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 intended that the religion of Rome as now it stands established is still as bad as euer it was The second impression reuiewed by the Author 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 Mathew Lownes and are to be solde at his shop in Paule Church yard at the signe of the Bishops head 1609. 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 be yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God such a head of the Church as infuseth spirituall life and 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 herâ— so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee at least equall to the Canonical 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 bee belieued because they are allowed and authorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authoritie as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better and easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosseâ— are to bee worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as wee do to Christ. pag. â—2 c. 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaieâ— yea hee 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 redeeme soules out of purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Idulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies as 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 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popeslaw he that hath not a wife may haue a Concubine pag. 141. c. 16. By popish doctrine it is a lesse sinne for some men to 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 keepe their whores vnder a yeerly rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be contineâ—t and haue no whoores yet must pay a yeerely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150 c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend full of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in al estates of the Romish Church pag. 156. c. TO THE PRINCE his Highnesse HENRIE The Hope of greate BRITAINE MOst mighty Prince Salomon being but young knew the God of his Fathers a Chron. 28. 9. and Iosias being but 15. yeares olde set his heart to seeke the Lord b 2. Chron. 34. 1. 3. And blessed bee God who hath put into your royall heart to set them as examples before your eyes and to follow them in the best things For to be Kings euen greater then they c Nero Iulian c. hath befallen the wicked whose names now rot on earth d Pro. 10. 7. and they in hell wish they had neuer beene But to be a good godly and religious Prince few haue attained it e 1. Cor. 1. 26. c. but those that did were made happy by it Noble Prince this is the waie to bee honoured of men blessed of God and beloued of both f 1. Sam. 2. 30. In this holy path you haue so happily begun to walk that your personall practise of Religion and the religious gouernment of your honourable houshold may be a patterne to all the greate families of these kingdomes wherin if Popery and profaneness found no better couÌ„tenance nor encouragemeÌ„t then in the Princes Court it were happy for our Church and State Goe forward Princely Salomon and walke still in the waies of Dauid your kingly Father so shall our Israel be happy and blessed by you and all the world shall praise God for you for on whom are the eies of al Christendom set but vpon you your fathers house Surely the hope of the Christian world is that God hath appointed and annointed our gratious Souereigne and his royall issue to hold vp his religion in these declining daies and to giue the Whore of Babylon that foil fall from which she shall neuer rise euen that deadly blowe wherof she shall neuer recouer Now somwhat to stir vp and prouoke your heroical heart and princely spirits to a yet farther detestation of popish impietye vouchsafe hopeful Prince the reading and patronage of this discourse the scope whereof is to discouer that those would but deceiue vs who speake or write that popery is now well reformed in manners refined in doctrine and therfore they and we by a reasonable mediation might well be reconciled g A pernicious â—book was published in freÌ„ch by that vnsetled H. C. called Le Pacificê™ examen c. tending to that end it was turned into english by some papist for the truth is if any man will search it out of their owne records Popery both for doctrin and manners is at least as bad as euer it was This I affirming before an honorable audience at the Crosse the Papists gaue out it was false and I could not prooue it nor durst stand to it but that wee may say we care not what that wee are set vp to raile on them and make them and their religion odious before our people and in the Country they dispersed I was called before Authority for it and silenced and censured for railing on the Catholickes and that I was striken by Gods hand with a strange hoarcenesse after I began to raile on them and could not speake
c. Therefore not so much to cleere my selfe as to honor the trueth and to shew that it is no tricke nor policie of our State as it is in poperie h â—â—ook was printed in english in the colledge at Rome wherein it is affirmed that wee take catholicks draw vpoÌ„ their legs bootes full of hot boiling liquor vpoÌ„ their feet hot burning â—hooes do put them into Bears skins cast theÌ„ to the dogs to be puld in peeces all this and many such other set down in pictures Feuardent a famous Frier yet liuing at Paris wrote in latine 7. yeares ago that we reuile and reiect that praier to the holy Trinitie Sancta Trinitias 〈◊〉 Deusâ— misercre nobis Thus writes hee in his CommeÌ„t on 1. Pet. cap. 1. What will not he say that daie say thisâ— for all our common praier-praier-books now and those in Q. Elizabeths K. Edwards times do testâ—fieâ— the contrary Gretserus a sesuâ—â—e 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 hee did not so wee hauing no proof haÌ„gd him onely for being a Priest and not for it And that OueÌ„ his man was puld in peeces 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 publike records the worlds knowledge 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 racâ— which he said he feared but had neuer tasted to set vp men with authoritie to raile and licence to lie thereby to make our enemies odious I haue beene induced to publish what was said and to iustifie out of their owne records what was affirmed of them namely that the deadly wounds found to be in that diseased body of Poperie many ages agoe remaine rotting rankling and vnhealed euen to this day This I demonstrate in 20. or more particulars Concerning all which wounds if they be true as I haue laide them downe and being true if yet they bee not healed then I hope your Highness and al Christian Princes may cleerely see that seeing she is past hope of reformation there remains no more but that she is ripe for vengeaÌ„ce destruction Which as that Whore of Babylon hath so long deserued So God will put power into the hand and zeale into the hearts of our mighty King noble Prince to reward her as she hath serued 〈◊〉 to giue her double for all her iniquities that so all the Kings Princes of the Christian world may rouze vp themselues take example at the King Prince of great Britaine to hate the whore and make her desolate â—are her flesh and burne her with fire and that aâ—l nations who haue stood amazed hitherto at the patience and long suffering may now reioice and admire to see the zeale courage constancy of our kingly Dauid and princely Salomon The King of Kings blesse this king and prince and the blessed Father for his blessed Sonnes sake double and trebble the graces and blessings of the blessed Spirit both vpon the father and the sonne whereunto I am sure all good subiects at home and all true Christians in the world will say Amen With Magna est veritas praeualet Your Highnesse humble and deuoted seruant WILLIAM CRASHAWE To the Christian Reader whosoeuer be he a true Catholicke or a Romish TO preuent all misconceits that might arise vpon the so late comming forth of this Sermon so many weekes expected I desire thee good Reader be satisfied that the cause thereof was a long vnlooked for iourney And now that you haue it let mee desire all men in the reading and iudging thereof to deale with that ingenuity and sincerity as I haue indeuoured in the writing of it My conscience 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 vpon bare report nor haue I produced our men to proue what I lay against them nor is there one quotation of any Author of theirs which I haue not diligently perused afore-hand and the whole scope of the place If any should think 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 she be not then how she can be the true Church which is so wounded and will not be healed If they do not teach and practise so I will yeeld the Cause And hee that can shew mee that either she is healed since or beeing not healed how she can bee the true Church I shall willingly hear him thank him I desire al that professe theÌ„selues papists or their fauourers not to be so wilfull as to condemne what they know not but only to giue it reading then iudge as they see cause Wright in his Articles layeth to our charge manie strange Paradoxes as that we are all Atheists and Infidels by our doctrine that wee are bound by our doctrine to doe no good workes many such And Kellison in his Survaie thrusts vpon vs that wee deny Christ to bee the only Sauiour and Iudge of quick dead and many such abhominations all which we renounce and detest yet do what we can wee must haue them laid vpon vs and our writers teachers haue their speeches wrung and wrested beyond their meaning to make theÌ„ sound that way I dare appeale to the iudgement of Gods Church and al iudicious Readers heereof that I haue not done so with them nor taken vantage of their words wheÌ„ it 's apparant they meant otherwise but charged them only with such points of doctrine practice as theÌ„selues cannot deny but to be their own that not of one or two but for the most part generally receiu'd CoÌ„meÌ„ding it to thy reading my selfe to thy praiers I leaue vs all to Gods blessing At the Temple May 21. 1608. Thy brother in the Lord W. Crashawe The Names of the Popish Authors produced in this Treatise together with the impressions heere vsed A. AQuinatis summa Ven. 509 Idem Antuerp 85. Fr. Agricola de verbo dei c. Leod. 97. 8 Cor. Agrippa de vanitate scient B. BReuiariuÌ„ Romanum vetust Idem 93. 4. Bernardini de Busto Manuale Lugd. 511 4. Idem Colon. 607. 4. Bellarmini opera Ingolst 601. fol. Bernardi Morlanensis poemata 607. 8 Brigittae reuelationes 517. Nuremb fol Bonauenturae opera Romae Cl. Bonarscij Amphitheatrum honoris c. 605. 4
