things as one of the better sort of Popes himself freely confessed t Adrianus 6. In orat per nuntiū suum facta ad Comitia imperialia anno 1522. Vpon these grounds I proceed to lay downe 3. propositions touching the incurablenesse of Romish Babel 1. That these Councels assembled to reform and amend did contrariwise establish diuers impious errors neuer be fore decreed in the world 2. That those foule deformities in the Romish Church both in the head and members and both for doctrine and manners that were in that Church before those Councells and for the redresse whereof those councells were called did neuerthelesse and yet do continue vnreformed 3. That since then in steed of redresse and reformation of the euills then found there haue contrariwise growen vp in their Church more horrible hainous practices and more erronious and impious doctrines then euer before and at this day stand vnreproued and maintained by their Church And these three propositions being proued I hope there is none but wil confesse that the Romish Church for ought that man can see is past cure Touching the first I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of manie and first for the Councell of Constance that Councell decreed 2. such decrees as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion and ouerthrowing all humane societie then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other For first whereas it is knowen and granted that Christ at his last Supper ordaining the holy Communion did consecrate and giue it both in bread and wine and commanded his Ministers after him Doe this u See all the Euangelists S. Paul 1. Cor. 11 23. c. and tho it cannot be denied but that the primitiue antient Church did so receiue it as Christ left it yet for all that comes the Popish Councell of Constance and calls it a peruerse fashion and an ill order of those that giue their people the sacrament in both kindes and do further decree that Notwithstanding Christ ordained and the primatiue Church practiced it in both kinds yet now to say that it is necessarie to receiue it in both shall be heresie and punished as heresie that is with death and losse of lands and goods c. And howsoeuer Bellar. w Bellar. de Sacram Euch. lib. 4. cap. 26 much ashamed of the matter wil needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes but to the celebration after supper and therfore accuseth Luther and others as lyers for so reporting of the Councell yet many others of his fellows make no bones to grant it and if they all denyed it the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough Now thus to decree and make a Canon contrarie to the direct institution commandement of Christ what is it but to controll Christ himselfe and to weaken the certainty of all truth and religion Secondly whereas there can be no firme societie amongst men if othe◠and couenants especially made by publicke persons be of no force and therefore God himselfe would haue the Israelites oath to the Gibeonits performed thogh it was craftily extorted x Iosh 9. 19 after seuerely punished Saul in his posteritie for the breach of it y 2. Sam. 21. 1. 2. yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed that z Concil Constant sessione 19. Though the Emperour or King giue a safe conduct to one accused of heresie to come to a Councell or Disputation c. and tho he bind and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer and tho he would not haue come but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct Yet hoc non obstante this notwithstanding hee may bee taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke without anie preiudice to the Catholicke faith c. If this bee good diuinitie that Oathes and Couenants to hereticks are of no force binde not the makers then it is in vaine for men to haue anie dealing one with another for if oathes bee once of no force in any one thing they will in time be weakened in all things Thus this Romish Councell that should haue amended hath contrariwise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impyetie and such as for ought I could euer see were neuer till then decreed nor receiued no not in the Romish Church it selfe But is this reformed since No saith a great Spanish Bishop a Simancha Institut cathol cap. 45. art 14. edit Hispan Fides data haereticis a priuato non est seruāda nec a magistratibus data seruā da est haereticis quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur nā Ioh. Huss Hieronimus eius discip legitima flāma concremati sunt quāuis promissa illis securitas fuisset more then a hundred yeares after this Councell it is so farre from beeing altered that contrariwise by the authority of this decree it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke by a priuate man is not to bee kept no nor if it be made by a Magistrate as sayth he is prooued by the practice of the Councell of CONSTANCE Marke howe they are healed afore it was true in publique persons now it is true in priuate men also afore it might bee broaken without anie fault but nowe it may not bee kept See howe Babylon is cured But the Councell of Trent is of latter times hath not it done much good and reformed much ill Nay on the other side it hath decreed and made 2. Canons to the high disgrace of holie SCRIPTVRES and much derogating from the souereigne authority thereof which til then were neuer decreed not in the darkest times of poperie when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll As namely first b Concil Trident. sess 4 That the Apocriphall Books of Tobiah Iudith and the rest shal be held receiued of as authenticall and Canonicall authoritie as anie parts of holy Scripture whose authoritie was euer sacred This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scriptures before neither was there euer any Popish generall Councell so presumptuous afore this of Trent that euer durst adde more books to the sacred Canon then we receiued from the Church of the old Testament Some bolde Papists say that the Florentine Councell before Trent did make them Canonicall which if it had it had bin little materiall seeing it was but a small time before Trent scarce 100. yeares but the truth is it did not and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more careful of their credit and wil not affirme it c Bellar tō 1. lib. de verbo dei Coccius in the sauro cathol tom 1. So that its cleere there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent nor anie prouinciall but one d Concil Carthag 3. and they are not able to bring one Father that helde them so within 400. yeares after Christ nor very manie after
in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men thinke when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iustifie himselfe and all his words and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe and that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religion a plaine Atheist that holdes the Scripture and all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour serueth his turnes And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testament 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost If hee bee then the Prouerbes of Salomon beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of this Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that Gods word if it be authorized by the Pope is then of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it then it is not So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the authoritie of it or els it hath none Obserue that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of God but because these words of God are heere canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit and worthie to bee beleeued as well as if they had beene spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mint Let the words be examined and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheisme or els if hee holde them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authoritie to binde mens conscience till the Pope doe canonize them and that Gods word in a book knowen receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authoritie in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe if he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretalles as contayning Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it bee with open confession and detestation of the fault it is well But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in all other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance condemned or reprooued this Atheisme if they knowe any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors and Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the way home to Christ printed at LondoÌ„ in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed that The written word of GOD is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicuâ—â— And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euideÌ„ce of Scripture boldely answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quilles doe not tie vs e Nos pennis illis anser inis minime sumus alligati I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disproued them But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge A little after a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie in his booke so called telles a storie of one whom hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diuinitie in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1566. in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnes that this he heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a Protestant no a Papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauitie of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a little after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a boooke that papists holde to bee Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee aunswered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it Shee would no more beleeue the scripture for it was naught g Heskins in his parliameÌ„t the next page after And what was shee that saide this a vertuous Catholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor commeÌ„ds that man and woman for deuout and zealous papists who blasphemously saide that the scriptures were naught and not to be belieued and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholicke woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other But contrariwâ—se commends them both and turnes it to
all to hell on the euening before good-Fryday p Vide Bullam Coenae inter Constitutiones PontificuÌ„ Roman pag. 883. In Constit 13. Sixti 5. Consueuerunt Rom. Pontif. praedecessores nostri c. Nos igitur vetustum solennem hunc morem sequeÌ„tes excommunicamus ana thematizamus exparte Dei omnipotentis c. quoscunque Vssitas Wiclyfitas Lutheranos Zuinglianos Calumistas omnes alios haereticos â—orumque fautores receptores libroruÌ„ lectores c. we for recompence the next day morning in euery Church chappell of this kingdom many places more pray for the conuersion saluation of him and al his sect q See one of the prayers apointed by publicke authoritie in the common prayer booke for good-Fryday and so by Gods prouidence it falleth out that our publick praier for them is the same or the next day when they haue publikely cursed vs and this is the facte of the whole Church in the publick liturgy appointed of old stil confirmed by authoritie Therefore if Christs argument be good that priuate men blessing their cursers are the children of God then sure this is not ill the church that blesseth their cursers is yâ— church of God Let them therfore stil go on in cursing if they needes wil but let theÌ„ take heed least as they loue cursing so it come vnto theÌ„ as they clothe themselues with cursing like a garment so it come into their bowels like water and like oyl into their bones r Psal 109. 17. 18 we coÌ„trariwise let vs not be wearie of well doing let vs follow that blessed Peter whom they pretend to follow but do not vnlesse it be in denying Christ whose blessed counsell is Render not euill for their euill nor curse for their curse but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are therunto called that we should be heires of blessing s 1. Pet. 3. 9 thus doing we haue Peters owne testimony against them that we are a Church of blessing a blessed Church and the Father of blessings blesse it more and more and all that seeke the peace of it Amen Thus we see generally they wished her well But what is the particular good they wished her namely her healing and conuersion We would haue healed her heere many things might be pressed I wil but point at them 1. That it is the property of a holy man to wish aboue all things the spiritual good of them with whoÌ„ he liues the wicked man seekes the spirituall hurt of men the naturall man the carnall good but the holy man their spiritual eternall good Worldly matters haue their time place in his thoughts but that that takes vp possesseth his desires is the spirituall good of them he loues namely their conuersion their repentance their saluation these things be worthie their praiers and worthy of their pains Heerin Gods children are like to God their Father who wishing good to his people crieth out Oh that there were in them not the skill to rise in this world and attaine the honours ease of this life but a heart to feare my Commaundements that so it might goe well with them and theirs t Deut. 5. 25 God wisheth no trifles to his children But oh sayth God that Israel were healed and oh sayth Israel that Babylon were healed Thus do God and good men accord in their wishes Learn thou here thy duty if thou be Gods thou wishest for and prayest for and seekest for many things for thy children and thy friends thy wife and family Thou clothest them feedest them prouidest for them else thou art worse then an Infidell and preferrest them and much more but all this is for the bodie But canst thou say from a good conscience I woulde haue healed their spirituall diseases I haue heartily wished and faithfully endeuoured their saluation This is to be a true friend a true father a worthy husband and a good wife happie they that haue such friends neere them 2. Obserue further they seeke the saluation euen of their persecutors so doth alwaies the holy man Paul was put in prison the gayler tormented his body and Paul healed and saued his soule w Act. 16. 24. to the 35. Many a sinner is made a happie man by his prisoner the Martyrs oft times by their patience their praiers holy instructions conuerted their executioners and tormentors As in the former point a holy man is like to God so herin to Christ who when Iudas and the Iewes were conspiring his destruction the same houre was ordaining the holy sacrament and establishing the meanes of their saluation x 1. Cor. 11. 