"Vile Rome, adieu! I did thee view, But hence no more will see, Till pimp cr jade, Or punk or spade, I do resolve to be." Paul III. prostituted his sister Julia Farnesia to Alexander VI., that he might be made cardinal; committed incest with his own daughter Constantia; poisoned her husband, that he might enjoy her the more freely; was naught with his own sister, and taken in the act by her husband; and, beside his incest, he is recorded to have been a necromancer: and from this pope's piety came the council of Trent. Pope Julius III. was not inferior unto him, who gave his cardinal's hat unto a sodomitical boy whom he had abused. This is that pope who said he would have his pork, (forbidden by his physician,) in despite of God; and maintained, he had more reason to be angry for the keeping back [of] his cold peacock-pie, than God had to cast Adam out of Paradise for eating an apple. Such a blasphemous as well as luxurious wretch was he! Thus Prideaux. I shall add but two instances more, of two famous women, one a pope, and the other a popess : : The woman-pope was pope Joan, who succeeded Leo IV., sate in the Papacy two years and six months; supposed to be a man, until at length, being with child, she fell in labour in the midst of a solemn procession, whereby her sex and lewdness were discovered together. Hereupon there was an image of a woman with child set up in the same place, where the pope was delivered both of her child and her life. Ever since the popes, when they go to the Lateran, shun that street, although the nearer way, in abhorrency of the fact, and memory thereof. There was moreover a chair of porphyry-stone kept in the Lateran, with a hole in the midst, to try the sex of the new-elected. No less than fifty Popish writers testify the truth of this history concerning pope Joan. The other woman was a popess, as the pope himself called her, namely, Donna Olympia, the sister-in-law and mistress of pope Innocent X., who was perfectly at her devotion, not only in his younger years, and whilst he was bishop and cardinal, but also in his elder years when he was pope, and so continued until the very last. The history we have at large, written in Italian by Gualdi, and translated into English. The book is called, "The Life of Donna Olympia Maldachini, who governed the Church during the time of Innocent the Tenth." In the preface of the book there is this passage: "By the great example laid before us, they must needs confess that the churchmen of the Roman faith will do any thing with a woman but marry her." I shall refer the reader unto the history, which relateth the great familiarities between this Donna Olympia and the pope, having been too long in relating the viciousness of his predecessors, although I have passed-by many persons and things which might without wrong be spoken concerning them. I must add something concerning the filthiness and uncleannesses of the Popish clergy, and others under the celibate vow. Platina doth record, that in pope Gregory the Great's time there were six thousand infants' skulls found in a fish-pond at Rome; and what did this signify, but the whoredoms and murders which this celibate vow was the occasion of? Nicholaus de Clemangis, a Popish archdeacon, who lived and flourished in the year one thousand four hundred and seventeen,—he wrote a book, De corrupto Statu Ecclesia, wherein he taketh notice of the viciousness of all sort of persons, beside the pope, that were under this celibate vow. Cap. 12 concerning THE CARDINALS, these are his words: Nec enumerare volo eorum adulteria, stupra, fornicationes, quibus Romanam curiam infestant, nec referre obscænissimam illorum familiæ vitam, a dominorum tamen moribus nullatenus absonam. "I will not relate the adulteries, rapes, fornications, whereby these cardinals do pollute the court of Rome, nor set out the most filthy life of their family, not at all dissonant from the manners of their masters." Cap. 19: concerning THE PRELATES, he thus writes: Qui totos in aucupio et venatu dies agunt, qui noctes in conviviis accuratissimis et choreis cum puellis effeminati insomnes transeunt, qui suo turpi exemplo gregem per devia abducunt in præcipitium. "The prelates spend whole days in fowling and hunting; and, being effeminate, they spend whole nights in dancing and sports with young women; and by their filthy example lead their flock out of the right way upon a precipice." Cap. 20: he calls THE REGULARS, Ebrios, incontinentissimos, utpote qui passim et inverecundè prolem ex meretrice susceptam, et scortam vice conjugum, domi tenent. Et hos CANONICOs aliquis vocabit, qui sic ab omni canone seu regulá sunt abalienati? "Drunkards, and most incontinent persons, who ordinarily and shamelessly do keep whores instead of wives and children by them at home in their houses. And who will call them regulars who walk by no rule?" Cap. 21 of THE MONKS he saith, Quantò magis continentes, magis obedientes esse debebant, minus vagabundi, et e claustrorum septis rarius egredientes in publicum; tantò ab his omnibus rebus licet eos videre magis alienos: pro labore