doth commonly at the end of every Meal bring in his Box for the Souls in Purgatory and desire his Guests to put in their Charity At the Time of Harvest and Vintage the Farmer sends some of his Emissaries into the Fields to carry on the Quest there for the said Souls they have great Wagons with them and beg some Portion of what is gather'd in Corn Wine Wood Rice Hemp even to the very Eggs and Hens Which done they either spend what they have got themselves or else sell it and turn it to Mony Now the poor Country People being extreamly Simple and Ignorant and the persons employ'd to Receive their Charity being very Subtil and Craâ—ty make them believe what they please themselves and so abuse them extreamly I over-heard once a poor Country-woman who gave some Hemp to some of these crafty Collectors saying She was very sorry she could not give them enough to make a great Shift of But one of the Quest-men told her That they would take care to make a little Shift of it for some small Soul in Purgatory They turn'd their Heads and laugh'd at the Simplicity of this poor Woman but not one of them had the Charity to inform her better Ignorance in the Church of Rome passeth for Simplicity and 't is to this Ignorant Simplicity or Simple Ignorance that they attribute that Blessing of the Gospel Blessed are the poor in Spirit Whereas it seems to me that this Poverty of Spirit is to be understood of a Simplicity equally devoid of Malice and Ignorance and of a Candid and Open Spirit without any foldings or deceit or else of those who having their Hearts set loose from the desire of the Riches of this World are the true Lovers of Evangelical Poverty But to speak Truth the Reason hereof is Because this Ignorant Simplicity is a thing of such exceeding Profit and Advantage to the Priests and Religious of Rome The more Idiots the People are the more easie it is to Chowse them and to Pick their Pockets This is Sir some part of what I have observ'd concerning the Use that is made of the Doctrin of Purgatory in Italy I might produce many Instances of every different Point I have Treated of in my LETTERS but commonly I alledge one only and very rarely two and indeed never but when some particular Circumstance which deserves ones Notice does oblige me to it I shall only add a word or two concerning their Pictures of Purgatory before I conclude this LETTER There is never a Church or Chappel in Italy which has not some large Picture in it representing Purgatory The Souls that are there are painted in the resemblance of Naked young Men and Women with some Flames surrounding them these Flames indeed are harmless enough because they burn not but I fear those infamous Naked Figures kindle very dangerous Flames in the Hearts of many Spectators An Italian having caus'd his Mistress to be painted in the Flames of Purgatory because she had refus'd him some Favours had these two Lines writ at the bottom of the Picture S' è così piacevole divederla in Purgatorio Che cosa sarebbe divederla nel Ciele His Fancy was this If it be so pleasing a thing to see her in Purgatory where the Flames hide some part of her Naked Body how great would the pleasure be to see her painted in Heaven stark Naked where no part of her Body would be hid For after this manner do they of the Church of Rome represent the Last Judgment and the Blessed Souls in Heaven They publickly expose these Pictures on their Altars and the People have them before their Eyes whilst they hear Mass I know what they alledge That this is done to impress these great Truths of Christianity the more strongly upon the Imagination as if Christians were only to be led by their Imaginations and not by their Reason They will have a man to submit his Reason in all things and at the same time spare nothing for to fortifie his Imagination Whereas the Protestants do quite the contrary they disregard and neglect Material things that so vigorously affect the Senses that they may worship God in Spirit and in Truth and render to him a reasonable Service They practise one thing in Italy which indeed is very horrible When a poor Criminal is led to Punishment he has always two Priests by his side who hold a Picture of Purgatory before his Eyes yea they go up the Ladder or Scaffold with him still holding the Picture before him till Execution be done and talk to him of nothing else Is not this indeed to double the Fright and Terrour of these poor Wretches who are but too much terrified already with the Death they see prepared for them The same thing they practise towards those that lie a Dying They place a Picture of Purgatory at the Feet of their Bed between two lighted Wax-Candles to make it appear with more lustre and the Patient is exhorted to keep his Eyes upon it Some are fain to beseech them to speak to them of the Goodness and Mercy of God because they are already sufficiently terrified with his Justice But for the most part they do but Knock at a Dead-man's Door for the Priests are so wedded to their Songs of Purgatory that if they chance to make a small digression they presently fall again into their old Track For my part I am of Opinion That after we have spoke to a Sick Person concerning the Justice of God of punishing of Sin in the other World by the Eternal Pains of Hell