Mediatrix Press
Against Luther's Babylonian Captivity
by St John Fisher
Henry VIII was perhaps the best educated monarch to sit on the English throne since Alfred the Great, and was uniquely placed to put together a treatise refuting the errors of Martin Luther. Luther responded by hurling insults at the king. Thus, the greatest theologian in Christendom at the time, St. John Fisher, stepped into the fore, with a treatise defending Henry VIII’s treatise and at the same time, going for the jugular of Luther’s theology. Written in Latin for a European audience, Fisher marshals his mastery of the Church Fathers and Holy Scripture to not only defend the King’s book, but to shred Luther’s teaching.
Now, for the very first time in English, you can read Fisher’s masterful dismantling of Lutheran theology. In twelve chapters, Fisher demonstrates Luther’s own internal contradictions, his mischaracterization of the King’s arguments, and defense of Catholic doctrine on the Sacraments, the Eucharist, grace, and the refutation of Luther’s doctrines.
Contents
Chapter One: Luther’s Agitated Arrogance Is Openly Deceitful
Chapter Two: His Apology That Attempts to Cover Notable Vices Is in Vain
Chapter Three: Regarding the Faithful’s Communion, the Church’s Custom Should Be Observed
Chapter Four: The Substance of the Bread Does Not Remain with the Most Holy Body of Christ
Chapter Five: The Mass Is Not a Testament
Chapter Six: The Mass Is Properly Called a Sacrifice and a Work by Those of Right Faith
Chapter Seven: Certain Quibbling Subterfuges and Lying Sophisms Are Laid Bare
Chapter Eight: The Mass Is Not Solely a Promise
Chapter Nine: Some of Luther’s False Accusations against the King Are Done Away With
Chapter Ten: We Must Believe in the Fathers’ United and Harmonious Scriptural Interpretation
Chapter Eleven: The Judgment of Doctrine Belongs to the Fathers Rather Than to the People
Chapter Twelve: Orders and Matrimony Are Sacraments and Efficaciously Confer Grace
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 275 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
For Every Day
by by St Alphonsus Liguori
compiled by Trent Beattie
Saint Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787), Doctor of the Church, was a legal savant who was awarded a double doctorate in civil and canon law at the age of sixteen. Born into a noble Italian family, St. Alphonsus soon abandoned his legal career to care for the poor and ill of Naples. In 1732 he founded a new missionary society, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the “Redemptorists”). His literary career, surprisingly, did not begin until he was nearly fifty, but from that point on, his pen was never at rest, composing an unfathomable 111 works on areas covering apologetics, ecclesiastical discipline, dogmatic theology, ascetical theology, and moral theology.
This present book draws from many of St. Alphonsus’ works, in a reader-friendly “a-thought-a-day” format. Readable as well as humane and likeable, St. Alphonsus Liguori is a saint for all times, especially our own.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 120 pages
St John Fisher
by Fr Vincent McNabb, O.P.
“DEAR reader! you are about to take part in perhaps the greatest tragedy of an age that wrote Hamlet and Macbeth. Greater even than the writer’s part will be yours, the reader’s and hearer’s part. Only your hearing ear and your seeing eye will bring the tragedy to its own. But your seeing eye and hearing ear must first recognise that a greater than Hamlet or Macbeth is here. They are but splendid fiction. But the tragedy of the first and only Cardinal to receive the martyr’s crown is as real as the Yorkshire moors where John Fisher was born, or as Tower Hill where the Cardinal Bishop of Rochester was beheaded. Do not expect anything melodramatic or miraculous in this tragedy of tragedies: all on the hero’s side is as sober in colouring as the heather on a Yorkshire moor. All is as normal as the steadiness of the hills or the falling of flakes of snow.
Search as you may in the plain tale of this Yorkshireman who was spokesman of England’s faith and chivalry, you will find no gesture, no stir, no noise, but only a humble self-distrusting quest of the best. But, dear reader, in this outwardly emotionless love of God and men to see a tragedy beyond all telling or seeing will call from you the best of your mind and heart.”
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 129 pages
St Elizabeth of Portugal
by Fr Vincent McNabb, O.P.
