the Church hath a Soveraign power to damn and save Eckius to make Articles of Faith to fetch Souls out of Purgatory c. The Church must be rich and wealthy and possess almost a third of the revenues of Christendom Bozius because S. Paul saith We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Touch not mine anointed do my Prophets no harm i. e. All the Bishops and Priests tho they possess all the revenues Eckius yet ought not to bear any publick Charge Saints must be invoked because David saith Bellarm. Let the saints be joyful in glory They govern the world Eckius for David saith They shall have two-edged Swords in their hands They intercede for us in heaven for the Scripture saith For this shall every one that is godly Costerus pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found They know our Necessities for God saith to Moses I will make all my goodness pass before thee We must worship the Reliques of Saints for Christ saith to his disciples Not a Hair of your Heads shall perish Bozius The Hairs of your Head are numbred 'T is the B. Virgin which gives us Grace to grow in Faith for 't was said to Adam and Eve Be fruitfull and multiply The Church hath done very well in taking away the Cup from the Laity for God foretold to Eli that his Posterity should entreat the chief Priest to put them into one of the Priests Offices Eckius to eat a piece of bread Confession is of Divine Right and absolute necessity for S. Peter saith that Apostats are like a Dogg that returns to his Vomit Turrian pro Epistol Pontif l. 4. c. 17. The Authors gloss deserves the pains of transcribing it whole What is it to vomit up sins as a sick stomach doth We must follow the strain of the Metaphor Tell us where do we vomit but at the mouth why do we vomit but to ease and purge our selves Grant therefore that the Soul is purged by a certain secret vomiting of sins i. e. by secret Confession or else you give the Apostle the Lye. The Unmarried Life of Priests is of divine Right and of absolute necessity for S. Paul enjoyns a Bishop to be sober and chast Bellarm. Turrian and he reasoned before Felix of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come They who have a mind to see a greater number of these Abuses may find it in our Exceptions where we have cited both the Author and Book But here is enough to understand the Spirit of these Gentlemen In earnest we may say that they do very ill when they dispute with so much heat against the Scripture to maintain a certain other Rule of faith which they call Tradition They have good store of Scripture for with their Method there is nothing which they do not quickly and easily find there But if this Method of theirs be good for ought they must permit us to make some use of it and to conclude that by this they discover that they bear no respect to Scripture And that 't is not their fault if it be not accounted the most ridiculous Book in the world CHAPTER VI. The Conclusion of the fourth Character of Antichristianism which is found in the Papacy viz. the Affronts that it offers to the H. Scriptures both in words and actions THat which we have already discourst Exception 14. part 2. chap. 7 8. is enough to verisy that Oracle in which 't was foretold that the Papacy or Antichristianism should blaspheme God his tabernacle and his Saints For the greatest part of those Abuses of Scripture which we have mention'd are real Blasphemies But to finish this Character of Antichristianism we must add a third kind of Injuries which the Papacy offers to the Scripture these are the Affronts that it puts on them to take away all their Credit in the minds of men Here we clearly perceive that the Papacy carries it exactly like an Enemy to the Scripture Men employ against enemies Offensive and Defensive Weapons they strike at them and ward off the Blowes given by them 'T is exactly on this manner that the Papists act towards the Word of God on the one hand they perpetually ward off and repulse they distinguish and wrest it and on the other they accuse they vilify they destroy the Scriptures as much as lyes in their power First the Papists speak with the greatest Disrespect and Contempt of the H. Scriptures with respect to the Need we have of them They assert In the opinion of Papists the Scripture may very well be wanted that the Church may very well want them and with less inconvenience than in those Ages when 't is certain there was no H. Scripture After that these H. Books were written one part of them hath not only been layd out of the way but utterly lost thro the injurie of Wars and the Babylonish Captivities And yet the Church hath always been preserved in her Vigour Catechisme of W. Bayly by the aid of Tradition c. Thus even at this day The Church may be well enough preserved without the Scriptures Another famous Author tells us Costerus that 't is not the intention of God that his Church should depend on these Paper or Parchment Writings Another saith Lindanus That as long as the foundation of Apostolick Tradition remains intire the Church would have no loss if the Scriptures should be lost burnt or destroyed John Faber Vicar of the Bishop of Constance in the time when Zwinglius lived boldly asserted that the Old and New Testaments might well be mist And Cardinal Hâ—sius saith that it would go better with the Church if therâ— were no written Gospel I know not what name to give if these are not to be call'd Blasphemies The Papists charge Scripture with Obscurity The Second Affront which the Papacy puts on the Scriptures is an endeavour seeing it cannot abolish them to persuade men that 't is an Obscure Book good for nothing but to occasion heresies Every one saith Bayly the Jesuite makes the Scriptures go in the track of his own fancy All Hereticks make use of them as a Nose of Lead or of Wax The Scriptures saith Coster are very obscure and suffer themselves to be drawn any way like a Nose of Wax and to be applyed to any impious Opinion that you please as a leaden Rule 'T is a dead letter saith Pighius that endures every thing written with Ink and Paper which you may mangle and corrupt with false Expositions T is a Sheath that receives all kinds of Swords not only those of Steel but of Lead of Copper of Wood for you can with its own leave draw it to be on your party by interpreting it as you please We must saith one of these Gentlemen remember this not to refute the Hereticks by Scripture Men disputed against Luther with Scripture 't was this
that kindled the flame which burns to this day 'T is a prodigious blindness in which there is somthing supernatural that men should come so far as to utter such Blasphemies and that at this day men should not be afraid to repeat them Scripture insufficient The Third Affront tho Papists offer to the Scriptures is their asserting them to be insufficient and imperfect and that they cannot serve as a Rule of Faith. They employ their greatest Engins to establish this Principle Councill of Trent Ses 4. that Traditions ought to be regarded with the same reverence and veneration that is given to the Scripture Yea that Traditions excell the Scriptures because the H. Scriptures cannot subsist unless confirmed by Tradition Baron Tom. â— Annal. whereas Traditions keep their strength intire without the H. Writings We stand more in need of Tradition than of Scripture for the Scriptures only furnish us with a dead and dumb letter But Tradition as the Church holds it forth helps us to the true sense which is not indeed distinctly layd down in the Scripture yet is the real word of God. W. Bayly Nothing is more injurious to the Scripture than this Nothing is more contrary to the intention and wisdom of God than to suppose that he hath given a Rule of Faith which cannot regulate Faith which is too short by more than three quarters which is crooked dubious flexible and altogether useless without the aid of another Rule that is unknown to all Christians excepting a small number of Learned men who alone are capable of consulting it Scripture hath no Authority The fourth Affront that Popery offers to the Scriptures relates to their Authority They have no Authority without the testimony of the Church Without the Authority of the Church Bayly we should have no more Obligation to believe the Scriptures than the History of Titus Livius The Scripture Hosius if deprived of the Churches testimony have no more Authority than Esops Fables How know we say they that the Writings which go under the name of Moses are his seeing we never had a sight of the Originals And if we should who could assure us that they were writ by Moses's own hand Again if we could be assured of this what certainty have we that what Moses writ is true Who shall assure us that the Evangelists were Witnesses to all that they report But tho we should believe that they saw and heard all the Actions and Discourses of J. Christ which they report yet they might forgett and lye as every man may deceive and be deceived How can we again know with certainty Pighius that what goes under their names are their true Writings and not corrupted or forged I know not what kind of Temper a man must be of who can read and hear such things without trembling He that should speak at this rate of the Alcoran at Constantinople would be impaled alive An Infidel cannot say more to destroy all the Authority of the Holy Scriptures The several ways used by Papists to take away the Credit of the scripture 'T is not enough to these Gentlemen to affront the Scriptures by these four Accusations 1. That they are not necessary to the Church 2. That they are obscure 3. That they are defective 4. That they have no Authority as to us without the Church there is no Method imaginable which they employ not to dishonour them They tell us that they were writ only Occasionally and not at all with any design to make them a Rule of Faith. An Evangelist or an Apostle wrote a Gospel or an Epistle at random by chance and on particular private designs Afterward the Church collected those loose writings into one Book But seeing these were not writ by one or several persons writing in concert we cannot find in them a System of Faith. Can any thing be said more affronting to the H. Spirit who ordered the pens of these Writers and the occasions that obliged them to write The Papists talk just as if the Apostles had writ meerly on their own designs without any Inspiration But did not the H. Spirit who moved them to write design their writings collected together should be the true Rule of Faith To lessen the Credit of the Canonical books that are truly divine Popery hath joyn'd with them fabulous books a tale of Tobit a Romance of Judith of Bel and the Dragon of Susanna This tends to dispose the minds of men to believe whatever they have a mind to propose seeing the veriest Fables when authoriz'd by the Church ought to be received as Truth and the greatest Truth destitute of the Churches Testimony may be rejected as a Fable This is not yet enough the more effectually to abolish the holy Books and their Authority they affirm that at this time we have not the H. Scriptures compleat Many Books say they are lost we have not the Book of the Wars of the Lord mention'd in the Book of Numbers We have not the Books of Gad and of Iddo Solomon wrote concerning plants from the Cedar even to the Hyssop and I know not how many thousand Parables and Songs which we have not S. Paul wrote a third Epistle to the Corinthians which is lost one to the Church of Laodicea and perhaps many others which are not to be found and who knows whether in all these writings that we have not there were not innumerable things which would have made the Rule of Faith more compleat Perhaps what is come down to us are only some Planks escap'd from a Shipwrack which hath swallowed up the Vessel All the sacred Books of the Old Testament were burnt at the sacking of Jerusalem under Zedekiah Afterward Ezra gather'd what he could of the scatterd pieces There are Popish Authors who discourse at this rate Yea they go further Those Books of Holy Scripture that are preserved are yet corrupted and alterd The Jews out of hatred to the Christian Religion have corrupted the Originals at the best these Originals are lost and the Copies have felt the injuries of Time and the fate that is inevitable to all antient Books having for above three thousand years past thro the hands of so many ignorant persons many things may have been changed in them Besides they are dead Languages in which these Books are written such as we understand not we are not skill'd in their Grammar we know not the signification of their words This is what they discourse at this day Lastly to compleat the Affront they pull away these books out of the peoples hands they affright them with these as if they tended to ruin their souls They tell men that it never was the intention of God to abandon his Scriptures to the indiscretion of the Laity And on this pretence the Scripture is become a secret Book hid under a barbarous Language to which none is allowed to approach unless he is aforehand initiated in their
