That we cannot, nor ought to iudge of Religion onely by Miracles.

WEe deny not but that true Miracles are the seales and testimonials of Euangelicall Faith, but we distinguish betweene Chri­stian Faith when it was to be propagated, & now that it is propagated: when it was to be propa­gated amongst the Gentiles, Christ indued his Mini­sters with the gift of Miracles, because as Saint Paul saith, at that time Faith was a scandal to the Iewes, & folly to the Gentiles; and therfore it was greatly countenan­ced by Miracles, which increased the number of the faithfull; but now they are not necessary, because Faith is already greatly defused throughout the world, and sufficiently fortified by the miracles of the first ages, so that now it is not sare, but rather very dangerous to iudge of Religion meerely by Miracles.

And that this may clearely appeare, wee must first obserue, that Miracles are not the perpetuall compa­nions of true and Catholike Doctrine; according to the Assertion of the learned Father Puente, Puente 4. tomo de la perfecion pag. 619. in these words: The Doctors and Preachers cannot ordinarily authorize their persons, nor the Doctrine they teach by Miracles, because they are not now behoofefull amongst Christians, neither haue all power to doe them: of the fame opinion is Doctor Fonseca, Fonseca ensus discursos. pag. 220. and prooueth it by three reasons: the first, because many were and are conuerted without them; the second wee mentioned [Page 5]formerly; to wit, that the Primitiue Church being in it's minority, had need of Miracles, which the Church now being in it's full growth requireth not; the third is, because where holy Scripture is, there is no need of Miracles. All which my Author proueth by testimo­ny of the Scripture:Torres ensu Phi­losophia. Pag. 155. Chrisoft. in ca. 13 Gene. hom 35. & in Acta hom 19. Now conformably vnto this last reason of Fonseca, Doctor Torres saith, with Saint 10. Chrisostome, that the reading of holy Writ is sufficient to supply Miracles; and further, we cannot finde a meanes more conduceable vnto the end wee aime at, seeing that vnto the reading of holy Scrip­ture, Miracles nor Signes from heauen are of no ne­cessity.

That Miracles are also common to False-Teachers,

THis Doctrine, Fonseca, Fonsecaibid, pag. 91. whom we formerly al­leadged, proueth by Miracles, which the Scripture foretelleth Antichrist should doe, as also by the example of the Witch, which the diuell caused to appeare in the shape of Samuel, and by that of the Pharisies which did cast out diuels by vnlawfull coniurings and exorcifmes. Father Ojea saith with Saint Ioh. Chrisostome, Ojca a Ojea hasta laoja 1602 del tratado de la venida de Christ. that to cast out diuels out of the bodies of those that are possest, is common both to the Ministers of God, and those of Sathan: When thou seest any (saith Chrisostome) that casteth out diuels out of bodies, if he preach not truth, and worke not righteousnesse, such a one is not a [Page 6]Saint, nor true Minister of God: But if contrarily thou seest that hee Preacheth truch and worketh righteousnesse; such a one, though hee cast not out diuels, hold him for a man of God and his true ser­uant and Minister. The same Oiea testifieth, that a­mongst the Gentiles, there want not Miracles and prodigious signes; The Emperour Vespatian being in Egypt, restored sight vnto a blinde man, and to one that was lame in foot or hand, he rendred his former health and strength, as is related by great Authors, whereof Father Pineda is one;Pineda in Mo­narch iom 2 lib. 11 c. 25. §. 2. and those of China, which are notable Idolaters, haue amongst infinite other, three Idols, of which they publish as a certaine truth, that they haue done, and daily doe many Mi­racles, as Mendoza relateth; who confesseth that they might take effect according to their report.

That the Romish Religion is not Emi­nent by the glory of true and diuine Miracles.

