great facility and without which there is no possibilitie of salvation 2 That divine prerogative is granted vnto them abve all the people in the world which doth preserve them everlastingly from erring in matters of faith and from falling from GOD. 3 That the Pope being Christes deputie hath the keyes of heaven in custodie to admit in by Indulgence shut out by excommunication as he shall see cause 4 That the charge of all soules being committed to him he is thereby made soveraigne prince of this world exceeding in power and maiestie all other princes as far as the soule in dignitie doth exceed the bodie eternall things surmount things temporall and seeing the end is the ruler and commander of whatsoever doe tend vnto it and all things in this world are to serve but as instruments and the world it self but as a passage to our everlasting habitation 5 That therfore he that hath the managing of this high honour to be the supream conductor vnto it hath also power to dispose of all things subordinate as may best serve to it to plant to roote out to establish to depose to bind to loose to alter to dispence as may serve most fitte for the advancement of the church and for the atcheving of the soules felicitie wherein whosoever oppose against him whether by Heresie or Schisme they are no other then verie Rebels or seditious persoÌ„s against whom he hath vnlimited endlesse power to proceede to the suppressing ruining and extinguishing of them by all meanes that the Common-welth of God may florish in prosperitie and the high way to heaven bee kept safe and open for all Gods loyall and obedient people In these poynts no doubtes or questions are tolerable And whoso with them ioyne in these shall find great connivence in what other defect or difference soever this being the very touchstone by which all men are to be tried whether they be in the Church or out of the Church whether with them or against them and by this plott have their wits erected in this worlde a Monarchie more potent then ever any that have bene before it A Monarchye which intitling them de iure to all the world layeth a strong foundation thereof in all mens conciences the onelie firme ground of obedience in the worlde and such a foundation as not onely holdeth fast vnto them whatsoever it feazeth on but worketh outwardly also by engines to weaken and vndermine the states of all other Princes howe great so ever and that in such sort as by possessing themselves of the principall places the hearts of their subiects as being those from whome they have their principall good even the happinesse of their soules to incite vppon everie conscience a gaynest their naturall Soveraigne at pleasure and by a writte of Excommunication to svbdue or at leastwise greatly to shake whom they list without fighting a blow without leavying a Souldier lastly a Monarchie which as it was founded by meere witte needeth not anie thing but meere witte to mainetaine it which enricheth it self without labouring warreth without endangering rewardeth without spending vsing Colledges to a great purpose as others can fortresses working greater matters partly by Schollers partly by swarmes of Friars than else they could ever doe by great garrisons armies And all these maintained at other mens charges for to that rare poynt have they also proceeded as not onely to have huge rents themselves out of other mens states but to maintaine also their instruments out of other mens devotions and to advance their favorites vnder the faire pretence of providing for Religion to the verie principall preferments in forraine Princes Dominions That no man need find it strange if finding the revenew of skill and cunning to be great and their force mightie especially what they worke vpon simplicitie and ignorance They inclosed in times past all learning within the wals of their Cleargie setting forth Ladie Ignorance for a great Saint to the Laitie and shewing her vnto them for the true mother of Devotion And assuredly but for one great defect in their pollicy which was hard in regard of their owne particular ambition but otherwise not impossible to be avoided That they choose their Pope lightly verie old and withall without any restraint of all Families and Nations whereby they are continually subiect to double change of government The Successor seldome prosecuting his Antecessors devices but eyther crossing them through envie or abandoning them vpon new humour it could not have been but they must have long since beene absolute Lords of all which defects notwithstanding so strong was their pollicy by reason of the force of their Cardinall fonndation That no Prince or Potentate ever opposed against them but in fine even by his owne Subiects they eyther maistered him or vtterly brought him to good conformitie by great losse and extreamitie tâ—ll such time as in his latter age the bottom of the foundation it selfe being stoutly discovered hath given them a sore blow hath changed in great part the state of the question and hath driven them to a re-inforcement of new inventions and practises 12 Howbeit those positions being the ground of their state and the hope of their owne glory in them they admit no shadow of alteration but indevour still per fas nefas euen by all the meanes in the world to strengthen them and amongst their manifold adversaries hate them most of all other who have laboured most in stopping of that foundation And seeing that by reason of this bookish age they have not that helpe of ignorance which in times past they had they cast about greatly to soake and settle them in mens perswasions and consciences by another way They tell men that the very gound whereon we build our perswasion of the truth of Christianity it