rejoyee in my own Light and Glory and of my Kingdom there shall be no end This is the stile of Rome of Mystical Babylon let us then discern the true Babylon in the language of Rome and hear the voice of Rome in the stile of Babylon The second fault to be found with this pretence of Infallibility and eternal Duration is the multitude of gross Absurdities contained in it which we are here to lay open Absurdities contain'd in the doctrine of Infallibility First 't is supposed without any show of Reason that God hath divided the Infallibility necessary to salvation into two parts and cut off one half of it There are two ways which lead to Heaven Faith and Charity sound Belief and Good Works First an Infallibility in matters of Faith and not of Charity 'T is in vain to pretend to be infallible in the one if without being so in the other a man may perish and fall short of Heaven The Church of Rome hath not the Impudence to say she is infallible in the point of Charity and yet she would be thought so in matters of Faith. But on what foundation doth she build this Pretence Where do we read that God hath divided Faith from Charity as if the latter were less necessary than the former as if men might be saved who sinn'd against the Laws of Charity but might not be so if they offended against the Rules of Faith As if these two ways were not equally certain to guide us to eternal Life as if God might dispense with Crimes against Charity but could not bear with Errors against the Truth All or nothing both or neither The Church must be infallible in both or it is so in neither Whence comes this extravagant Division why dae not the Roman Church pretend to be infallible in Charity as well as Faith but because she is convinc't of an abominable Defection and Disorder in Manners and Practice but ought she not to be equally convinc't that she is fallen into Error because she worships Images An Error in the Faith every whit as palpable and notorious as the Sodomies of the Popes is against Charity Infallibility in points of Right and not in matters of Fact is ridiculous Another division of Infallibility is with respect to matters of Fact and those of Right The Church of Rome dares not pretend to the former but challengeth the latter at this rate she will not be infallible in the most important Articles All the Christian Religion is founded on matters of Fact. 'T is a question of Fact to know whether Jesus Christ be risen from the Dead whether the Apostles wrought any true Miracles whether there have been any Prophets and inspired writers who were the penmen of such and such books or not 'T is concerning a matter of Fact to enquire whether such a Proposition be recorded in the H. Scriptures or not If the Church of Rome be not infallible in matters of Fact in general she cannot be so in these and if she may err in matters of Fact wherein lies her Infallibility Lastly there is yet another division of Infallibility viz. as to Discipline and Doctrines The Roman Church pretends not to Infallibility concerning the latter What is that Discipline wherein she saith she is infallible 'T is in every thing that concerns the Government of the Church The Roman Hierarchy the constituting of a Pope to be the Head of the Church is a point of Government she may err concerning that which is a Principal point and why then may she not err in other matters The seat of this Infallibility connot be found This Infallibility is no less absurd if we consider the subject of it in whom it resides Where and in whom is this Infallibility plac't they know not what reply to make If it be said in the Pope we can produce an hundred Popish Witnesses who depose the contrary and maintain that the Popes may err We can produce with them numberless Instances wherein several Popes have actually err'd we can bring undeniable proofs to manifest that neither the Scripture nor the ancient Christian Church did ever imagine the Bishops of Rome or any other Bishop to have been infallible One part of the Romanists assert that this Infallibility is seated in the Councills We confute this Party with the reasons of the other for those Gentlemen are Infallible when they confute one another but speak nothing to the purpose when they go about to establish their own opinion for when they oppose one another they argue for the Truth but when they endeavor to prove their own Opinion concerning the seat of Infallibility they maintain a falshood So that the Pope is not Infallible neither the Councills their infallibility then is no where for if it be said it is in the Pope and a Councill united together we shall make use of their Arguments who say it is not in the Pope and their Reasons who deny it is in a Councill and will therupon argue that if it be not in either separated it is not in both when joyn'd together for both united are the same they were in the time of their separation they act by the same spirit make use of the same Tricks to deceive the same Injustice and Violence as when considered severally We know not where to stop as to the point of Infallibility Infallibility then is foolish and absurd whether we consider the subject about which it is imploy'd or the subject in whom it is thought to reside But let us view it a little in the general notion of it and in the general term of the Church which they make use of The Church is Infallible they say but how shall I be assured of this for should the Church be never so Infallible if I know it not and have no way to ascertain my self about it it can be of no use to me Is it a Principle so self-evident as needs no other proof to manifest and evince it Is it as plain that the Church is Infallible as that two and two make four or that the whole is greater than a part That is an Absurdity too gross and palpable to be affirm'd by any Romanist 'T is so far from being evident that the Church is infallible that on the contrary we must proceed against all appearances of reason to believe it For we see the Church of Rome doth judge by humane methods debate contest urge sollicit equivovate and deceive and imploy all the arts of Human Craft and Policy to overcome such or such an Opinion We see her oftentimes to change her sentiments and say that at one time which she did not and would not at another we see her contradict the H. Scriptures forbid that which is there commanded and command that which is there forbidden at least she seems to do so This appearance of opposing the H. Scripture will at least refute the evidence of her Infallibility and tell us
that it is not so plain but that 't is necessary it should be Prov'd Now from whence shall we fetch the Proofs of the Churches Infallability I must take them from her own mouth and believe her to be infallible because she tells me so and for that only reason because she saith it This is manifestly absurd for no man's bare word is to be taken in a business wherein he hath a particular Interest to be partial Hath a Turk right to oblige me to believe the Divinity of his Alchoran only because Mahomet hath said that the Angel Gabriel brought him the Alchoran from Heaven Must I then consult Tradition that is the Councils and the Writings of the Fathers this is another plain Absurdity because it is evident that this way cannot be made use of by three Quarters of the number of Christians and more who are ignorant of Greck and Latin and so cannot read the numberless volumns wherein this Tradition is to be found Or must every one believe his Curate or Pastor when he tells him that the Church is infallible This is another Absurdity for this Pastor must be infallible or I cannot build my Faith upon his Testimony He tells me there is an infallibility in the Church but how doth he Prove it which way soever I turn my self I fall into the former inconveniencies for if he saith I must believe it without proof he deals with me like a Brute and not as a Rational Creature If he gives me Tradition for Argument in this case I tell him I know nothing of it if he turns me over to the Church I ask where is this Church If he sends me to the Pope I tell him I cannot go thither and if I could I 'm told he is not Infallible If he send me to a Councill I say there is none now sitting If he send me to the Canons of former Councills I shall answer that I cannot understand 'em and if I could have no assurance that these Canons were really made by such a Councill If he proves that these Canons were not forged but really made by a Councill there remains another difficulty which I cannot get over viz. that several Good Catholicks maintain the fallibility of a Council There is then but one way left to satisfie my self concerning the infallibility of the Church and that is the Testimony of the H. Scriptures But how can any man make use of that according to the Principles of the Roman Church for I shall say that the Scriptures have no Authority without the Church I cannot believe the testimony of the Scripture till I know it to be divine and I cannot know it to be divine but by the testimony of the Church as we are often told The Scripture then hath no