gone Brother wolfe liueth in the towne takes his meate at the dores and went vp down the streetes and tooke his meate from door to doore hurting no man was wel and daintily fed there was neuer so much as a dog that barked at him And at last after 2. yeares Brother Wolfe Brother wolfe dieth is lamented being striken in yeares dyed for whose death the Citizens did verie much lament Heere is a miracle worth the marking Now let all Huguenots and Heretikes shew such a miracle in their religion no no they neuer can doe it And no maruell for Iesus Christ who is the King Captain of their religion neuer did the like in his time to this Which S. Francis the king and captaine of the Franciscans u Francisce Iesuty dicè dux formaque Minorum hath heere done If the time would giue leaue I could bring 20. more as impious as incredible and as absurd in their kinde as this but leauing it to a further opportunitie and referring the learned to the booke it selfe I proceed What may be saide to all this are not these wide and wofull wounds Ierem. 7. 12â— Oh! but they are healed I maie answer as the Prophet doth Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed 18 The ninth wound not healed For whereas this booke was written aboue two hundred yeeres agoe by Bartholomeusâ— Pisanus a Franciscan Frier it was then not only suffred to passe to publique view in those daies of darknesse and superstition but now of late within lesse then 20. yeares when one would haue thought they woulde if not repented of the impieties yet haue beene ashamed of the absurdities they contrariwise haue reprinted the Booke x The new edition iâ— at Bononie in Italie 1590. is dedicated to a Cardinall in this edition is al that I haue alleadged and haue not taken out nor reformed one worde of all these euilles nor of manie more which doe so directly disgrace the merits of Christ Iesus onelie some things haue they altered which they thought might make against themselues but not one of these which doe so farre dishonour God and Christ and all religion Compare together the olde and new bookes who will and he shall find this to be true wherefore the conclusion is that this wound is farre from being healed Let vs then go forward and see if we can find one wound healed in the Romane Church The tenth Wound TWo or three hundred yeares agoe 19 The tenth wound The Pope may giue Indulgences for 20000. yeers grant men power to redeeme soules out of Purgatorie the Popes indulgences did growe to that height of rotten ripenesse that all men of vnderstanding euen of his owne brood were ashamed of it and many a one of the wiser sort euen in these mystie times did see laugh at the nakednesse of Poperie in that point the excesse whereof grew so great as they cannot denie but it gaue at last an occasion of LVTHERS reuolte from them There is a Manuscript extant written some two hundred yeares agoe and another not much differing from it some 130. yeares ago printed at Rome containing a catalogue only of those Indulgences belonging to the parish Churches of Rome amongst which they say are 7. principall let vs but consider of some few y He that waÌ„ts this book let him look in Hospinian de Templis lib. 2. c. 28. pag. 348. editonis Tiâ—ur 603. where he shâ—ll finde both mention of the booke a particular recitall of a great part of it In the Laterane Church it is granted thus by Pope Boniface If any Pilgrime come for deuotion to this Church he shall be absolued from all his sinnes And in the Chappel there called sanctum sanctorum there is full and true remission of all sinne â— And one day in the yeare which is the day of the dedication of the Church there is full remission of all sinnes both a poena culpa and this Indulgence is so certaine saith the booke that when the Pope first pronounced it the Angells in the hearing of all the people said Amen Angels say Amen to the Popes indulgences but they shold first proue that God saith AmeÌ„ to them for else the Angels will not vnlesse it be the euill Angels If these things bee true then it is strange that all Papists in the world are not saued for hee that hath full remission of al sinnes both à poena culpa dying in that state cannot bee damned And certainely hee that for the obtaining thereof will not take the pains to visite that Church one day in a yeer is not worthy of saluation In Saint Peters Church there bee euerie daie eight and fortie yeeres of pardon which is in one yeere aboue fifteene thousand yeeres Euerie daie of the Annuntiation there bee one thousand yeeres and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters staires hath for euery step seuen yeeres of pardon Surely purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the worlde in hand if going vp two and twenty-steppes may purchase releasement of a hundred fifty yeeres thereof And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to bee in Purgatorie one day