The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-11-01
Correspondents Of t0o 0lcosats.
Letters to Evangelist.
NUMBER TWO.

NUMBER TWO.
.,e In my last letter to you, |
br.fy reviewed the position held by
the Church, in regard to the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the saints. | show
ed you that the Church, while paying to
them great honor and reverence, regards
them simply as intorcessors and media
tors, and never gives to them that honor
wi ch is due only to God. gave you
Biblical proofs, both from the Old and
New Testament. sustaining the doctrine
Of the invocation of saints, aud showing
that they not only hear US, but that they
answer our prayers by interceding in our
behalf From what have already ad-
vanced, it is evident, that the Blessed in
heaven know what passes on this earth,
that they are aware Of all things con Germ
ing ue, and that they rejoice in our happi-
ness, and sympathize in our sorrows;
otherwise they could not be gladdened
when We do good, nor would they resent
any spiritualinj which might happen
to US, as | have shown you to be the
case. Again, it is not simply the bare
possession Of knowledge, on their part,
that have shown you, but the actual
fact, that they offer up our prayers to
God, and iutercede with Him in our be
half Here, then, are grounds sufficient
for the establishment Of a doctrine on
this subject, and the true Church should
.. tain such doctrine for, certainly,
thosa, and the many other similar texts
prove something; the writers Of the sa.
cred scriptures had some in ention, some
definite object, iu placing them in the
Bible and did not put them there blind
j. and without reason and il the sacred
scriptures be the work of inspiration,
they must have a meaning. ard cannot
be rejected. And if all contained in
the sacred text be true, and must form
a rule of faith, such clear testimony, as
have advanced, regarding the connec-
tion between mankind and the saints,
must form the subject of doctrine,
Iaust be the communion Of saints. But
what is the communion Of saints? Ii
is the reciprocal Interchange Of good Of
fees between the Blessed in heaven and
the faithful upon earth, by which the
latter are benefited by the prayers aud
meditation of the former; it is that oi
which you speak every time you rccite
the Apostles creed and if you reject it,
you stulliiy yourself every time you re
cite yhat creed, just as much as if you
said Forgive Us our trcspasscs, as we
forgive those who trcspass against us,
and, at the same time had DO intention
81 iorgiying your enemy. But this
docirine caunot be found in those rcig-
ilus systems which reject all colamuui
cation between this world aud the next,
and, therefore, all intcrcession OF the
the saints. 1t can only he found in the
Catholic belief, that our prayers are OF
cred mp for Us by the saiuts, and that
vo may, therefore, ask them to interccdc
f,r rs. | desire, in this letter, TO show
10 you, thai the doctrine of the invoca-
ton of saints has been held by the
Ch;rch from the every earliest ages, and
/ rtsli pr. Iia to YOU from the wri-
tingj of Il. Fathers, aud from other
sources Of c4Ga value as testimony. |
have said that this doctrine has been
held by the Church from the very ear
lest ages, aud the first proof | shall give
you, will be an extract from the " Doc
trincs Of the Church, 10y Cardinal Wise
man. lie says: Every part Of Rome
is undermined with catacombs, in which
the bodies OF saints and martyrs Sere de
IlsiteA after their deaths. The tomb,
IRE even some Of them rs yet scaled up
md unbrokcn some with inscriptions
cl them, or perhaps palm branch rud
Il sculptured, TO show that there Tepose
ihc myrters Of Christ. We have phials,
alheriug and fastened to the covers Ct
the tonbs, in the walls Of the catacombs,
IN Which are sponges, or sediment, still
tingcd with the color OF blood indeed
he very Instruments Of martyrdom are
CONSTANTLY found in tombs. Certainly,
these were men who knew Christianity,
who fully appreciated " hat was due
10 Christ, for whom they died, who
were fully convinced that nothing on
earth was to be preferred before Him.
and that no creature could pretend to
one particle Of the honor reserved bv
Him to Himself. Il. Surely we cannot
want nurer or more satisfactory witness.
es to What Christ Instituted, than they
who shed their blood TO seal its truth
We cannot want teachers better imbued
with the spirit Of His religion, than
those who we're r95Gy to lay down their
lives to defend it. Let US see what was
their belief regarding their brctheren,
when they deposited them in these tombs
and scaled them up, aud inscribed on
them their regrets or their hopes Moth
ing is more common than to find on them
a supplication, a prayer to the saints or
martyrs, to intercode for the survivors
with God. In the year 1894, was dis
covered remarkable tomb of the mar
tyr Snbatius, in the cemetry Of Gordian
aud Epimachus. On the one side, was