to the end to make him seriously examine his own Couscience it is very sitting afterwards to lay before him the great Mercy of God to raise his Hope and enflame his Charity We Fear God because he is Just to Punish but we Love him because â—e is kind to Pardon and surely 't is better the last Moments of a Christians Life should be spent in Loving God than in the Fears and Terrours of his Judgments This is that which hath cast many into those Terrours which wanted little of downright Despair But alas it is but too evident That the Doctrin of Purgatory was never contrived so much for the Comfort of Dying persons as for the Profit of the Living I mean of those Lazy Priests who think of nothing but of pleasing themselves and to enjoy Ease and Plenty in this World I should now come to speak something of the Principal Means they make use of to confirm and maintain their Doctrin of Purgatory which is to Preach it up with an incomparable Zeal and Earnestness I call to mind also that I promis'd you at the beginning of this LETTER to give you some account of their Manner of Preaching in Italy But forasmuch as I perceive my LETTER to be long enough already and that this Subject cannot be dispatch'd in few Words I shall reserve it for the next occasion I shall have of Writing to you
her part Impressions from God There are but few that arrive to this Uppermost Story but when any are once got thither whatever Word they utter or Action they do 't is no more they themselves who Act or Speak but God that Speaks and Acts in them for as for them they never depart from this their intimate Union with God Whatsoever they Say or Speak in this State is very carefully heeded as being all Divine If they speak of Things past they are Revelations if of Things to come they are all Prophecies 'T is by this Door so many New Notions are entred into the Church of Rome which they believe as firmly as the Gospel tho' they have no other Foundation but the over-heated Brains of these Saints Many of these have themselves Pen'd their own Revelations as S. Brigit S. Melchilda S. Catharine of Sienna S. Gertrude and many others By means of these Saintesses the Church of Rome hath attain'd the knowledge of all the Particularities of our Saviours Passion how many Stroaks he received at his Whipping how often he fell to the Ground under the heavy burthen of his Cross how many Thorns pierc'd his Sacred Head and how many times they Spat in his Holy Face By the same way they have discover'd whatsoever hapned in the Manger at Bethlehem how the Blessed Virgin took the Veil from her Head and made Clouts of it for her Little Jesus what she said and did before she was Deliver'd of him and a vast Number of other Particulars which are not to be met with in the Gospel By this means they were informed of the Great Mystery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin when she ascended up to Heaven in Soul and Body the Discourse she had with the Apostles how she by degrees mounted up into the Air bestowing her Blessings all the way she went In a word almost all the new Doctrin of Popery is derived from this over-flowing Spring which is not yet dryed up nor ever will as long as there are any of these Prophetesses left in their Church To give more weight to these new Imaginations these Saints assured that Jesus Christ appeared to them very often and was become very Familiar with them that he talk'd with them as a Bridegroom does with his Bride and that they took occasion in these Familiarities to ask him whatsoever they desired to know Jesus Christ himself taught S. Catharine of Sienna to read he came and did blow the Fire for her he swept her Chamber as may be seen in the History of her Life by which means she had an occasion of Discoursing him often Others of them received Visits from Jesus Christ who came and Visited them accompanied with his Mother and his Apostles where they had great Conferences together and these Saintesses that heard them discovered many secrets and Mysteries in their Discourse which they afterwards Communicated to the Popes and the Church and this is that which at this day in a great Measure makes the difference that is between the Doctrin of the Papists and that of the Protestants Apud quos cessavit Propheta who have no Prophets to boast of There is never a Convent of Nuns in Italy that has not some Prophetess which is always some old Mother that hath been twice or thrice Superior of the Convent and who not being in a condition of doing any thing else applies her self to the Unitive Life During the long stay I made at Vicenza I often went to Visit the Abbess of the Nuns of S. Thomas I upon a time enquired of her concerning the State of her Nuns who told me that she had Forty four that were in the Active Life three in the Contemplative and one only in the Mystical or Unitive A young Countess who was in the same Convent and who was Visited by four or five Galants who came to see her at the Grate was got no further yet than the Active Life I will engage my self no further at present in entertaining you about the Nuns of Italy because probably I may have an occasion to do it more at leisure I return now to my she Saints whose Bodies remain Uncorrupt They were all three of them arrived at the Unitive State