except hee will XXij thousand yeers of pardoÌ„ graÌ„ted for going vp 2â— steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist neede to come in purgatory For for going vp twenty two steppes with deuotion he may be released out of Purgatory for two and twenty thousand yeeres and I hope they do not think the World will last so long and Purgatory they say ends with the World Further Three doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoeuer goeth through them shall bee as free from sinne as when he was newly baptized whosoeuer will go through the 3. doores of the Laterane Church shal be as free from al his sins as hee was the houre hee was baptized Likewise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church there bee xiiii thousand yeeres of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Lawrence whosoeuer visiteth that Church euery Thursday for a yeere and sits vpon the stone wheron Saint Lawrence was broiled Oh what a great power the Pope hath who can giue power to another so easily to deliuer soules out of purgatory shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatory And in the Church of saint Iohn at the gate called Porta Latina a man either by saying a Masse or causing it to bee said may deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie Are these true How easie purgatory might be emptied by Popish doctrine then why is there one soule left in purgatory or else where is the charity of the Papistes which they so
c. shall say ouer the Rosarie being confessed or hauing a purpose to confesse once a month shall for euery time hee doth so obtaine v. yeares of pardon 2. But if hee doe euery day after examination of his Conscience say three Pater nosters and three Aue Maries c. shall haue ten yeeres 3. But if hee vse euerie daie to saie ouer the Psalter of our Lady shall for euerie Saturday weekelie obtaine a hundred yeeres 4. Hee that shal thrice in a weeke say ouer the Rosary of our Lady and confesse and communicate and pray shall obtaine a plenarie that is a ful remission of all all sins 5. And whosoeuer in the houre and point of death shall but say in his heart when hee cannot speake with his tongue the name Iesus shall haue a plenarie and full forgiuenes of all his sins prouided that he haue one of these blessed holy Beads Medals Crucifixes or Pictures * All these Indulgences may bee procured and obtained by hauing either about a man or lying before him one or more of these holy Medalles Crosses Beades or Images and obseruing what is afore appointed and his Holinesses will is that they shall be of force to all kinde of men and in euery place Printed at Rome by the Printer of his Holinesses priuie Chamber Paulus Bladus 1592. Lo here how Babylon is healed If a man at the point of death canne in his minde but thinke of Iesus hee shall haue full forgiuenesse of all his sinnes if hee haue one of these holy Crosses or Beades about him And is this the Diuinitie of the Romish Church is this procured by a Cardinall graunted by the Pope then answere mee but one worde Shall the thinking or naming of Iesus without true faith and repentance saue him tho hee haue a hundreth of these holie Graines about him or if he doo truely repent and beleeue in CHRIST though he haue not one of these shall hee not bee saued If those both be true as who dare denie them then phie vpon these Impostors and deceiuers who by these their Atheisticall mockeries expose religion to all contempt and these thinges beeing so common notorious no maruell tho Italie where these are riâ—est be so full of Atheists Concerning France Of late yeeres Peroun the French Cardinall hauing made a costly Iorney to Rome comming home procured of the Pope for the bearing of his charges to bee the bearer of certaine hallowed holy matters consecrated and blessed by the Pope in such a fashion as if that were true the Pope saith he were more then madde that would not as the wise Merchant sell all he hath to buie one of them d Indulgences graunted by the Holinesse of our most Holy Father Pope Clement the eight Vnto Holy Beades Rosaries Crosses Crucifixes Medals and Images being hallowed and blessed by his owne holie hands At the Instance of the Reuerende Father and Lord Iames Dauie Bishop of Eureux Counsellor to the King in his Councell of Estate and also of his priuate Counsell and principall Almoner to his Maiestie 1. 