Mystical Babylon Availed, Proposition 3
Propoſition III. That the Church of Rome is the great WHORE.
THE Church of God under the Law was Reſembled by the Prophet unto a comely and delicate Woman. And the Church of Chriſt under the Goſpel was Revealed to the Apoſtle(b)Rev. 12.1. by the Similitude of a Woman clothed with the Sun, having a Crown of twelve Stars on her Head. Such was the Church at Jeruſalem, and the Churches in Judea, in the Days of the Apoſtles; And ſuch was the Church at Rome, whoſe Faith was Famous throughout the whole World(c)Rom. 1.7.8. and ſuch alſo were the Churches in Aſia, thoſe golden Candleſticks (whilſt Jeſus Chriſt walked in the midſt of them) and their ſhining Lights, Like Stars, the Able Miniſters of the new-Teſtament called Angels, whom the Lord Jeſus Chriſt held in his right-hand,(d)Rev. 1.20, and 2.1. But when the Church of Rome departed from the Faith, as was foretold by the Apoſtle (e)1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3.and Apoſtatiſed both in Doctrine and Manners and fell away, as was alſo foretold by the ſame Apoſtle, (f)2 Theſſ. 2.1, 2, 3, 4-12.then ſhe became a falſe Church, whom Jeſus Chriſt ſhewed unto his Servant John, in a Viſion and Revelation, like a Woman, that is an Harlot, and the Mother of Harlots, and calls her the great WHORE(g)Rev. 17.1, 5. whoſe Name is Myſtery, Babylon the great, &c. which is Papal-Rome, as hath been clearly, and fully Proved. And I ſhall now prove, and plainly Demonſtrate, this third Propoſition,
That the Church of Rome is the great Whore.
That Church which is the Mother of Harlots, (a) by Maintaining, Commanding, and Practiſing ſpiritual Adulteries, Whoredoms, and Fornications, is the great Whore: But the Church of Rome is the Mother of Harlots, which maintaineth, commandeth and practiſeth ſpiritual Adulteries, Whoredoms, and Fornications; Therefore the Church of Rome is the great Whore.
The ſpiritual Adultery, whoredom, and fornication of Judah, and Jeruſalem, which God did ſo much complain of by his Prophets was their Idolatry, and Image-worſhip, Ezek. 4.11, 37. with their Idols have they committed Adultery. So God complained of Nineveh, by his Prophet, Nahum 3.4, 5. Becauſe of the Whoredoms of the well-favoured Harlot, the Miſtreſs of Witchcraft, that Selleth Nations through her Whoredoms, and Families through her Witchcrafts: I will ſhew the Nations thy Nakedneſs, and the Kingdoms thy ſhame. And ſo did Chriſt ſhew the ſpiritual Adultery, and Idolatry of Papal-Rome under the Similitude of a Woman whoſe Name is Myſterie, Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, and of the Abominations of the Earth. God's great Prohibition againſt this ſinful Abomination of ſpiritual Whoredom, of making and worſhipping Images in the ſecond Commandement, Exod. 20.4, 5. And the grievous Judgments, which God denounced againſt, and inflicted upon the worſhippers of Idols, yea againſt them falſe Prophets, and any other perſons, that ſhall entice and perſwade any to go after other Gods, and ſerve them, Deut. 13.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15. ſheweth us the ſinfulneſs of this Sin of Idolatry, And how greatly God is provoked unto Jealouſie by it, 1 Cor. 10.20, 21, 22. and Rev. 3.20, 21, 22. and Rev. 18.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8. So that Idolatry and falſe Worſhip is ſpiritual Whoredom.
