THE VNMASKING OF All popish Monks Friers and Iesuits OR A Treatise of their Genealogie beginnings proceedings and present state Together with some briefe obseruations of their Treasons Murders Fornications Impostures Blasphemies and sundry other abominable impieties Written as a Caueat or forewarning for Great Britaine to take heed in time of these Romish Locusts By Lewis Owen STOB SERM. 44. Quae nascentia mala sunt ea crescentia peiora LONDON Printed by J. H. for George Gibâ— and are to be sold aâ— his Shop at the signe of the Flower-de-Luce in Popes head Alley 1628. TO THE RIGHT VVORshipfull Sir IOHN LLOYD Knight and Sergeant at Law and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace and Quorum for the County of Merioneth c. SIR NOt being able in any better manner to answer the greatnesse of the obligation wherein I stand ingaged vnto your Worship for your manifold fauours so often conferred vpon me I must intreat you to rest contented with an infinity of thankes which I presently send you together with this insuing Discourse or Pamphlet being A Treatise of the genealogy proceedings and present state of all Monks Friers and Jesuits in generall c. vntill such time as occasion shall furnish me with means to make you a more worthy satisfaction To the Gentle Reader AS our Sauiour Christ Courteous Reader hath builded his Church which he hath so dearly bought and purchased vpon himselfe the only sure rocke and foundation thereof Than the which as the Apostle saith no other can be laid So on the other side hath Satan alwaies sought nothing more than to vndermine shake and if it were possible to ouerthrow the same For he well peceiueth that so long as this spirituall house and glorious building standeth firmely and surely grounded and founded vpon Christ the euerlasting truth the way and the life contained in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles which they not only haue deliuered to the Church by liuely voice But as the faithfull Pen-men Notaries and Secretaries of the Holy Ghost haue also registred and committed to writing in the sacred Scriptures for the continuall comfort and instruction thereof Matt. 7.24,25 it remaineth vnremoueable and inuincible against hell gates and all the stormes and tempests raised against it by him and all his instruments Iohn 8.44 Wherefore he layeth all his battery and bendeth all his forces against this foundation labouring by falshood and lyes whereof he is the father to corrupt depriue alter obscure and deface the Gospell of Christ and the word of life and thereby to subuert and ouerturne or at least to weaken and shake the faith of the faithfull resting wholly thereupon This hath beene euer from the beginning his practise and is at this day and shall be vntil his kingdome be vtterly remoued and taken away Wherfore he is fitly named by Christ Iohn 8.44 A lyer and a murderer from the beginning For as by lyes he laboureth either to extinguish and abolish either to discredit and peruert the truth of the Word so doth he thereby intend and purpose the murdering and destruction of mankinde both body and soule For which cause our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ foreseeing the dangerous and malicious attempt of Satan gaue vs warning aforehand that we might not be found vnprouided and so by securitie and carelesnesse lose the victory Deut. 13. Therefore as well Moses and the Prophets before the comming of Christ inspired with his Spirit as also at his comming in the flesh he himselfe and his Apostles do giue vs a watch-word and often admonish vs Mat. 7.15 To auoid and take heed of false Prophets false Apostles and false Teachers though they work signes and miracles and come in sheeps cloathing that is make neuer so great a shew to be the true Prophets of God in outward appearance yea though they following the foot-steps of their father Satan 2 Cor. 11.14,15 Who transformeth himselfe the sooner to deceiue into an Angell of light turne themselues into the Apostles of Christ Here-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul chargeth the Galathians Not to beleeue an Angell comming from heauen but rather to hold him accursed if hee should teach vnto them any other doctrine than that which at his mouth they had receiued To the same purpose Saint Iohn 1 Ioh. 4.1 willeth the faithfull not to beleeue euery spirit but to trie the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are entred into the world But albeit this warning against false Prophets be in diuers places giuen vnto vs yet then especially doeth our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles labour to stirre vp the godly to a more continuall and earnest watchfulnesse and warinesse when they tell of the state of the latter dayes wherein wee liue Apo. 12.12 by how much they foresaw these times should be more perillous than any other in which Satan perceiuing his time and kingdome to be short should rage most violently and vse