the Texts they bring for the proof of their fable of Purgatory Worship in an Vnknown Tongue Pilgrimages and a thousand other things There is nothing evident if this be not viz. that Popery hath no agreement at all with the H. Scripture But that this may be more apparent and manifest to all the World let me make these two Reflections and let the Reader therin follow me Christianity and Popery consider'd in the gross are directly contradictory First By a Comparison of the whole Scripture and all that we find there with the whole body of Popery by thus comparing it in the gross we shall see on the one hand the pompous show of the Roman Religion her High Priest seated on a stately Throne with his three Crowns calling himself the Supreme Judge of the Church a Vice-God the Leiutenant of J. Christ the King of Kings Magnificent Temples Altars Images and Worshippers who bow down before Wood and Stone Altars on which men offer Sacrifice with all the Equipage of those Religions which do most abound in Ceremonies Priests who are clothed in Mystical Habits who perform a thousand Actions that savour of Pride and are said to be full of Mysteries Spiritual Judges sitting in Chairs of Confession with Penitents at their feet repeating all their Crimes and craving Absolution A Worship wherein creatures are joyn'd in the Praises of the Creator over which especially they have drawn the vail of an unknown Language that the People and Fools may admire the more what they do not understand Processions wherin they carry either the Sacrament of the Altar or Reliques where several fraternities march in State and great Pomp where we see all the world bow down to the Earth and kiss the Dust in honour of the Ashes of some one deceased or of a Rag which they call the Girdle or Shift of the Virgin or her Slipper On the other hand let us cast our eyes upon the New Testament and observe the Simplicity of worship which is enjoyn'd there viz. Prayers that are the most plain and unadorned which have God alone for their Object The breaking a little piece of Bread in Honour and for the Remembrance of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ The sprinkling a little Water upon an Infant who is to be admitted into the society of Christians The publishing of the Mysteries of the Gospel with the greatest plainness and in such a manner as may be profitable to all If any seeth something else besides this in the New Testament he will do us a kindness to tell us of it And if this doth in the least resemble the magnificent and pompous Worship of Popery he will oblige us by letting us know it We ought not therefore only to compare the particular Doctrines and Services of Popery with particular passages of Scripture but 't is useful to make this Comparison between the whole body and mass of Popery and the whole body of true Christianity For these objects placed one against another make the deeper impression and more sensibly discover the prodigious difference between Popery and the Common Rule of Christians The Papacy is always on the defensive against the Scriptures The second Reflection which I would have made upon this subject respects the manner how the Church of Rome defends herself against the Accusation which we have now brought against her We accuse her for want of conformity in any measure unto that Rule which is common to us both The natural Method of justifying herself would be to take this sacred Rule and apply it to her Religion to evidence their Agreement Indeed the Papacy pretends a willingness to try this Method But it makes itself ridiculous in a most palpable manner when it attempts to find its Doctrines and Services in the Scriptures as we have even now proved Accordingly it stayeth not here its strength lyes in weakning all those Testimonies of the Holy Writings by which we overthrow its Superstitions Idolatries and Errors You alwayes find it on its guard always on the defensive against the Scripture alwayes wrestling alwayes winding alwayes fighting in retreat always entrenching it self in a bulwark which is called Tradition If you object against it the express Law which forbids the making of Images and bowing down to them it distinguisheth between an Idol and an Image between the Images of false Gods and those of Saints If you attaque it with the often repeated Commandment of serving none besides God it saves it self in the mists which come forth from the pits of Superstition and Barbarity I mean the distinctions of Doulia Latria and Hyperdoulia If you charge it with the impudent wickedness of robbing the Laity of the use of the Cup against the express Command Drink ye all of it it retreats to the monstrous terms of Transubstantiation and Concomitance If you produce express passages of Scripture which say that Jesus Christ was sacrificed and dyed but once it distinguisheth between the Vnbloody and the Bloody Sacrifice If you prove that Christ hath fully satisfyed for our sins it distinguisheth between Eternal and Temporal Punishments If you undenyably make it out by Scripture that there is but one Head of the Church they run to a distinction between a Ministerial and Principal Head. If you show them that the forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats are characters of the Doctrines of Devils according to S. Paul they distinguish between an Abstinence which proceeds from aversion out of an Opinion that some Meats are unclean and an Abstinence out of a mere design to mortify ones self If you bring them plain Texts which say in express terms that divine Worship is not to be performed in an Vnknown Tongue they wrest them by saying that we must distinguish between Holy and Profane Languages In a word go quite thro Popery observe its combats you will see it every where defending itself by distinguishing and warding off the Rule of Christianity which attaques