OF RELIQVES The Introduction AS the Holy Prophets of old made it their business to shew the vanity and folly of the Apostate Church of the Jews and wherein they had gone away from God to the foolish inventions of idolatrous and superstitious men So our late zealous Reformers laboured to discover the madness and folly of them which did abide still in the Communion of the Popish Religion by shewing wherein the people were cheated by the superstitious pretences feigned miracles and useless reliques with which the seducing Priests Fryers Monks and Antichristian Popes of Rome had deceived the poor sons and daughters of men And herein the faithful Servants of God in the days of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth have laboured and have discovered the fanaticism of the Church of Rome in many instances and shewn what horrid Fanaticks the Popes and their followers have been And because the Papists are to my own knowledg still such Fanaticks and will not be reclaimed I have thought it my duty for the Honour of God and the preventing the good Christian people of this Generation from being any longer deceived by them to revive and recover out of oblivion the old observations and collections of the Servants of Christ which time hath buried in forgetfulness which together with my own Observations I have transcribed and caused to be published that so the madness and folly in which they persist may be known to all men that so as St. Paul saith of the Fanaticks of his time they may proceed no further read 2 Tim. 3.8 9. And I think it but reason if the disease be still the same the means of curing should be continued and of this I am sure that they do still cheat the people with their pretended Miracles and Reliques of pretended Saints and amongst the rest with the Fanatical pretences of Pardons and Indulgences by going to such a Saints Shrine or Sepulcher and of being healed of diseases by the touch of a Relique of a pretended Saint And because you shall see that I do not impose new fictions of my own brain but do follow the wise example of them who to undeceive the people and recover them out of the Fanaticism of the Church of Rome did discover her â—ollies and frauds to all men I have not only followed their methods but transcribed their very Collections which I doubt not but will be as useful in the present recovery of the English Christians as in the the days past And as the Prophets of old used no other means to reduce men but bringing them back to the Law and Testimony shewing them the folly and madness of their forefathers and of them that would or did mislead the people in the days in which they prophesied so ought the Servants of God in this day and I doubt not but the same method will have the same good effect AT Rome in times past as St. Sylvester the Pope writeth in his Chronicle there were One thousand five hundred and five Churches whereof the greater part at this present is destroyed But among those that remain there are Seven principal Churches which as they say * Query Who endued these Churches I am sure not Christ for he bestows spiritual Gifts on persons not Places are endued with greater and more singular priviledges than the rest are yea and that for the grace holiness and dignity which is found in them passing all other Churches * All are but Stone and Timber and dead matter and not capable of any holiness one more than other In those Seven principal Churches there are many yea almost innumerable Indulgences Pardons Priviledges c. and Reliques also as they fain And first I will rehearse the names of all such Reliques as be at Rome not only in those Seven Principal Churches but in the residue also and afterwards rehearse the Indulgences Pardons Priviledges c. that appertain unto the same And because no man shall think that I invent these things of my own head I here truly and faithfully confess that whatsoever in this Treatise is written of Rome is translated out of a Book Printed in Latin at Rome by Mr. Stephen Plank of Patavia in the year of our Lord 1489 the 7th of November the sixth year of Pope Innocent the Eighth And whatsoever is added is declared out of what Books they were taken and the judgment of all these things left to the indifferent Reader But first of all we will go in hand with such Reliques as be in the Churches at Rome and begin with the Seven Principal Churches whereof the Church of Lateran is the first Of the Church of Lateran and of the Reliques contained in the same THE Church of Lateran was dedicated of St. Sylvester the Pope in honour of St. Saviour St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist In the Relique-House