and have all of them left Prophecies behind them S. Rose of Viterbo did for a long time importune the Dominican Nuns of that City to receive her amongst them and to give her the Habit of their Order but the Nuns knowing she was extreamly poor and that she could not as the rest did bring Mony to the Convent refused her company and would not so much as receive her into the Number of their Convert Sisters The Saint understanding this their rejecting of her told them That tho' they would have none of her now she was alive yet they should be very glad to have her when she was Dead This Prophecy prov'd true for Rose being deceased with the Odour of Sanctity and many Miracles after the Italian manner being wrought at her Tomb these same Nuns desired her Body which was granted them The great Number of Masses which are procur'd to be said to her and the abundance of Alms that Travellers and Pilgrims do leave there makes them consider this Body at present as their greatest Treasure This Prophecy of S. Rose was very easy to be made she knew she was already far enough advanced in the good Opinion of the People for to make them esteem her a Saint after her Death She knew moreover that the Bodies of such are always very gainful that the Nuns of that Convent as well as others in Italy were very Covetous and that by Vertue of a Vow she had made to S. Dominicus they would not 〈◊〉 to demand her Relicks as of right belonging to them and so was in a Condition to Prophecy on a sure ground The Saint whose Body is to be seen at Monte Faucon is accompanied with something that is very remarkable they shew you all the Instruments of the Passion of our Saviour which they say were found in her Heart after her Decease they are all of dryed Flesh like as her Heart is They are very confused neither are all of them sufficiently distinguishable or Discernable They shew you likewise three little round Pellets of Flesh which they say were likewise taken out of her Heart One of these Pellets being laid in a pair of Scales weigh as much as all the three together and all the three weigh no more than one alone This makes them say That God was willing to Imprint in the Heart of this Saint a Resemblance of the most Holy Trinity for in like manner as these three Pellets tho' different in number yet make but one weight and that the weight of one alone is no less than that of all the three together so likewise tho' there be three Persons in the Holy Trinity yet there is but one Essence and one of these Persons is no less in Divine Perfections than
the other two I have seen these three Pellets but so far are they from suffering one to try the Experiment that they will not suffer you to touch it with your Finger to feel whether it be Flesh or no. Every one knows that a strong Imagination is capable of producing strange effects in the Body We see every day Children that come into the World bearing the Marks of their Mothers Longings which are the effects of their Imagination It may be that this Saint did so strongly Imagin the Instruments of the Passion as to leave them Engraved in her Heart but it seems to me that this is a Violence done to Nature which can no way be pleasing to God who is the Author of it As for S. Catharine of Bononia she more particularly render'd her self famous by her Abstracted Life The History of her Life tells us That she was in a continual Union with God Doctor Molinus was no stranger to this Unitive Life for this is that he calls his Prayer of Rest I doubt not at all but that one day he would have been one of the Saints of Rome had not Obedience to Superiors and particularly to the Pope been concerned in the case The Pope will suffer you to Unite with God as much as you please provided always that this Union do not hinder you from obeying him more than God himself I doubt not indeed but that there may be even to this day perfect Souls amongst them that are Ravished even into the third Heaven but these are extraordinary Graces which do not depend on any Natural endeavour we can exert to obtain them But when I consider that the Roman Catholicks have made a fixed State of this Union that they prescribe Rules to attain it and it is sufficient according to them to put themselves into the Hands of one of these Mystical or Unitive Doctors and follow their Directions in-order to arrive at this State When I consider this I say I cannot but condemn their Error T is a piece of Impiety to make the Divine Operations dependent on the Humours of Men to give Rules for the obtaining of that by way of Merit which is the meer Gift of Grace and to make one's self the Dispenser and Disposer of the Gifts of Heaven as these sorts of Doctors pretend to do Moreover the ill Consequences that follow from hence are very Pernicious to Souls First of all this assurance only received from these Mystical Masters of once being advanced to the Unitive Life whilst so many others are left behind in the Contemplative and Active Lives which are so far below it is very proper to inspire the parties concern'd with Pride and vain Glory Secondly This may prove a very great Discouragement to those who are necessarily engaged in an Active Life to consider that there are such perfect States beyond them which it is impossible for them ever