Heads of the Romish Church have taken to keep the People committed to their Charge as much as they can in a profound Ignorance The Doctrin of that Church is so extreamly corrupt the Contradictions it contains are so great and many the Decrees of the New Councils and Popes and the Doctrins of their different Religious Orders are so inconsistent and irreconcilable one with the other the use or rather the commerce and Trade that is made there of Holy things or such as are pretended to be so is so base and infamous the Morals they profess are so low wicked and unworthy that there is no other way left to keep that Church standing but by abasing the Spirits of Men by Ignorance or rather by wholly blinding of them to make them fall into the Abyss of Error Now the best Expedient in order to this is to make clear work with whatsoever might encourage the Studies of Learning and to set over the People Ignorant Bishops and Pastors from which God preserve all Protestant Churches and more especially that of England OBSERVATIONS ON A JOURNY TO NAPLES The Second Days Journy BEing Come to Veletre the Abbot took up his Lodging with one of his Friends and I betook my self to an Inn near the Piazza My Host asked me if I had not a mind to see the Ceremony which was to be Celebrated the next day at the Dome so they call the Cathedral Churches in Italy he told me there was a great Bell to be Baptized whereof a great Lord was to be the God-Father and a Lady of Quality the God-Mother and that there would be a great apperance of the Nobility who had been Invited to the Solemnity from all Parts I had before this seen Bells Baptized in France but because I knew that the Italians surpass all other Nations in the Magnificence of their Ceremonies and that they commonly season them with a double proportion of Superstition I resolv'd with my self to see it Baptized and with that design I staid all the next day at Veletre I went to the Church in the Morning to take a view of the Preparatives that had taken up a whole Weeks time which I found to be great and Sumptuous indeed The Bell was placed at the Lower end of the Body of the Church hanging upon two Gudgeons covered with rich Hangings of Velvet of a Violet Colour and the Bell it self was accoutred with a kind of Robe of the same Stuff There were two Theaters Built on each side of it for the Musicians and an Amphitheater for the Ladies who were to be present at the Ceremony The Pillars and Walls of the Church were richly adorned with curious sheets of Silk and Pictures Near to the Bell was Erected an Altar very neatly set forth and upon it lay a white Satin Robe which was to be put upon the Bell as soon as it should be Baptized with a great and fair Garland of choice Flowers There was also upon the Altar a Roman Ritual a Censer and a Vessel with Holy Water and round about the Altar rich Velvet Elbow-Chairs for the Priests who were to perform the Ceremony Just over-against it a Throne was seen most Magnificently Hung for the God-Father and God-Mother of the Bell. About Ten of the Clock the Company came and having taken their several Places the Priests began their Function He who officiated was a Bishop in partibus whom the Bishop of Veletre being at that time very Sick had deputed for this purpose and his Chair was placed upon the Steps of the high Altar He struck up the first Psalm which was continued by the Musick These Psalms by the way which may be seen in the Roman Ritual have as much reference to the Baptizing of a Bell as to the Baptizing of the Moon the Prophet David very probably having never had the least notion of the Baptism of Bells After that the Psalms were ended the Bishop began the Blessing of Holy Water to Sanctifie it in the first place to the end that afterwards it might Sanctifie the Bell also This Benediction is very long and no less Ridiculous which being Finished the Bishop and Priests dipt Spunges in it with which they rub'd over the Bell from the top to the bottom within and without being in this regard certainly much better Baptized than Children are upon whose Heads only they pour or sprinkle a little of it They repeated in the mean time abundance of Prayers which speak of nothing else but Heavenly Blessings that are to Purifie Sanctifie and Consecrate the Bell Ut hoc Tintinnabulum say they coelesti Benedictione perfundere purificare sanctificare consecrare digneris That thou wouldest be pleased to Rinse Purifie Sanctifie and Consecrate this Bell with thy Heavenly Benediction The Bell being thus well washt they dried it with clean Napkins and the Bishop having taken the Viol of Holy Oils which are those they bless on Holy Thursday for the whole year following he therewith anointed the Cross of Metal which is on the top of the Bell in order to make the Devils flee at the Sound or Ringing of it Ut hoc audientes Tintinnabulum tremiscant fugiant ante Crucis in eo depictum vexillun That hearing this Bell they may tremble and flee before the Banner of the Cross