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Whether the Saincts in hea∣uen be inferior to mē liuing here on earth? Therfore sithe Paule commaunded vs to pray one for another: and the Apostles eche where required others to pray for them: whether ought we not to desire the praiers of the Apo∣stles being in heauen, as more worthy and more effectuall?
IT appeareth by thys que∣stion,* 1.1 that they goe aboute to defame vs, that we think no better of the Sainctes in Heauen, than wée doo of sinne∣full men lyuing héere on the earthe: and as thoughe wée affirmed them to bée subiecte to infirmitie and myserie. But héerein they doo vs great wrong. For wée include not the Sainctes in heauen as subiecte to any corruption or infirmitie: but rather their doctrine is to bée suspected hereof. For we teach and beléeue that the Sainctes whiche are in heauen are far better than they which lyue héere in this worlde: by∣cause they are frée from all infirmitie, and are perfecte and pure, subiecte to no sorrow, but without all care and trou∣ble liue with God, reioycing in euerla∣sting ioyes, and therfore are they igno∣rant of our miseries, which else would vexe, trouble, & make them sorowfull. And that they be frée from al cares and all things that might trouble them in
any thing, we may read in the. 7. and* 1.2 21. Chapters of the Reuelation. And as touching the miseries of this worlde, they are onely knowen to God, and to his sonne our Lorde Jesus Chryst, and yet without all manner of gréefe and sorrowe vnto them. But the Sainctes knowe not all things which are done euery where through the worlde, nor are not omnipotent to help, neither are they presente in all places, nor knowe the harts of men, for the secret thoughts are secrete, and hydde from them: and where as they say that the Saincts doo beholde and sée all things in God as in a moste brighte and cleare mirror: this is more foolishe than néedeth confuta∣tion. And as touching these thinges a∣foresayde, they are onely proper to the maiestie and wisedome of God. And as touching the Sainctes, they enioy all glory moste perfectly of the heauenly lyfe. And whereas the Saincts in this lyfe haue commaunded vs to pray one for an other, and haue also here prayed for others, and required others to pray for them, yet héereby it followeth not,
that they which are in heauen pray for vs, or that wée ought to desire them to make intercessiō for vs, that they might nowe pray for vs in heauen, bycause they prayed for vs when they were here on the earth. And yet notwithstan∣ding we ought to pray one for an other so long as we liue héere. And there is also (as we haue sayde) an other state of the saynctes in heauen: for they doo not all that there, which they did héere on earth. We are expresly commaun∣ded to pray one for an other in this life. But let them shewe vs one worde or sentence in the holy Scripture, where the Saincts which now liue in heauen, are commaunded to pray for vs: or else shewe where the Apostles did cōmaund vs to pray vnto the Angels and Saincts to make intercession for vs: or let them bring one example where any of the Apostles dyd pray vnto any Angell or Saincte, to make intercession for him. Wherefore if they can bring foorth no one example (as in déede it is impossible so to doo) bicause the inuinci∣ble veritie testifieth, that they prayed to
one God onely, and were contented with the intercession of Chryste: then should they also contente them selues with Chryst, and byd that their inter∣cession fare well, for which they are not able to bring foorthe any one worde or testimonie of the holy Scripture. And no doubt, if there were any intercession of Sainctes in heauen, the Scripture would in some one place or other make mention of it.
Whether the sainctes bycause they prayed here on earth doe the same for vs nowe in heauen.
The glorie of the saincts which are in heauen.