that it is not so plain but that 't is necessary it should be Prov'd Now from whence shall we fetch the Proofs of the Churches Infallability I must take them from her own mouth and believe her to be infallible because she tells me so and for that only reason because she saith it This is manifestly absurd for no man's bare word is to be taken in a business wherein he hath a particular Interest to be partial Hath a Turk right to oblige me to believe the Divinity of his Alchoran only because Mahomet hath said that the Angel Gabriel brought him the Alchoran from Heaven Must I then consult Tradition that is the Councils and the Writings of the Fathers this is another plain Absurdity because it is evident that this way cannot be made use of by three Quarters of the number of Christians and more who are ignorant of Greck and Latin and so cannot read the numberless volumns wherein this Tradition is to be found Or must every one believe his Curate or Pastor when he tells him that the Church is infallible This is another Absurdity for this Pastor must be infallible or I cannot build my Faith upon his Testimony He tells me there is an infallibility in the Church but how doth he Prove it which way soever I turn my self I fall into the former inconveniencies for if he saith I must believe it without proof he deals with me like a Brute and not as a Rational Creature If he gives me Tradition for Argument in this case I tell him I know nothing of it if he turns me over to the Church I ask where is this Church If he sends me to the Pope I tell him I cannot go thither and if I could I 'm told he is not Infallible If he send me to a Councill I say there is none now sitting If he send me to the Canons of former Councills I shall answer that I cannot understand 'em and if I could have no assurance that these Canons were really made by such a Councill If he proves that these Canons were not forged but really made by a Councill there remains another difficulty which I cannot get over viz. that several Good Catholicks maintain the fallibility of a Council There is then but one way left to satisfie my self concerning the infallibility of the Church and that is the Testimony of the H. Scriptures But how can any man make use of that according to the Principles of the Roman Church for I shall say that the Scriptures have no Authority without the Church I cannot believe the testimony of the Scripture till I know it to be divine and I cannot know it to be divine but by the testimony of the Church as we are often told The Scripture then hath no Authority as to me without the Testimony of the Church and yet you would have me believe the Infallibility of the Church upon the Testimony of the Scripture you must therefore in the first place convince me that the Church is infallible without dependance on the Scriptures and then I shall believe the divinity of the Scriptures on the Testimony of the Church and after that I may be able to believe the infallibility of the Church on the Testimonies of the Scripture The absurdities of blind obedience If the Church be infallible a blind Obedience is my Duty to obtain this submission to the Church is the reason of asserting her infallibility I must blindly believe all that the Church affirms But till then I am not obliged to credit any thing which the Scripture saith or seems to say for I am not capable to understand the meaning and sense of the Scriptures without the Church so that until the Church hath declar'd that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and equal with the Father I have leave to doubt of it There was a time when the Church had not deliver'd her opinion in this point there was then a time when I was permitted to be an Arrian Photinian or Socinian But on the other hand whenever it shall please the Church to determine that the Ark was of a square figure equal in length and breadth or that Aaron's Sandals were with or without latchets it will be necessary that I must believe this or be damn'd Can any man be unapprehensive of the absurdities of such a Doctrine according to which at one time we may Blaspheme God without the least danger and at another time lie liable to Damnation for the least mistake about that which the Church hath decided to be the Truth These Gentlemen tell us that we must believe without examination all that the Church declares And by the same reason the Heathens were obliged to believe all that their Priests told'um and the Jews to receive all that was taught in their Synagogues No you will say they were false Teachers and so not to be credited very well But the Pagans and Jews say the same concerning my Pastors that they are false Guides And if the Jews and Heathens are bound to examin the truth of what is told them by their Guides why are not Christians obliged to know and examin what is told them by the Church at least they ought to examin the Church it self and her Authority and then we fall into the same Difficulties which were mention'd before After all this if a short and easy way could be found out to convince me that the Church is infallible this were not enough to quiet my mind because I know not where to find this infallible Church I see a multitude of differing Sects in the East and West in Europe and Asia who all say that they are the Church and that all other parties of Christians are guilty of Schism The Latins say this of the Greeks and the Greeks are even with 'em and say the same of the Latins the Protestants charge it on the Papists and the Papists on the Protestants I must know which of all these is in the right and to find out this I am plung'd into an abysse of difficulties and how shall I find my way out or extricate my self for there is no way left but by the Scriptures and that way is forbidden me till I am assured of the Infallibility and Authority of the Church without which I cannot be certain that the Scripture is divine It may possibly be said that I may believe the Divinity of the Scriptures before I know in what Sect of Christians is the Church because the Scripture is receiv'd by all the several Sects It matters not may it be said which of them is the infallible Church since they all bear restimony to the Scripture and there is one among them that is infallible viz. the true Church for her where-ever she be the Scripture hath an infallible testimony But this remedy will serve to little or no purpose because 't is necessary that I should know which of these Sects is the true Church before I can understand the
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
Spouse of Christ always young and beautifull without spot or blemish This is the Language of the Popish Church who calls herself fair beautifull tho it be the most hideous deformed Society that bears the Christian name and calls herself Infallible in the midst of numberless Errors which make a Night of darkness wherein she hides herself IV. 'T is the Enemy of God of his Religion and his H. Word that endeavours not a conformity to the rules he hath given in his Word making to themselves another word of God which they call Tradition which is altogether and directly opposite to the true Word of God. Vnder pretence of making use of the H. Scripture they wretchedly abuse and wrest it Applying Scripture to all their false and foolish Mysteries without either reason or Conscience and by ridiculous and impious applications of Scripture exposing it to the derision of the Profane to the contempt and scorn of Infidels They maim and curtail it and impudently falsifie and pervert it and lest all this be not enough they speak as ill things of it as can be said of any book This Book they say is Imperfect 't is obscure 't is full of snares 't is the source of Heresies it abounds with Contradictions it contains an hundred things whose out side is proper to scandalize the weak it is insufficient one half of it is lost it hath no authority without the Church any more than the History of Titus Livius Lastly the Papacy makes use of the Scripture as if it were its own they abrogate the Laws of God laid down in the Scripture they grant dispensation contrary to those Laws they command that which the H. Scripture forbids and forbid that which it enjoyns and to make it evident that the Papacy is indeed the Enemy of God it always stands upon its guard to resist the force of Scripture defend themselves against the word of God by their Distinctions V. 'T is a Prodigy of Filthiness and Impurity whereas Christianity should be a Miracle of Holiness The Head of that Religion hath discovered such a train of Impieties and disorders that for enormity or continuance the like hath never been seen Some of their Popes have been seen wallowing in the pollutions of the flesh in drunkenness and all manner of filthiness and debauchery not only as to women but even Sodomy and Brutality and the most unnatural Lusts Some of 'em have been Magicians and Sorcerers Some have been seen who were Profane Atheistical without God without Religion bathing themselves in Blood Assassins Poisoners Murderers Traitors and oftentimes putting the whole world in a flame Their Priests and Ministers have been seen plung'd into the same disorders following the Example of their Head and treading in the steps of their Leader Ignorant Impious debaucht neglecting the service of God and intent only on their dishonest gain and fleshly Lusts Their Convents of men and women which they call Retirements from the world and little forts and castles of Holiness these I say have been observed to be as bad as the most infamous places of prostitution for all manner of debauchery Lastly their People also were carried away with this fearfull Torrent of corruption having lost the Spirit and power of Religion and retained nothing of Christianity but the name All this may be seen in the history of former ages VI. 