what do your people learne by hauing the sacred Trinitie pourtraited and drawne as you doe I could tell you of diuers of your English-papists who thereby were fallen into the very heresie of the Anthropomorphytes and when I tould them of their errour they could very hardly be drawne from it thinking it to be the faith of the Romane Catholike Church by whose authoritie such pictures were allowed What I pray you may your Simples learne by obseruing how you tricke vp with gownes and kirtles with crownes and garlands with bracelets chaynes and ringes some of your Goddesses in your Churches and chappells will they not thinke that your Saints are so attired in the heauens that the soyle is cold and wheras The vaine attiring of Popish Pictures they obserue how some of your Saintesses haue gownes and kirtells made of such Dames refuses as an honest woman would hardly weare yea to see the Queene of heauen so attired will they not thinke that heauen is very poore either hauing no silkes or else wanting Taylors to make new gownes for the Queene her selfe Againe what may your Ignorants learne when they shall behold our Sauiour pictured as in Saint Andrewes Church at Bourdeauz as ascending vp into the heauens vpon the backe of an Eagle will they not inferre that he mounted not vp to the heauens by his owne power but rather by the helpe of an Eagle one of the liuing Creatures which are attending about the throne as wee haue it described in the Reuelation of Saint Apocal. 4. 7. Iohn As concerning the third end of Images to wit adoration I haue in a few words already shewed the iniquitie of the same M. Flud himselfe dareth not to call the childe by its owne name but giueth it onely the name of honourable esteeme But here I adde further that the Bishops of Rome shall haue this speciall priuiledge to Polid. lib. 2. de Iâ—uent cap. 23. citat Plutar. in viâ—a Numa Clement Macro lib. 1. Saturâ—al cap. haue brought the adoration of Images into the Church That so Rome popish may be like to Rome heathenish in all things Rome at first had no pictures at all in their Temples Numa his decree forbidding the same after they came in as monuments onely of the worthies as when Hercules ouercame Gerion This being obteined in short processe of time by cunning of the Archflamines and false Priests they came to be worshipped Euen so in Rome Christian at beginning no pictures were to befound in Churches as is clearely to bee gathered out of Origen disputing against Celsus It may bee Orig. contra Ceâ—sum lib. 7. versus Finem thought they crept in to be in some credit not long before the time of Gregorie the Great and shortly after within lesse then an age that which hee detested came to be good by publike decree of his Successours especially in the time of Baniface the 3. who set open the Pantheon of Pagans in Rome and in it insteed of the Images of false Gods set vp the Images of all Saints making the Image of the blessed Virgin to be cheife so that the Temple which in time of Pagamsme was called Pantheon that is the Temple of all Gods is now also called the Pantheon the temple of all Saints and Martyrs Againe whereas by reason of the abuse of Images diuers Councells Sinod Constantinop sub Leo Constant the later had 338. Bishops at it were assembled both in East and West for redressing of the same as your adoration of Images hath this priuiledge to haue beene condemned by the first Generall Councell that was assembled about them and by others that followed both in East and West So haue your Popes Constantine Gregorie 2. and 3. Zachary Stephen Adrian with others this prerogatiue that for the adoration and worshipping of Images they haue preuailed against Councells Generall against Emperors both of East and west yea in the times of Charles the Great though all Churches of the West were against them yet they preuailed yea and if what some Greeke Authours doe relate be true not without many lying prodigies to confirme the same yea Bellarmine is not ashamed to confesse that then the Romane Empire was taken away Bell lib. 2. de Imag. cap. 12. from the Emperour by which S. Paules prediction according to the Fathers exposition was in part fulfilled that the Romane Empire which letted the comming of Antichrist should be taken away and so that man of sin 2. Thessal 2. Austen Tertul. Hierom. alij come to be reuealed I here obserue how our Aduersaries to infringe and diminish the authority of one of those Councells which did condemne the worshipping of Images do obiectagainst it the wicked life of Constantine Copronymus by whose command it was assembled Admit we grant he was a wicked man according as some Authors report of him yet for wickednesse especially in Lucifers sinne hee came behinde a Pope of yours called Constantine who was tooth and naile for adoration of Images who also was the first that would suffer an Emperour to kisse his feete he came also far behinde that Monster of crueltie Irene the Empresse who not content with the regencie of the Empire vnder her Sonne Constantine but aiming at all and proiecting marriage with Charles the Emperor she most barbarouslie murthered her owne Sonne Constantine the young Emperour whose impietie the heauens and earth seemed to detest by Ecclipses and Earthquakes and yet this glorious Dame was the cheifest Establisher of adoration of Images vnder whom and by whose command the prophane Nicene Councell approued the worshipping of Images though in a farre more Conc. Nis Idolo sub Irene moderate sort then you now either teach or practise Let not then the wicked life of Constantine be more hurtfull to our cause then the barbarous Immanitie of your Irene the luciferian pride of your Constantine be against yours no nor let not Henry the eights vices a note often song by yours be more preiudicial to our Churches then those of Gregorie the 13. Clement the 7. and Sixtus the 5. to yours you cannot iustly lay any such imputations of vice to any of our Soueraignes or Prelates which indeed established Christian religion and reformation amongst vs as we can to your Kings Emperors Popes Purpurates and Prelates As for Henry the 8. we are not tied to defend him in all points hee was for his faith more yours then ours as it euidently appeareth by the Statute of his sixe Articles which are part of the very substance and marrow of Popery Had he beene as he should hee would neuer to the eternall perdition of innumerable Soules haue so disposed of Church liuings and impropriations he would neuer haue put to death some worthy Christians as he did those I meane who professed the Gospell of Christ and denied your Popes supremacie Mr. FLVD pag 146. num 28. No lesse wonderfull is the miracle recorded by h h De passione Imag.
Souldiers in praelium Domini And although he hath performed his part so excellently that as Hircius affirmed of Caesar for his Commentaries his Maiesty seemeth rather to haue taken away then to haue giuen others occasion of writing yet such seemeth to be his Princely zeale that he prizeth as a Sacrifice any seruice done in this kinde what if by his most learned penne Golias seeme prostratus his Exuuiae to some seeme not taken from him I meane the ragges of his miracles and rotten superstitions Thirdly I considered seriously tanquam Classicum Belli that Clangor of God by the mouth of his holy Prophet Put your selues in aray against Babilon round about Ierem. 50. 14. all ye that bend the bow shote at her spare no arrowes for shee hath sinned against the Lord. If I amongst the rest of Gods Souldiers obey this his voice and shoote against Babilon the best arrowes my simple arme can draw out of the Quiuer of Gods booke with the bowe of his holy Spirit this my diligence I hope shall not turne to my reproach let them rather be reproached and reprooued who tumbling as fat as brawnes within their sties will not shoote out one arrow in Print for feare of reproach and lest they should bee put to defend what they shall commend to presse And what will they dare to deliuer any thing in Pulpit which they are afraid to commend to the Theater of the world As the Presse is the worlds Stage so is the Pulpit Gods Theater and a Stage for Angells I see they feare with Arcesilaâ—s and are worthy to bee rewarded with him but they haue the golden Arte of supplanting For my part should I foreknow that this Treatise of mine which is sweete in my mouth might proue bitter in my stomacke and belly yet out it should my shoulders are of steele armed for all censures But to all idle drones if neuer so elegant who are ready with Bonamicus Lazarus the Patauine to carpe at other mens labours as Erasmus said to him Lazare veni for as so I to these Bon-amici Lazari venite for as My good friends and Lazars come yee out shew your selues or else as your handes be tyed from writing so let your tongues be tyed also from censuring or else be not discontent if you bee reputed by some seuere Censurers like Esops Asse with head euer in manger and yet striking with his heeles It is not inough to bestow a bimestrian Sermon and the same twice or thrice to bee said ouer and then account your selues as worthy to be Censours ouer other mens labours vaevobis if liuing of the Gospell and hauing diuidents sufficient for two or three worthier then your selues your tongues or pennes Euangelize no more nor better no more of this lest I bee twitted as I was once speaking for the free inlarging and increase of a free beneuolence c. What this man comes lately from Rome and shall hee teach vs what wee are to giue c. But for my part I haue done crauing pardon if I am ouerbold in this my free Epistle whereof the period shall be this He that followeth Auarice cannot be innocent Further in all sinceritie humility I pray for the Church in generall that such as halt betwixt God and Baal may bee remooued è castris Domini And for my selfe in particular I humbly beseech our Lord Iesus that he would bee pleased so to assist me who am the least of all his Familie with the Graces of his blessed Spirit to the end that I may neuer fall from that Grace in which now I stand In fide viuo Iesu fily Dei Amen Yours in Christ Jesus Richard Sheldon Epigramma de Miraculis Antichristi Parturiêre diù septem tibi Rómule montes ridiculos mures iam peperêre suos Cuitua non odium vel cui portenta cachinnum non moueant posthâc is mihi prodigium est VIA-PORTA nou coll Ox olim Soe A BRIEFE PRELVDE SHEWING THE PSEVDO-CHRISTIANISME OF PAPISTS in respect of their lying SIGNES and WONDERS CHAP. I. ONE Faith one Baptisme one Ephes 4. Christ saith Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians by which we are euidently instructed that one and the same Faith doth now saue the faithfull of these later ages of the Church which did saue those of the primitiue times likewise as the same Christ and in the same manner was then and is now to be beleiued the same baptisme and in the same sort was then and is now to be practised and frequented This Christian axiome soundeth well in the eares of all reformed Churches because their totall scope and proiect is separating the pure siluer of Christian faith from the drosse of popish superstition to reduce all points of religion and necessarie rites of Christian discipline to the primitiue Antiquitie and prime institution of Christ and his Apostles But it is too too harsh in the eares of Papists who by their additions of many nouelties and vaine traditions to Christian religion haue aboue measure contaminated and corrupted the simplicity of the same and therefore being vrged with these their nouelties they are constrained to teach and desperately to affirme that the primitiue Church the Apostles and fâ—unders of the same did at least implicitely tanquam in principijs bâ—leiue all that which they themselues do now explicitely and expressely beleiue vpon the opening and vnfolding of their holy Father the Pope to whom with their Angelicall Aquinas they Aquinas 2. 2. q. 1. art 10. commonly attribute power to order ordaine stablish and declare the symbole of faith And therefore to vphold this their paradoxe diuers of them haue not beene ashamed to apply to the primitiue Church and her times that of the Apostle sapiebat vt paruulus loquebatur 1. Cor. 13. 11. vt paruulus she was wise as a litle one she spake as a litle one as not hauing all points necessary of faith expressely and explicitely suggested vnto her but they forsooth by vertue of the infallible determinations and decisions of their Inerrable Iudge the Pope can speake wisely and beleiue perfectly in euery particular conclusion the which it shall please their holy Father to determine prouided it be ex Cathedra that is with intention and purpose to teach and instruct the vniuersall Church whereof they make him sole Head and Vmpire And although the ancientest Bishops of Rome and the Primitiue Fathers of the Church did hold some points as doubtfull obscure and apocriphall yet their Romish Father hath such a potency that sitting in Cathedra tanquam ex tripode he can cleare all and make that to be an expresse article of faith which the auncientest Church either held for doubtfull or else had no expresse knowledge nor practise therof That in this vanitie wherein they doe most egregiously please themselues and vpon which all Ignatian-papists build their faith I doe not vniustly impose against them it is manifest in a few amongst innumerable other cleare instances As first their
