Christians from such vowes But that this true I say let Bellarmine iudge o Bellarâ— ibid She that marrieth after a simple vow in some sort sinneth more grieuously then shee that commits fornication because marke his reason shee that marrieth makes her selfe vnable to keep her vow which shee doth not that commits fornication Thus it is plaine Poperie voweth against mariage not against whoredome adulterie nor fornication And thus three great Iesuites haue made good what Pighius taught and that more plainely and palpably then he did And to make vp a messe of Iesuites Posseuinus their grand Censor comming to giue his censure of Pighius p Posseuinus in Appar sac tom 1. lit A. findes many faults and errors in his bookes but as for this he hath nothing to say against it but passeth it ouer as good holy catholike Romish doctrine therefore seeing as Bellarmine said afore say we what we can they will not forsake nor amend this doctrine let them keepe it and let it bee one of the sweete flowers of the Popes Garland The seuenteenth Wound THe next woâ—nd is neere a-kin to this 35 The 17. wound Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keepe their whores vnder a yeerelie rent namely that their Chuch hauing alwaies forbidden mariage to their Clergy hath notwithstanding either tolerated and permitted them concubines or at least not punished it to reformation Thus was it complained of almost an hundred yeeres agoe by the Germane nation then being papists q Vide Centum grauamina Germanicae nationis grauamen 75. 91. In most places say they Bishops and their Officials do tolerate and suffer the Priests to haue concubines vnder paiment of a certain annual rent of money and further doe euen permit them to keepe their whores openly and haue them in their houses and to beget children of them c. Of these and certaine other grieuances one hundred in all the Germane nation complained to their Bishops and Clergie in their owne Diets or Parliaments held at home But hauing no redresse they went further and about the yeere 1522. complained to the Popes Legats and Nuntios at Noremberg who gaue them good wordes and promised they would make report thereof to his Holinesse and procure them a gratious answere But hauing long waited to no ende they published their grieuances and sent them to the Pope crauing with much humility audience redresse and reformation promising vpon that condition they would still and euer shew themselues dutifull and obedient children to the Pope and all whom he set ouer them but if they had no redresse they assured him they could not nor would endure them longer Heereupon the Pope not willing to venture the losse of so faire a childe as Germanie pacified them for a time with goodly promises But what reâ—ormation followed in whole or in any part the stories of those ages make it apparant But for the particular I haue in hand 36 The 17. wouÌ„d not healed for still in poperie to this day their Clergie are forbidden mariage but whores and coâ—cubines are not taken from them what notable reformation was wrought herein let a Bishop of their owneâ— Espencaeus as wise and learned as that age did yeeld let him I say deliuer for mee who fortie yeeres after writing of this matter saith r Espencaeus de Continentia lib. 2. cap. 7 pag 17â— In stead of pure and honest single life succeeded impure fornication and filthy keeping of concubines in such sort as neither can they be concealed for multitude nor seek they to be they are so shamelesse Nay of later times this tolerancie hath spread further insomuch as in some places both Clergy laity haue their whores permitted theÌ„ vnder a yeerly rent whereof saith he the Germane nation complained long agoe too truely and vpon too great cause But was not this wound healed and this abuse reformed vpon this complaint of Espencaeus A man might haue thought it would and the rather seeing he was a man of so great esteem in those daies not in France onely but euen in the Court of Rome s Espencaeus was in speciall fauor with Pope Paul the 4. insomuch as after much consultation had with him he found him so wise and learned a maÌ„ as hee had made him Cardinall if he had liued this is apparent in his bookes de Continent lib. 3. cap. 4. and in his coÌ„mentary on Titus cap. 1. pag. 91. But what amendment insued let himself tel vs in his Commentary vpon Titus which he wrote many yeeres after his former booke Our Bishops and Archdeacons c. in Poperie when they ride their visitations doe not so much punish the euil doers for which end the visitations were first ordained as rake vp siluer suck it both from laitie and Clergy vnder false fained preteÌ„ces of iurisdiction but it is most filthy of all that they suffer them to keepe their whores in their houses and haue children of them at a certain annual and yeerlie rent c. This is the healing and reformation wrought in those daies Oh but wil some say that is 40. yeares agoe sure it is better in these latter daies Indeed this enormitie was so generall and so scandalous that euen the Councell of Trent it selfe was ashamed and made great adoe for reformation of it t Vide CoÌ„cil Trâ—d â—esâ— 24. cap. 8. But what effect it tooke how they executed it and what is done in the matter let another Bishop of theirs tell vs who in these late daies scarce seuen yeeres agoe u Henricus Cuickius Rutemundensis Episcopus scripsit speculum concubinariorum Sacerdotum Monachorum ClericoruÌ„ Colon. 8599. found it to bee so common and shameless a sin al ouer all the low countries where Poperie reigned not onely in secular but euen in Monkes Friers and regular priests that hee writes a book against the sinne bitterly but iustly inueighing against it and shewing how dangerous and damnable a sinne it is and so much the more saith hee because it is so common and little regarded and so far are they from shaming with it that marke how it is healed they wil take their concubines and whores and carrie them vp and downe the countrie as men doe their wiues to feasts and meetings and challenge place and precedence for them as for honest Matrones And further freelie confesseth but with great griefe and shame that there bee very few in their Clergie free from this crime x Idem Cuickius in prae fatione eiusdem libri The eighteenth wound 37 The 18. wound Such priests as be contineÌ„t haue no whores yet must pay a yeerly rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will And no maruell though there bee but few of their Clergy that haue not concubines seeing they take that course they doe with them which is such as though they would inuite nay hire or rather presse
Berarduccius suÌ„ma ConfessoruÌ„ C. Geo Cassanâ—ri Consultatio Covarruvias variarum resolutionum Corpus Iuris Canoniciper Greg. 13. Lugd. 91. 4. Idem cum glossis edit vetust 507. 510 Constitutiones Pont. Rom. per Pet. Mathaeum Lugd. 88 Caeremoniale Romanum Aug. Taur 602. 4. Capella in Ieremiam Tarracon 86. 4 Coccij the saurus catholicus Col. 99. fol. Costeri Enchiridion controuersiarum c. Col. 600. 8 Alp. Ciaconus Apologia pro Trâ—iano c. Ro. Concilium Trident. Ra. de Caesare Caietanus in Aquinatis summaÌ„ Ant. 68. fol. â—h de Combis compendium theologicae verit Lugd. 79. B. Corradus Quaestiones cascons Ven. 600. 4 H. Cuickij speculum concubinariorum c. Lov. 600. 8. D Decretalium sextus St. Durantus de ritibus ecclesiae catholicae Ro. 91. 8. E D. Erasmi opera Bas. 4. fol. Espencaeus in â—ituÌ„ par 68. Idem de Continentia 4 F. Io. Ferrariensis Practica Papiensis Feuardentius in PetruÌ„ 600. homiliae par 605 Firmamenta trium ord S. FraÌ„cisci Par. 512. 4 G I. de Graffijs decis aureae cascons 604. 4 Ado. Gualandus de morali facultate Ro. 603. fol. Gregorius de Valentia Ingolst 98 fol. Ia. Gretserus de Cruce ibidem 60. 4 Anas Germonius de sacrorum immunitatibus Ro. 91 Io. Gersonis opera fol. H D. Hessi Synodus protestaÌ„tium Graeciae Stir 93. 