Earlier text: General ArticlesTHE WORLD'S STATE AT CHRIST'S RETURN.
By Archibald A. Brown
A SERMON PREACHED BY ARCHIBALD A. BROWN, IN THE EAST LONDON TABERNACLE, ENGLAND. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:37-39. It seems the general idea that the world is to be gradually improved, and ultimately won by the agencies now at work; and that with united missionary societies, civilization, printing-presses, preaching, philosophy, and education, this fallen world is to be brought back again into the condition of Paradise. This text comes and cuts at the very root of this belief. It calls out with clarion note, "No, the world is never going to be won by agencies now at work; the world is not gradually to improve until the Son of man cometh; the world is not by progressive stages to be made fit for him, so that when Christ comes he shall only have to step into a world that has been regenerated for him by his servants." "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." A child can surely understand the force of "as" and "so." You have only to discover how the world was in the days of Noah to know what the world will be when Christ comes. As then, so now. These are the words of the Lord himself. It is the Christ who is coming, who tells us how he will find the world; and he says to his disciples, "I shall find the world busy about eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage. I shall find the world as careless and thoughtless about me as it was careless and thoughtless about the testimony of Noah. I know they will keep right on, sunk in pleasure and sin, until the Judgment comes and takes them all away." I can imagine some are almost ready to say, "If the fancy we have entertained, that the world is going to be regenerated before the coming of Christ, is a pretty and blessed one, and serves to stimulate the missionary spirit, do you not think it almost a pity to cut and tear such an idea into shreds?" No, it is absolutely necessary, for many reasons. We will only mention one or two. If for no other reason than this, the idea must be dissipated- THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF TRUTH.
Let us hold that which is true. I do not want my zeal to be encouraged by a picturesque fiction. It is because the church so unwisely talks about the world being won by its agency, that the scoffers have such a magnificent opportunity of taunting us. I do not wonder at the skeptic turning round and saying, "You are going to win the world by preaching? Why, at the present rate you will have to go on millions and millions of years, and then you will be no nearer. Win the world by preaching! Why, the increase of all your churches put together scarcely amounts to the increase of the population!" Many a servant of God has had his faith staggered, and become chill in his work through disappointment. Why is he disappointed? He expects that which God has never promised. But let me only know that my work as a servant of God is to bear witness. Let me not anticipate that which God has never promised, and I am proof against all the scoffs of the world. They may say to me, "You are not converting the world." My reply is, "I do not expect to." They may jeeringly say, "The world has not got much better through your agency." I answer, "No, I expect it to get worse." And it is absolutely necessary that we should have a right opinion of this truth, because it will keep us always looking for Christ. If I believe that the world is to be a second Paradise before he returns, it is absurd to tell me I am always to be looking for him. It is for this reason that many are not on the qui vive waiting for their Master. They think that a great deal has first to be done with the world. But, as far as the condition of the world is concerned, Christ might come this morning. The world at his coming will be precisely what it was in the days of Noah, and I think it would be no very difficult to show you, that as it was in the days of Noah, so it is now. Let us look at the condition of the world in the days of Noah. That "as" will throw a flood of light upon the "so." Turn to Gen. 6:5: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Pass on to 5:12, "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence." Take the very opposite of the description generally given of the state of the world at the coming of the Lord, and you get the exact truth. Do not run away with the idea that I am laying down any theory. I want to pin you down to these two words, "as" and "so." "God looked down, upon the world." What did he see? That the wickedness of man was great in the earth. He saw that the earth was corrupt. He looked again, and he said, "It is filled with violence, and I will destroy it;" and "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." The age of Noah was essentially "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage"-that is, these things formed the staple of their existence; the aim and end of the lives of the men of those days was self-gratification. I do not say that they were thieving, or murdering, or doing any very awful deeds; no, they were all enjoying themselves; they were living as if there were no impending flood-it was just a hunt after pleasure. As old Matthew Henry very quaintly puts it, "There was no sin in their eating and drinking-the sin lay in this; they were eating