The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-11-26
RELIGIOUS POETRY AND ROMANCE.
DO the Saints hear Prayers Of the Faithful
Should the Faithful Pray to Them2
What do the Fathers Say?
Delivered La st. Peters Church, on Sunday
Evening, Nov. @4tb, 1s14.
By the Rev. G. PiSe, DID,.


on ia earth, las there BE- gods many and lords many)
Bl, to there is 5u. one God, The Father, IF sehom
III things, aud in him and Lord Jesus Christ hy
phom al! things and zoe BY h,ms-Cor. c vs.456.
The Christians Of Cornh were surrounded by
Pagans; and in order that they might
be preserved from the worship of idols, into which
the example Of those around them was calculated
to lead the unwary, st. Paul, in his epistes to
them, takes especia! care often to warn them, in
the most emphatic terms, against this great sin
against the true God He repeatedly reminded
.hem that there was and is but enc God, and
but one Savior, Christ his son that in The
midst OF the sacrifices that Were offered 10
him, whose throne was on Olympus, and the more
hUnble rites Of idolatry PAID TO The Lares and Pc
mates OF The hresde they were carefully 10 abstain
from any participation IN ihem--tor TO them there
was only one object OF adoration-'he true God
q nd one mediator, through whose Infinite atone :
ment alone they could seek mercy The same
truth the Catholic church Inculcates every where
The same ministry which ST. Paul discharged in
warning the primitive Christians against The idoa-
lrons worship Of the heather, is discharged by the
Catholic ministry at all times. and in every par, Of
the world. And. therefore, it IS that |. whilst via.
dlcating the ancient and venerable doctrine of The
invocation Saints, earnestly call upon all my
brethren 10 beware-in all their venera,ion
paid to those SAINTS, to recollect that there
is but one God, to whom alone all wOr-
ship is due; and that there is but one mediator
through whom alone, and through whose passion and
DEATH we have the firm hope OF escaping that pen d.
ton TO which In consequence oil sins we had beef
doomed but that al the same time we may call
upon others 10 intercede Tor u.s.. We are perfectly
aware that there is but one mediator. and that il is
only through him that the prayers Of saints avail
II is in order that this cardinal truth Of chris any
may ever be Impressed upon your minds and kept
before your eyes, that we have over our alars the
image Of our cruclted Saviour When the eye Of
the Catholic fixes list II upon that image-when il
dwells upon the crown of horns that pierce his ven-
cradle brows-when it fixes itself upon the nails
that transtix his sacred hands-when it contem-
plates the blood that gushes frcm his sides when
it sees the wood OF the cross upon which he expired
for the salvation of man, that Catholic feels that
there is no other name under heaven given unto
man whereby he may be saved. In my last lee
ture, believe that / made clear and ,indispulabe
those two propositions; first that the saints in heaven
can hear my prayers, and secondly, that by pray
ing for me they do not derogate in any manner
from the mediation or merits of Jesus Christ
Now then spreads before me great questionable
question is, whether il has always been customary
from the earliest period of christianity down 10 our
own days, to invoke the saints II have proved
that the saints IN heaven can hear me-if have
proved that their praying tor me does not derogate
from the mediation OF Jesus Christ, and if 1 can
make manifest the proposition that it has always
been customary, from the earliest times OF christi
anity, to pray to the saints, then / believe there
will be no difficulty in acknowledging that my ap
peal from that sentence passed upon us by con-
vention which denounced my church as idolatrous
because she taught the doctrine of the invocation
of the saints has been justified, and that the anath
cma returns upon those from whom it proceeded
1t becomes me then this evening 10 prove
to you this proposition--that the custom of
praying to the saints prevailed in the earliest
periods of Christlanity-that II has always been
continued III every age and country--in the Latin
Church-in the separated Greek Church-amoDgst
,he Jacobites-and amongst the Nestorians-and
that therefore practice which we cari trace
up even to the days Of the Apostles themselves
4 ~. A.. n
as shall hereafter prove, the duty Of invoking
those who were the favortes OF heaven-why then
we shall be able to avow whether the Catholic
Church is justly liable to the charge Of idoatry.-
st Augustine, whose authority will be disputed
by no true Christian OF the present day, laid
down maxim with which would premise my
argument. There are many things" he says,
which are not found in the. writings Of the Apos.