to come to a Councell or Disputation c. and tho he binde and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer and tho the party would not haue come but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct Yet hoc non obstante this not withstanding he may be taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke without any preiudice to the Catholick faith c. If this be good diuinity that Oaths Couenants to hereticks are of no force binde not the makers then it is in vaine for men to haue any dealing one with another for if oathes be 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 contrariewise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impietie 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 more then a hundred yeares after this Councell it is so farre from being 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 be kept no nor if it be made by a Magistrate as saith he is proued by the practice of the Councel of Constance Mark how they are healed afore it was true in publique persons nor it is true in priuate men also afore it might be broken without any fault but nowe it may not be kept See how Babylon is cured But the Councell of Trent is of later times hath not it done much good and reformed much ill Nay on the other side it hath decreed and made two Canons to the high disgrace of holy Scriptures and much derogating from the soueraign authoritie therof which till then were neuer decreed not in the darkest times of poperie when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll As namely first * Concil Trident sess 4. That the Apocriphall Bookes of Tobiah Iudith and the rest shall be held and receiued of as authenticall and Canonicall authority as any 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 add more books to the sacred Canon then we receiued from Christ and the Church of the olde Testament Some bold Papists say that the Florentine Councel before Trent did make them Canonicall which if it had it had bin little materiall seeing it was but a smal time before Trent scarce 100. yeares but the truth is it did not and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more carefull of their credit and will not affirme it * Bellar. tom 1 lib. de verbo Dei So that its cleer there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent Coccius in the sauro cathol tom 1. nor any prouinciall but one * Concil Câ—â—thag 3. and they are not able to bring one Father that held them so within 400. yeares after Christ nor very many after till of late and contrariwise wee are able to proue that all the Fathers for 400. yeares did reiecte 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 stil the elder the worse But this is not all a Romish Councell will neuer meete for one euill Therefore secondly they decree * Concil Trident sess 4. That in all Disputations Sermons Lectures and to all other purposes that Latine translation called the vulgar shal be held the authentical text and that no man presume vnder any pretext to refuse it Heere is a strange decree that the streame shall be 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 do 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 doe 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 Councel yet the number that past this bil 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 bill carried at Trent For whereas the Councel in his fulness consisted of about 300. that had voice of decision they took the aduantage at the beginning of the Councell and carried these two bils when ther were scarce 60. in the house wherof how many went against them is vncertain for the Pope durst not for one of his Crownes haue put these 2. bils especially the latter to the full house for how would they haue entertained it then when as they had liberty of speech against it who since their tongues were tyed the bil passed yet haue dared some of them who were of the Councel themselues euen to resist the decree Arius Montanus Sixtus Senensis Oleaster c. 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 either 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 we 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 beene so farre from that that contrariwise they haue concluded diuerse enormous impieties that were not before Then is not the Romish Babylon well cured The second Proposition Poperie is still as ill as euer it was I hasten to the second Proposition which is that the deformities that were before both in Doctrine and practice both in head and members and many 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 vpon fewe and those I shal produce shall not be trifles nor triuiall but of great moment euen touching the maine and morall duties which a Christian man oweth to his God and which
being any shelter to the blasphemy that is deliuered in the whole passage Nor can it bee saide the booke wants authority for it is formally allowed dedicated to the Cardinall Aldobrandinâ— printed at Rome and since often elsewhere and of late both the Author and his booke highlie commended by the greatest Romish censurers 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. The fourth Wound NOw to go forward from the Person and Maiesty of God let vs proceede to his Holy Scriptures and see how the Romish Church held of olde and yet holdeth and teacheth of them I will not stand vpon those vile and base speeches vttered and written of them by Eccius Pighius Hosius and many other of that generation for that they haue beene both detected and with shame inough reiected by many reuerend men of our nation both in Latine English w Whitaker Fulke lewel Reinolds and others but vpon some that often haue not bin touched by many nor euer can bee sufficiently condemned by any In the Canon Law the Pope spareth not to disgrace the holy Scriptures in expresse tearms sometimes equaling his owne Constitutions with them sometimes preferring them In the decree he shameth not to affirme that 7 The fourth wound The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall Scriptures his decretall Epistles are numbred amongst the Canonicall Scriptures x Decret dist 19. cap. 6. impudently alledgeth 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 law a hundreth yeares agoe But some will say this wound is now healed No looke in the new impression reuiewed at the Popes commandement and printed by his authority within these few yeares and there stand the verie same wordes 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 shamelesse in the dooers in as much as in the same new 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 and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeare after his daies To conclude let wise men obserue heer this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to amend or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their owne free-hold else why should they maintaine that blasphemy in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the body of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that many a man reades the contents of books chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonourable 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 The fift Wounde THis doth but make them equall and that may be thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper more deadly namely where the authority and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Dictinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a law 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 holy Scriptures that is from Gods mouth And certainâ—y all men 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 Chrstian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that See then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seeke after is what he wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is heere the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianity is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the holie Scriptures and al that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what hee wills not and according to that are they to frame themselues Is this a doctrine fit to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holie and the onely 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 heretike let who wil be the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the scriptures and to depend vpon the mouth and reuealed wil of God then woe be to that Church and religion that teacheth wee may rather depend on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alasse they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I know that is not to bee found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the later and last of all set forth by special authority from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time The sixt Wound THus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondlie that they are of greater authority then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquity will neuer be ful and therfore she goeth one steppe higher in this impiety and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnlesse hee by his authority giue them strengthâ— they are not of credit nor necessary to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their words 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 decretal is in these words * Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23. de praesuÌ„ptionibus cap. 1. â—icâ—t Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentieth Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holie Scriptures are therefore of credit to be
was naught g Heskins in his parliament the next page after And what was she that saide this A vertuous Catholick gentlewoman saith Heskins and one that feared God h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor coÌ„mends that man and womanâ— for deâ—oâ—t and zealous papists who blasphemoâ—sly saide that the scriptures were naught not to be belieued and doth not reproue 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 Catholick woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did he not reproue the one nor the other but contrariwise coÌ„mends them both turnes it to the aduaÌ„tage of the Romish cause saith that hereby we may see what a perillous thing it is for lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaue hereby we may see what a filthy heart vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them doe not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songs of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to be in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I â—raue pardon of all Christian eares wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences anie thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith he is all that booke You haue heard how the Prouerbs were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and heere the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodlâ—e gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they hold also to be canonicall scripture some of them to be Salomons he saith that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest men would be ashamed to speake them and I also â—aith he would be ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapteâ—â— If the words be as immodest as he pretends they be then why do they hold such a booke to be Scripture And if they holde it to be Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to answere in the meane time I goe forward Not long after comes Hosiuâ— a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authority testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the word of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine heere is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allow the new Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pittifully this wound is healed Nay further if the â—ime present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne Writers we should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot be healed but this may be sufficient Therefore let vs go forward to another wound The seuenth Wounde THey taught the people in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that images were good lay mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the Scripture as vnfit for them and obscure and dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and commended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seuenth wound Images are good lay mens bookes Some three hundred yeeres ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time wel approued of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laie men p Lo heere how Images are associated and ioined with the Bible Search the Scripture saith Christ looke on them and on Images saith the Pope how readest thou saith Christ what â—eest thoâ— saith the Pope It is written saith Christ it is painted and grauen saith the Pope thy word saith Dauid is my light not the golden Cherubins but nowe saith Poperie euen in the new Testament The scriptures and Images are lay mens lights What a wrong is this to God and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the Reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiary of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and man câ— and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moralâ— theolog casuâ— noâ—sci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Lo here this doctor who beeing Penitentiary is by his place and calling to heale wounds and satisfie Consciences comming to touch this wound handled it so roughly that in steed of healing it he makes it sorer then it was For whereas Peraldus gaue Scripture so much honour as to be ioyned in commission with Images they 2. to be ioint teachers of the Laity Now comes the great Penitentiary is wel allowed by the Pope to leaue out the scripture as needlesse and to giue all the power to Images not onely to put men in minde but euen to cherish and increase faith and charity And certainly if Images can do so it is no maruell that Papists cast out the scriptures and in roome thereof doe
