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kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord given unto me.' And we may say unto her again, that in Tobit 13th, thy kingdom endureth for all ages' and in the 144th or 145th Psalm, 'thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages.' That howsoever she was the noblest person that was, or ever should be in the world, and of so great perfection, that, although she had not been the mother of God, she ought nevertheless to have been the lady of the world."-Again: Whence, Luke ii. 51, it is written of the virgin and glorious Joseph, he was subject unto them' that as this proposition is true,-all things are subject to God's command, even the virgin herself; so this again is true also,-all things are subject to the command of the virgin, even God himself: that considering the blessed virgin is the mother of God, and God is her Son, and every son is naturally inferior to his mother, and subject unto her, and the mother hath pre-eminence and is superior to her son; it therefore followeth that the blessed virgin is superior to God, and God himself is subject unto her, in respect of the manhood which he assumed from her that howsoever she be subject unto God, inasmuch as she is his creature, yet is she said to be superior, and preferred before him, inasmuch as she is his mother." Usher gives in the margin, pp. 480-482, the very words of the authors who speak such blasphemies, and refers to the particular discourses from which he quotes.

I am heartily sick of such abominable stuff; but justice to my subject requires me to go on. Some of my readers will have heard of the famous Psalter of Bonaventure, of which the design was to apply to the virgin, all the addresses made to God in the psalms and hymns of the church. This book was printed with license and commendation, as a piece "which was profitable to be printed, and very piously and commendably to be recited by all men in their private prayers, to the honour of the blessed virgin." The author of it, also, has been canonized by the church, and worshipped among others of the same fraternity; which certainly implies that his works were tolerably meritorious. A few quotations will discover what exercises are permitted in the Romish church. Come unto Mary, all ye that labour and are heavy laden; and she shall refresh your souls. Come unto her in your temptations; and the serenity of her countenance shall establish you. O lady, in thee do I put my trust; deliver my soul from mine enemies. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good. O give thanks unto his mother, for her mercy endureth for ever!" M'Culloch, Pop. Cond. pp. 337, 338.

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Usher gives several quarto pages of extracts from this popish version of the Psalms, in the original Latin, with a translation. Here the Virgin Mary is the Alpha and the Omega. The most sublime ascriptions of praise to the Creator and Preserver of all things, are addressed to Mary, under the title of "our lady." The last Psalm is made to begin with "Praise our lady in her saints; praise her in her virtues and miracles;" and it concludes thus, "Omnis spiritus laudet Dominam nostram; let every spirit (or every thing that has breath) praise our lady." Usher's Ans. &c. p. 493.

Connected with this, the archbishop gives us the words of Bernardinus de Busti, which exceed even Bonaventure in blasphemy :-" But thou, O most grateful virgin, didst not thou something to God? Didst not thou make him any recompense? Truly (if it be lawful to speak

it) thou in some respect did greater things to God, than God himself did to thee and to all mankind. I will therefore speak that, which thou out of thy humility hast passed in silence. For thou only didst sing, 'He that is mighty hath done to me great things:' but I do sing and say that thou hast done greater things to him that is mighty." Ibid. p. 494.

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To show that Mary is exalted above Jesus Christ; and to give her greater interest in the affections of her deluded worshippers, the same Bernardine relates a vision, which he says was shown to St. Francis, or (as some would have it) to his companion Friar Leon. He saw "two ladders that reached from earth to heaven; the one red upon which Christ leaned, from which many fell back and could not ascend: the other white upon which the holy virgin leaned, the help whereof such as used, were by her received with a cheerful countenance, and so with felicity ascended into heaven." Ibid. p. 495. More present relief," says St. Anselm, and after him other authors; "More present relief is sometimes found, by commemorating the name of Mary, than by calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, her only Son." Which one of your Jesuits is so far from being ashamed to defend, that he dareth to extend it farther to the mediation of other saints also, telling us very peremptorily, that as our Lord Jesus worketh greater miracles by his saints, than by himself, (John xiv. 12,) so often he showeth the force of their intercession more than of his own. Ibid. p. 495. The author refers on the margin to Henry Fitzsimon, of the Mass, lib. 2, part 2, chap. 3.