designed upon it He afterwards made seven other Crosses with the said Oil upon the outside of the Bell and four on the inside This done he made the God-Father and God-Mother draw near and demanded of them in Italian Whether they were the Persons that Presented this Bell to be Consecrated Who having answered that they did he then asked them Whether the Metal of the Bell and the Workmanship of it had been paid for to the Artificers To which they answered Yea. They make this demand because it hath sometime hapned that for want of Payment the Workmen have seiz'd and fetch'd away their Bells the very same day or the day after it hath been Baptized and have melted them down to be employed to Profane uses The third Question he asked of them was Whether they believed all that the Catholick Apostolick Roman Church believes concerning the Holiness and Virtue of Bells The answer to which was affirmative also In the Last place he demanded of them what Name they desired should be put upon the Bell To which the Lady answered Mary Then the Bishop took two great silk Ribbands which had been fastned to the Gudgeons of the Bell and gave each of them one in their Hands and pronounced with a Loud Intelligible Voice the words of Consecration which are these Consecretur Sanctificetur Signum istud in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen Let this Sign be Consecrated and Sanctified in the name of the Father Son amd Holy Ghost Amen Then turning himself to the People he said The Name of this Bell is Mary Afterwards he takes the Censer and Censeth it on the out-side round about and afterwards put
of Bigotry in some Nuns 190 The Church of Englands Wisdom in suppressing Monasteries 193 Fourth Day GReat Superstition of the People in the Kingdom of Naples towards their Priests 195 Priests in that Kingdom are call'd by every one Christ's Knights 196 Distinction which the Venetians make of the Priests ibid Priests at Venice used by the Nobility with great Indignity and Contempt 197 Spanish Souldiers go a Begging for Priests in the Kingdom of Naples and how 199 Pride of a Spanish Priest in saying his Office 200 Description of the Splitted Rock and of the Miraculous Chapel there 202 Of the Hermits which live there 205 Capucins are irreconcilable Enemies to the Hermits and for what reason ibid. Eremitick State formerly so great in Italy is now at a very low Ebb and why 210 225 Most of the Hermits are Murtherers and High-way Men. 211 Deceit of two French Hermits on the Mountain called S. Sylvester 211 Description of the Mount Soracte otherwise call'd S. Sylvester 212 220 Hermits no lovers of Brown Bread 215 Debauched Life of an Hermit Italian there ibid. Description of an Abby of Bernardins on the Top of the Mount S. Sylvester 218 Miraculous Carots in S. Sylvester's Garden do continue ever since 220 Curious Meeting with the Italian Hermit and his downright Hypocrysie 221 Description of the Hermetical Habit. 222 History of an Hermit at Venice who was an infamous High-way-man and publickly Executed for his Crimes 223 Hermits are a very ignorant sort of People and great up and down Runners of Countries 226 Hermits very Dextrous at Pilfering one instance of it 227 Papists valuing themselves much upon the Hermetick State against Protestants who have Cut it off from the Bosom of the Church 228 Description of the Wilderness of Sublac and of the Grotto of S. Bennet 230 A Stone not falling down because it is well fastned to the Rock is a perpetual Miracle there 232 Rose-Trees bearing Roses are a perpetual Miracle there 233 Description of the Abby of Montcassin in the Kingdom of Naples 235 The Popes Infallibility contradicted about S. Bennet his Body 236 Miraculous Ravens like to the Black-Fryers or Monachi Neri of S. Bennet 237 The Monks of that Abby Eat Fish that flie in the Air and what kind of Fish it is 239 Description of the Hermitage Encylas in Swisserland 241 Cbrist is seen to Consecrate a Chapel there and to say Mass in it 242 Reflections upon Christs saying Mass there of the Wafers and Communion in one kind 245 The Ancient Custom of Celebrating the Lords Supper is still Practised once a year in the Archbishoprick of Mentz in Germany though in a Corrupt manner 247 Abuses which are committed in Performing this Ceremony 250 Reflection upon this Ceremony 251 Papists have no true Communion amongst themselves 252 Country People in the Kingdom of Naples are very ignorant of some Duties of Christianity and Articles of Faith 255 Very Superstitious and very kind to their Priests and Monks ibid Fifth Day LIttle Chapels or Vaults in Italy full of Bones Hairs bits of Wood c. What they are 258 Women creep on their knees to these little Chapels 260 The Closestool or Sedes Stercoraria made use of in the Popes Exaltation to the Throne of S. Peter ibid Knavery of a Carmelitan Fryer and his gallant Guest 262 His Letter to a Lady and the Ladies answer to him 264 Monks Habits are a Cloak to all sort of Wickedness 268 Seculars are Buried in Italy with some Monasterical Habit. 