and drinking when they ought to have been praying and repenting." It was just the sum total of their lives-they were given up to pleasure. They had their dinner parties, and their supper parties, and their balls, and their dancing; and the one idea of the day was, "Let us enjoy ourselves-life was given us to enjoy-do not let us be so straight-laced; as for that old Noah, he is an antiquated fool, he does not understand how the world wags; let us be as happy and as joyful as we can." The characteristic of the age was self-indulgence. What is to be the characteristic of the age in which Christ shall come? Precisely the same. Notice that our Lord put an emphasis on the word "until." "They were eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Down to the very moment when Christ comes, the characteristic of the age will be self-indulgence and self-pleasing. Does the New Testament correspond with this in its prediction concerning the last days? Paul writes to Timothy: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." What is the chief characteristic? "For men shall be lovers of their own selves," and "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." And all this is to be combined with a certain religiousness, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Now, I ask you, will you tell me that the present condition of the world is such that Jesus Christ could not come to-day? There is not precisely what it was as it was then? There are thoughtful men who are becoming exceedingly anxious about the self-indulgence, the self-pleasing, the luxuriousness of modern life. The whole simplicity of life has in a very measure passed away; the sons want to begin where the fathers leave off. If there is more wealth, there is a larger proportion of that wealth spent on self-pleasing. There is an amount of luxury and sensual gratification now which may well appall any thoughtful man. It was not only an essentially worldly age, but it was also For it says, "and God saw that the wickedness of man was great"-great as to quantity, and as to quality also. There were gross sins, and they abounded on every hand. A defiling wave of impurity and sin had rolled over the world, just before the flood, and the whole race had become corrupt. I daresay many will turn round and object, "Yes, but you will hardly say that is the condition of the world now-the world is a great deal more civilized than it used to be." In civilization righteousness? Will you confound these two things together? Civilization is a very thin gauze veil which the world has cast over its rotten and iniquitous life. Lift up the gossamer413veil, and you will find festering sores and putrid wounds. "Oh," say some, "but I am sure our country is much better than it was. Think of the days of Charles II.-think of what the Court used to be." Stay a moment. If sin was more pronounced then, was it more general? And bear in mind, that the sinfulness of the present age is intensified by the fact that it is sinfulness in such a blaze of gospel light as the world never had before. They are shallow thinkers who bring up the state of society some centuries back, and say, "Oh, we are not so bad now as they were then." Were chapels within five minutes walk of each other? Was God's testimony rung out to the world then as it is now? If you put on the one hand the extra Christian effort, and then put on the other side the diminished amount of iniquity, I think you will have come to the conclusion, though it is a very sad one, that the positive wickedness of the world is just as great now as ever it was. You have read about the "Ober Ammergau" play in Germany. Estimate, if you can, the amount of wickedness that lies in the world by this fact-that at the present time, after the gospel of Jesus has been preached for eighteen centuries, thousands pour from every part of the world, chiefly from England and America, to see-what? I confess I almost tremble as I describe it-to see Christ's bloody sweat and Christ's death acted as a drama! and, as one newspaper correspondent says-and he did not apparently think that there was anything at all amazing in it-"I have observed that the next popular character to Jesus Christ is Judas Iscariot." IT WAS AN AGE OF VIOLENCE.
The Lord looked down, and violence filled the earth. I suppose in those days there were quarrels on a par with lawsuits in these days; the strong oppressed the weak, the rich ground down the poor, there were party fights, family feuds, and God saw ornamental murder in the shape of war, and he so abhorred it, that he said the earth was full of violence. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." Is not the earth full of violence now? Run your eyes down the columns of a morning paper, and see whether a large percentage of every column is not occupied with a record of violence, of wrong or outrage. What a witness of oppression do our law courts give! The nations are burdened with an awful militaryism. Look at Austria, Italy, France, Germany, groaning under the load. What does militaryism mean? It means filling the earth with violence. See how Germany is honeycombed with bloodthirsty socialism, and Russia with frenzied nihilism. The whole social world is seething and roaring. And it is not going to calm down. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." IT WAS ALSO AN AGE OF DISREGARDED TESTIMONY.
