distastes that have been given him by the Church of Rome and so requires a Divorce SEC. 3. The commands imposed upon Saint Paul to repaire to Earth to heare the grievances of Mortals and to frame an exact processe of the life and demeanures of the Romane Church SEC. The complaints of the Republicke of Lucca SEC. 5. The grievances of the Duke of Parma SEC. 6. The discontentments of the gran-Duke of Florence SEC. 7. A caution given the Republicke of Venice touching perpetuity of Legacies and the multiplicity of Pensions they give the Court of Rome SEC. 8. Reasons alleadged by the Signiory of Venice why she undertakes the punishing of Ecclesiasticall Delinquents SEC. 9. The complaint of Venice why that ancient Elogy of hers which was engraven in the Vatican was defac'd SEC. 10. A narration of the oppressions which the secular Subjects doe groane under in the state of the Church SEC. 11. The judgement of an Armenian and a Turke upon the Church of Rome SEC. 12. The Confession of a dying Cardinall SEC. 13. Motives for the late Marriage 'twixt the Cardinall of Savoy and the young Princesse his Neece SEC. 14. Touching prohibited Books SEC. 15. A Character given by an Angell of the capricious soule of Urban the eight SEC. 16. A Relation what Paul negotiated in Rome and how he left his sword behinde him SEC. 17. The complaint of a Nun who describes the infelicity of that condition of life SEC. 18. A cursory Relation of these late distempers in Italy The Authors Caution to the tender conscienc'd CHRISTIAN THe Author who composed this present Booke hath peradventure more religious thoughts and fuller of piety than thou canst imagine hereby O serupulous Christian But the malignity of the times is come to that height that he is cryed up in a manner for a Hereticke who consents not to the operations whatsoever they be of the Court of Rome The cause hereof is thy simplicity which confounding in one the authority and the affections of Popes canst not distinguish which are the operations of the one and which are the operations of the other The Bishop of Rome may erre as he is a man and being subject to errour who dare maintaine but he may be reprehended Christ who knew no sinne could be content to be crucified and a Bishop who is composed of peccable humanity and who perhaps sinnes every day must thinke it strange if he be but censur'd by any just reproofe David was not so dainty the most ancient Pillars of the Primitive Church who were went with humble retribution of thanks not with proud disdaine to listen unto the zealous corrections of others Poore St Bernard if he had corrected the exorbitances of these times with that liberty as he inveighed against the abuses of his owne assuredly his name should be seene registred in the Index of prohibited Books rather than in the Catalogue of Saints But such dangers cannot dastardize me neither am I induc'd to write this to justifie my owne intentions it being sufficient for me that God onely knowes the intrinsicals of my meaning But I thought fit O scrupulous Christian to offer thee this present Booke as an Instrument which haply may have power to unbeguile thy simplicity from those too credulous opinions whence the presumption of some is fomented to disturbe Italy and to scandalize all such that have a right understanding in Christianity If things which bring profit with them doe use to be gratefull I despaire not altogether of thy good acceptance of this I know that at first sight the Title will appeare unto thee somewhat irreligious and the Argument not savouring of much piety but the Palate must not be Iudge of the Physicke I desire thee not to frame any judgement upon 't till thou hast perus'd the whole Booke wherein if any thing conduce to make thee despise the true Catholicke Religion or her Tenets I am content thou should'st condemne both the Worke and the Author But if thou be taught to detest onely the ill practises of those that infringe the Law of Christ thou must not impute any prophanenesse to that zeale which deplores the abuses in Religion Many were condemn'd for Heretickes who have writ against the Rites of the Church of Rome but he must not incurre the same censure who writes onely against them that doe not rightly observe those Rites for there is a great deale of difference 'twixt the blaming of externe observances and the violation of religion her self O but thou wilt say this Booke is against the Bishop of Rome thou must distinguish O scrupulous Reader 't is against the affections of the said Bishop I reverence the authority but Christ hath not oblig'd me to reverence any earthly exorbitant passions of his And if others doe lawfully take the sword in hand against such passions I hope it is veniall for me to take the pen Nor thinke it strange that I have imagined a Colloquy 'twixt the Persons of the Holy Trinity for 't is the stile of sacred writ to accommodate it selfe to humane capacity Live happy The Heavenly Divorce occasioned by the loosenesse of the Roman Spouse The PREFACE THou deceiv'st thy selfe O misbeleeving man if thou art perswaded that thy impieties mount not up above the Stars to disturbe the repose of Heaven Turne thy eyes if thou hast not altogether lost thy faith in holy Writ and thou shalt see the Son of God dragg'd and nayl'd upon a Crosse by the sin of one man who might in some kind have made himselfe excusable for his transgression in regard it was his first fault as also because he was then but a Novice in the World But what shall we say now Iniquity being found to be so multiplyed and spread through the whole Vniverse that to sin and consequently to offend God cannot be said to be a thing accidentall but the very naturall property of man O perverse World which under the title of naturall propertie dost lessen that wicked transgression which was enough to bring down from life to death