Chrysostome make this inference no Sir he referred all the glory to Christ for whose testimonie hee suffred and so doe wee But should wee according to your principles worship such creatures napkins shadowes and bodies by which God is pleased sometimes to worke miracles wee should be turned from the Creator to the creature wee should adore the Sunne and Moone the Planets c. the which how heynous a sinne it is S. Paul will teach you in his Epistle to the Romanes Ad Rom cap. 1. I haue satisfied your reason yet before I leaue you I must tell you of one tricke of Lâ—gerdemaine You say that the Deuill vanished away at the name of Christ and signe of the Crosse c. I thinke Sir if you search into the Nazianz. orat 1. in Iulia. historie you shall not finde that Iulian did invocate or call vpon the name of Christ when hee made the signe of the Crosse but if you can so find it your argument for the Crosse will be of lesse force for my part I thinke no Orthodoxe Christian can deny but that the name of Iesus and Christ vsed faithfully and without any superstitious end or circumstance is terrible to Satan whatsoeuer some say to the contrarie Mr. Flud pag. same num 30. But what neede I speake of particular miracles in general of all the miracles done at there likes and by the intercession of Martyres which were so many as Theodoret o writeth their Lib 8. aduersus Gracos Temples ouer the world no lesse in the primitiue Church then now were full of tables and pictures of handes feete â—ies heades and other parts of the body hung vp as tokens of miraculous cures obtained by the Martyres intercessions These miracles Theodoret vrgeth against Infidells whereof Saint Chrysostome saith p p Sententiae nostrae abunde sideÌ„ faciunt quotidiana quae à â—â—arâ—yribus eduntur miracula Lib. â— contra Gentes that the miracles done by Martyrs doe suffice abundantly to witnesse the truth of Christianity ANSWER Here M. Flood you flinch for qui agit in generalibus agit dolose he who pleadeth in generalls pleadeth deceitfully If you will speake adrem you must vrge particulars not onely the thinges themselues but most principally the end and circumstance of the miracles to wit that they were done for to confirme those questions which are now controuerted betwixt you and vs No doubt but See them that both Theodoret and Chrysostome do relate miracles for the same end for which they were to wit for the proofe and confirmation of Christianitie that is faith in Iesus Christ and obedience to his lawes not any immoderate honouring or superstitious inuocation of Saints or adoration of their relikes that is your inference only c. Do you thinke Sir that the Church of England is so ignorant as not to acknowledge that the infinite wisedome of God is not tied to any of his creatures but that he may worke miracles when hee shall please and by whom and what he shall please Apud cum non est impossibile Luk. 1. 37. omne verbum no word no thing is impossible with him It resteth you to prooue those miracles related by Theodoret who I doubt not ouer-reacht in some and those expressely set downe by Chrysostome were they expresly for this end to proue adoration of reliques and inuocation of Saints What if you can prooue out of Theodoret that the miracles were done by intercession of Saints not to Saints This I say if Theodoret be not corrupted what will you inferre thereout not your intended purpose to binde the present Church to practise the like vnder iudgement of damnation What Siâ— if miracles be done in any Church will you thereupon inferre that all circumstances of the said miracles Churches particular haue erred are to be admitted that all rites and customes all lawes and doctrines of such Churches are to bee allowed and approued beware what you doe In the Iewish Synagogue euen in Christs time was there not a pond at which by an ordinarie course admirable Ioh. 5. cures were effected will you thereout inferre that all rites and worships vsed at the same season in that Church were approueable and allowed you cannot doe it iustly Againe what say you now to the Greeke Church especially that of the Muscouites wherein their Demy-god Saint Nicholas worketh so many miracles Will you deny them you cannot standing in your owne principles will you thereupon haue all their rites ceremonies decrees and dogmaticall doctrines approued beware what you do you cannot be so ignorant as not to know that the same Churches and Bishops thereof in which these miracles are done detest your Church of Rome and the Latine faith euen as they detest the Deuill himselfe Call to minde what miracles are recounted with as great credit as any of yours to haue beene done in the Greeke Church euen when she was at oddes with your Romane darling and would by no meanes acknowledge subiection to the same Read Saint Luke and there you shall finde one doing Cap. 9. miracles in the name of Iesus who notwithstanding adhered not to Iesus Thinke of that which venerable Bede approuingly Bed lib. 3. hist cap. 25. relateth when the Britons in the controuersie of Easter opposed against Augustine the authoritie of their Father Columba whose power was great in working miracles Doth not Wilfrid reply to this effect For as much as concerneth your Father Columba and his Disciples whose holinesse you professe to imitate and to follow his rules and precepts confirmed from God by wonders I may answere thus that at the last day many who shall say vnto him Lord haue we not Luc. 7. prophecied in thy name and cast out Deuills and done many wonders he shall say vnto them depart from me yee workeâ—â— of iniquitie I know you not By which it is euident in this The Councell of Cabilon can vlt. condemneth the custome of women singing in Churches apud Espenc lib. 1. digress cap. 11. perhaps your Battel-Presidents in Sussex knew not this or regarded it not when they suffered a wanton Lasse Mistris S. to sing in their Quire Hist Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 17. your Wilfrids iudgement with Augustine and Bede that though miracles be done by any Church or Bishop that thereupon may not bee inferred a iustifying of all such practises and customes as may be vsed and allowed in such a Church or congregation God sir is able to distinguish the siluer from the drosse doth not alwaies for a small intermixtion of drosse reiect the siluer but is pleased to passe by some errours for ends best knowne to his infinite wisedome You cannot but haue heard or read when a certaine Iew desired to bee baptized by a Nonatian Bishop how presently vpon the instant of baptizing all the water vanished away This was not done to confirme any iot of nouatianisme but whereas the Iew had beene baptized before as was afterwardes
a spurious Ioane her selfe so that there was not any of her stocke which might haue beene twitted with her ignominie so that the discouering of the same by your owne Historians should haue brought no greater profit to your Church then shame by reuealing their deare Mothers turpitude Doth not your Bergomensis and some others relating the History affirme that in respect of the most shamefull turpitude of the tale she was not numbred in the Catalogue of your Popes as Paris lib. de potest Papae Plat. in vitis Genebrard Chronic. Baren Annalls in like sort your famous Ioannes Parisiensis saith of Ciriacus Pope and your Platina Genebrard and Baronius deliuer of some others the point is cleare I go on A third ground of your defence is the impossibility or vnlikelihood of the tale why vnlikely In respect of her wickednesse not so for Iohn the 23. Siluester the 2. Boniface the 8. Alexander the 6. Iohn the 12. Sergius Sabinian with diuers other most wicked Popes of your owne approuing for wickednesse of life haue by many degrees surpassed her Why impossible In respect of her sexe Alac good sir might not she as well liue in the habit of a man vndiscouered as your Euphrasina Mariana Melania with some others whereof your Legendists How diuers women haue liued as men in the habits of men See Raderu in Vâ—ridario 1. p. annotat in Apolinar Epist Petri Antiâ—ch apud Bâ—râ— Ann. 1054. make mention being women liue for many yeares together in Monasteries with your Monkes vndiscouered Why might not the same happen in the Church of Rome as well as in the Church of Constantinople as by yours hath been obiected against the same because they admitted Eunuches to Episcopacy The likeliest matter to haue discouered her sexe might haue beene want of a beard but your Church had taken order for that before for your Masse-Priests and Monks vsed to be shauen Againe Physicians will tell you and that truly that as there be waies to procure the growing of haire where nature had not determined the same so likewise there are waies to hinder the growing of haire where nature had otherwise appointed it whereof your Papisse Ioane being so singularly instructed in all humane literature could not be ignorant and it is to be presumed that she hauing resolued to liue in that sort shee vsed her most cunning meanes to conceale her sexe both to auoide punishment due to such dissembling being against the law of God as also to purchase those honours at which she aimed and which by her excellent learning she knew she was reputed and reported to haue deserued Adde to this that there be women who by nature appeare Semibarbatae halfe bearded vpon whom the Italian prouer begoeth Da donna barbata à huomo raso dio mi guarda From a bearded woman and a shauen man God deliuer me Why might not your Ioane be of some such constitution Why might not she beardlesse by nature liue in Rome amongst breadlesse by Arte as well as some of your mincing women of late yeares being of the age of thirtie pretending to be younger passe the searches at our Portes and liue in Flaunders in the habit of men as though they were men amongst bearded men The case is cleare some of your Gallant Maides which come to you to be Nunnes know well how to case themselues in the habit of Gallant youngsters Ipsae viderint whether any of them did scorch or bee scorched as your phrase is against Galeacius A fourth ground of your reasons ariseth out of some contrarieties which are in Authours touching the time of this Ioanes sitting What of this they are all generally agreed that she sate betwixt Lee the 4. and Benedict the 3. the yeere of our Lord 855. or 856. or the reabouts Shall their varietie concerning the time of her Papacy ouerthrow the truth of the historie beware of that For how familiar a thing is it in your Historians and Cronologists to varie in the setting downe of the order and sittings of your Popes shall such variance make the matter doubtfull if so what then will become of the succession of your Rockes whereon your Church is builded What will become of Saint Peters being and dying at Rome whereon your Papall supremacie is founded concerning which Authours are so diuers and so various The Septuaginta-Translatours Sir and others do they not differ in the account of the worlds age some hundreth of yeares what shall we therefore play the Atheists and either deny Moses credit or the worldes creation Concerning the birth life and death of our Sauiour is there no variance in Authours shall wee therefore blaspheme and call the truth of Christianity in doubt Touching the death of the euer blessed Virgin Mary is there not great varietie and contrarietie in Authours what shall we therefore say she is not dead we may not for then your practise touching her corporall assumption after her death would bee found superstitious Thus by the way I haue refuted in a few wordes your groundes for your deniall of Popisse Ioane In the conclusion hereof I will aduertise you that if you will needs deny the history to take vp and to content your selfe therewith that answere which your Onuphrius makes Onuph Annot. in Plat. in Pap Ioh. 8. you haue great reason to listen vnto him though he be a very fresh writer within lesse then an age for hee amongst your Authours denying this history is the Bell-weather He thus saith and proueth out of Luitprandus Luitprand Ticin lib. 6. cap. 6. 7. an ancient Historian and an obedient childe of the Church of Rome how that Iohn the 8 was a most notorious luxurious and impudike Person who not contenting himselfe like a common Bull to abuse other mens wiues he further kept in his Serralls apart for his lecherous vse three most impudent Strumpets Rainera The best popish defence can be made concerning Pope-Ioane Anna and Stephana Onuphrius guilefully to make his tale seeme more currant calleth one of them Ioane with whom he liued in most detestable sort in hate whereof for his effeminatenesse the Romanes termed him by the name of Ioane And so was the faire childe named and a Pope-Ioane deuised This is your Onuphrius coniecture and the same seemeth more likely because Auentine a Auent hisi lib. 4 pag. 285. no great Fauorite of Popes seemeth so to haue coniectured saue only that Auentine calleth the Strumpet Theodora For my part though I refuse Auentines coniecturall authoritie herein as your men do reiect him in a world of his other narrations yet I aduertise you Master Floode to sticke vnto it for of all your defences it seemeth most likely and yet I ingenuously confesse I am somewhat doubtfull whether I should so aduise you or not For in very truth it seemeth more infamous for your Church to haue had such a Pope-Iohn then such a Pope-Ioane as the Historians relate In the first there should haue
