rect their speech unto any but the Father." And therefore where the names of the martyrs were solemnly rehearsed in the public liturgy of the Church, St. Augustine interpreteth it to be done for an honourable remembrance of them: but utterly denieth that the Church therein had any intention to invocate them. So for other particular prayers: "Thou' alone art to be invocated, O Lord," saith St. Ambrose in his funeral oration upon Theodosius the emperor: "Thou art to be requested, to supply the miss of him in his sons." And, "To" whom else should I cry, besides thee?" saith St. Augustine. And it is God's pleasure,

Esse nihil prorsus se præter ubique rogandum,

that nothing beside himself should every where be prayed unto:" saith Dracontius in his book of the creation, revised by Eugenius bishop of Toledo at the command of Chindasuindus king of Spain.

In Nicetas Serronius his Catena upon the Psalms (not yet printed) one of the Greek doctors maketh this observation upon that place of the fifth Psalm: "Attend unto the voice of my petition, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray;" that the petition is here presented as to a king, but the prayer as to God; for "unto God ALONE do we pray," saith he. From whence that also doth not much differ, which we read in the Catena, translated into Latin by Daniel Barbarus; only where it is there said, that "Prayer" is offered to God ALONE,"

k Ad quod sacrificium, sicut homines Dei, qui mundum in ejus confessione vicerunt, suo loco et ordine nominantur: non tamen a sacerdote, qui sacrificat, invocantur. Aug. de civit. Dei, lib. 22. cap. 10.

1 Sed tamen tu solus, Domine, invocandus es; tu rogandus, ut eum in filiis repræsentes. Ambros. de obitu Theodos. op. tom. 2. pag. 1207.

n

m Cui alteri præter te clamabo? August. confess. lib. 1. cap. 5. Προσάγει τὴν μὲν δέησιν ὡς βασιλεῖ· δέεται γάρ τις τοῦ βασιλέως, ἵνα τὰ ἐνδέοντα (τουτέστι τὰ λείποντα) λάβῃ τὴν δὲ προσευχὴν ὡς →ε. Móvy yàр тη Đεç πρоoεvxóμɛ0a. Nicet. Caten. in Psalm. 5. MS. • Oratio enim soli Deo offertur. Aurea Catena in 50. Psalmos, edit. Venet. ann. 1569. pag. 53.

either the translator or the publisher of that work giveth us warning in the margin, that we should understand this well. But how it may be so understood, that praying to saints may well stand with it, this he leaveth to the favourable construction of the gentle reader: and to save that pains too, Aloysius Lippomanus in his Catena thought it best to break off that link of the chain, and not to trouble his reader with it at all. St. Chrysostom (unto whom, in the chain set out by Barbarus, this sentence is assigned) upon those words of the apostle, "With all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," giveth the like exposition: "Not" of this man and that man, but upon the name of the Lord." And he elsewhere telleth us, that it was the DEVIL'S doing to draw men unto the calling upon angels, as envying them the honour of their immediate access and admittance unto God's own presence: "For this cause," saith he, "did the devil bring in this of the angels, envying us this honour. These be the enchantments of devils. Though he be an angel, though an archangel, though they be cherubims, endure it not. For neither will these powers themselves admit it, but reject it, when they see their Lord dishonoured. I have honoured thee, saith he, and have said, Call upon me, and dost thou dishonour him?"

Therefore did the fathers in the council of Laodicea directly conclude that this invocation of angels was a secret kind of idolatry, by the practice whereof the communion both of Christ and of his Church was forsaken. For "Christians," say they, "ought not to forsake the Church

P Bene intelligas.

1 Cor. chap. 1. ver. 2.

· Οὐ τοῦ δεῖνος καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου. Chrys. in 1 Cor. hom. 1. op. tom. 10. pag. 4.

