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Before we pray to Angels or Saints, we ought to be well affur'd of three things. 1. That those we pray to, are really in Heaven. Tis true, we make no doubt of the Angels being there: but fince we cannot know the Hearts of Men, 'tis impoffible that we fhou'd know what Men are fav'ds and confequently, we may pray to fome, who for ought we know, are groaning in Hell. 2. That those we pray to, can and do hear us. cannot know, but by Revelation only: and therefore till we meet with fuch a Revelation, 'tis our duty to abftain from fuch Prayers. 3.That the poffi bility of being heard by them, will justify our Prayers to them. But this is a matter, that the Scriptures do not inform us of; and therefore we ought not to run the Rifque of offending a jealous God, by performing fuch Prayers.

This we

However, 'tis certain that there is not the leaft command or encouragement in all the Bible for the invocation of Saints or Angels. For this Reafon it cannot be a Duty, but it may be dange rous; and why then fhou'd we venture upon it? We may fafely addrefs our felves to God, who is ready to hear and accept our Prayers and is it not then a great reproach to his Goodness, for us to feek out other objects of Prayer, without any manner of Reason fo to do? This looks as if we diftrufted his Mercy; or thought it neceffary to make fure of fome other Friends, if he fhou'd chance to fail us.

If it be asked, why we may not defire the Angels and Saints in Heaven, as we defire holy Men upon Earth, to pray for us; the reafon is, be cause we are fure that we hear one another, when we defire this favor. But are our Adverfaries fure, that the Angels or Saints in Heaven do hear thofe

Men,

Men, that pray to them upon Earth? I wou'd fain know from whence they gather'd fuch information; fince the Scriptures do not affert it.

Thus then I have examin'd all the pretended Reasons for the Invocation of Angels and Saints; and I am perfuaded they appear extremely frivolous. But if it cannot be pretended, that we have just reason for it; I am fure we have very just reafon against it. Because,

SECONDLY, The Scriptures do command us to pray to God only. This is manifeft from the whole tenor of thofe Holy Writings. Let our Adverfaries fhew, if they can, that the Patriarchs, Prophets or Apoftles did ever pray, fave to God only. We are commanded in innumerable places to pray to God; but never to any other Being. Now fince the Scriptures do appropriate prayer to God only; with what face can we give his honor to another?

We pray to Chrift and to the Holy Ghoft, because they are God; and we think it a fufficient argument of the Divinity of either of thofe two Perfons of the Trinity, that we are commanded to pray to them. Now I defire our Adverfaries to confider, whether they do not weaken the Orthodox Belief of the Trinity, by taking away these, which are fome of the great proofs and fupports of it. For why may not a Socinian fay, We are to pray to Chrift, as to an excellent Creature: but the Prayers which we are commanded to offer to him are no proof of his Divinity, becaufe the Sacrifice of Prayer is not appropriated to God only: Ifay, why may not a Socinian argue thus? And how will our Adverfaries be able to prove that Chrift is God, by this fort of Reafoning; uniefs they believe and take it for granted, that the Scriptures do command us to pray to God only?

Where

Wherefore, as St. Paul fajes, Coloff. 2. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary bumility and worshipping of Angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puff'd up by his fleshly mind. For as our Savior affures us, Matth 4. 10. It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. What St. Paul faies, Rom. 10. 14, 15. concerning praying to Chrift, may well be apply'd to praying to Angels and Saints; How shall they call on n him, in whom they have not believ'd; and how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not beard; and how shall they bear without a Preacher and how fhall they Preach except they be fent? Let our Adverfaries therefore prove, that any Man was fent by our Lord, to Preach this News, that Men may pray to Angels and Saints. For otherwife 'tis not poffible, in St. Paul's opinion, for Men to call upon them, because they have not heard, that they are the objects of Prayer.

