Pope said Such a thing as that could not be forasmuch as whoever will enjoy an Indulgence they must by all means merit or obtain this by giving at least some Alms. This is well said and and opens all the Trick and Cheat of Indulgences The Pope asked further How many Years he desir'd this Indulgence should extend to St. Francis answer'd I intreat that your Holiness will be pleas'd to grant That all they who with Penitence come into this Church and confess themselves and have receiv'd Absolution may be absolv'd both in Heaven and Earth from all Guilt and Punishment from the time of their Baptism to the time that they come into this Church As the Pope made a Difficulty to grant this St. Francis said My Lord I seek this Indulgence not of my self but in the Name of Christ who hath sent me Then did the Pope give his Consent but through the Instigation of some Cardinals he order'd that this Indulgence should indeed be continued for ever but that it should not be obtain'd on more than one day in a Year Upon which St. Francis with great Reverence taking his leave the Pope call'd to him and said Well Brother Simplicity and what Security have you now for your Indulgence St. Francis said My Lord your Word is enough for me for God shall further his own Work and I desire no other Bull for our good Lady shall be the Paper Christ the Notary and the Angels the Witnesses And doubtless it was very proper that all these should be thus concern'd about so precious and important a matter And this matter was very wisely manag'd all this while or at least very sillily devis'd for they go on and say It was now two Years that St. Francis had obtain'd this divine Indulgence but there was yet no day settled whereon the World should obtain it St. Francis expecting that God who had granted the same should also reveal the Day the which came to pass in the Month of January of the Year 1223. in the following manner for this Circumstance was omitted purposely before for a pretence to bring in more ridiculous and lying Wonders to recommend St. Francis and his Indulgence As St. Francis at Midnight was praying in his Cell the Enemy came to him with the pretence of Friendship saying Francis wherefore will you destory your self before your time Why do you so mortifie your self with Watching Know you not that Sleep is the principal Cherisher of Life and very necessary and profitable for a young Person The holy Father observing the Artifice of the Devil threw off his upper Cloathing and having nothing on but his Drawers in fervour of Spirit run out of his Cell and creeping through a thick Thorn-Hedge he forc'd his way into a neighbouring Wood where he tumbl'd his Body among the Briars and Thorns till it was all over bloody saying to himself 'T is much better that I by suffering this do fill up the Sufferings of Christ than that I should suffer my self to be prevail'd upon by the Enemy The Enemy being thus drove away a great Light shin'd round about him And altho' this was in the middle of Winter nevertheless he saw about him red and white Roses in abundance At length a multitude of Angels came about him and said Francis get up quickly and go into the Church for Christ and his Mother wait for you there He standing up seem'd to himself to have upon him a miraâ—ulous bright and white Garment and having gather'd Twelve white and Twelve red Roses he went into the Church but a civil Saint would not have staid to do this when such Persons were waiting for him All the way as he went seem'd to him to be spread with Silken and Purple Tapestry Being then with great Reverence come into the Church he saw there the Lord Jesus Christ with his blessed Mother and a great multitude of Angels he thereupon falling to his Prayers said Our most holy Father Lord of Heaven and Earth and Saviour of the Generations of Men may it please you of your great mercy to appoint a particular Day for the Indulgence you have granted to this place Then the holy Mother of God praying also for him Christ said I will that the particular Day shall be that on which my Apostle Peter was loosed from his Bonds beginning from the second Vespers of that day and continuing to the Vespers of the day following including also the Night between both within which time all that come into this Church shall enjoy the Indulgence Then the Angels set up a singing the Te Deum with a great deal of Reason certainly for so great a Benefit granted to the World Many silly and riculous Circumstances more are mention'd in the Story but to be short He went to the Pope show'd his fine flourishing Roses in Winter and by Virtue of them obtain'd this Indulgence as the particular Order and Pleasure of Jesus Christ through the Intercession of his most holy Mother the whole Grant they state thus That all who from the Vespers of the first Day of August to the Vespers of the following Day shall come into the Church of our Lady of the Angels shall obtain full Remission of all their Sins committed from their Baptism to the Hour that they come into that Church having confess'd with Repentance and receiv'd Absolution of the Priest This Indulgence was a long time to be obtain'd only in this little Church call'd Portiuncula but perilous Times succeeding and it becoming very troublesom and difficult for those especially in Foreign Countries to come hiâ—â—or for it at length his Holiness Pope Gregory the Tenth in the Year 1622. upon the 4th day of July granted That the same Indulgence should be obtain'd by all Christians in all and every the Churches of the Minor Brothers Order through the whole World as fully as if they came to the Church Portiuncula it self That is to say the Order encreased and several Families of them came to be spread about in several Countries and this is one of the Tricks to maintain them by and therefore every House of them must be furnish'd with this gainful Privilege for we are not to forget that an Indulgence is not to be had without leaving some Offering of Alms as 't is call'd where that is obtain'd that is to say it is not to be had without Money Thus we see what Foundation they have for the Devotions of this great Festival and this is as good as that of many others Upon the Credit of this foolish absurd and impious Story do thousands of People run on this day to the Churches of these Monks to have their Sins pardon'd Princes Statesmen Physicians Lawyers Divines leave their important Business to attend the Devotions of this day especially those who are joyn'd to these Monks by being of the Brotherhood of the Cord of St. Francis Certainly the Doctrine of Implicite Faith and Blind Obedience must be very necessary to this
and Foot The Suffragans of this Archbishoprick are the Bishops of Leige Munster Osnabrug to which were formerly added Utrecht and Minden which Two last being now seculariz'd by the Reformation there remain to him but the Three former Minden is a Hanse-Town of Germany in the Dutchy of Westphalia a Bishoprick and Principality Charlemaigne founded there an Episcopal See about the Year 780. The Bishop was Lord of it but since the Peace of Munster it belongs to the Electour of Brandenburg The Archbishop of Colen is Grand Chancellour of the Empire in Italy and pretends to crown the Emperour when it is done within the Extent of his Diocess He is one of the Three Ecclesiastical Electors of the Empire the other Two are the Archbishops of Treves and Mentz The City of Colen is situate on the left City Bank of the Rhine as it descends in a large open Valley and is encompass'd with a Country plentiful in Corn and Wine and all things needful for humane Life It lies something like a half Moon has a modern Fortification about it with a strong Wall that has Eighty three Towers in it and a triple Ditch to defend it besides some necessary Out-works It is reckon'd one of the biggest Cities in Germany The Streets are generally broad and airy many of them strait for a good length The Houses are very well built of Freestone and good Timber but they are not very Uniform and they have the old Fashion of peaked Tops generally It is said there are in this City Eleven Collegiate Churches Four Abbies Nineteen Parochial Churches Seventeen Monasteries of Men and Nineteen Nunneries An Academy was instituted here by the Acalâ—my Senate or reviv'd as some say in the Year 1388 it makes no Noise at present I enquir'd whether they had now any great or famous Men of Learning among them and was answer'd No. I was inform'd that a great many of the Books which pretend to be printed at Colen perhaps never come there Many of the French Books are printed in Holland and the Greek are printed at Lipswyck I must confess I thought to have seen the Press here which reprints the Paris Editions of the Greek Fathers in Greek and Latin and to have heard of some learned Men that were the Inspectors of the Work but one of the chief Booksellers of the Town told me they are all done at Lipswyck and that being a Protestant University they set the Name of Colen to them to give them the more Reputation in the World I confess they may have the more Reputation for that Name but it must be be with those that do not know the common State of the Roman Church for the Roman is the Latin Church too and seems resolv'd to keep up that Character by neglecting generally the Greek Tongue and it is well known that at present the Knowledge of this Language flourishes chiefly among the Protestants and perhaps more than any where else in England In several Places where I have been searching the Stocks of the Bookselleâ—s in Cities of the Roman Communion I have seen indeed vast Stocks of Books but all in Latin even the Writings of the Greek Fathers are to be found amongst them only in Latin And in Colen they print these but no Greek They had newly finish'd when I was there the Theologia Dogmatica Moralis of Natalis Alexander a Dominican of Vienna in Two large Volumes in Folio We came to Colen upon a very great Holy-Day with those of the Church of Rome that is what they call sacraments-Sacraments-Day or the Feast of the Holy Sacrament For they Sacraments Dâ—y and the Processions do yearly on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday as this was with them commemorate the Institution of the Lord's Supper And we came hither in a good time to see the Processions of this Day which are some of the greatest and most solemn Processions of the whole Year As we were going to our Inn we met one which staid us almost an Hour to see it pass by The Virgin Mary march'd foremost in this Procession carried and attended by Queasils singing if it be proper to call an Image her which yet we may do when we are giving an Account of their Matters because they themselves do so and an Image in any Place is call'd the Virgin Mary of that Place The Image of her at Loretto is as famous among them under the Name of our Lady of Loretto as that of Diana at Ephesus was under the Name of Diana of the Ephesians But may it not be said that this Phrase implies plainly that they believe the Image not only a Representation of the Saint but a Symbol of her Presence in such a Place This Image was but small about the height of a Child of Three or Four Years old but drest very fine with a Robe of Cloth of Silver a Crown on her Head and a Scepter in her Hand After this several other Images were carried of He and