The first Rocke: The Papacie.

CHRIST my Lord, and Spouse, the Sauiour of my body, Ephes. 5. c 3. mine one­ly true, and liuing Head, as hee hath promised to be with me al­way, Matth. 28.20. euen vnto the ende of the world; so he neuer would like, that I should ac­knowledge any other spouse, or Lord, or Head, then himselfe. Indeed once he died, and that was to wash me with his owne blood, to make for me a vitall bath, and lauer of saluation; but he quickly rose againe, and dieth no more, Rom. 6.9. death hath no more dominion ouer him: and howsoeuer in his most sacred manhood hee remaineth in heauen, farre distant from me in regard of bo­dily presence; yet notwithstanding by his Spi­rit hee is here vpon earth continually present with me; and so by way of Headship, or Lord­ship [Page 2]he hath no need of any Successor, or Lieu­tenant, in that himselfe, being mine owne, and onely Head, doeth infuse into me all vigor, all motion, and all direction, which I, being his Body, receiue from him, being such an Head, as is not dead, but liuing, not seuered from mee, but still growing to me. What need then haue I of a visible Head? Whatsoeuer an head vsu­ally doeth, or can do to its owne body materi­ally, all that is spiritually wrought in me by my Christ, and that with abundant sufficiencie. I am indeed a body, but rather an inuisible and spirituall one, then visible, and materiall: in re­gard whereof my imployments are for the most part spirituall, and inuisible. And there­fore I haue need of such an Head, as, by his spi­rituall and inuisible influence, may keepe mee in life, and gouerne mee, and furnish mee with strength for my performances. In this be­halfe a visible head can stead me iust nothing. And as for that small deale of visibilitie, and outwardnesse, which concerneth me in this world, I haue no need, in that behalfe, of any head for influence, but of a Ministery onely for execution, which is very sufficient for mee. So haue I need of visible hands and feet, but [Page 3]not of a visible head; inasmuch as that, which is to be wrought visibly, and outwardly in me, is fully, and completely performed by the one­ly Ministery of my members, without any proper office of an Head.

Hence was it that my Christ, as soone as he espoused me, did appoint me diuers Ministers, who in my visible employments should all of them serue my turne, but as members onely, and not as an Head. Of this the first were the twelue Apostles, who were no other then meere Ministers both vnto Christ, and to me also, not masters, nor Heads properly so called. Neither was it his pleasure, that any of them should be set ouer me, as a proper Head, or as a Lord, or Master in any wise: but his appoint­ment was, that, vnder himselfe my onely King, Lord, Master, and husband, I should be left, as Lady and Mistresse ouer all his, and my Mini­sters, or seruants: which is acknowledged by S. Paul stiling himselfe my Minister. Col. 1.25. As indeed were likewise all the other Apostles, euen S. Pe­ter himselfe; who auoucheth as much, Actes 1.17. whilest hee calleth his Apostleship a Ministery. And surely he neuer had, nor professed himselfe to haue any such Headship, or Lordship ouer me, [Page 4]but was enterteined in my seruice only, as were the rest also. Neither can it euer be found, that Christ committed to S. Peter any greater, or o­ther charge, dignitie, iurisdiction or authority, then to the other Apostles, who all, and euery of them were, by the institution of Christ himselfe, absolutely equall in all charge and of­fice, which they bare in respect of me. Nay, my Spouse was so farre from affoording to any of them a pretended title of greatnesse aboue the rest of his fellowes, that, when as they diuers times cast out words among themselues, and disputed concerning Soueraigntie, he alwayes checked them, Luke 22.26. and would haue them to re­maine as brethren, and ioyntly to attend his seruice, and mine, and to keep themselues from affecting dominion, either ouer me, or among themselues. And when he tooke his leaue of them at his departure vp into heauen, they still dreaming on this idle fantasie, and asking him whether he would then restore the Kingdome to Israel, Actes 1.6. (namely, that hereby they might know which of them should bee exalted aboue the rest) they had the repulse of him in this be­halfe, with intimation that they should attend, and that ioyntly with equall charge and office, [Page 5]no other thing, then to be throughout the world witnesses vnto him of his resurrection. Certes, if euer there were a time for him to speake plaine, and to declare, that hee left in his roome his Lieutenant Peter, or some other, to bee their, and mine Head, then most of all it behooued, when in regard of his bodily presence he gaue them his farewell: and yet he then recommen­ded me, his Spouse, to them all together ioynt­ly, and equally, that they might employ their attendance on me: Hane sponsam suis amicis sponsus abiens commendauit. Aug. cont. 2. Gaud. epist. lib. 2. cap. 12. Which is well obserued by my holy doctor S Augustine.

There was no reason for it, nor decencie in it, that I, beeing his Spouse, and an vniuersall Mother, should bee domineered ouer, and lor­ded by any one of mine owne members, mine owne sonnes, nay mine owne seruants. As for my Peter, certainly he neither exercised, nor e­uer chalenged any such soueraignety ouer me, or ouer his Collegues, and fellowes; neither did he pretend to be an vniuersall Pope, or on­ly Vicar-generall of Christ. One of the first actions of employment about me, after the as­cent of my Spouse into heauen, was the orday­ning of Deacons, which should take care of the widowes, and poore. And this action was [Page 6]neither performed, nor gouerned by Saint Pe­ter, but by all the twelue Apostles ioyntly. This being my perpetuall ordinance, Actes 6.2. as I haue receiued it from my Spouse, that my Ministers, and Officers all together ioyntly should treat concerning the externall good guidance of my family: So likewise, when there were some to bee sent into Samaria, Actes 8.14. to finish the good worke of their conuersion, Saint Peter was so farre from taking vpon him to send whom hee pleased, that hee himselfe was by the whole bo­dy of the Apostles chosen and sent thither, as one of the many. When the first controuersie, brake out in Antioch concerning the obseruati­on of the ancient Iudaicall Ceremonies, to whom did Paul and Barnabas thinke they ought to haue recourse, for certaine resolution in that point? Surely if Christ had left Saint Peter his Vicar, they ought to haue addressed themselues to him principally; yet did they say among themselues, and resolue, that it be­hooued them to goe vp to Ierusalem, to con­sult about this question with the Apostles, Actes 15.2. and Elders of that City. Which accordingly was done: and there was gathered a Councel, and that sum­moned, and ordered, not by Peter alone, but [Page 7]the Apostles, of themselues, ioyntly met toge­ther, with the Elders also. And howsoeuer Saint Peter (as the most stept in age, and the most ancient Apostle, and much respected by the rest of the Apostles) was the first that de­liuered his opinion; yet Saint Iames prosecu­ting the same, did further adde of his owne, & did strike vp the matter. And the publique letters, dispatched in that behalfe, were not sti­led in the name of Saint Peter, but of all the A­postles, and Elders in common. Neither was it a sleight checke, or reproofe, wherewith St. Paul openly tooke vp Saint Peter, Galat. 2.11. for halting in the instruction of the faithfull: which hee might doe; beeing the Apostles were, in their office, and care of my affaires, all of them e­quall, and euen brothers among themselues.

And howsoeuer yee read in the Gospell, that Christ said to Peter, Thou art Peter, Matth. 16.18. and vpon this rocke will I build my Church, yet are ye not there­fore to deeme, that Peter had hereby com­mitted vnto him any dominion, or command ouer mee, or that hee was entrusted with a lar­ger cure, then the rest of the Apostles. For, these words (according to the interpretation of them communicated to me by the spirit of [Page 8]my Spouse, and declared by my most sincere, pure, and holy Doctors) import, that that con­fession, made by Saint Peter, saying, Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God, must bee that Rocke, whereon was to bee grounded that faith, which is indeed my foundation and sup­porter. By this Rocke is also vnderstood he, whom Peter confessed, euen Christ, who is my true foundation, whereon, and not on Peter, I was built: for, if Peter had bene my founda­tion, certes more then once should I haue fal­len by his falls. Matth. 26.70. But if any man will presse yet further, Galat. 2.12. that Christ doth in these words promise that I should bee built vpon Peter, let him vn­derstand withall, that to build my house is no­thing else, but to get and prouide petras, stones, and to reare them vp in my walles; that is to say, to preach the Gospell, to conuert the vn­beleeuers, and to bring them home to mee. And forasmuch as Peter was to bee, of all the twelue (or rather by the default of Iudas, eleuen) Apostles, the most feruent, and most diligent in conuerting a many of soules, therefore to him, as to a principall Minister, and Builder, there was a prediction made of the worke, which hee was to performe, and that I was to [Page 9]be built vpon him; namely that Christ had especiall confidence in his care, for the buil­ding of my house, as being more zealous then the other ten Apostles. But it followeth not thence, that hee was the onely builder, or that hee was chosen for the onely Architect, or Chiefe-builder: for, the other Apostles also were Masteres of this Art, and laid to their hands for the rearing vp of my Fabrique, and in speciall, Saint Paul laboured more abundantly, 1. Cor. 15.10. then they all, and so surpassed, euen Saint Peter himselfe, in edifying me, and hath acquit him­selfe for a skifull Master-builder. 1. Cor. 3.10.

In like maner, when ye heare it said to Saint Peter, Matth. 16.19. I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth, shall bee bound in heauen, and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth, shall bee loosed in heauen; yee are to remember, that the same was also spoken to all the rest of the Apostles. So likewise, though the keyes were promised to Peter, Matth. 18.18. yet it was neuer said to him, I will giue the keyes to thee onely. And when this promise was perfor­med, it was accomplished, not in Peter onely, but in all the Apostles ioyntly, when Christ sayd to them, Goe, and teach all nations. Matth. 28.19. Ioh. 20.21. As my fa­ther [Page 10]sent me, so send I you: namely with the same authority, and power, but yet ministeriall in you, which is principall in me. What power therefore had Peter, other then that, which all the rest had, to whom Christ imparted his owne power? Moreouer, Christ gaue the keyes to them all, as also the power of binding, and loosing, when he said ioyntly to all, Whosoeuers sinnes yee remit, Ioh. 21.23. they are remitted vnto them: and whosoeuer sins yee retaine, they are retained. There­fore Saint Peter had no other part in my ser­uice, nor other power, then the rest of the A­postles had.

Lastly, Ioh. 21.15. if it was said to Peter, Feed my sheepe and my lambes: know yee likewise, that feeding is principally preaching, instructing, and ad­ministering the Sacraments. All which was committed to all the Apostles, Goe and teach all nations, baptizing them &c. As my Father sent me, so send I you. Nor did Christ say to Peter; Bee thou the only sheepeheard of my sheepe: But he, by a speciall application, thus bespake him, to feed his sheepe, that hee might comfort, en­courage, and reuiue him, whom hee saw then cast downe with griefe, for hauing so lately shewed himselfe a Renegate, whereupon hee [Page 11]might with good reason misdoubt himselfe, to haue lapsed from his Apostleship. But Christ recomforteth him by this his speach, as saying to him, I restore thee to thy Apostle­ship, and, in recompence of thy crime in base deniall of mee, I now enioyne thee the more zeale, and charity in feeding, and attending my poore flock; and therefore, in lieu of thy thrice denying mee, I will, that thou thrice confesse thy loue to mee: and so I recommend this of­fice to thee in a more speciall manner, euen by way of penance, which in general I haue com­mitted also to the rest ioyntly: but to them I do not redouble my charge, because they haue not as thou, denied me. And euen this he re­quired of him, when hee foretold his fall, and said to him, I haue prayed for thee, Luk. 22 32. that thy faith faile not: therefore, when thou art conuerted, strengthen thy brethren. That is to say, if thou shalt see the faithfull, which hereafter shall be­leeue in me, to fall sometimes by weakenesse and infirmity, it is your part to animate, and strengthen them by your owne example, whom beeing fallen I haue raysed vp againe: and with this care of cōfirming thy brethren, I burthen thee in special more then the rest; for [Page 12]that thou by thine ensample canst doe this, whereas others are like to doe that office by their exhortations onely, and not by so liuely an example of their owne.

And if any doubt arise in your mindes vp­on Christ's speaking onely to Peter in the pre­sence of the rest of the Apostles, and of such things, as were to bee imparted vnto all, and if thereupon yee should surmise, that he did this to intimate heereby to the rest Peter's Soue­raignety ouer them, as if hee were to bee the Cheife, and ordinary Pastor, and all the rest as his adiutors, and assistants, you must awake out of this error. Verely Christ neuer had any such purpose, or intention, nor (as I haue pro­ued) can he now suffer any such construction: neither did euer any such interpretation come into my head. But well may yee know, that, in this action, not any such Primacy of Peter, but other mysteries are included, which bee these:

Christ giuing charge concerning that, which was to bee committed equally to them all, Cypr. de vnit. Eccles. yet directeth his speech onely to one, that it might hence be gathered, that I, his Spouse, was to be but one, and that they should not imagine that [Page 13]euery of them might make a seuerall foundati­on of their owne, by schismes, and diuisions, but that their ioynt labours should bring forth one, and the same worke, namely mee, beeing one, and the same Church. And this is Saint Cyprian's interpretation.

Christ in speaking onely with Peter, doth appoint him, as the Head in order, and the Pre­sident of the Apostolique Colledge, which is a dignitie, and preheminence, not of authori­ty, nor iurisdiction, but onely of ranke, and ti­tle; that thereby the Apostolicall Company might attaine to a perfect collectiue vnity, such as is in a Collegiate-Chapter with their Deane, or in a Senate with their President; and that heereby the Apostles might gather, how well vnity did please their Master, in that, hee speaking to Peter onely, Hieron. l. 1. aduers. Iouin. as to the Head in or­der, and Foreman of that Society, they should in no wise fall asunder in diuisions, but keepe themselues in perfect vnion, and so, holding all together, they might the better set themselues to tend me, who am but one. And thus Saint Hierome expoundeth it.

Onely Peter was spoken to, as beeing my type, and representing mee. Christ did then [Page 14]treat with him, as with my Proctor, or Atur­ney: and so when Christ deliuered him the keyes, he tooke sey sin of them, not to his owne priuate vse, but to mine, and in the name of the publique. For, there were then included, and represented in Peter, all my Prelates present, or succeeding: and so in the name of them al, and to the vse of them all he both receiued the keies, Aug. de Agon. Christ. c. 30. & in psalm. 108. & in Io. tract. 124. &c. Ambr. de dig. Sacerd. c. 2. and the charge of feeding my flocke, and buil­ding my house. Not that he had liberty to be­stow those keyes at his pleasure, or to appro­priate them to any one, whom he would make his successor: but that I, in his person, did then take them to the vse of my Prelates. Like as an Atturney taking Liuery and seisin for an incorporation, doth not receiue it as an owner, or disposer, nor hath thereby authority to doe his pleasure with it, but by this Attornement the right, and property inureth to the Body or Society represented. And, as for the per­son of Peter, he receiued indeede the keyes for himselfe also, inasmuch as himselfe was one of them, in whose name he tooke them: And this is Saint Augustine's iudgement.

Lastly, Christ maketh this conference with Peter onely, that all Prelates, casting their eye [Page 15]on Saint Peter, might from him take a iust mo­dell and patterne of gentlenesse, Leo. Serm. 3. de su. Assump. and other E­piscopall vertues: Which is the exposition of Saint Leo.

These, and other like mysteries haue I al­wayes vnderstood concerning this action of Christ with Peter: but that therein should be comprised any Soueraignety, or Papacy, or commission for the only ordinary Pastorship, there hath not bin in all my house, for the first fiue hundreth yeeres, any one found so idle, as to dreame of such an inuention.

And though I should bee so prodigall, as to grant, that which I haue shewed to bee most false, namely that Saint Peter was ordained by Christ an vniuersall Pope ouer mee, yet what hath the Bishop of Rome to doe with St. Peter? The holy Scriptures giue-in no euidence at all, that euer Peter was at Rome. Onely humane histories report it. And as for diuine Records, they plainely shew, that he departed not from the coasts of Iudea till the fiftieth yeere of our Lord. Thereafter wee finde in the Ecclesia­stique histories, that before his going into the West, Hieron. in Pet. hee preached the Gospell in the Easterne parts, in Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia, Bythinia, [Page 16]&c. for the space of diuers yeeres; and that hee suffered martyrdome in Rome, about the sixty eight yeere of our Lord. It is not possible there­fore, that he could haue bene Bishop of Rome so long as fifteene yeeres, much lesse twenty fiue: Which space of time is very vnaduisedly assigned him by some passable ancient writers.

But, to omit these arguments from compu­tation, suerely neither Saint Peter, nor any o­ther Apostle was euer made Bishop of any par­ticular City, whereto his seat might be entay­led by a perpetuity. This is repugnant to the very office of Apostleship, which was by Christ their Chiefe Lord instituted an order of professed errants throughout the whole world, when he gaue them their commission, Matth 28.19. Mar. 16.15. to Goe and teach all Nations, and to preach the Gospell to euery creature, that is to say, to all men whereso­euer throughout the world. They had no po­wer therefore to fix themselues on any particu­lar place, nor to binde themselues to it, but their duty was to attend the enlargement of my tents, Act. 1.8. beginning from Ierusalem, to the vtmost parts of the earth: and when they had founded any particular Church, and vnited it to me the vniuersall Mother, they were then to passe on [Page 17]for new plantations. Who therefore is so har­dy, as to coope vp Saint Peter at Rome, and to binde him to a particular Bishopricke there till the day of his death? And if hee finished his course at Rome, certainely hee died not with the title of Bishop of Rome, but of an vniuer­sall Apostle. For, neither that, nor any other See could be chosen by him, as proper to him, beeing by his function, and calling to passe to and fro through the world. But if hee ended his life in any heathenish place, where, as then, there was no Church planted, who then was to be his successor in the Papacie? It is there­fore a groundlesse, and idle assertion, to name personall successors to any of the Apostles; whenas none of them all was a locall Bishop, (for, as for Iames Bishop of Ierusalem, Constit. Apost. lib. 6. c 14. & Doroth. in synopsi &c. hee was none of the twelue Apostles, but a Disciple be­side that number) and therfore all Bishops suc­ceed all the Apostles in Solidum, that is to say, euery particular Bishop, whatsoeuer hee bee, holdeth the place, and office of the Apostles, who by Christ's institution committed their charge, and office to the Bishops, and those to other Bishops, and so to others by continuall succession till the end of the world; and that [Page 18]by vertue euen of those words of Christ to the Apostles. Io. 20. As the Father hath sent me, so I send you. That is to say, As the Father hath giuen mee power to send you, soe I giue power to you to send others, and to giue them likewise the same missiue power, which I giue you, and the Fa­ther hath giuen me. And hereupon it follow­eth, that euery Bishop, in respect of the diuine institution, hath the very Apostolicall power, that is, vniuersall in habite, or generall qualifi­cation, which he is enabled to exercise actual­ly in any part of the world. But, in regard of my restreining precept, for the auoyding of disorder, and confusion, there are long since limitations set downe, and particular distincti­ons of euery ones Diocesse. Now therefore, when as there is no personall succession vnto any of the Apostles, who can fetch his claime from Peter? who from Iohn? who from any other of the Apostles? Nay, if such plea were good, there could not bee aboue 12. or at the most 13. Bishops in the world. And to afford personall succession to Peter onely, with deni­all of it to all the rest, is to beate the aire with idle words, and to goe against the Scriptures.

Certeinely for a thousand yeeres and more, [Page 19]I neuer heard in all my family from the mouth, or penne of any pious and holy Author, that the Bishop of Rome was acknowledged for an Vniuersall Pope. Indeed the Bishops of Rome themselues haue endeuoured to make me an vnderling, and to put me vnder their feete, and to make themselues my Head, and Lord, and Master, with great wrong to my true, and one­ly Head, Lord, and Spouse CHRIST IESVS: but they haue long attempted it in vaine. For they haue met with stout oppositions. St. Poly­crates a most holy Bishop of Asia did strongly oppose S. Victor B. of Rome. S. Irenaeus B. of Li­ons did the like; and this befell neere the times of the Apostles. Cypr. l. 1. ep. 3. & l. 3. op. 13. Apud. Cypr. ep. 74. Pamel. S. Cyprian beareth himselfe as a companion, and Colleague with S. Steuen, and S. Cornelius both Bishops of Rome, euen in the Vniuersall gouernment of the Church; and spareth not to hold his owne against them. S. Firmilian B. of Cesarea in Cappadocia handleth the same Steuen of Rome very homely, and setteth nought by his excommunications. Euseb. l. 7. c. 4. Iulij Epist. ad Orientales & Socrat. l. 7. c. 5. & Sozom. l. 3. c. 5 &c. The Church histories are plentiful in shewing, how lightly S. Iulius, though B. of Rome, was ouer­passed by the Bishops of the East, and by the Councell of Antioch, (which, for the more part [Page 20]of it, was Catholique, and Orthodoxe) for no lesse matter, then that he would make himselfe an Vniuersall Iudge, euen in the causes of the Easterne Church, and yet in the end hee was faine to sit downe, and be quiet. The Councell of Nice acknowledgeth not the B. Con. Nic. can. 6 of Rome for any other, then one of the three then Patri­archs, who had their limited iurisdictions: so also doeth the first Councell of Constantinople, and the Councell of Chalcedon. None of the ancient fathers my dearest children, for the space of 600. yeeres together, hath any the least impression of the Romane Papacie; by whom the B. of Rome was neuer taken for other, then at the most for Patriarch of the West. The A­fricane Church (in those dayes one of my most noble daughters,) affronted the Romane Church, and would not in any wise, that she should exercise any power ouer her in the or­dering of the Ecclesiasticall policie; and went so farre, as in open Councels to resist her, in which euen the renowned S. Augustine bare his part. The like hath bene many times practised by the Churches of Rauenna, of Aquilege, & of Milan. And S. Gregory in opposing the title of Vniuersal Bishop in the Patriarch of Constan­tinople, [Page 21]must needs oppugne the same in the Romane also by force of very strong argu­ments.