8 Heskins his parliament Ant. 66. fol. Hosij opera Col. 84. fol. I Io. Chrysost. a visitatione de verbis dominae Ven. 600. 4 Index librorum prohibitorum Clem. 8. 97 L Liber conformitatuÌ„ beati FraÌ„cisci c. Bon. 90. fol. Llamas summa c. Litaniae preces profide Catholica in Anglia c. Ro. 603 Liber voc exercitium Christianae piet c. Col. 92 M Missalia vetust noua edit 905 fol. Magnum speculuÌ„ exemplorum Duaci 605. 4. Monumenta ordinis Minorum Salmant 511. 4. N Nauarri Enchiridion Wirce 93. O Onuphrius de praecipuis vrbis Ecclesijs Col. 84 Oleaster in Pentateuchum Onus ecclesiae Ant. 68. fol. P Posseuini Apparatus sacer Ven. 603. fol. Pontificale Romanum vetust Ven. 520. fol. Idem Romae 1595. fol. Proctor his way home to Christ. 8 Pistorius contra Mentzerum Peraldi summa virt vit Ant. 71. 8. Alb. Pighius decontrov in com Ratispon 42. 49. 8 R Rhemes testameÌ„t at Rhemes 82 S D. Stapleton doctrin princip Par. 79 fol. Simancae Institutiones cathol Vallisol 55. fol. T Tolleti instructio sacerdotum Ant. 603. 8 H. Tursellinus de virgine lauretana Mag. 601. 8 V Viâ—aldi Candelabrum aureum Brix 95. 4 Vincentij ferrariensis prognosticon 4 Vasquez de cultu adorationis Mog 601. 8 W Watsons quodlibets 4 Z Lae. Zecchius Summa moralis theologiae de casibus conscientiae Brix 98. 4 Ludouicus Viues de causis corruptionis artium Les voyages de Sr. de Villamont A Arras 1605. Catalogus reliquiaruÌ„ Indulgentiarum in 7. Ecclesiis vrbis Manuscript Other Authors alledged not popish or but in part Augustinus Concilia per Crab. Col. 57. fol. Eadem per Bininum Col. 606. fol. CaÌ„bdeni Britannia Lond. 607 Colloquium RatisboneÌ„se 4. 600. Epistolae Iesuiticae 601. 8. Euangelium Romanum 600. 8. Centum grauamina Germanorum 4 Hospinianus de Templis Tig. 603. fol. Harmonie of confessions 4 Zuinglius Cyprianus A SERMON PREAched at the Crosse. IEREMIAH 51.9 We would haue cured Babel but shee would not bee healed let vs forsake her and goe euery one into his owne countrey for her iudgement is come vp into heauen and lifted vpto the cloudes THis is not spoken in person of the Angells that were set ouer Babylon as some thinke for Angells haue no charge of curing mens soules they mourn for mens sinnes and reioyce at their conuersion a Lu. 15. 7 10. they guarde their bodies b Psal. 34. 7. and carry their soules to heauen c Luke 16. 22. but the curing and conuerting of the soule hath God delegated to his Prophets being men like our selues that so hee might make man to loue man seeing the hath made man a sauer of man Neither is it the speech and protestation of hypocriticall and fained friends who say thus to Babel to make a great boast of their little loue tho some hold so whose iudgement otherwise is of great respect for the reason heere giuen is too good and the cause too diuine to proceede from a profane heart Her iudgement say they is come vp to heauen c. But rather it seemeth to be the voice of the true Church shewing their loue to Babell and their longing desire to haue done good to their soules Bring balme saith the former verse if shee may bee healed Heereunto the Church answereth For our parts Wee woulde haue cured Babell but shee could not bee healed we did our indeuours but found her incurable therefore now seeing we can doe her no good let vs looke to our owne safetie let vs forsake her goe euery man to his owne Countrey For now we see God will take the matter into his owne hands seeing man cannot heale her hee will destroy her Her iudgement is come vp into Heauen and lifted vp to the cloudes The particulars considerable in this Textâ— be 4. 1. The Churches loue to her very enemies manifested in her desire to haue healed them Wee woulde haue cured Babylon 2. The malitious nature and incurable state of Babel causing a comfortless issue of the Churches labours Shee cannot be healed 3. The Churches dutie vpon consideration of her obstinacie and incurablenesse namely to lose no more labour vpon her but to abandon her and looke to herselfe Forsake her and let vs goe euery man to his owne countrey 4. What becomes of Babylon being incurable and forsaken of the Church what further remaines for her Vengeance and destruction from God her iudgement is come vp into Heauen c. All these are true in a double sense namely both in the literall Babylon and in the mysticall There is a Babell spoken of literally vnderstood in the old Testament there is a spiritual Babylon mystically meant in the Olde and literally in the New Testament Both are spoken of in this place the one historically and literally the other allegorically and in a mysterie and this interpretation is not without warraÌ„t for it is ordinary with the Prophets in the old Testament when they speake of matters literally true at that time in vnder them to point at further matters of a more spirituall and higher nature For howsoeuer to destroy the literall and historicall sense of the olde Testament with some old and many late writers that be Papists is worthily coÌ„demned by the Church as iniurious to Gods word Yet the literall sense once layd we may then warrantably extend the text to the allegoricall sense as far as we see the holy Ghost in the New Testament to goe before vs or to giue vs leaue Thus Peter makes an allegory of Noahs Arke and makes
family a cōfused Babel of disorder profanenes but I haue heartily endeuored to make it a little Church tho my family be great yet there is not one whom I would not haue healed Thus they would haue healed all but where began they whom did they desire to win first principally certainly the greatest as namely the K. Coūsellers of State This course tooke Daniel in whom more then in any one this prophecy was fulfilled who after he had done the busines for which the king sent for him thē fell he to the busines of God wherof is spoken in this Text namely to see if hee could heale the king ô King saith he thou art a king but there is a higher know know that the heauens beare rule Wherefore ô King let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee breake off thy sinnes by repentance c. Lo let there be a healing of thine error a Dan. 4. 24. Well knew Daniel that if once the King would abandon his Idolatrie and imbrace the truth easily would the people be induced to follow him So whereeuer is true reformation either of errors in doctrine or corruption in manners it must begin at the highest els it will be to little purpose To little effect were it in the naturall body to heale the hand foot when the head is deadly sick but heale the head first and then more easily the body will bee cured So in the spirituall body how should Babel be healed when the King will not how should they become Christian when the king persists a heathen euen so in our State how shal popery be extinguisht how shall vaine swearing wantonness profaning of the Sabboth bribery and other the sins of this age be reformed in the body of the people if they be suffred to harbor in the Court and to creepe into the Kings priuy Chamber Priuate persons will hardly bee brought to detest those sinnes that are the common practices recreations of great persons Therefore we haue cause to blesse God for giuing vs such a King as hath care of religion and who in his owne person is an enemie to poperie a detester of wantonnesse and iniustice and many vile sinnes too commonly found in persons of his place And let vs not cease to pray that God would confirme him in all goodnesse and that he may still go on with Dauid to reforme the sinnes of the greatest and them that are neerest him for when a King saith No wicked person shall serue me nor abide in my sight then all wicked workers will easily be destroyed out of the land x Psa. III. see the whole psalme If this had beene in Babel she had beene cured but the want of this was the cause of that that followeth But she could not be healed