An Arrow Against Idolatry, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the Idolatry of these times, far exceeding Ieroboams.
IT is the manner of men to bee more equall and indifferent judges of other times then of their own: the sins & sinners that are past and gone, we readily blame; but though the like or worse be in our daies, we hauehave not either skill to discern, or courage to condemn them. We can easily say, as did the Pharisees; aMath. 23 …0.If we had been in the daies of our fathers, wee would not hauehave been partners with them in the bloud of the Prophets: and yet upon every occcasion we also are ready to fulfil bvers. 32.…4.35.the mesure of our fathers, walking in their sinnes, resisting, blaspheming, persecuting all that speak against us for so doing. Example hereof see in the Christian Church, after the idolatry and overthrow of Israel: for so far hauehave we been frō taking heed by their evils, as we hauehave added unto all their sins; and it was but a little which they then did, in respect of the huge masse of abominations that hath since been heaped up, even cRev. 18.4unto heaven.
2 And first the frame and constitution of the Church, hath quite been changed from the pattern given of God, confirfirmed by Christs bloud, and erected by his Apostles in all Nations. For loe the man of sin hath joyned together many Parishes into one Diocese, and many Diocecess into a Provincional, and many Provincionall into one Nationall; and many national into one Oecumenical or Catholike Church; of which he himselfe will be the most holy Father, the Bridegroom, Lord, Pastor, Rector, and Rock. Of which Catholike society so combined, we finde no record in the holy Apostles Writ, where every Congregation of the Saints, is dSee Epistles to th… Churches i… Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, and th… rest.shewed in every Citie to be compleat in it selfe, a Church and e1 Cor. 1… ▪27.body of Christ, furnished with his f1 Cor. 5.…power and gMath. 1… ▪ 20.presence; every one under the guidance of hAct. 2… ▪17.28. Phil. ….1. Act. 14.2many Bishops; and not all under the government of one: joyned altogether i1 Pet. 5.in brotherhood, through kEph. 4.… Ioh. 17.21faith, louelove and obedience of the spirit, but not in one visible catholike Church, with a visible Head or Vicar, Lord, Papa, Patriarch or Archpastor; but onelyonly Christ himselfe lRev. 2, & 3, chap.walking among them, overseeing their waies and works, and approving or reprooving them.
3 This pseudocatholike Church, or false Ecclesiasticall Monarchy, is an idol or beast, bred in the bottomlesse pit, surpassing all the abominations that ever stood up in the land of the living: and had for the parent of it, the Dragon or Divill, mRev. 1▪ …that old Serpent, who used his most utmost skil, cuning & craft, to beget and bring forth this his foulest child. It had also of the gravest and learnedst Divines in their ages, to nourse it with the milk of humane superstition; and the Princes of the earth to endow and adorn it, with the riches and jewels of all worldly glory: that when this Iezebel shewed her selfe on the stage of the world; shee made all men astonied at her majestie, enamoured the Nations with her beauty, bewitched them with her sorceries, and made them drunken with the wine of her fornications. The forrest of Rome was the high place, where this n1 King. ….13.Miphletseth, or idol of horrour, should hauehave her seat; for there grew many fair trees, whose shadow oHos. 4.13was good to burn incense under: and there before time had other beasts been hatched and honoured, whose pRev. 13.….image in this place must hauehave reverence still.
4 And here the mysterie of iniquitie wrought contrary to Ieroboams, prevailed more, and continued longer: For he in policie to settle his Kingdom, schismed or rent the Church in twain, which God had conjoyned in one:King. 12. but Abaddon, the king and patron of this our idol, will hauehave his false Church resemble qBellar. d… Rom. Pont. lib. 1, cap. 7▪the politie of Israel in monarchicall unity, to allure and gather all people hereunto. But as Ieroboams counsell was divelish to divide without God: so is Romes doctrine Satanean, to conjoyn without Christ. The Church then was confined rPsal. 76.within one little land, whose assembly was annuall sPsal. 122, & 132.in the earthly Ierusalem, where the high Priest remained to reconcile them to God: but now the Church Catholick is dispread tMath. 2… 19.over all, Ierusalem our mother uGal. 4.26is aboue, and Christ our high Priest is xHeb. 8.1.2, & 9.24.in the very heaven, there interceding for us unto God. And for any one Citie to be as Ierusalem, the place of resort for all Saints on earth: or for any Arch-priest, or Vicar of Christ, to be his vicegerent, and rule in his sted: hee never appointed, neither entred it into his heart; but it is the excrements of the Popes wit, whereby in policy he would maintain the pomp and magnificence of his Diana; and in her, his own pontificality.