THis is proued, because the Miracles where­of the Church of Rome so much boasteth, branch themselues into three kindes: the first containeth many fictitious Miracles which neuer hapned; the second containeth such Mi­racles as hapned onely by the outward appearance: the third kinde hath an aspect vpon such prodigies as happened really and truely, but by the illusion and Artifice of the diuell. I will handle these three kindes, [Page 7]and in the first place, the first. Of this first kinde of fained Miracles which neuer happened, there are so many publishers in the Church of Rome, that long since it caused a law to be ennacted in Spaine against them, the words wherof are these;L 10. primae par­titae tit. de las Eglesias. Many discouer or make altars in open fields, or in townes, saying, that in those places there are some of the Reliques of the Saints, which as they pretend, worke Miracles, and by this meanes induce people to come from ma­ny parts thither in pilgrimage,Sierra en su de­senganno pag. 209 that so they might make benefit by them, &c. And presently it sets down a way to remedy this euil: but how little benefit resul­teth from this law, daily experience showeth vs, this matter growing euery day worse and worse. Father Sierra lamenteth this Euill, saying; I am much afraid that merchandize wilbe made of deuotion; & that the truth is not sufficiently examined, because some are interessed in it, the Miracles which are accounted vn­to vs of the Saints, not canonized by the Church, are not all of them certaine.Primera parte de Don quixote pag. 543. Another Spanish Author saith, that in diuine Comedies, the Authors of them doe inuent infinite false Miracles; and also in hu­mane Comedies, they attempt the doing of Mira­cles, which is in preiudice of the truth When a Mer­chandize is vendable, euery one laboureth to imploy his stocke in it to inrich himselfe. In the Romish Church, Miracles are very vendible, and therefore not onely Clergy-men and Fryers, but also Camo­dions traffique in them, and not onely they, but much other secular people, as well men as women practise this Merchandize; of all which,Gratian en sus Obras pag 41. complained Doctor Gratian, saying, the world for our sinnes is come to an [Page 8]end, for there are some which make benefit and gaine of sanctity, giuing out that they haue reuelations, that so they may haue gifts and presents. The same Author saith, that he met one day with a notorious theefe, whom he bad to a­mend his euill life: Ʋide ibid pag. 94 he answered, That he had about him a certaine printed prayer, which by Reuelation he knew was of such efficacy, that whosoeuer carryed it about him, could not dye without confessing his sinnes, and therefore he ca­red not for leauing his ill life. Spaine is so ful of such and the like Prayers, often times imprinted by permission of the Inquisitors, that it drew from this Author, these notable words, in these matters of superstitious Nominas,Vbisup. Couarrubias en el tesoro de la lengua Espanno­la. Verbo Nomi­na. much harme is done amongst the common peo­ple. Let vs heare Doctor Couarrubias, who will tell vs the Etimology of Nominas, and withall confirme that which wee would proue. They were wont auntiently to carry purses shut, and in them certaine writings and names of Saints, and so long as there was no cor­ruption nor superstition mixt, they were commonly the Gospels of the foure Euangelists, and the names of Saints from whence they were styled Nominas, and this was very lawfull and religious, but since they did annexe many other Apocriphall prayers, which they so intituled, that hee which hanged them about his necke, should not dye by fire, water, nor by sword, nor by sentence of Iustice, and that the houre of his death should be reuealed vnto him. Others haue foysted in­to the said Nominas a hundred fopperies, which haue neyther head nor foot; he proues it by this example: One of these mockers gaue a Nomina vnto an Hostis which was ready to be brought to bed, affirming that she should bee well and safely deliuered; they made [Page 9]him sup well, and gaue Prouender to his Mule, and on the morning he tooke his iourney; they through cu­riositie desirous to see what was written within, found a schedule to this purpose, Coma mi mula, y cene yo, si quiera, para, si quiera no: that is, let my Mule feede, and me sup, I care not whether shee bee deliuered or no: It is not remote from my intent to insert here a famous fiction and deceit, by which a proflygate villaine caused for many ages diuers to weepe, and not a few to laugh; he cloathed himselfe in a very ragged garment which he had stollen from an Hermit, & put about his necke, a rosarie of Beades as big as Wal­nuts, that the greatnesse of them might make them more visible and occular vnto all; (in him is verified the Spanish prouerbe, El rosorio al cuello, Y el diable en el cuerpo, which saith) Beades about the necke, and the Diuel in the body;) he girt about him a massy chaine of yron, his stockins and shooes were such as hee brought with him into the world, that he might bee reputed not onely for a Fryer, but for a bare-footed Fryer; he shau'd off his beard, peraduenture to make a brush to sprinckle holy water when hee was in his Hermitage: in conclusion, he so disguised himselfe, that his owne mother could not know him, though she had viewed him with as many eyes as Argos had, they which saw him, were so farre from taking him for what he was, that they held him another Saint Hila­rion, or one of the Celebrious penitent Hermits, men­tioned in the papisticall Legends: So this holy and blessed Hermit, fastening his eyes on the earth, as if he were seeking of pins, began, Con passos de frayle combi­dado, to goe as fast as a Fryer inuited to dinner [Page 10]towards the Prouince of Biskaye, resoluing to seat him­selfe in a City of it, called Durango: He made choyse of this City and Prouince, as iudging the people of Biskaye, the most simple and ignorant of any other in Europe, that so hee might with facility make sale of his Pharisaicall hypocrisie, instead of Apostolicall ver­tue, and his iugling trickes in stead of admirable won­ders: He came to Durante in an vnhappy & disastrous houre, for those of Durante who entertained him, and lodged him with such singlenesse, humanity, and courtesie as was worthy of that noble nation, being thereunto obliged by his penitentiall habit, that mo­desty and sanctimony which they saw in his outward actions, the opinion they conceiued of him was such, that they publiquely honoured him as a blessed Saint, and said, that God had sent him vntothem, that by his good example and religious conuersation, hee might rectifie their lines, and reforme their manners: They assigned him an Hermitage not farre from the City, that he might more conueniently deuote himselfe to his heremetical exercises; the simple women began to visit him in his Hermitage, euery one striuing accor­ding to her ability to carry him some thing to supply his want, and mittigate his pouerty: finally, in a short time, this cunning Imposter could so insinu­ate himselfe into these ignorant women, that hee thought hee could perswade them to doe what hee would, such was their simplicity; and seeing that hee had no neede of riches, because the gifts and pre­sents which they made him, for adorning of an I­mage of the Virgin which he had in his Hermitage, would plenteously suffice him all his life time, hee [Page 11]determined to lay hold on the occasion offered vnto him, causing these women to change that holy and spirituall affection they bare him, into a flagitious and carnall one; He made no long delay to execute his purpose, for the day after, he began as well in the conferences which he held in his Hermitage, as in o­thers which he vsed among the people, to publish as a thing knowne by reuelation, authentique, expresse, true, and communicated by the spirit of God, that the precept of brotherly charity required, that a­mongst neighbours, euen women should be common, and perswaded this as a truth, and so he finally enioy­ed his damnable and filthy desire, vntill his deceit was manifested, and so he was forced to betake him to his heeles, and to relinquish his habite for being discoue­red; hence grew the Prouerbe of la charidad de Du­rango, the charity of Durango, vsed when a woman prostituteth her body and honor; and because he was call Alonso, they so deadly hated this name, that though it be a very common name in Spaine; not any one in the City is so called, & if any stranger so called, repaire thither, he changeth his name, which if he did not, they would stone him to death. For my part, I neuer was in that City, but I testifie before God, that I haue heard diuers Fryars of my Order, which liued there in a Monastery, to auerre all this for a truth, whereof the common Prouerbe formerly mentioned and vsed throughout all Spaine, is an euident argu­ment.

