Souldiers in praelium Domini And although he hath performed his part so excellently that as Hircius affirmed of Caesar for his Commentaries his Maiesty seemeth rather to haue taken away then to haue giuen others occasion of writing yet such seemeth to be his Princely zeale that he prizeth as a Sacrifice any seruice done in this kinde what if by his most learned penne Golias seeme prostratus his Exuuiae to some seeme not taken from him I meane the ragges of his miracles and rotten superstitions Thirdly I considered seriously tanquam Classicum Belli that Clangor of God by the mouth of his holy Prophet Put your selues in aray against Babilon round about Ierem. 50. 14. all ye that bend the bow shote at her spare no arrowes for shee hath sinned against the Lord. If I amongst the rest of Gods Souldiers obey this his voice and shoote against Babilon the best arrowes my simple arme can draw out of the Quiuer of Gods booke with the bowe of his holy Spirit this my diligence I hope shall not turne to my reproach let them rather be reproached and reprooued who tumbling as fat as brawnes within their sties will not shoote out one arrow in Print for feare of reproach and lest they should bee put to defend what they shall commend to presse And what will they dare to deliuer any thing in Pulpit which they are afraid to commend to the Theater of the world As the Presse is the worlds Stage so is the Pulpit Gods Theater and a Stage for Angells I see they feare with Arcesilaâ—s and are worthy to bee rewarded with him but they haue the golden Arte of supplanting For my part should I foreknow that this Treatise of mine which is sweete in my mouth might proue bitter in my stomacke and belly yet out it should my shoulders are of steele armed for all censures But to all idle drones if neuer so elegant who are ready with Bonamicus Lazarus the Patauine to carpe at other mens labours as Erasmus said to him Lazare veni for as so I to these Bon-amici Lazari venite for as My good friends and Lazars come yee out shew your selues or else as your handes be tyed from writing so let your tongues be tyed also from censuring or else be not discontent if you bee reputed by some seuere Censurers like Esops Asse with head euer in manger and yet striking with his heeles It is not inough to bestow a bimestrian Sermon and the same twice or thrice to bee said ouer and then account your selues as worthy to be Censours ouer other mens labours vaevobis if liuing of the Gospell and hauing diuidents sufficient for two or three worthier then your selues your tongues or pennes Euangelize no more nor better no more of this lest I bee twitted as I was once speaking for the free inlarging and increase of a free beneuolence c. What this man comes lately from Rome and shall hee teach vs what wee are to giue c. But for my part I haue done crauing pardon if I am ouerbold in this my free Epistle whereof the period shall be this He that followeth Auarice cannot be innocent Further in all sinceritie humility I pray for the Church in generall that such as halt betwixt God and Baal may bee remooued è castris Domini And for my selfe in particular I humbly beseech our Lord Iesus that he would bee pleased so to assist me who am the least of all his Familie with the Graces of his blessed Spirit to the end that I may neuer fall from that Grace in which now I stand In fide viuo Iesu fily Dei Amen Yours in Christ Jesus Richard Sheldon Epigramma de Miraculis Antichristi Parturiêre diù septem tibi Rómule montes ridiculos mures iam peperêre suos Cuitua non odium vel cui portenta cachinnum non moueant posthâc is mihi prodigium est VIA-PORTA nou coll Ox olim Soe A BRIEFE PRELVDE SHEWING THE PSEVDO-CHRISTIANISME OF PAPISTS in respect of their lying SIGNES and WONDERS CHAP. I. ONE Faith one Baptisme one Ephes 4. Christ saith Saint Paul writing to the Ephesians by which we are euidently instructed that one and the same Faith doth now saue the faithfull of these later ages of the Church which did saue those of the primitiue times likewise as the same Christ and in the same manner was then and is now to be beleiued the same baptisme and in the same sort was then and is now to be practised and frequented This Christian axiome soundeth well in the eares of all reformed Churches because their totall scope and proiect is separating the pure siluer of Christian faith from the drosse of popish superstition to reduce all points of religion and necessarie rites of Christian discipline to the primitiue Antiquitie and prime institution of Christ and his Apostles But it is too too harsh in the eares of Papists who by their additions of many nouelties and vaine traditions to Christian religion haue aboue measure contaminated and corrupted the simplicity of the same and therefore being vrged with these their nouelties they are constrained to teach and desperately to affirme that the primitiue Church the Apostles and fâ—unders of the same did at least implicitely tanquam in principijs bâ—leiue all that which they themselues do now explicitely and expressely beleiue vpon the opening and vnfolding of their holy Father the Pope to whom with their Angelicall Aquinas they Aquinas 2. 2. q. 1. art 10. commonly attribute power to order ordaine stablish and declare the symbole of faith And therefore to vphold this their paradoxe diuers of them haue not beene ashamed to apply to the primitiue Church and her times that of the Apostle sapiebat vt paruulus loquebatur 1. Cor. 13. 11. vt paruulus she was wise as a litle one she spake as a litle one as not hauing all points necessary of faith expressely and explicitely suggested vnto her but they forsooth by vertue of the infallible determinations and decisions of their Inerrable Iudge the Pope can speake wisely and beleiue perfectly in euery particular conclusion the which it shall please their holy Father to determine prouided it be ex Cathedra that is with intention and purpose to teach and instruct the vniuersall Church whereof they make him sole Head and Vmpire And although the ancientest Bishops of Rome and the Primitiue Fathers of the Church did hold some points as doubtfull obscure and apocriphall yet their Romish Father hath such a potency that sitting in Cathedra tanquam ex tripode he can cleare all and make that to be an expresse article of faith which the auncientest Church either held for doubtfull or else had no expresse knowledge nor practise therof That in this vanitie wherein they doe most egregiously please themselues and vpon which all Ignatian-papists build their faith I doe not vniustly impose against them it is manifest in a few amongst innumerable other cleare instances As first their
presumptuous Canonizing into the ranke of sacred Scriptures apocriphall bookes of errable men so reputed and esteemed by venerable antiquitie Againe their vaine presumption in defining their metaphysicall and paradoxicall transubstantiation by which out of those most venerable and sacramentall words of Christ this is my body by an admirable Math. 26. Luk. 22. kinde of logicke neuer heard of nor dreamed of in the auncient Fathers they doe by transubstantiation place and set their Christ in such a manner of being site and disposition of body within the round wafers which they consecrate that I could neuer as yet heare any one of them dare to affirme in what sort Christ is there whether sitting standing or lying whether prone or supine with his face vpward or downeward whether like Ianus bifrons double-fore-headed or with as many faces as there be imaginary parts in the wafer This only by the way I giue the Reader to vnderstand that when their famous Vasquez publike Reader of diuinitie Vasquez his chimericall conceit touching transsubstantiation in the Ignatian schooles at Rome was treating of the manner of Christs being in their sacrament he did then and there not without admiration and astonishment to my selfe deliuer that looke howsoeuer and in what sort and manner soeuer the deuout Receiuer will imagine Christ to be there whether as standing vpright or as sitting or like as hanging vpon a crosse hee shall so haue him truely and realy his reason was because Christ is in the sacrament in like sort as mans soule is in his body totus in toto totus in qualibet parte whole Christ in euery part of the wafer and whole Christ in the whole wafer so that although the whole face of Christ be in the whole wafer and in euery part of the wafer and the feet of Christ be in the whole wafer and in euery part of the wafer yet it is said hee in the power of the Receiuer to imagine the face to be in one part the hands in an other the brest in the third and the rest in other parts in such sort as might best serue for his deuotion And that this doctrine was there publikely deliuered I call the heauens to witnesse but what neede I so to do when this their superstitious diuinity is so frequently taught and deliuered in their meditations and pulpits and it is so agreeing to that their principle that Christ is wholie in euery part and wholy in the whole wafer that by necessary consequence it followeth thereout as the intelligent Reader will easily obserue Further a third instance I adioyne of their doting and fatuouse indulgences which are so farre from being founded and grounded in any expresse practise of the primitiue Church that the acutest of themselues confesse and acknowledge that they were only implicitely deliuered in those words to Peter whatsoeuer thou Math. 16. shalt binde shall be bound and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose shall be loosed which wordes being by their inerrable Iudge expounded for their indulgences thereupon they haue coyned according to their diuinity a new article of faith By all which with infinite more instances it is as cleere as the very heauens that they doe beleiue many things as necessary points of religion which the ancient Church neuer dreamed of And when vpon this point they are vrged and tould as Christ taxing the Iewes errours spoke to them that ab initio non erat sic from the beginning it was not so Abraham non fecit sic Math. 19. 8. Christ his Apostles the primitiue Church did not so then they recurre to their rotten sanctuary that although the primitiue Church did not so expressely yet they did so implicitely although they did not so beleiue in expresse tearmes yet they did so beleiue in principijs in those principles and premisses out of which their Holy father by his vnerring Spirit hath deducted these new conclusions and vpon whose declaration wee receiue and beleiue them as the very Oracles of God But how is this diuinitie confronted by the Apostle Galat 1. 8. 9. who hath denounced an Anatheme to him whosoeuer shall deliuer as matter of faith for so the Apostle must be vnderstood beside what was then deliuered how can the Pontficians shew me any commandement of God by which I am bound to beleeue new articles of faith which were not expresly beleeued and receiued in the Apostles times and primitiue Church by what This is catholike faith and profession which the Apostles haue deliuered Martyrs haue confirmed which the faithfull hitherto do keep Vigil against Eutich principles can they euince that the faith which was sufficient for the Apostles and their immediate schollers is not sufficient for the faithfull of this time by what scripture or authoritie of any ancient Father can they shew that the Pope can deliuer new Articles of faith touching manners which were not beleeued in the primitiue Church surely by none and yet they trauaile egerly therein but their issue being fruitlesse and they not being able to be deliuered of a masculine childe to defend this their paradoxe they recurre and runne to that vaine and fond bulwarke of all Heretikes and false Prophets miracles forsooth prodigyes visions and wonders must be deuised there they rest there they triumph and sing but before the victorie as easily I by Gods assistance will make it manifest in this my discourse rest they triumph they insult they neuer so much The manner of the Papists vrging of their miracles prodigyes and visions is so peculiar and essentiall to Antichristianisme and to the great Patriarke of the same the man of sinne and sonne of perdition that I suppose there are no passages of sacred Scripture which do more clearely euince poperie to be Antichristianisme and the Pope to be the man of sinne then that they so egregiously insult for their false prodigyes and tryumph for their lying visions that if it were possible they would Matth 24. Marc. 13. draw the very elect into errours and heresies were they not vpheld by the hand of him qui nouit qui sunt cius 2. Timoth 2. who knoweth his and were they not taught by his voice Ioh 10. and fortified by his holy inspirations to flee from the hearing of any Alien in matters concerning faith religion and worship of God but being by his holy word and spirit sufficiently instructed whensoeuer they heare the sound of any errours broched from Rome though for continuance they might haue a thousand yeeres of age vsed in times of errour ignorance and superstitious darknes yet if that of Christ Ab initio non erat sic from the beginning it was not so in the Apostles time it was not in certaine ages after it was not so may Matth 19 8. iustly be opposed against them they dare constantly auouch such customes to be not christian but hereticall not antiquities but long inserted nouelties not able to prescribe against Christ his
second prelude prouing briefly and cleerely that miracles in these latter times are no certaine tokens of the true Church of God Page 32. CHAP. III. A briefe Examination of Master Floods Preface shewing the same to be full fraught with vaine bragging and ostentation Page 43. CHAP. IIII. Sheweth how ill Master Floods argument in defence of their miracles is grounded vpon the opinions of his Aduersaries returneth the dint of his argument against his owne Church and further declareth how many impertinencies vntruths slanders Master Flood hath shuffled vp in the same for his best aduantage Pag. 50. CHAP. V. Declareth how idly Master Flood bringeth some miracles related by the Ancients to proue their adoration of their Masse-Christ relikes Images to be lawfull Here Master Flood is put in minde of many of their Churches vanities and ridiculous fables Page 65. CHAP. VI. Declareth how weakely and calumniously M. Floode hath ioyned in his third reason the reformed Churches for denying their miracles with the Pagans for their denying the miracles of Christ his Apostles and those of the primitiue Church Page 105. CHAP. VII Examineth Master Floods fourth reason grounded as he speaketh vpon the impietie of vs denying their miracles but the imputation is retourned vpon him and his Church diuers of his impious inferences and proofes are discouered Galeacius his honour is defended and imputations of incontinencie iustly retorted vpon the Aduersaries The history of Pope Ioane is breifly handled And Master Flood who obiecteth lies to other is found himselfe to be a Lyar and therein a Disciple of his Grand Master Bellarmine Pag. 119. CHAP. VIII Discusseth Master Floods fifth reason which he groundeth vpon the good profitable conditions of their miracles sheweth the same to be a vaine conceit examineth further how vainely Master Flood attributeth some certaine miracles to Antichrist examineth also their manner of conuersion of Countries and the sanctity of their Preachers And because Master Flood twitteth the reformed Churches for the allowance of marriage in Priests the Authour sheweth largely and clearely euen out of Popish principles that the marriage of such is lawfull and commendable both before God and man Pag. 156. CHAP. IX Weigheth Master Floods sixth reason grounded as hee pretendeth vpon the prouidence of God in this many of his blasphemous conceits are discouered Master Whitaker is defended Some Popish laughing toyes are breifly inserted Page 214. CHAP. X. In this the Authour examineth those speciall miracles which the holy Scriptures attribute to Antichrist and doth fasten them vpon the Pope and his Church shewing how he fetcheth fire from heauen and maketh the Image of the Beast to speake Page 225. CHAP. XI Examineth all or most of the Properties and conditions of Antichristian miracles recounted in holy Scriptures by Christ and his Prophets and doth most clearely fasten them all vpon the Pope and his Page 244. CHAP. XII Discusseth a notable prophecie of Christ concerning Antichrist in the 24. of S. Mathewes Gospell and largely sheweth the same euidently to bee fulfilled in the Pope and his Page 251. CHAP. XIII Examineth a prophecie of Saint Paul in the 2. to the Thessallonians 2. concerning Antichrist and his Church and doth euidently shew the same to bee fulfilled in the Pope and his Page 266. CHAP. XIIII Examineth another Prophesie of Christ in the 7. Chapter of Saint Mathewes Gospell and proueth the same to bee accomplished in the Pope and his Prophets Page 278. CHAP. XV. Discusseth another Prophecie of Saint Paul in his first to Timothy the 4. and declareth the same to be fully compleated in the Pope and his Ministers Pag. 282. CHAP. XVI Conteineth two additions the first of which discouereth the Papists as in their Miracles so in their Visions which are vsually brought by them for defence of their Religion to be Supporters of Antichristianisme Here it is shewed how diuors of their Visions containe absurdities against their owne principles And also some few Visions are added for the Papists to meditate on and they are such as are related by their owne Authours Pag. 282. The Second addition sheweth breifly the idle vanitie of a late Pamphlet written by one I. G. Priest touching the prodigious birth and miraculous death of his Brother Edmund Gennings executed for Treason together with one Swithune Wells in Grayse-Inne fieldes Pag. 323. THE PREFACE to the Reader COurteous Reader my salutation shall be with a few aduertisements and requests vnto thee First whereas I often vse these phrases The miracles of Antichrist Antichristian miracles or such like my meaning is not to giue vnto Antichrist or his Ministers power to doe wonders which are in se and substance supernaturall for those bee the Mirabilia which Dominus soluâ— facit the Lord onely doth Psal 72. 28. by his immediate power vnto which all his creatures and the nothing out of which his creatures are made are subiect by an obedientiall power or subjection but I call the prodigies of Antichrist Miracles because in the opinion of the seduced they are such and because sacred Scriptures as Antiquity hath expounded and interpreted doe so terme them Secondly I request thee perusing my twelfth chapter that thou passe not thy iudgement hastily thereon vntill thou haue read the whole contents of the same and then as thou shalt finde sâ— iudge whether I haue not at lest very probably disputed according to the sense of our Sauiours prophesie and Context of the Text giue me leaue in this Fungi vice Cotis to whet the wits and pens of the more learned to examine the secrets of that admirable prophesie of our Lord Iesus which I there handle Quicarpet mea edat sua Thirdly if in the prosecution of this argument I do interlace some particulars and vse some phrases which may seeme tart to the Aduersaries pallate the Reader may not be iustly offended thereat for they doe incessantly so a buse all Reformed Clergies Christian Maiesties with their calumnious imputations that there is no end nor measure of their malice and as for phrases their pens mouths can hardly find any bad enough for vs. Againe such is the nature of the argument which I handle in this Treatise that it cannot bee well prosecuted without Tart termes to the Aduersaries taste If any other of the Cleargy which are Siders to the Popes faction doe distaste my matter or my stile I shall no more regard their dislikes then I will the barking of a currish whelpe Such hypocrite-Clerkes what are they else then the very Scumme of this Church and the excrements which being neiâ—her hot nor cold God doth cast out Apoc. 3. 15. of his mouth and would God this Church had or could spew them out And heere I defire the Christian Reader to be aduertised that such Conuerts as come from Rome if sincere and conuerted in their soules are sure to bee beset with diuerse sorts of Aduersaries as the Papists and their Siders the Semi-Brownists or fiery Preâ—cifianists and their
be manifested Because all that they teach as necessarie to bee beleeued is positiuely truely and really conteined in the sacred Scriptures and symbole of the Apostles as they haue beene expounded by the most Auncient and Catholike Church and therefore by no waies can their doctrines be called of Deuills vnlesse the Auncient Catholike Church may be apeached of such a crime But the Papists through the presumptions of their Popes haue made many additaments to faith of which some for speciall respects are called doctrines of Deuills and all in generall for that either they are deuised by suggestions of Deuills or approued by them The which is clearely declared thus because they wanting testimonies of sacred Scriptures for most of these their hereticall patches and additaments they doe often returne vnto the dead scraping thence what horrible testimonies they can get contrarie to the instruction of Christ who to damned Diues desirous to goe to his liuing brethren and to instruct them that they might auoide that danger into which he was fallen answered thus they haue Luk. 16. Moses and the Prophets whom if they would not beleeue neither would they beleeue though any should arise from the dead yea Papists themselues are so eager to take testimonies for their heresies that they can bee contented yea glad if the Deuills whom they know to be such doe speake in their behalfe Witnesse Robert Chambers who produceth for a great miracle and a worthy testimonie of their religious worship of the vergin Mary at Sichem how certaine Deuills going out of one Birus cried out thus liue our Lady of Sichem liue our Lady of Sichem not thus liue the mother of Christ but thus liue our Lady of Sichem which Lady of Sichem we willingly leaue to the Deuills and such Papists as Chambers who glory in such consorts of their superstitious worshippe We for our parts only will euer call blessed and happie Like testimony Coster beggeth from the Deuill touching the worshipping of Images Coster dom 3. in Quadrag that blessed Virgin who reigneth and euer shall reigne with her Sonne in euerlasting glory not their Loretto or Sichem Ladies Againe wiâ—â—esse Tilman Bredenbachius who seeking testimony from the Deuills for his religion relateth how the Deuills at a certaine place called dimpna testified that vpon the commaund of their great Lord Belzebub they all went to honour the funeralls of Martin Luther Ah yee besotted Pontificians how are yee delighted with such delusions Adlegem ad testimonium to the law and the testimonie thence tell vs Isa 8. what manner of man Luther was there contending neither Caietane your Popes Legate nor Cocleus your great Theologue were able to stand out with that worthy man and of most happy memorie but to the deuils you will recurre and from them you will needs haue testimonie against that learned man Againe witnesse that detestable and vsuall practise of Popish Priests when they take vpon them to exorcise the deuills with their sacrament God knoweth I belye them not with their Christ in a pixe For then they do euer seeme to constraine the deuills whom they exorcise first of all to confesse that Christ himselfe is in that very host truly and really and this they do forsooth lest the standers by should be scandalized to obserue afterwards in the course of their exorcismes how little esteem The storie of Magdalen de la Crux exorcised at Corduba is worth notâ—â—g she sometimes spake like the diuell somtime like Christ yea in the person of Christ She consecrated an host which many adored for Christ to such madnesse were the Cordubans come Delrius mag disq cites Ribad lib. 5. vita Ignat. cap. 10. and regard the exorcised diuells make of that their Christ and how contemptuously and scornefully the diuells doe carrie themselues notwithstanding the presence of that their Christ Herein I appeale to the consciences of diuers Priests who know this that I write to be most true In steed of many particulars which might be related in this kinde heare one of holy Dibdale for them all This Dibdale exorcising of Sara Williams one of the Minian Energumenisses which were often coniured by holy Weston alias Edmunds and diuers others at Denhamhouse and elsewhere did to this effect speake to the deuill in the foresaid Sara What doest thou say to the blessed sacrament of the Altar Oh saith the deuill it is the very bodie of Christ cut it and thou shall see it bleed thus the deuill to Dibdale but herein he lyed for all that cut it see it not bleed witnesse that Inquisitour and Fryer who being at Saragossa in Spaine to put a certaine consecrated hoste into a pixe to be caried vp and downe in The great deuill exorcised in France demanded whether Christs body were in the host answered it was because hee was there procession and finding it too great for the pixe with a payre of sissers he pared the hoste and fitted it for the same but the hoste did not then bleed onely the audacious Fryer for such paring and rounding of their Christ was sharpely rebuked by other Inquisitors and for a certaine time remoued from his Inquisitorship Againe the same Dibdale did thus demand of the same Sara Williams her deuill What thinkest thou of the blessed Virgin Mary to which the deuill answered with an Oh Oh shee had no originall sinne I had not a bit of her neither within nor without but what would the whole rable of the blacke Fryers with their Saint Antonine Archbishop of Florence with Aquinas their Angelicall Doctour haue said to this deuill if they had heard him Anton. part 1. tital 8. Aquin. 3. parte so constantly affirme the Virgins conception without originall sinne surely they would haue made lesse esteeme of the deuills Oracle then they did of Brigetts reuelations for that purpose they would as they doe haue produced visions against visions illustrations against illustrations and haue set Catharine against Briget yea Bernard also should haue entred into the listes to haue confronted against Brigetts dreames and Sara Williams deuills oracle Another demand made to Sara Williams deuill I may not here pretermit hee was demanded forsooth what was the cause that Campians girdle which was by nature so contemptible should so torment and afflict him to this the deuill with admiration and veneration cryeth out thus Tyburne and Hierusalem know the cause thereof they can tell you Sundry like fopperies of Westons alias Edmundes and other popish Priests questions to oppressed persons I could produce more worthy of laughter and contempt then obseruation but by no deuill was that holy father with his consorts more deluded then with Mainyes of whose visions and illustrations whilest I was among the Pontificians I heard diuers vanities related vnto me by a graue Priest and an eye-witnesse thereof who is yet liuing and whose name I doe purposely conceale who hath often told me that hee hath been euen ashamed of himselfe to
