The Virgin Mary Misrepresented by the Roman Church, Introduction – Chapter 1
THE INTRODUCTION. Giving an account whence the Roman Church has ſo much to ſay concerning the B. Virgin, when the Scriptures and the Ancient Writers of the Church ſay ſo little of Her.
THAT Infallibility which the Church of Rome only challenges, and ſo much boaſts of, can ſignifie no leſs than this, That ſhe expects that all Chriſtians ſhould ſecurely commit, not only their Faith, but alſo their Devotions to be conducted by her. For it is not ſo neceſſary in Religion, to be inſtructed in all its Articles, and to believe aright, as it is duly to obey and ſerve God: nor is every wrong Opinion ſo dangerous, as falſe and miſtaken Worſhip. If a Phyſician ſhould proclaim himſelf for infallible, the reputation of his skill would quickly ſink, if he failed ordinarily in the Regiment of Health, and made more Diſtempers than he cured. And no wiſe Traveller would chuſe him for the Guide of his way, who though he perfectly knew every ſtep of it, yet was wont to lead thoſe whom he conducted, to repoſe themſelves under Tree of unhealthful ſhade and influence; and to bring them, for the quenching their thirſt, to thoſe Springs whoſe Waters were neither clear nor wholeſome. A learned perſon aSerarius in Litaneut. 2. Queſt. 11. …of this Church, is ſo ſenſible of this truth, that he is fain to defend, that their Infallibility extends as far as to the Canonization of Saints; and that there can be no miſtake committed herein; for, ſays he, If in this matter the Church can be deceived and deceive, the pillar and ground of T…th would tatter and fall; the Lord Chriſt would forſake his Spouſe; the Holy Ghoſt would not teach thoſe that are his all neceſſary Truth; Peter would not in his Succeſſors feed the Flock of Chriſt with the neceſſary food of Religion; no nor Jeſus Chriſt himſelf the Prince of Shepherds: For he to whom the Pope gives his Teſtimony, and pronounces, that he is authentically to be venerated with Religious Worſhip, and to be invoked with publick Prayers; if ſuch a one may prove to be no Saint, is it not plain, that a falſe Teſtimony is given, deadly poiſon, lying worſhip, &c.? Another great Spaniſh Preacher ſays, bCarthagena de arcan. Deip. l. 14. Hom. 13. Nihil. re ipſa falſum Eccleſia Catholica quae ſpiritu veritatis regitur, colendum poteſt praecipere fidelibus.The Catholick Church which is govern'd by the Spirit of Truth, cannot require the Faithful to Worſhip any thing really Falſe. And Cardinal Bellarmine cDe Sarct. Beat. l. 1. c. 9.gives us a great many reaſons to prove that the Church cannot err in Canonization of Saints.
But how falſe this Aſſertion is, has been ſhown them in numerous inſtances, dV. Reflections on the Devotions of the Roman Church.not long ſince. That a great many of the Saints they venerate are Fabulous, and no evidence that ſuch were ever in being; ſome Canonized for Saints that were …o…teſens and Traytors, …eady and high-minded, ſuch as ſpake evil of Dignities, and …njuſtly oppoſed the Powers ordained of God. The Reader will ſee falſe Miracles and falſe Tales advanced to give them reputation and credit; and, which is worſe ſtill, the Falſity ſo apparent, that thoſe who make uſe of them to abuſe the ſimple thereby, muſt needs, if they be but tolerably knowing in Hiſtory, be ſelf-condemned. In …e, he will ſee ſo clearly that the intereſts of the World, and not thoſe of true Piety, both makes many of their Saints and warms their Devotions to them, that he may well ſuſpect, that in this Church Faith has not been well preſerved, when he ſees ſo little regard had to the keeping of a good Conſcience. Yes I muſt ſhow you far greater a…es than theſe, I … ſuch as are commited in their Devotions to the B. Virgin Mary.
