and since him Villamont d Villamont therefore no good Catholicke may doubt of the truth and validity hereof vnlesse hee will deny such grounds as may not without mortall sin be cald in question b Here be not all but a great part and yet there bee in one Church 33000 yeares of pardon for once going vp one paire of staires and in another Church is to be had within the compasse of one yeare more then two and twenty hundred thousand yeares of pardon Oh what a glorious treasure the Pope is Lord of his Exchequer is neuer empty and what silly fooles are the Heretickes to depriue themselues they know not of what c We read say the Caluinists in the fathers of bookes Canonicall and the Papists tell vs of houres Canonicall but of any booke called by the name of Canonicall it selfe or any thing else so called they might do well to haue told vs more plainly and particularly for Possevine the Iesuite their good friend who takes vpon him so exactly to describe all Authors and their bookes speaking of this Silvester mentioneth no such Booke therfore take heed this Canonicall proue not some Apocriphal hidden and forged story Thus prate the Heretickes out of their ignorance and presumption not knowing that the holy and authenticall Canon law of the Pope teacheth in the Decree that the Popes Decretall Epistles are numbred amongst Canonicall Scriptures but these Caluinists care little it seemes what the Popes law saith they are all for Scripture Scripture and that makes them such Heretickes as they be d If this be true that there were in Siluesters time 1505 Churches in Rome how comes it to passe say the Heretickes that the greater number is now defaced it cannot bee said to bee done in time of persecution for in Siluesters time the persecutions of the Heathen were all ceased What then hath Popish deuotion puld downe the Churches that the persecutions left standing Hath Rome been Gods Church and Gods house all these yeares and yet puld downe aboue 800 Churches They accuse Protestants of pulling downe Churches but they cannot shew so many puld downe in this whole kingdome as here they haue done in one Citie And for these that are downe mens corruptions not our religion tooke them away sauing some few which being needlesse and superfluous others or more in places more needfull haue been erected for them But if any good Catholicke heare any Hereticke babling on this fashion stoppe his mouth presently and tell him that their Churches beeing Hereticall Churches therefore the more the worse e None may say Masse at these Altars but the Pope or those that haue license from him but hee tels vs not say the Caluinists who may preach in their Pulpits An idle obiection and so let all good Catholickes hold it for what is Preaching to a Masse euen nothing at all nay it s hard to say whether the Roman Church hath got more good by Masses or hurt by preaching and therefore let all deuout Catholickes neuer stumble at it if in all Catholicke bookes they finde the altar so much spoken of and the pulpit so little the Altar so magnified and the Pulpit set aside for his Holinesse well knoweth it is the Altar that sends him in his rent hee neuer got any thing by the Pulpits what he hath lost by them hee knowes and feeles so well that if he knew how to carry it cleanly he would rid his Churches as cleane of them as he hath done of the Bibles in the vulgar tongue In the meane time his Holinesse out of great wisedome is content that any disgraces be cast vpon Preaching that can bee deuised insomuch as if any bee great preachers in Catholicke Countries it is enough to suspect them for heretickes and their bookes must be purged witnesse Stella Ferus and many others and though Christ and the Scriptures seeme to magnifie preaching neuer so much yet good Catholickes must not care for it but must know that Christ spake what was fit for those times but his Holinesse knowes and must appoint what is fit for these times and therefore hee will notwithstanding giue it what place he list And if any man offer to compare it with the Masse it is little better then Heresie But Frier Lobo a great preacher in Rome could not containe but in the hearing of Pope Gregory the 13 deliuered this in the Pulpit That it is of greater worth before God and more profitable to the doer to heare Gods Word preached then to see a Masse But what followed His holy stomacke could digest no such doctrine nor indure such blasphemy against his God and therefore forthwith he constrained the poore Frier to go vp againe and in the same place to eate his words to teach the contrary Thus he made him in the Pulpit to disgrace the Pulpit in the place of preaching to disparage preaching And not thus content he also susspended the Frier from preaching yea his recantation could not keepe him from suspension and no maruell for hee that durst magnifie preaching aboue the Masse is not a man fit to preach in Rome * Bapt. Corradus Resp cas con To. 2o. quaest 253. art 2o. Nauar. in Manual cap. 13. art 30. Fumus in verb. Festum pag. 378. Neither is this practise