I'll I .f\'iJi 'J V 1. ''>i\ 1 r f, i^ i/ri,* ilW', ^f •' ^^ f^? »: if '11 W 3 til 1 I, •< i*, I . Mjip^ J'-/* ¦ .*)'" YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MhJ 3^ . ^n Giusta misura del Piede delta Sealissima Madre di Dio cava- ia dalla sua vera Scarpa eke si conserva con somma divozione in un Monasiero di Spagna. It Pontefice Giovanni XXII. concesse 300. a7ini d' Indiil- genza a chi bacera tre volte guesta misura e vi recitera tre Ave Maria : e cid fv, confermato dal Papa Cte- menle VIII. nelV anno di nostra Redenzione 1603. Questa Indulgenza non avendo prescrizione dinum- ero si puo acqislare quanle volte si vorrd dai divoii di Maria Vergine saulissima : si puo applicare alle Anime del Purgaiorio ; ed e per- messo a maggiore gloria delta Reg ilia del Cielo di irarre da questamisura altre simile le quali averanno tutta la medesima Indulgenza. copy of the representation of the meisure op the virgin Mary's foot, suspended in the church of st. gennaro dk' POVEKI, AT HAPtES.— See pp. 94, 95. MARIOLATEY: OR, FACTS AND EVIDENCES DEMONSTRATINQ THK WORSHIP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY BY THE CHURCH OF ROME, DERIVED FROM THE TESTIMONIES OF HER REPUTED SAINTS AND DOCTORS, FROM HER BREVIARY AND OTHER AUTHORIZED ROMISH FORMULARIES OF DEVOTION, CONFIRMED BT THE ATTESTATION OF TRAVELLERS. BY THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE, B. D. til OP ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE : D. D. OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE, HARTFORD, CONN. : AND OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ; RECTOR OF THE UNITED PARISHES OF SAINT EDMUND THE KING AND MARTYR, AND SAINT NICHOLAS ACONS ; CANON OF ST. PAUL'S ; AUTHOR OF "AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CRITICAL STUDY AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES," SO. «iC. Thou Shalt worship the Lord thy Ood, and him only shall thou serve. Our Lord Ji:sub Christ. FIRST AMERICAN, CORRECTEn AND ENLARGED BY THE AUTHOR, FROM THE SECOND LONDON EDITION, AND EDITED BY THE Rev. SAMUEL FARMAR JAR VIS, D.D. LL. D. HARTFORD : HENRY S. PARSONS. 1S44. Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1843, BY HENRY S. PARSONS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. Press of Case, Tiffany and Bomham. 1 THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. The following pages contain the substance of two Articles in the Church of England Quarterly Review, for Jan uary and April, 1841. They are now respectfully submit ted to the public in their present form, in consequence of applications made to the publisher, that the documentary INFORMATION which they contain, respecting the idolatrous worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Church of Rome, might be beneficially circulated as a separate publication. In preparing it a second time for the press, besides making several corrections, the author has availed himself of the opportunity thus presented to him, of introducing various important additional evidences ; which, together with those previously given, concur to demonstrate, beyond the possi bility of denial or disproof, the practice of Mary Worship by the Church of Rome. While this little work was passing through the press, up wards of thirty books of devotions addressed to the Virgin Mary {printed at and recently brought from Rome, Naples, Modena, and other places in Italy, and Switzerland), were communicated to the author. From seventeen of these, he has selected the most important passages, which are given in Italian, French, and English in the Appendix. PREFACE AMERICAN EDITION, The Editor has been for the last twenty years in intimate corres pondence with the learned Author of Mariolatry, who is so well known to the American public by his " Introduction to the study and know ledge of the Holy Scriptures." Sometime in the Autumn of 1841, he received a presentation copy of the following work, and immediately thought of republishing it in America. As it was published in Eng land without the Author's name, he wrote for permission to let it ap pear on the title page of the American edition. Dr. Home not only complied with his request, but also sent him from time to time, various corrections and valuable additions. The depressed state of the book- trade at that time, induced him to suspend the publication, a circum stance which he then greatly regretted, but which may in the end contribute to enlarge its circulation. For the present excitement with regard to Romanism, will lead thinking men to inquire what Roman ism is. To contend against Catholic Truth because it is held by the Church of Rome, weakens the cause we mean to serve and puts arms into the enemy's hands. So if we dwell on those points of doctrine or prac tice in which there is a mixture of truth and error, a dexterous antag onist may lead unwary minds to accept the error for the sake of the truth, or reject the truth on account of the error. But if we confine ourselves to those points on which the Holy Scriptures are silent or which they expressly condemn, we stand on vantage ground, and our triumph is certain. One of these points is the worship of the Virgin Mary. No com mand of the Scriptures can be pleaded for it ; and the analogies of Scripture forbid it. No early practice of the Christian Church can be IX adduced for it. In fact it grew out of the heats engendered by the Arian heresy. The Arians were the first persecutors. Under the despotic sway of the Emperor Constantius the tyranny of Arianism was imposed upon the Church for about forty years ; and when she was released from that intolerable bondage, a violent re-action led to the deification of our Lord's blessed mother. The practice began between the second and third General Councils ; that of Constantino ple, A. D. 331 and that of Ephesus, A. D. 431. Feeble in its origin it did not acquire a confirmed existence, until in the latter part of the eighth century an impure woman had seized the imperial throne. With regard to this grand corruption in the Church of Rome, the Editor does not know a better or a more useful compend than Dr. Home's Mariolatry. It places Rome herself as a witness on the stand, and out of her own mouth condemns her as guilty of the grossest Idolatry. He could from his own personal knowledge add much in corroboration of the proofs brought forward by Dr. Home. A few of the facts he has witnessed are mentioned in his " Address to the Members of the Protestant Episcopal Church," entitled " No Union with Rome"; but he has many others in store which he may hereafter publish if occasion serve. All go to show that where the system of the Roman Communion is fully acted upon, the worship of the vir gin HAS almost superseded THAT OP THE HoLV TrINITY. The additions sent by Dr. Home add new value to this American reprint. In two cases the Author sent only the originals. For the eake of uniformity, and to aid such readers as are acquainted only with the English language, the Editor has thought it best to add trans lations of the German and Latin. These are included in brackets, and the initials of the translator are annexed. For these of course Dr. Home is not responsible. As to corrections, principally of typographical errors, some have been sent by the Author, but the greater part have been made by the Editor. In the Italian, especially, numerons errors in the London edi tion have been corrected ; but as the Editor had not the works cited to refer to, he could not be sure that some grammatical inaccuracies might not exist in the quoted volumes. In such cases he has not ven tured on conjectural emendation, but has preferred leaving them as in the English edition. In the translations he has not thought it proper to alter the language of Dr. Home ; but he has once or twice taken the liberty of inclosing his own translation in brackets, whenever he thought that the original should be more literally rendered. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Adaptation of Popery to the subjugation of the human pace mind _..--- 1>> Mariolatry contrary to the New Testament - 14, 15 Origin, Progress, and Establishment of Mariolatry 15, 16 I. FiEST Class of Evidence. — Mariolatry taught by re puted Saints and Doctors of the Romish Church : viz — 1. Blessed Feter Damian - - - 17 2. Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux - 17, 18 3. .BZesset? Albert the Great - - - 19 4. Saint Bonaventure - - - 19, 20 The genuineness of his " Psalter of the Blessed Vir gin" proved . _ - - 23-28 Extracts from it - - 23-25 Extract from his " Parody on the Te Deum," and other Hymns, applied by him to the Virgin Mary 26, 27 Extracts from his " Parody on the Athanasian Creed" - - - - 28 Extracts from the " Crown," and " Lesser Psalter," of the Virgin Mary - - - 28 5 Saint Alphonso Liguori - _ . 28, 29 Anecdote of his Mariolatry - - 59, 60 Extracts from some of his prayers to the Virgin 90 The Attributes of God — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit given to the Virgin Mary - - 32-36 IL Second Class of Evidence ^The authorized For mularies of Devotion of the Romish Church - 36-59 Festivals instituted in honour of the Virgin - 36 1 . The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin - 37, 38 3. Her Nativity - .... 42 3. Her pretended Assumption into heaven - 42-44 Devotions to the Virgin Mary, in use among English and Irish Romanists ... . . . 45-58 XI Extraordinary powers ascribed to the Virgin Mary Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Mary Other Prayers directly addressed to the Virgin Devotions directly addressed to the Virgin at Rome III. Third Class of Evidence The testimonies travellers of known probity and character 1. Mariolatry in Spain 2. Mariolatry in Portugal 3. Mariolatry in France 4" Mariolatry in Italy, generally 5. Mariolatry at, Rome, in particular 6. Mariolatry at Naples Exact Measure of the Shoe of the Virgin Mary 7. Mariolatry at Florence and Modena 8. Mariolatry in Switzerland — Fribourg Mutilation of the Ten Commandments by Papal authority The titles and attributes of Deity given to the Popes Adoration of the Popes The true Church of Christ compared with the Romish Church - - 80, 81 APPENDIX. I. The original Italian of the prayers which are translated in pp. 56, 58 - - - 83,84 II. Additional Evidences (with specimens) of the idola trous prayers directly offered to the Virgin Mary in dif ferent parts of Italy, and especially in Rome - 84-98 44, 45 46- -50 - 50- -59 50- nC -58 01 59- -68 59 60, 61 61, ,62 62, 63 63-85- -88 93. ,94 94 95. ,96 96, 97 ity 69 71- -75 75- -SO xu NOTE REFERRED TO IN PAGE 15. The Rev. j. E.Tyler, in his elaborate enquiry into "Primitive Christian Worship ; or, the Evidence of Holy Scripture and the Church concerning the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary," (London, 1840. Svo.) has, with great learning, minutely examined all the passages cited by Romanists from the works of the early writers or fathers of the Christian Church : and he has triumph antly demonstrated, that not the slightest pretext for the invocation of saints or angels, or for Mariolatry, is to be found in them. Mr. Tyler's work is written in the form of a conciliatory address to British Romanists, as being less controversial; while the facts which he has collected, and the powerful arguments which he has adduced, remain the same. In his Appendix he has convicted Dr. Wiseman (titular Bishop of Melipotamus), the most recent advocate of Popery, of citing as genuine various spurious passages of some of the fathers of the Church. But this is no new occurrence in the annals of Popish con troversy : in an early part of his volume he has convicted Cardinal Bellarmine of the like fraud. MARIOLATRY, ETC. Of all the systems of spiritual tyranny ever devised for subjugating the human mind, Popery, or the system of doc trines and practices of the Romish Church, whose head is called the Pope, stands unrivalled and alone for its admi rable adaptation to the heart of fallen man. If we examine this complex system, we shall find that every possible tem perament has been consulted in it. In order to " quiet the conscience, it has doctrines of human merit and superero gation ; to alarm the indifferent, it has fears of purgatory ; to give ease to the conscience of the man of the world and of pleasure, each sin has its penance." All men, at times, are under fears of God's wrath ; their conscience is touched ; they are in anxiety ; and at such times Popery intervenes, lulls them for the moment, and sends them .... into eternity ! On the other hand, the lovers of music are tempted by compositions the most sublime and beautiful, which can charm or delight the ear ; while the admirers of painting and sculpture are fascinated by the most exquisite productions of those arts. To those who are fond of pa geantry, the Romish Church presents a gorgeous ritual; to the devout and sentimental she offers incessant prayers, very many of which are clothed in the most impassioned, not to say amatory language. Among these impassioned prayers the devotions directly addressed to the Blessed Virgin are very conspicuous : and as it is an artifice of Papists to deny what it is not very agree able to them to admit, as the actual practice of their section 2 14 MARIOLATRY CONTRARY TO of the universal Church, we indulge the hope that we shall render some service to the cause of pure and undefiled reli gion, by exhibiting proofs and evidences of the Mariol atry, or Worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as practiced in and by the Church of Rome, derived from the testimo nies of her reputed saints and doctors, and from her breviary, and other authorized formularies of devotion. — It can scarcely be necessary to apprize our readers, that there is not a single text in the New Testament which afTords any pretext whatever in favour of Mary-worship. Our Saviour, in his personal intercourse with the Blessed Virgin, from the very commencement to the close of his ministry, manifested an anxious desire of precluding, espe cially in regard to her, the belief that any intercession with him might be expected. At the marriage-feast, which im mediately preceded his ministry, he checked her interfer ence, even with some severity, when she intimated her expectation that he would work a public miracle for the accommodation of the company ; though he immediately afterwards performed the same privately, for the conviction, as it appears, of his discij^les. (John ii. 1-11.) In the progress of his ministry, he publicly disclaimed her right of concerning herself with his conduct, even for his personal welfare; demanding, " Who is my mother, and who are my brethren 1" Who are the persons urging, under these titles, claims on my attention, while I am engaged in proclaiming the doctrine of salvation 1 (Matt. xii. 48-50.) And in the concluding scene of suffering, we may well believe that, when he again addressed his mother with the cold appella tion woman, and directed his beloved disciple to behold in her his mother (John xix. 26, 27,) his intention was to ab dicate for ever the human relationship of his earthly parent, as terminated with his earthly existence, that she might not, by superstitious worship, be exalted, as she has been, to the throne of heaven.* The silence of the apostles • Miller's " Letter to the Rev. E.B. Pusey, D.D.," p. 63. London. 1840. 8to. THE NEW TESTAMENT. 15 John, Peter, James, Jude, and Paul, is a clear proof that no honours were paid by them, or in their time, to the Virgin Mary. Equally silent are the genuine* writings of the apostolical fathers (as those who immediately succeeded the apostles are ordinarily termed) , and of the subsequent eccle siastical authors to the time of Athanasius. ( It is indeed, a well attested fact, that no divine honours were given, ear lier than the fourth century, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, of whom no " true member of the Anglican branch of the Catholic Church either can or will speak disparagingly or irreverently." j The first persons upon record, as offering divine honour^' to her, were the Collyridians, who derive their names from the MM.vp.S'ei, or certain cakes, which they offered annually to Saint Mary, in sacrifice, upon her festival, when they worshipped her as a goddess. This sfl- perstition came from Thrace, and the yet more distant regions of Scythia and Arabia. While they were mere pa gans, they had been accustomed to bake and present similar cakes to the goddess Venus, or Astarte (the moon) ; and after they professed Christianity, they thought that this honour migh now be best shewn to Mary.f This supersti tion was condemned by Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamisand a canonized saint of the Romish Church, in as strong terms as if he had foreseen the hyperdulia or transcendent kind of service with which Romanists would one day worship the Virgin Mary. " What scripture (he says) has delivered anything concerning this ? Which of the prophets have permitted a man to be worshipped, that I may not say a woman 1 For a choice vessel she is indeed, but yet a wo man." "The body of Mary was holy indeed, but NOT God. The Virgin, indeed, was a virgin and honourable, but not given to us for adoration, but one that did herself worship Him who was born of her in the flesh, and [who] * See note in page xii. supra. tMosheim's Ecclesiastical History, Cent, iv., Book II., Part ii., ch. v., § 25. (Vol. i., pp. 414, 415, of Dr. Murdock's accurate translation, edited by Mr. Soatnes). 16 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS came down from heaven out of the bosom of His Father. After censuring the Collyridians at considerable length for invoking the Virgin as a goddess, he sums up the whole in the following very emphatic terms : — " Let Mary be in HONOUR ; but let the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit be worshipped. Let no one worship Marv."* The worship of the Virgin Mary, which had continued to spread between the fourth and ninth centuries, was in the tenth century carried much further than before. Towards its close the custom became prevalent, in the Latin or West ern Church, of celebrating masses and abstaining from flesh on Saturdays, in honour of Saint Mary. In the next place, the Daily or Lesser Office of Saint Mary was intro duced, which was subsequently confirmed by Urban II. in tke Council of Clermont. And lastly, tolerably distinct traces of the Rosary and Crown of Saint Mary, as they are called, or of praying according to a numerical arrangement, are to be found in this century. The Rosary consists of fifteen pater nosters, or repetitions of the Lord's Prayer, and one hundred and fifty ave marias, or salutations of the Virgin Mary ; and the Crown of Saint Mary consists of six or seven repetitions of the Lord's Prayer, and sixty or seventy salutations. t Succeeding ages have witnessed the inven tion of additional superstitious services in honour of the Blessed Virgin. We now propose to show, from the irrefragable evidence of reputed saints and doctors of the Romish Church, as well as from her authorized formularies^ of public devotion, and from accredited manuals of private devotion, that the wor ship of the Virgin Mary is taught and enforced by the mod ern Church of Rome ; and the practice of it shall then be demonstrated from the testimonies of modern travellers. "El rtiA.71 \a-ra Mupia- i S'l Ylttrnfi xa] t]k km ''.\y;ij» miv/tcc, TrpoFxvmirSa. THN MAPIAN MHAEIS nPOXKTNEITO (Epiphanius adversus Hcereses, tib.'m., Hm.r. 79.) t Mosheim's Eccl. Hist, by Murdock and Soames, vol. ii., p. 299. (Cent, x., part u., ch, iv., § 3.) i j i- v. i OF MARIOLATRY. 