"the carrying of candles on Candlemass day, of ashes on "Ash Wednesday, and palms on Palm Sunday; which was "directed to BONNER, to be intimated to the Bishops of the "province of Canterbury, and was executed by him."—Ibid. book ii. p. 49.

Again: "Soon after this, a general order followed for a "removal of all images out of churches: there were every "where great contests, whether the images had been abused "to superstition, or not. Some thought the consecration of "them was an abuse common to them all. Those also that 66 represented the Trinity as a man with three faces in one "head, or as an old man with a young man before him, and "a dove over his head; and some where the Blessed Virgin was represented as assumed into it, gave so great scandal, "that it was no wonder if men, as they grew to be better en"lightened, could no longer endure them."-Ibid. book ii. p. 50.

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And again: "The plain institution of the Sacrament was “much vitiated, with a mixture of many heathenish rites "and pomps, on design to raise the credit of the Priests, in “whose hands that great performance was lodged. This was "at first done to draw over the heathens, by those splendid "rites, to Christianity: but superstition, once begun, has no "bounds nor measures; and ignorance and barbarity increas"ing in the darker ages, there was no regard had to any thing "in Religion, but as it was set off with much pageantry; and "the belief of the corporal presence raised this to a great "height. The Office was in an unknown tongue; all the "vessels and garments belonging to it were consecrated with "much devotion; a great part of the service was secret, to "make it look like a wonderful charm; the consecration itself " was to be said very softly, for words that were not to be "heard agreed best with a change that was not to be seen.

The many gesticulations and the magnificent processions all ❝tended to raise the pageantry higher. Masses were also "said for all the turns and affairs of human life.

"Trentals, a custom of having thirty Masses a year, on "the chief festivities for redeeming souls out of Purgatory, "was that which brought the Priests most money; for these "were thought God's best days, in which access was easier to "him. On Saints' days, in the Mass it was prayed, that by "the Saints' intercession the sacrifice might become the more "acceptable, and procure a larger indulgence, which could "not be easily explained, if the sacrifice was the death of "Christ; besides a numberless variety of other rites, so many of the relics of Heathenism were made use of for "the corrupting of the holiest institution of the Christian "Religion."-Ibid. book ii. p. 52.

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18th, BURNET's remarks on Confession, Absolution, and Indulgences:

"Priests also managed Confession and Absolution, so as "to enter into all men's secrets, and to govern their con"sciences by them; but they becoming very ignorant, and "not so associated as to be governed by orders that might be "sent them from Rome, the Friars were every where em

ployed to hear Confessions; and many reserved cases were "made, in which the Pope only gave Absolution *; these "were trusted to them, and they had the trade of Indul

gences put in their hands, which they managed with as "much confidence as mountebanks used in selling their medi"cines, with this advantage, that the ineffectualness of their "devices was not so easily discovered, for the people believed all that the Priests told them. In this they grew to such a "pitch of confidence, that for saying some Collects, Indulgences for years, and for hundreds, thousands, yea, a “million of years, were granted; so cheap a thing was Hea

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* BURNET remarks further on "reserved cases" (in book iii. p. 264): "The more scandalous abuses were reserved to the Popes themselves, "whose special prerogative it has always been to be the most eminent "transgressors of all canons and constitutions."-See, however, Mr. DALLAS's defence of "reserved cases," in p. 68 of his Defence of the Jesuits.

❝ven made! This trade was now thrown out of the Church."

-Ibid. book ii. p. 55.

And further: "All the consecrations of water, salt, &c. in "the Church of Rome, looked like the remainders of Hea"thenism, and were laid aside: by these, devils being adjured, "and a divine virtue supposed to be in them, the people came "to think, that by such observances they might be sure of "Heaven. The Absolutions (by which, upon the account of "the merits of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, the sprinklings "of water, fastings, and pilgrimages, with many other things, "sins were pardoned, as well as on the account of the passion "of Christ, and the absolution given to dead bodies) looked "like gross impostures, tending to make the world think, that, "besides the painful way to Heaven, in a course of true holi❝ness, the Priests had secrets in their hands, of carrying "people thither in another method, and on easier terms: and "this drew in the people to purchase their favor, especially "when they were dying; so that, as their fears were then

