by the secret vertue of the Stone after an inuisible manner adioyning the Rings together a goodlie entire Chaine was made of them Euen so dearely beloued Christian Reader I finde Christ Iesus to haue beene such a powerfull and attractiue Loadstone vnto my Soule by the precedent obseruations lincking the one vnto the other with such infallible truth that therewith euen as with a most strong chaine of his excessiue loue and charitie hee hath now at the length drawne mee to the knowledge of his true Faith rightly taught and professed in the Church of England 2 It is no other than a chaine of Charitie A briefe recapitulation of the premised obseruations by which hee hath drawne mee to write this Treatise for the manifestation of his truth to those that are ignorant thereof It was a chaine of his prouidence by ministring occasions of times persons and places concurring to my conuersion It is a chaine of truth that euery mans chiefe businesse in this life must bee to attaine vnto the end he is created vnto by God or else hee receiueth his soule in vaine It is a chaine reaching from heauen that a supernaturall and reuealed knowledge from God is necessarie to saluation The obseruation also of an absolute necessitie of a supernaturall Faith is a strong chaine to draw any man to search diligently after it The knowledge likewise of the right rule and golden mete-wand of true Faith consisting of GODS sacred Word is a most forcible chaine to drawe Christians vnto the right knowledge of GODS truth The true knowne visible Church of Christ teaching the true sense of Scriptures is a powerfull chaine to draw men vnto the right faith of CHRIST IESVS Conformitie of Doctrine with the ancient doctrine of the Primitiue Church being a proper marke of the true Church of God is likewise a most attractiue chaine drawing to the true knowledge of right Christianitie The wonders and supposed miracles which Christ fore-told the Pseudo-Christs and false Prophets should doe for the seducing of Gods Elect if it were possible are also a strong chaine to draw any man from the Church of Rome The great hypocrisie of false Teachers fore-spoken of in the holy Scriptures agreeing chiefly with the Church of Rome are a chaine of great strength and power to draw any man from that Church The fruits by which false Prophets are to bee knowne and discerned abounding in the Church of Rome are also a powerfull chaine to draw any man of true iudgement from the abhominiations of that Church The discouerie of the Sacrifice of the Masse to bee Idolatrous which is accompted by the Church of Rome the chiefest act of religion that can bee done to God is a most forcible chaine to draw any man to the knowledge of CHRIST IESVS once offered for vs procuring our Sanctification Is not the proofe of Transubstantiation also to bee a noueltie a potent chaine to draw any man from Rome to the Church of England where the Sacrament is freed from such disgrace Is not the Amputation also of the holy Eucharist a powerfull chaine to draw men from the Church of Rome that they may rightly according to Christs institution bee partakers of the Lords Supper else where Is not also the noueltie of the Popes Pardons and Indulgences which is annexed to Crosses Graines and Meddals a powerfull chaine to draw any man that is not ridiculously childish a stronge chaine to draw him from the Church of Rome If the false doctrine of seuen Sacraments be well discouered by any man bee can not want a strong chaine to draw him to acknowledgement of two true Sacraments instituted by Christ if the doctrine of the Virgin Maries conception in originall sinne bee doubtfull in the Church of Rome the truth of Scriptures shewing it certaine may serue for a strong chaine to draw any man from that doubtfulnesse If the pretended chastitie of the Romish Clergie doe make the Church of Rome seeme more pure and holy than any other the prohibition of lawfull marriage to Priests and the dispensation and permission of vnlawfull marriage to kindred may bee as a strong chaine to draw deceiued soules from the filth and impurities of her hypocriticall holinesse By these the mightie strength power of all those chaines hath the goodnesse of almightie God deliuered my long estraied soule out of her dangerous waies setled me in the happie societie of his true faithfull beleeuers teaching the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith Oh how truly may I now say with holy Dauid in humble acknowledgement of Gods singular mercies vnto my soule Maruailous are thy workes Psal 139.14 O Lord and that my soule knoweth right well 3. Now it is time To all Seminarie Priests O all yee Seminarie Priests in this Land or else where who labour still in the same blindnesse and errours wherein hitherto I haue beene my selfe inwrapped as in a darke cloude that out of that true charitie and zeale of your soules good and happinesse wherewith I haue cause to be affected towardes you I direct my speech a while vnto you and manifest the sincere candor of my heart and affections to pittie your case as I haue had cause to bee sorrie for it heretofore in my selfe and therefore I can not but admonish you of the perill you liue in both of body and soule for looking no better into the doctrines which you teach You pretend to bee the salt of the earth Math. 5. vers 13. and the light of the world therefore you haue cause to see well that your doctrine bee sound wherewith you season mens soules and that the example of your vertues and life bee not hypocriticall and superstitious if your salt bee infatuated with nouelties and corrupt doctrines all the world will trample vpon you and you are only fit to bee cast out vnto the dunghills if your liues giue no true light but bee a couered vnder the appearance only of vertues as vnder a bushell where there is no corne your poore followers will bee hunger starued and runne into darkenesse and neuer finde the true light of the world CHRIST IESVS Who illuminateth as Saint Iohn saith Ioh. 1. vers 9. euery man comming into this world If it bee true that CHRIST saith Hee that doeth and teacheth Math. 5.19 shall bee called great in the Kingdome of hâ—auen Vnlesse both these duties goe together without mixture of falshood and finne you can neither bee great in Heauen nor in Earth but certaine I am your paines will bee great in the deepedungeon of hell Examine well your owne consciences both for doctrine and conuersation build not vpon other mens bookes only but examine their doctrines by the infallible rule of Scriptures send your Disciples vnto Christ as Saint Iohn Baptist did not to the Popes who can and haue erred both in doctrine and manners say vnto your Children as Christ our Lord and Master said Search the Scriptures c. because