it If ever there was a Character of Antichristianism this is one Antichristian and Antiscriptural have a very great agreement There is no Sect which deserves the second Title more than the Papacy therefore it is the former If the Papacy only had the misfortune of not finding Supports in the Scriptures and that we could find nothing in them to bring against it we should stand almost on equal terms with it and ought to seek some other Judge But the Roman Religion finds nothing in the Scriptures to support itself nay it finds a thousand things to ruin and destroy it This is the reason why it treats the Scriptures as an Enemy whose Assaults it every where meets and every where feels its blows But 't will be objected Are we not obliged to answer the Heriticks who abuse the Holy Scriptures against the Truth Must we not on such occasions distinguish and explain the Rule To this I reply that we are obliged to answer But we are not constrain'd
plain Blasphemies against the Creator by the mouth of their Missionarics and Preachers who preach to the people a Ridiculous and profane Gospel made up of impertinent Fables and absurd stories most unbecoming expressions and vile comparisons foolish and unworthy subjects and the whole accompanied with trifling and Mimical gestures with an air suited to a Farce or Comedy rather than a Sermon IX 'T is a prodigious heap of Superstitions which are criminal and Idolatrous in the plainest and most simple use of 'em but in their Abuse are the most extravagant Idolatry that can be named according to which the most proper Divine Adoration is given to a Creature making the Virgin to be the Queen of Heaven and of the rest of the World the Salvation of mankind the Redeemer of the World the distributer of all saving Grace the Goddess the Divinity of Men and Angels the Completion and Perfection of the Trinity and so in proportion to all the other Saints Male and Female X. 'T is real Paganism reviv'd wherein besides the great God of Heaven and Earth the Great Jupiter most good and most great they worship innumerable inferior and subordinate Deities A Queen of the World Spirits separated from matter Mediators between God and Men good Demons and Genius's who perserve and take care of men and watch over ' em They likewise worship as the ancient Pagans did the Souls of dead men they build Temples and consecrate Altars to 'em and offer Sacrisices to their Honour they put themselves under their protection they establish them to be Patrons of Kingdoms and Cities and Families and particulier Persons insomuch that Juda had as many Gods as Towns. In this new Paganism they worship the Reliques of the Dead their Bones their Askes their Garments their Shirts their Shoes and their old Rags They worship also Images and Pictures as the ancient Pagans did And this worship is such in all the parts of it as besides its agreement with Heathenism is not at all Spiritual or Rational made up of Ceremonies that are carnal corporal and vain apish and foolish postures signs of the Cross Holy and lustral Waters Temples and Altars adorn'd with magnificence and pomp grimaces and wry faces and gesticulations of a Priest round about the Altar turning about now to the right hand and then to the left sometimes speaking and then on a sudden silent now thundering with a loud voice and presently after muttering somewhat between his teeth one while reading another while speaking without Book and always saying that which is not understood by the common People This is the goodly worship of Popery and must pass for Divine service tho without spirituality or reason XI 'T is a Religion animated throughout by a spirit of Lying and founded and supported by Fabâ—es Their Invocation of Saints Adoration of the Virgin Purgatory Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of the Sacrament and all their other Superstitions are built upon a fabulous Gospel but framed by a spirit of Lying so gross and palpable that the least measure of sincerity would be enough to make a man blush and be asham'd of 'em They are meer Romances and stuft with Ribaldry and Filthiness The Romance of the Virgin is more ridiculous than that of S. Rose The Lives of their Saints do paint'em out as a Company of Fools Fanaticks and Bedlams with a vast multitude of frightful Miracles the number whereof is sufficient of it self to contradict the truth and overthrow the Authority of 'em But for the most part they are such as are mean and trifling sottish and ridiculous unworthy of the Grandeur and Majesty of God Miracles wrought on purpose to prove the Holiness of some little Monk that after his decease Temples may be built in honour of his memory and he may be worshipt as a God or to introduce and encourage the worship of a piece of Bread of Wood or of Stone and none of 'em to promote the worship of God. XII 'T is a cruel Master who hath teeth of steel and nailes of Diamant that tears and devours what he can and treads under foot the remainder He establishes his Kingdom under the name of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ with Fire and Sword destroying all that stoops not to him overturning Cities and Kingdoms making whole Provinces to be so many burying places and large Cities to be ruinous heaps inflaming Europe with Wars and destroying Germany and Italy by that means arming the Father against the Son and Children against their Parents Subjects against their Prince and Princes against their Subjects causing the most horrible Massacres and covering the Earth with Human Blood. He erects Gibbets prepares Scaffolds kindles Fires to hang behead and burn those that resist him and not content to take away their lives would destroy their Honour and Reputation likewise by imputing such opinions to 'em as they abhor making them to pass for the Enemies of God and of the Saints charging them as