few disordered ones the reason whereof first is their neuer intermitted diligence in preaching which cannot be performed without much studie and labour whereas few of yours take care for Sermons their ordinarie taskes being to heare some pretty tales at confessions to mumble vp their offices and to say their Masses For sleeping in warme beds I dare vndertake you surpasse for time most of our Ministers and to speake more specially of you Ignatians what else is your manner of liuing then a meere philosophicall I will not say Epicurian summe of contentment All your rules orders gouernment disciplines tend to this end that you may enioy your contents free The Ignatians hard austere liues from sorrow or greife for this end your apparrell is conuenient warme sweete and soft your diet sweete of the best wholesome not without often varieties of dishes pasts postpasts antepasts you ordinarily feede thrice a day in the Sommer you haue your afternoones collations For sleepe you haue seuen houres and a halfe in winter more vpon your recreation daies and ordinarily eight houres in Sommer if you were restrained from walking abroad considering the pleasantnesse of your Orchards and Gardens the same were tollerable but it is not so for you haue your often parambulations abroad through cities and into the pleasantest fieldes and vineyardes For your studies and exercises you haue your competency of bookes and all other conuenient helpes In time of sickenesse what doe you or can you want which arte or nature may afford In breefe your whole manner of liuing is a summe of philosophicall content And this I take to be the cause why you doe not willingly permit any no hardly of your priuates to enter into the secretter roomes of your most neete and daintily ordered houses lest they should obserue in you too great an Epicurian like care I doe assure my selfe that there are very few Ministers in England who would not gladly bee content to be so well prouided for as you Ignatians are they might haue been all of them sufficiently prouided for without that competencie of meanes which our Benificelesse precisians prate of had not your holy Father the lawlesse Outlaw when hee domineired in this Kingdome diuided the Tithes of Parishes bestowing the best and fattest of them vpon his seruiceable locusts c. Perhaps you will make answere and say that though you haue all these worldly contents yet you vse them moderately and doe also containe from voluptuous pleasures of the flesh What your moderation is all those know who know you how moderate I pray you was your holy Padre Gerrard who reuelled it lustily in Sir Euerard Digbies house whilest the poore Knight himselfe was mewed vp to meditate his weeke-contemplation of your vaine exercises What your voluptuousnesse is it would appeare if particulars might be produced would God too many of your popish Monkes Fryers c. were not acquainted with that nefand position of your Italian Cynedes who haue not been ashamed publikely and in print to commend and extoll vnnaturall pleasures which a modest penne cannot so much as touch before the holy State of matrimony which God hath instituted and approued If you would seriously consider what voluptuous abuses are committed in manie of your Congregations you would haue litle cause to twit our Church for that she christianlie alloweth and approueth with the Apostle Mariage to be a thing honourable in all yea in Fryers and Nunnes comming to the truth and shaking off the bonds of blindnesse wherein they had superstitiously enthralled themselues Much hath been said by the learned of our Churches in defence of such mariages yet considering how vniuersall the calumniation is euen by those Priests Dames Matrones Maides Youthes who are guiltie Criminis pessimi and further considering that some Protestants for some politike respects doe not greatly arride or approue of such mariages I haue purposed in this place with the Readers patience in all possible breuitie to shew the lawfulnesse of such mariages euen out of popish principles and their dogmaticall Tenents For clearing of this truth I am first to prefixe some suppositions and out of them to make my inferences First I suppose as a truth confessed by them all or Supposi ∣ tion First most of them that Christ and his Apostles did not prescribe necessitie or vow of single life to any of the holy Aquinas 2. 2. q. 88. art 11. Alij omnes Canon Apost Can. 5. Gratian causa 26. q. 2. cap. Sors dist 31. cap. Quoniam Durand de Conc Celebr Aquinas vbi supra art 2. Orders as Presbyterie Decanrie Subdeaconrie either before the taking or after the taking of the same but that concerning the vow of chastitie either from Christ himselfe or his Apostles there is no other order then the order of Counsell which is of this nature according to the doctrine of all Pontificians no one Doctour excepted that the vse acceptance and admittance of the same is meerely of free choice and election not out of necessitie Thus they constantly deliuer concerning Euangelicall Counsells which they distinguish into a threefold number Obedience Pouertie Chastitie of all which their doctrine is with the Apostle Preceptum 1 Cor 7. 25. Domini non habent sed solum consilium That they haue no precept of the Lord but only his Counsell thus they Secondly I doe suppose that as the sonne of God Sup ∣ position Second made no limitation from mariage in any so doubtlesse in that point he had respect vnto his Fathers prime institution who in Paradise made an euerlasting ordinance approuing and commending the same This is a truth confessed by all sides howsoeuer some popish Authors may sometimes seeme to denie it in that they would seeme to fasten sinfull impurities vpon the state of mariage it selfe but being called in question for the same they crie peccaui yea they will reuile you if you seeme to lay such an imputation vpon them and their Church Thirdly I suppose that which the Aduersaries themselues Suppo ∣ sition Third cannot denie as being clearely to be proued out of their owne Historians Canonists Diuines to wit that the inhibition and restrayning of mariage in some Persons first by precept and law onely after by vow and promise was brought into the Westerne Church by the ordinance and command of the Bishops of Rome I say Westerne Church for the East Churches would neuer Disi 31. cap. Alâ—ter Can. 13. apud Gratian. dist 37. cap. Quoniam Gloss in cap. CuÌ„ in preterito dist 84. admit of the same as it is euident by a Cannon of the Councell in Trullo flatly decreeing against it Now it was brought into the Westerne Church thus vnder a shew of godlinesse the first shadow of it we finde in Siricius Pope commanding the same The like in Calixtus and after them in Gregorie the first but these preuailed not to make their commands vniuersally receiued But when Gregorie the seuenth that Hildebrand who trampled vpon
or pretended to be performed by the Pontificians who haue in all such Countries as obey their Pope some Miracle-Sanctuaries as for example at Burgis Compostella Montserrato in Spaine at Lile Sichem Arras Mechline Hall in the Low-Countries at Rhemes Shallon in France And in England time was we had the Ladies of Ipswich Walsingham c. It bootes not to adde of other Countries the point is cleare Sixthly I argue out of the specialtie of the Ministers Reason Sixth of these miracles It is apparant in holy Scriptures that they are not to be the ordinarie followers of Antichrist Matth 24. 24. Mar. 13. 22. Luc 17. 2 Thess 2. Apoc 9. 13. but they are to be his speciall Deuoutes and as it were sworne slaues Now in Poperie it is most cleare that their Miraculists are Monkes Fryers Abbots or Bishops such as are by a more speciall bonde and linke more then ordinarie people or Priests tyed fast in slauerie and subiection to the Sea of Rome This point is cleare so cleare that I vndertake there is not any of their Church if zealous who will dare to attribute the ordinarie working of miracles to any that are not at least in profession deuoted to their Holy Father For this cause they cannot endure to heare that Ignatius the blessed Martyr and Patriarke of Constantinople did any miracles because he did oppose against the Popes arrogating iurisdiction ouer the Churches of Bulgarie Seuenthly I argue out of the circumstance of the Reason 7 time when Antichristian miracles are to be most rife The time is pointed out vnto vs in holy Scriptures at 2 Thess 2. Apoc. 13 17. the dissolution of the Roman Empire and at the setting vp and in the time of another Monarchicall Rome Gouernment in steed thereof which that it is now accomplished See aboue in my first ground of reasons who seeth not The Romane Emperour being a meere Nominall a very shadow of the Imperiall dignitie resting in the Bishop of Rome who is his absolute Lord the Emperour his Substitute the Pope the Liege the Emperour the Liegeman and hath in the opinion of the Pope his Purpuratts and other no more Soueraigntie in Rome then the King of Spaine hath And hereout ariseth another consideration of time to wit that at the very time when Antichrist his ministers shall doe many and great miracles then the true Christians shall worke either none at all or else so few that in comparison of the great multitudes that Antichrist Seé aboue saepe and Greg. lib. 33 34. mor. in Job christ and his shall do they will seeme none at all Now cleare it is that the Popish Church aboundeth with wonders and doth with insultation twit and reproue the reformed Churches for want of the same and this is a very expresse Antithesis or opposition which is to be betwixt the true Christians and the false in the time of Antichrist Chrysâ—st vel Author imperf in Mat. hom 49. Greg. sapissime the false shall exult in their miracles which to the true seruants of Christ shall be matter of tryall and probation and hereout Eightly I argue thus In the time of Antichrist such Reason Eight people as shall be of his damnable profession shall be eager and greedie after miracles in which his chiefe ministers Apec 13. 2 Thess 2. and false Prophets shall egregiously exult Contrariwise the true Christians shall recurre only vnto the Scriptures rest onely vpon Christs promises and assurance of their faith according as S. Iohn saith Hic est fides patientia Sanctorum Here Saints must vse their Apoc. 13. 10. faith and patience This is now clearely accomplished in the Popish Synagogue the disciples whereof are greedy and most eager after miracles which appeareth by their most tedious Pilgrimages Contrariwise those of the reformed Churches are very well contented to want the same relying onely vpon the assurance of their faith in Christ and his promises deliuered in sacred Scriptures and confirmed by such miracles as are there recommended and so hereout Ninthly I argue that in Antichrists time those that reason Ninth are his as they are eager after miracles so they shall also be very prone to beleeue them the which is so apparant in all the whole popish Congregations that I dare boldly say that if they were not bewitched fascinations erroris 2 Thessal by the spirit of errour they would be ashamed to be so ouer-credulous of euery tale that is told them I confesse ingenuously when I was amongst them and was ouer-zelous for all doctrinall points of Poperie yet I should sometimes be amaz'd to obserue such an ouer-credulitie in many of them such an admiring after new wonders and I was not sometimes without trouble of minde and some scruple to consider how both men and women otherwise of honest conuersation and zelous profession in that kinde would giue credit to such trifles as I knew in my knowledge and reading to be meeâ—â—aâ—ities and fables and so reputed of by their great Clerkes When I considered these things then I could not diuine from what Spirit such illusions might arise to obserue the best and most zealous of that profession to be commonly most inueigled in that kinde but now I obserue it was no other then what S. Paul hath foretold that God should permit such to beleeue 2 Thess 2. 11. Apoc 13. 3. lyes and that as S. Iohn hath foretold they should admire after the Beast and his wonders I could here adde very many particulars especially of English Papists who are most prone and inclinable to beleeue any tale that is told them of any of their martyrs witnesse the fabulous narration of the shining face of Frier Buckley vpon London Bridge as also of the miraculous stopping and staying of the horse that drew the hurdle witnesse the prodigious standing of a pixe with an host-Christ in it vpon a table in a Chamber A purseuant searching the chamber round about and yet could not see the God Witnesse the glorious end of mistrisse Line taken in Fetter lane and executed some 15. yeeres since Witnesse their many miraculous escapes of some of their Priests as they pretend witnesse Doctor Norris his impassible Agnus Dei that the fire would not touch c. Thus I haue cleerly though briefly fastened all the generall qualities and conditions of Antichristian miracles recounted in holie Scriptures vpon the Popish so intirelie and fast that I dare vndertake neither you master Flud nor any other shall be able to remoue them I vndertake further that all other circumstances of the same recounted in Scripture will easily and with great facilitie be iustly applied to your Popish miracles And so I come to examine some speciall passages of sacred Scripture by which as by a line of truth we are led to the finding out of Antichristian miracles and excepting two I will especially examine some that are not much looked into by others all I cannot