of this Church there is the Altar of St. John Baptist which he had in the Wilderness It is a likely matter they should have the Altar of St. John Baptist who had no Altar there nor had he use for one A blessed company Why did they not tell us what he offered upon that Altar And besides this the Altar of which they boast is in eight or nine several places Also in a certain Chappel at the end of the said Church Ark. there is the Ark of the Lord which Moses made at the Commandment of God in the Desert after the Children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt They that will believe this story must needs be ignorant and willing to believe lyes seeing the Prophet Esdras 2 book ch 10. v. 22 saith it was spoiled by the Babylonians which any man will believe sooner than the Pope But to put it out of doubt that they do wickedly read Jer. 3.16 There is also the Table whereupon our Lord Jesus Christ did eat his supper with his Disciples when he ordained the Sacrament of his Body and Blood The Table I have seen a great part of this Table so called in Spain and Flanders and it is of excellent virtue if we may believe the holy Fathers of the Society of Jesus Item The Rod of Moses and Aaron which being cast on the ground Rod. became a Serpent wherewith also many and notable Miracles were wrought by the power of God It is strange to hear that they should have that stick or rod of Moses which was 2000 years before Christ in the wilderness of which the Scripture makes no mention after Moses smote the Rock with it Numb 20.11 and one of the Jesuits forgetting that it was said to be at Rome preached this Doctrine that Moses broke it when he smote upon the Rock All these things aforesaid did Vespastanus and Titus bring unto Rome from Jerusalem Padre Antonio de Laudayada on the Feast of St. Alban June 21. 1677. with four Pillars of Brass which are set up and stand about the high Altar of the said Church If we
thousand Virgins which lye at Collen Also a bone of Saint Faith Saint John Baptist was not burnt but buried Note as above so that the fraud in this as in all other cases is plain But that they may have of the Earth of which Adam was made is no wonder but a cheat in them that would make it seem a wonder for it was of the common dust In a white great Box. made of Wood were these Reliques contained Part of Christ's Sepulchre Part of that place where he prayed unto his Father A piece of that Table whereat Christ our Lord supped A piece of that Earth where Christ's Cross was put down when he was Crucified A piece of Christ's Cradle A piece of our Ladies Bed Part of the Seat whereon the Mother of our Lord sate in the day of her Purification Item A bone of S. Jerome Priest and Confessor with part of his Stole and of his other Garments Also bones of the Innocents Bones of S. Bartholomew the Apostle of S. Blase Bishop and Martyr of S. Clement Pope and Martyr of S. Vincent Martyr of S. George Martyr of S. Maurice Martyr and of his Fellows A piece of the Leg of S. Damian Martyr The hones of S. Ignatius Martyr of S. Gregory the Pope and of S. Bennet the Abbot together The Dust of S. John Baptist and part of his Hairy Coat and of his other Garments The Hair of S. Elizabeth the Wife of Zachary the Priest and Mother of S. John Baptist A piece of the Gridiron whereon S. Laurence was roasted Item More of the Cross yet A great piece of the Holy Cross Part of S. Peter the Apostle's Beard and also of his Table The bones of S. Hipolytus Martyr of S. Roman Martyr of S. Martyn with a piece of his Cloak The bones of S. Silvester Bishop and Confessor The Beard of S. Anthony A bone of S. Paul the first Hermite Part of S. Julian's Head with a piece of his Coat These things are so ridiculous Note that none that is honest will pretend to have them and none that is wise will regard them In a great Horn of Ivory hanging under the Beam beyond the High Altar were these Reliques following contained The bones of S. Blase of S. Stephen the first Martyr of S. Bartholomew of S. Patrick of S. Martyn of S. Thomas the Apostle of Saint Andrew the Apostle of S. Giles of S. Serene of S. Done of S. Edburg of S. Nicholas of S. Katherine of S. Agnes of S. Justus Item The Hairs of S. Agasse and of S. Cecile A piece of the Rock whereupon the Cross of our Lord stood A piece of the Rock of Golgotha And a piece of our Lady's Sepulchre A little before the Cross stood in Earth and now it was upon a Rock Note but how can they have the bones of S. Stephen when the holy Text tells us Acts the 8. and ver 2. that devout men carried Stephen and buried him which was 900 years before poplings began their Pageantry and doubtless