into France After the Ascension of Christ they tell us that the Jews his Persecutors who resolved to destroy all his Friends and Disciples took Martha and Mary Magdalen Lazarus their Brother Marcella their servant and Maximin one of the seventy Disciples whom our Lord before his death had sent forth to preach the Gospel and imbark't them all upon one vessel without Sails Rudder Pilot Marriners or Oars but God was pleased to steer the vessel and safely landed'em at Marseilles These Saints thus delivered from the Sea finding none that would entertain 'em were forc't to sit down in the porch of an Idols Temple Magdalen preaches the Gospel to all that came Particularly to the Governor and his Lady They not profiting in the day by her sermons she appears to 'em in the night in Visions and at last by Promises and Threatnings with much ado makes them Christians She obtain'd a very particular favor from Heaven for 'em viz. that having no Children which they passionately desired the Lady is with child of a son by the intercession of S. Magdalen The Father and Mother resolv'd in gratitude to make a Voyage to Rome to be farther confirm'd in their Christianity by S. Peter himself They set forward in a Ship but are overtaken by a Tempest the Lady big with child and near her time is delivered of a Son but a little too soon by reason of the violent Tempest insomuch that it cost her her Life The disconsolate Father not knowing what to do with the dead body of his Wife in the Ship or with the Infant that might live but there was no nurse to be had for it he perceives a smal Rock in the midst of the Sea he causeth both to be carried there and puts the living Child by the dead Body of the Mother covering them with a coat after this he proceeds in his Voyage to Rome and perform'd what he intended there and receives assurance from S. Peter that his Wife and Child should both be restor'd to him Returning from Rome after two years stay there and the ship passing near that Rock He cast his eyes on that side of the Rock and perceives a little Child on the shore playing with Cockle-shells He makes towards it and finds it was his own son who had suckt the breasts of his dead Mother and always found milk there They remove the coat and find the body not in the least to be corrupted yea at that very instant it rose up and his Wife also was alive so both are brought back with him to Marseilles after this you may judge whether Mary Magdalen did not make mighty progress in the ruin of Idolatry in Marseilles The whole City was converted to the Christian Religion by her means and she gave them Maximin her fellow Traveller to be their Bishop and bestowed on him some of our Saviours Blood which she had brought with her in a Vial. As for her she hid her self for thirty years in the hole of a Rock where she was attended and serv'd by Angels who carried her every day up into Heaven where she heard the Heavenly Consorts and Hymns of the Blessed Spirits and on this she liv'd In all likelyhood this Saint had continued to this day in that rock if she had not been taken notice of by a certain holy Priest who seeing her thus mount into the Air came to the Rock and discourst with her The Saint finding she was observ'd had a mind to live no longer she therfore sends for Maximin the Bishop of Marseilles she receiv'd the Communion from his hands and was carried by the Angels into Paradise no more to return to the Earth I should think that those learned men have little to do with their time or imploy it very ill who give themselves the trouble seriously to confute such impertinent Fooleries as these are However we will be at the pains to repeat some of those many Miracles which the Papacy makes their Saints to work that they may oblige men to invoke and Worship ' em God hath permitted that there are two Characters by which they may be distinguisht viz. the Impertinence and the Multitude of them First their Impertinence for the most part they are ridiculous mean and ludicrous shameful and trifling For Example Ridiculous Miracles attributed to S. Francis. Is it not a Miracle unworthy of the Majesty of God that of S. Prancisd ' Assise when he preacht to the Birds and they held out their Bills and clapt their Wings in testimony of their Attention and Joy At another time he took a Woolf by the Ears that had done great mischief and ravage in the fields of Agobio and made a compact with him that henceforward he should devour or hurt no man but that the Inhabitants should provide him what was necessary to his livelyhood Upon a certain day the Devil tempted this Saint he makes his escape but the Devil after him and would have thrown him head-long from a Rock but the Rock split of it self in several places that he might be able to take fast hold with his hands Oftentimes the Devil tempted Brother Ruffinus but by the advice of St. Francis he one day spake thus to the Devil Aperiostuum stercorisabo in illud Open thy mouth and it shall serve me for a Closestool this frighted the Devil and away he goes in a mighty rage Brother Andrew of Annania had a mind to have some little Birds for his dinner he gets some to be roasted for him but when they were upon the table he bethinks himself and was ashamed of his being so delicate he therefore makes the sign of the Cross over the dish and dismisseth the little Birds away they fly as well as ever before they were taken and roasted Brother Antony preacht one day to the Fishes as S. Francis had done to the Birds these Fishes that we take to be a dull sort of Animales came all to the top of the Water and held up their Heads to listen to his Sermon and when he had done preaching some of 'em gave a loud cry of Approbation thus humming the preacher to the great dishonour of the proverb as mute as a Fish. When any sort of Animals were sick they had only to sprinkle them with a little of that water in which S. Francis did wash his wounds and they were presently Cured 'T was a rare Fellow this S. Francis 't is of him that the Legend saith nihil Christus fecit quod non ille fecit imò plura fecit quam Christus J. Christ did nothing but what St. Francis did as well as he yea much more was done by him than ever Jesus Christ did For certain J. Christ never did so many wonderful things as they ascribe to S. Francis If a Wall were crackt and ready to fall they needed only to thrust into the crevice a little of the Hair of this Saint and it proved more effectual than the best cement in the
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
That is in short they declare the Pope to be Antichrist for is not this the Character of Antichrist to assume to himself falsly and injustly the Rights of Jesus Christ to have power as our Lord to bestow Kingdoms and take away Crowns to open Heaven and Hell infallibly to determine all Controversies to pluck up and to plant to build and to destroy to have two swords the one spiritual th' other temporal and to be the only center and fountain of all the authority in the world Is it not the part of Antichrist to maintain an usurp't authority by the slaughter of so many thousand Christians as the Popes have done who have often made Germany and Italy to swim in blood to get the possession of this power to dispose of the Imperial Crown according to their pleasure for my part I expect a direct Answer to this and in the mean time I maintain that the Pope is a Monster of Pride and the Antichrist according to the last definitions of the Clergy of France and the Kings Declarations pursuant to ' em Can any thing be more ridiculous than what the New Converts alledge there is nothing they say more tolerable than the Power of the Pope as it is now explained in France But I would fain know whether the opinion of France and the decision of her Clergy be that which constitutes the Pope to be what he is and what he ought to be Let the assembly of the french Clergy at Paris say what they please is it ever the less true that the Pope doth ascribe to himself all that tyrannick Power we have been speaking of Is it the less true that he hath exerciz'd this power on an hundred occasions and that he will still exert it whenever he can Is it the less true that the Gallican Church on this very account is censur'd at Rome as