anâ—â—â—e â—â—râ—ll'd amongst the Roman Martyrs on Earth And this horrid fact was highly commended by the Pope in a full Consistory at Rome How did Pope †Baron tom 10. p. 4â—â— Adrian 2. extoll and magnify Basilius for murthering Michael Emperour of Constantinople Party was confirm'd in his resolutions to kill oâ—r Q Elizabeth by a Letter from Cardinal Câ—â—â—o in which we have these expressions His Holynesse granteth unto you his blessing Plenary Indulgence and remission of all your sins according to your desire And how was Barriere encouraged to murther Henry 4. of France with these words that he should gain by that Act both great glory and Paradise I could instance in many others but these are sufficient Thus you see what trayterous positions and destructive of all Government are laid down and defended by our Romanists Our King James therefore had good reason to say that none of those that truly know and * Speech in Parliment 1605. believe the whole grounds and School Conclusions of their doctrines can either prove good Christians or good Subjects We have heard what treascâ—able Doctrines are delivered and defended by our Adversaries of Rome and that their practices have been conformable to them all Hystories declare How many treasons have the Popes of Rome Committed Commanded and Commended †Morneys Myst Iniquit who ciâ—â—s severall Hystâ—riâ—â—s Pope Gregory 4. and his Bishops promoted the Rebellion of the three Sons of Ludovicus Pius and Gregory 7. raised a rebellion Henry 4. Emperour of Germany * Gold astâ— Imperii Rom Mon p 561. Boniface 8. stirr'd up the people of France to rebell against Philip 4. sirnamed le Bell. When Henry Bullenbrook Duke of Hereford and Lancaster landed in Yorkshire most †Stow p. 320. of the Bishops flocked to him traiterously owning him for their Soveraign and Thomas Arundell Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Preached against Richard 2. then King and produced a Bull from Rome promising remission of sins to all those who should aid the said Henry against King Richard who was afterwards murder'd in Pontefract Castle How were the Irish encouraged to rebell by Pope Gregory 13. his Breve promising to grant them as plenary a pardon of all their sins as was formerly given to those who fought against the Turks and was not the Spanish Invasion * Cambden p. 128 c. promoted by the Pope and our English Romanists And that our late Warres here in England were raised and fostered by the arts of the Court of Rome is more than probable †Vindication of Prot Relig p 58 c. The Roman Priest and Confessor is known saith Dr. De Moulin who when he saw the fatal stroke given to our late gracious King flourished with his sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we have in the world is gone When the Newes of that horrible execution came to Roan saith the same Author a Protestant Gentleman of Good Credit was present in a great Company of Jesuited Persons where after great expressions of joy the gravest of the company to whom all gave ear spake much after this sort The King of A notorious ye England at his Marriage had promised the re-establishing of the Catholick Religion and when he delayed to fulfil his promise we summoned him from time to time to performe it We came so farre as to tell him that if he would not do it we should be forced to take those courses which would bring him to his destruction We have given him lawful warning and when no warning would serve we have kept our word to him since he would not keep his word to us That grave Rabbies sentence agreeth with this certain intelligence which shall be justifyed whensoever Authority shall require it That the year before the Kings death a select number of Jesuits were sent from their whole party in England first to Paris to consult with the Faculty of Sorâ—en to whom they put this Question in writing That being the State of England was in likely posture to change Government whether it was lawful for the Catholicks to work that change for the advancing and securing of the Catholick cause in England by making away the King whom there was no likelyhood to turn from his hâ—resy Which was answered affirmatively After this the same persons went to Rome where the same Question being propounded and debated it was concluded by the Pope and his Council that it was both lawful and expedient for the Catholicks to promote that alteration of State And what followed is known to all the world Much more to this purpose you may read in the following pages Time would fail me should I recount all the Treasons which the Pope and his Agents have been the Authors and fâ—menters of And yet these men who make rebellion an Article of their faith have the impudencâ— to speak and write of their Loyalty to temporal Kings and Princes Out â—â—gliâ—h Romanists drew up a supplication to King Jâ—â—es and 〈◊〉 Parliament in which they doe not a little vaunt and brag of the Loyalty of their Religion in these words The Catholick Subject is if any other the glory pag 7. strength