SAINT, derived front the Latin " sanetus," through the French " mina," properly signifies a holy or pious person, and is so used in the Christian church. From the commencement of the Christian religion. greet veneration was always shown to persons remarkable for their ,holiness or piety, and their memory was cherished after their death. In course of time it became the custom to implore departed saints to assist the living by their prayers and intercessions with the Deity; and as man has in all ages felt the want of a mediator between himself and the Deity, the practice of praying to saints increased rapidly, and superstition multiplied the number of such mediators to so great an extent, that it was at length found necessary to put some restraint upon the practice. It was accordingly decreed by the ecclesiastical councils in the eth century, that no departed Christian should be con sidered as a saint to whom prayers might be addressed, until the bishop in a provincial council, and In the presence of the people, had pronounced him worthy of that honour. Even in that century many divines thought that it was proper that the decisions of bishops and councils should be confirmed by the consent and authority of the pope, who was regarded as the supreme and universal bishop. It was not, however, till the following century that any person was sainted by the bishop of Home alone ; and this honour was first conferred on Udalrie, bishop of Augsburg, by John XV. Shortly afterwards the privilege of declaring departed Christians to be saints was confined to the pope ; and the creation of saints was distinguished by the name of " canonisation." The invocation of saints in the Roman Catholic church is frequently stigmatised as idolatry ; and the Church of England condemns the Romish doctrine on the subject as "a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God." (Article xxii.) In this, as in any other ease of religious controversy, it is right to take the account of the doctrine from the persons who believe in it, and not from a statement of their opponents.
Thus Ilellarmine says," It is not lawful to ask of the saints to grant to us, as if they were the authors of divine benefits, glory, or grace, or the other moans of blessedness. This is proved, first, from Scripture : The Lord will give grace and glory.' (Psalm 1xxxiv.) Secondly, from the usage of the church; for in the mass prayers and the saints' offices we never ask anything else hut that at their prayers benefits may be gralited to us by God. Thirdly, from reason ; for what we need Ber le:4ms the power of the creature, and therefore even of saints ; there. fore we ought to ask nothing from saints beyond their impetrating from God what is profitable to us. Fourthly, from Augustine and Theodoret, who expressly teach that saints are not to be invoked as gods, but as able to gain from God what they wish. However, it must be observed, when we say that nothing should be asked of saints but their prayers for us, the question is not about the words, but the sense of the words. For, as far as words go, it is lawful to say, ` St. Peter, pity me, save me, open for me the gate of heaven ; ' also, `give me health of body, patience, fortitude, &c.,' provided that we mean ` save and pity me by praying for me; "grant me this or that by thy prayers and merits.' For so speaks Gregory Nazianzen, and many others of the ancients." (` De Sauct. Beat.,' i. 17.) The doctrine of the Roman Catholic church is explicitly stated in the council of Treut : "Though the church has been accustomed sometimes to celebrate a few masses to the honour and remembrauce of saints, yet she doth not teach that sacrifice is offered to them, but to God alone, who crowned them ; wherefore neither is the priest wont to say, I offer 'sacrifice to thee, 0 Peter, or 0 Paul, but to God." (Seas., 22.) The Lives of the Saints have been written in the `Arta Sanctorum,' 51 vols. fol. [BOLLANDUS, Jolts', in Moo. Div.]; and in Alban Butler's ' Lives of the Saints,' 12 vols. 8vo.