Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/102

 INTERCESSION

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INTERCESSION

the Divine vouchsafement, depart hence first, let our love continue in the presence of the Lord, let not prayer for our brethren and sisters cease in the pres- ence of the mercy of the Father" (Ep. ivii, in P. L., IV, 35S). "To those who would fain stand, nei- ther the guardianship of saints nor the defences of angels are wanting " (St. Hilary, " In Ps. cxxiv ", n. 5, 6, in P. L., X, 682). "We then commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first, pa- triarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that God, by their prayers and intercessions, may receive our peti- tions" (St. Cyril of Jerus., "Cat. Myst.", v, n. 9) in P. C!., XXXIII, 1166). "Remember me, ye heirs of God, ye brethren of Christ, supplicate the Saviour earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day" (St. Ephraem Syrus, " De Timore Anim.", in fin.). "Ye victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Saviour; ye who have bold- ness of speech towards the Lord Himself; ye saints, intercede for us who arc timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may love him" (St. Ephraem, " Encom. in Mart."). "Do thou, [Ephraem] that art standing at the Divine altar, and art ministering with angels to the life-giving and most Holy Trinity, bear us all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission of sins, anfl the fruition of an ever- lasting kingdom " (St. Gregorv of Nyssa, " De vita Ephraemi", in fin., P. G., XLVI, 850). "Mayest thou [Cyprian] look down from above propitiously upon us, and guide our word and life; and shepherd [or shepherd with me] this sacred flock . . . gladden- ing us with a more perfect and clear illumination of the Holy Trinity, before Which thou standest" (St. Gregory of Naz., Orat. xvii — according to others, xxiv— "De S. Cypr.", P. G., XXXV, 119.3). In like manner does Gregory pray to St. Athanasius (Orat. xxi, " In laud. S. Athan.", P. G., XXXV, 1128). "O holy choir! O sacred band! O unbroken host of warriors! O common guardians of the human race ! Ye gracious sharers of our cares ! Ye co-operators inourprayer! Most powerful intercessors!" (St. Basil, "Horn, in XL Mart.", P. G., XXXI, 524). "May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards us Christ's benignant counte- nance" (St. Ambrose, "Hexaem.", V, xxv, n. 90, in P. L., XIV, 242). St. Jerome has been quoted above. St. John Chrysostom frequently speaks of invocation and intercession in his homilies on the saints, e. g. " When thou perceivest that God is chas- tening thee, fly not to His enemies . . . but to His friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to Him, and wlio have great power" (irapp-q- alav, "boldness of speech" — Orat. VIII," Adv. Jud.", n. 6, in P. G., XLVIII, 9.37). "He that wears the purple, laying aside his pomp, stands begging of the saints to l^e his patrons with God; and he that wears the diadem begs the Tent-maker and the Fisherman as patrons, even though they be dead " (" Hom. xxvi, in II Ep. ad Cor.", n. 5, in P. G., LXI, 581). "At the Lord's table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, l)ut rather that they may pray for us that we may follow in their footsteps " (St. Augustine, "In Joann.", tr. Ixxxiv, in P. L., XXXIV, 1847).

Prayers to the saints occur in almost all the ancient liturgies. Thus in tlio Liturgy of St. Basil: "By the command of Tliinc niily-lKgottpn Son we communi- cate with the memory of Thy saints ... by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sak<! of Thy holy name which i,- in- voked upon \is". t'f. the Liturgy of Jerusalem, the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom, the Liturgy of Nestorius, the Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, etc. That these com- memorations are not later additions is manifest from

the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem: "We then com- memorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that God by their pravers and intercessions may receive our petitions" ("Cat. Myst.", v, in P. G., XXXIII, 1113). (See Renaudot, "Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio", Paris, 1716.)

We readily admit that the doctrine of the interces- sion of the saints is a development from the teaching of Scripture and that the practice is open to abuse. But if the carefully-wordeil and wholesome decrees of the Council of Trent lie adhered to, there is nothing in the doctrine or practice which deserves the condemna- tion expressed in Article xxii of the Anglican religion. Indeed the High Church .Vnglicans contend that it is not the invocation of saints that is here rejected, but only the " Romish doctrine ", i. e. the excesses prevail- ing at the time and afterwards condemned by the Council of Trent. " In principle there is no question herein between us and any other portion of the Catho- lic Church. . . . Let not that most ancient custom, common to the LTniversal Church, as well Greek as Latin, of addressing Angels and Saints in the way we have said, be condemned as impious, or as vain and foolish" [Forbes, Bishop of Brechin (Anglican), "Of the Thirty-nine Articles", p. 422]. The re- formed Churches, as a body, reject the invocation of the saints. Article xxi of the Augsburg Confession says: "Scripture does not teach us to invoke the Saints, or to ask for help from the Saints ; for it puts before us Christ as the one mediator, propitiatory, high-priest, and intercessor." In the " Apology of the Augsburg ('(infcssion" (ad art. xxi, sects. 3, 4), it is admitted that the angels pray for us, and the saints, too, "for the Church in general"; but this does not imply that they are to be invoked. The Calvinists, however, reject both intercession and invocation as an imposture and delusion of Satan, since thereby the right manner of praying is prevented, and the saints know nothing of us, and have no concern as to what passes on earth ("Gall. Confess.", art. xxiv; "Re- monst. Conf.", c. xvi, sect. 3).

Denzinger, Enchiridion (lOtli ed., Freiburg im Br., 1908). J1.0S4: Catechism of the Council of Trent. tT. Donovan (Dublin, 1867); St. Thomas, II-II. Q. lxx.xiii, a. 4; and Suppl.. Q. Lxxii. a. 2; SuAREZ, De Incarnatione (Venice, 1740-51). disp. Iii;PETA- vins, De Incarnatione (Bar-lc-DuQ, 1864-70), XV, c. v. vi: Bellarmine, De Controversiis Christianoe Fidei, II (Paris. 1608), Controv. quarta, I, xv sqq.; Waterworth, Faith of Catholics, III (New York, 1885); Milner, End of Rdigioun Controversy, ed. Rivi.ngton (London, 1896); G1BBON.S, Faith of our Fathers (Baltimore. 1890). xiii, xiv; Mohler, Symbolism tr. Robertson, II (London, 1847), 140 sqq.

T. B. SCANNELL.

Intercession, Episcopal, the right to intercede for criminals, which was granted by the secular power to the bishops of the Early Church. This right origi- nated rather in the great respect in which the episcopal dignity was held in the early centuries of Christian- ity, than in any definite enactment. Reference to its existence is made in the seventh canon of the Council of Sardica about 344 (Mansi, "Collectio Amplissima Conciliorum", III. It is also mentioned by St. Au- gustine (Epp. cxxxiii and cxxxix, in Migne, P. L., XXXIII, 509, 535), St. Jerome (Ep. In, in Migne, P. L., XXII, 527-40), and by Socrates in his "Church His- tory" (V, xiv; VII, xvii). St. .\ugustine repeatedly interceded for criminals with M:ir('(l<)nius. who was then governor of .\frica (Epp. clii-fliii, in Migne, P. L., XXXIII, 652). Martin of Tours interceded with Emperor Maximus for the imprisoned rriscillianists in 384-5: and Bishop Flavian of .\iitiocli interceded with Emperor Theodo.sius I in 387 on behalf of the in- habitants of .•\ntioch, who had wantonly destroyed the imperial statues in that city. St. Ambrose in- duced Emperor Theodosius I to enact a law which for- bade the execution of tlic death penalty and the con- fiscation of property until thirty days after .sentence had been passed. It was the purpose of this law to