He that would be further informed concerning the Miracles fained by Fryars, let him see the bookes quoted in the Margents, the Author of the first being [Page 12]a Dominican,Historia de la sa­grada Orden de preaicaderes en los remotos Rey­nos de la Eliopia pretendeth to proue, and that by no few Writers, as also by eye-witnesses, that in Ethio­pia, there are many Monasteries of his Order, and that the Fryars of them doe daily worke great Miracles. The Author of the second booke being a Iesuite,Historia Y Anal relacion de la sce­sas que hizieron los padres de la compā tia de Je­sus, por las partes de Oriente, &c. ma­keth an expresse Tractate, in which he euidently de­monstrateth, and by many occular witnesses, that whatsoeuer the Dominican saith, is meerely false; and that the Fryars which hee saith are of his Order, are notable Heretickes, and that their Miracles, in case they be deuoyd of true faith, are elusions of the di­uell, to perswade them that they haue the true faith, &c. And hence we may conceiue what credit is to be giuen to Papisticall Miracles.

The second sort of Papisticall Mira­cles, comprehendeth counterfeit or humane signes which were seene to happen, but were not true Mira­cles, though they seemed to be such to the spectators.

SVch are the Miracles recited euer-and-anone in the Papisticall Legends con­cerning Images that sweate bloud, whose haire and nailes grow, the which almost all the common people, and many others of better ranke, beleeue really to happen in some of our Spanish Images: but [Page 13]the truth is, that Fryars to attract the people and the almes of such as giue credit to them, to their Mona­steries, doe fasten counterfeit haire to some Images of Christ crucified, and apply false nayles also, the which sometimes they take away by night, placing in their roome others differing from them; and by such slight (for herein they are dextrious Artifts) they perswade the ignorant and simple people, that the haires and nayles doe truely grow, and with semblable iuglings they counterfeit the sweating of Images: but let vs heare a learned person of Spaine what hee saith, and thinketh of such Miracles and the actors of them; You must not credit, saith he,Mateo Aleman en la historia de san Antoniode Padua pag. 107. what ignorant and vnconsciona­ble men affirme, saying, there are Images that sweat bloud, whose haires waxe, and nailes are cut, it is an vntruth, a meere inuention and knauery: hee addeth, an Image of wood, or other mettall, cannot euacuate sweat, nei­ther doth it's haire grow, for it is counterfeit, nor con­sequently the nayles which are carued by the hands of a wretched man, and in liuelesse wood: The nailes (obserue this) which truely grow, are the infernall auarice of those who inuent them for their abhomina­ble ends: these and such like stratagems, acquire to the Fryars immunerable riches, to which no Indies but those of Purgatory, which are the non vltra, are comparable. There are Images which maintaine very opulently a great multitude of Fryars; because vpon the bruite of Miracles, infinite people resort to them with money in their hands, for the sight of such Ima­ger is prohibited to such as buy it not: Of which number is our Lady of Atocha, of Monsarrate, of Puy, the holy Crucifixe of Burgos; All these are [Page 14]houses which from a mean beginning are by reason of the Images grown to so an incredible greatnesse, that now they are the richest and most splended in all Eu­rope. That of Burgesse is of my Order of the Augu­stines, of which I can report as an eye-witnesse, that it may enter into competicion for riches with a City. When I was there, I diligently laboured to see some Miracle of those infinite ones which the Fryars diuul­ged daily of that Image, but I could neuer see any, and it happened alike to many of my Companions, and therefore one of them was wont to say, that the Mira­cles of that Image were as thefts, which for the most part are done by night in the darke.

