"and incense unto them."* These exhibitions had been as common in England as they are in many other countries at the present day; and a full recollection of them yet remained upon the minds of our ancestors.

But years have passed away. The Acts and Monuments now are only to be found in libraries; the price precludes any but the comparatively wealthy from possessing this work, while its antique style and the minute prolixity with which the narratives are given, deter the general reader from becoming fully acquainted with the history of those times, and the undeniable evidence by which all the material circumstances are supported. Various abridgments have been published, but they are all in a greater or less degree confined to the sufferings of the Martyrs, and relate them as distinct accounts, not as one continuous narrative; while they scarcely, if at all, exhibit the doctrinal system which then prevailed in our land, so that the reader's attention is not fully called to the intimate connection that exists between the doctrines and practices of Romanism.

And now, a modified system is brought forward, which we are told represents the real doctrines of the Church of Rome. Although the fundamental truths of the gospel still are wholly perverted, the more glaring features of error and superstition, which unblushingly appear at the present day in countries where Popery prevails, are softened down or studiously kept from view in our land. But while the Church of Rome has not recalled a single decree of her councils, nor dismissed an article from her declarations of faith, nor abolished one of the heathenish practices which abound in her rites and ceremonies, we are required to believe that it is the "one holy Catholic and apostolical" church-that "the Catholic Church alone follows the right rule, and the right rule infallibly leads to the Catholic Church;" and that to "Hear the Church" is "the only method which affords tranquillity and security to individual Christians during life, and at the trying hour of dissolution."+ We are gravely told, that the Roman Catholic Church is the only infallible Church-because it is "the only Church which claims infallibility;" and therefore, "this is the Church which Christ commands us to hear on pain of being treated as heathens and publicans!"

It is not requisite to dwell upon these and similar statements, or to take any notice of those Romish writers who

Book of Homilies, 3d Sermon Against the Peril of Idolatry.

+ End of Religious Controversy, Letter 50.

See the Catholic Miscellany, September 1826, p. 166.

Such as the following:-That the Church of Rome never sought to obtain temporal power-that the Reformation was uncalled for, and the cause of much evil-that the Reformers were turbulent rebels, whose aim was anarchy and rebellion; and, that the doctrines of Romanism and Protestantism are essentially the same!-The reader will find these assertions in almost all the Modern Romish Controversialists.

emulate the Hardings and Parsons' of former times, in the coarseness of their language, and the daring falsehood of their assertions; and who are acknowledged or disowned by their superiors just as may be deemed expedient. But we find Romish Divines eminent in rank, and respected in their church, telling us that Queen Mary is to be ranked among the best of our princes, and speaking in high terms of her piety and clemency, her compassion and her liberality;* and that "during the two first years of her reign, no protestant was molested on account of his religion," or endeavouring to depreciate the accounts of those who suffered during her reign, by saying, that " some seventy Protestants possibly may have been executed in the Pope's dominions, or elsewhere, for their crimes;" but, that "if Cranmer, &c. were consigned to the flames, they had been unquestionably guilty of High Treason." That a great part of Fox's Martyrology is false; and "that a liar is not believed even when he speaks the truth."§ That "to call a man one of Fox's saints, is become the same as to call him a rogue."|| And while these and similar assertions are made, and seriously urged by Romish Divines, with such comments and reflections as are calculated to promote their views, surely it is important to enable Protestants to judge for themselves, so that they may be ready at all times to give an answer to the sophistries of Romanism.

The work now published has been compiled with a view to supply this information to persons whose means do not enable them to procure, or whose want of time does not allow them to peruse, larger works. If compared with the other brief histories of "The Days of Queen Mary," it will be found to differ in many respects from those which have previously appeared. The accounts given by Fox are here presented in a connected form, and many interesting particulars recorded by Strype, Burnet, and other later writers, are interwoven with the narrative.

Frequent reference is made to the Doctrines and Principles of Romanism, as illustrating the restoration of Romish super

* See Lingard's History of England.

