years y Vide Corpus Iuris Canoâ—ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum editum Lugduni 1591. and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self and shamelesse in the doers in as much as in the same newe edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures z Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas referenda est Corp. Iur. CaÌ„ edit 91. in additione ad dist 19. cap. 6. and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeere after his daies To conclude this point let wise men obserue here this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to ameÌ„d or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the bodie of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that manie a man reades the contents of books and chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing This doth but make them equall and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly namely where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Distinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a lawe these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the â—oly Scriptures that is from Gods mouth a Vide Decret dist 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera taÌ„ta reuerentia apiceÌ„ praefatae Apostolicae sedis omnes suspiciunt vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quà m a sacris paginis paternis traditionibus expetant Illius velle illius nolle tantum explorant vt ad eius arbitrium suam conuersationeÌ„ ipsi remittant aut intendant Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici editionis Lugdun 91. in 4. And certainely allmen do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Christian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that Sea then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seek after is what hee wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues and frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is here the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the 10 The fift wound not healed holy Scriptures and all that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what he wills not and according to that are they to frame theÌ„selues Is this a doctrine â—it to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an hereticke let who will bee the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth wee maie rather depende on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alas they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I knowe this is not be found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time Thus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondly that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full and therefore shee goeth one steppe higher in this impietie and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit nor necessarie to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpoÌ„ that decretall is in these words b Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23 de praesumptionibus cap. 1. sicut Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Salomonis in Parabolis habentur originaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus facit fidem inducit necessitatem sicut si editus â—uiÌ„sset a Papa quia omnia nostra facimus quibus nostraÌ„ autoritateÌ„ impertimur Glossa Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the words of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentith Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit to be beleeued because they are allowed authorized by the Pope being so by him authorized they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had been the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessitie of beeing belieued or it bindeth as stronglie as if it had beene pronounced or vttred by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestowe or impart our authoritie The high and holy God that is the Author of the holy Scriptures bee mercifull vnto vs in hauing anie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth
find such in our religion he that can shew me either of these I will be his Conuert To this end I haue presumed to present it first to your Honour and vnder your honorable name to the worlds viewe not only as a testimonie of the loyaltie loue and dutie I owe your Honour for your many particular honorable fauours but especially for that we to our ioy do find and the Papists to their grief doe feare that God hath hath raised vp your Honor in these declining and desperate times for so hath Poperie made them to defeat their deuises to countermine their plots and to make them the instruments of their own ruine fit therfore and worthy to be the patron of that Treatise which is a discouerer of theâ—r spiritual impieties And surely right Honorable the churches hope ouer the Christian world is that God hath ordayned his Ma. of England to be the means by the aduise assistance of your Hon. others like you wherof God send vs more to giue the whore of BabyloÌ„ hir last blow wherof she shall neuer recouer which most worthy worke as God raised vp your honorable Father of happie memorie to begin Gretserê° a Iesuite was suffered to write within these 2. yeares that we rackt and tortured Garnet euen neere to death to make him confesse himself guilty of the powder treason but he did not so we hauing no proof haÌ„gd him onely for being a priest and not for it And that OueÌ„ his man was puld in pieces on the racke and when wee had so killed him then wee gaue out hee had killd himselfe with a knife But for the 1. wee appeale to publicke records and the worlds knowledge and for the second there yet liue witnesses whose eies saw the woundes and bloudy knife and whose eares heard him freely and penitently confesse hee did it with that knife to escape the racke which hee sayde hee feared but had neuer tasted So hath he your Lordship paternarum virtutuÌ„ cur non etiam dignitatuÌ„ ex asse haeredeÌ„ to accomplish and bring to perfection The Father of mercie and the Sonne of consolation be praysed for euer for sending such a father and such a sonne to bee the Children of the Church of England Go on noble Lord with courage and constancie and this worke of God shall prosper in your hand To this end the same God assist strengthen and protect your Lordship and the blessed Father for the blessed Sonnes sake double vpon you his holy and blessed Spirit wherto I am sure all good Christians will say Amen With Your Lordships deuoted seruant in Christ WILLIAM CRASHAVVE Magna est veritas praeualet The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the present Romish religion in doctrine and in manners Proued in this Sermon not to bee yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God and such a head of the Church as infuseth spiritual life heauenly grace into the body of the Church pag. 53. c. 2. The Pope hath done more then God for he deliuered a soule out of hell pag. 57. c. 3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie keeping Iustice to himselfe but committing and giuing vp his mercie to her so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall scripture pag. 69. c. 5. The Christian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth then from Gods in the Scripture pag. 71. c. 6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit and to be belieued because they are allowed and autorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authority as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosse are to be worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship pag. 82. c. and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as we do to Christ 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaie yea he did more then Christ euer did pag. 96. c. 10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences for a hundred thousand yeares and giue men a power to redeem soules out of Purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Indulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies that are hallowed by his hands pag. 107. c. The popish Church baptizeth bells pag. 115. c. 12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie tho Christ ordained the contrarie pag. 120. c. 13. The popish Church alloweth many sorts of sanctuaries for wilfull murder pag. 122. c. 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes and takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popes lawe he that hath not a wife may haue a CoÌ„cubine pag. 141. c. 16. Some men had better lie with another mans Wife or keepe a whore then marry a wife of his owne pag. 143. c. 17. Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keep their whores vnder a yeerely rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be continent and haue no whores yet must pay a yearely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150. c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend ful of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in all estates pag. 156 c. To the Christian Reader whosoeuer be he a true Catholicke or a Romish TO prevent all misconceits that might arise vpon the so late coÌ„ming forth of this Sermon so many weekes expected I desire thee good Reader be satisfied the cause thereof was a long vnlooked for journey And now that you haue it let me desire all men in the reading iudging therof to deale with that ingenuity and sinceritie as I haue endevored in the writing of it My coÌ„science speakes for me I haue forged no new Author I haue falsified none I haue corrupted none I haue to my knowledge misalledged none I haue taken no proofe vpoÌ„ bare report nor haue I produced our men to proue what I lay against them nor is there one quotation of any Authour of theirs which I haue not diligently perused afore-hand and the whole scope of the place If any should thinke of answere I desire him let passe all personall rayling and by-matters and come directly to the points in issue which be these 1 Whether the Church of Rome teach practice in these xx or xxi points as I haue charged her withall or no. 2 If she do whether they be healed of these wounds as yet or no. 3 If
