Text, we ought to understand the Dead Bodies of Men: To fupport which, befides what has been already mentioned tending that way, I would offer the following Confiderations.

1. First, It is well known, That the Romish Churches, for feveral Ages, have made Merchandife, as well of the dead Bodies, as the feparate Souls of Men: (as is proyed in the following Effay.) Now if we are to fuppofe the Holy Ghost in this Place, (as our Proteftant Expofitors grant) Defigns by the Word xas, the Merchandife which the Church of Rome makes of feparate Souls; certainly it is as reafonable to think, That by the Word way, he fhould point out another Branch of their vile Trade, viz. that of the dead Bodies of Men.

2. Secondly, The manifeft Diftin&tion in the Original, and fo between the two Species of Merchandise obferved by Mr. Brightman, will be most effectually preferved by this Interpretation of the Word σωματῶν: for the Soul and Body are never fo much contradiftinguifhed, as after they are feparated. And therefore Death is defined to be χωρισμός ψυχῆς καὶ σωμάτG, Separatio Anima et Corporis.

3. Thirdly, And to mention no more, the Word water is fo rendred, not only by the Greek Authors and Lexicons, but also by the Tranflators of the Bible in many other Places. 'Tis likewife very obfervable, That the only Words ufed in the Septuagint and New Teftament, for Servants and Bondmen, are AA and Oixins: And among the Antient Grecians A✪ was the Name of a Slave, or the worst fort of Servants. Scapula, after he has rendered a Corpus, especially Corpus hominis, takes Notice that Plutarch, when fpeaking of burning the dead Bodies, expreffes it in the Greek, by KavoaνTES TA OŃμATA. And in another Place, defcribing the manner of Crucifying among the Romans,

B 2

fays

fays, τω σωματι τῶν κωλαζομενῶν έκαςΘ ἐκφέρει τὸν EAUTY Saupov. And Homer before-mentioned, ufes the Word 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 Battie, he and others were flain, but their Bodies lay neglected; Corpora neglecta jacent; in the Greek it is caμar' anndea Tal, &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) cast in the Way, renders it oua feven times running, I Kings xiii. 14. and following Verfes*. As to the New Teftament; the Word ud, 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. e. of John; capa. Mat. xxvii. 52. Many Bodies of Saints which flept; odpara. Verfe 58. He went to Pilate, and begged the Body of JESUS, oμa. Luke xxiv. 3. And they entred in, and found not the Body of the Lord Jefus; oua. A&s ix. 40. And Peter turning him to the Body of Tabitha, who was dead; oμa. And to mention no more, 1 Cor. XV. 44. It is fown a natural Body; cãμa.

HAVING thus ftated the Meaning of the Word owμatar, I proceed to make good the Charge exhibited against the Church of Rome, viz. making Merchandife of the Bodies and Souls of Men.

I

† Schrevelius renders quara, Corpora, Servi. Hedericus σμa, Corpus, Care, Mancipium. Scapula likewife, but 'tis with an Item, allows the Word oua fometimes to fignify Servus. So that Mancipium or Servi are but a fecondary Acceptation of the Word. Corpus ftands firft, and therefore ought to be looked upon as the moft proper. The Learned Monfieur L'enfant, in his Notes upon Mat. xxvi. 26. This is my Body, fays the Word @pa, fignifies properly a dead Body without Blood. And the Syriack Translation renders the Wor oua by another, fignifying a dead Carcafe.

** A great Number of Carcaffes, ouaтwv, Nahum III. 3.

I begin with the BODIES.

NOW the Trade or Merchandise carried on by the Church of Rome, with the dead Bodies of Men,. may be Comprehended under these two general

Heads.

1. Mortuaries, and Rights of Burial.

2. Relicts and Pilgrimages.

First, MORTUARIES. Our English Law-Books tell us, That the second beft Beast (if the Defun& left Cattle) was claimed for the Mortuary; if not, then a certain Sum of Money. And Mr. Selden in his Treatife of Tithes, fays, The ancient Cuftom, 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 Prefent"; xúτPOV TOV Toμár; a Ransom for the Body.

THIS is certain, that upon Notice of the Death of any One, the Parish-Prieft, Curate, or fome fpiritual Perfon, came and demanded a certain Sum of Money, by the Name of a Mortuary: and fo exorbitant at length these Ecclefiaftics grew, as to infift upon a ninth, and fometimes even for a third Part of the dead Man's Goods. This is taken Notice of in the Statute of the 26th of Henry the VIII. So that at length the Parliament were obliged first to reftrain, 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 Deceafed could not have Chriftian Burial. And Dr. Burnet, (afterwards Bishop of Salisbury) in his Hiftory of the Reforma

tion

tion*, 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 Parish-Prieft, for a Mortuary in the Court of the Popes Legate: and because he brought a Præmunire against the Prieft in the temporal Court, for bringing the King's Subjects before a Foreign and Illegal Court, he was imprisoned in the Bishop's 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 do not confefs their Sins once a Year, and all Excommunicated Perfons, &c. are excluded from Ecclefiaftical Burial. A flagrant Inftance of this we have in our own Hiftory in the Reign of King John. The Kingdom of ENGLAND, for fix Years and three Months, was under an Interdi& 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 called, Bulla Defunctorum. 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

* A Work which deferved the uncommon Honour it met with; he Rev. Author having the Thanks of the Parliament for it.

THEY have alfo 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 restrain Burials in Churches, and all abfolutely forbid burying any Bodies whatsoever 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 difpensed with, whenever the Pope pleases.

2. Secondly, The Superftitious Ufe of Relicks and the Pilgrimages, confequent thereupon.

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

THAT the Church of Rome not only carries on this unlawful Trade, but openly justifies 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 human or civil Worfhip, viz. with religious

Supplication, Rites, Circumgeftation, Thurification, "&c.". Petrie's Centuries, 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