most tyrannie and strange practises to driue them from the only foundation Christ Take heed saith our Sauiour speaking of these later times Mat. 24.4,5,11,23,24,25,26 Mark 13.21 Luk. 17.23 that no man deceiue you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue many and there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect behold I haue told you before Saint Paul saith 1 Tim. 4.1,2,3 That in the later times men should depart from the faith and should giue heed vnto spirits of errours and doctrines of Deuils c. Peter also and Iude 2 Tit. 3.1,2,3,4,5 1 Pet. 2.1,2,3 Iud. 4.18 Declare that there should be false Teachers which should priuily bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that had bought them and that many should follow their destruction by whom the way of truth should be euill spoken of and should turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and deny God the only Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ But that is chiefly to be considered and marked which the Apostle Saint Paul writeth of Antichrist and his comming for before the later day he sheweth 1 Thes 2.3,4,8,9,10,11 That there should come an Apostasie and departing from the faith and that the man of sinne should be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God c. But to omit their monstrous and manifold errours drawn from the sinckes and puddles of all former Heretickes wherewith this confused and huge Babel of this Romish Antichristian kingdom hath beene builded vp the meanes and instruments whereby the same hath bin brought to passe are the hypocriticall swarmes of Popish Monks Friers Iesuits and such other irreligious Orders But especially the same is to be seene at this day in the new and lately inuented sects of the Iesuits Capuchins and the rest
signifieth a Sauiour and it is his propertie to Saue and no man else as the holy Scriptures doe witnesse Locor Theol. lib. 4. cap. 2. And Melchior Canus Bishop of Canary saith That that Societie being the Church of Christ they that attribute that title vnto themselues are no better than the Heretickes that doe vainly boast that the Church is no where abiding but with them The Iesuites on the other part affirme that the Society of Iesus was founded at the very point of his admirable conception vniting in his diuine person his humanity with his eternall nature Serm. de Vaderama pag 10. And that that was the first societie that God had with men And the first College thereof was the Wombe of the Virgin Mary And that it was but renued of late for diuers reasons and among the rest Bellarm. de Monach lib. 2. cap. 6. because that that feruour which is found in the beginning of a new Order exciteth men to piety which by little and little waxing cold it is needfull that new should be raised whereby that new may be entertained But as for the originall of this Society say they it is very ancient But if this be true I wonder why the Euangelists or the Apostles or any of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church or any other Writer vntill within these fourescore yeares neuer made mention of this famous Societie and noble College But indeed to lye and blaspheme is the ordinary trade of the Iesuites Let vs returne once againe to our Martiall Saint Ignatius indeed the first Institutor of this Iudaicall Societie of whom they report wonderfull things and among the rest they obserue that his name hath its signification from fire wherein they finde many yea infinite mysteries First of all as the Psalmist saith According to thy name O Lord so is thy praise throughout all the Earth thy right hand is full of Iustice As much thinke I may I say of Father Ignatius which signifieth a Saint composed of fire Serm. de Vald. pag. 10. and that in one of the names proper to God Our God is a consuming fire And on the other side saith he I perceiued that in his right hand hee carrieth the name of Iesus who was our Sauiour and Satisfaction And another saith Serm. de Deza pag. 112. That in these last times God hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne Ignatius whom he hath constituted heire of all things and in whom nothing is wanting but only the word whereby he made all ages Oh horrible blasphemie Valderama preached Pag. 74. That when Saint Ignatius plunged himselfe in the water vp to the very chin in the cold winter for to diuert a young man from certaine filthy desires one might say that Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas the Spirit of the Lord was carried vpon the waters The same Preacher in another place saith Pag. 10â— That when this Saint resolued to quit the Souldiers life the very house wherein he then was moued the walls shaked the posts and beames trembled and all that were in it betooke themselues to flight and ran out of doores as fast as their legs could carry them euen as when some strange eruption of fire doth suddenly break out with furious flames in some high mountain