turned to dust In a great Cross made of Wood at the Altar of S. Cross c. covered over with Silver and gilt and set with divers precious stones with a Cross in the midst were these Reliques following First A Cross of Silver and gilt garnished with precious stones having in the midst of it a piece of the Holy Cross More of the Cross yet with certain Reliques of Thomas Becket Secondly A Finger of S. Andrew the Apostle Thirdly A Bone of S. Stephen Fourthly A piece of S. Vulstan's Flesh To pull the Saints thus in pieces to show so many pieces of their flesh is to be more like Cannibals than Christians Note and would make a tender-hearted Christian weep to think of such horrid Cruelties In the first Coffin over the Beam were these Reliques The Arm of S. Vulfade Martyr The Arm of S. Russinian Martyr and another great bone of his back Item A bone of the Head of S. Chad Bishop and Confessor with part of his Clothes They tore the very back bones of them they call Saints in pieces Note to make a show of to get money In the second Coffin were contained A piece of Christs Cross of his Crib and Sepulchre More of the Cross yet Item The bones of S. Calix Pope and Martyr The bones of Saint James the Apostle who is called the Brother of the Lord The bones of S. Catharine Virgin and Martyr Lord Note how many poor people did they pull Limb from Limb to get money by In the third Coffin were contained The Banner of Christ A piece of Christ's Sepulchre Certain Reliques of our Latly The bones of S. Peter the Apostle with the bones of S. Martyn Bishop and Confessor In how many places have they pretended to have the bones of Saint Peter But that they should have a piece of Christ's Sepulchre which S. Matthew tells us was hewn out of a Rock c. 27. v. 60. is very unlike but as Solomon saith the simple meaning ignorant and foolish people believe every word Prov. 14.15 and such are they which go after Popish Priests Of the famed or rather infamous Indulgences Pardons and Priviledges of Rome FRom the beginning of the world unto the time that Rome was firstmade were 3212 years And from thence to the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ were 750 years And in this City of Rome there are 400 Churches in which Mass is daily done but there be seven of the same priviledged above all other with great holiness and pardon as is hereafter shewed And somthing else or Rome is fearfully belyed even by her own Votaries and therefore not too much Holiness good Father Pope The first is St. Peters Church scituate on the foot of an Hill so that men ascend thereunto by a stair of 29 steps And as oft as a man goeth up and down that stair he is released of the 7th part of penance enjoined This was granted by Pope Alexander Item as ye come before the Church a Well springeth and above the door is an Image of our Lord between whose Feet is one of the pence that God was sold for and as oft as ye look upon that peny The peny relique that God was sold for ye have 1400 years of pardon Certainly men that are in their wits would scarce give two pence for so much pardon as the sight of this peny would or could produce but I see they prefer a peny before the blood of Christ Item in the same Church on the right side is a Pillar that was sometime of Solomons Temple Our Lords leaning Pillar and excellent cure for mad people but Bedlam hath been more effectual at which Pillar our Lord was wont to rest him when he preached to the people At which Pillar if there be any mad or troubled with spirits they be delivered and made whole And in that Church be 11 Altars and at every Altar is
at the instance of the most High and Excellent Princess Elizabeth late Queen of England and Wife to our Soveraign Lord King Henry the Seventh God have mercy on her sweet Soul and all Christian Souls to all them that every day in the morning after 3 tollings of the Ave Bell say three times the whole salutation of our Lady Ave Maria gratia plena that is to say at six of the Clock in the Morning 3 Ave Maries At 12 at Noon 3 Ave Maries and at six of the Clock at Evening for every time so doing is granted of the Spiritual Treasure of the holy Church 300 dayes of Pardon toties quoties And also our Holy Fathers the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York with other 9 Bishops of this Realm have granted 3 times in the day 40 days of pardon to all them that be in the state of Grace able to receive pardon the which begun the 26th day of March Anno 1492 in the seventh year of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh And the sum of the Indulgence and pardon for every Ave Maria gratia plena is 740 dayes toties quoties Suscipe