THough the Romanists, with many specious pretences, have (especially since the Reformation) endeavoured to prove the Verity and Validity of their Church; yet we no where find that they have proposed any thing so material to that [Page 2] point, but it has been either confuted or con­sidered as a weak Pillar to support a decaying and tottering Superstructure: For I would fain be informed by any moderate Commu­nicant of the Romanists, from whence, or upon what account the Pope of Rome claims a Superiority or Headship? Or why the ac­knowledgment of the Catholick or Univer­sal Church of Christ should own any Infal­lible Head upon Earth? And since both the Disputers and Writers of that Communi­ty, that term themselves the Roman Catho­lick Church, have either waved it, as not to their purpose, or for some other end, equi­vocated with the Scriptures to support a building upon a sandy Foundation. Before I proceed to the main matter intended, I shall give some light into this affair.

It so happened that the Roman Empire having been divided into East and West, the latter especially was extreamly harrassed by the barbarous Nations of the North, so that the Supream Power lay in that of the East, or Greek Empire; and although several Popes of Rome had opposed any sole Head­ship, or Supremacy one over another, hol­ding all Bishops equal in their Province or Diocess; yet Phocus General to the Eastern [Page 3] Emperour Mauritius, having murthered this Emperour, his Empress and their Chil­dren, and for that dispised and rejected by his own People, what does the then Pope of Rome do, but clap in with him, and the more to gain a Power or Advantage over the other Bishops, by many flattering and in­sinuating Letters, extol his proceedings. And amongst others we find these Expressi­ons, viz. Let the Emperour Phocus live, and let the Angels clap their hands and rejoyce, that so worthy a Man, whose grateful Influence shines on the Bishop of Rome, is advanced to the Throne of the Eastern world, by the especial Providence of the Almighty: From which time. tho' by what unjust means I leave to the conside­ration of the Reader, Rome dated her Spi­ritual Greatness, to fulfill the Prophesie of St. John in his Revelations, &c. And as indeed it was founded upon blood and vio­ [...]nce, so has it been hitherto maintained, more than by any other ways or means, as by Racks and Tortures to such as at any time began to inquire into the Authority of that Usurpation. and s [...] their Errors. and by keeping the more un thinking part of those that adhered to it, in the Region of Agno­rance [Page 4] and darkness, by blinding their un­derstanding with fables, instead of real Truths, and placing the Traditions of Men instead of the sacred Uerity of the wor [...] of God; and when at any time, where they have a temporal power, inquiry is made [...] their many lying wonders and feigned mi­racles, their superstitions in worship, errors and absurd contradictions, the answer is, tha [...] they ought to believe, as their Church be [...] believes, though indeed few of them them­selves know what she does believe; and [...] this be refused, they are not only brand [...] with the name of Hereticks, but in dang [...] of their Lives, and many times expire [...] flames, by Racks and Tortures, or languishing and lingering deaths, which is t [...] true mark of the Beast, of which St. Joh [...] speaks, viz. That kills all those that [...] not receive his mark in their forehead, worship his Image. And this fatal exp [...] rience has taught the World, by the m [...] Massacres, unjust Wars, Burnings, [...] [...]stations, poysoning and stabbing of M [...] narchs, to such a degree, as has made [...] Infidels blush to be outdone in Treacher [...] and Cruelty, and these mes [...]ly [...]alling [...] these, that with a complyance with the [...] [Page 5] lasting Gospel, opposed the errors and un­warrantable Traditions of that Church; as their holding a Wafer, after Consecration, to be a God, and no less than the second person in the glorious Trinity, even our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Es­sential and Corporal, as well in Soul as in Body, with all the substantial parts of a Body, as he offered himself upon the Cross, for the Redemption of the World.