Authority as to me without the Testimony of the Church and yet you would have me believe the Infallibility of the Church upon the Testimony of the Scripture you must therefore in the first place convince me that the Church is infallible without dependance on the Scriptures and then I shall believe the divinity of the Scriptures on the Testimony of the Church and after that I may be able to believe the infallibility of the Church on the Testimonies of the Scripture The absurdities of blind obedience If the Church be infallible a blind Obedience is my Duty to obtain this submission to the Church is the reason of asserting her infallibility I must blindly believe all that the Church affirms But till then I am not obliged to credit any thing which the Scripture saith or seems to say for I am not capable to understand the meaning and sense of the Scriptures without the Church so that until the Church hath declar'd that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and equal with the Father I have leave to doubt of it There was a time when the Church had not deliver'd her opinion in this point there was then a time when I was permitted to be an Arrian Photinian or Socinian But on the other hand whenever it shall please the Church to determine that the Ark was of a square figure equal in length and breadth or that Aaron's Sandals were with or without latchets it will be necessary that I must believe this or be damn'd Can any man be unapprehensive of the absurdities of such a Doctrine according to which at one time we may Blaspheme God without the least danger and at another time lie liable to Damnation for the least mistake about that which the Church hath decided to be the Truth These Gentlemen tell us that we must believe without examination all that the Church declares And by the same reason the Heathens were obliged to believe all that their Priests told'um and the Jews to receive all that was taught in their Synagogues No you will say they were false Teachers and so not to be credited very well But the Pagans and Jews say the same concerning my Pastors that they are false Guides And if the Jews and Heathens are bound to examin the truth of what is told them by their Guides why are not Christians obliged to know and examin what is told them by the Church at least they ought to examin the Church it self and her Authority and then we fall into the same Difficulties which were mention'd before After all this if a short and easy way could be found out to convince me that the Church is infallible this were not enough to quiet my mind because I know not where to find this infallible Church I see a multitude of differing Sects in the East and West in Europe and Asia who all say that they are the Church and that all other parties of Christians are guilty of Schism The Latins say this of the Greeks and the Greeks are even with 'em and say the same of the Latins the Protestants charge it on the Papists and the Papists on the Protestants I must know which of all these is in the right and to find out this I am plung'd into an abysse of difficulties and how shall I find my way out or extricate my self for there is no way left but by the Scriptures and that way is forbidden me till I am assured of the Infallibility and Authority of the Church without which I cannot be certain that the Scripture is divine It may possibly be said that I may believe the Divinity of the Scriptures before I know in what Sect of Christians is the Church because the Scripture is receiv'd by all the several Sects It matters not may it be said which of them is the infallible Church since they all bear restimony to the Scripture and there is one among them that is infallible viz. the true Church for her where-ever she be the Scripture hath an infallible testimony But this remedy will serve to little or no purpose because 't is necessary that I should know which of these Sects is the true Church before I can understand the
that kindled the flame which burns to this day 'T is a prodigious blindness in which there is somthing supernatural that men should come so far as to utter such Blasphemies and that at this day men should not be afraid to repeat them Scripture insufficient The Third Affront tho Papists offer to the Scriptures is their asserting them to be insufficient and imperfect and that they cannot serve as a Rule of Faith. They employ their greatest Engins to establish this Principle Councill of Trent Ses 4. that Traditions ought to be regarded with the same reverence and veneration that is given to the Scripture Yea that Traditions excell the Scriptures because the H. Scriptures cannot subsist unless confirmed by Tradition Baron Tom. â— Annal. whereas Traditions keep their strength intire without the H. Writings We stand more in need of Tradition than of Scripture for the Scriptures only furnish us with a dead and dumb letter But Tradition as the Church holds it forth helps us to the true sense which is not indeed distinctly layd down in the Scripture yet is the real word of God. W. Bayly Nothing is more injurious to the Scripture than this Nothing is more contrary to the intention and wisdom of God than to suppose that he hath given a Rule of Faith which cannot regulate Faith which is too short by more than three quarters which is crooked dubious flexible and altogether useless without the aid of another Rule that is unknown to all Christians excepting a small number of Learned men who alone are capable of consulting it Scripture hath no Authority The fourth Affront that Popery offers to the Scriptures relates to their Authority They have no Authority without the testimony of the Church Without the Authority of the Church Bayly we should have no more Obligation to believe the Scriptures than the History of Titus Livius The Scripture Hosius if deprived of the Churches testimony have no more Authority than Esops Fables How know we say they that the Writings which go under the name of Moses are his seeing we never had a sight of the Originals And if we should who could assure us that they were writ by Moses's own hand Again if we could be assured of this what certainty have we that what Moses writ is true Who shall assure us that the Evangelists were Witnesses to all that they report But tho we should believe that they saw and heard all the Actions and Discourses of J. Christ which they report yet they might forgett and lye as every man may deceive and be deceived How can we again know with certainty Pighius that what goes under their names are their true Writings and not corrupted or forged I know not what kind of Temper a man must be of who can read and hear such things without trembling He that should speak at this rate of the Alcoran at Constantinople would be impaled alive An Infidel cannot say more to destroy all the Authority of the Holy Scriptures The several ways used by Papists to take away the Credit of the scripture 'T is not enough to these Gentlemen to affront the Scriptures by these four Accusations 1. That they are not necessary to the Church 2. That they are obscure 3. That they are defective 4. That they have no Authority as to us without the Church there is no Method imaginable which they employ not to dishonour them They tell us that they were writ only Occasionally and not at all with any design to make them a Rule of Faith. An Evangelist or an Apostle wrote a Gospel or an Epistle at random by chance and on particular private designs Afterward the Church collected those loose writings into one Book But seeing these were not writ by one or several persons writing in concert we cannot find in them a System of Faith. Can any thing be said more affronting to the H. Spirit who ordered the pens of these Writers and the occasions that obliged them to write The Papists talk just as if the Apostles had writ meerly on their own designs without any Inspiration But did not the H. Spirit who moved them to write design their writings collected together should be the true Rule of Faith To lessen the Credit of the Canonical books that are truly divine Popery hath joyn'd with them fabulous books a tale of Tobit a Romance of Judith of Bel and the Dragon of Susanna This tends to dispose the minds of men to believe whatever they have a mind to propose seeing the veriest Fables when authoriz'd by the Church ought to be received as Truth and the greatest Truth destitute of the Churches Testimony may be rejected as a Fable This is not yet enough the more effectually to abolish the holy Books and their Authority they affirm that at this time we have not the H. Scriptures compleat Many Books say they are lost we have not the Book of the Wars of the Lord mention'd in the Book of Numbers We have not the Books of Gad and of Iddo Solomon wrote concerning plants from the Cedar even to the Hyssop and I know not how many thousand Parables and Songs which we have not S. Paul wrote a third Epistle to the Corinthians which is lost one to the Church of Laodicea and perhaps many others which are not to be found and who knows whether in all these writings that we have not