A Protestant Antidote Against the Poison of Popery, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. In General. The ſeven bad Properties of Popery, viz. 1. Superſtitious. 2. Idolatrous. 3. Damnable. 4. Bloody. 5. Novel. 6. Inconſiſtent with publick peace. 7. Irreconciliable to the Proteſtant Chriſtian Religion. Thoſe ſeven bad Properties are as the ſeven Unclean Spirits which poſſeſſed the empty houſe. Matth. 12.43, 45
64. IN my diſſwaſive from Popery, I ſhall I. ſhow in general, the ſeven wretched Properties of the Romiſh Faith, for which it may not be embraced but rather to be abhorred. 1. Of the firſt, The Romiſh Religion is a ſuperſtitious Religion: 'tis made up of a worſhip altogether ſupra ſtatutum, as ſundry intimations hereof (afore mentioned) do abundantly illuſtrate: 'tis ſo notoriouſly clogg'd with Ceremonies of Humane invention, (while the Magnalia legis lay neglected) that while they write up ſervice, God writes up ſin; ſaying, who requir'd thoſe things at your hands? Iſa. 1.12.
65. Superſtition ſprung up betimes in the Church of Rome; Satan ſowed Tares (ſo he is called, ſuperſeminator) very early. Many ſuperſtitious Doctrines from this ſuperſeminator did the Biſhops of Reme bring into the Church in the firſt ſix hundred years after Chriſt; which ſignifies that Antichriſt was then growing up there until the time of his full maturity for his Revelation in that place.
66. Alexander the Firſt (Biſhop of Rome) brought in the mingling of water with the Sacramental Wine, and of Salt with water for benediction (agreeable to the Pagans) about 112th year after Chriſt; After him about 20 years comes Teleſphorus, and ordained a Lent-Faſt for ſeven weeks, about the year 130 after Chriſt; and about the year of Chriſt 144. Pius the firſt appoints the celebration of Eaſter upon the Lords day.
67. About the year of Chriſt 159. the (ſhaving of the Prieſts Crowns was brought into the Church by Anicetus (the Biſhop of Rome) to whom Polycarp came, about compoſing the differences concerning the Celebration of Eaſter, becauſe it was pretended that the celebrating of it on Sunday,(y)The diſſenters were called Quartadecimani. as they called it, one Hermes received by Revelation from an Angel in a Shepherds habit: This having of Crowns was a ſuperſtitious Cuſtom, derived from the practice of the Aegyptian Prieſts of Iſis.
68. This ſuperſtitious Shaving was condemned by divers of the Fathers, as Clemens of Alex. Paedagog. lib. 3. cap. 11. Optatus Contra Parmenionem lib. 2. and Jerome on Ezek. 44. Yea, and the fourth Council of Toledo, cap. 40. About the year of Chriſt 221. were alſo introduced into the Church the Faſts of four times, by Calixtus the firſt; and about ſix years after, ſilver Cups were brought into the Celebration of the Supper by Pope Ʋrbane.
69. About the year 240. It was ordained by Pope Fabian, that new Chriſm ſhould be made every year, and that the old ſhould be burnt at the Euchariſt; then about the year 277. Pope Foelix appoints Divine Service to be Celebrated upon the Sepulchres of Martyrs: About five years after, Pope Eutychianus brings in the Benediction of the fruits of the Earth upon the Altar; as if with the Manichees they had held them unclean, until they were thus purified.
70. This Pope Eutychianus (the Tuſcan) is ſaid to bring in that cuſtom, that no Martyr ſhould be buried but in the Veſtment called Palmatica, and a Purple Hood. Thus Superſtition began to grow unto ſome ſtrength in the Church of Rome betimes, and that not only in matters of Ceremony but alſo of Doctrine, for then began Temples to be built to the honour of the Virgin Mary, of the Apoſtles and Martyrs, to the great diſhonour of God in following Ages.
71. Auguſtine witneſſeth, that as all divine Worſhip is to be given to God; ſo all Temples that are for the exerciſe of that worſhip, are to be erected to him. Anguſt. contra Maxim. Arrian lib. 1. tit. 11. Yet Sylveſter the firſt perſwaded Conſtantine to erect that Church in Rome dedicated to the honour of St. Peter, himſelf digging the Foundation, and carrying away twelve Baskets full of Earth, in honour of the twelve Apoſtles, upon his Imperial Shoulders; and at his inſtance many other Churches were built to many other Saints. And Ciricius about this time brought in that doctrine of Daemons, forbidding the Prieſts to marry, and commanding thoſe that were married to repudiate their Wives, urging it from that place; Qui ſunt in Carne non poſſunt placere Deo. Vide Chronicon Carionis, in the third Century.
72. In the year 336. Pope Marcus brought in the ſinging of the Nicene Creed, and the ſuperſtitious Veſtment (called the Pall) which was to be of Wool, not of Silk or any other Stuff, to ſignifie the Skin of the loſt Sheep in Luk. 15. And in the year 367. Gloria Patri was brought in by Damaſus, to cloſe up every Pſalm: In the year 398. Anaſtaſius brought in the ſtanding up at the reading of the Goſpel.
73. In the year 417. Pope Zoſimus brought in Tapers into the Church: In the year 461. Pope Hilarius brought in the Letany and the Rogation week. In the year 526. Foelix the fourth, brought in extreme Unction to be miniſtred to dying people; and in the end of this fifth Century, Pope Gregory the Great brought in Candles for Candlemas, and added four days to Lent, with many other ſuperſtitious orders. Fuit enim ſuperſtitionum (tanquam Monachus) egregius Patronus, ac ceremoniis & ritibus pluſquam Judaicis, Eccleſiam Chriſti mirum quantum eneravit(z)Pareus Medull. Hiſtor. Eccleſ. p. 210.
74. Thus we ſee in the firſt 600 years, how the man of ſin prevailed in bringing all thoſe Superſtitions one after another, before his full Revelation, as appears at large in Oſiander's Epitome. Pareus Medulla hiſtor. Eccleſ. And our own Dr. Prideaux's Introduction, who makes this Gregory the laſt of the good, and the firſt of the bad Popes, to be ſignified by the Angel flying between Heaven and Earth; for he gave his Teſtimony againſt Antichriſt, though he brought in many Superſtitions of Antichriſt.
75. After the ſixth Century commenced, Superſtition came not by drops, as before, but whole floods of it, and that in Doctrine too as well as Ceremony: Then entred in Invocation of Saints, Prayer for the dead, and Purgaory; the Doctrine of Juſtification by the merit of works, of Traditions, of worſhipping Reliques and Images, of the Maſs, &c. Tranſubſtantiation, &c. all which be ſupra Statutum.
76. Thus were thoſe Cockatrice Eggs hatched by degrees, out of which at length came forth Antichriſt (That Fiery Flying Serpent) into the world; and 'tis a ſeaſonable caution which the Prophet gives us in this caſe, Iſaiah 59.5. They that Eat of thoſe Cockatrice Eggs ſhall dye. As men would therefore ſhun death, ſo let them avoid thoſe Eggs of Superſtition in the Romiſh Church, becauſe (Mors in ollâ) Death is in them.