contrary to our doctrine for do not our Iesuits and Casuists teach and write that as vpon the Sabboth day the Commandement of the Sabboth enioynes not the inward worship of God but onely the outward * Soto de Iust Iure lib. 2. q. 4. art 4. Iac. de Graf de decis aur To. 1o. lib. 2o. cap. 34. art 8. Azor. Institut Moral To. 1o. lib. 7o. cap. 3. q. 6. Posseu Bib. sel To. 1o. l. 11. cap. 1o. a peece of rare Diuinity So also that that outward or exterior worship only commanded in that Commandement consisteth onely in hearing the Masse and as for praying or hearing of Sermons they are not of the essence of that Commandement Nay our Church say they hath no law for hearing or being present at any part of Gods seruice but onely at the Masse nor is it any where a custome in the Catholike Church that a man is bound vnder paine of mortall sinne to pray to God on the Sabboth day or heare the word preached but onely to heare a Masse Oh sweete and dainty doctrines And these be no triuiall Doctors but of our chiefe ring-leaders especially * Molanus Comp. pract Theol. Tract 2o. c. 9o. Azorius who was one of the principall founders of Iesuitisme This was he whom as Possevine reporteth Gregory the thirteenth called to Rome to be one of them that should make lawes and orders for the whole society This holy Iesuite hauing gotten some secret inspiration from his Holinesse and suckt out of the Popes owne breast more pure Popery then all the rest he goeth further and saith It is the common opinion that there is no Diuine law compelling or commanding
Fiscus Papalis SIVE Catalogus Indulgentiarum Reliquiarum septem principalium Ecclesiarum vrbis Romae Ex vetusto Manuscripto codice vere fideliter descriptus A part of the Popes Exchequer That is A Catalogue of the Indulgences and Reliques belonging to the seauen principall Churches in ROME Laying downe the spirituall riches and infinite treasure which as sure as the Pope is holy true are to be found in the Catholike Roman Church whereof the poore Heretikes in England haue not one Mite Taken out of an antient Manuscript and translated Together with Certaine notes and Comments explaning the more difficult place for the ease and helpe of good Catholikes who had best goe to Rome to trie the vertue of the glorious Indulgences By a Catholike Diuine LONDON 〈◊〉 by Nicholas Okes for George Norton and are to be sold at his Shop neere Temple-barre Gate 1617. THE PREFACE To the deuoute and distressed Catholikes of Great Brittan WRITTEN AS IT SEEMES from one of their Priests to inuite them to leaue England as a den of Heretikes and get themselues to Rome there to be made partakers of the riches and blessings laide downe in this Booke COnsidering deere Catholikes that nature teacheth and we haue well learned that lesson in other things to leaue the worse and take the better it hath often made me muse and maruell that you can bee hired to stay amongst these Heretikes or kept from running to Rome with all speede possible Many things haue amazed me in this consideration but three especially 1 To see how all your hopes here vanish and come to nothing 2 The miseries and vexations you here endure 3 The comforts and blessings you might enioy at Rome What our hopes haue been it greeues me to call to minde In those golden daies of Onuphrius in vita Pauli 4 Petramalerius in vita Poli Card. Queene Mary when Cardinall Poole reconciled vs then they reioyced at Rome we triumphed at home and made bonefires of the Heretikes all ouer England But by and by all the fat was in the fire for Elizabeth soone caused vs to turne our Te deum into de profund is Wee cried and complained Extat ipsa bulla excommunicationis inter Petri Mataei Constitutiones Rom. Pont. pag. 624. at Rome and found releife Pius quintus thundred out his roaring Bull against her excommunicated her as an Heretike depriued her discharged her subiects of their oathes to her Gregory confirmed it Sixtus renued it that this threefold cord might not bee broken and wee for the execution of that thrice blessed Bull plotted Treasons in the South raised rebellions in the North But alasse what became of all Shee liued to see those three Popes three more all turne vp their heeles as though the curse had falne vpon the cursers heads and the rebellions Treasons and Conspiracies against her were all discouered and defeared Hereupon the penalties of the lawes being doubled and redoubled vpon vs we groning vnder Vide librum inscriptum Canenizatio S. Didaci impressum Roma anno 1588. the burden got Sixtus quintus to hire the Spanish King against her who came vpon her with his Inuincible Armado Now were our hopes at the height and we could scarce containe our selues for ioy But how soone was it dasht for what became of all the inuincible Armado but confusion to it selfe shame and losse to the senders and such griefe to the Pope that procured it as cost him his life and we were left not like Sheepe to the slaughter for we loue not the sheepes qualities but like Foxes to be hunted by the Heretikes and ferretted out of all our