plain Blasphemies against the Creator by the mouth of their Missionarics and Preachers who preach to the people a Ridiculous and profane Gospel made up of impertinent Fables and absurd stories most unbecoming expressions and vile comparisons foolish and unworthy subjects and the whole accompanied with trifling and Mimical gestures with an air suited to a Farce or Comedy rather than a Sermon IX 'T is a prodigious heap of Superstitions which are criminal and Idolatrous in the plainest and most simple use of 'em but in their Abuse are the most extravagant Idolatry that can be named according to which the most proper Divine Adoration is given to a Creature making the Virgin to be the Queen of Heaven and of the rest of the World the Salvation of mankind the Redeemer of the World the distributer of all saving Grace the Goddess the Divinity of Men and Angels the Completion and Perfection of the Trinity and so in proportion to all the other Saints Male and Female X. 'T is real Paganism reviv'd wherein besides the great God of Heaven and Earth the Great Jupiter most good and most great they worship innumerable inferior and subordinate Deities A Queen of the World Spirits separated from matter Mediators between God and Men good Demons and Genius's who perserve and take care of men and watch over ' em They likewise worship as the ancient Pagans did the Souls of dead men they build Temples and consecrate Altars to 'em and offer Sacrisices to their Honour they put themselves under their protection they establish them to be Patrons of Kingdoms and Cities and Families and particulier Persons insomuch that Juda had as many Gods as Towns. In this new Paganism they worship the Reliques of the Dead their Bones their Askes their Garments their Shirts their Shoes and their old Rags They worship also Images and Pictures as the ancient Pagans did And this worship is such in all the parts of it as besides its agreement with Heathenism is not at all Spiritual or Rational made up of Ceremonies that are carnal corporal and vain apish and foolish postures signs of the Cross Holy and lustral Waters Temples and Altars adorn'd with magnificence and pomp grimaces and wry faces and gesticulations of a Priest round about the Altar turning about now to the right hand and then to the left sometimes speaking and then on a sudden silent now thundering with a loud voice and presently after muttering somewhat between his teeth one while reading another while speaking without Book and always saying that which is not understood by the common People This is the goodly worship of Popery and must pass for Divine service tho without spirituality or reason XI 'T is a Religion animated throughout by a spirit of Lying and founded and supported by Fabâ—es Their Invocation of Saints Adoration of the Virgin Purgatory Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of the Sacrament and all their other Superstitions are built upon a fabulous Gospel but framed by a spirit of Lying so gross and palpable that the least measure of sincerity would be enough to make a man blush and be asham'd of 'em They are meer Romances and stuft with Ribaldry and Filthiness The Romance of the Virgin is more ridiculous than that of S. Rose The Lives of their Saints do paint'em out as a Company of Fools Fanaticks and Bedlams with a vast multitude of frightful Miracles the number whereof is sufficient of it self to contradict the truth and overthrow the Authority of 'em But for the most part they are such as are mean and trifling sottish and ridiculous unworthy of the Grandeur and Majesty of God Miracles wrought on purpose to prove the Holiness of some little Monk that after his decease Temples may be built in honour of his memory and he may be worshipt as a God or to introduce and encourage the worship of a piece of Bread of Wood or of Stone and none of 'em to promote the worship of God. XII 'T is a cruel Master who hath teeth of steel and nailes of Diamant that tears and devours what he can and treads under foot the remainder He establishes his Kingdom under the name of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ with Fire and Sword destroying all that stoops not to him overturning Cities and Kingdoms making whole Provinces to be so many burying places and large Cities to be ruinous heaps inflaming Europe with Wars and destroying Germany and Italy by that means arming the Father against the Son and Children against their Parents Subjects against their Prince and Princes against their Subjects causing the most horrible Massacres and covering the Earth with Human Blood. He erects Gibbets prepares Scaffolds kindles Fires to hang behead and burn those that resist him and not content to take away their lives would destroy their Honour and Reputation likewise by imputing such opinions to 'em as they abhor making them to pass for the Enemies of God and of the Saints charging them as Hereticks Arrians Photinians Mamenees and as believing the most horrible Doctrines accusing them of Incests and Promiscuous Impurities in their night meetings to worship God putting on them the Skins of Bears and wild Beasts and exposing them to publick Execution in the view of the multitude as the worst of men XIII Lastly 't is a cruel Tyrant which for many Ages hath enjoyed a profound Peace and the utmost of temporal Felicity without any interruption save by the troubles it hath given unto others and the cruel Wars it hath raised against the Innocent If at any time it hath met with any check or opposition it hath given a great deal more to the peace of others for at length it hath subdued and overcome all its Enemies and by violence stopt the mouth of all its Adversaries The Emperors after long and cruel commotions have at last stoopt to the feet of this Tyrant Insomuch that this Strumpet glories in her victories saying This is Babylon the great that I have built by the greatness of my power and who can resist the force of it She hath brought all Opposers under the yoke and peaceably enjoyed her richess and rapines her pleasures and her Crimes She hath said to her Soul Eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years She had added to these riches from time to time and the Soul of this wicked Miscreant is not yet required of her so that She hath enjoyed all the fruits of her Iniquities without seeing sorrow and all the desires of her Eyes without knowing Trouble Behold the true Picture of the Papacy if any think it is more deformed and more horrid than it ought to be represented let him but have patience till he hath perused this Book and he shall find all these Characters made good by Historical proofs against which nothing that is solid and reasonable can be objected I have here performed that which I long ago promised viz. to give an Extract or Abridgment of my Book
most Holy Virgin Mary the Mother of God almost every thing which is in the H. Bible In prosecuting this design the Virgin Mary must be found in the first word of the Bible By the Heavens which God created in the beginning we must understand the Empyreal Heaven i. e. the Lady of the World the V. Mary When God said Let there be Light the meaning is Let Mary be begotten and born Every thing that is Great and Singular in the Antient History is Mary She is the Altar which Noah built to God after the Deluge the Holocaust in which God will smell a sweet savour is the Prayers of the same Virgin the Virgin is the Bow in the heavens of which 't is said when I bring a cloud over the Earth the bow shall be seen She is the mystical Ladder which Jacob saw in a Dream for by her the Son of God descends to us and by her we ascend to him she is the Gate thro which we enter into the Kingdom of God 't was of the Virgin that Jacob spoke when he said how dreadful is this place 't is the House of God the Gate of Heaven The Jewish Tabernacle and all its parts did respect the Virgin. She is the Ark of the Covenant that is gone into Heaven before us to prepare us a place there She is the Mercy-seat of pure Gold because she was sanctifyed above others in her Mothers womb She is also the Altar of Burnt-offerings because she is the Reconciler and hath taken this Office at her going into Heaven We may judge of the whole piece by these small shreds A thousand and a thousand Copies have been taken from these two famous Originals the antient Preachers of the Roman Church adorned their discourses with these excellent flowers For example in Solomons Song they found a large field for these profane applications There the H. Spirit in a mysterious manner sets forth the Wonders of the Union between J. Christ and his Church by the Emblems of a Bridegoom and a Spouse These profane wretches apply all this to the Virgin as if the Mysteries of our Redemption and Union with J. Christ were verifyed and fulfill'd in her And to give greater authority to all these shameless applications they were brought even into the Hymnes of the Roman Church In them they say to the Virgin Tu quoe furentem Leviathan serpentem tortuosumque c. Thou bruisest under thy feet the furious Leviathan and the crooked Serpent an Elogy which the Oracle in Genesis gives to the Blessed Seed i. e. to J. Christ Another hymn speaks thus to her Scala Jacob ora pro nobis Jacobs Ladder pray for us Nor is less done to the other Saints every one of 'em hath his proper Votaries especially the modern Saints are much more feasted and caressed than the old The book of the Conformities between S. Francis and J. Christ is full of these Abominations That Author will have that God had his eye on S. Francis when he Created the first man. For to him those words ought to be applyed Let us make man in our Image after our Likeness and let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowl c. There are none who have been so extravagant in abusing the H. Scripture as the Preachers of the Papacy For they have adopted all these profanations and over and above have peculiar ones of their own 'T was their profession to make the Scripture ridiculous and absurd by impertinent Expositions by expressions fit for the Stage and by the language of a Farce which they still used in all their discourses If any should dare to deny this we have at this day enough to convince the incredulous in the Sermons of Menot of Maillard of Barelette V. Exceptions from which we have made considerable citations and the consulting them will be useful to let us see the Character of Popery Tho their Preachers are not so sottishly extravagant in this age yet 't is certain that the same Character is to be discern'd in those who are newly come out of the Convent and have not convers'd with the world The Writers of Controversy Scripture abused by Controversial writers ought to be much more exact and circumspect in the using of the H. Scripture Preachers and those who write Books of Devotion have some Priviledge in this matter and may take some liberty in their Applications of Scripture provided that these applications are sutable to bring the soul unto God. But when we alledge Scripture as an evidence to decide a Controversy we must keep close to the true Intent of the H. Spirit Nevertheless one would pity and blush for the Controversial writers of the Church of Rome who boldly abuse and wrest the Scripture to prove their Doctrines We have ground already to say that all the proofs she brings from Scripture are real Abuses of it And what we have discoursed above to prove that the Papacy is not in the least sollicitous to have a conformity to the Rule of Christians might be repeated here But besides those abuses which the Papists are forced to employ otherwise they must in plain terms grant that the Scripture is not their Friend besides those I say we may find others which they could have spared Are not the words of Christ to S. Peter Thrust out a little from the land Panigarola and Launch out into the deep an excellent proof that S. Peter was first to erect his Episcopal Seat at Antioch and afterward to erect the Popes See and the Soveraign Tribunal of the Church in the City of Rome Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thy enemies Behold an express Text to prove the same thing viz. that Rome is to be the Metropolis of the Church the Queen of the world Christ saith to Peter Bozius Follow thou me i. e. Go and place thy Seat and that of my Kingdom at Rome Behold I lay in Ston for a foundation a tryed stone a pretious Corner stone i. e. I will establish the Pope to be the Lieutenant of God and the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth Bellarmin There is one Lord i. e. The Pope is the only Soveraign of the world Where two or three are gatherd together in my name Panigarola there I will be in the midst of them i. e. The Pope alone hath Authority to call general Councils Bellarmin Let a man so account of us as stewards of the mysteries of God i. e. There is a Treasure of Indulgences in the Popes keeping which he may dispense as he pleaseth Verily I say unto you Eckius this generation shal not pass away till all these things be fulfilld This signifieth that there shall be a constant succession of Bishops in the Roman Church Loose him and let him go did Christ say concerning Lazarus And this denotes that