guilty of Heresy and Scism Is it the less true that the whole body of the Roman Church looks upon the decision of Paris as a Crime If I should discourse in France of the Kings attempts upon his Neighbours as men discourse of them at Vienna and Madrid that nothing can be more unjust would this make any alteration in the Kings Right if he have any would he not still have reason on his side if it be true that he is in the right what hurt can it do to a Potentate that his Rights are limited and contracted by another Potentate in words and writing if the former continues still in possession of that which he pretends doth of right belong to him Let not those therfore be deceived who have suffer'd themselves to be abus'd by the modifications and abatements that have been made of the Popes power in France This doth not touch the Pope who continues still to be that in himself which he pretends to be and therfore once more I assert that this serves to no other end but to prove to the Gallican Church that the Pope is a Monster of Pride and by consequence that in this respect at least he bears the true Character of Antichrist CHAPTER XI The seventh Character of the Antichristian Kingdom which agrees to the Papacy a Spirit of Covetousness and Simony and its extraordinary Riches Babylon is to be a City of Merchants 'T Is manifest by the 18th Chapter of the Revelations that Babylon the Great was to be a City of great Commerce and Trade and of great Riches and consequently of Rapine and Avarice because these are the ordinary methods by which men acquire more than ordinary Riches Babylon is a City of Merchants V. 11. The Merchants of the Earth shall lament and mourn over her for no man buyeth her Merchandise any more V. 12. The Merchandise of Gold and Silver and precious Stones and of Pearls and Fine Linnen and Purple and Silk and Scarlet and all sweet Wood and all manner of Vessels of Ivory and of precious Wood and Brass and Iron and Marble V. 13. And Cinamon and Odors and Oyntments and Frankincense and Wine and Oyl and fine Flower and Wheat and Beasts and Sheep and Horses and Chariots and Bodies and Souls of Men. The Papacy framed by Covetousness That is to say that Spiritual Babylon is Rich and Powerful that her Goods are immense that every thing there is to be sold and bought Let us see whether this be not exactly verified in the Papacy First as to its Doctrines is it not Rich to the greatest abundance and do they not make sale of every thing First 't is plain that Covetousness dishonest gain and that wretched Passion which never saith 't is enough are the very soul and spirit of Popery Their Doctrines are framed to get Money The fable of Purgatory was forg'd by the spirit of Covetousness as well as Lying to drain Wealth and Treasure from the Houses of the simple People into those of the Priests and Monks 'T is this hath made so many foundations of Convents with good Revenues and Great houses setled by that which they call works of Piety The Sacrifice of the Mass the most august of all the Mysteries of Popery is made the source of a shameful and filthy Gain 'T is a Lucky hit for the Clergy that someway hath been found to persuade the people that this Sacrifice is good for every thing good for the Living and as good for the Dead good for Sickness and good for Health excellent to Find out what a man hath Lost and as admirable to Preserve that which he hath in possession good for Success in any undertaking by Sea or Land so that there is no Merchandise in the world that on this account hath so good a vent Innumerable persons are maintain'd by it and live by nothing else They have increased the number of the Sacraments because they are as so many Mines from whence money may be had Why are humane Satisfactions made to signifie so much but because you must pay dear to redeem them Why have they contriv'd a Treasure for the over-plus of the Righteousness of the Saints but to exhaust the treasure of the Ignorant of the Superstitious and of Libertins who buy Indulgences for money and do Penance by Proxy paying well for it 'T is well known that those Indulgences have made a filthy trade in the Papacy the traffick of 'em hath been so shameful that Papists themselves have complain'd of it By what spirit were Images brought into the Church and the Invocation of Saints not only is a spirit of superstition and Idolatry concern'd but of Covetousness too for Customhouses are establisht with reference to these called the shrines of Saints and consecrated Chappels where the Reliques and Images of our Lady work Miracles Multitudes of People flock thither and bring costly Presents and load the Altars with their Offerings to the great Gain and Profit of the Priests The proud Divinity of the Merit of Good Works serves only to advance that which they call Works
all the Articles of the creed are therin discourst of as Captious Deceitful Impious Blasphemous Heretical Equivocal and Erroneous did ever more unclean Spirits come out of the mouth of the Dragon and the Beast than these CHAPTER XIII A Continuation of the Eighth Character of Antichristianism found in the Papacy the Reprobate Spirit of their Legendary Preachers Mystical Authors c. THe Writers of their Legends are another Mouth of the Beast and False Prophet and how many unclean Spirits have come out from thence all the men of any sense and judgment among the Papists are asham'd of it Let any one but read the Book of the Conformity between Jesus Christ and S. Francis and he will find it stuft with more Extravagancies than all the Fables of Paganism amount to He will there find S. Francis to be the man whom Moses speaks of when he brings in God speaking after this manner Let us make man after our own Image and likeness and let him have dominion over the Beasts of the field c. God entred into a consult of the whole Trinity for the creation of this Saint The unclean Spirit of the Legendaries He was given to the world at the prayer of the H. Virgin. He wrought more miracles than Jesus Christ cast out more Devils and raised more from the dead than all the Apostles together Was Jesus Christ transfigur'd once S. Francis was so at least twenty times did our Lord open the Eyes of some few who were blind S. Francis hath cured a thousand Had Jesus Christ his hands and feet pierc'd S. Francis endur'd the same torment for many years S. Francis was foretold by all the Prophets and painted out by the most glorious descriptions of Sanctity that are to be found in the Scriptures And this was the Sanctity of this S. Francis that at a certain time he had the impudence to strip himself stark naked in the presence and view of an whole City He put Worms into his bosome called the swallows his Sisters Lambs and Hares his Brethren spent whole days in singing with a Nightingale made Women of snow with whom he Lay at nights for the greater Mortification c. The reprobate Spirit of Popery appears more visibly in nothing more than in the Idea of Evangelical Holiness which their Legends of Saints give us for it seems as if they did design to render Christianity ridiculous and in reality this is unquestionably the Intent of that Lying Spirit which hath fram'd the Papacy and invented her Legends When these Legends describe a Saint they represent a Fool and a Madman They tell us that one Brother Juniper out of Humility and to make himself Contemtible us'd to ease himself in the beds of those who entertaind him and to play at childish Games with Boyes and that he wisht that his Body after his death might stink so horribly that none might endure to come near him and so he might be unburyed Besides ascribing such Follies to them they make them at the same time exercise terrible Cruelties towards themselves to lye seven years on Thorns and Thistles for having kill'd a flea as Macarius did to tear to burn their Bodies to disfigure their faces c. as if God required such things of us We shall not cite any thing of the old Legends which may be rejected as sillinesses that are now out of fashion read the Panegyrick of S. Rose written a while ago and spoken at Rome by Father Oliva the General of the Jesuites and turn'd into very elegant French by F. Bouhours another Jesuite There they propound the most sottish and