1. A hundreth yeares of pardon at an easie rate * Whosoeuer hauing one of these beades c. shall do any worke of mercy corporall or spiritual or heare a Masse or a Sermon or shall but doe reuerence to the Sacrament or to a Crosse or to a holy Image shall obtaine a hundreth yeares of pardon See what a bountiful father the Pope is Who would offer lesse for a hundreth yeares surelie hee that wil not do thus much he is worthy to lye and fry in purgatorie 2. Whosoeuer shall confesse communicate or being a Priest shall besides his masse say deuoutely one Pater noster or one Aue Mary for the Catholick Church or for the holy Father or for the King of France or for the peace of France or for the conuersion of Heretikes or other sinners shal haue for euery time he doth this a plenarie indulgence and remission of al his sins so as he haue about him one of these holy beades grains or Crucifixes And what if one want all these trumperies shal he not haue forgiuenesse if he do truly beleeue and repent Oh when wil Babylon be ashamed of such abhomination 3. Whosoeuer shall kisse one of these beads c. with deuotion shal haue for euery time he doth so ten yeares of pardon 4. Whosoeuer hath one of them about him and praieth for the successe of the Catholick Romish religion or for the K. of France shall be so oft as he doth so partaker of al the Sacrifices Prayers Fasts and other good workes done in any Abby as well as if he were a particular member of the same society 5. Hee that hath one of these about him if hee bee in danger of death or in the battel or in any place where he cannot go to confession and shall with contritioÌ„ but repeate these words Lord Iesus receiue my spirit or name the holy name Iesus shal haue forgiuenesse of all his sinnes and be discharged both à poena à culpa * His holinesse graunts that these indulgences shall be good for all men and in all places but conditionally that those that be not French-men shal pray for the King and Realme of France Except alwaies the holie Beades for those are limited to belong onely to France and to bee good to none but onely French men Imprinted at Rome with licence c. I haue named some but not all look for the rest in the book but in them all let it be obserued that there is not the least mention of faith in Christ nor once so much as the name of it nor any relation to Christ nor his holy merits No these are well if they may be vnderstood and yet these men if they be not Atheists doe knowe that all these their large promises are but winde and their Indulgences but fome and froth if there be not liuely faith and true repentance and if these bee in a man then let vs see that Pope Cardinall or other Papist who dare say that hee shal not haue full remission that neuer saw nor touched one of their blessed beades nor hallowed Graines Thus we see how farre Babylon is from being healed in this point The twelfth and last wound concerning the first Table shal be coÌ„cerning the Sacraments both which are horribly peruerted profaned by Romish doctrine and practice The twelfth wound FIrst 23 The 13. wound The popish Church baptizeth Belles Baptisme is profanely applied not to reasonable creatures onelie men and women according to the Institution e Mat. 28. 19. but euen to an vnreasonable dead creature For example they vse to baptize bels in most points so as Christians do children in som points with much more ceremony and solemnity Bellarmin is ashamed of it would willingly hide and couer it tho he cannot cure it but if hee were not a Cardinal a Iesuite he would be
much bragge of seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousand soules out of purgatorie in one yeare Certainely if these be true as they be written then granting that there is a purgatory it might soone be emptied But if it bee false fabulous and friuolous and hath no other end but to mock poore people and to suck out their siluer then what a Religion is that which maintaines such dealings especially seeing this is not the deede of any priuate men but of the Popes themselues nor a few but euen all since Boniface the eight Thus we haue searched deep into a foule and filthy wound Now what remaines but to see if it bee healed yet or no. 20 The tenth wound not healed but groweth more desperate and deadly to this day But alas Babylon will not be healed for as they feared not to put these tricks vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe in the times of superstition so haue they presumed euen still in these daies of light to do the like And as the whoore is shamelesse in her sinne so is this whore of Babylon in her impiety for she hath not at all amended this enormity nor in any sort reformed it but rather lets it grow from bad to worse For euidence whereof let any man read Onuphrius Pauvinius z Vide Oauphrium Pauuinium de praecipuis vrbis Romae sanctioribus bâ—silicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo vocant Colon. 