Emperor in his own Order that nothing is wanting to his Imperial dignity His anointing makes him a King of the Church and he acquires the whole perfection of the Quality of a Prince as soon as he gets subjects i. e. when a Priest gets a Cure and Parishioners They talk continually of the Clerical eminence and sublimity They tell us that the Clergy doth the neerest approach to and bears the most exact resemblance of God yea that those of the under-Clergy are Superiors to any of the Laity At this rate not long ago a Doctor of the Sorbon discourst in his Book against the Jesuit Cellot Is not this very like the description which our Lord Jesus Christ hath made of his Ministers The Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them but ye shall not be so but whoever will be great among you let him be your Minister or servant Not lording it or affecting dominion over the Heritage A little ordinary Priest hath the greatest Monarchs lying at his feet and with a tone of Authority giveth 'em Absolution and remission of Sins They set up themselves as so many Judges between God and men and dispose of Heaven and Hell as if they were their own They take place and the upper-hand without any scruple of the greatest personages Of the three States which Commonwealths are divided into viz. the Nobility Clergy and Commons the Clergy which ought not to be reckon'd as the Tribe of Levi was not among the rest of the Tribes notwithstanding hath the precedence and consequently place themselves above Kings who are only the first or chief Nobles of their Kingdoms The Tribe of Levi had no inheritance in Canaan it was not reckon'd among the rest because it was the portion of God and he was their portion But the Clergy in the Papacy hath renounced their share of heaven and taken possession of the earth they make no account of God but take for their portion the chiefrank in the dignities of the world The Bishops will be styled My Lords and whenas Princes have only the title of Monsieur these monsters of Pride will be call'd by every body Monseigneur Read the Acts of their Assemblies T is pleasant to see how in every line they style themselves Monseigneur or My Lord. My Lord of Agen sayd thus My Lord of Tulle My Lord of Paris c. reported thus Their houses are stately their equipages are magnificent their tables sumtuous they live like Princes Is not this very sutable to the Ministers of Christ Nay is it not evident that these are the Officers of Antichrist The Clergy make themselves to be a Kingdom within a Kingdom Pride of the Bishops they exempt themselves from the Jurisdiction of their lawful Soveraigns By virtue of their Priviledges and immunities they must be free from all charges They have their own Courts their own Judges will have every body appear at their Tribunals but will themselves appear at none as if they were Soveraign Princes We read in History that these proud Prelates have resisted their Soveraigns have excommunicated and made them hold the stirrup for them to get a horseback In these later ages Kings have taken a little heart and refused such submissions But upon this the Clergy complains lamentably of oppression and violence offer'd to them Pride of the Coatâ— of Rome and the Cardicals If we would see the Pride of the Papacy in its height we must cast our eye on the source the Court of Rome the proudest that ever was in the world there we see some beggars whose first rise was to be scullions in a kitchin or valets de chambre and at the same time the Pathick to some Church man such fellows I say leap so high as to become Princes of the Church Pillars of the world Senators of the Universal Church these are the titles of Cardinals who pretend to be the superiors of Kings For on their grand solemnities the Seignior Cardinal Bishop Ceremon lib. 3. and lib. 2. sect 1. sits next after the Emperor above all the Kings of Christendom as is appointed by the Roman Ceremonial In all places they will go before Princes who are not Kings whatever Race and family they are of At Rome they dwell in stately Palaces have Bishops for their domesticks and often times there is not one of their servants who is not of a better family than they Pride of the Pope Lastly 't is in the Pope himself in whom we have an exact accomplishment of the Scripture predictions that paint forth the Seat of Antichrist as a Seat of Pride he will be styld Sanctissimus Dominus noster Our most holy Lord. A true name of blasphemy seeing that the true head of the Church J. Christ never would be styl'd other than Our Lord without addition But the Pope will on many occasions be call'd Our Lord God the Pope his divine Majesty The victorious God and man in his See of Rome Deus Optimus Maximus Soveraign Monarch and Vice-God named God by the pious Emperor Constantin and adored as God by that Emperor The lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The most holy who carrieth the most holy i.e. the H. Sacrament which being in their opinion Jesus Christ himself behold the Pope in the same rank with Christ This is he who will have men to say of him that he is greater than all the saints in heaven yea greater than all the Angels greater than the whole Church That he cannot be judged by any that he cannot be censured or absolved that tho he should carry along vast multitudes to hell none may say to him what doest thou That he ought to be adored by all nations that he exactly resembles God that 't is written of him let all the Kings of the earth worship him that he hath power in heaven and in earth and ought to rule from sea to sea Behold what things he saith of himself and orders to be said in his Decretals in his Councils in his Bulls in Inscriptions Nothing in all this is aggravated 'T is transcribed word for word Exceptions 1. and 7. the citations are to be seen in our Leg. Exceptions Pride of the Popes pretentions T will be objected that Titles signify nothing but these Titles are so many real pretentions And these pretentions are prodigies of pride that were never heard of in any Throne nor in any person He pretends to have alone Right to make new Lawes to employ the forces of the Empire in his own service that Princes ought to kiss his feet that there is no other name in the world but that of the Pope that he may depose Emperors Kings and all Soveraigns that he can give away Crowns to whom he pleaseth that he can absolve subjects from all Oathes of Allegiance that he hath authority to dispense with Law against Right against the Gospel against the Apostles That God made two great Lights that the Pope
are layd up under the Altar These Saints are departed souls which have been Canonised or deifyed At first this Canonization was made by the tacit consent of the superstitious But in following ages modern Rome imitated the fashions of antient Rome She hath her witnesses ready takes informations solemnly declares such or such an one a Saint or Blessed After this is done they are prayed to their names put in the Calendar a Feast is made for them their Protection is desired sacrifices are offer'd in their honour men shelter themselves under their merit recommend themselves to their intercession ask of them every thing that they want They are made the Protectors of Cities of Kingdoms of families Paganism shar'd employments among their lesser Gods. The Supreme God had the inspection over all but Neptune was to manage the sea Pluto the entrals of the earth Ceres the Surface of it Lucina had the charge of Infants and child-bearings c. The Papists after the same manner have divided the employments of their Saints in governing the world S. Nicholas is the Patron of Seamen S. Margerit takes care of women in childbed S. Rochus cureth the plague S. Hubert madness S. Memin the jaundise S. Paulina the toothache Papists have borrowed their Ceremonies at Funerals from the Pagans The very Ceremonies us'd at Funerals in the Papacy have been borrowed from Paganism For that which the Papists at this day perform to the dead is nothing but an imitation of the Pagan Ceremonies At this day when the dead body is to be buryed 't is exposed at the door oâ— the house that every one may throw holy water on it and pray for the soul Thus the Romans exposed the corps's of their dead placing them in the porches of their houses When the corps of a Great man is carryed to a distant city every night it is layd by the way in a Church Suetonius relates that when the body of Augustus was brought from Nola where he dyed to Rome where his funeral was to be solemniz'd when it came to any City it was layd in some Palace or in the greatest Temple and when it came to Rome it was set in the Porch of his own house The old Romans set branches of cypress by the dead body at this day a branch of box-tree is set by it At the end of seven days they solemniz'd the funeral the Papists have masses said for the dead seven days that so the dead person saith Durant may the sooner come to the eternal sabbath and that his sins which are reckond ' by sevens may be forgiven him Among the old Romans the corps's were accompanyed to the Funeral-pile by all who had a mind to honour the Ceremony with their presence and by a company of Singers and Musicians who sung mourning songs The modern Romans have sorrowful and mourning songs sung by their Priests The Romans made great use of lustral or purifying water in the interments and funerals of the dead and at this day the Papists make adoe in sprinkling their holy water tho with this difference that then the living were sprinkled whereas now they especially sprinkle the dead Then it was to cleanse the living from the pollution contracted by touching the dead for under Paganisin as well as Judaism the touching of a dead body was thought to defile S. Jerom informs us that the Heathens in there obsequies made use of torches and flambeau's and thus the Papists do The Romans in kindness and honour of their dead kept a religious solemnity which they call'd Novemdialia i. e. a nine-days festival they also celebrated the last day of the month the fortieth day and the anniversary day on all which they offerd sacrifices to the dij inferi the under ground Gods they saluted the souls of the deceas'd they prayed for them and requested such as pass'd by to pray for the soul of the deceased they wrote on the graves bene precare qui legis whoever passeth by pray for him that is dead They added sit tibi terra levis molliter ' ossa quiescant let the earth lie light upon you let your bones rest in ease The Papists also exactly colebrate the ninth the fortieth the anniversary day at all which times they offer sacrifice for the Rest of the departed souls they pray for them they salute them The old Romans had a stated time which was appointed for the appeasing of the Manes and for the procuring rest for them it was in the month February Now 't is the second day of November when the feast of all souls is celebrated and solemn services are performed in order to their rest We are told that it was an Abbot of the Order of Clugni named Odilon who invented this Feast Mount Aema in Sicily often casts out fire with most dismaying noises Odilon imagin'd that they were devils who roar'd out of rage because souls were fetcht out of purgatory and the more to enrage these wicked Spirits he agreeth with his Monks to say solemn Masses once every year to fetch souls out of purgatory In the Papacy you scarce hear of any thing else besides the apparitions of souls which complain and beg succour i.e. masses The heathens had such kind of fables and offer'd sacrifices on the same design viz. to appease the Manes who were out of humour or tormented Est honor tumulis animas placere paternas The worship of the dead is much more superstitious among Papists than among Pagans There is we see a near resemblance between the Service which the Pagans did to their dead and that which the Papists do to theirs But that of the modern Romans in point of superstition infinitely surpasseth that of the old ones and of all other heathens In all Pagan antiquitie 't was an unheard of thing to adore the ashes the bones the cloathes the raggs of the dead or any thing which at this day is call'd Reliques The Fathers reproach the heathens with this that their Temples were nothing but the sepulchers of dead men and women that the Temple of Minerva of Larissa was the tomb of Acrisius Arnobius Eusebius and that of Minerva of Athens was the sepulcher of Cecrops that the Capitol was the tomb of Aulus Vulticentanus But the Heathens did not own this and were so far from honouring their dead by burying them in their Temples that they buryed none within their Cities they buryed always in the high ways But now modern Rome boasts of that which old Rome was asham'd of They glory in having the reliques of dead men and women in their Temples yea they lay them under the altars they think that a Church or a Chappel is not rightly consecrated without reliques If the body of some Hero was laid in a Pagan Temple they did not believe that these bones did make the Temple Holy on the contrary they believed that it was a great honour to him that was buryed there But the Papists believe that
