but one Pope saith that Papist Augustine de Ancona Even so Antichrist is the Adversary of Christ not one Person but the succession And all those Adversaries that ever were are or shall bee quoad officium in regard of their function to oppose Christ they are all but one Antichrist Examine now the argument by these parallels Christ is one person therefore his Vicar the Pope is one person Christ is one person therefore his Adversary Antichrist is one person Yee easily discerne the Fallacie Howbeit wee say that Antichrist may bee called one man for two causes First from the phrase it being propheticall and in Prophecies by one beast a whole Kingdome is designed Dan. 7. 23. Secondly from the properties of the persons composing that Antichrist they may be all called in the singular number unus homo one man quia Omnes habent unum regnum unum propositum unum spiritum saith Rollocke on this place They all haue one Kingdome Rollock in 2 Thess 2. in the same forme of gouernment one purpose in persecuting the faithfull and one spirit they being all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Oecumenius speaketh all madded by the same Devill to underproppe Antichrist Thus Antichrist may be called one man but indeed hee Mâ—gdâ—burge Cent. 1. lib. 1. cap. 4. is many a maine succession I conclude Antichrist us est regnum falsorum doctorum Christi doctrinam obscurantium mundanum regnum arripientium Antichrist is a State fighting against the Church in a long succession Now who they are which plead most for succession I leave this to your conjecture as a preface to plainer demonstrations Thirdly the Adjunct is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the two former points concerning the two remaining Men Fathers and Brethren heare my Apologie which I make unto you Of those two points I shall speake Nil Nimium of the one I shall seeme to speake too much and of the other too little The last shall I now passe I reserve Antichrist revealed to his proper place The first will enforce me to spinne out the thread of my Sermon somewhat too long But of the first with what breuity I may The Adjunct is The man of Sinne the very word will cause some to expect invections bitternesse clamours and evill speakings but let me prevent them by my protestation I protest therefore in the presence of God before whom I stand I will speake nothing falsly nothing partially but onely what this Text putteth into my mouth and their owne writings into my eyes And in them also will I silence infinite personall instances Againe I protest by the same blessed Majesty that my hearts desire is to confirme the Protestant to reforme the Papist but to exasperate neither Therefore my tongue shall not be a vultures beake to prey upon the putride parts of the Papacy and to rip up their personall vices But it shall discusse the Reall parts of Popery their positions published in print If therefore those which themselves avouch as the sound parts of their religion if they shall appeare to be rotten and putrifide Then I hope the sheepe of Christ will not like Wolves swallow downe whole whatsoever is put into their mouths by such Carvers But to keepe my discourse within the compasse of truth I remember that saying of Christ Math. 12. 36. Every idle word that men shall speake they shall giue an account thereof at the day of judgement I remember also what a Father said of that saying Si pro omni verbo otioso quanto magis pro omni verbo injurioso malitioso if I must give an account unto God for every idle word what must I doe for every lying word If I must give an account for every lye in my house what an account must I make for every lye in my Pulpit Here then are two reines for that one member Yet I must insert one Proviso Our Adversaries also are abundant in their accusations Wee say that the Pope is The man of sinne And they say we are The men of sinne They have their Babels and their Libels infinite popish pamphlets which publish us to be the sinke of sinne the shame of Christendome and the scumme of the whole world But those imputations they put upon us falsly and impertinently Falsly St. Hierome taxed Sabinian for destouring a Nunne Sabinian retorted vpon St Hierome the like suspition of lewdnesse Herein they differed Hierom did accuse Sabinian per veram convictionem and Sabinian Hierom per falsam confictionem This is our case wee charge the Papists that they defile the Church by foule sinnes they charge us with the same Herein wee differ our accusation is per veram convictionem by true conviction and just relation theirs is per falsam confictionem by false consiction and forged calumniation Againe as these calumnies are false so are they impertinent also for they accuse us of personall sinnes which alwayes have are and ever will be in the purest Churches upon the face of the earth But we charge theÌ„ with doctrinall and dogmaticall