Here we have a new ſcene opened, and a very ſtrange one. They have put a Sceptre into the hands of this Handmaid of the Lord, as ſhe calls her ſelf eLuk. 1.3…; they have advanced her into a Throne by God himſelf; and, without asking his …ea…e, call her the Queen of Heaven. Some of them give her the name of a Goddeſs, and if we may judge of them by the Worſhip they pay to her (which is the way the Scripture takes in the deſcription of Idolater) fEſa. 44.… & ca… …, …, 16, &c.ſhe is the Goddeſs of this Church. They doat ſo much upon her … Excellencies, that they …adly God himſelf to fall in Love with her, as his Spouſe: And a late bold Jeſuit hIn. … Convelt. Theatr. excellent, … p. 20.da…es to g…e this for a Reaſon, why ſhe is not a Goddeſs, becauſe there can be but Three perſons in the Deity, otherwiſe, Deus Deam ve…et, ſi poſſet; God has kindneſs enough to make her one, if he could.
Who can forbear, when he conſiders the madneſs of this Worſhip, from crying out, Lord! into what extravagant folly and heights of impiety does that Superſtition …, where the wiſdom of Men preſcribes the way of their Religion, without once conſulting their Maker? For we may as well … the Queſtion to this Church, as Epiphanius of old … Collyridians, foreign, &c. What Scripture hath told us any thing of this? What Prophet has … leave to worſhip any Man; much leſs a Woman? The great ſilence of the Scripture in this matter is acknowledged by themſelves (as we ſhall ſee by and by) and the Reader will meet with admirable Reaſons; why this Church is ſo copious in giving an account of her, when the Scripture ſays nothing of it. In the mean time, I cannot but mention a Complaint that Pet. Cla…iacenſis once made (as Eſpencan… kIn 2. Ep. ad Timoth. c. 4. §. 21.relates it) of the Service of St. Benet. That among the falſe Canticles in the Church of God, and among the loud trifles that were odious to him, on the Feaſt of the great Father … he heard a Hymn ſung, and was compelled to bear a … it, in which Song he found at leaſt Four and twenty Ly…. This Trade you ſee went pretty forward in this Church … Five hundred Years ago; but ſince that time it is va…ty improv'd, and in the caſe of the B. Virgin, above all other … the fictions are far more numerous and bold; becauſe … bear proportion to that height to which their fanci… … advanced her. This plain dealing our Adverſaries … bear, and no wonder, ſince nothing can more vex a … than to be diſcovered. All that have remarkably com… to this, have been loaded with their Calumnies, alive or dead▪ no matter which. Thus they have told the World, that … ther lCochlaeus in actis Intheri.like a jolly Glutton, having made a large meal at …upper, the Devil, the ſame night, ſtrangled him in his … That Calvin mHier. Bolſec in vit. Calv.rotted alive, and died of the Louſie Diſeaſe: And a Cretian Lyer nAndr. Eudaemon Johan.forces the Learned Caſa…bon to prove, in almoſt half a Chapter of his Book pExercit. 1. Sect. 4.that his Father was not hanged, as the Jeſuit had reported of him. But the moſt ſpiteful charge againſt us, and, if it were true, not to be anſwered, is, That Proteſtants caſt contempt upon the B. Virgin her ſelf. Bellarmine ſays qDe Sanct. Beat. c. 13.The Hereticks now give no honour to the Virgin. And Coſter the Jeſuit rPraef. ad Med. de vit. & Laud. B. Virg.accuſes us, That we reduce the Mother of God into the rank of ordinary Women; and with impure Tongues fear not to blaſpheme her, as one obnoxious to ſin, to vicious perturbations of ſoul, and to the wrath of God. Wherein they deal with us, as they did with the Oppoſers of their Superſtition heretofore; for thus Th. Raynaudus sDiptycha Marian. p. 233.reports of the Albigenſes, That they called the B. Virgin Monoculam & meretricem. But our Adverſaries themſelves in another mood will be our Compurgators in this matter. Carthagena tLib. 6. de Arcan. Deip. Homil. 17. §. 