it, where the Honour we pay to Reliques is dignified with the Name of Foppery, and made the chief Proof of his Charge of Superstition and Idolatry against us, pag. 32. 33. I fhall therefore speak briefly of it in this Place, as likewife of fome other Things call'd Fopperies by this worthy Gentleman: As, the Bleffing of the Holy Water, the Sign of the Cross, and the like.

As to the Bones and Afbes of Saints (the Honouring whereof he mentions with Reproach) I own we keep them with the fame Refpect, as the Church did in the moft primitive Ages. Nay God himself even long before the Law of Grace was pleas'd to honour the Bones of Elifba with an Extraordinary Miracle, to wit, the Raifing a dead Man to Life.. For, (fays the Scripture) they caft the Man into the Sepulchre of Elifha, and when the Man was let down and touch'd the Bones of Elifha, be revived, and stood upon his Feet, 2. Kings 13. V. 21. Is it then Foppery to Honour the Bones of Saints, when God himself has fet the Example? And that, even before the Gates of Heaven were open'd by the Death of Chrift, and their Souls admitted to eternal Blifs?

But Heaven no fooner began to be Peopled with Martyrs and Confeffors, but the Church began likewife to pay a fingular Veneration to their Mortal Remains. Whereot I shall only give two Inftances for Brevity's Sake. 1. In the Acts of St. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Martyr written by thofe, who accompanied him to Rome, where he fuffer'd, Ann. 107. For we read that being devour'd by wild Beafts, there was nothing left of his holy Reliques, but only fome of the Bones, which were carried to Antioch, and left to that Church for the Martyrs fake, as an inestimable Treasure.

2. The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, An. 166. was written by the Church of Smyrna, whereof he was Bifhop. And Eufebius fays, they obferved, that the Devil did his beft by the Means of Jews and Gentiles, that the Chriftians Should not have his bliffed Body. But that after it was burnt, the Chriftians carried away his Bones, which they valued more than Gold and precious Stones. Apud Euf. L. 4. Hift. C. 15.

P. 134.

p. 134. And must not a Man have a good Stock of Confidence to call this religious Practice of the most primitive Ages Foppery?

But let us come fomewhat lower down. In the End of the 4th Century, one Vigilantius writ, as the Catechift does, against the Practice of the Catholick Church in the Veneration of Reliques. But how did St. Jerom compliment him upon it? Vigilantius (fays he) fights with an unclean Spirit against the Spirit of Christ, by Alerting that the Tombs of Martyrs are not to be reverenced, L. contra Vigil. And again in the fame Book: The Devils (fays he) with which Vigilantius is poffeffed, roar at the Reliques, and confefs they cannot bear the prefence of the Martyrs. Nay he tells him, that all the Bishops in the World were against him; and in his 53 Epiftle he writes thus. You tell me that Vigilantius vomits once more his Poifon against the Reliques of Martyrs, calling uDUST-WORSHIPPERS and IDOL ATERS, for reverencing dead Men's Bones. O unhappy Man, who can never be fufficiently lamented!

Thus did St. Jerom treat Vigilantius for oppofing the Veneration of Reliques then practifed by the univerfal Church. And 'tis to be observed that this Heretick gave the Name of Dust-worshipers and Idolaters to the Orthodox Chriftians of thofe Times. Which is a demonftrative Proof, ft, That even the Duft or Afbes of Saints were held in Veneration by the Primitive Christians. 2dly, That the Imputation of Superftition and Idolatry for the Veneration of Reliques, is an old Calumny against the Catholick Church.

§. 3.

Of Bleffing our felves with the Sign of the Cross.

ΤΗ

HIS is Foppery and Superftition in the Catechift's Language. But what an Age do we live in when the Sign of the facred Inftrument of Man's Redemption is made a Subject of Laughter among Chriftians? How

G 2

ever

ever this was one of the earliest Fruits of the Reformation. For then it was, that a Crucifix began to be treated in this land with the Marks of Ignominy and Contempt, as if it were the Image of fome infamous Traitor, or Enemy of the State. And even now (as I have seen with my own Eyes) a Man becomes as rediculous in Proteftant Company, by Bleffing himself with the Sign of the Cross, as if he were drest up in a Fool's

Coat.

But was it fo in the Primitive Ages? Let us hear what Tertullian writes upon this Subject. At every Step and every Turn, at every coming in and going out, if we pur on our Cloaths, or change our Shooes, if we wash, if we take a Repaft, if a Candle be brought into the Room, if we lye or fit, whatever we do we are still making the Sign of the Cross upon our Fore-heads. L. de corona milit. c. 3.

This Paffage of Tertullian is alone fo full and ample a Teftimony of the Judgment of Antiquity in Relation to the Subject in Question, that 'tis impoffible for any Man to read it without being convinc'd, that our Adversaries in deriding our Practice condemn that of the pureft Ages of the Church.