verbum Virgo Maria c. This Prayer was shewed to St. Bernard by the Messenger of God saying That as Gold is most precious of all other Metal so exceedeth this Prayer all other Prayers And whoso devoutly says it shall have a singular reward of our Blessed Lady and of her sweet Son Jesus Ave Maria ancilla Trinitatis humillima Our Holy Father Pope Bonifacius hath granted to all them that devoutly say this lamentable Contemplation of our Lady standing under the Cross weeping and having compassion on her sweet Son Jesus 7 years of Pardon and 40 Lents Also Pope John the 22d hath granted 300 days of Pardon Stabat mater dolorosa These be the 15 O's which the Holy Virgin St. Bridget was wont to say daily before the Holy Rood in St. Paul's Church at Rome Who so saith them an whole year shall deliver 15 Souls out of Purgatory of his next Kindred and convert 15 Sinners unto good life and other 15 Righteous men of his Kindred shall persevere in good life And whatsoever he desireth of God he shall have it if it be to the Salvation of his Soul To all them that before the Image of Christ scourged devoutly say 5 Pater Nosters and 5 Ave Maries and a Creed piteously beholding the Arms of Christ's Passion are granted 32755 years of Pardon And Pope Sixtus of his great clemency and fatherly goodness hath doubled this aforesaid Pardon Adoro te Domine Jesu Christe This Epistle of our Saviour sent our Holy Father Pope Leo unto the Emperor Carolus Magnus of which we find written That whosoever beareth this Blessing upon him and saith it once a day he shall obtain 40 years of Pardon and 80 Lents and he shall not perish with sudden death Crux Christi sit mecum This Prayer made St. Augustin affirming That whosoever saith it daily kneeling shall not die in Sin but after this life he shall obtain everlasting Joy and Bliss Respice ad me c. Our Holy Father Pope Bonifacius the Sixth hath granted to all them that devoutly say this Prayer following between the elevation of our Lord and the third Agnus Dei 10000 years of Pardon Domine Jesu Christe qui hanc sacratissimam carnem c. Our Holy Father Pope John the 22d hath granted to all them that devoutly say this Prayer after the elevation of our Lord Jesu Christ 3000 days of Pardon for deadly Sins Anima Christi sanctifica me c. The same Pope hath granted 100 days of Pardon to all them that say this Prayer at the Elevation of our Lord Jesus Christ Ave caro Christicara c. Our Holy Father Innocentius Pope of Rome hath granted 7 years of Pardon to all them that say this Prayer devoutly at the Elevation of our Lord in the Mass Salve lux Mundi c. Our Holy Father Pope Sixtus the Fourth hath granted to all them that be in the state of Grace saying this Prayer following immediately after the Elevation of the Body of our Lord clean Remission of all their Sins perpetually enduring And also Pope John the 22d at the request of the Queen of England hath granted unto all them that devoutly say this Prayer before the Image of our Lord Crucified as many days of Pardon as there were wounds in the Body of our Lord in the time of his bitter Passion which were 5465. Precor te amantissime Domine Jesu Christe c. This Prayer was shewed to St. Augustin by revelation of the Holy Ghost and whoso devoutly saith this Prayer or hears it read or beareth it about him he shall not perish in Fire nor Water nor Battel nor Judgment And he shall dye no sudden death and no venom shall poison him that day And whatsoever he asketh of God he shall obtain it if it be to the salvation of his Soul And whensoever his Soul shall depart from his Body it shall not enter into Hell Deus propitius esto mili peceatori c. Our Holy Father Innocentiue the Third hath granted to all them that say this Prayer following devoutly Remission of all their Sins confessed and contrite Domine Jesu Christe Fili Dei vivi c. This Prayer following made the worshipful St. Bede of the seven last words which our Lord Jesus Christ spake hanging on the Cross Whoso says this Prayer devoutly kneeling neither the Devil nor wicked men shall hurt him And he shall not dye without Confession Domine Jesu Christe qui septem verba c. These 5 Petitions and Prayers made St. Gregory and hath granted to all them that devoutly say these 5 Prayers with 5 Pater Nosters and 5 Ave Maries and 5 Credo's 500 years of Pardon Ave manus dexter a Christi c. This Prayer shall ye say in the worship of all the Blessed Members of Christ devoutly And ye shall have 300 days of pardon for every Salve And there be 13 Salves Salve tremendum c. This Prayer is made by our Holy Father Pope John the 22d and he hath granted to all them that devoutly say this Prayer beholding the glorious Visage or Vernacle of our Lord ten thousand days of pardon And they that cannot say this Prayer let them say 5 Pater Nesters 5 Aves and 5 Creeds and they shall have the like Pardon Salve Sancta faeies c. Another Oracle to the blessed Vernacle or Visage of our Lord Jesu Christ Whoso saith it devoutly shall have 300 years of pardon granted by our Holy Father Pope Innocentius Ave facies praeclara c. Whoso devoutly beholdeth these Arms of our Lord Jesus Christ shall obtain 6000 years of pardon granted by our Holy Father St. Peter the first Bishop of Rome and by 30 other Popes of the Church of Rome's Successors after him And our Holy Father Pope John the 22d hath granted to