extravagant Idea of Sanctity that can enter into the mind of man. This S. Rose was a native of Lima a City in Peru. In her infancy a certain inspiration moved her to consecrate herself to God and renounce the world While she was a very young Child her mother having forced her to wear a garland of Flowers on a publick Festival she put Needles under the Flowers and stuck them so deep into her Head that the skull was pierced so that a great deal of skill and strength was necessary to pull them out After this instead of a Crown of Flowers she made herself one of Nayles which made a circle of great Wounds round about her head Because Nature had given her Beauty every night she rubb'd over her Face with an Indian powder that was of so dismal an acrimony that her whole face was cover'd with ugly and painful Sores Because a Gentleman once commended the whiteness of her hands she thrust them both into quick Lime and held them there till the Flesh was wasted away to the Bones Her ordinary food was the seeds of bitter Oranges and Gall. She would be six or seven dayes together without drinking and when she did drink that she might not dye of thirst she took only a little warm water Every night she disciplin'd herself with a heavy Iron Chain that wore off the flesh and bruised her very Bones One day she girt this Chain so strait about her that it went into the flesh she lockt it with a Padlook and threw the Key into a well This Chain fretted so deep even to the Bones that it grated on them On this manner this wretched Creature was like to perish miserably by a lingering and most tormenting death and none could help her for the Padlock was lockt the Key lost and her body being cover'd with sores 't was impossible to use either hammer or file to get off the Chain But the Virgin Mary who had some work to do for S. Rose came and delivered her from this Torture After this her History tells us she made her self a little Hut as it were a little Hermits cell at the further end of her Fathers Garden The Flies that annoy those climates came presently in multitudes and fill'd the Cell The Saint was sadly tormented and She who was so in love with pain yet could not endure this She therefore made a Treaty with the Flies on these conditions I will give you leave to shelter your selves in my Cell when excessive heat or cold drives you out of the Garden I 'le do you no hurt and you shall promise to do me none Let us live in amity that neither my hands kill you nor your Stings wound me These are her very words Thus the Treaty was made and it was honestly observed The Saint made her a large Ring of Silver in which were fastned ninety nine sharp Nayles in honour of the 33 years of Christ's Life which number she trebled in her round plate and wore it under her Hair that it might tear the skin of her head Her haircloth was made up with sharp Needles and of such thick Hair that her Body was constantly cover'd with many bleeding wounds She wore sharp Iron Pricks on her Feet but finding that those parts were not mortifyed enough by that she put her feet to the mouth of a glowing
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
an absolute and totall Apostacy from the Christian Religion 'T is sufficient if it Symbolize with Paganism and very much resemble it This is also signified by what is said 13th chapter of the Revel that the Beast which was struck dead should revive again This Beast is the Roman Empire as Pagan There were two things considerable in that Beast His Kingdom and his Paganism the first had been struck dead by the Goths the other the Paganism had receiv'd a mortal Wound from the time of Constantine untill that of Theodosius but both must revive and recover again The Empire of the Beast in the Papal Domination and the Paganism in the Papal Religion The Papacy ressembles Paganism First in General because its Worship is neither Spirituall nor Rational as neither was the Religion of the Heathens Secondly in particular that the doctrines and worship of the Papacy are an imitation of the Pagan Religion by these two Articles of Conformity between Popery and Paganism I intend to prove the Paganism of the Romish Religion And in the first place I 'le prove that the Worship of the Papacy hath this in common with that of the Gentiles that it is neither Spiritual nor Reasonable The two Characters of Christian Worship are that it is Spiritual and National This is undeniable that the two great Characters of the Service and Worship of the Christian Religion are these two That it is Spiritual and that it is Rational By Spiritual I understand a Service freed from Ceremonies and bodily Observances By Reasonable I understand a Worship that is holy in its Institution full of Wisdom and Reason and proper to impress a lively sense of its Divinity by elevating the Soul unto God. Our Lord Jesus told the Samaritan Woman Woman believe me the hour Cometh John 4. c. v. 21 22 23 24. and now is that neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father The true Worshippers are they who worship in Spirit and in Truth God is a Spirit and they who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth c. 'T is plain that the Spirit and a Spiritual Service are there appos'd to the Carnal Bodily Ceremonial Service of the Ancient Church S. Paul speaks in like manner to the Romans I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your Reasonable Service That is the other Character of the worship of Christian Religion 'T is true Judaism had a corporal worship bodily exercise but it was reasonable being full of deep mysteries of types and lessons of piety but the worship of the Heathens had neither Spirituality nor reason Christian worship is altogether both Spiritual and Rational Nothing can be more Rational than to pray to God to sing his praise to offer him thanksgivings to hear his word and preach it to keep his commandments to receive the sign of our washing in Baptism and of our Spiritual nourishment in the Sacrament of the Eucharist In the Popish Religion there is just as much of Spirituality and of Reason as there is of Christianity therfore we find there prayers to God and Thanksgivings and Sacraments But so far forth as Popery hath made additions to Christianity there is nothing that is either Spiritual or Rational Popish worship neither Spiritual nor Reasonable First their worship is covered under an unknown Language a dead and barbarous one which the People understand not and that alone were enough to take away all the reason and spirituality of any such worship For tho all that is contain'd under that language convered under that vaâ—l should be Spirit and Reason to the highest degree tho all should be devout pious full of unction and able to raise the soul to the third Heaven of what use could it be to what purpose could it serve we could perceive but the outside a frightfull carnal bark and cover that were only for the eye wherin even the ear can have no part but with respect to the symphony and Harmony of sounds Secondly All that we see is meerly corporeal viz. Churches adorn'd with extraordinary pride and pomp wherin is a glimmering Light mixt with darkness but inlightned with Lamps and candles with niches in the walls where we see Images of a Curious sculpture in rich and magnifick habits They who serve at their Altars have extraordinary garments both for matter and form and sometimes for cost too the service is not said but sung with Musick and the Masses of Great and Festival days accompanied with instrumental and vocal Musick The Body of the Clergy with all the People march often in great pomp a Cross lifted up and banners displaid and so walk thro the streets and sometimes the fields with this equipage The shrine of a Saint is sometimes carried in this manner before which one cries that all must kneel and all the people are presently on their knees Every year The God made by a Priest is carried in great pomp all the streets eccho with joy all places thro which they pass with this Ceremony are adorn'd with Tapistry and Pictures and the streets covered with Flowers nothing can be more like the pomp of Isis a part whereof is described by Apuleius Is this a spiritual and Rational worship Is not this like the Heathen worship who carried their Gods in procession upon sacred Chariots which they called Thensae Deorum Is not this to make Religion a meer spectacle a kind of Comedie In short all the devotion of the People comes to this to look upon Processions the shrines and Reliques of Saints the Ciborium where they put the H. Sacrament Altars Ornaments Tapistrys Pictures Images Crucifixes Priests Habits Canopies and the magnificence of the Train which follows according to Ceremony The Imagination and the Heart likewise are fill'd with this glittering outside and gawdy show which is so far from elevating the soul to God as is pretended that it stops and hinders it from mounting higher than to what is meerly external and earthly They pretend that this worship of theirs is very spiritual and full of Mysteries The Priest puts the Amict upon his head which is the name of his hood this signifies they tell us the Divinity of Jesus Christ which was hidden and concealed under his Passion He puts on the Albe or white surplice over his other cloaths because it is written thy garments shall be white and this to denote the Innocence of those who serve at the Altar The Subdeacon in some places kisses the right hand of the Priest who doth officiate because the right hand of the most High hath done valiantly The Priest or the Bishop doth sit down after the prayer in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ's fitting in the Temple to dispute with the Doctors of the Law. In a word there is not the most minute and trifling Ceremony of their worship but hath its
to worship them without Images as they had done for 170 years The same S. Augustin relates the words of Seneca who admired the folly of men who made very abasing representations of their Gods calling by that name lifeless things at which they would be affrighted if they should begin to stir of themselves Common sense made a Pagan speak at this rate and 't is very amazing that the same common sense assisted by divine Revelation should not at this day inspire the Papists with the same sentiments They give a Religious worship to lifeless sensless stones which if they should begin to move and speak would seem much more worthy of worship but in such a case men would fly from them as monsters and tremble at them as prodigious Papists believe as Pagans did that the consecration of Images confers a virtue to them Those Pagans who went the highest in their esteem of Images asserted that by virtue of their consecration they became not Gods but the dwellings of the Gods and that their deities were present with those Images i. e. with a presence of virtue and operation For they did not believe that the very substance of Jupiter was in such a manner fastned to his Image at Rome that he was not at all present with his Images in Greece Now I beseech you what real difference is there between this Opinion and that which the Papists have concerning their Images The Council of Trent declares that it would not have people believe that there is more virtue in one Image than in another But doth this hinder the devout vulgar from thinking otherwise Do they not believe that there is a far greater virtue in the Images of our Lady of Loretto and Montferrat than in those at Paris If not why do they take such long journeys to visit and kiss those Images which are in other Countreys Why do some Images work miracles and others none Why are the Priests who are the Jaylors and Keepers of such Images so wealthy Why are the Chappell 's where those Images are kept so rich and stored with treasure if one Image is not better than another Pagans gave no other worship to their Images than what Papistâ— give theirs The more moderate Papists are continually telling us that their Images have nothing divine in them that they are only meer representations by which they honour the Saints The Pagans said the very same concerning their Images Who saith one of them that is not a fool Celsus apud Origin can imagin that the Statues are Gods and not the Images and representations of the Gods There is not a Papist who dare speak with so much contemt of his Images as Plato spake of the Heathen ones He said that we owe a much greater honour to our Parents than to the Images of the Gods and that the Images having no Souls can do us neither good nor evil There is no Roman-Catholick who builds Chappels to his surviving Father and Mother or burns Incense to them And there is not one who dare say that our Ladies Images that are famous for their miracles are good for nothing and do neither good nor hurt They will indeed confess that the Image doth not work the Miracles But they say that the Virgin works the Miracles at the presence of her Images as God worketh grace in men at the presence of the Sacraments They cannot therefore say that they do neither good nor hurt for then we might say the same of the Sacraments Therefore we must not imagin that the Pagans tho they have not found out the pretty distinctions of Latria and Doulia of absolute and relative adoration did not make a great difference between the worship they gave their Gods and that which they gave their Images If there were among the Pagans some so stupid that they did not distinguish the Image from the Original there are some such among the Papists their own Authors do confess it Otherwise setting aside the sentiments of the heart 't is plain that the external honours that the Papists give their Images are exactly like these that the Pagans gave their Statues This is a point that cannot be contested or needs to be proved But here we ought to observe what we remarqued before Papists more superstitious as to Images than the Pagans concerning the service that is done to the dead that Popery much surpasseth Paganism in the Worship of Images The madness for Images never was so excessive among the Pagans as it is among the Papists 'T was never seen that these did run from one end of the world to the other to adore a forreign Image every one was content with his own Gods. 'T was never seen that Images were surrounded with worshippers who expected miracles from them They had no book Legends of the miracles wrought by their Images 'T is true Isis and Esculapius as they pretended did some miraculous cures But the least Popish Saint hath done more than the greatest Pagan Deities And there is no proportion between the Fabulous Histories of miracles written by Pagans and those written by false Christians 'T is not now I suppose difficult to see a near Conformity between Popery and Paganism as to these five objects of worship 1. The supreme God. 2. Angels 3. Dead persons 4. Reliques And 5. Images We should now have proceeded to show their Conformity as to Ceremonies of worship But the Parallel would be over long because so easily made For we may truly affirm Ceremonies of Popish service borrowed from Paganism that there is nothing in the External worship of Popery that is not an imitation of Paganism Their holy water is come in the room of the Lustrat Waters of the Heathens Their Patron Saints succeed the Pagan Penates and Lares i. e. houshould Gods Their Canonisations the Roman Apotheoses's Their Pope the High-Priests Their Cardinals the Colledges of Augurs Their Priests those of Paganism Their Altars the Pagan Altars Their Lamps always burning the perpetual Fires that were kept in the Temples Their Processions the Pomps of the Circus Their Shrines that which the Heathen call'd the Chariots of the Gods Their Perambulations the Amberales Their Carnaval the Baccanals Their Benedictions and Consecrations that which the Pagans call'd Lustrations Their Purgatory the Subterraneous Mansions whither the Pagans said Souls went down to be purged Is not this a strange Event which falls out to the Confusion of Popery that at Rome and divers other Places the Pagan Idols and Temples have only chang'd their Names without changing their Uses 'T is affirmed that the Image of the Capitoline Jupiter at Rome is changed into that of S. Peter only instead of a Thunderbolt the Keys are put in his hands At Bordeaux formerly an Antique of Jupiter going up to Heaven on an Eagle serv'd on ascension-Ascension-day to represent Jesus Christ going up to Heaven The Temples of Heathenish Gods have been consecrated to Saints Those who write