To the second sort of Miracles,Salazar en la histo. de la pro­uincia de Castilla de san Francisco, pag. 44. appertaineth that which some others relate of a certaine religious wo­man, which in Bolonia was held for a Saint, and shewed the wounds of the holy passion of our Saui­our in her feete, hands, and side, and many times the bloud distilled from her head, as if it had beene pier­ced with a crowne of thornes; and in fine, it was all found to be imposture and cousenage: Of this I could alleadge many Histories, as this Author acknowledg­eth, but for auoiding prolixitie I omit them, conten­ting my selfe with one most true president, which not many yeares since happened in Spaine. There was in Valladolid, a famous City of Spaine, a Iesuite, who was so in loue with a noble Widdow which was wont to confesse vnto him, that perceiuing by her confession, that shee was an impregnable castle, as being most chaste, and fearing God, resolued to conquer her by an extraordinary and miraculous way, to which intent, he suborned with many gifts, one of the said Ladies [Page 15]Gentlewomen, that with all secrecy, shee should put vpon, or neere the Boulster of the Bed where shee slept, a little schedule, the which she accordingly per­formed, and her Mistresse going to bed, found it, and much meruailing at it, called her Seruant, and asked her if shee had laid the schedule there; shee answered no, asseuering it with a thousand oathes and protesta­tions; this (and because her Lady reputed her for an honest vertuous maide) caused her to thinke that shee knew nothing of the writing, & because there was no body else in the house, she was perswaded that it was sent from heauen: she remaining alone in her lodging, hauing first charged the Damosell touching this se­cret, and reading the schedule, found the contents of it as followeth: Most deare Daughter, I haue elected you, that in this deplorable time, you should be the Mother of a Sonne, that shall reforme the world, and this must happen by the co-operation of a man, choose whom you will, but marry not, for my will is that thou remaine a widdow. If the reading of this schedule bred admiration in her, it is needelesse to coniecture, it is sufficient to tell you, that presently after breake of day, shee went to seeke her Confessor, to whom she declared sub sigillo confes­sionis, what had befallen her the former night, and in­treated him to counsell her what he thought best; hee perswaded her after large conferences, (note the great subtilty of the Iesuite) she should not lightly beleeue it, because Sathan is wont to transfigure himselfe in­to an Angell of light, to delude the better sort, and that she should recommend that businesse heartily to our Lady, and that hee would also doe it, that shee might inspire what should be best: and thus the Lady [Page 16]returned to her house, and spent the greatest part of the day in recommending vnto God the good successe of it, and when night approached, she entred into her chamber to lye downe, where shee found a second scedule to the same purpose; presently the next mor­ning she returned vnto her Confessor, who perswa­ded her to tarry yet another night, and if she found a third, then she might hold it as a thing ordained by heauen, and should dispose her selfe to the accom­plishment of it; she found one the next night conuei­ed thither by the meanes aboue specified, and com­municating it vnto the Iesuite, both of them determi­ned, with his no small delight to beginne the execu­tion of that which was contained in the schedule, which was ennacted the same day in the house of the said Lady, and continued some dayes, with the great shame and disgrace of the Lady, and with such impu­dency and perpetude of the Iesuite, that she thought it past the bounds, not onely of a deuout and spiritu­all man, but of the most carnall and brutish one in the world, she began to suspect that this Companion had beene the Author of the Miracle, which surmize increased, because after she had told him that she was with childe, and that therefore no further action was needfull, in as much as when the end aimed at is at­tained vnto, the media conducing thereunto cease; he notwithstanding ceased not to importune her, and also to force her with smal modesty to doe that which she would haue excused: These and other considera­tions, moued her to tell the Iesuite, that because her neighbours began to murmure and iudge ill of his frequent visiting her, it was meete hee should totally [Page 17]forbeare her company; of necessity hee was faine to yeeld though vnwillingly: When her time of childe-bearing was come, she had a faire Daughter, and so perceiued that the Iesuite had beguiled her, shee ac­quainted her kindred with the businesse, who not­withstanding all the diligence they vsed, could not deterre the malifactor who was fled away.

There is no other which I know hath written this History, but the common fame of it in Spaine implyes the truth of it.

To the last kinde appertaine Diaboli­call Miracles, which were onely iugling trickes, or did really happen: to this we referre casting out of Diuels, healing of the sicke, giuing sight to the blinde, &c.

