The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-11-01

| Piay iuS lOA IlOoc VIII SJlll Teulaln upon
earth
In the fourth century, Eusebius of
Cosarea thus writes: May we be
found worthy by the prayers and inter-
cossion Of all the saints ;" and St. Cyril
of Jerusalem, speaking of the Liturgy,
says: awe next commemorate those
who are gone before us the patriarchs,
prophets, apostles and martyrs; begging
that, though their prayers, God would
receive our supplications. We then
pray for the holy fathers and bishops
that are dead, and for all the faithful
departed, believing that their souls re-
ceive very great relief by the prayers
that are offered up for them while this
holy and tremendous victim lies upon
the altar" st. Basil, one OF the most
eloquent and learned writers Of the same
century, speaks much more enthusiast
ly, in his panygeric on forty martyrs, in
these words: "These are they, who, hav-
iGg taken possession Of our country, stand
as towers against the incursions of the
enemy Here is ready aid to Chris
tians. Often have you endeavored, Of
ten have you toied, to gain one interces-
sor. You have now forty, all emitting
one common prayer. Whoever is op-
pressed by care, .haS recourse to their
aid, as he has who prospers: the first, to
seek deliverance; the second that his
good fortune may continue. The pious
mother is found praying for her chill
dren and the wife for the return and
the health of her husband. o ye CON-
mon guardians of the human race, CO.
operators in our prayers, most powerful
messengers, stars OF the world, and
flowers Of Churches, let US join our
prayers with yours"
Another saint of this age, St, Ephrem,
the Oldest father and writer of the Ori-
entail church, thus expresses himself ::
81 entreat holy martyrs, who have sut-
fered so much for the Lord, that you
would intercede for us with Him, that
de bestow His grace on u.s." and again
he says, in praying to the Blessed Vir-
gin Mary: L" We fly to thy patronage,
Holy Mother of God; protect and guard
us under the wings of thy mercy and
kindness. Most merciful God, through
thu intercession of the most blessed Vir-
gin Mary, and of all the angels, aud of
all the saints, show pity to thy creature"
But the following is much stronger, and
appears in his works addressed to the
blessed Virgin; In thee, Patroness
and Mediatrx with God, who was born
from thee, the human race, o Mother
Of God, placeth its joy, and ever is de
pendent upon thy patronage; and, in
thee alone, hath refuge and defence,
who hast full confidence in Him. Be-
hold also draw nigh to thee, with a
fervent soul, not having courage to ap-
proach thy son, but imploring that,
through thy intercession, | may obtain
salvation. Despise not, then, thy ser
want, who plaoeth ell his hopes in thee
after God; reject him not, placed in
girevous danger, and oppressed with
many griefs; but thou, who art compas-
sionate, and the mother of a mercitul
God, have mercy upon thy servant free
me from fatal concupiscence &C." La
another prayer, OF the same saint, occur
the following words: "After the Trim
ity (thou art) mistress of all; after the
Paraclete, another paraclete; after the
Mediator, mediatriX Of the whole world"
Surely" says Cardinal Wiscman, "this
is more than enough, to prove, that if
this glory of the Syriac church, this
friend OF the great ST Basil, had lived
in our times, he would not have been
allowed to oficiate in the English
church but would have been obliged
to retire to some humble chapel, if he
wished to discharge his sacred func.
tions;" aud yet this saint is not only
considered by us as the brightest orna-
ment of the Syriac and Oriental church,
but is equally regarded as such by Mes
torians and Monophysites, and other
sec taries who have separated from us
since his time. He was the bosom
friend of St. Basil, and is always alluded
to, 10y him, in terms of the greatest af.
fection and reverence, as a man of dis
tinguished virtue, but so humble that
he never advanced beyoud the order of
deacon in the church of Odessa And
st. Gregory of Nyssa thus addresses him
after his death: Do thou now, being
present at Gods altar, and with His
angels, offering sacrifice to the Prince of
life, and to- the most holy Trinity, re.
member us begging for us the pardon
| of our sins" We see, therefore, that
the doctrine of the invocation of saints
was held in every part Of the church,
and prevailed as much in the Greek as
in the Latin or Oriental st. Gregory
of Nazianzum, speaking Of his deceased
friend St. Basil, says: +" Now, indeed,
he is in heaven there, if | mistake not,
offering up sacrifices for us, pouring out
prayers for the people; for he has not
left SO as to have deserted us. And do
thou, sacred and holy spirit, look down,
l beseech thee, on us; arrest, by thy
prayers, that stiEg of the flesh, which