which, if duly exercised, we sit in judgment upon the truth of every Revelation, and so are bound either implicitly to receive it, or fearlessly to reject its pretensions. This is that legitimate process of weighing the evidences of revealed truth, which has been pursued in the extensive fields of all modern discoveries

imploring them directly to grant pardon of sin, eternal life, and those holy gifts and graces, and to impart to them that needful spiritual strength and assistance, which God only can bestow. In the Massbook printed at Paris 1634, the grossly offensive idea, set forth in CHAMPION, No. 5. p. 111., Notes,―of Christ obeying the authority of his mother as there cited out of "Offic. parv. beat. Mariæ," is again propounded in nearly the same language-" Jure matris, impera Redemptori," i. e. " By the authority of a Mother, command the Redeemer !"-In the "Tableaux de la sainte Messe. Paris. chez H. Vanquelin.” p. 14-we have the following,- "O glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, thrice-worthy daughter of the Father, thrice-worthy Mother of the Son, thrice-worthy Spouse (!) of the Holy Spirit, remember that we are entirely devoted to you: do not forget that Thou art our protector before God, and suffer us not to die in mortal sin"-(Glorieuse et immaculèe vierge Marie, trèsdigne fille du Pere, &c.). In the same work we have also,-“ 0 Gracious Mother of the Redeemer, Thou who art the Gate, by which we have access to heaven, and Thou who art the Star of the sea, &c. pity sinners"-p. 115. Again, "Hail, Queen of the Heavens; hail, Queen of Angels; hail, Root, hail, Gate; from whom Light has burst forth upon the world, &c."-p. 116. Again, Hail, Queen, Mother of pity; our Life, Delight, and Hope, hail, &c. We the exiled sons of Eve call unto thee, &c. After this exile, shew unto us Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb; O merciful, O affectionate, O delightful, Virgin Mary!"—p. 117; with the above, compare the extract given in CHAMPION, No. 5. p. 107, where we find a similar instance of blasphemy, formally authorized by the Catechism of the Council of Trent, Par. iv. cap. 5. ad finem. We may remark that the shameless idolatry of invocating the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven, is a precise adaptation, to the Virgin Mary, of the identical worship, formerly offered up to Astoreth or Isis under the self-same title of the Queen of Heaven. (See Jerem. vii. 18; xliv. 17.). There has been a book of Romish devotions translated into English, for the use of Fapists here, entitled,

66 The Devotion

of Bondage, or the Practice of perfectly Consecrating ourselves to the Service of the Blessed Virgin." Permissu Superiorum, 1632. It is licensed, and highly recommended both to clergy and people, by the Bishop of St. Omars, with several indulgences granted to those, who shall devoutly make use of it; wherein they offer up themselves, both souls and bodies, as bondslaves (!) to the Virgin; among whose high prerogatives, the sixth

of science, and has collected trophies from every quarter nor do the advocates of Religion, ask any other procedure, than that which has established the laws of philosophy, on an induction of established facts, and approved experiments. Thus antecedently to the reception of Christianity, and the authority of its tes