17 I. Our first class of evidence shall be drawn from a few of the principal reputed saints and doctors of the Romish Church. 1. We commence with the Blessed Peter Damian, Car dinal Bishop of Ostia, about the middle of the eleventh century. In his first sermon on the nativity of the Virgin Mary, he thus identifies the Almighty with her. Having asserted that God is (or exists) in all created things in four ways, he says — " In a fourth manner he exists in one crea ture, viz., the Virgin Mary, by identity ; because he is the same as she is.''* And in his apostrophe to the Virgin, he actually ascribes OTwnzpoience to her : "He that is mighty has done great things in thee ; and all power is given unto thee in heaven and on earth/'f 2. Saint Bernard was abbot of Clairvaux, in France, at the close of the eleventh and in the former half of the twelfth century : he wrote numerous homilies in honour of the Blessed Virgin, besides making very frequent mention of her in his other writings. Having affirmed that the word Mary signifies Star of the Sea, and endeavoured to show how appropriate it is to the Virgin, he proceeds thus to ex hort his hearers to the worship of her : — " If the waves of temptation arise, if thou runnest against the rocks of tribulation, look to the star called Mary. If thou art tossed on the waves of pride, ambition, detraction, or emulation, look to the star called Mary. If passion, or avarice, or the allurement of the flesh, toss the little bark of [thy] mind, look to Mary. If, disturbed by the heinousness of [thyj crimes, confounded by the filthiness of [thy] conscience, dismayed with horror of judgment, thou beginnest to be swallowed up in the gulf of sorrow, the abyss of despair, think on Mary. In dangers, in difficulties, in doubtful affairs, think on Mary — call upon Mary. Let her not depart from [thy] mouth, let her not depart from [thy] heart ; and, in order that thou mayst obtain the sui^ frage of her prayer, forsake not the example of her conversation. If thou follow her, thou dost not deviate ; if thou supplicate her, thou dost * " Q,uartn mode inest uni creatiirse, videlicet Marise Virgini, idenlitate, quia idem est quad ilia. Surius,deprobatis sanctorum historiis." — (7^om.v.,p. 113). t" Fecit in te magna, qui potensest; et data est TiBl ovmis potestas in celo [coelo] et in terra." — (/Aid., p. 114). 2* 18 mariolatry taught by not despair; if thou think of her, thou dost not err. If she uphold thee, thou dost not fall ; if she protect thee, thou hast no cause for fear; if she be thy leader, thou art not fatigued ; if she be propitious,^ thou obtainest [thy requests] ; and thus thou dost experience in thyself how deservedly it is said— And ihe name of the Virgin was Mary."* Elsewhere, Bernard terms the Virgin a mediator to the Mediator [Jesus Christ], and adds that there is none more useful to us than Mary ;t to whom we are to have recourse as an advocate with Him, J and as the woman who was to bruise the serpent's head.§ This application of Gen. iii. 15, to the woman, rather than to the seed of the woman — the Lord Jesus Christ — by Bernard (we may incidentally remark) , proves how ancient is the corruption, in this pas sage, of the Latin Vulgate version of the Scriptures, which reads ipsa foripsE. That this rendering of the Romanists is false, is proved by the evidence of the Septuagint version, the Chaldee paraphrase on the Pentateuch, and by the old Syriac version, all of which refer the pronoun it to the seed of the woman, and not to the woman herself.|| The very ancient manuscript of the Latin Vulgate version in the * " Si insurgant venti tentationum, si incurras scopulos tribulationum, res- pice stellam, voce Mariaih. Si jactaris superbise undis, si ambitionis, sidetrac- tionis, si aemulationis, respice slellam, voce Mariam. Siiracundiaaulavaritia, aut carnis illecebra naviculam concusserit mentis, respice ad Mariam. Si criminum immanitate turbatus, conscientiae foedilate confusus, judicii horrore perterritus, baratro incipias absorberi tristiiiee, desperationis abysso, cogila Mariam. In peiiculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis, Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca. Non recedat ab ore ; non recedat a corde; et, ut impetres ejus orationis suffragium, non deseras conversation is exemplum. Ipsam sequens, nondevias: ipsam rogans, non desperas ; ipsam cogitans, non erras. Ipsa tenenie, non corruis; ipsa protegente, non meiuis; ipsa duce, non fatigaris ; ipsa propitia, pervenis ; et sic in temetipso experiris quam merito dictum sit — ' Et Women Vir ginis Mariee.'" — (Bernardi Opera a Mabillon vol. i., col. 743,, CD. Paris. 1690). + "Opus estenim Mediatore ad Mediatorem istum : nee alter nobis utilior quam Mavia."-(Col. lOOG. E). t" Advocatum vis liabere et ad ipsum [Jesum Christum] f Ad Mariam re- curre."— (Col. 1014. F). § " Gluam tibi aliam piaedixisse Deus videtur, quando ad serpentem ait Inim- iciiies ponavi inter te etmulierem. Et si adhuc dubitasquod de Maria non dix- erit, audi quod sequitur, /psa COTikreicapuZ tuum. Cui ha:c servata victoria est, nisi Mariae t. Ipsa procul dubio caput contrivit venenatum, quae omnimo- dam raaligni suggestionem tam de cainis illecebra, quam de mentis supeibia, deduxit ad niliiium." — (Col. 738. A). II " Bp. Beveridge's Works, vol. ii., p. 193 ; and vol. ix., pp. 233, 234. Svo. edit. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 19 British Museum, which is acknowledged to be one of the copies of Alcuin's recension of that version, and which was written about the middle of the eighth century, has this corrupt reading, which was most probably introduced in order to support the growing superstition of the age in favor of the Virgin Mary. The following " Prayer of Saint Bernard to the Blessed Virgin" is extracted from the " Little Office, Litany, and Mass, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus :'.'* " Remember, O most pious Virgin ! it is a thing unheard of, that thou ever forsakest those who have recourse to thee. Encouraged with this hope and confidence, niy most dear Mother, I, a most miser able sinner, cast myself at thy sacred feet, humbly begging that thou wilt adopt me as thy son for ever, and take upon thee the care of my eternal salvation. Do not, Mother of the Word Incarnate, reject my petition, but graciously hear and grant it. Amen '' (page 35). 3. An interpretation of Gen. iii. 15, similar to that just cited from Bernard, was written by the Blessed Albert the Great, Bishop of Ratisbon, about the middle of the thirteenth century; who, in his " Biblia Marialia," afiirms that the Virgin Mary is the Heaven and the Light which the Al mighty created, and the Throne of Mercy to which the sin ner comes for pardon. f The limits necessarily assigned to this tract prohibit even the smallest selection of passages from his twelve books in praise of the Virgin Mary, which fill nearly the entire twenty-first volume of the folio edition of his works printed at Lyons in 1651. 4. /Saini Bonaventure, Cardinal Bishop of Albano, is accounted one of the most eminent saints of the Romish Church ; he lived in the middle and latter part of the thir- « " Praise be to Jesus ! the Little Office, and Litany, and Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus." Published by " Fergusoii, 108, Patrick-street, Cork. — 1836." 24mo. t " Gen. i. 1. ' In principio creavit Deus caluni et tcrram.' Cailum, scilicet, empyreum, per quod intelligitur Domina Mundi, Virgo Maria. " Ipsa etiam dicitur Lux. Gen. i. Tenebra erant super foxiem ahyssi. Ten- £BR£ ignorantise et ceecitatis super faciem cordis humani. Di.iiique Deus, Fiat Imx, id est, Maria generetur et nascalur." — {Biblia Marialia, page 1., col. 1., Op. Tom. 21. Lugduni, 1651). ^' Job xxiii. 3. Item ipsa est misericordiae solium, ad quod veniens peccator, absolvitur. Quis mihi tribuat ut veniam ad solium ejus ? id est, usque ad Ma riam, quae solium eat misericordiae. — {Ibid, p. 12., col. 2). 20 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY teenth century. In the fifth lesson o/ the special service in his honour, appointed for the 14th July (on which day he died in 1474),* we are informed that " he wrote many things; in which, combining the greatest learning with ar- dent piety, he affects the reader while he instructs him.'^t Bonaventure wrote many pieces in honour of the Virgin Mary: particularly the "Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary" {Speculum Beatis Maries Virginis,) ihe " Office on the Compassion of the Blessed Virgin Mary" {De Compas- sione B. Marice Virginis Officium), the " Crown of the Bles sed Virgin Mary" {Corona B. Marice Virginia), the " Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary" {Laus B. Marice Virginis), the " Lesser Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary" {Psalterium Minus B. Marice Virginis), and the " Psalter of the Blessed Virgin" {Psalterium B. Marice Virginis). [i] Of these various treatises the " Psalter" is, perhaps, the best known. Taking every one of the hundred and fifty Psalms of David, the " Seraphic Doctor" Bonaventure so changes the commencement of each as to address them, not, as the inspired Psalmist did, to the Lord Jehovah, the one only Lord God Almighty, but to the Virgin Mary ; inser ting much of his own composition, and then adding the Gloria Patri to each. So offensive to Papists are these spe cimens of direct invocation to the Virgin Mary, that some of them have affirmed that this Psalter has been put into * The foUowing are the prayers in use in the Romish Church on the 14th of July, the least of "Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor." We give them in the translation printed in page 630 of " The Missal for the Use of the Ldity." "Newly arranged, and in great measure translated by the Rev. F. C. Husenbeth. Third edition, improved, with the approbation of all the Right Revs, the Vicars Apostolic of England." London: C. Dolman, 61, New Bond-street. 1840. 12ino. " Secret. — We beseech thee, O Lord, that the annual solemnity of holy Bon aventure, thy confessor and ijishop, may render us acceptable to thy mercy; that, by these offices of pious expiation, while our blessed retribution attends h^m, he may procure for us the gifts of thy grace : through our Lord," &c. PosTCOM : Deusfideliurn. — " O God the rewarder of faithful souls, grant that we may obtain pardon by the prayers of blessed Bonaventure, thy confessor and bishop, whose venerable festival we celebrate : through our Lord," &c. t " Multa scripsit, in quibus summam eruditionem cum pari pietatis ardore conjungens, lectorem docendo movet." (Breviarium Romanum. Pars. .Es tiva., p. 48j., Edidit F. C. Husenbeth. Norvici. 1630). ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 21 the Roman Index of prohibited books, while others have not hesitated to assert that it never was written by Bona venture. In reply to these false assertions, it is sufficient to state, that a careful examination of all the Indexes of prohibited books, issued under the auspices of the Romish Church, has demonstrated, that the Psalter of Bonaventure is not to be found in any one of them.* And in disproof of its preten ded spuriousness we may remark, that its genuineness is proved by the facts, first, that it is included in the body of the Vatican edition of Bonaventure's worlvs, published at Rome under the auspices of Pope Sixtus V., the editors of which assure us that they liave thrown into the Appendix all the works concerning the genuineness of which there was any doubt ;t and secondly, it is further recommended, in the strongest terms, by the highest individual authority in the Romish Church : for the bull issued by Sixtus V., and prefixed to the first volume of Bonaventure's works, has stamped the " Psalter of the Blessed Virgin" with the high est approbation. No doubt whatever existed at that time in the Romish Church concerning its author : — " It was, therefore, one of those works which were to be ' cited, ad duced, and referred to, whenever occasion should require, in semina ries, schools, colleges, academies, lessons, disputings, interpretations, sermons, and all other ecclesiastical exercises.' The Psalter thus rec ommended was very generally read and admired : and if its reputa tion may be judged of by the number of editions (not fewer than twepty-eight between the year 1476, when it was first published at * King's "Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, illustrated by extracts from the works of ecclesiastical writers," (IJublin, 1840). pp. 83, 84. Rev. H. T. Powell's " Roman Fallacies and Catholic Truths." Appendix, pp. 15-17. + The Roman or Vatican edition of the Works of Bonaventure was reprinte d at Mayence, in Germany, in 1609, and again at Lyons, in France, in 1668, both in seven volumes, folio. The edii ion from which our quotations are made is that of Mayence. It is intituled, " Sancti Bonaventvras ex ordine Minorum, S. R. E., Episcopo card. Albanen. eximii Eccles. Doctoris Opera, Sixti V., Pont. Max. jvssv diligentissime emendata, librisejvsravltisvndiqueconqvisitis avcta. Gluse omnia in tomos septem distributa nunc primum in Germania post correctissimam Roman, Vaticanam editionem prodeunt in lucem. Mogvntiae, sumptibus Antonii *Iierati, bibliopolae Coloniensis. Permissu Superiorum, anno mdcix." 22 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY Venice, and 1823, when it was reprinted at Rouen) through which it has passed, certainly we cannot well conceive how it could have risen much higher."* A German translation of this Psalter was published at Vienna in 1841, intitled : " Guldener Psalter des heiligen Bonaventura, Cardinal-Bischofs zu Albano und Kirchen- lehrers. Zu ehren unserer Lieben Frau, in alien Nothen und Anliegen zu bethen. Aus dem Lateinischen iibersetzt von J. P. Gilbert. Zweite Auflage. Wien, 1841 : Bei J. H. Wallishausser." That is, " The Golden Psalter of Saint Bonaventure Cardinal-Bishop of Albano and Doctor of the Church. In honour of our dear Lady to be used in prayer in all troubles and necessities. Translated from the Latin by J. P. Gilbert, second Edition, Vienna 1841 [published] by J. H. Wallishausser," 12mo. pp. ISO. With a Madonna and child for frontispiece. But what proves beyond doubt the genuineness of Bona venture's "Psalter of the Blessed Virgin," is the fact that it was early paraphrased in the Italian language, as an un doubted production of the Seraphic Doctor,t and that a considerable part of it is embodied in the " Tribute Quoti- diano di AfTettuose Preghiere e Lodi per ciascun giorno della settimana alia Immacolata Madre di Dio, Madre di Miseri cordia e Rifugio de* Peccatori, Maria SS Tratte dalle opere del Seraf. D. S. Bonaventura;" or, "Daily Tribute of Aflfectionate Prayers and Praises, for every Day in the Week, to the Immaculate Mother of God, the Mother of Mercy and Refuge of Sinners, the Most Holy Mary ;" '¦'¦ drawn from the works of the Seraph\ic^ D\octor^, S\aint\ Bonaoentura.'" Two editions of this manual of devotion are now before us, printed in 64mo., which are sold at Rome » King's " Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary Illustrated," pp. 84, 85. + " Salmi di S. Bonaventura in lode della Vergine, volgarizzati e brieuemente sposti per Giovan Battista Pinello. In Genoua. mdcvi." That is, " The Psalms of St. Bonaventure in praise of the Virgin, translated and brieHy ex plained by John Baptist Pinello. Genoa. 1606." It is a quarto volume of 373 pages, exclusive of indexes, and is printed " con licenza!te 'Superiori" — with permission of the superiors. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 23 for three halfpence per copy. One has the imprint of "Roma, vendibile nella Libreria Marini, Piazza del Colle- gio Romano, N. 4, 1836;" which is authorized by the "re- imprimatur" of "Fr. Angelus V. Modena, S. P. M. S.," and of " A. Piatti Archiep. Trapez. Vicesg." The other edition has the imprint of "Roma, 1839 (on the wrapper 1840), presso Alessandro Monaldi, Via Sislinan. 47, Piazza del Gesu, n. 65." It also has the "imprimatur" of " Fr. V. A. Modena, 0. P. S. P. Apost. Magister Soc.;" and of " A. Piatti Patriarch. Antioch. Vicesg." When it is re collected that so rigid is the censorship over the press at Rome, that not even a hand-bill can be printed without the license of the master of the apostolic palace and his deputy, our readers will readily conclude that this " Tribute Quoti- diano," or "Daily Tribute" to the Virgin Mary, could not have been printed, if the devotions which it contains had not been in strict conformity with the genuine doctrine of the Romish Church. We will now give two specimens of entire Psalms from the Psalter of Bonaventure, first in Latin and English, then in Italian and English, and lastly in German and English, premising only that it is expressly stated, in the " Tribute Quotidiano" (p. 15), that the Psalms are taken from a little work of St. Bonaventure, intituled " The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin." ^^ I Salmi si sono desunti daW opuscolo di S. Bonaventura, intitolato de Psalterio B. V. :" — PSALMUS I. Beatus vir qui diligit nomen tuum, Maria Virgo : gratia tua animum ejus confortabit. Tanquam aquarum fontibus irriga- tum vber: in eo fruclum justitiae pro- Benedicta tu inlermulieres : per cred- ulitatem cordis sancti tui. Vniversas enim foeminas vincis pul- chritudine carnis: superas angelos et archangelos excellentia sanctitatis. PSALM I. Blessed is the man that loveth thy name, [O] Virgin Mary : thy grace shall stiengthen his heart. As a fertile [spot] moistened by streams of water: thou shall plant in him the fruit of righteousness. Blessed art thou among women : for the believing disposition of thy sacred heart. For in the beauty of thy flesh thou surpasses! all women : thou excellest angels and archangels in the excellen cy of holiness. 24 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY Misericordia tua et gratia vbique prae- dicatur: Deus operibus manuum tua- rum benedixit. Gloria Patri, &c.— {Bonavenluram Opera, tom. vi., p. 478 col. 2). SAI.MO I. Beato e quell' uomo, che nutre affetto didevozionepelvostronome, o Maria:* giacche il favor vostro portera conforto al suo spiiito. E quasi in giardino da fresca fonte inaffiato :* propagherete in lui I'eletto frutto digiustizia. Benedetta Voi siete infra le donne:* per la fede, che regna nel vostro cuore. L'amabilita del vostro aspetto supera in veritaquellad'ogni terrena creatura* I'allezza della vnslra santita quella sor- passa degU angioli e degli arcangeli. La vostra misericordia e grazia, onde siete ricolma, si celebrano per tutto il mondo con somme lodi:* Ha Iddio benedetto le vostra operazioni. Sia Gloria al Padre ec. ( Trlbuto Quotidiano, pp. 15, 16, of the edition of 1836, and p. 16 of the edition of 1839). PSALM I. Selig der Mensch der deinen Naraen liebt, o heilige Jungfrau Maria ! Kriift- igen wird deine gnade seine Seele. Gleich wird stin Herz seyn einem wohl-bewasserten Erdreich; reichliche Frtichteder Gerechtigkeit werdendarin durch deine Milde aufsprossen. Gesegnet bist du unter den Weibern durch den treuen Glauben deiner heili gen Heizens ! Hoch iiberglanzt die Schone deines jungfraiilichen Anilitzes das ganze Frauengeschlect; hoch die Erzhaben- heit deiner Heiligkeit, alle Engel und Erzengel ! Der ganze Erdkreis ertiint von deiner Bannheizigkeit und Gnade. Die Werke deiner Handehatder Herrge- - segnet. Ehre sey dem Vater etc. Guldener Psalter &c. Page 1. PSALMDS XXX. In te Domina speravi, non confundar in aeternum : in gratia tua suscipe me. Tu es fortitudo raea et refugium me- um : consolatio mea et protectio mea. Thy mercy and grace are everywhere told forth: and God hath blessed the works of thy hands. Glory be to tlie Father, &c. PSALM 1. Blessed is the man who cherishes a feeling of devotion for your name, 0 Mary : since your favour will bring comfort to his spirit. And as it were in a garden watered by a fresh fountain: you will increase in him the choice fruit of justice [or righteousness]. Blessed are you among women, through the faith which reigns in your heart. The loveliness of your countenance exceeds in truth that of every earthly creature; the loftiness of your holiness surpasses that of angels and archangels. Your mercy and grace, with which you abound, let them celebrate through the whole world with supreme praises: God has blessed your works. Glory be to the Father, &c. [psalm I. Blessed is the man that loveth thy name, oh Holy Virgin Mary ! Thy grace shall strengthen his soul. His heart will be like to a well-wa tered ground; abundant fruits of right eousness, through thy goodness will spring up therein. Blessed art thou among women, through the faithful belief of thy holy heart ! The beauty of thy Virgin counte nance surpasses in brightness the whole of woman kind. The elevation of thy holiness far outshines all angels and archangels ! The whole Earth resounds with thy mercy and grace. The works of thy hands the Lord hath blessed. Glory be to the Father, &c. H. de K.] PSALM XXX. In thee, [O] Lady, have I put my trust : let me never be put to confusion : in thy grace uphold me. Thou art my strength and my refuge: my consolation and my protection. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS, 25 Ad to Domina clamaui, dum tribu- laretur cor meum : et exaudisti me de vertice coUium teternorum. Educas me de laqueo quem abscon- deruntmihi; quoniam tu es adiutrix mea. In manus tuas Domina commendo spiritum meum : totam vitam meam el vltimumdiem meum. Gloria Patri, &c. {Bonaventura Opera, tom. vi. p. 480 col. 2). SALMO XXX. In Voi ho riposta, o Signora, la mia speranza, non restero in eterno confu se:* ricevetemi, ve ne supplico, nella vostra grazia. Piegate benigna I'orecchio vostro a 'miei preghi; * e ntlla tristizia mia consolatemi. Voi sieie la mia fortezza e il mio si- curo asilo, ?mia consolazione e raia di- fesa. A voi nell'aiflizion del mio cuore sol- levaisupplichevolelerate voci ; *eda- gli eterni colli pronta mi esaudiste. Nelle mani vostre affido, Signora, il mio spirito : ?a Voi raccomando la vita mia, nia piu Testremo mio giorno. Sia Gloria al Padre ec. Antif. Welle vostre mani racco mando, o Signora, ilmio spirito, tutta la vita mia, ma piu i'estremo mio giorno. Antif. Muoveteviapieta. {Tribu- to Quotidiano, pp. 2.5, 26, of the edition of 1836, and pp. 24, 25, of the edition of 1839). PSALM XXX. Auf dich, o Herrin,habe ich gehoffl, nicht zu Schanden werde ich werden in Ewigkeit ; nimm mich auf in deine Gnade. Du bist meine Kraft und meine Zu- flucht, du mein Trust und meine Be- schirmung! Zu dir, Herinn, rief ich auf, als mein Herz in Trilbsalen schmachtete; und duerhortest mich vom Gipfel der ewi- gen Hiigel ! O erledige meine Fiisse von den Schlingen die sie vor mir verbargen; denndu bistja meine Helferinn. In deine Hande unsere Liebe Fran, empfehle ich nieinen Geist, mein gan- zes Leben und den letzten moiner Tage. Ehre sey dem Vater etc. Guldener Psalter &c. Page 37. 3 Unto thee have I cried, O Lady, when my heart was in heaviness : and thou hast heard me from the top of the everlasting hills. Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily forme: for thou art my helper. Into thy hands, [0] Lady, I com mend my spirit : my whole life and my last day. Glory be to the Father, &c. PSALM XXX. In you, O Lady, have I reposed my hope ; I shall not eternally be put to confusion : receive me, 1 pray, into your favour. Bow down your favourable ear to my prayers : and in my sorrow console me. You are my strength and my safe refuge, my consolation and my defence. To you, in the affliction of my heart, I raised my suppliant voice; and from the eternal hills you have favourably heard me. Into your hands, O Lady, I com mend my spirit ; to you I commend my life, but chiefly my last day. Glory be to the Father, &c. Anliphon, Intoyour hands, O Lady I commend my spirit, my whole life, but chiefly my last day. Anliphon. Be moved to compas sion. [psalm XXX. In ihee, oli Lady, have I hoped, I shall never be put to shame ; receiV* me into thy favour. Thou art my strength and my ref uge, my consolation and my defence ! To thee, oh Lady did 1 cry, when my heart languished in misery, and thou heardcst me from the summit of the everlasting hills. Oh deliver my feet frpm the net that they have privily laid for me ; for thou art surely my helper. Into thine hands, our dear Lady, do I commend my spirit, my whole life, and the last of my days. Glory be to the Father, &c. H. de K.] 26 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY The Psalter of Bonaventure is followed by eight hymns, viz., in imitation of Isaiah xii. and xviii. ; of the song of Hannah, in 1 Sam. ii. ; of Miriam, in Exod. xv. ; of Hab- akkuk iii.; of Moses, in Deut. xxxii.; of the three Hebrew youths, in Dan. iii. ; and of Zachariah,inLukei. To these succeed the Te Deum and Athanasian Creed. A few ex tracts from these, and from two or three of the devotional treatises of Bonaventure above noticed, shall now be given. [ii.J From the hymn in imitation of that of Zacharias, in Luke i. : — Ettu Maria propheta Dei vocaberis; quoniam novisli, quod respexit humili- tatem ancillae suae. Per quam dedlt scientiam salutis pie- bis ejus : in remissionem peccatorum. Per viscera mullitudinis misericor diae tuae : visita nos, Stella matutina oriens ex alto. Illumina tenebras sedentium in um bra mortis: eteos luce dilectissimi filii tui digneris inst.llare. — {Bonaventura Opera, tom. vi., p. 480. col. 2). And thou, O Mai-y, shall be called a prophei[ess] of God : because thou knowest that he hath regarded the hu mility [or lowliness] of his hand maiden. By whom he hath given the knowl edge of the salvation of his people : for the remission of sins. Through the bowels of the multitude of thy mercy : visit us, O morning star rising from on high. Enlighten the darkness of those who are sitting in the shadow of death: and vouchsafe gently to pour upon them the light of thy most beloved Son. [iii] Extract from the hymn like that of Habakkuk iii. O Benedicta, in manibus tuis est re- posita nostra salus ; recordare, pia pau- pertatis nostrae. Cluem vis, ipse salvus erit, et a quo avertisvultum tuum, vaditininteritum. —Ibid. p. 480, col. 1). O thou Blessed [One], our salvation rests in thy hands. Remember our poverty, O thou pious [One]. Whom thou wiliest, he shall besaved: and he from whom thou turnest away thy countenance, goeth into destruction. [iv.] Extract from the Te Deum, with which the reader is requested to compare the sublime hymn so called, as it stands in the Book of Common Prayer : — Te matrem Dei laudamus, te Mariam virginem profitemur. Te eterni Patris sponsam omnis ter ra veneratur. Tibi omnes angeli et archangel! ; tibi throni et principatus deserviunt. Tibi omnis angelica creatura inccs- sabili voce proclamat; Sancta, sancta, sancta, Maria, Dei genetriz, mater, et Virgo. We praise thee, the mother of God; we acknowledge thee, Mary the Virgin. All the earth doth worship thee, the spouse of the Eternal Father. To thee all angels and archangels : lo thee thrones and principalities do service [or, wait upon thee]. To thee the whole angelic creation with never-ceasing voice cry aloud: Holy, holy, holy, Mary, the parent of God, mother, and Virgin. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 27 Pleni sunt coeli et terra majestatis gloriie fructus ventris tui. Te per vniversum orbem ecclesia in uocando concelebrat, Matrem Divinse Majestatis. Tu cum Filio tuo sedes ad dexteram Patris. Salvum fac populum tuum Domina, ut simus participes hasreditatis Filii tui Dignare dulcis Maria nunc et sem per nos sine delicto conservare. Fiat misericordia tua magna nobis cum : quia in te Virgo Maria confidi- mus. In te dulcis Maria speramus : nosde- fendas in aeternum. — {Ibid. p. 480, col. 2; 481, col. I). Heaven and earth are full of the ma jesty of the glory of the fruit of thy womb. The Church through all the world, by invoking [thee], doth celebrate thee, the Mother of the Divine Majesty. Thou, with thy Son, sittest at the right hand of the Father. O Lady, save thy people, that we may be partakers of thy Son's inheri- tance. Vouchsafe, O sweet Mary, to keep us now and for ever without sin. Let thy great mercy be with us, be cause in thee, O Virgin Mary, do we put our trust. In thee do we hope, O sweet Mary; do thou defend us eternally. The Te Deum of Bonaventure is given in Italian in the " Tribute Quotidiano," pp. 79-85, of the edition printed in 1836, and in pp. 72-78, of the edition of 1839. A few sen tences will suffice to show the agreement of the Italian " Song of S. Bonaventure to the B. Virgin." (Cantico di S. Bonaventura alia B. Vergine) : — Voi lodiamo, o Maria, qual Madre We praise you, O Mary, the Moth- di Dio. er of God. A voi gli angeli tutti e gli arcangeli : a voi e troni e principati prestano fedel servizio. A vostro onore ogni angelica creatu ra fa risuonare le melodiose sue voci, voi cantando incessantemente. Sancta, sancta, sancta, voi siete : O Maria madre di Dio, madre insieme e Vergine. Operi sempre in noi la vostra grande misericordia: giacchein voi, gran Ver gine Maria, riposta abbiamo la fiducia nostra. Te decet laus, te decet imperium ; tibi virtus et gloria in saecula saeculo- rum. Amen. To you all the angels and archan gels : to you thrones and principalities render faithful service. To your honour every angelical crea ture causes their melodious voices to resound, singing to you incessantly. Holy, holy, holy, are you: O Mary, mother of God, ever mother and Virgin. Work always in us your great mer cy : for in you, O great Virgin Mary, do we put our trust. Lode ed imperio a voi si conviene, O Maria : a voi virtii e gloria per tutti i secoli. Cosi sia. Praise becometh thee, empire becometh thee, O Mary power] and glory for ever and ever. Amen. to thee be virtue [or 28 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY [v.] Extract from the Creed of Athanasius, as it is com monly termed : ¦ Quicunque vult salvus esse, ante om nia opus est ut teneat de Maria firmam fidem. Uuam nisi quisque integratn inviola- tamque seruauerit absque dubio in aeter num peribit. Cum gloria resurrexit : ad ccelos as- cendit. Spiritum Sanctum in discipulos et in matrem misit. duam demum ipse in coelum assump sit, et sedit ad dexteram Filii, non ces sans pro nobis Filium exorare. Haec est fides de Maria Virgine: quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, saluus esse non poterit. — {Bonaventura! Opera, tom. vi., p. 491. col. 1). [vi.] Extract from the " Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary :" — Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold firm the faith concerning the Virgin Mary. Which except every one does keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. He rose again with glory : he ascen ded to heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit upon the dis ciples and upon [his] mother. "Whom at length he took up into heav en, and she sitteth at the right hand of her Son, not ceasing to pray to her Son for us. This is the faith concerning the Vir gin Mary: which except one doth be lieve faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved. O igitur imperatrix et Domina nos tra benignissima, itjnE mathis impera TUO DiLECTissiMO FILIO Domino nostro, Jesu Christo, ut mentes nostros ab amore terrestrium ad cceleslia desideria erigere dignetur. — {Ibid. tom. vi., p^ 406, col. 1). [vii.] Extract from the " Psalterium Minus Beatee Ma riae Virginis ;" or, " Lesser Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary :"— Therefore, O Empress, and our most benign Lady, by thy right of moth er, COMMAND thy MOST BELOVED SoN, our Lord Jesus Christ, that he vouch safe to raise our minds from the love of earthly things to heavenly desires. Ave, Virgo, finis irse ; purga culpas, et largire nos, peracto cursu mundi, piro peccatis non confundi. — {Bonavenlwra Opera, tom. vi., p. 474, C). Hail, O Virgin, end of wrath ! purge our faults, and grant that, when the course of [this] world is ended, we may not be confounded for our sins. 5. We now come to another reputed saint of the Romish Church, Alphonso Liguori, who died in 1787, in the nine tieth year of his age, and was canonized by Gregory XVI., on the 26th of May, 1839. " The number of prayers and beautiful hymns which he composed in her honour, and nu merous works of piety, especially his ' Glories of Mary,' and his ' Visits to the Holy Virgin,' attest his extraordinary devotion to her."* The latter publication we havenotmet ? K.;nriok'3"New Monthof Mary,"p. 59. London. 1841. 12mo. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 29 with ; but his " Glories of Mary" are now before ua. * This publication is a paraphrase on the hymn " Salve Regina," in twenty-one meditations, which the translator has dedica ted " To Mary, ever Virgin, the most humble and exalted of all pure creatures, the Queen of Angels and of Men the Mother of God !" " The sacred congregation of rites hav ing made the most rigorous examination of the writings of the saint, to the number of a hundred or more, pronounced that there was nothing in them worthy of censure ;" and as " this sentence was approved by Pius VII. in 1803," we conclude that the sentiments of this reputed saint are actu ally those of the modern Church of Rome. We can only give a few short extracts from this publication : — "During the pontificate of Gregory the Great, the people of Rome experienced, in a most striking manner, the protection of the Blessed Virgin. A frightful pestilence raged in the city to such an extent that thousands were carried off, and so suddenly, that they had not time to make the least preparation. It could notbe arrested by the vows and prayers which the holy Pope caused to be offered in all quarters, until he resolved on having recourse to the Mother of God. Having com manded the clergy and people to go. in procession to the Church of our Lady, called St. Mary Major, carrying the picture of the Holy Virgin, painted by St. Luke, the miraculous effects of her intercession .were soon experienced ; in every street, as they passed, the plague ceased ; and before the end of the procession an angel in human form was seen on the tower of Adrian, named ever since the Castle of St. Angelo, sheathing a bloody sabre. At the same moment the angels were heard singing the anthem, ' Regina Coeli,' ' Triumph, O Q,ueen,' &c., and ' Alleluia.' The holy Pope added, ' Ora pro nobis Deum,' pray for, &c. The Church has since used this anthem to salute the Blessed Virgin in Easter time."— {Glories of Alary, p. 21). " Albertus Magnus says that Mary was prefigured by dueen Es ther : of whom we read in the holy Scripture, that she had been raised to the throne for the preservation of her brethren, the Jewish people. What Mordecai said to this woman, poor sinners may address to Mary : Imagine not omnipotent and ever glorious Virgin, that God has ele- * " The Glories of Maiy, Mother of God ; translated from the llalian of Blessed Alphonso Liguori, and carefully revised by a [Roman] CatholicPriest: containing a beautiful paraphrase on the ' Salve Regina. Dublin; Coyne. 1833." ISmo. 3* 30 MARIOLATRY TATJGHT BY vated you to the dignity of queen, merely for your personal honour and advantage, but rather that you may mediate and obtain pardon for men, your offending brethren. And if Assuerus heard the petition of Esther through love, will not God, who has an infinite love for Mary, fling away at her suit the thunderbolts which he was going to hurl on wretched sinners ? Will God reject her prayer ? Is it not of her it was said ' the law of clemency is on her lips ?' Indeed, every petition she offers is as a law emanating from the Lord, by which he obliges himself to be merciful to those for whom she intercedes." — (pp. 16, 17). " Hope of the universe, my only hope ! come to my assistance." — (p. 49). " Dispensatrix of the divine grace, you save who-m you please ; to you, then, I commit myself, that the enemy may not destroy me." — (p. ICO) " St Anselm, to increase our confidence in Mary, assures MB that our prayers will often be more speedily heard in invoking HER NAME, Ttan in calling on that of Jesvs Christ."— {p. %) "Mary, says St. Bonaventure, is called the gate of heaven, because no one enters this blessed abode, without first passing through her.'' (P- 114) " We, holy Virgin, hope for grace and salvation from you ; and since you need but say the word, ah ! do so ; you shall be fiearJ, and we shall be saved." — (p. 137). What can we infer from these blasphemous extracts 1— But that in this book of Liguori's, which has received the highest Papal authority; it is unblushingly declared, that it is easier to reach heaven through the Virgin Mary, than through our only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ! 6. The last passage which we shall adduce from the saints and doctors of the Romish Church, is taken from the encyclical or circular letter addressed by the present Pope, Gregory XVI., after his election to the pontificate, " to all patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops ;" (by whom it was subsequently communicated to the other members of the Romish Church,) and dated August 15, 1832. This is an authoritative document of the highest importance ; because during more than eight years, which have elapsed since it was made public, not one of the ecclesiastics to whom it was addressed has protested or reclaimed against it. And ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 31 ,when the patriarchs, primates, and other dignitaries of the Romish Church, tacitly assent to any letter or decree of the Pope, it becomes " judicium irreformabile," and is admitted to contain the doctrine actually held by that Church.* — The following passages are taken from the version of this encyclical letter, published in the " Laity's Directory" for the year 1833. Having referred to the circumstances which had delayed the issuing of this letter, Gregory XVI. thus proceeds : — " But having at length taken possession of Our see in the Lateran Basilica, according to the custom and institution of Our predecessors, We turn to you without delay. Venerably Brethren ; and in testimony of Our feeling towards you. We select for the date of Our letter this most joyful day on which We celebrate the solemn festival of the Most Blessed Virgin's triumphant Assumption into Heaven ; that She, who has been through every great calamity Our Patroness and Pro tectress, may watch over Us, writing to you [literally, ' may stand over Us propitious,' ^ nobis adstet propilia''\, and lead Our mind by her Heavenly influence [literally, 'by her Heavenly inspiration,' '¦ ccelesti afflatu suo''~\ to those counsels which may prove most salutary to Christ's flock."— (7^a?7^'.s Directory, 1833, p. 2). What notion (we would ask) are we to form, after reading this paragraph, of the veracity of those Romanists who cease not, after Bossuet, to afhrm, when praying to the saints (including,' of course, the Holy Virgin), " We only pray to them to pray for us ;" that is, the petitioners % Here is the acknowledged head of their religion performing a sol emn act of worship to the deified Mary, on a day dedicated to her presumed assumption, invoking her as his " patroness and protectress," particularly in time of great need or ca lamity, and intreating her "by her heavenly inspij-ation'^ to lead his mind into what he thought " salutary for Christ's flock ! ! !" Is this only to pray to her to pray for him ? At the close of his letter, Gregory XVI. thus expresses himself : — " But that all [these events, omnia heec'] may have a successful and happy issue, let us raise Our eyes [and hands, oculos manusque\ * Delahogue de Ecclesia. p. 152 ; edit. 1829. 