But I fhall not enlarge upon this Matter. The filence of Scripture is a fufficient prohibition of fuch a Practice; because if a thing of this Nature had been but barely lawful, we fhou'd at leaft have had fome hint of it. God who has fo plainly told us our duty, wou'd certainly have given us fome intimation of this part of it: which muft be of the greatest concern to us, because it relates to our Religious worship. But on the contrary we are alwaies commanded to pray to God: and there fore Prayer is reftrain'd to him only. Tis the privilege which his own word has referv'd to him: and how fhall finful duft and affies" dare to infringe it?

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** ** ** * CHA P. Xív. 5.

lete out of "Auricular Confession.

I

Lider

Have hitherto charg'd the Church of Rome with fuch Doctrins, as are either abfolutely falfe, or forbidden by God's Word: but I fhall now proCeed to those of another kind; fuch I mean, as are not contain❜d in the Scriptures. Tho' I do not, and dare not fay, that even thefe are not forbidden alfo only becaufe I am willing to fpare our Adverfaries, as much as 'tis poffible; I fhalf content my felf with proving, that they are not deliver'd in God's Word. Now the firft of that Nature, which I defign to examin, is the Doctrin of Au ricular Confeffion. $5.11 ER

The 24th Article of the Popish Creed runs thus I do alfo "without any doubting receive and profess all other things that are deliver'd, defin'd and declar'd by

the Sacred Canons, and General, Coune declar'd by

and

by the holy Council of Trent; and all things contra ry to them, and all Hereftes whatsoever, that are con demn'd, rejected and anathematiz'd by the Church, I do likewise condemn, reject and anathematize. From hence it is plain, that every Member of the Church of Rome is obliged upon pain of damnation to behieve what the Council of Trent has Decreed concerning the pretended Sacrament of Penance,

Now the Council of Trent has Decreed concerning Penance, that (a) thofe are to be accursed,

21 ' 01 byisler est. Ligw nwo ad doin w

(a) Siquis negaverit ad integram & perfectam peccatorum re miffionem requiri hos actus in Poenitente, quafi materiam Sacramenti Pœnitentiæ, videlicet Contritionem, Confeffionem & Satisfactionem, quæ tres Pœnitentiæ partes dicuntur:——anathema fit. Concil. Trident. Sef 14. Can. 4.

who

whohich wi

tha

the three

faction, Contrition, Confeffion and Satifare call'd the three parts of Penance, are neceflary for Pardon of fins. By Confesion fhe means Auricular Confeffion, or (b) a private Confeffion made to a Prieft, whereby the Priest is acquainted with the Number and Nature of every Man's fins. And the Thunders out (c) a Curfe upon thofe, who do not believe that this Auricular Confeffion is neceffary to Salvation. Whereas I fhall fhew, that Auricular Confeffion is not injoin'd by God, and confequently that it is not neceffary to Salvation, by explaining thofe Texts which they alledge in favor of it. And,

1. They alledge Numb. 5. 6, 7. When a Man or Woman Shall commit any fin, that Men commit, to do a Trefpafs against the Lord, and the Perfon be guilty; then they shall confefs their fin which they have done and be shall recompenfe his trefpafs with the principal thereof, &c. Now this paffage relates to thofe, who have privily taken away their Neighbor's goods; and God commands them in fuch cafes to confefs the Crime, and make fatifand faction for it, left the Neighbor's lofs be irrecoverable. For if the Neighbor cou'd prove the Theft, the Offender might eafily be compell'd to

(6) Siquis dixerit modum fecrete confitendi foli facerdoti, quem Ecclefia Catholica femper obfervavit & obfervat, alium effe ab inftitutione & Mandato Chrifti, & inventum effe humanum, anathema fit. Concil. Trident, Seff. 14. Can. 6.

& fingula peccata mortalia, quorum memoria cum debitania

(c) Siquis dixerit in Sacramento Pœnitentiæ ad remiffionem peccatorum neceffarium non effe jure Divino, confiteri omnia & diligenti præmeditatione habeatur,etiam occulta & quæ funt contra duo ultima decalogi præcepta, & circumftantias que peccati fpeciem mutant: anathema fit. Concil. Trident. Seff. 14, make

Can. 7.

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