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A01580
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Hold fast a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse vpon Sunday being the xxxi. of October, Anno Domini 1624. By Iohn Gee, Master of Arts, late of Exon Colledge in Oxford.
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Gee, John, 1596-1639.
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1624
(1624)
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STC 11705; ESTC S115878
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32,349
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76
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profaning of Gods Ordinance to magnifie the power of Excommunication by such ridiculous inuentions as this to wit in their Booke of Miracles called Pratum spirituale I find one of these iolly Tales that Once vpon a time there was a Crow or Iacke-daw had stollen a gold ring and therevpon incurring the Sentence of Excommunication refused to eate and pined away till an Abbot absolued the Crow and then hee was in good liking and iocund as before I say nothing but in the Greeke prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such vnsauory food is fit for nothing but to be thrown out to the carrion Crowes Another kinde of their engines may bee Indulgences Crusadoes and Iubilees These are a kinde of Handmaids and attendants vpon Romish auricular Confession they being indeed little else but Absolutions of the largest size and dyed in the deepest graine These are very fruitfull hookes ad habendum for the Papacie which seldome come home vnladen But this engine worketh another way then the former They vpon the Iudgement Conscience and Person of those whom they take and hold this vpon the Purse The Popes grand Staple Faire Iubilee-Faire which was wont to bee once in an hundred yeares in imitation of the Gentiles and after once in fiftie yeares in imitation of the Iewes Iubilee which was meerly proper to those people Now by degrees for the better aduancing of the reuenewes of the Papall Exchequer is multiplied to euery fiue and twentieth yeare And now at next Christmas will the wheele be come about which grindeth good griste for the Romane Batch The most grosse and palpable Invention for the squeesing out money from the people vnder the pretence of Deuotion and acquitall from sinnes that euer was put vpon the Christian nay Heathen world As if there should come out againe a Decree from Augustus Caesar That all the world should bee taxed Luke 2. so packe they vp their money for Rome from all quarters Nay and many cannot bee content to send but they will needs bee their owne Carriers so sicke are they of their money so weary of resting in quiet at home that they are aestro perciti driuen with a gad-flie to sally ouer the Alpes or to plough the backe of diuers Seas to visit the holy Fathers Iubilean pompe to see him portatum humeris to ride on Cockhorse on mens shoulders and with a golden hammer to beat open the gates of a typicall Paradise where a parjet wall being to bee broken downe by the Pope I haue heard of one who hauing gotten a piece of morter sold it by the way home for a good round summe of money to beare his charges happy is hee that can get but one crumme of the holy morter that is scattered Their money they are sure to leaue behind them and in stead of it what bring they home A few Boxen beads sanctified by the Popes Benediction or Copper Meddals Brouches c. A worthy bargaine for men to repuerascere like children to crie to goe to Bartholmew Faire that they may bring from thence Babies and Rattles and Hobbie-horses I thinke God hath set England in a faire large distance from the head Citie that beareth dominion ouer the Nations to keepe vs from gadding so farre vpon trifling cause but Horat. Necquicquam Deus abscidit Prudens Oceano dissociabili Terras In vaine hath God by his wisedome diuided kingdomes by the Sea It seemes Sea nor Land cannot fetter some of our Nation from chafering in person at that Money-Mart which openeth shortly I know some who lodged in the Suburbs of this Citie of late gone thitherward and are like to returne home purged more certainly of Siluer then of Sin A certaine Iesuite whom I could name was within these few dayes preparing to packe forward and because he was loth to go emptie or vnladen out of England eagerly inticed a yong youth being a Scholar at a famous Schoole within the circuit of this Citie to goe with him telling him that now during the time of Iubilee Rome was open and free for any that would come thither I cannot omit to speak something of their Fantasticke trickes vsed to allure