God was not without his witness. Do you think that it was not known all through the length and breadth of the land?-"There is an old man who says that God is going to send a flood, and he believes in it himself that he is actually building a big ark." In all ages God has raised up men who have been witnesses for him, and so will it be until the coming of the Son of man. And how much notice did they take of the testimony? "They knew not until the flood came and took them all away." Why did not they know? Because they would not know. They were willingly ignorant. They did not believe the testimony. Every dispensation yet has ended in judgement. And as it has been, so it will be; judgement is to be the end of this dispensation. The witnesses will bear witness until the coming of the Son of man; and the other side will be as true-thousands will reject the witness, and will not know until the flood comes and takes them all away. Let us use both the "as" and the "so" as a warning and as an encouragement. The "as" and the "so" will hold good in their final results. As it was then, so will it be when the Son of man comes. How was it with the skeptics? how was it with the pleasure-seekers? how was it with the men steeped in sensuality? how was it with those who did acts of violence? They were all drowned. They did not know until the flood came and took them all away." I do not think it needs a very vivid imagination to picture the scene, when they awoke to their condition-too late. What a rush there was to the ark then, and the Lord knew there would be, and so had taken the precaution to shut the door. I fancy I can hear them knocking and crying out to Noah, "For God's sake, let us in." He replies, "For a hundred and twenty years I warned you; only a week ago I gave my last witness." "Noah, for God's sake, let us in." "I cannot," he answers, "the Lord has shut the door." And as it was then, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. The "as" and "so" hold good also. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." All who were in the ark were perfectly safe. What did it matter to Noah whether the billows rose or not? The higher the waters rose, the nearer he went to heaven. Not one died in the ark. I read, "And the Lord remembered Noah and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark." Dear soul, hast thou fled to Christ? The Lord put wings to your feet to-day. CHRIST IS COMING. Ye saints bear witness for him. CHRIST IS COMING! Ye sinners trust him. Amen.-The (London) Christian of October 28, 1880. CHRIST, THE ROOT.
By Examiner; Chronicle
In many of the islands of the south seas our missionaries have been the means of converting the people to the faith. In one of these the shaven crowns of Rome began to put in their appearance, with a view of turning away people from the faith, to the errors of Rome. Among their cunning instruments of conversion was a picture representing the tree of the church. Certain twigs were represented as rotten; they were cut off, and were falling into the fire; these were such persons as Luther, Calvin, and other famous teachers of the gospel. The Protestant missionaries, too, were dead twigs, and were all to be removed from the tree. The natives were not quite sure about this, and made more inquiries. Certain other branches were green and vigorous; these were the priests of the Catholic church, and the larger boughs were bishops and cardinals of the same community; the natives were not quite clear about that, and passed on to examine the trunk. This of course consisted of an array of popes, of whom the islanders had never heard. They passed on, hoping to come to something presently; and so they did, for at the bottom was the name of our Lord Jesus. The inquiring islanders said, "And what is this at the bottom, marked with the name of Jesus?" "That is the root," said the priest. "Well, then," shouted the natives, "we have the root! The new teachers say we have the root, and so we are all right; our missionaries have told us the truth." There was philosophy in that. Let us see to it that "we have the root." Friend, dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? If so, thou hast the root. The Sabbath School.
By Hart
CHURCH MEMBERS AND THE SABBATH-SCHOOL.