So when this interior fire began to be discouered in him who before was cold and frozen in the things of God it lightned forth in such sort that it caused a thousand feares a thousand amazements a thousand firings of houses c. There was neuer any Aetna or flaming mountaine that did the like Hitherto are the words of Valderama Truly I am of opinion that this fire was transferred after his death vnto his Societie it may be vpon his prayers and intercession seeing they doe participate so much of it for out of the feruour of their mercenary Religion they haue euer since exercised the trade of incendiaries in all places and not contented with a thousand fierings of houses made by their Institutor they haue set all Christendome on fire neither is there any Kingdome Common-wealth Citie or Prouince which they haue not enflamed with warres seditions and persecutions and therefore Ignatius may be properly compared to Mount Aetna the very mouth of Hell and the Iesuites vnto himselfe in that respect Virg. Eglog Sic canibus catulo similes sic matribus haedos Noram Sic paruis componere magna solebam This Saint hath wrought more miracles than euer any man did for Valderama saith Serm. Vald. p. 1â— That it was no maruell if Moses wrought such great miracles for he did them by vertue of the ineffable name of God engraued in his Rod it was no maruell if the Apostles wrought such miracles seeing they also did them in the name of God But that Ignatius with his name written in paper should doe more miracles than Moses and as many as the Apostles c. is that which sheweth so wonderfull vnto vs Idem pag. 55. The Iesuites by the merit of Ignatius can cast out deuils ding dong For it happened one night that the Deuill had almost strangled him and twice or thrice he beat him cruelly but since the good Saint had a full reuenge of him for it hath beene often seene by experience that after many prayers haue beene made many Saints inuoked many and sundrie Relickes applied the last and best remedy hath beene the Image of blessed Ignatius laying it on the patient or one of his Signets shewing it vnto him and saying Per merita Beati Ignatij abi hinc Spiritus maligne By the merits of blessed Ignatius I command thee euill Spirit to be gone And presently he departed And is not this a powerfull yea a victorious Spanish Saint that now dominiers ouer the Deuill that was wont to beat and abuse him before Vine el brauo Spaniol que haze la barba al Diablo Oh braue Spanyard that dare shake the Deuill by the beard In his Sepulcher was heard most melodious singing Idem pag. 89. yea his Sepulcher seemed a new heauen and the Angels descended downe in whole Squadrons to play the fidlers albeit no Angell euer appeared vnto him in his life-time yet the blessed Virgin Saint Peter the eternall Father and his Son carrying his crosse appeared vnto him And the reason was saith the Author because it arriued vnto him at his death as it arriueth vnto great potentates of the earth As long as a King is in his Palaces and houses of pleasure the Guard suffer none to enter but men of note vnlesse it be some necessarie attendants but when the King is dead and that he is laid on an Hearse in the great Hall of the Court then euery one is admitted to come in As long as Ignatius liued there was none but Popes as S. Peter Emperesses as the Mother of God or some Souereigne Monarch as God and his Sonne which had the fauour to behold him but as soone as
before the Image of our Lady of Atocha for Gods sake Now this fellow is either their seruant and hath a daily weekly or a monthly pension of them for his maintenance or else he is one that paies them a yeerely rent for it I omit also to speake of what infinite summes of mony is sent vnto them daily hourely out of euery corner of Spaine to fay Masses before this Lady I thinke in my conscience that this goodly Image doth bring in yeerely one way or another aboue foure or fiue thousand pound sterling to this one Cloister of Dominican Friers which are most commonly one hundred and fifty To conclude there is neuer a Cloister of Friers as well of this Order as of other Orders but they haue one Image or other to deceiue the silly ignorant people of their money as I meane to shew God willing more fully hereafter for I doe purpose to speake more at large of their rotten Reliques and other popish trash in another Pamphlet These Dominican Friers doe get an infinite summe of money with the Fraternity of the Rosary for euery one of the Lay-people of either Sex that is of their Fraternity must pay them a good round summe for their first admittance and a certaine annuall summe to say Masses for themselues their friends and the soules in Purgatory and these fooles are to haue nothing for their money but to be partakers of the superabundant merits of these Friers which they call Supererogations that is to say Good workes that the Friers haue performed ouer and aboue that which they are obliged to merit