evident imitation of the expression of David in Psalm cxliii. 9. I flee unto thee to hide me.-The appellation, O holy Mother of God, contains an ascription of holiness to a creature, not in the qualified and subordinate sense in which it is giv en in the Scriptures, to pardoned and sanctified sinners, but in the manner of worship and adoration, in which way it belongs to God alone. I here enter not into the discussion of the term Mother of God, for however improper and even blasphemous we conceive it to be, the consideration of it is not necessary to the illustration of the subject before us. The second clause, Despise not our petitions in our necessities, is taken from the language in which David expresses his faith in the tender mercies of the Lord, Psalm cii. 17. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. The third clause, Deliver us from all danger, seems copied from that in the Lord's prayer, "deliver us from evil.” The rest of this Litany, with the exception of a few petitions addressed to God, and our Lord, is as follows. The texts of Scripture which are placed opposite to the various expressions of praise, are copied from the Roman Prayer Book, and seem to be intended as authorities for the language used. "We fly to thy patronage, Ó holy Mother of "God, despise not our petitions in our necessities, "but deliver us from all dangers, O ever blessed "and glorious Virgin. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, That "we may be made worthy of the promises of "Christ." After what has already been offered on the first petition of the Litany, it seems unnecessary to enter into any argument to prove that the remain * Perhaps Psalm xlv. 9. is intended. ing part of his service is gross idolatry, an open and daring violation of the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," as explained by St. Paul in the passages already quoted. Indeed many of the expressions used with respect to the Virgin belong to God himself, or to Christ, as for instance, "Ark of the Cove"nant," which is believed by the soundest Divines to have been a type of Christ, as seems evident from Rom. iii. 25, where our Lord is called a propitiatory, in allusion to the mercy-seat, or propitiatory, the golden cover of the ark. The appellation, "Gate of Heaven," can only belong to Him who emphatically declared himself to be "the Door."* The title of " Morning Star" is also assumed by our Lord.t-That of "Refuge of "sinners" can belong to none but God, who is so frequently in Scripture called a Refuge.‡ But it is not only the terms which are applied to the Virgin that merit our reprobation. The gross and presumptuous perversion of the sacred Scriptures in the texts which are cited as authorities for the language of the Litany, 'is deserving of the deepest attention. Let it be remembered, John x. 7. Rev. xxii. 16. Psal. xlvi. 1. lix. 16, &c. C that the Church which thus applies to the Virgin, ascriptions of worship and praise, which are due only to the supreme majesty of God and of Christ, pretends also to be the infallible interpreter of Scripture, and the sole judge of its meaning, and yet she produces Joshua iii. 3. "When ye "see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, "then ye shall remove from your place and go "after it," in order to justify the giving to the Virgin, the appellation of Ark of the Covenant. Surely this is wresting the Scriptures in a manner which were altogether incredible, if we did not witness the fact; for it may be asked, what possible connexion has the passage now quoted with the Virgin Mary!-If he is pronounced cursed “who removeth his neighbour's land-mark,”* how dreadful must be the guilt of that Church which thus perverts the Scriptures for the purpose of supporting or justifying the Idolatrous worship of the creature, and renders of none effect the commandments of God by her vain traditions! I shall quote from the same Romish Prayer book "a thanksgiving, in honour of the Patron Saint "of the place where we dwell." * Deut. xxviii. 17. |