Reliques certain pieces of the fragments which remained of the five barley Loaves and two fishes when Christ in the Wilderness fed so miraculously five thousand people There are divers others Reliques which were brought out of the churchyard of St. Calixt But whether fragments of the bread or of the fishes or both we will not contend and he that is minded to fish for lyes let him cast his nets into the Roman Ocean which Sea is certainly stored with such fish As for the bread of life I am sure they have none and as for their nameless Reliques I suppose we may give as much credit to them as to the fragments and we may look upon them with as much veneration but any thing good Mr. Pope to fill our Treasures and maintain our pride and tyranny In the Church of the holy Apostles are these Reliques following The Bodies of Philip and Jacob. Bodies of St. Philip and Jacob. St. Thomas his Cloak The Body of Sabinus the Martyr The Cloak of St. Thomas the Apostle The Foot of St. Philip. The Arm of St. James A Rib of St. Lawrence The Shoulder-plate and the Arm of St. Blase We have but their bare word for all this and they which we have taken in so many lyes already how shall we give them credit in this Arm of Saint Matthew In the Church of St. Marcellus is the Arm of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist In the Church of St. Sylvester is the Head of St. John Baptist Head of St. John Baptist Hands and Feet of S. Lawrence the Hands and Feet of St. Lawrence and a piece of St. Francis Cowle and many other Reliques which are shewed on the Feasts of St. John the Baptist and of St. Sylvester This looks as like a cheat as all the rest for can any wise man think that Herod preserved it and in four days it would stink as bad as any dead flesh therefore this untruth accuseth it self and as for the Cowle of St. Francis he being a notorious thief is as miraculous as the Cross of the Thief which they say is preserved In the Church of St. Lawrence are these Reliques following The Blood the Fat the Clout the Gridiron Two Flagons full of the Fat and Blood of St. Lawrence Also a Vessel full of the roasted flesh of blessed Lawrence The Clout wherewith the Angel did wipe the Body of St. Lawrence Item the Cridiron whereupon St. Lawrence was roasted That St. Lawrence was roasted is true but first Saints did not use to be very fat 2ly His fat dropt into the fire so did his flesh 3. How could they separate his fat from his blood as it dropt through the Gridiron and that the Tormentors should give the Christians his flesh is as uncredible as that they have vessels full of it and that the Angel stood in need of a clout to wipe his body is as likely as that they have the Clout or Gridiron In the Church of St. Julian there is a certain kind of holy water whose virtue and power is so great that it easily healeth all them that be diseased of the Ague It cureth also all other infirmities and diseases so that they which will be made whole take that holy water fasting and say three Pater Nosters and as many Ave Maries in the honour of Almighty God and of the glorious Virgin 〈◊〉 and also of St. Julian and St. Albert or else cause one Mass to 〈◊〉 in the honour of the aforenamed Saint Albert. I wonder so many Papists die of the Pox and that the old Priest was so long in a Doctors hands that kept an Apothecaries shop in St. Giles Parish if there be such healing vertue in their holy water But one thing I note that the Virgin and the Saints have honour but Christ is forgotten and how the Popes themselves have not been cured of those foul diseases by which they have perished if they have had such excellent and infallible Remedies In the Church of St. Vitus there is a Marble stone set about with Iron Stone on which a 1000 poor Saints was slain upon which were slain more than a thousand bodies of holy Martyrs In this Church there is so great virtue and grace through the merits of those holy Martyrs Vitus Modestus and Crescentia