self are no other then credible That the proofes of the Scripture to be the word of God can be no other at this day than probable onely being impossible for any wit in the world to produce exact necessary and infallible demonstrations Eyther that the holy Apostle Saint Paule had his calling from above or that those Epistles were of his writing so likewise in the rest and that the chiefe proofe that we have therof is the testimony of the church a thing which their very adversaries are forced to confesse Now that this probable perswasion of the truth of Christianity doth afterward grow to an assurednesse therof this issueth from an inward operation of Gods divine spirit the gift whereof is faith and that faith being a knowledge not of bare science but of beleefe which searcheth not the particular necessitie of the veritie of things delivered but relieth in generall vpon the approoved wisedome truth and vertue of him that doth deliver it Then surely whosoever will have necessarie proofe of the severall Articles of Religion doth but wittily deceive himselfe and by over-curious indevour to chaunge his faith into science doth loose that which
discharge their hands of some of them especially of such as by disgrace or by defect of nature are eyther more backward or lesse lovely then other at an easie and small raâ—e and yet with honorable pretence namely by consecrating them wholy to the service of the Creator and providing higher place for them in his celestiall Kingdome For such is their opinions of these orders of religious and Angelical perfection as they vsually stile them The Friers also themselves having names given them by their governors each according to his merits importing no lesse and as they increase in their holinesse so proceeding in their titles from Padre benedicto to Padre Angelo then Archangelo Cherubino and lastly Cerephino which is the top of perfection but for their owne high conceit of their perfection and merits this example may serve I have heard one of their most renowmed Câ—puchines for zeale sanctitie and learning preaching in a principall place before the Bishop in sharpe reproofe of their forsaken crew of blasphemous gamesters pray solemnly to God though acknowledging himselfe first in humilitie a great sinner by his merits and discipline by the teares which his eyes had often shed by those many sharpe voyages which for the love of God he had made by that chasticement which he had often given himselfe because they did grieve animam pauperis which was himselfe that if there were any notwithstanding his admonitions which should still persist in that wicked gamestry he would strike them ere that day twelvemonth with some markeable punishment The same man at an other time in an extacie of charitie calling God all his Angels and Saints to witnesse it to strip himselfe of all his merits there before the little Crucifix embracing and kissing it and to pray it to reward them vpon his dearely beloved Auditorie for whose sakes hee was contented also to bee reputed the greatest sinner of all the assemblie Such being their perfection then in desiring it must needes issue of an honourable affection Now although Italy being a thirstie Manager doth in his heart greatly repine at a custome which their Nunneries have of late brought vp being indeed constrained to it by the excessive multitude which in the former respect are thrust vpon them which is not receive any gentleman or marchants daughter without the dowry of 200 crownes at least and fifteen or twentie crownes yeerly pension during her life and ten yeerly rent to their house for ever Neither admit they of any mans daughter without some crowns also in name of a dowrie at their spirituall mariage to God and those shal be but seruing Nunnes to the former Yet finding two charges this is farre the easier they are content to swallow downe that which by champing on the bit they can not remedy But the orders of religious men bring them an other ease also It disburtheneth their couÌ„try of an infinite number of discontented humors and dispairing passions whosoever in his deerest loves hath prooved vnfortunate whosoever cannot prosper in some other profession which he hath beene set to whomsoever some notable disgrace or other crosse in estate hath berâ—aved of all hope of ever rising in this world whosoever by his miscariage hath purchased so many enemies as that nothing but his bloud can yeeld satisfaction to their malice All these and many others reduced to like anguish of minde and distresse or otherwise howsoever out of taste with the world have this haven of content alwaies open to flie to when they can find no other place of repose to stand in then resolve they to go Friars as they phrase it yea whosoever by his monstrous blasphemy or other like villany hath deserved all the tortures and deaths in the world if before the hand of Iustice lay hold vpon him he voluntarily professe himselfe a Capâ—â—hine or Hermite or of such like strict order the Pope forbiddeth any further pursuit as thinking his voluntary perpetuall penance sufficient And in this maner is the greatest sort of their gentry Capuchins for so are the most of the order by birth Neither is this religious life save in some very few Orders so severed from the world and the commoditie thereof but that it enioyeth as many contentments as a moderate mind need wish moderate affections can find means also to satisfy them selves at pleasure In summe they are rather discharged of the toilâ—s and cares than debarred of the comforts and solace of this life Neither is there almost so meane a Friaâ— among them that hath not some hope to be Prior of his covent and then perhaps of that resort or province and lastly not