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.
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