light to deceiue my soule withall and so I confessed them as ordinarie temptations against faith till at length with a more powerfull light it pleased the true Sonne of iustice and God of glorie to enlighten my vnderstanding in such sort that all the clouds of error and endarkened affections were dispersed like mist before the Sunne what before I held to be hereticall I approued to be most Catholike what before was falsehood was now truth what before was darknesse was now light I found my selfe suddainely in my meditations vpon the grounds of true faith and beleefe like S. Paul enuironed not with a corporall but with a spirituall and most comfortable light from heauen placing my vnderstanding in the paradise of truth and all her delights struck downe to the ground in the humble acknowledgement of mine vnworthinesse and terrified with a voice from heauen not sounding in the eares of my bodie by their corporall Organs but sweetly making a most delightfull harmonie in my soule mollifying the obdurate crust of my heart and forcing me to say Act. 9. vers 6. Domine quid me vis facere O Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe with perfect true conformitie of all my thoughts actions and endeauors answerable to his will Hence was I moued with great power working euen with comfort to my soule to call to mind innumerable passages of Scriptures and auncient Fathers in former times obserued and other reasonable congruencies moouing me most effectually to conuert my selfe to the onely Apostolike Primitiue and Catholike faith truly professed in the Church of England as it were destined hereunto by a presage in my youth when being borne beyond the seas I was by Gods directing prouidence inspiring my parents mindes by my nurse and her husband who were purposely sent for out of England sent into this Realme when I was but few daies old to be nursed here which was a great furtherance and meanes that now in the ninth yeare of my Priesthood I am in this Realme nursed and growne to such a spirituall strength as to embrace the right faith of a true Christian which heretofore I wanted And although lately since my conuersion one said vnto me that it had been better if I had been drowned at sea in the great storme which happened in my passage into this Realme so young which I escaped with exceeding great danger being forthwith entertained into the Castle by the Captaine thereof for my fathers sake than at riper yeares thus to liue an Apostata and to be a scandale vnto the Church of God Yet I trust that I shall make it apparant that it was much better I escaped Gods prouidence in the first escape of my bodie foreshewing a more dangerous second escape from the shipwracke of my soule whereby his glorie in my happinesse may be manifested to the good of many that they may truly say Exod. 1. vers 19. Digitus Dei est hic the finger of God is here 7. The working of the Trinitie in my conuersion the first cause of this treatise Hereby you may see courteous Reader whether I haue not iust cause to make knowne to the world this my conuersion and the true occasions and motiues thereof that all that beare of it may say as I haue cause to say in mine owne soule The finger of God is here For first you may obserue that whilest I wandered out of the right way of true Catholike doctrine Gods goodnesse following the Church of Rome the finger of Gods mercie and goodnesse directed and pointed me which way to take into the right path of heauen most fauorably bestowing vpon me beartie contrition for my former errors both in faith and manners more than euer before Secondly the finger of his wisdome Gods wisdome euen when I was most addicted to the studies of the Roman doctrine occasion being giuen me of conference with some Protestants requiring satisfaction of me in some capitall points of controuersie which I promised either to proue by the Scriptures ancient Fathers and naturall reason or else to embrace the Protestants faith as Catholike therewithall intending to impugne the doctrine of the Religion here professed in England directed my vnderstanding so to examine the controuersies weighing all Cardinall Bellarmines reasons for both sides that doing it with sinceritie I fell into such doctrinall and morall obseruations vpon the grounds of the Romane faith that I most cleerely discouered the darke clouds of error and ignorance wherewith my iudgement and reason were ouercast I found the weakenesse of their grounds the fallacies of their reasons and the insufficiencie of iudgement shewed in most of their controuersies I found many places of Scripture impertinently alledged diuers citations of auncient Fathers fondly wrested against their true vnderstanding many naturall reasons alledged most repugnant to reason Lastly the finger of his Almightie power Gods power as efficaciously as the Load stone draweth yron vnto it drew all the affections of my heart to a firme resolution no longer to sleepe or slumber in my errors but to breake off all the bands of erronious and superstitious doctrine and nouelties wherewith the present Church of Rome holdeth soules in slauerie to Sathan and to embrace the truth of the Ancient Catholike and Apostolike doctrine which I found to bee most purely taught in the Church of England according to the primitiue sinceritie Hence it is most cleerely apparant how much the glorie of God appeareth in my conuersion and the three diuine attributes of goodnesse wisedome and power of the blessed Trinitie Qui tribus digitis appendit molem terrae Esay 40. vers 12 who weighteth the earth with three fingers in the contemplation of which great benefit I may well crie out with holy Saint Paul Rom. 12. vers 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out for who hath knowne the mind of the Lord or who hath bin his counsellor Or who hath first giuen to him and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glorie for euer For to God himselfe must I needes attribute this fauour hauing iust cause for the same with the kingly Prophet to say Psal 34. vers 2. I will alwaies praise the Lord his praise shall be alwaies in my mouth who chiefly hath wrought in my soule the vnderstanding the will and the accomplishment hereof which I can doe no lesse in gratitude than make knowne that his name may be glorified therein Satisfaction the second cause Secondly if my blinded zeale of your soules good did so much transport me in my ignorance and errors as to imploy my best endeuours yea and to venter my life for your good and for the reducing of any in this Realme to the pretended Catholike faith which then I professed without feare of incurring
Whereat all the assistants admiring determined to deferre his buriall till the next day when thinking to performe the exequies they came againe to that passage afotesaid of the office of the dead he suddainely rose vp againe and cryed out with a loud voice saying Iusto Dei iudicio iudicaetus sum that is to say I am iudged by the iust iudgement of God Whereat the assistance were strucken againe into a great admiration and much more astonished than before to beholde so dismall and hideous a spectacle And although he had then declared himselfe to be accused and iudged by the iust iudgement of God yet it was not manifest by these wordes that he had yet receiued sentence of damnation insomuch that yet it ressed for them to interprete and hope the best and therefore they thought it good to deferre his buriall till the third day Whereto verie early the next morning all the towne flocked together being desirous to know the euent of so strange rare and fearefull a iudgement of God when hauing begun againe the office of the dead and comming to the same passage aboue specified he raysed himselfe vp the third time and to the great horror of all the standers by he said Iusto Dei iudicio condemnatus sum that is I am condemned by the iust iudgement of God Therefore Parcite funeribus mihi nil prodesse potestis Heu infoelicem cur me genuere parentes Ah miser aeternos vade damnatus ad ignes Which verses may well be Englished in this sense O spare vaine prayers with outward shewes of peace Your Dirges yeelds no comfort to my soule Aye me accurst from hope of ioyes I cease Gods iudgements iust doe all your prayers controule Why did my parents euer foster me A damned wretch and hell-hound