impossible that his good fortune may so accompany his merits as to attaine to be the Generall of all his Order And the Generals are as likely to be made Cardinals as any men And finally sundrie of them within the memorie of man have beene advanced from the preheminences of the Cardinals dignitie to the soveraigntie of papall glorie Hope is a sweet and firme conpanion of man it is the last thing that leaveth him and the highest things it promiseth him it maketh all toiles supportable all difficulties conquerable Now the multitude of these Orders and good provision for them being so great an ease to all sorts of men in their private estates as they generally account it It must needs be a great bond of their affection vnto the Papacie vnder which they enioy it as by whom alone those Orders are protected and whom his adversaries do seeke vtterly to exterminate ruine I shall speake little of the particular persons that enter into those Orders who draw thereby their whole race the more to favour that way which in so infinite a number of them must needs be of great moment Against this might be obiected with great reason the inestimable damage which the publike do therby receive as in Italy for example perhaps halfe of the land in many places therof and generally a full third besides their other vailes being appropriated to this sort of people and other persons ecelesiasticall yea and of the people themselves perhaps a quarter of a million at least in that one Countrey having withdrawne themselves thereby from all service of Prince or people or Countrey and confined themselves to their Cloysters life living onely vpon the honie which the toyling Bee doth gather with perhappes an other quarter of a million of an other sect I may erre in both numbers but I ayme as neere the trueth as by coniecture I can proportioning the places where I have not beene with those where I have beene who have abandoned themselves to another trade as idle but more wicked devouring with mens goodes their bodies and soules at once which may be the cause that that countrey though as populous as it can well beare yet commeth manifold waies short of that strength which in former times it hath had either for defence of it selfe or offence of his neighbors yet notwithstanding these
give footing to the Religion they so much Suppressing the holy Scriptures hate And first for the scriptures Forsomuch as the reformation seemeth grounded vpon them having striven to square it out wholy by that rule as farre forth as their vnderstanding and wits could wade And forasmuch as â—â— is a thing which the Romanistes denie not That a great part of their Religion hath other foundation which seemeth in many points to swarve much yea and plainely to crosse the scriptures as an ordinare Reader by his meere naturall witt not fashioned by their distinctions nor directed by their glosses would expound it For this cause though heretofore to stop their adversaries mouths alwaies yelping and crying with hatefull soundes That they would not suffer the poore people to heare GOD speake to them that they starued and murthered their soules in ignoraunce robbing them of the breade of life the voyce of Christ and cramming and choaking them with their emptie superstitions their poysoned Idolatries That their scriptures would shew them that their worshipping of Images was ever with threats prohibited in the law of God That their praying in vnknowne languages and by tale is plainely reprooved their invocating and praying to saints a matter there never heard of that their ceremonies were vanities their trafficke for soules very sacriledge their Miracles delusions their indulgences blasphemies that it would discover their Church to be the bodie strangely infected and polluted with foule and pestilent diseases And finally that their not erring and inconâ—oleable Lord of Rome was no other than that imperious bewitching Ladie of Babylon though I say as well to beat back these irkesome outeries of their adversaries as also to give some content satisfaction to their owne that they might not thinke them so terrible afraid of the Bible they were contented to let it be translated by some of their favourers into the vulgar as also some number of Copies thereof to be saleable for a while at the beginning Yet since having huisht that former clamour and taken better provision for the establishing of their affatres they have called all vulgar Bibles straightly in againe yea the verie Psalmes of David which their factious Preacher Bishop Paâ—gorola translated as doubting else the vnavaleablenesse of those former inconveniences To let passe these hard conceits which they breede in the multitude as touching the inextricable obscuritie of the scriptures the easinesse to mistake it the daungerousnesse to erre by it having raised in some places such base and blasphemous proverbes concerning it I would rather themselves would extinguish them than that I list to giue life by recording them in this place neyther yet in their verie sermons though they preach alwaies in a maner of the Gospell of the day doe they read or any waye recite the text but discourse onely on such pointes of it as they thinke fittest without more solemnitie that no sound of Scripture may possesse the people although the vse in France be otherwise for that matter yea some parts of Scripture as Saint Paules Epistles they are so iealous of and thinke so dangerous that as I have heard credible report for my selfe did not see it some of their Iesuites of late in Italie in solemne Sermons and other their favorites elsewhere in private communication commending betweene them Saint Peter for a worthy spirite have censured Saint Paule for a hote headed person who was