done in Honour of this Saint and to obtain his Intercession and the People are encourag'd by the Pope himself to attend these Devotions by a Plenary Indulgence Is this to be parallel'd then with our desiring our Friends on Earth to pray for us Has the Saint so little Charity and is he so backward to intercede that without all this ado he will not open his Mouth for them This is much that is to be done on this Occasion and yet is little to what is done to the Virgin Mary who has a great many Festivals in a Year and they attended with whole Octaves on which particular and extraordinary Devotions are paid to her The true meaning of all is plainly this Mankind has been always taught and have believ'd the necessity of a Mediator and that a Divine Person must be our Mediator and Divine Honours are due and may be paid to whomsoever is so since this appears in the whole Theology of the Heathens and is so agreeable to the Truths which are taught us in the Gospel we have reason to believe they deriv'd this Knowledge from the Fathers of the World by Tradition to whom it had been reveal'd by God himself But the Heathens having only Tradition to guide them corrupted this Doctrine by bringing in a Multitude of Mediators whereas the Gospel according to the truth of the matter teaches us that there is but one Mediator between God and Man and that is Christ Jesus This Corruption is reviv'd in the Church of Rome who has many Mediators and adores them all and pays them Divine Honours as the Heathens did More of this we shall see in the following Relation Over the high Altar in this Church of St. James in the Quire is a very costly large and beautiful piece of Architecture all of Marble The Pillars on the sides are some of them white Marble some black the white wreath'd theblack smooth and strait and they are intermix'd with curious Art the whole is certainly a Work very admirable Instead of a Picture for an Altar-piece there is an Image of St. James bigger than the common Size of Men which is of white Marble He is represented as looking upwards and pointing downwards to the People below Over his Head in the Arch of the Marble-work about him and towards which he directs his Face there is carv'd the impious and idolatrous Representation of the holy Trinity which is very common in the Churches of the Roman Communion There is Image of the Holy Trinity the Figure of an Old Man sitting in the Clouds with a Triple Crown on his Head and of a Young Man by him holding a Cross with one Hand and between them both is a Pidgeon hovering with his Wings spread and Rays about him I do not doubt but it is lawful to represent the humane Body of Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour in any of the Circumstances of his Life or Death on Earth either by Pictures or by Images But certainly as it is the Glory of the Divine Nature to be invisible in it self so it ought not to be represented by any visible thing God himself adds an express Prohibition of making any visible Representation of himself as an Explication of the second Commandment And the Apostle Paul judges it an impious profanation to do so and calls it a Changing the Glory of the invisible God into the meanness of that thing which the Image made to represent him does more truly represent He says therefore of the Heathens Rom. 1. that while they made the Images of of Men or Birds c. to represent the Deity by they chang'd the Glory of God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds c. What does the practice of the Church of Rome in this case differ from theirs 'T is true the Gospel tells us when Jesus was baptized and came out of the Water the Spirit of God did with a visible Representation descend upon him whereby the Man Jesus became the Christ of God A visible Glory descended like the hovering of a Dove and lighted upon him to be a sensible Token and Demonstration to the Spectators that he was anointed by the Holy Ghost and was to be reckon'd by them the true Messiah or Christ But this does not at all allow or conclude for the representing the holy infinite Spirit himself by a Pidgeon The Shechinah or Pillar of a Glory in the Wilderness was a Token of God's special presence among the people of Israel there but was not a fit Representation of the infinitely glorious God himself nor was it design'd to be so but only for a sensible Token and Assurance of a peculiar divine presence The Church of Rome when press'd with things of this Nature endeavours to evade the Argument by blaming the Liberty of Carvers and Painters but there is no room at all to do it in this case For this is a thing done by publick Allowance and encourag'd by the Authority of the Church as we shall be convinc'd in the Sequel of this Relation At present I shall add to this purpose what is further to be observ'd in this same Church In the passage round the Quire on the outside where are several very neat Chapels to particular Saints enclos'd with partitions of Marble Pillars or Rails there