crimes with crying sinnes supported by the Doctors and doctrine of their church Having premised these items I will speake to you as St Paul spake to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 7. I will speake the words of truth and sobernesse Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man of sinne Genitivi Sâ—ar Apol. lib. 5. cap. 17. nu 2. pro adjectivis in scriptura positi exaggerationem significant saith Suarez Genitives put for Adjectives doe augment and increase the significatioÌ„ as here The man of sin that is a most sinfull man Now Antichrist is termed a most sinfull man two wayes both affectivè and effectivè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all men hee principally is both the Practiser and the Causer of Sinne. Magdâ—burgens Câ—nt 6 cap. 4. He is the Prime practiser of sinne and herehence Antichrist was called by the ancients Secundus Adolescens the Adventurous youth quia iuvenili temeritate fervidus est in malo because with a youthfull frensie hee doth plunge himselfe into all madde courses Againe he is the grand cause of sinne therefore Aquin. Sum 3. quaest 8. Art 8. Greg. Moral lib. 24. c. 3. is Antichrist called caput impiorum the Head of wicked men every wicked man membrum Antichristi the member of Antichrist as if all wicked men and wickednesse receiued their beginning and continuance from that fountaine Both these are included in one sentence by Oecumenius on this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen in 2 Thess 2. that is Antichrist is called The man of sinne because he doth sinne incomparably himselfe and because hee doth constraine others also to commit iniquity By the first he is like Ahab who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. By the second he is like Iâ—roboaÌ„ who made Israel to
Sive Suarez Apol. lib. 5. 6. 17. nu 7. vere sive falso sive metaphorice be he a true false or metaphoricall god such as Princes are said to be saith Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omne quod colitur sive superstitiose sive religiose either religiously or superstitiously saith the same Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum extollendi Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 17. nu 11 significat excessum arrogantiam usurpationem by exalting is meant an excessive arrogant usurpation over God and all things belonging to God According unto which our English Rhemists seeme to state the question and controversie Rhemists in 2 Thess 2. 4. Sect. 11. betwixt us Who exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped That is Antichrist shall abolish all religion of the Iewes Gentiles and Christians and shall suffer none no not God but himselfe to bee worshipped alone A most grossely absurd exposition as it may be made manifest foure wayes First it contradicteth reason in reason if a seducer should plainly professe and proclaime himselfe to be greater than God would any be so stupide and senselesse to be seduced by him If a mortall wretch should exalt himselfe above the great and true God men would rather deride him for his folly imprison him for his phrensie and stone him for his blasphemy than to follow such a foolish frantick and blasphemous Impostor Secondly it doth contradict his name who is named Antichristus that is The Adversary of Christ and not Antitheus that is the Adversary of God which should be his proper name if directly or expressely to exalt himselfe above the true God were his true propertie Thirdly this is contrary to their owne popish positions Antichrist say the Papists shall be a Iew how then shall he abolish the Iewish religion Againe they affirme that he shall be a Magician and that hee shall worship the Devill Therefore Antichrist shall not exalt himself supra omnem Deum above every God not above the god of this world And finally this interpretation is contrary to this very Text. The superlative of all his excessive properties is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shall rule as God and shew that he is God this is the height of his audacious incomparable arrogance but that incredible impossible unlimited insolence that a man shall exalt himselfe above God we must leave this as a phrensie and fiction to wave the imputation of other franticke and fabulous paradoxes which they are unwilling to acknowledge much lesse to reclaime Having rejected their exposition we proceed to our owne Above all that is called God in the originall some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every thing which is called God and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person which is called God The first reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the errour of the Printer contrary to the most Greeke copies as it is acknowledged by M. Beza himselfe With the warrant Beza in â— Thâ—s 2. 