270 A remarkable saying of a Turk concerning Monks 269 Priests and Monks in the Church of Rome impose heavy Fasts upon Seculars and do not keep them themselves 272 Fasts of the Papists 273 Lent amongst them is only for the Poor 276 How impudently the Priests and Monks in the Church of Rome have perverted the Hours of their Fasts ibid Pleasant way of Fasting in Germany ibid Ridiculous Scruples about Fasts and Sermons made purposely to resolve such Cases 278 The Spaniards are very strict observers of Fasts 281 A Curious instance of their Extravagant Zeal on this Subject ibid Some great Canons of Mentz are very ill dealt with in the Country of Burgundy for transgressing the Fasts 282 Fasts to be commended if done with Charity but People are not to be forced by Fire and Sword to it 284 Description of the great Hospital for the Sick at Naples how well and Nobly administred by the Gentry 285 How pitifully and uncharitably on the contrary are administred those Hospitals for the Sick which are committed to the Care of Fryers and Monks 286 Reflection upon the Magnificency and Beauty of th Churches of Naples 288 Jesuits are very Powerful at Naples 290 They perform there the Office of Intelligence for Men and Maid-Servants and for what end ibid Jesuits generally hated of all the World 291 They are unsatiable Usurpers of other Religious Orders and Estates 292 Very Ingenious Distick made upon the Jesuits 295 They do Profane the Holy Name of Jesus by appropriating it to themselves ibid Of the famous Relick of S. Januarius his Blood at Naples 297 A Protestant Minister who was turned Papist turns Protestant again at the sight of this Relick 298 False Story spread abroad by the Jesuits to inspire People with horror against Protestants 299 Papists cannot reproach Protestants of any Superstition 300 Those which leave the Monastical Habit are at Rome Condemned to the Gallies 302 The Secret promised for Confession of Sins is not kept 303 Auricular Confession both very Divertizing and Profitable to the Priests 305 Questions made in Confession 306 Confessors very eager for to hear Womens Confessions 307 Stratagem of some Young Scholars for to be dispatched in Confession by their Confessor who was a Jesuit 307 Amorous Letter found in a confessional 309 History of an other Jesuit upon the same account 310 Women become Impudent by auricular Confession 311 It is a great advantage to be Confessor of Ladies 312 Confession is a great help to fill the Priests Purses 313 A Neapolitan Knight Robbed of his Mony by the Jesuits for not being willing to part with one part of it 314 Confessionals worse than bad Company 317 The Doctrin of Attrition saving Sinners if joyned with Confession is a great incouragement to Sin 318 Priests are seen very seldom to Confess their Sins 319 Penances which the Priests do inflict upon their Penitents 321 Confessors of the White-Rod or Penitentiaries 323 A Protestant of Geneva severely bang'd by a Jesuit for Laughing at a very silly Ceremony practised in the Church of S. Peter at Rome 324 Another Protestant bang'd by a Jesuit at Strasbourg for not kneeling at the Elevation of the Host. ibid OBSERVATIONS ON A JOURNY TO NAPLES The First Days Journy I Departed from Rome the 6th of May in the Year of our Lord 1686 and by chance joyn'd Company with an Aged Neapolitan Abbot who was going to Velétre He was a Man throughly vers'd in the Politicks of Rome
best Rhenish Wine that is to be got in all the Territory of Mentz and the Officers of the Cathedral have power to go and chuse it that Day with great Ceremony in the Electors Cellars They pierce all the Vessels one after another and take the Judgment of some Learned Palats upon them It is the high Opinion they have conceiv'd of the goodness of this Wine that makes these Gentlemen drink so heartily The Great Cup takes its Round five times and so oft every one of the Company drinks But if any one should chance in these Intervals to be tormented with Thirst he needs only to make a sign to the Priests who are near to the Table where other Vessels stand ready in which they are presently served Whilst the Cup goes round the Singing-Men and the Musicians strike up their Notes and Sing standing near the Table which holds the Cups and the good Wine that which the Papists call Improperia which are the Reproaches our Saviour made to the Jews for their Ingratitude in Abusing him to that degree as they did notwithstanding all the Benefits they had received of him I observ'd that the Company kept themselves in a great degree of Restraint and Modesty at the first and second Round the Cup made but at the third Turn when the good Wine began to display its virtue every one began to Talk and Laugh and the Singing-men who were willing to take their shares of the good Wine made Stops ever and anon to refresh themselves with the pleasing Liquor so that towards the end of the Ceremony they were quite gon and knew no longer what they sung I was pretty near