• Διὰ ταῦτα ὁ διάβολος τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπεισήγαγε, βασκαίνων ἡμῖν τῆς τιμῆς· τῶν δαιμόνων τοιαῦται αἱ ἐπῳδίαι· κἂν ἄγγελος ἦ, κἂν ἀρχαγ‐ γελος, κἂν τὰ χερουβὶμ, μὴ ἀνέχου· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ αὗται αἱ δυνάμεις καταδέξε ονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποσείσονται ὅταν ἴδωσι τὸν δεσπότην ἀτιμαζόμενον. Εγώ σε ἐτίμησά, φησι, καὶ εἶπον, Εμὲ κάλει, καὶ σὺ ἀτιμάζεις αὐτὸν; Id. in Col. cap. 3. hom. 9. op. tom. 11. pag. 394.

* Ὅτι οὐ δεῖ Χριστιανοὺς ἐγκαταλείπειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπιέναι καὶ ἀγγέλους ὀνομάζειν καὶ συνάξεις ποιεῖν· ἅπερ ἀπηγόρευται.

of God, and depart aside, and invocate angels, and make meetings, which are things forbidden. If any man therefore be found to give himself to this privy idolatry, let him be accursed. Because he hath forsaken our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, and betaken himself to idolatry." In the epitome of the canons, which pope Adrian delivered to Charles the Great, this decree is thus abridged: "Ut anathema sit, quicunque relicta Ecclesia, angelos colere, vel congregationes facere præsumpserit. That whosoever, leaving the church, did presume to worship angels, or to make meetings, should be accursed." Where Henricus Canisius, who was the first publisher of this abridgment, in the sixth tome of his ancient reading, fearing belike that the curse not only of the fathers of Laodicea, but (which was more dreadful) of pope Adrian also might light upon him and his companions, who acknowledged themselves to be of the number of those that worship angels, giveth us warning in his margin, that instead of angelos here, peradventure" should be read angulos: that is to say, corners, instead of angels; which although it be a note that evil beseemeth a man who would be thought to be conversant in ancient reading, and such a one especially as professeth himself to be a chief professor of the canons; yet in that he leaveth the text untouched, and contenteth himself with a peradventure too in his marginal annotation, he is more to be excused than his fellows before him, Carranza, Sagittarius, and Joverius, who setting forth the canons of the councils, without all peradventure corrupted the text itself, removing the angels out of their place, and hiding them in corners.

Εἴτις οὖν εὑρεθῇ ταύτῃ τῇ κεκρυμμένῃ εἰδωλολατρεία σχολάζων, ἔστω ἀνάθεμα· ὅτι ἐγκατέλιπε τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ εἰδωλολατρείᾳ προσῆλθεν. Concil. Laod. can. 35. Non oportet Christianos, Ecclesia Dei relicta, abire atque angelos nominare et congregationes facere quæ interdicta noscuntur. Si quis igitur inventus fuerit huic occultæ idololatriæ serviens, sit anathema: quia dereliquit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum filium Dei, et se idololatriæ tradidit. Concil. MS. in bibliotheca regia et Cottoniana.

" Angulos forte legendum. pag. 424. tom. 6. antiquæ lectionis Hen. Canisii, SS. canonum in academ. Ingolstad. professoris primarii.

:

Notwithstanding this also may be alleged in some part of their excuse too, that they were not the first authors of this corruption of the canon, that blame must light either upon Isidorus Mercator (the crafty merchant, with whose dealings I acquainted you before") or upon James Merlin, the popish doctor, who first caused his collection of decrees to be printed. But friar Crabbe deserveth no excuse at all who having store of good copies to direct him, did not only content himself with the retaining of angulos in the text of Isidorus, as he found it printed before him, but plucked out angelos and chopped in angulos' into the old translation of Dionysius Exiguus also, which afforded no room for any such corners as these. For howsoever in that version, or perversion rather of the canon which is extant in the text of Isidorus, it might stand with some reason to read: "Non oportet Christianos, derelicta Ecclesia, abire et ad angulos idololatriæ abominandæ congregationes facere; It is not lawful for Christians, forsaking the Church, to go and make assemblies of abominable idolatry in corners." Yet in the old translation of Dionysius, where the canon was rightly rendered: "Quod non oporteat Ecclesiam Dei relinquere, et abire, atque angelos nominare, et congregationes facere:" it was contrary to all sense to thrust this reading upon us : "It is not lawful for Christians to forsake the Church of God, and go and nominate or invocate CORNERS," a wise speech no doubt, "and make meetings."

