cause which persons do also preach divers matters of Slander to engender Discord and Dissention betwixt divers Estatés of the said Realm as well Spiritual as Temporal in exciting of the people to the great peril of the Realm Which Preachers cited or summoned before the Ordinaries of the places there to answer of that whereof they be impeached will not obey to their Summons and Commandments nor care for their Monitions nor Censures of the Holy Church but expresly despise them And moreover by their subtle and ingenious words do draw the people to hear their Sermons and do maintain them in their Errors by strong Hand and great Routs It is ordained and assented in this present Parliament That the King's Edmmissions be made and directed to the Sheriffs and other Miuisters of our Soveraign Lord the King or other sufficient persons Learned and according to the Certifications of the Prelates thereof to be made in Chancery from time to time to arrest all such Preachers and also their Faitors Maintainers and Abettors and to hold them in Arrest and strong Prison 'till they will justifie them according to the Law and Reason of Holy Church And the King wills and commandeth That the Chancellor make such Commissions at all times that he by the Prelates or any of them shall be certified and thereof required as is aforesaid This was the first pretended Statute that ever was in England for imprisoning Christians for Religious opinions and by colour thereof the Bishops committed great Cruelties I call it pretended Statute for tho it be enter'd in the Parliament Rolls yet it was no Legal Act for it never pass'd the Commons And therefore at the next Parliament in Michaelmas Term following the Commons preferr'd a Bill â—eciting the same and constantly affirmed That they never assented thereunto and therefore desired that the said supposed Statute be annull'd and made void for they protested That it was never their intent that either themselves or such as shall succeed them should be farther subject or bound to the Prelates than were their Ancestors in former times And to this the King gave his Royal Assent in these words Il plaist au Roy The King is pleas'd that it be so Cook 3 Instit fo 40. Foxes Acts and Monuments fo 406. But that you may more fully understand the fraud and subtlety of their Reverences in this Affair you must understand That before the invention of Printing the usual way of publishing Acts of Parliament was to engross them in Parchment and send them with the King 's Writ into every County commanding the Sheriff to proclaim them Now John Braibrook Bishop of London being then Lord Chancellor of England he by a Writ dated 26 May Anno Regni Regis R. 2. quinto sent down the before recited Ordinance of the King and Prelates amongst the Statutes that were then lately pass'd But no less knavishly left out in the next Parliamentary Proclamation the said Act of Revocation whereby the said supposed Statute was made void by which means afterwards the other still pass'd as an Act and was printed continually as such but the Act that disannull'd it was by the Interest of the Prelates from time to time kept out of the Prints the better to give colour to their imprisoning of the Laity at their pleasure And farther to make sure work Henry the Fourth having usurp'd the Crown to gratifie the Clergy who had chiefly assisted him therein in the second year of his Raign he at their Instigation procured the following cruel and wicked Law to be Enacted commonly call'd The Statute Ex Officio which that the Reader may the better observe the Spirit of Popery and Persecution and compare the Times and Actings of Men in past and more modern Times I hope it shall neither be thought tedious nor unuseful to recite the same at large Verbatim it not being now extant in Kceble or any of our Common Statute Books ITem Whereas it is shewed to our Soveraign Lord the King on the behalf of the Prelates and Clergy of this Realm of England in this present Parliament That altho the Catholick Faith builded upon Christ and by his Apostles and the holy Church sufficiently determined declared and approved hath been hitherto by good and holy and most noble Progeniâ—ors of our Soveraign Lord the King in the said Realm amongst all the Realms of the World most devoutly observ'd and the Church of England by his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors to the honour of God and of the whole Realm aforesaid landably endow'd and in her Rights and Liberties sustain'd without that that the same Faith or the said Church was hurt or grievously oppressed or else perturbed by any perverse Doctrine or Wicked Heretical or Erronious Opinions Yet nevertheless divers false and perverse people of a certain new Sect of the Faith of the Sacraments of the Church and the Authority of the same damnably thinking and against the Law of God and of the Church usurping the Office of Preaching do perversly and maliciously in divers places within the said Realm under the colour of dissembled Holiness preach and teach these days openly and privily divers nâ—w Doctrines and wicked Heretical and Erronious Opinions contrary to the same Faith and blessed Determinations of the holy Church And of such Sect and wicked Doctrine and Opinions they make unlawful Conventicles and Confederacies they hold and exercise Schools they make and write Books they do wickedâ—y instruct and inform people and as much as they may excite and stir them to Sedition and Insurrection and maketh great strife and division among the people and other Enormities horribly to be heard daily do perpetrate and commit in subversion of the Catholick Faith and Doctrine of the holy Church in diminution of God's honour and also in destruction of the Estate Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England by which Sect and wicked and false Preachings Doctrine and Opinions of the said false and perverse people not only most great peril of the Souls but also many more other hurts slanders and perils which God prohibit might come to this Realm unless it be the more plentifully and speedily holpen by the King's Majesty in this behalf namely whereas the Diocesans of the said Realm cannot by their Jurisdiction Spiritual without Aid of the said Royal Majesty sufficiently correct the said false and perverse people nor refrain their Malice because the said false and perverse people do go from Diocess to Diocess and will not appear before the said Diocesan but the same Diocesans and their Jurisdiction Spiritual and the Keys of the Church with the Censures of the same do utterly contemn and despise and so their wicked Preachings and Doctrines doth from day to day continue and exercise to the hatred of Right and Reason and utter destruction of Order and good Rule Vpon which Novelties and Excesses above rehearsed the Prelates and Clergy aforesaid and also the Commons of the said Realm being in
some of the Inferiour Clergy may take him for Guide the Inns of Court scorn to be his Pupils for all he stiles himself Observ Numb 84. Roger L'Estrange of Grays-Inn Labourer The Man is as much out in his Law as he uses to be in his Divinity For tho God forbid any should be so wicked to imagin the Death of a collateral presumptive Heir to the Crown is not Treason by this Statute Coke 3 Instit fol. 8 9. speaking of the same words Before this Statute some did hold that to compass the Death of any of the King's Children was Treason but by this Act it is restrained to the Prince the King's Son being Heir apparent If the Heir apparent to the Crown be a collateral Heir apparent he is not within this Statute Roger Mortimer Earl of March was Anno Dom. 1487. 11 Rich. 2. proclaimed Heir apparent Anno 39 H. 6. Richard Duke of York was likewise proclaimed Heir apparent and so was John de la Poole Earl of Lincoln by R. 3. and Henry Marquess of Exeter by King H. 8. But none of these or the like are within the purvieu of of this Statute But since Roger will be dabbling with Statutes prethee read to him the following Clause of the Act of the 3d of King James c. 4. And further be it enacted That if any person or persons at any time after the tenth of June c. shall either upon the Seas or beyond the Seas or in any other place within the Dominions of the King's Majesty his Heirs or Successors put in practice to absolve persuade or withdraw any of the King's Subjects or to reconcile them to the Pope or See of Rome or if any person shall be wilfully absolv'd or withdrawn as aforesaid or willingly reconciled or promise obedience to any such pretended Authority every such person and persons their procurers and counsellors aiders and maintainers shall be to all intents adjudged Traitors and shall have judgment suffer and forfeit as in Cases of High Treason From whence 't is plain that every English Subject that has bin brought up in the Protestant Religion and afterwards revolts and turns Papist and so is reconcil'd to the See of Rome is ipso facto guilty of High Treason Printed for Langley Curtis 1682 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY May 12. 1682. Nunquam satis dicitur quod nunquam satis discitur Popery is a kind of Atheism proved in many particulars OUr Two last have contain'd some Arguments proving the Church of Rome not to be a true visible Church of Christ which will further appear if we can Demonstrate the same to be Guilty of the horrid sin of Atheism To know whether she be or no we must distinguish the several kinds of Atheism Atheisme is Two-fold Open and Colour'd Open-Atheisme is when men both in Word and Deed deny God and his Word Colour'd Atheisme is not so manifest and hath two Degrees 1. When men acknowledge a God a First Cause of Causes or Infinite Being that made and Governs the World but yet deny or are Ignorant of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Thus the Ephesians before they Believed the Gospel are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 12. and said to be without God when yet no doubt in their natural Judgment they acknowledged because they deny'd Christ And in like manner though the Samaritans Worshipped the God of Abraham yet our Blessed Saviour saith They Worshipped they knew not what John 5. 46. And the Psalmist saith of all the Gentiles that their Gods are Idols The second Degree of this Colour'd Atheism is when men do rightly acknowledge the Unity of the Godhead in the Trinity of Persons yet so as by necessary Consequences partly of their Doctrine and partly of the Service of God they overturn that which they well maintained And in this Respect I say That the very Religion of the Church of Rome is a kind of Atheism 'T is true every Papist is not so shameless as one of their Popes who shewing some of his Confidents his Vast Treasures Hellishly said Quantas divitias nobis peperit haec Fabula Christi What a world of Riches has this Fable of Christ brought us in Yet the very Doctrines of their Church if understood and believed directly tends to lead all those of her Communion to the like or as desperate Impiety For 1. Whereas the Church of Rome maketh the Merit of the works of men to Concur with the Grace of God it overthrows the Grace of God If it be of works it is no more Grace Rom. 11. 6. whereas in words they own those glorious Attributes the Justice and Mercy of God to be Infinite do they not by Consequents deny both For how can that be Infinite Justice which may any way be appeased by humane satisfaction And how is God's Mercy Infinite when we by our own satisfactions must add a supply to the satisfaction of Christ 2. He that hath not the Son hath not the Father John 21. 23. and consequently is an Atheist Now the present Roman Religion hath not the Son that is Jesus Christ God and Man the Mediator of Mankind but hath transformed him into a feigned Christ For instead of one Jesus Christ in all things like unto us in his Humanity Sin only excepted They have framed a Christ to whom they Ascribe two kinds of Existing one Natural whereby he is visible touchable and Circumscribed in Heaven The other not only above but also against Nature by which he is substantially according to his Flesh in the hands of every Priest in every Host and in the mouth of every Communicant invisible untouchable and uncircumscribed and thus in effect they abolish his Man-hood 3. They Degrade our blessed Lord of his Offices and have Committed High Treason against the King of Glory and will you contend that such Arch Traitours are still true Subjects For one Jesus Christ the only King Lawgiver and Head of the Church They joyn unto him the Pope not only as a Vicar but also as a Companion or Equal in Government In that they give unto him power to make Laws binding Conscience To resolve and determine infallibly the sense of Holy Scripture c. For one Jesus Christ the only real Priest of the New Testament they joyn many Secondary Priests who pretend to offer Christ daily in the Mass for the Sins of the Quick and the Dead For one Jesus Christ the All sufficient Mediator of Intercession They have added many other Companions to Intercede for us And for the only Merits of Christ in whom alone the Father is well pleased they have devised a Treasury of the Church containing besides the merits of Christ the Over plus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men at the Popes discretion By all which we see That Christ and consequently God himself to be worshipped in Christ is changed for a Fantasie or Idol of mans
