because it most consisteth in visible things to be beholded with these our bodily eyes as are sumptuous and goodly Temples glistering with costly glasse windowes triumphantinges liuely pictures images exquisitely carued forth most precious clothes of Arras Chalices Crosses of the finest Ducket gold height of Piramides Copes of crimsin veluet others of cloth of gold and siluer which are thinges most pleasant to the eies to behold And to delight the hearing with songs of Mnsicke noyse of Organs and sound of Belles al these things are delectable in déed and haue some shew of humane wisdom for all that haue they not God for any Authour neither did Iesus Christ nor his Apostles euer institute or occupie the like rather they taught vs to despise the world and all that is therein to aspire vp to heauen instructing vs to renounce our selues and all the lustes of the flesh to do the holie and perfect will of God to take vp our Crosse and wade thorow many tribulations into the glorie of God And this cannot we abide we must haue a religion which wil helpe to augment our dignities and earthly riches that we may liue here in all voluptuousnes and securitie And because the Gospell taken in his puritie is quite contrarie to that there is nothing in the earth that this nation hateth more then to heare speake thereof farre preferring a worldly felicitie present which by no meanes they will forgo vpon hope of any eternall absent and hidden ioyes which are to come Cap. 14. A comparison of the diuine seruice inuented by the Italians with the counsell of some subtill Phisition HE that would thorowly examine the forme of Religion planted by the Italians by the authoritie of their soueraigne high Priest shall finde all these things afore truely obserued amongst them So that flying therby with wings swifter and stronger then the wings of any Engle they are able to beate downe to the ground those that are so sawcie as to withstand in any thing or gainsay in any wise the formes of their seruices which they haue introduced to fetch vnder their subiection the greatest Potentates of the earth and to draw thereby deniers and reuenues from them imitating herein some craftie Phisition who preferring a good bootie of siluer before the health of the sicke patient will learne what meate and drinke pleaseth best his appetite and hauing found that he loueth claret wine aboue all things and sugar to make it haue a daintie taste which he taketh imagine that he goe visit the patient who will straight begin to tell him how he can get no recouerie of his sicknes albeit he hath vsed much blood letting taken many pilles and other phisicke which hath brought him verie low and put him to much paine this same impudent Phisition that tell him that all that serued but to weaken him to take away his stomacke and by mouing a question to the sicke patient shall aske him if he loue not well good claret wine He answering with all his heart this Phisition shall reply that he will warrant him to recouer his health againe if hée leaue taking these hard medicines and those pilles so bitter in swallowing and to get some daintie wine of most delicious taste if he should send his man ten miles for some to haue alwaies at the least thrée or foure good bottles in his Celler in store And bid him besides least the vapours should sume too much to intoxicate his head to take Coriander comfits at the end of his repast assure him that this wil make him more lustie againe then all the phisicke in the world I let you iudge with what audacitie the sicke shall dare to imbrace this counsell But if it chaunce after he hath béen verie ill and his sicknes begin to grow away he come to recouer straight here vpon how will he honour this Phisition he shall neuer be able sufficiently to set foorth his praise But in the seruice of God it is otherwise we must eate the bread of affliction and sorrow drinke the water of bitternes which are verie bitter and loathsome drugs to swallow as things much offending our taste whereas in the seruice inuented by the Italians there is nothing but y t which is verie pleasant to our humane senses and which doth verie well agrée with our carnall nature and therefore do ignorant men imbrace with a most ardent desire all that they inuent which when they haue once receiued is hard to be rooted out of them because their eye sight is not quicke inough to discouer the marke whereat they shoote which is only to beare rule and to share and make boote of the money which they get from them Cap. 15. That they care not at Rome for any diuersitie of Religions so they tend only to maintaine their Domination THis is most manifest for if any man inuent any new form of religion neuer knowne before in the world apparelling himselfe after a straunge fashion neuer séene before vsing iestures altogither rediculous and foolish liuing after a most austere to cruell and brutish maner as do the Capuchians Fucillians and such like foolish orders of Friars all shall be approued and receiued by the Italians with great plaudities so that such religions will serue them for a wall and defence for their kingdome and gaine but if any one appeare or come neare them that dare speake against such abuses and touch them to the quicke a litle leaning vpon the pillar of that doctrine which hath béen giuen from the terrestriall Paradice they will shake a heauen and earth and remoue