wherein our King and Prince haue broke the Ice before them euen to know their owne power keepe their owne places and stand vpon their owne feet in whatsoeuer they vndertake or resolue vnder God to goe on without his leaue who hath much more cause to aske leaue of them CHAP. XX. An Absolution together with a Dispensation that a Man may haue two Wiues at once The Romish Text. An Absolution and Dispensation for him who hauing one Wife absent or that went from him and hearing her to be dead marrieth another but she prouing to bee aliue hee notwithstanding desireth to keepe and liue with the latter and to haue his Children made Legitimate his Dispensation will cost him 10. Grosses And the Clarke or Writer must haue 7. Grosses English Obseruations OH most shamefull Dispensation Shall he haue leaue to liue with a second Wife the first being yet aliue For howsoeuer that word Shee prouing to be aliue is not in the Romish Text yet must it needs be implied that he knowes her to be aliue else the other cannot in this case bee cald a second if the first be not nor needs he a Dispensation to liue with the latter if the former were dead nor needs he Letters of reabilitation to make his Children by her Legitimate Gentle Gerson we now see how great cause thou hadst to call the Romish Dispensations Dissipations Againe are these the men that make the World beleeue they honor Marriage more thē we seeing they make it a Sacrament properly called which we doe not But it appeares to bee but a false flourish and an idle bragge seeing heereby they make it rather a base Recrement then a holy Sacrament For if he may marry and keepe a second the first yet aliue and her Children also be legitimate what is become of the loue league and bond betwixt the first and him If this be not to crosse the wisdome of God to dishonour his holy Ordinance to fill the world with Bastards and breed an vniuersall confusion I appeale euen to the learned and ciuill men amongst the Heathen And all this is the fouler in regard of the basenesse of the price wherein appeares their wicked Policie hereby as it were inuiting or as Espencaeus complaines euen teaching men to do euil for few there be which marry so contentedly or at least are so continent as they will not be ready at so easie rates to take the benefit of this Indulgence I meane of those that be Romish Catholiques and consequently beleeue that all is well done that 's done at Rome and all lawfull safe and holy which the Pope allowes And verily if this Law be alike for Wiues as well as for Husbands as no reason but it should then I maruell not the Romish Factors heere grieue so much they cannot bring the East-India Virginia Turkey and Moscouia Companies to their Religion for if they could heere would be much good matter for their Markets seeing many Husbands are yeerly suspected to be dead and sometimes the Wiues married when the Husbands proue to bee aliue They slander vs that our Religion is a Doctrine of libertie and loosnesse but let all our enemies shew when once any Husband or Wife with vs hath beene vpon any condition dispensed withall in this case after the first is found to bee aliue but contrariwise wee are sure that many who after information and more then probability of the death of the former had married another yet after notice of his being aliue were presently directed to leaue the latter and when it proued so indeed returned vnto him as vnto the true Husband and such as wanted either loue or Conscience so to doe our Religion and Lawes haue compel'd him thereunto although some I speake vpon knowledge would haue giuen a hundred times ten Grosses for a Dispensation in this case Iudge now good Reader of what Profession soeuer thou bee whether is the Religion of Liberty and loosnes Ours or Theirs FINIS THE RATES OF THE POPES CVSTOME-HOVSE THE SECOND PART WHICH IS OF TRANSGRESSIONS AGAINST LAWES PARTLY Diuine but for the most part ECCLESIASTICALL NOLI ALTVM SAPERE LONDON Printed by George Purslow for Iohn White and are to bee sold at his Shop in Little-Brittaine at the Signe of the Holy Lambe neere St. Buttolphs Church 1625. CHAP. I. Absolutions for Transgressions against Lawes partly Diuine but for the most part Ecclesiasticall The Romish Text. An Absolution for him that takes two holy Orders in one day is rated at 27. Grosses 2. For him who celebrateth the seruice of any order which he hath not taken 27. Gross 3. For him that procures himselfe to bee promoted to a fained title that is to such or such a benefice when indeed hee hath none if he confirme it with a false oath or by false witnesse will cost him 33. Gross And Pope Iulius the Second would ouer and aboue haue a good composition of them that were thus ordained 4. For him that is ordained without Letters dismissory from his owne Ordinary is rated at 19. Gross 5. But if he haue any benefices and would hold them it will then cost him no lesse then 38. Gross An Absolution for a King for going to the holy Sepulchre without a Licence 100. Gross English Obseruations HItherto haue we seene how the Lawes of God are regarded at Rome and their transgressions punished Now follow the Offences which for the most part are against the Lawes of the Church Touching which there is one most strange and remarkable Circumstance sufficient to make all Christians ashamed and euen all reasonable men to maruell namely that the penalties for the breach of them are farre heauier then for the greatest sinnes against the ten Commandements For howsoeuer they well deserue heauier punishments then bee heere inflicted yet that their Penalties being transgressed should so farre exceed the Lawes of God may seeme more then wonderfull to such as be not well acquainted with the bold presumptions and presumptuous impieties of this wicked Strumpet Let the Earth tremble and the Heauens blush at this boldnesse that the Absolution of him that kils his Father passeth for no more then 7. Grosses and his who lyeth with his Mother is but at 5. being two of the great Lawes of God but the taking of two Orders in one day or to be ordained without Letters dismissory being but breaches of Constitutions of their owne must cost him 27. Oleaster in Pentat and 38. See what a good cause Oleaster Ferus and other reasonable and honest hearted Papists had to cry out as they did that the Lawes of God are neglected in Popery much more then their owne and the breach of their owne much more seuerely punished And this may giue euidence to the consciences of Gods children that the destruction of this Antichrist is not farre off and his damnation sleepes not Now touching the particulars as to the second of them It lets vs see that it 's no vnusuall thing