the Kingdome of Heauen for themselues and the brethren and sisters of their Fraternity And withall they haue procured many Pardons Priuileges and Indulgences from seuerall Popes for themselues and for the Nuns that are of their Order and withall for all the brethren and sisters of their fraternity as may appeare by the Copies of the Popes Bulls which are fixed vpon Posts and Pillars in their Churches Yea for euery Masse that is said vpon any of their priuileged Altars they draw one silly soule by the heeles out of purgatory if all be true that they say I shewed you before how Dominick and his Mates were Murderers let vs now descend and suruey his ghostly children and how they haue behaued themselues all this while whom if you view well you shall finde not to be inferiour to their bloudy Patron but to haue exceeded him for he murdered but a company of poore silly people but his Friers haue not spared Emperours and Kings whereof I could bring you many examples but for breuity sake I will content me onely with two or three referring the Reader to the Histories of seuerall Nations written by men of their owne Religion and are extant to this day A Frier of this Order poisoned the Emperour Henry the seuenth in the Sacrament or their breaden god Another Frier of this same Order poisoned the Emperour Henry of Lutzenburgh likewise in the Sacrament at the command of Pope Clement the fifth The reason was as Baptista Ignatius and Sleidan affirme because the Emperour grew too strong in Italy But these Friers got not much by the bargaine for many of them were afterwards slaine by the Emperours Souldiers Iames Clement another Frier of this holy Order did most shamefully murder King Henry the third of France which fact was not onely ratified and allowed of at Rome but highly commended by the Popes sweet holinesse and others for Mariana one of their Writers saith That that young man meaning the said Frier Iames Clement being of a simple spirit and weake body but one in whom a greater vertue had confirmed strength and courage got himselfe no small renowne by killing that King accounting it a memorable act And hee accuseth them of barbarousnesse and cruelty Meaning the Suizers of the Kings Guard that comming gaue so many blowes to a man that was dead before And withall he assureth that in his face it might haue beene read how ioyfull and glad he was amidst all his blowes and wounds that with his bloud he had bought the liberty of his Country for he had learned saith he of Diuines Iesuites and Friers with whom he had consulted that the Tyrant meaning the King might iustly be killed Vide Mariana in 2. Regum lib. 1. cap. 6. pag. 53. 54. O infamous and peruerse wretched Writer doest thou commend that villanous Traitor that murdered his naturall Soueraigne O detestable crime and so horrible that there is not a name so cruell or abominable as may sufficiently expresse it Damnable Monks Friers and Iesuites doe you reade in the holy Scriptures that it is lawfull for any one to murder I say not only his King but euen the basest man on earth The Law of God forbiddeth vs to defile our hands in humane bloud And God also commandeth in the Booke of Deuteronomy to take the Homicide from the very Altar and to slay him but as for Kings he hath giuen a particular priuiledge as the Lord saith by the mouth of the Psalmist You shall not touch mine anointed much more you shall not kill him Dauid also forbare to lay hands vpon King Saul his enemie albeit he had him at aduantage Did the Apostle teach you to murder Kings when hee said Obedite praepofitis vestris etiam discolis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dare you thus tread vnder feet the Law of God to which in words you vaunt your selues though falsly to bee so zealously affectionate Shame fall vpon you mischieuous and traiterous Hypocrites are not your Monasteries and Churches Sanctuaries for Murderers Deny it if you can The very Pagans shall condemne you in the latter day for albeit they were ignorant and knew not God yet they carried such respect vnto the Princes of their lands as to tearme them in reuerence the liuing portraiture of the supreme Diuinity Hearken what one of their Poets said Rex est Imago animata Dei If they be wicked yet you ought to obserue this good aduertisement which one giueth Principes boni voto quidem expetendi quale cunque tolerandi sunt But leauing these Traitors to their wickednesse I returne now to the matter Frier Iohn de Roma another good religious man of this Order and one of the Inquisitors of Spaine did prosecute the poore Protestants of Mirandula and other places of Spaine that he caused Boots to be filled with scalding hot Oile and drew them on their legs both to bring them to confession and to confesse where their mony lay hid At Chalon in France there liued in a Couent of this Order two reuerend Fathers that were in outward shew like Angels of Heauen neuerthelesse they loued the female Sex so well that they made them a Caue in a Rocke not farre from the City to entertaine two young whores where they purposed to performe their Monasticall vow of Chastity But their often walking from their Cloister to this sanctified Caue