the same he may freely and safely goe out and leaue of that course of life betaking himselfe to marriage Tenthly I suppose that which is expresly deliuered Suppo ∣ sition Tenth by some of them not gainesayd by any to wit that hee or shee who maketh a vow which in the roote and beginning of the same is not sound or valid if afterwards he shall vpon an erroneous iudgement thinking himselfe Sa. vbi supra 7. 13. bound therewith ratifie confirme and approue the same yet vpon a better consideration he may perswade himselfe that he is not bound therevnto but is as free as if he had neuer vowed the same Eleuenthly I suppose that he or she who voweth any Supposition Eleuenth thing for an ill end and vpon a wicked cause is no whit tyed by such a vow or bound to keepe the same Sà vbi supra 4. 18. Aquin vbi sup 2. ad 3. ex vi vots by the force of the vow and as it is obligatorie before God howsoeuer by humane authoritie they may be compelled therevnto This is a truth manifest in it selfe confessed by them all Twelfthly I suppose that which is deliuered by Sup ∣ position Twelfth them in all expresse termes to wit that a vow which is made of an impossible thing bindeth not which is not Sa Azor Nauare Tolet mâ—es only to be vnderstood of that which is physically and naturally impossible as if one Icarus-like should vow he would flie to Rome but also of that which is morally impossible as for example if a man should vow he would vpon his knees creepe to Rome from Paris or that hee would neuer commit sinne at all or if a woman should make a vow that she would neuer speake an idle worde Or if a man that is by nature hastie should make a vow that he would neuer speake one hastie word These vowes and all of like nature are in themselues voide as being of such things as are morally impossible Thirteenthly I suppose as an euident truth deliuered Suppos Thirteenth also by the Aduersaries that no married Person either Husband or Wife no Childe vnder gouernment of Parents no Religious Person vnder obedience of Superiours can make any Vow which shall binde their consciences without approuance of the Husband or Wife allowance of Parents or approbation of Superiours Yea their Cardinall Tollet pronounceth Tollet lib. 4. cap. 18. resolutely When the matter of the Vow is contrarie to those things in which the Inferiour is bound to obey the Superiour as the Childe the Parent presently the vowes are voide vnlesse they be approued by the Superiours Fourteenthly I suppose that which is defended by Suppos 14 most of the Aduersaries to wit that it is not a verball vowing of the mouth which bindeth any man before God but that further there is required an expresse intention of him that voweth if not to binde himselfe yet at Sa verbo voto 6 Aquinas 2. 2. q. 88. 3. ad 3. art 1. per totum alias lest an intention to vow and make a promise So that he who shall with his mouth vtter wordes of a vowe if he had neither intention to vowe nor to binde himselfe he is not bound before God howsoeuer hee may bee compelled by authoritie of man to obserue the same which he seemed to vow and promise These things thus supposed as clearely maintained by the Aduersaries I doe out of them deduct certaine consequences agreeing to the rule and analogie of faith which do approue and commend the marriages of such Fryers Nunnes or Priests who conuerted from Poperie shall adioyne themselues to the reformed Churches Out of the first second third and fourth suppositions Inference 1 I thus euidently inferre that considering Bishops Canon Apost 5. Athanas epist ad Dracentium See Brigets Reuelat lib. 7. reuelat cap. 10. and Greg. lib. 3. epist 34. Priests c. in the primitiue Church were indifferently married and that there is no order nor command from Christ or from his Apostles touching the vow or promise of single life in Clergie-men and further that the same was brought into the Church by the Bishops of Rome by degrees First by law and command only that such as tooke orders should lead single liues afterwards because the same law was not well obserued by diuers Greg. lib. 1. Indict 9. epist 42. Auentine saith that the forbidding of marriage in Priests was reputed by many Prelates c. a pestiferous heresie Auent lib. 5. pag. 355. after they had taken orders it was deuised by the Bishops of Rome whereof wee haue example in Gregorie the first that none should be admitted to sacred Orders of Subdeaconship who would not at the taking of the same promise to liue single liues and weighing further that to the very astonishment of the heauens and the prouoking of Gods wrath against mankinde by the meanes of the said lawes and vowes there haue followed such Seas of most abominable and nefand sinnes in their Church I should thinke him or her sinfully wicked who pondering that of the Apostle that the Church 2. Cor. 10. 8. hath no power giuen her but in aedificationem for edifying shall not account the holy Father of Rome most desperately malicious who knowing what nefand abominations are practised by his Clergie by meanes of his said enforced lawes and vowes will not reuoke the same and leaue the point of marriage in the Clergies free choise as Christ and his Apostles left the same For is Aquinas 12. q. 96. 3. 4. it not an axiome in diuinitie a principle in philosophie that any humane law whatsoeuer which is made for the benefit of soules and auoyding of sinne or iniustice if the same law proue afterwardes to be pernicious that it ought to be remoued and reuoked I dare vndertake there was neuer yet Lawgiuer who doth not approue this only the Outlaw of Rome because hee must according to Daniels prophecie simulare castitatem dissemble chastity he will not do it in this Answere me directly Master Floode are there not innumerable Ecclesiasticall Lawes and Canons in your Church some enacted by Generall Councells some decreed by your Popes wich notwithstanding vpon some inconueniences arising in the keeping of them haue growne out of vse and haue become nullae none of no force how many of the Ecclesiasticall Canons of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Sardike Laterane and other Councells haue beene cashired either by expresse order or conniuency of your Popes what shall inconueniences remoue lawes established by supreame and vniuersall authoritie and shall not such a confluence of most abominable impurities cause your holy Father to remoue an vnnecessarie Law of his owne hatching and bringing foorth How haue I heard your great Statesman Parsons in presence of some of the Spanish muy Poderosos seniores most mightie Seniours inueigh most bitterly against some of the ancient lawes of this Kingdome especially that concerning triall by a Iewry of
temporalls brought into the Christian common-wealth Who can expresse the inundation of corruption and presumption which his Dallila of indulgences hath bred in the Church of God What tongue can expresse the enormity of simony of all sortes which hath ouerwhelmed the Church by reason of their most vaine pompous and magniâ—icent eleuating of their Seruants and their purpured brethren together with their carnall and for most part sottish Nephewes And what may we not thinke he may attempt by his wicked lawes whenas Bellarmine their great Achilles dareth thus to write yea in his booke of recognitions which should be the best but is the worst he euer made to wit that the authoritie of the Pope is so great Bellar. lib. 4. de Pont. cap. 5. lib recog in recog lib. de Pont. cap 19. Isa 5 20. that though he command by his lawes any thinges that are vices as vertues yet the whole Church is bound to obey the voice of their Pastour and to receiue the lawes as lawes of vertues thus he incurring the malediction of the Prophet accursing those who call euill good and good euill By this we may iustly inferre that as this Bâ—atissimus Pater is the man of sinne so is he also the sonne of perdition because by his most sinnefull lawes and superstitious commandes he is cause of perdition to innumerable of his owne Congregation I do not say all of his congregation but I speake of those which are formally his subiect to the Pope as he is Pope and drinking of the cuppe of his abominations For it being so that in his Church there yet soundeth that confession of Saint Peter Math. 16. 16. Tues Christus filius Deivius Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God and also that in it there are the holy Scriptures though not without many corruptions in it there is the Apostles Creede though in some Articles peruersly interpreted in it the Sacrament of Baptisme though not without many superstitious circumstances for substance thereof truely administred In it there are many Priests and Preachers who though in other points doe teach the Doctrines of that Church yet they doe oftentimes in the vehemencie of spirit in their Sermons deliuer that saluation is onely to bee had by faith in Iesus Christ that no man is or can be without corruption of sinne with many such doctrines to like purpose It is not a thing vnpossible yea it is morally probable that God hath of his Elect in the very thickets of that idolatrous Congregation who being led by Gods spirit doe willingly embrace that onely which is sound and for the rest do grone vnder the burthen of humane traditions herein not vnlike to those seuen thousand or many of them of whom God spake to the Prophet Elias 1. Reg 19. 18. Reliqui mihi c. I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand who haue not bowed themselues to Baal To proceede this man of sinne must exalt himselfe Exalt himselfe Vers 4. aboue all that is called Good The Apostle doth not say all noted before that is God but that is called God Now that the Bishop of Rome is supremum in terris Numen the supreame power or diuinitie vpon earth not onely to direct earthly Gods and such as are called Gods vpon earth as Princes Emperours Magistrates c. but further Psal 82. 1. 6. Exod. 22. 28. Ioh. 10. 34. also by a coercitiue power to punish them to roote vp and to plant to build and to destroy It is a very prime Principle and a most fundamentall Article of their Church The Apostle saith he must exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God which the Pope so singularly acteth that I dare vndertake there is none of all his Presidiaries shall be euer able to shew that this his arrogant absolute and vnbounded Supremacie in temporalls and spiritualls ouer Kings and kingdomes was yet euer giuen vnto him by any generall humane consent no not of his owne Church before he had exalted himselfe thereunto no nor since hee hath exalted himselfe It is well knowne how Gregorie the 7. was the first who â—oared out those ambitious Dictates of his owne inuention by Vers 4. Dictat Greg. 7. apud Bar ann 1175. which he exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God vpon earth whose spirit those who haue succeeded after him in the Panacy as much as hath lyen in them they haue imitated and do as occasion requireth put in practise A most honourable and gainefull merchandise doubtlesse to be so vniuersall a Dictator ouer the whole world that hee shal be able to vnking whom hee shall please and to dispose of the Kingdomes of the world to whomsoeuer he shall iudge meet that is take from those who will not adore him and giue to those who fall down Math. 4. and worshippe him as of late hee attempted ex plenitudine Bulla Pij Quinti potestatis out of the fulnesse of his power to haue depriued our most famous Queene both of life and Kingdome and to haue giuen her Kingdome vnto that Monarch who fell downe and worshipped for it And doubtlesse our now dread SOVERAIGNE whom the Lord of heauen and earth bee pleased euer to defend and protect as the apple of his eie may looke for no other from Romes-Pope and his deuoutes if God by his mightie arme doe not crosse their perfidious plots and designements I say plots and designements for who will thinke but that both the Lion and the Beare sleepe with their eyes open expecting euer when they may deuour and how they may deuour Thus then it resteth cleare that the Pope hath exalted himselfe aboue all that is called God or worshipped To proceede he sitteth in the temple of God shewing himselfe as if hee were God so doe the Remists read this 2. Thess 2. 4. place By which words what else can fitly bee vnderstood but that he shall assume vnto himselfe as God that is in Gods steede the absolute and independant gouernment of the temple of God that is the vniuersall Catholike Church ouertopping all by an vnbounded Supremacie and vnexhausted dependancie so that of this Ioue omnia sint plena de plenitudine eius omnes accipiant In the Romane Synagogue the Pope is all in all for power iurisdiction Con Later Sess 10. Bell. de Pont. lib. 1. cap. 9. all must be full and receiue from his fulnesse All which is so precisely and punctually the state of his holinesse that there is no power nor iurisdiction in their Church which is not from him and is so dependantly at his pleasure that he may with or without cause take the same from whom he shall please validly and effectually For he is a Ioue amongst them a very absolute Monarch subiect only to God But I note the wordes of the Apostle that hee must Beare himselfe and shew himselfe shew himselfe and beare himselfe as God which is most punctually performed by
enormities of their votaries require that the Law of Celibacie bee remooued and the vse of marriage bee left indifferent notwithstanding most of their more peruerse Popes yea all of them at lest to auoyd scandall and to preserue the dignity of their Church are so wedded to the Darling that the knot is indissoluble so be their consciences seared with the hot iron of obstinacie and impudencie that they waigh not though an infinity of soules perish through their vnnecessary law of vowed Celibacy Neither do they regard what the Christian world inueigheth against them assuredly that of Epiphanius is fulfilled They reiect marriage not lust Epiphanius aduersus Origenist here 's 42. for sanctitie is not in honor with them but hypocrisie Further what may we more fitly vnderstand by their speaking lies in hypocrisie then a professed dissembling of greater sanctity both for chastitie and abstinence then is amongst them in which sense good God how punctually are the Papist-leaders and Teachers noted by the Apostle how patly and in euerie respect doth hee poynt at the Ignatians who professing greater sanctitie then others doe farre come behinde all others at lest in the point of abstinence in that Church there being no Order nor Degree of the Romane Church which keepeth lesse fasting and abstinence then the Ignatians doe their speciall promises are for obedience to their Superiours and Generals and by them by a secret vow to goe whithersoeuer he shall command and to do whatsoeuer he shall command Videant Reges The Apostle saith that these false Teachers were to depart from the faith which as it is fulfilled in the ancient heretikes so more absolutely in the Romane Popes whose Clem. Alex. 3. Stromat Tertul. de monogamia Athan. Epist ad Dracont Chryso in 1. ad Timoth. hom 10. Hieron against Iouinian Con. Aney â—an 9. Gangr 4. ad Hebr. 1. 3. departure from the faith in this point appeareth thus For whereas it is cleere as the very heauens that in the Apostles time for long after marriage was as a thing good godly Christian allowed and permitted in the Cleargie so that it was honourable in all according to the Apostles doctrine They haue in a pretended shew of more sanctitie but in truth in very hypocrisie imposed First the Law of Celibacie vpon their Cleargy Secondly the vow of Celibacie vpon them as though that married Clerkes were vnfit to administer at the Altar or to preach the word of God and that marriage in them were not honourable or allowable the which what is it else then a meere departure from the faith first receiued first established Let vs aske S. Chrysostome what the ancient Church nay what the Apostle thought of marriage in Priests Cuius rei gratia c. For what cause doth the Apostle Chrysostemus in Titum hom 2. See him hom 10. in 1. ad Tim. mention these manner of men to wit married hee doth intend vtterly to stop the mouthes of Heretikes who condemne marriage shewing the same to be without fault yea the same to be so precious a thing that with it any man may be promoted to the throne of Episcopacie And in his tenth homilie vpon the first to Timothy speaking of marriage in Priests he hath these expresse words Licet enim eam rem honeste ac Chrysost in illa verba Sed mansuetum c. licite capere si quis velit It is lawfull for any man if he will lawfully and honestly to take the same thing meaning marriage yea marriage in Bishops For in the same place he speaketh according to the Apostles intent of Bishops See him and the like is to bee obserued in many of the Ancients declaring the practise of the Church in this kinde yea their holy Briget taketh and receiueth the Briget lib. 7. Reuel cap. 10. circa medium same as a diuine reuelation from the Virgin Maryes own mouth part of which reuelation the Reader may finde in the Appendix here following in the second part of the sixteenth Chapter It resteth to be shewed and proued whether the Papists doe deliuer the same doctrines of Deuills which the Apostle here condemneth which that they doe for the first point I thus make manifest To insist vpon the Apostles expresse wordes he saith onely that the Heretikes should forbid marriage c. which that the Popes and Papists doe it is a case as manifest as noone daies And their euasion of this imputation is not worth a rush For they answer that the Apostle intendeth onely such Heretikes as doe forbid marriage because of naturall vncleanesse in the same Their instance is most vaine nay rather the Apostle purposely abstaineth from mentioning any such circumstance of the heresie that so in his prophecie hee might as well inuolue those Heretikes which would teach marriage to be vncleane to the Vsers and Practisers of it against pretensed commandes as also those who would condemn it as vncleane in it selfe If the Apostle had intended the Manicheyes only or such like he might easily haue expressed the circumstance of their heresie but he did not so ayming doubtlesse at all those who should forbid and inhibit marriage in those and to them to whom God had commended or allowed it and therefore he vseth rather the words forbid as if he should say these Heretikes will disaprooue of marriage in respect of their own commandes in those and to those to whom they shall forbid the same And if the Papists doe seriously bethinke themselues they shall finde that the ancient Manicheyes doe iumpe with them in this their heresie about marriage in their August epist 74 Clergie for as the Papists doe allow marriage in their Laickes but vtterly forbid it in their Clerkes so did the Manicheyes allowe marriage in their ordinarie Professours whom they did call Auditores Hearers but vtterly forbidde and reprooue the same in their speciall ones whom they called Electi their chosen and Elects So that here we haue the Papists expresly iumping with the Manicheyes in this point I note specially that the Apostle saith they shall forbid marriage by which he euidently insinuateth that the holy Spirits intention is to note and ayme at such Gouernours and Rulers of the Church who should against Genes 1. 22. the Apostles and Gods ordinance lay their command vpon celibacy and single life forbidding marriage Now this is the very selfe thing which the Bishops of Rome haue done For vpon that concerning which the 1. Cor. 7. Apostle had no precept but onely counsell they haue laide their imperious commandes in their clergie forbidding them to marry yea and against their owne principles haue laid a precept vpon a Counsell commanding and requiring most strictly all those who take orders to vow chastitie which according to their owne principles God left in counsell and free election and which the Apostle had onely power to counsell and perswade Their pretensed ground of this their doing to wit because celibacy and single
Priests did liue in carnall matrimonie and notwithstanding many of them were the freinds of God because they did beleeue with simple puritie that the same did please God to wit that Christian Priests might keepe wiues and liue in matrimonie as the same in the old time of the Iewes had pleased him in the Priests of the Iewes and this was so obserued by Christian Priests for many yeeres but this ancient custome and obseruation did seeme very hatefull and abominable to the whole heauenly Court and to me who did beare his body c. And therfore God himselfe by the infusion of his holy Spirit into the heart of the Pope who then ruled the Church did giue another Law concerning this more gratefull and acceptable vnto himselfe infusing Christ was wise as a little one the Pope as a perfect one into the heart of the Pope that hee should ordaine throughout the vniuersall Church that Priests who should haue so worthy an office as to consecrate this precious Sacrament should by no meanes liue in the contaminous and carnall matrimonial delectatiō after it is added That no Pope may permit Priests to liue in marriage and great punishment is is threatned against it after it is added again thus that if S. Gregory himself had appointed such a thing he should neuer Ibidem haue obtained mercy at Gods hands vnles before his death bee should with humility haue reuoked the sentence What a do we haue in this vision first that the ancient Law of marriage was obserued and kept for many yeeres by such Christian Priests as pleased God liuing in it by which it is euident that the Christian marrying of Christian Priests was more ancient then popish continency Secondly I obserue that this Law of Priests marrying was altered because the Popes God did infuse into the hearts of The Popes for bidding of marriage the doctrine of diuels 1. Tim. 4. if we beleeue Briget Popes to change and alter the same but what was the cause marry heare flat Manicheisme because saith the vision Priests should not liue in matrimonials contaminosa delectatione in matrimoniall contaminous and polluted delectation for which the virgine sayd that the law of marriage for Priests was hatefull both to her selfe to her sonne and to all the heauenly Court yea so hatefull that towards the conclusion of the vision thus it followeth Nullus Papa potest c. No Pope may permit marriage to Priests vnder paine of damnation What stuffe is heere Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici I desire the Readers to containe their laughter the Popes power is curbed and limited and that from heauen yea and Gregory the Saint is so curbed that if hee should offer to dispense with Priests to bee married hee should infallibly vnlesse he would reuoke his Law bee damned away with this doctrine of Diuels so contrary to the Popes absolute power which may dispence in vowes so contradictorious to Brigets owne narration the Saintesse acknowledgeth that in the Primitiue Church Priests liued in marriage and that liuing in it they were the friends of God because they did beleeue with simple purity that they might so doe but afterwards the case was altered vpon secret reuelation in the Popes heart well saith shee secret reuelation for the Pope had no such reuelation from the Scriptures nor the ancient Church who commanded Priests not to marrie nor liue in marriage after which Law it is not in the holy Fathers power to grant marriage or the vse of marriage to any Priest vnlesse hee will bee damned which may not happen in the men of sin and children of perdition Sometimes when I haue thought with my selfe of the strange paradoxes which are in these reuelations of Briget I haue wondred how men of iudgement should giue credit to the same if the strong illusions of Sathan did not powerfully worke in them foolish is that where Christ telleth Briget that hee is Trinus vnus Three and one And little for the Popes credit is that where Christ himselfe describeth the Pope to bee worse then Lucifer more vniust then Pilate more immane then Iudas more abominable then the Iewes themselues how vaine is that in the title of the first chapter of the booke of the heauenly Emperour which hath thus that God ordained the world to be ruled with a double power to wit Ecclefiasticall and Laicall which are principally designed in Peter and Paul but in the chapter it selfe good God how fondly is Christ brought thus speaking Ego autem habui duos optimos famulos vnus eoxam erat Clericus alter Laieus c. I had two excellent seruants one of them was a Clerk the other a Laicke the first was Peter my Apostle hauing the office of a Clerke the second was my Apostle Paul as a Laick what an excellent inference may heereout be inferred for the Popes power to gouerne the whole Church as a Clerke and the whole world as a Laike For Peter and Paul say they both died at Rome who then shall bee their Successour but the Bishop of Rome which being so I maruell why Briget in her extrauagant reuelations and in her heauenly Emperour touching a certaine Prince that was to bee deprined of his kingdome doth not send the admonition to the Pope but to the Princes Cap. 80. cap. 61. of the Kingdom that they should take armes against their Prince and depriue him why is there no mention made of the Pope if hee bee cheefe vmpire in all such affaires some will perhaps obiect that such fooleries as these either are not in Brigets reuelations or else that they are not authorized by the Romane Church but let such vnderstand that they are both in Briget and that her booke also is authorized as a booke of diuine reuelations One thing amongest someothers the late Answer plan Edition hath scraped out In the fifth of six reuelations which were set before the booke of reuelations after the approbatorie Epistle of Cardinall Turrecremate with subsignation of the Scribe and Notary it was thus written Sicut Iohannes Euangelista c. Euen as Iohn the Euangelist wrote those things which before saw were to come from my Spirit so Matthias thy Father and Ghostly Father whom I haue made a master from the same Spirit vnderstandeth and writeth the spirituall truth of sacred Scripture Againe presently after the prologue thus it is written Benedictus Deus aquo hic liber inspiratus est immediatè diuinitus reuelatus Blessed be God from whō this booke was immediately inspired and diuinely reuealed By which you may see of what authority her reuelations are when both shee and her master Matthias were both immediately inspired from God himselfe See Lib. 6. revelationum chap. 89. for the sayd purpose This which I haue deliuered out of Briget I haue found written in that Edition of hers which was printed at Nuremberg the yeere 15 17. by the great care and diligence of the Fathers
from the faithfull in the holy Church And then the old enemie shall in that damned man Antichrist appeare conspicuous against them by many prodigies that by how much he is puffed vp with his signes by so much with greater praise he may be ouercome by the faithfull for although signes shall not altogether be wanting to the faithfull in that conflict notwithstanding his shall be so great note these words that ours will seeme few or none at all whose vertue shall be stronger then all his signes spurning with the heele of inward constancie against all that which is so terribly shewed by him but the malignant enemie shall by so much vse greater immanitie against them behold the Romane practise by how much he shall greeue to see himselfe despised in the midst of his shining miracles therefore he will wholy recollect himselfe for their destruction and will kindle vp all the reprobates with one minde and like crueltie to the destruction of the faithfull And so the proud loftinesse of Antichrist ouer reprobate mindes shall be raised vp with the fast how cleare is this in the sonne of perdition sitting at Rome and pompe of secular glory so that a sinfull man and yet despising to be esteemed as a man that is a pure man only will lyingly affirme himselfe to bee a God ouer men obserue these words a God ouer men wherevpon the Apostle Paul saith so that he will sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe as if he were a God thus farre Saint Gregorie with much more to like purpose And although this Father in this place doe seeme to teach that Antichrist shall directly and expresly extoll himselfe aboue God which none of the Popes haue yet done as some Papists may obiect and that therefore this Antichrist here described by Gregorie cannot be the Pope For my part I thus resolue the doubt that all the Fathers discourse may most fitly be applyed to the Popes vnmeasurable extolling himselfe aboue the lawes of God challenging power to dispense in all vowes and oathes challenging power to annexe to base creatures more spirituall efficacie against sinnes and wicked Spirits then he himselfe and his doe giue to the Sacraments of Christ challenging the very name of Vice-god challenging all that honour and adoration For the Popes insolent pride read the dictates of Gregor 7. in Baron anno 1175. which is vpon earth giuen vnto him for that he is a Vice-God a God substitute vpon earth sitting in the temple of God But setting this circumstance at this present aside by this Fathers whole discourse agreeing to sacred Scriptures and his iudgement it is manifest that to abound with miracles and wonders against that Church which hath few or no miracles in comparison shall professe Christ and only Christ is an euident signe of Antichristianisme the which how fitly it squareth to the Romanists no man cannot but see whose eyes the 2. Cor 4. God of this world hath not blinded To proceed Concerning the time when the miracles of false prophets were to be most flush and like shoales to flee abroad the reuelation of Saint Iohn hath Apoc 13. v. 2. 11. 13. 14. it so cleare that nothing can be more clearely or liuely expressed For there the Prophet deliuereth the great power authoritie miracles and wonders of the Beast and of the false Prophet hauing two hornes like the lambe Miracles ceased for most part in the time of Aust See August de vera relig Chrysost in 1. ad Cor. cap. 2. hom 6. Greg. hom 29. in Euang. which must be towards the later times of the Church after the substraction of miracles from the true Church which hath passed long agoe to worke great prodigies and wonders pretending the very power and place of the lambe as Popes doe yet speaking like the dragon denouncing proclayming blood ruine fire sword proditions perditions against all such as shall denie his monarchicall Papacie against all such as shall refuse that power by which he challengeth authoritie to dispose of kingdoms and depose Kings for the saluation of soules and this he doth as if it were with the hornes of the lambe pretend thereby cloaking and couering his ambitious loftie and fastuous spirit And if your holy Father the Pope do not pretending the two hornes of the lambe worke prodigies and wonders sitting in the temple of God then bring me ô yee Pontificians some one man that euer did it or that is likely to doe it in any other sort and manner then the Pope now doth it Deny it if you can that he hath spoken like the Dragon when as by his bloody sentences he hath in all Christian kingdomes Apoc. 6. 13. that euer were at one time or other taken peace from the earth the proper worke of the Dragon and to presse you further was there euer yet any man who hath deceiued the dwellers vpon earth by those miracles which he had power to doe in the sight of the Beast but the Bishop of Rome who in his prophane legends though termed by their Genitours and forefathers Aureae Legendae Golden Legends of doting Metaphrastes fabulous Lippoman lying and voraginous Iacobus superstitious Antonine confuse Vincentius hath so cloyed the dwellers vpon earth with delusions lyes and impostures that for very shame they haue pared out of their Portesses and Breuiaries many and sundry of their fabulous histories and for the derisions and out-cryes of Christians against them haue exploded no small members of their Golden Legends May I not fitly vse against them those words of the Apostle what fruit was there in those things whereof you are now ashamed with which you Rom 6. 21. are now confounded and worthily confounded to consider that your Progenitours your Pillars of the inerrable Church should set forth Legends yea golden Legends written by Bishops Archbishops authorised by publike authoritie read in your publike seruices concerning miracles that neuer were and of men that neuer were liuing vpon the face of the earth Your Didimus Verdicus Claudius Espencaeus telleth vs that your Legends â—spencae in 2 aâ— Timoth. and like digress lib 2. cap. 11. and Portesses were full of fables as any stable could be fuâ—l of dung and I dare constantly say more full of vanities and lyes then the stable of Augias was of dung for that by thousands of oxen might in time be purged but the whole congregation of Roman Repurgers haue not as yet been able to cleanse your Legends which haue filled and deceiued the whole world yea so fresh is the reviuing of their delusions that I dare boldly say that all their old Legends haue not any more vaine more pernicious then some that haue been of late and a fresh published by themselues In this place I mention onely that of Catharine of Sienna Shee forsooth and Life of Cathar of Sienna Christ Iesus by an admirable kinde of permutation did enter change their hearts so that Christ had the heart of