23. c. Thirdly Israel liues in Babel would gladly haue her as holy as themselues wee would haue healed her It sheweth the excellency of the nature of holy things they are fire not in the flint hardly bet out but in the bosome that will not be concealed A man is not couetous of them He is indeede greedie to gaine them but not to keepe them secret and to himselfe as in worldly things wee are nay he desires and ioyes to impart them to others and it is the ioye of his heart to see others as good or better than himselfe Woulde God sayth Moses all Gods people were Prophets and Paul wished from his heart not Felix the president and Agrippa the king alone but that all that hearde him were like him not a prisoner and in bonds but in grace and goodness z Act. 26. 29 Hardly shall a man heare such voices in the world I wish others were as rich as I as high as I as learned as I as much in credit and fauor as I. No these things make men base and seruile self-louers and priuately minded but grace and holinesse is of a royall and excellent nature and inlargeth the heart wherein it is with such loue to other men as nothing more contents him that inoyeth it then to make others as good as himselfe Lastly where it is sayde they woulde haue healed the Babylonians with whom they liued see what a good neighbour a holy man is he comes he dwelles he soiournes in no place but hee seekes the good of it Lot would gladly do good in Sodom if hee can doe none at least his righteous soule shall be vexed for their sinnes a 2. Pet. 2. 8 Israel soiournes in Babel and had rather be awaie yet while they be there they will cure her if they can and if she cannot yet Babell shall therby knowe that Israel was amongst them Thus the whole shyre and parish shall fare the better by one good man dwelling among them Hee comes no where but presently hee considers what that people wants what is their disease what he may do to heal them or any way to help them he comes no where but he leaues behinde him signes of his goodnesse monuments of his holinesse and a sweet sauour of his vertues Thus euery
bee euerie daie eight and fortie yeeres of pardon which is in one yeere aboue fifteene thousand yeeres Euerie daie of the Annuntiation there bee one thousand yeers and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters stayres hath for euery steppe seauen yeeres of pardon Surely purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the world in hand if going vp two and twentie steps may purchase releasement of a hundred fiftie yeers thereof And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure and giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to be in Purgatorie one daie except hee will For for going vp XXij thousand yeers of pardoÌ„ graÌ„ted for going vp 22. steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist need to come in Purgatory twentie two steppes with deuotion hee may be released out of Purgatorie for two and twentie thousand yeeres and I hope they do not think the World will last so long and Purgatorie they saie ends with the World Further whosoeuer will go through the 3. doores Three doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoeuer goeth through them shall be as free from sinne â—â— when he was newly baptized Oh what a great power the Pope hath who can giue power to another so easily to deliuer soules out of purgatorie How easie purgatorie might be emptied by Popish doctrine of the Laterane Church shall bee as free from all his sinnes as hee was the houre hee was baptized Likewise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church there be xiiii thousand years of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Lawrence whosoeuer visiteth that Church euerie Thursday for a yeare and â—ittes vpon the stone whereon Saint Lawrence was broyled shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Iohn at the gate called Porta Latina a man by either saying a Masse or causing it to bee sayde may deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie Are these true then why is there one soule left in purgatorie or else where is the charitie of the Papistes which they so much bragge of seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousands soules out of purgatorie in one yeare Certainely if these bee true as they be written then granting that there is a purgatotorie it might soone be emptied But if it be false and fabulous and friuolous and hath no other ende but to mocke poore people and to sucke out their siluer then what a religion is that which maintaines such dealings especially seeing this is not the deede of any priuate men but of the Popes themselues nor of a fewe but euen all since Boniface the eight Thus wee haue searched deepe into a foule and filthie wound Now what remaines but to see if it bee healed yet or no 20 The tenth wound not healed but groweth more desperate deadly to this day But alas Babylon will not be healed for as they feared not to put these trickes vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe in the times of superstition so haue they presumed euen still in these dayes of light to do the like And as the whore is shamelesse in her sinne so is this whore of Babylon in her impietie for shee hath not at all amended this enormitie nor in any sort reformed it but rather lets it growe from bad to worse For euidence wherof let any man read Onuphrius Pauvinius z Vide Oâ—uphrium Pauuinium de praecipuis vrbis Romae sanctiorious basilicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo vâ—cant Colon. 1584. passim who not past 24. yeares agoe hath written with publike authoritie a booke to this verie purpose of the seaueÌ„ principal Churches of Rome and of the Indulgences belonging to them wherein all that is deliuered before is auerred and much more added some part whereof I would put downe saue for that it may bee reserued to a further purpose and fitter opportunitie And for better euidence that as she hath not so shee purposeth neuer to heale vp this wound within these two yeares they haue allowed published with authoritie the pilgrimage or voiages of Seigneur Villamont a Les voyages du St de Villamont diuisez eâ— trois livres derâ—iere edition reueuce augmentee c. A. Aâ—raâ— 16â—5 vide inter alia librum 1. cap. 12. c. one of the Gentlemen of the French Kings Chamber wherein the poore deceiued Gentleman out of his superstitious deuotion hauing visited all those Churches and made himselfe as hee saith blessed by being partaker of all the Indulgences thereto belonging and hauing ascended those holy staires to euerie steppe whereof belong so manie thousand yeares of pardon after all returning home at last much poorer but nothing wiser then hee went hee wrote a booke of his voiage and pilgrimage to Ierusalem and taking Rome in his way hee describes at large the Indulgences granted of olde and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome Which booke being written in French whoeuer list to reade will soon confesse that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed 21 The eleueÌ„th wound Granting of Indulgences thousands of yeares deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory to Beades Meddalls Crosses Pictures and such like toyes being blessed and hallowed by the Popes holy hands And herevnto I will adde another wound because it is so neere to this in popish consanguinitie The wiser sort of Popes and the rest of the craftier politicians in that hierarchie perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth many of them being so farre distant could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome therefore least they should lose their trafficke into those parts they deuised away that seeing a greate part of the worlde could not come to Rome Rome should send to them To which ende out of his bountie and spirituall liberalitie for the incredible good of mens soules the Pope ordained that certaine Crucifixes and Meddalls and Agnus dei b The principall of all these toyes is the Agnus dei which euerie one may not make but onely the Pope nor hee alwayes but onely at Easter nor at euerie Easter but the first next his entrance and euerie seauenth Easter after nor of any matter nor in any manner but preciselie of such simples and with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that purpose which together with the prayers or rather coniurations then to bee vsed are to bee seene in the booke called Caeremoniale pontil lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke let him looke in the CoÌ„mentaries of Peter Mathew vpon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit the 1. holy Graines beads other such Iewels should be first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse and haue all the holinesse powred vppon them that hee canne spare and further
by the great M. of his palace b Vide bullam Gregorij 14 Duranti libro praefixaÌ„ hoc opê° c. ad gloriaÌ„ Dei totius populi Christiani aedificationé c. à Magistro sacri palatij nostri visum approbatum to whom belonges the soueraigne and highest authoritie to censure all sort of bookes And last of all Iacobus de Graffijs the great Casuist and Grande Poenitentiarie within these 7. yeares hath determined this question affirming that the murderer may not be taken out of the Church no not tho hee broke prison and fled thither vnlesse it were murder ioyned with trecherie and treason c Iacobus de Graffijs decis aur cas cons to 1. cap. 48. libri secundi art 5. 6. 7. reus in causa ciuili criminali gaudet immunitate ecclesiae etiamsi carcerem coÌ„fregerit ad ecclesiam confugerit Et non exâ—pitur homiâ—idium nisi proditione coÌ„missum aut ab Assasinis Thus we see how Babylon is healed in this wound And heereby it is apparant to all that will see that she is a bloudie Babylon and as in many other respects for her crueltie so this waie also for this doctrine and practice she is a bloudy synagogue and no maruell tho the holy Ghost say that in her is found the bloud not onely of the Saints and Martyrs but of all that was shed vpon the earth d Reuel 18. 24. For as she hath made her selfe the principall agent in shedding the bloud of Saints and Martyrs so hath shee made her selfe accessarie by this her doctrine and practice to al the murthers bloudshed vpon the earth for to maintaine so many refuges and defences for a sinne is to maintaine the sinne it selfe Therefore leauing this bloudie Church weltring and wallowing and bathing her selfe in bloud let vs proceed to that remaines Touching the honorable estate of marriage and the dishonor of it which is adulterie fornicatioÌ„ it is lamentable to see what is the doctrine and practice of the Romish Church For first they giue a publicke and open toleration of the stewes wherein whoredome is practiced as dayly and commonly as other ciuile and lawfull actions 29 The 14. wound Romish Religion permits stewes publickelie nay their rent is taken and duely paide a part of it to the Pope or as hee shall appoint it Thus complaines and cries out Agrippa a man of no meane place nor ordinarie vnderstanding e Cornel. Agrippa de vanitate scient cap. 64. Corinthij Cyprij Babylonij alijque Ethnici Graeci nonnihil a meretricio quaestu aerario suo addiderut quod quidem in Italia non raruÌ„ vbi etiaÌ„ Romana scorta in singulis hebdomadis Iulium pendeÌ„t pontifici qui census annuus saepe excedit viginti millia ducatus The Corinthians sayth he and Cyprians and Babylonians and other heathen Graecians did increase their reuenue by the gaine of the stewes which in Italy also is at this daie no rare nor vnusuall matter For the whores of Rome doe paie weekely to the pope a Iulio a piece about six pence sterling the whole reuenue whereof in the yeare doth often exceede the sum of twentie thousand Duckets c. Alas wil some say the Pope cannot hinder this therefore seeing he cannot helpe it he hath vsed such was the wisdom of elder ages to make the best vse he can of an ill matter But I answere first the holy Ghost commands vs to haue nothing to doe with an ill matter but keepe vs farre from it f Exod. 23. 7 Ephes 5. 11 though wee cannot hinder it Againe if the Pope cannot hinder it yet hee can refuse to haue anie gayne from it and so hee woulde but that hee thinkes it sweete but if hee were of Dauids mind who would not drinke that drink that cost men the venture of their liues g 2. Sam. 23. 14. surely he would not take that gain that costs men and women their soules But I answere further he could and might hinder it and will not If he himselfe and his fauorites speak truth hee wants no power for nothing that hee will doe therefore for reforming the stewes it is cleere he wants wil but no power Against Gods truth and vs the Professors of it whom he cals hereticks he wants no will and therefore he wants no power Let him punish whoredome as he doth that that he calls heresie tho it be the truth let it be as vnlawfull in Rome to keep a stewes as to haue a Protestant Church and then we should soon see as fewe and fewer whores in Rome then there be good Protestants But whoredom is none of the vnderminers of his State nor enemies of his Crowne as our religion is therefore our religion must down when stewes must stand But som wil further obiect If this haue bin so it is the faulte or corruption of his officers not to be imputed to his Holinesse But I answere the pope vseth not to be so negligent of his estate as not to looke at a reuenue of 20000. duckates a yeare And to take away all cause of this cauill and to make it more apparant that the Pope is the head of the whoreof Babylon Pope Sixtus 4. scarce 120. yeares agoe built a stewes in Rome of his owne erection and foundation so saith the same Agrippa h Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 64 Lycurgus Solon lupanaria aedificauere c. sed recentioribus hisce temporibus Sixtus poÌ„tifex Max. quartê° Romae nobile admodum lupanar exstruxit Licurgus Solon heatheÌ„ law-giuers erected publick stewes but that is no maruel for of late yeeres Pope Sixtus the fourth builded a goodly stewes in Rome Loe heer the Popes Holinesse the founder of a Colledge of diuells a stewes for whores surely because he scorned ordinarie company he built that for himselfe and his Princes peers the Cardinalls Thus we see it coÌ„fessed proued by a learned Papist that a 100. yeers agoe stewes were maintained nay erected by the Pope and that he takes gain rent of them If any man obiect against Agrippa as no competent witnesse I answere the Pope indeed hath prohibited i Vide indicem lib. prohibit Clementis 8. in litera H. his books to be read but it had been more reason to haue disproued and confuted his assertions but let the Pope condemne him as he will for his bold speaking of truth it is knowen to all that know him or his bookes hee was a Papist for the most part and whatsoeuer he was he had no reason to bely the Pope we hired him not we thanke him not for anie thing but truth yet for more certaintie hereof hearken to another who being an Inquisitor is beyond all exception that waie Thus complains Oleaster a Spanish Doctor vpon that Text of Deuteronomy k Deut. 23. 18 thou shalt not bring into my house the hire of a whore for it
