into France After the Ascension of Christ they tell us that the Jews his Persecutors who resolved to destroy all his Friends and Disciples took Martha and Mary Magdalen Lazarus their Brother Marcella their servant and Maximin one of the seventy Disciples whom our Lord before his death had sent forth to preach the Gospel and imbark't them all upon one vessel without Sails Rudder Pilot Marriners or Oars but God was pleased to steer the vessel and safely landed'em at Marseilles These Saints thus delivered from the Sea finding none that would entertain 'em were forc't to sit down in the porch of an Idols Temple Magdalen preaches the Gospel to all that came Particularly to the Governor and his Lady They not profiting in the day by her sermons she appears to 'em in the night in Visions and at last by Promises and Threatnings with much ado makes them Christians She obtain'd a very particular favor from Heaven for 'em viz. that having no Children which they passionately desired the Lady is with child of a son by the intercession of S. Magdalen The Father and Mother resolv'd in gratitude to make a Voyage to Rome to be farther confirm'd in their Christianity by S. Peter himself They set forward in a Ship but are overtaken by a Tempest the Lady big with child and near her time is delivered of a Son but a little too soon by reason of the violent Tempest insomuch that it cost her her Life The disconsolate Father not knowing what to do with the dead body of his Wife in the Ship or with the Infant that might live but there was no nurse to be had for it he perceives a smal Rock in the midst of the Sea he causeth both to be carried there and puts the living Child by the dead Body of the Mother covering them with a coat after this he proceeds in his Voyage to Rome and perform'd what he intended there and receives assurance from S. Peter that his Wife and Child should both be restor'd to him Returning from Rome after two years stay there and the ship passing near that Rock He cast his eyes on that side of the Rock and perceives a little Child on the shore playing with Cockle-shells He makes towards it and finds it was his own son who had suckt the breasts of his dead Mother and always found milk there They remove the coat and find the body not in the least to be corrupted yea at that very instant it rose up and his Wife also was alive so both are brought back with him to Marseilles after this you may judge whether Mary Magdalen did not make mighty progress in the ruin of Idolatry in Marseilles The whole City was converted to the Christian Religion by her means and she gave them Maximin her fellow Traveller to be their Bishop and bestowed on him some of our Saviours Blood which she had brought with her in a Vial. As for her she hid her self for thirty years in the hole of a Rock where she was attended and serv'd by Angels who carried her every day up into Heaven where she heard the Heavenly Consorts and Hymns of the Blessed Spirits and on this she liv'd In all likelyhood this Saint had continued to this day in that rock if she had not been taken notice of by a certain holy Priest who seeing her thus mount into the Air came to the Rock and discourst with her The Saint finding she was observ'd had a mind to live no longer she therfore sends for Maximin the Bishop of Marseilles she receiv'd the Communion from his hands and was carried by the Angels into Paradise no more to return to the Earth I should think that those learned men have little to do with their time or imploy it very ill who give themselves the trouble seriously to confute such impertinent Fooleries as these are However we will be at the pains to repeat some of those many Miracles which the Papacy makes their Saints to work that they may oblige men to invoke and Worship ' em God hath permitted that there are two Characters by which they may be distinguisht viz. the Impertinence and the Multitude of them First their Impertinence for the most part they are ridiculous mean and ludicrous shameful and trifling For Example Ridiculous Miracles attributed to S. Francis. Is it not a Miracle unworthy of the Majesty of God that of S. Prancisd ' Assise when he preacht to the Birds and they held out their Bills and clapt their Wings in testimony of their Attention and Joy At another time he took a Woolf by the Ears that had done great mischief and ravage in the fields of Agobio and made a compact with him that henceforward he should devour or hurt no man but that the Inhabitants should provide him what was necessary to his livelyhood Upon a certain day the Devil tempted this Saint he makes his escape but the Devil after him and would have thrown him head-long from a Rock but the Rock split of it self in several places that he might be able to take fast hold with his hands Oftentimes the Devil tempted Brother Ruffinus but by the advice of St. Francis he one day spake thus to the Devil Aperiostuum stercorisabo in illud Open thy mouth and it shall serve me for a Closestool this frighted the Devil and away he goes in a mighty rage Brother Andrew of Annania had a mind to have some little Birds for his dinner he gets some to be roasted for him but when they were upon the table he bethinks himself and was ashamed of his being so delicate he therefore makes the sign of the Cross over the dish and dismisseth the little Birds away they fly as well as ever before they were taken and roasted Brother Antony preacht one day to the Fishes as S. Francis had done to the Birds these Fishes that