II.

No proof from Scripture, that angels and saints above have an universal knowledge of men and their conditions.

HERE the champions for the Papacy are at a great loss, and their doctors disagree; they can neither prove that the saints have this knowledge, nor shew the way how they came by it; they would fain put us off with may-be's and possibilities; they tell us this may be done, and that it may be done this way or that way; but can prove nothing, as any unprejudiced person will perceive, that considers the texts they produce for it.

The first and chiefest is St. Luke xv. 7, 10, "There is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth: from whence they argue, that angels must know when a sinner repents, before they can rejoice at it; and if they know that, why may they not know all other things concerning men?

I answer: it does not follow, that because they know this one thing, they know any other, or all other things relating to men this we believe they know, because our Saviour hath told us so; but we have not the same reason to believe they have a general and universal knowledge of men, the Scripture being silent therein.

Possibly angels may know when a sinner repents these two

ways.

1. By revelation from God; knowing how much it would add to their happiness, and increase their joy, to see their fellow-creatures happy as well as themselves: God may be supposed as ready, by such an information from time to time, to augment their felicity, as they are to contribute to and rejoice in the felicity of others; and this seems well enough to agree with the joy that the woman in the parable expressed at the finding of her lost piece of money; she not only rejoiced herself, but called her friends and neighbours together to rejoice with her: Luke xv. 9, "Rejoice with me," saith she, "for I have found the piece which I had lost :" so may it be the goodwill of our heavenly Father, not only to take pleasure himself in the recovery of a lost sinner, but to communicate it to angels and blessed spirits, that they also might enjoy the satisfaction of so agreeable and welcome tidings.

2. By virtue of their ministry here below, for the good of

those that are heirs of salvation. By observing in men the signs and fruits of true repentance, they may come to know when a sinner is converted, and passing always betwixt heaven and earth, upon God's errands and embassies (as it was represented to Jacob in his divine vision), those that ascend from earth may tell the joyful news of it to them in heaven.

Possibly, I say, by these two ways angels may come to know when a sinner repenteth: but then, why may they not, by the same ways, know all other things concerning men? Why, supposing that possible too, yet there is this great difference betwixt them, viz. we are told by our Saviour, that they do know the one, but we are not told that they know all the rest and if "whatsoever is not of faith is sin,”* we having no foundation in Scripture to build our faith on, that they have an universal knowledge of men and their affairs, we must of necessity sin in believing it, or praying to them on that supposition; and as there is no revelation in Scripture, that they have a general knowledge of men and their affairs, as well as of their repentance; so neither is there the same reason that they should: God may reveal the one to them, as a thing he knew would administer to their farther pleasure and delight; but for the same reason they may be kept ignorant of other things, and God withhold the knowledge of them from them, being such, it may be (and be sure our sins and vanities are such), as would redound more to their trouble and discontent than satisfaction.

But did this text prove, as you see it does not, that the blessed angels have an universal knowledge of men and their affairs, what is this to the saints departed? These may be altogether ignorant of men, whilst the other, by virtue of their ministry on earth, may know many things concerning them. For this therefore they urge Matth. xxi. 20, that "the just at the resurrection shall be as the angels of God." Now this argument labours under the same weakness as the former; as they proved before, that the angels know all things relating to men, because they know one thing, when a sinner repents; so now they prove, that the saints in heaven are like to the angels in all things, because they are like to them in one. It is apparent that our Saviour spake of an equality in state and privilege, and not in knowledge and perfection of nature. The Sadducees that denied the resurrection of the dead, came

*Rom. xiv. 23.

to our Saviour, and thought to justify their atheism and infidelity, by putting a case to him, which they imagined would infer an unanswerable absurdity, were it granted that there was a resurrection. The case was this: a woman there was that had had seven husbands in her lifetime; at the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of them all, for all had her to wife? To which our Saviour answered, she shall be wife to none of them; for in that other world, there is no more husband and wife, marrying or giving in marriage; but men are like angels, that is, immortal as they, and shall not need matrimony to propagate their kind, and to supply their mortality, for they shall live for ever: "they shall be as the angels of God," not in every respect (for as they differ in nature and kind, so shall they have distinct natural qualities and operations), but in respect only of bliss and immortality.

Besides, supposing this equality was universal in every point, in nature and knowledge as well as bliss and happiness, the saints were not to have it till the resurrection. So it is said, “at the resurrection the just," &c. And does it follow from hence, that the saints are now what they shall be then; that because at the resurrection they shall be as the angels, they are before the resurrection as the angels?

