Mass pag. 51 Of their manifold Errours concerning the Church How the Papists devise many notes whereby their Church is described pag. 53 Of Antiquity pag. 71 Of Universality pag. 76 Of Succession pag. 79 Of Unity pag. 80 Of the Power of working Miracles pag. 82 Of the Gift of Prophecy pag. 87 Of Prosperity pag. 89 XX Errours concerning the Members of the Church the Clergy and Laity pag. 97 XI Errours concerning justifying Faith pag. 102 XXX Errours concerning Repentance which they call Penance pag. 104 Five kinds of Indulgences a sixfold profit of them pag. 113 Of the Disposition required to be in those that receive Indulgences shewed in Six things pag. 116 How the Papists hold that Indulgences are profitable for the Dead shewed in Seven things pag. 117 XI Errours concerning Fasting pag. 119 Of their dispensing with Fasts pag. 123 XVII Errours concerning Oaths and Vows pag. 127 XII Errours concerning Marriage Of their divers Rites and Ceremonies in Marriage pag. 131 VII Errours touching Extream Unction Of the Rite and Ceremony used by the Priest therein pag. 135 VI Errours concerning their Sacrament of Order pag. 137 VII Errours concerning Confirmation Their manner of administring the Sacrament pag. 139 Of their Corruptions in Worship pag. 144 Of their Latin Service pag. 145 Of praying for the Dead pag. 148 Of the Canonizing of Saints and the manner of Canonization pag. 149 Of Invocation of Saints of the several persons that are invocated in their Litany pag. 152 Of their Distinction of the two kinds of Worship Latria and Dulia 155 Of Image-Worship of the manner of Worship they give to Images Of the manner of making and way of Consecration of Images 157 Of the Image of the Cross 160 Of Reliques XII errours and abuses noted in the Papists by Chemnitius with divers other things 163 Of the Vigils annexed to Festival-days 172 Of their Wax-Candles and Tapers 173 Of their Holy Water 175 Of their Pilgrimages 177 Of the Agreement between Paganism and Popery shewed in Three and Twenty particulars 181 Of the Papists imitating the Jews and Pharisees shewed in Ten particulars 205 How the Church of Rome now varieth from the old Church of Rome shewed in Twenty particulars and how the Doctrine of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is contrary to the Doctrine of the present Church of Rome THE ANATOMY OF POPERY CHAP. I. THat all men may take a full view of the Papacy and see how it hath encroached upon Heaven and Earth let us consider the Fraud that hath been used by the See of Rome by bringing in Corruptions in matter of Doctrine and Worship Popery is not a single Heresie like that of â—utyâ—hes Arius or Nestorius but a System of Heresies and a common sink of abominable Errours and therefore called Ἀπστασία a general revolt Their Errours about the Scripture are 1. Vid. Turnb Tetrag c. 2. That the Church doth regulate the Scripture and is not regulated by it so making the Church the Rule of Faith That the holy Scriptures are not the only and whole Rule of our Faith and Life in all matters necessary to Salvation 2. That the Church hath Authority to alter as well the things contained in holy Scripture as those that are delivered in the Church by Apostolical Tradition yea the Papists affirm that it is in the power of the Church to alter that which God commandeth in Scripture that is to make Commandements contrary to Gods Commandements And they are divided in the main viz. what this Church is which is the infallible Judg Bâ—xters Sate Religion whether it be the present Church or the former Church whether it be the Pope only at least in case of difference between him and his Council or whether it be a general Council although the Pope agree not as the French and Venetians say yea whether it be the Clergy only or the Laity also that are this Church 3. Bellarm. l. 3. c. 3. They also assert that it is lawful to allegorize Scripture both in the Old and New Testament 4. Ecchii Enchirid. loc de authorit Eccles Pigg l 1. de Hierarch â—ccl s That the Pope is the supreme Judg of all Controversies and that the Scripture hath no authority in respect of us but what is granted to it by the Church For adding some Books to the Scripture which were not from the beginning The Papists being bold upon the Decree of the Council of Trent will that among these the Books of Tobit Judeth Wisdom Ecclesiasticus the first and second of Macchabees should be Canonical likewise the Additions to Esther Baruch with the Epistle of Jeremiah and the Additions to Daniel these they call δευτεÏοκανονικοὶ Canonical in a second degree 5. Stapl. tâ—n l. 3 c. 36 That the Canon of Scripture is imperfect wanting many Divine Revelations therefore some Books have been received as Canonical at one time and not at another some some have been received as Canonical in some Churches not in other Vid. Downham 6. They prefer the Faith and Judgment of the Church of Rome which they say is the internal Scripture written by the hand of God in the heart of the Church before the holy Scripture 7. Bellarm. de verb. Dei