Of the olde and literall BABYLON.

The Second Part, touching mysticall Babylon.

THat which we haue heard of the li­teral, is also true in the mystical Babylon. Mystical Babylon is the spiritual kingdome of darkenesse, the king­dome of Satan. And this kingdom is partly temporarie; which is the kingdom of Antichrist: and partly permanēt, and per­petuall; and that is the kingdom of Sin. That the king­dome of Antichrist, namely, the Church of Rome, is mysticall Babylon, I will not stand to proue, seeing it is granted by Bellarmin Bellar. de Ro­mano pontif. lib. 3. cap. 13. in resp. ad argu., compelled thereunto by the cleere authorities of some Fathers, but especial­ly by the euidence of the holy Text in the Reuelation; where, by two notable arguments it is ineuitably con­cluded. For first, if the mysticall Babylon be the Citie seated on 7. hills Reuel. 17. 9 (as the Text sayth) then Rome is Babylon, which aboue all or anie Citie in the world, is so: and that not on seauen obscure or little hillocks, but seauen hills famously and notoriously knowen by name Mons Coelius. Exquilinus. Palatinus. Viminalis. Quirinalis. Auentinus. Capitolinus.. Nor is it any thing worth, to say that olde Rome was indeede so seated, but that now it is shrunke into the plain of Campo Martio. For notwithstanding that it be true for the body of the town; yet diuers pub­licke [Page 40] places where Antichrist exerciseth his authori­tie and tyrannicall iurisdiction, are yet to this daie on those hils; as namely, & especially, the Lateran Church and Palace: which Church one of their Popes hath by Bull & Charter made the head of all the Churches of the world; to wit Gregory the eleuenth Gregorius xj. vide consti­tut. pont. Rom. per Pet. Mathae um, inter con­stitut. Greg. xj. constit. 1. p. 61 almost 250. yeares agoe: and after him Pius the fourth Vide eundem inter constitut. Pij. 4. constit. 19. pag. 454., and of late, Pius quintus Vide eundem inter constitut. Pij. 5. constit. [...]g. 618. [...]de eiusdē ▪ Mathaei com­mentaria in il­lam constituti­onem Pij. 5. pag. 621. haue by publicke constitu­tion confirmed the same: and in which Church or palace there haue been held by seuerall Popes, some xxxiij. prouinciall or nationall, & 5. generall Coun­cells (g) all or most of them for the raising vp and esta­blishing of Antichrists Throne: and in which the most horrible and hainous canons were concluded a­gainst God and his Church that euer were before: as (to name but 2.)

This Church and palace, besides many of inferior note, stands to this day on the hil Coelius Vide Onu­phrium in lib. de Ecclesijs vr­bis. Et eundē Ma­thaeum in loco cirato.: and tho now the Pope for his pleasure hath remooued himself ouer the Riuer to the Vaticane, yet in former times, for many hundred yeeres, (as Blondus himself confesseth) it was the principall seate of the Popes: which appea­reth also by the verses written vp & down the church: [Page 41] especially those that are grauē ouer the marble chaire, which is hard by the high altar where the Pope sitteth at masse.

Thus its apparant, his chief throne is vpō one of the 7. hils: and it is very obseruable, that howsoeuer they make their succession from Peter; and that therfore in reason his Church should haue bin chief yet that God may shewe to the world that their Citie is the Whore that sitteth on seauen hilles; therefore, by Gods iust iudgement they are so blinded, that they haue made a Church and Palace, that is on one of the hils, superior to that they call S. Peters, and haue given it not only prioritie, and precedence, but euen priuiledge & pre­heminence aboue S. Peters.

Another answerable reason out of the Text is; That Citie (saith the Text is Babylon) which reigneth ouer the kingdoms of the earth Reu. 17. 18; but Rome & no other Citie, at that daie & long after, reigned ouer the world. Ther­fore Rome is that Babylon.

Seeing then the holy Text cleers it, the Fathers ap­proue it, Bellarmine himselfe grants it; and the Rhe­mists also (vpon condition we will yeelde that Peter was at Rome) doe willingly yeelde it Rhemist in 1. Pet. cap. 5.: therefore wee will not stand vppon further proofe. And as for their distinction that Rome heathen is BABYLON, but not Rome Christian: I answere briefely, that if heathenish Rome bee BABYLON in regard [Page 42] of her sinfulnesse and persecution of the Saints; then this Rome is Babylon also, seeing in her sinfull abhomi­nations and cruel persecutions, she is nothing inferi­our to olde heathenish Rome, as may bee easily proo­ued & shewed at large, if this time and place required it, & as hath been alreadie shewed by diuerse learned writers, and (in good part) confessed by many of their owne. Now then to goe forward touching this my­sticall Babel, I propound these 4. points to be conside­red.

• 1. That we would haue healed her.
• 2. That she will not be cured.
• 3. That therfore we ought to forsake her.
• 4. That God will take iust vengeance on her.

The 1. and 2. is past, the 3. is in hand, & the fourth is sure to come: its true wee would haue healed her; its most true shee is past cure, I hope it shall be as true that we shall quite forsake her; and the last hastens fast on, her destruction is at hand and sleepes not.

For the first. That we would haue cured the Papists, we dare call the world to witnesse, and appeale euen to God himselfe; and this not onely desired but ende­uoured it by all good means, both in the daies of that renowned Q. Elizabeth of happie memorie, and in the present gouernment of our Souereigne that now is.

The meanes we haue vsed for their healing be di­uerse. 1. By instructing, & informing them in the truth, & discouering their errours both by holy Scriptures, and by the ancient Fathers of the best & purest times. Iewel, Fulk, Whitakers, Rainolds, Perkins, and manie other, who now sleep in Christ, haue left behind them such testimonies of this truth as shall liue whilst the [Page 43] world lasteth, and neuer can be confuted, as appeares in that they haue not dared to answere most of their books to this day. Secondly, our continuall praiers for them, both publick, and priuate; in performance of which dutie, both our Church in generall, and all a­mongst vs (that vse to pray for themselues) haue the testimony of a good cōscience, that they haue not fai­led to indeuour their healing by this means. This our diligence in this duty, so shamed them for their negli­gence in y^e same for vs, that 4. years ago they published at Rome a forme of Litanie, and publick praier, for the peruerting of the Realms of Eng. and Scotland, to Po­perie Vide libellū inscriptū Lita­niae & pre [...] ­recitandae p [...] fide catholica Romana in reg nis Ang. & Sco. restituenda & propaganda, & eorundem vnitate cum e­adē Ro. eccles. Romae. & dua­ci. 1603. But by the waie let it be obserued, that as when Cain left his frowning at his brother, and began to make shew of friendship with him, and entised him by fair words into the fields, then he harbored the hea­uiest malice in his hart, & there slew him Genes. 4. 7: So when these men had conceiued, and hatcht at Rome the pouder treason; then to make vs secure, and beleeue they loued vs, they framed prayers for vs, as tho the worst thing they wisht vs were our conuersion; when as indeede they plotted the subuersion of vs all. Hee that sitteth in heauen, & laughed both them and hel to scorn, for that their deuise, knoweth we haue not dealt so with them. Wel, if their praiers herafter come so ac­cōpanied, let vs haue their curses, and let their prayers turne into their owne bosomes. Thirdly, we haue in­deuoured to heale them by our example, professing and practicing our owne religion, daily in their sight: & many of our fathers professed it openly, euen in the times when they preuailed, and gaue their liues in the fire for it. And heerin the example of noble Queen [Page 44] ELIZABETH is worthie of eternall memorie, whose constant zeale to the truth was such, as that all her dayes they could not by their brags, and treasons, and curses, cause her once to feare them; nor by all their sleights, could euer win the least estimation with her, nor gaine an inch of ground in her heart: nay, her last Proclamation, not two Moneths afore her death, wounded them as deeply, or rather more then euer any one before. See the proclamatiō pub­lished in Feb. before her death.

Fourthly, and lastly; wee endeuoured their healing, by deuising and enacting good and wholesome lawes against their errours, superstitions, impyeties, & sedi­tious courses: somtime in iustice executing them, of­tentimes in great mercy suspending them; thus try­ing all meanes that might possibly perswade or worke vpon them: and in this course (our State by wise fore­sight, and discreete managing the lawes; our Mini­sterie by instruction and confutation, and all by their prayers and example) did we continue to endeuor hir healing, all the happie daies of Q. Elizabeth.

But especially dare wee call the Lord to witnesse, that wee haue endeuoured her healing since the hap­pie comming of his Maiestie to this crowne; wherein all the forenamed meanes haue beene vsed and one more: their errours haue beene most learnedly dis­couered and confuted, their bookes and libells aun­swered; and if I may giue my iudgement of these daies, the skirtes of the Romish Whore were neuer better discouered, her grossest absurdities and fowlest im­pyeties neuer so cleerlie displayed, as haue beene by the Diuines of this present age. I spare their names, in regarde they bee aliue: and long may they liue, [Page 45] to the happinesse of this CHVRCH.

And beyond all meanes then vsed, and now conti­nued, his Maiestie hath vsed one more; namely, ad­mirable lenitie, and extraordinarie patience towardes them, notwithstanding all their ill deseruings: which as it was alwaies great; so, since the hellish powder­treason it is incredible: for he whose patience is not prouoked, and whose iust anger is not wakened by such an attempt, sure there is somthing more then or­dinarily humane, in that man.

Neither do I think is there a King in Christendom, that after such a treason would haue left one of that faction in his kingdome, but onely his Maiestie. Oh mirror of mercie! how famously in future ages shall this princely bountie be renowned! and how fit is he to be the Lords annointed, and to be the Lieutenant of that God whose mercie is ouer all his workes; seeing his mercie is so largely extended euen ouer his worst deseruing subiects. Thus Heauen hath seene it, euen the Lord himselfe will witnesse with vs, that as all his Church euery where ouer the world, so wee in Eng­land for our parts, would gladly haue healed Babylon, and haue done our full endeuour to that ende: But now alas see the effect of our labours, all is lost; for she is Babylon, and therfore past cure: She wil not, & ther­fore cannot be healed.

Som wil say this is harsh & bitter: but I say it is true, and therfore is not to be cōcealed: let her blame them that haue made her incurable, and not them that dis­couer it: and for me that affirme it, I craue not to be belieued, but rather to be reprooued, if the euidence of the fact do not fully proue what I haue sayd.

To this end I will first lay downe a ground or two.

First that in former times there haue been great cō ­plaints of foule deformities in the Romish Church, made by men of great learning, and such as either are, or at least whom they say are, their owne: and these de­formities not onely in priuate persons, but in the pub­licke bodie; not in the members only, but in the heade of their Church. I wil not stand to proue this, it beingc 48. & 56. & lib. 3. cap. 27. & lib. 4. cap. 33 Et Bonauent. in Apologet. pro Francisca­nis. & in reg. Frācisci. quaest. 2. & 27. Et Bernardum [...] diuersis Epi­stolis. E [...] Vincentium Ferrar in suo prognostico cum mult. al. not the end of my purpose at this time: they that look into the monuments of elder ages do knowe this to be true; and whosoeuer will but looke into the Authors here in the margent named, will soone acknowledge it Reuelat. Bri­gittae passim. maxime. lib. 1..

Another ground: these deformities were so fowle and so apparant, that the Councels of Constance, and Basil, and (of later times) that of Trent, were called to this principall end, for the reformation of the Church both in the head, and in the members. For that of Constance, the Councell it selfe confesteth it in the publicke acts thereof more then once Concil. Constant. ses. 1: and [...]r that of Trent, howsoeuer they pretended it against E [...]ther & his doctrine; yet it is confessed by a learned Bishop of their side Espencaeus in Titum, cap. 1., that it was wrought out and brought to passe at last, and after much resistance, for the refor­mation of the Romish Church, & euen of the Popes own Court, wherin there reigned at that time many abho­minable things, as one of the better sort of Popes him­self freely confessed Adrianus 6. In orat▪ per nuntiū suum facta ad Comitia impe­rialia anno. 1522.. Vpon these grounds I proceed to lay downe 3. propositions, touching the incurable­nesse of Romish Babel.

1. That these Councels, assembled to reform and a­mend, did contrariwise establish diuers impious er­rors [Page 47] neuer be fore decreed in the world.

2. That those foule deformities in the Romish Church, both in the head and members, and both for doctrine and manners, that were in that Church be­fore those Councells, and for the redresse whereof, those councells were called, did neuerthelesse, and yet do, continue vnreformed.

3. That since then, in steed of redresse and reforma­tion of the euills then found, there haue contrariwise growen vp in their Church more horrible & hainous practices, and more erronious and impious doctrines then euer before; and at this day stand vnreproued and maintained by their Church. And these three propo­sitions being proued, I hope there is none but wil con­fesse that the Romish Church, for ought that man can see, is past cure.

Touching the first, I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of manie: and first for the Councell of Con­stance, that Councell decreed▪ 2. such decrees, as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion, and ouerthrow­ing all humane societie, then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other.

For first, whereas it is knowen and granted, that Christ at his last Supper ordaining the holy Commu­nion, did consecrate and giue it both in bread and wine, and commanded his Ministers after him, Doe this See all the E­uangelists, & S. Paul. 1. Cor. 11 23. &c.: and tho it cannot be denied but that the pri­mitiue & antient Church did so receiue it, as Christ left it; yet for all that comes the Popish Councell of Constance, and calls it a peruerse fashion, and an ill order of those that giue their people the sacrament in both kindes: and do further decree, that,

And howsoeuer Bellar. Bellar. de Sacram▪ Euch. lib. 4. cap. 26 much ashamed of the mat­ter, wil needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes, but to the celebration after supper (and therfore accuseth Luther and others, as ly­ers for so reporting of the Councell) yet many others of his fellows make no bones to grant it: and if they all denyed it, the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough.

Now, thus to decree and make a Canon contrarie to the direct institution & commandement of Christ; what is it but to controll Christ himselfe, and to wea­ken the certainty of all truth and religion? Secondly, whereas there can be no firme societie amongst men, if othe [...] and couenants (especially made by publicke persons) be of no force, and therefore God himselfe would haue the Israelites oath to the Gibeonits, perfor­med, thogh it was craftily extorted Iosh. 9. 19; & after seuere­ly punished Saul in his posteritie, for the breach of it 2. Sam. 21. 1. 2.: yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed, that ‘Concil. Constant. ses­sione. 19. Though the Emperour or King giue a safe conduct, to one accused of heresie, to come to a Councell or Disputation, &c. and tho he bind and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer; and tho he would not haue come, but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct: Yet (hoc non obstante) this notwithstanding, hee [Page 49] may bee taken and proceeded against and bur­ned as an hereticke, without anie preiudice to the Catholicke faith, &c.’

If this bee good diuinitie, that Oathes and Coue­nants to hereticks are of no force, & binde not the ma­kers; then it is in vaine for men to haue anie dealing one with another: for if oathes bee once of no force in any one thing, they will in time be weakened in all things.

Thus this Romish Councell that should haue a­mended, hath contrariwise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impyetie: and such, as (for ought I could euer see) were neuer till then decreed nor receiued; no, not in the Romish Church it selfe.

But is this reformed since? No, saith a great Spanish Bishop Simancha. Institut. cathol. cap. 45. art. 14. edit. Hispan. Fides data hae­reticis a priuato non est seruāda, nec a magistra­tibus data seruā da est haereticis: quod exemplo Concilij Con­stantiensis pro­batur: nā Ioh. Huss. & Hiero­nimus eius dis­cip. legitima flāma concre­mati sunt, quā ­uis promissa il­lis securitas fu­isset., (more then a hundred yeares after this Councell); it is so farre from beeing altered, that contrariwise, by the authority of this decree, it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke, by a priuate man, is not to bee kept; no, nor if it be made by a Magistrate, as (sayth he) is prooued by the practice of the Councell of CONSTANCE. Marke howe they are healed: afore it was true in publique persons, now it is true in priuate men al­so: afore it might bee broaken without anie fault; but nowe it may not bee kept. See howe Babylon is cured.

But the Councell of Trent is of latter times: hath not it done much good and reformed much ill? Nay on the other side, it hath decreed and made 2. Canons to the high disgrace of holie SCRIP­TVRES, and much derogating from the souereigne [Page 50] authority thereof; which til then were neuer decreed, not in the darkest times of poperie, when her igno­rance and superstition was without all controll: As namely, first Concil. Trident. sess. 4,

This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scrip­tures before: neither was there euer any Popish gene­rall Councell, so presumptuous afore this of Trent, that euer durst adde more books to the sacred Canon, then we receiued from the Church of the old Testa­ment. Some bolde Papists say, that the Florentine Councell, before Trent, did make them Canonicall: which if it had, it had bin little materiall, seeing it was but a small time before Trent, scarce 100. yeares: but the truth is, it did not; and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more careful of their credit, and wil not af­firme it Bellar tō. 1. lib. de verbo dei. Coccius in the sauro ca­thol. tom. 1.. So that its cleere, there neuer was gene­rall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent, nor anie prouinciall but one Concil. Carthag. 3.: and they are not able to bring one Father that helde them so with­in 400. yeares after Christ, nor very manie after till of late; and contrariwise we are able to proue, that all the Fathers for 400. yeares did reiect them, and many after; yea, the greater part of all learned Pa­pists themselues till the Councell of Trent. And thus wee see how Romish Babylon is still the elder the worse: But this is not all: a Romish Councell will neuer meete for one euill. Therefore secondly they decree Concil. Trident sess. 4.,

Here is a strange decree, that the streame shall bee of more vertue then the Fountaine, a translation of more authoritie then the Originall. The former ages neuer heard of this indignitie: but whensoeuer doubt was made, or difference found, recourse was forth­with had to the Originalls for the determining of the matter. Many learned Papists are ashamed of this, if they durst vtter it. Bellarmine and Coccius doe bewray it by their slight handling of the matter; for they would gladly prooue if they could, that Hierome was the author of that translation: but as for the magnify­ing of it (whosoeuer was the translator) aboue the O­riginalls, they are wiser then to venture their credits vpon so false a matter, and therefore do wholly leaue it vpon the credit of that Conuenticle that concluded it. Neither do I wrong, to call it a Conuenticle: for tho I should grant the whole to be a Councell; yet the number that past this bill was so small, that I may safe­ly call it a Conuenticle. For as an ill motion may pass in Parliament betimes in a morning before all the house be set, so was this bil caried at Trent. For wher­as the Councel in his fulness consisted of 300. or more that had voice of decision, they took the aduantage at the beginning of the Councell, and caried these two bills when there were scarce 60. in the house (whereof how manie went against them is vncertaine) fo [...] the Pope durst not (for one of his Crowns) haue p [...] th [...]e [Page 52] two bils, especially the latter, to the ful house: for how would they haue entertained it then, when as they had libertie of speech against it, who since their tongues were tyed and the bill passed, yet haue dared (andArias Monta­nus, Sixtus Se­nensis, Olea­ [...]er, &c. some of them who were of the Councell themselues) euen to resist the decree, and haue taken so contra­rie a course themselues in expounding the Scripture, that howsoeuer they were tolerated for their learning whilest they liued; yet being dead, their books are ey­ther purged, that is altered, or els reproued: So that its apparant to all that will vnderstand, that this decree was so far from being established in any former ages, that it is euen misliked of many of the better sort of themselues now that it is made.

And thus I hope wee haue cleered it, that these two Councells, called in the corrupt and declining times of the Popish Church, in shewe to haue reformed it, haue been so far from that, that contrariwise they haue cōcluded diuerse enormous impyeties that were not before: Then is not the Romish Babylon well cured?

I hasten to the second Proposition: which is, that the deformities that were before, both in doctrine and practice, both in heade and members, and manie whereof were complayned on by some of them­selues, doe yet remaine without redresse or reforma­tion.

For the demonstration of this Proposition, I might inlarge my selfe into many particulars; but I will insist but vppon fewe: and those I shall pro­duce shall not bee trifles, nor triuiall, but of great moment, euen touching the mayne and morall duties [Page 53] which a Christian man oweth to his God; and which to denie, is to denie God, to falsifie his word and nul­lifie his lawe. And to this ende, it were no harde matter, to passe through the most of the tenne Com­maundementes of the Morall and eternall lawe: But I will stande vppon some fewe of the princi­pall.

In all which, my course shall bee fairest for them, and safest for my selfe: for I will not relie vppon the cre­dite of any reporter nor other writer, how great so­euer his authoritie bee; but produce the recordes themselues, and the authenticall originalls of their owne bookes, as they stand at this day allowed by au­thoritie.

Now, therefore whether the Romish Babylon bee yet cured or no, let the Christian world iudge by these particulars:

The pride of the Romish Antichrist in times past, was such, that hee exalted himselfe, at least suffered himselfe to bee set in the throne of God; yea, and to be called of men God, and their Lord God The first wound; The Pope is a God, and their Lord God.: and this not onely in priuate Authors, but euen in his own Canon lawe: these be the wordes in the glosse vpon the extrauagants Extrauag. Iohānis 22. tit. 14. cap. 4. Cū inter. in glossa Credere autē Dom. Deum nostrum Pa­pam condito­rem huius De­cretalis no [...] potuisse slatue▪ reprovt. statuit, haereticum censeretur.;

The wordes are plaine inoughe. But if anie man say this is but the glosse, and not the text: I an­swere; first, that the glosse is of greater authoritie [Page 54] amongst them then any, or then many Doctors. But further, what if we finde as much or worse, out of theDecret. dist. 96 cap. satis euidēt ostenditur a se­culari potestate nec solui pror­sus necligari pontificē pos­se, quem cōstat a Constantino Deum appella­tum, cum nec posse Deum ab hominibus iu­dicari manife­stum sit. very Text of the Popes lawe it selfe? Look in the De­cree the 96. distinction, there the Pope himself frames this argument, writing to the Emperor against them that would call his Holinesse to account.

Thus the Pope that canonizeth so many men and women Saints, hath heere taken paines to canonize himself a God, both in the Text and glosse of his own lawe: his glossers call him their Lord God, and hee is content to take it to himselfe. Constantine (he saith in the text) cals him God, and he is content both to take it, and make good vse of it. Whether this bee not Herods sinne Acts. 12. at least, let him looke to it, but let vs goe forwarde. Heere Babylon is sicke of a deadly euil: but is she healed? I wish she were: but I cannot shewe it. The first wound not healed. If any say shee is, then let him shewe me that Pope, or name mee that Writer, Doctor, Inquisitor, Bishop, or any other, who by commandment or au­thoritie, or but with the approbation of the Pope, hath confuted, or but as much as reprooued this blas­phemie; or shewe any that hath reprooued it, whom they haue not blamed or condemned. But that shee is not cured in this point, I can make it apparant. For looke in the Canon lawe reuiued and as they pretende(c) Vide Cor­pus iuris Ca­nonici, iussu Gregorij 13. emendatum & editum, anno 91. dist. 96. cap. 7. reformed and reprinted of late (b) by the authoritie [Page 55] and with the approbation of the Pope vnder his bull▪ where though many things be altered, or taken out that made against the Popes primacie: yet this that makes so much against Gods holy Maiestie is not in one point helped, nor in one word altered, but still this is good and Catholicke Diuinitie in the popes lawe, that

But wil you haue yet better euidence, that She is not cured? Hearken a little: A great Italian Doctor, no lesse then a Bishop, writes thus to the Pope himselfe (for to the Pope either the Authour or his Nephew dooth dedicate it) some three or foure yeares agoe Vide Ado­ardum Gualā ­dum Episcopū Caesenatem, de morali & ciuili facultate, lib. 14 cap. 3. A Papa tanquā a Capite in v­niuersum Eccle siae corpus, hoc est in omnem Christianā Remp. spiritus influunt. caelestium gratia­rum sensum fruc­tum (que) praestantes, & efficicem mo [...] ad sempiternam [...]eatitudinem. Merito igitur sanc­tissimus & beatissi­mus appellatur & [...] Christianam [...] quasi quidam Deusad oratur & coli­ [...]t. Liber impressus est Romae. 1604. & Clementi 8. Papae dicatus..

Loe heere as bad or worse then the former: the Pope is such a Head of the church, as infuseth spiritual life and heauenly grace into the body of the Church (Doth Christ himself anie more?) and he is worthi­ly worshipped as a God. And this dooth Pope Cle­ment the 8. suffer to be spoken and written of him, and not 4. yeares agoe to be printed vnder his nose at Rome; and thence to bee sent ouer the world: & [Page 48] now iudge, is not Romish Babylon well healed? nay, rather alasse, doth not her wound fester and rankle more and more? Well then seeing this is the Ro­mish doctrine and practise, both olde and newe, both long agoe and now present, let vs make a little vse of it.