This equality with the angels then will not do: Have they any more direct proof? They think they have from our Saviour's words, John v. 45, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust." But how, say they, can Moses, dead 2000 years ago, accuse those that were then living, if Moses did not know what passed here on earth?

I reply, very well, if by Moses be meant (as it is in many other Scriptures) the writings or books of Moses. So Moses and the prophets signify, where Abraham thus speaks to Dives in hell: "They have Moses and the prophets :"* not Moses and the prophets in the flesh, they being dead so long before, but Moses and the prophets in their doctrine. For the confirmation of this exposition, I might give you the judgment of the Fathers,† but it will be more than enough to set down Cardinal Cajetan's words on the place: "The Jews are accused by Moses, for that Moses's writings condemn

* Luke xvi. 29.

† Orig. in Epist. ad Rom. 1. 4. c. 4. [vol. 4. p. 528. col. 1. Par. 1759.] Basil. de Spir. Sanct. c. 14. [vol. 3. p. 37. Par. 1839.] Cyril. in Joh. 1. 3. c. 8. [c. 2. p. 257. Lutet. 1638.]

them for not believing in Jesus: the Jews also are said to trust in Moses, because they trusted in the promises contained in Moses's writings, though they would not acknowledge the accomplishment of them in Christ." The Scribes and Pharisees, in the beginning of the chapter, take occasion from our Saviour's curing a lame man on the Sabbath-day, to rail at him as a Sabbath breaker and impostor. To which he answered, proving by many arguments that he was the Son of God, and commissioned by him to reform and to save the world to this purpose he appeals to the testimony of John, chap. v. 32, 33, to the miracles he wrought, ver. 36, 37, and last of all, to their own law, the writings of Moses and the prophets, which they seemed so highly to prize, and so much to depend upon, ver. 39, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me:" and then tells them, that if after all this they did not own and believe on him, there was no need that he should accuse them to the Father; Moses, that is, the writings of Moses and the prophets would rise up in judgment against them, and condemn them; for in not believing on him, they declared they did as little believe what Moses had wrote, since he wrote of him; and therefore notwithstanding their high pretences of faith and zeal for Moses and the prophets, they were infidels as well to the law as to the Gospel, and threw as much dirt and contempt on their writings, as on his words, ver. 45, 46, 47, "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me: but if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

Another text they allege in defence of this doctrine, is Rev. xii. 10: “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Now, say they, the devils cannot accuse men, but they must first know for what; and if the devils know the actions of men, can we for shame deny it to the saints and angels?

To this two things may be returned. 1. That by the war in heaven, and the success of it, mentioned in these verses, from the 7th to the 11th, betwixt Michael and his angels on the one side, and the Dragon and his angels on the other, may be represented the conflict betwixt the Primitive Church and the Pagan emperors; the good and bad angels, after an invisible

manner, taking their respective sides, and opposing each other; and then by the accusation the devil is continually presenting of the brethren before God, may be signified the wicked calumnies and abominable slanders of incests, adulteries, promiscuous lusts, murders, conspiracies against princes, and the like, that the infidels, by the devil's instigation and malice, raised against the Christians before the Emperor, and others the subordinate governors of provinces. 2. Though it be granted that the devil knows the actions of men, it does not follow that the saints and angels must do so too; he being a little nearer to men on earth, than angels and saints in heaven are he is called the "prince of the power of the air;" and is confined to this lower region, and therefore is often so near as to see and hear men, though he is invisible himself: hence he is said to "go up and down like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." And when in the book of Job he is represented as coming before God to accuse and belie Job, and is asked by God, "Whence comest thou?" he thus answered, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."+

66

*

Now one would think that their proofs run low, and their cause is gasping, when they fly to a parable to support it; and yet this they do, and lay great stress upon it. It is that of Dives and Lazarus, Luke xvi. from the 19th to the 31st verse. They tell us, that Abraham heard Dives calling to him out of hell, that he knew very well what a sensual luxurious life he had lived on earth, ver. 24, 25. Dives cried, and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me," &c.-And Abraham said, 'Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things." Nay, that Dives in hell knew what was the condition of his brethren on earth, and the great danger they were in, and was so much concerned for their welfare, as to beseech Abraham to send or procure them a messenger from the dead, to persuade them to repent, ver. 28. " "I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." Is there not now as much charity in heaven as in hell? and may not the blessed spirits above be supposed to be as much concerned, and as ready to forward the repentance and salvation of their brethren, as the damned beneath?

* Eph. ii. 2.

+ 1 Pet. [v.] 8.

t Job i. 7.