condition where dwell you and howe long haue you stayed in this Countrie Diawinckiani For olde acquaintance sake curtesie mooueth mée to giue a direct resolute answere to euery particular demaund of yours I intende to trauell to Italie my state is not so happie as it hath béene for now I am poore then I was rich now and then I haue money plentie but then I had store alwayes Haec est vicissitudo rerum This is the course of the Cardes I haue no certaine limitted dwelling but sometimes I dwell in this Monasterie sometimes in that nowe in this Nunrie and to morrowe in that now in this Hospitall nowe in that nowe in this Countrie in another soone after nowe héere nowe there nowe I cannot tell where Hanc viuo vitam This life I leade in spight of the Diuell Lastly I tell you that in Fraunce Germany Italy Bohemia Polonia Flaunders Brabant and Freezeland I haue trauelled euer since the Coronation of this Quéene Elizabeth Trisander Wherfore went you out of the Realme and why returne you not againe Diawinckiani I went out of the Realme for conscience sake and because of religion Trisander What religion then do you professe Diawinckiani Papistrie otherwise and that rightly termed the Catholike faith which I doe imbrace with all my hearte Trisander What doe I héere Are you stil a Papist Will you neuer renounce the Pope with all his Traditions and filthie abhominations With all his idolatrie and superstitious Ceremonies I pitie your case alacke my friend hath Satan blinded your eyes with the cloudie mist of ignorance and hardened your heart as the flint or adamant stone I lament your state I bewayle your grosse errour wherewith you are intangled Oh my friende for the loue I beare you and for the olde acquaintance that hath béene-betwixte vs these many dayes I councell you for your owne saluation for your own glory life euerlasting to examine your vnstable religion grounded vpon a sandie and fickle foundation which is easie to bée ouerthrowne with the leaste blast of winde that can bée Diawinckiani To examine my religion I haue no néede it is warranted and grounded vpon a riche rocke strong auaileable against all stormes winds and tempests My religion standeth built vpon a good foundatioÌ„ as the pope â—s Cardinals Bishops and Abbots do â—ouch and declare in their assemblies â—nd councels generall Trisander Surely my friende thou â—iest truth For I hearde tell that S. â—eters Churche is builte vpon a little â—ocke very rich I cannot denie it For the Pope dwelleth fast by-it and hath â—he most of his treasure in that plott of â—rounde But your religion shoulde not â—ée contrary to the truth of Christes heaâ—enly Gospell though Saint Peters Churche were richer then it is though â—he Pope and his Cardinals with the â—est of his adherentes to kéepe their great titles honours dignities and promotions boldly say that the Romishe faith is the true religion Diawinckiani My friend Trisander the Pope hath larger reuenewes then any Prince in Christendome why therefore is hée not Christes Vicegerent And the Church of Saint Peter is the costliest Church in the worlde in many respects why therefore is not the Church of S. Peter the holy Catholike Church the holy ghost in the fourme of an owâ— hath confirmed this faith before the faâ— of a Councell and in the presence of tâ— Pope himselfe Therefore assure yoâ— selfe this is the Catholike faith whiâ—â— I holde and allowe This is the trâ—â— religion confirmed by the Pope Trisander O my friende thou a 〈◊〉 fouly deceiued For the holy Ghoste wont to appeare in the forme of a Douâ— but not in the likenesse of an owle Thâ— Pope is not able to establish true religâ—on but hée can peruert all truth for thâ— hée fitteth in the chayre of pestilence anâ— claimeth to himself supremacie on eartâ— But I purpose not to discusse of religioâ— séeing that I haue no sufficient leasuâ— oportunitie thereunto but this briefâ— I tell thée giue ouer thy lewde opinioâ— and let vs both trauell together as twâ— brethren and reconciled Christians Foâ— sometimes I was of thy religion albeiâ— not in all pointes Diawinckiani Let wordes of religion passe by and let vs talke of our long and tedious voyage which wée haue to take Trisander I am content let vs do you haue said How many miles haue â—ée now to Paris Diawinckiani Thrée short miles Trisan What is it of the clocke â—ay wée bée at the Citie before night Diawinckiani It is one of the clock â—â—d easily before the going downe of the â—unne wee may beat Paris Trisa Let vs ride a pace where shal â—e finde good lodging Diawinckiani Doe not you care for â—hat wée shall bée very well entertamed â—â—y the Prior of Saint Dominicks Monaâ—erie and our good fare shall cost vs noâ—hing Trisander But can my Lorde Priâ—r speake English Diawinckiani Not a worde but he â—peaketh Latine no man better then â—ée Trisander I am glad that hée speaketh Latin so well but is he so vertuous that hee will so friendly receiue into his Monasterie such trauellers as I am Diawinckiani Hée is very vertuous But this I forewarne you of that if