a mortall and capitall sinne in the Court of Conscience before God Anno 1. E. 6. cap. 12. but also punished with no lesse than death in our exteriour Courts of Iustice And that with so great seuerity as some helpes of life allowed by our Lawes to other Fellons are vtterly denyed to the Church-robber * In Saint Andrewes in Holborne the common Prayer-booke was stolne and the Fellon was condemned for it And some haue dyed in our times for things of small value onely because it was Sacriledge Therefore how great wrong they doe vs thus to censure vs and how vniustly they challenge to themselues to be the onely holy Church let God and his Angels and all good men iudge betwixt vs seeing with them 7. Grosses will suffice for Sacriledge which among vs is euer punished with no lesse than death And if a Priest may steale the goods of the Church and then be absolued for 7. Grosses when happely he hath sacrilegiously stoln more neere to 700. we must needes say with Espencaeus that a tolerable man may by this booke learne to be naught and an ill man to be much worse CHAP. II. For reuealing of Confession The Romish Text. An Absolution for him that reueales another mans Confession is taxed at 7. Grosses English Obseruations TOuching Confession to Man howsoeuer Gods Church knowes no reason to enioyne it to bee practized by all Christians as is the Popish Auricular Confession because it s simply necessary to saluation to confesse to God but to man not so Yet our Church and Doctrine not onely allow but aduise and exhort all men to vse it euen to man for their consolation or direction when they finde cause And we deny not but it may be of great vse and hath euer beene practized in Gods true Church by such as tendred the quiet state of their owne soules And we doubt not but many doe grieuously burthen their consciences and carry sore troubled and full heauy hearts about them because they doe not open their mindes and discouer the spirituall state of their soules vnto their godly Pastors whose duty by our Doctrine is not only readily louingly and patiently to heare them but with all his power and best skill to direct aduise and comfort them and most faithfully to keep secret whatsoeuer is thus in confession made knowne to them as Ministers of God especially if it be a blemish to the party confessing vnlesse eyther the penitent giue him leaue to discouer it or that it be a matter of blood or some enormious euill to be committed for preuention whereof it may and ought yet with great caution and discretion be discouered to the Magistrate Now the Romish Church makes vse of this as one of her principall stratagems whereby to know the hearts and dispositions of all men and women especially the Princes and great Ones of this world And howsoeuer to bring them on the better to confesse freely and fully they make a shew that the Seale of Confession is not to be violated but most strictly and sacredly to be obserued yet this strictnesse they keepe in their owne power like St. Wilfrids Needle to inlarge or restraine at their pleasure or as shall make for the good of the Catholique cause Therefore on the one side when it makes for them the Popes and Popish Princes haue by the Conduit of confession beene made priuy to the purposes of such great Princes as walking in their simplicity did freely impart their mindes to their Confessors who like good soules little feared any false measures in so holy a businesse as Confession And on the other side when it makes against them to open it then the Seale is sacred and then all the world must perish rather than it be violated And therupon * Delrio disquis mag 〈◊〉 3 â—iâ— Câ—aâ— 1. Sect. 2. Delrio the Spanish Iesuite concludes that Garnet hauing knowledge of the Powder-treason in Confession long before the execution was bound to conceale it and so suffer it to come to passe not careing though it concerned the Kings life and all his Issue and thousands with them and the safetie of the whole Kingdome Thus can they fight on both sides And by these meanes no maruell if their Kingdome haue stood so long and if they doe such strange things as they doe dayly And here let the world consider and wisely obserue what is it in all the Popish world that the Pope or Spanish King may not know at their pleasure seeing to that end they haue many apt Instruments especially the Iesuits and Capuchins and so many fit Engines with this two-handed sword of Auricular Confession And to shew how little they care for the keeping safe of this Seale when they list to breake it it appears in that the Iesuites who be the refined Papists are in many places almost the sole Confessors So as it was complayned of in France that the Confessionall places of Parishes were left desart and those of the Iesuites so thronged as one could hardly haue a roome there And what vse they make of it and how safely they keepe it is manifest by the Register found at Venice vpon their late expulsion wherein they carefully recorded the secret Confessions