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
be borne of a virgin If theÌ„ the Prophet had knowledge of her dareye say he wanted due deuotion and yet one of these you must say and for want of one of these you must condemne him who names none but Christ or else your selues who dare mixe her milke with his bloud But is this all No Illa mihi ad pestem Ista mihi ad febres One can heale spirituall pestilence the other spirituall Feuers see what difference there is by their religion betwixt her milke and his â—loud are not these men great and deuout honorers of Christ and his suffering that can finde other helpes to heale their soules besides his bloud But if it be thus that both can heale so wel how comes it to passe they haue so many sick soules in Popery euen sick of all spirituall diseases especially seeing by their owne doctrine and dayly practise it is apparant they can neither want the one nor the other of these 2. simples for first they say they make Christs bloud euery day then they haue bloud at hand continually If they say that the Laytie may not haue that but only their Priests who indeede drinke it vp all yet then they may take their Ladies milke whereof if themselues say true they haue so much in seuerall places as some that liued 100. yeares agoe doe write that Erasinus and others haue spoken more plainely and fully then I doe in those dayes it was more then a woman vpon one child can giue out though the child sucked none at all If that that is kept and shewed and worshipped in so many Cities of Italy France Spaine Germany bee not her milke then where is the truth and honesty of that Religion so to deceiue the world if it bee then why are their soules so full of spirituall diseases why are they not healed seeing this Iesuite teacheth that it will heale as well as Christs bloud as well as Christs bloud wil some say why do you them that wrong they are neuer so wicked to speake such blasphemy No then iudge by that which followeth Ira vomit flammas fumat que libidinis Aetna Suffocare queo Sanguine Lacte queo Liuor inexpleta rubigine saeuit in artus Detergere queo Lacte cruore queo Vanus honos me perpetua prurigine tentat Exaturare queo Sanguine Lacte queo That is Let Ire belch fire and lust like Aetna flame Choose either milke or blood doth quench the same Let Enuies rust canker my heart about This milke that bloud either will fetch it out Or do vaine glorious passions stuffe me still Either with milke or bloud the same I le kill Heere iudge and spare not without all partiallity whether that I said be not true that her milke will heale as well as Christs bloud and this they affirme not in generall tearmes but in plaine particulars if saith he Anger swell if Lust inflame me bloud will quench them so will milke are there two stronger passions two more conquering corruptions two more raging and raigning sinnes then Anger and Lust yet euen these two are quenched conquered by her milke as well as Christs bloud hearken ye Children of the Romish Sinagogue hearken I say what instruction your father giues you heare I pray but learne it not a creatures milke will clense your Soules from sin as well as your Sauiours bloud O spirit of error and blasphemy whether wilt thou goe O Romish impiety when wilt thou make an end wilt thou not cease till thou hast puld downe the fire of Gods fury from heauen vpon thee O Babilon we would haue healed thee but thou wilt not be healed Io 51. 9. for who can heale him that will needes kill himselfe so who can heale thee whose blasphemy hath wounded yet benummed thy heart gone ouer thy head is ascended vp to heauen in the presence of God crieth vengeance vpon thee as for you seduced soules my deare couÌ„try-men you who are deceiued with shewes of holinesse and deuotion behold heere a peece of Popish holinesse and of the doctrine of their deuotion that the sinnes of the soule are clensed and taken away as well by a creatures milke as by Christ his bloud is this the catholike Doctrine they brag so much of is this the catholike Church that teacheth such diuinity is this the chaire of St. Peter the seate that cannot erre If it be so then what didst thou meane thou St. Iohn Euangelist to teach that it was Iesus Christ that faithfull witnesse Reuel 1. 5 that first begotten from the dead that Prince of the Kings of the earth euen hee and not any creature who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sins in his bloud sure either must you recant this Doctrine els they that boast themselues to beâ— successors of thy brother Peter may be ashamed of theirs who tell vs that our sinnes are washt away in her milk as wel as by his bloud and you that are the dutifull and deuoted children of that Romish seate be Iudges euen your selues in this case what can be said heereunto how can it stand with scripture or with the tenor of true catholike faith or how can it any way be defended that a creatures milke can quench the fire of sinne in the soule as well as Christ his bloud Can ye say that heere is onely ascribed to her and her milke a deriued vertue from another and that the originall and fundamentall power is onely and wholy in Christ and his bloud if it were so it were lesse euill though Christ Iesus may not nor will not bestow the prerogatiues of his Mediatorship on any creature but looke and weigh ouer the words again and againe expound them with any fauour that the words may beare and you shall not see the least difference Suffocare queo Sanguine Lacte queo Detergere queo Lacte Cruore queo If Lust burne and Anger boyle Enuy fret vaineglory swell I can helpe it with bloud so can I with with milkâ— I can helpe it with milke so can I with bloud there can be no greater equality made betwixt any two things in the world then heere they make betwixt this Bloud and Milke Can it be said that the Author is a Poet and said thus but to make vp the Verse which otherwise would not haue falne so fitly surely no for a yong versisier can soone shew how the verses might haue run aswell as they doe if hee had not purposely laboured to sort his verse to his matter and not the matter to his verse For thus he might haue said Detergere queo sanguine Christe tuo with very little altoration And so of the rest but hee as truly endeuoured to magnifie the milke as the bloud and therefore without any necessity of the Verse gives the same power place preheminence in euery respect to the milke as to the bloud but had he beene as sound and sincere a Christian as he is