She-Saints intermix'd with Banners which are commonly long taper'd Flags with a Picture of some Saint in the broad part of them At the end of the Pole they hang upon is commonly fastned a good large Cross of Silver There were several Images of the Virgin Mary carried one of which as big as a Child of Two Years old seem'd and was said to be all massy Silver that was carry'd by Six Men. There attended this Procession Two Religious Orders of Men the Franciscans and the Auguctines these last sung as they went along Many Men and Women of good Fashion appear'd in this Train After all the Images came the Men who honour'd the Hostie by carrying lighted Flambeaux's before it They march'd Two and Two in great Order and were a great while a going by I doubt not there were several Hundreds of them Several genteel little Boys went ringing their Silver Bells before the Hostie The Canopy over that was of Silk with a rich Gold and Silver Fringe hanging down from it A Secular Priest carried the Hostie in his Surplice and Cope his Cope richly embroider'd with Gold and Silver The Remonstranter was large with a great deal of Work in it and of Silver gilt Let us make a few Reflections upon these Matters before we pass on to other things The Council of Trent has establish'd and authoriz'd these Things It says The Worship due to the True God ought to be given to the most Holy Sacrament And it is a Custome very piously and religiously brought into the Church That every Year on a certain particular Festival-Day this Eminent and Venerable Sacrament be celebrated with singular Veneration and Solemnity and that it be reverently and honourably carried about in Processions through the Streets and publick Ways and it curses those who shall contradict and condemn these Things But we shall venture to do this however being assur'd that the Curse causeless will not come As for this Festival they do themselves The Festival confess
about a Dozen of them follow'd with Surplices and Copes upon them these were immediately follow'd by the Host which was carried in a gilt Remonstranter under a Canopy of Silk by a Carme in a very rich Cope of Cloth of Silver with Embroidery about it After him came a great Company of Men in Disorder There were no Flambeaux's this time nor any Men but the Monks that march'd before the Host We had not so much Devotion to the Scapulary as to Honour it in following the Procession and therefore while they were going their Procession we viewed the Church which was well dress'd smelt very strong of Incense and had a great many Wax-Tapors lighted and set in Siver Candlesticks about the High Altar the piece of Painting over that was the Representation of the feign'd Assumption of the Virgin Mary There was nothing particular to be observ'd here We came to the Dominicans Church after this which is handsome and large there were very few People at this Church now The Monks were signing their Devotions in a Place behind the High Altar where they were not to be seen A Rail at the East end of the North Isle enclos'd a Chapel which I suppose is dedicated to St. Willibroerd St. Willibroerd because on the Wall at the side of the Chapel was a Picture of a Bishop at full length and under it this Inscription in Latin Caput sancti Willibrordi miraculis hominum visitatione Celebre It seems they pretend to have the Head of St. Willibroerd It did not appear and therefore is shown but at certain times perhaps only on a particular Holy-day and with a solemn Mass and so it makes a gaudy Day to the Monks of this Convent He was 't is said the first Bishop of Utrecht and the great Instrument of converting the Heathen Franks there who possess'd the Country at that time having driven out the Romans Our Historian Bede says of him he was an Anglo-Saxon and died in the Year of our Lord 636. He is a Saint of great Repute in all these Countries and one shall frequently meet with at least an Altar and Chapel dedicated to him At a Village near Antwerp there is a Church which goes by his Name as dedicated to him which is there the Parish Church The Jesuites have at Aix a very large and Jesuites commodious House and they are making it larger We went first into their Chapel Over the Door of this on the out-side in Letters of Gold is written Sancte Michael Sancte Joseph Orate pro nobis By an Inscription on the inside over the Portal of another Door is signified that this Chapel was consecrated in the Year of our Lord 1628. by Petrus Aloysius Caraffa Episcopus Inicarensis under the Name of Saint Michael and all Angels The Form of this Chapel the same with that of all the Jesuites Chapels that I have seen is Oblong with Galleries over the two side Isles which run the whole length of the Isles and are supported by the Pillars which stand up on each side the middle Isle to the top of the Church and support the Roof of it This Fashion is very convenient and looks very magnificent and handsome The Organ and Musick have a Gallery which goes across the West end of the Chapel The East end wherein the High Altar stands is a large Semi-circle the Diameter the whole breadth of the middle Isle and without a Rail or any Partition before it The Wall round this at the bottom of the great Windows is curiously carv'd for about the depth of Six Feet in the Representation of Vines and Flowers The matter is Stone I cannot tell whether Marble or not for it was all richly gilded with Gold The Altar Piece represents the laying our Saviour as dead into his Sepulchre the Figures and the Faces concern'd are extreamly well drawn This Piece is surrounded by a very beautiful Architecture of Marble a great deal of which in convenient Places is gilded There are Two Chapels at the Two Sides of this Semicircle to which one enters by little Doors and they are perfectly enclos'd They are extreamly neat and fine both of them that on the North side is dedicated to some one of the pretended Saints of their Order I think it to be Ignatius Loyola their Founder In the other is an Altar-piece which I think woâ—th taking particular notice of There is painted an old Man with a Triple Crown on his Head in the Clouds but as come down to the middle almost of the Piece and with Angels about him He with his Arms spread addresses himself to a Woman in a manner of Courtship who is sitting a little below with a Child in her Lap. Another Man sits at her Right Hand they both look very pleasantly on the old Man neither of them are in a Posture of Adoration Over the Head of the Woman and pretty near her is a Pigeon in the Posture of flying towards her with a green Garland in its Bill which he directs as designing to drop it upon her Head Now without a very distinct and impious Interpretation too one would think this Business design'd to represent an old Man some Pope or other designing to borrow of another Man with his consent the use of his Wife and in his Preâ—ence and with his Consent courting her to his Will I doubt not but this is the most innocent and safe Interpretation of this Picture I must confess the sight of it would make a Man fall to his Prayers but my Prayer upon this Occasion would be this Good Lord bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived and to that end be pleased to deliver in thy due Time all that bear the Name of Christians from the Vile Instructions of such impious blasphemous and idolatrous Books After this we went to see the House which was shown us very particularly we having with us a Friend of theirs We went up Two Stories in each of which is a long Gallery with lodging Rooms all on one side of it At one end of the first Gallery stood a Concave Steel polish'd and of about Twelve or Fourteen Inches Diameter before this a Lamp is set which when 't is lighted this Concave Steel by Reflection so encreases the Light that it reaches to good purpose to the further end of the Gallery though it be a very long one In this lower Gallery between the Doors of the Chambers are hung up some sorry little Pictures in Frames the most of them representing the pretended Saints and Martyrs of their Order Among others there is the Picture of a Man to the Waste with a remarkably broad Butcher's Knife drawn as stuck into the middle of his Breast this made us take notice of and read the Inscription at the bottom of the Picture The Inscription signifies that this is Thomas Harcourt who was put to Death at Tyburn in England for the true Faith Thus they make a
The Truth is those good Men the Jesuites are every where zealous to extirpate the Reformation And while the Bishops and secular Clergy of the Roman Church unless it be a few who are link'd to them apply themselves to the more humane and gentle Methods of perswading and endeavouring to convert as they call it by softening representing and expounding the Doctrines and Practices of their Church These like true Politicks of the World endeavour and contrive nothing else but to oppress and destroy us Their Business indeed is not to gain our Souls but our Goods and Possessions And to kill and take Possession is their Means and their End A glaring Proof of this they have to shew particularly in the large Territories as we may call them which they have long possess'd of ruin'd Protestants in Bohemia Where ever they can manage a Power that is able to do Mischief they have procur'd the Exercise of the most Barbarous and Inhumane Cruelties against us that ever were This France and Hungary of late Times have wofully felt where Streams of Innocent Blood are crying aloud for the Vengeance of Heaven upon them and their Executioners And England was lately design'd to have been a horrid Scene of the same Tragick Barbarities but Heaven be prais'd they were for the present disappointed by the timely Removal of the Tools which they had form'd and prepar'd for the Enterprize The same People told me they came from a Place call'd Medman within this Dutchy Mâ—â—man and within a few Leagues of Dusseldorp There they said they had lately celebrated the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which they do four times in a Year At which times People come from several Parts thither for this purpose and make up a Congregation of 1700 Communicants They poor People are perhaps excusable from their Circumstanstances for the not using that Ordinance more frequently But certainly where the Magistrate is of their Perswasion and they might celebrate it as often as they will it is a thing without excuse to put it off only to four times in a Year These People themselves told me that the most of the Protestant Congregations even in those Parts do celebrate this Sacrament every Lord's Day I cannot chuse but think therefore that the Church of England is reform'd according to the Model of the best reform'd Churches beyond the Seas which has provided and perhaps order'd that this Sacrament be celebrated every Lord's Day But the Rule and Precept of Holy Scripture together and in conjunction with the Practice and Example of those very Persons by whom the Spirit of God transmitted the Rule to the World is certainly rather to be observ'd than the Orders of any later Church and our Rule in the case is certainly most agreeable with Holy Scriptures I most heartily wish our People would more generally than they do fall in with so Just and Pious and Edifying an Order We ought indeed to relinquish and purge out