bring Images into the Churches But to make vp the measure of this iniquity Feuardent the famous Franciscan â—rier yet preaching at Paris and to whome Possevine wisheth a long life goeth one step further and to heale vp this wound perfectly teacheth this doctrine By sight and contemplation of Images the common and ignorant Laie men doe easily and in a short time learne those diuine mysteries miracles and workes which out of the holy books they shall verie hardly or not at all bee able to perceiue* Strange and fearefull doctrine of poperie Images are better and easier bookes for the laye people then be the scriptures Heere now is Popery growen to his ful ripenesse And marke the degrees how this wound hath beene made still deeper and wider First they taught the Scripture and Images together were good bookes for Lay men t Peraldus Then that Images without the scripture were to be accounted bookes for Lay men u Laelius Zecchius Now at last Images are readier and easier therefore better books for Layemen then be the scriptures x Feuardeâ—tius So then seeing this wound is so well healed let vs leaue it and search another The eightth wound IN former ages as superstition grew and religion decayed so Images began to be worshipped more more ceased not til at the last they came to this that euery Image was to bee worshipped with the same worship that was due to him whose Image it isâ— so that some three hundred yeares agoe or somwhat more it seemed by Aquinas to be their generall and receiued doctrine that 15 The eight wound That an Image of God or a Crucifix are to be worshipped as God and Christ that is with diuine worship An Image of Christ and the crosse wheron Christ died and a Crucifixe are all to bee worshipped with the same worship due to God and Christ Iesus that is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y Aquinas Summa par 3 quaest 25. arâ— 3 A fearefull doctrine maintaining horrible Idolatry for nothing but GOD may bee worshipped with diuine worshippe but they teach that those creatures may bee worshipped as God himselfe is that is with diuine worshippe therefore they make those creatures God and by this argument it is apparant that the present religion of the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous religion as long as this doctrine stands vnrepealed Let vs then see if this bee healed 16 The eight wound not healed but made vvider and deeper and deadlier euery day But alas it is so farre from being in any part reformeâ—â— that it is rather the generall and common receiued doctrine of al their approoued writers I wil not stand as I could to shew it successiuely through all ages since the daies of Aquinas til these times but spâ—ring that labour till better leasure I will referre the Reader to most of the elder Authors and insist onely on some fewe and those of the latest it beeing my speciall purpose at this time to shew that the Romish Babylon is euen now not healed of her deadliest wounds Which in this particular I will labour a little the more fully to demonstrate out of the moderne authors now extant and approued because this imputation is generally cast off with this answere It is not so it is but an ignorant or malitious â—lander for the Romish Church giues onely a certaine reuerence to holy Images but doth not worship them at all at least with no diuine worship And some of our owne profession are either so ignorant they know it not or so malitious they will not confesse it or else so hollow harted to vs and such secret friends to them they would not haue it discouered though it be so for my partâ— I pitie the Ignorant knowing my own weakenesse I care not for the malitious and I hate the hollownesse of all dissembling professors And therefore let others couer and conceale her shame and hide the Whore of Babilons filthineâ— as they wil I say for my selfe Let the tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I spare to discouer her skirts and lay open her filthinesse to the world that all men seeing her as she is may detest and forsake her Therfore in the words of truth and sobernesse I do heere offer to this honorable audâ—ence that I will willingly come to this place and recant it with shame if I proue not apparantly to the iudgement of euery reasonable man that this is the common and generall doctrine of the greatest number of their best approued authors that haue written in these latter daies namely That an image of God or a Crucifiâ—ce especiallie one made of the wood whereon Christ died or that Crosse it selfe are to bee worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with the worshippe due vnto God And first of all I will in this case spare Bellarmine a Vide Bellarminum to 2. lib. de Imag. sanctorum 2. capâ— 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. de Concil lib. 2. cap. 8. seeing hee as hauing some grace in him seemes somewhat ashamed of the matter and therfore playeth fast and loose and betwixt God and his conscience on the one side and the Pope and his allegeance to him on the other hee cannot tell what to say and therefore winding himselfe into a labyrinth of general and confused distinctions of per se per accidenâ— primariò secundariò propriè impropriè and such other which may serue for all purposes at last hee leaues the matter as doubtfull as he findes it yet must it bee confessed if he incline either way it is to the worse which by conference of his other writings I think he doth rather for feare or to please the Pope then out of his owne iudgement and conscience Therefore leauing him I begin with Gregorie de Valentia a Iesuite a Professor of diuinitie as Bellarmine is of his owne sect of his owne time and accounted by some papists more learned but approoued of all he writeth thus b Gregor de valent â—om 4. disp 1. quaest 24. punct 2. pag. 467. It is certaine that Images are to bee worshipped so as properly the worship shall râ—st in them not for themselues nor for the matter nor formes sake but for his sake they resemble in this seÌ„se they are to be worshipped so as they bee whome they resemble and therfore the Image of Christ as man is to be worshipped with the same worship due to Christ himselfe Hee cannot denie but manie learned of his own â—ide teach the contrary but hee reprooâ—es them all and embraceth this as the commoner and truer opinion and confirmes it and concludes it for truth Next to him I produce another Iesuite Gretserus of the same vniuersity and either successor or fellow to Gregory de Valentia in the same place and profession he who was chosen for the papists Champion in the famous disputation holden at Regensperg 1600 whome
much bragge of seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousand soules out of purgatorie in one yeare Certainely if these be true as they be written then granting that there is a purgatory it might soone be emptied But if it bee false fabulous and friuolous and hath no other end but to mock poore people and to suck 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 a few but euen all since Boniface the eight Thus we haue searched deep into a foule and filthy wound Now what remaines but to see if it bee healed yet or no. 20 The tenth wound not healed but groweth more desperate and deadly to this day But alas Babylon will not be healed for as they feared not to put these tricks vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe in the times of superstition so haue they presumed euen still in these daies of light to do the like And as the whoore is shamelesse in her sinne so is this whore of Babylon in her impiety for she hath not at all amended this enormity nor in any sort reformed it but rather lets it grow from bad to worse For euidence whereof let any man read Onuphrius Pauvinius z Vide Oauphrium Pauuinium de praecipuis vrbis Romae sanctioribus bâ—silicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo vocant Colon. 1584. passim who not past 24. yeares ago hath written with publike authority a booke to this very purpose of the seuen principal Churches of Rome and of the indulgences belonging to them wherin al that is deliuered before is auerred much more added some part whereof I would put downe saue for that it may be reserued to a further purpose and fitter opportunity And for better euidence that as yet 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 voyages of Seigneur Villamont a Les voyages du Sâ—â—de Villamont diuisez enâ—trois livies derniere edition reueuce augmeÌ„â—ee c. A. Arâ—as 1605. vide inter alia ibrum 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 he saith blessed by being partaker of all the indulgences thereto belonging hauing ascended those holie staires to euerie steppe whereof belong a thousand yeeres of pardon after all returning home at last much poorer but nothing wiser then hee went he wrote a book of his voyage and pilgrimage to Ierusalem and taking Rome in his way he describes at large the Indulgences granted of old and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome Which book being written in French whosoeuer list to reade will soon confesse that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed The eleuenth Wounde ANd heerunto I will adde another wound because it is so neer to this in popish consangâ—inity 21 The eleueÌ„th wound Granting of Indulgences thousands of yeares and deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory to Beades Medals Crosses Pictures such like toyes being blessed hallowed by the Popes holy hands The wiser sort of Popes the rest of the craftier polititians in that hierarchie perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth many of them being so far distant could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome therfore lest they should lose their traffick into those parts they deuised a way that seeing a greate part of the world could not come to Rome Rome should send to them To which end out of his bounty and spirituall liberality for the incredible good of mens soules the Pope ordained that certaine