It is to no purpose therefore to seeke here vpon earth one Vicar-generall for my Spouse Christ, who hath no need of a successour or Vicar, inasmuch as he is head of my body, and his Spirit is sufficient for me, onely Ministers, and labourers are needfull for him, and for me: and those were, first the blessed Apostles, and after them their successors. So that, in respect of labouring, and working, and setting right also the externall gouernment of my family, Cypr. l. 4. ep. 3. & l. 3. ep. 13. & de Simpl. Prae. lat. Ambr. in 1. C [...]. 11. Chrysost. hom. 17. in Mat. &c. those Apostles all ioyntly, and in solidum, (as S. Cyprian expresly affirmeth) hold the place of Christ, and are equally his Vicars, but in labou­ring, and working for my behoofe: and all Bishops likewise are with very good reason by my holy doctors, styled by this title of Christs Vicars, and not S. Peter onely. And so in re­spect of my true Head, and Spouse, I am vnder a perfect Monarchie: but as for the worke of my Ministers, they performe their office in a kind of Aristocratie, without any Monarchie at all amongst them. They are like a company of workemen, which haue vndertaken a large [Page 22]Vineyard, euery man his parcell: or like a troope of many shepheards all seruants of one great Shepheard, who percel out among them­selues the feeding of a very great flocke, where­of there is one intire Lord, and Master, that onely grand Sheepheard. And surely when the owner of a vineyard hireth many laborers to dig it, hee doth not giue any dominion, or iurisdiction to any of them, ouer either the vineyard, or their fellow-workemen; and, if it be his pleasure to appoint any to assist the workemen, and to direct them in their labors, either hee commeth among them himselfe in person, or sendeth one of his sonnes, or his fa­ctor, or deputy, whose office then must bee, not to delue, and toyle with the rest of the la­bourers, but only to ouersee, and to prouide, that they doe their taske. I pray you aske Saint Peter whether he were hyred by Christ to bee a labourer in his vineyard, or to bee a surueyor. Verely hee will answere you, that he was one of the labourers, and diggers in my vineyard, and not a factor, or surueyor, or deputy. His office therefore was, not to command others, but to worke himselfe. 1. Cor. 9.9. 1. Tim. 5.18. For, all the Apostles were Oxen for the plough and for treading out [Page 23]the corne: nor would Saint Peter haue suffered his necke to bee withdrawne from this yoake. Let not therefore the Bishoppe of Rome thus without all ground vaunt himselfe for the one­ly Vicar of Christ, nor vnder this title (equally common to all other Bishops with him) keepe me downe, and oppresse me, and together with me all my children.

Nor may you suffer your selues to bee delu­ded by a false, but very common, imagination, that it behoueth me to haue one visible Head, and one vniuersall Gouernor. For, in such ca­ses, as this, yee are not to set downe for good, that, which mens fancies doe conceaue; but ye are to haue an eye to that, which Christ him­selfe hath ordayned. And forasmuch as he, as I haue shewed, will bee my onely Head, and sole Commander; and, for externall manage­ments, hath appointed that his laborers should among themselues in common, and in solidum, without Monarchy, in a kinde of Aristocrati­call forme, ioyne together, for the directing of my affaires, by way of Synods and Councels, as necessity shall require; therefore one su­preme visible Head ouer me neither is necessa­ry, nor was euer ordayned, nor is desired. And [Page 24]if so many temporall Estates in this world are sufficiently gouerned, without a Monarch, in a Democraticall, or Aristocratical forme, why doe ye suffer your braines to be pestered with a false imaginary necessity of hauing a meere man to bee the Monarchicall gouernour ouer my house? and consider not what a woe case I were in, if I should hang on the sleeue of one man, who hath no priuiledge against any er­ror, or misery.

Perhaps yee will aske mee, how then crept the Papacy into Rome, where now it carieth so high a sayle? whereto I am sure, that, whilst I was a yong, and small tenderling, both the Apostles, and likewise those Bishoppes, which immediatly succeeded them, did indifferently, without any ielousie of concurring iurisdicti­ons, or affectation of soueraignety, agree toge­ther in the ordeining of other Bishoppes, and Ministers, and committing to them the prea­ching of the Gospel and planting throughout the world new particular Churches. Which yong daughters of mine beeing thus multipli­ed, and inlarging mee farre and neere, the ne­cessity of preuenting confusion did bring into my house, an holesome, holy, and necessary or­dinance, [Page 25]that there should be diuision of Pro­uinces, and in Prouinces distinct Bishopricks, and Diocesses; and so the Bishops of one Pro­uince should attend the directing, and gui­dance of their owne precincts onely, and not intermeddle with the Prouinces of others, vn­lesse they were thereto requested, or publique necessity so vrged. My selfe, seeing this cu­stome brought in by necessity, approoued the same, and did moreouer ordaine, that in euery Prouince the Bishop of the Mother City (that is of the place, which was the seat of the chiefe Magistrate, or otherwise conspicuous for some ciuile respect) should bee the chiefe, and consecrate the Bishops of that Prouince, and in the steade of the Synode of his whole Pro­uince, should dispatch certaine affaires pertai­ning to mee, that so the Bishoppes of that Pro­uince might not be encombred with meeting together vpon euery small occasion. And be­cause in the Romane Empire, which at the time of my espousall to Christ, and for three or foure ages after, was in its greatest flourish, there were then three most renowned Cities, Hegesip. de excid. Hieros. l. 3. c. 5. most eminent aboue the rest in honour, and secular power; namely first Rome in Italy, the chiefe [Page 26]and principall seat of the Empire; secondly, A­lexandria in Aegypt, where the Emperors De­puty remayned; thirdly, Antioch the mother-Ci­ty of all the East; in regard hereof the Bishops of these three grand Cities were the three first Metropolitanes. Afterward also the number of Churches so encreasing, that these three suffi­ced not, and the Prouinces which grew too large, beeing thereupon, for my conueniency, deuided into more, and lesser Prouinces, (with appointment, that alwayes the Bishoppe of the principall City of such a Prouince should bee the Metropolitane thereof) the three aforesaid, in regard that they had beene my first Metro­politanes, were honoured with the titles of Pa­triarchs, and indued with certaine priuiledges, which I was not vnwilling that they should enioy. To whom also I did afterward, by way of priuiledge, adde two other Patriarchs, one of Constantinople, (as soone as that City became a seat of the Empire beeing called another Rome) and the other of Hierusalem.

Thus my vnthankfull daughter the Church of Rome, hauing bene courteously entertei­ned, ennobled, enriched, and exalted by diuers deuout Emperours, vsing the aduantages, [Page 27]which by little and little she gained, partly by temporall greatnesse, which then shined faire vpon her, partly for that I had often good vse of her helpe in the midst of my troubles, and garboiles, which heresies brought vpon me, wherein she stood me in good stead, by procu­ring mee fauour, and countenance of Catho­lique Emperours, as also by the credit and re­putation she had abroad frō those great Apo­stles S. Peter, and S. Paul, which were her foste­rers, and breeders vp, yet she, I say, impudently abusing all this, did about a thousand yeeres agoe enter into a bold rebellion against me, not vouchsafing to remaine still my daughter, nor acknowledging me for her mother in any wise, but seeking to make herselfe my mi­stresse, and to domineere ouer me. But most of all about 550. yeeres after, since the times of that firebrand Hildebrand, and since the totall ruine of the Romane Empire, this daughter of mine, being high-growne in greatnesse, and pride, as shee began to withdraw her necke from the yoke of a temporall Lord, who with his rod might hold her in obedience to me, so would she needs also abandon her due place, which she held with me, of being a member [Page 28]of my body, from which she rent herselfe by an horrible schisme; and disdeyning to bee a member of it, would haue no nay but perke aboue me, and make herselfe my Head by ty­rannicall vsurpation. And whereas, first, ac­cording to the appointment of my Spouse, she should receiue life, and vigor from me, as euery member of the Body doeth, from its coniun­ction with the whole, as being a part thereof, she, by tearing herselfe off from being a mem­ber, to put forward for the Headship, hath in­stantly lost all that spirit, and vigor, which eue­ry particular Church partaketh with and from mee, Cypr. de vnit. eccles. euen as branches deriue their vigor from the roote, streames from the fountaine, and beames from the Sunne; which is S. Cyprians comparison. And moreouer she hath bene so bold with me, as to dispoile me of my robes, and ornaments, and to rob me of my proper name; and now shee, she onely must be stiled the vniuersall Church, the Catholique Church, the mother of the faithfull, the pillar of trueth, the Spouse of Christ, &c.

Behold therefore here an infamous, and dreadfull rocke. For, whosoeuer abandoneth me, to cleaue to her, hee is out of the Arke of [Page 29] Noah; he, not hauing me to his mother, Cypr. ibidem. hath not God to his father. Whosoeuer is a follower of that tyrant, which vsurpeth my dignity and tramp­leth downe my authoritie, he certainely fol­loweth not Christ my true Spouse, but Anti­christ. No Church can be vnder Christ, vnlesse it be first vnited to me: and all Churches, that enioy the graces flowing from Christ, doe par­take them by my meanes, and so farre forth, as they are my daughters, and limmes growing vnto me, who am the Body of Christ. There­fore the Romane Church, inasmuch as a daughter, or member she will not be, and mo­ther or Head, which faine she would, she can­not be, betweene both sure she hath no part in me. And whosoeuer danceth after such a schis­matical and rebellious ring-leader, must needs himselfe be a schismatique, and rebel: and who so followeth the vsurping Pope, must engage himselfe to beleeue euery falshood, and fiction that is thrust vpon him, and so shall be sure to tumble downe headlong after such a guide. Thus the Papacie sheweth it selfe to bee the grand and most dangerous rocke of all the rest, against which so many poore Christian soules daily dash themselues. And so much for this [Page 30]mother-Rocke. The rest I shall passe ouer more briefly.

¶ The second Rocke. Temporall Power.

SO farre haue my Churchmen bene puffed vp with Ambition, that they haue not onely claimed, but also pro­fessed, and exercised temporall power in ma­ny meerely ciuill, and temporall affaires, chal­lenging to themselues, as in my right, a power ouer Clerkes to imprison, and banish them, and to inflict reall forfeits, and corporall paines vpon them; yet can none of my Prelats pretend for any power otherwise, then as the same belongeth to mee. And I, for my part, from my conscience confesse, that I haue not receiued from my Spouse any the least tem­porall power concerning any temporall af­faire whatsoeuer: but all the power I haue, is wholly and meerely Spirituall. For, the end, whereto I am ordeined, being wholly, and onely spirituall, (namely to guide the soules of [Page 31]my children vnto eternall blessednes, which is supernaturall and spirituall) it followeth, that all the meanes which I am to worke by, must be of their owne nature Spirituall, and super­naturall: and therefore mine owne, and pro­per power can extend it selfe no further, then to things Spirituall onely. My Lord Christ himselfe, what other power did he exercise, then meerely Spirituall? Did hee euer thrust himselfe into any temporall affaire? S. Paul saith, that Those that are set ouer my children, Heb. 13.17. are to watch ouer their soules, and to render accompt of them. My care therefore properly, and wholly concerneth mens soules. As for their bodies, and bodily, or ciuill affaires, they haue other gouernours, namely temporall Princes. The same S. Paul saith also, that No man, 2. Tim. 2.4. that warreth vnto God, entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life. Moreouer, by the ioynt acknow­ledgement of my holy doctors, it is manifest, that my employment is wholly and onely in cure of soule, which also is not denied by di­uers the most renowmed Bishops of Rome: as Hormisda Epist. 21. Gelasius de Anath. vinc. & Epist. 10. Symmachus in Apologet. Nicolas the 1. Epist. 8. And why, I pray you, is my power described [Page 32]ordinarily in holy writ by the name of a Chaire, [...]th. 23.2. but that it consisteth in teaching, and dire­cting, this power of mine being principally instructiue, and doctrinall? Christ said to his Apostles, Luke 22.25. that The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship ouer them, But ye shall not be so: thereby inferring, that it belongeth not to the officers of my family to exercise dominion, or ciuill coactiue iurisdiction. S. Hierome saith, that Kings rule ouer men, Hieron. ep. 3. will they, nill they; but the priest ruleth onely those, that are willing to be subiect to him. The reason is, for that it is not in my reach to enforce any man. S. Chrysostome very well saith of me, [...]. Chrys. hom. 3. in Act. Apo. that I cannot impose any thing by authoritie; that is, in such maner as pretending power to compell others to obey me.

True it is, that religious, and deuout Prin­ces, to doe mee honour, and for my sake to vouchsafe some priuiledge to my officers, haue afforded mee the fauour, to haue the exercise of a certaine ciuil, and criminall Iurisdiction o­uer my owne Ministers: but such grants as these are at the courtesie, and in the liberty of the grantors. And yet hereupon my Prelats cary their heads too high, and lay claime to ex­empt from the ciuill Magistrate, all Clearkes, [Page 33]and Monkes, with their very hangbyes, and lickspits. And this Rocke is very dangerous, euen to my Clergy themselues, who not one­ly are heereby emboldened openly to disobey the Magistrate in his ciuill gouerment, but al­so hide vnder this cloake of exemption a foule heape of heynous sins, and enormities, liuing as they doe, debauchedly, and without feare, either of God, or of the ciuill sword: the exe­cution of iustice in such cases by my Ministers being either too too gentle, slacke, and sleepy, as it is ordinarily, or, on the contrary, some­times too cruell, bloudy, and barbarous.

This Rocke is so much the more harmefull, and dangerous, in that the Bishops of Rome, cloaking themselues with my mantle, thereby make pretension to mount aboue Princes, Kings, and Emperours, and to bee iudges ouer them, arrogating to themselues authority to ouerrule them at their pleasure, in their ciuill gouerment, and in their lawes; nay, moreouer to depriue them of their kingdomes, and free their subiects from their bounden duty, and oath of fealty: and this not onely in case of he­resie, but vpon any other occasion which the Popes in their humor shall conclude to be im­portant, [Page 34]and sufficient. An horrible and abo­minable pretension, and altogether contrary to the law of God. This Rocke surely is foun­ded by the Diuell himselfe, wherat so many of my children split themselues, and for the main­tenance of the Pope's ambitions, forfeit their goods, honours, fame, liberty, life, and soule. By this hellish pretension, rebellions are ray­sed vp in Kingdomes, infamous and exe­crable murthers of Kings are plotted, the peace of the whole world is troubled, brutish enor­mities are committed: and all this springeth only from Papall ambition.

It is most certaine, and notorious, that by the law of God, and of nature, expresly confir­med in the holy Scriptures, euery one ought in conscience, vnder the guilt of most heynous mortall sin, to obey his lawfull Prince, in mat­ters concerning the ciuill estate, whether the same Prince be good, or euill. Let euery soule bee subiect to the higher powers. Rom. 13.1. 1. Pet. 2.18. Bee subiect to your Masters, not onely to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. And for certaine, I neuer receiued any power to disanull the bond of God's lawes. Whence therefore hath the Pope gotten such power, that he presumeth to disoblige subiects [Page 35]from that naturall bond, which tyeth them to be entirely subiect to their lawfull Prince in ci­uill maters, and those things which concerne the temporall gouerment? It is a meere gull, & foppery, that hee should pretend to depose Kings from their thrones, and depriue them of their crownes, and in this wise to let loose their subiects from their obedience, whenas, without all dobut such depriuations, and de­positions, are meere temporall businesses; and no power of mine extendeth it selfe beyond spirituals. The Pope's arch-flatterers confesse, that it followeth hence, that he cannot directly depose Kings; yet will they haue him enhabled to doe it indirectly, namely as such matters are occasion of some spirituall good, or euill. But this, say I, is impossible. For, a thing is said to be done indirectly, when it necessarily followeth vpon another thing which is done directly. As for example, when a thiefe robbeth a trayuai­ler of his cloathes, and he, thus left naked, dieth with cold, this thiefe hath robbed the man di­rectly, but killed him indirectly. In like maner it should be shewen what spirituall action the Pope doth directly, by his spirituall power, whereupon necessarily, but indirectly the de­position [Page 36]of a King, or depriuing him of his temporals doth ensue. But it is impossible that any such action should bee shewed. For there cannot be any greater spirituall action atchie­ued by my proper power, then Excommuni­cation. And who would euer come to that height of absurdity, as to say (and yet some haue said it, and beleeued it) that a Prince being ex­communicated is held in the same instant to be also depriued of his kingdome, and deposed? And yet my very nouices know, that excom­munication medleth not with any temporalls. A rich man beeing excommunicated doth not thereby lose his possessions; nor a noble man his nobility; why then should a King by ex­communication lose his crowne?

Now therefore see what a terrible Rocke this is. A toy takes the Pope in the head to beare the people in hand, that their Prince is an heretique, and excommunicate, and so depri­ued of his kingdome, and that they are to rise against him, and to call in another to reigne o­uer them: These simple wretches, being mis­led by the Popes false doctrine, will needes dis­obey God, to obey the Pope. And thus first they herein sinne mortally, and cast away their [Page 37]soules; then are they also most iustly punished for traytors, as they are, and so farewell goods, life, and all. Neither will the matter bee salued vp by that, which the Romanists reply, saying, Obey your Prince, and sweare fealty to him in ciuill obedience: but when the case so falleth out, that the Pope commandeth you other­wise, then renounce this obedience. Nay, but obedience due to Princes is perpetuall, abso­lute, and without any reseruation, or conditi­on: for, God so commandeth. Act. 5. And wee must obey God, rather then men. It behooueth there­fore by God's law to sweare obedience, and fe­alty, in matters concerning the temporall go­uernment, vnto euery naturall liege Lord, with­out any reseruation; and consequently euery subiect ought to declare himselfe, when hee is so required, that hee sweares, and promises per­petuall, and absolute obedience, any whatsoe­uer, or whosesoeuer, declaration, commande­ment, excommunication, or sentence to the contrary notwithstanding. For, in this world there is no power, that can disoblige a man frō this perpetuall, and absolute obedience com­manded by the law of God himselfe. And in like manner the deposing, or depriuing Soue­raigne [Page 38]Princes is to bee attempted by none but God's immediate hand, to whom onely it be­longeth to translate kingdomes. Dan. 4.25. And, as for any power of mine, especially that cannot in any maner, neither direct nor indirect, lawfully at­tempt any such depriuations. Let euery one therefore remaine subiect, and obedient vnto his owne Prince, in things concerning tempo­rall gouernment: nor let him thinke, that hee euer can bee assoyled by any power on earth, though Ecclesiasticall, from such his entire o­bedience.

¶ The third Rocke. Implicite Faith.

CRuell, and pestilent ambition! The Pope, to the end that his vsurped ty­rannie may not be discouered, and that he may be taken for a god vpon earth, by sim­ple seduced people, or rather that they may be made pliable, and capable to admit for good any falshood, and forgery, which the Pope, for the aduancing his owne greatnesse, shall pro­pound [Page 39]to them, causeth them to be perswaded, and taught, that in matter of faith, it is suffici­ent for euery of them to beleeue, whatsoeuer the holy, Catholike, Romane mother-Church doth hold, and beleeue. Verely I, that am the vniuersall Church, I, Mat. 28.20. 1. Tim. 3.15. to whom the conti­nuall assistance of the Spirit of my Spouse is promised, (and not to the Romane) I, that am the pillar, and ground of truth, yet dare not be so bold, as to assure my children, that this in­folded faith sufficeth them, namely, to beleeue vnder generall termes, whatsoeuer I beleeue. How then shee, now swarming with errours, and falshood, and being nothing, but ambiti­on and auarice, how dares shee bee thus bold? My beloued Saint Paul would not haue his Co­rinthians thinke, 2. Cor. 1.24. that hee would beare dominion ouer their faith, which hee did sweetly instill in­to them, and not thrust it vpon them by com­mand and domineering. But Rome will haue euery man, will hee, nill hee, by all meanes to beleeue, and rest in, whatsoeuer shee determi­neth, and commandeth, and to subscribe his beleefe to all that shee beleeueth and maintai­neth, or rather to whatsoeuer shee inuenteth and imagineth, though indeed herselfe beleeue [Page 40]it not, nor hold it for any point of faith, but for a matter of state; & vpō this point of policy she taketh order, that those inuentions, which shee knoweth to bee no matters of faith, but onely to serue her ambition, and couetousnesse, must be giuen out for points of faith.

Rome cannot abide, that yee, my children, should bee zelous in seeking to know what it is that yee are to beleeue; for, by such enquiry you would discouer her trickes: and therefore shee telleth you, that you are safe, if yee haue this enuelopped faith, and beleeue all that shee beleeues. And if so be any of you make a stand vpon any particular, beeing one of those arti­cles, which shee in point of policy hath inuen­ted, (and which shall hereafter be declared by me in my descry of these Rockes) then she pre­sently mufleth vp your eyes, and blindeth you, and sendeth to you her owne attendants, the Priests, and Friers, preachers, and confessors, who wholly depending on her, are all at her deuotion, & they declare vnto you, that Rome hath decided the point to be an article of faith. And thus, when yee are bound to beleeue all that the Church of Rome beleeueth, and maintaineth, that is, whatsoeuer she teacheth, [Page 41]and auoucheth, as fit to be held, and beleeued, ye must needs play at hoodman-blind, and be­ing loaden with dangerous scruples, stumble vpon the rocke of many an error, and fiction, and so incurre miserable shipwracke.

