heaven after his 1esurrection, in his human nature, and in the presence of his disciples. This festival is not so ancient as some of the Roman Catholics would have us to believe, for it was not celebrated till after the reign of Constantine the Great, there being no other festival during the three first centuries, besides Whitsunday, Easter and Christmas, nor was the latter regarded, or observed, except in some particular churches. The ancient church was a stranger to many of the ridiculous ceremonies used on this festival, namely, the drawing up the image of Christ to the top of the church, and then casting down the image of Satan in flames, to represent his falling as lightening from heaven. An author, who is said to have lived. in the fifth century, affirms as a truth, that when Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, he left the print of his feet on the ground; and that the marks continued ever after, notwithstanding the faithful carried away some of the earth from time to time, in order to preserve it as a sacred relic. Nay, St. Austin affirms, that it was common, in his time, to adore the footsteps of Jesus Christ at the place from whence he ascended into heaven. counties where the Romish religion is professed, the altars, on the preceding eve, are covered with purple till mass is said, and then the purple being taken away, it is covered with red, and the officiat ing priest appears at the altar in robes of the same colour. All the fonts for baptism are blessed in the same manner as on Easter-eve; and on Whitsunday the officiating priest wears the same scarlet robes, in imitation of the Holy Ghost having descended upon the apostles like fiery tongues. The next Sunday after Whitsunday, is called Trinity Sunday, and commemorated in honour of the three persons in the ever-blessed Trinity. And here it may not be improper to observe, that altho' the Roman catholics, by an unnecessary load of rites and ceremonies, have much debased the purity of the gospel, yet in the midst of all their errors, they never denied the divinity of Christ, or of the Holy Ghost. On the fourteenth of April, is celebrated the festivals of three martyrs, known in the Roman calendar by the names of St. Tiburtius, St. Valerius, and St. Maximus, of whom the following legend is told. An angel brought two crowns from paradise, To this is added another miracle, no less remark-composed of roses and lilies, and gave one to Valeble than the former, namely, that when the empress Helena built the church of the Ascension, in the midst of which is this spot of ground, when the workmen would have covered it with a marble pavement, like the rest, they could not effect it, for whatever they laid upon it, immediately came off. Bede says, that in his time (the seventh century) on this festival after mass, there always came so strong a wind, that it threw down all who were at that time in the church. Whitsunday, another festival, is the most ancient in the Christian church, and even from the apostolic age, was celebrated in memory of the Holy Ghost's descending in the form of cloven tongues upon the disciples. It is the grand æra of the promulgation of Christianity, for before that miracle was wrought, the apostles had only carnal notions of Christ's kingdom. It is called Whitsunday, partly from the glorious light which was this day sent down upon earth from the Father of lights, stated times for baptism in the ancient church, those of that spiritual purity they received in baptism. As the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, happened upon the day which the Jews called the Pentecost, or the fiftieth day after Easter, or the Passover; so this festival has ever since retained rius, and the other to Cecilia, his new-marriedwife. The angel, at the same time told Valerius, that because he had not carnally known his wife, Christ had sent him notice, that he would grant him whatsoever he should require. Valerius at these words fell down and worshipped, begging that his brother Tiburtius might become a Christian. Tiburtius afterwards coming into the house, smelt the fragrancy of the roses and lilies, but saw nothing. However, as he was wondering from whence the sweet smell proceeded, Valerius told him of the two crowns which his eyes were not yet able to sec. He assured him, that in case he would turn Christian he should see them both, and the angel of God also. At these words he consent ed to be baptised, and immediately after obtained all he had desired of God, and the sight of the angel daily. That there were three martyrs who suffered in the reign of the emperor Dioclesian of the same names with those above mentioned, cannot be doubted, because we have an account of them in Eusebius; but we may, without the imputation of sceptism, doubt whether they ever conversed with angels. On April the 27th, is celebrated the festivals of St. Comus and St. Damien, who were both physicians and brothers. We are told concerning then, a stake, they were first the name of Pentecost in the Roman calendar. In scourged, and then thrown into the