maining, that was found in the ruins of the temple of Esculapius in the island of the Tiber at Rome; of which Montfaucon says, that in it are either seen the wiles of the Devil to deceive the credulous; or else the tricks of Pagan priests suborning men to counterfeit diseases and miraculous cure! THIS piece of superstition having been found so beneficial to the heathen priesthood, it could not fail to be taken into the scheme of the Romish worship; in which it reigns at this day in as full vigor as in the past ages of Paganism; and that in so gross and shameless a manner, as to give offence and scandal to some even of their own communion. Polydore Virgil first describes this custom among the heathen; and, then, says he, we in the papal church, do now offer up in our churches little images of wax ; and as oft as any part of the body is hurt * * * we presently make a vow to God or to one of His Saints; to whom upon our recovery we make an offering of that hand or foot in wax; which custom is now come to that extravagance, that we do the same thing for our cattle as we do for ourselves; and we make offerings on account of our oxen, horses, sheep, &c.; wherein a scrupulous man will question whether in this we imitate the religion or the Superstition of our [pagan] ancestors! BARONIUS says the altar of S. Philip Neri who was the founder of the congregation of the Oratory, shines with votive pictures and images, the proofs of as many miracles; receiving every day the additional lustre of fresh offerings from such as have been favoured with fresh benefits. Amongst these the present Pope himself pays, as I have been told, a yearly acknowedgement for a miraculous deliverance which he obtained by invoking this [so called] saint when he had like to have perished underneath the ruins of a house overturned in an earthquake. THERE is commonly so great a number of these offerings hanging up in their churches, that instead of adding any beauty, they often give offence by obstructing the sight of something more valuable or ornamental, which we find was also the case in the old heathen temples; in which the pagan priests were Niged to take them down to let a fine pillar or altar be seen because then, as now, they chiefly consisted of wood or wax figures of arms or legs; but especially pieces of painted board and sometimes of fine pictures, describing the miraculous manner of their respective deliverances; of which offerings, the blessed Virgin is always sure to carry off the greatest share; of whom it may be said what Juvenal says of the goddess Isis. As once to Isis, now it may be said, That painters to the Virgin owe their bread. As oft as I have had the curiosity to look over these Votive offerings, hanging round the shrines of their images and consider the several stories of each as they are either expressed in painting or are related in writing, I have always found them to be mere copies or verbal translations of the old originals of heathenism. The vow is often said to have been divinely inspired or expressly commanded: and the cure and deliverance wrought either by the visible apparition and the immediate hand of the tutelar Saint; or by the notice of a dream or some other miraculous admonition from heaven. And what is all this but a revival of the old impostures; and a repetition of the same old stories of which the ancient inscriptions are full; with no other difference than what the Pagans ascribed to the imaginary help of their deities; and the papists as foolishly impute to the favour of their saints? Whether the reflection on the pagan priests before mentioned, be not in the same case as justly applicable to the Romish ones, I must leave to the judgment of my readers. BUT the gifts and offerings of which I have been speaking are but the fruits of vulgar zeal, and the presents of inferior people; whilst Princes and great persons as of old, make great offerings of large vessels, lamps and statues of massey gold and silver with diamonds and precious stones of incredible value; so that the Church of Loretto is now become a proverb for its immense riches of this sort; just as Apollo's temple at Delphi was on the same account with the ancients. In the famed treasury of this [reputed] holy house one part consists of a wardrobe, as it did among the heathen; and whilst they were shewing us the great variety of rich habits with which it is filled, some covered with precious stones, others curiously embroidered by such a queen or princess for the use of the miraculous image, I could not help recollecting the picture which old Homer draws of Queen Hecuba of Troy, who prostrated herself before the miraculous image of Pallas, with a present of the richest and best wrought gown of which she was mistress. A gown she chose, the best and noblest far; Sparkling with rich embroidery like a star. THE mention of Loretto reminds me how much I was surprised at the first sight of the holy [!] image; for its face is as black as a negro's ; and one would take it rather for the representation of an infernal Deity, than what they impiously style it, the Queen of Heaven. But I soon recollected that in this very circumstance of its complexion made it more exactly resemble the old Idols of Paganism, which, in both sacred and profane writers are described, as black with the perpetual smoke of lamps and incense. [LORETTO is a city in the Marquisate of Ancona, near the gulf of Venice; and the holy house, as it is impiously called, is a chapel within the Cathedral, in which they pretend the Virgin Mary lived at Nazareth; but which was miraculously carried there through the air all the way by angels. This impious cheat was robbed of all its treasures by the French revolutionary army, and at the restoration, it was as poor as a church-rat.-ED.] OUR divines hold that the judicial power of declaring articles of faith belongs to councils of Bishops and other learned ministers of the Church, chosen and convoked for this purpose according to the practice of the ancient Church, and grounding their judgments on holy Scripture, explained according to the consent of the ancient Church, and not according to any private neoterical spirit. -Bishop Overall. TRUST IN GOD, BY PAUL GERRARD. Translated from the German by Pedro Travassos Valdez. Commit, and trust thy way, To Him whose eternal care He who to air, to clouds and wind, If thou seekest for success, That thy work may abide. And self inflicted pain, From the Lord we nought may force, Thy eternal Truth and Grace, Oh Father, understand, Our terrestrial band. Yea, and whate'er, Mighty One, As good thou hast divis'd, As pleasing in thy mind. Thou hast ever means and ways, Thou wantest no resource; Thy works wholly bless our days, Light wholly is thy course. 3 *It is worthy of remark, that this bold declaration of justification by faith was written before the Reformation.-Liege Evangelical Hymn Book. [P.T.V.] None can ever stay thy hand, When thy purpose once doth stand To make thy children blest. And though the devils should combine To hinder this His will, God will doubtless not decline His purpose to fulfil; Oh, then hope thou wretched soul, And thou wilt see before thy face, The sun of joy sublime. Courage courage! bid good night To all thy grief and care ! What makes thy heart despair! Only yield to Him the sway, He is a prince most wise, He'll cause thee great surprise; When as to Him it seemeth fit He granteth thee relief, Thy load of care and grief. |