the sinfulnesse of the popish Church and religion would bring vpon all the world Let them reade that haue them these books named in the margent q Vide Gersonis opera passiâ— Reuelationes Brigiâ—tae Vincentij Ferrariens prognostie PerruÌ„ de Aliaco de reformatione eccl Nicolai de Clemangi â—â— opera in Bibliotheca Patrum editionis primae Poemata Walteri Mapes Maillardi Menotti Sermones Holcot in Sapient lect 182. passim Onus Ecclesiae passim and those that haue them not it may bee shortly they may haue some helpe therein and then you will grant with me that the former and better times confessed that which I now lay to their charge I will insist particularly but vpon two the one of so great antiquitie the other of so great authoritie as both are beyond exception Some 400. yeares ago liued a Monke learned for those times called as Posseuine confesseth r Vide Posleu in Appar sac In append priori ad â—om 1. lit B. Bernardus Morlanenâ—is hee wrote three bookes of the contempt of the world in an artificiall kind of Poetrie but much more artificially describing and zealously deploring the sinfulnesse of the Romish Church and state in those daies from the head to the foote describing particularly their adulteries Å¿ Casta cubilia sunt modò vâ—â—a lata petunâ—ur c. drunkennesse t Cura stat vnica luctaque publica carnis in esu ebâ—ietas placet tua vox â—acet ô bone Iesu ambition idlenesse dissimulation deceits cosenages murders u Arcta relinquitur via carpitur ampla quibusque Quaeâ—imus in via fluxa fluentia con fluit ansque Architâ—iclâ—â—iuâ— sceptra sedilia rima petendo Quisque tumultuat instat aestuat haec satagendo Stat simulatio dissimulatio crimen vt uÌ„ que Alea crapula fraus facinus gula flagitiumque Ora bilinguia lis homicidia Mars tuba terror Vis probra Iergia quid moror omnia me docet error whoredomes w I am meretricia pene cubilia niâ— reputaÌ„tur Et venialia quod genialia vociferaÌ„tur of all estates then particularly for their Clergie their ignorance and negligence x Grex flet amarius est operarius in grege raâ—us Pontificum â—tatus excidia datus extat auarus c. their Sodomie y Parcite credere quae pudet edere sed tamen edam Horrida nomine plus mala crimine crimina quaedam Heu male publicus est Sodomiticus ignis aestus Nemo seelus tegit aut premit aut fugit esse scelestus Plangite saecula plangite singula crimine pâ—ena Mas maris immemor ô furor ô tremor est vt hyaena their Simonie and other corruptions in attaining places in the Church z Non sine Simone sed sine canone dux animarum Mox docet inscius sibi nâ—scius ipse praeesse O mala saecula vendiâ—uâ— infula Pontificalis Infula venditur nec reprehenditur emptiâ— talis Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus omnia Romae Cum pretio quia iuris ibi via ius perit omne Roma nocens nocet atque viam docet ipsa nocâ—ndi lura relinquere luâ—ra requirere pallia vendi and then at last comming to Rome it selfe so layes open the filthinesse of the whore of Babylon a Roma ruens rora foeda satis nota canteâ—iat te Scilla vorax rapis cupis capis trahis ad te Gurges es alâ—ior area capacior alta lacuna Insatiabilis insociabilis omnibus vna Si tibi det sua non repleat tua guttura Croesus Merca vel aureus à modo non Deus est tibi Iesus as it is doubtfull whether her sinfulnes be more hatefull then his boldnes is admirable Let him that would bee able to answere all their false slanders which they lay to the charge and disgrace of Protestant Churches and to retort vpon themselues their obiection of the liues of our Professors and he that would see the Church and state of Rome in her owne natural colours let him I say reade but that one Author who beside that hee is Manuscript in many Libraries he was also published at Amsterdam or somewhere neere therabouts this present yeare 1607. And after hee hath discouered her corruptions and laid open her sinnes from head to foote then he vrgeth her vehemently to repentance and reformation b Roma resurgito te tibi reddito Romam Cuius eras prius ordinis illius exprime formam Quo modo corpora tuÌ„â— ita pectora nune rege fracta Fracta recollige deuia diâ—ige â—er labâ—facta c. Sed facis haec secus c. Roma quid exequar imò quid eloquar aut tibi promam Vncia te roâ—at vncia te notat haud fore RomaÌ„ Tu populos tibi te rutilans sibi marca subegit Semper eâ—im lucra progenies tua vult agit egit which because he seeth no hope of but that still she falleth from euill to worse therefore he denounceth Gods iudgements against her and assures her that vengeance ruine and destruction shal fall vpon her c Fas mihi dicere fas mihi scribere Roma fuisti Ecce relaberis ecce reuoluer is ordine tristi Fas mihi scribere â—as mihi dicere Roma peristi Obruta maenibus obruta moribus occubuisti Vrbs ruis inclita tam modo subdita quam prius alâ—as Quo prius altior hoc modo pressior est labefacta Fas mihi scribere fas mihi dicere Roma ruisti Sunt tua maenia vociâ—erantia Roma peristi Haec omnia multa huiusmodi Bernardus Marlanensis Monacus Cloniacensis in libris suiâ— de contemptu mundi ante 400. annos scriptis 1607. editis Some part of his owne words I haue here put downe in Latine but not in English because the sinnes he laieth against her are such as some of them are better vnnamed then reprooued What can they say to it is he some fained and forged new found Author deuised by some of vs or was he some late writer hired by Luther or suborned by Caluine to raile on the Pope or Poperie Nay Posseuine the Iesuite confesseth in the place aforenamed and if he did not it is well enough knowne by other good and ancient records he was a professed Monke and liued aboue foure hundred yeeres ago therefore his testimonie in this case is beyond exception Now whether these wounds and corruptions in the Romish Church and State were healed in the subsequent ages or no if any man doubt let him looke vpon the Authors named afore who liued in the ages succeeding one after another Gualterus Mapus and their S. Brigid not much more then a hundred yeares after him about 100. yeeres after them Bonauenture and Wiclieffe about a hundred yeeres after them Gerson Clemangius Vincentius and others these if any man looke vpon he shall see that those wounds stood vnhealed and those corruptions vnreformed
THE SERMON PREACHED AT the Crosse Feb. xiiij 1607. By W. CRASHAWE Batchelour of Diuinitie and preacher at the TEMPLE Iustified by the Authour both against Papist and Brownist to be the truth Wherein this point is principally followed namely that the religion of Rome as now it stands established is worse then euer it was 2. TIM 3. 13. The euill men and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued Imprinted at London by H. L. for Edmond Weauer and are to be solde at the great North-gate of S. Paules Church 1608. Academiae Cantabrigionsis Liber TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD ROBERT Earle of Salsburie Vicount Cramborne Lord High Treasorer of England principall Secretarie of Estate Master of his Maiesties Court of Wards Liueries Knight of the noble order of the Garter and most worthiâ— Chauncellour of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge GRACE PEACE RIGHT HONORABLE THe controuersies betwixt Gâ—â—s Church and the Romish haue been on both sides sufficiently debated heeretofore on our side with that plainness pourefulness that beseemes the truth on the other with such cunning and shiftes of wit as falsehood needes but on both sides with learning inough a On our side by Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Caluine P. Martir especially in these later times By this meanes the particular points in question are now either opened sufficiently or neuer will bee for when two men goe to lawe as we and the Papists doe for our freehold and title to the truth if one declare the other answer he again replie and the other reioin it is not possible but the matter will bee brought to a cleare issue if it can haue a full hearing and an indifferent Iudge Who should be the Iudge herein but Gods Church by the holy Scriptures but Bucer Melanct hon Iewell Fulke Whitaker Reinolds Zanchius Beza Iunius Sadeel c. those the Pope refuseth And then how the Church rather then in a free generall councel but that the pope feares as a theefe the Assises b See his Bulla coenae which the Pope himselfe denounceth in his own person on the euening before good-Friday where he excommunicates first all hereticks as Caluinists Lutherans c. Next all such as appeal from the Pope to a general Councel vid. CoÌ„stit pont Rom. per Pet. Mathaeum pag. 883. Til then it is reason that euery man as far as it coÌ„cerns his saluation be a iudge herein according to the measure of his knowledge for man is a reasonable creature can iudge of reason when he hears it so that vndoubtedly if the particular points debated as they haue been had but a full hearing and an equall Iudge the differences betwixt vs would soon receiue an end But our english papists are too blame in both for first they wil On theirs by Eccius Pighius Clictoueus Hosius Harding Bellarmine Greg. de Valentia Genebrarde Stapleton Heskins c. not heare both parties nor reade our bookes but onely theirs Here wants the full hearing Secondly if they do it is with a preiudicate conceit that whatsoeuer we saie the other are in the right and here wants an indifferent Iudge Wâ—ilst it is thus there will be no end of controuersies Hereupon wise and godly learnedmen haue vpon great and mature deliberation thought it fit to spare the labour so often formerly spent in vaine and to supersede for a time from arguing any more the matters so sufficiently already debated but so insufficiently heard and iudged and haue held it a better course both for their conuersion and setling of our owne to discouer the fouleness manifold abhominations of poperie both for doctrine practice which if many that be seduced did but see in the true colors surely they would strike themselues on the brest be ashamed hating this darkness would long look for light At this end haue I aimed in the course of my poor studies and that I might be furnished with their own records I haue spared no cost to get them nor time to peruse them and do protest vnto your Ho. the world the reading of their owne books especially the latest of all hath driueÌ„ me into a deeper detestation of popery then any thing that euer I heard or read of it out of our writers wherof whether ther be cause or no I dare refer my self to be iudged by your Lp. or any of indifferency vpon sight of these exceptions I here make against them which were for the most part deliuered at the Crosse before a reuerend honorable audieÌ„ce where hauing first discouered in the body of that religion xx woundes wide and deep deadly euen such as strike at the hart life of a Church the end I then droue at was to proue that the Romish Babylon is not healed of these wounds to this day This being done it is strange to see how they spurned at it and me for it affirming openly it was nothing but a heape of lyes and slaunders that I am not able to proue what I sayd nor dare stand to it that wee are set vp to raile on them and haue licences to lie on them and make them odious before our people and in the countrie they dispersed I was call'd before authoritie for it and censured and silenced for slandering rayling on the catholicks and that I was stricken by Gods hand with a strange hoarcenesse after I began to raile on them and could not speak c. Therfore to honour the truth and to cleer my selfe but much more to shewe that it is no trick nor policy of our State as it is in poperie c A book was printed in english in the colledge at Rome wherin it is affirmed that wee take Catholicks and drawe vppon their legs bootes ful of hot boiling liquor and vpon their feet hot burning shooes and do put them into beares skins and cast them to the dogs to be pulld in peeces all this and many such other set down in pictures to set vp men with authority to raile and lie therby to make our enemies odious I haue bin induced to publish what was said so to iustifie out of their own records what was affirmed of them I ask them no fauor I seek no corners I refuse no triall but let me be heard and then iudged and spare not If the particulars Feuardent a learned Frier yet liuing at Par wrot in latine 7. yeares agoe that we reuile reiect that praier to the holy Trinitie Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miscrere nobis Thus writes he in his Comment on 1. Pet. cap. 1. What will not he say that dare say this for all our common prayer-prayer-books now and those in Q. ELIZABETHS and K. EDWARDS times doe testifie the contrarie I lay to their charge be true then how can they be the true Church if they be false I refuse no censure and wil further say that if these 20. wouÌ„ds be yet heal'd or if they can