of the Text Gen. 3.15 where God saith and it shall bruise thy heel which the Vulgar Latine renders and she shall bruise thy heel which the Papists apply to the Virgin in order to make her the Redeemer of mankind and the object of adoration S. Paul in the 11. Ch. of the Epistle to the Hebrews saith that Jacob worshipt leaning upon the top of his staff i.e. he lean'd upon his staff to bear him up whiles he worshipt the Vulgar Latin hath corrupted this passage by translating adoravit fastigium virgae he worshipt the top of his staff a mistake as palpable as 't is gross and yet the Papists receive and defend it as very proper to justify the worship of Images For you need only suppose that his staff had an Image on its head How the Canonists abuse the Scriptures If we would see these Abuses and ridiculous applications of Scripture in their deformity we must read the Canonists Authors who have a great yea a soveraign Authority at Rome You will find these men proving the twofold power of the Pope from the two Swords which the Apostles had when Christ was seized by Judas Jesus sayd It is enough he did not say 'T is too much therefore the spiritual and temporal power belong to the Pope Moses relating the History of the Creation saith In the beginning God created c. in principio and not in principiis in the beginnings therefore the Pope is the only Prince the only Soveraign of the Universal Church you are a Manichee if you understand it otherwise Christ saith to Peter Feed my sheep in general and not such and such sheep in particular therefore the Pope is the Vniversal Pastor of the Church S. Paul saith the powers are ordained of God i. e. that all Kings are the Popes vassals Moses tells us that God made two great Lights the Sun and the Moon the Church is the Moon therefore the Pope is the Sun the Guide and Light of the Church Christ saith to Peter put up thy sword into its sheath therefore the Pope is to manage the sword and take away Crowns from Kings as he pleaseth God saith to the Prophet I have set thee over the Kingdoms to root out and to plant this is another express text to prove that the Pope may dethrone Monarchs and make new Soveraigns S. Paul writes to the Corinthians he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man therefore the Pope may condemn and judge whom he pleaseth but as for him tho he is a Sorcerer Sodomite a Pagan he ought to be let alone and lest to the judgment of God. Christ said concerning himself all power is given me in heaven and earth therefore the Pope may challenge this as Christs Vicar * All the Kings of the earth shall worship him We did honestly believe that this passage respected Christ and none besides but thanks to the Canonists we now unsterstand that the Pope must be worship'd and that all Kings must kiss his Pantofle this Text saith so He hath put all things under his feet The Kings of Tarsis shall bring him presents i. e. the whole world ought to pay homage to the Pope Scriptures abused by the Mystical Authors Their Mysticall Authors who have written whole books for this very end to explain the mystical significations of the Ceremonies of the Church and of the habits of the Priests come not behind the Canonists in impertinent applications of Scripture The Priest puts a hood on his Head which is call'd the Amict the reason given is because S. Paul said take The Helmet of Salvation He wears a linnen Surplice which is call'd an Albe the reason is because 't is written let thy Garments be White This Surplice must be embroider'd about the edges because 't is written the Queen shall be brought in raiment of Needle-work They who are pleased with such stuff may find many other Instances in our Exceptions I will add no more of this kind because they are meerly triffling But will proceed to their Blasphemies Thus we ought to call those impious and profane applications which the cursed votaries of the Roman Church make unto the Saints of that which belongs only to God and his Eternal son Blasphemous applications of the Scriptures Beside those blasphemous and cursed Applications which are every where scatter'd in their Writings the lying Spirit hath taken care to compile a whole body of them in two Books the one is call'd The Ladies Psalter composed by Bonaventure the other the Bible of Mary by Albertus Magnus In these two Books you will find all the great and glorious things which the Scriptures speak to the Creators Glory applyed to the Glory of the Creature 'T is not the glory of God which the Heavens declare 't is that of the Virgin The Heavens declare your Glory O Virgin. The 27 Psal celebrates God as the Light of Believers but 't is no longer He the Virgin hath his room O our Lady say they to her my Illumination comes from your face The 31 Psal maketh God the object of the Soul's Confidence but they address those excellent words unto the Virgin and say to her Mother of God I have trusted in you I shall not be confounded forever take my Soul into your Favour and Mercy I commit my Soul into your hands O incomparable Virgin. Nothing is more peculiar to God than the exercise of Mercy which the Psalmist implores in the 51 Ps Have mercy upon me O God c. The Papists pull God out of the Throne of grace and teach their Penitents to say Have mercy upon me O our Lady who art call'd the Mother of Mercy and according to the bowels of your Compassions purge me from mine Iniquities pour out your Grace upon me and take not your ordinary Clemency away from me For I will confess my Sins before you I will accuse my self of my own faults The Psalms of David are peculiarly consecrated to the Glory of God this is the reason why the Psalmist every where sings the praises of God and celebrates his Greatness but all this is applyed to Mary For instance that excellent 103 Psalm which begins Bless the Lord O my Soul is thus changed My soul bless the Mother of Jesus Christ and all that is within me glorify her Holy Name Forget not Her Benefits Her Favours and Her Consolations by Her Grace sins are forgiven by Her Mercy Diseases are healed There is the same strain from the beginning to the end of the Psalter The Bible of Mary is written on the very same design Whereas the true disciples of J. Christ find him every where in the Old Testament not only in the Predictions and Types but even in such passages where few would have sought him This Bible of Mary finds the B. Virgin every where in the Old Testament agreeably to its design which is as the Author tells us to apply unto the
Mysteries At present I appeal to the Consciences of all the men in the World whether the Behavior of Papists towards the H. Scriptures be not exactly like that of an indicted and convicted Criminal who goeth about to reproach the Witnesses and reject the Judges How long will this fatal inchantment last and when will men begin to perceive this Character of Antichristianism which is so manifest If Popery be Christianity why doth it so blame and reproach the Law of J. Christ If the Scriptures are favorable to it why goes it about to take away their credit and why doth it hinder the reading of them The vain Excuses of the modern Papists as to the preceding Points In our dayes those Impostors who are call'd Converters are still telling their Disciples that the most of these proceedings are false that which is true as to them was only the mistakes of some violent spirits who are condemn'd by the rest and lastly that all this is past and gone that at the present the Scriptures are in due esteem Translations of them made and put into the hands of the Laity with Exhortations to read them And those poor blind Creatures who are willing to be deceived believe all this But they ought to remember that even in this present age Cardinal du Perron hath heaped together every thing that might make the Scripture suspected and contemptible pleading that some things in it sound like Fables others are apt to raise in the mind indecent and dishonest Imaginations as some Expressions in Solomons Song the History of Balaams Asse which spoke and the Jawbone of an Ass with which Sampson slew a thousand Philistins c. 'T is in our age and very lately I confess that the Gentlemen of the Port Royal have wrote that we ought to read the H. Scripture Mr. Arnauld that it ought to be in the hands of the Common People that it is full of holy Unction and of great Efficacy and Vertue for Sanctification and Edification But it is likewise very lately said by these Gentlemen Mr. Nicole's apology c. Prejudices c and Calvinists convicted of Schism That it would be a Folly more plain than the day to go about to prove by Scripture that the Gospells according to S. Matthew and S. Mark are of divine authority that we never stop the mouths of the profane with our new Rule of Scripture without Tradition that the H. Scriptures have said nothing concerning the Divinity of J. Christ which may not be evaded that no Interpretations of Scripture are more than probable that the Sâ—cinian Hereticks find as much there for their cause as we for ours that there are some texts of Scripture which do naturally lead men to Error Behold what all their commendations of the Scripture do amount to This is just the same thing that the Ancient Papists were wont to say that the Scripture is a Nose of Wax a Leaden Rule a Sheath for any Sword. The terms are different but any man may perceive that the sense and meaning is altogether the same Lastly It must be observed that for eighâ— hundred years the common People in the Church of Rome have not known what the Scripture was and that the reading of it was forbidden them by their Popes Bishops Councils by the Indexes of forbidden Books and by Parliaments Mallet hath prov'd this against Mr. Arnauld in an irrefutable manner to which he never thought fit to make any Reply He only insists on the Question of Right viz. whether the reading of the Scriptures ought to be forbidden to the People he hath successfully prov'd that it ought not But he durst not meddle with the Question of Fact whether it hath not been always the practice of the Roman Church to forbid the Common People to read the word of God. He did well not to touch upon that for he could not have done it but to his own Dishonour Therfore let our New Converts to Popery no longer deceive themselves by regarding the Church of Rome only in that small part of it which is in France and hearken to that inconsiderable number of Popish Doctors who seduce them for they ought to know that even at this day in Spain and other places to have the Bible in the vulgar Language is a Crime to be punisht with Fire and Fagot and the Inquisition Popish dispensations contrary to the Law of God. 'T were easy to inlarge this chapter concerning the injuries and outrage that Popery is guilty of against the Scripture without digressing or going far we need but consider the bold attempts of the Pope and his Clergy to dispense with the law of God and act contrary to it no greater violence or affront can be offer'd to any Law than to command what it forbids and forbid what is commanded by it This is the case with the Church of Rome Popery requires the making of Images and injoyns the worship of 'em the Law of Christianity forbids it Popery forbids the eating of all sorts of meat at all times and forbids the marriage of the Clergy both are allowed by the Great Law of Christians It grants dispensations contrary to the Old and New Testament it dispenseth with the observation of the most solemn vows made to God and with Oaths of fidelity made to Kings wherein the name of God is invok't It dispenseth with that sacred and inviolable commandment of childrens obedience to their Parents and permits girles of twelve or fifteen years old to cast off the Paternal yoke that they may enter into a Nunnery It authorizeth the revolt and rebellion of Children against their own Fathers even so far as to permit them to usurp their Crowns and overturn their Thrones as is evident in History It establisheth new Sanctuaries and places of refuge in their Churches to save the lives of Murderers contrary to the express command of God. It makes void the plainest precept of God that every Soul must be subject to the Higher Powers by the many immunities granted to their Ecclesiasticks exempting them from the secular power It allows Fornication and Sodomy for such a sum of money and permits Incest contrary to the Law of God. It gives a Woman leave to marry two Brothers or a man to marry two Sisters or an unckle to marry his Neice It dispenseth contrary to the Apostles Rule that a Bishop should not be a Child or a Novice for it bestows benefices and Bishopsricks upon such as are altogether unfit and incapable which agrees exactly with what was foretold concerning Antichrist that he should endeavor to change the Times and the Law. These Seducers will doubtless tell their new Converts that these things are the Enterprizes and abuses of the Court of Rome and that according to the Gallican Church the Pope is not superior to the Laws and cannot dispense with the Canons This is the doctrine of the Sorbonne and of the Parliaments I refer them to what is written by
the Greeks in another we read that Fornication and having Concubines is that which ought to be allow'd 'T was the Canon Law and the Canonists that establisht the Rules of that horrible Simony we mention'd in the foregoing Chapter 'T was they who regulated and confirm'd all the Rites of Popery whereof their vain superstitions and Idolatrous worship is composed 'T is they who have made all the Corruptions of Doctrine and worship to pass into a Law. 'T is they who have made a God of the Pope and spoken so many Blasphemies concerning him a part whereof hath been mention'd in that Chapter where we treated of the Pride of the Popes that he is a God that he can make any thing of nothing and that he is above Emperors and Kings and can dispence contrary to the Law of God that he is the sun of this world and the only Soveraign that he can be judged by no man that if he should lead multitudes of People to Hell or give them over to the Devill no man hath any right to hinder him The stupidity and blindness of men that can fall into this extravagance is not to be exprest or imagin'd Impurities of the Caâ—â—â—â—â—â— The third sort of Doctors who speak for the Papacy and manifest what Spirit it is of are the Casuists In this order of men an impure and diabolick Spirit is very notorious the Spirit of the Beast and of the Dragon for this we have no need of proofs One part of the Roman Church will testifie against the other The writers of Port Royal in our age have laid open the unclean Spirit of Popery in their morals Fully to understand the Filthiness of this spirit you must read the Books which have been writ to instruct the Directors of Conscience and teach them what Questions to put to the Penitents who come to Confession and the works of Burchard Sanchez de Matrimonio Emanuel Sa Tolet and several others and you will find those Instructions can teach a man more Abominations than are known by practice in the most infamous places of Debauchery After this you must read the Decisions of their Casuists upon cases of Conscience and concerning the nature of mortal and venial Sins And you will soon perceive that there are no Crimes which they do not excuse tolerate and make light of According to these men Simple Fornication implies no guilt or malice that to kill an infant in his mothers womb by causing Abortion is no Murder that an unmarried Woman may be made to miscarry to save her credit that it is not Adultery to lye with a married Woman if her Husband consent that a Backbiter who doth calumniate you may be kill'd to prevent reproach A man is not obliged to put away his Concubine if she be necessary to him for his diversion and delight 'T is lawful to desire the death of a Father to enjoy his Estate 't is not necessary to Salvation to believe either Paradise or Hell but only in the general to believe in God the command to love God is not at all obligatory the sin of Luxury Sodomy and Buggery are sins of the lowest rank no one act of Love to God is necessary to Salvation Contrition is sufficient that is the Fear of Hell. Are not these the unclean Spirits coming out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet The vanity of their Excuses of their ill Morals The Church of Rome must not think to acquit her self from this Charge on the account of some modern Writers few in number persecuted by the rest and overcome by the multitude of a contrary sentiment For this moral Divinity is allowed of What Sollicitations and incredible pains hath it cost to procure the condemnation of some few of these and the like propositions Even Pope Alexander VII who condemn'd some of those maxims by his decree of the 5th of May 1667. did ratifie the toleration of one of the most frightful of all those Doctrines viz. that Attrition alone caus'd by the fear of Hell without any act of the love of God is sufficient unto Salvation This is a piece of the most monstrous Theology that ever came out of the mouth of the Devil For it destroys the necessity of the first and great Command which is the soul of all Religion Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart 'T is to overthrow the whole of Christianity from top to bottom and open the door of Salvation to those who liv'd and dyed as bad as Devils Alexander VII left all this abominable Morality of the Casuists compleat and all that he condemn'd in 45 Propositions is of little moment except two or three articles Innocent XI whom they make a Saint hath gone somewhat farther I confess but besides that he hath spared all those Maximes that are fatal to the lives of Princes and the safety of their Kingdoms he hath only condemn'd those doctrines that are exprest in the Bull and forbad the teaching of 'em but neither the Books or the Authors are made liable to any Punishment and therfore this kind of Morality doth obtain as much as ever and by this the sect of the Jesuites is risen to that point of grandeur where we now see them Because of their insâ—uence in all the Popish Courts of Europe and 't is to be observ'd that they are the great sticklers for these Morals which are no better than Infernal the Iesuites I say who are fully possest with the spirit of Popery who are the great Bulwark of that Religion and have preserv'd it from ruin for one hundred and fifty years They are the true Mouth of the false Prophet We can never sufficiently describe how many unclean spirits have come out of this Mouth of the Jesuites Popish Authors themselves have taken the pains to keep a register of 'em the many Books which complain of their Theology and cry out of their Morals and Doctrine would make a considerable Library Alphousus de Vargas a Spaniard hath wrote a Book intitl'd the Stratagems of the Jesuites Among other things he there tells us that about the year 1625. the Spanish Jesuites had the impudence to compose a Systeme of Divinity which overthrew the whole Christian Religion one of them named John Baptista Poza made a book in honour of the Virgin and of her immaculate Conception called Elucidarium Deiparae Wherein he utters so many Prodigies and Blasphemies that the other Monks tho sufficiently drencht in Superstition could not but abhor it This deserves to be considered in the Original or in the relation we have given of it in our Legall Exceptions Part. I. chap. 3â— the Spanish Jesuites were so far from condemning their Brother for this that they undertook the desence of him and his Book In the same place we find a Censure of the Apostles Creed composed by the same Spanish Jesuites which is the most scandalous piece that ever saw the light For
mystical and spiritual reason assign'd for 't But First these are meer Chimaera's and fancies which the first Inventers of these Ceremonies never dreamt of we are told of a learned man in the Church of Rome a Canon of Clugny who hath prepared a book for the press that will confute and shame the Durand's the Biels the Innocent's and the Disciples of such as have wrote of the Mysteries of the Mass for he will prove that all these Ceremonies are without any mystery and that they were only instituted upon motives of commodity and convenience or by meer hazard and occasion but suppose there were a mysterious Intention hidden under these Ceremonies were the service any whit the less carnal for this who allmost is there that understands these Mysteries A man must have been for a long time in a dream to have imagin'd those impertinent reasons which are brought by the mystical Authors of the Roman Church for all the parts of their external worship The Priests themselves do not know them and the People never heard one word concerning them so that they never see any thing but bodily exercise and a worship meerly corporeal and external The most important piece of worship in the Church of Rome is the Mass let us examin it a little whether it hath those two Characters of being Spiritual and Reasonable which are certainly two properties of every Service in the Christian Religion In the Mass the Priest being cloath'd with his Sacerdotal Habit begins with that which they call the Judica the Introitus and the Confiteor There some words taken out of the Psalms are thrust in and mixt with some words of prayer The Priest makes confession of his sins to God to the Virgin and to the Saints he demands absolution and he bestows it on the People he ascendes to the Altar he stoops down below it and mutters some prayers to himself of which no body understands either the sense or the sound He says to the People Cantate Domino i. e. sing to the Lord and yet no man dares sing He repeats several times Kirie Eleison Christe Eleison Greek words whose meaning he knows not for 't is very common that he scarce understands the Latine of the Mass The Gradual is the second part of the Mass in which he sings some kind of songs that are different according to the time and Days on which Mass is read the Deacon prepares himself to read the Gospell he prays to God in Latin that he would purify his Lips the Priest gives him his blessing and makes many signs of the Cross over him The Deacon kisseth the hand of the Priest and makes the sign of the Cross with the thumb of his right hand over the Book over himself upon his forehead his mouth and stomach he perfumes the Book with Incense and being thus well armed against the charms of the Devill by his Grimace and wry-faces he reads the Gospell of the day but the poor People in the mean while understand nothing The reading being over the Priest returns the Book saying these words Per Evangelica dicta deleantur nostra Delicta i. e. by the sayings of the Gospell may our sins be blotted out The Deacon burns Incense the Priest reads the Creed and turning towards the People he says Dominus vobiscum After the Gradual comes the Offertory in which the Priest taking the dish wherin are the unconsecrated wafers he offers them unto God with these words Holy Father God Almighty and Eternal receive this immaculate sacrifice which I thine unworthy servant offer unto Thee my living and true God for my innumerable sins offences and negligences and for all those who are here present round about and for all faith full Christians Living and Dead that it might be profitable to their salvation in Eternal Life Observe that 't is all this while but meer bread But what kind of Bread think ye little loose leaves of paper made with a little flower and bak't between two Irons This is the propitiatory oblation that is offer'd for the Living and the Dead After this the Priest takes the Chalice and offers it likewise unto God he makes many Prayers that God would bless this sacrifice that he would accept it and that it may be gratefull and well-pleasing to him You must know that this was the sacrifice of the Mass before Transubstantiation was found out plain Bread and wine was then offer'd Judge then whether any man could believe that this was a true propitiatory Sacrifice In this part of the Mass every thing that can be imagin'd is done to make this bread and wine to be a propitiatory Sacrifice They offer it to God they offer it to the honour of the Saints and of the Virgin and say unto the People Pray to God that this Sacrifice which is yours and mine may be acceptable to him 'T is in this part that the Secrets are said they are short Prayers spoken with a low voice but are concluded with a per omnia saecula saeculorum which breaks forth in a voice of Thunder after a deep silence Lastly comes the Canon of the Mass which is an additional peice in favor of Transubstantiation There begins the Consecration and the Body of Jesus Christ then comes upon the Altar There the Priest changes postures and makes an hundred grimaces he speaks and then holds his tongue he stoops down then raiseth himself up and kisses the sides of the Altar He makes many signs of the cross he prays for the Popes for Kings and for him in particular on whose account that Mass is said He offers to the honour of God of the Virgin of the Apostles and of the Martyrs when the consecration is over he rises up and worships After this he proceeds to the true propitiatory Sacrifice He offers the Body of J. Christ praying God that it may be as agreable to him as the Sacrifice of Abel i. e. they compare the Body of our Lord to that of a dead Beast The Priest strikes upon his breast several times he uncovers the chalice and makes many signs of the Cross over the Blood of J. Christ to drive the Devil from it He sings he prays and then sets down the chalice and the consecrated wafers upon the corporal that is to say upon the linnen of the Altar He again takes up the Dish wherin the wafers are he makes over himself a great sign of the Cross and breaks the wafer into three pieces He throws one back into the chalice with the other he makes the signs of the cross over the chalice touching the foot of it the middle and the brim and then he stroaks his eyes with it He covers the chalice again he prays and returns to the side of the People and makes them kiss the Pax so they call a Trenchar or a little board on which is painted a Crucifix or the image of the Virgin. Then he puts himself in a posture to eat the wafer and
