any Ill-humour, Capricioufnefs or thwarting Temper, it will unavoidably create an Uneafinefs: This Uneafinefs will foon change the most tender Affection into Coldnefs and Indifference; and 'tis particularly in the Conjugal State that Coldnefs and Indifference are but one Remove from Hatred and Averfion; and no Hatred is more irreconcileable than that of married Perfons. First, Because the hated Object is daily prefent: And fecondly, Because it is always grounded upon a Resentment of a real or fuppofed Ingratitude; which is the hardest to be forgiven.

These therefore are principally concern'd in all that has been faid of Difputes, fpeaking ungrateful Truths, Contradiction, and the ufual Faults committed in the manner of it. Their Obligation of avoiding all fuch Faults, is confiderably enforced by the Circumftances of their State, which cannot but be unhappy without mutual Love and Efteem; and it is morally impoffible this Love and Efteem should be preferved amidft frequent Jars, Difputes, and Contradictions; tho' they be but about trifling Things. Nay, the fmaller the Thing is, about which the Difpute arifes, the greater is the Indifcretion; because the Mischief it occafions, is easier to be avoided: The Cause may be a Trifle, when the Effects and Confequences of it are far fro.n

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from being fo; fince nothing happens more frequently, than that amidft warm Disputes about Things of no Moment, the Parties infenfibly conceive an Averfion towards each other, and part with the highest Disfatisfaction on both Sides: And when this happens to be the Cafe of married Perfons, there's an End of Peace and Happiness in that Family.

I fhall end with St. Paul's Exhortation; have Peace with all Men, if it be poffible. Be not Lovers of Contention and Strife, but be Lovers of Peace; and the Bleffings promised to the Peaceful will attend you, both in this Life, and in the Life to come.

The LIIID ENTERTAINMENT.

Of Devotion to the bleffed Virgin. Hail, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Luke i. 28.

TH

HESE facred Words, wherewith the Blessed Virgin was faluted by the Angel Gabriel, contain the principal Grounds of that Devotion, which the Church has always paid her: For tho' we pay a proportionable Degree of Honour to all

God's

God's Saints, and implore the Affistance of their Prayers, yet the Mother of God is juftly honour'd with peculiar Marks of Diftinction; and the great Number of folemn Days, fet apart to perpetuate the Memory of Favours beftow'd upon her by Almighty God, are a convincing Proof, that the Church is under a more than ordinary Solicitude to encourage and promote the Devotion of the Faithful to her: Nor can it be doubted, but that they who perform this Devotion according to the true Spirit and Intention of the Church, will reap the Fruit of it in a continual Improvement in folid Virtue. The Subject then of this Difcourfe fhall be to fet forth the principal Grounds of this Devotion; that is, the proper Motives to encourage us to it.

To prevent all Miftakes relating to this Matter; we must lay it down as an undoubt ed Maxim of Faith, that whatever Excellencies we attribute to the Bleed Virgin, or whatever Terms we make use of to exprefs the Efteem and Respect we have for her, we must regard her no other wife than as a pure Creature; and, by confequence, infinitely below God, depending on him, and indebted to him for all the Gifts of Nature and Grace She poffefs'd in this Life, and the eminent Degree of Glory to which She is exalted in Heaven. So that

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that our Devotion to the Bieffed Virgin, like that to other Saints, is a Relative Honour; redounding effectually upon, and terminating wholly in God. In honouring her, we honour God much more; and praising and admiring her eminent Virtues, we only proclaim the infinite Power and Bounties of her Divine Maker, who could enrich a pure Creature with fuch excellent Gifts..

And in this we conform ourselves exactly to the humble Sentiments She had of herself, and verify literally her Prophecy deliver'd in thefe Words: For bebeld all Generations fhall call me bleffed; because be who is powerful has done great Things to me. By which Words, the Honour and Devotion which the Catholick Church has paid her throughout all Ages, down to this Time, and will continue to pay her to the End of the World, is precifely mark'd out to us. But She fays not that this Honour fhall be paid her for any Thing fhe has of herself; but because he who is powerful has done great Things to her: That is, has beftow'd upon her Gifts and Bleffings furpaffing all human Power. Which Part of the Prophecy would not be fullfilled, if the Church, in honouring the Blessed Virgin, meant any Thing elfe, but to honour God's Bleffings in her. Whoever goes beyond this, or pretends to raise

her

her above the Rank of a pure Creature, and fet her upon the Level with her Son, is guilty of Impiety and Blafphemy; and falls into the Herefy of the Collyridians, a mad Sect of bigotted Women of Thrace; who are reckon'd amongst the Number of antient Hereticks by St. Epiphanius, for wo fhipping the Bleffed Virgin, as a kind of Goddess, and affuming to themselves the Prieftly Character, inOffering Sacrifice to her: For this, I fay, they are condemn'd by St. Epiphanius, as guilty of an impious, extravagant, and facrilegious Devotion; and not barely for invoking the Bleed Virgin, as will appear manifeft to any Man, that will but give himself the Trouble to read St. Epiphanius upon this Subje&t. L. 3. Tom. 3. Hærefi 78, 79.

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This therefore is the Doctrine of the Catholick Church, viz. That the Blessed Virgin is a pure Creature; that She is to be honour'd no otherwise than as fuch; or, as St. Epiphanius expreffes it, non ultra modum & decorem, not beyond the Bounds of Moderation and Decency. Finally, that it is Sacrilege and Idolatry to offer Sacrifice to her, or pay her that Worship, which is due to God alone. But tho' She be a pure Creature, we may fafely fay, She is the most excellent that ever was created: And this fuffices abundantly to justify the H 4 Titles