First, wee see heere good reason, why a Papist should holde the Pope aboue a Councell, and e­uen the holy scripture it selfe: for the Pope is God; and wee knowe that GOD is aboue the scrip­ture.

Secondly, why also the Pope holdes himselfe aboue kings: for hee is God, and GOD is King of kinges: in a word, no maruell why hee should take ap­peals from all the world, we are a triple Crowne, bee caried on mens shoulders, giue his foote to be kissed, dispose of kingdomes and kings at his pleasure; for hee that is God may do more then all these. And sure­ly, we Protestants must needes grant, that as truely as he is a God, so lawfully may hee do all these. All these vses are as good as that is the Pope himselfe makes, when hee sayth: God may not be iudged by men; but I am God, and therefore may not bee iudged by man: these bee his arguments: but now hee shall giue mee leaue to make but one for him and his fellowes.

The God that admitteth another Lord God, and to bee worshipped as God; is not the Lord Iehouah, the true God: for the true God, is God alone Deut. 6. 4.: but the Papists God admittes of another Lord God, and to be worshipped as God, therefore hee is not the true God. If they denie the Maior, they denie scripture: if the Mi [...]r, they denie their doctrine, and their owne [Page 57] bookes: if they graunt both, they are worthy of the conclusion.

I would end this: but I cannot omit to make one vse more of this their doctrine. It hath been made a que­stion amongst them, whether the Pope might no [...] emptie all Purgatorie, if he see cause; and no maruell [...] for he being God, surely (if there be a purgatorie) God can emptie it. Now to conclude, all these doe but e­qualize the Pope with God: but what if hee haue made himselfe greater then God The secōd wound; The pope hath done more then God.? I will be but the rela­tour, let the Reader iudge. Almost two hundred yeeres agoe, hee did with publicke authoritie and after long examination, by a great Cardinall This Cardi­nal was Iohā ­nes de turre cremata: as appears in the prefaces be­fore the book of the Reuela­tions of Saint Brigit. and other Com­missioners, approue Posseuinus, in apparatu sa­cro. lit. B. to. 1. Brig. Reuela­tiones diligē ­ter examinatae & approbatae à viris doctis fuerunt. & after suffered to be published to the World, a booke in latine, called

Where it is dogmatically deliuered and as a matter without question, That Pope Gregory by his prayers lifted the heathen Emperour Traiane out of hell Reuelationes Brigittae lib. 4. cap. 13. Bonus Gregorius, oratione sua, etiam infidelem Caesarem eleuauit ad al­tiorem gradum.: and another long afore, (whome they pretend also to bee theirs) deliuereth it more amplie, adding further that God answered the Pope thus: I haue heard thy pray­ers, and I grant mercy and pardon to Traiane; but see that thou hereafter offer me no sacrifice, for an vngodly man Damascenus in ser. de mortuis adiuuandis: Cum enixè Deum precaretur Gre­gorius pro salute Traiani, annis ante sua tempora fere 500. defuncti audiuit vocem diuinitùs allatam, dicentem, preces tuas audiui, & veniam Traiano do: tu vero de­inceps pro impio hostiam mihi ne offeras.. From hence I offer them this argument to thinke on; The true God neuer deliuered a damned [Page 58] soule out of hell: but the Pope hath deliuered a soule out of hell: therefore he hath done that, that GOD neuer did, nor for ought that is reuealed euer will doe.

Heer is a soule wound, but is this healed vp? No, The second wound not healed. this booke stands allowed by the Pope: and in his Catalogue of the bookes which hee forbiddes to bee read Vide Indicē lib prohib per Clem. 8., where many a learned and godly booke is condemned, this is not toucht; and therefore, as Posseuine himselfe (a Iesuite) grants Posseuinus lo­co citato. not 2. yeares agoe, not onely the booke stands vncondemned, but this foule blalphemy vncontrolled: and to shewe that the head of Babylon, namely the Pope is incura­ble, let it be obserued, that tho many particular lear­ned Papists Mel. Canus. lib. 11. c. 2. Bel­lar. de Purgat. lib. 2. cap. 8. Blas. Vieg. in Apoc. c. 6. com­ment. 3. sect. 3. Baronius annal. circa temp. Traiani. haue misliked, and condemned it as far as in them lyeth; yet to this daie was it neuer con­demned, nor the book forbidden or amended by the Pope: so vnwilling is BABYLON to be healed of her wounds.

Yea, the Pope is so farre from healing it; that con­trariwise, he suffred a Spanish Dominican Frier to de­fend it, and that not in word, but writing, not priuat­ly, but openly: not in a corner of the World, but to come to Rome within these fewe yeares, and there euen to write and publish vnder his nose, and by his autho­ritie, an Apologie of this blasphemous fable, ende­uouring to proue it by many arguments; That Grego­ry did deliuer Traian out of hell Alphonsus Ciaconus Ro­mae edidit..

Thus tho it containe neuer so great an impietie a­gainst God; yet, because it tendes to the magnifying of the Popes power & prerogatiue (let as many lear­ned men as will speake against it, Hanc Apolo­giam vti & hi­storiam validis refutat argum. Bellar. lib 2. de purgat. cap. 8. vt & Mel. Ca­nus eandem antea impro­bauerat histo­riam, &c. haec dem Posseu. [...] pr [...]. it shall stand and [Page 59] be maintained: so true it is that Babylon will not bee healed of her deadliest wounds. And wonder not tho I call them deadly; for consider of these consequen­ces: The Pope deliuered a soule out of hell, there­fore he did that which God neuer did. Again, therfore there may be redemption out of hell. Againe, therfore the Popes praiers did that which Christs praiers neuer could do: againe, Christ sayth, I pray not for the world Iohn. 17. The world, that is for the wic­ked & damned. Apologiā pro historia Traiani quem precibus Sancti Grego­rij ex inferno aiunt quidamin caelum ascendis­se: haec Possev. Ies in apparatu sacro t [...]m. 1. litera A.: the Pope saith, but I do; Ergo the Popes pity & cha­ritie is more then Christs: Alas, alas, is Rome the holy Church, and sees not these blemishes? Is she the liuing Church and feeles not these wounds? nay rather, is she not that Babylon that will not be healed?

But to conclude: all this is the worse because hee hath razed out manie sentences, and passages out of manie Authors, wherin he thought himselfe and his seat to be wronged Ludou. viues: Ferus, Erasmus, Stella, Oleaster Espencaeus and infinite others.; but this that so highly disho­noreth God himselfe, he can patiently suffer: but had he beene as zealous of Gods glory as carefull of his own, then he that forbids Espencaeus his commenta [...]ies on Titus till they be purged, and the book called Onus Ecclesiae (absolutly without any limitatiō) because they touch his freehold too neere, would also haue forbid­den the Reuelation of S. Bridgit, til this foule blasphe­mie had been purged out: which, seeing he hath so carelesly and wilfully neglected, (tho his Catalogue of forbidden bookes hath so often been renued It was first made by Pius 4. and so si [...]ce cōtinued renu­ed & augmē ­mented til Cle­ment the 8.; it appears what an vnworthy Vicar of God hee is, who lookes onely to himselfe, but suffers his master to bee dishonored before his face: Therfore, Arise, O Lord, maintaine thine owne cause.

Well then, seeing this wound is incurable, let vs [Page 60] leaue it rankling & come to another. Some 120. yeers( [...]) The third [...] God hath diui­ded his kingdome with the Virgin Mary: And that a man may appeal from Gods iustice to the Mercy of the Virgin Mary▪ be­cause God hath kept iustice to himself but com­mitted his mercy to his Mother. agoe, an Italian Frier wittie and learned, as the most in those daies, a principall Preacher and as famous in his time as Mussus, or Panegirola in these latter, by name Bernardinus de Busto Bernard. de busto Marial. par. 3. ser. 3. pag 96. editionis Lugd. anni. 517 Licet ad Mariā appellare a di­abolo, a Tyran­no, imo a Deo, si quis a Dei iu­stitia grauari se sentiat. quod significatū fuit H [...]ster 5▪ vbi dicitur quod cum Rex Assu­erus Iudaeis es­set iratus, Regi­na Ester ad ipsū placandum ac­cessi [...]: Cui Rex ait, etiam si di­ [...]idiam partē regni mei peti­eris dabitur ti­bi: ista ergo imperatrix fi­gurauit impe­ratricem coelorum, cum qua Deus regnum suum diuisit. Cum enim Deus habeat iusti­tiam & misericordiam, iusticiam sibi reti [...]it in hoc mundo exercendam; Misericordiam vero matri concessit: ideo si quis sentit s [...]grauari in foro iustitiae Dei, appellet ad forum misericordiae Matris cius. preached this doctrine pub­likely, after wrote it, & sent it to Alexander the 6. and vnder his name published it,

The impiety is so execrable and seemes so incredi­ble, that I will put downe the words out of the booke it selfe, as it was dedicated to the Pope.

What is this we heare? do there lie appeales from God? and from God to a creature? is Gods Iustice such, as a man may iustly be agrieued at it? and further, is God kingdome diuisible? and hath God indeede di­uided his kingdome? and diuided it with a creature, yea with a woman? and hath God graunted his Mercie from himself to a creature? wee may say with the Pro­phet, Oh heauens be astonied at this: and let all Christi­an harts tremble to heare such blasphemies: & yet these be good doctrins in Popery, fit for their pulpits, & their people, and after they be preached worthy to bee pub­lished to the world. Surely, if they grant these bee false doctrines, then blame & shame belongs to the papists that preach thē, write thē, publish them, and allow thē for Catholick doctrine: but if they stand to thē as true, then mark what consequences will follow vpon them: first it is here taught, that a man may appeale frō God. Herupon this argument is easily framed, but I beleeue not so easily answered;

Ergo, by popish doctrin the Pope is greater then God▪

This conclusion is ineuitable, if their doctrine be true. Againe, here it is taught that we may appeale from God to the Virgin Marie: If that be true, let them answere this argument;

If this conclusion be heresie and blasphemie; then Bernar [...]ine de busto his bookes are to bee burnt, and yet they are both allowed and commended by the Ro­mish Church Bernardinus de Bustis, scrip­sit de excellen­tijs Reginae Caeli Cōmen­tarium siue vberrimum & cruditissimum rosarium & complures ali­os sermones plenos pietatis & bonarum re­rum: sic Pos­seu. in appara­tu sacro to. 1. Litera. B.: But let vs go forward.

Thirdly, here it is taught, that God hath diuided his kingdome with a creature, euen with a woman: This being true here wee learne many pointes.

First, the reason why they call her in their Seruice booke allowed by supreame and soueraigne authori­tie, Reginam Coelorum, the Queene of heauen Vide Missalia, Breuiaria & officia vlti­ma & corre­ctissima.; for shee that hath gotte possession of the halfe of Gods kingdome, may well and worthily be held the Queene of heauen.

Secondly, heere is a verie good reason, why the Church of Rome keepes the Bible from the vulgar people, and will not haue it divulged in their Mo­ther tongues: for if they had it in their owne tongues, they would startle at this doctrine, and when they hearde it deliuered in Pulpit, that God had diuided his kingdome, would soone haue sayde, that is false doctrine: for the Psalme sayth, The kingdome is the Lords Psal. 22. 29.: and Dauid in his thankesgiuing, at the preparation for the Temple building, confesseth to God; Thine O Lord, is greatnesse, power and glorie, aeternitie and Maiestie: Thine O Lord is the kingdome, and thou excellest ouer all 1. Chron. 29. 11.: and if the Frier had obiected, that the kingdome indeede is Gods, yet not so, but he may diuide it to another: then they would haue aunswered, that cannot bee: for hee himselfe [Page 63] saith, I am the Lord, &c. My glorie, I will not giue to another Esay. 42. 8: and if hee still obiected, that was true in the olde Testament, when there was none capable and worthie of this honour, because then the Virgin Marie was not; they would readily aun­swere, that in the newe Testament after the Virgin Marie was, and after shee was the mother of Christ, Christ her sonne speakes to God his Father, (but not to her his Mother) Thine is the kingdome, powre and glorie Matth. 6. 13. The kingdome is Gods: and how longe? (not till shee bee assumed and crowned in heauen, as they say, but) for euer and euer.

And whereas they further teach, that hee hath kept Iustice to himselfe, but commited mercie to his Mother: they would crie out vpon that doctrine and him that taught it; and tell him that they finde it sixe and twentie times in one Psalme, that Gods mer­cie indureth for euer Psal. 136, in euerie verse., and that his mercie is ouer all his workes Psal. 145. 9: if ouer all, then ouer her also, or else shee is not of his making: and if his mercie bee vp­on her, without which shee could neuer haue beene saued: then how dare any say, that Mercie is Hers, and not Gods? and if mercie bee Gods, and that mercie of his endureth his, (not for the time of the olde Testa­ment one [...]y, but) for euer: Then it is foule and false doctrine to say, that now since Christ, God hath re­signed vppe mercie from himselfe to a creature: thus would the people come vpon him that taught this doctrine, and vppon the Romish Church that al­loweth it: and therefore doth not that Church wisely, to keepe the people from reading the holy Scriptures?

Thirdly, seeing it is doctrine currant in the Ro­mish Church, that God hath giuen vp mercie from himselfe to the Virgin Marie, here is a good defence of their Ladies Psalter Vide officia, & Psalteria bea­tae Mariae Vir­gin is cuiuseun que generis seu impressio­nis.: wherein they turne the Psalmes from Dominus to Domina, from GOD to our Ladie: and when Dauid saith, Lord haue mercie on mee; they say, O Lady haue mercie on mee: and in thee O Lady is my trust. They say this was compi­led by Bonauenture Bonauen­turae opera omnia excusa fuere Romae in Vaticano: in parte 2. (inter alia) est Psal­terium beatae Mariae virginis ab ipso cōpila­tū. haec Possev. in apparatu sa­cro, litera b. 10. i.: but tho hee liued in ill times Circa annū. 1272. in conci­lio Lugdunensi sub Gregorio 10 Bonauentura obijt. Possev. in loco cita­to., yet his other writinges giue cause to hope hee made it not: for hee saieth, that wee must take heede we so inlarge not the excellencie of the Mo­ther, that wee diminish the glorie of the sonne Ex Perkin­so in suo pro­blemate, pag.. Sure hee that sayde so, would not bee so lauish and carelesse of Gods glorie, as to turne the Psalmes from him to a creature.

Fourthly, here wee see the reason why the Popish Synagogue do maime the Lords prayer, leauing out the conclusion, For thine is the kingdome and power and glorie for euer and euer See the Rhemish Testament in Mat. 6 and Luk. the 11 & al their Mi­s [...]als & breui­aries, Ma [...]uals & allowed pri­ [...]ers: in all which they cut short the lords praier, leauing out the wordes of the conclu­siō, for thine is y^• kingdom &c.. For if the kingdome bee diuided, then it is not all his for euer: no maruel therefore, though they will haue their Pater noster in Latine for their common people; for if it were in English, there is none so simple but would see their vn­godly dealing.

But to conclude, (leauing this robberie and sacri­ledge in cutting off part of the Lords prayer, for ano­ther place and purpose) it is here euident that no Pa­pist in the World can with a good conscience say the whole Lords prayer. For if God haue now diuided his kingdome, then how can hee say with Dauid in the olde testament 1. Chr. 29. 11, and Christ in the newe Math. 6.: Thine O [Page 65] Lord is the kingdome for euer: therefore hee must ei­ther alter the Lords prayer and say, Thine is halfe the kingdome, &c. or neuer say it at all: or else curse and detest his owne teachers that write, and his Lord God the Pope that alloweth such doctrine. Alas, poore soules, what should a simple honest hearted Papist do in this case! See therefore in what pitifull state they liue, who haue subiected themselues to such tea­chers.

Lastly, let it bee obserued that here they teach, that there bee in spiritual matters touching the soule 2. diuine Courts: the one of Iustice, and that is Gods; the other a Chancerie, a Court of Mercie, and that is Ma­ries; these bee their verie wordes: and further, that if any man feele himselfe agrieued in Gods Court of Iustice, let him appeale to the Court of mercie of his Mother: Oh-strange diuinitie! Canne Gods iudge­ments bee vniust, or his proceedinges erroneous and vnequall? If they bee not, then why do they talke of appealing to a higher Court? for why do writtes of error lye from one Court to another, but that it is presupposed that they may erre? and why is there a Chauncerie, but that the rigour, and extremitie of the Lawe may bee mitigated? But if the Scripture say true in the text, Righteous art thou O Lord, and iust in thy iudgements; Psal. 119. 137. then this is blasphemie of a high nature, that there needes a Chancerie to rectifie his proceedinges and mitigate his Iudge­ments. But as for this doctrine, that the Chauncerie or Court of mercie is not Gods, but his Mothers, and that therfore Gods iudgmēts are to be mitigated by another, and therefore that shee and her Court are in this respect [...] [Page 68] rant shee is not healed.

And yet for the better satisfaction of all men, that as shee is not yet, so shee purposeth neuer to bee hea­led, nor to reforme any thing, and that this is not the priuate opinion of that or any other one doctor; I desire all that loue the trueth to take knowledge, that of late within these seauen yeares, an Italian doctor a Iesuite, and an approued writer, writing a storie of the miracles of our Ladie of Loretto teacheth euen the same doctrin, and makes no bones to bluster out almost the very same words: which for better assurance I will put down. Horatiu [...] Tursellinus: hist. virginis lauretanae in Epistola dedic. virgo Maria salutem vndi (que) cinctam periculis expe­dire, vitam ve­ris & salutari­bus bonis cu­mulare & vult & potest▪ Matrem quip­pe suam omni­potens deus diuinae potesta­tis & Maiesta­tis sociam (quatenus li­cuit) asciuit.

See here the new and refined diuinity of the Iesuites: what is this, but the same with that afore? for if shee bee made partaker & fellow with God in his diuine power and Maiestie, it is no maruel, that God hath cōmitted his mercy to her: & if frō these words we look into the body of the book, we shal find he ascribes such works & miracles to her as can belong to none but him or her that is a fellow with God, or rather God himself. It cannot bee saide, the booke wants authoritie: for it is formally al­lowed, dedicated to the Cardinall Aldobrandino, printed at Rome, and since often elsewhere; and of late [Page 69] both the Authour and his booke highly commended by the greatest Romish censurers Posseu. in ap­paratu sacro. to. 2. litera. H. Horat. Tursel­linus Romanus è societate Iesu, lauretanae historiae 5. libros latinos & elegantes ad fidē hi­storicae veritatis conscripsit Romae excu [...]os: quos qui legerit, vt miranda beatissimae Virginis opera suspiciet, sic lauretanam illam domum percupidè curabit inuisere. Vlterin [...] autem de eodem Tursellino vide C. Bonarscij Amphitheatrum honoris Libro 2. cap. 13.. So that now I will end my euidence, for this point, and dare put the matter to a Iurie of any conscionable men, whether this wound be healed yet, or no.

Now to go forward: from the Person and Maie­sty of God, let vs proceede to his Holy SCRIP­TVRES, and see how the Romish Church held of olde, and yet holdeth and teacheth of them. I will not stand vppon those v [...]le and base speeches vttered and written of them by Eccius, Pighius, Hosius, and manie other of that generation, for that they haue beene both detected, and with shame inough re [...]ec­ted by many reuerend men of our nation, both in La­tine and English Whitaker Fulke, Iewel, Reinolds, and others.; but vppon some that often haue not bin touched by many, nor euer can be sufficient­ly condemned by any.

In the Canon Lawe, the Pope spareth not to disgrace the holy Scriptures in express tearmes; sometimes e­qualing his own Constitutions with them, somtimes preferring them.

In the Decree hee shameth not to affirme that The fourth wound; The Popes decrees be e­quall to the Canonicall Scriptures. his decretall Epistles are numbred amongst the Cano­call Scriptures Vide decretū cum glossa. Lugd. 1510. In fol. dist. 19. cap, 6. Inter Scrip­turas canonicas Epistolae decre­tales connume­ [...]antur., and impudently alleadgeth Saint Augustine to proue it, who neuer spake nor meant any such thing; as in the later end of the decree they can­not but confess with shame inough: this was his doc­trine in the old impressions of the Canon lawe, a hun­dreth [Page 70] yeares agoe. But some will say, this wounde is now healed: No, look in the new impression reuiew­ed at the Popes commandement, and printed by his authoritie within these fewe years Vide Corpus Iuris Cano [...]ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum & editum Lug­duni. 1591., and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter;

Which is the more shamefull in it self, and shame­lesse in the doers, in as much as in the same newe edi­tion they are forced to confesse, that Augustine (out of whom they cite the whole Chapter) did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles, but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum, sed ad Canoni­cas & sacras Scripturas re­ferenda est: Corp. Iur. Cā. edit. 91. in ad­ditione. ad dist. 19. cap. 6.: and no maruell, for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes, was to get and to beare, many a faire yeere after his daies.

To conclude this point, let wise men obserue here this point; how vnwilling the Romish Church is to amēd or alter any thing, especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold: els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and ti­tle of the Chapter, which in the bodie of the Chap­ter they condemn? But well doe they know, that ma­nie a man reades the contents of books and chapters, which neuer read more. Therfore, because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls, tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures, they are suffred to stand, whereas they haue put out many [Page 71] things disgracefull to themselues: Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing.

This doth but make them equall, and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church: but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly; namely, where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher, and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues? In the same booke the XL. Distinction, the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine, and canoni­zeth for a lawe, these words taken out of one Boniface; The fift wound. The religion of Christiani­tie is to bee founded ra­ther from the Popes mouth then from the [...]oly Scrip­tures, that is from Gods mouth. Vide Decret. dist. 40. in ap­pendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera tā ­ta reuerentia apicē praefatae Apostolicae se­dis omnes suspiciunt, vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam & antiquam Chri­stianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quàm a sacris paginis & pa­ternis traditionibus expetant: Illius velle, illius nolle tantum explorant, vt ad eius arbi­trium suam conuersationē & ipsi remittant aut intendant. Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici, e­ditionis Lugdun. 91. in 4..

Loe what doctrine is here: the discipline, nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope, then at Gods mouth in the10 The fift wound not healed. holy Scriptures: and all that a Christian man cares for, is (not what God, but) what the Pope will, and what he wills not; and according to that are they to frame thē ­selues: Is this a doctrine [...]it to be inserted in the popes lawe? Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this? If to be a Catholicke be to holde this, and to denie this to be an heretike, I am content [Page 72] to be an hereticke, let who will bee the Catholicke: but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures, and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD, then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth, wee maie ra­ther depende on the Popes mouth, then on Gods. But some will say, this is healed. Nay alas, they be so farre from that The fift wound not healed., that contrariwise for ought that I knowe, this is not be found in the elder editions: but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all, set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope; from whence also I cite it at this time.

Thus I haue shewed, First, that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures; Secondly, that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures: Is it possible to haue a worse? Yes: for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full; and therefore shee go­eth one steppe higher in this impietie, and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees, that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit, nor necessarie to be belie­ued.

Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued, if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke; namely, their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls: where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse, then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs, the glosse (that is the approued Commentarie) vpō that decretall is in these words; Vide Decre­tal. lib. 2. tit. 23 de praesumpti­onibus, cap. 1. sicut. Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Sa­lomonis in Parabolis, & habentur ori­ginaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus, facit fidem, & inducit necessitatem, sicut si editus [...]uīsset a Papa, quia omnia nostra facimus, quibus nostrā autoritatē impertimur. Glossa.

The high and holy God, that is the Author of the holy Scriptures, bee mercifull vnto vs, in hauing a­nie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie; and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes, not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse. The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth in it is such, as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet, I would neuer haue brought it into light: but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe, a booke of so great authoritie, and so common in the hands of all the learned, I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth, tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine. For what can such men thinke, when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor, teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee; when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iusti­fie himselfe, and all his words, and deedes, and doc­trines, by the olde Testament; and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde, and are [Page 74] therefore to bee beleeued, because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe; and that be­ing by him so canonized, they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them. VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religi­on, a plaine Atheist, that holdes the Scripture and all religion, as farre as pleaseth his humour & serueth his turnes.