find such in our religion he that can shew me either of these I will be his Conuert To this end I haue presumed to present it first to your Honour and vnder your honorable name to the worlds viewe not only as a testimonie of the loyaltie loue and dutie I owe your Honour for your many particular honorable fauours but especially for that we to our ioy do find and the Papists to their grief doe feare that God hath hath raised vp your Honor in these declining and desperate times for so hath Poperie made them to defeat their deuises to countermine their plots and to make them the instruments of their own ruine fit therfore and worthy to be the patron of that Treatise which is a discouerer of theâ—r spiritual impieties And surely right Honorable the churches hope ouer the Christian world is that God hath ordayned his Ma. of England to be the means by the aduise assistance of your Hon. others like you wherof God send vs more to giue the whore of BabyloÌ„ hir last blow wherof she shall neuer recouer which most worthy worke as God raised vp your honorable Father of happie memorie to begin Gretserê° a Iesuite was suffered to write within these 2. yeares that we rackt and tortured Garnet euen neere to death to make him confesse himself guilty of the powder treason but he did not so we hauing no proof haÌ„gd him onely for being a priest and not for it And that OueÌ„ his man was puld in pieces on the racke and when wee had so killed him then wee gaue out hee had killd himselfe with a knife But for the 1. wee appeale to publicke records and the worlds knowledge and for the second there yet liue witnesses whose eies saw the woundes and bloudy knife and whose eares heard him freely and penitently confesse hee did it with that knife to escape the racke which hee sayde hee feared but had neuer tasted So hath he your Lordship paternarum virtutuÌ„ cur non etiam dignitatuÌ„ ex asse haeredeÌ„ to accomplish and bring to perfection The Father of mercie and the Sonne of consolation be praysed for euer for sending such a father and such a sonne to bee the Children of the Church of England Go on noble Lord with courage and constancie and this worke of God shall prosper in your hand To this end the same God assist strengthen and protect your Lordship and the blessed Father for the blessed Sonnes sake double vpon you his holy and blessed Spirit wherto I am sure all good Christians will say Amen With Your Lordships deuoted seruant in Christ WILLIAM CRASHAVVE Magna est veritas praeualet The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the present Romish religion in doctrine and in manners Proued in this Sermon not to bee yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God and such a head of the Church as infuseth spiritual life heauenly grace into the body of the Church pag. 53. c. 2. The Pope hath done more then God for he deliuered a soule out of hell pag. 57. c. 3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie keeping Iustice to himselfe but committing and giuing vp his mercie to her so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall scripture pag. 69. c. 5. The Christian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth then from Gods in the Scripture pag. 71. c. 6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit and to be belieued because they are allowed and autorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authority as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosse are to be worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship pag. 82. c. and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as we do to Christ 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaie yea he did more then Christ euer did pag. 96. c. 10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences for a hundred thousand yeares and giue men a power to redeem soules out of Purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Indulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies that are hallowed by his hands pag. 107. c. The popish Church baptizeth bells pag. 115. c. 12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie tho Christ ordained the contrarie pag. 120. c. 13. The popish Church alloweth many sorts of sanctuaries for wilfull murder pag. 122. c. 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes and takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popes lawe he that hath not a wife may haue a CoÌ„cubine pag. 141. c. 16. Some men had better lie with another mans Wife or keepe a whore then marry a wife of his owne pag. 143. c. 17. Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keep their whores vnder a yeerely rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be continent and haue no whores yet must pay a yearely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150. c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend ful of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in all estates pag. 156 c. To the Christian Reader whosoeuer be he a true Catholicke or a Romish TO prevent all misconceits that might arise vpon the so late coÌ„ming forth of this Sermon so many weekes expected I desire thee good Reader be satisfied the cause thereof was a long vnlooked for journey And now that you haue it let me desire all men in the reading iudging therof to deale with that ingenuity and sinceritie as I haue endevored in the writing of it My coÌ„science speakes for me I haue forged no new Author I haue falsified none I haue corrupted none I haue to my knowledge misalledged none I haue taken no proofe vpoÌ„ bare report nor haue I produced our men to proue what I lay against them nor is there one quotation of any Authour of theirs which I haue not diligently perused afore-hand and the whole scope of the place If any should thinke of answere I desire him let passe all personall rayling and by-matters and come directly to the points in issue which be these 1 Whether the Church of Rome teach practice in these xx or xxi points as I haue charged her withall or no. 2 If she do whether they be healed of these wounds as yet or no. 3 If
till of late and contrariwise we are able to proue that all the Fathers for 400. yeares did reiect them and many after yea the greater part of all learned Papists themselues till the Councell of Trent And thus wee see how Romish Babylon is still the elder the worse But this is not all a Romish Councell will neuer meete for one euill Therefore secondly they decree e Concil Trident sess 4. That in all Disputations Sermons Lectures and to all other purposes that Latine translation called the Vulgar shall be helde the authenticall Text that no man presume vnder any pretext to refuse it Here is a strange decree that the streame shall bee of more vertue then the Fountaine a translation of more authoritie then the Originall The former ages neuer heard of this indignitie but whensoeuer doubt was made or difference found recourse was forthwith had to the Originalls for the determining of the matter Many learned Papists are ashamed of this if they durst vtter it Bellarmine and Coccius doe bewray it by their slight handling of the matter for they would gladly prooue if they could that Hierome was the author of that translation but as for the magnifying of it whosoeuer was the translator aboue the Originalls they are wiser then to venture their credits vpon so false a matter and therefore do wholly leaue it vpon the credit of that Conuenticle that concluded it Neither do I wrong to call it a Conuenticle for tho I should grant the whole to be a Councell yet the number that past this bill was so small that I may safely call it a Conuenticle For as an ill motion may pass in Parliament betimes in a morning before all the house be set so was this bil caried at Trent For wheras the Councel in his fulness consisted of 300. or more that had voice of decision they took the aduantage at the beginning of the Councell and caried these two bills when there were scarce 60. in the house whereof how manie went against them is vncertaine foâ— the Pope durst not for one of his Crowns haue pâ—â— thâ—â—e two bils especially the latter to the ful house for how would they haue entertained it then when as they had libertie of speech against it who since their tongues were tyed and the bill passed yet haue dared and Arias Montanus Sixtus Senensis Oleaâ—â—er c. some of them who were of the Councell themselues euen to resist the decree and haue taken so contrarie a course themselues in expounding the Scripture that howsoeuer they were tolerated for their learning whilest they liued yet being dead their books are eyther purged that is altered or els reproued So that its apparant to all that will vnderstand that this decree was so far from being established in any former ages that it is euen misliked of many of the better sort of themselues now that it is made And thus I hope wee haue cleered it that these two Councells called in the corrupt and declining times of the Popish Church in shewe to haue reformed it haue been so far from that that contrariwise they haue coÌ„cluded diuerse enormous impyeties that were not before Then is not the Romish Babylon well cured I hasten to the second Proposition which is that the deformities that were before both in doctrine and practice both in heade and members and manie whereof were complayned on by some of themselues doe yet remaine without redresse or reformation For the demonstration of this Proposition I might inlarge my selfe into many particulars but I will insist but vppon fewe and those I shall produce shall not bee trifles nor triuiall but of great moment euen touching the mayne and morall duties which a Christian man oweth to his God and which to denie is to denie God to falsifie his word and nullifie his lawe And to this ende it were no harde matter to passe through the most of the tenne Commaundementes of the Morall and eternall lawe But I will stande vppon some fewe of the principall In all which my course shall bee fairest for them and safest for my selfe for I will not relie vppon the credite of any reporter nor other writer how great soeuer his authoritie bee but produce the recordes themselues and the authenticall originalls of their owne bookes as they stand at this day allowed by authoritie Now therefore whether the Romish Babylon bee yet cured or no let the Christian world iudge by these particulars The pride of the Romish Antichrist in times past was such that hee exalted himselfe at least suffered himselfe to bee set in the throne of God yea and to be called of men God and their Lord God 1 The first wound The Pope is a God and their Lord God and this not onely in priuate Authors but euen in his own Canon lawe these be the wordes in the glosse vpon the extrauagants f Extrauag IohaÌ„nis 22. tit 14. cap. 4. CuÌ„ inter in glossa Credere auteÌ„ Dom. Deum nostrum Papam conditorem huius Decretalis noâ— potuisse slatue reprovt statuit haereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope the maker of this Decretall may not decree it as hee hath may bee iudged haereticall The wordes are plaine inoughe But if anie man say this is but the glosse and not the text I answere first that the glosse is of greater authoritie amongst them then any or then many Doctors But further what if we finde as much or worse out of the Decret dist 96 cap. satis euideÌ„t ostenditur a seculari potestate nec solui prorsus necligari pontificeÌ„ posse quem coÌ„stat a Constantino Deum appellatum cum nec posse Deum ab hominibus iudicari manifestum sit very Text of the Popes lawe it selfe Look in the Decree the 96. distinction there the Pope himself frames this argument writing to the Emperor against them that would call his Holinesse to account It s certaine that the Emperour Constantine called the Pope God But it s as cleere that God may not bee iudged of men Ergo the Pope may not be iudged of anie man Thus the Pope that canonizeth so many men and women Saints hath heere taken paines to canonize himself a God both in the Text and glosse of his own lawe his glossers call him their Lord God and hee is content to take it to himselfe Constantine he saith in the text cals him God and he is content both to take it and make good vse of it Whether this bee not Herods sinne a Acts. 12. at least let him looke to it but let vs goe forwarde Heere Babylon is sicke of a deadly euil but is she healed I wish she were but I cannot shewe it 2 The first wound not healed If any say shee is then let him shewe me that Pope or name mee that Writer Doctor Inquisitor Bishop or any other who by commandment or authoritie or but with the approbation of the Pope hath
confuted or but as much as reprooued this blasphemie or shewe any that hath reprooued it whom they haue not blamed or condemned But that shee is not cured in this point I can make it apparant For looke in the Canon lawe reuiued and as they pretende c Vide Corpus iuris Canonici iussu Gregorij 13. emendatum editum anno 91. dist 96. cap. 7. reformed and reprinted of late b by the authoritie and with the approbation of the Pope vnder his bull where though many things be altered or taken out that made against the Popes primacie yet this that makes so much against Gods holy Maiestie is not in one point helped nor in one word altered but still this is good and Catholicke Diuinitie in the popes lawe that The Pope is God and therefore may not bee iudged of men But wil you haue yet better euidence that She is not cured Hearken a little A great Italian Doctor no lesse then a Bishop writes thus to the Pope himselfe for to the Pope either the Authour or his Nephew dooth dedicate it some three or foure yeares agoe c Vide Adoardum GualaÌ„dum EpiscopuÌ„ Caesenatem de morali ciuili facultate lib. 14 cap. 3. A Papa tanquaÌ„ a Capite in vniuersum Eccle siae corpus hoc est in omnem ChristianaÌ„ Remp. spiritus influunt caelestium gratiarum sensum fructumque praestantes efficicem moâ—â— ad sempiternam â—eatitudinem Merito igitur sanctissimus beatissimus appellatur 〈◊〉 Christianam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi quidam Deusad oratur coliâ—â—t Liber impressus est Romae 1604. Clementi 8. Papae dicatus From the Pope as from the Head there doe flowe into the whole bodie of the Church that is into the whole Christian world spirits or spirituall life yeelding the feeling and fruite of heauenly graces and effectuall motion to eternall happinesse therfore hee is worthily called as God is most holy most blessed and is worshipped and adored as a God of all christian men Loe heere as bad or worse then the former the Pope is such a Head of the church as infuseth spiritual life and heauenly grace into the body of the Church Doth Christ himself anie more and he is worthily worshipped as a God And this dooth Pope Clement the 8. suffer to be spoken and written of him and not 4. yeares agoe to be printed vnder his nose at Rome and thence to bee sent ouer the world now iudge is not Romish Babylon well healed nay rather alasse doth not her wound fester and rankle more and more Well then seeing this is the Romish doctrine and practise both olde and newe both long agoe and now present let vs make a little vse of it First wee see heere good reason why a Papist should holde the Pope aboue a Councell and euen the holy scripture it selfe for the Pope is God and wee knowe that GOD is aboue the scripture Secondly why also the Pope holdes himselfe aboue kings for hee is God and GOD is King of kinges in a word no maruell why hee should take appeals from all the world we are a triple Crowne bee caried on mens shoulders giue his foote to be kissed dispose of kingdomes and kings at his pleasure for hee that is God may do more then all these And surely we Protestants must needes grant that as truely as he is a God so lawfully may hee do all these All these vses are as good as that is the Pope himselfe makes when hee sayth God may not be iudged by men but I am God and therefore may not bee iudged by man these bee his arguments but now hee shall giue mee leaue to make but one for him and his fellowes The God that admitteth another Lord God and to bee worshipped as God is not the Lord Iehouah the true God for the true God is God alone d Deut. 6. 