The 2. point HItherto wee haue spoken of the first generall point namely the louing and holy care of Israel They would haue cured Babell Now followes the second that is the ill issue of their good labours caused by the obstinate malice of the Babylonians She would not be healed some read she could not be healed some she is not healed all to one end for he that will not be healed is not nay cannot be healed for God heales no man conuerts no man saues no man◠against his will therefore he that will not bee healed cannot be healed and so Babel is incurable because she contemned the meane and would not be healed The godly Israelites did all they could but the Babylonians had their answere as ready as now haue the papists Think you you seely Israelites that you are able to teach Babylon a better religion then it hath * The very same defence is daily made for popery that Babel made for her Idolatry and the same exceptions make they against vs and the same arguments bring they against our religion which they did against Israel as is plaine to see in Y ◠books of Harding Stapleton Sanders Allen c. and of late in Persons Kellison Fitzherbert and the rest Is not hers of so many and so many yeares continuance was it not the religion our forefathers liued and dyed in and is it not generall and vniuersall ouer the world and yours but in a corner and is not ours visible and doth it not prosper and flourish and is not yours condemned by the consent of all the world and you for holding it iustly ouerthrowen and conquered by vs is not your visible Temple now defaced your publicke daily sacrifice ceased and your succession cut off and if you haue any thing left is it not inuisible in secret corners what can you alleage for your religion That you haue many learned men Alasse poore men for one learned Rabbine that you haue haue not wee twenty are not the Chaldeans the famoust learned men of the world renowned for their high wisedom their skill in Astrology interpretation of dreames and other the most secret and supernaturall Sciences and do you thinke it possible that so many learned Doctors can be deceiued nay all the world bee in an errour and onely you that hold a particular faction and a singular new found religion by your selues should haue the truth amongst you Go go poore soules and sing your Hebrue songs by your selues but meddle not with the high mysteries of the Chaldeans religion And what will you haue more Shew if you can one nation of your religion but your selues but all the world is of ours You will say you haue a succession from Noah and haue not we so too you came from Shem and came not we also from him or at least from some other of Noahs sonnes You are but one poore branch of Shems roote there be many others lineally descended from him greater nations then you are and doe any of them follow your faction Looke into the world at this day and see if any Nation of all that came from all the sonnes of Noah be of your religion all that came of Cham are of ours all that came of Iaphet are of ours and all that came of Shem but only your selues See then what fooles you are to striue against so strong a streame and to forsake the auntient and knowne high-way so long and so wel trodden and to take and choose a singular by waie of your owne For did not all Nations walke in our waie and was there any one Nation of your Religion till one MOYSES and after him one SAMVEL and DAVID and a fewe others to make themselues great and to bring to passe ther owne purposes made a publicke reuolte from the Religion of all other Nations and set you vp first a Tabernacle and then a Temple of your owne Therefore you are to bee deemed and condemned for Schismatickes who haue cut your selues off from the auntient and vniuersall Religion of the World And what though you can pleade continuance of some hundreths of yeares yet what is that to our time for
conscience that he hath done al he can possibly for our healing til which time no man may forsake another especially no christian forsake another and least of all a priuate man forsake a Church Fourthly and lastly if they will needes leaue our Church whither will they goe To leaue one thing for another no better is seely but for a worse is folly and madnes But they will say they leaue vs to take the better then shew me a better religion and a better Church then the Protestant Churches of Europe are and the religion amongst them You will not go to the Lutheranes for they you say are worse then we much lesse to the Papists for they apparantly are worst of all whither then wil you go to the Church of the Lowe-countries but they are of our confession wil you go to the Churches of France but they are of our confession will you goe to the Church of Geneua or the free Cities of the Empire but they are of our religion will you goe to the Church of Scotland to the Cantons of Switzerland to the States Princes of Germany but they are all of our confession and so professe themselues to bee q See the harmony of confessions Looke ouer all Christendom and you shall not finde a Church that condemneth ours nor any that is not of our religion nor any one but that professeth it self to be of the same confession with vs and not to differ from vs in any substantiall or fundamentall point Whither then will you go or what remaines for you to goe vnto but vnto your corners conuenticles where you are your owne caruers your owne Iudges your owne approuers but haue not one Church in Christendome to approue you So that then it remains it must either be graunted you that you are better then all others and that notwithstanding the Gospell preached thus long since the reuealing of Anti-christ there is not one true Church in the world but your selues or els you must grant that ther is no better Church for you to go vnto if you forsake vs. Therefore play the wise mens part forsake not our church til you can shew a better And tel vs not of France Scotland Geneua Zurick Basil c. for they be all ours and not yours they wil do all approue vs as a glorious Church and condemn you as factious and sohismatical And seeing you can finde none better all things considered haue none to fly to but your selues who are the parties now in question therfore no fit Iudges of the matter looke well about you and if vnaduized zeale haue caused this bitter separation then by your returne make vp that breach againe which by your reuolt you made in our Church Returne againe into the bosome of the Church aske pardon of that your Mother who brought you forth children of light Come ioyne with vs against the Papist the common enemy who by our diuision hath gotten ground vpon vs all Remember Peters answere when Christ asked the Apostles after so many fell from him what saith hee Will you also goe awaie Alas Master sayth Peter Whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life r Iohn 6. 61 So will you say if true humility and sauing grace possess you when your deere mother in whose wombe you were conceiued and with whose brests you haue bin fed shall ask you after so many reuolters to popery what Will you also goe away Alas whither should we goe from thee thou hast the words and thou hast the Sacraments of eternall life Yea malice it selfe cannot denie but wee haue them and he who gaue them vs grant we may long enioy them Amen And as for you my brethren Brethren I call you because I am sure we had both one mother look well about you and consider of the bitter effectes like to follow vpon this your separation remember that they will all lie heauy vpon you And do not say you are driuen out for if it be the Church if the words of eternal life be here nothing in the world ought to driue you from it Nay your separation was wilfull therefore let your return be voluntarie and til then esteem as basely and censure as sharpely of vs as you list but knowe that for this diuision of Ruben are great thoughts of heart s Iudg. 5. 