things as one of the better sort of Popes himself freely confessed t Adrianus 6. In orat per nuntiū suum facta ad Comitia imperialia anno 1522. Vpon these grounds I proceed to lay downe 3. propositions touching the incurablenesse of Romish Babel 1. That these Councels assembled to reform and amend did contrariwise establish diuers impious errors neuer be fore decreed in the world 2. That those foule deformities in the Romish Church both in the head and members and both for doctrine and manners that were in that Church before those Councells and for the redresse whereof those councells were called did neuerthelesse and yet do continue vnreformed 3. That since then in steed of redresse and reformation of the euills then found there haue contrariwise growen vp in their Church more horrible hainous practices and more erronious and impious doctrines then euer before and at this day stand vnreproued and maintained by their Church And these three propositions being proued I hope there is none but wil confesse that the Romish Church for ought that man can see is past cure Touching the first I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of manie and first for the Councell of Constance that Councell decreed 2. such decrees as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion and ouerthrowing all humane societie then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other For first whereas it is knowen and granted that Christ at his last Supper ordaining the holy Communion did consecrate and giue it both in bread and wine and commanded his Ministers after him Doe this u See all the Euangelists S. Paul 1. Cor. 11 23. c. and tho it cannot be denied but that the primitiue antient Church did so receiue it as Christ left it yet for all that comes the Popish Councell of Constance and calls it a peruerse fashion and an ill order of those that giue their people the sacrament in both kindes and do further decree that Notwithstanding Christ ordained and the primatiue Church practiced it in both kinds yet now to say that it is necessarie to receiue it in both shall be heresie and punished as heresie that is with death and losse of lands and goods c. And howsoeuer Bellar. w Bellar. de Sacram Euch. lib. 4. cap. 26 much ashamed of the matter wil needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes but to the celebration after supper and therfore accuseth Luther and others as lyers for so reporting of the Councell yet many others of his fellows make no bones to grant it and if they all denyed it the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough Now thus to decree and make a Canon contrarie to the direct institution commandement of Christ what is it but to controll Christ himselfe and to weaken the certainty of all truth and religion Secondly whereas there can be no firme societie amongst men if othe◠and couenants especially made by publicke persons be of no force and therefore God himselfe would haue the Israelites oath to the Gibeonits performed thogh it was craftily extorted x Iosh 9. 19 after seuerely punished Saul in his posteritie for the breach of it y 2. Sam. 21. 1. 2. yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed that z Concil Constant sessione 19. Though the Emperour or King giue a safe conduct to one accused of heresie to come to a Councell or Disputation c. and tho he bind and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer and tho he would not haue come but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct Yet hoc non obstante this notwithstanding hee may bee taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke without anie preiudice to the Catholicke faith c. If this bee good diuinitie that Oathes and Couenants to hereticks are of no force binde not the makers then it is in vaine for men to haue anie dealing one with another for if oathes bee once of no force in any one thing they will in time be weakened in all things Thus this Romish Councell that should haue amended hath contrariwise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impyetie and such as for ought I could euer see were neuer till then decreed nor receiued no not in the Romish Church it selfe But is this reformed since No saith a great Spanish Bishop a Simancha Institut cathol cap. 45. art 14. edit Hispan Fides data haereticis a priuato non est seruāda nec a magistratibus data seruā da est haereticis quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur nā Ioh. Huss Hieronimus eius discip legitima flāma concremati sunt quāuis promissa illis securitas fuisset more then a hundred yeares after this Councell it is so farre from beeing altered that contrariwise by the authority of this decree it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke by a priuate man is not to bee kept no nor if it be made by a Magistrate as sayth he is prooued by the practice of the Councell of CONSTANCE Marke howe they are healed afore it was true in publique persons now it is true in priuate men also afore it might bee broaken without anie fault but nowe it may not bee kept See howe Babylon is cured But the Councell of Trent is of latter times hath not it done much good and reformed much ill Nay on the other side it hath decreed and made 2. Canons to the high disgrace of holie SCRIPTVRES and much derogating from the souereigne authority thereof which til then were neuer decreed not in the darkest times of poperie when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll As namely first b Concil Trident. sess 4 That the Apocriphall Books of Tobiah Iudith and the rest shal be held receiued of as authenticall and Canonicall authoritie as anie parts of holy Scripture whose authoritie was euer sacred This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scriptures before neither was there euer any Popish generall Councell so presumptuous afore this of Trent that euer durst adde more books to the sacred Canon then we receiued from the Church of the old Testament Some bolde Papists say that the Florentine Councell before Trent did make them Canonicall which if it had it had bin little materiall seeing it was but a small time before Trent scarce 100. yeares but the truth is it did not and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more careful of their credit and wil not affirme it c Bellar tō 1. lib. de verbo dei Coccius in the sauro cathol tom 1. So that its cleere there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent nor anie prouinciall but one d Concil Carthag 3. and they are not able to bring one Father that helde them so within 400. yeares after Christ nor very manie after
in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men thinke when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iustifie himselfe and all his words and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe and that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religion a plaine Atheist that holdes the Scripture and all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour serueth his turnes And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testament 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost If hee bee then the Prouerbes of Salomon beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of this Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that Gods word if it be authorized by the Pope is then of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it then it is not So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the authoritie of it or els it hath none Obserue that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of God but because these words of God are heere canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit and worthie to bee beleeued as well as if they had beene spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mint Let the words be examined and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheisme or els if hee holde them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authoritie to binde mens conscience till the Pope doe canonize them and that Gods word in a book knowen receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authoritie in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe if he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretalles as contayning Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it bee with open confession and detestation of the fault it is well But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in all other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance condemned or reprooued this Atheisme if they knowe any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors and Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the way home to Christ printed at LondoÌ„ in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed that The written word of GOD is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicuâ—â— And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euideÌ„ce of Scripture boldely answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quilles doe not tie vs e Nos pennis illis anser inis minime sumus alligati I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disproued them But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge A little after a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie in his booke so called telles a storie of one whom hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diuinitie in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1566. in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnes that this he heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a Protestant no a Papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauitie of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a little after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a boooke that papists holde to bee Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee aunswered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it Shee would no more beleeue the scripture for it was naught g Heskins in his parliameÌ„t the next page after And what was shee that saide this a vertuous Catholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor commeÌ„ds that man and woman for deuout and zealous papists who blasphemously saide that the scriptures were naught and not to be belieued and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholicke woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other But contrariwâ—se commends them both and turnes it to
and calling to heale woundes and satisfie Consciences comming to touch this wound handled it so roughly that in steede of healing it hee makes it sorer then it was For whereas Peraldus gaue Scripture so much honour as to be ioyned in commission with Images they two to be ioynt teachers of the Laity Now comes the great Penitentiarie and is well allowed by the Pope to leaue out the scripture as needlesse and to giue all the power to Images not onely to put men in minde but euen tâ— cherish and increase faith and charitie And certainely if Images can do so it is no maruell that Poperie cast ouâ— the scriptures and in roome thereof do bring Images into the Churches But to make vp the measure of this iniquitie Feuardent the famous Franciscan frier yet preaching at Paris and to whome Possevine wisheth a long life r goeth one step further and to heale vp this wound perfectly teacheth this doctrine s Fran. Feuardentius in lib. homiliarum pag. 16. 