e knowledge or aid of the affairs or actions of their ivors? How do we say, that God provides mercifully ho die before the evils come; if, even after their death, usible of the calamities of human life, &c.? How is it, God promised to good King Josiah for a great blessing, ould die beforehand, that he might not see the evils hreatened to that place and people?" Thus that divine

vhom agrees St. Jerome: Nec, enim, possumus &c : can we," saith he *, "when this life shall once be disther enjoy our own labours, or know what shall be done in i afterwards."

could the Saints of heaven know our actions; yet our hey cannot. This is the peculiar skill of their Maker: rt the searcher of the hearts and reins, O righteous God: ly knows abscondita animi, the hidden secrets of the soul +. he heart is the seat of our prayers: the lips do but vent o the ears of men: Moses said nothing, when God said, e alone, Moses. O, therefore, thou that hearest the prayers, to hall all flesh come. Solomon's argument is irrefragable: Hear in heaven, thy dwelling-place; and do, and give to every man ding to his ways, whose heart thou knowest: for thou, even thou knowest the hearts of all the children of men; 1 Kings viii. 39. only should be implored, that can hear: he only can hear the er, that knows the heart.

et, could they know our secretest desires, it is an honour, that challengeth as proper to himself, to be invoked in our prayers: upon me in the day of thy trouble; and I will deliver thee, and shalt glorify me; Ps. l. 15. There is one God, and one Meor betwixt God and man, the man Jesus Christ; 1 Tim. ii. 5: and no more; not only of redemption, but of intercession >: for, through him, only, we have access by one Spirit unto the ther; Eph. ii. 18: and he hath invited us to himself, Come to ye that labour and are heavy laden.

SECT. 3.

Invocation of Saints, against Reason.

low absurd, therefore, is it, in Reason, when the King of Heaven alls us to him, to run with our petitions to the guard or pages of he court! Had we to do with a finite prince, whose ears must be is best informers, or whose will to help us were justly questiona. le, we might have reason to present our suits by second hands; but, since it is an Omnipresent and Omniscious God with whom

Hier. in Eccles, iii. ad fin.

† Ps. vii. 9. xliv. 21. cxxxix. 1. &c. Prov, xv. 11. xvii. 3. xxiv. 12. Jer. xi. 20. xvii. 10. xx. 12.

278

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in ca time thus

SECT. 2.

Invocation of Saints, against Scripture.

As for the better side of this misopinion, even thus much colour of
a ty were cause enough to suspend our censures, according to
wise and moderate resolution of learned Zanchius*, were it
4, that the Scriptures are so flatly opposite unto it, as that we
may justly wonder at that wisdom, which hath provided antidotes
for a disease, that, of many hundred years after, should have no
being in the world.

The ground of this Invocation of Saints, is, their notice of our
early dtion and special devotions. And, behold, Thou pre-
telet ever against man, and he passeth: thou changest his counte
mat, and sealest him away. His sons come to honour, and he knows

Me and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not; saith Job; Jo xv. 20, 21. The dead know nothing at all, saith wise Solomon; Ees. s. 5. Also, their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now prived nowher have they any more a portion for ever, in any thing thai to dare under the sun; v. 6: no portion, in any thing; therefore, not in our miseries, not in our allocutions. If we have a porLon in them, for their love and prayers in common for the Church; they have no poron in our particularities, whether of want or cundant. Abrahorn, our father, is ignorant of us, saith Isaiah, and Israel as knowledges us not; Isa, Ixiii. 16. Lo, the Father of the Fattatui, above, knows not his own children, till they come into he bosom; and he, that gives them their names, is to them as strigers Wherefore should good Josiah be gathered to his fathers, as Hudah tells him; but, that his eyes might not see all the evil, should come upon Jerusalem? 2 Kings xxii, 20.

We cannot have a better commenter, than St. Augustin. "If," sath he," the souls of the dead could be present at the affairs of the living, &c. surely my good mother would no night forsake me, whom, while she lived, she followed both by land and sea. Far be it from me, to think that a happier life hath made her cruel, Ac. But, certainly, that, which the holy Psalmist tells us, is true, My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord took me up If, therefore, our parents have left us, how are they present, of do interest themselves in our cares or businesses? and, if our parents do not, who else among the dead know what we do, or if so great Wat we suffer? Isaiah, the Prophet, saith, Thou art our father; for Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel knows us not : Patriarchs were ignorant, what became of that people, which came from their loins; and which, upon their belief, was promised to de scend from their stock? How shall the dead have ought to do,

Ego certè ab Antiquitate non recedo, nisi coactus, Zanc. in Coloss
Aug. de Cará pro Mort. Gerend, c. 13.

