The Crown of Excellence : Chapter 8 : § 1. 47-48

Chapter 8 : The Seventh Star or Splendour in the Crown of Excellence of the Mother of God

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré's Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac.(Poggi, 2020)

Mary’s soul was unique in being totally free of any sin

§ 1. The MOTHER OF GOD was exempt from original sin

The sixth proof, based on the doctrine that the Mother of God was not only free from original sin but was not under any obligation to contract it

Second and third presuppositions

 47   In the second place, they suppose that if Adam had not sinned, then the Son of God would never have joined Himself to our nature; furthermore, if He had not become incarnate then not only would Mary never have been the MOTHER OF GOD but in an absolute sense she would not have come to be and would have only figured in the number of possible creatures. I do not propose to dwell on this question now for it will be discussed more fully at the beginning of the second Treatise.

First presupposition

 48   From these three propositions they conclude that in their opinion there was no obligation on the MOTHER OF GOD to incur the disgrace of original sin which affects only the posterity of Adam whereas she is not included among that number if we follow the reasoning discussed above. I would not deny that this conclusion has not yet run the gauntlet of sufficient questioning as should be the case with novel ideas. The spirits of those defending the idea have, however, been raised through the success they have had so far in debates. Since the point where others began to look at their case closely, they have in fact emerged from the tests unscathed and with approval. This has led to a large number of qualified Doctors coming to embrace the idea. The sequel to this discussion will show that the idea has gained more ground than might be imagined.  In fact, a careful reading of the decree concerning original sin issued by the Council of Trent seems to show that it does not contradict the idea but rather that it supports it in a significant way. The decree reads as follows[1]:

If any one asserts that the prevarication of Adam injured himself alone, and not his posterity; and that the holiness and justice, received of God, which he lost, he lost for himself alone, and not for us also; or that he, being defiled by the sin of disobedience, has only transfused death, and pains of the body, into the whole human race, but not sin also, which is the death of the soul; let him be anathema:–whereas he contradicts the Apostle who says[2]; Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned.

After this, it goes on to say: 

This same holy Synod doth nevertheless declare, that it is not its intention to include in this decree, where original sin is treated of, the blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, the MOTHER OF GOD. 

From this we may gather that the Council did not include the Virgin in its decree when it declared that sin infected all the successors of Adam. This shows that she was not personally involved in the covenant God made in the beginning with the first man.

 

Footnotes

[1] Sess. V, § 2.

[2] Rom. v. 12.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

© Peter Bloor 2024