World. With the Shavings of his Hair Devils were driven away A Grashopper once kept him Company eight days together and when he call'd her she percht upon his Head. A Nightingale kept him Company one day and sung by turns 'T is true that Jesus Christ wrought no such Miracles as these at least that we know of The Miracles of St. Dominick St. Dominick the Patriarch of the Jacopins doth not come behind St. Francis the Patriarch of the Cordeliers This good Saint took delight to vex and enrage the Devils sometimes he made them hold his Candle with their Fingers and when it burnt to the very place where they held the Caâ—â—le he made them hold fast tho they burnt their Fingers and made a grievous Cry. Sometimes he forc't 'em to keep in a body whether they would or no and notwithstanding their Intreaties to be gone To confound the Heretical Albigenses he made a great Dog appear who on all sides shew'd his Tail and out of it came the most horrible Exhalations that could be scented This Dog took the Shape of a Cat and escapt by the Bell ropes but as it went up let fall such filthy matter as stunk horribly A certain Nun named Mary had a greivous Pain for a long time in those parts which I shall not name St. Dominick appears to her visits her in a Dream and takes from under his Frock an Oyntment of a sweet Perfume anoints her with it and tells her the name of it was Vnguentum Amoris the Oyntment of Love The modesty of the Writer suffers in penning this and that of the Reader will likewise in perusing it But 't is necessary to observe the horror of that fabulous Spirit of the Papacy in the latitude and full extent of it Impertinent Miracles attributed to several Saints We meet with one St. Swithin in the Legend who wrought a more gentile miracle a Poor Woman in the Country having all her Eggs broke by a Mason the Saint made them whole again 't was well worth the while S. Aldem hung his Cloths one day upon a Sunbeam as one would do it on a pin The same thing happen'd to one Deicola being very weary in his Journey he had a mind to throw off his Coat which incommoded him he had servants of his own that attended which is not very common for the Saints to have they run to offer their service to take off his Coat but were prevented by a Sunbeam which took his Coat from him and kept it two or three hours 'till the Saint had need of it The Miracle of St. Brigit seems yet to be more admirable her Cloaths being very dirty and wet she had a mind to dry 'em on the Branch of a Tree which she saw as she imagin'd but in reality it was no Tree but only the shadow of one but that Shadow did her the same service as the real Tree could have done supported her Cloaths in the Air and dryed 'em as well as could be Saint Cadrac might have let his Staff rest upon the ground as other men use to do when he did not use it but he thought it more expedient to make use of the Power of God to make it hang in the Air. If any have a mind to see more of these Impertinences of Popish Saints he may consult our Legal Exceptions and will find many more in the Authors which we there quote I would fain ask any rational man whether there be any thing in these Miracles that bear the Characters of Divine Wisdom and Majesty and of that Gravity and Grandeur that is to be observ'd in true Miracles What Religion is that which makes the Great God to do such thingâ— as one would be asham'd to ascribe to a Grave and Good Man The second Character of these Miracles which manifests the Falsity of 'em The multitude of Miracles of Popish Saints discovers their falsity is their Multitude The very name Miracle signifies something that is rare and unusual All the Ages of the World from the Creation to the End of the Apostles days furnish us but with very few I know not whether we can make up two hundred in the whole History of the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament But if you read the Lives of the Monks and Saints of the Roman Church you find them walk in the midst of Miracles they hardly tread a step without working some Miracle or other God hath been very profuse of his Omnipotence in their favor they dispose of his Almighty Arm more freely than any Prince doth the hands of his own Subjects Dominick gave the word of Command to the Devils as a man would do to the meanest of his Servants in whatsoever form the Devilappeared he was still his Master if he took the form of a Dog or of a Cat we have seen how he used him If he took the form of a Bird he plum'd his Feathers by Sister Maximilla if he met with the Devil that had possest a Body let him be never so obstinate and refractory yet yield he must and with the Rosary alone he would have driven out an hundred Legions of 'em if there had been so many in one Body So the Legend tells us that when the Virgin had revealed the Rosary to Saint Dominick the Devils made Heaven and Earth resound with their Cries in the Air saying Wo wo unto us for we are bound by this Psalter as with so many Iron Chains Resurrections of the Dead are reckon'd among the chiefest Miracles and they are very rarely seen We read but of three wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ But they are very cheap and common among the Miracles of the Legendary Saints Brother William raised but two from the Dead for his part but Brother Ambrose of Massa raised six Brother Nicholas raised one from the dead and gave new Eyes to a man who had his Eyes pluckt out which is much more than to restore to a blind man who hath Eyes but cannot see Brother Anthony raised several from the Dead Brother Odoric raised one Brother Minor. Brother Benevent raised two from the Dead The Sepulcher of Brother John Vafordia was so singular a Remedy against death that the Bodies of all those who dyed of a violent death being brought thither were raised without fail All these were Brothers of the Order of St. Francis who wrought such Miracles Not so much as the Women of that Order but had their share in this gift The B. Salome of the Royal Family of Poland raised some from the dead at one time she restored life to a Peacock that had been strangled by a Dog. And yet this is nothing in comparison of what hath been done by the Saints of the Order of St. Dominick St. Vincent Ferrier a Jacopin for his own share raised eight and thirty from the dead and St. Jacinthe a Polonian a Jacopin also raised fifty two And we shall see presently how the Venerable
Spouse of Christ always young and beautifull without spot or blemish This is the Language of the Popish Church who calls herself fair beautifull tho it be the most hideous deformed Society that bears the Christian name and calls herself Infallible in the midst of numberless Errors which make a Night of darkness wherein she hides herself IV. 'T is the Enemy of God of his Religion and his H. Word that endeavours not a conformity to the rules he hath given in his Word making to themselves another word of God which they call Tradition which is altogether and directly opposite to the true Word of God. Vnder pretence of making use of the H. Scripture they wretchedly abuse and wrest it Applying Scripture to all their false and foolish Mysteries without either reason or Conscience and by ridiculous and impious applications of Scripture exposing it to the derision of the Profane to the contempt and scorn of Infidels They maim and curtail it and impudently falsifie and pervert it and lest all this be not enough they speak as ill things of it as can be said of any book This Book they say is Imperfect 't is obscure 't is full of snares 't is the source of Heresies it abounds with Contradictions it contains an hundred things whose out side is proper to scandalize the weak it is insufficient one half of it is lost it hath no authority without the Church any more than the History of Titus Livius Lastly the Papacy makes use of the Scripture as if it were its own they abrogate the Laws of God laid down in the Scripture they grant dispensation contrary to those Laws they command that which the H. Scripture forbids and forbid that which it enjoyns and to make it evident that the Papacy is indeed the Enemy of God it always stands upon its guard to resist the force of Scripture defend themselves against the word of God by their Distinctions V. 'T is a Prodigy of Filthiness and Impurity whereas Christianity should be a Miracle of Holiness The Head of that Religion hath discovered such a train of Impieties and disorders that for enormity or continuance the like hath never been seen Some of their Popes have been seen wallowing in the pollutions of the flesh in drunkenness and all manner of filthiness and debauchery not only as to women but even Sodomy and Brutality and the most unnatural Lusts Some of 'em have been Magicians and Sorcerers Some have been seen who were Profane Atheistical without God without Religion bathing themselves in Blood Assassins Poisoners Murderers Traitors and oftentimes putting the whole world in a flame Their Priests and Ministers have been seen plung'd into the same disorders following the Example of their Head and treading in the steps of their Leader Ignorant Impious debaucht neglecting the service of God and intent only on their dishonest gain and fleshly Lusts Their Convents of men and women which they call Retirements from the world and little forts and castles of Holiness these I say have been observed to be as bad as the most infamous places of prostitution for all manner of debauchery Lastly their People also were carried away with this fearfull Torrent of corruption having lost the Spirit and power of Religion and retained nothing of Christianity but the name All this may be seen in the history of former ages VI. 'T is a Prodigy of Pride all whose doctrine Theology and Religion is proud and tends to destroy that Spirit of Humility which is the Spirit of the Gospel Pride discovers it self every where in the Papacy in its actions conduct words outside and inside It speaks loftily and magnificently of it self boasting that she is the only Body of J. Christ the only way to Heaven treating all other Communions as Heretical Sects Schismaticks Reprobates Damned Excommunicate as people that deserve to be condemned to the Fire and to be burnt in both worlds The Head of the Papacy is a monster of Pride who as God sits in the Temple of God who gives out his orders as if they were Oracles who makes himself be plac't upon the Altar and there to be worshipt who makes Kings and Emperors kiss his feet and will be carried on the shoulders of Nobles and great Men who holds the Keys of Hell of death and of Paradise in his hand who pretends to the Right of deposing Kings giving away their Crowns who will have homage paid him by all Christians who will be called God upon Earth his Holiness and the Holy Lord Who saith he is the Sun of the world and that all other Princes are but as the Moon and Stars His Ministers under him are Earthy Princes who will not give place to Soveraigns The meanest of their Priests exalt themselves above all other men and crowned Heads must kneel at their feet in Confession and they magisterially give sentence concerning the Eternal Life or Death of men VII 'T is a Merchandise a Trade of forgery lying covetousness and deceit The Papacy by innumerable unrighteous methods hath gained prodigious wealth not only in money and moveables but in lands not only in Lands but in Cities not only Cities but Provinces not particular Provinces only but whole Kingdoms It hath then pillaged and cheated the world and therfore is the worse of the two and by this means hath acquired extraordinary Riches to maintain and augment their abundance every thing in the Papacy is exposed to sale Offices Benefices Churches Sacraments Sins Adultery Incest Murder Parricide Sodomy Brutality and dispensations for any for every thing Paradise and God himself are to be sold but 't is their unhappiness not to be able to deliver 'em into the possession of the Purchasers VIII 'T is a great and vast Body which hath the Spirit of Impurity and Reprobation as a soul to animate it And these imprue Spirits come forth out of the mouth of the Papacy as so many frogs These unclean Spirits are diffused by the mouth of their Schoolmen who amuse the world with a silly obscure and bold Theology by the mouth of their Canonists who have given the Christian World such rules and laws as are obscene wicked and impure and filled volumes with their decisions of Cases full of absurdities extravagant and contradictory stuft with pride and filthiness of all sorts by the mouth of their Casuists and directers of Conscience who have vended such Morals that Pagans would be ashamed of who make nothing of the vilest Crimes and lay men under no obligation to love God who permit men to kill to steal to eommit adultery fornication and any other wichedness only as inconsiderable Venial Faults by the mouth of their Legendaries who have compiled an heap of frightfull and silthy Fables by the mouth of their Masters of Devotion who direct the People to pay that Honour to Saints and Angels which is due only unto God and speak such things in the praise of the Creature which are