The praying for the Dead, saying Mosses for the deliverance of Souls out of Purgato­ry, attributing to the Uirgin Mary the Ho­nours only due to God himself, praying to Saints, adoring Relicks, consecrated Can­dles, holy Roses, Agnus Dei's and Con­fessions to Men, with many other Fables and Fopperies, and for gain-saying these, have flowed a scarlet Sea of Blood, with which, as St. John says, I saw the Wo­man drunk with the blood of the Saints, and the Martyrs of Jesus, and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration, Rev. 17. 6. And these were they whose Souls cry under the Altar; How long, how long, O God, Holy and Righteous, will it be e'er thou avenge our blood on those that dwell on the Earth? And although as to [Page 6] the first of these, our Saviour did declare at the eating the Passover, that the Bread and Wine were his Body and Blood, yet it then, and at all times appeared to be meant only figuratively and mistically; for at the same time when the Bread was eaten, and the Wine drank, his Body remained the same as before, undiminished and untouched, Uisible and Corporal, both to be felt and understood; and what more confirms it, was his commanding his Disciples, as of­ten as they did it, to do it in remembrance of him, till his coming, which an imply no­thing more, than to leave and ingraft more perfectly, the remembrance of his Crucifixi­on and Death, in the minds of his People and Church: for as the Passover, which he then eat, was a Type of him to keep us the remembrance and expectation of his coming in the mind of the Jews, so he changed the Misterious Ceremony into a Sacramental Bread and Wine, to mind the Christians, and to put them in a full assurance of ex­pecting his second coming in Glory to judge the World. In many places of Scripture he calls himself a Uine, a Door, a Shepherd and the like, which are only mistical and fi­gurative significations: And St. John the [Page 7] Baptist stiles him, the Lamb of god, come to take away the sins of the World, &c. And as for the Primitive Church, as they all along took it in no other sence, than the Reformed Churches do at this day, viz. That in the blessed Sacrament, we only Spiritual, and by a lively and steadfast faith, eat and drink his Body and Blood. And to go a little farther in this matter, the Church of Rome, contrary even to our Saviours great command, and the use of the Primitive Churches, for up wards of a thousand years, have taken away the Cup from the Laity, only allowing it to the Priests and Princes, and give us only these two silly Reasons for it. First, That the Laity are not sanctified and fitly prepared for so Essential a part, as the Blood of Christ. And secondly, which is to Shouldir the de­cest, they bear them in hand, that receiving by a Transubstantiation the intire Body in the Wafer, as flesh, Bones, Sinews, &c. They no doubt partake of the Blood. Like­wise, as for their giving the Cup to Princes, it is to get in favour with them; and in the second place, have the advantage over them, if they refuse to promote the Covetous and Ambitious ends of the Pope and his Clergy, [Page 8] which fattally appeared in the Emperor Henry's being poysoned by the Sacramental wine given him by a fryer: and the like done to King John of England by a Monk, and many other such horrible und unparalelled Uillanies.

As for their Praying for the Dead, it is no where Warranted in Scripture, nor mentioned, unless in the Maccabees; where after a Battle, it was thought fit to Pray for the Souls of those that were slain in the Castle; which in the stríoeest sense, erceeded not good Wishes: And it was the Custom of those times to make Fune­ral Dration for those that had deserved well of their Country, or lived Piously and Uertuously, thereby to recommend their Memory to Posterity, and Consolate their Friends. It was used likewise in the Primitive Church, and is immitated by us in our Funeral SCRMONS: but this was never held by any, before the Roman Superstition brought it in as a way gainful to get Monies, both from the Dying and their Relation: But how miserable will that Man be that puts off the great concern of his Salvation, ground­ing it or this Error, in hopes of a de­liverance, [Page 9] may easily be determined: for beyond the Grave there is no change of Estate, or hope of Reprieve; for there the words of the Wise Man are truly verified, viz: As the Tree falls so it lies; as Death leaves us in that state, Judge­ment will assuredly find us. And as for the Middle Region they have lately dis­covered between heaven and hell, it is new and fabulous, that no considering Man can conclude it set up for any other end than to Bug-bare fools and ignorant unthinking People; tho' it may indeed he called Purgatory, for it Purges some millions of Money in a year out of the Laity into the Purses of the Clergy, be­ing the chief Branch of the Popes Spi­ritual Revenue: and tho' they hold their Masses can Redeem the suffering Souls from this place, yet the Wisest of them were never yet able to tell where it is, or whether it be Local; nor indeed is it any where to be found or heard of, but in the Romish Church, for the Scripture allows no such place; for there we find those that have done well are pronounced to go into Eternal Joys; and those that have done Ill into Eternal Torments. [Page 10] It's true, they quote for their Authority, a passage in St. Peter, about Preaching to the Souls in Prison, &c. which accor­ding to the opinion of all Ages, makes nothing for their purpose.

They are contented to Pray for the Dead, but to the Dead; tho' as the Holy Prophet says, There is no Remembrance in the Grave, and altho' it's expressy forbidden and accounted flat Idolairy: for we by the word of God, are strictly en­joyned to observe no Saint, nor Creature, nor Throne, Dominion nor Power; no Heathenish Deity, but only the true God in Jesus Christ: Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God, and him onely shalt thou serve, Exod. 20. And see thou do it not, says the Angel to St. John, I am thy fel­low Creature, Worship God, Rev. 22. 9. Tho' the Papists in this case, in the num­ber of their Saints, to whom they pay Divine Honours, even exceed the Pagans: nor do they spare to immitate them, in having their Titulars for Countries, as thus: The Pagans Worshipped Appollus in Delphos, Jupiter in Creete, Minerva in Ephesns: And so the Papists in Eng­land Worship St. George, in Scotland [Page 11] St. Andrew, in Ireland St. Patrick, in France St. Dennis, in Spain St. James, at Millain St. Ambrose, and at Venice St. Mark.

The Pagans had for the Element of fire, Jupiter, for the Aire, Juno, for the Sea, Nep­tune, so the Papists have Agathus for the fire, Theadulus for the Tempests, St. Barbara for thunder, and St. Nicholas for the Sea.

