1

Saints, and

ceffion

tal Article

Chrift at

Father.

tion of their Images, to fee that there is nothing The invomore Antichriftian, that doth more fubvert Chri. cation of ftianity, and one of its principal Articles, viz. their interthat of the exaltation of fefus Chrift at the right ruins the hand of his Father. This fitting at the right hand fundamenof his Father doth not meerly fignify, as is fup- of the exal posed, an elevation to the glory and dignity tation of J. of Soveraign Monarch of the Church. It figni- the right fies also that perpetual affiftance, if I may use this hand of his term in that fenfe; that perpetual action, by which fefus is always prefent with God his Father, to fpeak to him in our behalf, and to obtain of him all things that we stand in need of. He affifts at the right hand of God, because that is the hand of glory, and glory is for him. The right hand alfo is the hand of good omen. Therefore evil omens are called finifter ones i.e. very bad ones. Now in this refpect he affifts at the right hand of God for us, and therefore it is that fitting at the right hand is immediatly joined with interceffion. Who is he that shall condemn? It is God that juftifies; it is Chrift that hath dyed, or rather that is rifen again, who also fits at the right hand of God, and makes interceffion for us. And elsewhere, he is entred into the holy places with bis blood newly shed, and lives there, that he may make interceffion for us. So that the honour of the exaltation of Jefus Christ consists in these two things; First, his royal dignity, that exalts him above all the Church. Second, the glorious priviledge of continually affifting before the Father, to be our Mediator. Thefe two great advantages belong to Jefus Chrift in fuch a manner, that they are incommunicable to every one befides. This was what was typified by the high Priest, who alone entred into the Holy of holies to pre

fent

*

the two

fent his incenfe there. Whofoever therefore com municates these two advantages to the creature, he deftroys the article of the exaltation of Jesuš Chrift, and confequently promotes an abominable doctrine.

The Papifm Now this is that which the Papifm doth, it deftroys deftroys the exaltation of Jefus Chrift by dividing parts of the it. First of all, it deftroys his exaltation, that is xaltation to fay, his royal dignity, in giving him an Affoof J.Chrift. ciate under the name of his Visar, who affumes as well as Jefus Chrift, the name of God, Holy, muft Holy and Holiness. For to make a Vicar for a King without his order, and against his will, is to give him a Rival. Suppofing therefore, that this great office of Vicar of Iefus Chrift, be not according to God's intention; it is certain,' that it is the highest of all encroachments on his right and authority, and which deferves the odious names of apoftacy and abomination.

Throne of

God, is in

one befides

Secondly, It overthrows the mystery ofhis exaltation, in giving Jefus Chrift companions in his The privi- incommunicable priviledge of standing before the ledge of Throne of God, and being at his right hand to affiftikg before the prefent our requefts unto him. This is evidentne of ly that which makes the connection of this Text communi- of Saint Paul, now the Spirit faith exprefly, there able to any shall be a departing from the faith, with the foreJ. Chtist. going one, God manifeft in the flesh, &c. received up into glory. Naturally received up into glory, fhould follow after juftified in the Spirit, and come before feen of Angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the World. But he would place the words, received up into glory, at the end of the mystery of Godliness, and immediately before the prediction of the Apoftacy, to fignify, that that Apoftacy fhould principally aim at the ruin of

that

pulls down

that Article. For in truth it feems, that the The Papifm mystery of iniquity did principally defign to draw the Lord down Jefus Chrift from the Heavens, and tum- from his glory. ble him again into a low eftate. It enclofes him in a bit of bread, it makes him defcend into unclean entrails, it fends him to the draught, it causes him to be eat by Mice and Rats. It takes away from him his arms, legs, head, life, and leaves him without any action or defence. It fets up rivals to him in all his offices, and divides his honour to wood and ftone. All this well confider'd, deferves the name of abomination and apoftacy.

