sinnes of the soule are cleansed and taken away aswell by a creatures milke as by Christ his blood is this the catholike doctrine they brag so much of is this the catholike Church that teacheth such diuinity is this the chaire of S. Peter the seate that cannot erre If it be so then what didst thou meane thou St. Iohn Euangelist to teach that it was Iesus Christ that faithfull witnesse Reuel 1.5 that first begotten from the dead and that Prince of the Kings of the earth euen he and not any creature who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood sure either must thou recant this doctrine els they that boast themselues to be successors of thy brother Peter may be ashamed of theirs who tell vs that our sins are washt away in her milke as well as by his blood and you that are the dutiful and deuoted children of that Romish sear be Iudges euen your selues in this case what can be said heereunto how can it stand with scripture or with the tenor of true catholike faith or how can it any way be defended that a creatures milke can quench the fire of sinne in the soule as well as Christ his blood Can ye say that heere is onely ascribed to her and her milke a deriued vertue from another and that the original and fundamentall power is onely and wholy in Christ and his blood if it were so it were lesse euill though Christ Iesus may not nor will not bestow the prerogatiues of his Mediatorship on any creature but looke and wade ouer the words againe and again expound them with any fauour that the wordes may beare and you shall not see the least difference Suffocare queo Sanguine Lacte queo Detergere queo Lacte Cruore queo If Lust burne Anger boyle Enuy fret Vaineglory swell I can helpe it with blood so can I with milke I can helpe it with milke so can I with bloud there can be no greater equalitie made betwixt any two thinges in the worlde then here they make betwixt this Bloud and Milke Can it be said that the Author is a Poet and said thus but to make vp the Verse which otherwise wold not haue falne so fitly surely no for a yong versifier can soone shew how the verses might haue run aswell as they do if he had not purposely laboured to sort his verse to his matter and not the matter to the verse For thus he might haue said Detergere queo sanguine Christe tuo with very little alteration And so of the rest but he as truly endeuoured to magnifie the milke as the bloud and therefore without any necessitie of the verse giues the same power place preheminence in euery respect to the milke as to the bloud but had he bene as sound and sincere a Christian as he is a good Poet he might in as good verses haue giuen all the honour to Christ as he deserueth Therefore my deere country-men be no longer seduced by a Religion so fraught with Atheisme blasphemy impyety doe but looke into the Scriptures Counsels or Fathers yea aske the honestest learnedst of your owne religiō or any except Iesuits or such other like them who frame a religiō to their owne purposes If this be tollerable Diuinitye that the Milke of the Virgin doth cleanse mans soule from sinne aswell as Christ his bloud If it be not diuinity but blasphemy no Christian doctrine but impiety and yet suffered yea approued in the Romane Church both by doctrine and practise then returne to that truth and holy religion which out of Gods word and according to the purest antiquity is established amongst vs with heart voice ioyne with vs to imbrace and say Amen to that holy doctrine of blessed St. Iohn who saith it is Iesus Christ that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes by his blood to him be glory for euer and euer Amen This was his religion this is ours oh that it were yours also he sucked this diuinity out of that blessed brest of Gods sonne whereon he leaned and if he had sucked thence this diuinity of the Iesuits that the virgin Mary washed vs from our sinnes by her milke surely he would neuer haue concealed it from vs nor haue depriued her of the honour nor vs of the comfort that thereby might accrewe both to her and vs for he was her sonne by her owne adoption yea her sonne by the gift and nomination of her sonne and sauiour yea her sonne in loue duty and all respectiuenesse could he then or would he in any sort obscure her due glory would he giue too much to her sonne and too little to her would he giue all that to her sonne which in parte was hers can this may this or dare this be immagined by any Iesuit If not then how dare they extend their deuotion beyond his and ascribe that to her which he neuer did yea that to her which he appropriates to Iesus Christ If they thinke that