15. The second sort of men whose practice is reprooued by this doctrine be such as refuse publicke places in the Church and common-wealth and retire themselues into priuate and discontented courses and will not bee employed for the publicke because they pretend the dayes are euil and many sores in our body incurable vnlesse there be other order taken for their healing To these men I would say but two words 1. Are the dayes euill the more need haue they to be amended by each ones helping hand And if wee have any wounds in Church or state more cause hath each one that loues the peace health of Ierusalem to indeuour the present healing therof least they fester and growe worse But secondly are the times euil Nay are they not made euill by thee at least are they not the worse for thee and thy sinnes Who can shew his face and say I haue committed no sins that may be in part a cause to bring downe the spirituall and corporall plagues that are amongst vs Then what are they that are so busie to complaine of the times and so slacke to complain of their sins But it is a trick of hypocrisie to be so eagle eied in prying into the illnesse of the times so blind and dull in considering his owne sinnes the cause of all that ill Thou contrariwise out of a holy and humbled heart confess that seeing thy sins haue made the times worse then els they would haue been therefore thou hast cause to endeuour for thy part to make them better Then set thy shoulder to the burthen and put thy neck to the yoke remembring that euen Babel it selfe is not to be forsaken till it be altogether incurable past al hope But being incurable as here the text saith shee is therfore saith the church Let vs forsake her And now Babell beeing forsaken of the Church what remains to be expected nothing but vēgeance and destruction For her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen c. The 4. point IN these words is laid down the last point namely what becomes of Babel when being incurable she is forsakē by the Church she is made ready for iudgement and destruction Here we may learne amongst many others two most worthy doctrines First what the wicked get by persecuting and banishing and seeking to root out Gods children surely euen nothing but the hastening of their owne destructiō The Babylonians cared not for the Israelites company but as soone as they were gone destruction came vpon Babel Whilst they stay the wicked are spared but when they are gone vengeance breakes
great Cardinall * This Cardinall was Iohannes de turre cremata as appears in the prefaces before the booke of the Reuelations of S. Brigit and other Commissioners approue and after suffred to be published to the world a booke in latine called The Reuelations of Saint Brigite Where it is dogmatically deliuered as a matter without question That Pope Gregory by his prayers lifted the heathen Emperour Traiane out of hell and another long afore whom they pretend also to bee theirs deliuereth it more amplie adding further that God answered the Pope thus I haue heard thy prayers and I grant mercie and pardon to Traiane but see that thou hereafter offer me no sacrifice for an vngodly man h From hence I offer them this argument to thinke on The true God neuer deliuered a damned soule out of hell but the Pope hath deliuered a soule out of hell therefore he◠hath done that that God neuer did not for ought that is reuealed euer vvill doe Heer is a foule wound but is this healed vp No 4 The 2. wound not healed this booke stands allowed by the the Pope and in his Catalogue of the bookes which hee forbids to bee read a Vide Indicē lib. prohib per Clem. 8. where many a learned and godly booke is condemned this is not toucht and therefore as Posseuine himselfe a Iesuite graunts b Posseuinus loco citato not two yeares agoe not onely the booke stands vncondemned but this foule blasphemie vncontrolled and to shewe that the head of Babylon namely the Pope is incurable let it be obserued that tho many particular learned Papists c Mel. Canus lib. 11. c. 2. Bellar de Purgat lib. 2. cap. 8. Blas Vieg in Apoc. c. 6. comment 3. sect 3. Baronius annal circa temp Traianj haue misliked and condemned it as farre as in them lyeth yet to this daie was it neuer condemned not the booke forbidden or amended by the Pope so vnwilling is Babylon to bee healed of her wounds Yea the Pope is so farre from healing it that contrariwise he suffred a Spanish Dominican Frier to defend it and that not in word but writing not priuatly but openly not in a corner of the World but to come to Rome within these fewe yeares and there euen to write and publish vnder his nose and by his authority and apology of this blasphemous fable ◠endeuouring to proue it by many arguments that Gregory did deliuer Traian out of hell d Alphonsus Ciaconus Thus tho it containe neuer so great an impietie against God yet because it tends to the magnifying of the Popes power and prerogatiue let as manie learned men as will speak against it it shall stand and be mayntayned so true it is that Babylon will not be healed of her deadliest woundes And wonder not tho I call them deadly for consider of these consequences The Pope deliuered a soule out of hell Therfore he did that which God neuer did Againe therfore there may be redemption out of hel Again therefore the Popes prayers did that which Christs prayers neuer did againe Christ sayth I pray not for the world * Ioh. 17. The world that is for the wicked damned the Pope sayth but I do Ergo the Popes pittie and charitie is more then Christs Alas alas is Rome the holy Church and sees not these blemishes Is she the liuing Church and feels not these wounds nay rather is she not that Babylon that will not be healed But to conclude all this is the worse because hee hath razed out many sentences and passages out of many Authors wherein he thought himselfe and his seat to be wronged * Ludou viues Ferus Erasmus Stella Oleaster Espencaeus and infinite others but this that so highly dishonoreth God himself he can patiently suffer but had he been as zealous of Gods glory as carefull of his own then he that forbids Espencaeus his commentaries on Titus til they be purged and the book called Onus Ecclesiae absolutely without any limitatiō because they touch his freehold too neere would also haue forbidden the Reuelation of S. Bridgit til this foule blasphemie had beene purged out which seeing he hath so carelesly and wilfully neglected tho his Catalogue of forbidden bookes hath so often been renued * It was first made by Pius 4. and so since cōtinued renued augmented till Clement the 8. it appears what an vnworthy Vicar of God hee is who looks only to himself but suffers his master to be dishonored before his face Therefore Arise O Lord maintaine thine owne cause Well then seeing this wound is incurable let vs leaue it rankling and come to another The third Wounde SOme 120. yeares agoe an Italian Frier wittie and learned as the most in those dayes a principall Preacher and as famous in his time as Mussus or Panegirola in these latter by name Bernardinus de busto * Bernard de busto Marial par 3. ser. 3. pa◠96. editionis Lugd. anni 517 preached this doctrine publikely after wrote it and sent it to Alexander the 6. and vnder his name published it That God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgin Marie 5 The 3. wound God hath diuided his kingdom with the Virgine Mary And that a man may appeale from Gods iustice to the mercy of the Virgin Mary because God hath kept iustice to himself but committed his mercy to his Mother ◠The impiety is so execrable seems so incredible that I will put downe the words out of the booke it selfe as it was dedicated to the Pope A man may appeale to the Virgin Mary not only from a Tyrant and from the diuell but euen from God himself Namely when he feels himself grieued or oppressed of Gods iustice which was signified in the 5. of Ester where it is sayde that when king Assuerus was angry at the Iewes Queene Ester came in to please pacify him to whom the king answered whatsoeuer thou askest me tho it be the half of my kingdom I wil giue it thee Now this Empress prefigured the Empress of heauen with whome God hath diuided his kingdom For whereas God hath iustice mercy He hath reserued Iustice to himself to be exercised in this world and hath granted mercy to his Mother therfore if any man finde himselfe agrieued in the court of Gods Iustice let him appeal to the Court of the mercy of his mother What is this we heare do there lie appeales from God and from God to a creature Is Gods iustice such as a man may iustly be agrieued at it further is Gods kingdom diuisible and hath God indeed diuided his kingdome and diuided it with a creature yea with a woman and hath God granted his mercy from himself to a creature we may say with the Prophet Oh heauens be astonied at this and let all Christian hearts tremble to heare such blasphemies and yet these be good doctrines in