32 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, who alone destroys heresies, who jb our greatest hope [literally, 'confidence,' 'fducia'], yea the entire ground of our hope. May she exert her patronage to draw down an efiicacious blessing on our desires, our plans and proceedings, m the present straitened condition of the Lord's flock."— (/6id, PP- 14, 15). In the two preceding quotations from the Pope's encycli cal letter, we have the authorized Popery of the nineteenth century, as exhibited by the Pontiff himself, and reviving in all its offensiveness the Collyridian heresy, which Epiph anius justly stigmatized as /SAao-^ajfA"' ^f^Vf^ — « blasphe mous thing. Before we proceed to produce further evidence of the idolatrous worship of the Virgin Mary in, and by, the Church of Rome, it may be well to pause a little, and reflect upon the quotations above given. By contrasting them with the divinely inspired Scriptures, it will be evident that part of the honour which belongs only to Almighty God, is therein actually attributed to the Virgin Mary : and here we shall chiefly avail ourselves of the powerful and conclusive de ductions of the author of "Roman Fallacies,"* adding a few further proofs to those which he has collected. 1. " Attributes and titles of the First Person in the ever-blessed Trinity assigned to the Virgin Mary : — "co-existence from EVERLASTING TV ITH the FATHER. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. '•¦ To US there is eut one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ. by wiioni are all things and we by him." — (1 Cor viii, 6). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " The Church through all the world by invoking [ihee] doih celebrate thee, THE Mother op the Divine Majesty." {Parody on the Te Deum, by Bonaven ture'). '' The title, ' Mother of Divine Majesty,' addressed to the Virgin Mary, directly asserts her to be a Divine Person or Goddess ; and when it is remembered that this title is a parody upon the expression, • " First Series. Roman Fallacies and Catholic Truths. By the Rev. H. Townsend Powell. London. 1841." ]2mo. A tridy valuableexposureof Ro mish errors, comprising a series of papers, each of which embraces a dis tinct subject. It is admirably adapted for circulation in parishes or districts where the emissaries of Popery are exerting every effort to propagate the dan gerous errors of that Church. ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 33 ' Father of an infinite Majesty,' it implies that the Virgin Mary is, if not in glory equal, at least of majesty co-eternal, with the Father. "parental authority OVER GOD THE SON. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heav en, and things in earth, and things un der the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." — {Phil. ii. 9, 10). 2. " Attributes and titles of the sed Trinity assigned to the Virgin " OUR THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Sav iour and Lord Jesus Christ, which is OUR HOPE." — (1. Tim. i. 4). "(Jesus Christ) was manifest in these last times for you ; who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave liim glory, that your jailh and hope might he in God." —(1 Pet. i. 21). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " Therefore, 0 Empress and our most benignant Lady, in riglit of [being his] mother, command thy most teloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that he deign to raise our minds from longing after earthly things to heavenly desires." — {Crown of the Blessed Virgin, by Bon aventure). Second Person of the ever-bles- Mary : — HOPE. THE CHURCH OF ROME. " That all may have a successful and happy issue, let us raise our eyes to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, who alone destroys heresies, who is our greatest HOPE, yea, THE entire ground. of our HOPE." — {Pope Gregory XVI, Ency clical Letter. Laily's Directory for 1833). . " Hail, holy Clueen, Mother of Mer cy ! life, our sweelness, and ouk HOPE I" — {New Month of Mary, p. 73). THE ENTRANCE TO ETERNAL LIFE. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " I am the door ; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." — {SI. John X. 9). THE CHURCH OF ROME. ."" Thou (O Virgin Mary) art the gate of Vife."— {Praise of the Virgin). THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL LIFE. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " Being made perfect, he (Jesus Christ) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." —{Heb. V. 9). THE CHURCH OF ROME. " It is good for a man to submit him self to thy sei-vice (O Virgin Mary), to ru!e hjmself by thee in disposing himself to virtue ; for thy servants can through thee safely ascend to heaven, and having attained to life, for ever live with thee." — {Praise of ihe Virgin). THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."— (jlris xvi). " Neither is there salvation in any other (than Jesus Christ), for there is none other name under heaven given amongnien whereby wemust be saved." —Ads iv. 12). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " O Lady, save thy people."— (Som- aveniure, Te Deum). " Whom thou wiliest, he shall be SAVED." — {Hymn like that of llatiak- Iculi). " You SAVE whom you please." — {Glories of Mary, Liguori). 34 MARIOLATRY TAUGHT BY " A I/rue servant of Mjiry cannot be lost, because such a one must necessa rily fulfil the conditions required by God for salvation."— (/Veio Monthof Mary, p. 59). " THE CONQUEROR OF ADAm's SIN. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " As in Adam all die, even so in . Chri.st shall all be made alive." — (1 Cor. XV. 22). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " Through thee alone (O Virgin Ma ry) is the ancient sin of Eve overcome," — {Praise of the Virgin). THE PURGER OF SINS. the HOLY scripture. " Who (Jesus Christ), when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."— {Heb. i. 3). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " Hail, Virgin ! end of wrath, purge our faults, and grant that when the course of this world is ended, we may not beconfounded for'our sins." — {Les ser Psalter of ihe Virgin). THE RULER OVER EVERY CREATURE. THE CHURCH OP ROME. " Hail, thou, to whom the Supreme King that inhabiteth the heavens hath granted in perpetual right to have rule over every creature." — {Praise of tkt Virgin). THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " He (the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory) raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and eveiy name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him lo be ihe Head over all things to ihe Church." — {Eph. i. 20). " THE MESSIAH PROPHESIED OF BY DAVID. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. , " The Lord said unto my Lord, Sil thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." — {Ps. ex. 1). THE CHURCH OP ROME. " The Lord said unto our Lady, My Mother, sit upon my right hand."— {Ps. 109. Bon. Psalter). This text of the holy Psalmist is cited by our Lord as a prophecy of Christ (St. Matt. xxii. 41) : " While the Phar isees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ 1 whose son is he 1 They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How- then doth David in spirit call him Lord 1 saying, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David, then, call him Lord, how is he his Son ?" 3. " Attributes and titles of the Third Person of the Trinity addressed to the Virgin Mary ; ROMISH SAINTS AND DOCTORS. 35 THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. THE CHURCH OP ROME. " When he the Spirit of Truth is " That she (the Virgin Mary) may come, he shall guide you into all truth." watch over us writing to you, and lead — {St. Jii/in x\i. 13). our mind by her heavenly influence [\\l " As many as are ledby the Spirit 0/ erally, " heavenly inspiration"] io those God, they are the sons of God." — {Rom. counsels which may pnive iiin.st salvi- viii. 14). tnry to Christ'sflock?'— (Poye Gregory XVI Enc. LcUcr). Here, if words have any meaning, Gregory XVI. attrib utes inspiration to the Virgin Mary. He speaks not of her as the channel, but as the fountain of grace ; and he puts her in the place, not of the Lord Jesus Christ, the " one Mediator between God and man," (1 Tim. ii. 5) ; but of the Holy Spirit himself. " In short, in this monstrous pas sage THE Pope has set up another God,"* or, more cor rectly, another goduESS. 4. " The praise of Jehovah applied to the Virgin Mary : — THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust ; let me never be ashamed." — (Ps.xxxi. l) " Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth."— (fs. xxxi. 5). THE CHURCH OP itOME. " In thee, O Lady, have I put my trust ; let me never tie confounded." — {Ps. XXX. Bo7io.ve?Uure's Psalter). " lo'o ihy hands I commend my spirit, O Lady, for all my life, and to my last day."— (Ps. xxx. Bonav.) 5. " The praise of the ever-blessed Trinity addressed to the Virgin Mary : — THE CHURCH OP ROME. " Holy, holy, holy Mother of God.' —{Bonav. Parody on Te Deum). THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy V'—{Rev. xv. 4). " They rest not day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."— {Rev. iv. 8). 6. " The Virgin Mary said to be a more powerful intercessor than Jesus Christ: — THE HOLY SOKTPTDRE. " He (Jesus Christ) is able to save them to the uttermost, who come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." — {Heb. vii. 25). THE CHURCH OP ROME. "The pestilence could not be arrested by the vows and prayers which the huly Pope caused to be offered in all quarters, until he resolved on having recourse to the Mother of God The miraculous effects of her intercession were soon experienced." — {Glories of Mary, Liguori. Rom. Fall. pp. 8-10). » Golig-htly's " Look at Home, or Short and Easy Method with tiie Roman Catholics," page 8. Oxford. 1837. 36 PROOFS OF MARIOLATRY 7. Omnipotence ascribed to the Virgin Mary :— THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. " All power (said our Lord Jesus Christ) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.' —(A/aM. xxviii. 18). THE CHURCH OF ROME. " All power is given unto thee (the Blessed Virgin) in heaven and on ea.rth."—{Blessed Peter Damian). " Omnipotent and ever glorious Vir gin." — {Blessed AlbeH ihe Great, as cited by Saint Liguori). If any candid Romanist should cast his eye over the pre ceding quotations, we think that he must be constrained to admit that not only some but even a great part of that hon our, which belongs only to God, is assigned to the Virgin Mary. II. But from the testimonies of the reputed saints and doctors of the Romish Church, let us advance to her au thorized PUBLIC FORMULARIES, which will fumish us with equal, if not stronger, evidence that the Virgin Mary is ac tually worshipped by members of that Church. Five solemn festivals are annually celebrated in honour of the Virgin Mary, viz., her Conception, Dec. 8 ; Nativity, Sept. 8 ; Purification, Feb. 2 ; Annunciation, March 25; and Assumption, August 15. But the Annunciation and Purification do not so properly relate to her as to Jesus Christ. The former is the annunciation to (not of) the Vir gin Mary, by the ministry of an angel, of the incarnation of the Son of God, who was to be born of her ; and this is the view taken of that festival in -the collect of our Church appointed for that day. The Purification, likewise, should rather be (as it is termed in our Liturgy), " the Presentation of Christ in the Temple ;" and to this fact in the life of our Redeemer our attention is also directed in the collect for the day, which, at the time of the Reformation (as now, in Popish countries), was "commonly called, the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin." There remain, then, three festivals ex clusively dedicated to the Virgin, by the Romish Church, viz., her supposed Immaculate Conception, her Nativity, and her pretended Assumption into Heaven. A few ex tracts, out of many, shall be given from the oflBces appropri ated to these festivals. FROM ROMISH BOOKS OF DEVOTION. 37 1. The festival of the Conception is celebrated on the 8th of December. The doctrine of the immaculate concep tion of the Virgin Mary was invented by certain canons of Laon in the year 1140 ; and the festival instituted in honour of it met with strong opposition, not only from Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, but also from other distinguished wri ters of the twelfth century. In the thirteenth century, the festival became gradually more common ; though all the schoolmen of any distinction continued to reject this doc trine. Having been condemned by Thomas Aquinas, it would have been for ever put at rest, but for Duns Scotus, who opposed the Dominican saint, and who was the first of the schoolmen that ventured to defend it. Thenceforward it became one of the most important controversies between the Franciscans and Dominicans. Mutual recriminations of heresy and sacrilege were thrown out against each other : cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and universities were for a long time embroiled in goodly hostility, in discussing the knotty point concerning the immaculate conception of the Virgin, by which she was declared to be free from the taint of original sin. Pope Sixtus IV. made several attempts to decide the question, which were frustrated. In refutation of this absurd tenet, it is sufficient to cite the words of the Virgin herself in Luke i. 48 : " My spirit hath rejoiced in God MY Saviour." If she had been without taint of sin, why should she have spoken, or felt her need, of a Saviour from sin 1 Not to detail subsequent disputes on this subject, we may briefly state that the doctrine itself was decreed by the Council of Basil in the fifteenth century, when the fes tival was instituted ;* that Sixtus IV., in 1476, terminated the difference by leaving every one free as to this much lit igated question, whose determination was adopted by the assembly of Romish divines convened at Trent in the six- * Gieseler's Text-book of Ecclesiastical History, vol. ii., pp; 34^-346. Mur dock's Translation of Mosheim, vol. ii., p. 493, and vol. iv., p. 138. Span- heim's Ecclesiastical Annals, by Wright, p. 501, second edition. 38 PROOFS OF MARIOLATRY teenth century ; and that Alexander VII., in 1661, renewed all the decrees in favour of those who defended the doctrine of the immaculate conception. We now proceed to a few extracts from the formularies of the Romish Church. Although the word " immaculate" is not used in the Ro man Breviary in the festival of the Conception, yet the whole service is full of highly laudatory expressions in hon our of the Virgin, which cannot be acquitted of the charge of profaneness. In the verse selected froin the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus (xxiv. 15), for instance, (which the Romish section of the Church has pronounced to be a ca nonical book, in opposition to the concurrent voice of the Universal Church, and which is applied to the Virgin Mary), the incommunicable attribute of eternity is given to her, who was one of Adam's fallen race, and who must have been partaker of the sins and infirmities, in which all, so descended, deeply share : — Pronx the beginning, and before the world was, I existed; and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be. — {Anglo-Romish Version. Dublin. ¦ 1825). In the hymn, " Salve Regina," which is always used on this festival, as well as on that of the Nativity of the Virgin,, the " Star of the Sea, Sweet Mother of God, and ever Vir gin," and " the Blessed Gate of Heaven," is thus invoca- ted :t— Ab initio et ante ssecula creata sum et usque ad futurum saeculum non desi- nam.* Solve vincla reis, Prefer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle. Bona cuncta posce. Monstra te esse matrem. Sumat per te preces, Clui pro nobis natus, Tulit esse tuus. Virgo singularis, Inter omnes mitis, Nos culpis solutos, Mites fac et castos. Vitam prsesta puram. Loosen the chains of the guilty, Present light to the blind, Drive away our evils, And ask [for us] all good things. Shew that you are a mother ; Let Him who was born for us, And condescended to be thine. Receive through the [our] prayers. O singular Virgin, Meek above all others ; Make us, released from our sins, Meek and chaste. Grant us a pure Ufe, * Husenbeth's edition of the Breviarium Romanum, Pars Hiemalis, p. 440. t Ibid, p. 144. FROM ROMISH BOOKS OF DEVOTION. 39 Iter para tutum, Ut videntes Jesum Semper collajtemur. Prepare us for a safe journey. That, beholding Jesus, We may ever rejoice together. This well-known hymn also forms part of the " Office of the Virgin Mary," which is asserted, in the " Short Expo sition" prefixed to a copy now before us, to be " of great antiquity," and to have been " composed by the Church, di rected by the Holy Ghost !" But " The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary"* con tains, if possible, still stronger idolatrous devotions. Yet to this publication the late titular Bishop of Castabala (Dr. John Milner) , on the 21st Nov. 1822, prefixed his formal approbation, stating that he had " found nothing in either of them" [the Latin original and Mr. Husenbeth's transla tion] <' contrary to the faith of the Church, or to the belief of its most learned and pious doctors." We give one prayer from this " Little Office :"— " Sancta Maria, regina ccelorum, mater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et mundi domina, quEe nullum relinquis, et nullum despicis, respice me domina clementer oculo pietatis, et impetra mihi apud tuum dilectum Filium, cunctorum veniara peccatorum ; ut qui nunc tuam sanctam et immaculatam Conceptionem devoto affectu recolo, setarnse in futurum beatitudinis bravium T^eei^iiet .'] ca- piam, ipso.quem virgopeperisti, donante Domino nostro Jesu Christo, qui cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu, vivit et regnat in Trinitate perfecta Deus, in saecula saeculorum." (p. 10). " Holy Mary, Glueen of heaven, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ; and mistress of the world, who forsake no one and despise none, look upon me mercifully with your pious eyes, and obtain for fie of your beloved Son, the pardon of all my sins ; that as I now celebrate with devout affectionyourholy and immaculate Conception, I may ob tain hereafter the prize of eternal hap piness, by the grace of Him whom you, a virgin, brought forth, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns one God, in perfect Trinity, world without end." (p.U). The following are a few passages from the hymns inter spersed through this manual " for the use of the Confrater nity of the Scapular :"f * " The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the use of the Confraternity of the Scapular, and of other devout Christians, in Latin, and a new English Translation by the Rev. F. C. Hu senbeth. Third Edition. Norwich and London. 1838." 