one of the Grand Canons and told him In truth My Lord I am astonished to see them suffer these Singing-Men to act all these Fooleries they do in the midst of the Hall and in your Presence and at a Function which requires a great deal of Modesty and Seriousness He Answer'd me very fiercely We do not concern our selves with those Men they are a Company of pure Rogues they deserve indeed to have their Legs and Arms broke but all that can be said for them is that they are drunk and to speak truth I am somewhat engag'd that way my self I found that he spoke Truth for the good Wine had seiz'd his Capitol as well as those of the rest of the Company My Host with whom I lodged who was one of the Officers of the Grand Chapter return'd from thence very much out of order and own'd to have drunk above six Quarts for his own share He often call'd for Wine extraordinarily under pretence that the bits of the Wafers which he eat stuck in his Throat At last when the Ceremony was ended which lasted about two Hours every one returned to his own Home staggering as they went and running their Heads against the Walls The Gentlemen certainly would be highly displeased if they should be deprived of the Cup that Day and I question whether the Pope with all his Authority would ever be able to bring it about Now if we set aside the Excesses the Indecencies and some other Improperties these Men did commit in this Solemnity sure it is that this is the true way of Administring the Holy Supper which has been continually preserv'd in this Church It seems probable that sometime or other they were in the belief that they could not satisfie the Command of the Supper by celebrating the Mass and Communicating in the manner as they do and therefore to remedy this in some degree they retain'd this Ceremony which they call the Lord's Precept but surely they then observed it with more modesty and respect than they do at present Indeed I know no Function the Papists have throughout the whole course of the Year that represents the Holy Supper for what I have now said of Mentz is not practis'd in any other of their Churches I know they commonly assign Easter-Day for this purpose but I can find nothing in the whole Office of that Day that represents any thing of it For the Mass hath no conformity at all with the Supper and besides the People do not Communicate whilst the Mass is celebrating but after the Mass is ended and then the Priest without making any Prayer and without declaring what he is about to do goes and puts into the Mouths of all those that present themselves a small Consecrated Wafer and saith to every one of them The Body of Jesus Christ preserve thy Soul to Life Eternal Every one that has Received it retires to a Corner of the Church to Pray in private and then every one goes home without the least Prayer made in common Where therefore is the common Union or Communion in all this They cannot say that they partake all of one Bread for all the little Wafers they give are distinct some Old and others New some of them bought at one Shop and some at another and all of them as was said are so penetrated with Wax that it is hard to say whether it be Bread or Wax They do not so much as once know for the most part that this Action is to be performed in remembrance of the Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ neither is there so much as one only word mention'd to put them in mind of it For my part I must acknowledge that I knew nothing of it before that I began to study Divinity and I believed that to Communicate was only to Receive the Body of our Saviour without being obliged to call any thing to Remembrance And yet this is that which is most expresly declared in the Commandment of our Saviour in the Institution of the Holy Supper Do this in Remembrance of me And those who Administer the Sacrament have an Engagement lying upon them to declare the Death of our Lord to make us remember it Notwithstanding that these various Relations and Observations that I give you here seem to have no great Connexion with my Journy to Naples yet they do very well comport with the General Subject I have propos'd to my self and which I may well call the main scope and aim of my Work which is to discover to you the rest of the Corrupt and Superstitious Practices of the Church of Rome which are come to my knowledge I produce them one after another according as I find occasion and in this regard I readily acknowledge this Treatise not to be very Regular For because the most part of these Matters have no great Connexion together and that they cannot make out a whole Chapter or a Days Entertainment I have been obliged to follow this Method tho' somewhat Irregular not being able to order things better I shall conclude this Days Journy with an Observation I made in my Journy from Mola to Capua which is this Having struck out of the High-Way we entred into some Little Villages to refresh our selves Whilst they were Watering our Horses we took a Turn