ties, or in the councils Of their successors. and
yet because they are authorized by the univer-
sal Chnrch, must be believed to have been
from the apostles themselves"
This is IN his llth book ON baptism," chap. vii.
vol. xii. If then l can make it appear that the
doctrine Of the invocation OF saints has never been
introduced by any particular council, but has
withstanding been received and practised by the
universal christian church, then, according 10 the
maxim OF st. Augustine mos, venerable autho-
rlty--I have every right to hold this doctrine, and
practice this custom, the denunciatons of our OPP
ponents to the contrary notwithstanding Now, this
practice OF praying to the saints prevails at the pre-
sent day among the JacobItes and The HISTORIANS.
This proposition must however, be proved, and after
| have proved it, then will argue from it, In 1871
a Ffench ambassador was sent to Constantinope
for the purpose ofdscoverDg from thefountain head
whether not this doctrine was universally admit
ted and practsed by the separated Greeks Metho.
Mas the patriarch Of ConstsntipopIe, gave the fol-
lowing decision, signed on the 10th OF July, 1911
"We declare that Christians, prayisg 10 the Virgin
Mother Of God and the saints, do not derogate
from the sufierngs of Jesus Christ" The same
lliustrous ambassador having applied to James,
the patriarch of the Armenlans, received tins an
swer from him -" We condemn, as teaching an
impious doctrine, those who say that the Virgin
Mother of God and the saints, who are in heaven,
cannot be invoked without doing an injustice TO
the medatorshlp OF Jesus Christ" Another am.
bassador from the same great nation, applled
to Joseph, the patriarch OF the HISTORIANS
and he declared follows 1--WE regard as unfortunate
those who do not pray 10 invoke the Virgin Mary and
the Sa nts" With regard them to the proposition that
amongst the universal Christian church this practice has
prevailed there can be no question. Now what argu.
ment do derive from this ct1 derive this argument
that therefore, the doctrine and the custom Of invoking
the saints is aceabe far back into antiquity II ia not be
imagined that the Greeks and HISTORIANS sepa ang from
the Lat Church. would have adopted the doctrine
the Creeks AMI HISTORIANS must have carried with them
the doctrine which had existed prior to their separation
from the church. Therefore this proves that it the
universal custom and doctrine OF the whole church OF
the East and West, OF the time that these Creeks
orienals eeyarated themselves from the pale OF the
Latin Church Then II seems to me that this truth is
made clear tst this doctrine according the testimony
OF all connection with the Of Rome and OF all the
ancient schsmatcs who had separated from that pre-
vailed throughout all christendom in the fth century
Did it originate then' Who introduced IL Tell me
the author-tell the councltell me the part Of the
world in which It frs in,roducedtell me the
ofh great originator Of this idoatry. Can
our opponents do this They can deny j.. They cen
call me very ignorant and very stupid for holding In this
the nineteenth century such old sntquaed dogma; but
can they prove that II repugnan TO the ancient spirit
christianity Can they prove that II Is contrary to the
sacred scripture Can they show a text in which II
is condemned have shown hundreds Of texts in my
last lecture which confirm ond vindeate tho doctrine
But need not have recourse to defamation. am with
you in search Of the development OF the truth come TO
those who believe aud to endevor to SHE'D some
light upon the darkness OF those who from education
prejudice have been led 10 imagine that are almost
they will srdly in their charity that entirely
ioaters This dark thunderbolt Of alleged idolary hos
bsen often hurled against the bttemens ef church
but the holt has always fallen nnocuousy to the ground
aod but must not dc claim. Let US proceed with the
argument II am accused of doesry in praying to the
saints appeal TO the Of Eusebus Of Cesarsa who
hourished In the h century. In his treatise on the
truths Of evangelical christianity, book xiii CHI H. be
says Pato observes that those no nobly die 10 battle
shall be venerated heroes and their monuments be