you sée him with others of his Cloyster walking after supper to the fieldes and many of the Parisian Cleargie sporting in the faire meddowes speake not a worde if after their woonted maner man with man worke filthinesse as Sainte Paul writeth in the first Chapter to the Romans That some men leaue the naturall vse of the women and burne in their lustes one with another This thing hath béene doone this long time and this wickednesse is as yet practised amongest them secretely Trisander In the booke of the Bishop of Cambray I haue read of this abhomination vsed most commonly amongst the Parisian Cleargie and whether in those places as yet they vse the like filthinesse I cannot tell but surely I am perswaded that at home in their houses they are not ashamed to defile theÌ„selues one with another For I resorting to som of their houses as a stranger might easily gather by their vnseemely playing one with another that their life is Sodomiticall and by their carnall and venereal talke a man may rightly hee persuaded that they liue as the Sodomites and Gomorreans did Diawinckiani They had rather liue like Sodomites then bée married as the ministers of the reformed churches are for the auoiding of all occasions of these carnall and fleshly pranckes I will bring thée my friende to manie Monasteries in the Popish Countries where it is the Monkes and Friers custome to practise the vices specified by S. Paule in the first Chapter to the Romans At Shalome in Burgundie thrée Monks were taken in doing this déede and were banished the Citie A German Prieste and a Frenche Priest of the Cathedrall Churche there in the saide Citie will not bée ashamed to offer this villanie to straungers that come to their houses This vice and iniquitie aboundeth
selfe will the instruments of Sathan and men pleasers in iniquitie they that buy embrace bookes wherin consisteth matter of defence in true religion or a plaine discouery of the hypocrisie of the wicked or the manifestation of the corrupt liues of suche as fight against their own consciēce I meane Papists What Papiste is there of any knowledge learning or reading in diuinitie but he knoweth seeth and readeth the trueth D. Alen. D. Bristow D. Nicolson Parsonnes Campion others were sometimes Protestantes but nowe as Demas Crescens Titus and Alexander they are departed from vs because perhaps they woulde not nor coulde not anie longer abide with vs what shall I say of the Seminarie men the most part of them all forsooke their Countrey for want of liuings for want of maintenaunce there are fiftie Schollers in the English Seminarie at Rome that coulde not tell what shift to make for their liuing here in England therefore being loth to bee taken as vagrantes and burnt in the eare as Roges they thought it farre better for the auoyding of this infamie to hazarde their soules to keepe their eares whole and their necke bone vnbroken they feared maister Recorder of Londō very much they thought it good to proue the Popes liberalitie in renouncing the trueth which before they professed and in acknowledging him to be their Christ to be their Messias to be their Iesuah And for some succour sake they outwardly faine themselues to be Papistes but inwardly the most part of them doe see the trueth and confesse they are in a wrong way some of them oftentimes tolde me at Rome whose names I omitte to put in writing hoping their conuersion that the Romish faith was not the true faith Foure of these with mee determined very often secretly to forsake Rome and returne to our countrey But these foure Schollers by their familiar frindes and fellowe Schollers were with much a doe perswaded to remaine at Rome vntill by their Rectours they shoulde be sent to England But as for me what I once determined to do by the sufferāce of god that I thought to bring to passe perswasions coulde nothyng cause me to change my purpose I was perswaded by diuers both by the Iesuites and by the schollers to remaine at Rome but I woulde not nor coulde not vnlesse I had despaired of my saluation as I did during the time of my sicknesse for that in hypocrisie I liued as a Papist my conscience striued so mightily within me that I feared not in talke with my fellowes to speake against the Romishe religion insomuch that oftentimes I was at Rome called heritique I appeale vnto them for testimonie of this trueth that haue heard mee so speaking at Rome but what is this to the purpose greater was my sinne that for any temporall liuing I shoulde forsake my God wherefore very often troubled I am in conscience and grieued in mind that I committed such an horrible offence in the sight of God In deede I must needes confesse that I beleeued vnfaignedly a Monasticall life to haue beene allowable before God I graunted inuocation of Saintes and as for transubstantiation I doubted these two pointes of the Romish religion I did hold a little before my conuersion at the Towre to haue bene firme and agreeable to God his holy worde and as for the thirde point which was transubstantiation I could not tell