Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 33
XXXIII. That we ought not to beſeech God to grant our Prayers, in favour of the Saints, or their merits: nor do we reeeive any benefit thereby.
Anſwer.
IT is no ſmall favour, that we can get ſo much truth out of him, as to confeſs, That this is one way of their Praying by the Mediation of Saints, to beſeech God to grant their deſires in favour of them and their merits. For ſome of his brethren mince the matter, and ſay, they only deſire the Saints to pray for them. But their Miſſals and Breviaries confute ſuch men, as notorious diſſemblers; for there are abundance of Prayers like this, That*Decemb. VI. by the Merits and Prayers of St. Nicholas, God would deliver them from the fire of Hell. Which if it be an allowable way of Praying, I do not ſee but the Saints are Mediators of Redemption, as well as of Interceſſion, (as they are wont to diſtinguiſh) for by their merits is a great deal more, than by their Interceſſion. And if they intercede by their merits, wherein do they fall ſhort of Chriſt? who by his Merits redeemed us, and in virture of the ſame Merits intercedes for us.
But let us hear his Scriptures; which the Reader may take notice are every one of them out of the Old Teſtament, during which (according to the common Doctrine of their Church) the Souls of pious men were held in a Limbus, remote from God, in the borders of Hell; and therefore could not be Interceſſors with God; much leſs plead their merits. This is enough to overthrow his whole Diſcourſe in this Chapter: yet to ſhew his folly a little more fully, I am content to conſider them particularly.
The firſt is XXXII. Exod. 13. which he hath the confidence to ſay,XXXII. Exod. 13. is againſt us in expreſs words; when there is no mention of merit, and the ſenſe is evidently declared in the Text it ſelf; which ſpeaks of the Oath of God to thoſe great men, Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob: ſhewing that Moſes his Prayer was grounded not upon their merit, but upon God's gracious Covenant with them, confirmed by his Oath, XXVI. Gen. 3. Which is the ſenſe of Theodoret alſo (whom this man moſt ſhamefully belies) in the place by him quoted: Moſes mentions the name of the Patriarchs, inſtead of ſupplication: and remembers the Oaths made to them, and begs that the Covenants wherein he was engaged to them, might ſtand firm. Who would truſt ſuch a man as this, who makes Theodoret ſay that Moſes added the interceſſion of the holy Patriarchs, thinking himſelf inſufficient? when he only ſaith, he mentioned their name (as men i. e. in covenant with God) inſtead of ſupplication. And thus he deals with St. Auſtin, or rather worſe; who, in the place he mentions, ſaith not a word of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, but only of Moſes, whoſe merits were ſo great with God, as his moſt faithful Servant, that God ſaith, Let me alone, &c. upon which Paſſage he makes this reflection, We are admoniſhed hereby, that when our merits have ſo loaded us, as to make us not beloved of God, we may be relieved by the merits of thoſe whom God doth love. For when he ſaith, Let me alone that I may deſtroy them; what is it but to ſay, I would have deſtroyed them, had they not been beloved of thee? Now what is this to the meritorious interceſſion of the Saints in the other World, when he ſpeaks of the merits (as his phraſe is) of Moſes here on Earth?
I have been the longer in this,2 Chron. VI. 16. becauſe it will ſerve to anſwer all the reſt. For in 2 Chron. VI. 16. the Prayer expreſly relies upon the promiſe God had made to his Servant David, not upon David's merits.
In the next place, CXXXII. Pſal. 1.CXXXII. Pſal. 1. God is deſired to remember David's afflictions; but how doth it appear that they merited? If this Pſalm was made by David, (as many think from the firſt 8 Verſes of it) ſure he was not ſo immodeſt as to plead his own merits with God. The truth is, the Penner of this Pſalm, whoever he was, moſt likely Solomon, puts God in mind of David, and his fidelity to him under all his ſufferings; becauſe of the Covenant God had made, and confirmed by an Oath, with that pious man, v. 10, 11, 12.
He doth wiſely only to name the next place, 2 Chron. I. 9. for the words are expreſly againſt him, which are theſe, Now, O Lord God, let thy promiſe unto David my Father be eſtabliſhed. But the alledging LXIII. Iſa. 17. argues groſs Ignorance, for it's a plain deſire God would return to them, for the ſake of the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael, which contain'd his people, who were his inheritance, as Menochius, and indeed the Text it ſelf, expounds it. And this deſire is founded upon the above-named Covenant, Promiſe, or Oath, made to their Fathers: which he may find in a number of Places, 1 King. VIII. 25, 26. 2 Chron. XXI. 7. LXXXIX. Pſal. 3, 4.
Why he adds the two next places, unleſs to make a ſhow, I cannot imagine. For H ſter's Apocryphal Prayer hath nothing in it ſounding this way, but only thoſe words, O God of Abraham. And David only ſays, 1 Chron. XXIX. 8. O God of Abraham Iſaac, and Iſrael, our Fathers. Which no Man in the World but himſelf, I believe, will take to be naming them for his Interceſſors, (as he ſpeaks) when they evidently ſignify the favour and kindneſs God had to them, which he hoped he would graciouſly continue, according to his Promiſe, unto his People Iſrael.
The laſt place, XX. Exod. 5. is a direct Confutation of all that he ſaith; for it mentions not the Merits of good Men, but the Mercy which God will ſhow unto thouſands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments.
God of his infinite Mercy, put an end to the reign of theſe Men, who thus fouly abuſe his holy word; that they may no longer pervert the right way of the Lord, and miſlead his People into pernicious Errors.