are directed to the blessed Virgin. 3. When we beg the prayers of a saint on earth, that is present with us, we attribute to him nothing above human nature; but when papists invocate the souls of departed saints, they ascribe to them a power of hearing those that are absent; of hearing an infinite number of supplicants, at a vast distance from each other, praying to them at the same time; and that of hearing them so, as to understand with what inward affection they pray, and to know the secrets of their hearts, which are powers above human nature, though never so much exalted; yea, proper to God alone.

IX. All the remaining texts produced by him out of the New Testament are taken out of the dark and mysterious book of the Revelations. And though it be in a serious matter, a man can hardly restrain his laughter, that observes how pleasantly he argues from them. The first text cited (point 38. num. 6. p. 258.) is Revel. ii. 26, 27, And he that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers. Bless us! what argument can the conjurer raise out of this text, to prove invocation of saints? "The saints," saith he, " having authority to rule nations so "powerfully, (as is here expressed by a rod or sceptre of iron,) they exercise this their power

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chiefly, by making intercession so powerfully to "God for us, as to obtain for us such graces as we "stand most in need of." A forcible collection, if your ladyship shall please to grant the poor beggar these two suppositions: 1. That these texts speak

of the souls of the saints departed in the state of separation, and in the interval between their death and the last resurrection. 2. That to rule the nations with a rod of iron, and to break them in pieces as a potter's vessel, signifieth, "to make in"tercession so powerfully to God for them, as to "obtain for them such graces as they most stand in "need of." Another text is, Rev. v. 8, The four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell before the Lamb, having every one harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. Here again your ladyship must be so kind to the author, as to grant, that the four beasts and four and twenty elders are the souls of departed saints in the state of separation, which indeed would be a liberal concession. If he asks me, what else is meant by the four beasts and the four and twenty elders? I answer, in the words of Cajetan, (a learned writer of their own,) concerning this whole book of the Revelation, "Let him that can expound it 1." St. Austin, by the four beasts, understands the four evangelists; (of which St. John, who wrote the Revelation, was one ;) and shews from some writers m before him, how aptly they are signified by the four several beasts described by St. John, Revel. iv. 6, 7. And Zegerus, a learned expositor among the Romanists, tells us, that "Interpreters for the most part agree in this, that the four beasts signify the

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k The texts seem to intend the judiciary power which the saints shall receive at Christ's second coming, or at the day of judgment of which read Matt. xix. 28. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3.

1 Exponat, qui potest.

m Lib. I. de Consens. Evang.

n "

πρεσ

"four evangelists ". H. Grotius, by the four beasts, understands the four apostles, or apostolical persons, then at Jerusalem. By the twenty-four elders, the most learned interpreters understand, the governors and bishops of the church in St. John's time, who, say they, are therefore reckoned twentyfour, to answer to the twenty-four courses of the priests appointed by David under the Old Testament, 1 Chron. xxiv. Surely the Greek word ρeσBÚTEρo, which St. John here useth, signifieth presbyters, or priests; and I hope the papists, though they embrace for oracles the idle dotages of their counterfeit Dionysius, concerning the hierarchy of angels, yet will not dream so far, as to fancy an order of presbyters among the spirits of just men made perfect. Besides, it appears that the prayers, which these four beasts and the twenty-four elders had in their golden vials, were their own prayers; and those not petitory, but eucharistical; not petitions, but thanksgivings. I say this appears from the words immediately following, ver. 9, wherein they are said, in a solemn hymn, to have given thanks to Christ for their redemption, and the redemption of the whole church by the blood of Christ. And, however, let the four beasts and twenty-four elders, or presbyters, be what the Catholic Scripturist shall please to fancy them, yet it is certain, that in this text there is not the least intimation of any prayers made, or any religious worship performed to them. His last text is, Rev. viii. 3, 4: And another angel

n Fere consentiunt explanatores, 4 animantia, 4 evangelistas accipientes. Zeger. in Apoc. iv. 6, 7.

о

• Vid. Lyrum, Zeger. et Grot. in Apoc. iv. 4.

came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. To this I answer, first, This text concerns the angels only, and hath not the least relation to the saints departed; and we are now inquiring chiefly concerning invocation of saints. Secondly, This text is variously interpreted by the writers of the church of Rome themselves: some expounding this angel of Christ, others of Michael the archangel, others of the angels in general P. Thirdly, This text describeth only a prophetical vision; wherein to conceit every thing to be real and argumentative, would be as absurd as to argue from all the little circumstances of a parable; (which, indeed, is the usual way of arguing of the Catholic Scripturist, for want of better topics;) and then we must fancy an altar before the throne of God, and a golden censer in the hand of the angel, and incense burnt therein, and the smoke thereof ascending before the throne of God; that is, we must turn the text into smoke. Fourthly, Let the papists make their best advantage of this text, it will appear to be nothing to their purpose: the utmost that can be gathered from hence is, 1. that the angels are conscious to some prayers of the saints on earth, as being present (especially) at the public services of the church, and beholding the decorum used there, 1 Cor. xi. 10. And what sober pro

P Vide Zegerum in loc,

testant ever denied this? 2. That those blessed spirits, as they do descend from their heavenly habitations, to take notice of the services performed by us mortals, so they ascend to heaven again, and, as it were, make their returns, and give a report of what they hear and see to be done and performed of us. 3. That they join their devotions with ours, their heavenly hallelujahs with our imperfect praises, yea, and their hearty Amen to all our prayers; wishing, out of their fervent charity and burning love, all the good things unto us that we pray for.

And all this is acknowledged by some writers of the church in the purer ages, (as your ladyship will by and by understand,) who yet never acknowledged the invocation of angels, much less of saints, but utterly rejected both, as derogatory to the honour of God and Christ the mediator. And the Catholic Scripturist himself (as great a stock of confidence as he hath) durst not affirm, that the prayers of the saints, mentioned in this text, and said to be offered up by the angel, were made to the angel himself, but to God. So he tells us, immediately before his citation of this text, "that Raphael offered the "prayers made (to whom?) to God by Toby." And then, what is all this to his purpose ?

X. Let us now (with your ladyship's leave) cast up the account, and we shall find the total sum of all the texts, that can with any colour of reason be pretended by our Catholic Scripturist to prove invocation of saints, to amount to a very slender number; for, by his own confession, all the texts alleged out of the Old Testament are to be deducted (which are the greatest number) as impertinent, yea, sophistically produced, seeing it is acknowledged not