And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure, I would intreate him to answere mee but this question (grounded vpon these words of his);

Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testa­ment,2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no? If they say no, Saint Peter answereth; that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost: If hee bee, then the Prouerbes of Salo­mon, beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testa­ment, is Gods Booke, and the wordes of this Text are Gods words, and not Salomons. This beeing so, let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning, and see what a peece of Popish diuini­tie heere is;A strāge peece of popish doc­trine, that Gods word if it be authori­zed by the Pope, is then of as good credit, as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it: therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it, then it is not. So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the au­thoritie of it, or els it hath none.

Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours: this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome, and to be coy­ned [Page 75] in his mint. Let the words be examined, and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke, but SA­LOMONS (which is horrible Atheisme) or els if hee holde them Gods, that the words of God beare no credit, nor haue authoritie to binde mens con­science till the Pope doe canonize them; and that Gods word, in a book knowen, receiued, and graun­ted to bee Canonicall, is not of as good authoritie in that booke, as being translated into the Popes Ca­non lawe: if he refuse both these, then let him refuse his owne lawe, and burne his glosse vpon his decre­talles, as contayning Atheisme, and Heresie in a high degree. The sixt wound not healed.

But to goe forward; is this wound healed? Sure­ly, if they haue left it out, or reformed it in any later impression, so it bee with open confession and dete­station of the fault, it is well: But sure I am, it is in the impression I haue, and in all other which I could bor­row. And further I do not know any Pope, or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance con­demned or reprooued this Atheisme: if they knowe any, they may doe well to produce them: Meane time, I am also sure of this, that in stead of healing it, they haue suffered their Doctors, and Writers conti­nually since to speake and write almost as ill, if not worse. In Queene Maries time, an English Papist wrote thus Proctor. in his booke called the way home to Christ, prin­ted at Londō in 8.,

See, we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture, for our Religion. About the same time [Page 76] Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed, that

And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie, beeing pressed in a disputation with the euidēce of Scripture, boldely answered,

I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit: but they haue beene charged with them both, manie yeeres agoe, and neuer yet disproued them. But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge.

A little after, a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie, in his booke so called, telles a storie of one whom hee hearde, vp­on reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes, earnestly say, that

He voweth to God, and cals him to witnes, that this he heard him, himselfe: but what was hee that spake it, a Protestant? no, a Papist: and no mad fellow, nor ignorant foole, nor profane scoffer; but (sayth Hes­kins) hee was a man of worship, of grauitie, of wise­dome, of godly life and competent learning, able to vn­derstand, and likewise exercised in the Scriptures: and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes.

And what was shee that saide this? a vertuous Ca­tholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD Obserue wel, how a great popish doctor commēds that man and wo­man, for de­uout and zea­lous papists, who blasphe­mously saide, that the scrip­tures were naught and not to be belieued, and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphe­mie. So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind.. (Lo, what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catho­licke woman, and that feares God). And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies: Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other; But con­trariw [...]se, commends them both, and turnes it to the aduantage of the Romish cause, and sayth that hereby wee may see, what a perillous thing it is for Lay people to read the Scriptures. But (with his lea [...]e) hereby we may see, what a filthie heart and vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy Scriptures, who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them, and God in them, do not reproue it, but make vse of it; nor bu­rie and quench them, but write and publish them, ra­ther with an approbation, then any detestation of them.

But will you heare his owne wordes, and his owne iudgement, not related from others (as these) but vtte­red out of his owne heart: ‘How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songes of Salomon? yea, rather how vngod­ly and wanton seeme they to bee, in the outward face, rather teaching and prouoking (I craue par­don of all Christian cares) Wantonnesse then [Page 76] [...] [Page 77] [...] [Page 78] godlinesse: and what can the vnlearned finde, or vnderstand in many sentences? any thing to edification of godly life? or rather a prouocati­on to wanton life. And▪ after certaine senten­ces alledged, hee concludes: The whole booke is no better: like vnto these, saith hee, is all that booke.’

You haue heard how the proue [...]bes were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls, and here the Can­ticles: Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite, Heskins Vide appro­bationem & laudem huius autoris & libri apud Possev. in appar. sacro to. 3. lit. T. ver­bo. Thomas Hardingus. addeth touching Ecclesi­astes;

And to conclude, of another booke which they holde also to be canonicall scripture, and some of them to be Salomons, hee sayth, that

If the wordes bee as immodest as hee pretendes they bee: then why doe they holde such a booke to be Scripture? and if they holde it to bee Scripture, then how dare a Christian man say, that it hath such spee­ches in it, as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write? I leaue this for them to aun­swere; [Page 79] in the meane time I go forward:

Not longe after, comes Hosius, a greate Doctor of theirs, and after a Cardinall, and writes thus Hosius editionis vlt. tom. 20. lib. de expresso dei ver­bo. pag. 5. Pronuntiamus (non verbum dei sed) scrip­turam pendere ad authoritate testimonio & approbatione Ecclesiae: quae non aliter ver­bum esse dei censeri debet nisi quatenus ecclesiae fuerit autoritate cō ­probata.;

Lo, what doctrine here is: for hence it followeth, that therefore if the Church should not allowe the newe Testament, it were not scripture.

Put all these together, and then it will soone ap­peare, how pitifully this wound is healed. Nay fur­ther, if the time and present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne writers, wee should see by the last, and latest of all, this wound is so farre from being healed, that it ran­kles further and deeper, euen like an incurable le­prosie, that cannot bee healed: but let it suffice to name some of the Authors, and referre the learned Reader to them Pistoriu [...] cont. Mentz. disp. 1. Staple­ton, lib. 9. doct. princip. cap. 14. Bellar. tom. 1. Controv. 1. lib. 4. cap. 4. Fran. Agricola de verbo dei scripto & non scripto. cap. 7, & cap. 9. Perouu. de in­certitudine &c. scripturarū.. And let vs go forward to another wound.

They taught the People in olde time, namely, for two or three hundred yeares past, that Images were good laye mens bookes: and euen then, when they deni­ed them the scripture as vnfit for them, and obscure, & dangerous for seducing them to heresies, were Ima­ges allowed and cōmended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction The seauēth wound; Images are good laye mens bookes..

Some three hundred years ago, liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus, learned (for that time) and well approued Guliel. Pe­raldus ord. praed: & postea Epistola Lug­dunens. scrip­sit (inter alia) summa virtutū & vitiorum pervtilem illā quidem & cō ­modam conci­onatoribus: quae saepius est recusa: haec Possev. appar. sac. to. 1. lit. G. of their Moderne Censurers: hee writes thus:

Lo here, how Images are associated and ioyned with the Bible: Search the scripture, saith Christ: look on them; and on▪ Images sayth the Pope▪ how readest thou, saieth Christ: what seest thou, saith the Pope: It is written sayeth Christ: it is painted and grauen sayeth the Pope: thy worde (sayeth Dauid) is my light, (not the golden Ch [...]rubins): but nowe sayeth Poperie euen in the newe Testament, the scriptures and Images are laye mens lights: What a wronge is this to GOD, and what an iniurie to his worde?

But is this healed? Oh that it were! but let the reader iudge, by that that followeth The seauenth wound not healed, but made worse and worse..

One of their greatest Casuists, Laelius Zecchius, a great Diuine, a famous Lawyer, and of late yeares Penitentiarie of Bresse, writing a great volume of Ca­ses of Conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij. amongst many other strange doctrines touching Ima­ges, teacheth, that ‘It is not lawfull onely, but profitable to haue Ima­ges in Churches, to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and men, &c. and to preserue faith; seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned, to draw them vn­to [Page 81] knowledge, memorie, and imitation of holy and diuine matters, &c. Laelius Zecchius Summa moral. theolog. & casuum. consci. tom. 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Imagines poni [...]n Ecclesijs, vti­le est ad chari­tatem erga de­um & sanctos fouendam & augendam &c. & ad fidem conseruandam, cum Imagine, babeantur pro libris, his qui▪ literas ignorāt, ex quibus du­cuntur in cog­nitionem me­moriā & imi­tationem diui­norum &c. Brixiae. 1598.’

Lo here, this doctor, who heing Penitentiarie, is by his place and calling to heale woundes and satisfie Consciences, comming to touch this wound, handled it so roughly, that in steede of healing it, hee makes it sorer then it was. For whereas Peraldus gaue Scripture so much honour, as to be ioyned in commission with Images, they two to be ioynt teachers of the Laity; Now comes the great Penitentiarie, and is well allowed by the Pope to leaue out the scripture, as needlesse, and to giue all the power to Images, not onely to put men in minde, but euen t [...] cherish and increase faith and cha­ritie. And certainely, if Images can do so, it is no mar­uell that Poperie cast ou [...] the scriptures, and in roome thereof, do bring Images into the Churches.

But to make vp the measure of this iniquitie; Feu­ardent the famous Franciscan frier, yet preaching at Paris, and to whome Possevine wisheth a long life (r); goeth one step further, and to heale vp this wound per­fectly, teacheth this doctrine Fran. Feuar­dentius in lib. homiliarum. pag. 16. & 17. hom. 2 Ex [...]arū (.i. imaginum) contemplatio­ne, discunt & facile & breui­ter simplices ac Idiotae illa diuina mysteria, miracula & opera, quae ex sacris libris aut vix aut nunquam percipere va­leant.;Possev. app. sac tom. 1. lit. f.

Heere now is Poperie growen to his ful ripenesse. [Page 82] And marke the degrees how this wound hath beene made still deeper and wider.

So then seeing this wound is so well healed, let vs leaue it and search another.

In former ages, as superstition grew, and religion decayed, so Images began to bee worshipped more & more; and ceased not till at the last they came to this, that euerie Image was to bee worshipped with the same worship that was due to him whose Image it is: so that some three hundred yeares agoe, or somewhat more, it seemed by Aquinas to bee their generall & receiued doctrine, that The eight wound; That an I­mage of God or a Crucifix are to bee worshipped as God and Christ, that is, with diuine worship.

A fearefull doctrine, maintaining horrible Idola­trie; for nothing, but GOD, may bee worshipped with diuine worshippe: but they teach that those creatures may bee worshipped as God himselfe is, that is, with diuine worshippe: therefore they make those creatures God: and by this argument it is ap­parant, that the present religion of the Church of Rome [Page 83] is an Idolatrous religion, as long as this doctrine stands vnrepealed.

Let vs then see, if this bee healed: The eight wound not healed, but made vvider and deeper and deadlier euerie day. But a­las, it is so farre from beeing in any part reformed, that it is rather the generall and common receiued doctrine of all their approoued writers. I will not stande (as I coulde) to shewe it successiuelie through all ages since the dayes of Aquinas, till these times: but sparinge that labour, till better leasure, I will referre the Reader to most of the el­der Authors Alexander Hallensis 3. par. quaest. 3. memb. 3. art. 3. Albertus in 3. sent. dist. 9. art. 4▪ Bonauentura eadem distinct. art. 1. q. 2. Richardus. art. 2. q. 2. Capreo­lus ibidem art. 1. conclus. 2. Waldensis tō. cap. 156. nu. 6. Caietanus in par. 3. q. 25. art. 3. hoc modo ci­tantur hi Auc­tores apud Greg. de valēt. tom. 4. disp. 1. q. 24. Et multos ali­os addit Bel­larminus, lib. de Imag. sanct. 2. cap. 20. &c. and insist onely on some fewe, and those of the latest: it being my speciall purpose at this time to shew that the Romish Babylon is euen now not healed of her deadliest wounds. Which in this parti­cular I will labour a little the more fully to demon­strate out of the moderne authors, now extant and approued, because this imputation is general­ly cast off with this aunswere; It is not so, it is but an ignorant or malitious slander: for the Romish Church giues onely a certaine reuerence to holy I­mages; but doth not worshippe them, at all, at least with no diuine worshippe. And some of our owne profession are either so ignorant they knowe it not, or so malitious, they will not confesse it, or else so hollow hearted to vs, and such secrete friendes to them▪ they would not haue it discouered tho it bee so: for my part, I pittie the Ignorant, (knowe­inge my owne weakenesse) I care not for the malitious, and I hate the hollownesse of all dis­semblinge professors. And therefore let others come and conceale her shame, and hide the whore of Baby­lons filthinesse, as they will; I say for my selfe, let [Page 84] the tongue cleane to the roofe of my mouth, if I spare to discouer her skirts, and lay open her filthinesse to the world; that all men seeing her as shee is, may detest and forsake her. Therefore in the words of truth and sober­nesse, I do heere offer to this honourable audience, that I will willingly come to this place and recant it with shame, if I proue not apparantly to the iudgement of euerie reasonable man, that this is the common and generall doctrine of the greatest number of their best approued authors that haue written in these later daies; namely,

And first of all, I will in this case spare Bellarmine, Vide Bel­larminū to 2 lib. de Imag. sanctorum 2. cap. 20. 21. 22, 23. 24. & de Concil. lib. 2. cap. 8. seeing hee (as hauing some grace in him) seemes somewhat ashamed of the matter, and therefore play­eth fast and loose: and betwixt God and his conscience on the one side, and the Pope and his allegeance to him on the other, hee cannot tell what to say: and therfore winding himselfe into a labyrinth of generall and confused distinctions of per se & per accidens, pri­mariò & secundariò, propriè & impropriè, and such other which may serue for al purposes; at last he leaues the matter as doubtfull as hee findes it: yet must it bee confessed, if hee incline either way, it is to the worse: which, by conference of his other writings, I thinke he doth rather for feare, or to please the Pope, then out of his owne iudgement and conscience.

Therfore leauing him, I begin with Gregorie de Va­lentia a Iesuite, & a Professor of diuinitie as Bellarmine is, of his owne sect, of his owne time, and accounted by some papists more learned, but approued Vide appro­bationes prae­fixas 4. tom. disputat. Greg de Valent. of all: hee writeth thus;

Hee cannot denie, but manie learned of his owne side teach the contrarie: but he reproues them all, and embraceth this as the commoner and truer opinion, and confirmes it and concludes it for truth.

Next to him I produce another Iesuite, Gretserus, of the same vniuersitie, and either succes [...]or or fellow to Gregory de Valentia in the same place & profession, he who was chosen for the papists Champion, in the famous disputation holden at Regensperg 1600. Vide collo. quium Ratif­bonense. anno 600.; and whom Posseuine the Iesuite calls the very hammer of heretikes Iac Gretse­rus: in Acadē. Ingolst. pro­fessor. theol. haereticorum malleus: sic Posseu. tom. 2. lit. I.: Thus he writeth ^e;

Can anie speake more plainely then both these doe? Now, these bee Iesuites, and to these two I coulde adde more Vide Pos. Bib. select. tom. 1. lib. 8 c. 7. ex. Thyraeo l [...]s. Gab. Vazquez de cultu ado­rationis. lib. 1. disp. 8. c. 2. & 3. & disp. 9. cap. 1: but let vs see what their Summists, and Casuists saie to this matter; which are the more to bee regarded because they pretende to write such resolutions as may settle vnquiet and doubting consciences. If therfore any poore Papist aske the Romish Confessors and Casuists, How farre may I worship a Crosse, and with what kind of worship; hearken how they answere.

And to let one speake for all, Iacobus de Graffijs, a Monke of great name, and Graund Penitentiarie at Naples, writing (as hee calls them) his Golden deci­sions of cases of conscience, some 3. yeares agoe, an­swereth thus Iac. de Graf­fiis decis. au­reae. cas. con­scientiae. tom. 1 lib. 2. c. 2. art. 3. Imagines sa­crae, si vt res quaedam cōsi­derātur, nulla eis tribuenda est reuerentia; sed in illis ima go ipsius, cu­ius sunt atten­ditur, non ma­teria ex qua formatae fue­rūt: vnde quae reuerentia illi cuius est ima­go debetur, [...] ­adē & imagini iure im pertitur Et postea ibi­dem, art. 15. Mand at pri­mū praeceptū, vt vnāquam­quam (que) ima­ginem eodem cultu quo ille cuius est ima­go, venere­mur; vt imagini dei vel Christi, vel etiam crucis signo, prout dominicam passionem ad mentem reuocat, latriam impertiamur: Sacrae Virginis hyperduliam, & sanctorum imaginibus duliam.;

And to speak more fully & plainly, if it be possible: a little after he addeth;

How now? is not Babylon well healed? what can be said against this? that these be priuate men? no, they be publicke professors, and their bookes allowed with as great authority as can bee: But will you haue that that is of souereigne authoritie, and that maie not bee questioned? Then look in their publick liturgy, which is of more credit and account then a 100. Doctors, & there you shall find the crosse saluted and praied vnto in these words, Vide Breui­ar. Rom. par. hyemal. in fine. Ara Crucis. lampas luci [...], vera salus hominū nobis pronum fac patronum, quem tulisti domi­num. Salue lignum vitae, dignum ferre mūdi pretiū: Confer isti plebi Christi crucis beneficiū.

Oh admirable doctrine! First, heer is a prayer to the Crosse it selfe (but of that heerafter): then the Crosse is made a mediatour to Christ for vs. And surely wee shall lesse wonder heereafter that they make Saints Mediatours to CHRIST; seeing heer they shame not [Page 88] to send the wodden crosse to him, to make interces­sion for them: but as for that, where they giue a pow­er to the Crosse to procure Christ to be good vnto vs, how it can bee spoken without Atheisticall blasphe­mie, let them answere that made it.

Further, obserue how the Crosse is sayde to haue deserued to beare Christ: surely no maruell tho Saints can merite, when a peece of wood can merit at Gods hands. Lastly, let all reasonable men iudge what the Romish Church holds of Christs death; seeing they praie to a wodden Crosse, to bestowe the fruite and benefite of it vpon them.

But sure (will some saie) this is healed: I will not deny but that in some of their newe and latter Breui­aries this is left out: but thereunto I answere;

First, that it is not reformed, but couered: for to the healing of a spirituall wounde, there needes con­fession and publique satisfaction to the Church of­fended by the fault: but here is no confession of anie fault nor euill, in these words to the Crosse; only they bee cunningly kept out in the newer bookes: so that they are ashamed of them, & yet haue not the grace to confesse it, and therfore will leaue it out and yet shew no cause why. Now if it bee naught, why doe they not say so, and therfore put it out? if it be good, why do they put it out? So then it may be couered, but is not cured.

Secondly, I answere that though they haue left out that, yet they haue kept in as bad or worse: for euen in their newest editions, and as they say most reformed, there is praier to this Crosse. Breuiarium Rom. autori­tate Concil. Trident. & sū ­morum ponti­ficum, Pij 5. & al. restitutum. & editum: Sabbato infra hebdomadam passionis, in Hymno pag. 302. editionis in 4. O Crux aue spes vni­ca hoc passionis tempore: auge pijs iusticiam reis (que) dona veniam.

Heere the very wodden Crosse is called vpon, and prayed vnto, to doe that which Christ himselfe could neuer haue done, if hee had not beene God. Some will say, Surely they speake to Christ, howsoeuer the words seeme to bee spoken to the Crosse: I answere, if they direct their hearts to Christ, why then direct they the words to the Crosse? Verely Christ is wor­thy of both, as well as one: But I answere further, it is a cleere case that they make and direct this prayer not to Christ, but to the very Crosse it selfe: else let A­quinas bee Iudge, who makes this argument Aquinas summae par. 3. q. 25. art. 4. Illi exhibemus la­triae cultū, in quo spem salu­tis ponimus: sed in Cruce Christi poni­mus spem sa­lutis, cantat enim Ecclesia, O Crux aue [...]pes vnica hoc passionis tem­po [...]e auge pijs Iusticia reis (que) dona veniam: (In dominica de paff. in Hym.) ergo crux Christi est adoranda adoratione la­trie.;

These bee his owne very words, and are spoken of the Crosse, and not of Christ; as any man may see that will but looke on the booke it selfe: for the que­stion in generall, beeing concerning the adoration of Christ Quaest [...] 25. de adoratione Christi in sex Articulas diuisa. hee diuides the generall into sixe particular questions, which are these ^m,

• [Page 90]1. Whether Christs humanitie bee to be worshipped with the same worship as his diuinity.
  1. Vtr [...] vna & eadem adoratione sit adorāda diuini­tas Christi & eius humanitas.
• 2. Whether Christs humane flesh bee to be worship­ped with latria.
  2. Vtrū caro Chri­sti sit adoranda a­doratione latriae.
• 3. Whether the adoration or worship of latria be to be giuen to the Image of Christ.
  3. Vtrum adoratio latriae sit exhiben­da imagini Christi
• 4. Whether to the crosse of Christ.
  4. Vtrum sit exhi­bēda cruci Christi.
• 5. Whether to the Mother of Christ.
  5. Vtrum sit exhi­bend Matri eius.
• 6. How the Relickes of Saints are to be worship­ped.
  6. De adoratione reliquiarum sanc­torum.

So that we see, here is Christ and his Crosse, and his Image, and his Mother are made 4. seuerall matters and of seueral and distinct consideration: then falling into the particulars, for the 2. first questions, hee argueth them negatiuely, but concludes them affirmatiuely; touching which two wee haue no controuersie with them at this time: then comming to the 3. & 4. which bee these in question; touching the Image of Christ, whether it be to be worshipped with latria or no? he answereth, that it seemes no; and giues such reasons as he nor the world is able to answere, but concludes affirmatiuely that it is Artic. 3. v­trum Imago Christi sit a­doranda ado­ratione latriae. Videtur quod non &c. sed contra est &c. Conclusio, Cum Christus latri­ae adoratione sit adorandus, Imago quo (que) eius eadē ado­ratione est a­doranda. as I haue set downe: name­lie, that

So comming to the fourth question, which is of the Crosse, demaunding whether it be to be worshipped with latria or no; Hee aunswereth that it seemes no: but concludes affirmatiuelie that it is Aquinas [...]bidem art 4. vtrum crux Christi sit adoranda adoratione latriae? videtur quod non: sed contra est, &c.; and then giues his reason as I haue afore set it downe, and from [Page 91] thence drawes his conclusion in these words Conclusio: Crux Christi in qua Christus crucifixus est, tum propter representationem, tum etiam propter membrorum Christi contactum, latria adoranda est: Crucis vero effigies in alia quauis materia priori tantum ratione adoranda est latria.;

These be his verie words. And heere by the way, obserue how ridiculous and absurd poperie is, in this point: for it giues greater worship to the dead image and wodden crosse, then to the blessed Virgin Mary the mother of Christ; of whom he concludes in the next article, that shee is by no meanes to bee worshipped with latria, but onely with an inferior worship called hyperdulia Ibidem art. 5. videtur quod mater Christi est adoranda latria: sed cō ­tra est &c. Conclusio: mater Christi cùm sit crea­tura rationa­lis, non latria sed in quantu mater Dei est hyperdulia a­doranda est.; and marke what wodden arguments are giuen for it: One, Shee is a reasonable creature▪ and therefore must not be worshipped with latria: Lo, she must not because shee is a reasonable creature, and yet the Crosse shall which is vnreasonable and dead. Another; A Crucifixe is like to Christ, therefore it shall bee worshipped with latria Crux Christi propter repre­sentationem adoranda est latria. ibid. art. 4.: But is not shee liker to Christ then anie Crosse can be?

A third; the Crosse did beare CHRIST, and did touche his bodie: therefore it must be worship­ped with latria Crux Christi ex cōtactu ad mēbra Christi & quia eius fuit sanguine perfusa, est a­doranda latria ibid. art 4.. But did not shee beare him, and touche him and his blessed Bodie in a farre more excellent manner then the CROSSE eyther did or could? See what pittifull arguments be heer brought [Page 92] to fortifie this damnable Idolatrie: Who could think that so great learned Doctors should thus childishlie dally with holy things, and bee so blinded in their vn­derstandings? but this it is to be drunke with the wine of the spirituall Babylons abhominations.

But to returne to the matter: by these wordes of his, Aquinas hath cleared that doubt and aunswered that obiection made afore; that these wordes are not spoken to the Crosse or image, but to Christ: No, sayth Aquinas; they are spoken to the Crosse.

