more Odious It is not my design to rob this Gentleman of the Honour of such a Rencounter But I must needs intreat the Reader to remember what I have before Remark'd in several places of those Letters that the Stories I tell are no extraordinary Events but things that happen frequently and ordinarily in those Countries where Popery reigns in its full liberty And therefore that it ought not to be inferr'd that because such an Adventure hapned to this Gentleman therefore it did not also happen to the Monk of whom I there speak This I am sure that the Monk boasted of it to me as he was going to say Mass and if occasion were I could tell above VII or VIII Stories more of the like nature but that I fear I should tire out my Reader with so many Relations to the same purpose THE CONTENTS OF THE OBSERVATIONS ON THE First Days Journy IT is Discours'd of Italian Learning and first Of the Ignorance of the Popes Cardinals Bishops Abbots Priests and Monks of the Church of Rome in Matters of Religion Pag. 2 Vain Distinction of Faith of Understanding and of Faith of the Will and to what Trick it serveth in the Church of Rome 6 How Studies are conducted in Italy 13 Studies how ordered and spoiled by the Jesuits 14 With what Impudence the Jesuits boast themselves to Teach Youth gratis 18 Studies how managed in the Italian Universities 20 Four Reasons why a man cannot become truly Learned there 21 Their pitiful Method of Argumenting and Defending Theses 25 Story of an Ass that took his Doctors Degree at Padua 26 Encomiums given by some Travellers to Learned Men of Italy are to be understood with restriction and that for two Reasons 29 Art of being esteemed Learned at a cheap Rate practised by most of the Italians and in what it doth consist 30 Hebrew and Greek not encouraged in Italy 32 Method for Studies in Convents and Religious Houses 34 First of the Jesuits 35 They make in their Colleges a Trial of Spirits and what Qualities are required for to be receiv'd a Jesuist 36 37 How ridiculous in their Latin 38 They change their Philosophy and Divinity according to the Times 41 They follow Molina's Doctrin no better than that of the Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians 43 Mental Restrictions introduc'd by the Jesuits to cover Lies 49 Their pitiful Arguments against Protestants 51 Manner of Studies of some Religious Orders amongst the Papists 53 Of Thomists and Scotists 54 What sort of a Man was Thomas Aquinas Head of that Party call'd Thomists How much abstracted and hypocondriacal he was 58 He is oblig'd to pretend Crucifix-Speeches to confirm his Doctrin concerning Transubstantiation 57 What sort of a Man was John Duns Scotus Head of the Scotists He affects to contradict Thomas Aquinas in every thing 61 The Popes dare not declare more for one of these two Parties Thomists and Scotists than for the other 62 A Dominican Fryer disappointed in a Publick Dispute gives his Answers all wrong 64 Monks in Italy learn to Dance to Fence and to Ride the Great Horse and why 66 Studies of Secular Priests in Italy 68 Why Learning is generally so much discourag'd in those Countries 70 Second Day BAptism of Bells Description of that Superstitious Ceremony 72 The Belief of Papists concerning them 78 Pleasant Story of the Bell of S. Proculo at Bononia 77 Infamous Covetousness of Priests in Ringing their Bells and the use they make of the false Doctrin they spread about them 80 Wonderful virtue of a Little Bell of the Capucins at Venice 81 The Devil takes possession of a Bell and Rings it himself ib. Blessing of Beasts in the Church of Rome with Holy-Water 85 Exorcism of Rats Caterpillars and Flies c. 86 How vain and ineffectual they are by several Examples 88 The Chapel of S. Thomas Aquinas at Fossa Nova The Abuse which is made of several Bones there 91 Of the Catacombes and of the Bones found there 92 Ill use made of those Bones by the Popes 94 Jaw-Bone of a Beast made use of for a Relick at Vandosme in France 96 Worship of Latria given to the Holy-Tear at Vandosme and the Falshood of this Relick 97 Frightful History of two Famous Highway-Men adored as Saints in S. Martin's time 98 What kind of a Saint S. Vicar was 100 Mendicant Fryers chief Distributers of false Relicks 101 They pay their Hosts with them 102 Of the Agnus Dei 105 Of S. Margarets Girdle for Big-bellied Women ibid. A Priest burneth a Crucifix for fear it should be Profaned 110 Sad Accidents which do happen to the Holy Host with some Examples of my own Experience 111 Frightful sight at Maladurne in Germany hapned in the Sacrament 115 Description of a ridiculous and merry Pilgrimage thither 117 No Hereticks admitted there 124 Some Protestants were ill Treated by the Pilgrims of Maladurne 125 Continuation of the Holy Exercises of these Pilgrims 127 Third Day SAd Spectacle of a Nun who had made her Escape from a Convent 135 Of the Nuns of Italy 137 Of the young Gentlewomen-Boarders in Religious Houses 138 How enticed to become Nuns 139 Some are very cruelly and unnaturally forc'd to become Nuns 140 Ceremonies which do precede the taking the Religious Habit. 141 Ceremonies of their taking the Habit. 