eck of our faith.

On this branch of our subject I propose to do no more than to lay before
my readers the witness borne to the state of religion in England at that
time, by two works, which have been in an especial manner forced upon my
notice. Many other testimonies of a similar tendency might readily be
adduced; but these will probably appear sufficient for the purposes
above mentioned; and to dwell longer than is necessary on this point
would be neither pleasant nor profitable.

* * * * *

SECTION I.

The first book to which I shall refer is called The Hours of the most
blessed Virgin Mary, according to the legitimate use of the Church of
Salisbury. This book was printed in Paris in the year 1526. The prayers
in this volume relate chiefly to the Virgin: and I should, under other
circumstances, have reserved all allusion to it for our separate inquiry
into the faith and practice of the Church of Rome with regard to her.
But its historical position and general character seemed to recommend
our reference to it here. Without anticipating, therefore, the facts or
the arguments, which will hereafter be submitted to the reader's
consideration on the worship of the Virgin, I refer to this work now
solely as illustrative of the lamentable state of superstition which
three centuries ago overran our country.

The volume abounds with forms of prayer to the Virgin, many of them
prefaced by extraordinary notifications of indulgences promised to those
who duly utter {194} the prayers. These indulgences are granted by Popes
and by Bishops; some on their own mere motion, others at the request of
influential persons. They guarantee remission of punishment for
different spaces of time, varying from forty days to ninety thousand
years; they undertake to secure freedom from hell; they promise pardon
for deadly sins, and for venial sins to the same person for the same
act; they assure to those who comply with their directions a change of
the pain of eternal damnation into the pain of purgatory, and the pain
of purgatory into a free and full pardon.

It may be said that the Church of Rome is not responsible for all these
things. But we need not tarry here to discuss the question how far it
was then competent for a church or nation to have any service-book or
manual of devotion for the faithful, without first obtaining the papal
sanction. For clear it is beyond all question, that such frightful
c