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
plain Blasphemies against the Creator by the mouth of their Missionarics and Preachers who preach to the people a Ridiculous and profane Gospel made up of impertinent Fables and absurd stories most unbecoming expressions and vile comparisons foolish and unworthy subjects and the whole accompanied with trifling and Mimical gestures with an air suited to a Farce or Comedy rather than a Sermon IX 'T is a prodigious heap of Superstitions which are criminal and Idolatrous in the plainest and most simple use of 'em but in their Abuse are the most extravagant Idolatry that can be named according to which the most proper Divine Adoration is given to a Creature making the Virgin to be the Queen of Heaven and of the rest of the World the Salvation of mankind the Redeemer of the World the distributer of all saving Grace the Goddess the Divinity of Men and Angels the Completion and Perfection of the Trinity and so in proportion to all the other Saints Male and Female X. 'T is real Paganism reviv'd wherein besides the great God of Heaven and Earth the Great Jupiter most good and most great they worship innumerable inferior and subordinate Deities A Queen of the World Spirits separated from matter Mediators between God and Men good Demons and Genius's who perserve and take care of men and watch over ' em They likewise worship as the ancient Pagans did the Souls of dead men they build Temples and consecrate Altars to 'em and offer Sacrisices to their Honour they put themselves under their protection they establish them to be Patrons of Kingdoms and Cities and Families and particulier Persons insomuch that Juda had as many Gods as Towns. In this new Paganism they worship the Reliques of the Dead their Bones their Askes their Garments their Shirts their Shoes and their old Rags They worship also Images and Pictures as the ancient Pagans did And this worship is such in all the parts of it as besides its agreement with Heathenism is not at all Spiritual or Rational made up of Ceremonies that are carnal corporal and vain apish and foolish postures signs of the Cross Holy and lustral Waters Temples and Altars adorn'd with magnificence and pomp grimaces and wry faces and gesticulations of a Priest round about the Altar turning about now to the right hand and then to the left sometimes speaking and then on a sudden silent now thundering with a loud voice and presently after muttering somewhat between his teeth one while reading another while speaking without Book and always saying that which is not understood by the common People This is the goodly worship of Popery and must pass for Divine service tho without spirituality or reason XI 'T is a Religion animated throughout by a spirit of Lying and founded and supported by Fabâ—es Their Invocation of Saints Adoration of the Virgin Purgatory Sacrifice of the Mass Adoration of the Sacrament and all their other Superstitions are built upon a fabulous Gospel but framed by a spirit of Lying so gross and palpable that the least measure of sincerity would be enough to make a man blush and be asham'd of 'em They are meer Romances and stuft with Ribaldry and Filthiness The Romance of the Virgin is more ridiculous than that of S. Rose The Lives of their Saints do paint'em out as a Company of Fools Fanaticks and Bedlams with a vast multitude of frightful Miracles the number whereof is sufficient of it self to contradict the truth and overthrow the Authority of 'em But for the most part they are such as are mean and trifling sottish and ridiculous unworthy of the Grandeur and Majesty of God Miracles wrought on purpose to prove the Holiness of some little Monk that after his decease Temples may be built in honour of his memory and he may be worshipt as a God or to introduce and encourage the worship of a piece of Bread of Wood or of Stone and none of 'em to promote the worship of God. XII 'T is a cruel Master who hath teeth of steel and nailes of Diamant that tears and devours what he can and treads under foot the remainder He establishes his Kingdom under the name of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ with Fire and Sword destroying all that stoops not to him overturning Cities and Kingdoms making whole Provinces to be so many burying places and large Cities to be ruinous heaps inflaming Europe with Wars and destroying Germany and Italy by that means arming the Father against the Son and Children against their Parents Subjects against their Prince and Princes against their Subjects causing the most horrible Massacres and covering the Earth with Human Blood. He erects Gibbets prepares Scaffolds kindles Fires to hang behead and burn those that resist him and not content to take away their lives would destroy their Honour and Reputation likewise by imputing such opinions to 'em as they abhor making them to pass for the Enemies of God and of the Saints charging them as Hereticks Arrians Photinians Mamenees and as believing the most horrible Doctrines accusing them of Incests and Promiscuous Impurities in their night meetings to worship God putting on them the Skins of Bears and wild Beasts and exposing them to publick Execution in the view of the multitude as the worst of men XIII Lastly 't is a cruel Tyrant which for many Ages hath enjoyed a profound Peace and the utmost of temporal Felicity without any interruption save by the troubles it hath given unto others and the cruel Wars it hath raised against the Innocent If at any time it hath met with any check or opposition it hath given a great deal more to the peace of others for at length it hath subdued and overcome all its Enemies and by violence stopt the mouth of all its Adversaries The Emperors after long and cruel commotions have at last stoopt to the feet of this Tyrant Insomuch that this Strumpet glories in her victories saying This is Babylon the great that I have built by the greatness of my power and who can resist the force of it She hath brought all Opposers under the yoke and peaceably enjoyed her richess and rapines her pleasures and her Crimes She hath said to her Soul Eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years She had added to these riches from time to time and the Soul of this wicked Miscreant is not yet required of her so that She hath enjoyed all the fruits of her Iniquities without seeing sorrow and all the desires of her Eyes without knowing Trouble Behold the true Picture of the Papacy if any think it is more deformed and more horrid than it ought to be represented let him but have patience till he hath perused this Book and he shall find all these Characters made good by Historical proofs against which nothing that is solid and reasonable can be objected I have here performed that which I long ago promised viz. to give an Extract or Abridgment of my Book
'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