'T is a Prodigy of Pride all whose doctrine Theology and Religion is proud and tends to destroy that Spirit of Humility which is the Spirit of the Gospel Pride discovers it self every where in the Papacy in its actions conduct words outside and inside It speaks loftily and magnificently of it self boasting that she is the only Body of J. Christ the only way to Heaven treating all other Communions as Heretical Sects Schismaticks Reprobates Damned Excommunicate as people that deserve to be condemned to the Fire and to be burnt in both worlds The Head of the Papacy is a monster of Pride who as God sits in the Temple of God who gives out his orders as if they were Oracles who makes himself be plac't upon the Altar and there to be worshipt who makes Kings and Emperors kiss his feet and will be carried on the shoulders of Nobles and great Men who holds the Keys of Hell of death and of Paradise in his hand who pretends to the Right of deposing Kings giving away their Crowns who will have homage paid him by all Christians who will be called God upon Earth his Holiness and the Holy Lord Who saith he is the Sun of the world and that all other Princes are but as the Moon and Stars His Ministers under him are Earthy Princes who will not give place to Soveraigns The meanest of their Priests exalt themselves above all other men and crowned Heads must kneel at their feet in Confession and they magisterially give sentence concerning the Eternal Life or Death of men VII 'T is a Merchandise a Trade of forgery lying covetousness and deceit The Papacy by innumerable unrighteous methods hath gained prodigious wealth not only in money and moveables but in lands not only in Lands but in Cities not only Cities but Provinces not particular Provinces only but whole Kingdoms It hath then pillaged and cheated the world and therfore is the worse of the two and by this means hath acquired extraordinary Riches to maintain and augment their abundance every thing in the Papacy is exposed to sale Offices Benefices Churches Sacraments Sins Adultery Incest Murder Parricide Sodomy Brutality and dispensations for any for every thing Paradise and God himself are to be sold but 't is their unhappiness not to be able to deliver 'em into the possession of the Purchasers VIII 'T is a great and vast Body which hath the Spirit of Impurity and Reprobation as a soul to animate it And these imprue Spirits come forth out of the mouth of the Papacy as so many frogs These unclean Spirits are diffused by the mouth of their Schoolmen who amuse the world with a silly obscure and bold Theology by the mouth of their Canonists who have given the Christian World such rules and laws as are obscene wicked and impure and filled volumes with their decisions of Cases full of absurdities extravagant and contradictory stuft with pride and filthiness of all sorts by the mouth of their Casuists and directers of Conscience who have vended such Morals that Pagans would be ashamed of who make nothing of the vilest Crimes and lay men under no obligation to love God who permit men to kill to steal to eommit adultery fornication and any other wichedness only as inconsiderable Venial Faults by the mouth of their Legendaries who have compiled an heap of frightfull and silthy Fables by the mouth of their Masters of Devotion who direct the People to pay that Honour to Saints and Angels which is due only unto God and speak such things in the praise of the Creature which are
orders and comply with them no farther than they think good If after this we should examin the whole conduct of the Papacy it will appear altogether conformable to that spirit of humane policy whereby the whole body is compounded and all its parts united When any difference in Religion comes to be determin'd provided that the persons whose different Opinions are under examination are favorable to the Court of Rome all their Heresies are but trivial Mistakes but if they are less bigotted for the Pope all their Opinions deserve an Anathema Grace by it self efficacious is sound doctrine in the Jacopins but down-right Heresy in the Jansenists the plain reason is because these latter are enemies to the Pelagianism of the Church of Rome as well as to its Tyranny Because the Protestants are Adversaries to the Pope they must be Hereticks in the Article concerning the Trinity and that of the Incarnation of Christ They must err mortally when they say that Concupiscence is a sin notwithstanding Baptism and the marriage bond is dissolved by Adultery Let us look into the Popish Councils and we shall evidently discover this Spirit of Human Policy there we may see all the Arts and Tricks and Devices that are in use in the World for men to gain what they desire and reach the ends they aim at All the world hath observ'd this in the Council of Trent 't is every where complain'd of and all men consent to the truth of what was said by the Marquis of Lansac the French Ambassador that the Holy-Ghost who was invok't at the opening of that Council came every week from Rome in a Cloak-bag with the post letters It hath often been observ'd that the conduct of that Councill was altogether by the spirit of Worldly Bolicy and had nothing at all of the Character of a Divine spirit and yet those Canons which were forg'd by the Tricks of Humane Policy must be obtruded on us as Divine Decisions from the Spirit of God. In a word if we would see the Politiques of the Roman Church in the source and fountain and upon the Threne we need but go to Rome All the Courts in the World how refined and subtle soever are but meer Blockishness and Stupidity in comparison of that of the Pope Cardinal Pallavicin mentions this to the honour of his Religion pretending that Policy is the Principal of all moral vertues and that the Church ought to be govern'd according to the Politicks of Aristotle and after the Maxims of the Pagan Common-wealths CHAPTER III. The Pretence of Infallibility and eternal Duration The third Character of the Antichristian Kingdom HEre is an Example that will teach us how much we ought to be on our guard with respect to fair Pretences and Appearances that we be not surpriz'd and deceiv'd by ' em Doubtless if there be any strength in any thing of the Papacy it must be in their pretence of Infallibility For nothing can be more specious and glittering than their Arguments about the Necessity of an Infallible Judge upon Earth They have had recourse to this Article as their last refuge for twenty five or thirty years last part There is good reason they should make it an Idol because 't is their Tutelar God and if men could once be brought off from this Chimaera of the Infallibility of the Roman Church she were utterly lost 'T is her only Foundation by the removal whereof she tumbles to the ground But this Principle which appears so comely so useful so necessary is the most Pernicious the most false and the most absurd that was ever alledg'd This makes me say that we ought to stand upon our guard with respect to the fairest Appearances Rome the Eternal and Infallible is the name of Blasphemy of the Beast The first fault I find with this Principle is that it is one of the Characters of the Antichristian Kingdom according to the Prophets When S. John describes it under the image of a Beast he saith that on his heads was writ a name of Blasphemy All the Ancients and moderns ever since S. Jerom hold it for certain that the name of Blasphemy there is that of Rome the Eternal and I cannot question it The City of Rome hath alaways pretended to an endless Duration Virgil makes Eternity to be one part of her Destiny and makes Jupiter say Imperium sine fine dedi Now this is blasphemy because unchangeableness is one of the divine Perfections incommunicable to a Creature All things under the Sun are subject to change Modern Rome is much more guilty of Blaspheray than Rome Pagan was of old Not only doth she say that her Monarchy shall never cease shall not be destroyed untill three years and an half before the end of the world but declares that her faith can never be changed that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it So that now more than ever doth Rome carry the name of Blasphemy on its fore-head Rome the Eternal This is that which is afterwards exprest by those words of S. John And there was given him a Mouth Rev. c. 13. v. 5. speaking great things and Blasphemies For those great things can be nothing else than the great Encomiums and glorious Titles she gives her self of being the Queen of all other Churches the seat of Infallibility the Eternal Temple of the H. Ghost the Fountain of Oracles the Infallible Interpreter of the H. Scripture the Judge of the Prophets and Apostles the soveraign Decider of all Controversies who makes and discovers the Authority of the sacred Writings without whom they deserve no credit All these great things which she speaks of herself what are they but so many Blasphemies against God for none can ascribe that to themselves which belongs only to God without Blasphemy Rev. c. 18. v. 7. But this Character of Antichristianism doth most plainly appear in those words of the Apostle She hath glorified herself and lived deliciously she saith in her heart I sit as a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow 'T is Babylon who speaks thus or the H. Ghost who introduceth Babylon thus boasting of her self She hath glorified her self This the Church of Rome doth by assuming to her self the most glorious Titles that can be given to a Society she hath said in her heart I am Queen the Mistress of the world the Chair of the Vniverse the Metropolis of the Catholick Church God hath establisht me to be an Head unto all Christians He hath intrusted his own Power in my Hands the happiness or misery the good or evill Destiny of Mankind is at my dispose I shall never be a Widow the Holy spirit whose spouse I am will never abandon me he will love me forever and continually guide me in the Way of Truth and be with me to the end of the world I shall never see Sorrow or Mourning I shall never fall into Error or know what it is to dye I shall allways