there were not innumerable things which would have made the Rule of Faith more compleat Perhaps what is come down to us are only some Planks escap'd from a Shipwrack which hath swallowed up the Vessel All the sacred Books of the Old Testament were burnt at the sacking of Jerusalem under Zedekiah Afterward Ezra gather'd what he could of the scatterd pieces There are Popish Authors who discourse at this rate Yea they go further Those Books of Holy Scripture that are preserved are yet corrupted and alterd The Jews out of hatred to the Christian Religion have corrupted the Originals at the best these Originals are lost and the Copies have felt the injuries of Time and the fate that is inevitable to all antient Books having for above three thousand years past thro the hands of so many ignorant persons many things may have been changed in them Besides they are dead Languages in which these Books are written such as we understand not we are not skill'd in their Grammar we know not the signification of their words This is what they discourse at this day Lastly to compleat the Affront they pull away these books out of the peoples hands they affright them with these as if they tended to ruin their souls They tell men that it never was the intention of God to abandon his Scriptures to the indiscretion of the Laity And on this pretence the Scripture is become a secret Book hid under a barbarous Language to which none is allowed to approach unless he is aforehand initiated in their
Favoriti against the plea of the Procureur General concerning the affair of Charonne He hath prest the matter home in that point and made it evident that they themselves do acknowledg and grant this Authority in the Pope to dispense contrary to the Canons of the Church and even contrary to the laws of God because in France all the Benefices they injoy in Commendam are possess'd by vertue of the Popes dispensation and that marriages with near kindred which are as common in France as in other places are not contracted but by a dispensation from Rome which would otherwise be down-right whoredom and incest We must then conclude that Popery is Antichristianism in this respect as well as others and that by her words and actions she Blasphemes against God and against his Law. CHAPTER VII The fifth Character of Antichristianism that is found in Popery The extreme Corruption of its Head and Members First in their Popes THe Papacy is wont to accommodate her Divinity to her Interest in some instances however she forgets her self for Example when Holiness is made one of the signs of the true Church There is some equivocation in this mark of the Church because the Devil of Hypocrisie doth frequently assume the external Characters of an Angel of Light. Nevertheless at the bottom this is a truth that there is no true Holiness but in the Church and in whatsoever assembly or Society of men this is found I acknowledg it to be a true Church But withall it must be granted that where-ever the greater Corruption is to be met with that Society of all others is the Antichristian Church for this is one of its proper Characters she is called Sodom on this very account and represented as a dissolute strumpet sitting in a publick place to prostitute her self for money to all Comers presenting a cup full of the wine of her fornications to make men drunk with her unlawfull pleasures 'T is in this respect that spiritual Babylon is describ'd in the 18 Revel as a great City wherin every thing may be had that may foment and entertain those criminal delights 'T is on this account that her head is called the Man of Sin the son of Perdition or a lost son that is one sunk into debauchery who gives up himself to all manner of licentiousness This is no doubtfull or uncertain Character 't is granted on all hands that the Antichristian Kingdom must be such as is exceedingly corrupt in manners the only thing to be considered is whether we can find such a Corruption of manners in the Papacy as answers the Idea of what the H. Spirit hath foretold should be found in the Antichristian Kingdom if the Roman Church be pure Christianity her Head who is the Bishop of Rome will be eminent for Holiness Let us then begin the consideration of the Corruption of the Papacy by that of its head In order of nature the Head must be considered before the Members We begin this subject with a Maxim of those Gentlemen Exception 6. part 1. cap. 16 17 18. with whom we had so much ado for twelve or fifteen years past I mean the Writers of Port Royal. 'T is the wisdom of God Legal Exceptions against the Calvinists Chap. 3. say they in their Legal exceptions not only to fill the sermons and discourses of the Gospell with light and force to convince those who will attend to 'em but to give them likewise some external qualities which may engage men to hearken to 'em and oblige the unprejudic't to judge that 't is at least very unjust to reject them without a hearing It would be they add a very strange alliance which our New Reformers must suppose between so strange a privation of the gifts of Grace and so great an abundance of Light. Which is so contrary to what we know of the order of Providence and the divine Conduct that to believe it we must renounce all the Ideas which our reason faith and hope do give us These Gentlemen argue very variously according to their different Interests formerly they have told us that they who are the Guides of Jerusalem are oftentimes no other than the Citizens of Babylon Nevertheless I 'le admit their principle and I believe it a good one but I demand how they can have the face to make use of that Reflection against us which is one of the strongest we can imploy against them If that be true which we have just now mention'd to be written by the Divines of Port Royal how is it possible they can look upon that Church to be a true one whose Head is stigmatized with the most Infamous Characters of Vice that can any where be parallell'd How can they regard the Chair of Rome as the supreme Tribunal of the true Church since for above a thousand years we have seen those who have sat there instead of the spirit of J. Christ and the Gospel to have been acted by meer Humane policy and a boundless Ambition and guilty of the most abominable Crimes and infernal Practices no better than those of Nero and Heliogabulus 'T is there that we must suppose a very monstrous alliance between so strange a privation of the Gifts of Grace and such an abundance of Light. Is it not a prodigy that Vertue should be as rare in that Seat as Vice ought to be and that of all those who have sat on the several Thrones of Christian Europe there have been no Princes who had less of the Spirit of Christianity than the Popes This Prejudice and Exception against Popery seems very strong the pretention in matter of Right is very clear the Question will be concerning the matter of Fact and that will manifest the Truth This I shall do after having made these two Reflections To the Pope's being Antichrist 't is not necessary that every Pope be Impious and debanchâ— The first is this that we are not obliged to find that spirit which is directly opposite to the Spirit of Christianity in all the Popes who have sat at Rome from the time where we six the Rise of Antichrist We place it about the middle of the 5th Century since that time it will be said there have been some good Popes It will not be very easy to find any considerable number of 'em but supposing that there have been some good ones we say that Antichristianism is not a Monster that is born all in one day It is to speak properly that Corruption of Christianity now all sorts of Corruptions do advance by degrees The Spirit of Christianity did gradually abandon the Popes as they forsook the Truth and rose to Tyranny as long as they preserved any thing of the purity of worship God did not permit his H. Spirit absolutely to leave ' em But when Idolatry came to its height when the abomination was set up in the Sanctuary which came to pass when Images prevail'd then the Spirit of the Devil took