of all great persons and so most wickedly made vse of such things to their wicked ends as in all honesty ought to haue beene eyther buried in obliuion or at least supprest in silence And if there were no record in the world to this purpose there needs no more euidence than this which is their owne euen the price of his absolution who eyther by drunkennes or carelesnesse or corruption or vpon any other knauish ground haps to reueale it which seeing it is so far their own as they little thoght we should euer haue knowne it it concerns vs the more to make much of it For it may giue vs and the world good cause to wonder at their wickednes and hatefull hypocrisie so seriously to commend to the people as a sacred holy matter that Confession which themselues account of so lightly and so slightly as that the Absolution for the breach of it shall cost the Villaine but 7. Grosses who rather deserued 7. Halters And howsoeuer these Censorious Pharises disgrace and disparage vs yet I dare say that Minister amongst vs who should so far forget himselfe and the honour of his Calling as to discouer the secret Confession of any Penitent who powred out his soule into his bosome should be so far from passing with the leane punishment of 7 Grosses as hee would rather bee iudged vnworthy of his place and held hatefull amongst his fellowes and vnfit for the society not only of Christians but euen of ciuill men CHAP. III. For polluting and prophaning of Churches The Romish Text. An Absolution for him who lyes with a Woman in the Church and there commits other enormities is rated at the price of 6. Grosses English Obseruations ALl Christians nay most of the
leaue their fleeces behinde them there The Popes Chamberlaine The next Officer in the Romish Court is his Chamberlaine whose proper duety is to looke to the Popes Reuenew both for his constant Rents and his casuall commings in and is called Chamberlaine of the Apostolicall Chamber or a Chamber in the Popes Palace where that Court is kept and in our English it may not vnfitly be called the Popes Chequer or his Chequer Chamber This is also daily filled with suiters for as their Writs or Letters are dispatcht in the Chancery so their sines and other Rates or payments they be taxed at are payd into this Chamber and there bee also many things expedited in this Court which come not in the Chancery for they haue at Rome mille nocendi artes vnsearchable deuices to bring in money and wayes past finding out Vnder him first the Popes Procurator generall then the Receiuer generall the Auditor of the Chamber the Colledge of Apostolicall Secretaries who dispatch the affaires of Kings Princes Common-wealths free Atates Cities Cardinalls that be absent and Bishops Here be also the Summists the Protonotaries called of old time Regionaries of the seuen Regions or ancient Parishes of Rome whereunto they were assigned but now they be without number These goe in habit little differing from Cardinalls Then follow the Auditors of the Wheele so called for that they sit round and of old time had power to heare and examine onely but now haue to determine also All these being vnder the Chamberlaine are mighty Offices and haue infinite number of other subordinate to them for from this Court or some branches of it proceed all those writs that are called the Popes Brenes which past of old time vnder Leade but now of late sub annulo piscatoris Hereto also belong Faculties Pardons Dispensations Licences Confirmations Jndulgences Conseruations Exemptions Donations â—â—fâ—dations Pâ—cutsions to benefices and a million more all hookes crooks to worke in money The next great office is the Penitentiary so called because it is the Court of the Penitents and properly this is or should be the Court of Conscience if there bee any such thing as Conscience left in Rome For the Chancery there is properly their Court of Iustice but cases of Conscience belong to the Penitentiary where sinners and offendors of tender troubled Consciences should vpon their Confession and discouery of their hearts receiue direction and consolation This was certainely of old an excellent Institution and of most necessary vse in the Church had it beene preserued in the ancient integrity but the old holy and spirituall vse thereof as all other parts and poynts of true holinesse was long agoe lost at Rome and for many ages hath been wholly peruerted to the ensnaring seducing of simple soules to the distracting troubling of tender Consciences to the discouering of the secret intentions of Kings Princes and great Persons and to the raking in of millions of money into the Popes coffers so as indeed this that should be the best is now the worst and that Office which was originally erected for the increase of piety deuotion and true holinesse is now turned into one of the chiefe Stratagems and one of the principall pieces of prophane and carnall policy that was yet euer practised in any State of the world The Grand Penitentiary is the Pope himselfe and so indeed he ought to be if he knew himselfe and so he was of old time whilest any goodnesse and honesty remained amongst them But of later times since they grew to be so great in the world and so poore in grace he hath designed that office vnto some Cardinall whom they call the Maior Penitentiarius vnto whom and whose Court there is resort of all sorts of people to whom lye Appeales from all places in all cases of Conscience and from whom there is none And no maruell though he euer conferre this place vpon a prime Cardinall and one of his owne kindred and chiefe Minions for it is of mighty power and profit Vnder this great Penitentiary are many subordinate as first his Vicar generall that sits in St. Peters Church in the Vaticane The next in St. Iohns Church in the Laterane Another in St. Maries and so in all the 7. great