142 Nuns have great Pensions from their Parents 144 To what use they employ these Monies ibid. Convents of Nuns are Discharges of Families 145 How Nuns do employ their time 146 They are the best Confectioners and Pastry-Cooks in Italy ibid. A Spirit of Impudence Effrontery and Impiety reigns in the Cloisters of Nuns 147 The Bishops do prohibit to go and speak with Nuns 148 Copy of a Licence for celebrating Mass in Convents of Nuns 150 Nuns great Contrivers and Carriers on of Intriegues 154 Subtil Intriegue of a Nun at Milan ibid. Story of a Gentleman poysond by a Nun. 156 Reasons why Nuns are of so Devilish a Spirit 158 A Dominican Nun very barbarously Treated at Milan for having endeavoured to prove her Profession void 159 Wantonness of Nuns in their Dresses 165 They are very partial in their Humors ibid. Their Impiety and Lasciviousness in their Songs even at Church 167 Nuns Court the Men and run mad for them 168 How Devilish in their Amorous Contrivances ibid. Infamous Instance of it amongst the Nuns of Bresse in Italy 169 Nuns are under two sorts of Government 173 Of the Nuns of Fontevrault in France 175 Institution of this Order The Nuns command the Men. 176 Description of the Abby of Fontevrault 177 The Jesuits were once in great Authority at Fontevrault but afterwards were very ignominiously droven out as they deserv'd 181 Shameful Trials which these Nuns make of the Monks that live under their Obedience 185 They have all publick Exercises of Learning of their Monks performed in their presence 186 What were the Religious Communities of the Primitive Church 189 Monks in France ashamed of their Names ibid. Excesses
and had been Secretary to several Cardinals And forasmuch as I had already conceived a sufficient aversion for the Romish Religion the Corruption whereof I had a fair occasion to discover during my long abode in Italy I was very desirous to understand the Sentiments of a Person of so great Age and Experience Wherefore after having discoursed him about indifferent Matters I insensibly put him upon the Point of the Capacity and Learning of the Clergy of Rome He sufficiently satisfied me on that Subject and in the Account he gave me he observed something of a Method For in the first place he spoke to me of the Head of that Church viz. the POPE and from him passed to the Principal Members thereof which are the CARDINALS the ARCHBISHOPS and ABBOTS and concluded his Discourse with the Common PRIESTS and MONKS As for the first of these I mean the Pope he told me That it was a lamentable thing to see in what gross Ignorance many Popes lived of the most important Truths of the Christian Religion and that he himself had been fain to inform Pope Innocent the Xth of the true sense of this Passage of the Creed Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto who was conceived by the Holy Ghost for he instead of understanding them of the Temporal Conception in the Mystery of the Incarnation did attribute them to the Eternal Generation of the Word and according to his Apprehension these Words Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary afforded this meaning Jesus Christ who was Conceived from all Eternity by the Holy Spirit was Born in time of the Virgin Mary So that if this Pope should have undertaken to have determin'd the Sense of them according to his Notion he would have given us a fine Instance of his Infallibility His Successor wish'd the same Abbot to Explain to him the Nature of Original Sin and how the Blessed Virgin came to be exempt from it Now it is worth our Observation that they were just these very Popes the most Ignorant that of a long time had appeared in the Church of Rome who undertook to decide the most important Controversie which ever was determin'd in the Church since the Council of Trent the Propugnators of the Efficacious Grace of S. Austin being of one side and the Defenders of Sufficient Grace on the other I mean the Dispute was maintain'd between the Augustinians or Jansenists and the Jesuits otherwise call'd Molinists The former of these two Popes had at the first no great mind to determine any thing concerning those Points For he declared one day to Luke of Holstein his Library-Keeper That the Solicitations he had from France to pronounce his decision concerning the Propositions of Jansenius drawn from S. Austin gave him a great deal of Trouble because the Question was concerning Points that he did not understand neither had he ever studied them Luke of Holstein answer'd him That his Holiness would do well not to begin at the Age he was of to trouble himself about the understanding and much less about the deciding of them because they were very perplex and intricate of themselves and that they had not only been the occasion of great Disputes amongst the Christians but also amongst the greatest Philosophers of Ancient Times by reason of the difficulty they found to reconcile the Liberty of Mans Will with the Decrees and Fore-knowledge of God whereupon some of them embraced one Opinion Others another as was done still to this day and would so continue as long as there should be Men in the World Whence he inferr'd That forasmuch as it was impossible for him to pronounce a decision that might satisfie both Parties it would be better for him not to meddle with it at all but to leave things in the state he found