thy own Creator If thou then giv'st credit to this wonder not to heare those new changes which being stirr'd in Christ by the faylings of the Roman Spouse have produc'd those strange effects which thou shalt find represented in this Book Saint Pauls late Progres upon Earth SECT. 1. The Eternall Father doth reason with his Son and asks whence proceeds the Originall of his distaste with the Roman Church his Spouse perswading him to a reconcilement NOt by the Embassie of an Angel as at other times O Eternall Word but it is necessary now that by this paternall voice the will of Heaven be manifested In a busines that presseth so much 't is fitting the Father should discourse freely with his Son that the Son should hearken with attention to that which concernes the glory of his Throne 'T is a good while since O my only begotten Son that I observ'd that amorous flame which was us'd to be
St PAUL'S Late Progres Vpon Earth About a Divorce 'twixt Christ and the Church of Rome by reason of her dissoluâ—enes and excesses With the Causes of these present Commotions 'twixt the Pope and the Princes of Italy A new way of Invention agreeable to the Times Published by James Howell Armig. LONDON Printed by Richard Heron for Matthew Walbancke at Grayes-Inne Gate 1644. THE ARGVMENT of the whole Worke CHrist in regard he perceives the Church of Rome his Spouse to prostitute her selfe to the lusts of divers Popes and particularly of Vrban the eight resolveth to be divorced from her and to cohabit no longer with an adulteresse The reasons are distinctly handled which induce Christ to such a resolution viz. the repute she hath lost amongst most Nations The wealth she consumes ever and anon to satisfie the greedy appetite of her Adulterers and lastly the dishonour which the Sonne of God receives from that dissolutenesse which is so impudently practis'd in his House Rome being now become as it were a common Bordell The Divine Iustice being satisfied with these reasons determines the divorce but his pleasure is that according to his wonted circumspection for the example of man a Processe bee first form'd of the offences of the said Spouse thereupon His Majesty commands Saint Paul to repaire to earth for this purpose Saint Paul being descended in this lower World arrives in Lucca in Parma in Florence in Venice and lastly in the territories of the Church and so in Rome her selfe where having discern'd the abuses and heard by sundry sorts of complaints the misdemeanors of the Church he perfects the plea and afterwards for some accidents befallen him he is forc'd to get away from Rome by flight and so returnes to Heaven where ther being nothing wanting to the full justification of Christs complaint the Decree for a Divorce issues out From this separation which Christ made with his Church it comes to passe that there are no more any legitimat children engendred to wit holy men and persons truly honest As on the contrary side by the commerce she hath with Adulterers are generated such Bastards in Christianity as Hypocrites in whose number the Iesuites are understood and others who under a specious vayle of holinesse and Religion are in effect the worst and most perverse race of people upon Earth The same Divorce being published through all the Vniverse Marcus Effesus Martin Luther and others runne immediately and offer their Church for a Spouse to Christ But Our Saviour calling to minde the wrong done him by the Church of Rome chose rather to live single than ever after to joyne in Matrimony with the most perfidious nature of man To my worthily honored Friend Sir Paul Pindar Knight SIR SAint Paul having descended lately to view Italy and other places as you may trace him in the following Discourse He would not take his flight backe to Heaven before he had given you a visit who have so well deserved of his Church here the goodliest pile of stones in Christendome of that kinde Of all the men of our times you are one of the greatest Examples of Piety and solid Integrity which discovers a noble soule to dwell within you so that me thinks I see Saint Paul saluting and solacing you that those constant works of Charity you daily doe and them in such a manner that the left hand knowes not what the right doth will be as a Triumphant Chariot to carry you one day up to Heaven to partake of the same beatitude with Him Amongst those multitudes that honour you I am one and have done so a long time and as a small testimony hereof I send you this new kinde of Discourse composed lately by a noble Personage in Italian of which Language you are so great a Master For the first part of this Discourse which consists of a kinde of Dialogue 'twixt the two first Persons of the Holy Trinity there are Examples of that kinde in some of the Fathers of the Primitive Church as Apollinarius and Nazianzen and lately Grotius hath the like in his Tragedy of Christs Passion which may serve to free it from all exception So I most affectionately kisse your hands and am Your very humble and ready Servant Iames Howell Fleet 25. of March To my very noble Friend Sir Paul Neale Knight SAint Paul cannot re-ascend to Heaven before he gives you also a salute My Lord your Father having been so great a Light and a Star of the highest magnitude in the Firmament of the Church If you please to goe along with him in this his Progresse by the guidance of this Discourse you shall discover many things that are not vulgar by a curious mixture of Church and State affaires You shall feele herein the pulse of Italy how it beates at this time since the beginning of these late warres 'twixt the Pope and some Princes with the grounds procedure and successe of the said warres together with the interest and grievances pretences and quarrels of every Prince against Rome I must confesse my Genius hath often prompted me that I was never cut out for