|
|
Friday, July 30, 2010
|
|
Date Posted:
1/26/1998
|   |
Contents
Introduction
Origins and Nature
Basic Differences
False Doctrines
Mariolatry
Purgatory
Supererogation
Papal Infallibility
Peter the Little Stone
Rome's Monopoly
'Heretics'
Babylon the Great
|
Mariolatry
The History and Falsehoods of Romanism
Professor CAM Noble
Of the scores and scores of doctrines taught by the Roman Church without one shred of authority from the Scriptures, the exaltation of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is one of the most prominent, and certainly one of the most unscriptural. It is often referred to as Mariolatry, which means the worship of Mary.
Every believer thanks God for Mary as the vehicle for the incarnation of Christ, and we honour her as God's chosen vessel, but to ascribe to her the place of near deity is idolatry and creature worship. All the teaching concerning Mary as Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Refuge of Sinners, Gate of Heaven, Mother of Mercies, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, etc., is simply human tradition and not only unscriptural but anti-scriptural.
Undoubtedly many Roman Catholics themselves do not even know that there was a time when the Pope excommunicated members of the Church for praying to the Virgin Mary. The worship of Mary, today acclaimed as an infallible dogma, was once condemned by the same 'infallible' Church as a deadly sin.
There is no record of any exaltation of the Virgin Mary until the fifth century, when she was first called the 'Mother of God'. The traditions concerning her were added from time to time until the latest pronouncement by Pope Pius XII on October 11, 1954, relating to the Assumption of Mary..
Beginning with the adoption of the term 'Mother of God' there were several steps in the development of present-day Mariolatry. It was not until 451 A.D. that the dogma of the "perpetual virginity" of Mary was made binding upon all Roman Catholics. The next step was a matter of course, when on December 8, 1854 A.D. Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary to be a binding dogma of the Roman Church. Then in 1954 Pope Pius XII declared the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. When this step was taken, the Pope declared that all Roman Catholics were to accept it without question, under penalty of discipline.
In view of this trend it would not be surprising if some day Rome will proclaim as a binding and infallible dogma the Deity of Mary. She is already addressed as the Queen of Heaven, which is tantamount to asserting her deity, for a queen is the wife of a king, and since she is called the Queen of Heaven, the inference is that she is the wife of the King of Heaven. Such a dogma only needs to be stated in so many words and confirmed in a Papal bull.
|
|
"The way of salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary."
|
In his book The Glories of Mary Alphonsus de Liguori writes concerning Mary: "[...] she is truly made a mediatrix of peace between sinners and God. Sinners receive pardon by [...] Mary alone. [...] We shall be heard more quickly if we call on her holy name that we should if we called on the name of Jesus our Saviour. [...] The holy Church commands a worship peculiar to Mary. [...] Mary is called the Gate of Heaven because no one can enter that blessed kingdom without passing through her. [...] The way of salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary."
The teachings of Rome respecting Mary are summed up by Liguori in his book Glories of Mary, written at the end of the 18th century. In 1803 the Congregation of Rites decreed: "In all the writings of Alfonso de Liguori there is not one word that can be justly found fault with." Thus Rome formally pronounced all his teaching to be that of the Church of Rome.
What, then, does it teach respecting Mary ? That she is the mediatrix of redemption, for it says (Vol. 1, p. 178): "Wishing to redeem mankind, God has placed the price of redemption in the hands of Mary, that she may dispense it as she wishes."
|
|
Rome exalts Mary to such a degree that it holds that "all things, even God, obey the commands of Mary"
|
Rome considers Mary to be a far more powerful mediator than the Lord Jesus Christ: "Sometimes we shall be heard sooner by invoking the inter-cession of Mary than by praying to Jesus our Saviour" (p. 209); and again (p. 183): "In fine, if my Redeemer cast me off on account of my sins, I will throw myself at the feet of His mother, Mary, and will remain prostrate before her, until she obtains my pardon." Rome exalts Mary to such a degree that it holds that "all things, even God, obey the commands of Mary" (p. 265).
The Lord Jesus is entirely ignored as the Advocate of - and Intercessor for - His people, these titles and offices being given to Mary. Christ is represented as an angry Judge from whom Mary saves sinners; thus she is called "the only advocate of sinners" (p. 190f.), and we are told (p. 282) that "her Son, the Judge of the world, cannot bring Himself to condemn the criminals whom she defends", and that (p. 193) "when God is angry with a sinner whom Mary takes under her protection, she restrains her Son, that He may not inflict chastisement, and saves the sinner".
|
|
"Most holy Virgin, take us under thy protection, for we have no other hope of salvation than through thee."
|
In Mary, then, the Romanists place all their hope (p- 257): "Most holy Virgin, take us under thy protection, for we have no other hope of salvation than through thee." For they say (p. 252) that "he who is protected by Mary is saved; he who is not protected by her is lost".
Thus Romanism is Marianism, and Rome teaches the same today. Even the Mass has been converted into Mary worship by the addition of prayers to her, and the prominence given to them. Pope Leo XIII outstripped his predecessors in this regard and was thus fittingly styled the 'Pope of the Rosary'. The Rosary consists of 166 beads, on which are recited one Creed, 15 Paternosters and 150 Hail Mary's. Its recitation was said by Leo XIII to be "the most powerful and most pleasing" manner of "honouring" Mary.
Every Pope today still issues an encyclical on "The Devotion of the Rosary", in which he preaches Mary-worship.
Whom did the wise men worship? Matthew 3:11 gives a clear answer: "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
Did Jesus ever say that his mother should be worshipped or served? Matthew 4:10 plainly states; "[...] it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
http://www.ianpaisley.org
Email: eips_info@yahoo.co.uk
|
|
|