4. but the Papists God admittes of another Lord God and to be worshipped as God therefore hee is not the true God If they denie the Maior they denie scripture if the Miâ—â—r they denie their doctrine and their owne bookes if they graunt both they are worthy of the conclusion I would end this but I cannot omit to make one vse more of this their doctrine It hath been made a question amongst them whether the Pope might noâ— emptie all Purgatorie if he see cause and no maruellâ— for he being God surely if there be a purgatorie God can emptie it Now to conclude all these doe but equalize the Pope with God but what if hee haue made himselfe greater then God 3 The secoÌ„d wound The pope hath done more then God I will be but the relatour let the Reader iudge Almost two hundred yeeres agoe hee did with publicke authoritie and after long examination by a great Cardinall e This Cardinal was IohaÌ„nes de turre cremata as appears in the prefaces before the book of the Reuelations of Saint Brigit and other Commissioners approue e Posseuinus in apparatu sacro lit B. to 1. Brig Reuelationes diligeÌ„ter examinatae approbatae à viris doctis fuerunt after suffered to be published to the World a booke in latine called The Reuelations of Saint Bâ—IGITE Where it is dogmatically deliuered and as a matter without question That Pope Gregory by his prayers lifted the heathen Emperour Traiane out of hell f Reuelationes Brigittae lib. 4. cap. 13. Bonus Gregorius oratione sua etiam infidelem Caesarem eleuauit ad altiorem gradum and another long afore whome they pretend also to bee theirs deliuereth it more amplie adding further that God answered the Pope thus I haue heard thy prayers and I grant mercy and pardon to Traiane but see that thou hereafter offer me no sacrifice for an vngodly man g Damascenus in ser de mortuis adiuuandis Cum enixè Deum precaretur Gregorius pro salute Traiani annis ante sua tempora fere 500. defuncti audiuit vocem diuinitùs allatam dicentem preces tuas audiui veniam Traiano do tu vero deinceps pro impio hostiam mihi ne offeras From hence I offer them this argument to thinke on The true God neuer deliuered a damned soule out of hell but the Pope hath deliuered a soule out of hell therefore he hath done that that GOD neuer did nor for ought that is reuealed euer will doe Heer is a soule wound but is this healed vp No 4 The second wound not healed this booke stands allowed by the Pope and in his Catalogue of the bookes which hee forbiddes to bee read h Vide IndiceÌ„ lib prohib per Clem. 8. where many a learned and godly booke is condemned this is not toucht and therefore as Posseuine himselfe a Iesuite grants i Posseuinus loco citato not 2. yeares agoe not onely the booke stands vncondemned but this foule blalphemy vncontrolled and to shewe that the head of Babylon namely the Pope
argument is easily framed but I beleeue not so easily answered Poperie teacheth there lies no appeale froÌ„ the Pope r CoÌ„mâ—â—iâ— opinio caâ—oâ—istarum doctorum and here teacheth that their lies appeale froÌ„ God But in reason he and themselues grant he from whom no appeal can lie is greater then he from whom one may s Decret caus 2. quaest 6. cap. 9. prouocandum est ad eos Iudiceâ— vbi est autoritas maior Ergo by popish doctrin the Pope is greater then God This conclusion is ineuitable if their doctrine be true Againe here it is taught that we may appeale from God to the Virgin Marie If that be true let them answere this argument He vnto whom appeale doth lie from another is greater then hee from whome it is made this is their owne doctrine t Pet. Mathaeus in comment suis super constitut 2 Pij â— pag. 120. lege tum pontificia tum ciuili decretum esse scimus appellationem non deuolui â—isi ad superiorem l. praecipimus C. de appellat appellationem illam ratam haberi qua à Minore ad Maiorem appellatur ergo appellamus a Concilio ad papam noâ—â—contra But from the Lord God appeale doth lie to the Virgin Marie Ergo shee by popish doctrine is greater then God If this conclusion be heresie and blasphemie then Bernarâ—ine de busto his bookes are to bee burnt and yet they are both allowed and commended by the Romish Church v Bernardinus de Bustis scripsit de excellentijs Reginae Caeli CoÌ„mentarium siue vberrimum cruditissimum rosarium complures alios sermones plenos pietatis bonarum rerum sic Posseu in apparatu sacro to 1. Litera B. But let vs go forward Thirdly here it is taught that God hath diuided his kingdome with a creature euen with a woman This being true here wee learne many pointes First the reason why they call her in their Seruice booke allowed by supreame and soueraigne authoritie Reginam Coelorum the Queene of heauen w Vide Missalia Breuiaria officia vltima correctissima for shee that hath gotte possession of the halfe of Gods kingdome may well and worthily be held the Queene of heauen Secondly heere is a verie good reason why the Church of Rome keepes the Bible from the vulgar people and will not haue it divulged in their Mother tongues for if they had it in their owne tongues they would startle at this doctrine and when they hearde it deliuered in Pulpit that God had diuided his kingdome would soone haue sayde that is false doctrine for the Psalme sayth The kingdome is the Lords x Psal 22. 29. and Dauid in his thankesgiuing at the preparation for the Temple building confesseth to God Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and glorie aeternitie and Maiestie Thine O Lord is the kingdome and thou excellest ouer all y 1. Chron. 29. 11. and if the Frier had obiected that the kingdome indeede is Gods yet not so but he may diuide it to another then they would haue aunswered that cannot bee for hee himselfe saith I am the Lord c. My glorie I will not giue to another z Esay 42. 8 and if hee still obiected that was true in the olde Testament when there was none capable and worthie of this honour because then the Virgin Marie was not they would readily aunswere that in the newe Testament after the Virgin Marie was and after shee was the mother of Christ Christ her sonne speakes to God his Father but not to her his Mother Thine is the kingdome powre and glorie a Matth. 6. 13 The kingdome is Gods and how longe not till shee bee assumed and crowned in heauen as they say but for euer and euer And whereas they further teach that hee hath kept Iustice to himselfe but commited mercie to his Mother they would crie out vpon that doctrine and him that taught it and tell him that they finde it sixe and twentie times in one Psalme that Gods mercie indureth for euer b Psal 136 in euerie verse and that his mercie is ouer all his workes c Psal 145. 9 if ouer all then ouer her also or else shee is not of his making and if his mercie bee vpon her without which shee could neuer haue beene saued then how dare any say that Mercie is Hers and not Gods and if mercie bee Gods and that mercie of his endureth his not for the time of the olde Testament oneâ—y but for euer Then it is foule and false doctrine to say that now since Christ God hath resigned vppe mercie from himselfe to a creature thus would the people come vpon him that taught this doctrine and vppon the Romish Church that alloweth it and therefore doth not that Church wisely to keepe the people from reading the holy Scriptures Thirdly seeing it is doctrine currant in the Romish Church that God hath giuen vp mercie from himselfe to the Virgin Marie here is a good defence of their Ladies Psalter d Vide officia Psalteria beatae Mariae Virgin is cuiuseun que generis seu impressionis wherein they turne the Psalmes from Dominus to Domina from GOD to our Ladie and when Dauid saith Lord haue mercie on mee they say O Lady haue mercie on mee and in thee O Lady is my trust They say this was compiled by Bonauenture e Bonauenturae opera omnia excusa fuere Romae in Vaticano in parte 2. inter alia est Psalterium beatae Mariae virginis ab ipso coÌ„pilatuÌ„ haec Possev in apparatu sacro litera b. 10. i. but tho hee liued in ill times f Circa annuÌ„ 1272. in concilio Lugdunensi sub Gregorio 10 Bonauentura obijt Possev in loco citato yet his other writinges giue cause to hope hee made it not for hee saieth that wee must take heede we so inlarge not the excellencie of the Mother that wee diminish the glorie of the sonne g Ex Perkinso in suo problemate pag. Sure hee that sayde so would not bee so lauish and carelesse of Gods glorie as to turne the Psalmes from him to a creature Fourthly here wee see the reason why the Popish Synagogue do maime the Lords prayer leauing out the conclusion For thine is the kingdome and power and glorie for euer and euer h See the Rhemish Testament in Mat. 6 and Luk. the 11 al their Misâ—als breuiaries Maâ—uals allowed priâ—ers in all which they cut short the lords praier leauing out the wordes of the conclusioÌ„ for thine is yâ— kingdom c. For if the kingdome bee diuided then it is not all his for euer no maruel therefore though they will haue their Pater noster in Latine for their common people for if it were in English there is none so simple but would see their vngodly dealing But to conclude leauing this robberie and sacriledge in cutting off part of the
Lords prayer for another place and purpose it is here euident that no Papist in the World can with a good conscience say the whole Lords prayer For if God haue now diuided his kingdome then how can hee say with Dauid in the olde testament i 1. Chr. 29. 11 and Christ in the newe k Math. 6. Thine O Lord is the kingdome for euer therefore hee must either alter the Lords prayer and say Thine is halfe the kingdome c. or neuer say it at all or else curse and detest his owne teachers that write and his Lord God the Pope that alloweth such doctrine Alas poore soules what should a simple honest hearted Papist do in this case See therefore in what pitifull state they liue who haue subiected themselues to such teachers Lastly let it bee obserued that here they teach that there bee in spiritual matters touching the soule 2. diuine Courts the one of Iustice and that is Gods the other a Chancerie a Court of Mercie and that is Maries these bee their verie wordes and further that if any man feele himselfe agrieued in Gods Court of Iustice let him appeale to the Court of mercie of his Mother Oh-strange diuinitie Canne Gods iudgements bee vniust or his proceedinges erroneous and vnequall If they bee not then why do they talke of appealing to a higher Court for why do writtes of error lye from one Court to another but that it is presupposed that they may erre and why is there a Chauncerie but that the rigour and extremitie of the Lawe may bee mitigated But if the Scripture say true in the text Righteous art thou O Lord and iust in thy iudgements l Psal 119. 137. then this is blasphemie of a high nature that there needes a Chancerie to rectifie his proceedinges and mitigate his Iudgements But as for this doctrine that the Chauncerie or Court of mercie is not Gods but his Mothers and that therfore Gods iudgmeÌ„ts are to be mitigated by another and therefore that shee and her Court are in this respect rant shee is not healed And yet for the better satisfaction of all men that as shee is not yet so shee purposeth neuer to bee healed nor to reforme any thing and that this is not the priuate opinion of that or any other one doctor I desire all that loue the trueth to take knowledge that of late within these seauen yeares an Italian doctor a Iesuite and an approued writer writing a storie of the miracles of our Ladie of Loretto teacheth euen the same doctrin and makes no bones to bluster out almost the very same words which for better assurance I will put down s Horatiuâ— Tursellinus hist virginis lauretanae in Epistola dedic virgo Maria salutem vndique cinctam periculis expedire vitam veris salutaribus bonis cumulare vult potest Matrem quippe suam omnipotens deus diuinae potestatis Maiestatis sociam quatenus licuit asciuit The Virgin Marie both will and can is both willing and able to deliuer such as bee compassed about with daungers on all sides and to heape vpon them all good blessinges for Almightie GOD as farre as it is lawefull t This clause as farre as it is lawfull is a strange word to be spoken of God for what can be vnlawful to God that is good whose wil is the holiest law if therfore it be good to make a creature fellow with him in his deitie it must needes be lawful and so the clause is idle If it bee not good but impious and contrary to the nature of God then to thinke it any way lawful or possible to be done is no lesse then to think it any way lawfull for God to lie or sin or deny himselfe so that take it any way this limitation of the Iesuite both grossely abuseth the reader and containeth horrible impiety against God So far is it from being any shelter to the blasphemy that is deliuered in the whole passage hath made his Mother fellowe and partaker of his diuine Power and Maiestie c. See here the new and refined diuinity of the Iesuites what is this but the same with that afore for if shee bee made partaker fellow with God in his diuine power and Maiestie it is no maruel that God hath coÌ„mitted his mercy to her if froÌ„ these words we look into the body of the book we shal find he ascribes such works miracles to her as can belong to none but him or her that is a fellow with God or rather God himself It cannot bee saide the booke wants authoritie for it is formally allowed dedicated to the Cardinall Aldobrandino printed at Rome and since often elsewhere and of late both the Authour and his booke highly commended by the greatest Romish censurers u Posseu in apparatu sacro to 2. litera H. Horat. Tursellinus Romanus è societate Iesu lauretanae historiae 5. libros latinos elegantes ad fideÌ„ historicae veritatis conscripsit Romae excuâ—os quos qui legerit vt miranda beatissimae Virginis opera suspiciet sic lauretanam illam domum percupidè curabit inuisere Vlterinâ— autem de eodem Tursellino vide C. Bonarscij Amphitheatrum honoris Libro 2. cap. 13. So that now I will end my euidence for this point and dare put the matter to a Iurie of any conscionable men whether this wound be healed yet or no. Now to go forward from the Person and Maiesty of God let vs proceede to his Holy SCRIPTVRES and see how the Romish Church held of olde and yet holdeth and teacheth of them I will not stand vppon those vâ—le and base speeches vttered and written of them by Eccius Pighius Hosius and manie other of that generation for that they haue beene both detected and with shame inough reâ—ected by many reuerend men of our nation both in Latine and English w Whitaker Fulke Iewel Reinolds and others but vppon some that often haue not bin touched by many nor euer can be sufficiently condemned by any In the Canon Lawe the Pope spareth not to disgrace the holy Scriptures in express tearmes sometimes equaling his own Constitutions with them somtimes preferring them In the Decree hee shameth not to affirme that 7 The fourth wound The Popes decrees be equall to the Canonicall Scriptures his decretall Epistles are numbred amongst the Canocall Scriptures x Vide decretuÌ„ cum glossa Lugd. 1510. In fol. dist 19. cap 6. Inter Scripturas canonicas Epistolae decretales connumeâ—antur and impudently alleadgeth Saint Augustine to proue it who neuer spake nor meant any such thing as in the later end of the decree they cannot but confess with shame inough this was his doctrine in the old impressions of the Canon lawe a hundreth yeares agoe But some will say this wounde is now healed No look in the new impression reuiewed at the Popes commandement and printed by his authoritie within these fewe