them till they should drop of themselves as they would without doubt whenever the one or other Party or both of them together should be weary of the Disputing and forcing their Opinions upon their Antagonists 'T is said The Pope was extreamly pleased with this Advice In the mean time it was observ'd that by his frequent Assisting at many Congregations which were held on this Subject he at last took a great deal of pleasure to hear these different Doctrins discust notwithstanding the great Repugnance he had for them at the first and he attributed this change in himself to an extraordinary assistance of the Holy Spirit On a time the Lady Olympia his Sister asked him What Matters were treated of in those Congregations that were so very pleasing to his Holiness The Pope Answer'd That they were certain Subtilties which she did not understand but that probably she might come to comprehend them in case she were present there whilst one of the Consulters Discoursed who explain'd those Points with the greatest clearness and perspicuity In a word All these Consultations were held on purpose to give his Holiness a true Notion of these Points in question But it seems to me that persons who pretend to Infallibility ought to be in possession of the Key of Knowledge or at least do their utmost endeavour to obtain it For can any thing be imagin'd more ridiculous than that a Pope to whom Application is made by the whole Church for the ratification of the Doctrins of Faith should be fain to treat with others and to demand time and opportunity to inform himself by consulting his Doctors and afterwards hear him tell you That the very same Point of Doctrin which a while ago he was ignorant of is an infallible Truth and which he alone hath the Authority to determin I entreated the Abbot to tell me in good earnest Whether he himself who had been witness of so much Weakness and Ignorance in those who are seated in S. Peter's Chair could receive all their Decisions for Infallible To which he Answer'd That he rather believ'd them such by a Faith of his Will than by a Faith of Understanding I requested him to explain this distinction which seem'd to me to be somewhat obsure and in which I saw that he plac'd something of Mystery He told me That the Faith of Understanding carried along with it some kind of Evidence that its Motives were so agreeable with the Principles of Reason or had so close a dependance upon Matters revealed that they could not be resisted without acting contrary to good sense and that by this Intellectual Faith we believe there is a God and that this God must be feared and worshipped That he will reward those that are Good and punish the Wicked That Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the World foretold by the Prophets c. But as for the Faith of the Will continued he that is altogether obscure we find nothing in it to satisfie our Reason and we believe it only because we will believe it 'T is by this Faith said he that I believe the Infallibility of the Pope and a vast number
taking a view of him otherwise than from the Garret Window where she was Imprison'd yet that her sight was good enough to discern he had a very good Countenance under his Hood and that she allow'd him from that very moment to study the best means of getting to her provided that it were done with all possible Precaution That she might indeed have Burnt the Letter he had sent her but that she suppos'd it would have been an ill Presage to Condemn to the Fire the first Fruits of his Love towards her and that she doubted not since he had been so circumspect in the securing of his own Letter but he would be at least as careful for the Answer she sent him that it might never fall into the hand of her Tyrant meaning her Husband She concluded with the most tender Expressions that could be invented by the most ardent Affection and desired the Fryer not to fail of returning the next day at the same Hour to make his Quest assuring him that he might build upon her Charity Tho' these Letters seem'd to be Pleasant enough yet the most Understanding and Virtuous of those who heard them read could not but express something of Horror to see Wickedness covering it self with the pretext of Godliness and Stalking up and down in the Disguise of a Habit so Holy in outward appearance They sent out some Persons by several ways to look for the Fryer but they could not meet with him only they Learnt at a House where he had Lodg'd three or four days before that he was one of the great Convent of the Carmelites in Naples and that he had been sent to make Quest in the Countries round about My Companion who had some Letters to deliver to the Fathers of the said Convent took upon him to inform the Prior of the whole matter as soon as we should be Arriv'd there if they would deliver to him the Letters of this Fryer Questor The Letters were accordingly deliver'd to him by the Italian after that he had first taken a Copy of them That which favour'd the Lady in this Business was that the two French Beggars who had minded nothing but the Prey they long'd for and who after they had seiz'd it had run three or four Streets to save themselves from the Pursuit of the Carmelite could by no means find out the