4. therefore of the most copies we follow the latter reading and the interpretation of our late Soveraigne now with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Iacobus Praemonit the persons whom the Scriptures doe call Gods are Princes and Magistrates Psal 82. 6. Dixi Dij estis I have called you Gods Which exposition is affirmed by a learned French Bishop Pater omnium Deus dâ—citur est at Irenâ—â—s lib 3. cap. 6. non super hunc extolletur Antichrist us sed super eos qui dicuntur quidem sed non sunt dij The Father of all things saith he is called God and is God but Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above him but above them who indeed are called gods but are not in deed Which Exposition is also confirmed by as learned an English Bishop Ecqua nervosior consequentia quam ut dicantur Andrewes Apol. cap. 9. Dij ab Apostolo quos Deus ipse dixit dâ—os in Psalmo Can there be a more strong consequence than to collect that those are called Gods by Saint Paul in this Text whom God himselfe doth call gods in the Psalmes And if the Apostle had not alluded unto some whom the Scripture doth call gods hee might with like facility have written that Antichrist should exalt himselfe supra omne quod est vel saltem supra omne quod vel est vel dicitur Deus above all that is or at least above all that either is or that is called God Here then S. Paul saith not that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is God to wit by nature but above all which is called God to wit in title which is proper unto Kings The meaning of the first member of this distribution is this Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God that is above all Kings and Princes The second member is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that is worshipped which indeed doth signifie quod colitur the object of any kinde of worship or thing worshipped as Altars Idols c. as it is rightly rendred by Bellarmine out of the Acts Bell. de Pont. Rom. 314. 17. 23. and Wisdome 15. 17. This acception of the word though it be true yet it is improper to this place because the letter doth run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omnem qui dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person not above every thing which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in the text I take to bee a synonima signifying the same thing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 25 of the Acts 21 and 25. where it is expounded Augustus The sense being that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above the Emperor For he speaketh of such an exaltation whereby Antichrist should be revealed as he was to be hindered for a time by the Romane Emperour The sense of all is this Antichrist exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is Antichrist doth exalt himselfe above all Kings and above all Emperours Such an one is the Pope if there ever was is or shall bee such an one under Heaven But in so plaine a cause to deale freely with them This sense I say is true yet their owne interpretation may exactly be fitted to the Pope First take the name of God metaphorically for Bishops and Kings The Pope is avouched by all Papists to be Episcopus Oecumenicus the universall bishop of the World and by some to be solus Episcopus the Onely bishop And Suarez Apolog. li. 5. ca. 17. nu 12 his authority over Kings and Emperours Suarez calleth jus suum his right and proper indowment For false Gods those of the Heathen had power limited the Pope unlimited With them Neptune ruled the Sea Ceres the Earth Iupiter Heaven and Pluto Hell But the Pope hath three Crownes to shew his power in three places in Heaven Earth and Hell And for the
Martyrologist concerning Pope Iulius the Marshall who cast the Keyes into Tyber and laid his hand on the Sword The succession of Popes for many yeares have made use of both to erect their Monarchy The Keyes 3 waies they have made their Picke-lockes to enter at the Posterne of the Church and as many waies they have used the Sword to cut down all opposition which shall interrupt 〈◊〉 Entrance and usurpation To which I will adde two more and then their projects are eight in number Excommunication Indulgence or dissimulation and Appellation are the acts of the keyes in regard of all which it seemeth Saint Peters keyes have hanged at the Popes girdle The Sword also they have permitted establishing and raising the Papacy by warres into which they suffered Christendome to fall Sometimes the Sword they submitted and secretly sowed discord in Christendome out of which they have sucked no small advantage And many times the Sword they have immitted and sheathed in the sides of their Soveraignes and other Princes whom they assaulted by the hand of Treason and open Rebellion To which adde their corrupting of Bookes and abusing of Favours received from Princes and Prelates as precedents of their right and