we take to be a dull sort of Animales came all to the top of the Water and held up their Heads to listen to his Sermon and when he had done preaching some of 'em gave a loud cry of Approbation thus humming the preacher to the great dishonour of the proverb as mute as a Fish. When any sort of Animals were sick they had only to sprinkle them with a little of that water in which S. Francis did wash his wounds and they were presently Cured 'T was a rare Fellow this S. Francis 't is of him that the Legend saith nihil Christus fecit quod non ille fecit imò plura fecit quam Christus J. Christ did nothing but what St. Francis did as well as he yea much more was done by him than ever Jesus Christ did For certain J. Christ never did so many wonderful things as they ascribe to S. Francis If a Wall were crackt and ready to fall they needed only to thrust into the crevice a little of the Hair of this Saint and it proved more effectual than the best cement in the
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
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 holiness of a Church comes from the holiness of the Relique 'T was never heard of among the old Pagans that a dead mans bones were kept for a show were carryed about in State that men sell down before them gave them worship The heathen did not worship the ashes of the dead expected miracles from them and exposed them to be adored by the people This is the madness of superstition and was reserved for revived Paganism for the beast who was wounded to death and recovered The Soul and not the body was the object of all the services that the heathens did in honour of the dead They believed that the souls or at least the Ghosts as they call'd them had a particular kindness for the places where their bodies were buryed And 't was for the repose and satisfaction of these Ghosts that they built emty tombs when they had not the bodies to bury 't was for them that they poured out wine and warm milk on the ashes of the corps and in these services they cry'd aloud to the departed soul saying to it Accept these funeral sacrifices which I offer to thee come and drink the blood which we offer to thee But the Papists address not their devotions to the departed souls only they adore the ashes the carkasses of the dead and pay them divine honours Nay their folly is such that they adore the very shirts and linnen the slippers the ropes the girdles the hair and nailes of the dead an extravagance that was never seen among the Pagans Conformity in the worship of images between Popery and Paganism I come to the fifth Article of the Conformity between the Pagans and Papists as to the object of worship viz. their Images And here the Conformity is so sensible that we need only explain it to make it evident to all The Churches of Christians are at this day fill'd with pictures and images as well as the Pagan Temples were Instead of thundring Jupiter they place a Crucifix on their Altars Instead of Juno the Queen of heaven they have the Virgin the Mother of God the Queen of Paradise Instead of the twelve Dij consentes or consentientes i. e. the Councellors of the supreme God they have the twelve Apostles Instead of the Heroes that were deifyed one for first planting vines another for inventing the Art of Physick they have the founders of the Monkish Orders and the Inventors of modern superstitions Their Images relate unto objects that differ from those of Paganism but are of the same materials of wood of brass of stone of gold of silver of ivory they have mouthes but speak not ears but hear not hands but handle not feet but walk not eyes but see not They are likewise serv'd after the same manner the Pagans fell down before their images smok'd them with incense carryed them in processions kiss'd adorn'd them set them in such places where all might see and worship them The Papists do exactly the same to their Images This is a thing that perplexeth those Papists who have kept any thing of Conscience Therefore they attemt a thousand wayes to make a distinction between themselves and the Pagans some on the one hand extenuate the worship that is given to Images on the other hand some aggravate the Idolatry of the Pagans with respect to their images The first say 't is false that we adore images we worship them not God forbid we only make use of them to raise our minds to their Originals This is a pitiful Evasion a ruinous intrenchment out of which the Papists have been beaten a hundred times It hath been proved to 'em The Papists reâ—lly worshâ—p images that their Councils in express terms enjoyn the adoration of images that their Doctors do downright plead for it that their Practice doth undenyably prove it and that their boldness in this dispute is like that of those who while they beat a man almost to death yet at the same time protest that they do not touch him They worship not images but they fall down before them they kiss 'em they burn incense to 'em they cloth 'em they carry 'em in procession they go on long pilgrimages to visit and pay homages to ' em They may call this what they please but we will speak the language of men and of common sense therefore we will always call this the giving Adoration to Images They adore not images say they because they give 'em not that supreme worship that is due to the Soveraign Lord of the world or because they give 'em not the internal worship which they give to creatures that have life sense and reason In earnest we are obliged to them for this