Woman who observed the Birth-day of the Queen of Heaven nay further they know the very House where she was born it was scituated in Jerusalem very near to the Pool by the Sheep-market This the great Damascene hath told us who was honour'd with this Revelation very likely for his great zeal for the Adoration of the Virgin 's Images there were not less Miracles nor less Alterations in Heaven and Earth at the Birth of the Mother than there were afterward at the Birth of the Son. For whole Troops of Angels came down from Heaven and sung Hymns and melodious Songs in Honour of the newly born Spouse of the Eternal King. And the Holy little Girle which as soon as She was born had the use of her Reason was wonderfully pleased and rejoyced to hear them And which is still more strange this Melody of the Angelick Choir was every year repeated on the same day 'T is a Saint St. Bernardin de Bustis who tells us this and consequently we cannot doubt of it At the Birth of the Son there was the apparition of a New Star in the Air but there was a great deal more at the Birth of the Mother The Light of the Sun was doubled for a day and a night that of the Moon was so augmented that it was taken to be the Sun and more than all this close to the Body of the Moon there appeared a great Star of an extraordinary clearness and splendor Lastly an Angel gave the little Girle her Name and call'd her Mirjam which signifieth The Star of the Sea as the Monks explain it who are very skilful in the Hebrew and Rabbinical Language Because Mary was to succeed Venus who was begotten of the Scum of the Sea and the Seed of Caelus The Mother of the Messiah is at this day the Christians Venus the Morning-Star which guides them thro all Dangers to conduct and pilote them to the Haven of Grace Anna the Mother of Mary to obtain this Child had vowed to give her to God even as Anna Samuels Mother had vowed to give him To perform this Vow Anna the Wife of Joachim presented her Daughter when three years old to the Priests for the service of the Temple 'T was very wisely contrived to consecrate a Girle to the service of the Temple into which no Woman might so much as enter there being an outward Court which was appropriated to that Sex. Neverthless the Priests received her and put her into the Holy of Holies to keep the Cherubims company There she was fed eleven years by Angels After eleven years the Priests held a Consultation to know what they should do with this Holy Virgin the conclusion was that they should commit her to the keeping of Joseph who had given great evidences of his Virtue and Continence It had been far more sutable to have committed her to some venerable Matrons to keep But the Authors of this Romance did not judge this expedient because of something that was to follow upon this She was fourteen years old when she was committed to the custody of that good old man Joseph she was hansome and had every thing that was proper to inflame Love But the good Man went no further than as her Guardian to inspect and watch over her Three Months after this when she was in the first quarter of her fifteenth year she was honour'd with the Salutation of the Angel and with Marriage to the third Person of the adorable Trinity It would have seem'd more convenient for them to have made the Mother of our Lord to be of riper years as to her Body but especially as to her mind that she might be capable to reflect with more attention and judgment upon the Miracle which was wrought upon her The Virgin was but 15. years old when She ceiv'd by the Holy Ghost But the Legendaries are wiser than we and knew doubtless by Revelation that the Heavenly Bridegroom had most mind to young and growing Beauties She then becomes a Mother at fifteen years old And by reason of the Miracle which God had wrought in her Womb she was obliged to live with Joseph under the name of his Spouse to maintain her reputation among those who were ignorant of this Mystery It is not certain whether the Priests knew all this who committed her to the Custody of Joseph if they knew not that she had conceived by the Holy Ghost they had no great reason to be well pleased with Joseph who had been no more careful to preserve the Virginity of the Damsel put under his Tuition and Care. They who are contemplative as well as devout are extreamly puzled to know how this Miraculous Conception was made and of what matter Jesus was form'd for they think it not becoming the Majesty of the Lord Jesus that he should be formed of that Blood that which falls into the parts appointed for Conception Therefore they very piously tell us that the Holy Ghost took out Three Drops of Blood from the Heart of Mary and conveyd'em into the Vterus from thence to frame the body of our Saviour They who are not of this opinion yet confess that 't is a very devout and pious Contemplation When the B. Virgin had brought forth the Redeemer into the world and the rumor began to spread that it was by the Holy Ghost that She had conceiv'd and that She was delivered of a Son without blemishing the Marks of her Virginity there were multitudes who would not give credit to it And as we read of a Thomas who would see and put his Finger into the Side of Christ to be the better assured of his Resurrection so there was a certain Woman named Salome who would see and feel and search the Virgin-Mother with such Circumstances as would cause the most impudent of Women to blush and yet the Protoevangelium attributed to St. James hath related the whole Story at length The rest of the Life of Mary is wrote after the same strain and with the like degree of Modesty but that I may not enlarge too much I pass it over and come to her Death and Assumption which is the principal thing in this piece The Fable of the Assumption of the Virgin. because 't is on that especially they would ground her advancement to the Right Hand of God and the Divine Honours which are given to her Let us see then after what manner She dyed Mary had lived to the Age of 58. years others say 63. and others make it more 'T is very strange that knowing so exactly as they pretend all the rest of her Life that they should be no better informed concerning the length of it but the reason is because it is a matter of no great moment as to their design The Holy Virgin being weary of living earnestly intreats her Son to take her out of this World. Iesus sends an Angel to her with the promise and assurance that within three days it should
ever since and take a little rest after so many violent motions in removing And 't is very probable that it will never be removed from thence for since the time of Luther and Calvin the Angels are not so forward as heretofore to work such kind of Miracles in favor of Mary That you may not imagin this to be a Fable you must know that the people of Recanati who were ignorant whence this wonderful House should come were duely informed of the truth of all these Miracles by a devout person whom the Virgin obliged with a particular Revelation of the whole matter that the B. Virgin might not fail of being devoutly worshipt in this place But because the people were incredulous and had not faith enough to credit the story of the old man they sent sixteen Ambassadors grave pious and credible persons from Recanati to Nazareth with the exact measures of the House and there they Discovered the Foundations of an House that had been built there perfectly corresponding to the measures they had brought with them and which is more considerable near the place they found an Inscription which certified that there had been such a Church formerly there but it was miraculously translated After all this who can in the least question the truth of this History especially since it is ingraven on Tables of Brass which are hung up in the House it self The Jesuite Tursellin hath related the whole History in very good Latin and adorned it with many curious Circumstances which for the sake of brevity we omit and hath inlarged it by the account of very many Miracles wrought by the Virgin in favor of her House and Image The whole confirmed by the Priviledge and Approbation of Pope Clement VIII and fortified with the Testimony of the gravest Authors