5 And that this Ladie might be made of yEzek. 27, 4.perfect beauty, her friends hauehave devised to paint her face with this vermilion, that the goddesse, the zB…llar▪ de Eccl. mi…i… ▪ l. 3, c. 14.CHRCH absolutely cannot erre, either in things absolutely necessary, or in other things which she proposeth to be beleeved or done of us, whether they be found expresly in Scriptures, or not. Hereupon she trusting aEzek 16 15.in her own beauty, takes a pride and power, to bBellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 16.make Lawes Ecclesiasticall, to binde and constrain mens consciences; charging and obliging us, to cRhe. Test. 1 Tim. 3, sect. 9.beleev and trust her in all things. So this Idol of indignation, (being crept into dEsa. 33.22 Iam. 4.12.Gods throne, to be Iudg and Law-giver,) surmounteth far Ieroboams dumb calues, which had mouthes and spake not: for this image can speak, because she eRev. 13.15.hath a spirit; and exacteth worship of the inhabitants of the earth, that all should fConc. Trident. Sess. 22. c. 8.adore her, as mother, and mistresse of all the Churches; receiv, beleev and obey her word, constitutions, canons, commandements, doctrines and decrees, without contradiction; because the truth of the faith as touching us, relyeth upon the gBellar. de Eccles milit. l. 3. c. 14Churches authority, and whatsoever the Church alloweth is true, whatsoever she disallowe…, is false: and her word, hBellar. de …erb. Dei, l. …. c. 10.is not altogether mans word, that is to say subject to errour, but after a sort the word of God. Out of this smoky furnace, hauehave come the many heresies and whoorish doctrines of Free will, merit of works, limbus, purgatorie, pardons, indulgences, vowes, prayer to and for the dead, penance, pilgrimages, auricular confession, and extreme unction, with sundry other like; which by this Churches supreme authority, hauehave been concluded Catholike, Orthodox and Authenticall. Who seeth not now that Ieroboams Church, was but a Babe to this Beldam; for she had no such soveraignty over mens soules, taught no such doctrines, neither made she any decrees till Omri was King (whose praise in the Scripture is this, that he did i1 King. … 16.25.worse then all that were before him;) and he indeed made kMic. 6.1…statutes which were observed in Israel; though nothing so many or so imperious as the mistresse of Rome hath made.
6 This lRev. 18.7.Qeen being thus set aloft on the high places of the earth, is far taller then the golden image mDan. 3.…that Nebuchadnezar set up in the plain of Dura; for her hand and scepter reacheth up unto heaven, where she ruleth among the canonized Saints; and the very tail of her nRev. 17. & 12.4.beast whereon she rideth, can draw down the starrs unto the earth. This is the woman whom Rev. 17.3Iohn saw in the wildernesse, arayed in purple and scarlet, and guilded with gold and precious stones and pearls, with a golden cup in her hand, full of the filthinesse of her fornication; even the vers. 18.great citie (Rome) then reigning over the Kings of the earth. From this common mother, (as her Concil. …ident. …ss. 18.children doe entitle her,) came all the bastard idols into the Christian world: for she being Rev. 17.1a whore, sitting upon many waters, that is, vers. 15.peoples, multituds, nations and tongues; she was Eze. 23.5set on fire with her lovers the neighbour nations; that vers. 17.came to her into the bed of louelove, and defiled her with their fornication; (for they went in unto her vers. 44.as they goe to a common harlot;) and she Psal. 106.….36.learned their works, and served their idols, which will be her ruin.
