a good Poet hee might in as good verses haue giuen all the honour to Christ as he deserueth Therefore my deare country-men bee no longer seduced by a Religion so fraught with Atheisme blasphemie impiety doe but looke into the Scriptures Counsels or Fathers yea aske the honestest learnedst of your owne Religion or any except Iesuits or such other like them who frame a religion to their owne purposes If this be tollerable Diuinity that the milke of the Virgin doth clense mans soule from sin as well as Christ his bloud If it bee not Diuinity but Blasphemy no Christian Doctrine but impiety and yet suffered yet approued in the Romane Church both by doctrine and practice then returne to that truth and holy Religion which out of Gods word and according to the purest antiquity is established amongst vs and with heart and voice ioyne with vs to imbrace and say Amen to that holy doctrine of blessed St. Iohn who saith it is Iesus Christ Reuel 1 56. that loued vs and washed vs from our sins in his own bloud to him be glory for euer and euer Amen This was his Religion this is ours oh that it were yours also he sucked this diuinity out of that blessed brest of Gods Sonne whereon he leaned and if hee had Iâ—h 13. 23. sucked thence this diuinity of the Iesuites that the virgin Mary washed vs from our sinnes by her milke surely he would neuer haue concealed it from vs nor haue depriued her of the honour nor vs of the comfort that thereby might accrew both to her and vs for he was her sonne by her owne adoption yea her Sonne by the gift and nomination of her sonne and Sauiour yea her Sonne in loue duty and all respectiuenesse could hee then or would he in any sort obscure her due glory would he giue too much to her sonne and too little to her would he giue all that to her sonne which in part was hers can this may this or dare this be immagined by any Iesuit If not then how dare they extend their deuotion beyond his ascribe that to her which he neuer did yea that to her which he appropriates to Iesus Christ If they thinke that Peter had more deuotion then Iohn hearken then what he saith Iesus Christ his owne 1. Pet. 2. 24. selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree let the words be Pondered Iesus Christ saith hee bare our sinnes true say they but so did the Virgin Mary also No saith Peter he himselfe his owne selfe bare them yea in his body he bare them in his body say they that is true but hee beares them in his mysticall body in his members much more therefore in his mother which is more then many members of his body nay saith St. Peter hee bare our sinnes his owne selfe in his body but what body euen that body that was on the Tree therefore if St. Peter preach true diuinity then is this doctrine of your teacher hainous blasphemy All that may bee imagined for their defence at the best is this that all this is but poeticall hyperbolicall or proceedes from the passion height of deuotion but that in truth and earnest he ascribes all to Christ to his bloud makes his prayers to him and puts the confidence of his heart in him alone but least any man should haue the least suspition of him this way or thinke so good a thought of him he deales yet more plainely and to preuenr all such thoughts and obiections he makes his prayer both to the Mothâ—r and the Sonne without any difference in the world to the one for her milke to the other for his bloud for thus hee saith Ergo parens et nati meis advertiâ—e votis Lac peto depereo sanguinem vt rumque volo That is Mother and Sonne giue eare to what I craue I beg this milke that bloud and both would haue Heere is plaine dealing it is not the Sonne and his bloud that will serue his turne hee must also haue the Mother and her milke is not this good catholike doctrine and deuotion but further is not this strange to see how he marshalls them in the order of his iudgement and affection he prayeth to the mother and the sonne but first to the mother hee will haue both milke and bloud but first milke thus Mary hath the precedence of Christ and her milke of his bloud But you will say it is not that hee so esteemes them in his iudgement but only for the necessity of of the verse the answere is that a grammer scholler can soone shew how the verse is as good and giue Christ his precedence as it is doing him this wrong Ergo Nate parensque meis aduertite votis But he still keeping Christ in wardship and vnder age held it not fit that he should haue the place before his Mother onely and therefore without all necessity euen wittingly and wilfully he puts Christ in the second place But now let vs hasten to an end of this if it be not endlesse and bottomlesse impiety Vpon these fearefull premises thus he proceedes Paruule maternis medius qui ludis in vluis Et tua iam comples vbera iam vacuas Quid me respectas obliqua tuentibus hirquis Roboris in Coelum