Now let us examine the ſecond Propoſition, to wit, Whether the Church of Rome be guilty of this great Sin of ſpiritual Whoredom, Adultery, and Fornication, (called Idolatry) and be indeed the Mother of Harlots? The Ancients do with one Conſent aſſert, that Idolatry is an Attributing of divine Honour unto the Creature, which is only due unto God. And Thomas Aquinas (a)Aquin. in Epiſt. ad Epheſ. c. 5. Lect. 3. Quando bonor ſoli Deo debitus, exhibetur Creaturae. Concil. Trident. Seſs. 9.out of all the Fathers and Ancient Writers concludes ſo, That is Idolatry (ſaith he) when the Honour, that is only due to God, is given to the Creature. The Church of Rome doth attribute that divine Honour to the Creature, which is only due to God, For ſhe doth attribute truſt and Confidence in their Prayers to Saints deceaſed, yea to their feigned Saints, as plainly appears in the publick Service-Books, Roſaries, Breviaries, Pſalters, and Catechiſms of the Church of Rome. (b)Catechiſ. Roman. Oſorius tom. 3. Concion. p. 681. Bellarm. de Sanctor. beat. lib. 1. cap. 10.The Papiſts praying to Saint John, ſay, Hail, ô holy Apoſtle of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, I intreat thee—that thou wouldeſt deliver me, thy unworthy Servant, from all Adverſity, and receive my Soul at the Hour of Death, and wouldſt bring me to life everlaſting. To Saint George they pray thus—He ſave us from our Sins, that we may reſt with the Bleſſed in Heaven. To Saint Eraſmus, ô Eraſmus! Grant, that by thy Merits and Prayers we may overcome all the ſnares of our Enemies, and be freed from eternal Death. (c)Poſſevin. bibl. ſelect. pag. 295. Boz. de ſig. Eccleſ. Tom. 2. pag. 200.To Francis the Fryer they pray thus, O Francis— ſingular crucified-Saint, be thou to us the way of Life, make ſatisfaction for us alway, ſhew to Chriſt the marks of thy wounds (d)Exut Franciſcum tunica lacero que cucullo: Qui Franciſcus erat, jam tibi Chriſtus erit. Franciſci exuviis (ſi qua licet) indue Chriſtum: Jam Franciſcus erit, qui modo Chriſtus erat.. This Fryer Francis they make equal to Chriſt, as thoſe Blaſphemous Verſes of two ſhameleſs Jeſuites Turſelline and Bencius do plainly declare. And to the Image Veronica, they pray thus, Haile, holy Face, imprinted on a Clout, (e)Chemnit. exam. Concil, Trident. de Imagin.Purge us from all Sin within and without, &c. Thus alſo the Papiſts by the Commandements of Men, viz. Popes, Jeſuites, Prieſts, yea and general Councils, and the Church of Rome do worſhip Images, Pictures, Croſſes, Crucifixes, and Reliques, which (they ſay) are to be worſhipped after the ſame Manner as Images are.(f)Vaſq. de adoratione, lib. 3. diſ. 3. cap. 2. Reliquiae eodem modo at que Imagines ſunt adorandae. Conci. Trident. Decret. de Reliq. Sanct. It's written of Dunſtan the Abbot of Glaſtenbury, that he bleſſed the right Thumb of Editha the Abbeſſe of Wilton, which being found uncorrupted, after all her Body was turned to duſt and aſhes in her Grave, became a Relique.(g)Guliel. Malmsbur, lib. 2. de Pontif. Vincent. li. 25. cap. 33. How many things about our Saviour are turned into Reliques? viz. the Manger, his linnen Cloth, his Cradle, his Shirt, the Table on which Chriſt eat his laſt Supper, the Cup wherein he gave his Blood to be drunk, are Reliques to be ſeen at this Day (as the Papiſts and other Pilgrims and Travellers report in ſeveral places and Churches in Rome, Spain, Ravenna, Piſa, at Andegavum, &c. The Church of Rome is guilty of groſs Idolatry and ſpiritual Adultery in Adoring and worſhipping the Hoſt; for at the Prieſt's Elevation of the Hoſt (the Papiſts breaden God) they all fall down upon their Knees, and worſhip it with very great Devotion, and whoſoever refuſeth ſo to do is counted an Heretick. (h)Bellarm. de Sacrament. Euchar. l. a. cap. 29. Coſter. Enchir. de Euchar. Rubric. in Miſſal. Rom.And yet ſome Prieſts have poiſoned the Hoſt, intending to add Murder, yea wilful and Sacrilegious Murder thereby to their groſs Idolatry, as the Monk Bernhardine, who poiſoned the Hoſt, to the intent that he might poiſon the Emperour Henry of Lucenburgh, as he alſo did at the Inſtigation of Robert King of Sicily. Baronius (l)Cuſpinian. Nauclerus. Egnat. & Baron. Spondan. An. Eccleſ. an. 1055. Volateran. Hoveden. Math. Paris. &c.tells us of a Prieſt that either did, or would have poiſoned Pope Victor 2d. at the Sacrament. And William Arch-biſhop of York was poiſoned at the Maſs by his own Chaplins, by that which they put into the Chalice. What can be more Heatheniſh and palpable Idolatry, than to worſhip the Bread conſecrated by a Prieſt, which is maintained, commanded and Practiſed by the Church of Rome, by all her Prieſts and Papiſts?