Churches of Rome and vnder them they haue their Vicars and Deputies in all the Churches of Rome and al the Confessors that be in euery Parish ouer all the Popish world The Office or Court of the grand Penitentiary hath beside many other great Officers no fewer than foure and twenty Proctors for the expediting of causes and bringing in of money the more artificially which is now the high and Soueraigne end of all the policies practices and Religion at Rome These three great Officers be alwayes Cardinalls The fourth and last of the Offices mentioned in this Booke is the Datary touching which I confesse I cannot giue the Reader so good light as in the former there being but rare mention made thereof among the Writers of these things so as it seems this is one of the secret mysteries of their State It s probably thought he is as it were the Popes Almoner as the word Datarie may seeme to import Others thinke that the Actiuo signification of giuing to the Pope which happely it bore of old is of late times turned into the Passiue and signifies now the bearer of his priuy Purse But by that that is often mentioned in this booke if this Officer be his Almoner it were more credit for him to giue his Almes out of better gotten goods and if hee be the bearer of his priuy Purse it is a shame for him to fill it by such meanes for of the foulest and most exorbitant Dispensations it is said that besides the other Fees hee must in such or such a case compound also with the Datary For the Conclusion thus much for thy satisfaction good Reader who neyther hast been nor intendest to goe to Rome nor canst informe thy selfe by Reading For the learned they may as cheap as I know this and more out of the Authors that haue written hereof as namely Syntag. Juris Petri Gregorij Tom. 2. lib. 15. cap. 42. Gomerius in Prooem ad reg Cancell Octau Vostrius de Aula Rom. lib. 1. Cassanci Catall gloriae mundi part 4. consid 29. Gomerius de officialibus Rom. Curiae Moscouius de Maiest militantis Ecclesiae Rebuffus Praxis beneficiorum Nauarri Consil Tom. 1. lib. 3. de praeb alibi A Caution or direction to all Readers touching these Romane COYNES I Confesse good Reader that neyther of my selfe nor by reading nor hitherto by any help of conference can I sufficiently informe thee in the true and certaine valew of these Romane Coynes the Grosse the Carlen the Iulio the Quatrine the Ducate and the Floren yet thus farre I dare assure thee for truth partly out of this booke and others of theirs and partly by relation of Merchants that a Grosse and a
not God keepe no Sabboths care for no Churches haue no Wiues but community of Women and in a word liue in all licentiousnes more like Heathens then Christians We confesse indeed with S. Paul wee are all sinners in Gods sight and the best of vs all haue cause to cry out with him O miserable man that I am c. And there bee many great sinners and sinnes amongst vs which as wee confesse to be blemishes in the face of our Profession staines to our Religion and occasions of griefe to all the godly so wee dare iustifie it they are none of them allowed no nor tolerated much lesse maintained either by the Lawes of our Land or rules of Religion yet among all the euils that are among vs and the enormities which by the abuse of our long peace and plenty are too commonly practised among vngodly and vnregenerate men we challenge euen the most malicious enemies to proue if they can that euer any in these Kingdomes euen of the prophanest refuse of our Religion were found to be so extremely and shamefully impious as to lye with women in the Churches which it seemes by these words of their owne is alas too common among the Papists for if it were not frequent the price for the Absolution would not here bee rated among the rest for our parts our hearts trembled our mindes were amazed our soules sighed and sorrowed when we read it and had it not come from themselues such is our equity charity towards them wee should not haue beleeued it But seeing it is so manifest euen by their owne confession and was neuer charged vpon them by vs till thus they discouered it of themselues wee appeale to all the World of reasonable men whether they deale not vnreasonably with vs to appropriate all holinesse as only being their owne and to exclude vs amongst whom blessed bee God no such foule euils are found at all as heereby appeare to be frequent among themselues As for those other enormious and shameful things intimated in these words to bee perpetrated amongst them in their Churches Forasmuch as it seemes they are so foule as they be ashamed to name them wee for our parts are content to be as ignorant of them as their people be of that which is taught in our Pulpits or contained in the Bibles that lye in our Churches And for our neighbours the English Papists if they long to know the secret of this Pope-holy Mystery they may easily send and bee certified by some of their zealous Brethren who are now preparing to goe to Rome to the iolly Iubile now at hand who doubtlesse will bee carefully Catechized by the English Iesuites there and sufficiently instructed in this and many other poynts of Romish Catholicke Diuinity But if their stomacks be so sharpe set and their deuotions so earnest and their soules so sicke of filthy loue towards this spirituall Strumpet as they cannot indure to stay so long without it they may doe well to trusse vp their fardels and goe themselues that so they may receiue the speedier fuller and surer satisfaction And therefore O yes you that are so minded among our English Papists get you gone wee pray you what should hinder your Voyage seeing it's hard to say whether our King will more willingly let them goe as long as they beare such minds or the Pope more heartily bid them welcome as long as their English Gold sounds merrily in their pockets The