THat which Father Ojea saith of the Miracles of Vespatian, Ojea en la vida de Christo pag. 154. who restored sight vnto a blinde man, and healed a lame man, his words are: The diuell could mingle with the spittle of Vespa­tian, some powders of particular vertue which might forthwith take away the clowdes, and disperse the other obsticles which were in the eyes of the blinde man, that he might recouer his sight; and when hee touched with his foote the other which was lame, hee might apply another remedy of those many which are extant in nature, which he knoweth well [Page 18]through his long experience, and so hee might bee healed. We iudge the same of Papisticall Miracles: It cannot be denied but diuers meruailous effects haue bin produced among them, but either by deceit or art of the diuell, somtimes the Fryars themselues not knowing it, & somtimes holding correspondency with the diuell: That this is so, the reasons following con­clude, I. Because Papisticall Miracles are to corrobo­rate superstition & false Doctrine, & therefore cannot be essentially diuine; but that they confirme false do­ctrine, I proue by this insuing example;Lib. 4. pag 56. del prado espiri­tual. the first wher­of is of an Abbot which absolued a Fryar after he was dead, and imposed a punishment vpon him that he should be in Purgatory vntil his body were buried, as soon as the deceased heard this, he gaue a great & fear­full shoute, which was heard all ouer the Monestary, saying, Oh mercilesse Father, why haue you inioy­ned me to abide so long in Purgatory? This example containeth, first, three, and those no small errors of the Romish Church; to wit, the doctrine of Purga­tory, that of humane satisfaction, and the necessity of auricular confession, and infoldeth also another er­ror not onely repugnant to truth, but also contrary to that which the very Church of Rome it selfer be­leeues; to wit, that a man may be absolued from his sinnes after he is dead: And here I would intreate the first Monke that readeth this, to tell mee where that Fryar which departed was, vntill his Abbot came to giue him absolution; for I cannot conceiue where he might soiourne during that intervall; for in Purga­tory hee could not be, whether (if we giue credence vnto Papists) none entreth vntill hee hath receiued [Page 19]absolution of his sinnes, neither by the same reason could he be in heauen, because the Papists doe not send the soules that haue beene in heauen vnto Pur­gatory; but contrarily,Nunnes can neuer come out of the Mone­stary. they send those that are in Purgatory vnto heauen. As little could it be in hell; be­cause as schoole-boyes know, there is no redemption; & therfore the Priests saith not, deliuer vs Lord, ab infe­ro, from hel, but, a porta inferi, from hel gate, and if once thou entrest there, thou maiest make ful account to be a Nunne of hel: wel, if this Fryar was neither in heauen, Purgatory, nor in Hell, where was he? alas I had for­got Limbus, but it is all one, for what had Limbus (a place destinate to Innocents) to doe with this nocent Fryar, which forgaue not his owne Abbot, euen then when hee dealt so compassionately with him? The se­cond example is of a Gentleman, who hauing vowed to turne Monke, was condemned for not being com­pleat in his vow, (though at the houre of his death,Jbid pag. 45. he vsed all the diligence which a good & faithful Christi­an might vse for acquitting of his conscience: After his decease hee appeared vnto an Abbot, which asked him; What doth the blessed Saint Vincent for thee, perchance he doth not assist thee in this thy necessity, seeing thou hast giuen so much money to his Admi­nistrators, that they might labour in building of his Monestary; to whom the Gentleman answered, I re­sorted to him, but he hath made me wait many dayes to talk with him, & when I could not doe it after ma­ny tedious attendances, I now despaire of euer talking with him, or hauing his fauour; it were friuolous to employ any arguments to perswade the learned, or those which are not altogether ignorant and blinde, [Page 20]that this is one of the most vaine Monasticall fables, or ridiculous elusions of Sathan; I say, for satisfaction of the ignorant, that this example hath for end and scope, the authorizing of one of the most pernitious errors of the Church of Rome, (viz) that the vow of leading a Monasticall life, is not onely lawfull, but also that hee which performeth it not, can by no meanes be saued, how solicitous soeuer hee be for clearing of his conscience. I would haue the Papists tell me, if those dayes, which were not a few if we be­leeue the Papists, that Saint Vincent caused this poore Gentleman to dance attendance, preceded his con­demnation yea or no; for if they did precede, then is it indubitorily false, that euery one heareth at his death the sentence of his condemnation or saluation, which I presume no papist in the world is so impudent as to affirme: if they were subsequent vnto his condemna­tion, it followes that those which are condemned in hell, come forth to solicite the Saints of heauen to in­franchize them from thence, and haue hope of their enlargement, & that God wil revoke the sentence he pronounced against them; for no man soliciteth a bu­sinesse, knowing it impossible to compasse his intent, all which how erronious, absurd, and ridiculous it is let the Pontificies themselues iudge.

In the last place I ranke the reuelations made vnto many hee and shee Papisticall Saints,Sosa en al trata­do de la concep­cion Pag. 86. especially to Saint Bridget, to confirme the conception of the holy Virgin to haue beene without originall sinne, which haue beene examined and allowed of as diuine ones, by many Cardinals and Prelates; yea, euen by the very Popes themselues; whether these reuelations be [Page 21]reluctous vnto holy Scripture yea or no, I appeale to the iudgement of the famous and celebrious Order of Preaching Fryars, so called by way of eminency; the which with many others that simpathize with them herein, haue euidenced in their writings and Pulpits with luculent authoritie scited out of holy Writ and auncient Doctors, and with euident arguments, that the holy Virgin was conceiued in sinne; and the au­thority of this graue order of Dominicans is of such force, that although the Pope complying with the Franciscan and Iesuiticall Orders, great Antagonis to the former, doth ratifie the said reuelations, yet dares he not define this question of the conception against them, though it be true, that according to the tenent of Papisticall doctrine, he being in conscience obliged to doe it, as many Pontificiall Doctors doe clearely demonstrate, and amongst them most elegantly, that renowned Sosa, Bishop of Segouia: Vbi sup. I will transitorily say, that Cardinall Caietane, a conspicuous Author, as all know, doth many Authors affirme, that Saint Ca­telyn haue a reuelation contradictory to that of Saint Bridget, which the Franciscans and Iesuites say; hee inuented of his owne head, to ratifye his opinion, whence appeareth, how the Fryars deride one ano­ther concerning the reuelations.