Another branch of the Spiritual Whoredom and Adultery of the great Whore, the Church of Rome, is the Adoration and worſhipping the Croſs it Self, on which Chriſt ſuffered, ſay they, alſo the Image of the Croſs and the Sign of the Croſs.(m)Vaſques de Adorat. l. 3. cap. 2. Bellarm. de Imagin. lib. 3. c. 27, 28, 29. Aquin. Sum. part. 3. art. 4. Vaſques the Jeſuit affirmeth, that this is the Doctrine of the Roman-Church, and ſo doth Bellarmine, and Thomas Aquinas, and many other great Doctors of the Church of Rome. It is teſtified(n)Chryſ. à Viſitat. de virb. Domini tom. 4. Lib. 6. c. 7. that a famous Papiſt, and a Profeſſor of Divinity, who dedicated his Book to Pope Clement 8th. ſaith thus, We worſhip the Croſs with the ſame Worſhip wherewith we adore Chriſt himſelf, &c.
Again, Whereas we Aſſerted, That the Church of Rome is the Mother of Harlots; for a full proof thereof let it be conſidered, Firſt, That the Church of Rome owns her ſelf to be the Catholick and Mother-Church of all thoſe Churches in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, &c. whether National or Parochial, that receive, believe, and practice her damnable Doctrines, and Idolatrous worſhip, which are falſe Churches and Harlots: [with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication, and the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her Fornication] and therefore the Church of Rome (Myſtical-Babylon as before proved) is called the Mother of Harlots, Rev. 17.2, 5. And Abominations of the Earth.
Secondly, That the Church of Rome hath begotten, born, and nouriſhed all thoſe National and Parochial Churches, before-mentioned, which are called the Cities of the Nations, Rev. 16.19. which National Churches are Harlots (as Nineveh was called, Nahum 3.4.) becauſe of the multitude of their ſpiritual Whoredoms, and abominable Idolatries: whereby it appears, that the Church of Rome is the Mother of Harlots, for She hath infuſed her falſe Doctrines, worſhips, and all her Idolatries into thoſe Churches.
Thirdly, That the Church of Rome, (as the Mother of Harlots) impoſeth her falſe Doctrines, Idolatrous Worſhips, and damnable Practices upon all thoſe and other National Churches, whom She calleth her Daughters, owning her Authority over them, as being their Mother.
And, Firſt, It doth appear that the Church of Rome is the great WHORE, by her ſpiritual Whoredoms and Fornications; Rev. 17.4. And the Woman—had a golden-CƲP in her hand, full of Abominations, and filthineſs of her Fornication. All kinds of Idolatry, Image-worſhip, and Superſtitions in the Service of God is ſpiritual Whoredom,(f)Prid. de Antichriſto Lect. 11. Non in Babilona ſolum, ſed in Sodomam Roma degeneravit, ut non foreign modo Meretricum, ſed (ut habet liber Complutenſis & Regius) foreign, hoc eſt, Catamitarum & Ganimedum Mater habeatur. Sic Heptades de Antichriſto, pag. 99. 129-131. & Doun. Diatr. de Antichriſto, l. 1. c. 7. Etiam M. Antonius de Dom. Archiep. Spalat. de Rep. Eccleſ. lib. 4. cap. 3. n. 26.-29. ac Hieron. adver. Jovin. lib. 2, &c. Marlor in Apoc. 18.24. & in Apoc. 13. p. 37. 64, 65. And ſuch are thoſe Images, and Idols; thoſe Croſſes and Crucifixes; thoſe Pictures, and painted forms, or Repreſentations of our Saviour Chriſt, of the Virgin Mary, and of Saints deceaſed, whom the Papiſts ſet up, fall down before, and worſhip. The Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication (that is, ſpiritual Whoredom and Adultery) with HER: And the Inhabiters of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of HER Fornication, Rev. 17.1 2. by receiving thoſe Idolatrous Doctrines, and by Practiſing thoſe Imaginary Superſtitions, which the Church of Rome Teacheth and practiceth in the Worſhip of God.(g)Matth. 