presume to thinke to the contrarie We leaue that to your presumptuous Red-hats and their Grandsire who not content to bee of the Lords-councell will challenge to haue vpon earth the same Consistorie with him yea and by dispensings addititions and diminutions to amend what in his Lawes may be thought defectiue and amisse And if you looke backe into former ages you shall finde how not long after the planting of the Gospell the whole Christian world was most extreamely corrupt as Saint Ciprian Saluianus and Eusebius do deliuer And Cipria lib. de lapsis Saluian lib. de prouid Euseb hist lib 8. cap. 1. yet the Fathers of those times did not expect that God by extraordinarie miraculous punishments should reforme the same They iudge rather how God celests censura iacentem fidem pene dormientem er exit by a heauenly censure did awake the faith lulled and almost asleepe which heauenly censure they interpret to bee those tragicall Ciprian persecutions which Diocletian Decius and others raised in the Church Againe when at aftertimes in your Church the same was welny ouerwhelmed with monstruos impieties did God send miraculous helpes prodigies c. no he sent amongst you the Spirit of schisme and diuision as the many schismes in your Church can witnesse He sent amongst you the Barbarian sworde which well-ny deuoured you He sent among you a dreadfull Spirit of dissension betwixt Popes and Emperours Papalls and Imperialls Guelphes and Gibelines Sinod and Sinod Councells and Councells so hee tamed your impieties And surely if prodigies and punishments may be thought necessarie where may they bee thought more needfully to fall then vpon your Papall Caucasus and purpured Olimpus The scarlet Fathers whereof doe so exceede in those sinnes which crie vengeance from heauen that no tong can be able to expresse them which one of your great Clerkes and learned Cardinalls seriously considering brake foorth into that dreadfull speach that the Church was come to that Your learned Nonus homo describeth well the present State of the Papacie passe that it seemed worthy to bee ruled only by Reprobates The like sayings full of dread I haue heard from others lamenting the most lamentable condition of the Romane Hellen. Sir if you will consider how your man of sinne hath beene the cheifest source and cause from whom all tragicall calamities haue light vpon the Church you might easily iudge that if Gods prouidence doe require extraordinary miraculous punishments for the reuenging of sinne they should be thought worthily to begin from the heads of your house What hath diuided the East Churches from the west the South from the West but that most ambitious supremacie of your Popes and the necessarie dependency from them Who is that wicked Paterfamilias Master of the Familie Luc. 12. 45. whereof our Sauiour speaketh and threatneth to Râ—mes ambitious corruptions put his portion with the Hypocrites but your holy Father of Rome who for the establishing of his dictates like a Iouian Dictatour hath smitten with his thunderboult of excommunications and Anathemes at one time or other most of the Orthodoxe Churches of the world Who but your holy Father hath ruinated the Empires both of East and West and insteed thereof hath reared an effeminate Papacie By his meanes haue the MENARDVS Prince of Tirol was wont to call the Popes effeminate Antichrists and prodigious Eunuchs Auent lib. 7. bist Bâ—ior pag. 444. proud Solimans entred into the East Empire yea and your Holies deuiding of the west Empire hath made way for the said Turkes to ruinate Hungarie Transiluania and to plucke the feathers off from the German Eagle What is he who hath set Christian Princes so together that they haue not been able to withstand the common enemie and who is hee who yet shall bee Authour of greater commotions by which the Tyrant of the East if God defend not shall haue a gappe made him to ouer-runne the remainder of Christendome Is not this he your Pope Oh that Christian Princes would open their eyes O that they would brandish their swordes to abate the Pride of this Capitoline Ioue and bring him into order This and no other is the last of the Romane Bell. lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 15. This agreeth to that of Saint Ambrose Antichrist shall restore the Romane libertie vnder his owne name Ambros in epist ad Thes Emperours Heare how Bellarmine to his owne confusion hitteth the marke Erit Antichristus supremum vltimum caput Impiorum est vltimus Rex qui imperium Romanum tenebit tamen sine nomine Imperatoris Antichrist shal be the cheifest and last head of the impious hee is the last King who shall hold the Romane Empire but without the name of Emperour Thus he most truely but of this elsewhere Happy yea thrice-happy then are such Princes into whose hearts God shall put to make this whore desolate and to consume her flesh with fire For till shee be ruinated the mysterie of iniquitie will be still on foote and thereby consequently an infinitie of all manner of miseries will ouerwhelme the Christian world Againe who but your Pope hath cut in sunder the very heart strings of the Church who hath ruinated the Prelacies and Clergies Surely his diuiding of Bishoprickes Archbishoprickes his granting commendaes his desolating of Parish churches his impropriating appropriating of Churches tithes what hath it wrought but the ruine of the Church in very many and this hee did to cherish the locusts of Monkes Fryers and Nunnes fit manciples for his owne turne It is imputed to King How pernicious to the Church Popes haue been aske Pelagius in Planct lib. 2. Henry the 8. the granting of Parsonages and impropriations to the Laity it cannot be denied but hee did so but who led him the dance who else but your Holy-one who had taken before from the ordinary Pastors and Curates the principall Tithes bestowing the same vpon his Abbey-locusts and had reserued the other for such as did attend the Cure but it was not so ab initio it was brought in by the man of sinne and is now held on foot by men of sinne who sacrilegiouslie keep the Churches tithes to the eternall perdition of their owne Soules and the ruine of their Posteritie my heartie prayer shall euer be that such impropriations may be to the vniust vsurpers of them as thornes in their sides to compell them to restitution or else as cankers in their wealths to consume the same There are M. Flood wellny innumerable other instances by which the Atheisticall impieties of your Popes and Romanists might be discouered and yet God hath Bellarmine said of him that sine penitentia descendit in infernum he dying without repentance went into hell such is the end of all their sons of perdition I defend not Sixtus yet I durst to vndertake to shew that all things considered hee was better then a hundreth of other their Popes not often
auenged them by miraculous punishments you can easily call to minde what manner of prodigy was in the iudgement of your Ignatian Society that holy one Sixtus the 5. but I pretermit to speake of him or those prodigious impieties which your society obiects against him by that which I haue said the iudicious Reader may obserue how idle that inference of yours is when you thus write Is Gods power or his loue lesse towardes mankinde since Luthers preaching this your is is so idle that it is fit for you to put againe vp into your budget and rescrue it for your blinde Obedients at Saint Omers I say before that God had not often nor ordinarily auenged your holy Sires impieties yet it cannot be denied but that God hath sometimes auenged them with his furious rodde I could out of your owne Authours put you in minde of disastrous ends of some of your Popes your Bonifacies your Beneaicts your Siluesiers Gâ—nebra Plat. Baron Anastasies Iulies Alexanders Sabinian Iohns Paules and your Gregories and â— famous Peter Aleisius sonne of Paul the 3. was met withall What thinke you of that prodigie from heauen which Glaber relateth thus in effect one Fulco an Earle of Glaber lib. 2. hist cap. 4. The temple of S. Idoc with the sacred things in it were quite burnt Auâ—nt lib 7 hist pâ—g 495. Gaunt had built a Church for the sacring of which there must be sent belike no Bishop of France was holy inough a speciall Legate à latere from your Pope Iohn of that time what followed he came hee consecrated the same which done instantly the day hauing beene very faire and bright-shining before there arose such a tempest as though heauen and earth would haue rent in sunder by which your new sacred Churche was ouerturned and by the Deuills ministery execrated defaced Call to minde what prodigious punishments happened Gregor epist 30. lib. 3 mentioned aboue You cannot but haue heard how a late Papist Monarch was consumed to death with lyce a iust guâ—rdon either for his â—uâ—ury or his â—ury against Gods Saints you know whom I mean a Grand friend of yours and the tale is true to those who by commande of your Popes and Prelates did dig about the body of S Laurence as likewise to those who out of superstitious purpose did dig about some Saints bodies in Saint Paules Church without the Citie of Rome felt they not Gods reuengfull hand smiting them with suddaine death Thinke of that iudgement which happened to the workemen at Doway when vpon command they were to remoue one of our Dioses made of stone I haue related the same in my Motiues And concerning the endes of some of your late Cheeftaines I thinke you shall not haue any cause to reioyce either in Allens end Parsons Sanders Garnets or Holts with some other such like but inough of this kinde And so here I would end with a scorne to all the rest which followeth in this diuision sauing that you prouoke me iustly by your gybing at Master Crashaw for affirming truely that God is neuer wanting to his seruants in the affaire of marriage and further by your reproachfull scorning that famous Galeacius for his keeping of two maide seruants in his house for his daily attendance whereof you affirme that it is one of the greatest miracles which our Gospell did euer beget that Galeacius should keepe such flaxe in his house and conuerse so many yeares together domestically with them and yet abstaine from scorching of them Wherein I first taxe that your rash iudgement you hauing forgotten that of our Sauiour Nelite iudicare non iudicabimini c. Iudge not Matth 7. 1. and yee shall not be iudged This your headlong censure putteth me in minde of as wicked a one which yee vsed against that most Reuerend man and Martyr of God Bishop Craumer as if he should haue poysoned himself and this you say to take away credit from a very credible Triumph pag. 14â— num 22. Fox his Acts and Monum relation which is that your cruell fire could not burne the heart of that blessed man when it was cast into the same A like you calumniate when you make Mr. Mason a Fulsarie as though hee had cited some vnautentike records touching the Ordinations of the Bishops of the Church of England but Mr. Flud I may tell you that formy satisfaction when I came to the Church of England I saw them by the appointment of the Lord of Canterburie his Grace in Mr. Costines office neere the D. Commons Where also of late certaine of your Priests of the Clinke did diligently view pervse and consider the same that so for the time to come you may if it please you with your Mr. Fitzherbert D Smith some others leaue to harpe any longer of that lying stringe as though there were no true ordination in the Church of England I dare boldly make profer to enter into dispute with you or any of your side and vndertake The Ordination of Bishops in the Church of England more Orthodoxe then that of the Popes to shew that the Ordination vsed in the Church of England is more Orthodoxe and sound then the Ordination of your Popes themselues in your Roman See is or hath been of later times and yet neither will I nor can I denie but that there is in your Church true Ordination and Priesthood howsoeuer most egregiously infected with your superstitions But not to adde more of this seeing you idly tell vs of so great a miracle done in our Church in the person of Galeacius giue me leaue to tell you truly and to purpose of some such kinde of miracles done in your Church which you would fasten so willingly vpon vs. You inforce vs Mr. Flud to discouer some of your miracles Are there not great miracles begotten by your Ignatian Gospell here in England that your Priests with iolly Dames should be shut vp in secret places I meane such places as your Priests are The Ignatians and their Fauourites forbeare not in particulars and by name to personate though falsly We therefore are to be excused if conteyning our selues in generalls do not nominate any in particular hid in whilest the Messenger is searching your houses and yet there should be no burning nor scorching of such flaxe Is it not a great miracle that your Priests should sit in secret chambers hearing the Confessions of their female Penitents and yet all be well no flaxe scorched Is it not a great miracle that Priests should whilest their faire Females are confessing vpon their knees behold looke meditate feele with their hands their faire necks stroke their vermilion cheekes of such their Penitents should take their hands into theirs and daily with them and yet be no scorching or burning of such flaxe Is it not a miracle that some of your deuoted Priests should desire to behold the length thicknes c. of some of their fine Dames feete and
beene a succession in a Person most abominable In the other no succession but onely as it were a See-vacancy an Interregnum In the first the keyes of Dauid should haue beene in the handes of a lewd Beast and Monster in the other the keyes and all power should for a time haue resided in the Church for whose vse and good it is and there should haue beene onely a materiall errour in the choise of one sexe for another and that for a short time only But I will leaue you to your choise betake you to which answere you will I must see what followeth whether it be as idle as your former or worse Mr. FLVD pag. 130. num 33. But is it not a miracle thinke you that men endewed with reason should let such lewd lyes passe to the Print Doe we neuer paint Christ as perfect man redeeming the world vpon the Crosse and iudging the same by fire Are not these pictures frequent in our Churches And when Christ is presented in the Virgins armes shee is painted not as a commanding but as a mother adoring her Sonne that by her countenance one may see that whilest her breasts gaue him suckâ— her heart did offer him the frankincense of prayer as to her God doe we not make the miracles of our Church rather his then hers done at her request but by his power which miracles shee doth aske not for her owne honour but for his to establish in mens hearts that faith u u Miracula martires faciunt vel potius illis orantibus Deus vt fides illa proficiat quae eos non deos esse nostros sed vnum Deum nobiscum habere credimus Aug lib. 22. de Ciuit cap. 10. which doth beleeue that not shee but He is God and shee only honourable for his sake and saued by his blood holy by his grace glorious by his mercy powerfull by his hand why should we not thinke that the deuill doth hate this faith Hâ—w can any Christian thinke that the Deuills doe miracles to confirme so pious doctrines ANSWER Tracing you here Mr. Flud I might iustly harrow you ouer with a few lines but your calumniating of our whole Church for the fault of a few if it were a fault doth giue me iust occasion to put you in minde of some of your holy Fathers and your owne calumnious and lying dealings You demaund thus Is it not a miracle that men endewed with reason should let such lewd lyes passe to the Print Soft and faire Sir If Mr. Crashawe doe so interpret himselfe as I haue insinuated he may then there is no lewd lye in his saying but a loude truth committed to Print for your confusion But say it is a mistaking of a priuate man allowed by some inconsiderate Censour what of this will you scoffingly call it a miracle what a miracle nay what a prodigie Nay what prodigies then are daily acted in your Church not by priuate ones only but euen by your Vice Gods after