more entirely from amongst us this Relick of Popery for it was the Papists who first introduc'd and betray'd the People into the seldom Receiving of this Sacrament notwithstanding that they now reproach us with it They have taught the World instead of receiving to reverence it mightily first and then by degrees to adore it Certainly 't is an Error and a great one to have such an Awe and Reverence for the Sacrament it self as to have none at all for the Ordinance or Institution of it which requires it to be receiv'd And it is doubtless a wrong and superstitious Fear to be afraid of receiving it unworthily and not be afraid of neglecting and omitting to receive it as often as we might have Opportunity to do so Our Road from Dusseldorp was not on the Bank of the Rhine but out of the Sight of it We pass'd through a rich Corn Country and our Ways were tolerably good When we came within about two Hours of Duysberg Wood of Duysberg which was to be about the middle of this Day 's Journey we entred a vast Wood or Forest It was very pleasant to us and look'd almost every where like a Grove there being very little under-wood within our Sight and it was generally dry and firm under us It is full of stately tall Trees the most of them Beech or Oak and they very fair and flourishing There was on it a good Coat of Green which afforded Pasture for Sheep and we saw in our way three or four very large Flocks of Sheep of a good size they look'd in a very good Condition and were each Flock attended with two or three Shepherds and so many stout Dogs and besides they kept near together This Wood is said to have a great many wild Beasts in it of several sorts and to have besides many Hundreds of Horses that run wild in it who chuse a hungry Liberty especially in Winter rather than a fat and well fed Servitude There were Juniper Bushes scatter'd about every where through this Wood in great abundance We were about an Hour and half in passing through it at a good rate of travelling and found it thick set with Trees all the way and when we came on the other side of it where we look'd upon Duysburg we observ'd that it surrounded the City at the distance of two or three Miles and went both ways beyond our Sight though we could see it a great way We had left the Dutchy of Mons and were entred the Dutchy of Cleve some little time Dutchy of Cleve before we parted with this Wood so we were also now within the Dominion of the Elector of Brandenburg and within his Dominion we continu'd and in this Dutchy of Cleve too till we came within the Dominions of the States-General of the United Provinces for we pass'd through the greatest part of the Length of the Dutchy of Cleve This Dutchy of Cleve is a Country of Germany included within the Circle of Westphalia It is situate partly on both sides of the Rhine It has on the East Borders of it the Dutchy of Berg or Mons the County of Marck and part of the Dutchy of Westphalia On the West it borders partly upon Barbant and partly upon the Dutchy of Gelderland On the South it has next it the Bishoprick of Colen and the Territory of Aix la Chappelle On the North 't is bounded with Over-Issel and the Province of Zutphen The Extent of it is reckon'd to be about Fifteen Leagues in length and Four or Five in breadth It is pretty much cover'd with Woods and Hills by virtue of which it is stor'd with a prodigious Quantity of Wild Game But on the Banks of the Rhine on both sides for a good breadth it is for the most part a plain and rich Country well peopled and manur'd and some of the Hills themselves bear good Corn. This Dutchy now belongs to the Electour of Brandenburg How long it has done so and how it came to pass has been said
agreeable to a German Soul At another Place the Water comes up through a Pipe very quick and raiseâ— a wooden Ball about Four Foot high from the top of the Pipe and keeps it at that heighth twirling in the Air. As one enters this Place there stands an Obelisk of Stone on the Pedestal are laid five great Globes of Stone and upon them the tall Pillar stands At the top of this is an Effigies of Prince Maurice of polish'd Steel The Memory of this great Man is very fresh and much honour'd here and we shall have something more to say of him anon In this City the Magistracy under the Electour of Brandenburg are of the Calvinist sort but he tolerates every other sort of Religion here with the Indifferency of the Dutch in that matter The Anabaptists have a Congregation here The Protestants have a good large Church encompass'd with a Church-Yard but the Papists are a great Proportion of the People of the City They are in Possession of the great Church as 't is call'd and of the Revenues belonging to it This stands high and is visible long before one comes to the City by two Turrets at the West end of it This is a Collegiate Church and entertains about fifteen Chanoines The Person that show'd it us said they possess all the Revenue that they ever had but it is but small We saw nothing fine in the Church but all was in a pretty good Condition There are two large Monuments of Dukes of Cleve which contain them and their Dutchesses and their Children but are very naked and plain Here they pretend to have the Relicks of some of the famous Companions of St. Ursula who St. Uâ—sula were says Story but Eleven thousand in all and all Virgins they came from Brittaine were taken in a Storm at Sea and drove above an hundred Miles within Land up the Rhine to the Country near Colen There they died all together by the barbarous Huns and Alans when they over-run that Country Some think that the making them amount to so extravagant a Number was occasion'd by mistake and that they were indeed but Eleven in all besides St. Ursula Some ignorant Monk took these Notes XI M V as signifying Eleven thousand Virgins whereas they were intended to fignifie Eleven Martyr'd Virgins But however after him the infallible Tradition of the Roman Church votes for the greater Number among the People and the Governours of the Church are willing to let it run so because that Number will best serve to countenance the abundant Relicks of these Virgins which in many Places are pretended to Bishop Godeau says That in many Churches of France there are Heads shown which are pretended to have been the Heads of some of the Companions of St. Ursula In this Church within a strong Iron Grate to preserve these precious Relicks are seen a Number of Skulls I suppose about eight or nine which they say were the Heads of some of these Virgins and a multitude of little Pieces of Bones are laid up against the Wall which they pretend were theirs and under these things is a Tomb where they say three of their Bodies are interr'd The Church of Rome solemnly commemorates these Virgins on the 21st of October but under the Name of St. Ursula and her Companions without determining the Number because though they believe it not themselves they are willing to continue the pious Fraud if any such there be among their People In the Mass for the Day at a Venture they make the following Prayer O Lord our God may it please thee to grant us the Grace to Reverence with a continual Devotion the Victories of thy Holy Virgins and Martyrs Ursula and her Companions to the â—â—d that although we cannot worthily solemâ—â—â—e their Triumph we may nevertheless be faithful to render them our humble Respects by c. There is also an Order of Nuns that are particularly devoted to St. Ursula they are a Branch of the Augustines but distinguish themselves from the rest by their Devotion to St. Ursula we met with their Houses in many Places of this Journey They began in Italy 't is said where they were approv'd by Pope Gregory XIII in the Year 1572. Yet after all 't is most probable there never was any such Person and Godeau honestly says in his Church History that the Story is full of manifest Falsities I waited upon the Protestant Minister here Lutherans for the sake of seeing his Church and acquainting my self with their way of administring the publick Worship He receiv'd me very civilly and testified great Respects for the Church of England He has also mighty Veneration and Esteem for our King whose Renown and Praises he has publish'd in Latin and High Dutch Verse I saw in his House a Picture in black and white of Martin Luther it represented him with a fuller Face than I had seen before but he said it was very exactly taken from a Picture of him which had been drawn from the Life in the Country where he liv'd It was all done with a Pen and is no bigger then might be cover'd with a little Hand That which seem'd most curious in it is a small Writing in High Dutch Language but in Latin Letters so curiously laid about it that some very artificially makes the Folds of his Gown some is turn'd about upon his Head and makes a Bush of curl'd Hair and two Lines over each Eye form his Eye-brows The Writing contains several remarkable Passages of his Life As the Picture hung up against the Wall tho' but at a little Distance I could not perceive that any of this was Writing but when it was in my Hand I could distinguish the Letters plainly and spell the Words I went into his Church which is a good large one and will hold a multitude of People yet by the Encrease of his Congregation they are forc'd to enlarge their Room The Communion-Table stood here upon an Ascent of one Step at the East End of the Church The Book of Liturgy was upon it and is used there I saw it contain'd their Spiritual Songs and Psalms and Forms of Prayer Over it against the Wall was somewhat a confus'd Picture representing the Benefit which good Men received by the Blood of Christ before his Coming as well as in the Times of the Gospel It might be said to be an Emblem of that Text Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Here again I understood that the Rites and Methods of Administring the Publick Worship in the Lutheran Congregations are different in several Provinces and Countries yet Lutherans wherever they come join with Lutherans and scruple not to conform to what they find practised in such indifferent Matters We were told of a small Collection of Roman Antiquities at a Place call'd Bergendale about a Mile from the City we went to it in the Way to Zante upon the Hill being charmed with the Pleasantness of it For