desidia, pro continentia et æquitate libido et superbia invasere. "By how much the more they ought to be continent and obedient, by how much the less they ought to wander about, and go forth into public from the bounds of their cloisters; by so much the more we may see in them a contrary carriage and course unto these things instead of labour, sloth-instead of continence and justice, lust and pride-have invaded them." Cap. 22: of THE MENDICANTS he writes: An non hi lupi rapaces sunt sub ovili imagine latitantes, qui more sacerdotum Belis in suis penetralibus oblata devorant, mero et lautis epulis cum non suis uxoribus, licet sæpè cum suis parvulis, avidè satiantes, cunctaque libidinibus, quarum torrentur ardore, polluentes? Are not these mendicants ravening wolves under the form of sheep, who, like the priests of Bel, do devour what is offered, with others' wives and their own little ones, greedily satiating themselves in retired places with wine and costly banquets, and defiling all things by their filthy and burning lusts?" Cap. 23 concerning NUNS and their monasteries, he thus expresseth himself: De his plura dicere verecundia prohibet, ne non de cœtu virginum Deo dicatarum, sed magis de lupanaribus, de dolis et procacia meretricum, de stupris et incestuosis operibus, dandum sermonem prolixè trahamus. Nam quid, obsecro, aliud sunt hoc tempore puellarum monasteria nisi quædam, non dico Dei sanctuaria, sed Veneris prostibula, sed lascivorum et impudicorum juvenum ad libidines explendas recep : tacula? ut idem hodie sit puellam velare, quod et publicè ad scortandum exponere. "Modesty doth forbid to speak more concerning these, lest, instead of setting forth a society of virgins devoted unto God, we should describe a stews, and speak of the deceits and wantonness of harlots, of rapes and incestuous works. For what other are the monasteries of young women in these times, than execrable brothel-houses of Venus, than the receptacles wherein immodest and lascivious young men do fulfil their lusts? and at this day it is the same thing to put a maid into a monastery, and publicly to prostitute her, or put her forth to be a whore." : We see what kind of persons celibate persons were formerly; how well they kept their vow of chastity, as one of themselves acknowledgeth and have we reason to think they are grown better of later years? We see what they have been in other countries; let us also see what they were before the breaking off [of] the Romish yoke in our own land. In king Henry VIII.'s time a search was made into monasteries and religious houses concerning the life and manners of these Romish votaries; and we shall find, in SPEED'S "History of Great Britain,” a catalogue of vicious celibate persons there found out, their names and crimes. In Battle Abbey, fifteen sodomites. In Canterbury, eightsodomites, and one that kept three whores. In Chichester, two sodomites; in the cathedral church, one that kept thirteen whores. In Windsor castle, twenty-five whores were kept amongst them. In Shulbred monastery, nineteen whores were kept. In Bristol, the abbot kept four whores. In Maiden-Bradley, the prior kept five whores. In Bath monastery, one had seven whores, and was a sodomite. In Abingdon monastery, the abbot had three whores, and two children by his own sister. In Bermondsey monastery, John White, prior, called "the bull of Bermondsey," had twenty whores. FULLER in his "History of Abbeys" doth relate this story:-"One sir Henry Colt, of Nether-hall in Essex, much in favour with king Henry VIII. for his merry conceits, suddenly took leave of the king late at night, promising to wait upon his Grace early the next morning. Hence he hastened to Waltham-Abbey, being informed by his letters, that the monks thereof would return in the night from Cheshunt-nunnery, where they had secretly quartered themselves sir Henry pitched a buck-stall, (wherewith he used to take deer in the forest,) in the narrowest place of the marsh, where they were to pass over, leaving some of his confederates to manage the same. The monks, coming out of the nunnery, hearing a great noise made behind them, and suspecting to be discovered, put out the light which they had with them, whose feet without eyes could find the way home in so used a path. Making more haste than good speed, they ran themselves all into the net. The next morning sir Henry Colt brought and presented them to king Henry, who often had seen sweeter, but never fatter, venison." ""** I might add many more instances, had I room and time; but I list not any longer to rake in this dunghill. Being wearied myself in the search, I shall draw toward a conclusion, fearing lest I should trespass upon both the patience and modesty of my reader. If my subject did FULLER'S "Church-History of Britain," vol. ii. p. 220; edition of 1842.