l. 1. c. 2. That unwritten Traditions are to be equally believed and to have as great authority as the Scripture that Traditions which they call the unwritten Word are the Rule of Faith 8. They contend that the Customes and unwritten Opinions of the Church of Rome are most certain Apostolical Traditions 9. Blondel Dalaeus They number the Popes Decretal Epistles with the holy Scriptures when yet it is most cleerly proved by Blondel in a just Volume that abundance of them are forgeries and Dalaeus proves it particularly of the Clementines 10. Wide Downham Catal. They say it is Heresie for any to say that it is not altogether in the power of the Church or Pope to appoint Articles of Faith 11. That the Scripture is not sufficient for the refuting of all Heresies as if there were any Heresiebut what is against Scripture 12. Id ibid. That the Church is ancienter than the Scripture that is than the Word of God which is now written because it is ancienter than the writing of it as if it were not the same Word of God which was first delivered by voice that is now in writing 13. That it is not necessary nor convenient for the common People to read the Scriptures but rather dangerous and hurtful 14. That the translating of the Scriptures into vulgar Languages is the fountain of Heresies and they that do it deserve ill of Christian Religion 15. That the Hebrew Copy of the Old Testament the Greek of the New Testament is not authentical 16. Bâ—llaâ—me de verbo Dei l. 3. That the Scriptures are very obscure and hard to be understood even in things necessary 17. That it belongeth not to all the faithful to search into the meaning
sacrificer for the Rain which were called Aquilicia For the same use is the Shrine of St. Genovefa at Paris V. The Jubilee was instituted after the Imitation of the Roman secular Games as Onuphrius acknowledgeth it Lib. de ludis secularibus VI. The Pagans suffered not any Male to enter into the Temple of Bona dea So into some Popish Chappels women enter not as the Chappel of St. Laurence at Rome without the Walls as the Book of the Roman Indulgences sheweth it and the Quire of the Lateran Church at Rome VII Agnus Deis hang'd about the Neck saith Baronius have been instituted after the imitation of those Brooches called Bullae which the Pagan Boys wore about their Necks to avert Charms VIII The Pagans had their Convents of sacred Virgins as the Vestals and the Faustinian Virgins instituted by Marcus Antoninus Pius as Julius Capitolinus saith in his Life IX The Lacedemonians would whip themselves as the Penitents at Rome do now This custom came from the Luperci of the old Rome for when they celebrated the Lupercal Games they went naked and masked through the Town and smote with whips such as they met in the way There are many other things also which will shew the Agreement between Paganism and Popery 1. The Pagan Emperours caused themselves to be called Gods Caligula gave his feet to Pompeius Pennus to kiss as Seneca testifieth Julius Capitolinus saith the same of the young Emperour Maximinus Pomponius Laetus saith the same of Dioclesian The same Emperours caused themselves to be adored and the Roman Senate had the right of Canonizations The Pope having usurped the place of the ancient Emperours of Rome hath also usurped these Honours and is also called God on earth He offereth his Foot to be kissed by the greatest Princes Kings and Emperours Hence it is said of him Ense potens gemino cujus vestigiae adorant Caesar aurato vestiti murice Reges Great Caesar with victorious Kings Who Golden Crowns do wear They do adore his footsteps who The double Sword doth bear And another saith of him The Princes of the world adore and worship the Pope as perpetual Dictator the Successor not of Caesar but of Peter the Fisher It is said of Charles the eighth King of France that he made a vow suppliciter adorare humbly to adore the Pope and performed it it is said of him adoravit Pontificem projectus casting himself down he adored the Pope And of that potent Prince Charles the fifth King of Spain and Emperour it is said I lle pie inflexo genu pronus exosculato pede Pontificem adoravit he piously bending his knee and bowing himself down worshipped the Pope kissing his foot Yea it is said that in the Lateran Council under Pope Leo the tenth this passage spoken of Christ by the Prophet was blasphemously applied to the Pope The Kings of the Earth shall worship him all Nations shall serve him Yea and in divers ages before in the time of Alexander the third It seemeth that Gregory the seventh in his Bull of excommunication against Henry the fourth pretending to honour Peter and Paul but intending to exalt himself as their Successors giveth them the Title of Christ's The Kings of the Earth stood up and the Princes Secular and Ecclesiastical Courtiers and common people assembled together against the Lord and you his Christs or his anointed ones saying let us break their bands asunder and cast away their Yoke from us And that which the Prophet Isaiah saith Isai 