Romanists tell us this is hyperdulia, that is, worship of a very high order, but short of!atria, worship to God alone, but higher than dulia, a lower sort of worship accorded to saints and angels. But worship is sternly forbidden to all but God alone. The worshipping of angels is forbidden, the intruding into those things we have not seen. (Col. 2:1818Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Colossians 2:18).)
The following will show the very subtle way the worship of the Virgin Mary is inculcated in the minds of the young. Father Chiniquy puts on record his experience as a child in this direction:
"One day the priest said to me, 'Stand up, my child, in order to answer the many important questions which I have to ask you.' I stood up.
"' My child,' he said, ' when you have been guilty of some fault at home, who was the first to punish you -your father or your mother?'
"After a few moments of hesitation I answered, ' My father.'
"'Now, my child, tell me who punished you most severely—your father or mother?'
"' My father,' I said, without hesitation.
"' Further, when you deserved to be chastised, did not one sometimes come between you and your father's rod?'
"' Yes,' I said, mother did that very often, and saved me from severe punishments more than once.'
"' One question more. When your father was coming to whip you, did you not throw yourself in the arms of someone to escape?'
"' Yes, sir, when guilty of something, more than once, I threw myself into my mother's arms as soon as I saw my father coming to whip me. She begged pardon for me, and pleaded so well that I often escaped punishment.'
"' You have answered well,' said the priest.
"Then, turning to the children, he continued: ' You have a Father and a mother in heaven, dear children. Your Father is Jesus and your mother is Mary. Do not forget that a mother's heart is always more tender and more prone to mercy than that of a father.'
"' Often you offend your Father by your sins; you make Him angry against you. What takes place in heaven then? Your Father in heaven takes his rod to punish you. He threatens to crush you down with His roaring thunder; He opens the gates of hell to cast you into it, and you would have been damned long ago had it not been for your loving mother whom you have in heaven, who has disarmed your angry and irritated Father. When Jesus would punish you as you deserve, the good Virgin Mary hastens to Him and pacifies Him. She places herself between Him and you and prevents Him from smiting you. She speaks in your favor and she asks for your pardon, and she obtains it.' "
The only adjective at all adequate to characterize this teaching is diabolical. It is horrible to deliberately pollute the minds of the tender and young with such utterly false thoughts of the blessed Savior, who said when here on earth, " Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God " (Luke 18:1616But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16)).
With such teaching in view, Cardinal Manning boasted that, if they had the training of the young when of tender years, they could count upon their adherence to Roman Catholic beliefs all through after-life.
The Savior has the same tender heart on the throne of God today as when He walked the towns, villages and fields of Palestine. None who came to Him in distress on earth was repulsed, and none who come to Him in Heaven will be repulsed, for He has the same tender heart now as then. To assert that Mary has a more tender heart than our blessed Lord is pure blasphemy.
Alas! Rome, in fact if not in theory worships Mary as she worships Christ. Dr. Wylie says: " The same worship is rendered to Mary as to Christ. Churches are built to her honor; her shrines are crowded with devotees; enriched with their gifts; and adorned with their votive offerings. To her prayers are addressed as to a divine being, and blessings are asked as from one, who has power to bestow them. Her votaries are taught to pray, Spare us, good Lady,' and ' From all evil, good Lady, deliver us.' Five annual festivals celebrate her greatness, and keep alive the devotion of her worshippers. In Roman Catholic countries the dawn is ushered in with hymns to her honor; her praises are again chanted at noon, and the day is closed with an Ave Maria sung to the Lady of Heaven " (The Papacy, p. 90).
Names are bestowed upon her which are an insult to our Savior, to whom alone some of them belong. Here are some of the names given to her:
Holy Mother of God.
Most Holy Generator of God.
Refuge of sinners.
Gate of Heaven.
Morning Star.
Queen of Heaven.
Queen conceived without sin.
Ark of the Covenant.
Queen of Apostles.
Here is an extract from a sermon of St. Bernard, taken from a Breviary of the Church of Rome: "There is need of a mediator to the Mediator Christ, nor is there any more useful to us than Mary. Why should human frailty tremble at approaching Mary? There is nothing austere or terrible in her."
In Dwyer's " The Catholic Faith " the following blasphemous statement is found: " God did not send His Son until He had asked the consent of Mary."
All this is ascribed to a poor fallen creature, most highly honored surely in being the mother of our Lord according to the flesh, yet a sinner, needing the salvation her Son procured for her by His death of shame upon the cross. Her bones lie mouldering in the grave these nineteen hundred years. All this mariolatry is simply speaking into the air a stream of futile blasphemy. It cannot and does not reach Heaven.