"  From  all  we  have  said,  let  us  now  conclude
horv  great  should  be  our  confidence  in  Mary.
There  is  not  a  being  on  earth  who  has  not,  some
time  or  other,  experienced  the  compassion,  or
shared  in  the  benefit  of  this  all-merciful  Queen,
'  I  am,'  said  she  to  St.  Bridget,  *  the  Queen  of
heaven,  and  Mother  of  mercy — I  am  the  joy  of
the  just,  and  the  gate  through  which  sinners  go  to
God;  to  no  one  on  earth  have  I  refused  my
clemency  ;  there  is  no  one  who  has  not  obtained
some  grace  through  my  intercession,  though  it
were  no  greater  than  that  of  being  less  violently
tempted  by  the  devil:  in  fine,  unless  a  person
be  absolutely  cursed,  (this  should  be  understood
of  the  irrevocable  malediction  of  the  damned,)
horv  nicked  and  reprobate  soever  he  is,  he  may
obtain  grace  and  mercy  through  me  :  and  hence,
'  Wo,  eternal  rvo  to  him  mho,  having  it  in  his  power
to  projit  by  my  commiseration,  does  it  not,  but  is
lost  through  his  own  fault.'"  (pp.  31 — 33.)

"  The  gate  through  which  sinners  go  to  God!"

Our  Lord  Jesus  says,  on  the  contrary,   "  I  am

THE  WAY,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life :  no  man

cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  Me."     (John

z  3


258  ROMISH    IDOLATRY.
xiv.  6.)     We  shall  find  hereafter  that  the  Ro-
manists acknowledge  Mary  as  their  Life.