17. hom 2 Ex â—aruÌ„ .i. imaginum contemplatione discunt facile breuiter simplices ac Idiotae illa diuina mysteria miracula opera quae ex sacris libris aut vix aut nunquam percipere valeant r Possev app sac tom 1. lit f. By sight and contemplation of Images the common and ignorant Layemen do easily and in a short time learne those diuine mysteries miracles and workes which out of the holy books they shall verie hardly or not at all bee able to perceiue * Strange and fearefull doctrine of poperie Images are better and easier bookes for the laye people then bee the scriptures Heere now is Poperie growen to his ful ripenesse And marke the degrees how this wound hath beene made still deeper and wider First they taught the Scripture and Images together were good bookes for Lay-men t Peraldus Then that Images without the scripture were to be accounted bookes for Lay men u Laelius Zec chius Now at last Images are readier and easier and therfore better bookes for Layemen then be the scriptures x Feuardentius So then seeing this wound is so well healed let vs leaue it and search another In former ages as superstition grew and religion decayed so Images began to bee worshipped more more and ceased not till at the last they came to this that euerie Image was to bee worshipped with the same worship that was due to him whose Image it is so that some three hundred yeares agoe or somewhat more it seemed by Aquinas to bee their generall receiued doctrine that 15 The eight wound That an Image of God or a Crucifix are to bee worshipped as God and Christ that is with diuine worship An Image of Christ and the crosse whereon Christ died and a Crucifixe are all to be worshipped with the same worship due to God and Christ Iesus that is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y Aquinas Summa par 3. quaest 25 art 3 Eadem reuerentia exhibetur Imagini Christi ac ipso Christo cum ergo Christus adoratur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius Imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda art 4. Crux Christi ipsius crucis effigies adoranda est Latria A fearefull doctrine maintaining horrible Idolatrie for nothing but GOD may bee worshipped with diuine worshippe but they teach that those creatures may bee worshipped as God himselfe is that is with diuine worshippe therefore they make those creatures God and by this argument it is apparant that the present religion of the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous religion as long as this doctrine stands vnrepealed Let vs then see if this bee healed 16 The eight wound not healed but made vvider and deeper and deadlier euerie day But alas it is so farre from beeing in any part reformed that it is rather the generall and common receiued doctrine of all their approoued writers I will not stande as I coulde to shewe it successiuelie through all ages since the dayes of Aquinas till these times but sparinge that labour till better leasure I will referre the Reader to most of the elder Authors z Alexander Hallensis 3. par quaest 3. memb 3. art 3. Albertus in 3. sent dist 9. art 4 Bonauentura eadem distinct art 1. q. 2. Richardus art 2. q. 2. Capreolus ibidem art 1. conclus 2. Waldensis toÌ„ cap. 156. nu 6. Caietanus in par 3. q. 25. art 3. hoc modo citantur hi Auctores apud Greg. de valeÌ„t tom 4. disp 1. q. 24. Et multos alios addit Bellarminus lib. de Imag. sanct 2. cap. 20. c. and insist onely on some fewe and those of the latest it being my speciall purpose at this time to shew that the Romish Babylon is euen now not healed of her deadliest wounds Which in this particular I will labour a little the more fully to demonstrate out of the moderne authors now extant and approued because this imputation is generally cast off with this aunswere It is not so it is but an ignorant or malitious slander for the Romish Church giues onely a certaine reuerence to holy Images but doth not worshippe them at all at least with no diuine worshippe And some of our owne profession are either so ignorant they knowe it not or so malitious they will not confesse it or else so hollow hearted to vs and such secrete friendes to them they would not haue it discouered tho it bee so for my part I pittie the Ignorant knoweinge my owne weakenesse I care not for the malitious and I hate the hollownesse of all dissemblinge professors And therefore let others come and conceale her shame and hide the whore of Babylons filthinesse as they will I say for my selfe let the tongue cleane to the roofe of my mouth if I spare to discouer her skirts and lay open her filthinesse to the world that all men seeing her as shee is may detest and forsake her Therefore in the words of truth and sobernesse I do heere offer to this honourable audience that I will willingly come to this place and recant it with shame if I proue not apparantly to the iudgement of euerie reasonable man that this is the common and generall doctrine of the greatest number of their best approued authors that haue written in these later daies namely That an Image of God or a Crucifixe especially one made of the wood whereon Christ died or that crosse it selfe are to bee worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with the worshippe due vnto God And first of all I will in this case spare Bellarmine a Vide BellarminuÌ„ to 2 lib. de Imag. sanctorum 2. cap. 20. 21. 22 23. 24. de Concil lib. 2. cap. 8. seeing hee as hauing some grace in him seemes somewhat ashamed of the matter and therefore playeth fast and loose and betwixt God and his conscience on the one side and
all to hell on the euening before good-Fryday p Vide Bullam Coenae inter Constitutiones PontificuÌ„ Roman pag. 883. In Constit 13. Sixti 5. Consueuerunt Rom. Pontif. praedecessores nostri c. Nos igitur vetustum solennem hunc morem sequeÌ„tes excommunicamus ana thematizamus exparte Dei omnipotentis c. quoscunque Vssitas Wiclyfitas Lutheranos Zuinglianos Calumistas omnes alios haereticos â—orumque fautores receptores libroruÌ„ lectores c. we for recompence the next day morning in euery Church chappell of this kingdom many places more pray for the conuersion saluation of him and al his sect q See one of the prayers apointed by publicke authoritie in the common prayer booke for good-Fryday and so by Gods prouidence it falleth out that our publick praier for them is the same or the next day when they haue publikely cursed vs and this is the facte of the whole Church in the publick liturgy appointed of old stil confirmed by authoritie Therefore if Christs argument be good that priuate men blessing their cursers are the children of God then sure this is not ill the church that blesseth their cursers is yâ— church of God Let them therfore stil go on in cursing if they needes wil but let theÌ„ take heed least as they loue cursing so it come vnto theÌ„ as they clothe themselues with cursing like a garment so it come into their bowels like water and like oyl into their bones r Psal 109. 17. 18 we coÌ„trariwise let vs not be wearie of well doing let vs follow that blessed Peter whom they pretend to follow but do not vnlesse it be in denying Christ whose blessed counsell is Render not euill for their euill nor curse for their curse but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are therunto called that we should be heires of blessing s 1. Pet. 3. 9 thus doing we haue Peters owne testimony against them that we are a Church of blessing a blessed Church and the Father of blessings blesse it more and more and all that seeke the peace of it Amen Thus we see generally they wished her well But what is the particular good they wished her namely her healing and conuersion We would haue healed her heere many things might be pressed I wil but point at them 1. That it is the property of a holy man to wish aboue all things the spiritual good of them with whoÌ„ he liues the wicked man seekes the spirituall hurt of men the naturall man the carnall good but the holy man their spiritual eternall good Worldly matters haue their time place in his thoughts but that that takes vp possesseth his desires is the spirituall good of them he loues namely their conuersion their repentance their saluation these things be worthie their praiers and worthy of their pains Heerin Gods children are like to God their Father who wishing good to his people crieth out Oh that there were in them not the skill to rise in this world and attaine the honours ease of this life but a heart to feare my Commaundements that so it might goe well with them and theirs t Deut. 5. 25 God wisheth no trifles to his children But oh sayth God that Israel were healed and oh sayth Israel that Babylon were healed Thus do God and good men accord in their wishes Learn thou here thy duty if thou be Gods thou wishest for and prayest for and seekest for many things for thy children and thy friends thy wife and family Thou clothest them feedest them prouidest for them else thou art worse then an Infidell and preferrest them and much more but all this is for the bodie But canst thou say from a good conscience I woulde haue healed their spirituall diseases I haue heartily wished and faithfully endeuoured their saluation This is to be a true friend a true father a worthy husband and a good wife happie they that haue such friends neere them 2. Obserue further they seeke the saluation euen of their persecutors so doth alwaies the holy man Paul was put in prison the gayler tormented his body and Paul healed and saued his soule w Act. 16. 24. to the 35. Many a sinner is made a happie man by his prisoner the Martyrs oft times by their patience their praiers holy instructions conuerted their executioners and tormentors As in the former point a holy man is like to God so herin to Christ who when Iudas and the Iewes were conspiring his destruction the same houre was ordaining the holy sacrament and establishing the meanes of their saluation x 1. Cor. 11. 23. c. Thirdly Israel liues in Babel would gladly haue her as holy as themselues wee would haue healed her It sheweth the excellency of the nature of holy things they are fire not in the flint hardly bet out but in the bosome that will not be concealed A man is not couetous of them He is indeede greedie to gaine them but not to keepe them secret and to himselfe as in worldly things wee are nay he desires and ioyes to impart them to others and it is the ioye of his heart to see others as good or better than himselfe Woulde God sayth Moses all Gods people were Prophets and Paul wished from his heart not Felix the president and Agrippa the king alone but that all that hearde him were like him not a prisoner and in bonds but in grace and goodness z Act. 26. 29 Hardly shall a man heare such voices in the world I wish others were as rich as I as high as I as learned as I as much in credit and fauor as I. No these things make men base and seruile self-louers and priuately minded but grace and holinesse is of a royall and excellent nature and inlargeth the heart wherein it is with such loue to other men as nothing more contents him that inoyeth it then to make others as good as himselfe Lastly where it is sayde they woulde haue healed the Babylonians with whom they liued see what a good neighbour a holy man is he comes he dwelles he soiournes in no place but hee seekes the good of it Lot would gladly do good in Sodom if hee can doe none at least his righteous soule shall be vexed for their sinnes a 2. Pet. 2. 8 Israel soiournes in Babel and had rather be awaie yet while they be there they will cure her if they can and if she cannot yet Babell shall therby knowe that Israel was amongst them Thus the whole shyre and parish shall fare the better by one good man dwelling among them Hee comes no where but presently hee considers what that people wants what is their disease what he may do to heal them or any way to help them he comes no where but he leaues behinde him signes of his goodnesse monuments of his holinesse and a sweet sauour of his vertues Thus euery