1584. passim who not past 24. yeares ago hath written with publike authority a booke to this very purpose of the seuen principal Churches of Rome and of the indulgences belonging to them wherin al that is deliuered before is auerred much more added some part whereof I would put downe saue for that it may be reserued to a further purpose and fitter opportunity And for better euidence that as yet she hath not so shee purposeth neuer to heale vp this wound within these two yeares they haue allowed published with authoritie the pilgrimage or voyages of Seigneur Villamont a Les voyages du Sâ—â—de Villamont diuisez enâ—trois livies derniere edition reueuce augmeÌ„â—ee c. A. Arâ—as 1605. vide inter alia ibrum 1 cap. 12. c. one of the Gentlemen of the French Kings Chamber wherein the poore deceiued Gentleman out of his superstitious deuotion hauing visited all those Churches and made himselfe as he saith blessed by being partaker of all the indulgences thereto belonging hauing ascended those holie staires to euerie steppe whereof belong a thousand yeeres of pardon after all returning home at last much poorer but nothing wiser then hee went he wrote a book of his voyage and pilgrimage to Ierusalem and taking Rome in his way he describes at large the Indulgences granted of old and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome Which book being written in French whosoeuer list to reade will soon confesse that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed The eleuenth Wounde ANd heerunto I will adde another wound because it is so neer to this in popish consangâ—inity 21 The eleueÌ„th wound Granting of Indulgences thousands of yeares and deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory to Beades Medals Crosses Pictures such like toyes being blessed hallowed by the Popes holy hands The wiser sort of Popes the rest of the craftier polititians in that hierarchie perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth many of them being so far distant could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome therfore lest they should lose their traffick into those parts they deuised a way that seeing a greate part of the world could not come to Rome Rome should send to them To which end out of his bounty and spirituall liberality for the incredible good of mens soules the Pope ordained that certaine Crucifixes and Medalls and Agnus dei b The principall of all these toyes iâ— the Agnus dei which euery one may not make but onely the Pope not he alwaies but onely at Eâ—â—â—â—nor at euery Easter but the first next his entrance and euery seauenth Easter after nor of any matteâ— â—â—â—in any manner but precisely of such simples with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that purpose which together with the prayers or rather coniurations then to be vsed are to be seene in the booke called Caeremoniale poÌ„tif lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke let him looke in the Commentaries of Peter Mathew vppon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit the 1. and holy Beades and other such â—ewels should bee first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse and haue all the holinesse powred vpon them that hee can spare and further should haue annexed vnto them all those mighty Indulgences or the like that are graunted vnto the Churches stations at Rome and by this meanes they could sell an Agnus dei that is a little peece of white waxâ— or a Crucifixe of a little metall it may be brasse or copper such as the Iesuites of late sent into England by thousands at once as good inough to serue the English Catholickes or a little medal or a little beade or bugle or other matter of no more value these toyes and trinkets I say they can sell by this meanes and euery daie doe vtter at a higher rate then the Ieweller can his pearles or his diamonds Thus did not only the former Popes gull the people of elder ages in those times of ignorance making them beleeue that these toyes so hallowed and blessed by them were of such vertue as Christs bloud it selfe could be of no more as one of them sending an Agnus dei to an Emperour shamed not to write to him that This Agnus dei breakes off sinnes euen as the bloud of Christ But euen in these times of light and knowledge these owles dare still flie abrdade and euen of late nay euery yeere the Pope shameth not to sette his trumperies to sale annexing vnto theÌ„ such large and liberall Indulgences as Christs owne bloud can haue no more 22 The eleuenth wound not healed I could insist vpon late and notorious examples practised euen at home and vpon our owne Nation but I spare them at this time because the proofs thereof tho neuer so certaine to vs are not so authenticall to theÌ„ as bee these two examples I shal now produce one of them touching Poland the other France For Poland Not many yeares agoe 22 The eleuenth wound not healed Pope Clement the eight granted as followeth as is to bee seene in printed coppies d Vide libiuÌ„ inscriptum Eâ—uangelâ—um â—omanum edit anno 1600. Indulgences graunted by the Holinesse of our most Holy Father Pope Clement the eight At The Instance of the most Illustrious and most reuerend Lord Cardinall Radziuillius Bishop of Cracowe and Legate in Polande Vnto Certaine Holy Beades Crosses Medals and Images 1. Whosoeuer hauing one of these holie beades
