2. Nor does Bellarmine, in his treatise de fanctorum beatitudine, Henricus Vicus, de fanctorum invocatione, Gabriel Vasquez, de adoratione, or Gregorius de Valentia, de oratione, make use of this paffage of Cyril, tho' they do, ex professo, and datâ operâ, diligently quote all the councils and fathers they can, to prove invocation of faints.

3. As rhetorical apoftrophes, or profopopeias, are ufual in all authors, facred or civil, this may be one in Cyril, and it feems very plain from the paffage, that it was intended for no more. It appears to be a rhetorical figure, and not a prayer; fuch a figure as the Greek fathers were wont very frequently to ufe in their orations and poems.

Cyril intending, as appears by the fequel, to answer his own question with a paffage in St. John's gospel, makes a long rhetorical apostrophe to the apostle, as if he were there present, then adds, Annon dicentem audimus, Ουκῶν ἀκέομεν λέγοντος ? But do we not hear him faying? Or, as Binius has the reading, Ουκῶν ἀκέομεν λέγοντος, let us hear what St. John faith, audiamus itaque dicentem, as if they had heard John giving his anfwer, and then concludes with the first verse of the firft chapter of his gofpel, Ἐν ̓Αρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, &c. In the beginning was the word, &c.

It is therefore very plain, that this paffage of Cyril is only a part of his homily or fer

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mon, and that in a rhetorical manner, he quotes a text from a gofpel written by John about 330 years before, in answer to his own queftion, who the word was? For Cyril to pray to John to tell them what he had told them long before, were fenfelefs and ridiculous; but to defire the apoftle to do it in a rhetorical apoftrophe, was allowable. It amounts to no more than the figurative expreffion in our liturgy, Hear what comfortable words our Saviour faith. Hear what St. Paul faith.

But if Cyril did in this paffage truly pray to St. John, that could be no argument for popifh invocation of faints; for, if an hundred fathers in the beginning of the fourth century, had preached up, and practifed invocation of faints, yet that could not make it lawful and right, fince we are taught by the Scriptures to direct our prayers neither to faint nor angel, but to God only, and in the name and mediation of Jefus Christ only. We are not only pofitively ordered by the apostles to make all our addreffes and prayers to God only, and by the mediation and interceffion of fefus Chrift; but are told, that God is omniscient, and fo able to hear all our prayers;- all-fufficient, and therefore able to fupply all our neceffities; -and that his mercies in Jefus Christ are infinite. This makes our way fure in this particular.

On

On the contrary, the papists have no precept to pray to faints; nor any promise that they fhall be beard; nor any practice of the primitive church, for 300 years after Christ, to encourage them; and therefore, fuch popifh invocation is a novel, groundless, and impious error.

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We are told by St. Peter, (Acts v. 31.) Some rethat God had exalted the Lord Jefus Chrift to the docbe a Prince and Saviour, that is, an inter- trine of inceffor.-By St. Paul, (Heb. vii. 25.) that faints. Christ is able to fave to the uttermost all that come to God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them; (chap. ix. 24.) that he is gone to heaven (for this very end) to appear in the prefence of God for us: (1 Tim. ii. 5.) that there is no other mediator betwixt God and men but the man Christ Jefus, that is, whofe prerogative it is to intercede for finners to the Divine Majesty; being an honour and dignity God hath exalted him unto, after his fufferings, and as a reward thereof:-Thus are we informed by the divine oracles, and yet, notwithstanding this, to make prayers and fupplications to the Virgin Mary, and a thousand other faints, for aid or help; and to have by their merit and interceffion, the gifts and graces they pray for conferred upon them; this is a doctrine of fuch dangerous confequence, as it is a depriving of Chrift Jefus of that grand dignity and prerogative

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he is now in heaven exalted to, as much as in men lies, that I fhould have admired how it ever came to be embraced by fuch as profefs christianity, had not the fpirit of God foretold (1 Tim. iv. 4.) that some should depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits, (that is, feducing men) and doctrines of devils, that is to fay, doctrines concerning demons, or fouls of famous men departed this life; which the heathens called demons; and to whom they gave the worship of prayer or invocation, as interceffors or inferior divinities. This prophecy hinders my wondering at the thing but then I muft call fuch modern invocation gentilifm chriftianized; a deplorable corruption.

Ponder then, ye Catholics, in time, and think not to excufe yourselves by arguing from the command Chriftians have here on earth to require each others prayers to God for them:-For, we have no command to fupplicate any in heaven but only God. (Matt. vi. 8.) We have no reasonable affurance that the faints in heaven do hear our prayers, and of confequence have not the fame reafons to requeft their prayers to God for us that we have to request the prayers of faints on earth: nor is this all: our prayers to each other in this life are only chriftian requests to recommend our conditions to God: offices only of kindness: no acts of religious worship.

When

When St. Paul was on earth, had any one on bended knees, with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, in time of public prayer, and amidst the folemn prayers to God, befeeched him for aid and help, and for the conference of gifts and graces, he would have rent bis cloathes, and faid, Why do ye thefe things?· and can we fuppofe, that now in heaven, the apostle is lefs careful to preserve entire God's prerogative.

Befide, there is a great deal of difference betwixt St. Paul's faying, Brethren, pray for us, or our requefting the prayers of the faithful here on earth for us, and praying to faints in heaven, as practifed in the Roman church. Our's, are only wishes and requests; their's, folemn prayers on bended knees, made in the places and proper seasons of divine worship, and joined with the prayers they make to God. They use the fame poftures and expreffions of devotions they ufe to God himself. They pray to them for help and aid, and make them joint-petitioners with Chrift; relying on their merits as the merits of Christ.

In fum, in the tabernacle of this world, we are to request the prayers of every good chriftian for us but in the tabernacle of heaven, we are to call on none but Him in whom we believe. As in the outward court of the Jew ifh tabernacle, every priest was permitted to officiate, to receive and prefent the devotions

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