course they are shaken by a violent and contrarie motion thereof as miserable experience doth daily declare ' thither went I about this kinde of exploration to know truth by falshood But I protest so free yet from preiudice against Rome that all in contrarie so desirous I was to see that truth in Religion that piety in manners that vpright holinesse euery way which hath beene reported to me that I might say with the Prophet Sicut Cernus ad fontes aquarum ita anima mea sicut terra sine aqua my heart did boile in these desires as drie grounds thirsting for raine and the Deere after fresh fountaines and while it was so yet I must speak to the truth of Gods glory which is the scope of all this Treatise I did no sooner feele the ayre of Italy then I begunne to smell there with an apprehension of tyrannous Idolatrie in such manner that the practises which I did see there compared with that which I had seene in France by the Professors of that same Religion they represented to my minde the fashions of ancient Gentilisme the things I was earnestly bent to search were chiefely these The power of their Miracles whether they were true things or impostuâ—…es and deceipts as their enemies did affirme Secondly the weight of the Pope his dispensations and indulgences whether they were such impious traficke thereabout as was also alleaged Thirdly the condition of their Cloisterall life and whether it were polluted with such abominable filthinesse as is pretended by others who call Rome a Sodome a Babilon Lastly the strength of the Pope his Soueraignetie as it is now vsurped ouer temporall Princes and States and from what warrant they could depend CHAP. III. A relation of the lewde and impudent superstitions of Rome and of the ridiculous miracles which be pretended thereinto AS for the working of miracles together and at once shall a man see the falsehood of that and the truth of idolatrous worship and both in such lewde open and impudent manner that it seemes to me the first miracle in the World how such trumperies should be so long belieued For as true Religion hath the owne corruption by reason of our corruption so euerie superstition hath the owne periods as experience from time to time hath taught So soone as I entered in Lumbardy at Turine the seat of the Sauoiard it was told me there that the Duke had lately arriued from a Pilgrimage of Loret that the Prince his son was at the Pilgremage of nostra donna de mondenie And were to be seene from that towards Rome great multitudes of people going to diuers Churches of the Saints in diuers parts of the Countrey chiefly in Loret and with such familiar and affronted idolatry that if that one did see the Chappell of our Lady in his horyson presently he went to his knees although in the midst of a puddle to pray to that image namely of that place auowing that same image to be lately become a great worker of miracles that he himself had frequent reuelations comforts from the same this sort of discourse with such like fabulous traditions of Saints receiued from their predecessors was only to be heard in those voyages except it should be for recreation some rare act of Ribaldrie out of Pogius or Arretine and perhaps two imitated in that holy iourney of deuotion where it was not strange to see both the Priest and the whore lodge together all night I speake the truth such paines did I endure about these matters out of a curiositie to see some myraculous sight as I may be ashamed to relate going many myles on foot for obseruation of the rite to the danger of my health and perpetuall hurt of my complexion visiting the most famous Chappels and Churches for miracles on their owne holie-daies where great concurse of people was many stigmaticke and diseased persons priests exorcists deuotion almes with great promises of wounders to be seene but O how I did pittie to see the ridiculous birth of those swelling mountaines to see how farre minuit praesentia famam I did in particular see in Saint Peters Church at Rome that Cathedra Petri pretended to ease women in the time of their birth by applying to them a girdle which hath touched this chaire I did see in that same Church that Pillar of marble said to be the same vnto the which our Sauiour was tied to be scourged and now vsed to dispossesse Demoniacke persons I did see the practicke of that Chappell in Rome called nostra donna de monte renouned lately for her emulation with Loret I did see at Venice vpon the owen day that blood pretended to be of our Sauiour in the Church called the Friery which no Demoniacke person can endure to looke vpon as they say I did see another like to that in Naples and in the Regno nostra Donna de gli angeoli where lyeth the body of Saint Francis the elder I did see in Lombardie Nostra Donna de Regge highly esteemed for miracles diuers in Millane That of Piamont de mondeuie That Nostra Donna betwixt Genoua and Marsilia said to deliuer many from rapine and Turkish Pyrats I did see in Prouence at Saint Maximo the body of Mary Magdalene I did see in the Land of Iais in Sweezerland that called St. Clowes talked of for myracles also And lastly I did see that arch pilgrimage of Loret it selfe To all those I did repaire in solemne times but what did I see two things as I haue said fearefull idolatry and a base contemptible trade of forged miracles maintained by incredible stupidity