Church for of late Clement the eight pretending to haue the Pontificall reuiewed reformed caused it to be printed at Rome before his face l Vide Pontificale Romaâ—um Clementis 8. Pont. Max. iusâ—u restitutum atque ed tum Romae 1895. et legatur eiusdem Clementis Constitutio ibid. praefixa pro eiusdem libri authoritate approbatione by his authority in a faire letter with most goodly pictures and indeed many things are left that might make against the Pope and many added that may make for him But as for this blasphemie and abuse of Gods holy Sacrament it stands vntouched vnaltered and allowed for a good and Catholicke practice in euerie particular as I haue afore set it downe and in manie more Oh BABYLON BABYLON when wilt thou be healed The other sore of this wounde is touching the Lords Supper 25 The other sore of the 12. wound That though Christ ordained the contrary yet it is not necessary for ChristiaÌ„s of the Laitie to haue the sacrament in both kinds but onely the bread not the Cup. which they maime and mangle sacrilegiously taking the Cuppe from the whole Laitie This wound is not very deepe for it is not olde but it is wide for it is generall and it is a foule one for it maimeth the Sacrament and crosseth Christs owne Institution They were a hatching it somtime before but at last the monster was brought foorth in the Councell of Constance when they decreed thus m Concil CoÌ„stant sess 13. That notwithstanding Christ ordained the SacrameÌ„t in both kinds and tho the eldest Church did so receiue it yet for all that this custom is lawfully laudably brought into the Church that the laitie shal receiue but in one kinde onely that whosoeuer shal hold the contrary shal be proceeded against as heretikes all Priests are commanded vnder paine of excommunication that they giue not the Cuppe to the laitie and they that do and recant not shall be punished as heretikes This wound hath Bellarmine and other of the craftier sort of them sought to couer but not to cure it would satisfie a man in this point tho he wauered before to see how slily and superficially he deales in this questioÌ„ n Bellar. de sacraÌ„ Euchar. lib. 4. cap. 26. tom 3. This abuse is so horrible the iniurie to the Sacrament the wrong to the laitie so notorious the absurditie and impiety of the practise so without all colour of defence that if they were not without grace and past hope of recouery such as haue resolued to amend nothing they wold haue reformed this long agoe But heerby it is apparant they are plain States-men Politicians who haue nothing els in their head but to maintain the height of their hierarchie Maiesty of their Monarchy Euen this one particular is sufficient to make demonstration hereof seeing they wil not amend that which they see know to be coÌ„trary to Christs Institution and whereof many of the better sort of themselues are vtterly ashamed But it is so farre from being healed at all that it is rather worse worse 26 The latter sore of the 12 wound not yet healed hut spreades further Looke in their newe edition of the Councells this last yeere and there is no reformation of this euil o Vide postremam edit CoÌ„cil per BininuÌ„ Colon. 1â—06 Concil Constant sess 13. in 2. parte tomi terâ—ii p. 1589. no plaister laid vpon this sore not so much as a marginall note to qualifie the Non-obstante to Christs Institution but rather all is made worse then it was afore in the former and elder impressions Nay it is so farre from being healed that contrariwise it is made dayly a wider deeper wound For now it is made in that Church a sinne against the first Commandement of the morall law for a man to receiue the Sacrament in both kindes p Vide libruÌ„ inscriptuÌ„ ExcercitiuÌ„ pietatis in gratiam studiosorum autâ—ritate Cardinalis Radzivilii scriptum editum Colon 92. in cap. de methodo rectè confitendi So then seeing we know Christ appointed it in both kindes and now the Romish Church prohibites it vnder paine of mortall sin alas what hope is there that this Church will euer bee reformed that condemnes the obedience to Christs institution and commandement as a deadly sinne Let vs now proceed to such wounds as may bee more properly referred to the second Table of the morall lawe The thirteenth Wound TOuching wilfull murder it hath beene their doctrine and practice since the misty times of ignorance that 27 The 13. wound That it is lawfull to haue sanctuaries for wilfull murder Churches Churchyards and Bishops houses some such other places be sanctuaries that is places for refuge for the offender vnto which if he do flie and settle himselfe he cannot nor may not be prosecuted by course of lawe and iustice but is there safe as long as it pleaseth the Cleargie to retaine him Thus writeth Pope Innocent the 3. in his Decretalls to the King of Scotland who in those euil daies poore man held himselfe not of power to punish malefactors of his owne kingdome that had taken sanctuarie vntill he had sent to