all a world to stop his mouth and kill him with great exclamations that he went about to sow new doctrines and begin some new sect of religion whereby we may cléerely sée that vnder this cloake of religion they do but aspire to be rulers and to finger mony from other peoples and nations and that all the warres and ciuill broyles which haue so long troubled Germany Swicerland all Flanders and France haue byn broched and begun by them for such matters albeit those who had the conduct thereof enterprised them for the zeale they bore to their owne religion Cap. 16. That the Romanes are not contented to staie themselues with that which is spirituall but would also dispose the kingdomes of the earth at their pleasure THat the Italians shoote at this marke also I bring euident proofe that when they had set their matters in so good forwardnes that the Emperour and the other Christian kings had graunted this title of soueraigne high Priest and vniuersall Bishop to their Prelate of Rome for to be a greater staie and pillar of the Christian Church and to kéepe the other Bishops and Pastours in better order and within the compasse of their dutie they are not content to rest with that passe further and cause to preach and publish by word and writing that their Bishop is Christes onely Lieftenant on earth to whom all Scepters and
passing the time in al voleptuous pleasure neuerthelesse they haue the most pretious and fayrest fléece of their conquestes reserued for them euen as well as if they themselues had bine the onely attempters and atchiuers of theise so hawty and dangerous exploytes But let vs looke a little yf there were euer any Kinges or Emperours who griped so easily whole countries and kingdomes from others as these doe Cyrus one of the first after hee had sustayned infinit turmoyles and trauels lost his life and had his head put in a bole of bloud to quench it so insaciable desire of blood Alexander the great found himselfe in oftē Ieoperdies to lose his also and was many times ouer matched and put to the worst Iulius and Augustus Caesars the most politicke and wisest heads of the world neuer made any conquest but by bloody fightes and victories exposing themselues to a thousand dangers both by sea and land But now the counsell of Rome taking there ease at thir owne home neuer approching any dāger for the matter haue inuested themselus with the Seigniorie and Domination of the greatest countres that euer haue bine conquested by the sword O subtill heades more subtil and cawtelous then subtiltie it selfe O that the high reache of thine inuentions are eleuated many degrées abone all other nations of the earth O that thou forséest long before the euent of things and canst choose the gaynest wayes to attayne thy desires few or none there be that can discouer thy meanning thou winnest first the heart of the greatest part of those the third of whose ruine thon meanest to spin afterwardes to vnderprop thy selfe against those that refuse thy Domination and will not become thy tributary vassals Thon wilt knowe all things and yet thou wilt kéepe other people in such ignorance that they shall know nothing thus thou vsest them at thy pleasure lest they should bewray thée in thy subtill shifts and beware of them hereafter This is they reason why a long time thou hast layd a blocke in the way that all matters of great consequence either concerning Religion or otherwise of any other great importance could not be registered but in thine old mother toung the Latine and sore against thy will it hath bine if the haue bine written or Printed in any other language because that it maketh a breach and sheweth a readie way for many to come to discouer the fertilitie of thy spirit abounding with so many subtilities fetches drifts and deceites Sée this is the cause also why thou wilt not permit the nations of the new conquested countries to vnderstand any thing concerning religion or matters of State that thou maist lead them by the noses and handle them as if they were so many bruit Animals that had neither wit nor reason Cap. 22. The causes why the mony that is transported to Rome is called by the name of Quintessence NOw we haue sufficiently spoken of the Dominations of the Romanes we will passe to the next point touching the extraction of the Quintessence of purses where ye must note that I take purses for the gold and siluer that is put in them speaking by a figuratiue spéech for I borrow these termes by a similitude for euen as in all liquers be it of Wines Oyles Plants Sulpheres Allums Antymoines and other Mynerals they who are skilled to draw out the tinctures or proprieties and can seperate them from the terrestriall and elementall bodie as could that great Philosopher Paracelsas Gesnerus and he that wrote the booke intitled le Medecin Liebant these haue the swéete fruition of the finest and most precious part of the bodies and naturall substances whereof the more celestiall and spirituall part is called Quintessence In like maner the Romanes hauing learned by incomparable skil and artistry to draw vnto themselues the most noble portable the most desirable and fairest coyne of all Christendome leauing the grosser and more terrestriall sort of baser monies to the Kings Princes and people of Christendome for their vsage appropriating to themselues the more spirituall and celestiall part which they can tell how to