rejoyee in my own Light and Glory and of my Kingdom there shall be no end This is the stile of Rome of Mystical Babylon let us then discern the true Babylon in the language of Rome and hear the voice of Rome in the stile of Babylon The second fault to be found with this pretence of Infallibility and eternal Duration is the multitude of gross Absurdities contained in it which we are here to lay open Absurdities contain'd in the doctrine of Infallibility First 't is supposed without any show of Reason that God hath divided the Infallibility necessary to salvation into two parts and cut off one half of it There are two ways which lead to Heaven Faith and Charity sound Belief and Good Works First an Infallibility in matters of Faith and not of Charity 'T is in vain to pretend to be infallible in the one if without being so in the other a man may perish and fall short of Heaven The Church of Rome hath not the Impudence to say she is infallible in the point of Charity and yet she would be thought so in matters of Faith. But on what foundation doth she build this Pretence Where do we read that God hath divided Faith from Charity as if the latter were less necessary than the former as if men might be saved who sinn'd against the Laws of Charity but might not be so if they offended against the Rules of Faith As if these two ways were not equally certain to guide us to eternal Life as if God might dispense with Crimes against Charity but could not bear with Errors against the Truth All or nothing both or neither The Church must be infallible in both or it is so in neither Whence comes this extravagant Division why dae not the Roman Church pretend to be infallible in Charity as well as Faith but because she is convinc't of an abominable Defection and Disorder in Manners and Practice but ought she not to be equally convinc't that she is fallen into Error because she worships Images An Error in the Faith every whit as palpable and notorious as the Sodomies of the Popes is against Charity Infallibility in points of Right and not in matters of Fact is ridiculous Another division of Infallibility is with respect to matters of Fact and those of Right The Church of Rome dares not pretend to the former but challengeth the latter at this rate she will not be infallible in the most important Articles All the Christian Religion is founded on matters of Fact. 'T is a question of Fact to know whether Jesus Christ be risen from the Dead whether the Apostles wrought any true Miracles whether there have been any Prophets and inspired writers who were the penmen of such and such books or not 'T is concerning a matter of Fact to enquire whether such a Proposition be recorded in the H. Scriptures or not If the Church of Rome be not infallible in matters of Fact in general she cannot be so in these and if she may err in matters of Fact wherein lies her Infallibility Lastly there is yet another division of Infallibility viz. as to Discipline and Doctrines The Roman Church pretends not to Infallibility concerning the latter What is that Discipline wherein she saith she is infallible 'T is in every thing that concerns the Government of the Church The Roman Hierarchy the constituting of a Pope to be the Head of the Church is a point of Government she may err concerning that which is a Principal point and why then may she not err in other matters The seat of this Infallibility connot be found This Infallibility is no less absurd if we consider the subject of it in whom it resides Where and in whom is this Infallibility plac't they know not what reply to make If it be said in the Pope we can produce an hundred Popish Witnesses who depose the contrary and maintain that the Popes may err We can produce with them numberless Instances wherein several Popes have actually err'd we can bring undeniable proofs to manifest that neither the Scripture nor the ancient Christian Church did ever imagine the Bishops of Rome or any other Bishop to have been infallible One part of the Romanists assert that this Infallibility is seated in the Councills We confute this Party with the reasons of the other for those Gentlemen are Infallible when they confute one another but speak nothing to the purpose when they go about to establish their own opinion for when they oppose one another they argue for the Truth but when they endeavor to prove their own Opinion concerning the seat of Infallibility they maintain a falshood So that the Pope is not Infallible neither the Councills their infallibility then is no where for if it be said it is in the Pope and a Councill united together we shall make use of their Arguments who say it is not in the Pope and their Reasons who deny it is in a Councill and will therupon argue that if it be not in either separated it is not in both when joyn'd together for both united are the same they were in the time of their separation they act by the same spirit make use of the same Tricks to deceive the same Injustice and Violence as when considered severally We know not where to stop as to the point of Infallibility Infallibility then is foolish and absurd whether we consider the subject about which it is imploy'd or the subject in whom it is thought to reside But let us view it a little in the general notion of it and in the general term of the Church which they make use of The Church is Infallible they say but how shall I be assured of this for should the Church be never so Infallible if I know it not and have no way to ascertain my self about it it can be of no use to me Is it a Principle so self-evident as needs no other proof to manifest and evince it Is it as plain that the Church is Infallible as that two and two make four or that the whole is greater than a part That is an Absurdity too gross and palpable to be affirm'd by any Romanist 'T is so far from being evident that the Church is infallible that on the contrary we must proceed against all appearances of reason to believe it For we see the Church of Rome doth judge by humane methods debate contest urge sollicit equivovate and deceive and imploy all the arts of Human Craft and Policy to overcome such or such an Opinion We see her oftentimes to change her sentiments and say that at one time which she did not and would not at another we see her contradict the H. Scriptures forbid that which is there commanded and command that which is there forbidden at least she seems to do so This appearance of opposing the H. Scripture will at least refute the evidence of her Infallibility and tell us
true sense of Scripture one sect interpreting it one way and another sect in a different manner So that I cannot be discharg'd from the obligation to inquire after the true Church among the many differing Sects and to search for it in some way different and independant from that of the Scripture Upon all that I have said I would make these two Reflections First that this pretence of Infallibility on the one hand is the character of Mystical Babylon who boasts of her being alway Queen and that she shall never see sorrow on the other hand that 't is full of Absurdities and Inconsistencies Secondly that this Antichristian false and inconsistent Principle according to the Church of Rome is the great fundamental Principle of Christianity I wish men would reason a little upon these two Reflections in some such manner as this If God hath bestowed on the Church the priviledge of Infallibility 't is one of the best and greatest advantages that can be 't is the Basis of Christianity now it is not plain or probable that God should give for the ground of his Religion such a principle loaded with so many difficulties on the one hand and on the other containing a pretention which the Scripture speaks nothing of save in the mouth of the false Prophet and Antichrist This pretended Infallibility should have been as clear as a Sun upon an high Mountain to give light to all the Faithful at the greatest distance But instead of being so 't is an ocean of impassible Darkness The wisdom of God would not have suffer'd such a Truth to be clog'd with so many absurdities which being the principal and foundation of all others ought to have been the clearest and discernable by the most Ignorant It must not be said that 't is the fate of the Christian Articles to show great Depths and Mysteries in the difficulties which attend 'em and produce the Articles of the Trinity and Incarnation for Examples For we must carefully distinguish those Truths which we are to believe from the Principle for the sake whereof we ought to believe ' um It is not necessary that the Truths we are to believe should be disintangl'd from Difficulties 't is sufficient if the Authority or Testimony on which we give credit to 'um be not obscure or at least have sufficient light to manifest it self to a free and unprejudic'd mind Such is the H. Scripture whose Divinity and true Meaning are visible to all those whose eyes are inlighten'd by the Grace of God. Whereas this Principle of the Infallibility of the Church is visible to none but such whose eyes are shut by their own Prejudices CHAPTER IV. The fourth Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Roman Church is the manner of their dealing with the H. Scriptures the common Rule of all Christians WHile we are on the subject of Blasphemy 13 Exception part 2. chap. 5. which is the proper Character of the Antichristian Beast who carries written on its Heads the Name of Blasphemy and to whom is given a mouth speaking great things and Blasphemies we must go on to show after what manner she treats the H. Scriptures Her carriage in this respect is an exact accomplishment of what was foretold concerning her And she shall open her mouth in Blasphemies Revel 13. v. 6. even to Blaspheme against God and his Tabernacle and those who dwell in Heaven This pretence of Perpetuity and Infallibility which she bears on her forehead is the name of Blasphemy that is writ on the head of the Beast But the manner after which she vilifies and annuls the H. Scripture is in words full of Blasphemy 1. Against God for the H. Ghost who inspired those sacred Writings is infinitely affronted and provoked by it 2. Against his Tabernacle for this H. Scripture is the Dwelling-place of God and his H. Spirit the Ark from whence he speaks between the Cherubims the Temple whence he gives forth his Oracles 3. And against those who dwell in Heaven for the Blessed Prophets and H. Apostles who were the Organs of the H. Spirit are greatly affronted by her treating their Writings after such a manner This Antichristian proceeding of the Papacy against the H. Scripture may be reduc't to three Articles 1. Their Contempt and neglect of the Scripture 2. Their Abuse and ill use of it 3. The out-rage they commit against it by False Accusations for Popery neglects and slights the word of God and hath no esteem or value for it They miserably abuse and wrest it and lastly they accuse it of many faults Popery endeavours to avoid any conformity to the H. Scripture I say then in the first place that 't is the true Character of Antichrist to take no care to comply with the Rule of Christianity Every Religion hath its proper Books the Jews have Moses and the Prophets for theirs the Mahumetans have their Alchoran and the Pagans had their sacred Books and Rituals and accounted it their duty to be exactly Conformable to ' em If the Jews should rebuild a Temple and therein practise such Customs and Ceremonies as had no agreement at all with the Law of Moses we might with justice tell 'em you are not of the Religion that you profess for your Worship and Doctrines have no agreement with the Religion prescribed in Your Law. If among the several sects into which the Mahumetans are divided there should be any that pretending to receive the Alchoran should yet have nothing like it but altogether depart from it would it not be evident that such a Sect were not of the Religion of Mahomet Ought we not to argue after the same manner against the Papacy You call your selves Christians let us see how you prove it if you say true you ought to have some conformity with the sacred Books receiv'd by all Christians But if there be no kind of Conformity and Agreement between your Doctrines your Worship your Religion and that of J. Christ you are certainly Christians only in name but in Truth and reality are Antichristian Now I dare assert that there is no kind of Conformity between Popery and the Laws of J. Christ which to me is an undoubted Character of Antichristianism Paganism 't is true hath no agreement with the Rule of Christians and the Law of Christ but it doth not pretend to have any and therefore cannot be charged with Antichristianism But for men to call themselves Christians and yet neglect the Laws of Christ and have no agreement with the Christian Rule this is to be Antichristian For the Antichristian Church is a false Church an Harlot who pretends to be the Spouse of Christ who saith I am no Widow and shall never see sorrow Therefore to confirm this Character there needs nothing more than to prove that Popery hath no agreement with the H. Scriptures In the Roman Religion Popery must be distinguisht from Christianity To prove that their Religion is
