AG8b: Saints worship, Christ robbed; Person of Christ; the cross, a "magic charm" (Prayer II)

      This continues from Part AG8a (Table of Contents in Part AG1a) in a series presenting Walther's essays to the Western District that supported his theme "That Only Through the Doctrine of the Lutheran Church is All Glory Given to God Alone". — In this second part, Walther continues his defense against saint worship, then brings in how this robs Christ of His honor. — From pp. 34-54 of the convention report:

Notable Quotes: [Thesis I, 2., Thesis II]

35: "what devil has inspired the papacy to say that in times of spiritual distress one should take refuge in the saints instead of in Christ"

36: "…to point Christians to the saints because they are more merciful than Christ?…to say that one should come before God in the name of the saints?"

37: To papists "the sign of the cross has been reduced to a magic charm among them."

38: "The Roman Church is otherwise sharp enough in its censorship when something does not suit it. But here [of saint worship] it remains silent" [Statues of Mary dot the landscape.]

41: In the papacy "Christ ceased to be the gracious Savior of tortured consciences and became a severe judge".

41: Luther, while still a monk: "my heart was completely poisoned by this papist doctrine"

42: Duke George, while dying and told to invoke his patron saint, is later said to have said: ‘Well then, help me, faithful Savior Jesus Christ; have mercy on me'"

43: "We should now also hasten diligently to the Father's heart of our God through Christ in all our concerns, whatever they may be."

Thesis II (on the Person of Christ): "Christ, God and man in one person, is to be invoked and worshipped, not his divinity alone."

44: "the only begotten Son of God, did not merely take up residence in the flesh…“The Word became flesh!” (John 1:14)" 

45: "Christ, as God and man in one person, is to be invoked and worshipped not only according to His divinity, but also according to his humanity"

45: Walther on Phil. 2:9-11: "It does not merely say that the kneeling or worship and invocation should take place in the name of the Son of God, but expressly: 'in the name of Jesus.' But Jesus is the name of our Savior, which he received in His humanity."

46: "1 Tim. 2:5: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, namely the man Christ Jesus.”

47: "Is it not appalling that almost all churches except the Lutheran, Calvinists as well as Papists, teach that it is permissible to worship Christ according to his divinity, but that to worship him according to his humanity is idolatry?"

50: Errors of Calvinists and Papists on worship of humanity of Christ.

50: "Calvinists…declare what Holy Scripture presents to us in commandment, promise, and example to be idolatry!"[Prayer to Christ's humanity.]

50: Quenstedt: "The Papists, who make a distinction between worship (latreia) and excessive worship (hyperduleia), … [attribute hyper-veneration] to the humanity of Christ and the Blessed Virgin."

51: Luther against Zwingli: "Beware, beware, I say, of alloeosis, it is the devil's mask…that Christ is no longer there with His suffering and life, but just another saint."

52: "the union [of Christ's divinity to His human nature] is and remains inseparable for all eternity"

54: "Let the Papists and Calvinists laugh at us as idolaters: we remain true to the teaching of Scripture"

In the next Part AG8c…