Crucifixes and Medalls and Agnus dei b The principall of all these toyes iâ— the Agnus dei which euery one may not make but onely the Pope not he alwaies but onely at Eâ—â—â—â—nor at euery Easter but the first next his entrance and euery seauenth Easter after nor of any matteâ— â—â—â—in any manner but precisely of such simples with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that purpose which together with the prayers or rather coniurations then to be vsed are to be seene in the booke called Caeremoniale poÌ„tif lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke let him looke in the Commentaries of Peter Mathew vppon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit the 1. and holy Beades and other such â—ewels should bee first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse and haue all the holinesse powred vpon them that hee can spare and further should haue annexed vnto them all those mighty Indulgences or the like that are graunted vnto the Churches stations at Rome and by this meanes they could sell an Agnus dei that is a little peece of white waxâ— or a Crucifixe of a little metall it may be brasse or copper such as the Iesuites of late sent into England by thousands at once as good inough to serue the English Catholickes or a little medal or a little beade or bugle or other matter of no more value these toyes and trinkets I say they can sell by this meanes and euery daie doe vtter at a higher rate then the Ieweller can his pearles or his diamonds Thus did not only the former Popes gull the people of elder ages in those times of ignorance making them beleeue that these toyes so hallowed and blessed by them were of such vertue as Christs bloud it selfe could be of no more as one of them sending an Agnus dei to an Emperour shamed not to write to him that This Agnus dei breakes off sinnes euen as the bloud of Christ But euen in these times of light and knowledge these owles dare still flie abrdade and euen of late nay euery yeere the Pope shameth not to sette his trumperies to sale annexing vnto theÌ„ such large and liberall Indulgences as Christs owne bloud can haue no more 22 The eleuenth wound not healed I could insist vpon late and notorious examples practised euen at home and vpon our owne Nation but I spare them at this time because the proofs thereof tho neuer so certaine to vs are not so authenticall to theÌ„ as bee these two examples I shal now produce one of them touching Poland the other France For Poland Not many yeares agoe 22 The eleuenth wound not healed Pope Clement the eight granted as followeth as is to bee seene in printed coppies d Vide libiuÌ„ inscriptum Eâ—uangelâ—um â—omanum edit anno 1600. Indulgences graunted by the Holinesse of our most Holy Father Pope Clement the eight At The Instance of the most Illustrious and most reuerend Lord Cardinall Radziuillius Bishop of Cracowe and Legate in Polande Vnto Certaine Holy Beades Crosses Medals and Images 1. Whosoeuer hauing one of these holie beades
great Cardinall * This Cardinall was Iohannes de turre cremata as appears in the prefaces before the booke of the Reuelations of S. Brigit and other Commissioners approue and after suffred to be published to the world a booke in latine called The Reuelations of Saint Brigite Where it is dogmatically deliuered as a matter without question That Pope Gregory by his prayers lifted the heathen Emperour Traiane out of hell and another long afore whom 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 mercie and pardon to Traiane but see that thou hereafter offer me no sacrifice for an vngodly man h 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 not for ought that is reuealed euer vvill doe Heer is a foule wound but is this healed vp No 4 The 2. wound not healed this booke stands allowed by the the Pope and in his Catalogue of the bookes which hee forbids to bee read a Vide Indicē 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 graunts b Posseuinus loco citato not two yeares agoe not onely the booke stands vncondemned but this foule blasphemie vncontrolled and to shewe that the head of Babylon namely the Pope is incurable let it be obserued that tho many particular learned Papists c Mel. Canus lib. 11. c. 2. Bellar de Purgat lib. 2. cap. 8. Blas Vieg in Apoc. c. 6. comment 3. sect 3. Baronius annal circa temp Traianj haue misliked and condemned it as farre as in them lyeth yet to this daie was it neuer condemned not the booke forbidden or amended by the Pope so vnwilling is Babylon to bee healed of her wounds Yea the Pope is so farre from healing it that contrariwise he suffred a Spanish Dominican Frier to defend it and that not in word but writing not priuatly but openly not in a corner of the World but to come to Rome within these fewe yeares and there euen to write and publish vnder his nose and by his authority and apology of this blasphemous fable ◠endeuouring to proue it by many arguments that Gregory did deliuer Traian out of hell d Alphonsus Ciaconus Thus tho it containe neuer so great an impietie against God yet because it tends to the magnifying of the Popes power and prerogatiue let as manie learned men as will speak against it it shall stand and be mayntayned so true it is that Babylon will not be healed of her deadliest woundes And wonder not tho I call them deadly for consider of these consequences The Pope deliuered a soule out of hell Therfore he did that which God neuer did Againe therfore there may be redemption out of hel Again therefore the Popes prayers did that which Christs prayers neuer did againe Christ sayth I pray not for the world * Ioh. 17. The world that is for the wicked damned the Pope sayth but I do Ergo the Popes pittie and charitie is more then Christs Alas alas is Rome the holy Church and sees not these blemishes Is she the liuing Church and feels not these wounds nay rather is she not that Babylon that will not be healed But to conclude all this is the worse because hee hath razed out many sentences and passages out of many Authors wherein he thought himselfe and his seat to be wronged * Ludou viues Ferus Erasmus Stella Oleaster Espencaeus and infinite others but this that so highly dishonoreth God himself he can patiently suffer but had he been as zealous of Gods glory as carefull of his own then he that forbids Espencaeus his commentaries on Titus til they be purged and the book called Onus Ecclesiae absolutely without any limitatiō because they touch his freehold too neere would also haue forbidden the Reuelation of S. Bridgit til this foule blasphemie had beene purged out which seeing he hath so carelesly and wilfully neglected tho his Catalogue of forbidden bookes hath so often been renued * It was first made by Pius 4. and so since cōtinued renued augmented till Clement the 8. it appears what an vnworthy Vicar of God hee is who looks only to himself but suffers his master to be dishonored before his face Therefore Arise O Lord maintaine thine owne cause Well then seeing this wound is incurable let vs leaue it rankling and come to another The third Wounde SOme 120. yeares agoe an Italian Frier wittie and learned as the most in those dayes a principall Preacher and as famous in his time as Mussus or Panegirola in these latter by name Bernardinus de busto * Bernard de busto Marial par 3. ser. 3. pa◠96. editionis Lugd. anni 517 preached this doctrine publikely after wrote it and sent it to Alexander the 6. and vnder his name published it That God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgin Marie 5 The 3. wound God hath diuided his kingdom with the Virgine Mary And that a man may appeale from Gods iustice to the mercy of the Virgin Mary because God hath kept iustice to himself but committed his mercy to his Mother ◠The impiety is so execrable seems so incredible that I will put downe the words out of the booke it selfe as it was dedicated to the Pope A man may appeale to the Virgin Mary not only from a Tyrant and from the diuell but euen from God himself Namely when he feels himself grieued or oppressed of Gods iustice which was signified in the 5. of Ester where it is sayde that when king Assuerus was angry at the Iewes Queene Ester came in to please pacify him to whom the king answered whatsoeuer thou askest me tho it be the half of my kingdom I wil giue it thee Now this Empress prefigured the Empress of heauen with whome God hath diuided his kingdom For whereas God hath iustice mercy He hath reserued Iustice to himself to be exercised in this world and hath granted mercy to his Mother therfore if any man finde himselfe agrieued in the court of Gods Iustice let him appeal to the Court of the mercy of his mother What is this we heare do there lie appeales from God and from God to a creature Is Gods iustice such as a man may iustly be agrieued at it further is Gods kingdom diuisible and hath God indeed diuided his kingdome and diuided it with a creature yea with a woman and hath God granted his mercy from himself to a creature we may say with the Prophet Oh heauens be astonied at this and let all Christian hearts tremble to heare such blasphemies and yet these be good doctrines in
Gods the other a Chancery a Court of Mercy 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 diuinity Can Gods iudgements be vniust or his proceedings erroneous and vnequall If they bee not then why do they talke of appealing to a higher Court For why doe Writs of error lie from one Court to another but that it is presupposed that they may erre and why is there a Chauncery but that the rigour and extremitie of the Lawe maie bee mitigated But if the Scripture saie true in the text Righteous art thou O Lord and iust in thy iudgements a Psal. 119 137 Then this is blasphemie of a high nature that there needes a Chancerie to rectifie his proceedings and mitigate his iudgements But as for this doctrine that the Chauncerie or Court of mercie is not Gods but his Mothers and that therefore Gods iudgements are to be mitigated by another and therefore that she and her Court are in this respect aboue God and his Court These blasphemies are so execrable and odious to Christian eares that I hope ther is not a papist in this kingdome that professeth to know and serue God but his heart hates them and all that hold them Against all this what can bee obiected but this that he being a priuate man spake wrot out of his priuate iudgement but this is not the generall doctrine of their teachers not their Church I answere If none in the world taught this but this one Frier yet how many soeuer knowing it do approue commend or defend it or if they do not reproue condemne it it is iustly to bee called their doctrine and by the lawe both of God man it is their sin as well as his For by the lawe of Accessaries he that anie waie approues or knowing it and hauing a calling to it reproues not a sinne makes himselfe guilty of the sinne but the Romish Church that is the Pope knoweth this hainous blasphemie and sayth that he hath authority to condemne all such therefore hauing not done so but contrariwise approuing it is guiltie of it Shewe me then that Pope Bishop or Inquisitour that hath condemned this blasphemie or this book for it I produce a Pope that allowed it namely Alexander the sixt who suffered it to passe vnder his name to the view and reading of the world let them bring one Pope since that hath condemned it or shewe one writer not reproued by them that euer reproued it or not condemned by them that euer condemned this blasphemie if they doe not this then it is apparant that in this wound Babylon is not yet healed But for better euidence that she lies