The Virgin Mary Misrepresented by the Roman Church, Half title – Errata
THE VIRGIN MARY Miſrepreſented by the Roman Church.
…RT I.
Imprimatur, Liber cui titulus [The Virgin Mary miſrepreſented by the Roman Church.]
Guil. Needham, R R. in Chriſto P. ac D. Wilhelmo Archiepiſc. Cant. a Sacr. Domeſt. Nov. 23. 1687.
THE VIRGIN MARY Miſrepreſented by the Roman Church. In the TRADITIONS of that CHURCH, Concerning her Life and Glory; And in the DEVOTIONS paid to her, As the Mother of God. Both ſhewed out of the Offices of that Church, the Leſſons on her Feſtivals, and from their allowed Authors.
PART I. Wherein Two of her Feaſts, her Conception and Nativity, are conſidered.
Valde honoranda eſt, inquis, Mater Domini. Bene admones; ſed Honor Reginae juſtitiam diligit. Virgo regia falſo non eget honore, veris cumulata honorum titulis. Bernard. Epiſt. 174.
Securitas laudis in laude Dei eſt; ibi laudator ſecurus eſt, ubi non timet ne de Laudato erubeſcat. S. Auguſt. Enar. in Pſal. 94.
Reſtat ut homo mendaciter non fingat apertum, quod Deus voluit manere occultum. Author Serm. 35. de Aſſumpt. apud Auguſtinum.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Chiſwell at the Roſe and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, MDCLXXXVIII.
CONTE… OF THE PRINCIPAL MAT…RS
INfallibility vainly pretended, unleſs it be as ſecure a … Worſhip, as of our Faith. …
This pretended in Canonizing Saints, though certainly …
Devotions in the Roman Church conducted by Intereſt. …
Strange Worſhip given to the Virgin in that Church, and to what height they have advanced her. Ibid.
Falſe Charges againſt Proteſtants, that they caſt Contempt upon her 4
Who ſay all that is fitting, and all that the Scripture teaches of her. 5, 6
This Church has made a new Goſpel about her Life and Excellencies. 6, 7
What Rules and Meaſures they take in deſcribing her. Ibid.
What Privileges they conferr on her, whoſe Numbers ſtill increaſe. 8, 9
What they plead for the large Account they give of her, when the Scriptures and Antiquity ſay ſo little. 10, 11, &c.
Their fulſome Flatteries of her; Submiſſions to her, and Expectations from her. Marg. p. 15
Of her Predeſtination, and their applying Scriptures to her that belong only to Chriſt. 17, 18
The Arians excuſed by what they do herein. 19
They give her the Privilege of being firſt elected, and all others predeſtinated for her ſake. 20
The late Contemplator's new Logick, in referring all to her as the Means and the Conveyance of all to us. 21
The Jeſuit Salazar's blaſphemous Conceits, applying all in Prov. viij. to her. 21, 22, &c.
Of the bleſſed Virgin's Parents and Conception, out of their Offices. 27
Their Legend more at large, out of the Engliſh Feſtival. 28
All taken out of Two Apocryphal Authors eſpecially. 30, 31, &c.
Of the Riches and Barrenneſs of her Parents. 34
How they cry up their Faith above that of Abraham. Ibid.
The Fable of Joachim's being rebuked for Barrenneſs by the High-Prieſt, and comforted by an Angel. 35, 36
How they will have the B. Virgin to have been conceived. 38
Their ſingular Conceits about the Formation of her Body. 39
Wherein they aim at making her in all like to Chriſt. 40
They give her the uſe of Reaſon in the firſt moment of her Conception. 41
What Contemplations they ſay ſhe had in her Mother's Womb. 42
Her Charity then alſo exerciſed, and what Meaſures of Grace and Merits ſhe then attained to. 43
It was once by them accounted Chriſt's Privilege to have the uſe of Free-will in his Mother's Womb, now granted to her. 44
Her immaculate Conception aſſerted in allowed Offices. 46, &c.
This Privilege of hers never thought of by the Ancient Fathers. 56
How ridiculous the Controverſie about it is, conſidering the ſmall Difference betwixt the Opinion of the Maculiſts and Immaculiſts. 57
The Maculiſts have the old and great School-men on their Side. 59
St. Auſtin is expreſly theirs. 60
Their Adverſaries would have it a Secret in former Ages, and why kept ſo. 61
The Scriptures clear and full for the Maculiſts. 62
Redemption and Salvation there as general as Sin and Death. Ibid.
Her preſervative Redemption an abſurd Shift. Ibid.
Two former Popes againſt it. 63
Other Arguments of the Maculiſts. Ibid.
What the Immaculiſts plead for themſelves. 64
Scotus, the firſt Aſſertor of their Opinion, and doubtful in it. Ibid.
It has now got the Name and Credit of the Pious Opinion. Ibid.
The Woment engage ſtifly on this ſide. 65
Their Proofs from Scripture all Allegorical. 65, 66
Proofs from Reaſon. 1. Arg. That otherwiſe ſhe had not been a fit Mother of God. 67
2. Arg. From the Virulency of Original Sin. 68
3. Arg. That Chriſt had not been a good Son, unleſs he had preſerved her. 69
4. Arg. That the Maculiſts Opinion muſt needs offend the Bleſſed Virgin. 70
5. Arg. That if Chriſt had not preſerved her from Original Sin, ſhe muſt needs be guilty of Actual Sin. Ibid.
How courſely Salmeron has uſed the Fathers and ſlighted them. 71
The Immaculiſts urge Miracles, and ſome of them ſet down. 72, 73.
