A discourse concerning the object of religious worship, or, A Scripture proof of the unlawfulness of giving any religious worship to any other being besides the one supreme God part I.

SECT. VI.

1. THen let us consider, whether the worship of Saints and Angels be more for the glory of God, than to pay all Religious Worship to God alone. Now if Religious Worship be for the glory of God, then all Religious Worship is more for Gods glory than a part of it; unless men will venture to say, that a part is as great as the whole. And yet whoever worships Saints and Angels, though he be neve so devout a worshipper of God also, yet he gives part of Religious Worship to Creatures, and therefore God cannot have the whole, unless they can divide their worship between God and Creatures, and yet give the whole to God.

If it be objected, that those who worship Saints and Angels, do not give that worship to them, which is pe∣culiar and appropriate to the Supreme God, and there∣fore they reserve that worship which is due to God, wholly to himself, though they pay an inferiour degree of Religious Worship to Saints and Angels. I answer, what that worship is, which is peculiar to the Supreme God, I shall consider more hereafter; but for the present, supposing that they give only an inferiour degree of worship to Creatures, is this Religious Worship, or is it not? if it be, is a degree of Worship a part of Worship? if it be, then God has not the whole, and therefore is not so much honoured, as if he had the whole; as to shew this in a plain instance.

Those who pray to Saints and Angels, though they do not pray to them, as to the Supreme God, but as to Mediators and Intercessors for them with the Supreme God, yet they place an inferiour degree of hope and trust and affiance in them, or else it is non-sence to pray to them at all; so that though God may be the Supreme Object of their relyance and hope, yet he is not the on∣ly Object; he has part, and the greatest part, but not the whole, for they divide their hope and trust between God and Creatures; and if it be a greater glory to God to trust wholly in him, than to trust in him in part, then it is a greater glory to God to pray to him only, than to pray also to Saints and Angels.

Nay it is more than probable, that those who pray to Saints and Angels, as trusting in their merits and inter∣cession for them, do not make God, but these Saints and Angels, to whom they pray, the Supreme Object of their hope. This it may be will be thought an extrava∣gant charge against men who profess to believe, that God is the Supreme Lord of the world, and the sole giver of all good things; but this is no argument to me, but

that notwithstanding this belief, they may trust more in Saints and Angels, than in God, and consequently give the Supreme Worship to them. For men do not always trust most in those who have the greatest power, but in those by whose interest and intercession, they hope to obtain their desires of the Soveraign power. Thus I am sure it is in the Courts of earthly Princes; though men know, that the King only has power to grant what they desire, yet they place more confidence in a power∣ful Favorite than in their Prince, and when they have obtained their requests, pay more solemn acknowledg∣ments to their Patron; for let the power be where it will, our hope and trust is plac't there where our expe∣ctations are. And when mens expectations are not from the Prince, who has the power, but from the Favourite, whose interest directs the influences of this power to them, which otherwise would never have reacht them, such Favourites have more numerous dependants, more frequent addresses, more formal courtships, than the Prince himself. And when men model the heavenly Court according to the pattern of earthly Courts, and expect the conveyance of the Divine Blessings to them as much from the intercession of Saints and Angels, as they do to obtain their desires of their Prince, by the mediation of some powerful Favourite, no wonder, if they love, and honour, and fear, reverence and adore, trust and depend on Saints and Angels, as much or more than they do on the Supreme God. For there is not a more natural notion, than to honour those for our Gods, from whose hands we receive all good things, whether we receive it from their own inherent power or not, Deus nobis haec otia fecit,

Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus, illius aram Saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus.

Men may acknowledge God to be the Supreme Being,

and ascribe incommunicable perfections to him, and yet may pray more frequently, more devoutly, more ardent∣ly, with greater trust and affiance to Saints and Angels, than to God, as it is apparent many Devotoes of the Vir∣gin Mary do; and this is to give Supreme and Soveraign Worship to them, without acknowledging them to be Supreme Beings.

Indeed it is morally impossible, but our Religious Worship, trust and affiance, must be at least equally sha∣red between the Supreme God and our Mediator, what∣ever he be, as men do not less trust in the interest of their Patron, than in the power of their Prince; for it is not meer power but favour, which is the immediate object of our trust; and therefore God appointed his only begotten Son to be our Mediator, as for other great and wise reasons, so to prevent Idolatry by giving us a God incarnate, who is a proper object of Religious ado∣ration, to be our Mediator, that seeing men will worship their Mediator, they may have a God for their Media∣tor to worship. The sum is this: If it be more for the glory of God to have all Religious Worship appropria∣ted to himself, than to have only a part of it, and it may be the least share and part too, then the worship of Saints and Angels cannot be for Gods glory.

But besides this, the worship of Saints and Angels, together with God, does mightily obscure and lessen the Divine perfections, and therefore it cannot be for his glory. It represents him indeed like a great Temporal Monarch, but it does not represents him like a God.

