Propositions to the Pope

PROPOSITIONS to the POPE, FOR THE Proving his Power of Remitting Sins, and other Doctrines of his Church, as Principles destroying Souls in Darkness, and undeterminable Death.

To Fabius Guisius, Pope, at his Pallace in Monte Cavallo in Roma.

POPE of ROME, It is not unknown, that for the space of three Years, wanting less than seven dayes, I was held in most cruel Bonds under thy Hands; where By the mighty power of God I was borne, and carried through ignominious, and opprobrious scoffs and mocks, threats of Death divers wayes, and of perpetual Slavery often­times: Besides other times most cruelly, and inhumanely tortured, bruised, and exceedingly wounded in my fleshly Body; for none other cause (the God of Righteousness knoweth, and that of God in all mens Consciences in that City of Rome can bear me witness, which saw my Conversation from the first, to the last of my Imprisonment) but honestly, simply, and purely, for Righteousness sake, viz. because I Exhorted All men to Repentance; and warned them in Season, to take heed to their wayes, lest a sore Evil should come upon them; I say, for this love of my tender Soul, towards Thine, and their Souls and Bodies, was I so inhumanely requited, both by Thee and Them, which the Righteous LORD of Heaven knoweth, and Thou in thy Conscience knowest it; as many others of the Heads, Rulers, Priests, Doctors, Fryars, Jesuites, and People of Rome do know the same thing; and after many Wrongs which I bare, and bruises, and wounds that I suffered, shut up in a Room, where there was scarce a Breathing place, chained in Irons, mocked of the Wicked, because my natural eyes could see neither visible Sun nor Moon; where moreover, I was tempted with the World, and proffered all the Pleasures which ever my Heart could desire, so that I would be, but as thy Priests were, which daily tempted me unto Idolatry. (I say) all which I suffered, untill at length my Innocent patient Soul had worn out, and overcome, all the Cruelty towards me, which was Exercised upon me, by the Ʋnreasonable Hands of Sinners: and that the Lord arose to plead my Cause for me, and stirred up such, as I neither desired, nay, nor in the least outwardly knew, to appear in my Behalf; and made some of his Servants to offer up their lives for my Redemption, which were known to be freely sacrificed in Rome; for whose Love unto me, they were also Imprisoned by Thy power, untill the Lord's Arme delivered us out of such Ʋnreasonable Hands, who, below the Law of Heathens, stood not openly to shew us any cause of our Sufferings.

Yet, after all this, (though I am a man wholly given unto my God, having given all things else unto Him who made them) if it were the will of my Father, commanding me unto Silence, and to sit down as him that is Dumb, and never to open my Mouth, nor lead on my Pen on Paper, to Remonstrate the things that are past, concerning my Suffering dayes, verily, I should Obey, and say, Good is the Will of my God, who teacheth me Subjection. But being commanded unto this thing, I can of a pure heart, in the sight of my Almighty God, say, that I write not to take a Revenge of my Cause, having committed Vengeance unto him that repayeth in Righteousness. (whom, I pray for mercy, to be manifested unto you All, having a long time stood in the Gap for Rome; with many Tears, offering my Life for the Inhabitants of that City; which the God of Heaven knoweth, and that I can at a moment dye, to serve them all, in the way wherein my Father leadeth me) But O Pope, for thy Souls sake, and the peoples Soules sakes, which have a depen­dance upon thy Power, I am constrained to write this time unto thee in this manner, shewing, that in the Name and holy Fear of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, who hath led me in my Pilgrimage, by his Right Hand of Power, and pleaded my Cause with my Enemies, by reigning down fire from Heaven upon them, and by diverse Judgments in Rome, whilest there the people oppressed my Innocent Soul with Cruelty; which may (as is needful hereafter) be more at large spoken of. I propound it unto Thee, (as being the HEAD of that people, which are called the Roman Catholick Church) to Constitute, Order, and Appoint, one hun­dred of thy Chiefest and Profoundest Iesuits or Doctors of Divinity, (so called by thee) to give me a fair, open, and publick Meeting, in En­gland, Germany, France, Italy or Turkey, (viz.) in the most expedient place, for the advantage of the Glory of God (who Created the whole earth for that end) as a way may be made to attain a Licence from the Powers of the said Nations, to effect the said Meeting. I say, chuse thee thy hundred, or more persons for thy defence, and in the Name of the Lord God, and in his Counsel, I shall stand in the face of a Nation, or many Nations, to prove to that of God in every Conscience upon the face of the Earth, That thy pretended power, of Remission of Sins, is of the old Serpent the Devil, drowning Souls in the Lake of Hell and Perdition.

• 1st. By the time of the coming in of Popes.
• 2dly. By the manner of chusing Popes.
• 3dly. By the matter of the precepts of Popes. viz.
  
  
  
  

First, That the Doctrine of teaching people to pray unto the Virgin Mary, is damnable, drowning the Soul in the pit of Hell.

Secondly, That the doctrine of teaching the people to call on more Advocates, Mediators, and Intercessors, Than looking upon the One MEDIATOR JESUS, is of the pit of darkness blinding, and bind­ing Souls in the blackness of the night of death.

Thirdly, That the Invention of Pictures and Images in your Wor­ships, is of the destroying Spirit, of the power of Darkness, chaining Souls in the Pit.

Fourthly, That your manner of Consecrating Waffers, Wine, and Water, praying upon Beads, worshiping in Idols Temples, your divers Fryars Garments, and Titled Orders, your observations of Dayes, and Meats, your Pennance and Processions are not of God; but contrariwise of the Spirit of Delusion, Heresie, Deceit, and Iniquity, which drowneth Souls in perdition.

For which Cause, if thou lovest the Salvation of Souls, more than their Damnation, through a Covetous end of an Earthly Kingdom in thy Heart, then I am sure Thou wilt not scruple, to send such persons as Thou mayest appoint, to Meet me according to this Proposal; which else, All Nations will see thy Cloak to be Rent Asunder, and no longer able to cover and hide the Abominations which are concealed under Thy Skirts: for except Thou sendest me an Answer, or causest an Answer to be sent unto me, in the space of Four Months after the Date of this, then must I Manifest it unto All Nations, as far as it can be conveniently Spread, even unto the ends of the Earth; which, until then, I may not do, that Thou maiest Know, that my End, is not to Infamize Thee, and Thy Authority, but Righteously to Glorifie the Lord God Almighty, my Holy Father of Life.

Who am called the English Qua­ker, that was Prisoner in Bed­lam of Rome, and also out­wardly named

LONDON, the 20th day of the 7th Mon. called September 1661.

JOHN PERROT.

LONDON, Printed for Robert Wilson, in the 4th Month called June, 1662.