faith to give him for the same not only Twenty Thousand Ducates but also to bestow upon him the Seamless-Coat of Christ as some years before he had sent the point of the Spear before mention'd But these Ships were Intercepted by the Brother Cardinal Julian an Enemy to the Pope and a friend to the French who seized all the Mony as due to him from the Pope At which his Holiness was much afflicted and sought new means to reestablish this Correspondence with Bajazet But still Charles passing through Italy without resistance comes to Rome with his whole Army and enters the City with displayed Ensigns and his Lance upon his Thigh in the beginning of the year 1494. to the great Terror of the Pope who fearing he should call him to account for such undue practises of obtaining the Papacy or take from his usurped Dominions and Power or joyn with several of the Cardinals that were that way already inclined to require a General Council with which one word saith Jovius the Popes are more terrified than with any other Accidents whatsoever Alexander for the present retreats to the Castle of St. Angelo and thence with Bribes and flatteries Corrupts diverse of the Kings Council to divert him from any Reformation of the Church and so upon agreement that the Pope should surrender into his hands the Castle of Civetta Vecchia and certain other strong holds and pronounce him Emperour of Greece and some other Articles matters were composed between them and for performance of this Treaty the Popes Son Caesar Corgia was to go along with him as an Hostage as also Gemes the Turks Brother Charles Alledgging he might do good service in the War he designed against the Mahumetans But this Gemes was no sooner come to Naples but he dyed not without manifest tokens of a slow Poyson given him to drink to shorten his Life And from whom this Treacherous more than Barbarous Murder proceeded may be Guess'd by that Transaction between the Pope and Bajazet who saith Guiccardine had long time made good use of the Avarice of the Vicars of Christ that he might possess his Empire in Peace Then at the Vatican the Pope received the King who with bended Knee kissed his Feet and another day the Pope Celebrating Mass he held the â—ason whilst he â—asht his hands which Ceremonies the Pope caused to be Painted in a Gallery in the Castle of St. Angelo to transmit the memory thereof to posterity it being always the trick of Popes to screw up present Complements into future duties Soon after King Charles returned into France and having first lost his Son the Dauphin was himself snatcht away by a sudden Death which Philip de Comines saith was foretold by Hierom Savanaroâ—a a good man esteemed a Prophet at Florence and afterwards Burnt who predicted his successes in Italy but withal told him that if he did not procure the Reformation of the church according to his dnty there hung a scourge over his head and God hath pronounced a sentence against him which he would Execute elsewhere Pope Alexander now studies nothing but to Advance his Bastards not without Tragical examples of Whoredome Incests and Cruelty odious to the Barbarians themselves He had conferr'd all secular power on the Eldest which Caesar the younger took so ill that one Evening he causâ—d him to be murder'd and flung into Tyber being moved thereto likewise by Jealousie as fearing he had more share in the love of Madam Lucreta their Sister than himself for you must note she was not only Stumpet to them both but also O horible Incest to her own Father the Pope himself who first took her from a mean Spaniard he had Married her to before his Popedome as being now below her dignity and bestow'd her on the Prince of Pizaro from whom on pretence of his Insufficiency he caused her by Judges of his own chusing to be divorc'd and once more Married to a Bastard of Alphonsus King of Arragon yet still continuing his own detestable Commerce with her whence Pontanus gives her this Epitaph Hoc jacet in Tumulo Lucreta nomine sed Re Thais Alexandri Filia sponsa Nurus In this Tomb lies the Pope's and Nature's shame Thais in Trueth although Lucrete in Name See what Infallibility can do She was his Daughter Miss and Son's Miss too The COURANT. Tory. THey are divelish mad I 'le tell you that and threaten you most Confoundedly Truem. Poor blustering vapours Chits and Asrseworms scarce fit to be of the Life-guard to a Cherry-Tree Tory. What news from the Wells Truem. Nothing extraordinary the great stones still stand just where they did as fixt and stable as English Liberties or London Charter the ratling of Guilt-Coaches has not remov'd them an Inch. Yet we had abundance of Fools Cullies Sharpers and Jilts so that sometimes the Factions on the walks were a pretty symbolical Landscape of those in Church and State the sharking Trepan was the Jesuite that Embroil'd all Company the Masquerade-Papist play'd Booty the ranting Bully snatcht up the stake of Loyalty and ran away with it whilst the poor Old Cavaleir was pointed at for a Whigg But what is this Glorius Feast of yours so much talkt of Tory. Why there should have been Fifteen Hundred of us and 't was not our fault there was not so many for the Tickets were at last given abroad like Saffolds Pocky Bills Truem. I 'le assure you 't was a brave opportunity for Loyal Journy-man Taylers this Cucumber-time Tory. Yes they Indented with their Bellies not to Eat again this Fortnight And then to see the Condescention and Charity as well as Policy of the business Illustrissimo's and Grandee's and Porters and Sons of Whores and Prentices so sweetly mixt you 'd wonder at it O my Conscience besides the Lords and people of Quality who you know have got the Lord knows what the very rest of the Company were not much less worth that Ten Thousand Pounds Truem. That 's great I 'le promise you especially their prudence too being put in the same Ballance with their vast Estates yet suppose it true I have known one single Ignoramus Grand Jury able to buy the whole Society Twenty times over But to talk seriously I have a just veneration for any person of Honour that might divert themselves at this Conventicle but for the rest I must needs say an Haunch of Venison is not much more valuable than a Mess of Pottage and for a few little people Boys and Journymen and I know not who to single out themselves and appropriate forsooth the Tytle of the Loyal which every good Subject in England is proud of is not this in effect to call all those many Thousands that join not in the ridiculous frolique Traitors and 〈◊〉 and do not such practises most apparently tend to Faction distinguishing and setting up of parties and Sedition nor is it difficult to Imagine what Influence such meetings will have on wild unbridled youth when in
pardon and as to the former shall endeavour now to satisfie him which is Touching the Troubles and Opposition that Wickliff met with If the strength or policy of Man could have stifled those Truths which he delivered his Doctrine had long since been extinct for the Pope was soon alarm'd therewith and bestir'd himself amain to get Wickliff silenc'd but such Esteem had he by his Vertues and Learning obtain'd that when Gregory the Eleventh in the year 1378. sent his Bull to the University of Oxford expostulating with them for suffering him there to spread his Tenets Walsingham the Historian tells us That the Heads of the Vniversity were long time in suspense whether they should receive such the Pope's Bull with Honour or reject it with Contempt Yet at last the Reverence they bore to his Un-holiness prevailed with them to entertain his Bull with Respect However we do not find that they did any thing effectually against Wickliff But the Archbishop of Canterbury was very violent against him twice he was actually convented before him and other Bishops and thrice summoned to appear The first time he escaped by the favour of the Duke of Lancaster who would needs have a Chair for him that he might sit which the Bishops would not admit in their presence and so a Quarrel arose and nothing then was done The second time he got off by means of a Messenger who just as they were about to pass Sentence upon him came in from the Queen charging them immediately to desist The third time he prudently absented himself and did not obey their Summons because he had intelligence that the Bishops had plotted his Death by the way devising the means and encouraging certain Russians thereunto However in his absence the Bishops with the Rabble of Friars to assist them took upon them to examine and censure his Writings meeting for that purpose at the Gray-Friars London where just as they were going about their business happen'd a most terrible Earthquake which much daunted them yet at last they proceeded to pick out 9 Articles or Propositions which they condemn'd as Heretical and 23 others as Erronious And then they got the King's Letters forbidding his Books and Doctrines to be publish't yet still he remain'd firm and constant and laboriously both by preaching and writing propagated the Gospel and God wonderfully preserv'd him out of the hands of his Enemies continuing Parson of Lutterworth in Leicestershire and so died in peace in a good old Age in the year 1387. Nor was his Doctrine confin'd only to England but shone and gave light into Regions far remote Some say that to avoid the fury of the Clergy he himself for some years withdrew into Germany and there preached the Gospel but I do not find sufficient Ground for that opinion but rather believe the Truth might be propagated there by some of his Followers and in particular Cochleus in his History of the Hussiâ—es l. 1. tells us Petrus Payne Anglus Discipulus Wiclephi Pragam cum Libris illius profugerat One Peter Payne an Englishâ—man one of Wickliff ' s Scholars who was sent with other Legates to the Council at Basil where he disputed for three days together touching the Civil Dominion of the Clergy fled into Bohemia and carried with him some of Wickliff ' s Books Some of which were Translated by John Huss into the Bohemian Language as the same Cochleus relates who also affirms That one of the Bishops of England wrote him word Esse sibi adhuc â—odie duo maxima Volumina Wiclephi quae mole suâ videantur aequare opera B. Augustini That he had then by him two Volumes of Wickliff ' s which were almost as large as St. Austin ' s Works Of which many it seems are since lost or destroy'd by the Papists but divers of them are yet extant What opinion the University of Oxford had of the Learning and Piety of this good Man appears by that Testimonial which they publickly gave of him under their Common Seal dated October 5. 