Hereticks Arrians Photinians Mamenees and as believing the most horrible Doctrines accusing them of Incests and Promiscuous Impurities in their night meetings to worship God putting on them the Skins of Bears and wild Beasts and exposing them to publick Execution in the view of the multitude as the worst of men XIII Lastly 't is a cruel Tyrant which for many Ages hath enjoyed a profound Peace and the utmost of temporal Felicity without any interruption save by the troubles it hath given unto others and the cruel Wars it hath raised against the Innocent If at any time it hath met with any check or opposition it hath given a great deal more to the peace of others for at length it hath subdued and overcome all its Enemies and by violence stopt the mouth of all its Adversaries The Emperors after long and cruel commotions have at last stoopt to the feet of this Tyrant Insomuch that this Strumpet glories in her victories saying This is Babylon the great that I have built by the greatness of my power and who can resist the force of it She hath brought all Opposers under the yoke and peaceably enjoyed her richess and rapines her pleasures and her Crimes She hath said to her Soul Eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years She had added to these riches from time to time and the Soul of this wicked Miscreant is not yet required of her so that She hath enjoyed all the fruits of her Iniquities without seeing sorrow and all the desires of her Eyes without knowing Trouble Behold the true Picture of the Papacy if any think it is more deformed and more horrid than it ought to be represented let him but have patience till he hath perused this Book and he shall find all these Characters made good by Historical proofs against which nothing that is solid and reasonable can be objected I have here performed that which I long ago promised viz. to give an Extract or Abridgment of my Book
the first Empire in whose place it comes This being notorious and confess'd 't is not necessary to insist larger upon it At present we must see how this is found in the Papacy in which Religion Church and State are mingled and hid one under another 'T would be needless to prove that it is a Religion and a Church this is acknowledged this is pretended this is boasted so that we have nothing else to prove but that the Papacy is a mere Civil State or Monarchy hid under the appearance of a spiritual one The Popish Monarchy hath its Metropolis and Senate In every Civil State or Empire there is first a Metropolis which is the seat of the Prince the Residence of the Senate and from which all Lawes and Orders are sent abroad The Papacy hath such a one it hath its Metropolis and the Wicked Spirit who hath founded this Monarchy chose out a City of great Reputation to be the seat of it I mean Rome which all nations of the world during many Ages had been accustomed to look on as their Mistresse which made it less difficult to pay respect to it as the Royal Seat of this second Monarchy The Imperial Dignity which had alwayes placed its seat in this City proved a Basis to erect this sacerdotal soveraignity upon The Bishops of Rome having had the honour to be considered as the Principal Bishops on the account of their glorious City afterward came to persuade themselves that this Honour was their due Prerogative When the Emperors lost Rome the Popes seised it for themselves and preserved its antient Title The Queen of the World. 'T was styld Vrbs the City by way of Eminence under the Emperors the Popes do still keep the same Name for it Rex venit ante fores jurans prius Vrbis honores Secular States have their Senates Antichristianism hath one of its own in the famous Colledge of Cardinals a Senate whose Senators and members are clothed in Purple have in every thing succeeded the ancient Senators of Rome Accordingly at their Election these words are pronounced You are Senators of the Ruling City equal to Kings Cerâ—m l. 3. Sect. 8. Art. 6. the true Pillars of the World. This Senate determines the fates of Kings and bestowes the Crowns of Heaven and Earth Every secular Monarchy hath its Monarch It hath a Monarch Antichristianism hath one This Monarch dwells in Stately Palace hath a numerous Retinue of Servants He is attended as the greatest Princes His Court is made up of such as challenge the foremost rank from all the Potentates of the World. The Cardinals will take place of Kings or will not come behind them Every Cardinal hath his Palace his Retinue his Equipages his House where all the Pleasures and carnal Pomps of the world are to be seen Kings are but Lieutenants in this Antichristian Monarchy This Monarch hath under him a great and vast Empire divided into several Provinces to which he sends his Deputies T is true they are not call'd by this Name some of them are call'd Kings Dukes Princes c. The Pope is so civil as to leave them these specious Titles But he challenges a Right to take away their Crownes to Depose them to absolve their Subjects from their Oaths of Allegeance and to give away their Dominions to others Never any Emperors pretended to more Power over the Governors of Provinces in the Roman Empire The Canonists say in plain termes That there is no Soveraign Power but in the Pope that the Authority of God and of the Pope is the same thing that whoever say otherwise are wretched Flatterers who deceive the Kings and Princes of the Earth Besides this Kind of Deputies the Pope hath others who are called Primates Metropolitans Archbishops Bishops which have divided Christendom into Provinces to share it among themselves and receive from the Pope Bulls and Commissions and also pay him Tribute and yield him Homage Pont. Rom. Hommages and Oâ—â—hes of Alligiance Cerem lib. 1. This Temporal Monarch takes an Oath of Allegiance from both these Kinds of Lieutenants where he is not hindred