sea. There an angel angel had compassion upon them, loosed their cords, and delivered them. They were then hanged upon a cross, and commanded to be stoned, but the stones rebounded back on those who threw them; ard the same happened when arrows were shot at them, so that the provincial was obliged to order the soldiers to stab them dead with spears. mediately swallowed her up. upon In all Roman catholic countries on the first day of May, it is common to plant boughs of trees be-twenty-fourth of July, and of her we have the folThe festival of St. Christina, is celebrated on the fore the doors of houses; and this is no more than a faint imitation of the ancient games used by the Romans at the festival of Flora. Indeed most of the Koman catholic ceremonics are borrowed from the heathens; which is not to be wondered at, when we consider that the Roman emperors, who embraced the Christian religion, compelled all their subjects to do the same, although they knew nothing besides heathen rites and ceremonies. On the 13th of June, is celebrated the festival of St. Anthony of Padua, and it is accounted for in the following manner. thrown off his habit, ran away from the monaA Franciscan novice, having stery in which St. Anthony lived, and stole a psalm book, written with St. Anthony's own hand, and explained with marginal notes, which St. Anthony often used when he expounded the scriptures to the friars. As soon as St Anthony found that his book was stolen, he fell down upon his knees, and begged that God would restore to him the precious treasure. In the mean time, the apostate thief having the book along with him, attempted to swim across a river, but the devil met him with a drawn sword in his hand, and commanded him to return back immediately, and restore to St. Anthony the book he had stolen from him, threatening to kill him in case he did not immediately comply. The devil gave this order with so dreadful an aspect, that the thief being astonished, returned immediately to the monastery, restored St. Anthony his book, and consented to live in a course of devotion ever after. It is for this reason, that when people have goods stolen from them in Roman Catholic countries, they always invoke the assistance of the Holy St. Anthony. July twenty, is the day on which the Roman Catholics celebrate and honour the memory of St. Margaret, of whom we have the following account in their legends. This woman had been long celebrated for her piety, and it is written of her in the breviary of Salisbury, that on a certain time, she begged that she might have an opportunity of engaging with the devil, face to face, because she had formerly had many secret struggles with him. Her request was granted, and the devil appeared to her lowing account in the Roman martyrology. She they poured oil upon her, the flames burst forth, and was bound to a wheel, and roasted on a fire, and as again thrown into prison, where she was visited by slew above thousand of the Heathens. She was an angel, who healed and refreshed her, so that she was enabled to undergo a second trial. Then she was cast into a lake with a great stone ing. She prayed that God would send some signal fixed to her body, but the angel kept her from sinkjudgment upon the image of Apollo, which she was commanded to worship, and her prayers were heard, for it was suddenly reduced to ashes. This miracle was of such a surprizing nature, that three thousand was afterwards put into a fiery furnace, where she of the spectators were converted to the faith. remained five days unhurt, but at last, that she might enjoy everlasting happiness, God suffered her enemies to put an end to her life by strangling her. She On the twelfth of August, is the feast of St. Rome, on account of the many miracles wrought Clara, a female, much respected in the church of by her. It is recorded in the Roman breviary, that one day, while St. Clara was abbess of a convent, she was told that there was but one loaf of bread left for dinner, and that but a small one. did not in the least affect her, for she commanded it But that to be cut into two equal parts, one of which she gave had they touched the pieces of bread than they swelled to the friars, and the other to the nuns. into such magnitude in their hands, that there were No sooner more than sufficient for the whole convent. teenth of August, and of him we have recorded in The feast of St. Roach is celebrated on the sixthe Roman breviary, that he was born with the sign his future sanctity, he would never suck but once a of the cross on his left side, and that as a token of day when he was a child. he cured men of the plague, by only marking the sign of the cross upon them. When he was but a boy, bring him bread, and an angel gave him a golden table, with St. Roach written upon it by the hand A little dog used to of God the Father. September the twenty-ninth, is dedicated to the service of St. Michael the Arch-angel; and it is a high festival in the Romish church. In an old English legend, we have the following anecdote, to which nothing is added, besides that of