and blindenesse of besotted people as it were with the drinke of some new Circe in such sort that I cannot tell how often I called to minde that ground of Machauell in his politicks de Repub. whereby in setling of great states he doth ascribe more to popular ignorance and simplicitie and to the power of Superstition then to whatsoeuer lawes or stately policies besides preferring Numa and his contriued Religion with his fained Goddesse Aegeria vnto the armes and painfullnesse of Romulus which opinion it seemed to me he did conceiue by his contemplation of the Christian superstitions of his time For certainly there is nothing in antiquitie which hath beene better followed by these of succeeding ages then the ancient gentilisme of Rome appeares to be renued by the folish idolatry of these daies it is so notorious that I neede not to be tedious in bringing forth examples only this the Romane History doth tell vs that the Statesmen of old were able to leade the popular to what they would by an augure diuination or presages in Religion which it pleased them to deuise and I say that now a daies a forged reuelation of our Lady a pretended myracle accompanied with a Bull from the Pope is able to effectuate as much In Ethnick Rome in her beginning her chiefe Senators grudging against the virtuous and watchfull raigne of
beene or can be without error other then Iesus Christ the Iust or that any cannons traditions bookes other then that one indited from the heart of God and penned by his Spirit to remaine for euer The vnchangeable rule of our faith in Christ the only sustance thereof and our only infallible example that we are to follow sheâ—… first in the old Testament darkely to Moses in the mountaine when it was said to him fac secundum exemplar quod tibi in monte monstratum est 〈◊〉 secondly in the new Testament more cleerely in mount Tabor and now most cleerely in the true mount of God That great spirit is the only inditer who cannot lye That Scripture the only booke which will not be wrested that Iesus the only man who cannot erre Therefore this word as it is said must be sufficient to make the man of God perfect Christian perfection standeth in knowledge and in action referring knowledge to our faith and action to our practise of faithfull workes to hold that the â—…ly Scripture is not accomplished for knowledge as the Euangel saith sapientia est per fidem Iesu Christ or to hold that Christ was not a perfect Architype and Schoolemaster of all vertues who hath himself said discite 〈◊〉 I thinke it is blasphemie so that talke what we will it must be blinde ignorance to affirme that the originall fountaines of Gods word as they are comprehended in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles are not more sincere and wholesome then the riuers flowing from the same through the channels of humane brains which can no more remaine vnspotted by mans weakenesse then naturall waters running from cleere fountaines can be without alteration of colour or taste according to the qualitie of ground through which they passe The vniuersall Clergie of the Church of Rome doth damne this opinion of the sufficiencie of holy Scripture what then it is more strong the multitude doth abhorre the wayes of God to walke in the broade way If the Gibeonites had securely depended vpon the multitude of their neighbours of Canaan they had perished in that common naufrage certaine they are few who truely beleeue this word some poore Gibeonites doe heere the voice of God and are mocked of the world the multitude like vnto the Crowe for loue of the sensuall carrions which flote among the waters of the earth refuseth to remaine within the Arke This holie Arke of Gods word is builded for a small number of his Saints who find no rest without it The multitude leaueth the sincerity of this word to follow the wisedome of men as the sonnes of Adam departed from the Orient to builde the Tower in the land of Senaar which is interpreted stincke how many were saued in Iericho by that red marke which was vpon the house of Raâ—…ab how many doores were marked in Egypt to be spared by the holy Angell within this small Arke there was safetie but not without Now to come to my intended purpose which is not to play the Theologue with your Lo there be certaine yeares gone since I went forth of the Countrie poussed thereto from a scruple of my conscience hauing from my childhood drunken in some preiudicate and forestalled opinions which did euer trouble and disquiet my minde so oft as I called to memory howe Plato and other Philosophers had trauailed ouer the world to acquire natural knowledge I thought it both ignominious and dangerous for me iâ—… I should not paine my selfe to vnderstand the truth of Gods worship whereupon transported with the fury of this preiudice and closing my eies against the splendor of the word which doth shine at home I resolued once to fine my selfe intra lâ—…mina Apostolorum within the towne of Rome that pretended mother Church without the which there was no meanes of Saluation as then I did imagine And this I doe protest before the heauens and before him who did creat them was the true cause of my voyage enterprised to seeke my fathers Asse as he said which was so truely spoken of him that like vnto that high Priest Annas he hath vttered a notable veritie vnknowne to himselfe as I will shortly set