98 Object of devotions in "the Paradise," called er, and the prayer from the should not, amid these, our Visitation of the Sick, " O Lord's Prayer, or that earSaviour of the world, Who nest devotion of our own by Thy Cross and Precious Prayer Book, "O Saviour Blood hast redeemed us, of the World," &c. be said save us and help us, we alternately? If any like not humbly beseech Thee, O this or any other form of devotion, I have recomYet each stanza is a prayer mended them, not to force to our Lord, recalling to our themselves, and not to use mind and pleading to Him it. some separate act of His Lord." Let me set down three Redeeming Love. Why stanzas in explanation. "JESU1, from Thy grave upraised, Saviour of the world (as above). "JESU, Who Thy servants' talk "JESU, Thou Thy triumph ended, Oh, that I Thyself may gain, Cheer my course, my steps sustain, Till my earthly race be run. O Saviour of the world." To myself, this inter-devotional than the uninterchange of the hymns, and rupted, rapid transition from the earnest prayer in prose, the subject of one stanza to would make the whole more that of another; in which 9 Advertisement to the Paradise, p. xii. 1 Paradise, § vi. p. 58. "Rosaries," to muse on God in deeper love and praise. 99 way each succeeding thought accustom it to the thoughts, often effaces that which pre- and diminish the hope of ceded it. awakening that deep yet I may insert here what I tender reverence with which said on this in my Preface these mysteries should be to that Part:— dwelt upon. These sacred "Almost the only alter- forms, then, whether prayer ation in this Part is the sub- or praise, are no mere repestitution either of the Gloria tition, except so far as the Patri or of the solemn Invo- object of the prayer is the cation in the Service for the same Saviour, the thanksVisitation of the Sick; the giving is the foretaste of the former as a Thanksgiving endless Alleluia to the Into the Holy Trinity for the finite Object of all love, and mystery of man's redemp- adoration, and praise, the tion; the latter a deep cry Holy Trinity. The subject for mercy, especially at that of prayer or praise is menlast hour, to Himself, our tally varied by each stanza Redeemer, by that love or collect; and the soul in whereby He redeemed us. each (as in our Litany) The object of these pauses pleads to its Redeemer some in the different devotions in fresh act of His own mercy; which they occur, is to con- or (although in the same centrate the soul upon the words) renders thanksprevious mystery or act of givings ever new as His our Blessed Lord's Life or mercies." Passion, in order that the For these devotions I remeditation suggested may tained the title " rosary," take deeper hold of the because I found it. I hesimind, and the heart, gather- tated about it, because it is ing itself up, pour itself out so often connected with the in more fervent love. For use of the Ave-Maria. 1 the rapid transition from finally kept it, because it one mystery to another, was not necessarily connectwithout any pause, would ed with those devotions: probably, for the most part, those devotions were altorather confuse the mind gether excluded from my than penetrate deeply into edition, and others substiit. It might even simply tuted for them. In the 2 I did not say for what these were substitutions, lest I should 100 Actual Rosaries not encouraged, yet harmless. 66 book itself, it was plain But as to the actual what was meant by a Ro- rosary," I may have been sary; and until this unex- asked by some five or six plained allusion to it, in Mr. persons, who had them, wheDodsworth's letter, no one ther there was any harm in misunderstood it. As for using them? I ascertained the use of the string of from these, what devotions beads, called a Rosary, these they used with them, and devotions could not be used that there was nothing in with them. They need no those devotions, foreign to such external help, and do the character of the English not even admit it. Church. I know not how Another form3 of these I could discourage a form devotions does allow of it, of devotion which they had in that the same words are found useful to them in repeated ten times succes- fixing their attention. Prisively, "Hail, most sweet vate devotion is left free Lord, Jesus Christ, full of every where. Surely a priest grace, with Thee is mercy! would not be entitled to inBlessed is Thy most holy terfere with a form of devoLife, Thy Passion and Thy tion in itself indifferent, but Blood which for us Thou through which the soul of sheddest-in Thy Circum- the individual was more cision; in Thine Agony," fixed upon God. But I &c. myself never recommended I might venture to say the use of a rosary in this that none can tell whether sense. such repetitions would or would not increase his devotion, without using them; nor does it follow, that, because they would not aid him, they would not be helpful to others. On the other hand, I have on different occasions in public, and very often in private, spoken against, discouraged, and prevented the use of any devotions except to God Alone. I may repeat here suggest its use. It was chiefly the Ave-Maria, but also another Invocation of the Blessed Virgin. 