But, I repeat it, what has been in former days may be again; and
whenever Christians depart from the doctrine and practice of prayer to
God alone, through Christ alone, a door is opened to superstitions and
abuses of every kind; and we cannot too anxiously and too jealously
guard and fence about, with all our power and skill, the fundamental
principle, one God and one Mediator. {200}
* * * * *
SECTION II.--SERVICE OF THOMAS BECKET, ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS
MARTYRDOM, DEC. 29.
The other instance by which I propose to illustrate the state of
religion in England before the reformation, is the service of Thomas
Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, a canonized saint and martyr of the
Church of Rome. The interest attaching to so remarkable a period in
ecclesiastical history, and to an event so intimately interwoven with
the former state of our native land, appears to justify the introduction
of the entire service, rather than extracts from it, in this place.
Whilst it bears throughout immediately on the subject of our present
inquiry, it supplies us at the same time with the strong views
entertained by the authors of the service, on points which gave rise to
great and repeated discussion, not only in England, but in various parts
also of continental Europe, with regard to the moral and spiritual
merits or demerits of Becket, as a subject of the realm and a Christian
minister.
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