is set up against the Wall in a Frame a printed Representation of the holy Trinity contriv'd after the same manner with the former and under it there is printed in Dutch this Grant Whosoever shall say here Five Pater Nosters and Five Ave-Marys shall enjoy Forty Days Indulgence this granted by the Bishop of Antwerp The Quire is part of it compass'd with beautiful Marble-pillars there is a great deal of good Painting and abundance of Marble about the whole Church In this Church by the entrance of the North Door on the Left-hand is a large Chappel which they call The Chappel of the Dead The Altar-piece represents our Saviour as dead and taking down from the Cross and lying in the Lap of the Virgin Mary who sits in a very sorrowful posture contemplating upon the matter On the out-side of the partition upon a pillar there hangs in a Frame written in Dutch a new Grant in Favour of this Chapel It signifies That all those of the Brotherhood of the Dead who shall come to hear Mass in this Chapel and any Priest that shall say Mass here on all Mondays of the Year and on every All-Souls Day or any of the Days of the Octave the privilege of Redeeming one Soul out of Purgatory And this is said to be granted by Innocent XII the present Pope out of the Treasury of the Church and is to continue in force for Seven Years They may perhaps by that time get Money enough to renew and continue the Lease The Fraternity or Brotherhood of the Dead are a company of people that write their Names in a Book whereby they are admitted into the Society this is commonly
Intercession of the Virgin Mary by the express Command of Jesus Christ as is pretended to be obtain'd first in a little Chappel which St. Francis used which he call'd Portiuncula and after a time as it is now those Indulgences were to be had in all the Chappels of these good Men. They look very jolly by Virtue of these things and one may believe do not fail since they can afford it to indulge themselves I think it may not be amiss to detain the Reader here a little while with a more particular Account of these two profitable Privileges belonging to this Order which like the Goods of a Tradesman's Shop bring People to their Churches and Wealth to their Houses the rather because by these things as a Specimen it will appear by what base Tricks and palpable Cheats the Religious Orders as they are call'd in the Church of Rome are maintain'd and several large Families of idle useless supernumerary Priests live upon the Sweat and Labour of the meaner people and grow rich by draining away gradually from the greater their Wealth and Possessions I shall first give an Account of the Feast of Portiuncula as I have it from themselves In a short Relation of the Original and most Plenary Ingulgences of our Lady of the Angels nam'd Portiuncula granted the holy Francis by Christ himself which is yearly to be obtain'd in the Churches of the Minor Brothers on the second of August It is as follows At the distance of about a Mile from Assise in Italy where the holy Francis was born there stood an old ruinous little Chappel belonging to a certain Abbey of St Benedict to this place the holy Francis after his Conversion bore a particular Devotion and begun to repair the same after the best manner that he could and to take it for his ordinary Habitation chusing the same for the first Settlement and beginning of his Seraphick Order and call'd it Our Lady of the Angels for that he had often in that place heard the wonderful sweet Hymns of the Angels of God and had himself there oftentimes enjoy'd their Conversation He nam'd also this Chappel Our Lady of Portiuncula whether it were from a Village of that Name near which this Chappel might be built or for that he held this place for his little Portion in Latin Portiuncula which God Almighty had allotted him for his Order Altho' the Foundation at first was very small yet it is through the particular Dispensation of God greatly encreas'd and become exceedingly renown'd through all Christendom It was also held in such Estimation by St. Francis that no man was permitted to come in there but his Brothers only and of the same none might there dwell with him but such as excell'd in good and exemplary living This now was well enough thought on in a Story so silly as this will appear because under this pretence they can put upon the World what Lyes they please concerning St. Francis's Miracles and miraculous Entertainments here as it is the common Character of their feign'd Miracles by which they pretend to confirm and recommend their Fopperies and Superstitions and Idolatries that they are always done in a Corner and hid from the World there are none of them that ever appear'd in publick or in any great Concourse of People or to any impartial Witnesses But to go on with my Tale It came to pass they say in the Year 1221. about the Month of October as the holy Francis was in his Cell very zealously and heartily praying to God for Sinners an Angel appear'd to