XIX. TO GOD ALONE.

AMONGST all manner of prayer to God, I find in Scripture neither promise, precept, nor precedent to warrant prayers to saints. And were there no other reason, this would encourage me to pray to Christ alone, because

St. Paul struck Elimas blind; Christ made blind Bartimeus see. St. Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira with his word; Christ with his word revived dead Lazarus. The disciples forbade the Syrophoenician woman to call after Christ, Christ called unto her after they had forbidden her. All my Saviour’s works are saving works, none extending to the death of mankind.

Surely Christ, being now in heaven, hath not 160less goodness because he hath more glory, his bowels still yearn on us. I will therefore rather present my prayers to him who always did heal, than to those who sometimes did hurt. And though this be no convincing argument to Papists, it is a comfortable motive to Protestants. A good third, where so good firsts and seconds have been laid before.