a Translater there being a kinde of servility therein For it must needs be somewhat tedious to one that hath any free-borne thoughts and genuine conceptions of his owne whereof I have a few though poore ones to enchaine himselfe to the sense of another Moreover Translations at the best specially in Languages which have an advantage one of the other as the Italian hath of the English which may be said to differ as Silke doth from Clotb the common weare of both Countries where they are spoken though Cloth be the more substantiall as the English by reason 't is so knotted with consonants is more sinewy and stronger then the Italian yet Silke is the smoother and sliker I say Translations are like the wrong side of a Turkey Carpet which is fuller of thrummes and knots and not so eeven as the right side Or I may say Translations are like Wines as I speake elsewhere t'ane off the Lees and powred into other vessels which must needs lose something of their first strength and brisknesse which in the powring or passage rather evaporates into ayre Touching this present Translation I may say it is a thing I did when I did nothing 't was to finde something to passe away the slow houres of this sad condition of imprisonment wherein I have been so long plung'd I pray take this as a small token of the true respects I owe you and to my noble Lady whose hands I humbly kisse wishing you both as the season invites me with a good New-yeare which begins but now in Law a holy Lent and a healthfull Spring Fleet 25. of March Your much obliged and ready Servant I. H. The Contents of the severall Sections into which this Discours is partition'd Section 1. Gods reasoning with Christ touching a reconcilement with the Church of Rome SEC. 2. Christs answer wherein are expressed the
so ardent towards the Church of Rome thy Spouse to go cooling within thy heart Were it fitting for the Deity to wonder I would without doubt much wonder at so great an alteration in the person of the Eternall Word I know well 't was he who for the love of his Spouse went under a servile shape as far as upon the Crosse to expose his life to gaine valuable merits to purchase her affections 'T was he I say who lov'd before he was belov'd who dyed not for any other greater necessity than to make it appeare that he was a Lover Is it possible then that that love being turn'd to dislike he should now live discontented with a Spouse obtained by his own bloud and got by so many Martyrs I deny not O Son that the time was when the Divine Iustice exhorted you never to turne your eyes of love upon the ingratefull nature of man who was introduc'd to the world with contempt of his Creator But since thy love prevail'd over the rigor of just revenge since for the accomplishment of thy benigne desire the Divine providence decreed a reconciliation What new reason doth now estrange from her thy affection and disquiets all Heaven with this alienation Remember O Son the contentment of this Empyrean Heaven when the Roman Church being advanced to be thy Bride ther sprung dayly such a numerous and blessed off spring out of those reciprocall Embraces betwixt you that I hoped to see Heaven peopled in a short space and the end of humane Creation fulfill'd But now what is become of that happy time that time when thy Beloved vying with thee for love did correspond dayly with the death thou didst undergoe for her and by the suffrance of so many thousand innocent Martyrs who in counterchange of thy bloud did continually expose their veins to be opened and pierc'd by the merciles instruments of tyrants Son I patronize not her cause I recount not her merits pass'd to sweeten thereby the bitternes of this present distast But it is very true that if any ill Spirit daring per adventure to tempt the Deity it self hath sowed any tares amongst you I should be sorry that once so delightful a Spouse lying now under the cloud of a sudden disdain should by this repudiation find her bed widdowed and her womb barren This would tend too much to the prejudice of peopling this Heaven with equall advantage to Hell it's Enemy And if this be what fruit can thy passions pass'd produce This this in conclusion is that Spouse for whom thou didst make no reckoning of this Empyrean of the decorum belonging to thy Divinity of life it self What conceits will people frame to themselves to see thee so repenting Forget not O Son that it becomes not the Deity to repent SECT. II. The Eternall Word answers the Father He unfolds in generall the cause of his disgust with the Roman Spouse and pleads for a Divorce REpentance O Everlasting Father entered into this Heaven ever since the time that thy Majesty having granted a being to man he was necessitated afterwards to be destroyed for his wickednes And so this creature proving so ungratefull for Divine favours not long after his Creation deserved those dolefull words from his Creator Paenitet me fecisse hominem I repent me to have made man Nor doth that clash awhit with the immutability of his most gracious nature since it was decreed so from the beginning that his disfavours should necessarily succeed the demerits of man Then what wonder is it if I being grievously offended with the ingratitude of this Apostat have chang'd my love into dislike and that I repent to have exalted him so high with the expence of my own bloud It belong'd to you O Father to create man To me it belong'd to redeem him And to both of us to be sorry that he hath shew'd himself so unworthy either of your Creation or my redemption But to reduce my self particularly to the Church of Rome my Spouse I beseech your Majesty to cast your eyes upon her a while and doubtles you will find my disdain to be just and this alienation to be necessary Behold her O Father most vily prostituted to the lusts even of those to whō the Holy Ghost hath consign'd her to be