18mo. t " A SCAPULAR, or ' SCAPULARY,' is a piece of stuff with these letters, I. H. S. on one side, and two hearts on the other. They are the three first Greek letters of the name of Jesus, IHSofj. The devil fears much this terrible weapon, the institution of which was by a great saint, who saw the Virgin Mary in his sleep— (fit time for such a vision). She appeared holding a scapulary, and commanded him to make use of it. Its diffusion was prodigious, and there are few true Catholics, especially among women, who do not wear round their 40 PROOFS OF MARIOL-iTRY. Eia mealabia annuntiate; Laudes et praeconia Virginis immac- ulatae. Domina in adjutorium meum intende; ¦ Me de manu hostium potenter defende. Te pulchram omavit Sibi sponsam, quffi in Adam non peccavit. Salve Virgo puerpera Templura Trinitatis ! Per te Mater gratias, Dulcis spes reorum, Fulgens Stella maris Portus naufragorum : Patens coeli janua Salus infirmorum, Videamus Regem, In aula sanctorum. Sing, O my lips, and joyfully proclaim The spotless Virgin's praise and glori ous name. O Lady pure! extend your gracious aid ; Guard me from all my foes, O spotless Maid! Thee he adorned his spouse, and made thee free ' [ny ! From that foul stain of Adam's proge- Hail, Virgin ! Mother of our gracious Lord! Bright Temple of the Trinity adored. Mother of grace ! sweet hope is found in thee ; Heaven, at thy prayer, will set the guilty free : The ocean's guiding star, serenely bright, The port that gladdens the wrecked seaman's sight ; Through thee, the opened gate, the weak one's aid, May we heaven's King behold, and saints be made. Domina protege oratiijpem meam : Et clamor mens ad te -ffeniat. j 0 Lady, protect my prayer, 1 And let my cry come to you. necks this spiritual collar. In many churches the statues of the infant Jesus and ofthe holy Virgin have each a scapulary hanging round their necks. Dur ing the whole time I was a fervent [R] Catholic 1 wore one very devoutly, and I believed it had a great part in my spiritual victories. Immense indulgences are attached to it ; wonderful miracles are attributed to its mediation. It is notpos- sible to be damned with a scapulary round one's neck; the devil has no power on a man scapularized ; death itself respects him. ' A pious officer,' says the book written upon this subject, ' received in a battle a bail, which was flattened against this'best cuirass, and fell at his feet.' 'Another man,' says the same book, ' being drunk, fell into a river, and was prevented from drowning by the scapulary, which kept him afloat for a whole night, till some fishermen, seeing him in the morning, saved him, wondering at suoli a miracle.' The gospel is not more firmly believed than these tales : I believed them myself, I must avo w it." {Confessions of a French [R} Catholic Priest, edited by S. F.'B. Morse, pp 178, 179. Dublin, 1838. 12mo.) — A copious statement of all the marvellous privileges and virtues attached to the scapular, is given in " A Brief Account of the Indulgences, Privileges, and Favours conferred on the Order, Confrater nities, and Churches of the most glorious Mother of God, the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel; with distinct instruction for the brothers and sisters of the Sacred Scapular, and for all the faithful who visit the churches of the said Or der. Translated from the Italian and Spanish languages by Thomas Coleman, Provincial of the Cal. [i. e. Calcealed], Carmelites in Ireland, &c. Dublin: Printed for the Confraternity of the Holy Scapular, held in the Convent of Whitefriars, 75, Aungier-street, 1826." 8vo.. — The confraternities of the SCAPULAR are associations of persons wearing it in honour of the Virgin. FROM ROMISH BOOKS OF DEVOTION. 41 COMMENDATIO. Supplices ofi'eriraus, Tibi Virgo pin. Haec lauduni pra:conia; Fac nos ut in via, Ducas cursu prospero, Et ill tigoiiia Tu nobis assiste O dulcis Maria. Deo gratias. {Officium Parrum Immaculatec Con. ceplionis, pp. 8, 10, 18, 30, 32.) THE COMMENDATION. O Virgin pure ! to thee our hands we raise. And suppliant offer thee these hymns of praise : O guard us safely in our dubious way, Lead us secure to heaven's eternal day ; And in the last and awful hour of death. Sweet Virgin dueen, receive our part- ingbreath. Thanks be to God. {Lilllc Office, pp. 9, 11, 19, 31, 33.) The following portion of a long prayer, which is offered directly to the Virgin Mary, by the members of the confra ternities of the Scapularians in Ireland, is not inferior, in the idolatry of its expression, to any of those already given : " O I Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, dearest Mother of God, Glueen of Angels, Advocate of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, extend, O glorious Virgin ! the ear of your pity to the prayers of me, your most humble servant ; and grant me by your grace to be in the num ber of those whom you love and keep inscribed on your virginal bo som. Purify my heart, O immaculate Virgin ! from every sin; take away and banish from me all, everything, that can offend your chaste eyes ; purge this soul from its affection for earthly and sinful goods, and raise it to the love of everlasting and celestial blessings, and cause that this may be my whole study and diligence. Pray to your Son, O holy Virgin ! for me, now, always, and at the hour of my death, and in that tremendous and awful day of judgment ; and when I shall be obliged to render an account of my actions, that by your means I may be able to escape the eternal flames. Do not withdraw yourself from me, O Blessed Virgin !"* Before we proceed to other festivals in honour of the Vir gin, we will just add, as illustrative of the real sentiments actually held by the present head of the Romish Church, that in the course of the year 1840-, Gregory XVI. granted an indulgence of one hundred years to every one who shall recite the following prayer : — " O IMMACCLATE Q,OEEN OP HeAVEN AND OF AnGELS I I ADOKE Yon. It is yoc who have delivered me from hell. It is you FROM WHOM I LOOK FOR ALL MY SALVATION"!!!! * Coleman's Brief Account of the Indulgences, &c., page 57. (The title is given at length in the note to page 40.) t Extract of a private letter from Italy in Archives du Christianisme, No. 15, 8 A. D. 1810. p. 122, " J'ai lu dans I'Eglise des Jesuites que le pape a accorde 4* * Beata es, O Virgo Maria, quae Dom- inum portasti Creatorem mundi. Gen- uisti qui te fecit, et in ajternura perma- nes Virgo. 42 NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN. The quotation already given, in pp. 10, 11, from Bernard of Clairvaux, also forms part of the service for the festival of the Nativity of the Virgin, from which we have only room for the following brief extract : — Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who hast borne the Lord, the Creator of the world. Thou hast brought forth [him] who made thee, and thou remain- est a virgin for ever. — {Brevarium Ro manum, Pars Autumnalis, p. 316.) But the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, both body and soul, into heaven (and a precious assump tion it is), is that, in which the Romish Church seems most to exalt, to the rank of Deity, an eminently holy woman, but one, nevertheless, who had been born in sin like other mortals. Not only is her assumption paralleled with the ascension of our adorable Redeemer, but her body is said, like that of Jesus Christ, to have been miraculously pre served from corruption. It can scarcely be necessary to apprize our readers that " the story of the assumption^' is one of those tales which rests upon the authority of the Church of Rome. It is wanting in evidence to render it credible to those who do not receive that authority as infal lible. The last we hear about the Virgin Mary, in Scrip ture, is in Acts i. 14, where it is said, " These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the wo men, and with Mary the Mother op Jesus, and with his brethren."* In vain shall we seek for evidence of this as sumption in the apostolical fathers, or in the writings of the ecclesiastical authors who succeeded them. In vain shall we search the pages of history for its origin. The most an- cent annees d'indulgences a celui qui recitera la Priere qui suit : ' Vierge im- maculee, Reine du ciel et des anges, je vous adore. C'est vous qui m'avez de- livr& d'enfer. C'est de vous que j'attends mon salut (tutta la mia salute).' " — The writer adds, " that he heard a preacher in the Church of Saint Louis at Rome, who had the audacity to assert that the kingdom of heaven was divided into two, immediately after Jesus Christ had said upon the cross, ' It is finish ed I' The kingdom of justice fell to Jesus Christ, who is only a severe judge ; aind the kingdom of mercy fell to Mary, who alone can open io us ihe gate of Aeawm;"— (pp.121, 122.) •» ? Jloman Fallacies, No. vii. p. 7. PRETENDED ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN. 43 ft ancient martyrologies speak' of it with great reserve, as an event not fully ascertained : nor can the festival itself be traced higher than the fifth century at Rome, and the eighth or ninth in Germany and Gaul or France. By the Greek Church it seems to have been adopted about the sixth cen tury. " Is it within the verge of credibility," says the Rev. J. E. Tyler, in his pointed interrogatories to Romanists at the conclusion of his masterly examination and exposure of the Romish traditions respecting the pretended assump tion of the Virgin into heaven : — " Is it within the verge of credibility, that, had such an event as Mary's assumption taken place under the extraordinary circumstances which now invest the tradition, or under any circumstances whatever, there would have been a total silence respecting it in the Holy Scrip tures ? That the writers of the four first centuries should never have referred to such a fact 7 That the first writer who alludes to it should have lived in the middle ofthe fifth century, or later ; and^ that he should nave declared, in a letter to his contemporaries, that the sub- ject^as one on which many doubted ; and that he himself would not deny it, not because it rested upon probable evidence, but because nothing was impossible with God ; and that nothing was known as to the time, the manner, or the persons concerned, even had the assump tion taken place ? [Clan we place any confidence in the relation of a writer in the middle of the sixth century, as to a tradition of what an Archbishop of Jerusalem, attending tiie Council of Chalcedon, had told the sovereigns at Constantinople, of a tradition as to what was said to have happened nearly four hundred years before, whilst in the "Acts" of that Council not the faintest trace is found of any allusion to the supposed fact or the alleged tradition, though the transactions of that Council, in many of its most minute circumstances, are recor ded, and though the discussions of that Council brought the-name and circumstances o£ the Virgin Mary continually before the minds cff all who attended it ll-{Tyler's Primitive Christian Worship, pp. 318, 319.) J The " OflSce of the Assumption" in the Breviary, con tains the following, among other extraordinary assertions : — Assumpta est Meiria in coelum :[ Mary is taken up into heaven; the gaudent angeli; laudantes^enedicunt angels rejoice ; praising, they bless the Dominum. I Lord. 44 ROMISH DEVOTIONS Venite adoremus Regem Regum : ^omelet us adore the King of kings: cujus hodie ad asthereum Virgo mater assumpta est ccelum. Exaltata est sancta Dei gemtnx su per choros angelorum ad cojlestia regna. Paradis£e[Paradisi] porta! per te no bis aperta; sunt, qua? hodie gloriosa [gloriose 1] cum angelis triumphas. Maria Virgo assumpta est ad aethe- reum tlialaraum, in quo Rex regum stel lato sedet solio. whose Virgin Mother is this day taken up to the ethereal heaven. The Holy Mother of God is exalted to the heavenly realms above the choirs of angels. The gates of Paradise are opened unto us by thee, who dost this day glo riously triumph with the angels. — {Bre viarium, Pars jEstivalis, pp. 595, 597, 59S<^ r The Virgin Mary is taken up to the ethereal bride-chamber, v/here the King of kings sitteth on a starry throne. — {Ibid. p. 607.) Omitting the lessons from Saint John of Damascus and Others for the festival of this imaginary assumption, we shall now present our readers with one or two passages illustra tive of the doctrines which are inculcated on the children of Romanists in this country. " The Catholic School-Book,"*_Jrom which the follow ing passages are given, was introduced under the agproba- ¦ tion of the titular Bishop of Castabala, Dr. Milner, in 1818, as being, in his opinion, "eminently entitled to the "pat ronage ofthe Catholic public." "As such," he added, " he should not fail to recommend it in those places of education in which he had any authorTty or influence." The subjoined extracts will shew what profound reverence and affection the young mind is taught to entertain and cherish for the Virgin : " Next to God, and the most adorable humanity of his Son Jesus Christ, it is she whom we must chiefly honour and love, by reason of that most sublime and excellent dignity of Mother of God, which raises her above all creatures which God has ever created. By her we may receive all the assistance which is necessary for us. She ts MOST powerful with God, to obtain from him all that SHE SHALL ASK OF HIM. ShE IS ALL GOODNESS IN RESARD OF US, BY APPLYING TO GoD FOR US. BeiNG MoTHER OF GoD, HE CANNOT REFUSE HER EEaDEST : BEING OUR MoTHER, SHE CANNOT DENY US HER • " The Catholic School-Book ; containing easy and familiar Lessons for the instruction of youth of both sexes in the English language, and in the paths of true religion and virtue. Twentieth editionpwith additions. London: 1839." 12mo. '— TO THE VIRGIN MARY. 45 INTERCESSION WHEN WE HAVE RECOUBSB TO HER. OuR MISERIES MOVE HER, OUR NECESSITIES URGE HER ; THE PRAYERS WE OFEER HER FOR OUR SALVATION BRING TO US ALL THAT WE DESIRE : AND St. BeR NARD IS NOT AFRAID TO SAY, ' ThaT NEVER ANY PERSON INVOKED THAT Mother op Mercy in his necessities, who has not been SENSIBLE OP THE EFFECTS OF HEH ASSISTANCE'"— ([/ZomCm] CathoUc School Book, p. 158.) " If you will be a true child, and a sincere servant ol the Blessed Virgin, you must be careful to perform four things :— ^ " 1. Have a great apprehension of displeasing her by mortal sin, and of afflicting her motherly heart by dishonouring her Son, and destroying your soul ; and if you chance to fall into that misfortune) have recourse readily to her, that she may be your intercessor in re conciling you to her Son, whom you have extremely provoked. ' She is the refuge of sinners as well as of the just, on condition they have recourse to her with a true desire of converting themselves,' as St. Bernard says. 2. Love and' imitate her virtues, principally her hu mility and chastity. These two virtues among others rendered her most pleasing to God ; she loves them particularly in children, and is pleased to assist with her prayers those whom she finds particularly inclined to those virtues, according to the same saint. 3. Have re course to her in all your spiritual necessities : and for that end offer to her daily some particular prayers : say your beads, or the Little Office, Bornetimes in the week ; perform something in her honour on every Saturday, whether prayer, abstinence, or alms ; honour particularly her feasts by confession and communion. 4. Be mindful to invoke her in temptations, and in the dangers you find yourself in of offending God. You cannot shew your respect better than by applying your self to her in these urgent necessities, and you can find no succour more ready and favourable than hers. "If you perform this, you will have a true devotion to theBles- » sed Virgin, you will be of the number of her real children,/ ^ AlfD SHE WILL BE YOUR MOTHER, UNDER WHOSE PROTECTION YOU SHALL I NEVER PERISH." — {Ibid, pp. 159-161.) Omitting the well-known " Litany of Loretto,"* which is found in almost every popular manual of Popish devo- * " Pope Sixtus v., June 11, 1587, granted to all Christians an indulgence of , two hundred days each time, for piously reciting the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which indulgence was confirmed by Benedict XIII., January 20, ires." (p. 148 of " Thf Family Prayer Book ;" containing all the public and private devotions in use amongst English Romanists. London : 1839. 16mo.) $ 46 DEVOTION TO THE tion, as well as in the Breviary, we now come to the Blas phemous prayers addressed to the Virgin Mary in the " De- • votion of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, with its Nature, Origin, Progress, &c. Including the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 6fC. <^c. a MARIOLATRY IN SPAIN. 59 Pi S Daughter of God : Spouse of God : Trctisuress of God : Dispenser of thc Graces of God : CD a p. i>a ^ I Mother of Divine Providence : Our Aid: Our Q,ueen : L Our ALL under God : — (pp. 35, 36.) j - III. What epithet but that of blasphemy can be applied to such pra3'ers as these, and to most of those given in the preceding pages 1 What can be expected but that, in all countries where such devotions are directly offered to a mor tal born in sin, the most degrading ignorance must prevail. Such is known to be the case among the greater part of the Irish Papists ; and, for the state of Mary Worship on the continent, the following testimonies of travellers of known probity and character (a few only out of many which might be offered) , will sufficiently speak for themselves.* 1. In Spain nothing can exceed the devotion to the Virgin Mary. She is honoured by the Spaniards at all times. The customary salutations and common courtesies of life are not exchanged without mentioning her name. " When you enter a house, unless you wish to be considered as im pious, you MUST begin with these words — Ave Maria puris- sima (hail, most spotless Virgin) ; to which you will cer tainly receive this answer — Sin peccado concehida (conceived without sin) ."f The following anecdote of the late Queen Regent of Spain (now a refugee in France) affords a recent and prac tical exemplification of Mary Worship. We copy it from the Times newspaper of Sept. 7, 1840 : " The Correo Na- cional states, that shortly after her arrival in Valencia, the Queen Regent had repaired to the cathedral to adore the image of ' Our Lady of the Forsaken.' After praying most * [For abundant additional testhnony see " No Union with Rome," by the Editor. Hartford, 1843.1 .. „„„ „ , „r^ t Boargoing's " Modern State of Spain," vol. u., p. 376. Cramp s Text Book of Popery," p. 67. Second edition. 60 MARIOLATRY IN PORTUGAL. fervently for some minutes, her Majesty threw herself on her knees and kissed the feet of the statue. This pious scene (says the Correo) excited an extraordinary enthusi asm, and the assistants applauded, and cried Viva la reina." 2. Of the idolatrous worship paid to the Virgin Mary in Portugal, Mrs. Baillie (an eye-witness) has given a signal instance in the following account of the discovery of the " Image of our Lady of the Cave" (Nossa Senhora da Bar- racca). At the distance of a few miles from Lisbon, " there is a certain field, in which a peasant boy was chasing a rabbit. The animal crept into an aperture in the side of a bank, closely followed by a dog. The boy, surprised to find that the latter did not return, determined to ascertain what had happened to prevent it ; and accordingly groped his way into the bank, through the same narrow entrance. What was his astonishment upon finding himself in a sort of cave or hermitage, at the upper end of which he beheld the im age of the Virgin ! The discovery was soon made public ; and the miracles, affirmed to be worked by this image, go on increasing. All ranks of persons are hastening to the spot ; and it is asserted, among other popular tales, that when the boy first entered the cave, he found both the rab bit and dog upon their knees, in devout adoration of the image. A few days after the opening of the shrine, this treasure unaccountably disappeared, and an active search was immediately commenced, which happily terminated in the following manner. " A peasant was ploughing in the neighbouring fields, when suddenly the oxen stood still ; nor would the sharpest application of the goad induce them to move. The peas ant, after puzzling himself to account for their obstinacy, chanced to cast his eyes on a tree over head, whereon hung the identical image, for whose recovery all hearts were anxious. No sooner had he beheld the phenomenon, than the animals began to turn round and round the tree in mystic MARIOLATRY IN FRANCE. 