That which we ignorantly think a piece of state and greatness in earthly Monarchs, to administer the great affairs of their Kingdoms, to receive Petitions and Ad∣dresses, to bestow Favours, to administer Justice by other hands, to have some great Ministers and Favourites to interpose between them and their Subjects, is nothing

else, but want of power to do otherwise. He would be a much greater Prince, more beloved and reverenced, who could do all this himself; but no Prince can be present in all parts of his Kingdom, nor know every particular Subject, much less their particular cases, and conditions, deserts and merits; and therefore is forc't to divide this care into many hands, and in so doing shares his power and honour with his Subjects. But whoever imagines any such thing of God, denies his omnipresence, his omnipotence, his omniscience, and his particular care and providence over his Creatures. God indeed does not always govern the world by an immediate power, but makes use both of the Ministry of Angels & Men; but he governs all things by his immediate direction, or at least by his immediate inspection. He overlooks every thing himself, while all Creatures either obey his commands, or submit to his power. If this be the true notion of Gods governing the world, that he has the concernments of the whole Creation under his eye, and keeps the disposal of all things in his own hands, so that nothing can be done, but either by his order or permission; then the most perfect and glorious Angels, the greatest Mini∣sters of the Divine Providence, can challenge no share in Religious Worship, cannot be the objects of our trust or hope, because they are only Ministers of the Divine Will, can do nothing from themselves, as civil Ministers of State, and Officers of great trust can in Temporal Kingdoms, but are always under the eye, and always move at the command of God. In such a state of things all the peculiar rights of Soveraign Power and Domini∣on God reserves wholly to himself, as any wife Prince would, among which the receiving the Prayers and Pe∣titions of his Creatures is none of the least; to hear Prayers is made the peculiar attribute of God in Scri∣pture, Thou art a God that hearest, prayers, therefore unto

thee shall all flesh come. And reason tells us, that it is the most eminent part of Soveraignty and Majesty; and the reason why Temporal Princes do not reserve this wholly to themselves, is because they cannot do it; but God can, and he challenges it to himself, and will not allow any Creature to do it; and there is no tem∣ptation to pray to any Creature, when we know, that they cannot help us, that they must receive their orders and commands from God, and not act by their own will and inclinations.

Thus Princes have their Eavourites, to whom they ex∣press a very partial fondness and respect, to whom they will deny nothing that they ask, nor hardly shew any grace or favour to their Subjects without them; and this forces Subjects to address themselves to their Prince by them; but it is a reproach to the Divine Goodness and universal Providence, to conceive any such thing of God; which yet is the foundation of the worship of Patron Saints and Angels, as persons so dear to God, that he cannot deny their requests, and will not grant our Petitions without them, or at least, that it is the most certain and effectual way to obtain what we desire, to offer up our Prayers and Petitions to God by their hands.

No doubt but all good men on earth, much more Blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven, as being more per∣fect and excellent Creatures, are very dear to God; but yet God is not fond and partial in his kindness, as earth∣ly Princes are, but has an equal regard to all his Crea∣tures, and delights in doing good to them, and needs not to be importuned by any powerful Favourites to hear their cryes and prayers; he will as soon attend to the Prayers of an humble penitent sinner, as of the most glorious Saint, and is more ready to grant than they are to ask.

A Mediator of Redemption is very consistent with all the perfections of the Divine Nature, and does migh∣tily recommend both the goodness and wisdom of God to the world. When Manking had transgressed the Laws of their Creation, they forfeited their natural right and interest in the care and goodness of their Maker; The Divine Justice, and the wisdom of God in the go∣vernment of the world, required an atonement and ex∣piation for sin; and it was an amazing demonstration of the Divine goodness to sinners, that he found one him∣self, that he gave his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. When men by sin had forfeited their original innocence and happiness together, they could expect nothing from God, but by way of Covenant and promise; and every Covenant between contending parties, must be trans∣acted in the hands of a Medaitor, and none so fit to be our Mediator, as he who is our ransome too.

And a Mediator must be invested with power and au∣thority to see the terms of this Covenant performed, and this is his Mediatory Intercession. He intercedes not meerly as a powerful Favourite, but as the Author and Surety of the Covenant, not meerly by intreaties and prayers, but in vertue of his blood, which sealed the Covenant, and made atonement and expiation for sin.

Thus Christ is our Mediator of redemption, who hath redeemed us by his blood; and we must offer up all our Prayers to God in his name and powerful inter∣cession, because we can expect no blessings from God, but by vertue of that Covenant, which he purchast and sea∣led with his Blood.