The Emperor at his Coronation takes an Oath that he will cordially pay to the Church of Rome the Duties of Obedience Defence and Protection Archbishops and Bishops swear Fealty and Obedience to St. Peter to the holy Church of Rome and to our most holy Lord the Pope for time being And this Oath hath no exceptions I promise Fidelity against all manner of persons Without so much as excepting the Kings whose Subjects the Bishops are After the taking the Oathes of Allegeance there are homages and presents to be made The Emperors are their Coronation after they have sworn Allegeance to the Pope must bring a Barr of Gold and lay it at his feet The Bishops also cannot have the Full Title nor execute the Episcopal Office till they have payd their Tributes which is call'd Annates Soveragin Princes have invested their subjects into their Offices by some Ceremony by giving a Sword or a Staff. Formerly the Emperors invested Bishops and Abbots by a Crosier and Ring But the Pope is so arrogant that he will invest the Emperors into the Empire On Christmas Eve he consecrates a Sword which he sends to Soveraigns to teach them that this sword signifieth the supreme Temporal Power bestowed by Jesus Christ upon the Pope his Vicar on Earth The Courts of the Antichristian Monarchy Secular Princes have their Courts and Tribunals in all the Provinces that are under them The Pope hath his Courts and Offices his Tribunals to which formerly almost all Civil Causes were brought under pretext of being spiritual At Rome there is a supreme Court to which all the rest are responsable 't is named the Rota Besides all this he reserves to himself the weightiest Causes He judgeth between one King and another between God and men He deposeth he excommunicates he plucks up he plants he pulls down he builds up he creates new Princes he layes aside old ones he dispenseth with Oathes and with Obedience to divine and humane Lawes Secular Princes maintain Allyances with other Princes They make Leagues and Treaties they establish societies they keep up mutual Intelligence in one anothers States For this end they send Embassadors to one another they make Negotiations and conclude Treaties The Pope doth all this He sends his Legates his Nuncios his Embassadors into all Courts of Europe He hath his Allyes and his Enemies he makes Leagues and Allyances hath a hand in all great Negotiations and Treaties And it must not be sayd that he acts as a Temporal Prince who Rules over some part of Italy For he pretends to have right to concern himself in all Treaties between Christian Princes as he is Head of the Church Secular Princes besides their subjects have also their Vassals And there are some Princes and Lords who hold their Lands and Territories of others as their
been so fortunate as the Nuntio of Julius II. who tho taken Prisoner by Francis after the Battel of Ravenna received Hommages from the Souldiers Prostrate at his Feet and begging his pardon for having fought against the Church Such an influence hath the force of Religion on the minds of the people 'T was in vain that Boniface VIII put on his Pontifical Robes at Anagina notwithstanding this his Jawes were bruised with a blow of a Gantlet and he thrust into Prison 'T was therefore necessary to joyn a second policy to the former and support this falsly named Spiritual Dominion with a Worldly Pomp and Grandeur Men are compounded of Flesh and Blood the Passions are ever the prevailing Party and the senses are the Faculties which bear the chief sway in the conduct of men 'T was therefore necessary to maintain this Dominion that men should see something that affects the senses and engageth the Passions Therefore it hath been the Policy of that Spirit which framed this Engine to heap together vast Treasures to have stately Palaces to change Priests into secular Princes to furnish them with greath Revenues with pompous Retinues with sumptuous Tables and indeed with every thing that belongs to Worldly Glory This Policy is owned by the considerable persons of the Roman Church you need only read what hath been written by Pallavicino in his History of the Council of Trent and the Collection out of him drawn up by another Author of the same Religion in an ingenious Book called The new Gospel of Cardinal Pallavicino There it is shewn that the Cardinal makes it a matter of necessity that the Pope and the Church should be Rich and Wealthy should have Palaces Benefices Princes who are equall to secular Princes We cannot doubt that this Policy hath been of admirable use to the Antichristian Monarchy for 't is certain that if the Bishops of Rome had continued poor as they were for the three first Ages of the Church they had never made themselves Masters of the World. Thunderbolts issuing forth from a Cottage or a Tent would not long have astonisht men But coming from the Vatican from a Palace that in poynt of splendour may dispute with the most magnificent in the world people believed that there was indeed something real in those painted Thunderbolts The Authors of the Logick of Port-Royal Part 3. cap. 19. have made a judicious remarque No man doth expresly argue at this rate such a one hath ten thousand pounds per annum therefore he is in the right He is of a Noble Familie therefore we must believe every thing he saith Nevertheless something like this rate of arguing is found in the minds of most men which unawares corrupts their judgments c. They approve every thing done or spoken by a Great man through a secret condescension of mind which bowes down under the weight of Grandeur and wants Courage to look it in the face This is the very Method that the Papacy hath used to gain the minds of men which being once gain'd by this Pomp of Riches and Worldly Grandeur have argued at this rate The Pope is a great Prince therefore be is in the right therefore he hath