61 dance, and completed the ceremony by falling upon their knees, like the rabbit and the dog-."* Shortly after, " every creature in Lisbon and its environs hastened to pay due adoration at the shrine of the newly- discovered Virgin, which is about four inches long, and be ing found in a cave, is denominated ' Nossa Senhora da Barracca' (Our Lady of the Cave). Every evening a friar descanted upon the miracles said to have been performed by her; and a small book, descriptive of them, was publish ed by authority." The image in no long time was covered with costly ornaments, the offerings of its deluded devotees. Subsequently " Our Lady" was removed in solemn pomp to one of the churches in Lisbon, and the then reigning Queen of Portugal went in great state to present an ofiering of a silver lamp.f 3. France. — The following comparatively recent proof of the faith of Papists in the Virgin Mary, as a direct means of salvation, is too important to be omitted. On the 8th of September, 1838, a statue of the Virgin was inaugurated at the Church of Notre Dame de la Delivrande, in the depart ment of Calvados, which Hyacinthe-Louis de Quelen, Archbishop of Paris, gave, in order to perpetuate the mem ory of the reconciliation of the Prince of Benevento — the notorious Talleyrand — to the Romish Church. Having ob served in the preceding year, when he visited that Church, a marble column, on which were engraven numerous mi raculous cures, (supposed to havg been) obtained through the protection of the Virgin, M. de Quelen made a vow that he would crown that column with a statue of the Mother of God, if he could obtain Talleyrand's conversion. His ef forts with the dying man being crowned with success, the Archbishop of Paris fulfilled his vow. The bronze statue ¦^ Lisbon in the years 1821, 1822, and 1823. By Marianne Baillie, vol. ii., pp.113, 113. London. 1824. t Ibid. 62 MARIOLATRY IN ITALY. represents the Virgin Mary praying for the sinner. Her feet rest upon a serpent, which she is crushing. On the front of a globe, which serves as a support, is the following inscription : — " Virgo fidelis, congratulatimini mihi : invent enim meam ovem quce perierat." ' ' Re j oice with me , 0 faith ful Virgin ! for I have found my sheep that was lost." On the rear is this inscription : — " Ex voto Hyacinthi Ludovici de Quelen, Archiepiscopi Parisiensis, pro salute eterna Principis de Talleyrand, ad reconciliationem rite admissi, ac perseverantibus poenitentise signis defuncti." " In pur suance of the vow of Hyacinthe-Louis de Quelen, Arch bishop of Paris, for the eternal salvation of Prince Talley rand [who was] duly admitted to reconciliation, and died in persevering signs of penitence."* In various parts of this country during the month of May (the month of Mary), triumphal arches are erected in honour of the Virgin ; they are composed of evergreens, on the top of which the statue of Mary is placed, standing with open arms and this in scription beneath : — " Venite ad me omnes'' (come, all, to to me), which is garbled from Matt. xi. 28, of the Latin Vulgate version. 4. But it is in Italy that Mariolatry most of all prevails : — " The Virgin Mary (says Miss Grahame) is, indeed, the goddess of Italy : she grants all favours and averts all evils ; and, while we were at Rome, her images wrought more than one pretended miracle. The Pantheon is dedicated to St. Mary, and all Saints and Martyrs; and her pictures and effigies are numerous in it. The market-place for game, fruit, poultry, and vegetables, is in the square before it; and therefore the situation is favourable for miraculous cases, as they soon become spread by means of the market people. It was about thirteen or fourteen months since [that is, in 1818], that a poor woman, pray ing earnestly, and complaining of poverty, was relieved by two stran gers as she arose from her prayers. She instantly imagined that the Virgin had inspired her benefactors, andcriedout—' A miracle!' The shrine at which she prayed was beset in consequence day and night; till, finding no more relief was granted, the crowds gradually de- • LEurope Protestante (in the words of the French Papist daily iournale). No. I., p. 9. Octobre, 1838. ' ¦" mariolatry at ROME. 63 creased ; when another Madonna, in the same church, restored a deaf and dumb boy to the use of speech and hearing. Unfortunately, however, though she taught him to speak good Tuscan, and to name •most objects in nature, she omitted to teach him his own name ; or ratlier the priests had forgotten to instruct him properly ; but, hovpever clumsy this imposture, and though several foreigners openly laughed at it and exposed it in the church, the people remained convinced of tlie truth of the miracle; the little books giving an account of it were eagerly bought ; and the shrine became rich in offerings."* The same intelligent traveller, describing the manners of the banditti who infested the vicinity of Rome, says: — " Every robber had a silver heart, containing a picture of the Madonna and child, suspended by a red ribbon to his neck, and fastened with another, of the same colour, to his left side."t Having conversed with some persons whom the banditti had taken prisoners, she states that " They shewed them the heart and figure of Madonna, which each had suspended from his neck, saying — ' We know that we are likely to die a violent death ; but in our hour of need we have these,' touching their muskets, ' to struggle for our lives with; and this,' kissing the image of the Virgin, 'to make our death easy.' "j At Rome, in almost every shop or dwelling is to be found an image of the blessed Virgin with an infant Sav iour, before which the devout will seldom pass without salu ting them with respect ; and many a poor artizan would rather go to bed supperless, than not have wherewith to purchase oil for the lamp of his Madonna. § During Christ mas, the shrines and images of the Virgin are serenaded, • " Three Months' Residence in the Mountains of Rome." By Maria Gra hame. p. 240. tlbid. p. 151. t Ibid. p. 100. § " Baron Geramb's Journey from La Trappe to Rome," p. 224. Note of the Translator. (London: 1841. 12mo.) In page 223, we have the following address to the Virgin by the rigid Trappist, once the gayest leader of fashion in London: "O" Virgin Mary I thou art the Mother of the Incarnate Word. Never did'the sin of Adam sully thy innocence : never did the serpent, whose head thou didst crush, say to thee—' Thou art mine.' Thy soul, pu^e as the light was never sullied by the least exhalation of human frailty. Ihouwert conceived, born, and always didst remain, immaculate. Thy stainless sanctity shines in eternity, like the stars in the firmament. May all creatures bless thee !" 64 MARIOLATRY AT ROME. generally by Calabrian peasants. Dr. Moore, in his " View of Society and Manners in Italy," has recorded an anec dote in reference to these serenades, which shows how readily adoration, through images, becomes direct image- worship. He says : — " Here it is a popular opinion that the Virgin Mary is very fond, and an excellent judge, of music. I received this information on a Christ mas morning, when I was looking at two poor Calabrian pipers, doing their utmost to please her and the infant in her arms. They played for a full hour to one of her images, which stands at the corner of a street. All the other statues of the Virgin, which are placed in the streets, are serenaded in the same manner every Christmas morning. On my enquiring into the meaning of that ceremony, I was told the above-mentioned circumstances of her character. My informant was a pilgrim, who stood listening with great devotion to the pipers. He told me, at the same time, that the Virgin's taste was too refined to have much satisfaction in the performance of these poor Calabrians, which was chiefly intended for the infant ; and he desired me to remark that the tunes were plain, simple, and such as might naturally be sup posed agreeable to the ear of a child at his time of life." — (Vol. ii. pp. 77, 78). Such is the popular belief But how completely does it discard all real reference to Him who is thus represented ! who is not now, as more than eighteen hundred years ago, an infant ; but, having suffered for our sins, has " sat down on the right hand ofthe Majesty on high." (Heb. i. 3, 4.) How completely does this representation of Christ, as an infant of days, keep out of view the great work of the atonement, and promote the error of applying to his mother as a mediator, having authority over him.* " In Rome (says the Rev. John Cumming),j- almost every house is furnished with a figure or picture of the Virgin, be- * " The spirit of Popery in Letters from a Father to his Children." p. 212. London: 1840. Though chiefly designed, for the young, theseably written letters may be advantageously read by students of a larger growth; nor do we know a more useful present which can be made to youth, who are about to visit countries where Popery is dominant, in order to forewarn them against its seductive witchery. + See the " Missionary Register" for October 1839, p. 446. MARIOLATRY OF ALPHONSUS LIGUORI. 65 fore which a lamp is kept constantly burning. At Con stance, there is a handsome pillar erected, on which stands a representation of the ' Virgin and child,' with these sev eral inscriptions :— ' To Mary, the Patron of Men'—' To Mary, the most August Patron of the Diocese of Constance' — ' To Mary, the Virgin of Virgins'—' To Mary, the Queen of Angels'—' To Mary, the Mother of Mercy, the most Powerful Protector of the City of Constance.' On a wall, near Florence, there is a figure or painting of the Virgin, represented as speaking language which it shocks me to repeat : ' I am Mary, the Daughter, the Wife, and the Mother of God, the Omnipotent and Eternal God.' The term, ' Mother of God,' is of frequent use in the Ro mish Vocabulary ; but here we have the blasphemy rising still higher."* Lest, however, it should be said that the preceding facts and evidences are derived almost entirely from the state ments of Protestants, two or three examples shall now be adduced (and with them we shall terminate this branch of evidence) from a Popish work, the materials of which must have been collected in Italy (where in all probability it was written,) possibly at Rome, though the volume itself was printed and published at London ; we mean the anonymous " Lives of St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Francis de Girolamo, St. John Joseph of the Cross, St. Pacificus of San Severino, and St. Veronica Giuliani : whose canonization took place on Trinity Sunday, May 26th, 1839. London : C. Dolman, 1839." 12mo. Our first extract shall be from the life of the pretended iSaiwi Alphonso Liguori, who, (the author of the "New Month of Mary" (pp. 58, 59) informs us,) never permitted " a day to pass without spending some time before an altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. He never undertook any thing, however trivial, without invoking her, whom he called ? Numerous additional proofs of thc idolatrous worship offered to the Virgin Mary in Italy, and especially at Rome, will be found in the Appendix, No. II. 66 MARIOLATRY OF his Mother, and after God, his only hope. Often in his sermons did he speak in the most touching manner of tllis Mother of sorrows; ' At the foot of the cross,' he would say, ' she adopted us in the person of John. By the sword which pierced her heart, she is become for us a Mother of mercy ; let us, therefore, poor sinners, have recourse to her in our pressing dangers.' " " His loving patroness (says the author of his life), our Blessed Lady, rewarded his zeal in the cause of charity and devotion, by appearing to him in the sight of an immense crowd of people, collected in the church of Foggia, to listen to a discourse upon his favourite subject, the intercession and patronage of Mary. From her countenance a ray of light, like that of the sun, was reflected upon the face of her devout servant, which was seen by all the people, who cried out, ' A miracle ! a miracle !' and recommended them selves with great fervour and many tears to the Mother of God ; and many women of abandoned life were seized with such intense sorrow, that they mounted upon a platform in the church, and began to discipline themselves and cry aloud for mercy, and then leaving the church, retired to the house of penitents in that city. Alphonsus, in his juridical attestation, deposed, that during the sermon, he, together with the assembled audience, saw the countenance of the Blessed Virgin, resembling that of a girl of fourteen or fif teen years of age, who turned from side to side, as was wit nessed by every one present." — (p. 12.) " God rewarded his zeal by several prodigies ; for one day, during a mission at Amalfi, a person going to confession at the house where Alphonsus lived, found him there at the very time for beginning the sermon in the church. After he had finished his confession, he went straight to the church, and to his surprise found Alphonsus some way ad vanced in his sermon. He was astonished at this circum stance, for, at his departure, he had left Alphonsus hearing the confessions of other persons at his house, and had not ALPHONSUS LIGUORI. 67 seen him come out of the only door, through which he could possibly pass on his way to the church. It was, therefore, reported in the city that Alphonsus heard confessions at home at the same time that he was preaching in the church. Whilst he M-as preaching on the patronage of the Blessed Virgin, and exciting his hearers to recur with confidence to her, in all their wants, he suddenly exclaimed, ' O, you are too cold in praying to our Blessed Lady ! I will pray to her for you.' He knelt down in the attitude of prayer, with his eyes raised to heaven, and was seen by all present lifted more than a foot from the ground, and turned towards a statue of the Blessed Virgin, near the pulpit. The coun tenance of Our Lady darted forth beams of light, which shone upon the face of the extatic Alphonsus. This spec tacle lasted about five or six minutes, during which the peo ple cried out, ' Mercy, mercy ! a miracle, a miracle .'' and everyone burst into a flood of tears. But the saint, rising up, exclaimed, in a loud voice, ' Be glad, for the Blessed Virgin has granted your prayer.' " — (pp. 26, 27.) The following comment on the preceding quotations, by the Rev. W. Palmer, in his " Letter to the Rev. Dr. Wise man, calling himself Bishop of Melipotamus," (pp. 22, 23) is not more severe than just : — " I cannot refrain from expressing to you the horror and amazement which such a scene inspires. Here is a saint of your Church — a saint canonized only two years ago, and after the most rigid investigation of all his actions by the highest authorities amongst you. This saint excites his hearers to ' recur with confidence to the Virgin in all their wants,' as if she were a deity. He follows this up by kneel ing down and Spraying' to the Virgin. Observe, not seeking her intercession, hut praying to her. A miracle is wrought to sanction this impiety ; and that nothing may be wanting to complete the abomination of the scene, this miracle is wrought while the saint is in an attitude of adoration before 68 MARIOLATRY OF ST. F. DI GIROLAMO. the image of the Virgin, and while that image itself becomes, as it were, animated, and testifies the presence of the Virgin within it ! This is the teaching which you place before the members of your Church. This is the teaching which your saints inculcate — your cardinals and your Pope ap prove and authorize — and which you yourself print and publish for the edification of the faithful." The next passage relates to St. Francis di Girolamo, of the Society of Jesus, who is said to have been " a most faithful servant of Mary ; he had for her the most tender affection, and incessantly laboured to excite similar feelings in others."* "For twenty-two years (says his biographer) he preached a sermon in her praise and honour every week. To youth especially it was his custom to recommend this devotion as the surest preservation of innocence, and the best remedy after sin ; saying that one could hardly be saved who felt no devotion towards the Mother of God. Mary was his coun sellor in doubt, his comfort in toil, his strength in all his enterprizes, his refuge in danger and distress. He experi enced an inexpressible delight whenever he recited the rosary of our tender Mother."' — [Lives of St. Alphonsus Liguori, <^c. p. 101.) " This passage requires no comment. If ever idolatrous reverence was felt for a created being, it certainly was in this case."t Our readers will cease to be surprised that such idolatry, as is above described, should exist at Rome, when they know that not only is the Bible prohibited, by the fourth rule of the Index of prohibited books, prepared by order ofthe (so- called) Council of Trent, from being read by the people, $ * " New Month of Mary," p. 65. t " Palmer's Letter to Dr. Wiseman," p. 24. t " The Bible (says a recent traveller) in Rome is a strange and rare book. The only edition of it authorized to be sold here is in fifteen large volumes, which are filled with Popish commentaries. Of course, none but the rich can MUTILATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 69 but also that the Ten Commandments are mutilated ; and the second and fourth commandments are altogether omit ted in Bellarmine's " Dottrina Cristiana Breve," or " Short Christian Doctrine." We quote from the London verbatim reprint of the edition, printed at Rome in 1836, by Peter Aurelj, " con licenza de' superiori :" — de' oomandame.vti di DIO. " M. Veniamo ora a quello, che si ha daoperare per amare Iddio, ad il Pross- imo : dite i dieci Comandamenti. "D. 1. Io sono ilSignore Iddio tuo: non avrai altro Dio avanti di me. " 3. Non pigliare il Nome di Dio in vano. " 3. Ricordati di santificare le Feste. " 4. Onora il padre, e la madre. " 5. Non ammazzare. " 6- Non fornicare. " 7. Non rubare. " 8. Non dir falso testimonio. " 9. Non desiderare la Donna d'altri. " 10. Non desiderare la Roba d'altri." ON THE COMMANDMENTS OP GOD. " M. Let us come now to that which is to be done, in order to love God and our neighbour. Repeat the ten com mandments. "D. 1. 1 am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other God before me. " 2. Thou shalt not take the name of God vain. " 3. Remember to keep holy the fes tivals. " 4. Honour thy father and thy mother. "5. Do not kill. " 6. Do not commit adultery. " 7. Do not steal. " 8. Do not bear false witness, " " 9. Do not covet thy neighbour's wife. " 10. Do not covet your neighbour's goods."" In the preceding extract it will be observed, that the sec- and commandment is altogether omitted, as well as the fourth, for which last is substituted the Pope's command, to ^^ re member to keep holy the festivals," (that is, the festivals of the Romish Church) which he has set apart for idolatry and idleness, but which God has set apart for labour ; while the seventh day, which God has commanded us to keep holy, is not even mentioned to " remember." It were not diflBcult to multiply examples similar to those above given, of the worship actually paid to the Blessed Virgin Mary in other countries where Popery is dominant, and the pure word of God consequently is excluded. But the preceding instances will suffice to accomplish the object purchase a copy of the Sacred Scriptures. Indeed, very few of the common people here know what we mean by the Bih\e."