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Grace, and is in Ufe every Day. And at Rome they are counted Atheists who have not Faith in these things. So much they Place their Religion in them!

L. The Diffenters Object all this to you, as to your Rites, Ceremonies, Habits, &c.

G. But without any Ground, for we Confecrate none of these things, nor do we attribute any Vertue, Ghoftly or Bodily to the use of them, as to the Wearing a Surplice, hearing a Bell or an Organ, &c. they are purely for Decency and Order, and we may Change them, or take them quite away every Day, as Our Governours think fit. Can they fhew any outward Action or Thing appointed in our Church, by the ufe of which Evil Spirits may be Chased away, Women helped in Labour, or Storms at Sea quell'd; All which and many more Vertues are attributed in your Church to the ufe of what you call Holy Water, and many other fuch like Inftitutions of Mechanical Means of Grace.

(31.) But that which makes up the Bulk of the Romish Devotions is, the Worship and Invocation of Saints and Angels, the Adoration of their Images, and of the Reliques of Saints departed, Pieces of their Bodies or of their Vestments, &c. to which great Miracles are attributed, and therefore they are made, strictly and properly, Means of Grace.

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L. We defire the Prayers of one another upon Earth, why not much rather of the Saints and Angels in Heaven.

G. Because the one is Commanded, the other not, nay Forbidden, as I will fhew

you.

L. It seems to be giving greater Glory to God, and more Humility in us, not to Approach His Prefence directly and immediately our felves, as we do not to an Earthly King, but by the Introduction and Recommendation of fome eminent Courtier whom we know to be in His Favour.

G. Your Simile will Halt on all Four, for God is nearer to us than any Saint or Angel; in God we Live and Move and have our Being but the Angels and Saints departed are at diftance from us, and we know not where to find them, or that they hear our Prayers, for they are not every where, That is an Attribute of God alone.

L. Therefore our School-men fay, they fee our Prayers in Speculo Trinitatis, in the Look•ing Glass of God.

G. Do they fee every thing in that Looking-Glafs? Then they know as much as God! But if not, then how do we know they fee our Prayers there? And how will this fort with your Simile of an Earthly King, that the Courtier must go to the King to know what I defired the Courtier to Ask of Him.

Abraham

Rom. iv. 16.

Abraham is the Father of us all. And he was called the Friend of God. Therefore it is likely that he faw Jam. ii. 23. as far into that Looking-Glafs as another. Yet it is faid, fa. Ixiii. 16. That Abraham is ignorant of us. And are not we as Ignorant of their State, and what Knowledge they have of us below? We are told that they have no knowledge of it. His Sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

Job xiv. 21.

L. It is faid, that the Angels of Heaven rejoice over a Sinner that Repenteth.

G. That is when it pleaseth God to let them know it, or that the Sinner comes thither. But that they know of every Penitent upon Earth, is no where faid, nor do I know it Afferted by any.

But instead of the School-Mens LookingGlafs and their vain Philofophy, if we would look into the plain Directions of Holy Scripture, we should fettle our felves upon a much furer Foundation. See then what the Apostle fays upon the very Cafe in hand, Let no Man beguile you of your Reward in a voluntary Humility (or being a voluntary in Humili

Col.ii. 18,19.

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ty, as our Margin reads it) and Worshipping of Angels, intruding into thofe things which he hath not feen, vainly puff'd up by his fleshly Mind; and not holding the Head, from which all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment Miniftred, and knit together

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together, increaseth with the increase of God. And after fays, ver. 23. Which things have indeed a fhew of Wisdom in Will-Worship and Humility- Here is a full Anfwer to all your Pretenfions for this Will Worship of Saints and Angels, for both go upon the fame Foot. It is called, Intruding into things we have not feen, of which we are altogether Uncertain, and therefore Sinful in the Practice, by the Apostles Rule, Rom. xiv. 23. That whatsoever is not of Faith, is Sin. This was fpoke in refpect of Meats, but is much more fo as to our Worship and Solemn Devotions to GOD-Your Comparison of Accels to an Earthly King, is here called a Fleshly or Carnal Thought, measuring God after the Manner of MenAnd the Refult of this is no less than lofing our Reward, that is, Heaven; for it is forfaking the Head, which is Chrift, whofe Members we are, and receive Nourish ment from Him; not fo from Saints or Angels; God has given Chrift to Us as the One Media tor between God and Men, i Tim. ii. 5. But we have made to our felves many Mediators to Affift and Help Him, as if his Mediation and Interceffion were not Sufficient. And we make more Applications to Them than to Him, or to God himself. You have Ten Ave Maria's for One Pater Nofter.

And you have Multiplyed thefe Saints to your felves without Number, like the Heathen Deities, and New Canonizations are going on every Day. Every Country, City, Parish, and

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almost Person have a particular Saint for their Patron. You have Saints, as they had Gods, for the Sea, for the Air, Fire, &c. for Peace, for War, for Learning, and all forts of Trades and Occupations. St. Chriftopher and St. Clement are for the Sea, especially the Virgin Mary to whom the Sea Men Sing Ave Maris Stella. St. Agatha is for the Fire, and they make Letters on her Day to quench Fire with. St. Nicholas and St. Gregory are for Scholars, St. Luke for Painters, &c. And they have Saints for all Difeafes, St. Cornelis cures the Falling-Sickness, St. Roche the Pox, St. Apollonia the Tooth-Ach, &c. And they have particular Saints for all Beafts and Cattle, St. Loy prefides over the Horfes, and St. Anthony over the Swine, &c. And they bring their Cattle to be Bleffed by thefe Saints on their particular Days. And they Pray to these Saints jointly with God, a Scholar fays, God and St. Nicholas be my Speed. And when one Sneezes, God help and St. John. And to a Horse if he Stumbles, God and St. Loy fave thee, &c. And upon every Surprize they cry, Jefu Maria.

(32.) L. You should not compare these to the Demons of the Heathens, for they were Evil Spirits. And they called them Gods.

G. The Word Gods is frequently given in Scripture to Angels and to Men as Minifters of God. And thus the Heathens undertood it, and fuppofed their Gods to be fuch

Minifters,

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