what to thinke therof but nowe God be thanked I am resolued in these three points as a Christiā ought to bee this treatise is called the book of Pilgrimage for that in my perigrinatiō I haue seen with mine eies the most things which I haue written in this booke for your instructiō christian readers not for any profite of mine estimation fame or glorie to bee gotten thereby as the Papistes doe surmize I am briefer then I woulde bee and that because there are certaine bookes scattered against mee and against my workes whiche bookes if I may geat I meane God willing to pourge my selfe of the slaunders and false reportes of the aduersaries I take no great pleasure in writing greater pleasure would I take to applie my studies but seeing that the Papistes seeke to deface my sayings it is reason that I should defend mine owne cause as farre forth as I may if they flow in termes of Rhetorique and seeke to shadow the truth with their subtilitie I woulde be contented with a plain stile so that I were able to bring forth somewhat in defence of truth I craue the spirite of mildnesse and not the spirite of scoffing and taunting which spirite they neuer want Farewell louing readers God graunt you a perfect faith and to me likewise and also for my former sinnes and hypocrisie the fatherly visitation of God here in this worlde that I may once feele Gods loue towardes me a sinner an abiect and wormes meate God be mercifull vnto me and confirme my faith God forgiue me mine hypocrisie my wicked life and lewde behauiour God giue me grace neuer to commit the like trespasses against his diuine maiestie in word or deede Be thou fauourable O Lorde vnto Sion build vp the broken walles of Ierusalem forsake not thy Sanctuarie but saue thine elect from the pernitions customes of the wicke◠worlde so full of poyson so full of murther so full of whoredome so full of auarice so full of contempt and so full of securitie that alas euen with horrour it swelleth to the toppe of the vppermost heauens and it annoyeth the seate of the most highest Such as are gone astray God bring them home such as are conuerted God make them strong such as are and euer herevnto haue bene in the true faith of Christ God giue thē perseuerance vnto the ende and in the ende suche as are wicked God make them good God increase the number of his elect God make vs all his faithfull seruantes to raigne with him in glory and blisse in his kingdome of euerlasting ioy Amen I. N. If vertue faile as it doth beginne The people must quaile and die in their siune And if it decrease Gods curse is at hand To destroy vs our peace our soules and our lande Therefore let vs amende Gods plagues to preuent For when life is gone it is to late to repent Take heede then to preaching Gods worde to imbrace And learne to take warning least God you deface IN not well perusing my copie through my default Christian readers fiue or sixe grosse words haue escaped my hands to the print vncorrected but yet they are not so grosse and obscure but that others more learned then I am in a matter more graue haue writen the like wherefore let not these fiue or sixe words offend your modestie neither thinke the woorse of my booke if any other faultes bee escaped in the booke amēd them I pray you and construe them to the best A Lessandro imperatore diceua che il prencepe doueria sempre essere piu prōto presto in dare
a boy better theÌ„ a woman and in his olde age as it is supposed of many of an Agent is become a Pacient Nam succumbit libidini quorundam Sodomitarum Shamefastnesse prohibiteth mée to tel this abhominable practise of his in English This is he notwithstanding whom certaine of the Papistes write to bée vertuous and learned Trisander But is not hée the chiefe and principall Cardinall amongst all the rest in office and dignitie Tiptelichia Yes and in his office is great for hée is the Popes Vicechauncellour and his reuenewes are likewise great For his rents amount in the yere to sixescore thousande Crownes his seruaÌ„ts are many his house is sumptuous and his going is maiesticall This man wanteth no worldly pompe no glory no maiestie that may be lawfully demaunded in respect of his courtly dignitie and princely reuenewes Trisander I vnderstande mother that his office is great and his riches as great but can you tell gentle mother whether hée bée a temporall or spirituall man a secular or a Priest Tiptelichia I vnderstood by my brother that his crowne is shauen and that he saith Masse I suppose therefore hée is a Priest after the order of Iupiter or of Venus I cannot tell which Trisander But is hée learned Can hée preache And doth hée kéepe hospitalitie Tiptelichia Hée is very well learned for hée vnderstandeth the scriptures as though they had not béen written and hée is as cunning in the Doctours as though hée had neuer séene or hearde of their writings He speaketh as good latin as there is in the Italian tongue hée is a singuler good preacher when he is in his garden of pleasure and repaste with his louing Néeces hée hath a good gift in teaching