fair dealing but at this rate where shall we find any Idolaters Had the Pagans other sentiments of their Images than the Papists have of theirs The Pagans did not worship their Images as Gods. The Doctors of the Roman Church to shew what a distance there is between them and the Pagans in this affair do suppose that these did worship their Images as Gods because they said to a stock thou art my Father and to a stone thou hast brought me forth And because the Israelites said to their Calf these are thy Gods O Israel that brought thee out of the land of Egypt We must say that these Gentlemen have very little respect for the Reason of men and for Truth That they may justify themselves they make the wisest among the Pagans to be madmen and fools For must not that man have lost his senses who can believe that a statue but the other day cast or graven is a very God an infinitely perfect eternal Almighty Being If one should ascribe this sentiment to the brutish vulgar perhaps we might believe that some vulgar Pagans might be guilty of this sottish stupidity But we cannot without the worst injustice and insincerity charge the Heathen Priests with such an opinion We must therefore know that the Heathens had the same sentiments of their Images that the Papists have of theirs They call'd them the signs or symbols the emblems the portraits the memorials and at most the dwellings of the immortal Gods. Among the Pagans many despised Images To understand how exact the Conformity is between Popery and Paganism in the point of Images we must know that the sentiments and expressions about it were different under Paganism of old as they are at this day under Popery First there are persons of the Roman Communion who very much despise Images who believe that Religion might very well spare them yea are willing with all their hearts to have them quite destroyed There are but few who dare speak thus but many think it The wisest among the Pagans had the very same thoughts of their Images S. Augustin citeth the words of Varro Lib. 1. cap. 31. de C. D. That the Romans would have worshipt the Gods much more purely if they had continued
to worship them without Images as they had done for 170 years The same S. Augustin relates the words of Seneca who admired the folly of men who made very abasing representations of their Gods calling by that name lifeless things at which they would be affrighted if they should begin to stir of themselves Common sense made a Pagan speak at this rate and 't is very amazing that the same common sense assisted by divine Revelation should not at this day inspire the Papists with the same sentiments They give a Religious worship to lifeless sensless stones which if they should begin to move and speak would seem much more worthy of worship but in such a case men would fly from them as monsters and tremble at them as prodigious Papists believe as Pagans did that the consecration of Images confers a virtue to them Those Pagans who went the highest in their esteem of Images asserted that by virtue of their consecration they became not Gods but the dwellings of the Gods and that their deities were present with those Images i. e. with a presence of virtue and operation For they did not believe that the very substance of Jupiter was in such a manner fastned to his Image at Rome that he was not at all present with his Images in Greece Now I beseech you what real difference is there between this Opinion and that which the Papists have concerning their Images The Council of Trent declares that it would not have people believe that there is more virtue in one Image than in another But doth this hinder the devout vulgar from thinking otherwise Do they not believe that there is a far greater virtue in the Images of our Lady of Loretto and Montferrat than in those at Paris If not why do they take such long journeys to visit and kiss those Images which are in other Countreys Why do some Images work miracles and others none Why are the Priests who are the Jaylors and Keepers of such Images so wealthy Why are the Chappell 's where those Images are kept so rich and stored with treasure if one Image is not better than another Pagans gave no other worship to their Images than what Papistâ— give theirs The more moderate Papists are continually telling us that their Images have nothing divine in them that they are only meer representations by which they honour the Saints The Pagans said the very same concerning their Images Who saith one of them that is not a fool Celsus apud Origin can imagin that the Statues are Gods and not the Images and representations of the Gods There is not a Papist who dare speak with so much contemt of his Images as Plato spake of the Heathen ones He said that we owe a much greater honour to our Parents than to the Images of the Gods and that the Images having no Souls can do us neither good nor evil There is no Roman-Catholick who builds Chappels to his surviving Father and Mother or burns Incense to them And there is not one who dare say that our Ladies Images that are famous for their miracles are good for nothing and do neither good nor hurt They will indeed confess that the Image doth not work the Miracles But they say that the Virgin works the Miracles at the presence of her Images as God worketh grace in men at the presence of the Sacraments They cannot therefore say that they do neither good nor hurt for then we might say the same of the Sacraments Therefore we must not imagin that the Pagans tho