pilhabet inuidia Saepe quidem dixti noxis offensus iniquis Tune me as mammas Improbe tune me as Nolo tuas ô nolo tuas puer auree mammas Non sunt tam duri tam grauis or is homo Sed tantum lateris pluat vnica vnica stilla Et saltem a dextrae vulnere gutta pluat Se nihil è dextra vis impluere implue laeuâ— Si nihil è laeua de pede sanguis eat Si tibi non placio vulnus mihi vulnera danto Mercedem danto vulnera si placeo That is Youngling that in thy mothers armes art playing Sucking her brests sometimes and sometimes staying Why dost thou view me with that looke of scorne It s forcelesse Enuy that gainst thee is borne Oft hast thou said being angry at my sinne Darest thou desire the teates my foode lies in I will not oh I dare not Noble child Duty from me is not so far exild But one euen one poore drop I doe implore From thy right hand or side I aske no more If neither from thy left hand let one fall Nay from thy foote rather then none at all Dost thou dislike me let thy wounds me wound But pay my due if I in grace be found Now from blasphemy he proceedes to plaine Atheisme not fearing to expose the greatest mysteries of Christian faith and euen our blessed Sauiour himselfe to the rediculous scornefull contempt of prophane men Speaking vnto Christ God câ—aequall with the father and whose very humanity raineth now in glory at Gods right hand as to a seely Infant in his mothers armes and to him whose very humanity is fedde with the glorious presence and
THE IESVITES GOSPELL VVritten by themselues Discouered and published by W. Crashaw B. of Diuinity and preacher at White-chappell The second Impression Corrected and enlarged by the Author LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop and are to be sold at his house being the next house to Saint Annes Church 1621. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR William Cockaine the now Lord Maior and Sir Francis Iones Lord Maior Elect of the ancient and honorable City of London and to the reuerend and renowned assembly the Court of Aldermen The spirit of Wisdome Truth Zeale and vnity be multipied IT is well knowne to the learned and many your selues right Honorable Worshipful that the Iesuits the Popes best and dearest sonnes haue not yet troubled the world a hundred yeeres for the Pope that to his owne hurt excommunicated Henry the 8. against his will called the conuentikle of Trent established also the order of the Iesuits a Paul the 3. in the yeare 1540. allowed and established the order of the Iesuits being begun by these 10. named in the Bull. Ignatius Loyalâ— Petrus Faber Iacoâ—â—â— Laynes Claudius Iaiâ—â— Paschaâ— Broet Francisâ— Xauieâ— Alphon. Salmeron Simon Rodericus Ioanneâ— Coduis Nich. Bobadilla restrained their number to 60. but 30. yeare after in another Bull hâ—â— inlarged theÌ„ to as mâ—ny as they could get what their order is what their vowes be and what their Religion you may know out of the booke called the Iesuites Rule What seruice they haue done their Master the Pope all men guesse wise men know and all Nations in Christendome feele to their paine more or lesse And how sensible the Pope is of their seruice apeares in that the first 5. Popes in their time in recompence therof haue bestowed no lesse then 36 b See the book calleâ— Regula Iesuitica â— printâ— at Rome 1580. and sineâ— at Lyons and obseruâ— wisely some of theâ— rules and you shall find that the present state of a great part of Christendome is a large coment vpon the Iesuites rule Buls or Charters of Priuiledges vpon the society besides some which we shal neuer know of euery one coÌ„firming or inlarging another and the later yeelding more ample graces and fauours then the former Now if in their first 40. yeres being the timeâ— of their infancy they were able to deserue so well what seruice may we thinke haue they performed and how great thanks haue they receiued of the latter popes in these last 30. yeeres of their age when they are come to strength and ripenesse for tho Sixtus 5. c See the book called Literae Apostolicae quibus Institutio confirmatio priuilegia soc Iesu continentur printed at Rome 1587. being as wicked wily as themselues perceiuing their plots and discouering their deepest drifts vsed them accordingly and not only gaue them nothing he could keep from them but intended also d Watson in his quodlibers confesseth as much but this matter hath better proofe then Watson the restrayning or ruinating of their order had not they done as much for him as he entended theÌ„ yet he and Paul the 4. only excepted for it was ill halting before 2. such criples they can hardly name a Pope that liued a yeere of whom they receiued not such fauours as may well testifie to the world the great account the Pope makes of them And will you know the reason their deuotion their doctrine their deedes do merrit it at his hands what