Gods the other a Chancery a Court of Mercy that is Maries these bee their verie wordes and further that if any man feele himselfe agrieued in Gods Court of Iustice let him appeale to the Court of mercie of his Mother Oh strange diuinity Can Gods iudgements be vniust or his proceedings erroneous and vnequall If they bee not then why do they talke of appealing to a higher Court For why doe Writs of error lie from one Court to another but that it is presupposed that they may erre and why is there a Chauncery but that the rigour and extremitie of the Lawe maie bee mitigated But if the Scripture saie true in the text Righteous art thou O Lord and iust in thy iudgements a Psal. 119 137 Then this is blasphemie of a high nature that there needes a Chancerie to rectifie his proceedings and mitigate his iudgements But as for this doctrine that the Chauncerie or Court of mercie is not Gods but his Mothers and that therefore Gods iudgements are to be mitigated by another and therefore that she and her Court are in this respect aboue God and his Court These blasphemies are so execrable and odious to Christian eares that I hope ther is not a papist in this kingdome that professeth to know and serue God but his heart hates them and all that hold them Against all this what can bee obiected but this that he being a priuate man spake wrot out of his priuate iudgement but this is not the generall doctrine of their teachers not their Church I answere If none in the world taught this but this one Frier yet how many soeuer knowing it do approue commend or defend it or if they do not reproue condemne it it is iustly to bee called their doctrine and by the lawe both of God man it is their sin as well as his For by the lawe of Accessaries he that anie waie approues or knowing it and hauing a calling to it reproues not a sinne makes himselfe guilty of the sinne but the Romish Church that is the Pope knoweth this hainous blasphemie and sayth that he hath authority to condemne all such therefore hauing not done so but contrariwise approuing it is guiltie of it Shewe me then that Pope Bishop or Inquisitour that hath condemned this blasphemie or this book for it I produce a Pope that allowed it namely Alexander the sixt who suffered it to passe vnder his name to the view and reading of the world let them bring one Pope since that hath condemned it or shewe one writer not reproued by them that euer reproued it or not condemned by them that euer condemned this blasphemie if they doe not this then it is apparant that in this wound Babylon is not yet healed But for better euidence that she lies rotting in this her filthinesse and incurable in this wound 6 The third wound not healed Posseuine the Iesuite their great and allowed Censor of al Authors giues his publike censure of this booke to bee Sermons of the excellency of the Queene of heauen and full of learning and godlinesse And this his censure no man that knoweth the present state of their religion can deny but that it is the censure of their Church and ought so to bee reputed for that worke of Posseuines was attempted continued and finished and printed and reprinted with as publick generall allowance as any thing can be And yet for better euidence that she is not healed nor reformed at all let it be obserued thaâ— this book is of so much estimation amongst them that it hath diuers times beene reprinted since Bernardine the Author set it out as namely in my knowledge once at Brixia in Italie almost twenty yeares agoe in three volumes corrected and amended as they pretende But that this impious doctrine is not amended I will make it euident for of late euen this present yeare this booke and all his other works were again printed at Colein in Germany in three volumes which when I perceiued out of the last Catalogue I could not rest till I had obtained this new impression from Coleine hoping that now at last they had for shame righted this cause of God and razed out that hainous blasphemie but hauing perused it I see to my griefe that they will not be healed for there the very same words and doctrine stand vnreprooued vncontrolled vnaltered nay not so much as hauing a Marginal note to explaine them but they are let to passe as good holy and Catholicke Romish doctrine And that this is true I here pawne my credit to this honorable assemblie and will be ready to iustifie it to anie desirous to be informed in the particulars by shewing the books themselues both new and old Which being so I hope no man wil denie but that it is apparant she is not healed And yet for the better satisfaction of all men that as she is not yet so shee purposeth neuer more to bee healed nor to reform any thing and that this is not the priuate opinion of that or any other one doctor I desire al that loue the truth to take knowledge that of late within these seuen yeeres an Italian doctor a Iesuite and an approoued writer writing a story of the miracles of our Lady of Loretto teacheth euen the same doctrine and makes no bones to bluster out almost the very same words which for better assurance I will put down The Virgin Mary both wil and can is both willing able to deliuer such as be compassed about with dangers on all sides and to heape vpon them all good blessings for Almighty God as farre as it is lawfull hath made his Mother fellow and partaker of his divine power and Maiesty c. See heere the new and refined diuinity of the Iesuites what is this but the same with that afore for if she be made partaker and fellow with God in his diuine power and Maiesty it is no maruell that God hath committed his mercy to her and if from these words we looke into the body of the booke we shall find hee ascribes such works and miracles to her as can belong to none but to him or her that is a fellow with God or rather God himselfe And as for this clause as far as it is lawfull is a strange word to be spoken of God for what can be vnlawful to God that is good whose will is the holiest law If therefore it be good to make a creature fellow with him in his deity it must needes bee lawfull and so the clause is idle If it be not good but impious and contrary to the nature of God then to think it any way lawfull or possible to be done is no losse then to think it any way lawful for God to lie or sin or denie himselfe so that take it any way this limitation of the Iesuite both grossely aâ—useth the Reader and containeth horrible impiety against God So far is it from