and Darkness At this time ruled those two Notorious Strumpets Theodora a Roman Dame most infamous for her lewdness and her Daughter Marosia wife to Albertus the Marquess of Hetruria and Concubine of this Pope Sergius who at the same time kept the Mother and the Daughter to reward them for raising him to be Pope by their Influence and Authority One Athanasius succeeded him concerning whom we have no account it is not easy to imagine the cause for as this Pope was one of the Cabal of Theodora and Marosia he was of the like character with his Predecessors After him comes Laudo who to oblige the infamous Theodora prefer'd a Priest of Ravenna named John to the Bishoprick of Bologna and afterwards to be Archbishop of Ravenna But Theodora not finding it for her Convenience to have her Gallant at such a distance from her quickly makes away with Laudo An. 912. and makes this John the tenth by name Bishop of Rome Platina Some Historians say that This John was the son of Pope Sergius by Marosia Theodora's daughter This Pope then was the Son of a Pope and kept his grand-mother Theodora to be his whore This Monster possess'd the Chair sixteen years and lest it by a violent death for Marosia who is reputed by some Authors to have been his Mother caused him to be put in prison and there to be stifled under a Bed. She made Leo VI. Pope in his room who surviv'd but six months and dyed in prison of a violent Death as his Predecessor did Stephen VIII succeeded him and he was permitted to continue in the chair till it was thought fit to place John 11. in his room who according to the opinion of several Authors was Marosia's bastard by Pope Sergius An. 931. and not John 10. as Platina would have it This John had his own Mother Marosia for his whore Albertus the son of Marosia by her marriage with Albertus Marquess of Tuscany imprisons both Marosia An. 936. and John 11. his Brother by the Mothers side This latter dyes there and leaves his seat to Leo VIII of whom Platina gives this great commendation nihil memoriâ dignum fecit that he did nothing worth remembring Those that follow'd till the year 956. had the good fortune to be almost buried in silence An. 955. It was otherwise with Octavian son of Albertus Marquess of Tuscany who was made Pope at seventeen years old the first who chang'd his name upon his advancement to the Chair which hath been the custom of succeeding Popes ever since His Crimes were very enormous but they are well known also by all the world Luitpâ—and In him did Rome see another Nero a second Heliogabulus The Lateran Palace became the most publick Bawdyhouse of all Europe an Honest Woman could not with any safety perform her Devotions in the most publick places for women were ravisht even in the Churches Besides that he was Cruel and caused Benedict his Spiritual Father to have his eyes put out and John Cardinal a Subdeacon to be put to death by cutting off his Privy Members he offer'd incense to the Devil and invok't Jupiter and the other Gods of Paganism the Emperor Otho coming to Rome caused this monster to be depos'd but he formed a party against the Emperor by which an Insurrection was made and much Blood shed Otho remain'd Master and set up another Pope but assoon as he left the City to return into Germany the Whores at Rome set him again upon the Chair and thrust out the other Pope whom the Emperor had made Otho who again prevail'd over the Seditious at Rome being dead another Villain who called himself Boniface VII seiz'd Pope Benedict VI. and caus'd him to be strangled in prison Another Tyrant of the Faction and Family of the Marquess of Tuscany named Benedict VII turned out this Boniface VII who was forc't to save himself at Constantinople whither he carried all the moveables and as much of the treasure of St. Peter as he could with him Some time after he comes back to Rome and puts himself again in the Chair where he found one named John XIV whom he throwes into Prison and there he is starv'd to death Eight moneths after this he himself dyes and is drag'd thro the streets to be thrown on a common Dunghill Behold these are the God's of the Papacy The Emperor Otho the Second Son of Otho the first would put a stop to these disorders as his Father had done He comes to Rome makes a new Pope according to his own mind but no sooner was he gone from thence but the Romans set up another Pope who called himself by the name of John XVI Otho returns and makes himself Master of Rome cuts off the Hands and Ears of this John XVI and put out his eyes he enters the Castle of S. Angelo by force and throws Crescentius the Leader of the Rebells who was retir'd thither headlong from the walls Doth not this look like the Chair of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace Gilbert first Arch-Bishop of Rhemes and afterward of Ravenna concluded this tenth Century and took the Chair under the name of Silvester the second Some late writers will have him to have been a good man contrary to the unanimous consent of all Popish Historians of any Age and of any Credit Geofrey of Monmouth Cardinal Benno who liv'd in that age Martinus Cistensis Petrus Premonstrensis Platina Nauclerus Rolluinkus Martinus Polonensis William of Malmesbury do all say he was a Sorcerer and strangled by the Devill in a Chappell at Rome which is called Jerusalem The Devil promis'd him that he should not dye till he had said mass at Jerusalem he thought of no other Ierusalem but the City of that name in the Holy Land and confider'd not that there was a little Church in Rome which bore the same name where he went to say Mass and there dyed This History is not invented by Protestants no more than that other which saith that he kept a Brazen Head in his Closet which he consulted concerning future Events and which gave him Answers The Popes of the eleventh century and their Character The eleventh Century saith Baronius began with a Report which spread it self far and near that Antichrist was come and that ere long we should see the end of the World. He confesseth that the horrible Villanies which had been seen in the Church and were yet to be seen there gave occasion to this Report This was no Popular Error but an evident undeniable Truth which all the world might take notice of that Antichrist was then come In this 11th Century untill the middle of it the Roman Chair was possest by men every whit as vile and monstrous as their Predecessors The Marquesses of Tuscany who did whatever they pleased at Rome continued to bestow the Popedom on their Kindred or to sell it unto Strangers Terrible Schisms follow'd on this Gregory VI. was
forc'd King John to possess it only as his subject and as the Vassal of the Church One Innocent IV. who was summon'd before the tribunal of God saith Matthew Paris and accused to have render'd the Church of Christ abject and Contemptible as a despicable Servant to have made it a shop of exchange to have overturn'd both Faith and Manners destroyed Justice and concealed the Truth 'T was this Pope who told his Kindred at his death wherefore do you Weep ye wretches shall I not leave you Rich we also meet with one Martin IV. whose Encomium was this that he had the outside of a Shepherd but within was a Wolf 't was he that among other Wishes made this one that all Germany might be turr'd into a Pool of Blood One Boniface VIII who entred into the Popedom as a Fox liv'd there as a Lion and left it as a Dog inrag'd and desperate One Benedict XII who bought the Sister of Petrarkus not of Petrarque himself who abhorr'd the Popes their Persons and their Lives but of Gerard his Brother One John XXII who was deposed in the Councill of Constance as an Heretick Simoniack Perjured Murderer Poisoner Adulterer and Sodomite After the Councill of Constance we find Alphonsus Borgia Pope under the name of Calistus III. An. 1455. who pillag'd all Europe under pretence of solliciting the Princes to make War against the Turk An. 1458. To him succeeded Pius II. who confesses his debaucheries in the Books we have yet extant of his and for the Reward of his Good Works he dyed with this Testimony that he was without faith and without Piety Quickly after comes Paul II. An. 1464. declared enemy of all honest men especially men of learning a Simoniack who sold all Ecclesiastical Preferments a meer brute and yet Proud and stately a great Lover of Jewels and precious Stones wherof he had heapt together a vast quantity An. 1471. After this we meet with Sixtus IV. who from being a Cordelier got to be Pope whose character Baptista Mantua hath left us he saith in short that he was Luxurious Debaucht a Drunkard Adulterer and whatever can be imagin'd that was abominable T is concerning him that we read in History Wesselius Croning Tract Thes Indulg that when the family of the Cardinal of S. Lucy presented him with a Request to have permission to use Sodomy during the three hot moneths of the year that he wrote at the bottom of the request so let it be as is desired To this Sixtus succeeded one Innocent VIII who was Lascivious beyond measure and left eight Bastard Sons and as many Daughters besides this he was a Glutton Covetous and excessively Idle so that no Vice was a Stranger to him Immediately after this we find Alexander VI. An. 1484. Guiccardin whose Enorimities were sufficient to efface the memory of all those of his Predecessors He purchased the Popedom with money he liv'd there in Incest with the famous Lucretia who was his own daughter whom he married to his own Son Caesar Borgia She was therefore his daughter his wife his daughter in law Pontificis filia sponsa nurus He Poyson'd many that were Rich to get their Estates and after he had acted a thousand Villanies was kill'd by that Poyson which himself had prepared for Cardinal Adrian After him comes Julius II. a Proud Head-strong man Turbulent and Cruel who acted the Souldier and fill'd all Europe with Confusions This was he who had such famous Quarrells with Lewis XII King of France named the Father of the People On which occasion that King coyn'd a Medal on which was a Pope with a Tripple Crown and on the reverse