so transported with his pangs of zeale and eagrenesse beyond all compasse in most of his disputes That there was no greate reckoning to be made of his Assertions yea he was dangerous to read as savouring of heresie in some places and better perhaps he had never written Agreeably to which I heard other of their Catholiques deliver that it hath beene heeretofore very seriously consulted among them to have censured by some meanes and reformed the Epistles of Saint Paul though for my owne part I must confesse I cannot beleeve this point as beeing an attempt too abhominable and blasphemous and for these times too desperate a scandall But howsoever he of all other is least beholding to them whom of mine owne knowledge and hearing some of them teach in the pulpit not to have beene secure of his preaching but by conference with Saint Peter nor that he durst publish his Epi stles till Saint Peter had allowed them these orders they have taken to avoide danger from the written worde advauncing in steede thereof the amplitude the sufficiencie and vnfallible certaintie of GODS Oracles and wordes not written but delivered by the custodie of his holy Church by speech onely which Church hath delivered her mind in the Councell of Trent whereto al those that are solemnly made Doctors in Italie must subscribe 35 And as in the foundation of the Reformation which is the Scriptures so much more in the edifice it selfe the doctrine and opinions they beate away all sound and eccho of them beeing not lawfull there to alleadge them no not to glaunce at them nor to argue dispute of them no not to refute them In ordinary matter of com munication to talke of matters of religion is odious and suspitious but to enter into any reasoning though for Argument sake without other scandall is prohibited and dangerous Yea it was once my fortune to be halfe thretned for no other fault than for debating with a Iew and vpholding the trueth of Christianitie against him so vnlawfull are all disputes of Religion whatsoever And the Friars even in Fraunce in their indevours to convert other will say it is lawfull to perswade them but not to dispute with them But in Italie this is much more exactly observed wherein their Divinitie disputations in their Vniversities or Colledges as some such disputations they have but very sleight and vnfrequent I coulde not perceive that ever they debated any question at this day controversed otherwise than as ever among themselves and betweene the Schoolemen And which was more straunge to me till I sounded the reason in no place of Italie where ever I came could I have anie of their Preachers treate of any point in question betweene them and the Protestants save onely at Padua where in respect there are alwaies diverse hundreth of strangers of the adverse part it is otherwise practised But in all other places for ought I could perceive either they mention now no adversaries or if they do which is very seldome yet doe they not vnfolde their opinions and arguments but either from other Chimeraes of their owne in steed of them so flourish about or two in canvasing their owne shadowes as is vsuall in France also or else dispatch them away with certaine generall reproches and then as I have heard some of them will formally conclude But what do I name Heretikes in an assemblie of Catholiques Howbeit they are not so forgetfull and carelesse of their crosse neighbours as this course might seeme at the first blush to import but those offices they doe
any part capitall yet have they beene are and will be as long as they continue causes of dislikes of iealosies of quarrels and of danger In summe what vnitie soever is amongst them proceeds only from the meere force vertue of verity which all persons seeke for which though it bee incomparably the best and blessedest and which alone doth vnite the soule with God yet for order in the worlde for quiet in the church for avoyding of scandall for propagating and increase of what great power that other vnitie is which proceedes from authoritie the Papacie which standeth by it alone may teach vs. These then are the advantages on the parte of the Papacie But nowe one disadvantage such is the nature of all things impeacheth and diverteth all other their forces that is their vicinity with their grand enimie the Turke who by land and Sea presseth harde both vppon the Emperour Pope and the Monarchie of Spaine and driveth then oftentimes to such extasies of devises that Spaine hath no other shifts to cleere himselfe than by diverting him vpon his owne deere brethren of Austria and causing him to sall foule vppon his friend the Emperour wherein he is driven yet to a twofolde charge both in bribing the Bas shawes to draw their Lord into Germanie and in supporting their Emperour with money to withstand him The Emperor on the other side calleth the Protestants for his aide without whome the whole Empire were in danger to wreking The Pope who of all other is in deepest feare though not yet in the neerest knowing that the finall marke that the Turke shooteth at is Italie as thinking that to be the banner nowe onely remaining to be sett vp for the accomplishment and the perfection of his Empire And that the warres with the Emperour are but to open that land passage forasmuch as by Sea hee hath alwaies prooved the weaker bestirres himselfe on all sides in the best sorte he is able both in sending such ayde as his proportion wil bear and especially in soliciting of the Princes of his parte to enter into a common league and warre against him giving overture of like desire for the Protestants also but the Protestants would know what securitie and quiet they shall have from himselfe first their neere and sterne and vnplacable enemie