years y Vide Corpus Iuris Canoâ—ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum editum Lugduni 1591. and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self and shamelesse in the doers in as much as in the same newe edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures z Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas referenda est Corp. Iur. CaÌ„ edit 91. in additione ad dist 19. cap. 6. and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeere after his daies To conclude this point let wise men obserue here this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to ameÌ„d or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the bodie of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that manie a man reades the contents of books and chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing This doth but make them equall and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly namely where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Distinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a lawe these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the â—oly Scriptures that is from Gods mouth a Vide Decret dist 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera taÌ„ta reuerentia apiceÌ„ praefatae Apostolicae sedis omnes suspiciunt vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quà m a sacris paginis paternis traditionibus expetant Illius velle illius nolle tantum explorant vt ad eius arbitrium suam conuersationeÌ„ ipsi remittant aut intendant Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici editionis Lugdun 91. in 4. And certainely allmen do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Christian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that Sea then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seek after is what hee wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues and frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is here the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the 10 The fift wound not healed holy Scriptures and all that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what he wills not and according to that are they to frame theÌ„selues Is this a doctrine â—it to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an hereticke let who will bee the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth wee maie rather depende on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alas they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I knowe this is not be found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time Thus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondly that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full and therefore shee goeth one steppe higher in this impietie and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit nor necessarie to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpoÌ„ that decretall is in these words b Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23 de praesumptionibus cap. 1. sicut Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Salomonis in Parabolis habentur originaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus facit fidem inducit necessitatem sicut si editus â—uiÌ„sset a Papa quia omnia nostra facimus quibus nostraÌ„ autoritateÌ„ impertimur Glossa Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the words of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentith Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit to be beleeued because they are allowed authorized by the Pope being so by him authorized they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had been the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessitie of beeing belieued or it bindeth as stronglie as if it had beene pronounced or vttred by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestowe or impart our authoritie The high and holy God that is the Author of the holy Scriptures bee mercifull vnto vs in hauing anie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth
Crosse it selfe wee pray to the Crosse it selfe as well as to him that dyed on it and hee confesseth freely that the prayer in the liturgie or masse booke is not made to CHRIST but to the Crosse it selfe From hence I gather these two conclusions 1. by Popish religion the Crosse is a God This I collect thus Latria sayth Augustine y August Epistola 49. vni soli deo debetur seruitus illa religionis quam vno nomine Graeci latriaÌ„ vocaÌ„t Et in Faustum l. 15. latria est seruitê° illa qua tantummodo Deo seruitur is that worship of religion which is due onely and solely to God himselfe and poperie it selfe confesseth with one consent that prayer is a part of latria z Ioh. de Combis CompendiuÌ„ theologicae verit c. de dulia latria Latria continet 5. fidem spem sacrificium orationem c. But popish religion prayeth to a wodden crosse euen to the crosse it selfe therfore by popish religion the wodden Crosse is a God 2. That the Crosse is made a God not by the doctrine and iudgement of their priuate Doctors but of their Church and religion This I collect thus their Missalls and Breuairies which containe their Liturgie are confirmed both by the Pope and the Councell of Trent a Vide Missalia Breuiaria omnia ab anno 70 deinceps but the Popes determination especiallie together vvith a Councell is the publicke and vncontroleable act of their Church b None acknowledging himselfe a papist can denie this Therefore the doctrine and practice in their Liturgie is not priuate or such as may be questioned or doubted of but publicke and generall and may not be called in question But in their late and reformed Breuiarie allovved and confirmed by the Pope and Councell they praie to the Crosse and call vppon the Crosse as wee heard before and their owne Doctors doe expounde it that it is not to Christ but to the Crosse c Aquinas of old and Chrisostomus a visitatione of late Therefore by the doctrine and religion of the Church of Rome the Crosse is a God Bellarmine would gladly heale this wound or at least couer it ouer and saith d Bellar. in tom 2. de Imag sanctoruÌ„ lib. 2. c. 24. in resp ad arguÌ„ Respondeo vbi eccles canit O Crux aue spes vnica c. vel ibi accipi cruceÌ„ pro Christo ipso vel illam esse prosopopoeiaÌ„ rhetoricam c. that whereas the Church praieth so surely either the Crosse is taken for Christ or els it is but a figure as Moses saith Heare O Heauens Deutero 32. No no say the Romish Doctors that wrote since Bellarmine there is no such matter that praier is to the Crosse it selfe And his brother e Ga. Vazq Ies de cultu adorationis li. 2. disp 3. cap. 4 Iesuite Gabriel Vazquez being also much ashamed of the matter would gladlie help it and to that ende is constrayned to confesse that there is not as Bellarmine sayth one alone but two figures in that prayer which saith he vnlesse they be admitted it is an vnapt and absurd prayer for it speaks vnto the Crosse as vnto our God and Sauiour Hee therefore for his part saith hee should thinke that by the Crosse they meane Christ and pray to him not to the Crosse and further sayth that many others thinke so but he names not one tho in other points hee is a plentifull citer of other Authours but against him or who-euer els thinke so beeing papists I produce the Cistercian Doctor Chrisostome a visitatione who writing since them all f For Vazquez wrote since Bellarmine namely about the yeare 92. but this Chrisostome wrote since Vazquez some seauen yeares agoe and whose booke is of more authoritie then his g For Vazquez is dedicated but to a spanish ordinarie Bishop but Chrisostome to the Pope himselfe answereth all these doubtes and preuents all other obiections saying plainely that in that prayer of the Church Wee speake to the Crosse it selfe wee call vpon and pray to the Crosse it selfe And no more nor no worse saith he then Aquinas himselfe totidem verbis spake before him h Aquinas summa par 3. q 25. art 4. Therfore to conclude till this doctrine of Aquinas bee condemned for heresie and till this fellow that calles himselfe golden mouth be adiudged as hee is a leaden mouthed and blacke-mouthed blasphemer and his booke burnt as hereticall and til the Romish Church haue satisfied the World for this great wrong till then I say it is apparant to all men that in this wound She is not healed This wound hath been deepe and wide and therefore long in searching and seeing it is found incurable let vs proceed Not many hundred yeares agoe liued a Frier they called S. Francis an ignorant man for learning but wittie hee beeing the founder of the Franciscans the Pope hath suffered his fauorites and followers to set him vp as another Christ 17 The ninth wound An Italian Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and in some things did more then he and bare 5. woundes in his body as Christ did and blasphemously to compare him and oftentimes to prefer him afore Christ himselfe And to this end amongst many other vile ones i Vide monumeÌ„ta ordinis fratruÌ„ Min. SalamaÌ„cae 1511 in 4. Et firmamenta trium ordinuÌ„ D. FraÌ„cisci Paris 1512 4 mult al. he suffred to be published a great volume called The golden booke of the Conformities of the holy father S. Francis with the life of our Sauiour Iesus Christ k Liber aureus inscriptus liber coÌ„formitatuÌ„ vitae beati ac seraphici patris FraÌ„cisci ad vitam Iesu Christi Domini nostri correctus illustratê° a Ieremiah Bucchio ord Min. doctore theoâ— Bononiae 1590. In which booke with strange impietie first they paint in the first lease Christ bearing a Crosse and Saint Francis following him with one as bigge as his where Christ hath nothing but precedence but after thinking that too much they paint one Crosse and vppon it one of Christs armes and another of S. Francises one acrosse ouer the other then begins the book In the name of Iesus Christ and of S. Francis l In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi c. beati patris nostri Francisci c. where Iesus Christ is called our Lord and S. Francis our blessed Father and the Authour saith not that he compiles the booke to the honour of God or Christ but of the foresayd holy father S. Francis Then he salutes Saint Francis with a prayer m Francisce Iesu typice dux formaque Minorum per te Christi mirificè sunt gesta donoruÌ„ Mala pater egregie propelle animorum sedeâ— nobis perpetuas da regni supernorum fit for none but God himselfe First blasphemously calling him typicall Iesus then desiring him to
shall giue thee daily allowance of meate if thou wilt promise mee heereafter to hurt no hodie the wolfe bowing his heade aunswered by signes that hee woulde Yea but then sayth Francis Brother Wolfe giue mee thy Francis bids his brother wolf giue him his hand and faith that hee will performe his order faith and credit that I may beleeue thee and the wolfe presently lifted vp his right fore-foote and layed it in Francis his hand therby giuing his faith that he would performe it Then Brother Wolfe sayth Francis I command thee in the name of the Lord Iesus that thou go with me into the Citie and there feare not to make peace in the name of the Lord the wolfe forthwith followed him as meeke as a Lambe So comming into the Citie all the people togither with the Magistrates being assembled S. Francis made vnto them an Brother wolfe standeth by whilst S. Francis preacheth to the people excellēt sermon the wolfe being by which being done he sayd to them these words This brother of mine this wolfe that standeth here hath promised me vpon his promise hath giuen me his faith that hee will be friends with you and doe no more hurt prouided that you shall dayly giue him an allowance and portion of meate which if you doe Francis is surety for his brother wolfe to the towne for your partes then I will bee suretie for my brother Wolfe that he shall perform the conditions on his part required Then said S. Francis Brother Wolf it is reason that as thou did before so here before all this people Brother wolfe giueth his faith againe thou giue me thy faith againe that thou wilt keep the couenants on thy part and the wolfe immediately lift vp his right fore-foot and laid it in the hand of S. Francis his suretie in the sight of all the people and so gaue his faith againe and then all the people shouted and wondred and praised Christ for sending S. Francis amongst thē by whose merits they were deliuered frō the cruel wolf And from that day forward the people Brother wolfe liueth in the towne takes his meate at the dores to the wolf wolf to the people performed their couenants made by S. Francis the wolf liued 2. years after FRANCIS was gone and went vp and downe the streets and tooke his meate from door to door hurting no man and was well and daintily fed and there was neuer so much as a dog that barked at him And at last after 2. yeares Brother Wolfe beeing stricken in Brother wolfe dieth is lamented yeares dyed for whose death the Citizens did very much lament Heere is a miracle worth the marking Now let all Huguenots and Heretickes shewe such a miracle in their religion no no they neuer can doe it And no maruell for Iesus Christ who is the King and Captain of their religion neuer did the like in his time to this which S. Francis the king and captaine of the Franciscans u Francisce Iesu typicè dux formaque Minorum hath heere done If the time would giue leaue I could bring 20. more as impious as incredible and as absurd in their kinde as this but leauing it to a further opportunitie and referring the learned to the booke it selfe I proceed What may bee saide to all this are not these wide and wofull wounds Oh! but they are healed I may answere as the Prophet doth Were they ashamed when Ierem. 