be feared, or good desired, which they are not able to prevent, or procure?

CHAPTER XXI.

SACRED RELICS.

THE greatest respect that wicked men give to the godly, is when they are dead. While Moses was living, he was in danger of being destroyed; when dead, of being adored by the Israelites. Joram, when Elisha was living, opposed him ; but when dead, laments over him in that pathetical speech: "My Father, my Father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." Saul disobeys and rejects Samuel, when living; but when dead, he with great pains (though no profit) endeavours to recal him. "They build the tombs (saith our Saviour) of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous," when dead, whom (living) their fathers (and they were actuated by the same spirit) opposed and persecuted even unto death. "Vetus est morbus (saith one of the ancients) quo mortui sancti coluntur, vivi contemnuntur."

Thus do our Romanists at this day in their pretended honouring the ancient saints and mar

tyrs, whose religion and practices they persecute in the true professors; and their conformity herein with the old pagans will appear in these following particulars :

I. The heathen carefully kept and preserved the relics of their deceased worthies, that is, men eminent for virtue and noble exploits. When their bodies were burnt, (which custom was generally observed in most countries) they carefully gathered their bones and ashes. Kirchman, handling this question: How the ashes and bones of those, to whom they would give honour, could be discerned from the ashes of the wood, and the bones of animals, which were often burnt with them? he answers:

1. "Some think, that they made garments of Indian flax, which could not be burnt, and that their bodies were covered with them, that their bones and ashes might be kept separate." But this opinion he rejects.

2. "He answers with Isaac Causabon, "That the dead body to be burnt, was so placed in the Pyra, that its bones and ashes might remain separate, and not be mingled with the ashes and bones of such things and creatures as were burnt with it; and hence it was that they could distinguish them."-De Funeribus Roman. lib. iii. cap. 7.

And as these bones and ashes were carefully gathered, so they were with no less care preserved; for after they were sprinkled with wine, and

perfumed with odours, they put them into a golden silver pot or coffin. Elian, writing of Severus the emperor, saith, " that his body was translated from England to Rome in great pomp, though some say, it was only a golden pot containing his relics."

Thus do our Romanists carefully keep the relics of their saints. Are they not put into chests of gold, silver-and kept under lock and key?

II. The heathen gave much reverence and veneration to the relics of their heroes, and the places where they lay. Pythia answered the Athenians, who had sent to the oracle of Apollo, "that they should bring back the bones of Theseus from Scyros, (whither he fled, and where he was barbarously murdered by Lycomedes ;) and putting them in some honourable place, they should preserve and adore them devoutly."-Plutarch in vita Thesei. And Plato saith of those that have lived well, and died nobly," that they are become dæmons, and that we ought to serve them after their death, and worship their shrines; Oepaπevelv καὶ προσκυνεῖν αυτῶν τας θήκας.—Apud Eusebium de Præparat. Evangel. lib. xiii. cap. 7; et Cyril Alexand. contra Julian. lib. vi. And from this custom of worshipping the relics of their worthies, proceeded the difficulty of granting unto those primitive Christians the body of their bishop Polycarp, thinking that they would adore it;

though they protested that it was unto the true God alone that they paid that homage.-Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. iv. cap. 15. I need not cite any more authors, since this practice of pagans is confessed by our adversaries of Rome. Aquinas propounds this argument against their adoration of relics, (to which afterwards he returns a poor pitiful answer,) "To worship relics is the practice of heathens."-Saurez in part iii.; Aquin. Disp. xxv. art. 6. I will not stand to mention all the ways by which the heathen expressed their honour and veneration to these relics; but only

name two.

1. In swearing by them. It was the superstition (or idolatry) of Ethnicks to swear by the relics of their deceased worthies.-Cyril. Alexand. lib. x. contra Julianum.

2. In translating them from private and obscure, to more public and honourable places; and this was done with great pomp and splendor. Apollo admonished the Athenians (as you heard) to translate the bones of Theseus to Athens; and he further adds, that when Cymon had found them, and brought them to the city, the people received them with processions and great joy, as if Theseus himself had been alive.-Plutarch in ejus vita. And the same author tells us, that the ashes of Demetrius were brought by his son Antigonus in great pomp to Corinth, and received by the people with great veneration, In vita De

metrii. When the Messenians had killed, by poison, Philopamen, commander of the Achaians; Lycoras, having utterly razed Messene, carried his bones to Megalopolis, because he was a worthy man.-Pausan. in Arcadicis. I forbear to mention the translation of Tisamenus, the son of Orestes, of Phocion, and many others.

Thus do our Romanists reverence and adore the relics of their saints. This is clear: 1. From their principles; 2. From their practices. 1. From their principles: Bellarmine urgeth ten arguments for this worship and adoration of relics.De Sanctor. Beatitud. lib. ii. cap. 3. Saurez produceth six.-In part iii. Aquin. Quæst. 25. art. 6. Disp. 55. But why do I name private doctors, since it is the determination of their much-admired Council of Trent? "The sacred bodies of holy martyrs, and others living with Christ, which were living members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Ghost, ought to be reverenced by the faithful; so that let all be damned who affirm that honour and adoration is not due to the relics of saints."-Sess. 25. de Reliquiis. And their schoolmen handling this question, What adoration is to be given unto them? They generally answer, that relics, respectively considered, are to be worshipped with the same veneration that is due to the person whose relics they are.

2. From their practices. Let us hear Cassander's ingenuous confession: "In these last times