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Lothly, If Saints departed do not know our Circumftances here on Earth, or if we can have no Affurance that they can hear our Prayers, then 'tis abfurd and vain to pray to them. Solomon faith, (a) "The Dead know not any "Thing." And when Jofiah fhou'd die, God tells him, "He fhould not fee the Evil he wou'd bring upon Jerufalem." Nor are the learnedeft of our Adverfaries able, to give us, or their own Confciences Satisfaction, how the Saints know our Wants, and take notice of our Defires, to be pray'd for, as appears by their multiplying Questions; as, whether the Souls of thofe that be pray'd to, be prefent or not; if prefent, whether really, or only virtually, (that is) whether they have the Knowledge of our Prayers from others, and whether our Angel-Guardians inform them, or the Spirits of juft Men that go from hence, tell them our Defires, &c. 'Tis true their most common Anfwer is, "That the Saints enjoying the "beatifical Vifion, behold all Things in the Face of God "as in a Glafs." But how does any body hear Sounds, or perceive Mens Thoughts in a Glafs? Or how can they fee all Things in the Effence of God, unless they can comprehend his infinite divine Effence, which furpaffes the Capacity of Men or Angels? Can a finite Being fee or know all that the Infinite does? Befides, what a uleless Circle is here! First, Papifts pray to Saints, then God reveals to them that fuch Perfons have pray'd to them, and then the Saints pray to God, for thole that fo pray'd to them. Were it not more direct and fafe to go as we are commanded, to God by Chrift, who both can and will hear our Prayers? For tho' we acknowledge nothing impoffible to God; yet it is not lawful to believe any Thing as his Will, which he hath not revealed; for we can only judge of his Will by the Scriptures, which, touching thefe Speculations are filent; but in fundry Places, command us to pray, "In Faith without doubting." But how is it poffible we fhou'd fo do, if we pray to them

(a) Eccl. 9. 5.

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of whofe Hearing or Knowledge of us, we can have no Faith?

Now fince the Worship and Invocation of Saints and Angels, and more particularly and eminently of the Virgin Mary, hath for f.me Ages been a principal Part of the Religion of Rome, may not any difcreet, fober, confiderate Man (it is meant tho' educated amongst them) juftly wonder, that fo confiderable a Part of Religion as they make this to be, fhou'd have no Manner of Foundation in the Scripture? Does our Saviour any where speak one Word concerning any Worfhip due to the Virgin Mary? Nay, does he not take all Occafions to restrain all extravagant Apprehenfions, and Imaginations, concerning the Honour due unto her, as forefeeing the Degeneracy of the Church in this Matter? When he was told that his Mother and Brethren were without, (a) Who, fays he, "is my Mother, and who are my B ethren? (b) "Who"foever fhall do the Will of God, the fame is my Bro

ther, and my Sifter, and Mother," So when at the Marriage of Cana, the leemned to importune him unfeafonably to work a Miracle, faying, (c) "They have no

Wine." Jefus faith unto her, Woman, what have "I to do with thee, my Hour is not yet come." As much as to lay, why fhou'd I have Refpect to thy Defire in this Cafe? In Matters touching my Charge, and the Commiffion of my Father, for preaching, working Miracles, and conferring Graces, I muft not be tied to Flefh and Blood. And another Time, when a certain Woman brake out into that Rapture concerning her," Bleffed "is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps that gave "thee Suck;" Our Saviour directs it to another Thing, "Yea rather, faith he, bleffed are they that hear the "Word of God, and keep it." Does either our Sa"viour or his Apoftles in all their Precepts and Direc"tions concerning Prayer and the Manner of it, give

(a) Matt. 12. 47. (b) Mark 3. 31. (c) John

2. 3, & 4.