7. 12 they had committed abhomination Nay they were 18 The ninth wound not healed not ashamed For whereas this booke was written aboue two hundred yeares agoe by Bartholomeus Pisanus a Franciscan Frier it was not then only suffred to passe to publique viewe in those daies of darknesse and superstition but now of late within lesse then 20. yeares when one would haue thought they woulde if not repented of the impieties yet haue beene ashamed of the absurdities they contrariwise haue reprinted the Booke x The newe edition is at Bononie in Italie 1590. is dedicated to a Cardinal in this editiō is all that I haue alleaged and haue not taken ou◠nor reformed one worde of all these euilles nor of many more which do so directly disgrace the merits of CHRIST IESVS onely some things haue they altered which they thought might make against themselues but not one of these which doe so farre dishonour God and Christ and all religion Compare together the olde and newe bookes who will and he shall finde this to be true wherefore the conclusion is that this wound is farre from being healed Let vs then go forward and see if wee can finde one wound healed 19 The tenth wound The Pope may giue Indulgences for 20000. yeers grant men power to redeeme soules out of Purgatory in the Romane Church Two or three hundred yeares agoe the Popes Indulgences did growe to that height of rotten ripenesse that all men of vnderstanding euen of his owne broode were ashamed of it and manie a one of the wiser sort euen in these mystie times did see and laugh at the nakednesse of Poperie in that poynt the excesse whereof grewe so great as they cannot denie but it gaue at last an occasion of LVTHERS reuolte from them There is a Manuscript extant written some two hundreth yeeres agoe and another not much differing from it some 130. yeares ago printed at Rome containing a catalogue onely of those Indulgences belonging to the parish Churches of Rome amongst which they say are 7. principall let vs but consider of some fewe y He that wāts this booke let him looke in Hospinian de Templis lib. 2 c. 28. pag. 348. edition is Tigur 603. where he shall finde both mention of the book a particular recitall of a great part of it In the Laterane Church it is graunted thus by Pope Boniface If any Pilgrime come for deuotion to this Church hee shall be absolued from all his sinnes And in the Chappel there called sanctum sanctorum there is full and true remission of all sinnes And one daie in the yeare which is the daie of the dedication of the Church there is full remission of all sinnes both à poena culpa and this Indulgence is so certaine sayth the booke that when the Pope first pronounced it the Angells Angels say Amen to the Popes Indulgences but they shold first proue y◠God saith Amen to them for els the Angells will not vnlesse it bee the euill Angells in the hearing of all the people sayd Amen If these things bee true then it is strange that all Papists in the world are not saued for hee that hath full remission of all sinnes both à poena culpa dying in that state cannot be damned And certainly he that for the obtaining therof wil not take the pains to visite that Church one daie in a yeer is not worthy of saluation In Saint Peters Church there
Pont. Tom. 1. lib. 4. cap. 12. Si rem repreheÌ„dunt apertè decipiuntur aut meÌ„tiuÌ„tur non enim caÌ„panae reuera baptizantur sed solum benedicuÌ„tur c. vt altaria c. Vt patet ex poÌ„tificali c. it is a false slander of the Heretickes wee do not baptize bels neither in respect of the name nor the matter of baptism look saith he the book of the Pontificale there is no such matter only saith he we blesse them as we do Churches Altars Crosses and other things c. Is it true then let vs follow Bellarmines aduise and looke into the Pontificale and omitting the name or word let vs stand vpon the matter of Baptism Compare therefore their baptisme of a child and a Bell together and see then whether it may not be truly sayde they baptize Bells g Vide librum inscriptuÌ„ Pontificale RomanuÌ„ autoritate pontificia impressum Venetijs 1520. â—ib 2 cap. de Benedictione signi vel campanae CaÌ„pana debet benedici antequaÌ„ ponatur in campanili paraÌ„da sint I de o vas aquae bâ—nedicendae aspersoriuÌ„ vas cum sale lintea munda oleum sanctum sanctum Chrisma thimyama thus myrrha thuribuluÌ„ cum igne Pontifex diaconus c. sint in tuis vestimeÌ„tis precibus peractis Pontifex lauat campanam cum dicta aqua cum pollice dexterae manus facit cruceÌ„ supra campanaÌ„ ab extra cum oleo infirmoruÌ„ intus cum chrismate profert interim haec verba SaÌ„ctificetur coÌ„secretur Domine signuÌ„ istud in nomine Pa †tris Fi †lij spiritus †sancti In honoreÌ„ sancti talis Pax tibi c. 1. The Childe must first bee baptized before it can be accounted one of the Church The Bell must first be blessed afore it may be hung in the steeple 2. The Childe must bee baptized by a Minister or a Priest The Bel must by a Bishop or his deputie 3. For a Childes baptisme must be vsed holy-water cream salt oyle spettle and manie such The Bells baptism or blessing must also bee in holy-water oyle salt cream tapers for light c. 4. They giue the Childe a name Soe doe they to the Bell. 5. The Child must haue Godfathers c. So must the Bell and they bee persons of great note 6. The Childe must be washt in water So must the Bell and that by none but the Bishop Priests 7. The Child must be crossed So must the Bell. 8. The Child must be anointed So must the Bell. 9. The Childe must bee baptized in the name of the Trinitie So the Bell is washt and anointed in the name of the Trinitie 10. They praie for the Childe Soe doo they for the Bell. 11. At the Childes baptisme the Scripture is read So at the washing of the Bell more Psalmes are read then at a Childes baptisme also a Gospell and more prayers are made and excepting saluation greater things are prayed for and more blessings on the bel then be for a childe 12. And publick praiers made For better euidence heereof and because the booke is not easie to come by take heere a part of the prayers they vse to that purpose h Pontifical ibid. Benedic Domine hanc aquam benedictione coelesti assistat super eam virtus spiritus sancti vt cum hoc vasculum c. in ca fuerit tinctum vbicunque sonuerit hoc tintinnabulum procul recedat virtus insidiantium vmbra phantasmatum incursio turbinum percussio fulminum laesio tonitruorum calamitas tempestatum c. cùm clangorem illius audierint filij Christianorum crescat in eis deuotionis augmentum c. et postea Presta quaesumus vt hoc vasculum sanctificetur à spiritu sancto c. vt cùm melodia illius auribus insonuerit populorum crescat in eis deuotio fidei procul pellantur omnes infidiae Inimici fragor grandinum c. aereae potestates hoc tintinnabulum audientes contremiscant Lord grant that wheresoeuer this holy Bell thus baptized or washed and blessed shal sound al deceits of Sathan all phantasies all danger of whirlwindes thunders lightnings and tempests may be driuen awaie and that deuotion may increase in ChristiaÌ„men when they heare it O Lord sanctifie it by thy holy Spirit that when it sounds in thy peoples eares their faith and deuotion may increase the diuell may bee affrayed and tremble et postca Omnipotens Deus qui c. tu hoc tiatinabuluÌ„ coe esti benedictione perfunde vt ante sonituÌ„ eius longius effugentur ignita iacula diaboli percussio fulminum c. quicuÌ„que ad sonitum eius conuenerint ab omnibus Inimici tentationibus liberi sint c. paulo post Omnipotens Christe qui c. tu hoc tintinnabulum sancti spiritus rore perfunde vtante sonituÌ„ eius semper fugiat bonoruÌ„ inimicê° c. and flie awaie at the sound of it O Lord poure vpon it thy heauenly blessing that the fierie darts of the Diuell may be made to flie backward at the sound thereof and that it may deliuer from danger of wind thunder c. And grant Lord that all that come to the Church at the sound of it may be free from all temptations of the Diuell O Lord infuse into it the heauenly dewe of the holy Ghost that the diuel may alwaies flie awaie before the sounde of it c. Thus at Bellarmines request we haue lookt into the Popes Pontificale and let the Reader iudge what we haue found he rebukes vs for laying it to their charge that they baptize bells and for proof that they do not sends vs to the Pontificale but surely he thought that we could not haue seene the book els he would neuer haue referred vs therunto for vpon sight therof it is apparant to be a more solemne baptisme then that of the child is for the solemnitie is longer the Ceremonies more the prayers to greater purpose the minister of greater place then be required to a childs baptism euery thing doth so concur in it that is in baptism that Bellarmin himself coÌ„fesseth that tho the pope doth not yet others generally do call it the baptizing of belles because they see them sprinkled with water and haue names giuen them i Bellar. tom 1. de Rom. poÌ„t lib. 4. cap. 12. Nomen Baptismi non a Pontificibus sed avulgo campanarum benedictioni accommodatur c. quia videÌ„t eas aqua aspergiet eis nomina imponi c. But it is not the name we stand vpon but the matter concerning which whereas they pray that the sound of that bel so washed and sanctified as afore may driue awaie the diuell and all his fierie dartes I would aske Bellarmine or anie of his Chaplains whether this be spoken in iest or in earnest in formalitie as words of course or in faith as a holy prayer If they knowe the prayer to be impossible
53. c. bee beleeued vpon his bare word So then if a Cardinall haue but the conscience to tell a lie which how small a thing it is in poperie and how manie excuses it hath who knoweth not then it is heere apparant that the vilest theefe and murderer in a countrie may easily escape the halter at Rome Now to conclude see how many helpes there be for a Murderer in Romish religion first by places then by persons priuiledged Places priuiledged be 1. a Church 2. a Churchyard 3. an hospitall 4. a Bishops house 5. a priuate Chappell all these shall deliuer a man from tryall were this so in London how should any murderer be brought to the Bar no street could he passe through but he shall finde one of these 5. places then by persons priuiledged which be first a Cardinall riding by which because it is but in fewe places therefore the second is a Priest carying the Sacrament and that is in euery towne To touch either of these doth deliuer from death a murtherer coÌ„demned by law Thus we see a bloudy Church is a defender of bloud and murther for let anie wise man consider how many thousand murders in a yeere may bee sheltred and shuffled ouer by these meanes And yet sanctuaries are but one means to cloak murther they haue many more not so fit to be stood vpon at this time but the end and effect of them all is this that poisoning stabbing killing and all kind of bloud-shedding is so rise in popish States that the better sort of themselues do bitterlie complaine of it Oleaster a spanish Inquisitor and therefore not partiall on our side hath these words r Vide Hieronimum ab Oleastro inquisitorem vlissiponens in suis CoÌ„ment in Pentat In cap. 4. Genes pag. 17. Video in quit homicidia fieri netamen video homicidas puniri sunt enim hodie mille modi excusandi homicidam quoruÌ„ vnuê° est ecclesiaÌ„ appellare Clericum se dicere statim Iudices quos volunt a summo poÌ„tifice impetrate qui eos absoluunt parua aut nulla poena imposita sic homicidia multi plicantur I see daily sayth he murders are committed but I doe not see the murderers are punished for we haue at this daie a thousand waies to excuse murderers wherof one is to appeale to the Church to say he is a Cleargie man and presently to get froÌ„ the Pope such Iudges or Commissioners as themselues will who by and by discharge and absolue them vpon a little punishment or none at all and thus murders are multiplied euerie daie c. Let these words be well obserued and what he was that spake them and if this be so so faâ—re from Rome as Portingale is theÌ„ we may easily iudge how the world goeth at Rome and neere vnto it Against all this what can be said that this Anastasius is an Author suborned by vs Nay Posseuine the Iesuite will for that answer for vs hauing canonized him in his catalogue of catholick Doctors s Possev Ies appar sac tom 1. lit A. Anastasius Germoniê° Archidiaconê° Taurinensis edidit libros de immunitatibus ecclesiasticis inter al. c. what then that he is but a triuiall fellow and of no credit nor authority Nor so for he was publicke professor of the Popes lawe at Turin in great office and authority both with Gregory the 14. and Clement the 8. t Idem Posseu ibid. Augustae Taurinorum publicè Canones interpretabatur nuper orator ad Clement 8. pro sereniss vrbini duce vtriusque Romanae signaturae referendarius and his bookes be dedicated to the Popes and Cardinalls printed at Rome with soueraigne authoritie and speciall commendation u Nay the Pope himselfe with Anastasij Germonij Ciuit Ro. Archidiaconi TaurineÌ„sis protonotarij Apostolici de sacroruÌ„ immutatibus lib. 3. ad Gregorium 14. Romae 1591. his own mouth commended the book to the Cardinals and said that the whole Clergie and the Councel of Cardinalls by name were greatly beholden to the Author for it w Vide eiusdem Anastasij Epistolam dedicat ad Gregorium 14. Pont. Max. So that it is more then impudencie for anie Papist to make question of the authoritie of his doctrine What then can be said that these sanctuaries stand indeed allowed for some faultes but not for murder If it were so the fault were lesse but the truth is otherwise For tho it be certaine and confessed by themselues that by the ciuile lawe Murderers and Rauishers and Adulterers are excepted x In §. Quod si delinquentes Authent de mand princip Yet Germonius shameth not to answere that the Ciuile lawe is corrected in this point by the Popes law and that therfore we are to stand to it y Iure Ciuili adulteri homicidae raptores ex eccl abduci possunt sed Ius Ciuile per pontificiuÌ„ hac in parte correctuÌ„ est ideo standuÌ„ est huiê° dispositioni c. sic Germoniê° de sacrorum immunitatibus lib. 3. cap. 16. art 57 c. and not to the Ciuile lawe Now who are excepted by the popes lawe only night-robbers and setters of high waies z Germonius ibid. art 56. ex Iure Canonico communi sententia but as for murderers adulterers and rauishers these finde fauor in the Popes lawe for they be Amici Curiae but theeues and robbers are not so and therfore this Germonius coÌ„cludes that tho the Scripture be plain and many Doctors yet a murderer is not to bee taken out of sanctuarie vnlesse there bee more then murder as deceit and treacherie What then may be said that this Germonius is but one Doctor and his opinion is not to be taken for a doctrine I answere his iudgement is allowed by the Pope himselfe and his opinions are fortified with consent of other popish Doctors But that we may see he walkes not alone in this waie one Stephanus Durantus writing also of late of the rites of the Romish Church deliuereth yâ— same for a general doctrin of that church tho he being a French-man is therfore the bolder and saith that neither in France nor in England they haue beene permitted by the kings with such absolute allowance as elswhere a Stephanus Durantê° de ritibê° ecclesiae catholicae Romae 91. ad Gâ—â—gor 14. vid. 1. ca. 26. art 10. Ea erat ecclesiae religio immunitas vt ad eam confugientes non liceret inde extrahere vel eis aliquam vim inferre Such saith he is the honor and immunity of Churches that malefactors flying to them may not bee taken out nor haue any violence offered them This book also is of speciall authoritie dedicated to P. Gregorie the 14. and by him accepted with speciall allowance and in a Bull or constitution of his hee affirmeth it is a worke seruing greatly for Gods glorie and the edification of Christian people and that it is approued and allowed