—{Rev.J. A Clark's " Glimpses ofthe Old World," vol.i., p. 396. London 1810. 12mo.) * " Dottrina Cristiana,' pp. aa, ^V '''^ name of Alexander VI. was the following: — Church of God <> Home was great under Csesar: now she is greatest : Alexander which he hath pur- VI. reigns ; the former was a man ; this, a God."t chased loilh his own blood. Rom. ix. 5. (2 ) Christopher Marcellus thus adressed the fraudu- Christ . . . who lently and simoniacally elected military Pope Julius II. is over all God, (whose extravagant passion for war and bloodshed is said blessed for ever- to have caused the death of not fewer than 20Q,000 men) in more. the fourth session of the fifth Lateran Council, in the year 1512 :— '¦ For thou art the shepherd : thou art the physician ; thou art the governor ; finally, thou art another GOD upon EARTH. "t (3.) The appellation of God js given to the Pope in the canon law of the Romish Church, which is in force to this day in all countries where Popery is dominant : — " It is shown with sufficient evidence, that the Pope (who, it is clear, was called God by the pious prince Constantine) cannot be bound or loosed by the secular power; and it is manifest that God cannot be judged by raan,"§ (4.) " It is not man, but God, who separates those whom the Roman Pontiff (who is not the vicegerent of man, but of the true God upon earth), weighing the necessities and the good of the churches, unbinds not by a human, but by a divine AOTHOHITY."!! [Some Romanist may, perhaps, insinuate that these are comparatively ancient instances : we will, therefore, ad duce two or three modern instances in which the Pope has been called God.] • Pew men ever equalled this infallible pontiff in debauchery. At the time of his elevation to the pontificate he had only five illegitimate children ; and the whole of his government was one continued series of atrocious crimes for their aggrandizement. At length he met with the reward of his crimes: by the righteous retribution of Divine Providence, the iniquitous career of this mon ster of iniquity, and of his illegitimate son, the impious cardinal Csesar Borgia, was terminated in the year 1503, by that poison which they had prepared for others. t "Caesare magna fuit, nunc Roma est maxima: Sextus Regnat Alexander: Ille, vir: iste, Deus." — Corio, Storiadi Milano. Signature R iiii. a. Milano. 1503 ; folio. t " Tu enim pastor, tu medicus, tu gubernator, tu denique alter Deus inter- ris." (Labbsei et Cossart. Sacrosancta Concilia., tom. xiv., page 109. D.) § Satis evidenterostenditur, a seculari potestate nee ligari prorsus nee solvi posse pontificem, (quem constat a pio principe Constantino Deum essse appel- latum), nee posse Deum ab hominibus judicari manifestum est." (Gratiani Decretum. Prima Pars, Dist. xcvi.,c. vii., p. 293, apud Corpus Juris Canonici. Lugduni, 1591. 4to.) II " Non enim homo sed Deus separat, quosRomanus Pontifex, (qui non puri hominis sed veri Dei vices gerit in lerris,) ecclesiarum necessitate vel utilitate pensata, non hutuana sed divina potius aoctohitate dissoWii." (Decretales D. Gregorii Papae IX. suae integritati una cum glossis reslitutae, ad exemplar- Ro manum diligenter recognilse. Parisiis. 1612, cum licentia; page305, B.C.) THE POPES OF ROME. 73 ^- °°''- 1. god. (5.) Sajmi Alphonso Liguori, having been nominated by Clement XIH. to the bishopric of St. Agatha de'Goti, at first declined to accept it, to which refusal the Pope at first was disposed to accede. Subsequently, however, he retracted his acceptance of Liguori's refusal, alleging that the Holy Ghost had inspired him to do the contrary." On this determination of the Pope being communicated to him, Liguori exclaimed, " It is the will of God. The voice of the Pope is the voice of God ! !"* (6.) Mauro Boni, in the dedication of his "Essay on the Studies of the [Jesuit] father Luigi Lanzi to Pope Pius VII., the restorer of tlie order of Jesuits, thus terms him God: TO PIUS Vll- CHIEF PONTIFF. AN EARTHLY GOD.f (7.J Among the thirty-five articles of Popish faithfound in the pocket of the Irish rebel priest Murphy, who was killed at the battle of Arklow, were the following: — " 3rd. We acknowledge the supremacy of the holy fa ther, ihe Lord God the Pope, and that he is Peter's succes sor in the chair. " 14th. We are bound to believe that Christ's Vicar, our Lord God the Pope, can absolve all men (heretics excep ted,) and has given the like power to all his inferior clergy."? .2. SAVIOUR. 2 saviour. Luke 11.11.— 1/»- Simon Eengnius, Bishop of Slodrusch, in the sixth ses- to you IS oomtliis sion of the fifth Lateran Council, gives this appellation day, m the city of (^ p^pe Leo X.:— David, a Saviour, ,< Behold, God hath raised up for thee a Saviour, who which IS Christ the gjjall save thee from the hands of the spoiler, and shall de- I-ord. hver the people of God out of the hands of those who per- ? . '7" "T" secute them. We have expected thee, O most blessed Leo, This IS indeed the ^g ^[jg gjjyiouR that was to come."% Christ, the Saviour of the world. Acts V. 31. — Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour. * " Lives of St. Alphonso Liguori," &c., page 28. London, 1839. 12mo. t PIO Vll- PONT. MAX. TERRESTRI- DEO. Saggio del studii del P. Luigi Lanzi scritto dal suo discepolo P. Mau- Boni. Venezia dalla Tipografia di Alvisopoli. 1 Gennaro. 1815. 8vo. t Taylor's " History of the Rebellion in the County of Wexford, pp. 9d, 94 This author was taken prisoner by the rebels, and providentially was de livered from being murdered by them. The articles of Popish faith above re ferred to a^e also printed in Sir Richard Musgrave's " Memoirs of the different ''t"EfclsuVcittu't\WDe;;s'g?Lv^ tium,^Topu"m Dei de manu Pe-equentixim liberabit T^.^ Le° bef^^^--. Saltatorem venturum speravimus." (Labb. et Cossart. Concilia., tom xi v., col. 150, C.) 7 ro 74 DIVINE TITLES GIVEN TO Divine TitUs giv- Divine Titles given to the Popes of Borne. en to Jesus Christ. Tit. i. Z.— Accor ding to the com mandment of God our Saviour. 3. KING OF KINGS. 3. KING OF KINGS. Rev. xvii. 14.— Balthasar del Rio, Prothonotary of the Apostolical bee. For he is Lord of thus apostrophized Leo X. at the seventh session of the lords, and king of same Council : KINGS. "Like the lion, the king of quadrupeds, thou— another Rev. xix. 16. lion — not another king of men only, but made the king op King of kings and kings, and monarch of the whole earth, wouldest bring Lord of lords. back, allure, and recall to thy fold other sheep which are not of this fold. 'Gird thyself, therefore, with thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty :' for thou also hast two swords— the spiritual and the temporal."* Agreeably to this address, Antony Pucci applied to Leo X. the prediction relative to the Messiah, in Psalm Ixxii. 11. " As if that prophetical saying ought again to be ful filled in thee, the only true and legitimate Vicar of Christ and of God : ' All the kings of the earth sliall worship him, alt nations shall serve him.' "t 4. THE lord's 4. THE LORD's CHRIST. CHRIST Luke ii. 26. — Cardinal Giovanni Hieronymo Albani ascribes thistitle That he [Simeon] to the Pope in his Tractatus de Potestate Papa et Concilii, should not see death where, in the summary of contents of § 169 (fol. 67, b) _ before he had seen we read absolutely that the Lord's Christ. The Pope is the Lord's christ. (Authorized ver- ^^^ ;„ § jgg^ .^^ ^g^j ^g foUows :— sionj — In the An- i, -yyjjat, therefore, will those persons say, who affirm glo-Popish '^'ersion ^^^^ ^j^^ Pope, who is the Lord's Christ, may be deposed 'Ai'^- w • '¦ Sed nefleveris, filiaSion ; quia ecce venit Leo de Thibu Jod«, Radix David." 76 OMNIPOTENCE ASCRIBED acquisition of money, studious of military warfare, and de voted to sensual pleasure, games, amours, and hunting, the orator says : — "Seize, therefore, the two-edged sword of divine power delivered unto thee; and enjoin, command, and charge, that an universal peace and alliance be concluded among Christians for the space often years at least ; and bind kings in the fetters of the greatness of the great king ; and bind the nobles fast in the iron manacles of censures : ' foe ALL power is given UNTO THEE IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.' "* This is no rhetorical flourish : it is in perfect unison with a decree of the Romish canon law issued by Boniface VIII., in which he says : — " Moreover, we declare, say, define, and pronounce it to be alto gether of necessity to salvation, for every human ceeatdre to be SUBJECT TO THE PoPE OF RoME."t This decree was renewed and approved by Leo X. in his bull, read to, and passed by, the fifth Lateran Council, " with the approbation of the present holy council," — " sa- cro prsesenti concilio approbante. "J Boniface VIII., how ever, was not the author or inventor of this monstrous prop osition : he was indebted for it to one of the reputed saints of the Romish Church — Saint Thomas Aquinas. In the first of his treatises against the Greeks, addressed to Pope Urban IV., chap. 23 (which is a series of inferences deduced by him from the two preceding chapters,) he not only as serts that " it is necessary to salvation to be subject to the Pope of Rome," but also that " Peter is the Vicar of Chiist, that the Pope of Rome is the successor of Peter in the same * " Arripe ergo gladium divin.e potestatis bis acutum ; et jube, impera, et, manda, utpax universalis et colligatio per decennium inter Christianos ad mi- nus fiat ; et reges ad id in compedibus magnitudinis magni Regis liga, et no- biles inmanicis ferreis censurarum constringe, ' quoniam tibi data est omnis POTESTAS in cobloet in terra.'" (Labb. et Cossart. ConciUa., torn, xiv., p. 271, D. E.) . . f I t " Porro subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanse creaturae [some copies read humanam creaturam] declaramus, dicimus, definimus, et pronuntiamus, omnino esse de necessitate salutis. (Extravagantes communes, lib. i. tit. 8, cap. 1, p. 193 B. Parisiis, 1612.) v & . ¦ I t Labb. et Cossart. Concilia., tom. xiv., p. 313, A. TO THE POPES OF ROME. 77 power which was conferred on him by Christ, and ... . that it belongs to him to determine what is of faith."* Want of space forbids us to exhibit even the briefest no tice of the manner in which the Roman Pontiffs have exer cised their usurped omnipotence in deposing' kings, &c. &c. But we cannot omit to state, that Cardinal Bellarmine was m perfect conformity with the dogma of Aquinas, that it belongs to the Pope to determine what are articles of faith when he made the following extraordinary assertion, which is a precious specimen of Popish morality : — " The Catliolic [he means the Rom ish] faith teaches, that every virtue is good, that every vice is evil ; but if the Pope should err in com manding VICES or forbidding virtues, the Church would be bound TO believe that vices are good AND VIRTUES EVIL, unless she wished to sin against conscience."'\ In order to evade the force of this assertion, advocates of Popery have urged that it is simply a link in a chain of ar gument. The fact, that they have had recourse to such evasion, is admitted, but Bellarmine's statement is not the less an assertion for that reason : it is still, and ever will be, so long, at least, as his treatise is extant, an unblushing and positive assertion, that, if the Pope so command it, all who are in communion with him are bound to believe, " that vices are good, and virtues are evil," unless they wish to sin against conscience. Accordingly, in perfect conformity with this precious morality, the second of the thirty-five articles of Popish faith, cited in page 73, teaches : — " We acknowledge they [that is, "our Lord Goo the Pope," "the holy primates, bishops, monks, friars, and priests," who had been * " Ostenditur etiam, quod Petrus est Christi vicarius, et Romanus Pontifex Petri successor in eadem potestate ei a Christo coUata Quod ad eumper- iinet determinare quce sunt fidei." (Aquinatis Operum, tom. xix., p. 24, Ven etiis 1787.) " Quod subesse Romano Pontifici sit de necessitate salutis,' — (Ibid. p. 25.) t Fides catholica docet, omnem virtutem esse bonum, omne vitium esse ma lum- si autem papa erraret pb«;Cipiendo vitia, vel phohibendo ymTUTEs, ten- ereturecclesucrederevitiaesse bona, viRTUTEs MALAs, msi. velUt coutra conscientiam peccare. (De Romano Pontifice, lib. iv., cap. 5, Disput ; tom. .., p. 804, E.)' 7* 78 ADORATION OF THE mentioned in the first article,] can make vice virtue, and virtue vice, according to their pleasure."* In pursuance of this usurped omnipotence in determining what are articles of faith, Pius IV., in the year 1564, pre sumed to add to the Nicene, or Constantinopolitan Creed, twelve new articles of faith, embodying all the anti-scrip tural and unscrlptural dogmas peculiar to the Romish Church, which articles were published to the world only fifteen hun dred and sixty-four years too late to be the religion of the TRUE Church of Christ. To be sure, these new modern articles have been and are schismatically opposed to a de cree of the Catholic or Universal Church, viz., that of the Council of Ephesus, held a.d. 431, and subsequently confirmed by a decree of Council of Chalcedon, a.d. 451 (both which Councils Papists acknowledge to be General Councils) : when it was determined that " it should not be lawful for any one to set forth, write, or compose, any other creed, or produce or present it to those who are willing to be converted to the knowledge of the truth, either from Heathenism or from Judaism, or from any heresy whatso ever ; such persons, if bishops, shall be deprived of their episcopate, if clergy, of their clerical ofl5ce."t Such, how ever, is the credulity of uninformed Papists, that they im plicitly believe whatever their pretended holy father and vicar of Jesus Chiist chooses to impose upon them, thus '' teaching for doctrines the comimandments op MEN." — (Matt. XV. 9.) 2. With regard to the adoration of the Pope, that we may not be charged with misrepresentation or erroneous definition, we will adduce the definition of a French— not an Italian — canonist,! who states that " the word, < adora tion' is used, when speaking of the religious honour^^^ which ? Taylor's ''History ofthe Rebellion in the County of Wexford," p. 93. Sir Richard Musgrave's " Memoirs of the different Rebellions in Ireland " vol. 11., p. 437. ' t Labb. et Cossart. Concilia., tom. iii., p. G89. X Durand de Maillane, Dictionaire de Droit Canonique. (Tom i v 101 col. 1. Lyons, 1776. 4to.) >¦ f > POPES OF ROME. 79 are paid to the Popes in certain ceremonies, as at their election."* In the rubric of the Romish service on Good Friday, the adoration of the material cross is enjoined ; and, In the eighth rubric of the rites of celebrating mass, the ofiiciating priest is directed reverently to exhibit the host or consecrated wafer to the congregation, to be adored. We will now adduce three instances, out of many which might be given, of similar religious honours being paid to a sinful mortal, after his elevation to the pontificate. (1.) The Adoration of Pope Martin V. is proved by a medal, which is engraved in the " Numismata Pontificum Romanorum," ~published by the Jesuit Bonanni, (tom. i., plate 1.) It was struck by order of Martin, on his elevation to the pontificate ; and it represents him sitting on a throne, while two persons are placing the tiara, or papal crown, on his head. In the foreground four persons are represented kneeling, three on the right hand, and one on the left hand : the last has his hands clasped in the attitude of devotion. The motto of this medal plainly indicates the event which it was designed to commemorate: "Quem creant' ado- rant." — Whom they create- they adore. (2.) Adoration of Pope Pius II. — " The Pope was conducted to the Church of St. Peter : and, after being elevated on the high altar at the foot of the tombs of the holy apostles, he sat upon the throne which was prepared for him. and was there adored by the cardinals, afterwards by the bishops, and lastly by all the people, who crowded to kiss his feet."t (3.) Adoration of Pope Pius VHI., who was elected March 31st, 1829. The following description of the " religious honours" paid to this man on his election to the Papacy, is from the pen of an eye-witness : " We were resident at Rome during the present Pope's election. We were present at the Adoration oj tlie Pope, which took place in the following manner :— * " On se sert eo-alement du mot d'AooRATioN, en parlant des honneurs reli- gieux que Ton rend aux papes en certaines ceremonies, comme dans leur elec- f Fleury, Histoire Ecclesiastique, avec la continuation. (Book iii., § Ixix., tom. xxiii.,' p. 53, Paris, 1727. 4to.) 80 THE TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST " The day after the breaking up of the conclave, having left the pontifical palace, he proceeded to St. Peter's. Arriving at the front entrance, he was carried on men's shoulders to the grand altar, situa ted in the section of the cross, in the form of which the upper end of St. Peter's is built. He was seated upon it in place of the HOST, which is commonly, among those of the Romish Church, supposed to represent the presence or the Deity; thus fully exemplifying these words of the apostle, when speaking of the Man of Sin: 'HE, as GOD, sitteth in the temple of GOD, shew ing HIMSELF that HE is God.' (2 Thess. ii. 4.)"