A CONTINUATION OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE Scripture-Prophesies OR A Large Deduction of Historical Evidences Proving that the PAPACY Is the Real Antichristian Kingdom To which is added A CONFIRMATION of the Exposition of the sixteenth Chapter of the Revelation concerning the pouring out of the VIALS Written in French by PETER JURIEU Professor of Divinity one of the present Ministers of the French Church at Rotterdam Faithfully Englished LONDON Printed in the Year 1688. THE TRANSLATOR'S ADVERTISEMENT THE learned Author hath given the world an account of the Occasion and Original of his Legal Exceptions or Lawful Prejudices against Popery in the Preface to that Book of which this is an abridgment 'T is evident that in both he principally designed the advantage of his Country-men among whom the greatest wits have been employd to cover the deformity and paint over the foulness of Popery and consequently some Citations and passages will seem obscute to an ordinary English Reader But the present circumstances of our Nation abundantly justify the Translating and publishing a work of this design For tho the learned writers of the Church of England have sufficiently discovered the falsehood and danger of the Popish Doctrines yet the threatning Infection of our Age calleth for a stronger Antidote 'T is found by experience that the clearest Notions about these things are too weak to preserve from Apostacy in a time of Tryal Nothing can do this but deep Impressions on the Conscience which can produce an invincible Antipathy against Popery And I know nothing so effectual to work this as a due Consideration of the Characters of Antichrist that are to be found in the Roman Church If once a man is satisfied of this and withal hath a due concern for his own salvation tho he wants learning to plead against Popery yet he will be able chearfully to lay down his life in the Combat against it It hath been on this Principle that such numbers of antient and modern Witnesses have with admirable constancy suffered in the defence of the Gospel against the Tyranny of Rome 'T is therefore much to be lamented that our Author is somewhat mistaken in his charitable sentiments concerning the modern English divines whom in the conclusion of the Book he supposeth all to tread in the steps of their Predessors Whereas 't is manifest that the Example and Influence of a late Prelate A. B. Laâ—â— hath made many to for-bear the terms of Babylon and Antichrist in their Controversies with the Church of Rome So that of late these have past for rayling Expressions not fit to be used by Genteel Writers I heartily wish that such a Complaisance had not been attended with very pernitious effects Sure 't is no time now to manage and compliment such a declared Enemy of Christ and the Souls of men The Church doth therefore owe much to the Courage and Zeal of our Author who hath entred the lists against her with the Spirit and Weapons of a true Combatant and hath so effectually discovered the nakedness and deformity of the Apocalyptick Harlot that it must be madness for any either to fall in love with her or have any kind thoughts for her The Reader will find many passages of this Book to have an air of pleasantness and diversion as indeed 't is a hard matter to forbear laughter when the Objects are extravagantly ridiculous but I earnestly request this from him that he would take heed of jesting in so serious a matter 't is by no means enough to laugh and tell stories against Popery 't is alwayes to be remembred with what design these ridiculous passages are related which is not to make the Reader merry but to convince the Conscience that the Roman Church is the Babylon the Apostate Society which hath establicht herself by the most abominable Lyes and Fables as well as by the most barbarous Cruelty The Reader is entreared to make this Application of the whole otherwise the Labour of writing and Translating the Book will be lost The Lord grant it may not THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE A short Description of the Papacy TO divert and entertain Monsr Arnaud I shall once more act the part of a Mountebank as he is pleas'd to term it he shall have the Satisfaction to see a second Preservative of my writing and this may afford him a new Subject of raillery to imploy his wit as he formerly did in his Reflections upon the first Preservative which I publisht against the Catholick Exposition of the Bishop of Meaux But withal it will displease and vex him to review sometimes the passages quotedout of Father Crasset and the sorry scribbles of such Jesuites as he who are not at all to his liking and he would be glad never to see or hear any thing of ' em In this piece we give the true picture and representation of the Papacy as genuine and faithful as that is false and flattering which is of late made to the new Converts by the Gentlemen imployed in the famous Conversions in France It is composed of these thirteen lineaments which compleat the picture or so many Characters which describe Popery considering it in it self as distinct from the Common Christianity that doth yet remain in the Roman Church Let us then see what it is I. First 't is a Kingdom altogether Earthly and after the Spirit of the World. This Beast is as other Beasts which in the stile of Prophetick Scripture signifies Kingdoms and Empires It hath its Capital City its Monarch Provinces Governours Arms Cittadels Tributes c. and in one thing doth go beyond all other Tyrants that whereas their power reaches only to the Bodies of men the Papacy usurps an Authority over the Conscience and the Souls of men II. 'T is the effect of the most subile and yet the most detestable Poâ—icy by which any Worldly Empire was ever erected or preserved Their Temporal Tyranny is vailed under the appearance of Spirituality and at the same time 't is assisted and supported by it As Magicians to make up their Charms bring in the names of God and sometimes of Baptism and the Eucharist so doth the Roman Church make use of the words Religion Sacraments Church Censures Confession of sins the several degrees of the Ministry c. as the Means to establish a Kingdom and Government that is meerly Humane and Worldly and to exercise a power over the Bodies the estates the lives and Consciences of men III. 'T is a Proud Tyrant who is seated on a magnifick Throne and from thence cries aloud to the whole Earth that he is the Prophet of the Living God the mouth which Speaks Oracles Saying I am Queen and shall see no sorrow I am seated in the Eternal City Rome I am Infallible and of my Dominion there shall be no end It belongs to me to bestow the crowns of Paradise and I am the Soveraign Minister of the Living God upon Earth as to Temporals I am the only
been so fortunate as the Nuntio of Julius II. who tho taken Prisoner by Francis after the Battel of Ravenna received Hommages from the Souldiers Prostrate at his Feet and begging his pardon for having fought against the Church Such an influence hath the force of Religion on the minds of the people 'T was in vain that Boniface VIII put on his Pontifical Robes at Anagina notwithstanding this his Jawes were bruised with a blow of a Gantlet and he thrust into Prison 'T was therefore necessary to joyn a second policy to the former and support this falsly named Spiritual Dominion with a Worldly Pomp and Grandeur Men are compounded of Flesh and Blood the Passions are ever the prevailing Party and the senses are the Faculties which bear the chief sway in the conduct of men 'T was therefore necessary to maintain this Dominion that men should see something that affects the senses and engageth the Passions Therefore it hath been the Policy of that Spirit which framed this Engine to heap together vast Treasures to have stately Palaces to change Priests into secular Princes to furnish them with greath Revenues with pompous Retinues with sumptuous Tables and indeed with every thing that belongs to Worldly Glory This Policy is owned by the considerable persons of the Roman Church you need only read what hath been written by Pallavicino in his History of the Council of Trent and the Collection out of him drawn up by another Author of the same Religion in an ingenious Book called The new Gospel of Cardinal Pallavicino There it is shewn that the Cardinal makes it a matter of necessity that the Pope and the Church should be Rich and Wealthy should have Palaces Benefices Princes who are equall to secular Princes We cannot doubt that this Policy hath been of admirable use to the Antichristian Monarchy for 't is certain that if the Bishops of Rome had continued poor as they were for the three first Ages of the Church they had never made themselves Masters of the World. Thunderbolts issuing forth from a Cottage or a Tent would not long have astonisht men But coming from the Vatican from a Palace that in poynt of splendour may dispute with the most magnificent in the world people believed that there was indeed something real in those painted Thunderbolts The Authors of the Logick of Port-Royal Part 3. cap. 19. have made a judicious remarque No man doth expresly argue at this rate such a one hath ten thousand pounds per annum therefore he is in the right He is of a Noble Familie therefore we must believe every thing he saith Nevertheless something like this rate of arguing is found in the minds of most men which unawares corrupts their judgments c. They approve every thing done or spoken by a Great man through a secret condescension of mind which bowes down under the weight of Grandeur and wants Courage to look it in the face This is the very Method that the Papacy hath used to gain the minds of men which being once gain'd by this Pomp of Riches and Worldly Grandeur have argued at this rate The Pope is a great Prince therefore be is in the right therefore he hath Authority to do as he doth Yea this very thing hath helped to delude the Popes themselves A Great Person who taketh no pains to rectify the impressions which his secular Grandeur makes on his mind is easily brought to believe that he excels other men as much in moral and intellectual Qualitties as he doth in Riches and Dignitie Thus the Popes seeing themselves to be served as Kings and adored as Gods have easily believed that they have a rightful Authority over the whole World. Third Policy a gainâ—nâ— all the Great ones of the World to its party Again 't is an admirable Policy of the Papacy to have the Art of engaging on its side all the Great Families of Europe and of binding them to itself by the strongest of all the Passions viz. Ambition and Covetousness If the Court of Rome had engross'd her Grandeur and Riches to her self alone it had been the Object of the Envy of all other Courts and its Regency which depends onely upon the Consent of men could not have lasted long But as it hath Riches in all places so it bestowes Preferments in all places Rome is the Common City of the nations the whole World hath the Priviledge of Citizens There is not a great Family which doth not possess great benefices and supports their Luxury and vanity by the Churches Patrimony This Patrimony is the spoyls which have been taken from the World. When ever this Church is ruin'd all these Spoyls must be restored to the owners to whom they belong Therefore all the Great ones are concern'd to maintain this Monarchy which furnisheth them with Provisions for their Luxury and other lusts This consideration makes me assert that there never was any Monarchy in the world which had such firm Foundations as this It hath no Enemies among those who are led by Sense and lust nor can have On the contrary the whole world adores it to get a share in its Favours 'T is a wonder that the Empire of old Rome lasted so long What Interest had the Roman Provinces to contribute to the Grandeur of one City whiles they themselves were Slaves Here the case is not the same all consent to the Greatness of new Rome because all reign with her Priests may come to be Abbots Abbots to be Bishops Bishops to be Cardinals and all the Cardinals of whatever nation to be Popes Fourth Poliâ—yâ—s the Hierarchy That which is call'd the Roman Hierarchy is again a piece of admirable Policy This subordination of the Members of this great Body is a Bond which makes it firm The Curates are subject to the Rural Deans these Deans to their Bishop the Bishop to the Metropolitan the Metropolitan to the Primate the Primate to the Pope And this Pope is call'd the Center of Unity This Fiction is one of the last things which will be ruinâ—d Our French men who are cured of the fondness for the Popes power cannot as yet free themselves from this They adore this great Image whose Head is of Gold the Shoulders of Silver the Belly of Brass the Thighs of Iron the Feet of Earth The disproportion between the Pope and the petty Clergy is greater than that between Gold and Dust There must be a Stone cut without hands out of a Mountain an unconceivable Blow of Divine Power to break this Image in pieces 5. Policy The founding the various Orders of Monks Behold another very cunning Policy of the Papal Monarchy the founding of the different Orders of Monks which are as so many Citadels of this Kingdom These men have an Art to make themselves Masters of Families and Consciences They inspire all their Disciples with Maximes of Submission and Slavery to the Holy See as 't is named They stir up Subjects against