admiration and credulitie of miraculous exployts Of which cogging stampe 6. The Story of Father Lawrence is that Tale which one Father Laurence a Iesuite now or of late about London reporteth of himselfe That he in his minoritie was by Miracle transported to a Monasterie in Spaine where he continued diuers yeares and neither himselfe nor any other knew his name till there appeared vnto him as hee was at his Deuotions Saint Lawrence who spake vnto him and said Thy name shall bee called for euer heereafter Father Lawrence And so the Saint hauing spoken thus with other words vnto him departed Afterwards one of his fellow-Iesuites who liued in the Monastery with him came to his chamber and by very instinct saluted him by the new name of Father Lawrence Whereat this beauen christned Father was much astonished and marueiled how this other Iesuite knew his name But hee presently spake thus vnto F. Lawrence The same Saint hath appeared vnto me also and bade me goe to your chamber and salute you by this name This Father Lawrence was shortly after by the Superiour of his Order sent into England where in the Person of Saint Lawrence hee doth giue Benedictions and pretends to cure diseases and doe strange miracles Another like triffing tricke is that which of late hath been vsed by some Iesuites whose names I know better then the Monks of Spaine knew Father Lawrences They vpon S. Priests Valentines Valentines day chusing some female Saint for their Valentine one takes Saint Agatha another S. Clare another S. Lucie another S. Catherine another S. Cicely c. I asked them what they meant to chuse such Vālentines They answered mee that in respect of their Vow they could haue no Valentine that liued here vpon earth and in regard of their Angelicall life they were to chuse Valentines in heauen I asked them whether they thought those Saints knew that they had chosen them for their Valentines Oh yes say they we shall be honoured all this yeare by that Valentine wee make choice off she will intercede for vs and to some of vs our Valentine doth appeare in visible bodily shape telling vs what to doe all the yeare after And for my part I thinke as truly for seauen yeares after Surely I was not very nimble of beleefe when they told me this but since I haue thought that those great Fathers the Iesuites are not alwaies so well aduised as they may when they will thrust vpon Vniuersitie Schollers and Ecclesiastickes this and the like palpable fictions which me thinkes were grosse enough to put vpon silly women and ignorant Rustickes To say nothing of the Maid with the glittering or flaming Apron The Maid with the flaming Apron who diuers yeares since was adored rather then admired by some in this
which he was excommunicated and Keeper of the Popes Priuie Signet By which Title perhaps is intended some transcendent facultie committed by the Court of Rome to that Iesuite for which authoritie some speciall new Seale might be appointed and appropriated which in semblance to the English phrase might bee called The priuie Signet But to let passe these inwards of the Iesuites and view them onely in the outside of their habit and apparell in England I haue formerly giuen the character of them in their costly and ruffianly brauery and then I considered that kind of disguise as tending to the hiding them from the notice of Magistrates or to their more easie and vnsuspected insinuation into all companies to draw Proselites to the Roman bent but since I find that it moreouer armeth them with boundlesse libertie against Ciuill and Morall lawes 1. Hence is taken better opportunitie for professed solicitation of Chastitie which if they went in grauer habit would perhaps bee checked by modestie I know a vigorous Iesuite who being attired like a Gallant of none of the lowest ruffe is said to haue vsed the title of a Yorkeshire Gentleman of some hundreds yearely reuenew Hee often repaired to a house within a Parish of the Suburbes Saint Giles Parish in the Fields where lodged a female Guest to whom notwithstanding his Vow against all earthly Valentines hee became a Suitor and promised her Marriage and for the better assuring her that he would marry her pretended he had gotten a Licence to that purpose from the Ordinary which Licence hee shewed to diuers of that family the more to worke vpon the womans credulitie In fine he got that he came for and then this Gentleman vanished 2. As this incongruous habit imboldneth them against the seuenth Commandement so doth it much more against the sixt Non occîdes They that by their Priesthood should beare about them Arma tantùm spiritualia change them in arma militaria the weapons of a Souldier nay sometimes