HAS a church member, as such, any necessary relation to the Sabbath-school? Is this cause one which a professing Christian may, or may not, at his option support? Is it, in short, in the present state of the church and the world, something which affects the question of personal duty of every professed follower of Jesus? No one can fail to see that this question goes to the very quick. On the answer which the church shall give, depends mainly the success of the Sabbath-school cause. The true child of God cannot feel entire indifference to any effort of benevolence affecting the welfare of man. There are some enterprises, which touch him only remotely and indirectly, and in common with others who are not Christians. But in the providence of God, the Sabbath-school has become one of the leading agencies of the church in carrying forward its work. It is no longer a mere plan for keeping poor neglected children out of the street, and teaching them to read and spell on the Sabbath-day. It aims indeed to do this, but it aims also to do a hundred fold more. Temporal benefits undoubtedly flow from the Sabbath-school, especially to the poorer classes. Wherever it flourishes, there order prevails, manners are improved, decorum, industry, economy, thrift, a desire to become respectable, a love of reading, and a general thirst for knowledge, gain ground. But these are the incidental results of the Sabbath-school teacher's work. They are not his chief aim. What he mainly and primarily seeks is the conversion of his scholars. He seeks to make them true Christians, knowing that, if this point be gained, all other needed things "will be added." Conversion is the need of every soul, of the rich as well as of the poor. Here is a want which includes all. Hence the Sabbath-school seeks to gather into its fold the children of all classes. No children are too high, none are too low, to be beyond its benefits. As a matter of fact a large part of those now converted to God and brought into the church on profession of their faith, come from the Sabbath-school. At a State Sabbath-school Convention, in Lawrence, Mass., the question being moved, with a view to bring out this significant fact, all those persons were requested to rise who had been converted while attending Sabbath-school. Almost the entire assembly rose. At least nine-tenths of the Convention were on their feet. Christ's ministers and his people find that a given amount of labor yields larger returns, when put forth among the young than when put forth among the old. The young are more tender-hearted; they are more easily influenced; they have fewer evil habits to be broken up; their habits are not so stubborn; the world has not yet such a controlling influence over them; appeals to conscience, exhibitions of the love of Christ, arguments from the glories of the world to come, have more hold upon them. Hence labor for their conversion is more hopeful. The minister does not indeed despair of the aged. He labors and he prays for the old as well as for the young. But he finds his chief encouragement among the latter. Here, too, more than elsewhere, he can have the co-operation of his people. Almost every godly man and woman in his flock can help him in his labor among the little ones. But among the adults, among the parents of those very children, he must work almost alone. Scores may be found in every church, able and willing to preach Christ to the child of the hardened worldling. But who shall be found with the courage and the discretion to go with the same message to the father himself, to the ungodly lawyer, physician, or merchant? If such, then, be the aim and object of the Sabbath-school, if it be in fact, not some outside, philanthropic association, but the church itself working in a particular way, for the better husbanding of its resources, there can be no doubt of the duty of every professing Christian to give it his support. As a member of the church, he is consecrated to its service, and here is a particular service in which the church finds her labors most efficient. There are undoubtedly some professing Christians who are not required to engage personally as Sabbath-school teachers. Bodily infirmity, more imperative duties in the family or elsewhere, and other causes, may forbid such a service. But the cause of the Sabbath-school has assumed such magnitude and proportions in the aggressive movements of the church, that the fact of entering the church should be considered prima facie evidence of an intention to enter the Sabbath-school, if one is not already there. Every one proposing to join the church, should distinctly propose to himself the question, What shall I do for the Sabbath-school? Ministers, in admitting persons to the church, should ask the candidate, What are you going to do for the Lord in this part of his vineyard? The question of personal duty in the matter should be presented and pressed to a conscientious and deliberate decision. It should not be, it is not, a matter, about which a professing Christian may be indifferent.—Hart. WALK IN THE LIGHT.