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion a Stone a tried Stone a precious corner-Stone a sure foundation c. applied to Christ by the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.6 this place was applied to the Pope It is said of Pope Innocent the third that he said thus of himself He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom Am not I the Bridegroom who have the noble rich comely chast gracious sacred Church of Rome which by Gods Ordinance is the Mother and Mistress of all the faithful So in a flattering Oration directed to Pope Leo the tenth in the Council of Lateran Stir up thy self arise compass about Sion our Mother and thou Spouse her do thou embrace But St. Paul acknowledgeth no other Bridegroom or Husband of the Church but Christ only 2 Cor. 11.2 I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ See the audacious wickedness of Antichrist assuming to himself the honour and dignity proper unto Christ Again whereas our Saviour saith Matth. 28.18 All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth It is said in the Council of Lateran under Pope Julius that it was said to the Pope All power is given to thee of the Lord in Heaven and in Earth So in the Book of Ceremonies concerning the blessing or consecrating of a Sword this Papal Sword figureth the supream temporal power bestowed by Christ upon the Pope his Vicar in Earth according to that All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth And elsewhere He shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth Again it is said in the Council of Lateran under Pope Leo that these words were belched out Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David And it seemeth it was said of the See of Rome This is she alone which shutteth and none openeth and openeth and none shutteth So it is recorded of Pope Martin the fourth They cried unto him Thou that takest away the Sins of the world have mercy upon us And again Thou that takest away the Sins of the world have mercy upon us And the third time Thou that takest away the Sins of the world grant us peace Boniface said we declare that it is necessary to Salvation that every humane creature be subject to the Pope of Rome Another saith the power of the Pope excelleth all power 2. Papal Dignity was brought into the Church from among the Heathens The Idolatrous Romans had their superiour and subordinate Priests They had their Salii Flamines Diales their Augures Pontifices and above them all there was a Pontifex maximus the same Title which the Pope assumeth A Dignity esteemed it seemeth by their greatest Nobles such as Fabius maximus Crassus Aemilius Lepidus and Caesar himself And Sozomen writeth Sâ—zom l. 5. ca. 1. ca 15. when Julian the Emperour had revolted from the Christian Religion to heathenish Idolatry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he called himself a chief-Priest And in the same Book and 15 Chapter he copieth out an Epistle written by this Heathenish Apostate Emperour to Arsacius whom he stileth chief-Priest of Galatia and enjoyneth him to censure and if need be to deprive the inferiour Priests of their Office or Functions So the Pope to this day hath the very same Title of Pontifex maximus which was the proper Title of the chief-Priest in Rome while
Priest and when the people do communicate the Wine they have not 21. Remember O Lord the Souls of thy Servants which rest in the sleep of peace and grant them a place of refreshing and rest Here they pray for the dead and the Praier also is contrary to it self for first he saith they rest in peace and yet afterward praieth for their refreshing Thus beginneth the fifth Praier of the Canon 22. Deliver us by the blessed intercession of the Virgin What then is become of Christs Mediation and Intercession who ever liveth to make Intercession for us Hebr. 7.25 23. Let this mingling together of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ be unto me salvation of Mind and Body Then is not Christs Blood shed upon the Cross the full sufficient and perfect Salvation of Mankind if there be another Salvation beside And if it be the very Body and Blood of Christ how can they be mingled together seeing the very Body and Blood of Christ cannot be divided 24. Grant me so worthily to take this Body and Blood that I may merit to receive forgiveness of sins O sinful man how canst thou merit to receive that which is Christs only gift 27. Let the Priest bow himself to the Host saying I worship thee I glorifie thee I praise thee What monstrous Idolatry is this thus to worship a piece of Bread 28. Let us worship the sign of the Cross What I pray you will not these Idolaters worship 29. Respect not my sins but the Faith of the Church By this reason one may be profited by anothers Faith which is contrary to the Scripture The just shall live by his Faith by his own and not anothers Rom. 1.17 I shall pass by diverse other Errours and come to the last 30. In the end of the Mass according to the use of Sarum there is annexed the from of blessing