modernizing the language, St. Michael appeared to a bishop, and bade him go to the top of a lofty mountain called Gardel, where he would find a bull tied, and there he was build a church, for the worship of God and the Arch-angel. The bishop obeyed, but when he came to the place where the bull was tied, be found a rock on each side, which appeared frightful, and that it would be dangerous to build a church between them. Then St. Michael appeared to a man named Haymo, and desired him to go and remove the rocks, and to fear nothing, for he would be with him. This Haymo, who seemed to have more faith than the bishop, went and set his shoulders to the rocks, commanding them, in the name of God and St. Michael, to depart, which they instantly did, so that the building went on. It is further related, that the sea encompassed the mountain where this church was built; but when the people went to divine service, it divided on each side, and left them a free passage. One day, as they were going to prayers as usual, there happened to be a woman in the company big with child: and the sea being stormy, the people were afraid of it returning upon them, and therefore they all returned to land except the pregnant woman, who was taken in labour. St. Michael came to her assistance, delivered her of a child, and brought her and the infant safe to land. having been to visit the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem, returned by the way of Sicily, and while he was in that island, there happened to be an eruption of Mount Etna. This terrified him so much, that he concluded that it was the mouth of hell, for he declared that he heard the groans of those who were in torments. in torments. Full of this notion, he returned to St. Odilon, abbot of Clugny, to whom he related the whole affair. and that abbot applied to the pope to have this festival established, that by virtue of the prayers of the faithful, the souls of those in purgatory might be released. October the ninth, is the feast of St. Dennis, the titular saint of France; and of whom we are told, that he and two of his companions, having refused to sacrifice to the Heathen Gods, were all beheaded in one and the same moment, but their tongues spoke after, their heads were cut off. Nay, it is further added, that St. Dennis, when his head was cut off, stood upright on his feet, and taking it up in his right hand, marched off with it to the place appointed for his burial. The first of November, is called the feast of All Saints, and so closely have the Roman Catholics imitated the Heathens, that at Rome, in the seventh century, the Pantheon, where all the Heathen gods were worshipped, was turned into a church for all It had been formerly consecrated to the saints. November the twenty-second is the festival of St, Cecilia, the great patroness of music. In the Roman breviary we have the following account of her. On the marriage night, when she and her husband Valerian were left alone together in the bed-chamber, she spake to him the following words, "O sweet and most loving youth! I have a secret to reveal to thee if thou wilt swear to conceal it," Valerius having taken an oath as she desired, she added, "I have an angel a lover of mine, who keeps my body with the strictest jealousy. If he should in the least perceive that thou touchest me with poate f love, his fury would be stired up against thee, and the flower of thy youth will be destroyed, but if he finds that thou lovest me with a sincere and immaculate love, and preservest my virginity inviolate, he then will love thee in the same manner he does me; and on all occasions, express to you his favour." To this Valerius answered, "If thou wouldst have me give credit to thy words, then shew me the angel;' and if I find that he is really an angel of God, I will do as thou desirest me; but if thou lovest any.r man better than me, I will draw my sword and slay both him and you." She then presented him to Leoni, a Christian, and as soon as he was baptized, he saw the angel and was convinced; so that St. Cecilia live and died a virgin martyr. November the thirtieth, is the feast of St. Andrew, the titular saint of Scotland. He was brother to Peter and John the Apostles, and suffered martyrdom sometime in the reign of the emperor Nero. We' are told by the Scottish historians, that one Regulus, a monk, brought some of the bones of this apostle to Scotland, about the middle of the fourth century, und built a church over them, at a place cailed Killtymont, in the eastern extremity of the county of Fife, and on that spot the city of St. Andrew was afterwards built. Jupiter and all the gods, by Agrippa, but now it is consecrated to the Virgin Mary and all the saints. November the second is the festival of All-souls, on which day the souls of all such as are in purgatory are prayed for. This festival was not known in the church till the tenth century, and its origin was read in the legend concerning him, that some mari No. 12. On the six of December, is the feast of St. Nicholas, who was invoked by sailors in storms, in the same manner