Book Categories

Meditations and Devotions, by St. John Henry Newman

p.196 Good Friday Meditation: Jesus saved us in His Great Love for us

Parochial and Plain Sermons, in 8 volumes

p.n229 The greatness and littleness of human life

p.109 We have made the commandments of God grievous to ourselves by hardening our hearts

p.110 If only we cooperate with God’s inspirations, our inevitable duties will be far easier

p.217 The Holy Spirit mysteriously penetrates all things

p.218 The Holy Spirit acting in the Old Testament

A Defense of the Teachings of Mary

p.3 Beginning of John Henry Newman’s reply to the Eirenicon

p.4 St. John Henry Newman’s reflection on his becoming Catholic

p.6 On the prudence of allowing everyone their private conscience without judgment

p.8 That the Eirenicon was an attack and not an attempt at unity

p.11 St. John Henry Newman never called the Anglican Church a bulwark against infidelity in England

p.13 That Catholics and Anglicans actually seem to agree on the nature of the authority of Sacred Tradition

p.15 The meaning of Tract 90 was widely misunderstood

p.16 How apparently opposing viewpoints might be reconciled through explanation

p.18 Further reasons why this letter was written

p.19 Converts must first absorb their religion, and afterwards might speak with some authority

p.21 Some aspects of religion are particular to time and place, culture and fashion

p.24 Arguing against non-authoritative writers is essentially attacking a straw-man

p.26 The Church Fathers are a sufficient basis for defending doctrines concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.28 On the importance of the distinction between doctrine and devotion

p.30 That Catholicism contains an enormous variety of devotions suited to every kind of person

p.31 Devotions to Saints in the Church spring up at different times for various reasons

p.33 That Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and Eve according to reason and the Church Fathers

p.35 The Fathers on the active willing participation of Mary in bringing forth the Incarnation and Redemption of mankind

p.37 That the Fathers, even Early Fathers, say Mary caused our salvation as much as Eve caused our ruin

p.39 The earliness, distance, completeness, and harmony of the Early Fathers on their teachings about Mary is strong evidence of its Apostolic origin

p.39 St. Irenaeus even ascribes to Mary the title and office of the Holy Spirit, that of Paraclete

p.41 Some fourth century Fathers as witnesses to the active role of Mary in humanity’s salvation

p.43 St. Jerome and St. Augustine as worldwide fifth century witnesses of the received teachings of Mary

p.45 Fifth century Fathers testifying firmly of the active role of Mary in our salvation

p.47 If Eve was created with grace, and Mary is the new Eve, then Mary must also have been

p.49 How Mary could reasonably be considered an unfallen child of Eve

p.50 That humanity’s Original Sin, which was removed from Mary at conception, is merely a deprivation of grace and the subsequent consequences

p.52 The Immaculate Conception is perfectly reasonable when understood correctly

p.53 Heroes of history should and usually do have a perpetual place in our minds, hearts and words

p.55 That Catholics are rightly apt to consider the practical implications of the Blessed Virgin’s life and derive her dignity and a devotion from it

p.57 That Catholic points not yet in controversy were not argued by the Fathers yet were evident in Scripture

p.58 That early church art supplements sufficiently where the early Church Fathers are less clear on the role of Mary

p.60 That the Woman of Revelation 12 must have been the Blessed Virgin Mary for St. John to have used that imagery

p.62 If the child and the dragon in Revelation 12 are the devil and Jesus, why is the woman not Mary?

p.63 The literary nature of Scripture practically demands that the Woman of Revelation 12 be the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.66 Everything good that can and has been said about the Blessed Virgin Mary pales in comparison to the sound title Mother of God

p.67 Defense of title “Theotocos” or “Mother of God”

p.68 Many ancient Fathers witnessing to the reality of the title Mother of God

p.70 The Church Fathers witnessing to the praiseworthiness of the Mother of God by their strong language

p.72 Evidence in Scripture of the fact and command of intercessory prayer within the Church on earth

p.74 That the blessed above still should and do pray for us below

p.76 That sanctity is the source of intercession’s effectiveness

p.79 An example of the Blessed Virgin Mary interceding to prevent heresy in ancient times

p.82 That it is fundamentally inconsistent to trust the Fathers and be against Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.83 Ideas are living things which ought to be allowed to grow and mature naturally

p.84 Natural development of religious ideas will inherently involve some degree of decay and excess

p.86 Reason and logic are not sufficient to protect the development of religious ideas from occasional error

p.88 It takes nothing from God to draw out the profound implications of the Incarnation having a Mother

p.90 Recognition of Mary’s exaltation only reinforces God’s inherent greatness

p.92 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an inescapable consequence of the plain facts to be realized gradually

p.92 The unfolding of the Incarnation and Mary’s role

p.94 That the opponents in this matter can be reconciled to some degree by certain facts

p.95 That Greek devotion to Mary ought to alleviate Anglican grievances against Catholic Mariology

p.96 Devotion to Mary generally does not result in idolatry

p.98 Where Jesus is truly present, devotion to the Blessed Virgin only leads to stronger devotion to her Son

p.100 Devotion to Mary is not incompatible with devotion to her Divine Son

p.102 Proper Catholic teachings on Mary were not fairly or properly represented when attacked

p.105 English devotion to Mary must necessarily be of a different, calmer temperament than foreign equivalents

p.106 There is nothing in approved English Catholic devotional books to take issue with on the topic of Mary

p.108 True devotion to Mary also strongly objects to idolatry of Mary

p.111 That devotion to Mary is not necessary for salvation, but intentionally rejecting her is another thing

p.112 The ways the Catholic Church has responded to errors in Mariology have been prudent

p.114 Canisius and Petau on restraining devotion to Mary to what is reasonable and sober

p.115 Raynaud quoting two Fathers who condemn false devotion to Mary

p.117 Raynaud explaining how falsely honoring Mary could be an insult to Christ

p.118 Examples of false and harmful devotion to Mary

p.121 Demonstrations of how accusations of Catholic devotion to Mary are not fair or aimed towards unity

p.123 Liturgical emphasis on Mary is proper and precedented, and points to Jesus

p.131 That non-Catholic beliefs about Mary are not able to stand on the Fathers

p.132 Two quotes of St. Chrysostom that enemies of Mary’s sinlessness incorrectly use against her

p.132 A quote from St. Basil that advocates of the sinfulness of the Blessed Virgin Mary incorrectly use against her

p.134 A quote from St. Cyril which proponents of Mary’s sinfulness incorrectly use against her

p.135 An answer to the accusation that the Fathers claimed Mary was not sinless

p.137 How to determine whether a statement is an Apostolic Tradition

p.139 The three later Fathers who speak more lowly of Mary are not speaking dogmatically

p.141 How the three later Fathers can be shown to not be speaking dogmatically about Mary not being sinless

p.143 Further proof that the Anglican understanding of the Fathers’ authority is less consistent than the Catholic

p.144 Answers to objections about why some Fathers and Gospel passages spoke unsatisfactorily about Mary