7 Of the Iews she hath received Bellar. de …om. Pont. …1. c▪ 9.one high Priest, (not Iesus Christ the true High Priest entred into the heavens, but a supposed vicar of his, having Rev. 13.….two horns like the Lamb;) to be the chiefe Governour and Monarch Ecclesiasticall: and he entreth Durand. …tio…al. l. 6 75.once a year into the most holy of the Popish Church, as the other did into the most holy of the Iewish Tabernacle. From the glorious attire aEx. 2….2.4.40.of Aaron and his sons, as Ephod, Robes, Girdles, &c. she hath learned to deck her bDurand ra… l. 3. c. …Priests with cops, surplices, stoles, girdles, amices, al…s, and other like ornaments. She imitateth their Ark, which had the Tables of the covenant; with cDurand l. 1. c. 2.her ark or tabernacle the Pix, which hath the Sacrament of the Eucharist: their candlestick and seven burning lamps; with dDurand l. 1. c. 1.her candles, torches, tapers: their eNum. 1… 9, &c.sprinkling water of purification; with her fDurand. l. 1, c. 7.holy water: and in many other particulars, of Temple, Altar, Oil, Laver, Fire, &c. gAs th… same Durand sheweth in that book.she followeth her footsteps, and Iudaizeth more then did the false Teachers in the hGalat. 4▪ 9.10. Col. 2.16.Apostles daies. Which things in Israel had their holy use and end, untill Christ came in the flesh: but since are dead and abolished, as iGal. 4.9. Col. 2.20.beggarly worldly rudiments; though this whore-mother of Rome reviveth them by her Art, and for her fleshly pleasure; whiles her self and her friends goe a whoring after these Iewish ceremonies.
8 But she had not her fill, by defiling her selfe with Iews: therefore she sought to take her pleasure of the Gentiles round about her, far and neer; and decked her bed with all their abominations. And first she fell in louelove with Aegipt; where Israel of old committed fornication▪ and had the Eze. 23.8brests of her virginity bruised. For whereas the Aegiptians commingled the Kingdom and Priesthood; the Civill Magistracie, and the Ecclesiasticall Ministery in one person; and would hauehave all their Kings to be also Priests, as Plato in Politic.Writers doe record: with this goodly invention, the whore of Rome is enamoured, and joyneth, or confoundeth the Magistracy and Ministery, Princedom and Priesthood, in the persons of her Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and other Church Princes. And although God in the Law distinguished the office of the King and Priest, constituting one in mGen. 49.10. 1 Chr. 5.2.the Tribe of Iudah, the other nNum. 18 1, —7.in Levi; so as one mought o2 Chr. 27 16.17.18.19.not intermeddle with that which belonged to another: and Christ in the Gospel hath plainly pMat. 20.25▪ 26. Luk. 22.25.26.forbidden his Ministers to hauehave the authority or titles of pol…tick Princes▪ yet pleadeth this Babylonish Queen, that it is not against Gods word qBellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 5. c. 9.for one man to be a Prince Ecclesiasticall and Politicall together; and so she and her daughters practise to this day. In which point, she is more abominable and polluted now professing Christianity, then shee was of old when she professed Paganism; for the hethen Priests or Flamins in Rome, were not permitted to hauehave any Migistracie; because (as the rPlutarch. Quest. Rō.Philosopher by light of reason reasoneth,) it could not be, (the actions of these offices being so divers and different,) that one man should perform both at one time; but needs it must fall out, when both duties were to be done together, that one should be omitted; and so sometimes God not to be duly served, sometimes the Civill state should suffer damage.