But, veritas non quærit angulos: the truth will admit none of these corners. For the Greek verity (as well in all the editions of the canons that have come forth by themselves, as in the collections of Harmenopolus, Zonaras and Balsamon likewise) expressly readeth ảyyéλovs, which in that tongue hath no affinity at all with corners: and the ancient collectors of the canons among the Latins,

Supra, pag. 19.

x Tom. 1. concil. edit. Colon. anno 1530. et Paris. ann. 1535.

y Tom. 1. concil. edit. Colon. ann. 1538.

Cresconius and Dionysius and Fulgentius Ferrandusa, have angelos: and Theodoret in his exposition of the epistle to the Colossians, doth twice make mention and declare the meaning of this canon. Once, upon those words of the apostle in the third chapter: "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." For "because they commanded men to worship angels," saith Theodoret, "he enjoineth the contrary, that they should adorn their words and their deeds with the commemoration of our Lord Christ; and send up thanksgiving to God and the Father by him, saith he, and not by the angels. The synod of Laodicea also following this rule, and desiring to heal that old disease, made a law that they should not pray unto angels, nor forsake our Lord Jesus Christ." And again, upon the second chapter of the same epistle: "This vice continued in Phrygia and Pisidia for a long time; for which cause also the synod assembled in Laodicea the chief city in Phrygia, forbad them by a law to pray unto angels. And even to this day among them and their borderers, there are oratories of St. Michael to be seen." The like hath Oecu"This custom

menius after him upon the same place:

z De his qui angelos colunt. Crescon. breviar. canon. sect. 90. Dionys. exig. in codice canon. num. 138.

a Ut nullus ad angelos congregationem faciat. Fulgent. Ferrand. breviat. canon. sect. 184.

ὁ Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἀγγέλους σέβειν ἐκέλευον, αὐτὸς τὸ ἐναντίον παρεγγυᾷ, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὰ ἔργα κοσμῆσαι τῇ μνήμῃ τοῦ δε σπότου Χριστοῦ· καὶ τῷ θεῷ δὲ καὶ πατρὶ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν δι' αὐτοῦ φησιν ἀναπέμπετε, μὴ διὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων. Τούτῳ ἑπομένη τῷ νόμῳ καὶ ἡ ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ σύνοδος καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν ἐκεῖνο πάθος θεραπεῦσαι βουλομένη, ἐνομοθέτησε μὴ εὔχεσθαι ἀγγέλοις, μηδὲ καταλιμπάνειν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν. Theodoret. in Coloss. cap. 3.

• Εμεινε δὲ τοῦτο τὸ πάθος ἐν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ καὶ Πισιδίᾳ μέχρι πολλοῦ· οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ ἡ συνελθοῦσα σύνοδος ἐν Λαοδικεία τῆς Φρυγίας, νόμῳ κεκώλυκε τὸ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις προσεύχεσθαι· καὶ μέχρι δὲ τοῦ νῦν εὐκτήρια τοῦ ἁγίου Μιχαὴλ παρ' ἐκείνοις καὶ τοῖς ὁμόροις ἐκείνων ἐστὶν ἰδείν. Ιd. in Col. cap. 2.

d Εμεινε δὲ τοῦ τὸ κατὰ Φρυγίαν τὸ ἔθος· ὡς καὶ τὴν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ σύνοδον νόμῳ κωλύσαι τὸ προσίεναι ἀγγέλοις καὶ προσεύχεσθαι· ἀφ ̓ οὗ καὶ ναοὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου Μιχαὴλ πολλοί, Oecumen. MS.