me prayers, they invoke God to bring them to heaven by the merits and
mediation of the Virgin Mary and all her saints, and that they may enjoy
perpetual soundness both of body and mind by her glorious intercession.
Hence it might be imagined by a papist, that the sacred writings were
full of encomiums on this pretended mother of God; whereas, on the
contrary, we do not find Christ in any part of scripture called the Son
of Mary, nor that he at any time calls her mother; and when the woman
cried, "Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that thou hast
sucked." "Yea, (returns our Lord) rather blessed are they that hear the
word of God, and keep it." Nor does our Saviour own any relation but
that of a disciple; for when his mother and brethren stood without,
desiring to speak with him, Jesus answered, "Who are my mother and
brethren?" And looking round upon his disciples, he saith, "Behold my
mother and my brethren; for whosoever shalt do the will of my Father who
is in heaven, the same is my brother, sister, and mother." Of the same
nature are their prayers to other saints and angels, by which they
derogate from the honour of our Christ, and transfer his offices to
others; though the scriptures expressly assert, there is but one
mediator between God and man. Nor must we omit under this head the
idolatry of the mass, in the elevation of the host. Thus is the second
commandment infringed, which the Romish church has endeavoured as much
as possible to suppress, and in many of their little manuals it is
altogether omitted.

PAPAL SOVEREIGNTY.] This is politically supported by a pretended
infallibility; auricular confession, founded upon the priest's power to
forgive sins; indulgences; pretended relics; penance; strings of beads
for Ave-Marys and pater-nosters; celibacy; merits and works of
supererogations; restrictions; monkish austerities; religious vows and
orders; palms; candles; decorated images; holy water; christening of
bells; hallowed flowers and branches; agnus dei; oblations;
consecrations, &c., &c.

LUDICROUS FORMS AND CEREMONIES.] At the feast of Christmas, the Roman
catholics have exhibited in their churches a cradle, with an image of an
infant in it, which is rocked with great seeming devotion; and on
Good-Friday they have the figure of our Saviour on the cross, and then
they perform the service which they call the Tenebres; having abundance
of lighted candles, all of which they extinguish one by one,