new papal dogma of the sin- less conception of Mary.) F. W. Genthe : Die Jungfran Maria, ihre Evangelien u. ilire Wunder. Halle, 1852. Comp. also tlie elaborate article, "Maria, Mutter des Herrn," by Steitz, in Eerzog's Protest. Real-Encycl. (vol. ix. p. 74 ff.), and the article, "Maria, die heil. Jungfrau," by Reithmate (R. C.) in Wetzer u. Welteh Kathol. Kir- chealex. (vi. 835 if.) j also the Eirenicon-contYoxQvsj between Pusey and J. H. Newman, 1866. Into these festival cycles a multitude of subordinate feasts found their way, at the head of which stand the festivals of the holy Yirgin Mary, honored as queen of the army of ^ So in the Eoman church even after the introduction of the Trinity festival. /^ ■i 410 THERD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590, The worship of Mary was originally only a reflection of the worship of Christ, and the feasts of Mary were designed to contribute to the glorifying of Christ. The system arose from the inner connection of the Virgin with the holy mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God ; though certainly, with this leading religious and theological interest other motives com- bined. As mother of the Saviour of the world, the Virgin Mary unquestionably holds forever a peculiar position among all women, and in the history of redemption. Even in heaven she must stand peculiarly near to Him whom on earth she bore nine months under her bosom, and whom she followed with true motherly care to the cross. It is perfectly natural, nay, essential, to sound religious feeling, to associate with Mary the fairest traits of maidenly and maternal character, and to revere her as the highest model of female purity, love, and piety. From her example issues a silent blessing upon all generations, and her name and memory are, and ever will be, inseparable from the holiest mysteries and benefits of faith. For this reason her name is even wrought into the Apostles' Creed, in the simple and chaste words : " Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Yirgin Mary." The Catholic church, however, both Latin and Greek, did not stop with this. After the middle of the fourth century it overstepped the wholesome Biblical limit, and transformed the " mother of the Lord " ' into a mother of God, the humble " handmaid of the Lord " ^ into a queen of heaven, the " higldy favored"^ into a dispenser of favors, the "blessed among wo- men " * into an intercessor above all women, nay, we may al- most say, the redeemed daughter of fallen Adam, who is no- where in Holy Scripture excepted from the universal sinful- ness, into a sinlessly holy co-redeemer. At first she was The Protestants, on the contrary, as far as they retained the ecclesiastical calendar (Lutherans, Anglicans, &c.), make the first Sunday after Pentecost the basis, and count the First, Second, Third Sunday after Trinity, instead of the First, Second, etc., Sunday after Whitsunday. ' 'H