CHAP. XIIII. That Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession as well as redemption.

HAving spoken of the subject of invocation, viz. men; and the object, viz. God: we are now in the third place to enquire, how it cometh to passe that man being stained and polluted with sinne, and by reason thereof an enemie to God, should have any accesse unto God, or be admitted to any speech with him, who is most just and terrible, a consu∣ming fire, & hating all iniquitie with perfect hatred. Indeed it must be confessed, that sinne maketh a se∣paration between God and man, and that both we are unworthy in our selves to appear before God, and our prayers also by reason of our manifold wants and corruptions unworthy to be offered unto him. And therefore of necessitie a mediatour was to come between God and man, who reconciling us unto God, and covering our imperfections, might make both our persons and our prayers acceptable Page  69 unto God. And for as much as it was needfull that the justice of God should be satisfied in the same na∣ture wherein he had been offended, neither could obedience be performed to the law given to man, nor the punishment due to the sinnes of man be sa∣tisfied but by man, neither could the righteousnesse be meritorious for all, nor the price of ransome suf∣ficient, if the person which should perform both were not God. It was likewise needfull that the mediatour who should reconcile us unto God and make us and our prayers acceptable unto him should be both God and man: therefore God in his unspeakable mercy hath appointed and given his onely begotten Sonne to be our Mediatour, Advo∣cate and Intercessour, who having assumed our na∣ture should therein satisfie his justice and appease his wrath; and having performed perfect obedience for us, and given himself a ransome for our sinnes, should ascend into heaven, and there sitting at the right hand of the Father should make intercession for us, that both the persons of such as believe in him and their prayers which call upon God in his name should be accepted of him.

But as in the former points we were forced to prove two things, not onely that God is to be invo∣cated, but that he alone is to be called upon, and not Saints and Angels; so in this we are by the like su∣perstition of the Papists compelled to demonstrate two things: first, that Christ is the onely Mediatour of intercession; and secondly, that we are alwayes to call upon God in his name. For as they invocate others besides God, and so are indeed worshippers Page  70 of more gods; so have they appointed other media∣tours and intercessours besides Christ. And the rea∣son is alike in both. But the Apostle teacheth us, That as there is but one God, so there is but one Media∣tour* between God and man, the man Christ.

The Papists make two sorts of mediatours, the* one of redemption, the other of intercession; and they do confesse in word that Christ is the onely Mediatour of redemption, but of intercession they adjoyn other mediatours unto him, viz. the Saints departed.

Here therefore I will shew two things: 1. That they seem to acknowledge other mediatours of re∣demption, and so in deed overthrow that which in word they confesse; 2. That none can be mediatour of intercession who is not also of redemption. For as touching the first; in many of their authorized prayers they desire God to have mercie on them in forgiving their sinnes, and in giving unto them good things as well spirituall as temporall for the merits and intercession of the Saints; and so plainly thrust the Saints into the office of Christ. And not onely so, but they invocate also the Saints as they do Christ to bestow good things upon them, and to avert evil from them, substituting them, as I have shewed before, into the room of the tutelar gods of the heathen.

But let us see whether there be any mediatours of intercession who are not also of redemption. We denie not but that in a large sense they may be called mediatours and intercessours who are medii inter, namely between God and man. So Moses Page  71 is termed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gal. 3. 19. Deut. 5. 5. and 27. 31. Pastours likewise and preachers, who are both the mouth of God to the people in preaching and of the people to God in prayer: But they are not in that sense intercessours as we acknowledge Christ, and the Papists do esteem the Saints, that we for their merits & intercession should hope to be heard. In like manner the Saints upon earth, who in mutu∣all charity do pray and make intercession one for an∣other, as they are required 1. Tim. 2. 1. Jam. 5. 15, 16. may be called intercessours, but such as whose intercession dependeth wholly upon the intercession of Christ, and whose prayers are alwayes made in his name.

Why then may not the Saints in heaven be* esteemed intercessours?