Pierre or our Lady of the Stone where People go to pray to the Virgin Mary when they are afflicted with Stone or Gravel Those who have travell'd further than we know that there are many things of the like nature usual in the Roman Church But these things are put together here as what do evidently betray the true Notion of the Papists concerning the Images of the Saints through all the Disguises and specious Representations which they put upon their Use of them The Bishop of Meaux after the Council of Trent would have it thought they do not believe there is any Virtue in their Images or that any Trust is to be put in them The Heathens believ'd that when an Image was made and consecrated to represent any of their Gods this was as it were a Symbol of the presence of that Deity where ever it was put they believ'd the Virtue and Power of that Deity in and with that Image and to be as it were bound to it so as to be exercised there and to be removed with it And the common Practice of the Papists evidently declares they have the same Opinion of their Images what other account can be given of their going to one Image of the same Saint for one Benefit and to another for another They pretend to obtain good Success at one of these Images Peace at another and Cure of the Stone at another Their very Form of consecrating their Images shows they expect the Virtue of the Saint shall attend the Image In an old Pontifical which Chemnitius a Lutheran Divine of Germany had and which he mentions in his Examen of the Council of Trent he found this Form of consecrating an Image of the Blessed Virgin Sanctifie O God this Form of the Blessed Virgin that it may bring salutary Assistance to they Faithful People That Thunders and hurtful Lightnings may be drove away That Inundations of Waters Commotions of Civil Wars or Invasions and Devastations of Heathen Nations may be stopp'd and suppress'd 'T is true there is since that time a new Edition of the Pontifical overseen and appointed by Pope Clement VIII which he enjoyned to be every where used and at the same time he suppress'd and forbid the Use of any other and this by an Act dated Feb. 10th 1596. In this new one the Prayer for blessing or consecrating such an Image is somewhat alter'd in Words but it evidently and fully expresses this Opinion of their Images In one Antiphon in the Office for that purpose they speak thus We betake our selves to thy Protection O Holy Mother of God despise not our Deprecations in our Necessities but free us from all Danger always O Glorious and Blessed Virgin And while the Company are singing this the Bishop who consecrates Incenses the Image three times The concluding Prayer in the Office speaks home to the purpose in these Words Almighty Eternal God by whose most gracious Dispensation all things were created out of nothing vouchsafe we beseech thee to bless ✚ Here he makes a Cross over the Image and sanctifie ✚ this Image reverently prepar'd and fitted in Honour of the Mother of thy blessed Son our Lord Jesus Christ And grant O most merciful Father by the Invocation of thy Holy Name and of the same thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesue Christ who for the Salvation of Mankind the Integrity of the Virgin Mary being preserved thou wast willing should be Incarnate through the Prayers of the same most H. Virgin that whosoever shall set themselves humbly to honour the same Queen of Mercy and our most gracious Lady before this Effigies may be delivered out of any imminent Dangers and may obtain in thy sight the Pardon of any Sins they have committed and may merit for the present to obtain that Grace or Favour which they desire and may hereafter rejoyce with thine Elect in everlasting Salvation by the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee in the Unity of the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen Here we see plainly that they do expect in general the removing of all Evil and the obtaining of all Good by praying before such a consecrated Image which signifies that they expect to find here the presence of the Deity represented by the Image and that this Goddess will here exert her Power to their Assistance according to the Notions and Expectations of the Heathen A further Specimen of their Practice agreeable to this Representation of it we had in the Year 1696. which they were not asham'd to publish to the World in the common Intelligences A certain Image of the Virgin Mary in greater Esteem than ordinary for the Feats done as the People may think by it was brought into the Chamber of the King of Spain he being at that time indispos'd this was in order to obtain of the Virgin the Cure of his Distemper Some time after he recover'd as how could it be otherwise and upon his first going abroad he return'd the Visit this Image had made him and went to that to give his Thanks there for his Recovery It is an usual thing among them for the Priests to tell the People concerning some Images of the Virgin on the Sea-coasts That after a stormy Night the Petticoats on the Image shall be soundly dabbl'd which they say is occasion'd by her having been abroad that Night busie at the Assistance of Mariners that call'd upon her in their Distress Do they then teach the People that there is a Presence of the Deity or Saint with the Image to help them or not Again when they make long Pilgrimages to one Image of a Saint and pay extraordinary Devotions there and pass by perhaps an hundred Images of the same Saint in their Journey with a common Salutation is not this because they believe the Presence of the Saint to be more with one Image than another because they expect rather to meet with the Virtue of the Saint there and put some Trust in that Image more than in another We met with many of these foolish and idle People called Pilgrims in our Journey between Pilgrims Brussels and Louvaine and between that and Maestricht and again between Cologne and Dusseldorp They were commonly in Troops sometimes near Twenty together and many of them young Fellows and Wenches that seem'd to be got together from their Friends and Relations for some other purposes than Devotion There are Five Parish Churches in this City Parish-Churches of Antwerp and a great number of the Chapels of those call'd Religious Orders The Clergy who possess the Parish Churches and serve the Worship there are call'd Secular Priests while the Monks and Friers are call'd Regular ones and Religious as if they who are such according to the Institution of Jesus Christ were Men of the common World and only of humane Institution but these who are truly a sort of meerly humane Invention were the only ones that were
this piece When they are open they show on the inside of them more of his excellent Work for he has drawn on one side the Visit which the Virgin Mary made to her Cousin Elizabeth On the other side I think he has represented the three Kings as they call them paying their Adorations to our Saviour at Bethlehem Rubens they say has set a very good Picture of his Wife on the former of these to represent the Virgin Mary Who was as Tradition tells us very handsome but very wanton and scandalous This puts me in mind of what is said to be a common practice among the Romanists in Italy and elsewhere which is That the Pictures made and set up in the Churches to represent the Virgin Mary are commonly good and lively Draughts of those lewd Women whom the wicked Painters most admir'd One sees them indeed usually the most beautiful Representations that the Painters Art can possibly reach But concerning this practice I think it may be asked them tho' not reasonably question'd Whether the Pictures of such Women in those places do adorn the Altar or profane the Church It is easie to determine how little a help to Devotion such Pictures must be especially while they represent more truely those Women who are known to be vile and filthy than the blessed and pure Virgin who was the Mother of our Lord. These Folding-doors when shut have another Picture on the outside newly drawn and very well done which if one should look upon it after reading the Heathen Story of Hercules one would conclude were a swinging Hercules with his Club. This is set to represent St. Christopher and so at its times this Altar serves St. Christopher for the Devotion to him It is a Picture of a very large Gigantick Man walking but who seems scarce able to go under the load he bears and therefore supporting himself with his Club which reaches up to his Arm-pit And all this ado is only to carry a very little Boy that sits astride upon his Shoulder and seems very waggishly to laugh at the pains which he takes to carry him The foolish Legend says Our Saviour put a trick upon St. Christopher in the appearance of a little Child He stood crying by a Brook of Water which he made show as if he must go over but was afraid it would drown him upon which the Saint took up the Child and toss'd him upon his Shoulder thinking to carry him as insensibly as a Fly but by that time he was got to the middle of the Water the weight of this Child grew so great that he was hardly able to walk or stand under him and full glad was St. Christopher whose Back was almost broke when he was gotten to the other side to be rid of his Burden Because he thus carried Christ as they say he had this Name of Christopher which signifies a carryer of Christ This indeed is a Story which the wisest among them do not think fit to build upon and therefore they pretend that this Picture is also symbolical and represents his carrying our Saviour about in the Country where he preach'd the Gospel which was chiefly in Lycia where they say he converted just 46000 People to the Christian Faith and suffer'd Martyrdom under the Decian Persecution But even this matter also is owned to be uncertain and a modest Author says We know nothing that is well assur'd of his Actions However he is commemorated as a Saint in Heaven by the Church of Rome on the 25th of July and that Church at a venture makes this Prayer with relation to Him at the Mass of that Day Grant we beseech thee Almighty God that by the Intercession of the Blessed St. Christopher whose Festival we celebrate we may be fortified in the Love of thy Name through our Lord c. It would be much too long a task to take particular notice of all the several Altars in this Church But certainly in the Church of the Blessed Virgin we must not omit to pay our Respects to the High Altar which iâ—dedicated to her And here besides the excellent Architecture worth taking notice of we see an excellent piece of the famous Rubens's drawing Assumption of the Virgin Mary This is the Altar-piece which represents the pretended Assumption or Ascention of the Virgin Mary into Heaven There is painted a beautiful Woman cloath'd with rich Silks mounting towards Heaven with Clouds under her Feet a Glory all above her and many Angels about her some admiring some adoring and some seeming to shoulder her upwards At the bottom of the piece is a Tomb open and many Men and Women about it some looking down into the Tomb some staring upwards and sheltring their Eyes with their Hands as if they would defend them from being dazled by the Glory above them They say she did die indeed and was buried but within three days afterwards she rose again from the dead and was taken up into Heaven And one would think by this representation of the matter that most certainly she ascended into Heaven as the Scripture says our Saviour did that is in the sight of many people and visibly attended by Angels in his glorious Triumph Thus is this matter constantly represented to the People in the Pictures of her Assumption and thus are they taught poor People by Pictures which in the Church of Rome are the Lay-mens Books to believe lies For there is not one bit of all this that is true The Apostles were Witnesses of our Saviour's Ascension and have testify'd it sufficiently to the World but as for that of the Blessed Virgin tho' the Romanists pretend many of them were Witnesses of that yet there is not a word said of it in any of their Writings nor do any of the Writings of the Ancients make any mention of it 'T is confest by a modest Author That after the Scripture speaks of her as standing by the Cross of our Saviour at the time of his Crucifixion and her being then recommended to St. John to be respected and taken care of by him as if she were his own Mother there is no more said of her in any Author that is certain either concerning the rest of her Life or concerning her Death Authors say indeed says he that she having liv'd at Ephesus with St. John died there at the Age of 72 Years in the Year of our Saviour 56 or 57 but this is not at all certain he owns as well as is not her Assumption which it would without doubt have been if it had been true For if ever the Spirit of God had design'd such Honours for the Virgin Mary as are paid her by the Church of Rome this Circumstance which is one great foundation and encouragement of them would have been order'd by the Divine Providence to have been ascertain'd beyond all reasonable doubt or contradiction as is the Ascension of our Blessed Saviour Another Author says Goddeau Hist de