Today, people are fond of the saying, “Wherever you find a great man you find a great woman.” Regardless of how true that may be in modern politics, it is certainly true in the case of St. Elizabeth of Portugal. This saintly Queen and mother, worked tirelessly for the good of her subjects and her kingdom. The Author, Fr. Vincent McNabb, has the following to say:
“Gradually as the writer re-read his own story of the Saint’s life, this story of a Wife, a Mother, a Queen in the flagrant setting of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries seemed worth telling not only to the twentieth century but to all time. In the telling of it a thousand things worth man’s thought and scholars’ investigation would be suggested.
There would be the great problem of wedded love and wedded lawlessness which the modern world thinks it is meeting scientifically by a Decree Nisi of a Divorce Court. St. Elizabeth’s manner of dealing with her husband’s infidelities was evidence that the men of those days had no monopoly of heroism and that the home, no less than the Holy Places, could be fit for heroes. It is agreed by historians of King Diniz, her husband, that his public acts were wise enough to earn for him the title of the Portuguese Justinian. Unfortunately, historians of kings, especially of kings renowned for bravery or wisdom, have little to say of the queens who so often have had no little share in their husband’s triumphs if not on the battle-field at least in the council chamber.
It is our opinion—which our readers can reject as they will—that King Diniz’s chief claim to wisdom is that he knew a good wife when he wed her and that he recognized wisdom even when it came from the mouth of a woman whom not love but international politics had given him as a wife.”
Though a short work, Fr. McNabb beautifully elucidates the life of this saint, and makes her life a testament not only of peace in the affairs of the world, but even in the home, by prayer and self sacrifice.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 55 pages
A Defense of Popes said to have Erred in Fatih
by St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Robert Bellarmine again takes up his pen to defend Popes who historically were said to have erred in faith.
This little work is an excerpt from Bellarmine’s larger treatise On the Roman Pontiff, book 4, which follows after the assertion of what was already universally taught at that time, but not completely understood nor decreed by the Church’s solemn magisterium, that the Pope was infallible in his teaching on faith and morals when teaching the whole Church. These chapters then, being 8-14 of that work, follow to test and prove this claim historically, wherein he posits exculpatory evidence against claims that 40 Popes had grievously erred in matters of faith.
Much as with the doctrine of Papal infallibility itself, St. Robert Bellarmine does not endeavor to show the impeccability of Popes, rather that in matters of faith, where the Popes are actually authoritative, they did not err. Some matters treated here are the objection of certain Protestants, while others are even of Catholics who are confused on the decrees or behavior of certain Popes.
These chapters were used as a blueprint at Vatican I by the fathers of that Council to further scrutinize these cases and be sure of the limits and nature of papal authority.
Bellarmine thus lays out four basic propositions; Two of these Catholics must believe with divine faith per the subsequent decree of Vatican I (which was no less incumbent upon the believer in Bellarmine’s time, though then it were the universal teaching of all theologians), namely that the Pope is infallible when judging matters of Faith and Morals and defining these as matters that must be believed by all the faithful. This particular distinction is important, for the Pope, outside of this very narrow category, does not enjoy infallibility, thus in private letters, private teaching, their acts, behavior, etc., Popes can give scandal, they can give opinions that are in fact false, but they cannot teach the whole Church and bind it to believe error.
To quote Bellarmine himself: “For to this point no Pope has been a heretic, or certainly it cannot be proven that any of them were heretics; therefore it is a sign that such a thing cannot be.” (On the Roman Pontiff, book 4, ch. 6.)
In this treatise Bellarmine endeavors to show that this is the case.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 112 pages
The Autobiography of St. Robert Bellarmine
Along with A guide to composing Sermons,
Sermons on the Annunciation
by St Robert Bellarmine
Bellarmine never set out to compose any writings, but always did so out of obedience. He wrote his autobiography for 2 of his brother Jesuits out of courtesy for their request to have an account of his life. Though he never intended it for any eyes but theirs, it was discovered and published in the 18th century, and became a great success. It is a brief and simple account of the life and travails of a great soul that loved Jesus Christ above all things.
Also included are St Robert Bellarmine’s Guide to Composing Sermons and evidence of this in action, his Sermons on the Annunciation given in Italy. These sermons explore the depths of the mysteries contained in the Annunciation made by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin, which were preached in Italy while he was a Cardinal in Rome. These explore subjects as diverse as Greek and Hebrew etymology, Angelology, Mariology and the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in Christ. The publishers have also added pictures of the places and people St. Robert mentions when relating his life.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 157 pages