A Golden Chain

Reason. I. All true invocation and prayer made according to the will of God, must have a double foundation: a commandment, and a promise. A commandment, to move us to pray: and a promise, to assure us that we shall be heard. For all and every prayer must be made in faith; and without a commandment or promise there is no faith. Upon this unfallible ground I conclude, that we may not pray to Saints departed: for in the scripture there is no word, either commanding us to pray unto them, or assuring us that we shall be heard when we pray. Nay we are commanded, only to call upon God, him only shalt thou serve, Mat. 4.10. And, How shall we call upon him in whom we have not believed? Ro. 10.14. And we have no promise to be heard but for Christs sake. Therefore prayers made to Saints departed are unlawful. Answer is made, that invocation of Saints, is warranted by miracles and revelations, which are answerable to commandments and promises. Ans. But miracles & revelations had an end before this kind of invocation took any place in the Church of God: and that was about three hundred years after Christ. Again to judge of any point of doctrine by miracles, is deceitful; unless three things ⟨p. 987⟩concur: the first is, doctrine of faith and piety to be confirmed: the second is prayer unto God, that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine: the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former. Where any of these three are wanting, miracles may be suspected: because otherwhiles false prophets have their miracles to try men whether they will cleave unto God or no Deut. 13.1,3. Again miracles are not done, or to be done for them that believe, but for infidels that believe not: as Paul saith,