conformable to the common Rule of all Christians let them not instance in the Unity of one God the adorable Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the Incarnation of the second person in our nature who is call'd J. Christ His death which was the Ransom and Redemption of mankind his Resurrection which hath ascertain'd ours his Ascension which hath open'd Heaven and made way for our admission his sitting at the Right hand of his Father who hath constituted him Lord and King of the Church and of the World his Intercession which procures for Believers all the good that is necessary to their Eternal Blessedness the Efficacy of the Redeemer's blood with respect to men The Life Everlasting the Resurrection of the dead and the last Judgment Let them not I say instance in any of these to prove the agreement of their Religion with the H. Scripture for 't is not to the purpose All that is Christianity and not Popery 't is my Religion as well as theirs We know very well that Christianity hath continued in the Papacy but we know likewise that Paganism hath been built upon it in the Church of Rome and this is that which makes it truly Antichristian Popery is that which constitutes a particular Sect and distinguisheth it from all others and this we assert hath no kind of Conformity to the Law of J. Christ The Sacrisice of the Mass hath no foundation in Scripture Let us instance in the Sacrifice of the Mass a point of very great importance if in any Religion there be any such because it concerns the sacrifice of a God unto God thereby to obtain Eternal Life the remission of sins and all the blessings of Heaven and Earth for mankind Because it treats of establishing a new Priesthood and new Priests and such as in the act of sacrificing are superior to their own God who is but a meer victim Now in making this Sacrifice I assert that they have altogether neglected and slighted the H. Scripture and had no regard at all to the revelation and Law of J. Christ After the establishment of this Sacrifice it was thought fit to search the Scripture for arguments to prove it but antecedent to such an establishment this was not thought of insomuch that the passages brought to prove the Sacrifice of the Mass seem to be collected and produc'd for no other end than to expose the Christian Religion to the scoffs of the Profane and the raillery of Infidels From the old Testament these words in the book of Genesis are quoted Genes 14. 1 Sam. 2.34 that Melchisedeck brought forth or offer'd unto Abraham bread and wine those words of God to Eli I will raise me up a Faithfull Priest who shall do according to that which is in my mind and in my heart And that which the wise man saith in the book of Proverbs Chap. 9.1 Wisdom hath built her an house c. she hath furnished her Table and the words of the Prophet Malachy In every place Incense shall be offer'd unto my name and a pure offering 1. C. 11. From the new Testament are alledged the words of our Lord to his Apostles Do this in Remembrance of me 26. Matth. And these of our Lord to the Samaritan Woman Believe me the hour cometh 4 John 21. when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but they that worship him shall worship him in Spirit and Truth And those words of S. Luke 13 Acts. v. 2. And as they ministred to the Lord and those of S. Paul to the Corinthians You cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devills you cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devills and in another place we have an Altar whereof they could not partake who served at the Tabernacle One would wonder how these Texts should be produc't as Proofs in this case Where is the Victim where is the Priest where are the Ceremonies the Consecration Elevation Adoration and Oblation of the Sacrifice where are the Introitus the Gradual the Canon the Offertory used by the Romanists If the Jews to maintain their worship their Sacrifices and the different orders of their Ministers who serv'd at their Altats their High Priest their Feasts their Pascal Lamb their Continual Sacrifice Morning and Evening their Scape-Goat their Ark their Mercy-seat their Cherubims their Distinction of Meats their Circumcision if I say to justifie these things the Jews had produced such Texts of Scripture and said these contain the Proofs of our Religion this is our Authority for it I 'am confident they would have past for Mad-men and if the World were once cured of their Prejudices they would say as much concerning the Papists This is one great point wherin Popery is not sollicitous to keep any agreement with the Scripture the common Rule of all Christians There is no Scripture Evidence for the Pope There is another Instance no less notorious than the former After the Sacrifice it naturally followes that we consider the Priest now Popery hath an High Priest and Head of the Universal Church a Vicar of J. Christ a