The second reason prouing the Papisticall Miracles to be diabolicall, is, because the actions which they vsually alleadge for Miracles, are often times so chil­dish and ridiculous, that euery one may with facility perceiue that they proceede not from the holy Ghost;Enel prado, espiritual pag. 100. such was that Miracle of the Crow, which for hauing stollen a Ring, as they say, did incurre sentence of [Page 22]excommunication, and began forthwith to pine away by little and little, refusing to eate, or crake, nor to continue the other pastimes and demonstrations of iockondnesse, which irrationall creatures are ac­customed to doe, vntill an Abbot had absolued it, from which moment the Crow began to bee iouiall, returning vnto it's former habit.Ibid pag 24. Semblable vnto this Miracle, is that of a little Bitch, which dyed because it entred into the holy Cell of Saint Gregory; Ibid pag. 103. of like quality is that of Saint Bernard, of whom it goes for current, that he excommunicated a great number of Flyes, which dyed, being strucken with the arrow of excommunication: but aboue all these Miracles, that of a Fryar is remarkeable,Ibid. pag 47. who kept the Swine of his combent, and on a day assembling them into one place, made vnto them this, no lesse graue then elo­quent oration: you know brothers, swine, how in the time that I haue so carefully kept you, I haue suffici­ently taught and instructed you, where you may, and where you may not feede; therefore I request you, that you roue not out of your bounds, for feare of causing iarres in the Monastery, through the detri­ment of their neighbours; and in confidence that so you will doe, I will repaire to the Conuent, promi­sing you soone to returne: and so he went, and all the swine as if they had the vse of reason, kept themselues in the hils apertayning to the Fryars, insomuch that some labouring men which desired to catch them, could by no meanes driue them thence, notwithstan­ding they gaue them many a blow with cudgels; who is there of sound iudgement, that doth thinke God is the Author of such fopperyes? It is the [Page 23]property of the diuell, and not of God, to delude men with such.

I will put a period vnto this discourse, with one ve­ry true and domesticall example, that all the world may plainely discry the falsity of Papisticall Miracles, and so abhorre them. A Dominican Nunne, called Mary of the visitation, Prioresse of the Monastery of the Anunciada in Lisboa in Spaine, furnisheth vs with this example, whose hypocrisie and forged Mi­racles were discouered and condemned publiquely; diuers haue written of this holy Nunne, but a Domi­nican Fryar called Esteuan of Lusignan, hath pur­posely treated of her, collecting whatsoeuer he could finde to magnifie her, & compiled a booke in French, which hee dedicated to the Queene of France, and caused it to be printed at Paris by Iohn Bessaut, in the yeare 1586. the title whereof is as follow­eth.

The great Miracles and most holy wounds which happe­ned to the Reuerend Matron for this present yeare 1586. Prioresse of the Monastery of Anunciada, in the City of Lisboa in Portugall, of the Order of Prea­ching Fryars, approued of by the Reuerend Father Lewis de Granada, and other credible persons.

I will not here recite all which the Author alledg­eth, but onely abreuiate what he saith in his Dedica­tory Epistle as followeth.

I hauing found some Writings printed in diuers Cities, haue gathered them together, in which inter­uiewing the greatest Miracles and effects which in our age the omnipotent Lord hath wrought by a noble, vertuous, and religious Virgin, called as formerly, [Page 24]most deuoted vnto the holy Sacrament, and of Saint Thomas Aquinas, by whose merits and intercessions she hath deserued to haue visibly for her spouse, Iesus Christ crucified, and his fiue most sacred wounds, by meanes whereof the diuine Maiesty continually wor­ked diuers Miracles.

This Lusignan to countenance that which he saith, produceth three Letters, the first written by the Pro­uinciall, Anthonio de la Cerda, & sent to Fernando Ca­stor, Procurer in Rome for the said Prouince of Portu­gall, that he might shew it to the Pope; the date of it is, from Lisboa the 14. of March 1584. The purport of the letter is, The Matron Maria de la visitacion, being eleauen yeares old, betooke her selfe to a Nunnery, and when she was of the age of sixteene yeares, our Lord appeared occularly to this religious woman, to recompence her merits, and took her for his Bride, and since that time continueth alwaies to appeare vn­to her, granting her many particular fauours, talking familiarly with her, as one friend doth with another, after the same manner that God conferred with Mo­ses, and oft times manifested himselfe to her, accom­panied with shee and hee Saints, and helped her to pray her canonicall prayers, and at the end of euery Psalme, shee said, gloria patri, & tibi, & spiritui sancto, that is, glory be to the Father, and to you, and to the holy Ghost. In the ninth page he saith, when she re­ceiued the Communion, the other Nunnes percei­ued her to be rauished in spirituall extasie a long while, vntill her superior commanded her to goe to the Communion with the other Nunnes. In the elea­uenth page he saith, so often as in the Nunnery shee [Page 25]heard the bell that accompanied the holy Corps of our Sauiour carried through the streetes to the sicke, she kneeled on the ground with teares, and was exta­tically transported, as the Nunnes of the said Nun­ry testifieth: He further saith, that two seuerall times, a Chest wherein the Sacrament was, did open of it owne accord, and the Eucharist lept out of it into her mouth: Further, in the 12. page, when shee was at prayers in her Cell, the Nunnes saw her inuironed with are splendency, and lifted vp into the aire, great brightnesse streaming from her breast and face, which signified the great and feruent charity and loue of God which is in her: One day Iesus Christ appea­red vnto her, full of splendor, and crucified with his fiue holy wounds; out of his feete, hands, and side, he shewed beames of fire, which darted vpon the hands, feete, and side of this holy Nunne; the wounds and markes remained in her very beautifully, of sanguine colour, as well on the in-side as the out-side of the palmes of her hands, and of her feete correspon­dent the one to the other, and being of a round fi­gure as of a nayle.