that if so be any man be bitten with a mad Dog or of any other beast and take a piece of bread and dip it in the Oyl of St. Vitus and so eat it he shall straightway be made whole All their healing is ascribed to the Virgin or to Saints not to Christ And if they were not all bit with some Beast or another they would not set Saints of their own coining above the Son of God Jesus whom God hath made to all a means of spiritual health and eternal salvation But of this Oyl of St. Vitus I find not one word but at Rome and its virtues are not there mentioned In the Church of St. Braxed there is a Chappel which is called Libera nos a penis inferni and Ortus Paradisi in the which is a Pillar whereunto our Lord Jesus Christ was bound in his passion But our comfort is That we are not bound to believe it In the midst of this Church there is a round stone inclosed with Iron under this stone is the blood of many holy Martyrs which blessed St. Braxed gathered up with a certain Sponge and put it in a pit laying that round stone upon it They that tell these lyes will be in a pit one day in which there is no water to cool their tongues Luke 16.24 In this Church also there is an Altar upon the which Pope Pascalis said five Masses for a certain soul departed Which Masses being once finished he saw the blessed Virgin Mary take that soul out of Purgatory and carry it into the bosom of Almighty God as ye may see it plainly painted upon the wall of the said Church When Pope Pascalis had seen this miracle he granted by his Apostolique Authority That whosoever did either sing mass or cause mass to be sung on that Altar he should deliver for every time so doing one foul out of the bitter pains of Purgatory That this looks as the rest do like a piece of Forgery from top to the bottom for the Virgin never came near any other place but where Gods blessed presence is since she left this World her spirit went to God that gave it and thence it did never stir In the Church of St. Potentiana is the Altar upon which St. Peter did sing his first mass Also a Pit in which lieth hid the blood of three thousand martyrs It is as scandalous to fasten saying mass upon St. Peter as upon St. Paul who knew that your Massing-trick never came into the heart of Christ or any of his sincere followers if St. Paul himself say true Acts 20. ver 20 comp with ver 27. and if the Popes Massing had been Gods
all them that be very contrite and truly confessed saying this devout Prayer in the Commemoration of the bitter Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ 3000 years of pardon for deadly Sins and other 3000 for venial Sins and say first a Pater Noster and one Ave Maria. Diripuisti Domine vincula mea Our Holy Father Pope Innocentius the Second hath granted to all them that say this Prayer devoutly in the worship of the Wound that our Lord had in his blessed Side when he was dead hanging on the Cross 4000 days of pardon Ave vulnus lateris nostri c. This most devout Prayer said the Holy Father St. Bernardin the Grey Friar daily kneeling in the worship of that most Holy Name Jesus And it is well to believe that through the Invocation of that most excellent Name of Jesus St. Bernardin obtained a singular reward of perpetual Consolation of our Lord Jesus Christ And this Prayer is written in a Table that hangeth at Rome in St. Peter's Church near to the high Altar where our Holy Father the Pope is wont to say Mass And whoso devoutly with a contrite heart daily says this Orison if he be that day in the state of Eternal pain it shall be changed into the Temporal pain of Purgatory And if he hath deserved the pain of Purgatory then it shall be forgotten and forgiven through the infinite Mercy of God Obone Jesu c. Pope Alexander hath granted to all them that say this Prayer devoutly in the worship of St. Anne and our Lady and her Son Jesus 10000 years of pardon for deadly Sins and 20 years for venial Sins toties quoties Ave Maria c. Bocatius saith That the hairs of that Angel of the Seraphical Order which came down from Heaven as the Papists feign unto filly simple St. Francis the Grey-Friar in the likeness of a young man and printed in his Hands Feet and Heart the signs and tokens of the five wounds of Christ are kept in a certain Monastery of Franciscan Friars in Italy as most Heavenly and Holy Reliques In the same Monaftery also are divers Reliques of the aforesaid Francis namely his Night Coul and his Breeches These are highly reverenced and had in great price It seemeth the very Coelestial Bodies must be abused by these Forgers of Lies Note here they pretend Angels to have Hairs which is false for Hair is an Excrement