for to be Ah cursed me thus to prouoke Gods are And to be doom'de to euer lasting fire Who is there that cannot be astonished to heare that a personage who liuing amongst men was esteemed for a holy and perfect man should be condemned by the iust iudgement of God This Doctor by the common suffrage of the Church being found vnworthie of Christian buriall was interred in a prophane place But this rare miracle occasioned manie to correct amend their liues Whereat Bruno with others were so much terrified that they framed a more strict order than euer was before tearmed Carthusians that by the strictnesse of that life they might be the better prepared for the strict iudgements of God In the consideration of his miracle if it were true and no hypocriticall cunning vsed therein I cannot conceiue but that it makes more against the faith of Rome than for it of which profession this Doctor whilest he liued was reputed both to be a learned and holy Saint For first if he were so holy and learned no doubt he knew what belonged to preparation for his death and therefore howsoeuer hee might bee depriued of outward meanes or helpe of the Sacraments yet it is to be presumed that at least in voto Sacramenti he would excite himselfe as much as lay in him to be penitent for his sinnes And it is to be thought his Holinesse would not permit him to be negligent of that which lay in his power to performe And lastly since there is no cause registred of his damnation but knowne onely to God he being both a professor and teacher of the Romane faith it may as well be presumed so farre as man for his soules benefit may enter into Gods secrets that God shewed this extraordinarie iudgement to manifest to the world that though his life was neuer so good in the sight of the world or his learning so great yet where true faith is wanting no saluation can be attained and that therefore the Romane faith cannot be the true faith This is the fittest collection I can make of this miracle because he was a Doctor professing that faith of Rome and liued and died therein 11 But now I will relate another miracle which much astonished me making me stagger The strange deliuerie of Traianes soule out of hell fabulous and most vncertaine and was neuer able to finde a good answere for it which was the strange deliuerie of Traianes soule out of hell by Saint Gregories prayers for him which how repugnant it is to the verie true doctrine of the Romane Church it selfe is cleare by that which is read in the Office of the dead viz. Ex inferno nulla est redemptio Now it is to be noted Lipeloo in vita Gregor magn that Lipeloo recordeth it for a truth and so it hath beene recorded alwayes by the Church of Rome and yet of late by Baronius and Bellarmine it is reputed a fabulous narration Whereupon I inferre that if after so many ages recording and beleefe it proue but a fabulous thing a man may as well suspect all the rest that seeme of the like nature notwithstanding hee bee learned that recordeth them What erronious doctrine is to be found almost in the Church of Rome that hath not many miracles for the confirmation of it mongst them so pleasant to reade that they will sooner make a man laugh in reading them than giue any credit at all to them So in confirmation of the reall and substantiall presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament there is a pretie tale recorded in the life of Saint Anthonie of Padua of whom it is recorded S. Anton. in sum hist 3. p tit 24. c. 5. ff 2. That a certaine heretike promising to be of his religion if his Mule after three dayes restraint would goe and worship his God in the Eucharist Tho. Boz li. 14. de sig eccles dei cap. 3. Laurent Sur. to 3. The tale of a Mule and refuse his prouender which he would prouide for him When the day was come the Mule being brought forth by his Master and the Eucharist by Saint Anthonie hee staying himselfe a little said O thou brute beast in the name and power of thy Creator whom I vnworthie wretch doe hold truly in my hands I charge and commaund thee that forthwith thou come humbled before him and doe him honour and reuerence as thou canst to the end that the peruerse obstinacie of heretikes may know hereby that euerie creature is subiect vnto him whom the Priestly dignitie dayly handleth vpon the Altar Which speech being ended the hungrie beast forsooke the prouender prouided which the heretike had set before his eyes and went forthwith vnto the Sacrament kneeled downe before it and humbled downe his head which the people admiring praysed God saying We haue seene this day maruellous things which the heretike seeing repenting him of his fault abiured his heresie and embraced the true Catholike saith No lesse remarkable is that which is reported of a certaine Priest that doubted of the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Ant. d'Ance Cat. Hist l. 1. c. 5. tit 8. loan Meff in hor. Reg. ser de coen Domini
as the Church of Rome teacheth who being deuoted much to the virgine Marie prayed often vnto her to bee deliuered from this doubt Who being one day at Masse the Hoast before the saying of the Pater noster was gone out of his sight whereof as hee was in a great amazement the virgine Marie appeared vnto him holding her sonne Iesus betwixt her armes and said vnto him This is he whom I brought into this world this is he whom you haue consecrated this is he whom you haue held and touched with your hands and shewed to the people to be adored which you eate and drinke in the Sacrament behold here I giue you my Sonne with reuerence and deuotion to be receiued of you and so as shee presented him vnto him he changed at that instant againe into the forme of bread whom he receiued and so his doubt ceased Here you see courteous Reader strange miracles alledged by the Papists in confirmation of their doctrine one while the bread is vnseene then Christ and our Ladie and then againe the forme of bread another while a Mule forsaking his prouender to adore God in the Sacrament whether these be not such signes wonders and great prodigies as may seduce the elect if it were possible I leaue to the holy Ghost to informe you the truth saying Nolite eis credere beleeue them not And one more yet I will relate vnto your memorie which hath beene wrought of late yeares and may be esteemed for a notable lie Till Bred. 7. Col. sac c. 7. There was a certaine Caluinist that married a Catholike woman that is Papist that long endeuoured to induce her to heare a Caluinist Minister preach The wife after she had a long time contradicted him was at last constrained to goe by the rigorous speeches and threatnings of her husband yet did she first acquaint her ghostly father there with who aduised her to obey the commaundement of her husband and to goe onely once to the said Sermon yet with condition to goe first to Confession and to the Communion The woman hauing performed the aduise of her ghostly father strengthned with the Sacraments went to the Sermon and she was no sooner entred but the Preacher became as silent and mute as a fish yet said at last after a little pause Here is some bodie present that hath eaten of the bread of Papists which is the cause that I will now giue ouer preaching hoping to make recompence another time The husband who was present seeing the Preacher A pretie fiction to disgrace Caluinists by Gods permission to become silent and disabled to prosecute his matter for the presence of one that had receiued the holy Communion who being returned home enquired of his wife whether