they have not found out the pretty distinctions of Latria and Doulia of absolute and relative adoration did not make a great difference between the worship they gave their Gods and that which they gave their Images If there were among the Pagans some so stupid that they did not distinguish the Image from the Original there are some such among the Papists their own Authors do confess it Otherwise setting aside the sentiments of the heart 't is plain that the external honours that the Papists give their Images are exactly like these that the Pagans gave their Statues This is a point that cannot be contested or needs to be proved But here we ought to observe what we remarqued before Papists more superstitious as to Images than the Pagans concerning the service that is done to the dead that Popery much surpasseth Paganism in the Worship of Images The madness for Images never was so excessive among the Pagans as it is among the Papists 'T was never seen that these did run from one end of the world to the other to adore a forreign Image every one was content with his own Gods. 'T was never seen that Images were surrounded with worshippers who expected miracles from them They had no book Legends of the miracles wrought by their Images 'T is true Isis and Esculapius as they pretended did some miraculous cures But the least Popish Saint hath done more than the greatest Pagan Deities And there is no proportion between the Fabulous Histories of miracles written by Pagans and those written by false Christians 'T is not now I suppose difficult to see a near Conformity between Popery and Paganism as to these five objects of worship 1. The supreme God. 2. Angels 3. Dead persons 4. Reliques And 5. Images We should now have proceeded to show their Conformity as to Ceremonies of worship But the Parallel would be over long because so easily made For we may truly affirm Ceremonies of Popish service borrowed from Paganism that there is nothing in the External worship of Popery that is not an imitation of Paganism Their holy water is come in the room of the Lustrat Waters of the Heathens Their Patron Saints succeed the Pagan Penates and Lares i. e. houshould Gods Their Canonisations the Roman Apotheoses's Their Pope the High-Priests Their Cardinals the Colledges of Augurs Their Priests those of Paganism Their Altars the Pagan Altars Their Lamps always burning the perpetual Fires that were kept in the Temples Their Processions the Pomps of the Circus Their Shrines that which the Heathen call'd the Chariots of the Gods Their Perambulations the Amberales Their Carnaval the Baccanals Their Benedictions and Consecrations that which the Pagans call'd Lustrations Their Purgatory the Subterraneous Mansions whither the Pagans said Souls went down to be purged Is not this a strange Event which falls out to the Confusion of Popery that at Rome and divers other Places the Pagan Idols and Temples have only chang'd their Names without changing their Uses 'T is affirmed that the Image of the Capitoline Jupiter at Rome is changed into that of S. Peter only instead of a Thunderbolt the Keys are put in his hands At Bordeaux formerly an Antique of Jupiter going up to Heaven on an Eagle serv'd on ascension-Ascension-day to represent Jesus Christ going up to Heaven The Temples of Heathenish Gods have been consecrated to Saints Those who write
be done as She desired The Angel brought her a Branch of a Palm-tree from Paradise and bid her take care that this Branch be carried upon her Biere at her Burial He likewise gave her Mourning Garments that She might dye in a suitable and becoming Habit according to the Age and wear Mourning for her self Mary desires two things of her Son by the Mediation of the Angel First that She might be buried by all the Apostles Secondly that her Soul might see no Demon when it left her Body The Angel returns and leaves the Branch of Palm-tree which immediately became glittering and glorious every of its leaves shin'd like the Morning-Star The Virgin full of joy assembles the Holy Women together who were wont to visit her and gives them an account of her approaching Death St. Iohn was at this time preaching at Ephesus in the midst of his Sermon a noise of Thunder is heard and a Bright Cloud takes him up and carries him thro the air to the very door of Mary's House He goes in the Virgin and this Apostle embrace one another with abundance of Tears he is informed by Mary that within three days She should dye All the other Apostles arriv'd soon after in the same manner carried thro the Air. They were strangely surprised and astonisht to find themselves in that place St. Iohn unfolds the Mystery they came in they wept sorely and adored the H. Virgin. After a great deal of Worship and much discourse Mary received the Communion recommended her Soul to her Son fell upon her knees and put herself in a posture and preparedness to dye About the third hour of the day i. e. about nine a clock in the forenoon Iesus with the nine Orders of the Angels and the Assembly of the Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs Confessors c. i. e. with all the Court of Heaven came and stood round about his Mother's Bed. He and all the Celestial Company sung a melodious Song which began thus Come mine Elect and I will set Thee upon my Throne c. The Virgin answer'd Behold I come for in the beginning of thy Book it is written of me that I should do thy will O God! And with these words She gave up the Ghost When the Soul was departed the Body