warme nests Thus laden with shame and sorrowes we lay languishing in woe and misery hauing now no hope left but the death of that wicked woman for which wee said many a masse made many a praier and because you know we trust not to our praiers deuised many a treason against her life but all in vaine shee liued to see the hanging of hundreds of vs and died at last with nothing but old age surmounting in glory and greatnesse all the Princes in the world of her sexe and time And now had we beene vtterly forlorne and desperate had it not beene that some good Catholikes put vs in hope to finde fauour from him that did succeed her This kept vs in life and and therefore at his entrance wee went with the foremost and let the world see our hopes were not dead But alas alas for vs poore cursed caitiffes wee lept out of the Frying-panne into the fire for presently we found our selues in worse case vnder him and farre more hopelesse then before Wherevpon some of our zealous brethren Watson and Clarke seeing how they and wee were deceiued plotted against him and hoped to haue constrained him to that they desired but all in vaine for this was defeated and they were hanged and wee poore Catholikes left cold and comfortlesse Oh had wee then beene so wise as to haue gone all to Rome how happie had wee beene but wee were yet put into one hope more by our ghostly fathers and confessors that at the next Parliament wee should bee relieued for the good successe whereof wee all praied and longed to see that happy day and indeed a number of our brauest spirits and most zealous Catholikes had attempted one of the worthiest exploits that euer the world heard of and the blow was euen almost giuen sentence was pronounced vpon the Heretikes of England in Rome it selfe confirmed by all the Iesuited Catholikes in the world and execution was expected within a few houres But alas alas as some of those good men said when they were Grant and Keyes in the Tower the businesse was too good to prosper for all was discouered and we defeated and so in stead of them wee gaue our selues the deadliest blow that euer we had and of which whilst the world stands we shall neuer bee cured for by this action many of our chiefe ones lost their liues wee our peace and our religion that little credit it had afore amongst them all we got was this that his Holinesse least we should be all discouraged from such braue workes made them As was the powdet treason Martires at Rome and wee hope ere long will Canonize them for Saints as they well deserued And thus good Catholikes if we will not cozen our selues say in earnest where are we now and what is become of all our hopes are they not all like Tabacconists food and the Alehimists riches blowne away in smooke And as our hopes are past and worne away so if we consider the present persecutions miseries we endure it is more then marueilous we stay in in England you know how bitter the lawes are against vs and the King because hee seeth his mercy is abused commands them all to be executed vpon vs so that now to offer to bribe the Pursiuants and corrupt the Iustices
France to canonize and make Saints at his pleasure to set vp shrines for them and appoint them their holy daies as Sixtus the sixth lately made a new Spanish Saint namely S. Diego whom he canonized at the request of the last Phillip to encourage him in the inuasion of England Anno 88. * Vide canonizationem S. Didaci To make new holidayes and alter the Kalender as Gregory the 13. did putting out many of his old Saints by whom he hath got well and are now past date and out of memory and to put in new ones in their roome which as new broomes shall cleanly sweepe vp the gold of the world into his Coffers These are imployments fit for Popes and not to busie their brains and spend their spirits about preaching And are these all Nay who is able to recount all the honourable affaires his Holinesse hath to manage Therfore fie vpon these Decretum foolish heretickes who hold that the Pope ought to preach For is not he the vniuersall Bishop of the world and Pastor of Pastors and is not all the world his prouince and is not the care of the whole world and gouernement of the whole Church laid on his shoulders how then can he finde time to preach For besides all the aforenamed weighty imployments he hath much more to do and which none can doe but himselfe as namely to receiue appeales from all parts of the world made vnto him to review matters iudged and reuerse disanull and alter them at his pleasure to nominate and fill the Abbacies and Bishoprickes of the world as they fall voyd to elect into all places or at least to confirme the elections made by others to send his prouisions into all Lands for what liuings he list against they be voyd that hee may haue them to gratifie his Minions to appoynt generall Councels when and where and as oft as hee pleaseth to call them continue them proroge them remoue them dissolue them to nullifie or confirme them as he list or to take that that is for him and reiect that that is against