shee had not receiued the Communion that morning or not she without dissimulation answering yes her husband suddainly knew that this doctrine of the Caluinists was false and accursed in that being placed with the light of the Sacraments of the Catholike Church it withered so and came to nought whereupon presently he made a good fire burned all his bookes to pouder and ashes and became himselfe a child of the Catholike Church In which miracle first I obserue that the ghostly father of this woman gaue her leaue for obedience to her husband to go to the Church of Caluinists which how it can hang with the doctrine of Paule the fifths Breue who sheweth it vnlawfull for English Catholikes to goe to the Churches of Heretikes viz. of all Caluinists and Protestants that are so in his iudgement vnlesse it be said that the Church of Rome holds one doctrine of faith lawfull at one time that is not lawfull at another time I should be glad to be resolued But this I obserue to proceede from Gods prouidence that the inuentors of these and the like miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine in one point doth often in some circumstance or other shew such ignorance or falsehood that discouereth them either not to approue the matter they intend or else runneth into some other error lesse tolerable shewing them most plainely to be such signes and wonders as Christ giueth a Caueat of them Not to be beleeued Many other miracles I might here insert but that I will not be too tedious in such idle tales fitter to be told amongst children as fables than to any men of more ripe iudgement yet are they amongst the Clergie of Rome of such account that their Sermonists are stuffed with them as may be obserued in Iacobus de Voragine Iohannes Meff Bernard de Bust Philippus Dies and many the like and are held more profitable for the people than any other manner of doctrine Yet I obserue one thing by reading of their liues of Saints that many miracles which were authenticall for many hundred yeares past are now growne to be Apocryphall as may be seene by comparing the auncient liues of S. George S. Katherine the Queene and others with them as they are of late yeares corrected and written by Lipeloo following Baronius and other writers of the same kind 12 Now therefore to draw neere my conclusion My conclusion about miracles what fruit could I better gather vpon the due obseruation of Christs warning vnto the world Not to beleeue such miracles than that the Church of Rome cannot bee the true Church of God that either winketh or authoriseth infinite numbers in the same nature as these are of which I haue alreadie recorded out of her owne Writers for which cause I could not but abandon her Communion and flye to that Church which like a faithfull Spouse resteth contented with the former miracles where with Christs Church was begun and chiefely relying vpon the holy Scriptures and the auncient doctrine of the Primitiue Church Yet is not my opinion in this point of miracles so to bee vnderstood as that I doe thinke no true miracles at all shall euer be done in the declining age of Gods Church but I would haue it knowne that my iudgement is that none are to be beleeued which are pretended to be done in confirmation of new doctrines not taught in the Scriptures not knowne to the auncient Church because it is most euident that Christ hath forbidden all beleefe of them and therefore not to be esteemed of otherwise than as of illusions of Sathan wherewith to enchant soules and to make them beleeue lyes in stead of truth and verities Oh what a miserie is it to see how many simple sincere and ouer-credulous Christians are cousened with these deceits and illusions of the Diuell and the true markes of Antichrist Let me therfore entreat thee courteous reader to remember the predictions of these signes and wonders aboue mentioned forespoken of by Christ S. Paule and S. Iohn and not so fondly to be lead blind-folded to the eternall destruction of thy soule by too much credulitie Be not like the Scribes and Pharisies seeking after signes from heauen for the faith least you
for whereas before it is cited that he made Pope Sergius the ordainer of t is triple fraction Desancto Greg. Pap. ser 4. yet saith he in another place speaking of Greg. the great He ordained also that in the masse three parts should be made of the body of Christ to signifie that the mysticall body that is the faithful of Christ are diuided into 3. parts for that part which is put in the chalice hidden and put in the wine signifies that part which is in heauen which is hidden from all euills and is made drunk with the plenty of Gods house the other 2. parts signifie the 2. parts of the faithfull which areyet exposed to tribulations the one which in the world is exposed to much trouble the other which is in purgatory subiect to great tormēt Out of which Author by the way I obserue the great alteration made in the masse who saith that whereas the masse was first said confusedly he viz. Greg. adorned it beautifully appointed in to be sung in a threefold language to wit in the greeke as Kyrie-eleison in the hebrew as Amen and Alleluia in the latin as the rest By all which premises if I should adde herevnto the various meanings of the Priests turning one while his backe to the people another while his face Jbidem one while reading aloude as if he were chiding in an vnknowne tong otherwhile in silence as if he were asleep one while turning a half circle other while turning round the whole as if he were dancing Salingers round one while reading at the middle of the Altare then on the right end after hopping to the left like a nimble stage-plaier as I and others somtimes obserued in a quicke footed Iesuit not without smiling at such his antike gestures he did them with so ill a grace If I should adde all these the reading of thē would be too tedious yet by the former related the reader may iudge of the rest the true meaning whereof may be forged out of any priuate mans braine as he pleaseth as it appeares by the distracted senses of these already cited out of diuers Authors truely there is no man of a pious affectiō but may frame far more reuerēd ceremonies than any of these euen almost out of euery ordinary action How the Papists doe vse much to establish the doctrine of the Masse by the allegations of bastard fathers as for the antiquitie of the masses ceremonies most of them are but nouel in respect of the ancient and primitiue times of Gods church neither instituted by Christ or by any of the Apostles many of them ordained in imitation of the Roman heathenish ceremonies practised about the idolatrous worship of their false gods 7 It is strange notwithstanding very obseruable to note the frequent practise of Romish teachers in the citations of bastard Authors when by the ancient Fathers they go about to establish this doctrine of the masse in the mindes of those that are either too simple or ouer-credulous who are easie to be deceiued either by the good opinion they conceiue of them or by the long acquaintance familiar conuersation they haue long maintained but all is not gold that glisters the wolfe wil deceiue by he sheeps skin weeping Crocadils wil bite to death and sweet notes of singing Syrens drowne their hearers Euen so fares it spiritually with poore Romish Catholikes as they call thēselues when they lend their eares to the pretended antiquity the Priests will alleadge for their doctrine which especially is apparent in their proofs for the sacrifice of the masse Pag. 