touched the Altar of Jupiter with unclean that is unwashed hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illotis manibus libans Jovis attigit aram Quo pater hune ussit flagrantis fluminis igne Apud Natal Comit. Mythol lib. 1. cap. 14. Justin Martyr speaking of the Gentiles saith They sprinkle themselves with water when they go into their Temples and then offer sacrifices unto their gods Apol. 2. And Belethus tells us That they built their Temples near unto Fountains that they might always have water in readiness by which they fancied themselves purified and therefore they called those Fountains Delubra a diluendo Explicat Divin Offic. cap. 110 And that they had certain men standing at the doors of their Temples whose Office it was to sprinkle persons as they entred in is clear from this Story of Valentinian When the Tyrant Julian went into the Temple of Fortune the Priests stood at the door that they might sprinkle with water those that entred in by which according to their opinion they were expiated Valentinian going before the Emperor when he saw the water upon his Cloak smote the person that sprinkled it and said That he was not purged but polluted by it Theodoret. Histor Eccles lib. 3. cap. 15. Sozomen relates the same story and adds That 't was a custom among the Heathen to besprinkle persons with Lustral water when they entred into their Temples Histor Eccles lib. 6. cap. 6. Thus do our Romanists sprinkle themselves with Holy-water when they go into their Churches to hear Mass Hence 't is that as the Heathen had a Vessel wide at the top and narrow at the bottom so their Writers describe it placed at the doors of their Temples and fill'd with lustral or purgative Water so have our Romanists the like which Vessel saith Durantus must be made of Marble or solid Stone at their Church-doors which is filled every Lords Day with Holy-Water that the people may sprinkle themselves therewith as they go into the Church 2. This lustral Water was mixed with Salt and consecrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puro verò purgate domum sulphure Primùm postea verò sale mixtam uti lex est Florido ramo aspergere decet aquam Theocritus in parvo Hercule 'T was the custom to cast Salt into the Water and a Branch of Laurel or Olive saith Natalis Comes Mythol lib. 1. cap. 14. The Heathen as Athenaeus informs us had a peculiar form in making this lustral Water They dipped therein a Fire-brand taken from the Altar on which they offered their Sacrifices lib. 9. Thus Holy Water is mixed with Salt and consecrated with certain Prayers and Ceremonies of which I will give the Reader a brief acount out of their Ritual The Priest being apparell'd according to his degree First exorciseth the Salt with these words I exorcise thee O Creature of Salt by the living †God by the true †God by the holy †God by God who commanded thee to be cast into the Water by the Prophet Eliseus to heal the barrenness of it that thou become exorcised Salt for the salvation of Believers and be thou health both of soul and body to all that receive thee and let all phantasie and wickedness or diabolical craftiness depart and fly away from the place where thou art sprinkled and let every unclean spirit be adjur'd by him who shall come to judg both the quick and the dead and the world by Fire Amen And then follows this Prayer Almighty Everlasting God we humbly implore thine immense Clemency that thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless †and sancti †fy with thy piety this Creature of Salt which thou hast given for the use of Mankind that it may be health both of mind and body to all that receive it and that every thing toucbed or sprinkled with it may be delivered from all uncleanness and suggestions of spiritual wickedness Through our Lord c. Then he proceeds to exorcize the Water with these words I exorcize thee O Creature of Water in the Name of God †the Father Almighty and in the Name of Jesu †Christ his Son our Lord and in the power of the Holy †Ghost that thou become exorcized Water to drive away all power of the Enemy And then he saith this Prayer O God who for the salvation of Mankind hast made the greatest Sacraments in the substance of water Be thou propitiously present to our prayers and pour upon this Element prepared with many purifications the virtue of thy Benedic †tion that this Creature serving thy Mysteries may through thy grace be effectual to drive away the Devil and all diseases that all things in the houses or places of the faithful which shall be sprinkled therewith they may be freed from all uncleanness and whatever is hurtful let no evil spirit lodg there no pestilential breath let all the wiles of the secret Enemy depart and if there be any thing hurtful to the quiet and safety of the Inhabitants let it depart upon the sprinkling of this water c. After this he puts Salt