may dispence what hee will Yea say they if the question were to marry the King of Spaine to an hereticall Princesse the Pope will first dispense him to marry his owne Sister Is not this to go aboue the power of God who hath said of his holy Law that a jot thereof shall not perish nor be changed Well to vrge Theologicall Arguments I will not but I remit your Lordship to search the Scriptures to see who it is there that doth sit in the Church of God and exalt Dan. 11. 2. Thes 2. himselfe aboue all that is called God And now I appeale to the diuine light of your Lordships conscience whether you doe not thinke that the contemplation of so grosse things first such Ethnicke Idolatry that while Paul and Barnabas being aliue did teare their cloathes and runne vpon the people because they would haue adored them saying they were but men like vnto themselues Now so much adoration must bee done to the Statues of their dead bodies that one shall not enter within Saint Peters Church at Rome but we must kneele to salute him where hee sits in brasse we must lay our head vnder his feete and kisse euery one of his â—oes seuerally Then such impious and base auarice in this trade of Purgatory and Indulgences that in their Camera de Componendis there sitteth Simon Magus vnder the name of Simon Peter making sale of the Spirit of God for money of the mercies of God of remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of heauen and that with such insatiable hands that if euer I who came from a remote Countrey to honour the Apostolicall Seat would giue him largely for dispensation hee would willingly embrace it as who knowes what I did pretend to bee the more assured I appeale to your Lordships conscience whether you thinke those were not sufficient to breede doubts of Religion in any man in whom God hath left a sparke of his feare or one graine of right knowledge Assuredly they mooued me to great iealousie and they were to me as the first sight of the Angell was to the poore Asse of Balaam terror albeit I confesse sincerely the strong opinion which I had drunken so long before the plausible shew of things did for a while violently hold me into the same way as Balaam did force his Asse to goe on after the first sight of the Angell But when I begun to looke vpon the manners of the The Manners of Rome people and to consider what were the faults which were so ordinarily and easily pardoned which is the third thing in number of those which I most narrowly obserued what shall I say I know not how to speake the trueth and therewith to prouide that my penne be not slandered for contumelies and Philippicke passions alwayes I shall so limitate my selfe that I shall not blot so graue a purpose with an humour of rayling or shamelesnesse In the day of visitation and punishment I shall beginne at my sanctuary saith the Lord and wherefore is this because Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis as the Prelates be so are the people the example of the Rulers makes the manners of the multitude as the Spirit of God doth testifie by the Prophet Daniel Egressa est Dan. 11. iniquitas à Senioribus ab ijs qui videbantur regere populum Iniquitie hath gon out from the Elders and those who seemed to gouerne the people For this cause in a iust censure of the manners of Rome it cannot be auoided first to looke vpon the Court wherein is to bee seene such fastuous and intollerable pompe and such a degree of glory as hath neuer beene vsurped by any earthly Monarch to behold the maiestie of the Papall carriage borne one mens shoulders auro fulgens smaragdis shining amidst gold and Iewels those who beare him treading vpon fine cloth wherewith the Church pauement is couered accompanied with a fearefull guard the thundering of Canons the sound of trumpets and all sorts of musicall instruments at whose presence numbers of Princes stately Embassadours great parsonages and multitudes of people doe fall to the ground saluting him holy holy as if he would not onely be Christs Vicar vpon earth but also emulator of his diuine glory in the Heauens and be worshipped like that glorious Lambe before whom numbers doe fall downe to crie holy holy holy that vpon the sight thereof I was indeed amased as if it had beene a vision and demaunding a French Gentleman who had newly also arriued with me and was a zealous Papist how he did esteeme of that which he had seene he answered me in the termes of be God that he thought it farre different from the carriage of him who said Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo and who said to his Disciples Exemplum de di vobis vt quemadmodum ego feci it a vos faciatis which answer I haue many times since thought to be as pertinent as if the holy Spirit had inspired it into him For if the kingdome of the world be called the kingdome of sinne and what reason had Mr. Flud to frame his first argument out of the vncertaintie of his Aduersaries opinions Iudge yee c. But put case Mr. Flud that our Diuines were concerning this point of your Popes being Antichrist equally diuided or iust so as you affirme they are what would the same make their doctrine of the Popes being Antichrist to be onely a fancie See then how you may be whipped with your owne rodd Are you a Rabbie in Iezreel and dispute so what then will become of the feast of Conception instituted in the honour of the immaculate and vnspotted Conception of the euer blessed Virgin Mary Are not there many of your Doctors who affirme yea affirme not without the reproching of others with the note of errour heresie c. that the blessed Virgin was not conceiued in original sinne And are there not against them others who peremptorily affirme that shee was conceiued in originall sinne this being so shall your feast of Conception which is indowed with so many Papall indulgences be a fancie God forbid Againe what will become of your making adoring and worshipping of the Image of God the Father as he Abul in deut Duar. alij Bell. de Imag. lib. 2 cap. 8. Nic. act 5. 6. is in the Deitie himselfe Are there not many of your Diuines who condemne the same Doth not Bellarmine affirme it to be in opinione in opinion Did not your second Generall Nicene Sinod condemne and inhibit the same what then shall your generall making thereof and adoring the same be a fancie God forbid it for if so it would proue not onely a fancie but a most damnable impietie as in truth it is Further what then Gentle Sir will betide the inerrable Rule of your Faith the vnappellable Iudge of all controuersies Is it not a dogmaticall position affirmed by your Canonists deliuered
of some primitiue Churches tye all the vniuersall Church and this for all ages If so what then will become of your Church which out of an opinion of libertie doth not administer the sacrament to the Laitie vnder both kindes which the ancient Church euer did out of an opinion of necessitie grounded vpon Christs command and institution Why then doth not your Church minister the sacrament of the Eucharist to Infants newly baptized as the ancient Church did out of an opinion of necessitie for their saluation Why then doth not your Church continue profestiuall night Vigills which Antiquitie both approued and required Time was in the ould Law when it was not only behoueful but also necessarie for such as were struckeÌ„ with serpents if they would be cured to behold the brazen Serpent but afterwards when the same was abused superstitiously call to minde how good King Ezechias 2 Reg 18. was commended for destroying and abolishing the same Againe time was when it was not vnlawfull to eat of such meats as had been offered to Idolls but afterwards 1 Cor 8. when the same eating was growne scandalous and a signe distinctiue then the same became abominable So likewise although we put case and admit that the Christians did recurre vnto the memories of Saints in former times hoping to be ayded by their intercessions â—oth not Saint Austen lib. de Ciuit 8. cap. 27. relate a custom vsed by some Christians at Martyrs tombs with yet as hee so wee reiect but you in steed thereof haue brought in more vaine which Viues there reproueth to God yet now the case is so altered by reason of a sea of abominations and detestable idolatrie which thereby hath ouer-flowen the whole Church that there is very iust cause to command such a practise and custome to surcease and herein there should not want the warrant of the Church of Rome hir selfe who in diuers like cases hath so proceeded some instances I haue already set downe and more I could produce These things I write supposing what is related out of S. Austen be truly his but so oft as I consider what hee writeth in his 7. Retractations I can hardly so thinke for there interpreting in what sense he had in his former works denied the ordinarie working of miracles in the Church 7. Lib. 1. Retract cap. 14. he saith thus And this I haue said because not such great ones nor all such are done now not because there are nonâ— done euen now He would neuer haue written thus sparingly of miracles if there had been so many done at the memorie of one Saint especially so many as your marginall note cited out of that Father promiseth Plurimi conficiendi sunt libri nec tamen omnia colligi poterunt Flod ex August which note doth not accord with the first lines of this Chapter so that either the text or margine must needs be corrupted Mr. FLOOD You cannot endure the adoration of the diuine Sacrament which you blasphemously call a (a) (a) Lett pag. 54. breaden Idoll in a shauelings hand Saint Chrysostome writeth b b Lib. 6. de sa cerd cap. 4. that a certaine venerable ould man to whom many mysteries were reuealed had told that in the time of sacrifice he once beheld a multitude of Angells with shining garments compassing the wonderfull table round about who with reuerence in honour of him who lyeth thereon bowed their heads as souldiers doe in presence of their King And though these blessed Spirits be not euer seene yet the maiestie of him that is daily sacrificed is such c c Quod credere abunde licet vel ex tanto illo sacrificio quod tum peragitur saith S. Chrysostome that we may beleeue they are in this humble manner continually present Now S ir Edward you may send your Ministers to preach to these Papists and bid them as you bid d d Lett pag 106. vs very grauely leaue their duckes and luckes and apish toyes and serue God in spirit and truth ANSWER Here Mr. Flud imposeth against vs two points the one that we cannot endure the adoration of the diuine Sacrament the other that we blasphemously call it a breaden Idoll c. Against vs he frameth his argument out of Chrysostome which done he commeth out with a vaine Io triumpho bidding Sir Edward to send c. Concerning the first I answer thus First if wee did either beleeue as they teach that Christs body and blood were in the sacrament ex vi sacramenti truly naturally and substantially yea that whole Christ perfect God and man were as they deliuer in perfect shape and humane forme ex vi concomitantiae by necessarie concomitancie vnder the formes of bread and wine then might wee adore and worship him though not principally placed there for that end Or secondly if we did beleeue as they doe concerning the adoration of images to wit that the same adoration and worship may be giuen to the image respectiuely for the persons sake as is to be giuen to the Prototypon or person whom it representeth then doubtlesse wee would adore and worship this diuine image being certainely instructed according to the doctrine of the Fathers of the second Nicene Councell and sense of holy scriptures that it is the Sinod Nic. 2. act 6. liuelyest and perfect image signe and representation which the Sonne of God left with his Church of that his most dreadfull sacrifice vpon the Crosse by which wee What we adore in the Sacrament were redeemed the which so often as wee haue in remembrance by celebrating the diuine mysteries we doe in the vse of them worship and adore with prone bodies and prostrate heartâ— the same sacrifice of our redemption that is our Redeemer himselfe But wee holding their first position to haue been forged in their Synagogue when their God making-transsubstantiation some thousand yeeres after Christ was hatched and accounting their second to be no other than a heathenish and pagan-like point of Sophistry we dare not imitate their doings Yet their Reuerences who incessantly taunt with obloquies the Church of England with imputation of irreligiositie in this kinde may vnderstand that as we Christianly and religiously vse and worship the holy Sacrament of Baptisme so we do reuerence this venerable mysterie of the Lords Supper yea and at and in the mysterie we vse religious adoration and diuine worship not to the Elements as they doe not to Christ corporally and carnally present as they philosophize but to vse the words of the Fathers of the first Nicene generall Councell We are not humiliter intenti Con Nic. in actibus proposito pani ac calici sed fide intelligimus situm in illa mensa aguum tollentem peccat a mundi basely intentiue to the bread and cup that is proposed but by faith we vnderstand the lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world to be laid vpon that Table How placed vpon
known God would not haue his Sacrament of baptisme though ministred by an Heretike to bee prophaned by damnable iteration of the same To proceed I obserue those words of yours speaking of Martyrs their temples ouer the whole world no lesse in the primitiue Church then now were full of tables and pictures of handes feete heads eyes and other parts of the body hung vp as tokens of miraculous cures Pretermitting that this your fashion came not by any imitation from the Iewish Church but from the heathens brought first Polydor. lib. 2. de Inuent cap. 23. into Italie by Hercules as Polydore relateth out of Macrobius I doe obserue two vanities in you First whereas you say that your Temples now are no lesse full of tablets c. then those of the primitiue dayes you haue committed a grosse errour against your owne Church For if you looke into the ancient Fathers cited by mee often in this treatise chap 2. and 8. you shall finde that such an ouer-plus of miracles in temples in the last age which is ours is an euident argument of the Antichristian Sinagogue Secondly I obserue an other vanitie when you glorie for the multitude of your tablets of hands c. Aâ— most vaine shift of Antichrists Sinagogue dare yoâ— thus bragge in the presence and view of your Aduersaries doe wee not know sir that whereas one if any waxen arme hand eye foote head c. is hung vp in tokeâ— of some pretensed cure that there are scores nay hundreths which hang vp as oblations and vowes for desired cures not obteined but expected and hoped for I conuent your conscience herein whether this bee not true The lying vanitie of Popish Tablets yea it is most certaine lippis tonsoribus notissiâ—â— Which of your Pilgrimes hauing himselfe or any of his friends any disease or infirmitie doth not offer vp some one of those tablets and do you vse to take them down if you heare not of their miraculous curing your conscience and all the world knoweth you doe not What maruell then you haue such multitude of tablets c. Be it your priuiledge among some prodigies you shall and must haue many lying wonders And as Erasmus merily twitted your abuses tell vs not onely of your cures but also of your whole multitudes which vowe and pilgrime it without any good at all About some 19. yeares since I tooke ship at Genere in Italy to passe to Alicant in Spaine the ship was great the number of Passengers about some 300. when wee came into the golfe of Marsiles for some 7. or 8. nights together through the extremitie of most tempestuous weather we were in great danger to haue perished but when the tempest was past and a great calme expected which the Marriners presaged by a light vaporous A pretty deuise of a Fryer fire hanging about the toppe of the mast and it did so happen and that the third day after we were becalmed A certaine Dominican Fryer a man of great credit in Spaine conferred with the Captaine and cheife Passengers of the ship about a vowe to be made for our safe arriuall at Alicant It was concluded by all as with one Brother of Baldwine the Ignatian voice though my selfe thought it needlesse as I could Master Baldwine who was then in my company thus that one by lot should be chosen to goe the pilgrimage vowed to the Lady of Mountserratto and that to the charges thereof euery one should contribute a portion as he should thinke meete both for the expences of the Pilgrime and for a great votary candle of waxe there to After the vowe made we wandered vp and downe for diuers daies neither master nor marriner gessing where we were be offered All was done wherevpon after some seuen or eight daies further wandring vp and downe the gulfe at last we light vpon a small creeke in the Iland of Maiorica where our shippe was lodged for some sixe weekes But my selfe M. Baldwine diuerse others left the ship and on foote passed ouer the Iland to the Citie of Maiorica where next morning we tooke bote for Peninsula in Spaine where wee arriued the next day about three of the clocke in the afternoone the ship remaining still with a creeke in her taile but after some sixe weekes it arriued whether beaten and much wasted at Allicant Thus was the manner of our vowe made wilily by the Fryer when wee were past danger thus was the manner of deliuerance by our vowe and I doubt not but that as yet a great waxe candle as a monument of the same remaineth in the Ladies Chapple at Montserratto in Spaine And this you may adde M. Flud to make vp your number of tokens of miraculous and wonderfull deliuerances And here concluding I tell you that if a Congregation of your Cardinalls could resolue Good newes for your order if it had beene accepted to Paulus the 3. that all houses of Conuentuall Monkes ought to haue beene dissolued for abuses committed in them then assuredly the Churches reformed haue done singularly well in defacing your Tablets and pictures the rotten remnants of most damnable impiety considering what impious superstitions haue beene cloaked by them and are yet where the light of the Gospell shineth not M. Flood pag. 148. num 30. Of those miracles I say M. Robert Abbots q q Demonst 1. de Ant cap. 11. pag. 223. blusheth not to write that the primitiue practise was superstitious and those miracles the froth of the ancient Church of which saith he the Babilonian Venus was bred that afterward brake foorth into all manner of abominable fornication Thus they reiect the miracles by which Christianitie was bred in mens hearts many Countreyes conuerted to Christ the Church of God enlarged ouer the earth which Church they must grant was a Venus bred of some and froth What writing is intemperate if this be sober What can be blasphemie against the holy Ghost if this be not To assigne the miracles by which the world was made Christian to the Deuill making his some and froth the seede of Christianitie ANSWER For as much as concerneth your iniurious calumniating M. Abbots that learned Doctour and now very Reuerend Bishop of Salisbury I nothing doubt but that hee will out of a Christian magnanimitie spernere se sperni As for his saying if it be arightly vnderstood I cannot see but that it is warrantable He doth not impeach any of the ancient autenticall miracles for so much as they tend to the proofe of Christianitie and glory of Christ but in these respects and circumstances precisely and expressely either first for their doubtfullnesse and vncertainty or secondly because some immoderate zeale of the vulgar was intermixt therewith or thirdly for some in direct consequences which were superstitiously August de ciuit lib. 8. cap. 14. 26. Espenc de Christ mediatore cap. 12. inferred thereout The Platonists indeed as S. Ansten prooueth gaue not onely a diuine
worship to the one chiefe and supreme God whom they professed to be the cause of all other things but also they did acknowledge vnder this God and from this God certaine degrees of Creatures which they did worship with a kinde of diuine worship as those spirituall Creatures and Substances which we call Angells and also the soules of such their worthies as were departed from humane couersation and were assumpted into the number of their Gods Now this Platonicall doctrine hauing ouer-spread those parts and prouinces where Christianitie first began The vulgar and vnlearned of such as were conuerted to Christianitie by reason of their former inueterate customes agreeing as they thought to truth and reason were prone and inclinable to giue a diuine kinde of honour to such worthy Christians as being departed out of this mortall life by so glorious sufferings for the testimonie of Christ were assumpted to the celestiall paradise of his Glorie In which point if they were somewhat caried astray by humane affection shall it be counted so heinous an offence to impute the same vnto them we charge them not with any high point of superstition but of that which is termed by your glosse quando traditioni humana religionis nomen applicatur when Gloss apud Aquinat 22 q. 93. art 1. corp the name of religion is giueÌ„ to humane tradition as this their practise religious ouerwening of humane creatures was grounded vpon mans tradition and that such an ouer-diligence in worshipping of Creatures may be reputed superstition I inferre out of your Angelicalls doctrine Aquin. ibidem thus Alto modo potest contingere falsitas in exteriori ex parte colentis c. In another manner saith he falsitie that is of religion may happen in outward sort from the part of him who worshippeth and this especiallie in the common worship which by the Ministers of the Church is exhibited in the Person of the whole Church for euen as he should be accounted a falsary who should propose as from another those things which were not committed vnto him euen so hee incurreth the vice of falsitie or false dealing who as on the Churches part giueth worship to God against the manner of worship appointed of the Church by diuine authoritie and acoustomed in the Church whereupon Ambrose saith he is vnworthy who otherwise celebrateth the mysterie then as Christ dâ—liuered thus Aquinas out of which discourse I euidently inferre that all such manner of worship is to be esteemed and reputed vicious in the Church which is not commended to the Church by diuine authoritie from Christ or his Apostles as it is more then assured that this willworshippe of those Christians was not as neither your Masse celebrating to note this by the Let your masse be compared with Christs institution and there will bee found no shew of paritie betwixt them way is any whit agreeing with that which Chirst deliuered and therefore therein both in your Aquinas and Saint Ambrose his iudgement you doe very vnworthily And why I pray you Sir should you be so eager against M. Abbots or so nicely scrupulous as to be afraid to thinke that any superstition might creepe into any of the ancient Churches In this to presse you to the purpose what thinke you of that custome of the Ancients who out of an opinion of necessitie to Saluation did distribute vnto infants instantly as they were baptised Innoc. Epist Decret the Sacrament of the Eucharist Did not Innocentius Pope the head of the Church decree and command the same did not Saint Austen approue it yea this custome August lib. 1. contra Iulia lib. 1. de pâ—ccat mâ—r remis cap. 20. Cipr. de lapsis did so vniuersallie infect the whole Church that it is yet on foote amongst the Grecians Secondly was it not a point of superstition I argue to you for the Ancients out of an opinion of necessitie to distribute to the Laitie the Sacrament in both kinde you now doe censure the same as hereticall superstition therefore standing Both these customes the Church of Rome doth now Anathematize within your principles in the Ancients it could be no lesse then superstitious folly out of their ignorance Againe the Ancients allowed and required the Laitie receiuing the Sacrament of our Lords body to take the same into their hands but hee who should now require the same should be reputed blasphemously irreligious or sacrilegious you know that your Popes haue commanded You may read in diuers cap. de consec where your Laikes are inhibited out of feare of Gods heauy iudgment to touch Corporalls Patines c. Authâ—r op imperf hem 49. cited by Aquin. 22. q. 98. art 4. Contra. that no Lay person presume to touch your Patines and Chalices with their hands much lesse the Lords bodie Ergo the Ancient Church was irreligious in so vnreuerent handling and deliuering the Lords bodie or else you are ouer superstitious in your needlesse and will-curiositie Againe doth not the Author operis imperfecti vpon Mathew make mention how certaine superstitious people did carrie peeces of the Gospell about their necks by the same hoping to be deliuered from dangers this was tolerated in some priuate Churches Further the Ancients yea the Fathers of the second Nicene Councell were in your opinion ouer superstitious in that they durst not make nor suffer to be made the Pictures of God the Father of the Deitie or the blessed Trinitie yea as Auentine reporteth your Boniface the Auent lib. 7. hist pag. 462. eight did condemne to the fire as Anthropomorphites some for painting the Trinitie in the forme of an ould man a young man and a Doue But you haue cast off that feare for you haue hardly either Church or Chappell in which some such pictures are not to bee seene and adored Againe did not S. Paul himselfe erre in your iudgement 1 Timoth 5. 9. when he charged that a Widdow should not be admitted before shee were 60 annorum threescore yeeres ould and giueth a reason of his command danger and perill of incontinencie but your Church is so ouer-prudent aboue and against the Apostle that shee not onely admits Widdowes but she also receiueth girles maides yea corrupt ones also after they haue passed fifteene yeeres of age wherevpon follow those enormouâ— impieties wherewith your Church is repleat euen to the astonishment of the heauens Againe you cannot but grant that a great part yea the greatest part of your representatiue Church to wit the Great Councells of Basill and Constance did erre in their very dogmaticall decrees and decretorie processes what Sir might such assemblies so erre and yet no small errour at least of materiall superstition creepe into some of the Ancient Churches before that generall Councells could be assembled for the clearing and deciding of doubts Doth not our Sauiour in his seauen Epistles sent to the seauen Churches of Asia by which as Antitypes all Apoc 2. 3.