him who said That he must go immediately into the Church because that our Saviour and his most Holy Mother with an innumerable Multitude of Angels were waiting for him It was really very condescendingly done for this great Company to come first and wait for him or rather most impudently was the Story thus devis'd but this Honour which they give St. Francis is little to what the Alcoran of the Minorites ascribes to him I mean the great Book I have seen of the Conformities of St. Francis with Jesus Christ Upon this St. Francis went into the Church and saw there the Lord Christ on whose Right-hand stood his Blessed Mother encompass'd with an innumerable Company of Angels Whereupon he fell flat on his Face to the Earth and continued there his devout Prayers to the Lord and his Mother Was this an Exercise of Devotion in St. Francis to pray to the Virgin together with Christ or done only with the Bishop of Meaux's Spirit of Charity But the Lord Jesus said to him Francis you and your Brothers precious Men are extreamly solicitous for the Salvation of Men seek therefore of me for the Salvation of the People for the Comfort of Souls and for advancing the Honour of my Name all that which you desire and it shall undoubtedly be granted you St. Francis lay stretch'd out before the Face of God altogether transported in Spirit but being come a little to himself and being strengthned in the inner Man he took Courage and said O most Holy Father I a poor Sinner pray and intreat most humbly that your Divine Majesty will be pleased to grant Mankind this Favour That all those who shall come to this Church may be favour'd and indulg'd with a full Forgiveness of all their Sins which they have confess'd to the Priest I also pray you most Holy Mother Advocatress of the Generations of Men that your most gracious Majesty will be pleased to help me in my Request The most saving Queen of Heaven being mov'd by the Prayer of her Servant Francis begun immediately to entreat her Son saying Most Holy Almighty God I humbly entreat your Godhead that your Majesty will be pleased to hear and favour your and my Servant Francis Hereupon said the Lord to him Francis the thing you seek is truly very great but you are worthy of more than that I consent to your Prayer but I desire you would go to my Stadtholder and from him in my Name seek this Indulgence and thereupon did the Lord and his Company leave the Church and vanish The Brothers who were Twelve in number which is doubtless one of the Conformities of St. Francis with Jesus Christ and who dwelt with St. Francis in this place and were all of them in their Cells saw a mighty Glory in the Church and around it multitudes of Angels they heard also very distinctly all that passed but through Fear and Astonishment durst not venture into the Church nor indeed stir from their Cells The day following St. Francis with one of his Brothers travell'd to Perusia where the Pope Honorius the Third held his Court and being admitted to him he humbly said Most holy Father I have not long since repair'd a Church to the Honour of the holy Mother of God whereupon I intreat that your Holiness would be pleas'd to grant that a plenary and free Indulgence should therein be obtain'd without Offerings The
seeking of their Intercession particularly to obtain thereby a happy Death and the Graces thereto necessary And there is this Prayer fram'd which all the Brothers and Sisters of the Society are oblig'd to say at their entring themselves into this Society Holy Mary Mother of God and Virgin I chuse you and your good Bridegroom St. Joseph this Day for my Patrons and Advocates and I steadily purpose that I will never forsake you that I will never do or say any thing against you nor will I ever suffer that any under my Authority shall act any thing contrary to your Honour Therefore I pray you receive me to be your perpetual Servant Assist me in all my Works and forsake me not in the Hour of my Death This sure is enough in all Conscience to the Honour of these Saints and it cannot I think well be imagin'd how more than this could be said to Jesus Christ himself Certainly the Honour of Mediatours to the highest degree is given to them they are particularly chosen for this the person devotes himself to their Service promises solemnly never to forsake it seeks their Assistance in all he does particularly at his Death Thus is most evidently the Honour due to God alone given to Creatures I mean that which is due to God the Mediator And who can be perswaded that this Prayer is made only with the Spirit of Charity as we desire our Brethren on Earth to pray for us Another Fraternity is erected to this purpose also which belongs to the Jesuits Colledge at Ghent under the Name of the Brotherhood of the holy Death-pangs of our Lord Jesus Christ dying on the Cross and of his most holy Mother suffering together with him under the Cross in order to obtain a happy and saving Death There is also erected at Antwerp and belonging to the