The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""204 THE FAITH OF OTTR FATHERS.of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of JesusChrist, the Saviour of the human race, was preservedfree from every stain of originalsin."Unlike the rest of the children of Adam, the soulof Mary was never subject to sin, even in the firstmoment of its infusion into the body. She alone wasexempt fron the original taint. This immunity ofdue to the1Mary from original sin is exclusivelymerits of Christ, as the Church expresslydeclares.She needed a Redeemer as well as the rest of thehuman race, and therefore was redeemed, but in amore sublime manner." 2 Maryis as much indebtedto the precious blood of Jesus for having been preserved, as we are for having been cleansed from original sin.Although the Immaculate Conception was notformulated into a dogma of faith till 1854, it is atleast implied in Holy Scripture ; it is in strict harmony with the place which Mary holds in the economy of redemption, and has virtually received thepious assent of the faithful from the earliest days ofthe Church,In Genesis we read : I will put enmities betweenthee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed ;sheshall crush thyhead." 3 All Catholic commentators,ancient and modern, recognize in the Seed, the serpent, and the woman, types of our Saviour, of Mary,and the Devil. God here declares that the enmity1 Bulla Dogmat. Pii Papse IX. 2 Ibid.3Gen. iii. 15.