10. For M. Tho. Harding in his answer to M. Iewels challenge Pag. 320. as also M. Tho. Heskins in his Parliamēt do alleage Abdias bishop of Babilon who liued Ann. Dom. 44. vnder whose name there is a Book intituled The Stories of the Apostles which is iudged by Sixtus Senensis for a treatise fained vnder his name by cardinall Baro. is vtterly reiected yet M. Heskins saith For thy better confirmation gentle Reader I shal adde the testimony of Abdias Bish of Babylon Pag. 43. and a Disciple of the Apostles who writeth thus of the masse death of S. Mathew And when all had said Amen when all the Church had receiued the Masse To. 1. pag. 326. pag. 394. Abdias hist Apostol lib. 7. and the mysteries that were celebrated hee stayed himselfe that by the Altar where the body of Christ was by him consecrated there should his martirdome be solemnized These plaine words deuised and fathered vpon Abdias may iustly giue cause for men deceiued to looke about them what they beleeue not easily to beleeue all that either master Harding or master Heskins or others doe alleadge out of Antiquitie for many such counterfeit Writers are often all eadged because no better can bee found for the proofe of their false doctrine I finde likewise that Iodocus Coccius to establish the Masse citeth Clement a Bishoppe of Rome who liued in the yeare 80. as Author of the eight Bookes of Apostolicall Institutions To. 2. pag. 656. 868. To 1. pag. 117. and yet the Cardinall Baronius iudges them to be written in his name and Posseuinus the Iesuite seems to thinke it will be a hard matter to proue them to be either Apostolicall or lawfull or at the least written by Clement himselfe his words are these Turrianus hath not altogether amongst all proued or euicted those constitutions to the Apostolicall or lawfull Posseuin in Appar pag. 328. written by Clement himselfe And yet notwithstanding the Papists make no scruple to cite these bookes as most authenticall as heere Coccius doth So deale the Rhemists also to proue the sacrifice of the Masse alleaging Dionisius the Areopagit Pag. 204. who liued in the yeare 96. as Author of the celestial and ecclesiastical Hierarchy which book notwithstanding is reiected by Caietan that famous schoole-man among the Cardinals Cap. 3. as you shal find it written in Sixtus Senensis Pag. 61. So to proue the same doctrine Doctor Harding in his Reioynder against Iewels Replie of the Masse and also Cardinall Bellarmine alleage Arnobius who liued in the yeare three hundred Pag. 47. and pag 206. Tom. 3.955 as the Author of the Commentaries on all the Psalmes yet is it iudged by Sixtus Senensis by the incongruitie of the stile Pag. 262 et 201. innumberable soloecismes and barbarismes which are in it to be as farre different from his other writings as heauen is from earth and Posseuine saith of them Posseuin in Appar pag. 129. Neither are they approued by Sixtus Senensis nor by others So againe to establish the Masse Iodocus Coccius alleageth Damasus Pope of Rome Tom. 1.667 who liued in the yeare three hundred sixtie seuen as Author of the booke carrying this title of the liues of the Bishops of Rome commonly called Liber Pontificalis which booke Posseuine iudgeth to
be another not this Damasus In Appar pag. 378. Tom. 1. pag. 573. Bar to 4. pag. 428. which Baronius saith containeth many things repugnant vnto themselues almost in euery Pope and therefore he thinketh it to be collected out of diuers authors Master Doctor Heskins in his Parliament of Christ to proue the sacrifice of the Masse alleageth Amphilochius who liued in the yeare 390. as the author of the life of Saint Basil Pag. 157. Bar Mart. Ian. 1. pag. 6. Spurius Posseuin in Appar pag. 77. yet Baronius saith That in the iudgement of all the wiser sort it is thought to be some bodies else And Posseuine saith The bastard Amphilochius cannot be his vnder whose name it is carried about Glicas in the fourth part of his Annals hath taught vs. By all which examples of the Papists alle aging such counterseit Fathers for the confirmation of this doctrine of the Masse as also many other points I can by no meanes thinke but that many of them do teach this doctrine most wittingly and maliciously against their owne conscience and therefore sinne deadly against the holy Ghost heaping Gods iudgements vpon them against the day of his wrath and also I assure my selfe that their doctrine cannot be good which is vpheld by such counterfeit and weake props as are the writings of bastard teachers and counterfeit bookes But besides the former obseruations The pretended priuiledges of the Masse most fond Ioannes de Comb. compend Theol. verit li. 6. cap. 18. which doe sufficiently discouer the erroneous doctrine taught by the Church of Rome concerning the Masse the great and maine excellent priuiledges which she pretendeth to waite vpon this sacrifice is not to be omitted whereof Ioannes de Combis alleageth diuers saying The Masse hath many prerogatiues First because it is celebrated by one that is fasting Secondly because only in a Church and vpon an altar vnlesse sometimes of necessitie vnder a Tent or in some other honest place Thirdly because it is behouefull that he that celebrateth bee a Priest Fourthly because it is behouefull that hee be clad in sacred vestments Fifthly because only it is done in the day and not in the night vnlesse in the Natiuity of the Lord. Sixtly because it is celebrated with a lighted candle yea though a thousand Sunnes should shine vpon the earth Seuenthly because there words doe sound which are Diuine Angelicall and humane Diuine words when the Pater noster is said or sung and when the words of the Lord are read in the Gospell Angelicall words when Glorie be to God in the highest but humane words in the Collects and the like Eighthly because there are heard three of the noblest tongues viz. Hebrew as Saboath and Osanna Greeke as Kyrie eleison Latine as in others which are there Ninthly because the Masse in his kind is as full of mysteries as the sea of drops as the Sunne of beames as the firmament of Starres as the imperiall heauen of Angels Tenthly because Priests in solemne Churches haue in their Masse many Ministers the Deacon Subdeacon and Acolytes Eleuenthly because the Angels being there in the presence of such maiestie it sufficeth vs to be schollers Twelfthly because there is the Lord of heauen and earth I might vnto these twelue adde the effects of the sacrifice of the Masse also taught by Bernardinus de Busto who amongst many others very ridiculous putteth for one this prerogatiue Bern. de Bust. in ser de Sacrif Mis viz. quamdin quis audit sacrum not senescit man waxeth not old so long as hee heares Masse When I read these priuiledges after it had pleased God to giue me a true vnderstanding of the Masses idolatries I could not but grieue that men should be thus deceiued by the diuels suggestions as to giue credit vnto such idle deuises for the maintenance of Gods dishonor and the diuels seruice Is it not a great prerogatiue thinke you of the Masse that the Priest must be fasting before he go to take a peece of wafer and a prertie quantitie of good Maligo rich Canarie or other strange wine I trow it is a prettie breakfast to take three draughts of such wine although there be a few drops of water in the last This priuiledge I haue obserued pleaseth the Iesuites best of all who scorne to haue weake wine as Clarret but commonly make prouision of the best comfortable Sackes for that purpose and will lightly take more into the Challice then any other Priests