the first Empire in whose place it comes This being notorious and confess'd 't is not necessary to insist larger upon it At present we must see how this is found in the Papacy in which Religion Church and State are mingled and hid one under another 'T would be needless to prove that it is a Religion and a Church this is acknowledged this is pretended this is boasted so that we have nothing else to prove but that the Papacy is a mere Civil State or Monarchy hid under the appearance of a spiritual one The Popish Monarchy hath its Metropolis and Senate In every Civil State or Empire there is first a Metropolis which is the seat of the Prince the Residence of the Senate and from which all Lawes and Orders are sent abroad The Papacy hath such a one it hath its Metropolis and the Wicked Spirit who hath founded this Monarchy chose out a City of great Reputation to be the seat of it I mean Rome which all nations of the world during many Ages had been accustomed to look on as their Mistresse which made it less difficult to pay respect to it as the Royal Seat of this second Monarchy The Imperial Dignity which had alwayes placed its seat in this City proved a Basis to erect this sacerdotal soveraignity upon The Bishops of Rome having had the honour to be considered as the Principal Bishops on the account of their glorious City afterward came to persuade themselves that this Honour was their due Prerogative When the Emperors lost Rome the Popes seised it for themselves and preserved its antient Title The Queen of the World. 'T was styld Vrbs the City by way of Eminence under the Emperors the Popes do still keep the same Name for it Rex venit ante fores jurans prius Vrbis honores Secular States have their Senates Antichristianism hath one of its own in the famous Colledge of Cardinals a Senate whose Senators and members are clothed in Purple have in every thing succeeded the ancient Senators of Rome Accordingly at their Election these words are pronounced You are Senators of the Ruling City equal to Kings Cerâ—m l. 3. Sect. 8. Art. 6. the true Pillars of the World. This Senate determines the fates of Kings and bestowes the Crowns of Heaven and Earth Every secular Monarchy hath its Monarch It hath a Monarch Antichristianism hath one This Monarch dwells in Stately Palace hath a numerous Retinue of Servants He is attended as the greatest Princes His Court is made up of such as challenge the foremost rank from all the Potentates of the World. The Cardinals will take place of Kings or will not come behind them Every Cardinal hath his Palace his Retinue his Equipages his House where all the Pleasures and carnal Pomps of the world are to be seen Kings are but Lieutenants in this Antichristian Monarchy This Monarch hath under him a great and vast Empire divided into several Provinces to which he sends his Deputies T is true they are not call'd by this Name some of them are call'd Kings Dukes Princes c. The Pope is so civil as to leave them these specious Titles But he challenges a Right to take away their Crownes to Depose them to absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegeance and to give away their Dominions to others Never any Emperors pretended to more Power over the Governors of Provinces in the Roman Empire The Canonists say in plain termes That there is no Soveraign Power but in the Pope that the Authority of God and of the Pope is the same thing that whoever say otherwise are wretched Flatterers who deceive the Kings and Princes of the Earth Besides this Kind of Deputies the Pope hath others who are called Primates Metropolitans Archbishops Bishops which have divided Christendom into Provinces to share it among themselves and receive from the Pope Bulls and Commissions and also pay him Tribute and yield him Homage Pont. Rom. Hommages and Oâ—â—hes of Alligiance Cerem lib. 1. This Temporal Monarch takes an Oath of Allegiance from both these Kinds of Lieutenants where he is not hindred The Emperor at his Coronation takes an Oath that he will cordially pay to the Church of Rome the Duties of Obedience Defence and Protection Archbishops and Bishops swear Fealty and Obedience to St. Peter to the holy Church of Rome and to our most holy Lord the Pope for time being And this Oath hath no exceptions I promise Fidelity against all manner of persons Without so much as excepting the Kings whose Subjects the Bishops are After the taking the Oathes of Allegeance there are homages and presents to be made The Emperors are their Coronation after they have sworn Allegeance to the Pope must bring a Barr of Gold and lay it at his feet The Bishops also cannot have the Full Title nor execute the Episcopal Office till they have payd their Tributes which is call'd Annates Soveragin Princes have invested their subjects into their Offices by some Ceremony by giving a Sword or a Staff. Formerly the Emperors invested Bishops and Abbots by a Crosier and Ring But the Pope is so arrogant that he will invest the Emperors into the Empire On Christmas Eve he consecrates a Sword which he sends to Soveraigns to teach them that this sword signifieth the supreme Temporal Power bestowed by Jesus Christ upon the Pope his Vicar on Earth The Courts of the Antichristian Monarchy Secular Princes have their Courts and Tribunals in all the Provinces that are under them The Pope hath his Courts and Offices his Tribunals to which formerly almost all Civil Causes were brought under pretext of being spiritual At Rome there is a supreme Court to which all the rest are responsable 't is named the Rota Besides all this he reserves to himself the weightiest Causes He judgeth between one King and another between God and men He deposeth he excommunicates he plucks up he plants he pulls down he builds up he creates new Princes he layes aside old ones he dispenseth with Oathes and with Obedience to divine and humane Lawes Secular Princes maintain Allyances with other Princes They make Leagues and Treaties they establish societies they keep up mutual Intelligence in one anothers States For this end they send Embassadors to one another they make Negotiations and conclude Treaties The Pope doth all this He sends his Legates his Nuncios his Embassadors into all Courts of Europe He hath his Allyes and his Enemies he makes Leagues and Allyances hath a hand in all great Negotiations and Treaties And it must not be sayd that he acts as a Temporal Prince who Rules over some part of Italy For he pretends to have right to concern himself in all Treaties between Christian Princes as he is Head of the Church Secular Princes besides their subjects have also their Vassals And there are some Princes and Lords who hold their Lands and Territories of others as their
conformable to the common Rule of all Christians let them not instance in the Unity of one God the adorable Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the Incarnation of the second person in our nature who is call'd J. Christ His death which was the Ransom and Redemption of mankind his Resurrection which hath ascertain'd ours his Ascension which hath open'd Heaven and made way for our admission his sitting at the Right hand of his Father who hath constituted him Lord and King of the Church and of the World his Intercession which procures for Believers all the good that is necessary to their Eternal Blessedness the Efficacy of the Redeemer's blood with respect to men The Life Everlasting the Resurrection of the dead and the last Judgment Let them not I say instance in any of these to prove the agreement of their Religion with the H. Scripture for 't is not to the purpose All that is Christianity and not Popery 't is my Religion as well as theirs We know very well that Christianity hath continued in the Papacy but we know likewise that Paganism hath been built upon it in the Church of Rome and this is that which makes it truly Antichristian Popery is that which constitutes a particular Sect and distinguisheth it from all others and this we assert hath no kind of Conformity to the Law of J. Christ The Sacrisice of the Mass hath no foundation in Scripture Let us instance in the Sacrifice of the Mass a point of very great importance if in any Religion there be any such because it concerns the sacrifice of a God unto God thereby to obtain Eternal Life the remission of sins and all the blessings of Heaven and Earth for mankind Because it treats of establishing a new Priesthood and new Priests and such as in the act of sacrificing are superior to their own God who is but a meer victim Now in making this Sacrifice I assert that they have altogether neglected and slighted the H. Scripture and had no regard at all to the revelation and Law of J. Christ After the establishment of this Sacrifice it was thought fit to search the Scripture for arguments to prove it but antecedent to such an establishment this was not thought of insomuch that the passages brought to prove the Sacrifice of the Mass seem to be collected and produc'd for no other end than to expose the Christian Religion to the scoffs of the Profane and the raillery of Infidels From the old Testament these words in the book of Genesis are quoted Genes 14. 1 Sam. 2.34 that Melchisedeck brought forth or offer'd unto Abraham bread and wine those words of God to Eli I will raise me up a Faithfull Priest who shall do according to that which is in my mind and in my heart And that which the wise man saith in the book of Proverbs Chap. 9.1 Wisdom hath built her an house c. she hath furnished her Table and the words of the Prophet Malachy In every place Incense shall be offer'd unto my name and a pure offering 1. C. 11. From the new Testament are alledged the words of our Lord to his Apostles Do this in Remembrance of me 26. Matth. And these of our Lord to the Samaritan Woman Believe me the hour cometh 4 John 21. when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but they that worship him shall worship him in Spirit and Truth And those words of S. Luke 13 Acts. v. 2. And as they ministred to the Lord and those of S. Paul to the Corinthians You cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devills you cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devills and in another place we have an Altar whereof they could not partake who served at the Tabernacle One would wonder how these Texts should be produc't as Proofs in this case Where is the Victim where is the Priest where are the Ceremonies the Consecration Elevation Adoration and Oblation of the Sacrifice where are the Introitus the Gradual the Canon the Offertory used by the Romanists If the Jews to maintain their worship their Sacrifices and the different orders of their Ministers who serv'd at their Altats their High Priest their Feasts their Pascal Lamb their Continual Sacrifice Morning and Evening their Scape-Goat their Ark their Mercy-seat their Cherubims their Distinction of Meats their Circumcision if I say to justifie these things the Jews had produced such Texts of Scripture and said these contain the Proofs of our Religion this is our Authority for it I 'am confident they would have past for Mad-men and if the World were once cured of their Prejudices they would say as much concerning the Papists This is one great point wherin Popery is not sollicitous to keep any agreement with the Scripture the common Rule of all Christians There is no Scripture Evidence for the Pope There is another Instance no less notorious than the former After the Sacrifice it naturally followes that we consider the Priest now Popery hath an High Priest and Head of the Universal Church a Vicar of J. Christ a Lieutenant of God on Earth This is the binding stone of the Arch 't is the Center of the Union So capital an Affair that there is no salvation without adhereing to this High Priest and must we be put off to Tradition for the proof of such an Article as this what Title is there in the scripture to this great Office what Call to such a Charge This is alledged Thou art Peter and on this Rock will I build my Church and what thou hast bound on earth shall be bound in Heaven feed my sheep I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not All this is spoken by our Ld. to the Apostle Peter and this is the establishment of the office and Imployment of High Priest which the Pope claims as his peculiar I would that a meer Turk who is not prepossest with the sentiments of a particular sect might be our judge in this case Let him look upon the Infallible man at Rome with his Triple Crown on his head who pretends to be the Judge the King the Spiritual Soveraign of all Christians even of Kings themselves and examin those passages cited out of our Law in savour of his Pretentions 'T is manifest that this Turk would believe you mockt him Where is there any thing here would he say of the City of Rome where are the Cardinals where is there any appointment of this Soveraign Tribunal to which all the World must appeal If those words bestow any special priviledge upon S. Peter is it said he must have a Successor in those Prerogatives and if he was to have a Successor is there any one syllable that should make us imagine that this Successor must have his Seat at Rome 'T is certain they may say that S. Peter was at Rome that He did