into the water in the form of a Cross saying Let this commixtion of salt and water be as aforesaid In the Name of the Fa †ther and of the Son ✚ and of the Holy †Ghost Amen And then follows another Prayer not much unlike the former Ritual Roman de Exorcismo Aquae Benedictae p. 209. I cannot here pass over the Mysteries which their great Mythologist hath observed in this Consecration By Water we are to understand the people and confession and by Salt the word of God and contrition The mixture of Salt and Water denotes the separation of sin and the beginning of vertue and good works But why is the Salt blessed before the Water He answers By Salt is understood the bitterness of Repentance and by Water Baptism therefore because Contrition of heart ought to precede Absolution and Repentance Baptism therefore Salt is blessed before Water Ration Divin Officior lib. 4. c. 4. num 8 9. Garantus Thesaur Sacror Rituum Pars 4. Tit. 19. 3. The Heathen attributed extraordinary Virtues to their Lustral water especially a power to purge away sin as Incest Theft Murther c. to cure diseases preserve chastity c. For the first see Virgil Aeneid lib. 2. Tu genitor cape sacra manu patriosque penates Me bello e tanto digressum caede recenti Attractare nefas donec me flumine vivo Abluero And Ovid speaks to the same purpose but more fully Fast. lib. 2. Omne nefas omnemque mali purgamina causam Credebant nostri tollere posse senes Graecia principium moris dedit illa nocentes Impia lustratos ponere facta putat And a little after deriding this ridiculous though generally received Opinion he saith Ah nimium faciles qui tristia crimina caedis Flumineâ tolli posse putatis aquâ And for the other Virtues
cap. 7. Date vulnera lymphis Abluam Virgil Aeneid lib. 4. Per calidos latices ahena undantia flammis Expediunt corpusque lavant frigentis ungunt Aeneid lib. 6. And Homer speaking of the dead Body of Achilles saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deposuimus in lectis purgantes corpus pulchrum Aquaque calida unguento Odyss 24. And their Writers tell us that they had certain persons whose Office 't was to anoint the dead these they called Pollinctores quasi pollutorum unctores Thus do Papists besprinkle the dead with Holy-water Let a little Cross be set upon the breast of the dead person or if that be wanting let his hands be laid after the manner of a Cross and let the body be sometimes sprinkled with holy-water Ritu Rom. p. 171. And immediately before the Corps is carried forth to be buried the Priest sprinkles it with holy-water Idem p. 177. And the like is done after 't is brought into the Church Idem p. 182. The bodies of the dead saith Durand are perfum'd and sprinkled with holy-water to drive away unclean Spirits And a little after he tells us That the body ought to be washed except 't was lately anointed to signifie that if the Soul be cleansed from guilt by confession and contrition both viz. Soul and Body may obtain eternal glory at the day of Judgment and that they truly dye in the Lord and are blessed who carry no spot hence but are thorowly purged by penance in this life Ration Divin Offic. lib. 7. cap. 35. num 29 36. And Polydor Virgil informs us That sometimes the dead bodies especially of Noble-men are anointed which Ceremony saith he with the other of washing is derived from the old Pagans De Invent. Rer. lib. 6. cap. 9. Durantus de Ritib Eccles lib. 1. cap. 23. n. 13. 2. The Heathen buried their dead in such Gowns and Garments as were proper to their Places and Offices The Grecians had their Mantle call'd Pallium and the Romans their Gown call'd Toga and by these different Garments the one was so certainly distinguished from the other that this word Togatus was often used to signifie a Roman and Palliatus a Grecian Now these Roman Gowns were of several kinds there was Toga pura candida praetexta paludamentum picta trabea The Toga pura was worn by young men about the sixteenth year of their age The Toga candida was worn by those who sued for a place of Office and hence they were called Candidati The Toga praetexta was worn by the chief Magistrates The Paludamentum was proper to the Lord General or the chief Captains The Toga picta was worn by Emperors in their Triumphs And the Trabea was worn by the Augures And that the Romans were burnt or buried in these Gowns proper to their Degrees and Offices is most clear from all their Writers We have several testimonies collected by Kirchman De Funerib Roman lib. 1. cap. 10. And the like is done by our Romanists A Priest or Clergy-man of any Order ought to be cloathed with his common and ordinary Vestments even to his long Garment or Gown inclusively and above that with a Sacred Vestment Sacerdotal or Clerical as his Order doth require A Priest is to have above his Gown an Albe Girdle Stole c. Ritual Roman p. 173. Durand Rational lib. 7. cap. 35. n. 41. 