Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

for a minister of eternal salvation, grant, that he who was the instructor of our life here on earth, may become our intercessor in heaven." The work to which I allude is the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin, published in Rome as late as the year 1840, called the eleventh edition, and having the imprimatur and re-imprimatur of the ecclesiastical authorities in the Vatican. The plan of the work is to introduce the name of Mary into each of the Psalms, where now the name of God appears. The work contains other pieces of devotion, from which I give you the following specimen. It is printed in Italian, which I will first read,* and then translate literally :

"We prefer our praises to thee, O Mother of God. We praise thee, O Mary, Virgin.

"All the earth shall reverence thee, the spouse of the Eternal Father.

"To thee, Angels and Archangels, To thee Thrones and Principalities humbly bow themselves.

"To thee all Choirs, to thee Cherubim and Seraphim, exulting worship around [thee.]

"To thee all angelic creatures sing praises with incessant voice.

"Holy, holy, holy Mary, Mother of God, both Mother and Virgin."

You agree that creation is a work of God, and that to ascribe it to a creature is idolatry; what then will be thought of the following extract from the same book: "The heavens declare the glory of the Virgin, and the firmament showeth forth her handiwork?" I know * See note at the end of this Lecture.

that these extracts must be offensive to the mind of many a Roman Catholic in the congregation. I feel persuaded that they are regarded by you as not only idolatrous, but even blasphemous; I am aware too that some defenders of the Church of Rome have sought to remove the responsibility of this work from Bonaventure, the celebrated Dr. Doyle especially; but if he remove it from the Saint, he throws it upon the Church, which, from 1834 to 1840, permitted eleven editions to be published at Rome, the heart and centre of the Church, with the imprimatur of her authorities. In the face of this, Manning has asserted, without proof, that this Psalter is found in the index of Prohibited Books; which we deny; and, therefore, throw upon him, and upon any one else who makes the same assertion, the burden of proof. You must see the index yourselves before you believe that there is to be found in it, a book passing through two editions a-year for six successive years, bearing the imprimatur of the Vatican, and printed at Rome. But the evidence is irresistible that this is an authorised Roman Catholic work. Give me your attention, and I will convince you that this is the case. The first formal and entire collection of the works of Bonaventure was published in 1587, under the patronage of Sixtus the Fifth, Pope of Rome. The Psalter is included in this edition; and what is rather remarkable, there is prefixed to it a life of the Saint, by Peter Galesinius, who, on page 19, particularly specifies the Psalter as the production of Bonaventure. If these are not the present sentiments of the Church of Rome, she has changed since the days

of Sixtus V., and even since the date of the last edition of this work, the last that we have heard of, that of 1840. We have a right to hold the Church of Rome to these sentiments, or to oblige her to confess that her teaching is not uniform, and therefore that her boasted unity is fabulous.

(2.) To offer sacrifice, prayer, or praise to any creature is idolatry. This is admitted by several authorities of the Catholic Church. For instance, I find on page 40, of the grounds of Catholic doctrine, a work from which I have already quoted the following question and answer: "Q. Do Catholics pray to saints?

"A. If by praying to saints, you mean addressing ourselves to them, as to the authors or disposers of grace and glory, or in such a manner as to suppose they have any power to help us independently of God's good will and pleasure, we do not pray to them."

From this it is clear, that the Church of Rome regards positive prayer, and dependance upon any creature as idolatrous and sinful. We accept this exposition, and state that the Reformed Churches protest against the Church of Rome, because its members are taught in their devotional works to present absolute prayer and praise to the Virgin, and to place absolute dependence upon her.

I find in the litany of our Blessed Lady of Loretto, the following prayer: "We fly to thy patronage, O sacred Mother of God; despise not our prayers in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed ever Virgin." Is not this addressing absolute prayer to a creature?

My next proof is taken from the Encyclical letter of Pope Gregory the XVI., dated August 15, 1832: "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 protectress, may watch over us writing to you, and lead our mind, by her heavenly influence, to those counsels which may prove most salutary to Christ's flock.

"But 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. (St. Bernard. Serm. de Nativ. B. V. M., sect. vii.) May she exert her patronage to draw down an efficacious blessing on our desires, our plans, and proceedings, in the present straitened condition of the Lord's flock. We will also implore, in humble prayer, from Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, and from his fellow-Apostle Paul, that you may all stand as a wall to prevent any other foundation than what hath been laid."

I adduce, as another proof some petitions which occur in a small devotional work, entituled, "Il Tesoro dell'Anima," The treasure of the soul. It was printed in Naples in 1842, and is in general use throughout the kingdom of the two Sicilies. On page 70, we have the following specimens of absolute prayer :

"O most afflicted soul of the Virgin give me consolation.

me.

"O most adorable body of my dear Mother, comfort

66

"O most loving tears of the Queen of Paradise purify me.

"Receive for thy servant me, who love and trust thee. In the hour of my death aid me, to the end, that with all the elect I may glorify thee for ever and ever. Amen."

I now hold in my hand a work by Saint Alphonso de Liguori, entituled Le Pouvoir de Marie, published "with the approbation and under the patronage of the Archbishops and Bishops of Paris, Tours, Nevers, Luçon, etc." From this volume, which is well known and much read by the French Canadian portion of our community, I shall read two extracts illustrative of the teaching on this subject of eminent members of the Roman Catholic Church.

The first is an absolute prayer to the Virgin:

"O Mary, my refuge, how often have I not felt myself to be, through my sins, the slave of Hell! You have broken my bonds, you have snatched me from the hands of my fierce enemies; but I tremble from fear of again falling into their power, for I know that their rage has no repose, and that they expect me yet to become their prey. Holy Virgin! be my buckler and my defence; with your aid I am sure to conquer; but grant that I may never forget to invoke you in my conflicts, and especially in this last, the most terrible of all, when the demon expects to betray me at the last hour. Put you your name upon my lips and in my heart, and may I expire while pronouncing this name

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »