Primitive Christian Worship Part 23

cxlviii.]

In the Post-communion, on the day of the a.s.sumption, this prayer is offered:--"Partakers of the heavenly table, we implore thy clemency, O Lord our G.o.d, that we who celebrate the a.s.sumption of the mother of G.o.d, may, by her intercession, be freed from all impending evils. Through,"

&c. [Mensae coelestis participes effecti imploramus clementiam tuam, Domine Deus noster, ut qui a.s.sumptionem Dei Genetricis colimus, a cunctis malis imminentibus ejus intercessione liberemur. Per.--Miss.

Rom.]

"We beseech Thee, O Lord, let the glorious intercession of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary protect us and bring us to life eternal."

[Beatae et gloriosae semper Virginia Mariae, quaesumus, Domine, intercessio gloriosa nos protegat, et ad vitam producat aeternam.--Vern. clv.]

"Pardon, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the offences of thy servants, that we, who cannot please Thee of our own act, may be saved by the intercession of the mother of thy Son, our Lord, who liveth with Thee." [Famulorum tuorum quaesumus, Domine, delictis ignosce, ut qui tibi placere de nostris actibus non valemus, Genetricis Filii tui, Domini nostri, intercessione salvemur, qui tec.u.m vivit.--Vern. clxix.]

On the vigil of the Epiphany, this prayer is offered in the Post-communion at the ma.s.s,--"Let this communion, O Lord, purge us from guilt, and by the intercession of the blessed Virgin, mother of G.o.d, let it make us partakers of the heavenly cure. Through the same." [Haec nos communio, Domine, purget a crimine, et intercedente beata Virgine Dei genetrice coelestis remedii faciat esse consortes. Per eundem.--Miss.

Rom.]

"Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord G.o.d, that we thy {335} servants may enjoy perpetual health of body and mind, and be freed from present sorrow, and enjoy eternal gladness, by the glorious intercession of the blessed Mary, ever Virgin. Through." [Concede nos famulos tuos, quaesumus, Domine Deus, perpetua mentis et corporis sanitate gaudere, et gloriosa beatae Mariae semper Virginis intercessione a praesenti liberari trist.i.tia, et aeterna perfrui laet.i.tia. Per Dominum.--Vern. cxlvi.]

On the second Sunday after Easter, we find a further and more sad departure from the simplicity of Christian worship, in which the Church of Rome declares that the offerings made to G.o.d at the Lord's Supper were made for the honour of the Virgin.--"Having received, O Lord, the helps of our salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that by the patronage of Mary, ever Virgin, we may be every where protected; in veneration of whom we make these offerings to thy Majesty." [Sumptis, Domine, salutis nostrae subsidiis, da, quaesumus, beatae Mariae semper Virginis patrociniis ubique protegi, _in cujus veneratione_ haec tuae obtulimus Majestati.--Post Commun. Mis. Rom.]

On the octave of Easter, at the celebration of ma.s.s, in the Secret, the intercession of the Virgin is made to appear as essential a cause of our peace and blessedness as the propitiation of Christ; or rather, the two are represented as joint concurrent causes; as though the office of the Saviour was confined to propitiation, exclusive altogether of intercession, whilst the office of intercession was a.s.signed to the Virgin.--"By thy propitiation, O Lord, and by the intercession of the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, may this offering be profitable to us for perpetual and present prosperity and peace." [Tua, Domine, propitiatione et beatae Marisae semper Virginis intercessione ad perpetuam atque prsesentem haec oblatio n.o.bis profecerit prosperitatem et pacem.] {336}

IV. A fourth station in this lamentable progress was evidenced when Christians at the tombs of martyrs implored, yet still in prayer to G.o.d, that He would, for the sake of the martyrs, and by their merits and good offices, grant to the pet.i.tioner some benefit temporal or spiritual. Of that practice, we have an example in this prayer: "O G.o.d, who didst deign to choose the blessed Virgin's womb in which to dwell, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to make us, defended by her protection, to take pleasure in her commemoration." [Deus qui virginalem aulam beatae Mariae in qua habitares eligerere dignatus es, da, quaesumus, ut sua nos defensione munitos jucundos facias suae interesse commemorationi.--aest.

clvi.]

"By the Virgin mother, may the Lord grant us health and peace. Amen."

[Per Virginem Matrem concedat n.o.bis Dominus salutem et pacem.

Amen.--Vern. cxliii.]

"By the prayers and merits of the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, and of all saints, may the Lord bring us to the kingdom of heaven." [Precibus et meritis beatae Mariae Virginis et omnium sanctorum perducat nos Dominus ad regna coelorum.--Vern. cxlvii.]

"May the Virgin Mary bless us, together with a pious offspring." [Nos c.u.m prole pia benedicat Virgo Maria.--Vern. cxlvii.]

V. The fifth grade involves a still more melancholy departure from Christian truth and primitive simplicity, when the prayer is no longer addressed to G.o.d, but is offered to the Virgin, imploring her to intercede with G.o.d for the supplicants, yet still asking nothing but her prayers.

"Blessed mother, Virgin undefiled, glorious Queen of the world, intercede for us with the Lord." [Beata Mater, et intacta Virgo, gloriosa regina mundi, intercede pro n.o.bis ad Dominum.--Aut. cxliv.]

{337}

"Blessed mother of G.o.d, Mary, perpetual Virgin, the temple of the Lord, the holy place of the holy Spirit, thou alone without example hast pleased our Lord Jesus Christ: Pray for the people, mediate for the clergy, intercede for the female s.e.x who are under a vow." [Beata Dei Genitrix, Maria Virgo perpetua, templum Domini, sacrarium Spiritus Sancti, sola sine exemplo placuisti Domino nostro Jesu Christo; ora pro populo, interveni pro clero, intercede pro devoto femineo s.e.xu.--Vern.

clxiii.]

"Holy Mary, pray for us!

Holy mother of G.o.d, pray for us!

Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us!"

In the form of prayer called Litaniae Lauretanae, between the most solemn addresses to the ever blessed Trinity, and to the Lamb of G.o.d that taketh away the sins of the world, are inserted more than forty addresses to the Virgin, invoking her under as many varieties of t.i.tle.

She is appealed to as--The Mirror of Justice, The Cause of our Joy, The mystical Rose, The Tower of David, The Tower of Ivory, The House of Gold, The Arc of the Covenant, The Gate of Heaven, The Refuge of Sinners, The Queen of Angels, the Queen of all Saints. [Vern. ccx.x.xix.]

In examining the case of the invocation of saints, we placed under this head, as the safer course, a kind of invocation which seemed to vacillate between this appeal to them merely for intercession, and the last consummation of all, direct prayer to them for blessings. We exemplified it by the hymn to St. Stephen. The following seems very much of the same character, addressed to the Virgin:--

"Hail, O Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, sweetness, and hope, Hail! To thee we cry, banished sons {338} of Eve. To thee we sigh, groaning and weeping in this valley of tears. Come then, our Advocate, turn those compa.s.sionate eyes of thine on us, and after this exile show to us Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb. O merciful! O pious! O sweet Virgin Mary! [Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lachrymarum valle. Eja ergo Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte, et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui n.o.bis post hoc exilium ostende. O clemens! O pia! O dulcis Virgo Maria!]

"Pray for us, O holy Mother of G.o.d, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ." [Ora pro n.o.bis, Sancta Dei Genetrix, ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.--aest. 151.]

VI. Unhappily, in the appointed religious services of the Roman ritual, we have too many examples of prayer for benefits spiritual and temporal, addressed directly to the Virgin. It is in vain to say that all that is meant is to ask her intercession; the people will not, cannot, do not, regard it in that light. It is affirmed that when the Church of Rome guides and directs her sons and daughters to pray for specific benefits at the hands of the Virgin mother, without any mention of her prayers, without specifying that her pet.i.tions are all that they ask; yet they are taught only to ask for her intercession, and are not encouraged to look for the blessings as her gift and at her hands. But, can this be right and safe? In an act of all human acts the most solemn and holy, can recourse be had to such refinements without great danger?

Among many others of a similar kind this invocation frequently recurs, "Deem me worthy to praise thee, {339} O sacred Virgin; give to me strength against thy enemies." [Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.--aest. clvi.]

The following seems to be among the most favourite addresses to the Virgin:--"Hail, Star of the Sea, kind Mother of G.o.d, and ever Virgin!

Happy Gate of Heaven, taking that 'Hail!' from the mouth of Gabriel, establish us in peace,--changing the name of Eve. For the guilty, loose their bonds; bring forth light for the blind; drive away our evils; demand for us all good things. SHOW THAT THOU ART A MOTHER. Let Him who endured for us to be thy Son, through thee receive our prayers. O excellent Virgin, meek among all, us, FREED FROM FAULT, MAKE MEEK AND CHASTE; make our life pure; prepare a safe journey; that, beholding Jesus, we may always rejoice. Praise be to G.o.d the Father, glory to Christ most high, and to the Holy Spirit; one honour to the three.

Amen."

[Ave Man's Stella, Dei Mater alma, Atque semper Virgo!

Felix coeli porta, Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore, Funda nos in pace, Mutans Evae nomen.

Solve vincla reis, Profer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle, Bona cuncta posce.

MONSTRA TE ESSE MATREM; Sumat per te preces, Qui pro n.o.bis natus Tulit esse tuus.

Virgo singularis, Inter omnes mitis, Nos culpa solutos, Mites fac et castos, Vitam praesta puram, Iter para tutum, Ut videntes Jesum Semper collaetemur.

Sit laus Deo Patri, summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto, tribus honor unus. Amen.--aest. 597.

In the body of this hymn, there is undoubtedly reference to an application to be made to the Son, &c.; but can it be fitting that such language as is here suggested to the Virgin, for her to use, should be addressed by a {340} mortal to G.o.d? can such a call upon her to show her power and influence over the eternal Son of the eternal Father be fitting--"Show that thou art a mother?" I confess that against what is here implied, my understanding and my heart entirely revolt.[127]

[Footnote 127: At the present day some versions, contrary to the whole drift and plain sense and meaning of the pa.s.sage, have translated it, as though the prayer was, that Mary would, by her maternal good offices in our behalf, prove to us that she was our mother. An instance of what I mean occurs in a work called "Nouveau Recueil de Cantiques," p. 353.

"Monstra te esse Matrem: Faites voir que vous etes veritablement notre mere." In an English manual, first printed in 1688, and then called "The Prince of Wales's Manual," the lines are thus rendered--

Shew us a Mother's care, To Him convey our prayer, Who for our sake put on The t.i.tle of thy Son.

I rejoice to see an indication of a feeling of impropriety in the sentiment in its plain, obvious meaning; still the change is inadmissible. She is addressed above, in the second line, as the mother of G.o.d; Jesus is immediately mentioned, in the very next line, and through the entire stanza, as her Son; and the prayer is, that through her that Being who endured to be her Son would hear the prayers of the worshippers.

Since I first prepared this note for the press, I have found a proof, that the obvious grammatical and logical meaning, "show thyself to be His mother," is the sense in which it was received and interpreted before the Reformation. In a work dedicated to the "Youth of England studious of good morals," and ent.i.tled "Expositio Sequentiarum," the only interpretation given to this pa.s.sage is thus expressed: "Show thyself to be a MOTHER, namely BY APPEASING THY SON, and let thy Son take our prayers through thee, who (namely, the Son born of the Virgin Mary,) for us miserable sinners endured to be thy Son." "Monstra te esse MATREM (sc.) placando TILIUM TUUM, et filius tuus sumat precem, id est, deprecationes nostras per te qui (sc.) filius natus ex Virgine Maria pro n.o.bis (sc.) miseris peccatoribus tulit, id est, sustinuit esse tuus filius." It must be observed, that this work was expressly written for the purpose of explaining these parts of the ritual according to the use of Sarum. It was printed by the famous W. de Worde, at the sign of the Sun in Fleet-street, 1508. The pa.s.sage occurs in p. 33. b. This is by no means the only book of the kind. I have before me one printed at Basil, in 1504, and another at Cologne the same year. They are evidently all drawn from some common source, but are not reprints all of the same work, for there are in each some variations. The Cologne edition tells us, that it was the reprint of a familiar commentary long ago (jamdudum) published on the hymns. All these join in construing the pa.s.sage so as to represent the prayer to the Virgin to be, that she would show and prove that she was mother by appeasing her Son, and causing him to hear our prayers. Nor can any other meaning be attached to the translation of the words as given by Cardinal Du Perron (Replique a la Rep. du Roy de la G. Bretagne. Paris, 1620, p.

970). "Et pourtant quand l'Eglise dit a la saincte Vierge, 'Defends nous de l'ennemy, et nous recoy a l'heure delamort,'

elle n'entend pas prier la Vierge qu'elle nous recoive par sa propre virtu, mais par impetration de la grace de son Fils, comme l'Eglise le temoigne en ces mots: 'Monstre que tu es mere, recoive par toy nos prieres celuy, qui ne pour nous a eu agreeable d'etre tien!'" This novel interpretation I have not found in any one book of former days.] {341}

Another prayer runs thus: "Under thy protection we take refuge, Holy Mother of G.o.d. Despise not our supplications in our necessities; but from all dangers ever deliver us, O glorious and Blessed Virgin." [Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genetrix; nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.--aest. cxlvi.]

Let us suppose the object of these addresses to be changed; and instead of the Virgin let us subst.i.tute the name of the ever-blessed G.o.d and Father of us all. The very words here addressed to the Virgin are offered to Him, and spoken of Him in some of the most affecting prayers and praises recorded in the Bible[128].

[Footnote 128: The ident.i.ty of the prayers offered to the Virgin with those offered in the Book of inspiration, or in the Roman Ritual to the Almighty, becomes very striking, if we lay side by side the authorized language of the Roman Liturgy, and the only translation of the Scriptures authorized by the Roman Church.

_Roman Ritual in addressing the _Roman Ritual, or Translation Virgin_ of the Bible, in addressing the Almighty_.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus. Dominus, firmamentum meum et refugium meum. Ad te confugi.--Ps. xvii. 1; cxlii.

11.

Nostras deprecationes ne despicias Ne despexeris deprecationem in necessitatibus. meam.--Ps. liv. 1.

Sed a periculis cunctis libera nos. Libera, Domine, animam servi tui ab omnibus periculis inferni. Hiem. ccvi.

Libera nos a malo. Orat. Dom.