for hée teacheth his curre dogge to licke his Priestly bearde This man hath such a grace in vtterance that all the whelpes hée hath would commende him if they had the gift of spéeche Hée commeth as often to the Pulpit as the Pope doeth to Englande to shewe himselfe Peters Successour by life and doctrine Trisander I sée that this man is more glutted with dainty dishes of meat theÌ„ replenished with copie of wholesome places of Scripture more fatted in eating of crammed Capons then well read in the auncient and graue Doctors and more occupied in playing with his fawning Spaniel then exercised in preaching and deliuering the worde of God vnto the flocke committed to his charge But mother can you tell whether any other liueth so corruptly as this Cardinall hath and as farre as I know doth as yet Tiptelichia Good sonne to tell how the Cardinals of Rome lead their liues contrary to their calling and profession some whom declaration of truth can neuer or hardely make pliable to imbrace true reportes will thinke that whatsoeuer I reueale vnto thée touching their wicked and hypocriticall liues to bée either feined or els vttered of malice noâ— knowing that which I report vnto thée tâ— bée either true or false Bée my wordes neuer so true nor vttered of malice yeâ— will the Papists say that all things that I speak are false and spring of a malicious and cankered stomacke But no faithfuâ— Christian may otherwise persuade him selfe but that the Cardinals may now liue as licentiously and lewdly as they haue in times past What the life of many Cardinals and Bishops hath béene in times past the histories of their liues in sundry Historiographers bookes expressed may giue sufficient notice vnto the worlde 〈◊〉 and what I shall vtter vnto thée shall be so true and manifest the diuers that haue béene in Italie and haue séene the fashions of those Cardinals Bishops may verifie my wordes to bée true Trisander Are all Cardinals I pray you Priestes Tiptelichia All for the most parte haue shauen crownes and are bounde to make a wheateÌ„ god of a wheateÌ„ cake to drink to Baal a carowse once euery wéek Trisander But doe they preache as â—he superintendents in Germanie and as â—ur Bishops in England doe Tiptelichia They preache not after â—he same maner for they preache in Coâ—hes and in gardens but the Bishops in Germany and in England preach in pulpets both in Churches and els where Trisander It was tolde mee that Cardinal Medices is a braue fellow wheÌ„ hée commeth to the pulpet that hée is a singular good scholler and a passing Diuine both in the Scriptures and Doctours Tiptelichia Hée is a braue fellow in déede albeit hée neuer commeth to the Pulpet his apparrell is gay and costly and he hath a comely body a faire complexion But surely hée hath such an impediment which they vulgarly call the crampe in his feete that he is not able to ascend or goe vp to the pulpet and hee hath such an ache in his backe that hée may not be carried to the Pulpet without intollerable paine Therefore by reason of the crampe of slouthfulnesse the ache of insufficiencie hée hateth the Pulpet as the mouse abhorreth the sighâ— of the Cat. I confesse hée is a singular schollar to dispute with any Doctour iâ— the knowledge of the making of goodlâ— Rockes faire mountes and artificial milles vnder the ground Moreouer I dâ— not denie but that hée is a passing diuine in the scriptures bookes of Venus Diana Iupiter Mercurie in the oracles of Apollo he is a skilfull man in the writings oâ— the HeatheÌ„ doctors he is very wel séene This Cardinall Medices a noble man by byrth a Papist by profession and a shaueling by vocation bestoweth more cost and expences in his garden house and mount then will satisfie the wantes and necessitie of thrée hundreth poore men This thing is to bée coniectured by the number of workemen and by the cost linesse of euery thing that apperteineth to the workemanship in his house Hée hath caused the likenesse of a liuely rocke to be made and on each side thereof to bée portraited the shape of naked women hee hath laide out great riches in this such like vanities hée hath consumed muche Churche goods in his mount of pleasure For the charges that are bestowed in his â—arden he is not much to be discommened for that I thinke it requisite that â—pirituall as well as Temporall men â—oulde haue some worldly felicitie The â—auest dames in Rome may bée glad to â—ecreate themselues in this pleasant garden the like whereof I neuer sawe and â—et I haue séene many but â—â—lacke this Noble Cardinall abuseth himselfe to muche and abuseth the name of a Christian in fayning himselfe to bée one where in déede hée is none Why doth hée if he were not a Gentile spende so much money in making such Gods as the gentiles had No God of great renowme was amongst the Paganes amongst the Gentiles amongst the vnbeléeuers but this Cardinall Medices hath caused the like to be made Trisander Mother you say that this Medices is a Cardinall and therefore a pillar of the Churche of Rome how can this Churche stande if the pillars doe faile Is