before they waste out themselves in giving ayde vnto him against a common enemie indeede But one who is furthest off from them of all other who as now is desirous enough to entertaine friendship and who at the worst haÌ„d carrieth no more cruell hate against them and their profession neyther condemneth their religion more than the Pope their fellow christian Then for his Catholiques and Polakers they cleerely slip collar both for the naturall hatred they beare the Germaines for that they are in peace and amitie with the Turke paying a certaine tribute And although his neere neighbors yet not in his way which is not the North but to the sunne and to the South parts and mainely and plainely to the conquest of Italie The Venetians are contente also to live rather as free tributaries to the Turke as they now are than as slaves vnto Spaine who in ioyning with them heeretofore in league against the Turke Pope Pius Sixtus did coÌ„trary to his oath bond forsake them suffer them to be beaten being left alone to the Turks furie And all this to the end that having their state vtterly maymed and broken by the Turke they might be constrained wholy to cast themselves their soveraignetie cittie into the armes embracements of Spaine for safegarde With this vnchristian treacherie have they charged him heretofore though now all beeing quiet they are content to put an vnacceptable motion to silence by demaunding of impossible conditions of securitie Then for Fraunce it is farre off lookes that the neerer be as they ought more forward first and requireth also with reason some breathing time to revive himselfe after his wearinesse by his late pangs Lastly Spaine hath so much to doe with England and the revoulted Provinces that hee thinketh the time gained that the Turke forbeareth him So that in the end the whole burthen must rest on the Emperor with that small helpe that Italie and some others do yeeld him And were it not his good fortune or rather Gods good providence that the verie same plagues that have ruined the glory grace of Christendom should now infect also the grand enemy thereof namely Effeminatensse and Avarice whereof the one is the corrupter of all sound deliberations the other the quailer of all manly executions which prevailing in his estate as they do at this day give hope that his tyranny groweth toward his period for the present proved so that a weake defendant may shift better having no other than a cowardly assailant This matter would have growne to that extremitie by this time as could have called the King of Spaine with all his forces to some more honorable enterprises than he hath hitherto vndertaken And this is the bridle that holdes in the Papacy with all her followers from any vniversall proceeding by force against the Protestants who herein are greatly advantaged above them in that either their oposites lye betweene them and the Turks or in that their Countries coasting so much as they doe towards the North are out of his way no part of his present ayme But those aduantages disadvantages of the Papacie equally weighed I suppose this disadvantage more mischievous for the preseÌ„t as proceeÌ„ding from outward force in the hands of an enimie and the other advantages more stable as springing from the inwarde strength of their owne wealth and order 48 This then being so and that all things considered there falleth out if not such in differencie and equality yet at the leastwise such a proportion of strength vpon both sides as bereaveth the other of hope ever by waâ—re to subdue them seeing as the Proverbe is A deade woman will have foure to carry her foorth much lesse will able men be beaten out of their homes and seeing their is no apparance of ever forcing an vnity vnlesse Time which eateth vp all things shoulde bring in great alterations it remaineth to bee considered what other kinde of vnity poore Christendome may hope for whether vnitie of Veritie or vnitie of Charitie or vnitie of perswasion or vnitie of authoritie or vnitie of Necessitie there A proiect of vnion beeing so many other kinds and causes of concord A kind of men there are whom a man shall meet with in all countries not many in number but sundry of them of singular learning and pietie whose godly longings to see Christendome re-vnited in the love of the Authour of the name above all things and annexed in brotherly correspondencie and amitie as beseemeth those who vnder the chiefe service of one Lord in the possession of one ground and foundation of faith doe expect the same finall
translation which they had is called in and taken from them it is printed in Hebrew letters but not in Hebrew language at leastwise not in such as they can vnderstand With Greeke and Latine their nations never medled besides which the Inquisitors have inhibited and taken from them all bookes that were ever published in that theame on either side as well those that have bin written in defence of christian religion as also the contrary against it alleadging they will have no disputing in matter of religion either way much like to an Edict set vp at Dola in the french County where the Iesuites reside forbidding any talke of God either in good sort or in bad Then lastly for those few sermons they are bound to repaire to seldome are they directed to the pointes they sticke on but holde on their vsuall tenour as respecting meerely the Christians The last discouragement to men especially of their mettall is that at their conuersion to Christianity they must quitte their goods to the Christians And the reason is for that in baptisme they re-renounce the divell and all his workes part whereof are the Iewes goods being gotten eyther of themselves or of their ancestors by vsury Now this is