1406. which you may read in Mr. Foxes Acts and Monuments fol. 112. And now being in his Grave one would have thought he had been beyond the Sphere of Activity of the most inveterate Malice but such is the nature of Papal Cruelty that its Rage extends almost to the other World and with a Barbarity more than Heathenish violates Sepulchers for 41 years after Wickliff's Death the Council at Constance the very same Conventicle that Decreed That Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks made an Order for taking up his Bones and burning them in these words For as much as by the Authority of the Sentence and Decree of the Council of Rome and by the Commandment of the Church and the Apostolical See after due Delays granted this Holy Synod hath proceeded unto the Condemnation of the said John Wickliff and his Memory having first made Proclamation and given Commandment to call forth whosoever would defend the said Wickliff or his Memory if any such there were but none did appear And likewise Witnesses being examined by Commissioners appointed by Pope John and his Council upon the Impenitency and final Obstinacy of the said John Wicliff reserving that which is to be reserved as in such Cases the Law requires and his Impenitency and Obstinacy even unto his end being sufficiently proved by evident Signs and Tokens and also by lawful Witnesses of Credit therefore the Sacred Synod declareth determineth and giveth Sentence That the said John Wickliff was a notorious obstinate Heretic and that he died in his Heresie Cursing and Damning both him and his Memory This Synod also Decrees and Ordains That the Body and Bones if they may be discerned and known from the Bodies of other faithful people be taken out of the Ground and thrown away far from the Burial place of any Church according to the Canon Laws and Decrees Pursuant to this worshipful Decree The Archdeacon and Official of the Diocess shortly after came with their Officers to Lutterworth Church where Wickliff lay buried and having disinterred his Bones they with much Formality burnt the same and turn'd his Dust into Ashes which Ashes they also took and threw into the River as if they would Interest all the Elements in their Inhumane Pageantry Touching which I find in a most Learned Treatise written by Dr. Hoyle Professor of Divinity in Dublin Colledge Entituled A Rejoinder to Mr. Malone ' s Reply concerning the Real Presence p. 654. this remarkable passage The Doctor having discours'd of the taking up the Bâ—nes of Bucer and Fagius adds these words I cannot upon so good an occasion but glance at the like more than Savage usage of Wickliff and signifie to the World a strange Accident not yet observed in Print by any and which my self learned of the most aged Inhabitants and they within a few hands from the very Eye-witnesses and is a common Tradition in all Lutterworth A Child finding one of Wickliff's Bones
Sacrament of the Body of Christ saying that it ought to be Ministred in both kinds and that after the words of Consecration pronounc'd there still remaineth material Bread in the Sacrament 2. He doth Err as touching the Church for that he doth not allow and admit that the Church signifieth the Pope Cardinals Archbishops and Clergy but saith this signification was drawn from the Schoolmen 3. That he hath said That Tempral Princes and Lords may take away the Temporal possessions of the Church and Clergy without any offence 4. He teacheth that all Priests are of like power and therefore affirms That the reservations of the Popes Casualties the ordering of Bishops and the Consecration of the Priests were invented only for Covetousness 5. That he erreth concerning the Church forasmuch as through Contempt he doth not fear Excommunication 6. He erreth by holding That a Man being once Ordain'd a Priest or a Deacon cannot be forbidden from the Office of Preaching c. Upon these and other the like Articles the Council proceeded against him in his sickness and tho he often offer'd to defend his Cause yet they would neither allow him any Advocats nor permit him publickly to be heard And in their Ninth Session they declared Quod non obstantibus salvis Conductis Imperatoris Regum c. Possit per Judicem competentem de Haeretieâ pravitate inquiri That notwithstanding any safe Conduct granted by the Emperor or any Kings Inquisition many be made against any Man for Haeresy by a Competent Judge and process to be made according to Law To relate the whole proceedings would be too tedious how malicious and unjust his accusers were how stout and faithful to him were several Bohemian Noble Men representing his Innocence to the cruel Fathers but all in vain nothing but his Blood would satisfy and so they proceed to pass the following sentence upon him The most sacred General Council of Constance Congregated together and representing the Catholick Church for perpetual memory of the thing As truth doth witness that an evil Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit so it cometh to pass that the Man of most damnable memory John Wickliff through his pestiferous Doctrine not through Jesus Christ by the Gospel as the holy Fathers in times past have begotten faithful Children but contrary to the wholesome Faith as a venemous root hath begotten many wicked and pestilent Children whom he hath left behind him successors and followers of his perverse and accursed Doctrine against whom this Sacred Synod of Constance is forced to rise up as against Bastards and diligently with a Sharp-knife of Ecclesiastical Authority to cut up Errors out of the Lords field as most hurtful Brambles and Briars lest they should grow up to the destruction of others Forasmuch then as in the holy General Council lately celebrated at Rome it was decreed that the Doctrine of John Wickliff of most damnable memory should be Condemned and his Books burnt as Haeretical yet 〈◊〉 John Hus here personally present in this Sacred Council not the Diciple of Christ but of Wicliff an Arch Haeretick hath taught and affirmed the Articles of Wickliff which were Condenm'd by the Church of God Wherefore after diligent Deliberation and full Information this most Sacred Council declareth and determineth the Articles abovesaid which are sound in his Books wrot with his own hand and which he hath own'd not to be Catholick nor worthy to be taught but that many of them are erroneous some wicked other some to be offensive unto godly Ears many of them to be temerarious and seditious and the greater part of them to be Notoriously Haeretical and doth condemn all and every the Books which the said Hus hath wrot in what form or phrase soever they be or whether they be Translated by others and doth decree That they shall be publickly burnt in the presence of the Clergy and People c. And the said Synod doth pronounce the said John Hus an Haeretick and a Seducer and obstinate Person and such an one as doth not desire to return again to the Lapp of our holy Mother the Church neither to abjure the Errors and Heresies which he hath openly Preached and defended wherefore this most Sacred Council decreeth and declares That the said John Hus shall be deposed and degraded from his Priestly Orders and Dignity Since this sentence mentions Degrading it will not be amiss to consider the manner how that Ceremony is perform'd Which is thus The party to be degraded is attir'd in all his Priestly Vestments and holdeth in the one hand a Chalice filled with Wine mixed with Water and in the other a Guilt Paten with a Wafer Then kneeling down the Bishops Deputy taking from him these Trincats Charges him to say no more Mass for the Quick or the Dead Secondly scraping with a piece of Glass his fingers ends he Enjoyns him never to Hallow or Consecrate any thing and Thirdly rasing his shaven Crown and stripping 〈◊〉 of his Priestly Vestments he is Clothed in a Lay habit and delivered into the Power of the Secular Magistrate Thus was poor Hus serv'd and withal a Capp put on his head all painted over with Devils and this word Haerisiarcha or Ring leader of Hereticks inscribed thereon and so was burnt in the Month of July 1415. He behav'd himself at his Martyrdom with a wonderful Cheerfulness and seems to have had a Spirit of Prophecy for whereas Hus in the Bohemian Tongue signifies a Goose he told them You now roast a Goose but after a 100 years there shall a Swan rise up out of my Ashes which was fulfill'd in Luther who just 100 years after Hus's Death began to appear in opposition to the Pope Likewise during the time of this Council one Jerome a Learned Godly Man of the City of Prague hearing of the manyfold injuries done unto Hus voluntarily came to Constance with an intent to defend his Cause but not being able to procure any safe Conduct there was returning back again to his own Country but taken on the Road and brought bound into Constance and there by the Council Condemn'd and Burnt and his Ashes thrown into the River Rhyne as Hus's likewise had been so Industrious were the Romish Clergy to destroy all Memorials of these faithful Servants of God whose Names do yet survive all their impotent malice and remain Registred in the Book of Life in Heaven and pretious to all good Men on Earth What esteem the godly Nobles of that Age had of Mr. Hus may partly appear by a Letter of 54 Noble Men of Morauia under their Hands and Seals to the said Council THE COURANT. Tory. PRethee are Miracles ceas'd No no There 's a New Saint lately come over call'd Cess Process that does daily Wonders Dam Ignoramus is an Ass to her Tory. What kind of Feats does she Profess can she sham Godfryes Murder and Esquire Thin's and make the World believe That they both kill'd themselves or that it was done Justly
unto Him all the Kingdoms of the World if he would fall down and worship us but he would not saying My Kingdom is not of this World and went his way when the Multitude would have made him a Temporal King But to You truly that are fallen from the state of Grace and that serve us in the Earth is that my promise fulfill'd and all Terrene things by the means which we have bestow'd upon you are under your Government For he hath said of us ye know The Prince of this World cometh c. and he hath made us to Raign over all the Children of Unbelief Therefore our Adversaries before-recited did patiently submit themselves unto the Princes of the World and did teach Men so to do saying Be you subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake And again Obey ye them that are made Rulers over you c. For so their Masters commanded them saying The Kings of the Heathen have Dominion over them c. But I on the contrary think it long 'till we have poured out our Poison upon the Earth and therefore fill your selves full with the enjoyments thereof and be you not only unlike those Primitive Fathers but also clean contrary to them in your Lives and Conditions Neither give you to God that which belongeth to him nor yet to Caesar that which is his but exercise you the Power of both the Swords according to our Decrees making your selves doers in worldly Matters fighting in our Quarrel intangled with Secular Labours and Business and climb ye by little and little from the miserable state of Poverty unto the highest Seats of all Honours and the most Princely places of Dignity by your devised Practises and false and deceitful Wiles and Subtlety that is by Hypocrisie Flattery Lying Perjury Treasons Deceits Simony and other greater Wickedness than any which our Infernal Furies can devise For after that ye have by us been advanced thither where ye would be yet that doth not suffice you but as greedy Stravelings more hungry than you were before ye oppress the Poor scratch and rake all together that comes to hand perverting and turning every thing topsy-turvy so swoln that ready ye are to burst for Pride living like Letchers in all Corporal Delicateness and by fraud directing all your doings you challenge to your selves names of Honour in the Earth calling your selves Lords Holy yea and Most Holy persons Thus either by violence you Ravage or else by ambition subtlely ye pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false Title possess these Goods which for the sustentation of the poor Members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated were bestowed and given consuming them as ye your selves list and therewith ye cherish and maintain an innumerable sort of Whores Strumpets and Bawds with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes far otherwise going than those poor beggerly Priests of the Primitive Church For I would ye should build your selves rich and gorgeous Palaces that ye fare like Princes eating and drinking the daintiest Meats and pleasantest Wines that may be gotten that ye hoard and heap together an infinite deal of Treasure not like to him that said Gold and Silver have I none For why should you not serve and fight for us according to your Wages O most acceptable Society of Fellowship promised unto us by the Prophet and of those Fathers long ago reproved Whilst that Christ called thee Synagogue of Satan and liken'd thee to the mighty Whore which committed Fornication with the Kings of the Earth the adulterous Spouse of Christ and of a chast person made a Strumpet Thou hast left thy first Love and hast cleaved unto us O our blessed Babylon and our Citizens which from the Transmigration of Jerusalem come hither we love you for your deserts we rejoyce over you which contemn the Laws of Simon Peter and embrace the practises of Simon Magus our friend and have