their Princes when 't is for the Interest of the Court of Rome And to bind them more firmly to her self she grants them Priviledges which exempt them from the Jurisdiction of their Bishops This makes these Monks take part with the Pope against the Bishops which assists the Design which he hath ever had to bring down Episcopal Authority to make himself the only Bishop and to make all other Bishops to be his Subdelegates The Monks draw all manner of Advantages from these exemptions They have none near them to order and correct them they enjoy the greatest impunitie indulge themselves in Licentiousness Among the Monks the Jesuites Order is the product of as hellish Policy as the world ever knew The Prince of darkness sent it out of the bottomless Pit exactly at the time of the Reformation to support the Papal Monarchy which had felt some shaking Blowes After so many Books written on this matter men cannot but understand the Maximes of the Policy of this detestable Society But the corrupt and Antichristian Moral Doctrine of it is not the least of the Tricks of its Policy Which leads us to consider a new Evidence of the Carnal Policy which prevails in the Papacy 6. Policy a care to flatter the flesh and the senses 'T is the great care which it takes to flatter by all wayes imaginable the Flesh the Passions and Senses by making easy Laws and suting them to corrupt Inclinations by sending out every where loose Directors of Conscience and by furnishing Sinners with means of flattering themselves in their Disorders Hence have proceeded the Simonaical Laws of the Court of Rome Dispensations to marry within the prohibited Degrees to enjoy Bishopricks without having the Age or qualities which are required Indulgences for the most horrid crimes Relaxations of Pennances and the setting a rate upon all sins Lastly from hence 't is that care hath been taken to provide all the Pleasures for the Flesh which it desires Cardinal Pallavicin in this History of the Council of Trent saith that the Form must be suted to the Matter and such Lawes made as agree with Times and Places and that we must not deal with men wholy in the dreggs of Adam as if they were still in a state of Innocence V. The new Gospel Therefore they must be Indulged as to Idleness Excessive Eating and Drinking Playes yea Stewes which are allowed at Rome And that the Church may be able to triumph over Paganism which held men by the Pleasures of Sense she must furnish them with those that are more exquisite and delicious than those of Paganism 'T is from the same design of pleasing the Fleth and the Senses that the External Pomp in Worship proceeds Because men love Playes Theaters and the Pleasures of Sense the Policy of Rome hath introduced all these into Religion that She may engage them to herself by those things of which alone they are sensible Churches are splendidly adorn'd they glitter with Gold their Lights are ordered with great care those that serve at the Altars draw mens Eyes by the pomp of their Vestments in them Musiek sounds and flatters the ears They make Processions which are a marching in Triumph after the mode of the Pagan Romans Yea their very Funerals have Pomp that so even death itself may afford pleasure 'T was once a very difficult matter to reconcile Religion and Lust together But the Papacy hath found out this wonderful Secret by bringing into Religion whatever gratifieth Lust 7 Policy the Tribunals of Confession The Mysteries of the Chairs of Confession are the most profound in the Policy of Rome Nothing could be imagined more effectual and proper to reign over the Consciences of men than to oblige them to come and discover themselves even to the bottom to the Agents of the Papacy Scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timeri A Marryed Woman looking upon a Priest as the Confident of her Disloyalties and the Witness of her Disorders trembles at his Presence and can refuse him nothing A husband that hath disclosed to a Confessor all the Violations of his Promise to his Wife is a fraid lest something should come out which might trouble the quiet of his Family and to avoid this mischief he becomes the Slave of him who knows his secrets A Merchant who hath cheated in Trade will part with some of his Gain to assure himself of the Fidelity of him who is privy to his Crimes But above all on such Occasions when there are but two heads together the Priests say what they please they wind about the Conscience according to their own designs and Interests they rack they loose they bind they terrify they astonish they flatter it And by these different Methods they lead it where it had no Intention to go God knows and Experience hath told us somthing how many dismal effects have proceeded from this mysterious Policy All men are not made alike some are cholerick others are Melancholy and serious these are willing to live austerely others are sanguine and will have pleasure whatever it costs There are Confessors of different Characters according to these different humours Some who will endure nothing at all others who will endure every thing By this means they hold fast all sorts because every one is gratifyed 8 Policy a great external austerity This human Policy which so indulgeth Inward Licentiousness at the same time requires a great External Severity and Rigour For men are willing to give something to God and not being able to give him Fruit they are willing to pay him in Leaves Therefore they love those Customs which have a great shew of Mortification You cannot rid men of this notion that the Christian Religion is a serious thing and an Enemy to the Pleasures of the World. Therefore if the Papacy was licentious in all respects and held no correspondence with the Temper of Religion it would be impossible but men would quickly see through it Therefore it endeavours to keep up a great Appearance of Seriousness in the midst of its innumerable Villanies It ordains above a hundred and sixty Fasts in a year men eat and drink on these Fasts as at other times provided they choose such a diet But no matter they are always call'd Fasts and this makes a great Figure in the Outside of Religion From the same Policy we have the Penitents and Whippers of the Roman Church who tear themselves with Blowes of a Whip when they are hired to do it Thence come the Cloisters Frocks Hair-shirts Whippings Discipline Confinement Silence Solitude and all the strict and severe Rules of the Monks Such Rules and Orders as in show and appearance are very considerable and gain them Reputation with the people but in reality they are not much incommoded by 'em and suffer little by their observance as to any thing of that severity and mortification they pretend to because they are Masters of their own
Character of Antichristianism which is found in the Papacy Idolatry in its height confess'd by the Papists themselves Antichrist must e an Idolater according to Prophecies Dan. 11. IT cannot be doubted that the Religion of Antichrist must be an Idolatrous Religion First we read that he should worship Mauzzim Dan. 11.38 But in his estate he shall honour the God of force Hebr. Mauzzim and a God whom his Fathers knew not shall he honour with Gold and Silver and with pretious Stones and with pleasant things He shall worship Idols of silver and gold And S. John saith concerning the subjects of the Antichristian Monarchy Revel 9. V. 20. And therest of the men which were not kill'd by those plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brass and Stone and of Wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk The whole thirteenth chapter sets forth the Antichristian Monarchy as an Idolatrous State. Ver. 4. Its subjects worship'd the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast They worship the Beast itself V. 8. And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. The second Beast with two horns exerciseth the power of the first Beast in his presence V. 12. And causeth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed Altho these Adorations principally refer to the slavish Obedience that the Subjects of the Antichristian Kingdom do yield to the Head of this Kingdom 't is nevertheless certain that this Obedience is here set forth as an Idolatry and that it is really so Lastly this Babylonian Empire is described to us by the emblem of a notorious Harlot which was to commit abominable fornications with the Kings of the Earth and make all men drunk with the Wine of her Fornications V. 1. Come hither Chap. 1â— I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great Whore that sisteth upon many waters V. 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication Now every body knoweth that when the Scripture speaks of a Body a Society a Church the Fornications and adulteries which are charged on them signify Idolatries Therefore 't is certain that Idolatry must be one of the Characters of the Antichristian Kingdom Several ways by which the Papacy is guilty of Idolatry Let us see if this Character be found in the Papacy It is Idolatrous 1. In the Adoration of the Pope in giving divine Honours divine Attributes to him viz. a divine Power and an Universal Authority which are put in his hands 2. The Papacy is guilty of Idolatry in the Adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar which is nothing but Bread and yet all divine Honours are given it 3. It is Idolatrous in the account of the Invocation of Saints for the worship which is given to the Virgin to Angels and Saints makes them second-rate Gods to whom Honour of the same kind are orderd to be given that are given to the Great God. 4. Lastly The Papacy is Idolatrous because it obligeth men to fall down before Images of Wood of Stone of Gold and Silver The Idolatry of the Church of Rome may be consider'd either in their Worship itself or in the excesses of this Worship For instance in the Invocation of Saints either as it is generally owned by all the Members of the Roman Church or as it is explain'd by the bygotted Monks and Priests who are excessive in every thing and keep no bounds Thus the Idolatry as to Images may be considered either as layd down in the Decrees of their Councills or in the modern softning explication by which 't is palliated or in the Practice and downright Divinity of true Papists I will not here undertake to prove the charge of Idolatry upon the Roman Church on the account of the Services which she Authoriseth by her Canons and the unanimous Consent of her Doctors This would necessarily lead us into Controversy where we should be obliged to wash off the false colours which the modern Papists make use of to prove themselves no Idolaters neither in adoring the Sacrament or in the Invocation of Saints or in worshipping of Images In a word we should be engaged in a long debate whereas in this Treatise I design to take my arguments only from indisputable matters of fact and which are not debated After this Method I have proved all my preceeding characters of Antichristianism from History and Testimonies taken from the Books of our adversaries which themselves cannot gain-say And thus I will here prove the Idolatry of the Papacy by those Excesses which are own'd for such by all those of the Roman Church who pretend to any honesty and purity Mr. Arnaud and the Papists of his strain do in manner plainly confess that the disciples of F. Crasset and such like are Idolaters by their own Method of explaining and practising the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images I shall assist those Gentlemen by setting down our Arguments Palpable Idolatry in the Books that direct the Devotion of the people We cannot I suppose be blamed if in discovering the nature of the Popish Worship we make use of the Authors who have wrote Books to guide the Devotion of the People Now if their Directions be not Idolatrous and lead not directly to Idolatry we are content to be counted Lyars First these Books and these Teachers ascribe without any scruple a Divinity unto creatures They call the V. Mary a Deity and Goddess One of these Authors thus speaks to her Damian serm 7. in natif Virg. O Virgin have you forgotten your Humanity because you have been Deifyed 'T is a Cardinal of the Church of Rome who spoke at this rate in the eleventh Century which lets us see that these Idolatrous Excesses are not new Binet Marq. de Predest A much later Writer saith of the Virgin that She is advanced to a kind of equality to God. Another that Her bosom is the Ocean of the Deity O Holy Lady saith another to her I know that nothing is hid from you and that by your Deity you exactly understand all my faults Bonaventare The Lord hath said to our Lady Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy Enemies thy footstool I suppose that to sit at the right hand of God is the same as to obtain divine Honour at least we take it so when we explain the Article of Christs Ascension The Iesuite Delrio giveth the Virgin the Titles of optima maxima i. e. most good and most great We know that the Romans gave these to none but the supreme of their Gods and that Christians have bestowed them on the Infinitely Perfect Being The Iesuite Tursellin with innumerable