+ End of Controversy, Letter 49.

Key to the Roman Catholic Office, p. iv.

§ Ib. v. vii. See also Letters to a Prebendary, and The End of Religious Controversy.

See A sure way to find out the True Religion.

Bishop Jewel, at the conclusion of his Defence of the Apology, thus addresses Harding, and similar terms might, without impropriety, be used at the present day. "Deny no more the manifest truthavouch no more the open falsehood. Let there be some probability and likelihood in your sayings. Deceive not the simple, they are bought with a price. They are the people of God, for whom Christ has shed his blood. Your shifts are miserable. Ye cannot bridle the flowing seas; ye cannot blind the sunbeams. Will ye, nil ye, THE TRUTHI

WILL CONQUER.

stition under Queen Mary, and by occasionally inserting the accounts of later writers, the reader is supplied with materials to enable him to judge respecting the actual effects of Romish principles, even at the present day; thus, the CAUSES and the EFFECTS are both kept in view, although the limits of this work prevent the different subjects from being entered into so fully as their importance deserves.

There is, however, one doctrine to which the attention of the reader of the following pages will be especially called, namely, THE MASS, or Popish form, substituted for the Sacrament of the Supper of our Lord. The importance attached to this subject, both by Romanists and Protestants at the period to which this work refers, was very great, and it is not less so at the present time.

The Romish Legate, Campeggio, declared at the Diet of Augsburg, A. D. 1530, "that he would be torn limb from limb, rather than consent to abolish the Mass." "And I (subjoins Luther, when relating this,) would rather be burned to ashes, than put an administrator of the Mass with the service which he performs (whatever may be his private character) on a footing with Christ, namely, by making his offering a sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead.' We shall therefore eternally differ on this point; and with the Mass the Papacy itself will stand or fall."*

As the real points of this important doctrine are but little known to Protestants in general; and as it was invariably referred to as a test for all the sufferers in the days of Queen Mary, it appears desirable to present a brief view of the doctrine, now, as well as formerly, held by the Church of Rome, and to point out how completely opposed it is to the testimony of the Scriptures. It is thus stated in "The Douay Catechism," published by the authority of the Romish Bishops, expressly for the use of their flocks in this kingdom. (p. 54, 55, 56.) Q. Is the Eucharist a sacrament only? -A. No, it is also a sacrifice. Q. Why do you say that the Eucharist is a standing memorial of Christ's sacrifice on the cross?-A. Because Christ, at his last supper, commanded it should be offered as a remembrance of his passion, to the end of the world, and this is what is performed in the sacrifice of the mass. Q. Why is it a continuance of Christ's sacrifice?—A. Because Jesus Christ, who is a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedeck, having offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, continues daily to offer himself by the ministry of his priests, in an unbloody manner, under the form of bread and wine. So that the sacrifice of the cross, and the sacrifice of the mass are one; the same as to the chief Priest

* See the History of the Church of Christ continued from Milner the Rev. J. Scott, p. 219.

who offers it, and the thing which is offered, and differ only in the manner of offering. Q. Who said the first mass?-A. Jesus Christ.* Q. When did he say it?-A. At his last supper, when he instituted the holy Eucharist.

In "The grounds of the Catholic Doctrine, as contained in the professions of faith of Pope Pius VI," we find a still plainer statement to the same effect (p. 43): "Q. What is the Catholic doctrine as to the Mass?-A. That in the Mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.Q. What do you mean by a propitiatory sacrifice?-A. A sacrifice for obtaining mercy, or by which God is moved to mercy. Q. How do you prove that the Mass is such a sacrifice?-A. Because, in the Mass, Christ himself is really present, and by virtue of the consecration, (that is the words repeated by the priest,) is there exhibited and presented to the eternal Father under the sacramental veils (the form of bread and wine,) which, by their separate consecration, represent his death."