them at your Fingers ends and exercise the same publickly buying and selling Spiritual things in the Church of God and against the Commandment of God Ye give Benefices and Honours by Petition or else for Money for Favour or for filthy Service and refusing to admit those that are worthy to Ecclesiastical Dignities and preferring those that are unworthy you call into the Inheritance of God's Sanctuary Bawds Lyers Flatterers your Nephews and your own Children and to a childish Boy ye give many Prebends the least whereof ye deny to bestow upon a poor good Man ye esteem the person of a Man and receive Gifts ye regard Money and have no regard of Souls ye have made the House of God a Den of Thieves all Abuse all Extortion is more exercised a hundred fold in your Judgment Seats than with any Secular Tyrant ye make Laws and keep not the same and ye dispense with your Dispensations as it pleaseth you you justifie the wicked for Rewards and you take away the just Man's desert from him and briefly ye perpetrate all kind of mischief even as it is our will ye should and ye take much pain for Lucre's sake in our Service and especially to destroy the Christian Faith for now the Lay-people are almost in doubt what they may believe because if ye preach any thing to them at some times altho it be but seldom seen and that negligently enough even as we would have it yet notwithstanding they believe you not because they see manifestly that ye do clean contrary to that ye say whereupon the common people doing as ye do which have the Government of them and should be an Example to them of well-doing Now many of them leaning to your Rules do run headlong into a whole Sea of Vices and so continually a very great Multitude flocketh at the strong and well fenced Gates of our Dungeon and doubtless ye send us so many day by day of every sort and kind of people that we should not be able to entertain them but that our insatiable Chaos with her thousand ravening Jaws is sufficient to devour an infinite number of Souls And thus the Soveraignty of our Empire by you hath been propt up and our intolerable loss restor'd Wherefore most especially we command you and give you most hearty thanks exhorting you all that in any wise ye persevere and continue as hitherto ye have done neither that ye slack henceforth your Enterprize For why by your helps we purpose to bring the whole World again under our Power and Dominion Over and besides this we commit unto you no small Authority to supply our places in the betraying of your Brethren and we make and ordain you our Vicars and the Ministers of Antichrist our Son for whom we have made a very fair and expeditious way and passage Furthermore we counsel you that possess the highest Rooms of all other that you work subtlely and that you outwardly and feignedly seem to procure Peace between the Princes of the World but that you cherish and
procure secret Causes of Discord And like as craftily ye have destroyed and subverted the Roman Empire so suffer ye no Kingdom to be over much enlarg'd and enrich'd by Tranquility or Peace lest perhaps in so great Tranquility all desire of Peace set aside they dispâ—se themselves to view and consider your most wicked Works suppressing on every side your Estate and from your Treasures take away such substance as we have caused to be reserved and kept in your hands until the coming of our well-beloved Son Antichrist We would ye should do our Commendations to our entirely beloved Daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belly-chear and Letchery and to all other my Daughters and especially to Lady Simony which hath made you Men and enrich'd you and hath given you suck with her own Breasts and therefore in no wise see that you call her Sin And be ye lofty and proud because that the most high Dignity of your Estate doth require such Magnificence And also be ye Covetous for whatsoever ye get and gather it is for St. Peter for the good of the Church and for the defence of your Patrimony and the Crucifix and therefore you may lawfully do it ye may promote your Cardinals to the highest seats of Dignities without any lett in stopping the mouth of our Adversary Jesus Christ and alledging again that he preferr'd his Kinsfolks who were of a poor and base Degree unto the Apostleship but do not you so but rather call as ye do those that live in Arrogancy in hâ—ughtiness of Mind and filthy Letchery unto the state of wealthy Riches and Pride and those Rewards and Promotions which the followers of Christ forsook do ye distribute unto your friends Therefore as ye shall have better understanding prepare ye Vices cloaked under the similitude of Vertues Alledge for your selves the Glosses of the Holy Scripture and wrest them directly to serve for your purpose and if any Man teach or preach otherwise than ye will oppress ye them violently with the sentence of Excommunication and by your Censures heaped one upon another by the consent of your Brethren let him be condemn'd as an Heretick and let him be kept in a most strait Prison and there tormented 'till he dye for a terrible example to all such as confess Christ And setting all favour apart cast him out of your Temple lest peradventure the ingrafted word may save your Souls which word I abhor as I do the Souls of other faithful Men and do your endeavour that you may deserve to have the place which we have prepared for you under the most wicked Foundation of our Dwelling-place Fare ye well with such Felicity as we desire and intend finally to Reward and Recompence you with Given at the Center of the Earth in that our dark Conclave where all the Rabble of Devils were present for this purpose specially call'd unto our most dolesom Consistory under the Character of our terrible Seal for confirmation of the Premisses THE COURANT. Truem. BUT is Monsieur L'Estrange so very angry say you Tory. You must note this extream cold March bears hard upon such Gentlemen as have old Aches and Necturnal Pains the sharp Memento's of their youthful Sins about them and therefore no wonder if friend Roger be now as petvish as a sick Monkey or any ill Minister of State in Parliament time Consequently is not at leisure to answer that small Objection of his not coming to Church or receiving the Sacrament for 18 years together But let 's leave him to his Observatorisms and praying for leisure to write against Papists and tell me prethee what thinkest of the Abhorrencies of the Association which hath made such a Figure in modern Gazets Truem. I have heard from my Grannum an old Proverb A great Cry and a little Wool For my part I abhor all Treason and Rebellion and all that tends thereunto as much as the best of you all and I believe there is scarce one of these Gentlemen Abhorrers they being for the most part such as are in present Imploys but have sworn That they Abhor levying Arms without his Majesty's Authority or under pretence of his Authority against his Person or any Commission'd by him which is the main thing Abhorr'd in this pretended Paper of Association Now what a ridiculous impertinent business is it when not only by common Loyalty we are oblig'd but also have sworn a thing it may be twenty times over to come afterwards and importune His Majesty with a formal verbose Complement to the very same purpose I see no reason in the World for this unless a Man have a mind to intimate either that his Oath is not to be taken or that he has a mind to get a Knightship a place in the Custom house or some good Job or other As to the Paper call'd The Association it may be a very ill Paper but if it were found at my Lord Shafâ—sbury's which whether it were or no or how it came there is still disputable yet since there is no offer or pretence of proof That it was of that Lord's writing that he ever saw it or heard it read that he or any body else ever promoted it or attempted getting of hands to it or that any Mortal ever approv'd of or sign'd it How is that Lord concern'd Or why such publick Abhorrence and Clamour If we must in solemn Addresses declare our Abhorrence of every wicked Paper why were you not Gentlemen as zealous and ready with your Abhorrencies of Coleman's Letters and all the Contrivers of them That there was an Association enter'd into by private persons in Q. Elizabeth's time when under colour of advancing the Interests of the presumptive Heir Mary Queen of Scots a Papist Plots were continually hatcht against that good Protestant Queen's Life and Government is well known and so far from being ill resented that at next Parliament it was confirm'd Now from that wholsome Experience there was something of the same kind proposed in the House of Commons of the last Parliament but never design'd to be obtruded without the Concurrence of the Lords and the Royal Assent Now this noise of Abhorrence seems at bottom not to be levell'd so much at the Paper said to be found in the E. of Sh 's Closet as under that name to vilifie and expose the Proceedings of the Commons and render them odious as if they were all guilty of that very Paper Tory. Well but what say you to Godfry's Murder Thompson says now he kill'd himself and L'Estrange lends a lift that way too Truem. That 's such a Superlative piece of Impudence as shews the Popish Plot still goes on else they would not dare thus affront the Justice of the Nation and out-face our very senses as if we were just ready to believe their absurd Transubstantiation In a word 't is such an impudent Calumny on the Dead and Abuse to the Nation that I think it would not misbecome the whole Common Council
true Preaching and his Miracles So the Bishops of the Pope's Law geven more Leven by their Law to two Hereticks and Apostates or two comen Wymen that woulden witnesseden againes a Man in the cause of Heresie than to thousands of people that were true and good And for the Pope is this Antichrist and his Law contrary to Christ's Law fully I forsake this Law and so I reed all Christen men for thus by another point of this Law they mighten conquer much of this World For when they can they by this Law present a a man an Heretick his Goods shulen be forfet from him and his Heirs and so might they lightly have two or three false Witnesses to Record an Heresie again what true man so hem liked Herefore me thinks that whatsoever that I am an Christen man I may lawfully appeal from a false Dome of the Law to be Righteoâ—sly demet by the trouth of God'd Law And if this Appeal will nâ—â—serve I appeal openly to by Lord Jesu Christ that shall deme all the World for he I wot well will not spare for no man to deme a trouth And therefore I pray God Almighty with David in the Sauter Book Deus Judicium tuum Regi da Justitiam tuam Filio Regis judicare populum tuum in Justitiâ pauperes tuos in Judicio That is O God give thy Judgment to the King and thy Justice to the King's Son to judge thy people in Justice and thy poor ones in Judgment c. What afterwards became of this Swinderby we find not in History but as for Walter Brute having worried him a long time they at last prevail'd with him to submit himself in a Scroll under his hand in these words following I Walter Brute submit my self principally to the Evangelie of Jesus Christ and to the determination of Holy Kirk and to the General Councils of the Holy Kirk And to the sentence and determination of the four Doctors of holy Writ that is Augustine Ambrose Jerome and Gregory And I meekly submit me to your Correction as a Subject ought to his Bishop Fox fo 461. Touching the Deposing of King Richard the Second and the Ill-Favourites and Mis-government which originally occasion'd that Princes Misfortunes being foreign to our Subject we shall say nothing here Those that desire to be satisfied therein may read an excellent tho short Discourse Entituled The Life and Raign of King Richard the Second printed not long since for the Publisher hereof wherein a more full and true account is given thereof than in any of our Histories extant in English As King Henry the Fourth who was the Deposer of King Richard was the first of all our English Kings that brought into mode the cruel burning of Christ's Saints for opposing the Pope and his wicked Doctrines so as far as I can find the first Martyr in that kind was one William Santre Priest whom elsewhere I find mention'd by the name of Sir William Chatris Parish-Priest of the Church of St. Scithe the Virgin in London who was consumed by the Flames in the year of our Lord 1400. The Articles or Heretical Conclusions which he was charged to hold were these 1. Imprimis That