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PRINTED AT THE LEAI>ER * F^TltfOT erEXU-tVESi.WtAVmKiaan, liB65. ^^^'^^ — ' - ■ ■ ' » ■ 4 *-•■ .* * >%■ ' k Wak':"'^:-^- ^--: fflp 1 » ir -* <• •a ^ ' ^'' r i J - ' . '-;'■■; > i - ♦• : > ■ ''? .■n-i s - • ' ,-f- +-' * * ■> I .^ . « I ^. - ._ * ■"■»;.- "i- • '*■ .^i » % 1 * '^ "^- - »• SO 'V- "'*':;, • .-. n 1 / Ci:: •fei **4. f\ MARY KOT IMMACULATE, NOR THE MOTHER OF GOD, NOU A PERPETUAL VIRGIN, BUT ONLY A SINNER, SAVED THROUGH THE MEDIA TION OF JESUS CHRIST. :-Vi. A LECTUEE, DELIVERED BEFORE THE PROTESTANT ALLIANCE, IN THE ST LAWRENCE HALL, ON THE 1st OF MARCH, AND PUBLISHED BY REQUEST BY, THE REV. ROBERT JOHNSON 1 OP THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, TORONTO. PRICE, 71. "A*^©©* TORONTO : SOLD AT FLETCHERS. 54 YOXGE STREET AND M. SHEVTAN'S. ST LAW RENCE ARCADE. PRINTED AT tHB LEADER t PATRIOT STEAM-PRESS ESTABLISHMENT. 1855. '^ •^ INTRODUCTION. At a time when Romanists are proclaiming their absurd dogmas, to deceive the hearts of the simple, the friends of truth should not sit still and say there is no danger. Error is always dangerous — and when it comes in like a flood the the spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard — how ? Certainly by the instrumentality of the friends of truth. Believing it to be my duty to bear witness against soul destroying error, I complied with the invitation of the committee of the Pro- testant Alliance to deliver a lecture on the "Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary." By request it is now in print. The shortness of time allowed for its preparation must apologisw for any inaccuracy observed by the candid reader. In drawing it up! have derived much assistance from the writings of Mr. Tyler, Mr. McGavin, Dr. Smyth and others ; this T hope will not make it less acceptable to adiscerning public. Shoi H be useful to convince any of the absurdity of the " Immaculate Conception " nfer, as le if the ly sound niployed of God, e of hap- at is ini- the opi- )f heaven am's ser- Jcthucl is ig is said s mother ge is ap- ughter/'t ir-jona."§ shall find ers, — tho f XVI, It. i meek, — the pure in heart."* Now who would for a moment sup- pose that the use of such language would warrant the ascription of divine honours ? When Simon Peter was pronounced " Blessed" by tlie lips of infi nite wisJoin, was it understood that henceforth he should have divine honours conferred upon liim ? Certainly not, for afterwards the Sa- viour designates him a personification of Satan, " Get thee behind me Satan." From these passages wo learn that the use of such language when applied to creatures — even by one iiigiier than ant.els, — does not by any means warrant the ascription of divine honours. But farther on in tlie same chapter Mary is introduced to our no' tice by the salutation of her cousin Elizabeth who addnsscd her as " the mother of my Lord,"f that is the mother of one who should bo her Lord. And when the angel spake to Joseph in relation to her, ho designates her as " Mary thy wife" and in many other instances in the New Testament is she spoken of, either as " the young child's mother'^ or simply, " his mother^ In reading the account of the Saviour's birth in the beginning of Mathew's Gospel, Mary is denomina. ,d " the espoused wife of Joseph ;" and it is farther said of her, that she brought forth " her FiusT-BORN SON." Now wliat meaning would a plain, unprejudiced reader of the narrative attach to it ? Would he not suppose that such language warranted liim to conclude that she became, what indeed the angel describes her to be, — Maky his true and mar- ried WUr. VXD THE mother of other children ^THE FRUIT OF this matrimonial relationship — and this refutes the error of her perpetual virginity. In tho last of the first chapter of Mathew, it is said Joseph and she did not live together as husband and wife, till she had brought forth her first-born son. But as he received a command from God by the angel in tho 20th verso of that chapter, to take to him Mary his wife ; and in obedience to that command took unto him his wife., but did not live with her as her husband, till she had brought forth her first-born son, may we not then conclude that from that time, ac • Mathew V, 3-8. f Luke I, 43. ' '" » »' WlM W WW W nntw;,H- 10 cording to the well known requirement of the Jewish Law,*^ they lived together as husband and wife until the death of Joseph. We know of no other satisfactory principle on which we can ex- plain such expressions as the following, that we find scattered through the writings of the four evangelists. For example, " While he yet talked to the people behold his mother and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him."f Is not this the carpenter.s son ! Is not his mother called Mary ? And his brethren, James and Joses, Simon and Judas, and his sisters are they not with us ? Again "the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him "Be- hold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee." Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James ? " Then came to him his mother and his brethren and conld not come at him for the press. His brethren therefore said unto him, ** For neither did his brethren believe in him." " These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and u'ith his brethren.'''' Again, the Apostle Paul declares that three yeare after his conver- sion to the religion of Jesus he went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lord's Brother. ; Now we argue that the terms brother and brethren would not be employed especially when their names are given merely to point out religious profession. Family relationship, is without doubt, re- ferred to when they are spoken of in connexion with Joseph and Ma- ry as their common parents. The opinion that these brethren were the sons of Joseph by a former marriage is a mere fancy without a particle of evidence in the word of God. Nor does the opinion that they were cousin-germains, or first-cousins, of our Lord rest upon a much better foundation ; for then we would have Alphaus and Gleophas designating the same person, and also the anamoly of two sisters having the same name. And where can we produce a single instance of two individuals in the same family whose names were precisely alike ? ♦ Exodus XXI, 10. t Mathew XX, 46. i 11 can ex- cattered " While en stood jr,s son ? d JoseSf im "Be- Is not James ? lot come n, « For plication, toith his s conver- ge Peter, les saw I d not be to point loubt, rc- and Ma- iren wero ivithout a :iion that st upon a iteus and )ly of two e a single lies were i The opinion that these brethren were the sons of Joseph and Ma- ry is adopted by various Commentators, such as Whitby, Bloom- field, Campbell and others, and is supported also by the following facts. 1st. Joseph and Mary travelled together to Egypt, lived there se- veral years, again returned and dwelt at Nazareth, and afterwards &t Capernaum, and all this time as iiusnANo and wife ; and that Jesus Christ was regarded as their united son by all ^^ho knew not of his miraculous conception, 2nd. That Jesus Christ always conducted himself towards them in his younger years as husband and wife, and as both therefore hav- ing authoiity over him. May we not therefore, from these premises draw the conclusion, that there is no authority for the " perpetual virginity," " immaculate conception" and " divine maternity" of Mary the Mother of Jesus ; and that having removed this foundation, the whole policy of the cor- rupt system of Rome, in ascribing divine honors to Mary, rests upon nothing but lyint; and idolatrous assumptions. IT. Mary the mother of Jesus, to whom Rome ascribes divine honors, is not designated in the Sacred Oracles '* the Mother of God" nor is she to be worshipped as a relative divinity. From examination of various passages of the Sacred Record we think it is evident beyond a doubt, that there is no authority for the dogma of her " Immaculate Conception" and " Perpetual Vir- ginity." Le t us now proceed to inquire into the nature of the evi- dence that ever Christ or his apostles regarded Mary as the Mother of God, that is her " Divine Maternity" or on any account to be honoured with adoration, and treated with the reverence due even to a relative divinity. When the Saviour was yet, as man, only twelve years old, hii mother and Joseph, who are in the narrative, both called his parents, made a memorable visit to Jerusalem, during which he was left be- hind, while reasoning with the doctors and asking them questions. And when they had returned and found him, Mary said to him " Son 12 why hast thou thus dealt with us, behold thy father and I ha"« ■ought thee sorrowing." Mark his reply. How is it that ye sought me ? Wist ye not t. e., knew ye not that I must be about my Father's business."* Here you perceive Christ Jesus makes no dis- tinction between Joseph and Mary, but reproves equally the ignor- ance of — and want of faith in — his divine nature, and heavenly mis- aion, which they had both manifested by their sorrow for his tempo- rary absence. Now let us carefully observe that if the daughter of St. Ann, the Mother of Jesus, from the first instant of her Conception, by a singu- lar privilege and grace of God, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, according to the Popish dogma and being so con- firmed in grace ever after, she was without slain of acfwa?, though but venial sin, how could she be reproved by the Saviour for her ig- norance of his character, and want of faith in his divine nature ? Are not ignorance and consequent unbelief evils that we see every day resulting from sin ? Is there not an intimate and close con- nexion between ihem and moral delinquency ? If Mary had been a perfect character, absolutely free from all sin, and possessing the at- tributes of Deity, there would have been nothing in her, to call forth this reproof from the Saviour. She does not appear to any greater advantage than her