House again of this Charitable Creature neither was there any Italian found that was in the humour to own it for his Wives hand This Honest Gentleman my Companion did not fail two or three days after his Arrival at Naples to acquit himself of his Commission but he received nothing but Frowns and Displeasure for his Pains for having acquainted the Prior of the Carmelites with it they flatly denied that any Fryer of their Convent had been sent upon the Quest to Averse at that time yea they abused him with ill Language asking him by what Authority he had charged himself with this Commission as if it were the Office of Priests to take cognizance of the doings of Fryers That they were sure the Priests had no reason for their parts to reproach their good Manners seeing they themselves led such very Loose and Scandalous Lives The good Gentleman seeing that the Prior began to be in a great Passion and fearing lest the Religious might think fitting to give him the Discipline for his Pains made his humble Excuses to them and withdrew himself saying that what he had done in this Matter was not in the least done with any intention to Insult them but only because he thought himself bound in Charity to advertize them of a thing for which they were so much reproached at Averse and which probably they might find out some means to remedy The Prior accordingly notwithstanding the bad Humour he was in did not fail of sending the very same day the Steward of the Convent to Averse with Orders dexterously to divulge there that the Fryer Questor who had plaid these gallant Tricks did not belong to their Monastery and that in all probabilty it must have been some Secular that had made bold with their Habit the better to act his Part. It is true enough that sometimes Seculars Disguise themselves in the Habits of Fryers to accomplish their Ends as knowing that nothing can be invented more proper to give them a free access to all Houses For notwithstanding that the Men of the World are daily Trappand by these wretched Monks yet for all that they retain as great a respect for their Habit as for the most Sacred thing in the whole World and the Monks that on their side they may not be wanting to the daily encrease of this Veneration scarcely Preach up any thing else but the Sacredness of their Habits Therefore it is that these Habits by the great esteem Men have of them are so very Proper and accommodate to Cloak all manner of Wickedness and Treason and consequently are made use of to facilitate the escape of Criminals to Murther People in their Houses to maintain secret Correspondencies in Cities for to Burn and betray them and in a word to commit Adulteries Incest all manner of Cheats and Persidiousness Murthers and Sacriledge yea what is more to attempt the Sacred Lives of Kings whereof we meet with too many fatal Instances in History A Turk to whom the Prince of Mirandula gave a Relation of the different Religious Orders there were in the Church of Rome and who as he said were the Ornament of it Reply'd That if there was but one of them they would be sufficient to exterminate all the Princes of the Earth It seems he had Read something of our Histories So many dreadful Catastrophes which daily happen by these pieces of Cloth shap'd after an Antick manner and ridiculous Figure one would think might be sufficient if there were no other Reason for it but the Conservation of their States wholly to cut them off from the Church for Religion and the State ought to be so perfectly united that the one may not betray the other nor give occasion to any Dissension or Misunderstanding therein Whereas it is true in the Church of Rome that they would sooner trample upon a Royal Robe than upon the Frock of a Monk because this Habit in it self tho' it may be he that wears it may be oft-times worse than the Devil himself is accounted most superlatively holy They call Italy the Country of Monks not only upon the account that Monks under which Word I comprehend all the Religious do live very happily there and have made as it were their Paradice of it but also because all the Italians are in some degree Monks Those who have not been of their Number during their Lives will at least be so after their Deaths They specifie in their Last Wills the Religious Habit in which they will be Buried One will be drest up like a Benedictin another like a Carmelite and so for the rest When
OBSERVATIONS ON A JOURNY TO NAPLES WHEREIN The FRAUDS of Romish Monks and Priests are farther Discover'd By the Author of a late Book Entituled The Frauds of Romish Monks and Priests LONDON Printed by Samuel Roycroft for Robert Clavell at the Peacock at the West-end of S. Pauls 1691. TO THE Most Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY Primate and Metropolitan of ALL ENGLAND And One of Their Majesties most Honourable Privy Council My Lord IT has been none of the least Artifices of those of the Church of Rome to recommend their Religion to the World by denying a great part of those Abuses which the Protestants have charged upon it and ascribing that to the meer Invention of their Adversaries which at the same time all who have ever lived in those Countries in which Popery prevails cannot but know is every Day