And the words of the decree of the council ofS ERM.

Trent, [ad eorum orationes, opem, auxiliumque confugere, to flee to their prayers, aid, and help] unless we will make them a meer tautology, must of neceffity signify something more than begging of them to pray for us. And indeed those words of their aid and help, seem to be added on purpose to give countenance to those direct prayers which are made to the faints, for all spiritual and temporal blessings, and which still remain without any change in their publick offices; and unless we will understand them contrary to the plain and obvious sense of those prayers, they must signify something more than praying to the faints to pray for us.

It is true indeed, that the catechism which was framed by order of the council of Trent, for the explaining of their doctrines, makes the difference between their prayers to God, and to the faints, to lye in this, that we say to God, have mercy on us, or hear our prayers, but to the faints, pray for us, But I have shewn before, that this is not the con-stant form of praying to faints, but that frequently they make direct addresses to them for their help and aid. And this the compilers of the catechism were sensible of, and therefore they add, although it be lawful in another manner 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 lye in the matter of them, nor in the form, nor in the reason of them; if we pray to them for the fame thing, and in the same form, have mercy on us, and our prayers to them be grounded upon the fame reason, that our prayers to God are, namely, because

LXXIII.

SERM. because they are merciful; where then is the diffe LXXIII. rence between them?

4. 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 suspicion or danger of idolatry in the cafe.

To this I shall answer two things;

(1.) That praying to them in all places, and at all times, and for all forts of blessings, does suppose them to have the incommunicable perfections of the divine nature imparted to them, or inherent in them; namely his omnipotence, and omniscience, and immense prefence; and to whatever being we afcribe these perfections, in so doing we make it GoD; for prayer to God is no otherwise 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 so 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 supposeth them to know our hearts, directly contrary to the reason which Solomon gives, why we should put up all our prayers and supplications to GOD, (1 Kings viii. 39.) " for thou, even thou, " only knowest the hearts of all the children of men."

(2.) Bellarmine is so sensible of the dint of this argument, that he is forced to acknowledge the faints which reign with CHRIST in heaven to be gods by participation, (that is, a fort of inferior gods, as the heathen fuppofed their mediators to be) and that therefore we may fly to their aid and help, as well as to their interceffion and prayers. And is this also to pray to the faints in heaven, in the fame order of brotherly fociety, with which we entreat our brethren upon earth to pray for us? This me

thinks is great familiarity, to treat gods by partici-SERM. pation, just in the fame manner as we do our brethren LXXIII. 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 addressed to, in the fame rank of brotherly society, with mortal men here upon earth.

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

I proceed now to the fourth thing which I proposed, namely, to shew that this practice of theirs, of addressing ourselves to angels and faints, and making use of their mediation, to offer up our prayers and thanksgivings to God is not only needless, being no where commanded by God; but useless also, 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 enjoined 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 scandalizing the Jews, and of making the Gentiles think they proposed new gods, and new mediators to them instead of the old, which are the rea

fons given by their own writers, VOL. V.

R

And

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SERM. And it is needless likewife; because the mediation LXXIII. OF JESUS CHRIST alone is sufficient for us, and more

し

than the interceffion of millions of faints and angels. "He" alone " is able to save to the utmost all those " that come to God by him," as the apostle to the Hebrews speaks. Hath not he made a clear and full promise to us, that "whatever we ask in his name, " shall be granted us?" And have we any reason to doubt, either of his inclination and good will, or of his power and interest to do us good? What need then is there to sue for the favour, or to take in the assistance 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 assurance that my business will be effectually done there, by that great advocate with the Father, JESUS CHRIST the righteous; why should I apply myself to St. Peter, though he be faid to keep the keys of heaven; or to Michael the arch-angel, though he be the chief of the ministring spirits; or to the blessed virgin herself, notwithstanding those 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, without her consent, and, as may reasonably be prefumed, against her will?

I will put a case, which may help to render this matter a little more plain and sensible to us, so as every man may be able to judge of it. Suppose a king should conftitute his fon, the great master of requests; with this express declaration and afsurance, that all petitions that were addressed to him by his fon, should 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 most certainly profer all my petitions titions to the king, in the way which he had so plain-SERM. ly directed, and should trouble never a courtier of LXXIII,

them all with my business; for fear the king should think, that I did either distrust 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 understand ings 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 means, which may as well and as " effectually be done by one;" because this would be perfect loss of time and pains: and therefore they who would send us so far about, as to trouble all the saints and angels in heaven with our petitions, when they cannot deny but that our great mediator is alone fufficient; do seem to me to fend us upon a very leeveless errand; so that if with all their skill in fencing, they could defend this practice from being unlawful, yet this one thing is a sufficient objection in reason against it, that it is perfectly needless.

Or if we could imagine any need of this; all addresses 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. Augustin thought they do not know and hear, fatendum eft (faith he lib. De curâ pro mortuis) nefcire quidem mortuos, quid hic agatur; " it must be acknowledged that the dead are igno"rant 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 present every where, which no finite being can be; or else God be pleased