husband in the knowledge of the character of their reputed son ; and consequently she is unworthy of being plac- ed any higher than him in the scale of created existence. We direct your attention to another circumstance that occurred early in the history of his public life. In the record of his first mi- racle ^ we read thus : " And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee and the Mother of Jesus was there, and both Jesus was called and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they want- ed wine {i. e., when it had been all drank) the Mother of Jesus said unto him, they have no wine, Jesus saith unto her — woman what have I to do with thee ? Mine hour is not yet come."f This language needs no comment to convince an unprejudiced reader, that in the Sacred Oracles — the infallible standard — there is no warrant for the " Divine Maternity" of Mury the Mother of Jesus, • L ike II, 48. t John II, 4. \.\ 13 or her worship. It may, however, be of service to some to know the opinion of a judicious commentator, and therefore we give you the explanation found in the "Comprehensive Commentary" on this sub- ject. It is as follows : First. This was intended to be a check to his mother for interpos- ing in a matter which was the act of his Godhead ; which had no DKPEMDANCB ON HER, and of whicli she was not the Mother. Though as MAN he was David's son and hers ; yet as God he was David's Lord and hers, and he would have her to know it. Secondly. It was an instruction to others of his relations present, that they must never expect him to have any regard to his kindred in working miracles, or that therein, he should gratify them, who in this matter, were no more to him than other people. Thirdly. It is a testimony against that idolatry which he foresaw his church would, in after ages, sink into ; in giving undue honours to the Virgin Mary ; a crime which the Roman Catholics, as they call themselves, are guilty of, when they call her the Queen of Heaven, the salvation of the world, their mediatrix, their life, their hope ; not only- depending on her intercession, hut beseeching her to command her son to do them good ; show that thou art his mother ; lay thy maternal commands on the Saviour, Does he not hero expre'ssly say, when his mother did but tacitly hint an intercession, " tvoman what have I to do with Theb ?" " This was plainly designed either to prevent or aggravate such idolatry, such horrid blasphemy. The Son of God is our advocate with the Father ; but the Mother of our Lord was never designed to be our advocate with the Son." We have another incident referred to by the first three Evangel- ists, to which we direct attention, '♦ while he yet talked to the people, behold his mother and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him who told him, who is my mother and who are my brethren ? And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples and said, behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do khe will of my Fathe; who is in Heaven the same is my brother and 14 iister and mother"* or as expressed by the Evangelist Luke, " And bt answered and said unto tliem, my mother and my brethren are those ■who hear the word of God and do t7."f On these verses hear the opinion of the same Commentator "Christ, as at other times, put a comparative neglect upon his mother to prevent the extravagant respect which men in after>times would be apt to pay her. Our respect ought to be governed by Christs' ; now the Virgin Mary or Christs Mother, is not equalled with ordinary believers, on whom Christ here puts a superlative honour. lie looked upon those that sal about him, and pronounced those of them, that not only heard, but did the will of God, to be a» much esteemed as his nearest relations, The same commentator quotes -Theophylact on this passage " a« taxing her of vain glory and of guilt in endeavoring to draw Him from teaching the word." TertuUian says. He pronounceth her guilty of incredulity. Chiysastom says she was guilty of vain-glory, in- firmity and madness for this very thing." Is it by such conduct that she is proved " immaculate ?" Hear the language of a Jwriter of the present day on the subject, "the evidence borne by these passages against our oflfering any re- ligious worship to the Virgin Mary on the ground of her having been the mother of Jesus, seems clear, strong, direct and ine vitable. She was the mother of the Redeemer of sinners, and blessed is she among women, but that very Redeemer himself with his own lips assures us that every faithful servant of his Heavenly father shall be equally honoured with her and possess all the privileges which so near and dear a relationship with hiniself, might be supposed to convey." .