There is indeed a kinde of vnweeting obe­dience, which is holy, and good, nay necessary, but vnfolded, which concerneth the funda­mentall articles of my faith. Such as are, the vnitie of the Godhead, and Trinitie of persons in one essence, and nature: the incarnation of the Word, with the conioyning of two di­stinct natures, the diuine and humane, in the one onely diuine person of my Spouse Christ: that he suffered, and shed his blood, and gaue his life vpon the Crosse for my redemption: that he rose againe by his owne power: and that hee ascended, and is glorified in heauen, where he remaineth my true Mediatour, and continuall Aduocate with the Father: and that he is to bee iudge of all men, to giue to euery one according to his owne workes, either life, or death euerlasting. In the beleeuing these, and other such Articles, euery childe of mine must yeeld his eyes closed vp by obedience, without curiositie, or recalling them to the [Page 42]principles of humane reason. For these are the fundamentals, wherein all Catholique Chri­stendome is well resolued, and setled with ab­solute agreement. But in many other points, either necessary, or not necessary to saluation, there is danger, 2. Cor 21. that ye may be deceiued. (For, oftentimes Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angel of light.) Therefore euery of you, that hath any heart, and spirit at all, ought to open his eyes, and looke well into that, which is pro­pounded to him, to be beleeued, either by im­plication, or expresly, and to examine it with Christian, and sober diligence, whether that, which your Preachers, and confessors, and writers teach you concerning spiritual things, (who too often, vnder the name of my Mini­sters, are wolues in sheepes-cloathing, and no­thing els, but the ministers of humane ambi­tion, and auarice) be conformable to the holy Scriptures, and vnto my refined and through­ly-established iudgement; mine, I say, that is, of the Vniuersall Church, such as I was for the first foure, or fiue vncorrupted ages, and still am also in regard of my selfe; but not such as the Romane, by vsurping my name, doeth dis­guise, and vaunt herselfe to be. For if you shall [Page 43]walke on blindfold, vnder this enfuddling faith, after blinde guids, ye shall, they, and you too, hit vpon the rocks, and tumble into the in­fernall pit.

For these respects, which I haue named, Rome would faine haue you remaine still muf­fled vp with this cloudy faith; and, to keepe you in your spirituall blindnesse, she hath de­priued you of the vse of holy Scripture; shee will not suffer it to be imparted to all the peo­ple in the vulgar tongues; she prohibites it, she hinders it. Verily a most horrible crueltie. God commanded, not onely Moses, not Aaron onely, and the rest of the Priests, not onely the Scribes, and doctors of the Law, and Pharisees; but generally all his people, that they should alwayes haue the Scripture before their eyes. In this is stored vp your daily bread: but in stead of making you abound with this bread, those, whom you call your spirituall fathers, take it from you; and so may yee starue, for them. Nay, in stead of this bread, they put in­to your hands either the stones of strange do­ctrines, which are marueilous hard for you to chew, as that you are to spend your liues for the maintenance of the Pope's humors, or else [Page 44]the scorpions of errors, and falshood, which bite, and sting your very soules, or, at the most, the course browne-bread of their pamphlets concerning Christian doctrine, and other ma­nuels which they name spirituall. Wherein, be­cause they can doe no lesse, (for, then should they appeare to bee open professed wolues) there are set downe some good foundations of many good Catholick verities, but vnder the crust of this good wheaten-bread, the course crumbe is deliuered to you, or rather the poi­son of the manifold errors, and superstitions of humane, if not diuelish, doctrine; thereby to cherish in your simple soules such reuerence, and obedience to the Pope, Prelates, Priests, and Friers, as their ambition, and auarice ga­peth after. As for other bookes, which disco­uer these their iugglings, Rome doeth slande­rously bruit them to be hereticall, and prohi­biteth them by vaine, and childish terrors of excommunications: and all this, that ye may not open your eyes, but remaine blinde for euer. Looke well to this.

¶ The fourth Rocke. Excommunication.

IT is a wonderfull, or rather miserable deuise and craftie tricke of the Popes, for the mainteining their tyrannie o­uer your soules, and making themselues to be reuerenced, feared, and held for gods vpon earth; that they proiect to beare you in hand, that the keyes, giuen me by Christ my Spouse, are thunderbolts, and fierie darts in the hands of the Bishop of Rome, as being the successor of Iupiter Capitolinus. Behold the deceipts, and cunning of this new Iupiter. There was neuer any thunderbolt, that strake, or hurt any man, vnlesse it were actually darted out: but they put a vaine ridiculous scare-crow vpon you, making you beleeue, that they haue certaine close thunderbolts in a corner, which of themselues fly abroad, and smell out, euen in the most secret closets, those that doe, or say any thing which may displease the Pope, though neither the parties themselues bee knowne to him, nor any hint giuen what they [Page 46]doe. Alas, what poore fooles are they, that giue credit to this?

These my keyes, which you see in my hands, no doubt, are mannageable by my Pre­lats and Ministers, and haue power sometimes also to thunder out an Excommunication. But you must know, that I am to cary an hand in the guiding of such thunderbolts: and, if they be darted foorth contrary to my order prescri­bed me by my Spouse, they are of no force at all, and haue no other operation, then to make a vaine rumbling to scare yong children withall.

Excommunication, my beloued children, is of diuers sorts in my family. The first is, when any of my children, hauing committed some grieuous, publique & notorious crime, where­by he hath scandalized all his brethren of that particular Church, where he remaineth, for the recalling him vnto true, wholesome, in­ward repentance by outward medecinall shame, is not onely reproued by the Prelate in the publique Congregation, when my chil­dren come together vnto spirituall exercises, but also is expresly forbidden to receiue the sa­cred communion of the holy Eucharist, and [Page 47]of the Lord's Supper: and so is kept off for some time, vntill he make satisfaction vnto God in­wardly, and to the Church outwardly, by pe­nitentiall workes imposed vpon him by the said Prelate.

A second sort of Excommunication is some­thing more rigorous; when as one of my chil­dren, being a publique, and notorious sinner, is, for one, or more, grieuous, and scandalous faults, not onely put backe from the holy Communion, but also from all other meetings, that is, from all holy assemblies, and is prohi­bited from entring into the Church with the rest of the faithfull brethren to whatsoeuer sa­cred exercise, whether hearing of the word of God, or receiuing the holy Sacraments, or be­ing present at the publick holy Seruice, & prai­ers: and this restraint to endure for a time, by way of wholsome & medicinall penance, that by this his cōfusion of face, both he may con­ceiue griefe for his sinne committed, and o­thers may take example by him, and be striken with an holy terror, for the shunning of such sinnes. Both the one, and the other of these two Excommunications is taken away by pub­lique Reconciliation, when he, hauing with [Page 48]due humiliation performed what was impo­sed on him, and giuen the Church outward e­uidence of his true inward repentance, is now readmitted both to the Church, and to the ho­ly Communion: and both these may truely be called the lesser Excommunication.

The third, and most terrible Excommunica­tion, which I haue learned out of the Gospel is, when one of my children, hauing bene giuen ouer in prey vnto grieuous, publicke, notori­ous, and scandalous sinnes, after he hath bene tried, but all in vaine, by the two precedent me­dicinall Excommunications, being now incor­rigible, is wholy cut off from the number of the faithfull, and vtterly cast off from being my child, and seuered from my body, that is, from the body of Christ my Spouse, and cut off, as a dead, and rotten member, and consequently deliuered vp vnto Satan, and held as if he were a Gentile and Publican, depriued of all the blessings, graces, and heauenly riches, which are to be found within my house. This is the true, and dreadfull thunderbolt, which may most fitly bee called the greater Excommuni­cation.

Thus you see that the two first Excommuni­cations [Page 49]are rather outward, then inward, rather medicines, then punishments; hauing exter­nall effects, and not inwardly working vpon the soule, otherwise then indirectly, and by di­uers deductions: namely so farre, as vpon the two first Excommunications the remission of the sin remaineth in a sort suspended, etiam in coe­lo, euen in heauen also, vntill it be remitted him by me on earth according to the promise made vnto me by Christ my Spouse. And only the third (if it bee executed without any errour in the keyes) hath its operation directly vpon the soule. But all these three Excommunications then onely are Excommunications, and then only haue their operation, when they are made in special, and actually sent forth, and employed, not be­fore the fact done, but when the crime is alrea­dy in being.

Therefore obserue what a trifle that is, which the Popes, and their flatterers haue inuented, in enacting one Excommunication à iure, & ip­so facto, and another ab homine, that is to say, that there is an actuall Excommunication, which worketh actually, and by the deede it selfe, and not by way of threatning onely; and that, by vertue of the law before made, and [Page 50]written, it alwaies worketh of it selfe, without comming to any speciall act of excommunica­ting the particular offender, as often as he com­mitteth such, or such an offence before forbid­den by the Law: The other is that, which, without beeing made vniuersall by the lawes, is, from time to time darted out by the Prelate against a particular man by name, for some fault committed by him. This distinction is both false, and manifestly deceitfull; and it is that very deuise, whereof I spake before, name­ly, to dreame of a thunderbolt, which doth not onely affright a man, but also beat him downe to the ground, without beeing darted foorth: and so there can bee no secret among Christians, which by this meanes the Pope cannot pierce into. Surely as for the two first Excommunications, if they bee not sent forth from time to time against the parties by name, no man will euer absteine from the Cōmuni­on, or from spirituall conuersation in spirituall meetings, (for as for ciuill and humane com­merce, no Excommunication can hinder it.) In the third Excommunicatiō likewise, it is certaine, that no effect can follow vpon it, vnlesse it bee actually (but without errour) thundered out. [Page 51]Where was it euer seen, that a Delinquent was bound to execute a penalty vpon himselfe? True it is, that euery man is bound to beare with patience his owne iust punishment; but no man can bee bound to execute it on him­selfe, and to be his owne hangman. How then is it possible, that any of my children, by vertue of a wandring, vncertaine, vniuersall Excom­munication, which is indifferent by the law, should, vpon an ipso facto, be truely, and actual­ly excommunicated: that is, disseuered, and cut off from my body, vnlesse he himselfe, be­ing the onely man, that knoweth himselfe to haue committed that fault, shall of himselfe bee executioner of the punishment vpon him­selfe? For my part, I haue no spirituall power to chastise secret sinnes, no nor open neither, vn­till they come vnto my notice: and yet these men would most fondly inflict actuall punish­ments for faults vnreuealed to them, and vpon Delinquents vtterly vnknowen.

Let no man therefore bee afraid of these Ex­communications iniure, although they bee ipso fa­cto, vpon the very deede, or latae sententiae, vpon the generall sentence, which is an errour: nor is it possible that such Excommunications should [Page 52]worke ipso facto: neither doth God hold any man for excommunicate, vntill hee be namely bound, and actually excommunicate. Let eue­ry one bee affraid of sinne, though neuer so se­cret, and let him looke for punishment from God; but let him not feare any excommunicati­on of mine, vnlesse it be actually brandished out against him by his lawfull Prelate, and that vpon good cause: nor can this third Excommu­nication otherwise worke any whit vpon the soule.

Moreouer I aduise you, that, if a Prelate ex­communicate any of you, and that vpon iust cause, for some offence deseruing excommunica­tion, if he doe not either by word, or deede, de­clare with which of these three Excommunicati­ons he doth strike you, this his excommunicating, though it be speciall, and actuall is either none at all, or at the most it is to bee vnderstood of the second, and not of the third. Neither can that stand, which the new Canonists auouch, that by the indefinite name of Excommunication the greater is to be vnderstood. For, they con­found the second with the third, which not­withstanding are most different one from an­others; and they would haue the second to bee [Page 53]the greater, because it taketh away Ecclesiasti­call conuersation from the excommunicate par­ty. It must be vnderstood therefore of the se­cond, but as not amounting vnto the third, which third is the true Excommunicatio maior, the grand excommunication. For, it is true, that in the later, the former are included, but not the later in the former.

Besides this, you are to vnderstand, that, by my rules taught me by my Spouse, none of these Excommunications, especially the third, can be of force, but when the crime is grieuous, publique, notorious, and very scandalous, and such as giueth, first very great offence to God, and moreouer much scandall to the Church. And hee, that is cleere in his owne conscience, and knoweth that hee doth not offend in the sight of God, and that the act, for which he is excommunicated (especially by the Excommunica­tion in iure onely) is not of it selfe abhominable, nor repugnant to Gods Law, let him neuer feare any excommunication at all, as making him guilty before God. Whilst therefore a Prelate commandeth, or forbiddeth any act of its own nature indifferent, which is neither com­manded, nor forbidden by the word of God, [Page 54]and imposeth this his command vnder paine of Excommunication, you may laugh in your sleeues at it. For the not obeying a Prelate in such things, as in their owne nature are indif­ferent, seldome amounteth to a mortall sinne; and, though it were mortall, yet it is not such, as can deserue the third Excommunication. And so when you heare Excommunications thundred out for reading of bookes, for not paying of pensions, for punishing Priests, and wicked Friars, according to law, with ciuill punish­ments, and such like causes, you may take such Excommunications to be made in iest, and neede not bee afraid of them: for I hold them to bee nothing worth; neither was it euer my mind, that this sword of mine should euer serue the turne, either for temporall affaires, or for the priuate ends of my Prelats.

Take also this with you, which is one of my principall ordinances concerning Excommuni­cations, that none can excommunicate any other then those that bee in proper subiected to him, and of his Diocesse. And so the Bishoppe of Rome cannot excommunicate those, that are out of the Diocesse of Rome. And whosoeuer ex­communicateth any, that are not subiect vnto [Page 55]him, his Excommunication holds not: and in this case the Popes thunderbolt is of no more force, then that of the Bishop of A pety Bi­shopricke in Italy, in the dominions of Venice. Caurole. Indeede any Bishop, vpon great cause, may de­ny to another Bishop his communion, that is his communication, and brotherly comply­ing, and spirituall correspondence. So also may any particular Church deny its communion to another, (and this may bee called a fourth kinde of Excommunication) but it hath no ope­ration vpon the soule, nor is exercised with a­ny power, or iurisdiction of one Church ouer another: and the action it selfe is meerely ne­gatiue, not positiue, nor operatiue: namely, when, vpon euidence, or deepe suspicion of a­nothers spirituall corruption, mutuall corres­pondence is shunned. And yet in this sort of Excommunication there is very great danger, in­asmuch as vpon it foule, & turbulent schismes doe ensue.

This Rocke, as you see, becommeth very dangerous vnto you, whilest it makes you stumble vpon feares, and terrors, which with­hold you from many actions, that would bee profitable, and commodious to you, and also it maketh you run headlong into the actions of [Page 56]blindefold obedience, whence indeede com­meth your ruine; seeing they will not suffer you to walke in the high-way of your saluati­on, but amuse you in the by-wayes of eternall perdition, and hold you in subiection to an I­doll, and to him that would haue you deeme him a god vpon earth.

¶ The fift Rocke. The Commandements of the Church.

THis is a very great Rocke, or rather a maine Sea of Rocks, and shelfes hea­ped vp together, and appointed for the spirituall ruine of you, my deere Children. The ambition of Popes hath hitherto vsurped a Law-making power through my whole fa­mily; and would haue me bound, vnder paine of mortall sinne, to obserue their lawes. Ve­rely it belongeth to mee in my Synods, and Councels, to set down certaine practicall rules concerning rites, and outward worship: which rules are nothing else, then certaine good di­rections, and publique instructions, requisite, [Page 57]and necessary, for the establishing of good or­der, for the preuenting of confusion, and for the increase of piety. But I neuer pretended, that they should haue the very nature of lawes, but onely of good ordinances: and therefore my will was to call them Canons, that is to say, Rules, but not Lawes, nor Commandements, vn­lesse I procure the secular power to giue them the force of lawes. From which secular pow­ers, Christ hath not freed either mee, or any of you, as hee hath freed vs from the legall Cere­monies, and from the yoake and burden of that law, which, beeing no part of the Decalogue, perteyneth to the gouernment of the soule: there yet remayning most full power in Prin­ces; and Magistrates, as farre as concerneth temporall gouernment, whereto all the sort of you are subiect, not onely by constraint, and for feare, but also for conscience-sake, as Saint Paul instructeth you. True it is, Rom. 13.5. that there is also an obedience due vnto the spiritual Ouer­seers; but this is to be vnderstood of follow­ing their good instructions in matter of faith, and concerning Christian life. Neither was it the minde of Christ to load mee with a multi­tude of externall obligations, ouer and aboue [Page 58]the morall naturall law, and a few other pre­cepts, when as himselfe commanded me, that I should beware of making his yoake hea­uy vnto my Children, by multiplying vpon them humane Commandements, and precepts: and sharply rebuked the Scribes, and Pharises of his time, vpbraiding them with that speech of Esay; Esay 29.13. Matth. 15.8. This people draweth nigh vnto mee with their mouth, and honoureth mee with their lips; but their heart is farre from me: in vaine doe they wor­ship me, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men. They ouerpast the Commandements of the law, and taught the silly people, certaine obseruances inuented by themselues, and esta­blished by humane traditions only. In a mā ­ner euen so it befalleth you, my Children, now a dayes; yee are plyed might and maine, with certaine precepts, which, vsurping my name, they call the Commandements of holy Church, in which notwithstanding I haue no part at all, and as for God's Commandements, they lie by the walles. You take farre more heede, that you omit not a Masse vpon an holy day, and many of you also vpon the working-dayes, then that you leaue not your neighbour without helpe, when he is in great misery. Yee take more care [Page 59]of offending in eating flesh on prohibited daies, then of committing fornication, or adul­tery. And hence it is that more scruples are started vp in your consciences, and more adoe against you by your Confessors, Preachers, and Inquisitors, if you haue but once supped halfe a messe of flesh-pottage vpon a Friday, then if you had committed fornication an hundred times.

Know ye therefore, that, in vndergoing such scruples vpon these Church-commandements, yee are plainely tyrannized ouer, and are brought vnto a butchery, shambles, & slaughter-house of the conscience. 2. Cor. 3.17. Gal. 4.31. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie, concerning all indifferent things: which libertie Christ hath bestowed on you. I haue indeed authoritie vpon occasion of publique spirituall affaires, to intimate fa­stings, prayers, and almes; but with sweetnes, and gentlenesse, without imposing any yoake, or impeaching this libertie, to the end that eue­ry one of you likewise should of your owne voluntary sweetly, and charitably compose himselfe to such holy exercises, and thereby conforme himselfe to my intention, which is alwayes hortatory, rather then mandatory, [Page 60]with compulsion. I doe not hold my selfe to haue authoritie to command vpon the guilt of mortall sinne, which I find no otherwise de­fined, then to be that, which is spoken, done, or thought against the eternall Law of God; August cont. Faust. li. 22. cap. 27. it is not said against the commandement of the Church; whereas principally I either cōmand or forbid that, which in it selfe is indifferent, and neither commanded, nor forbidden, by God's Law. So the holy Apostles, gathered together in the Councell of Ierusalem, did resolue, that the new Christians, especially those that were conuer­ted from Gentilisme, in respect of outward ob­ligation, besides the morall naturall Law of the Decalogue, should not be bound in conscience to any other thing, Acts. 15.29. except absteining from meats offered to Idols, and from blood, and from things strangled: and moreouer to beware of fornication, not that this is not comprised in the Deca­logue, but for that the Gentiles for the most part were in this error, to thinke that simple fornication was not forbidden by the Law of nature. In other things the Apostles left them entire libertie of their conscience. Rom. 14.3. And S. Paul aduiseth, Coloss. 2.16. that he, which eateth not, should not iudge those that eate, and that none ought to iudge the [Page 61]faithfull for eating, and drinking. Briefly, I con­clude, you are to conforme your selues vnto the well-grounded and well-instructed deuo­tion of abstinence, of fasting, of prayers, of di­uine Seruice, and other spiritual exercises; espe­cially vpon the Sundayes, and more solemne Feasts. But beware of two extreames; On the one side, lest you fall into superstition, and bring your selues to such anxietie, and scrupu­lositie, as will oppresse the inward libertie of the conscience; and therefore you are to put from you all feare of mortal sinne, if sometime by negligence, or for your owne conuenien­cie (so it be without contempt, or scandall) you omit such deuotions appointed, and ordeined by me, who am your indulgent Mother: and pretend not to hold you to it with such rigor. The other extreame which you are to beware of, is, that hereupon you doe not runne into carnall libertie, by contemning, and vtterly neglecting my good, and holy ordinances, set­ting at nought the pious, and deuout exercises appointed by [...] whereby the holy worship of God is mainteined, and the inward spirit is furthered in Christian vertues, especially in Religiousnesse.

These Commandements therefore, in such sort as they are imposed on you by the Pope, are very Rocks, he making vse of them principally to the end he may exercise his dominion ouer me, with a Law-giuing power; but secondari­ly also for other indirect ends, tending vnto couetousnes: they are (I say) Rocks, because, when as by Preachers, Confessors, and pettie doctrinall pamphlets, it still ringeth in your eares, that those Church-precepts doe binde you vnder the paine of mortall sinne, they being little obserued: by this your erronious consci­ence you make the omission of them to be­come in you mortall sinne indeed; whereas otherwise it would be no sinne at all. An erro­nious conscience is that, which beleeueth a thing to be a sinne, which in trueth is none: and whosoeuer committeth, or omitteth that, which hee deemeth a sinne to be done, or not done, though in trueth this be not a sinne, yet he by his erronious conscience sinneth mor­tally herein: and this is a dangerous pit, and deepe breake-necke of soules. Now therefore when as you learne by mee, that my precepts (those that are meerely mine) doe not include any obligation vnto mortall sinne, be not you [Page 63]troubled with scruples, when, without con­tempt, or scandall, you finde them not obser­ued by you: and so much the rather, because some of those obseruations haue a tang of su­perstition, whereupon it is not onely no sinne to omit them, but also it would be often-times a sinne to obserue them: I will declare my selfe more particularly.

There be fiue precepts, which ordinarily passe vnder the name of my Commandements, as common to all the faithfull: and yet in very deed there are to be found in the body of Canons now a dayes in force, a thousand such precepts, euen more then euer the Iewes were burthened withall; which is a thing very intolerable. Those fiue are these; 1. To heare Masse on Sun­dayes, and established holy dayes: 2. To fast in Lent, in the foure Ember-wekes, in the Vigils, or Eues; and to abstaine from flesh on Fridaies, and Saturdaies: 3. To be shriuen by your owne Priest at least once a yere: 4. To be houseled at Easter: 5. To pay tythes according to custome.

