The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

13. THEY see long since that their Revenues are diminished and ruined, that their Arts have not the same success they have had heretofore, that an Incredible number of men do every day fall off from them; there is not now that vast concourse of People to Rome; men do neither esteem nor purchase their Indulgences, Interdictions, Benedictions, Absolutions, and vain Bulls at the Rate they have done; the Sales of their Ceremonies and Masses, and all that Whorish Paint is not much valued; so that a very great part of their Pomp and Tyranny is fallen, their Incomes reduced to a lower Ebb than ever; they and their Partisans are become the Scorn of Children, so that now their whole Concern is at the Stake: Nor is there any wonder that those things should fall, which were supported by no roots. Our Saviour JESUS CHRIST ⟨p. 159⟩hath put an end to them, not by Arms or the force of Soldiers, but by an Heavenly Impulse, and the Breath of his mouth; and he will entirely consume and abolish them by the brightness of his coming: such is the force of the Word of God, the Power of the Gospel; and these are the Weapons which will bring down every high thing which is built up or exalted against the Knowledge of God. This Doctrine shall be preached in spite of all throughout the World, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it; the Merit-mongers Shops at Rome do now lye desolate; their Wares (Like the Goods of Porsenna) are cried at a low price, and there is scarce any to buy them; a poor Dealer in Indulgences does now wander about, and rarely finds a Fool that will purchase one. This Sir, is the great Concern; from hence spring the Papal Tears and Cares; they see this Light sprung out of one small Spark, and what now may be the Event when there are so many Fires kindled every where on the Earth, and so many Christian Kings and Princes own and profess the Gospel? for these men do no serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Bellies. There goes a Story, that when Carneades the Philosopher was at Rome, and made that memorable Oration against Justice, amongst other things, he added this, That this Virtue, if it was a Virtue, was not of less use to any part of Mankind, than to the Romans; for they, by Force and Stealth had subdued those Kingdoms to themselves, which of right belonged to other men, and by a most flagrant Injustice had arrived to the Empire of the World;

13. THEY see long since that their Revenues are diminished and ruin'd, that their Arts have not the same success they have had heretofore, that an Incredible number of men do every day fall off from them; there is not now that vast concourse of People to Rome; men do neither esteem nor purchase their Indulgences, Interdictions, Benedictions, Absolutions, and vain Bulls at the Rate they have done; the Sales of their Ceremonies and Masses, and all that Whorish Paint is not much valued; so that a very great part of their Pomp and Tyranny is fallen, their Incoms reduced to a lower Ebb than ever; they and their Partizans are become the Scorn of Children, so that now their whole Concern is at the Stake: Nor is there any wonder that those things should fall, which were supported by no roots. Our Saviour JESUS CHRIST