Lieutenant of God on Earth This is the binding stone of the Arch 't is the Center of the Union So capital an Affair that there is no salvation without adhereing to this High Priest and must we be put off to Tradition for the proof of such an Article as this what Title is there in the scripture to this great Office what Call to such a Charge This is alledged Thou art Peter and on this Rock will I build my Church and what thou hast bound on earth shall be bound in Heaven feed my sheep I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not All this is spoken by our Ld. to the Apostle Peter and this is the establishment of the office and Imployment of High Priest which the Pope claims as his peculiar I would that a meer Turk who is not prepossest with the sentiments of a particular sect might be our judge in this case Let him look upon the Infallible man at Rome with his Triple Crown on his head who pretends to be the Judge the King the Spiritual Soveraign of all Christians even of Kings themselves and examin those passages cited out of our Law in savour of his Pretentions 'T is manifest that this Turk would believe you mockt him Where is there any thing here would he say of the City of Rome where are the Cardinals where is there any appointment of this Soveraign Tribunal to which all the World must appeal If those words bestow any special priviledge upon S. Peter is it said he must have a Successor in those Prerogatives and if he was to have a Successor is there any one syllable that should make us imagine that this Successor must have his Seat at Rome 'T is certain they may say that S. Peter was at Rome that He did
an absolute and totall Apostacy from the Christian Religion 'T is sufficient if it Symbolize with Paganism and very much resemble it This is also signified by what is said 13th chapter of the Revel that the Beast which was struck dead should revive again This Beast is the Roman Empire as Pagan There were two things considerable in that Beast His Kingdom and his Paganism the first had been struck dead by the Goths the other the Paganism had receiv'd a mortal Wound from the time of Constantine untill that of Theodosius but both must revive and recover again The Empire of the Beast in the Papal Domination and the Paganism in the Papal Religion The Papacy ressembles Paganism First in General because its Worship is neither Spirituall nor Rational as neither was the Religion of the Heathens Secondly in particular that the doctrines and worship of the Papacy are an imitation of the Pagan Religion by these two Articles of Conformity between Popery and Paganism I intend to prove the Paganism of the Romish Religion And in the first place I 'le prove that the Worship of the Papacy hath this in common with that of the Gentiles that it is neither Spiritual nor Reasonable The two Characters of Christian Worship are that it is Spiritual and National This is undeniable that the two great Characters of the Service and Worship of the Christian Religion are these two That it is Spiritual and that it is Rational By Spiritual I understand a Service freed from Ceremonies and bodily Observances By Reasonable I understand a Worship that is holy in its Institution full of Wisdom and Reason and proper to impress a lively sense of its Divinity by elevating the Soul unto God. Our Lord Jesus told the Samaritan Woman Woman believe me the hour Cometh John 4. c. v. 21 22 23 24. and now is that neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father The true Worshippers are they who worship in Spirit and in Truth God is a Spirit and they who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth c. 'T is plain that the Spirit and a Spiritual Service are there appos'd to the Carnal Bodily Ceremonial Service of the Ancient Church S. Paul speaks in like manner to the Romans I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your Reasonable Service That is the other Character of the worship of Christian Religion 'T is true Judaism had a corporal worship bodily exercise but it was reasonable being full of deep mysteries of types and lessons of piety but the worship of the Heathens had neither Spirituality nor reason Christian worship is altogether both Spiritual and Rational Nothing can be more Rational than to pray to God to sing his praise to offer him thanksgivings to hear his word and preach it to keep his commandments to receive the sign of our washing in Baptism and of our Spiritual nourishment in the Sacrament of the Eucharist In the Popish Religion there is just as much of Spirituality and of Reason as there is of Christianity therfore we find there prayers to God and Thanksgivings and Sacraments But so far forth as Popery hath made additions to Christianity there is nothing that is either Spiritual or Rational Popish worship neither Spiritual nor Reasonable First their worship is covered under an unknown Language a dead and