9 Again this Romish Babylon doreth on the ordinances of Babel in Chaldea▪ for as there they sIer. 10▪ 3—9.had images of silver and gold, wood and stone, to which tIsa. 44.15they bowed and worshipped; and which were representations of the Gods and Saints whom they adored, to weet of uIsa. 4….1Bel (which was xHerod…t. Clio.Iupiter,) and Nebo, and y2 King. 17.30.Succothben…th, and other the like: even so hath idolatrous Rome ordained to hauehave in her temples, zConcil. Trident. Sess. 25.images of Christ, of the virgin Mary, and of other Saints, which idols must hauehave their due honour and worship, because the honour which is given to them, is referred to the prototypes whom they doe represent. And these abominations she Concil. …id. ibid.kisseth, as idolaters of old, were wont to Hos. 13.2kisse the calues; lighteth Tapers before them, as the Babylonians did Baruch. ….candles before their images; censeth them, as the Heathen Romans were wont to doe Cicero. …ffic. l. 3.their statues; kneeleth, falleth down, and prayeth before them, saying Catechis. one. Trid. …act. de O …. Tit.Our Father, &c. as idolaters of old, Quis oran…us sit. Jer. 2.27.said to a tree thou art my father, and to a stone, thou hast begotten mee. Teaching her children further, that these gBellar. de …mag. l. 2. c. 21.images are to be worshipped, not onelyonly by accident or unproperly, but also by themselvs and properly; so as they doe terminate or end the worship, as they are considered in themselvs, and not onelyonly as they bear the part of the examplar or person represented: yea saying of an image, hSynod. Nicen. 11. Act. 4.This is Christ; as paynims said of theirs, iIsa. 44 17Thou art my God. But woe unto them (kHab. 2.19▪ from the Lord) that say to the wood awake; to the dumb stone, rise up. Herein this Catholike Church exceedeth the devotion of Jeroboam son of N…bat, who worshipped by the Calues, l1 King. 12.28.…he God which had brought them out of Aegypt, and not any other Saints, much lesse the images themselvs. Yea in this kind, she passeth sundry of the Heathens, and her own Predecessors; for Licurgus the Lawgiver of Lacedemonia, and institutor of many ceremonies; mAlexand. ab Alexandr. l. 2, c. 22.ordained no images in his Religion; but forbad the forms of men, or other living creatures to be given to the Gods. Apollonius a Philosopher, nPhilostr. de vita Apollon. l. 6, c. 9.found fault with the foolish and absurd images in many places, and thought it more honourable if the Gods had no images at all. The Persians had oHerod. Clio.no images, for they thought it a madnesse to worship God by such. The Germans in their paynisme pCorn. Tacit. de mor. Germ.held it unlawfull to paint their Gods on walls: or expresse them in any humane shape. And Numa, the King of the antique Romans qPlutarch. in Numa.forbad them to think that the image of God, had the shape of a man, or form of other living creature. Yet Rome that now is, alloweth rBellar. de imag. Sanct. l. 2, c. 8.the image of God the Father, in form of an …ld man; and of the Holy Ghost in form of a doue. Though the holy Prophet inveighing against this vanity, demandeth, Isa. 40.18To whom will ye liken God, or what similitude will ye set up unto him? And though the learned Varro in August. de …ivit. Dei, l. 4. c. 31.Heathen by light of nature, approved the practise of ancient Rome worshipping the Gods without any images almost two hundred yeares; and blamed those that first brought in images, as authors of errour, and causes of impiety: yet such is the louelove of this whorish Church to these teachers uH…b. 2.18of lies, the counterfeits of God; as she adoreth thē, or the divill in them, to fulfill that which is written of her, that men would xRev. 9.20not repent of the works of their hands, and of the worship of divils, and idols of gold and of silver, and of brasse and of stone, and of wood, which neither can see, neither hear nor goe.