of the Text Gen. 3.15 where God saith and it shall bruise thy heel which the Vulgar Latine renders and she shall bruise thy heel which the Papists apply to the Virgin in order to make her the Redeemer of mankind and the object of adoration S. Paul in the 11. Ch. of the Epistle to the Hebrews saith that Jacob worshipt leaning upon the top of his staff i.e. he lean'd upon his staff to bear him up whiles he worshipt the Vulgar Latin hath corrupted this passage by translating adoravit fastigium virgae he worshipt the top of his staff a mistake as palpable as 't is gross and yet the Papists receive and defend it as very proper to justify the worship of Images For you need only suppose that his staff had an Image on its head How the Canonists abuse the Scriptures If we would see these Abuses and ridiculous applications of Scripture in their deformity we must read the Canonists Authors who have a great yea a soveraign Authority at Rome You will find these men proving the twofold power of the Pope from the two Swords which the Apostles had when Christ was seized by Judas Jesus sayd It is enough he did not say 'T is too much therefore the spiritual and temporal power belong to the Pope Moses relating the History of the Creation saith In the beginning God created c. in principio and not in principiis in the beginnings therefore the Pope is the only Prince the only Soveraign of the Universal Church you are a Manichee if you understand it otherwise Christ saith to Peter Feed my sheep in general and not such and such sheep in particular therefore the Pope is the Vniversal Pastor of the Church S. Paul saith the powers are ordained of God i. e. that all Kings are the Popes vassals Moses tells us that God made two great Lights the Sun and the Moon the Church is the Moon therefore the Pope is the Sun the Guide and Light of the Church Christ saith to Peter put up thy sword into its sheath therefore the Pope is to manage the sword and take away Crowns from Kings as he pleaseth God saith to the Prophet I have set thee over the Kingdoms to root out and to plant this is another express text to prove that the Pope may dethrone Monarchs and make new Soveraigns S. Paul writes to the Corinthians he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man therefore the Pope may condemn and judge whom he pleaseth but as for him tho he is a Sorcerer Sodomite a Pagan he ought to be let alone and lest to the judgment of God. Christ said concerning himself all power is given me in heaven and earth therefore the Pope may challenge this as Christs Vicar * All the Kings of the earth shall worship him We did honestly believe that this passage respected Christ and none besides but thanks to the Canonists we now unsterstand that the Pope must be worship'd and that all Kings must kiss his Pantofle this Text saith so He hath put all things under his feet The Kings of Tarsis shall bring him presents i. e. the whole world ought to pay homage to the Pope Scriptures abused by the Mystical Authors Their Mysticall Authors who have written whole books for this very end to explain the mystical significations of the Ceremonies of the Church and of the habits of the Priests come not behind the Canonists in impertinent applications of Scripture The Priest puts a hood on his Head which is call'd the Amict the reason given is because S. Paul said take The Helmet of Salvation He wears a linnen Surplice which is call'd an Albe the reason is because 't is written let thy Garments be White This Surplice must be embroider'd about the edges because 't is written the Queen shall be brought in raiment of Needle-work They who are pleased with such stuff may find many other Instances in our Exceptions I will add no more of this kind because they are meerly triffling But will proceed to their Blasphemies Thus we ought to call those impious and profane applications which the cursed votaries of the Roman Church make unto the Saints of that which belongs only to God and his Eternal son Blasphemous applications of the Scriptures Beside those blasphemous and cursed Applications which are every where scatter'd in their Writings the lying Spirit hath taken care to compile a whole body of them in two Books the one is call'd The Ladies Psalter composed by Bonaventure the other the Bible of Mary by Albertus Magnus In these two Books you will find all the great and glorious things which the Scriptures speak to the Creators Glory applyed to the Glory of the Creature 'T is not the glory of God which the Heavens declare 't is that of the Virgin The Heavens declare your Glory O Virgin. The 27 Psal celebrates God as the Light of Believers but 't is no longer He the Virgin hath his room O our Lady say they to her my Illumination comes from your face The 31 Psal maketh God the object of the Soul's Confidence but they address those excellent words unto the Virgin and say to her Mother of God I have trusted in you I shall not be confounded forever take my Soul into your Favour and Mercy I commit my Soul into your hands O incomparable Virgin. Nothing is more peculiar to God than the exercise of Mercy which the Psalmist implores in the 51 Ps Have mercy upon me O God c. The Papists pull God out of the Throne of grace and teach their Penitents to say Have mercy upon me O our Lady who art call'd the Mother of Mercy and according to the bowels of your Compassions purge me from mine Iniquities pour out your Grace upon me and take not your ordinary Clemency away from me For I will confess my Sins before you I will accuse my self of my own faults The Psalms of David are peculiarly consecrated to the Glory of God this is the reason why the Psalmist every where sings the praises of God and celebrates his Greatness but all this is applyed to Mary For instance that excellent 103 Psalm which begins Bless the Lord O my Soul is thus changed My soul bless the Mother of Jesus Christ and all that is within me glorify her Holy Name Forget not Her Benefits Her Favours and Her Consolations by Her Grace sins are forgiven by Her Mercy Diseases are healed There is the same strain from the beginning to the end of the Psalter The Bible of Mary is written on the very same design Whereas the true disciples of J. Christ find him every where in the Old Testament not only in the Predictions and Types but even in such passages where few would have sought him This Bible of Mary finds the B. Virgin every where in the Old Testament agreeably to its design which is as the Author tells us to apply unto the
we call Avarice and Simony is an honest and lawful means to support the honour and the Majesty of the Church CHAPTER XII The Eighth Character of Antichristianism which agrees to the Papacy The Spirit of Impurity and Reprobation IN the 16th Chapter of the Revelations we have an admirable Character of Antichristianism and a very plain and evident one where He speaks of three unclean Spirits coming out of the mouth of the Dragon of the Beast and the False Prophet V. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like Frogs come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and out of the Mouth of the beast and out of the Mouth of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty V. 15. And he gatherd them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon The Spirits coming out of the Mouth of the Dragon are his words I cannot think that any man who will consider without prejudice the interpretation we have given of this Oracle in our Accomplishment of Prophecies can doubt of the truth of it 'T is manifest that those Spirits coming out of the mouth must be understood of words for so words are exprest in a figurative stile in the H. Scripture The Spirits therfore which come out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet are doubtless the Words Laws and Doctrine of Antichrist And termed Vnclean Spirits because of the Impiety Folly Extravagance and Character of Reprobation which is to be apparent in those Laws and in that Doctrine of Antichrist Let us see whether this agree to the Papacy whether their words be not impious and impure extravagant and foolish and bear the marks of a Reprobate Spirit We must look for this in the words of Antichristianism that is what hath been said and taught by those who have liv'd in the Antichristian Kingdom in one word by the Doctors of the Church of Rome They are of several ranks and degrees Schoolmen Canonists Legendaries Preachers Casuists and the Authors of Mystical Theology Devotion and Controversy If we examin the words of all those different Authors we shall find in 'em the Characters of these impure and diabolical Spirits which come out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet The Impurity of the Schoolmen In the first rank are the Schoolmen a sort of Doctors who started up in the twelvth Century when the Devil had just compleated the Antichristian Monarchy and made up the confused mass of Errors and Superstitions which belong to Antichrist the Beast spake and innumerable lying Doctors appear'd under his Authority to abuse the People and continue them in the darkness of Ignorance The Patriarchs of this kind of Doctors who gave rise to this Monstrous Theology were Lombard whom they call the Master of the Sentences Albertus Magnus Abelardus and Thomas Aquinas The H. Scripture was buried in oblivion Aristotle succeeded in the place of S. Paul and a barbarous Philosophy brought forth a Divinity that was much more barbarous What is this Divinity of the Papists 'T is a black and gloomy science rising from the Bottomless Pit cover'd with Clouds and Darkness 'T is a Dedalus an inextricable Labyrinth which the wisest of mankind can never unriddle 'T is a dark and confused Chaos where a very little of that which is good is buried under a great deal of that which is otherwise 'T is a new and barbarous Language invented to astonish and confound the simple where they talk of nothing else but Quiddities and Entities Formalities and Modalities Hecceities and Identities Categoricks and Syncategoricks and a thousand such like things good for nothing but to darken the minds of men and hinder the light of Truth by an infinity of trifling unintelligble distinctions 'T is an Heap of frivolous Questions knotty impenetrable obscure and oftentimes blasphemous In this Scholastick Divinity they gravely inquire whether God can seperate a Relation from its subject whether the Body of J. Christ could be in the Eucharist before his Incarnation whether God could become a Woman whether this Proposition God is a snail or a pumkin be as possible as this God is man whether God could command all sorts of Crimes even the Haâ—red of himself and the Hypocrisie and Dissimulation of all good Actions even in his own Service whether numeral words do add any thing real to the Divinity whether the number of divine Persons ought to belong to first or to second Intentions whether this Proposition God the Father hates his Son be possible or no whether the second person of the Trinity might not have been united to a Devill to a Stone to a Plant to an Asse and if that be supposed how the Stone or Plant could have been crucified have preacht and wrought Miracles c. In all this one may plainly perceive an Impure and Reprobate Spirit and the unclean spirits which come out of the mouth of the false Prophet There is none of the Christian Mysteries but they have polluted and blemisht by their bold Questions that of the Trinity of the Incarnation of the Divine Nature and Providence And tho of late they are a little come off from that way there yet remains so much of it as is sufficient to discover this character of Antichristianism The Errors and Superstitions and Idolatries of Popery are concealed and cloak't under the niceties and darkness of this Divinity 'T is this that hath coin'd those numberless distinctions which are so many Subterfuges where error and Idolatry secure themselves when we attempt to discover ' em 'T is to this Theology that we owe those famous terms of worship absolute and relative Dulia Latria and Hyperdulia of Transubstantiation Concomitance and an hundred others like these Impurities of the Canonists The Canonists are another kind of the Mouths wherby the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet do speak their words likewise have the Character of unclean and diabolical Spirits Burchard Bishop of Wormes Albertus Abbot of Gemblour Anselme Bishop of Lucca Ives Bishop of Chartres Gratian a Benedictine Monk of Bologna Raimond of Penna Fortè were the principal Composers of the Papal Laws and of those Decrees of the Papacy the body whereof makes up the Canon Law and they are in truth the unclean and diabolical spirits which come out to deceive the Kings of the Earth and to gather them together in battell against God in the place of Armageddon and that under the bond and tye of Excommunication It may be said truly that there is no Folly Filthiness Extravagance or Blasphemy which is not to be found in these Authors of the Canon Law. In one place we read that a Community of Wives is a very good thing and that Plato who would have introduc't it was the wisest of all