was naught g Heskins in his parliament the next page after And what was she that saide this A vertuous Catholick gentlewoman saith Heskins and one that feared God h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor coÌ„mends that man and womanâ— for deâ—oâ—t and zealous papists who blasphemoâ—sly saide that the scriptures were naught not to be belieued and doth not reproue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholick woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did he not reproue the one nor the other but contrariwise coÌ„mends them both turnes it to the aduaÌ„tage of the Romish cause saith that hereby we may see what a perillous thing it is for lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaue hereby we may see what a filthy heart vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them doe not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songs of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to be in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I â—raue pardon of all Christian eares wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences anie thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith he is all that booke You haue heard how the Prouerbs were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and heere the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodlâ—e gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they hold also to be canonicall scripture some of them to be Salomons he saith that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest men would be ashamed to speake them and I also â—aith he would be ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapteâ—â— If the words be as immodest as he pretends they be then why do they hold such a booke to be Scripture And if they holde it to be Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to answere in the meane time I goe forward Not long after comes Hosiuâ— a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authority testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the word of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine heere is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allow the new Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pittifully this wound is healed Nay further if the â—ime present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne Writers we should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot be healed but this may be sufficient Therefore let vs go forward to another wound The seuenth Wounde THey taught the people in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that images were good lay mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the Scripture as vnfit for them and obscure and dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and commended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seuenth wound Images are good lay mens bookes Some three hundred yeeres ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time wel approued of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laie men p Lo heere how Images are associated and ioined with the Bible Search the Scripture saith Christ looke on them and on Images saith the Pope how readest thou saith Christ what â—eest thoâ— saith the Pope It is written saith Christ it is painted and grauen saith the Pope thy word saith Dauid is my light not the golden Cherubins but nowe saith Poperie euen in the new Testament The scriptures and Images are lay mens lights What a wrong is this to God and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the Reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiary of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and man câ— and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moralâ— theolog casuâ— noâ—sci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Lo here this doctor who beeing Penitentiary is by his place and calling to heale wounds and satisfie Consciences comming to touch this wound handled it so roughly that in steed of healing it he makes it sorer then it was For whereas Peraldus gaue Scripture so much honour as to be ioyned in commission with Images they 2. to be ioint teachers of the Laity Now comes the great Penitentiary is wel allowed by the Pope to leaue out the scripture as needlesse and to giue all the power to Images not onely to put men in minde but euen to cherish and increase faith and charity And certainly if Images can do so it is no maruell that Papists cast out the scriptures and in roome thereof doe
and the edification of Christian people that it is approued and allowed by the greate M r. of his palace to whom belongs the soueraigne and highest authoritie to censure all sort of bookes And last of al Iacobus de Graffiis the great Casuist and Grand Poenitentiarie within these 7. yeares hath determined this question affirming that the murderer may not bee taken out of the Church no not tho hee broke prison and fled thither vnlesse it were murder ioyned with treacherie and treason b Iacobus de Graffijs decis aur cas cons. to 1. cap. 48. libri secūdi art 5. 6◠7. Thus we see how Babylon is healed in this wound And heereby it is apparant to all that wil see that she is a bloudy Babylon and as in many other respects for her crueltie so this waie also for this doctrine and practice she is a bloudy sinagogue and no maruel tho the holy Ghost say that in her is found the bloud not only of the Prophets Saints but of al that wer slain vpon the earth d Reuel 18. 24 For as she hath made her selfe the principall agent in shedding the bloud of Saints and Martyrs so hath she made her selfe accessary by this her doctrine and practise to all the murthers bludshed vpon the earth for to maintain so many refuges and defences for a sinne is to maintain the sin it selfe Therefore leauing this bloudy Church weltring and wallowing and bathing her selfe in bloud let vs proceed to that remaines The fourteenth Wound TOuching the honorable estate of marriage and the dishonor of it which is adultery fornicatiō it is lamentable to see what is the doctrine practice of the Romish Church For first they giue a publick and open toleration of the stewes wherein whoredome is practiced as dayly and commonly as other ciuile and lawfull actions 29 The 14. wound Romish Reliligiō permits stewes publickelie nay their rent is rated and duely paide a part of it to the Pope or as hee shal appoint it Thus complaines and cries out Agrippa a man of no meane place nor ordinary vnderstanding among themselues e Cornel. Agrippa de vanitate scient cap. 64. The Corinthians saith he and Cyprians and Babylonians other heathen Graecians did increase their reuenue by the gain of the stewes which in Italie also is at this day no rare nor vnusual matter for the whores of Rome do paie weekelie to the pope a Iulio a piece about sixe pence sterling the whole reuenue whereof in the yeare doth often exceed the summe of twenty thousand Duckets c. Alas will some say the pope cannot hinder this therefore seeing he cannot helpe he hath vsed such was the wisedome of elder ages to make the best vse he can of an ill matter But I answere first the holy Ghost commands vs to haue nothing to doe with an ill matter but keepe vs farre from it f Exod. 23. 7. Ephes 5. 11. though we cannot hinder it Again if the pope could not hinder it yet he can refuse to haue any gaine from it and so hee would but that he thinkes it sweete but if he were of Dauids religion who would not drinke that drinke that cost men the venture of their liues g 2. Sam. 23. 