we have the intire number of all the old Popish Mysteries I meane to instance in at this season First Excommunications of Princes especially have beene very advantageous for the advancing of the Papacy The first that I finde who made use of it in this kinde was Pope Platina Onuphâ—ius in vita Constantini Constantine who did excommunicate the Greeke Emperour Philippicus under the pretence of the heresie they termed Iconomachy or opposing Image worship which produced so fatall an effect that Arthemius incouraged thereby rebelled and deposed the Emperour anno 716. And then this audacity became afterwards hereditary many Popes excommunicating many Emperours and many other Princes Sigonius lib. 3. de Reg. Ital. By this meanes Gregory the second raised Ravenna and Venice in rebellion against Leo and expelled the Greeke Emperor out of the Italian territories By this Gregory the seventh caused those tragicall commotions against that noble Germane Emperour Henry the third Bar t. 9. an 726. Artic. 34. Pless Myster Opposit 40. which ended not but with his life I need not travell farre for examples our owne Princes Iohn Henry c. are the wofull patternes of this wicked subtlety Nor was the feare of those Princes in those dayes causelesse for probably the Popes excommunications caused three notable consequents First the Clergy would either withdraw themselves out of the Country or with-hold the execution of their Calling Hence the people yea and Peeres also would murmure yea and mutinie also that they were deprived of the exercise of their Devotions And finally their neighbouring Princes from this pretence had a faire cloke for their ambition and colour for their invasion Princes therefore in those dayes were compelled to keepe correspondence with the Popes for dread of their excommunications Secondly the hiding away of the keyes did sometime helpe them to keepe the stollen goods of the Primacy Thus Phocas having murthered Pless Myst Progress 22. his Master Mauritius being disallowed and deserving to be excommunicated by Cyriacus Patriarch of Constantinople the holy connivence of honest Boniface the third salved all and well was he rewarded for it For it he atchieved his glorious title of Vniversall Bishop Bastlius also having murthered Michael his Master who had assumed him into the societie of the Empire Photius the Patriark of Constantinople rejected the traiterous parricide from the Lords Table but hee was instantly Anastasius in Adriano 2. Baronius anno 869. Articulo 81 82. countenanced by Pope Adriane the second And verily he also had his reward for his sake Basilius called the eighth Vniversall Councill into which every man was inhibited entrance by his Imperiall authority unlesse hee did first subscribe to the point of the Popes Primacie 3. The third is neere of kinne to this second particular Vice or the vicious discord of the Clergie hath beene the cause of Appellation a prerogative so highly esteemed by them So the improbity of Apiarius and the Heresie of Caelestius a condemned Pelagian disordered Antonie Bishop of Fussala who was deprived by his comprovincialls in Africa and damned Eutiches himselfe all these ranne to the Church of Rome for refuge and found it a Sanctuary Zozimus Boniface Caelestine Dr. Sharp Papae speculum pag. 273. Pless Myst Oppos 10. 11. and Leo did not reject them but the last onely excepted they did accept incourage and defend those Appellants These are three wayes therefore the Pope hath used the Keyes whereby he hath entred into the Temple of God and there now Hee sitteth as God shewing himselfe that hee is God 4. Tam Marte quam Mercurio the Popes have not beene so cunning with the Keyes but they have beene as couragious with the Sword Full politikely did this prudent generation permit Princes to bleed under the Sword of their over-potent Adversaries that so they might be constrained to cast themselves into the armes of the Bishop of Rome for succour The Greeke Emperours were in a manner confined to the East either by the invasion of the Sarasins or by domesticall insurrections which did cause them not onely to use connivence to but to seeke and sue for correspondence with the Popes in the West Hence Iustinian the first did professe such Novel lib. 8. cap. de Sum. Trinitate Baron tom 7. Anno 533. Artic 31. c. Pless Myster Progress 26. Pless Myster Progress 27. solemne honour to the See Apostolike and to the holinesse of Pope Iohn the second And Iustinian the second communicated his owne majesticall honour to the entertainment of Pope Constantine that by his assistance and countenance hee might recover his Throne and revenge himselfe on his Rebells In the West he permitted Aistulphus King of Lumbardy to expell the Greeke Emperour out of Italie and afterwards excited Pipine to drive AISTVLPHVS out of Lumbardie not omitting his owne commoditie that part of his conquest