ctors, of Antichrists, that great Antichrist himself: a rope of hopes,
that by their greatness and authority bear down all before them: who from
that time they proclaimed themselves universal bishops, to establish their
own kingdom, sovereignty, greatness, and to enrich themselves, brought in
such a company of human traditions, purgatory, _Limbus Patrum, Infantum_,
and all that subterranean geography, mass, adoration of saints, alms,
fastings, bulls, indulgences, orders, friars, images, shrines, musty
relics, excommunications, confessions, satisfactions, blind obediences,
vows, pilgrimages, peregrinations, with many such curious toys, intricate
subtleties, gross errors, obscure questions, to vindicate the better and
set a gloss upon them, that the light of the Gospel was quite eclipsed,
darkness over all, the Scriptures concealed, legends brought in, religion
banished, hypocritical superstition exalted, and the Church itself [6575]
obscured and persecuted: Christ and his members crucified more, saith
Benzo, by a few necromantical, atheistical popes, than ever it was by
[6576] Julian the Apostate, Porphyrius the Platonist, Celsus the physician,
Libanius the Sophister; by those heathen emperors, Huns, Goths, and
Vandals. What each of them did, by what means, at what times, _quibus
auxiliis_, superstition climbed to this height, tradition increased, and
Antichrist himself came to his estate, let Magdeburgenses, Kemnisius,
Osiander, Bale, Mornay, Fox, Usher, and many others relate. In the mean
time, he that shall but see their profane rites and foolish customs, how
superstitiously kept, how strictly observed, their multitude of saints,
images, that rabble of Romish deities, for trades, professions, diseases,
persons, offices, countries, places; St. George for England; St. Denis for
France, Patrick, Ireland; Andrew, Scotland; Jago, Spain; &c. Gregory for
students; Luke for painters; Cosmus and Damian for philosophers; Crispin,
shoemakers; Katherine, spinners; &c. Anthony for pigs; Gallus, geese;
Wenceslaus, sheep; Pelagius, oxen; Sebastian, the plague; Valentine,
falling sickness; Apollonia, toothache; Petronella for agues; and the
Virgin Mary for sea and land, for all parties, offices: he that shall
observe these things, their shrines, images, oblations, pendants,
adorations, pilgrimages they make to them, what creeping to crosses, our
Lady of Loretto's rich [6577]gowns, her donaries, the cost bestowed on
images, and number of