Page:MaryHelpOfChristians.djvu/29

 instance, on  the  tomb  of  Sabbatius,  a  martyr, "Sabbatius, O  pious  soul,  pray  and  intercede  for your  brethren  and  associates!" On another  tomb is inscribed,  "Allicius,  thy  spirit  is  blessed;  pray for  thy  parents!" And again,  "Jovianus,  live  in God,  and  pray  for  us!"

We have  also  the  testimony  of  one  of  the  greatest thinkers  and  Protestant  philosophers,  Leibnitz, for  the  claim  that  the  veneration  and  invocation of  the  saints  is  founded  in  reason,  on  Holy Scripture, and  on  the  tradition  of  the  Church. He writes:  "Because  we  justly  expect  great  advantage by  uniting  our  prayers  with  those  of  our brethren  here  on  earth,  I  can  not  understand  how it  can  be  called  a  crime  if  a  person  invokes  the intercession  of  a  glorified  soul,  or  an  angel.  If it  be  really  idolatry  or  a  detestable  cult  to  invoke the  saints  and  the  angels  to  intercede  for  us  with God,  I  do  not  comprehend  how  Basil,  Gregory Nazianzen,  Ambrose,  and  others,  who  were hitherto  considered  saints,  can  be  absolved  from idolatry  or  superstition.  To  continue  in  such  a practice  would  indeed  not  be  a  small  defect  in  the Fathers,  such  as  is  inherent  in  human  nature — it  would  be  an  enormous  public  crime.  For  if the  Church,  even  in  those  early  times,  was  infected with  such  abominable  errors,  let  any  one judge  for  himself  what  the  Christian  faith  would eventually come  to. Would not  Gamaliel's  prop-