should bee rendered to Saint Peter for his Patrimonie Sigonius de regno Ital. lib. 5. Platina in Sergio Pipine thus gratifying the Pope Steven 2 was rewarded in his off-spring by Pope Sergius the second who nourished the Papacy by nourishing discord betwixt Charles Lewis and Lotharius brethren till that the French were expelled out of Italy and the Empire translated to the Germanes And how the Germane Emperours have beene wearied with warres in the Holy Land and worried with warres in Christendome it is superfluous to relate The effect is this by them they are reduced to the meere shadow and bare name of the Romane Empire but the Romane Pope thereby hath substantially advanced his Primacy 5. If they cannot prevaile permittendo by permitting the sword to devoure such as being in peace might oppose them then submittendo did their subtlety assay secretly to send a sword
Protestants fiered and faggotted by the Papists with more than Pagan cruelty and inhumanitie Hereupon the Papists not to be behind Tortura Torti pag. 152. hand with them have printed and painted Legends and Legions of their Martyrs To wit that even here in England their men have been sowen in Beare skins and baited by Bandogs that their women have beene bared in their breasts for starven Mice to eate into their entralls And that the Romish Catholikes of both sexes have been haltered to eate hay with horses These are Lyes to us who know them but they make our Persons our Religion our Countrey a loathing and a detestation to those who know us not This then is a mischievous point in their mystery of iniquitie The last Countermining craft of our undermining Adversaries I meane to instance in is the Councill A Councill because it was so confidently called for by the Reformed Churches in Germany that gave great credit and countenance to their Cause It perswaded the people that certainly the Protestants were the Honest men that called for judgement and the Papists the Malefactors who trembled at the triall There by also the Duke of Saxony and the Lantsgrave of Hassia were confirmed the King of Bohemia and the Duke of Bavaria were staggered and the heat of Charles the Emperour much abated in persecuting the Protestants Yea the Popes themselves eight in number for 40 yeres together were as hardly haled to call and continue a Councill at Trent as ever old bitten Beare was dragged to a stake But when necessitie compelled them to appeare they so contrived the cariage of that Councill that whereas the world expected that by it the Pope would have been Reformed if not ruined it was inverted to the Confirmation and Exaltation of the Papacy For now the Pope who before dreaded a Councill as much as ever thiefe did a candle knowing by experience that hee can coine Decades of Italian Bishops and Centuries of Titular Bishops to extort the suffrages from all Christendome Now hee calleth for a Councill as for his Servant and Handmaid The wresting of this weapon out of our hand or rather the turning of it into our Bosome I esteeme the prime policie they ever put in practise to support the Papacie And thus have I discovered our Enemies in their Trenches how by undermining and Countermining they would ruine our Religion by their politike popish Mysterie of Iniquity Ye see the baite by which they attaine now will I shew you the Hooke by which they retaine the Papall magnificence I must obey the time and omit many particulars Concerning their undermining cunning to keepe their Greatness that is an Hooke ore trisulco with three teeth three wayes they hold it The Priests hold the people the Pope holdeth the Priests the politike Cardinalls hold the Pope 〈◊〉 and all of them hold together to hold up the Papacy Like the hooke with the three teeth 1 Sam. 2. 13. to be sure to hold whatsoever they touch for the High Priests 1. First the Priests hold the People by Auricular Confession I say not that Confession is the mint of Treason their Absolution injoyning a Resolution to undertake any thing against any man who is an Enemie to the Catholikes Nor doe I tell you it is a Discloser of State-secrets by it the Pope sitting at Rome as Elisha did at Dotham 2 Reg. 6. 