and perpetuity of the Kingdome because he principally seeketh Heaven in this world and will not for the world be diverted cannot be treacherous or disloyal or undutifull to your Highnesse but in every service and distresse occurring valiant resolute and most faithfull And all these fair words were to the same King and Parliament whose destruction they intended and had at that time contrived O unparrallel Hypocrisie And Philanax Anglicus a late Pamphleter tells us that the Romanists are pag 104. to fight onely with prayers Arms against Princes have no warrant Who is Judge if the King transgresseth the Conditions of his Kingdom onely God Navar Cunerus and all the Catholick Doctors that ever I have seen * Surely then he never saw Aquinas Saurez Lessius c agree perfectly in this same sentence And so much concerning their trayterous Doctrines and rebellious practices by which the Pope and his Agents have endeavoured to propogate their Religion Let us now take a survey of their bloody cruelties And here I must lead you into Golgotha a field very ample and large like that to which God brought the Prophet Ezekiel 37. We may boldly affirme that the ten persecutions of the Emperours of Rome never put to death so many nor with that cruelty as the power of the Bishop of Rome Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations To speak of the Murthers Massacres and cruelties of the Papists is so large a field that entering into it I know not where to begin nor where to end I could shew you a Sea of blood flowing from the See of Rome like to that which Ezekiel speakes of 47 chapt 3 4 5. which was at the first to the Ancles then to the knees then to the Loynes deeper and deeper I could entertain you with a
passages both in this and the precedent chapters But Antichrist was not to come say our Adversaries while Rome was Pagan but after the dissolution of the Roman Empire 2 Thes 2. 8 And then shall that wicked be revealed And when is that When he that letteth shall be taken out of the way v 7. And who is this but the Emperours of Rome according to the judgment of Antiquity Who shall be taken out of the way saith * De resurrect carn cap 24. pag 688. Tertullian but the Roman State the division of which among ten Kings shall bring in Antichrist After the decay of the Roman Empire Paul saith that Antichrist shall appear Ambrose To these I might add St. Chrysost Theophilact c. in 2 Thes 2. The †In. 17. Rev Rhemists call the Roman Emperours the figure of Antichrist And the Antients give this reason for it So long as the Roman Empire flourished Antithrist could not appear for there could not be two principal Rulers of the same place at the same time By which we may judge what was the opinion of the Fathers touching Antichrists seat That Rome shall be the principal seat of Antichrist is confessed by many of their own Doctors so the Rhemists in 17 Rev 5. Again they say that the scariet whore and Beast and Antichrist are one and the same in 13 Rev 1. But Rome in the judgment of their great Bellarm is the seat of the scarlet whore therefore it must needs be the seat of Antichrist That Babylon which St. John describes in the Revelat is the seat and City * de visib Monar demonst de Antichr 38 p 758. of Antichrist saith Sanders I might to these arguments subjoin the confession of their two great Jesuites Ribera and Viega This must be understood of Rome †Ribera in 14. Rev num 42. 57. not only such as she was under the Emperours but also such as she shall be in the latter dayes That the name of Babylon must be referred to her and not only to that Rome which served * Viega in cap 17. com 1. sect 3. Idols before she received the faith of Christ but also to that Rome which shall be in the dayes of Antichrist In these words then we have a prophecy of the dismal and final destruction of Rome Antichristian with the causes thereof which are three 1. Their Avarice and Luxury 2. Their heretical and damnable doctrines 3. Their bloody cruelty 1. Their Avarice and Luxury For thy Merchants were the great men of the earth This cannot be understood literally for it were a weak reason because thy Merchants are great men therefore thou shalt be destroy'd By Merchants therefore we must understand Romes Factors the Popes Indulgencers and other Offâ—cers of his Exchequer These sell cursed spiritual Wares Pardons Masses Diriges Trentals c. and make merchandize of mens souls and flourish by this traffique like the Nobles and Peers of the earth Theod Nieâ— tells us †de Schismate Papist lib 1. cap 68. that out of one Country and Province Pope Boniface 9. received above an hundred thousand Florens His Officers went out poorly habited and meanly mounted but they return'd saith he with their stately horses and in great Pomp. And what vast summes of money did Tecelius and his fellow Indulgencers rake together in Pope Leo 10. time All things are set to sale at Rome the Temple the Priests the Altars yea heaven and God himselfe as their Mantuan speakes Venalia