Authority to do as he doth Yea this very thing hath helped to delude the Popes themselves A Great Person who taketh no pains to rectify the impressions which his secular Grandeur makes on his mind is easily brought to believe that he excels other men as much in moral and intellectual Qualitties as he doth in Riches and Dignitie Thus the Popes seeing themselves to be served as Kings and adored as Gods have easily believed that they have a rightful Authority over the whole World. Third Policy a gainâ—nâ— all the Great ones of the World to its party Again 't is an admirable Policy of the Papacy to have the Art of engaging on its side all the Great Families of Europe and of binding them to itself by the strongest of all the Passions viz. Ambition and Covetousness If the Court of Rome had engross'd her Grandeur and Riches to her self alone it had been the Object of the Envy of all other Courts and its Regency which depends onely upon the Consent of men could not have lasted long But as it hath Riches in all places so it bestowes Preferments in all places Rome is the Common City of the nations the whole World hath the Priviledge of Citizens There is not a great Family which doth not possess great benefices and supports their Luxury and vanity by the Churches Patrimony This Patrimony is the spoyls which have been taken from the World. When ever this Church is ruin'd all these Spoyls must be restored to the owners to whom they belong Therefore all the Great ones are concern'd to maintain this Monarchy which furnisheth them with Provisions for their Luxury and other lusts This consideration makes me assert that there never was any Monarchy in the world which had such firm Foundations as this It hath no Enemies among those who are led by Sense and lust nor can have On the contrary the whole world adores it to get a share in its Favours 'T is a wonder that the Empire of old Rome lasted so long What Interest had the Roman Provinces to contribute to the Grandeur of one City whiles they themselves were Slaves Here the case is not the same all consent to the Greatness of new Rome because all reign with her Priests may come to be Abbots Abbots to be Bishops Bishops to be Cardinals and all the Cardinals of whatever nation to be Popes Fourth Poliâ—yâ—s the Hierarchy That which is call'd the Roman Hierarchy is again a piece of admirable Policy This subordination of the Members of this great Body is a Bond which makes it firm The Curates are subject to the Rural Deans these Deans to their Bishop the Bishop to the Metropolitan the Metropolitan to the Primate the Primate to the Pope And this Pope is call'd the Center of Unity This Fiction is one of the last things which will be ruinâ—d Our French men who are cured of the fondness for the Popes power cannot as yet free themselves from this They adore this great Image whose Head is of Gold the Shoulders of Silver the Belly of Brass the Thighs of Iron the Feet of Earth The disproportion between the Pope and the petty Clergy is greater than that between Gold and Dust There must be a Stone cut without hands out of a Mountain an unconceivable Blow of Divine Power to break this Image in pieces 5. Policy The founding the various Orders of Monks Behold another very cunning Policy of the Papal Monarchy the founding of the different Orders of Monks which are as so many Citadels of this Kingdom These men have an Art to make themselves Masters of Families and Consciences They inspire all their Disciples with Maximes of Submission and Slavery to the Holy See as 't is named They stir up Subjects against
of Piety which are no other than liberal Contributions to Convents and Priests They fail not to urge the advice of Daniel to the King of Babylon to very good Purpose Redeem they sins by Alms-deeds Lastly that arrogant piece of new Divinity which exalts the Clergy so far above the rest of mankind is of great use to serve a Covetous design The Pope must be the first and principal Monarch of the world the Cardinals must be the Princes of the Church and Arch-Bishops and Bishops must be Lords and Peers and consequently very rich to support their Dignity No wonder therfore that the Church exacts Tribute from the whole Earth and hath got possession of one half of the Wealth of Christendom To this purpose doth Cardinal Pallavicini argue in his History of the Council of Trent By this we see how the Popish Theology turns altogether to the side of a dishonest Gain let us see whether their Practice be not answerable Prodigious Riches of the Papacy First let us consider the Extraordinary Riches of the Papacy There is no Empire upon earth which can equal it The City of Rome and a very great part of Italy is intirely their own The Kingdom of Naples is held Feudatory from the Pope He is the temporal Lord of very considerable Lands and large Revenues as the Cities of Liege with the Country that depends upon it Cologne Treves Mentz He did once possess all those great Bishopsticks of Germany Saltsburg Munster Osnabrug Magdeburg Paderborn and several others whose Bishops are Soveraign Princes and many Abbies whose Abbots are Princes and members of the Empire The Papacy had all this some part of it 't is true is lost but they yet retain a very considerable share How large are the revenues of the Church in France There are Lordships and Dutchies and Peerages and Bishopricks of a vast revenue wealthy Abbies and great Commendoms 'T is the same in Spain where all the Prelates are more Potent than the King even at this day England formerly was altogether the Territory of the Court of Rome All the rest of Europe was almost in the same condition In a word we may say truly that the Papacy in its height and glory was Master of more than half the Riches of Europe To speak plainly is this the Character of Jesus Christ or of Antichrist of Jesus Christ who had not where to