For the intercession of Saints departed there is* no testimonie of Scripture. It is not to be doubted but that they do use to invocate the name of God by praise and thanksgiving, bearing a part (as it were) in the quire of Angels. And it is not unlike∣ly but that they pray for that which is wanting unto them whilest their bodies sleep in the dust, that is, their full redemption; that the number of the elect being accomplished, the Lord would hasten the se∣cond coming of Christ for their full redemption. In which prayer also they pray for us, as we also do for them; and in regard thereof we are as well interces∣sours for them as they for us. It is also probable, that they being members of the same mysticall bo∣die, indued with perfect charitie, do in generall pray for their fellow-members upon earth. But that in Page  72 particular they pray for any of us it is improba∣ble, because they know not our persons, nor heare our prayers, nor understand our particular wants: or if they did, yet would it not follow that either we should pray to them, as I have shewed before, or that we should desire the Lord for their merits and intercessions to grant our desires. Neither is it to be doubted, but what praises or prayers they utter un∣to God, they offer them onely in the name and me∣diation of Christ, desiring that for his merits and in∣tercession their invocation may be accepted.

And in this sense Christ alone is the Mediatour of intercession. So Augustine speaking of those words* of S. John, 1. Epist. 2. 1. saith, John doth not say, You have an advocate, for so should he separate himself from sinners: nor doth he say, You have me for a mediatour (as Parmenianus in a certain place maketh the Bishop a mediatour between God and the people) for then what good and faithfull Chri∣stian could indure him? who would look upon him as an Apostle of Christ and not as Antichrist? And again, All Christians do mutually commend them∣selves unto God in their prayers: pro quo autem nul∣lus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus, hic unus verúsque mediator est: that is, but for whom none interce∣deth but he for all, he alone is the true Mediatour.

Now that Christ is the onely Mediatour of inter∣cession as wel as of redemption it is evident; because these being the two parts of his mediation, and not two sorts of Mediatours; the latter of intercession dependeth on the other of redemption, as being the representation of it unto God, and the application Page  73 thereof to the faithfull: the dignitie, I say, efficacy and vertue of his intercession dependeth on the me∣rits of redemption. For had Christ not been the Me∣diatour of redemption he could not have been the Mediatour of intercession. For when it is said that Christ maketh intercession for us in heaven, we are not thus to understand it, that he falleth down upon his knees and prayeth to God for us (John 16. 26. I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you) but that sitting at the right hand of his Father he repre∣senteth his own merits unto him, and offereth the prayers of the faithfull unto God perfumed with the odours of his own sacrifice, as he is described, Revel. 8. 3, 4. So Anselme in Rom. 8. Vnigenitum Fi∣lium pro hominibus interpellare, est apud coaeternum Pa∣trem seipsum hominem demonstrare: The onely begot∣ten Sonne is said to make intercession for men, when he sheweth himself man before his coeternall Fa∣ther. And the Apostle describeth his intercession to be, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: his appear∣ing in the presence of God for us, Heb. 9. 24.

The holy Ghost therefore joyneth both the parts* together, 1. Tim. 2. 5. where speaking professedly of prayers, and saying that Christ is the onely Me∣diatour between God and man, he addeth, who gave himself a ransome for all. So 1. John 2. 1, 2. If any man sinne we have an advocate Christ Jesus the righteous, & he is the propitiation for our sins. He onely is the ad∣vocate, because he onely can plead his merits for us. He onely is perfectly & fully just, he onely is the propitiation for our sinnes. And as he is the onely Intercessour because he is the onely Saviour, Acts 4. Page  74 12. so is he the perfect Saviour, because he ever liveth to make intercession for us, Heb. 7. 25. For whereas they ordain other intercessours for whose sake they desire to be heard, they do it altogether without warrant of Scriptures, wherein there is no doctrine, no precept, no promise, no example to warrant it: and consequently such prayer cannot be made in faith, neither can it please God. And with what forehead can they take from Christ his office and the honour thereof which he purchased with his bloud, and without any warrant from him assigne it to others: as though Christ having for a short time exercised the office of mediation, should to the end of the world have resigned it to his servants. But the holy Ghost teacheth the contrary Heb. 7. 25. that Christ is therefore able perfectly and fully, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to save those which by him do come to God, be∣cause he liveth ever to make intercession for them. Yea, the Scripture every where directeth us unto Christ and to no other mediatour, and therefore to no other must we flie, Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 4. 16. and 7. 19. Christ is the onely way and the onely accesse un∣to God: Those that leave this way and this accesse, they have no way nor accesse to God with hope or comfort; or if any will go to God any other way, in stead of a throne of grace they shall find a tribu∣nall of justice and terrour, and in stead of a mercifull Father a just & terrible Judge. Our Saviour Christ in plain terms saith, John 14. 6. No man cometh to the Father but by me: and the Apostle, 1. Tim. 2. 5. That as there is but one God, so but one Mediatour between God and man, the man Christ, who is both God and man. Page  75 For as S. Augustine, The Mediatour between God* and man ought to have something like to God, something like to man, lest being in both like to men he should be farre from God, or being in both like to God he should be farre from men, and so •…hould be no Mediatour. But Christ alone is both God and man, and therefore he alone is Mediatour.