3.has muſtered up the ſayings of many of the firſt Reformers, giving large Encomiums to the B. Virgin, ſuch as any Catholick might repeat after them; and particularly cites this ſaying of Calvin, I truſt in God it ſhall never be ſaid of me, that I have an averſion to Mary, towards whom not to be well affected, I eſteem it a certain ſign of a reprobate mind. And Caniſius uCitante eod. ibid.gives ſingular thanks to immortal God, who not only out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings, but even of Adverſaries, has perfected his Mothers praiſe. There needs but a little Charity to make any one believe, that it is no ways likely, while we profeſs to adore the Son, that we ſhould think meanly, much leſs ſpeak contemptuouſly or blaſphemouſly of the Mother. No, we are ſo far from it, that we are always ready to own her as a moſt bleſſed perſon; and that ſhe was endued with Excellencies far above the common ſize of her Sex: And though we cannot determine the meaſures of her Vertue and Sanctity, yet we are ſure they were ſuch as deſerve always to be admired by us, and imitated: We admire particularly her ſingular privilege in being choſen to be the Mother of our Lord; and acknowledge, that ſhe wanted no Gifts nor Graces that might qualify her thereunto. But as we are perſwaded, that we come not ſhort in giving her all due praiſes; ſo we think it both poſſible and dangerous, foreign, to advance her above what is meet, as Epiphanius ſpeaks xIn Haereſ. 79.and we bewail the ſad inſtances of this in the Roman Church, and are not to be blamed if we avoid this rock, as well as that other foreign, of thoſe that undervalue the Holy Virgin. The ſame Father has cautioned us, That we are not to honour the Saints above what is befitting, but to honour him that is their Lord yEpiph. ibid. foreign.: and we unfeignedly conſent to what he ſays, foreign, Let Mary be honoured; adding withal, Let the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt be adored, but let no Man adore or worſhip Mary. zforeign.In a word, we heartily ſubſcribe to what one of their one Poets ſays of her.aMantuan. Faſt. l. 12. de Concept. Virg.
Non eſt laudis inops Virgo, tot floribus Hybla
Non redolet—ſegetes non tot ſpicantur ariſtis
Per Libyam, quot ſancta parens praeconia laudum
Verarum ſi quaeris habet; figmenta relinque,
Et quod ſcire nequis, ne divinare labora,
Incaſſum—
That is,
The Virgin lacks no praiſe, not Hybla yields
More Flowers, nor Ears of Corn in Libyan Fields,
So fair and thick, as her true Vertues riſe:
Think not to grace her then with ſpecious Lyes;
Nor give her thoſe perfections, by fond gueſs,
Thou ne'er canſt find, and only make her leſs.
Herein indeed lies one great difference betwixt us and them, That we, obſerving that it is the plain deſign of the Holy Writers, in the particular account they give of the wonderous Birth and Life, Death and Reſurrection of Jeſus, to engage all Men to believe, That he is the Chriſt bJoh. 20.31.the Son of God; that our eternal Life depends upon our knowing him who is the only true God, cJoh. 17.3.and Jeſus Chriſt whom he hath ſent; that there is no Salvation in any other, nor no other name dAct. 4.12.under Heaven given among Men but his, whereby we muſt be ſaved; and that having the power of Judging all the World committed to him, all Men are bound eJoh. 5.22,23.to honour the Son,even as they honour the Father; we, I ſay, finding this to be the great concern and ſcope of the Goſpel, are well ſatisfied with thoſe few words of Truth and ſoberneſs, we meet with there, that relate to the B. Virgin his Mother; and are not needleſly curious to enquire any farther. It's plain it was him they deſigned to advance and not her: Even the Holy Spirit's over-ſhadowing her Virgin Womb, was rather intended to proclaim the Glory and Majeſty of his Incarnation, than of her Conception. The Scripture mentions ſome other inſtances of her Faith and Piety, wherein it places her chief Happineſs, as St. Auſtin's known ſaying expreſſes it; fTom. 6. lib. de Sanct. Virgin. Beatior ergo Maria percipiendo fidem Chriſti, quam concipiendo carnem Chriſti.Mary was more bleſſed in receiving the Faith of Chriſt, than by Conceiving the Fleſh of Chriſt: For Materna prop…nquitas nihil Mariae profuiſſet, niſi