* The following passages from the second part of the twenty-eigth Homily, in which the true Church of Christ and the Romish Church are compared, may appropriately terminate these pages : — " The true Church is an universal congregation or fellow ship of God's faithful and elect people, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him self being the head corner-stone. And it hath always three notes or marks, whereby it is known : pure and sound doc trine ; the sacraments ministered according to Christ's holy institution; and the right use of ecclesiastical discipline. This description of the Church is agreeable both to the Scripture of God, and also to the doctrine of the ancient fathers ; ^so that none may justly find fault therewith. " Now, if you will compare this with the Church of Rome — not as it was in the beginning, but as it is at present, and hath been for the space of nine [twelve] hundred years and odd — you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church, that nothing can be more. For neither are they built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, retaining the sound and pure doctrine of Christ Jesus ; neither yet do they order the sacraments, or else the ecclesiastical keys, in such sort as he did first institute and ordain them ; but have so inter- * Extract of a letter, from a person who had just returned from Rome, in thff Morning Herald newspaper, No. 15,319, pubUshed Oct. 28th, 1829, p. 2, col. 4. COMPARED WITH THE CHURCH OF ROME. 81 mingled their own traditions and inventions, by chopping and changing, by adding and plucking away, that now they may seem to be converted into a new guise. Christ com mended to his Church a sacrament of his body and blood : they have changed it into a sacrifice for the quick and the dead. Christ did minister to his apostles, and the apostles to other men indifferently, under both kinds : they have robbed the lay people of the cup, saying, that for them one kind is sufliicient. Christ ordained no other element to be used in baptism, but only_ water ; whereunto when the word js joined, it is made, as St. Augustine saith, a full and perfect sacrament : they, being wiser in their own conceit than Christ, think it is not well nor orderly done, unless they use conjuration, unless they hallow the water, unless there be oil, salt, spittle, tapers, and such other dumb ceremonies, serving to no use ; contrary to the plain rule of St. Paul, who willeth all things to be done in the Church to edifica tion. (1 Cor. xiv. 26.) Christ ordained the authority of the keys to excommunicate notorious sinners, and to ab solve them which are truly penitent ; they abuse this power at their own pleasure, as well in cursing the godly with bell, book, and candle, as also in absolving the reprobate, which are known to be unworthy of any Christian society ; whereof they that lust to see examples, let them search their lives. To be short, look what our Saviour Christ pro nounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel : the same may be boldly, and with safe conscience, pronounced of the Bishops op Rome ; namely, that they have forsa ken, AND daily do forsake, THE COMMANDMENTS OF GoD, TO ERECT AND SET UP THEIR OWN CONSTITUTIONS. Which thing being true, as all they which have any light of God's word must needs confess, we may well conclude that the Bishops op Rome and their adherents are NOT the TRUE Church of Christ ; much less, then, to be taken as chief heads and rulers of the same." 82 CONCLUSION. " Therefore, dearly beloved, according to the good coun sel of St. John, ' Believe not every spirit, but first try them whether they be of God or no,' (1 John iv. 1.) ' Many shall come in my name (saith Christ), and shall transform themselves into angels of light, deceiving, if it be possible, the very elect' (Matt. xxiv. 24.) They shall come unto you in sheep's clothing, being inwardly cruel and ravening wolves. They shall have an outward shew of great holi ness and innocency of life, so that ye shall hardly or not at all discern them. But the rule that ye must follow is this, to judge them by their fruits, (Matt. vii. 15-20 ; Luke vi. 43-45). Which if they be wicked and naught, then it is impossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good. Such were the popes and prelates of Rome for the most part, as doth well appear in the story of their lives ; and, therefore, they are worthily accounted among the number of false prophets and false Christs, which deceived the world a long while. The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride : that they never enter into his vineyard again, to the disturbance of his silly poor flock ; but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world. And he, of his great mercy, so work in all men's hearts, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospel of liis Son Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed in all places ; to the beating down of sin, death, the pope, the devil, and all the kingdom of Anti christ; that the scattered and dispersed sheep being at length gathered into one fold, we may in the end rest all together in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; there to be partakers of eternal and everlasting life, through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen." THE END. APPENDIX. ORIGINAL ITALIAN OF THE PRAYERS, WHICH ARE TRANSLA TED IN PP. 57-59. (1.) " Preghiera a Maria SS. da dirsi nel giorno in cui si e ascriito alia Confraternitd, " Gloriosa Vergine Maria, Regina del Cielo e della Terra, in cui dopo Dio ho posto tutta la mia confidenza, mi getto umilmente a'vostri piedi come 1' ulti mo de' vostri servi per consacrarmi interamente ed irrevoiiabilmente al vostro servizio in questa pia Confraternita, eretta sotto la vostra protezione ; e faccio la sincera risoluzione di recitare a vostro onore la Corona colla maggior possi- bile divozione ne'sette giorni principali a voi festivi, o in altro tempo, se allora nonpotro, per tutti gli Associati, aiRnche per Ii meriti di Gesii Cristo vostro caro Figliuolo, e per la vostra potente intercessione siano preservati da ogni male spirituale e corporale nella loro vita, che siano benedetti dal Sgnore in tuttele loro azioni, e che finalmente ottengano la grazia di morire della morte de'giusti. " Siccome e il desiderio di piacervi che mi porta ad abbracciare questa divo zione, e ad impegnarmi in questa divota Confraternita, cosi umilmente vi sup plico, 0 santa Vergine, di volermi ricevere nel numero de'vostri servi, ed otten- ermi la grazia di corrispondere fedelmente alia vostra bonta per riconoscenza di un tanto amore. " O gloriosa Vergine Maria, degnatevi dall'alto vostro trono di guardarmi con quel benigno occhio, che e sempre aperto per chi si e consacrato al vostro servizio ; e siccome oggi faccio notare il mio nome nel libro della Confedera zione del vostro santo Amore, cosi scrivetelo nel vostro materno cuore, e pregate il divino vostro Figliuolo, affinche si compiaccia annoverarmi fra coloro che sono ascritti nel libro dell'eterna vita. Cosi sia." — {Preghiere proposte alle persone ascritte alia pia Confederazione di Maria Santissima delta Provi denza Ausiliatrice de' Cristiani, pp. 17, 18.) (2.) " Orazione a Maria Santissima. " O Madre di Dio, Maria SS., quante volte io per i miei peccati ho meri- tato r inferno ! gia la sentenza forse al primo mio peccato sarebbe stata ese- guita, se voi pietosa non aveste trattenuto la divina giustizia ; e poi vincendo la mi'a durezza mi tiraste a prendere confidenza in voi. Ed oh I in quanti altri delitti appresso forse io sarei caduto nei pericoli che mi sono occorsi, se voi Ma, dreamorosanonmene aveste preservato coUe grazie che mi avete ottenuto. 84 prayers directly addressed Ah I Regina mia, che mi giovera la vostra misericordia ed i favori che mi avete fatto, se io mi danno 1 Se un tempo non vi ho amato, ora dopo Dio vi amo sopra ogni cosa. Deh I non permettete che io abbia a voltare le spalle a voi, e a Dio, che per vostro mezzo tante misericordie mi ha dispensate. Signora raia amabilissima, non permettete che io v' abbia ad odiare e maledire per sempre nell' inferno. Soffrirete voi di veder dannato un vostro servo che vi amal O Maria che mi dite 1 Io mi dannero ¦? Mi dannero se vi lascio. Machiavra piii cuore di lasciarvi 1 Chi potra scordarsi dell'amore che voi mi avete por- tato 1 No, che non si perde chi a voi con fedelta si raccomanda. e a voi ri- corre. Deh I Madre mia, non mi lasciatein mano mia, che io mi perderoj fate che io sempre a voi ricorre. Salvate mi, speranza mia, salvatemidall' inferno, e prima dal peccato, che solo puo condannarmi all' Inferno. Tre Salve Re gina."— {Ibid, pp. 30, 31.) (3.) Extract from the " Coroncina a Maria SS. Madre della di vina Provvidenza. " MARIA. Pel vostro latte verginale Pel vostro pianto inconsolabile Per la vostra desolazione inconcepibile Pel sangue sparse nell'Orto da Gesii vostro Figlio Pel sangue sparse nella Flagellazione da Gesu vostro Figlio Pel sangue sparse nella cadute sotto la Croce da Gesu vostro ?> Figlio g Pe 1 sangue sparse nella crocefissione da Gesii vostro Figlio ^ Madre di Dio re ^ Figlia di Dio "• ore than seven inches long : it has been reduced a little to bring it within the compass of a page. This engraving is sold at Naples for half a grano (about five-sixths of a farthing), and a copy of it, framed and glazed, in 1840, was suspended near an altar, in the church of St. Gennaro de' Poveri, on the right hand, on entering. The following is a translation ofthe inscription : — " The exact measure of the foot of the most blessed Mother of God drawn from her true shoe, which is preserved with the highest devo tion in a monastery in Spain. Pope John XXII. granted three hun dred years' indulgence to every one who shall kiss this measure three times, and shall recite three ave marias : and this was confirmed by Pope Clement VIII. in the year of our redemption, 1603. " This indulgence, not having any prescription as to number, may be obtained as often as the devotees of the most holy Virgin shall please ; it may also be applied to souls in purgatory ; and, for the greater glory of the Q,ueen of heaven, it is permitted to draw from this measure other similar [measures], which shall have all the same in dulgence " Mary, Mother of grace, pray for us."* * The Bishop of Exeter (Dr. Philpotls), in his " Supplemental Letter to Mr. Charles Butler" (p. 58) mentions a similar measure of the Virgin's foot which was pubUshed in Italy, and with the same indulgence of three liundred years. AT FLORENCE AND MODENA. 95 FLORENCE. 16. Through the kind offices of a friend the author has received di rect from Rome a book of Devotions intitled " via del Paradise, ovvero Pratiche di Pieta: per che desideragiungereallaperfezione Cristiana Orologio della Passione del N. S. G. C. Dedicata all' Ill.Tio Revm?- Sig";-. Canonico Tomniaso de' Conti della Gherardescn, Firenze pres so Giuseppe Forniigli." 16mo. pp, 384. The following Extract is transcribed from "orazione al Salva tore del Mondo, e alia Sua SS. Madre Vergine Maria.'' " AveSanctissima Maria Mater Dei,l Regina Ccsli, Porta Paradisi, Domina Mundi; tu es singularis virgo purissi- ma; tuconcepta sine peccato originali, sine macula concepisti Jesum Salva- torem. Tu fuisti verissime ante par tum inviolata et illibata ; fac me tuis sancti [Sanctis 1] precibus, pure, pie, et sancte vivere, etora Jesum Filium di lectum post mortem me juscipere ; ab omnibus mails mentis et corporis libera me; fac me opera misericordi te ac- quirere, et in gloria Paradisi in oeter- rum tecum gaudere. Amen." (p. 227.) [Hail most holy Mary, Mother of God, Clueen of Heaven, Gate of Para dise, Mistress of the world ; Theu only, oh Virgin, artmostpure; Thou — conceived without original sin — didst without spot conceive Jesus, the Saviour. Thou wast most verily be- foreparturition, inviolate and undefiled : make me by thy sacred prayers, purely, piously, and helily to live; and suppli cate Jesus thy beloved Sen, after death to receive me. Deliver me from all evils of mind and body ; make me, by compassionating aid, to win thee ; and with thee in the glory of Paradise, eternally to rejoice. Amen. A. C. C] The following passage immediately follows the above Prayer. Molte indidgenze son concesse dai Sommi Pontefici a chi divota- mente e con cuor conirito recita questa orazione (Ibid). [That is — Many indulgences are granted by the Sovereign Pontiffs, to whoever devoutly and with a contrite heart recites this prayer.] MOnENA 17. The following is an extract from an '' Invito Sagro," or holy in vitation, handsomely printed at the Royal Ducal printing ofBce at Mo dena (" dai tipi della R. D. Camera, 1840"), inviting the Modenese to celebrate the annual festival of Mary, Mother of Consolation, ven erated under the title of " the Girdle," (Maria Madre di consolazione, venerata sotto il titolo della Cintura), on Sunday, August 30th, 1840. In reading the following extract it is impossible not to call to mind, and to compare with it, the almost parallel expressions of the saga cious town clerk of Ephesus to the infuriated populace : — " Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not that the city of the Epheslans is a worshipper ofthe great goddess Diana ¦?" (Acts xix. 35.) Modenesi ' a cui non e conta la ten- People of Modena ! To whom is era vostra fiMiale devozione verso ques- not known your filial devotion towardu ta Supremalmperatrice dell' Universe, this Supreme Empress of the Universe, Beadognipassoneammirailcommos- since at every step the moved stranger 96 MARIOLATRY so forestiero luminesi monumenti I E non basta forse pronunziare solamente quel nome adorabile amabilissimo, Ma ria, per mettere teste a vampa tutti gli affetti del vostro cuore 1 Ah! nonvog- liate adunque in tale incontro smentire si nobile carattere di religiosa avita pieta. Accorrete numerosi ad onorare cen rispettosa venerazione 1' inapprez- zabildono, che questa Madre amorosa ne face del Sacre suo Cingolo : appreffi tate della si fausta opportunita, che a Voi si ofFie, per lucrare la Plenaria In dulgenza da varj sommi Pontefici con- cessa a tutti quelli, che confessati e communicati, supplici si prestreranno innanzi all' Ara benedetta di Maria. Sorridera Essa dall' alto del cieli nel rimirare la vostro frequenza, la vostra compestezza, il vostro raccoglimento, e compiacendosi Benigna dell' ossequioso culto a Lei prestato, piovera sopra di Voi a piene mani quelle grazie e segna- lati favori, di cui venne dal suo divino Figliuolo costituita larghissima Dis- pensatrice, e si nelle traversie, negli af fanni, nelle calamita di questa misera vita travagliosa, avrete per voi stessi ad esperimentare con quanta ragione sia invocata Madre pietosa della Con solazione, does admire the luminous monumenta [of it] I And is it not, perhaps, suffi cient only te pronounce that adorable, most amiable name, Mary, to kindle all the affections of your heart ¦? Ah I You will not then, en such an occasion, belie the noble characters of the reli gious piety of your ancestors; Run in numbers to honour, with respectful veneration, the inestimable gift which this loving mother makes of her Holy Girdle. Profit by this auspicious op portunity which is thus offered to you 10 obtain the plenary indulgence grant ed by various Popes to all, who, having confessed and communicated, shall sup- pliantly prostrate themselves before the blessed altar of Mary. She will smile from the height of heaven to behold your numbers, your order, your grati tude ; and she benignant, taking pleas ure in the obsequious worship offered to her, will pouruponyou, with fuUhands, these graces' and special favours of which her divine Son has constituied her the most bountiful Dispensatrix; and thus, amidst the crosses, vexations, and calamities of this troublesome wretched life, you shall yourselves have to experience, with how much reason the compassionate Mother of Consola tion is invoked. SWITZERLAND FRIBOURG. 18. The following passages are quoted from the " Con secration to the Holy Virgin, pronounced by Monseigneur the Bishop [of Fribourg] at the close of the Exercises of the Month of Mary, in the Church of N[otre] D[ame]." The same bishop, on the 31st of May, 1832, granted "forty days' indulgence to all who shall recite this Consecration before an image of the holy Virgin."* Auguste Reine des anges et des hommes, Vierge pure et sans tache. Mere de graces et de m isericerde, ref uge des pecheurs, consolatrice des affli- ges, seceursdescliretiens I Prosternes a vos pieds, nous vous invoquens avec une confiance filiate, comme notre pro- tectrice, notre patrenne et noire mere August Clueen of angels and of men, pure and spotless Virgin, Mother of graces and of mercy, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted, the succour of Christians I prostrate at your feet, we invoke you with filial confidence as our protectress, our patroness, and our mother Mother of mercy, re- ? The notice, announcing the indulgence above mentioned, is signed, " Pai ordre, le Chanoine Wully, Chancelier del' Eveche." The " Consecration" it self bears the imprint of " P. L. Piller, Imprimeur de 1' Evfeche." AT FRIBOURG. 97 ••••••. Mfere de misericorde, move from us the scourges deserved by eloignez de nous les fl^iuix que meri- the iniquities of which wo are guilty, tent les iniquitos dont nous nous som- and especially suffer not the precious mesrenduscoupables, etsurtout neper-; torch of faith ever to become extinct. raettez pas que le pi ocieux flambeau de It is for your glory, and that of your la foi vienne jamais a s' eteindre. C divine Son, that we a est pour voire gleire, et celle de voire divin Pils, que nous vous addressons ces humbles supplicaiions. Mere du Dieu-Sauveur et la notre, montrez que vous 6tes vraiment I' une et 1' autre : monstra te esse' matrem, et failes-nous ressentir les doux effels de voire puis sance et de voire bonto malernelle. Soutenez nous dans les lentations, 6clai- rez nousdans nosdoules, consolez-nous dans nos afflictions, preservez-nousdes demgers de salut, assistez nous dans nos infirmites, et piincipalement dans les angoisses de la mert. address lo you these humble supplications. Mother of the Saviour-God, and our [mother], shew that you are truly both : shew that you are a mother, and cause us to feel the sweet effects of your power and of your maternal goodness. Sustain us in temptations, enlighten us in our doubts, comfort us in our afflictions, preserve us from the dangers of health, assist us in our infirmities, and espe cially in the agonies of death. In reviewing the various idolatrous expressions, occurring in the preceding devotions, which are directly addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is impossible not to be struck with the frequency with which the appellation of " Queen of Heaven" is attributed to her. This very appellation is alluded to in Jer. xliv. 17, as having been given to the moon by the idolatrous women of Israel ; and it is well known that it was given by the ancient heathen nations to the same deity. " The honours offered to the Virgin Mary, more particularly by the Italians, have a remarkable resemblance to the worship of Cybele, the same titles and epithets being applied to Mary, as were formerly paid to the Queen of Heaven. The feast of the Virgin in the calendar, com monly known as Lady Day [though noi so called in the Lit urgy of the Church of England], was anciently dedicated to Cybele. In various instances the Virgin has succeeded to the mother of the gods, or to Venus, in the superstitions of the modern Romans. The influence of this error is in deed, constantly apparent. Pictures may frequently be seen in Romish churches abroad, in which some deliverance is pourtrayed as being wrought, and where Mary appears peculiarly prominent. Thus a vessel may be observed in imminent peril from a storm, but in the upper part of the 98 VOTIVE OFFERINGS TO THE VIRGIN MARY. representation the Virgin is seen holding the infant Jesus, just as a nurse would a child with which she was entrusted ; the consequence of which is supposed to be the security of all on board."* It would require a volume to describe the multifarious votive offerings made to the Virgin in the different churches at Rome only. We may, however, state, from the informa tion communicated to the author by an eye-witness recently returned from Italy, that among the thousands of votive of ferings to the Madonna del Parto, who is venerated in the church of St. Agostino, at Rome, there are (apparently made of embossed silver) only 6413 hearts, 93J pairs of eyes, 227 legs, 67 arms, 11 breasts, 3 hands, and 13 kneel ing figures, 214glazed cases of various objects, such as hearts, arms, legs, breasts, &c., &c., which appear to be of pure silver ; and 171 paintings on wood and pasteboard, repre senting various deliverances supposed to have been wrought by the intercession of the Madonna del Parto, whose picture enters into the composition of nearly all these paintings. " So that (as Dr. Middleton justly but severely remarks, concerning sim^ar pictorial votive offerings made to the Virgin) it may be truly said of her, what Juvenal says of the goddess Isis, whose religion was at that time in the greatest vogue at Rome, that the painters got their livelihood out of her : — " ' Pictores quis nescit ab Iside pasci 1 As once to Isis, now it may be said. That painters to the Virgin owe their bread.'" Dr. Middleton adds — " As often as I have had the curi osity to look over these donaria, or votive offerings, hanging round the shrines of their images, and cpnsider the several stories of each, as they are either expressed in painting, or related in writing, I have always found them to be mere copies, or verbal translations, of the originals of heathenism."! * " Spirit of Popery," pp. ;J07, 208. t Letter from Rome (Works, vol. v., p. 107, Svo. edit.) 3 9002 00496 9490