I confess I am not wife enough to find out any effential Difference between the present and the old Roman Worship; they both dedicate their Temples to dead Men and Women, whom the Papists call Saints, and the Pagans called Demi-Gods and Goddesses: The latter had Forms of Hocus-Pocus, which they called Confecrations; and were intended to conjure and call down their Deities to inhabit perfonally their Temples, their Images and Idols: The Popish Priests confecrate their Churches for the fame Purpose, viz. to obtain the more immediate Prefence of the Deity: Like the old Romans too, they erect Altars in their Temples, where they worship Saints with Supplications, Tears, Grimaces, antick and distorted Faces and Gestures, Mufick, and Ceremonies, and tender Offerings and Oblations to them; and, like the others, often make Proceffions, Cavalcades, and Shews in their Honour; and fometimes go in Pilgrimages to them to obtain their Favour.

The Popish Priefts have prophaned the plain and fimple Direction of our Saviour to his Difciples, for commemorating the Benefits we have received by his Death, by turning it into an old Roman Sacrifice: Amongst them, the Pipers and Harpers were the Forerunners of the Shew; and before the modern Sacrifice, the Organs strike up a Tune: There the Priests went up to the Altar in a white Garment free from Spots, (being an Emblem of Innocence ;) in new Rome the Prieft wears

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a white Surplice: The Heathen Prieft turned about to the East, being the Region of the Rifing Sun, and bowed; the Popish Priest does the fame: The Horns of the Beast facrificed were mark'd with Gold, and his Blood receiv'd in Golden and Silver Veffels; here the pretended Chriftian Sacrifice of the real Body and Blood of Chrift, is poured into the fame coftly Cups, or laid upon as rich Plates and Dishes: The old Roman Altar was raised, by feveral Steps, above the Floor of their Temples; fo is the prefent. The Pricft, amongst them, made a crooked Line with his Knife from the Head to the Tail of the Vic tim; the Popish Priest plays Tricks of Legerdemain with his Fingers over the Elements: Laftly, When the Beaft was confecrated and killed, the Heathen Priests regaled themselves upon what was left, after their Gods were ferved; the Romish Priests make it prophane for any Layman to drink of the confecrated Wine, or for any one even to eat the Bread but the Communicants.

The old Romans had different Orders of Priests, with different and distinct Offices and Revenues, viz. the High Prieft, the Luperci, the Augurs, the Harufpices, the Pontifices, the Flamines, Salii, Feciales, Sodales, the Duumviri, Decemviri, Quindecemviri, the Keepers of the Sybilline Books, the Corybantes, &c. The prefent Romans (befides the feveral Sorts which are in Ufe and Fashion amongst us) have a Pope, Cardinals, Domi

nicans,

nicans, Francifcans, Jefuits, Carmelites, Benedictines, Mendicants, Capuchins, Ciftertians, Obfervantines, Auguftines, Servites, &c. In Imitation alfo of the Veftal Virgins, in old Rome, they have founded feveral Orders of Nuns, who take a Vow of Chastity, for the Breach of which they are immured, as the others were burned alive: And as they had a Right to deliver from the Hands of Juftice, any Malefactors they cafually met in their Walks; fo the prefent Romish Priests claim and exercise an equal Right to protect all Criminals who can fly to them for ProLection, which is borrowed from that of the old Roman Afyla.

The old Romans had their Dies faftos & nefaftos, their Fafts and Feasts, their Sacrificia, their Epulas, their Ferias, in Honour of their Gods and Demi-Gods; the prefent Romans alfo make Distinctions of Days a great Part of their Religion; they too have their Dies faftos & nefaftos, their stated Fafts and Feafts in Honour of their Saints, or to commemorate and condole past Misfortunes, or rejoice over fignal Succeffes; and fome of their Feasts, and particularly their Carnivals, exceed in Lewdnefs and Prodigality, the Bacchanalia of the Ancients.

The Heathens had their Deos Tutelares, to whom the Defence of certain Countries were committed; and their Deos Prefides, who had the Safe-guard of particular Cities; the Papists have Saints, who fupply the fame Offices

Offices: Artificers and Profeffions have alfo their particular Saints who prefide over them; Scholars have their Saint Nicholas, and Saint Gregory; Painters, Saint Luke; as Soldiers and Lovers had formerly their Mars, and Venus: Diseases too, have their Saints to cure them; as the Pox, Saint Roque ; the falling Evil, Saint Cornelius; the Tooth Ach, ་ Saint Apollin: And even Beafts and Cattle have their's Saint Loy is the Horfeloech, and Saint Anthony the Swincherd.

As the Heathen Priefts would fuffer none to come into their Sanctuaries but them, felves; neither will the Popish Priests permit any Layman to come within the Rails of the Altar, and profane with unhallowed Feer that Holy Place, As the Ancients obliged all who were initiated into their Myfte ries to confefs, under the most fevere Denunciations, all the Secrets of their past Lives, by which Means they were so much in their Power, that they never afterwards durft blob out what they faw, nor give the leaft Oppofition to their Defigns; fo the Romish Pricfts trust their Mysteries only to the vere Adepti, and have made the fame ufe of Confeffion, (the lofs of which is forely lamented by others;) for they oblige, upon the Penalty of Damnation, all their Votaries to confefs not only their private Sins, but fecret Thoughts, as well as every Thing else they know of other Peoples, which may any way regard the Interests of their Order;

and fo have Poffeffion and faft hold of all Families, and become acquainted with all the Defigns, which may ever thwart their Pride; and confequently have fecured their own Domination, and the Peoples Mifery, beyond almost a poffibility of Redress.

Laftly, As the Heathen Priests facrificed Goats to Bacchus, for browfing his Vines; and Men to Pluto and Proferpina, and other angry Deities, to appease their Wrath, and avert Evils from themselves; fo the Popish Priefts facrifice and devote their Enemies, under the Names of Hereticks and Schif maticks, to the infernal Fiend: And as thofe Idolaters were allowed to know when was the most proper Time to make their Sacrifices to their Deities, and what Victims would be most acceptable to them, as being prefumed to understand beft the Minds of their provoked Gods; fo the present Ones are in Poffeffion of the fole Judgment of what is Herefy, and of facrificing by that Means whom they please to their Ambition and Revenge; which equally fubjects the unhappy Laity to them.

They have alfo imitated the Heathens in making every human Foible and Imbecility, as well as every common and uncommon Appearance in Nature, contribute to their Interefts; which fhall be the Subject of my next Paper.

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