What can bee sayde to all this? but one thing more, that in the time of Aquinas it may be this was holden, but since then it is reformed, and now it is not so. But I answere; this wound is not healed: for as it is thus as I haue reported in the olde copies of Aquinas both Manuscript, and printed; so is it also without the least alteration in the newe and later editions Vide editi­onem Antuer­p [...]ensem: sum­ma Aquinatis anno 1585. & sequentibus. re­formed and purged as they pretende: and printed within these fewe yeares. And (which is more euill) whereas, some thirtie yeares agoe, all Aquinas was reuiewed at Rome by commaundement of Pope Pius Quintus, and purged and altered Opera om­nia D. Tho­mae, P [...]j quintj Pont. Max. autoritate, in locis plurimis tam in textu, quam in com­mentarijs re­stituta sunt: & Romae excusa 1570. & ex­puncta sunt varia ex eisdē commentarijs &c. Haec Pos­seu. in appara­tu sacro, tom. 3. lit. T. as they thought good, and so printed: yet had not the Pope so much grace in him, nor so much zeale of Christs glorie as to amend this horrible impietie, but to the perpetuall blemish of Aquinas, and euerlasting shame of their Romish synagogue, lets it stand for good currant Catholicke doctrine, euen at this daie, that

Yet if any will stand vpon it, that this wound is hea­led, [Page 93] then let him shew vs what Pope hath condemned this doctrine; nay what popish Doctor approoued by their Church hath reproued this doctrine, or taught and written the contrarie. Which when they or any other that take their part, can neuer be able to shewe: I contrariwise to make it manifest to all the world that this wound is not healed, but rankles deeper, and spreds further, will shewe out of their latest and moderne writers, that this their doctrine is rather made worse then any way reformed. To this end, let the Reader bee pleased to marke the wordes of a great Doctor of theirs well approued amongst them Ioh. Chri­sost. a visitati­one, Lu [...]itan. theologus & professor Ciste­rciēsi [...] scripsit libros 12. de verbis domi­nae, hoc est quae Maria, &c. locuta est Venetijs 1600. Posseu. appa­rat. sacro, tom. 2. lit. I. and a spanish professor of diuinitie for the order of the Cistercians: who not 7. yeares agoe writing 2. volumes of Com­mentaries, which he entitles de verbis Dominae, ‘Of the words of our Lady.’ and dedicating his booke vnto the Pope himselfe CLEMENT the viij. hath these words, Iohan. Chrisostomus a visitatione, de verbis dominae, tom. 1. lib 6. cap. 7. in fine▪ Verum de cruce cur tan­tum loquimur, vbi nihil fuit in passione Christi quod sine suo honore remaneret. Cum honore remanserunt claui, lancea, corona, vestes, & huiusmodi alia: Et in tali honore remanserunt, vt propter Christi contactum ab hominibus adorentur; sed ta­men non eadē adoratione qua ipsam crucem adoramus: quam in quantum nobis representat figuram Christi in ea extensi, & in quantum habuit contactum ad mem­bra, & in quantum etiam eius pretiosissimo sanguine fuit persusa, eadem adoratione cum Christo adoramus; nempe adoratione latriae: propter quod etiā ipsam Cru­cem alloquimur & deprecamur quasi ipsum crucifixum & in ipsa spem salutis po­nimus: vnde de illa canit Ecclesia; O Crux aue spes vnica, hoc passionis tempore, auge pijs iustitiam, reis (que) dona veniam &c. ‘(x) But what doe we speak so much of the Crosse, seeing seeing there is nothing vsed in the passion of Christ that is without honour: the nailes, the speare, the coate, the crowne, and all such other things, are honoured so much, as that (in regard [Page 94] they touched Christ) men doe therefore worship them, yet not with the same worship with which wee worship the Crosse it selfe: which, inas­much as it represēts vnto vs the figure of Christ extended vpon it, and inasmuch as it touched the seuerall parts of his bodie, and inasmuch as it was died with a good part of his most pre­tious bloud: Wee doe therefore worship it with the same worship with which wee adore Christ himselfe; namely, with the worship of latria. For which cause it is, that we speake to the verie Crosse it selfe, and praie vnto it, as vnto him that was crucified on it, and doe repose the hope of our saluation vpon it: heer­upon the Church singeth in the liturgie, these words of the Crosse; All haile ô Crosse our onely hope: in this time of Lent do thou increase righ­teousnesse in good men, and grant pardon to sin­ners, &c.’

Loe, heere is a peece of refined poperie indeed: we worship the Crosse sayth hee as Christ, we speake to the Crosse it selfe, wee pray to the Crosse it selfe, as well as to him that dyed on it; and hee confesseth freely, that the prayer in the liturgie or masse booke is not made to CHRIST, but to the Crosse it selfe. From hence I gather these two conclusions;

This I collect thus: Latria (sayth Augustine August Epi­stola 49. vni & soli deo de­betur seruitus illa religionis quam vno no­mine Graeci latriā vocāt: Et in Faustum l. 15. latria est seruitꝰ illa qua tantummodo Deo seruitur. is that worship of religion, which is due onely and solely to God himselfe: and poperie it selfe confesseth with one consent, that prayer is a part of latria Ioh. de Com­bis Compen­diū theologi­cae verit. c. de dulia & latria Latria conti­net. 5. fidem, spem, sacrifi­cium, oratio­nem, &c.: But [Page 95] popish religion prayeth to a wodden crosse, euen to the crosse it selfe; therfore by popish religion the wod­den Crosse is a God.

This I collect thus: their Missalls and Breuairies which containe their Liturgie are confirmed both by the Pope and the Councell of Trent Vide Missa­lia & Breuia­ria omnia ab anno. 70 & deinceps.: but the Popes determination, especiallie together vvith a Councell is the publicke and vncontroleable act of their Church None ac­knowledging himselfe a pa­pist can denie this.: Therefore the doctrine and prac­tice in their Liturgie is not priuate, or such as may be questioned, or doubted of, but publicke and generall, and may not be called in question. But in their late and reformed Breuiarie allovved and confirmed by the Pope and Councell, they praie to the Crosse and call vppon the Crosse, as wee heard before, and their owne Doctors doe expounde it that it is not to Christ but to the Crosse Aquinas of old, and Chri­sostomus a vi­sitatione of late.. Therefore by the doc­trine and religion of the Church of Rome the Crosse is a God.

Bellarmine would gladly heale this wound, or at least couer it ouer, and saith Bellar. in tom. 2. de I­mag. sanctorū. lib. 2. c. 24. in resp. ad argū. Respondeo v­bi eccles. ca­nit, O Crux aue, spes vni­ca. &c. vel ibi accipi crucē pro Christo ipso: vel illam esse prosopo­poeiā rhetori­cam. &c.; that whereas the Church praieth so, surely either the Crosse is taken for Christ, or els it is but a figure; as Moses saith, Heare O Heauens, Deutero. 32. No, no, say the Romish Doctors, (that wrote since Bellarmine) there is no such matter: that praier is to the Crosse it selfe.

And his brother Ga. Vazq. Ies. de cultu a­dorationis li. 2. disp. 3. cap. 4 Iesuite, Gabriel Vazquez, being also much ashamed of the matter, would gladlie help it, and to that ende is constrayned to confesse, that [Page 96] there is not (as Bellarmine sayth) one alone, but two figures in that prayer: which (saith he) vnlesse they be admitted, it is an vnapt and absurd prayer; for it speaks vnto the Crosse as vnto our God and Sauiour. Hee therefore for his part saith, hee should thinke that by the Crosse they meane Christ, and pray to him, not to the Crosse: and further sayth, that many others thinke so, but he names not one; (tho in other points hee is a plentifull citer of other Authours): but against him or who-euer els thinke so (beeing papists) I pro­duce the Cistercian Doctor Chrisostome a visitatione, who writing since them all For Vazquez wrote since Bellarmine: namely, about the yeare 92. but this Chri­sostome wrote since Vazquez some seauen yeares agoe., and whose booke is of more authoritie then his For Vazquez is dedicated but to a spa­nish ordinarie Bishop, but Chrisostome to the Pope himselfe., answereth all these doubtes, and preuents all other obiections; saying plainely that in that prayer of the Church,

And no more, nor no worse, saith he, then Aquinas himselfe, totidem verbis, spake before him Aquinas summa par. 3. q 25. art. 4.. Ther­fore (to conclude) till this doctrine of Aquinas bee condemned for heresie, and till this fellow that calles himselfe golden mouth, be adiudged as hee is, a leaden mouthed and blacke-mouthed blasphemer, and his booke burnt as hereticall, and til the Romish Church haue satisfied the World for this great wrong, till then (I say) it is apparant to all men, that in this wound She is not healed.

This wound hath been deepe and wide, and there­fore long in searching: and seeing it is found incura­ble, let vs proceed. Not many hundred yeares agoe, liued a Frier they called S. Francis, an ignorant man for learning, but wittie: hee beeing the founder of the [Page 97] Franciscans, the Pope hath suffered his fauorites and followers to set him vp as another Christ The ninth wound; An Italian Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things, and in some things did more then he, and bare 5. woundes in his body as Christ did. and blasphemously to compare him, and oftentimes to prefer him afore Christ himselfe. And to this end a­mongst many other vile ones Vide mo­numēta ordi­nis fratrū Min. Salamācae. 1511 in 4. Et firma­menta trium ordinū. D. Frā ­cisci Paris. 1512 4 & mult. al., he suffred to be pub­lished a great volume called, The golden booke of the Conformities of the holy father S. Francis with the life of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Liber aure­us, inscriptus liber cōformi­tatū vitae beati ac seraphici patris Frācisci ad vitam Iesu Christi Domi­ni nostri, cor­rectus & il­lustratꝰ a Iere­miah Bucchio ord. Min. doc­tore theo [...]. Bo­noniae 1590.. In which booke with strange impietie first they paint in the first lease Christ bearing a Crosse and Saint Francis following him with one as bigge as his, where Christ hath nothing but precedence: but after thinking that too much, they paint one Crosse, and vppon it one of Christs armes, and another of S. Francises, one acrosse ouer the o­ther: then begins the book; In the name of Iesus Christ and of S. Francis In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi &c. & beati patris nostri Francisci, &c.: where, Iesus Christ is called our Lord and S. Francis our blessed Father; and the Au­thour saith not, that he compiles the booke to the ho­nour of God, or Christ, but of the foresayd holy fa­ther S. Francis.

Then he salutes Saint Francis with a prayer Francisce Iesu typice dux forma (que) Minorum, per te Christi mirificè sunt gesta▪ & donorū. Mala pater egregie propelle animorum sede [...] nobis perpetuas da regni supernorum. fit for none but God himselfe: First, blasphemously cal­ling him typicall Iesus; then desiring him to cure the sinnes and driue away the spirituall maladyes of their soules, and to giue vnto them place in the glorie of heauen.

Then he comes to the point of Conformitie▪ and to shewe this the better, hee paintes a tree at the toppe whereof is Christ, and at the roote Saint Francis: the tree hath twenty branches on the right, & twenty [Page 98] on the left side, & euery branch hath foure particular fruits; in all eightie: these are equally diuided betwixt Christ and S. Francis, 40. to the one, and 40. to the o­ther: and each couple or paire of these is one point of conformitie betwixt Christ and S. Francis, consisting in all vpon 40. particulars; wherin they begin at the birth and conception, nay at the very prophecies and promises made of Christ, and so proceede to his life, his death, resurrection, and ascension: and in all and euery of these, and in euery thing els whatsoeuer may be sayd of Christ, the very same doe they not shame to affirme of that man Francis. For example, thus Iesus Pro­phetis. cogni­tus, Franciscus declaratur. Iesus emissus coelitus, Fran­ciscus desti­natur &c. Vi­de librū con­formitatum. pag. 6.: Christ was foretolde by the Prophets. So was S. Francis: Christ was sent from God, so was S. Francis. Thus go they ouer all his life, in such a manner as there is nothing giuen to Christ, but bare precedence. And which surpasseth all admiration, those two things wherein Christ did most apparantly, as God declare his power, and his loue as Mediatour; namely, his miracles & his passion, euen in these two is this Fran­cis matcht with Christ our Sauiour: nay rather in his passion he is matcht, but in his miracles aduaunced farre before Christ.

And first for his passion, whereas by their doctrine Christ had 5. wounds in his bodie, (tho indeed he had more) they make S. Francis nothing his inferiour in that point: for they say that he had fiue wounds in his hands and feete, proportionable to Christs Vide librum conformitatū: lib. 3. confor­mit. 31. par. 2. pag. 298. Franciscus consignatus erat a Christo suae sacrae pas­sionis stigma­tibus: ita vt in manibus pedibus (que) eius erant clauià carne diuisi, grossi, solidi & obtusi, inter quos & carnem erat apertura, vnde semper sanguis exibat, ad cuius repressionem, excepto à vespere diei Iovis vs (que) ad sero diei Veneris sequentis, sem­per paeciae interponebantur: habuit etiam vulnus laterale, ad instar vulneris lateris Christi., and had certaine things like nailes in his feete and hands so [Page 99] diuided from the flesh, that they would open from it, so as his wounds did continually bleede; insomuch, as hee was faine to puttents into them to keepe them from bleeding: which hee continually did, sauing on good Friday, when alwaies this popish Iesus did pul out his tents, and let his wounds bleede, as the true Christs that day did for our saluation; & this not only in hands and feet, but that he had a wound in his side like to that in our Sauiour Christ, and all this (saith the book) was not fained nor imaginarie, but truly & really imprin­ted in his body by the power of God, that so he might make his friend Francis like to his sonne Christ in all things Vide Ba [...] ­tholomei de pisis Epistolā ad Generalem & capital. ord. Min. Christus ipsum Patrem Franciscum sibi per omnia similem reddi­dit et confor­mem.. And all this was not the superfluitie of idle & superstitious Monks brains; but the publicke act of their Church, and manie Popes one after another haue allowed it, and by their bulles and charters confirmed and auouched the truth of this story, concerning the wounds of S. Francis Vide librū conformit. lib. 3. confor. 31. par. 2. pag. 308 Apparet ergo 8. bullis sum­morum▪ ponti­ficum. scilicet tribus Grego­rij 9. tribus Alexād. 4. vna Nicholai tertij & alia Bene­dicti 12. quòd beatus Fran­ciscus stigma­tizatus fuit.; and in monument and me­mory therof they haue their holy day of the 5. wounds to this day established by all authoritie Dominus papa Benedic­tus 12. b [...]llam dedi [...] ordini vt festum cele­braretur de stigmatibus beati Francis­ci..

Thus Christ, touching his passion, is made equall with a mortall man, & an ignorant Frier (by the Popes diuinitie) is made equall with Christ in the manner of his suffring; not in that fashion as euery Christian may be, but so as none at all, no (saith this booke) not S. Iohn the Euangelist, nor the Virgin Marie her selfe could be.

But if we come to his Miracles, then surely Christ must come after him; for whereas Christ▪ wrought a miracle, he they say wrought ten, and those that Christ did are nothing to his. Christ neuer shewed that humi­litie and charitie & patience that S. Francis did. Christ [Page 100] neuer gaue awaie all his clothes till hee was starke na­ked, as S. Francis did For al these being too lōg to write in the margēt I must refer y^e Reader to the book it selfe, if he will not beleeue me: or els let him suspende his iudgemēt till I haue lei­sure to exem­plifie these at large by themselues.: he neuer preached to beasts and birds, as Saint Francis did: he neuer by his words and the signe of the Crosse tamed and conuerted wild beastes as Saint Francis did. All this may easily bee shewed and much more; but I will insist only in one, and on that the rather, least they should take it in snuffe that I say their father FRANCIS conuerted beasts: harken therfore to the storie, and then iudge and spare not.

S. Francis on a time comming to preach at the city of Eugubium Vide librū conformitatū lib. 1. confor­mit. 10. pa [...]. 2. pag. 140. Francis prea­cheth to a wolfe. Francis cal­leth the wolfe brother: a couple of raue­ning Wolues well met. Francis offe­reth the wolfe his brother to make peace betwixt him & the rowne. The Wolfe is content. found that the saide Citie was much troubled with a great and cruell Wolfe, that killd not their cattell onely▪ but their people if they were vnar­med. Francis▪ would needs goe to him, to turne him from his rauenousnesse: and seeing the wolfe come a­gainst him with open mouth, he made the signe of the Crosse vpon him, and commanded the wolfe to shut his mouth and hurt him not: the wolfe presently obei­ed and fel downe, as tho he had beene a meeke Lamb: then spake Francis to him and sayde; Brother Wolfe thou hast shed much bloud and done much hurt, and therefore art worthie to die, and all this Citie iustly complaines of thee: but brother, if thou wilt be con­tent I will make peace betwixt them & thee: the wolf by wagging his taile, and mouing his eares, shewed that he was verie glad. Then brother Wolfe▪ (sayth S. FRANCIS) seeing thou art content to bee at peace with them I, will take order that they shall giue thee daily allowance of meate, if thou wilt promise mee heereafter to hurt no hodie: the wolfe bowing his heade aunswered by signes that hee woulde. Yea, [Page 101] but then (sayth Francis), Brother Wolfe, giue mee thyFrancis bids his brother wolf giue him his hand and faith that hee will performe his order. faith and credit that I may beleeue thee: and the wolfe presently lifted vp his right fore-foote and layed it in Francis his hand, therby giuing his faith that he would performe it. Then Brother Wolfe (sayth Francis) I command thee in the name of the Lord Iesus that thou go with me into the Citie, and there feare not to make peace, in the name of the Lord: the wolfe forthwith followed him, as meeke as a Lambe. So comming into the Citie, all the people, togither with the Magi­strates being assembled, S. Francis made vnto them anBrother wolfe standeth by, whilst S. Fran­cis preacheth to the people. excellēt sermon, the wolfe being by: which being done he sayd to them these words;

This brother of mine, this wolfe that standeth here, hath promised me, & vpon his promise hath giuen me his faith that hee will be friends with you, and doe no more hurt; prouided that you shall dayly giue him an allowance, and portion of meate: which if you doeFrancis is surety for his brother wolfe to the towne. for your partes, then I will bee suretie for my brother Wolfe that he shall perform the conditions on his part required. Then said S. Francis; Brother Wolf, it is rea­son that as thou did before, so here before all this peo­pleBrother wolfe giueth his faith againe. thou giue me thy faith againe, that thou wilt keep the couenants on thy part: and the wolfe immediately lift vp his right fore-foot, and laid it in the hand of S. Francis, his suretie, in the sight of all the people, and so gaue his faith againe: and then all the people shouted and wondred, and praised Christ for sending S. Francis amongst thē, by whose merits they were deliuered frō the cruel wolf. And from that day forward, the peopleBrother wolfe liueth in the towne, & takes his meate at the dores. to the wolf & wolf to the people, performed their coue­nants made by S. Francis: & the wolf liued 2. years after [Page 102] FRANCIS was gone, and went vp and downe the streets, and tooke his meate, from door to door, hur­ting no man, and was well and daintily fed; and there was neuer so much as a dog that barked at him. And at last, after 2. yeares, Brother Wolfe beeing stricken inBrother wolfe dieth, & is la­mented. yeares dyed, for whose death the Citizens did very much lament.

Heere is a miracle worth the marking. Now let all Huguenots, and Heretickes shewe such a miracle in their religion; no, no, they neuer can doe it: And no maruell; for Iesus Christ, who is the King and Captain of their religion, neuer did the like in his time to this which S. Francis the king and captaine of the Francis­cans Francisce Iesu typicè dux forma (que) Minorum. hath heere done.

If the time would giue leaue, I could bring 20. more as impious, as incredible, and as absurd in their kinde as this: but leauing it to a further opportunitie, and referring the learned to the booke it selfe, I pro­ceed.

What may bee saide to all this? are not these wide and wofull wounds? Oh! but they are healed; I may answere as the Prophet doth: Were they ashamed when Ierem. 7. 12 they had committed abhomination? Nay, they were (18) The ninth wound not healed. not ashamed. For whereas this booke was written a­boue two hundred yeares agoe by Bartholomeus Pi­sanus, a Franciscan Frier; it was not then only suffred to passe to publique viewe in those daies of darknesse and superstition, but now of late within lesse then 20. yeares when one would haue thought they woulde (if not repented of the impieties, yet) haue beene ashamed of the absurdities; they contrariwise haue reprinted the Booke The newe edition is at Bononie in Italie. 1590. & is dedicated to a Cardinal: in this editiō is all that I haue alleaged., and haue not taken ou [...] [Page 103] nor reformed one worde of all these euilles, nor of many more, which do so directly disgrace the merits of CHRIST IESVS: onely some things haue they altered, which they thought might make against themselues, but not one of these which doe so farre dishonour God and Christ and all religion. Compare together the olde and newe bookes, who will; and he shall finde this to be true: wherefore the conclusion is, that this wound is farre from being healed. Let vs then go forward, and see if wee can finde one wound healed(19) The tenth wound; The Pope may giue In­dulgences for 20000. yeers & grant men power to re­deeme soules out of Pur­gatory. in the Romane Church.

Two or three hundred yeares agoe, the Popes In­dulgences did growe to that height of rotten ripe­nesse, that all men of vnderstanding, euen of his owne broode were ashamed of it, and manie a one of the wiser sort, euen in these mystie times, did see and laugh at the nakednesse of Poperie in that poynt; the excesse whereof grewe so great, as they cannot denie but it gaue at last an occasion of LVTHERS re­uolte from them. There is a Manuscript extant, writ­ten some two hundreth yeeres agoe, and another not much differing from it, some 130. yeares ago printed at Rome, containing a catalogue onely of those Indul­gences belonging to the parish Churches of Rome, a­mongst which (they say) are 7. principall: let vs but consider of some fewe He that wāts this booke let him looke in Hospinian de Templis. lib. 2 c. 28. pag. 348. edition is Ti­gur. 603. where he shall finde both mention of the book & a particular recitall of a great part of it..

In the Laterane Church, it is graunted thus by Pope Boniface.

If these things bee true, then it is strange that all Papists in the world are not saued: for hee that hath full remission of all sinnes, both à poena & culpa, dy­ing in that state cannot be damned. And certainly, he that for the obtaining therof, wil not take the pains to visite that Church one daie in a yeer, is not worthy of saluation.

In Saint Peters Church, there bee euerie daie eight and fortie yeeres of pardon, which is in one yeere aboue fifteene thousand yeeres: Euerie daie of the Annuntiation there bee one thousand yeers; and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters stayres, hath for euery steppe seauen yeeres of pardon. Sure­ly purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the world in hand; if going vp two and twentie steps may purchase releasement of a hundred & fiftie yeers thereof. And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure, and giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares: So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to be in Pur­gatorie one daie except hee will: For, for going vpXXij. thousand yeers of pardō grāted for go­ing vp 22. steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist need to come in Purgatory. twentie two steppes with deuotion, hee may be relea­sed out of Purgatorie, for two and twentie thousand yeeres: and I hope they do not think the World will last so long, and Purgatorie (they saie) ends with the World.

Further, whosoeuer will go through the 3. dooresThree doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoe­uer goeth through them shall be as free from sinne [...] when he was newly bapti­zed. Oh what a great power the Pope hath, who can giue power to ano­ther so easily to deliuer soules out of purga­torie. How easie purgatorie might be emp­tied by Popish doctrine. of the Laterane Church▪ shall bee as free from all his sinnes, as hee was the houre hee was baptized: Like­wise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church, there be xiiii. thousand years of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie.

And in the Church of Saint Lawrence, whosoeuer visiteth that Church euerie Thursday for a yeare, and [...]ittes vpon the stone whereon Saint Lawrence was broyled, shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie.

And in the Church of Saint Iohn, at the gate called Porta Latina, a man by either saying a Masse, or cau­sing it to bee sayde, may deliuer one soule out of Pur­gatorie.

Are these true? then why is there one soule left in pur­gatorie? or else where is the charitie of the Papistes (which they so much bragge of) seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousands soules out of pur­gatorie in one yeare? Certainely, if these bee true as they be written, then granting that there is a purgato­torie, it might soone be emptied.

But if it be false and fabulous and friuolous, and hath no other ende but to mocke poore people and to sucke out their siluer: then what a religion is that which maintaines such dealings? especially seeing this is not the deede of any priuate men, but of the Popes themselues: nor of a fewe, but euen all since Boniface the eight.