him as hee did and yet doth in the Councels of Constantinople Chalcedon Constance and Basill To deuise and create new reliques when the old ones are lost perisht or worne and to hallow them that deuout Catholickes may haue what to worship and so may be encouraged to pay their rents well and when need is to execute his admirable skill in Arithmetical Multiplication or rather his transcendent power and Omnipotency for the multiplying of holy reliques as hee did to the great comfort and edification of his Church when he multiplyed S. Iohn Baptists head of one making three and of the three Kings of Collen making three more and found out a third arme of Saint Peter and that little and cursed Crosse which Simon of Cyrene once bare vpon his shoulders he by his mighty power hath multiplied in such sort as now neuer a ship in the world can carry it And as he multiplied the substance so hath he changed the nature and quality for being cursed before he hath made it now so blessed that as he Gretserus de Cruce Tom. 1. Cap. teacheth it ought to be worshipped with the same worship as Christ himselfe Oh silly heretickes that will tye him to study and preach that hath these things to doe what thinke they that these can be done in a day No no it hath cost the holy Mother Church many a yeares labour and it hath sore beaten her braine to bring these matters to this passe As for the multiplying of the nails that fastned Christs body to the crosse which of 3 are brought to more then 23 that we will not speake of as being but a small mater for euery Goldsmith can make of one great plate of gold 100 little ones and euery one as good gold as the great one but let vs leaue that and proceed to see what further imployments his holinesse hath Hath he no more to doe Yes to weed out the heresies that spring so fast with the hookes of his holy Inquisitions to confute the heretickes with those excellent arguments of Fire and Fagot Daggs and Daggers Pistols and Poniards Murders and Massacres to looke to the bookes and writings of the world that nothing be left that may make against him to allow what and how many hee will haue read and to barre or prohibite all the rest and for those that are to be read to alter them as hee seeth cause taking out what makes against him and putting in what nay make for him surely he hath little time to spare that hath all this to doe And yet hee hath more to doe namely to create new religions and set vp new orders For Christ when hee ascended left but one religion in the world but to multiply that one into many and to deriue 100 seuerall from it and yet all these to be religions this labour because it beseemed not the Author of vnity to leaue many but one religion he left to his Vicar who hath performed it most diligently for since his Ascension into heaven he hath reared vp at least an hundred more then Christ euer thought of and yet stil euery day he deuiseth more all tied together by the tailes like Sampsons Foxes but euery one looking and drawing seuerall wayes one pulling against another one enuying and supplanting another so that another businesse that much troubleth him is to reconcile them one to another and yet all he can doe is not sufficient to keepe them in loue and amity And when hee seeth any of them grow too high and too full of wealth then another part of his care is to squeaze the spunge being too full as hee did the Templars for their lands and riches whose order he puld downe and burnt their great Maister at Paris Thus to create newe religions and erect new orders to keepe them from one ouerthrowing another and to dissolue them againe when he seeth cause are not these sufficient imployments to keepe him from preaching if he had no other yet there is one more and that no small one which he hath to doe namely to looke to the succession of Princes and to take care how kingdomes may be prouided when their Princes either dye or be by him deposed As Innocentius the fourth hauing deposed Frederick the Emperour Alexander the fourth tooke paines to make a Decree touching the succession of the Empire publishing a Bull prohibiting and forbidding the Electors to chuse Conradus his sonne to be Emperour A fact without example and beyond beliefe that a forraine Prince should publickly dare to interpose himselfe in a forraine election and publish his letter to the world written against that Prince whom the Princes Flectors and all the Christian world had their eyes vpon as the most probable successor of the Empire But by this that idle Heretikes Huguenots Caluinists and Lutherans may see that the Pope is tied to no presidents of