spake of it self saying I thank thee Lord that I am thy Glory remember me because I am thy Workmanship and have kept that which thou hast intrusted with me The dead Body which nevertheless could speak became so bright and luminous that the Virgins who washt it tho they might touch it were not able to look upon it When the Body was to be carried to the ground the Apostles made many Complements and Civilities to one another concerning the places of honour in the Ceremony for they were not it seems of the humour of the Monks who at the like meetings do oftentimes quarrel who shall go first so as to knock one another with the Crosier-Staff Peter and Paul carried the Body and Iohn the Palm-branch before the Biere the other Apostles followed As they were marching along in due order and Ceremony Iesus Christ covered with a Cloud with all his Angels overtakes 'em and joyning their Voices to those of the Apostles they sung the Obits in honour of the Virgin with a ravishing Melody and at the same time the whole Air round about was perfumed with a most grateful Odour The furious Iews being enraged at this spectacle thought it a very proper occasion to rid their hands of all the Apostles at once The High Priest with both his hands laid hold on the Biere to stop it but both were immediately wither'd and dryed up and fell off from his Arms at the Wrests the Remainder of the Enemies Troop was struck with Blindness The miserable High Priest of the Iews made a grievous Out-cry for the loss of his two Hands Peter tells him there was no cure for him on any other terms than these that he devoutly kiss the Biere of Mary and immediately turn Christian He did so and was healed presently Peter also gave him one of the Dates that grew on the Branch of Palm therewith to stroke the Eyes of those who were struck with Blindness and by so doing all that numerous Company recovered their sight After this the Convoy of the Virgin 's Body performed their journey without any Let or Molestation even to the Valley of Iehosaphat where they laid the Corps of the Mother of God in a new Sepulcher hewn out of a Rock as that wherein the Body of the Lord Jesus was laid When they had thus interred the Corps they remain by it three days which they spent in prayers At the end of three days a bright cloud encompasseth the Sepulcher Angelical voices are heard round about it and a sweet Odour perfumes the place Iesus descends from heaven salutes the Apostles and speaks to them after this manner Peace be unto you what kind of Honour and Glory think you do I owe to my Mother To which they replied It seems just O Lord to thy Servants that as after having conquered Death thou reignest for ever and ever in like manner that thou raise the Body of thy Mother and cause it to sit down for ever at thy Right-hand Thereupon the Soul of Mary immediately appeared and the Lord Iesus said unto it Arise my Well Beloved left up the Tabernacle of Glory the Vessel of Life Thou art fair my dearly Beloved and there is no Spot in thee as thou hadst no Spot so thy body shall not see Corruption At these words the Body of the Virgin arose and was united again to her Soul and ascended to Heaven with her Son. Behold after what manner the whole business was transacted according to the Relation of Pelbart de Temeswar a sober and grave Author whose Honesty and Credit is canonised afresh by Father Crasset within these eight or ten years So that we have no reason to doubt of his Testimony or suspect his Authority Not but that there are many who do not believe him especially in France but of such we may say that they are not thorough-pac'd Catholicks The Sermon concerning the Assumption of the Virgin was left out of the Service of the day by the Chapter of the Cathedral of Paris Anno 1668. which before that time was wont to be read but by doing so they have not much pleased or edified the devouter Romanists CHAPTER XIX A Continuation of the Romance of the Virgin invented to support the Idolatry of the Papacy ONe would think that the History of any person should be ended when we have traced it to the Grave But it is otherwise in regard of the B. Virgin. She hath done many more considerable things since her Death than ere she did in her Life time So that the continuation of her History if we should be exact and particular in our account of it would be much larger than that which hath already been related of her
us by the Titles of the Beast the City and the Empire by which 't is represented to us V. 5. And there was given to him a mouth Rev. 13. â— speaking great things and Blasphemies and power was given to him forty and two moneths i. e. twelve hundred and sixty years to reign and have Authority in V. 7. She hath glorifyed herself Chap. 18. and lived deliciously She saith in her heart I sit a Queen and shall see no sorrow The Church must be meaâ— and afflicted On the contrary every Body knoweth the Holy Scripture represents the true Church as a Society that must be persecuted afflicted under the Yoke and under oppression until the end of the sixth Period The faithful Witnesses must prophecy clothed in Sackcloth during the 1260 years of Antichrists Reign The Woman which had brought forth the Man-child must be hid in the Wilderness for the space of three Prophetick years and a half Let us now see to whom this Character of a long and constant prosperity belongs It doth not to the Christian Church of the three first Centuries for she was always in flames and blood It doth not belong to the