new Temples and Chappels are every day built to her Honour How those have far'd who condemn'd this Excess It may yet be said that there are some in the Church of Rome who condemn this excess Mr. Arnaud in his Apology for the Catholicks cites his good Friend the Bishop of Castoria M. Pavillon the Bishop of Alet and some others and above all we have the Advice of the H. Virgin to her Indiscreet Votaries which takes away all These abuses But these sorts of writings which are but a few are so far from convincing us that this Idolatry is past that it teaches us the contrary that it is yet in vigor At that very time when that little Book came forth there were those who said That a man might be assur'd of his salvation tho he liv'd in Sin if he did but bear any devotion to the Virgin that God could not damn those who had any external Devotion to the Virgin that Devotion to the Virgin was a sign of Predestination that the virgin brought back her votaries from Hell to give 'em space to repent that a man might be saved without the Love of God if he apply'd himself to our Lady that a man might render all Honours to the Virgin tho he forgot that which was due unto God that the Virgin is more merciful than J. Christ that the Virgin is an Inferior Divinity without whom there can be no access to God that she is the Mediatrix of Mankind and hath a great deal of Merit which she never receiv'd from her Son that she is the Joynt-Redeemer and Saviour of the World with J. Christ that we may appeal from God's Tribunal to hers that she hath an Empire and Kingdom distinct from that of the Father that she may be plac't parallell with her Son that Mercy belongs to her but Justice to Christ that we may apply our selves only to her and neglect her Son that Devotion to the Virgin may be prefer'd to the Love of God and trust in him that we may put our confidence in Images and that a difference is to be made between the several Images of the virgin as to efficacy and vertue and consequently that there must be a difference in our Devotion to ' em If those wicked and abominable Extravagancies are past and forgotten this modern Author was much to blame to give so particular an account of them in order to his charge against them that could be of nouse but to revive ' em But for the fuller conviction that these Impieties are still the Religion of the Papacy we must consider how that Book The Advice of the Virgin c. Was receiv'd viz. as an Heretical Book Father Crasset a famous Jesuite wrote an answer to it he treats the Author in his Preface as one that deserv'd the Inquisition and 't is certain had he been in the hands of the Spanish Inquisitors they would have burnt him as a Lutheran In a word Father Crasset confutes him and establisheth all those Impieties which the other had condemn'd he doth I say establish and confirm 'em one after another proving the truth of 'em and the Piety of the practice of these things supporting his own Opinion by the testimony many hundred Authors which he thinks of great weight and this Book is printed with Approbation and Priviledge and sold publickly throughout all France On the contrary the Book of The Advice c. and other such pieces are disperst very secretly concealing the Authors names and with evident tokens of being dislik't and discountenanc't 'T was not long ago that the Cordeliers of Rheims caus'd this Inscription to be put upon the Frontispiece of their Convent Deo Homini Beato Francisco Utrique Crucifixo To God-man and to S. Francis who were both Crucified Some or other abhorring this Blasphemy wrote against it but was forc't to hide himself under the name of S. Saviour and to print his paper with great Secrecy Few at this day dare openly condemn these extravagances In the mean while it may be said that there are great numbers of Papists in France cur'd of these Follies I grant and believe it and 't is that which makes me hope that Popery will ere long be banisht out of France but it must be observed that those very men who in their hearts it may be condemn those foolish Devotions to the Saints do yet practice 'em to appear Good Catholicks in the eyes of the World. We gave an instance in the late Marshal de Faber who was of all men the least taken with these Fooleries and perfectly despis'd the Roman Religion And yet after his death among his Papers were found Bulis and Letters of Filiation that he had procur'd to have a part in the merits of the Monks we also mention'd the Example of the Arch-Bishop of Rheims one of those who would be thought to be free and disingag'd from the Errors of the vulgar and yet hath caus'd the Confrairies of S. Sebastian to be set up in his Metropolitan City with all kinds of Indulgence annext plenary fuller and most full Lastly we have given the Relation of a matter of Fact which all Paris is witness to and whereof the Narrative hath been printed 'T is the Translation of the Reliques which the Princesse Palatine bequeath'd to the Abbey of S. Germain des Pres. The Ceremony was perform'd by the Arch-Bishop of Paris with all the Impiety and Idolatry that could have been practis'd in an age of the grossest Ignorance Nevertheless this Arch-Bishop of Paris is in all appearance one of the moderate men of the Religion of Mr. Arnaud and the Bishop of Meaux who condemn the Devotions of the Monks To all these Examples I will add another 't is of Father Mascaron as Formerly he was call'd but now Bishop of Agen. A Benedictine Monk named Dom Gabriel Preacht at Duras on the day of our Lady in March 1686. in his sermon he vented all the Impieties and Extravagances wherof we have given some Instances in the foregoing Chapters This made a great noise the new Converts complain'd of it the Bishop was wrote to about it who sends Dom Gabriel the following Letter From Reole 4. Aug. 1686. YEsterday Sir I had a Letter imparted to me which I judged you would be glad to read a copy of the subject of it was this A Benedictine Father of the Convent in this City who preacht the last Lent at Duras made a sermon on the day of our Lady in March wherein he made use of several very bold and extravagant Expressions concerning the veneration due to the H. Virgin in so much that not only New Converts but many of the ancient Catholicks were scandaliz'd at it among others that were offended were the Curate and the First Consul of the City who sent their complaints to this Preacher to have had him repair that fault in his next sermon But as he resus'd to do so every one on either side took
to worship them without Images as they had done for 170 years The same S. Augustin relates the words of Seneca who admired the folly of men who made very abasing representations of their Gods calling by that name lifeless things at which they would be affrighted if they should begin to stir of themselves Common sense made a Pagan speak at this rate and 't is very amazing that the same common sense assisted by divine Revelation should not at this day inspire the Papists with the same sentiments They give a Religious worship to lifeless sensless stones which if they should begin to move and speak would seem much more worthy of worship but in such a case men would fly from them as monsters and tremble at them as prodigious Papists believe as Pagans did that the consecration of Images confers a virtue to them Those Pagans who went the highest in their esteem of Images asserted that by virtue of their consecration they became not Gods but the dwellings of the Gods and that their deities were present with those Images i. e. with a presence of virtue and operation For they did not believe that the very substance of Jupiter was in such a manner fastned to his Image at Rome that he was not at all present with his Images in Greece Now I beseech you what real difference is there between this Opinion and that which the Papists have concerning their Images The Council of Trent declares that it would not have people believe that there is more virtue in one Image than in another But doth this hinder the devout vulgar from thinking otherwise Do they not believe that there is a far greater virtue in the Images of our Lady of Loretto and Montferrat than in those at Paris If not why do they take such long journeys to visit and kiss those Images which are in other Countreys Why do some Images work miracles and others none Why are the Priests who are the Jaylors and Keepers of such Images so wealthy Why are the Chappell 's where those Images are kept so rich and stored with treasure if one Image is not better than another Pagans gave no other worship to their Images than what Papistâ— give theirs The more moderate Papists are continually telling us that their Images have nothing divine in them that they are only meer representations by which they honour the Saints The Pagans said the very same concerning their Images Who saith one of them that is not a fool Celsus apud Origin can imagin that the Statues are Gods and not the Images and representations of the Gods There is not a Papist who dare speak with so much contemt of his Images as Plato spake of the Heathen ones He said that we owe a much greater honour to our Parents than to the Images of the Gods and that the Images having no Souls can do us neither good nor evil There is no Roman-Catholick who builds Chappels to his surviving Father and Mother or burns Incense to them And there is not one who dare say that our Ladies Images that are famous for their miracles are good for nothing and do neither good nor hurt They will indeed confess that the Image doth not work the Miracles But they say that the Virgin works the Miracles at the presence of her Images as God worketh grace in men at the presence of the Sacraments They cannot therefore say that they do neither good nor hurt for then we might say the same of the Sacraments Therefore we must not imagin that the Pagans tho they have not found out the pretty distinctions of Latria and Doulia of absolute and relative adoration did not make a great difference between the worship they gave their Gods and that which they gave their Images If there were among the Pagans some so stupid that they did not distinguish the Image from the Original there are some such among the Papists their own Authors do confess it Otherwise setting aside the sentiments of the heart 't is plain that the external honours that the Papists give their Images are exactly like these that the Pagans gave their Statues This is a point that cannot be contested or needs to be proved But here we ought to observe what we remarqued before Papists more superstitious as to Images than the Pagans concerning the service that is done to the dead that Popery much surpasseth Paganism in the Worship of Images The madness for Images never was so excessive among the Pagans as it is among the Papists 'T was never seen that these did run from one end of the world to the other to adore a forreign Image every one was content with his own Gods. 'T was never seen that Images were surrounded with worshippers who expected miracles from them They had no book Legends of the miracles wrought by their Images 'T is true Isis and Esculapius as they pretended did some miraculous cures But the least Popish Saint hath done more than the greatest Pagan Deities And there is no proportion between the Fabulous Histories of miracles written by Pagans and those written by false Christians 'T is not now I suppose difficult to see a near Conformity between Popery and Paganism as to these five objects of worship 1. The supreme God. 2. Angels 3. Dead persons 4. Reliques And 5. Images We should now have proceeded to show their Conformity as to Ceremonies of worship But the Parallel would be over long because so easily made For we may truly affirm Ceremonies of Popish service borrowed from Paganism that there is nothing in the External worship of Popery that is not an imitation of Paganism Their holy water is come in the room of the Lustrat Waters of the Heathens Their Patron Saints succeed the Pagan Penates and Lares i. e. houshould Gods Their Canonisations the Roman Apotheoses's Their Pope the High-Priests Their Cardinals the Colledges of Augurs Their Priests those of Paganism Their Altars the Pagan Altars Their Lamps always burning the perpetual Fires that were kept in the Temples Their Processions the Pomps of the Circus Their Shrines that which the Heathen call'd the Chariots of the Gods Their Perambulations the Amberales Their Carnaval the Baccanals Their Benedictions and Consecrations that which the Pagans call'd Lustrations Their Purgatory the Subterraneous Mansions whither the Pagans said Souls went down to be purged Is not this a strange Event which falls out to the Confusion of Popery that at Rome and divers other Places the Pagan Idols and Temples have only chang'd their Names without changing their Uses 'T is affirmed that the Image of the Capitoline Jupiter at Rome is changed into that of S. Peter only instead of a Thunderbolt the Keys are put in his hands At Bordeaux formerly an Antique of Jupiter going up to Heaven on an Eagle serv'd on Ascension-day to represent Jesus Christ going up to Heaven The Temples of Heathenish Gods have been consecrated to Saints Those who write