The keeping of the Lords day, which suc­ceeded the ancient Sabaoth, is deriued rather from the diuine, or morall Law, then from mine: but let the obligation of that obser­uance [Page 64]bee what it may, I meane not now to trouble you with it. I must remember you, that the Sunday, and other ancient Feasts esta­blished by me vpon mature deliberation, are to be fully obserued by you according to my an­cient vse, and declaration, with absteyning from seruile works, as much as morall necessi­tie, and other vrgent occasions will suffer; that you may then apply your selues to the wor­ship of God, and to the spirituall profit of your soules; namely, by gathering together, especi­ally to heare the word of God; to ioyne in pub­licke prayer; and oftentimes to bee refreshed with the most holy Sacraments. What hath Rome done by adding this particular com­mand of hearing Masse, (since the Masse is de­generated into an abuse, as I will shortly shew you, and hath much superstition in it,) but that all you should hold your selues to haue sufficiently discharged your duety of keeping holy all Feasts, by absteyning from seruile workes and hearing the Masse, and nothing else? For your Confessors require nothing else of you vpon the commandement of sanctify­ing the Feasts. The word of God either is not preached at all, or, if it be preached, it is not [Page 65]heard, or, if heard, that is onely vpon curtesie, and curiositie, and not vpon duetie. The di­uine Seruice is said, or sung, but in a language not vnderstood by the vulgar: whereupon it falleth out for the most part, that those, that are there present, spend the time in pratling, whis­pering, and, which is worse, in courting, and obsenities, and other such intertainments, very abhominable to be vsed in the house of praier. As for the Sacraments, I will speake of them af­terwards. And this is your first Church-com­mandement, which doeth much more hurt then good. You, my children, shall duely sanctifie the Feasts, if vpon such dayes, auoyding these vaine, and superstitious, (and I would to God I might not say Idolatrous) Masses, and, now that your spirituall fathers, or rather step-fa­thers, afford you no good spirituall exercises, forbearing also to heare the Sermons of your Friars, which are full of leasings, and deceipts, you would spend some time in your owne houses in reading, in godly meditations, and prayers; and thus should you very well keepe holy-day, till it should please God to giue you true, pure, and vncorrupt exercises in your owne Churches.

In the second precept, which concerneth fa­sting, and abstinence, I like very well, that those, who can, doe fast on the fasting-dayes, especially in the Lent, which is a very ancient institution. And let this be a true fast, tending to the mortification of the flesh, with abstei­ning, not onely from eating flesh, egges, and whitmeats, as the manner is, but also from all delicate, and high feeding viands, especially, if they be incentiue, as are salt meats: Let the fast be kept with hearbes, with pulse, with cheape ordinary fish, and only one meale a day. Your fasting is very ridiculous, and loathsome, both to me, and my Spouse: to absteine from such course meat as beefe, and to seeke out the most delicate fish of the highest price, and other choise dainties, to please the palate, with vari­ety also of spices, and sauces. O, how much more perfect a fast would it bee, and more ac­ceptable to God, to take one light meale of flesh, then a delicious banquet of fish. But, as I said, if any of you bee not disposed to fast, or to forbeare flesh, euen in Lent, let him not bee scrupulous thereupon: for, my precepts do not binde on paine of mortall sinne: yet notwith­standing he shall bee very blameworthy, if, be­ing [Page 67]able, yet he do not accommodate himselfe to the rest of the faithfull. Of Confession, and receiuing the Communion, I will speake after­wards.

As for tithes, they are ill ranged vnder my precepts: for, I hold them to appertaine to God's law, either naturall, or positiue, at least, where my Ministers receiue from thence their necessary sustenance, and in such quantity, and manner, as custome hath long confirmed. And this charge of ouerruling matter of tithes, where they neede rectifying, is proper to the secular Princes, euery of them in their owne dominions, inasmuchas tithes are externall goods: and they are to see to it, that, where necessary Ministers haue not decent mainte­nance, supply bee made by the Parishioners; and where too much aboundance, and super­fluity is, and the same luxuriously employed, that it bee moderated, by transferring from those Priests, which haue too much, vnto o­thers, which haue too little. They are also to prouide that the Bishops entertaine so many Clearkes, as are necessary for their Churches, and to restraine them from making a number of idle, and superfluous Priests: and so shall [Page 68]all of them bee well prouided for: but much the better, if, by the authority of Princes, and temporal Lords, the world were disburthened of such rabbles of Friars, and Monkes, and Regulars, of the Religions now out of square, and dissolute: reducing also the other Orders, which keepe as yet some forme of regular life, vnto the entire obedience of those Bishops, in whose Cities, and Diocesses, those Cōuents are; and withall vtterly dissoluing, and annulling, all forme of Common-wealth amongst them, wherein all the Regulars are combined toge­ther; so that they may remaine either meere Clearkes, and simple Priests, or else become Monkes of the old fashion, without holy Or­ders, and without reuenues. And so their ex­orbitant possessions will make a supply to helpe Bishops of small meanes, and poore pa­rish-Priests, and will serue the turne to ease the people, in maintayning their parish-Priests, & in founding of Colledges, and Seminaries for students in the Vniuersities, and some-where also for the support of the Military profession.

¶ The sixt Rocke. False Vnion.

VErely I am but one, beeing the onely Spouse of Christ; and though my daughters, the particular Churches, bee many, yet I am nothing else, but they all ioyned together. And forasmuch as I am only one, and they altogether are one with me, euen as all the members vnited make onely one bo­dy, and the head of this my body is no other but Christ alone; therefore this my vnion consi­steth in our being built all vpō one, & the same foundation, which is onely one and the same Christ, onely one and the same Gospell, onely one and the same faith, onely one and the same Baptisme; and in that wee loue, and imbrace one another in perfect charity. And those Churches, which do not in this manner vnite themselues vnto me, haue no part in this vnion, nor pertaine to this body. And in these parti­culars, my holy Fathers haue alwaies declared this necessary vnion to consist, the foundation whereof is faith, and charity the bond which combineth it. It must needs be therefore very [Page 70]lamentable to behold some Churches my daughters, or my parts, or members, that is, limbes of my body, to agree with mee in the foundation, but will not be vnited by charity, vnder vaine pretences of friuolous dissenssions in points, that are not fundamentall: and thus they fouly breake me this vnion.

But that, which most of all offends mee, is, that the Pope, my Capitall enemie, doth de­stroy, and breake, and dissipate this my so im­portant vnion, drawing it mischieuously to himselfe, and vrging, that vnion consisteth in beeing subiect vnto him, as a visible head. Yet haue I shewed, that there is no relation of an head in him, and that hee is meerely my mini­ster, and seruant. Indeede he is, as euery other Bishop, the visible head of his owne Church onely, my daughter of Rome: and he it is, that giueth vnion to that Church; for, euery parti­cular Church is visibly one, whilest it depends of her owne only principall minister. A Church (that is, a particular Church) saith Saint Cypri­an, Cypr. lib. 4. Ep. 9. is a people vnited to their Pastour: But in mee, that am the vniuersall and totall Church, there is no vnion made by any other then by my true and onely head Christ, and all particular Churches bring forth that goodly, and neces­sary [Page 71] vnion, by beeing vnited with me vpon the same foundation, and vnder the same head Christ, and that by way of charity, and con­cord. Idem. lib. 4. Ep. 2. To this purpose well said the same Cy­prian, that the Church of Christ is one, beeing diui­ded throughout the world into many members, and that there is only one Bishopricke, which is diffused by the agreeing multitude of many Bishops: Ibidem. Ep. 3. More­ouer he saith, though we be many Pastors, yet wee feede one flocke onely. And againe, being that the Church, which is one and vniuersall, is not broken, nor diuided, shee is also vnited, and combined by the bond of Priests conioyned among themselues. There­fore Cyprian neuer could finde, that this vnion consisted in one of the Bishops, by the redu­cing all others to him, as to an head, but that all Bishops vnited together in faith and charity did cause this vnion of mine.

It is a grieuous iniury, which my vngratefull daughter of Rome doth offer me, whilest she, forgetting that she is my daughter, maketh her selfe my Mistres, and vsurpes my Robes, and my Titles, as if she were the vniuersall Church, when shee her selfe is a particular Church, one of the many. It is I, that am the truely vni­uersall, who stretch forth my armes from East to West, and from North to South: and how [Page 72]can shee be vniuersall, or totall, beeing onely a part, and member? All the many are gathered together and vnited in me, and not in her: for euen she, if shee will be Catholike, must of ne­cessity bee vnited to me, as a part to the whole, as a member to the body, vnder mine, and her head, Christ Iesus.

Behold therefore the Rocke, whereupon yee run, whilest yee are willing to reduce your selues vnto an vnion inuented by the Pope, that hee might thereby become my head, and tyrannize ouer me, and whilest ye yeeld obedi­ence to him, instead of remayning in vnion with me, ye separate your selues from me, and, instead of making and procuring vnity, you breake it, and diuide it. For, he is not in the Ca­tholique Church, that is not in the vniuersall Church, which am I: and whilest the Bishop of Rome packeth a faction, which receiueth v­nion from him onely: surely that sect of his can bee neither Catholique, nor vniuersall, nor Church: therefore his party is not the vniuer­sall Church, but a diuelish schisme, wherein there cannot be any sound and holy vnion, but a conspiracie and combination of a Sect, not of a Church. Now let vs passe on to the Rocks of Auarice.

The first Rocke. The Masse.

THAT exercise, wherewith I haue bene furnished sincere­ly for aboue foure hundred yeeres, which now adayes you call the Masse, was, by the first institution thereof, nothing else, but a consecrating of the Bread of the holy Eucharist for the communion of the faithfull, and that to represent the Passion and death of Christ, and to make commemoration of that most blessed sacrifice, wherein Christ himselfe, being both Priest, and Sacrifice, did offer vp his most sacred Body, and pretious blood, vpon the Al­tar of the Crosse, onely once for my redemp­tion, and for remission of sinnes: and this was then instituted by Christ, when in his last Sup­per he made his Apostles Communicants of [Page 74]that mysterious Bread, and Wine, which re­presented his Body and Blood, saying vnto them, Doe this in remembrance of mee. That therefore, which Christ gaue vnto his Apostles, namely. Bread, and Wine, for them to eate, and drinke, was the Sacrament, a true, and reall Sa­crament, but not a true, and reall Sacrifice, o­ther then commemoratiue. For, this Sacra­ment was giuen them, as in very deed an actu­all Sacrament, and bearing with it Sacramen­tall fruit and benefit, but as a commemoration onely, and representation of the future sacri­fice. When therefore he said vnto them, Doe you this, What else could he vnderstand, but this, ye also shall deliuer vnto others actually this true, and reall Sacrament, but so, that it be commemoratiue, and representatiue of my Sa­crifice then ouerpast. And in this sense did all my ancient Fathers alwayes vnderstand this sacred exercise (now called the Masse) for the introductions vsed in the making a reall, and actuall Sacrament, and for a Sacrifice, not actu­all, but onely commemoratiue, and represen­tatiue. Chrysost. in epist. ad Heb. hom. 17. Listen to S. Chrysostome, We make an of­fring euery day, but we doe it in remembrance of the death of Christ: there is onely one Sacrifice, which [Page 75]was onely once offered in the Holy of holies: but this Sacrifice is a type or modell of that: And this which we now performe, we doe onely in commemoration; As he said, Doe this in remembrance of me. We performe not another Sacrifice, as the Priest then did; but we offer alwayes the same, or rather, we doe cele­brate the memory of that Sacrifice. So plainely speaketh S. Chrysostome, that this action now called the Masse, is not it selfe a Sacrifice, but a memory, and representation, & after-draught of a by-past Sacrifice.

What hath the Auarice of Rome done in this? This sacred exercise, which, in regard of the reall action, produceth the Sacrament, is by them intituled to a true and reall vn-bloody Sacrifice vnder the name of the Masse, and so they will needs haue their Priests truely, and really to sacrifice Christ: And to this their Sa­crifice, as reall, and properly so called, they at­tribute the true properties of an actuall Sacri­fice, making it propitiatorie, impetratory, and satisfactorie: their end herein is, that you, my poore, and simple children, beleeuing these their fictions, may ply them to say Masses for you, but tendring beforehand your money to the priests, and oftentimes driuing the bar­gaine [Page 76]for more or lesse to eeke it out for the quicke, and the dead. And so you, finding your selues deepely drenched in sinne, that you may saue the labour of a true, and due sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart: Psal. 51.17. thus trusting more to this vnbloody Sacrifice, which will stand you in but a few pence, you thinke that you bring with you in your pocket an vndoubted remis­sion of your sinnes. O fearefull rocke! O dole­full wracke! O hatefull auarice!

The Pope will needs haue a great Armie of innumerable Priests, and Friars, whom he pre­tendeth, and, in despight of Secular Princes, mainteyneth, to bee his onely, his Subiects, souldiers, and seruants: but, he is more thriftie then to allow them wages of his owne pay, or table of his prouision; and therefore hee hath inuented, for their maintenance, such deuices as this, to nimme the coyne out of your purses: Which yee giue downe very gently, that you may haue your part in these sweet Sacrifices, not by way of commemoration of the benefit which you haue receiued by Christ, but by way of bargaine, and hier for the remission of your sinnes, and the freedome of soules out of Pur­gatorie for pettie peniworthes. And that you [Page 77]may ply their shop the oftner, and become dai­ly customers for Masse-bargaines, they tell you that one Masse will not doe the feat; that you are not alwayes rightly disposed to be capable of the benefit of this Sacrifice; that for euery sinne you must haue at least one Masse; with such like deuises: and then let them alone to make their ware saleable: they will finde you miracles ynough begotten by their Masses, and stoare you with visions, reuelations, and ma­ny other such tricks, and slights coyned in the forge of couetousnesse.

But what thinke you of the superstitious ce­remonies of the Masse? they are a many of de­uises broached to astonish the simple vulgar, and to rauish them with admiration of hidden and vnknowne mysteries, without common sence, without signification, without any con­tents in them, other then meere superstition. The Masse-priest sometimes beats his breast; one while lifts vp his eyes, other-while casts them downe; one while ioynes his hands to­gether, other-while spreads them at large; one while holds his fingers close, other-while dis­playes them: sometimes he makes crosses in the aire, in a certaine prefixed number, and [Page 78]with so nimble motion, as if he would beat a­way flies, sometime he bends himselfe downe, lowting low with Spanish crindges: some­time hee stands vpright, sometime stoopes, sometime mumbles in secret, other-while hee chaunts it alowd: one while hee turnes to the people, otherwhile to the Altar: which are ge­sticulations fitter for the stage, then for the Church, and to procure laughter, then to stirre vp deuotion. Set habits I mislike not; for, in my first, and best times my Ministers were in their holy functions adorned with proper ha­bits for that purpose, which indeed were not so costly and stately, as now adayes I see them in some Churches, nor so slouenly and nastie, as I see them in other, especially amongst those Friars, which loue their broath well, and take more care to haue their diet large and fat, then to haue their Vestrie furnished and neatly dight.

As for the Sacrament, whilest the Commu­nion of the faithfull, either all, or many, or some is in celebrating, then is the fit time for that, which is called Masse, which should in­deede bee the Liturgie, and, not a priuate, but publique exercise, euen for the said Commu­nion, [Page 79]and no other vse: for, this onely was the first, and pure institution thereof. But Roma­nists haue brought-in an innouation, that for the most part the Communion should bee ce­lebrated without Masse, or Liturgie: for, they make boxes to be kept full of these Hosts: there one comes, another goes, and the Priest, with­out Masse, without prayers, affords to euery stander-by the Cōmunion, or rather the halfe Communion; it being a maymed Sacrament, and full of vndecent enormities. Hence I in­ferre, that the priuate Masse, as it is now adaies celebrated, is in many respects friuolous, and causeth the ruine of many soules. One refor­mation of it would bee, by cutting off many parts of it, and generally all those strange ge­stures, and by celebrating it for the Communi­on onely. Whereupon it followes, that in one and the same Church all the Altars, except one principall, should bee demolished, as superflu­ous. For, in one Congregation one Masse is enough for the peoples Communion, where the multitude of Altars, and Masses is nothing but a meere superstition, and erronious opini­on of a Sacrifice.

But the greatest enormitie, and most intol­lerable [Page 80]error of the Masse, now adayes is, that you, poore soules, are made beleeue, that in it the bread is conuerted, or (as they speake) transubstantiated into the true, and reall body of Christ: so that the bread after the consecration must bee no more bread, no not in substance, but Christ's true and reall body, with his true, & reall presence in body, and soule, and the Deity vnited thereto; with his head, eies, hands, and feet, the very same, that was borne of the Vir­gin Mary, which was fastened on the Crosse, which rose againe, and ascended into heauen, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father; a thing beyond all vnderstanding, and vtterly imperceptible, which I could neuer appre­hend, nor approoue. Surely the Scripture al­wayes calleth the Eucharist, euen after conse­cration, bread; Saint Luke calleth it the Com­munion of breaking of bread: Act. 2.46. Saint Paul also saith, 1. Cor. 10.16. That the bread, which wee breake, is the com­munion of the body of Christ; and speaking of the due preparation before the Communion, after a man hath prooued himselfe, and purged his cōscience, 1. Cor. 11.28. then, saith he, let him eat of that bread, and drinke of that cup. So likewise all the anci­ent Fathers acknowledged true bread in the [Page 81] Eucharist; neither euer heard they newes of this transubstantiation, it being an vtter stranger in my house; and for aboue eight hundred yeres after Christ neither heard of, nor thought on. And whensoeuer the ancient Fathers doe call the Eucharist by the name of Christ's body, their meaning is, that the bread is Christ's body Sacramentally, without ceasing to be bread still: euen as the water of holy Baptisme is sacra­mentally the blood of Christ, which washeth the soule, yet notwithstanding remayneth it still water.

And, if yee aske mee, what the Eucharisticall bread doth get by consecration more then it had before, and what maner of transmutation, or change that is, which the holy Fathers ac­knowledge to be in the bread after consecrati­on; I answere, that the bread before consecra­tion is nothing else, but ordinary bread, and onely materiall food for the body; but vpon consecration it is altered, and changed, and that spiritually, and not materially: for, it be­commeth Sacramentall bread, and by so being it attayneth a very great and meruailous priui­ledge, that whosoeuer doth worthy lie eat it in the holy Communion, doth receiue the true [Page 82]body of Christ in a certaine vnspeakeable, but spirituall, and Sacramentall maner: Christ ha­uing ordeined and promised, that whensoeuer this bread beeing made Sacramentall by con­secration, shall be eaten worthy lie, he will giue his body spiritually, and all other admirable spirituall benefits for the nourishment of their soules, to those that shall thus worthylie com­municate. And, in regard of this spirituall ef­fect of receiuing the body of Christ spiritually, as often as the consecrated bread is worthylie receiued in the act of communicating, the Fa­thers are wont to call that bread the body of Christ: And in this sense, Christ, when he gaue the Communion to his Apostles in his last supper, did call that bread, which he deliuered to them, his body. So also must wee vnder­stand the consecrated wine, which beeing druncke corporally in the Sacrament, the ve­ry blood of Christ is drunke, but spiritually, & not corporally: and so in the blessed Sacra­ment of bread and wine, there is spiritually the true body, and the true blood of Christ, with their true, and reall effects, wrought in the soule of the worthy Communicant: but there is neither the body, nor the blood corpo­rally, [Page 83]and that which is there corporally, is ve­ry bread, and very wine, imployed Sacramen­tally, as I haue declared.

The like is to be vnderstood also of the wa­ter of holy Baptisme: for, that also, before the inuocation of the most holy Trinity in the act of baptizing, is no other, then meere ordina­ry water, but by that inuocation it is consecra­ted in the very act of Baptisme, and so at one & the same time, both the water is consecrated, and of ordinary becommeth Sacramental, and withall there is performed the Sacrament of Baptisme, with the inward effect of purging the soule: whereas in the Eucharist the conse­cration goeth before, whereby the bread, and wine are made Sacramentall; and afterwards follow the eating, and drinking of them: in which actions consisteth the very Sacra­ment, and the body & blood of Christ is giuen inwardly to him, that worthylie eateth and drinketh this Sacramentall bread, and wine; but whosoeuer doth eat and drinke them vn­worthylie, without examining himselfe, and first being clensed from sinne, he doth not eat, nor drinke any other thing, then bread, and wine. For to those, that are vnworthy, Christ [Page 84]affordeth not spiritually his body, nor his blood, howsoeuer they doe eat, and drinke the consecrated bread, and wine: which consecra­tion hath this operation, that it maketh the bread, and wine Sacramentall vnto those that Sacramentally receiue them, and are onely fit for them; whereas the vnworthy receiue them not as a Sacrament, Christ denying vnto them his body, and blood; and so to them this eat­ing and drinking is no Sacrament, and that by their own default: This consecration there­fore doth them no good at all, but is the occa­sion that they eat and drinke, not a Sacrament, nor Christ's body, 1. Cor. 11.29. and blood, but iudgement, & condemnation, as St. Paul denounceth, because they doe not discerne the body of the Lord; that is, they put no difference betweene ordinary bread, and this consecrated bread, which in the Sacramentall eating doth spiritually exhibite the true body of Christ to the worthy recei­uers; they making no other preparation for it, then if they were to receiue their common, or­dinary, and meere corporall food. So also, if, by any mischance in the time of communica­ting, any vnreasonable creature should eat that consecrated bread, it eateth no other then [Page 85]meere bread; inasmuch as Christ doth not af­foord his body with the consecrated bread, but onely vnto those, who are capeable of the Sa­crament, and are made worthy of it, or, at least, doe not vnworthylie approach vnto it.