he should say That he would not worship the Cross on which Christ suffered but only Christ that suffered on the Cross 2. That he would sooner worship a Temporal King than the foresaid wooden Cross 3. That he would rather worship the Bodies of the Saints than the very Cross on which he hung if it were before him 4. That he would rather worship a Man truly contrite than the said material Cross of Christ 5. That if any Man would visit the Monuments of Peter and Paul or go on Pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. Thomas or elsewhere for the obtaining any benefit he is not bound to keep his Vow but may distribute the Expences that such a Journey would cost him in Alms to the Poor and it would do as well 6. That every Priest and Deacon is more bound to preach the Word of God than to say the Canonical hours 7. That after the pronouncing of the Sacramental words the Bread remaineth of the same Nature it was before neither doth it cease to be Bread Are not these Christian Reader mighty Crimes And yet for these this poor Man was first very solemnly Degraded from all their pretended Holy Orders and then most barbarously burnt as aforesaid Ought not such Examples make Protestant Englishmen fond of a Popish Successor who must infallibly act over again the same Barbarities when ever his bloody Clergy shall instigate him thereunto upon themselves or their Posterity The next dying Witness to truth was one John Badby a Taylor of the Diocess of Worcester who was burnt in Smithfield Anno 1409. His only Crime was for asserting That the Sacrament consecrated by the Priest is not the very Body of Christ but that still the Bread remained and that when Christ sat at Supper with his Disciples he had not his Body in his hand to the intent to distribute it to his Disciples c. And 't is remarkable that when he came to dye and was put in a Tun or Vessel and Fire put to him he crying out to the Lord not to Men as by the Sequel appear'd Mercy Mercy the Prince King Henry's eldest Son being present caused the Fire to be stopt and made him large Offers not only of Life but of Preferment too if he would change his Opinion but he with a glorious Constancy refused those Temptations and chose rather to Seal the Truth with his Blood than betray it by a base Compliance with such worldly Allurements King Henry to confirm his ill got Soveraignty resolving in all things to gratifie the Clergy the Empire of the Pope and his Party became so strong in this Realm that scarce any durst oppose them the Bishops having got such an Ascendant on the King and besides being Arm'd with the Statute we formerly recited and with additional Constitutions of their own power of Imprisonment Temporal Sword Fire and Fagot Reigned and Ruled as uncontroulable so puft up with Pride that they thought all things subject to their extravagant Power and daily boasted how they would utterly extirpate Heresie as they call'd the Profession of the Truth out of the Land And indeed to the Eye of Humane Reason nothing seem'd more easie to effect under such advantageous Circumstances But 't is the nature of Truth to flourish by opposition Premi potest non suppremi It may be opprest but never supprest All their kicking was against the Pricks Providence supported That which they with united Councils and Force and Fraud and Policy and Power thought to overthrow as will appear in the Sequel of this History A fair warning would Men but be so wise as to heed it of the vanity of such or the like attempts to all succeeding Generations The COURANT. Truem. YES I do aver L'Estrange refusing on the 18 th
Tory. Well go on and prosper I hear Natt is like to have but a hard Bargain of it But I am for Sam 's Coffee-house to wait on the Guide to the Inferiour Clergy the Reverend Squire Roger how neatly he comes off about saying That he would not License a Narrative of Sir Ed. B. Godfreys Murder for fear of offending some Great Persons at White Hall Pap. Well! what says he to that I hear 't is Sworn against him Tory. Why he says What if the Printer do swear it 't is not the first time that a Perjur'd Rascal has Sworn against L'Estrange Papist Yes and in the same Observator Num. 114. is very angry with some body for declaring That he would rather believe Prance he should have added and Three more upon Oath than Mr. L'Estrange's single Protestation on the Sacrament Well if the World can meet with no better proofs than these and his Preface to the Proposals for Reunion with the Church of Rome to prove L'Estrange no Roman Catholique I shall still have the Charity to esteem him One and so my Service to him Printed for Langley Curtis 1681-2 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY March 31. 1682. Nulla Ratione fieri potest ut in rectè factis effugias Invidiam Quis enim Umbram effugiet Invidiae nisi pariter Virtutis Lucem effugerit The Story of Sir John Old-Castle continued A severe Law against Lollards A note touching the Oath of Sheriffs The strange manner of putting Sir John to Death Tyburn whence the Word deriv'd Sir John vindicated from Treason and the Imputation of Debauchery the reason of that latter Scandal OUr last acquainted you with the Grounds of Sir John Old-Castle's Troubles and what an honest Christian Answer he gave in Writing to the Bishops touching the Four Articles whereon principally they accused him yet therewith they were nothing satisfied but would needs have a more direct Answer and giving him time to consider of it that he might know how to please them sent him a silly Blasphemous Scroll containing their Creed and Determination in those Points which was as follows First The Faith and Determination of Holy Church touching the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is this That after the Sacramental Words be once spoken by a Priest in his Mass the material Bread that was before Bread is turned into Christs very body And the material Wine that was before Wine is turned into Christ ' s very Blood And so there remaineth in the Sacrament of the Altar from thenceforth no material Bread nor material Wine which were there before the Sacramental Words were spoken How believe you this Article Secondly Holy Church hath Determined That every Christian Man living here bodily upon the Earth ought to be shriven to a Priest Ordained by the Church if he may come to him How feel ye this Article Thirdly Christ Ordain'd St. Peter the Apostle to be his Vicar here on Earth whose See is the Holy Church of Rome and he granted that the same Power which he gave unto Peter should Succeed to all Peters Successors which we now call Popes of Rome by whose Power in Churches particular be Ordained Prelates as Arch-bishops Bishops Parsons Curates and other Degrees more whom Christian Men ought to obey after the Laws of the Church of Rome This is the Determination of Holy Church How feel ye this Article Fourthly Holy Church hath Determined That it is Meritorious to a Christian Man to go on Pilgrimage to Holy Places and there especially to Worship Holy Reliques and Images of Saints Apostles and Martyrs Confessors and all other Saints besides approved by the Church of Rome How feel ye this Article I cannot say whether the Lord Cobham on the Receipt of this Scrole did more admire or pity their Blindness But on the Twenty fifth of September in the before mention'd Year 1413. he was again Conven'd before them where the Arch-bishop telling him That he was Cursed and adviseing him to desire Absolution The Knight reply'd God had said by his Holy Prophet Maledicam Benedictionibus vestris Mal. 2. 2. Which is as much as to say I will Curse where you Bless And afterwards kneeling down on the Pavement and lifting his hands towards Heaven he said I here Confess me unto thee my Eternal Living God That in my frail Youth I Offended thee most grievously in Pride Wrath and Gluttony Covetousness and Letchery and many Men have I hurt in my Anger and done many horrible Sins for which Good Lord I ask thee Mercy And then weeping bitterly he said to the People who in great Numbers flock'd to hear his Examination Behold good People for the breaking of God's Law and his great Commandments they never yet Cursed me but for their own Laws and Traditions most cruelly do they handle me and other Men. And being question'd by the Arch-Bishop about his Belief he Answer'd I Believe fully and faithfully the Vniversal Laws of God I Believe that all is true which is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible Then proceeding to Examine him touching the Four Articles before specified A Long Discourse happen'd which you may Read and worth reading it is in Foxe but too tedious to be here Recited his Answers were quick and pertinent and amongst others he has this Expression Rome is the very Nest of Antichrist and out of that Nest come all the Disciples of him the Pope is the Head the Prelates Priests and Monks are the Body and these pil'd Friars are the Tail In fine they proceeded to a Definite Sentence against him whereby they Condemn him as a most pernicious detestable and obstinate Heretick and order him to be delivered over to the Secular Power to be put to Death in pursuance whereof he was carryed back to the Tower from whence he made some means shortly after to escape and remain'd for near Four Years in Wales till he was taken and put to Death as by and by we shall acquaint you This Escape of his enraged the revengful Clergy and therefore a Sham-Plot was set on foot to bring all his Friends and whoever had any favour for Wickliffs Doctrine into a general odium and danger In those days it seems St. Giles's Fields were a Woody lonesome place full of Bushes and Thickets and very probably being so near the Town many good People not daring for fear of Discovery to Assemble in the City might meet there for the Worship of God and hearing his Word This according to the Common Construction of Malice is Rumour'd to be a Conspiracy against the Government and upon this suggestion our Historians who by the way either were Monks or such as borrow from those that were came thither at Midnight and finding some persons there caused them to be Apprehended and shortly after Sir Roger Acton and several others of them Parsons in his Second Part of Three Conversions pag. 197. says Thirty seven but Sir Richard
should continue in prosperity falsly and Treasonably Contriving as well the State of the Kingdom as the State and Office of Prelates and the Religious Orders within this Kingdom utterly to Annul and our Lord the King his Brothers the Prelates and other great men of the Realm to Kill And to compel the Religious Orders to leave divine Worship and the Observation of Religion and to follow worldly Occupations and demolish both Cathedrals and Religious houses and spoil them of their Goods and to appoint the said Sir J. O. Regent of the Realm and to set up many Governments in the Realm as a people without an Head to the final destruction as well of the Catholic Faith and Clergy as of the State and Majesty of the Royal dignity did falsly and Trayterously order and propose that he with many other Rebells unknown to the Number of 20000 men from diverse parts of England Arrayed in Warlike manner should Privately Rise and on Wednesday next after Epiphany in the first year of the King at the Parish of St. Gileses c. in a great field they unanimously came together and met to fulfill such their wicked Intent persevering therein to Kill the King and his Brothers viz. Tho. Duke of Clarence John of Lancaster and Humphrey of Lancaster and also the Prelates and great men aforesaid as likewise to disinherite the King of his Realm they came Riding into the said Field Array'd after the manner of an Insurrection against their Allegiance to subdue our Lord the King unless by him with a strong hand they had Gratiously been hindered These are the very words of the Indictment which we the rather have repeated because the same was not Translated by Mr. Fox The COURANT. Truman and Tory. Tory. And how fares our Friend Nat Truem. Why truly the Lords of the Council to use his own insolent Expression have put him in a way to prove his Letters about Sir E. B. G. murdering himself Tory. As how prethee Truem. By justly sending him and his two Vouchers to Newgate Every thing you know naturally tends to its Center hence no doubt the impudent lie first came begot by the Stallion Popish Priests and Midwif'd by Dame Celier and thither 't is now return'd Tory. I 'l tell you this is a great disappointment There were Te Deums intended to have been Sung by our Catholic