require. They dispute only concerning invocation, which, even though
it would have no danger, nevertheless is not necessary.

Besides, we also grant that the angels pray for us. For there is a
testimony in Zech. 1, 12, where an angel prays: O Lord of hosts, how
long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem? Although concerning the
saints we concede that, just as, when alive, they pray for the Church
universal in general, so in heaven they pray for the Church in
general, albeit no testimony concerning the praying of the dead is
extant in the Scriptures, except the dream taken from the Second Book
of Maccabees, 15, 14.

Moreover, even supposing that the saints pray for the Church ever so
much, yet it does not follow that they are to be invoked; although
our Confession affirms only this, that Scripture does not teach the
invocation of the saints, or that we are to ask the saints for aid.
But since neither a command, nor a promise, nor an example can be
produced from the Scriptures concerning the invocation of saints, it
follows that conscience can have nothing concerning this invocation
that is certain. And since prayer ought to be made from faith, how
do we know that God approves this invocation? Whence do we know
without the testimony of Scripture that the saints perceive the
prayers of each one? Some plainly ascribe divinity to the saints
namely, that they discern the silent thoughts of the minds in us.
They dispute concerning morning and evening knowledge, perhaps
because they doubt whether they hear us in the morning or the evening.
They invent these things, not in order to treat the saints with
honor, but to defend lucrative services. Nothing can be produced by
the adversaries against this reasoning, that, since invocation does
not have a testimony from God's Word, it cannot be affirmed that the