practised among them I am sufficiently sensible how little need there is for Me to say any thing in Answer to this Pretence which has been so fully and solidly Confuted in so many Learned Discourses as the late Times produc'd upon this very Argument And which ought to make them for ever ashamed of such Expositions and Representations of their Doctrin as shew rather what the Authors of them would have their Religion thought to be than what indeed it is But yet having had some Opportunities by my long Conversation among them to Observe more and penetrate farther into their Mysteries than Those who have been always Strangers to their Communion can well be supposed to have done I thought it might not be altogether Vseless to Communicate my Reflections to the World and shew what Popery is not in the smooth Descriptions of Designing Men but in the Open Practice and Profession of it in those Countries where they Act without Disguise and look upon themselves to be the truest and most Zealous Observers of it This My Lord was my Design in Publishing the following Discourses And it is this that emboldens me with all Humility to present them to Your Grace who is so great a Judge and so proper a Patron of such an Undertaking It is My Lord Your Honour to Govern a Church than which none has ever approved it self more firm to the Protestant Interest or better deserved to be esteem'd what by all Vnderstanding Men it is allow'd to be the strongest Bulwark against Popery But it is much more so to have been thought worthy of such a Station by Princes so Wise and Discerning and so affectionately concern'd for the Churches Good And it ought not to be wondred if all Men desire his Patronage whose Vertues are no less Illustrious than His Character But My Lord this was not all the Reason I had for desiring to prefix so Great a Name to my Present Vndertaking I am well aware that in the following Relations many things will occur which may perhaps appear a little Strange to the Vulgar Reader and will hardly gain Credit with those who do not know how great the Extravagances of Those of the Other Communion are when they act freely and according to the true Principles and Genius of their Religion And Travellers as well as Poets are commonly look'd upon to be priviledg'd Persons whose business it is to set off their Stories to the best advantage and especially when they write to such as they think are not able to confute their Pretences But I hope when it shall be consider'd to whom I have adventur'd to present these Discourses no man will after that presume to Question the fidelity of them Or think I should have durst to intitule your Grace to any thing that I was not sure would bear the strictest Examination May it therefore please your Grace who have so often and Gloriously triumph'd over the Errors of the Church of Rome in your own Writings now to give a new force by the Authority of your Name to what is here produc'd against them A Name as Venerable to all true lovers of their Country and Religion as Terrible to Those who bear a secret Enmity to Either and know both how well Able your Grace is and how Vigorous they have reason to fear you will be to discover and defeat their designs against both And may that God who has been pleased to raise up so great a support to his Church at a time when it never more stood in need of the Wisest Conduct long continue to render you a Publick Blessing to it And when you shall late have finished your Course with Honour here on Earth translate you to a more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory in Heaven Which is the most sincere and ardent Vow of Him who with all possible Duty will always remain My Lord Your Graces Most Humble and most Obedient Servant G. d' E TO THE READER WHen I Publish'd my LETTERS the last Year concerning The Frauds of Romish Monks and Priests I was in some measure resolved not to have troubled the World with any more of these kind of Writings And could have been very well contented to have given thereby a fair Occasion to those of that Religion to commend my Moderation But my former Discourses having met with a reception beyond what I durst have promised my self and several of my Friends for whom I have a very just Esteem flattering me That it would not be altogether useless for me to suffer the rest of my Observations to see the light I thought I could not do better than in following their Advice and that I ought rather by this means to testifie my Zeal for the Reform'd Religion than to gratifie the Humors of the Contrary Party by refusing their Desires I do not think that in any thing of this I can justly be charged to have exceeded the Bounds of Charity seeing I am sure I have kept my self with great exactness within those of Truth And upon all Occasions chosen rather to say too little than too much Having said thus much concerning the Occasion of my Publishing the following Treatise I must in the next place desire the Reader to stop so long as while I take notice of an Objection which I am told has been made against my former Book In my VIIIth LETTER pag. 398. of the first and second Editions I related a singular Instance of the liberties which the Monks in Italy allow themselves in their Intriegues with Ladies There is it seems a certain Gentleman in the World who having an extraordinary Zeal for the Truth and it may be to render some service to those of the Other Religion has been willing to take upon himself the scandalous Adventure which is there recounted He pretends that it hapned whilst he was at Venice and that himself was the very Person concern'd in it And from thence would have it thought that I take up the stories of the Vices and Extravagances of Lay-men and put them upon the Priests and Monks of the Romish Church only to render them thereby the