friends and Hundreds of us were got to the Tavern to be drunk for joy and now to be thus Balkt verily as Monsieur Coleman said There is no Trust in Man Will not this fadg then what shall we do now What sham is next O Roger where art thou Truem. Never trouble thy head with Roger he is playing at Cross purposes For Example The Question is Mr. L'Estrange why did not you for eighteen years together come to Divine service and receive the Sacrament according to the Establisht Church of England The Answer is the Parson of Dionis Backchurch The Question is M. L'Estrange why did you refuse to License a Narrative touching the manner of Sir Edmundbury Godfreys being found and say you did not know but you might offend some great people at White-hall The Answer is 't is not the first time The Question is Mr. Le' Estrange is you are no Papist why did you go to Mass and own your self to be a Member of that Church whereof the Pope is the Head The Answer is Brass Screws The Question is Mr. L'Estrange why did you refuse to Licence an Innocent Copy of Verses meerly because therein it was said That from the Cells of Jesuits and Monks there proceeded a brood to Riffle Subjects and to Murder Kings The Answer is Original Copy The Question is Mr. L' Estrange why did you refuse to Licence both an harmless and usefull Historical Collection of Popish Massacres and Cruelties and say 't was not fit to make the breach between us aud the Church of Rome wider and this since the Discovery of the present Plot The Answer is Forty Eight and pordage The Question is Mr. L'Estrange with what face could you affirm such a notorious lie that there were never above 50 Quakers at a time in the noisome Little-Ease of Bristol The Answer is Sir John Knight and 300 Horsmen The Question is Tory. Prethee leave thy fooling I wonder you dare talk at this rate at this time of day a Catholick friend of mine sent me a Copy of Verses last post out of Lancashire I 'l read a stanza or two of them We must not Blabb but only hint If all things fail the Divel 's in 't Wait but a little longer Our Plot will prove that 't is no wonder For Bones well sett if broak asunder After do grow the stronger For mark ye well altho our Plot In its first Tract succeeded not Yet much we have got by 't The Haereticks by shams and fears Are set together by the Ears Whilst Whigg and Tory fight The Tory he Swagâ—gers and Sings Drinks the Dukes health before the Kings And damns to be Emphatick When he expresseth wish and hope To Kiss the Gouty Toe of Pope Ere he 'l endure Fanatick Then for our hot Tantivy Boys That more with Oaths than pray'rs make noise They 'r Birds deâ—ile their Nest Whose Priest-Craft is preferment meerly Which or to get or save they clearly Will pass through any Test Our Friends are numberless to think on The Dammee Blades and those that drink on And Whore without all shame The Crack-farts Hectors Atheists Bulleys The Bankrupts Poets Sots and Cullies And some I dare not name Printed for Langley Curtis 1682 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY April 14. 1682. Livor post Fata quiescat Tum suus ex merito quemque tuatur Honos Some further Remarks on the Story of Sir John Oldcastle An Epitaph offered to his memory The miserable death of his persecutor Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury who made a Constitution against Reading the Scriptures LEt us go on to Examine the Matter of Treason charg'd on Sir John Oldcastle c. And must request the Reader to Remind the Record of the Indictment recited in English in our last in which besides the unaccountable omission of the Jurors names and the improbability that the supposed Fact should be Committed and Commission to the Judges and their Session and the Conviction should all bear date and happen upon one and the same Numerical day there are these other Observables that present themselves 1. 'T is therein alleadged that the design of these Imaginary Traytors in St. Gilses Thickets was to make Sir John Oldcastle Regent and why not rather King since the same Indictment charges him with design to kill the King And yet if he had a mind to be Regent why should he design to kill the King for then presently his Regency must needs expire The truth is this very expression renders it suspicious that this pretended Indictment was â—obbled up afterwards
is not again affixed but the Evidence of saving Faith and Testament of the Gospel being written in his heart is now added to the Seal and so it becomes compleatly authentick as not being bound necessarily to outward means Nor do we here exclude Gods free Agency in Baptism who in the Party Baptized in that Heretical Church may if it please him work Grace finding his own Water and his own Words finding I say his own Seal he can add his Covenant of Grace unto it yet no Child there Baptized coming to the years of Discretion unless he Renounce the wicked Faith and Relinquish the Idolatrous practices of that Romish Church can have benefit by his Baptism but to him it is Penal and Pernicious as Augustine speaks And now I proceed to another Argument That the Church of Rome is not a Church of Christ Argument 7. That Church which hath not a lawful Ministry is not a true visible Church of Christ But the Church of Rome hath not a Lawful Ministry Ergo. I know this to many will seem a Paradox but 't is a certain Truth for if the Church of Rome hath not a Lawful Ordination how can it have a Lawful Ministry But it has no Lawful Ordination 1. In regard of the Efficient Cause either Remote as the Pope as Head whence all their Ministerial Power is deriv'd or immediate as the Ordainer on whose Intention their Gratia gratis data dependeth So that here is a Nullity in the very Foundation of the Papal Priest-hood It is deriv'd from the Pope as Head of the Clergy and Church a Title Anti-christian and Usurp'd and so their Ministry is Anti-christian And if the Pope being Antichrist and an Usurper and Consecrating Bishops by vertue of his Papal Supremacy as Christ's sole Vicar and Peter's Successor cannot convey any power of Order upon his Bishops and Clergy what lawful Ministry can we expect in that Apostolical Synagogue So that Calvin an Author whom for Honour's sake I mention in a lewd Age when thousands decry him that either for Learning and Piety are no ways comparable to Him was in the Right in his Book called The Method of Reforming the Church Nego sub toto Papatu unum esse verè Episcopum I deny that under the whole Popedom there is one truly a Bishop and what then shall we say of their Priests neither have they any Ministerial Grace because it depends according to their Belief upon their Ordainers Intention and not upon Christs Ordinance Grace and Promise But 2 ly They fail too in the Formal and Fixal Cause of Ordination They have quite altered and Corrupted the Form and so the End thereof adding a New Form which overthroweth the Old and imposeth a New End viz. making the whole Essence and use of their Ministry to consist in Priesthood that is in Sacrificing of an Idol and so turning the Office of a Minister of the Gospel into an Idol-Sacrificing Priest For in the Form of their Ordination set down in their Tridentine Catechism Part the Second after Imposition of Hands with the sign of the Cross on the Party that is to be Ordain'd The Chalice with Wine and the Paten with the Host is delivered into his hands with these Words Accipe potestatem offerendi Sacrificium Deo Missásque Celebrandi tam pro vivis quam pro defunctis c. Receive thou Power to Offer Sacrifice to God and to celebrate Masses as well for the Living as the Dead c. And this praecipua Sacerdotis functio existimanda est is to be esteemed the principal Office or Function of a Priest Ad Extremum verò c. In fine Imposing hands again he says Receive then the Holy Ghost Whose sins soever ye Remit c. Eique Coelestem illam c. And thus the Bishop giveth unto the Priest that Heavenly Power of Retaining and Forgiving of Sins which the Lord gave to his Disciples Thus the very words of their Ordination Now we know that this power of Remitting and Retaining of Sins the Church of Rome placeth not in the Dispensing and Preaching of the Word of God but in their Sacrament of Pennance Thus they have wholly perverted their Ordination both for the formal and final End Nor do they less fail in the Material Cause ignorant unqualified Persons being ordinarily made Priests and such as only are able to Mumble over the Mass and Matins But it may be Objected That in Popish Ordination there is a Power Confer'd to Preach the Word of God 'T is true they do use these words of our Blessed Saviour which the Church of England useth viz. Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins ye Remit c. Which we do indeed understand of the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments But the Church of Rome otherwise meaning thereby the Priests power of Binding and Loosing in their Sacrament of Pennance And it is in vain for them to say That their Priests in their Ordination have any Power confer'd upon them to Preach the Word of God when their Practise is far otherwise Neither indeed is it lawful for them so to Preach the Word of God as it behoveth faithful Ministers of the Gospel viz. purely and soundly to the saving of Mens Souls For the pure and sound saving Doctrine of the Word of God is branded for Heresie in the Council of Trent Nor may their Bishops or Priests deliver the sense of it otherwise than according to those Canons and Decrees In a word See the Conc. Trid. Sess 14. Can. 3. Si quid dixerit c. If any one shall say That those words of our Lord and Saviour Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins ye Remit they are Remitted and whose sins you Retain they are Retained are not to be understood of the power of Remitting and Retaining sins in the Sacrament of Pennance but shall wrest them contrary to the Institution of the Sacrament to the authority of Preaching the Gospel Let him be Anathema Well therefore does the pious and judicious Calvin conclude Totum Sacordotium Papisticum non solum impia est vera Ministerii profanatio sed Execrabilis in Christum comumelia quisquis est sacerdos Papalis dâ—nec titulum illum abjecerit Christi Servus esse nequeat The whole Popish Priesthood is not only an impious Profanation of the true Ministry but an execrable Reproach against Christ So that whosoever is a Popish Priest until he renounce that Title he cannot be the Servant of Christ True Ordination is a sacred Institution of Christ whereby the Person Ordain'd is Invested with a Power to Preach the Word of God and to Administer the Holy Sacraments according to Christ's Ordinance But the Ordination used in the Church of Rome is not according to Christ's Institution to wit whereby the Person Ordained is Invested with a Power to Preach the Word of God and to Administer the Holy Sacraments according to Christ's Ordinance Therefore in the Church of Rome there is no true Ordination therefore no