as Neptune was by the Heathens. We 3 Y ners, ners, being in great danger at sea, addressed them- | the mask under which he had long concealed his hyselves to him in the following words: "O, St. Nic-pocrisy, and determining within himself to make the holas, the servant of God! if the things be true clerical power superior to the civil, he put on the which we have heard concerning thee, now help us! most austere habit, and shut himself up in solitude That so being delivered from this danger, we may among the monks at Canterbury. The king was render thanks to God and to thee." While they were then in Normandy, carrying on the war against the thus speaking, one appeared and said, "Behold French king, and Becket, that he might no longer I am here, for you called me," and immediately be- conceal his ambitious intentions, sent the great seal gan to help them to order their sails and tackle, and, to his sovereign, intimating, at the same time, that in a few minutes the storm ceased. he could not, consistent with his character as a bishop, keep it any longer. As soon as the mariners came to shore, they enquired where St. Nicholas was, and being informed that he was in the church, they went into it, and, what is most wonderful, knew him immediately without any one having pointed himn out. Convinced that he had wrought a great miracle for their deliverance, they fell down at his feet, and worshipped him; and ever since he has been the titular saint of the mariners. On Christmas-eve, the twenty-fourth of December, a fine sword is presented to the pope, having a gold head, made in the form of a dove, and over it, ducal coronet, made of purple coloured silk, and faced with ermine, having several jewels fixed to it. The pope fixes the ducal coronet upon the point of the sword, and repeats several prayers, at the same time, the sign of the cross. He then blesses the sword and coronet, in the name of the trinity and all the saints, after which it is sent to one of the Roman Catholic princes. On Christmas-day, the pope preaches in his own chapel, and also sings high mass; this being one of the grandest festivals in the whole year. All the cardinals, and other great men belonging to the pope's court, attend that day on his holiness, and his court makes a splendid appearance. December the twenty-ninth, is celebrated in memory of St. Thomas a Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, and sometime chancellor to king Henry II. This Thomas a Becket, was the son of a reputable tradesman in London, where he was born, 1117. Having learned as much as was then taught in the schools, he entered into holy orders, but did not rise to any perferment till some years after. On the death of king Stephen, 1154, Becket attended Henry II. as chaplain, and next year he was promoted to several valuable livings, and made high chancellor of England; for he, under pretence of suiting himself to all the king's passions, became the greatest favourite at court. Henry was much alarmed at this part of Becket's conduct, and the more so when he learned that a priest had been apprehended for murder, and the archbishop had reclaimed him from the civil courts, declairing that none but the bishop of the diocese could sit in judgment on a priest. This was such an high exertion of clerical power, as had never been heard of before in England: and the king upon his return, finding Becket inflexible, called a parliament to meet at Clarendon, where an act passed, establing the civil power above that of the clergy. It was ordained, that all the clergymen, indicted for crimes, were to be tried in the king's courts; and Becket, who refused to attend this assembly, was summoned to meet the next parliament at Northampton, 1164. It is true, he went to the parliament, but no sooner did he find that the constitutions of Clarendon were to be inforced than he left the assembly; and having disguised himself in the habit of a peasant, walked as far as Suffolk, from whence he returned thro' Essex, and crossing the Thames to Kent, got on board a ship which carried him over to Flanders. In this part of his conduct, he had two objects in view: The first was to prevail with the pope, to issue an interdict against Henry and his subjects; and the second to urge the French king to take up arms and invade England. In both he was very successful; for the French king invaded the duchy of Normandy, at that time belonging to the English; and the pope issued his interdict, but thro' the vigilance of Henry, it was not published in England. Henry, a man of some learning considering the times he lived in, and no stranger to the ignorance of his subject, made several attempts to be reconciled to Becket; for had the interdict been published in England, the consequences to the king might have proved fatal; And this will appear the more probable, when we consider that the pope's interThe king thought he could place the utmost con- dict prohibits all the orders of the clergy from perfidence in him, and therefore, on the death of Theo-forming any of the duties of their function, nor can