there is any hope of life then how may anie man forsake the soule that is pretious and that cost so pretious bloud p 1. Pet. 1. 19 Surely the spirituall Physician must neuer forsake a Church a people or a man as long as there is anie hope of curing and conuerting him Heere is condemned the practice of two sorts of men amongst vs. First such as be now tearmed of the separation formerly and vsually called Brownists who forsake our Church and cut off themselues from our congregations and separate themselues to a faction and fashion or as they call it into a couenant and communion of their owne deuising these men haue made a grieuous rent and giuen a deepe wounde into the peace of our Church they vse this place and others like against vs say We would haue healed you but you will not bee healed therefore we forsake you but they abuse the place therefore I will turne the point of this their weapon against themselues I meane against their errors and this their bitter and schismaticall separation To this end I would aske these men but 4. questions whereunto if they can giue me satisfaction I will be one of them First therefore whereas you say that Wee are wounded incurably and will not be healed I aske Wherein are wee deadly or incurably wounded what fundamentall wound is in our doctrine what deadly corruption is in our discipline such as eats out the heart and life and being of a Church what book of Canonicall scripture receiue we not what holde wee for Canonicall that is not what sacrament that Christ ordained do we want and what haue we more then Christ ordained what article of faith deny wee or what holde we for an article of faith that is not what fundamentall heresie doth our doctrine maintaine what haue wee in our Church that ouerthrowes the being of a Church what is necessarily required to make a Church that we do want Do not say These be many questions for if you wil haue them all in one generall I will end it as I began Wherein are wee deadly incurably wounded If I should walk a while on your owne grounds grant you that which you can neuer proue yet will it not follow that we are incurably or deadly wounded A man may want a finger or haue some blemishes in his face and yet bee a strong and perfect man sound and heart-whole and able to ouerthrowe his enemies so tho there were in our Church those wounds you speake of yet do they not come neere the heart they bee not deadly they may blemish the beauty but endanger not the life of our Church The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had other kind of blemishes then ours hath blessed be God Corinth doubted or erred in the great article of the Resurrection 1. Cor. 15. The Galathians erred fouly in the high and maine point of Iustification and yet Corinth a Church of God sanctified in Christ Iesus 1. Corinth 1. 2. And Galatia though almost remooued to another Gospell Galathians 1. 6. yet not withstanding a Church for all that Galat. 1. 2. And if you will adde to these fundamentall errours in doctrine corruptions in manners and disorders in Gods seruice you can with no shewe of truth lay such to the charge of our Church as is apparant were rife in the Church of Corinth and then shall Corinth bee a Church and not England Let the Lord bee Iudge betwixt you and vs. Therefore if wee should grant vnto you that our Church were blemished or wounded yet not beeing deadly wounded your separation from vs is schismaticall and vniust and more cruell and vnchristianlie deale you with our Church then did Gods Church with Babell who forsooke her not til she was deadly wounded and past life To conclude if Israel might not forsake Babel til then then what are you that dare forsake a Church of God wherin they haue found God if euer they haue found him yet wherein the diuell himselfe cannot shewe one deadly wound Blessed be the Lord that hath so healed vs. Secondly seeing they say that we are wounded but as for themselues they be healed therfore they must separate and so keep the sound from the sicke I aske them this question Are they healed then where were they healed where were they called where were they regenerat begotten to Christ was it not in the wombe of this our Church by means of the immortall seede of Gods word that is daily sowen in our Church by the ministry of those men that were called by our Church and yet cleaue to our Church and mourn for their separatiō and by the dewe of that blessing from aboue which is dayly poured vpon our assemblies from Gods merciful right hand Then how can they deny that to be a true Church a holy church a Church of God wherein ordinarily men are called and brought to God And how vnthankfull and vndutifull are they to their spirituall mother to forsake hir and cast the dust of contempt in her face that bore them in her wombe and brought them foorth the sonnes of God To auoid this what can they say but one of these two things either that there is indeed a true Ministery of the word amongst vs but it is not powerfull to anie but themselues that wee haue the word truly preached and so as it may conuert a man but it is not the sauour of life to anie but such as come into their couenant but from this horrible and hellish pride good Lord deliuer them or els let them be assured such a height of pride is sure to haue a fearful fal Or if not this then must they say that they were not called in our Church but since they left vs But they haue bard thēselues already from that plea. For it being obiected to them that they haue left our church not out of conscience but out of carnal discontents and vpon fleshly reasons worldly grounds they all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it that they do it not vpon any such grounds nor for anie reasons of flesh and bloud but meerely and onely out of conscience and for their saluation and that gladly they would haue staied but with a good conscience they could not If this be true then they had conscience before they left vs then where came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our Church Now a good cōscience cannot be seuered from regeneration and an effectual calling therefore they cannot deny but they were regenerate and called in our Church vnlesse they wil say they had no conscience when they forsooke vs which if they doe then I will yeelde that my question is answered If they grant they were called a fore they went and that stil they who fall from vs to them are called then how can that be but a true Church wherein by their own cōfession men are ordinarily begotten to God how
till of late and contrariwise we are able to proue that all the Fathers for 400. yeares did reiect them and many after yea the greater part of all learned Papists themselues till the Councell of Trent And thus wee see how Romish Babylon is still the elder the worse But this is not all a Romish Councell will neuer meete for one euill Therefore secondly they decree e Concil Trident sess 4. That in all Disputations Sermons Lectures and to all other purposes that Latine translation called the Vulgar shall be helde the authenticall Text that no man presume vnder any pretext to refuse it Here is a strange decree that the streame shall bee of more vertue then the Fountaine a translation of more authoritie then the Originall The former ages neuer heard of this indignitie but whensoeuer doubt was made or difference found recourse was forthwith had to the Originalls for the determining of the matter Many learned Papists are ashamed of this if they durst vtter it Bellarmine and Coccius doe bewray it by their slight handling of the matter for they would gladly prooue if they could that Hierome was the author of that translation but as for the magnifying of it whosoeuer was the translator aboue the Originalls they are wiser then to venture their credits vpon so false a matter and therefore do wholly leaue it vpon the credit of that Conuenticle that concluded it Neither do I wrong to call it a Conuenticle for tho I should grant the whole to be a Councell yet the number that past this bill was so small that I may safely call it a Conuenticle For as an ill motion may pass in Parliament betimes in a morning before all the house be set so was this bil caried at Trent For wheras the Councel in his fulness consisted of 300. or more that had voice of decision they took the aduantage at the beginning of the Councell and caried these two bills when there were scarce 60. in the house whereof how manie went against them is vncertaine foâ— the Pope durst not for one of his Crowns haue pâ—â— thâ—â—e two bils especially the latter to the ful house for how would they haue entertained it then when as they had libertie of speech against it who since their tongues were tyed and the bill passed yet haue dared and Arias Montanus Sixtus Senensis Oleaâ—â—er c. some of them who were of the Councell themselues euen to resist the decree and haue taken so contrarie a course themselues in expounding the Scripture that howsoeuer they were tolerated for their learning whilest they liued yet being dead their books are eyther purged that is altered or els reproued So that its apparant to all that will vnderstand that this decree was so far from being established in any former ages that it is euen misliked of many of the better sort of themselues now that it is made And thus I hope wee haue cleered it that these two Councells called in the corrupt and declining times of the Popish Church in shewe to haue reformed it haue been so far from that that contrariwise they haue coÌ„cluded diuerse enormous impyeties that were not before Then is not the Romish Babylon well cured I hasten to the second Proposition which is that the deformities that were before both in doctrine and practice both in heade and members and manie whereof were complayned on by some of themselues doe yet remaine without redresse or reformation For the demonstration of this Proposition I might inlarge my selfe into many particulars but I will insist but vppon fewe and those I shall produce shall not bee trifles nor triuiall but of great moment euen touching the mayne and morall duties which a Christian man oweth to his God and which to denie is to denie God to falsifie his word and nullifie his lawe And to this ende it were no harde matter to passe through the most of the tenne Commaundementes of the Morall and eternall lawe But I will stande vppon some fewe of the principall In all which my course shall bee fairest for them and safest for my selfe for I will not relie vppon the credite of any reporter nor other writer how great soeuer his authoritie bee but produce the recordes themselues and the authenticall originalls of their owne bookes as they stand at this day allowed by authoritie Now therefore whether the Romish Babylon bee yet cured or no let the Christian world iudge by these particulars The pride of the Romish Antichrist in times past was such that hee exalted himselfe at least suffered himselfe to bee set in the throne of God yea and to be called of men God and their Lord God 1 The first wound The Pope is a God and their Lord God and this not onely in priuate Authors but euen in his own Canon lawe these be the wordes in the glosse vpon the extrauagants f Extrauag IohaÌ„nis 22. tit 14. cap. 4. CuÌ„ inter in glossa Credere auteÌ„ Dom. Deum nostrum Papam conditorem huius Decretalis noâ— potuisse slatue reprovt statuit haereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope the maker of this Decretall may not decree it as hee hath may bee iudged haereticall The wordes are plaine inoughe But if anie man say this is but the glosse and not the text I answere first that the glosse is of greater authoritie amongst them then any or then many Doctors But further what if we finde as much or worse out of the Decret dist 96 cap. satis euideÌ„t ostenditur a seculari potestate nec solui prorsus necligari pontificeÌ„ posse quem coÌ„stat a Constantino Deum appellatum cum nec posse Deum ab hominibus iudicari manifestum sit very Text of the Popes lawe it selfe Look in the Decree the 96. distinction there the Pope himself frames this argument writing to the Emperor against them that would call his Holinesse to account It s certaine that the Emperour Constantine called the Pope God But it s as cleere that God may not bee iudged of men Ergo the Pope may not be iudged of anie man Thus the Pope that canonizeth so many men and women Saints hath heere taken paines to canonize himself a God both in the Text and glosse of his own lawe his glossers call him their Lord God and hee is content to take it to himselfe Constantine he saith in the text cals him God and he is content both to take it and make good vse of it Whether this bee not Herods sinne a Acts. 12. at least let him looke to it but let vs goe forwarde Heere Babylon is sicke of a deadly euil but is she healed I wish she were but I cannot shewe it 2 The first wound not healed If any say shee is then let him shewe me that Pope or name mee that Writer Doctor Inquisitor Bishop or any other who by commandment or authoritie or but with the approbation of the Pope hath
confuted or but as much as reprooued this blasphemie or shewe any that hath reprooued it whom they haue not blamed or condemned But that shee is not cured in this point I can make it apparant For looke in the Canon lawe reuiued and as they pretende c Vide Corpus iuris Canonici iussu Gregorij 13. emendatum editum anno 91. dist 96. cap. 7. reformed and reprinted of late b by the authoritie and with the approbation of the Pope vnder his bull where though many things be altered or taken out that made against the Popes primacie yet this that makes so much against Gods holy Maiestie is not in one point helped nor in one word altered but still this is good and Catholicke Diuinitie in the popes lawe that The Pope is God and therefore may not bee iudged of men But wil you haue yet better euidence that She is not cured Hearken a little A great Italian Doctor no lesse then a Bishop writes thus to the Pope himselfe for to the Pope either the Authour or his Nephew dooth dedicate it some three or foure yeares agoe c Vide Adoardum GualaÌ„dum EpiscopuÌ„ Caesenatem de morali ciuili facultate lib. 14 cap. 3. A Papa tanquaÌ„ a Capite in vniuersum Eccle siae corpus hoc est in omnem ChristianaÌ„ Remp. spiritus influunt caelestium gratiarum sensum fructumque praestantes efficicem moâ—â— ad sempiternam â—eatitudinem Merito igitur sanctissimus beatissimus appellatur 〈◊〉 Christianam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi quidam Deusad oratur coliâ—â—t Liber impressus est Romae 1604. Clementi 8. Papae dicatus From the Pope as from the Head there doe flowe into the whole bodie of the Church that is into the whole Christian world spirits or spirituall life yeelding the feeling and fruite of heauenly graces and effectuall motion to eternall happinesse therfore hee is worthily called as God is most holy most blessed and is worshipped and adored as a God of all christian men Loe heere as bad or worse then the former the Pope is such a Head of the church as infuseth spiritual life and heauenly grace into the body of the Church Doth Christ himself anie more and he is worthily worshipped as a God And this dooth Pope Clement the 8. suffer to be spoken and written of him and not 4. yeares agoe to be printed vnder his nose at Rome and thence to bee sent ouer the world now iudge is not Romish Babylon well healed nay rather alasse doth not her wound fester and rankle more and more Well then seeing this is the Romish doctrine and practise both olde and newe both long agoe and now present let vs make a little vse of it First wee see heere good reason why a Papist should holde the Pope aboue a Councell and euen the holy scripture it selfe for the Pope is God and wee knowe that GOD is aboue the scripture Secondly why also the Pope holdes himselfe aboue kings for hee is God and GOD is King of kinges in a word no maruell why hee should take appeals from all the world we are a triple Crowne bee caried on mens shoulders giue his foote to be kissed dispose of kingdomes and kings at his pleasure for hee that is God may do more then all these And surely we Protestants must needes grant that as truely as he is a God so lawfully may hee do all these All these vses are as good as that is the Pope himselfe makes when hee sayth God may not be iudged by men but I am God and therefore may not bee iudged by man these bee his arguments but now hee shall giue mee leaue to make but one for him and his fellowes The God that admitteth another Lord God and to bee worshipped as God is not the Lord Iehouah the true God for the true God is God alone d Deut. 6. 4. but the Papists God admittes of another Lord God and to be worshipped as God therefore hee is not the true God If they denie the Maior they denie scripture if the Miâ—â—r they denie their doctrine and their owne bookes if they graunt both they are worthy of the conclusion I would end this but I cannot omit to make one vse more of this their doctrine It hath been made a question amongst them whether the Pope might noâ— emptie all Purgatorie if he see cause and no maruellâ— for he being God surely if there be a purgatorie God can emptie it Now to conclude all these doe but equalize the Pope with God but what if hee haue made himselfe greater then God 3 The secoÌ„d wound The pope hath done more then God I will be but the relatour let the Reader iudge Almost two hundred yeeres agoe hee did with publicke authoritie and after long examination by a great Cardinall e This Cardinal was IohaÌ„nes de turre cremata as appears in the prefaces before the book of the Reuelations of Saint Brigit and other Commissioners approue e Posseuinus in apparatu sacro lit B. to 1. Brig Reuelationes diligeÌ„ter examinatae approbatae à viris doctis fuerunt after suffered to be published to the World a booke in latine called The Reuelations of Saint Bâ—IGITE Where it is dogmatically deliuered and as a matter without question That Pope Gregory by his prayers lifted the heathen Emperour Traiane out of hell f Reuelationes Brigittae lib. 4. cap. 13. Bonus Gregorius oratione sua etiam infidelem Caesarem eleuauit ad altiorem gradum and another long afore whome they pretend also to bee theirs deliuereth it more amplie adding further that God answered the Pope thus I haue heard thy prayers and I grant mercy and pardon to Traiane but see that thou hereafter offer me no sacrifice for an vngodly man g Damascenus in ser de mortuis adiuuandis Cum enixè Deum precaretur Gregorius pro salute Traiani annis ante sua tempora fere 500. defuncti audiuit vocem diuinitùs allatam dicentem preces tuas audiui veniam Traiano do tu vero deinceps pro impio hostiam mihi ne offeras From hence I offer them this argument to thinke on The true God neuer deliuered a damned soule out of hell but the Pope hath deliuered a soule out of hell therefore he hath done that that GOD neuer did nor for ought that is reuealed euer will doe Heer is a soule wound but is this healed vp No 4 The second wound not healed this booke stands allowed by the Pope and in his Catalogue of the bookes which hee forbiddes to bee read h Vide IndiceÌ„ lib prohib per Clem. 8. where many a learned and godly booke is condemned this is not toucht and therefore as Posseuine himselfe a Iesuite grants i Posseuinus loco citato not 2. yeares agoe not onely the booke stands vncondemned but this foule blalphemy vncontrolled and to shewe that the head of Babylon namely the Pope
Lords prayer for another place and purpose it is here euident that no Papist in the World can with a good conscience say the whole Lords prayer For if God haue now diuided his kingdome then how can hee say with Dauid in the olde testament i 1. Chr. 29. 11 and Christ in the newe k Math. 6. Thine O Lord is the kingdome for euer therefore hee must either alter the Lords prayer and say Thine is halfe the kingdome c. or neuer say it at all or else curse and detest his owne teachers that write and his Lord God the Pope that alloweth such doctrine Alas poore soules what should a simple honest hearted Papist do in this case See therefore in what pitifull state they liue who haue subiected themselues to such teachers Lastly let it bee obserued that here they teach that there bee in spiritual matters touching the soule 2. diuine Courts the one of Iustice and that is Gods the other a Chancerie a Court of Mercie and that is Maries these bee their verie wordes and further that if any man feele himselfe agrieued in Gods Court of Iustice let him appeale to the Court of mercie of his Mother Oh-strange diuinitie Canne Gods iudgements bee vniust or his proceedinges erroneous and vnequall If they bee not then why do they talke of appealing to a higher Court for why do writtes of error lye from one Court to another but that it is presupposed that they may erre and why is there a Chauncerie but that the rigour and extremitie of the Lawe may bee mitigated But if the Scripture say true in the text Righteous art thou O Lord and iust in thy iudgements l Psal 119. 