Sepulchritae seu fratres Dominici Sepulchri 19 Fratres Vallischolariorum whereof some are as yet extant and some Orders quite dissolued and abolished 20 Victoriani 21 Gilbertini 22 Eremitae S. Pauli quos alij Augustinensibus annumerant 23 Fratres de Poenitentia 24 Coronati 25 Hospitalarij 26 Milites diut Iacobi de Spata And many more who doe differ both in Habit and Exercises as also in Rules and Precepts of life as Alfonsus Aluaris de Gueuarra one of their Writers witnesseth Of the Monks called Praemonstratenses THese Monks descended downe from Heauen as they themselues brag in the Bishoprick of Laudan at a place which they call Praemonstratum The Author of this Order was one Northbertus a Priest borne in Lorrain who patched vp an Order or Rule for his new begotten Monks out of Saint Augustines Rule which was afterwards approued and confirmed by Pope Calistus the second Bruschius Polydor. They weare a long white cloth Coat open before and a linnen Surplice ouer and ouer that a long white cloth Cloke a corner Cap or a Hat when they goe abroad of the same colour and vnderneath all Doublets Breeches linnen Shirts Shooes and white Stockins These Monks haue lands and reuenues to maintaine themselues and are rich wheresoeuer they liue This Sect began about the yeere 1170. and had Abbies likewise in England but at this instant I am perswaded there is not one English man of that Sect. Of the Cruciferi or Crucigeri or the Cruched Friers THis Order of Friers is more ancient than all the former Orders if ye will beleeue them For they say that Clitus Saint Peters Disciple and the third Bishop of Rome after him was warned by an Angell to build for them a house to entertaine all those that fled thither for the Christian Religion sake which he with all speed performed so that in a short time many godly men repaired thither and were entertained who for many yeeres afterwards bare a Crosse in their hands in memoriall of the death and passion of our Sauiour A thing vnlike to be true that Clytus should bee warned by an Angell to build a house for a company of lazie Friers to entertaine all those that fled to Rome for the Christian Religion sake whereas the very name of Monks or Friers was not then or many hundred yeeres after either knowne or heard of in the Church of God And withall the persecution was then so great in Rome that the Saints themselues were constrained to forsake the City and therefore it is not credible that other Christians should repaire thither for reliefe and succour in their distresse and persecution There are others of opinion that one Cyriacus Patriarch of Ierusalem and he whom they report to haue shewed S. Helen Constantine the Great 's Mother where the Crosse was whereon our blessed Sauiour was crucified was the first that instituted this order in memoriall of the inuention of the Crosse and that hee gaue order that these Monks should euer afterwards carry a Crosse in their hands And that this Cyriacus was afterwards martyred by Iulian the Apostata and therefore their Order became almost extinguished But Pope Innocentius the third about the yeere 1215. did reuiue it againe and euer since it hath flourished And Pope Pius the second commanded them to weare a skie colour Habit. But now this Order of Friers weare a Crosse of red cloth or Scarlet fixed to their Habit on their brest and weare blacke Matth. Westmonast Balaeus These Friers doe likewise liue by their Lands and Reuenues They had a Monastery heretofore at Tower-hill where you may see the ruines of it and that place is called by their names to this day Their first comming into England was in the yeere 1244. and their first Cloister was at Colchester Of the Trinitarian Friers Sabellicus Enne 9. l. 4. Polydor. l. 7. c. 4. IN the time of the same Pope Innocentius the third the Friers who are called Trinitarians began to shew themselues to the world One Iohannes Matta and one Felix Anchorita who liued a solitary life in France were warned in their sleepe as they report to repaire to Rome to the Pope to seeke for a place of him to build them a Cloister Is not this fine Iugling And this good Pope forsooth in the meane time was warned in a vision to entertaine them which he did and ordained that they should weare a white Habit with a red and a skie colour Crosse wrought on their brests in the same Their charge was to goe and gather Money to redeeme Christians that were Captiues vnder the tyranny of the Turks and Infidels and therefore they were called Monachi de redemptione captiuorum that is Monks of the redemption of Captiues But these good men so good forsooth were they they aimed at another kinde of redemption for they haue and still doe purchase Lands with the Money that they haue gathered