^\ As we promised at the out set to direct your attention to the law and to the testimony for evidence, we refer you to another passage in which our blessed Redeemer is recored under different circumstan- ces, to have expressed the same sentiments, but in such language as will appear to many even more strongly indicative of his desire to prevent any undue exaltation of his mother. "As he spake these things a certain woman, of the company lifted •Mark III, 33. fLukeVIH, 21. t Dr. Smyth. And bt re thoM lentator pon hi> er>timeB rned by equalled oerlative nounccd to be a» age "as •aw Him er guilty lory, in- conduct e subject, any re- havinp le vitable. id is she own lips ier shall which so iposed to the law passage reumstan- iguage as desire to »any lifted I 15 up her voice and said unto him, blessed is the whomb that bare theo and the paps which thou hast sucked."* Now, mark carefully that Christ our Saviour, in his reply does not even allude to his mother, except for the purpose of instantly drawing the minds of his hearers from contemplating any supposed blessedness in her, and of fixing them on the sure and greater blessedness of his true, humble, feithful and obedient disciples, to the end .of time ; but he said yea, rather — or, as some prefer yea verily — blessed are they that hear the word of Gotl and keep it." The last instance in which the name of the Virgin Mary is intro- duced to our notice in tlie Gospels, is an edifying and truly affecting one. It is recorded by the evangelist John ; and it speaks to every one who has a mind to understand and a heart to feel. Its clearness, force and beauty are so striking that no paraphrase could add any. tiling to it. And yet in the whole incident we do not find a syllable falling from the lips, or the pen of the beloved discisple, who records this act of his blessed Master's filial piety, which can, by any' possibility be construed to imply that our Redeemer intended that Mary should be held in such honour by his disciples, as would be shewn in the offering up of prayer to her after her dissolution, as is now done by Rome. Read the sacred narrative carefully and judge^ for yourselves. " Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdclene." When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple, standing by whom lie loved, hesaith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son ; then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother." " And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."f la considering the charge that the beloved disciple had committed to him, as we learn from these affecting verses. We might have sup- posed, as he wrote so much afterwards, he would have given us some account of Mary the Motlier of Jesus. Under his roo/" and in to his care, did she come ; and if the Romish dogma have a particle of truth in it, he had either a divinity with him or an aspirant to its honors ; hence Jchn must have been guilty of the greatest neglect in * Luke, XL, 27 t John, XIX., 25, 26. Id Jiuintaining such a studied silence in regard to the dignity of hor character and her glorious transformation. Not one syllable falls from the pen of one who had so much regard for Jesus, and con- sequently for his mother, that can be construed to bear on the station character, person or circumstences of Mary the mother of Jesus. We would challenge the advocates of the Romish doctrine of" the divine maternity" and "Immaculate Conception" to account for this •ilence. It cannot bo accounted for on any other principle than the necessity of it to prevent weak and erring men from having any apology to present for becoming the victims of such an awful and soul destroying delusion as that which is now settled down on the Romish anti-christian system. After his resurrection the Redeemer remained on earth forty days before he finally ascended into Heaven. Many of his interviews and conversations with his disciples, during that interval, are recorded in the Gospels. Each one of the four evangelists relates some act or some saying of our Lord, on one cr more of these occasions ; and there is minute- ness in mentioning by name, Mary Magdelene, Mary the mother of Joses, Mary the mother of James, of Salome, Joanna, and also Peter, Cleophas, and the disciple whom Jesus loved, at whoso house the daughter of St. Ann, the mother of Jesus was, Thomas, Nathaniel ; indeed the whole eleven are mentioned generally. But it is a most singular and unaccountable circumstance, on any other principle than that mentioned, that by no one of the evangelists is any reference made to Mary the mother of our Lord, as having been present at any one of those intervietos. Her name is not once alluded to through- out.! But poor deluded Rome cannot see this I In another instance, the last in the sacred narrative, subsequently to the ascension of the Saviour, we find the name of Mary the mother of Jesus in Company with many others, and without any further distinction to seperate her from the rest. The narrative runs thus, " and when they were como in (from witnessing the ascension of the Redeemer) they we it up into an upper room where abode both Petei and James and John and Andrew i i t Tjler. nity of hof liable faUa and con- tlio station : of Jesus, rie of" the