others calls her at every foot Diva i. e. Goddesse My Goddesse the Iesuite Iames du Iardin The Iesuite Rapin who is now living famous for his Writings in prose and verse saith of her Diva quam rebus trepidis benignam Lipsius calls our Lady of Hall Dea Hallensis the Goddesse of Hall. These are Poets you 'le say therefore that none may lay the blame of such language on the license of Poesy we must know that Philip Berâ—ald Ambrose Catharini Cardinal Bembo in their prose call her by the same Name of Goddess Bernardin de Bustis Antonin Archbishop of Florence would have her styl'd Dea dearum the Goddess of Goddesses Now these Goddesses over whom the Virgin presides are all the Saints of Heaven And thus we have as many female deities as there are Canonized Women in the Calender They do not only style the Virgin a Goddess but prove her to be so and take their Arguments from this That there is an infinite difference Between Her and Her Servants even as there is an infinite difference between God and his Worshippers and from this Viridarium Viepas Alanus de Rupe Alexis de Salo. That we may measure the divine Greatness by the Greatness of the Virgin and from this That she is the most noble chamber of the most H. Trinity and from this that God sayd to Her Thou shalt be changed into me and again from this that besides a being of Glory and Grace she hath esse dei the Being of God and lastly from this that God is not only in Her by his Grace but in the way of identity i. e. is become one with her Viridarium Pelbatt Binet Alexis de Salo. If the Virgin be a Goddess and all the other Shee-saints be inferior Goddesses and consequently all the Men-saints be inferior Gods it must not be doubted that all our good things come from them both At this rate these devout Gentlemen speak Bernardin Stellarium No favour comes down from God to us but thro the hands of the B. Virgin. The Virgin is the Queen-regent of Paradise the Country of Grace and Mercy The Treasures of the H. Spirit were given her as her dowry and Paradise as her Portion Therefore all the Gates of Heaven are at her devotion 'T is thro her hands that all the Happiness which Heaven lets Fall into our soules doth pass She is the Lady-Treasurer of Heaven the dispenser of all the Gifts of God She is the Neck thro which Iesus Christ sends down all spirituall sense and motion unto his Church Methodius Ozotius Albett Biblia Mariae She ruleth over Earth Heaven and Hell. She is the high and mighty Princess of the heavenly Potentates She is universal Queen A Queen seven ways for she hath seven Kingdoms The most important Affairs of the Trinity pass thro her hands Alanus de Rupe so that all the Citizens of Heaven the inhabitants of Earth the Souls in purgatory nay in Hell Antonin Biel. do acknowledge her as their Mistress and humbly bow the Knee before Her. J. Gerson The Angels are the souldiers of the Virgin. Missels She saith to one Go and to another Come Hymns She turns about the Heavens giveth light to the Sun Methode and governs the World. Her dominion is vast Admirable for she not only commands the Creatures but even God himself as being his Mother She hath a power over her Son Bonaventure founded upon a better right than that of other Mothers Lvo Carnet For our Saviour hath a greater Obligation to the Virgin Mary Salmeron than other Children have to their Mothers She hath requited God for all that she received of him Conformities She hath discharged herself by way of retribution yea she hath requited God for all that we receive from him Carolus 'T is true Scribanius we are Debtors to God but as for the Virgin God is a Debtor to her for the Virgin hath done more or as much for God as God hath done for mankind Iesus Christ by imitating the Virtues of Mary discharged his Office of Saviour The Virgin together with her Son is the cause of the Creation of the World 't is for her and for him that God created the whole universe All believers are elected and predestinated thro the Virgin. She is the Book of Life She merited to be the mother of God and to be the Mother of all Mankind Every thing that is spiritual flowes from Iesus as the Father and from Mary as the Mother of it She is more merciful to Sinners that Iesus Christ 'T is not possible that those should be saved from whom Mary turns away the eyes of her Mercy and 't is absolutely necessary that those should be justifyed toward whom she turns her Eyes 'T is against her alone that we sin If a man finds himself prosecuted by the justice of God he may appeal to the Virgin. The Mothers Mercy hath often saved thâ—se whom the Son hath a mind to damn one condemned by the Son is saved by the Mother If a man were in Hell the Virgin is able to fetch him out Every body hath heard of the Red Ladder and the White Ladder the Red is that of J. Christ the White is that of the Virgin. All those who had a mind to go up by the Ladder of J. Christ were tumbled down from the top to the bottom and all those who went up by the Ladder of the Virgin got into Paradise 'T is the Virgin that gave her Son to men and sacrificed him for them She offerd him by agreement with the Father and by conformity to the Son and thus offering him for all she hath procur'd the salvation of all The Clients of the Virgin represent themselves as in suspence between the Son and the Mother between the Milk and the Blood not knowing which way to turn 'T is easy to conclude what kind of worship ought to be given to one that is and doth so many things Therefore they say that the Invocation of the Virgin Salazar Binet Coster Alexis Vasques is of absolute necessity and that those who pray not to her are as bad as those who blaspheme her They beg of her in express terms whatever is desir'd from God Heaven Pardon of Sin Grace Repentance Victory over the Devil F. Sufften Viridarium Crasser 'T is not enough to pray to the Virgin you must adore her every knee must bow to her adoring her as soveraign Queen of Men and Angels And this Adoration is not to be a meerly external Adoration but internal The Angels themselves adore the Virgin and have adored her ever since she was born On the account of her own Holiness men owe Dulia to her on the account of her maternal relation they owe her Hyperdulia and because she toucht our Saviour the adoration of Latria is due to her Those who well perform these services tho never
the Ashes and Reliques of the Dead Lastly they worship and make use of Images and Pictures of the great God of Angels and of Separate Souls These are the five objects of worship in the Papacy The Heathens had just as many Paganism had also five First Rome Ancient as well as Modern worship one Supreme God a being infinitely Perfect King of men and of Gods as they were wont to speak Their Jupiter was the Soul of the world and as the Masters of their mysteries explain'd it he was Every thing Their different Gods called Neptune Pluto Ceres They worshipt but one supreme God. Apollo Vesta c. were but different names of the same great God upon different accounts many of their wise men have left it in their writings that at the bottom they believ'd but one only God at least this is certain that between their Jupiter and their other Gods and as to the opinion they had of him and his worship S. August lib. 4. de Civiâ— dei cap. 11. they made the same difference as the Papists do between the great God Creator of Heaven and Earth and between Angels and Saints The inferior Gods of Paganism were nothing else but those created spirits which according to our Theology do execute the orders and commands of God under him so that Popery hath no reason to boast it self above Paganism in this respect that they acknowledg'd and worshipt a plurality of Gods wheras the Papists do adore and acknowledg but one only for at the bottom the Theology of the Papists and of the Heathen is all one in that particular To prove a difference between Paganism and Popery in this respect they must not alledge the fables of the Heathen Poets for the Romans look't upon the fables of the Grecians as no other than Blasphemies against the Deity you ought to read what is written on this subject by Cicero in his Book de naturâ Deorum and by Dionisius Halicarnassaeus in the second Book of his Roman Antiquities The second object of worship in Paganism as well as Popery is Angels Heathens and Papists worship Angells The Heathens conceiv'd of 'em as Mediatory Spirits Agents between the Supreme Gods and mortal men God hath nothing to do with man saith Plato but all the commerce and correspondence between God and man is by the mediation of Demons So they call'd those Spirits which we now term Angels The Demons he adds are as messengers who maintain the intercourse between God and man who on the one hand convey our supplications and prayers to God and on the other his Commandments and Rewards unto us All that have any knowledg of Antiquity know this to be true Is not this meer Popery are not the Angels set up as Mediators between God and men to offer unto God the prayers and good works of men Are they not made Intercessors to obtain from God the favors we stand in need of The Heathens had 9 orders of Spirits as well as the Papists Paganism went as far as Popery in the knowledg of good and evill Angels The Heathens had a notion of bad Angels as well as good They divided the Angels into several classes and 't is very remarkable that the mystical Authors of Paganism rankt Spirits in nine orders as the mystical Divinies of the Papacy do Jamblicus names 'em thus 1. God. 2. Angels 3. Demons 4. Heroes 5. Princes or Greater Governors 6. Governors of matter or more inferior Governors 7. Archangels 8. Souls 9. He adds to these the visible Gods as the Sun and Moon c. 'T is plain the one is the copy of the other the only doubt is which of the two is the original Paganism paid homage to all these Spirits that they might make them â—avorable to themselves they built Temples to them they burnt Incense in honour of them they made prayers to them they put themselves under their Protection they chose them for their Patrons they believed that every one of these Angels besides their general affairs took a particular care of one single person The Papists do all this to the Angels they pray to them they serve them they build Chappels to them they choose them for their Patrons every one believes that he hath his guardian Angel. The Papists worship the dead as thâ— Pagans did The third article of the Conformity that is between the Papacy and Paganism is the Worship of the dead 'T is certain that the greatest part of the Gentile Gods were men that had been deifyed after their death When a person had done some extraordinary service either to the commonwealth or the world either by the Inventing of some useful Art or by some considerable deliverance of his country or by his singular virtues after his death they made him a God. Afterward 't was grown the fashion at Rome to Deify all their Emperors good and bad Nero that he might abuse his own Religion and his Predecessor Claudius got him ranked among the Gods. At first the deifying of Hero's was done by the tacit consent of the people But the ancient Romans the very Patriarchs of the modern begun the custom of making Gods in a solemn manner When any of their Emperors dyed they built in some spacious place of the City a stately Funeral pile of wood and other combustible matter divided into several stories which were fashion'd as a Pyramid to the poynt of which a rope was fastned with which an Eagle was tyed by the foot The dead Corps was placed in a lower storie then the Pile was set on fire and when the rope was burnt the Eagle flew up to the heavens and some witnesses appointed for the thing came and made report to the Senate that they had seen the Soul of the Hero fly up to heaven After this by order of the Senate a Temple was built to him and divine honours were given him The Philosophers by their fanci'es augmented and supported the superstition of the vulgar they said that the Souls of men after they leave the bodie become a kind of Demons or Angels which the antients call'd Lemures that those souls which were good natured and took care of their posterity were named Lares Apulejus de Deo Sccrat familiars And those that were restless troublesom ill natur'd and affrighted men by night vision were named Larvae and when it was uncertain to which rank the departed soul did belong whether it was Lare or Larva then it was only named the God Manes A man must in my judgment be very blind if he seeth not and very obstinate if he confesseth not the conformity that is between this and Popery In the Papacy all their Churches are so many Tombes and Temples of dead men and women exactly as it was under Paganism They bear their Names this is the Church of S. Peter that of S. Paul of our Lady of Magdalen c. and either their Reliques or those of some other Saint