their particular deuotion to the Pope is appeares by the vow which they aboue all other Regulars make to the Pope of present and absolute obedience e See the book called Constitutiones Romanorum Pontif. per Petrum Matthaeum â—ugduni 1588 amongst the Constitutions of Paul the 3. in the third constiâ—ution pag. 305. there be the words of this vow to do whatsoeuer he should command them to goe whethersoeuer he should send them to Turkes Insidels Heretickes without excuse denyall or delay Their deedes for the Pope are answerable to their deuotion towards him for these 50. yeeres haue they vpheld Popery f Solâ—aue diuers Popes confessed in the preambles of the Buls granted to the Iesuits especially Paul the 3. in his third Bul anno 45. in his 5. an 49. Iulius the 3. in his first and Pius the 4. in his first and others as far as wit and learning nay as farre as craft and cruelty can vphold it which without them had vtterly râ—inated as notwithstanding it shortly will and they with it doe what they can They haue pickt out the finest yong wits of the world g these be their words in the regula Iesuitica cap. 3. reg â—4 Inepta turba ad institutum nostrú admitti non potest and so trained them vp that the Pope shal neuer want instruments to kill Kings to subuert states to patch vp a peace or to breake leagues as he thinks good let but the Diuel deuise it the Pope command it and forthwith the Iesuits will find him shall execute it Moreouer what they haue attempted for the Pope in England Scotland Hungary Bohemia Venice and the Low-Countries what they haue performed for him in France and Poland how they rule raigne in Spaine Italy who so blind as sees not Buâ—â—s this all they haue done Nay they scatter themselues like Locusts ouer all the world and with the Frogs of Hgypt creepe into great mens houses and first seduce the silly women and not so content worke themselues into the fauours at least into the Courts Coaches counsels of Princes diuing into mens consciences counsels by the stratagems of their confession and after into their purses estates by benefit of their absolution h many orders of Friers many popish nations haue complained of the Iesuites in these espects lastly into the conceits of the Vulgar by an hypocriticall austerity and dissembled deuotion they haue hereby gained more to the Pope their Lord and Master then all the Romish Clergie in the world besides But is this yet all nay that the Pope may seeme to haue a good cause and not to do all things by a strong hand they haue taken a course to make all writers in the world speake for him an attempt which the former ages suspected not and the future will scarce beleeue for some bookes they prohibite and extinguish and make it damnable to open them the rest be they old or new printed or manuscript they alter adde and take away i For the first see their â—ook called Index liâ—rorum prohibitorum â—et out by authority of seuerall Popes And for the second see the books called Indices librorum expurgandorum printed in Belgia Italy and spaine as also Gregorij Capuccini Enchiridion Ecclesiasâ—icum and Posseuine the Iesuit his apparatus sacer till they haue suckt out the sweetenesse and purged out all the goodnesse and taken out all testimonies of the truth insomuch as if they had not
are registred by Lipsius besides many more omitted and all to be done in 2. or 3. yeares insomuch as if his report be true God makes miracles farre more ordinary for the honour of Saints and their Images then he did for confirming the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles But what credit hath the Story of our Lady of Sichem euen as good as hath our Lady of Hall else let the Reader iudge The tale of the â—â—age of craggy Hill Neere to the little poore but old towne of Sichem saith Lipsius there is a mount barren rough and craggy on oue side thereof there is a little Hillocke on it growes an Oake and in it or fastned to it is a little Image of our Lady which hath done great miracles in time past and was therefore worshipped of the people there but how is that proued thus about 100 yeares agoe a Shepheard found that Image and put it in his bosome thinking to carry it home to worship it but as he was in these thoughts he was sodainely strucken and astonisht in his sences benummed in his whole body insomuch as he could not stirre one foote but stood stil like a dead trunke not knowing what to thinke of it nor how to helpe himselfe his Mr. wanting both his shepheard and his sheepe sought them and found him so standing who told him the whole matter his Mr. taking the Image went with great deuotion and set it vp in the Oake againe and forthwith the shepheard had his limbs restored went worshipped it and so by their reports all the country heard of it who came by heaps were healed of all diseases but agues especially and so it continued