to attain to because these Doctors do not think them fit to be admitted thereto Thirdly This opens a Door to manifold Superstitions and Errors for they who are engaged in the Active Life never take the pains to examin what the Contemplative say nor these what the Unitive or Mystical do alledge for Truth So that the two first do both of them rely upon these last who for the most part are persons of weak Brains and most extravagant Thoughts who believe that whatsoever they speak or act is from God It is evident that the Opinion of Transubstantiation is only an effect of their Whimseys by the Impropriety Abuse and Confusion of the Terms they make use of to explain themselves For in like manner as they call their Mystical Life sometimes Union Unity Identity Confusion or mingling of the Soul with God sometimes the Loss of the Soul in God the pure sight of God Peaceable possession of God and many more which may be in the Books that Treat of the Mystical Life whereof some are very False and Impious as those of Unity Identity Confusion and Losing of ones self in God and all the others do only belong to the Future Life Now in like manner say I as they make use of these Terms to signifie a simple adherence complyance and acquiescence of our Souls in the good pleasure of God which cannot produce Identification so of old Times they called the Holy Supper The real Union of Jesus Christ with our Souls and the Bread we partake therein the Truth Reality and Substance of the Body of Jesus Christ which notwithstanding is only there in a Figure And afterwards when this Errour had taken good Rooting it brought forth this big word of Transubstantiation which at this day makes the chief difference between Papists who maintain it Tooth and Nail and the Protestants who oppose it Neither is it any great matter of wonder that an Error of such Consequence is crept into the Church of Rome without making any great Noise for in the first place there was nothing in it contradictory to the Popes Authority And again it was not lawful for the People to examin what the Mystical Tribe asserted insomuch that even to this day in Italy if you chance in discourse with a Contemplative or Unitive person to contradict them in any thing they tell you very freely That these are Matters too high for your Capacity and that you are to believe them in the things they assert as being better acquainted than you with the ways of God and as having already spent a considerable time in tracing the Mystical Paths of a Spiritual Life I have scarce ever seen any of these Mystical persons but were very Proud They look upon themselves as Eagles who take their Flights in the highest part of the Air and upon other men as Beasts creeping upon the Earth A common and humble Life full of Affability Benignity and Sweetness towards ones Neighbour shall always be more desirable to me than all these great Sublimations of Spirit which are apt to inspire Men with so much Pride And if ever it shall please God to raise me to the high degree of Contemplation or Union it shall be His work and not the effect of any Rule or direction which Men can afford me In Italy they make a kind of Trade of it and if a Man doth not put himself into the Hands of some of these Mystical Doctors who pretend to be old Travellers and throughly well acquainted with the Way to Heaven and who profess the Art of Guiding Souls thither he can never hope of arriving there These Professors are ordinarily old Jesuits old Capuchins or old Fathers Missionaries who being no more able to Scout it up and down in strange Countries in Holland and in England to pervert Protestants apply themselves in their Convents to play the Seraphick Fathers to the end they may be followed by a Company of He and she Votaries whom they Discourse to Morning and Evening in their Churches When they are met together in their Assemblies you
time very clear and serene there was all the appearance imaginable that it would continue so which Hopes fill'd them with unutterable Joys There was only one good old Convert Fryer amongst them who being better inform'd than all this by the Twitches his Corns gave him very peremptorily aver'd It would Rain the next Day Upon this ominous Intimation the Abbot himself went out after Supper to Star-gaze what Weather they were like to have the next day and seeing the Sky so very clear and full of Stars declar'd There was no need to fear but they should have a fair Day on 't and that the Old Fryer was a Turba Festa a meer Trouble-Feast to talk so at random Upon this Assurance the Monks retir'd to their Apartments that Evening with a great deal of Joy But forasmuch as it is not for Men to know the Times and Seasons which God has reserv'd in his own power about Midnight the Weather changed and the next Morning there fell so furious a Shower that it was impossible to stir abroad without being wet to the Skin This Tempestous Weather continu'd till Night which seiz'd the Spirits of the poor Monks with a strange Consternation The next Morning they appear'd all Pail-fac'd and gave evident Proof how great a Change crost Desires are able to produce in the Body of Man Some of them openly murmur'd against Heaven because that almost every Year it disturbed or disappointed their Feast of