seperate from the temporall and earthly are verie well said to draw the Quintessence out of their purses Cap. 23. Of the excellencie of the mony which is carried to Rome out of other countries and how the Italians onely can fetch it thither TO shewe this by a familiar example regarde but a man that is of base condition who hath onely but fiftie or sixtie crownes of yéerly rent for a péece of land that he holdeth by féefarme lying within the demaines of some Baron or Countie he will make more account of that péece then of thrée or foure times so much lying among Pesants or that he gathereth among country Farmers bragging of it euerie where Now sée we some Bishop or poore Monke comming to bée Pope to haue rentes and tributes out of the kingdomes of Spaine Portugall Naples Sicily and Polonia and as hée was woont also out of the kingdome of England where as all Christian Kings and Princes take no tribute but for the most part of poore base and miserable people their subiects readier to take then to giue and this must they do by Taxes Subsidies Fiftéenes and such like paiments Herein we may sée the marueilous excellencie of the Popes tributes aboue those of all our Kings And to shew how the swéetest mony and most desired of all goeth still to the partes of Rome marke but the common fashion of euerie one that falleth into want of mony hée wisheth straight but to haue a hundred or two of crownes out of the Abbots or Bishops purse who is next to the place where he dwelleth as being such fellowes which haue least néed and yet haue the greatest plentie of all albeit they may wish for it long inough before they haue it to fill their purses because they can deuise no shift proper for the obteining of their desire although they be his verie next neighbours But the Italians they can worke such a way and handle their matters so well that they can scrape hooke to them a thousand crownes from one place and twise as many from another the distance of an hundreth leagues or more and the difficultie of passing ouer the mountaines cannot hinder them a iote Cap. 24. How that this mony when it is transported to Rome doth flie with an incredible swiftnesse YEt to prooue better that the name of Quintessence is properly attributed to the gold that they share from other people of Christendome I pray thée gentle Reader consider that the substance of Quintessence is of so celestiall a nature that if it be not verie closely kept and enclosed within some vessell for that purpose it léeseth straight the vertue and flieth away by vapours into the ayre so this gold which they fetch so farre to Rome hath such an excellencie more then all other money hath and hath both value vertue none like it that we
being so much followed by studentes take no hire of them that heare them contenting themselues only with the gaine of their pensioners They hold opinion that the Bishop of Rome is aboue the Consuls by this meane altogither ouerthrowing the authoritie thereof As for their Disciples they tie them so fast by the héeles with the cords of the Italian superstitions that they put them in such feare that they tremble againe if they transgresse the least of them neuer so litle and the more easily to strike this feare into their hearts they robbe the tender youth of all iudgement and vse of reason For to iudge truly of anie question in controuersie we must diligently heare and weigh the reasons on both sides all affection laide apart These on the contrarie hauing brought their Disciples to belieue in the Catholike and Romane Church they conclude thus thereupon that they stop their hearing and giue none eare to any one who soeuer dare speake against the Popes authoritie nor against the ceremonies which he hath instituted nor dare once so much as to reade any booke which may call them in doubt as not altogither necessary to saluation and that he which feareth the plague ought to flie from such places persons which are infected so they before all thinges must take héede not to heare any nor receiue any bookes which may go about to remoue them from their opinion in one iote These are their propper foundations and grounds whereby they do not onely depriue their Disciples of all iudgement but also of the vse of all their natural sences wherwith God hath indued man to make choice of things and to know how to put a difference betwéen good and bad by this meanes they make them not onely dull spirited but altogither as brutish beasts in heauenly and diuine things fighting directly against the instruction of S. Paul who teacheth vs to proue all things praising in this place of scripture the diligence of those that did examine the Prophecies to know if Christ were the true Messias And whereas the Prophets did not cease to exclaime against the abuse of the Sacrificators and Priests of the olde law S. Iohn Baptist in like maner Christ also the soueraigne Prophet the Apostles who euer cried out against the false pastors And S. Augustin complaining of the multitude of ceremonies which were entred into the Church at his time and besides we haue séene heretofore many Bishops Doctors and Pastors do the same in contemning the greatest part of them These on the other side hold all good and maintaine them not onely ouer aboue the word of God but further thē this beside y e word of God By reason wherof if the Catholikes looke not about them to bestir themselues otherwise