The story of Jetzer, taken out of Dr. G. Burnet's letters with a collection of miracles wrought by popish saints, during their lives, and after their deaths, out of their own authours, for information of all true-hearted Protestants : with a prefatory discourse, declaring the impossibility and folly of such vain impostures.

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.

READER,

THE grand design of this Collection of Popish Miracles, i•• ••o in∣form thee of the Absurdities and Wickedness of the Church of Rome, in compelling her Members to believe such ridiculous Stories, as are here re∣lated out of Popish Authours, set out and own'd by their Church; and some of them very lately published to the World by Mr. Cressy, in his Church-History, Printed 1668. who has raked together out of Bede, Capgrave, and others, such stuff, as I am sure must needs fill thee with admiration.

As for Ignatius, the Character given of him in his Life denotes him to be little better than a lunatick Person, for pag. 146. this is related of him, But that he had regard to the good of his neighbour, (for which it was necessary for him to uphold himself and his authority) he would have walked the streets half naked, in a contemptible manner, that so he might have been held and reputed a Mad-man. And pag. 80. we have an account of the Devil's appearing to him, endeavouring to fright and distract him in his Prayers, and was often with a little stick chased away by him. And pag. 48. we have this Vision, At such time as he composed the Constitutions of his Society, having one day consecrated the Holy Host, and offered to Almighty God the Rules of his Society, God the Father appeared most gratiously unto him, insinuating by some mysti∣cal signification, that it would be a thing pleasing to his Divine Maje∣sty, that the Mother of God should offer up her Prayers unto Him for him; whereupon the Blessed Virgin suddenly appeared, recommen∣ding St. Ignatius to the Eternal Father; and demonstrating, that her own flesh was there present in the Eucharist, in the flesh of her Son. At one time we have account, that both Father and Son appeared to him; and at another, the Holy Spirit: And many such extravagant passages, which are more probable to be the Frenzies of a Mad-man, than the Vi∣sions of a Saint: For God says, Exod 33. 20. There shall no man see me and live. But it is in vain to bring Scripture against those, that both de∣ny the Scriptures to be the Iudge of Controversie, and likewise make it their

business to derogate from it. In a Spanish Catechism, entituled, Caton Chri∣stiano, composed by, Geronimo de Rosales, a Jesuit, and Printed at Sevil, 1670. this plainly appears; for instead of citing Scripture to confirm the Do∣ctrins of the Roman Church, he brings in forged Miracles for Examples: As to instance only in one: To prove the lawfulness of praying to the Virgin Mary, he tells this wonderfull Story: A great Sinner put himself into a Religious Order, and being grosly ignorant he was not able to learn the Christian Doctrin, no not so much as the Ave Maria throughout, but on∣ly these words, Hail Mary full of Grace, which he repeated many times. This man died, and afterwards there grew on his Grave a very hand∣some Tree, on whose Leaves were these words written, Hail Mary full of Grace: The Miracle was divulged, the Bishop came and caused the Tree to be digg'd up, and they found that the Root of this Tree came out of the Man's Mouth. This is their way of proving their Doctrins, as may be seen throughout this Catechism.

That most of these Miracles were invented by the Romish Priests and Monks, to make the ignorant Laity have a more venerable esteem for them, (than which nothing has more contributed thereto,) and to distribute their Riches amonst them for Pardons, Masses, for freeing their Souls from Purgatory, &c. needs no other proof, than the impossibility and impertinency of the things re∣lated, and the Doctrins they maintain, viz. Invocation of Saints, Worship∣ping of Images, &c. which▪ are quite contrary to the revealed Will of God, and the Practice of the Holy Apostles: and therefore if some things of this nature have been miraculously acted, it is not to be attributed to our most holy God since it tends to the violating his Commands, by setting up ne•• Doctrins contradictory thereto, but rather to the subtilty and power of the Devil, who in all Ages has made it his business to seduce Men to the most a∣bominable Sin of Idolatry, and for that end did work many Miracles in the Temples of the Heathen; so that it is no new thing for him to work Miracles, when it is to gain himself Proselytes; and that the Church of Rome has been so far deluded by him, as to break the Second Commandment, in giving Divine Worship to Images, is learnedly proved by Dr. Moore, Dr. Stilling∣fleet, and others in their Books of the Idolatry of that Church.

By this▪ they may see what danger they are in, whilst they communicate with a Church, that imposes such not orious Lies on her Members to support her false Doctrins. God give them grace to see their Errours, that so they may with∣draw themselves from that Idolatrous Church, and cast anchor in the true Protestant, grounded on Scripture, and the Practice of the Primitive Chri∣stians; which is the hearty Desire of the Publisher.