14. surely hee would not take that gain that costs men and women their soules But I answere further He could and might hinder it and will not If he himselfe and his fauorites speak trueth he wants no power for nothing that hee will doe therefore for reforming the stewes it is cleere he wants wil but no power Hee whose power stretcheth through purgatorie reacheth euen to hel doth it not reache to Rome his owne seate Can hee empty purgatory and not the stewes can he command the diuels not whores can he dispose of kingdoms and depose kings when he seeth cause and cannot he or seeth hee no cause to depose the stewes Against Gods truth and vs the professors of it whom he calls heretikes he wants no will and therefore hee wants no power Let him punish whoredome as hee doth that that he calls heresie tho it be the trueth let it be as vnlawful in Rome to keepe or frequent stewes as to haue a Protestant Church and then we should soone see as fewe and fewer whores in Rome then there be good Protestants But whoredome is none of the vnderminers of his State nor enemies of his Crown as our religion is therfore our religion must downe when stewes must stand But some wil further obiect If this haue bin so it is the fault or corruption of his officers and not to be imputed to his Holines But I answer the pope vseth not to be so negligent of his estate as not to looke at a reueneue of 20000. duckets a yeere And to take away al cause of this cauill to make it more apparant that the pope is the head of the whore of Babylon Pope Sixtus 4. scarce 120◠yeares agoe Ad perpetuamrei memoriam to his euerlasting honour built a stewes in Rome of his owne erection foundation so saith the same Agrippa h Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 64. Licurgus Solon heathe◠law-giuers erected publick stews but that is no maruel for of late yeers pope Sixtus the fourth builded a goodlie stewes Rome Lo heer the Popes Holines the founder of a Colledge of diuels a stewes for whores surely because he scorned ordinary company he built that for himselfe his Princes his peers the Cardinals who if their owne brethren say true make it nothing dainty to be conuersant with courtizans Thus we see it confessed and proued by a learned papist that a 100. yeeres ago stewes were maintained nay erected by the pope that he takes gain rent of them If any man obiect against Agrippa as no competent witnesse I answer the pope indeede hath prohibited i Vide indicem lib prohibit Clementis 8. in litera H. his bookes to be read but it had beene more reason to haue disproued and confuted his assertions but let the pope condemne him as he wil for his bold speaking of truth it is knowen to all that know him or his books he was a papist for the most part whatsoeuer hee was he had no reason to bely the pope we hired him not we thanke him not for any thing but truth yet for more certainty hereof hearken to another who being an Inquisitor is beyond all exception that way Thus complains Oleaster a Spanish Doctor vpon that text of Deuteronomy k Deut. 23. 18. thou shalt not bring into my house the hire of a whore for it is abhominable l Oleaster in Comment suis in Pentateu in Deut. cap. 23. fol. 270. Filthy gaines saith he were euer abhominable to God therfore he forbids to bring into his house the hire of a whore But now in the new Testamēt when the Church and Ministers therof should
Spaine Italy c. And further to giue one euidence out of my owne reading for the practice Iacobus de Graffijs telles vs plainely in these words u Iacobus de Graff decis aur cas cons. tom 1. lib. 1. c. 28. art 20. It is lawfull for Lords and owners of houses to let out their houses to whores euen whom they know so to be so it be with this mind not purposelie that they may sin but with this that the women may get their liuing be able to pay them good rents Now tho they know they wil get their own liuing and paie them their rent out of whordom yet if they haue a dislike of the sin they may do it lawfully and such saith hee is the common practise at Rome Thus both for Romish doctrine practice it is apparant that stewes are allowed to this day common whores not censured Against al this but one thing can be obiected namely that al these be priuate doctors that teach the doctrin secular princes that allow the practise I answer thē let vs see what the pope doth Doth he supply the negligence of other Bishops they do not excōmunicate thē doth he No no he is as bad or worse then the worst Princes tolerate them so doth he w Nay by the places alleged afore it is manifest that it is not princes but the Pope the Church that tolerates and permittes thē princes permitt them because the Church doth they in their kingdoms he in Rome they build them houses so did he they take part of their gain so doth he the Bishops excommunicate them not no more doth he to this day For this end wee are to knowe that besides all particular and personall excommunications hee vseth once a yeere that he may meete with all his enemies at once and pay them at one payment to excommunicate together all such sorts and kindes of people as hee holds his enemies But are whoores any of them no such matter nay these be they x Vide Bullam Coenae in Cōstit Rom. pōt per Petrū Mathaeū ed. inter Cōstitut Sixti quinti pa. 883. 1. Caluinists Lutherans and such heretikes 2. All that appeal from the Pope to a general Councell 3. Forgers and Falsifiers of the popes hande or seale 4. All that hurt and hinder Pilgrimes that come to Rome 5. Al lay men that draw Clergymen to their Courts or would bring them vnder their iurisdiction 6. All that hinder the iurisdiction of the Clergy 7. All that seize vpon any lands belonging to the Pope c. These and such other like to the number of 17. or 18. be the enemies against whō the Pope hath cause to plant his ordinaunce but as for whores stewes and such other hainous transgressors of the morall law these neuer hurt the Romish Church and therefore she bends not her power against them So then seeing popery and the stewes are so linked that we perceiue do what wee can man cannot separate those whome the diuel hath ioyned together let vs then leaue the stewes in Rome and the Pope in his stewes and mourning for their miserie let vs proceed The fifteenth Wound THe next wound is this That whereas God hath euer allowed and honoured marriage in the old and new Testament and Concubines were neuer allowed in the olde and absolutely condemned in the newe Now comes popery and makes it as lawfull to haue a Concubine as a Wife 31 The 15. wound He that hath not a wife may haue a Concubine and this is done by no priuate persons but the Popes law it selfe Thus saith the Canon y Decret dist 34. cap. 4. He that hath not a wife but for a wife or instead of a wife a Concubine let him not for that be kept frō the Communion yet so as that hee bee content with one woman either a wife or a concubine Is not heere a piece of good licentious poperie I know they say they haue this from the first councell of Toledo which is ancient true but what if Spaine not long ago conuerted to the faith was not purged as yet from these dregs of heathenisme and Iudaism are they therefore fit to be taken vp by the Pope and inserted in his law as a Canon to binde and direct for euer If they thinke that poore prouinciall Councel but of 19. Bishops bee a sufficient warrant for this decree then why take they not all and why put they it not downe a wife or a Concubine as it pleaseth him for so it is in the words of the Councel z Concil General per Binniū Col. 1607. tom 1. pa. 560. In Concil 1. Tolet. cap. 17. I know also that they haue coyned a distinction whereby they would couer this wound and say that a Concubine heere is to be taken for a woman whom a man hath and keepeth with the affection of a Husband onely in outward fashion and solemnity shee is not a wife nor publickly married but I answere the best of it is naught if we did graunt them all they say but distinguish as they can the wordes are so plaine that the suttlest distinctiō they can deuise wil be too short a cloak to couer the shame of it nay the shame of this Canon is written in the fore-head of it for the Rubrick or contents written with red letters is worse then the text it selfe a Vide decretū cum glossa editionis lugdun in fol. 1510 dist 34. cap. 4. Is qui non habet vxorē loco illius debet habere concubinam Hee that hath