while till they put the matter to tryall let the diligent and discreet Reader obserue with me this one thing for a Conclusion of this vnsauory Subiect Wee heere haue heard of Romish Catholickes how they vse their Churches some do lye with Women in them others commit such foule things there as they are ashamed to name yet these shamefull enormities found nowhere in the world but among themselues are esteemed and punished as poore idle and triuiall matters whereas if one should be found reading the holy Bible in the vulgar Tongue in one of their Churches or if two men two women or a man and a woman should bee taken reading and conferring vpon some Chapter of the blessed Gospell in their Mother-Tongue it is not 7 nor 700. Grosses would serue their turnes to procure their Absolution A fearfull thing and not to be beleeued if it came not from themselues that a man and a woman had better lye together in the Church and commit any wickednesse possible to bee done then to bee found reading the New Testament in the Church CHAP. IIII. 4. PERIVRIE The Romish Text. An Absolution for him that hath committed Periury or hath wilfully and falsly forsworne himselfe is rated at 6. Grosses English Obseruations PEriurie is one of the great Sinnes condemned in the Morall Law vnder the heauiest penalties and it is so foule a sinne as all well-formed Common-wealths euen amongst Turkes and Heathens doe detest it and deeply punish it What an holy Catholike Church then is this which makes so small account of so great a sinne And how vnworthily doe they wrong vs and other reformed Churches in whose Courts both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Periurie is so sharply censured And how good cause haue all Christians to take heed how they trust or haue any thing to doe with this Generation where Periurie is bought and sold at so easie a rate CHAP. V. 5. VSVRIE The Romish Text. An Absolution for him that secretly practiseth Vsury is rated at 7. Grosses An Absolution for him that burieth an open and notorious Vsurer in Christian mans buriall is rated at 8. Grosses English Obseruations VSurie is worthily condemned by the common Law and it is a commendable thing in the Popes Law that it forbids and punisheth all Vsurie If the Popes Canon Law were as good in other things wee should sooner and easier come to a good agreement But see how euen their best Lawes are made but Spiders webs for heere Vsurie is bought at an easie rate For if the Vsurer can gaine Hundreds in a yeere hee will little care for paying for his Absolution once a yeere nay if hee paid for it once a weeke hee would not lose by the bargaine And whereas by the * Greg. Decret Lib. 5. Cap. 2. Tit. de Vsuris Ecclesiasticall Lawes no Priest may bury the body of a knowne Vsurer in Christian buriall vnder a very great penalty you may bee sure a rich Vsurer will not care at least when hee dyes and can keepe his money no longer to pay the Priest soundly that will aduenture to bury him in the Church because though they liue like dogges deuouring their poore Neighbours yet dying they would not bee buried amongst dogges but amongst men and Christian men For they bee of Balaams Religion that howsoeuer they liue the life of the wicked Numb 23.10 yet they would bee glad to dye the death of the Righteous and to haue their carcases rest with the bodies of the best whose minds they would
Lawes and Canons to the contrary not only to enter all holy Orders and to take a Benefice with Cure But which those that be borne in holy Wedlocke cannot haue by their Law to enioy two nay three Benefices Heere I appeale to all indifferent Readers of what Religion soeuer if in this poynt the Romish Church transgresse not all bounds of modestie and moderation yea to all euen reasonable Papists themselues if herein they bee not ashamed of their Mother who is more indulgent and fauourable to the Bastards then her owne Lawes bee to true Children who without a speciall Dispensation cannot enioy two liuings with Cure CHAP. III. Dispensations in Cases Matrimoniall or matters of Marriage As first for Marriage within forbidden DEGREES The Romish Text. A Dispensation for one to marry in the 4. Degree of Consanguinity comes to 17. Grosses And in the third degree to 27. Grosses But he must alwaies in this case compound with the Datary that is with one of the high Officers of the Apostolicall Chamber or at least with the Keeper of the Popes priuie Purse which generally comes to 4. Duc. 1. Gr. A Dispensation for the second degree of Affinity comes to 7. Du. 5. Gr But another Booke of Rates called the Rates of the Chancerie saith that it will cost ordinarily 60. Grosses And that moreouer there must bee a Composition with the Datary which riseth oft-times to 300. Grosses and sometimes to 4. 5. and 600. according to the quality of the persons English Obseruations SEe what a pleasing Religion is this of Rome Neerenesse of bloud or Kindred shall not hinder any deuout Romish Catholique from hauing her to his Wife whom hee desires For what though the Law of God bee plaine and peremptory no man no not Moses shall come neere to any that is neere of Kin to him The Pope that is they say Gods Deputy is a more indulgent Father to his deuout Children and giues thē leaue to come almost as neere as they will or can euen to the second Degree And left they should be discouraged fearing so great fauours would cost them too deare he here tels thē fairely friendly what they must pay for such Dispensation And if it fall out that some vnhappily leape beyond these limits euen to the first degree or to the very stock it selfe and lye with his Sister or the very Mother that bare him howsoeuer he will not ordinarily grant him a Dispensation to doe so yet he will louingly measure him by himselfe and kindly giue him an absolution for it when it is done at very