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you,

enough for her Capacity. But this I can affure that if you ever can bring me any tolerable Proof that we obey God in the one, and disobey him in the other, or that the Lawfulneß of the one do's not manifeftly infer the Lawfulneß of the other, I shall freely own there is no fuch Thing as a Contradiction poffible in the World.

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Immediately after the Gentleman's laft Words in his Cafe ftated his Lordship is made to say, that is feems to be Giving greater Glory to God, and more Humility in us not to approach his Prefence directly, and immediately ourselves. Which is falfe Doctrine, if he means, that we ought not to pray directly and immediately to God through the Mediation of Jefus-Chrift. Then his Lordship draws a Comparifon from the difficult Acceß to earthly Kings to illuftrate the Nonfenfe he has utter'd. The Cafe indeed is often fuch with Kings upon Earth, who cannot be approach'd by every Body, but never with the King of Heaven to whom (through our Lord Jefus-Chrift) we have free Acceß, as often as we please. But why then do we defire the Saints in Heaven to pray for us? I answer for the very fame Reason, which moved Saint Paul to defire the Faithful upon Earth to pray for him. Viz. That God may have the Honour, and we the Profit of more Prayers than our own. Now let us hear the Gentleman's Answer to his Lordship's fore mention'd Words, and wife Similè.

Our Similè will haft on all four. For God « is nearer to us than any Saint or Angel. In

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God we live and move, and have our Being. But the » Angels and Saints departed are at a Distance 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. p. 114. L. Sr, God is also nearer to us, than we are to one another, yet this hinders us not from Defiring one another's Prayers: And St Paul defired the Prayers of thofe, that were at a great Distance from him, tho he knew not whether his Petition would ever find them or not. However we know for cer tain that the Saints departed are in Heaven, where they fee God Face to Face; and it is no idle Con jecture to say that by thus feeing him they know a great Deal more of us, than we know of them.

We likewife know for certain (and 'tis a Truth acknowledg'd by your Church, as I shall shew hereafter) that the Saints and Angels, who are the Church Triumphant, pray for the Church Militant, which is upon Earth. Whence it follows first, that our Defiring a Part in their Prayers cannot be unprofitable, as long as we are fure it is known to God, tho the Saints and Angels should know Nothing of it. The Reason is, because as it is an Article of our Belief, that all Bleffings flow originally from God alone through Jefus-Chrift, fo in the Defires and Language of the Heart 'tis only to God through Jesus Christ, that all our Prayers are chiefly directed, without which they would not be strictly Prayers. Whence it follows 2dly, that it is the fame in Effect, whether we fay Holy Peter pray for us, or whether we pray thus, O God grant us a share in the Prayers of St Pe ter. As it was the very fame in David to fay, praife the Lord all ye Nations, Pfalm 116. V. 1. as if he had faid, O Lord, may all Nations praife thee. And by Confequence, tho it were true, that the Saints and

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Angels know Nothing of our Invoking them, 'tis enough, that it be known to God, when we defire them to pray for us, that is, to have a Part in the Fruit of their Prayers.

But, Sr, I only fay this to let you see the Weaknefs of your Argument: for I am of another Judgment, and think we have no Reafon to doubt but the Saints are acquainted with our Prayers.

Origine fays exprefly, that all the Angels and bleffed Souls befriend those, that ferve God, and that they know who are in his Favour. L. 8. contra Celfum. Edit. Huet. pag. 949:

This was alfo St Gregory's Opinion, who writes thus. Because all the Saints fee God, what is it they do not know there, where they know him who knows all Things? L. Dial. C. 33.

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This was likewife the Judgment of St Paulinus Bishop of Nola, when he made his Country-man addrefs himself thus to St Felix for his loft Cattle. Tu fcis ubi funt, qui lumine Chrifti cuncta & operta vides, longeque abfentia cernis. That is, Thon knowft where they are, who by the Light of Chrift fees't all Things even that are hidden, and far diftant from thee.