Thus wee haue searched deepe, into a foule and filthie wound. Now what remaines? but to see if it bee healed yet or no The tenth wound not healed, but groweth more desperate & deadly to this day.,

But alas, Babylon will not be healed: for as they [Page 106] feared not to put these trickes vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe, in the times of superstition; so haue they presumed euen still in these dayes of light to do the like. And as the whore is shamelesse in her sinne, so is this whore of Babylon in her impietie; for shee hath not at all amended this enormitie, nor in a­ny sort reformed it, but rather lets it growe from bad, to worse. For euidence wherof, let any man read Onu­phrius Pauvinius Vide O­ [...]uphrium Pauuinium, de prae­cipuis vrbis Romae sanctio­rious basilicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo v [...]cant. Colon. 1584. passim., who not past 24. yeares agoe, hath written (with publike authoritie) a booke to this verie purpose of the seauē principal Churches of Rome, and of the Indulgences belonging to them; wherein all that is deliuered before is auerred, and much more ad­ded: some part whereof I would put downe, saue for that it may bee reserued to a further purpose and fit­ter opportunitie. And for better euidence, that as she hath not, so shee purposeth neuer to heale vp this wound▪ within these two yeares they haue allowed & published with authoritie, the pilgrimage or voiages of Seigneur Villamont, Les voya­ges du S^t de Villamont di­uisez e [...] trois livres: der [...]iere edition, reueuce & augmentee &c. A. A [...]ra [...]. 16 [...]5. vide (in­ter alia) librum 1. cap. 12. &c., one of the Gentlemen of the French Kings Chamber; wherein the poore de­ceiued Gentleman, out of his superstitious deuotion hauing visited all those Churches, and made himselfe (as hee saith) blessed by being partaker of all the Indul­gences thereto belonging; and hauing ascended those holy staires to euerie steppe whereof belong so manie thousand yeares of pardon: after all, returning home at last much poorer, but nothing wiser then hee went, hee wrote a booke of his voiage and pilgrimage to Ie­rusalem: and taking Rome in his way, hee describes at large the Indulgences granted of olde, and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome. Which booke (be­ing [Page 107] written in French) whoeuer list to reade, will soon confesse, that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed. The eleuēth wound; Granting of Indulgences & thousands of yeares, & deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory, to Beades, Meddalls; Crosses, Pictures and such like toyes being blessed and hallowed by the Popes holy hands.

And herevnto I will adde another wound, because it is so neere to this, in popish consanguinitie.

The wiser sort of Popes, and the rest of the craftier politicians in that hierarchie, perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth, (many of them being so farre di­stant) could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome, therefore least they should lose their trafficke into those parts, they deuised away, that seeing a greate part of the worlde could not come to Rome, Rome should send to them: To which ende, out of his bountie and spirituall liberalitie, for the incre­dible good of mens soules, the Pope ordained that cer­taine Crucifixes, and Meddalls, and Agnus dei The prin­cipall of all these toyes is the Agnus dei, which euerie one may not make, but one­ly the Pope: nor hee alwayes, but onely at Easter: nor at euerie Easter, but the first next his en­trance, and euerie seauenth Easter after: nor of any matter, nor in any manner, but preciselie of such simples, and with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that pur­pose; which together with the prayers (or rather coniurations) then to bee vsed▪ are to bee seene in the booke called Caeremoniale pontil. lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke, let him looke in the Cōmentaries of Peter Mathew vpon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit. the 1. & holy Graines, & beads & other such Iewels, should be first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse, and haue all the holinesse powred vppon them that hee canne spare, and further should haue annexed vnto them all those mightie Indulgen­ces, or the like, that are graunted vnto the Chur­ches and stations at Rome: and by this meanes they could sell an Agnus dei, that is, a little piece of white waxe, or a Crucifixe of a little metall, [Page 108] it may be brasse or copper (such as the Iesuites of late sent into England by thousandes at once, as good in­oughe to serue the English Catholickes), or a lit­tle meddall, or a little beade or bugle, or other mat­ter of no more value: these toyes and trinkets, I say they can sell by this meanes, and euerie day do vtter, at a higher rate then the Ieweller can his pearles or his diamonds.

Thus did not onely the former Popes gull the people of elder ages in those times of ignorance, ma­king them beleeue that these toyes so hallowed and blessed by them, were of such vertue as Christs bloud it selfe could be of no more; as one of them sending an Agnis dei to an Emperour, shamed not to write to him, that Vrbanus. 5. circa annum 1368. mific ad Imperatorem Graecorum tres agnos dei. cum his versi­bus, Balsamus & munda Ce­ra cū Chrisma­tis vnda, Con­ficiunt agnum quod munus do tibi magnum, &c. Peccatum frahgit, vt Christi sanguis & angit. Fulgura desur­sum depellit & omne malignū: Praegnans ser­uatur simul & partus liberatur: Dona confert dignis; virtutē destruit ignis: Portatus mun­dè, de fluctibus cripit vndae. vide Petrum Mathaeum, Constitut. Pont. Rom. in Constit. 1. Greg. 13. Pag. 685.

But euen in these times of light and knowledge, these owles dare still flie abroade: and euen of late, nay euerie yeare, the Pope shameth not to sette his trumperies to sale, annexing vnto them such large and liberall Indulgences, as Christes owne bloud can haue no more The eleuenth wound not healed.. I could insist vpon late and no­torious examples, practiced euen at home and vpon our owne Nation: but I spare them at this time, be­cause the proofes thereof, tho neuer so certaine to vs, are not so authenticall as yet, as bee these two exam­ples, I shall now produce; one of them touching Po­land, the other France.

For Polande: Not many yeares agoe, Pope Cle­ment the eight granted as followeth, as is to bee seene in printed coppies,

Lo here how Babylon is healed: If a man at the point of death, canne in his minde but thinke of [Page 111] Iesus, he shall haue full forgiuenesse of all his sinnes, if hee haue one of these holy Crosses, or Graines a­bout him. And is this the Diuinitie of the Ro­mish Church? is this procured by a Cardinall and graunted by the Pope? then aunswere mee but one worde: Shall the thinking or naming of Iesus, with­out true faith and repentance saue him tho hee haue a hundreth of these holy Graines about him? or if hee doe truely repent and beleeue in CHRIST, tho hee haue not one of these, shall hee not bee saued?

If those both bee true, (as who dare denie them?) then phie vpon these Impostors and deceiuers, who by these their Atheisticall mockeries expose religi­on to all contempt: and these thinges beeing so common and notorious, noe maruell tho Italie, where (these are rifest) haue, beside some priuie protestantes, fewe but that are either Atheistes or fooles.

Concerning France: Of late yeares Peroun the French Cardinall, hauing made a costly Iorney to Rome, comming home, procured of the Pope (for the bearing of his charges) to bee the bearer of cer­taine hallowed & holy matters consecrated and bles­sed by the Pope, in such a fashion, as if that were true the Pope saith, he were more then mad that would not (as the wise Merchant) sell all hee hath to buie one of them.

See what a bountiful father, the Pope is. Who would offer lesse for a hundreth yeares? surely hee that will not do thus much, he is worthy to lye and fry in purga­torie.

And what if one want all these trumperies, shall he not haue forgiuenesse, if he do truely beleeue and re­pent? Oh when will Babylon be ashamed of such ab­homination?

Imprinted at Rome with licence, &c.

I haue named some, but not all; looke for the rest in the book: but in them all let it be obserued, that there is not the least mention of faith in Christ, nor once so much as the name of it, nor anie relation to Christ, nor his holy merits: No, these are well if they may be vnderstood; and yet these men (if they bee not Athe­ists) doe knowe that all these their large promises are but winde, and their Indulgences but fome and froth, if there be not liuely faith and true repentance: and if these be in a man, then let vs see that Pope, Cardinall, or other Papist, who dare say that hee shall not haue ful remission that neuer sawe nor touched one of thei [Page 115] blessed beades nor hallowed Graines. Thus wee see how farre Babylon is from beeing healed in this point.

The twelfth and last wound, concerning the first Table, shal be cōcerning the Sacraments: both which are horribly peruerted and profaned by Romish doc­trine and practice. The 12. wound; The Popish Church bap­tizeth Belles.

First, Baptisme is profanely applied, not to reasona­ble creatures onlie, men and women, according to the Institution Mat. 28. 19; but euen to vnreasonable & dead crea­tures. I will insist onely vpon one: they vse to baptize bels, in most points so as Christians do Children, & in som points with much more ceremony & solemnity.

Bellarm [...]n is ashamed of it, and would willingly hide and couer it, tho he cannot cure it: but if hee were not a Cardinall and a Iesuite, hee would bee ashamed to cloake it with so loude a lie, as he doth: for (saith he) Bellar. de Rō Pont. Tom. 1. lib. 4. cap. 12. Si rem repre­hēdunt, aper­tè decipiuntur aut mētiūtur: non enim cā ­panae reuera baptizantur, sed solum be­nedicūtur, &c. vt altaria, &c. Vt patet ex pō ­tificali, &c. it is a false slander of the Heretickes; wee do not baptize bels, neither in respect of the name, nor y^e mat­ter of baptism: look saith he the book of the Pontificale there is no such matter: only (saith he) we blesse them as we do Churches, Altars Crosses, and other things, &c.

Is it true? then let vs follow Bellarmines aduise, and looke into the Pontificale, and omitting the name or word, let vs stand vpon the matter of Baptism. Com­pare therefore their baptisme of a child and a Bell to­gether, and see then whether it may not be truly sayde they baptize Bells. Vide librum inscriptū Pon­tificale Roma­nū autoritate pontificia im­pressum Vene­tijs 1520. [...]ib. 2 cap. de Bene­dictione signi vel campanae. Cāpana debet benedici an­tequā ponatur in campanili: parāda sint ide o vas aquae b [...] ­nedicendae, as­persoriū, vas cum sale, lintea munda, oleum sanctum, sanctum Chrisma, thimyama, thus, myrrha, thuribulū cum igne: Pontifex & diaconus &c. sint in tuis vestimētis: precibus peractis Pontifex lauat campanam cum dicta aqua, & cum pollice dexterae manus facit crucē supra campanā ab extra, cum oleo infirmorū, & intus cum chris­mate, & profert interim haec verba; Sāctificetur & cōsecretur (Domine) signū istud in nomine Pa†tris & Fi†lij & spiritus † sancti. In honorē sancti talis Pax tibi &c.

For better euidence heereof, and because the booke is not easie to come by, take heere a part of the pray­ers they vse to that purpose.

Thus at Bellarmines request we haue lookt into the Popes Pontificale, and let the Reader iudge what we haue found: he rebukes vs for laying it to their charge that they baptize bells, and for proof that they do not, sends vs to the Pontificale; but surely he thought that we could not haue seene the book, els he would neuer haue referred vs therunto: for vpon sight therof, it is apparant to be a more solemne baptisme then that of the child is; for the solemnitie is longer, the Ceremo­nies more, the prayers to greater purpose, the mini­ster of greater place, then be required to a childs bap­tism; & euery thing doth so concur in it that is in bap­tism, that Bellarmin himself cōfesseth that tho the pope doth not, yet others generally do call it the baptizing of belles, because they see them sprinkled with water, and haue names giuen them Bellar. tom. 1. de Rom. pōt. lib. 4. cap. 12. Nomen Bap­tismi non a Pontificibus sed avulgo campanarum benedictioni accommoda­tur &c. quia vidēt eas aqua aspergiet eis nomina im­poni, &c..

But it is not the name we stand vpon, but the matter: concerning which, whereas they pray that the sound of that bel so washed and sanctified as afore may driue [Page 119] awaie the diuell and all his fierie dartes, I would aske Bellarmine, or anie of his Chaplains, whether this be spoken in iest or in earnest, in formalitie as words of course, or in faith as a holy prayer. If they knowe the prayer to be impossible, not to haue anie warrant, but meerelie to bee a state Ceremonie, and done to a­maze the poore people &c. then it appeares they bee Cozeners and Atheists that make Religion a pretence to all their purposes: But if it be in earnest, and they knowe it to bee a prayer of faith, and haue warrant from Gods word for it, then it were possible to driue awaie the diuell and all his temptations out of a king­dome: for so manie Belles might bee hallowed and washed, as might hang, one within the reach of a­nothers sound; and so if the wordes of this prayer be true, a Diuell might not stay in the realme: and that Realme were very worthie to haue the Diuells com­panie, that would not willinglie be at the cost to haue so manie bels though they were of siluer, and to haue them baptized though it were in costly water.

To conclude, Bellarmine pleaseth to sport him­selfe a little with vs and sayth; The Heretickes obiect to vs that wee baptize Belles; but its maruell (sayth hee) that they doe not also say, wee catechize and in­struct them, that so they may sound out the Articles of Fayth Obijciunt nobis haeretici quod baptiza­mus Campa­nas. Mirum vero est quod non etiam di­cunt campa­nas a nobis antea catechi­zari et instrui, vt possint fidei symbolum re­sonare. Bellar. ibid. 24. 4: But it is verie likelie the Iesuite had not seene or not well perused the Pontificale: for if he had, hee might haue found that they pray to GOD to giue the HOLIE GHOST to the Bell, to blesse it, to sanctifie it, to puri­ [...]e it, to poure heauenlie blessings vppon it, and the dewe of Gods grace. Certainelie if this bee a [Page 120] lawfull an apt and fit prayer for the bell, they may also catechise it: for it is doubtless as capable of instructiō from man, as of anie spirituall and heauenly blessing from God.

Thus it is proued, I hope, that the Romish Church (in some sort for the name, but especially for the mat­ter) doth baptize Bells.

It remains but to see The twelfth wound not healed; for the Romish Church still baptizeth belles. if this wound be healed, or no.

But I answere, this was not the superstition of the olde and ignorant times onely, but is euen the pre­sent impietie of that Church: for, of late, Clement the eight, pretending to haue the Pontificall reuiued and reformed, caused it to be printed at Rome before his face Vide Pon­tificale Roma­num Clemen­tis 8. Pont. Max. iussu resti tutum at (que) e­ditum Romae 1895. et lega­tur eiusdem Clementis Constitutio. ibid. praefixa, pro eiusdem libri autorita­te & approba­tione. by his authoritie, in a faire letter, and with most goodly pictures: and indeede many things are left that might make against the Pope, and many ad­ded that may make for him.

But as for this blasphemie and abuse of Gods ho­ly Sacrament, it stands vntouched, vnaltered, and al­lowed for a good and Catholicke practice in euerie particular as I haue afore set it downe, and in manie more: Oh BABYLON, BABYLON, when wilt thou be healed?

The other sore of this wounde is touching the Lords Supper The other sore of the 12. wound; That though Christ ordai­ned the con­trary; yet it is not necessary for Christiās of the Laitie to haue the sacrament in both kinds, but onely the bread & not the Cup. which they maime and mangle, sacrilegiously taking the Cuppe from the whole Lai­tie. This wound is not very deepe, for it is not olde: but it is wide, for it is generall: and it is a foule one; for it maymeth the Sacrament, and crosseth Christ [...] owne Institution. They were a hatching it sometime before, but at last the monster was brought foorth [Page 121] in the Councell of Constance when they decreed thus, Concil. Cō ­stant. sess. 13. Synodus de­clarat decer­nit & definit, quod licet Christꝰ institu­erit et suis di­scipulis admi­nistrauerit sub vtra (que) specie panis et vini; et similiter quod licet in primitiua ec­clesia hoc sa­cramentum reciperetur a fidelibus sub vtra (que) specie: tamen haec consuetudo est rationabiliter introducta, quod a conficientibus sub vtra (que), à laicis tantummodo sub specie panis suscipiatur. Et habenda est pro lege haec consuetudo, &c. et pertinaciter asserentes oppositum tanquā haeretici arcendi et puniendi sunt: et quod nullus Presbiter sub poena excomunicationis cōmunicet populum sub vtra (que) specie panis et vini, &c.

This wound hath Bellarmine, and other of the craftier sort of them sought to couer, but not to cure: and it would satisfie a man in this point tho he waue­red before, to see how slily & superficially he deals in this questiō Bellar. de sa­cram. Euchar. lib. 4. cap. 26. tom. 3.: This abuse is so horrible, the iniury to the sacrament, & the wrong to the laitie so notorious, the absurdity & impiety of the practice so without all colour of defence, that if they were not without grace and past hope of recouery, & such as haue resolued to amend nothing, they would haue reformed this long agoe.

But heerby it is apparant they are plain States-men & Politicians, who haue nothing els in their head, but to maintaine the height of their hierarchie, and Maie­stie of their Monarchy. Euen this one particular is suf­ficient to make demōstration hereof; seeing they will [Page 122] not amend that which they see and know to be contra­ry to Christs Institution; and wherof many of the bet­ter sort of themselues are vtterly ashamed.

But it is so farre from being healed at all, that it is rather worse and worse The latter sore of the 12. wound not yet healed, but spreades further.. Look in their newe edi­tion of the Councells this last yeare, and there is no reformation of this euill Vide postre­ [...]am edit. Cō ­cil. per Bini­num. Colon. 1606. Concil. Constant. sess. 13. in. 2. parte tomi tertij. p. 1589., no plaister laid vpon this sore, not so much as a marginall note to qualifie the Non-obstante to Christs Institution; but rather all is made worse then it was afore in the former and el­der impressions.

Nay, it is so farre from being healed, that contrari­wise, it is made daily a wider and deeper wound: For now it is made in that Church a sinne against the first Commandement of the morall lawe, for a man to re­ceiue the Sacrament in both kindes Vide librū inscriptū Ex­cercitium pie­tatis, in gratiā studiosorum, autoritate Cardinalis Radzivilij, scriptum & e­ditum. Colon. 92. In cap. de methodo rec­tè confitendi, Circa primū praeceptum in­quiratur an fecerit aliquē exteriorē ac­tum infideli­tatis vel haere­sis &c. vt sub vtraque specie communicā ­do, &c.. So then see­ing we knowe Christ appointed it in both kindes, and now the Romish Church prohibites it vnder paine of mortall sin; alas what hope is there that this Church will euer be reformed, that condemnes the obedience to Christs institution and commandement, as a dead­ly sinne?

Let vs now proceede to such wounds, as may bee more properly referred to the secōd Table of the mo­rall lawe.

Touching wilfull murder, it hath beene their doc­trine and practice since the mistie times of ignorance, that The 13. wound; That it is lawefull to haue sanctu­aries forwill­full murder. Churches and Churchyards, and Bishops houses, and some such other places bee sanctuaries, that is, places for refuge for the offender; vnto which if he do flie, and settle him [...]elfe, he cannot, nor may not bee prosecuted by course of lawe and iustice, but is there [Page 123] safe, as long as it pleaseth the Cleargie to retayne him.

Thus writeth Pope Innocent the 3. in his Decre­talles to the King of Scotland, who in those euill daies (poore man) helde himselfe not of power to punish malefactors of his owne kingdome that had taken sanctuarie, vntill hee had sent to the Pope for his ad­uise.

Some may here obiect that afterward in the decre­tall hee makes exception of some crimes: true, of night robbers, but not of murderers. Neither was this proper to Italie or to Scotland, but the generall sore of all nations. In England wee had manie, but especially 3. most famous sanctuaries:

One at Beuerley, in Yorke-shire, erected by K. Athel­stane, where in the Church was set a chaire of stone, and this inscription written ouer it;

Another at Battel Abbie in Sussex, where the Con­querer wonne the victorie, and in memorie thereof, [Page 124] building that Abby hee endowed it (with the popes consent) amongst others, with this priuiledge Vide eun­dem Cam­denū, in com. Sussex haec sunt verba diplomatis; Si quis latro vel homicida, vel aliquo crimine reus, timore mortis fugiens ad hanc ecclesiam peruenerit, in nullo laedatur, sed liber omnino dimittatur: Abbati vero ipsius Ecclesiae liceat vbi (que) latronem vel furem de suspendio liberare [...]i forte superuenerit.;

These bee the very words of the Charter it selfe. The third and not the least was at Westminster: wherof there is often and famous mention in our Chronicles, as being a place of frequent and ordinarie refuge for great Malefactors, and the name remains there to this daie. And these were not so much the facts of igno­rant and superstitious Kings, as the generall receiued doctrine of the Romish teachers, & the publick deed of their Popes themselues Vide decre­tal, Sext. & Clement: in tit. de eccle­siarum & coe­meteriorū im­munitatibus, &c..

This was so in the olde time (will some say) but now it is otherwise. I answere: Nay, this is not healed, but rather is much worse. To this end, let vs consider a little of some of their latest and principall writers in this case The 13. woūd not healed; for Poperie allo­weth sanctu­aries for wil­full murder still.. A great Clarke of Rome, a fauourite of Pope Gregories the xiiii. and one of his principall Se­cretaries, some 12. yeares agoe writes a great volume of this and other Immunities, which hee saith by their religion belongs to holy persons and places; let vs ob­serue a fewe of his words Vide Ana­stasium Ger­moniū de sa­crorū immu­nitatibus. lib. 3: cap. 16. art. [...]. &c..

And not onely puts he downe this for Catholicke doctrine, but he will also needs haue it to bee ex iure diuino: and whereas Couarruvias (as learned as him­self at least) disproues it verie sufficiently Didac. Couarruvias. variarum reso­lut. lib. 2. cap. 20. Num. 2. v. 2. & 3. and con­cludes it to bee but de iure positivo, this darling of the Popes will not suffer so much amendment as this, but condemnes Couarruvias, tho hee cannot confute his reasons, and concludes it to bee de iure diuino. Idem Ger­moniꝰ ibid. art. 7..

And wheras one Iohannes Ferrariensis, a famous and learned Lawyer, argueth foundly and truely that Churches should not receiue murtherers not be sanc­tuaries for theeues, seeing Christ cast out euen buyers and sellers which are not so ill Ioh. Pet. de Ferrar. practica Pa­piensis, cap. de forma inquisi. vers. ex his potest.; The Popes Secre­tarie, scornfully casteth away both his opinion and his reason Germoniꝰ ibid. art. 15.; yet is he neuer able to ouerthrowe either the truth of his opinion, or strength of his reason: but so vnwilling are they to bee healed in anie thing, that if anie one of them doe but begin to see the truth, and doe but glaunce at it or incline to it, presently hee is nipt in the head and condemned, as heere the olde Lawyer is reproued by the later; and whē as he would haue had this wound healed, this darling of the popes will not suffer him, but answeres that his reason is naught and not worth a rush.

And yet not content, he goeth further, and saith; that not onely Churches consecrated, but tho they bee not as yet consecrated Idē ibid. art. 23. 24., yet they be sanctuaries: and not the Church onely, but euen the Churchyard, yea tho it be disioined from the Church Idē ibid. art. 30. & 34..

Nay further, that euen hospitalls Idē ibid. art. 27, yea priuate Chappells in mens houses, if they were built by the Bi­shops authority Idē ibid. art. 29., haue priuiledge of sanctuarie to receiue a murderer flying vnto them. And least mur­der should not finde sufficient shelter in Romish reli­gion, he telles vs further, that euen the Bishops Pa­lace is a sanctuarie, if a murderer fly vnto it, if it bee within 40. pases of the Church; or (tho it bee more then 40. pases off) if it haue a Chappell in it Idē ibid. art. 43. &c.. And yet further, if a murtherer going to execution, after a iust sentence, or afore triall, being pursued, doe meete a Priest carying his breaden God, and doe fly to him, he is priuiledged from the power of the lawe Idē ibid. art. 52..

And least we should thinke it strange, to giue this honor to the church that is Gods house, or to the bread which they say is their God, he goeth yet one steppe further, and tells vs that Idem Ger­monius ibid. lib. 3. cap. 6. art. 51. &c. Tāta est huius dignitatis Maiestas, vt non Cardina­lis solum velut sacrosanctus abs (que) sacrile­gij culpa tāgi non possit, verū nec ille quiad capitale supplicium ducitur, si Cardinali ob­ [...]iam factus c­ius (que) pileum aut vestem at­tigerit &c. oc­cidi nequeat: sic Baldus & reliqui; vnus tantum Cor­ [...]etus tenet i [...] contrarium: sedeius argu­mentis excel­lenter satisfa­cit Cardinalis▪ Albanus.,

Loe, heere is a holy person indeede; a Cardinalls coate, or hat, shall haue more priuiledge then had ey­ther the coate or the flesh it selfe of Christ Iesus: hee [Page 127] would not deliuer anie murderers from death, onelie one he deliuered; namely, Barrabas, and he himselfe died in his roome See the story of the passion.: and if my Lords the Cardinalls should do so, surely they would meete no murderers in the streete.