felicius Chriſtum corde quam carne geſtaſſet: Her nearneſs to him as a Mother had not profited her, if ſhe had not been more happy in bearing Chriſt in her Heart, than in her Womb. Which alſo our Saviour confirms in that ſaying of his, gLuc. 11.28.Yea rather bleſſed are they which hear the Word of God and keep it. As for other matters concerning her, where the Scriptures have not gone before us, we are contented to remain in the dark; concluding that we are not one way or other much concerned in them; for if we had, God would no doubt have declared them to us. We think it neceſſary for the honour of our Lord, to believe, that his Mother remained a Virgin till ſhe bare him and brought him forth: We think it highly probable too that the Honour of our Lord preſerved her a Virgin ever after; and we deteſt the bad Spirit of Helvidius, that made a conteſt of it, and brought it into diſpute in the Church. But yet we are of the great S. Baſil's mind hHomil. de humana Chriſti generatione.that if ſhe had not remained a Virgin afterwards, foreign, the Doctrine according to Godlineſs would not have ſuffered by it; and therefore we lay not ſuch ſtreſs upon it, as upon the former, foreign, We leave it without anxious inquiry about it. But … this Church, having as much buſineſs with the Virgin as with Chriſt himſelf, and making indeed more ſtir about her; the modeſty of the firſt Faith, and the ſilence of the Scripture, give them but little comfort; if they cannot find in the old Goſpel enough to proclaim her a fit object of Mens worſhip, and to engage their Religious addreſſes to her, ratherthan fail of this, which they are reſolved upon, they will make a new Goſpel, which the Apoſtles never Preached; and venture the Curſe that is threatned to them that do ſo, Gal. 1.8. Firſt indeed the words of the Scripture muſt be Wire-drawn, and Every Syllable of it that relates to her ſtretched and ſet upon the Tenters; but ſtill they find, that the Bed is ſhorter than that a Man can ſtretch himſelf on it, and the Covering narrower than that he can wrap himſelf in it iEſa. 28 20.They are therefore reſolved to add where that is defective, and to feign thoſe privileges for her which they cannot find there. To ſhew a little their fine way of proceeding in this Matter.
They have laid down this for an undoubted Rule, as any Aphoriſm in Hippocrates, that Menſura perfectionum B. Verginis eſt maternitas Dei. Her being the Mother of God, is the meaſure of the Perfections of the Bleſſed Virgin. Not to diſpute at preſent the Truth of it, which may be granted in a ſober Sence, let us ſee what Concluſions they draw from it. Aquinas kP. 1. qu. 25. art. 6. ad 4tum.infers, That the Bleſſed Virgin, becauſe ſhe is the Mother of God, has a kind of infinite Dignity belonging to her, from that infinite good which is God; and that in this reſpect, nothing better than ſhe could be created, as there can be nothing better than God. Ant. Spi…lus the Jeſuit ſays: lMaria Deip. thronus Dei c. 5. ſ. 4.From this Motherhood of God, that Maxim owned by all Divines is drawn; viz. That there is no gift of Grace that was ever granted to any pure Creature, which was not beſtowed upon the Virgin in a like or more perfect manner, unleſs it were repugnant to her Sex. Wherefore all the Graces, Vertues, and Privileges divided among other Saints are found collected in her alone. And they are very fond of that ſaying of S. Bernard, mEpiſt. ad Can. Lugdun. Quod itaque vel paucis mortalium conſtat fuiſſe collatum, fas certe non eſt ſuſpicari tantae Virgini eſſe negatum.Whatſoever has been granted to other Saints, though but to a few, we are not to ſuſpect that it has been denied to ſo glorious a Virgin. Aquinas nPart. 3. qu. 27. art. 1. 