there exercise his Soveraign Authority over the Church and by cousequence that the Bishops of Rome are his Successors By what arguments is that proved to be certain will the Turk reply By Tradition must the Papist answer Common sense will advise the Turk to rejoyn we have lost the Subject and mistake the Case the Question was concerning an agreement with your Written Law and you carry me off to Vnwritten Tradition to prove your Title 'T is quite another Question wherein I perceive you are not of one mind viz. whether the points of your Religion must be decided by Tradition But be that determined how it will you must needs acknowledg upon the matter of fact that there is nothing in your Written Law to prove it The Invocation of Saints and the Adoration of Images and Relicks c. not proved by Scripture The Object of Worship and religious Adoration is a matter of the highest moment in Religion if any thing can be so and I am bold to affirm that any man must have lost Common sense and be delivered over to a reprobate mind who can say that this Article must be tried by Tradition and not by Scripture If then Popery would manifest it self to be Christianity they must show that the objects of their Worship are to be found in the H. Scripture and can be proved from thence They adore God the Father Son and H. Ghost but that is not Popery but Christianity This doth not distinguish Papists from other Christians in the point of Adoration But the Sacrament of the Altar the H. Virgin Saints and Angels Images and Relicks which they worship and invoke and bow themselves before this is that which they ought to justifie from the H. Scriptures Now how can any have the impudence to assert that the Worship of these is to be found in the Scripture to prove that the Sacrament of the Eucharist or Christ in the Sacrament ought to be worshipt they produce neither precept nor Example but those words This is my Body which they think proves all but indeed nothing 'T is Enough they say that we know the Body of Christ is there it will follow clearly that we must adore it If it were enough to declare the subject to teach us what Honour we ought to pay to it why did not the Father content himself to say of J. Christ This is my Son why did he add and let all the Angels of God worship him kiss the Son and pay him Homage Those Appearances of Bread that to us seem to be Creatures in the Sacrament and in reallity are so do forbid us to adore a Subject wherin a Creature is so sensible that Stumbling-block at least should have been removed by an express Command saying worship this as by an express command it is said Eat ye all of it The Religious Invocation of the Virgin and of the Saints takes up more room in the Popish worship than the Invocation of the true God. There are an hundred Chappell 's which bear the names of Saints to one that is consecrated unto God. Where-ever we go we see nothing but Devotions and Altars to the B. Virgin and the Saints Pilgrimages are undertaken to serve and invoke'em Miracles are expected from them great Deliverances wrought by their means and Thanks-givings accordingly return'd to ' em Their Churches resound with Letanies and Ora pro nobis's much more than with Hallelujah's In every prayer to God the Saints must make a part for they add the Merits and Intercessions of the Saints and pray to God to have regard to 'em and for their sakes to show Mercy the Images of those Saints are expos'd to the Adoration of the People in their Churches and even upon their Altars yea 't is not enough to have them in their Temples but they are plac't in the Streets and and in the most publick places There they worship 'em kneel before 'em and carry 'em in Triumph offer Incense to 'em and pay them all sort of divine honour Should an Heathen or an Indian be told that there is not one word to this purpose in the Law of Christians they could not believe it and would reckon it prodigious and unaccountable This is nevertheless true and to manifest that it is so we need but look over the Proofs brought from Scripture by the Papists to support this Idolatrous Worship For Example David saith Let us kneel before the Lord and worship before his Foot-stool Abraham and Lot bowed down before the Angels who appeared to 'em in the form of Men and they took them to be such The false Prophet Balaam kneel'd down before the Angel That reprobate Prince Saul bowed himself down before the appearance or shadow of Samuel Bellarmin lib. 1. cap. 13. de Ecclesitriumph call'd up by the Witch of Endor and Ahab at the feet of Elijah Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon at the feet of Daniel Jacob in blessing the Children of Joseph said The Angel who hath preserv'd me from all Evil bless the Lads Eliphaz saith unto Job Is there any that can answer thee and to which of the Saints upon Earth wilt thou turn thy self Moses saith Remember Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And Daniel prays for the continuance of Mercy to Israel because of Abraham whom he loved These are the proofs for the Invocation of Saints and such as these that they kneeled before the Ark upon which were the two Cherubims that they kneeled before the Serpent of Brass that God said to Moses The place where thou standest is holy Ground S. Paul writing to Timothy saith the Scripture is holy thou hast learnt the Holy Scriptures Moreover he saith that the first day of the week is holy therfore Images are holy and we may kneel before them These are the Texts which are brought to prove the Invocation of Saints and the worship of Images Doth not this very much resemble that worship of the Virgin wherin she is called the Redeemer of Mankind the Queen of Heaven the Gate of Paradise the Morning-star the Goddess of Christians and the Salvation of the Living and the dead wherin she is prayed to to give Grace to grant Pardon to Bind and Loose to Save to Heal to Protect to Deliver from Death from Hell and the power of the Devil wherin they build Temples to the honour of Saints consecrate Altars to 'em and sacrifice the body of J. Christ to their Honour place their Images upon Altars offer incense to 'em worship them and expect Miracles from them and render them all sort of Homage and Adoration Is it not a strange and horrible blindness that should make men call this a Proof of such Worship Is it not rather to proclaim that they despise the H. Scripture and care not for any conformity to it It would be too large to instance in all the Doctrines and Worship of the Roman Church and shew that they have no agreement with the Scripture let any man but consider
most Holy Virgin Mary the Mother of God almost every thing which is in the H. Bible In prosecuting this design the Virgin Mary must be found in the first word of the Bible By the Heavens which God created in the beginning we must understand the Empyreal Heaven i. e. the Lady of the World the V. Mary When God said Let there be Light the meaning is Let Mary be begotten and born Every thing that is Great and Singular in the Antient History is Mary She is the Altar which Noah built to God after the Deluge the Holocaust in which God will smell a sweet savour is the Prayers of the same Virgin the Virgin is the Bow in the heavens of which 't is said when I bring a cloud over the Earth the bow shall be seen She is the mystical Ladder which Jacob saw in a Dream for by her the Son of God descends to us and by her we ascend to him she is the Gate thro which we enter into the Kingdom of God 't was of the Virgin that Jacob spoke when he said how dreadful is this place 't is the House of God the Gate of Heaven The Jewish Tabernacle and all its parts did respect the Virgin. She is the Ark of the Covenant that is gone into Heaven before us to prepare us a place there She is the Mercy-seat of pure Gold because she was sanctifyed above others in her Mothers womb She is also the Altar of Burnt-offerings because she is the Reconciler and hath taken this Office at her going into Heaven We may judge of the whole piece by these small shreds A thousand and a thousand Copies have been taken from these two famous Originals the antient Preachers of the Roman Church adorned their discourses with these excellent flowers For example in Solomons Song they found a large field for these profane applications There the H. Spirit in a mysterious manner sets forth the Wonders of the Union between J. Christ and his Church by the Emblems of a Bridegoom and a Spouse These profane wretches apply all this to the Virgin as if the Mysteries of our Redemption and Union with J. Christ were verifyed and fulfill'd in her And to give greater authority to all these shameless applications they were brought even into the Hymnes of the Roman Church In them they say to the Virgin Tu quoe furentem Leviathan serpentem tortuosumque c. Thou bruisest under thy feet the furious Leviathan and the crooked Serpent an Elogy which the Oracle in Genesis gives to the Blessed Seed i. e. to J. Christ Another hymn speaks thus to her Scala Jacob ora pro nobis Jacobs Ladder pray for us Nor is less done to the other Saints every one of 'em hath his proper Votaries especially the modern Saints are much more feasted and caressed than the old The book of the Conformities between S. Francis and J. Christ is full of these Abominations That Author will have that God had his eye on S. Francis when he Created the first man. For to him those words ought to be applyed Let us make man in our Image after our Likeness and let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea and over the Fowl c. There are none who have been so extravagant in