rotting in this her filthinesse and incurable in this wound 6 The third wound not healed Posseuine the Iesuite their great and allowed Censor of al Authors giues his publike censure of this booke to bee Sermons of the excellency of the Queene of heauen and full of learning and godlinesse And this his censure no man that knoweth the present state of their religion can deny but that it is the censure of their Church and ought so to bee reputed for that worke of Posseuines was attempted continued and finished and printed and reprinted with as publick generall allowance as any thing can be And yet for better euidence that she is not healed nor reformed at all let it be obserued thaâ— this book is of so much estimation amongst them that it hath diuers times beene reprinted since Bernardine the Author set it out as namely in my knowledge once at Brixia in Italie almost twenty yeares agoe in three volumes corrected and amended as they pretende But that this impious doctrine is not amended I will make it euident for of late euen this present yeare this booke and all his other works were again printed at Colein in Germany in three volumes which when I perceiued out of the last Catalogue I could not rest till I had obtained this new impression from Coleine hoping that now at last they had for shame righted this cause of God and razed out that hainous blasphemie but hauing perused it I see to my griefe that they will not be healed for there the very same words and doctrine stand vnreprooued vncontrolled vnaltered nay not so much as hauing a Marginal note to explaine them but they are let to passe as good holy and Catholicke Romish doctrine And that this is true I here pawne my credit to this honorable assemblie and will be ready to iustifie it to anie desirous to be informed in the particulars by shewing the books themselues both new and old Which being so I hope no man wil denie but that it is apparant she is not healed And yet for the better satisfaction of all men that as she is not yet so shee purposeth neuer more to bee healed nor to reform any thing and that this is not the priuate opinion of that or any other one doctor I desire al that loue the truth to take knowledge that of late within these seuen yeeres an Italian doctor a Iesuite and an approoued writer writing a story of the miracles of our Lady of Loretto teacheth euen the same doctrine and makes no bones to bluster out almost the very same words which for better assurance I will put down The Virgin Mary both wil and can is both willing able to deliuer such as be compassed about with dangers on all sides and to heape vpon them all good blessings for Almighty God as farre as it is lawfull hath made his Mother fellow and partaker of his divine power and Maiesty c. See heere the new and refined diuinity of the Iesuites what is this but the same with that afore for if she be made partaker and fellow with God in his diuine power and Maiesty it is no maruell that God hath committed his mercy to her and if from these words we looke into the body of the booke we shall find hee ascribes such works and miracles to her as can belong to none but to him or her that is a fellow with God or rather God himselfe And as for this clause as far as it is lawfull is a strange word to be spoken of God for what can be vnlawful to God that is good whose will is the holiest law If therefore it be good to make a creature fellow with him in his deity it must needes bee lawfull and so the clause is idle If it be not good but impious and contrary to the nature of God then to think it any way lawfull or possible to be done is no losse then to think it any way lawful for God to lie or sin or denie himselfe so that take it any way this limitation of the Iesuite both grossely aâ—useth the Reader and containeth horrible impiety against God So far is it from
beleeued because they are allowed and authorised by the Pope being so by him authorised they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had beene the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessity of beeing beleeued or it bindeth as strongly as if it had been pronounced or vttered by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestow or impart our authority The high holy God that is the Author of the holie Scriptures be mercifull vnto vs in hauing any thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not any way communicate with their sins noâ— haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impiety and Atheisme that lyeth in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but being 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 trueth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men think when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Vicar and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authority as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approue and iustifie himselfe and all his wordes and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament do therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them What I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their profession a plain Atheist that holds the Scripture all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour and serueth his turnes And if any of his faction hold 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 Author of the olde Testament or no 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake as they were inspired of the holie Ghost If he be then the Prouerbs of Salomon being a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of the 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 Obserue that the words of the Text are not the words of the Pope A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that gods word if it bee authorized by the Pope is theÌ„ of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to Canonize it then it is notâ— So that either Gods word must bâ—e beholden to the Pope for the authority of it or else it hath none but of God but because these words of God are heer canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit worthy to be beleeued as well as if they had ben spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinity fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mintâ— Let the words be examined and see what can follow of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to bee Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheism or else if he hold them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authority to binde mens conscience till the Pope do canonize them and that Gods word in a booke knowne receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authority 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 decretallsâ— as containing 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 be with open confession and detestation of the fault it is wel But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in al other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authority and allowance condeÌ„ned or reproued this Atheisme if they know 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 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 waie home to Christ printed at â—oÌ„don 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 Cardinall Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is said to haue affirmed that The written word of God is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicum And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euidence of Scripture boldly answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quils do not tie vs e Noâ— penâ—is illis â—nâ—eri â—is minime suâ—â—â—â— alligati I will not affirme both these two vpon mine owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disprooued them But that that followeth I speake vpon knowledge A little after a great English Papist pretending to summon a parliament for poperie in his booke so called tells a story of one whome hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diâ—â—â—â—ty in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1â—66â— in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnesse that this hee 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 grauity of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure he giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a litle after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a booke that papists holde to be Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee answered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it She would no more beleeue the Scripture for it
Posseuine the Iesuite calls the very hammer of heretikes Thus he writeth Thus we haue taught that the Crosse is to be worshipped But now with what kinde of worship is it to bee worshipped We answere and affirme according to the more common opinion more receiued in schooles that the Crosse and all images and signes of the Crosse are to be worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with diuine worship Can anie speake more plainely then both these doe Now these bee Iesuites and to these two I could adde more but let vs see what their Summists and Casuists saie to this matter which are the more to bee regarded because they pretende to write such resolutions as may settle vnquiet and doubting consciences If therefore any poore Papist aske the Romish Confessors and Casuists How farre may I worship a Crosse and with what kind of worship hearken how they answere And to let one speake for all Iaâ—obus de Graffijs a Monke of greate name and Graund Peâ—itentiarie at Naples writing as hee calls them his Golden decisions of cases of conscience some 3. yeares ago answereth thus g Iaâ— de graff decis aur caâ— cons. tom 1. lib 2. câ—p 2 art 3. Holy Images considered as they be pieces of wood or metall or some such things are to haue no honor giuen them but in them another matter is lookt at namely the image of him whom they resemble and not the matter whereof they are made in which respect looke what reuerence or worship is due to him whose Image it is the very same by good right is to be bestowed on the image And to speake more fully and plainly if it be possible a little after he addeth The first Commandement commaunds that wee worship euery Image with the same worship as we doe him whose Image it is for example that wee giue latria that is diuine worship to the Image of God and of Christ and euen to the signe of the Crosse in as much as it brings to our mind the passion of Christâ— and hyper dulâ—â— to the image of the blessed Virgin and Dulia to the Images of the Saints How now is not Babylon well healed What can be said against this that these be priuate men no they be publick professors and their bookes allowed with at great authority as can bee But will you haue that that is of souereigne authority and that may not bee questioned Then looke in their publicke Liturgy which is of more credit account then a 100. Doctors and there you shall finde the crosse saluted and praied vnto in these words h Vide Breular Rom. paâ— hyemal in fine Ara Crucis lampas lucis vera saluâ—â—hominum nobis pronum fac patronum quem tulisâ—i dominum Salue lignum vitae dignum ferre mundi pretiumâ— Conserâ—sti plebi Christi crucis bene â—icium Thou altar of the crosse thou lamp of light thou true saluation of men make thou that Lord whom thou didst bear a louing merciful Patron to vs. Alâ—â—ail thou wood of life thou that wert worthy to cary the price of the world do thou bestow vpon this congregation of Christ the fruit and benefit of his passion Oh admirable doctrine