future Churches are expressed as both the ancient and moderne learned Expositors of the same doe affirme fore signifie the declinations of some particular Churches which must make way for the generall apostacie and defection and if as S. Paul the Apostle affirmeth 2 Thess 2. the mysterie of iniquitte did worke in his times what maruaile if some ages after some foame and frothe of superstition might grow vpon some particular Churches by reason of the many mutations changes of Prelates which then through persecution hapned Which foame and froth might afterwards as a superstitious sperme breed your Babylonian Venus when the time of the generall apostacie was compleat You proceed and impeach that very learned Doctor and our Church that wee blasphemously impute to the Deuill those miracles by which the world was made Christian The blasphemie shall be yours Mr. Flud hauing forgotten that which euery childe amongst vs knoweth to wit that the world was conuerted by the word of God powerfully preached which word conteyneth the doctrine and historie of our Sauiour Iesus You leauing these fountaines of life and seeking after dry cisterns of humane authoritie and fallible narrations Eymeric direct Inquisit 2. part q. 9. Johannes de S. Auâ—emaro his Gospell what doe you else then blaspheme As Iohannes de Parma brought in a new Euangile called by your Predecessours Euangelium aeternum the euerlasting Gospell which was no other than Abbot Ioachims dreaming dotages so now Iohannes de S â— Audemare will tell vs of a new Euangile by which the world was conuerted which is no other then a packe of humane inuentions for most part and fallible narrations cashired by many of their owne ingenuous and moderate Papists CHAP. VII Wherein is examined Mr. FLVDS fourth Reason Mr. FLVD pag. 148. num 31. THE fourth reason is the impietie of this deuise which I touched before For this conceit doth much impaire both the loue of God in his seruants and his feare in his enemies seeing neither the one may expect from him miraculous helps nor the other dread extraordinarie punishments The Deuill only in this Age must rule the roste and be thought the Author of all wonders If God when Heretikes blaspheme his Mother and play with her nose strike their tongues out of their heads and their best noses from their faces heresie teacheth them to turne their hearts that want tongues and their faces without noses against heauen and call the Authour of that miracle Deuill So that if Atheists can keep themselues freinds with the Deuill they need not by this doctrine greatly feare Gods miraculous power ANSWER In this reasonlesse reason Mr. Flud taxeth our Church with impietie for attributing the prodigies of their Synagogue to Satan who would thinke then that this Sophy in this his reason should incurre grosse impieties His proofe that we commit impietie hee frameth thus Because our imputing their prodigies to Satan doth impaire Gods loue in his seruants and feare in his enemies doth make his prouidence to be defectiue â—hat neither one may expect miraculous helps nor the other dread extraordinarie punishments this is the substance of his triuiall proofe which ended hee runnes round and round about with his elegant skirmishes hurting not so much as any mans nose but shewing the idlenesse of his owne heart in so triuiall a pen. He obiects impietie to vs but I aduise him to looke vnto it that his proofes against vs fall not out to be blasphemous impieties for First is it not a point of high tempting impietie to binde the hands of God to the ordinarie acting of miraculous Mr Flods first point of blasphemie helps and sending extraordinarie punishments or else his prouidence must be thought defectiue and the loue or feare of his seruants impaired I thinke Sir the holy Scriptures which are ratio omnis veritatis the ground of all truth and the Ancient Fathers doe teach it to be a point of tempting infidelitie for any man to expect as a necessarie office of Gods prouidence miraculous helps or punishments What was the Israelites Exod 32. sinne in the desert was it not a murmuring for Gods ordinarie prouidence towards them wherewith they were not contented and their earnest crauing and expecting some miraculous helps which their crauing and expecting the holy Scriptures terme lust and concupiscence but your Ignatian Diuinitie Christian loue This their lustfull desire God did heare and granted their requests hee sent them water out of the rockâ— Quailes in great plenty but what followed dum adhuc escae whilest the meat was in their mouthes the wrath of God fell vpon them and the cheife of them were consumed so is GOD pleased with such as are eager after miraculous helps Those blessed Martyrs of God cast into the fiery fornace were not acquainted with your Ignatian Diuinitie Dan 3. 16. 17. but the Tyrant was who iumping in your doctrine said thus Who is God that shall be able to deliuer you out of my hands But those blessed seruants replyed not saying we As we are to pray that wee be not led into temptation so the sin of Achas and others may teach vs that we ought not to tempt God Isa 7. It is the deuills Diuinitie to tempt God Matth 4. must expect some miraculous deliuerance from our God or else his prouidence is defectiue and our loue will bee impaired towards him but thus Non oportet nos c. We may not answer thee in this point Behold our God whom we worship is able to deliuer vs out of the fornace of fire and out of thy hands O King but if he will not be it knowne to thee O King that wee worship not thy Gods neither doe wee adore the Golden Statue thou hast erected Doth this their answer sort with your Diuinitie no God wot Many like instances out of holy writ might be produced but I am more then assured that you cannot iustly produce the example of any one Saint who would haue thoght Gods prouidence defectiue or that his loue to God ought iustly to be impaired if in time and occasion of great dangers God should not send him some miraculous helpe I goe on with your impieties Secondly is it not a point of impietie for a sinfull Second blasphemie of M. Flod wretch to reproue that manner of prouidence which God hath prescribed for himselfe toward his Church after the planting of the same Now if we aske the Ancient Fathers and the Scriptures they will tell vs that after the planting of the Church and establishing the Gospell which I hope is accomplished before these times the ordinarie vse of miracles should cease Heare August de verâ— Relig. cap. 25. Gregor hom 29. in Euang. Chrysost Alij S. Austen for this purpose most excellently Since the Catholike Church hath been diffused ouer the whole world neither are those miraculous things permitted to endure vntill our times lest the mind should alwaies seeke visible things by the
presume to thinke to the contrarie We leaue that to your presumptuous Red-hats and their Grandsire who not content to bee of the Lords-councell will challenge to haue vpon earth the same Consistorie with him yea and by dispensings addititions and diminutions to amend what in his Lawes may be thought defectiue and amisse And if you looke backe into former ages you shall finde how not long after the planting of the Gospell the whole Christian world was most extreamely corrupt as Saint Ciprian Saluianus and Eusebius do deliuer And Cipria lib. de lapsis Saluian lib. de prouid Euseb hist lib 8. cap. 1. yet the Fathers of those times did not expect that God by extraordinarie miraculous punishments should reforme the same They iudge rather how God celests censura iacentem fidem pene dormientem er exit by a heauenly censure did awake the faith lulled and almost asleepe which heauenly censure they interpret to bee those tragicall Ciprian persecutions which Diocletian Decius and others raised in the Church Againe when at aftertimes in your Church the same was welny ouerwhelmed with monstruos impieties did God send miraculous helpes prodigies c. no he sent amongst you the Spirit of schisme and diuision as the many schismes in your Church can witnesse He sent amongst you the Barbarian sworde which well-ny deuoured you He sent among you a dreadfull Spirit of dissension betwixt Popes and Emperours Papalls and Imperialls Guelphes and Gibelines Sinod and Sinod Councells and Councells so hee tamed your impieties And surely if prodigies and punishments may be thought necessarie where may they bee thought more needfully to fall then vpon your Papall Caucasus and purpured Olimpus The scarlet Fathers whereof doe so exceede in those sinnes which crie vengeance from heauen that no tong can be able to expresse them which one of your great Clerkes and learned Cardinalls seriously considering brake foorth into that dreadfull speach that the Church was come to that Your learned Nonus homo describeth well the present State of the Papacie passe that it seemed worthy to bee ruled only by Reprobates The like sayings full of dread I haue heard from others lamenting the most lamentable condition of the Romane Hellen. Sir if you will consider how your man of sinne hath beene the cheifest source and cause from whom all tragicall calamities haue light vpon the Church you might easily iudge that if Gods prouidence doe require extraordinary miraculous punishments for the reuenging of sinne they should be thought worthily to begin from the heads of your house What hath diuided the East Churches from the west the South from the West but that most ambitious supremacie of your Popes and the necessarie dependency from them Who is that wicked Paterfamilias Master of the Familie Luc. 12. 45. whereof our Sauiour speaketh and threatneth to Râ—mes ambitious corruptions put his portion with the Hypocrites but your holy Father of Rome who for the establishing of his dictates like a Iouian Dictatour hath smitten with his thunderboult of excommunications and Anathemes at one time or other most of the Orthodoxe Churches of the world Who but your holy Father hath ruinated the Empires both of East and West and insteed thereof hath reared an effeminate Papacie By his meanes haue the MENARDVS Prince of Tirol was wont to call the Popes effeminate Antichrists and prodigious Eunuchs Auent lib. 7. bist Bâ—ior pag. 444. proud Solimans entred into the East Empire yea and your Holies deuiding of the west Empire hath made way for the said Turkes to ruinate Hungarie Transiluania and to plucke the feathers off from the German Eagle What is he who hath set Christian Princes so together that they haue not been able to withstand the common enemie and who is hee who yet shall bee Authour of greater commotions by which the Tyrant of the East if God defend not shall haue a gappe made him to ouer-runne the remainder of Christendome Is not this he your Pope Oh that Christian Princes would open their eyes O that they would brandish their swordes to abate the Pride of this Capitoline Ioue and bring him into order This and no other is the last of the Romane Bell. lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 15. This agreeth to that of Saint Ambrose Antichrist shall restore the Romane libertie vnder his owne name Ambros in epist ad Thes Emperours Heare how Bellarmine to his owne confusion hitteth the marke Erit Antichristus supremum vltimum caput Impiorum est vltimus Rex qui imperium Romanum tenebit tamen sine nomine Imperatoris Antichrist shal be the cheifest and last head of the impious hee is the last King who shall hold the Romane Empire but without the name of Emperour Thus he most truely but of this elsewhere Happy yea thrice-happy then are such Princes into whose hearts God shall put to make this whore desolate and to consume her flesh with fire For till shee be ruinated the mysterie of iniquitie will be still on foote and thereby consequently an infinitie of all manner of miseries will ouerwhelme the Christian world Againe who but your Pope hath cut in sunder the very heart strings of the Church who hath ruinated the Prelacies and Clergies Surely his diuiding of Bishoprickes Archbishoprickes his granting commendaes his desolating of Parish churches his impropriating appropriating of Churches tithes what hath it wrought but the ruine of the Church in very many and this hee did to cherish the locusts of Monkes Fryers and Nunnes fit manciples for his owne turne It is imputed to King How pernicious to the Church Popes haue been aske Pelagius in Planct lib. 2. Henry the 8. the granting of Parsonages and impropriations to the Laity it cannot be denied but hee did so but who led him the dance who else but your Holy-one who had taken before from the ordinary Pastors and Curates the principall Tithes bestowing the same vpon his Abbey-locusts and had reserued the other for such as did attend the Cure but it was not so ab initio it was brought in by the man of sinne and is now held on foot by men of sinne who sacrilegiouslie keep the Churches tithes to the eternall perdition of their owne Soules and the ruine of their Posteritie my heartie prayer shall euer be that such impropriations may be to the vniust vsurpers of them as thornes in their sides to compell them to restitution or else as cankers in their wealths to consume the same There are M. Flood wellny innumerable other instances by which the Atheisticall impieties of your Popes and Romanists might be discouered and yet God hath Bellarmine said of him that sine penitentia descendit in infernum he dying without repentance went into hell such is the end of all their sons of perdition I defend not Sixtus yet I durst to vndertake to shew that all things considered hee was better then a hundreth of other their Popes not often
auenged them by miraculous punishments you can easily call to minde what manner of prodigy was in the iudgement of your Ignatian Society that holy one Sixtus the 5. but I pretermit to speake of him or those prodigious impieties which your society obiects against him by that which I haue said the iudicious Reader may obserue how idle that inference of yours is when you thus write Is Gods power or his loue lesse towardes mankinde since Luthers preaching this your is is so idle that it is fit for you to put againe vp into your budget and rescrue it for your blinde Obedients at Saint Omers I say before that God had not often nor ordinarily auenged your holy Sires impieties yet it cannot be denied but that God hath sometimes auenged them with his furious rodde I could out of your owne Authours put you in minde of disastrous ends of some of your Popes your Bonifacies your Beneaicts your Siluesiers Gâ—nebra Plat. Baron Anastasies Iulies Alexanders Sabinian Iohns Paules and your Gregories and â— famous Peter Aleisius sonne of Paul the 3. was met withall What thinke you of that prodigie from heauen which Glaber relateth thus in effect one Fulco an Earle of Glaber lib. 2. hist cap. 4. The temple of S. Idoc with the sacred things in it were quite burnt Auâ—nt lib 7 hist pâ—g 495. Gaunt had built a Church for the sacring of which there must be sent belike no Bishop of France was holy inough a speciall Legate à latere from your Pope Iohn of that time what followed he came hee consecrated the same which done instantly the day hauing beene very faire and bright-shining before there arose such a tempest as though heauen and earth would haue rent in sunder by which your new sacred Churche was ouerturned and by the Deuills ministery execrated defaced Call to minde what prodigious punishments happened Gregor epist 30. lib. 3 mentioned aboue You cannot but haue heard how a late Papist Monarch was consumed to death with lyce a iust guâ—rdon either for his â—uâ—ury or his â—ury against Gods Saints you know whom I mean a Grand friend of yours and the tale is true to those who by commande of your Popes and Prelates did dig about the body of S Laurence as likewise to those who out of superstitious purpose did dig about some Saints bodies in Saint Paules Church without the Citie of Rome felt they not Gods reuengfull hand smiting them with suddaine death Thinke of that iudgement which happened to the workemen at Doway when vpon command they were to remoue one of our Dioses made of stone I haue related the same in my Motiues And concerning the endes of some of your late Cheeftaines I thinke you shall not haue any cause to reioyce either in Allens end Parsons Sanders Garnets or Holts with some other such like but inough of this kinde And so here I would end with a scorne to all the rest which followeth in this diuision sauing that you prouoke me iustly by your gybing at Master Crashaw for affirming truely that God is neuer wanting to his seruants in the affaire of marriage and further by your reproachfull scorning that famous Galeacius for his keeping of two maide seruants in his house for his daily attendance whereof you affirme that it is one of the greatest miracles which our Gospell did euer beget that Galeacius should keepe such flaxe in his house and conuerse so many yeares together domestically with them and yet abstaine from scorching of them Wherein I first taxe that your rash iudgement you hauing forgotten that of our Sauiour Nelite iudicare non iudicabimini c. Iudge not Matth 7. 1. and yee shall not be iudged This your headlong censure putteth me in minde of as wicked a one which yee vsed against that most Reuerend man and Martyr of God Bishop Craumer as if he should haue poysoned himself and this you say to take away credit from a very credible Triumph pag. 14â— num 22. Fox his Acts and Monum relation which is that your cruell fire could not burne the heart of that blessed man when it was cast into the same A like you calumniate when you make Mr. Mason a Fulsarie as though hee had cited some vnautentike records touching the Ordinations of the Bishops of the Church of England but Mr. Flud I may tell you that formy satisfaction when I came to the Church of England I saw them by the appointment of the Lord of Canterburie his Grace in Mr. Costines office neere the D. Commons Where also of late certaine of your Priests of the Clinke did diligently view pervse and consider the same that so for the time to come you may if it please you with your Mr. Fitzherbert D Smith some others leaue to harpe any longer of that lying stringe as though there were no true ordination in the Church of England I dare boldly make profer to enter into dispute with you or any of your side and vndertake The Ordination of Bishops in the Church of England more Orthodoxe then that of the Popes to shew that the Ordination vsed in the Church of England is more Orthodoxe and sound then the Ordination of your Popes themselues in your Roman See is or hath been of later times and yet neither will I nor can I denie but that there is in your Church true Ordination and Priesthood howsoeuer most egregiously infected with your superstitions But not to adde more of this seeing you idly tell vs of so great a miracle done in our Church in the person of Galeacius giue me leaue to tell you truly and to purpose of some such kinde of miracles done in your Church which you would fasten so willingly vpon vs. You inforce vs Mr. Flud to discouer some of your miracles Are there not great miracles begotten by your Ignatian Gospell here in England that your Priests with iolly Dames should be shut vp in secret places I meane such places as your Priests are The Ignatians and their Fauourites forbeare not in particulars and by name to personate though falsly We therefore are to be excused if conteyning our selues in generalls do not nominate any in particular hid in whilest the Messenger is searching your houses and yet there should be no burning nor scorching of such flaxe Is it not a great miracle that your Priests should sit in secret chambers hearing the Confessions of their female Penitents and yet all be well no flaxe scorched Is it not a great miracle that Priests should whilest their faire Females are confessing vpon their knees behold looke meditate feele with their hands their faire necks stroke their vermilion cheekes of such their Penitents should take their hands into theirs and daily with them and yet be no scorching or burning of such flaxe Is it not a miracle that some of your deuoted Priests should desire to behold the length thicknes c. of some of their fine Dames feete and
leggs and yet there be no scorching Is it not a miracle that your Priests should stand nigh to the bedds of their Ghostly Popish miracles in M Flods phrase children and c. and yet there bee no scorching Is it not a miracle that a Priest of yours should others also intend it in the time of a search runne into the bed where one of your faire Females lay so to auoyde the search and yet there be no scorching fire and flaxe being so neere together Is it not a miracle that some very chiefe Ignatians and Ignatianed amongst you should often doe and speake things very vnseemely and yet they neuer scorch nor burne any of that flane wherewith they are daily conuersant I could goe on with many like demaunds but concluding all in one Is it not a miracle that so many of your Priests Ignatians and Monks feeding here in England daintily arrayed gallantly lodging softly should bee very domestically and priuily conuersant with Ladies Dames Matrones Maids of all sorts and yet none of all these be scorched Surely it is a grand miracle so accounted of by Allen Parsons Creswell and others whom I haue heard glory of the miraculous chastitie of their Priests attributing the miracle to the bloud of Christ whereof they daily drinke which is say they Vinum germinans Virgines wine breeding Virgins Zach 9. 17. But I dare confidently affirme both by what I know and by what I haue most credibly heard that there are many of these wine virgins who doe often more or lesse doe say speake and moue vnseemly matters I appeale to their consciences whether this that I say to their charge be not true Thus in a litle you haue heard of your English Martyrs chastities but should I passe ouer into your hotter Climates in steed of miracles we should haue prodigies What can you denie but that it is a prodigie that those Religious once should not scorch any who at Naples Millayne Venice yea Rome doe sometimes not without Tramontane prodigies in M. Flods phrase conniuencie of their Superiours who had rather they should doe so then within their Cloysters burne in abominable Sodomie whereto they are most prone leaue their habits and search after home or prostituted Courtisans with them to satisfie their lusts and so returne to their Arkes againe Perhaps you will answer these scorch not but rather returne scorched whereby they set on fire nefando igne the greatest part of the new growne flane of their owne cloysters and houses be it so for so it is Is it not a prodigie that in your English Colledges both in Spaine and Italie there should hee such staines Criminis possimi it is rather a prodigie that at Dowaye where Commons are so short there should be scorching A greater miracle that at Rhemes in the prime planting of your Seminarie there should haue beene any scorching was there none Ah miracle of the Ignatian Chastitie It was not a prodigie in Italie in Romulus his Citie whenas within lesse then these two decades of yeeres a dozen and vpwards of faire boyes were found guilty Criminis pessimi but with whom oh Miralce with the purpured Red-hatts Some two of the boyes if I misremember not suffred for their sins and for the sins of the Fathers but the Purpured ones escaped Concerning whom a certaine Father Confessarie who ingenuously and very dexterously found by confession of the youthes who were their Abusers spake thus boldly to the Pope seeming desirous to reforme so abominable abuse Padre Santo é bisogna di cóminciare da casa vostra Holy Father it is needfull to begin with your owne house Which answer vpon further declaration of the mysterie so daunted his Holinesse that therevpon his tongue was mute from further inueighing against the same and his hands bound from doing further iustice and so some of the delinquent boyes were not further looked into but escaped Oh Mr. Flud should I adde further to speake of the innumerable Brothell-houses which you haue in the middest of your Cities in Rome Venice Naples Millaine Auenion c If I should adde how your Scarlet-Ones your Bishops Mountsegniours do caroche vp and downe in the open streets and to their Vineyards the Paradises of their pleasures I should put the Reader to crie out aloude Miracle vpon miracle Prodigie vpon prodigie These these are those whereof the blessed Apostle speaketh Maculae conuinantes Epist Iudae 11. sine timore Spotts feasting without feare And would God they would content themselues with naturall courses and not fall without feare into those damnable and vnnaturall abuses whereof the Apostle writeth so dreadfully Epist ad Rom cap. 1. 26. 27. in the first to the Romanes Could your Romanists obiect any like matters against any of the late Reformers of the Church of England would they be silent No God wot and therefore they idly twitt vs with this imputation that some Monkes Fryers Priests Nunnes who come from their deformed Synagogue do betake themselues to the honourable state of Wedlocke despising those idle vowes of theirs which they made in the time of their incredulitie and ignorance This is the greatest bullbegger they seeme to obiect against such Conuerts as come from them concerning which the Reader may obserue hereafter in this my discourse how This handled fully in my eight Chapter iustifiable and laudable both in the sight of God and men this their cariage is And here at the ending of this discourse I craue pardon of the Reader for that I haue though in termes modest discouered some little of their Sodomiticall filth We are thereunto iustly prouoked by the impudencie of some of them who sticke not euen by name to traduce and calumniate some worthies of the reformed Churches They cannot blame me if they call to minde what themselues and their Predecessours haue and doe daily very opprobriously obiect against Caluin Luther Beza c. yea if they call to minde how themselues most shamefully and impudently endeuour to blemish the credits of some great Persons I will not particularize lest I should be thought to thirst after the occasions and inducements of blood There are Dames of high ranke and Nobles of like condition who if they knew how they are traduced by the Ignatians and Ignatianed in this kinde they would haue little heart to shew them or their Fauourites any fauour at all either direct or indirect But God in whose hands the hearts of Princes are and who standeth in the middest of the Gods in the very middest of Magistrates ouerseeing and indging The Ignatians haue are â—lued rule and order where they can to conuey Lay-Iesuits into the Courts of Princes and it is certaine as the practise of poperie now is that an Ignatian-Papist cannot certainly be discouered but by refusing to take the Sacraments or derly and ordinarily them be mercifully pleased to direct and awake those whom it most concerneth For should these Proteus-like Transcendents which