whether hée were able to geate a childe by her or no. But it so fell out as it was reported at Inglestade that his â—aughter was gotten with childe by her father The Cardinall of Trent that â—ately deceased gaue himselfe so much to drinking that hée became a famous Clarke in that science especially in the assemblie of swyll pottes Many suche â—elly Gods horned Prelates and oyled Priestly Bishops coulde I recite but these fewe alreadie recited may contente thy minde vntill thou hast séene with thine eyes what many of them bee in déede Trisander The Papistes blame the liues of our bishops very much but surely compare their liues together you shall sée that they differ muche the one from the other Tiptelichia Thou saiest truth for albeit there bée one or other that liueth not so vprightly as hée ought yet where as one or other liueth otherwise then well yet haue you the most parte liue very well and are good Preachers This to bée true all men knowe To wade any farther in talke with thée at this present time I may not nor will I may not in respect of my businesse nor will for that I knowe the liues of these fewe Cardinals Bishops recited according to veritie may serue thée for a sufficient warning how to take héed of papistrie being the religion of Diuels and not of faithfull Christians Adue my sonne God blesse thée and make thée his seruant to doe his will as hée commaundeth to thy Parents ioy and thine owne comforte and consolation in Christe Iesu Cleaue to the truth bée mindfull of thy calling be warned in time to flie from iniquitieâ— once againe farewell my sonne and forget not my wordes Trisander As you haue councelled mée to doe so will I doe God willing Adue good mother god haue you in his kéeping Tiptelichia Holde héere I giue thée foure score poundes spend not too liberally least that thou want and then findâ— none that will succour thée Bée wise circumspect humble prouident sober patient and carefull Trisander I will once againe adue god preserue you euermore graunt that I may returne happily vnto you againe Tiptelichia Amen God graunt that thy returning home may bée as ioyfull to mée as thy departure from home is troublesome and greeuous THus are these two former Dialogues finished and ended I must make hast to the thirde And courteous Reader if thou be not alreadie tyred in reading the fewe leaues going before proceede a little further and thou shalt see very pretie stuffe and worthie to bee noted The end of the second Dialogue The thirde Dialogue Wherein the liues of certaine Monkes Friers my Ladie Nunnes and sister Nunnes are discouered The speakers are Trisander the Christian Pilgrime and Diawinckianâ— the wandering Papist Trisander NOWE I haue for saken the presence of my father and mother and bidden adue to my louing countrie Nowe wil I frequent and vse the company of straungers and trauell into sundrie forreigne soyles now haue I hazarded my life to a thousande dangers to danger of drowning to hazzarde of robbing to perill of murdering I feare the raging waters I dread the couetous robbers and I mistrust the cruell murderers Good God what shall I doe I am compassed round about and inuironed on euery side howe shall I scape the imminent perils in euery way There lurketh a théefe in most woods through Fraunce there are noterious murtherers I want companie I knowe not the language Good Lorde what shall I doe woulde God I were in Englande againe I would I were with my father and mother who loued mee so dearely that no Parents more entirely coulde loue their children But séeing I am thus farre out of my countrie and am at Rhone not farre from the famous Citie Paris I will goe forwardes in my iourney bée the way neuer so dangerous Si Deus sit mecum quis contra me If God bee with mee who can doe me any wrong I sée a man comming behind mée a farre of I will aske him whether he determineth to trauell But I thinke by his apparrell that hée is no scholler wherefore I will first expect looke for some words from his mouth and if hée begin to speak Frenche I will answere him in Latine and by that meanes I shall prooue if hée be a scholler or no. Diawinckiani Dieu vous gard monfieur ou voulez vous cheuaucher Trisander Amice mi externus sums sermonem tuum non percipio I am a stranger vnderstand not your wordes Sed pace tua diverim ni fallor tua in Auglia familiaritate quondam vsus sum tempore Mariano But with your good leaue I speake it vnlesse I am deceiued in Quéene Maries time wee were well acquainted in England Diawinckiani Ie suis bien ioyâ—ux vostre trouue compaignie si il vous plaist nous irons ensemble d' ou estes vous I am glad to haue your coÌ„panie if it may please you wée will goe together whence are you Trisander I vnderstande you are no Latinist but séeing that you speake French I will answere you in English if you bée hée whom I meane you can speake the English tongue Diawinckiani I vnderstand and can speake your language I am glad you haue not forgotteÌ„ me in déede in Quéene Maries time I haue liued in Englande â—nd