But to goe forward; the lawe sayth, the Murderer shall die Gen. 9. 6; and Christ saith, he came not to dissolue the lawe, but to fulfill it Matth. 5. 18: but the Cardinalls wil not fulfil the lawe, but dissolue it. The Murderer shall die, sayth God: true, saith the Pope, vnlesse hee happe to touch the hem of one of my Cardinalls coats, for then he is acquitted.

But is this healed and reformed? nay alas, one An­tonius Corsetus, a learned Lawyer, misliking this, be­cause as he saith truely Hoc stante, daretur mate­ria delinquē ­di, propterea quod homines audaciores fi­erēt & delicta remanerent impunita: sic Anto. Corsetꝰ in suis singu­lar. in verbo Cardinalis.; this being so, there wil be an occasion giuen of much euill, and bloudie men will heere­by take libertie to offend: He is not suffred to make a­nie motion for reforming of anie thing, but is contra­riwise turned awaie with this censure, that his reasons are slender and nothing worth. And thus, when he is dasht out of countenance, who would haue healed this wound, then comes the Popes Secretary (a true childe of Babylon that will not be healed) and to make the wound wider and deeper, brings a reason for this power of Cardinalls, worthy of himself Idem Ger­monius ibid. cap. 6. art. 51. Non sunt hodie Cardinales deterioris cōditionis quam olim fuerunt Virgines ve­stales: quarum autoritas apud Romanos tanta fuit. vt si ad capitale aliquis suppli­cium duceretur, & fortè fortuna transisset Vestalis, is necari non posset.; ‘If (saith he) the Virgin-vestalls in Rome healthenish had this power, that if a person condemned met one of them in his way to executiō, and could get to touch them, he was thereby deliuered from death; [Page 128] as he proueth out of Aul. Gellius Aul. Gellius, noct. Att. lib. 10. cap. 15.: Then much more ought the Cardinalls to haue this honour in Rome being now Christian.’

Yea, but is there not danger to multiplie murders, and defeat the lawe by this means? for may not a Car­dinall come for fauour, and on set purpose? may hee not be intreated, may he not be corrupt and bee hired to come? There be now also many Cardinalls, about 60. or 70. if anie of all these be in the streetes, murde­rers may escape; and there be fewe daies, wherin some of these stirre not abroad: To all these materiall ob­iections, what doth he answer? surelie an easie answer hath he for all:

But how shall it appeare, that hee comes not pur­posely? In that case the vestall Virgins, that neuer might swear, were put to their oath Aul. Gellius ibid..

But for al that (saith this Popes dearling) my Lords the Cardinalls may not sweare, they may not bee so disgraced as to be put to their oathes: How shall it then appeare? hee must (saith hee Licet Vesta­lis nunquam iurasset, hoc tamen casu e­as iurasse, cer­tum est. At Cardinalem deuinci Iusiu­randi religio­ne minime vel lem: ita (que) non iuranti sed as­serēti se forte fortuna in dā ­natū incidisse credendum est, cum ei in grauioribus negotijs fides adhiberi solet: vt si sedis Apo­stolicae legatum se esse dixerit, fidem ei habendam volunt nostri Ioh. Andr. Bal. Alb. &c. Idem Germonius ibid. art. 53. &c. bee beleeued vpon his bare word. So then if a Cardinall haue but the conscience to tell a lie (which, how small a thing it is in poperie, and how manie excuses it hath, who knoweth not?) then it is heere apparant that the vilest theefe, and murderer in a countrie, may easily escape the halter at Rome.

Now to conclude, see how many helpes there be for a Murderer in Romish religion; first by places, then by persons priuiledged. Places priuiledged be, 1. a Church, 2. a Churchyard, 3. an hospitall, 4. a Bi­shops house, 5. a priuate Chappell; all these shall de­liuer a man from tryall (were this so in London, how should any murderer be brought to the Bar? no street could he passe through, but he shall finde one of these 5. places): then by persons priuiledged; which be, first, a Cardinall riding by: which because it is but in fewe places; therefore the second is a Priest carying the Sacrament, and that is in euery towne: To touch ei­ther of these, doth deliuer from death a murtherer cō ­demned by law.

Thus we see, a bloudy Church is a defender of bloud and murther; for let anie wise man consider, how ma­ny thousand murders in a yeere, may bee sheltred and shuffled ouer by these meanes. And yet sanctuaries are but one means to cloak murther, they haue many more (not so fit to be stood vpon at this time): but the end and effect of them all is this, that poisoning, stab­bing, killing, and all kind of bloud-shedding is so rise in popish States, that the better sort of themselues do bitterlie complaine of it. Oleaster a spanish Inquisitor (and therefore not partiall on our side) hath these words; ‘Vide Hie­ronimum ab Oleastro, in­quisitorem v­lissiponens. in suis Cōment. in Pentat: In cap. 4. Genes. pag. 17. Video (in quit) homi­cidia fieri, ne­tamen video homicidas puniri: sunt e­nim hodie mille modi ex­cusandi homi­cidam; quorū vnuꝰ est eccle­siā appellare, Clericum se dicere, & sta­tim Iudices quos volunt a summo pōti­fice impetrate, qui eos ab­soluunt, par­ua aut nulla poena imposi­ta; & sic homi­cidia multi plicantur. I see daily (sayth he) murders are committed: but I doe not see the murderers are punished: for we haue at this daie a thousand waies to excuse mur­derers; wherof one is to appeale to the Church, & to say he is a Cleargie man, and presently to get frō the Pope such Iudges or Commissioners, as them­selues [Page 130] will, who by and by discharge and absolue them, vpon a little punishment or none at all, and thus murders are multiplied euerie daie, &c.’

Let these words be well obserued, and what he was that spake them; and if this be so, so fa [...]re from Rome as Portingale is, thē we may easily iudge how the world goeth at Rome and neere vnto it.

Against all this what can be said? that this Anastasi­us is an Author suborned by vs? Nay, Posseuine the Ie­suite will for that answer for vs, hauing canonized him in his catalogue of catholick Doctors Possev. Ies. appar. sac. tom. 1. lit. A. Anasta­sius Germoniꝰ Archidiaconꝰ Taurinensis edidit libros de immunita­tibus ecclesia­sticis, inter al. &c.: what then? that he is but a triuiall fellow, and of no credit nor au­thority? Nor so: for he was publicke professor of the Popes lawe, at Turin, & in great office and authority both with Gregory the 14. and Clement the 8. Idem Posseu. ibid. Augustae Taurinorum publicè Cano­nes interpre­tabatur & nu­per orator ad Clement 8. pro sereniss. vrbini duce & vtrius (que) Ro­manae signa­turae referen­darius. and his bookes be dedicated to the Popes and Cardinalls, printed at Rome with soueraigne authoritie, and spe­ciall commendation (u). Nay the Pope himselfe withAnastasij Germonij, Ci­uit. Ro. Archi­diaconi Tau­rinēsis & pro­tonotarij A­postolici de sa­crorū immu­tatibus lib. 3. ad Gregorium 14. Romae. 1591. his own mouth commended the book, to the Cardi­nals, and said that the whole Clergie, and the Councel of Cardinalls by name were greatly beholden to the Author for it Vide eius­dem Anastasij Epistolam de­dicat. ad Gre­gorium 14. Pont. Max.: So that it is more then impudencie for anie Papist, to make question of the authoritie of his doc­trine.

What then can be said? that these sanctuaries stand indeed allowed for some faultes, but not for murder? If it were so, the fault were lesse: but the truth is other­wise.

For tho it be certaine and confessed by themselues, that by the ciuile lawe, Murderers, and Rauishers, and Adulterers are excepted In §. Quod si delinquentes Authent. de mand princip.: Yet Germonius shameth not to answere that the Ciuile lawe is corrected in this [Page 131] point by the Popes law, and that therfore we are to stand to it Iure Ciuili, a­dulteri, homi­cidae, raptores ex eccl. abduci possunt: sed Ius Ciuile per pontificiū hac in parte cor­rectū est; & i­deo standū est huiꝰ dispositi­oni &c. sic Germoniꝰ de sacrorum im­munitatibus, lib. 3. cap. 16. art. 57, &c. and not to the Ciuile lawe: Now who are ex­cepted by the popes lawe? only night-robbers, and set­ters of high waies Germonius ibid. art. 56. ex Iure Canoni­co & commu­ni sententia.: but as for murderers, adulterers, and rauishers, these finde fauor in the Popes lawe; for they be Amici Curiae: but theeues, and robbers are not so: and therfore this Germonius cōcludes that tho the Scripture be plain and many Doctors; yet, a murderer is not to bee taken out of sanctuarie, vnlesse there bee more then murder, as deceit, and treacherie. What then may be said? that this Germonius is but one Doc­tor, and his opinion is not to be taken for a doctrine? I answere, his iudgement is allowed by the Pope him­selfe, and his opinions are fortified with consent of o­ther popish Doctors: But that we may see he walkes not alone in this waie; one Stephanus Durantus, wri­ting also of late, of the rites of the Romish Church, deli­uereth y^• same for a general doctrin of that church, tho he being a French-man, is therfore the bolder and saith that neither in France nor in England they haue beene permitted by the kings with such absolute allowance as elswhere. Stephanus Durantꝰ de ri­tibꝰ ecclesiae catholicae Ro­mae 91. ad G [...] ­gor. 14. vid. 1. ca. 26. art. 10. Ea erat eccle­siae religio & immunitas, vt ad eam con­fugientes non liceret inde extrahere, vel eis aliquam vim inferre.

This book also is of speciall authoritie, dedicated to P. Gregorie the 14. and by him accepted with speciall allowance: and in a Bull or constitution of his, hee affirmeth it is a worke, seruing greatly for Gods glorie and the edification of Christian people, and that it is ap­proued and allowed by the great M. of his palace Vide bullam Gregorij 14, Duranti libro praefixā: hoc o­pꝰ &c. ad glo­riā Dei & to­tius populi Christiani aedificationé, &c. & à Magistro sacri palatij nostri visum & approbatum., [Page 132] to whom belonges the soueraigne and highest autho­ritie to censure all sort of bookes.

And last of all, Iacobus de Graffijs, the great Casuist, and Grande Poenitentiarie, within these 7. yeares hath determined this question; affirming that the murderer may not be taken out of the Church, no not tho hee broke prison and fled thither, vnlesse it were murder ioyned with trecherie and treason Iacobus de Graffijs decis. aur. cas. cons. to. 1. cap. 48. libri secundi: art. 5. 6. 7. reus in causa ciuili & criminali gaudet immu­nitate ecclesiae etiamsi carce­rem cōfrege­rit, & ad eccle­siam confuge­rit: Et non ex­ [...]pitur homi­ [...]idium nisi proditione cōmissum aut ab Assasinis..

Thus we see how Babylon is healed in this wound. And heereby it is apparant to all that will see, that she is a bloudie Babylon: and as in many other respects for her crueltie, so this waie also, for this doctrine and practice she is a bloudy synagogue: and no maruell tho the holy Ghost say, that in her is found the bloud, not onely of the Saints and Martyrs, but of all that was shed vpon the earth Reuel. 18. 24.. For as she hath made her selfe the principall agent in shedding the bloud of Saints and Martyrs: so hath shee made her selfe accessarie by this her doctrine and practice to al the murthers & bloud­shed vpon the earth: for, to maintaine so many refuges and defences for a sinne, is to maintaine the sinne it selfe. Therefore leauing this bloudie Church wel­tring, and wallowing, and bathing her selfe in bloud, let vs proceed to that remaines.

Touching the honorable estate of marriage, and the dishonor of it, which is, adulterie, & fornicatiō; it is lamentable to see what is the doctrine and practice of the Romish Church. For first, they giue a publicke and open toleration of the stewes, wherein whore­dome is practiced as dayly and commonly, as other ciuile and lawfull actions The 14. wound; Romish Re­ligion permits stewes pub­lickelie.: nay their rent is taken, and duely paide, (a part of it) to the Pope, or as hee [Page 133] shall appoint it: Thus complaines and cries out A­grippa, a man of no meane place, nor ordinarie vnder­standing; Cornel. A­grippa de va­nitate scient. cap. 64. Corin­thij, Cyprij, Babylonij alij (que) Ethnici Grae­ci, nonnihil a meretricio quaestu aerario suo addiderut, quod quidem in Italia non rarū, vbi etiā Romana scor­ta, in singulis hebdomadis Iulium pendēt pontifici: qui census annuus saepe excedit viginti millia ducatus.

Alas! wil some say; the Pope cannot hinder this: therefore seeing he cannot helpe it, he hath vsed, (such was the wisdom of elder ages) to make the best vse he can of an ill matter.

But I answere; first, the holy Ghost commands vs to haue nothing to doe with an ill matter, but keepe vs farre from it Exod. 23. 7 Ephes. 5. 11, though wee cannot hinder it: A­gaine, if the Pope cannot hinder it, yet hee can refuse to haue anie gayne from it; and so hee woulde but that hee thinkes it sweete: but if hee were of Dauids mind who would not drinke that drink, that cost men the venture of their liues 2. Sam. 23. 14., surely he would not take that gain that costs men and women their soules.

But I answere further, he could and might hinder it, and will not. If he himselfe and his fauorites speak truth, hee wants no power for nothing that hee will doe: therefore for reforming the stewes, it is cleere he wants wil, but no power. Against Gods truth, and vs the Professors of it, whom he cals hereticks, he wants no will, and therefore he wants no power. Let him punish whoredome, as he doth that, that he calls here­sie [Page 134] (tho it be the truth): let it be as vnlawfull in Rome to keep a stewes, as to haue a Protestant Church, and then we should soon see as fewe, and fewer whores in Rome, then there be good Protestants. But whoredom is none of the vnderminers of his State, nor enemies of his Crowne as our religion is: therefore our religion must down when stewes must stand. But som wil further ob­iect, If this haue bin so, it is the faulte or corruption of his officers, & not to be imputed to his Holinesse. But I answere, the pope vseth not to be so negligent of his e­state, as not to looke at a reuenue of 20000. duckates a yeare. And to take away all cause of this cauill, and to make it more apparant that the Pope is the head of the whoreof Babylon; Pope Sixtus 4. scarce 120. yeares a­goe, built a stewes in Rome, of his owne erection and foundation, so saith the same Agrippa. Cornel. A­grip. de vanit. scient. cap. 64 Lycurgus & Solon lupana­ria aedificaue­re, &c. sed & recentioribus hisce tempori­bus Sixtus pōtifex Max. quartꝰ, Romae nobile admo­dum lupanar exstruxit.

Loe heer, the Popes Holinesse, the founder of a Col­ledge of diuells, a stewes for whores: surely because he scorned ordinarie company, he built that for himselfe, and his Princes & peers, the Cardinalls. Thus we see it cōfessed & proued by a learned Papist, that a 100. yeers agoe stewes were maintained, nay erected by the Pope: and that he takes gain & rent of them. If any man ob­iect against Agrippa, as no competent witnesse: I an­swere, the Pope indeed hath prohibited Vide indi­cem lib. pro­hibit. Clemen­tis 8. in litera H. his books to be read; but it had been more reason to haue disproued and confuted his assertions: but let the Pope condemne him as he will, for his bold speaking of truth; it is know­en to all that know him, or his bookes, hee was a Papist [Page 135] for the most part: and whatsoeuer he was, he had no rea­son to bely the Pope; we hired him not, we thanke him not for anie thing but truth: yet for more certaintie hereof, hearken to another, who being an Inquisitor, is beyond all exception that waie.

Thus complains Oleaster (a Spanish Doctor), vpon that Text of Deuteronomy Deut. 23. 18 thou shalt not bring in­to my house the hire of a whore, for it is abhominable.

Thus all gaine is sweete, and all rent welcome to the Pope, tho it come frō whores: so true a friend to stewes and whores, is the whore of Babylon.

But wil some say, this might be so in the elder times, that were of more libertie, because all was quiet: but now since Luther rose, and the Church hath beene wakened by heretickes, this wound is healed.

No, this wound is not healed, as I wil proue by their late and moderne writers. The 14. wound not healed: for the Romish reli­gion, doctrine & practice tolerate stewes still.

Navarrus one of their greatest Canonists of this last age, and one whom the Popes helde worthy to be cald to Rome, for his continuall aduise & direction Martinus Azpil. Nauar. Hisp. Iuris co­nonici sciētis. ide (que) theolog. insignis &c. Haec Posseu. in apparatu sac. tom. 2. lit. M., deals very plainly in this matter, and saith, that Nau. Manu­al. c. 17. nu 195. pa. 433. edit. Wirceb. in 8. 1593. Licet potestati publicae permittere meretrices in aliqua parte ciuitatis: et postea, alicubi constituuntur eis patroni, & domus eis locā ­tur carius quā honestis locarentur: et in hac vrbe Romana, sciente & patiēte papa locantur et semper consueuerunt locari domus meretricibꝰ: et confessarij absoluūt et semper absoluerunt locatores eorū sine proposito abstinēdi à tali locatione, &c.

See here a peece of spanish deuotion and modesty. Surely, no maruell tho this man were sent for, from Spaine to Rome: for it seemes by this doctrine he was for the Popes tooth, and much more for his Cardi­nalles.

Alphonsus Viualdus, another learned Spaniarde, wrote a booke of matters of conscience not long a­goe, of so great account amongst them that they call it the golden Candlesticke. It hath beene often printed, and within these 7. yeares was by the Popes speciall Commission purged, and reprinted: hee writes thus Martinus Alphōsus Vi­valdꝰ, theol. & Iuris canon. professor & poenitentiariꝰ maior, &c. In Candela­bro aureo. tit. de Confessio­ne, numero 60 Vtrum hae me­retices cense­antur excom­municatae, per synodales cō ­stitutiones, quae nec consi­tentur, nec cō ­municant? re­spondeo, &c. Meretrices nū quā publican­tur nec denū ­tiantur pro ex­cōmunicatis in ecclesia: nec visum vn­quam fuit, ali­quem hac de causa ab earū participatione fugisse, &c. Pro resolutio­ne dico, quod si non cōfiteā ­tur nec com­municent per 10. aut 20. an­nos, non ideo incurrūt poe­nas ecclesiae in detestatio­nem sui pessi­mi statꝰ, quia meretrices non sunt dig­nae laqueis legum. pag. 81. editionis Brixiensis 1588..

Oh excellent doctrine, and fit for the Romish [Page 137] Church: but all this will some say is salued by this that followeth. Nay, contrariwise say I, the wound is made worse; and by the craft of that that followeth, obserue the subtiltie and iniquity of Romish teachers: for this is done (saith he) in detestation of their ill life: the Church doth so detest their maner of life, that she will not thinke them worthy of her censures: oh nota­ble shift! are they too bad to bee punished, & not too bad to bee suffered? doth the Romish Clergie thinke them so vile that way, and yet allow them? see the in­iquitie and filthinesse of this religion.

Thus its apparant by the great Confessor Vivaldus, that the Romish Church excōmunicats not common whores, nor them that go to them: & another as great a Clark as himself, saith it is the common opinion Iac de Graffijs. tom. 1. lib. 1. cap. 9. art. 8. & 9..

But yet to shewe better that this wound is not hea­led, harke a little what the grand poenitentiarie, Iaco­bus de Graffijs, saith; ‘Iacobꝰ de Graf­fijs decis. aur. cas. cons. tom. 1. lib▪ 2 cap. 75. art. 3. et 4. pag. 348. Sed quare ipsa ecclesia lupana­ria permittit & per consequens fornicar. quod est mortale pec­catum. Respon­deo quod eccle­sia quando (que) tol­lerat minus ma­lum praesens, vt euitet maius malum futurum, quod verisimi­libus coniecturis speratur: sic ca [...] &c. vbi ecclesia tolerat meretri­ces ad euitandas promiscuas lux­urias et foedissi­mas coiunctio­nes: & sic non illud peccatum approbat, sed dissimu­lando tolerat, vt eo medio adul­teria, Incest (que) at (que) alia luxuriae cri­mina compes­cat. Hinc &c. Et in tantum tolerat lex huiusmodi fornicationes, vt etiam cogat publicas meretri­ces ad fornicandum cum quocun (que) iuxta tamen mercedem. But if fornication be a sin, then why doth the church her selfe permit stewes, & consequently fornication, which is a mortall sinne? I answere (saith he) that the church somtime tolerateth a less euill present that she may auoide a greater euill to come, that is probable to fal out: and this he proues out of the Canon law; & so concludes that the church doth tolerate stewes and whores, to auoide greater sins not approuing the sin of fornicatiō, but by cōniuence, or dissimulatiō tolerats it, that so she may restraine & keep yong men from adul­teries, incests, and other crimes of that kinde: then he goeth further to proue his conclusiō; which he doth out [Page 138] of the practice of heathen lawegiuers, and by the ciuile lawe, & would proue it out of the Fathers: & then to make vp the measure of his iniquitie, he addeth that the law doth so far forth tolerate for­nications in stews, that it takes order to compel the whores to refuse no man, if hee offer her, her pay: the words are too bad to be repeated in english.’

And to shew that he is a true childe of that Babylon that wil neuer be healed, & that he is as graceless in this point as his mother, afterward in his 2. tome (which he put out in his more mature yeares) he hath againe the same doctrin in as ill or worse words; Idem Graffiꝰ ibid. tom. 2. li. 3. c. 28. art. 3 6. Ad meretrices accedere, quā ­uis sit peccatū mortale, tamē ecclesia illud peccatum to­lerat, ad euitā ­dū maius ma­lum, &c. et in hoc casu ec­clesia censurā restringit, ne forsan deteri­ores sint, &c.

And to conclude, for the better encoragement for women to bee whores, and the better to please their carnall & wicked minds, Cardinall Tollet a Iesuite, out of his Iesuitical modestie, and his Cardinal like respect to the stewes, deliuers this doctrine; Fran. Tolletꝰ Ies. Cardinal. Instructio sa­cerdotū. lib. 5. cap. 17. art. 3. Mulieres ac­cipientes pre­tiū pro vitio carnis, nō ob­ligantur ad re­stitutionem, (quia ista acti­o non est mala cōtra iustitiā) quamuis sint Virgines et coniugatae, et cuiuscun (que) cō ­ditionis: et quamuis ac­cipiāt pecuni­as in excessu, vltra pretium actꝰ turpis, si liberè donetur illis.

Certainly the stewes are much beholden to Car­dinal Tollet for this doctrine: but, what Iustice and mo­destie, and the Church, and the truth and God him­selfe do owe him for it, hee feeles afore this time, ex­cept he repented. Obijt Tolle­tꝰ. Romae. 1596

Thus it is the present doctrin of the Romish church that she alloweth stewes by publicke toleration, to a­uoide greater euills, and censureth not the whores for it; nay, ties them by a lawe to refuse no man, and [Page 139] tyes men by a lawe to pay the hire; and for this ende allowes them Courts, Iudges, and Officers, and takes part of the benefit arising. Now, that their practice is according to this doctrine, I appeale to all that haue trauelled in those partes where poperie reigneth; as Spaine, Italie▪ &c. And further, to giue one euidence out of my owne reading for the practice, Iacobus de Graffijs telles vs plainely in these words, Iacobus de Graff. decis. aur cas. cons. tom. 1. lib. 1. c. 28. art. 20. Sic licitum est do­minis domorū locare eas me­retricibꝰ, non quidē ad me­retricandum, sed ad alios fi­nes bonos, id est vt ipsae vitā suā seruent et domini do­morū lucren­tur iustas pen­siones, cum displicentia peccati, &c. ita etiā praxis Romana vide­tur seruare. pag. 105.

Thus both for Romish doctrine & practice, it is ap­parant that stewes are allowed to this daie, and com­mon whores not censured.

Against all this but one thing can bee obiected; namely, that all these be priuate Doctors: I answere, thē let vs see what the Pope doth. Doth he supply the negligence of other Bishops? they do not excommunicate them: doth hee? No, no, he is as bad or worse then the worst. Princes tolerate them, so doth he Nay, by the places allea­ged afore, it is manifest y^• it is not princes, but the Pope & the Church that tolerates and permittes thē, & princes permit them, because the Church doth.; they in their kingdoms, he in Rome: they build thē hou­ses, so did he: they take part of their gain, so doth hee: the Bishops excommunicate them not, no more doth he to this daie. For this end we are to knowe, that be­sides all particular and personall excommunications, [Page 140] he vseth once a yeere, that he may meete with all his e­nemies at once, and pay them at one payment, to ex­communicate together all such sorts and kinds of peo­ple, as he holdes his enemies: but are whores any of them? no such matter: nay, these be they; Vide Bullam Coenae in Cō ­stit. Rom. pōt. per Petrū Ma­thaeūed. inter Cōstitut. Sixti quinti pa. 883. vbi Papa excō municat & anathematizat in propria sua persona,

These and such other like to the number of 17. or 18. be the enemies against whome the Pope hath cause to plant his ordinaunce; but as for whores, and stewes, and such other hainous transgressors of the morall law, these neuer hurt the Romish Church, and therfore she bends not her power against them.