§. 4.

Of the Ufe of Holy Water and other Blessings.

PA

AGE 32. the Catechift mentions Holy Water, and feveral Bleffings used in the Church of Rome as fo many Inftances of Popish Foppery. Let us fee, whether they don't deferve to be treated with more Refpe&t. As for Holy Water, it is above Eleven hundred Years fince it began to be used in England. This appears from St. Gregory's Epiftle to St. Melitus, to whom he wrote thus: Let the Idols be deftroy'd, Let Holy Water be made, let it be fprinkled in the faid Temples. Altars be made, and Reliques be placed in them, L. II. Epiftle 76. This is an unanfwerable Proof, that the

Let

English

English receiv'd the Ufe of Holy Water together with their Christianity.

But it may yet be traced much higher. For in the Reign of Constantin the First Chriftian Emperor, when the Jews by magical Enchantments hinder'd the Building of a Church, we have in St. Epiphanius this Bleffing of Water used effectually by the Holy Count Jofeph: Who, after he had made the Sign of the Crofs upon it, pray'd thus: In the Name of Jefus of Nazareth, may this Water have Power against the Magical Charms and Enchantments they have used, and may it reftore to the Fire its natural Force, that the House of God may be finish'd,

We have the like Inftance in Theodoret, of Water bleffed with the Sign of the Crofs, and no lefs effectually ufed by St. Marcellus Bishop of Apamea against the Devil hindering a Temple of the Heathens from taking Fire. For the bleffed Water was no fooner thrown upon it, but the Charm was diffolv'd. L. 5. Hift. Eccl.

C. 21.

St. Jerom alfo relates, That one Italicus a Chriftian Officer of Gaza, who by his Place was to entertain the People with the Games called Circenfes, but had his Horfes enchanted by his Adverfary a Heathen, had fome Water given him by St. Hilarion, with which he fprinkled his Horfes, his Chariot, and the Barriers, from whence they used to run, and that the Charm of Witchcraft ceafed upon the sprinkling this Water. So that the People cry'd out, Marnas is overcome by Christ, and many Heathens were converted upon it. Hier. in vita Hil. p. 323. Paris Edition.

Thefe are fufficient Proofs of the Antiquity of this Inftitution: Which therefore deferves not to have the contemptible Name of Foppery fix'd upon it.

As to the other Bleflings, First, St. Paul tells us That every Creature is fanctified by the Word of God and Prayer. And it is the Practice of all Chriftian Churches to blefs the Meat upon the Table. An old Greek Ritual, under the Name of Apoftolick Conftitutions, has a Blessing of Water and Oil, that they may cure Difeafes, caft out Devils, and preferve from all Dangers, 1. 8. c. 29. And does not the Church of England blefs or confecrate her Churches, before

G 3

before any publick Service is perform'd in them? We have a fresh Inftance of this in the late folemn Confecration of the Church of Greenwich. Does fhe not likewife blefs the Font in her Adminiftration of publick. Baptifm? I think fhe does. For I find this Form of Bliffing ufed by the Minifter. Almighty and everlasting God, regard we beseech thee the Supplications of thy Congregation SANCTIFY this Water to the Mystical Washing away of Sin, &c.

But the Ceremony of the King's Coronation is the most remarkable Inftance of the Church of England's Judgment and Approbation of the Bleffings fo boldly vilified by our Catechift. The Hiftory of the Coronation of King James the Second, tells us, p. 91. in the Margin, That the Oil, with which he was anointed, was folemnly Confecrated in the Morning of the Coronation by the Dean of Westminster affifted by the Prebendaries. And Baker in the Life of King Charles the Second, fpecifies the very Form of Bleffing the Royal Ornaments thus: O God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, by whom Kings do reign, and Law-givers make good Laws; vouchsafe, we beseech thee, in thy Favour to bless this ROYAL ORNAMENT Vouchsafe to BLESS AND SANCTIFY THIS SWORD, which is hallowed for the Defence of thy Holy Church God, the Crown of the Faithful, BLESS AND SANCTIFY THIS CROWN, fo this thy Servant that weareth it may be filled with thy manifold Graces

BLESS AND SANCTIFY THIS RING. Printed, London, An. 1696. pag. 742. 744.

Here then we have, ift. Meat, 2dly, Churches, 3dly. The Baptifmal Water: 4thly, The Oil for Anointing the King. 5thly. His Royal Robes. 6thly, His Sword. 7thly His Ring, 8thly, His Crown: Bleffed, Hallowed, San&ified, and Confecrated, according to the Practice of the Church of England. And will the Catechift ftigmatize thefe with the Character of Fopperies? If he does, he will furely pafs even amongft his Friends for a prophane Derider of Religion.

I fhall therefore here turn Advocate for his Church, and admonifh the Catechift that folemn Prayers offer'd to God for a Benediction on his Creatures are not to be

vilified