And because Christ performeth not this won­derfull worke of giuing his body, and blood, (in such sort as I haue declared) but onely by occasion of the Sacrament; and forasmuch as, likewise the Sacrament it selfe consisteth who­ly in the actions of eating, and drinking, who seeth not, that such consecrated bread, whilest it is not imployed in those actions, remayneth pure and ordinary bread? for, the consecrating of it serued only to make it Sacramental bread, & surely it is not Sacramentall otherwise then as it is to bee eaten Sacramentally in that spiri­tuall banquet, which then is in celebrating, although the same should continue many houres, or there were some sicke persons to communicate of it, who lie in their beds at home, euen though they were some ten miles distant thence, in asmuch as this may bee held morally one banquet or Communion.

Whereupon you may easily perceiue the er­rour of those, that terme by the name of the [Page 86]most holy Sacrament that consecrated bread, which after the Communion finished, is kept in Pyxes and cabinets, where it is not to bee ea­ten by any, but after certaine daies, and weeks, and moneths, and perhaps not by men at all, but by mice, or other vermine, and yet surely it is no Sacrament, but onely in the act of eat­ing: therefore in these Pyxes, and closets there is contained, not onely no Sacrament, but not so much as Sacramentall bread, the force of consecration beeing already vanished; inas­much as that bread was consecrated onely to the end it might bee eaten in that meeting Sa­cramentally; and therefore afterwards it be­commeth ordinary bread: which notwith­standing, in reuerend regard that this very bread was consecrated to the Communion, is to bee eaten by those, that are in sacred functi­on, and not to bee brought vnto the common dining-table, nor to be vsed as ordinary foode. And yet (alas) euen to this bread thus reserued, there are vsually prayers made, and adoration performed, as vnto the onely true God, which is most expresse, proper, and formall Idolatry.

Consider also the grosse absurdities, and ma­nifest impossibilities, which they are faine to [Page 87]maintaine, who hold transubstantiation: that the accidents of bread, namely colour, quanti­tie, smell, sauour, and such like, remaine with­out any subiect, wherein they should inheare, or substance, whereby they should be suppor­ted. Surely nothing can subsist in its actuall being whensoeuer it looseth its very essence; and all Philosophie proclaimeth, that Acciden­tis esse estinesse, the being of an accident, or qualitie consisteth in being supported by a substance, or subiect. So that by this reckoning these accidents are in being, because they are seene, and felt, and yet are not in being, because their owne being is denied them: and that which essentially hath no being of it selfe, but wholy dependeth of another, it is vnpossible that it should exist without that, by which it is that it is. So euery accident in its owne essence is an appurtenance to another thing, namely, vnto substance; and he, that withdraweth sub­stance and subject from an accident, stealeth a­way the very essence thereof: and so, as I said, these accidents are something, because they are visible, and palpable, and yet are nifles, because there is no substance left to support them; and so they are appendants, and no appendants. [Page 88]And, as for diuinitie, that acknowledgeth, that euen to God himselfe those things, which im­ply contradiction, are not feisible.

But what would they say concerning the power of nourishing, which is alwayes to be found in the Eucharisticall bread? Certainely he, that should eate no other meat, nor drinke no other liquor, then these Sacramentall ele­ments, should finde himselfe nourished as much as with any ordinary bread and wine: And being that a man's body is not an acci­dent, but a substance, of necessitie it must bee nourished with substances and not with acci­dents, the substance of meats being alwayes turned into the substance of the body nou­rished by them: here therefore is no other starting-hole left, then to run to a miracle, that forsooth God doth create a new substance, whereby he, that thus eateth, is nourished, and so in trueth they might as well say, that he li­ueth and is nourished without eating, and drinking: for, to eate and drinke without re­ceiuing the substance of meat and drinke is in­deed not to eate and drinke at all.

Here I may adde the greatest impossibilitie of all, and euen open contradiction hence fol­lowing, [Page 89]namely, that Christ's body shalbe a bo­dy, and no body: it cannot be denied that cor­poreal, and incorporeall substances are so farre in their nature, and essence distinguished, that neither of them can haue the properties of the other, nor be dispoiled of their owne proper­ties, without the totall destruction of one of them. To be in a confining circumscribed place; to haue quantitie, and parts one distin­guished from the other; to be either heauy, or light; to be sensible; are properties, which arise from the internall essence of things corporeal. To be indiuisible; to be vncircumscribed by any place; to possesse no situation; to be who­ly in the whole, and all in euery parcell of the whole, are properties of substances abstract, immateriall, and incorporeall. Well indeed may it be granted, that God's Almighty power can displace some of these properties in bo­dies, by putting in another propertie contrary thereto, but yet corporeal; as he can make a bo­dy, which is naturally heauy, to become light, and that, which is hot, to become cold; but to make a body still to remaine an entire body, yet so, that it shall reteine no corporeall quali­tie, but assume incorporeall properties, is vtter­ly [Page 90]impossible, euen to God's omnipotencie: for it should be at the same time both a body and a spirit; and so a body, and no body. To this are the Papists driuen, turning the body of Christ into an abstract, immateriall, and incor­poreall substance, and giuing it the true pro­perties of a spirit, and depriuing it of all bodily qualities. And yet when the Disciples, after the resurrection, vpon Christ's appearance amongst them, Luke 24.37. and saying vnto them, Peace be vnto you, were terrified and affrighted, supposing they had seene a spirit; for the driuing this error out of their heads, Christ, shewing them his hands, and feet, and body, said, Handle me and see; for, a spirit hath not flesh, and bones. It is therefore a sound position by Christ's owne argument, that that, which consisteth of flesh and bones, cannot haue the properties of a spirit, nor a spi­rit haue the properties of a body; otherwise Christ's argument would not passe for currant, if it were possible, that a man's body might bee without palpable flesh, and bones, and that a Spirit might consist of palpable flesh, and bones. But the Papists will needs driue the body of Christ, which of necessitie hath visible, and palpable flesh, and bones, to be a meere [Page 91]spirit: and so they make the same body, remai­ning continually in heauen, and not departing thence, to come downe to the earth, into the hands of the Priest, and that without passing through the heauens, or the aire: and that the same entire body must be in the same moment of time, both in heauen, and vpon an infinite company of Altars in the earth: and that not onely in the whole contents of the consecra­ted Host, but in euery little particle thereof, though no bigger then the point of a needle, there must be the large entire body of a man fully growne, together with all his flesh, and bones, with his hands, and feete, and with all the rest of his members. A very meere vani­tie, whereat the Infidels our aduersaries may well make themselues merry, and mocke at our faith, for mainteyning things so repug­nant to all reason, which wee cannot salue vp, no not by running to God's omnipotencie.

There is no necessitie at all, whereby wee should be driuen to these absurd assertions. True it is, that Christ speaking of the holy Bread, said, This is my body, but euen so it is said of iron heated red-hot, this is fire, not because it ceaseth to be iron, but because that iron is ac­companied [Page 92]with fire, together with the pro­perties thereof, as heating, enlightning, and such like. So, this bread is his body, because, in the Communion, the body of Christ doeth spi­ritually accompany this bread, and doth bring spirituall effects with it.

So also Christ said of S. Iohn Baptist, that hee was Elias, Matth. 17.12. yet he was not in person that ancient Elias, but he, that was prefigured by him. Iesus Christ therefore spake mysticallie and Sacra­mentally; as likewise when he said of himselfe, that he was the liuing bread Iohn 6.55. that his flesh was meat indeed, and his blood drinke indeed. Some of the holy Fathers vnderstand this place in S. Iohn, not of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, but of faith, and in a mysterious sense, that he, that be­leeued in him, did thereby eate the true bread, which was giuen from heauen. And those a­mong the Fathers, which, by this flesh and blood thus promised by Christ for nourish­ment, vnderstand the Sacrament, doe meane also, that this flesh, and this blood is to be ea­ten, and drunke by faith, whilest the Sacra­mentall Bread, and Wine is eaten, and drunke by the corporall mouth.

From this maine error concerning this im­possible, [Page 93]and vnconceiuable transubstantiation, whereby they will haue a true, and reall trans­mutation of the Bread into the true, reall, li­uing, entire, and totall body of Christ, doth arise a true, and reall Idolatrie in the Masse: where­in the consecrated Host is lifted vp, that it may be adored for very Christ, very God; and yet in realtie and trueth it is true and reall bread.

Another branch springing from this error is, that vpon this occasion they haue maimed the Sacrament in the peoples Communion, by saying, that in receiuing of the body of Christ in the Bread, there is receiued the flesh, and so the blood also by concomitancie. And vpon pre­tence of certaine vaine, and fruitlesse reueren­ces, lest by any mischance the consecrated wine should be spilt vpon the ground, and so the ve­ry blood of Christ be trod vnder feet, they haue to preuent this mischiefe robbed the people of the vse of the cup. Wherein they erre more wayes then one; first, in running to this deuise of concomitance, whereas Christ in his Institu­tion of this holy Sacrament did employ both Bread, and Wine, commanding all both to eate and drinke, and giuing order to his Apostles, that they, and their successours after them [Page 94]should in the very same man̄er minister the Communion vnto the faithfull people.

Moreouer, by taking away from the Sacra­ment the signification thereof, they doe, in whole, or in part, destroy the Sacrament it selfe: namely, as farre as the thing signified is more, or lesse defalked. Christ hath instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the forme of a meale, a banquet, a refection, for the increase of amitie, and loue among the faithfull, (whose charitie is much imployed in these mutuall in­tertainements and feasts) as also to signifie, that he would hereby refresh, and nourish our soules. Now he, that debarres drinke from his boord, and feeds his guests with meate onely, surely maketh but a dry feast; and hee, that feeds onely on meate, without any drinke at all, is but ill refreshed, and very imperfectly nourished. When therefore the faithfull come together to the Lord's Supper, they ought, e­uen in the outward action, not onely to eate, but also to drinke together, to expresse in this compleat man̄er their mutual loue, and vnion: and if they onely eate together without drink­ing, they cannot taste the entire signification of this spirituall Feast, which consists in an [Page 95]entire, and totall charitie. And hee that out­wardly receiueth meate onely, without the Cup, cannot thereby represent to his vnder­standing the inward receipt of a compleat spi­rituall refection.

They haue therefore done very ill to take a­way the vse of the Cup, to the grieuous may­ming of the Sacrament, and robbing of you, my deere children, of a great part of the fruit of the Eucharist, whilest they giue it you in this man̄er, lame and dismembred. And this reue­rence, which they pretend, is a vaine excuse: for, such care, and diligence, as by men can bee performed in this behalfe, is sufficient to pre­uent vndecent handling of those sacred miste­ries; and there beeing no danger at all, that the very body, or the very blood of Christ should be materially trampled or trodden vnder foot; but surely, their keeping their Sacrament thus in boxes and shrines (which is indeede no Sa­crament whilest it is not thereto imployed) is heereby exposed to danger of beeing gnawen, and consumed by mice and wormes: and in this their case of danger, they are driuen to say, that a mouse, eating those species, doth receiue into it selfe the very body of Christ, and the en­tire [Page 96]Sacrament, though it receiue not rem, & effectum Sacramenti, the Sacramentall thing and effect thereof: and whilest these species remaine in the belly of this mouse, it must needes fol­low, according to their doctrine, that in the mouse's belly there is included the true and re­all body of Christ. And is not this, I pray you, a greater absurdity, then if some droppe of the sacred wine, though it were indeede the very blood of Christ, should be spilt vpon the earth, whence it may either be gathered vp, or wiped away without beeing trodden on at all?

In the meane while heere also they vse their ambitious tyrannie, making themselues abso­lute Lords ouer holy things, and mysteries or­dayned by Christ himselfe, whereof they ought to be dispenfers onely, and not commanders, nor masters to giue or deny what they please, euen to those, who are worthy receiuers of them. And besides this fuell of their ambiti­on, whereby they mainetaine transubstantiation, to make their Priests and Friars to bee more highly esteemed, and reuerenced of the peo­ple, (as those who manage, and handle Christ, and cause him to come downe from heauen) heereto is to be added also the part, which co­ueteousnesse [Page 97]hath in this lot, by squiesing your purses, and drawing from you the larger offe­rings by this vaine fancie put in your heads, & selling their Masses at so much the higher rate, which they see cannot haue the name of a pro­pitiatory Sacrifice, vnlesse the very body of Christ bee offered in them. And thus you see these so high mysteries, for the priuate ends of those that manage them, enwrapped with grosse and palpable errors; from which I ad­uise you to keepe aloofe, as from most pernici­ous Rocks.

¶ The second Rocke. Auricular Confession.

ONe of the precious treasures, which my Iesus Christ hath layd vp in his house, and mine, is the remission of sinnes, which cannot bee had, or found any­where else, then in my precincts: This in most full man̄er is granted first in Baptisme vn­to those, who, beeing of ripe vnderstanding, doe seriously come to the holy lauer. And you [Page 98]my children, by reason of your corrupt nature, cannot remaine any long while in this mortall life without falling into sinnes, whereupon the true and generall remedy for remission of sinnes committed after Baptisme, is Repen­tance.

But I would haue you be aduised, that yee by no deede, that you can doe, though supported with God's grace, can euer purchase, or merit this Remission, as if doing one or more good actions, and presenting them to God, ye might pretend, that he is bound to pardon you, espe­cially concerning the act of Iustification; wherein of an impious sinner remayning vn­der God's wrath, a man becommeth the sonne of God, and is reconciled to him, and accepted of him. This is a grieuous errour, and dange­rous Rocke, inasmuch as neither repentance, nor Confession, nor any other act done by a sin­ner, can binde God to affoord him remission, to whom onely it belongeth to remit sinnes. And this remission hath my only Spouse your Lord, and mine, Iesus Christ purchased, and merited with his bitter Passion, by shedding of his most precious blood, and dying vpon the balefull tree of the Crosse: and the remission [Page 99]of your sinnes consisteth in this onely, that God through his meere grace and mercy ac­cepteth Christ's satisfaction instead of that satis­faction, which a sinner ought to pay him for his sinnes, by the euerlasting punishment of e­ternall damnation. And so a sinner becom­meth iust, whilest God doth deriue vpon a sin­ner the iustice of his sonne, and doth apply it vnto him with this onely condition, that the sinner by faith doe vnite himselfe vnto Christ, and beleeuing in him doe lay his whole confi­dence on him onely, and not on any worke or merit of his owne. For, all your workes, if they be meerely naturall, are filthy, & of no worth to obtaine any supernaturall good: and if they be done with faith, and by the helpe of grace, besides that they are alwayes full of imperfe­ctions, and tainted with some spots, they are not indeede to bee counted yours, but to be at­tributed to God and his grace; and are also a debt due vnto him in many respects: for, whose the tree is, his also is the fruit that it beareth; and to him that is master of a slaue, belong al­so the children, the worke, and the pur­chase whatsoeuer the slaue getteth. Yee can neuer therefore bring vnto God your workes [Page 100]as your owne free gift, whereupon you might expect recompence of pardon: and so much the more, in that there is no proportion be­tweene your workes, which are finite, and of finite value, (if of any at all) and the offence of infinite demerit. Suffer not therefore your selues to bee deceiued by the couetousnesse of the Priests, and Friars, when they tell you, that you may obtaine iustification, and remission of your sinnes how heynous soeuer, by your good workes, especially by giuing almes. Neither put you any confidence toward the remission of sinnes in any, sauing Christ alone, and in his merits; Rom. 3.24. for, hee freely iustifieth you, without any merit of yours.

True it is (and therefore take heede of the other extreame) that no man can present him­selfe to God, nor rely vpon Christ's merits, that goeth on in a wicked resolution to continue still in sin against his conscience. And there­fore I told you, that you must addresse your selues vnto Christ to obtaine this remission, but with faith, that is, with a true and liuely faith, Iam. 2.17. not with that faith, which without workes is dead, but with such a faith in the mind, which is accompanied with holy affections, and that [Page 101]is to beleeue in Christ, to bee subiect vnto him, to obey him, with detestation of faults com­mitted, and intending of a new life, and yeeld­ing vp a man's selfe to the keeping of God's ho­ly Commandements. And whosoeuer doth not this, in vaine shall hee rely vpon Christ and his merits, neither shall he euer obtaine remis­sion of his sinnes. This rysing vp from sinne, and submitting to the obseruance of God's Commandements, as farre as humane frailty will afford, is not in you any merit, whereto remission should bee repayed as due, but it is a necessary disposition, and taketh away the im­pediments, that otherwise would hinder re­mission of sinnes. And herein consisteth Pe­nitence, being both the inwards of true repen­tance, (which is the most principall disposition requisite for remission) and the outside also of penitentiall workes, as fasting, almes, mortify­ing the flesh, and other workes of piety, which are indeede no merits, nor causes of forgiue­nesse, but fruits of inward true repentance, and a fit appurtenance vnto the inward good dis­position, and vnto due humiliation.

These dispositions being forelaid, as necessa­ry, & required by God, let a man hold himselfe [Page 102]to his faith, and confidence in Christ, and by his mercy hee shall without faile obtaine re­mission: and the whole conueyance betweene God and a sinner, is carried in this man̄er by the meanes of Christ, mine and your onely Mediatour, without any necessity at all of any other Confession made vnto man; due Confession made vnto God beeing of it selfe sufficient, whereby a sinner, beeing humbled, doth not any more defend his sinnes, but confesseth to God, Chrys. in ep. ad Heb. hom. 31. that he hath sinned. I doe not aduise thee (saith Saint Chrysostome) to lay thy selfe open, nor to accuse thy selfe to others, Psalm. 57. but to obey the Prophet, who sayeth, Reueale thy way vnto the Lord. Con­fesse thy sinnes before God, declare thy offences be­fore the Iudge, though not with thy tongue, yet with thy memory, and then hope that thou shalt obtaine mercy: So saith that worthy holy Father.

I doe not know, that I euer intertayned in my house any such Sacrament appointed mee by my Spouse, as a true and proper Sacrament, whereby hee hath obliged himselfe to giue re­mission of sinnes after Baptisme: I beleeue in­deed, that whosoeuer groaning vnder the load of sinne, shall with true inward pentience, and reall repentance approach vnto the holy table, [Page 103]and receiue the Communion with due prepa­ration, shall receiue remission of his sins. For, although this Sacrament was principally insti­tuted by Christ, and committed to mee for the spirituall feeding of the soule, and for the pre­seruing of charity among my children; yet in that it is also a remembrance of the Passion of Christ, it auayleth much for the remission of sinnes; for the obtayning whereof Christ's bo­dy was sacrificed vpon the Crosse, & his most pretious blood shed: and therefore in his first giuing the Communion to his Apostles, hee said vnto them, Luc. 22.19. Math. 26.28. that that was his body which was giuen for them, and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes.

You must vnderstand also, that Auricular Confession, and Priestly Absolution, which are the ground of this Rocke, now set before your view, is neither practised aright, nor well vn­derstood by those that follow the Romane doctrine, who hereupon haue built a shop of money-mart and gaine. Recall, I pray you, to your remembrance that, which I obserued be­fore in the fourth Rocke of the first part, con­cerning the two first medicinall Excommunica­tions, and you shall finde that my ancient cu­stome [Page 104]prescribed vnto mee by my Spouse, and practised by my holy, and learned Ministers, of at least foure of the first Ages, was publick­ly to correct grieuous, and scandalous offen­dors, and, according to the authority commit­ted to me by Christ, to binde them in their sins, and afterwards to loose them againe, and in this man̄er to imploy the keyes about the re­mitting of sinnes; namely, to debarre such of­fenders for some while from the holy Table, & sometime also from all other Congregations, and meetings of the faithfull for spirituall ex­ercises, as heynous delinquents drowned in their sinnes, and vnworthy of such participa­tion, vnlesse they should first recall themselues vnto due inward penitence, and giue also out­ward satisfaction vnto mee, by penitentiall workes enioyned them by me, and my Mini­sters, when they thus had by scandalous sins disgraced mee, and not yet made mee any due satisfaction. And yet in due time, according to the pious discretion of my Ministers, such as these were loosed, and reconciled, and were anew admitted to the holy meetings with others, and to the Communion of the Lord's Supper.

This was a course taken to very good pur­pose, and at length did work great setlednesse, and comfort in the consciences of such offen­ders, though perhaps it did goe downe with some bitternesse, and shame. For, such a sinner being in this man̄er bound by me vpon earth, was infallibly also bound in heauen, nor could obtaine remission at God's hands, though hee were neuer so well disposed by penitence and inward contrition betweene God and him: for, that promise, made by Christ, is most cer­taine, and cannot faile, Matth. 18.18. that he would bind in hea­uen all those, whom I had (without error) bound vpon earth, Iohn 20.23. and that he would withhold and suspend all remission from those sinners, whose sinnes I had withheld, namely by the aforesaid retention, or excommunication, or solemne penance: and as soone as such a sinner, thus first bound by me, was afterward reconciled, and remaunded to the Church, and restored to religious com­merce, and to the participation of the holy Sa­crament, he did without faile obteine remissi­on of Christ himselfe, by vertue of his aforesaid promise, that he would release, and forgiue the sinne assoone as I had loosed the person, and released the sinne by this externall remission: [Page 106]and so the internal remission afforded by Christ in such a case, dependeth vpon the externall re­mission giuen by me; which truely was a way of dealing on a very sure hand. And moreouer, many grieuous, and also secret offenders, nay perhaps all the sort of them, in regard of the suretie of this course, came to their Bishop, or to some other deputed by him, who was after­ward called the Penitentiary, or Confessor; and, some openly with a lowd and audible voyce, others more priuily vnto the eare, but in a pub­lique place in the Church, confessed their sinnes, those sinnes, I meane, that were very grieuous, and enormous; and caused them­selues in this man̄er, as I haue said, to be bound or excommunicated, and to haue penance in­ioyned them, that they might afterwards in fit time get reconciliation by the power of the keyes, and consequently forgiuenesse in hea­uen without faile.

