on our present inquiry, except the last clause of all,
containing the benediction. In this passage not only is the prayer for
spiritual blessings addressed to God alone, but it is offered
exclusively through the mediation of Christ alone, without alluding to
intercessions of angels saints, or the Virgin: "Now may God, the only
unproduced Being, the Creator of all things, unite you all by peace in
the Holy Ghost; make you perfect unto every good work, not to be turned
aside, unblameable, not deserving reproof; and may He deem you worthy of
eternal life with us, by the mediation of his beloved Son Jesus Christ
our God and Saviour: with whom be glory to Him the Sovereign God and
Father, in the Holy Ghost the Comforter, now and ever, world without
end. Amen." [Vol. i. p. 450.]

I have not intentionally omitted any ancient author {295} falling within
the limits of our present inquiry, nor have I neglected any one passage
which I could find bearing testimony to any honour paid to the Virgin.
The result of my research is, that I have not discovered one solitary
expression which implies that religious invocation and honour, such as
is now offered to Mary by the Church of Rome, was addressed to her by
the members of the primitive Catholic Church. {296}

* * * * *

CHAPTER III.--THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

By the Church of England, two festivals are observed in grateful
commemoration of two events relating to Mary as the mother of our
Lord:--the announcement of the Saviour's birth by the message of an
angel, called, "The Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary," and "The
Presentation of Christ in the Temple," called also, "The Purification of
Saint Mary the Virgin." In the service for the first of these
solemnities, we are taught to pray that, as we have known the
incarnation of the Son of God by the message of an angel, so by his
Cross and Passion we may be brought to the glory of his resurrection. In
the second, we humbly beseech the Divine Majesty that, as his
only-begotten Son was presented in the Temple in the substance of our
flesh, so we may be presented unto Him with pure and clean hearts by the
same, his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. These days are observed to
commemorate events declared to us on the most sure warrant of Holy
Scripture; and these prayers are primitive and evangelical. They pray
only to God for spiritual blessings through his Son. The second prayer
was used