4, 5.in another place from theſe principles has deduced her Sanctification before ſhe was Born; the Privilege never to have committed any Sin mortal or venial, and a fulneſs of all Graces above all others. This, one would judge, is pretty fair; but a daring Jeſuit oJ. Baptiſta Poza. Elucidar. l. 3. tr. 16. p. 1050.reſolving to enlarge the Charter of her Privileges, has advanced this poſition, That all true Theology does require, That in thoſe things that belong to the greater glory of Jeſus and his Mother, if the Church does not prohibit it, (and they are ſure it will not interpoſe to the hindrance of the Mother at leaſt) we are not to look what Two or Three, Five or Ten Doctors have ſaid in the Caſe, but what will beſt defendand ſecure the Honour of Mary and Jeſus. Here now the door is ſet wide open to give admittance to all the throng of Fables, that any one will invent, under pretence to advance her Honour: The Evangeliſts have ſaid Truth enough to make Jeſus glorious; and they are reſolved to try what may be done for Mary in the other way: And every Monk or Nun of a buſie Fancy, is perpetually teeming forth ſome new privilege to grace the B. Virgin withal. Albertus Magnus pDe Land. Virg. ſuper miſſus eſt.had got them up to Fourteen. Vinc. Bandelis qDe Concept. Virg. Part. 2. p. 183.reckons Twelve Privileges beſtowed on her from the Fourteenth Year of her Age and afterwards, which conſidering this date of them is an increaſe: But Spinellus has made them up above a Score, rMariae Thronus Dei. c. 20. p. 252, 253.which I will ſet down out of him, that the Reader may try how many of them he could have Collected by peruſing the Four Goſpels, without the help of thoſe forenamed Principles. They are theſe. 1. She was not only elected by God, but pre-elected before all others, Cantic. 6.8,9. There are Sixty Queens, and Eighty Concubines, and Virgins without number: My Beloved, my undefiled is but one, the only one of her Mother, the choice one of her that bare her. 2. That ſhe was promiſed by Heaven to the Fathers, prefigured by myſtical Miracles, foretold by Prophetick Oracles, and by the Sybils was honourably predicted. 3. That ſhe ſprang by the kindneſs of God from barren Parents, that vowed to give to God the Off-ſpring he ſhould beſtow on them; that an Angel foretold her Nativity to her Parents, which we do not read in the Scriptures concerning any other Woman, (no nor of her neither there.) 4. That ſhe only of all the Children of Adam, that deſcended from him by the ordinary way of Propagation (per ſeminalem rationem) was free from Original Sin. 5. That in the very beginning of her immaculate Conception, ſhe was ſo confirmed in Grace, that ever after ſhe was without ſtain of actual, though but venial, Sin. 6. That the Fomes peccati, that which like Tinder ſo ſoon kindles in us, was extinct in her; ſo that ſhe never was ſenſible of that Tyrannous Law of the Members, or the Rebellion of the lower Part. 7. That in her very Conception ſhe had the uſe of Reaſon, and made a Vow of Virginity to God; from which inſtant alſo ſhe began to merit, and that the merit of her Works was never interrupted, no not ſo much as in her ſleep. 8. That in the ſame Conception of hers ſhe was adorned with all Theological and Cardinal Vertues; and that in that Heroick Degree, as well as with all the gratiae gratis datae, graces freely given. 9. That at the Age of Three Years ſhe was in the Temple, according to her Parents Vow, conſecrated to God, and there was moſt holily Educated. 10. That this Bleſſed Perſon among Women, eſcaped all that Curſe to which mankind, by reaſon of Adam's Sin, was obnoxious. 11. That ſhe alone, that had conceived without any luſtful Pleaſure, did not undergo the Irkſomneſs that other Women with Child are ſubject to. 12. That by a Virgin Birth ſhe brought forth God without pain. 13. That the Lord's Body exhibited in the H. Euchariſt, is formed of her Blood in her Virgin Womb, which therefore is compared, Cant. 7. to a heap of Wheat ſet about with Lilies. 14. That ſhe in a ſingular manner did many ways co-operate to our Salvation. 15. That the Fruit of Chriſt's Paſſion was in a ſingular manner communicated to her, and ſtanding courageouſly by the Croſs of her Son, was pierced through with the Sword of grief, and therefore ſhe firſt of all ſaw Chriſt when he aroſe from the Dead. 16. That ſhe was the Inſtructer and Miſtreſs of the Apoſtles and Teachers. 