of the Roman Church such as Rainaldus Bzovius and Spondanus who have not forgot to mention this memorable History in their Annals and for a larger account of it refer us to Tursellin as an Author of such exactness and fidelity that none can be supposed to question his Authority in Italy especially in the Neighbourhood of Recanati To speak seriously was there ever any thing so ridiculous absurd and silly imposed upon the world the Metamorphoses of Ovid and the Book of Palephatus contain nothing so foolish and incredible But they got their End by it which was to promote the Worship of the Virgin to establish the Doctrine of Devils i. e. Demons these Fables are invented to this very intent exactly as S Paul fore-told Several Impâ—ous and Riâ—â—ulous Miracles wrought by the Virgin. To finish the History let us see some of the Miracles which these wretched Idolaters pretend to be wrought by the Virgin in the composition of these Fables they not only seem to have lost all Shame but to have renounc't common Sense as if they designed to render Christianity the most ridiculous of all Religious for Example can any thing be more enormous and abominable than what they make the Virgin do in favor of one Beatrix who had the charge of the Keys of a certaine Convent she was debaucht by a Priest and Privately left the Convent and for fifteen years frequented the Stews and the most infamous places during all which time the H. Virgin supplied her place in the Convent and was Door-keeper in her room that it might not be observed that she was absent Insomuch that at her return she reassum'd her former Offices and Imploy without the least blemish to her Reputation This was because she was extremely devoted to the Virgin. Because an Abbess of another Convent was one of her Votaries she suffered no damage for being with child by the Steward of the House the Bishop had notice of it and was preparing to punish her but the Virgin gave Commission to two Angels to transport the Abbess unto a private place where she was safely delivered and then restored her Virginity to her so that when the Bishop caused her to be searcht her Accusers were put to shame and confuted and the Bishop was fore't to crave her pardon Is there any thing more horrible than what the Annals of the Jacobins say of the Virgin They make her to be married to Dominick their founder she comes to him and discourses him after this manner Dominick my son my dear Husband Alanus Redivivus because by the inspiration of Jesus thou hast strenuously contested against the Enemies of the faith behold I am come to thy succor I whom thou hast so often invok't then the Virgin receives him into her Virginal Bosome kisses him with the most Amorous tenderness and having open'd to him her breasts gives him to tast of her Milk aâ—â— perfectly cures him If I had not related the very words of the Author I could not expect to find credit in the recital of so horrid a Passage The same Alanus who reports this of S. Dominick would be thought to have had the same Honour no matter tho the B. Virgin be made guilty of Polygamy by it she must it seems have several Husbands The Virgin then espoused Alain de la Roche in the presence of I Christ divers of the Saints who assisted at the wedding she gave him the ring of her Virginity made of her Virginal Hair. After this the Sweet Lady kiss'd him and let him suck her Breasts Can such things as these be read without Horror and Trembling 'T is incredible how many several Husbands this Holy Virgin is said to have espoused how pure a Virgin soever she be The Legend of Surius relates the History of one Herman surnamed Joseph because he was married to the Virgin. Mary comes with two Angels to demand Marriage of him the poor Fellow was astonisht at such a demand Incitabat amor retinebat pudor Love prompted him to accept but shame and bashfulness kept him back Caesarius tells the History of a certain Soldier who was in love with his Captains Wife The Virgin to divert him from so criminal an Amour presents her self to him as a most Charming Beauty and tells him I will be thy Wife give me a Kiss and constrain'd him to it Are there any worse impurities to be found in the Chronicle of Venus among the Fables of the Heathen We may see how the fire of lust discover'd it self in the impure Fancies of these wicked Monks who composed these Legends To what purpose is all this 't is to persuade the World that the Virgin doth passionately desire to be ador'd and worshipt for all these favors are granted to such as were her special Votaries The design of the Legendaries is to promote the Adoration of the Virgin. 'T is with the same design that those wretched Annalists of the Virgin would make us believe that there is no danger from which the Virgin doth not deliver those who devoutly worship her and give her the preference to all others Father Crasset hath lately made an whole book
World. With the Shavings of his Hair Devils were driven away A Grashopper once kept him Company eight days together and when he call'd her she percht upon his Head. A Nightingale kept him Company one day and sung by turns 'T is true that Jesus Christ wrought no such Miracles as these at least that we know of The Miracles of St. Dominick St. Dominick the Patriarch of the Jacopins doth not come behind St. Francis the Patriarch of the Cordeliers This good Saint took delight to vex and enrage the Devils sometimes he made them hold his Candle with their Fingers and when it burnt to the very place where they held the Caâ—â—le he made them hold fast tho they burnt their Fingers and made a grievous Cry. Sometimes he forc't 'em to keep in a body whether they would or no and notwithstanding their Intreaties to be gone To confound the Heretical Albigenses he made a great Dog appear who on all sides shew'd his Tail and out of it came the most horrible Exhalations that could be scented This Dog took the Shape of a Cat and escapt by the Bell ropes but as it went up let fall such filthy matter as stunk horribly A certain Nun named Mary had a greivous Pain for a long time in those parts which I shall not name St. Dominick appears to her visits her in a Dream and takes from under his Frock an Oyntment of a sweet Perfume anoints her with it and tells her the name of it was Vnguentum Amoris the Oyntment of Love The modesty of the Writer suffers in penning this and that of the Reader will likewise in perusing it But 't is necessary to observe the horror of that fabulous Spirit of the Papacy in the latitude and full extent of it Impertinent Miracles attributed to several Saints We meet with one St. Swithin in the Legend who wrought a more gentile miracle a Poor Woman in the Country having all her Eggs broke by a Mason the Saint made them whole again 't was well worth the while S. Aldem hung his Cloths one day upon a Sunbeam as one would do it on a pin The same thing happen'd to one Deicola being very weary in his Journey he had a mind to throw off his Coat which incommoded him he had servants of his own that attended which is not very common for the Saints to have they run to offer their service to take off his Coat but were prevented by a Sunbeam which took his Coat from him and kept it two or three hours 'till the Saint had need of it The Miracle of St. Brigit seems yet to be more admirable her Cloaths being very dirty and wet she had a mind to dry 'em on the Branch of a Tree which she saw as she imagin'd but in reality it was no Tree but only the shadow of one but that Shadow did her the same service as the real Tree could have done supported her Cloaths in the Air and dryed 'em as well as could be Saint Cadrac might have let his Staff rest upon the ground as other men use to do when he did not use it but he thought it more expedient to make use of the Power of God to make it hang in the Air. If any have a mind to see more of these Impertinences of Popish Saints he may consult our Legal Exceptions and will find many more in the Authors which we there quote I would fain ask any rational man whether there be any thing in these Miracles that bear the Characters of Divine Wisdom and Majesty and of that Gravity and Grandeur that is to be observ'd in true Miracles What Religion is that which makes the Great