nt for this lie than the aving any awful and III on the forty days rviews and ecorded in me saying I is minute- mother of also Peter, house the Nathaniel ; ! is a most nciplc than y reference sent at any D through- ibsequently Mary the ithout any in (from ip into an nd Andrew 17 and Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphajus, and Simon Zelotes and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother ofJesns, and with his Iirethren."J Now if there be any truth in the dogmas of Rome, respecting tlu' elevation of Mary to divinity or lier Assumption, it is surpassingly strange that there is not one word said of her having been present to witness even the ascension of her blessed son. We challenge tlK- Pope, his cardinals, bishops and rectors, to shew where a command is given, or a wish expressed, or even a remote intimation to his disciples, to shew any ward's q/rea/jfcf and honor to her; let them shew that there is any allusion made to any supposed superiority or distinction &nd pre-eminence. They cannot do it! Let them account for this fact, that though we have three Epistles written by tlu- apostle John, and the second of them addressed to a lady, " whom he loved in the truth" we find neither from the tongue or the pen of the Apostle John one single allusion to Mary the Mother of Jesus, alive or dead. But if the apostle John, through delicacy, bacause she was livirip with him, made no reference to her, can we hope to succeed anv better by calling in the evidence of the apostleof the Gentiles ? Cer- tainly not ! For neither in the many epistles that he wrote, nor in the numerous biographical sketches drawn by him, does the apostle Paul intimate in the most remote degree that he knew anything whatever concerning her individually. He does indeed refer to the human nature of the Saviour derived from his human Mother, and had he been taught by his Lord to en- tertain towards her such sentiments as " the Immaculate Concep- tion," the " perpetual Virginity" and " Divine Maternity" held by Rome, he certainly had many an inviting occasion to give utterance to them. But does he avail himself of such opportunities ? He does not ; for instead of speaking of the Virgin Mary he does not even mention her name or, state at all, but refers only in the most general way to her nature and her sex as a daughter of Adam — thus, " But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his son made t Actg, I., 13 14. 18 of a woman, hukIj undor the law, that wo might receive the adoption of 8ons."f And thus it appears that from u time, within a few days (four Iled.eemers Ascension, there is not one word spoken of Mary the daughter of St. Aimo, and the Mother of Jesus, whether she was in life as long as the apostle John lived, or wrapped in her winding sheet and laid in the silent grave. We have thus examined the testimony of the Sacred Oracles respect- ing the supposed honors paid to Mary the Mother of Jesus by the anti- L'hristian system, the great Apostacy, and we can find no authority for tliem, (here is not a single instance in whijh Mary is designated the " Mother of God," and we might fearlessly challenge all their learned men to produce one ? The expression is r. blasphemous one ; for how can the great " uncaused cause of all things," have a mother ? *' having neither beginning of days nor end of life." In the God-head there is a Trinity of Persons ; the divine nature of the Redeemer is united Avith the Father, " I and my Father are one," and with the Holy Ghost ; and if Mary be the Mother of God j'he must be the Mother of the Father, and she must also bo the Mother of the Holy Ghost ! ! The utterance of this is enough to rthock a mind possessed even of a moderate degree of sensibility. For it is, if possible, more than blasphemy. Blasphemy is reproach- ful language uttered against God — it is ascribing to a mere creature the perfections and excellencies which belong exclusively to God. Bat this is unddfying the Deity ! ! By proclaiming this as a dogma of the Church, and adding it to those of an idolatrous character proclaimed already, Kome proves to the world that she is that /a//en, corrujyt^ idolatrous^ and anti-Chri'slian system depicted in the Apo- calypse, as seated upon a scarlet coloured beast, /?<7^ of the names of blasphemy. The unscriptural and blasphemous appellation, *' the Mother of God^^ indicating " Divine Maternity, ^^ came into use in the Nesto- rian Controversy, which occasioned the meeting of the Council of Ephesusin A. D. 431. It was then allowed contrary to the Sacred Oracles, that it might be used ; and the use of it has tended very mucli to foster the idolatrous practice of offering divine worship to Mary, among all those who have carnal, low fmd gross views of reli- t Galatians IV, 4. I adoption !i few (lays 5n of Mary er she was >r winding lea respect- by the anti- lUthority for , designated all their )lasphernous gs," have a life." ivine nature \f Father are jther of God , also be the is enough to [ sensibility, is reproach- lere creature ely to God. |s as a dogma 13 character s that /a?