Common Prayers or the singing of Psalms or at the Communion and this is that they cannot do because these are Acts of Religion which are practised in the said Church with an Exemplary Devotion and without any Superstition at all But the Case is not the same with those who Abandon the Church of Rome for they can tell you a thousand things that are in Vogue there the bare Relation of which without any the least change or exaggeration cannot but excite the Disesteem or Indignation of honest and good Men. But to return again to Naples after having Visited the Churches and Relicks I had the Curiosity one Evening to go and take a Walk before the Haven where three of the Pope's Gallies were Arriv'd that day and I entred into all three of them to see how the poor Gally-Slaves were treated there I must acknowledge that my Heart was not Stanch enough to resist the Motions of Compassion at so pitiful a Spectacle The Inhumane Cruelty of the Masters that beat them surpasseth aâ—y thing I can tell you of it I could not conceive how Christians could have the Heart to handle with so much Rigour those who were their Brethren in Christ ' True it is I represented to my self that all these were miserable Wretches that had been Condemned for their Crimes and that Crimes were to be Punished As I was entertaining my self with these sad Thoughts I cast my Eyes upon Three of them who seemed to me to be New-Comers and who were all fastned to the same Bench. One of these Three hid his Face with his Hands and another of them Beckned me to come to him As soon as I was come near he asked me Whether I did not know him I could not of a sudden call him to mind because they had cut his Hair and besides his Gally-Slaves Habit had much disguis'd him But having Ey'd him with more attention I knew him to be a Person who had been the Steward of a Cardinal at Rome He told me That the two others who were of each side of him were Monks who had left their Monasteries and had lived sometime at Rome Incognito under a Secular Garb. The Steward told me He had been Accused of having wish'd for the Death of his Master and the Cardinal sometime after having found himself a little Indisposed he firmly believ'd That his Steward had Poyson'd him They assured me all Three of them That they had been discovered or rather betray'd by means of their Confession No Body at Rome knew that these Two unhappy Wretches were Monks only the Humor took one of them to go to discover himself in Confession and to make mention also of his Companion and the very next Day they were both of them seized and sent to the Gallies withou telling them why or for what As for the Steward he told me It was but a few Days since that he had Confessed the secret Hatred he had against his Master and his Confessor who was always very Welcom at the Cardinal's House had Informed him thereof which made him interpret a small Fit of the Colick he had soon after to be an effect of the Poyson his Steward had given him and that upon this Cruel and Ill-grounded-Suspicion he sent him whom he supposed to be the Author of it to the Gallies They all Three of them wish'd earnestly That the Gally in which they were might be shatter'd to pieces against some Rock or other or sink-down to rights in the Sea forasmuch as Death would prove much more acceptable to them than the Slavery to which they were reduc'd But they protested That if by any other more happy Accident they ever came to be set at Liberty they would never hear of Confessing any more nor of a pretended Secret which was never kept and for which they now paid so dearly This had led us to a Point which is of a very large extent and wherein the Papists make one of the chief Parts of their Religion to consist viz. the Confession of Sins Of all the Practices that in process of time have been introduc'd into the Church of Rome there is none at which I am more astonished than at this and wherein the Artifice of the Monks and Priests hath been more subtilly employ'd There is nothing more pleasing to the World than to know the most secret Thoughts and the very bottom of Mens Hearts but on the other hand neither is there any thing which Men are more loath to impart to others because of the Ill use may be made of it The Angels take an unutterable pleasure mutually to communicate their Thoughts and reciprocally to receive this knowledge from each other forasmuch as being confirmed in Grace they cannot hurt one another But the Nature of Man since the miserable Fall of Adam is so extreamly corrupted and his inclination to Evil is so great that a man that should speak all he thinks and all that he does would expose himself to a thousand Dangers Which