then they haue done since the entrance creation of these Iesuites to shake off the yoke of the Italian Domination it will soone be restablished in the highest degrées of soueraintie that euer was since it began And there shal be neither King nor Prince be he neuer so strong nor mightie but the Romans will make him tremble at one winke of their eye and will put them in as bad feare as the poore Israelites were at the publication of the Law when they shall threaten them with the thundrings lightnings of their Romish excommunications to discharge all their subiects of the oath of their loyaltie to inuest others with their kingdomes and principalities so that the Italians shall triumph ouer them as they did ouer the Duke of Venice trailing him with a cord about his neck for his disobedience to their Romish Bishop Cap. 32. A brief refutation of the Iesuites BVt whosoeuer would not make himselfe obstinat against his owne good and saluation might easily helpe himselfe out of these Iesuits halters setting before his eyes how that they alledge things contrary to that which they professe cause to be executed indéed For this is the summe of their Doctrins that euery one most firmly abide in his owne Religion without hearing any thing to the contrary and neuerthelesse they haue enflamed the Spanyards to kill thousands and Millions of the new world because they would not change there Religion to embrace another And as it is proper to shifters deceauers and those that haue not loyall Marchandises to deale in secret asmuch as they can and closely to couer there action to sell there ware in darke places to th ende to kéepe the truth of the matter hidden lest their abuse should bée discouered so theise which feare so much the examination of their Doctryne conuince themselues that it is not sownde nor allowable Whereas that man that séeketh but the glorie of God withont any respect of any Domination or wordly profit will take singular pleasure séeing his Doctrine examined by the worde of God and with the workes that he hath created and likewise be delighted to maintayne and defend it against whosoeuer would dispute to the contrarie For all this this would neuer the Church of Rome permit her pollocie is so great herein albeit Italy is replenished with a great number of verie learned men and great Schollers as well in Philosophy as in any of the lawes and very desirus to maintayne any dispute against heretikes as the tearme them who are so themselues to giue them their right title and definition and against all those that goe about to diminish or speake against there kingdome and gaines for that the repute not others for such For the are not so grosse witted as the Almons who dispute about the Consubstantiation and Infinity of the bodie of Christ against the confession of the Switzers and Frenchmen without hope of any profit or Domination to bee gotten thereby But the Italian smelling out any profit or gaine in that which is propounded he will agrée to all and repugne onely in that whereby he thinketh to receaue any dommage Which is a most cleare and manifest proof that there is nothing but worldly wisedome in all that he pretendeth and goeth about Cap. 33. The councell of Rome is like to certaine Petifogging layers who will not consent to haue there causes disputed and heard in open audience TO make this more apparent we must note that when the councel of Rome wil neuer accord to haue there cause defended in any open audience against there aduersaries what other thing thereby may be inferred but that they secretly yéeld that there cause is scant good for the are not so grosse witted nor so much blinded as the Iesuistes Schollers of whome I speake euen now but as crafty Layers of good meanes and habilityes finding there low matters like to goe against them prolong the indgement and curry fauour with the Iudges as much as the can yet séeing the plantifes sue them hard they will labour tooth and nayle to referre there cause to those of the counsell hoping by fauour and instance of them they may soner win there processe then in any open audience
preached we shall receiue it as most heauenly doctrine but if it tend to exalt men and their works only to please them withall we shall receiue it as procéeding from the presumption and ouer-sight of men who take themselues to be wiser then God and for such stuffe as may entangle the people in the nets of seruilitie and fill onely the purses of worldlie Pastors wherefore without any regard from whence it procéedeth whether from Coucels or Synods or frō any other sort of Ecclefiasticall persons whatsoener wee will reiect it thinke our selues no more hounden vnto the obseruation thereof then to the dreames and tales of olde women On the other side knowing that life euerlasting is giuen vs by the grace of God in our Lorde Iesus Christ and is offered gratis to all men what ginnes soeuer the Italians and such like can lay to drawe our money finely from vs we shall goe by them well enough making as though wée sawe them not and as though wee neuer heard talke of them These are then the most sure certaine remedies by the which all true Christians may easilie winde themselues out from the Italian Domination and make a prouiso that their money be no more transported to Rome but tary at home iu their owne purses Cap. 57. The eonclusion of this present discourse VVHerhfore thou Spaniard