First heere is a prayer to the Crosse it selfe but of that heerafter theÌ„ the Crosse is made a mediator to Christ for vs. And surely we shal lesse wonder heereafter that they make Saints Mediatours to Christ seeing heere they shame not to send the wodden crosse to him to make intercession for them but as for that where they giue a power to the Crosse to procure Christ to be good vnto vs how it can bee spoken without Atheistical blasphemie let them answere that made it Further obserue how the Crosse is said to haue deserued to beare Christ surely no maruell tho Saints can moriâ— when a peece of wood can merit at Gods hands Lastly let all reasonable men iudge what the Romish Church holds of Christs death seeing they praie to a wodden Crosse to bestow the fruite and benefit of it vpon them But sure will some say this is healed I wil not deny but that in some of their new and later Breuiaries this is left out but thereunto I answere First that it is not cured bue couered for to the healing of a spirituall wounde there needes confession and publique satisfaction to the Church offended by the fault but heere is no confession of any fault nor euill in these words to the Crosse only they be cunningly kept out in the newer bookes so that they are ashamed of them and yet haue not the grace to confesse it and therefore will leaue it out and yet shew no cause why Now if it be naughtt why do they not say so and therfore put it out if it be good why do they put it out So then it may be couered but is not cured Secondly I answer that though they haue left out that yet they haue kept in as bad or worseâ— for euen in their newest editions and as they say most reformed there is this prayer to the Crosse i Breuiaâ—ium Rom. autoâ—itate Concil Trident suÌ„moâ—um pontificuÌ„ Pij 5. al. restituâ—um edituÌ„ Sabâ—ato infra hebdomadam passionis in Hymno pag. 302 editionis in 4. O Crux aue spes vnica hoc passionis tempore augepijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam All haile ô Crosse our onely hope wee pray thee in this holy time of Lent increase iustice or righteousnesse in godly men and grant pardon to the guiltie Heer the very wodden Crosse is called vpon praied vnto to do that which Christ himselfe could neuer haue done if he had not ben God Some wil say Surely they speake to Christ howsoeuer the words seeme to be spoken to the Crosse I answere if they direct their hearts to Christ why then direct they the words to the Crosse Verily Christ is worthy of both as well as one But I answere further it is a cleere case that they make and direct this prayer not to Christ but to the very Crosse it selfe else loâ— Aquinas bee Iudge who makes this argument k Aquinas summae par 3. q 25. art 4. That is to be worshipped with diuine worship wherin wee put and place the hope of our saluation but wee place the hope of our saluation in the Crosse that Christ dyed on for thus sings the Church and theÌ„ he alleageth this place these words All haile ô Crosse our onely hope in this time of Lent do thou increase righteousnesse in holie men and graunt pardon to sinners therefore the Crosse is to bee worshipped with diuine worship These be his owne very words and are spoken of the Crosse and not of Christ as any man may see that will but looke on the booke it selfe for the question in generall beeing concerning the adoration of Christ hee diuides the generall into sixe particular questions which are these 1. Whether Christs humanity be
gone Brother wolfe liueth in the towne takes his meate at the dores and went vp down the streetes and tooke his meate from door to doore hurting no man was wel and daintily fed there was neuer so much as a dog that barked at him And at last after 2. yeares Brother Wolfe Brother wolfe dieth is lamented being striken in yeares dyed for whose death the Citizens did verie much lament Heere is a miracle worth the marking Now let all Huguenots and Heretikes shew such a miracle in their religion no no they neuer can doe it And no maruell for Iesus Christ who is the King 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 Iesuty dicè 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 be saide to all this are not these wide and wofull wounds Ierem. 7. 12â— Oh! but they are healed I maie answer as the Prophet doth Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed 18 The ninth wound not healed For whereas this booke was written aboue two hundred yeeres agoe by Bartholomeusâ— Pisanus a Franciscan Frier it was then not only suffred to passe to publique view 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 new edition iâ— at Bononie in Italie 1590. is dedicated to a Cardinall in this edition is al that I haue alleadged and haue not taken out nor reformed one worde of all these euilles nor of manie more which doe so directly disgrace the merits of Christ Iesus onelie 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 new bookes who will and he shall find this to be true wherefore the conclusion is that this wound is farre from being healed Let vs then go forward and see if we can find one wound healed in the Romane Church The tenth Wound TWo or three hundred yeares agoe 19 The tenth wound The Pope may giue Indulgences for 20000. yeers grant men power to redeeme soules out of Purgatorie the Popes indulgences did growe to that height of rotten ripenesse that all men of vnderstanding euen of his owne brood were ashamed of it and many a one of the wiser sort euen in these mystie times did see laugh at the nakednesse of Poperie in that point the excesse whereof grew 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 hundred yeares agoe and another not much differing from it some 130. yeares ago printed at Rome containing a catalogue only of those Indulgences belonging to the parish Churches of Rome amongst which they say are 7. principall let vs but consider of some few y He that waÌ„ts this book let him look in Hospinian de Templis lib. 2. c. 28. pag. 348. editonis Tiâ—ur 603. where he shâ—ll finde both mention of the booke a particular recitall of a great part of it In the Laterane Church it is granted thus by Pope Boniface If any Pilgrime come for deuotion to this Church he shall be absolued from all his sinnes And in the Chappel there called sanctum sanctorum there is full and true remission of all sinne â— And one day in the yeare which is the day of the dedication of the Church there is full remission of all sinnes both a poena culpa and this Indulgence is so certaine saith the booke that when the Pope first pronounced it the Angells in the hearing of all the people said Amen Angels say Amen to the Popes indulgences but they shold first proue that God saith AmeÌ„ to them for else the Angels will not vnlesse it be the euill Angels 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 al sinnes both à poena culpa dying in that state cannot bee damned And certainely hee that for the obtaining thereof will not take the pains to visite that Church one day in a yeer is not worthy of saluation In Saint Peters Church there 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 yeeres and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters staires hath for euery step seuen yeeres of pardon Surely purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the worlde in hand if going vp two and twenty-steppes may purchase releasement of a hundred fifty yeeres thereof And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to bee in Purgatorie one day except hee will XXij thousand yeers of pardoÌ„ graÌ„ted for going vp 2â— steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist neede to come in purgatory For for going vp twenty two steppes with deuotion he may be released out of Purgatory for two and twenty thousand yeeres and I hope they do not think the World will last so long and Purgatory they say ends with the World Further Three doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoeuer goeth through them shall bee as free from sinne as when he was newly baptized whosoeuer will go through the 3. doores of the Laterane Church shal be as free from al his sins as hee was the houre hee was baptized Likewise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church there bee xiiii thousand yeeres of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Lawrence whosoeuer visiteth that Church euery Thursday for a yeere and sits vpon the stone wheron Saint Lawrence was broiled Oh what a great power the Pope hath who can giue power to another so easily to deliuer soules out of purgatory shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatory And in the Church of saint Iohn at the gate called Porta Latina a man either by saying a Masse or causing it to bee said may deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie Are these true How easie purgatory might be emptied by Popish doctrine then why is there one soule left in purgatory or else where is the charity of the Papistes which they so
c. shall say ouer the Rosarie being confessed or hauing a purpose to confesse once a month shall for euery time hee doth so obtaine v. yeares of pardon 2. But if hee doe euery day after examination of his Conscience say three Pater nosters and three Aue Maries c. shall haue ten yeeres 3. But if hee vse euerie daie to saie ouer the Psalter of our Lady shall for euerie Saturday weekelie obtaine a hundred yeeres 4. Hee that shal thrice in a weeke say ouer the Rosary of our Lady and confesse and communicate and pray shall obtaine a plenarie that is a ful remission of all all sins 5. And whosoeuer in the houre and point of death shall but say in his heart when hee cannot speake with his tongue the name Iesus shall haue a plenarie and full forgiuenes of all his sins prouided that he haue one of these blessed holy Beads Medals Crucifixes or Pictures * All these Indulgences may bee procured and obtained by hauing either about a man or lying before him one or more of these holy Medalles Crosses Beades or Images and obseruing what is afore appointed and his Holinesses will is that they shall be of force to all kinde of men and in euery place Printed at Rome by the Printer of his Holinesses priuie Chamber Paulus Bladus 1592. Lo here how Babylon is healed If a man at the point of death canne in his minde but thinke of Iesus hee shall haue full forgiuenesse of all his sinnes if hee haue one of these holy Crosses or Beades about him And is this the Diuinitie of the Romish Church is this procured by a Cardinall graunted by the Pope then answere mee but one worde Shall the thinking or naming of Iesus without true faith and repentance saue him tho hee haue a hundreth of these holie Graines about him or if he doo truely repent and beleeue in CHRIST though he haue not one of these shall hee not bee saued If those both be true as who dare denie them then phie vpon these Impostors and deceiuers who by these their Atheisticall mockeries expose religion to all contempt and these thinges beeing so common notorious no maruell tho Italie where these are riâ—est be so full of Atheists Concerning France Of late yeeres Peroun the French Cardinall hauing made a costly Iorney to Rome comming home procured of the Pope for the bearing of his charges to bee the bearer of certaine hallowed holy matters consecrated and blessed by the Pope in such a fashion as if that were true the Pope saith he were more then madde that would not as the wise Merchant sell all he hath to buie one of them d Indulgences graunted by the Holinesse of our most Holy Father Pope Clement the eight Vnto Holy Beades Rosaries Crosses Crucifixes Medals and Images being hallowed and blessed by his owne holie hands At the Instance of the Reuerende Father and Lord Iames Dauie Bishop of Eureux Counsellor to the King in his Councell of Estate and also of his priuate Counsell and principall Almoner to his Maiestie 1. 