secondary intercessor, and made superior to Christ. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve."-Matt. vi. c. 10 v. This was the language of the Saviour when the Devil tempted Him with the gift" of all these things [the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them] if Thou wilt fall down and worship me." Further, no mention whatever is made of the Virgin Mary in the Apostolical Epistles. Even 66 St. Peter himself makes no allusion to the Mother of Grace. The only clue that the Scriptures give to the foundation of such idolatry is the passage Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.”—Luke i. c. 28. v. To this we rejoin that the wife of Heber was "blessed above women."-Judges v. c. 24 v. Mr. Vines, in his Thunderbolt for Rome, asks "yet who, on this account, would think of worshipping this woman?" The Rhemish translators give a traditional story of the Virgin's Assumption, that her body was miraculously conveyed to heaven, and a fragrant odour left in its stead. Upon this pious fiction another delusion had to be grafted [Annotations on Acts i. c. 14 v.] namely, the worship of Mary. But a difficulty interposed. How can we Papists tone off the Saviour's rebuke in John's Gospel ii. c. 4 v. "Woman [i.e. Mary] what have I to do with thee?" The Douay translators meet this obstacle by falsifying the text in question,* [Incidentally note, that the selection of Peter as the head of the Roman Catholic Church is a parallel blunder. 1. It may be doubted whether he ever visited the capital. 2. Peter had a wife. 3. Paul accused him of deceit. 4. Christ said "Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." (Matt. xi. c. 11 v.) 5. Peter submitted himself to the control of the other Apostles. 6. Comparatively speaking, "The Prince of the Roman Church" was a poor writer, only having left the Church two brief Epistles. 7. The Scripture nowhere elevates this lowly fisherman to the Supremacy of the Church. 8. Jesus Christ likened Peter to the Devil, "Get thee behind me, Satan : thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." (Matt. xvi. c. 23 v.) Truly, there might have been on the part of our Lord an insight into the real character of Peter's tempter at this time, viz. the Devil. 9. Peter on one occasion acted the part of a pusillanimous liar, he denied his Lord and Master. 10. Simon Peter was also a profane swearer (Matt. xxvi. c. 74 v.) and * Vide Nangle's variations of this passage, Gospel Lever. Appendix, pp. 150, 151. hasty in temper, for he "smote the High Priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." (John xviii. c. 10 v.) 11. Peter could only have been restored to favor by the special intercession of his Master.] Secondly; invocations addressed to Saints and Angels are gross delusions, as well as unhallowed practices that rob the Almighty of the homage which should be paid to Him alone. "Holy Michael, pray for us. Holy Gabriel, pray for us. Holy Raphael, pray for us. All holy Angels and Arch-angels, pray ye for us. All holy orders of blessed spirits pray ye for us. Holy John the Baptist, pray for us. Holy Joseph, pray for us. All holy patriarchs and prophets, pray ye for us. Holy Peter, pray for us. Holy Paul, pray for us. Holy Andrew, pray for us. Holy James, pray for us. Holy John, pray for us. Holy Thomas, pray for us. Holy Philip pray for us. Holy Bartholomew, pray for us. Holy Matthew pray for us. Holy Simon, pray for us. Holy Thaddeus, pray for us. Holy Mathias, pray for us. Holy Barnabas, pray for us. Holy Luke, pray for us. Holy Mark, pray for us. All holy apostles and evangelists pray ye for us. All holy disciples of the Lord, pray ye for us. All holy innocents, pray ye for us. Holy Stephen, pray for us. Holy Lawrence, pray for us. Holy Vincent, pray for us. Holy Fabian and Sebastian, pray ye for us. Holy John and Paul, pray ye for us. Holy Cosma and Damian, pray ye for us. Holy Gervase and Protase, pray ye for us.” The preceding catalogue goes on to enumerate Saints Silvester, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustin, Jerome, Martin, Nicholas, Anthony, Benedict, Bernard, Francis, and the bloody Dominic. All holy bishops, doctors, confessors, priests, levites, monks, hermits, virgins, and widows are likewise invoked. This form of prayer concludes "All ye men and women, saints of God, make intercession for us."-Garden of the Soul. The whole of such mediatorial homage "to clean our hearts" is gross blasphemy. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels."-Col. ii. c. 18 v. When Cornelius prostrated himself in a devotional attitude before Peter, he said "Stand up; I myself also am a man."-Acts x. c. 26 v. In like manner the angel which appeared to St. John reproved that divine for attempting to adore him, "See thou do it not-worship God."-Rev. xix. c. 10 v., xxii c. 9 v. Praying to mythical personages, and calling for the intercession of such villains as we have already mentioned, is very far from worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Papists beware! "Idolators shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."