lay his head and foretold his Disciples that they must look for Poverty and Tribulation Distress and Suffering How blind and sottish must we be not to perceive that this prodigious Power and Riches is Antichristian exalting it self upon the ruin both of true Christianity and of Christian Princes Unlawful ways us'd by the Papacy to get Riches Let us see by what methods the Papacy hath attain'd to this height of Power and Riches It was by unjust and unlawful Means by Impieties so horrible that we must be altogether insensible stupid and of a seared Conscience not to take notice of the working of the Man of Sin. The Reader would do well to peruse the treatise of Father Paul concerning Benefices God permitted that in these latter days it should be drawn out of Darkness to open the eyes of the most blind in this matter 'T is wrote in a grave stile by a learned Pen without discovering any other design than to speak the Truth 'T is properly an History of the Roman Church who made use of one Knavery after another to draw the Riches of Europe into their Net. He had good reason to begin the History of Benefices with the Instance of Judas who carried the Purse of the Apostolical Colledge and for Lucre of Money sold his Master for he was the true Forerunner of the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy and of the carriage of the Church of Rome There we see the Tricks and Cheats which the Clergy used to persuade the Laity to alienate their Lands and Revenues to put them into the possession of the Church How the Clergy understood the knack of getting money by Excommunications Interdicts Holy-wars and the Fewds of Germany and the Contentions between the Popes and Emperors the Divisions of Italy the Weakness of some Princes and the Superstition of others therby to attain to this Prodigious Wealth When we see a beggar one that was such become of a sudden immensly rich we need no other proof of his being a Cheat and a Robber and we may therupon charge him with it without Injustice for such excessive Riches cannot be got by honest means To consider the Prodigious Wealth of the Papacy is sufficient to assure us that they did not honestly come by it but by Rapine Fraud and Violence The Church was poor and had neither Gold nor Silver in those days when she open'd the eyes of the Blind and made the lame to Walk the Liberality of Christian Princes drew her out of this Indigence but it was to her unhappiness and loss for as soon as she became Rich she became Covetous Luxurious and Wicked and because those Riches which she got by the bounty of Princes and the well-meant tho mistaken Piety of others could not satisfie her greedy desire of more no shamefull and dishonest means have been unattempted to acquire larger Revenues than she had before and to add more to what she had already The Simony of the Papacy She then set her self to work upon the Living and the Dying and to scare and frighten 'em that they might part with their Goods in favour of those whom they intrusted with the care of their Souls that is the Monks and Priests By plain and down-right Usurpations without other mystery the Popes and Prelats have seiz'd divers Kingdoms and the most considerable lands of Europe and to enrich themselves have made use of the most execrable Simony which hath risen to that degree as would make an honest Heathen tremble These are but small matters in comparison the Sale of Benefices Reunions Commendams Degrees Reservations Expectatives Preventions Provisions Resignations Rescriptions Dignum Arbitramur Rescriptions in common form and of the lesser one signing the Grace of First-fruits Translations Erections Cathedrals Subrogations Dispensations for Non-residence Dispensations for Defects of Body for Defect of Age c. These I say are but little things and trivial in comparison with some others Who can read without Horror the Sale of the most enormous Crimes Incest Parricide Buggery Sodomy and Murder of the nearest Relations set at a certain price so much for Buggery or Sodomy so much for a Nun who suffers her self to be known by a man several times within and without her Convent with a capacity again for any dignity of the Order even that of being Abbess so much for a Woman who hath kill'd her child in the Womb so much for having destroyed Infants by Inchantments so much for having murder'd a Father or a Mother c. Can we read without trembling the Robberies which several Popes have
we call Avarice and Simony is an honest and lawful means to support the honour and the Majesty of the Church CHAPTER XII The Eighth Character of Antichristianism which agrees to the Papacy The Spirit of Impurity and Reprobation IN the 16th Chapter of the Revelations we have an admirable Character of Antichristianism and a very plain and evident one where He speaks of three unclean Spirits coming out of the mouth of the Dragon of the Beast and the False Prophet V. 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like Frogs come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and out of the Mouth of the beast and out of the Mouth of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty V. 15. And he gatherd them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon The Spirits coming out of the Mouth of the Dragon are his words I cannot think that any man who will consider without prejudice the interpretation we have given of this Oracle in our Accomplishment of Prophecies can doubt of the truth of it 'T is manifest that those Spirits coming out of the mouth must be understood of words for so words are exprest in a figurative stile in the H. Scripture The Spirits therfore which come out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet are doubtless the Words Laws and Doctrine of Antichrist And termed Vnclean Spirits because of the Impiety Folly Extravagance and Character of Reprobation