God to do such thingâ— as one would be asham'd to ascribe to a Grave and Good Man The second Character of these Miracles which manifests the Falsity of 'em The multitude of Miracles of Popish Saints discovers their falsity is their Multitude The very name Miracle signifies something that is rare and unusual All the Ages of the World from the Creation to the End of the Apostles days furnish us but with very few I know not whether we can make up two hundred in the whole History of the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament But if you read the Lives of the Monks and Saints of the Roman Church you find them walk in the midst of Miracles they hardly tread a step without working some Miracle or other God hath been very profuse of his Omnipotence in their favor they dispose of his Almighty Arm more freely than any Prince doth the hands of his own Subjects Dominick gave the word of Command to the Devils as a man would do to the meanest of his Servants in whatsoever form the Devilappeared he was still his Master if he took the form of a Dog or of a Cat we have seen how he used him If he took the form of a Bird he plum'd his Feathers by Sister Maximilla if he met with the Devil that had possest a Body let him be never so obstinate and refractory yet yield he must and with the Rosary alone he would have driven out an hundred Legions of 'em if there had been so many in one Body So the Legend tells us that when the Virgin had revealed the Rosary to Saint Dominick the Devils made Heaven and Earth resound with their Cries in the Air saying Wo wo unto us for we are bound by this Psalter as with so many Iron Chains Resurrections of the Dead are reckon'd among the chiefest Miracles and they are very rarely seen We read but of three wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ But they are very cheap and common among the Miracles of the Legendary Saints Brother William raised but two from the Dead for his part but Brother Ambrose of Massa raised six Brother Nicholas raised one from the dead and gave new Eyes to a man who had his Eyes pluckt out which is much more than to restore to a blind man who hath Eyes but cannot see Brother Anthony raised several from the Dead Brother Odoric raised one Brother Minor. Brother Benevent raised two from the Dead The Sepulcher of Brother John Vafordia was so singular a Remedy against death that the Bodies of all those who dyed of a violent death being brought thither were raised without fail All these were Brothers of the Order of St. Francis who wrought such Miracles Not so much as the Women of that Order but had their share in this gift The B. Salome of the Royal Family of Poland raised some from the dead at one time she restored life to a Peacock that had been strangled by a Dog. And yet this is nothing in comparison of what hath been done by the Saints of the Order of St. Dominick St. Vincent Ferrier a Jacopin for his own share raised eight and thirty from the dead and St. Jacinthe a Polonian a Jacopin also raised fifty two And we shall see presently how the Venerable
Father Crasset treats those who are incredulous as to these things As to other Miracles such as Curing diseases opening the Eyes of the Blind and the Ears of the Deaf restoring broken Limbs or paralitick wither'd Members or when half hath been lost c. These are little inconsiderable things which the Legend hardly thinks it worth while to take notice of I know not whether the Reader will not be weary of such stuff for my own part my patience is almost tired and I shall here conclude the Chapter of the Fables and Romances made in favor of the Invocation of Saints and pass to the Fabulous History of their Reliques CHAPTER XXI The fabulous History of Reliques of Images of the real Presence of the Adoration of the Host of the Sacrifice of the Mass of Purgatory of Founding the Orders of the Monks MOnks Adoration of Reliques and the Spirit of Lying came into the Church in the same Age. The Monks are those Cheats and Impostors who according to St. Paul's prediction were to set on foot the Worship and Doctrine of Demons or secondary Mediators And Reliques were the first step that led men to the diâ—iâ—al Superstitions which we have spoken of in the preceding Chapters If we should undertake to write the Annals of Reliques of their discovery of their Translations and Miracles down from the sourth Century they alone would make a vast Library but withal a very monstrous one for this is one of the most filthy and shameful Raggs which Popery hath sewed to Christianity Yea the very drawing up an Inventory of their Reliques would suffice to shew the filth of this piece of Popery One might sind at Rome an inexhaustible spring of Reliques and Cheats which is called the Catacombs These are Caves and Sepulchres Catacombs at Rome whence Reliques are now taken where the Romans of old buryed their Slaves and arterward all their dead When they gave over the Custom of Burning them which was after the time of the Antonins These Catacombs that were once the Sepulchres of Heathen Slaves are become the Quarries where the Gods of Christians are digg'd From thence some Bones are taken and baptiz'd with the name of some Saint who often never was in the world and are distributed into all Countreys Even those Papists who retain any Common Reason do abhor and deride them Marolles Abbot of Villeloin who dyed but a few years ago said That if a Church or a Community wanted Reliques they needed only to address to the Pope and most humbly desire his Holiness to give them some Who takes out of the Catacombs as many as he pleaseth and after an exact Tryal made he baptizeth them as they call it and giveth them their proper name whether by inspiration or because he hath a mind to do so is no matter Witness the chests fill'd with Reliques that were taken out of these Catacombs and which Pope Alexander VII and his Successor Clement the IX sent into France as a rich present Head of â—â—â—tunatus that was made of â—â—â—â—â—oard Among which was that miraculous Head of St. Fortunatus which the Physicians found to be made of Pastboard and the body of St. Ovidius which at this day worketh so many Miracles in the Convent of the Capuchius What a Pity it is that this Saint who was never known in the Martyrologies or History hath lost his time so sadly for twelve or fifteen Ages together what Miracles are lost which had been wrought if they had digg'd him up sooner Reliques of the Virgin. If we designed to make an Inventory of Reliques we ought to begin with those of the Virgin before we come to those of her Son. But since her Body as well as Soul is in Heaven these Gentlemen her Devoto's are deprived of the grand help to their Devotion because they can shew none of her Bones But to make amends for this they have made a curious Collection of her Linnens and little Cloaths They have her Girdles her Ropes her Sandals her Quoifs her Shifts her Wast-coats They have her Hair the Parings of her Nailes and her Milk in great quantity All this was never heard of till the sixth and seventh Centuries yea the most of these Reliques of the Virgin were not known a long time after But God who intended to honour these blessed Reliques with Altars and Adoration did carefully preserve them in little Corners that none knew of and after eight or ten Ages brought them to light to warm again the cold devotion of the Church They have good Warrant and Sureties for the truth of these Reliques for the Virgin hath taken care to assure some honest Monk or some boly Nunn by Dreams and Revelations If this will not serve they have a sure way to confirm their Faith as to these things viz. the Miracles that have been done by these Reliques And lastly If all fail they have Holy Tradition that cannot lye and this assureth us of the truth of these holy Reliques Reliques of J. Câ—rist His Foreskin Jesus Christ being also alive in Heaven with his Body we have not his Bones But this is no great loss for excepting these the Church hath almost every thing which she could desire She hath the glorious Foreskin of the Lord Jesus Christ The Physicians say that there can be no more than one but in favour of the Devout God hath made several Foreskins of Christ for there is one at