137. then this is blasphemie of a high nature that there needes a Chancerie to rectifie his proceedinges and mitigate his Iudgements But as for this doctrine that the Chauncerie or Court of mercie is not Gods but his Mothers and that therfore Gods iudgmeÌ„ts are to be mitigated by another and therefore that shee and her Court are in this respect rant shee is not healed And yet for the better satisfaction of all men that as shee is not yet so shee purposeth neuer to bee healed nor to reforme any thing and that this is not the priuate opinion of that or any other one doctor I desire all that loue the trueth to take knowledge that of late within these seauen yeares an Italian doctor a Iesuite and an approued writer writing a storie of the miracles of our Ladie of Loretto teacheth euen the same doctrin and makes no bones to bluster out almost the very same words which for better assurance I will put down s Horatiuâ— Tursellinus hist virginis lauretanae in Epistola dedic virgo Maria salutem vndique cinctam periculis expedire vitam veris salutaribus bonis cumulare vult potest Matrem quippe suam omnipotens deus diuinae potestatis Maiestatis sociam quatenus licuit asciuit The Virgin Marie both will and can is both willing and able to deliuer such as bee compassed about with daungers on all sides and to heape vpon them all good blessinges for Almightie GOD as farre as it is lawefull t This clause as farre as it is lawfull is a strange word to be spoken of God for what can be vnlawful to God that is good whose wil is the holiest law if therfore it be good to make a creature fellow with him in his deitie it must needes be lawful and so the clause is idle If it bee not good but impious and contrary to the nature of God then to thinke it any way lawful or possible to be done is no lesse then to think it any way lawfull for God to lie or sin or deny himselfe so that take it any way this limitation of the Iesuite both grossely abuseth the reader and containeth horrible impiety against God So far is it from being any shelter to the blasphemy that is deliuered in the whole passage hath made his Mother fellowe and partaker of his diuine Power and Maiestie c. See here the new and refined diuinity of the Iesuites what is this but the same with that afore for if shee bee made partaker fellow with God in his diuine power and Maiestie it is no maruel that God hath coÌ„mitted his mercy to her if froÌ„ these words we look into the body of the book we shal find he ascribes such works miracles to her as can belong to none but him or her that is a fellow with God or rather God himself It cannot bee saide the booke wants authoritie for it is formally allowed dedicated to the Cardinall Aldobrandino printed at Rome and since often elsewhere and of late both the Authour and his booke highly commended by the greatest Romish censurers u Posseu in apparatu sacro to 2. litera H. Horat. Tursellinus Romanus è societate Iesu lauretanae historiae 5. libros latinos elegantes ad fideÌ„ historicae veritatis conscripsit Romae excuâ—os quos qui legerit vt miranda beatissimae Virginis opera suspiciet sic lauretanam illam domum percupidè curabit inuisere Vlterinâ— autem de eodem Tursellino vide C. Bonarscij Amphitheatrum honoris Libro 2. cap. 13. So that now I will end my euidence for this point and dare put the matter to a Iurie of any conscionable men whether this wound be healed yet or no. Now to go forward from the Person and Maiesty of God let vs proceede to his Holy SCRIPTVRES and see how the Romish Church held of olde and yet holdeth and teacheth of them I will not stand vppon those vâ—le and base speeches vttered and written of them by Eccius Pighius Hosius and manie other of that generation for that they haue beene both detected and with shame inough reâ—ected by many reuerend men of our nation both in Latine and English w Whitaker Fulke Iewel Reinolds and others but vppon some that often haue not bin touched by many nor euer can be sufficiently condemned by any In the Canon Lawe the Pope spareth not to disgrace the holy Scriptures in express tearmes sometimes equaling his own Constitutions with them somtimes preferring them In the Decree hee shameth not to affirme that 7 The fourth wound The Popes decrees be equall to the Canonicall Scriptures his decretall Epistles are numbred amongst the Canocall Scriptures x Vide decretuÌ„ cum glossa Lugd. 1510. In fol. dist 19. cap 6. Inter Scripturas canonicas Epistolae decretales connumeâ—antur and impudently alleadgeth Saint Augustine to proue it who neuer spake nor meant any such thing as in the later end of the decree they cannot but confess with shame inough this was his doctrine in the old impressions of the Canon lawe a hundreth yeares agoe But some will say this wounde is now healed No look in the new impression reuiewed at the Popes commandement and printed by his authoritie within these fewe
the aduantage of the Romish cause and sayth that hereby wee may see what a perillous thing it is for Lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaâ—e hereby we may see what a filthie heart and vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy Scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them do not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songes of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to bee in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I craue pardon of all Christian cares Wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences any thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith hee is all that booke You haue heard how the proueâ—bes were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and here the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins i Vide approbationem laudem huius autoris libri apud Possev in appar sacro to 3. lit T. verbo Thomas Hardingus addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodly gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they holde also to be canonicall scripture and some of them to be Salomons hee sayth that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake them and I also sayeth hee would bee ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapter If the wordes bee as immodest as hee pretendes they bee then why doe they holde such a booke to be Scripture and if they holde it to bee Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to aunswere in the meane time I go forward Not longe after comes Hosius a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. Pronuntiamus non verbum dei sed scripturam pendere ad authoritate testimonio approbatione Ecclesiae quae non aliter verbum esse dei censeri debet nisi quatenus ecclesiae fuerit autoritate coÌ„probata The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authoritie testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the worde of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine here is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allowe the newe Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pitifully this wound is healed Nay further if the time and present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne writers wee should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further and deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot bee healed but let it suffice to name some of the Authors and referre the learned Reader to them n Pistoriuâ— cont Mentz disp 1. Stapleton lib. 9. doct princip cap. 14. Bellar. tom 1. Controv. 1. lib. 4. cap. 4. Fran. Agricola de verbo dei scripto non scripto cap. 7 cap. 9. Perouu de incertitudine c. scripturaruÌ„ And let vs go forward to another wound They taught the People in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that Images were good laye mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the scripture as vnfit for them and obscure dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and coÌ„mended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seaueÌ„th wound Images are good laye mens bookes Some three hundred years ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time and well approued o Guliel Peraldus ord praed postea Epistola Lugdunens scripsit inter alia summa virtutuÌ„ vitiorum pervtilem illaÌ„ quidem coÌ„modam concionatoribus quae saepius est recusa haec Possev appar sac to 1. lit G. of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laye men p Guliel Peraldus Summa virt vit tom 1. cap. 3. vt scripturae literae sunt Clericorum sic scriptura sculptura literae sunt laicorum Lo here how Images are associated and ioyned with the Bible Search the scripture saith Christ look on them and on Images sayth the Pope how readest thou saieth Christ what seest thou saith the Pope It is written sayeth Christ it is painted and grauen sayeth the Pope thy worde sayeth Dauid is my light not the golden Châ—rubins but nowe sayeth Poperie euen in the newe Testament the scriptures and Images are laye mens lights What a wronge is this to GOD and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiarie of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of Conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and men c. and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moral theolog casuum consci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Imagines poni â—n Ecclesijs vtile est ad charitatem erga deum sanctos fouendam augendam c. ad fidem conseruandam cum Imagine babeantur pro libris his qui literas ignoraÌ„t ex quibus ducuntur in cognitionem memoriaÌ„ imitationem diuinorum c. Brixiae 1598. Lo here this doctor who heing Penitentiarie is by his place
bee euerie daie eight and fortie yeeres of pardon which is in one yeere aboue fifteene thousand yeeres Euerie daie of the Annuntiation there bee one thousand yeers and hee that with deuotion goeth vp Saint Peters stayres hath for euery steppe seauen yeeres of pardon Surely purgatorie paines are not so fearefull as they beare the world in hand if going vp two and twentie steps may purchase releasement of a hundred fiftie yeers thereof And if these seeme too little Alexander the Pope like a liberall Lord opens his treasure and giues to euery steppe a thousand yeares So that now there is not a Papist in the world that needes to be in Purgatorie one daie except hee will For for going vp XXij thousand yeers of pardoÌ„ graÌ„ted for going vp 22. steps If the Pope say true in this no Papist need to come in Purgatory twentie two steppes with deuotion hee may be released out of Purgatorie for two and twentie thousand yeeres and I hope they do not think the World will last so long and Purgatorie they saie ends with the World Further whosoeuer will go through the 3. doores Three doores of one Church in Rome of so great vertue that whosoeuer goeth through them shall be as free from sinne â—â— when he was newly baptized Oh what a great power the Pope hath who can giue power to another so easily to deliuer soules out of purgatorie How easie purgatorie might be emptied by Popish doctrine of the Laterane Church shall bee as free from all his sinnes as hee was the houre hee was baptized Likewise at the Altar in Saint Peters Church there be xiiii thousand years of pardon and deliuerance of one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Lawrence whosoeuer visiteth that Church euerie Thursday for a yeare and â—ittes vpon the stone whereon Saint Lawrence was broyled shall deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie And in the Church of Saint Iohn at the gate called Porta Latina a man by either saying a Masse or causing it to bee sayde may deliuer one soule out of Purgatorie Are these true then why is there one soule left in purgatorie or else where is the charitie of the Papistes which they so much bragge of seeing so easilie they may deliuer so many thousands soules out of purgatorie in one yeare Certainely if these bee true as they be written then granting that there is a purgatotorie it might soone be emptied But if it be false and fabulous and friuolous and hath no other ende but to mocke poore people and to sucke out their siluer then what a religion is that which maintaines such dealings especially seeing this is not the deede of any priuate men but of the Popes themselues nor of a fewe but euen all since Boniface the eight Thus wee haue searched deepe into a foule and filthie wound Now what remaines but to see if it bee healed yet or no 20 The tenth wound not healed but groweth more desperate deadly to this day But alas Babylon will not be healed for as they feared not to put these trickes vpon the people 100. and 200. yeares agoe in the times of superstition so haue they presumed euen still in these dayes of light to do the like And as the whore is shamelesse in her sinne so is this whore of Babylon in her impietie for shee hath not at all amended this enormitie nor in any sort reformed it but rather lets it growe from bad to worse For euidence wherof let any man read Onuphrius Pauvinius z Vide Oâ—uphrium Pauuinium de praecipuis vrbis Romae sanctiorious basilicis quas septem Ecclesias vulgo vâ—cant Colon. 