or consecrating the Paschal Lamb with this Praier Vouchsafe to sanctifie this Paschal Lamb that as many of thy people as do cat thereof may be replenished with all heavenly Benediction c. What gross Superstition is this that they should still retain the use of the Paschal Lamb which cannot be but to the great derogation of the true Paschal Lamb Christ Jesus that the Body being come the shadow should be still retained Other Errours in the manner of celebrating Mass 1. ALl is done and said in the Latin tongue not understood of the people and often not of the Priest himself which is not to edification 2. They use many irksome tedious and frivolous repetitions of the same words as Benedicamus Domino is sung ten several times together and Ite missa est is sung thirteen several times with long and tedious notes 3. The Priest is charged in the Rubrick to say divers Praiers privatim secretly to himself as that Praier Deliver us from all evil past present and to come c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lamb of God that takest away â—he sins of the world These and many other words must be pronounced secretly to himself contrary to Saint Paul who would have Praiers so said that they may be understood and thereunto Amen answered by the people 1 Cor. 14.16 4. The Priest is taught by the Rubeick to make thirty several Crosses at the least upon the Bread the Cup the Altar his Forehead but no such crossing is to be found in Christs Institution which they profess to follow 5. Their Gesture in saying of Mass is so changeable so ridiculous so affected that a man would think a Plaier were coming forth upon the Stage when the Priest addresseth himself to the Mass nay Rossius was not so full of action as the Massing-Priest is of gesture varying and changing it at least forty or fifty times during the celebration of the Mass Their Errours concerning the Church 5. THey assert that the Catholick Church is always visible Canis c. de fide symb art 18. and not seen only unto the members of the Church but notoriously known to the whole world neither do they mean any particular Church so to have been visible but the universal Catholick Church which they define to be a visible Congregation of all faithful men 2. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Eccles That the Catholick Church is no other than the Roman or that which the Roman Pope is over Bellarmine defining the Church makes this one part of the definition to be subject unto the Bishop of Romes Jurisdiction and therefore they conclude that they are out of the Church and no better than Hereticks that do not acknowledg the Pope to be their chief Pastor So they make the Roman Faith and Catholick to be all one 3. That the Catholick Church cannot possibly err not only in matters absolutely necessary to Salvation but not in any thing which it imposeth or commandeth whether it be contained in the Word of God or not yea that it cannot err in those things which beside the Word of God are commanded But because the Papists endeavour to invest the Popes and the Roman Church with an infallible Perfection Dr. Du Moulins Auswer to Card. Perron for King James it will be expedient to shew by invincible proofs that the Roman Church hath erred and doth err I shall therefore only produce the Errours approved by their Popes and Councils as the learned Doctor Du Moulin in his answer to Cardinal Du Perron hath set them down In the year of our Lord 787 a Council was assembled which the Roman Church approveth and reckoneth among the universal Councils there sate the Legates of Pope Adrian who wrote a Book purposely for the defence of that Council 1. In the seventh action that Council commandeth the Adoration of Images upon pain of Anathema in these words We hold that the Images of the glorious Angels and of all Saints must be adored and saluted but as for him that hath not the will so to do but staggereth and is doubtful about the adoration of the venerable Images this holy and venerable Synod doth anathematize him In the fourth Action of the same Synod these words are found Images are of equal worth with the Gospels and the venerable Cross And in the same place the Image is greater than the Word and the Praier In the fifth Action the Council declareth that Angels are corporal that there may be a ground for making Images of Angels The same Council to prove the Adoration of Images corrupteth the Scripture in diverse places In the year 869. a Council was held at Constantinople which our Adversaries call the eighth General Council The third Canon of that Council is in these words We decree that the sacred Image of Jesus Christ be adored with the same honour as the Book of the holy Gospels and the Figure of the precious Cross In the year of our Lord 1059. Pope Nicholas the second assembled a Council against Berengarius where it was declared that the Bread and Wine which is put upon the