the Pope for his aduise q Corp. Iuris Canonici Decretal li. 3. tit 49. cap. 6. To your question Sir saith the Pope I answere thus If he that hath taken sanctuarie be a freeman then is he not to be takeÌ„ violently out of the Church not tho he haue committed neuer so grieuous crimes neither may he be condemned thereupon either to death or otherâ—punishment but the Clergiâ— and gouernours of that Church are to obtaine for him libertie and safety of life limme c. Some may here obiect that afterward in the decretall he makes exception of some crimes true of night robbers but not of murderers Neither was this proper to Italie or to Scotland but the generall sore of al nations In England we had manie but especially 3. most famous sanctuaries One at Beuerley in Yorke-shire erected by K Athelstane where in the Church was set a chaire of stone and this inscription written ouer it This stone chaire is called Freedstoole that is the chaire r Vide BritaÌ„niaÌ„ Camdeni in Com. Ebor. of peace whereunto if one that is guilty doe fly and sit in it he shall haue all-sufficient security Another at Battel Abbie in Sussex where the Conquerer wonne the victorie and in memory thereof building that Abby hee endowed it with the popes consent amongst others with this priuiledge s Vide eundeÌ„ Camdenum in com Sussex If any theefe or Murderer or any other malefactour whatsoeuer his fault bee for feare of death doe flie and come to this Church he shal not be hurt by any meanes but shall bee dismissed and let goe againe with safety and freedome And further it shal be lawful for the
bee much more cleane and pure then afore al manner of filthy gaines are accepted and taken how vile so euer they be and whencesoeuer they come Thus all gaine is sweete al rent welcome to the Pope tho it come froÌ„ whores so true a frend to stews and whores is the whore of Babylon But wil some say this might be so in the elder times that were of more liberty because al was quiet but now since Luther rose the Church hath bin wakened by heretikes this wound is healed No this wound is not healed as I will proue by their late and moderne writers 30 The 14. wouÌ„d not healed for the Romish religion doctrine and practise tolerate stewes still Nauarrus one of their greatest Canonists of this last age one whom the popes held worthy to bee cald to Rome for his continual aduise direction m Martinus Azpâ—l Nauar. Hisp. Iuris canonici scieÌ„tis idemque theolog insignis c. Haec Possâ—â— in apparatu sac tom 2. lit M. deals very plainly in this matter and saith that n Nau ManuaÌ„l c. 17. nu 195. It is lawful for the magistrate to permit whores and stewes to be in some conuenient part of the city And in some places he saith that patroÌ„s officers are appointed for them and houses are let rented to them deerer then to honest women And hee confeâ—â—eth that in Rome houses are daylie let out to whoors the Pope both seeing it suffring it and that of long time it hath been so And that the confessors do absolue and so haue euer done those Land-lords so disposing of their houses to whores yea thogh they haue no purpose to abstain from letting them to these vile persons See heere a peece of spanish deuotion modesty Surely no maruell though this man were sent for from Spain to Rome for it seemes by this doctrin he was for the Popes tooth much more for his Cardinalls Alphonsus Viualdus another learned Spaniarde wrote a booke of matters of conscience not long agoe of so greate account amongst them that they call it the golden Candlesticke It hath been often printed and within these 7. yeares was by the popes speciall commission purged and reprinted hee writes thus o Martinus Alphonsus Vivaldus the olâ— Iuris canon professor poenitentiarius maior c. In Candelabro aureo tit de Confessione numero 60. First he makes a question whether in the yeerly excommunication pronouÌ„ced by the Bishop against theÌ„ that do not confess communicate whores in the stewes be comprehended or no and hee resolueth that they be not tho they neither confesse nor do communicate and giues his reasons 1. For that whores in the Romish Church be neuer published nor denounced excommunicate 2. No man refuseth their companie notwithstanding that yeerely excommunication and concludeth further that though one continue a whore for twentie yeeres long yet doth shee not incurre the Censâ—ures of the Romish Church Oh excellent doctrine and fit for the Romish Church but al this wil some say is salued by this that followeth Nay coÌ„trariwise say I the wound is made worse by the craft of that that followeth obserue the subtilty and iniquity of Romish teachers for this is done saith hee in detestation of their ill life the Church doth so detest their manner of life that shee will not thinke them worthy of her censures oh notable shift are they too bad to be punished and not too bad to be suffered doth the Romish Clergy think them so vile that way yet allow them see the iniquity filthines of this religion Thus its apparant by the great Confessor Viualdus that the Romish Church excommunicats not common whoores nor them that go to them another as greate a Clark as himselfe saith it is the common opinion p lac de Graffijs tom 1. lib 1 cap 9. art 8. 