1. A hundreth yeares of pardon at an easie rate * Whosoeuer hauing one of these beades c. shall do any worke of mercy corporall or spiritual or heare a Masse or a Sermon or shall but doe reuerence to the Sacrament or to a Crosse or to a holy Image shall obtaine a hundreth yeares of pardon See what a bountiful father the Pope is Who would offer lesse for a hundreth yeares surelie hee that wil not do thus much he is worthy to lye and fry in purgatorie 2. Whosoeuer shall confesse communicate or being a Priest shall besides his masse say deuoutely one Pater noster or one Aue Mary for the Catholick Church or for the holy Father or for the King of France or for the peace of France or for the conuersion of Heretikes or other sinners shal haue for euery time he doth this a plenarie indulgence and remission of al his sins so as he haue about him one of these holy beades grains or Crucifixes And what if one want all these trumperies shal he not haue forgiuenesse if he do truly beleeue and repent Oh when wil Babylon be ashamed of such abhomination 3. Whosoeuer shall kisse one of these beads c. with deuotion shal haue for euery time he doth so ten yeares of pardon 4. Whosoeuer hath one of them about him and praieth for the successe of the Catholick Romish religion or for the K. of France shall be so oft as he doth so partaker of al the Sacrifices Prayers Fasts and other good workes done in any Abby as well as if he were a particular member of the same society 5. Hee that hath one of these about him if hee bee in danger of death or in the battel or in any place where he cannot go to confession and shall with contritioÌ„ but repeate these words Lord Iesus receiue my spirit or name the holy name Iesus shal haue forgiuenesse of all his sinnes and be discharged both à poena à culpa * His holinesse graunts that these indulgences shall be good for all men and in all places but conditionally that those that be not French-men shal pray for the King and Realme of France Except alwaies the holie Beades for those are limited to belong onely to France and to bee good to none but onely French men Imprinted at Rome with licence c. I haue named some but not all look for the rest in the book but in them all let it be obserued that there is not the least mention of faith in Christ nor once so much as the name of it nor any relation to Christ nor his holy merits No these are well if they may be vnderstood and yet these men if they be not Atheists doe knowe that all these their large promises are but winde and their Indulgences but fome and froth if there be not liuely faith and true repentance and if these bee in a man then let vs see that Pope Cardinall or other Papist who dare say that hee shal not haue full remission that neuer saw nor touched one of their blessed beades nor hallowed Graines Thus we see how farre Babylon is from being healed in this point The twelfth and last wound concerning the first Table shal be coÌ„cerning the Sacraments both which are horribly peruerted profaned by Romish doctrine and practice The twelfth wound FIrst 23 The 13. wound The popish Church baptizeth Belles Baptisme is profanely applied not to reasonable creatures onelie men and women according to the Institution e Mat. 28. 19. but euen to an vnreasonable dead creature For example they vse to baptize bels in most points so as Christians do children in som points with much more ceremony and solemnity Bellarmin is ashamed of it would willingly hide and couer it tho he cannot cure it but if hee were not a Cardinal a Iesuite he would be
bee much more cleane and pure then afore al manner of filthy gaines are accepted and taken how vile so euer they be and whencesoeuer they come Thus all gaine is sweete al rent welcome to the Pope tho it come froÌ„ whores so true a frend to stews and whores is the whore of Babylon But wil some say this might be so in the elder times that were of more liberty because al was quiet but now since Luther rose the Church hath bin wakened by heretikes this wound is healed No this wound is not healed as I will proue by their late and moderne writers 30 The 14. wouÌ„d not healed for the Romish religion doctrine and practise tolerate stewes still Nauarrus one of their greatest Canonists of this last age one whom the popes held worthy to bee cald to Rome for his continual aduise direction m Martinus Azpâ—l Nauar. Hisp. Iuris canonici scieÌ„tis idemque theolog insignis c. Haec Possâ—â— in apparatu sac tom 2. lit M. deals very plainly in this matter and saith that n Nau ManuaÌ„l c. 17. nu 195. It is lawful for the magistrate to permit whores and stewes to be in some conuenient part of the city And in some places he saith that patroÌ„s officers are appointed for them and houses are let rented to them deerer then to honest women And hee confeâ—â—eth that in Rome houses are daylie let out to whoors the Pope both seeing it suffring it and that of long time it hath been so And that the confessors do absolue and so haue euer done those Land-lords so disposing of their houses to whores yea thogh they haue no purpose to abstain from letting them to these vile persons See heere a peece of spanish deuotion modesty Surely no maruell though this man were sent for from Spain to Rome for it seemes by this doctrin he was for the Popes tooth much more for his Cardinalls Alphonsus Viualdus another learned Spaniarde wrote a booke of matters of conscience not long agoe of so greate account amongst them that they call it the golden Candlesticke It hath been often printed and within these 7. yeares was by the popes speciall commission purged and reprinted hee writes thus o Martinus Alphonsus Vivaldus the olâ— Iuris canon professor poenitentiarius maior c. In Candelabro aureo tit de Confessione numero 60. First he makes a question whether in the yeerly excommunication pronouÌ„ced by the Bishop against theÌ„ that do not confess communicate whores in the stewes be comprehended or no and hee resolueth that they be not tho they neither confesse nor do communicate and giues his reasons 1. For that whores in the Romish Church be neuer published nor denounced excommunicate 2. No man refuseth their companie notwithstanding that yeerely excommunication and concludeth further that though one continue a whore for twentie yeeres long yet doth shee not incurre the Censâ—ures of the Romish Church Oh excellent doctrine and fit for the Romish Church but al this wil some say is salued by this that followeth Nay coÌ„trariwise say I the wound is made worse by the craft of that that followeth obserue the subtilty and iniquity of Romish teachers for this is done saith hee in detestation of their ill life the Church doth so detest their manner of life that shee will not thinke them worthy of her censures oh notable shift are they too bad to be punished and not too bad to be suffered doth the Romish Clergy think them so vile that way yet allow them see the iniquity filthines of this religion Thus its apparant by the great Confessor Viualdus that the Romish Church excommunicats not common whoores nor them that go to them another as greate a Clark as himselfe saith it is the common opinion p lac de Graffijs tom 1. lib 1 cap 9. art 8. 9. But yet to shew better that this wound is not healed harke a little what the grand penitentiary Iacobus de Graffijs saith q Iacobus de Graffiis decisaur cas cons. tom 1. lib. 2. cap. 75. art 3. et 4. pag 348. But if fornication be a sinne then why doth the Church her â—elfe permit stewes consequently fornication which is a mortall sinne I answer saith he that the Church sometime tolerateth a lesse euill present that she may auoide a greater euil to come that is probable to fall out and this hee proues out of the Canon law and so concludes that the Church doth tolerate stewes and whores to auoide greater sinnes not approuing the sinne of fornication but by conniuence or dissimulation tolerates it that so shee may restraine and keepe yoong men from adulteries incests and other crimes of that kind then he goeth further to proue his conclusion which he doth out of the practise of heathen lawgiuers by the ciuile law would proue it out of the Fathers and then to make vp the measure of his iniquitie he addeth that the law doth so far foorth tolerate fornications in stewes that it takes order to compell the whoores to refuse no man if he offer her her pay the words are too bad to be repeated in english And to shew that he is a true child of that Babylon that wil neuer be healed that hee is as gracelesse in this point as his mother afterward in his 2. tome which he put out in his more mature yeeres he hath againe the same doctrine in as ill or worse words r Idem Graffius ibid. tom 2. li. 3. c. 28. art 36. And to conclude the better to encourage women to be whores and the better to please their carnall wicked mindes Cardinall Tollet a Iesuite out of his Iesuitical modesty and his Cardinallike respect to the stewes deliuers this doctrine s FraÌ„ Tolletus Ies. Cardinall Instructio sacerdotum lib. 5. cap. 17. art 3 That Whores taking money of men for their sin be they maried or vnmaried tho it be neuer somuch aboue their due are not bound to restore any of it againe if it be once giuen them and giues a reason for it because saith hee this action is not against iustice c. Certainly the stewes are much beholden to Cardinal Tollet for this doctrine but what Iustice modesty and the Church and the truth and God himselfe do owe him for it hee feeles afore this time except he repented t Obijt Tolletus Romae 1596 Thus it is the present doctrin of the Romish Church that she alloweth stewes by publick toleration to auoide greater euills and censureth not the whores for it nay ties them by a lawe to refuse no man and tyes men by a law to pay the hire and for this ende allowes them Courts Iudges and Officers and takes part of the benefit arising Now that their practice is according to this doctrine I appeale to all that haue trauelled in those parts where poperie reigneth as