consultation had with their Purpured Scarlet creatures in their Consistorian Synods And to touch one of innumerable what a lewd fable is that of your S. Catharine Breuiar Rom in Fâ—st Cathar whom your Holy Ones feigne to haue suffered martyrdome vnder Maxentius the Tyrant at Alexandria whom also you describe to haue confounded by her disputing fiftie Philosophers sent from that Tyrant to convert her Further that shee converted to the Christian Faith Porphirye Generall Master of the Warre and Faustina the Empresse with innumerable others that shee being adiudged to be broken vpon wheeles by her prayers brake the wheeles in peeces by which an infinite number of people were conuerted to the Christian faith These things with some like are yet remaining in this your tale I call it not a tale because I doe not thinke that the like or as great may not haue beene done by some Martyrs for the confirmation of Christian Religion but I doe call this a fable because it is not supported with any sufficient witnesse and seemeth to haue been scraped though cunningly out of her old idle Legend-life and Martyrdome in which there are so many fooleries that impudencie it selfe hath beene ashamed of them None of your Holy Fathers as yet Breuiar Pij 5. iussu editum haue been able to legitimate the Childe indeed your Pius 5. in his castigation of your Breuiarie caused Eusebius his seuenth booke of his Historie and the 26 chapter Euseb lib. 7. cap 26. to be prefixed before the fable by which hee would haue fastned the bastard vpon Eusebius but diligent scrutinie being made it was found that Eusebius would none of it which perhaps is the cause that in your later Editions of your Breuiaries Eusebius is left out So that now the babe remaines without a Father bestirre your selfe Mr. Flud perswade some of your Fathers to name the childe at least some Hermaphroditian Padre c. or else the childe is like to remaine to your deceased pious Vice-God to be God-father to it or else if you rather please to your voraginous Iacob in his Golden Legend How idle now is your insultation against vs for Mr. Crashawes priuate ouersight if it be so But leauing your Holy Ones of Rome to their such kinde of miracles let vs consider a little whether any of your Scarlet Grand-Ones of the same doe worke such miracles which of them doth not To pretermit others Bellar Prefat in Contro de Sanct Beatitudine your grand Clerke Bellarmine what a loude and lewde lye amongst many others of like nature doth he commit to print against the reformed Churches especially against Calum thus Nefas est enim apud eos Episcopum creari nisi vnius saltem vxoris virum It is a wickednesse not to be spoken of amongst them to haue a Bishop made who is not at least the husband of one wife The impudencie of this lewd and loude lye I referre to be censured by the eye of the whole world which cannot but obserue that vnmarried men are made Bishops in the reformed See the harmonie of Confessions Churches yea and in some of them if there be any preeminence or precellencie giuen for such respect it is giuen to the vnmarried Mr. Flud the Churches reformed are well pleased that your Synagoguists and the head of them should simulare castitatem dissemble chastitie it is one of the Notes of Antichrist as I declare elsewhere But call to minde what some of your owne Authours haue reported long agoe of your Priests and people to wit that the people of Parishes would hardly admit vnmarried Priests to be their Pastors for feare of their assaulting and attempting of their wiues c. How the case now standeth in your popish Kingdoms you cannot be ignorant and what might be added more in this case I willingly pretermit Now to you Mr. Flud let vs consider whether you can doe so great a miracle as to make a lye and to print
the Crownes of Emperours who exalted him selfe aboue all that vpon earth is called God came presently vpon the thousand yeere hee indeed preuailed more for the promise of single life in such as came to the Clergie then all his Predecessors could before and yet Auentine hist Boior lib. 5. pag 355. p. 346. alias not so vniuersally but that he was stoutly gainesayd by many Prelates innumerable Priests and the greatest part of the Laitie who were growne to haue that perswasion of their Clergies incontinencie that they would hardly admit any vnmarried Priests to be their Pastors thinking otherwise that their wiues daughters seruants would hardly liue in safegard from their letcherous assaults So that then in this supposition it resteth inviolably true so true that there is no gainesaying it that some Popes with their Italian Synodes or some prouinciall Councells of other Countries haue endeuoured to establish the promise and vow of single life in their Clergie notwithsttanding there was neuer yet any * I meane a true generall Councell the Hellen of Trent is not worth naming being in truth not Generall Generall Councell which by Canon decreed the same Yea more neuer yet any Prouinciall Papall Synode obserue this which hath dared to decree the same as a speciall institution of Christ himselfe or of any of his Apostles they make it onely an ecclesiasticall institution or ordinance of their owne And in this point I am so confident that I am assured no Aduersarie can proue the contrary Fourthly I suppose how with ioynt voice and loude Sup ∣ position Fourth cry euen to the actâ—â—ishment of the Hearers and Readers their owne Canonists Historians Diuines Fathers Bishops Priests Lâ—ikes yea euen those who themselues liued vnmarried haue proclaimed to the world a confluence of heastly impurities sodomiticall abhominations sacrilegious villanies nefand buggeries to haue ouerflowen and ouerwhelmed their Clergie and their whole Church occasioned and following by reason of the more stricter obseruing the said law of single life For the proofe of this point I dare vndertake to bring more then a Iurie of their owne Classicall Authors Such is the fruit of the vnprofitable and pernicious tree planted Matth 7. 16. by the Papall hand Fiftly I suppose as a doctrine taught and receiued by Suppo ∣ sition Fifth them all that no vow or promise whatsoeuer is of force Aquin 2. 2. q. 88. Summista Canonistae omnes obligatiue by binding the conscience or pleasing to God which is made of a thing vnprofitable or vaine or which hindreth a greater good and that in all such cases dispensation or commutation and changing of such vowes is lawfull yea and in case that a vow is vnprofitable or vaine dispensation by a Superiour is not absolutely necessarie but only for declaration sake and to remoue scandall otherwise such vowes in themselues are meerly Aquin vbi sup ar 2. ad 5. 12. idle vaine and of 〈…〉 and are securely to be broken faith Aqaiâ—ns 〈…〉 be had Suppos 6 Sixthly I suppose 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 and good dispensation Popes haue dispensed with some religious professed Votaries vpon temporall respects or a good and effectuall commucation of any vowes it is sufficient if there be a just cause This is the generall doctrine of them all yea their resolute Ignatian Sá resolueth 〈◊〉 Ad dispenfandum sufficit putari causam esse rattonabilem To dispense it is sufficient if the cause be Sa his Aphorismes verbo Dispensatio thought to be reasonable Seuenthly I suppose that whereas all Pontificians doe agree that vowes and oathes may be dissolued yet Sup ∣ position Seuenth it is controuerted amongst them when vowes and oaths be dispensed whether there be a true relaxation and releasing of them or not but onely a declaration that the same binde not to wit that the matter of the vow or oath being changed either by circumstance of time place end or condition of person the vow or oath which did binde before is now changed and altered so that now it bindeth not as for example Such subiects as are by oath for confirmation of their fidelitie further bound to their Soueraignes if the said Soueraignes happen to be excommunicate and denounced by the Pope as it hath hapned in this Kingdome the question is whether such Subiects shall need a very relaxation or release from such their oathes or rather only a declaration that such their oathes binde not the matter of their oathes being changed to wit they that were Soueraignes before being how none their Soueraignties being taken from them by vertue of their Popes denunciatiue excommunication or deposition This and like questions are indeed controuerted amongst them in See Azor his Institutions lib. 11. Tom. 2. their Scholastike Disputations yet generally the learnedst of them doe hold that there is only a declaration no relaxation or release and their reason and ground of this is very strong for otherwise say they it cannot be auoyded but that the Pope shall be thought to haue power to dispense in the Commandements of the first Table to which the obligation of vowes and oathes doe appertaine Thus they and this is a point which the Reader must carrie well in his minde for if their dispensations be no other then declarations that vowes Nota bene and oathes binde not in such cases by reason of some alteration either of matter or person or circumstance of matter and person then such dispensations are not acts See Sá Aphor verbo Votâ— Irritatio 9. of iurisdiction and power but rather are effects and acts of knowledge which are sooner to bee found in a learned Priest then in an ignorant Prelate out of which supposition it may be clearely inferred that in case diuers learned men shall declare that such and such vowes or oathes doe not binde the makers of them but rather that they are hurtfull vnprofitable pernicious that then the consciences of such Vowers or Swearers shall be assecured if they keepe not the same when their Bishops and Superiours be maliciously bent and will not graunt any dispensation or relaxation for the same Eightly I suppose as a truth manifest taught in expresse Suppo ∣ sition Eight termes by many of their Cheifetaines and euidently deduced out of them all to wit that when two vowes incompatible that is which cannot be kept together doe concurre if they be both alike good the first is to be kept otherwise the better of the two and that Sa. verbo Vote 33. Alij which is necessarie vpon command before that which is voluntarie and vpon free election Ninthly I suppose that which though not deliuered Suppo ∣ sition Ninth by all is taught by their most and best learned I might say all to wit that any one who shall vow to enter into some one speciall religion and to continue in the same if in the yeere of his probation or tryall hee shall finde himselfe not fit nor able for
the same he may freely and safely goe out and leaue of that course of life betaking himselfe to marriage Tenthly I suppose that which is expresly deliuered Suppo ∣ sition Tenth by some of them not gainesayd by any to wit that hee or shee who maketh a vow which in the roote and beginning of the same is not sound or valid if afterwards he shall vpon an erroneous iudgement thinking himselfe Sa. vbi supra 7. 13. bound therewith ratifie confirme and approue the same yet vpon a better consideration he may perswade himselfe that he is not bound therevnto but is as free as if he had neuer vowed the same Eleuenthly I suppose that he or she who voweth any Supposition Eleuenth thing for an ill end and vpon a wicked cause is no whit tyed by such a vow or bound to keepe the same Sà vbi supra 4. 18. Aquin vbi sup 2. ad 3. ex vi vots by the force of the vow and as it is obligatorie before God howsoeuer by humane authoritie they may be compelled therevnto This is a truth manifest in it selfe confessed by them all Twelfthly I suppose that which is deliuered by Sup ∣ position Twelfth them in all expresse termes to wit that a vow which is made of an impossible thing bindeth not which is not Sa Azor Nauare Tolet mâ—es only to be vnderstood of that which is physically and naturally impossible as if one Icarus-like should vow he would flie to Rome but also of that which is morally impossible as for example if a man should vow he would vpon his knees creepe to Rome from Paris or that hee would neuer commit sinne at all or if a woman should make a vow that she would neuer speake an idle worde Or if a man that is by nature hastie should make a vow that he would neuer speake one hastie word These vowes and all of like nature are in themselues voide as being of such things as are morally impossible Thirteenthly I suppose as an euident truth deliuered Suppos Thirteenth also by the Aduersaries that no married Person either Husband or Wife no Childe vnder gouernment of Parents no Religious Person vnder obedience of Superiours can make any Vow which shall binde their consciences without approuance of the Husband or Wife allowance of Parents or approbation of Superiours Yea their Cardinall Tollet pronounceth Tollet lib. 4. cap. 18. resolutely When the matter of the Vow is contrarie to those things in which the Inferiour is bound to obey the Superiour as the Childe the Parent presently the vowes are voide vnlesse they be approued by the Superiours Fourteenthly I suppose that which is defended by Suppos 14 most of the Aduersaries to wit that it is not a verball vowing of the mouth which bindeth any man before God but that further there is required an expresse intention of him that voweth if not to binde himselfe yet at Sa verbo voto 6 Aquinas 2. 2. q. 88. 