the knowledge or aid of the affairs or actions of their arvivors? How do we say, that God provides mercifully who die before the evils come; if, even after their death, sensible of the calamities of human life, &c.? How is it, It God promised to good King Josiah for a great blessing, should die beforehand, that he might not see the evils threatened to that place and people?" Thus that divine

whom agrees St. Jerome: Nec, enim, possumus &c : er can we,' saith he * "when this life shall once be diseither enjoy our own labours, or know what shall be done in rld afterwards."

could the Saints of heaven know our actions; yet our they cannot. This is the peculiar skill of their Maker: art the searcher of the hearts and reins, O righteous God: only knows abscondita animi, the hidden secrets of the soul +. the heart is the seat of our prayers: the lips do but vent to the ears of men: Moses said nothing, when God said, me alone, Moses. O, therefore, thou that hearest the prayers, to I shall all flesh come. Solomon's argument is irrefragable: Hear u in heaven, thy dwelling-place; and do, and give to every man ording to his ways, whose heart thou knowest: for thou, even thou y, knowest the hearts of all the children of men; 1 Kings viii. 39. only should be implored, that can hear he only can hear the ayer, that knows the heart.

Yet, could they know our secretest desires, it is an honour, that od challengeth as proper to himself, to be invoked in our prayers: all upon me in the day of thy trouble; and I will deliver thee, and ou shalt glorify me; Ps. 1. 15. There is one God, and one Meator betwixt God and man, the man Jesus Christ; 1 Tim. ii. 5: he, and no more; not only of redemption, but of intercession so: for, through him, only, we have access by one Spirit unto the Father; Eph. ii. 18: and he hath invited us to himself, Come to ne, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

SECT. 3.

Invocation of Saints, against Reason.

How absurd, therefore, is it, in Reason, when the King of Heaven
calls us to him, to run with our petitions to the guard or of
pages
the court! Had we to do with a finite prince, whose ears must be
his best informers, or whose will to help us were justly questiona.
ble, we might have reason to present our suits by second hands;
but, since it is an Omnipresent and Omniscious God with whom

Hier. in Eccles, iii. ad fin.

† Ps. vii. 9. xliv. 21. cxxxix. 1. &c. Prov, xv. 11. xvii. 3. xxiv. 12. Jer. xi. 20. xvii. 10. xx. 12.

SECT. 2.

Invocation of Saints, against Scripture.

Ar the better side of this misopinion, even thus much colour of
By were cause enough to suspend our censures, according to
:se and moderate resolution of learned Zanchius*, were it
not, that the Scriptures are so flatly opposite unto it, as that we
mayustry wonder at that wisdom, which hath provided antidotes
tra disease, that, of many hundred years after, should have no
being to the world.

Itx ground of this Invocation of Saints, is, their notice of our
Calycation and special devotions. And, behold, Thou pre-
talet ever against man, and he passeth: thou changest his counte
Décal, and endest him away. His sons come to honour, and he knows
and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not; saith Job;
Jo sav 20, 21. The dead know nothing at all, saith wise Solomon;
is now
Ec.. ix. 5. Also, their love, and their hatred, and their envy.
Pues neder have they any more a portion for ever, in any thing
there-
that is drie and the sun; v. 6: no portion, in any thing;
fore, Hot in our miseries, not in our allocutions. If we have a por-
tcoin them, for their love and prayers in common for the Church;
they have no portion in our particularities, whether of want of
cox Abraham, our father, is ignorant of us, saith Isaiah,

Tradlavamaledges us not; Isa. lxiii. 16. Lo, the Father of
the baititui, above, knows not his own children, till they come in-
to his bosom; and he, that gives them their names, is to them as
srgers Wherefore should good Josiah he gathered to his fathers,
as Hah tells him; but, that his eyes might not see all the evil,
wa: ʼn shaid come upon Jerusalem? 2 Kings xxi, 20.

We cannot have a better commenter, than St. Augustin. “If,"
be," the souls of the dead could be present at the affairs
of the living, &c. surely my good mother would no night forsake
me, whom, while she lived, she followed both by land and sea.
us, is true,
Far be a from me, to think that a happier life hath made her cruel,
Ac But, certainly, that, which the holy Psalmist tells
M. father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord took me
up. If, therefore, our parents have left us, how are they present,
or to merest themselves in our cares or businesses? and, if our
parents do not, who else among the dead know what we do, or
What we surier Isaiah, the Prophet, saith, Thou art our father;
for this ignorant of us, and Israel knows us not ;
Parats were ignorant, what became of that people, which came
from their ions, and which, upon their belief, was promised to de-
scend from their stock? How shall the dead have ought to do,

if

*Ego corte ab Antiquitate non recedo, nisi coactus, Zanc. in Coless,
Aug. de Cara pro Meri Gerend. c. 13.

so great