And here you are to obserue, that the Keyes were employed onely vpon great and enor­mous crimes (for as for more light, and ordi­nary sinnes, though mortall, there were other externall remedies, as I shall hereafter shew,) and that by way of accusatiō, either by others, [Page 107]or by the delinquent himselfe: but the bin­ding, and reconciling, and whole processe was in the same man̄er. Whereby you may per­ceiue, that this was not a Sacrament, as the Ro­manists would now haue it: for, vpon the ac­cusation of others, and iudiciall conuiction, they proceeded vnto this binding, and iniun­ction of penance, after which, the partie accu­sed, aswell not confessing, as confessing pub­liquely, or priuately, was absolued with the same for me of reconcilement: neither is there to be found in those dayes any other Confessi­on, or Absolution. Moreouer, that this was not then any Sacrament, it appeareth in that there was not any verball Absolution, nor any ordinary forme of absoluing, but this alone was sufficient, that the Bishop, or his Substi­tute did giue leaue to the penitent to come in­to the Church, euen into the place where the other people remained, which were not in pe­nance, and to partake the Communion with them. And this was alwayes called Reconcilia­tion, not Absolution. And howsoeuer after­wards there were brought-in certaine prayers, which were pronounced ouer the penitent in the act of his reconcilement, yet all was by [Page 108]way of supplication, and not by authoritatiue Absolution, as may be yet seene in the Romane Pontificall.

And as for other sinnes, which were not so grieuous, and enormous, howsoeuer mortall of themselues, God, in his mercy, doeth require lesse disposition, and lesse adoe concerning them: and so supposing alwayes inward repen­tance, namely detestation of those sinnes, and firme remouall of the will from them, and liue­ly faith, and due confidence, God hath promi­sed to acquite them much more easily, vpon some performances taught, and imposed in the holy Scripture: as principally the Lord's praier taught by my Sauiour Christ. For, assuredly vpon the presenting that petition, Forgiue vs our trespasses, as wee forgiue them that trespasse a­gainst vs, there followeth the remission of ligh­ter and smaller sinnes; which S. Augustine, and other holy Fathers doe vnderstand of sinnes, which are in trueth mortall, howsoeuer they style them by the name of venial, not that a ve­niall sinne is not mortall, (for euery sinne, that is truely a sinne, is mortall, and, if not mortall, it is no sinne) but because it is in that sort mor­tall that God vouchsafeth to deeme it veniall, [Page 109]that is, fit to be pardoned with more facilitie, then other heinous offences, which by the ho­ly Fathers are called crimes, and distinguished from ordinary faults; yet both the one, and the other are mortall. In like sort these lesser, or veniall sinnes are cancelled vpon giuing of Almes, (for, as water putteth out fire, Ecclus. 5.30. so Almes ex­tinguisheth sinne) as also vpon vndergoing tri­bulations with faith, and patience. Ecclus. 2.11. God is full of compassion, and very pitifull, and forgiueth sinnes, and saueth in time of affliction: Luke 6.37. Also vpon pardo­ning of iniuries, Forgiue, and it shall be forgiuen vnto you: Also at my requests, and intercessi­ons such sinnes are remitted, Amb. depae. nit. l. 1. c. 1. & l. 2. c. 7. Aug. l. 3. de bapt. c. 17. Chrys. in ep. ad Rom. home 24. and gemitu co­lumbae, by my groaning, as you may finde in S. Ambrose, and S. Augustine: with other conueni­ent wayes also taught, and allowed by holy Scripture, and expounded by S. Chrysostome.

But beware, lest you beleeue, that any sinnes, howsoeuer veniall, are cancelled by the holy-water-sprinkle: this is a meere superstition. Where doeth the holy Scripture euer teach, that sinnes are washed away by water of the Priests hallowing? This were to bring in a se­cond Baptisme. They will haue this effect to a­rise, either ex opere operato, or else ex opere ope­rantis. [Page 110]That is to say; They will haue this effect to bee wrought either by the water it selfe, through the vertue of the benediction of it, if there be no impediment in him, that is sprink­led with it; or else they will haue it to come of the deuotion of him that vseth this water. If they say by the deed done, (as for the most part they auouch) this is an intolerable impudency, namely to auouch, that the hallowing of this water doeth giue vnto it a certaine supernatu­rall force to cleanse sinnes, without any fur­ther diuine institution or promise, and so this becommeth the dotage of the Turkes, who by often washings hold themselues to be purified from their sinnes without faile: and how then can there be a more formall superstition, then to giue to things meerely naturall and hu­maine a certaine supernaturall force? If they will say, that it commeth ex opere operantis, to what purpose then serues that water, otherwise then to bring-in the superstition? The other operation, which they attribute hereunto, is the scaring away of Diuels: which certainely this water cannot doe, vnlesse God doe impart such vertue vnto it: And where, I pray you, hath God bound himselfe to giue such vertue [Page 111]to a creature by the blessing of a Priest? I would haue you therefore to fly from holy Water, as from an idle superstition; so also take heed you beleeue not, that blessings giuen by Pope, Bi­shop, or Priest, whilest they make the signe of the Crosse ouer you in the aire, can cancel your sinnes though but veniall; which is likewise a superstition of the same kinde; whereto I may adde the Agnus Dei, and other such idle trinkets.

Well may yee collect out of that, which I haue said, and obserue how manifold, & great are the abuses of the Romane faction about Confession. First, they make a Sacrament where none is, taking the word Sacrament in the pro­per, and strict sense. Secondly, they allow an efficacie to authoritatiue absolution, which is nei­ther necessary, nor hath any force at all; Re­conciliation being sufficient, which in ancient times might bee performed euen by my Dea­cons, but so as in my name. Thirdly, they make Auricular Confession necessary (at least in mens desire of it when it cannot bee had) for the remission of euery mortall sinne. Yet haue I shewed you, that it is left to your liberty thus to worke, or no, your owne security, by first [Page 112]causing your selues to be bound by the keyes, that afterwards you may bee let loose by the same. And this retention, or binding, or dis­communing, ought not to bee vndertaken by me for petty sinnes, but onely for those, that are heynous and scandalous; there beeing in my family so many other meanes for remissi­on of venials, yet alwayes supposing Repen­tance. Fourthly, they doe first absolue, and af­terwards impose the penance; that is to say, they loose him, whom they neuer bound, and then they bind him againe, whom they neuer loose afterward. And yet, for my part, I cannot loose, but that onely, which my selfe haue bound; and my order is first to binde, and then to loose; which is the true vse of the keyes. True it is, that euery sinne doth presently be­fore God binde euery sinner, and of this bind­ing Christ did not speake, when he said, Whatso­euer yee shall loose in earth, shall be loosed in heauen: inasmuch as my loosing is a relatiue vnto my binding; and therefore Christ there vnderstan­deth not that bond, whereby a sinner is bound before God, but that bond which is knitte by me; whatsoeuer, saith hee, yee shall binde: and when a sinner doth binde himselfe before [Page 113]God by his sinne, it is not I that binde him, but hee bindeth himselfe by sinning. Therefore I let loose nothing, but that, which my selfe haue bound, and so the binding goeth before, with imposing of penance, and satisfaction, and then in good order followeth loosing. And he, that is bound onely before God, and not in respect of mee, cannot be loosed by me; because I neuer bound him: but he must seeke his loosing of God, and cary this businesse be­tweene God and him alone, and then he knoc­keth at the right doore for Absolution. Which if hee desire to haue at my hands, let him first come to haue me binde him, and subiect him­selfe to my holsome censures, and then in fitte time I may let him loose againe, inasmuch as I haue bound him. Thus, and not otherwise, standeth the case of Absolution by my keyes, there beeing also a liberty left to euery grie­uous offendor to vse, or not to vse the benefit thereof; beeing, that euen without these keyes he may be assoyled from his sinnes: alwayes excepting those offenders, who being accused before mee, though against their owne wills, stand bound by mee. And for such as these, my Spouse committed the keyes to mee to [Page 114]binde, and loose withall; but he dothnot ob­lige any man to come to me, that I may binde him, and afterwards loose him, there beeing other ordinary meanes of remission prouided for such, namely Repentance: onely those, that either with, or against their owne wills haue beene bound by mee, are obliged by mee to wait their deliuerance at my hands, without which my release (except in case of necessity) by vertue of Christ's owne words, they shall ne­uer bee loosed in heauen. And in this man̄er I exhort all of you, my beloued children, in grieuous sinnes alwaies to seeke to haue remis­sion by my keyes, subiecting your selues vo­luntarily to my binding, but secretly, that you may afterward obtaine at my hands Recon­cilement, whereupon infallibly followeth loo­sing in heauen.

Behold this Rocke of Confession, and Absolu­tion, which are so corruptly, and preposterously handled by the Romanists. They load you with more bonds then you are liable vnto: they beare you in hand with a Sacrament, where indeede there is none: they secure you with Absolution ex opere operato; whereupon you, putting such trust in the power of this [Page 115]Absolution, especially in that it beareth the name to make you ex attritis contritos, it maketh you cast away all care, and luls you fast asleepe, so that you looke not after true inward repen­tance, without which it is not possible to haue true remission, and you rely too-too much vp­on this Absolution, which is giuen you with­out first beeing exercised in penance. And, a­las, how many wretches be there among you, that lead still a wicked life vpon presumption of the great force of Absolution, saying thus to themselues, When I shall be at the brinke of death I will confesse mee, and receiue Absolu­tion, and so I shall stand on a sure ground. But Saint Augustine saith to such as these, Aug. lib. 50. hom. 41. & serm. 47. de temp. that in­deede hee will not deny them reconciliation presently vpon their confession, but he will not bee their warant, that it will boot them at all; because there doth not come betweene their Confession, and reconcilement such penitence as is necessary. And so in a most important businesse concerning your soules, you my chil­dren, that are blinde, are lead by blinde guides, and both of you fall into the gulfe, and beat your ship against this infamous Rocke of Aua­rice: for your Confessors (excepting some few [Page 116]good ones) ordinarily, when as they see your almes prepared, especially when it glisters ra­ther yellow, then white, they presently absolue you, when you are nothing fit for it; or, to in­tertaine the more pay, they shuffle vp the bu­sinesse, that they may runne ouer others, and so they dispatch you without examining, with­out sifting your consciences, without due con­sidering your estate as well, or ill disposed for Absolution.

I passe ouer the abhominable abuses of ma­king aduantage of Confession, either to disco­uer the secrets of Princes, & States, or to make way for inclinations to forraigne Princes, or to fish for inheritances, and legacies, or to satisfie their owne wanton lusts. I passe by the errors, and grosse enormities, whereby, vpon pre­tence of the secrecie of the seale of Confession, rebellions, conspiracies, king-killing, and such like abhominations are couched, cherished, & secured. Iudge you therefore, if this be not an horrible and dreadfull Rocke: Let vs passe on to the rest.

¶ The third Rocke, with two blind Rockes abutting, namely Purgatory, together with Satisfaction, and Indulgences.

THe distinction of fault, and punish­ment in mens sinnes, beeing an vp­start inuention, yet some Ages since deuised by my stubborne vnruly daughter the Church of Rome, for the feeding thereby her vnsatiable auarice; this distinction, I say, hath layd the foundation of that harmefull Rocke of Purgatory, inlarging it selfe with those two vnderlurking companions, Satisfaction af­ter absolution, or Penance, as they call it, and In­dulgences. I, for my part, through many the purer ages, haue alwayes published absolute, and entire pardon, and complete remission of sinnes; for such I haue learned of my Spouse, of whom it is long since testified in the Psalme, that with him there is plenteous redemption; Psalm. 130.7. nei­ther did I euer finde, that hee, in pardoning of sinnes, and giuing Absolution from the fault, did at any time change the eternal punishment [Page 118]into temporall, or euer enioyned any punish­ment, Luke 7.48. or satisfaction. Behold the example of the sinfull woman: Matth. 9.2. of the man sicke of the palsie: consider the parable of the debtors, I forgaue thee all thy debt. Matth. 18.32. So also by Ezechiel, that, God, when hee pardoneth a man his sinnes, mentioneth them to him no more: Ezech. 18.22. whereas, if hee left their debt of punishment vnsatisfied, cer­tainely he should remember it vntill the said punishment were wholly performed. And how can it bee said that a man doeth pardon his enemie, if, forbearing to take away his life, hee should make reseruation vnto him­selfe of some other reuenge vpon him, though not mortall: Alas, what a pinching pardon were this.

Are Christ's satisfactions sufficient for the whole fault, and are they not for the whole punishment? Or rather, hath not Christ taken vpon himselfe intirely all my both faults, and punishments? And as for humane satisfacti­ons, so vile as they are, what price can they carry, being also due debt vnto God in many other respects?

But if you looke backe vnto my continuall practise, which I layed open to you in the dis­couery [Page 119]of the last-touched Rocke, ye shall find that after Reconciliation, (which they now a­dayes call Absolution) I did neuer impose any satisfaction or penance vpon Penitents. I did indeed, before the loosing such offenders, im­pose vpon them some penall workes, yet not as satisfactory, nor that by them they might rid themselues from the bonds of punishment due to their sinnes, whether temporall, or eter­nall; (What acceptable satisfaction can hee giue, who as yet is in disgrace) but that there­by they might stirre vp inward repentance, and shew foorth their humiliation, and edifie their brethren scandalized by their heinous sinnes. Euen as the penitence vsed by King Ahab, when hee fasted, and put on sackcloth, was approued, and accepted of God, not as sa­tisfactory, but as an outward signe of inward humiliation: 1. King. 21.29. Seest thou (saith God to Elias) how Ahab is humbled before me? because hee humbleth himselfe, therefore I will not bring that euill in his dayes. And this is that, which was said by pe­nitent Dauid, A contrite & humbled heart, O God, Psal. 51.17. thou wilt not despise. Contrite by true inward repentance, and humbled with those outward signes, namely, lowly, and penall workes, by [Page 120]which the penitent sheweth, that hee will not stand out with God: but that laying aside all hautinesse, hee subiecteth himselfe to God's hand, and mercie; So also did the Niniuites, humbling themselues with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, going so low, that they made the very beasts to fast: Which fasting surely could be neither meritorious, nor satisfactory: but to the end that the fairer euidence might bee giuen of their owne true repentance, they de­sired that their humiliation might appeare e­uen in the very beasts. To this end haue I made the pious institution of Lent, which in order of time is to goe before Easter, to the end that my children might bee the better prepared by fa­stings, prayers, and other actions of deuotion, to receiue afterward in the holy feast of Ea­ster reconcilement, and full remission of their sinnes; and by this institution, Penance is to goe before Remission, or Absolution, and not to follow after it.

It cannot be denied, that oftentimes by the scourge of outward afflictions and tribulati­ons, Hebr. 12.6. God doeth bring those, whom he loueth, to this aforesaid necessary humiliation, and al­so hereby trieth them, as gold is tried in the [Page 121]furnace, and is content that such chastisements as these, inflicted by him, shall stand in the stead of punishment due to their sinnes: 1. Cor. 11.32. but withall hee doeth moreouer apply his owne mercy, and pardon, which he affordeth them both of fault, and punishment: and such fauors vouch­safed by God are not halfed, nor pinched, but full and complete. When therefore hee recei­ueth a man vnto fauour, he pardoneth him all: yet doeth God sometimes before hand, in par­doning an heinous crime, ioyne also some no­torious temporall chastisement; the execution whereof may endure euen after the remission of the sinne; which penaltie God himselfe doth inflict, and expresly enioyne, and referrs it not to the voluntary vndertaking, or executing by the penitent: 2. Sam. 12.22. As vpon Dauid's Adultery he in­flicted for a temporall penaltie the death of the child; which Dauid could not put by, by any humiliation that hee could vndergoe, or prayers that hee could make: So likewise that punishment of diuision of the Tribes, which was the iust reward of Salomons misdeeds, 1 Reg. 11.31. came to passe after his death, and perhaps after that his sinnes had bene remitted, as we may with good reason presume: So likewise Ahab's pu­nishment [Page 122]was accomplished in his sonne's dayes; 2. Reg. 9.29. and in like man̄er other penalties also inflicted by God without remission. But all these are extraordinary cases, and open chastise­ments, but not satisfactory: and all of them executed in this present world. As for vs, we are to hold to that, which is ordinary.

Being therefore that there neither ought, nor can remaine any obligation vnto any pu­nishment after the sinne is remitted, (for, true remission is of the punishment, aswell as of the fault) therefore Penances, and Satisfactions, af­ter Absolution must needs bee one of these two, either workes of humiliation done out of season preposterously, which for the most part are also neglected, and omitted by the peni­tents, hauing got their Absolution before hand: or else they are the gaines, and purchases of the Confessors, who ordinarily, as oft as they can, fly vpon money-mulcts vnder the name of Almes, or for saying of Masses, which those Confessors offer themselues ready to per­forme, and tell a tale, that they haue in their handes some priuate good businesse, which would fitly be set forward with such Almes, as themselues thus impose in penance and satis­faction; [Page 123]and by this meanes they draw store of water to their mill. And, that which is worse, the Confessors contriue certaine necessities of restitution, and perhaps sometimes beare them in hand, that they are bound to restore, where­as indeed there is no such cause, and so com­pound with the penitent, that hee may giue them a set price, and by that meanes obtaine complete Absolution. O what a deale of chaf­fering doe they vse vnder this vaine pretence, that after the remission of the fault there re­maineth yet a temporall punishment to bee satisfied!

Behold here the foundation of Purgatory; a vaine, and groundlesse foundation, layd in the aire, raised by imagination, being a meere tricke to bring-in money to the Priests, and Friars, and besides them to my Grandees also. Purgatory by deceitfull deuises hath founded the richest Abbies, and Priories, and other Re­ligious houses: Purgatory maketh faire possessi­ons, and inheritances to start ouer to my ha­uing Churchmen: Purgatory makes so many idlesbies to swimme in delicacie, and voluptu­ousnes: those I meane, that defile the liuing, and feed vpon the dead. For the Preachers, [Page 124]and Confessors still crying alowd, that it is not ynough to receiue Absolution, and remission of sinnes, as farre as concerneth the fault it selfe, but that after all this there remaines a debt of temporall paine, which whosoeuer doeth not vndergoe in this life, it lyeth vpon him to make the score euen with smart y­nough in another life in Purgatory; and for as much as most men are very backward in per­forming these Satisfactions, at length when they come to the point of death, then are they much affrighted with those grieuous paines, which, as they are borne in hand, doe awaite them in Purgatory, and then the poore wret­ches, to scape this brunt, giue what they can to the Church, that is, to the bellies of the Priests, and Friars, by whom they are perswaded, that this is the onely way to ouerleape Purgatory. And if he, that lyes thus at mercy, drop away without paying such ransome, then they be­leaguer his children or other his heires, or exe­cutors, vrging them, for the pulling their fa­thers, or brothers, or husbands, or sonnes soule out of the horrible torments of Purgatory, to make allowance for the singing of so many Masses: or to found, and endow an Altar, a [Page 125]Chappell, a Church, a dayly Masse for euer, and a day, or some such like erections. So that this same Purgatory is the nourse, and chiefe sustei­ner of an infinite rabble of most irregular, and lewd priests, who still ring in your eares, that Masses are true and propitiatory Sacrifices for the liuing, and for the dead.

As for Purgatory, as it hath no foundation, nor reason whereupon to build it, so the holy Scripture hath none, no not the least, mention of it: but on the contrary it hath many autho­rities, and grounds, a little afore pointed at by me, which proue that it may not in any wise be mainteined. The Papists haue long gone a­fishing to finde some place in Scripture, which may make a semblance of Purgatory, but all in vaine. Surely whatsoeuer God would haue me to know as an Article of faith, or as a necessa­ry point, or very important for the saluation of my children, he hath set it downe in the Scrip­ture in such man̄er, that I may, and ought thence to draw, and auouch it; but he will not in any wise, that any of my family out of his owne capricious conceit, should deuise an opi­nion, and propound it to my children, and af­ter he hath thus of his owne head auouched it, [Page 126]then to goe a begging for some fragment of a word in Scripture, to maintaine it, as they haue done about Purgatory: alleadging for it some places, which are subiect to many exposi­tions, whereof none at all haue any acquain­tance with Purgatory.

Verily I neither can, nor may deny, that from my very ancient times I haue alwayes had a good liking, and so haue prouided, that in the death of my children (such as died not in very ill, and desperate estate) there should prayers be made, and other deuotions to God, and that for diuers reasons. First that funerals, and obsequies, being an vniuersall, and morall custome, intertained by all Nations, and vsed by all sorts of men, and in that behalfe not to be neglected, they might be continued in my Family, not barely as humane, and naturall ce­remonies, but also as Christian and religious, and that with giuing thankes to God, that such, or such a sonne of mine had rendered his soule to his Creator, and had passed with his holy faith from this my house militant to that other Congregation of the first borne: where­by I did reuiue vnto those, that were present at the funerall, the memory of the soules immor­talitie, [Page 127]of the expected resurrection of that dead body, and of the strict vnion that is betweene me and my deerest sister now triumphing, to whom in these my prayers for the dead I did direct that soule, with very good hope that it was to ariue there.