Peter had more deuotion then Iohn 1. Pet 2.24 hearken then what he saith Iesus Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree let the words be pondered Iesus Christ saith he bare our sinnes true say they but so did the virgin Mary also No saith Peter he himselfe his owne selfe bare them yea in his body he bare them in his body say they that is true but he beares them in his mysticall body in his members much more therefore in his mother which is more then many members of his body nay saith St Peter he bare our sinnes his owne selfe in his body but what body euen that body that was on the tree therefore if St Peter preach true diuinity then is this doctrine of your Teachers hainous blasphemy All that may be imagined for their defence at the best is this that all this is but poeticall hyperbolicall or proceedes from the passion height of deuotion but that in truth and earnest he ascribes all to Christ to his blood makes his prayer to him and puts the confidence of his heart in him alone but least any man should haue the least suspition of him this way or thinke so good a thought of him he deales yet more plainely and to preuent all such thoughts and obiections he makes his prayer both to the mother and the sonne without any difference in the world to the one for her milke to the other for his blood for thus he saith Ergo par ens et nate meis ad vertite votis Lac peto depereo sanguinem vtrūque volo That is Mother and Sonne giue eare to what I craue I begge this milke that blood both would haue Heere is plaine dealing it is not the Sonne and his blood that will serue his turne he must also haue the mother and her milke is not this good catholike doctrine and deuotion but further is it not strange to see how he
himselfe to the Virgin Mary If any Man feele himselfe agrieued at the iustice of God seeing God hath deuided his kingdome with her for whereas God hath Iustice and mercy he hath reserued Iustice to himselfe to be exercised in this world as it pleaseth him but Mercy he hath committed to his mother If therefore any man finde himselfe agrieued in the Court of Gods Iustice let him appeale to the Court of mercy of his mother This diuinity was so well relisht in the Romish Church that after he had preacht it he publisht it vnder the Popes owne Patronage and the booke was againe printed within these three yeares but what say the Iesuits to it they testifie that this booke is a learned and godly booke full of goodnesse and piety Fourthly Horatius Tursellinus himselfe a Iesuit of good esteeme amongst them Horatius Turellinus in Hiâ—toria virg lauâ—tanae in prefat writes thus Almighty God hath made the Virgin his mother as farre as he may lawfully partaker of his diuine power and Maiesty Now surely if God haue made her fellow with him of his diuine maiesty lesse maruel if Christ haue made her fellow in the worke of redemption Posseuinus in â—it H. And this booke written by a Iesuit hath publike allowance and is dedicated to Cardinall Aldobrandino Fiftly a great Spanish Doctor and professor of diuinity of his order writes thus Iohn Chriâ—ostomus a visiâ—atione de vertis domine to 2 â—ib 2 cap. 2. We haue often seene and heard of very many who in their extreame dangers haue called vpon Mary and presently were deliuered for oft times safety is sooner obtained by calling vpon the name of Mary then by calling vpoÌ„ the name of Iesus Christ the sonne of God Posseâ—inus â—â— apparatu â—icro lit l And this booke is both dedicated to Pope Clement the 8. receiues publike allowaÌ„ce by the Iesuits his name is Chrisostome as tho he were a golden mouthed speaker but if this be his doctrine that her mediation is as powerfull or rather more then is her sonnes it is pitty but he should be calld and accounted a leaden mouthed wretch By all these many more that as the learned know might easily be produced it may appere that this blaspheming Iesuit Bonarscius in this his detestable comparison of her milk with Christs blood saith no more in effect then others both of his religion perticular sect and therefore it may be iustly concluded this is the doctrine and diuinity not of him alone but of the Iesuits and of the popish Church it selfe as long as it stands approued or vncondemned by them Now then if this be the diuinity of the Romish Church 1. That a Creatures milke may be mingled with Christs blood in the matter merit of our saluation 2. That it helpes and heales spirituall sores of the soule as well as the blood 3. That though no man did yet a woman did help God in the worke of our saluation 4. That the Psalmes may be turned from Lord to Lady 5. That a man