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will be found thus, p. 32. "The sovereign dominion that was given her, not only over the world, but over the Creator of the world (!!!)." From this detestable blasphemy, we need not be surprized that Papists pray to the Virgin to command her Son, or that she has been impiously called the Mother of the whole Trinity!!!—in the Missal Polon. fol. 237. In the Primer or Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, printed in English, 1699, (and in the Exposition before, it is said to be of great antiquity, and composed by the church, directed by the Holy Ghost), there will be found many prayers to the Virgin Mary, precisely of the same import, as we have above stated. See particularly the hymn, "Memento rerum conditor," p. 34. and Ave Maris Stella," p. 53. and the prayer to her, p. 59. Under thy aid," which is taken out of the Roman Pontifical, in the office for consecrating an image of the Blessed Virgin, where prayers are offered for aid, &c. from herself directly, without mentioning any intercession. Nay, they bless in her name, which was never done to any creature. The priesthood was ordained by God, to bless in his name. No apostle or angel ever blessed the people in his own name. The priesthood was appointed "to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day" (Deut. x. 8.). But in this Primer, p. 16. we see the priest give the blessing in these words, -“The Virgin Mary, with her pious Son, bless us.' To which the people answer, Amen. Here the principal part is given to the Virgin; her Son as a pious man!!! only blesses with her; and by reason, as it were, of her excellence and divinity she is first named. But if she be not preferred, yet she is here put upon the level with her Son at least, and blesses the people jointly with him. In addition to all this, there is an honour of an extraordinary nature paid to her at the head of all the saints, in the Office of the Mass, where, before consecration, the elements are offered up to God in memory of the passion, resurrection, &c. of Jesus Christ, and for the honour of the blessed Virgin Mary, &c. “ in honorem beatæ Maria semper Virginis." We may well ask, did Christ then suffer, rise, and ascend, for her honour? It was, we are taught, only for the honour and glory of God; and to thrust her in, to share in this, would seem to contradict the express warrant of Revelation, and putting her upon the level with the Almighty Himself! Another striking example of idolatry and blasphemy, is to be found in a Manual of prayers, printed at Antwerp, in 1671. It runs thus : "O my Lady, holy Mary, I recommend myself into thy blessed trust and singular custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, this

timonies, as similarly grounded, on a process of acknowledged and tried facts, we are called on, to submit its proofs to the most rigorous scrutiny. But when once established, and its external framework found, to be based on substantial and indisputable evidence, there remains nothing more on our part, than

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night and evermore, and in the hour of my death, as also my soul and body, and I yield unto thee all my hope, and consolation, all my distress and misery, my life and the end thereof, that by thy most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my works may be directed, and disposed according to thine and thy Son's will." In another of the Romish prayer-books we find "Ó, St. Mary, who dost enlighten the world-who dost exalt thy servants--who dost illuminate hearts (!!!)—who art the Fountain of Mercy. From all evil, good Lady deliver us." This however is a respectable example of idolatry, compared with that offered to an inferior Goddess St. Dorothy-" Ó, holy Dorothy, a clean heart create in me" (Hamilton's Tracts, p. 50.). Again-"O Virgin Mary, be thou my helper and Saviour in my last days, and deliver from the blackness of eternal death, both my own soul, and my father's soul, and the souls of my mother, brethren, sisters, parents, friends, benefactors, and of all the faithful, living and dead, by his help whom thou didst bear"- I beseech thee, most merciful and chaste Virgin Mary, that in thy holy, fearful, and terrible judgment (!) in the sight of thy Son, thou wilt deliver and defend me from the pains of hell, and make me partaker of heavenly joys" (Short History of Popery, and references, p. 77.). Again, we find in one of the most popular devotional books at the present day, and one that is particularly recommended by the Papal Church,Most blessed Virgin, the comfort of such as are afflicted, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, our hope, &c. &c. Glorious Queen of all the heavenly citizens, grant that by thy intercession our souls may be inflamed with so ardent a desire of seeing THEE, that it may never die until it be changed into the HAPPY FRUITION OF THY BLESSED SIGHT-"THOU ART THE HOPE OF SINNERS, THROUGH THEE WE HOPE FOR PARDON (Poor Man's Manual, Christian Guide, &c.-Christian Examiner, vol. ii. p. 419.). In another much used Manuel, entitled, the Garden of the Soul, p. 354, the Virgin is first hailed as the "Mother of Christ, Queen of Angels, and Expectation of Patriarchs; Promise of Prophets, and Teacher of Apostles; Strength of Martyrs, and Encourager of Confessors; Pattern of Virgins, and Faithful Comforter of the Living and the Dead"-to which is added by the worshipper-"be Thou with me in all afflictions, and particularly assist me at the hour of death; receive my soul, and offer it to thy dear Son, that for THY SAKE he may accept it, and place it amongst the heavenly choir of blessed spirits." In the Primer or office for the Virgin, p. 17; or a shorter one with the Rosary, &c. p. 14, the passion and merits of Christ, are combined, and put on