out of a greater care they haue that no particles of Christs sacred flesh should stay about the sides of the Chalice which religious care is a good faire cloake for them to warme their fasting stomackes with the more beartie and full draught so that in truth this fasting priuiledge of the Masse serues but for a colour to haue a good breakfast and so to comfort the Priests stomacke that many a Lay man would be full glad of the like The other prerogatiues as weakly grounded vpon mans inuentions not on Scriptures or Apostolicall traditions in truth are as meane but especially that great prerogatiue of the Masse viz. that a man groweth not old so long as he heareth Masse is one of the foolishest conceits of a Franciscan Frier that euer I heard or read For if it were true there is no Doctor Steuens water could so preserue a mans life or prolong it as the hearing of a Masse and I thinke many would heare more Masses then they doe if this were sound Diuinitie but by this it is easie to discouer the Masse not to be as the Church of Rome teacheth a principall act of religion and a worke that surpasseth all the workes that euer God wrought as the worke of creation and redemption more miracles appearing in the Sacrament then in either of them as may be obserued in Ioannes de Combis Lib 6. de cap. 14. and noted by Master Perkins in his Reformed Catholike and not any whit touched as farre as I could perceiue in master Doctor Bishop against him but rather a most diabolicall illusion of the world drawing men to serue the creature in stead of the Creator and the diuell in stead of God And this in very truth appeareth most plainely The Masse confirmed by false miracles a palpable marke of false doctrine if wee consider diligently how the Pseudochrists and false prophets of the Church of Rome endeuor as it were seeing the weaknes of their cause to establish and make good their doctrine of the Masse with the signes wonders and prodigies which Christ himselfe the Sauiour of our soules willeth vs not to beleeue which are so ridiculous that no man of sound iudgement reading them can chuse but laugh and smile at them howsoeuer out of true charitie and a right religious zeale he haue greater cause to commiserate the poore blinded soules that are most miserably seduced by them I will therefore for the fuller manifestation hereof set downe some few
ground of them in all rpobabilitie than that the Popes being desirous to enrich themselues with money haue deuised them for the emptying of mens purses throughout all Kingdomes subiected to his vsurping authority like Boniface the ninth of whom it is written That he sent into diuers Kingdomes his Treasurors with Pardons Theod. a mem de scismat lib. 1. ca. 68. pag. 20. who extoried thereby very great summes of money from the simple people that in some one Pronince they would get together aboue an hundred thousand florens and released all sinnes to them that confessed vnto them without anie penaunce Therefore as I said in the beginning anarice caused spirituall blindenesse in Popes and blindenesse as a punishment confirmeth them more and more in their errors 6 Is it not strange considering all reason to bee against this doctrine of Indulgences that the Church of Rome will by her comminations still curse those that embrace it not as the Councell or Trent doth all those That affirme them to bee vnprofitable Ses 25. decret de Indulgentijs or denie anie power to be in the Church to graunt them What shall not as I said before the bloud of Christ as well take away the temporall paine due vnto sinne as the eternall or is not his satisfaction infinite what neede then the superfluous satisfaction of Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Did the auncient Church euer speake of other Pardons than of the Pardons of outward penances which ere enioyned for publique satisfaction of the Church Hath not Christ fatisfied for the whole world what neede then of the satisfactions of Saints what more than Indulgences instilleth a vaine securitie into the soules of men and ouerthroweth the foundations of all true contrition is not Gods forgiuesse and remission expressed with an Omne debitum dimisi tibi Matth. 18.32 I haue forgiuen thee all thy debt if euerie debt why not aso the debt of temporall paine if an exception can be shewed why is it not made manifest Now iudge beloued Reader whether heere bee not sufficient reason to make mee or anie other say farewell vnto the Romish Church that thus enthralleth soules prophaneth the bloud of Christ disableth the Sacraments and picketh mens purses by the deuised doctrine of her Ecclesiasticall Indulgences Deere Iesu pardon my former fault make mee see better heereafter let mee with true compunction for this errour say with the holy Prophet Dauid Erraui sicut ouis quae perijt quaere seruum tuum I haue gone astray like a lost sheepe seeke thy seruant O Lord Psalme 119. verse 176. CHAP. XVI Containing an obseruation about the number of seuen Sacraments admitted by the Church of Rome IN my trauels in the Low-countries I haue often smiled to see how the people in those parts Vaine is the terrors of Romish curses against the truth in a faire corne-field to driue away crowes and other birds from the corne will most artificially frame the reprefentation of a terribleman standing ouer the corne with a grimme countenance and with bow and arrowes drawne vp to the head to the great terror of all birds that none may approach as if forthwith he would hit all that came neare So likewise when I confider how the Church of Rome vseth the shew of terrors and comminations to keepe Christians from feeding vpon the wholesome truthes and verities growing in the spacious fields of Gods word I find much cause of laughter to see shee should thinke men endued with reasonable soules should haue so little sense as not to discouer her vaine scare-crowes of curses and excommunications which are only terrible in words and iust nothing in effect but counterfeit terrors without hurt or harme as for example she makes a great shew in words concerning the number of seuen Sacraments as if she would shoot euery one to the quicke that will be so venterous as to approach vnto the field of Scriptures to know the truth thereof her threatning shew is this Concil trid sess 7. desacra in genere Can. 1. If any shall say that all the sacraments of the new Law were not instituted by Iesus Christ our Lord or that there are more or fewer then seuen viz. Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Penance Extreame-unction Order and Matrimonie or also any one of these seuen not to be truly and properly a Sacrament be hee accursed Heere is the definitiue sentence of the Church of Rome casting you out of her Synagogue if you gainesay her decree it is curiositie with her and great presumption to examine her doctrine you must not be so hold as to taste of the sweet and most pleasant fruits of Gods word the arrow is drawne vp to the head against you the terror of Anathema must put you to flight Christs doctrine must be no longer the little graine of mustard-seed growne vp aboue all hearbs for his faithfull birds to sit vpon the boughs therof this scar-crow Anathema must put all to flight 2 But those that are wise and iu siciall doe discouer the vanity of this frightful spectacle Those that are wise discouer the vanitie of them with the Berraeans they will examine the Popes doctrine by the Scriptures as they did Saint Pauls they will follow the directions of Doctor Stapleton who appointeth also a meane to trie the doctrine of false teachers by antiquitie euen for all the common sort of people They will as a great Doctor and Champion of the Popes said to me once find that it had been better that the Pope had left many of the doctrines of the Councell of Trent vndefined because so many new Anathemaes makes the world begin to suspect that the Popes labour more to subiect people vnto them by terrors then by truth as men doe children who to keepe them in awe will tell them of Hobgoblins and Robin-good-fellowes such like that wil fetch them away if they bee vnruly and leaue not their crying Which policie my selfe partly obseruing to be vsed by the Church of Rome euen in a moderne example of Paul the fifth his Breue against the oath of alleageance thinking only by the bare words declaratiue without any one reason alleaged for the vnlawfulnes in taking it other then his owne plaine assertion to strike such a terror both into his owne children and into the King and State as if none would dare to gain-say it but blessed be almightie God who hath so communicated the beames of his vnspeakable wisdome vnto him and his loyall subiects yea and vnto many of the Popes owne children who were long seduced by his pretended inerrable power that they dare not onely beleeue the contrarie but also openly auouch it to the world and ioyne foot to foot in defence thereof both with pen and sword if need be howsoeuer the Iesuites would thinke themselues aduantaged if both sides should come to this latter encounter but I trust God out of his mercie will dispose of milder courses more manife sting therein his
for proofe of the Romish auricular confession out of S. Paul to the Corinthians he hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation and he hath put in vs the word of reconciliation for Christ therefore we are Legates O God O heauen Verse 19 O Angells O all yee men liuing vpon the earth come and iudge whether the learned Cardinall doe rightly applie this place of Saint Paul or not I will not iudge my selfe I will only oppose what lieth in Saint Paul going before and following these passages cited by him Can this place bee meant of absolution after a particular enumeration of sins to man if you consider what Saint Paul saieth before Beholde Vers 17. 18 all things are made new but all of God who hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Christ where it appeareth the chiefe meanes of reconciliation is by Christ as it is said in the nineteenth verse Verse 19 Not imputing vnto them theyr sinnes and the ministeriall meanes of reconciliation by the Cleargie doth it not appeare to bee by preaching the word and exhortation and not by any power to absolue after auricular confession for the Apostle after he had said Hee hath giuen vs the ministery of reconciliation and hath put in vs the word of reconciliation Doth hee not shew the meanes of this ministeriall reconciliation to bee by preaching and exhorting God working it so and no otherwise by them when hee saieth For Christ therefore wee are Legates God as it were exhorting by vs. Who foorthwith performeth this ministeriall office and duetie of reconciliation saying For Christ wee beseech you bee reconciled to God Verse 20 Now heere if wee may beleeue the Apustle Saint Paul iudge whether Christ be not the chiefe cause by not imputing to sinners their sinnes and surther whether the Priest be heere expressed to be the ministeriall cause otherwise than by way of exhortation concluding Him that knew no sinne for vs hee made sinne that is Verse 21 as the Rhemists note Vpon this place a Sacrifice for sinne That wee might bee made the iustice of GOD in him Iudge yee now therefore out of all these places whether the Cardinalles allegation of Saint Paul make anie thing for auricular confession or not as it is a part of the Romish Sacrament of Penance 8 A third place of Scripture alleadged for auricular confession by Cardinall Bellarmine is taken out of Saint Iames chap. 5. where it is said Confesse therefore your sinnes one to another and pray one to an other that yee may bee saued Which place doth neither make for Auricular Confession nor for absolution by the Priest for immediately before Saint Iames imputes the remission of sinnes to prayer in Faith saying The prayer of Faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall lift him vp and if he bee in sinnes they shall bee remitted him Againe the wordes seeme not to import that Auricular Confession the Church of Rome vseth for they are spoken as well of the Priest who is to praie as of the sicke for a mutuall and reciprocall prayer each one for the other now the Priest is not by Auricular Confessio to confesse to Lay people that hee may bee prayed for for according to the Papists that Confession is for absolution onely but this Confession Saint Iames speaketh of is meant of such a Confession as ioyned with prayer a man may bee saued by it and that which in the Romish sacramentall Confession saueth a man is the absolution of the Priest who as a Iudge giueth a iudiciall sentence of pardon which is the forme of the Sacrament of Penance and not as a suppliant prayeth for his neighbour which is onely intimated by Saint Iames neither is it apparent that Saint Iames meaneth more by this text than mutuall Confession of them who haue trespassed one the other and therefore may bee thought right well that he meaneth in these words no more than Christ did concerning reconciling our selues with our brother offended that so the offerings of our prayers to God may bee acceptable one for an other when hee said Matth. 4.25 Goe first to bee reconciled to thy brother and then comming thou shalt offer thy gift 9 A fourth place which I discouer most miserably and fondly wrested by Cardinall Bellarmine A text mise rably wrested 1. Iohn 1. verse 9 is out of the first Epistle of Saint Iohn where hee saieth If wee confesse our sinnes hee is faith full and iust for to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all iniquitie whereupon he saith Vbi supra Hence is Sacrament all Confession probably gathered but it may more truly be said Hence is Confession of our sinnes to God most clearely to be gath ered and the other most probably confuted For first the wordes Hee is faythfull to forgiue our sinnes is spoken of GOD and not of anie Priest as may appeere by the wordes following if wee coâ—nfesse not to GOD If wee shall say that wee haue not sinned Verse 10 wee make him a lyar and his word is not in vs By which it is cleare that Saint Iohn also speaketh heere onely of Confession in generall to GOD as also may appeere by the wordes before If wee shall say that wee haue no sinne wee seduce our selues and the truth is not in vs. Secondly that by this confession is meant that which wee ought to make to GOD is euident by the Rhemists who for the better vnderstanding of this place doe referre vs in the inner margent to the third booke of Kings chap. 8. verse 47. and to the second of Paralipomenon chap. 6. verse 36. both which places make against Auricular Confession the first mentioning prayer to God and acknowledgement of sinnes onely in generall Peccauimus iniquè egimus ininstè gessimus Wee haue sinned wee haue done naughtily we haue behaued our selues wickedly The second place also expressing as much almost in the very same wordes Whereby it appeareth how much the Cardinall abuseth this Scripture and wresteth this Text against all right sense and meaning which cannot possibly be applied for the iustifying of his Auricular Confession Now therefore finding by due search and examination that none of the places of Scripture cited by Cardinall Bellarmine the chiefe Pillar in this our age of the Romaine faith doe prooue eyther Auricular Confession to bee necessarie to saluation or to be truely anie materiall part of Penaunce as a Sacrament instituted by Christ Iesus it followeth as a most certayne truth that the Church of Rome hath most grossely erred in defining the number of Sacraments to bee seauen cursing all those which shall holde and maintaine the contrarie Which curse and threatning of the Church of Rome no man hath cause to scare that esteemes of S. Pauls curse vpon those that shal teach other doctrine than wha the taught or that findteh himselfe lesse surprized with the feare of mens threatnings than with the feare of God who can cast our