Altar after Consecration is not only the Sacrament but also the true Body of our Lord Jesus Christ And that not only the Sacrament but the Body of the Lord is sensually and in truth handled by the hands of the Priest broken and bruised by the teeth of the faithful In the year 1076. Pope Gregory the seventh called a Council to Rome where among many Articles these three Points were resolved and determined That there is no other name under Heaven but that of the Pope That no Book is Canonical without the Popes Authority That all Kings must kiss the Popes Feet The first point attributes unto the Pope that which is attributed unto Jesus Christ alone exclusively to all others Act. 4.12 The second declareth that the Gospels and the Books of the Prophets and Apostles are not to be received unless the Pope approve them by his authority The third attributeth unto the Pope an honour which Jesus Christ and his Apostles never asked or looked for but they have been subject to Emperours have paid them tribute and have appeared before their Judicial Seat neither did they ever give their Feet to any man to kiss In the year 1215. Pope Innocent the third assembled a Council at Rome in the Lateran Church where it was thus resolved If the Temporal Lord care not to satisfie within the year let it be made known to the Soveraign Prelate that from that time he declare his Subjects absolved from his subjection and expose his Country to be seized upon by Catholicks that they may extermine Hereticks In that decision of the Council there are sour pernicious errours as my Author observâ—th 1. The first is an usurpation of the Pope approved by the Council whereby he disposeth of the Temporals of Princes as if the disposition of them belonged to him and divesteth them of their Lands and Dominions without the authority of Gods Word and without any example of the antient Church 2. The second Errour is that it makes ecclesiastical censures which are spiritual corrections to become temporal punishments as if a Priest to lay a penance upon a sinner would cut his Purse or rob him of his Cloak or put him out of his house 3. The third Errour is that this Canon absolveth Subjects from the Oath of Allegiance which they have sworn to their natural Prince and teacheth them to be perfidious and dissoyal with a good Conscience though against the Word of God which saith Thou shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Matt. 5.33 though it were to thine hurt Psal 15.4 And against the Rules and Examples of the Apostles who have commanded Christians to pay tribute and to be subject to Princes and higher Powers although Princes were Pagans and persecutors in those days Rom. 13.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.13.14 4. The fourth Errour is that in the same Council they preach murther and massacre and set on the people to extermine those whom they call Hereticks which is not only against the Law of God but against that of Nations for even Pagan Princes never permitted their Subjects to fall upon their fellow-citizens and massacre them As for recovering the holy Land at the end of that Council there is a Papal Bull but with approbation of the Council There a Commandment is made to all that belonged to the Croisado to meet in Sicily to begin that journey in July to perswade the people to undertake that voyage the Pope by the Councils autority speaks thus To all that will bear that labour in their own persons and at their charges we grant full remission of their sins of which they shall have contrition and repentance and in the Retribution of the Righteous we promise them in Paradise an Augmentation of eternal Salvation What was that Pope and what that Council that could promise to Souldiers a degree in Paradise above the common sort especially seeing the Pope and his Prelates were not themselves sure that they should never go into Hell But let us hear the rest But to them that will not go in that voyage in their own persons but only shall send fit men according to their means we give full remission of their sins Finally the same Bull with approbation of the Council denounceth to all that will refuse and not care for this Commandment that they shall answer him in the last day of Judgment before the terrible Judg. As if the Pope must then be an Assessour of the Judg or as if he must condemn sinners in the day of Judgment In the year of our Lord 1300. Pope Boniface the eighth instituted the Jubilee every hundredth year in which they that come to Rome for their great pardons should get full more full and most full remission of sins That liberality is fetched from the Churches Treasury wherein the Pope lays up the overplus of the satisfactions of Jesus Christ and the Saints of which Treasure the Pope is the Keeper and the Steward converting them into a payment saith the forementioned Author for those that visit the Roman Stations The following Popes being moved with a fatherly compassion to the people have brought the Jubilee first to every fiftieth year and then to every twentieth year It cannot be said what a Mass of Wealth that Jubilee brings to the Pope and to the Inhabitants of Rome by the Offerings and the