barbarous one which the People understand not and that alone were enough to take away all the reason and spirituality of any such worship For tho all that is contain'd under that language convered under that vaâ—l should be Spirit and Reason to the highest degree tho all should be devout pious full of unction and able to raise the soul to the third Heaven of what use could it be to what purpose could it serve we could perceive but the outside a frightfull carnal bark and cover that were only for the eye wherin even the ear can have no part but with respect to the symphony and Harmony of sounds Secondly All that we see is meerly corporeal viz. Churches adorn'd with extraordinary pride and pomp wherin is a glimmering Light mixt with darkness but inlightned with Lamps and candles with niches in the walls where we see Images of a Curious sculpture in rich and magnifick habits They who serve at their Altars have extraordinary garments both for matter and form and sometimes for cost too the service is not said but sung with Musick and the Masses of Great and Festival days accompanied with instrumental and vocal Musick The Body of the Clergy with all the People march often in great pomp a Cross lifted up and banners displaid and so walk thro the streets and sometimes the fields with this equipage The shrine of a Saint is sometimes carried in this manner before which one cries that all must kneel and all the people are presently on their knees Every year The God made by a Priest is carried in great pomp all the streets eccho with joy all places thro which they pass with this Ceremony are adorn'd with Tapistry and Pictures and the streets covered with Flowers nothing can be more like the pomp of Isis a part whereof is described by Apuleius Is this a spiritual and Rational worship Is not this like the Heathen worship who carried their Gods in procession upon sacred Chariots which they called Thensae Deorum Is not this to make Religion a meer spectacle a kind of Comedie In short all the devotion of the People comes to this to look upon Processions the shrines and Reliques of Saints the Ciborium where they put the H. Sacrament Altars Ornaments Tapistrys Pictures Images Crucifixes Priests Habits Canopies and the magnificence of the Train which follows according to Ceremony The Imagination and the Heart likewise are fill'd with this glittering outside and gawdy show which is so far from elevating the soul to God as is pretended that it stops and hinders it from mounting higher than to what is meerly external and earthly They pretend that this worship of theirs is very spiritual and full of Mysteries The Priest puts the Amict upon his head which is the name of his hood this signifies they tell us the Divinity of Jesus Christ which was hidden and concealed under his Passion He puts on the Albe or white surplice over his other cloaths because it is written thy garments shall be white and this to denote the Innocence of those who serve at the Altar The Subdeacon in some places kisses the right hand of the Priest who doth officiate because the right hand of the most High hath done valiantly The Priest or the Bishop doth sit down after the prayer in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ's fitting in the Temple to dispute with the Doctors of the Law. In a word there is not the most minute and trifling Ceremony of their worship but hath its
World. With the Shavings of his Hair Devils were driven away A Grashopper once kept him Company eight days together and when he call'd her she percht upon his Head. A Nightingale kept him Company one day and sung by turns 'T is true that Jesus Christ wrought no such Miracles as these at least that we know of The Miracles of St. Dominick St. Dominick the Patriarch of the Jacopins doth not come behind St. Francis the Patriarch of the Cordeliers This good Saint took delight to vex and enrage the Devils sometimes he made them hold his Candle with their Fingers and when it burnt to the very place where they held the Caâ—â—le he made them hold fast tho they burnt their Fingers and made a grievous Cry. Sometimes he forc't 'em to keep in a body whether they would or no and notwithstanding their Intreaties to be gone To confound the Heretical Albigenses he made a great Dog appear who on all sides shew'd his Tail and out of it came the most horrible Exhalations that could be scented This Dog took the Shape of a Cat and escapt by the Bell ropes but as it went up let fall such filthy matter as stunk horribly A certain Nun named Mary had a greivous Pain for a long time in those parts which I shall not name St. Dominick appears to her visits her in a Dream and takes from under his Frock an Oyntment of a sweet Perfume anoints her with it and tells her the name of it was Vnguentum Amoris the Oyntment of Love The modesty of the Writer suffers in penning this and that of the Reader will likewise in perusing