certainly be damn'd And that the longer you continue in the Errors in this Life the greater will be your torments therefore we cut you off thus betimes that your pain may be the less c. The mercies of the wicked are cruelties and this is the charity which Roman Catholicks so much boast of But God forbid Protestants should entertain such Sentiments we dare not pry into the Ark the Lord and the Lord only knoweth who are his we will not therefore presume to pass a peremptory doom or affirm that no Papist can be saved but this we may maintain with truth and safety that none by that Doctrine which at this day according to the Canons of the Council of Trent is taught in the Papists Assemblies can come to Salvation Though still we doubt not but in such their Assemblies there have been from time to time and still are not a few who although out of weakness they have Communion with them yet either they never gave an hearty Assent to those more grievous and fundamental Errors which are therein taught or were ignorant of them or before their death renounced them and in the true Faith of Christ though fullied with many infirmities they dye and are saved For as of old in Jerusalem when it was most corrupt there were still many there who bowed not their knee to Baal but did sigh and cry out by reason of those Abominations which were committed in the midst thereof So there is no doubt but under the Papacy such at this day may be found who though they dwell in the Tents of Kedar may yet be Heirs of Canaan but these are not properly said to be of the Roman Church though in it Nor is this any thanks to the Church of Rome she prohibits the true Doctrine of Salvation to be Preach'd and advances Errors that utterly make void the Gospel and suppose some Predicant Friar or so should transgress the Rules of the Council of Trent and so Preach the Word of Life to the People as that Souls come thereby to be saved For Example say he shall Preach unto them that they must believe to be saved by nothing but the merits and righteousness of Christ imputed unto them That they must not look to be saved by their inherent righteousness but by the only mercy of God to them in Christ That every one must have a particular Faith and Affiance of his own for the pardon of his sins That they must Worship God only and pray unto him and that in Christs name only That there is no Sacrifice for sin but that of Christ once offered upon the Cross That Christs Blood doth so purge away sin as there remains no stain nor punishment after this Life c. I say if any Friar shall dare Preach thus I deny not but he may be an instrument of saving many Souls But in the mean time does not he fall under the heavy Curses of the Tridentine Canons Is not the Inquisition ready to clapp him up for an Heretick Do these that have imbib'd such his sound Doctrines dare avouch them or are not they forc'd to recant and do pennance for the same So that if any by some special providence secret power and unlimited mercy of God in the Church of Rome shall come so to believe as thereby to be saved both he and his Faith are disavowed as not being the Faith of the Church of Rome but accounted and accursed by her as Heretical Therefore as we deny not but some particular persons that outwardly seem of the Church of Rome's Communion may enjoy everlasting Life so we cannot but look upon the generality of them in a very deplorable case and their Souls in unspeakable danger for the reasons following 1. God saith expresly in his word Rev. 14. That if any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Hand he shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God And afterwards he saith all such shall be tormented in Fire and Brimstone Now whoever is joyned or reconciled to the Pope and submitteth himself to the Laws and Kingdom of Antichrist doth Worship the Beast and his Image Whoever openly professeth Popery receiveth the Popes Mark in his Forehead Whoever yieldeth to the practise of the Romish Religion receiveth his Mark in his Hand Let them therefore consider how they will avoid the Judgment threatned 2. Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Matth. 15. Teacheth us that such worship God in vain as teach for Doctrines the Precepts of men But the Doctrine of Popery as it addeth to Antient Catholick Religion is nothing but a Mass of humane Inventions Devises and Precepts Their Decretals are the Popes conceits their Forms of Worship contained in the Missals and Breviaries are meerly Humane From mans devise proceeded the Popish Worship of Angels Saints Images c. Most part of their Resolutions of Cases of Conscience is grounded on the Popes Laws Finally the turnings skippings heavings greasings spittings and other Ceremonies of Mass-Priests and their Followers proceed from man's invention Popery therefore by Christs rule is nothing but vanity weariness and vexation of Souls whilst they seek to serve God not according to his appointments but their own fond imaginations and how shall a vain Religion bring any man to heaven 3. We read Rev. 22. Without are Doggs and that Enchanters Whore-mongers Murtherers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie shall be excluded out of the Kingdom of God Now how like two Dogs do the Pope and his Adherents refuse and bark at Gods word and bite and tear those to pieces who seek to feed them with the Bread of Life Not a few of the Popes have been Magicians and Necromancers as Benet the 9. Gregory the 6. and 7. Sylvester the 2. Paul the 3 c. And one of their Offices in their Church is that of an Exorcist or Conjurer They permit publick Stews allow Concubines and to Monks Friars and Mass-Priests forbid Lawful Marriage They have murdered and Massacred millions of Christians to erect and uphold their Anti-christian Kingdom They set up Idols in Churches and every corner of their streets and in high-ways giving Divine Honour to the Cross and to the Images of the Trinity and calling the Sacrament their Lord and God and making Vows Prayers and Confessions to Saints and burning Incense to Images and saying Mass in Honour of Saints and Angels Finally they do not only make and delight in Lies as forging not only horrid slanders against M. Luther Zwinglius Calvin and other sincere Preachers of Gods word but also against all Protestants asserting that we teach That God is the Author of Sin That Christ despaired That there is no Hell but horror of Conscience That good works are not to be practised or commended c. All which we expresly detest Therefore these wickednesses in Papists not being so much the sins of particular private men as the natural consequences of
shall Eccho in his Ears that Christ shall disown all those as unworthy of his Kingdom who have here been ashamed to confess him before men But how fond are we to indulge our sins and what sorry Shields will men make use of rather than not have some colour of patronage for their crimes These Nicodemites these colloguing Hypocrites who think they can make a match between Light and Darkness and at once pass Homage both to Christ and Belial that they may seem cum ratione Insanire to offend God with warrant from his own word plead Scripture the Divel did so of old for their practice and alleadge the example of Naaman the Syrian 2. Kings 5. who being Miraculously Cured of his Leprosy came to acknowledg the true God of Israel and resolv'd not to Worship any other Deity for so saith he to the Prophet Elisha v. 17. Thy Servant will henceforth Offer neither Burnt Offering nor Sacrifice unto other Gods but unto the the Lord. But then in the next verse he comes with this Reserve In this thing the Lord Pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to Worship there and he leaneth on my hand and I bow my self in the house of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing And the Prophet said unto him depart in Peace Which say these men implies an approbation or leave for him so to do if therefore it were permitted for him rather than lose the favour of the King his Master to wait on him into an Idols Temple and bow down and pay the external signs of Worship there still keeping his heart upright to the Lord why may not we for like reasons assist at Mass since in our hearts we contemn and abhor it This is the full force of the Objection To which I answer 1. My friend thou that makest use of this Plea I cannot but admire since in the word of God thou hast a general road the Kings High way plainly set forth by commands and hedg'd in with Prohibitions not to depart from it and trackt by all the Troops of Pilgrims to the new Jerusalem wherein thou canst not err why dost thou rather chuke to decline and start aside after this particular Example as into a By-path rarely troden where easily thou may'st go astray How comest thou so Eagle ey'd to discover theâ—e private passages and small Chinks and Crevises and yet art so blind thou canst not see the Door Canst thou be ignorant that 't is a very dangerous thing to follow particular Examples without some other Warrant For sometimes to some persons God as by a singular priviledge hath permitted that which to all in general he hath forbidden And many things he suffers which he does not approve We do not read nor is it credible that this Syrian General was ever Circumcised will you hence raise an excuse to avoid your own being Baptized what if we should say thou art more bound to confess publickly thy Faith and abstain from all appearance of Idolatry than Naaman was because God has vouchsafed unto thee a greater measure of understanding because somewhat was indulg'd to his ignorance will you who are many degrees beyond him in knowledge claim the save priviledge How absurd how rash is this be not deceived God is neither a Sophister nor will suffer his glory to be fullfilled or his Justice eluded by any Sophistical tricks or evasions But 2. This Scripture is by them abused and being rightly interpreted gives not the least countenance to their practise who alleadge it For first you must note that this noble Syrian as long as he liv'd in Idolatry and Superstition with great cost and pomp was wont to Sacrifice to his Idols for the meanest men would strain themselves upon such occasions But now what does he resolve that henceforword he would only Sacrifice to the God of Israel Now what was that less than to make a publick notorious Profession of his having abandon'd the false Gods and only to cleave to the Lord whence the world might as easily perceive that he was no longer an Idolater as if he had proclaim'd it with the sound of a Trumpet For how could they doubt but he had cast off those Gods to whom he paid no more Offerings as he was wont to do be hesides loads away two Mules with the Earth of Canaan whereon he might adore the living God least otherwise by the contagion of profane Earth his Sacrifice should be polluted which was another solemn testimony of his Profession But afterwards he beggs pardon if he go into the Temple of Rimmon if he did this that he might counterfeit a worshipping of that Idol it would be some pretence indeed for them But the matter is quite otherwise for the words import only thus much If the King my Master shall happen to go into the Temple of Rimmon and leaning upon my â—oulder shall worship there though I bow down in civil respect to my Prince and Master let not the Lord impute it to me as though I worshipped the Idol The bowing of his body here intended was no simulation of Idolatry but a civil duty which he was wont to pay the King Those therefore that will defend themselves by this Example must first purge themselves from all suspition of Idolatry and openly show that they renounce superstition and then we shall have no controversie with them but till then 't is vain and ridiculous for them to think to shelter their impiety under this president Another excuse they would raise out of that pretended Epistle of Jeremy in the Book of Baruch chap. 6. where in v. 4. are these words Now shall ye see in Babylon Gods of silver and of gold and of wood borne upon shoulders be not afraid of them 〈◊〉 but say you in your hearts O Lord we must worship heeâ— I answer 1. This Epistle is Apocryphal and so not of sufficient authority and 2. the words are nothing to the purpose the Text only admonisheâ— them when they see them they should not be afraid of them but instead of joyning with them in their Idolatry should pay their Devotions to God That of Paul Acts 21. is somewhat more colorably yet well considered makes as little for their turn Paul say they though he knew the Ceremonies of the Law to be abolish'd yet to gratify those of his own Nation shaved his head according to Law Numb 6. 18. and vow'd and perform'd a purification after the manner of the â—aw â—f this were lawful for Paul to do we conceive we ought no more to be forbid the frequenting of Masses and other Popish mysteries 1. I answer 1. They are grievously reproachful first to God in comparing a Ceremony instituted by himself with abominable Idolatry and in the next place to Paul unjustly loading him with this infamy for was it a Ceremony condemn'd by God which Paul used or rather was it not yet an indifferent thing 'till the Light of