By R. F. Cottrell
Do YOU cherish the light which God has given? Are you walking in it? Or are you evading the light because you prefer darkness? The light is given for good. Like the divine law it is ordained to life; but by transgression the law is found to be death, and the light that would save, being hated, tends only to condemnation. "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." We may talk of loving the truth; but the test of our love is our obedience. Truth cannot be disregarded and trampled under foot without incurring condemnation. Even in those things we may account trivial, or of little importance, lawlessness is sure to harden the heart and bring condemnation. Small sins, if we may call any sins small, prepare the way for greater. The least departure from the way of life tends to death. But a small distance from the tree of life is found the tree of death; and one sin unrepented and unforgiven must in the end bring death. The overcomer will have trials to overcome. The conqueror will first feel the fierce rage of his deadly foes; and when the final victory is gained, it will be truly said, Well done. The hearers of the truth and those who love it in word and in tongue only, will not hear those life-giving words. But those who do the truth—walk in the light which God graciously gives—will finally be approved. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." Let us cherish the light. Let us bring ourselves to it that we may know our case, and not be deceived. Let us walk in it that we may be kept from the hour of temptation. We are about to be tried. Those only who walk in the light will bear the trial and come off victorious. It is said that the oldest Baptist church in Indiana has the following curious items on its records: "A motion was made that the mind of the church be taken whether Brother Scott is ripe for ordination or not." That motion, however, strangely as it is worded, is in the line of the Scripture precept, "Lay hands suddenly on no man." We know of some brethren who have received ordination although they were manifestly unripe.—The Canadian Baptist. IN the day-school room the word of the teacher is the law, in accordance with which everything moves with precision. Thus habits of obedience and promptness are formed, and opportunity is given for the best use of time. There ought to be equally good order in the Sabbath-school. Time there is so valuable, because of its shortness and the greatness of the issues to be decided, that every moment of it should be made available. If children do not learn obedience to the laws of God's house, and promptness in fulfilling its duties, they can hardly be expected to exercise these virtues in the broader sphere of God's world. Perhaps the voice of the Sabbath-school teacher cannot sound as authoritatively as does that of the teacher in the day-school, but the law of love, which was given by the great Teacher, can be so set forth that there will come to be no lagging, no unwillingness to perform all duties required. There have been, and still are, teachers in the secular school whose government of pupils is based upon the divine law, with a desire to interpret it in the daily contact of teacher and pupils.—Mrs. W. F. Crafts, in S. S. World. PRINTED questions, on a lesson paper or in a question book, have a proper place in helping a scholar or a teacher in his lesson study. They suggest to him what specific truth is stated in the text, or what teaching is to be derived from it. But these questions are not to be read off by the teacher in his teaching of the lesson. If a teacher cannot even ask a question about the lesson without having the question before him in writing or print to read out to the scholar, how can he expect the scholar to answer the question properly unless he has the answer in writing or in print before his eyes, to read off to the teacher? Unless, indeed, the teacher expects the scholar to be better prepared with the lesson than he is! But a teacher who would expect that wouldn't be much of a teacher—would he?—S. S. Times. THE conscientious teacher is never late in arrival at school. He knows that "time is short," and he must carefully "redeem" it if he is to make the most of the Sabbath with his class. It is very trying to a Superintendent when any teacher is not punctually present at the opening service. The devotional services are seriously injured by irregularity. Scholars are sure to learn the practice, and praise and prayer are interrupted by children working at the latch, or talking at the door. Let every teacher make an effort to be early at his post in the school. It is right, becoming, and important that each be present. Where there is a will there is a way.—Sel. "HE that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good." MARIOLATRY NOT CHRISTIANITY.