beene a succession in a Person most abominable In the other no succession but onely as it were a See-vacancy an Interregnum In the first the keyes of Dauid should haue beene in the handes of a lewd Beast and Monster in the other the keyes and all power should for a time haue resided in the Church for whose vse and good it is and there should haue beene onely a materiall errour in the choise of one sexe for another and that for a short time only But I will leaue you to your choise betake you to which answere you will I must see what followeth whether it be as idle as your former or worse Mr. FLVD pag. 130. num 33. But is it not a miracle thinke you that men endewed with reason should let such lewd lyes passe to the Print Doe we neuer paint Christ as perfect man redeeming the world vpon the Crosse and iudging the same by fire Are not these pictures frequent in our Churches And when Christ is presented in the Virgins armes shee is painted not as a commanding but as a mother adoring her Sonne that by her countenance one may see that whilest her breasts gaue him suckâ— her heart did offer him the frankincense of prayer as to her God doe we not make the miracles of our Church rather his then hers done at her request but by his power which miracles shee doth aske not for her owne honour but for his to establish in mens hearts that faith u u Miracula martires faciunt vel potius illis orantibus Deus vt fides illa proficiat quae eos non deos esse nostros sed vnum Deum nobiscum habere credimus Aug lib. 22. de Ciuit cap. 10. which doth beleeue that not shee but He is God and shee only honourable for his sake and saued by his blood holy by his grace glorious by his mercy powerfull by his hand why should we not thinke that the deuill doth hate this faith Hâ—w can any Christian thinke that the Deuills doe miracles to confirme so pious doctrines ANSWER Tracing you here Mr. Flud I might iustly harrow you ouer with a few lines but your calumniating of our whole Church for the fault of a few if it were a fault doth giue me iust occasion to put you in minde of some of your holy Fathers and your owne calumnious and lying dealings You demaund thus Is it not a miracle that men endewed with reason should let such lewd lyes passe to the Print Soft and faire Sir If Mr. Crashawe doe so interpret himselfe as I haue insinuated he may then there is no lewd lye in his saying but a loude truth committed to Print for your confusion But say it is a mistaking of a priuate man allowed by some inconsiderate Censour what of this will you scoffingly call it a miracle what a miracle nay what a prodigie Nay what prodigies then are daily acted in your Church not by priuate ones only but euen by your Vice Gods after consultation had with their Purpured Scarlet creatures in their Consistorian Synods And to touch one of innumerable what a lewd fable is that of your S. Catharine Breuiar Rom in Fâ—st Cathar whom your Holy Ones feigne to haue suffered martyrdome vnder Maxentius the Tyrant at Alexandria whom also you describe to haue confounded by her disputing fiftie Philosophers sent from that Tyrant to convert her Further that shee converted to the Christian Faith Porphirye Generall Master of the Warre and Faustina the Empresse with innumerable others that shee being adiudged to be broken vpon wheeles by her prayers brake the wheeles in peeces by which an infinite number of people were conuerted to the Christian faith These things with some like are yet remaining in this your tale I call it not a tale because I doe not thinke that the like or as great may not haue beene done by some Martyrs for the confirmation of Christian Religion but I doe call this a fable because it is not supported with any sufficient witnesse and seemeth to haue been scraped though cunningly out of her old idle Legend-life and Martyrdome in which there are so many fooleries that impudencie it selfe hath beene ashamed of them None of your Holy Fathers as yet Breuiar Pij 5. iussu editum haue been able to legitimate the Childe indeed your Pius 5. in his castigation of your Breuiarie caused Eusebius his seuenth booke of his Historie and the 26 chapter Euseb lib. 7. cap 26. to be prefixed before the fable by which hee would haue fastned the bastard vpon Eusebius but diligent scrutinie being made it was found that Eusebius would none of it which perhaps is the cause that in your later Editions of your Breuiaries Eusebius is left out So that now the babe remaines without a Father bestirre your selfe Mr. Flud perswade some of your Fathers to name the childe at least some Hermaphroditian Padre c. or else the childe is like to remaine to your deceased pious Vice-God to be God-father to it or else if you rather please to your voraginous Iacob in his Golden Legend How idle now is your insultation against vs for Mr. Crashawes priuate ouersight if it be so But leauing your Holy Ones of Rome to their such kinde of miracles let vs consider a little whether any of your Scarlet Grand-Ones of the same doe worke such miracles which of them doth not To pretermit others Bellar Prefat in Contro de Sanct Beatitudine your grand Clerke Bellarmine what a loude and lewde lye amongst many others of like nature doth he commit to print against the reformed Churches especially against Calum thus Nefas est enim apud eos Episcopum creari nisi vnius saltem vxoris virum It is a wickednesse not to be spoken of amongst them to haue a Bishop made who is not at least the husband of one wife The impudencie of this lewd and loude lye I referre to be censured by the eye of the whole world which cannot but obserue that vnmarried men are made Bishops in the reformed See the harmonie of Confessions Churches yea and in some of them if there be any preeminence or precellencie giuen for such respect it is giuen to the vnmarried Mr. Flud the Churches reformed are well pleased that your Synagoguists and the head of them should simulare castitatem dissemble chastitie it is one of the Notes of Antichrist as I declare elsewhere But call to minde what some of your owne Authours haue reported long agoe of your Priests and people to wit that the people of Parishes would hardly admit vnmarried Priests to be their Pastors for feare of their assaulting and attempting of their wiues c. How the case now standeth in your popish Kingdoms you cannot be ignorant and what might be added more in this case I willingly pretermit Now to you Mr. Flud let vs consider whether you can doe so great a miracle as to make a lye and to print
which I hope you will not denie but that it is fallen before this and that the seuenth was shortly to come and to last but for a short time Which seuenth cannot be your Papacie it must then of necessitie be a short Roman Imperialtie or Empire which followed vpon the destruction of the sixt which can bee no other then that of the Gothes which followed instantly vpon the destruction of the sixth that which was in S. Iohns time Now let vs aske all your Historians who succeeded in Romes gouernment without the name of Emperour after the destruction of the Gothes and Lombards and they will all tell you that your holy Roman Pater Patriae Father of the Church Now that this your Holy Father hath in Rome in the Roman Empire and ouer the Romane Empire Regall Imperiall and Sacerdotall power his triple Tiare and Crowne Rocca his Scholia in S. Gregor eiusque Parentum Imagine dedicated to Clem 8 doth euince the same the interpretation of which I will here adde out of Angelus Rocca their famous Scholiast vpon S. Gregorie his words are these Illud autem scitu dignum videtur quod Tiara tribus Coronis c. But it seemeth worthy to be knowne that the Tiare adorned with three Crownes representing to wit Regall Imperiall Sacerdotall power that is plenarie and vniuersall power ouer the whole Popes Turbant interpreted by Râ—cca world was not in vse before Boniface the 8. Pope who was of the most Noble Caietane Familie thus Rocca By which it is as cleare as noone daies that the Pope of Rome who cannot be the seuenth head is the eight hauing Regall Sacerdotall and Imperiall power ouer the whole world without the name of Romane Emperour Whereas you goe on idly and tell vs of the Deuills want of courtesie to mankinde your selfe should haue been more courteous to haue spared your speech in this kinde which is already sufficiently answered You seem ouer-hardie to charge God with hardnesse if he should suffer mankinde to bee intrapped in their soules with multitudes of beneficiall helps what maketh you Sir thus blasphemously presumptuous haue not the Scriptures most expresly expressed that God will suffer such as haue not hearkned to the charitie of truth to be intrapped 2 Thessal 2. and seduced by strong illusions Hath not the spirit of God foretold that vniuersa terra admirabitur post â—estiam Apoc 13. 14. the whole earth will admire after the Beast and that the false Prophet shall deceiue them who dwell vpon the earth by the meanes of those miracles which he hath power to doe in the sight of the Beast Hath not Christ himselfe foretold that many shall be deceiued the Elect shall be in hazard that if the times were not shortned all Matth 24. flesh should not be saued Which being so clearely true and agreeing to Gods iust prouidence what mattereth it whether the deceptions and illusions be altogether by strange prodigies of wonder or partly by them and partly by some beneficiall miracles of helpe and profit And if God permit Antichrist and his to doe the greatest signes to bring downe fire from heauen which are most powerfull to seduce why may â—â— not be permitted to doe the lesse You see vnlesse your Hellen haue made you starke blinde that the Scriptures doe foretell a generall apostacie and defection to be effected by signes what blasphemous idlenesse then is it in you to say that Mr. Flods blasphemeth God will not be so hard to mankinde as to suffer it to be entrapped with multitudes of beneficial helps He suffereth it to be entrapped yea and the Elect to be in hazard which cannot be without miracles of high nature and profitable great and many c. Mr. FLVD pag num ibid. Now the miracles of the Blessed Virgin and other wherewith God doth daily adorne our Churches are sutable to such as Christ wrought and haue still been done by Saints in all ages since as casting out of deuills healing incurable diseases deliuering from dreadfull dangers and the like which either deforme or afflict mankinde some punishments laid vpon blasphemers excepted which are so few as they may seeme a drop or two of gull in a sea of honnie which is a signe they proceed from a boundlesse Ocean of goodnesse through the sweet conduit of the intercession of his blessed mother Yet the benefits which by these miracles come to mens soules are greater when by them some are conuerted from heresie others reclaimed from bad life many perswaded to frequent Sacraments to make sorrowfull confession of their sinnes restore things vniustly taken satisfie for wrongs offered spend much time in prayer to be bountifull to the poore finally to giue themselues to heroicall exercise of Christian vertues which things Catholikes doe daily behold and haue cause therein to glorifie God ANSWER The more I read in you the more boasting I obserue of your multitudes of miracles a fashion familiar to Antichrist and his so not to the Apostles and primitiue Christians if the disciples once gloried for their power Luc. 10. 20. of miracles they were not approued but reproued by Christ How and in what sort your miracles are done you haue taught vs already by the Virgins intercession and Christs power Here you againe adde they proceede from a boundlesse Ocean of goodnesse through the sweet conduit of the intercession of his blessed Mother In that you honour the Mother of our Lord Iesus with the title of Blessed wee gladly approue the same but whereas you make her asweet conduit by whose intercessions Christ bestoweth his benefits vpon mankinde because therein you want warrant and commission for your so saying we dare not ioyne with you Wee are taught by the Apostle that Christ our high Priest is euer at the right hand of his Father interpellans pro nobis making intercession ad Rom 8. 34. ad Hebr. 7. 25. for vs. Why then doe you obtrude vnto vs another Mediatresse Doe you this because hee hath so prescribed Hovv superstitiously you teach concerning the Virgins Mediatorship See Orat. Steph. Archiepisc Patrac in Con. Later sub Leo 10. Sess 10. shew vs the warrant and we will obey Doe you this because shee will be ready to receiue some desperate wretches which Christ her Sonne will reiect if you say so then you make her not Christ the boundlesse Ocean of goodnesse seeing he refuseth some she receiueth all But tell me those that come to her must they not of necessitie come with prone hearts and humbled Spirits You cannot nor dare not say otherwise if so what neede then of going to her seeing there standeth an euerlasting invitation of Christ himselfe recorded in S. Matth 11. 28 Matthew Venite ad me c. Come to me all ye that labour and are heauy laden and I will refresh you I dare vndertake that it is as cleare and as certaine a truth as any is in the Gospell that Christ doth
end of this booke about â—â—nings many papers of forged miracles doe you now come out with your Indian wonders Wee cannot beleeue you Call to minde that rule of the Law Qui semel est malus semper presuâ—â—tur malus in eodem genere malâ— Hee who is found once ill that is habitually ill is alwaies prefumed to be ill in the same kinde of euill vnlesse the contrarie dee euidently appeare Call to minde how gloriously you boasted within these few yeeres of the Great Sophy of Persia his conversion by one of your order Call to minde how euen in the faces of your Aduersaries that your holy Father Edmundes a proud contentious arrogant head of faction did with other Priests publish most fabulous tales concerning the exorcismes and deliuerances Confession of Mr. Tirrell Priest vpon oath The examinations of Sara Williams Anne Smith Friswod Williams recorded in the Court records of high commission c. of some possessed lasles Maryes and Fiddesses c Know you not that the possessed ones haue discouered their forgerie vpon oath and deposition And if it were not so there are yet Priests liuing amongst you whom I will not name who laugh in their sleeues at those fables and those merriments whereof themselues were eye witnesses they professe ingenuously that they liked not your Father Edmunds proceedings though for feare they durst not speake against them Demurre with due consideration vpon those miraculous and prodigious narrations which the famous Fryer Sebastian Michaelis together with his brother The admirable historie of Lewes the Magician and Magdâ—len by Sebastian Mich. Domptius haue published in Fraunce to the euerlasting confusion of Poperie concerning the conversion of Magdalene obteyned by the diligence and praiers of the Papist-Deuill Verrine Papist-Deuill I call him because the Deuill gaue himselfe the name of Verrine and because all his elegant and Fryer-like discourses tended to make Magdalene a Roman Papist Conuert Such Verrines were fit to be sent to Iapan Sina Ormus c. to forward your haruest there for I dare assure you that such your prodigious narrations are idle here for they doe greatly confirme vs in our opinions that your Holy Father is the Antichrist and sonne of perdition whereof 2 Thessal 2. S. Paul speaketh How our Church esteemeth of Fryer Sebastians narrations you may vnderstand by this Our most iudicious and learned Soueraigne hath in his wisdome with the good liking of his most learned Archbishop of Canterburie caused Fryer Sebastians booke to be translated into our English vulgar tongue by reading of the same to auert his people from Poperie and it is translated so ingenuously without the adding of any annotations or caueats for the booke of it selfe giueth aduantage inough against Poperie saue onely that a iudicious and exquisite Scholler in all points for his yeeres hath prefixed before the Translation the reasons and end of the same Demurre vpon this Mr. Flud seriously and then your selfe cannot but yeeld what litle reason wee haue to regard your narrations which come from so farre as Iapan Sina c. You glorie here much of the sanctitie of your preachers and their holy conuersation their iustice I hope is more abounding then that of Holt Garnet Gerrard Parsons Creswel Walpole Warneford c. and you twit vs with idle life and sole faith Sir our faith is so clothed I speake not of the Precisians and Sectaries neither of those that are in aperto or in secret such with good workes that I dare boldlie say standing within the limits of modestie manie of our men are in no degree inferior to yours I doe suppose verilie sir that if his most excellent Maiestie should offer for one Church and Minister permitted in Rome or Naples or Millain or Madrid to permit two both Churches and Priests in his City of London your holie Father and the Spanish monarch would not nor durst not admit of the same Tell me in good earnest sir dare your Spanish Monarch permit in Spaine such accesse of his subiects into the house of our English Embassadors there to see our mens liues and heare their doctrines as is dailie tollerated in some places where his Ambassadors are Perhaps when you twit vs with single faith naked of good workes you meane such workes as building of Churches Chappels Hospitalls Colledges c. There are sir who dare vndertake to shew that due proportion of time and place being obserued there haue beene as manie such good workes done since reformation as before the taske I leaue to them this I note onelie by the way that the dilapidations vsed by King Henry and the wicked appropriating of impropriations haue cooled the deuotions of a great manie so to obserue such sacrilegious hauocke made of Testaments and Wils of our ancient Kings Priests Nobles and all other our predecessors but as in the Statute containing sixe Popish articles which your Popish called the whip with sixe strings he was led awry with humane spirit and worldly policie so likewise in this dilapidating and ill appropriating of Church estates but caueat emptor possessor lest their possession turne to their vtter ruine Let them meditate vpon that of Salomon It is a snare to the man Prou. 20. 25. who deuoureth that which is holy and to make inquiry after vowes A snare which will doubtlesse insnare their soules into eternall perdition vnlesse they make restitution and restore vnto God that which is his The miracles you speake of and the fruits of them say you haue been so cleere that some learned Protestants haue acknowledged the finger of God in them You tell vs of learned Protestants yet you point vs onlie to one in your margin and him I take it of no extraordinarie note and fame in our Churches but what if he say as you quote him hath not your Coster said Coster contro 2. as much of the Nouatians It is said saith he that some of the Nouatians did miracles in time past but that was done for testimonie of the Catholicke faith amongst infidels but not for strengthening of their errors as hee who in the ninth of S. Luke cast out Diuels in Christs name thus he with more to like purpose Againe haue not your Remists explaned the same more cleerly in these words miracles are wrought sometimes by the name Remists annot in 9. marti v. 38. of Iesus whatsoeuer the men be when it is for the proofe of a truth or for the glory of God c. Againe a little after and so also heretickes may doe miracles among the Heathen to proue any article of the Christian faith Thus they compare now this of your men with that which the learned Protestant writeth for he teacheth no more but that your miracles are done if done at all in confirmation of some true points of Christian religion for the glory of Christs name For further clearing of this point I desire the Christian Reader to consider with me how that the Ignatian
few disordered ones the reason whereof first is their neuer intermitted diligence in preaching which cannot be performed without much studie and labour whereas few of yours take care for Sermons their ordinarie taskes being to heare some pretty tales at confessions to mumble vp their offices and to say their Masses For sleeping in warme beds I dare vndertake you surpasse for time most of our Ministers and to speake more specially of you Ignatians what else is your manner of liuing then a meere philosophicall I will not say Epicurian summe of contentment All your rules orders gouernment disciplines tend to this end that you may enioy your contents free The Ignatians hard austere liues from sorrow or greife for this end your apparrell is conuenient warme sweete and soft your diet sweete of the best wholesome not without often varieties of dishes pasts postpasts antepasts you ordinarily feede thrice a day in the Sommer you haue your afternoones collations For sleepe you haue seuen houres and a halfe in winter more vpon your recreation daies and ordinarily eight houres in Sommer if you were restrained from walking abroad considering the pleasantnesse of your Orchards and Gardens the same were tollerable but it is not so for you haue your often parambulations abroad through cities and into the pleasantest fieldes and vineyardes For your studies and exercises you haue your competency of bookes and all other conuenient helpes In time of sickenesse what doe you or can you want which arte or nature may afford In breefe your whole manner of liuing is a summe of philosophicall content And this I take to be the cause why you doe not willingly permit any no hardly of your priuates to enter into the secretter roomes of your most neete and daintily ordered houses lest they should obserue in you too great an Epicurian like care I doe assure my selfe that there are very few Ministers in England who would not gladly bee content to be so well prouided for as you Ignatians are they might haue been all of them sufficiently prouided for without that competencie of meanes which our Benificelesse precisians prate of had not your holy Father the lawlesse Outlaw when hee domineired in this Kingdome diuided the Tithes of Parishes bestowing the best and fattest of them vpon his seruiceable locusts c. Perhaps you will make answere and say that though you haue all these worldly contents yet you vse them moderately and doe also containe from voluptuous pleasures of the flesh What your moderation is all those know who know you how moderate I pray you was your holy Padre Gerrard who reuelled it lustily in Sir Euerard Digbies house whilest the poore Knight himselfe was mewed vp to meditate his weeke-contemplation of your vaine exercises What your voluptuousnesse is it would appeare if particulars might be produced would God too many of your popish Monkes Fryers c. were not acquainted with that nefand position of your Italian Cynedes who haue not been ashamed publikely and in print to commend and extoll vnnaturall pleasures which a modest penne cannot so much as touch before the holy State of matrimony which God hath instituted and approued If you would seriously consider what voluptuous abuses are committed in manie of your Congregations you would haue litle cause to twit our Church for that she christianlie alloweth and approueth with the Apostle Mariage to be a thing honourable in all yea in Fryers and Nunnes comming to the truth and shaking off the bonds of blindnesse wherein they had superstitiously enthralled themselues Much hath been said by the learned of our Churches in defence of such mariages yet considering how vniuersall the calumniation is euen by those Priests Dames Matrones Maides Youthes who are guiltie Criminis pessimi and further considering that some Protestants for some politike respects doe not greatly arride or approue of such mariages I haue purposed in this place with the Readers patience in all possible breuitie to shew the lawfulnesse of such mariages euen out of popish principles and their dogmaticall Tenents For clearing of this truth I am first to prefixe some suppositions and out of them to make my inferences First I suppose as a truth confessed by them all or Supposi ∣ tion First most of them that Christ and his Apostles did not prescribe necessitie or vow of single life to any of the holy Aquinas 2. 2. q. 88. art 11. Alij omnes Canon Apost Can. 5. Gratian causa 26. q. 2. cap. Sors dist 31. cap. Quoniam Durand de Conc Celebr Aquinas vbi supra art 2. Orders as Presbyterie Decanrie Subdeaconrie either before the taking or after the taking of the same but that concerning the vow of chastitie either from Christ himselfe or his Apostles there is no other order then the order of Counsell which is of this nature according to the doctrine of all Pontificians no one Doctour excepted that the vse acceptance and admittance of the same is meerely of free choice and election not out of necessitie Thus they constantly deliuer concerning Euangelicall Counsells which they distinguish into a threefold number Obedience Pouertie Chastitie of all which their doctrine is with the Apostle Preceptum 1 Cor 7. 25. Domini non habent sed solum consilium That they haue no precept of the Lord but only his Counsell thus they Secondly I doe suppose that as the sonne of God Sup ∣ position Second made no limitation from mariage in any so doubtlesse in that point he had respect vnto his Fathers prime institution who in Paradise made an euerlasting ordinance approuing and commending the same This is a truth confessed by all sides howsoeuer some popish Authors may sometimes seeme to denie it in that they would seeme to fasten sinfull impurities vpon the state of mariage it selfe but being called in question for the same they crie peccaui yea they will reuile you if you seeme to lay such an imputation vpon them and their Church Thirdly I suppose that which the Aduersaries themselues Suppo ∣ sition Third cannot denie as being clearely to be proued out of their owne Historians Canonists Diuines to wit that the inhibition and restrayning of mariage in some Persons first by precept and law onely after by vow and promise was brought into the Westerne Church by the ordinance and command of the Bishops of Rome I say Westerne Church for the East Churches would neuer Disi 31. cap. Alâ—ter Can. 13. apud Gratian. dist 37. cap. Quoniam Gloss in cap. CuÌ„ in preterito dist 84. admit of the same as it is euident by a Cannon of the Councell in Trullo flatly decreeing against it Now it was brought into the Westerne Church thus vnder a shew of godlinesse the first shadow of it we finde in Siricius Pope commanding the same The like in Calixtus and after them in Gregorie the first but these preuailed not to make their commands vniuersally receiued But when Gregorie the seuenth that Hildebrand who trampled vpon