downe from such graue theologicall reasons as shall both free me from passion and idlenesse in this point and serue for the Christian edification of others we see how it is familiar with the spirit of God in the Scripture to vse the names of beastes to make our grosse vnderstanding more capable by that kinde of sensible instruction there is mention of good and euill beastes and in the legall sacrifices of cleane and vncleane beastes By euill beastes generally are meant the Diuell and his Angels and the dominion of sinne into vs it is said by the Prophet erit seâ—…ita recta via sancta vocabitur mala bestia non ascendet per eam And Dauid Ne tradaâ—… bestijs animas confitentesâ—…bi And in the Reuelation vidi de mari Bestiam asceâ—… habentem capita septem cornua decâ—… which beside that true interpretation to be the Antichrist some doe also allegorize to be the seuen deadly sinnes and tenne seuerall transgressions of the commandements whereby Satan doth make himselfe Prince of the world confringam corâ—… peccatorum saith the Lord And the Prophet Zach. hac sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel So the tyranie of sinne into man makes him to get the names of beastes as the holy man getteth the style to be called God or the sonne of God as in the Psalmes God iudged in the assemblie of the Gods and in St. Iohn Dedit ijs potestatem filâ—…s Dâ—…ifieri And St. Paul of himselfe viâ—… ego iam non ego viuit vero in me Christus So are beastes said to liue in the wicked man as the Prophet Dauid saith in 48. Psalmes The cruell man is said to be like the Ostrige Filia populi 〈◊〉 crudâ—… quasi 〈◊〉 iâ—… deserto The craftie insidious man as a Beare Ursus insidians factus est mihi the proud man like a Lyon â—…sse quasi Leo in doâ—… the obstinate and wilfull man like vnto the Adder which desperatly closeth her eares sicut aâ—…is sur 〈◊〉 obtâ—…rantis aures 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man as a Dragon fold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fraudâ—…lent man as a Fox quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propheâ—…ae tui Israel the oppressor as a woolfe Beniamin lupus rapaâ—… the lustfull man as a Goate irâ—…tus est furor 〈◊〉 super caprâ—…s visiâ—…abo the lasciuious man as a horse equi amâ—…tores in faeminas emissarij facti sant the murtherer as a serpent 〈◊〉 Dan ooluber in via the tyrant as a Pard quasi Pardus laedet eos the ambitious man as an Eagle si exaltatus fueris fieut aquila trahant te dicit Dominus the backbiter as a dogge quare maledicit canis hic Domino meo Regi the filthie man as a sow quasi sus lotâ—… in volutabro luti These
manifestly published to the world in Mount Caluerie as if that great and matchlesse Citie were not long agoe abandoned of God ruined accursed and prostrate to the prophane yoke of godlesse Turcisme As if Rome it selfe were not become like to the Cities of the Plaine smoaking in the abhominable pollutions of Sodom as if Scotland had not beene Christian perhaps as soone as Rome as Tertullian writeth in his seuenth booke contra Iudâ—…os Britannorum loca Romanis inaccessa Christo subdit fuere which diuers others learned Authors haue affirmed and as if the Northern parts were not now become the seat of the Candlesticke purged from their fornications while as Rome it selfe lyeth try fling in Types and Pharisaicall Ceremonies in place of true Religion defiled with her owne blood refusing to be clensed abhorring the voice of reformation crying with the blinded Iewes Templum Domini Templum Domini And that I did so long lie in this ignorance what shall I say Spiritus spirat vbi vult quando vult yet this farre must I say for my selfe it was not neither strange in me who since my youth had beene possessed with false opinions for certainely there bee so many specious vailes which couer from a mans eies the truth of things to wit the grauity of their subtill Prelates the exterior zeale and deuotion of the people the splendor and the richnes of their Temples the maiesty and reuerence of their Seruices the glorie of the precessions their exorbitant workes of superstitious Charitie multitudes of Hospitals and conuentuall houses rented by voluntarie Contributions the stoicall and stupid austeritie of the Proselites the voluntary miserie of the Capuchins the profound Preachers of the Dominicall and Iacobin Orders the admirable policy of the Iesuitical trade withal their proud perillous vaunting of Antiquity Succession and Vniuersality these are sufficient at the first to surprise a iudicious minde and to astonish a man as if hee looked on Medusas head who drinketh of Mandragora hee is in danger of a long sleepe but who tasteth the cup of Superstition he is in danger of deadly sleepe That old Circe knoweth all the secrets of inchantment and albeit she hath amazed Kithing mountaines of dead mens bones yet of those who arriue in her Island and come within the hearing of her voice they be few who escape her incantations fewe who with Vlisses can tye themselues vnto the maine Mastes to the ende they bee not rauished with her Syrens songes which can keepe fast the sacred Anker of the pure word of God Many through ignorance and naturall inclination to superstition many againe through auarice and ambition are contented to be tranformed into beasts by the charmes of Circe This euill of superstition among spiriruall