Page images
PDF
EPUB

The infallibility of the popes, and blafphemy of the general councils (against fchifmatics and heretics) in the world, it feemeth good to the Holy Ghoft and to us, was granted, and commanded or iffued from Jefus Christ, and first practiced, and example given by the apostle in the words juft quoted.

Luth, & Calv. You have opened to us a new scene, to make a comparison betwixt fpiritual and temporal power. According to our fyftem, the pope is figured in the perfon of the King of France, (our greatest adverfary, always laying in wait to intrap poor Old Britain) wields the fceptre, and makes all things bend to his hard, imperious, arrogant, haughty, infolent, proud, and unrelenting brow, who rules arbitrarily, tyrannically, abfolutely, defpotic, without controul; a common fcourge, whofe ambition clafps univerfal monarchy. This is the conception all proteftants imbibe from their infant ftate against the pope, both in fpirituals and temporals. We now fee him figured in the perfon of our glorious George, or King of Great Britain, the temporal laws, conftitution, and legiflature of Great Britain, which are praised and envied by all nations of the earth, feems in all its branches and parts to correfpond, copied and derived from this fpiritual and great covenant of Chrift we often pleafed ourselves with the qualities of our laws and conftitution, and painted to ourselves how nearly they are allied to the fpirit and maxims of the gofpels, lenient, mild, and difinterested.

Mof.

96

Mof. The laws and conftitution of Great Britain are taken from fpirituals.

Luth. I have often attempted to draw these waters from our church, but in the pulpit; when I have thought to enter on the subject, I found a damp fweat overcome me, with a faintnefs which prevented my forcing a matter of the greatest magnitude, I could no way prove, as 1 know, that our laws and conftitu tion was feveral years older than the proteftant reformation, and that we were indebted to our Roman Catholic ancestors for whatever we now enjoy; yet I had not the honefty even to ac knowledge the debt.

Calv. So far was I from paying the tribute of gratitude, that I thought it impoffible to get quit of the stench and abomination of po.

pery.

Mof. I have information that in the Torrid Zone they have what they call Carrion Crows, whofe ftench is much more offenfive than the carrion they devour; fo with you, dignified gen tlemen, I am told you have marked out as a privileged fanctuary, a thoufand yards about your playhouses for a reception, chiefly after your deceafe, where fome thousands of your unhappy offspring affociate with the vileft mifcreants, and exhale, fume, and steam forth the most noisome, noxious, offenfive, stinking, and nasty stench. This fulfills the words of your gospel, you fee the mote in your neighbour's eye, but will not fee the beam in thine own eye. Ye charge the chriftians with celibacy and abftemious living, as very great crimes; fay you,

the

the belly for meat and meat for the belly. But what does Paul tell you, God will destroy both belly and meat. I fee you both look white and pale, through a long custom of filling and cramming yourfelves. What monfters have they brought, exhaling fo powerful a fmell, on the table?

Lutb. & Calv. It fmells deliciously, both ftrong and favoury, moft rich and faucy to the palate; favour us that we may regale ourselves, I will defcribe it. It is the back or calipatch of a tortoife, which we had filled with diffe rent ingredients, fuch as the nose, ears, tail, brains and odder of a fow that fuckles, the combs, gills and brains of 12 capons, pettytoes of 2 fucking pigs, hafelet of a kid, with the trotters, two pair of fnipes, extract from the bones of different animals, 1 ox-tail, the lips, kidney and musk of a goat, two dried herrings powdered, the liver of a fifh and pair of roes, I pair of ox-eyes, 2 vipers, the marrow of 2 ox-horns, I pound and a half of bacon, ditto dried gander, 3 tea fpoonfuls of kian pepper, 6 cloves of garlic, onion, 12 fhalots, half a pound of butter, the whole made into a mince with fweet herbs, &c. You fee your dinner, with a rabbit ftewed down in a bottle of Madeira, with fpice and kian to 2 ducks. a-la-mode, with other little matters, a plumbpudding and half a dozen mince-pyes, &c, Mof. Permit me to give you grace.

Luib. & Calv. You will not partake of our flight repaft?

G

Mof.

Mof. Not to be complained of, it being Lent.

Luth. & Calv. Proteftants faft from fin and not from meat. It is not what goes into the mouth defiles the man; but out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe teftimonies, blafphemies; these defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands is no fin.

Mof. Do proteftants make difobedience a fin?

Luth. & Calv. The difobedient fhall never fee God's face; for him that will not bear the church fhall be ranked with beathens and publicans,

Mof. Luther, you carry, being a divine and a parfon of the church of England, your Common-Prayer Book to fquare your life by.

. Luth. There it is, at your fervice. Calvin, I pray you will not break the pye-cruft of the Olio over the Calipatch, or it will be cold before Mofes has given grace. Be quick, we are fainting like a woman in travel, we beg, dear Mofes; this is not time for pro and con, on the next life, when the prefent is abfolutely in danger.

Mof. That is one branch of obedience. See here what your Common-Prayer Book, which will be your life or death, as a divine or member of the church of England, commands. A perfon in danger fhall call in the parfon or minifter and make a fpecial confeffion of his fins, after which confeffion the priest fhall abfolve him after this fort. Our Lord Jefus Chrift, who kath left power to his church, to abfolve all finners

who

who truly repent, and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences. And, by this authority, I ABSOLVE thee from all thy fins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghojt. Amen.

Calv. You aftonish me. A reformed church of the proteftant religion, to take upon themfelves to forgive fins, one of the most effential articles brought and charged against the catholic priefts. The more I confider the more am I aftonished. Am I afleep, or am I in a delirium, through ftarving and hunger; I wish this Conference was over. I fhall certainly lofe good manners; for I cannot contain longer. I muft ftick my knife into the pye-cruft, and whilft you are partaking of your fpiritual banquet, I fhall not be a whit behind hand in feafting on the temporal; falls to like a crow

on his carrion.

Mof. The church of England I fee holds to the facrament of confeffion.

Luth. We exclaim against it as an article of infallibility, which we charge Roman Catholics with, as an act of blafphemy.

Mof. I think the infallibility of the new covenant, by the Meffiah, which, you fay, is the chriftian, have been (if Jesus be the Messiah) explained and agreed to with the fupremacy of Peter, both by the fcriptures, creeds and agreement of the chriftian world, for near 1800 years (as we agreed), Ye are affured of thefe truths.

Luth. & Calv. We acknowledge ourselves your debtors, in opening our understandings to G 2 thefe

« PreviousContinue »