By Editor
WE have great respect for the servants of God. We love to honor those whom God honors. For some characters we have especial regard. Enoch was a pattern of purity. Abraham was a rare example of a faithful man. David was noted for his piety, and his humility, manifested particularly in his confessions of his sins. A contrite spirit is acceptable to God. And so we might specify. But they were only human; they were our fellow-creatures and fellow-mortals. Though Abraham was worthy to be called "the father of all them that believe," and as such worthy of high regard, he was but a man, and is to be honored only as a man. We have respect for Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. She was highly favored of God. But we have no more reason to pay her divine honors than we have Enoch or Abraham. We consider it wrong to pay such honors to any one beside God the Father of all, and Jesus Christ the glorious and exalted Son of God. And of him, the Father did not think it enough to reveal to us his divine nature, but gave very particular commands respecting his worship. "Let all the angels of God worship him," was commanded. And it was revealed that men shall honor the Son even as they honor the Father. To him we are placed under infinite obligation as our Saviour. The Father appointed him and gave him to be a Redeemer of fallen man, and "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. But another name—another person—has been exalted to occupy this place, without any authority from God, and contrary to his holy will concerning his Son as revealed in his word. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is regarded by millions in the Catholic church as a Saviour, not only equal to, but superior to the Son of God as a Saviour; to her divine honors are paid. And as this is not only without authority from God, but contrary to his word concerning his Son, we have no hesitation in designating such worship idolatry. We consider ourselves fully justified in asserting that Mariolatry is not Christianity. But it has been denied that such honors are paid to Mary, and we have been deeply blamed for publishing it as a fact. By full and sufficient proofs we shall set this question at rest. We do not profess to understand the motives of those who have denied it. They may possibly be ignorant of the truth on the subject. If so we shall place them under obligation to us by enlightening them concerning it. To show that we are not pursuing a phantom—that we have good reason to examine the subject in this manner, we will state the case as follows:— Last March we made mention of a sermon we heard by "Father Gavazzi," in which we ascribed to him the following words:— "In Italy, in Como, Jesus Christ has one shrine, with a wooden crucifix, while the Virgin Mary has three thousand, many of them costly, with thousands of devotees. To the Catholics two ladders are represented as reaching up to Heaven; at the top of one stands Jesus Christ; at the top of the other the Virgin Mary. They who attempt to reach Heaven by the first ladder, where Christ stands, mostly fall and fail in their attempt; while all who try to reach Heaven by the ladder headed by the Virgin Mary succeed and are saved." Among the letters received from those professing to be Catholics is the following, which we publish entire, as it censures us in very severe terms, and is more direct in its statements than any other:— "REVERE HOUSE, NAPA CITY, Sunday, June 26, 1881.
"EDITOR SIGNS OF THE TIMES, OAKLAND—Sir: On the last page of your issue of June 23, you state as a fact that the Roman Catholic church exalts the worship of the Virgin Mary and the saints, and the worship of images, above that of Christ. Now as a man assuming to teach others through the columns of your paper you ought to be able to give the proof of what you state, or failing to do it, to be branded as an untruthful man and unfaithful guide. In all the works published for the instruction of the Catholic laity, in the Catechisms in use in all the church of the United States, in all the prayer-books published for the use of the faithful, the worship or adoration of images is expressly forbidden. That supreme honor or adoration is due to God alone, that our requests are to be preferred through Christ alone, and that any other doctrine is false and damnable. If you really ask to know the truth you can find a prayer-book or catechism in any Catholic church in Oakland, and having found it, I demand of you that you take back your assertion, or be considered a man that willfully shuts his eyes to the light of truth. Gavazzi is known as a willful perverter of truth, and his statements unworthy of credence.