17. That her Body did not ſee Corruption; but being aſſumed and taken up to Heaven in Body and Soul before the common Reſurrection, ſhe was placed above the Choires of Angels and Orders of Saints, at the Right-hand of her Son, where ſhe makes a diſtinct Order (Chorus) above them all, and ſhe alone obtained more glory than all the reſt of the Saints and Angels put together. 18. That her preſence brought a great deal of accidental Joy to the Bleſſed in Heaven. 19. That ſhe is the Queen of Heaven, and Lady of all the Angels and Saints. 20. That ſhe is the common Advocate of Sinners, the Mother of Mercy, the Mediatrix to intercede for them; and that ſhe is alſo the Mother of the Living, and promotes the Salvation of all Men. 21. That ſhe is ſo formidable and terrible to the Devils, that they preſently fly away at the mention of her Name, and much more at her Command; and that ſhe hath powerfully broken their Head. 22. That all the Graces and Privileges that are diſperſed among other Saints, are found united in her, after a far more perfect manner. Thus far he. But others *Paul Comitolus reckons up 130. Privileges. Alegambe Bibl. p. 363.have enlarged her Privileges to above an Hundred.
Theſe are a few Inſtances, among many, which will afterwards occurr, that give the Reader a taſte of the New Faith and Goſpel, concerning the Virgin Mary, which is taught in this Church. With ſuch particulars as theſe, the Hymns, and Leſſons of their Breviaries are ſtuffed: For to eſtabliſh the believe of them, many of their Feſtivals are Inſtituted; and to the Scandal of Chriſtianity, as well as the eternal reproach of their Miſſions, Hierome Xaveri…s a Jeſuit, in the Hiſtory of Chriſt, which he publiſhed in the Perſian Tongue, An. Dom. 1602. being commanded to give an account of the Life and Actions of our Saviour by the Great M…gol; he, not contenting himſelf with an Impartial delivery of that Faith which the Apoſtles taught, and was once delivered to the Saints, has, together with the Goſpel Story, interwoven idle Tales, and fabulous Legends, derived from Goſſiping Tradition, or taken out of Books confeſſed by themſelves to be Apocryphal, and the Fictions of ancient Hereticks, eſpecially what refers to the Bl. Virgin; which I ſuppoſe he intended for this end, that all his Converts ſhould ſet her up for an Object of their Religious Veneration; otherwiſe that firſt Faith might have been ſufficient for them, which ſerved thoſe firſt Chriſtians, and made them wiſe to Salvation, who only worſhipped God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt.
From all that has been ſaid it cannot but appear, that this Church has made a very bold attempt, for which they muſt anſwer one day to God, among the, foreign, the many that have Adulterated the Word of God, and corrupted it by their bad mixtures: And there ſhame will ſtill more appear, when their ſorry pretences for doing all this are laid down and examined, which I ſhall now give a further account of.
They confeſs sCarthagena de S. arcan. Deip. l. 13. hom. 1.that it has been the complaint of many, and who have taken it very ill (aegre forentium) that the Canonical Scriptures have given us no Hiſtory of the Nativity, Geſts, and Death of the B. Virgin. Strange! ſay they, that they ſhould be ſilent in matters of ſo great moment: For, ſays Pelbartus tStellar. Coron. l. 7. p. 1. art. 1.Matthew (Cap. 1.) writing the Genealogy of Chriſt, ſays only, Jacob begat Joſeph the Husband of Mary, of whom was born Jeſus, who is called Chriſt. I thought he ought to have ſaid, the Husband of Mary, who was the Daughter of Joachim, whom he miraculouſly begat of Anne his Wife, an Angel being imployed to foretel it, and who was a moſt chaſt Virgin, &c. Which complaint ſeems the more reaſonable, becauſe the Evangeliſts in the caſe of his Fore-runner John the Baptiſt, have deſcribed his Birth, and the Dignity of his Parents, the Holineſs of his Life, and the difficult and famous Paſſages of it, unto the end of his Life and Martyrdom; therefore much more ought they to have done thus of the Mother of God, &c.