he who has said Mine Honour will I not give to another will not reckon there is any paid to him when that which is due only to him is communicated to a Creature And we may observe how undistinctly at least they speak to the People and how ill they must needs teach them when they speak so in this that they mention at last the most Glorious Deity without any Epithet of Honour but the Virgin is call'd most Holy Certainly if their Prayers for the extirpation of Heresies which are always excited on these occasions had any effect they would procure the removal of these gross Idolatries from the Christian Church In the entrace of the Office for the Mass of this Day they say Let us all rejoyce in the Lord and solemnly celebrate this Day in Honour of the Blessed Mary For the Assumption of whom the Angels rejoyce and glorifie the Son of God Mr. de Meaux produces a Collect for the Day which runs thus O Lord let us receive a Salutary Assistance from the Solemnity of this Day whereon the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God underwent a Temporal Death but could not be held down by the Chains of that Death c. On the day of this Festival and so through the whole Octave one shall see at this Church a number of Puppets dress'd up to represent her and hung by Wyres in a strait Line one above another up to the top of the losty Church and the highest of them are the least to make the distance appear the greater but they are all dress'd exactly alike Thus are the People taught her Assumption but while they are thus taught by Images and Pictures we cannot chuse but think that it would be much better for them if they had more of the Scriptures and less of these This is one of the many Instances of Devotion in the Roman Church which at least are groundless and without any Foundation or Warrant in the Word of God But if that which is done without Faith as the Apostle says be Sin and that which has no Foundation or Warrant from the Word of God must be done by consequence without Faith then 't is necessary that these Devotions instead of being acceptable with God must be sinful and an Abomination to him But there is yet a further Guilt in this matter and that is That this with several Honours and Devotions paid to the Virgin Mary are design'd and tend to parallel her first with our blessed Saviour and then perhaps afterwards they will advance her above him as in some things some of them seem to do already for these Evil Men and Seducers grow worse and worse Therefore as the Christian Church has observ'd a Day and still does so to celebrate our Saviour's miraculous Conception the Church of Rome keeps a Day to celebrate hers which the Bishop of Meaux expresly calls a miraculous Conception too As the Christian Church celebrates the Nativity of our Lord so the Roman Church celebrates on a particular Festival that of the Virgin As the Christian Church celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple as the First-born of his Mother and a Male so the Roman Church celebrates the Presentation of the Virgin Mary at the Temple having as the Bishop of Meaux says receiv'd it by a pious Tradition come from the East That the blessed Mary was consecrated to God from her Infancy and presented to him in the Temple This Story was very ignorantly invented at first For the Jewish Law ordain'd indeed that the Males should be presented to God which were the First-born of their Mothers but not the Females This is very evident in the Scripture and the Jesuit Menochius states the Law so in his Learned Book De Republica Hebraica They commemorate her Sufferings as well as those of our Saviour and frequently show her to the People as having a Sword sticking in her Breast as she stands by the Cross of our Saviour and sometimes they express their Reliance on her Sufferings for the Satisfaction of their Guilt as they do of those of our Saviour To conclude as the Church celebrates the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord into Heaven so does the Church of Rome that of the blessed Virgin whom by a parallel Title they usually call Our Lady If all should be here produced which is practised in the Veneration of the Virgin Mary by the Church of Rome and is allow'd and encourag'd by the publick Authority of the same and taught by their Preachers and Writers without Censure yea with the express Approbation of the Censurers I doubt not but it would appear to any just and impartial Person to be no hard and unjust Appellation if one should call the People of that Communion rather Marians than Christians Antwerp is abundantly furnish'd with those call'd Religious Houses of several sorts both for Men and Women for these Renouncers of the World commonly flock to those places chiefly where there is most Wealth stirring and where 't is most pleasant living The chief Orders of Mâ—n here and whose Chappels are the finest and most frequented are the Minor Brothers a Species of the Franciscans and the Carmelites who are call'd The Brothers of our Lady the Norbertines and the Jesuits The things which recommend the Orders to the People and make them run more after one than another are commonly these The Opinion which the People have of the Holiness of some Saints of such an Order whose Altars and Chappels they visit to partake of their Merits and Intercessions and the Indulgences granted to be obtain'd in the Churches of that Order together with the Festivals which they particularly celebrate We must add to these also the Fraternities which belong to them and sometimes an Image they have in their Chappels is famous for the Miracles pretended to be wrought there tho' perhaps they have hardly any Witnesses to these but the Monks that keep them and some hired Vouchers The Minor Brothers have a good House and Minorites a large Church here and a great Reputation among the People they go bare-legg'd but have Sandals on their Feet they have several Processions in a Year wherein they appear a great number and have a great Company of men marching with their Torches before the Host as if they wanted Light as I think they do and were groping at Noon-day as the Blind grope in Darkness They carry the Host then in very rich Circumstances with some large Silver Incense-pots before it under a rich Canopy in a large and costly Remonstrancer and the Priest that carries it does not fail to have a great deal of Gold and Silver upon his Back To these People are tied the Fraternity of the Cord of St. Francis which enjoys great Spiritual Privileges of the Pope's granting They have a great Festival founded upon a ridiculous Story which they call The Feast of Portiuncula That is a time of enjoying those Indulgences which were granted upon the
seeking of their Intercession particularly to obtain thereby a happy Death and the Graces thereto necessary And there is this Prayer fram'd which all the Brothers and Sisters of the Society are oblig'd to say at their entring themselves into this Society Holy Mary Mother of God and Virgin I chuse you and your good Bridegroom St. Joseph this Day for my Patrons and Advocates and I steadily purpose that I will never forsake you that I will never do or say any thing against you nor will I ever suffer that any under my Authority shall act any thing contrary to your Honour Therefore I pray you receive me to be your perpetual Servant Assist me in all my Works and forsake me not in the Hour of my Death This sure is enough in all Conscience to the Honour of these Saints and it cannot I think well be imagin'd how more than this could be said to Jesus Christ himself Certainly the Honour of Mediatours to the highest degree is given to them they are particularly chosen for this the person devotes himself to their Service promises solemnly never to forsake it seeks their Assistance in all he does particularly at his Death Thus is most evidently the Honour due to God alone given to Creatures I mean that which is due to God the Mediator And who can be perswaded that this Prayer is made only with the Spirit of Charity as we desire our Brethren on Earth to pray for us Another Fraternity is erected to this purpose also which belongs to the Jesuits Colledge at Ghent under the Name of the Brotherhood of the holy Death-pangs of our Lord Jesus Christ dying on the Cross and of his most holy Mother suffering together with him under the Cross in order to obtain a happy and saving Death There is also erected at Antwerp and belonging to the Cathedral Church there a Fraternity under the Name of the Brotherhood of the Dead who are to take especial care for the relief of the Dead and this is honour'd with many choice Indulgences The whole Company bind themselves to perform some private Devotions in behalf of the Dead but especially they are directed-to attend on certain Days at the Masses which are said for them to obtain those Indulgences either for themselves or to the advantage of their dead Friends to whose advantage such things redound they cannot well tell how but pretty well agree to express it in these words per modum suffragii that is in the manner of a Vote or Wish However a superfluous number of Priests must be maintain'd and that they may seem to do something for their living a multitude of Masses and other Services must be perform'd in publick and the People must be wheedled to attend them and drop their Alms as 't is call'd to enjoy these Indulgences I shall incert the publication of a Plenary Indulgence granted to this Royal Archbrotherhood as it is call'd with the Devotions to be perform'd on All-Souls day and the Octave for the relief of the Dead as it was fram'd in the Year 1696 which was as follows A solemn Octave with Plenary Indulgence Granted to the Royal Brotherhood of Faithful Souls in the Cathedral Church of our good Lady Friday next being the 2d of November and the Day of the Commemoration of the Faithful departed there shall begin in the Cathedral Church a solemn Devotion of Eight Days for the said Faithful who are dead with a Plenary Indulgence Upon which Day beside the ordinary Service of the Quire there shall at 7 a Clock on the account of the Brotherhood be sung the solemn Mass by his Illuâ—â—riouâ— Excellency Johannes Ferdananâ—â— â—â—shop of Antwerp At 8 a Clock shall a Sermon be preach'd by the very Reverend Through the whole Octave in the Chappel of the Circumcision where the Altar is particularly privileg'd for the departed Souls on â—very Day through the whole Year there shall several Masses be read for their Refreshment