of the Antiquities of Rome confess it The Pantheon is now the Church of the V. Mary surnamed the Rotunde Twelve Idol Temples are reckon'd that have the same Honour i. e. to be consecrated to the Virgin. The Primitive Christians did so abhor Paganism that they would not for any thing in the world have celebrated their Mysteries in Pagan Temples But Popery which came in afterwards makes use of any thing of the Pagans their Temples their Images their Ceremonies I know not how any one can look on this Conformity otherwise than a certain Character of Antichristianism CHAPTER XVIII The Eleventh Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy a Spirit of Lying and Fables Falsehoods to sustain the Authority of the Pope A short account of the Romance of the V. Mary The Antichristian spirit must be a spirit of Lying and Fables ALL Heresies and false Religions in general have the Father of Lyes for their Author But yet 't is certain that there are some Sects that are distinguisht by this and have a Spirit of Lying for their Character 'T is plain by Scripture predictions that this was to be the Spirit of Antichristianism This is signified by those V. 13. Three unclean Spirits Apoc. 16. that come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth These Spirits of Devils are those Lying Spirits who by Fables and false Miracles deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth 'T is of the same Spirit of Lying and Imposture that this Prophecy speaks V. 13. And he doth great Wonders Cap. 13. so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men V. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by means of those Miracles These Wonders are Lying Miracles Delusions Impostures or Fables This is also predicted by St. Paul in his 2. Epist to the Thessalonians V. 9. Whose coming viz. of the Mystery of Iniquity is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders But above all this is the Character that the same Apostle expresly giveth the cursed Authors of the Antichristian Apostacy telling us that the Worship of Demons and Spirits as Mediators was to be set on foot by V. 2. Men 1 Tim. 4. speaking Lyes in Hypocrisy having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron The true Spirit of Popery is lying Fables and Imposture and consequently it is Antichristianism Let none wonder that we detain the Reader longer than usual on his Point For there is not a more sensible and palpable evidence that the Papacy oweth its Original to the Devil than this All false Religions have their fabulous Stories Paganism had its Fables corrupted Judaism had theirs But all the Fables of all the false Religions put together do not come near those of Popery either for number or horridness And those who will not see its Falsehood and Vanity by this prospect will never discern it by any other I promise once again that I do not call Popery that which remains of Christianity in the Roman Church for instance the Divinity of Christ his Resurrection his Redemtion and Judging the World c. Popery works no Miracles but to confirm its Superstitions These grand Truths are supported by Miracles and Wonders which were wrought by the Apostles and by Apostolical Persons The Papacy is not at all concern'd to support the Christian Truth by their Lying Miracles it takes little or no eare to preserve any part of it Or rather God hath not permitted that his holy Mystery should be disparaged by fabulous Evidences and Impostures of the Devil But the Papacy not being able to work true and real Wonders to confirm their Doctrines hath framed most horrid Relations fill'd with Lyes and ridiculous Fables to support the Popes Supremacy and Empire the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of the Virgin the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence the Adoration of the Eucharist and of Images We must with some exactness view some Instances of these Lying Histories that we may understand the spirit of Popery Fables invented to set up the Popes Supremacy One of its principal Articles is the Authority of the Pope his Infallibility his unlimitted power his Succession to the Apostelship and Supremacy of St. Peter These things must be found in Tradition for Scripture saith nothing of them And to find them there they must be put into it for they were not there neither To put them into it for want of History they must weave together a heap of Fables Therefore in the first place they must without any proof suppose that St. Peter after he had been seven years Bishop of Antioch came and made himself Bishop of Rome and that he sat there five and twenty years that he was crucifyed with his head downward and at his death appointed a Successor to whom he bequeath'd a full Authority over the Vniversal Church This Successor of St. Peter left his and this third another so that in a continued Succession until this day the Popes of Rome have always been Soveraigns of the Church Umpires of all differences Judges without appeal of all Controversies and Liege Lords of all the Kings of the Earth but all this is founded on meer Fables Fables concerning the abode and actions of St. Peter at Rome First The Journey and Death of St. Peter at Rome are not very certain 'T is true antient Authors have said so But it doth not in the least agree with the History of the Acts of the Apostles or with the Chronology of St. Paul's Epistles That Apostle made two Journeys to Rome where he was twice a Prisoner In his second Imprisonment they will have him suffer Martyrdom with St. Peter 'T is very surprising and astonishing that the Apostle who in his Epistles written at Rome mentioneth so many persons of a mean quality should say nothing of St. Peter The Mystery of Iniquity began to work in Saint Paul's time this Journey and Martyrdom of St. Peter at Rome whether true or false was to be the principal foundation of the vain pretences of this Counterfeit Monarch of the Church 'T is not improbable that this Spirit of Lying which sowed the first seeds of Antichristianism persuaded the Antients of the second Century that S. Peter had appointed the Bishop of Rome to be his Successor tho this was plainly false For St. Peter had the charge of the Jews and of the Church of the Circumcision Now the Jews were very inconsiderable at Rome where they had no more respect than those Fortune-tellers whom we call Gypsies have among us The greatest and most considerable part of the Jews were about Babylon and 't is there that St. Peter dates his first Epistle As to the pretended Episcopacy of St. Peter at Rome which lasted five and twenty years
Woman who observed the Birth-day of the Queen of Heaven nay further they know the very House where she was born it was scituated in Jerusalem very near to the Pool by the Sheep-market This the great Damascene hath told us who was honour'd with this Revelation very likely for his great zeal for the Adoration of the Virgin 's Images there were not less Miracles nor less Alterations in Heaven and Earth at the Birth of the Mother than there were afterward at the Birth of the Son. For whole Troops of Angels came down from Heaven and sung Hymns and melodious Songs in Honour of the newly born Spouse of the Eternal King. And the Holy little Girle which as soon as She was born had the use of her Reason was wonderfully pleased and rejoyced to hear them And which is still more strange this Melody of the Angelick Choir was every year repeated on the same day 'T is a Saint St. Bernardin de Bustis who tells us this and consequently we cannot doubt of it At the Birth of the Son there was the apparition of a New Star in the Air but there was a great deal more at the Birth of the Mother The Light of the Sun was doubled for a day and a night that of the Moon was so augmented that it was taken to be the Sun and more than all this close to the Body of the Moon there appeared a great Star of an extraordinary clearness and splendor Lastly an Angel gave the little Girle her Name and call'd her Mirjam which signifieth The Star of the Sea as the Monks explain it who are very skilful in the Hebrew and Rabbinical Language Because Mary was to succeed Venus who was begotten of the Scum of the Sea and the Seed of Caelus The Mother of the Messiah is at this day the Christians Venus the Morning-Star which guides them thro all Dangers to conduct and pilote them to the Haven of Grace Anna the Mother of Mary to obtain this Child had vowed to give her to God even as Anna Samuels Mother had vowed to give him To perform this Vow Anna the Wife of Joachim presented her Daughter when three years old to the Priests for the service of the Temple 'T was very wisely contrived to consecrate a Girle to the service of the Temple into which no Woman might so much as enter there being an outward Court which was appropriated to that Sex. Neverthless the Priests received her and put her into the Holy of Holies to keep the Cherubims company There she was fed eleven years by Angels After eleven years the Priests held a Consultation to know what they should do with this Holy Virgin the conclusion was that they should commit her to the keeping of Joseph who had given great evidences of his Virtue and Continence It had been far more sutable to have committed her to some venerable Matrons to keep But the Authors of this Romance did not judge this expedient because of something that was to follow upon this She was fourteen years old when she was committed to the custody of that good old man Joseph she was hansome and had every thing that was proper to inflame Love But the good Man went no further than as her Guardian to inspect and watch over her Three Months after this when she was in the first quarter of her fifteenth year she was honour'd with the Salutation of the Angel and with Marriage to the third Person of the adorable Trinity It would have seem'd more convenient for them to have made the Mother of our Lord to be of riper years as to her Body but especially as to her mind that she might be capable to reflect with more attention and judgment upon the Miracle which was wrought upon her The Virgin was but 15. years old when She ceiv'd by the Holy Ghost But the Legendaries are wiser than we and knew doubtless by Revelation that the Heavenly Bridegroom had most mind to young and growing Beauties She then becomes a Mother at fifteen years old And by reason of the Miracle which God had wrought in her Womb she was obliged to live with Joseph under the name of his Spouse to maintain her reputation among those who were ignorant of this Mystery It is not certain whether the Priests knew all this who committed her to the Custody of Joseph if they knew not that she had conceived by the Holy Ghost they had no great reason to be well pleased with Joseph who had been no more careful to preserve the Virginity of the Damsel put under his Tuition and Care. They who are contemplative as well as devout are extreamly puzled to know how this Miraculous Conception was made and of what matter Jesus was form'd for they think it not becoming the Majesty of the Lord Jesus that he should be formed of that Blood that which falls into the parts appointed for Conception Therefore they very piously tell us that the Holy Ghost took out Three Drops of Blood from the Heart of Mary and conveyd'em into the Vterus from thence to frame the body of our Saviour They who are not of this opinion yet confess that 't is a very devout and pious Contemplation When the B. Virgin had brought forth the Redeemer into the world and the rumor began to spread that it was by the Holy Ghost that She had conceiv'd and that She was delivered of a Son without blemishing the Marks of her Virginity there were multitudes who would not give credit to it And as we read of a Thomas who would see and put his Finger into the Side of Christ to be the better assured of his Resurrection so there was a certain Woman named Salome who would see and feel and search the Virgin-Mother with such Circumstances as would cause the most impudent of Women to blush and yet the Protoevangelium attributed to St. James hath related the whole Story at length The rest of the Life of Mary is wrote after the same strain and with the like degree of Modesty but that I may not enlarge too much I pass it over and come to her Death and Assumption which is the principal thing in this piece The Fable of the Assumption of the Virgin. because 't is on that especially they would ground her advancement to the Right Hand of God and the Divine Honours which are given to her Let us see then after what manner She dyed Mary had lived to the Age of 58. years others say 63. and others make it more 'T is very strange that knowing so exactly as they pretend all the rest of her Life that they should be no better informed concerning the length of it but the reason is because it is a matter of no great moment as to their design The Holy Virgin being weary of living earnestly intreats her Son to take her out of this World. Iesus sends an Angel to her with the promise and assurance that within three days it should