abusing the H. Scripture as the Preachers of the Papacy For they have adopted all these profanations and over and above have peculiar ones of their own 'T was their profession to make the Scripture ridiculous and absurd by impertinent Expositions by expressions fit for the Stage and by the language of a Farce which they still used in all their discourses If any should dare to deny this we have at this day enough to convince the incredulous in the Sermons of Menot of Maillard of Barelette V. Exceptions from which we have made considerable citations and the consulting them will be useful to let us see the Character of Popery Tho their Preachers are not so sottishly extravagant in this age yet 't is certain that the same Character is to be discern'd in those who are newly come out of the Convent and have not convers'd with the world The Writers of Controversy Scripture abused by Controversial writers ought to be much more exact and circumspect in the using of the H. Scripture Preachers and those who write Books of Devotion have some Priviledge in this matter and may take some liberty in their Applications of Scripture provided that these applications are sutable to bring the soul unto God. But when we alledge Scripture as an evidence to decide a Controversy we must keep close to the true Intent of the H. Spirit Nevertheless one would pity and blush for the Controversial writers of the Church of Rome who boldly abuse and wrest the Scripture to prove their Doctrines We have ground already to say that all the proofs she brings from Scripture are real Abuses of it And what we have discoursed above to prove that the Papacy is not in the least sollicitous to have a conformity to the Rule of Christians might be repeated here But besides those abuses which the Papists are forced to employ otherwise they must in plain terms grant that the Scripture is not their Friend besides those I say we may find others which they could have spared Are not the words of Christ to S. Peter Thrust out a little from the land Panigarola and Launch out into the deep an excellent proof that S. Peter was first to erect his Episcopal Seat at Antioch and afterward to erect the Popes See and the Soveraign Tribunal of the Church in the City of Rome Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thy enemies Behold an express Text to prove the same thing viz. that Rome is to be the Metropolis of the Church the Queen of the world Christ saith to Peter Bozius Follow thou me i. e. Go and place thy Seat and that of my Kingdom at Rome Behold I lay in Ston for a foundation a tryed stone a pretious Corner stone i. e. I will establish the Pope to be the Lieutenant of God and the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth Bellarmin There is one Lord i. e. The Pope is the only Soveraign of the world Where two or three are gatherd together in my name Panigarola there I will be in the midst of them i. e. The Pope alone hath Authority to call general Councils Bellarmin Let a man so account of us as stewards of the mysteries of God i. e. There is a Treasure of Indulgences in the Popes keeping which he may dispense as he pleaseth Verily I say unto you Eckius this generation shal not pass away till all these things be fulfilld This signifieth that there shall be a constant succession of Bishops in the Roman Church Loose him and let him go did Christ say concerning Lazarus And this denotes that
Favoriti against the plea of the Procureur General concerning the affair of Charonne He hath prest the matter home in that point and made it evident that they themselves do acknowledg and grant this Authority in the Pope to dispense contrary to the Canons of the Church and even contrary to the laws of God because in France all the Benefices they injoy in Commendam are possess'd by vertue of the Popes dispensation and that marriages with near kindred which are as common in France as in other places are not contracted but by a dispensation from Rome which would otherwise be down-right whoredom and incest We must then conclude that Popery is Antichristianism in this respect as well as others and that by her words and actions she Blasphemes against God and against his Law. CHAPTER VII The fifth Character of Antichristianism that is found in Popery The extreme Corruption of its Head and Members First in their Popes THe Papacy is wont to accommodate her Divinity to her Interest in some instances however she forgets her self for Example when Holiness is made one of the signs of the true Church There is some equivocation in this mark of the Church because the Devil of Hypocrisie doth frequently assume the external Characters of an Angel of Light. Nevertheless at the bottom this is a truth that there is no true Holiness but in the Church and in whatsoever assembly or Society of men this is found I acknowledg it to be a true Church But withall it must be granted that where-ever the greater Corruption is to be met with that Society of all others is the Antichristian Church for this is one of its proper Characters she is called Sodom on this very account and represented as a dissolute strumpet sitting in a publick place to prostitute her self for money to all Comers presenting a cup full of the wine of her fornications to make men drunk with her unlawfull pleasures 'T is in this respect that spiritual Babylon is describ'd in the 18 Revel as a great City wherin every thing may be had that may foment and entertain those criminal delights 'T is on this account that her head is called the Man of Sin the son of Perdition or a lost son that is one sunk into debauchery who gives up himself to all manner of licentiousness This is no doubtfull or uncertain Character 't is granted on all hands that the Antichristian Kingdom must be such as is exceedingly corrupt in manners the only thing to be considered is whether we can find such a Corruption of manners in the Papacy as answers the Idea of what the H. Spirit hath foretold should be found in the Antichristian Kingdom if the Roman Church be pure Christianity her Head who is the Bishop of Rome will be eminent for Holiness Let us then begin the consideration of the Corruption of the Papacy by that of its head In order of nature the Head must be considered before the Members We begin this subject with a Maxim of those Gentlemen Exception 6. part 1. cap. 16 17 18. with whom we had so much ado for twelve or fifteen years past I mean the Writers of Port Royal. 'T is the wisdom of God Legal Exceptions against the Calvinists Chap. 3. say they in their Legal exceptions not only to fill the sermons and discourses of the Gospell with light and force to convince those who will attend to 'em but to give them likewise some external qualities which may engage men to hearken to 'em and oblige the unprejudic't to judge that 't is at least very unjust to reject them without a hearing It would be they add a very strange alliance which our New Reformers must suppose between so strange a privation of the gifts of Grace and so great an abundance of Light. Which is so contrary to what we know of the order of Providence and the divine Conduct that to believe it we must renounce all the Ideas which our reason faith and hope do give us These Gentlemen argue very variously according to their different Interests formerly they have told us that they who are the Guides of Jerusalem are oftentimes no other than the Citizens of Babylon Nevertheless I 'le admit their principle and I believe it a good one but I demand how they can have the face to make use of that Reflection against us which is one of the strongest we can imploy against them If that be true which we have just now mention'd to be written by the Divines of Port Royal how is it possible they can look upon that Church to be a true one whose Head is stigmatized with the most Infamous Characters of Vice that can any where be parallell'd How can they regard the Chair of Rome as the supreme Tribunal of the true Church since for above a thousand years we have seen those who have sat there instead of the spirit of J. Christ and the Gospel to have been acted by meer Humane policy and a boundless Ambition and guilty of the most abominable Crimes and infernal Practices no better than those of Nero and Heliogabulus 'T is there that we must suppose a very monstrous alliance between so strange a privation of the Gifts of Grace and such an abundance of Light. Is it not a prodigy that Vertue should be as rare in that Seat as Vice ought to be and that of all those who have sat on the several Thrones of Christian Europe there have been no Princes who had less of the Spirit of Christianity than the Popes This Prejudice and Exception against Popery seems very strong the pretention in matter of Right is very clear the Question will be concerning the matter of Fact and that will manifest the Truth This I shall do after having made these two Reflections To the Pope's being Antichrist 't is not necessary that every Pope be Impious and debanchâ— The first is this that we are not obliged to find that spirit which is directly opposite to the Spirit of Christianity in all the Popes who have sat at Rome from the time where we six the Rise of Antichrist We place it about the middle of the 5th Century since that time it will be said there have been some good Popes It will not be very easy to find any considerable number of 'em but supposing that there have been some good ones we say that Antichristianism is not a Monster that is born all in one day It is to speak properly that Corruption of Christianity now all sorts of Corruptions do advance by degrees The Spirit of Christianity did gradually abandon the Popes as they forsook the Truth and rose to Tyranny as long as they preserved any thing of the purity of worship God did not permit his H. Spirit absolutely to leave ' em But when Idolatry came to its height when the abomination was set up in the Sanctuary which came to pass when Images prevail'd then the Spirit of the Devil took