dangers it is the great rocke of our common shipwrack it is dangerous first and especially because of the feareful iudgement which God doth inflict against it For what is superstition but a false worship of God Of all the plagues and punishments vnder heauen most fearefull is that which followeth superstition the Prophet hath pronounced it against the obstinate follies of the Iewes Audite audientes nolite intelligere videte visioneÌ„ nolite cogitare nec cognoscere occoeca cor populi huius oculos 〈◊〉 claude aggraua aures eius ne fortevideat oculis auribus audiat corde intellgat coÌ„uertatur saneÌ„ euÌ„ which is to be giuen ouer by God absolutly to follow lies falshood in place of veritie at the Apostle saith vt credant mâ—…ndacio qui non crediderunt vâ—…ritati great is the honour which is bestowed on vs while we stand in Gods true worship A certaine great Deuine hath made this the difference betwixt God and good men Deus homo coelestis homo autem Deus terrestris but when we be spoiled with wicked idolatrie it maketh the Lord to say of vs homo cum in honore esset non intellexit comparatus est inmentis insipientibus factus est similis illis and was not indeed that mightie Nabuchodonozor for his wrong opinion of God changed into a beast our other sinnes for the greatest part proceed of humane weakenesse but this of wicked presumption and therefore it is commonly punished with desperate obâ—…uration Secondly idolatry is dangerous because it is ordinary and quotidian in the world as euery body hath his owne shadow so there was neuer Religion which had not his owne superstition And as the shadow is longer then the body except when the Sunne approcheth neere the Zenith and sendeth his beames downe either perpendiculer or toward a direct aspect vpon the earth as we say Euen so when the light of the Euangell makes not a direct reflexion vpon our soules and mindes to certifie our knowledge but comes vpon vs by obliquity not in puritie but mixed with humane traditions then growes superstition to be long An extraordinarie and impious excesse of Religion dissoluing the true order of Gods worship into numbers of forbidden and pharifaicall ceremonies it is the companion of true Religion for truth and falsehood are twins borne almost both in one day God spake to day in Paradise the Serpent spake next morrow Simon Peter in the Euangell spake to day and Simon Magus spake to morrow There was neuer Church free from corruption to the end chiefly from idolatrous worship Adam who was the first man created by God himself in whose person was the whole Church of God he fell away to beleeue the Deuill Aaron who was the first Priest ordained by God himselfe by a legal warrant he fell away to idolatrie Solomon who was the first king and first man commanded by God to build him a Temple for his seruice he also fell away to idolatry These no doubt be great arguments of the force of superstition Thirdly idolatry is dangerous because it is a popular disease and so is the more contagious The Israelites were once become so vniuersally Baalists that the Prophet cryed there was not one who had not bowed his knee to Baal The Ecclesiasticall histories doe record that the Catholike Church was so once generally infected with Arianisme that there was not a sincere Pastor who durst minister the sacraments of Baptisme in a publike Temple Such is the disposition of our corrupt natures to heresie and preuarication in Gods worship Nature is moued and led by the sense and in idolatrie there be so many gratious and pleasant shewes of piety as doe bewitch the senses Lastly superstition is dangerous because the multitude who are chiefely giuen vnto it can hardly discouer it they be but pecora campi as the wiseman saith in the Scripture I lookt out vpon the earth and I saw many beasts but few men Superstition while it is masked it is a most plausible thing Satan hath giuen to it a faire face and oftentimes fairer then that of true Religion after the sort of impudent whores who be more curiously deckt then the chast Ladies
Papae ab Ecclesia as I haue shewen your Lordship already He told mee that the seat of Rome was like vnto one who hauing made vnlawfull purchase of many neighbour Lands doe so curiously maintaine their march stones that they will not haue them to be remooued halfe a foote quia vno dato incommodo multa sequuntur because that one graunted with the like equitie much more were to bee demaunded They doe well remember saith he that Embleme of Sylurus the Scythian vnto his eyghtie sonnes for the knot of their vnitie A sheafe of Arrowes hardly bound out of the which if one could bee taken out it would quickly make the rest to scatter The reformation of any one poynt might possibly they feare dissolue the whole Masse of that superstitibus trade These speeches did in like sort further my better iudgement Next againe vpon my arriuall at the Court of England vnto the which I brought the Commission of some aduertisements of this kinde from the same Mounsieur Causabon and others to the Kings Maiestie where my hearing his Maiesties learned discourses sometimes at his Maiesties Table I confesse did also much shorten my way seeing all the world doe talke of his rare and singular wit and of the sanctified knowledge which God hath giuen him in the holy Scriptures I hope I may without suspition of flatterie say of his Maiestie that