Sojournings of Strangers that then flock to Rome from all parts The Satisfaction of Jesus Christ being sufficiâ—nt for the sins of the whole world it is an outrage offered to him when to his sufferings other satisfactions are added as that of Saints and Monks to satisfie the Justice of God for the pain due to our sins By this means they will have God to take two payments for one debt But their second payment is sufficient seeing no man can satisfie for the sins of another and we learn of the Apostle that every man shall bear his own burden Besides those Saints and Monks whose satisfactions the Pope will apply unto others were sinners and had need that Christ should satisfie for them so far they were from satisfying for others and for those for whom Christ hath fully satisfied I pass by the palpable Errour whereby it is pretended that the Saints have suffered more pains than their sins deserved since there is no man be he never so holy but stands in need that God forgive him his sins No man but deserveth eternal death if God deal with him according to the rigour of his Justice The same Pope Boniface the eighth attributeth to himself the Power over the Temporal and Spiritual of all the world which he proveth by Texts of Scripture rarely applied We are taught saith he by the words of the Gospel that unto the Power of the Church two Swords are belonging the Spiritual and the Temporal for the Apostles having said here be two Swords that is here in the Church the Lord did not answer the Apostles it is too much but it is enough Certainly he that
of God The Pope and his Clergy propound themselves two ends for the celebration of the Mass and the ordinary Service in the Latin tongue The first is to keep the people in ignorance and use them to believe without knowing to follow their leaders blind-fold and to obey without enquiring They were afraid that even the Latin should be too intelligible and therefore they would have the principal parts of the Mass to be said with such a low murmur that the voice of the Priest cannot be heard The second end was to plant the marks and Standard of the Popes Empire among the Nations which he had conquered The simple people believe that their Religion must be Roman as well as the Tongue which is used in Religion and that both Christian Faith and the Language come from the same place But the chief cause why the Pope will not have the Mass to be understood by all is that the Mass contains many things which would either instruct or offend the people Of praying for the Dead THeir Opinion is that the Praiers of the Living are neither available for the Saints in Heaven for they need them not nor for the damned in Hell for they cannot be helped but only for the Souls tormented in Purgatory who do find great ease say they by the Praiers of the Living Of the Canonizing of Saints THe Canonizing of Saints is nothing else but the publick Determination and Sentence of the Church whereby some that are dead are judged to be Saints and worthy of Honour and Worship as to be praied unto Temples and Altars to be set up in their names Holy-days to be appointed for them and their Reliques to be adored And thus say they it is lawful profitable and expedient for the Church to canonize Saints This was the Popes own invention eight hundred years after Christ at the least set abroach and continued in Policy for the confirmation of certain idolatrous Superstitions which he laboured thereby to advance and now are made the seven Points wherein the Canonization consisteth fetting the new Saints in the Calendar with red Letters Who gave the Pope that priviledg to be infallible in that Judgment for our Adversaries themselves acknowledg they may be mistaken how many Factions and Sollicitations are used in the Court of Rome by Princes and States that a man of their Countrey or City be canonized And at what vast expences have they been to purchase it The City of Barcelona and the whole Country of Catelona spent many thousand pounds in the canonizing Raimond de Pennafort a Dominican Frier The Jesuits spent ten millions for the Canonization of their two twins Ignatius Loiola and Francis Xavier whom they call the East-India Apostle The Book of sacred Cerimonies doth acknowledg that the Pope sometimes was constrained in some sort to canonize a man against his opinion and therefore made a Protestation By that Protestation he thought to discharge his Conscience The words whereby the Pope canonizeth a Saint are these The manner of canonizing a Saint In the authority of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and in our own we decree and define that N. of good memory is a Saint and must be put into the List of Saints c. But before the pronouncing of that Sentence the Cause is pleaded in the Consistory and an Advocate presents himself who represents the Reasons why such a one ought to be sainted The Apostles were not so sainted nor their Disciples nor those Fathers who were called Saints as Ireneus Cyprian Basil Hierome Augustine as a learned Divine noteth It