bominati

creature

That this may be more plain with respect to 'Tis an athe invocation of Saints, and to take off the veil, on to invounder which they hide the horrours of that wor- cate any fhip; we muft obferve, that that fitting of Jefus before Christ at the right hand of his Father, imports a Gods faces very near prefence of the Son, who affifts per petually before his Father, and who is perpe tually before his face, environn'd and (as I may fo fay) buried by the rays of that glorious face of God. Thou shalt not have other Gods before my face. This face of God is a lively spring of light, that fwallows up whatsoever there is of brightness in the most excellent creatures, in fuch a manner, that they are as nothing in the prefence of God. There is but one creature, that is not fwallowed up by these rays, and that is the humane nature of the Son of God. That is upheld by the glory of the second Perfon, to which it is fupernaturally united. By reason of this, the Son may be invocated before the face, and in the prefence of the Father, because the glory of the Son is not fwallowed up and annihilated by the glory of the Father. But it is a true abomina

One may

pray the Saints

which are

on Earth,

to pray to

becaufe be

ing far

face of

are not

fwallowed

up by his

beams.

tion, to go and worship, and invocate a fimple creature before the face of God, and at the foot of his Throne.

to

This confideration doth utterly deftroy that vain pretence, which fo many take for a good reason. We lawfully pray the Saints on Earth pray to God for us, fay they; what greater harm is there to invocate them in the heavens? The difference is plain; the Saints that are upon / God for us; Earth, are conceived as far from God, their rays are not fwallowed up by the infinite brightness from the of the Divinity, we may give them fome homage. God, they But to go and ferve them before the face of God; to give them a religious worship in Heaven, 'tis infolently to violate the Majefty of God. And under what pretence foever it may be done, 'tis a bold attempt, that is not pardonable. A Subject that is highly preferred, when he is alone, and far from his Prince, may receive great honours from those that are beneath him But both the smalleft and the greatest, when they are in the Soveraign's prefence, are equal. It would be a piece of high Treafon, to render homage to a Subject before the Soveraign's face. The Sun fwallows up all the Stars. The glory of God in his Throne annihilates all glory. 'Tis therefore an odious crime, to go and render homage to the Saints at the foot of the Throne of God. If I honour the Saints here below by my praises and my imitation of them, this doth not reach to the Throne of God, 'tis to men that I fpeak; but my prayers reach Heaven. There is but one Subject that doth invocate in the behalf of others in the Heavens, and but one Object that may be invocated. This is what St. Paul means, There is but one God, and 'one Mediator between God

and men. There is but one God, that may be prayed to in the Heavens, and only one fefus that prayeth for men. So that I conclude, that the invocation of the Saints is an abomination and an apoftacy, because it highly affronts Jefus Chrift, in that double manner as we have faid, both because it fnatches away from him the priviledge of affifting alone at the right hand of the Father, and because it violates the Majefty of God, in whofe prefence all grandeur difappears. So far are the Saints from being more worthy of adoration because of their glorification, that on the contrary, the more they are glorified, and the nearer they are to God, the more are they as nothing and invisible. Add to this, that 7. Chrift hath referv'd it to himself as an incommunicable piece of his glory, that we should call on the Father in his name. The Papifm calls on him in the name of Saints; for it invocates him by the merit and interceffion of the Saints. This is another abomination. As to the adoration of Images, 'tis fo plain an abomination and apoftacy, that it cannot at this day any longer be defended, but by denying it, and faying, God forbid that we should adore or ferve Images, we only make use of them, as a means to afcend to their originals.

Jews was

as that of

The fecond difficulty is, that the Holy Spirit The Ido fpeaks of the Antichriftian Idolatry, in more odious latry of the terms than it doth of the heathen Idolatry. Which never car is very strange. But none will any longer wonder ried fo far at it, when he confiders in what manner God the Hea under the Old Teftament fpake of the Idolatry of thens. the Ifraelites. One thing is as certain as it can be, viz. that the Ifraelites in their Idolatries did never totally abandon the true God. They worhipped a golden Calf in the wilderness, but they Q 2

pre