Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/6



This volume  of  Meditations  is  interesting  not  only from its  origin,  which  is  given  at  length  in  the  Preface to the  first  American  edition,  but  also  from  the  fact  that it is  among  the  first  devotional  works  published  in  this country. Even prior  to  its  appearance  here  the  English edition was  much  in  use. This, in  itself,  adds  vastly  to its  historical  interest,  since  it  creates,  as  it  were,  a  spiritual fellowship  with  those  pioneers  of  the  faith  who came not  only  to  teach,  but  prepared  to  suffer. The first American edition  owed  its  appearance  to  the  exertions of the  Rev.  Roger  Baxter,  S.J.,  a  man  conspicuous  for his learning,  eloquence,  and  zeal  in  defence  of  the  faith. Though dying  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four,  he  was  the author of  at  least  two  books  which  earned  for  him  fame in the  field  of  polemics;  one,  "A  Series  of  Letters  between M.  B.  and  Quaero  on  the  Tenets  of  Catholicity" appeared in  1817;  the  other,  "  The  Most  Important Tenets  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  fairly  explained," was published  three  years  later,  and  even  to  this  day  is recognized  as  a  standard  controversial  work.

This present  volume  contains  Father  Baxter's  Preface