/cn, in the Apo- he names of le Mother of In the Nesto- lo Council of [o the Sacred tended very |ie worshii^ to iriews of reli- .'* 19 gion. This is exactly characteristic of tho adherents of the great Apostacy. Having departed from the simplicity of the Gospel, the precious truth, ♦' salvation by the atoning merits of a crucified Re- deemer," — justification by his righteousness, — something new is re- quired and tho more corrupt and absurd tho better, to keep up the excitement and feed a depraved appetite. Home lives by suck. The great Romish system, or Apostacy beirj in tho wrong direc- tion, wct'fr seeks to rc/rffc great work of irror of applying uc — as a media- gmas of Ronao ! 'cates his god, ' and " Immacu- '.r to the persons Itij consisting of ig added in the , it would seem, n to pantkeestic 3wed, the bitter, in Revelation, been preserved firmed in grace, •ession — has not I In trying to ith their heroes her salvation _.. 23 1 much respect )eing imposed tions, we shall n or Heathen, •uld lead us to e Virgin Mary Mr. Tyler, he I have found )ther passages' *ing favourably i^irgin, such as scribed by the , is proved by ^ace^ nor exist- iaves much la- ancient author vo I neglected to any honour rered one soli- n and honour, e, were addres- to the fjK't of r no primitive jund the most itead of citing nee of proba- i billt}, appealing to histories written more than a thousand lears after the alleged event, to forged docnments and vayuc rumors. Could anything bo more satisfactory than the evidence now ad- •luced ? To offer any comment upon it would 1)6 useless. Is it within the verge of credibility that had such an event as the Assumjt- tion of Mary taken iilace under the extraordinary circumstances that • now invest the tradition, or any circumstances whatever, there wouM have been a total silence respecting it in the Holy Scriptures i That the writers of .the first four centuries should never hare referred to such a fact. That the first writer who alluded to ii should have lived about the middle of the 5th century, and that lit- should have declared, in a letter to his cotemporaries, that the sul>- jeet was one on which man]/ doubted ; and that he himself would not deny it — not because it rested on probable evidence — but be- cause nothing was impossible with God ; and that nothing was known as to the timc^ the manner, or the persons concerned, even had the Assumption taken place. We have thus, adds Mr. Tyler in his admirable work, searclied the Holy Scriptures and from the first to the last page we find not one iota or tittle of evidence to support, or sanction, or admit of divine worship being offered to the VirglTi Mary, but much every way to discountenance or forbid it. x\nd to assure ourselves that we understand the inspired volume, as our fathers in Christ received it /;-o??i the first ; that what we hoM on this point was the tenet of the Primitive Church ; and that what we dread as a fundamental error, was introduced by the corruj>tion.s of superstition in more recent ages ; we have examined not lightly or for a show of argument, but patiently and uprightly, and to the the utmost of our ability and means, the remain.s of Christi.'ii; Antiquity. Wo have specially searched into the writing.^ of those whose work^ A. D. 492, received the approbation of the Bishop and the Council of Rome. We have diligently sought for evidence in the records of the earl)' Councils ; and we find all — not for a few years — or in a portion of Christendom, but for 500 years and more, and in every country in the Eastern and in the Western Empire ; in Europe, in Africa and in Asia, testifying, as with one voice, that they knt-w of no belief in the present power of the Virgin, and her influence v.ith I'i 24 God ; no practice in public or private, of praying to God through her mediation, or of invoking her for her good offices of intercession, r.dvocaoy and patronage ; no offering of thanks made to her ; no ascription of divine horourand glory to her name. On the contrary, all the writers of those ages testify that God was to the early Christians the only object of prayer ; that to them Christ was the only heavenly mediator and intercessor, in whom they put their trust. If Mary had been elevated to " Divinity," surely it could not have escaped the notice of the Apostolic Fathers. They associated and laboured with the Apostles. Their names are Barnabas, Clement, Ilermas, Ignatius andPolycarp. Now in their genuine writings, there is not a single allusion to the intercession, influence, merits, and ado- ration of Mary the Mother of Jesus. As Ave can find nothing favour- able to the Virgins Assumption in the Apostolic Fathers, so neither do we in the writings of those who succeeded them. Let us take a fcAv examples. Justin, Martyr, flourished about A. D., 150. But in his works there is no trace of her influence ; nor any invocation of her name. Irenreus flourished about A. D., 180. He made some curious <;omparisons between the Virgin Mary and Eve ; but after all that Bellarniin has said about these comparisons, there is nothing that can prove the lawfulness of ascribing divine honours to the Mother of .