be done as She desired The Angel brought her a Branch of a Palm-tree from Paradise and bid her take care that this Branch be carried upon her Biere at her Burial He likewise gave her Mourning Garments that She might dye in a suitable and becoming Habit according to the Age and wear Mourning for her self Mary desires two things of her Son by the Mediation of the Angel First that She might be buried by all the Apostles Secondly that her Soul might see no Demon when it left her Body The Angel returns and leaves the Branch of Palm-tree which immediately became glittering and glorious every of its leaves shin'd like the Morning-Star The Virgin full of joy assembles the Holy Women together who were wont to visit her and gives them an account of her approaching Death St. Iohn was at this time preaching at Ephesus in the midst of his Sermon a noise of Thunder is heard and a Bright Cloud takes him up and carries him thro the air to the very door of Mary's House He goes in the Virgin and this Apostle embrace one another with abundance of Tears he is informed by Mary that within three days She should dye All the other Apostles arriv'd soon after in the same manner carried thro the Air. They were strangely surprised and astonisht to find themselves in that place St. Iohn unfolds the Mystery they came in they wept sorely and adored the H. Virgin. After a great deal of Worship and much discourse Mary received the Communion recommended her Soul to her Son fell upon her knees and put herself in a posture and preparedness to dye About the third hour of the day i. e. about nine a clock in the forenoon Iesus with the nine Orders of the Angels and the Assembly of the Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs Confessors c. i. e. with all the Court of Heaven came and stood round about his Mother's Bed. He and all the Celestial Company sung a melodious Song which began thus Come mine Elect and I will set Thee upon my Throne c. The Virgin answer'd Behold I come for in the beginning of thy Book it is written of me that I should do thy will O God! And with these words She gave up the Ghost When the Soul was departed the Body spake of it self saying I thank thee Lord that I am thy Glory remember me because I am thy Workmanship and have kept that which thou hast intrusted with me The dead Body which nevertheless could speak became so bright and luminous that the Virgins who washt it tho they might touch it were not able to look upon it When the Body was to be carried to the ground the Apostles made many Complements and Civilities to one another concerning the places of honour in the Ceremony for they were not it seems of the humour of the Monks who at the like meetings do oftentimes quarrel who shall go first so as to knock one another with the Crosier-Staff Peter and Paul carried the Body and Iohn the Palm-branch before the Biere the other Apostles followed As they were marching along in due order and Ceremony Iesus Christ covered with a Cloud with all his Angels overtakes 'em and joyning their Voices to those of the Apostles they sung the Obits in honour of the Virgin with a ravishing Melody and at the same time the whole Air round about was perfumed with a most grateful Odour The furious Iews being enraged at this spectacle thought it a very proper occasion to rid their hands of all the Apostles at once The High Priest with both his hands laid hold on the Biere to stop it but both were immediately wither'd and dryed up and fell off from his Arms at the Wrests the Remainder of the Enemies Troop was struck with Blindness The miserable High Priest of the Iews made a grievous Out-cry for the loss of his two Hands Peter tells him there was no cure for him on any other terms than these that he devoutly kiss the Biere of Mary and immediately turn Christian He did so and was healed presently Peter also gave him one of the Dates that grew on the Branch of Palm therewith to stroke the Eyes of those who were struck with Blindness and by so doing all that numerous Company recovered their sight After this the Convoy of the Virgin 's Body performed their journey without any Let or Molestation even to the Valley of Iehosaphat where they laid the Corps of the Mother of God in a new Sepulcher hewn out of a Rock as that wherein the Body of the Lord Jesus was laid When they had thus interred the Corps they remain by it three days which they spent in prayers At the end of three days a bright cloud encompasseth the Sepulcher Angelical voices are heard round about it and a sweet Odour perfumes the place Iesus descends from heaven salutes the Apostles and speaks to them after this manner Peace be unto you what kind of Honour and Glory think you do I owe to my Mother To which they replied It seems just O Lord to thy Servants that as after having conquered Death thou reignest for ever and ever in like manner that thou raise the Body of thy Mother and cause it to sit down for ever at thy Right-hand Thereupon the Soul of Mary immediately appeared and the Lord Iesus said unto it Arise my Well Beloved left up the Tabernacle of Glory the Vessel of Life Thou art fair my dearly Beloved and there is no Spot in thee as thou hadst no Spot so thy body shall not see Corruption At these words the Body of the Virgin arose and was united again to her Soul and ascended to Heaven with her Son. Behold after what manner the whole business was transacted according to the Relation of Pelbart de Temeswar a sober and grave Author whose Honesty and Credit is canonised afresh by Father Crasset within these eight or ten years So that we have no reason to doubt of his Testimony or suspect his Authority Not but that there are many who do not believe him especially in France but of such we may say that they are not thorough-pac'd Catholicks The Sermon concerning the Assumption of the Virgin was left out of the Service of the day by the Chapter of the Cathedral of Paris Anno 1668. which before that time was wont to be read but by doing so they have not much pleased or edified the devouter Romanists CHAPTER XIX A Continuation of the Romance of the Virgin invented to support the Idolatry of the Papacy ONe would think that the History of any person should be ended when we have traced it to the Grave But it is otherwise in regard of the B. Virgin. She hath done many more considerable things since her Death than ere she did in her Life time So that the continuation of her History if we should be exact and particular in our account of it would be much larger than that which hath already been related of her
who writing in a Country of Liberty styleth it the Pitiful Book of F. Crasset For one man who dareth to censure the Impieties of this Book there are numberless multitudes who canonise it and we see in the Instance of the Bishop of Agen and his carriage towards the Monk who preached at Duras at that rate which we related above how those who disapprove the fabulous Theology of the Monks are notwithstanding obliged to treat them with civility even in the places where they have a Jurisdicton over ' em Are not every day such kind of Books printed even under the Nose of the Bishops And are there not modern Saints which exactly resemble the antient ones Witness St. Mary of the Valleys whose life F. Eude hath written and cryed up her Sanctity Witness Magdelen Vigneron whose life written by F. Bourdin in the year 1678. and approved by the Chancellor of the University of Paris and the gravest Doctors contains all the Follies and impieties of the most fabulous Legends Popery is founded on the Fables of the Legends Lastly 't is replyed that we ought not to stumble the ordinary people with the Lying Histories of Popery because that Religion is not founded on ' em Take away all these will they say and 't will not be less true that men ought to adore the B. Virgin invoke the Saints worship the Cross Images and Holy Reliques because these Services are founded on the Authority of the Church I answer 'T is false that these fabulous Histories are not the Foundation of the false Worship and Idolatries of the Papacy This Spirit of Lying and Superstition begun in the Church exactly at the same time The People could never have been perswaded to worship Ashes and Bones if they had not been perswaded that these Reliques did work Miracles The people had never been brought to these wicked Services that make the Virgin Mary equal to Christ if they had not been disposed to them by the high-sounding Fables concerning the Miracles of her Conception her Birth her Life and her Assumtion The Worship of Saints could never have come to that prodigious excess as it now is without the assistance of Monks of their Legends their Cheats their false Miracles and their Fables So that we may say to these refin'd Papists that which St. Augustin said to the Pagans about Cicero This wise Pagan did himself turn into ridicule the Fables and Theology of the Poets yea accused the Poets that they had made such to be Gods who could not have been reckon'd among honest men if they had been men Many of the Heathens made use of this sentiment and driven to it by the Christians condemn'd their own Theology as foolish and impertinent pretending that their Religion was not founded on it But St. Augustin lets 'em see how weak this Entrenchment was and how Pitiful and false this Excuse was And proves particularly to 'em that all their Services the Mysteries of Ceres of Bacchus and Vesta their solemn Playes and in a manner all their practical Religion were built upon the Poets Fables and referr'd to ' em The case of Popery is the very same at this day the wise Papists reject the Romance of the Virgin Mary but notwithstanding their Devotion towards the Virgin the Festivals of her Conception of her Nativity of her Assumtion are founded on these Fables All the Titles which they bestow on her all the Prayers that they address to her all the Offices that they assign to her refer to her fabulous History CHAP. XXIII The Twelfth Character of Antichristianism that fitteth the Papacy is Cruelty and Shedding of Blood. 'T Is past all doubt that Antichrist must be a furious Beast and Antichristianism a cruel and persecuting Empire This Character is joyn'd with the preceding The two principal Characters of the Devil are a Lyar and a Murtherer our Lord Jesus Christ saith that he was such from the beginning Now seeing Antichristianism is the Master-piece of this Murthering and Lying Spirit it must be stampt with this impression of its Author This was layd down in the Prediction V. 1. And I saw a Beast rising up out of the Sea Apoc. 13. having Seven Heads and Ten Horns c. V. 2. And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his Feet were as the Feet of a Bear and his Mouth as the Mouth of a Lyon. These are three most ravenous and destroying Beasts The Leopard overtakes his Prey with the greatest swiftness the Bear holds it fast and never lets it go the Lyon is the strongest Beast and whose Teeth are most terrible The Mouth of Antichrist is to be the Mouth of a Lyon always dyed red with Blood. V. 7. And it was given to him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them c. V. 15. And he had power to give life to the Image of the Beast and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be kill'd V. 6. And I saw the Woman drunken with the Blood of the Saints Chap 17. and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus V. 24. And in her was found the Blood of Prophets Chap. 18. and of Saints and of all that were slain on the Earth V. 6. For they have shed the Blood of Saints Chap. 16. and Prophets and thou hast given them Blood to drink for they are worthy Behold one of the principal Lineaments of Antichristianism let us see if there be a Kingdom on Earth to which this doth agree better than to the Papacy It is a Lyar like its Father it is a Source of Fables It is not less a Murtherer The Antichristian Idolatry began about the end of the fourth Century and the beginning of the fifth 'T was also exactly at the same time that the Church began to lose the characters of Gentleness Clemency and Patience which are the Characters of the Gospel and turn'd Persecutor She had always been persecuted and had always condemn'd Persecution yet she had contrary to her own principles begun to persecute the Donatists But when Antichristianism which then was only in the bud was come to its full shape 't was then that its Persecuting spirit did fully discover itself I mean in the Wars between the Image-worshippers and the Image-breakers The Image-worshippers opposed the Orders of their Emperors who had a mind to banish this Abomination out of the Church This resistance forced the Emperors to exercise some Severities on the Idolatrous party But when Idolatry had got into power it retaliated its Enemies double The Image-worshippers made all Italy and the rest of the Western Provinces to cast off their Allegiance to the Emperors and in the East they kill'd and massacred all who would not conform to ' em Irene the Mother of Constantin put out the Ey 's of her own Son and after put him to death that she might reign alone Theodora another Empress who made the worship