is the Sun and that the Emperor is but the Moon who hath all his authority from the Pope who gives him the Empire and that in the interregnum between the death of one Emperor and the Election of another the whole soveraign power comes into the Popes hands That Kings are only the doggs of his flock but the Pope is the only shepherd That he hath all Lawes in the cabinet of his breast that he is the Cause of Causes that he keepeth the keys of Heaven and hell that he hath authority to command the Angels that he is the Infallible Judge of the whole Church that none can be saved but in communion with him that the Old and New Testaments ought not to be received but because the H. Pope hath so pronounced that he can change the natures of things and make something out of nothing that his power is greater than that of all the Saints and that the Pope is the only Bishop and the rest are but his subdeligates and have no power but from him that Emperors and Kings ought to adore his Pontifical Crown and his Diadem that all Kingdoms are tributary to him and that he may constrain all the Commonwealths of the world to pay him Tribute that he is the stomach of the Church and consequently it belongs to him to distribute nourishment i. e. riches and wealth to the whole body But what perhaps these pretentions are vain and without effect Quite the contrary For the Pope took the actuall possession of all those pretended Rights Proud actions of the Popes as far as he was able Divers Popes have deposed Emperors and Kings They took away the Empire from Henry IV. Frederick I. and Frederick II. they depriv'd several Families of the Kingdom of Naples and bestow'd it on others Innocent III. gave the Kingdom of England to Philip August King of France After that he assum'd it to himself and made King John pay him homage for it as his Tributary and Vassal Alexander VI. gave the West-Indies to the Kings of Spain by the title of a Kingdom Julius II. took away Navarre from its lawfull Soveraings to bestow it on the Spaniards The Popes have setled Imposts and Taxes throughout all their Dominions and appointed Receivers to Collect the money They have forc'd the Greatest Monarchs actually to kiss their feet they have trod upon the necks of Princes and kickt their crowns from off their heads assoon as they had put them on and made 'em hold the Stirrup while they got on horseback they have obliged them to come and ask pardon on their knees in the habit of Penitents stript of all their royal Robes they have sent swords to Princes to let them know that they have all their power and authority from them they have pronounc't Anathema's against all who would not obey them and declar'd them to be Accursed of what rank quality or condition soever they be who should refuse obedience They have appear'd in publick with a magnificence and pomp that was rather divine than Royal they make the H. Sacrament which is their God to be carried in a less honorable place and manner than they themselves It is carried upon an Hackney while the Popes are born upon mens shoulders of whom the Emperor is to be one if he be at Rome at the time of the great Ceremony They actually grant dispensations contrary to the laws of God in Oaths and in the forbidden degrees of Marriage They exalt themselves above their own Saints who are their Gods for they canonize'em and decree them to have the honour of Altars and Incense whenever they please They open the Gates of Purgatory to fetch Souls from thence whenere they have a mind to do so They give Indulgences for Sodomy and Buggery for the murder of Parents and for Incest with a mother or sister Could God himself do more There is not a tittle of all this but is notorious matter of fact known and acknowledg'd ledg'd or sufficiently proved by undeniable Instances in our History of Popery and Legal Exceptions Is it possible that the eyes of mankind should continue shut as to these things was there ever any picture more like the original How can it be that we should not confess that this is he who should oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God and worshipt and should carry himself as if he were God Is not this to exalt himself above the true God to dispense with his laws to assume to himself the adoration and worship that belongs to God to call himself his vicar and vicegerent without any authority or Commission to do so and take to himself the name of a God upon Earth Is it not to exalt himself above all that is called God to advance himself above all those who are called Gods and the sons of the most High above the Kings of the Earth who bear the Image of God Is it not to exalt himself against that which is worshipt to take place of the H. Sacrament of the Altar which they adore as God to prefer himself before Glorified Saints and Angells to whom they build Temples and confer upon 'em divine Honour Lastly is it not to act as if he were God to pretend to be Infallible which God alone is to require that men should worship him and kiss his feet to rule over the Kings of the Earth to depose them at pleasure and set up others to exact tribute from the whole Church and stile himself the chief Shepherd and only Bishop of Souls The vanity of the popish Excuses for all this Pride Shall we always be put off with this pittifull reply that these are only proud pretences of some Popes and that we are not to judge of their true Authority by such attempts as the wisest and best men among the Papists do at this day condemn that these are only particular Opinions of some in the Roman Church who with the Prot. Ministers abuse the people to make the Holy See odious to the People Prudence is an admirable thing and so is the blindness of the Gallican Church and of the present Clergy of France to facilitate the return of the Protestants to the Church of Rome they deprive the Pope of his soveraign power they delare that he is not Infallible that he is not above the universal Church but the Church is superior to the Pope that he hath no authority to depose Princes or to dispense with the oaths of allegiance and fidelity in subjects upon any pretence whatever no not in the case of Religion But what do they do by all this they declare the Pope to be a Monster of Pride who doth arrogantly ascribe to himself a soveraign Power which doth no way belong to him and that all the bold attempts he hath made to dethrone Emperors and depose Kings and cause so many thousands to be murder'd to preserve himself in this authority are enormous crimes villanies and Injustice
Babylon do insultingly ask us Where were those who denyed to adore the Eucharist or pray to Saints and that we should name those hidden Believers We take our turn to ask them shew us those honest people who did not partake in these Monkish superstitions as you call them Shew us those true Catholicks who worshipped God in all purity and who prayed to Saints only to place them in the number of those who pray to God. In the publick Hymns compos'd by Popes we find instances of Idolatry But behold two or three Evidences sufficient to stop the mouthes of these Gentlemen the Advocates of Popery whose deformities they conceal with so much cunning The First is That in their publick Hymns authorised by the Church publickly sung printed in their Missials and Hours we find these same Superstitions which they own to be Excesses and we call Blasphemies and Idolatries Have they not sung in one of the Hymns of the Roman Church monstra te esse matrem shew yourself to be his mother i.e. command your Son with the Authority of a Mother Did ever any private Author say anything more horrid than this that a Creature should in a way of Authority command its Creator Are there not these words in an antient Hymn positus in medio quo me vertam nescio which are spoken by a Devotionist plac'd between Jesus Christ and the Virgin and knoweth not which of them to prefer They were not therefore meer private persons who were guilty of these Excesses Our second Evidence is this that these Blasphemies have come out of the Mouthes of the Popes themselves of Popes I say who are the Mouth of Jesus Christ and who cannot err as 't was universally supposed in those times Was it not Pope Innocent III. who composed that Hymn in which these words are found Precor te Regina Coeli habeas me excusatum nam peccavi tibi soli i. e. I beseech Thee O Queen of Heaven to forgive me for 't is against Thee only I have sinn'd Is not this to put the Virgin in the place of God the great Lawgiver and soveraign Our third Proof is this that the Authors of this extravagant Devotion whose worship is full of Blasphemy have yet been canoniz'd One of these Saints is Cardinal Bonaventure another is Antonine Arch-Bishop of Florence There are others as St. Bernardin St. Anselme c. Did the Church at that time look upon these men with the same eye as Mr. Arnaud now doth would he increase the number of Saints by the names of those whom he stiles Wretched Authors and Pittiful Fellows such as Father Crasset and other sorry Iesuites A fourth Argument we may fetch from their Expurgatory Indexes If these Monkish Superstitions have been lookt upon as extravagant and excessive ever since the Council of Trent why are they not condemn'd why are they not raz'd out of their Writings why are not the Books forbidden wherefore do we not find them in some Index of forbidden Books and there have been many such printed at Rome and in Spain within an hundred and fifty years On the Contrary These Authors have been in vogue and as much esteem'd as formerly these Idolatrous Saints have kept their place in the Calender and their Statues been continued in Churches their Worship in the Roman service and their Festivals in the days of the year After this they must be very impudent to tell us that these excessive and extravagant Devotions were not the general Religion of the Roman Church for seven or eight hundred years This Extravagant Devotion which thus borders upon Idolatry doth yet continue As to that which these Gentlemen tell us that this is a thing past and gone and ought not to be jmputed to the present Roman Church because they are not now guilty but have reformed and brought back the Invocation of Saints to what it ought to be To this I say divers things may be answered First that granting the truth of this it would nevertheless be true that the Church of Rome hath been Idolatrous for seven or eight hundred years and this were enough to justifie our Charge of Idolatry against her and to prove the Character of the Kingdom of Antichrist belongs to the Papacy But I say further that this Assertion implies a much greater Impudence than the former Excuse for the darkness we are under as to former times might serve for a pretence in the denial of a matter of Fact concerning those times but all shame must be lost in those that will contest a present Truth and affirm that which our senses will evidence to be false whereof we may every day see the contrary What ought we then to judge of our modern Converters who so confidently assure their now Converts that all that was excessive in the Worship of Saints is now corrected and amended Is there any one thing abated of what we Charge them with do they not every day sing in their Churches those blasphemous Hymns against God and against the B. Virgin that we accuse 'em of wherin they call her The Tree of Life the Well of Living Water the Ocean of