10 In another point also, hath our Babylons zeal, surpassed Jeroboams, to weet, in her Clergie, and multitude of Church officers. For Ieroboam had none but simple y1 Kin. 12.31.Priests, to say and doe the Divine service in his high places: But our Iezebel hath founded Priests and Arch-priests, Lord Bishops and Arch-bishops, Deans and Arch-deacons, Suffragans, Cardinals▪ Patriarch…, and Popes; Abbots, Friars, Monks, Seminaries, Iesuits, and a number moe Chemarims, her Ecclesiasticall senate, to guard her throne, to fight her battels, to retail her wares, and to satisfie by them her superstitious lust, which hath been even insatiable, as was zEzek. 16 28.29.the whores of Israel. And Priapus the Pope is aBellar. de Pont. l. 2. c. 31.bridegroom of this spowse, and hath preeminence over all, to powr out his fornications upon her, by his doctrines, canons, rites, ceremonies, decrees and decretals: for he is bBellar. d… ▪head of this Church, and Prince of the Priests, Father and Doctor of all Christians, and Bishop universall: who cBellar. d… Pont. l. 4. c. 3.when he teacheth the whole Church in things pertaining to faith, cannot err by any hap or chance; and dIbid. c. 5▪not onelyonly in matters of faith, but in precepts of manners also, prescribed to the whole Church, he cannot err: and his wife the catholick church eIbid. c. 1▪hath alwaies beleeved, that he is a true Ecclesiastical Prince in the whole Church, who can of his own authority, without consent of the people or counsel of the Priests, make laws which binde the conscience, can judg in causes ecclesiastical, as other judges doe, and punish also the disobedient. And his lawyers hauehave born men in hand, that this Pope may dispense against …. q. 1. …icunq. gloss.the Law of God, and against 5. q. 6. …orit. In ….the law of nature; even with the Precepts of the old and new Testament; (Summ. Angel. in dict. Pap.) that his bare will must Extra de …sc. epis…. …anto, in …ssa.bee holden for a law; and whatsoever he doth, no man may Extra de …ces▪ Preb. oposuit. gloss.say to him, why doe you this? And whosoever obeyeth not his precepts, Dist. 81. qui sunt … gloss.incurreth the sin of idolatry. Finally, to lift up their blasphemy to the highest, they honour him with this title, lCum inter … gloss.our Lord God the Pope. And although this Romish Synagogue hath received some of her jolly Church Prelats, with their exorbitant power, by imitation of her Heathenish Predecessors Romulus and Numa Pompilius, …. Ioh. 22 … Livius. 1.who made Flamins, Arch-flamins, and a Pontifex Maximus to sacrifice unto the Gods; and some of their ceremonies from other Infidels, as the shaving of Priests crowns, like nHieron. … Ezek. 44 …0.the Priests of Isis & Scrapis in Aegypt: yet neither, antique Rome, nor Aegipt, nor Babylon, nor any nation in the world, ever foūded such a pompous Hierarchie, such store and varity of Divines, Friers, Priests, Prelats, and religious persons, as this latter Babylon; whose clergie flyeth about like a cloud of Locusts, to molest the world; and came oRev. 9.out from the deep of the bottomlesse pit.
11 As be her deep Divines, so is her divine service, aboue all that ever superstition hatched in any age. For as it is in pGen. 11Babels language, an unknown tongue, so is it an idol wholly made (as the Scripture speaketh) qHos. 13.…according to her own understanding, and is all the work of the craftsmen, the Prelats and Popes, the lovers of this whore, who hauehave patched together in their severall ages, the limms of this deformed monster, the Masse and Canon thereof, (a rConcil. Trident. Sess. 22. c. …sacrifice for the sinns of the quick and the dead,) with the Letanie and Collects, Anthemes and Responds, hymnes and songs; some of the canonicall Scriptures, and some of apocryphall writings of men; and in this Leitourgie God and his Angels, and Apostles, and Martyrs, and Confessors, and he Saints, and she Saints, (and some that had Satans sanctitie,) are wrapt up together in a longsome stage-like worship, with organs and musick to make them all merry; as sDan. 3.…Nebuchadnezar with melodie celebrated the dedication of his golden image. Which portesse and Missal, these artizens hauehave framed, not by example of God in the Law, who prescribed no such leitourgie by Moses or the Prophets; nor of Christ in the Gospell; nor of Ieroboam and Israel of old, for they forged no such idol; nor of the Turks at this day, who hauehave no such written worship; nor of the Heathens of old, that I ever heard of: but it is their own device and forgerie, provoking God most high to jealousie and wrath.
12 But aboue all these sinns, and beyond all wickedness that ever was invented in any age; this catholick mother (tEzek. 16.23. woe woe unto her saith the Lord God) hath made her a God, not of gold and silver, but of a wafer cake, by a charm of uHoc est …nim corpus …neum.fiue Latin words: and this transubstantiated idoll, she falleth down before, and adoreth as her Maker▪ anathematizing and cursing all that shall deny this idol of indignation to be adored with xCultu latriae Concil. Trid. Sess. 13, can. 6.the highest degree of worship, which is proper to God himself; for it is her God, as she singeth in her Roman missall,
yRithmus …. Thomae …d sacr. Eucharist.Plagas sicut Thomas non intueor:
Deum tamen meum te confiteor.