govern'd Behold how she continually hugg's in her bosom these adulterers who using her like a lawfull Husband do corrupt her and together with my honor contaminat her Customes Let thy divine Eyes see how gay she goes in gold how embellished with gems how full of excesse and luxe The Spouse of Christ was never us'd to go so untill the time that she began to study how to please her adulterers But what excesses doth she not commit now adayes by letting the reins so loose to a reprobat sense What dissolutnes What impudence al shamefulnes being lost doth she not give way unto in my own House yet nevertheles to affront me the more she goes still by the character of my Spouse her Adulterers by the title of my servants and those which trample upon the dignity of my Name by the stile of my Ministers The time was when I call'd the Temple in Jerusalem a den of Theeves because I found it full of Buyers Brokers and Sellers What may I now call the Roman Church which harbours such a multitude of those that do not buy but plunder Of those that do not sell but powre out so wastfully to fulfill their own lusts and ambition that which being bought with my bloud is so unworthily provided for them These are they O Father which my Spouse idolatrizeth and I being mock'd and vilipended must suffer them to sit in my Throne to receive the honour of faithfull Innocents I will not discourse of the use of my substance which being bequeath'd by the piety of ancient Christians for the sustenance of poore Beleevers is now reduc'd to the property of one alone and he so insatiable that he seems to take away the credit of that miracle describ'd in the Gospell That Christ with so little bread and few fishes did satisfie so many thousand persons wheras now adayes 't is found that he cannot fulfill the gourmandizing-appetit of one only Bishop with so many millions of gold Let your Majesty behold Vrban the eight how he hath swallowed all the wealth of the Church which he imployes only to nourish the pride the avarice and tyranny of his Nephewes and this in such a height of scandall that it is publiquely reported that Julian the Apostat who robb'd the Church of all her riches was more beneficiall to the increase of Christianity then the pious Constantin who endowing her with such large incomes ministred fuell to foment such pernicious abuses But I marvell not at it in regard when I was upon Earth my self my garments were parted even by them who crucified me But I am not a little aggriev'd that the dishonest pranks of my Spouse are now more than openly
controverted 'twixt the Republick of Venice and Rome is inform'd by a noble Venetian in thess words THe Church of Rome was reverenc'd by us in that manner which was fitting for Christ's lawfull Spouse But she corresponding with little gratitude hath not only oftentimes conspir'd our ruine but at last hath thrown out of doors the monument of our services which have been proclaim'd to the world for so many ages by the trump of fame by the true narration of Historians and approv'd in publick Elogies by all her precedent Bishops This Lyon can hardly endure to have that glory eclips'd which was alwayes the food of his generous thoughts And it seems very strange to us that Venice having rescu'd a fugitive Pope and plac'd him in his lost Chaire with the expence of so much Venetian gold and bloud the memory of this high desert should be now thrust out of Rome Yet the Republick being very unwilling that any incongruity should arise 'twixt her the Roman Church consented that the Crowne of France should be umpire of the difference But Vrban the eight since he diffreth so much from Peter will not confes when he denyes the truth Per le voci del Gallo But persevering in an obstinat opinion not to restore the Elogy is contented by a foolish Capricio of his own to usurp this glorious attestation for the Church that she was ever serv'd by Princes of al sorts So that ancient inscription which was seen registred in the Vatican as a Monument of Ecclesiasticall gratitude towards Venice that which time it self could not deface all this while the Barberini have annihilated at last because peradventure that having banish'd all vertue from Rome it displeaseth them to see gratitude lodg'd under the roof of their House Or rather because the Barberini do not hold themselv's beholden for those services that the Church receiv'd from St. Mark because they are more her Betrayers then Governors In the interim we cannot but be sensible of this ingratitude yet we comfort our selves to see that the Popes disaffection hath no means to do us any hurt that is able to extend it self further then the wals of his own House SECT. X. Saint Paul being departed from Venice resolves to go towards the State of the Church and so embarques for Ancona In his Voyage he is accompanied with a subject of the Church who after a long absence return'd to see his Parents Saint Paul asking him of his being and the cause of his so long exile declared his miseries in this manner I Was born a subject under the State of the Church and that 's enough O good Fryer to pronounce me unhappy The Civil Government administred in my Country by Ecclesiasticks the Authority abus'd by them that govern and custom degenerating daily into cruelty and rapine have made the subjection insupportable and the lives of those most miserable who live under the temporall Scepter of the Roman Ecclesiasticks My voice cannot sufficiently expres the corruption of their government Let ev'ry one comprehend by the Tyranny they do exercise abroad what they do at home I was inforc'd to forsake my House for a Tax impos'd upon me for living well This Tax is a new way of confiscating for ev'ry light occasion When a rich yong man is discovered by greennes of age and heat of bloud to be prone to any lightnes presently comes a new Edict which will