in such things that a man hath liberty to vow now in case a man or a woman cannot containe or hath not the gift of chastitie which is euident they haue not if they doe not containe then they It is impossible for him to containe who hath not the gift of continency haue not libertie to vowe for in such cases the law of God prescribeth and commandeth marriage reiecting such sinfull vowes which the votaries cannot obserue but are by them more and more enthralled in the bondage of sinne If they reply and say it was indeed in the votaries free choice whether he would vowe or not but hauing vowed he is absolutely tied to the performance of the same and is no more at his owne libertie I answer thus cleerlie and returne the argument against themselues If there may be no error in vowing then downe falleth My faculty for dispensations c. was deliuered in these words Facultas c. A faculty to dispense with all vowes and oathes excepting those of perpetuall chastâ—ty and religion After was added power to dispense in simple vows of chastity c. 1. Tim. 5. 11. to the ground all their pretensed power of dispensing and changing of vowes and if there may happen error in other vowes why not in the vowes of chastity where presumption of vowing is most frequent sed victoria rarissima but the victory most rare and seldom If our Pontificians could shew vs out of the word of God that a promiscuous and indifferent liberty of vowing chastity were allowable in all sorts of people then they should say somewhat to that purpose but concerning this we may take a scantling out of that which S. Paul ordereth touching yonger widdowes which all the aduersaries generally vnderstand of vowing Nunnes that they are not in any case to bee accepted or admitted before they be threescore yeereold a competent and sufficient time for triall and probation wholly to dedicate themselues to God by renouncing of the world O Mr. Flud what defence can you make for your Churches admitting Boyes and Girles to vowe before they come to sixe times three yeeres old How expresly is their practise against the holy Apostles ordinance He will haue none admitted before they be threescore yeere old and after long triall you admit yong girles of fourteene yeeres of age and are not ashamed to permit them to professe after a yeeres probation yea more then this for the consummating of your impietie in this kinde though such yonger probationers in the yeere of their tryall doe finde themselues continuallie buffeted with temptations on all sides yea and oftentime to be most vnconsolablie afflicted yet rather then such shall depart from you if they may proue beneficiall to your Monasteries or at least for auoiding of scandall they shall haue strange incouragements giuen them to continue in that wicked course whereby their Soules are very likelie eternallie to perish Fourthly out of the ninth supposition I euidentlie Inserence Fourth deduce if it be lawfull for one who hath vowed to enter into some one religion not to stand to the keeping of his vowe if in time of his triall and probation he finde not himselfe fit for the same Why then shall it not be lawfull for any Monke Frier Priest or Nunne after they haue made their vowes if they by experience find themselues altogether vnfit and that they were both in time of their probation and at the time of their vowing deceiued by some delusion why I say shall it not be lawfull for them to vse such remedies against those temptations as God hath appointed Standing within the obligation and nature of a vowe what difference can be found betwixt that which is simple and that which is solemn Your Celestine affirmeth Extra qui cleriti that a simple vow bindeth no lesse before God then a solemne one doth The summe is neither simple nor solemne vow pleaseth God which is begun with sin prosecuted and consummated with sinne and if such please not God assuredly they cannot binde the conscience of any man For to vse Caluins wordes si in humanis Lib. iustitut cap. devotis contractibus c. If in humane contracts those onely promises doe binde vs in which those to whom we promise will haue vs bound it is absurd that wee should bee enforced to performe those things which God doth not require at our handes thus he Now cleere it is that God doth not require nor neuer will require continencie or chastitie from those to whom he hath not giuen the gift thereof and that he giueth not the gift thereof to all it is euident by that of the Apostle vnusquisque c. Euery one receiueth 1. Cor 7 7 37. See S Hiâ—rum in cap 19. Math. S. Chrysâ—st his proper gift from God one after this sort an other after that manner Now Master Flood put case that diuers of your Monkes Fryers and Nunnes haue vowed chastitie and yet afterwardes by a lamentable experience finde that they haue not the gift thereof but doe incessantly burne as it is certaine some of your owne Ignatians do what will you haue such to do will you transuert the words of the Apostle and say let them rather burne then marry if you should so say you should shew your selfe to be but a very simple Theologue Perhaps you will reply and say that although God doe not giue the efficacious and congruous gift of continencie to all that vowed so that infallibly they shall thereby containe notwithstanding he giueth them all or profsereth to them all sufficient grace whereby they may bee able to containe so that they haue a posse to containe although they shall not thereby effectually containe If thus you answere I aske of you where haue It is the vngracious vâ—ice of the vnprofitable seruant that God reapeth where hee soweth not and gathereth where he hath not strawed Math. 25. 24. you learned of such a dallying of God with his Graces towards your votaries Whence learned you to impose so blasphemous an immanitie and crueltie vpon God that he will require a reall performance and an effectuall effect of continencie in your Priests and yet giueth them not an efficacious gift of continencie to performe the same but onely a posse a power a possibilitie which infallibly shall neuer take effect let this bee recorded as one amongst the rest of your blasphemous positions Fiftly I deduce out of the tenth and eleuenth suppo Inference 5 sitions in which it is set downe that what vowe soeuer is tainted with an ill end or which is made vpon a sinnefull and erroneous occasion though ratified by a continued custome is notwithstanding vnpleasing to God now the occasion of such vowing in your Priests is wicked The endes of popish votaries vowings and naught fot it is vpon an erroneous iudgement and opinion in most of them that holy Orders and the vow of chastirie are so annexed together by Christs
institution that they cannot be seuered or that matrimoniall estate of life is so impure and vncleane that it cannot well consort with Priestly puritie or else vpon an apprehension that thereby they shall be more honourable and regardable to their Laitie or with some such like respects all which are meere phansies and sinfull vanities Againe your Priests by the vowing and performance of vnnecessarie vowes doe approoue the Popes tyrannicall and Antichristian Supremacie which is no lesse then a point of impietie against Christ So that whensoeuer it shall please him to open their eies that they may see the errours in which they formerly walked doubtlesse they are no more tyed to such vowes then all archers are tyed to Robbinhoods lawes of archerie and lesse then S. Paul being conuerted was to the ceremoniall lawes of the Iewes I doe not by this reproue those who comming from Rome do liue in single life but I constantly maintaine that if they do continue still in single life by vertue of their erroneous vowe founded vpon Papall superstitious commaund they doe therein greiuouslie transgresse by which I inferre how idly politike He partaketh with sinne that doth by act or practise maintaine a law of sinne that Doctour was who aduised a Priest who was conuerted from the Church of Rome thus that as hee euer tendered his credit he should not marrie which his idle counsell did make so deep an impression in the Conuerts minde the Doctour was then in a place of great note that whereas before he was doubtfull whether to marry or not he resolued fully to make vse of his Christian libertie and to enter into that course of life being not a little scandalized at the Doctours aduise as in like sort another Priest was at the censure of some other who greatly reprooued him for that euen at the same time when he was conuerted hee entered into the holy state of matrimonie Further to touch some other speciall ends motiues which moue your religious to vow they are doubtlesse vaine and superstitious the superstition of which being opened vnto them the inualidity of their vowes is thereby also opened so that they may for some honest ends as to make vse of their christian liberty to procreate children to shake off Antichrists yoke c. lawfully and freely enter into the state of matrimonie How idle an end is that whereby you make a single life to be more satisfactorious for sinnes then the other How vaine that that no man entring into the estate of marriage can so carefully looke to the charge of soules as those which are vnmarried How pernicious an end is that and most iniurious to Christs death and passion which is indeed the cheifest end all your votaries aime at by which you teach them that by meanes of a solemne profession of your vowes they are made as cleare and free from all their sinnes as the childe or Adult Person which is presently taken See Azor instit tom 2. lib. 12. cap. 5. from the font of Baptisme This is a high point of your superstition to equalize your solemne vowe-profession with the Sacrament of Baptisme Yea some of your Doctours grant that to this your owne pretended tradition of solemne vowing which they denie to baptisme to wit that so often as a professed Person shall renew in his or her minde their former profession ratifying and approuing the same they are thereby anew expiated and made cleare from all their sinnes so potent a lauer and sacrament it is By the which it is most cleare that all your professours haue their vowes grounded vpon most superstitious ends Let vs now make application to some of your Religious especially your Nunnes The Apostle decreeth that younger women and widowes should marrie and that the Juniores viduas nubere volo 1 Timoth. 5. Church shall admit none into the number of Church-widowes you and yours commonly interpret this of your vowing Nunnes before the age of threescore This is the Apostles speciall decree wisely weighing how rare the gift of continencie is especially to widowes Compare now this together with your presumptuous doctrine who to draw young boyes and girles to make profession of chastitie before they can conceiue what chastitie is yea to make profession of chastitie when as some of them know themselues to be luxuriously vnchaste doe gilde ouer your Vowes of profession with such incomparable perfection that you equalize it with Baptisme But this your end being so pernicious the motiues and inducements so superstitious who can doubt but such to whom God shall be pleased to reueale his truth as haue made in your Church superstitious Vowes but that they are as free from them and the All your Authors confesse vna voce that vowes made for a sinfull end are not to be kept obligation of them before God as if they had neuer made them for they are ipso iure iure diuino nullae euen by Gods owne law of no force and validitie and so in all lawes ought to be nullae voide and none and of no force Sixthly out of the twelfth Supposition I euidently Infe ∣ rence Sixth inferre that such as haue not the efficacious and effectuall gift of continencie they are in the case of impossibilitie and so consequently are no more bound to keepe such Vowes then those who haue made Vowes of things apparantly impossible whether naturally or morally impossible it little mattereth as also it is no matter whether the impossibilitie be apparant or not it is sufficient that the conscience of the Votarie telleth him by his often conflicts falls and foyles that he hath not the gift of continencie Neither shall it helpe you to answer and say that such haue the gift of continencie in a remote power possibilitie or sufficiencie to be able to keepe it though infallibly they shall neuer therby actually and effectually keep it for this your answer besides that it is blasphemous against the goodnesse and wisedome of God so it is also idle in it selfe For what would you thinke of that man who should make a Clocke with wheeles barres hammer bell hand and all other parts and instruments belonging to the same and yet hee should so place and order them together that they should infallibly neuer strike would you thinke him wise if hee should say he had made a Clock which had a posse a sufficient ablenesse to strike though infallibly it should neuer strike as being disorderly placed Or what would you thinke of such a ones wisdome if he should be offended that the Clocke did neuer strike Make you application Mr. Flud and see how blasphemously you speake and write of God He giueth for so you all generally teach to all Monkes Priests and Nunnes such sufficiencie of grace whereby they may be able to conteyne yet he so proffereth these his graces in such circumstances of time in such condition of place or in such proportion to others or in such disposition of the
before hee pretended by vertue of the lambes hornes that is Christs Vicarian power to bee absolute and supreame in spiritualls hee was so reuiued and animated by the curing of his deadly woundes that since he hath challenged an absolute Monarchie both in spiritualls and temporalls so that by this meanes we haue an eighth Beast Antichrist in his perfection which was of the Gregory dareth to call him that challengeth to be vniuersall Bishop Antichrist Greg. epist 76. lib. 4. seuen of the seuen for his spirituall Supremacie and vniuersall Episcopacie in spiritualls in time of the Gothes Eighth for his Monarchicall and Emperiall Papacie in temporalls In the first he pretendeth and pretended like the lambe with the lambes power In the second he roareth like the Dragon his lambe-like pretences sound in all their pulpits his Dragon-like roares haue filled all Kingdomes and prouinces so that hee hath fought against the Saints and for a time hath ouercome them These pointes though cleare in themselues yet Apoc. 13. 7. may seem darke and obscure vnto vs but let the Intelligent Reader compare this my discourse with the Euents of things and accordingly iudge That which I haue here breifly set done I shall if God please and occasion doe require it more amply declare and confirme and so I come to my second ground of my reasons which is the generall qualities and properties of Antichristian miracles deliuered in the holy Scriptures out of which I argue thus CHAP. XI Wherein is examined the generall properties of Antichrists miracles FIrst out of the greatnesse quantirie of them they Reason 1 must be great for quantity and many for number for so our Sauiour hath foretould in Saint Mathewes Math. 24. 24. Mark 13. 22. Gospell and other passages of Scripture and the ioynt voice of the Ancients doe deliuer as much Now which of the Pontifician can or will denie their miracles to be many which of them doth not exult and insult against vs for the greatnesse of them doth not Master Floode heere both for number and excellencie compare them with those of the primitiue Church this point is cleare I goe on Secondly I argue out of another condition of Antichristian Reason 2 miracles that they shall be mendaeia falsa lying and false The miracles of Antichrist are called in Scripture mendacia lying not because all of them shall be fictious or forged nor because all of them shall indeed tend to the perswasion of lyes but also in this respect they are called mendacia mendacious lying because many of them shall be counterfet for Antichrist and See Bellar. lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 15. 2 Thessal 2. 10. his amongst many great miracles they shall doe shall also pretend many false and counterfet ones in fallacia erroris in the deception of errour saith the Apostle And I suppose there is no Pontifician will denie this so likewise no ingenuous Pontifician can denie but that there is store of mendacious and counterfet miracles related by the Legendaries of their Church Many are the wonders See Canus Lec lib. 11. cap. 6. Lira in Dan. which are recounted in the booke of Franciscan Conformities but how many of these are derided and scorned by many learned of that Church Great are the miracles and many which our late Ignatians doe father vpon their Founder Ignatius Loiola but small esteeme The great superstitious Vicount of Sussex reading the tale of S. Francis his preaching to the Wolfe at Engubium laughed heartily at the same is made of them either by the Benedictines or by White or Blacke Fryers and by their superstitious Allies in name the Iesuattes I my selfe haue heard diuers laughing at the Ignatians policie who so long after the day begin to set Ignatins his miracles vpon the stage the reason doubtlesse is lest if they had produced them sooner some might haue been found liuing who knew the Souldier and could haue reproued their forgeries The matter is plaine I need not stand vpon it for there would be no end if any should stand to relate an infinitie of lying narrations which many of themselues deride Thirdly I argue out of the effect of Antichristian miracles Reas Third to wit that many shall be seduced by them yea the Matth 24. very elect if it were possible and that for them the whole Mar. 13. 2 Thess 2. 10. Apoc. 13. world should admire after the Beast the which how it is accomplished in the Roman Synagogue where there is such a confluence of people of all Nations after their miracles where all the world admireth the Romane Papacie for the number and greatnesse of their miracles who seeth not who obserueth not Fourthly I argue out of the manner by which the Antichristian false Prophets doe their miracles to wit Reason 4 they shall doe them in the very name of Christ himselfe Many saith Christ speaking of them shall come in my Matth 24. 5. 23. 24. Marc 13. 6. 21. 22. Luc 17. 22. 23. name to wit as pretending his faith his power for by no meanes it can be vnderstood in that sort as the Pontificians commonly expound it that is that many shall come in the name of Christ pretending themselues to be Christ and denying Christ himselfe For if such a thing were prophecied by Christ how could his infinite wisedome haue added that the very elect should be in great danger to be seduced by them What are the elect such inconstant reedes to be shaken with that which euerie common Christian at the first sound would abhorre hate and detest No no sir Antichrist and his shall come in the name of Christ pretending his doctrine they shall make an apostacie from Christ yet not professe the same by denying Christ their working shall be as the Apostle termeth it mysterium iniquitatis a mysterie 2 Thess 2. 7. 10. See Apoc 7. 5. of iniquitie in fallacia erroris in the deception of errour Now manifest it is that the miracles done in the Pontifician Church are pretended to be done in the name of Christ and therefore it is that so many are seduced by them therefore it is that when some Christians of the reformed Churches doe heare of the same they do as it were in some sort begin to stagger to heare that Rome doth flourish with the glory of miracles which they pretend to be done onely in the name of Christ This indeed is a dangerous blocke at which the very Elect might be in danger to stumble were they not vpheld by him who hath promised that no man shall take his sheep Ioh 10. 28. out of his hands Fifthly I argue out of an vniuersalitie of Antichristian Reason Fifth miracles which shall be done by Antichrist and his ministers in all places for the whole world must admire after Apoc 13. 13. them they must be done in conspectu hominum in the fight of men and view of the world Now the same is punctually performed
or pretended to be performed by the Pontificians who haue in all such Countries as obey their Pope some Miracle-Sanctuaries as for example at Burgis Compostella Montserrato in Spaine at Lile Sichem Arras Mechline Hall in the Low-Countries at Rhemes Shallon in France And in England time was we had the Ladies of Ipswich Walsingham c. It bootes not to adde of other Countries the point is cleare Sixthly I argue out of the specialtie of the Ministers Reason Sixth of these miracles It is apparant in holy Scriptures that they are not to be the ordinarie followers of Antichrist Matth 24. 24. Mar. 13. 22. Luc 17. 2 Thess 2. Apoc 9. 13. but they are to be his speciall Deuoutes and as it were sworne slaues Now in Poperie it is most cleare that their Miraculists are Monkes Fryers Abbots or Bishops such as are by a more speciall bonde and linke more then ordinarie people or Priests tyed fast in slauerie and subiection to the Sea of Rome This point is cleare so cleare that I vndertake there is not any of their Church if zealous who will dare to attribute the ordinarie working of miracles to any that are not at least in profession deuoted to their Holy Father For this cause they cannot endure to heare that Ignatius the blessed Martyr and Patriarke of Constantinople did any miracles because he did oppose against the Popes arrogating iurisdiction ouer the Churches of Bulgarie Seuenthly I argue out of the circumstance of the Reason 7 time when Antichristian miracles are to be most rife The time is pointed out vnto vs in holy Scriptures at 2 Thess 2. Apoc. 13 17. the dissolution of the Roman Empire and at the setting vp and in the time of another Monarchicall Rome Gouernment in steed thereof which that it is now accomplished See aboue in my first ground of reasons who seeth not The Romane Emperour being a meere Nominall a very shadow of the Imperiall dignitie resting in the Bishop of Rome who is his absolute Lord the Emperour his Substitute the Pope the Liege the Emperour the Liegeman and hath in the opinion of the Pope his Purpuratts and other no more Soueraigntie in Rome then the King of Spaine hath And hereout ariseth another consideration of time to wit that at the very time when Antichrist his ministers shall doe many and great miracles then the true Christians shall worke either none at all or else so few that in comparison of the great multitudes that Antichrist Seé aboue saepe and Greg. lib. 33 34. mor. in Job christ and his shall do they will seeme none at all Now cleare it is that the Popish Church aboundeth with wonders and doth with insultation twit and reproue the reformed Churches for want of the same and this is a very expresse Antithesis or opposition which is to be betwixt the true Christians and the false in the time of Antichrist Chrysâ—st vel Author imperf in Mat. hom 49. Greg. sapissime the false shall exult in their miracles which to the true seruants of Christ shall be matter of tryall and probation and hereout Eightly I argue thus In the time of Antichrist such Reason Eight people as shall be of his damnable profession shall be eager and greedie after miracles in which his chiefe ministers Apec 13. 2 Thess 2. and false Prophets shall egregiously exult Contrariwise the true Christians shall recurre only vnto the Scriptures rest onely vpon Christs promises and assurance of their faith according as S. Iohn saith Hic est fides patientia Sanctorum Here Saints must vse their Apoc. 13. 10. faith and patience This is now clearely accomplished in the Popish Synagogue the disciples whereof are greedy and most eager after miracles which appeareth by their most tedious Pilgrimages Contrariwise those of the reformed Churches are very well contented to want the same relying onely vpon the assurance of their faith in Christ and his promises deliuered in sacred Scriptures and confirmed by such miracles as are there recommended and so hereout Ninthly I argue that in Antichrists time those that reason Ninth are his as they are eager after miracles so they shall also be very prone to beleeue them the which is so apparant in all the whole popish Congregations that I dare boldly say that if they were not bewitched fascinations erroris 2 Thessal by the spirit of errour they would be ashamed to be so ouer-credulous of euery tale that is told them I confesse ingenuously when I was amongst them and was ouer-zelous for all doctrinall points of Poperie yet I should sometimes be amaz'd to obserue such an ouer-credulitie in many of them such an admiring after new wonders and I was not sometimes without trouble of minde and some scruple to consider how both men and women otherwise of honest conuersation and zelous profession in that kinde would giue credit to such trifles as I knew in my knowledge and reading to be meeâ—â—aâ—ities and fables and so reputed of by their great Clerkes When I considered these things then I could not diuine from what Spirit such illusions might arise to obserue the best and most zealous of that profession to be commonly most inueigled in that kinde but now I obserue it was no other then what S. Paul hath foretold that God should permit such to beleeue 2 Thess 2. 11. Apoc 13. 3. lyes and that as S. Iohn hath foretold they should admire after the Beast and his wonders I could here adde very many particulars especially of English Papists who are most prone and inclinable to beleeue any tale that is told them of any of their martyrs witnesse the fabulous narration of the shining face of Frier Buckley vpon London Bridge as also of the miraculous stopping and staying of the horse that drew the hurdle witnesse the prodigious standing of a pixe with an host-Christ in it vpon a table in a Chamber A purseuant searching the chamber round about and yet could not see the God Witnesse the glorious end of mistrisse Line taken in Fetter lane and executed some 15. yeeres since Witnesse their many miraculous escapes of some of their Priests as they pretend witnesse Doctor Norris his impassible Agnus Dei that the fire would not touch c. Thus I haue cleerly though briefly fastened all the generall qualities and conditions of Antichristian miracles recounted in holie Scriptures vpon the Popish so intirelie and fast that I dare vndertake neither you master Flud nor any other shall be able to remoue them I vndertake further that all other circumstances of the same recounted in Scripture will easily and with great facilitie be iustly applied to your Popish miracles And so I come to examine some speciall passages of sacred Scripture by which as by a line of truth we are led to the finding out of Antichristian miracles and excepting two I will especially examine some that are not much looked into by others all I cannot
which they should be armed against the wyles and tyrannies of Antichrist Now signes that they may be according to their nature and kinde significant they must be facill and easie to be vnderstood and must be taken as they sound vnlesse it be otherwise expressed And for this cause as all other signes in this chapter deliuered by our Sauiour are literally to be vnderstood as the Pontificians themselues do interpret them so neither is there any reason why this passage should not be also literally vnderstood it being of so great consequence as concerneth the perdition and saluation of many soules And to adde a confirmation to this reason if these words of Christ were onely to be vnderstood mystically against the assemblies of Heretikes and Schismatikes challenging Christs Church and spirituall presence to be only with them I cannot see for my part what certaintie for the faithfulls instruction might be gathered out of this signe which yet is the importanst of all the rest For is it not most euident by a neuer intermitted experience since Christs time that euery seuerall Congregation of Heretikes or Schismatikes as it challengeth to it selfe the power and mysticall presence of Christ so it obiecteth to all other the lacke of the same yea and the most Orthodoxe Church of Christ it selfe hath her ebbs and flowes and then was shee purest when in criptts desorts secret woods and holes shee made her assemblies Therefore to preach Christ present in secrets in this sense cannot be a note propertie or signe of the great Antichristian Synagogue as by all it is supposed and granted to be and is by the faithfull to be taken according to Christs forewarning A third reason I deduce out of the energie and propertie of certaine words here vsed by our Sauiour I obserue Reason 3 the word Behold thrice repeated which as it is an Aduerbe of Admiration so it is alwaies demonstratiue of some singular matter worthy admiration worthy beleefe as is cleare throughout the Scriptures So that as S. Iohn Baptist pointing the sonne of God to his disciples said Behold the Lambe of God see the Lambe of God Ioh 1. 36. c. so these false Prophets doe pretend to inuite their disciples and followers to behold and see Christ in the deserts secrets closets c. which is egregiously acted by the Papists I obserue also the Aduerbs here and there which euer doe designe some speciall circumstances of place as through the Scriptures it is apparant and if to them we adioyne the specialties of the places in the secrets in the desert the force of the Preposition in and the verbe substantiue is He is in the desert He is in the penetralls my intent will more easily appeare that the false Prophets do pretend some secret corporall presence of Christ requiring faith and beleefe and sigh also with beholding of him which is clearely con firmed by our Sauiours doubled precept and charge beleeue them not and goe not out as if hee should say the false prophets will inuite you both to goe out and to behold and to beleeue that is to see me in that secret manner as they shall preach and yet also to beleeue the hidden mystery of my presence which they teach but looke to it behold I haue foretold you neither goe out to see me in any mysticall or hidden forme or shape nor yet beleeue their mysterious diuinity teaching my carnall presence tending and leading to Idolatry My fourth reason that this prophecy is thus litterally reason Fourth to be vnderstood is this because so vnderstood it is most euidently fulfilled and compleated in the Roman Synagogue who make it a prime mystery yea the corner-stone of their religion to preach and teach Christ to be so in penetralls secrets boxes closets c. A prophecy vntill it be fulfilled is as a riddle or a booke sealed but once fulfilled it is no longer a hidden but a manifest truth Now that it is compleated in the Romane Synagogue it is ouer manifest For this cause they cry out dayly Behold he is in the Tabernacles of our Churches Behold he is in the Penetrals and secrets of our Sepulchers Behold hee is in our Eucharist-arks and miraculous Hostes at Meclines at Brussels c. Behold he is in our lockt Coffers and arkes borne vpon the backes of white ambling Palfreyes preceding our Holy Father whē hee maketh his remoucalls Behold hee is in our secret Chappels locked Coffers priuate closets you must behold cry they the outward accidents but beleeue the inward mystery the true and corporal presence of Christ you must see and beleeue behold and admire And for the further clearing of this matter and to confirme Al circumstances of the prophecy fulfilled in the Papists that this point is fulfilled in the Romane congregation I adde some few obseruations concerning diuers other yea most circumstances of this prophecy obserua ∣ tion First First I obserue that these false prophets were for the confirmation of this their Pseudo-Christianisme to doe many signes and wonders so saith Christ Dabunt signa prodigia magna they shal giue great signes and prodigies Mat. 24 25. So doe the Papists the case is cleere I proceede Secondly I obserue they should seduce many so saith Christ seducent multos they shall seduce and deceiue many obser ∣ uation Second Mat. 24 11. which is most fully accomplished in the Romane Synagogue in which no one point of doctrine doeth more tye and binde their disciples then this point Behold he is in the Penetrals hee is in our Church-tabernacles For this cause if any man would indeuor to draw them from that confusion of errours they will ordinarily obiect thus Alacke you haue taken from vs Christs true corporall presence and would feed vs only with tropes and figures how then shall wee come to you how can wee forsake Christ truely and corporally present and feede onely vpon your bread and wine which you only haue Thus they and yet they doe heerein egregiously calumniate our Sacraments For for as much as doth concerne rem Sacramenti the vertue and efficacy of the Sacrament of grace and of reall communion of Christ by grace we teach and beleeue Christs reall presence onely we deny his carnal fleshly presence and their transsubstantiatiue diuinity There haue been heretofore some as Iudas and Theudas as Simon and Menander who called themselues Christ and the Helcesaeans as Theoderet writeth of them taught two Christs the one in heauen the other vpon earth and England in this most vnhappy hath seen a most wretched Hacket making himselfe Christ but these or few of these except Simō did any wonders or prodigies for confirmation of their impieties and further they no sooner appeared but they vanished away together with their disciples But this Graund Antichrist and his here spoken of were so to preuaile that the world was to bee shortned lest by their seducements no flesh should bee saued Mat. 24. 24. the