of an Assasine or Cut-threat The care of this concerneth them in authoritie but me it concerneth nearely in regard of danger vndergone and future protection which I implore Not aboue three moneths since when I passed along the open street in this Citie about the middle of the afternoone walking in Gods peace and the Kings after a slight salutation I was set vpon by one of that Iesuiticall brood well knowne to mee and then attired in coloured Clothes white Bootes with a head of long shag haire armed with a long narrow Sword visible innisible a Stilletto a weapon I trow condemned in forraine Nations but ordinary furniture for the Yeomen of the Popes Guard heere in England I meane the Iesuites as well Clerick as Laick With this weapon being made so poinant and deadly that it would pearce as is thought reasonable good armour hee assaulted me but by Gods helpe I evaded And for his commitment I had the ayd of the iustice of this honourable Citie by the authoritie of the right worthie the late Lord Maior Sir Martin Lumbley who is by me to be acknowledged not onely for my priuate protection vpon this danger but in regard of the publike for the good estimation and honour which hee hath got by the faithfull discharge of his Office and the good gouernment of this honourable Citie to haue well begun continued and ended the Circle of his now finished yeare And as the Poet speaketh of a Tree bearing golden fruit Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus simili frondescit virga metallo Virg. Aeneid 6 One golden bough being pulled away there buds out another of the same mettall So for auspication of his Honourable Successour Alderman Gore I doubt not to say that hee will branch forth with the same fruit of care for Religion and Iustice Too long haue I tyred your Christian patience in tracking out the by-paths of wandering Romish waies which haue somewhat led me out of my direct way your further permission I will vse modestly in reaching at 2. Part. Behold I come quickely but scarce touching the vpper branch of my Text Behold I come quickly These words represent vnto vs such a glorious spectacle as is fit for vs to step out of our dores and throngingly to behold not as a transitory Pageant for a day but as possessing and imploying the most piercing eies of our soule as long as we can open them and hold forth our heads with expectation euen all the daies of our life Here haue we first the Precursor a Iohn Baptist going before giuing warning Ecce Behold one is comming who hath beene long foretold and expected Then himselfe that comes Christ the only begotten Sonne of the Father Venio I come though he seeme long absent yet will hee be euidently present He commeth Thirdly here is the manner or pase of his comming not leasurely as he rode into Ierusalem vpon a slow beast but riding vpon a swift running horse or rather vpon the wings of the winde Citò I come quickly 1. Ecce Behold This Ecce as a watch-word of premonition is perfixed to all the commings of Christ mentioned in Scripture As Ecce Virgo pariet Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a Child Esa 7.14 Ecce Euangelizo vobis gaudium magnum c. Behold I bring you good tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people Luk. 2.10 Ecce venit tibi Rex tuus mitis asino insidens c. Behold thy King commeth vnto thee meeke and sitting vpon an Asse and a Colt the fole of an Asse Mat. 21.5 Ecce venit cum nubibus Behold he commeth with Clowds and euery eye shall see him c. Apoc. 1.7 Ecce sto ad ostium et pulto Behold I stand at the doore and knock Apoc. 3.20 Whence we learne that God hath set this Centinell to keepe vs watching and ready to rise when hee shall call on the suddaine to vs. Secondly that the Matter and Person requireth our Attention our Admiration our Acceptation of so great and glorious a Guest Iohn the Baptists Office we know was to prepare the way of the Lord Mat. 3.3 to make the paths straight fit for the entertainement of the Messias so was this Ecce to that Church of Philadelphia and to the Angell thereof So must it be to vs a call for due preparation to receiue and meete the Messias to adore and obey him And verily the way of the Lord is neuer sufficiently prepared in vs vnlesse wee entertaine and obey the Doctrine of the Precursor Mat. 3.2 Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand Without compunction for our sinfull liues and bringing forth fruites worthy of repentance wee are still but deafe though this Trumpet Ecce sound neuer so loud in our eares 2. Venio I come The diuers commings of Christ are dispersedly set downe in the Scriptures forementioned I will reduce them to a briefe His first comming was