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the leaft Intimation of praying to the Virgin Mary, or making use of her Mediation: And can any Man believe that if this had been our Duty, or the Practice of the Church from the Beginning, our Lord and his Apoftles wou'd have been filent in fo confiderable a Circumstance, or rather essential Point of Devotion; or that the Latter wou'd not fomewhere have practifed it themselves, and recommended it to others? which they have been fo far from doing, that in all the Epiftles of the Apostles, her Name is not fo much as once mentioned. And yet her Worship in the prefent Church of Rome is become not: only a main Part of their publick Prayers, but almost engroffes their whole private Devotions, infomuch, that for one Prayer they make to Almighty God, they make ten Addreffes to the bleffed Virgin: For that is the: Proportion obferved between Ave Maria's, and Pater Nofter's in their Rofaries. He that confiders this, and had never read the Bible, wou'd fure be apt to think, that the New Teftament did abound from one End to t'other, with Precepts and Exhortations to worship her; and yet,. when all is done, we challenge the learnedeft Jefuit in the World to produce fo much as one Sentence in the whole Book of God that founds that Way. Nay, as little there is thereof to be found in Chriftian Writers of the first three hundred Years after Chrift came into the World:: For the Truth is, this Practice began to creep in, among fome fuperftitious People, about the Middle of the fourth Century, tho' not publickly used till afterwards; and Epiphanius, who lived about that Time, called it the Herefy of the Women. Nor did the moft Learned of the Fathers long after approve it; witnefs St. Aufin, who, fpeaking of her, faith, (a)" She was a Virgin, but "not given us to be adored, c." Certainly if any Papift be ferious in Religion, to reflect upon thefe Things will put him out of Conceit with fuch an unwarrantable Superftition.

(a) Epift, 43.

CHAP

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CHAP. X.

Against Indulgences.

The Indulgences allowed, and highly effeemed in

WHERE is fcarce any Proteftant but has heard of

the Church of Rome, but many there are, who underftand very little of the true Meaning thereof; fo that when they happen to fall into Difcourfe upon that Sub. ject, they are frequently in danger of being impos'd upon by any crafty Prieft, or popish Emiffary, who either conceals, or justifies his Church's Practices, as it beft fuits with his own Convenience, the Juncture of Time, or Humour of the Party he converfes with. For if he be ingenuous, then perhaps he will deny that he approves or owns any fuch Things as Indulgences, Pardons, or Difpenfations, it ignorant, then acknowledges the fame, and by feigned Arguments endeavours to prove the Lawfulness and Utility of fuch Devices. We fhall therefore for the Reader's entire Satisfaction in this Point, endeavour three Things.

First, faithfully and impartially to fet forth, the Sentiments which the Romish Church hath of Indulgences, and imposes on her Children at this Day.

Secondly, We fhall fhew the Original of fuch Indulgences, and the Difference between thofe of antient Times, and thofe now used, and the Policy of these of later Invention.

Firft

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Firft then, We have an Indulgence, thus defined by Bellarmine, (a)" An Indulgence, fays he, is properly a judicial Abfolution, having annexed thereunto a Pay66 ment and Satisfaction made out of the Treasure of “the Church.

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In a popish Treatife of Indulgences, printed in English, Anno 1617, and faid to be tranflated out of Italian, for the Benefit of all Catholick People, we find an Indulgence thus defin'd; (b) "An Indulgence, as it is ordi66 narily taken in the Catholick Church, is a Remission "or Forgiveness of Sins, either in Part, or in Whole; 65 yet not of the mortal Crime or Guilt it self, (which "is remitted otherwife in the Sacrament of Penance) "but of Pain, (not eternal but temporal) due unto "Man for his Sins, after they be forgiven by facra-"mental Confeffion. Which Forgiveness does (pring "and flow from the infinite Merit, and fuperabundant "Satisfaction of Chrift, and of the bleffled Virgin, "his Mother, and of other holy Saints and Martyrs,, "which is depofited in a common Treasure; and there"of the Chureh, that is, the Pope, hath the Difpofal, "and fo may at his Pleasure, beftow so much out of the "fame to any Perfon, as fhall discharge in full or in "part (as he thinks fit) the Punishment due to his "Offences, and which he must have otherwife fuffered i "in Purgatory."

But for clearer Understanding of the Church of Rome's Doctrine herein, we fhall briefly tranfcribe fome Conditions, laid down by the Author of this Treatife of Indulgences, as neceffary thereunto.

He comes to tell us, (c) who are the Distributors of this precious Treafure, and afferts, that "They are either "unlimitted, or limitted. The un'imitted is only the: Pope himself; the limitted are his Legates, who by

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