Graces the Light of the Church the Light of Hearts the Buckler of Mankind the Refuge of Mortals the Queen of Angells the Princess of Seraphims the Ark of the Covenant the Holy Altar the Repairer of all that Adam spoil'd the Judge of Quick and Dead Was there any thing worse than this ever said by the Bonaventure's Albertus's Antonine's Biel's c If the Virgin be the Light of the Living and of the Dead who inlightens every man that comes into the world if she be the Altar of our Propitiation the Asylom to which all men must have recourse if she hath restor'd all that Adam lost what remains for Jesus Christ to do and what could be said more of himself Is this past and gone doth it not still continue Is it not dayly sung in the Hymns and Letanies of the Virgin what Authority reduc'd the Church to the Truth in the point of the Invocation and Worship of Saints It may be the Council of Trent but have not the greatest part of these extravagant Authors we have quoted liv'd since the Council of Trent The Author of the signs of Predestination the Stellarium Binnet Salmeron Salazar Costerus Vasquez Father Suffren Carolus Scribanius and an hundred others who have liv'd in our age have they abated any thing on the contrary have they not out-done their Predecessors so far is the Idolatrous worship of the Virgin diminisht that within an hundred years it is very much augmented The opinion of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin was once a Probleme a disputable point but in our times the Monks have almost made it an Article of Faith. No man durst preach or write against it and since that time the votaries of the Virgin have kept no measures Kingdoms are put under her Protection and every Individual takes her for his Patroness
of the Antiquities of Rome confess it The Pantheon is now the Church of the V. Mary surnamed the Rotunde Twelve Idol Temples are reckon'd that have the same Honour i. e. to be consecrated to the Virgin. The Primitive Christians did so abhor Paganism that they would not for any thing in the world have celebrated their Mysteries in Pagan Temples But Popery which came in afterwards makes use of any thing of the Pagans their Temples their Images their Ceremonies I know not how any one can look on this Conformity otherwise than a certain Character of Antichristianism CHAPTER XVIII The Eleventh Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy a Spirit of Lying and Fables Falsehoods to sustain the Authority of the Pope A short account of the Romance of the V. Mary The Antichristian spirit must be a spirit of Lying and Fables ALL Heresies and false Religions in general have the Father of Lyes for their Author But yet 't is certain that there are some Sects that are distinguisht by this and have a Spirit of Lying for their Character 'T is plain by Scripture predictions that this was to be the Spirit of Antichristianism This is signified by those V. 13. Three unclean Spirits Apoc. 16. that come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth These Spirits of Devils are those Lying Spirits who by Fables and false Miracles deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth 'T is of the same Spirit of Lying and Imposture that this Prophecy speaks V. 13. And he doth great Wonders Cap. 13. so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men V. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by means of those Miracles These Wonders are Lying Miracles Delusions Impostures or Fables This is also predicted by St. Paul in his 2. Epist to the Thessalonians V. 9. Whose coming viz. of the Mystery of Iniquity is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders But above all this is the Character that the same Apostle expresly giveth the cursed Authors of the Antichristian Apostacy telling us that the Worship of Demons and Spirits as Mediators was to be set on foot by V. 2. Men 1 Tim. 4. speaking Lyes in Hypocrisy having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron The true Spirit of Popery is lying Fables and Imposture and consequently it is Antichristianism Let none wonder that we detain the Reader longer than usual on his Point For there is not a more sensible and palpable evidence that the Papacy oweth its Original to the Devil than this All false Religions have their fabulous Stories Paganism had its Fables corrupted Judaism had theirs But all the Fables of all the false Religions put together do not come near those of Popery either for number or horridness And those who will not see its Falsehood and Vanity by this prospect will never discern it by any other I promise once again that I do not call Popery that which remains of Christianity in the Roman Church for instance the Divinity of Christ his Resurrection his Redemtion and Judging the World c. Popery works no Miracles but to confirm its Superstitions These grand Truths are supported by Miracles and Wonders which were wrought by the Apostles and by Apostolical Persons The Papacy is not at all concern'd to support the Christian Truth by their Lying Miracles it takes little or no eare to preserve any part of it Or rather God hath not permitted that his holy Mystery should be disparaged by fabulous Evidences and Impostures of the Devil But the Papacy not being able to work true and real Wonders to confirm their Doctrines hath framed most horrid Relations fill'd with Lyes and ridiculous Fables to support the Popes Supremacy and Empire the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of the Virgin the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence the Adoration of the Eucharist and of Images We must with some exactness view some Instances of these Lying Histories that we may understand the spirit of Popery Fables invented to set up the Popes Supremacy One of its principal Articles is the Authority of the Pope his Infallibility his unlimitted power his Succession to the Apostelship and Supremacy of St. Peter These things must be found in Tradition for Scripture saith nothing of them And to find them there they must be put into it for they were not there neither To put them into it for want of History they must weave together a heap of Fables Therefore in the first place they must without any proof suppose that St. Peter after he had been seven years Bishop of Antioch came and made himself Bishop of Rome and that he sat there five and twenty years that he was crucifyed with his head downward and at his death appointed a Successor to whom he bequeath'd a full Authority over the Vniversal Church This Successor of St. Peter left his and this third another so that in a continued Succession until this day the Popes of Rome have always been Soveraigns of the Church Umpires of all differences Judges without appeal of all Controversies and Liege Lords of all the Kings of the Earth but all this is founded on meer Fables Fables concerning the abode and actions of St. Peter at Rome First The Journey and Death of St. Peter at Rome are not very certain 'T is true antient Authors have said so But it doth not in the least agree with the History of the Acts of the Apostles or with the Chronology of St. Paul's Epistles That Apostle made two Journeys to Rome where he was twice a Prisoner In his second Imprisonment they will have him suffer Martyrdom with St. Peter 'T is very surprising and astonishing that the Apostle who in his Epistles written at Rome mentioneth so many persons of a mean quality should say nothing of St. Peter The Mystery of Iniquity began to work in Saint Paul's time this Journey and Martyrdom of St. Peter at Rome whether true or false was to be the principal foundation of the vain pretences of this Counterfeit Monarch of the Church 'T is not improbable that this Spirit of Lying which sowed the first seeds of Antichristianism persuaded the Antients of the second Century that S. Peter had appointed the Bishop of Rome to be his Successor tho this was plainly false For St. Peter had the charge of the Jews and of the Church of the Circumcision Now the Jews were very inconsiderable at Rome where they had no more respect than those Fortune-tellers whom we call Gypsies have among us The greatest and most considerable part of the Jews were about Babylon and 't is there that St. Peter dates his first Epistle As to the pretended Episcopacy of St. Peter at Rome which lasted five and twenty years
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
us by the Titles of the Beast the City and the Empire by which 't is represented to us V. 5. And there was given to him a mouth Rev. 13. â— speaking great things and Blasphemies and power was given to him forty and two moneths i. e. twelve hundred and sixty years to reign and have Authority in V. 7. She hath glorifyed herself Chap. 18. and lived deliciously She saith in her heart I sit a Queen and shall see no sorrow The Church must be meaâ— and afflicted On the contrary every Body knoweth the Holy Scripture represents the true Church as a Society that must be persecuted afflicted under the Yoke and under oppression until the end of the sixth Period The faithful Witnesses must prophecy clothed in Sackcloth during the 1260 years of Antichrists Reign The Woman which had brought forth the Man-child must be hid in the Wilderness for the space of three Prophetick years and a half Let us now see to whom this Character of a long and constant prosperity belongs It doth not to the Christian Church of the three first Centuries for she was always in flames and blood It doth not belong to the Church of the fourth and fifth which kept as yet some purity for in those Ages the Church was cruelly persecuted by the Arrians and other Hereticks But as soon as the Church of Rome began to be corrupt and became Antichristian she began to have rest If she was opposed by some she did in conclusion rid herself of 'em she hath kill'd burn't and dispatch't those who had a mind to oppose her Doctrines and her Tyranny And she had the most desirable success until the last Age when the fatal ruin of the Papacy began Yea even after the Wound that she got a hundred and fifty years ago she is so recovered and hath got such strength that she was scarce ever more glorious She hath subdued new Kingdoms instead of those that were taken from her She hath persecuted at her old rate and always overcome she hath made others bear the Cross but hath boâ—n none herself Is this the Character of Christianity or of Antichristianism I ' le make the Bishop of Meaux Judge in the case Let us hear him speak The Bishop of Meaux confesseth that the Cross is inseparable from the Church The most peculiar Law of the Gospel saith he is the command of bearing the Cross The Cross is the true evidence of Faith the true