St Austin was of the fame Opinion, when he made this Apoftrophe to St Paul. You reign with Chrift together with him, whom you ftoned [St Stephen] you both now fee us, you both bear this my Discourse. I defire you both to pray for us, Serm. 316. ult. Edit. §. 5.

And St Afterius Bishop of Amafea in the 4th Age pray'd thus to the Martyrs. You yourselves have formerly pray'd to the Martyrs before you were Martyrs. They heard you, when you entreated them. Now that you can hear us, grant is our Request. Serm. 10.

Lastly, St Bafil difcourfes thus upon the 40 Martyrs. He who is oppreffed with any Trouble has recourfe to thefe: fo his he, that is in joy: the one for a Delive II. Part.

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rance, the other for a Continuation of his State. Here a Mother is heard Praying for her Children, or the fafe Return, or Health of her Husband And there is not one of them, who do's not fee all Things. Orat. 20. in 40. Martyres. Tom. 1. Edit. Par. ann. 1637. pag. 459. D.

What Pity is it, that the Reformation did not come above a thousand Years fooner to reform thefe Popish Fathers! Who made no Scruple to invoke the Saints, and exhort others to do the fame: nor had they any Difficulty to believe, that as the Prophets could forefee future Events, and fee Things done at a Dif tance by the meer Light of Grace, fo the Saints in Heaven may do the fame by the Light of Glory. And 'tis this the Schoolmen call the Speculum, or Lookingglaß of the Saints, wherein they fee the Prayers and Neceffities of thofe, who implore their Aid in this World.

"G. Do they fee every Thing in this Lookingglaß? then they know as much as God. But if not, » then how do we know they fee our Prayers there? "And how will this Sort with your Similè of an Earthly King, that the Courtier must go to the King » to know what I defired the Courtier to ask of him? " pag. 114.

L. Sr, as to your Similè, I yield up to you the whole Property of it, and you may do with it what you please. But as to what you fay, that if the Saints fee every Thing, they know as much as God, your ⚫ your Con fequence is ftark nought. For tho they should know all Facts past, prefent, and to come (more than which cannot be meant by the Words every Thing, when we fpeak of Creatures) their Knowledge would still be limited as thofe Things are: and, by Confequence come infinitly short of the infinite Knowledge of God, who not only knows all Things paft, prefent, and to come, but every Thing, that is poffible. But supposa

they do not know every Thing, then you ask how we know, that they see our Prayers? And I ask you, how you know, that they do not fee them? For 'tis ridiculous, nay Blafphemous to fay, that God cannot communicate to his Saints the Knowledge of our Petitions either immediately by himself, or by the Miniftry of our Angels-Guardians, who certainly know both our Neceffities and Prayers.

G. Abraham is the Father of us all. Rom. 4. V. 16. « and he was call'd the Friend of God. Jam. 2. v. 23. « Therefore it is likely, that he faw as far into the « Looking-glaß as another. Yet it is faid. Ifa. 63. V. 16. « That Abraham is ignorant of us. And are not we as « ignorant of their State, and what Knowledge they « haye 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 per- « ceiveth it not of them. Job. 14. V. 21. pag. 115. «

L. I am forry, Sr, I muft accufe you of a Blun der, For not only your good Friends the Schoolmen. but your own Catechism will tell you, that in the Days of Ifaiah and Job there were no Saints in Hea

because Mankind was not then redeem'd; and fo your Jeft of Abraham's feeing as far as another into the Looking-glass of the Saints is quite fpoil'd. Howe ver the true Meaning of Ifaiah according to St Jerom is this, viz. Neither Abraham nor Jacob will acknowledge thofe to be his Children, whom they know to be wicked. Hier. in Cap. 63. Ifa. in which Sense our Saviour speaks Math. 25. v. 12, verily I say unto you, know you not.

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As to the Text quoted from holy Job, St Gregory tells us, that he do's not fpeak there of Saints, but of fenfual and Carnal Men, that loved this World, and especially their Children more than God. And thefe (according to St Gregory) are faid by holy

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