as in the former The Second Part touching mysticall Babylon THat which we haue heard of the literal is also true in the mystical Babylon Mystical Babylon is the spiritual kingdome of darkenesse the kingdome of Satan And this kingdom is partly temporarie which is the kingdom of Antichrist and partly permanēt and perpetuall and that is the kingdom of Sin That the kingdome of Antichrist namely the Church of Rome is mysticall Babylon I will not stand to proue seeing it is granted by Bellarmin a Bellar. de Romano pontif lib. 3. cap. 13. in resp ad argu compelled thereunto by the cleere authorities of some Fathers but especially by the euidence of the holy Text in the Reuelation where by two notable arguments it is ineuitably concluded For first if the mysticall Babylon be the Citie seated on 7. hills b Reuel 17. 9 as the Text sayth then Rome is Babylon which aboue all or anie Citie in the world is so and that not on seauen obscure or little hillocks but seauen hills famously and notoriously knowen by name c Mons Coelius Exquilinus Palatinus Viminalis Quirinalis Auentinus Capitolinus Nor is it any thing worth to say that olde Rome was indeede so seated but that now it is shrunke into the plain of Campo Martio For notwithstanding that it be true for the body of the town yet diuers publicke places where Antichrist exerciseth his authoritie and tyrannicall iurisdiction are yet to this daie on those hils as namely especially the Lateran Church and Palace which Church one of their Popes hath by Bull Charter made the head of all the Churches of the world to wit Gregory the eleuenth d Gregorius xj vide constitut pont Rom. per Pet. Mathae um inter constitut Greg. xj constit 1. p. 61 almost 250. yeares agoe and after him Pius the fourth e Vide eundem inter constitut Pij 4. constit 19. pag. 454. and of late Pius quintus f Vide eundem inter constitut Pij 5. constit 〈…〉 g. 618. 〈…〉 de eiusdē Mathaei commentaria in illam constitutionem Pij 5. pag. 621. haue by publicke constitution confirmed the same and in which Church or palace there haue been held by seuerall Popes some xxxiij prouinciall or nationall 5. generall Councells g all or most of them for the raising vp and establishing of Antichrists Throne and in which the most horrible and hainous canons were concluded against God and his Church that euer were before as to name but 2. 1. That monster of transubstantiation that the substance of breade and wine in the sacrament ceaseth and is turned into the substance of Christs bodie bloud h Vide Concil Later sub Innocentio 3. c. 1 2. That a King an hereticke not reforming himselfe and his land meaning to poperie is to be deposed by the Pope his subiects to be discharged from his obedience and his land to be giuen to Papists to whom the popes gift shall be good and effectuall i Concil idem cap. 3. This Church and palace besides many of inferior note stands to this day on the hil Coelius k Vide Onuphrium in lib. de Ecclesijs vrbis Et eundē Mathaeum in loco cirato and tho now the Pope for his pleasure hath remooued himself ouer the Riuer to the Vaticane yet in former times for many hundred yeeres as Blondus himself confesseth it was the principall seate of the Popes which appeareth also by the verses written vp down the church especially those that are grauē ouer the marble chaire which is hard by the high altar where the Pope sitteth at masse Haec est Papalis sedes pontificalis Praesidet Christi de iure vicarius isti Et quia iure datur sedes Romana vocatur Nec debet vere nisi solus Papa sedere Et quia sublimis alij subduntur in imis Thus its apparant his chief throne is vpō one of the 7. hils and it is very obseruable that howsoeuer they make their succession from Peter and that therfore in reason his Church should haue bin chief yet that God may shewe to the world that their Citie is the Whore that sitteth on seauen hilles therefore by Gods iust iudgement they are so blinded that they haue made a Church and Palace that is on one of the hils superior to that they call S. Peters and haue given it not only prioritie and precedence but euen priuiledge preheminence aboue S. Peters Another answerable reason out of the Text is That Citie saith the Text is Babylon which reigneth ouer the kingdoms of the earth l Reu. 17. 18 but Rome no other Citie at that daie long after reigned ouer the world Therfore Rome is that Babylon Seeing then the holy Text cleers it the Fathers approue it Bellarmine himselfe grants it and the Rhemists also vpon condition we will yeelde that Peter was at Rome doe willingly yeelde it m Rhemist in 1. Pet. cap. 5. therefore wee will not stand vppon further proofe And as for their distinction that Rome heathen is BABYLON but not Rome Christian I answere briefely that if heathenish Rome bee BABYLON in regard of her sinfulnesse and persecution of the Saints then this Rome is Babylon also seeing in her sinfull abhominations and cruel persecutions she is nothing inferiour to olde heathenish Rome as may bee easily prooued shewed at large if this time and place required it as hath been alreadie shewed by diuerse learned writers and in good part confessed by many of their owne Now then to goe forward touching this mysticall Babel I propound these 4. points to be considered 1. That we would haue healed her 2. That she will not be cured 3. That therfore we ought to forsake her 4. That God will take iust vengeance on her The 1. and 2. is past the 3. is in hand the fourth is sure to come its true wee would haue healed her it s most true shee is past cure I hope it shall be as true that we shall quite forsake her and the last hastens fast on her destruction is at hand and sleepes not For the first That we would haue cured the Papists we dare call the world to witnesse and appeale euen to God himselfe and this not onely desired but endeuoured it by all good means both in the daies of that renowned Q. Elizabeth of happie memorie and in the present gouernment of our Souereigne that now is The meanes we haue vsed for their healing be diuerse 1. By instructing informing them in the truth discouering their errours both by holy Scriptures and by the ancient Fathers of the best purest times Iewel Fulk Whitakers Rainolds Perkins and manie other who now sleep in Christ haue left behind them such testimonies of this truth as shall liue whilst the world lasteth and neuer can be confuted as appeares in that they haue not dared to answere most of their books to
this day Secondly our continuall praiers for them both publick and priuate in performance of which dutie both our Church in generall and all amongst vs that vse to pray for themselues haue the testimony of a good coÌ„science that they haue not failed to indeuour their healing by this means This our diligence in this duty so shamed them for their negligence in the same for vs that 4. years ago they published at Rome a forme of Litanie and publick praier for the peruerting of the Realms of Eng. and Scotland to Poperie m Vide libelluÌ„ inscriptuÌ„ Litaniae preâ—recitandae pâ— fide catholica Romana in reg nis Ang. Sco. restituenda propaganda eorundem vnitate cum eadeÌ„ Ro. eccles Romae duaci 1603 But by the waie let it be obserued that as when Cain left his frowning at his brother and began to make shew of friendship with him and entised him by fair words into the fields then he harbored the heauiest malice in his hart there slew him n Genes 4. 7 So when these men had conceiued and hatcht at Rome the pouder treason then to make vs secure and beleeue they loued vs they framed prayers for vs as tho the worst thing they wisht vs were our conuersion when as indeede they plotted the subuersion of vs all Hee that sitteth in heauen laughed both them and hel to scorn for that their deuise knoweth we haue not dealt so with them Wel if their praiers herafter come so accoÌ„panied let vs haue their curses and let their prayers turne into their owne bosomes Thirdly we haue indeuoured to heale them by our example professing and practicing our owne religion daily in their sight many of our fathers professed it openly euen in the times when they preuailed and gaue their liues in the fire for it And heerin the example of noble Queen ELIZABETH is worthie of eternall memorie whose constant zeale to the truth was such as that all her dayes they could not by their brags and treasons and curses cause her once to feare them nor by all their sleights could euer win the least estimation with her nor gaine an inch of ground in her heart nay her last Proclamation not two Moneths afore her death wounded them as deeply or rather more then euer any one before o See the proclamatioÌ„ published in Feb. before her death Fourthly and lastly wee endeuoured their healing by deuising and enacting good and wholesome lawes against their errours superstitions impyeties seditious courses somtime in iustice executing them oftentimes in great mercy suspending them thus trying all meanes that might possibly perswade or worke vpon them and in this course our State by wise foresight and discreete managing the lawes our Ministerie by instruction and confutation and all by their prayers and example did we continue to endeuor hir healing all the happie daies of Q. Elizabeth But especially dare wee call the Lord to witnesse that wee haue endeuoured her healing since the happie comming of his Maiestie to this crowne wherein all the forenamed meanes haue beene vsed and one more their errours haue beene most learnedly discouered and confuted their bookes and libells aunswered and if I may giue my iudgement of these daies the skirtes of the Romish Whore were neuer better discouered her grossest absurdities and fowlest impyeties neuer so cleerlie displayed as haue beene by the Diuines of this present age I spare their names in regarde they bee aliue and long may they liue to the happinesse of this CHVRCH And beyond all meanes then vsed and now continued his Maiestie hath vsed one more namely admirable lenitie and extraordinarie patience towardes them notwithstanding all their ill deseruings which as it was alwaies great so since the hellish powder-treason it is incredible for he whose patience is not prouoked and whose iust anger is not wakened by such an attempt sure there is somthing more then ordinarily humane in that man Neither do I think is there a King in Christendom that after such a treason would haue left one of that faction in his kingdome but onely his Maiestie Oh mirror of mercie how famously in future ages shall this princely bountie be renowned and how fit is he to be the Lords annointed and to be the Lieutenant of that God whose mercie is ouer all his workes seeing his mercie is so largely extended euen ouer his worst deseruing subiects Thus Heauen hath seene it euen the Lord himselfe will witnesse with vs that as all his Church euery where ouer the world so wee in England for our parts would gladly haue healed Babylon and haue done our full endeuour to that ende But now alas see the effect of our labours all is lost for she is Babylon and therfore past cure She wil not therfore cannot be healed Som wil say this is harsh bitter but I say it is true and therfore is not to be coÌ„cealed let her blame them that haue made her incurable and not them that discouer it and for me that affirme it I craue not to be belieued but rather to be reprooued if the euidence of the fact do not fully proue what I haue sayd To this end I will first lay downe a ground or two First that in former times there haue been great coÌ„plaints of foule deformities in the Romish Church made by men of great learning and such as either are or at least whom they say are their owne and these deformities not onely in priuate persons but in the publicke bodie not in the members only but in the heade of their Church I wil not stand to proue this it being c 48. 56. lib. 3. cap. 27. lib. 4. cap. 33 Et Bonauent in Apologet. pro Franciscanis in reg FraÌ„cisci quaest 2. 27. Et Bernardum â—â— diuersis Epistolis Eâ— Vincentium Ferrar in suo prognostico cum mult al. not the end of my purpose at this time they that look into the monuments of elder ages do knowe this to be true and whosoeuer will but looke into the Authors here in the margent named will soone acknowledge it q Reuelat. Brigittae passim maxime lib. 1. Another ground these deformities were so fowle and so apparant that the Councels of Constance and Basil and of later times that of Trent were called to this principall end for the reformation of the Church both in the head and in the members For that of Constance the Councell it selfe confesteth it in the publicke acts thereof more then once r Concil Constant ses 1 and â—â—r that of Trent howsoeuer they pretended it against Eâ—ther his doctrine yet it is confessed by a learned Bishop of their side Å¿ Espencaeus in Titum cap. 1. that it was wrought out and brought to passe at last and after much resistance for the reformation of the Romish Church euen of the Popes own Court wherin there reigned at that time many abhominable