The Protestant Religion Truly State and Justified, Part 26 – Part 30
The Eight and Twentieth accuſed Point.
That we may not pray to them.
Anſ. 1. We may deſire Living Saints to pray for us, and this may be called Praying to them: So a Child prayeth to his Father or Maſter. But we pray not to dead Saints nor Angels: 1. Becauſe we have an hundred Commands to pray to God, and not one to pray to them, and where there is no Law, there is no Tranſgreſſion or Sin. Therefore while we are ſure it is no Sin to forbear it, and know not but it is Sin to do it, we go the ſafe way: If they ſay, it is againſt the Popes Law or his Clergy's, we ſay with Paul, it is a ſmall thing to us to be judged of man, (who can but kill our Bodies,) we have one that judgeth us, even the Lord. Let the Pope Damn us if he can.
2. As the firſt Commandment forbiddeth us to have any God but one, ſo the ſecond forbiddeth us to worſhip ſo as the Heathens did their Idols, becauſe it is Bodily interpretative Idolatry and Scandal: But the Heathens uſed to pray to their under Deities, whom they judged to be much like that which the Papiſts judge of Angels, and praying to Inviſible Spirits is to imitate them as ſcandalouſly as praying toward Images: No wonder therefore that you ſo uſually leave out the ſecond Commandment.
3. Gods Word is the Rule of all acceptable Religious Worſhip, (tho' but a General Rule in many Modes and Circumſtances,) and therefore we fear ſwerving from it.
4. Angels themſelves never demanded it, nor Chriſt beſpake it for them, yea, they twice forbad it John: See thou do it not.
5. Angels being more holy than we, are more for the Glory of God, and the hatred of Creature arrogance and Idolatry; and as God calleth himſelf ſpecially Jealous againſt bodily Worſhip like the Idolaters, in the ſecond Commandment, ſo Angels are more jealous againſt it than we are.
6. As Angels ſaid, See thou do it not, ſo contrarily Satan tempted Chriſt, with the offer of the Kingdoms and glory of the World, to fall down and worſhip him. Therefore we had rather hearken to the Angels than to Devils: And fear, they that do otherwiſe, worſhip Devils for Angels, becauſe only Devils have ſought ſuch Worſhip. And the Devil oft turneth himſelf as into an Angel of Light to deceive, as his Miniſters do into Miniſters of Righteouſneſs.
7. We know not when Angels hear us, and when they do not: And therefore know not when and how to pray to them.
8. As we are ſure that God would have bid us do it, if he would have us do it, ſo we know that he is all ſufficient to tell them what and when to doe for us; and to pray to him is the way to ſecure their Service.
9. And we know that there is one Mediator between God and Man, whoſe Interceſſion is ſufficient.
10. And we know that Chriſtians praying to Angels and ſeparated Souls, greatly hardeneth the Heathen World that pray to ſeparated Souls, and Daemons that are their Sub-deities.
11. And when theſe men ſay not, we muſt pray to Angels, but we may do it; what horrid Murderers are they, that will Burn, Kill, and Damn men, for not doing all that they think they may do, without any muſt or Divine Obligation? Why take they it not at beſt, as part of their Works of Supererrogation?
12. The Deceiver prophaning the Scripture, 1. Puts Jacobs Benediction deſiring the Angels guard on his Son, to be a prayer to Angels. Yea, when the Fathers ſay, that Angel was Chriſt himſelf.
2. And Jacobs words to the Angel that appeared to him, to be a reaſon for our praying to unſeen Spirits: If they appear to us, we ſhall the better know what and when to ſpeak to them.
The Nine and Twentieth accuſed Point.
That the Angels cannot help us.
Anſ. This is too groſs ſtating of Controverſies for a Collier or a Cobler, tho' not for a Doctor of Infallible Church.
1. We ſay, that not only an Angel, but a Man, an Aſs, (as Balaams,) a blaſt of Wind, Flies, Frogs, Lice (as in Egypt,) can help us, when God ſendeth them to help us.
2. We believe that Angels are ſpecially Empowred and willing for it. So that they are Gods Eminent Miniſtring Spirits for the good of his Elect.