of Hereticall bookes and rid it of hereticall Kings to restore learning and preserue the truth which without them had perished to make plaine and perfect the Scriptures which till their time lay neglected to compose all controuersies reade all riddles know all secrets heare all confessions and to discouer no more then makes for their purpose censure all questions satisfie all consciences resolue all doubts and in a word to be the very Oracles of the Christian world as holy as true and as infallible as euer was that of Delphos or Iupiter Hamon I say let vs hearken how those reuerend Iesuits and for them all how renoumed Azor one of their most glorious Fathers and founders of that blessed company handles this question It 's moued saith hee and made a question if on one day a Masse and a Sermon doe so concurre as both cannot bee heard whether is to be omitted with lesse losse and sinne The fore-named Doctors and many other more Dunses as they be doe teach that the Masse must yeeld to the Sermon And the good Iesuit ingenuously confesseth which hee doth not for that hee holds Iesuits tied to speake truth who can speake nothing but truth and whatsoeuer they speake is therefore truth because they speake it but because the more and greater his Aduersaries be the more glorious is the victory Therefore he freely confesseth that many of the Popish Doctors be of the same opinion and that they ground this their opinion upon the Decrees and vpon S. Bernard and S. Augustine But what are all these to such sincere learned and iuditious men as the Iesuits euen nothing at all when once the truth comes in question for then downe goe Doctors Fathers Councels Scriptures and all to make roome for the holy Catholique Romish Truth out of the Iesuites holy mouthes In which Catholique zeale the noble Iesuit thus resolues the question But whatsoeuer saith he these or any of these or all these or any other doe thinke It is to bee said Marke yee dull Heretiques with what maiesty a Iesuit concludes against Canon-law Schoole-men and Fathers and tremble when you see what potent aduersaries you haue of them It is saith he to be held without controll That the Masse which is to be heard by the Churches commandement is to be preferred before the hearing of the holy word of God And marke his reason whereby hee proues it for though it bee no reason to expect a reason from so great so graue so godly men as the Fathers of the Society who by their nature and constitution will not thinke speake nor doe any thing without a reason yet is his Father-hood here pleased to giue vs a reason but marke it I say againe for it 's as good as honest and as religious a reason and as well-beseeming a Iesuit as the opinion it selfe The Masse saith he is to be preferred before the Sermon and the Sermon is to be omitted for the Masse for that saith he there is great difference betwixt that that is due by Commandement and that that 's due by Counsell for that that 's due by Commandement may not bee omitted nor can be vnder paine of mortall sinne But it is no sinne to omit that that 's due onely by Counsell Now the Masse is commanded Preaching is but counselled to heare a Masse a man is tied by vertue of the commandement to heare a Sermon he is but counselled or aduised therefore it 's apparant that a man is bound to preferre the Masse before a Sermon and to omit or loose a Sermon for a Masse And thus so learnedly so holily so irrefragably is this question resolued that none but professed foes to the holy Romish Church and open enemies to the Masse and aduancers of that dangerous booke called the Scriptures and who therefore are iustly condemned for Heretickes can or will or dare gainesay it And as for those that durst hold the contrary though they were none of them of these vp-start Heretickes yet it 's not fit that they passe without reproofe and iust censure for this their so grosse ignorance or so foule impiety as to perfer a Sermon before a Masse and therefore saith the Iesuite religiously and learnedly like himselfe If this be so It will bee here demanded whether Angelus and the rest that hold this Detestable Error that a Sermon is to bee heard rather then a Masse bee to bee condemned as holders of a Timerariouse opinion Some saith he absolutely condemne it and them so to be Others hold it to bee a false Opinion but not Temerariouse And thus they excuse them and they glosse it ouer with some shewes and shadows of argument as if it were a hard case for the Church to tye a man for the gazing of a masse to loose so great a matter as a Sermon But this is idle saith the Iesuite and therfore for you shall alwaies see Iesuites take the better part seeing they haue no good reason for their opinion in my iudgement the opinion is to be holden Temerariouse and they to bee condemned to haue spoken Temerariously that is rashly vnaduisedly and without iudgement So then these Heretickes might see if they were not blind that in the holy Romane Church it is so firmely holden that a Sermon is not so good so holy so necessary as a Masse That whoeuer holds the contrary be it Caluinist or Schooleman Father or Councell they are subiect to censure and punishment for it And euen Bernard and Augustine may be glad they had so good hap to bee made Saints by that Romane Church for otherwise for this their impious conceit to preferre a Sermon before a Masse they had beene sure and that very worthily to be condemned for Heretickes But seeing the Church that cannot erre