soules into hell fire 10 And in very truth Diuers Authors shew auricular confession not to be ancient Socr. li. 5. ca 19. Tripartit hist lib 9. 35. Sozom. li. 7. c. 16 Niceph. libr. 12. cap 28. Wald. tom 2 de saora ca 141. Dom à Sot 4. dest 8 q 1. Henriq sum pag 325. Andâ— Orthodox expl c. pag. 663. Bâ—ron tom 1. ann 56. nu 28. Homil 22. ad pop Antioch when I looke backeward vppon the beginning of Christianitie as by the Scriptures I finde no such doctrine of auricular Confession to Priests as a thing necessary to saluation so doe I finde it a nouell doctrine not agreeable to Antiquitie but to haue had beginning after the planting of Christianitie For Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople Put it downe in his Church and all the Bishoppes of the East did the like in theirs This the learned est Writers of the Romaine Church know well enough and acknowledge rayling vpon Nectarius for so doing as Andradius and Baronius doe which is a signe that the refourmed Churches reiecting confession breake no commandement of God but follow the example of the primitiue church that refused it This seems to be most cleare by S. Chrysostome saying This is wonderfull in God that he not onely forgiueth vs our sinnes but neythâ—r doth he disclose them or make them knowne neyther enjorceth he vs to come foorth and teil them he requireth no more but that we speake to him alone and to him alone confesse our faults It is not likelie that these learned and holie Bishoppes would thus haue done and also taught if Auricular Confession with a numerall accompt of euerie particular sinne to a Priest had beene generally receyued as an essentiall part of pennance necessarie to saluation in theyr times I doe finde by diuerse that there is scarce anie kinde of thing which causeth more scandall vnto the Cleargie it selfe than this Doctrine of particular enumeration of sinnes For a certaine Writer saith Religious men themselues in no thing sinne so much as in dissembling confessions Alua. Pelag. de planot Eccles lib 2. art 28. p. 255. For scarce or seldome at all doe they confesse otherwise then in generall termes naming no great sinne What they say one day that they say the next as if euery day they sinned alike Yet this abuse is nothing to that the same Author addeth saying That it was an ordinarie practise for the Priests to commit execrable villanie with the Women at confession as if they were the Sonnes of Eli Art 127. pa. 111 rauishing wiues and deflouring maides in the Church Art 2. pag. 83. and committing Sodomie with yong men with other stuffe then this affirming That the Church was made a stewes I finde further that an other Romish Writer saith Art 2. 73. 83. Cornel. Agrippa de vanit c. 64. I could by many examples fresh in memorie shew how fit this confession is for bawderie for Priests Monkes and Nunnes haue this speciall prerogatiue that vnder pretence of religion they may goe vp and downe when and whither they will and vnder colour of confession talke with anie woman whom they oftentimes entertayne but homely closely they goe to the stewes rauish virgins and widdowes yea manie times which my selfe haue seene and knowne runne awaie with mens wiues and carrie them to their fellows and hereby whose soules they should gaine to God their bodies they sanctifie to the Diuell II. â—isconueniences ouerthrowing auricular confession Many other proofes might be alleaged of the inconueniences of auricular Confession as by opening such sinnes by women or yong men as the very hearing of them striketh impression in the Priests and many times engendreth such occasions of temptations to them as they haue no power to resist them besides euen to the penitents also some sinnes into which they may fall by humane infirmitie may bee of that nature that they can neuer haue the heart through bashfulnesse to confesse them and then follow vnperfect confessions and after continuall remorse and perplexities of minde which make their whole liues irkesome vnto them drawing them into the remedilesse gulfe of desperation especially when the sinnes are such in weake natures as the Apostle Saint Paul himselfe thought vnfit to bee named which are fitter to bee opened to GOD than to Men. Therefore no man can well thinke that auricular confession is a soueraigne medicine for sinne which often is an occasion of much sinne No doubt IESVS CHRIST and the Apostles were as carefull to preserue men from sinne as the Pope can be and yet they neuer prescribed this medicine For certes whosoeuer feareth not to commit sin in the presence of God that seeth all men will as little blush to confesse it after their manner to a Priest whom they may deceiue and hee that regardeth not the law of God will care as little for the Priests absolution the feare of God and awe of his truth being of more force to bridle our sinnefull nature than the pollicie of man so that to conclude obseruing this auricular confession not to be an essentiall part of Penance nor to haue any warrant in the word of God nor to bee ancient doctrine without beginning since Christ and his Aposses nor to bee agreeable to reason in respect of many inconueniences that ensue of it it followeth that Penance is not a Sacrament instituted by Christ and consequently that there are not seuen Sacraments instituted by him as the Church of Rome teacheth and therefore I could no longer bee frighted with the Excommunication of the Councell of Trent against those that should denie this doctrine like those qui trepidant timore vbi non est timor Who tremble for seare where there is no cause of feare 12. Strange sables deuised for the prâ—ose of auricular coniession I remember a notable fable worth the relating deuised to breede feare and terrour for want of totall confession into the eares of a Priest which is recorded in diuers Writers of the Church of Rome of which two one of them was Penitentiarius to the Pope a man of great learning and good life and the other to wit the yongest was a simple vnlearned man In mag Spec. exemplor dist 9. p. 531. Guil. Pip. tr 1. super Conc. c. 13. ex lib. qui dicitur Scala coeli It happened that these two trauailing abroade together were lodged at a certaine Castle where a great Ladie dwelt that had committed Adulterie nay Incest with one of her owne Kinne Who out of the shame shee had conceiued for hauing committed so enormous an offence remained for the space of eleuen yeares without going to confession to her Curate who entertaining this religious couple and obseruing them in their carriages to bee vertuous and grane and not to haue any acquaintance with her and considering that perhaps they might neuer come againe to her house shee thought shee might doe well to make her