3. But we believe that they can do nothing for us, but what God empowreth and Commiſſioneth them to do. He that Curſeth thoſe that truſt in man, and make Fleſh their Arm, inſtead of truſting God, will ſo Curſe them that ſo truſt in Angels. But yet we may and muſt truſt man and Angels, according to their ſeveral meaſures of Gods authorizing and enabling them. The great Mercies of Protection and aſſiſtance that God giveth us by Angels, is the matter of much of our daily thanks to God: And I am daily thankful to Angels themſelves; and I think I love them better than any Friends on Earth, becauſe they are better, and love God better: And I am the willinger to Die, becauſe I ſhall go to the World of Love, where as God and Chriſt is Love, ſo Angels love God, and we for his ſake, better than I love my ſelf, while our Papiſts that pray to Angels, devour the blood of Saints.
The Thirtieth accuſed Point.
That no Saint Deceaſed, hath after appeared to any on Earth.
Anſ. A meer falſe Calumny. What Proteſtant Confeſſions have any ſuch Article? How know we what hath been done of that kind in all the World to this day? Read but Dr. More, and Mr. Glanvils Books of Apparitions, and Mr. Ambroſe, and Mr. Lawrences Books of our Communion with Angels. Read Zanchius, Luther, Melaucton, Manlius, Lavalu, &c. and you may ſee that this is no Proteſtant aſſertion. We know that Chriſt appeared to Saul, and that many Bodies of Saints aroſe at Chriſts Death, and appeared to many: And what the Witch of Endor ſhowed as Samuel, we know not: We only ſay, 1. That it is much liker that Apparitions are ofteſt made by Devils or bad Spirits that dwell in the lower Regions, than that bleſſed Spirits come from Heaven. 2. But yet ſeeing Angels thence appear, we cannot ſay that Holy Souls never do. 3. But that God will not have it to be any ordinary or truſty means for Men's Salvation: For we cannot know when it is a Holy Soul, and when a Devil: And they that will not believe Moſes and the Prophets, (and Chriſt,) neither will they believe tho' one roſe from the Dead: It's no Article of our Faith, that they ever did appear or not. And if theſe men think otherwiſe, why muſt this Opinion more than Ten thouſand ſuch, be obtruded as neceſſary on all others?
The One and Thirtieth accuſed Point.
That the Saints Deceaſed, know not what paſſeth here on Earth.
Anſ. Confuſion and Calumny. There is knowledge Immediate by Intention, and Mediate by Notification from others. And there is knowledge perfect, and in part.
1. We take not on us to know the extent of the knowledge of ſeparated Souls. And theſe proud Infallible men know no more than we, but ſo much leſs, in that they know not their own Ignorance: Yet neither Lilly, nor any Aſtrologer, nor Conjurer, that ever I heard of, that pretendeth the greateſt acquaintance with Spirits, did ever pretend to make their Opinions of them neceſſary to Salvation; nor to kill all Diſſenters as Hereticks, but the Vice-Chriſt and his Church, we cannot know all that they pretend to know. And why muſt we needs know whether ever ſuch Souls appeared? If they did, we will try what they are by the word of God, which is our Rule. And why muſt we know how much they know? We know that they are not Omniſcient, nor Omnipreſent. And how much they know by preſent Intention, not one of theſe Pretenders know. That they know more than we, and know much by the notices of Angels or one another, and ſpecially of the General State of Chriſts Kingdom on Earth, we make no doubt: And what Chriſt himſelf maketh known to them, we know not. O! what ſort of men are theſe, that forbid us to Read the Word of God, and yet obtrude on us (on diſmal Penalties,) ſo many things more than all the Bible doth contain!
The Two and Thirtieth accuſed Point.
That the Saints pray not for us.
Anſ. Equivocal and falſe. 1. All Saints on Earth pray for us: It is part of the Communion of Saints.
2. We ſay of the Prayer of departed Souls, the ſame that we ſaid before of the Prayer of Angels. Their General Requeſts for the Church and againſt Enemies, proveth not to us what extent their knowledge of particulars hath, nor what particulars they ask, nor that every Chriſtian can ſay that they pray for him, and that in his particular caſes.