MARY NOT A PERPETUAL VIRGIN, NOR THE MOTHER OF GOD: BUT ONLY A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE, THROUGH THE Worship and MediatiON OF JESUS CHRIST, HER GOD AND OUR GOD. TOGETHER WITH A VIEW OF THE TRUE POSITION, DUTY AND LIBERTY OF Woman Under the GOSPEL DISPENSATION. The virgin mother of the God-born child.-Byron. BY THE REV. THOMAS SMYTH, D. D. CHARLESTON, S. C. PRINTED BY B. JENKINS, 100 HAYNE-STREET. MARY NOT A PERPETUAL VIRGIN, NOR THE MOTHER OF GOD. The doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome. The Church of Rome authorizes and enjoins the worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in several ways. First, by prayers offered to the Almighty in her name, for her merits, through her mediation, advocacy, and intercession. Secondly, by prayers to herself, beseeching her to employ her good offices of intercession with the Eternal Father, and with her son, in behalf of her petitioners. Thirdly, by prayers to her for the protection from all evils, spiritual and bodily; for her guidance and aid, and for the influences of her grace. To which must be added the ascription of divine praises to her, in pious acknowledgment of her attributes of power, wisdom, goodness and mercy, and of her exalted state above all the spirits of life and glory in Heaven; and for her share in the redemption of the world, and the benefits conferred by her on the individual worshipper. Prayers are, therefore, addressed to Mary, in the Missal and Breviary of the Romish Church, and in the works of her accredited teachers, her canonized Saints, and in the devotional books most commonly in use among her members, for her mediation, and for direct communication of spiritual and temporal blessings. The praise of Mary is substituted for the Gloria Patri, that is, the ascription of Glory made at an end of each psalm in the public service, to the Eternal Trinity. The Church of Rome, therefore, on some occasions, as on the Feast of the Assumption, introduces instead of this, anthems in praise of the Virgin.* Pope Leo has also granted an indulgence to all who "devoutly recite" a prayer in which "everlasting praise, honor, virtue and glory from every creature, through the boundless ages of ages," is ascribed to the "most blessed and most glorious ever Virgin Mary."+ The month of May is peculiarly devoted to her worship, and called Mary's month, and festivals are observed, in honor of her nativity, of the miraculous conception, the assumption, &c., of the Virgin. The worship rendered to her by the Romish Church, required even the invention of a new name properly to express it pre-eminence, and is therefore called hyperdulia, that is "a worship greater than, or superior to, others."§ The present Pope|| selects for this date of *See most full and authentic proofs in Tytler on the worship of the Virgin, p. 12, &c. † Do. p. 17. Tytler, pages 299, 300. Do. on Primitive Worship, 271. his 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 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." Volumes might be, and have been composed, consisting of examples of rules, instructions, and forms of devotion, worship and prayer, for the proper service of the Virgin, selected from works published by authority in this country, and especially in more papal countries. Numerous societies are now in existence whose sole bond and motive for contribution and self-denial is their worship of the Virgin. Sir Eardley Smith, Baronet, in his pamphlet on the Romanism of Italy, gives the copy of a letter from the Virgin Mary, taking the city under her protection, which he saw placarded in large print in front of the markethouse, or town hall of Messina, with a statement that the original existed, and in whose authenticity the Messinese universally believe.** The same gentleman gives a facsimile of a letter which is exhibited at Girgenti in Sicily written by the Devil to a monk.* In Spain even the customary salutations, and common courtesies of life, are not exchanged without saying, "hail, spotless Virgin." Daniel O'Connell publicly ascribes his success to the power and co-operation of the Virgin. And his liberation from prison, as well as many other great events in the history of the Church, are ascribed to the interposition of the Virgin, in a discourse delivered before his Grace, the Archbishop of Dublin, at the Pontifical High Mass and Thanksgiving for the liberation of Daniel O'Connell, who is styled "Tara of the Kings." This discourse closes with the following prayer: "Hail! Hail! then, all Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished sons of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears; turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and, after this our exile ended, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Oh! most clement-most pious-most sweet Virgin Mary; pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.-Amen." There can, therefore, be little doubt that the worship of the Virgin Mary is practically the religion, and the only real worship of a large portion of Romanists throughout the world. |