fared very wel with powdred béefe â—nd fat mutton good wine and strong â—éere in faring so daintily and liuing so méerily in fléeping so softly carousing so stoutely I serued Thomas Becket and my Ladie Anne of Cleue I loked to their rotten bones and swept the dust from their images I did them good seruice and therefore by their intercession I deserued to redéeme many soules out of the boyling Cauldron of Purgatorie Trisander I reioyce and am glad that it was my good lucke to finde you in this forreigne countrie In déede I remember your state very well your life then surely was pleasant you were cooke in the monasterie of Glastenburie about fiftie yéeres agoe you were then young and lustie coulde haue brought to your Abbots Chamber a pretie young damosell to kéepe him waking and to comfort his wéery members féebled with ouermuch studies Diawinckiani Your words are true I was such a one as you speake of then my diligence was acceptable to many an Abbot and Pryor to many a Monke and Fryer I haue gotten wealth by theÌ„ obteined much pleasure enioyed great estimation by coupeling Male and Female together at the last they sawe mée so fortunate in bringing to passe those thinges which they had wished that they promoted mée to bee the Clarke of the Monasterie Chappell I had the precious reliks of Thomas Becket my Lady Anne of Cleue in my custody I had their images likewise in my kéeping Trisander I knowe my friende what you were in times past therefore superfluous it shal be to make many wordes of that matter but I pray you tell me whither are you bounding what is your state and
the people with counterfet holynesse to liue like Epicures and to bée estéemed as Lordlinges Oh that men shoulde credite these Pharisaicall hypocrites that more regarde the pampering of their bodies then the saluation of the soules of men which is the end of our hope and faith yea the very ende of our life in this life Oh that men cannot sée howe they fight againste the Gospel and séeke to ouerthrow faith with superstition couered with the cloke of true holynesse Oh that men will not perceiue howe eache one of these monstrous marked Friers trauelleth to séeke out some newe toy therewith to drawe the common people vnto him who are full of wandering Doe they not sée that they prepare newe fashioned hoods strange and horrible Ceremonies not séene in the worlde past but reserued to oppugne the truth of the Gospell What Christian is hée that séeth not their hypocrisie that vnderstandeth not their fraudulent superstition wherwith the foolish people is inneigled what true beléeuer of the Gospel thinketh that to weare the wéede of S. Fraunces or to goe clothed in that colour is good against the quartane Ague and other diseases and that worse is that to be buried in that habite is the very right way to goe to heauen And therefore that cunning man Longolius leauing the name of a citizen of Rome in whose practise hée had so long laboured woulde bée laid in his graue a Fraunciscane rather then a Romane This selfe same honour had the Lord Albert of Carpi in his head Rodulphus Agricola and other innumerable But what néede so many wordes These Friers are come to that point with that opinion of holynesse that they haue rid themselues out of all other mens hands and authoritie and haue brought all other men vnder their fée Who knoweth not that in olde times pastil when learning and good studies were layde a sléepe that all men held them for God Almighties kinsmen And estéemed more of their commaundements then of the commaundements of God And they knewe not Christe whom the Gospell doth plainely set foorth vnto vs which they kéepe in prison And sith they onely had the handelyng of the booke of peace and libertie the commō people thought that they had taken all thinges out of that booke and with cursed and abhominable lyes they tooke out héere a péece and there a péece and with strange fearefull myracles and fayned dreames of Purgatorie they kept the poore people in so great feare and woonder that they were constrained to beléeue their wicked deuises and lyes I◠we consider their lawes and the waights and beaute burthens that they haue laid vpon mens shoulders wee shall truely say that the Iewes lawe is an hundreth times more pleasant easie than theirs but let these wordes passe Euery Christian I am sure knoweth that by the Diuels Rhetorike they make the world beléeue too too many manifeste fashoods and foolish toyes of the Diuels inuention these Monkishe fathers séeke to bee Iudges ouer them that are godlier then they themselues and lesse spotted with any worldly affection they haue the bare name of Saints and nothing els Oh what a presumptuous boldnesse is this to vsurpe the names of Saints and vnder that godly name to deceiue the world vnder the forme of an Angell of light to worke all their deceites their Coates hoods and sundry colours are deuised by the Diuell to deceiue the worlde For if they were the same that they woulde be counted what néede shoulde there bée of such disguised garments the which say