notes "rocks," "bulwarks," "munitions," << for tresses," and, in general, whatever is considered a means of "protection or defence." Hence it signifies "protectors, patrons," guardians, or "defenders," and is well expressed by a word familiar to all—but especially to Roman-Catholics— tutelary. The Virgin Mary is the great MAHOZ, the great TUTELARY SAINT, of the Romish Church. 'Other Saints may seem to limit themselves in their mercies : their patronage is extended only to particular places: Santiago, for example, is the tutelary Saint of Spain, St. Denis of France, and St. Januarius for Naples ; and they confine themselves to the cure of particular diseases, (like certain members of the Corporation of Surgeons ;) St. Lucia, to wit, practises as an oculist, St. Roque for the plague, and St. Blas for sore throats. But the Virgin extends her patronage to all places; she has a cure for all complaints, a salve for every sore. The devotee who relies upon other Saints may find them fail him in his need, but they who place their trust upon the Virgin are secure. For when St. Francisco de Borja, a Commissary for the Order in Spain, visited a noviciate, he asked his novices, one by one, under the patronage of what Saints they had placed themselves upon their vocation most of them made answer, that they had chosen the Blessed Virgin; but there were a few whose choice had fallen upon some other celestial patron. Borja took the master aside and bade him have an eye upon those youths, saying that he was not satisfied concerning them: and we are told that the events verified his prophetic misgivings, for all these forsook the religious life upon which they had entered, whereas all who had placed themselves under the tutelage of the Virgin, continued in it.' (Vindicia Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, p. 448, 449.) As the Virgin is a 'Mahoz' whose patronage extends to all places, so she is a Mahoz,' whose power is irresistible. 'St. Peter Damian and St. Bernard both maintain that to the Virgin all power in Heaven and Earth is given. St. Anslem calls her the Empress of Heaven and Earth, and all that is therein. St. Bernardine de Sienna says that all the gifts, graces, and virtues of the Holy Ghost are by her hands administered to whom she pleaseth, when she pleaseth, how she pleaseth, and as much as she pleaseth; and this, because she is the Mother of the Son, from whom the Spiritproceedeth. The Patriarch St. Germanus affirms that no one is forgiven, unless through her intercession; no one receives God's grace, unless through her mediation; no one is saved, unless through her help. Cassian asserts that the salvation of all mankind consists in the multitude of her favours. St. Fulgentius tells us that neither Earth nor Heaven would be at this time existing, unless Mary supported them with her prayers. Ricardus de S. Laurentio says it is necessary for men to have three mediators in Heaven, one with each person of the Trinity: the Son therefore mediates with the Father, the Holy Spirit with the Son, and the Virgin with the Spirit; upon which the Jesuit F. Alonso de Andrade observes, that, piously as this is said, and honourable as it is for the Queen of Angels thus to be numbered with the Trinity, standing in the place and performing the functions of a fourth person, her advocacy extends farther, inasmuch as she is our mediator with all Three. Christ, says Vieyra, is the Judge, and Mary the Advocate. The author of the Santuario Mariano tells us that she is the only channel of grace; a truth, he says, founded upon the common opinion of the Fathers of the Church. She is the Ruth, says Bonaventura, who gathers up the fallen ears which would otherwise be lost, and deposits them in the granaries of Heaven. Even as Eve had persuaded Adam to our destruction, so it was necessary that Mary, as her Antitype, should prevail over the Second Adam for our redemption; it was necessary also that we should have a mediator who is wholly human, to turn aside the anger of a Judge, whom the divine part of his nature renders terrible, in order that all may negociate with him through her, not in fear and trembling, but in confidence that he will refuse nothing which she asks. Such is the efficacy of her intercession, that myriads upon myriads are now crowned in Heaven, who, but for her, would have been burning in hell. She has even saved the Angels also, many of whose seats would have been vacated like Lucifer's, had it not been for her protection. And she has saved the world itself, by withholding the arm of her offended Son, when raised for vengeance. She is the only hope and refuge' (i. e. the only Mahoz) of those who without her must utterly despair. Redeem them in deed by suffering for their sakes, as our Saviour has done, she cannot; but so great is her compassion that she pledges herself for their repentance and amendment, and becomes surety for them, and so saves them from condemnation. She is the ladder by which sinners ascend to Heaven. And even when the Devils have the soul of a sinner actually in their grasp, at the name of Mary they loose their prey in fear, and the victim escapes like a bird rescued from a hawk's talons.' (Idem. p. 442, 443, 447, 448.) Such is the power, such the influence, of the Virgin! And if we turn to the miracles which she has performed, 'it is no exaggeration to affirm that more lying fictions have been written of the Virgin Mary, and published as truths... as proofs of the Roman Catholic doctrines ... than all the stories that are extant of all the Greek and Roman gods, goddesses, and demigods, if they were collected from all the writers of antiquity. The books which are filled with them would form no inconsiderable division in an ecclesi astical library. The history of her images in the Portugueze dominions alone extends to ten volumes, each whereof, if translated, would fill three such as the present. Every celebrated image has had its history... I had almost said its biography, separately written ; and I know not whether these histories contain more proofs of credulity, or of deceit... of popular weakness, or of priest-craft.' (Idem. p. 467.) Will Roman Catholics deny that they worship the Virgin as MAHOZ? Then we refer them to the 'Garden of the Soul,' containing the Litany of our |