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heightened, there was no other way left them, in the conclu❝sion of an ill life, to die with any good hopes, but as they bargained for them with their Priests: therefore all this was now cast out. It was resolved to have the whole worship "in the vulgar tongue, upon which St. Paul has copiously "enlarged himself: and all nations, as they were converted to "Christianity, had their offices in their vulgar tongue; but of "late, it had been pretended, that it was a part of the Com"munion of Saints, that the worship should be every where "in the same language; though the people were hardly used, "when, for the sake of some vagrant Priests, that might

come from foreign parts, they were kept from knowing "what was said in the worship of God. It was pretended, "that Pilate, having ordered the inscription on the Cross, in "Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, these three languages were "sanctified; but it is not easy to understand what authority. " he had for conferring such a privilege on them. But the "keeping all in an unknown tongue, preserved in dark ages

"the esteem of their Offices, in which there were such "Prayers and Hymns, and such Lessons, that if the people

had understood them, they must have given great scandal: "in many Prayers, the pardon of sins and the grace of God "were asked, in such a style, of the Saints, as if these had "been wholly at their disposal, and as if they had been more ❝ merciful than God, or Christ."-Ibid. book ii. p. 59.

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19th, BURNET's observations on Celibacy:

"The pretence of chastity in the Romish Priests, had possessed the world with a high opinion of them; and would "have been a great reflection on the Reformers, if the world "had not clearly seen through it, and been made very sensible "of the ill effects of it, by the defilement it brought into their beds and families." -Ibid. book ii. p. 69 *.

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20th, BURNET's observations an the abuse of Fasting: "Christ had told his disciples, that when he was taken "from them, they should fast: so in the Primitive Church, they fasted before Easter; but the same number of days was not observed in all places; afterwards other rules and days were set up; but St. Austin complained, that many in "his time placed all their religion in observing them. Fastdays were turned to a mockery in the Church of Rome, in "which they both dined, and did eat fish dressed exquisitely, "and drank wine.”—Ibid, book ii. p. 73.

21. BURNET calls Transubstantiation one of " the designs "of the Priests, for establishing the authority of that Order, which by its character was qualified for the greatest perform16 ance that ever was; no wonder," says he, " they took all "imaginable pains to infuse it into the belief of the world: "and those dark ages were disposed to believe every thing so

*See, on this subject, the whole of the Chapter in HASENMULLER'S History of the Jesuits, entitled, "De secundo Jesuitarum Voto, "quod est Castitatis perpetuæ ;" a chapter which, from the nature of its contents, the laws of decency forbid to be copied, or even to be referred to, in any plainer terms,

"much the rather, the more incredible that it appeared to "be."Ibid. book ii. p. 83.

22d, BURNET's statement of CRANMER's remarks upon the lovers of Popery; namely,

"That their being fond of a worship, which they under*stood not, and being desirous to be kept still in ignorance, "without the Scriptures, shewed their Priests had greater

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power over them, than the common reason of all mankind "had."-Ibid. book ii. p. 90

23d, BURNET's account of the last moments of Edward VI.

"A few moments before he died, he interceded very fer"vently for his subjects, that God would preserve England "from Popery, and maintain his true Religion among them.”— Ibid. book ii. p. 200.

24th, His account of the duplicity of bloody Queen Mary on her ascending the throne:

"The men of Suffolk were generally for the Reformation; yet a great body of them came to her, and asked her, if she "would promise not to alter the Religion set up in King Ed*ward's days: she assured them she would make no changes; "but should be content with the private exercise of her own ¿ Religion. Upon that, they all vowed they would live and “die with her.”—Ibid. book iii. p. 208.

After which, BURNET says, they "came and put the "Queen in mind of her promise; but she sent them home ❝with a cold answer, and told them, they must learn to obey

her, and not pretend to govern her: and one that had spoken more confidently than the rest, was set in a pillory

for it three days, as having said words that tended to de"fame the Queen. This was a sad omen of a severe Govern"ment, in which the claiming of promises went for a crime." -Ibid. book iii. p. 220.

25th, His account of the reasons of Queen Mary's marriage with the Popish Prince Philip of Spain:

"She found it would be hard to bring the nation about in