Wounds as Thomas did, I doe not see:
Yet doe I confesse thee my God to be.
And this breaden God, her children eat, even flesh, bloud and bones, (more vile then Canibals,) and devour their maker, (even zBrist. Motiv. 2…their Lord and their God,) in their own carnall conceit; vanishing in their vanity more then the Hethens, who thought aCicer. … nat. Deor▪ l. 3.none was so witlesse as to beleev, that that which he eateth is a God.
13 And further to manifest her madnesse unto all men, this insatiable whore doteth on and adoreth the Divils own engin, the Crosse or Gibbet whereby he killed Christ the Saviour of the world. For the curse of the Law, bGal. 3.…was to be done away by a cursed death upon a tree, on which, who so was hanged, cDeut. 2… 23.the curse of God was upon him. This death the innocent Lamb CHRIST IESVS suffred for our sakes at the hands of wicked sinners, Pilate and the Iewes, the children dIob. 8.4of the divill; who used all exquisite tormēts to make his death miserable, crowning him with thorns, peircing his hands, feet and side▪ with nails and spear, and hanging him on a tree, to do him die. And this tree, these thorns, nayls, yea other counterfeits of them, are for killing of Christ, honoured of these Babylonians, with as good a ground and devotion, as the Ophites, or Serpentaries, are Orig. cont. …elsun. l. 6.said to honour the Serpent, the divils instrument for to bring man Gen. 3.to the knowledge of good and evill. And that all the world mought take notice that Rome is Rev. 11.8the citie where our Lord was crucified, the Romanists doe proclaime, Bellar. de …ag. sanct. 2, c. 27.that the crosse was the Altar, wheron the great sacrifice Christ was offered: wheras the Scripture teacheth that the bodies Lev. 16.27of those beasts whose bloud was brought to make reconciliation in the holy place, were burnt without the host of Israel; (and not on the Altar,Ex. 40.6 which stood "before the dore of the Tabernacle;) according to which figure, Heb. 13.1.12.Iesus also (that he mought sanctifie the people with his own bloud,) suffred without the gate of Ierusalem, which was a vers. 13.reproch. Yet will these God-eaters, and crucifiers of our Lord, make the cursed crosse to be the Exo. 40.….altar most holy, and so greater then Christ the sacrifice, as being that which sanctified him, for the Math. 23 ….Altar sanctified the offering. And hereupon they Officiumcall the crosse blessed, and ascribe unto it worthinesse to bear the talent of the world;S. crucis. … crux. ben…dicta, qu… sola fuisti digna portare talent … mundi, & … they pBellar. a… imag. l. 2. c. 26.…account it among the most precious reliques, and not onelyonly the whole, but every peece therof; they adore it, salute it, pray unto it, and trust therin for salvation, crying; qBrev. Rom. Sabb… in hebdom 4. quadrages.Haylô crosse our onelyonly hope, increase thou to the godly righteousnesse, and unto sinners giuegive pardon; rJb. infes… invent. & exalt. S. c…ucis.Saue thou the company, gathered together in thy praises. Yea, the very sign of this idol made in the aier, upon the forehead, or over any other thing, is sBellar. … imag. l. 2, c. 29.sacred and venerable, hath force to driue away Divils, and doe many like feats. Wherefore this abomination hath prevailed aboue other, and is like Beelzebub Prince of the Divils, the badg of the beast and character of Antichrist, imprinted in Churches, Chappels, Altars, houses and high-waies; in books and writings, in word, prayers, sacraments, in garments, bodies and soules of men, both quick and dead, and other creatures: nothing is well hallowed without it, no tAs sait… Pope Steve… 5, D. Con… d. 5. Nunquid.Sacrament perfect without it. This great honour hath the crosse, because the Divill killed our Saviour by it: so that marvel it is, how Iudas lips scaped honour, seeing he also was Satans instrument to betray Christ with a kisse. Wherefore this spirituall Rev. 11.8Aegypt, the pseudocatholick church, deserveth more to be branded by some Satyrist, for worshipping monsters, then the first Aegypt, whose lesse impiety Quis nes▪ …it Volusi …ithinice …ualia de…ens …giptus …ortenta …olat? &c. …uvenal. Sat. 15.a heathen Poet did deride.