Cathedral Church there a Fraternity under the Name of the Brotherhood of the Dead who are to take especial care for the relief of the Dead and this is honour'd with many choice Indulgences The whole Company bind themselves to perform some private Devotions in behalf of the Dead but especially they are directed-to attend on certain Days at the Masses which are said for them to obtain those Indulgences either for themselves or to the advantage of their dead Friends to whose advantage such things redound they cannot well tell how but pretty well agree to express it in these words per modum suffragii that is in the manner of a Vote or Wish However a superfluous number of Priests must be maintain'd and that they may seem to do something for their living a multitude of Masses and other Services must be perform'd in publick and the People must be wheedled to attend them and drop their Alms as 't is call'd to enjoy these Indulgences I shall incert the publication of a Plenary Indulgence granted to this Royal Archbrotherhood as it is call'd with the Devotions to be perform'd on All-Souls day and the Octave for the relief of the Dead as it was fram'd in the Year 1696 which was as follows A solemn Octave with Plenary Indulgence Granted to the Royal Brotherhood of Faithful Souls in the Cathedral Church of our good Lady Friday next being the 2d of November and the Day of the Commemoration of the Faithful departed there shall begin in the Cathedral Church a solemn Devotion of Eight Days for the said Faithful who are dead with a Plenary Indulgence Upon which Day beside the ordinary Service of the Quire there shall at 7 a Clock on the account of the Brotherhood be sung the solemn Mass by his Illuâ—â—riouâ— Excellency Johannes Ferdananâ—â— â—â—shop of Antwerp At 8 a Clock shall a Sermon be preach'd by the very Reverend Through the whole Octave in the Chappel of the Circumcision where the Altar is particularly privileg'd for the departed Souls on â—very Day through the whole Year there shall several Masses be read for their Refreshment and Relief After-noon at half an Hour after 4 a Clock shall be the Lauds of our good Lady which shall be follow'd with a Sermon preach'd by Then the solemn Laud of the Faithful Souls by the very Reverend who shall close the Devotion of the first Day with the Benediction and solemn Reduction of the Venerable Holy Sacrament On Saturday as also upon the following Days of of the Octave shall the solemn Mass of Requiem be perform'd at 7 a Clock In the Evening after the Lauds shall be a Sermon preach'd by The Devotion shall be concluded by the solemn Laud and Benediction of the most holy Sacrament On Sunday shall be the solemn Mass at 7 a Clock At 8 shall be the Ordinary Sermon by c. Afternoon after the usual Lauds shall be a Sermon for the Faithful Souls then the solemn Laud with the Benediction On Friday being the Conclusion of the Octave at 7 a Clock in the Morning shall be sung the solemn Mass by the Reverend the Quire-Deacon of the said Cathedral At half an Hour past Ten shall be a Sermon and in the Evening at the Hour beformention'd a Sermon also after which this devout Octave shall be concluded by his Illustrious Reverence aforemention'd with the solemn Laud Reduction and Benediction of the Venerable H. Sacrament His Holiness Innocent the 11th has towards furthering the Devotion of the Faithful Souls granted a Plenary Indulgence and forgiveness of all their Sins to all those that enter themselves in this Brotherhood as well upon the Feast of All-Saints as also upon any of the Eight following Days who with sincere Repentance having confess'd and receiv'd the Communion shall devoutly visit the Chappel of the Circumcision and there pray for the Union of Christian Princes the Extirpation of Heresies the Advancement of our Mother the Holy Church and to the Refreshment of the Faithful Souls Upon All-Souls-day the Plenary Indulgence is not only for the Brothers and Sisters of this Society but also for all Faithful Christians who shall visit the Cathedral Church and there pray as is above directed Besides these Plenary Indulgences for all the Days of the Octave his aforesaid Holiness has granted yet several as well Plenary as other Indulgences which are more particularly related in the new printed little Book of this Brotherhood This Book I have by me but do not think it worth while to enlarge upon this matter beyond the Paper which I am now rendring Each person is intreated by the meriting of these Indulgences and by the other Devotions to help the poor afflicted suffering Souls Requiescant in Pace Amen Here is very much to be done in this busie Octave of Devotion and all in pretence to relieve the poor distressed Souls in Purgatory and at this time a dismaâ—â—â—cture is set up representing a Company of People in Flames a Chappel is hung all with Mourning and other Intrigues are made use of to affect the Vulgar who come in mighty numbers to these Devotions mightily concern'd to relieve Relations or