and as for the poore Christian Captiues if they doe suffer for Christs sake they shall haue reward but let them expect no redemption from them These holy Friers scorne to haue any Saint for their Patron for they say that the blessed Trinity gaue them their Rule and Order as is to bee seene by these Verses which they write or paint in great capitall Letters in all their Couents Hic est ordo ordinatus Non à Sanctis fabricatus Sed à solo summo Deo That is Our Order was instituted By th' Eternall Lord of Host And not by Saints or mortall men As other Friers boast The first comming of these Friers into England was in the yeere of our Lord 1357. Of the Friers of the Order of our blessed Lady which they call in Spaine Los frayles de nuestra Señora de Merced ABout the yeere 1285. Martin the fourth being Pope one Philippus Tuscius a Florentine borne and a Professor of Physicke did erect this Order of Friers Pope Benedict the eleuenth and many other Popes after him did approue it and gaue them many Pardons Indulgences and Priuileges They haue many Couents in Italy and Spaine and are very rich but in France or any other Countries I thinke they haue few or none at all They weare a white Habit and are maruellously well deuoted to the blessed Virgin and haue many reuelations from her as they themselues report but all is but meere hypocrisie Sabellious saith That this Order increased so fast that within some few yeeres after their first institution they had in Italy 48. Cloisters wherein were more than 1500. Monks and Nuns Of the Order of Saint Briget SAint Briget a noble Princesse of Swethland being a widow did institute an Order of Friers and Nuns and comming her selfe to Rome obtained of Pope Vrban the fifth a confirmation of the same Order or institution that is that both Sex should liue together in one Cloister hauing a wall betweene them and that the Nuns should lie in the vppermost chambers and the Friers
these Franciscan Friers doe affirme that the Virgin Mary by the merit of her Virginitie saued all women to the time of Saint Clare who was the first Nun of Saint Francis Order and his most deare Companion as Christ saued all men vntill the time of Saint Francis as appeares in that booke which is intituled Flosculi Sancti Francisci which blasphemous booke Vergerius did answer But what followed his Answer was condemned as hereticall in three seuerall Indices of bookes prohibited by the Popes sweet holinesse and last of all by Pope Clement the eight Vide annot Vergerij in Iudic. lib. prohibit Anno 1559 pag. 9. And Discorsi sopra gli fiorreti di S. Francisco lit D. another Italian booke And is not this horrible blasphemie to make not only the Virgin Mary but also Saint Francis and Saint Clare equall to Christ Neither doe the Iesuites come short of these wicked blasphemers for they attribute as much vnto lame Ignatius their Patron as hereafter shall be declared when I shall come to treat of the Iesuites There was printed at Bononia in Italy An. 1590. a booke intituled Liber Conformitatum vitae Beati ac Seraphici Patris Francisci written by one Bartholomëus Pisanus and published by one Hieronymus Bucchius of which booke it is affirmed in the title page that it is Liber Aureus a golden booke In this golden booke is written that a Copia literae à Pisano generali Capitulo directa ad mitium lâ—b Conformitat Christus ipsum Patrem Franciscum sibi per omnia similem reddidit conformem Christ made Frier Francis like and conformable to himselfe in all respects And that b Lib. 3. Conformitat 31 fol. 303. col 3. fol. 306. col 4. In monte Aluernae Franciscus cum Deo Domino Iesu Christo vnius spiritus efficitur In the mount of Aluerna Frier Francis was made one Spirit with God the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And that Frier Francis said that the words of Christ c Matth. 25 40. Quod vni ex minoribus meis fecistis mihi fecistis That which you haue done to one of these my little ones you haue done it vnto me were spoken by Christ first Literally and secondly Particularly of his d Lib. 1. Fruct 1. fol. 13 col 3. Minorite Friers And that e Lib. 3. Conformitat 31. fol. 300. col 3. Beatus Franciscus titulatus fuit titulo Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum Frier Francis had the title of Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes And that f Lib. 1. Fruct 1. fol. 13. col 2. Nemo fuit Minister seruus Christi vt Franciscus ipsius perfectus imitator Christ had neuer such a seruant as Francis there was neuer any man who imitated Christ in so perfect a manner as Frier Francis Againe g Lib. 1. Fruct 9. fol. 112. col 4. Similis Beato Francisco suo ordini non est inuentus qui seruauit ad literam legem excelsi There was neuer such a person heard of as sweet Saint Francis and his lazie disordered Friers who kept Gods Law literally Yea h Lib. 2. Conformitat 17. fol. 228. col 1. Conformitate 25. fol. 272. col 2. B. Franciscus totum Euangelium ad literam obseruauit