John, one single allusion to the mother
of our Lord alive or dead. And then, whatever may have been the matter
{286} of fact as to St. Paul, neither the many letters of that Apostle,
nor the numerous biographical incidents recorded of him, intimate in the
most remote degree that he knew any thing whatever concerning her
individually. St. Paul does indeed refer to the human nature of Christ
derived from his human mother, and had he been taught by his Lord to
entertain towards her such sentiments as the Roman Church now professes
to entertain, he could not have had a more inviting occasion to give
utterance to them. But instead of thus speaking of the Virgin Mary, he
does not even mention her name or state at all, but refers only in the
most general way to her nature and her sex as a daughter of Adam: "But
when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, MADE OF A
WOMAN, made under the law; to redeem them that were under the Law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons." [Gal. iv. 4.] From a time
certainly within a few days of our Saviour's ascension the Scriptures
are totally silent throughout as to Mary, whether in life or in death.
Here we might well proceed to contrast this view which the Scriptures of
eternal truth give of the blessed Virgin Mary with the authorized and
appointed worship of that branch of the Christian Church which is in
communion with Rome.
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