it But 't is necessary to observe the horror of that fabulous Spirit of the Papacy in the latitude and full extent of it Impertinent Miracles attributed to several Saints We meet with one St. Swithin in the Legend who wrought a more gentile miracle a Poor Woman in the Country having all her Eggs broke by a Mason the Saint made them whole again 't was well worth the while S. Aldem hung his Cloths one day upon a Sunbeam as one would do it on a pin The same thing happen'd to one Deicola being very weary in his Journey he had a mind to throw off his Coat which incommoded him he had servants of his own that attended which is not very common for the Saints to have they run to offer their service to take off his Coat but were prevented by a Sunbeam which took his Coat from him and kept it two or three hours 'till the Saint had need of it The Miracle of St. Brigit seems yet to be more admirable her Cloaths being very dirty and wet she had a mind to dry 'em on the Branch of a Tree which she saw as she imagin'd but in reality it was no Tree but only the shadow of one but that Shadow did her the same service as the real Tree could have done supported her Cloaths in the Air and dryed 'em as well as could be Saint Cadrac might have let his Staff rest upon the ground as other men use to do when he did not use it but he thought it more expedient to make use of the Power of God to make it hang in the Air. If any have a mind to see more of these Impertinences of Popish Saints he may consult our Legal Exceptions and will find many more in the Authors which we there quote I would fain ask any rational man whether there be any thing in these Miracles that bear the Characters of Divine Wisdom and Majesty and of that Gravity and Grandeur that is to be observ'd in true Miracles What Religion is that which makes the Great God to do such thingâ— as one would be asham'd to ascribe to a Grave and Good Man The second Character of these Miracles which manifests the Falsity of 'em The multitude of Miracles of Popish Saints discovers their falsity is their Multitude The very name Miracle signifies something that is rare and unusual All the Ages of the World from the Creation to the End of the Apostles days furnish us but with very few I know not whether we can make up two hundred in the whole History of the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament But if you read the Lives of the Monks and Saints of the Roman Church you find them walk in the midst of Miracles they hardly tread a step without working some Miracle or other God hath been very profuse of his Omnipotence in their favor they dispose of his Almighty Arm more freely than any Prince doth the hands of his own Subjects Dominick gave the word of Command to the Devils as a man would do to the meanest of his Servants in whatsoever form the Devilappeared he was still his Master if he took the form of a Dog or of a Cat we have seen how he used him If he took the form of a Bird he plum'd his Feathers by Sister Maximilla if he met with the Devil that had possest a Body let him be never so obstinate and refractory yet yield he must and with the Rosary alone he would have driven out an hundred Legions of 'em if there had been so many in one Body So the Legend tells us that when the Virgin had revealed the Rosary to Saint Dominick the Devils made Heaven and Earth resound with their Cries in the Air saying Wo wo unto us for we are bound by this Psalter as with so many Iron Chains Resurrections of the Dead are reckon'd among the chiefest Miracles and they are very rarely seen We read but of three wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ But they are very cheap and common among the Miracles of the Legendary Saints Brother William raised but two from the Dead for his part but Brother Ambrose of Massa raised six Brother Nicholas raised one from the dead and gave new Eyes to a man who had his Eyes pluckt out which is much more than to restore to a blind man who hath Eyes but cannot see Brother Anthony raised several from the Dead Brother Odoric raised one Brother Minor. Brother Benevent raised two from the Dead The Sepulcher of Brother John Vafordia was so singular a Remedy against death that the Bodies of all those who dyed of a violent death being brought thither were raised without fail All these were Brothers of the Order of St. Francis who wrought such Miracles Not so much as the Women of that Order but had their share in this gift The B. Salome of the Royal Family of Poland raised some from the dead at one time she restored life to a Peacock that had been strangled by a Dog. And yet this is nothing in comparison of what hath been done by the Saints of the Order of St. Dominick St. Vincent Ferrier a Jacopin for his own share raised eight and thirty from the dead and St. Jacinthe a Polonian a Jacopin also raised fifty two And we shall see presently how the Venerable