Rome in the Lateran Church formerly there was one at Antwerp one in the Abby of Charrone another at Langres but as to this last the Abbot of Ville-loin dare not be very positive This multiplying of the Foreskin of Jesus Christ is not the thing that most troubleth the learn'd men of the Roman Church but 't is a question among them whether our Lord can have left his Foreskin on Earth for if he hath the Body of Jesus Christ in Heaven is not compleat and intire About this these Gentlemen have many pretty imaginations which may be seen in Suarez But the Devoto's who trouble not their heads with these deep and knotty questions do most piously adore all these Foreskins They mean well and this is enough They cannot want the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for he shed it on several occasions at his Circumcision as his bloody Sweat in the Garden of Gethsemene in Caiphas's Hall when he was Scourged on the way to Calvary at his crowning with Thorns and lastly on Mount Calvary where we must not doubt the Holy Women had brought Vessels on purpose to preserve his Blood. I say Holy Women for the Men have always been less devout Perhaps there did not run much Blood out of his Wounds for three or four nails which stop up the Wounds made by them do not leave much space for the Blood to run out which also presently congeles at the Orifices 'T was this which made the death of the Cross tedious and lingring For if the Blood had
Images gave out that they were miraculously come down from Heaven But the Papists tell more stories of their miraculous Images than ever the Pagans did of theirs For whereas these boasted only of two or three miraculous Images the Papists have a hundred such The Image of our Lady of Liesse was brought down from Heaven to some Picard Gentlemen that of our Lady of Montferrat was found in a Grotto where it was worshipt by Angels At Guardeloupe in Spain there is an Image of our Lady that came out of the belly of a Cow. They shew us an Image of St. Dominick that was brought from Heaven by the Virgin Mary accompanyed by St. Mary Magdelen and St. Catherine The Madonna at Banelle was found in the middle of an Oaketree who could put it there but God In the year 1243. was found an Image of the Virgin miraculously graven on the stone cover of a well Among the miraculous Images the Veronica ought to have the first place this is the name of a Picture of Jesus Christ that remain'd printed on a Linnen Cloth with which he wip'd his Face besmeard with Sweat and Blood when he went to be crucifyed and which he gave to a holy Woman named Veronica At first there was but one but since it is multiplyed into three The principal of them is at Rome where they shew it with great solemnity and whenever it is shewed publickly all the people fall down and cry out Mercy Mercy But among these miraculous Images we ought at least for their Antiquity to reckon those that S. Luke made which are in great number and held in great veneration They reckon up ten or twelve There are others made by the order of Christ himself one of which was sent to Agbarus King of Edessa Shall we not reckon among the miraculous Images those that do work and have wrought so many Miracles Some have Swet others have Flew like Birds others have dropt Milk or Blood others have been cloathed with Flesh some have made themselves incredibly Heavy when any attemted to take them up others have made themselves as Light as Feathers tho they were of Brass and Marble They have wrought miraculous Cures without number heal'd the Sick restored sight to the Blind hearing to the Deaf and life to the Dead And F. Crasset hath very lately told us That God hath in every Age and still continues to work innumerable Miracles by the Images of Saints and especially by those of the Virgin. We might make several more Chapters of this Fabulous History of the Papacy if we had a mind to set down all the false Miracles and all the ridiculous Fables which have been made in favour of the real Presence of the Adoration of the Sacrament of the Sacrifice of the Mass of Purgatory and the Founding of the several Orders of Monks To prove the Real Presence and Transubstantiation we have the most extravagant Dreams which they cite us as Divine Revelations they tell us of Hosts that have been chang'd into the form of a Child have been turn'd into Flesh have shed Blood have been sacrificed in the shape of a Man by Angels have been turn'd into the likeness of Christ as he was crucifyed To prove the Adoration V. The School of the Eucharist they tell us of exemplary punishments which suddenly have been inflicted on those who refuse to give it to the Host They tell us of Asses and other Beasts that have adored the Sacrament To prove Purgatory they tell us numberless sottish tales of Souls that returned on Earth of Apparitions of Spirits that desired Masses and Pilgrimages of some persons who have gone down into Hell have seen Souls in the fire of Purgatory and have visitted all the Appartments of the Infernal Regions To prove the Mass they tell us a vast number of Lying-stories concerning Souls fetcht out of Purgatory concerning Prisoners whose Fetters have been loosed and other Miracles wrought by this Sacrifice To prove the Orders of Monks I might relate the Annals of each Order Annals that are more fabulous and a hundred times more detestable than the Adventures of Achilles or Vlysses sung by Homer and then those of Orlando Furioso related by Turpin and sung by Ariosto There is not a Dram of Modesty Judgment or Veracity in the Authors of these Chronicles that are deservedly called scandalous If we will believe'em the Founders of the Franciscan Dominican c. Orders wrought a hundred times more Miracles than the Founders of Christianity The Carmelites pretend to come from the Prophet Elijah and draw down from him their Genealogy that must be ridiculous to the meanest capacity In these Relations you have nothing but Miracles Visions Revelations Angels coming down from Heaven Priviledges brought down from Heaven by the B. Virgin in favour of the Order The Jesuites the most modern of these Orders which make such a stir in the world tho founded within this last Century an Age of wit and learning notwithstanding have the Confidence to tell us horrid Fables concerning their Founder The Society of Jesus these Gentlemen say was founded at the very momennt when Jesus Christ was conceived St. Ignatius hath conquered and cast out more Devils hath done more Wonders by his bare Name than Moses did by the Name of Jehova or the Apostles by the Name of Iesus You see here is materials enough to make great Volums but I suppose the Specimen that I have given is sufficient to make a clear discovery of that Lying fabulous Spirit that reigns in the Papacy and by consequence to prove that this Character of Antichristianism does exactly agree with it CHAPTER XXII A Refutation of the Excuses by which the Papists attemt to efface this Character of Antichristianism in the Romish Religion THis Spirit of Lying cheating of Imposture and Fiction is certainly the most sensible Character of Antichristianism that is in the Romish Religion therefore we are especially concerned to justify the Reflections we have made concerning it against the Excuses of the Papists And we have to deal with two sorts of men the first are the Devotionists of the Roman Church the second are the Esprits forts profane and irreligious Spirits At this day there are thousands among the Papists who believe all these Fables The Devout Papists are enraged at us that we dare fix the title of Fabulous on the Popish Histories their Legends the Annals of their Monks Miracles wrought by their Saints who have lived within these eight or nine hundred years Hear F. Crasset who is still alive and writes The third Objection that they make against this Doctrine 1. Part. Tract 1. pag. 108. is that it hath almost no other Foundation besides Relations and Histories which men are not obliged to believe and which are reported by simple over-credulous persons who take the Dreams and Imaginations of Women for Divine Revelations They are Libertine Papists who speak at this rate for the Heretick Hugenots talk
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