such a cold comfort to a man set on the world as that Nation is wonderfully that for my part I have not hard of any coÌ„verted in those parts save some Phisitians with some of their children who by friendship to the Pope have obtained dispensatioÌ„ to retaine their goods stil in as much as they were gotten by their honorable profession But if on the contrarie fide the Christians would againe in their charity give somewhat for the competent entertainment of such as for Gods sake did give vp their owne I could not but well commend that rigor of iustice which the bountifulnesse of this mercy did mitigate and asweeten But being no such matter there remains nothing for a Iew converted but to be friared a trade which of all other they lest can fancy as being contrary as they alledge to Nature it selfe which hath made man sociable and each helpfull to other in all civill duties a trade never commanded or commended by God never practised nor counselled by their renowmed ancestors who received continuall instruction and inspiration from above which none of their Patriaâ—kes or Prophets hath given example of Onely in three or foure thousand yeares Elias and some one other hath beene found vpon verie extraordinarie cause to haue taken also an extraordinarie course of life though of other nature and to other purpose then the votaries of our times And these are the termes that the Iewes stand on in those parts and so must I leave theÌ„ to the mercifull care of God an vnblessed and forsaken people obstinate within and scandalized without indefatigable in their expectations vntractable in perswasion worldly yet wretched received of their enemies but despised and hated scattered ouer all countries but no where planted daily multiplying in number but to the increase of their servitude and not to their power In summe a long continued and marked example of Gods iust severitie to abate their pride that glory even as they in their ancestors and founders Gods Temple and Oracles promises and many prerogatives long continuance in honourable estate and glorie which things if they were sufficient to preserve any seat in the world euen their seat had beene preserved by them and to proclaime to the whole world that there is no assurance of the fauour protection and assistance of God without which all falls to ruine but in beleeving in his Sonne and in keeping his commandements And this also may serve touching the Church of Rome sufficient The Greeke Church Next followeth the Greeke Church inthralled all in a manner save the Muscovites and Candians with some few other of no great name or number vnder the Turkish tyrannie of which Church as their farre distance from vs requireth not to speake much so their vniformitie in miserie yeeldeth not much to be spoken for their Religion except onely their ancient error touching the proceeding of the Holy Spirit from the Father alone wherein they have long dissented from all Latine or VVest Churches In other points they seeme to stand in some middle termes of opinion betweene the Romish and the Protestants in the more weightie or at the leastwise in the dominative With Rome they concurre in the opinion of Transubstantiation and generally in the service and whole bodie of the Masse in praying to Saints in auricular confession in offering of sacrifice and prayer for the dead and in these without any or with no materiall difference They hold Purgatory also and the worshipping of pictures but for images they will not so much as indure them in their Churches As well for the proclivitie they have to trayne away the ignorant into the crime of Pagan errors as also to avoid that similitude betweene their Churches and Heathenish Temples of Idols which imagery doth cause And for their pictures they kneele to two onely to Christ and our Ladie the rest they passe over with an ordinarie reverence For Purgatory they hold none in hell or in the skirts thereof or by any outward torment but that the soules of the faithfull are not received into glory till by an extreame compunction and anguish of mind they have worne out those staines with which the same and the pleasures therof in this life defile them In summe those opinions which grew into the Church before that separation betweene the Greeks the Latins and all those ceremonies which were common vnto both they still retaine as their crossings and tapers with certaine other But for these superstitioÌ„s which have crept in fresh memory or which were as antient yet not so currant and in generall all those Canons of the Romish faith which have beene thrust on the Church in those times by the vnaccountable power pride of the Papacy tending to the advancement of their owne Sea and to the exempting of their Church doctrine from triall by those Anabaptifticall fancies of the spirit that mans them and protecteth them from error in their consultations or resolution touching matter of faith extenuating the sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures in comparison of their spirit or Church guided by it all these things they abhorre no lesse then the Protestant they hold vnderstanding requisite to concurre with affection for the accomplishment of devotion in praying to God And although their Lyturgies be the same that in the old time namely Saint Basills Saint Chrysostomes and Saint Gregories translated without any bending of them to that change of language which their tongve hath suffered yet doe they say that alteration is not so great but that their people with small accustoming vnderstand the language well enough But by praying with Saint Dominickes round counters they esteeme of it no better then those heathenish repetitions and vnnaturall lip-labour which our Saviour censureth