Notice to the Reader

Lest this little work of mine should meet with any reproach from the overly critical, I have thought it well to set in clearer light certain propositions that may be encountered in it and that might seem too bold or perhaps obscure. I have noted some of them here; as for the rest, should any come before your eyes, charitable reader, I beg you to judge them as having been stated and understood by me in the sense of true and solid theology and of the holy Roman Catholic Church, of which I profess myself a most obedient son.

In the introduction, then, referring to chapter five of the book, I stated that God wills all graces to come to us through the hands of Mary. Now this is a truth of great consolation to souls tenderly devoted to Mary Most Holy and to poor sinners who wish to be converted. Nor should it seem foreign to sound theology, for the father of theology, St. Augustine (De sancta virginitate, ch. 6), says in a general statement that Mary cooperated through her charity in the spiritual birth of all the members of the Church: Mater quidem spiritu, non capitis nostri, quod est ipse Salvator, ex quo magis illa spiritualiter nata est: quia omnes, qui in eum crediderint, in quibus et ipsa est, recte filii sponsi appellantur; sed plane Mater membrorum eius quae nos sumus, quia cooperata est caritate, ut fideles in Ecclesia nascerentur, quae illius capitis membra sunt. And a celebrated author, not in the least suspected of being too extravagant or falsely devout out of heated imagination (Bishop Nicole, Theological and Moral Instructions on the Lord's Prayer, the Angelic Salutation, etc., Instr. 3, ch. 2), adds: Since it was properly on Calvary that Jesus Christ formed his Church, it is clear that the holy Virgin cooperated in an excellent and singular manner in that formation. And in the same way it may be said that if she had given birth to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, without suffering, she did not give birth without suffering to the body of that Head. Hence on Calvary she began in a particular manner to be the Mother of the whole Church. Therefore, to say it all in brief, Almighty God, in order to glorify the Mother of the Redeemer, has determined and ordained that her great charity should intercede for all those for whom his divine Son has paid and offered the superabundant price of his precious blood, in which alone est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra.

And upon the foundation of this doctrine, and of all that accords with it, I have understood my propositions, which the saints themselves in their loving conversations with Mary and in their fervent discourses about Mary have not hesitated to affirm. Hence an ancient Father, cited by the renowned Vincent Contenson (Theologia mentis et cordis, vol. 2, bk. 10, dissert. 6, ch. 1, Speculat. 2, in Reflexiones), wrote: In Christo fuit plenitudo gratiae sicut in capite influente; in Maria vero sicut in collo trasfundente. This is clearly taught by the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas (Opusc. Exposit. in salut. ang., around the middle), who confirms it all: Dicitur autem beata Virgo plena gratiae, quantum ad tria... Tertio quoad refusionem in omnes homines. Magnum enim est in quolibet sancto, quando habet tantum de gratia quod sufficit ad salutem multorum: sed quando haberet tantum quod sufficeret ad omnium hominum de mundo, hoc esset maximum; et hoc in Christo et in beata Virgine. Nam in omni periculo potes salutem obtinere ab ipsa Virgine gloriosa. Unde (Cant. IV): Mille clypei, id est remedia contra pericula, pendent ex ea. Item in omni opere virtutis potes eam habere in adiutorum, et ideo dicit ipsa (Ecclus. XXIV). In me omnis spes vitae et virtutis.