foundation of Hope the perfect resining of Charity in one word the way to Heaven Jesus Christ dyed on the Cross he bore his Cross all his life On these terms he biddeth us follow him He makes this the price of Eternal Life The first to whom he particularly promised the Rest of the next World is a Companion of his Cross This day saith he to him thou shalt be with me in Paradise As soon as he was hung on the Cross the Vail that conceal'd the Sanctuary was rent in two from the top to the bottom and Heaven was opened to holy Souls 'T was presently after the enduring of the Cross that he appeared to his Apostles glorious and a Conqueror of Death to let 'em know that himself must enter into glory by the Cross and that he had told his Children of no other way thither Thus in the person of J. Christ was set before the world the Idea of acomplete Virtue that hath nothing and expects nothing upon earth which men require only with continual persecutions which â—easâ—th not to do 'em good and draweth on itself the last and worst punishments by its own benefits Jesus Christ dyeth not finding gratitude in these whom he had obliged nor fidelity in his Friends nor equity in his Judges His innocence tho it was confessed did not save him yea his Father in whom alone he had put all his trust withdraweth all the tokens of his Protection The just one is given up to his enemies and dyeth forsaken of God and men c. The wisest of the Philosophers searching after the Idea of Virtue concluded that of all wicked men he is the worst who can so conceal his wickedness as to pass for an honest man and by this means enjoys all the credit that virtue can bestow And on the other hand he is without doubt the most vertuous whose virtue by its perfection draweth on him the jealousy of all men so that he hath none to befriend him besides his own Conscience and seeth himself exposed to all sorts of injuries and even to the death of the Cross whilest his virtue cannot do him the small kindness of exemting him from such a punishment Is it not probable that God inspired the mind of this Philosopher with this marvellous Idea of Virtue intending to give an instance of it in the person of his Son and to let us know that the Righteous man hath another Glory another Rest and another Happiness than that which can be had on earth Behold how his heart speaks when he is not on his guard against the Calvinists when he frameth his Idea's from Reason Gospel and Experience It must be granted that these Reflexions would a little better fit the mouth of a persecuted Protestant than that of a person who liveth at the greatest ease in a persecuting Court. However I stand to the Decision of the Bishop of Meaux That the most peculiar Law of the Gospel is that of bearing the Cross But let 'em shew me what Cross the Church of Rome hath born from the time that she hath made material Crosses of Wood Stone and Metal the objects of Worship Where are her Martyrs where are her Persecutions Is it not a prodigy that for these seven or eight hundred years past she lives at the greatest ease always victorious Or if she hath endured any shakings her own restlesness Ambition Covetousness and Cruelty have caused ' em If she will have the honour of bearing the Cross and of reckoning the Persecutions that she hath suffer'd she must bring into her account the troubles she hath endured from the Emperors of Germany the oppositions they have made to her grandeur the bounds they endeavour'd to set to her pride the Arms they were forced to take up for repressing her insolencies I know of no other sufferings that the Papacy hath endured Indeed you shall hear Cardinal Baronius and his fellows tell us very seriously that the Emperors the Henries the Fredericks the Lewis's of Bavaria were cruel Persecutors of the Church and that under them the Church was miserably afflicted because sometimes they undertook to chastise the Ambition of the Popes 'T is true if they make Martyrs of all those who dyed in the Wars against those Emperors and of all the Guelfes who were slain by the faction of the Gibellines they will not want Confessors and Confession But I doubt whether they of Monfr de Meaux's principles do like these Martyrs and believe that the destiny of the Church
and Christian Emperors Therefore he began so early to see in Rome Christian the Apocalyptick Harlot the impure Babylon which maketh the Kings of the Earth drunk with her Cup of her fornications Yea he saw further for he knew that the time of Antichrist's appearing was at hand He speaks admirably of this thing The Roman Empire was cruelly torn by the Incursions of Barbarous Nations Notwithstanding it remain'd intire as yet but St. Jerom seeing its approaching ruin saith But to what purpose am I so concern'd Ad Gâ—rontiam I am pleading for the Marchandise of a Ship that is wrack't He who did hinder is removed and yet we do not perceive that Antichrist is at hand But where was he to sit Read saith he the Revelation and what is said there Paula Eustaâ—h ad Marcellam of the Woman cloathed in purple which hath writ in her forehead Names of Blasphemy of the seven Mountains of the great Waters and consider the song which is there concerning the Fall of Babylon Come out of Babylon my people c. 'T is true the H. Church is there but the Pride the grandeur the power c. which are in that City agree not with the life and retirement of Monks In other places he granteth that Rome is the whore that hath written on her Forehead a Name of Blasphemy Ad. Algasiam quaest 21. viz. Eternal Rome and that Antichrist ought to sit there as soon as the Roman Empire shall be destroyed Yea he goeth so far as to observe that Antichrist must sit in the Church Gâ—â—â—â—â—â— I found out that Antichrist was to be Head of the Priests Gregory I. Bishop of Rome about the year 600. was in a very great rage at John Bishop of Constantinople who assumed the Title of Oecomenical Bishop which none had done before and he writes about this matter as one inspired He saith that ' lis a name of Blasphemy plainly alluding to that Name that Antichrist in the Apocalypse was to have on his Forehead He goeth further and saith What signifieth this Pride out of which he exalts himself Iâ— â—4 〈◊〉 24 but that the time of Antichrist is at hand And writing to the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioch he saith to 'em You see clearly Fâ—â—â— â—â— my dearest Brethren who is now ready to follow since such pernitious beginnings are already to be seen in the Priests He is even as the door of whom 't is written that he is the King of all the Children of pride This is a definition of Antichrist 't is he whom he meaneth and whom he pointeth at as ready to appear In another place he speaks more plainly All things that were fore-told I pist 38. are come to pass the King of Pride is at hand and what I scarce dare to say they prepare for him an Army of Priests It seemeth as if these words were spoken by inspiration Antichristianism was at hand it must be in the Church yea in the Priests an Army of Priests must support it This is very much to be said by a Pope and who himself was in Antichrists Seat. 'T was impossible that a Pope should see more especially in the sixth Century when the Tyranny was not arrived to that heighth which it did a little while after For after Gregory I. the Antichristian tyranny swell'd at a strange rate and like a torrent did overflow the whole Christian world Accordingly the Antichristianism of the Bishop of Rome was soon perceived In the ninth Century In the ninth Age two Bishops prove that the Pope is Antichrist Gauthier Bishop of Collen and Tetgand Bishop of Triers being perhaps fpr a just cause deposed by Nicholas I. but against the forms of Law because the Bishops of Italy had no power over those of Gaule they perceived a character of Antichrist in this attempt who was to sit in the Temple of God as if he was God. They complain to himself in these expressions Aventin annal Boior lib. 4. You call yourself Father but you act as Jupiter and as God Professing to be the Servant of Servants you will be Lord of Lords According to our Masters Orders you ought to carry yourself as the least Minister of the Church but you give way to a desire of Ruling and believe that your will hath no other Rule but itself Therefore we and our Collegues do not regard your petty Edicts we know not your voyce we fear not your Thundrings and Thunderbolts c. The Holy Spirit is the Founder of all the Churches in whatever part of the world they are The City of our God of which we are Citizens is larger than the City that is called Babylon by the Prophets which usurps the Divinity equals itself to Heaven and boasts to be Eternal as if She was God and was fill'd with immortal Wisdom She falsly glorieth that She never err'd nor can err 'T is hard to make a more exact and close application of Antichristianism to the Church of Rome And this passage is remarkable in that we find in it one of the most antient claims of Infallibility made by the Roman Church But at the same time we see how this Chimaera was treated in the nineth Century The Council of Rheims in the tenth Age finds Antâ—christ in the Pope In the tenth Century the See of Rome was fill'd with the greatest villains in the world so that its Antichristianism became more sensible A whole Council of French Bishops met at Rheims in the year 991. spoke home to this point by the mouth of one of their principal Members Arnulph Bishop of Orleance O deplorable State of Rome Concil Rheim annâ— 991. Ap. Centuriat Cent. 10. which in our Fathers dayes did shine so bright and now is nothing but darkness which is dismal in this world and will be so in that to come c. What think you Reverend Fathers what think you concerning this Man who sits on a high Throne glittering with Gold and Purple if he wants Charity and is only puff'd up with knowledg He is Antichrist who sits in the Temple of God and acts as if he were God. But if He hath neither Charity nor Knowledg He is like a Statue or Idol in the Temple of God to consult him is to speak to an Idol Thus a whole Council speaks whose Acts were preserved by a Pope i. e. Gerbert then Bishop of Rheims and was Pope afterward by the name of Sylvester II. The Popish Compilors of the Councils had no mind to insert this They wisht that it was quitâ— lost but in spite of 'em we have it still intire After Gregory VII Antichrist was discernd in the Pope If the corruption of the Popes was somewhat less in the eleventh Century and if this did somewhat obscure the character of Antichristianism in the Roman Church to recompence for this their Tyranny did infinitely increase and fully open'd mens ey 's as to this point Men