nobis Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra Coronae Ignes thura preces Caelum est venale deusque 2. Their heretical and damnable doctrines which are often compared to enticing and intoxicating Wines by thy sorceries were all Nations deceived The Original word translated Sorceries properly signifieth poysoning but here and in many other places of sacred Writ it is to be taken in a larger sense and denotes the craft and subtilty the methods and Acts of insinuation by which the Pope and his Agents seduce the Nations to their damnable principles and abominable practices 3. Their bloody cruelty And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth But how can this be since so many thousands have been slain in other parts and places of the world I answer either because the doctrine which caused their blood to be shed was from Rome or because she gave commission to slay the Saints and Servants of God who were barbarously murther'd and massacred in other Kingdomes and Countrys as England Scotland France c. God plagues Rome as the Original cause of all this cruelty But more of this afterwards The two latter causes of Romes destruction I intend to insist upon Hence we may note Obser That the wayes and methods which Rome Papal hath used to advance heâ— selfe and propogate her doctrines wilâ— bring inevitable ruine and destruction upon her In the prosecution of this doctrinal proposition I wâ—ll 1. Give you aâ— account of those wayes and methodâ— which Rome Papal that is the Pope and Agents have used to greaten themselves and propogate their doctrines 2. Confirm the truth of this Proposition 3. Proceed to some practical Inferences First I shall give you an account of those wayes and Methods which the Pope and his Agents have used to propogate their doctrines And here I will mention five or six CHAP. III. Of Romish Forgeries 1. LEt us begin with their Forgeries which are most notorious How have they adopted false into the number right and authority of true Fathers Our worthy Dr. James hath produced about 187 Treatises to which I could add above an hundred more which are not only suspected but plainly convicted of forgery by the Papists themselves and yet these very Treatises are frequently urged by them to confirm their monstrous Opinions To make good this assertion I will give you a few Instances and here I shall confine my self to their great Bellar and Coccius whose writings are so highly prized by all Papists 1. Linus Bishop of Rome his two Bookâ— of the Passion of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul are adjudged spurious by †Baron Tom â— p 785. Baroniuâ— and * Possev Appar tom 2. p â—45 Possevin And though Bellarmin granâ— that Linus wâ—it the Acts of Peter and Paulâ— yet he saith they are now lost 2. Clements eight Bookes of Apostolicaâ— Constitutions are censured by †Bellar de script Eccles p â—6 Baronius * Tom 1. p 145. Bellarmin and †de script Eccles p 58. 59. Possevin 3. Clements Epistles to St. James and others are rejected by * Apper tom â— p 328. Bellarmin and †de script Eccles p 56. 57. Possevin 4. Dionysius the Areopagites Bookes of thâ— Ecclesiastical and Celestial Hierarchy cannoâ— be his for the Author of these Books aâ— appears by several passages in them liveâ— Apparat tom 1. p 331. 336. after the Nicaene
Valentinus a Dominican by his Impostures in this kind obtained Saith Cath Orthod Tom 1. p. 374. Rivet a great name in Bononia and so deluded the Magistrates and people that they look't upon him as come down from Heaven they thought themselves happy if they could but touch the hemme of his Garment His Confederates by agreement swore that he had raised 18. persons from the dead that he could cure all diseases and cast out Devils c. And by these Arts before the cheat was discovered he had got in one year twenty thousand pounds And Tyrrel the Priest in his Confession which he drew up in writing â—aid that within the compasse of halfe a year in Queen Elizabeths Raign when all attempts against her sacred Person were defeated by their cheating Exorcisms they prevailed upon 500 some say 5000 persons to embrace the the Roman Religion That these Miracles which they so much boast of are not true is most evident because the Doctrines which they would confirm by them are false but God never puts forth his divine power in working Miracles to establish erroneous Doctrines he never sets his Seal to a false Deed. That Story of the Lives of their Saints which they call Legenda aurea the golden Legend is made up of lying prodigies and prodigious Lyes So much is confessed by their own Doctors Ludovicus Vives speaking of it saith How unworthy both God and men is the Story of the Saints I see no reason why it should be called the Golden Legend being written by one that De corrupt Artâ—â— lib. 2. had an Iron face and leaden heart And Chamier confirms it by the testimony of Canus I do not excuse the Author of that Book intituled Speculum Exemplorum nor of this History which is called the golden Legend In that thou maiest read monsters of