and Coelestial Bodies have no Excrements but it seemeth they spare none The Angels must have their Hair pull'd off to accommodate their Covetousness But that this Angel should put the five wounds of Christ upon silly Fanatick St. Francis none but stark Fanaticks will believe POSTSCRIPT ANd now Good Reader I have given thee an account of their monstrous Merchandize and horrid Cheats of the Church of Rome discovering to thee their feigned Reliques Let me tell thee how happy a Nation thou livest in how God did bless the Church of England when he did discover the folly of all these wicked Crew of Popelings which with these Thousands of Cheats did pick the Peoples Pockets as they do at this day and to my knowledge in other Nations And should the Pope and his Popelings prevail to introduce the Romish Religion in England again all these swarms of Fopperies will undoubtedly flow in upon us again Yea the Traitor Colman's as well as the Traitor Tom Becket's Bones may hap become holy Reliques Therefore for the Honour of Christ and for the good of your own Souls and the Souls of your poor Babes and all Posterity be earnest with God by Prayers and with your Children and Servants and Neighbours by Counsel to prevent it That that cloud of the darkness of Popery may never overshadow this Nation any more And let all Protestants as good Christians and Lovers of the Souls of their Posterity join heart and hand against it that so our Kings and Nobles and all our Governours and People may never be subject to the Censures or Pretended Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions of that abominable proud Pretender and Father of all Errors and Mischiefs the Pope of Rome And to that purpose be faithful in Discovering all their Priests and Parties and Interests and Designs to the uttermost of your Skill And Encourage all sorts of Protestants whatsoever that fear God honour the King and are willing to be subject to the Civil Magistrate though Dissenting from the rest of Christians in some small Matters and Indifferent things and so live together in Love and Neighbourly Friendship as they of Rome may never have hope again by our Divisions to Impose upon us their monstrous Heresies and Phanaticisms and living in Unity of Affection and Civil Peace put the Pope and all his Crew from all hopes of setting up their Trade of picking Englishmens Pockets by showing their feigned Reliques and pretended Pardons and Indulgences From which that England may be ever free is the Prayer of him that is the Lover of the Protestant Interest and of his King and Country Titus Oates FINIS
means methods and stratagems shall be by them used and contrived for the rooting out and overthrowing of the established Government of the Protestant Church and Churches seeing their Ministry is by them believed and asserted to be false and intruded III. They say That Protestants have not the preaching of the word of God This they have asserted to render the Reformed Churches vile and contemptible and the Worship of God amongst us and our Brethren in the Gospel of no value by which means many of our Religion have been seduced to follow their fopperies and to worship their trash and to wonder after this foul Dragon of Rome Therefore we may easily conclude That they who thus revile us and our Religion and especially in this material part to wit the Ministry of Gods Word which they have villanously denied us to have and enjoy would soon destroy us and that with their hands could they find opportunity since their impudence hath been such as to revile us and it with their tongues IV. That Protestants want the due Administration of Sacraments If the Ministry of the Protestant Churches be false intruded and usurped this then I confess will undoubtedly follow But in this we may my dear Brethren easily see what Calumnies they lay upon that holy Faith for the profession of which many of our Forefathers lost their dear Lives by these cursed Locusts and this they would continue to this day if they were again Lords over us for if the Religion which we profess upon which most of the good Laws under which we live are founded and established lyes under such notorious Censures then there is no man living that will exercise the reason God hath given him but will judge that these Vipers will endeavour and contrive the Subversion of such Laws and consequently the Government of our Prince will be also attempted and struck at V. That the Protestant Church is not the true Church of God This being Preached many of the more ignorant Protestants have been wounded in their Consciences perverted in their Principles corrupted in their Judgments and are