Moreouer, besides this, those my prayers, and supplications, which ought to haue beene made ouer the party ready to die, whilest hee beeing now in his last agony cannot performe any longer the actions of penitence and humi­liation before God, nor acknowledge his owne guilt, nor craue pardon for his daylie sinnes, I, doing the office of a mother, present them for him in his funerall, together with the compa­ny of his brethren, and vtter those prayers ouer him now dead, which should haue beene vtte­red ouer him dying. And if you would tho­rowly sift your Masses framed for the dead, & the ancient prayers, which are set downe in them, beeing currant at this day throughout the Papacie, you should find that they are pray­ers to be vsed rather ouer him, who is at the last gaspe, then who is already dead. For in them I pray for remission, not of any temporall paines, but of the sinnes themselues, yea euen [Page 128]mortall sinnes, and for deliuerance from hell; as also in Masses for the dead, yee shall neuer finde any prayers for freeing the soule out of Purgatory, Libera animas omnium fideli­um defunctorū de poenis Infer­ni, & depro­fundo lacu; li­bera eas de ore Leonis, ni ab­sorbeat eas Tar­tarus, nec ca­dant in obscu­rum. In Missa pro defunctis. but expressely out of hell. Deliuer the soules of all the faithfull departed from the paines of hell, and from the deepe lake: free them from the mouth of the Lyon, that hell doe not swallow them vp, and that they fall not into the darke: so that it is a meere foppery to goe about to picke Purgatory out of these prayers. Likewise those tridualls, or thirday-masses; those trentalls, or moneths­mindes; those anniuersaries, or yeeres-dirges, or such like trinkets are the meere inuentions of Auarice aforesaid, and therefore their thrusting of Purgatory vpon you is a very collusion.

They auouching, and teaching, that there remaine certaine temporall punishments for your mortall sinnes (which sinnes yet are for­giuen in this life) doe hereupon inioyne Satis­factions after remission. And here wee finde them intangled in many difficulties: which of them knoweth the quantity of those tem­porall paines, which God left to be vndergone by the penitent, after that hee is accepted into grace? how can they enioyne a true proporti­on of Satisfaction? If they shall impose more [Page 129]then his debt requires, they shall doe him wrong, and deale vniustly with him: if they giue him short measure, they deceiue him, and defraud him of his entire deliuerance, and so the Confessor by his owne fault tumbles this poore soule into Purgatory after death. For, if hee had imposed sufficient Satisfaction, hee had cleane wiped out the skore, and had left the penitent neuer a farthing in debt to Purgatory. And as for this Satisfaction, by what operation doth it cancell the punishment? it were fit that they should declare whether it worke ex opere operato, or ex opere operantis, by the deede done, or by the disposition of the doer. And heere againe they dash vpon hard difficulties. Besides this, where hath God bound himselfe to re­lease the punishment of sinnes by any action of man? When doth hee, pardoning the fault, leaue a guilt of temporall punishment? Doe you see into what perplexities, into what dan­gers they thrust you? They make you beleeue that Christ's satisfactions are vnsufficient, seeing that now ordinarily they doe not take away all the punishment with the fault. They make you to trust vpon your owne Satisfactions, as more able to cancell the punishments, then can [Page 130]be done by Christ's Satisfaction. They make you remaine in a perpetuall perplexitie and doubt whether you haue fully satisfied, or no: They make you lazie and negligent in going thorough-stitch with true Repentance, such as God requireth of you, and whereupon hee would giue you a full pardon both of fault and punishment: for you deeme their Absolutiō to bee sufficient for you, and that it doth without faile make riddance of your fault: and, as for the backe-reckoning of punishment, ye cheere vp your selues, that a little tast of Purgatory shall make you free-men: and so it falls out that you passe to another life perhaps (which God forefend) with your whole load both of fault, and also of obligation vnto eternall pu­nishment. But when you know there is no Purgatory at all, you will, for the scaping of hell, looke better to your tacklings: and you will not then say, as I heare many among you now speake, I will not performe the penance, that is in­ioyned me: I am content rather to make it vp after­ward in Purgatory: And your instructers teach you, that you may lawfully say, and doe thus.

The other hidden Rocke, that groweth to this Rocke of Purgatory, are Indulgences. It is a [Page 131]shamelesse boldnesse to say, that Christ indeede hath fully satisfied for all the punishments due to euery sinner, which addresseth himselfe vn­to him: but yet that the applying of Christ's merits goes in this man̄er: the Confessor, when he absolueth thee, applieth the merits of Christ vnto thee, onely in respect of the fault, and the eternall punishment, but as for temporall pu­nishment, that lies still at thy doore: and that therefore, in respect of this punishment, it is in the Popes power to apply the said merits of Christ for the remitting the said punishment in part, or in whole, as he shall thinke good. But I say, if the Confessor absolue by the power of the keyes, who hath restrayned him in this Absolutiō to the fault, & not to the entire pu­nishment? who hath halfed out vnto him the power of the keyes, that by them hee should apply the merits of Christ for the taking away onely of the fault, and of the eternall punish­ment, but not of the temporall? Surely the keyes containe entire remission; who then thus hath minced it out? And if the Confes­sor can impose such satisfaction, whereby all kind of punishment may beecancelled, (and certainely, as the Papists teach, this satisfaction [Page 134] [...] [Page 135] [...] [Page 128] [...] [Page 129] [...] [Page 130] [...] [Page 131] [...] [Page 132]worketh by the power of the keyes, being Sa­cramentall) then his power extendeth also to the whole punishment: and by absoluing and by Absolution applying Christ's Satisfactions vn­to the penitent, hee doth apply them with all the power, and vertue, which is either in Christ's merits, or in the keyes, or in the Minister him­selfe, that worketh by them: there is therefore no kind of punishment, which he hath not re­mitted: and what then remaines behinde for Indulgences to worke vpon?

I say nothing of the merits of the Saints Su­pererogation, which they shuffle into this Treasure among Christ's merits, with as great falsehood, as wrong, and iniury done to Christ himselfe: The falsehood lies in this, for that the workes of any Saints whatsoeuer, both as they are maritorious, (if they may bee called meritorious at all) and also as satisfactory, are wholly pay'd for the Saints owne debt; nor is there any ouerplus left for others in case they were sufficient for the Saint himselfe, as I shall afterward declare. To Christ himselfe great wrong is done, as if a man should poure a drop of water into the Sea, and should say that this drop carries euery ship to the hauen: but espe­cially [Page 133]he is wronged, in that onely he, and none else, beeing appointed of God the Mediator both for faults, and punishments of the world, and all men in it, it must needes bee an odious blasphemy, to say that the merits of Saints doe serue for the taking away of the punishments of sinnes; for the cancelling whereof God ac­cepteth nothing else, but the blood of his one­ly-begotten Sonne: as also hee hath sent none other, nor chosen any other for that office, then this his only Sonne; neither is any other money currant in Gods Treasury for our com­plete redemption, either from fault, or from punishment, then the treasure of the blood, & merits of Christ, stamped with the image of Christ himselfe: all other money vsed for this purchase is false coine, and is reiected by the mint-master of heauen.

But, besides this, how is the Pope inabled to apply the treasure of Christ's merits? who hath made him Master of it? who hath put into his hands onely the keyes of it? I haue heard, that the principall key, which leads to this treasure, lieth open in publicke, to be vsed by euery one, that will take it, and that the hand, by which euery one may take it, is true, and liuely faith, [Page 134]nor is there any neede to aske this key of the Pope, or of any other man, it lying open to all; nor to beg of any man the fauour to bee made partaker of this treasure, which Christ hath made common, without giuing the custody thereof to any man in the world. I haue in­deede a particular key committed vnto mee by him, but without any preiudice to the com­mon key, which lyeth open to all, and this is that key, by which I binde, and loose; and this is equally in the hands of euery of my Mini­sters, and specially of my Bishops: and this key doth after a sort apply vnto the penitent that treasure, namely the merits of Christ, ac­cording to the promise of Christ himselfe, who, whensoeuer he remits the fault, remitteth also all kinde of punishment; neither is it in my power, or in the power of any that vseth this key of mine, to separate the punishment, or a­ny part thereof from the fault: for the money of this treasure payes all in the totall, and that is the currant rate of it. It is therefore open ty­rannie in the Pope, to incroach this key into his owne hands onely, and to impart it to whomsoeuer he please, and in what degree hee thinkes good: whereas this key was giuen to [Page 135]me, and I haue committed it to the handes of all, and euery my Ministers equally, without distinction. And if there were any true In­dulgences to bee had, it were a great folly in you to seeke them of the Pope, when as your owne Bishops can aswell graunt them, as the Pope himselfe: and this is not denied by the doctors of his owne side, namely, those that yeeld, that Bishops haue all their authoritie, power, and Episcopall Iurisdiction from God, and not from the Pope.

To comprise this briefly; There are onely three Keyes, which keepe the treasury of my house: The one is common to all my children, lying open to euery man, as I said, and not com­mitted specially to the hands of any: the other two are in the hands of my Officers, and of e­uery of them; for, by them onely are they to be imployed, but to the benefit of all the faith­full. One is of the holy Sacraments, namely of Baptisme, and the Eucharist: the other is for binding, and loosing, as I haue declared. And whosoeuer brags, that he hath another key be­sides these (as the Pope vaunteth that he hath the key of Indulgences) hee both is deceiued himselfe, and deceiueth others. For we haue in [Page 136]the Scriptures expresse Patent for those three sorts of Keyes: but of that fourth no graunt appeares, but forgery, and vsurpation; and if it be one of these three, it cannot haue any pro­per and distinct name, nor different effect, nei­ther can it be appropriated to any, more then they: neither can it be vsed otherwise, then in remitting the whole punishment together with the fault, and so it will not bee diuers from them.

There hath bene indeed in my house, and still may be the vse of certaine Indulgences, but without imploying any Treasure in them (from whence those false Indulgences haue oc­casionally taken their beginning, and not from Apostolique tradition, as is pretended.) and this was, when as some Penitent being bound by me in man̄er aforesaid, with iniun­ction of penance for some prefixed, and deter­minate time, wherein the Penitent was to giue euidence of his repentance, and to bee taken downe to a fit degree of humiliation, (which course of time for performance of penance, was now and then the space of seuen whole yeeres together) yet vpon the good behauiour of the partie, and out of my owne compassion, [Page 137]and mercy towards him, as also by the instance and prayers of my children, I was wont to shorten this time, and to moderate these penal­ties, and so to graunt him reconciliation soo­ner, as S. Paul did to the incestious Corinthian. 2. Cor. 2.10. And this was my Indulgence which, as you see, hath nothing to doe with the punishment of sinnes, nor with Purgatory. For these workes of Penance inioyned the Penitent before his Absolution, were not punishments otherwise due vnto the sinne by God's iustice, but meere signes of repentance, and of necessary humilia­tion: the true punishments of sinne being can­celled by his Reconcilement, and consequent­ly, by the applying of Christ's treasure in such sort, as I haue declared, and not by abreuiating the time of precedent trials, and humiliations.

So here ye see the blind-Rocke of those In­dulgences, that now-adayes are vsed, A Rocke whereat many doe suffer shipwracke. The maine mischiefe of it is, that it taketh away cleane out of the world, and disanulleth true Christian repentance, and so robbeth many a soule of the true remission of their sinnes. I will demonstrate this to you. A sinner heauie­loaden with heinous crimes, putting his con­fidence [Page 138]in the great vertue of Sacramental Ab­solution, which, ex opere operato, by the deed done, must remit sinnes, and make ex attrito contritum, of a brused heart a broken heart, hereupon doeth not hate his sinne, nor ab­horre it, and so he doth not rise vp from sinne; but he goes to finde one of these triuiall Con­fessors, with a brace of sixpences in his hand, and for more, or lesse vpon the bargaine, with­out any troublesome examination, he gets Ab­solution; and now he holds himselfe secured from his sinnes, in respect of the guilt, and of eternall punishment; And as for the tempo­rall punishment, there are imposed vpon him so many fasts, so many Masses, such a quantitie of Almes; which he accepts, but with intent to performe neuer a whit of them. He is content to leaue them on the score for Purgatory: and yet he hath a tricke to escape that paiment too: he will gape after a planary Iubily, or rather he will take a gainer way: hee hath in his Bead­row, or Rosary certaine beads, crosses, and medals, which haue bene all to be-blest by the most holy Father, and these containe in them Indulgentiam plenariam, a full Indulgence ouer, and ouer: and so with chewing ouer three­score [Page 139]and three Auemaries, and seuen Paterno­sters, he hath rid himselfe of all this trouble­some matter: and thus without Penance, with­out Satisfaction, and without Purgatory, hee is more then certaine of Paradise. And when these diuelish inuentions were first in vre, In­dulgences à culpâ, & paenâ, aswell from all fault, as punishment, were granted, euen without Confession, and without Absolution to all, that would put to their helping hand, so that it had money in it. But now-adaies (gran-mercy Luther) the Pardon-mongers are somewhat more moderate, though not reformed. For they doe not now trucke for the fault, but for the pu­nishment onely. Where you may note, at least, the goodly beginning of these Indulgences, with marting the remission of sinnes, at What will you giue.

And yet notwithstanding, for the gaine, that commeth of them, they are defended, and extolled by the Papists, as likewise the Stations to such, and such Churches, the visiting of such an Altar, or such Reliques, with so much adoe in iangling the Bells for many dayes a­fore, and setting vp titles and banners in the chiefe corners, and eminent places of the Citie, [Page 140]with vehement vrging these things in the pul­pit. Such doings as these, whither else do they tend, but to rob you, my simple children, of your money? But such Stations as these, and In­dulgences, lest they should passe without in­come to the Pope, they are not granted, but in his Court of Chancery, in forme of Bulls; and this is a very good meanes for the ingrossing vp of money at Rome. To preuent murmures of the people, there was a new deuise brought into Rome for the speeding of Indulgences, per Breue, & gratis, by Breues, without fees, but now-adayes againe he, that will haue any of these gainefull Indulgences, must goe the olde way by the Chancery, and by Bulls; as for Breues, they are rarely graunted, and they also now not altogether gratis.

But it is an excellent tricke of thrift the Pope hath gotten vp, both in leuying forces and Souldiers in forreine Estates for his owne enterprises, as also in giuing of presents, which, as a temporall Prince, he is to bestow on other Princes, and on their Embassadors: he, to saue his owne purse, puts his hand into the endlesse treasure of Indulgences, and loads them with [Page 141]whole bags full of blessed beads, medailes and croslets of copper, & paltry pictures printed on paper, with a catalogue of Indulgēces belonging to them: whereof more accompt is made by the Pope's gentle customers then of so many Spanish Doublons. Such trinkets as these, toge­ther with the tricke of a plenary Indulgence, and of opening the gate of Paradise, fly abroad vpon euery designe of the Popes. And yet all this while this treasure shrinketh not, but it bulkes vp euery day by the canonizing of new Saincts, and with their merits and works of su­pererogation. O wofull blindnesse of men, which take no knowledge of such abuses and deceits!

The Pope not content with the Keyes of heauen, and earth, will needs haue his keyes reach vnder the earth also, and exerciseth his omnipotence vpon the soules, which are in the center of the earth, stretching forth his Indul­gences vnto the imagined Purgatory, per modum suffragij, by way of suffrage; but so, that they may haue their certaine effect without faile, as much as concerneth his authoritie, if the in­disposition of the soules themselues doe not hinder it: and all this for the whetting on of [Page 142]simple men, especially silly women in the be­halfe of such a soule to multiply Masses at pri­uiledged Altars, to lay on load of Almes, to giue large legacies to Chapters, Cōuents, Schooles, Chappels, and Altars: To this end also they bring fabulous Legends, they deuise miracles, and reuelations from another world, with a thousand prettie leasings to gull simple people. Behold here new Articles of Christian Religion made out at the fingers ends, where­of netts are knit to fish for gold, and siluer. These be the Rockes, and vndershelfes, which split many a poore soule: I would haue you, my children, know how to escape them.

¶ The fourth Rocke. Inuocation of Saincts.

THis Rocke also hath need of warie obseruation. It is good in this pre­sent life, for one to recommend him­selfe to the prayers of another, and chiefly to the prayers of a whole particular Church. In this man̄er S. Paul oftentimes recommends [Page 143]himselfe to the prayers of the faithfull people, to whom he writes; but in this case there is no Religious Inuocation, neither are those, to whom a man thus recommends himselfe, cal­led vpon as Mediators betweene God and him, but as companions, and brethren, which both heare, and vnderstand that, which is re­commended vnto them. There is no doubt at all, but that the holy Angels, and blessed soules in heauen, according to their inflamed chari­tie, doe intercede with God for me, and all you, they being (as S. Cypr de mortalitate. Cyprian saith) in sure possession of their owne glory, and carefull for the saluation of you, my children: and therefore no Catholique man will euer deny such intercession of the Saincts. But to make religious Inuocatiō of them, that is, to call vpon them with a certaine affe­ction, and opinion of a kind of Deitie in them, whereby they may heare, and attend vs, or, as mediators appointed vs by God, to treat of our saluation with him; this is a perilous matter, and smells strong of Idolatry. And certainely this cannot be done without great wrong vn­to Christ, who is appointed by the Father for our onely Mediator, and Aduocate. Why therefore should wee here ouerpasse Christ, [Page 144]whose proper office it is to be our Aduocate, and, in stead of him, hold our selues to his ser­uants. They neither doe, nor can heare the praiers of men: and whosoeuer calls them thus to be his helpe, and inuoketh them, supposeth an infinite, and plainely diuine vertue in them, that they can heare all. If the most blessed Vir­gine the mother of Christ could heare, and li­sten to all particular men, who throughout the whole earth pray to her, and call vpon her, and very many of them at the same moment, she should be God, and not a creature: or, if God were pleased to reueale such prayers vn­to his Saincts, and that such Inuocations were acceptable to his heauenly Maiestie, certainely the Scripture would either expresly deliuer it vnto me, or would imply it in some degree, whereas it doeth plainely teach me the con­trary, nor will suffer me to inuocate any other, but God, and his onely-begotten Sonne my Spouse.

Know you therefore, that the disorders of this inuocation, hath runne on so much the far­ther, in that the common people put far more confidence in the Virgin Mary, or in some o­ther he or she Saint (who perhaps is not in hea­uen) [Page 145]then in Christ himselfe, and certainely they do make more prayers and Masses to the bles­sed Virgin, or to some Saints, then vnto Christ: and howsoeuer in the Litanies and publique prayers vnder the Papacy, they say, ora pro no­bis, pray for vs, yet if you examine silly women, and men of the vulgar sort, you shall find, that they call vpon them properly as on so many gods, and that they vse ordinarily to say, Saint Mary helpe mee, Saint Charles Borromeo saue mee. Goe to Millaine, and enquire among the peo­ple, and you shall finde that this same Charles hath not onely driuen the renowned St. Am­brose out of their hearts there, (who now in comparison of this Saint Charles, is much aba­ted in his reputation) but also that they put more trust in their new Saint Charles, then in Christ. The reason is, because they see the so­lemnities of St. Charles set out with far greater pompe then those of Christ: which doth infal­libly breede this errour in the mindes of the vulgar.

The great ones of Rome doe willingly che­rish these Inuocations and Idolatries, and make them Articles of Faith, that the Statues, and Images may be of more force to mooue you to [Page 146]make large contributions for the building of Churches, and Monasteries to their names, and to endow them with faire reuenues. I know well, that some witty and subtile braines can by certaine metaphysicall formallities frame and accommodate the conscience to digest this kind of Inuocation: but by their leaue, it is farre more safe to hold off from it: and there­fore yee shall doe well to absteine, forasmuch as this your absteining tendeth not to any con­tempt of the Saints themselues, but to the kee­ping your selues from falling into these errors: neither will Christ take it ill, that you keepe your selues from such Inuocations, least you should dishonour him; and the Saints them­selues, if they were to counsaile you, would speake thus: Imitate our holy actions, con­forme your selues to our liuely faith, and holy life; honour vs in your hearts, as the faithfull seruants of God, and in thus doing yee shall yeelde vs all the respect you owe vs. The most holy Mother of my Sauiour, for her part, would giue you the very same counsaile, and that with more vehemencie: for, shee would tell you, that it is irkesome, and loathsome vn­to her, that you thus call vpon her, and make [Page 147]recourse euer and anon to her: shee would tell you also, that those glorious titles of Queene, Hope, Saluation, Aduocate, sound abhominably in her eares, and make her sicke againe, she ac­knowledging her selfe to bee none other then the handmaid of the Lord; Luk. 1.38. therefore take heede of this Rocke also. And when you repeat the Aue-mary, recite it historically in remembrance of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God in the most chast wombe of the Virgin. Prophane it not with that Inuocation, Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis, &c. Holy Mary, the mother of God, pray for vs, &c. For, certainely in ancient times those words were not wont to be added in my house, as also you shall finde the Aue-ma­ry without them in the later Catholique Coun­cells of Germany, before that of Trent.

And because it is a laudable deuotion which hath anciently bene vsed, to make commemo­rations of Christs Incarnation three seuerall times in the day at the publique tolling of a bell, which is called the Aue-mary, namely, at Sunne-rise, at noone, and Sunne-set, it were good that you would first purge or re­forme it, and then beeing reformed vse it zea­lously and vnto edification. You shall reforme [Page 148]it, if kneeling downe vpon your knees you shall say in this maner. The Angell of the Lord brought a message to the virgin Mary saying to her, Hayle Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee, thou art blessed among women; and shee saide, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it vnto me according to thy word. Then the word was made flesh, and dwelt among vs: O thou that diddest beleeue this, thou art surely blessed, and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe, Iesus. O Lord God, poure downe thy grace into our soules, that wee, which by the message of an Angell haue knowen the Incarnation of thy Son Iefus Christ, may by his Crosse, and Passion, bee lead to the glory of his holy resurrection, Amen.

¶ The fift Rocke. Images, and Reliques.