So then, seeing poperie and the stewes are so linked, that (we perceiue) do what we can, man cannot sepa­rate those whom the diuell hath ioined togither: let vs [Page 141] then leaue the stews in Rome, & the Pope in his stewes; and mourning for their miserie, let vs proceed.

The next wound is this: That whereas God hath e­uer allowed and honoured marriage, in the old, & new Testament; and Concubines were neuer allowed in the old, and absolutely condemned in the newe: Now coms popery, & makes it as lawfull to haue a Concu­bine as a wife The 15. wound; He that hath not a wife may haue a Concubine. & this is done by no priuat persons, but the Popes lawe it selfe. Thus saith the Canon; Decret. dist. 34. cap. 4. Is qui non habet vxorem, & pro vxore Concubinam habet, a Com­munione non repellatur; ta­men vt vnius mulieris aut vxoris aut Cō cubinae sit cō ­iunctione cō ­tentus.

Is not heere a piece of good licentious poperie? I know they say they haue this from the first councell of Toledo, which is ancient: true, but what if Spaine, not long afore conuerted to the faith, was not purged as yet from these dregs of heathenisme, and Iudaism; are they therfore fit to be taken vp by the Pope, & inserted in his lawe, as a Canon to binde and direct for euer? If they think that poor prouincial Councel (but of 19. Bishops) bee a sufficient warrant for this decree, then why take they not all▪ and why put they it not downe a wife or a Concubine, as it pleaseth him; for so it is in the words of the Councell Concil. Ge­neral. per Bin­niū. Col. 1607 tom. 1. pa. 560. In Concil. 1. Tolet. cap. 17 Is qui non ha­bet vxorem sed, &c. tan­tum vt vnius Mulieris, aut vxoris, aut Cōcubinae (Vt [...]i placuerit) sit coniunctione contentus..

I know also, that they haue coyned a distinction, whereby they would couer this wound, and saie that a Concubine heere is to bee taken for a woman whom a man hath, and keepeth with the affection of a Husband; onely in outward fashion and solemnity shee is not a wife, nor publickly maried: but I aun­swere, the best of it is nought if wee did grant them [Page 142] all they saie: but distinguish as they can, the words are so plaine, that the suttlest distinction they can deuise, wil be too short a cloak to couer the shame of it: nay the shame of this Canon is written in the fore-head of it: for the Rubrick or contents, written with red let­ters, is worse then the text it selfe; Vide Decre­tū cum glossa, editionis lug­dun. in fol. 1510 dist. 34. cap. 4. Is, qui non ha­bet vxorē, lo­co illiꝰ debet habere con­cubinam.

These be the very words in the impression at Lions, 1510. tho I confess the Diuines of Paris, hauing a lit­tle more care what past their hands, ashamed of the word debet (that is, ought to haue), put it out, and put in liceat, that is, he may haue Vide decretū edit. parisiens. in fol. anni 1507. ibid. Is qui non habet vxorem loco illius, concu­binam habere liceat.: but take the best of all, and is it not bad inough? well let vs go forward; this wound is olde and wide, and deepe.

But is it yet healed? No, not to this day The 15. wound not yet healed; for still by the Popes Canon lawe he that hath not a Wife may haue a concubine.; for the Popes Canon lawe was of late yeares commaunded by the Pope to be corrected and purged, as well the Text as the Glosse: and is this amended, or left out as being false and filthy doctrine? No: other places in­deed are altered, for the greater vantage and honor of the Pope: but this dishonorable Canon, so disgrace­full to Gods lawe, stands vntouched in this newe and last edition of all Vide corpus iuris Canoni­ci, autoritate Gregorij. 13. pont. max. e­mendatum et editum. 91. et 600.: onely the Rubricke, or title, or Contens, whereof wee spake before is altered thus;

Thus it is amended; but in a poore fashion, as wee may see: But what may the Church of Rome meane to amend the Rubrick or title, & not the Text? Sure­ly because they knowe manie a one hastily runnes o­uer [Page 143] the Contents, and titles of books and Chapters, who neuer looke into the body of the books thēselues. But take this wound healed as it is: Is this good diui­nitie at Rome, that he who hath no wife, but in a wiues steede keepes a Concubine, shall not for that bee kept from the Communion? Is not this a holy table of the Romish Sacrament, from which he shall not bee for­bidden, that openly keeps a whore in roome of a wife? Certainely this wound is notably healed: let vs then goe forward to the next.

Wee haue heard that a Wife is made equall to a Concubine: but what if shee bee made worse then a Whore, an Adultresse, or a common Strumpet? None dare say this, none dare vndertake this, but the Whore of Babylon: but shee dare. For this is her doctrine, that it is a lesse sinne for many men to lie with another mans wife, or a common whore, then it is to marrie a wife of their owne The 16. wound; Some men had better lie with another mans wife, or keep a whore, then marie a wife of his owne.. Mariage, which God hath made so honorable, hath been of long time disgraced in poperie; but not in this high measure (I speak of) abused, that I know, till these later and more shamelesse times that the whore hath got her a brazen face.

In Luthers time, not yet a 100. yeeres agoe, liued one Albertus Pighius, one of the Popes Chāpions Albert. Pig­hiꝰ scripsit in Lutherum, Bucerum, &c. de ecclesia ca­tholica bene meritꝰ. Posseu. appar. sac. tom. 1. lit. A., who for the defence of that hierarchie and mainte­nance of that cause, amongst other his bold and blas­phemous assertions, teacheth this hoggish and hate­full doctrine; Pighiꝰ expli­catio contro­uersiarum: controu. 15. de Caelib. et con­iug. Sacerd. p. 215. edit. Pa­risi. 1549. ‘Go to (sayth he) suppose all that vowed continencie, do not keep it so wel as they should: What then? had they better marrie? Nay, assuredly: for wee must [Page 144] resist the temptation by all meanes we can: but if Sed esto, non faciunt obli­gati voto om­nes quod pos­sunt & debēt, &c. et proinde tentantur, & fortasse vrun­tur eorū ple­ri (que): quid igi­tur an nubere his minus malum erit, et minꝰ damna­bile? tu vide, &c. tentationi proinde quibꝰ possimꝰ remedijs, resistendum est: in quibus si quan­do remissiores ex infirmitate carnis ceciderimus, tolerabilius hoc peccatum est, quam si iugum in totum excutiamus, &c. non quòd hic probemus fornicationem, sed casum ex infirmitate ad deliberatum immo perpetuum abiecto omni pudore In­cestum, comparamus. sometime we be too remisse, and so by infirmity of the flesh doe fall (into fornication, or &c.) Cer­tainly this is a less sin and more tolerable offence then it is to marie; for this is wholly to cast off Gods yoke: not that we allow fornicatiō (in it self); but here we compare a slip or fall of infirmitie to mariage, which in this case wee account no better then a resolued, or deliberate, or continual Incest, vtterly without all shame.’

Heere is a piece of holy poperie indeede: but it is pope-holy, that is, beastly and profane; so filthy that I had rather the particulars were cōsidered of by a mans owne discretion, then deciphered by me. But let vs see if this be healed or no: For the Iesuits may say, this Pighius wrote so hoggishly in licentious times, and when we were in the egge and scarce hatched For the Iesu­ites order was established by Paul the 3. and this booke of Pighius published within 3. yeares toge­ther, namely, about the yeare. 1540.; for had we then been in that power and place as now, we would haue restrained him.

But the truth is, that contrariwise this impious and filthy doctrine was but obscurely and timorously bro­ched by Pighius; but hath been since boldly and plain­ly blustered out by the Iesuites The 16. wound not healed; for this is still the doctrine of the Ro­mish Church.: he brought forth an imperfect heap, but they haue lickt it & brought it to form & perfection. Costerus a Iesuite of great name a­mongst them Vide Posseu. appar. sac. tō. 1. lit. T. writing a book, fit to be (as he calls it, & they esteem it) in euery Catholicks hand, deliue­reth this for sound and dogmaticall doctrine.

This is one of his propositions or conclusions. But hee wrote this many yeeres agoe, is it not since healed? No, the booke hath indeed bin often prin­ted, and with many alterations Vide Pos­s [...]uinum ibid.. But this stands in his last impression vntouched, as a doctrine for the Pope to glorie in: which I speake not at randon, but vpon too good ground. For this doctrine, and the writer of it, haue been often reprooued by our Diuines: but in stead of reformation, Costerus hath been defended, and the doctrine iustified by other of his learned brethren. I will name but one ex­ample: Chamier a learned French Minister obiected it to the Iesuites at Turrone; and it is at large de­fended by Ignatius Armandus, the principall of the Colledge there, for Catholike and good doctrine. Vide Epi­stolas Iesuiti­cas, part. 2. in epistola 1. Ie­suitae Ignatii ad Chamierū. pag. 33 &c. Vides igitur Chamiere non esse con­tra doctrinam Christi, nec Apostolorum, nec Concilio­rum, nec Pa­trum, quod as­serit Coste­rus, &c. The Epistles on both sides are in print to bee seene. And if these be not of authoritie sufficient, let Bellarmine come to helpe them. Thus he teacheth:

And a little after in the same Chapter: ‘She that marrieth after a single vow, contracteth [Page 146] indeede a true Matrimonie, yet in some sort she sinnes more then she that playes the whore.’

Thus this Popeholy doctrine is now brought to ripenes and perfection, by the diligence, deuotion and modestie of the Iesuites. But they haue a reason for all this, so good and so strong, as they think, that thereby all is well healed: for, say they, fornication or whoring wee doe not simply allow to be better then mariage; but in respect that a man hath afore made a vow not to marrie, Bellar. [...]bid. Costerus ibid. Ignatius ibid. therefore to marrie after the vow, is to breake promise with God. A no­table reason, if it be well considered: for hereby it is apparent that Poperie teacheth her people to vow against mariage, but not against fornication; against wiues, but not against whores. Alas, alas, what do­ctrine is this, doth mariage breake their vow, and not fornication? God keepe all Christians from such vowes. But that this is true, I say, let Bellarmine iudge.

Thus it is plaine: Poperie voweth against ma­riage, not against whoredome, adulterie nor forni­cation. And thus three great Iesuites haue made good what Pighius taught, and that more plainly and palpably then he did. And to make vp a messe of Iesuites, Posseuinus their grand Censor, comming to giue his censure of Pighius, Posseuinus in Appar. sac. tom. 1. lit. A. Vide quid di­cat de Alber­to Pighio. findes many faults and errors in his bookes: but as for this hee [Page 147] hath nothing to say against it, but passeth it ouer as good holy catholike Romish doctrine: therefore seeing (as Bellarmine said afore, say we what we can) they will not forsake, nor amend this doctrine, let them keepe it, and let it be one of the sweete flowers of the Popes garland.

The next wound is neere a kin to this, The 17. wound; Priests in Poperie may not marrie, but are per­mitted to keepe their whores, vn­der a yeereli [...] rent. name­ly, that their Church hauing alwaies forbidden ma­riage to their Clergie, hath notwithstanding either tolerated and permitted them concubines, or at least not punished it to reformation.

Thus was it complained of almost an hundred yeeres agoe, by the Germane nation, then being Pa­pists:

Of these and certaine other grieuances (one hun­dred in all) the Germane nation complained to their Bishops and Clergie, in their owne Diets or Parliaments held at home. But hauing no redresse they went further, and about the yeere 1522. com­plained to the Popes Legats and Nuntios at No­remberge, who gaue them good words, and promi­sed they would make report thereof to his Holi­nesse, and procure them a gratious answere. But ha­uing long waited to no end, they published their grieuances and sent them to the Pope, crauing with much humilitie, audience, redresse and reforma­tion; [Page 148] promising vpon that condition, they would still and euer shew themselues dutifull and obedient children to the Pope, and all whom hee set ouer them: but if they had no redresse, they assured him they could not, nor would endure them longer. Hereupon the Pope, not willing to venture the losse of so faire a childe as Germany, pacified them for a time with goodly promises. But what reformation followed in whole or in any part, the stories of those ages make it apparant. But for the particular I haue in hand, The 17. woūd not healed: for stil in Po­perie to this day, their Clergie are forbiddē ma­riage, but whores and concubines are not taken from them. what notable reformatiō was wrought herein, let a Bishop of their owne, Espencaeus, as wise and learned as that age did yeeld, let him, I say, deli­uer for me; who fortie yeeres after, writing of this matter, saith:

But was not this wound healed, and this abuse reformed vpon this complaint of Espencaeus? A man might haue thought it would, and the rather seeing he was a man of so great esteeme in those daies, not in France only, but euen in the Court of Rome. [Page 149] Espencaeus vvas in special fauour vvith Pope Paul the 4. insomuch as after much cō ­sultation had vvith him, he found bine so vvise and lear­ned a man, as he had made him Cardinall if he had liued: this is apparēt in his bookes de Continent, lib. 3. cap. 4. and in his Cō ­mentarie on Titus, cap. 1. pag 91. But what amendment insued, let himselfe tell vs in his Commentarie vpon Titus, which he wrote many yeeres after his former booke.

This is the healing and reformation wrought in those daies. Oh but (will some say) that is 40. yeers agoe, sure it is better in these latter daies. Indeede this enormitie was so generall and so scandalous, that euen the Councell of Trent it selfe was asha­med, and made great adoe for reformation of it. Vide Concil. Trid. sess. 24. cap. 8. But what effect it tooke, how they executed it, and what is done in the matter, let another Bishop of theirs tell vs, who in these late daies, scarce seuen yeeres agoe, Henricus Cuickius: Rutemundensis Episcopus scripsit speculum concubinariorum, Sacerdotum, Monachorum & Clericorum: Colon. 1599. found it to bee so common and shamelesse a sinne all ouer all the Low Countries, (where Poperie raigned) not onely in secular, but euen in Monkes, Friers, and regular Priests, that hee writes a booke against the sinne, bitterly but iustly inueighing against it, and shewing how dangerous [Page 150] and damnable a sinne it is: and so much the more (saith he) because it is so common and so little re­garded, and so farre are they from shaming with it, that (mark how it is healed) they will take their con­cubines and whores, and carrie them vp and downe the countrie (as men doe their wiues) to feasts and meetings, and challenge place and precedence for them (as for honest Matrons). And further freelie confesseth (but with great griefe and shame) that there bee very few in their Clergie, free from this crime. Idem Cu­ickius, in prae­fatione eiusdē libri. Ad vos qui casti, &c. qui (dolenter dico) ra [...]i estis & vt Esai 24. tanquam ra­cemi, &c.

The 18. wound: Such Priests as be conti­nent & haue no whores, yet must pay a yeerly rent as they that haue, because they may haue if they will. And no maruel though there be but few of their Clergie that haue not concubines, seeing they take that course they doe with them, which is such as though they would inuite, nay hire, or rather presse and prouoke men to the sinne. For was it not also complained on at the same time by the Ger­manes, that

What is this but euen to trie mens strengths, and as it were to presse them to the sinne: for he that ei­ther by constitution is vnfit, or out of morall hone­stie will not, or out of conscience dare not keepe a concubine, seeing he must pay his rent as well as he that doth, will not this make him say to himselfe; I [Page 151] see this is done by my superiours, they haue more learning and knowledge then I: I am to follow them, and may rather trust them then my own con­ceit: and certainly if it were so great a sinne as I haue imagined it to be, our Bishops would not take a yeerely rent to suffer it; and if they would, yet his Holinesse, it being so old and so notorious a practise, would haue reformed it long ere this. Therfore see­ing the case stands thus, and that I must and do pay, doubtlesse I will not pay for nothing, &c. Surely he must haue a great measure of grace, that liuing vn­der popish subiection, can resist this temptation and the like: and therefore no maruell though, as them­selues confesse, not one of their Clergie of a great number that hath not his whores in corners, or else publikely in their houses. Erasmus liuing about that time, or soone after, complaineth of it, and saith:

And not long after him florished Cassander, a man of great name and account in his time both for wis­dome and learning, and hee finding the world still worse in this point, confesseth Cassander lib. Consult. art. 23. cap. 1. lam [...]ò res re­dijt vt vix cen­tesimum inue­nias qui ab omni commer­cio foeminarū abstineat, &c.

Thus we see the fruit of this their practise to take rent for concubines, and to make them pay that [Page 152] had none, that almost none of their Clergie, but are stained with this pollution.

But is this healed? The 18. woūd not healed: for such as haue no con­cubines must pay their rēt, because they may haue, if they will. No, saith Espencaeus, it is too horrible to beleeue. But it is too true that

Thus here was no amendement for fortie yeeres after the villanie was discouered, and the grieuance complained of: and that there was nothing done in the daies of Espencaeus, which was for some ten yeers more, we may see by his words in his other booke.

Since the time of Espencaeus, whether this wound be healed or no, I cannot tell: and therefore if any of that side can shew me any good authoritie that now it is reformed, and that either no Priests pay yeerly rent for concubines at all, or at least not those that haue none; I shall be willing to heare it, and to see that any thing at all is amended But whosoeuer will but look into their latest Casuists and Summists, as be Tollet the Cardinall, Iac de Graffijs, Loel. Zecchius, Baptista Corradus, Berarduccius, Raphael de Caesare, Llamas & others, will finde it more then suspitious (though now they couer it more cunningly then formerly they did) that this wound is farre from being healed.: Meane time I haue proued it apparently that till that time [Page 153] it was not amended: and whosoeuer reades the Low Countrie Bishop Cuickius his booke aforena­med, written but seuen yeeres agoe, will iudge it as ill in these daies still, as it was in the time of Espen­caeus the French Bishop.

These Authors I haue named, hauing some re­morse of conscience and feare of God, ingenuously and honestly wished that rather mariage might bee permitted then whoredom should so preuaile ouer the world. But what hath bin done? They for their labour are ill spoken of when they are dead, their bookes partly prohibited to bee read at all, partly purged and altered as they list; Opera E­ra [...]m [...], Espen­caei, Cassandri prohibentur donec expur­gentur. Vide Indicem lib. prohibit. per Clem. 8. & In­dices expur­gatorios Hisp. & Belg. and for the mat­ter it self, mariage is still forbidden, whoredome still practised and winkt at, if not permitted, stewes still tolerated, and that vnder the Popes nose, and no where so much as euen in Rome it selfe: and still this doctrine is Catholike and currant,

And why (alas) all this, but because Mariage hath been an enemie to the Popes Crowne and dignitie; but stewes, adulterie and fornication neuer were? Let vs hasten forward.

I must needes say (if I say truly) I could discouer many more of these particular old festring wounds, not as yet healed, but this time will not well permit it: therefore referring it to a further opportunitie, I will stand but vpon one particular more, and so come to a generall, which shall conclude all.

It hath bin long ago laid to their charge The 19. wound: Their Li­turgie is full of blasphe­mie: their Legend full of lies, their Ceremonies of superstiti­on. that their Liturgies are full of idolatrie and blasphe­mies, their Legends full of lies, their Ceremonies of [Page 154] superstition: which I will not at this time (being al­most past) stand particularly to prooue, seeing for their Liturgie and Ceremonies, the Pope himselfe, Vide Bullas Clem. 8. de Pontificali, anno 95. & de Ceremoniali anno 1600. or else his Conuentibleat Trent Vide Con­cil. Trident. Sess. vult. Dec. 4. haue gran­ted it, and pretended that they should be reformed; and touching their liues of Saints and their Legends, a great Doctor of their owne long agoe found them so full of ridiculous absurdities, impieties and vn­truths, that he affirmed him to be a man Ludoui­cus Viues. lib. 2. de Caus. corrupt. art. de Lumbardi­ca historia. of a bra­sen face, and a leaden heart that wrote them. Now all these three sort of bookes are in shew reformed of late, but the truth is there is neuer a materiall wound healed, but rather a number made worse.

1. For their Liturgie and seruice either publike or priuate, it is contained in their books called, Mis­salia, Breuiaria, Officia, Manualia, Portiforia, and such other: all these haue been reuiewed, and (as they say) corrected since the Councell of Trent. Vide Bul­las Pontif. praefixas. Mis­sal. & Breui­ar. editionis 70. & post. But let them be examined and compared together, and I dare say, that for one euill taken out there is ano­ther put in, and tenne stand vnremoued, and that both in diuers pictures, as also for points of do­ctrine, they are as ill as the former, Compare for this end the Missalles, Bre­uiaries, Manu­als and Prime­ri, printed be­fore the Coūcell of Trent, with those printed since. at the least.

2. Their Ceremonies of state, or, as they say, of de­uotion, are contained in the bookes called, Pontifi­cale Romanum, and Ceremoniale Romanum, Adde here­unto also their Processionale, Rationale, and Sacerdotale Romanum. where­in what apish toyes there be, what absurdities, what superstitions, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes im­pious, is incredible to them that see it not: insomuch as some Papists, Vide Epist [...]lam Alberti Castellani ad Leonem 10. praefixam Pontif. vlt. edit. Ve­net. yea the later Popes, Vide Bullas praed. Clem. 8. haue not [Page 155] spared to confesse that they neede great reforma­tion, and therefore vndertooke that worke them­selues. But if a man did see how they haue amended them, they would out of this one (if there were no more euidences) conclude that Rome is that Baby­lon that will neuer be healed: for looke into the Ponti­ficale, and the Ceremoniale, which were reformed, and are indeede much altered by the authoritie of Clement the 8. and printed at Rome within these few yeeres, and you shall finde some small deformi­ties taken away, but many great enormities suffered to stand, & some put in that were not there before: Compare for this end the Pontificale and Ceremo­niale, new and old. which I will not stand at this time to particu­larise, both because the particulars are so many, and also for that seeing the bookes being so rare are not for each mans reading, it may hap hereafter that the exact comparison of them together, the old with40 The 19. wound not healed: for all these are as bad still, as afore. the new, may be a worke of it selfe not vnworthie of some mens labours.

3. Their stories, or tales, are comprised in the bookes called, Speculum exemplorum, Vitae Sanctorum, Legenda, &c. These also are lately reformed, as they pretend. But how? If any would know what is done herein, take but one example. The Iesuites in the Low Coūtries pretending these Legends or stories, needed much reformation, tooke the matter vpon themselues, because it was of great weight and con­sequence, and appointed it to some of their societie to be reformed, and now of late they haue published it at Doway, some two or three yeeres agoe, and would make vs beleeue that it is amended in innu­merable places. Vide librū intitulatum: Magnum spe­culum exem­plorum ab in­numeris men­dis, &c. vindi­catum per quendam Pa­trem è socie­tate Iesu & pereundem locuple tatum: Duaci. anno But if any man haue lost any [Page 156] time in turning ouer their Legends, and perusing the prodigious stories there laid downe, let him venture euen a little more, & compare this new re­formed Speculum exemplorum, with the former, and if he find as impious and ridiculous Legends, as im­probable, and as impossible tales in that, as in the o­ther; then let him make report what good refor­mers the Iesuites bee, and how well the Romish Church is healed in this wound. To this end compare the old Speculum Exemplorum, or the Legend vvith the new Magnum spe­culum exem­ploru [...], set out by the Je­suites this last yeare. The conclusi­on is, that the Missals and Breuiaries, though vnder­taken by Trent: the Pontificale and Ceremoniale, though vndertaken by the Pope: the Legend and Speculum, though vndertaken by the Iesuites, and all in shew reformed; yet stand all at this day as foule and deformed, and though some things bee taken out, yet (all laid together) as bad or worse then they were afore.