"Respectfully Yours,
"JOHN McDONALD." The use of images in Catholic worship is too well known to require a word in respect to it. Bishop Ryan, of St. Louis, not long since lectured in justification of it. And it is well known that miraculous power has often been ascribed to images of Mary, and that terrible judgments are said to have fallen upon those who dishonored such images. We shall turn our attention especially to the worship of Mary, and to the fact that, as a medium of salvation, she is exalted above Jesus Christ. And on this subject we propose to give more than sufficient proof, as we have reason to believe that few of our readers have a just idea of the full truth on this subject; that they are not aware of the extent to which this idolatry is carried on in the Catholic church. And when we have abundantly proved it, then we shall ask Mr. McDonald, as a well-meaning, honorable man, to withdraw his charges, and confess that he has been mistaken as to the teachings of the Catholic church. And first, as to our authority. We shall quote from an authenticated Catholic work, entitled "The Glories of Mary." We have other works on the same subject, but this is the most complete, and when we have done with this, we imagine that our readers will desire nothing further. The entire title page of this book reads as follows:— "The Glories of Mary, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer; First American Edition, New York: P. J. Kennedy, Excelsior Catholic Publishing House, 5 Barclay street." It was copyrighted by Edward Dunigan and brother, the well-known Catholic book dealers; and it bears the sanction of Archbishop Hughes, in the following words:— "This new and improved translation of 'The Glories of Mary,' having been duly examined, is hereby approved of.
"†JOHN.
"Archbishop of New York."
"New York, Jan. 21, 1852." The following is the preface to the American Edition:— "The edition of the 'Glories of Mary' now presented to the Catholic public of America, is the first complete translation of the work ever made into the English language. We trust that it will have to retain the spirit of the learned and saintly author, and that it will be welcomed by the faithful in this country, with the same delight which it has universally called forth in Catholic Europe." This book has eight hundred pages, and must contain nearly or quite as much reading as the entire Bible. In the Introduction, which the author says, "ought to be read," is shown that the views of Mary herein presented are those of the entire Catholic church. Thus he speaks:— "I know that there are many books, both great and small, which treat of the glories of Mary; but as these are rare or voluminous, and not according to my plan, I have endeavored to collect in a small space, from all the authors at my command, the most select and pithy sentences of the Fathers and theologians, in order to give devout persons an opportunity, with little effort or expense, to inflame their ardor by reading of the love of Mary, and especially to present materials to priests which may enable them to excite by their sermons devotion to the divine mother." In another place in the Introduction he gives the gist of the whole matter in speaking of the advantages of "discourses in praise of Mary," in these words:— "If the assertion is true and incontrovertible, as I believe it to be, and as I shall prove, in the fifth chapter of this book, that all graces are dispensed by the hand of Mary alone, and that all who are saved, are saved solely by means of this divine mother, it may be said, as a necessary consequence, that the salvation of all depends upon preaching Mary, and confidence in her intercessions." Chapter I. considers Mary as "Queen of Mercy" and our mother. According to his stated purpose he has constantly quoted from the Fathers and theologians, and in our quotations we shall give his authorities. "Says St. Bernardine of Sienna, all creatures who serve God ought also to serve Mary; for all angels and men, and all things that are in Heaven and on earth, being subject to the dominion of God, are also subject to the dominion of the glorious Virgin." Page 26. That she alone, and not Jesus Christ, is the sole dispenser of mercies to fallen man, is constantly asserted by the best Catholic authority:— "The High Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson, says that the kingdom of God consisting of justice and mercy, the Lord has divided it; he has reserved the kingdom of justice for himself, and has granted the kingdom of mercy to Mary, ordaining that all the mercies which are dispensed to men should pass through the hands of Mary, and should be bestowed according to her good pleasure." Page 28. "Ernest, Archbishop of Prague, also says, that the eternal Father has given to the Son the office of judging and punishing, and to the mother the office of compassionating and relieving the wretched. . . St. Bonaventure says: O Mary, so full of the unction of mercy and the oil of pity, that God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness." Page 29. She, and not Jesus Christ, is the all-powerful mediator and intercessor:— "Is there any one who does not know the power of Mary's prayers with God? The law of clemency is on her tongue. Every prayer of hers is as a law established by our Lord, that mercy shall be exercised towards those for whom Mary intercedes. St. Bernard asks, Why does the church name Mary Queen of Mercy? and answers, Because we believe that she opens the depths of the mercy of God, to whom she will, when she will, and as she will; so that not even the vilest sinner is lost, if Mary protects him." Page 31. This is but the beginning.