they doe signifie that whiche they ought to bée This is a cléere case that while there is a shadow and signification of the thing there is not the thing it selfe If they were so in déede then what shoulde they néed séek to be so in shew outwardly they are one thing and inwardly another Of such the gospel maketh mention which saith that there shall come wolues to deuour vs cladde in shéepes skins because they will not bée knowne For right well we know that one shéepe eateth not an other If these Monkes vsed not such strange garmentes there shoulde not bée so many seduced from the truth The Diuell is craftie and hee knoweth howe prone and readie wée bée to beléeue euery toy trifle euery counterfet holinesse and superstitious hypocrisie he oftentimes transfourmeth himselfe in his members to an Angell of light hée informeth and teacheth his children to frame them selues alter the maner of hypocrites This auncient aduersarie of ours maketh his seruāts learned skilful in his art he maketh thē to goe bare legged and bare footed to put on shirtes of haire that by meanes of their outwarde austeritie in apparrell and foode the people may proclaime them as Saintes and honour them as Gods omnipotent and finally beléeue whatsoeuer they teache their wordes to bée Euangelicall How Monkes and Friers haue liued from time to time I néede not to write for that others haue sufficiently written thereof Diawinckiani Now louing friend Trisander tell mée how do the Monkes and Friers liue nowe in these Countries which thou hast trauelled I long to heare I pray thée informe mée Trisan Before I satisfie your petition I am so bolde as to request you for that I think you haue read more histories then I haue doone to make rehearsall of some notable Monkes liues of their enormities and ill behauiours in their Diabolicall pernicious function Diawinckiani I will tell thée of the iuggling of hypocriticall Friers espied at Orleance as writeth Sleydane in his ix booke of his Cronicles In Orleance a Citie in Fraunce it is not long since the Presidents wife dyed a noble and great woman who ordained by her Testament that they shoulde carry her to bée buried without light without Masses and without any maner of pompe and in déede shée was buried so in the monasterie of the Friers of Saint Fraunces Anone after they beganne to heare in that place horrible noyces vntill one of those Massemumblers turning his backe to the people shewed them their rounde God made of dough When this was once spread abroade euery man was mooued one saide hée heard it one said hée vnderstood it and another saide hée sawe all The husband hearing this came thither himselfe Then doth the Coniurer binde the spirite to answere to his questions and asked it shée were in Paradice and there was no answere made hée asked if shée were in hell and yet there was no answere he asked if she came from purgatorie and then the spirite made a great rushing against the wall Then did the Coniurer aske whether hée was suche a one or such a one naming many and sundrie persons that dyed long agoe and yet there was no answere heard nor no maner of noyse but when hee named the woman the was buried without pompe then the spirite made two great rushings against the wall then did the Coniurer aske whether shée were condemned for this or that cause and in the end the
vnfained beleeuâ—rs of the Gospell of Christ Iesu O Englishmen you that are Priestes secundum ordinem Antichristi Papae Romani after the order of Antichriste the Pope of Rome be no longer enemies to the truth deuided and sundred from God and your louing Quéene Elizabeth Your obstinacie ingendereth wrath and prouoketh iudgement and iudgement by law ministreth death and damnation wyth death entereth the deuill and with hym heapes of infinite miseries and calamities In this pickle the impenitent lyeth for euer without redemption of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ So long as you hold with the Pope you shall be execrable vnto God and odious vnto your Prince expend therfore and weigh in your mindes caste with your selues in what a miserable perplexitie wretched case you Massemongers are so many as be not yet recoÌ„ciled vnto the truth in Christ Tourne vnto the liuing God and as you haue long tasted of his wrath so now beginne to taste hys frendship A better frend you cannot haue yea to say the trueth no other frende ye lacke but him whome if you haue your frende no enemy can do you hurte if he be your enemie no frende can do anye good if ye desire his frendship ye néede not séeke it farre it is offred vnto you in the Scripture at what tyme so euer ye recante God is ready to receiue you into hys fauour and grace But then you must take it while it is offred Behold now the acceptable yeare yet is the good tyme yet the golden time yet is the daye of saluation yet to day lasteth and yet the gate is open wherein the wise virgins maye enter But if it be once shutte againe the foolish virgins shall neuer haue it open any more Take mercy and pardon therfore while it is offred refuse