Original Douay–Rheims Annotations2 Maccabees 15

Onias prayed for all the people.` And v. 14. `Jeremy prayeth for the people.

As against prayer of the faithful for the dead: ch. 12. ^[1] so against prayer of Saints for the militant Church, Protestants have no better evasion, when they are pressed with these examples, than by denying the authority of the Books. For seeing the Prophet Jeremy, and the High-Priest Onias, being in Limbo patrum (no holy soul ascending into heaven before Christ) did pray for the whole people of the Jews, it is also certain that they, and other Saints in glory, do of their excellent charity pray for those that are in this mortal life. Yet neither do we Catholics urge this place, as though we had no other to allege, for we shew the same doctrine by other holy Scriptures, ^[2] Gen. 48. Exo 32. Jere. 15. Luc. 16. 2. Petri. 1. Apoc. 5. 6. 8. and others: neither must we omit these books, because our adversaries deny them, seeing the learned Doctors, and holy Fathers confirm the same doctrine by those Scriptures. Among others ancient Origen, tomo 18. in Ioan, saith, it appeareth that Saints departed from this life have care of the people, as it is written (saith he) in the Acts of the Machabees, many years after the death of Jeremy: ^[3] this is Jeremy the prophet of God, who prayeth much for the people. Likewise S. Bernard Ser. 3. vigil Nativit. Domini. & Ser. 11. again Ser. 76. in Cantica, admonisheth that a good religious man is like to this Onias: who prayeth to God for all the people.

• 1 Prayer of Saints is evidently proved by this place.
• 2 it is also proved by many other holy Scriptures.
• 3 Neither is this place to be omitted.

If not so worthily.

^◦ He demandeth not pardon, as though he suspected any error in his doctrine or in the history, but of his unpolished style in writing. As S. Paul saith that himself was rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, 2 Cor. 11. v. 6.

• ◦ The author of this book asketh pardon for his style, not for the doctrine nor history. But the authors of these Annotations crave pardon for all defects.

But we, who by God's great goodness have passed not to the end of this English old Testament, justly fearing that we have not worthily discharged so great a work: & in nowise presuming that we have avoided all errors, as well of doctrine as history: much more we acknowledge that our style is rude & unpolished. And therefore we necessarily, and with all humility crave pardon of God & all his glorious Saints, Likewise of the Church militant, & particularly of you, right well beloved English readers, to whom as at the beginning we directed & dedicated these our In like sort the ^◦ continuance of Priesthood, and Priestly functions is manifest in the books of Esdras, and of other Prophets, which prefigured the Sacrament of holy Orders, in the Church of Christ.

• ◦ Holy Orders.