is the Reason why Secrecy which in the state of Innocency would have prov'd very useless is at this time in this state of Corruption become a necessary Vertue as being a main ground of his security and safety But let us suppose that a Person had the power to penetrate into the Thoughts and Hearts of others how great an Advantage might he draw thence to further his own Affairs For if this Person were of an Ambitious Humor it would be enough for him by his knowledge of other Mens Thoughts to Address himself to such Men as he knew might be easily gain'd to endeavour his Elevation If he was Covetous he would only Converse with those whom he knew to be of a Liberal Heart and whom he might easily persuade to gratifie him If he were addicted to sensual and infamous Pleasures he might without ever fearing a Repulse confidently apply himself to those who had the most Lustful Inclinations A Revengful Person needed only to betake himself to those who were of a Bloody and Inhuman Temper to make them the Executors of his Revenge A General of an Army would not stand in need of Spies but knowing all the Designs of his Enemy he would be thereby Instructed how to order his own Actions and Conduct he might always be sure of his Blow and could never be taken at a Surprize Besides what a pleasure and diversion it would be to him to tickle his Fancy with a thousand Maggots and foolish Thoughts which continually flutter in the Heads of most Men and which would be no less divertizing than the most merry Comedies and ridiculous Farces In a word having considered all we may well assert That nothing would either be more pleasant or profitable than this intimate Knowledge of the Thoughts of Mens Hearts And this is the very thing the Priests and Monks of the Church of Rome have in some sort procur'd to themselves by means of their Auricular Confession as they are pleas'd to call
upon him forasmuch as it is in a manner impossible to Convict them thereof A Priest is always believed upon his Oath and if he can but resolve to Swear that he hath not revealed the Confession there is no going any further so that at present Fire and Fagot are only made use of against Sorcerers and Hereticks I could here have related to you many gallant Stories as well as some very Tragical ones which have been deposited with me in Confession but I find no inclination to do it not because I fear the Papists Fire but because I am of the mind that an honest Man who hath charg'd himself with a Secret is oblig'd in Honour to keep it as far as possibly he may Indeed this is the very Reason why I have only entertain'd you here with some common things which are known to all those who will take the pains to be a little inquisitive and which I have observ'd out of Confession or which have been told me by Persons of Credit and who have put me under no Engagement to conceal them Some it may be will be desirous to be inform'd what kind of Penances the Confessors impose upon their Penitents in Confession According to the Doctrin of Rome tho' God doth pardon Sins as to the Guilt in Confession and tho' he remits to Penitents the External Punishment due to their Sins yet nevertheless his Will is that they suffer here for the same Sins some petty temporal Punishment and this he has left to the Judgment and Disposal of the Priests of the Church of Rome who may do in it what they please themselves Conformably to this they order some to Fast on certain days to others to say a Set of Prayers and to others to pay so much Mony and to some other to receive Discipline or Penance There have been found some of the New Saints of the Popish Church who out of Humility so they express themselves have made their Confessors to give them Discipline S. Rose S. Theresa and Sister Margaret of the Holy Sacrament were of this Number The Confessors to give them their due are not wanting to give Credit to and to extend these holy Practices of Humility upon which they bestow continual Elogies yet in the mean time we see that the generality of People are not much affected with these kind of Examples and there are but some few of the Confessors whose Persuasions as to this Point prove Effectual The Penitentiaries or Confessors of the Churches of S. Peter of S. John of Lateran of Lorette of S. January of Naples of S. Petronius of Boulogn and of many other Places of Devotion in Italy have great white-Rods in their Hands as they sit in their Confessionals wherewith they strike not only those that come to be Confessed but also all sorts of Persons be they Men or Women that present themselves before them to receive their Blessing giving them small Stroaks upon their Head their Shoulders and their Ears which done the Persons so Struck make a very low Bow to them by way of Thanks for that Favour An Armenian once demanded of me What was the meaning of this Practice I told him that it was a Practice of Humility by which the Roman Catholicks exprest their readiness to receive all the Chastisements which the Church thought good to inflict upon them to which he Answered Smiling Do you believe said he that if these Black Men who Beat them he meant by that Expression the Jesuits who are the Confessors of S. Peter and who are drest in Black should make good