These straits of time hinder mee from inlarging my selfe any further, therefore to conclude, and wrap vp all in one generall exception:

The last point wherewith I will charge the Ro­mish Church and religion, is not so fitly to be called a wound, as a leprosie, or a generall consumption; but all to one end: for as it is no difference vpon the matter, whether a man bee deepe and desperatelie wounded, or haue a leprosie ouer all the bodie, or a generall consumption, for both are deadly, and both incurable: so is it in this case; wherein the ex­ception I take against them, is, that their Church and State declined long agoe, into that generall cor­ruption & vniuersal pollution in al estates. The 20. wound: A generall corruption of manners in all estates. That the prophanenesse, licentiousnesse, and sinfulnesse [Page 157] of all sorts of people in that Church, both head and members, is like a spirituall leprosie without, or a ge­nerall consumption within, threatning ruine to the whole bodie. This point is worthie to be enlarged, but I must deferre it, and referre the Reader to the records of antiquitie, I meane such as be their owne men, but hauing some remorse of conscience, and feare of God, did confesse freely, and bitterly de­plore the miserie that the sinfulnesse of the popish Church and religion would bring vpon all the world. Let them reade (that haue them,) these books named in the margent, Vide Ger­sonis opera passi [...]. Reuelationes Brigi [...]tae. Vincentij Fer­rariens. prog­nostie. Perrū de Ali­aco de refor­matione eccl. Nicolai de Clemangi [...] opera: in Bi­bliotheca Pa­trum, editio­nis primae. Poemata Wal­teri Mapes. Maillardi & Menotti Ser­mones. Holcot in Sa­pient. lect. 182. & passim. & Onus Ecclesiae passim. and those that haue them not, it may bee shortly they may haue some helpe therein, and then you will grant with me, that the former and better times, confessed that which I now lay to their charge.

I will insist particularly but vpon two, the one of so great antiquitie, the other of so great authoritie, as both are beyond exception. Some 400. yeares a­go liued a Monke learned for those times, called (as Posseuine confesseth Vide Posleu in Appar. sac. In append. priori ad [...]om. 1. lit. B. Bernardus Morlanen [...]is: hee wrote three bookes of the contempt of the world, in an artificiall kind of Poetrie, but much more ar­tificially describing, and zealously deploring the sinfulnesse of the Romish Church, and state in those daies, from the head to the foote, describing parti­cularly their adulteries, Casta cubilia sunt modò v [...]a, lata petun [...]ur &c. drunkennesse, Cura stat vnica luctaque publica carnis in esu: eb [...]ietas placet & tua vox [...]acet ô bo­ne Iesu. ambiti­on, idlenesse, dissimulation, deceits, cosenages, [Page 158] murders, Arcta re­linquitur & via carpitur ampla qui­busque. Quae [...]imus in via, fluxa fluentia, con fluit ansque. Archit [...]icl [...]i­u [...], sceptra, sedilia rima petendo. Quis (que) tumul­tuat, instat & aestuat, haec satagendo. Stat simulatio, dissimulatio, crimen vt ū que. Alea, crapula, fraus, faci­nus, gula fla­gitiumque. Ora bilinguia, lis, homici­dia Mars, tu­ba, terror. Vis, probra Iergia: quid moror? omnia me docet error. whoredomes I am meretricia (pene) cubilia ni [...] reputātur. Et venialia, quod genialia vociferātur. of all estates: then particularly for their Clergie, their ignorance and negligence, Grex flet a­marius, est operarius in grege ra [...]us. Pontificum [...]tatus excidia datus, extat auarus, &c. their Sodomie, Parcite credere quae pudet edere, sed tamen edam. Horrida nomine, plus mala crimine, crimina quaedam. Heu male publicus est Sodomiticus ignis & aestus. Ne­mo seelus tegit, aut premit, aut fugit esse scelestus. Plangite saecula, plangite singula, crimine p [...]ena. Mas, maris immemor (ô furor, ô tremor) est vt hyaena. their Simonie and other corruptions in attaining places in the Church: Non si­ne Simone, sed sine canone, dux animarum. Mox docet inscius & sibi n [...]scius ipse prae­esse. O mala saecula, vendi [...]u [...] infula Pontificalis, Infula venditur, nec reprehendi­tur empti [...] talis. Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus, omnia Romae. Cum pretio, quia iuris ibi via ius perit omne. Roma nocens nocet, at (que) viam docet ipsa noc [...]ndi: lura relinquere, lu [...]ra requirere, pallia vendi. and then at last comming to Rome it selfe, so layes open the filthinesse of the whore of Babylon, Roma ruens rora, foeda satis nota cante [...]iat te▪ Scilla vorax rapis, & cupis & capis, & trahis ad te: Gurges es al [...]ior, area, capacior alta lacuna. Insatiabilis, insociabilis omnibus vna. Si tibi det sua, non repleat tua guttura, Croesus: Merca, vel aureus à modo, non Deus est tibi Iesus. as it is doubtfull whether her sinfulnes be more hatefull, then his boldnes is admirable. Let him that would bee able to answere all their false slanders, which they lay to the charge and dis­grace of Protestant Churches; and to retort vpon themselues their obiection of the liues of our Pro­fessors; and he that would see the Church and state of Rome in her owne natural colours; let him, I say, reade but that one Author, who beside that hee is Manuscript in many Libraries, he was also publish­ed at Amsterdam, or somewhere neere therabouts, this present yeare 1607.

And after hee hath discouered her corruptions, and laid open her sinnes from head to foote, then [Page 159] he vrgeth her vehemently to repentance and refor­mation, Roma re­surgito, te ti­bi reddito Romam. Cuius eras prius, ordinis illius expri­me formam. Quo modo corpora tū [...], ita pectora nune rege fracta. Fracta recol­lige deuia di [...]ige, [...]er la­b [...]facta, &c. Sed facis haec secus, &c. Roma quid exequar, imò quid elo­quar, aut tibi promam? Vncia te ro­ [...]at, vncia te notat haud fore Romā. Tu populos tibi, te ruti­lans sibi mar­ca subegit. Semper e [...]im lucra proge­nies tua, vult, agit, egit. which because he seeth no hope of, but that still she falleth from euill to worse; therefore he denounceth Gods iudgements against her, and as­sures her that vengeance, ruine and destruction shal fall vpon her. Fas mihi dicere, fas mihi scribere, Roma fuisti. Ecce relaberis, ecce reuoluer is ordine tristi. Fas mihi scribere, [...]as mihi dicere, Roma peristi. Obruta maenibus, obruta moribus occubuisti. Vrbs ruis inclita, tam modo subdita, quam prius al [...]as Quo prius altior, hoc modo pressior est labefacta. Fas mihi scribere, fas mihi dicere, Roma ruisti, Sunt tua maenia voci [...]erantia, Roma peristi. Haec omnia, & multa huiusmodi, Bernardus Marlanensis, Monacus Cloniacensis in libris sui [...] de contemptu mundi, ante 400. annos scriptis, & 1607. editis. Some part of his owne words I haue here put downe in Latine, but not in English, because the sinnes he laieth against her are such, as some of them are better vnnamed then reprooued. What can they say to it? is he some fained and for­ged new found Author, deuised by some of vs, or was he some late writer hired by Luther, or subor­ned by Caluine to raile on the Pope or Poperie? Nay Posseuine the Iesuite confesseth in the place aforena­med (and if he did not, it is well enough knowne by other good and ancient records) he was a professed Monke, and liued aboue foure hundred yeeres ago: therefore his testimonie in this case is beyond ex­ception.

Now whether these wounds and corruptions in the Romish Church and State were healed, in the subsequent ages, or no, if any man doubt, let him looke vpon the Authors named afore, who liued in the ages succeeding one after another. Gualterus Mapus, and their S. Brigid, not much more then a hundred yeares after him: about 100. yeeres after them, Bonauenture and Wiclieffe: about a hundred [Page 160] yeeres after them, Gerson, Clemangius, Vincentius, and others: these if any man looke vpon he shall see that those wounds stood vnhealed, and those corrup­tions vnreformed, vntill we come to the yeere 1500. namely to this last age of all: and though Posseuine malitiously conceale the name of Gual [...]er Mapes, because hee is too plaine, yet hee cannot denie, but many, whereof some he nameth, Posseu. Appar. sac. tom. 2. lit. I. Ia­cobus lunter­beck Ger­man. Carthus. anno 1460. scripfi [...] auisa­mentum ad Papam pro re­forma ione Ecclesiae, &c. did in all ages write to the Pope for reformation, and told him plainly what would follow if hee did not reforme the Church.

Now what good all these men could doe, and what reformation followed at last, let a Pope him­selfe speake, one of the honestest hearts that euer had the hindrance to be a Pope, Adrian the 6. the best that was these many yeeres, and of whom (if it bee possible of any) there was expectation of some re­formation in the Church: for, as Peter Matthew in his life confesseth, hee was not so proud, nor coue­tous, as most of them are Petr. Mat­thaeus in Cō ­ment. suis ad papales con­stitut. de A­driano 6. Pau­perrima fami­lia exortus, se dedit studijs, doctrina & morum inte­gritate conspi­cuus: praeter omnem expe­ctationem, Pont. Max. renū [...]iatus est: expectabatur Romae summa Cleri & totius populi laetitia, parabantur triumphi & theatra, sed cessare fecit in medio opere artifices: Gen­tilium haec ostentationes, non Christianorum esse insignia, & Ecclesiastici ordinis homines parum decere ratus.. How he found the Ro­mish Church when he came to it, and how he left it at his sudden taking from it, iudge by his owne pi­tifull and passionate speech, which he commanded his Nuntio to deliuer from him, and in his name to the assembly of the States of Germanie, in their Im­periall Parliament, about the yeere 1522. These bee his words, as Espencaeus a learned Bishop of their owne reporteth.

These were the words of this good man, too good to bee a Pope, at least too good to be long a Pope: for after that he had so much forgot himself, and his Papall dignitie, and the honour of his A­postolicall seate (which cannot erre, nor doe amisse, as he like a foole confessed) as to grant that not the Church alone, but the holy Court of Rome did need reformation, forthwith there was order taken that hee should not trouble the world nor disgrace his place any longer, for shortly after he died: & for his sake, they prouided that their seate should neuer be so farre abused and abased againe by any plaine hearted Northren man, making sure from that day to this, that the Popedom should not be trusted out of the hands of an Italian, lest he should euer haue a thought of reformation. For what followed after all this? Was there any reformation in the Romish Church? were any of the euils and diseases confes­sed by Adrian redressed? I had rather Espencaeus their own Bishop should tell, then I; which because he doth very largely, I will contract it into a com­pendium, and hope that some will take paines to put all that wise and learned discourse of his into our vulgar tongue: the rather for that it cōtaineth much matter of great moment, & yet not vulgarly knowne to this day. Meane time the effect of it is this:

Legatur Espencaeus in Comment. ad Titum. cap. 1. [...] pag. 65. ad 91. That after all Christendome had complai­ned of the enormous and intolerable grieuances, sustained from the Pope and his Court of Rome, al which and more the good Pope Adrian had con­fessed (but was taken away, lest hee had redressed) and after at their motion, he had intended a Coun­cell should be called for reformation: all this deter­mined by his death. His successor Clement the 7. was not so idle to hearken to such toyes, nor giue way to such innouations, hee would haue no Councell, he saw no cause of reformation. But from his suc­cessor Paul the 3. plaine necessitie did wring out an vnwilling consent, and so after many difficulties, the Councell of Trent was called, wherein first of all this point of reformation was so vrged, that a Committe was chosen of nine principall Diuines, some of them Cardinals, to consider what reforma­tion was requisite in the Church; who after mature deliberation, plainly told the Pope, that all these euils proceeded from the abuses raigning in the Court of Rome: and concluding something for re­formation of pluralities (one only abuse), the Pope did so interpret it, and alter it, when it came to him, as it did no good but hurt. He then dying, and the Councell being intermitted, was set on foote again by his successor Iulius the 3: who also confessed there were innumerable abuses in administring the Sacraments: but when it came to reforme them, in stead thereof hee suspended the Councell, though many Bishops, that desired reformation, did protest against it, affirming confidently that they had not as yet dispatched one of the businesses, for which they [Page 165] had assembled: but the Pope preuailed, and so for tenne yeeres it was discontinued. And at last being againe assembled by Pius the 4. he made shew hee would referre the whole matter of reformation to the Fathers of the Councell: but when it came to trial, it was with a prouiso, that, first, they should not meddle with the Court of Rome: secondly, that in their reformation, laid vpon other persons and places, they should alwaies enact it thus; Sauing al­waies holy and vntouched the Authoritie of the A­postolical sea: for which their courtesie to him & his seate, he afterward gaue them thankes in an oration in the Consistorie at Rome, assuring them (but it was in the word of a Pope) that he would be more rigide and seuere in purging his owne Court, and house and offices, then they would haue bin. With these good words the Pope dissolued the Councell. But frō that day to this (saith this Bishop) through these so many yeeres, nothing is done, nothing is changed, nothing is amended in the Church: and no maruell (saith he) for nothing haue they amen­ded in Rome vnder their owne nose, where they might reforme any thing if they had conscience and will to doe it. So that now seeing all is finally referred and reserued to the Pope, there is (saith he) no more hope of any reformation left, nor any thing else remaines, but to see one miserie after ano­ther fall vpon the Apostolicall seate and the whole Church.

These and many more words to this purpose hath this wise and learned Bishop. Out of all which I conclude: therefore 30. or 40. yeeres agoe in the [Page 166] daies of Espencaeus, the Church of Rome, being found and confessed to be most fearefully corrupt, is not healed nor reformed, nay that all hope of re­formation is now taken away. Since which time I shall thanke him that will shew me that there hath been any publike and generall reformation of the notorious abuses in that Church: prouided hee prooue it out of as good records, and with as faire euidence, as I haue done the contrary: which as I should reioyce in my heart once to behold, so tillFor as for the third point I haue vnderta­ken, namelie, that in stead of being healed and reformed, there haue contrariwise growne vp in the Romish Church, more horrible and haynous pra­ctises, more er­roneous and [...]us do­ [...] [...]hen e­ [...] [...]re were kn [...]vne or heard of, and at this day stand maintai­ned, at least vnreproued by their Church. This, I say, I must be con­strained to re­ferre to a pe­culiar Treatise by it selfe. then I must needes with griefe of heart conclude, that

And wil she not? what then remaines? but as our text leades vs,

But how? not in loue or affection; let vs neuer cease to wish to her as to our owne soules: nor let vs cease to pray for her, publikely and priuately, yea let vs blesse her when she curseth vs.

But let vs (as we haue well begun) proceed to se­parate our selues from her societie, and emptie our Church and kingdome of her and hers. And if they say we be schismatikes for separating from her: we answere, nay; she is the schismatike that hath se­parated her selfe from Christ.

Now therefore you honourable Magistrates and Iudges of this nation, set your shoulders to the worke of your God, rouse vp your spirits to execute the good lawes your selues and your forefathers [Page 167] haue enacted: our lawes are enowe and good e­nough, they want nothing but execution, and that belongs to you: vnto which dutie wee of the Mini­sterie do exhort you in the Lord: execute our lawes against thē, yet rather against Poperie then the Pa­pists: remember the blessed promise in the Psalme, though it was spoken of literall Babylon, it hath a mysticall and true relation to spirituall Babylon: O Psal. 137. 8. 9. daughter of Babylon, worthie to be destroyed, happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs, yea bles­sed shal he be that taketh thy young childrē & dasheth thē against the stones. Oh pul this blessing on your heads, kill her infants, that is, her errors, impieties, supersti­tions, blasphemies, idolatries, equiuocations, trea­sons, &c. these be her Impes, her naturall brood; but they are now of more age and growne to greatnes, the more danger is there of them, and more cause to kill them: which if you doe with diligence and discretion, you see you draw a blessing from hea­uen vpon your selues. If you do not, you do for a time maintaine prickes in your eyes, and thornes in your sides, and your negligence will prouoke the great and iust Lord, to take the matter into his owne hands, which as he hath alreadie, not onely threat­ned, but begun, so he will, (though he deferre it till his owne time) bring it to full execution:

And then when she hath drunke vp the dregges of the cup of Gods wrath, and by the breath of his [Page 168] mouth is fearefully confounded, then I say, shall all her Merchants and all her louers, (whereof we haue too many that lurke amongst vs, and euen some that notwithstanding will needs be of vs) bee asha­med for their louing of her, whom they see God hated; and for their labouring so basely to couer her filthie skirts, which he would haue to her shame dis­couered to the view of the world: and then shall they shrinke to bea [...]e a part of her punishment, which so much delighted to wallow with her in her pollution. Therefore let the holy Ghost make the conclusion, and giue vs our last lesson: Go out of her Reuel. 18. 4. my people, and be not partakers of her sinnes, lest you re­ceiue of her plagues. From both which good Lord de­liuer vs. Amen.

And thus much for the kingdome of Anti­christ.

There is also another mysticall Babylon, and that is the kingdome of sinne, the throne whereof is in this world, for hell is the place of execution, rather then of sinning: of this also is this text verified: for we do naturally (without grace) so loue this world, that though we find it miserable and confused, yet by our sensualitie, and daily deuising and practising new pleasures, we endeuour to heale it, and to make it a paradise, and they that are bewitched with it, would here set vp their rests. But when all is done that can be, it cannot be healed, but it is still a very Ba­bel of confusion and disorder, a miserable world, a vale of teares, and a sea of trouble and turmoile to whosoeuer hath the sweetest portion of it. There­fore [Page 169] though we be in it, yet let vs vse it as though wee 1. Cor 7. 31. vsed it not, let vs not set our hearts vpon, but let vs forsake it, and goe euery one to his owne countrie, that is, to our blessed inheritance the kingdome of heauen, that is a Christian mans countrie: for as for this world, her sinnes are so vile, that her iudgement is gone vp vnto heauen, and God will assuredly destroy it. But there is a better world, euen an inheritance, im­mortall, 1. Pet. 1. 4. vndefiled, & that fadeth not, which is reserued in heauen for vs: hereof wee are borne heires by grace in Christ. Therefore forsaking the wicked Babylon of this world in our hearts and affections, (seeing it is past cure) let vs aspire after that, and long to haue our parts in it.

Now there are also besides these two great Ba­bels, certaine other little pettie Babylons, namely, incurable sinnes amongst vs, which are Babels, or at least daughters of Babylon, and sprigs of that cursed roote. As,

1. That great sacriledge and Church-robbing committed by Impropriations, (in which case at this day almost halfe of this kingdome is) whereby it comes to passe (aboue any other one meanes) that an ignorant and vnteaching Ministerie is set ouer a great part of our people, which is the sourse & foun­taine of all other euils in our Church: this is a deep wound, yet once was it curable enough, namely, when the Abbies were first dissolued, and since was it curable enough: but now (alas) how incu­rable it is, and by the craftie plots of the diuell how incurable it is made more and more, hee obserues but little that sees not. Oh happie he that can say in [Page 170] his conscience, I would haue cured this daughter of Babel: and happie also hee (though not so much) that hath had no hand in making this wound incu­rable: such plots and deuices arise out of hell, and heauen will confound them, though the earth for a time beare the burthen of them. Meane time, vn­lesse the Kings Maiestie vouchsafe to take the mat­ter into his hands, and to heale the wounds that he neuer made; otherwise it is incurable, or as the Kings euill, to be healed by none but by a King: till then wee may say with griefe of heart; It is an impe of Babylon that will not be healed.

2. The vngodly Playes and Enterludes so rife in this nation; what are they but a bastard of Babylon, a daughter of error and confusion, a hellish deuice, (the diuels owne recreation to mock at holy things) by him deliuered to the Heathen, from them to the Papists, and from them to vs? Of this euill and plague, the Church of God in all ages can say, truly and with a good conscience, wee would haue healed her. The ancient Fathers in the time of the Primi­tiue Church spared no paines to discouer the vile­nesse and vnlawfulnes of them [...]tullian: Cyprian: Chrysostome: &c.: in these latter daies many holy and learned men haue laboured by preaching, writing, and conferring to haue hea­led them, and neuer was there Diuine of note and learning, that I know, that durst so farre prostitute his credite as to write for them. They know all this, and that God accounts it abomination for a man toDeut. 22. 5. put on womans apparell, and that the ancient Fa­thers expound that place against them: Cyprian: Chrysost. Sexta Synod. in Trull. Can. 62. they know that Cyprian resolued, (being asked the que­stion) [Page 171] Cyprian. in Epistola 61. Oh that all Players would reade that E­pistle, and re­gard it! that a Player ought not to come to the Lords table; and that hee that teacheth children to play, is not an instructor, but a spoiler and destroyer of children: they know they haue no calling, but are in the State like warts on the hand, or blemishes in the face: they know, that therefore they are faine to shroud them­selues vnder such shelters, as at the houre of death, and day of iudgement, will proue but figge leaues: they know they are defended with the same argu­ments, as the stewes in Rome bee, and little better defence can be made for them (being as they are).

All this they are daily made to know, but all in vaine, they be children of Babylon that will not bee healed: nay, they grow worse and worse, for now they bring religion and holy things vpon the stage: no maruel though the worthiest and mightiest men escape not, when God himselfe is so abused. Two hypocrites must be brought foorth; and how shall they be described but by these names, Nicolas S. Ant­lings, In a Church in London, eue­rie day in the weeke prayers, and a Sermon at sixe [...]e in the [...] ning: a [...]ssed and rare exam­ple. Simon S. Maryoueries? Thus hypocrisie a child of hell must beare the names of two Churches of God, and two wherein Gods name is called on pub­likely euery day in the yeere, and in one of them his blessed word preached euerie day (an example scarce matchable in the world): yet these two, wher­in Gods name is thus glorified, and our Church and State honoured, shall bee by these miscreants thus dishonoured, and that not on the stage only, but euen in print. Oh what times are wee cast into, that such a wickednesse should passe vnpunished! I speake nothing of their continuall prophanenesse [Page 172] in their phrases, and sometime Atheisme and bla­phemie, nor of their continuall prophaning of the Sabbath, which generally in the countrie is their play day, and oftentimes Gods diuine seruice hin­dred, or cut shorter to make roome and giue time for the diuels seruice.

Are they thus incurable? then happie hee that puts to his hand to pull downe this tower of Babel, this daughter of confusion, happie he that helpes to heale this wound in our State: but most happie that Magistrate, who, like zealous Phinehes, takes some iust vengeance on that publike dishonour laid vpon our Churches. But if we be negligent in this cause of God, then hee himselfe will take the matter into his owne hand, whose Church, whose religion, whose holy ordinances and most holie name are daily prophaned by them: for as their iniquities are hainous, and their basphemies against heauen; so doubtlesse their iudgement is gone vp vnto heauen and lifted vp vnto the cloudes. So wishing their repen­tance, I proceed.

3. The horrible abuse of the Sabbath day, in this citie, and ouer this kingdome: in some places by Faires and Markets, by May-games and Morice­dencers, by Wakes and Feasts: in all places (almost) by buying & selling, & bargaining: in this citie by cariages in and out, by selling betimes in the mor­ning and after dinner: by playing in the streetes, and in the fields.

Oft hath this bin complained of, and some haue endeuoured to heale it, but it is an Impe of Babylon [Page 173] that will not be healed, but rather it creepes as a canker thorow our whole State, from the foot to the head. But let vs take heed, for it will eate out the heart and life of a State, euen this one sinne. Did not our fathers Ierem. 17. thus (saith noble Nehemiah) and therfore God brought Nehem. vlt. all this euill vpon vs? See captiuitie, destruction, and desolation of a goodly and flourishing setled king­dome, for the publike prophaning of the Sabbath: O therfore happy he that puts to his helping hands to heale this wound, which yet is curable enough, if we would do our duties: for the CommandementThe fourth Cō ­mandement. is, thou & all within thy gates, keep my Sabbath. Now who is there within this Realme, but is within the gates of the Kings house? who within this Citie, but within the gates of the L. Maior? who any where, but is of some mans familie, and within some mans gates? If then Fathers and Magistrates would looke to all within their gates, this sinne could not bee so grieuous, this wound not so wide and desperate as it is. Therefore you my L. Maior bee exhorted to attempt the healing of this wound, in your yeare; set before your eyes, the noble example of worthie Nehemiah, it will excite you to this holy dutie; andNehem. then at the end of your yeare, you may with the comfort of a good conscience say with him; Re­member Nehem. vl [...]. 19 me O my God in goodnesse, according to all that I haue done for this people. But if wee still neglect this cause of God, and suffer his Sabbath daily thus to be prophaned; then let vs look for nothing but con­tinuance and increase of these grieuous plagues that haue so long lien vpon vs: and let vs be assured [Page 174] God will take the matter into his owne hands, and some way or other get himself glorie vpon vs, for he will lose his honor at no mans hand, but whosoeuer will not glorifie him in his conuersion, he will glorifie his owne name vpon him in his confusion: which heauie iudgement that God may turne from vs, let vs turne to him, &c.