3. When the Heathen carried their dead to be buried they had their certain stations or pauses in the way Rosin Antiq. Roman lib. 5. p. 624. And this Ceremony is observed by our Romanists 'T is the custom saith Durand in some places to make a three-fold pause in the way 1. To signifie that while he liv'd he exercised himself especially in three things viz. in the love of God charity to his neighbours and custody of himself that he might be worthily presented to the Lord and with other Saints enjoy a perpetual Rest or that he liv'd and dy'd in the faith of the holy Trinity 2. To denote that our Lord Jesus Christ continued three days in the bowels of the earth 3. Three pauses are made in the way that by three courses of singing there may be a threefold Absolution from sins committed three ways viz. in thought word and work Ration lib. 7. cap. 35. num 37. 4. The Heathen sung their dead to their graves or places of burial Alex. ab Alex. Genial Dier lib. 3. cap. 7. And Macrobius affirms That this custom was according to the Institutions of several Nations and grounded upon this reason Because they believ'd that Souls after death return'd to the original of Musical sweetness that is Heaven and therefore in this life every Soul is taken with Musical sounds c. In Somn. Scipion. lib. 2. cap. 3. Other reasons are assign'd by Kirchman and several Authorities urged for this custom De Funreib Roman lib. 2. cap. 4. And thus do Papists Certain Hymns are appointed to be sung by course or turns from the House to the Church Rituale Roman p. 177. Belethus Explicat divin Officior cap. 161. And when they are come into the Church the Quire begins Help O ye Saints of God and come O ye Angels and receive his Soul and present it before the most high c. Rituale p. 178. 5. The Heathen carried burning Candles and Torches before their dead Alexander ab Alex. in Genial dier lib. 3. cap. 7. Et de more vetusto Funereas rapuere faces lucet via longo Ordine flammarum latè discriminat agros Virgil Aeneid lib. 11. And Martial speaks to the same purpose Lib. 8. Epigr. 43. Effert uxores Fabius Christilla maritos Funereamque toris quassatque uterque facem The Testimonies of Servius Persius Tacitus Plutarch Ovid Isidorus Do fully confirm this Custom which are amassed togegether by the learned Kirchman De Funerib Roman lib. 2. cap. 3. Thus our Romanists carry Candles and Torches before their dead Rituale Roman p. 172. And if the person be poor the Priests are enjoin'd to provide Candles at their own charge p. 173. This Ceremony is deriv'd by Polydor Virgil from the Heathen Vnde haud dubie ortum est ut apud nos illud idem in cujusvis funere servetur Hence 't is that we observe the same Custom in every Funeral De Inventor Rerum lib. 6. cap. 10. 6. The Heathen sprinkled their Sepulchers with lustral Water perfum'd them with Incense and cast Flowers into them The first is clear from the Confession of Baronius Annal. in ann 44. p. 382. The second is confirm'd by the Testimony of Lucan who discoursing of the Funeral of Pompeius saith Non pretiosa petit cumulato thure sepulchra Pompeius Fortuna tuus non pignus ad astra Vt ferat è membris Eoos fumus odores Apud Kirchman de Funerib Roman lib. 3. cap. 5. And for the last this learned Author hath collected many Testimonies out of their own Writers lib. 4. cap. 3. And thus do
PAGANO-PAPISMVS Or An Exact PARALLEL Between ROME-PAGAN AND ROME-CHRISTIAN In their Doctrines and Ceremonies By Joshua Stopford B. D. Rector of All-Saints in the City of York JER 10. 2. Learn not the way of the Heathen LONDON Printed by A. Maxwell for R. Clavel at the Sign of the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1675. To the Right Honourable Richard Medcalfe Lord Mayor the Worshipful the Aldermen the Sheriffs and Commons of the Ancient and Faithful City of York THAT Religion hath a superlative Excellency is confessed more than once by the wisest of Kings Prov. 3. 15. 4. 7 c. And would Men of the meanest Parts and slowest Conceptions desist a little from the laborious pursuit of their sinful pleasures and give their Faculties some intermission so much breath from that hot chase as may qualifie them for a calm considerate view of things 't is certain they would discern that Vertue has a much more ravishing appearance infinitely more delectable and enamouring than all the Devils Opticks could put upon their most gustful Sensualities The great Advantages that come to Mankind by Religion and Vertue both to Humane Societies and Particular Persons bespeak the transcendent Excellencies of it 1. Religion brings great Advantages to Humane Societies Cities Countries and Kingdoms I know some great Ones of the World have been jealous of the Kingdom of Christ as Herod was troubled when he first heard of his Birth yet others who have followed the Dictates of natural Reason only and been superstitiously over-aw'd by a Deity have look't upon it as a necessary Basis to found Government upon without which it can no more subsist than a Castle in the Air. I will mention two great Advantages that will come to Human Societies by Religion and wherein their Happiness doth consist viz. Peace and Plenty Where these two are enjoy'd a People cannot be miserable and where either of them is wanting they cannot be happy 1. Religion brings the Blessing of Peace along with it and this is no mean Blessing Outward Peace is the chiefest of outward Blessings it gives sweetness and beauty to all other Blessings The very Name of Peace is sweet saith the Philosopher The Psalmist pronounceth that People happy who have it Psal 144. 