which is to be apparent in those Laws and in that Doctrine of Antichrist Let us see whether this agree to the Papacy whether their words be not impious and impure extravagant and foolish and bear the marks of a Reprobate Spirit We must look for this in the words of Antichristianism that is what hath been said and taught by those who have liv'd in the Antichristian Kingdom in one word by the Doctors of the Church of Rome They are of several ranks and degrees Schoolmen Canonists Legendaries Preachers Casuists and the Authors of Mystical Theology Devotion and Controversy If we examin the words of all those different Authors we shall find in 'em the Characters of these impure and diabolical Spirits which come out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet The Impurity of the Schoolmen In the first rank are the Schoolmen a sort of Doctors who started up in the twelvth Century when the Devil had just compleated the Antichristian Monarchy and made up the confused mass of Errors and Superstitions which belong to Antichrist the Beast spake and innumerable lying Doctors appear'd under his Authority to abuse the People and continue them in the darkness of Ignorance The Patriarchs of this kind of Doctors who gave rise to this Monstrous Theology were Lombard whom they call the Master of the Sentences Albertus Magnus Abelardus and Thomas Aquinas The H. Scripture was buried in oblivion Aristotle succeeded in the place of S. Paul and a barbarous Philosophy brought forth a Divinity that was much more barbarous What is this Divinity of the Papists 'T is a black and gloomy science rising from the Bottomless Pit cover'd with Clouds and Darkness 'T is a Dedalus an inextricable Labyrinth which the wisest of mankind can never unriddle 'T is a dark and confused Chaos where a very little of that which is good is buried under a great deal of that which is otherwise 'T is a new and barbarous Language invented to astonish and confound the simple where they talk of nothing else but Quiddities and Entities Formalities and Modalities Hecceities and Identities Categoricks and Syncategoricks and a thousand such like things good for nothing but to darken the minds of men and hinder the light of Truth by an infinity of trifling unintelligble distinctions 'T is an Heap of frivolous Questions knotty impenetrable obscure and oftentimes blasphemous In this Scholastick Divinity they gravely inquire whether God can seperate a Relation from its subject whether the Body of J. Christ could be in the Eucharist before his Incarnation whether God could become a Woman whether this Proposition God is a snail or a pumkin be as possible as this God is man whether God could command all sorts of Crimes even the Haâ—red of himself and the Hypocrisie and Dissimulation of all good Actions even in his own Service whether numeral words do add any thing real to the Divinity whether the number of divine Persons ought to belong to first or to second Intentions whether this Proposition God the Father hates his Son be possible or no whether the second person of the Trinity might not have been united to a Devill to a Stone to a Plant to an Asse and if that be supposed how the Stone or Plant could have been crucified have preacht and wrought Miracles c. In all this one may plainly perceive an Impure and Reprobate Spirit and the unclean spirits which come out of the mouth of the false Prophet There is none of the Christian Mysteries but they have polluted and blemisht by their bold Questions that of the Trinity of the Incarnation of the Divine Nature and Providence And tho of late they are a little come off from that way there yet remains so much of it as is sufficient to discover this character of Antichristianism The Errors and Superstitions and Idolatries of Popery are concealed and cloak't under the niceties and darkness of this Divinity 'T is this that hath coin'd those numberless distinctions which are so many Subterfuges where error and Idolatry secure themselves when we attempt to discover ' em 'T is to this Theology that we owe those famous terms of worship absolute and relative Dulia Latria and Hyperdulia of Transubstantiation Concomitance and an hundred others like these Impurities of the Canonists The Canonists are another kind of the Mouths wherby the Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet do speak their words likewise have the Character of unclean and diabolical Spirits Burchard Bishop of Wormes Albertus Abbot of Gemblour Anselme Bishop of Lucca Ives Bishop of Chartres Gratian a Benedictine Monk of Bologna Raimond of Penna Fortè were the principal Composers of the Papal Laws and of those Decrees of the Papacy the body whereof makes up the Canon Law and they are in truth the unclean and diabolical spirits which come out to deceive the Kings of the Earth and to gather them together in battell against God in the place of Armageddon and that under the bond and tye of Excommunication It may be said truly that there is no Folly Filthiness Extravagance or Blasphemy which is not to be found in these Authors of the Canon Law. In one place we read that a Community of Wives is a very good thing and that Plato who would have introduc't it was the wisest of all