which one of the first Order of wise men in the Land spake to my selfe while hee liued the late Earle of Salisbury that his Maiesties knowledge was supernaturall that he was the highest Spheare and neerest to God which did receiue the first influence of wisedome that hee was like to Salomon of whom it was said Beatiserui tui qui coram testant audiūt sapientiam tuam Happy are thy seruants who stand before thee and heare thy wisedome That his Maiestie did bestow vpon his seruants riches and knowledge and that himselfe did professe to haue gotten more encrease of good knowledge then of Estate since his Maiesties exaltation to the Crowne Thereafter comming to Scotland vpon the occasion of your Lordships transportation from the Castle of Edingburgh vnto Saint Iohns towne where you was confined I did oftentimes heare as your Lordship did that great and diuine Preacher now the Bishop of Galoway who for your instruction did expressely choose his Thesis against those fallacious and false grounds of the antiquitie vniuersalitie and succession of the Romane Church which bee the points that most entangle your Lordships witte and which hee did so learnedly cleere that for my part I doe acknowledge they helped greatly to disintangle my selfe After this I went to dwell in Dundie for the space of two whole yeeres where I did most diligently heare that excellent Preacher Master Dauid Lyndesay and his fellow labourers in the Church of that citie in whose worth I thinke doth consiste no small parte of the happinesse thereof I had my priuat conference with him to my great comfort as he can beare me record I had my solitarie exersices in diuers subiects of Theologie whereof I prayse the Lord I haue extant as manie testimonies as will suffice to shew my painfulnes to study the trueth of his worship till now in the ende it hath pleased him of his mercie to giue me by faith a sure holde of the thread of his word which is our onely guyde through this misticall pilgrimage of humane follies of which threade our great Theseus Lord Iesus Christ hath left thee on ende heere with vs vpon earth in his word and hath tyed the other vpon the gate of heauen which he did first open called for that by the spirit of God the first borne among the dead So that there is no meanes to ariue safelie vnto that porte but to keepe our eyes fixt vpon the course of this thread as our vndoubted Loadstarre Thus I doe ingenuously confesse my owne weakenesse to the glorie of God yea if it should be to my shame my vncertayne wandering in the wildernesse of my owne ignorance brought vp in my infancie in the simple profession of Gods word at home and then contemning it to goe a whooring after strange Gods beyonde seas like in that wise to the swyne in the Gospell before whome the pretious pearle should not haue beene caste And returning homeward to much a Cassandrist halting betwixt two that at my being at courte the kings Maiest in perceauing me thus to wander in matters of religion tolde me that I should take heede least I did imitate a certayne English gentleman who in his youth was a protestant in his trauayling beyonde seas a papist and in his returning a Cassandrist and now finally a most obdured Papist which word did wound my heart and spurre me to craue of God a happie Resolution which of his grace he hath so farre granted me as I haue sound it by experience that these who be of the number of his Saints and of the houshold of faith they are chosen of him in the same manner that he called their father Abraham to whom he spakesaying thou shalt get thee out of thy owne countrie that I may blessetheo in an other which words besides the litterall sense hath also this interpretation by remote theologie that he should not onely leaue his natiue countrie which was an Idolatrous land but that he should leaue his owne Idolatrous disposition he should quit the wisedome of the flesh and doctrine of humanity and so goe out of himselfe to beleeue Gods word absolutely which he did not vpon an instant for the spirit of God telles vs that when the Lord did first promise to him the comming of Isaac that the knowledge of the flesh tolde him that it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women Therefore he in his distrust layde himselfe vpon his face and laughed at God saying would to God that Ismael may liue but in the ende he did abiure humane wisedome and himselfe to beleeue Gods word so farre that when he had gotten Isaacs he went to sacrifice him willingly notwithstanding so manie promises giuen him of his succession wherevpon it was said of him by the holie spirit That Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Euen so the Lord hath made me to quite the Idolatrous land the doctrine of Idolatry peece and peece the traditiones of humanitie to quite my owne weake and darke vnderstanding and abiuring all other things whatsoeuer to betake my selfe to the incorruptible trueth of his eternall word which doth so shine in my conscience praysed be his holy name that I confes it ioyfully the more I fled it to follow superstition and the more I did practise these damones meridionales the more I lost out of sight the pole-starre of the right course to the kingdome of heauen Now thirdly I come to giue your Lordship my counsell how to extricat◅ your selfe foorth of this labirinth wherein you are and it shall consist of three