make him lye under a grosse summe of mony Herby it comes often to passe that a small fillip doth equall murther and words are as dangerous as deeds For all comes under the title of transgression though the fault be oftentimes be no otherwise than a slip of youthfull lightnes Furthermore the Ministers which govern our State of Rome under colour of zeal to our salvation are wont to send often certain Catchpols to search mean blind places and Cottages to see whether any subject cohabit with a Concubin Every thing lyes under the curiosity of the prowling eyes and insolent hands of these Ragamuffins I wil say no more then this that under the dominion of other Princes the Jews are more gently us'd then we are under the regiment of Ecclesiasticks Nor is it a wonder for some Ecclesiasticks of our times are haply greater enemies to the Gospel of Christ then some Christians are to the Talmud of the Hebrewes SECT. XI The Ship that carried Saint Paul towards Ancona happens by distresse of weather and contrary winds to be beaten upon the Coasts of Dalmatia and striking into Ragusi Saint Paul meets there with a Maronit Passenger who some few weeks before had come from Rome Saint Paul begins to mingle speech with him and asks him of his Country and the motives that induc'd him to come to Italy â—nd what opinion he had form'd within himself of Rome wherunto he thus answers MY Country is Armenia and my Religion is the Christian the cause which brought me to Italy was no other then a desire to learn the true Tenets of that Catholick Doctrin which in our Regions is adulterated with such a multiplicity of Sects that they confound one another The eleventh yeare is now come almost about that I have breath'd under the Climes of Europe and I sojourned most in Rome being led thither by Fame which somtimes useth to represent things otherwise than they are in their own Essence I imagin'd within my self that City to be she who as she pretends so she had deserv'd to be the head of all Christian people as being the school of sanctity and patterne of all innocence And truly at first sight I thought I was not awhit deceiv'd by any extern appearance which oftentimes doth dazzle and inchant the eyes of the simple The magnificence of her Temples the grea number of pardons such a confluence of people flocking to Church and to the visit of holy places imprinted within me such an opinion of the Roman piety that when afterwards I fell to observe the lives and luxury of the Cardinals little compatible with the Doctrin of Christ I ascrib'd the cause of my mistake rather to mine own ignorance than to want of Religion in others But when I seriously descended into my self I thought I was not born sencele Proces of time and mature reflections made me discern afterwards that the Roman Religion consisted most in Ceremonies of exterior worship which were it properly defin'd might be cal'd a kind of practise of life in the smaller sort and an hypocrisie in the greater For the rest every action being judiciously examin'd you will find it tending to objects of privat interest and temporall benefit Profit and delight are the two Poles wheron the Firmament of Roman designs doth wheel about If Christ and his Law be embrac'd it is not embrac'd for the true finall end but as means to compasse some terrene busines which transform'd me to wonder while I observ'd how much Christ was vilified amongst the Romans considering how much he serves their turn
intervene he cannot leave all to the Barberini He fixes his eyes upon Lucca but perceiving it a petty State he doubts whether the benefit will countervaile the charge He hath a months mind to Mirandola but being feuditary to the Empire and a place that breeds some jealousie 'twixt the neighbouring Princes he is afraid to draw Germany or Lombardy on his back Lastly he turns his eyes to Parma and this enterprize being made lesse difficult by the advantage of some pretences he purposes to deprive the poor Duke beginning with Castro of all his possessions I put him in mind how much it did misbecome Bishops and other Prelats of the holy Church who make profession of a life diffring from swordmen to change the Crosier into Musket-rests Rockets into Corslets and their Myters to murrions I put before his eyes the scandall that would redound to all Christendome therby the scorn that Infidels would couceive of it the danger the Church would incurre foretold by our Saviour who positively warneth That every Kingdome divided in it self bath it's dissolution near at band But it is to beat the ayre to tell Vrban of all this which hath every thing for his aym but the indemnity of the Church Finding that these arguments were of little force I applyed unto him the spur of nature alleadging that the events of war were dubious and dangerous to raise in him therby some apprehensions of feare which commonly takes place in old mens breasts But nature could prevaile little reason lesse and the inspiration of an Angell nothing at all over the hair-brain'd humors of Vrban He that now entreth Rome sees a Pope turn'd Armiger now in his decrepit times one that takes up arms then when he should meditat how to lay down his life to nature And which his woorse he thinks all this to be according to the dictamen of reason so that Vrban the eight never doth that which he beleeves but beleeves in that which he doth insomuch that at the same time when he tears Italy to peeces and snatcheth the State of another he publisheth his actions to be right his intentions holy and that all tends to the service of God and the object of good as if the formality of good in his Idea were different from that it is in the opinion of all other men But I omit many Extravagances wherwith this capricious soul hath abus'd my last patience Once he setled a resolution within himself not to give any satisfaction at all to