saith he til within these 20. yeares about which time the blessed Image was stolne or lost no man can tell how But is it not strange that if it could doe these Miracles they would let it be lost so carelesly well lost it was But what tho people went as fast then as afore and still as great cures were there done as when the Image was there and in want of the Image the people worshipped the Oake why might they not say Lipsius the holy Image had hallowed the Tree so that it might lawfully bee worshipped be hold Popish deuotion yet saith he wee worshipped not the Tree but in it the Image and in it our Lady in her God Marke good Reader God gets his worship at last though it be at the fourth hand they tender it to the tree the tree yeelds it to the Image the Image conueyes to our Lady and she presents it to God so then by Popish doctrine and deuotion God is serued and honoured after his creatures and so at last gets his own If they say that the worship is intended to God is not ended but in him I answere but were it not better that the worship were offred immediately from the heart and hands of the worshipper to God himselfe and to passe through no hands but of his Sonne the Mediator but this is Heresie let it passe or else it must passe the fire To returne to the story our Lady of Sichem is lost but what then must the poore towne loose her traffick and liuing Nay rather wee will make another for that is no hard nor vnlawfull thing in that Religion and so saith he 7. yeares after an honest and deuout Alderman of Sichem perceiuing well how his and his neighboures gaines came in and how the poore towne liued like a good townesman made another Image put it in a boxe of wood and fastened the Boxe to the Oake that so their Lady might not bee lost so carelesly as afore This new Image thus made did as many miracles as the other and why should it not for was it not as good as the other nay it may be it was more curiously carued and Alwayes remembred that I meane not in any of these syeeches the blessed virgin whom as I holâ— a blessed Saint in heauen so I present her with all the honour that may be giuen to a creature But I meane Lipsius his Lady of Sichem or our Lady of Hall better wrought Thus it continued certaine yeares till at last the Parish Priest perceiuing they began to be well customed bestowed some cost on their Lady which got them so much that they built her a little Chappell of boords there placed her But still their custome growing greater they shewed themselues thankefull to their patronesse as she fild their purses they sought her honour and built her a faire chappell of stone some 2. yeeres agoe and in that resteth the Image working miracles euery day But what become of the holy Oake it was cut away by pieces by deuout persons and carried away that it was in danger of falling and a counsell was called in the towne what were to be done with it as in so great a matter it is requisite and there after serious consideration it was grauely concluded that it should bee cut vp by the rootes with much solemnity brought into the towne of Sichem where when it came forthwith happy was he that could get a piece of the holy Wood whereof saith Lipsius and blusheth not to write it diuers made them little Images and with much piety do worship them others that were sicke of grieueous dieases shaued it into their drinke and drunke and so were healed See what an excellent Religion this is one Image hath begot many and the first Image being but fastned to the Tree so sanctified the whole Oake that euery Image made of the whole Tree should be as good as it selfe and euery crumme of the Wood should worke Miracles as fast as the Image did Loe here the History of our Lady of Sichem or of the sharp hill this legend is not Lipsius ashamed to thrust vpon the world for a true vndoubted story such are the times we be fallen into that to set fast the crowne vpon the Popes head truth must stand aside and lyes must passe for currant without controule and such a cause is Popery as cannot continue in credit before the people but by forging a continuall succession of lying wonders for now we are made beleeue that the Virgin Mary hath 2. Images within few miles together which haue done more miracles in a few yeares by-past then God himselfe did in the old or Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament Such Idols of indignation doth the Romish harlot aduance against the soueraigne maiesty of God to prouoke him withall for what is it but an Idoll of indignation that not a creature only but the very Image of a creature should be made pertaker of the diuine power and Maiesty of God The time was when Isaiah the Prophet durst say of Esay 42. 28 God I am the Lord this is my name and my glory I will not giue vnto another nor my praise to grauen Images but how soeuer that might be tollerable