Τα σωματι των κολαζομένων έκας ( εκφέρει τον εαυτε σταυρόν Αnd Homer before-mentioned,ufes the word ou, for the dead Body in the xxiv. of his Odyffes. One of the Grecian Heroes in Hades is reprefented as bewailing, That in fuch a Battle he, and others were flain, but their Bodies lay neglected; Corpora neglecta jacent; in the Greek it is deur anden mestar &c. t. The Septuagint in that remarkable paffage of the young Prophet who was flain by a Lyon for his Difobedience, and his Carcafe (or dead Body) caft in the way renders it feven times running, I. King. xiii. 14. and following verses *. As to the New Testament; the word

σωμα,

σωματα.

, very frequently ftands for the dead Body, and accordingly is fo rendred. To inftance in a few Places, Mat. xiv. 12. His Difciples came and took up the Body, i. c. of John ; σωμα. Mat. xxvii.52. Many Bodies of Saints which slept; Verfe 58. He went to Pilate & begg'd the Body of JESUS; owpose. Luke xxiv. 3. And they entred in, and found not the Body of the LORD JESUS; oupa. Acts ix. 40. And Peter turning him to the Body of Tabitha, who was dead; μ. And to mention no more, I. Cor. XV.44. It is sown a natural Body; one μoo.

+ Schrevelius renders suara, Corpora, Servi. Hedericus op Corpus, Care, Mancipium. Scapula likewife, but 'tis with an Item, allows the word ow, fometimes to fignify Servus. So that Mancipium or Servi are but à fecondary Acceptation of the word. Corpus Bands firft, and therefore ought to be look'd upon as the moft proper. The Learned Monfieur L'enfant in his Notes upon Mat. xxvi. 26. This is my Body, fays the word oops fignifies properly a dead Body without Blood. And the Syriack Tranflation renders the word op by another, fignifying a dead Carcafe.

A great Number of Carcaffes, wμarov, Nahum. iii. 3.

Having thus ftated the Meaning of the word our, I proceed to make good the Charge exhibited against the Church of Rome, viz. making Merchandize of the Bodies and Souls of Men. I begin with the BODIES.

Now the Trade or Merchandize carried on by the Church of Rome with the Dead Bodies of Men, may be Comprehended under these two general Heads.

i. Mortuaries and Rights of Burial.

2. Relicks and Pilgrimages.

First. MORTUARIES. Our English Law Books tell us, That the fecond best Beast ( if the Defunct left Cattle > was claimed for the Mortuary; if not, then a certain Sum of Money. And Mr. Selden in his Treaties of Tithes, fays, "The Antient Custom, according to the Church Canon, "was to bring the Mortuary along with the Corps, when "it came to be buried, and to offer it to the Church as a "Satisfaction for the fuppofed Negligence the Defunct had

been Guilty of,in not paying of his Perfonal Tithes; and ❝ from thence it was called a Corfe Present"; λurpov rov omjuatos ; a Ranfom for the Body.

This is certain, That upon Notice of the Death of any One, the Parish Prieft, Curate, or fome spiritual Perfon came and demanded a certain Sum of Money, by the Name of a Mortuary: and fo Exorbitant at length thefe Ecclefiaftics grew, as to infift upon a Ninth, and fometimes even for a Third part of the dead Mans Goods. This is taken Notice

of

of in the Statute of the 26th of Henry the VIII. So that at length the Parliament were obliged first to restrain,and at last to abolish this ill Cuftom. Our Hiftorians further tell us, That unless the Mortuary was paid or fecured to be paid by the Heir or Executor, the deceased could not have Christian Buryal. And Dr. Burnet (afterwards Bishop of Salisbury) in his Hiftory of the Reformation †, Lib. I. gives us a terrible Inftance of their Cruelty in this very thing. One RICHARD HUN, a Merchant in London, was fued by his Parifh Priest for a Mortuary in the Court of the Popes Legate: and becaufe He brought a Pramunire against the Priest in the Temporal Court, for bringing the Kings Subjects before a Foreign and Illegal Court, he was Imprisoned in the Bishops Court for Herefy; and because they could not find Matter fufficient to put him to death by Law, he was Murthered in Prifon.

Rites of BURIAL. - Many and Superftitious are the Ceremonies and Orders of the Romish Church touching Burial, and of all which they take care to make their Market. By fome of their Canons, not only Heathens and Jews, but alfo Hereticks ( under which term they always comprehend Proteftants, and their Favourers) they that don't confefs their Sins once a Year, and all Excommunicated perfons,&c. are excluded from Ecclefiaftical Burial.

↑ A work which deferv'd the uncommon Honour it met with; the Reve Author having the Thanks of the Parliament for it. C

A

A flagrant Inftance of this we have in our own History in the Reign of King John. The Kingdom of ENGLAND, for fix Years and three Months, was under an Interdict from the Pope, during all which time ( enarrare Indignamur ) all that died were buried like Dogs in ditches and holes only fuch as had purchased a Licenfe from the Pope. Among other Bulls of the Romish Church D. A. Gavin in his Mafter-Key to Popery, Vol. I. Reckons the Bull of the Dead fo call'd, Bulla Defun&orum. No Body can be buried either within or without the Church except they have. this Bull on their Breaft, in token of their being Chriftians. The price of this Bull is two Reals of Plate : this goes to the Treasure of the Church, and muft needs amount to a prodigious Sum every Year.

They have also taken Care to Appoint the Times, and Places for Burial-. TIMES not upon Festival days, unless neceffity require it, and then after Vefpers are celebrated PLACES, fome of the Antient Canons reftrain Burials in Churches, and all abfolutely forbid burying Bodies whatfoever near the Altar. But as facred as the Canons or Rules above-mentioned feem to be, they have been frequently bought off, and are yet difpenfed with, when ever the Pope pleases.

any

2. Secondly, The Superftitious ufe of RELICKS and the PILGRIMAGES Confequent there-upon.

This being one of the most profitable Branches of Trade carried on at Mystical Babylon; I fhall be the larger upon it.

That

દ

That the Church of Rome not only carries on this unlawful Trade, but openly Juftifies and Avows it, in Defiance of the Word of GOD, and the Canons of feveral Ecclefiaftical Councils to the contrary, is notorious and cannot be denied. Bellarmine, one of their great Champions fays in exprefs words, "That the Relicks of the Saints, viz. the Bones, Afbes, &c. are to be Adored: "altho, not with the fame kind of Worship, as the Spirits "of Saints; yet with more than Humane or Civil Wor"fhip, viz. with Religious Supplication, Rites, Circum"geftation, Thu rification, &c". Petrie's Century's p. 45. And Father Alexander, in his Syftem of Divinity, according to the Council of Trent, under the Title Relicks, lays it down as a Thefis, that the honouring of Relicks is not Repugnant to the firft Commandment.

It is true they Endeavour to avoid the charge of Idolatry by Alledging, That in the Honour they pay to the Relicks of Martyrs and Saints, they don't Adore them, but GOD whofe Saints they are.

The Council of Trent fettles the matter thus; "The "Relicks of Saints, that is, their Bodies and Bones and

'વ્હ

Sepulchres where they are buried, are to be Adored and "Reverenced, tho' with lefs Honour fome-what, than the Saints themselves " That filthy Lucre was at the bottom of all this, was long fince obferved and lamented by Mantuan, who is celebrated by Bellarmine for a Learned and Godly Poet.