easie rates What more respect what greater fauour can the best deseruing Catholiques craue at the hands of their holy Father Iudge good Reader is it any wonder if so many of the great and delicate ones of the World affect that Religion And if any of them which alas many doe not make any scruple of conscience in that the Law of God commands them not to come neere the Kindred of their flesh The Iesuites haue an Answer ready Did not God say they dispense with his owne Law when he bade Abraham kill his Sonne And did not Christ dispense with the morall Law when he changed the Sabboth from the Saturday to the Sunday And is not say they the holy Father of Rome the Vicar of Christ nay the Vicar of God vpon earth Away therefore with this nicenesse of Conscience and trouble not your selues so much to know what God in the Scriptures in the Law or Ghospell commands or forbids as what the Pope who is now in the roome of God and Christ commands forbids or allows for that you may safely securely rest vpon Heere is Catholique Councell indeed and no maruell if such Councellers be so well fee'd and followed as they are And I appeale to all that know them indeed if this bee not in the plaine truth the Doctrine they teach and the Counsell they giue to all such of their disciples as they dare trust I will not charge them with the very words but with the matter and dare say that they do daily instill it into such as be Idonei auditores Iesuiticae Philosophiae For Nouices I know they haue another learning who are not yet capable of their mysteries and secrets of State not sensible of what beseemes the Maiestie of their Monarchie Such wise workmen are they they haue alwayes at hand both their milke for Babes and their meat for men CHAP. IIII. DISPENSATIONS The Romish Text. Also the holy Penitentiary Apostolicall hath power to dispense in the Court of Conscience for one to marry in the first degree of Affinity but then the Dispensation will cost 9. Du. 6. Gr. And a Dispensation to marry her with whom one hath speciall Kindred will cost 60. Grosses And let Proctors and Sollicitors obserue that these fauors and Dispensations in matters Matrimoniall vse not to bee granted to the poorer sort because they want wherewith to pay for them English Obseruations LOe heere the power the Pope takes to himselfe euen to dispence in the first degree of Affinity that is to marry euen his Fathers or his Brothers Wife See you Kings what a Soueraigntie the Pope hath you are all but shadowes to him And see you foolish Heretickes of England what a braue freedome it is to be a Romish Catholique you are all but slaues to them For they may marry as they list And what though the Law of God be so strait laced as expressely to forbid these copulations Mar. 6.18 and Iohn Baptist was so strict a Puritan that he told Herod that hee might not haue his Brothers wife no matter as long as the Popes transcendent power can thus reach beyond both Law and Gospell By vertue of this his power he gaue leaue to Henry of England to marry his Brothers Wife nay to Philip of Spaine to marry his Sisters Daughter And if their owne Bookes say true as in this case we haue no cause to suspect them * Reperitur tamen Martin V. vt refert Archiep dispensasse cum eo qui cum sua Gerinana contraxerat consummauerat habito consilio cum peritis Theologis et Canonistis propter mala scandala alias inde ventura licet aliqui dicerent cum hoc non posse Syluest in verbo Papa Bar. Fumus in verbo dispensat Angelus de Clauasio in verbo Papa in Anton. Notwithstanding it is foūd that Pope Martin the V. as Antonius the Archbishop of Florence writeth dispenced with him who had contracted and consummated taking iust counsell with learned Diuines and Canon Lawyers for the auoyding of certaine inconueniences and scandals which otherwise would haue followed thereupon Though they affirmed that the Pope could not doe it one of them namely Martin the V. gaue leaue to a man to marry his owne Sister for auoyding of certaine great inconueniences Now verily if that be a cause sufficient then be sure this passion is so powerfull especially in great Ones who
stand not in feare of any creature to controll them and seldome haue any great measure of feare of God before their face as they will easily pretend such inconueniences or else will make them if they bee not rather than want their will in that kinde Now if such men may be dispenced withall to take their Brothers wife sisters daughter nay the sister her selfe wee maruell not if so many of the great Ones of the world affect so much to haue the Pope their Father and their god seeing hee goes so farre beyond God in pleasing his Children for God with-holds no good thing from his Children But the Pope denyes nothing at all to his deare Children no not that which is most foule and abominable in the Law of God and nature And if any be so scrupulous to thinke it euill or feare it to be foule hee can make it good and faire by his Dispensation prouided that it be well payed for and my Lord the Datary foundly satisfied with a round composition for as grosse as these be yet bee they no Grosse matters but Duckets must drop fast and Angels must flye apace to purchase these Dispensations Be assured it cost Henry the Seuenth the setting on and Philip payde well for it in one kinde or other And no maruell if Kings be rated high when inferiours pay somtime six hundred Grosses that is forty fiue pounds which in those dayes was no small matter In the conclusion marke how plainely this wicked Antichrist shewes himselfe and how boldly hee blusters out his owne shame These Dispensations saith hee are not for poore men because they cannot reach the price Thou mayest be sure good Reader the Iesuites were not bred when this booke of Rates was set out for they would haue beene ashamed of such shallownesse thus to lay