hath vouchsafed to Canonize them for Saints she will therefore deale more mercifully with them then their impiety deserues and at the humble mediation of the charitable Iesuites will onely pronounce them temerariouse but not condemne them for Heretickes If this then bee cleere that by the resolued Doctrine and Definition of the Romane Church A Masse is the principall part if not the whole worship of God and that onely the Masse is strictly commanded and hearing of Gods word preached is but conditionally aduised And that therefore a Masse is farre more excellent in it selfe more auaileable with God more profitable and comfortable to the soule then is the hearing of sermons then who sees not but if the Popes holinesse praies but seldome or not at all Yet doe often and continually say Masse that then he hath stopped the mouthes of all heretickes that like curres doe bawle and barke against him and call him and his great Bishops Dumbe Dogges that cannot barke O silly fooles these Heretickes that bring these words of the Prophet against his Holinesse For doe they not know that when the Prophet complained of those dumbe dogges that could not barke there were then no Masses in the world for if
cum felle mixtum Item ibi sunt duo sophiri quorum vnus est plenus sanguine Christi alter plenus lacte Mariae Virginis Item caput Innocentij Martiris Item in dextro latere altaris est liguum crucis latronis conuersi Item ibi est vnus digitus Beati Thomae Apostoli Item ibi est titulus Iesu Christi appositus cruci scilicet Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum Item in eadem Ecclesia iacent corpora xlij summorum pontificum quorum vnusquisque suam dedit Indulgentiam CHAP. 9 6 The sixth principall and patriarchall Church is the Church of Saint Crosse Indulgences of the Church of Saint Crosse IN the Church of Saint Crosse there are euery day eight and forty yeares of pardon and as many quarentens and remission of the third part of all a mans sinnes Also a little lower on the side of the Church there is a Chappell called Hierusalem into which women may not enter but onely vpon Saint Benets day 1 Blessed Saint Benet was the good womans friend who got them leaue on his day to come into the holy Chappell which is one reason doubtlesse why women are so deuout to the Benedictins And then there is in that Chappell full remission of all sinnes both a paena a culpa Further Constaniina the Empresse builded this Church to the honour of the holy Crosse 2 Bawling heretikes doe here make a stirre and wonder that wee dare build Churches in honour of the dead Crosse But they be fooles and know nothing But all deuout and learned Catholickes doe know that the holy Roman Church teacheth to pray to the Crosse and hath a praier to it in the holy Masse booke or Breuiary O cruxaue spes vnica hoc passionis tempore auge pijs Iusticiam Reisque dona veniam and least some should thinke who haue too nice and spiced consciences as some Catholickes haue that this praier is to him that died on the Crosse and not to the Crosse our approoued Doctors haue handled the case and resolued it that ipsam Crucem alloquimur ipsam Crucem deprecamur quasi ipsum Crucifixum If wee may speake to the Crosse and pray to the Crosse it selfe as to Christ Then surely no man will deny but wee may build Churches to it and Pope Siluester did Consecrate it at the instance and praiers of Saint Hellen. Likewise vpon euery Sunday and euery Wednesday there bee in this Church two hundred fiftie and foure yeares of pardon and vpon euery other day an hundred thirty eight yeares and as many quarentens And there bee many other pardons and indulgences here which wee dare not set downe 3 Let the heretikes here see to their shame First the great modesty of the Roman Church who forbeares to put downe the Indulgences when they are so exceeding many as they cannot bee counted and behold also the bounty of our spirituall mother who grants Indulgences so plentifully as modesty forbids to expresse them what good Catholicke can stay from going to Rome that there hee may diue into the middest of this sea and partake of this bottomlesse Treasure for vpon euery Lords day and euery Wednesday Saint Siluester doubled all the Indulgences The reliques of the same Church IN the foresaid Church of Saint Crosse there is the rope 4 Behold a pretious relicke the Rope that Christ was led in for though the Gospells speake of none yet here is as good warrant for it as the Gospell to all good Catholickes where in Christ Iesus was led to his death when hee bare his Crosse There is also one of the nailes with which he was nailed to the Crosse Also a great deale of Saint Iohn Baptists coate and two of the teeth of Saint Blase the Bishop And two armes of the Apostles 5 Here bee two armes of Peter and Paul in this Church and yet we are to beleeue that the whole halfe of them both is in Saint Peters and the other whole halfe in Saint Pauls Church for these two arraes the Pope created by his power Peter and Paul And vnder the high altar of that Church doe lie the