14 Moreover, to fill up her cup with abominations, this Witch hath learned of the old idolaters to worship Ier. 44.17the Queen of heaven. For by her power fetched out of the bottomlesse pit, she deifieth, or rather defileth the blessed Virgin Mary, with unsufferable blasphemies; intitling her Ladie, Queen and Epist. … …emb. Leo. …0, nom. …ri…. l. 8. …ist. 1….Goddesse; hayling her for Offic. B. Mariae re…ormat.Queen of heaven, Ladie of Angels, mother of grace and mercy; life, sweetness, hope, and what not: and together with her, she invocateth the Angels, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Popes, Bishops, Virgins, &c. and prayeth God, that Ibid. O…t. propr. de …nctis.by the merits and prayers of her Popes, she may be delivered from the fire of hell.
15 And as the Heathens had their Gods and Goddesses of divers ranks, Apu…e…us … de Deo …ocratis.supreme, inferiour, and middle ones called Daemones, by whom as by mediators and intercessors, they thought mens desires and merits did come unto God: so hath this synagogue of Satan Div…s and Divas, Saints of all sorts, whom she hath dBellar. d… sanct. l. 1. c. 7.canonized, to be called upon in her publick prayers; to hauehave temples, altars, feast daies, dedicated and kept unto their memorie, and many other honours; acknowledging them to be mediators between God and men; and hath dealt with these Divi, as the ethnicks did with their Dij and Daemones. For as each country and citie among them had their speciall Gods or Goddesses to protect them; as for Ephesus, Diana; for Athens, Minerva; for Paphos, Venus; for Delphos, Apollo; for Rome, Remus and Romulus; for Babel, Bel; for Aegipt, Isis and Osyris; and the rest in like manner: so the mother of Rome, in stead of tutelar gods, hath got her selfe Peter & Paul, hath procured & appointed S. George for England, S. Andrew for Scotland, S. Patrik for Ireland, S. Denys for France, S. Iames for Spain, S. Martin for Germany, (insted of Mars their antiqu patron;) the three Kings for Colen; & so for others. Moreover she hath Iodicus & Vrbanus for corn & wine, as the Heathens had Ceres & Bacchus. Her Mariners now hauehave S. Nicol. & S. Christop. to be their Pilots, as the ancient Pagans had Castor and Pullux. Her Scholars now hauehave S. Gregorie and S. Katherine to sharpen their wits, as Poets of old, had Apollo and Minerva. Physicians and Chirurgians now are aided by Cosmas & Damian, as of old by Aesculapius. S. Wendlin wardeth the sheep, as Pan the shepheards God was wont: and other artizens hauehave their special Patrons to pray and trust unto; and beasts their severall guardians: not so much but the very whores hauehave Mary Magdalen and Afra to sacrifice unto, if they will, as alder daies had Venus and Flora: and almost every disease, hath a speciall Saint appointed for Surgeon. And thus is fulfilled that which is written, e2 King. 17.15.They followed the Heathens that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not doe like them. Yea the Heathens doe come short in their count of tutelar Gods, with this catholick whore; and she excedeth those of whom it is written, fIer. 11.31according to the number of thy Cities are thy Gods ô Iudah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem, hauehave yee set up altars of confusion.