famous Lights of the Church of England have taught us almost every thing that we know concerning that Subject Bishop Vsher Mr. Mede and Dr. Bedle Bishop of Kilmore whose life Dr. Burnet hath given us an account of and an hundred others such as they will easily carry the day above a thousand late Writers if there be so many We ow'd to King James I. the understanding of the seven Heads of the Beast that it ought to be interpreted by those seven Governments of Rome We need but consult the English Bible printed by the Order and Approbation of Queen Elisabeth with the unanimous consent of the English Church and we shall see with how much exactness clearness and judgment the Church of England in their Notes upon the Apocalypse did find the Papacy in the Beast and the whore mentioned in the Book of the Revelations We are perswaded that their Divines at this day are too wise and intelligent to vary from that Doctrine and Opinion which is now more necessary than ever to preserve their People in a just and due distance from the Roman Religion to which the present Authority would be glad to bring 'em back The END A CONFIRMATION OF THE EXPOSITION Of the XVI CHAPTER Of the REVELATION In the second part of the Accomplishment of the Scripture Prophesies According to which the seven Vials are poured out and the seventh is at present running and drawing towards its end THE publick is not to think it strange that I am somewhat concerned for the interpretation that I have given of the Sixteenth chapter of the Revelation touching the seven Vials and seven Plagues For it is the ground of the hopes I have conceived of a speedy deliverance for the Church Most certainly these seven Vials are seven Periods of time if none of them be yet run out we are still many ages from the end of our calamities I confess then that that opinion is my Idol and whether it be Enthusiasm or not time perhaps will in some measure discover But be as it will I am fully persuaded that God hath inabled me to find out the true meaning of these wonderful Mysteries And that 's the reason I cannot condescend to flatter any man as to that point and such as entertain another opinion ought to give me leave to contradict and confute them far less for my own interest than the common consolation of the Church I have sought out objections against my self have made all those I could think on and in my Judgment I have given solid satisfaction to all the difficulties which I proposed to my self concerning the seven Vials and the seven Plagues And since I have seen the objections that have been started against me I have not found any thing in them so material as what I have objected against my self Perhaps it might not be very necessary to answer the difficulties that have been lately published For all who understand and relish my principles may easily satisfy themselves about the matter Nevertheless I am willing to take some pains to reclame if it be possible those honest people who have strayed into by-paths so wide of the true meaning of our Prophecy The chief of them is a nameless Divine who some months since published a book entituled An Explanation of the Revelation of St. John. In several things he is of the same mind with me as to the future for he interprets as I do the fourteenth chapter where the Vision of the harvest and vintage is of the two parts of the fall of Babylon the first of which was fulfilled in the last age by the preaching of Zwinglius and Luther and the other shall be accomplished about the end of this and the beginning of the next He gives the same explication exactly to the eleventh chapter as I do save that he is far more peremptory in defining the time of the resurrection of the Witnesses For he thinks that the beginning of the three years and a half from their death is to be reckoned from the suppression of the Edict of Nantes which was done in the month of October 1685. According to which he fixes the resurrection of the Witnesses to the year 1689. for my part I dare not affirm that the death of the Witnesses ought to be reckoned precisely from the suppression of the Edict of Nantes though I have inclination enough to be of that mind And therefore it is that I expect also some great thing in the year 1689. But that goes no farther than hope and conjecture and were it not that the place or Street of the great City seems to me to be France as I have expounded it and even in some manner proved it I should be very apprehensive that the death of the two Witnesses were not as yet come because in all appearance the miseries that are to befall the Protestant Religion are not as yet at their height Now it seems that they should be at that height before one begin to count the three years and a half However seeing the place of the great City seems to be France the Witnesses may very well rise again there exactly three years and a half after they have been put to death page 275. of the explanation In short that Anonymous Divine agrees likewise with me in the Hypothesis that the end of the Papacy draws nigh Nay he hastens it on more than I do for I fixt it betwixt the year 1710. and the year 1720. and he fixes it precisely to the year 1705. so that the only place where he differs much from me is that of the Vials pretending that not only those seven Vials are not all poured forth but that they are all still to be poured forth and that none of the seven Plagues hath as yet happened For this he brings some Arguments and then says What hath been now said proves the contrary in a manner that comes near to demonstration I confess I could not forbear being sursprised at the reading of these words They were like to have made me altogether a Pyrrhonist as to the interpretation of Prophesies and to renounce all my pretended evidences For thereby I found how far Authors may be transported with a fancyfull fondness for their own thoughts or the thoughts of others they have adopted These pretended demonstrations will he found for the most part so weak that they hardly deserve the name of difficulties In this point the Author hath followed the thoughts of Mr. de Launay who pretends as he does that none of the Vials are as yet poured out But he ought to perceive that this thought which may consist with the suppositions of Mr. de Launay is wholely inconsistent with his The Hypothesis of Mr. de Launay tends to the delaying the end of the Antichristian Empire till many Ages to come And so he may suppose that these Seven Vials which are so many Periods may have place in future Ages But as for him he puts the end of
of which you have whole heaps in the Legends 'T is to set on foot the Adoration of the V. Mary Invocation of Saints the Worship of Images of Reliques Purgatory and such like stuff Now is it probable that God should work no Miracles to confirm the Divinity of his Son and of his Holy Spirit which fundamental Articles were once cruelly opposed by the Arrians and afterwards should work Miracles without number to confirm some Devotions which 't is granted are not necessary Cheats discovered even in our Age. We might further say to these Devoto's who would have us believe all the stories of Miracles that are read in the Legends that if in so learned an Age as ours and in places where the Priests have so many Eyes to watch 'em they yet have the boldness to counterfeit Miracles they could surely do so in an Age when they acted behind the Curtain i. e. the ignorance and stupidity of the people who took pleasure in such Cheats And here we might relate to them a hundred Cheats of the Monks in the last Age and in the present one We might instance in the very late and famous Miracle of St. Florent very night Saumur where the Wafer appeared in the form of a little Child for the confounding of the Hereticks who had an Academy i. e. the nursery of their Heresy very nigh the place We might entreat 'em to remember that the Bishop of Anger 's after he had approv'd of this Miracle was ashamed of it when the Cheat came to be known We might produce to 'em the Saint of Troye a Nun that liv'd on consecrated Wafers and felt all the torments of the Martyrs when ever the days of their Passions return'd people flockt from all parts of France to see her but she was found out to be a Cheat by the Bishop of the place in the year 1673. what is acted at this day without doubt might be very well acted formerly Lastly we might tell these Gentlemen that in case God were obliged to be so prodigal of Miracles he ought to have laid 'em out in the Indies where men go to convert the Heathens Notwithstanding we do not find that he hath done so or at present doth so 't is true the Jesuites have publisht a vast number of pretended Wonders wrought by Francis Xavier their Apostle But 't is pretty strange that none knew any thing of these Miracles till after Xavier was dead yea that Xavier himself knew nothing of ' em We have his Letters among those written from Japan wherein the relates every thing he did in that Country excepting his Miracles if God had granted him the Gift of Miracles among the rest he ought to have had the Gift of Tongues But we find that he often complains that he could not edify these Indians because he could neither understand them nor make himself understood by them since Francis Xavier a vast number of Missionaries have gone into those Countreys who have not been able to work Miracles tho they would very fain have done so And yet I suppose the design which carrieth 'em thither viz. to plant the Christian Religion among the Indians is at least as important as the design to establish the Orders of S. Francis or of S. Dominick This is what we might say to such as Father Crasset and their Devoto's What is pleaded by the Papists who would not have us believe the stories of the Legends But there is another sort of men who do us a great deal more mischief These are the Luke-warm with respect to Popery your Libertines in the opinion of Father Crasset but as they account themselves Christians of a Finer-spun Religion These are our Converters in France who have had the best success in seducing those wretched Protestants who had a mind to be deceived These have told 'em you ought not to regard what your Ministers cite out of these rascal Legendary Writers sorry Monks Fabulous Authors who have neither wit or judgment This is not the Religion of people of Fashion The Reign of these Fables in expired you are not obliged to believe these impertinent Tales This is a most dangerous Snare which those who have any care of their Souls ought to take heed of For this end they ought to know that this filthy shameful lying History of Legends hath been the Popish Gospel The Legends have been the Popish Gospel for 7. or 8â—0 years for the space of seven or eight hundred years and a Gospel receiv'd with so universala consent that not one man hath been so bold as to question muchless to oppose it The common people sunk into a profound ignorance nourisht their false Piety only with these kind of Fables This already is enough to prove that Popery is Antichristianism for 't is impossible that God should suffer the true Church to sink into so horrid a degeneracy that all the bread they had for their Souls should be only a monstrous heap of ridiculous Fables But further the new Converts ought not to suffer themselves to be deceived this Gospel of the Father of Lyes is at this day in vogue as it was formerly all Italy all Spain have no other Spain and Italy even at this day have no other Gospel but Legends All the devout Clients of the Monks are fed with no other Nourishment The Hero's of the Papacy are the Patrons of these enormities Bellarmin and Baronius both learned men both Cardinals both of great reputation the Possevins the Vasques's the Snares's in a word all that are eminent and considerable in the Papacy do take the part of these fabulous Histories if some few confess that there are some Fables which may be cashier'd this scarce signifieth any thing Have we not an evidence of this in those vast Gollections of the Lives of the Saints begun by the Jesuit Rosweyd and continued by his Successors in that work They are already come to the fourteenth Volum in Folio and other three are every day expected and yet this Martyrology is come hitherto but to the moneth of May so that this Body of Fables will be about forty Volums Vast Volums of Legends printed at this day if the remainder be proportionable And will be the most prodigious work both for matter and bulk that was ever seen since the beginning of the world Ask the Carmelites if they are willing to lose any one of the Priviledges of their Order which were founded on meer Fables Know of the Franciscans and Dominicans if they be in the humour to correct their Annals and blot out those passages which we call Impieties and impure Fables Is it not Father Bouhowrs an Author of great Reputation at this day in France among persons of note who translated the Panegyrick of S. Rose in which we see all the Follies of the old Legends revived Lastly who is the person that hath dar'd openly to oppose and condemn the Book of F. Crasset excepting Mr. Arnaud