dore, archbishop of Canterbury, Becket was advan ced to that see. Now it was that Becket pulled off and Becket, a formal sort of a reconciliation took place; and leaving the king at Rouen, the archbishop returned to England. Henry now thought himself extremely happy; but within a few days afterwards he learned, that as soon Becket arrived at Canterbury, he called a meeting of his clergy, in order to put the pope's interdict in force. The news was brought to the king while he was at supper; and, in the violence of his passion, he started up and exclaimed," Will none of my servants rid me of this factious prelate?" Whether the king really wished that some of his attendants would. assassinate Becket, is matter of doubt; because men, on account of violent provocations, will sometimes make use of words, which, upon sober reflection, they would be ashamed of. This much, however, is certain, that four knights, then present, left the king's chamber immediately, and arriving at Canterbury, on the twenty-ninth day of December, while the archbishop was attending divine service in the cathedral, they dragged him over the rails of the high altar, insisting that he should issue an order to revoke the interdict. Becket, however, was too proud to give up his pretensions to clerical power, and therefore absolutely refused to comply with their request. The knights were not to he trifled with, and therefore, in an instant, and before the whole congregation, they stabbed their swords thro' his heart. Nor were some of the clergy belonging the church any more attached to Becket than the knights; for the arch-deacon, going up to view the mangled remains of his body, seeing a sword laying on the ground, took it up, and scooping out the brains of the deceased prelate, scattered them upon the pavement. Such was the end of Thomas a Becket, whom the Roman Catholics now worship as a saint: and to use the words of lord Lyttelton, “From what motives he acted, must be left to the searcher of all hearts enquire into." it Having said thus much of Becket, from the best records, and the most judicious Protestant historians, may not be improper to subjoin something said Concering him by those of his own denominion; and this we do from motives of candour, leaving the reader to judge for himself. Polydore Virgil, a popish historian, tells us, that God, in a most miraculous manner, avenged Becket on his enemies. According to this superstitious historian, the archbishop was travelling one day thro' the town of Stroud, near Rochester, in Kent; the people who considered him as the enemy of the king, in order to put an affront upon him, had the impudence to cut off the horse's tail upon which he rode but hereby they brought upon themselves a perpetual reproach: for afterwards it so fell out, by Divine Providence, that the whole posterity of these men, who committed the fact, were born with tails brute beasts. It is added, in the Romish Breviary, that a bird being taught to speak and repeat the words St. Thomas, happening one day to sit out of its cage, a hawk seized on it, but the bird crying out St. Tho mas, the hawk fell down dead. From this story, which the Roman Catholics believe in the same manner as they do the gospel, they draw the following extraordinary inference, viz. "If St. Thomas, heard the bird of his great grace, much more will he hear a Christian man or woman, when they cry to him for help and succour." In some of the Roman Catholic writers we read, that Becket, in his early youth, made a vow of chastity to the Blessed Virgin; and one day, before he was archbishop, being along with some of his companions, heard them boasting of their mistresses, and how many presents they had received from them.. Becket told them that they were vain fellows: for he had a mistress far superior to any of theirs, and that she had given him a present worth more than all theirs put together. They being extremely urgent to see this most accomplished mistress, Becket ran to the church, and prayed the Blessed Virgin to pardon the presumptious words he had spoken of her. No sooner was his prayer ended, than the Virgin appeared to him, and having highly commended him for speaking so much in favour of his mistress, she gave him a little box, which, when he had opened, he found in it a purple robe. Becket was murdered on the 29th of December, 1170, aged 53 years. The ignorance and superstition of the people in general, were, at that time, so great, that although Henry II. was the most powerful prince in Europe, yet he was obliged to demean himself so low as to submit to be whipped naked by the monks of Canterbury, as an attonement for the death of Becket; a man who had endeavoured to strip the prince of his regal dignity, and to inflame his subjects with the spirit of rebellion, and, in a word, to put all things into a state of confusion. Of the Sacraments of the Church of Rome. As there were only two sacraments upon the ceremonial law, namely, circumcision and the passover, so there are only two mentioned in the New Testament, viz. Baptism and the Lord's supper. Circum |