12. he is informed of the verie words which the King speaketh in his Bed-chamber But by this the persons which confesse their secret sinnes are made Slaves to their Confessors For whatsoever they talke of that secret sacred Sacrament I doubt not but they will print that Sigillum Confessionis in the forehead of the Penitent and have trickes at least threats to publish his crime and shame if he dare to fall from them This is an hooke to hold thousands of their Proselytes this is no small mysterie of their popish Iniquity 2. And the Priests doe not hold the people so fast by auricular Confession but the Pope doth hold the Priests as fast by inhibiting to mary For the full streames of the Church Treasure would feele a shrewd Ebbe if they should runne out into those little branches Wives and Children And which is of more moment the dis-inheriting of the Children is a dis-heartning of the Parents to prove Traitours But where there are and can be no such Pledges of loyaltie to the Country the Church of Rome may possibly command some good Catholike to stake his life for to stabbe his King Thus single life doth hold in the Priests unto the Pope against their Prince against their lives yea against their soules This is another Hooke another rare mystery in their popish Iniquity 3. Yet this is most memorable that the Hooke is put into the nostrills of the Fisherman himselfe for the Pope is held by the Cardinall to hold up his Greatnesse I cannot imagine but some Popes have had some motions to regulate some heteroclite abuses in the Papacie But the politike Cardinalls whose pompe dependeth on his papall magnisicence to prevent any reformation forestall all information as the third Chapter of our New booke called the New man maketh it plaine that Cardinall Burghesius opened and concealed all the letters from Pope Paul 5 which should have informed him of any abuse in the Romane Church And thus abyssus abyssum invocat one instance doth occasion another to discover this mysterie of popish Iniquity To conclude with their mysteries in Countermining us In this also there are 8 things multa paucis which our Church doth approve and use These the Papists doe pervert to the ruine of our Church if Christ did not mightilie and mercifully support it 1. Obedience Is it not the perswasion of our lippes the meditation of our hearts and the Theame of our Sermons Cry we not out against refractary faction as against the Viper which will eate out the bowels of our Church Yet the strange practise of this in the Church of Rome they make their Engine to subvert the Church reformed The Iesuites leave the vowes of Poverty and Chastity unto other orders and bind themselves chiefly to the Vow of Obedience whereby they sweare to obey the Pope in omnibus per omnia caecâ obedientiâ that is to Moulins Accompl pag. 145. execute the command of their superiour without asking why This obedience prostrateth theÌ„ to practise any thing against any person Is not this a Mystery a dreadfull damned mystery of Iniquitie 2. The Scriptures Doth not every Christian Church yea every Christian man trumpet out that command of Christ Iohn 5. 39. Scrutamini Scripturas Search the Scriptures yet is not the very reading of them contrived to be a Lime-twigge of Popery They may read them but they must sweare unto the second article of their second Creed composed by the Councill of Trent coÌ„manded by Pope Pius 4 1564. Sacras Scripturas secundum sensum queÌ„ Ecclesia tenet recipâ—o that is I
other charge or calling for their owne necessary maintenance vnlesse like Daniel they can feed themselves with Pulse and Dan. 1. 12. Math. 3. 4. Water or with Iohn Baptist unlesse they could cloath themselves with Leather and Haire-cloath and these men undertaking the common cause as a learned man hath already observed they discharge it accordingly But with them I will speake of the Pope Pius 2 ad Morbisanum the same words which were spoken by the Pope but to the Turke and of Mahomet VtinaÌ„ tam bonus suisset tuus legifer quam callidus tam virax quam versutus tota artificiosa fraudulenta lex ejus Nam qui divinum sibi abesse auxilium non ignorabat ad humanas confugit astutias Would God the Pope were as pious as prudent as conscionable as hee is cunning hee is composed of artificiall deceivablenesse for hee knowing himself destitute of divine verity must furnish himselfe with humane subtlety and fallacy With them therefore the choicest of their youth are trained up to be Iesuits the choicest of their Iesuits to be Professours and the choicest of their Professors to bee Writers And these Writers are supplyed with all manner of Necessaries countenance maintenance bookes leasure yea Schollers to read to them and to be imployed by them As it was apparent in Bellarmine and Baronius the last of Casaub Exerc. epist Dedicat. whom was thirtie yeares in shaping his Annalls before he did shew them to the publike view of the world And Malvenda in this very Malvenda calce post indicem cause composed a treatise concerning Antichrist which cost him twelve yeares continuall labour day and night without any other imployment or interruption So that whatsoever either inward faculties or outward abilities can produce we may expect so much to bee performed by the Papists Betwixt them and us there is onely this difference They have all the helpes in the world onely they want a good cause We have a good cause onely we want all the helpes in the world So diligent are their inferiours so provident are their superiours to propagate their party by strange perswasions which is here called a seeming