9. But yet to shew better that this wound is not healed harke a little what the grand penitentiary Iacobus de Graffijs saith q Iacobus de Graffiis decisaur cas cons. tom 1. lib. 2. cap. 75. art 3. et 4. pag 348. But if fornication be a sinne then why doth the Church her â—elfe permit stewes consequently fornication which is a mortall sinne I answer saith he that the Church sometime tolerateth a lesse euill present that she may auoide a greater euil to come that is probable to fall out and this hee proues out of the Canon law and so concludes that the Church doth tolerate stewes and whores to auoide greater sinnes not approuing the sinne of fornication but by conniuence or dissimulation tolerates it that so shee may restraine and keepe yoong men from adulteries incests and other crimes of that kind then he goeth further to proue his conclusion which he doth out of the practise of heathen lawgiuers by the ciuile law would proue it out of the Fathers and then to make vp the measure of his iniquitie he addeth that the law doth so far foorth tolerate fornications in stewes that it takes order to compell the whoores to refuse no man if he offer her her pay the words are too bad to be repeated in english And to shew that he is a true child of that Babylon that wil neuer be healed that hee is as gracelesse in this point as his mother afterward in his 2. tome which he put out in his more mature yeeres he hath againe the same doctrine in as ill or worse words r Idem Graffius ibid. tom 2. li. 3. c. 28. art 36. And to conclude the better to encourage women to be whores and the better to please their carnall wicked mindes Cardinall Tollet a Iesuite out of his Iesuitical modesty and his Cardinallike respect to the stewes deliuers this doctrine s FraÌ„ Tolletus Ies. Cardinall Instructio sacerdotum lib. 5. cap. 17. art 3 That Whores taking money of men for their sin be they maried or vnmaried tho it be neuer somuch aboue their due are not bound to restore any of it againe if it be once giuen them and giues a reason for it because saith hee this action is not against iustice c. Certainly the stewes are much beholden to Cardinal Tollet for this doctrine but what Iustice modesty and the Church and the truth and God himselfe do owe him for it hee feeles afore this time except he repented t Obijt Tolletus Romae 1596 Thus it is the present doctrin of the Romish Church that she alloweth stewes by publick toleration to auoide greater euills and censureth not the whores for it nay ties them by a lawe to refuse no man and tyes men by a law to pay the hire and for this ende allowes them Courts Iudges and Officers and takes part of the benefit arising Now that their practice is according to this doctrine I appeale to all that haue trauelled in those parts where poperie reigneth as
Bernardus Morlanensis he wrote three bookes of the contempt of the world in an artificiall kind of Poetry but much more artificially describing and zealously deploring the sinfulnesse of the Romish Church and state in those daies from the head to the foote describing particulaâ—lie their adulteries drunkennesse ambition idlenesse dissimulation deceits cosenages murders whooredomes of all estates then particularly for their Clergie their ignorance and negligence their Sodomie their Simonie and other corruptions in attaining places in the Church and then at last comming to Rome it selfe so layes open the filthinesse of the whoore of Babylon as it is doubtfull whether her sinfulnesse be more hateful then his boldnesse is admirable Let him that would be able to answere all their false slanders which they lay to the charge and disgrace of Protestant Churches and to retort vpon themselues their obiection of the liues of our Professors and he that would see the Church and state of Rome in her her owne naturall colours let him I say reade but that one Author who beside that hee is Manuscript in many Libraries was also published at Amsterdam or somewhere neere thereabouts this present yeare 1607. And after he hath discouered her corruptions and layd open her sinnes from head to foote then he vrgeth her vehemently to repentance and reformation which because he seeth no hope of but that still shee falleth from euill to worse therefore hee denounceth Gods iudgements against her and assures her that vengeance ruine and destruction shall fall vpon her Some part of his owne words I haue heere put downe in Latine but not in English because the sinnes hee laieth against her are such as some of them are better vnnamed then reprooued What can they say to it Is he some