an absolute surrender of our entire reason, and former prejudices, to the supremacy and influence of the teachings, and information, of the minutest, and seemingly contradictory, or incomprehensible parts of the interior subject of the revelation. So far as the sacred threshold of the temple of Religion, man, is certainly invited to use every engine of investigation; but when once admitted within its hallowed precincts, he must in the attitude of a humble worshipper, lay down every unsanctified trapping, and devoutly imprint his footsteps on holy ground. When in the courts of this consecrated temple, it is his privilege and duty, to hail with the raptures of worship, admiration, and

the level with the merits of the Virgin and other saints. In the Rosary of the Virgin Mary, she is addressed thus-"O Lady, the Repairer and Saviour of the despairing soul, who sprinklest and bestowest spiritual grace (!) what I ask, what I desire fervently is, heal thou my wounds. And give to the soul that asketh thee, gifts of grace (!) That I may be chaste, and modest, mild, strong, temperate, pious, upright, circumspect, ignorant of dissimulation, learned, and armed with Divine Eloquence, constant, grave and courteous, kind, amiable, prudent in heart, studying to speak truth with my mouth, hating evil, loving God always with good works"--(Reparatrix et Salvatrix desperantis animæ, &c.). In the Roman Missal we have " O God, who wast willing that thy glorious Mother should be named Mary, grant, we beseech Thee, that they who implore the sweet name of Mary, may feel the perpetual effect of Thy blessing, who livest and reignest, &c."-(Deus qui gloriosam matrem tuam Mariam, &c.). It would, in short, be absolutely impossible to transcribe the innumerable, and disgusting examples of rank and direct idolatry, which every Romish Prayer-book abundantly contains on this head. From the foregoing specimen, our readers may discern their nature and tendency. And if such revolting superstition, and impious desecration of the purity of Christian worship, excite feelings of indignation, or pity in the breasts of our Protestant Brethren, we would eagerly endeavour at the same time, to impress their minds with gratitude and thankfulness, for being providentially released from a bondage of such multiplied disgrace and infamy; and we should fondly hope, that the friends of truth and Christianity, would from every such exposure, be more zealously disposed, by the united influences of their testimony, precept, and example, to remove this foul blot from the borders of a Christian land; for thus they will best evidence the sincerity of their own faith, and their good-wishes for the extension of pure, and undefiled Religion.

praise, the "mysteries of godliness"-of "faith"-" of the Gospel"-" of Christ" and "of God"-not because from the period of his initiation into the myste ries of the sanctuary-he perceived their own intrinsic fitness, or reasonableness, but because that before he even gained admission, and his novitiate had commenced his reason was satisfied generally with the overpowering evidence of facts, in proof of the divine authority, genuineness, and authenticity of that Revelation, of which, such sublime and inexplicable mysteries, are its characteristic, and constituent parts. He thus may glory in them, as did the Apostles, since he is convinced that they carry the seal of a divine hand. He may rejoice in them, for, whilst these heavenly tidings promise to lead him from weakness to glory, they in their consequences practically tend to lead the mind from insignificance to greatness, inasmuch as they surpass human reason, and must from their "unsearchable riches," and undefinable grandeur, ever continue to do so, until the untravelled boundary of eternity, and of the dark and fathomless unknown, is passed, when we shall "see face to face," and "know even as also we are known." But, before the veil which hides the realities of eternity from our limited view, be torn asunder, and when in the tabernacle and ark of truth we are firmly seated, we can so enjoy a secure shelter from the rude blasts of infidelity, and a never-failing light in opposition to the flimsy fabric of sophistry, and darkling clouds of error. And though the paramount supremacy of Faith, requires a willing sacrifice of all the gifts and pride of reason, at the foot of the altar, yet in the shadow of the sacred mysteries of truth we may peacefully repose, undisturbed alike by the scoffs of the infidel who scornfully shoots out his lip at their darkness, and the presumptuous folly of the believer who vainly would pry into their hidden recesses; saying to both, in the language of St. Augustine, "Do you reason, while I wonder; do you dispute, while I shall believe; and, beholding the heights of Divine Power, forbear to approach its