The second Letter was written by Lewis de Grana­da, to the Patriarch of Valencia, wherein amongst o­ther things he saith, as followeth. The Prioresse hath told me, that since seauen yeares, she feeleth in her head, all the paines of the crowne of thornes, in such extremity, that the bloud gusheth out, and she hath in her head, small holes and passages made by the said thornes.

The third Letter was written by the same Prouin­ciall, Antonio de la Cerda vnto Fernando Castro, Pro­curor in Rome for the Prouince of Portugall, therein [Page 26]he thus saith; Since your Reuerence departed out of this City, it hath pleased our Lord to shew from day to day, how acceptable vnto him the Prioresse of Annunciada is, for infinite are the Miracles, as well corporall as spirituall, which he doth by meanes of her in these parts, which haue caused very many Gentlemen to turne Fryars; anone hee saith, that three Mores inspired by God, went to see her, as soone as they had seene her, they fell prostrate to the ground on their faces: the manner of it was such, that some of those that were there present, were faine to helpe them vp; being vp, and looking on her the second time, they kneeled downe, without saying any word, lamenting incessantly for a long time; their eyes being fixed on the Pryoresse, when I asked them wherefore they spake not to her, they answered, that they saw in her such admirable things, that they knew not what to say; and then they intreated the Pryoresse that he that was by her might Baptize them; she an­swered, that I should Baptize them; whereof I aduer­tized the Archbishop, accompanying them vnto him with some other Fathers. They confest to him in our presence, that they had seene by the Pryoresse, Iesus Christ in humane shape fastened on the Crosse.

Presently hee mentioneth another Miracle, of a Dame that put vpon her lippes which were poyso­ned, a little piece of linnen of the same Nunnes, and presently she was well. He addes another Miracle, of a woman that drinking water, into which had beene cast two pieces of a Crosse which this Prioresse had giuen her, shee was forthwith healed of her infir­mitie; and addeth, that the two pieces ioyned them­selues together in the water, & made a perfect Crosse.

All this is gathered out of the afore-mentioned booke, the fame of the holinesse of this Nunne was so renowned, that Cardinall Albertus of Austria, sent an information of it to Pope Sixtus the sift, to whom the Pope writ this ensuing Letter, Wee read with much contentation, the Letter which you caused to bee written vnto vs of the vertues of the Prioresse, and of the great blessings which God hath conferred vpon her; supplicating his diuine bountie to make her from day to day worthy of his grace, and inrich her with his Coelestiall gifts, to the glory of his name, and the comfort of his faithfull ones; Dated in Rome in Saint Maries, with the seale of the Fisher, the 10. of September, 1584.

Antonio Pruchae Badulmi vnder writ it.

Now that we haue heard the pro, let vs heare the contra, the true Iesus Christ, (and not the spouse of this Nunne, which was the Diuell) was pleased to vn­maske this bride of Iesus Christ, reputed so holy and full of charity, & an actresse of Miracles, and so to ma­nifest all her abhominations, superstitions, and Idola­tries, and so at the end of the yeare, 1588. which was the Admirable yeare, she was condemned, as a booke witnesseth, printed in Ciuill at the beginning of the yeare 1589. following: out of which is taken word for word, what I will say against her; the title of it is, A relation of the sanctity and wounds of Mary of the vi­sitation, which was Prioresse of the Annunciada of Lis­boa, and that which was declared in the sentence pro­nounced against her. Diuers graue personages being deputed to examine the verity of her wounds, and sanctimony, repaired to the Nunnery, and found by the testimony of many Nunnes vniformly agreeing, [Page 28]that the sanctity of the Prioresse was counterfeited, and the wounds painted, notwithstanding the Prio­resse denied it, vntil they took hard sope & hot water, and washt her hands throughly with them, and the wounds ouer them; during the which, shee faigned the feeling of great paine: in conclusion, when the wounds vanished away, she fell on the ground, and began to weepe, sigh, and craue mercy; casting her selfe at the Deputies feete, and being required to de­clare the truth, she said that shee had painted these wounds on her hands, & did it ordinarily, & that that one on her side she had onely did it thrice with a pen­knife, and that the crowne of thornes on her head, she had made it with pricking her selfe with a knife vntill the bloud followed, and that she had done this sixe or seauen times: being asked how she had figured the fiue drops of bloud vpon those little clouts which she said came from the wound of her side; she reply­ed, that she had cunningly painted some fine Hol­land cloath with bloud, and when they presented her any peices of linnen to touch the wound she fained to haue in her side, shee did cut them in the presence of those that gaue them her, shaping them according to the forme of those she carryed in her bosome, and put­ting the peices she had receiued into her bosome, shee pluckt it out, & gaue instead of them those which she had painted with bloud: Being demanded how sherai­sed her selfe vp, & how the Nuns often times saw her glitter in her Cell; shee answered, that shee fiered a few coales in a Chafing-dish, and did set it before a Looking-glasse, and the beames of it which were in the Looking-glasse, did reflect vpon her face; and [Page 29]that shee might seeme to bee eleuated and lifted vp, she did put her feete into a high kinde of shooes cal­led Chapines, and sometimes vpon stilts, which shee had for that purpose; and was so dextriously placed vpon them, that she seemed to bee in the aire. After these interrogatories, her faults being manifest, shee was condemned the 6. of December, 1588. in the Mo­nestary of the mother of God of this City, and in her presence was pronounced and read her sentence: She was not condemned to be burned, but onely en­ioyned certaine Monastical penances, because the fury and rage of the Inquisitors is onely satiated with the bloud of the truely faithfull, which they call Luthe­rans, as also because the Nunne was of the Domini­can Order, of which Order most of the Inquisitors are.

