7

S.17. » before this Image, may obtain fo and fo, for which » End the Image is blessed and fanctified. So that it is » not enough to worship the Saint; but if I do it

before fuch a confecrated Image, I shall obtain more » Grace than otherwife. This makes the Image itself » a Means of Grace, for there is Virtue there. Why » else would it not do as well to pray, and not be» fore fuch an Image Why elfe indeed are fuch

Images fo formally confecrated, if there be no Vin » tue in the Confecration? And why do Men go Pilgri »mages, or fend Vows to Loretto, or any other dif » tant Place, if they think there is no Virtue in the Image there more than in forty of the fame Sort, » which they may have at Home? And the Saint re prefented by the Image is as near them in the one » Place as in the other. There muft then be fome » Virtue communicated to one Image more than to » another. pag. 133. 134.

God

L. Sr, there were many Pools in Judaa befides the Pool call'd Bethsheda. Joh. s. v. 2. Yet God would only cure the Sick in this. There were also many Rods befides the Rod of Mofes, and many Aprons befides thofe, that touch'd the Body of Saint Paul; yet wrought Miracles only by thofe. And why then may he not beftow a Bleffing on one Place or Image more than another? And if he can do it, why should we not ask it of him? This, Sr, anfwers all your fine Queries.

But I shall inftance in a Scriptural Fact refembling very much the Bieffing or Confecration, with which you are pleased to make fo much Mirth. It is written 1. Kings C. 8. that Salomon dedicated or confecrated the Temple, he had built in Jerufalem: And the whole Subject of the Prayer, or Form of Confecration is to beg of God, that whoever shall pray in or towards that Houfe, may obtain fo and fo, as is specified in the Form of Confecration.

Now, Sr, let us fuppofe fome Atheistical Jew should have reafon'd thus in your Language. The Temple is here made a diftinct MEANS OF GRACE; for in the Confecration of the Temple it is faid, that whoever shall worship God IN OR TOWARDS THAT HOUSE, MAY OBTAIN SO AND SO; for which End the Temple is blessed and fanctified. So that it is not enough to worship God, but if I do it IN OR TOWARDS SUCH A HOUSE, I shall obtain more grace than otherwife. This makes the House itfeif a MEANS OF GRACE; FOR THERE IS VIRTUE THERE. Why elfe should it not do as well to pray, and not IN, OR TOWARDS THAT HOUSE? Why elfe indeed is that Houfe fo formally confecrated, if there be no Virtue in the Confecration? And why do Men GO PILGRIMAGES, and SEND THEIR Vows to the Temple in Jerufalem, if they think there is no Virtue in that Houfe more than any other Place? And God, who is worshipped in that House, IS AS NEAR US IN ONE PLACE AS ANOTHER. There must be then fome virtue communicated to one House more than to another.

in

Sr, whenever you anfwer this prophane Difcourfe of the fuppofed Jew, you will not be at a Lofs for an Answer to your own.

G.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The good-natured Lord in the former Converfation acquiefces to every Thing, his Adversary has faid, and only tells him calmly, then you are against any Pictures or Images, or Paying any Honour to the holy Men departed: which gives Occafion to the Gentleman to answer thus.

N

O, My Lord, we are not fo ftingy: We « fcruple not Pictures for Ornament, but for « Worship, or for Worshipping before them, as you call it. pag. 134. “

your

L. That's very strange indeed. Suppose you had a Picture or Image of Christ crucified before you, would you fcruple to say your Prayers, or adore God with Face turn'd towards it? But why do you not likewife Scruple to pray with your Face turn'd towards the Altar, or Communion Table? for then you worship before it, as we do before Pictures: and we worship Pictures no otherwife than you worship the Altar of Communion-Table by Bowing to it, or kneeling before it.

G.

§. 18.

The Church of England guilty of Incoherency.

VVE

E alfo honour the Saints departed as far as we think it Lawful, and as we are » verily perfuaded, as far as they desire. pag. 134. L. That's very well done, Sr, and we are verily perfuaded, we do no more.

