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Apoc. 8. 4.
The text.
And the smoke of the incenses ∴ of the praiers of the saints ascended from the hand of the Angell before God.
The note.
If this be saint Michaell, or any Angell, and not Christ himselfe, as some take it, Angels offer vp the praiers of the faithfull, as the 24. el∣ders did. chap. 5. For this word Saints is taken heere for holy persons on earth, as often in the scriptures. Though it be not against the scriptures, that the inferior saint or Angell in heauen should offer their praiers to God by their superiors there: but heerby we conclude against the prote∣stants, that it derogateth not from Christ, that Angels or saints offer vp our praiers to God. As also it is plaine of Raphael, Tab. 12. 12.
The answer.
Such premisses, such conclusion. You must haue that, which you dare not certainly set downe, granted you, or else your con∣clusion carieth not so much as anie shew, or likelihood of follow∣ing. That diuers take this Angell to be Christ, you your selues confesse, and that Christ is many times in scriptures called an Angell, I am sure you will not denie. That one Angell offereth, and not many, what can it signifie, but that we haue one media∣tor not many: and if we haue but one, then why may not Christ be he? That of the 24. elders in the fift chapter, is a vision of the saints vpon the earth, offering their owne praiers. For Iohn in that chapter doth not describe the state of the church as it shall be in heauen, but as it is héere vpon the earth: and therefore setteth it downe magnifieng and praising the lambe, by whom the booke was opened, that is, Gods will in his word reuealed and made knowen. But you did well to tell vs that saints héere are taken for holy persons vpon earth: for your blind schollers do not ima∣gine that there be any saints, but those which are dead and gone, and which the pope hath canonized, and are to be found in his ca∣lendar. If the superior saints offer the praiers of the inferior, then we néed to learne the orders of saints and Angels in heauen, that we go not to them, that themselues néed the helpe and inter∣cession of others. But who can so tell vs, that we may beléeue him? You say it is not against the scriptures. If it be scripture that telleth vs, that we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ, who is the propitiation for our sinnes, and that we haue one mediator, then multitude of mediators and aduocates is a∣gainst scripture. We dare not beléeue your dreames, which are