The Catholic Christian Instructed in the Sacraments, Sacrifice, Ceremonies, and Observances of the Church; By Way of Question and Answer

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1878. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... PREFACE. The design of the following sheets being to explain th? doctrine and ceremonies of the Catholic Church, ar.d to vindicate the same from the misrepresentations of our adversaries, the reader, whether Catholic or Protestant, may reasonably expect that I should not send them abroad into the would without taking some notice of a late performance of Dr. Conyers Middleton's, entitled, A letter from Rome, showing an exact Conformity between Popery and Paganism; or the Religion of the present Romans derived from that of their heathen Ancestors. This being a work directly levelled against some part of the ceremonies of the Church, and having been received with great applause by many in England, so as to have passed through three editions in the space of a few years; it is to comply with so reasonable an expectation that I have determined to employ my preface in making some animadversions upon this letter of the Doctor; to which, though consisting of seventy pages in quarto, I hope, with the help of God, in one short sheet to give a full and satisfactory answer. The chief particulars which the Doctor objects against in the religion of modern Rome, and upon which he grounds the parallel which he pretends to make between popery and paganism, are these: 1st, The use of incense and perfume in churches: 2dly, The use of holy water: .Idly, The burningof lamps and candles: 4thly, Offerings or votive gifts: 5thly, Images, which he jumbles together with the veneration of the saints: tithly, Chapels on the way-side for the devotion of travellers, crosses and sometimes chapels upon hills; thly, Processions: 8thly, Miracles, with which, it seems, he is very much offended wherever he meets them, and therefore he dwells longer upon that sub...