these words Perdam Babylonis nomen I 'le destroy the name of Babylon Leo X. succeeded him 'T was in his Reign that the famous Revolution of the Reformation hapned He had not a dram of Religion as every body Grants A meer Worldling that minded nothing but to make a Figure to spend high and heap together Moneys to serve his Luxury 'T is notorious that he did not so much as believe a God and one day told Cardinal Bembo that this Fable of J. Christ hath done us good service Adrian VI. succeeded him they say he was an honest man but a bad Pope Thus the Papists themselves speak of him and so confess that a skilful Pope and an Honest Man are inconsistent Clement VII comes next Guicchardin tells us he was a Bastard a Knave a Hypocrite a Coward Credulous a Slave to his Domesticks and yet Proud Restless always aspiring to new Greatness Paul III. succeeded him Never was the Memory of any man loaded with more heinous Accusations He had sold his sister Julia Farnese to Alexander VI. for a Cardinals Hat. He lay with another of his Sisters and out of jealousie poyson'd her Laura Farnese his Niece was his Miss He endeavourd besides to debauch another Niece which was young and hansom He lay with his own daughter Constantia and poysoned Bosius â—fortia her husband and consequently his Son-in-law A Book that came out after his death accuseth him of all this if but a quarter be true 't would be enough John Maria de Monte was chosen Pope by the name of Julius III. the most Voluptuous Man in the World. He was suspected of Sodomy with a strange young Boy call'd Innocent whom he made a Cardinal But Sodomy in a Pope is a meer triste there is scarce an Italian who is free from it Paul IV. was the proudest Creature in the world He would stamp with his Foot and say I 'le bring down all the Kings under this Foot. He fill'd all Italie with Commotions and made himself so odious to the people that no sooner was his Breath gone but his Statues were pull'd down and thrown into the Sewers Pius IV. who finisht the Council of Trent was Wise as to the World one of the most cunning Politicians of that Age His Policy was tryed to purpose with the difficulties he met with in managing that Councill in order to the keeping up his Soveraignty and hindring it from doing any dammage to the Court of Rome Pius V. was a cruel Persecutor of the Truth Gregory XIII approved of the Massacre at Paris he orderd that Tokens of publick Joy should be made at Rome for it And to perpetuate the Memory of it as of the most gallant act which was performed in his Reign he coyn'd a Medal on one side was himself on the reverse a representation of the Massacre with these words Hugonotorum strages the slaughter of the Hugonots This Massacre was an abominable Fact and whoever approves of it must either be Antichrist or the Son of Antichrist Sixtus V. who succeeded was the Patron of the League he set all France in a flame This proved that he must have been a very good friend of the Spaniards And yet they have told the World that he was a Conjurer and made a Compact
with the Devil to make himself Pope Clement VIII was accused to be a Poysoner a Murtherer guilty of Simony a Sodomite a Perjured Villain an Adulterer guilty of Superstitious divinations and sacriledge Thus ended the last Age. As for the Popes of our Age they are well enough known We know that Rome is always Rome We need only read the Writings of the Papists themselves such as the life of Donna Olympia the Miss of Innocent X. the Syndicat of Alexander VII and a hundred other pieces of this nature which are call'd Libels and Satyrs but do inform us of many Truths All this is the least part of what might be sayd on this head 'T is an Ocean of Iniquities which cannot be drawn dry In a word we must know there hath not been a Throne in the World defiled with such Abominations We find above 25 Popes convicted or accused of Magick Cardinal Benno reckons up several in less than fifty years He was a Cardinal of the Roman Church in the time of Gregory VII T is true he was a bitter enemy of that Pope and consequently it may perhaps be said that he is immoderate in speaking of him But I would fain know what Interest he could have in painting out in such a manner the seven Popes that were Predecessors of Gregory VII What rage could induce him to dishonour a Church in which he was Cardinal and Arch-presbyter if there had not been the force of truth and the wise Providence of God who would furnish us with this Witness We find in the Holy See examples of the most horrid Brutalities that ever Paganism was guilty of Incests Adulteries Sodomies Whoring and all along a monstrous Covetousness and Pride I confess I never reflect on this without trembling at the dismal judgments of God and the blindness which men may contract When men shall come to themselves they will wonder as I do how such multitudes can possibly look on this spectacle without Horror how they persuade themselves that such a Seat can be the Seat of J. Christ the mansion of the H. Spirit the source of those Oracles that guide the Church Surely say I some Thunder-clap hath struck the Hearts of Men and plainly brutifyed them None must object that some High Priests under the Law were wicked and favourd Idolatry for 1. First they come behind these Examples a thousand and a thousand leagues 2. Those High-priests had not the Priviledge of Infallibility which the Popes pretend to 3. Lastly 'T is not to be wondred at that about the End of Judaism God who intended to abolish that Religion should permit some of the last High-priests to fall into great Wickedness CHAPTER IX A continuation of the fifth Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy The extreme Corruption of its Members HEarken how the great Babylon is described Predictions of the extreme corruption of Antichristianism in the 18 Chap. of the Revelation V. 7. How much she hath glorifyed herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her c. 9. And the Kings of the Earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they see the smoke of her burning 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their Merchandise any more 12. The Merchandise of Gold and Silver and Pretious Stones and of Pearls and fine Linnen and Purple and Sick and all thyne Wood and all manner Vessels of Ivory and all manner Vessells of most pretious Wood and of Brass and Iron and Marble 13 And Sinnamon and Odours and Oyntments and Frankincense and Wine and Oyl and fine Flour and Wheat and Beasts and Sheep and Horses and Charrets and Slaves and the Souls of Men. 14. And the Fruits that thy Soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things that were dainty and goodly are departed c. 16. Alas Alas that great City that was clothed in Fine Linnen and Purple and Scarlet and deckt with Gold and pretious Stones and Pearls 22. And the Voyce of Harpers and Musicians and of Pipers and Trumpetters shall be heard no more at all in thee 'T is evident that all this gives us an Idea of the Corruption of this false Church by the representation of what is seen in great Cities where all manner of Pleasures abound and all kinds of debauches are committed and where men tast all the sinful delights of the flesh Add to this that she is described as a prostitute Woman adorned with Gold and Pearls that invites all the Kings of the Earth to make themselves drunk with her criminal Amours Let us now see if this Copy does resemble the Original and if the Romish Church bears this Character of an extreme Corruption in Manners We have already viewed this Corruption in her Head by a Relation of the lives and Practices of the Popes We must now consider it in her Members The Corruption of the Tenth Century We shall not go further back than we have done in our account of the Popes i.e. we will only consider this Corruption down from the Tenth Century And as to this Century we will produce no other Evidences of the extreme Corruption which then prevailed besides the notoriety of the thing and the consent of all Historians Ad an 900. Since Cardinal Baronius confesseth it I believe none will question it He saith Is was an Iron age on the account of its Hardness and Barrenness a Leaden Age on the account of the Vgliness of the Vices which broke on t as a deluge and an Age of Darkness on the account of Ignorance We have seen that the City of Rome and the Church of Rome were arrived to a height of Wickedness and Corruption which passeth all imagination This Torrent over-flowed all the places which were joyn'd to this Church The Author of Fasciculus Temporum informs us that in most places not so much as the Sacraments were administred that Magick and the Art of making Charms and Bewuching people were almost the only Learning of the Priests The Corruption of the Eleventh Century The Eleventh Century was not better We may consult the Historians of that Age and Baronius who on their report tells us That besides Simony the Field of Christ was overgrown with Thoorns and Nettles which spring from the shameful putrefaction of the flesh and dunghil of Corruption that all flesh had corrupted its way so that it seem'd that a deluge was not sufficient to wash away the Filth and that these horrid sins call'd for the Fire of Gomorra That is that all kinds of Adulteries Fornication Sodomy Brutality horrid and monstrous Excesses Debauches Luxury Pomps Vanities and Pleasures of the Flesh reign'd in that Age. Corruption of the 12 Century The Twelfth Century comes next when Croisades were in fashion God weary with enduring such dismal Wickedness gave up these Wretches to a spirit of Madness