15. Happy is the People that is in such a case Now this great Blessing is the product of Religion And this it effecteth two ways 1. By removing the Causes of Quarrels and Contentions 2. By obliging Men to the observance of such Precepts and infusing into them such Principles as naturally tend to Peace 1. By removing the Causes of Strifes and Contentions and they are chiefly two the Curse of God upon them and their own Lusts within them 1. The feud and hostility jars and quarrels among men are part of that Curse which lies upon Mankind for his Apostacy from God We read Gen. 3. 17 18. How the Ground was cursed for Mans sake Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee But a far greater Curse 't was that one Man should become as a Thorn and Briar to fetch blood of another Assoon as Man fell out with God there was a Fire kindled at his own door in his own nature Now where Religion is cordially embraced this cause of Quarrels and Contentions the Curse of God is removed 2. Their own Lusts within them Jam. 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Lust is the Make-bate in a Community Covetousness pride passion hatred envy intemperance ambition make Men quarrelsom and contentious Now Religion mortifies these vile and corrupt affections Rom. 6. 6. Gal. 5. 24. Religion files off the ruggedness in mens spirits removes the harshness of their tempers and extirpates all those passions and vices which render men unsociable and troublesom one to another 2. By obliging Men to the observance of such Precepts and infusing into them such Principles as naturally tend to Peace 1. By obliging men to the observance of such Precepts as have a natural tendency to the Peace of Human Societies This is most clear from that one general Rule propounded by our Saviour with which Severus the Emperour was so taken that he caus'd it to be written in his Palace and other publick Places Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them When we have to do with others we must put our selves into their condition and consider how we should desire to be dealt with in such a Case Were this Precept of Christ generally observ'd all Quarrels and Contentions would presently cease How gently and tenderly would Superiors behave themselves towards their Inferiors And with how much respect observance would Inferiors carry themselves towards their Superiors The Rich would not with-hold from the Poor nor the Poor by his idleness be unnecessarily burdensom to the Rich. The Lender would not take advantage of the necessity of the Borrower nor the Borrower ungratefully defraud the Lender The Seller would not deceive or over-reach the Buyer nor the Buyer under-value the Goods of the Seller There are likewise more particular Precepts that have a natural tendency to preserve and promote Peace among men as That we must forgive wrongs love our Enemies keep in our places mind our own business be content with our present state c. 2. By infusing into men such Principles as naturally incline to Peace as love self-denyal long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness The Alcoran saith God created the Angels of light and Devils of the flame Wicked men who are like unto and acted by the Devil are furious and wrathful all of a flame But where Religion is embraced and prevails upon men ther 's light and love coolness and calmness of temper Grace smooths and polishes the most knotty piece it turns the Vulture into a Dove the Briar into a Myrtle-tree the Lyon-like fierceness into a Lamb-like gentleness Es 11. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them And the cow and the bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain Here is laid down the strange effect that the Gospel should have upon those who by the ministry thereof shall be subdued unto Christ and become loyal Subjects of his spiritual Kingdom O what a metamorphosis doth it make Those who before were full of rage and fierceness hereby become gentle and peaceable Religion fills men with a spirit of universal love and good-will And so much for the first great Advantage that Religion brings to Human Societies the Blessing of Peace 2.