How deplorable a change, how melancholy a degeneracy is here evinced from the faith, and hopes, and sentiments of Christian bishops in days of old!  In the expressed hopes of Leo and Flavianus, you will seek in vain for any reference or allusion “to the blessed Virgin Mary, as the destroyer of heresies, the greatest hope, the entire ground of a Christian’s hope;” you will in vain seek for any exhortation for the faithful “to raise their eyes to her in order to obtain a merciful and happy issue.”  Equally vain would be your search for any “imploring in humble prayer,” of Peter and Paul, or any even distant allusion to help from them. {327} To God and God alone are the faithful exhorted to pray; on God and God alone do those Christians express that their hopes rely; God alone they regard as the destroyer of heresy, the restorer of peace, and the protector of the Church’s unity.  “Their greatest hope, yea, the entire ground of their hope,” the Being to be “implored in humble prayer,” is not Mary, nor Peter, nor Paul, but God alone, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Sanctifier of Mary, and of Peter, and of Paul.

Thus Flavian writing to Leo says, “Wherefore (in consequence of those errors, and heresies, and distractions, which he had deplored) we must be sober and watch unto prayer, and draw nigh to God.” [Vol. v. 1330.] And again, “Thus will the heresy which has arisen, and the consequent commotion, be easily destroyed by your holy letters with the assistance of God.” [Vol. v. 1355.] Thus Leo in his turn writing to Julian, Bishop of Cos, utters this truly Christian sentiment.  “May the mercy of God, as we trust, grant that without the loss of any soul, against the darts of the devil the sound parts may be entirely preserved, and the wounded parts may be healed.  May God preserve you safe and sound, most honoured brother!” [Vol. v. 1423.] Thus the same Bishop of Rome writing to Flavian, expresses his hopes in these words:  “Confidently trusting that the help of God will be present, so that one who has been misled, condemning the vanity of his own thoughts, may be saved.  May God preserve you in health and strength, most beloved brother!” [Vol. v. 1390.]

I will detain you by only one more reference to these most interesting documents.  The whole Council of Chalcedon, at the conclusion of all, and when the {328} triumph was considered to have been secured over Eutyches, and their gratitude was expressed that the heresies had been destroyed—­instead of referring to Mary as the “sole destroyer of heresies,” shout, as if with the voice of one man, from every side, “It is God alone who hath done this!” [Vol. vii. p. 174.] Neither antecedently did their chief pastors exhort them to raise their eyes to Mary, and promise to “implore” the blessing they needed, “in humble prayer from Peter and Paul.”  Neither “in the straitened condition of the Lord’s flock” did they invoke any other than God.  And when truth prevailed, and the victory was won, whilst they were lavish of their grateful thanks to the emperor and his queen, who were present and had succoured them; of help from the invisible world they make no mention, save only of the Lord’s; they had implored neither angel, nor saints, nor Virgin to be their protector and patron; no angel, nor saint, nor virgin, shared their praises;—­God alone was exalted in that day.