fearful Tragedy ensued Our great Grand-mother Eve express'd more than an inclination to Fall in that she presum'd to hold Chat with the Serpent Peter the Champion of our Lord the only man whose Sword was drawn in his Quarrel is so far infected with the Air of the High Priests Hall that as he warmed himself at the Fire so he cool'd in Devotion to his Master till at last he utterly denies him and swears and curses to it like any Tory. Most dangerous it is to come within the smell of false Religion Tertullian in his Book De Coâ—onâ militis cuts off all appearance of Idolatry not permitting Christian Soldiers to wear a Lawrel because Heathen Victinus were encircled with such Garlands etiam Draco Terrenus de longinquo non minus spiritu absorbet Alites faith the same Father The Babylonish Dragon will infect with his Breath even a far off and will you be so fool hardy as to venture into his Don Will any except a mad man run into an house infected to riffle for a rich Suit or dip his hand into a fiery Crucible to pull out Gold or hazard his Soul for acquaintance with all Religions and damn himself in a vain curiosity Fly from Idols is the charge of the Beloved Apostle 1 John 5. 21. I will destroy those saith the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah 1. 4. that swear by the Lord and Melcham Justly therefore doth rhe Apostle Paul cut off all Association with Idolaters an Association worthy to be abhorr'd by all true Protestants I would not that you should have fellowship with Devils no Society with Devils spiritually by having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Ephes 5. 11. nor Sacramentally by combining in the practise of a false Religion It carries a special Emphasis Numb 25. 4. That Israel joyned or as som Translations render it coupled himself with Baal-peor and what followed The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel He that will be safe from the act of evil must wisely prevent the occasions some indeed by a kind of spiritual Antiperistasis have thrived in Religion by being inviron'd with Heresie and Infidelity but these men are presidents for wonder more than Imitation their paths are not for ordinary steps Who dares venture on the mercy of Lions because Daniel in the Den found a guard or commit himself to a flaming Furnace because the Three Children escaped scorching 'T is merey above expectation to deliver that man who willingly casts himself into the mouth of a Temptation To close this Subject let us therefore beware of Blending Religions of thinking at once to serve God and Mammon of being both Papists and Protestants as conveniency serves Those that are neither hot nor cold God will spue them out The Jews might not Plow with an Ox and an Ass in the same Yoak The Church of Galatia might not indure the Co-partnership of the Jewish Ceremonies If Moses and Christ might not stand together much less Christ and Belial the Lords Table and the Altar of Devils Let us be united within our selves and bequeath oppositions to the Monks and persecution to the Inquisition learn manfully and resolutely to defie Rome and Hell come not within the pale or scent of her Idolatry and be ever stedfastly zealous for the Protestant Religion whereof Truth is the circumference and Jesus Christ the Centre This resolution to conclude in the words of Mr. Wotton an eminent Divine in the Church of England will bring safety in peace and in war victory that no ill tidings shall affright you no Plots harm you no losses discourage you no menaces turn you out of the right way the Lord Jesus himself like the Angel in Joshua will march at the Head of your Troops and be as a Cloud to refresh you in the heat of Summer and as a Fire to warm you in the cold of Winter your Swords shall eat the Flesh of your enemies your Pikes and Bullets shall be be drunk with their Blood and Babylon shall be cast like a Milstone into the Sea to the Glory of God that hath appointed her this punishment the increase of Religion the safety of the State and the honour in this Life and everlasting Salvation in the Life to come Necessity of Separation from the Church of Rome p. 295. The COURANT. Truem. PUt case I say that a Gentleman that scarce ever came to Church in almost twenty years together since His Majesties Restauration thinks convenient for Reasons best known to himself to make a Solemn Declaration that he is no Papist c. and that he intends to take the Sacrament upon 't and comes on the Wednesday to the Curate and Church-wardens desiring them to be witnesses and they or one of them knowing him infected with the Itch of Scribling tell him they will sign it but would by no means have their names exposed in Print whereupon he solemnly promises their names shall not be Printed yet on the Saturday following Prints them at large and has them bawl'd about all the Streets see Observ Numb 126. and yet for all this premeditated Breach of Faith at which an Heathen would blush roundly goes next day to the Sacrament What would you think of this man and the credit of his Protestation Tory. I must needs think him a great Knave and his Declaration no more to be credited than a Jesuites under the Gollows Truem. Hold hold or you 'll be Excommunicated at Sam 's why our Old Friend in High Holbourn is the very man Tory. How Nay then the Case is alter'd I 'le lay a wager he 'll deny it Truem. So the Papists do their Plot and so 't is probable he would the Creed when 't is for his advantage but his denial makes it nevertheless a Truth The Gentlemans Trade is Leasing-making and if that were half so Criminal in England as 't is said to be in Scotland he had trudg'd further North-west long ago Tory. Come come we shall have you in the Observator Truem. I value the driv'lings of an Observator no more than Harry Care does the silly Tories impotent malice in burning him in Effigie at Norwich O Heavens how some peoples Fingers itch to be at Fire and Fagot and will play at small games rather than stand out Had not the Writ De Haeretico Comburendo been unluckily abolisht they would no doubt have been glad to have Roasted the poor Fool in bad Earnest yet know no more harm by him than the Man in the Moon only that he has the courage to write against Popery once a week when swarms of Libels and Pamphlets are scattered every day to promote it I had almost said with Impunity Tory. There 's no fear of Popery man hast thou not seen a choice Book Intitutled Plain dealing is a Jewel c. Truem. Yes though like the Pestilence it yet walks in darkness I got a sight of it by the same token the Author p. 15. makes a Solemn Declaration just like
acknowledge him the said Sigismund as King But before this Treaty was fully perfected Ziska dies Some say that he should bequeath his Skin to make a Drum of or that his followers should carry it about with them thinking thereby to fright their Enemies but this I conceive but a Fable and yet 't is little more than what our valiant King Edw. the 1 st did who on his Death-bed commanded that his Bones well boil'd from the flesh should in a fit Vessel be carried about by his Son 'till he had Conquer'd the Scots telling his Son that as long as he had his Fathers Bones with him none should overcome him This is certain that after his Death the Bohemians call'd themselves Orphans as having lost the common Father of their Country man nor will it be amiss to insert here his Epitaph written on his Tomb in the City of Tabor as we find it before the History of the Abbot of Vrsperge I John Ziska rest here in the skill of Military Affairs not inferiour to any of the Emperours or famous Captains of old A severe scourge of the pride and covetousness of Clergy-men and a most valiant Defender of my Country That which Appius Claudius being blind did for the Romans in well counselling and furious Camillus in valiantly exploiting the same have I done for my Bohemians I was never wanting to the good fortune of the war nor it to me I have foreseen though blind all advantages and opportunities of well doing and with Ensigns display'd have fought eleven times in the open Field ever victorious It seemed to me most fit and honourable to take in hand the most just cause of the miserable and hungry against the delicate fat and full-cram'd Priests and in this doing I have found the assistance of God giving a Blessing to my arms if their envy had not hindred it no doubt I should have merited to be numbred amongst the illustrious men nevertheless my Bones lye here in this sacred place without asking the Pope any leave and in spight of his Teeth John Ziska the Bohemian an Enemy of Priests that are covetous of dishonest gain but in a godly zeal After his death the Pope and Emperour thinking the Hussites much discouraged thereby as in truth they were sent several great Armies against them but still they were strangely discomfited for the Bohemians saith Monstrelet feared neither death nor torments their very Women took arms and fought and the dead Bodies of many of that Sex were found amongst the slain in several Battels Wherefore being not able to extirpate them by War they are invited to come in order to hearing their demands and giving them satisfaction to the Council of Basil Indeed most of the Bohemian Churches being sensible of the perfidious treachery used to Huss and Jerome at Constance were loth to send any Deputies thither but the Nobility over-rul'd the matter that some should be dispatcht to render a Reason for the Innovations in Religion laid to their charge Commissioners were therefore chosen and sent amongst whom the most eminent were John Rokizane of Prague and Nicholas Episcopius of the Taborens both famous Divines and of the Nobility Procopius the General of the Taborens and William Rastka Baron of Postupiez and others who being honourably conducted in their passage and courteously received at Basil They declared that at Constance they had been condemn'd unheard though they held nothing but according to the Scriptures and then exhibited the four Requests and Articles following desiring that the Council would grant them or allow them to defend them by Argument 1. That the use of the Cup may be restored to the people and that the Service of the Church might be in their own Tongue 2. That Clerks or Ministers might usurp no Authority in Seculars 3. That the word of God might be freely Preached without disturbance 4. That there may be publick punishment of publick offences These Articles being read the Popes Legate demanded if they had nothing else to propound because he had heard it reported that they affirmed that the Orders of Monks were from the Devil Procopius made answer from whence else I pray can they derive their original which was instituted neither by the Patriarchs nor Prophets neither by Christ nor his Apostles However a Conference was appointed and 40 days some say 50 the Disputation lasted and when the Bohemians could not be confuted by Arguments they were at last wheadled into a composition John Rokisane being himself corrupted with the hopes of an Arch-bishoprick seduced others of the Commissioners and so matters were subtilly carried that leave being given by the Council that they should enjoy the use of the Cup in other matters they were brought to consent These four Articles with some Explanations were afterwards named the Concord and Commissioners were sent into Bohemia from the Council and Emperour to declare that Realm was received again into the Bosome of the Church and a Diet being there Assembled on that occasion Rokisane very rhetorically explained and magnified the benefits of this agreement whereby so much War Bloodshed and Devastation as otherwise might have happen'd to the Kingdom was prevented and now he was pleased to mention the Pope and Cesar in other Language than heretofore when he was wont to stile the one the Whore and the other the Beast This Rokisane continued a pitiful Hypocrite long after and at last died uncomfortably Anno 1471. The craft of the Council in granting the Cup to the Bohemians provided in all other things they would submit was considerable for hereby they set at variance the Calixstines and the Taborites and consequently prevented all their further endeavours of Reformation and the pure professors of the Gospel henceforwards were as much hated and persecuted by those that enjoy'd the use of the Cup as by those that disown'd it It was no little grief to many especially of the zealous Taâ—orites to depart in this manner from the Doctrine and Discipline of Christ delivered to them by Huss and return again to the profession of the Church of Rome nor could they ever be wholly brought over to embrace it but the truth has remained still amongst them and great Persecutions have they suffered even to our times as by the History thereof brought down to the year 1632. and Printed at London Anno 1650. appears To return to the Council of Basil the other most material Decrees they made were 1. That no Actions Suits or Controversies should by Appeals be carried up to be decided in the Courts at Rome which were above four days distant from thence 2. A Regulation of the Cardinals that they should not be above 24 in number and to exclude the Popes Nephews and Kindred from that office 3. Against the payment of Annals or first fruits to the Pope 4. Against Priests keeping Concubines 5. They brought two new Holy-days into the Church viz. The Conception and the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary As long as