day in China, or the most remote and unknown parts of the Earth, than what is done in the other World. And then there are a great many things wherein you must reject all pretences to Realon, any farther than it is fupported by plain and evident Scripture. As to give fome inftances of this alfo : 1. No reason can prove, that there is fuch a place as Purgatory, for that is an invifible place in the other World; if there be any fuch place, no man living ever faw it; and then how can any man know, that there is fuch a place, unless it be revealed? To attempt to prove that there is fuch a place as Purgatory, meerly by Rea fon, is just as if a man, who had fome general notion of an Inquifition, but never had any credible information, that there actually was any fuch place, fhould undertake to prove, by Reason, that there is and must be such a place as the Inquifition; though he would happen to guefs right, yet it is certain his Reasons fignified nothing; for fome Countries have the Inquifition, and fome have not; and therefore there might have been no Inquifition any where, how strong foever the Reasons for it might be thought to be. We may as well defcribe, by the power of Reason, the World in the Moon, and what kind of Inhabitants there are there, by what Laws they live, what their Business, what their Pleasures, and what their Punishments are, as pretend to prove, that there is a Purgatory in the next World, for they are both equally unknown to us; and if Reason cannot prove that there is such a Place as Purgatory, nothing else which relates to Purgatory, can be proved by Reason. 2. Nor can we know what the state of Saints in Heaven is, without a Revelation, for no man has been there to see the state of the other World is such things as neither Eye hath feen, nor Ear heard, neither hath it entred into into the Heart of man to conceive. And then I cannot understand how we should know these things by Reafon. The Church of Rome teaches us to Pray to Saints, and to flie to their Help and Aid: And there are a great many things which a wife man would defire to know, before he can think it fit to pray to them; which yet it is impoffible to know, without a Revelation: as, Whether the Saints we direct our Prayers to, be in Heaven? Which is very fit to be known, and yet can certainly be known but of a very few of that vast number, that are worshipped in the Church of Rome; the Apostles of Christ, and the Virgin Mary, we have reason to believe are in Heaven, and we may hope well of others, but we cannot know it: No man can fee who is there, and bare hope, how strong foever, is not a fufficient foundation for fuch a Religious Invocation of unknown Saints, who, after all our perfwafions that they are in Heaven, may be in Hell, or at least in Purgatory, where they want our Prayers, but are not in a condition to interceed for us. Thus it is very neceffary to know, what the power and authority of the Saints in Heaven is, before we pray to them; for it is to no purpose to pray to them, unless we know they can help us. The Council of Trent recommends to us the Invocation of Saints, as of those who reign with Chrift in Heaven, and therefore have power and authority to prefent our Petitions, and procure those Bleffings we pray for. And if I could find any fuch thing in Scripture, it would be a good reason to pray to them; but all the Arguments in the World cannot prove this without a Revelation: they may be in Heaven, and not be Mediators and Advocates. Thus, whatever their power and Authority may be, it is to no purpose to pray to them, unless we are fure, that they hear our Prayers; and this nothing but a Revelation can affure us of; for no natural Reason can affure us, that meer Creatures, as the moft glorious Saints in Heaven are, can hear our foft, nay mental Prayers, at fuch a vaft diftance, as there is between Heaven and Earth. Such matters as thefe, which Reason can give us no affurance of, if they be to be proved at all, muft be proved by Scripture; and therefore as the pretence of proving these things by Reason is vain, fo no Proteftant fhould be fo vain, as to trouble himself to answer fuch Reasons. But you'll fay, The Papifts do pretend to prove these things by Scripture. I anfwer, So far it is very well; and I onely defire our Proteftant to keep them to their Scripture-Proofs, and to reject all their Reasons; and then let them fee, what they can make of it. As for Scripture-Proofs, they fhall be confidered presently. 3. More particularly you must renounce all fuch Rea fons, as amount to no more than fome May-bes and Poffibilities; for what only may be, may not be, and every thing that is poffible, is not actually done. As for instance: When you ask these men, How you can be af fured, that the Saints in Heaven can hear our Prayers? They offer to fhew you by what ways this may be done : They may fee all things in the Glass of the Trinity, and thereby know all things, that God knows. Which is but a may-be; and yet it is a more likely may-be, that there is no fuch Glafs as gives the Saints a comprehenfive view of all that is in God. Well, but God can re veal all the Prayers to the Saints, which are made to them on Earth. Very right! we difpute not God's Power to do this, but defire to know, whether he does it it or not; and his bare power to do it, does not prove that: But the Saints in Heaven may be informed of what is done on Earth, by thofe who go from hence thi ther, or by those Miniftring Angels who frequently pafs between Heaven and Earth: but this may not be too; and if it were, it would not answer the purposes of Devotion: for in this way of intercourfe the News may come too late to the Saints, to whom we pray, for the Saints to do us any good: as, fuppofe a man pray to the Virgin Mary in the hour of Death, or in a great Storm at Sea, the man may be dead, and Ship wrackt before the Virgin knows of his Prayers, and may carry the first news of it into the other World himself. Such kind of May-bes and Conjectures as thefe, are a very forry Foundation for an Infallible Church to build her Faith on. 4. You must reject also all fuch Reasons in Divine and Spiritual things, as are drawn from Earthy Patterns. A confidering man would a little wonder, how a Papift should so punctually determine what is done in the other World, without fpeaking with any one who has seen it, and without having any Revelation about it, as I have already obferved; but whoever confiders many of their Arguments, will foon find that they make this World the Pattern of the next, and reafon from Sensible to Spiritual things. Thus the true Foundation of Saint-Worship is, that men judge of the Court of Heaven by the Courts of earthly Princes: The most effectual way to obtain any Request of our Prince, is to addrefs our felves to fome powerful Favourite; and they take it for granted, that all Saints and Angels in Heaven are fuch Favourites, and can obtain whatever they ask; and therefore they pray very devoutly to them, and beg their Interceffion with God and their Saviour. Efpecially in earthly Courts the Queen Mother is fuppofed to have a powerful influence upon the young Prince her Son; and therefore they do not doubt but the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ, can do what the pleates with her Son; And fince it is generally obferved, that Women are more foft, and tender, and compaffionate, than men, they hope to gain that by her Interceffion, which He, who died for them, would not grant without it; and therefore they beg her to fhew her felf to be a Mother, that is, to take the Authority of a Mother upon her, and command her Son. Thus Princes and Great Men love to have their Pictures fet up in publick places, and to have all civil Refpects paid to them, which redounds to the honour of those whofe Pictures they are; and therefore they imagine that this is as acceptable to Christ and the Saints, as it is to Men; as if the other World were nothing else but a new Scene of Senfe and Passi on. Mankind is very apt to fuch kind of Reasonings as thefe; and indeed they can have no other, when they will undertake to guess at unfeen and unknown things: But if there be any difference between the Court of Heaven and Earth, if pure Spirits, who are separated from Flesh and Senfe, have other Paffions and Refentments than Men have, that is, if we must not judge of fpiritual things by Senfe, of the Government of God by the Paffions of men, then fuch Reasonings as these may betray us to abfurd and foolish Superftitions, but are a very ill Foundation for any new and uncommanded Acts of Worship. 5. Never admit any Arguments meerly from the ufefulness, conveniency, or fuppofed neceffity of any thing, to prove that it is. As for inftance: A Supream Oecume |