16 As for Ieroboam, he dares not shew his face before this beast his successor; for his inventions compared with hers, are not one to a thousand. What were his two Calues to the infinite images of this strumpet? Nay her Lambs of wax, are more worth then his gHos. 10.…kowes of gold: for every immaculate Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, that this Witch maketh of Virgin wax and holy water, hath hSacra. c…rem. eccle… Rom. l. 1, … Tit. 7.the same vertue against all divilish wiles and guiles of the malignant spirit; that the innocent Lamb Iesus Christ, delivered our first father Adam with, from the power of the Divill. But Ieroboam doubtlesse had no skill at all, to make such idols of proof. Again he forged but one i1 King. 1… 32.33.feast out of his own heart, to make merry with his images once in a year: whereas this our purple Queen, hath made many moe holy daies then there be moneths (that I say not weeks) of the year, in honor of her Ladie & all her Saints: and these, some of them, correspondent to the Paynim festivities: as Christmas, Candlemas, Fasgon or Shrouetide, according to the times and customes of the Gentiles Saturnall, Februal and Bacchus feasts. For unlesse it be, she would imitate Heathens; she can hardly shew any cause at all, why she celebrateth her Christmas in the end of December, and her feasts at answerable times: seeing in all likelihood Christ was born kBeroald. Chron. l. 4. …. 2.in September rather then in December; but herein the Churches authority which cannot err, must bear out all lies and forgeries. VntoUnto these she hath added fair temples, high altars, and other devotions moe then can be told, much more effectuall then were Ieroboams. For his chappels and high places were simply to worship God in: but whersoever any of our Iezebels Churches be, lPontific. Ord de dedec. & consec. Eccl.it is surely no other then the house of God and gate of heaven. And needs must it so be, seeing it is hallowed with exorcised or conjured salt, water, ashes, and wine, which hauehave vertue so to consecrate that Church, as that it may mIbidem.driue away all the Divils tentations; every fansie, wile and wickednesse of divilish fraud, every unclean spirit, and power of the enemy, and to root out the Feind himself with his apostaticall Angels: and also by the merit of the Virgin Mary and N. the Saint unto whose honour and name the Church is founded, and of all other Saints, God is intreated to visit that place, and by infusion of his grace to purifie it from all pollution, and to conserv it being purified, and that spirituall wickednesses may flee from thence. Which being granted, (as cannot, I think, but be by so many Saints intercessions) it is impossible now that any idolatry should be committed in such a Sanctuary; whose nIbidem.first stone is layd by a Bishop, in the faith of Jesus Christ, that the true faith and fear of God and brotherly louelove, may there flourish. Such powerfull works as these, none of Ieroboams Bishops could turn their hands unto: for they were but novices in Satans school, and had never well learned the art of exorcism or conjuration, which the sorceresse of Rome, by long practise & experience hath attained; being grown as cunning in these feats, as she that was mistresse of her art, oNahum. 3.….and sold the nations through her Witchcrafts.
17 For by these and innumerable moe inchantments of Idolatrie, (which the day would not be enough to recken up,) this Circe, the Ladie of the pseudocatholicks hath intoxicate the earth, that the inhabitants pRev. 17.2are drunken with the wine of her fornication; doting upon her reverend clergie, her devout service, her sacred ceremonies, her hallowed Churches, her Saints reliques, and other like amatory potions; wherin Christianism, Iudaism and Paganism are tempered and mixt together, in the golden Babylonish cup of her abominations.
18 Hence is it, that the reliques of this Romish idolatry, are so fast retained among some which yet Rev. 17.…6.hate the whore, and eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. Of her hauehave they received their Diocesan, Provinciall and Nationall Churches. Of her hauehave they learned to make portesses or Leitourgies, reading and singing their prayers upon a book with organs and melodie. Of her institution hauehave they their solemn festivities of Christs, Angels and Saints daies, with their fasting Eves. Of her hand hauehave they taken their Archbishops, Lordbishops, Suffragans, Arch-deacons, Parsons, Vicars, and a great many moe of her royall retinue. From her hauehave they had their Churches, Chappels, Minsters, baptized bells, hallowed fonts, and holy Churchyards; though some of those high places are of more antiquity, as having been built and dedicated to the Heathen Divils. Finally, from her hauehave been received lands, livings, tithes, offrings, garments, signes, gestures, ceremonies, courts, canons, customs, and many moe abominations, wherewith hauehave been inriched the rRev. 18.15.merchants of the whore, and all that sail svers. 19▪with ships in her sea. Thus with all the evils before mentioned, and others moe then can be told, which are very Gillulim the loathsome idols and execrements of the Queen of Sodom, and the filthinesse of her fornication; hath shee dishonoured and blasphemed the God of heaven, and all that therin dwell; with them she defileth the consciences of men; with them she delighteth and solaces her selfe in fleshly ease and pleasure: till in tRev. 18.8 19.one houre, she and all her riches, pleasures, wares, merchandise shall perish; and that be again fulfilled, which was said by the Prophet▪ Ezek. 23.43.Now shal she and her fornications come to an end.