which ought in their judgment to be always under the Cross is fully obtain'd by these kind of sufferers I know not what Notions F. Maimbourg once a Jesuit had 'T is reported that he had begun to write the History of the Flourishing of Rome Christian probably he would have observed the Method which he used in his History of the Fall of the Empire If so 't is probable that he did not reckon among the Crosses of the Church all the troubles which the Popes endured from the Emperors who opposed their usurpations If the Papacy therefore will have Martyrs it must register in its Martyrology all that have dyed in the Wars raised against Kings by the Popes all that dyed in the Croisado's or in the massacring of the Waldenses and Albigenses all that dyed in the Field in the Wars raised in France on account of Religion at the Battels of Dreux of S. Denys Moncontour Coutras and many other engagements during the Design of the H. League in France to extinguish by Fire and Sword the Sect of the Calvinists and the antient Race of the French Kings I confess that such a reckoning would make a huge Martyrology and the Papists might glorie in being persecuted But the Hereticks in these dayes are somewhat scrupulous in the point of Martyrs and will find out something to hinder the Canonizing of such a vast multitude They will call those good Catholicks who dyed in the Wars against the Emperors of Germany Rebells who received from Heaven the just punishment of their Revolt They will say that the blessed Cross-bearers who dyed in the H. Lâ—nd or in going thither were a company of sidy distracted men who smarted for their rashness They 'le say that those who lost their lives in murthering the Waldenses and Hugenots were like Executioners who sometimes pay the scores of those who eâ—cape Laâ—â—ly they 'le say that the Church of Rome for eight hundred years past never suffered evil but when she had a mind to do mischief that She hath not born Jesus Christ's Cross but the Devils Cross that she hath been a Persecutor and not persecuted that she always came off victorious and that both her victories and combats have not been design'd for the advancing of the Throne of J. Christ but of that of the Pope Bellarmin is very ingenious Temporal prosperity cannot be a mark of the true Church Deâ—otis Eccl. â—ob 4. cap. 28. when he proves that temporal prosperity is a mark of the Church and among the Arguments to prove the real presence worship of Images Invocation of Saints c. he sets down the defeating of a hundred thousand Waldenses by eight thousand Catholicks the victories of the Popish Cantons in their Wars against the Protestant Swâ—â—zers and that of Charles V. over the Duke of Saxony in the year 1547. How well doth this agree with the Confession of the Bishop that the most peculiar Law of the Gospel is that of bearing the Cross These constant victories of the Papacy this continued prosperity of the Popes and of the Heroes who have defended their cause the dismal adversity of all that have opposed 'em these things I say in my opinion do afford a very strong Exception or prejudice against this Church For no such thing was ever promised to the Christian Church This prosperity was wholly reserved for the Antichristian Church at least until a certain Period in which the Church in her turn shall have Dominion over the earth and the world CHAPTER XXV The Conclusion In all Ages it hath been fore-seen or known that Rome and her Bishop are the Seat and Empire of Antichrist FOr a conclusion of this Work and of all that we design to say concerning the Antichristianism of the Church of Rome we will add some evidences to prove that we are not the only or the first men who have discern'd the Characters of Antichrist and of Antichristianism in Rome and her Bishop in the Pope and the Papacy 'T is above fifteen hundred years since some begun to discern that which we at this day behold more clearly The Fathers tho they fell into some mistakes concerning Antichrist yet did perceive something of this Mystery And in the Ages that were the darkest and the most enslaved under the Tyranny of the Papacy some were found who clearly saw Antichrist in Rome tho it was their great Interest not to see it because they always lookt on the Church of Rome as the true Church and both lived and dyed in her communion S. Irenaeus saw Antichrist in the number of the Beast S. Irenaeus without doubt was very unhappy in his Interpretations of the Mysteries of the Apocalypse as to what concerns Antichrist About whom he hath occasioned the mistakes of all those who followed his steps Notwithstanding we are beholding to him for the understanding of the Mystery coucht in the Name of Antichrist which was to make 666. He hath observed that the name Lateinos i. e. Roman or Latin does exactly make this number and this is of great use 't is a considerable discovery that lets us know where we ought to seek for Antichrist Not at Constantinople nor at Isphahan nor at Pequin but at Rome and in the Master of Rome S Jerom saw Antichrist in Rome Christian St. Jerom lived in the fourth Century in which the Church had a most glorious Age as to temporals The Church of Rome began at that time to raise herself above all other Churches to act the Queen and appear as a Star of the greatest magnitude The Bishop of Rome began to be a great Prince he had a brave House a stately Equipage a sumtuous Table was courted by many In a word his condition was such that a Roman Consul would willingly have changed preferments For a Heathen named Praetextatus prickt for Consul said Make me Bishop of Rome and I 'le turn Christian From hence the Flatterers of the Popes draw this profitable conclusion for the Church of Rome that she is naturally and necessarily the Queen of all the Churches St. Jerom who relates this saying of Pretextatus doth not draw the same conclusion on the contrary he begins to discern the characters of mystical Babylon in this pomp of the Roman Church his words are Whilst I dwelt in Babylon Praefat. in lib. Dydyâ—â— de Spir. Sâ—â— and was a subject of the Woman cloathed in purple I had a mind to discourse concerning the Holy Spirit and to dedicate that smal work which I had begun to the Bishop of that City but behold the Pot which Jeremy saw in the Northern climate behind a Staff began to boyle The Senat of Pharisees and all the false Scribes not one excepted making up one faction of Ignorance set themselves to conspire against me as tho I had a mind to contest with 'em in point of learning 'T is not Rome Pagan that he speaks of for 't was almost fifty years since she had submitted to Christianity
Roman Empire reviving under a new Form and under the name of the Roman Church it being still future and yet to begin he was to give us the History of its growth as well as of its decay which as we shall see he hath also done 5. The Prophet then considering the whole continuance of the Roman Empire as well with respect to that which remained of it as Pagan as in reference to that which was to rise and subsist under the Name of the Roman Church to the time of the arrival of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ he doth divide it first into Seven Seals And under the six first Seals he predicts all that should befal it under the Heathen Emperors till the time of Constantin's overthrowing Paganism and his advancing the Christian Religion to the Throne 6. Now this Revolution having made a great change on the stage of the World the Holy Spirit therefore makes a stop here and suffers the Roman Empire now become Christian to enjoy a little Rest while the Successors to Constantine should finish the subversion of Paganism And then the seventh Seal is opened which being subdivided into seven Trumpets these Trumpets run along with and divide the whole remaining duration of the Roman Empire as well Civil as Ecclesiastical Whereof the six first Trumpets reach unto the tenth Age and bring forth six Plagues that afflict overthrow and totally destroy the Worldly or Civil Roman Empire These Plagues are 1 The Inundation of the Empire by the Barbarous Nations under Theodosius the younger 2. The taking and desolating of Rome and Italy and almost all the Western Provinces under Honorius and Alaricus 3. The Invasion of the Provinces by the Goths Huns and Vandals and their erecting several Kingdoms in Spain Africk upon the Rhosne and in Panonia 4. The fourth Plague was the total destruction of the Western Roman Empire under Valentinian by Gensericus King of the Vandals in Africk 5. The fifth Plague is the Rise of the Sarrasin Empire which destroyed the Roman Empire in the East 6. Lastly the sixth of the first Plagues is the Empire of the Turks which wholly subverted and overthrew the Oriental Roman Empire 7. Now while the providence of God was destroying the Grecian Empire under the fifth and sixth Trumpets the Roman Empire revived in the West under the Name of the Roman Church The Beast with two Horns exerciseth all the power of the first Beast he makes an Image resembling the first Empire he makes it to be worshipped he worketh Signs and Wonders causeth Fire to come down from Heaven and deceiveth the Inhabitants of the Earth He giveth life to this Image of the Beast causeth it to speak and maketh this Image of the Roman Empire which he re-established under the name of the Roman Church to act with power and efficacy So that he causeth all those to be killed that will not yield a homage to this Image of the Empire And he will have all the Inhabitants of the Earth to bear his Name and his Mark and his Number and that they call themselves Members of the Roman Latine Church And this contains the History both of the Birth and of the Progress of this new Empire under the fifth Trumpet and under the beginning of the sixth 8. The sixth Trumpet having brought the Worldly Roman Empire to its final Ruin there remains nothing more for it to do with respect to that and therefore it is that it comes to be subdivided into 7. Vials which are designed for the ruining of the Roman Empire as Ecclesiastical And these Vials do precisely begin at the sounding and at the beginning of the 6th Trumpet Which Trumpet runs paralel with and reacheth unto the last and universal destruction of the Ecclesiastical Roman Empire until the manifestation of the Kingdom of J. Christ having under it the seven Vials Now the seven Trumpets and the seven Vials do signify seven Periods of Time according as the seven Seals of the Book do The Seals denote Periods of Time by vertu of an Allusion to Tables and to Chronological and Historical Books wherein Times are marked The Trumpets intimate Periods of Time by an Allusion to Iubiles which by the Law of Moses were to be opened and proclaimed by the sound of a Trumpet And from thence Iubile comes being derived from Iovel which signifieth a Hunters Horn or Trumpet These Iubiles falling out every fiftieth year and these Periods of Time being published by the sound of a Trumpet it becometh thence a very natural figure for the pen of a Iew such as St. Iohn was to express Periods of Time by Trumpets Finally the Vials which are poured forth signify Hour-glasses seeing at the season when S. Iohn wrote Hour-glasses were nothing but Vials full of Water having a narrow and strait mouth which was turned downward So that this Figure is also clear and intelligible And the reason why the Holy Spirit useth these three different Images of Seals Trumpets and Vials for the designation of Times is that he may thereby avoid confusion It being evident that if he had all along used only one of these Figures there would have been much more obscurity and less distinction in the Intimation which he gives of Times Carrying then the remembrance of this with us the first Seal beginneth at the Time of S. Iohn and the seventh Seal openeth and commenceth after the death of Theodosius the Great and comprehendeth thirteen Plagues which are contained under the sounding of six Trumpets and under the Effusion of seven Vials â—â—x Plagues under six Trumpets which destroy the Roman Empire as worldly and purely Temporal The sixth Trumpet is subdivided into seven Vials as the seventh Seal was into seven Trumpets And these seven Vials are the seven last Plagues which bring the second Period of the Roman Empire that is to say the Empire of the Church to its end as the six Trumpets had brought the worldly Roman Empire to its end I would now after this think that no man should find any difficulty in the objections of these Gentlemen and that every one should easily comprehend why the Vials and the plagues which continue near eight hundred years come to be called the last They are thus stiled 1 because they serve to distress and ruin the second and last period of the Roman Empire which carries the name of the Roman Church whereas the six first plagues were employed for the ruining of the first Period of the Roman worldly Empire and which still retains the name of the Roman Empire 2 Because these seven Plagues did really in the order of Time follow the six first and all successively fell the six first as well as the seven last upon one and the same Empire upon one and the same Beast in their two Periods So that by reason of the relation of the one to the other they ought to be stiled the first and the last Finally they are called the last plagues because