that this occasion'd the revolt of Zuinglius and Luther and disposed the spirits of the people to separate from a Clergy that was guilty of such dismal Disorders Besides we have the Confessions of the Papists of the same Age of Pope Adrian VI. of Cornelius Musse Bishop of Bitonto who in the midst of the Council of Trent said That there was no Filthyness how monstrous soever no Villany no Impurity with which the People and Clergy were not defiled We have the Testimony of the famous Mantuan and of the learned Espensaus who make such dismal and affrighting descriptions of the manners of the Roman City and Church in general that one cannot forbear trembling as he reads them After this we need not the testimony of the Lutherans and of the Hundred Grievances which were drawn up at the Diet of Norimberg 1522. wherein the Abominations of the Clergy of that time are set down with exact Fidelity The Priests and Monks have always been guilty of the greatest Corruption Observe I pray you that this dismal Corruption of Manners in all the Ages which we have been mentioning hath always been charged more particularly on the Clergy than on the People And this is a sensible Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy We know that the Clergy and Monks are the principal Members of the Papacy its Spirit and Soul resides in them so that if Popery were Christianity the spirit of this later would be found in these two Orders of men we should perceive some marks of the Christian Religion to shine forth in them But by a righteous Judgment God hath permitted them to contract the very greatest corruption to convince those whom God will save that the Papal Empire cannot be the Kingdom of J. Christ The Corruption of the Priests Monks and Nuns hath always been worse than that of the Laity that so it might appear that the farther a man goes in Popery the more he partakes of the spirit of Antichrist We may view over again Alvares Pelagius Petrach Nicholas de Clemangis Fasciculus Temporum and add to them Walter Mapes an English Doctor Arnold de Villâ novâ Leonard Aretine and an infinite number of others and we shall see that their most bitter Invectives the lively Descriptions and affrighting Representations of the Corruption they speak of do principally relate to the Court of Rome the Priests the Clergy the Monks and Nuns This is not a matter that needs to be proved 'T is notorious even in our dayes for all who have had a mind to collect filthy and obscene stories even among the Papists themselves scarce relate any thing besides the enormous Crimes of the Priests and Monks this hath made the Name of a Fryar odious and the Proverbs which are in use among the vulgar make these the Instances of impurity such a one they say is Lazy fat and leacherous as a Friar Hence those who write Satyrs fall especially on the Monks as may be seen in the writings of Rablais and the Apologie for Herodotus Nor are they only obscure writers who have attacht them with violence The Bishop of Bellay in the present age hath omitted nothing that might make them odious And yet not one passage in him can be cited where he hath spoken without truth Consequences that ought to be drawn from â—â—nâ—e Here I conjure those who have any care of their own salvation to bestow their attention on this subject For in my judgment 't is the most proper to awaken those who have not quite lost even Common sense How can it possibly enter into the mind of any man that the only true Church should be found in a Society which for eight hundred years together hath been guilty of so abominable a corruption of manners that that of the Heathens has not equall'd it I grant indeed that we may find in Heathen History some passages as dismal as those which are seen in the History of the Papacy But I am bold to say that we cannot find such a long series of Villanies and abominable Practices so long continued For about a thousand years a Church is made up of Drunkards Whoremongers Incestuous Wizzards Magicians Sodomites Luxurious Unclean Wretches without Shame without Virtue without Modesty without Bounds without Masque These are the main body and community there are scarce honest men enough to complain of the Disorders of the rest A man I say must be resolved to damn himself in cool Blood if he digests this Absurdity and is persuaded that 't is possible for Jesus Christ to abandon his true Church at this rate and suffer her to sink into such a Corruption What can be replyd to this The Vanity of the Papists excuses 'T will perhaps be reply'd that in all Ages of the Church the H. Fathers have complain'd of Corruption of Manners and that we must not condemn the whole for the Faults of some particular men But 't is an intolerable Affront to the Primitive Church to make the Comparison between some Disorders that the Fathers complain'd of and the horrid Enormities of the Papacy At least the Clergy of those times complain'd therefore they were not guilty of the Disorders that they reproacht in others Some will say That there were great Corruptions sometimes in the people of Israel which was the only people of God. 'T is true but then they did not last so long God never sufferd this people to persevere constantly for seven or eight Ages in the Vices of the Heathen and in the Abominations which they borrowed from the Gentiles 'T is sayd that however these Disorders are past and that we cannot any longer justly charge the Church of Rome with them But First if this were true it doth not contradict the Truth of what I have alledg'd 'T is a certain Truth that the Church of Rome for seven or eight Ages was sunk into this extreme Corruption And I say it over again There is none who retains any Liberty of Mind who can possibly believe that the true Church could lye under this dismal Infamy for so long a time thro the permission of God. But besides where is this Reformation of Manners which they so much glory in In all the Countreys where there are no Protestants to inspect the Deportment and Manners of the Papists things are almost at the same pass We have Historians Travellors and Writers of Travells who tell us that in Italy and Spain Convents are places of Prostitution the Monks are employ'd to execute the worst of Villanies and the Priests are the most notorious Pimps We may consult A Relation of the Commonwealth of Venice writ by M. de S. Didier a Papist and a thousand other Books that are in every ones hands 'T is true in some Countries the outside is somewhat alter'd especially in France where for these twenty years past the Court being set upon the design of Reunion hath judg'd it necessary in order to gain the Protestants
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
of the Antiquities of Rome confess it The Pantheon is now the Church of the V. Mary surnamed the Rotunde Twelve Idol Temples are reckon'd that have the same Honour i. e. to be consecrated to the Virgin. The Primitive Christians did so abhor Paganism that they would not for any thing in the world have celebrated their Mysteries in Pagan Temples But Popery which came in afterwards makes use of any thing of the Pagans their Temples their Images their Ceremonies I know not how any one can look on this Conformity otherwise than a certain Character of Antichristianism CHAPTER XVIII The Eleventh Character of Antichristianism that is found in the Papacy a Spirit of Lying and Fables Falsehoods to sustain the Authority of the Pope A short account of the Romance of the V. Mary The Antichristian spirit must be a spirit of Lying and Fables ALL Heresies and false Religions in general have the Father of Lyes for their Author But yet 't is certain that there are some Sects that are distinguisht by this and have a Spirit of Lying for their Character 'T is plain by Scripture predictions that this was to be the Spirit of Antichristianism This is signified by those V. 13. Three unclean Spirits Apoc. 16. that come out of the Mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false Prophet V. 14. For they are the Spirits of Devils working Miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth These Spirits of Devils are those Lying Spirits who by Fables and false Miracles deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth 'T is of the same Spirit of Lying and Imposture that this Prophecy speaks V. 13. And he doth great Wonders Cap. 13. so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men V. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by means of those Miracles These Wonders are Lying Miracles Delusions Impostures or Fables This is also predicted by St. Paul in his 2. Epist to the Thessalonians V. 9. Whose coming viz. of the Mystery of Iniquity is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders But above all this is the Character that the same Apostle expresly giveth the cursed Authors of the Antichristian Apostacy telling us that the Worship of Demons and Spirits as Mediators was to be set on foot by V. 2. Men 1 Tim. 4. speaking Lyes in Hypocrisy having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron The true Spirit of Popery is lying Fables and Imposture and consequently it is Antichristianism Let none wonder that we detain the Reader longer than usual on his Point For there is not a more sensible and palpable evidence that the Papacy oweth its Original to the Devil than this All false Religions have their fabulous Stories Paganism had its Fables corrupted Judaism had theirs But all the Fables of all the false Religions put together do not come near those of Popery either for number or horridness And those who will not see its Falsehood and Vanity by this prospect will never discern it by any other I promise once again that I do not call Popery that which remains of Christianity in the Roman Church for instance the Divinity of Christ his Resurrection his Redemtion and Judging the World c. Popery works no Miracles but to confirm its Superstitions These grand Truths are supported by Miracles and Wonders which were wrought by the Apostles and by Apostolical Persons The Papacy is not at all concern'd to support the Christian Truth by their Lying Miracles it takes little or no eare to preserve any part of it Or rather God hath not permitted that his holy Mystery should be disparaged by fabulous Evidences and Impostures of the Devil But the Papacy not being able to work true and real Wonders to confirm their Doctrines hath framed most horrid Relations fill'd with Lyes and ridiculous Fables to support the Popes Supremacy and Empire the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of the Virgin the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence the Adoration of the Eucharist and of Images We must with some exactness view some Instances of these Lying Histories that we may understand the spirit of Popery Fables invented to set up the Popes Supremacy One of its principal Articles is the Authority of the Pope his Infallibility his unlimitted power his Succession to the Apostelship and Supremacy of St. Peter These things must be found in Tradition for Scripture saith nothing of them And to find them there they must be put into it for they were not there neither To put them into it for want of History they must weave together a heap of Fables Therefore in the first place they must without any proof suppose that St. Peter after he had been seven years Bishop of Antioch came and made himself Bishop of Rome and that he sat there five and twenty years that he was crucifyed with his head downward and at his death appointed a Successor to whom he bequeath'd a full Authority over the Vniversal Church This Successor of St. Peter left his and this third another so that in a continued Succession until this day the Popes of Rome have always been Soveraigns of the Church Umpires of all differences Judges without appeal of all Controversies and Liege Lords of all the Kings of the Earth but all this is founded on meer Fables Fables concerning the abode and actions of St. Peter at Rome First The Journey and Death of St. Peter at Rome are not very certain 'T is true antient Authors have said so But it doth not in the least agree with the History of the Acts of the Apostles or with the Chronology of St. Paul's Epistles That Apostle made two Journeys to Rome where he was twice a Prisoner In his second Imprisonment they will have him suffer Martyrdom with St. Peter 'T is very surprising and astonishing that the Apostle who in his Epistles written at Rome mentioneth so many persons of a mean quality should say nothing of St. Peter The Mystery of Iniquity began to work in Saint Paul's time this Journey and Martyrdom of St. Peter at Rome whether true or false was to be the principal foundation of the vain pretences of this Counterfeit Monarch of the Church 'T is not improbable that this Spirit of Lying which sowed the first seeds of Antichristianism persuaded the Antients of the second Century that S. Peter had appointed the Bishop of Rome to be his Successor tho this was plainly false For St. Peter had the charge of the Jews and of the Church of the Circumcision Now the Jews were very inconsiderable at Rome where they had no more respect than those Fortune-tellers whom we call Gypsies have among us The greatest and most considerable part of the Jews were about Babylon and 't is there that St. Peter dates his first Epistle As to the pretended Episcopacy of St. Peter at Rome which lasted five and twenty years
'T is a Fable whose Original is found to be in the fourth Century in Sr. Jerom's time who is the eldest Author who mentioneth it For it is only to be found in Jerom's version of the Chronicle of Eusebius This Falle is unanswerably refuted both by the History of the New Testament and by Chronology And as one Fable produceth another the long abode of St. Peter at Rome hath produceth the Fable of his Contest with Simon the Magician in which this Magician flying in the Air out of sight St. Peters prayers tumbled him down and broke his Leggs or rather this last Fable was the older and so produced the other But because this Fiction of St. Peter's long abode at Rome was not sufficient to found the Dominion of the Pope they have forg'd Decretal Epistles of the first Popes from S. Clement Peter's Successor In which Epistles these first Bishops of Rome ascribe to themselves all that Authority which the Popes have since usurped They have besides forged a counterfeit Donation of Constantine by which he gives away to Pope Sylvester and his Successors the Popes the City of Rome Italie the Western Kingdoms and almost the whole Roman Empire And that this Title might be supported by possession the fabulous History of the Papacy maketh the first Bishops of Rome by virtue of their Papal Authority to send Bishops into every Countrey to plant Christianity there Thus St. Clement sent into Gaule Dennis to be Bishop of Paris Gratian to Tours Julian to Mentz St. Nicasius to Roüan Taurm to Evreux Exuperius to Bayeux Sainâ—â—n to Verdun Eucherius to Triers St. Saturnin to Thoulouse All Fables which Launoy a Doctor of the Sorbon hath taken the pains lately to refute they were expresly invented to establish the Supremacy of the Pope above Bishops This is but a small part of the Romance of the Papal Authority but because we must proceed to several other Instances we cannot insist longer upon this 'T is certain The Romance of the V. Mary that in all Popery there is nothing so singular and so near to that Worship which is 0165 0 given to God as the Worship of the Virgin. 'T is not easy to carry Idolatry to a higher degree as we have before demonstrated And we may truly say there never was a larger and more detestable Romance than the History of the Virgin framed on purpose to establish the Adoration of the Mother of Jesus Christ This Adoration is grounded on the glorious Priviledges which she received from God in her Conception in her Birth in her Life in her Death in her Resurrection in her Assumtion and in her Miracles We must give you an Epitome of this fabulous History and this Romance of the Virgin is far less discreet than that of St. Rose mentioned before 'T is probable that the Holy Ghost hath designedly been silent about the Life and Death of the blessed Virgin. Perhaps he intended by this silence to prevent the horrid Superstition which would flow from the Honour that is due to this holy Woman If this was the design it hath succeeded but ill For men have by their Conjectures discovered all the Circumstances of the Life of this Saint By one means or other God knows how they know them all as certainly as if She had always had an Historian or Annalist by her side who kept a diary of all that befel her even before she was born First they have understood I know not from whom that her Fathers Name was Joachim her Mothers Anna. That Anna had two Sisters and that all three were Daughters of Matthan the High Priest that so the Royal and Sacerdotal Blood might be joyn'd in the person of Mary This was known in the fourth Century in the time of St. Epiphanius But in the eighth Century Miracles in the Conception Birth and Infancy of the V. Mary men were told by a new Revelation that Joachim was the Son of Barpanther and he the Son of Panther These Names are not to be found in any of the Jewish Genealogies but that is no matter Anna the Mother of the Virgin and Wife of Joachim was a long time barren The High Priest Issachar refused the Offerings of Joachim as being a Dry Tree an useless Member of the Common-wealth because he could not perform the work of Multiplication Joachim filled with shame would not return home Anna sorely troubled that the Reproach of her Barreness had deprived