-1 Cor. vi. c. 9, 10 v. This doulia homage to the mere creature is the greatest error of Romanism. Canonize the bones of a frail mortal and enrol his name among the list of Saints--what then? Surely a distinction so vain is not to supersede the mediation of Him "who ever liveth to make intercession for us." But the Roman Church teaches such a dogma. Here are some examples. "Receive, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the offerings Thy suppliant servants lay before Thee, on this solemnity of blessed Dunstan, Thy confessor and bishop, requesting that, under his blessed patronage, they may be delivered from the snares of their enemies. Assist us, O Lord, by the prayers of blessed Dunstan, Thy confessor and bishop, in whose veneration we have partaken of Thy sacraments." "Look favourably, O Lord, on these gifts which we offer in commemoration of blessed Apolinaris, the bishop and martyr, and for the expiation of our offences." "Mercifully help us, O Lord, while we celebrate the feast of the blessed Aldhelm, Thy bishop, and grant by his merits we may be admitted to the joys of heaven." "O God, who didst render blessed Lewis, Thy confessor illustrious on earth and now glorious in heaven, appoint him, we beseech Thee, the defender of Thy Church." Invocations are also offered to fabulous Saints, such as holy Dorothy, George, and the "great Anne." The latter is styled "our Lord's Grandmother," whom the Almighty has "exalted in His eternity to the most high and sublime estate of Mother of the Mother of God." This deification of the Saints is as consummate The "the golden phials idolatry in its origin and tendencies as the Pagan apotheosis. emblematical figure of THE CHURCH in Rev. v. c. 8 v. full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints," cannot be distorted to relevancy, for the practice is ignored so expressly throughout the Sacred Writings. The Primitive Christians despised creature-worship. Pope John XV. took upon himself to canonize Udalric, A.D. 993, but the history of Subalpine Protestantism teaches that as far back as 397 these secluded Christians did not worship either Saints or relics. The Subalpini and Passagii of ancient geography now termed the Vaudois "saw by the light of the New Testament the extraordinary contrast between the purity of primitive times and the vices of the gorgeous and imperious hierarchy which surrounded them." - Vide Le Bas, Macintosh, and Faber. Jerome also, Adv. Vigil, Epist. 53, bears collateral testimony to the existence of these early Protestants. In later ere the Lollards were especially adverse to that Romish dogma, the intercession of Saints. Dupin, vol. xii. p. 113. hasty in temper, for he "smote the High Priest's servant, and cut off his right ear." (John xviii. c. 10 v.) 11. Peter could only have been restored to favor by the special intercession of his Master.] 66 All holy Secondly; invocations addressed to Saints and Angels are gross delusions, as well as unhallowed practices that rob the Almighty of the homage which should be paid to Him alone. 'Holy Michael, pray for us. Holy Gabriel, pray for us. Holy Raphael, pray for us. Angels and Arch-angels, pray ye for us. All holy orders of blessed spirits pray ye for us. Holy John the Baptist, pray for us. Holy Joseph, pray for us. All holy patriarchs and prophets, pray ye for us. Holy Peter, pray for us. Holy Paul, pray for us. Holy Andrew, pray for us. Holy James, pray for us. Holy John, pray for us. Holy Thomas, pray for us. Holy Philip pray for us. Holy Bartholomew, pray for us. Holy Matthew pray for us. Holy Simon, pray for us. Holy Thaddeus, pray for us. Holy Mathias, pray for us. pray for us. Holy Mark, pray for us. All holy apostles and evangelists pray ye for us. All holy disciples of the Lord, pray ye for us. All holy innocents, pray ye for us. Holy Stephen, pray for us. Holy Lawrence, pray for us. Holy Vincent, pray for us. Holy Fabian and Sebastian, pray ye for us. Holy John and Paul, pray ye for us. Holy Cosma and Damian, pray ye for us. Holy Gervase and Protase, pray ye for us." The preceding catalogue goes on to enumerate Saints Silvester, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustin, Jerome, Martin, Nicholas, Anthony, Benedict, Bernard, Francis, and the bloody Dominic. All holy bishops, doctors, confessors, priests, levites, monks, hermits, virgins, and widows are likewise invoked. This form of prayer concludes "All ye men and women, saints of God, make intercession for us."-Garden of the Soul. The whole of such mediatorial homage "to clean our hearts" is gross blasphemy. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels."-Col. ii. c. 18 v. When Cornelius prostrated himself in a devotional attitude before Peter, he said "Stand up; I myself also am a man."—Acts x. c. 26 v. In like manner the angel which appeared to St. John reproved that divine for attempting to adore him, "See thou do it not-worship God."—Rev. xix. c. 10 v., xxii c. 9 v. Praying to mythical personages, and calling for the intercession of such villains as we have already mentioned, is very far from worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Papists beware! "Idolators shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."--1 Cor. vi. c. 9, 10 v. This doulia Holy Barnabas, pray for us. Holy Luke, homage to the mere creature 28 th Canonize the bones of a frail mortal ses one Saints-what then? Surely a dense e a 1.*** mediation of Him "who ever Fretk to msas the Roman Church teaches ba "Receive, we beseech Thee, O L of lay before Thee, on this solemnity of turmeet bishop, requesting that, delivered from the spares of the L prayers of blessed Durstan. Tiy tion we have partaken of Thy B. on these gifts which we r = the bishop and martyr, and fortia czy stun A qu help us, O Lord, while we ele Thy bishop, and grant by "O God, who heaven." illustrious on earth and a Thee, the defender of I' fabulous Saints, such as The latter is styled "exalted in His eternity to of the Mother of God" C idolatry in its origin and red priva emblematical figure of r full of odours, which are the propin to relevancy, for the practist a Sacred Writings. The Primitive Carintins sem g took upon himself to Subalpine Protestantum tra Take Christians did not work } Passagii of ancient geography tog trga of primitive times and the road le reg which surrounded them." also, Adv. Vigil. Eput. 51. 'an 4. "dan to that Romish |