G. But according to St Austin's Rule before mention'd, if they accepted our Adoration, it would prove them to be evil Spirits: and then you are to » confider, that instead of Interceffors, as you hope for by your Worship of them, they will vindicate themfelves, and become your Accufers. pag. 134. L. Sr, you should have faid, according to St Au ftin's Rule before FALSIFIED. Pray learn to fpeak properly. For St Austin neither calls it Adoration, as you render it now, not Worship, as you tender'd it before, but SACRIFICE; and in plain Terms, to be Worshipped as Gops. So that there is no Danger of their Becoming our Accufers, as long as we only defire a Part in those Prayers, which they continually offer to God for the Church Militant. And this is all we defire of them.

» G. But in the Honour we pay them, we first take

Care not to specify any particular Perfon as a Saint, but who is fo recorded in holy Scripture. For we un- « derftand not Canonizations by Men, who know not « the Heart. pag. 134. "

L. But when Almighty God, who knows the Hearts of Men, has manifefted their Holineß by evident Miracles, are we allow'd to doubt of it? the Ancient Fa thers were not fo Scrupulous; for they invoked not only Scriptural Saints, but likewife thofe, whom the living Voice of the Church had canonized. Saint Auftin pray'd to St Cyprian. L.7. de Bapt. C. 1. St Jeram to St Paula, Epift. 27. St Gregory Nyffen to St Theodore. Tom.3. p. 585. C, and St Gregory Nazianzen to St Bafil. Orat. 20. T. 1. p. 373. B. And they invoked them by Name, and call'd them Saints, tho not recorded in koly Scripture, which it feems your tender Confcience

will not allow of.

However, good Sr, your Church is not fo fcrapalous as you would make her. Pray read the Calendar of your Common Prayer-Book. For there you will find feveral Saints specified by Name, and not recorded in Holy Scriptures; which I hope will help to cure yon of the fqueamish fit, you are faln into.

G. In the next Place, My Lord, we limit the e Honour we pay to Saints by the Rule of God's Com- « mandements, which we fuppofe most pleasing to « them. pag. 134. "

L. Do you only fuppofe it, Sr? Nay we are fure of it. For how should any Thing, that is displeafing to God, be Pleafing to the Saints?

G. We keep particular Holy Days for the Apof tles, St John Baptift, St Stephen, &c. we blefs God e for them, commemorate their Virtues, and pray « that we may follow their Example. pag. 135. "

L. So far then we agree. And, if keeping Holy Days be any part of Chriftian Devotion, as I prefume

it is, this is just what we mean by what we call, Religious Honour.

» G. We have one Day for all the Saints in Ge» neral, and another for St Michael, and all the Angels. Thus we honour them. pag. 135.

33

L. Sr, I am glad to hear it: For all this is very good Popery.

» G. For this, My Lord, we bear the Reproach of our four Diffenters, as if we were too much Inclining to Popery. You think we give too little Honour to the Saints, and they think we give too much, » but I hope we keep the M:an. pag. 135.

L. Sr, notwithstanding your pretended Mean, your Church cannot avoid Splitting upon one of thefe Rocks. For, if it be forbid to pay any Sort of Religious Worship or Honour to the Saints, your keeping holy Days in Honour of them is unjustifiable. But if there be an Honour due to 'em, and if it be Lawful to pay them that Honour by keeping folemn Days in Memory of them; to refufe after that to pay a Relative Honour to the Pictures, that reprefent them, or the Reliques that were a Part of them, is perfectly inconfiftent with common Sense; and the Mean, you boaft of, is no better than a practical Contradiction to the Principle you allow of. Becaufe Reafon itfelf, and the Practice of all Mankind tells us, that when a Perfon has a juft Title to be honour'd by us, we may lawfully pay a Refpect to Things, that have a near Relation to him; and when this Title is wholly grounded upon a Motive of Religion; as when we honour a Perfon whether Dead or alive meerly for Supernatural Gifts beftow'd upon him by God, then the Honour we pay him is not Civil, but Religious. And fuch is by Confequence the Honour, you pay to Saints and Angels, when you keep holy Days in Memory of

them.