S. Francis others of them retain'd still some hope that the Rain might hold up within few Hours but alas their Hopes were all in vain the Heavens were too resolv'd and the Storm was so far from ceasing or diminishing that it increas'd more and more The Abbot perceiving there was no Remedy sent word to the Sexton to shut up the Ornaments of the Pontifical however he order'd the Musick should Play because the Musicians were present and that most of them were paid before hand but he forbad the great Rows of Wax-Candles to be Lighted which had been disposed of round the Church or to burn the Incense that had been prepared for the Altars So that excepting only the Musick the Office was very simply and plainly celebrated after the ordinary manner The Abbot did not appear at it himself and all this great Pomp and Solemnity vanish'd in Smoak Now I desire you Sir only to draw a rational and obvious Consequence from all these proceedings Can you persuade your self that God or the Saint were the Object or Motive of all this ado God is Immense and Infinite every where present whether it be fair or foul and the Saint also is suppos'd to be always the same in Heaven How came it to pass then that the Solemnity was chang'd and put off but because the Gentlemen and Ladies that had been Invited and for whose sake the Feast was intended could not come Sublatâ causâ tollitur effectus Take away the Cause and the Effect ceaseth Or can we draw a more just Consequence or more proper to stop the Mouths of our Adversaries of the Romish Communion who object to us their Divine Service as celebrated with so much Pomp and Magnificence and who find so much fault with the Simplicity and Modesty of ours When they celebrate their Mattins or Morning Service or their greatest Holidays before Day-light they scarcely Light Two Wax-Candles on the Altar Because say they no body frequents them whereas in the Day time when there is abundance of Company they Light a matter of Three or Four hundred May we not therefore with great Reason reproach them That all their Pompous Feasts and Solemnities are only to satisfie their own Pleasure Vain-glory and Avarice and that therefore God abhors and abominates these their Services so far are they from being any proof of the Truth of their Religion In the mean time I must needs acknowledge That this is that which deludes many and is a Stone of Offence to all those who in Matters of Religious Worship consider only that which strikes the Senses I knew a Papist in England that was turn'd Protestant many years before who told me he was returning again to Italy in order to joyn himself again to the Romish Communion and his Reason was Because forsooth the Divine Service was not solemniz'd here with that Solemnity as it was in his Country I wonder why by the dint of the same Argument he was not perswaded to turn Jew who use yet more Ceremonies than the Church of Rome or rather I am astonish'd he did not consider with himself That all these Ceremonies and Pompous Vanities being only Arbitrary things which depend only on the Will of Men if the Protestants were inclin'd that way might contrive and institute such as should be more Magnificent than those of Rome and might make their Bishops to appear every day in as pompous Ornaments as the Pope does on S. Peter's Day And if they don't do it the Reason is Because they are well persuaded that what is most pleasing in the Eyes of Men is not always most acceptable to God who requires pure and holy Hearts and not rich and pompous Apparel and to whom the fervency of our Prayers is far more acceptable than Clouds of the sweetest Incense Besides the Service and Worship of God as it is celebrated in their Churches is not altogether destitute of decent Ornaments neither The Ministers Habit is such as distinguisheth them from all others in their Ministry but yet so as without any thing of Superstition there is no Divine Virtue attributed to them that renders the Wearers thereof more holy than others whereas in the Church of Rome should a Priest celebrate Mass without his Hood or Amict and that wilfully they hold it to be a Mortal Sin I return now to our Feasts again and having given you an account how the same are celebrated by those Monks who live upon their Incoms I shall proceed now to those of other Religious who partly live of Incoms and partly of Alms as well as of those who live altogether of Alms who are known in Italy by the Name of Frati During my stay at Rome I went to the Minerva which is a Famous Convent of the Dominicans it was on a Saturday at which time they were celebrating a Festival in Honour of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin I learnt That the Heads of that Confraternity met every Saturday and did every one of them by Turns celebrate the Feast of the Rosary at their own Charges 'T is the Humor of the Italians in such like cases to strive for the Honour of surpassing one another and spare no Cost to the end they may in Magnificence outvy others This is an Emulation that is Natural to them and which I believe cannot with good ground be attributed to their Vertue because herein they feed their Vanity as much as in those sumptuous Cavalcades they make and in which after the same manner their great aim is to outdo one