the Princes of Christendome notwithstanding that I often put him in mind that this was the basis wheron was founded the conservation of the Christian obedience Another time he resolv'd to creat no more Cardinals it may be to merit the more of the Church of God by abolishing so perverse a generation but he repented himself afterwards of this for no other reason but because I oppos'd him in this resolution If a tutelar Angell can suffer greater contempts tell me O thou Apostle of God I find that the reputation of Angelicall custody is too much engag'd in continuing to stand about him thus Therfore in despaire of his amendment I have given over all care of his person that I should not delay my return to Heaven SECT. XVI Saint Paul having understood the complaints of the Tutelar Angell of Urban the eight enters Rome wher he attends the perfecting of the Proces but an accident befell him which inforc'd him to fly as he was going along another Angell comes in his way whom he encounters with these expressions YOu come O heavenly Messenger peradventure to charge me from his divine Majesty that I should avoid Rome Behold how I have left her already before your comming for divine inspirations fore-run the very flight of Angels But now that I am come out of Rome let us repose awhile and I will relate unto you the unexpected cause of my hasty departure You know already O Angell of God that I was sent from Heaven to Earth to hear the complaints of Mortals and to forme a Proces against this adulterous and naughty Spouse I lighted to this purpose in many places wher having fully understood by all degrees of people her dissolut deportments to confirm with my own eyes what came from other tongues I resolv'd at last to come to the City of Rome it self I pass'd too and fro at first in the froc of a Fryer There as I went through a little blind Hamlet I was call'd in to confesse a dying Cardinall which gave me warning that the habit descrying me to be a religious person t was likely that entring so to Rome I might according to the custome be question'd for the Patent of my Orders or the license of my superiors I herupon to evade the telling of any lye held it expedient to lay down the Froc and take my sword So I came into Rome intending to lodge in some Convent of Fryers who being us'd to thrust themselves into worldly affairs more than the Seculars themselves I thought I could there very leisurely have a free and exact information of all things specially because the freedome of speech is retyr'd now into Cloysters for more security in regard of the extreme rigor which is us'd to punish those who speak any thing against the Court The Monastery wher I was lodg'd was famous for the study of Letters and so it was frequented by many learned men But the greatest concourse was of strangers who so abound in Rome of all Nations wher desiring to know what conceit Forreners had of that Church I disputed often upon some points of Religion Ther hapned to come thither a Turk rather to heare as I imagine the noise of the disputation and see fashions then to inform his judgment so I ask'd him his opinion of Christian Religion wherunto beyond all expectation he answered thus Amongst the Turks it is held for certain that God doth favour those people most wher he is truly ador'd so from the prosperity of the Turkish Empire we infer that our faith is good and the observance of it not displeasing to God Touching the Christian Religion we have an opinion that she was not naught untill she was adulterated and made naught by Christians themselves But in the state she is now in in this City we beleeve her to be abominable to God Almighty specially since we see that of late yeares she goes annichilating and mouldring away by little and little by her own inward and endlesse discords Such was the conclusion of the Turk which made me I confesse to marvell not a little while I observed that even those who professe not much knowledge can deduce from far fetch'd Principles consequences so near the truth Having had his opinion I went on in making a further scrutiny and I fell to expostulat with a Greek who was usd to repair to Rome for the opportunity of studying in Clementin Colledge who answer'd to my interrogatories thus The Roman and
Greek Churches are Sisters issued from one Father But the Greek is the first born and I know not by what wiles the Roman came to take away her birth-right For this cause they live in most grievous disgusts one with the other But the one enjoyes the possession of all her paternall goods wheras the other lives as Esau did excluded and under the dominion of another Touching the particular customs of the Roman Church I say nothing for he that censures her in this City shews he knows not his own danger and he who approves her carriage understands not the Law of Christ With such words the Greek satisfied my demands As touching the opportunity which was offer'd me to mingle speech with a French-man upon the same subject I understood his conceit thus The name of the Roman Church is reverenc'd by a great part of the Kingdome of France but the wisdome of our Governors hath never permitted the Pope to extend that excesse of pre-dominion beyond the Alps which he doth exercise in Italy for our policy is supported by particular Gallican Rites And the reason is because the French being naturally impatient and now that almost half France to withdraw it self from under the Roman yoake is infected with Heresie certainly if the Pope should exercise upon the consciences of that spritfull people the tyranny he doth exercise in Italy the rest of that great Kingdome would fall from him quite Such were the expressions of the Frenchman which did stir in me a curiosity by way of opposition to hear what the Spaniard would say Nor was it difficult for me to obtain my desire by meeting with a Nobleman