brought to Question and at last to oppose the Jurisdiction of the King in things Ecclesiastical by which dismal change the more excellent part of the Government is by them endeavoured to be made and declared to be null and void And by means of this strange perversion those who before were quiet in their several Stations and subject to Laws are become heady and high-minded Traytors without the least spark of Obedience and Love to their Prince and Countrey to the great damage of our Countrey in which we live VI. That the Protestants are notorious Hereticks Upon which position and principle they establish those wicked and diabolical practises of Fires Rapes Thefts Murders Felonies Treasons to the great confusion of our Countrey and disquiet of professors of Religion Have they not I say burnt the Bodies of our Forefathers because they would not debauch their Souls and Consciences in their Idolatrous Communion and all because they judged them Hereticks Upon which principle they depose Kings and then say it is no Treason to Murther them because they are Hereticks if they do only countenance and not practise their Religion Yet we find them very brisk in the denial of all their wicked Attempts upon this Nation even to their deaths as appears by the Five Speeches of the Five Jesuits Traytors lately Executed for Conspiring the Death of the King and Subversion of the Protestant Religion and Government Who indeed would not deny all those things that were in their circumstances For should they have confessed What would have become of their zealous Votaries the conduct of whose souls they had been entrusted withall who would not have continued this trust in such hands if they had known their inclinations to such Treasons What would become of the Plot which certainly goerh on still against us and our Liberties as fast and as fierce as ever The conscious of whom we have not yet a certain intelligence would much abate in their courage and would not be in that capacity to serve the Interest of the Romish Dragon if that these Martyrs or indeed Malefactors had confessed How those considerable Traytors now in hold would have been damnified should they have confessed I leave to you my Brethren to judg and how the whole Interest of the Romish Synagogue must have sunk and perished to all intents and purposes had they spoken that which their Consciences knew to be true Moreover they had an Oath of Secrecy a branch of which was to enjoin them if discovered to deny the design to the last breath and not only a dispensation but also a command from the Pope to do the same and damnation threatned if they had not denied the fact to the last But that which is above all their cunning way of absolving one another just before the Cart was drawn from under them So that had not these considerations been inducements nor the dispensation of the Pope judged by them to be authentick nor his command safe yet behold a Plaister of Absolution is applied to this disease of theirs which certainly must be owned by them to be very effectual for the cure of a Lye and what if the Hangman had debarred them of this opportunity it would have been cured by a few Twelve-penny Masses and after a little frying in Purgatory they would have had Heaven for their pains and who would not endure a little heating in Purgatory for the advantage of their Mother the Church which lay at stake upon the discovery of their Villany plotted and contrived against our Prince Religion Lives and Liberties And now Brethren let this short reflection suffice from me seeing it is done to all intents and purposes by far better hands and it being not to the purpose here I say no more to that Yet I shall bless the Most High God before whose Judgment-seat I must one day stand That though they have made a pretended denial yet my comfort is I have that within me which teacheth me to laugh the Censorious and Malicious to scorn and it further obligeth me to go on with Courage in my Evidence against these obstinate and lying Cut-throats and I hope the Charity of my Brethrens credit will be sooner extended to their Friends that are living than to those implacable and forsworn Enemies that by the just hand of vengeance are now dead and God knowing that I speak the truth I am sure will justifie me in this management of his own Cause and my Countreys But now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified So my Brethren I bid you heartily farewell in the Lord and remain for ever Whitehall July 12. 1679. Your affectionate Brother in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ TITUS OATES The Monstrous and Abominable CHEATS OF THE Romish-PEDLARS