Sound Stroaks upon them that the People would express as much Earnestness to be favoured with them as now they do I was not able to answer him as to that Point But this I know that upon a time a Protestant of Geneva received such Stroaks from them that instead of Complimenting them for the Favour he run away from them as fast as ever he could This Protestant it seems who was not Inur'd to the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome had the Curiosity to enter the Church of S. Peter at the time that Mass was Saying and was either so Neglectful or Ignorant as not to fall down on his Knees when they Sounded the Bell at the Elevation of the Host Moreover his Curiosity led him to draw near to a Statue of S. Peter which is on the Right side of the Church near to the High Altar This Statue is of Brass and Represents S. Peter sitting in a Chair He hath one of his Feet stretched outward and the People out of Devotion and to shew their Submission to the Holy See come and kiss his Toes and put heir Heads under his Foot The Protestant seeing them in these Postures could not forbear Laughing but one of the Jesuits who had his Confessional near that place and who had observed him came to him with his great Wand and struck him as hard as ever he could upon his Head and Shoulders The Protestant betook himself to his Heels without so much as ever looking behind him the Jesuit all the while pursuing and beating him till he was got out of Church The great Noise this made occasion'd much Distraction to those that were Hearing Mass and every one said it was a Heretick whom the Jesuit had had the Zeal to bang out of the Church There was no Body that exprest the least Compassion for him and the Jesuit returned glorying in the Act he had performed saying That tho' he had a good strong Arm yet he found that Hereticks Bones were stronger and harder At another time I saw a Protestant Abus'd after the same manner in the Cathedral Church of Strasbourg in Germany which could not but be the more sensible to these Gentlemen because it was but a little before that they had voluntarily submitted themselves to the Domination of France and that they began already to use them like Slaves having scarcely the free Exercise of their Religion allowed them in those few Churches the Papists were pleas'd to leave them GOD grant that others may become Wise by their Example This is one of my most ardent Desires wherewith I conclude these Observations made upon occasion of my Journy ot Naples GOD of his Mercy afford this Grace to us all ERRATA Pag. 59. lin 25. dele of his in presence and read a like action of the Duke of Mantua's Jester c. BOOKS Printed for Robert Clavell Publish'd in Michaelmass Term 1691. A Defence of Pluralities or holding two Benefices with Cure of Souls as now practised in the Church of England The State of the Protestants of Ireland under the Late King James's Government in which their Carriage towards him is Justified and the absolute Necessity of their endeavouring to be freed from his Government and of submitting to their present Majesties is demonstrated Licensed by the Right Honourable the Earl of Notingham Observations on a Journy to Naples where the Frauds Cheats and Ill-dealings of Romish Priests Jesuits and Monks are farther discovered By the Author of a late Book Entituled The Frauds of Romish Priests and Monks c. L. Annaei Flori Rerum Romanarum Epitome cum Interpretatione Notis in usum Serenissimi Delphini unà cum Indicibus copiosissimis oppidò necessariis Compendium Graecum Novi Testamenti continens ex 7959 versiculis totius Novi Testamenti tantum versiculos 1900 non tamen integros in quibus omnes universi Novi Test voces unà cum Versione Latina inveniuntur Auctore Johanne Leusden Editio quinta in qua non tantum Themata Graeca Voces derivatae exprimuntur sed etiam Tempora Verborum adduntur Tandem ne aliquid ubicunque desideretur in hac Novissima Editione Londinensi cuilibet Voci aut Compositae aut Derivatae Radix adjicitur propria in Tyronum gratiam De Presbyteratu Dissertatio Quadripartita Presbyteratûs sacri Origines Naturam Titulum Officia Ordines ab ipsis Mundi primordiis usque ad Catholicae Ecclesiae consummatam plantationem complectens in quâ Hierarchiae Episcopalis Jus Divinum immutabile ex Auctoritate Scripturarum Canonicè expositarum Ecclesiasticae Traditionis suffragiis breviter quidem sed luculentèr asseritur Authore Samuele Hill Diaeceseôs Bathoniensis Wellensis Presbytero Sometime since Published by R. Clavell FORMS of Private Devotion for Every Day in the Week in a Method agreeable to the Liturgy with Occasional Prayers and an Office for the Holy Communion and for the Time of Sickness Roman Forgeries in the Councils during the first Four Centuries together with an Appendix concerning the Forgeries and Errors in the Annals of Baronius A Scholastical History of the primitive and general Use of Liturgies in the Christian Church Together with an Answer to David Clarkson's late Discourse concerning Liturgies The FRAUDS of Romish Monks and Priests set forth in Eight LETTERS Lately Written by a Gentleman in his Journy into Italy and Publish'd for the Benefit of the Publick The Third Edition Political Arithmetick By Sir William Petty FINIS