Miracles more frequent than true miracles and this was written by one that had neither prudence nor honesty Panstrat Cathol Tom 2. p. 677. And Espencaeus saith that no Stable is so full of dung as their Legends are full of Fables In 1. Tim digress lib 1. p 224. Consider as an Antidote against this tempation that things may be done which may seem to be real miracles in the judgement of the wisest man on earth by men of corrupt hearts 7 Math 22 23. and of corrupt heads 24 Math 24 and therefoâ—e we must not judge by the Miracles what Doctrine is true but by the Doctrine what Miracles are true 13 Deut 1 3. CHAP VIII Of Popish Lyes and Slanders 6. I Now proceed to the last way or method of Romes advancement or which the Pope and his Agents use to propagate their Religion viz impudent lyes and slanders against their Adversaries or who refuse to submit to the Conduct and government of the Roman Church This Method Rome Pagan used for the extirpation of Christianity and this Method Rome Christian hath used for the propagation of Popery That Rome Heathen took this course to suppresse the the growth yea the being of Christianity is very clear from Ecclesiastical Hystory When Nero that monster of men had set Rome on fire which burned nine dayes to transfer the Odium of that impious act upon the Christians he gave out that they had done it out of malice and revenge And after wards the Heathen raised many malicious slanders against them and laid to their charge most horrid crimes as that they lived in incest that in their night meetings putting out the Candles they mixed together in a filthy manner that they killed their Children and fed upon mans flesh that they kept the Feasts of Thyestes and committed the incest of Oedipus that they were guilty of Sacrâ—ledge and Sedition and Rebellion and worshipped the head of an Asse In Athens there was a Conjurer which made an Image of Jupiter that uttered these words Jupiter commands the Christians to be banished out of this City because they are enemies to him Harlots also were suborned to swear that formerly they had been Christians and so were privie to the wickednesse and impiety which they committed amongst themselves at their Sabbath-meetings Vid Tertul Apol c. 7. 9. c. These and many more such like calumnies we meet wâ—th in Eusebius and other Ecclesiâ—stical Hystorians by which the hearts of the Common people were set against Christianity and the Emperours and other inferiour Governours incensed against the Professors of it The truth of this appeares by an Epistle which the Christians in France writ to the Brethren in Asia and Phrygia recorded by Eusebius They feigned against us speaking of the Heathen and reported that we used feastings Eccles Hyst lib 5. cap. 1 of Thyestes and the inâ—est of Oedipus with many other Crimes which may neither with piety be thought upon nor with modesty be uttered nor without impiety believed And these things being bruited abroad every body was moved and incensed against us Then was that saying of our Saviours fulfilled viz The time will come when as every one that slayeth you shall thinke that therein he doth God good Service Then suffered the holy Martyrs such torments as no tongue can expresse Great was the rage both of people and Presidents against us c. To this I could adde many more proofs out of Eusebius but that is needlesse And that the Pope of Rome and his Factors have observed the same Method to propagate their Doctrines is most notorious How have they loaden with Calumnies and false accusations the Enemies of their Church especially those of the reformed Religion They charge us Protestants with infidelity cruelty impiety and what not 1. With infidelity that we dis-believe the Existence of God the Divinity and Humanity of Christ the immortality of the soul the resurrection of the dead and all the Articles of the Christian Religion 2. With cruelty How have they aggravated Sands p. 98. our proceedings here in England against their rebellious Priests and Complices in Queen Elizabeths time to the height of Nero's and Dioclesians Perfecutions and the Sufferers of their side in merits of cause in extremity of torments in patience constancy to the renowned Martyrs of that hercical age Of this Subject they have published a great Volume compiled with great industry many passages being illustrated with pictures and approved by Authority in short there 's nothing wanting but truth and honesty 3. With impiety that all manner of Crimes are committed and countenanced amongst us Bellarmine saith that there are many wicked men among the Roman Catholicks but not one good man among the Lutheran Hereticks Their Fryars raised and published many foul slanders against the Waldenses as that they were Sorcerers Buggerers c. that when they assembled together in the night-time their Pastors commanded the lightâ— to be put out saying Qui potest capere capiat whereupon they committed abominable Incests the Son with his Mother the Brother with his Sister the Father with his daughter c.