§ 1. Evidence of Justin Martyr See also Appendix 2. Evidence of Irenæus 3. ------ Clement of Alexandria 4. ------ Tertullian ------ Methodius 5. ------ Origen See also Appendix 6. Supplementary Section on Origen See also Appendix 7. Evidence of St. Cyprian See also Appendix 8. Evidence of Lactantius 9. ------ Eusebius See also Appendix 10. Apostolical Canons and Constitutions 11. Evidence of St. Athanasius See also Appendix PART II.--CHAPTER I. State of Worship at the time of the Reformation § 1. "Hours of the Virgin" 2. Service of Thomas Becket CHAPTER II. Council of Trent See also Appendix CHAPTER III. Present Service in the Church of Rome PART III. WORSHIP OF THE VIRGIN MARY. CHAPTER I. § 1. Introductory Remarks 2. Evidence of Holy Scripture CHAPTER II. Evidence of Primitive Writers CHAPTER III. Assumption of the Virgin Mary CHAPTER IV. Councils of Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon CHAPTER V. § 1. Present authorized Worship of the Virgin 2. Worship of the Virgin, continued 3. Bonaventura 4. Biel, Damianus, Bernardinus de Bustis, Bernardinus Senensis,&c. See also Appendix 5. Modern Works of Devotion See also Appendix CONCLUSION * * * * * {1} PART I. CHAPTER I. THE DUTY OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT. Fellow Christians, Whilst I invite you to accompany me in a free and full investigation of one of those tenets and practices which keep asunder the Roman and the Anglican Church, I am conscious in how thankless an undertaking I have engaged, and how unwelcome to some is the task in which I call upon you to join. Many among the celebrated doctors of the Roman Church have taught their disciples to acquiesce in a view of their religious obligation widely different from the laborious and delicate office of ascertaining for themselves the soundness of the principles in which they have been brought up. It has been with many accredited teachers a favourite maxim, that individuals will most acceptably fulfil their duty by abstaining {2} from active and personal inquiries into the foundations of their faith; and by giving an implicit credence to whatever the Roman Church pronounces to be the truth[1]. Should this book fall into the hands of any who have adopted that maxim for the rule of their own conduct as believers, its pages will of course afford them no help; nor can they take any interest in our pursuit, or its results. Whilst, however, I am aware, that until the previous question (involving the grounds on which the Church of Rome builds her claim to be the sole, exclusive, and infallible teacher of Christians in all the doctrines of religion,) shall have been solved, many members of her body would throw aside, as preposterous, any treatise which professed to review the soundness of her instructions; I have been at the same time assured, that with many of her communion the case is far otherwise; and that