happens saith he to some poor Saints for whom the dignity of Saints is begged in the Court of Rome to be cast in their suit and they cannot be Saints in Heaven because men on earth were not favourable to them Sometimes the degree of Beati is obtained for them which is a middle degree and an expectation of Saint-ship By this means Popes will give their Servants to be worshipped by the Nations of Christendom whch new Saints are far more honoured than the Patriarchs and Prophets for in the Roman Church it fareth with Saints as with Clothes the newest are the best and most esteemed Of Invocation of the Saints THe Papists maintain the Doctrine of Angel-worship of Invocation of Saints and of the Virgin Mary and canonized Saints calling especially upon the Virgin Mary They usually carve pourtray paint the Statue of the Virgin and represent her by them to the Eyes and Thoughts when they pray unto her in all their Offices Primers Psalters Rosaries Missals Breviaries Books of Devotion Churches Chappels Monasteries Altars of our Lady especially on all their publick Festivals dedicated to her Honour in greatest state crowned with a Crown of Glory as the Empress Queen Lady of Heaven Earth and all Creatures in them In their publick Liturgy they have a Letany whereby they pray 1. To her 2. To the Arch-Angels and Angels 3. To Patriarchs and Prophets 4. To the Apostles and Evangelists 5. To the Martyrs 6. To Fathers and Doctors 7. To Popes and Confessors 8. To Monks and Eremites 9. To all the Saints Virgins and Widows that they would joyn together to make Intercession for them And to these Saints they have their set Holy-days to them they burn Tapers perform Masses and Trentals each have their sundry Collects Hymns Praiers and Oblations each have their sundry Offices designed them Some are over particular Towns and Cities some over Trades and particular Professions same are over Diseases some have the special gift of bestowing Arts and Sciences Now what is this but to forsake the Fountain of living Waters and to hew out broken Cisterns that can hold no Water as the Lord complaineth in a like case The rise of all this was from a preposterous admiration of Saints departed or I may say of some of them they were rather Devils incarnate and from the perverse opinion of those who make no difference between civil Praier to Men living and religious Praier to Saints departed which Errour hath been maintained and heightened by the great ambition and avarice of the Popish Clergy so that now the French Proverb is not without ground 〈◊〉 or ne â—ognâ—ist Dieu plus â—ntre les Saints God cannot be known among so many Saints Thus have they jumbled together God and his Saints in a promiscuous manner of worship Saint Peter tells them to whom he writes that he will endeavour that they may be able after his decease to have these things always in remembrance â—hem in 2 Pet. 1 2 Pet. 1.15 Whence the Rhemists those Popish Corrupters rather than Interpreters of the holy Scripture take upon them to tell us if we will be so sottish as to believe them And they say it was this that the meant to pray for them and as in his life-time he meant to further their Salvation by instructing them so after his death
a peculiar form of sanctifying it dipping therein as Athenaeus tells us a firebrand taken off from the Altar whereupon they offered their Sacrifices So likewise have they a peculiar manner of making this exorcising the salt first then the water and after that both of them being mixed together which being done both the Papists and the Gentiles do think that it purgeth away sins Of the Papists imitating the Jews and Pharisees in many things 1. THe Pharisees boasted of Moses's Chair as the Church of Rome doth of that of S. Peter and of an imaginary succession 2. The Pharisees were strict maintainers of Traditions and unwritten Word as the Papists are These were strict burdens they laid upon the people Matth. 15.4 They perswaded the people that these Traditions were as necessary as the Scriptures The Jewish Rabbines affirm that during the forty days that Moses was in the Mount Sinai to learn the Law Almighty God taught him in the day-time Sepher Thorah the Book of the Law and by night for want of Candle-light the Law not written or orales Traditiones oral Traditions which they call Simanim and the Thorah without this they say is imperfect And this as well as the Law written Chemnit haâ—mâ—n Eâ—aâ—g ca. 79. they say was delivered by God himself to Moses by Moses to Joshua by Joshua to the Elders of Israel by them to the Prophets from the Prophets to a great Council whose Register and chief Notary they say was Esdras the Scribe who as they affirm committed many of them to writing and gathered them into seventy two Books which they kept till their City and Temple was destroyed and themselves dispersed Afterwards one Rabbi Judas Ben-Simon an holy man as they say having saved that Book gathered the Sum of it into one Book whence afterwards all the Talmudists and Cabbalists took their ground The Papists