The Romish mass-book with notes and observations thereupon, plainly demonstrating the idolatry and blaspheymy thereof with unanswerable arguments proving it no service of God : published at this juncture to inform mens judgments and put a stop to the designs of those that endeavor to introduce popery amongst us / faithfully translated into English.

Notes.

Here are almost as many Blasphemies as Pray∣ers, all the men and Women Saints, yea the Cross, being joyned with Jesus the Blessed Redeemer, and made joint Saviours with him,—In which no cer∣tain Number nor Order is observed, only the Priests invoke such as they have a particular kindness for, viz. their Choice Patrons.

The Priest must whisper or buzz two Prayers here which is against the Decree of the Counsel of Basil, which damns those secret Prayers of Massing Priests, This Mumbling looks like Conjuring for all the World.—

This Sancta Sanctorum, Holy of Holies, is not that which God Ordained by Moses, Exod. 30. for that's Abolished, Heb. 8. by the coming of the Mes∣siah, prefigured by it, nor can it be that which Christ went into at his Ascension, which is in Heaven; Now there being no more but these two, the Sancta Sanctorum, must be of their own or the Devils making, and may be well called SATANS SAN∣CTUARY.

As for the Reliques so often mentioned, the plain Case is this, when Superstition began to creep into

the Church, where good men and Martyrs were bu∣ryed, they built Sepulchres, and Feigned, that Re∣mission of Sin, and many other Heavenly Blessings might be had by visiting them, and making offerings there, so gulling the simple people of their Money—But these growing too numerous, the Priests judged it profitable to make a kind of Monopoly of them, and therefore procured a Decree at the first Councel of Carthage, about the time of Pope Anastasius, that the Bishops should pull down those scattered Monu∣ments, resorted to, and build them in more profitable Market-places, with a Prohihition that no Christi∣ans should haunt the forsaken places—And in the time of Pope Gelasius the First, it was Decreed, that no Altar should be Consecrated unless it were of Stone, and had some Reliques of Saints in it, which they counterfeited as they pleased.

The unmber of these is infinite, as Saint Popes, Saint Cardinals, Saint Bishops, Saint Abbots, Saint Priests, Monks, Fryars, with a world of hees and shees besides—Saint Bell, Saint Image, Saint Ves∣sel, Saint Garment, Saint Temple, Saint Altar, &c.

Of Bells, Stocks, Stones, Rome maketh her best Saints, And with fine Varnish her foul Idols paints:

Fit Saints indeed for such a Church as she!

Mock-Saints and Mock-Religion well agree.

In thirty four Churches at Rome onely (and what's that to the total there?) near 200 years a∣go were Reckon'd up by name 200 Reliques, but yet in 13 of those Churches specified, the Author concludes with besides others, or and divers others, or many others, or, others innumerable—or an in∣finite Number—Ex Libro a Stephano Planco de Pa∣tavia Romae Excúso Anno 1489.

Now by Proportion what a numbe••rless Arma∣do of these Reliques may be found in the other Churches at Rome, and the rest of the Popifyed World.

The Monk of Charrovium—Saint Laterane at Rome, and Hildshein, pretend to have the fore-skin of Christ cut off at his Circumcision; This is a modest-Multiplication into three, in comparison of the whisk∣ers following; yet Christ had but one, & ascended with his whole Body into Heaven.

The Chalice which Christ used when he said Mass (forsooth) & the Platter in which the Paschal Lamb was eaten, are to be seen in several places with these Papists; sure they had good luck to scape the plunder of Jerusalem by Vespasian, and the Priests must have notable skill to know them from other Plate, for I never heard that Christ employed any Herald at Arms to Blazen his Coat, or ingrave it on his Plate. Besides it must be very durable, to last so long as 1600 years. Well suppose all these Doubts could be answered, how comes it to pass that this Chalice is seen at Saint Mary's in the Isle of Lyons, and in the Monastery of Austin-Fryars with the Helvians. And the Platter to be at Rome, Ge∣noa, and Orleance, at the same time. Here's an in∣crease of Multiplications! In like manner they Multiply the Towel wherewith Christ washed his Disciples Feet, the Pots in which he turned water into Wine to be seen at five places in three several Nations—The Cross is multiplied to a whole Ship load, no Town being so little but hath a piece of it—The number of the Nails is also increased won∣derfully at Millain, Carpentras, Rome, Saint Helens, Saint Crosses Churches, at Sienna and Venice. One at Colen in Germany, one at Tryers, at Paris in France; with the Carmelites there another; ano∣ther at Saint Denis's, and another at B••urges, ano∣ther at the Abbey called the Sheeres, and another a•• Dragminian: more than a Bakers Dozen!

T••••y pretend to have the Garments of the Vir∣gin Mar••, as her Hair, Kerchief, Combs, even he••

very Shift, Girdle, Shoes, Slippers, and I know not what; her very Milk beyond the quantity of what a∣••y Dayry-House can shew in a year—And all these multiply'd, as far as Popish Arithmetick will go.

It would be over tedious to number the rest, re∣specting Saint John Baptists Head, his Face, Brains, the tip of his Ear, his Hair, his Arm, &c. to be had at several places. Yet the whole Head is at Saint Sil∣vester's [at Rome all the while: VVhat a Cer∣berus do they make of the holy man? yea more than a Cerberus; for three times three heads won't do, if this Romish Fantastical Figment were true.

At Rome they have Paul and Peters Bodies, both their heads at Saint Lateranes, and one of Saint Pe∣ters Teeth—Yet Poictiers hath got Peters Jawbone and his Beard to boot. Argenton in Berry has got Pauls Shoulder, and in a word, all Churches Dedi∣cated to them, have one p'ece or other of them—A∣mongst them (if you have▪ Faith enough to believe them) you may find Saint Peters Chair, his Massing Garments, his Altar, the Sword with which he cut off Malchus his Ear, his Crosier, and sheep Crook, and his Cudgel that he walkt with; About which several places quarrel most fiercely, each challeng∣ing his to be the right, and makes all the rest Impo∣stors. Fine Catholick Doings!

It would require a Volume to particularize all, and what a havock they make of the Saints Bodies, who were to be single hearted in their lives, yet these Wretches won't let 'm be single-Bodyed in their Deaths; but multiply 'em, and snarl about 'em, as hungry Dogs do, about a parcel of Bones. &c.

If thou hast a Curiosity to peruse more, se ee•• ••ook before mentioned, viz. The Man of Sin, Print∣••d for Mr. Boulter in Cornhill, 1677. A very ingeni∣••ous and Excellent Book, p. 1••2, &c.