PIctures, and Statues in ancient times were vsed, as in priuate houses, so al­so in publique Churches, onely for remembrance of sacred histories, and for the benefit of them, that could not, or would not read bookes. Wherein they beholding the re­presentation [Page 149]of Christ vpon the Crosse, of the martyrdomes, and memorable actions of holy men, might for their owne particular remem­ber the benefit of their redemption, and pro­pound vnto themselues examples for imitati­on in the maintenance of our holy faith, and the exercise of christian vertues. Othervse of Images then this, which is ciuill, I was not ac­quainted with for many Ages; But after that the couetousnesse of men did runne on, inuen­ting and forging of myracles to draw on the peoples deuotion towards some Image, and so their contributions vnder pretence of lampes, ornaments, and other materiall embellish­ments; thence began they to teach, that there was a certaine proper religious worship due to the Image it selfe, and then my idle Ministers beganne to light lampes to them, to burne in­cense to them, to adore them, to kneele downe, and make their prayers before them. Hence arose that abuse, that none vnder the Papacie knoweth how to pray, without he haue before him some pettie statue, or picture, either pain­ted, or printed, especially of the Crucifix, and of our Lady. And the Church-men doe wil­fully infuse true and proper Idolatrie into the [Page 150]mindes of the ignorant common people, whilest they erect stately Churches, curious Chappells, with so many enclosures, vesteries, curtaines, lampes, torches, indulgences: whilest they carry them in Procession with such furni­ture, and outward pompe, beeing an externall religious worshippe, which pertaineth vnto God: they command, and compell euery man to fall downe on his knees, and adore them, whereupon the silly people conceiueth a cer­taine diuinity to be in them, and without any reflection at all ad prototypum to the principall copie, they offer their vowes, and their prayers to that stocke, or stone; to this cloth, or ta­blet, and expect immediately from that very Image the grace, which they request, euen of eternall life. It is not to bee doubted, but that the more part of the vulgar commits most pro­per, and formall Idolatrie with some Images. And the doctrine, which some learned Papists doe teach, namely, that vnto Images, as Images, a proper religious worship is due, must of ne­cessity make euen the wise, & learned amongst them to Idolatrize formally.

A wodden Crucifixe representing Christ on the Crosse may awake the minde of a Christi­an [Page 151]to adore with his soule him, that is repre­sented, namely true Christ: but to teach a pro­per worship, besides that, which is due vnto the prototype, and a proper adoration to bee due to a Crucifixe made of wood, onely be­cause it represents the true Christ, this is to bring-in flat Idolatrie. If they shall tell you, that a certaine humane, and ciuill reuerence is to bee giuen to the Images of Christ, and also of the Virgin Mary, and eminent Saints, such as are canonized by holy Scripture, such respect, I say, as is due to the Images of great Princes, and Emperors, and famous benefactors, or of the progenitors of noble families, publiquely aduanced, or priuately respected; in this there were no error, nor any danger at all. But whilest they will needs haue it to be religious, and spirituall worship, let them cloth it as cun­ningly as they can, with the names of dulia, or hyperdulia to balke the name of latria, yet in the end it commeth to be a very latria, diuine wor­ship: inasmuch as religious, and spirituall wor­ship is, nor can be any other then latria, which is the very adoration performed inwardly in the minde and spirit, and outwardly by the body vnto the onely true God.

And why did God so seuerely command in the first table of his liuely, and eternall law, that his faithfull people should beware of ma­king any Images of what sort soeuer, to be vsed in any religious worship, if not, because hee knew, that all such worshippe of them must needes be Idolatry? Thinke you that the Idola­trous Gentiles did indeede worship those Sta­tues of marble, wood, and mettall, as thinking that they were the very gods, whom they ado­red? It is a folly so to deeme. But in that they gaue honor, and reuerence vnto those Statues, as representing those men, whom they held for gods, nay otherwhile representing such beasts, as they thought had a kinde of diuinity in them; in this respect our sacred Scripture doth deride them, Psal. 115.5. saying, The Idolls of the heathen are siluer and gold, the worke of mens hands: they haue mouthes, but they speake not, eyes haue they, but they see not, they haue eares, but they heare not, &c. Whereby their Idolatry is reduced, not onely to their adoring, for gods, very men, or very beasts, (which is indeede the most pro­per Idolatry of all) but also much more, be­cause they, hauing made those their Statues, & Images, did render vnto these very same Sta­tues, [Page 153]and Images a certaine proper worship, as being the Statues, and Images representing those, whom they held for true Gods. In like man̄er also, whilest Christians doe yeelde vnto an Image a certaine proper religious worship, though onely as it representeth the true Christ, the holy Scripture by the same reason will say of them, The Christians Images are wood or cloth, the worke of mens hands: they haue mouthes, and speake not, eyes, and see not, &c.

Neither doth it excuse the matter, to say, that in the Image, the prototype or first paterne is a­dored. For, the action in it selfe is vnlawfull, and directly importeth Idolatry: and there­fore it ought of it selfe and in its owne nature to be shunned, as Idolatrous, as long as religi­ous worship is yeelded. For, otherwise it were not Idolatry to worship the very Idolls of the Gentiles made of any materiall stuffe, beeing that in that very matter whatsoeuer, there is the presence of the true God. Nor will that ex­cuse serue in saying, I doe not adore the Statue, or Image; but God in them. The action in it selfe is directly terminated vpon the Statue, or Image: neither doth it suffice for the preuenting of I­dolatry, that the intention is directed vnto [Page 154]God, because there doth remaine at the least materiall, and externall Idolatry euen in the iu­dicious and learned, that know how to frame these abstract notions: but in the vulgar ide­ots there will be no lesse then formall Idolatry. And therefore on all hands, all religious wor­ship of Statues and Images, euen of the Crosse, and of Christ himselfe, would be altogether ba­nished out of Christendome: much more those of Our Lady, and of other Saints, beeing that no religious worship at all is due vnto those Images, or to those Saints, whom they represent. Remember how Saint Iohn the E­uangelist, when hee would haue worshipped the Angell, was by the Angell himselfe forbid­den with this Caueat, See thou do it not; for, I am thy fellow-seruant. Reuel. 22.9. And surely Saint Iohn neuer meant to adore that Angell as God, with the worship called latria, proper to God onely: for, he well knew, that this was an Angell: but be­cause hee bowed himselfe to him with a religi­ous act, the Angell hindered him, knowing that such an act was vnlawfull: how much more vnlawfull were it to bee done to an Image?

But if you would cleere the matter, whether [Page 155]this worship be vsed to be giuen to the Image it selfe, as an Image, or to the prototype in the Image: looke into your Churches, & houses, whether the same adoration be yeelded to all Crucifixes, & to all the Images of the Virgin Mary equally, of all which the prototype or principall is the same: or whether there bee not rather a diffe­rence in the adoring thē. Surely you shall find very great difference between one Image and a­nother, both being of the same principall. Of Our Ladie's Images you shall haue in the same Ci­tie in diuers Churches, and houses some, that are not so much as looked after, and yet one of them in some other Church shall bee frequen­ted with infinite concourse of people. That of Loretto shall haue farre better doings, then that of Mont-ferrate, and so likewise of others. Therefore the vsuall worship is proper vnto the Image, and not to the prototype, or originall which it represents.

Obserue also the disorders which are to bee found, not onely in the common people, and simple women, but also in those, that are repu­ted discreet, and graue: when they come into a Church, if there be there any famous Statue, or Image of Our Lady, loaden with vowes, gli­stering [Page 156]with tapers, richly clad in gold and sil­uer, shut vp in shrines, and such like, this must bee the first, that is visited: after they haue a­dored the Image of the Virgin Mary, then, for fashion sake, they goe to the Altar of the most blessed Sacrament, as they call it, where they suppose, that Christ himselfe is really and cor­porally present: or if there bee no such Altar there, then they first worship Our Lady dight in that man̄er, and goe afterwards to the Cru­cifixe; or rather for the most part doe not at all visite it. How many huge tapers, and whole torches shall you see burning before the Image of St. Francis, of St. George, of St. Charles, or some other Saint, but before the Crucifixe ei­ther none at all, or a petty farthing-candle. Is this to reflect from the Image to the prototype? Is not this to commit Idolatry, and to preferre the seruant before the Master, the creature be­fore the Creator? Is not this to put more affi­ance in a Saint, then in Christ, and to expect more helpe from a Saint, then from Christ him­selfe? There is no one thing, whereby poore I am more defamed, and shamed among the Iewes, Turkes, and Pagans, then by these Ido­latries: Fly therefore from them.

The Reliques of Saincts, if they be true, and proued so to bee, are to bee layed vp in honou­rable buriall, and kept in decent places, and are to serue your turne, my Children, as a memo­riall of the holy actions of that Sainct for your imitation. Yee are therefore to respect them with ciuill honour, as the members of God's principall seruants: but as for religious and spirituall worship, as it cannot without Idola­try be afforded to their soules now glorified in heauen, so is it much lesse due vnto their ashes, and dead bones, and least of all to their Images: those Reliques hauing in themselues no diuine power at all, nor any Spirituall qualitie, where­by they may doe you any helpe. And if God, in loue vnto his Saincts, that remaine with him in glory, vouchsafe to do you any fauour, it is he himselfe, that doth it, and not the Sainct, much lesse any Relique, or image of a Sainct. So also when God did patiently beare with the sinnes of the children of Israel, euen to the par­doning them their Idolatries, for the loue which he bare to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob: and when hee deferred the dismembring of Salo­mon's Kingdome, and pardoned many faults to his successors Kings of Iudah for his beloued [Page 158] Dauid's sake, the thanks then were not due nor rendered to Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, nor to Dauid, but to God. So also may you intreate God to graunt you some fauours for the loue, which he beareth vnto his Saincts: but yee are not to begge those fauours of the Saints them­selues, nor of their Reliques, nor of their Images: and hauing obteined those fauours, you are to repay your thanks, and shew your gratitude to God onely, not vnto the Saincts, nor to any their Reliques, or Images. But, besides all this, you may be sure, that there are innumerable impostures put vpon you concerning Re­liques, and that, perhaps for the most part, the bones of knaues are shewed to you for the bones of Saincts.

¶ The sixt Rocke. Merits.

THe Popish Masters extoll Meritorious workes, especially Almes; and will haue them deserue eternall life: but their intent is, that you, being drawne on with the hope of so great gaine, may put out your [Page 159]money to vse into their handes, to bring in a most plentifull interest of an hundred for one; but in the meane time they themselues take the money, and make God your debtor both for the principall, & for the vse, in the life to come. And this their bearing you in hand with hope of so certaine, and infallible gaine makes the Priests and Friars to ruffle it out vpon your purses: and you for your parts, if you be not the wiser, and take not heed of this dangerous Rocke, shall loose both your stocke and inte­rest; and suffering shipwracke, are like to bee drowned in the gulfe of eternall punishment.

Know ye therefore, that the principal works, which are necessary, next after faith, to obtaine remission of sinnes, and God's grace in this life, with eternall glory in the next, doe consist in the due obseruation of Gods Commande­ments: that so by God's helpe hee may keepe sinne aloofe from him. These workes there­fore, which consist in keeping the Comman­dements, are necessary, in asmuch as God will not iustifie, nor saue any man, that obstinately remaineth in sinne, and resolutely holdeth on his way in offending his heauenly Maiestie. Therefore a true and liuely faith, whereby a [Page 160]Christian layeth hold on Christ, hath this ope­ration, that it mollifieth, and sweetneth his af­fection, and loue towards God, and so it hol­deth him off from sinne, and maketh him hate it. But these workes being necessary dispositi­ons, without which God admitteth none into fauour, do not merit any supernaturall reward. For, God doeth not therefore receiue thee into fauour, because thou hast kept his Comman­dements, as though he were bound to receiue thee into his fauour for such thy obseruance: it is not so. In these performances thou hast but done thy duety, remouing for thy owne behoofe the obstakle & impediment of sinne, but God by his meere grace doeth accept thee as his owne: neither were it a receiuing thee into grace, if thy workes did deserue grace: for, reward is giuen vnto desert, nor by way of grace, but by way of Iustice. And yet Iustifica­tion it selfe, remission of sinnes, and adoption to become a sonne of an enemy, these come from God, as a meere grace, meere bounty, and meere mercy. Thou art not therefore to boast of any such workes, nor to flatter thy selfe for them, nor to acknowledge any merit at all in them: When ye haue done all those things which are [Page 161]commanded you, (saith Christ) then say, Luk. 17.10. We are vn­profitable seruants, we haue done that, which was our duety to doe. Moreouer, such performances haue in thē, for the most part, so much imperfection, that perhaps they haue in them more sinne and demerit, then Merite, in regard of either vaine glory, or other humane ends, and such like faulty circumstances.

Onely Christ's Merits are they, which being duely applied vnto a man, make God to holde himselfe fully satisfied for the dishonour, and offence taken at man, and by vertue of such, and no other satisfaction, God receiueth a man in fauour, because he seeth him by a liuely, and working faith inuested in Christ as with the wedding-garment; and for this garments sake he accepteth him at the mariage of glory: but whosoeuer entreth into that heauenly ban­quet arayed onely with his owne garments, his owne works, and proper merits, if he come not in couered with this nuptiall garment of Christs righteousnes, and Merits, he shall be sure to be cassiered; and cast out into vtter darkenes, where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And therefore, not onely iustification, remission of sinnes, adoption into God's Sonneship are to [Page 162]be accounted the free grace of God, which hath no other foundation, then Christ's onely Merits, applied vnto man by God's meere grace and bountie, but also essentiall glory it selfe, and eternall life is to be attributed to the same. For, God, when hee adopteth for his sonne a man iustified by him, and that through his meere grace, for the Merits of Christ onely, at the same time also, for full measure of the same grace, and for the same Merits alone, God doth destinate vnto him the euerlasting inheritance of the essentiall glory of Paradise. And there­fore to affirme, that Christians by their good workes doe purchase eternall life, is to auouch a grosse and sinister falshood: as also to affirme that good workes, done euen in grace, are me­ritorious of eternall life. For, eternall life is a meere fauour done vnto men, being purchased for them by the onely Merits of Christ.

Yet for all this, good works are not to small purpose, or vnprofitable to men. First, because the keeping of the Commandements is al­waies necessary, in such sort as I haue declared; and without them shall no man euer be saued, though no man be saued by them. Moreouer other good works, which of themselues come [Page 163]not vnder commandement, are many times very profitable, and sometimes necessary also for the keeping of the Commandements: as mortification of the flesh, to the end that con­cupiscence draw not to disloyaltie; for which cause euen S. Paul kept his body vnder, 1. Cor. 9.27. and brought it into subiection, lest by any meanes he, preaching to others, might himselfe be a cast-away. And for the same cause he exhorted the Colossians also to mortifie their members. Hither looke all fastings, Col. 3.5. watchings, continuall prayers, and other such holy exercises; not to any making God a deb­tor, nor to any obliging him to recompence them with eternall life; nor to any hoarding vp a treasure of mens owne merits, but to resist euill desires: and therefore a man is bound e­uen vnder paine of sinne to vndergoe them for his owne behoofe, and for the great need, which he hath to stand aloofe from sinne. To this only purpose long since in my yong yeres, Monasteries, deserts, solitary places, caues, and dennes were replenished, not to procure merite by such exercises, nor that they might thus purchase Paradise, but that the loosing of it might be thus preuented, and that the walke of the Tempter might be stopped, and the neere [Page 164]occasions of sinne taken away: Whereas now many Monasteries are the schooles of vice, and of many heynous impieties, and, in a man̄er, the proper lodges of sinne and Satan; or, at the best, the Seminaries of ambition, the recepta­cles of auarice, and the sties to fat vp idle fel­lowes: and generally all of them are the ga­risons of the Popes souldiers, and of his catchpoles for the maintenance of the Papacy, with all the enormities thereof, by the helpe of these irregular Regulars, who are bolstred vp with many priuiledges granted by the Popes, being withdrawne from the iurisdiction of Bishops, to the end that they may become spies, champions, and very Pandars to the Pa­pacie, not for venery, but to serue his turne for worse vsurpations, and oppressions.

Another benefit of good works is, that they serue to discharge the obligation, and debt, wherein euery Christian is bound to bee an­swerable in his duety to God, and to serue him faithfully, and to promote the glory of so great, and bountifull a Master. A bond-slaue, if he be good, will of himselfe, without looking for stripes, seeke out occasions faithfully to serue his good Master, and, doing his deuoire, doth [Page 165]not thereupon reckon his diligent seruice vp­on the title of his owne loanes, and of his Ma­ster's debts. Mat 7.17. A good tree of it selfe bringeth forth good fruit: yet doth not the planter and owner take vp that fruit on credit, or accompt him­selfe a debtor to the tree; but enioyes the fruit, as his owne, and due to him, gramercé his good planting, and husbanding. To this purpose said Christ, Let your light so shine before men, Mat. 5.16. that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father, which is in heauen. Likewise Saint Peter maketh the same vse of them, 1. Pet. 2.12. That the Gentiles beholding your good works may glorifie God. And to this glo­rifying of God euery of you is bound in duty, nor can challenge any reward vpon so doing.

Moreouer good workes done in grace, doe help on the encrease of your loue toward God, and towards your neighbour, and set forward a iust man to become still more iust. In relati­on whereunto some kind of merit, but very im­properly so called, may bee attributed vnto good workes; in that God in his bounty is con­tent to reward man's imperfect operations, with such encreases of his heauenly gifts, and graces. So Saint Paul exhorteth the faithfull to serue righteousnesse, vnto sanctification: Rom. 6.16. that [Page 166]is, that they might become still more holy.

Semblable thereto is that in the Reuelation, He that is iust, Reuel. 22.11. let him be made iust still. Yet is not this any true merit: because the workes of them­selues, though done in grace, yet haue no pro­portion to such a reward; and, if it were not for God's gracious promise, they should neuer receiue such a reward, as by iustice is not due vnto them. For, euen these workes are to bee attributed rather to the grace of God, by whose helpe they are performed, then vnto man. Therefore God, in bestowing these gifts, doth rather reward his owne gifts, and graces, then any worke of man. And yet for all this no man can bee saide to merit eternall life by his workes, as you see.

Lastly, good workes performed in the state of grace by the faithfull, (especially those, which in the aforesaid respects doe neither di­rectly, nor indirectly come vnder necessary obligation) haue from God, out of his meere bounty, and liberality, a promise of reward, which shall bee afforded them in the world to come: And this reward is not the essentials of eternall life it selfe, but certaine degrees, and ouer-measures of glory. The Psalmist saith to [Page 167]God; Psal. 62.12. Thou renderest to euery man according to his worke. And St. Paul, 2. Cor. 4.17. Our light affliction worketh for vs an eternall weight of glory. And Christ him­selfe promiseth, Marc. 9.41. that whosoeuer shall giue his Dis­ciples a cup of cold water in his name, shall not lose his reward. Of which kind of promises the Scripture hath plenty: Yet doth it not there­upon follow, that such works are truely merits, or meritorious. For, that onely is true merit, to which the reward is due by iustice, without the entercourse of any fauour at all. And, where grace is afforded, Rom. 11.6. there all merit is exclu­ded. But in these good workes grace beares a great part. First, in that a man doth them by the power of grace: and therefore S. Aug de gra. & lib. arb. c. 6. Augustine said, that God crowneth not man's merits, but his own gifts. Also because it is out of meere grace that God promiseth a reward; such promises being made, not out of iustice, but from meere boun­tie. As when a Prince, not being obliged to a­ny, proclaimeth a prize for him, that shall runne best in a race, it is certaine that this running is not properly a merit; being it hath no propor­tion with the prize, which is of great valew: and if it were not for the bountie of the pro­mise, that running were not of any worth at all.

But yet, all these graces being supposed, when as the Scripture willingly calleth by the name of rewards all those gifts, and heauenly remunerations, which are promised vnto workes, some kinde of merit cannot be denied. For, surely reward doeth imply a relation, and correspondence to some merit. But yee must take with you, that this merit hath no relation to the essentials of eternall life; as also that it supposeth all these graces. Whereupon you are not to rely vpon your merits, nor to build the frame of your saluation vpon them; being that Christ is your entire foundation. There­fore put all your hopes, both in life, and death, in him onely, and build no foundation at all, for your hope of eternall life, and of your e­uerlasting saluation, vpon your owne workes done, or to bee done in pious Legacies, in Masses, in Almes, or for Altars, or Churches. For, if you doe not take another course to ob­teine eternall life by a true and liuely faith, which worketh by loue, Gal. 5.6. remouing also betimes the obstacles of sinne by true, and sincere re­pentance, your owne merits shall not (much lesse any others) any whit benefit you, but as for encrease of glory, and augmenting of your [Page 169]ioy, good workes will be very helpfull to you, so that they be throughly purified, and employed on lawfull things, and free from superstition, and euill circumstances.

THus haue I discouered to you, my most deare children, twelue principall very dangerous Rocks: which I haue but briefly shewed, and litle more then pointed at; inas­much as I haue sure confidence in my Spouse (by whō I haue bin put in trust to giue you the discouery of them) that he will himselfe at length opē all your eies. I see, that he hath very very long had patience with the many errors of that, his, and mine, vngratefull daughter, your, not louing mother (for that am I) but cruel stepdame; and that now, be­holding her at her highest, he will no longer beare with her. He by his gentle Spirit wor­keth in the hearts of great Princes, (yea and of great Prelats too) his, & my sonnes: he goes on taking away the manifold false [Page 170]preiudices, and delusions: hee by little and little mollifieth those obdurations, & obsti­nacies, whereby enormities, so preiudiciall to mee, and so pernicious to you are wilfully mainteined. They begin to acknowledge, that in Rome, not Christ, but the world swayeth the scepter, and that all my affaires there are reduced to temporall ends onely. He putteth these Princes in remēbrance, that they are my nursing-fathers, my pro­tectors, my defendors; and moreouer, that it lieth on thē, to bring home all my daughters to me their vniuersall Mother; and not to suffer one of them to tyrānize ouer both her Mother, and other sisters. Whereupon my selfe, with very good hope, doe expect from Christian Princes, and Cōmon-wealths all good issue of a perfect peace, vnion, & con­cord on my behalfe. In the meane time I ad­uise you, to take good notice of these Rocks, and to take such heed of them, that ye may [Page 171]eschew your owne lamētable wracke. So the blessed gale of the holy Spirit cōduct you safe to the hauen of eternall happines. Amen.