bodies of Saint Anastatius Caesar Saint Prothatius Also there is in that Church some of the wood of the true Crosse 6 Here is some of the wood of the true Crosse to put a difference betwixt too many that are counterfeits by which good deuout Catholickes are darly cozened to their great discomfort Also a lamp full of baulme wherein lies the head of Saint Vincentius Martire Also there is the Spung with which the Iewes gaue Iesus Christ vinegar mingled with gaule to drinke Likewise there bee two glasses whereof the one is ful of the bloud of Christ and the other full of the milke of Marie 7 God Catholickes doe greatly wonder seeing the holy virgin had no child after Christ how this milke of hers was preserued for sure shee would not keepe it her selfe and in those daies few regarded either her or her sonne for thirty yeares wee hope therefore his Holinesse will let vs know this great secret for sure there is some great miracle and mysterie in it But seeing in that Church there is both of the milke the bloud wee now see the reason why father Scribanius the Iesuite writers that hee so longs for the milke of the mother and bloud of the Sonne that he knowes not whether to desire more and saith that therefore he will mingle them both together and of that mixture make a pretious soueraign medicine for his soule Indeed we doe easily beleeue Iesuites to bee such extardinary men that they haue some extraordinary spirituall phisicke for their soules which others haue not yet as great and as good as he is he may now be beholding to vs that publish this blessed booke for now hee knowes where hee may haue both his simples to make his confection both the milke and bloud and let him not feare that they at Rome can spare none of it for if he pay well for it he shall haue it and yet by the supreme power of the Pope though neuer so much be taken continually yet they multiply againe and the last is as good as the first and all of like vertue the Virgin Also there is the head of Innocentius the Martire And vpon the right side of the altar there is the wood of the Crosse wherupon the good theefe died And there is also one of the fingers of Saint Thomas the Apostle There is also the title of Iesus Christ which was set vpon his Crosse namely Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Moreouer in the same Church there lieth the bodies of two and fortie Popes or chiefe Bishops whereof euery one bestowed their indulgence vpon this Church CAP. 10 Indulgentiae Ecclesiae Sancti Laeurencij ITem Papa Pallagius qui hanc Ecclesiam consecrauit concessit ibi in quatuor temporibus anni in omnibus festiuitatibus Stephani
day seauen thousand yeares of pardon 20 Here is yet one Indulgence greater then any of the former 7000. yeares euery day which is in one yeere more then two millions of yeares Oh how endlesse and infinite is the loue of our holy father the Pope to his deuout children and as many quarentens and remission of the third part of a mans sinnes Also in the Church of Saint Potentiana there is the stoole or bench or forme whereupon Christ sate at his last supper with his Disciples 21 For good reason seeing the table came the stoole should come also In this Church there are euery day a thousand yeares of pardon Also in the Church of Saint Anthonie there is graunted remission of the sixt part of all a mans sins Also in the Church of Saint Peter ad Vincula there bee the Chaines with which Saint Peter was bound in prison which the sonne of Theodosius the Emperour did bring with him from Ierusalem 22 But who kept these holy chaines in Ierusalem all those foure hundred yeares long from Saint Peters time to the daies of Theodosius the booke tells vs not therefore let not good Catholicks bee too curious to inquire this is not fit to bee written but let them goe to Rome and there they may learne it in priuate for this is the wisdome of his holinesse and the holy fathers of the society not to make all things plaine by writing that so they may inuite deuout Catholickes to come to Rome to aske what is not elsewhere reuealed that so in Rome they may be partakers of all the vnualuable riches of the Popes treasure and of the holinesse of the pure Clergie and of the vertue of the many pretious relickes that be there This Church did Pope Pellagius consecrate the first day of August and granted vnto it full remission of all sinnes Relickes in the Church that is called Ara Caeli or the altar of heauen IN the Church of the Friers Minors which is called the Altar of Heauen there bee the foote-steppes of the Angell that stood vpon the stone and sung Regina Caeli laetare or reioyce the Queene of Heauen in the Castle of Saint Angell 23 This is very likely that Angels haue so grosse and heauy bodies that they leaue their foote-steppes in stones where they treade But is not this a great miracle that when the Angels sung Gloria in excelsis to God they left no print behinde them But when they sung to the praise of a creature then they made and left the impression of their footesteppes Also in the same Church