Serro. XIX. between God and Alen. I 37 Thirdly, That from the Nature and Reafon of the thing, there can be but one Mediator or Intercejr in Heaven with God for Sinners ; and that he can be no other than 7efus Chriff. Fourthly, I (hewed how contrary to this Do&rine, the Do&rive and Pra&ice of the Church of Rome is, in their Invocation of Angels and the Bleilèd Virgin, and the Saints, and making ufe oftheir Mediationand Interceffon with God for Sin- ners. This I endeavoured to do, by (hewing, aft. How contrary this is to the Do- drine of the Scriptures. 2d0, How contrary to the Doctrine and Pra&ice of the Church, for feveral ofthe firft Ages of it. And thus far I have gone. I proceed now, in the 3d place, to anfwer the chief pretences and Excufes which aremade by thofe ofthe Church ofRome, for this Do&rine and Practice. As, z. That they only fay, that it is lawful to pray to Angels and Samts ; but do not enjoyn and require it. To-this I anfwer two Things. (t.) In faying that it is lawful to pray to Saints and Angels (if they went no farther) they fay that which they can never make good ; becaufe Prayer is an Aft of Religious Worfhip, and peculiar and proper to God only, and therefore cannot be given to any Creature, Angel, or Saint. This I have proved from Scripture, where our Saviour commands us, when we pray, to fay, Our Father which art in Heaven ; that is, to dire& and addrefs our Prayers to God only. And St. Paul likewife forbids the worfbipping Angels by invocating of them, and making ufe of them as Mediators between God and us, in his Epiftle to the Colof flans; which Theodoret exprefly interprets concerning the Invocation ofAngels, and applying our felves to them, as Mediators and Interceffors with God in Hea- ven for us. And the Council of Laodicea declares this Pra&ice to be Idolatry, Betides that the Ancient Fathers of the Chriftian Church, for above Three hun- dred Years, never fpake ofpraying to any, but God only ; and do exprefly con- demn the Invocation of Angels, much more of the Saints, who are inferior to them ; and therefore they always define Prayer to be an Addrefr to God, a Con- verting and Difcourfing with God 3. which would be a falfe Definition of Prayer, if it were lawful to pray to any but to God only. All which confidered, one may juftly wonder at the Confidence of tome Men, who would have it taken for granted, without any Proof, that the Invocation ofSaints and Angels is lawful. (2.) If it were true, that it is lawful to pray to Angels and Saints ; it is not true, that the Church of Rome does only declare it to be lawful, but does not requireand enjoyn it, as force of their late Writers pretend. With what Face can this, be faid, when, there are fo many Prayers toAngels and Saints, and efpecially to the Bleffed Virgin, in the Publick Offices of their Church, in which all are.fuppofed to joyn, as much as in the Prayers which are put up to God by the Prieft ? 'Tis true, indeed, the People nnderftand neither ; but they are prefent ;at, both, and joyn in both alike ; that is, as much as Men can be faid to joyn in that which they do not underftand; as that Church fuppofeth People may do, and receive great Edification alto, by joyning with the Prieft, in a Service which they do not underftand.. But how they can be edified by what they do not underftand, I mutt confefs my felf 'as little able to underftand, as they du their Prayers. But whether they underftand them or not, 'tis certain that if thePeople haveany partin the Publick Prayers ofthe Church, they are bound to pray to Angels and Saints. And if the Creed.ofPope Píus IV, framed byVirtue of an Order of the Coun- cil of Trent, be of any Authority, with them ; one of the Articles of it is, that Ido firmly hold, that.the Saints, which reign together with Chr, are to be wor- fhipped and invocated, and that they do offer up Prayers to Godfor us. And this Creed all the Governours ofCathedrals and Superiour Churches and all who hold any Dignity, or Benefice, with Cure ofSouls from them, are bound folemnly to make Profeffion of and fwear to, and-carefully to caufe it to be held, and taught, and preached by all that are under their Charge; fo that they are to teach the People, that the Saintswhich reign together with Chrì/t, are to be woifhipped and prayed to. And therefore unlefs, People are not bound to dothat, which they are T to
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