Christians from such vowes But that this true I say let Bellarmine iudge o Bellarâ— ibid She that marrieth after a simple vow in some sort sinneth more grieuously then shee that commits fornication because marke his reason shee that marrieth makes her selfe vnable to keep her vow which shee doth not that commits fornication Thus it is plaine Poperie voweth against mariage not against whoredome adulterie nor fornication And thus three great Iesuites haue made good what Pighius taught and that more plainely and palpably then he did And to make vp a messe of Iesuites Posseuinus their grand Censor comming to giue his censure of Pighius p Posseuinus in Appar sac tom 1. lit A. findes many faults and errors in his bookes but as for this he hath nothing to say against it but passeth it ouer as good holy catholike Romish doctrine therefore seeing as Bellarmine said afore say we what we can they will not forsake nor amend this doctrine let them keepe it and let it bee one of the sweete flowers of the Popes Garland The seuenteenth Wound THe next woâ—nd is neere a-kin to this 35 The 17. wound Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keepe their whores vnder a yeerelie rent namely that their Chuch hauing alwaies forbidden mariage to their Clergy hath notwithstanding either tolerated and permitted them concubines or at least not punished it to reformation Thus was it complained of almost an hundred yeeres agoe by the Germane nation then being papists q Vide Centum grauamina Germanicae nationis grauamen 75. 91. In most places say they Bishops and their Officials do tolerate and suffer the Priests to haue concubines vnder paiment of a certain annual rent of money and further doe euen permit them to keepe their whores openly and haue them in their houses and to beget children of them c. Of these and certaine other grieuances one hundred in all the Germane nation complained to their Bishops and Clergie in their owne Diets or Parliaments held at home But hauing no redresse they went further and about the yeere 1522. complained to the Popes Legats and Nuntios at Noremberg who gaue them good wordes and promised they would make report thereof to his Holinesse and procure them a gratious answere But hauing long waited to no ende they published their grieuances and sent them to the Pope crauing with much humility audience redresse and reformation promising vpon that condition they would still and euer shew themselues dutifull and obedient children to the Pope and all whom he set ouer them but if they had no redresse they assured him they could not nor would endure them longer Heereupon the Pope not willing to venture the losse of so faire a childe as Germanie pacified them for a time with goodly promises But what reâ—ormation followed in whole or in any part the stories of those ages make it apparant But for the particular I haue in hand 36 The 17. wouÌ„d not healed for still in poperie to this day their Clergie are forbidden mariage but whores and coâ—cubines are not taken from them what notable reformation was wrought herein let a Bishop of their owneâ— Espencaeus as wise and learned as that age did yeeld let him I say deliuer for mee who fortie yeeres after writing of this matter saith r Espencaeus de Continentia lib. 2. cap. 7 pag 17â— In stead of pure and honest single life succeeded impure fornication and filthy keeping of concubines in such sort as neither can they be concealed for multitude nor seek they to be they are so shamelesse Nay of later times this tolerancie hath spread further insomuch as in some places both Clergy laity haue their whores permitted theÌ„ vnder a yeerly rent whereof saith he the Germane nation complained long agoe too truely and vpon too great cause But was not this wound healed and this abuse reformed vpon this complaint of Espencaeus A man might haue thought it would and the rather seeing he was a man of so great esteem in those daies not in France onely but euen in the Court of Rome s Espencaeus was in speciall fauor with Pope Paul the 4. insomuch as after much consultation had with him he found him so wise and learned a maÌ„ as hee had made him Cardinall if he had liued this is apparent in his bookes de Continent lib. 3. cap. 4. and in his coÌ„mentary on Titus cap. 1. pag. 91. But what amendment insued let himself tel vs in his Commentary vpon Titus which he wrote many yeeres after his former booke Our Bishops and Archdeacons c. in Poperie when they ride their visitations doe not so much punish the euil doers for which end the visitations were first ordained as rake vp siluer suck it both from laitie and Clergy vnder false fained preteÌ„ces of iurisdiction but it is most filthy of all that they suffer them to keepe their whores in their houses and haue children of them at a certain annual and yeerlie rent c. This is the healing and reformation wrought in those daies Oh but wil some say that is 40. yeares agoe sure it is better in these latter daies Indeed this enormitie was so generall and so scandalous that euen the Councell of Trent it selfe was ashamed and made great adoe for reformation of it t Vide CoÌ„cil Trâ—d â—esâ— 24. cap. 8. But what effect it tooke how they executed it and what is done in the matter let another Bishop of theirs tell vs who in these late daies scarce seuen yeeres agoe u Henricus Cuickius Rutemundensis Episcopus scripsit speculum concubinariorum Sacerdotum Monachorum ClericoruÌ„ Colon. 8599. found it to bee so common and shameless a sin al ouer all the low countries where Poperie reigned not onely in secular but euen in Monkes Friers and regular priests that hee writes a book against the sinne bitterly but iustly inueighing against it and shewing how dangerous and damnable a sinne it is and so much the more saith hee because it is so common and little regarded and so far are they from shaming with it that marke how it is healed they wil take their concubines and whores and carrie them vp and downe the countrie as men doe their wiues to feasts and meetings and challenge place and precedence for them as for honest Matrones And further freelie confesseth but with great griefe and shame that there bee very few in their Clergie free from this crime x Idem Cuickius in prae fatione eiusdem libri The eighteenth wound 37 The 18. wound Such priests as be contineÌ„t haue no whores yet must pay a yeerly rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will And no maruell though there bee but few of their Clergy that haue not concubines seeing they take that course they doe with them which is such as though they would inuite nay hire or rather presse
and prouoke men to the sinne For was it not also complained on at the same time by the Germanes that y Grauamiua 100. Ger. grau 91. Not onely those Priests that had their whores paid yeerly rent for it but eueÌ„ those that were coÌ„tinent and would haue no Concubines yet for al that must pay the rent for say they my Lorde the Bishop hath need of it and cause to imploy much money therefore pay you must and then bee it at your owne choice whether you wil haue a concubine or no. What is this but euen to try mens strengths and as it were to presse them to the sinne for hee that either by constitution is vnfit or out of morall honesty will not or out of conscience dare not keepe a concubine seing he must pay his rent as well as hee that doth will not this make him say to himselfe I see this is done by my superiours they haue more learning and knowledge then I I am to follow them may rather trust them then mine owne conceit and certainely if it were so great a sinne as I haue imagined it to be our Bishops would not take a yeerly rent to suffer it and if they would yet his Holinesse it being so old and so notorious a practise would haue reformed it long ere this Therefore seeing the case stands thus and that I must and doo pay doubtlesse I will not pay for nothing c. Surely he must haue a great measure of grace that liuing vnder popish subiection can resist this temptation and the like and therefore no maruell though as themselues confess not one of their Clergie of a great number that hath not his whores in corners or else publickly in their houses Erasmus liuing about that time or soone after complaineth of it and saith z Erasmus annotat in 1. Tim. 3. Eee that considereth the state of these times how innumerable the number is of such Monks and Priests as liue in open whoredome incest would thinke it perhaps more conuenient to giue leaue to such as cannot containe rather to marry then c. And not long after him florished Cassander a maÌ„ of great name and account in his time both for wisdome and learning and hee finding the world still worse in this point confesseth a Cassander lib. Consult art 23. cap. 1. Now the world is come to this passe that a man shal not find scarce one of a hundred that keepes himselfe free from this fault Thus we see the fruit of this their practise to take rent for concubines and to make them pay that had none that almost none of their Clergy but are stained with this pollution But is this healed 38 The 18. wouÌ„d not healed for such as haue no concubines must pay their rent because they may haue if they will No saith Espencaeus it is too horrible to beleeue But it is too true that b Espencaeus de Conti. lib. 2. cap 7. Those that be continent and will haue none yet are compelled to pay the whole taxe or rent and so haue it lawful and in their choice to haue a concubine or to haue none Oh execrable abhomination c. Thus here was no amendment for forty yeares after the villanie was discouered and the grieuance complained of and that there was nothing done in the daies of Espencaeus which was for some 10 yeers more we may see by his words in his other booke c Idemiâ— Titum ca. p. 67. They take the rent not onely of those that haue concubines but in some places euen of theÌ„ that haue none for say they he may haue if he will therefore let him pay for his liberty and though there bee so many of these Priests that liue thus yet where is there any one of them punished otherwise then thus by the purse c. Since the time of Espencaeus whether this wound be healed or no I cannot tell and therefore if any of that side can shew me any good authority that now it is reformed and that either no Priests pay yeerelie rent for concubines at all or at least not those that haue none I shall be willing to heare it and to see that any thing at all is amended d But whosoeuer wil but lookâ— into their latest Casâ—ists Sâ—mmists as be Tollet the Cardinal lac de Graffiâ—s Loel Zecchius Baptista Corradus Berarduccius Raphael de Caesare â—â—amas others will find it more then suspicious though now they couer it more cunningly then formerly they did that this wound is far from being healed Meane time I haue proued it apparantly that till that time it was not amended whosoeuer reades the Low country Bishop Cuickius his booke aforenamed written but seuen yeeres agoe will iudge it as ill in these daies still as it was in the time of Espencaeus the French Bishop These Authors I haue named hauing some remorse of conscience and feare of God ingenuouslie and honestly wished that rather marriage might bee permitted then whoordom should so preuaile ouer the world But what hath bin done They for their labour are ill spoken of when they are dead their bookes partly prohibited to be read at al partly purged and altered as they list e Opera Erasmi Espencaei Cassandri prohibentur donec expurgentur Vide Indicem lib. prohibit per Clem. 8. Indices expurgatorios Hisp. Belg. and for the matter it selfe marriage is still forbidden whooredome still practised and winkt at if not permitted stewes still tolerated that vnder the Popes nose and no where so much as euen in Rome it selfe and still this doctrine is Catholike and currant They had better go to whoores then marry And why alas all this but because Mariage hath bin an enemy to the Popes Crowne and dignity but stewes adulterie and fornication neuer were Let vs hasten forward I must needes say if I say truly I could discouer many more of these particular old festring wounds not as yet healed but this time wil not wel permit it therfore referring it to a further oportunity I will stand but vppon one particular more and so come to a generall which shall conclude all The ninteenth Wounde IT hath bin long ago laid to their charge 39 The 19. wound Their Liturgy is full of blasphemie their Legend full of lies their Ceremonies of superstition that their Liturgies are full of idolatry and blasphemies their Legends full of lies their Ceremonies of superstition which I will not at this time beeing almost past stand particularly to prooue seeing for their Liturgie and Ceremonies the Pope himselfe * Vide Bullas Clem. de Pontificali anno 9â— de Ceremoniali anno 1600. or else his Conuenticle at Trent f Vide CoÌ„cil Tridenâ—â— Sess. vlt. Dec. 4. haue granted it and pretended that they should bee reformed and touching their liues of Saints and their Legends a greate Doctor of their own long agoe