"If popish tales be true," says M'Culloch, page 338, "the Romish church is under very strong obligations to pay all this homage, and a great deal more to the virgin. There is scarcely any favour which she has withheld from her devout worshippers. She has delivered them from sickness, restored their eyesight, preserved them from dangers, saved them from the gallows, and even raised them from the dead; and, what must peculiarly tend to the consolation of Papists, she is not at all squeamish as to the choice of her votaries. Sinners,' says Crasset, being her subjects, make up her crown and glory; and it is for that she loves them with the tenderness and sweet compassion of a mother, let them be ever so wicked.' 'Know thou,' said the virgin herself to St. Bridget, my dearest child, that there is no man in the world so lewd and accursed of God, that he is entirely forsaken of him while he lives; no sinner so desperate, but he may return and find mercy with him, provided he have recourse to me.' Brig. Revela. lib. 6, cap. 10."

Crasset has given many proofs of her extensive benevolence to the chief of sinners; but this benevolence is not exercised in the way of saving them from their sins, but merely from the punishment which. they deserve; or in preserving them during a life of sin, so that they shall not die without an opportunity of making confession at their last moments, which is understood to make all right. See an illustration of this at the conclusion of my third number; and, in addition, take the following:

"A certain young Gascon soldier, having spent his fortune, afterwards, for particular reasons, sold himself to the devil, and renounced the Saviour. No temptation, however, could induce him to sacrifice

his interest in the virgin; and this confidence in her mercy secured him protection from his old acquaintance, Satan, who began to be troublesome, notwithstanding their former friendship. On prostrating himself before an image of the virgin with Christ in her arms, he was greatly comforted by the following dialogue between the two idols: O my sweet son, have mercy on this man.' 'Why, mother, what would you have me to do with this wretch who has renounced me? The virgin on this prostrated herself before her son, and again demanded his pardon. This was irresistible. The little image raised the large one from the ground, and replied, 'I never yet refused my mother any thing that she asked: I grant it, for your sake, and for yours alone.' Crasset, page 90, quoted by M'Culloch, page 340. Should any incredulous reader inquire how the images could hold such a conversation, or how a little image in the arms of a large one could raise it from the ground, and embrace it, let him recollect that this is the least marvellous part of the adventure."

Palbert of Tameswaer relates the following extraordinary instance of the power of the virgin :-" A certain wicked villain fell into the Danube, and remained under water for three days. In ordinary cases, there certainly would have been some danger of drowning; but, to the rogue's great surprise, he was greeted in this new element with the following address, Thou well deservest, base rascal, to lose thy life, and be condemned for ever, for thy sins; but because thou art a servant of the Virgin Mary, thou shalt be delivered from this danger, that thou mayest go and be confessed.' Up he came accordingly, and made the above declaration to the priest Palbert himself. Crasset (p. 130) refers to this story of Palbert, and informs us that the works of this priest were dedicated to the pope, from which we may infer, if we please, that the story is worthy of all credit." See M'Culloch, p. 341.

Idolatrous worship was usually accompanied by scenes of lewdness, and every species of wickedness; and the church of Rome, following the footsteps of their heathen ancestors, have made an idol that without scruple indulges those who worship her, in such practices as were reckoned most acceptable to the idol of Paphos. In short, the Virgin Mary is represented as little better than a pander of lewdness. I have been obliged to read several stories of her, that would not be believed, if related of any virtuous woman. She has appeared to many grave monks and fathers, and caressed them just as a mother would do her infant child. It is related of several nuns who were warmly devoted to her service, that when they happened to have what in Scotland is called a misfortune, the virgin has miraculously conveyed them out of the way, and assumed the exact appearance of their persons, till it was convenient for them to return to their places; and not one of the sisterhood knew that they had been absent. It is said that a certain abbess, who happened to have a misfortune, had her place supplied by the virgin, and the duties of her office performed so punctually, that though she was absent for a long time, none of the sisterhood so much as suspected the fact, or that they had the holy virgin presiding among them, instead of their own spiritual mother. I do not choose to enlarge on this subject. Let the following story suffice as a specimen of the manner in which the Virgin Mary is represented as favouring the most vicious persons, if they be only devoted to her:

"We read, in Martial le Grand, of a woman very much given to lascivious and impure practices; but, amidst all her imperfections, she had such a great love and affection for the virgin, that she never let a day pass without making her seven devout obeyances, accompanied with an Ave Maria. Yet that woman was a common and mercenary prostitute, particularly to one of chief note in the place, who had a spouse very devout and virtuous, who, impatient of such an affront, every day prayed the virgin to avenge her of that strumpet. One day, falling down before her image, she said to her, O my dearest lady, mirror of all purity, how can you suffer that harlot to insult me,—to rob me of my honour:-punish, punish her, I pray you, and take such exemplary vengeance as may deter all from like practices.-But the image, (Ó strange power of a prayer rightly made,) the image, animated by miracle, answered her, My well beloved, it is not possible for me to satisfy your desire. not as if I knew not very well the justice of your complaint, and of the resentment of the outrage which that hussey does you: but the honour and respect which she still bears to me, amidst all her disorders, tie up my hands, and forbid the chastisement which you desire. But that you may not be altogether unsuccessful in your suit, I shall try, for your comfort, to obtain of my Son for her a perfect compunction of heart, and an entire retreat from such a detestable life; which she accordingly did." Free Thoughts, page 99.