3. ad 3. art 1. per totum alias lest an intention to vow and make a promise So that he who shall with his mouth vtter wordes of a vowe if he had neither intention to vowe nor to binde himselfe he is not bound before God howsoeuer hee may bee compelled by authoritie of man to obserue the same which he seemed to vow and promise These things thus supposed as clearely maintained by the Aduersaries I doe out of them deduct certaine consequences agreeing to the rule and analogie of faith which do approue and commend the marriages of such Fryers Nunnes or Priests who conuerted from Poperie shall adioyne themselues to the reformed Churches Out of the first second third and fourth suppositions Inference 1 I thus euidently inferre that considering Bishops Canon Apost 5. Athanas epist ad Dracentium See Brigets Reuelat lib. 7. reuelat cap. 10. and Greg. lib. 3. epist 34. Priests c. in the primitiue Church were indifferently married and that there is no order nor command from Christ or from his Apostles touching the vow or promise of single life in Clergie-men and further that the same was brought into the Church by the Bishops of Rome by degrees First by law and command only that such as tooke orders should lead single liues afterwards because the same law was not well obserued by diuers Greg. lib. 1. Indict 9. epist 42. Auentine saith that the forbidding of marriage in Priests was reputed by many Prelates c. a pestiferous heresie Auent lib. 5. pag. 355. after they had taken orders it was deuised by the Bishops of Rome whereof wee haue example in Gregorie the first that none should be admitted to sacred Orders of Subdeaconship who would not at the taking of the same promise to liue single liues and weighing further that to the very astonishment of the heauens and the prouoking of Gods wrath against mankinde by the meanes of the said lawes and vowes there haue followed such Seas of most abominable and nefand sinnes in their Church I should thinke him or her sinfully wicked who pondering that of the Apostle that the Church 2. Cor. 10. 8. hath no power giuen her but in aedificationem for edifying shall not account the holy Father of Rome most desperately malicious who knowing what nefand abominations are practised by his Clergie by meanes of his said enforced lawes and vowes will not reuoke the same and leaue the point of marriage in the Clergies free choise as Christ and his Apostles left the same For is Aquinas 12. q. 96. 3. 4. it not an axiome in diuinitie a principle in philosophie that any humane law whatsoeuer which is made for the benefit of soules and auoyding of sinne or iniustice if the same law proue afterwardes to be pernicious that it ought to be remoued and reuoked I dare vndertake there was neuer yet Lawgiuer who doth not approue this only the Outlaw of Rome because hee must according to Daniels prophecie simulare castitatem dissemble chastity he will not do it in this Answere me directly Master Floode are there not innumerable Ecclesiasticall Lawes and Canons in your Church some enacted by Generall Councells some decreed by your Popes wich notwithstanding vpon some inconueniences arising in the keeping of them haue growne out of vse and haue become nullae none of no force how many of the Ecclesiasticall Canons of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Sardike Laterane and other Councells haue beene cashired either by expresse order or conniuency of your Popes what shall inconueniences remoue lawes established by supreame and vniuersall authoritie and shall not such a confluence of most abominable impurities cause your holy Father to remoue an vnnecessarie Law of his owne hatching and bringing foorth How haue I heard your great Statesman Parsons in presence of some of the Spanish muy Poderosos seniores most mightie Seniours inueigh most bitterly against some of the ancient lawes of this Kingdome especially that concerning triall by a Iewry of
hee heareth them and their praiers hee seeth them and their gestures he weareth their ornaments and clothings he doth secretly worke with his graces in their soules and doth oftentimes many miraculous and prodigious effects and cures amongst them is not this a kind of conuersation yes doubtlesse because it is of an Intelligent pretended Christ with his intelligent and vnderstanding Deuoutes If it bee obiected that their Christ doth not speake vnto them with vocall words or sound of mouth alac that is but one point of conuersation and the same may be supplied by signes and some motions and gestures which the Priests make vpon him or about him as well as a certaine Gentlewoman at Chichester was Mist â— wonted by signes to vnderstand what sinnes a dumbe boy of hers had done and so make for him a confession vnto the Priest who gaue thereupon the boy his absolution M. Mang Howsoeuer it be if there want no other poynt of conuersation then speech it can onely be said that the conuersation is manke and defectiue with a mute Christ but not that it is none at all If they should say they see him not properly that caÌ„not be for standing within their own principles I dare vndertake to shew that there is as intime and intire a vnion betwixt the accidents of bread wine and Christs bodie as there is betwixt mans soule and his body so that as properly and as truely as a man may be sayd to be seene by his outward shape although his soule or his humane nature be not seene so properly and truely may Christ in their doctrine be said to bee seene in the formes of bread and wine Thirdly I answer that although some readings haue Third answer that these false prophets should teach Christ to be in Paenetrals as the vulgar and Closets as the Remists or priuate The Remists interpret closets I desire of them to know what humane conuersation is vsed in closets if they cannot tell let them but aske their Dames and Ladies for what purposes they haue closets surely for their Penates preserues conserues but by no meanes for men to haue any conuersation with them or with their Attendants Matth 24. v. 3. Luke 17. 22. 23. 24. Chambers as other in all which manner of places the Papists teach Christ to bee notwithstanding the Greeke word vsed by the Translatour doth properly signifie a hutche or ampire to put victuals in or a chest to lock treasure in into which places if they would needs thrust Christ as they doe what conuersation may bee imagined to be had there I referre to the Papists themselues to consider and so I shut vp this discourse making the application of it thus I hauing prooued that the Pope and his are the false prophets of which our Sauiour in this place doth foretell it followeth by euident consequence that the miracles heere spoken of are also his and theirs and so consequently diuellish Antichristian the contradictory proposition of that which Mr. Flua deliuers and so the Christian Reader may obserue what excellent diuinity may be gathered out of this prophesie of Christ by which he answereth the demand of his Disciples concerning his comming and the signes thereof by which his diuine answer wee haue found out both the Popish Psendo-Christianisme in their teaching of Christ to be in Penetrals and Closets and in their vaunting of their many and great prodigious miracles CHAP. XIII Wherein is examined a prophesie of S. Paul THe second place shall bee that of S. Paul to the Thessalonians where the Apostle affirmeth in expresse 2. Thessal 2. termes that hee who shall extoll himselfe aboue all that is called God the Apostle saith not aboue all that is God but aboue all that is called God as the Bishop of Rome doth that he who should sit in the Temple of God bearing himselfe as if he were a God that is challenging by vsurping Tyrannie absolute gouernment of the same worship and adoration in the same as the Pope doth that he who shall come vpon the destruction of the Romane Empire as S. Iohn speaketh as the Pope Austin Chrysost Hierom. Tertul. alij of Rome doth that to him and his Ministers shall bee giuen all the power of Sathan to worke lying signes and wonders for the seducing of such as perish This place is a cleere prophesie concerning Antichrist and his and their miracles the place also is well knowen hauing beene discussed by sundry Diuines who doe generally apply the same to the Pope and his A word or two how euery iot and title of this Apostolicall prediction fitteth his Holinesse First of all This Aduersarie is to come presently vpon the desolation and ruine of the Romane Empire according to the common opinion of the ancient Fathers Hiero. q. 11. ad algas Aâ—gust de Ciuit. lib 20. cap 19. Tertull. lib. de resurrectione Carnis alij plerique to succeede in the Latine or Rome-Gouernment Behold then the Popes first Mornarch of Rome when the Romane Empire was dissolued into diuerse Kingdomes Behold him acknowledged by the Canonists professed by the Ignatians beleeued by the Papists to haue beene for these 1000. yeeres well-nie sole and only the absolute independant Monarch of Rome which is now accounted as part of Peters Patrimonie no part nor member neither head nor arme of the Empire Behold the 8. Monarch which both Pontificians and Protestants interpret for Antichrist succeeding the seuen in the same place and like vnto them in the manner of beginning and in forme of gouernment I said in the same place for all the seuen Kings being all heads of one Beast are to rule and reigne in the same place Cleare it is that the first second third fourth fifth sixth and seuenth did rule and reside in Italie yea in Rome it selfe there also must the eight rule presently vpon the destruction of the former which that the Pope doth and hath Dist 63. cap. Ego Lodo Adriâ— in epist ad Fred. done he himselfe doth glory thereof and we willingly yeeld vnto him that he is vltimus Rex Romanorum the last King of the Romanes without the name of Emperour Secondly this mirabilist must be a man of sinne If Man of sinne a man of sinne for his priuate conuersation the heauens themselues will witnesse what Portents and Prodigies for wickednes that meretricious See did beare bolster at and after the time of the dissolution of the Empire inimici nostri sunt testes and our enemies themselues will be witnesses Baronius Platina Genebrard Bellarmine others But if he be called a man of sinne because by his wicked lawes and tyrannicall gouernment hee should occasion sinne in others good God what nefand sinnes hath his law for celibacy brought into their Church What most abominable Regicides rebellions treasons ciuill commotions prophanations of Churches ruine of Kingdomes hath the arrogant Supremacie of this Capitoline Ioue both in spiritualls and
temporalls brought into the Christian common-wealth Who can expresse the inundation of corruption and presumption which his Dallila of indulgences hath bred in the Church of God What tongue can expresse the enormity of simony of all sortes which hath ouerwhelmed the Church by reason of their most vaine pompous and magniâ—icent eleuating of their Seruants and their purpured brethren together with their carnall and for most part sottish Nephewes And what may we not thinke he may attempt by his wicked lawes whenas Bellarmine their great Achilles dareth thus to write yea in his booke of recognitions which should be the best but is the worst he euer made to wit that the authoritie of the Pope is so great Bellar. lib. 4. de Pont. cap. 5. lib recog in recog lib. de Pont. cap 19. Isa 5 20. that though he command by his lawes any thinges that are vices as vertues yet the whole Church is bound to obey the voice of their Pastour and to receiue the lawes as lawes of vertues thus he incurring the malediction of the Prophet accursing those who call euill good and good euill By this we may iustly inferre that as this Bâ—atissimus Pater is the man of sinne so is he also the sonne of perdition because by his most sinnefull lawes and superstitious commandes he is cause of perdition to innumerable of his owne Congregation I do not say all of his congregation but I speake of those which are formally his subiect to the Pope as he is Pope and drinking of the cuppe of his abominations For it being so that in his Church there yet soundeth that confession of Saint Peter Math. 16. 16. Tues Christus filius Deivius Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God and also that in it there are the holy Scriptures though not without many corruptions in it there is the Apostles Creede though in some Articles peruersly interpreted in it the Sacrament of Baptisme though not without many superstitious circumstances for substance thereof truely administred In it there are many Priests and Preachers who though in other points doe teach the Doctrines of that Church yet they doe oftentimes in the vehemencie of spirit in their Sermons deliuer that saluation is onely to bee had by faith in Iesus Christ that no man is or can be without corruption of sinne with many such doctrines to like purpose It is not a thing vnpossible yea it is morally probable that God hath of his Elect in the very thickets of that idolatrous Congregation who being led by Gods spirit doe willingly embrace that onely which is sound and for the rest do grone vnder the burthen of humane traditions herein not vnlike to those seuen thousand or many of them of whom God spake to the Prophet Elias 1. Reg 19. 18. Reliqui mihi c. I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand who haue not bowed themselues to Baal To proceede this man of sinne must exalt himselfe Exalt himselfe Vers 4. aboue all that is called Good The Apostle doth not say all noted before that is God but that is called God Now that the Bishop of Rome is supremum in terris Numen the supreame power or diuinitie vpon earth not onely to direct earthly Gods and such as are called Gods vpon earth as Princes Emperours Magistrates c. but further Psal 82. 1. 6. Exod. 22. 28. Ioh. 10. 