hauing they place of the Head which workest all that thou canst to reduce vnder thy Domination other nations which should be the eye of Christendome thou oughtest to haue as much wit as any other people It is not then agreat blindnes for thée to behold thy selfe in such slauerie to the Roman Counsell that thou art no more then the executour and drudge of their wills and that they make the tributarie to them in huge infinit sumes of mony wheras thou diddest neuer get one penny from them And thou French man which art the hart of Christendome from whom should flow all motions of vertues to encourage the other partes thou hast almost suffered thy selfe to bee ouercome vnder the spirituall Domination of this nation by their flatteries and cautelous shifts suffering them to put a knife into thine owne handes to destroye thy selfe to set all in combustion and ruine to th end that they may fish in thine ouerthrow and destruction As for Germany the seat and residence of the Empire to the which the Apostles and the first Byshops of Rome yeelded all obedience and subiection what greater cowardlines shame and dishonor can there bee on her syde then that in degenerating from their ancient Cesars and other Roman Emperours vnder the which all the world did tremble they are at this present becom the slaues and vassals of Rome and brought so low as to be glad to hold the Styrrop of some filthy Monke who hath been chosen Pope And if heretofore you haue had the eies of your wit and vnderstanding so much dimmed by the darknes of the time suffering your selues to be made so very fooles that they might vse you at their pleasure now in this great light which shineth at this present and is not yet gone from you amend your former faultes to recouer your honor and seeke to rule and sway ouer them another while in your turne and to get from them againe vnder some colour whatsoeuer all the money they haue in their fingers of yours and your people paying them now at the last home according to their deseruings and cursed intentions and that according to good rule that they haue a long time kept in Christendome they may haue their due desart at the last paid them to the vttermost Laus Deo Finis G. B. A. F. A Table of the Contents of this booke A Description of Itlie and the causes of the subtilty of that people cap. 1. How in the personnes of Romulus and Numa Pompilius there were two kinde of gouerments prefigured among the Romans cap. 2. How the subtil Italian borroweth the name of the Pope to come to his pretenses with more faulitie cap. 3. A liuely paterne of Italian subtiltie in the person of Caternie de Medicis and her Florentine councell cap. 4. How of any light occasion this nation can deuise to effect great matters cap. 5. The Roman soweth diuisions and pulleth away the snbstaunce of a people to enrich himselfe and to doe with it at his pleasure cap. 6. How this nation going about to ruine a country beginneth with some one estate and from thence commeth to all the rest by degrees and how the French can by no meanes take such oppertunitie when it serueth them caq. 7. Vpon what occasion the Romans changed there Monarchie into popular Estate that is to wit vpō the Rauishment of Lucretia committed by their King Terquni cap. 8. How the Romans by pretence of their faith found means to angment there Domination cap. 9. The ruine of the first Roman Domination and the causes thereof cap. 10. Of they begininges and first foundations of the second Domination of the Romans in Christendome cap. 11. How in creating an vniuersall Bishop at Rome the Romans entred into possession of a fare more excellent Domination then that the had lost before cap. 12. How they people follow none other Religion but that which their Pastors teacheth them and how they Romans giue vs one according to their owne nature cap. 13. A comparason of the Diuine seruice inuented by the Italians with the councell of some subtil Phisition cap. 14. That they erre not at Rome for any diuersitie of Religions so they tend only to maintaine their Domination cap. 15. That the Romans are not contented to stay themselues with that which is sperituall but would also dispose the kingdomes of the earth at their pleasure cap. 16. That to make the kings of y e earth vassals tributary to the Romans they sow wares amongst them and vse censurs cap. 17. The councell of Rome setteth Kings and Christian Princes together by the eares and the way how they discouer all their councels and enterprises cap. 18. The great forces of Excmmuniation to put the kings of the earth in feare to make them their tributaries and the magnanimitie of Kings of France cap. 19. That it is a verie false pretext that they take to refuse the King for his Religion sake seeing the haue a spight at all his race and with them no more well although they were neuer so great Catholikes cap. 20. The great subtiltie of the councell of Rome in getting into their handes the soueraignitie of the newfound world conquered by the Spaniards cap. 24. The causes why the mony that is transported to Rome is called by the name of quintessence cap. 22. Of the excellencie of the mony which is transported to Rome out of other countries and how the Italians only can fetch it thither cap. 23. How this mony which is transported to Rome doth flie with an incredible swiftnes cap. 24. A descripsion of certaine learned men which hath alwaie