From these things it appears that men and women may live in the habitual practice of all manner of wickedness, and yet their devotion will be extremely acceptable to the Virgin Mary. Let them be as wicked as it is possible for them to be, if they will but pay due respect to this idol, if they will make so many obeyances to her, and say so many Aves every day, she will take care that they shall not perish in their sins, or die without confession. It is impossible that any species of heathenism can have a worse effect upon the moral character of the people than this. Popery is corruption and abomination all over. It is the very dregs of the filth of the idolatry of ancient nations,-so much the more loathsome, that it professes to be of divine origin, and to be the religion of Him who was holy, harmless, undefiled; and who came to save his people from their sins; and to create them anew after his own image, in righteousness and true holiness.

I have given some stories relating to the Virgin Mary, as they are related by grave authors and saints of the Romish church. It is needless to say that I do not believe one of them to be true. I take them all to be mere fables; but they are fables which were invented for the purpose of deceiving the people, and keeping them in bondage to an idol. They must have been very generally believed at the time they were published; I suppose they are believed in popish countries to this day; and it is from the subjects of popular belief that we estimate the intellectual state of the people in any country. How deplorable, therefore, must be the condition of the people in every country where popery is predominant; and how much to be dreaded its influence among ourselves. The Virgin Mary is held up as an object of worship, in all the schools in Britain over which Bishop Milner has any authority or influence. A story is recorded of her attention to a dying soldier, in recompense of the sincere devotion he had testified to her during his life, a story as absurd as any of those which I have VOL. I.-40

given in this number, from the writings of Papists in darker ages; but which Mr. Andrews gives as a solemn truth, for which see his own words in my last number; and it is given evidently with the design of filling the minds of children in popish schools with such a high notion of the power of the Virgin Mary, as that they may make her an object of worship and confidence; and by this means to train them up to all the idolatry, and of course, to all the superstition, vice, and wretchedness, of the dark ages.

At the conclusion of my thirty-first number, I quoted a sentence or two from Mr. Andrews' chapter "on devotion to the blessed virgin." In language pretty plain, I represented him as teaching idolatry; or, which is the same thing, making religion to consist in devotion to the Virgin Mary. He has alluded to this part of my work once or twice, but he has made no reply. He has not so much as attempted to vindicate himself and his brethren from the accusation, that they consider religion to consist in devotion to a creature. This, therefore, may be held as admitted. Papists are proved to be idolaters, from their own writings; and THE CATHOLIC VINDICATOR tacitly admits it. I intend to make a particular use of this admission in the beginning of my next number

CHAPTER XLII.

ALLUSION TO SOME CHARGES OF THE CATHOLIC VINDICATOR. HIS SILENCE ON SOME ACCUSATIONS BROUGHT AGAINST THE ROMISH CHURCH IS AN ADMISSION OF THEIR JUSTICE. SOME FURTHER REMARKS ON THE WORSHIP PAID TO THE VIRGIN MARY. POPISH EVASION. EXTRACT FROM CARDINAL DE NOAILLES.

SATURDAY, May 1st, 1819. THE SPECTATOR has compared the writer of a periodical paper to the runner of a stage coach, who must send it off at the time appointed, if he should run it empty. It must always be an unpleasant thing to run a coach without passengers; but the mortification arising from this will be sometimes equalled by the regret that the capacity of his vehicle is so limited, when more persons apply than can be accommodated.

A circumstance resembling the latter often excites the regret of THE PROTESTANT. He finds it difficult to condense just as much matter as will make a complete whole within itself, and, at the same time, fill eight pages of letter-press, and no more. He has often the mortification to have part of his manuscript returned along with the proofsheet, because it cannot be comprised within the allotted space; and this extra matter is frequently condemned as useless, because what may be suitable to conclude one number, may not be suitable to begin its successor.

I am led into these reflections by the conclusion of my last number, which was a little abrupt. I convicted Mr. Andrews of tacitly admit ting that Papists were idolaters, because he passed over my accusation to that effect without any reply. I had written some paragraphs to show that this inference was made according to his own mode of arguing; but I had not room for them in my last sheet; and, therefore, though contrary to my usual practice, I begin the present number