15.7, 8, 9. & Rev. 13.4, 8. Idem, in Apoc. 18. Meretricem Babylonicam, Eccleſiam nempè Romanam, Scortationibus, ad immundiâ Antichriſti Romani, Sanguinolentorum ſcil. at que Belluinorum Pontificum, quorum pleri que Magi, Venefici, Athei, Adulteri,—non Apoſtolici, ſed Apotactici, & Apoſtatici, quales ipſe Genebrardus lib. 4. Chronol. fatetur—Superſtitionum, & Cultuum novorum inventores. In vain do they worſhip God (ſaith Chriſt) teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of Men, to wit, thoſe Notoriouſly known Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome, the Mother of Harlots, namely,(h)Doun. de Antichriſto lib. 1. cap. 7. Dementatos & mente captos eſſe not at Apoſtolus, Apoc. 18.23. & 19.2. & 17.2, 4. qui cum iſta Meretrice ſcortantur, ejuſ que ſcortationibus & Idololatriis imbuuntur & faſcinantur. Their worſhipping of Images, viz. of Chriſt, and of the Virgin Mary; their Invocation, Adoration, and Prayers to dead Saints; And their irrational and ſenſleſs Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, Sacrifice, and Adoration of the Hoſt, that is, their Breaden God; which (ſay they) is by Conſecration changed into the very Body and Blood of Chriſt, which the Papiſts adore, kneel unto, and worſhip, as their God and Saviour.
But beſides the Idolatry, and Superſtition of this part of their Will-worſhip, let it be conſidered by the judicious and rational Papiſts and Proteſtants, Firſt, how irrational that Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is, to wit, of Tranſubſtantiation. Admit the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be Adminiſtred in the Roman-Catholick-Church in a 100. 500 Places, (as indeed it is) at the ſame Time, And the Bread be by virtue of each Prieſt's Conſecration changed into the Real Body of Chriſt, then Chriſt hath 100. 500 Real Bodies at one Time, which is abſurd and irrational. Secondly, how ſenſleſs their Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation is; The Church of Rome teacheth, and the Papiſts ſenſeleſly are to believe, That the Bread after Conſecration is the very Body of Chriſt. And yet they that Eat that Bread, ſee it is Bread, after the Conſecration, yea they taſte and know it is Bread ſtill, whileſt they are eating of it: And thus they delude their Senſes by a fond and falſe Belief. Thirdly, how damnable their Doctrine and Practice of this part of their falſe worſhip of God is, (viz. Tranſubſtantiation). The Doctrine is Damnable; For the Church of Rome teacheth her Children, the Papiſts, to believe in, to fall down unto, and to worſhip a breaden-God, which their Prieſts have made an Idol, with Solemn and Sacred Adoration. And the Practice is alſo damnable; For the Papiſts eating that Bread with a firm Belief, that it is not Bread, but the Body of Chriſt, do eat that Bread and drink that Cup unworthily, and ſo eat and drink their own damnation, 1 Cor. 11.29.
Secondly, It appears, that the Church of Rome is the great Whore; Becauſe She is become the Mother of Harlots (k)Prid. de mille annis Apoc. Lect. 13. Roma eſt Sodoma ſpiritualiter, quia ſimilis Sodomae: quâ re ſimilis? foeditate Sodomiticarum libidinum in urbe magnâ horribiliter graſſantium, unde & Mater Scortationum, Apoc. 17.5. vocata, &c. Vide jam magnam urbem Papatus; Quid eſt niſi ſcortationum ſpiritualium & corporalium foediſſima Officina? Petrarcha queritur Ep. 20. Romae ſtupra, raptus, inceſtus, adulteria, jam Pontificialis laſciviae ludi ſunt, quod cecinit Mantuanus. Ipudor in villas, ſi non patiantur eaſdem, Et villae vomicas, Roma eſt jam tota Lupanar. Roma, vale, vidi, ſatis eſt vidiſſe; revertar, Cum Leno, Meretrix, Scurra, Cinaedus, ero. Sic, Marulus in Epitaph. Ita Janus Pannonius, Etiam Johannes Sapidus.the Lupan * of Stews, and of all Abominations, Rev. 17.1, 5. The Church of Rome calls her ſelf the Catholick Church, and She teacheth her Children (the Papiſts) to believe, that She is the Mother of all National-Churches, and whoſoever do not acknowledg Her to be the holy Catholick-Church, and ſubmit not to Her Canons, Conſtitutions, Doctrines, Diſcipline and Worſhip, are Hereticks: All the National-Churches, of Germany, France, Spain and Italy, &c. are her Harlots; falſe Churches, and Idolatrous Worſhippers of Images, Croſſes, Crucifixes, &c. as before-ſaid.