fained and forged new found Author deuised by some of vs or was he some late writer hired by Luther or suborned by Caluine to raile on the pope or poperie Nay Posseuine the Iesuite confesseth in the place aforenamed and if he did not it is well enough knowne by other good and ancient records he was a professed Monke and liued aboue foure hundred yeeres ago therefore his testimonie in this case is beyond exception Now whether these wounds and corruptions in the Romish Church and state were healed in the subsequent ages or no if any man doubt let him looke vpon the Authors named afore who liued in the ages succeeding one after another Gualterus Mapus and their Saint Brigid not much more then a hundred yeeres after him about 100. yeeres after them Bonauenture and Wicklieffe about a hundred yeeres after them Gerson Clemangius Vincentius others these if any man look vpon he shall see that those wounds stood vnhealed and those corruptions vnreformed vntill we come to the yeere 1500 namely to this last age of all and though Posseuine malitiously conceale the name of Gualter Mapes because he is too plaine yet he cannot deny but many whereof some hee nameth d Posseu Appar sac toÌ„ 2. lit I. Iacobus Iunterbeck German Carthus anno 1460. scripsit auisamentum ad papam pro reformatione Ecclesiae c. did in all ages write to the Pope for reformation and tolde him plainelie what would follow if hee did not reforme the Church Now what good all these men could doe and what reformation followed at last let a pope himselfe speake one of the honestest hearts that euer had the hindrance to be a Pope Adrian the 6. the best that was these many yeeres and of whome if it bee possible of any there was expectation of some reformation in the Church for as Peter Mathew in his life confesseth hee was not so proud nor couetous as most of them are e Petr. Matthaeus in CoÌ„mentâ— suis ad papales coÌ„stitut de Adriano 6. How hee found the Romish Church when he came to it and how hee left it at his sudden taking from it iudge by his owne pitifull and passionate speech which hee commanded his Nuntio to deliuer from him and in his name to the assembly of the States of Germanie in their Imperiall parliament about the yeer 1522. These be his words as Epencaeus a learned Bishop of their owne reporteth Tell them from vs that we freely confesse God hath sent this trouble and affliction vpon the Church for the sinnes of men and especially of Priests and prelats from whose sinnes the scriptures are plaine be deriued the sinnes of the people therefore our Sauiour about to heale and reforme Ierusalem a diseased citie first enters into the Temple that first of all he may correct the sinnes of the Clergy especially concerning buying the good Physition who begins to heale a wound at the roote and bottome We know that for many yeeres there haue beene many abhominations eueÌ„ in this holy Apostolike seat abuses in the cariage of maters spiritual excessiue enormities in our commadements in a word all things turned topsy turuy from ill to worse and no maruell if the disease grow froÌ„ the head into the members that is froÌ„ the popes into common persons I confess all we that is all prelats of the Clergy haue gone out of the way each one into our owne waies neither hath there been of a long time any that did good therefore there is good reason that wee all giue glory to God humble our selues euâ—Ì„ our soules vnto him let each one of vs remember whence we are fallen and rather iudge our selues then stand to be iudged of God in his wrath and furie Wherein for our parts make promise in our name that we will giue all diligence that first of all this our Court of Rome may be reformed from which it is likely al this mischiefe hath proceeded that so health reformation may begin there to the good example of al whence the corruption first bred and spred to the ill example and hurt of all To the furtherance and effecting of which happie reformation wee hold our selues so much the more straitly obliged by how much the more earnestly we see the whole world to expect desire it These were the wordes of this good man too good to be a Pope at least too good to be long a Pope for after that hee had so much forgot himselfe and his papall dignity and the honor of his Apostolicall seate which cannot erre nor doe amisse as hee like a foole confessed to graunt that not the Church alone but the holy Court of Rome did need reformation forthwith there was order taken that hee should not trouble the world nor disgrace his place any longer for shortly after he died and for his sake they prouided that their seate should neuer bee so far abused abased againe by any plaine hearted Northren man Since AdriaÌ„ haue bin 15. Popes but all Italians making sure from that day to this that the Popedom should not be trusted out of the hands of an Italian lest hee should euer haue a thought of reformation For