[esus in them. Clcjnent of Alexanlria was contemporary with Irenreus. He speaks of Mary's becoming mother, but without one word of divine lionouv. Tertullian livai about A. D., 190. lie was opposed to any divine lionour to Mary as we have seen already. Origen lived about 230, A. D. He says if Mary, did not feel ortence at Christ's sufferings, he did not die for lier sins. Cyprian lived in the middle of the 3rd century, and wrote atTect- Jngly on prayer, but not one word from him expressive of divine honour to Mary. Eusebius. the celebrated ecclesiastical historian flourished about ^ k 25 God through 1 of intercession, de to her no Y that God was to them Christ vhom they put could not have associated and labas, Clement, ! writings there lerits, and ado- aothinof favour- liers, so neither . Let us take in his works )f her name. some curious t after all that nothing that the Mother of renreus. He rord of divine to any divine , did not feel s. i wrote affect- ive of divine irished about i .•U4. There is not one passage in all his works to countenance Mary's Assumption. Athanasiusin A. D., 350, gives no couutcnanco to the honours of Mary. He was said to bo favourable to Mary's Assumption in a ho- mily, but it has been proved spurious. Epiphanius lived about A. D., 370. IIo says the birth of Christ was after the ordinary way. Basil flourished about the end of the 4th century, lie says it w:is necessary that Mary should be a Virgin, but what became of her afterwards let us leave undiscussed, as being of small concern to the mystery. Chrysostom. a Greek Father, flourished about the end of the 4th >:entury and Augustine, a Latin one, about the same time They were opposed to any undue honours to the Virgin Mary. Jerome flourished in A. D., 418. He stands very high among the Fatliers of the Church ; he was much opposed to the opinion of the Immaculate Conception " of Mary." We have thus seen that there is no evidence for Mary's Assump- tion from the Fathers of the first four centuries ; consequently the Church of Rome [Mary's Assumption being now a dogma of Faith] is cut off from the Church of the Apostles and from the first four centuries of the Christian era, and is now what we designate it, ** the Great Apostacy. The Immaculate Conception of Mary is against the opinion of the Fathers. How then must Cardinals and Bishops feel who have sworn, according to the 2nd Article of the Creed of Pope Pius IV, that " they will never take and interpret the Scriptures unless according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers ?" Alas ! for the Church of Rome ! not only is her infallibility gone ; but her brightest ecclesiastical dignitaries are perjured men ! ! IV. Mary the mother of Jesus, was a sinner saved by divina grace, ami as such an unfit object of worship. From all that has been said in the examination of the subject, it is manifest that Mary was hy nature a" weak, sinful, guilty and cor- 26 rupt as any other woman ; and that whatever goodness or holiness of character she was enabled to manifest, was the result of divine grace, of the imputation of Christs righteousness and of the inworking o^ his Holy Spirit. The only dignity attaching to her, is the high honour and privilege of being chosen as the instrument through whom the son of God, by his own divine power and the miraculous agency of the Holy Ghost, was made in thelikeness of sinful flesh. In the Sacred Oracles we are informed that all human hearts descending from Adam by ordinary generation, are corrupt and depraved. "The heart is deceittul above all things, and desperately wicked ; who can know it" ?* " Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, for - nications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."f From the word of God we learn that Christ Jesus, manifest in the flesh, was the only exception to this universal rule, and the only individual who was exempted from this universal curse. Of Him, and of Him alone it is ever said that "he was without sin," and that he is " therefore able to save unto the uttermost." For such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." The Redeemer is thus contrasted with all other possible priests, intercessors and mediators, because He was sinless and impeccable in his nature. That the human nature of Christ was indebted to the Virgin for nothing beyond nourish- ment and support, is most fully and emphatically, taught in the Gospel by Luke, where the Angel informed Mary that " the Holy Ghost should come upon her and the power of the Highest overshadow her therefore, also that holy thing that shall be bom of thee shall be called the Son of God."J Hence we learn that Mary was selected for this high oflRce not for any merit or peculiar worthiness in lier, but in accordance with God's plan in other cases, by his sovereignty and unmeritted favour. " And the Angel said unto her, feai not Mary ; for thou hast found favour with God."