Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/198

 that such an active agency and interference in human affairs is attributed to the angels: how then can any man be justified in accusing the Church of idolatry for attributing a similar power and a similar office to our Blessed Lady and the saints? Now even admitting, for the sake of argument, that because such power is attributed in Scripture to the angels, it does not therefore follow that we have any right to attribute similar powers to the saints, still it would equally remain an absurdity to term it idolatrous in us to do so: it might be gratuitous, it might be unauthorised, but how could it be idolatrous?

On the other hand, when we see this mighty power attributed by Scripture to the angels,—when we find one of the greatest angels appearing to Daniel on the banks of the Tigris, and distinctly telling him that he has been helped in his endeavours to aid the Jewish people by another angel, namely, the Angel Michael, either we must conclude that such phraseology is perfectly consistent with the supremacy of the one true God, or that the Bible itself teaches idolatry; but, as we suppose no Protestant would dare to accept the latter alternative, are we not justified in affirming that the Catholic practice of invoking the prayers and the assistance of God's saints is strictly in