not a wife ought or at least may haue a Concubine in her reome These be the very words in the impression at Lions 1510. tho I confess the Diuines of Paris hauing a little more care what past their hands ashamed of the word debet that is ought to haue put it out and put in liceat that is hee may haue b Vide decretū edit◠Parisiens in fol. anni 1507. ibid. Is qui non habet vxorem loco illius concubinam habere liceat but take the best of all and is it not bad inough well let vs goe forward this wound is olde wide and deepe But is it yet healed No not to this day 32 The 15 woūd not yet healed◠for stil by the Popes Canon law he that hath not a Wife may haue a Concubine for the Popes Canon law was of late yeares commaunded by the Pope to be corrected and purged as well the Text as the Glosse and is this amended or lefte out as being false and filthy doctrin No other places indeed are altered for the greater vantage and honor of the Pope but this dishonorable Canon so disgracefull to Gods lawe stands vntouched in this new last editiō of al c Vide corpus iuris Canonici authoritate Gregorij 13. pōt max◠emēdatum et editum 91. et 600. only the Rubrick or title or Contents wherof
what followed after all this Was there any reformation in the Romish Church were any of the euills and diseases confessed by Adrian redressed I had rather Espencaeus their owne Bishop should tel then I which because he doth very largely I will contract it into a compendium and hope that some will take paines to put all that wise and learned discourse of his into our vulgar tongue the rather for that it containeth much matter of greate moment and yet not vulgarly knowne to this daie Meane time the effect of it is this f Legatur Espencaeus in Comment ad Titum cap. 1. à pag. 65. ad 91. That after all Christendome had complained of the enormous and intolerable grieuances sustained from the Pope and his Court of Rome al which and more the good pope Adrian had confessed but was taken away lest hee had redressed and after at their motion hee had intended a Councell should be called for reformation all this determined by his death His successor Clement the 7. was not so idle to hearken to such toyes nor giue way to such innouations hee would haue no Councell hee saw no cause of reformation But from his successor Paul the 3. plaine necessity did wring out an vnwilling consent and so after many difficulties the Councell of Trent was called wherein first of all this point of reformation was so vrged that a Committee was chosen of nine principall Diuines some of them Cardinalls to consider what reformation was requisite in the Church Who after mature deliberation plainely told the pope that all these euills proceeded from the abuses raigning in the Court of Rome and concluding something for reformation of pluralities one onely abuse the pope did so interpret it and alter it when it came to him as it did no good but hurt He then dying and the Councell being intermitted was set on foot againe by his successor Iulius the 3. who also confessed there were innumerable abuses in administring the Sacraments but when it came to reforme them instead thereof hee suspended the Councell though many Bishops that desired reformation did protest against it affirming confidently that they had not as yet dispatched one of the businesses for which they had assembled but the pope preuailed and so for tenne yeeres it was discontinued And at last being again assembled by Pius the fourth he made shew he would referre the whole matter of reformation to the Fathers of the Councell but when it came to trial it was with a prouiso that First they should not meddle with the Court of Rome Secondly that in their reformation laid vpon other persons and places they should alwaies enact it thus Sauing alwaies holy and vntouched the Authority of the Apostolicall Sea for which their courtesie to him and his seate hee afterward gaue them thanks in an Oraâ—ion in the Consistory at Rome assuring them out it was in the worde of a Pope that he would bee more rigide and seuere in purging his owne Court and house and offices then they would haue beene With these good words the pope dissolued the Councell But froÌ„ that day to this saith this Bishop through these so many yeeres nothing is done nothing is changed nothing is amended in the Church and no maruell saith hee for nothing haue they amended in Rome vnder their owne nose where they might reforme any thing if they had conscience and will to doe it So that now seeing all is finally referred and reserued to the Pope there is saith hee no more hope of anie reformation left nor any thing else remaines but to see one miserie after another fall vpon the Apostolicall seate and the whole Church of Rome to which let all good Christians say Amen These and many more words to this purpose hath this wise and learned Bishop Out of all which I conclude Therefore 30. or 40. yeeres agoe in the daies of Espencaeus the Church of Rome beeing found and confessed to be most fearefully corrupt is not healed noâ— reformed nay that al hope of reformaâ—n is now taken awaie Since which time I shall thanke him that will shewe mee that there hath beene any publike and generall reformation of the notorious abuses in that Church prouided hee prooue it out of as good records For as for the third point I haue vndertaken namely that in steade of beeing healed reformed there haue contrariwise growne vp in the Romish Church more horrible and hainous practises more erroneous impious doctrines then euer before were knowne or heard of and at this day stand maintainedâ— at least vnreproued by their church This I' say I must bee constrained to refer to a peculiar Treatise by it selfe and with as faire euidence as I haue done the contrary Which as I should reioice in my heart once to behold so till then I must needes with griefe of heart conclude that The Romish Church is that Babylon that will not bee healed And wil she not what then remaines but as our text leades vs Let vs forsake her But how not in loue or affection let vs neuer cease to wish to her as to our owne soules nor let vs cease to pray for her publikely and priuately yea let vs blesse her when she curseth vs. But let vs as we haue well begun proceed to separate our selues from her society and empty our Church and kingdome of her and hers And if they say we be schismatiks for separating from her we answere nay she is the schismatike that hath separated herselfe from Christ. Now therefore you honourable Magistrates and Iudges of this nation set your shoulders to the work of your God rouse vp your spirits to execute the good lawes your selues and your forefathers haue enacted our lawes are enow and good enough they want nothing but execution and that belongs to you vnto which dutie wee of the Ministery doe exhort you in the Lord execute our lawes against them yet rather against poperie then the papists remember the blessed promise in the Psalme though it was spoken of literal BabyloÌ„ Psal. 137. 8. 9. it hath a mystical true relation to spirituall Babylon O daughter of Babylon worthy to be destroied happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs yea blessed shal he be that taketh thy yong children and dasheth them against the stones Oh pull this blessing on your heads kill her infants that is her errors impieties superstitions blasphemies idolatries equiuocations treasons c. these be her Impes her naturall brood but now they are of more age grown to greatnesse the more daunger is there of them and more cause to kil them which if you doe with diligence discretion you see you draw a blessing from heauen vpon your selues If you doe not you do for a time maintain pricks in your eyes and thornes in your sides and your negligence will prouoke the great iust Lord to take the matteâ— into his owne hands which as hee hath