of Sevill who frequenting the same Convent I entred into his friendship and he rendred me satisfied by such discours Friend to serve you I will speak beyond my custome of this Nation with all ingenuity of heart The reverence which the Spaniards do professe to the Roman Church may be considered in two manners inward and outward If you ask me of the inward reverence suppose it to be not unlike that of other people who have full knowledge of her customs The Spaniards being of a genius apt to esteem things as they are in value But if you ask me of the outward reverence know that the Spanish Nation in extern apparance shew themselves very observant of the Roman Church because that having found her alwayes most partiall to the interests of their Crowns they hold themselves oblig'd by termes of gratitude to correspond with her at least in outward observance My King knows well how available for the depressing of the suspected greatnes of his Subjects hath bin the pretext of the holy Inquisition He lives mindfull of that promptitude shew'd in the Court of Rome to deny an absolution to the House of Borbon untill he had conform'd it self to the Austrian satisfaction And lastly he knows how much to this very houre the pragmaticall Jesuits have serv'd him to dilate in every part with their own advantage the bounds of the Castilian Empire So that in contemplation of all these respects the Spaniards hold themselves oblig'd to reverence the Roman Church in exterior appearance at least though she were far worse then she is Here the Spaniard did terminat his period while my diligence which desisted not to procure all punctuall advertisements brought me to discourse with an English-man who gave this modest answer Sir I am declar'd an Enemy of the Roman Church therfore my words I presume can gain no credit with you but if you desire to know what respects this Church finds Northward read our Doctors and perchance your curiosity will be fully satisfied Thus O Angell of God I endeavoured in Rome to bring to perfection the proces which was committed â—o my charge against the adultresse Spouse And passing one morning by a Church wher they were casting out a Devill I went in because of the noise and then the ill spirit knew my person and began to cry out her 's Saint Paul her 's Saint Paul Truly he is come in an ill time from Heaven to view the state of that Church for which he shed so much sweat Good Saint what motives brought him to this lower world Was it to see how his labours fructified Ah the pure grains of that Doctrin which his Eloquence sowed in the Vineyard of the Lord are turn'd to tares and become food for ravenous birds such as these are who stand about me now to disconjure me with their hideous noise Vpon this cry the Priests began to fix their looks upon me wherupon fearing to be discovered I softly retyred but the words took such impressions in the mind of the Exorcist that he did conjure the spirit by violent threats to manifest who I was who not being able to resist the violence confess'd I was Saint Paul who by resumption of humane shape he knew not why wandred now upon earth The Priest had no sooner knowledge herof but he presently found means to give notice to the Pope A little after my lodging being found out by Spies wherof theâ— are a multitude in Rome I suddenly perceiv'd a Courtier making towards me and breaking into these words O holy Paul in the name of Vrban the eight I come to do you reverence He is well inform'd of the condition of your being here He earnestly desires that you would please to favour his House with your presence for he is ambitious to have a stranger of so high a quality for his guest The Courtier O Angell of God spoke to me thus in very proper phrase for in these times Saints use to be call'd Strangers in the State Ecclesiastick whither I was astonish'd or no to see my self thus surpriz'd and discover'd judge you I thank'd his Beatitude in the best manner I could for his courteous offer and excus'd my self not to be able to receive that honor in regard I was of necessity to depart from Rome within a few houres when I had dis-intangled my self thus from the Courtier I cal'd my thoughts to counsell and feeling that my heart did presage me some sinister accident I resolv'd upon flight And I was gon but few paces further when the same Courtier came again and told me thus Vrban the eight doth remand me to you O holy Paul to second his first invitation but if in case you are resolv'd not to grace his Palace with your presence I have order to propose another request to you In your Epistles we read O Apostle of God certain passages which manifestly contradict the humors of our holy Father Vrban the eight he prayes you to mend them because it is not fitting that Paul should gain-say the will of Peters Successor And if you desire to know which are those passages one amongst the rest is that Let every soul be subject to the higher powers Vrban the eight would that from this so universall a proposition the souls of Popes should be exempted He thinking it not fitting that