Character of Antichristianism which is found in the Papacy Idolatry in its height confess'd by the Papists themselves Antichrist must e an Idolater according to Prophecies Dan. 11. IT cannot be doubted that the Religion of Antichrist must be an Idolatrous Religion First we read that he should worship Mauzzim Dan. 11.38 But in his estate he shall honour the God of force Hebr. Mauzzim and a God whom his Fathers knew not shall he honour with Gold and Silver and with pretious Stones and with pleasant things He shall worship Idols of silver and gold And S. John saith concerning the subjects of the Antichristian Monarchy Revel 9. V. 20. And therest of the men which were not kill'd by those plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brass and Stone and of Wood which can neither see nor hear nor walk The whole thirteenth chapter sets forth the Antichristian Monarchy as an Idolatrous State. Ver. 4. Its subjects worship'd the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast They worship the Beast itself V. 8. And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. The second Beast with two horns exerciseth the power of the first Beast in his presence V. 12. And causeth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed Altho these Adorations principally refer to the slavish Obedience that the Subjects of the Antichristian Kingdom do yield to the Head of this Kingdom 't is nevertheless certain that this Obedience is here set forth as an Idolatry and that it is really so Lastly this Babylonian Empire is described to us by the emblem of a notorious Harlot which was to commit abominable fornications with the Kings of the Earth and make all men drunk with the Wine of her Fornications V. 1. Come hither Chap. 1â— I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great Whore that sisteth upon many waters V. 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication Now every body knoweth that when the Scripture speaks of a Body a Society a Church the Fornications and adulteries which are charged on them signify Idolatries Therefore 't is certain that Idolatry must be one of the Characters of the Antichristian Kingdom Several ways by which the Papacy is guilty of Idolatry Let us see if this Character be found in the Papacy It is Idolatrous 1. In the Adoration of the Pope in giving divine Honours divine Attributes to him viz. a divine Power and an Universal Authority which are put in his hands 2. The Papacy is guilty of Idolatry in the Adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar which is nothing but Bread and yet all divine Honours are given it 3. It is Idolatrous in the account of the Invocation of Saints for the worship which is given to the Virgin to Angels and Saints makes them second-rate Gods to whom Honour of the same kind are orderd to be given that are given to the Great God. 4. Lastly The Papacy is Idolatrous because it obligeth men to fall down before Images of Wood of Stone of Gold and Silver The Idolatry of the Church of Rome may be consider'd either in their Worship itself or in the excesses of this Worship For instance in the Invocation of Saints either as it is generally owned by all the Members of the Roman Church or as it is explain'd by the bygotted Monks and Priests who are excessive in every thing and keep no bounds Thus the Idolatry as to Images may be considered either as layd down in the Decrees of their Councills or in the modern softning explication by which 't is palliated or in the Practice and downright Divinity of true Papists I will not here undertake to prove the charge of Idolatry upon the Roman Church on the account of the Services which she Authoriseth by her Canons and the unanimous Consent of her Doctors This would necessarily lead us into Controversy where we should be obliged to wash off the false colours which the modern Papists make use of to prove themselves no Idolaters neither in adoring the Sacrament or in the Invocation of Saints or in worshipping of Images In a word we should be engaged in a long debate whereas in this Treatise I design to take my arguments only from indisputable matters of fact and which are not debated After this Method I have proved all my preceeding characters of Antichristianism from History and Testimonies taken from the Books of our adversaries which themselves cannot gain-say And thus I will here prove the Idolatry of the Papacy by those Excesses which are own'd for such by all those of the Roman Church who pretend to any honesty and purity Mr. Arnaud and the Papists of his strain do in manner plainly confess that the disciples of F. Crasset and such like are Idolaters by their own Method of explaining and practising the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images I shall assist those Gentlemen by setting down our Arguments Palpable Idolatry in the Books that direct the Devotion of the people We cannot I suppose be blamed if in discovering the nature of the Popish Worship we make use of the Authors who have wrote Books to guide the Devotion of the People Now if their Directions be not Idolatrous and lead not directly to Idolatry we are content to be counted Lyars First these Books and these Teachers ascribe without any scruple a Divinity unto creatures They call the V. Mary a Deity and Goddess One of these Authors thus speaks to her Damian serm 7. in natif Virg. O Virgin have you forgotten your Humanity because you have been Deifyed 'T is a Cardinal of the Church of Rome who spoke at this rate in the eleventh Century which lets us see that these Idolatrous Excesses are not new Binet Marq. de Predest A much later Writer saith of the Virgin that She is advanced to a kind of equality to God. Another that Her bosom is the Ocean of the Deity O Holy Lady saith another to her I know that nothing is hid from you and that by your Deity you exactly understand all my faults Bonaventare The Lord hath said to our Lady Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy Enemies thy footstool I suppose that to sit at the right hand of God is the same as to obtain divine Honour at least we take it so when we explain the Article of Christs Ascension The Iesuite Delrio giveth the Virgin the Titles of optima maxima i. e. most good and most great We know that the Romans gave these to none but the supreme of their Gods and that Christians have bestowed them on the Infinitely Perfect Being The Iesuite Tursellin with innumerable
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