A collection of several discourses against popery By William Wake, preacher to the honourable society of Grays-Inn.

Wake, William, 1657-1737., Wake, William, 1657-1737. Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Defence of the Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Second defence of the Exposition of the doctrine of the Church of England. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Discourse of the Holy Eucharist. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Two discourses of purgatory, and prayers for the dead. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Discourse concerning the nature of idolatry. aut, Wake, William, 1657-1737. Continuation of the present state of controversy, between the Church of England, and the Church of Rome. aut, Tenison, Thomas, 1636-1715. Present state of the controversie between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. aut, Clagett, William, 1646-1688. aut

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AN EXPOSITION OF THE Doctrine of the Church of England In the several Articles expounded by Monsieur de MEAUX.

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Page 9

ARTICLE III. Of the Invocation of Saints.

THE Invocation of Saints, as it is stated by Mon∣sieur de Meaux, we look upon to be one of those Practices which our Church stiles,

fond things, vainly invented, and grounded upon no Warrant of Holy Scripture, but indeed repugnant to God's Word.

* Monsieur de Meaux himself dares not say that they do or can ordinarily by any ability in themselves, hear, see, or know, the Wants, State, or Prayers of Men upon Earth, to be mindfull of them unto God in Hea∣ven. Nor can it ever be proved that by any of those ways which he proposes, but seems himself not to lay any great stress upon, they are certainly and particu∣ly communicated to them.

We think therefore, that till this be cleared, it is too great a hazard to leave a Mediator, who both certainly knows our wants, and has promised to hear us; that has invited us, nay commanded us to come to him in all our Needs, to go to Intercessors which God has no where appointed, and which we can ne∣ver be sure our Prayers shall come up to. It suffi∣ceth not that they may know some things, in some places, at some times, and of some Men extraordinarily, unless we could tell what Saints, and what things, and in what places, and at what times, they do know them. When this is cleared, it may then be more reasonable to desire us to joyn with them in this Ser∣vice. In the mean time, tho we should not charge Page 10 them with Idolatry meerly for this, yet we must needs confess we cannot but think these Addresses to be too full of hazard and uncertainty to venture any Requests at all, much less so many as they do every day, upon them.

In vain therefore does Monsieur de Meaux endea∣vour to defend the Innocence of this Invocation, whilst he forgets to shew us the Reasonableness of it. We should be pleased indeed to be assured of that; but we cannot be convinced that we ought to joyn in the Practice till we are satisfied of the other too. And yet we cannot but regret, that if their design be truly no more than this, to entreat the Saints to pray for them, we should find the greatest part of their Service addressing to them after so contrary a manner; that they would interpose not only their Intercessions, but their Merits too for their forgiveness: Not only that they would pray to God for them, but that they would themselves bless them. That the Angels and Saints

would give them Strength, Grace, Health, and Power. That St. Peter would have Mercy upon them, and open to them the Gate of Heaven. That the Blessed Virgin would protect them from their Enemies, and re∣ceive them at their Death: In a word, that she would command her Son to forgive them by that Right, which as *a Mother she had over him.

All which their very pub∣lick Rituals so far allow, that the Service which is paid to God in his Church by the Mediation of Christ, is infinitely exceeded by the Addresses of this nature, through the Merits of the Virgin Mary, and of the Saints.

Now if these Prayers signify no more than, as Monsieur de Meaux expounds them, to entreat the Saints to pray for them, why have we such Scandal given us in the Practice? If they intend really what Page 11 we suppose, and what their words do certainly sig∣nify; what Ingenuity can it be to impose upon us in the Declaration? However at least they will please to excuse us that we have fallen at so just a stumbling Block; and charged them as derogating from the Merits of Christ, whilst they have thus cry'd up the Merits of their Saints, and of a Presumption unwar∣rantable, if not wholly Idolatrous, in desiring any but God alone to help, and succour, and give them those Blessings, which God only has power to dispense.

1. When therefore we shall be certainly assured that all that infinite number which the Church of Rome has canonized, are truly and infallibly Saints.

2. When we shall be assured that these Saints do already enjoy the Presence of God Almighty; a Circum∣stance which the Papists themselves confess necessary to warrant their Invocation.

3. When it shall be made undoubtedly appear, that either by their own Knowledg, or by some other Reve∣lation, they do ordinarily and particularly understand all the Requests that are made to them; so that we can be as secure of their hearing us, as when we desire our Brethren upon Earth to pray for us.

4. When the Liturgies of their Church shall be reformed, and all those dangerous Insinuations of the Merit and Personal Assistance of their Saints be removed.

5. When those desperate Doctrines, and yet more desperate Addresses of their School-men and Contro∣vertists, which scandalize the more moderate even of their own Party, shall be censured.

6. And Men taught to practise this Invocation with such Sobriety, as neither to make it so freely and publickly their Worship as they do, nor with any Opinion of being either sooner heard, or more effectu∣ally Page 12 answered by this way of Address, than by going directly to God by our Saviour and only Mediator Jesus Christ.

7. In a word, when even an Invocation so mode∣rated, shall be shewn either to have been comman∣ded by God Almighty, or to have been advised by his Apostles, or to have been practised ordinarily and directly by the most Primitive Christians: Or lastly, but to be no way injurious to the excellent Goodness of that Intercessor, who has so kindly invited, and even conjured us to come to Him in all our needs; Then will we not fail to joyn our Ora pro Nobis with them: But till then we must beg leave to conclude with a Charity and Moderation, which we suppose they themselves cannot but approve in us, That it is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Holy Scripture, but rather indeed contrary thereunto.

And what we have now said of their Prayers, we must in the next place apply to their Sacrifices too. To mention the Names of the Holy Saints departed in the Communion; this we look upon to be a Practice as innocent as 'tis ancient. So far are we from condem∣ning it in them, that we practise it our selves. We name them at our Altars, we give God thanks for their Excellencies, and pray to him for Grace to follow their Examples. But as we allow thus much to their Me∣mories, so we cannot but condemn that Practice which Monsieur de Meaux seems to have omitted, tho yet the chief thing that offends us; that they recom∣mend the Offerings which they make to God, through the Merits of their Saints which they commemorate, and desire that by their Merits they may become a∣vailable to the Churches needs. As if Christ himself, whom they suppose to be the Sacrifice, needed the Page 13 Assistance of St. Bathildis or Potentiana, to recommend him to his Father: Or, that the Merits of an Offering, which they tell us is the very same with that of the Cross, should desire the joynt Deserts of a St. Martin to obtain our Forgiveness.

They who shall consider these things as they ought, will, we doubt not, confess that we have some reason to complain, both that they derogate herein from Christ's Merits, and attribute to their Saints more than they ought to do. If this Practice be reformed, our Complaint, as to this point, ceaseth. If it be not, in vain does Monsieur de Meaux endeavour to perswade us, that they only name their Saints to give God thanks for their Excellencies, whilst their publick Practice a∣vows, that they desire both the pardon of their Sins, and even the acceptance of their very Sacrifices them∣selves, by their Mediation.

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