Saint Francis kept the Gospell literally Nec apicem vel vnicum transgreditur nec iota He brake not a tittle of it nor a iod These and many more fooleries and blasphemies are in that booke Againe i Director Inquisit par 2. q. 8. teste Capuccino in Euchirid Eccles fol. 236. Quod B. Franciscus est ille Angelus de quo dicitur in Apocalypsi vidi alterum Angelum habentem signum Dei vini That Frier Francis was that Angell of whom it is written in the Reuelation I saw another Angell which had the seale of the liuing God And also Quod Prophetia Apoc. 7. fuerit ad literam de B. Francisco diuinitus Domino Bonauenturae Cardinali ostensum They affirme likewise l Capuccinus lib. citato Quod B. Franciscus semel in anno descendit ad Purgatorium extraxit indè animas illorum qui in hac vita fuerunt de ordine suo seu de ordinibus per cum institutis ducit ad Paradisum That Frier Francis descends once a yeare down to Purgatory and brings thence all the soules of them who in this world were of his Order or any other Order instituted by him and caries them to heauen with him Moreouer they bring Christ in speaking to Frier Francis in these words m Lib. 3. Conformit 31. fol. 306. col 2. Sicut ego in die obitus mei ad limbum accessi meritis ac virtute stigmatum Passionis meae omnes animas quat inueni extraxi Sic volo quod tu vt fis mihi conformis in morte sicut es in vita in die Natalitij tui vadas quolibet anno ad Purgatorium omnes animas trium ordinum scilicet Minorum Sororum Sanctae Clara continentium 3. ordinis quos ibidem inueneris in virtute efficacia tuorum stigmatum eruas ad gloriam Paradifi perducas That is to say Euen as I meaning Christ at the day of my death went to Lymbum that is the place where they say the soules of the Patriarkes were and by the merits and vertue of the markes of my passion brought thence away with me all the soules that I found there so is it my will and pleasure to the end that you should be conformable vnto me in all things when you are dead as well as when you are liuing that you would vpon the day of your natiuitie euery yeare go downe vnto Purgatory and bring thence all the soules of those of your three Orders that is to say of the Minorite Friers of the Nuns of Saint Clara and of the Chaste and of the third Order by the vertue and effect of the markes that you haue receiued from me in your body and so bring them all to the ioy and glory of heauen Also they affirme n Capuccin lib. citato Quod nullus potest damnari qui deserat habitum B. Francisci No man can be damned who weares the habite or liuery of Saint Francis And that Christ himselfe reuealed it to Frier Francis o Lib. 1. Fruct 9. fol. 130. col 4. Quod nullus qui moreretur in tuo habitu esset damnatus Yea Quod Ordo B. Francisci in perpetuum durabit That Saint Francis his Order should continue till doomes day And againe this Frier Francis is by them highly commended for three notable acts 1 Antonin hist part 3. tit 24. cap. 2. sect 8. First for gathering worms out of the way that they should not be trodden on 2 Pisan Conformit lib. 1. Fruct 10. lib. Conformit 13. fol. 140. col 1. Secondly for calling all manner of beasts as Wolues and Asses c. his brethren 3 Vide Canum
and the concupiscence thereof but they carry it with them into the Monasteries for without doubt it is not possible to see the world better than in the Monasteries where a man shall behold nothing else but affections and passions of minde quarrels discords ambition pride hypocrisie and the like Oh that men will suffer themselues to be thus mocked and deluded by these Frierly shauelings that endeuour as much as they may in deceiuing the people with their counterfeit holinesse to liue like Epicures and to bee esteemed like Lordlings Oh that men should credit these Pharisaicall hypocrites that more regard the pampering of their bodies than the saluation of the soules of men which is the end of our hope and faith yea the very end of our life in this life Oh that men cannot see how they fight against the Gospell and seeke to ouerthrow faith with superstition couered with the cloake of true piety Why do not men open their eyes and perceiue how these Masse-mongers daily studie to inuent and finde out some new toy or bable therewith to draw the common people vnto them who are so simple and ignorant that they are straight way bewitched with euery new foolish and apish Ceremony that these Iuglers represent to their view What Christian is he that seeth not their hypocrisie that vnderstands not their fraudulent superstition wherewith the foolish people is inueigled Is there any but blinde buzzards that thinke that to weare the weed or habit of Saint Francis or to goe cloathed in that colour is good against the quartane ague and other diseases and to be buried in that habite is the right way to goe to heauen And therefore the Emperour Charles the fitt and his sonne that ambitious King Philip the second of Spaine the Count of Arrenbergh the Lord