-EDIT. not naturally lead unto this discourse concerning the lewdness and wickedness of these celibate persons, and if I did not apprehend that such discourse might be of use, I would have passed by these things in silence. USE II. What hath been said concerning the wickedness of the church of Rome, occasioned by this forbidding to marry, I hope may be a sufficient caution unto all of you to take heed, and move you to abhor both the principles and practices of this corrupt church. Indeed, if any of your hearts be set upon filthy lusts and the most abominable uncleannesses, and your consciences are ready under our Reformed religion, to molest and trouble you too much, so that you cannot, without secret lashes and stings within, prosecute your hearts' desires, and gratify your vile affections; if you have a mind like swine to wallow in the mire of the most nasty filthiness, and to get indulgences for such practices; I would advise you to turn Papists: I know no better way that you can take to sear and cauterize your consciences, that you may sin with the least control. And you of the female sex, if you desire more secretly to be naught, and to veil all with a religious cloak, you may acquaint yourselves with the priests and fathers of this church, who though they will not marry, yet they will strain hard but they will gratify such an inclination in you; and, to stop the mouth of your clamorous consciences, they will give you forthwith an absolution, yea, and admit you unto the communion. But if you would "deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts;" if you would "live soberly, righteously, and godly in the world," as the word of God and grace of the gospel do teach; if you desire to be sanctified here, and saved hereafter; abhor Popery; come not near the tents of this wicked church, lest you perish with them in the ruin which the Lord will certainly bring upon them. Drink not of "the cup of fornication" which the whore of Babylon would put into your hands. Receive not "the mark of this beast upon your foreheads." Read and consider one scripture, which speaketh of those who turn Papists, sufficient to affrighten all from admitting and embracing this religion, by the fearful consequences thereof. The place is, Rev. xiv. 9-12: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." USE III. Lastly: You that are married ministers, and live with your wives in holy wedlock according to God's ordinance, value not the Popish doctrine or decree which forbiddeth your marriage. So long as God is for it, no matter who they be that are against it. So long as God's word doth allow it, no matter though the pope doth forbid it. Only let it be your endeavour to "put to silence the ignorance and perverseness of foolish men," by being "blameless," as well as each "the husband of one wife." Above all others, you that are ministers, and have wives, should be as if you had none in regard of all inordinacy of affection towards them; and let it appear unto all, that, although married, you chiefly "care for the things that belong to the Lord, how you may please the Lord." You need not care, or be concerned at the barkings of the impure Papists, like dogs who bark at the moon, so long as your conversations do shine. SERMON XX. (XVIII.) BY THE REV. RICHARD FAIRCLOUGH, A. M. FELLOW OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. * THE PAPAL DOCTRINE IN DENYING THE POSSIBILITY OF ASSURANCE IS FALSE, AND HATH A DANGEROUS TENDENCY TO DESTROY THE TRUE PEACE AND COMFORT OF SOULS IN THE CERTAIN HOPES OF EVERLASTING HAPPINESS. BELIEVER'S THE NATURE, POSSIBILITY, AND DUTY, OF A TRUE Wherefore the rather, brethren, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.— 2 Peter i. 10. THAT I may the more effectually discharge the duty incumbent on me, and the more fully confute that pernicious error of the church of Rome, which hath declared, that "a believer's assurance of the pardon of his sin is a vain and ungodly confidence," + "it being," say they, "impossible for any person to know that he is now pardoned, much less that he shall continue and persevere in the state of grace; " I have made choice of this portion of scripture, as the foundation of my present discourse; wherein it must be considered, that although controversial and polemical treatises are usually large and full, yet the few moments allowed for our present delivery, and the few pages allotted for the printing, of this discourse, necessitate me to manage things in a very contracted manner; so. as I must give you but only hints of some arguments on our side, and also must rather obviate and prevent, than formally answer, all our adversaries' objections. Avoiding all unnecessary amplifications and popular illustrations, which might make our style more smooth and pleasant, I shall only deliver what may rationally convince your judgment; In his "Account of Ministers, &c., ejected or silenced," Dr. Calamy adds this note concerning the authorship of the present sermon: "I cannot be positive whether this last be his or his father's;" who was the Rev. Samuel Fairclough, A. M.—EDIT. t Certitudo remissionis peccatorum est vana et omni pietate remota fiducia.—Conc. Trid. sess. vi. Primus hæreticorum error est, posse fideles eam notitiam habere de sua gratiâ ut certá fide statuant sibi remissa esse peccata.-BELLARMINUS De Justif. lib. iii. cap. 3. |