their intentions open to their captious enemies For they though they deale much lesse honestly yet much more closely But now their close conueyances will doe no good seeing already the Pope hath here and elsewhere in those elder and plainer times discouered those plots of pollicies which are the pillars of their Kingdomes so as now though the Iesuites with their refined wits doe neuer so cunningly carry their businesse and couch their secret intentions vnder counterfeit vayles yet the iniquity of that Romish Religion is now manifest to all that will open their eyes to see it For let them now cast twenty colours vpon the matter why the poorer sort are not as well partakers of these priuiledges as the great Ones wee know by this booke the true cause is onely for that they want wherewith to pay Nay the greatest haue them not vnlesse they pay full sweetly for them Henry the Seuenth was willing to haue canonized Henry the Sixth for a Saint but the Dispensation for his sonnes marriage cost him so deare as he had no stomacke to rise so high for his Predecessors Canonization as hee must doe if he had got it and so honest holy Henry though happily a Saint in heauen wanted his Romish Saintship and came short of being a Saint in the Popes Kalender To conclude wee haue heard our Fathers say it was a common phrase in their dayes No money no Masse No Penny no Pater-Noster Now wee maruell not the Romish Clergy held that rule seeing they here learned it of their holy Father who openly professeth he grants no Dispensations at all to them that are not able to pay for them nor any of this nature but at an high and exorbitant price And see how louingly hee giues the Proctors and Sollicitors warning of it who bring him in his Reuenew and bids them take heed lest they being Amici Curiae should damnifie themselues by such fruitlesse vndertakings And marke how this mercilesse man the Pope will not suffer the poore to bee partaker of his fauours they haue no money for him therefore hath hee no mercy for them Hereby declaring himselfe no friend nor follower of that God with whom is no respect of persons and of whom the Scripture saith The rich and the poore meet together Prou. 22.2 the Lord is the maker of them both Nor is it lastly to be omitted how prophanely the Pope heere abuseth the phrase of holy Scripture for these words Non sunt ideo non possunt consolari are the words of the Holy Ghost both in the Old and New Testament speaking literally of Rachel mourning for her Children and would not be comforted because they were not and are here prophanely peruerted to their couetous and carnall intention Neyther is this an vnusuall thing with them for like hereunto is that in their Canon Law where affirming the difference and distinction betwixt two Metropolitanes they say the one shall not intermeddle within the others Prouince quia Iudaei non conuersantum cum Samaritanis And too many more like examples their Schoole-men and Canonists doe afford all which declare the base conceit they hold of Gods holy Word in that they dare thus turne and tosse it vp and downe as children doe a ball or a shuttle-cocke from hand to hand But let these fooles play with this Candle till it burne them for when they haue done all that man or diuell can doe to vphold Popery it is This Word of God This breath of the Almighty This Spirit of his mouth that shall consume and confound it CHAP. V. Dispensations The Romish Text. A Dispensation that one excommunicate or that is a Murtherer or for a man or woman that are found hanged that they may be buryed in Christian buriall comes to 1. Duc. 9. Carl. 6. Grosses English Obseruations THe ancient Lawes and Canons not onely Ecclesiasticall but Ciuill forbid Christian buriall to all these three sorts of malefactors and Christian Religion well allowes such prohibition though not to hurt their soules yet to feare men from these foule offences But see to what little purpose for here the great Bumble-Bee or rather the Romish Hornet breakes thorow them all as thorow a Spiders webbe to increase his reuenue and fill his coffers And this is much the fouler in respect that in Jtaly there be so many murders where the least quarrell suspition or iealousie will cost a man his life Againe will not this make the peruerse the longer to persist excommunicate the malicious care lesse for murder and desperate fellons lesse for their owne liues when notwithstanding these great offences they may for money be buried with the best We appeale to God and his holy Angels if this bee not a full euidence of a most vnholy Church an vnsound religion and a loose licentious gracelesse gouernement CHAP. VI. The Romish Text. A Dispensation for one that entred into his Benefice by Simony that hee may notwithstanding still retaine the same his Dispensation will cost him 6. Ducats But if he haue receiued any profits of the liuing he must for them compound with the Datarie English Obseruations SImony hath beene the perpetuall shame of the Romane Church