there is the first altar that euer was made in the whole world Concerning which altar thus it is said that on a time Octauian the Emperour saw a Circle in the Heauens and in the Circle the most beautifull and glorious Virgin Mary standing vpon an Altar in her armes holding a childe The Emperour amased at this sight heard a voice that said to him from Heauen This is the Altar of Heauen of Gods Sonne Octanian hearing this instantly fell downe vpon the earth and worshipped Christ to come This vision was seene in the chamber of Octauian the Emperour and in that chamber he built the first Altar 24 Must not this be an holy Altar that was made by so great a Saint as the Heathen Emperour Augustus But if any aske how this can bee the first Altar when as wee herd afore there is in Saint Iohns Church the Altar that Saint Iohn Baptist said Masse on in the wildernesse Let not this trouble the good Catholike for is it not likely that Saint Octauian would send this his new made Altar to Iohn Baptist from Rome Yes verily as likely as that he made any And at this Altar there is euery Sunday and vpon the assumption of our Lady the blessed Virgin pardon and remission of all sinnes Also there is a worshipfull Image of Mary the Virgin painted by the hands of blessed Luke 25 See what good hap the holy Roman Church hath that all the pictures shee hath of the Virgin Mary were drawne by the hands of Saint Luke himselfe but he forgot to tell vs this when hee wrote his Gospell or rather hee left it for the Pope to teach in aftertimes when greater points are to bee reueiled then the Scripture teacheth or then were fit for those times which worshipfull Image whilst blessed Gregorie caried in procession with great solemnity at that time when there was a horrible pestilence in Rome that it was called the great plague as the procession came neere the Castle of Saint Angello the Angell of Marble as often times before it had bowed it selfe to this venerable Image 26 Caluinists and Lutherans will not worship Images But wee see here that the Image of marble did worshippe the Image of our Ladie Is it not strange that a grauen Image should bow to a painted Image But such and so wonderfull are the miracles in the holy Roman Church and so deepe are the mysteries of her piety Away therfore to the fire with these cursed Heretiques that will worship no images More hard hearted are they then the Marble Angell which full deuoutly bowed it selfe to the Venerable image But no maruell though they be worse then marble when it is apparant as the Iesuites haue learnedly of late prooued from France that they be worse then the diuell For they deny purgatory but the diuells confesse it they say the Roman Church is not the true Church but the diuells dare sweare it by all the faith and truth that is in them Nay they haue renounced God and their part in heauen if the Roman Church bee not the true Church So farre better are they then these Heretiques And therefore it is great maruell that some nice Catholikes hold that wee may not equiuocate with these Heretiques nor delude them nor deceiue nor oppresse them but that it must bee called cruelty For what can bee hard or sharpe inough towards such beasts as are worse then diuells and harder hearted then marble stones or what good Catholickes care what they doe to such base and vile Heretiques who it is certaine are greater enemies to the Roman faith and Church that now bee then the diuell him Let them therefore goe as they bee But whereas some tender hearted Catholikes doe here make a question how the marble Image was made straight againe when it had bowed it selfe alasse that they should bee so scrupulous for could not the holy Image as easily reare vp it selfe againe as it bowed it selfe downe Yes assuredly and I thinke the very Heretique will not deny it Therefore that needes not to mooue you But the other doubt I confesse is of more difficulty namely that a goodly grauen Image should bow to an Image that was but painted and the Image of an Angell to the Image of a woman or to any but the Image of GOD. This is certainely some great mysterie I haue asked of the holy fathers and priests that come thither of it but they answere mee diuersely and no maruell though the best wittes differ in so darke and difficult and deepe a question Therefore the best aduise is that till his Holinesse call another Councell if any man list to bee resolued Let him goe to Rome and repaire to the Chaire that cannot erre and besides an infallible resolution hee may happily finde such excellent instructors and such good examples there as may make him as deuout as holy as tender hearted as is the marble Image that stands at the gate of the Castle of Saint Angell of the blessed Virgin Mary so now in the presence of many that saw heard it it sung out aloud Alleluia Regina caeli laetare and thereupon Saint Gregory made the praier Ora pro nobis Deum Alleluia FINIS LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for George Norton and are to be sold at his Shop neere Temple-barre Gate 1617.