The high Priest in the law was a type of Christ:* but the high Priest in type was mediatour both of redemption and expiation in offering sacrifices, and of intercession in making prayers for the people; to which purpose bearing the names of the twelve tribes, he entred into the holy place to make inter∣cession for them; therein representing Christ, who being entred into the heavenly sanctuary maketh intercession for us.

But to what purpose do they flie to other media∣tours? is it because the mediation of Christ is not sufficient? or is it because the Saints are in greater fa∣vour with God? or lastly, because the Saints are more favourable to us then our Saviour Christ? If the first, they denie Christ to be a perfect Saviour, which the Apostle affirmeth Heb. 7. 25. If the se∣cond, they denie him to be the Sonne of God in whom he is well pleased with the Saints them∣selves. If the third, they deny him to be their lo∣ving and mercifull Saviour, who hath loved us with the greatest love, unto which the love of the Saints being compared is as a little spark to agreat flame, or a drop of water to the great sea. He took our nature and infirmities, that he might have compassion on us, Heb. 2. 17, 18. and 4. 15, 16. He graciously inviteth Page  76 us to come unto him, and who do come he proml∣seth not to reject, Matth. 11. 28. John 6. 37. Inju∣rious therefore and blasphemous are they against Christ, esteeming him as austere, and seeking to the Saints as more propitious; especially when they commit the administration of justice to Christ, and of mercy to his mother; and therefore appeal from the tribunal of his justice to the throne of his mo∣thers mercy. But besides the horrible superstition and idolatry, besides the sacrilegious injurie offered unto Christ, besides their own infidelitie and un∣thankfulnesse towards Christ, it is extreme folly and madnesse rather to seek to other mediatours, seeing in Christ nothing is wanting which is requi∣red in a perfect Mediatour. For by his all-sufficient merits he hath satisfied the justice of God, so that for his merits we may trust to be heard: He is in highest favour with God, in whom the Lord graci∣ously accepteth whomsoever he loveth; & therefore we may be bold to pray that for his sake we may be heard: He heareth our prayers & is acquainted with our persons and wants, and he is most gracious and favourable in commending our suits unto God: He hath commanded us to call upon God in his name, and hath promised that we shall obtein: Whereas the Saints have no merits to plead for themselves, and much lesse for others, but those of Christ. In Christ they are loved and graciously accepted. They heare not our prayers, neither are acquainted with our persons or wants; and all the love they have is but a small reflexion of the beams of Christs love shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost: Page  77 neither have they either by commandment or pro∣mise moved us to seek to their mediation, but al∣wayes have directed us unto Christ.

If it be objected, That for Abrahams or Davids fake the Lord is said or requested to do something; In these examples not the merits of those Saints, but the covenant of grace which the Lord made with them is interposed. If they plead antiquitie for their using the mediation of Saints, the first that brought in this superstition into the East-churches was Petrus Cirapheus the heretick, about the yeare 500, and in the West Gregory about the yeare 600.

The Scriptures in this case give us the like coun∣sel to that which was given to Themistocles: For having occasion to use the favour of Admetus the King of the Molossi, who was offended with him, he asked counsel of the Queen how he might obtein the Kings favour; and being instructed by her, when the King returned from the Temple, held the Kings sonne between his arms, as desiring that for his sake he would receive him into favour, by which means the King was pacified towards him.