3 It has been noticed to me that, in the Rosary of the Holy Trinity, mentioned above, p. 97, the use of the actual Rosary is spoken of. This I had forgotten when writing the letter. But the principle there maintained remains the same. Persons cannot mean, under the word Rosary, to which they object, devotions taken from Holy Scripture and the Gloria Patri. [Ed. 2.] Devotions to the Blessed Virgin, discouraged. 101 what I said in the Preface gin. No one can look unto the Paradise, which I controversially at such ochave already quoted, for casional addresses, as there which I have been already are to martyrs in the fourth censured by some who have century, (and those chiefly left the English Church. prayers at their tombs "I have, in every case, through their intercession omitted all mention of the for miraculous aid of God) Invocation of Saints. For, and such books as the however it may be ex- Glories of Mary,' • the plained by Roman Catholic Month of Mary,' and say controversialists, to be no that the character of the more than asking the prayers modern reliance on, and inof members of Christ yet in vocation of Saints was that the flesh, still, in use, it is of the Ancient Church. plainly more; for no one No one could (it should would ask those in the flesh be thought) observe how to protect us from the ene- through volumes of S. Aumy,' 'receive us in the hour gustine or S. Chrysostom, of death,' lead us to the there is no mention of any joy of Heaven,' 'may thy reliance except on Christ [the Blessed Virgin] abun- Alone; and how in modern dant love cover the multi-books, S. Mary is held out tude of sins,' heal my as the refuge of sinners,' wounds, and to the mind as having the goats comwhich asketh thee, give the mitted to her, as Christ, the gifts of graces,' or use any sheep,' as the throne of of the direct prayers for grace' to whom a sinner graces which God Alone may have easier access than can bestow, which are com- to Christ, and seriously mon in Roman Catholic de- say, that the ancient and votions to the Blessed Vir- modern teaching and prac 4 Or say, 'If I walk through the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for she is with me. If war arise against me, in this will I be confident. If my father and mother forsake me, the Mother of my Lord shall take me up.' 5 "Christ is not our Advocate only, but a Judge: and since the just is scarcely secure, how shall a sinner go to Him, as an Advocate? Therefore God has provided us of an advocatress, who is gentle and sweet, in whom nothing that is sharp is to be found."Antonin. quoted by Taylor, Dissuasive, 1. ii. 8. 102 Devotions to S. Mary would be a new revelation, tice are the same. We could away; there was no authopreach whole volumes of the rity to which the Editor sermons of S. Augustine or dared to yield his faith. S. Chrysostom to our peo- Taught by the Church to ple to their edification and receive that and that alone, without offence: were a as matter of faith, which Roman Catholic preacher to was part of the 'good depoconfine himself to their sit,'' once for all committed preaching, he would (it to the Saints,' and which has been said among them- had been held always, eveselves) be regarded as in- ry where, and by all,' he did devout towards S. Mary,' not venture to receive what as 'one whose religion was was confessedly of a more more of the head than of recent origin, and whose the heart.' The Editor, tendency seemed at variance then, has not ventured even with Holy Scripture itself. upon the outskirts of so While acknowledging the vast a system, which, even 'authority of the Church in according to Roman Catho- controversies of faith,' (Art. lic testimony which he has XX.) he could not underhad, does practically oc- stand on what ground that casion many uninstructed vast system, as to S. Mary, minds to stop short in the could be rested, except that mediation of S. Mary, when of a new revelation. • De Holy Scripture is not even velopement' must surely apalleged, (as no text for the ply to the expression, not to invocation of saints either the substance of belief. It is or can be quoted by Ro- must be the bringing out in man Catholic controversial- words of what was always ists,) and primitive antiquity inwardly held; the securing is equally silent, (now that of the old, not the addition passages as to S. Mary once of any thing new. Howattributed to S. Athanasius, ever the language of the S. Augustine, S. Ephrem, Church, on the doctrine of S. Chrysostom, under the the Holy Trinity, may have, shadow of whose great names in time, become more fixed this system grew up, are ac- and definite, any one would knowledged to be spurious,) think it an impiety to imaand the language of great gine that S. John and S. Pefathers (as S. Cyril of Alex- ter had not received, and did andria) has to be explained not deliver, all which has |