left he God his Iustice entire But these men incroach vpon his Iustice also and so amongst them they haue made a god who hath neither Iustice nor mercy But what care they They haue a Lord god at Rome and all their care is to keepe his Crowne safe his Prerogatiue entire and his power vnbounded for so long they are sure their Free-hold shall neuer be toucht But if they meane no more by sinne in this place but the penance which themselues doe politiquely impose vpon their Penitents then what a noyse is here about nothing and how grossely is the good honest Reader gul'd and abused with a shadow for a substance For 1. the plaine-meaning man is made to beleeue that in such a Church or Chappell on such and such not vnreasonable conditions hee may gaine remission of the third part of his sinne And presently both his Religion and reason tell him that there is no doubt but in another place as good as that hee may purchase another third and in another the third remaining and so consequently be fully discharged of all his sinnes for he knowes well the Temple of Jerusalem is abolished and since then no Church nor Chappell hath any holinesse blessing Indulgence or power giuen it by God or man which another may not haue He therefore reading this is fild with hope and surprized with ioy as knowing now the place where the meanes whereby and conditions wherupon he can readily purchase pardon of all his sinnes But alas when the matter comes to due tryall see how the good soule is deluded when in stead of the forgiuenesse of his sinne he must be contented with an abatement of a Portion of that Penance which his crafty Confessor imposed vpon him which if it were iustly moderately and orderly laid on him then as a wholesome medicine it 's better all taken then any part forborne but if vnworthily and vniustly why then should hee pay any thing for hauing it abated But thus we see here as in many cases more how the Romish Strumpet mocks and deceiues her poore Children She cals them to her as to the true Church but they finde her a Synagogue She professeth to be their louing Mother but proues a cruell Step-dame She promiseth them the pure Manna of Gods Word but feeds them with Legends lyes tales and traditions She flourisheth with no fewer then seuen Sacraments and yet they cannot haue one as Christ ordained it She tels them of Generall Councels gouerned by the holy Ghost and they proue priuate Conuenticles complotted called concluded and wholly carried and guided by her selfe And here good Soules she makes them beleeue they shall haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes and it proues no more but remission of a piece of the Penance her Priests had laid vpon them O what pity is it that so good Children should not haue a better Mother and what shame is it she should thus play fast and loose with them who trust their soules into her hands and that shee dare thus dally in cases of Conscience But leauing these seduced soules to better aduised thoughts and wiser wayes vnlesse they haue resolued to runne into their owne ruine for our parts that are but by-standers and lookers on as we can but pity and pray for them so can we not but laugh at her to see how craftily she layes about her on both sides for first shee keepes it in her power to inioyne them and lay vpon them what penance she pleaseth on the other side she takes vpon her to dispence commute lessen or abate as she sees cause and as her Penitents shall please her in the payment Now verily if she can first lay it on as she list and then take it off againe when shee is pleased we maruell not she hath made her selfe so strong and gain'd so great a power ouer the blind and ignorant World of Romish Papists CHAP. XIII EXEMPTIONS The Romish Text. An Exemption of a Monastery of Friers Minors from the Iurisdiction of their Prouinciall will cost 30. Gross To bee exempted from the Iurisdiction of the Bishop during his time will cost 50. Gross And if the Abbot will haue withall a Licence to weare a Miter it must cost him saith Iohn the 22 100. Gross Of a Bishop frō the Iurisdiction of his Metropolitan during his life is rated at 50. Gross Of a Parochiall Church from the Bishops Iurisdiction 20. Gross Of the Parson of a Parish from the power of his Ordinary during a suite is rated at 20. Gross Of an Hospitall from payment of Subsidie 20. Gross Of a Towne from the payment of any Impositions 60. Gross Of a priuate person for the same 30. Gross Also in the Rate-booke of Pope Iohn the 22. there is found an exemption of a Monastery the Couent taxed at 300. Gross English Obseruations ALl good Law-giuers and wise States-men Christian or Heathen euer held it as a rule that good Order is the life of a Common-wealth and that subordination is the very life of all good order insomuch as where there is no subordination that is some to command and some to obey there all good ordet is decayed and disorder and confusion crept in and consequently disipation and destruction Thence it is that both all worthy Commanders in warre and all wise Gouernours in peace were such strict obseruers of all not only politicke Constitutions but euen Martiall Discipline that tended to maintaine the authority of Superiours and to nourish obedience in the Inferiours that no money nor reward nay no neerenesse in nature nor bond of blood could procure Exemption or Priuiledge in this case How famous are the ancient Romane and Grecian Generals for executing their martiall Lawes not only vpon their most valiant Souldiers but euen their worthiest commanders and Leaders nay their owne sonnes if they transgressed the rules and orders of the Army or went beyond the bounds and limits of their places Nay their wisedome would not allow them to doe a piece of good seruice if it were done out of order or contrary to any publique command and if any did so he were sure first to bee rewarded for his good seruice valorous exploit but as sure to be punished for his presumption and transgression though in some cases the Penalty were no lesse then death it selfe The wel-aduised Readers know that the Histories afford vs plenty of examples in this kind One of Alexander the Great is most remarkable howsoeuer held by some to bee a hard piece of Iustice who sayling on a time in Tygris with diuers Princes and great Lords it chanced his Royall Diadem fell from his head into the Riuer where being in danger to be lost a Sailer that could swimme cast himselfe into the water and notwithstanding the fiercenesse of that streame aduentured his life to saue his Soueraignes Diadem and hauing recouered it and not being able to bring it in his hand being of necessity to vse both hands to saue his life hee