Saints and Seruants Claritas Claritie do they not yeeld the same to their Holy Father What glory then at that time and in that place where the Lord of heauen is pretended to be worshipped to haue him borne vpon mens shoulders and so mounted euen in S. Peters Church vntill he come to the Throne where his Maiestie is to sit there to be worshipped with adorations genuflexions and acclamations Liue Holy Father Liue most Holy Father What Claritie by making and creating Kings to giue Kingly authoritie where none was before What glory Suar lib. 3. c. 23. teacheth that the Pope hath power to chastise Kings euen with death and he maketh this doctrine an article of faith to depriue Kings of that Regaltie and those Crownes which the hand of heauen had set vpon their heads What claritie to be able to create yea to create Princes ouer the wholeworld which he doth in creating Cardinals making them his Brethren and Princes ouer the world What Claritie as a Monarch to summon all Councells as a supreme Head to sit and gouerne all Councells Generall and Prouinciall to make or vnmake them dissolue or confirme them as he shall thinke good What Claritie to be a Monarch-Exlex Outlaw to make lawes Outlaw for all great and small high and low and to be tyed to none himselfe This Claritie was not vnthought vpon by the Bishop of Modrusium when he sang thus in the Councell of Laterane to a iouiall and a Iuuenall Pope Leo the 10 Ecce venit Leo de Tribu Iuda radix Dauid c. Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda is come We have Cone Later Sess 6. in â—rat Ep. Modrus expected thee a Sauiour O most blessed Leo. thus there with more like stuffe The third Attribute giuen to God by his Saints is Sapientia Wisdome Wisdome touching which who is ignorant that the Papists make the Pope the fountaine of all Christian wisdome the Rocke Pillar and Fountaine of Inerrabilitie in the whole Church whether it be for articles of doctrine and profession or lawes of discipline Yea Bellarmine and most of the Ignatians giue vnto their Holy Father this Inerrabilitie not onely as he is Pope and as hee teacheth Bellaâ— de Pont lib. 4. cap. 6. Alb Pighius lib. 4. hierar c. 8. their whole Church but further also that as hee is a priuate Person he cannot be an Heretike and for this purpose I will here insert a true tale There was in Rome a Courtier who vpon an occasion affirmed that the Pope might erre in faith being a man of great note hee was convented before some Cardinalls to answer for himselfe to whom he affirmed as much as before whervpon the Cardinalls replyed vnto him and said that hee was an Heretike for so saying to whom the Courtier thus answered for himselfe Pope Paul being at dinner said in my hearing that he did beleeue he should recouer Placentia before he died and yet he did not and so I am assured he erred in faith O said the Cardinalls we thoght you had meant the Pope might erre in the Christian faith no truly replyed the Courtier I could not so thinke for for ought that I can see I cannot say whether the Pope or any of his Cardinalls haue any iot therof at all or not And this his last answer is doubtlesse best for a man who hath liued amongst them will hardly by their liues iudge that they haue any faith at all whether christian or morall Thanksgiuing is the fourth Attribute giuen to God by Gratiarum actio Thanksgiuing his Saints wherein how egregiously the Papists do flatter their Pope their Epistles Sâ—nodicall and Dedicatorie their Orations and acclamations Gratulatorie doe euince Doe they not acknowledge him to take away the sinnes The arrogancy of the Pope requiring acclamations of Thanksgiuing when England was reconciled to him by Card. Poole Aemilius lib. 7. post medium of whole Kingdomes Let vs call to minde how Cardinall Poole the Popes Legate did vnder King Philip and Queene Marie reconcile this Kingdom of England to Rome wherevpon there followed and were required great Gratulatorie acclamations of Thanksgiuing vnto his Holinesse Is it not recorded how the Cecillian Legates with a pitifull miserere did cry to his Holinesse Qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nostri c. Thou who takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs Thou that takest away the sinnes of the world giue vnto vs peace Doe not Kings Emperours Patriarkes Primates Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Generalls Absolute and Vicarian with gratefull acknowledgment confesse him to be their Holy Father their Patrone Protectour and that they doe all ex plenitudine eius accipere receiue from his fullnesse The case is cleare I passe on The fifth Attribute of praise giuen to God is Honour Honor. Honour the which being coincident with some of the former already handled I passe it ouer as cleare The sixth is Power And is not this giuen vnto him Potestas Power whenas their Decretall article of Boniface standeth amongst them in absolute force as a point of faith Subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae Creaturae definimus declaramus De maiorit Obed. cap. Vnam Sanctam pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis Wee defiae wee pronounce we declare that it is altogether necessarie to saluation that euery humane creature be subiect to the Bishop of Rome How vniuersall is his power and iurisdiction For charge mounting vp to the heauens commanding Angells For blessing piercing Purgatorie and deliuering soules Yea according to their owne principles in his absolute power he is able to deliuer all soules out of Purgatorie flames and Antonine affirmeth Anton part 3. titul 22. cap. 5. the like pittie his charitie is not as absolute as his power For punishment penetrating hell it selfe coniuring commanding the Deuills by his Exercists augmenting and increasing their paines and torments in infinitum FlagelluÌ„ Daemo if they proue refractarious For glory heauen seemeth beholding to his power for his Canonizing and Sainting with the vnspeakable Charges of those who desire it Saints and Saintesses as of late Spaine did their Didacus Polonia Hyacinthus and the whole multitude of Ignatians hauing already procured their Father Ignatius to be Beated and Beatified doe continually expect They expect the same for their Zauerius Gonzaga and desire to haue him Sainted and Canonized that as now they say Beati Ignati orapro nobis Blessed Ignatius pray for vs so then they may say Sancte Ignati ora pro nobis Saint Ignatius pray for vs. The seuenth Attribute is Fortitude the which that it Fortitudo Fortitude is giuen to the Popes by the Romanists who can doubt who hath heard of that fundamentall article of their Church by which they make the very Persons of their Popes to be that very Rocke vpon which their Church is Bell de Pent lib. 1. cap.
10. Matth 16. built and against which the Gates of Hell cannot preuaile so now as there is no power vpon earth which may be compared with that of Leuiatban and the Gates of Hell so neither is there any Fortitude which may be compared with that of their Popes which hath been so forcible that it hath by reason of the Popes most arrogant Supremacie beaten from it most of the Churches of the world For for this cause and for this Papall Fortitude the Persian Christned Churches do reiect the Communion of Rome the Aethiopian doe detest it the Muscouian execrate it euen as they doethe Deuill himselfe the Arabian condemne it the Armenian scorne it all Reformed Churches of Sueueland Denmarke Norway Low-Countries France Germanie Scotland Ireland England doe refuse and accurse it And though for this cause the Papall Fortitude hath often thundred out her Anathemes and Excommunications against them notwithstanding by Gods blessings they stand grow and increase maugre the spite and force of this Roman Rocke Thus I haue briefely shewed omitting an infinitie of particulars to confirme the same how all the diuine Attributes giuen by the creatures to the Creator are in a kinde of imitation giuen by their Papists to their Creator the Pope of whom they are begotten and from whom they take their name And as they giue him these Attributes so they haue not been afraid to giue vnto him the name of God so their Extrauagant boldly Dominus Extrauag Cum inter Joh 22. Glossa Deus noster Our Lord God Caraffa in his Theses more mincingly terming their now Pope Paul the 5. Vice-Deus Vice-God and as they giue him this honour so they doe beleeue that he shall haue it in secula seculoruÌ„ for euer and euer vntill the end of the world for they doe make his Seat to be Sedem aeternam an euerlasting Bell de Pont lib. 4. cap. 4. Matth 16. Seat against which the Gates of Hell shall neuer be able to preuaile So then to summe vp all this the Papists song vnto their Pope sitting in the Temple of God vpon his Throne in the presence of his Elders and liuing creatures thus it is Benedictio c. Blessing Claritie Wisdom Thanksgiuing Honour Power and Fortitude to our God for euer and euer This man then sitting in the Temple of God is honoured as God if then Hee and his doe signes and wonders doubtlesse they must bee such whereof the Apostle speaketh and so consequently 2 Thess 2. mendacious Antichristian CHAP. XIIII Wherein is examined another prophecie of Christ in the seuenth of Matthew THE third place is that of Saint Matthew Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord haue we not Mat. 7. 12. 13. prophecied in thy name and in thy name haue cast out diuels and in thy name done many wonderfull workes And then I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity That all these things here spoken by these false prophets are vttered and acted now by the Popish Monks Friars c. No man can be ignorant who daily heareth them chaunting out their doing of wonders and casting out of diuels in the name of Christ and by the power of Christ Two things rest to be proued first whether they bee operarij iniquitatis the workers of iniquitie here spoken of Secondly whether it be probable that our Sauiour in this place doe aime at Antichristian false prophets or rather at some true Prophets and teachers who teach his doctrine truly confirming the same by miracles and yet liue very wickedly Concerning the first that the Popish mirabilists are workers of Iniquitie I referre the Reader to what I haue saide already but that they are the speciall workers of iniquitie heere mentioned by our Sauiour it may thus appeare first because our Sauiour in this place seemeth most to reproue the iniquity of sacrilegious iniustice now what greater iniquitie of iniustice amongst the Preachers and Prophets then the iniquitie of symony which maketh such a generall inundation in all Popish Churches that there is hardly a man to be found who receiueth any benefice dignity c. at lest from the Holy Romae omnia venalia Dâ—us ipse Diabolus ipse See Tax cam Apostal See Nonus Homo his orat to Christ Prin. most truly describing this kinde of iniquitie Acts 8. 23. Fathers hands or his Deputy-nephewes Cameriers or other Substitutes non numerata pecunia paying not for the same Againe who hath enacted all those Lawes which are so nigh and cosin germans to Symony but the Holy Father and his mirabilists Againe which of all their Popes doe euer enter into the Papacy without diuers contracts of bargaines bets layes promises c. and is not this Iniquitas maxima the greatest iniquitie that may be which maketh their hearts and minds as Simons was full of gall and bitternesse that is of enuy and malice the bitterest weed of iniquity which can grow in the heart of man Secondly our Sauiour also in this place seemeth specially to reproue the iniquitie of fraud and deception as if hee should say vnto the false prophets you glory in your miracles and wonders as done in my name and for my glory but it is farre otherwise for by them you practise a highest point of iniquity to wit by fraud and deception to draw my faithfull to the base worship and seruitude of Creatures and thereby seeking your owne glory to inthrall them in the bondage of your owne traditions This is fully compleated in the Popish Church Thirdly if our Sauiour doe by these words workers of iniquity comprehend workers of all manner of wickednesse then let vs aske the great Fauourers and Pillars of Rome what manner of wickednesse it is which doth not reigne amongst them Let vs aske Cornelius Mus Bishop of Bitontum in his Oration to the Tridentine Fathers the great Parisian Clerkes as Clemangis Genebrard and Bernardus serm 33. in Cant. lib. de coÌ„siderat sepe Albert in Ioh. 10 Auentine sepissime lib. 5. 7. hist Alij apertissime How the Popes are as Simon Magus chaind in obligatione iniquitatu Marcelius 2. Pope pronounceth thus I see not saith he how those who hold this high place can bee saued Onuph in vit Mart. 2. Espensaeus their Analists as Baronius Auentine their Theologues as Holcot Albertus with diuers others especially Saint Bernard the Didimus veridicus Tell-troth who so deploreth the most loathsome and most incurable diseases in the Church as it will astonish a man to read him See his Sermon vpon the conuersion of Saint Paul his protestations and lamentations in the Councell of Rhemes especially his 66. Sermon vpon the Canticles where he delineateth the abominable turpitudes of the Roman See and Clergie so cleare it is as nothing can be clearer that since Bernards time they haue so profited in peius that if euer that of one of theirs were found true it is now punctually true to
wit that their Church is come to that perfection of vertue that it seemeth worthy to be ruled and gouerned onely by reprobates Touching the second our Sauiour in this place aymeth and pointeth at Antichristian prophets I proue it thus First because without doubt in the 12. and 13. verses which are so connexed by a continued discourse to the 15. and 16. verses hee meaneth the same false prophets which he doth in these now that in these hee intendeth Antichristian false prophets it is confessed Pontif. paene omnes See Stapletâ— in Promtu Moral Cathel by the aduersaries who are most eager to fasten the same imputation not vpon any of their owne but vpon such whom they call Heretikes and whom they make Antichristian at least as forerunners of Antichrist Secondly our Sauiour professeth that he will say vnto them at the day of Iudgement that he neuer knew them the which as it is easily vnderstood of Antichristian false prophets who nether in life nor in doctrine were euer approued by Christ So it is hardly to bee applied to such true Prophets which preach his truth sincerely and confirme the same by miracles though their life and conuersation be wicked what will not Christ nor neuer did Christ acknowledge his doctrine and miracles in wicked persons Obserue how hee speaketh of true teachers and wicked liuers Super Cathedram Moysis c. Vpon the chaire of Moses there sate Scribes and Pharisees doe what they say but doe not what they doe Thirdly I suppose the Papists must needs so interpret this place for in so long a continuance of their Church whereof they so greatly glory I doe not thinke they will name any one of their Church who hath done wonders in the name of Christ and cast out diuels in his name whom they will professe to be operarium iniquitatis Matth. 23. 2. a worker of iniquity No it is abundantly sufficient in their Church that their Ioue may canonize any one for a Saint if it can bee proued that he did wonders and cast out Diuels in the name of Christ let them name but one if they can whom their Pope and his hath neglected to account and esteeme as holy and Saintly if he haue prophecied in Christs name done wonders and cast out diuells in the same they cannot doe it Let this therefore remaine as an vnremoueable cognisance to the Pope and his Prophets that they are operarij iniquitatis workers of iniquity and although they preach Matth. 7. 13. in the pretensed name of Christ though in the same they cast out diuels and doe many wonders yet notwithstanding their miracles are to be accounted Antichristian their casting out of diuels a Satanical conspiracy And so concluding this discourse I would God were pleased to giue them grace to apprehend and by it to amend that terrible denouncement which is threatned against such as they are Ecce ego ad prophetas Behold saith the Ier. 23. 32. Lord I am against those prophets who dreame alye and shew the same and haue seduced my people in their lye and in their miracles when I had not sent them nor had commanded them saith the Lord. CHAP. XV. Wherein is examined a second prophesie of S. Paul THe fourth place is taken out of S. Pauls prophesie to Timothie thus Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3. some shall depart from the faith giuing heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Diuels Speaking lies in hypocrisie hauing their consciences seared with a hot iron Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats which God hath created to be receiued with thankesgiuing of them which beleeue and know the truth This holy prophesie which is so expresse and so cleere may thus cleerely bee fastened vpon the Pontifician Church The circumstance of time in those words in the latter times most euidently thus for if the Pontificians themselues doe apply this prophesie onely to the Manichees Encratites Patritians who were many hundreds of Remists in 1. Tim. 4. in their Annotat. Pontificij omnes yeeres before these times and of whom there is now hardly any shadow in the Churches much rather in respect of more laternesse of time it may bee applied to the Popish Church in Gregory the seuenths time when marriage in Priests was more strictly forbid then euer before for the inhibitions made against Priests marriage by Siricius and Calixtus were but flea-bitings in comparison of the thundering commands which Gregory the seuenth roared out I say that the Pontificians did apply the prophesie onely to the Manichees Encratites Tatianites Patritians and such like of old which their application I cannot see how it will iumpe with those who vnderstand this prophesie of the times of Antichrist as some doe Guilliaudus maketh the argument to the fourth chapter thus Guilliaudus in Epist ad Timoth. in cap. 4. Argumente Errores Antichristi predicit the Apostle foretelleth the errours of Antichrist Thus hee how agreeingly to his owne glosse after I referre to some Burgundian to answer for him yet doubtlesse his argument is very true for for howsoeuer the Encratites and Manichees did forbid marriage in some sort as Antichrist and his do notwithstanding there are some circumstances of the text which cannot so fitly be applied to those ancient Heretikes as first the circumstance of time In the latter times by which words the Apostle doubtlesse aimeth at the times 2. Thessal 2. of the Apostasie and defection mentioned by himselfe in the second to the Thessalonians Secondly the Apostle sayth that those who shall teach these doctrines shall therein attend to Seducing Spirits insinuating thereby that they shall be led to the same by pretence of visions miracles and prodigies done by spirits of errour the Diuels themselues which is egregiously acted by the Pontisicians who do not ground this their inhibition against marriage eating of meats vpon the word of God but rather vpon such visions miracles wonders as they pretend for the same we doe not read that the Encratites and Patritians were so attentiue after visions and miracles or did so glorie in them as the Pontificians now doe yea they are so shamelesse oftentimes as to mooue their pretended possessed persons or See first chapter aboue as they pretend the Diuels in them to deride the marriage of Priests The note of lying hypocrisie with seared consciences howsoeuer it may bee imputed to those ancient Heretickes yet verily it cannot be doubted but that the Pontifician Leaders and Commanders doe heerein surpasse them what els doth searing of conscience denote and designe then a most obstinate and obfirmed resolution in their doctrins which in the Popes theirs is so past all measure as the world can witnesse that although their own more temperate Professours Cardinals Emperours and Caesars Kings and Potentates Princes and Magistrates Prelates and Priests the Laity of all sorts doe considering the horrible
intercession for it there would haue been no hope of mercie but the king was as Briget deliuereth Christs commandement to Ibidem gather together wise and spirituall men such as had his spirit and with them to consult how the wall of his Church might be reedified this diuine vision I relate that the Pontificians may remember that the reformation of the Church belongeth to the temporall Magistrate hauing wise and spirituall men not onely their Nothing more execrable in the sight of God nothing more pernitious to religion then imposition of handes vpon the vnworthy Lib. 4. Reuelat. cap. 140. 141. 142. 143. Bishops associated and ioyned in Councell with him Great is the charge of Kings to doe this and great and immense is their danger if they neglect it who in nothing can neglect it more then if they suffer liuings or imposition of handes to bee laid vpon the vnworthy And may wee not thinke that such a reformation would haue beene acceptable to Christ if performed vpon Gregory the eleuenth against whom Christ reuealed so many dreadfull threatnings to Briget So iustly may we not think that a reformation would now becom the Romane Synagogue when not onely the Personall sinnes of Popes and Cardinalls are become most abominable but the very state office and function of that See and yet it is not at the highest vntill shee shall by decree of her Councell haue obtained absolute direct Monarchie in all temporalls and spiritualls is become most execrable so that ratione officij by the reason of their office and Papacy all Popes are become children of perdition and destruction not onely because destroying others but also because by reason of their office they are as men destroyed themselues And here to salute Paul the 5. by the way was there euer any time in which that See was in worse condition no surely neuer worse in respect of pride which now is so great and intollerable in that See that Paul the fifth is not content with all other Popes at their first entrance to make vnto himselfe a new triple and monarchicall crowne but hee further suffereth and permitteth his Nephew Cardinalls and other his kinred to haue engrauen in their vessells of siluer and gold this too too ambicious poesie Eternitati Burghesianae dicatum Dedicated to the Burghesian Eternitie Hee can also bee content to haue his papall power called the Pontificious omnipotency and himselfe a most seuere Challenger and Pursuer of the same yea a Vicedeus Vice-god Neuer worse in respect of couetousnesse with which virtue this most holy one of Rome is so ouertaken that hee is thought not to come behinde Sixtus the 5. nor Iohn the 22. for his auarice Neuer worse in respect of those worst sinnes which crie for vengeance from heauen at which this holy Father can greatly and manifouldly winke in his purpured Cardinalls witnesse that late accident when no lesse then 15. boyes the purpured brethrens Ganymedes were discouered whereof two were burnt the rest escaped but the purpured Incubyes were neuer called in question Neuer worse in respect of corrupt affection to his carnall kinred whereof hee hath aboue the wont of carnall Popes cardanalized diuers to the boulstering vp of the Burghesian faction and eternitie Neuer worse in respect of presumption of spirit witnesse that his bold attempt against the Venetians which in the end turned to his confusion witnesse that his imperious command and headlong censure without any instruction at all against the oath of Allegiance which if it were to the full looked into might greatly weaken his power in this Kingdome otherwise it will infallibly increase it to the ruine of this Church Neuer worse in respect of bloody attempts against Christian Princes witnesse that neuer to be forgotten neuer to be sufficiently deplored and detested powder-treason which notwithstanding beyond the seas I haue heard called and approued as a Romane zeale zeale of holy mother the Church of his speciall Minions and dearest manciples with more then hellish fury attempting the same to the vtter ruine of this Kingdome And yet notwithstanding all these Papall ornaments of such detestable vices he forsooth and he onely must bee the Vicar of Christ he onely a Vicegod he only an vnerrable Iudge in all controuersies of faith and religion But who â—â—n doubt but that hee is in the same esteeme before heauens consistorie as Annas and Caiphas were after they had reiected and crucified Christ as Innocent the 4. was concerning whom Mathew of Paris writeth a very Par. in Henrico 3. strange vision worthy of the holy Fathers noting made vnto a certaine Cardinall whose name that Authour of purpose concealed In effect it was thus that Innocent the fourth was presented before the seate of Gods maiesty and was there accused by a glorious woman who carried the forme of a temple in her hand vpon which this word CHVRCH was written and when Innocent cast himselfe downe prostrate to begge mercy the Matrone more instantly vrged against him and accused him of three things Prime cum in terris c. First Two prodigious visions whereas God had founded his Church free vpon earth hee had made her a handmaide Secondly the Church was founded to be a saluation for sinners but this man hath made it a Sanctuarie for Bankers Thirdly the Church was founded in firmnesse of Faith Iustice and Truth but this man hath made Faith and Manners to decay hath taken away Iustice and darkened Truth Giue mee therefore saith the Matrone iust iudgement against him To which things when Innocent was not able to reply he was taken away whose end of what sort afterwardes it was his desperate life may speake But more clearely it appeareth in the Vision of the Bishop of Lincolne who summoned him to iudgement concerning which Ralph of Chester writeth that the very night in which Innocent died there was heard a voice in the Popes Court summoning him thus Veni Miser ad iudicium Dei Come thou Miser to the iudgement of God and most fitly did the name Miser agree vnto him who to his seruants and fauourites being round about him and deploring his death spake thus Why weepe you you wretches and misers doe I not leaue you all riche â—hat else doe you desire or require and so breathed out his corrupt soule This vision sheweth how tyrannicallie Popes haue oppressed the Temple of God in which they sit exalting themselues but doubtlesse the patience of God will at last strike home and then how great the blow shall be against them let vs heare their Briget rather then the Prophet and Euangelist declaring the same Roma est quasi ager c. Rome saith Christ â— as a field ouergrowne with cockle and darnell therefore it must first be Lib 4. Reuelat. cap. 57. purged with a sharpe yron then clensed with fire and afterwards ploughed with a yoke of oxen therefore I will deale with it as he doth who remoueth plants how then is Rome