The Pagans had several Titular Gods, for their Cattle and fruits, as Pon for the first, and Ceres for the last, as also Bacchus for their wind; so the Papists have for their wind Urbanus, once a drunken Priest, Jo­docus for their fruits Man, Debinas, for their sheep, Eulogious for their horses, and St. Anthony for their Piggs.

The Pagans had their Titular Gods, for several Professions, as Apollow for Scho­lers, Mars for Soldiers, Vulcan for Smiths, Diana for Hunters, so the Papist have St. Gregory for Scholers, St. George for Sol­diers, St. Loy for Smiths, and St. Cris­pin, for Shoomakers.

So again the Pagans had their Gods, to pray to in several diseases, as to Apollow, for the Plague, Hercules for the [...]a [...]ing-sick­ness, [Page 12] Lucina for woman in Child-Birth; and so the Papists have St. Rock for the Plague, St Petrenello for the Ague, Ap­polina for the Tooth-Ach, and Arisastiacis, for the Head-Ache. To these both Pagans and Papists have builded Temples and Churches, errected, alters, ordained, Priests, appointed Festivals, set up Statues, and burned Lamps and Candles, by which we may see, they differ nothing in this point, and of this the Prophet Jeremy complains, when he says, why did the Land Perish, and was burnt up like a Wilder­ness, but because the People walked after Baalam, which their Fathers taught them. And the Psalmist says, walk not in the ways of your Fathers (and again) they follow the generation of their Fathers, which shall not see the light; these men, with the Jews, have framed to themselves a Queen of Heaven, giving that stile to the Uirgin Mary, calling upon her in time of trouble, Praying her Divine worship; and in their Rosary, and other books, Blaspemously At­tribute to her, what Prophets have foretold of, or Ascribe to our Saviour, tho' God has declared himself a Jealous God, and that he will not give his Honour to ano­ther. [Page 13] And now to make this seem no I­dolitry, they have taken away the fourth Commandment, and devided the fifth in­to three to make up the number.

As for their Crucifixes, Beads, Relicks, Holy Oyl, Holy Waters, Agnus Dei's, Blessed Roses, Pardons, Indulgences, Ab­solutions, &c. They are altoge [...]her new, and only the Immentions of tourzening Priests to pick the pockets of the simple lay­ity, having by that means rather reduced Popery to a Trade than a Religion, and as for Auricular confssion, it was as all Authors of our Church agree, to get into the Cabinet Councils of Princes, that so they might the better in all places carry on the interest of Rome, tho' to the hazard, and ruin of those Princes, in whose bosoms they ly like snakes, till many times they sting them to death, holding no blood shead a crime that is spilt to ear [...]y on the inte­rest of their Church, this Fatally felt Hen­ry the Second of France, who was with­out any provocation kill'd with a Conse­crated Daggar in his Royal Tent, Sur­rounded with his Army by one Clement, a Jaccobin Moak, sent for that purpose, tho' under a fained pretence of delivering a Message; and altho' this King was of the Romish Communion, yet the Pope [Page 14] was so far from dissembling it, that he Magnified the Villany, and Cannoniz­ed the murtherer. By the like fate, and en­couragement fell Henry the fourth of France, who was stabbed by Raviliack a Ruffain, as he was passing the streets in his Coach, and we may fear they had too great a hand in the Barbarous Murther of King Charles the first, &c. But should I pass into the bloody field of their many fatal Massacres, Private Murthers Violation of Faith, Leagues and Daths it would amaze, and startle the reader, to think so much wickedness should be in men professing Christianity, or so much as owning the name of Christ, and the better to colour their persidiousness, when they contrary to the Letters of safe conduct, giv­en them, had burnt the two famous Bohe­mian Martyrs, Huss and Jerome, they go a decree passed in the Councel of Constance that no Faith is to be kept with Heretick and such they account all that are note o [...] their Church; a tast of which Queen Ma­ry gave us, who after she had promised us Religion and Liberty, was prevail'd with by the wicked Councils of the Priests, to [...] a raging Persecution be the reward of those who had Seated her on the Throne. In which, during her Reign, suffer'd for th [...] [Page 15] confession of a Good Faith, five Bishops Twelve Divines, Eighteen Gentlemen, Eighty four Artificers, One hundred Hus­band men, servants, and labourers Twen­ty Sir Wives, Twenty Widdows, Nine Uirgins, two Boys, & two Infants, in all, two hundred Eighty seven, all of them burnt alive, besides Sixteen that dyed in Prison, seven scourged as unmercifully as T. O. and a great many that were found Languishing, and Released by Queen E­lizabeth. From which Cruelty and Cru­cl men, God of his mercy, as he has at pre­sent most Miraculoussy done, preserve and keep these, and all other Protestant King­doms, and unite our hearts in the de­fence of the true Faith and Religion, for the sake of our Blessed Lord and Savi­our Jesus Christ.

Amen, Amen.