ing to faints, but that frequently they make direct addreffes to them for their help and aid. And this the compilers of the catechifm were fenfible of; and therefore they add, "Although it be lawful in another man66 ner to ask of the faints themselves, that they would "have mercy on us; because they are very merciful." And is not God fo too? And then where is the difference between their prayers to God and to the faints? If it neither lie in the matter of them, nor in the form, nor in the reafon of them; if we pray to them for the fame thing, and in the fame form, "Have mercy on us," and our prayers to them be grounded upon the fame reafon that our prayers to God are, namely, "because they are merciful;" where then is the difference between them?

4thly, I will mention but one pretence more; which is, that by praying to the faints in heaven they do not make them gods; and therefore there can be no fufpicion or danger of idolatry in the cafe.

To this I fhall answer two things.

(1.) That praying to them in all places, and at all times, and for all forts of bleffings, does fuppofe them to have the incommunicable perfections of the divine nature imparted to them, or inherent in them, namely, his omnipotence, and omniscience, and immenfe prefence. And to whatever being we afcribe these perfections, in fo doing we make it God: for prayer to God is no otherwife an acknowledgment of his omnipotence, omniscience, and immenfe prefence, than as we do in all places, and at all times, pray to him for all things. And fo they do to the faints; and that not only with vocal, but with mental prayer, which the council of Trent allows; and, in fo doing, neceffarily fuppofeth them to know our hearts; directly contrary to the reafon which Solomon gives why we should put up all our prayers and fupplications to God, 1 Kings viii. 39. For thou, even thou only, knoweft the hearts of all the children of

men.

(2.) Bellarmine is fo fenfible of the dint of this argument, that he is forced to acknowledge "the faints "which reign with Chrift in heaven to be gods by par"ticipation, (that is, a fort of inferior gods, as the

"Heathen

"Heathen fuppofed their mediators to be); and that "therefore we may fly to their aid and help, as well as 66 to their interceffion and prayers." And is this alfo to pray to the faints in heaven, "in the fame order of "brotherly fociety with which we intreat our brethren

upon earth to pray for us?" This methinks is great familiarity, to treat gods by participation, just in the fame manner as we do our brethren upon earth. Certainly, either Bellarmine hath raised the faints in heaven too high, when he makes them gods by participation; or the Bishop of Meaux hath funk them too low, when he thinks they are to be treated and addreffed to "the fame rank of brotherly fociety with mortal men "here upon earth."

in

One cannot but think the decree of the council of Trent to be very obfcure and ambiguous, when it can admit of two fo very different explications. If the infallible judge of controverfies can fpeak no plainer, I think we had even best stick to the Bible, and hear what God fays in his word, and endeavour to understand it as well as we can.

4. I proceed now to the fourth thing which I propofed, namely, to fhew that this practice of theirs, of addreffing ourselves to angels and faints, and making ufe of their mediation, to offer up our prayers and thankf givings to God, is not only needlefs, being no where commanded by God, but ufelefs alfo and unprofitable.

They are fo far from pretending, that it is commanded by God, that several of their later writers would fain make us believe that it is not injoined by their councils, but only declared to be lawful, or at most but recommended as profitable. Nor is there any example of praying to faints, either in the Old or New Teftament: not in the Old, as they of the church of Rome confefs, because the faints were not then admitted into heaven; nor in the New, for fear of fcandalizing the Jews, and of making the Gentiles think they propofed new gods, and new mediators to them, instead of the old; which are the reafons given by their own writers.

And it is needlefs likewife, because the mediation of Jefus Chrift alone is fufficient for us, and more than the interceffion of millions of faints and angels. He alone.

is able to fave to the uttermost all thofe that come to God by him, as the Apostle to the Hebrews fpeaks. Hath not he made a clear and full promise to us, that whatever we afk in his name, fhall be granted us? And have we any reafon to doubt, either of his inclination and goodwill, or of his power and intereft to do us good? What need then is there to fue for the favour, or to take in the affiftance of any other, even of those who are thought to be most powerful, and the chief ministers and favourites in that heavenly court? After fuch an affurance, that my business will be effectually done there by that great advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous; why fhould I apply myself to St. Peter, though he be faid to keep the keys of heaven; or to Michael the Archangel, though he be the chief of the miniftring fpirits; or to the bleffed virgin herself, notwithstanding thofe glorious titles of the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of Mercy, which they of the church of Rome are pleased to bestow upon her, and without her confent, and, as may reasonably be prefumed, against her will?