About the yeare of our Lord 1540. there was in the City of Cordoua, another Nunne which was Pri­oresse of the Nunnery of Saint Francis, who was condemned by the Inquisitors of the same City for enormous crimes and compacts which she had made with the Diuell; by whose assistance shee did such things, that throughout all Spaine shee was reputed and adored for a Saint: The History of whom, Ci­prian de Valera truely recounteth in his tractate of the Masse.

We may conclude from the premises, that seeing Miracles doe not alwaies accompany the true and Catholique Faith, and are common to the Ministers of God, and those of the diuell, of whom Scripture witnesseth that he shall doe them, to deceiue there­with the faithfull; experience also teacheth vs, that he [Page 30]so doth;Payua en sus sermones pag. 261 we cannot iudge by them of Religion, but rather contrarily (as saith Saint Augustine, with whom Doctor Payua concurreth.) Examine and try Miracles by the pure and holy Doctrine of the Church, and obedience of the Law of God; where­vnto if they be punctually answerable, wee may hold them for true and diuine ones; if otherwise, for false and diabolicall, yea though they seeme to be the most prodigious Miracles that euer were seene; for what greater Miracles then those of our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles? And yet if the Pharisies could haue imputed vnto him or them the least breach of Gods Law, they had liberty not to beleeue them; as the said Doctor Payua proueth very learnedly,Ibid. and this is so pregnant a truth, that it caused Lactantius to say,Torres. en su Philosophia mo­ral. pag. 849. whom Doctor Torres alledgeth & followeth, Non idcirco à nobis creditur Christus, quia mirabilia fecit, sed quia vidimus facta esse omnia quae nobis annunciata sunt vaticinio Prophetarum, (that is) Christ is not therefore beleeued by vs because he wrought Miracles, but be­cause wee haue seene all things accomplished which were foretold vs by the Prophets. And the auntient Martyr Ignatius had the courage to say,Jgnacius epist. ad Occeanum & Pamach. Euangelio se non crediturum, nisi videret in antiquis; that he would not giue credit to the Gospell, vnlesse he saw it in the Prophets, which is the ioynt voyce of all the Saints and Doctors of the Church, as the said Torres notifi­eth: but if it bee thus, as thus it is, why should the Pope of Rome preferre his Miracles before those of Christs? willing that they should be the rule of Faith, the others not hauing beene so? and why should wee be so foolish as to vndervalue the auntient and Apo­stolicall [Page 31]aduise and directions, which doe place Mi­racles after Doctrine, and follow the new and Apo­staticall which doth preferthem? No, no, let vs not suf­fer our selues to be so deluded, principally in matters of such consequence as this is; let vs censure Miracles by Doctrine, and not contrariwise Doctrine by Mi­racles; and seeing Papisticall Doctrine is farced with a thousand superstitions and errors, let vs not indure to be ouercome by Miracles, especially seeing they are (as hath beene copiously expressed) either coun­terfeit or fayned, or diabolicall. As often therefore as the Papists shall obiect them vnto vs, let vs stop their mouthes, saying with Saint. Augustine, August. lib. de v­nitate eccae. Romoueantur ista vel figmenta hominum mendacium, vel portenta Spi­rituum fallacium, aut enim non sunt vera quae dicuntur, aut si aliqua mira facta sunt, magis cauere debemus: quod cum dixisset Dominus, quosdam futuros esse fallaces, qui nonnulla signa faciendo, etiam electos si fieri posset, falle­rent adjecit vehementer commendans & ait: Ecce praedixi vobis.

Let vs remoue those fictions of lying men, or prodigies of deceitfull spirits, for eyther they are not true, which are reported, or if any Miracles haue beene done, we ought to be more cautious and wary, seeing our Lord hath said, there shall come decei­uers, which by doing of signes, shall deceiue euen the elect, if it were possible; hee addeth, emphatically, saying, Behold I haue foretold it you.