PROLEGOMENA. XXXvii. 



])rotestation of our love of God above all things, 

 including: the love of our kindred. I have doubts 

 about the propriety of entering into the etymology 

 of the word Charity, Caritas, dear, &c. but 

 I believe it signifies, by a very intricate con- 

 trivance of language, the consummation of love, 

 a resolution of all thoughts, words, and works 

 into God, as the ultimate object of our being. 

 All the words indeed for great theological virtues, 



Angel, from ayyeXXsJV, to send, is a messenger of God, 

 charged with or sent on the Divine commissions. Guardian, 

 from regarder, is an overlooker ; so that a Guardian Angel is an 

 overlooking messenger, a word that answers very well to those 

 holy spirits whom God in his mercy has sent to be our protectors. 



An Archangel is a higher order of messenger. 



Lord, from lordan, to lord or overrule, signifies the 

 Ruler over all. 



Saint, Sanctus, from sancirc, is a holy person, sanctioned by 

 God, and received into heaven from his or her merits. 



Bull, from /SouAo/WXi, an edict of the papal will, and used, 

 par excellence, for the approval of any thing by the delegated 

 will of God. 



Wicked comes from the old Saxon verb wiccian, incantare 

 to enchant, and the word Witch comes from the same verb, 

 meaning an enchantress. Wicked (as opposed to good or divine 

 direction) implies an enchantment from the devil. The word 

 -strongly supports a deep metaphysical doctrine, maintained 

 by De la Mennais, and refers to the obscure but fearful doc- 

 trine of demoniacal obsession and possession. For the devil 

 sends his messengers of evil, and besieges man in his weakest 

 parts and passions, and makes him a monster of cupidity, or 

 takes the soul by storm, and destroys the sovereignty of the will 

 itself. The doctrine of the Church respecting the exorcising of 

 evil spirits, too, is fully borne out. To resist such invasion in 

 common cases we must invest the citadel of the soul with the 

 armory of the Lord, and like faithful centinels be true to the 

 duty of a soldier, viyilare et orare. 



I will not burthen the book with more examples, but I do 

 declare tliat the most patient examination of this subject 

 throughoutjhas convinced me how completely the whole testimony 

 of language is in favour of revealed Catholic religion. 