The remarkable Story of Thomas de Bohemia's Leg reſtor'd. 74
Viſions and Revelations urged by the Immaculiſts. Ibid
The advantages we receive by theſe Proofs. 1. That we are excuſed from believing the Miracles they urge us withal. 75, &c.
2. That they themſelves regard not this Proof, but turn it off as that which produces no certainty of Faith. 77
We may be excuſed by the Popes ſullenneſs, who dare not determine thePoint upon the Evidence of Miracles, &c. 78
The Hiſtory of the Embaſſy of Two Kings of Spain to Two Popes, urging in vain the Deciſion of this Controverſy. 80, 81, &c.
What Comfort the Immaculiſts have above their Adverſaries, though it be not decided 93
How the Virgin was preſerved from Original Sin, according to ſome of their Authors. 95
Concerning the Feaſt of her Conception, that its Inſtitution is Novel. 96
Revelations of no Authority, the ground of it; and when firſt kept. 96, 97, &c.
This Feaſt pretended by S. Oringa's Revelation to be kept in Heaven. 99
S. Bernard queſtions the Revelations for this Feaſt. Ibid.
This Feaſt interrupted in England, where it firſt was obſerved. 100
This Feaſt oppoſed by many great Men of their Church. Ibid.
Of the bleſſed Virgin's Nativity, and the Devotions relating to it. 102, &c.
Their bold aſſerting that her Birth was the Deſire and Expectation of the Patriarchs. 109
We are to believe that Wonders preceded her Birth. 110
Baronius will not allow us to be in our Wits if we deny this, though he produces none in particular. Ibid.
Thoſe that are produced are without colour of Truth. 111
The time of her Birth, how exactly they calculate it. 112
They urge Motives of Congruity for the time. 113
They differ about the Place of her Birth, but moſt ſay at Nazareth. 114
Poza's great doubt whether ſhe came the common way into the World. 115
They will not allow her to cry, or make her Mother cry out when ſhe was born. Ibid.
That her Body ſhone with Brightneſs, and breathed a Perfume from her Birth. Ibid. and 116
A great Queſtion whether ſhe had a Guardian-Angel aſſigned, and who he was. 116, 117
Their Harangues about the Nobleneſs of her Birth. Ibid.
The Devotions of the Church of Rome to the bleſſed Virgin's Parents. 118, &c.
Many Authors aſſert their Sanctification from the Womb. 123
S. Anne made the Mother of more Children beſides the Virgin. 124
Devotions to the Virgin and her two Siſters, whoſe Names were Mary. Ibid.
Concerning the Feaſt of her Nativity; this confeſſed to be Novel. 125
France contends for the Glory of firſt obſerving this Feſtival. 126
The Jeſuit Inchofer would give it to the City of Meſſina, ingratitude for a Letter the bleſſed Virgin wrote to them. 127
The Virgin's Letter (being a Rarity) ſet down out of him. 128
The Foundation of this Feaſt was a private Revelation to a Man without a Name. 129
Mel. Canus cenſures ſuch Revelations, …. Ibid.
The Calumny of Saunders and Th… … that this Feaſt was blotted out of our Kalendar to make room for Queen Elizabeth's Birthday. 130
Several ſcandalous and profane Meditations upon the bleſſed Virgin's Nativity, ſet down out of their Authors. 131, &c.
An Office of the Name of the bleſſed Virgin. 134, &c.
Nothing extraordinary in the Name of Mary, it being the ſame with Miriam. 140
How many ſignifications they give of it, and pitch upon that which has leaſt probability. viz. Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. 141
Chryſologus his admirable Conceit about Maria. 142
Saints pretend to have found ſweetneſs in her Name, both as to their Smell and Taſte. Ibid.
Bonaventure's Reaſon why ſhe is called a bitter Sea. 143
The Myſteries they find in every Letter of her Name. 143, 144
Myſteries in this Name as conſiſting of Five Letters. Ibid.
So there is alſo ſuppoſing it to conſiſt only of Four Letters. 145
S. Gerard taught the Hungarians not to pronounce it, or with great Reverence, uncovering the Head, &c. Ibid.
In Poland a Crime to name any Woman Mary. Ibid.
Their Fancy that Angels admire this Name and love to hear it procounced. 146
And that the bleſſed Virgin her ſelf delights to hear it alſo. Ibid.
The manner of reciting Jeſus Pſalter. 147
They lay great ſtreſs upon the repeating meerly the Name of Mary, without any other ſence adjoined. 148
The extravagant ſtory of a converted Japan Woman. 149
Saying an Ave Maria ſeventy two times with Genuflections, a preſcribed Exerciſe of Devotion. Ibid.
Another Exerciſe of repeating Five Pſalms that begin with the Five Letters of her Name. 150
Bruſſels Charity in Honour of her Name. 151
Beggars in the Mogul's Country ask Alms in her Name. Ibid.
They conclude her Name to be more ſweet than that of Jeſus. 152
And in ſome reſpects more powerful and prevalent. 153
The great Effects that follow the uſe of her Name. 154, 155.
ERRATA.
PAge 10. line 30. read their. p. 26. l. 28. r. Salute. p. 32. l. 1. r. which. p. 34. l. 4. r. diviſion. p. 36. marg. r. quiliae. p. 38. l. 16. r. Hic. p. 134. dele Sect. I. p. 140. l. 8. r. make.