|| Mary herself was conscious of her own sinful- ness, and depended for salvation altogether upon the redemption that should be wrought out by the incarnate Saviour, whom she • Jeremiah, XVII., 19. t Matthew, XV., 19. t Luke, I., 35 || Luke, I., 30. 4ii 27 5 or holiness of >f divine grace, inworking o^ is the high Ment through he miraculous sinful flesh. human hearts ) corrupt and (id desperately dulteries, for - the word of was the only iual who was . of Him alone is " therefore Mest became sinners." ther possible I sinless and ire of Christ ond nourish- ally, taught 1 Mary that >f the Highest lat shall be oflUce not for )rdance with jritted favour, hast found r own sinful- redemption r, whom she Luke, I., 30. was honoured to bring into his human manifestation''^^. Her own words will be enough to confirm this opinion, " and Mary said my soul dv>th magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my saviour^^ my oion saviour, implying her deliverance from sin " for Ho hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maid ; for He that is might]/ hath done to me great things "I, Therefore, she says " from henceforth shall all gciierations call me blessed," that is happy or favoured of God, as are all who come under the several characters described by our Lord in his sermon on the Mount. We do not deny that Mary the mother of Jesus should be, and is honoured, not for anything she was, or is in herself considered, but for the peculiar favour conferred on her by the mercy of God. Tho worship, which the groat Apostacy] professes to give so promi- nently to Mary the mother of Jesus, is, in plain and manifest contra- diction to the whole teaching of the Sacred Oracles, as it regards what she should be, what she was, and what she did, and what she herself said and believed. It is opposed to what the word of God teaches about the nature of man universally, and of Christ especially, as the only exception to the universal character of men. Rome's teaching is diametrically oppos- ed to the exclusive mediation and intercession of the Lord Jesu Christ who is the one mediator between God and man. And it is op- posed to the fact, that divine worship is only to be given to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Where, we would ask, does the worship of Maryby the great Apostacy lead to? To the subversion of the Sacred Oracles ; to plai ^., palpable and undeniable idolatry, and to the overthrow of the only founda tion upon which the poor trem- bling sinner can repose, a sure and certain hope of present salvation and everlasting life. The revealed truths of the Sacred Oracles and the witnesses for truth in the church of God, warn us with a voice from heaven never to substitute Mary for the blessed Redeemer, not even for a moment, nor by the most transient appeal to God in her name. She is only a creature, but He is the Mighty God, etitions of ■■« f sion choose a patron. The musicians were headed by Apollo, the sailors by Neptune, the labourers by Ceres. Every town had its protecting goddess. Athens adored more particularly Minerva. Rome had chosen more particularly Jupiter Capitolinus. Each god had his attributes. Apollo was invoked against the plague ; Juno presided at child-births ; and on the different spots, temples wer<* erected to all these deities of human creation. In some of those chapels sacrifices were offered ; others were for a pilgrimage ; in a third was a record of some miraculous case performed by the invo- cation of the deity. A sailor escaped from the shipwreck, hero huni;; his clothes in the chapel of his protectress; a recovered cripple hpre hung up his crutch. Tho following is an extract from Tibullus ' Come now, oh goddess. come to my help, for the numerous pictures hung in thy temples prove that thou hast the power to save us.' Again, strong proof exists in the present time of the deification of this crowd of beings ; the temples which the Pagans erected to these demi-gods may still be seen at Rome ; that city is full of them. These temples have merely changed their names and the inscriptions which they bear, declare that these very chapels, now dedicated to Christian Saints, were consecrated in former times in honour of the Pagan deities. The temple which was once consecrated to Juno, is now that of St. Michael ; the temple of Hercules is now that of St. Stephen, and that once sacred to Neptune is now dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt. The twelve temples at Rome, now dedicated to the Virgin, were formerly raised in honour of Jupiter Teretrius, Apollo, Capitalinus, Hercules, Venus, Isis, Mars, Vesta, Jupiter Stator, Minerva, Apollo and Diana, Saturn and Opis , and lastly, the Pantheon, which was once sacred to all the gods of Olympus is now consecrated to all the Saints of Paradise. lal snper- 1838,— bh Profes-