Albertus of Carpi Rodulphus Agricola Longolius a Noble Roman and many other great personages haue beene perswaded by the Franciscan Priers to die in Saint Francis his frocke But what need I to vse so many words These Monks Friers Iesuits and Popish Priests are come to that point with that opinion of holinesse that they haue rid themselues out of all other mens hands and aurhoritie and haue brought all other men vnder their feet They know not Christ whom the Gospell doth plainly set forth vnto vs which they keepe in prison And since they only had the handling of the booke of peace and libertie the common people thought they had taken all their doctrine out of that booke and with cursed and abominable lyes they take out here a peece and there a peece and with strange and fearfull false miracles and fained dreames of Purgatory they keep the people in so great feare and awe that they are constrained to beleeue their blasphemous and wicked lyes and deceits And withall if we consider their lawes and the waight and heauie burthen they lay vpon mens shoulders we may truly say that the Iewes law is farre more easier than theirs Thus haue they turned Christian liberty into slauery and bondage worse than that of Aegypt if worse could be What a presumptuous boldnesse is it to vsurpe the name of Saints yea of the most glorious and blessed Trinity and that sweet name Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour and vnder those godly and most blessed names to deceiue the world vnder the formes of Angels to worke all their deceits and trumperies Verily I beleeue that their cowles and ridiculous party-coloured habits were inuented by the Deuill to deceiue the world withall for if they were the same they pretend themselues to be and would be accounted for what need they weare such foolish disguised habits or garments more like women than men the which say they doe signifie that which they ought to be And therefore I say vnto euery hypocriticall Monk Frier and Iesuite Appare quod es vel est◠quod appares Appeare to be what thou art or else be such a one as thou seemest to be for it is a cleare case that where there is but a shew or signification of a thing the thing it selfe is not there If they were so in deed what need they to be in shew Praestat esse quam videri It is better to be than to make a glorious shew of being and againe Quid simio prodest leo si creditur Outwardly they are one thing and inwardly another of whom our Sauiour forewarneth vs in the Gospel saying That there should come wolues to deuoure vs clad in sheep skins because they would not be knowne The Deuil is craftie and he knowes how prone men are to beleeue euery toy or trifle euery counterfeit holinesse and superstitious hypocrisie hee oftentimes transformeth himselfe in his members to an Angell of light he informeth and teacheth his children to frame themselues after the manner of Hypocrites he maketh his seruants learned and expert in that art he maketh them to goe bare foot and bare leg'd to weare shirts of haire that by meanes of their outward austerity in apparell and food although all but meere deceits the people may proclaime and extoll them as Saints and honour them as Gods omnipotent and finally beleeue whatsoeuer they teach them their words to bee Euangelicall Much more could I say but because I am perswaded these few examples may suffice any iudicious and indifferent Reader I passe them ouer and referre him to the Histories of euery age since their first creeping into the world yea when Antichrist chiefly raigned in the hearts and consciences of most men and when his doctrine repugnant to Gods Word flourished most in all quarters of Christendome yet God raised vp some that spake boldly in publike assemblies and wrote against him and his Monks and Friers and their impious doctrine In their owne bookes one may reade how wickedly and hypocritically the papisticall votaries liued and daily experience teach vs how incontinently they liue at this present I will shew you what nine famous and eminent men in the Church of Rome wrote of them in a booke and exhibited it to the Councell of Trent and to Pope Paul the third desiring the Pope to haue certaine abuses corrected and amended in the Clergy men which booke is extant in Tom. 3. Concil per Crab. editionis Colon. Anno 1551. but in all other impressions through the thefts and deceits of the Monks Friers and Iesuites left out and suppressed In that Booke among many other things the Monks and Friers were taxed in these words Alius abusus corrigendus est in ordinibus Religiosorum quod adeò multi deformati sunt vt magno sint scandalo secularibus exemploque plurimum noceant Conuentuales ordines abolendos esse putamus omnes non tamen vt alicui fiat iniuria sed prohibendo ne nouos possint admittere sic enim sine vllius iniuria citò delerentur Nunc verò putamus vt omnes pueri qui non sint professi ab eorum Monasterijs repellerentur that is to say Another abuse