and Relief After-noon at half an Hour after 4 a Clock shall be the Lauds of our good Lady which shall be follow'd with a Sermon preach'd by Then the solemn Laud of the Faithful Souls by the very Reverend who shall close the Devotion of the first Day with the Benediction and solemn Reduction of the Venerable Holy Sacrament On Saturday as also upon the following Days of of the Octave shall the solemn Mass of Requiem be perform'd at 7 a Clock In the Evening after the Lauds shall be a Sermon preach'd by The Devotion shall be concluded by the solemn Laud and Benediction of the most holy Sacrament On Sunday shall be the solemn Mass at 7 a Clock At 8 shall be the Ordinary Sermon by c. Afternoon after the usual Lauds shall be a Sermon for the Faithful Souls then the solemn Laud with the Benediction On Friday being the Conclusion of the Octave at 7 a Clock in the Morning shall be sung the solemn Mass by the Reverend the Quire-Deacon of the said Cathedral At half an Hour past Ten shall be a Sermon and in the Evening at the Hour beformention'd a Sermon also after which this devout Octave shall be concluded by his Illustrious Reverence aforemention'd with the solemn Laud Reduction and Benediction of the Venerable H. Sacrament His Holiness Innocent the 11th has towards furthering the Devotion of the Faithful Souls granted a Plenary Indulgence and forgiveness of all their Sins to all those that enter themselves in this Brotherhood as well upon the Feast of All-Saints as also upon any of the Eight following Days who with sincere Repentance having confess'd and receiv'd the Communion shall devoutly visit the Chappel of the Circumcision and there pray for the Union of Christian Princes the Extirpation of Heresies the Advancement of our Mother the Holy Church and to the Refreshment of the Faithful Souls Upon All-Souls-day the Plenary Indulgence is not only for the Brothers and Sisters of this Society but also for all Faithful Christians who shall visit the Cathedral Church and there pray as is above directed Besides these Plenary Indulgences for all the Days of the Octave his aforesaid Holiness has granted yet several as well Plenary as other Indulgences which are more particularly related in the new printed little Book of this Brotherhood This Book I have by me but do not think it worth while to enlarge upon this matter beyond the Paper which I am now rendring Each person is intreated by the meriting of these Indulgences and by the other Devotions to help the poor afflicted suffering Souls Requiescant in Pace Amen Here is very much to be done in this busie Octave of Devotion and all in pretence to relieve the poor distressed Souls in Purgatory and at this time a dismaâ—â—â—cture is set up representing a Company of People in Flames a Chappel is hung all with Mourning and other Intrigues are made use of to affect the Vulgar who come in mighty numbers to these Devotions mightily concern'd to relieve Relations or
there were 8000 Wax Torches and Flambeaus carried before it I doubt not but some mighty Indulgence was the Lure that brought so many People together and perhaps it was a new one granted in consideration of the late Sufferings of the City for these Occasions bring Money both to Priests and People At the place where this Hostie is kept in this Church there hangs up a Table on which are written these Verses following which relate the matter in short Quisquis ades summi quem tangit cura Tonantis Dum proper as coeptum siste viator iter Hic tibi viva caro aeterni Sapientia Patris Christus adest vivus panis una salus Invida Judaeûm quam dum laniare laborat Impietas meritis ignibus ecce ruit Quare age divinos bic funde Viator honores Funde Deo dignas supplice mente preces If this Story were true it might be reckon'd a miraculous Confirmation of the Truth of Christian Religion but it does not all conclude for the Absurdity of Transubstantiation tho' 't is very likely it was at first but a Juggle contriv'd for a pretended Proof of that as it is to this day reputed a mighty one I will allow it to be the best they have In this Church as I remember I saw an Altar with an Image of the Virgin over it which has an Inscription belonging to it that calls her Maria pacis On the Front of the great House before-mention'd call'd the Bakers there is somewhat relating to this matter One sees there two Inscriptions in great Letters which run cross the whole Front the one of which is A Peste Fame Bello libera nos Maria Pacis The other is Hic Votum fecit Elizabetha pro Pace publica I suppose this Elizabeth to have been Isabella-Clara-Eugenia Daughter of Philip the second King of Spain who married her in the Year 1598. to Albert the Sixth Arch-Duke of Austria whom he made Governour of these Countries This Inscription speaks fully out what they mean by their Application to the Saints and downright asks of the Virgin Mary that she would deliver them from the Plague Famine and War It speaks too their Opinion of Images while the Prayer is made as their Phrase is to that particular Virgin Mary and the People in common Talk will say One Virgin Mary has done a great many Miracles but another has done nothing at all There are a great many Convents of Friars and Nuns in this City for these people commonly chuse the most populous and pleasant places to retire from the World and mortifie themselves in many of them were beaten down by the Bombs out of the French King 's ardent Zeal to promote the Roman Religion The Dominicans had a large Church here the Dominicans Walls and Cover of which are up and they were saying Mass at two or three sorry Altars in it to be doing for something doing something coming A large Division of this Church which is almost half of it was before and is design'd again for the Chappel of the Rosary The Rosary is a Set of Prayers to the Virgin which if you will believe them she her self order'd and assisted St. Dominick to recommend to the World a thing that has done mighty matters but chiefly has well provided for this Order and fatned them up as Hogs for the Slaughter For as the Institution of this blessed The Rosary From of Devotion is deriv'd from this Order so they have all the Profits of it The Chappels of the Rosary belong to them and the Brotherhood of the Rosary are their People and are joyn'd to them and all the mighty Priviledges and Indulgences granted to the Rosary are dispensed by these Monks and by Virtue of these matters there is no sort of the pretended religious Orders who look more jolly and fat and shine with their own Grease more than these Butcherly Fellows This method of Devotion has drawn in such multitudes of People of the Roman Communion and makes so great and considerable a part of the Worship and Devotion of that Church that one should give a very imperfect Account of the State of Religion in the Roman Church without somewhat a distinct Account of the Devotion of the Rosary I shall therefore produce some of the most observable Particulars which I have met with relating to this matter wherein we shall see a great deal of dull and tedious trifling under the Name and Pretence of Devotion a deal of impious Idolatry in the Worship of the Virgin if ever there was or can be such a thing as Idolatry in the Worship of a Creature and we shall see the main business of Worship turn'd into Applications to the blessed Virgin and in a word the Christian Religion turn'd Marian. What the Rosary is The Rosary or Garland of Roses is a Set of Prayers to the Virgin Mary intermixed with the Lord's Prayer These both one and other are number'd by the Beads which one shall so often see in the Hands of the People in Popish Countries especially when they go to Church The String of Beads is tied together at the ends and has commonly fifty small and five greater Beads in the round and there are besides about ten◠I think of the small Beads with one great one upon a little strait String with a Cross which hangs to the other On the smal Beads they say so many Ave Mary's as these Prayers to the Virgin are commonly call'd because they begin with the Words of the Angel's Salutation of her when he came to tell her she should be honour'd with bearing the Messias To which Salutation they have added moreover that of Elizabeth and a Conclusion in the Form of a Supplication to the B. Virgin The whole Prayer runs thus Hail Mary full of Grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou above all Women and blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb Jesus Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us poor Sinners now and in the Hour of our Death This Prayer is repeated ten times and then comes the Lord's Prayer which is repeated as often as the great Beads come The whole Rosary or Garland of Prayers consists of this String of Beads three times repeated which comes to fifteen times ten Ave Maries and fifteen Pater Nosters When and upon what occasion the Rosary was instituted This method of Devotion so erroneously partial to the Virgin whom they pray to ten times in it for one Prayer to Almighty God has no other Foundation but a Story as impudent as silly and evidently devised to derive it from the Blessed Virgin her self Indeed this does but help to fill up the Parallel between Rome Heathen and Popish and if Numa Pompilius might pretend to derive his Rules of Religion from a Goddess why might not the holy Dominick derive his from such an one too Thus then as they say this great and divine Institution as brought into the World When the holy Dominick had
Man the blessed Alanus de Rupe a Dominican had a Revelation of them from the Virgin Mary her self who to confirm the truth of these things in his Book Entituled The Reviv'd Work says All these things hath the most B. Virgin Mary the Mother of God related to a certain Religious Person meaning himself good Man but out of modesty concealing his Name assuring him that they were most evidently and sensibly true The which Religious Person she chose to be her Bridegroom giving him a Wedding Ring some say a Rosary or string of Beads but which soever it was she had very curiously wove it up of her own Hair This methinks were a precious Relick if in being but I do not find that they any where pretend to have it among them which yet they might as justly pretend to as to many other things of that sort Some Directions about Reading the Rosary The People are exhorted to take care that they do this not only with the Mouth but also with the Heart and with serious attention to which purpose they are directed to begin their Tasks of Devotion with this Preface to the Virgin Fill my Mouth with the Grace of your sweetness O Mary and enlighten my Understanding Oh thou who art full of Grace Stir up my Tongue and Lips with chearfulness of Heart to sing your Praises Vouchsafe that I your humble Servant may with Pleasure say Ave c. A pretty good beginning and we shall find the rest agreeable They tell the People that 't is good and profitable to read the Rosary with Meditations on the 15 Mysteries by which they mean the principal parts of the History of our Saviour to which they have added some Fictions concerning the Virgin to make up the Number When they do thus then to every ten Ave Mary's and a Pater Noster there comes a Meditation and this is attended with an Address either to the Virgin Mary alone or to Jesus Christ and the B. Virgin ane she is for the most part the Principal Person applied to some of these for a Specimen I shall here produce Upon the Resurrection of Christ the Prayer begins to Jesus and then is soon turn'd to the Virgin in these words Also I beg of you O the Glory of Jerusalem the Joy of Israel Mother and Matd Mary Awaken me from the Grave of Ill Customs in the which I have lain buried and obtain for me the Spirit of Divine Grace c. Upon the Assumption of the Virgin into Heaven they have this Prayer to be join'd with the Rosary I beseech you Oh most H. Virgin Mary who in Soul and Body are gloriously advanced into Heaven Qbottomless pit of all Grace my most sweet and glorious Lady I pray you through the unspeakable Comfort which you have felt in the hour of your Death that you will not for sake me at the end of my Life but stand by my Soul as a sure Defender as a sweet Refuge and a gracious Mother that I being encompass'd with your overflowing Merits may fear no Snares or Temptations of the Enemy but that I may be found worthy to be introduced with Joy and presented in the presence of your Blessed Son with whom you Reign for ever and ever Upon the Crowning of Mary in the Heavens which they commonly set the adorable Trinity a doing in their impious Pictures and Images they have this Prayer I beseech you Oh most excellent Queen of Heaven who by your singular Beauty do adorn and make glad the whole City of God! I intreat you by the Love of your Bridegroom that you will make us poor Exiles in this vale of Tears Partakers of the abundant Bliss which you enjoy in your Native Country above Arise Oh Advocatress Turn towards us your merciful Eyes and after that this our banishment is over shew â—s the blessed Fruit of your Body Jesus Give Ear to us Oh Gratious Hear us Oh kind Give us what we ask Oh sweet Virgin Mary Upon the Visitation of Elizabeth by the Virgin this Prayer following is directed to be used in the reciting of the Rosary Oh Glorious and always Blessed Maid Mary I present you these Salutations meant of the Ave Mary's to the Honour and Remembrance of that great Joy which fill'd your Virgin Heart when after your Conceiving in your Virgin Body you went into the Hill-Country of Judea and did there visit and salute your Cousin Elizabeth By this your Joy and Rejoycing I beseech you to account me worthy that you come to my Soul and to visit that with your gracious Presence And grant me the favour that I may faithfully serve you all the days of my Life The form of Blessing the Beads of a Rosary This string of Beads are consecrated before they are to be used as a Rosary and for that purpose they make use of this following Prayer Almighty and most merciful God who through the immense Love wherewith thou hast loved us wast willing that thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ should descend from Heaven upon the Earth and according to the Angels Message should take flesh in the most Holy Womb of the most Blessed Virgin Mary our Lady and should undergo the Cross and Death and on the Third Day gloriously rise again from the Dead that thou mightest rescue us from the Power of the Devil We beseech thy immense Clemency to bless ✚ and san ✚ ctifie here two Crosses are made over the Beads these signs of the Rosary dedicated by thy faithful Church to the Honour and Praise of the same Parent of thy Son and infuse into them such a Vertue of the Holy Spirit that whoever carries any of these about him and reverently retains them in his House and does according to the Rules of the Brotherhood devoutly pray to thee upon them contemplating at the same time the Divine Mysteries he may abound in saving and persevering Devotion and be a Partaker of all the Graces Privileges and Indulgences which have been granted to the said Society by the Holy Apostolick See and may be deliver'd from every Enemy visible and invisible always and every where in this Life and in the Life to come and may deserve to be presented to thee full of good Works by the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mother of God her self by the same our Lord Jesus Christ c. This Prayer being said the Beads are to be sprinkled with Holy Water The Brotherhood of the Holy Rosary The Honour of Instituting this is also given The Brotherhood of the H. Rosary to Dominick who is said to have done it at the Revelation and upon the Charge of the most H. Virgin Mary She willing hereby to multiply her Graces and Favours to the World Commanded her beloved Bridegroom St. Dominick to found this Brotherhood which she order'd should be call'd The Brotherhood of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the most Holy Virgin Mary From hence it is the peculiar Privilege of the Dominicans to have Authority
to establish any where these Brotherhoods And for this Reason they say this Fraternity is united with so strong a Bond to this Order that they cannot in any wise be separated the one from the other Neither can any Chappel of the Rosary be erected by any other Person excepting the General of this Order or those who shall be thereto deputed by him And if any should presume to do this it would be to very little purpose for their Chappel should be destitute of all the Indulgences which are granted to this Order or Brotherhood And every of the Fathers Provincial have this leave and powder from the General That they may erect a Brotherhood each one in his own Province And these Fathers may erect these Brotherhoods in what City Town or Village they please in the Churches Chappels or Oratories of the Dominicans and also in the Churches of the Secular Clergy But it must be understood that these Chappels shall be serv'd only by Dominicans or perhaps some other Priests who at least are of the Brotherhood of the Rosary And this is a bold Invasion upon the Rights of the Secular Clergy but this was a thing made very light of in former days though now the Secular Clergy begin to lift up their Heads and get from under the Oppression of these useless Drones Indeed they are directed to ask leave of the Bishop where they do this that this Brotherhood may be the more acceptable and may bear the more Fruit but 't is said the Bishop may not refuse nor hinder them from doing this Only the Fathers the Dominicans too have the Authority of admiting any of the Believers into this Brotherhood The manner of entring this Society and some Rules of it Those that enter themselves in this Association or Brotherhood are said to put themselves into the number of the Servants of the Holy Maid Mary and are directed in doing it to make a firm Resolution in this following form I N. N. Acknowledge and Confess that I do with all my Heart put my self under the defence of the most H. Maid Mary the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and Queen of the Holy Rosary whom in the best manner that I can out of a sincere Love and Affection of Heart I chuse for my principal Patroness firmly resolving that I will through her help and that of Almighty God diligently perform these things following 1. When my appointed hour is come I will immediately if it be possible either in the Church or elsewhere as I can best do it either on my bended Knees or as Opportunity and Convenience will allow begin to read the Rosary of 15 Tens and at the same time Meditate upon the 15 Mysteries of the Life and Death of our good Lord Jesus Christ 2. I shall offer the first part of the Rosary that is the first 50 Aves to God for the Union of Christian Princes the Extirpation of Heresie and the Conversion of Sinners The 2d part I shall offer up to God for the present Necessities of my Country and for the Necessities of all those who are in their last Extremities The 3d. part I shall offer up for the spreading and advancement of the Glory and Honour of the most Holy Maid and Mother of God Mary and for the releasing of the poor Souls in Purgatory Then I will add to this the Litany of our good Lady on the behalf of all those who have given themselves up to this Exercise There are some few further Resolutions mention'd concerning the care that the Person will take to have these matters perform'd for him when he is lawfully hindred which I need not insert Dominick at first order'd that all the Brothers and Sisters should read a whole Psalter of Mary that is 15 times 10 Ave Mary's with the due Pater Nosters every day This was something a troublesom Task and so after times have mitigated it And now this Task must be performed once a Week to the Glory of God and of the Holy Maid they say And it needs not now be read all at once or kneeling in the Church at any particular time but 't is enough that it be finish'd by the end of the Week If any Brother be desirous to be a Partaker in the devout Laud and Salve Regina which every day immediately after Compline is sung in the Churches of the Dominicans with a solemn Procession he must be present at the Laud and Procession or else read 7 Ave Mary's in what Place soever he is for himself and for the other Brothers Forasmuch as the Holy Widow Anna has brought forth this honourable Fruit the holy Maid Mary therefore that we may be in some measure thankful the Founder of this Brotherhood has wish'd and desir'd that the Brothers and Sisters would to the Honour of these three namely the holy Mother Anna her Daughter Mary and Christ the Son of God and of Man read on every Tuesday three Pater Nosters and three Ave's For the Souls of the Brothers departed after the four principal Feasts of our good Lady which are the Purification the Annunciation the Assumption and Birth four yearly Solemnities shall be held at the Altar of the Rosary at which Solemnities all the Brothers and Sisters ought to be present and to which they are invited by great Indulgences where they must however drop their Offerings as well as their Beads or else there is no Indulgence for them Moreover 't is said there are especially three Feast-days which all of this Society ought to solemnize which are the Feast of our good Lady's Annunciation on the 25th of March the Feast of the Rosary on the first Sunday in Octber the Feast of the H. Dominick on the 4th of August and this must be done in the Chappels belonging to this Order The H. Mother of God Mary her self has will'd that the Feast-day of the H. Dominick should be celebrated with particular Devotion and she has reveal'd this her self to the B. Alanus de Rupe and has order'd that the Brothers should acknowledge St. Dominick for the second Patron of this Brotherhood because he first establish'd preach'd and promoted it but they must acknowledge the most H. Maid Mary for the principal Patroness An Admonition to All Men to enter themselves in the Brotherhood of the H. Rosary I think fit to produce this because the Reader will hereby understand from themselves of what Extent and Esteem this Brotherhood is in the Church of Rome and what are the Baits that catch Fools into this sort of Snares The Admonition was thus It were very fitting that among good Christians not to say among the Lovers of Mary there should not any one person be found who is not enter'd into the renown'd Society of the holy Rosary or who will not suffer himself to be perswaded to do this as soon as may be as well for the Abundant Indulgences therein to be enjoy'd as also for the following Reasons 1. Because the H.