The Church at Rome was a true Church in the Apoſtles Time, whoſe Faith was famous throughout the whole World, Rom. 1.7, 8. But afterwards that Church departed from the Faith, Apoſtatized both in Doctrine, and in Diſcipline, yea and alſo in Manners.(l)J. W. de ult. Romae exitio. pag. 62. ait, Joannes 13. omni Flagitiorum generi, ſcil. Stupris, Adulteriis, Inceſtis, aliiſ que ſceleribus ab ipsâ Adoleſcentia incumbens, Stephenam Concubinam Patris ſui, & duas ſorores vitiavit. Nicholaus quidam de Bibrach. Erphordienſis non obſcure innuit ſe à Martino 2. velut Ganymedem — ad turpiora quaedam expetitum. And ſo became a falſe Church, and a Synagogue of Satan, and She is now become the great Whore, and Mother of Harlots: She hath left her firſt Husband Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, and hath taken another Head and Husband, the POPE of Rome. She hath departed from her firſt Faith, which was grounded upon the Doctrines of Jeſus Chriſt, and his Apoſtles; and now ſhe doth believe the Doctrines of her holy Father the Pope. And She is faln from her firſt Purity in Diſcipline and Manners, into all manner of Licenciouſneſs and abominable Wickedneſs, and ſo is become the Mother of Harlots, and of all the Abominations which are in all falſe Churches, that are her Daughters, whereby the Church of Rome is plainly manifeſted to be the great WHORE.
Thirdly, It appears, That the Church of Rome is the great Whore, by her barbarous and bloody Perſecutions, and Murders added to her Whoredomes, Revel. 18.24. For in HER was found the Blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and all that were ſlain upon the Earth. And I ſaw the Woman (the great Whore, and Mother of Harlots) drunken with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jeſus, Rev. 17.1, 5, 6. Particularly of the Waldenſes, Albigenſes, and other.(m)Abregè Chronol. &c. par le Sieur de Mezeray, Pariſ. 1567. Tom. 3. p. 1082. 1086. ad Annum 1572. Vergerius, who was well acquainted with the Romiſh bloody Inquiſition, tells us, that 150000. Proteſtants ſuffered Death in leſs then 30. years. The King of France in his Letters to the Pope boaſteth, that in the year 1572. (in the Maſſacre of Paris and elſewhere)(n)Thuanus Hiſt. l. 53. ad annum 1572. p. 837. Edit. 1620. Fam. Strada de bello Belgico. l. 7. p. 373. Edit. Romae 1648. 70000 Hereticks were ſlain in few days, that is 70000 Proteſtants were then and there murdered by the Papiſts. And can we forget, or omit, to mention the late bloody Butcheries of Proteſtants by the Barbarous cruel Iriſh-Papiſts, Anno 1641. when 100000. were murthered? And if the bloody Invaſion, Anno 1588. and the Horrid Gun-powder Treaſon, Novvember 5th. 1605. And the bloody traiterous deſign of Popiſh Recuſants, as the King calls it(o)In his Majeſties Declaration for baniſhing all Papiſts Ten miles from London, Octob. 30. 1678. Even that damnable, and Helliſh-Plot (as the Parliament voted it) contrived, and carried on by Popiſh Recuſants, for Aſſaſſinating and Murdering the King, and for Subverting the Government, and rooting out, and deſtroying the Proteſtant Religion (p)The Votes of the Commons read to the Lords, and by them alſo approved at a Conference, 1ſt. Nov. 1678.had taken Effect, many more Proteſtants in England had been (ere this Day) murdered and maſſacred by the blood-thirſty-Papiſts. And theſe barbarous, bloody, and damnable Perſecutions and Practices of the Papiſts, are grounded on the very Doctrine, Religion, and Faith of the Church of Rome; which is not to be found in any other party of the whole Chriſtian world (ſo called) beſides. Whereby it is evident, to thoſe that have underſtanding, That the Church of Rome is the great bloody Whore, viz. that purple and ſcarlet Coloured Whore, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth, Revel. 17.1, 4, 5.