It's very eaſie for us to aſſoil this Objection, by telling theſe bold men, that it is not needful for us to know any thing further in this matter, when God thinks fit to ſay nothing to us: And let them prove, if they can, concerning John the Baptiſt, whoſe Story the Scripture has told, that it was unneceſſary for us to know that. We may alſo add (if we had a mind to be gueſſing) What if the cauſe of the Scriptures ſilence about her Birth, &c. be the ſame, which one of their own Jeſuits uBonfrerius in Deut. 34.6.gives about the place of Moſes's Burial, which God would let no Man know of, leaſt the Iſraelites, who were prone to Idolatry, ſhould take ſo admirable and almoſt divine a Man, for a God, and Worſhip him? Who alſo adds, That this in all probability was the ſubject of the Conteſt betwixt Michael the Archangel and the Devil (which S. Jude mentions v. 9.) about the Body of Moſes, that the Devil would have had the Sepulchre in which his Body lay, to be diſcovered, that thereby he might draw the Iſraelites to Idolatry; and Michael would have it hid, to prevent it.
But they who muſt have the matters that concern the B. Virgin diſcovered, will find the ſolution of it a harder task. Yet ſomething they will ſay, though little to the purpoſe, to unfold thē Myſtery of this ſpiritual Omiſſion, as Pelbartus phraſes it xLoc. Citat.. The Author of the Pomaerium ſays, That this Omiſſion was, to excite the Devotion of the Faithful more towards her, that they might more greedily inquire after her Actions, her Life and Death. So indeed we ſee fooliſh Children cry the loudeſt after that which cannot be had: But I thinkthoſe Devotions had better go out than flame, where God affords not his holy Fires to kindle them, nor any fuel to maintain them. Otherwiſe, as a Sorbon Doctor yClaud. Joly. Traditio antiqua adv. Jac Gaudinum. p. 178.wiſely notes, When Devotion only governs the Church, though it be the beſt (i. e. in the fervency and degree of it) yet it may ſometimes ſpeciouſly deceive. Gregorius Gallicanus zMariale, p. 4.would bring off the matter thus; Many, ſays he, are of this Opinion, That Chriſt reſolved that he himſelf, and no other Pen or Tongue beſides, would explain the Praiſes of his Mother: Therefore in the Canticles he has elegantly drawn her from head to foot, when he put the Pencil into Solomon's hand to deſcribe her. Which indeed is a good reaſon to prove that a Thouſand of their Books concerning her might be burnt, ſince theirs muſt needs be ſuperfluous, after that Draught of her to the Life in the Canticles of Chriſts own doing. Aloyſ. Novarinus aUmbra Virg. p. 58. n. 187.thought himſelf no doubt very Witty, when he gave this Anſwer to the Objection: Credo rei magnitudine preſſos, &c. I believe the Evangeliſts, ſays he, being oppreſſed with the greatneſs and difficulty of the thing, abſtained from medling with that, which by no labour or skill of theirs they could perform, wherefore, like skilful Painters, they drew a veil, that under the covering and ſhade of ſilence, we might conjecture the more concerning her, becauſe they had expreſſed nothing. To which reaſoning I ſhall only make theſe two demands. 1. How come they to have the preſumption to undertake that, which the inſpired Writers found too heavy for their Shoulders, and would not meddle with? 2. Whence ſhould ariſe this difficulty of deſcribing her to them who had drawn the lines of our Saviour's Life, and finiſhed it; unleſs he imagine greater Glories and Excellencies in the Mother, than in the Son of God? Caniſius is very angry with us bLib. 4. de Deip. c. 22. p. 478.and charges us with a heinous Error, for denying at this time ſo many things concerning Mary and her Dignity, which though not taken notice of in the Scriptures, nor preſently delivered in the time of the Apoſtles, yet have been revealed by God to the later Ages as certain, and at length recommended for ſuch by the Church. This indeed is ſomewhat to the purpoſe; for no Man can reaſonably require, that God ſhould manifeſt a thing ſooner than he has a mind to, nor complain that that was not known in a former, which he reſerved for a latter Age: Only that we may avoid being cheated, we expect as good evidence for the later that they are Divine, as God has given for the former; but without this the Church's recommendation will not create Faith in us, eſpecially not that of their Church; which has plaid ſo many tricks in Religion. Poza cElucidar. lib. 2. tract. 