it not least ye be refused The eternall God and father of our Lord Iesus Christe which is true in his promises and wonderfull in all his workes haue pittie of al Papists and spéedelye conducte you to the knowledge of the truth that you may be saued through the merites of Christ Iesus our onely redéemer and Sauiour Trisander Amen And I beséeche the same God to géeue them some porcion of his holy Spirite to kepe and confirme them in the knowledge of the eternall trueth of his Gospell that wée all like brethren and children of one father maye laude and prayse the name of the Lord our God that exalteth the humble and méeke doth throw pull downe the proud and highe minded Papistes And thus muche brieflye touchinge this Dialogue of Popish Priestes and theyr execrable abuses The end of the fifte Dialogue The sixt Dialogue wherein is laid open the dissention that hath beene in the Englishe Seminarie at Rome and the orders of that Seminarie The speakers are Trisander the Christian Pilgrime and Theophilactus the conuerted Christian Trisander NOwe are wee come to Rome the famous Citie of the worlde and the seate of Antichrist but before wée enter into this Citie can yée tell me how this Church is called and who payde for the building of the same Theophilactus What the name therof is I cannot tel but Pope Iulius the third when the state of true religion was subuerted and altered and papistrie planted erected the same Church of his owne expences and made processions and singing Te Deum with great solemnitie to declare the ioye and gladnesse that was pretended for this reconciliation Trisander I thinke the Diuell triumphed very much great ioies were then in hell amongst his route of Angels For this metamorphoses and sodaine alteration in religion the Pope his vice gerent here on earth reioysed and the Diuel his maister was glad that both king and quéene nobles and commons disioyned and disseuered themselues from the vnitie of Christes Church The Pope was more enriched his authoritie amplified his kingdome enlarged the Pope had plentie of worldly goodes and Peter pence pleased him best the Diuell sought nothing els but the sillie soules of the wretched persecutours and their vnhappie soules contented him most of all But tell mee I pray you good friende Theophilactus what moued the Pope to erect this Church without the walles of the Citie Theophilactus I knowe not in good sooth what caused him so to doe vnlesse he had thus conceit in his subtil braines that K. P. and Q. M. shoulde stande without the Citie to sée the repayring of the ruinous walles of Rome the cytie of iniquitie and there both K. P. Q. M. should stande to paye the workemen their hyre And suerly so it came to passe in the daies of K. P. and Q. M. that a great part of the ruines of that Citie was repayred vp agayne to the contentment of the Pope and his master whome hée serueth euen the iayler of hell But nowe all prayse bée ascribed to the Lorde that by the meanes of his faithfull seruant Queene Elizabeth our gracious princesse the light of the Gospell shineth throughout all this kingdome the ruines that were once repayred are nowe broken downe againe Antechristes religion is exiled and the trueth is preached of painefull labourers in Christes vineyarde and their doctrine is embraced of all true English subiectes Gods holy name bée praysed therefore Trisander Let vs nowe enter into the Citie where shall wee take our loding to night can you tell Theophilactus Yes that I can wée will go to the English hospitall and there wee shall bee welcome if we tel the schollers any newes that are in the colledge adtoyning to that hospitall Trisander What newes shall wée shew them they are of a contrary religion to vs they are disloyall subiectes both to God and to their princesse And if wée woulde tel them any such newes as they couet to heare wée shoulde offende both God and our louing Quéene therefore wee dare certifie them of nothing done in Englande without offence and if wée durst yet we would not for that they are degenerated from the faith and are vnnaturall vnto their Countrey Theophilactus Tush man you are melancolique you feare to vtter that which may be vttered for newes vnto the schollers Let vs tell them that father Edmunde Campion Ignatius di layolas priest is highly promoted in Englande For hee is Archbishoppe of the Towre of London and retaineth in his seruice many a stout Prelate Let vs tel theÌ„ of their Catholique martyre William Sherwood which was executed and put to death for that hee committed a horrible murther vpon Richard Hobson Gentleman both prisoners in the Kinges benche for the profession of Poperie Let vs bidde them make haste to returne home they shall want no preferment the Bishopricke of Newgate is voyde the Archdeaconship of the Kinges bench is vacant and many rich benefices in the towre doe waite and tarry their comming home For these recited places are receptacles of all the worthiest vnreformed priestes that come from beyond seas These newes wil animate embolden the Popes schollers