of Theatines which was then arising in Naples and so the good Ignatians nose was wyped of his golde and the poore Theatines their Antagonists very well contented therewith Some such other forfeitures vpon their aduentures might be deliuered they aduenture so much that it is no maruell if they often loose their aduentures Their aduentures in this kinde are very frequent and great as England Genoua Rome Venice Flanders very well knowe But leauing them to their gainefull trade I will returne to the Vision which me thinkes clearely checketh the horrible abuses of the Pontifician Bishops in the reseruations of their cases their metaphysicall defences of these their dealings this place serueth not to handle onely agreeing to the instruction of this Vision there haue not as yet risen vp amongst them any zelous reprouers and reprehenders of these Pontifician abuses and therefore those two spots which our Sauiour so greatly condemned remaine still in their Church to the destruction Dist 40. Cap. Si Papa and perishing of many soules but of this no maruaile for it is agreeing to their Canon Si Papa If the Pope should lead innumerable soules to hell yet no man may iudge his fact nor condemne his proceedings which yet was not obserued by the Prelates of the French church in the time of King Hugh when as at a Synode gathered Sinod Rhem. sub Hugone at Rhemes they did by the mouth of their famous eloquent and learned speaker Arnulphus condemne the Pope in diuers things and resolutely determine that the Pope himselfe if hee would not heare the Church might be reputed as an Ethnike and Publicane Daies and yeeres would faile me if I should stand to recount all visions which might be produced against themselues out of their owne Authors I haue heard some learned wish that a masse of their visions might be published together to the reprouing of their folly and reducement of many to the Church of God I concurre in part only in iudgement with such For I thinke that such a course might perhaps be profitable with the iudicious and intelligent Papists if they would take this as a principle with them that that Religion cannot be of God which needeth to be supported and borne vp with lyes and fictions which are of such a dangerous consequence in matters of religion that as a holy Father hath said If but one lye only could be found in the holy Scriptures it would be sufficient to discredit the whole But as for their superstitious Idiots who are delighted with nothing more then such vanities I suppose by tryed experience that little fruit would be gathered thereby Such a worke to publish such a masse of fooleries would be exceeding laborious to the Authour all which may well be supplied if painefull and zelous Ministers would with discretion and choice eftsoones publish some of their fooleries in Pulpit I said with choice and discretion because I would wish that such things should be cited out of their owne Authours who are full fraught therewith and not taken out of such trifling Pamphlets as Plutoes trauailes and such like I heartily wish that such Preachers at least Doctors who liue amongst Popish or Semipopish people would be more careful what imputations they lay against them They are exceedingly scandalized when any lyes or such doctrine as they teach not is imputed to them A famous Predicant of a Funerall erred egregiously in this kinde within this yeere c. I was ashamed to heare him c. And here I cannot by the way but maruaile with what wisdome any man dare presume to licence vnder the shadow of Maiestie such stuffe which although in part true yet for substance is vaine But let the courteous and christian Reader be perswaded that we neede not to deuise any thing in this kinde against our Aduersaries their workes are so replenished with such fooleries against their owne principles of Religion that a scholler shall finde it a harder matter to relate them all then to confute them the first being impossible the second most facill and easie And here concluding I giue the Reader to vnderstand that although lying signes wonders and prodigies in sholes and multitudes are signes and markes of Antichristianisme especially in these later timer neuertheles the mighty hand of God doth neuer so forsake his Church to leaue altogether the rodds of sinners vpon the shoulders of his seruants but that sometimes hee doth with miraculous deliuerances assist them but this he doth apparantly openly clearely euen in the sights and to the confusion of their Aduersaries whenas all their miracles prodigies wonders are secret hidden from a farre of by heare-say For how else but by the mightie hand of God was the Church of Bohemia protected and defended in the time of King Sigismund and Pope Martin who laboured and proiected by the vtmost of their powers the ruine of that Christian flocke For my part I dare compare those holy warres of those Christians with those of the Machabies yea if we had them fully and perfectly recounted vnto vs wee should finde them to equallize if not to excell their victories what can we thinke but that the right hand of God did powerfully ayde them when their Iudas Machabeus renowned Iohannes Trosnoue surnamed Zisca did eleuen seuerall times notwithstanding their huge forces foyle and ouerthrow them Was it done by meanes of humane strength no no our Aduersaries will tell vs the contrarie And to particularize in some doth not Pope Aeneas Syluius cap. 48. Pius the 2. in his Historie of Bohemia tell vs that when a threefold potent Armie was gathered against these poore Christians a very handfull of souldiers one out of all Saxonie and the Territories thereunto adioyning the second out of rich and warlike Franconia the third out of Bauyre Sueuia and the Prouinces of the Rheyne with valiant Captaines appointed ouer them did in three seuerall parts with all violence assault those poore Christians intending their vtter ruine doth not I say Pope Pius the second tell vs that presently vpon the sight of the Christians without doubt Gods terrour being in them they did flee before them yea saith Pius non visum hostem fugerunt before they saw the enemy they fled and flew so hard that they ceased not to flee vntill the Christians ceased to pursue them by occasion whereof their bag and baggage was left to the Christians and an happie occasion also giuen them to make spoile of many popish towns to impose tributes vpon them Thus in effect Pope Pius who yet relateth vnto vs a more potent deliuerance of those Christians for when vpon such a shamefull ouerthrow the Papists were ashamed the Pope and Emperour together gathered another greater the greatnesse whereof you may inferre because it had foure thousand horse in it army and then againe therewith assaulted them but Iulian the Cardinall who was generall for the Pope ouer the whole Army had no sooner entred into the limits of those
Christians but presently totis castris trepidatum est priusquā hostis vllus in conspectu daretur faeda fuga coepta There fell a dread and trembling ouer the whole Campe and before any enemy was to be seene a filthy flight was begunne Who did this but the Lord of hostes like as of old he did in the Campes of the Madianites and Amalakites in the behalfe Iud. 7. of his people And this flight notwithstanding all that the Cardinall could doe gaue great spoile and left infinite riches to the oppressed Christians and so ill was there successe against that people of God that cessatum est à bellis there was a cessation of warre and by Popish cunning they did afterwards seeke to subuert them That these things which I haue written bee true touching these Christians deliuerances inimici nostri sune iudices Our very enemies are Iudges and witnesses And may wee not admire the like prouidence of God towards the Christians in Fraunce especially at Rochel when God in his sweete prouidence caused the Sea to yeeld vnto them vpon their shores like as he did Manna in the desert abundance of fish when as through extreame want they were wel nigh the point to haue surrendered who else but GOD hath discouered and brought to light diuerse desperate attempts against our late Soueraigne of happy memory whose finger else but Gods did confront against the Spanish ostentation and Romes curses in 88. Whose prouident arme else but Gods did bring to naught the powder-vndermining which was carried so warily and charily sealed with so many Sacramentall oathes and protestations that had not God reuealed it England had beene blowne vp in her ruines But why doe I stand to recount these miraculous deliuerances of God what to make them necessary arguments of the truth of our holy religion No no but to confront against the Aduersaries and to shew vnto them that our deliuerances haue beene mighty and publike euen in the sight of the enemy but their miracles are alwaies in huggermugger brought from farre off and beleeued by heare say There he other more infallible markes of true religion propounded in sacred Scripture the which I dare constantly challenge as more specially to be found amongst the reformed Churches then amongst the Popish as first a great token of a true Church it is to haue in it those who with great zeale and sinceritie are desirous to heare the word of God according to that of Christ Oues meae vocem meam audiunt My sheape heare Iohn 10. my voyce Christ saith not my sheepe haue heard or shall heare my voyce but thus in the present tence My sheepe heare my voyce denoting thereby vnto vs that to heare the word of God ought to bee the daily and neuer intermitted worke of Christians in which how farre the Popish congregations are surpassed by the Christian Churches no man can so well tell as hee who hath been amongst both for my part I must needs confesse that the zeale of Christians heerein is incomparably more then the deuotion of Papists Againe in this saith Christ all men shall know that you are Iohn 13. 35. See Delrius his Pref. in Mag. disquisit discoursing vpon the hate their order findeth my Disciples if you loue one another How well this precept is obserued amongst the Pontificians the must bitter oppositions betwixt Scotists and Thomists the enormous emulations and most horrible detractions in the Court of Rome betwixt Popes and Cardinalls the neuer ceasing calumnious contentions betwixt Friars white and blacke betwixt Monkes white and blacke betwixt all Monkes Friars and the Ignatians betwixt Ignatians and the Seculars doe cleerely euince and demonstrate God is my witnesse that I speake out of my conscience what I haue obserued as for mutuall loue and charity there are more signes to bee found in the Protestants of the reformed Churches when I name Protestants I meane the Zelous-ones not Semi-popish-ones not Semi-Atheists then can be shewed amongst the Papists Againe patience and meekenesse if sincere vnfained is an admirable signe of true Christian religion Now let all the Pontificians Ignatians lay their heads together and giue me one instance of such Christian patience practised in their Churches as I will shew practised by this Church State and Kingdome of England I meane that incomparable patience meekenesse and spirit of compassion by which the Papists were tolerated to breathe in this Kingdome vpon discouery of the Powder-treason Had the like attempt beene acted in any of the Popish dominions fire and reuengeful sword would haue massacred not onely the Actors and Abbettours but euen all those who by suspicion might haue beene thought to haue had any knowledge consent or approuance of the same And herein I dare speake what I know that many Papists though otherwise I dare say for them innocent in the fact did thereupon expect vtter ruine to themselues and their religion yea did not the Arch Traitour Garnet himselfe presage so much to his order if the plot should happen to bee discouered Therefore let it stand proued that the Church of England is guided and directed by the Spirit of God which could in such a sodaine shew it selfe so mercifull and meeke against such who with sangnefreddo cold bloud as the Italian phrase is would make bon-fires with vs if wee were in their powers and yet notwithstanding great-fauourers and receiuers of Ignatians there are where the Foxes lye and lodge who would haue laughed if Westminster had beene ouerturned and who as yet shadowed vnder pufft wings tiffiny and fardingals doe as may be doubted plot some like enterprises to the ruine of this Church and Kingdome but beware of securitie O yee Christian Brittans beware of securitie Again humility is laid as a ground-work for Christian religion to be built vpon by which humility and pouertie of spirit not outward base garments coules weedes girdles in not sparing of the flesh to vse the Apostles phrase is to be vnderstood now this pouertie of spirit Coloss 2. 23. must be especially regarded towards God whereof the Papists are so depriued that their very doctrine in one respect leadeth them to that pride and presumption of spirit which Christ detested in the Pharisee Let all their Catechismes be searched and they will define vnto you that the sinne of presumption is when a man looketh for saluation without merits their owne merits they meane by which doctrine it is as cleere as noone dayes that in respect of saluation their Popish may and ought to hope for the same partly by their owne merits and what is this else but a kind of presumption euen to iustle with God and with him to remember their merits But the reformed Churches are so farre from leading a man into this presumption of his owne merits that I may say it and truely saie it that it is as it were the summe of our holy Christian and Catholike doctrine to bring a man to a perfect
further to haue the eyes of her fellow-Catholikes bound vp that they could not behold the blessing God then bestowed vpon her I say this because I may not doubt but that diuers Papists were then present at the very punctual doing of the miracle though their blinded eyes saw it not And so I end to speake any more of this Pamphlets miraculous narrations yet I desire the Reader to obserue with me how relike forgerers haue beene heeretofore found in ancienter times so that now such kinde of cousenage may not be thought altogether strange That Rome it selfe hath had counterset relikes Laurentius Valla. de Ementit donat Constant Greg. l. 3. ep 30. Valla will confirme vnto vs. That the Church of Constantinople is also deluded by false relikes I gather thus out of Gregory who in his Epistle to Constantia Angusta writeth constantly and peremptorily that the Church of Rome had not diuided nor durst neuer diuide or cut the bodies or relikes of the Apostles how then commeth the Church of Constantinople to haue had Bell. lib. 2. de Sanct. Beatitud cap. 3. any of Saint Peters relikes as Bellarmine writeth and the publike fame goeth Againe that the Graecian Churches were ordinarily abused with false relikes wee may Greg. l. 3. ep 30. gather out of his said Epistle to Constantia where herelateth how certaine Grecians being found to digge vp the bones of certaine dead men answered that they intended to carry them into their own country for relikes That France hath beene abused Turonensis will tell vs Gregorius Turō apud Azor. lib. 9 Institut cap. 8. who relateth that a certaine Impostor came out of Spaine pretending to bring with him the relikes of Saint Felix and Vincentius As for Affricke Saint Austen will tell vs if the Booke be his how it was abused and deluded by August de oper Monach. cap. 28 Monkes carrying false relikes vp and downe Further concerning this point Gregory and Austen will cleerely Greg. lib. 12. ep 31. Interrogat 9. Respons ad August confirme vnto vs that a whole Church Congregation did worship and honour counterfet relikes and lastly Sulpicius in the life of Martin doeth witnesse that the bones of a notorious malefactour and theefe were honoured as if they had beene of a Saint and Martyr By this more which might be added in this kinde it doth appeare how forgery hath beene on foote and practised about relikes and for my part in this speciall narration of Master Gennings I doubt not to affirme but that his Virgin lasse hath played a tricke of legerdemaine about his Brothers thombe to which his tale I thinke that as much credit may be giuen as to the merry Genouyse Priest who comming out of Greece pretended to haue brought with him Moses hornes which hee wore when hee descended from Mount Sina or else to that merry Frier who proferred to shew in a box as an admirable relike one of the holy Ghosts fingers What then shall we say to this pretensed finger of this Virgin maide whence had shee it or what might it bee may wee say that because the Lowe-countries was the place where she first vented her Saints thombe that perhaps she might haue lighted there vpon some one finger of those which the mercilesse inhumane and Barbarous Spaniards were wonted to cut from the hands of those people for greedinesse to haue their rings The distance of time will seeme not to accord with this saying and yet why might not some of the Flemings haue reserued carefully some of those thombes or fingers and so the holy maide hit vpon one of them Or shall we say that it might bee a thombe of some one other of their Priests-Martyrs here at Tiburne or else a thombe taken from some body appointed for the Anatomists The truth is a man may hardly diuine whence the forged flesh was taken assured I am for the reasons I haue already added and further because I heare not of any prodigious effects wrought by the miraculous peece as the powerfull custome of their Saints relikes is that it is counterfet and forged But before I end I would aduise Master Gennings to make triall by the diuells Oracle in some of their exorcised Energuminisses as their wont is whether it be the thombe of a Iohn or a Ioane or an Edmund you may bee well assured Mr. Iohn if it bee Saint Edmunds and not a forgery of your namelesse Ioane that it will make like the relikes of your Briants and Campians the great diuell himselfe to cry oh It would be very fitting that you would be pleased to make triall of it vpon Mr. Bluet if your many exorcismes vsed vpon and ouer him haue not before this time killed both the great Diuel himselfe and that most wretched creature his miserable habitacle As for the poore deluded Maide Virgin if a wicked spirit had gotten power ouer her for her wicked forgery then it will concerne you Master Gennings to cast out the diuell out of her soule and coniure him at his going out to tell all your blinde-Obedients at Brussels and Saint Omers as the diuell cast out at Saint Peters in Rome out of a wench possessed for disobeying her Father in eating a little Costerus Postil dom 3. in Quadragess milke did there and then that the maide should passe by Purgatory and suffer no other Purgatory in the next life For as the poore wench in Rome deserued to be freed frō Purgatory she suffered so this in life so by a double title your Virgin maide deserues to passe by the fire of Purgatory and mount vp immediately to heauen But leauing such phrases I pray to God to grant you both and all other seduced heere in this life his holy purgatory of repentance and true faith in Iesus Christ This my discourse concerning the vanity and Antichristianisme of Popish miracles I haue by the assistance of our Lord Iesus brought to an end he be pleased to grant it such successe that it may turne to the glory of his most blessed name and the benefit of his Church Amen Deo soli Honor Gloria A note of some of the speciall matters contained in this Treatise A ANntichrist worketh miracles pag. 9. 10 Antichrist dissembleth chastity 17. 18 Austens works doubtfull 67 He teacheth not adoration of relickes 68. 69 Athanasius forged 102 Antichrists miracles in M r. Floods opinion 161 to 164 Antichrist fetcheth fire from heauen proued by many examples 229. 230. 231 163 Antichristian miracles and their properties 245. to 250 Antichrist weareth the Lambes hornes 238 The Image of the Beast speaketh 238. 239 234 Antichrist and his preach Christ to be in penetrals how 251. to 265 Absolution of a dumbe boy confessing by his mistresse 264 Attributes of God giuen to the Pope 273 Antichrist and his doe miracles beseeming God 157. 158 B Breaden Idoll 73. 78 Masse Christ burnt 103 Vomited ibid. Bellarmine his wilfull lying 151 Baptisme and the
the Pope for this his vnbounded supremacie and vnlimited Independancie is assumed by the Popes themselues For howsoeuer the Ancient Church for orders sake did account him to be the first Bishop in ordine order at least of the West yet I dare All those ceremonies which are for adoration acclamation c. and for deportatioÌ„s of his Holines vpon mens shoulders are by his owne approuâ—ng or appointment See Lib. 1. Ceremon sect 5. vndertake there was neuer any Councell or Father of the first sixe hundred yeeres that gaue him any degree or sort of that Supremacy and vnlimited independancy which he now challengeth he now challengeth I say For though most of his Parasites both Canonists Monkes Friers and Ignatians doe giue him as much as he desireth yet I speake what I know there are very many of the learned of that Church which doe grone and sigh to thinke of this his arrogant presumption and both for his challenge and practice but yet they dare not say Domine cur ita facis Lord why dost thou so I note againe the Apostle saith he shall shew himselfe as a God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he were a God that is he shall not beare himselfe for God who made heauen and earth but for a Vicarian God a God substitute an Antichrist or a Vice-Christ Cleere it is as noone daies that Antichrist shall not beare himselfe for the absolute and one onely God who made heauen and earth for if so where is then mention made of such apparate and order for publike sacrifices as are beseeming to such a one bearing himselfe as God himselfe If so how then shall he Dan 11. 38. 39. Matth 24. worship the God Maozim with Gold and siluer and pretious stones If so what danger should the elect be in to be seduced by him if he shall deny both the God of heauen and Iesus Christ his only Sonne If so why and how according to the Pontificians shall he cause an image of the Beast like a Leopard Beare and Lyon to bee made and worshipped If so how can his comming be a mistery How in fallacia erroris in deceiueablenes of error Further I obserue the word of the Apostle that he sitteth if this wee vnderstand of absolute gouernement as it is most probable then I haue spoken thereof already but if we take the same literally so also the Pope sitteth as God as a God I haue beheld him with mine owne eyes often sitting vnder his Throne in the material Temples of Rome God like as a God hauing as great outward adoration giuen vnto him not only by the people but by the purpured brethren by the Priests and others who assist at the altar as is giuen by them vnto Christ whom they beleeue adore as presentially there present the difference only is they adore their Sacrament-Christ as true Christ their Pope-Christ as a Vice-Christ Antichrist a Christ-substitute The Apostle saith The Temple of God which we must not so vnderstand that he shall sit in the Temple of God and yet not defile and prophane the same for how is it possible that Autichrist should fit in the Temple of 1 Machab. 1. 52 Ioseph liâ— Antiquit lib. de Bell Iudaico saepissime God against God and yet not prophane it But as the Temple of Ierusalem was called Gods Temple and the Temple of God though most impiously prophaned first by Antiochus and after by Caius so shall the visible Church in which Antichrist shall sit be still called the Temple of God though most impiously and sacrilegiously prophaned by him yea so prophaned by him with such abhominations that doubtlesse whosoeuer shall therein partake with him shall for the same perish eternally And so we may see how idle that bragging instance See Chrysost Theodor. Ambr Oecumen Aquinas and others in 2 Thess 2. of the Papists is when they obiect vnto vs that we make the Pope to be Antichrist and yet to sit in the Church of God and so say they we make their Church to be the Church of God but how vaine I say is this instance we confesse indeed that their Church is the Church of God but prophaned yea impiously sacrilegiously prophaned so that all who partake formallie and willingly with the Pope in his prophanations shall eternally perish I said formally and willingly for I doubt not to affirme but that there are very many who grone after a reformation of that Church and hope for a redemption making welnigh as small account of many of their Tridentine Decrees as I do That there are many such in Popish kingdoms I refer my selfe to the Ignatians other Professionists consciences who know how many there are in their Churches which can neuer be setled in their minde without continual doubtings concerning diuerse points of popery as adoration of their Sacrament adoration of Images vse of Indulgences praying to Saints Iustification of workes the Popes vnbounded Supremacie worshipping of relikes sacrifice propitiatory for the dead Transsubstantiation c. To proceede this man of â—mne must beare himselfe as a God in the temple which argueth that he will challenge and assume vnto himselfe some Godlike and diuine worship the which that we may vnderstand how it is acted by the Pope wee are to consider how the true Lord and true God is honoured by his Saints and Seruants in the temple The holy Prophet declareth the same thus Omnes Apoc. 7. 11. 12. autem Angeli c. But all the Angells stood in sight of the Throne and of the Elders and of the foure liuing creatures and fell downe before the throne vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and Clarity and Wisedome and Thanksgiuing and Honor and Power and Fortitude be to our God for euer and euer Thus the Prophet is there any one iot of this honor adoration which is not giuen to Romes-vice-God by the Papists and by The Pope making a Cardinall saith Creote c. or thus Sis frater nester Princeps Orbi his creatures the Purpured They when they first acknowledge him I meane the Cardinals for their holy Father Pope do they not the same by adoration he sitting in a chaire they one after one adoring for vntil their adoration be finished and compleated he is not compleate Pope by adoration he is made Pope and being made he is adored And for as much as is conteyned in the 12 verse doe they not fully yeeld vnto him euery point thereof What generall acclamations are made to him by all in the Temple and of that Temple calling him Beatissimus Sanctissimus Diuinissimus Supremum in terris Numen most Blessed most Holy most Diuine the supreamest Numen vpon earth and in like Benedictio Blessing sort his Holinesse his Sanctitie his most Holie Holinesse c. he hath then Benediction Blessing c. As for Charitie Glory or Magnificence which is the second attribute giuen to God by his