borrow their esteem of unwritten vanities and traditions from the Jews they tell us they have many things by Tradition from the Apostles themselves who taught them viva voce when they bring never a word out of the Scriptures for the confirmation of them 3. The Scribes taught that children might neglect their duty to their Parents under pretence of a religious Corban that is that whosoever should be liberal toward their Treasury in the Temple and offer freely with this protestation that he meant it not only for his own good but also for his Parents should herein sufficiently discharge his duty to his Parents and owe them no other Service so that by this means it may seem they provided well for their own purses and exempted Children from those duties towards their Parents which the Commandment of God tyed them to perform So do the Papists allow Children to give their Means to Monasteries though their Parents starve for want of maintainance 4. The Jews boasted of the Temple of the Lord crying up the Temple of the Lord and in the meantime profaned it by an evil life Jer. 7. The carnal Jews were much affected with pomp in matters of Religion and many of them men of dissolute lives So it is among the Romanists in those Cities and Countries wherein is most wickedness of life there is also most cost in the Temples and most publick superstitious worshipping of God and the Saints What stately Churches Chappels and Cloisters are in Rome what Fastings what Processions what appearances of Devotion and yet on the other side what Whoredomes Sodomies and Profanations are committed in it so that it was the saying of a certain Frier that there were more Atheists in Rome than in any other City in the world But no where doth sin and wickedness so abound as in Mexico and yet no such people in the world toward the Church and Clergy who in their life-time strive to exceed one another in their gifts to the Cloisters Nuns and Friers some erecting Altars to their best devoted Saints worth many thousand Duckets others presenting Crowns of Gold to the Virgin Mary others Lamps others Gold-chains others building Cloisters at their own charge others repairing them others at their death leaving to them two or three thousand Duckets for an annual Stipend 5. The Jews boasted that their Prophets and Priests could not err saying Jerem. 18.18 The Law shall not err from the Priest and the Council from the antient This is also the boasting of the Church of Rome that the Pope as Pope cannot fall into errour and that the Church of Rome cannot err 6. The Pharisees used vain repetitions in Prayer after the manner of the Heathen thinking to be heard for their much speaking for which our Saviour taxeth them Mat. 6.7 repeating the same things over and over again not out of affection but out of affectation The same doth the Church of Rome repeating the same Prayers while they turn their Beads and binding themselves to a certain number of reiterated words The Pharisees preached Justification by the Works of the Law and the Jews were forestalled with that Doctrine which made S. Paul so careful to confute that Errour in the Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians establishing Justification by Faith without the Works of the Law In this the Papists agree with them teaching Justification by Works 8. Our Saviour taxeth the Scribes and Pharisees for their Hypocrisie They pretended great love to the antient Prophets Matt. 23.29 whom their fore-fathers had persecuted and slain and to shew this they used both words and actions They professed that if they had lived in the days of their fore-fathers they would not have joyned with them in their persecution and murther of the Prophets They bestowed cost in adorning the Sepulchres wherein they were entombed But now in the mean-time they hated to death and bitterly opposed Christ then living among them to whom all those Prophets bear witness Thus may you see in the Papists their bitter hatred against the Preachers of the Gospel together with their pretended love to the ancient Doctors their proud conceit of Merit with their glorious outward Performances their gross Idolatry covered under a shew of much reverence to the Saints 9. The Jews were most strict in matters of smallest moment they would pay Tythe of Mint Annis and Cummin but neglected the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith Math. 23.23 So doth the Church of Rome exactly observe distinction of meats and amuse the people about a thousand petty Ceremonies of Candles Pilgrimages Crossings c. and let Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost stand by unsaluted yet therein doth the Kingdome of God consist Thus the superstitious Priests among the Jews made no scruple to hire a Traitor to suborn false Witnesses to Apprehend to Bind to Smite to Scourge to Blaspheme to Condemn the Innocent Lamb of God and to Crucifie the Lord of glory yet made great Conscience not to step over the Threshold into the Judgment-Hall of an Heathen-Judg lest forsooth they should be defiled