1584. passim who not past 24. yeares agoe hath written with publike authoritie a booke to this verie purpose of the seaueÌ„ principal Churches of Rome and of the Indulgences belonging to them wherein all that is deliuered before is auerred and much more added some part whereof I would put downe saue for that it may bee reserued to a further purpose and fitter opportunitie And for better euidence that as she hath not so shee purposeth neuer to heale vp this wound within these two yeares they haue allowed published with authoritie the pilgrimage or voiages of Seigneur Villamont a Les voyages du St de Villamont diuisez eâ— trois livres derâ—iere edition reueuce augmentee c. A. Aâ—raâ— 16â—5 vide inter alia librum 1. cap. 12. c. one of the Gentlemen of the French Kings Chamber wherein the poore deceiued Gentleman out of his superstitious deuotion hauing visited all those Churches and made himselfe as hee saith blessed by being partaker of all the Indulgences thereto belonging and hauing ascended those holy staires to euerie steppe whereof belong so manie thousand yeares of pardon after all returning home at last much poorer but nothing wiser then hee went hee wrote a booke of his voiage and pilgrimage to Ierusalem and taking Rome in his way hee describes at large the Indulgences granted of olde and at this day in force to the Churches in Rome Which booke being written in French whoeuer list to reade will soon confesse that in this wound the Romish Babylon is not yet healed 21 The eleueÌ„th wound Granting of Indulgences thousands of yeares deliuerance of Soules out of purgatory to Beades Meddalls Crosses Pictures and such like toyes being blessed and hallowed by the Popes holy hands And herevnto I will adde another wound because it is so neere to this in popish consanguinitie The wiser sort of Popes and the rest of the craftier politicians in that hierarchie perceiuing that all the Nations of the earth many of them being so farre distant could not come to their market of Indulgences being kept in Rome therefore least they should lose their trafficke into those parts they deuised away that seeing a greate part of the worlde could not come to Rome Rome should send to them To which ende out of his bountie and spirituall liberalitie for the incredible good of mens soules the Pope ordained that certaine Crucifixes and Meddalls and Agnus dei b The principall of all these toyes is the Agnus dei which euerie one may not make but onely the Pope nor hee alwayes but onely at Easter nor at euerie Easter but the first next his entrance and euerie seauenth Easter after nor of any matter nor in any manner but preciselie of such simples and with such ceremonies as are prescribed for that purpose which together with the prayers or rather coniurations then to bee vsed are to bee seene in the booke called Caeremoniale pontil lib. 1. And hee that hath not that booke let him looke in the CoÌ„mentaries of Peter Mathew vpon the Constitutions of Gregorie the 13. Constit the 1. holy Graines beads other such Iewels should be first consecrated and hallowed by the hands of his Holinesse and haue all the holinesse powred vppon them that hee canne spare and further
53. c. bee beleeued vpon his bare word So then if a Cardinall haue but the conscience to tell a lie which how small a thing it is in poperie and how manie excuses it hath who knoweth not then it is heere apparant that the vilest theefe and murderer in a countrie may easily escape the halter at Rome Now to conclude see how many helpes there be for a Murderer in Romish religion first by places then by persons priuiledged Places priuiledged be 1. a Church 2. a Churchyard 3. an hospitall 4. a Bishops house 5. a priuate Chappell all these shall deliuer a man from tryall were this so in London how should any murderer be brought to the Bar no street could he passe through but he shall finde one of these 5. places then by persons priuiledged which be first a Cardinall riding by which because it is but in fewe places therefore the second is a Priest carying the Sacrament and that is in euery towne To touch either of these doth deliuer from death a murtherer coÌ„demned by law Thus we see a bloudy Church is a defender of bloud and murther for let anie wise man consider how many thousand murders in a yeere may bee sheltred and shuffled ouer by these meanes And yet sanctuaries are but one means to cloak murther they haue many more not so fit to be stood vpon at this time but the end and effect of them all is this that poisoning stabbing killing and all kind of bloud-shedding is so rise in popish States that the better sort of themselues do bitterlie complaine of it Oleaster a spanish Inquisitor and therefore not partiall on our side hath these words r Vide Hieronimum ab Oleastro inquisitorem vlissiponens in suis CoÌ„ment in Pentat In cap. 4. Genes pag. 17. Video in quit homicidia fieri netamen video homicidas puniri sunt enim hodie mille modi excusandi homicidam quoruÌ„ vnuê° est ecclesiaÌ„ appellare Clericum se dicere statim Iudices quos volunt a summo poÌ„tifice impetrate qui eos absoluunt parua aut nulla poena imposita sic homicidia multi plicantur I see daily sayth he murders are committed but I doe not see the murderers are punished for we haue at this daie a thousand waies to excuse murderers wherof one is to appeale to the Church to say he is a Cleargie man and presently to get froÌ„ the Pope such Iudges or Commissioners as themselues will who by and by discharge and absolue them vpon a little punishment or none at all and thus murders are multiplied euerie daie c. Let these words be well obserued and what he was that spake them and if this be so so faâ—re from Rome as Portingale is theÌ„ we may easily iudge how the world goeth at Rome and neere vnto it Against all this what can be said that this Anastasius is an Author suborned by vs Nay Posseuine the Iesuite will for that answer for vs hauing canonized him in his catalogue of catholick Doctors s Possev Ies appar sac tom 1. lit A. Anastasius Germoniê° Archidiaconê° Taurinensis edidit libros de immunitatibus ecclesiasticis inter al. c. what then that he is but a triuiall fellow and of no credit nor authority Nor so for he was publicke professor of the Popes lawe at Turin in great office and authority both with Gregory the 14. and Clement the 8. t Idem Posseu ibid. Augustae Taurinorum publicè Canones interpretabatur nuper orator ad Clement 8. pro sereniss vrbini duce vtriusque Romanae signaturae referendarius and his bookes be dedicated to the Popes and Cardinalls printed at Rome with soueraigne authoritie and speciall commendation u Nay the Pope himselfe with Anastasij Germonij Ciuit Ro. Archidiaconi TaurineÌ„sis protonotarij Apostolici de sacroruÌ„ immutatibus lib. 3. ad Gregorium 14. Romae 1591. his own mouth commended the book to the Cardinals and said that the whole Clergie and the Councel of Cardinalls by name were greatly beholden to the Author for it w Vide eiusdem Anastasij Epistolam dedicat ad Gregorium 14. Pont. Max. So that it is more then impudencie for anie Papist to make question of the authoritie of his doctrine What then can be said that these sanctuaries stand indeed allowed for some faultes but not for murder If it were so the fault were lesse but the truth is otherwise For tho it be certaine and confessed by themselues that by the ciuile lawe Murderers and Rauishers and Adulterers are excepted x In §. Quod si delinquentes Authent de mand princip Yet Germonius shameth not to answere that the Ciuile lawe is corrected in this point by the Popes law and that therfore we are to stand to it y Iure Ciuili adulteri homicidae raptores ex eccl abduci possunt sed Ius Ciuile per pontificiuÌ„ hac in parte correctuÌ„ est ideo standuÌ„ est huiê° dispositioni c. sic Germoniê° de sacrorum immunitatibus lib. 3. cap. 16. art 57 c. and not to the Ciuile lawe Now who are excepted by the popes lawe only night-robbers and setters of high waies z Germonius ibid. art 56. ex Iure Canonico communi sententia but as for murderers adulterers and rauishers these finde fauor in the Popes lawe for they be Amici Curiae but theeues and robbers are not so and therfore this Germonius coÌ„cludes that tho the Scripture be plain and many Doctors yet a murderer is not to bee taken out of sanctuarie vnlesse there bee more then murder as deceit and treacherie What then may be said that this Germonius is but one Doctor and his opinion is not to be taken for a doctrine I answere his iudgement is allowed by the Pope himselfe and his opinions are fortified with consent of other popish Doctors But that we may see he walkes not alone in this waie one Stephanus Durantus writing also of late of the rites of the Romish Church deliuereth yâ— same for a general doctrin of that church tho he being a French-man is therfore the bolder and saith that neither in France nor in England they haue beene permitted by the kings with such absolute allowance as elswhere a Stephanus Durantê° de ritibê° ecclesiae catholicae Romae 91. ad Gâ—â—gor 14. vid. 1. ca. 26. art 10. Ea erat ecclesiae religio immunitas vt ad eam confugientes non liceret inde extrahere vel eis aliquam vim inferre Such saith he is the honor and immunity of Churches that malefactors flying to them may not bee taken out nor haue any violence offered them This book also is of speciall authoritie dedicated to P. Gregorie the 14. and by him accepted with speciall allowance and in a Bull or constitution of his hee affirmeth it is a worke seruing greatly for Gods glorie and the edification of Christian people and that it is approued and allowed