Church of the fourth and fifth which kept as yet some purity for in those Ages the Church was cruelly persecuted by the Arrians and other Hereticks But as soon as the Church of Rome began to be corrupt and became Antichristian she began to have rest If she was opposed by some she did in conclusion rid herself of 'em she hath kill'd burn't and dispatch't those who had a mind to oppose her Doctrines and her Tyranny And she had the most desirable success until the last Age when the fatal ruin of the Papacy began Yea even after the Wound that she got a hundred and fifty years ago she is so recovered and hath got such strength that she was scarce ever more glorious She hath subdued new Kingdoms instead of those that were taken from her She hath persecuted at her old rate and always overcome she hath made others bear the Cross but hath boâ—n none herself Is this the Character of Christianity or of Antichristianism I ' le make the Bishop of Meaux Judge in the case Let us hear him speak The Bishop of Meaux confesseth that the Cross is inseparable from the Church The most peculiar Law of the Gospel saith he is the command of bearing the Cross The Cross is the true evidence of Faith the true foundation of Hope the perfect resining of Charity in one word the way to Heaven Jesus Christ dyed on the Cross he bore his Cross all his life On these terms he biddeth us follow him He makes this the price of Eternal Life The first to whom he particularly promised the Rest of the next World is a Companion of his Cross This day saith he to him thou shalt be with me in Paradise As soon as he was hung on the Cross the Vail that conceal'd the Sanctuary was rent in two from the top to the bottom and Heaven was opened to holy Souls 'T was presently after the enduring of the Cross that he appeared to his Apostles glorious and a Conqueror of Death to let 'em know that himself must enter into glory by the Cross and that he had told his Children of no other way thither Thus in the person of J. Christ was set before the world the Idea of acomplete Virtue that hath nothing and expects nothing upon earth which men require only with continual persecutions which â—easâ—th not to do 'em good and draweth on itself the last and worst punishments by its own benefits Jesus Christ dyeth not finding gratitude in these whom he had obliged nor fidelity in his Friends nor equity in his Judges His innocence tho it was confessed did not save him yea his Father in whom alone he had put all his trust withdraweth all the tokens of his Protection The just one is given up to his enemies and dyeth forsaken of God and men c. The wisest of the Philosophers searching after the Idea of Virtue concluded that of all wicked men he is the worst who can so conceal his wickedness as to pass for an honest man and by this means enjoys all the credit that virtue can bestow And on the other hand he is without doubt the most vertuous whose virtue by its perfection draweth on him the jealousy of all men so that he hath none to befriend him besides his own Conscience and seeth himself exposed to all sorts of injuries and even to the death of the Cross whilest his virtue cannot do him the small kindness of exemting him from such a punishment Is it not probable that God inspired the mind of this Philosopher with this marvellous Idea of Virtue intending to give an instance of it in the person of his Son and to let us know that the Righteous man hath another Glory another Rest and another Happiness than that which can be had on earth Behold how his heart speaks when he is not on his guard against the Calvinists when he frameth his Idea's from Reason Gospel and Experience It must be granted that these Reflexions would a little better fit the mouth of a persecuted Protestant than that of a person who liveth at the greatest ease in a persecuting Court. However I stand to the Decision of the Bishop of Meaux That the most peculiar Law of the Gospel is that of bearing the Cross But let 'em shew me what Cross the Church of Rome hath born from the time that she hath made material Crosses of Wood Stone and Metal the objects of Worship Where are her Martyrs where are her Persecutions Is it not a prodigy that for these seven or eight hundred years past she lives at the greatest ease always victorious Or if she hath endured any shakings her own restlesness Ambition Covetousness and Cruelty have caused ' em If she will have the honour of bearing the Cross and of reckoning the Persecutions that she hath suffer'd she must bring into her account the troubles she hath endured from the Emperors of Germany the oppositions they have made to her grandeur the bounds they endeavour'd to set to her pride the Arms they were forced to take up for repressing her insolencies I know of no other sufferings that the Papacy hath endured Indeed you shall hear Cardinal Baronius and his fellows tell us very seriously that the Emperors the Henries the Fredericks the Lewis's of Bavaria were cruel Persecutors of the Church and that under them the Church was miserably afflicted because sometimes they undertook to chastise the Ambition of the Popes 'T is true if they make Martyrs of all those who dyed in the Wars against those Emperors and of all the Guelfes who were slain by the faction of the Gibellines they will not want Confessors and Confession But I doubt whether they of Monfr de Meaux's principles do like these Martyrs and believe that the destiny of the Church
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