Bishop â— Antwerp and then they soon fell to making War upon this University They have had a mighty mind to hold publick Schools here for the Arts and for Theology They have used all their Arts which are many both fair and foul to accomplish this Against their first Attempts the famous foremention'd Cornelius Jansenius who was born for their shame and ruine at last was twice sent into Spain as Deputy of the University who manag'd the Cause of the University so well in the Court of Spain that these Fathers were then defeated and forbidden to do what they had so much mind to This good service done to Truth and Justice and the Interest and Quiet of the University was the first foundation of all the spite and malice with which those good Fathers have since persecuted the Book and Memory of Bishop Jansenius To this day I was told they have not been able to accomplish the erecting of any School here but they are only permitted to Catechise Children in their Chappel which they do every Lords day in the Afternoon at the time of Vespers They have here a Chappel which is very large and looks great and Magnificent but is not fine The Frontispiece is good and well-proportion'd Architecture and very large and high At the top in the Stone-work is the Cypher for the Name Jesus which is call'd I think very unfitly the Arms of the Society On each side of this is a Fame with a Trumpet If we may interpret the Figures by the Actions of the Society we may say they signifie that the renown or Iâ—â—samy of the Society is spread every where by Fame rather than that the Honour of Jesus Christ is spread by their Society They are very angry with a Person that Interpreted the J H S in the Cypher to signifie as Latin Letters Jesuitae Habent Satis and indeed we may be angry with him too for we cannot think they have yet had their deserts The Chappel stands in a rising Street and one sees it from below which advantage together with the height of it makes it look great In that place too the Street is wide and gives room enough to view the Frontispeice all at once and with advantage to the proportions to the bottom of that and the entrance of the Chappel is an Ascent from the Street of a great many Steps I did not observe any Great House belonging to it their House makes no show to their sorrow Over the Entrance of the Chappel on the inside which is at the West there are set up above the Organ Gallery four Pictures of Franciscus Borgia They are of a Wainscoat colour upon Boards and the Boards are cut to the shape of the Pictures they are all at the full length of a Man At the bottom of each Picture is the Name of the Saint for they have got him Canonised and to the Name is added an Elogium in a word One is Francisco Borgiae Justo the other add to his Name these 3 Epithets among them Prudenti Temperanti Forti I could not observe that there was any thing added to the Picture which might be reckon'd a Symbol of the Epithet or Elogium under-written This Chappel is lighter than that at Antwerp and I believe is much larger but has not so much finery to show and looks very naked and plain The Pillars which support the side Gallerys and the Roof are very Great ones and I believe there are 6 on a side and tho' they are so big they seem to be at a good distance from one another There are but few Pictures in the Chappel on the side Isles Those that are there chiefly represent some Saints of their Order with some Part of their Story In one I took notice they have set Xaverius sitting upon the ground as in a Wilderness with two or three Leopards about him and he is handling their Claws and they fawning upon him At the bottom of the Picture is an Inscription in Latin signifying that He â—am'd the Savage Nations by the Faith of Christ This Xaverius is a great Saint among them but the scene of his Story is laid a great way off even in China and Japan They call him the Apostle of the Indies and Martyr He was put to death by the Magistracy in Japan 't is likely for some Villany or other as we have reason enough to suspect because we find as I shall have occasion to take notice hereafter that whatever any of this good Order are put to Death for any where their Brethren make Martyrs of them and say they died for the Catholick Faith The East ends of the side Isles have each of them an Altar very finely built up with Marble Pillars and a good peice of Painting over them That on the right side as we look up is dedicated to Xaverius that on the left to Ignatius Loyola Over the former Picture is written in Letters of Gold Sancto Xaverio Sacrum Over the latter Sancto Ignatio Sacrum and both as I remember leave out the mention of Almighty God I doubt not but these Altars are design'd more for the Honour of these Men than for the Glory of God The peice of Painting over the high Altar represents the Fable of the Blessed Virgins Assumption The Altar was at this time drest extravagantly fine and rich in appearance Every thing shin'd with Silver and Gold In the middle above the Altar between six tall Silver Candlesticks stood two Angels as tall as a Child of two years old which seem'd to be Silver with a Drapery thrown over the greatest part of their bodies which was guilt with Gold These put out each of them a hand with which they supported between them a large Crown This too seem'd to be Silver and shin'd as if it were set with some precious Stones The Angels turn'd their faces inward and somewhat downward as looking upon what was under the Crown There stood under it a tall large Remonstranter with the Hostie in it which appear'd through the Crystal in the middle of it Besides these things there were set along over the Altar several other things for Ornament which were gilt with Silver or Gold and these were intermixed neatly with great Bundles of Flowers The Ornament of the Table before which is commonly something very fine was of Scarlet Velvet with a broad flourish along the top and about the ends of it in manner of a Lace which seem'd to be solid Silver gilt with Gold In the middle of the piece it being now Whitsunday according to the stile of the Church of Rome there was the Figure of a Dove which seem'd also solid Silver with Raies about it which were an Embroidery of Gold The company here at Compline was very small The Chappels of other Religious Houses that we were in were neat but none of them appear'd very rich or fine The best we saw was that of the Minder Broeders or Minorites which had a great many Altars and a good
it a Dutch Rhime signifying that The best means to drive away from our selves the Plague is to Honour St. Charles with Alms. There are Litanieâ— hang'd up in Frames before a place to pray at which the People are taught to say to St. Charles In the same enclosure are contain'd also as an Inscription tells us the Relicks of St. Dorothy who is there said to be a Patroness for breeding and Child-bearing Women I cannot find how this comes about or on what this esteem of her is built for she was as story says a Virgin Martyr The Church of Rome commemorates her on the 6th of February and in the Mass for the Day is this extravagant Prayer used Grant O Lord we may obtain the Pardon of our Sins by the Intercession of the Blessed Dorothy Virgin and Martyr who was always acceptable to Thes by the merit of her Chastity and by the Profession which she made of thy Vertue through our Lord Jesus Christ c. It is evident by this and many other of their Prayers that they even equal the Saints to our Saviour in the Office of Mediation Here they ask the greatest benefit Pardon of Sin by vertue of her Intercession and this Intercession of hers they expect shall prevail by the merit of her Chastity and Vertue Sometimes they mention the sufferings of Martyrs as what they hope shall prevail for them and even satisfie for their Sins Which things show how much they differ from true Christianity which as the Apostle has taught us acknowledges but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus At an Altar of the Virgin Mary in this Church these Compliments are given her by Inscriptions about it Sedes Sapientiae and again Virgo Maria Illuminatrix Let it be judg'd whether these are not Attributes that signifie something may be expected from the Virgin Mary her self and that it is not true what the explaining People of the Church of Rome pretend That they only pray to the Saints to pray for them When the Virgin Mary is call'd the Seat of Wisdom and an Inlightner would not any one who believes this of her think that he might expect Wisdom and Illumination from her And when a Saint is call'd a Patron in such and such particular Cases the People are led to understand that 't is the Saint that helps in such cases by vertue of a Power given him from Almighty God For if praying and interceding be all their business one Saint may pray for any thing as well as another In this Church there is an Altar dedicated to the Holy Trinity as an Inscription tells us in these words Deo Triuno Sacrum The Altar-peice is a Picture such as they usually make for the dishonourable and Impious Representation of the H. Trinity One sees painted an old Man sitting in the Clouds with a tripple Crown on his Head a younger Man sits by him on his right hand holding a Cross and over them is a Pigeon hovering with a Glory about it The Church of St. Michael is said to be the oldest in Louvain It stands upon the Innermost Wall and the Gate-way through the Wall goes under the Church For this reason one cannot think that this was the first Church built here because no People would have set their Church upon the outermost Wall of the City as this was at first By a Printed Paper posted up within the Portal of this Church it was said That a plenary Indulgence was to be obtain'd there by all those who shall come and offer at the Altar of the Holy Trinity on the Feast and Octave of the H. Trinity which was now approaching for the Redemption of Christian Slaves out of the hands of the Turks And those of the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity who should come hither for this purpose were to enjoy all the Indulgences Benefits Priviledges which belong and are granted to the Fraternity of the Cord of St. Francis or to that of the Rosary or that of the Girdle of St. Augustine Very much but perhaps not all worth two pence Within the Church is an Altar to the Holy Trinity which seems much out of repair and deserted for which reason perhaps the aforesaid bait is laid to draw People hither There is a wretched Image of an Old Man over it which was all I could make out perhaps because it stands somewhat dark This Church is but mean in all respects There are in it two or three Altars to St. Michael where we see an ugly Image of him treading upon a Dragon By one of these Altars is a Box to receive Money and by it an Inscription which says That Offerings of Chairty should be given there to the Angel St. Michael that he may stand by us in the time of our need And he is there said to be the Patron against the Head-ach and burning Feavers We had spent as much time here as we could afford and were endeavouring to get from hence to Namur We found that there was no stated Carriage between these two places That we could not hire our Carriage for our selves but at an unreasonable rate and no man cared indeed to carry us that way it being out of the Road of business at present But to Maestricht or Brussels we might go because this was the time of year for using the Waters of Aix la Chapelle and this occasion'd them a great deal of employment in that Road. We had not secur'd our places in the Coach for Namur from Brussels and must perhaps have been forc'd to stay there longer than we could afford if we had gone back thither and so we resolv'd to go from hence for Maestricht thinking that perhaps we might from thence go conveniently for Namur This passage they reckon'd to us at 14 Hours but by reason of the badness of the Ways and the slowness of their travelling we made it I believe near 20 hours for it took us up two long days to get to Maestricht Passage from Louvaine to Maestricht ON Whitmonday according to the Roman stile we took our places in a Charrette that was bound for Maestricht We were in all 6 or 8 Persons in the Charrette and were drawn by 3 Horses We paid each person for this passage two Pattacoons at 48 Stivers each which came to 9 Guilders 12 Stivers for two of us We began our Journey about 11 a Clock before Noon went through a great part of the City and out at the Thienen Port so we left Park Abby a little on our left hand This is a House belonging to the Order of the Premonstratenses who were taken notice of before at Antwerp The place still retains the Name it had before it was taken to this Use The House stands in a Park a place made very pleasant by a little Wood near it and fine Fish-ponds a little Brook and curious Meadows This account is given of the place and tho' we could not see it I think fit to mention