by the great M. of his palace b Vide bullam Gregorij 14 Duranti libro praefixaÌ„ hoc opê° c. ad gloriaÌ„ Dei totius populi Christiani aedificationé c. à Magistro sacri palatij nostri visum approbatum to whom belonges the soueraigne and highest authoritie to censure all sort of bookes And last of all Iacobus de Graffijs the great Casuist and Grande Poenitentiarie within these 7. yeares hath determined this question affirming that the murderer may not be taken out of the Church no not tho hee broke prison and fled thither vnlesse it were murder ioyned with trecherie and treason c Iacobus de Graffijs decis aur cas cons to 1. cap. 48. libri secundi art 5. 6. 7. reus in causa ciuili criminali gaudet immunitate ecclesiae etiamsi carcerem coÌ„fregerit ad ecclesiam confugerit Et non exâ—pitur homiâ—idium nisi proditione coÌ„missum aut ab Assasinis Thus we see how Babylon is healed in this wound And heereby it is apparant to all that will see that she is a bloudie Babylon and as in many other respects for her crueltie so this waie also for this doctrine and practice she is a bloudy synagogue and no maruell tho the holy Ghost say that in her is found the bloud not onely of the Saints and Martyrs but of all that was shed vpon the earth d Reuel 18. 24. For as she hath made her selfe the principall agent in shedding the bloud of Saints and Martyrs so hath shee made her selfe accessarie by this her doctrine and practice to al the murthers bloudshed vpon the earth for to maintaine so many refuges and defences for a sinne is to maintaine the sinne it selfe Therefore leauing this bloudie Church weltring and wallowing and bathing her selfe in bloud let vs proceed to that remaines Touching the honorable estate of marriage and the dishonor of it which is adulterie fornicatioÌ„ it is lamentable to see what is the doctrine and practice of the Romish Church For first they giue a publicke and open toleration of the stewes wherein whoredome is practiced as dayly and commonly as other ciuile and lawfull actions 29 The 14. wound Romish Religion permits stewes publickelie nay their rent is taken and duely paide a part of it to the Pope or as hee shall appoint it Thus complaines and cries out Agrippa a man of no meane place nor ordinarie vnderstanding e Cornel. Agrippa de vanitate scient cap. 64. Corinthij Cyprij Babylonij alijque Ethnici Graeci nonnihil a meretricio quaestu aerario suo addiderut quod quidem in Italia non raruÌ„ vbi etiaÌ„ Romana scorta in singulis hebdomadis Iulium pendeÌ„t pontifici qui census annuus saepe excedit viginti millia ducatus The Corinthians sayth he and Cyprians and Babylonians and other heathen Graecians did increase their reuenue by the gaine of the stewes which in Italy also is at this daie no rare nor vnusuall matter For the whores of Rome doe paie weekely to the pope a Iulio a piece about six pence sterling the whole reuenue whereof in the yeare doth often exceede the sum of twentie thousand Duckets c. Alas wil some say the Pope cannot hinder this therefore seeing he cannot helpe it he hath vsed such was the wisdom of elder ages to make the best vse he can of an ill matter But I answere first the holy Ghost commands vs to haue nothing to doe with an ill matter but keepe vs farre from it f Exod. 23. 7 Ephes 5. 11 though wee cannot hinder it Againe if the Pope cannot hinder it yet hee can refuse to haue anie gayne from it and so hee woulde but that hee thinkes it sweete but if hee were of Dauids mind who would not drinke that drink that cost men the venture of their liues g 2. Sam. 23. 14. surely he would not take that gain that costs men and women their soules But I answere further he could and might hinder it and will not If he himselfe and his fauorites speak truth hee wants no power for nothing that hee will doe therefore for reforming the stewes it is cleere he wants wil but no power Against Gods truth and vs the Professors of it whom he cals hereticks he wants no will and therefore he wants no power Let him punish whoredome as he doth that that he calls heresie tho it be the truth let it be as vnlawfull in Rome to keep a stewes as to haue a Protestant Church and then we should soon see as fewe and fewer whores in Rome then there be good Protestants But whoredom is none of the vnderminers of his State nor enemies of his Crowne as our religion is therefore our religion must down when stewes must stand But som wil further obiect If this haue bin so it is the faulte or corruption of his officers not to be imputed to his Holinesse But I answere the pope vseth not to be so negligent of his estate as not to looke at a reuenue of 20000. duckates a yeare And to take away all cause of this cauill and to make it more apparant that the Pope is the head of the whoreof Babylon Pope Sixtus 4. scarce 120. yeares agoe built a stewes in Rome of his owne erection and foundation so saith the same Agrippa h Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 64 Lycurgus Solon lupanaria aedificauere c. sed recentioribus hisce temporibus Sixtus poÌ„tifex Max. quartê° Romae nobile admodum lupanar exstruxit Licurgus Solon heatheÌ„ law-giuers erected publick stewes but that is no maruel for of late yeeres Pope Sixtus the fourth builded a goodly stewes in Rome Loe heer the Popes Holinesse the founder of a Colledge of diuells a stewes for whores surely because he scorned ordinarie company he built that for himselfe and his Princes peers the Cardinalls Thus we see it coÌ„fessed proued by a learned Papist that a 100. yeers agoe stewes were maintained nay erected by the Pope and that he takes gain rent of them If any man obiect against Agrippa as no competent witnesse I answere the Pope indeed hath prohibited i Vide indicem lib. prohibit Clementis 8. in litera H. his books to be read but it had been more reason to haue disproued and confuted his assertions but let the Pope condemne him as he will for his bold speaking of truth it is knowen to all that know him or his bookes hee was a Papist for the most part and whatsoeuer he was he had no reason to bely the Pope we hired him not we thanke him not for anie thing but truth yet for more certaintie hereof hearken to another who being an Inquisitor is beyond all exception that waie Thus complains Oleaster a Spanish Doctor vpon that Text of Deuteronomy k Deut. 23. 18 thou shalt not bring into my house the hire of a whore for it
the sinfulnesse of the popish Church and religion would bring vpon all the world Let them reade that haue them these books named in the margent q Vide Gersonis opera passiâ— Reuelationes Brigiâ—tae Vincentij Ferrariens prognostie PerruÌ„ de Aliaco de reformatione eccl Nicolai de Clemangi â—â— opera in Bibliotheca Patrum editionis primae Poemata Walteri Mapes Maillardi Menotti Sermones Holcot in Sapient lect 182. passim Onus Ecclesiae passim and those that haue them not it may bee shortly they may haue some helpe therein and then you will grant with me that the former and better times confessed that which I now lay to their charge I will insist particularly but vpon two the one of so great antiquitie the other of so great authoritie as both are beyond exception Some 400. yeares ago liued a Monke learned for those times called as Posseuine confesseth r Vide Posleu in Appar sac In append priori ad â—om 1. lit B. Bernardus Morlanenâ—is hee wrote three bookes of the contempt of the world in an artificiall kind of Poetrie but much more artificially describing and zealously deploring the sinfulnesse of the Romish Church and state in those daies from the head to the foote describing particularly their adulteries Å¿ Casta cubilia sunt modò vâ—â—a lata petunâ—ur c. drunkennesse t Cura stat vnica luctaque publica carnis in esu ebâ—ietas placet tua vox â—acet ô bone Iesu ambition idlenesse dissimulation deceits cosenages murders u Arcta relinquitur via carpitur ampla quibusque Quaeâ—imus in via fluxa fluentia con fluit ansque Architâ—iclâ—â—iuâ— sceptra sedilia rima petendo Quisque tumultuat instat aestuat haec satagendo Stat simulatio dissimulatio crimen vt uÌ„ que Alea crapula fraus facinus gula flagitiumque Ora bilinguia lis homicidia Mars tuba terror Vis probra Iergia quid moror omnia me docet error whoredomes w I am meretricia pene cubilia niâ— reputaÌ„tur Et venialia quod genialia vociferaÌ„tur of all estates then particularly for their Clergie their ignorance and negligence x Grex flet amarius est operarius in grege raâ—us Pontificum â—tatus excidia datus extat auarus c. their Sodomie y Parcite credere quae pudet edere sed tamen edam Horrida nomine plus mala crimine crimina quaedam Heu male publicus est Sodomiticus ignis aestus Nemo seelus tegit aut premit aut fugit esse scelestus Plangite saecula plangite singula crimine pâ—ena Mas maris immemor ô furor ô tremor est vt hyaena their Simonie and other corruptions in attaining places in the Church z Non sine Simone sed sine canone dux animarum Mox docet inscius sibi nâ—scius ipse praeesse O mala saecula vendiâ—uâ— infula Pontificalis Infula venditur nec reprehenditur emptiâ— talis Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus omnia Romae Cum pretio quia iuris ibi via ius perit omne Roma nocens nocet atque viam docet ipsa nocâ—ndi lura relinquere luâ—ra requirere pallia vendi and then at last comming to Rome it selfe so layes open the filthinesse of the whore of Babylon a Roma ruens rora foeda satis nota canteâ—iat te Scilla vorax rapis cupis capis trahis ad te Gurges es alâ—ior area capacior alta lacuna Insatiabilis insociabilis omnibus vna Si tibi det sua non repleat tua guttura Croesus Merca vel aureus à modo non Deus est tibi Iesus as it is doubtfull whether her sinfulnes be more hatefull then his boldnes is admirable Let him that would bee able to answere all their false slanders which they lay to the charge and disgrace of Protestant Churches and to retort vpon themselues their obiection of the liues of our Professors and he that would see the Church and state of Rome in her owne natural colours let him I say reade but that one Author who beside that hee is Manuscript in many Libraries he was also published at Amsterdam or somewhere neere therabouts this present yeare 1607. And after hee hath discouered her corruptions and laid open her sinnes from head to foote then he vrgeth her vehemently to repentance and reformation b Roma resurgito te tibi reddito Romam Cuius eras prius ordinis illius exprime formam Quo modo corpora tuÌ„â— ita pectora nune rege fracta Fracta recollige deuia diâ—ige â—er labâ—facta c. Sed facis haec secus c. Roma quid exequar imò quid eloquar aut tibi promam Vncia te roâ—at vncia te notat haud fore RomaÌ„ Tu populos tibi te rutilans sibi marca subegit Semper eâ—im lucra progenies tua vult agit egit which because he seeth no hope of but that still she falleth from euill to worse therefore he denounceth Gods iudgements against her and assures her that vengeance ruine and destruction shal fall vpon her c Fas mihi dicere fas mihi scribere Roma fuisti Ecce relaberis ecce reuoluer is ordine tristi Fas mihi scribere â—as mihi dicere Roma peristi Obruta maenibus obruta moribus occubuisti Vrbs ruis inclita tam modo subdita quam prius alâ—as Quo prius altior hoc modo pressior est labefacta Fas mihi scribere fas mihi dicere Roma ruisti Sunt tua maenia vociâ—erantia Roma peristi Haec omnia multa huiusmodi Bernardus Marlanensis Monacus Cloniacensis in libris suiâ— de contemptu mundi ante 400. annos scriptis 1607. editis Some part of his owne words I haue here put downe in Latine but not in English because the sinnes he laieth against her are such as some of them are better vnnamed then reprooued What can they say to it is he some fained and forged new found Author deuised by some of vs or was he some late writer hired by Luther or suborned by Caluine to raile on the Pope or Poperie Nay Posseuine the Iesuite confesseth in the place aforenamed and if he did not it is well enough knowne by other good and ancient records he was a professed Monke and liued aboue foure hundred yeeres ago therefore his testimonie in this case is beyond exception Now whether these wounds and corruptions in the Romish Church and State were healed in the subsequent ages or no if any man doubt let him looke vpon the Authors named afore who liued in the ages succeeding one after another Gualterus Mapus and their S. Brigid not much more then a hundred yeares after him about 100. yeeres after them Bonauenture and Wiclieffe about a hundred yeeres after them Gerson Clemangius Vincentius and others these if any man looke vpon he shall see that those wounds stood vnhealed and those corruptions vnreformed