A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all…A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all…

Answ. 1. We are for the Commemoration of the holy lives and sufferings of the Saints: and the first sort of the ancients prayers for them began here, as the occasion. 2. We are for thankful acknowledgement of Gods Mercies to the departed Saints, and to the Church by them. And the first prayers for them were such as these. 3. Bishop Usher hath copiously proved that they were Saints, supposed to be in Heaven or Paradise, and not in Purgatory, that were then prayed for: and therefore that it was not the Popish praying for tormented souls that was then practised: And therefore their prayers ⟨p. 161⟩then were besides Commemorations and Thanksgivings, the petitioning of all those following Mercies for them which are not to be received till the resurrection: Bellarmine himself proving that though we were certain that the blessed souls shall have a raised glorified body, and be justified in the last Judgement, yet may it be prayed for, because it is yet future. Now we are far from being of another Church or Religion then those that hold such an opinion as this. Saith Usher pag. 224. when he had cited many testimonies [In these and other prayers of the like kind, we may descry evident footsteps of the primary intention of the Church in her supplications for the dead: which was that the whole man (not the soul separated only) might receive public remission of sins, and a solemn acquittal in the judgement of that great day; and so obtain both a full escape from all the Consequences of sin (the last enemy being now destroyed, and death swallowed up in victory) and a perfect consummation of bliss and happiness: all which are comprised in that short prayer of S. Paul for Onesiphorus (though made for him while he was alive) [The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day] Yea, divers prayers for the dead of that kind are still retained in the Roman offices; of which the great Spanish Doctor John Medina thus writeth; Although I have read many prayers for the faithful deceased, which are contained in the Roman Missal, yet have I read in none of them that the Church doth petition, that they may more quickly be freed from pains: but I have read that in some of them petition is made, that they may be freed from everlasting pains.]

Answ. 1. We are for the Commemoration of the holy lives and sufferings of the Saints: and the first sort of the ancients prayers for them began here, as the occasion. 2. We are for thankfull acknowledgement of Gods Mercies to the departed Saints, and to the Church by them. And the first prayers for them were such as these. 3. Bishop Usher hath copiously proved that they were Saints, supposed to be in Heaven or Paradise, and not in Purgatory, that were then prayed for: and therefore that it was not the Popish praying for tormented souls that was then practised: And therefore their prayers