truth and the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse With such industry they provide for their publike perswasion but their private indeavour is no lesse perswasive industrious We have publike leave and command to preach publikely the Lord be blessed and long continue it I say we have leave and command to preach publikely But it is the nature of men to neglect publike instruction and not to reape that personall profit which our hearts desire and it may be our labours deserve Now the Papists being deprived of liberty to preach publikely they undertake a course more profitable They insinuate themselves into private acquaintance and perswade with people privatelie When I consider the devoutnesse of women the credulousnesse of Children the ignorance of servants and the unstablenesse of some men also I cannot but imagine that subtle Papists doe wonderfully prevaile upon us by this private Perswasion An hypocriticall engine long agoe exercised and discovered In Saint Pauls time they did creepe into houses and led captive silly women laden with sin led away with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3. 6. And St. Cyprian saith that in his age oppidatim ostiatim that Heretikes did skulk up and down from towne to towne and from house to house to pervert the people Arrius being contemned by the Councill of Papp Hist pag. 283. Nice his condemnation was confirmed by Constantine the Emperor Against this publike opposition they imployed private perswasion Constantia and Eusebius both Arrians commended a learned Arrian Minister to the Emperors service who prevailed by private perswasion against the publike decree that Arrius his sentence was revoked his person restored so powerfull are those private perswasions Take two other stories in two words Dominike the popish Saint and Arch-Inquisitour being intertained by a noble man of Provence Nicol. Bertranduta in gestis Tholosanorum â—ol 30. did so effectually deale with him in private that he both turned him from the Waldenses and wrought him to give his person to bee a Proselyte to Dominike his house to be an Inheritance to the Dominicans There are Dominicans surviving or rather Iesuites surpassing the Dominicans And the publike want of coine in England may proceed from the private perswasion of Iesuites in England In Milan there was one Cola a schoolemaster Matchiavel Hist Florent lib. 7. learned and ambitious hee taught the chiefe children of the City three of whom Giovandrea Lampugnano Carolo Visconti and Girolano Olgeato by private confereÌ„ce he dealt with concerning the Duke Galiazzo First he informed them of his disposition next hee infused into them an hatred of his person and finally he bound them by oath when they were men growne to free the City from his tyranny Accordingly they murthered the Duke and they themselves were executed for that murther Now what he perswaded in private for treacherie others may perswade as much for Popery But Lord blesse our English Gentry from such Schoolemasters Yet still you see the prevailing power of private perswasion I say therefore with Bernard agnoscite dilectissimi Bernard Serm. 1. de Convers Pauli expavescite consortia eorum qui saluteÌ„ impediunt animarum know beloved and feare them which yee intertaine into your private families for they may deceive your children destroy your Religion or according to S. Peters phrase do ye so sufficiently instruct your families that the meanest there may be able to render a reason of their religion to discry popish sophistry and to discover their deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Thus doe they perswade to Popery both publikely privately which they promote moreover by their Practice a silent kind of perswasioÌ„ And practice perswadeth many for men doe know the tree by his fruit Luc. 6. 44. And in charitie we are to conceive that devotion and discipline cannot be the fruit of a false Religion nor Prophanesse and libertie the fruit of a true But the horrible Hypocrisie of the Papists and shamefull neglect of the Protestants have verified both those effects in both our religions The Papists make a shew of Devotion their bait to allure our simple devout people To insist in Prayer for the place they have their Churches gloriously adorned whereas ours especially in the Countrey lye slovingly neglected For the Gâ—sture they pray with their bare knees on the bare pavement whereas wee will not vouchsafe to kneele though a Cushion case us For the Time their Canonicall houres are seven times every Day whereas we cannot draw our people to two houres in one day once the whole weeke onely to our publike prayers This understanding men doe perceive to be indeed but the shew of devotion yet this very shew is sufficient to allure them whose understanding can pierce no farther then appearaÌ„ce I adde that in Germany the Carthusian Monkes at