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Article XXI: Of the Worship of the Saints.
Of the
Worship of
Saints they teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their
faith and
good works, according to our calling, as the Emperor may follow the example of David in making war to drive away the Turk from his country; For both are kings. But the Scripture teaches not the
invocation of saints or to ask help of saints, since it sets before us the one
Christ as the
Mediator,
Propitiation,
High Priest, and
Intercessor. He is to be prayed to, and has promised that He will hear our prayer; and this worship He approves above all, to wit, that in all
afflictions He be called upon, 1 John 2, 1: If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, etc.
This is about the Sum of our
Doctrine, in which, as can be seen, there is nothing that varies from the
Scriptures, or from the Church
Catholic, or from the Church of Rome as known from its writers. This being the case, they judge harshly who insist that our teachers be regarded as heretics. There is, however,
disagreement on certain Abuses, which have crept into the Church without rightful authority. And even in these, if there were some difference, there should be proper lenity on the part of
bishops to bear with us by reason of the Confession which we have now reviewed; because even the Canons are not so severe as to demand the same rites everywhere, neither, at any time, have the rites of all churches been the same; although, among us, in large part, the ancient
rites are diligently observed. For it is a false and malicious charge that all the ceremonies, all the things instituted of old, are
abolished in our churches. But it has been a common complaint that some abuses were connected with the ordinary rites. These, inasmuch as they could not be approved with a
good conscience, have been to some extent corrected.
ARTICLES IN WHICH ARE REVIEWED THE ABUSES WHICH HAVE BEEN CORRECTED.
Inasmuch, then, as our churches
dissent in no article of the faith from the Church
Catholic, but only omit some abuses which are new, and which have been
erroneously accepted by the
corruption of the times, contrary to the intent of the Canons, we pray that Your
Imperial Majesty would graciously hear both what has been changed, and what were the reasons why the people were not compelled to observe those abuses against their conscience. Nor should Your Imperial Majesty believe those who, in order to excite the hatred of men against our part, disseminate strange slanders among the people. Having thus excited the minds of good men, they have first given occasion to this
controversy, and now endeavor, by the same arts, to increase the discord. For Your Imperial Majesty will undoubtedly find that the form of
doctrine and of
ceremonies with us is not so intolerable as these ungodly and malicious men represent. Besides, the truth cannot be gathered from common rumors or the revilings of enemies. But it can readily be judged that nothing would serve better to maintain the dignity of ceremonies, and to nourish
reverence and
pious devotion among the people than if the ceremonies were observed rightly in the
churches.