I will put a cafe, which may help to render this matter a little more plain and fenfible to us, fo as every man may be able to judge of it. Suppofe a King should conftitute his fon the great master of requests, with this express declaration and affurance, that all petitions that were addreffed to him by his fon, fhould be graciously received and answered: in this cafe, though every man might use his own difcretion, at his own peril, and take what course he pleased; yet I should moft certainly prefer all my petitions to the King, in the way which he had fo plainly directed, and fhould trouble never a courtier of them all with my business, for fear the King fhould think, that I did either diftruft his Royal word, or despise his fon, by my foliciting the aid and help of every little courtier, after I had put my petition into the hands of this great master of requests.

And now I will not distrust any of your understandings so far as to make the application. I will only add, that it is an eternal rule of truth, and which never fails in any cafe, Fruftra fit per plura, quod fieri poteft per pauciora ; It is in vain to attempt that by more ways and 46 means, which may as well and as effectually be done

66 ' by

"by one;" because this would be perfect lofs of time and pains. And therefore they who would fend us fo far about, as to trouble all the faints and angels in heaven with our petitions, when they cannot deny but that our great mediator is alone fufficient, do feem to me to fend us upon a very fleeveless errand: fo that if, with all their skill in fencing, they could defend this practice from being unlawful, yet this one thing is a fufficient objection in reafon against it, that it is perfectly needlefs.

66

Or if we could imagine any need of this; all addreffes to them must be vain and unprofitable, if they do not know our wants, and hear our prayers that are put up to them: which St. Auguftine thought they do not know and hear; Fatendum eft, (faith he, I. de cura pro mortuis), nefcire quidem mortuos, quid hic agatur: "It must be acknowledged, that the dead are ignorant of what is "done here." This was his opinion. But we are certain that they cannot know our wants, nor hear our prayers at all times and in all places; unless they can either be prefent every where, which no finite being can be; or elfe God be pleafed in fome fupernatural way to communicate to them the knowledge of our wants, and of the prayers which we put up to them; which we can never know that he does, unless he hath communicated to us, that he is pleased to do fo; of which the fcripture no where gives us the leaft intimation.

But because they pretend, that the fcripture gives us fome hints of this, i fhall briefly examine what they fay about this matter.

ift, That the angels know our condition here below, because they are faid to rejoice at the converfion of a finner; and therefore the faints do likewife know our condition, because they shall be like the angels. But this is not faid of them till after the refurrection, when we shall have no occafion to pray to them. Befides that it may well enough be fuppofed, that God may reveal both to the angels and faints in heaven the converfion of a finner; because it may contribute to the increase of their joy and happiness: but will it hence follow, that God reveals to them all other circumftances of our condition, our dangers, and temptations, and troubles, our fins and our fufferings, the knowledge whereof would no ways contri

bute

J

bute to the increase of their happiness? and yet, in order to their interceffion with God for us, their knowledge of these things would be most beneficial to us.

2lly, Because the rich man was concerned in hell for the falvation of his relations on earth, they argue, that it is much more probable, that the faints in heaven are concerned for us, and are ready to pray for us; and therefore it is very credible, that, fome way or other, they have the knowledge of our condition and wants, though we cannot certainly tell what that particular way is. To which I answer,

(1.) That it is a known rule amongst all divines, That no certain argument can be drawn from the circumstances of a parable, but only from the main fcope and intention of it: nor is it fo likely, that the wicked in hell fhould have any fhare in that which St. Paul tells us is the great virtue of the faints in heaven, I mean charity; and if they have it not, then no argument can be drawn from it. Some of their commentators think, that this motion of the rich man to Abraham concerning his brethren did not proceed from charity to them, but to himself; left his torment and punishment fhould be increased by their coming to hell, by the means of the ill example which he had given them when he was upon earth and Cardinal Cajetan thinks, that he was concerned for his brethren out of pride and ambition, and because it would be for the honour of his family, to have some of them in that glory, fo far above any thing in this world, which he faw Abraham and Lazarus poffeffed of. This is a reafon which I confefs I fhould not have thought on; and yet perhaps it might be likely enough to enter into the mind of a Cardinal. And I cannot but obferve, by the way, that this petition or request which the rich man in hell made to Abraham, is the only instance we meet with in fcripture, of any thing like a prayer that was put up to any of the faints in heaven.

Well! but fuppofe that the rich man in hell had this charity for his brethren, and we will eafily agree, that the faints in heaven have much more charity, not only for their kindred, but for all men here upon earth; let us now confider the particular way and manner which the great divines of the church of Rome, I mean the fchoolVOL. IV.

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men,