7. c. 1.has this farther fetch, By this ſilence we are told, that there is nothing written in the Goſpels, nothing in the Law and Prophets, which does not, after a ſort, appertain to Mary. And in another place dIbid. tract. 6. c. 1., If you would compriſe in ſhort, what is more largely diffuſed in the Scriptures, know that Mary is the ſumm and brief of them all. Carthagena eDe arcan. Deip. l. 2. hom. 2.thinks, that this is a contrivance of the Divine Wiſdom; becauſe this ſilence does commend her Excellencies more fully, than the moſt eloquent Tongue can do; ſince her Dignity and Sanctity, ſuppoſing her to be the Mother of Jeſus, is a firſt Principle, of which there need be nothing ſaid. And ſo too the Author of the firſt Reaſon fAuthor Pomaerii loc. citat.ſays, Whatſoever belongs to her Dignity, &c. is per ſe notum, known of it ſelf by thoſe who have an entire Faith in Jeſus. This I ſee is the ſolution they moſt inſiſt on. So Suarez, gPraefat. ad Tom. 2. in 3. partem.Few things are ſaid in the Goſpels of her, becauſe the intention of the Evangeliſts was wholly carried out to Chriſt, (thus far we are of his mind, and wiſh that they alſo had made him their ſcope more, and her leſs;) but he being known, and his Faith enough eſtabliſhed, her Excellencies could not be unknown or hid. Or as Sherlog the Jeſuit expreſſes it, hAnteloq. 3. in Cantic. n. 142.It was neceſſary for us to know that Mary was the Mother of Chriſt; this the Evangeliſts ſufficiently declared, and this her Honour being manifeſted, the reſt might be collected there-from, though they ſaid no more. The force of this reaſoning will appear, if you only change the name of Jeſus for Mary, and put it thus: It was requiſite for us to know that Jeſus was the Son of God; (as neceſſary as that Mary was his Mother) this the Evangeliſts ſufficiently declared, and this Dignity of his being manifeſted, the reſt might be collected, though they ſaid no more. We ſhould have had an admirable Goſpel, if this had been the way of writing it; much what I ſuppoſe like the Hiſtory of the Seven Champions; for that Writer did not feign the Men; their worth and excellency was abundantly declared to the World before; he only collected, as every Writer of Romances does, what was proper for ſuch worth to accompliſh; and his Fancy ran much upon inchanted Caſtles and Gyants with huge Maces in their Hands, which he makes his Hero's to diſſolve and overcome. However, we have diſcovered, by what theſe Authors have told us, a ſecret which they had better have kept ſo ſtill; that now we know what way has been taken in writing the Hiſtory of the B. Virgin, and the Lives of other Saints; Two or Three Truths have been given, like a Ground to a skilful Muſician; upon theſe they have run what Diviſion they beſt fanſied, and according to the skill of the writer, the Deſcant has been agreeable or otherwiſe; and it is remarkable, that commonly where any faithful and certain Records have ſaid the leaſt, there they have given the World the moſt large and compleat Story. Which we are beholden to the aforeſaid Greg. Gallicanus iMarial. p. 3.for confeſſing the moſt plainly, and without any diſguiſe, as the ſence of ſome in this very caſe of the Scriptures ſilence concerning the B. Virgin; Dicunt aliqui, immenſum eſſe laudum B. Virginis campum, ideoque liberum unicuique relinquere voluiſſe (ſc. Deum) ut de eâ dicerent quod vellent: i. e. The field of her Praiſes is wide and immenſe, and therefore God would leave every Man at liberty, to ſay of her what he pleaſed.