34. also by a coercitiue power to punish them to roote vp and to plant to build and to destroy It is a very prime Principle and a most fundamentall Article of their Church The Apostle saith he must exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God which the Pope so singularly acteth that I dare vndertake there is none of all his Presidiaries shall be euer able to shew that this his arrogant absolute and vnbounded Supremacie in temporalls and spiritualls ouer Kings and kingdomes was yet euer giuen vnto him by any generall humane consent no not of his owne Church before he had exalted himselfe thereunto no nor since hee hath exalted himselfe It is well knowne how Gregorie the 7. was the first who â—oared out those ambitious Dictates of his owne inuention by Vers 4. Dictat Greg. 7. apud Bar ann 1175. which he exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God vpon earth whose spirit those who haue succeeded after him in the Panacy as much as hath lyen in them they haue imitated and do as occasion requireth put in practise A most honourable and gainefull merchandise doubtlesse to be so vniuersall a Dictator ouer the whole world that hee shal be able to vnking whom hee shall please and to dispose of the Kingdomes of the world to whomsoeuer he shall iudge meet that is take from those who will not adore him and giue to those who fall down Math. 4. and worshippe him as of late hee attempted ex plenitudine Bulla Pij Quinti potestatis out of the fulnesse of his power to haue depriued our most famous Queene both of life and Kingdome and to haue giuen her Kingdome vnto that Monarch who fell downe and worshipped for it And doubtlesse our now dread SOVERAIGNE whom the Lord of heauen and earth bee pleased euer to defend and protect as the apple of his eie may looke for no other from Romes-Pope and his deuoutes if God by his mightie arme doe not crosse their perfidious plots and designements I say plots and designements for who will thinke but that both the Lion and the Beare sleepe with their eyes open expecting euer when they may deuour and how they may deuour Thus then it resteth cleare that the Pope hath exalted himselfe aboue all that is called God or worshipped To proceede he sitteth in the temple of God shewing himselfe as if hee were God so doe the Remists read this 2. Thess 2. 4. place By which words what else can fitly bee vnderstood but that he shall assume vnto himselfe as God that is in Gods steede the absolute and independant gouernment of the temple of God that is the vniuersall Catholike Church ouertopping all by an vnbounded Supremacie and vnexhausted dependancie so that of this Ioue omnia sint plena de plenitudine eius omnes accipiant In the Romane Synagogue the Pope is all in all for power iurisdiction Con Later Sess 10. Bell. de Pont. lib. 1. cap. 9. all must be full and receiue from his fulnesse All which is so precisely and punctually the state of his holinesse that there is no power nor iurisdiction in their Church which is not from him and is so dependantly at his pleasure that he may with or without cause take the same from whom he shall please validly and effectually For he is a Ioue amongst them a very absolute Monarch subiect only to God But I note the wordes of the Apostle that hee must Beare himselfe and shew himselfe shew himselfe and beare himselfe as God which is most punctually performed by
the Pope for this his vnbounded supremacie and vnlimited Independancie is assumed by the Popes themselues For howsoeuer the Ancient Church for orders sake did account him to be the first Bishop in ordine order at least of the West yet I dare All those ceremonies which are for adoration acclamation c. and for deportatioÌ„s of his Holines vpon mens shoulders are by his owne approuâ—ng or appointment See Lib. 1. Ceremon sect 5. vndertake there was neuer any Councell or Father of the first sixe hundred yeeres that gaue him any degree or sort of that Supremacy and vnlimited independancy which he now challengeth he now challengeth I say For though most of his Parasites both Canonists Monkes Friers and Ignatians doe giue him as much as he desireth yet I speake what I know there are very many of the learned of that Church which doe grone and sigh to thinke of this his arrogant presumption and both for his challenge and practice but yet they dare not say Domine cur ita facis Lord why dost thou so I note againe the Apostle saith he shall shew himselfe as a God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he were a God that is he shall not beare himselfe for God who made heauen and earth but for a Vicarian God a God substitute an Antichrist or a Vice-Christ Cleere it is as noone daies that Antichrist shall not beare himselfe for the absolute and one onely God who made heauen and earth for if so where is then mention made of such apparate and order for publike sacrifices as are beseeming to such a one bearing himselfe as God himselfe If so how then shall he Dan 11. 38. 39. Matth 24. worship the God Maozim with Gold and siluer and pretious stones If so what danger should the elect be in to be seduced by him if he shall deny both the God of heauen and Iesus Christ his only Sonne If so why and how according to the Pontificians shall he cause an image of the Beast like a Leopard Beare and Lyon to bee made and worshipped If so how can his comming be a mistery How in fallacia erroris in deceiueablenes of error Further I obserue the word of the Apostle that he sitteth if this wee vnderstand of absolute gouernement as it is most probable then I haue spoken thereof already but if we take the same literally so also the Pope sitteth as God as a God I haue beheld him with mine owne eyes often sitting vnder his Throne in the material Temples of Rome God like as a God hauing as great outward adoration giuen vnto him not only by the people but by the purpured brethren by the Priests and others who assist at the altar as is giuen by them vnto Christ whom they beleeue adore as presentially there present the difference only is they adore their Sacrament-Christ as true Christ their Pope-Christ as a Vice-Christ Antichrist a Christ-substitute The Apostle saith The Temple of God which we must not so vnderstand that he shall sit in the Temple of God and yet not defile and prophane the same for how is it possible that Autichrist should fit in the Temple of 1 Machab. 1. 52 Ioseph liâ— Antiquit lib. de Bell Iudaico saepissime God against God and yet not prophane it But as the Temple of Ierusalem was called Gods Temple and the Temple of God though most impiously prophaned first by Antiochus and after by Caius so shall the visible Church in which Antichrist shall sit be still called the Temple of God though most impiously and sacrilegiously prophaned by him yea so prophaned by him with such abhominations that doubtlesse whosoeuer shall therein partake with him shall for the same perish eternally And so we may see how idle that bragging instance See Chrysost Theodor. Ambr Oecumen Aquinas and others in 2 Thess 2. of the Papists is when they obiect vnto vs that we make the Pope to be Antichrist and yet to sit in the Church of God and so say they we make their Church to be the Church of God but how vaine I say is this instance we confesse indeed that their Church is the Church of God but prophaned yea impiously sacrilegiously prophaned so that all who partake formallie and willingly with the Pope in his prophanations shall eternally perish I said formally and willingly for I doubt not to affirme but that there are very many who grone after a reformation of that Church and hope for a redemption making welnigh as small account of many of their Tridentine Decrees as I do That there are many such in Popish kingdoms I refer my selfe to the Ignatians other Professionists consciences who know how many there are in their Churches which can neuer be setled in their minde without continual doubtings concerning diuerse points of popery as adoration of their Sacrament adoration of Images vse of Indulgences praying to Saints Iustification of workes the Popes vnbounded Supremacie worshipping of relikes sacrifice propitiatory for the dead Transsubstantiation c. To proceede this man of â—mne must beare himselfe as a God in the temple which argueth that he will challenge and assume vnto himselfe some Godlike and diuine worship the which that we may vnderstand how it is acted by the Pope wee are to consider how the true Lord and true God is honoured by his Saints and Seruants in the temple The holy Prophet declareth the same thus Omnes Apoc. 7. 11. 12. autem Angeli c. But all the Angells stood in sight of the Throne and of the Elders and of the foure liuing creatures and fell downe before the throne vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and Clarity and Wisedome and Thanksgiuing and Honor and Power and Fortitude be to our God for euer and euer Thus the Prophet is there any one iot of this honor adoration which is not giuen to Romes-vice-God by the Papists and by The Pope making a Cardinall saith Creote c. or thus Sis frater nester Princeps Orbi his creatures the Purpured They when they first acknowledge him I meane the Cardinals for their holy Father Pope do they not the same by adoration he sitting in a chaire they one after one adoring for vntil their adoration be finished and compleated he is not compleate Pope by adoration he is made Pope and being made he is adored And for as much as is conteyned in the 12 verse doe they not fully yeeld vnto him euery point thereof What generall acclamations are made to him by all in the Temple and of that Temple calling him Beatissimus Sanctissimus Diuinissimus Supremum in terris Numen most Blessed most Holy most Diuine the supreamest Numen vpon earth and in like Benedictio Blessing sort his Holinesse his Sanctitie his most Holie Holinesse c. he hath then Benediction Blessing c. As for Charitie Glory or Magnificence which is the second attribute giuen to God by his
enormities of their votaries require that the Law of Celibacie bee remooued and the vse of marriage bee left indifferent notwithstanding most of their more peruerse Popes yea all of them at lest to auoyd scandall and to preserue the dignity of their Church are so wedded to the Darling that the knot is indissoluble so be their consciences seared with the hot iron of obstinacie and impudencie that they waigh not though an infinity of soules perish through their vnnecessary law of vowed Celibacy Neither do they regard what the Christian world inueigheth against them assuredly that of Epiphanius is fulfilled They reiect marriage not lust Epiphanius aduersus Origenist here 's 42. for sanctitie is not in honor with them but hypocrisie Further what may we more fitly vnderstand by their speaking lies in hypocrisie then a professed dissembling of greater sanctity both for chastitie and abstinence then is amongst them in which sense good God how punctually are the Papist-leaders and Teachers noted by the Apostle how patly and in euerie respect doth hee poynt at the Ignatians who professing greater sanctitie then others doe farre come behinde all others at lest in the point of abstinence in that Church there being no Order nor Degree of the Romane Church which keepeth lesse fasting and abstinence then the Ignatians doe their speciall promises are for obedience to their Superiours and Generals and by them by a secret vow to goe whithersoeuer he shall command and to do whatsoeuer he shall command Videant Reges The Apostle saith that these false Teachers were to depart from the faith which as it is fulfilled in the ancient heretikes so more absolutely in the Romane Popes whose Clem. Alex. 3. Stromat Tertul. de monogamia Athan. Epist ad Dracont Chryso in 1. ad Timoth. hom 10. Hieron against Iouinian Con. Aney â—an 9. Gangr 4. ad Hebr. 1. 3. departure from the faith in this point appeareth thus For whereas it is cleere as the very heauens that in the Apostles time for long after marriage was as a thing good godly Christian allowed and permitted in the Cleargie so that it was honourable in all according to the Apostles doctrine They haue in a pretended shew of more sanctitie but in truth in very hypocrisie imposed First the Law of Celibacie vpon their Cleargy Secondly the vow of Celibacie vpon them as though that married Clerkes were vnfit to administer at the Altar or to preach the word of God and that marriage in them were not honourable or allowable the which what is it else then a meere departure from the faith first receiued first established Let vs aske S. Chrysostome what the ancient Church nay what the Apostle thought of marriage in Priests Cuius rei gratia c. For what cause doth the Apostle Chrysostemus in Titum hom 2. See him hom 10. in 1. ad Tim. mention these manner of men to wit married hee doth intend vtterly to stop the mouthes of Heretikes who condemne marriage shewing the same to be without fault yea the same to be so precious a thing that with it any man may be promoted to the throne of Episcopacie And in his tenth homilie vpon the first to Timothy speaking of marriage in Priests he hath these expresse words Licet enim eam rem honeste ac Chrysost in illa verba Sed mansuetum c. licite capere si quis velit It is lawfull for any man if he will lawfully and honestly to take the same thing meaning marriage yea marriage in Bishops For in the same place he speaketh according to the Apostles intent of Bishops See him and the like is to bee obserued in many of the Ancients declaring the practise of the Church in this kinde yea their holy Briget taketh and receiueth the Briget lib. 7. Reuel cap. 10. circa medium same as a diuine reuelation from the Virgin Maryes own mouth part of which reuelation the Reader may finde in the Appendix here following in the second part of the sixteenth Chapter It resteth to be shewed and proued whether the Papists doe deliuer the same doctrines of Deuills which the Apostle here condemneth which that they doe for the first point I thus make manifest To insist vpon the Apostles expresse wordes he saith onely that the Heretikes should forbid marriage c. which that the Popes and Papists doe it is a case as manifest as noone daies And their euasion of this imputation is not worth a rush For they answer that the Apostle intendeth onely such Heretikes as doe forbid marriage because of naturall vncleanesse in the same Their instance is most vaine nay rather the Apostle purposely abstaineth from mentioning any such circumstance of the heresie that so in his prophecie hee might as well inuolue those Heretikes which would teach marriage to be vncleane to the Vsers and Practisers of it against pretensed commandes as also those who would condemn it as vncleane in it selfe If the Apostle had intended the Manicheyes only or such like he might easily haue expressed the circumstance of their heresie but he did not so ayming doubtlesse at all those who should forbid and inhibit marriage in those and to them to whom God had commended or allowed it and therefore he vseth rather the words forbid as if he should say these Heretikes will disaprooue of marriage in respect of their own commandes in those and to those to whom they shall forbid the same And if the Papists doe seriously bethinke themselues they shall finde that the ancient Manicheyes doe iumpe with them in this their heresie about marriage in their August epist 74 Clergie for as the Papists doe allow marriage in their Laickes but vtterly forbid it in their Clerkes so did the Manicheyes allowe marriage in their ordinarie Professours whom they did call Auditores Hearers but vtterly forbidde and reprooue the same in their speciall ones whom they called Electi their chosen and Elects So that here we haue the Papists expresly iumping with the Manicheyes in this point I note specially that the Apostle saith they shall forbid marriage by which he euidently insinuateth that the holy Spirits intention is to note and ayme at such Gouernours and Rulers of the Church who should against Genes 1. 22. the Apostles and Gods ordinance lay their command vpon celibacy and single life forbidding marriage Now this is the very selfe thing which the Bishops of Rome haue done For vpon that concerning which the 1. Cor. 7. Apostle had no precept but onely counsell they haue laide their imperious commandes in their clergie forbidding them to marry yea and against their owne principles haue laid a precept vpon a Counsell commanding and requiring most strictly all those who take orders to vow chastitie which according to their owne principles God left in counsell and free election and which the Apostle had onely power to counsell and perswade Their pretensed ground of this their doing to wit because celibacy and single