But now a Mediator of pure intercession, without re∣gard to any atonement made for sin, or any Covenant of redemption (such as Saints and Angels and the blessed Virgin are made by the Church of Rome) is a mighty

reproach to the Divine Nature and perfections. It cloaths God with the passions and infirmities of earthly Princes; represents him as extreamly fond of some of his Creatures, and very regardless of others; as if his kind∣ness to some favourite Saint, were a more powerful mo∣tive to him to do good, than his own love to goodness; as if he knew not when, nor to whom, to shew mercy without their direction or counsel, or would not do it without their importunity; as if some of his Creatures had as much the ascendant over him, as some favourites have over their Princes, who can with a words speaking have any thing of them, and extort favours from them, even against their wills and inclinations. No man can think there is any need of such Intercessors and Media∣tors with God, who believes him to be infinitely wise, and to be infinitely good; to know when it is fit to hear and to answer, and to be always ready to do, what his own wisdom judges fit to be done. There can be no place for such intercessions and intreaties, to an infinite∣ly perfect Being; for they always suppose some great weakness or defect in him who wants them, for even a wise and a good man wants no Mediators to perswade him to do that good, which is fit to be done. The Ob∣jection against this is very obvious, and the Answer, I think, is as easie. The Objection is this: If God be so good, that he needs not such Prayers and Intercessions to move him to do good, Why do we pray for our selves? Why do we pray for one another? Why do we desire the Prayers of good men here on earth? Why is it a greater reproach to the Divine Perfections to beg the Prayers of St. Paul, or St. Peter, now they are in Heaven, than to have begged their Prayers, while they had been on Earth?

To this I Answer: When we pray for our selves, I suppose, we do not pray as Mediators, but as Suppli∣cants,

and nothing can be more reasonable, than that those, who want mercy, or any other blessing should ask for it. It is certainly no reproach to the Divine good∣ness, that God makes Prayer the condition of our re∣ceiving, which is a very easie condition, and very neces∣sary to maintain a constant sense and reverence of God, and a constant dependance on him. And when we pray for one another on earth, we are as meer suppli∣cants, as when we pray for our selves, and to pray as supplicants is a very different thing from praying as Ad∣vocates, as Mediators, as Patrons. The vertue of the first consists only in the power and efficacy of Prayer; the second in the favour and interest of the person. This the Church of Rome her self owns, when she al∣lows no Mediators and Advocates, but Saints in Heaven, which is a sign, she makes a vast difference between the prayers of Saints on earth, and Saints in Heaven.

There are great and wise reasons, why God should command and encourage our mutual prayers for each other while we are on earth; for this is the noblest ex∣ercise of universal love and charity, which is a necessa∣ry qualification to render our prayers acceptable to God; this preserves the unity of the body of Christ, which requires a sympathy and fellow-feeling of each others sufferings, this is the foundation of publick worship when we meet together to pray with, and for each other to our common Father; and it gives a great reputation to vertue and Religion in this world, when God hears the prayers of good men for the wicked, and removes or diverts those judgments which they were afraid of; this becomes the wisdom of God, and is no blemish to his goodness, to dispence his mercies and favours in such a manner as may best serve the great ends of Religion in this world.

God does not command us to pray for our selves or

others, because he wants our importunities and solicita∣tions to do good, but because it serves the publick ends of Religion and Government, and is that natural ho∣mage and worship, which Creatures owe to their great Creator and Benefactor, and Soveraign Lord. But to imagine, that God needs Advocates and Mediators to solicite our cause for us in the Court of Heaven, where none of these ends can be served by it, this is a plain im∣peachment of his wisdom and goodness, as if he wanted great importunities to do good, and were more moved by a partial kindness and respect to some powerful fa∣vourites, than by the care of his Creatures, or his love to goodness.

Erom hence it evidently appears, how inconsequent that reasoning is, from our begging the prayers of good men on earth, to prove the lawfulness of our praying to the Saints in Heaven to pray and interceed for us; the first makes them our fellow supplicants, the second makes them our Mediators and Intercessors; and how little the Church of Rome gains by that distinction, be∣tween a Mediator of Redemption, and Mediators of pure Intercession▪ for though they pray to Saints and Angels only as Mediators of Intercession, yet this is a re∣al reproach to the nature and government of God; a Mediator of Redemption is very consistent with the Divine glory and perfections, a Mediator of pure inter∣cession is not. And the sum of all is this, That it is so far from advancing the Divine glory to worship Saints and Angels together with God, that it is a real reproach and dishonour to him; and therefore this can be no Law nor Institution of our Saviour, who came not to abro∣gate the Divine Laws, but to fulfil and perfect them. Some think there is no danger of dishonouring God by that honour they give to Saints and Angels, because they honour them as Gods Friends and Favourites, as those

whom God has honoured and advanced to great glory; and therefore whatever honour they do to them, re∣bounds back again on God, and this may be true, while we give no honour to Saints and Angels, but what is consistent with the Divine glory; but when the very nature of that honour and worship we pay to them, is a diminution of Gods glory, and a reproach to his infi∣nite perfections, as I have made it appear, the worship of Saints and Angels is, surely it cannot be for Gods glory to advance his Creatures by lessening himself.