her of her Husband doubleth her Prayers and Tears Joachim afflicted with her Sorrow hideth himself in a Desert where after forty Dayes retirement an Angel finds him out and biddeth him return to his Wise Anna the mean while had retired alone into the Sanctum Sanctorum whither never any Man or Woman could come excepting the High Priest who went there once a year In this place an Angel appeareth to Anna and tells her of the future Birth of Mary Behold how the Virgin is already as highly honour'd as her Son for an Angel cometh to fore-tel her Birth before she was conceived After this Anna is with Child in a miraculous manner for she was naturally barren and was now too old to bear Children Besides the Conception of the little Mary was immaculate as well as that of her Son Jesus she was also conceived without Original Sin. Indeed this discovery was not very certain for the sixteen hundred years past but in this last Age after innumerable Violent and bitter Contests between the Franciscans and Dominicans the former being assisted by the Jesuits have confirmed the Truth of the Immaculate Conception All the best Antiquity knew nothing of it the Fathers have expresly contradicted it But Salmeron the Jesuite hath proved that all the Fathers in this point are meer Fools and Blockheads and that men owe them no submission but only when they plead for the Catholick Church against the Lutherans then they are Infallible To confirm this Fable of the Immaculate Conception they have not fail'd to frame others S. Bridget had several Revelations about it and the Virgin herself often assured her of her own Immaculate Conception To oppose this Truth the Dominicans of Bern in the year 1507. wrought that famous Miracle which is related by all our Historians which History Dr. Burnet hath very lately rectified in the Relation of his Travels Without doubt the Virgin being provokt that they should by false Miracles oppose her Glorious Conception suffered the Cheat to be discovered Four principal Actors of this Comedie were taken and burnt as Victims to the Virgin and her good Friends the Franciscans in a Medow that was over against and in view of their Convent that those good Fathers might feed their Eyes with the sight of this just Punishment of the Enemies of their Goddess The Virgin being thus miraculously conceiv'd and with a Priviledge equal to that of her Son came into the World the eighth of September at such an hour For without doubt there was present some devout
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
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
run out in great quantity the patient would have been quickly dead But in favour of the Devout God did so multiply the Blood of Christ that at this day one may find as much as if made liquid would fill the veins of a hundred men and above They have also even the Tears of Christ Witness the Holy Tear at Vendome a very choice Relique For 't was necessary that a Devoto should be present at the nick of time and very dextrous to save a small drop of water which falls from the eye upon the cheek and is commonly lost After this we must not wonder that they have taken care to collect solid things as the Nails of the Cross there were but three but by the blessing of God the Latin Church hath fifteen of them besides the filings and little pieces of these Nails And perhaps who ever would make an exact search in the East would find as many there or more The Holy Thorns of the Crown that was put on our Saviours Head were planted in so fertile a Soyle that they are encreased a hundred for one The Gentlemen of Port-Royal who are no great Favorites of Holy Mother the Church have not withstandingly by some means gotten one of them which they order to be devoutly adored and which did abundance of Miracles in confirmation of Jansenism Monsieur the Bishop of Tournay a great Jansenist but an honest man dareth not assert that this very Thorn is one of our Saviours Crown But he hath found an expedient for this and concludeth that God worketh Miracles by false Reliques as well as by true ones Perhaps he speaks more truly than he is aware of for 't is certain that the Bone of some Rogue yea or of a Horse worketh more Miracles then the Reliques of Saint Paul. How can the Church complain that she wants Reliques of our Lord Jesus Christ since she hath his Cross which is the Glory of Christendom The Devoto's of the three first Centuries were very negligent in not seeking out this Cross and in suffering it to ly buryed under a heap of Earth and rubbish But St. Helena was very happy that the discovery of this pretious Treasure was reserved to her God hath so blessed her Endeavours that this Cross would at this day fill the whole Palace of this Princess were she still alive You have every where the wood of the true Cross all the world hath some and in certain places there are large pieces to be seen Besides this pretious Cross which had the honour to touch the bleeding Body of our Saviour they shew you at Rome the Manger where he was layd when he was born they have his Cradle his Swadling-bands his Shirt his Shoes the Altar of presentation on which he was layd when he was first brought to the Temple pieces of his Hankercheif some Fragment of his Sepulchre they have the Stone upon which he trod when he ascended into Heaven the print of his Foot is on it a certain proof that the story is true they have some of the Bread used at his last Supper and of that which he multiplyed for the five thousand they have some of the Wine which our Lord made at Cana in Galilee they have the Iron Head of the Lance of St. Longin who pierc'd his side his Seamless Coat is at Argenteuil at Triers and at St. Salvador in Spain They have his Hair the Parings of his Nails But they have but one of the Teeth which he cast in his Childhood it is at Laon. 'T was an unpardonable negligence of those honest Devoto's who went about to gather up the cuttings of his Hair why not rather take care to seek up 25. or 30. Teeth which he cast between the seventh and fourteenth year of his Age These might have been at this day the Treasures of so many Churches that should have had the honour of possessing them Shameful Idolatry as to Reliques In truth 't is impossible to speak of these things without passion a man must laugh or weep But alas there is far more cause to weep than to laugh at that which exposeth the Christian Religion to the just raillery of the Profane and Infidels and which is the object of the most horrible Superstition in the world I speak not now only to Papists I speak to Protestants The greatest part of them do not look on this with due abhorrence they do not sufficiently perceive that this is one of the great Abominations wherewith Popery hath defiled Christianity They think it enough to look on this Worship as a sottish Superstition But at the bottom 't is far worse 't is a shameful Idolatry They fall down they kiss they worship dead things Ashes Bones Linnen Toyes Excrements they carry these in Procession they expect rain and fair wheather from them they work Miracles by them This Church will never wash off these stains but by Fire these Nehustans must be broken in pieces and burnt in the Fire and she must be ashamed of her Idols Fabulous History of Images Images do naturally follow Reliques the Worship of the former is a great part of the Popish Devotion And this Worship is founded on fabulous Histories not less ridiculous than the preceding yea is much more so than the fabulous stories of the Pagan Images The Pagans have reported only of two or three of their Images that have spoken with an intelligible Voyce But among the Papists formerly nothing was more common than these speaking Images instances of this kind are very many One Crucisix spoke to S. Thomas Speaking Images and said to him Thomas thou hast written well concerning me what reward wilt thou have Another spoke to St. Brigit a third Crucifix made Responses at the Mass said by a Priest who had not a Clerk. An Image of our Lady spoke to St. Jacynthe a Polonian that he should save it from being burnt by some barbarous Souldiers who burnt every thing they found A certain Scotch Image used to speak and give answers as an Oracle At Affligen three Miles from Brussels there is a V. Mary which spoke Latin to St. Bernard At Bernarde vale But fareavel Bernard A Crucifix decided the Controversy that was in England between the Monks and Secular Priests the Priests desired to have Liberty again to marry a Crucifix that stood there cryed out Non Fiet non Fâ—et judicastis bene mutaretis male It shall not be c. Another Crucifix spoke to St. Francis and said to him Go and build up my House There was one day a long dispute between a Stone Statue of the Virgin and a little one of Jesus Christ which she held in her Armes The Virgin had a mind to shew mency to a Penitent who lay there before them The little Image of Christ was against it in conclusion the Virgin got the better because she was the Mother and her Statue was bigger than that of her Son. The Pagans to procure veneration to some