the eternall See of the Church into another place for such a punishment is due to that City as if the Iudge shold say Flay off the whole skinne draw all the blood out of the flesh and cut all the flesh into peeces and so breake the bones that all the marrow may fall out thus their Briget and Spousesse of Christ how much to their content let themselues demurre But we haue a more firme propheticall speech which warranteth vs that the purpured whore by which the Romane Church is denoted which sitteth vpon Apoc. 17. many waters gouerneth many peoples shall be desolated and ruinated by such Princes as had first drunke of the cup of her whoredomes and this is so cleere a truth touching Romes destruction by such Kings that the Pontificians themselues cannot deny it only they would shift it off from themselues and their Popes and lay it vpon some one singular man who shall raigne three yeeres and a halfe and then destroy Rome and with fire consume it wisely indeede Antichrist raigning three yeeres and a halfe shall cause many peoples Kings and kingdomes to drinke of the cup of his whoredomes and yet the same kings and kingdoms within the space of the same three yeeres and a halfe shall vtterly desolate and ruinate Antichrist and his Antichristian kingdome Surely the Pontificians thus aduocating for their Poâ—â—â— are to be pitied for if they should not so say of necessary it would follow that they were seruants of the man of sinne and sonne of perdition The cause which maketh them so eagerly to contend for this their Romane supreme Monarchy is because they account the verie pith and marrow of religion to consist in the continued succession of Bishops in that See wherein their glorying is but vaine for I dare binde my selfe to shew that there is a better and a lesse interrupted succession in the Churches of England then can bee shewed in the Romane Church Alasse for them it is enough if they can shew Church-walls Idoll-Bishops dumbe Ptelates yet for forsaking the coÌ„munioÌ„ of such they wil condemn vs as hereticks Schismaticks This follie the saying of a graue father redargueth non ille de ecclesia c. Hee doth Ambros lib. 6. in lutam not seeme to goe out of the Church who corporally goeth out but he who leaueth the foundations of Ecclesiasticall truth we went from them in body but they from vs in minde we went from them in place but they from vs in faith we left with them the foundations of the walls they left with vs the foundation of Scriptures Which agreeth well with that Prophecy which by some is cited as of Hildegard but by others is deliuered out of Hylarie it is thus Vnum vos moneo canete Orat. contra Auxent See another prophecy of Hildegardis related in my motiues out of Theodorick nieme pag. 49. Antichristum c. One thing I admonish you beware of Antichrist you are not well affected with the loue of walls you doe ill worship the Church in couers and buildings you doe ill vnder these pretend the name of peace Is it doubtfull that Antichrist shall sit in these Mountaines and woods and lakes and prisons are more safe to me for in these Prophets remaining haue by the spirit of God prophecied This prophecie seemeth well for the Papists who glorie so much intemplo Domini in the Temple of the Lord the Romane Church the externall succession and yet but rotten broken often interrupted by Schismes as the Ponficians themselues cannot deny Another prophecie and vision I haue for the Papists Lib. Reuelat. 6. cap. 72. to delight themselues withall it is taken out of their Briget who bringeth Christ speaking thus vnto her Filius dei loquitur c. The sonne of God speaketh to Briget There are two spottes in my Church one is that few are absolued without paying of mony the second is that Parish-Priests dare not absolue sinners from all their secret sinnes but affirming that themselues cannot absolue them in certaine cases reserued to Bishops they doe send such sinners to the Bishops who are so long in examining and discussing vntill such secret sinnes come to be made manifest wherefore those who haue zeale of soules must wholsomly oppose against such things least their soules through shame or obduration doe die in mortall sinnes This vision maketh but little for the Romane abuses in reseruing cases which is growne so intollerable especially since the Tridentine decrees that it cannot sufficiently be detested the Collegiates and fellowes of Iesus societie haue lost nothing by such reseruations for therby hauing greater priuiledges then others haue they make increment in their wealth by marchandizing of soules the which how well they performe setting aside some other examples the curteous reader may obserue by two fresh ones Not long since the mother of Cardinall A payre of Ignatians deluded Sforsa being like to die did through the mediation and intercession of an Ignatian her gostly Father bestow vpon the Ignatians Colledge a 1000 Crownes and gaue her schedule for the same the ghostly father hauing gotten the bill higheth him home looking for thanks sheweth it to his fellow-fathers who considering the bill found that it was not specified in the same what manner of crownes should be paid unto them they therefore perswade the ghostly marchant to returne vnto the Lady and to intreat that the crownes might be specified to be French crownes and of gold but in returning such was the Fathers lucke that he meeteth with Cardinall Sforsa his mother through weaknesse being not to be spoken withall who cunningly insinuateth himselfe into the Fathers businesse which hearing he seemeth to applaude the same and to like very well of the suite with which words the good Father was so â—ulled that he deliuered the former bill to the Cardinall desiring him to procure his Mother to make of ordinarie Crownes Crownes of gold the Cardinall no sooner got the bill but with an Ignatian tricke of equiuocation hee rent it and so the Ignatian lost his errand The like hapned in Naples there was a Noble Woman of great substance much addicted to the Ignatians who vpon speciall intreatie of her Ghostly Father an Ignatian gaue vnto them towards their buildings a 1000 Crownes with which bill the Ignatian going home he is commanded by his Superiours to returne vnto her againe and to intreat of her that shee would make that 1000 Crownes to be 1500 the good Ladie hearing his request was somewhat amated therewith but lothe to offend telleth the Father that if he will stay vntill her Steward come home shee will take care that hee might haue his desire wherevpon the good Father deliuereth backe againe vnto her the bill which shee taketh but vpon the returne of her man and some consultation had with him she altreth her minde and sendeth the bill of a 1000 Crownes which shee had receiued from the Ignatian vnto a certaine Congregation
profession of a Popish vow of like vertue against sinne 206 Two beasts described 227 236 237. c. Beasts Image 238. 239 Bellarmines eighth Sacrament 107 His contradiction ibid. Basils feigned Masse 296 Brigets visions 297 C True Church worketh not miracles 8 Christ changeth his heart with Catherine 13 A cousening tricke of a Frier with an Energuminisse 26 Certainty of Popish miracles 46. 47 Church customes vary 71 Chrysostome corrupted 81 Churches particular haue erred 109 110. 116. 117 How Christ conuerseth in closets 265. 255. mar Coster his foure places 291 Christines prodigious reuiuing 302 She a redemptresse of Soules out of purgatory ibid. Conuerts from Rome subiect to calumnies 51 Et preface  D Dragons voice 11 Doctrine of diuels 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25 Deuill delighteth with Popish sacred things 27 Diuel dissembles with crosses 106. marg 107 Dispensacion to votaries from Popes 193 Dispensations what manner giuen by Popes 202 Dispensation and declaration how they differ 194 E Equiuocation of an Ignatian 29. 30 Equiuocation casteth acrow into a feuer freed by absolution 231 mar F Who fly to Rome 52 Master Fluds flanderous lying 53. 54 His flattery 55 His idle diuinity 60 His lying 86 His blasphemies 20. 21 22. 23. 166 His skill in numbring 153 His lying 153. Forraine mysterie of the Pope and his confederates 180 181 Feare of Lipsius 48 Of Maldonat 253 A Friers deuise 112 G Ground of Popish nouelties  God tempteth not 215. 216. Gallonius his blaspemy 294. 295 Galeatius defended 132 Gennings his prodigious tooth 320 The prodigie of his miraculous finger 331. 332 His prodigious praying at his death 330. 331 H Hypocrisie of Pope and his 284 Heauens two of Coster 291 I. Ignatians first Librarie in Oxford 40. Ignatians misterie 61. Idolatry about Images 91. 92. 93. True vse of Images 94. 97. Images attired 98 Image crucified 103 Iguatians policy 138. marg Their manner of restitution 177 Their austereliues 189. 190 Indians how conuerted 178 Ignatius his Hobgoblin 64 Best defence for Pope Ione 148 Apaire of Ignatians gulled 310. 311 K A Papist King consumed with lice 132. mar L Lawes of Popes for their Cleargies Celibacy resisted 197 Lawes ancient cashierd by Popes 198 Luthers conflict with the diuell defended 212 Laughing toyes diuerse 222 to 224 Lambe ouercome how 241 Literall interpretation of the Beasts Image by Papists most fond 232. 233. 160. 161 Laikes touch not altar cloths 89 M Miracles cease 11 Maide of Lisbo 14 Miracles no certaine token of the true Church 34. 35 c. 187 Madnesse obiected by Papists 50. 51 Popish miracles 89. 90 Monkes rosted like geese in Purgotory 224 Mariage of Priests apostolicall 285 Manichaisme mooued the Pope to forbid mariage in Priests See Brigets vision 297. 298 Mystery of Church Papists See Preface  Mysterye of the Papist Ignatian 61 Miraculous deliuerauces of the christiane of Bohemia 314. 315 Martyrians and their superstition 327 Pseudo martyrdome 328 Mystery of Church Papists and Communion Recusants preface  N Newtons vision 175 Nerius his ribs miraculous raised 293 Nerius by smell distinguisheth vertues and vices 295 O Opinions touching Antichrist 56 Ordination of Bishops in the Church of England 133 Oathes desperate of Baronius c. 293. 294 P Papists teach doctrines of diuels 16 Periury of an Ignatian Priest 28 Priests deuise miracles 33 Popish prodigies like Panyms wonders 41. 42 Papist Angels their negligence 83. 84 Strange prodigies 127 Popish miracles in Master Fluds phrase 134. 135. 136 Popes forge 150 Proud 143 Popes Turbant interpreted 165 Popes fraud 173 Popish forgeries 182 Popes hardly saued 280 Popish Priests manner of making their Proselites 186 Popish prodigies in England 249. 250 Prophecies of Christ touching Antichrist 251. 279 Parsons brag 25 Popish exorcists their conflicts with ihe diuell 23. 24 R Romes Ineubies 18 Her false fingers 63. 64 Corruptions 129. 130. 131 170. to 173 Romane Empire taken out of the way 238. 239 Roberts the Monke his brag 70 Regulus his Asse maketh the signe of the Crosse 107 mar 131 Relikes counterfet 334 S Stapletons error 38 What is adored at receiuing of the Sacramentes why kneeling 73. 74. 75. Spanish gallants how they adore the Masse Christ. 79 Sixtus Quintus his end 131 Satan doth miracles 157. 815 Spanish souldiers cruelties 179 Sanctity of Popish Preachers 183 Sichems Goddesse fell downe and is stolne 47 Sacrament Christ equiuocateth 90 Is buried 297 Clipped 22 Is consecrated by a possessed woman and is adored 21 Signes of true Christianity 319. 320 T A tale of Carmelite Monkes 82 A false tale of a Iew. 88 The tale of Pope Ione examined 143. to 148 V Vasquez his idle conceit about transsubstantiation 3. Variance in popish Doctours  Vanitie of popish tablets 112. 113. Virgin Mary to bee blessed 125. Adored by Papists as a mediatresse 139. 140. 155. 168. Vision of Fryer Leo. 155. mar That votaries may marrie proued clearely out of popish principles 191 to 211 A votary sinnes in keeping his vow of celibacie 205. Popish votaries endes of their vowes 205. Vowes made for an ill end of no force 207. Votaries vowes idle 191. to 213 Viegas his blasphemie 236. Vision of Briget for marriage of Priests 287. Append 297. Visions against Poperie seq 304. Visions prodigious 307. Visions of Briget against the Church of Rome 299. 308. W Master Whitaker defended 218. The wound of one of the beasts heads cured 241. Women in the habits of men 145. Waterson Pseudomartyr 325. The courteous READER be pleased to mend these errates or the like PAge 12. vordicus read veridicus Pag same marg lib. 2. read lib. 1. Pag. 15. marg Langius read Lazius Pag. 81. honour read horrous Pag. 101. premacio read supremacie Pag. same marg mast read mart Pag. 104. with Father read with the Father Pag. 139. marg Leo 1. read Leo 10. Pag. 146. breadlesse read beardlesse