me to traverse the world up and down in that manner I bethinking my self of Heaven answered my Country most gentle Sister is too far distant from this place and wherunto few of this Region arrive Touching the fancy that leads me thus to traverse up and down the world it is no other then a curiosity which often drawes youthfull lightnes to neglect their own profit and to regard others Foolish youthfulnes which canst not learn how to value thy Countries good but afar off then I added happy are they who never departing from within the Paradise of these holy wals seem as so many Angels alwayes appearing before the face of God She being as full of spirit as she was of beauty answered thus O how many os us would willingly change our Paradise for your Peregrination wherfore then do you complain so causlesly of your Travels which being no other then the motions of a civill life it cannot chuse but be so much the sweeter to elevated minds by how much the higher the motions of their souls are Behold the Sun behold the Planets which never staying still in one place delight to be continuall Travellers in the Vnivers I being much taken with the vivacity of her spirit replyed It is true Lady that the Sun and the Planets are in a kind of continuall peregrination but ther are in Heaven fixed Stars also which because haply they are more noble are superior to the other and consequently nearer to the Throne of the Almighty Those Nuns then who to serve God are alwayes permanent in one place like the fixed Stars may more then any other Mortals comfort themselves with an assurance that they are nearer God The beautuous mayden sigh'd at these words and then answered God I deny not dwels nearer to the fixed Stars but not to desperat souls And now you discover your self to be a true stranger that you are not acquainted with our miserable condition The cruelty of our parents and the rigor of our destiny hath penn'd us in here for ever the Church of Rome concurring herunto by admitting any pretext whatsoever bear with me Sir that I speak thus It is a hard fate to be borne to a perpetuall prison while 't is seen that all other living creatures have the whole world to solace themselves in And that prison which it seems the very Infants do fly from when they sally out of their mothers wombs before they have as it were any sense of life we are constrain'd to endure after that nature hath given-us the perfect use of sense and life and the knowledge of our own miseries the destiny of that Mortall must needs be a hard one who is born to live in restles infelicity This Cloyster which surrounds our liberty is not as you imagine a Paradise for in Paradise there dwels no discontentment It is rather a Hell where in the flames of inextinguishible desire the naturall affections of our humanity are condemn'd to be tortur'd every minute I will not stand to expresse the cause why our Parents are so inhumanly cruell unto us for it is too well known that for to spare that dowry which is due to our sex they condemne us 'twixt these wals to be depriv'd for ever of any worldly delight for no other cause but because we are borne women Yet you must know that the shutting us thus by force between these stones cannot deprive us of those carnall affections which may well be cover'd but not quench'd in that religious habit which you see about us Nor can this kind of life conduce to Heaven considering ther is no concurrence of the will which is so acceptable to the all-knowing Lord We are rather destinated to an Abisse by a cours clean contrary to our genius being bereft also of that common priviledge which other souls use to have to go to Hell what way they please In ancient times it was the custom to slay the Victimes first and then sacrifice them to good because haply the principall Seat of the corporeall affections lying in the bloud 't was not held convenient to offer his divine Majesty any Holocaust which was not first purg'd by effusion of that bloud from all earthly passions But this is not observ'd in us by our Parents who do make sacrifices of us with all our bloud and passions about us then how can we beleeve that it is gratefull to God and being not gratefull to him consider in what a despair our souls are plung'd in which see themselves shut out of the world here without any assurance to enter Heaven herafter in regard we have not power to extinguish our naturall affections and so are in danger to precipitat our selves headlong into Hell through a kind of suppos'd innocence If Christ died to reduce us to such a hard condition O how better were it for us that he had not died Be not offended O stranger at these words for the toungs of the damned can bring forth nothing but blasphemies Yet we know that Christ hath no hand in this our hard condition for his death had for it 's principall object the freedome and enlargement of souls not their captivity The Popes are most in fault by yeelding to the cruell covetousnes of our Parents to transvert the keyes of Paradise iuto the keyes of a prison It was not Christ no it was the impiety of Herod that by reason of the humanation of our Saviour caus'd so many Innocents to be slain Behold we are in a case equall to theirs because we being yet innocent children under a mark of holines we are segregated and cut off from the society of the living ther being no difference 'twixt us and them but that they died before buriall and we are buried before death Nor can our innocency or our fears prevaile any thing nor are those priviledges sufficient which nature hath granted these faces of ours for which peradventure you stiled us Angels to implore from others piety any succour having found the Church of Rome so ingratefull while we consider that the time was when Saint Peter was freed by an Angell out of prison but now clean contrary Angels are cast into prison by the Successors of Saint Peter But whither doth the violence of a just passion transport me thus to rave Helas the name of Angels doth not suit with our condition and lesse with our operations For although we are brought Innocents hither yet we cannot preserve our selves long in this Monastick life from the motions of desperat passions The Religion which clap'd us in here is not ador'd but detested by some of us vanity and feminine wantonnes is here in the height Here dwels curiosity in exces and desire of knowledge in worldly matters without end Ambition envy discord and hatred is never wanting amongst us Lastly her 's observ'd neither constitution Law or vow but out of pure necessity and unavoydable violence But what shall I say of that mayden chastity for the conservation