The works quoted, are published by the authority of the Romish prelates for the use of their English followers, they distinctly shew the error of their Church on this point; and that its doctrines are completely at variance with the declarations of the Apostle, in the 9th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, particularly the concluding verses: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of

*What shall we say to this assertion, that our blessed Lord said Mass! In fact, the form of words, the use of which is called, saying the Mass, has been, as is expressed in "the Acts and Monuments,' clampered and patched together with many divers and sundry additions," of which the following is a summary :

The Introit, or Psalm, at the commencement, was first used by Pope Celestine, about the year 430; and confirmed by Pope Gregory, about 594. The other parts were also introduced by different Popes. The Song of the Angels, by Pope Symmachus, about 510. The Gradual, by Pope Gregory. The Sequences, by Nicholas I., 858. The Creed, by Marcus, 340. Orate pro me, by Leo, 440. The Preface of the Canon, by Gelasius, 497. The elevation and adoration of the wafer was ordained by Honorius, so late as A.D. 1222. The Paternoster was ordered to be recited by Gregory, about 600. The Agnus, by Pergius, 700. The Pax, was introduced by Innocent I. about 400. The present form of distribution to the people, by only giving the bread, or wafer, was directed by the Council of Constance, A.D. 1414, although, from the old books of the Mass, it is clear that the cup was given to the laity.

"The trinkets appertaining to the Mass," to use Fox's expression, and whoever has witnessed a Popish Mass, will feel its force, were in like manner introduced by different Popes. "For, that after man's brain was once set on devising, it never could make an end of heaping rite upon rite, and ceremony upon ceremony, till all religion was turned well nigh to superstition.""Judge now thyself, good reader, whether this Mass did proceed from St. James, and other apostles, or no," still less from our blessed Lord himself.

PREFACE.

xiii

God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often-for

then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it was appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation." Here we have the express declaration of Scripture, that our Lord is not personally upon earth,—that he is not in the Pix, or Romish tabernacle, in the shape or under the form of a wafer-that he once offered himself, when he suffered upon the cross-that this one offering was sufficient "to bear the sins of many ;" and that this salvation is imparted unto those who "look" to Him, without any reference to the mediation of earthly priests, or an outward Church. And in all these points, we find the doctrines of Romanism opposed to those of Scripture. But let us inquire, still further, what are the sentiments advanced by the Church of Rome at the present day. The Garden of the Soul is the book of devotion in most general use among Romanists in our country, and contains "Devotions before Communion," with "Instructions for hearing Mass." In these formularies, we find an admission, that the one sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for us, but there follows a Nevertheless, stating, that "for the daily application of this one eternal redemption to our souls, and that the mercy, grace, and salvation, which he has purchased for us, may be actually communicated to us," Christ not only appears in our behalf in heaven, but he also instituted the Eucharist, or Sacrament of the Altar. And in this his body and blood are not only to be received by us as a sacrament, "but also to be offered and presented by his Ministers (only the Romish Priests are acknowledged as such by that Church) to his Father, mystically broken and shed, as a sacrifice, &c." It then proceeds to state, that this sacrifice daily offered is called the Mass, and is the solemn liturgy of the (Roman) Catholic Church; and mentions various reasons why this sacrifice of the Mass is offered up. Among them we find it is represented as a most powerful means to move God to shew mercy to us in the forgiveness of our sins," and "as a most effectual way to obtain of God all we want, coming to Him, as we here do, with Christ and through Christ." In the same spirit these instructions proceed, having reference to the whole service. Thus, when the Priest is about to repeat the words of consecration, the spectator is to pray that the offering may be accepted, saying, "It is as yet only bread and wine; but, by a miracle of thy power and grace, will shortly become the body and blood of thy beloved Son ;" and he is to consider it as a sacrifice"offered in

*The Catechism for the use of all churches in the French Empire, 1806, thus states the doctrine of the Church of Rome on this point, which is called transubstantiation, and all their theological works express it in a similar manner. Q. What is first put upon the altar and in the