qui pro peccatis nostris pati tanta dignatus est; neque alteri cuiquam precem orationis impendere. Ex passionario MS. VII. Calend. Februar. in bibliotheca ecclesiæ Sarisburiensis, et D. Roberti Cottoni.

• Τοῦτον μὲν γὰρ υἱὸν ὄντα τοῦ θεοῦ, προσκυνοῦμεν· τοὺς δὲ μάρτυρας, ὡς μαθητὰς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ μιμητὰς, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀξίως, ἕνεκα εὐνοίας ἀνυπερβλήτου τῆς εἰς τὸν ἴδιον βασιλέα καὶ διδάσκαλον· ὧν γένοιτο καὶ ἡμᾶς συγκοινωνούς τε καὶ μαθητὰς γενέσθαι, Euseb. lib. 4. hist. κεφ. ιε.

whom we wish that we may be partners and disciples. Hereunto may be added the direction given unto virgins, in the epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians; "Yed virgins, have Christ alone before your eyes and his Father in your prayers, being enlightened by the Spirit." For explication whereof that may be taken, which we read in the exposition of the faith, attributed unto St. Gregory of Neocæsarea: "Whosoever rightly prayeth unto God, prayeth by the Son; and whosoever cometh as he ought to do, cometh by Christ: and to the Son he cannot come, without the holy Ghost."

Neither is it to be passed over, that one of the special arguments whereby the writers of this time do prove our Saviour Christ to be truly God, is taken from our praying unto him, and his accepting of our petitions: "If' Christ be only man," saith Novatianus, "how is he present being called upon every where, seeing this is not the nature of man, but of God, that he can be present at every place? If Christ be only man, why is a man called upon in our prayers as a Mediator, seeing the invocation of a man is judged of no force to yield salvation? If Christ be only man, why is there hope reposed in him, seeing hope in man is said to be cursed?" So is it noted by Origen, that St. Paul "ing the beginning of the former

· Αἱ παρθένοι, μόνον τὸν Χριστὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχετε, καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ πατέρα ἐν ταῖς εὐχαὶς, φωτιζόμεναι ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος. Ignat. epist. 6. e Qui recte invocat Deum, per filium invocat : et qui proprie accedit, per Christum accedit. Accedere autem ad filium non potest sine spiritu sancto. Greg. Neocæsar. in 'Eк0éσε Tñs кaтà μéρos wiσrews, a Fr. Turriano con

vers.

f Si homo tantummodo Christus; quomodo adest ubique invocatus, cum hæc hominis natura non sit, sed Dei, ut adesse omni loco possit? Si homo tantummodo Christus; cur homo in orationibus mediator invocatur, cum invocatio hominis ad præstandam salutem inefficax judicetur? Si homo tantummodo Christus; cur spes in illum ponitur, cum spes in homine maledicta referatur ? Novatian. de Trinitat. cap. 14.

Sed et in principio epistolæ quam ad Corinthios scribit, ubi dicit; Cum omnibus qui invocant nomen Domini Jesu Christi in omni loco, ipsorum et nostro : eum, cujus nomen invocatur, Deum, Jesum Christum esse pronunciat. Si ergo et Enos et Moses et Aaron et Samuel invocabant Dominum, et ipse exaudiebat eos, sine dubio Christum Jesum Dominum invocabant: et si invocare Domini nomen, et adorare Deum, unum atque idem est, sicut invocatur Christus et ado

epistle to the Corinthians, where he saith: With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours; doth thereby pronounce Jesus Christ, whose name is called upon to be God. And if to call upon the name of the Lord," saith he, "and to adore God, be one and the self same thing, as Christ is called upon, so is he to be adored; and as we do offer to God the Father first of all prayers', so must we also to the Lord Jesus Christ; and as we do offer supplications to the Father, so do we offer supplications also to the Son; and as we do offer thanksgivings to God, so do we offer thanksgivings to our Saviour."

In like manner Athanasius, disputing against the Arians, by that prayer which the apostle maketh: "God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you;" doth prove the unity of the Father and the Son. "For no man," saith he, "would pray to receive any thing from the Father and the angels, or from any of the other creatures: neither would any man say, God and the angel give me this." And whereas it might be objected, that Jacob in the blessing that he gave unto Ephraim and Manassah did use this form of prayer: "The God which fed me from my youth unto this day; the angel which delivered me from all evils, bless those children," (which cardinal Bellarmine" placeth in the forefront of the forces he bringeth forth to establish the invocation of saints.) Athanasius answereth, that "He"

m

randus est Christus: et sicut offerimus postulationes patri, ita offerimus postulationes et filio: et sicut offerimus gratiarum actiones Deo, ita gratias offerimus Salvatori. Origen. lib. 8. in epist. ad Roman. cap. 10.

h 1 Cor. chap. 1. ver. 2.

* 1 Thess. chap. 3. ver. 11.

1 Tim. chap. 2. ver. 1.

· Οὐκ ἂν γοῦν εὔξαιτό τις λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἢ παρά τινος τῶν ἄλλων κτισμάτων· οὐδ ̓ ἂν εἰποί τις, Δώῃ σοι ὁ θεὸς καὶ ayyeλos. Athanas. orat. 3. cont. Arian. op. tom. 1. pag. 561.

m Gen. chap. 48. ver. 15, 16.

n Bellarm. de eccles. triumph. lib. 1. cap. 19.

• Οὐ τῶν κτισθέντων καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἀγγέλων ὄντων ἕνα, συνῆπται τῷ κτίσαντι αὐτοὺς θεῷ· οὐδὲ ἀφείς τὸν τρέφοντα αὐτὸν θεὸν, παρ ̓ ἀγγέλου τὴν εὐλογίαν ἤτει τοῖς ἐγγόνοις· ἀλλ ̓ εἰρηκώς, Ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ πάντων

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