may appeale from God to the Virgin Mary 6. That God hath deuided his kingdome with her keeping Iustice to himselfe and surrendring Mercy to her 7. That God hath made her pertaker with himselfe of his diuine power and Maiesty 8. That a mans prayers are often heard rather by and through her then Christ Iesus If these I say be the doctrines of the present Church of Rome then let the Christian world be pleased to obserue 1. How farre the present Romish Church is degenerate from the antient 2. How great cause we and al Churches of God haue to seperate from such a sinagogue 3. How iustly they may be pronounced Antichristian who thus hainously disparage the person and office of the Mediator 4. How vntrue it is that by many is suggested that the present religion of Rome is much reformed refined at this day for it is most certaine in the former times these would haue beene condemned as blasphemies euen in the Romish Church it selfe And lastly you of this most Honorable and reuerend assembly of the church CoÌ„mon-wealth of England may here see what cause there is to pronounce the true Papists Hereticks considering the present Church holds not onely these but many other fundamentall errors both for matter of faith and of gouernement which are perticularized in my Epistle And considering that all meanes haue beene vsed to reclaime and reforme her but all is in vaine for she is that Babilon that will not be healed wherefore it is our duty to forsake her and leaue her to the iust hand of God Thus shall we follow the counsell of the Prophet in the like case who saith we would haue healed Babylon but she vvould not be healed let vs forsake her and goe euery man to his owne Countrey for her Iudgement is come vp to heauen and lifted vp to the cloudes
and to establish that worship which they doe vnto them God suffereth so many miracles to be done euen by their Images which answere being well considered of what a kinde of doctrine it containeth I leaue to the learned and iudicious Reader I onely say that if this be true then how sorteth it with the very body and current of his story by which no man can deny but it is apparent that most of the miracles which he specifieth were done almost 200. yeares agoe namely betwixt the yeares 1400. 1500. long before Luther began to preach and as they say afore our Religion was in the world and consequently before the worshipping of Saints was withstood therefore it followeth that miracles were ordinary at Saints Images euen then when worshipping of Saints was not denied Lipsius might haue done well to haue reconciled so euident a contradiction But what assurance haue we for the truth of these miracles or how know we that this is an approued picture of our Lady Lipsius answereth that there was one Sophia daughter to the Landgraue of Hesse by his Lady Saint Elizabeth a Saint of Pope Gregory the 9. making within foure yeares after her death This Sophia saith he as it is thought had certaine Images of our Lady giuen her by her mother Elizabeth was it then but thought so and must we now beleeue it one of these she gaue to the Nunnes of the Nunry at Vilvord and that was called our Lady of comfort 2 more she gaue to Madam Machtild or Maud her husbands sister who bestowed them thus one she gaue to Grauesand another to Harlem two townes in Holland the third which it seemes stole all the vertue from both the other to Hall a towne in Henalt and this is that we now speake of and to ad more credit to the story he tels vs that this Lady Maude was Mother to that Ladye Mawde who bare at one birthe 364. children which were all borne aliue An olde storye but greatly suspected by Erasmus and other learned men to be fabulous and baptized by a Bishop So saith Lipsius this is that image which now we worship at Hall and thus strong a foundation hath the storie and now may not all Caluinists be ashamed to doubt of this storye or to suspect these grounds Now therefore surely we must needs beleeue els we are vnbeleuing heretikes that one was before this Image dispossessed of a diuell without any other meanes for so he saith that ten at least were deliuered froÌ„ present death by but calling or thinking vpon our Ladye at Hall and that seauen were raised from death to life being but layd before the image and all these within the space of xx yeares and in one countrye so ordinarye a matter is it in Poperye to raise the dead Nay we must beleeue or els we are infidels that when a faulkener should haue beene haÌ„ged for loosing his Lords faulkon and had the rope about his necke An excellenâ— and new founâ— way for faulâ—ners to â—e their lost â—â—kes neuer â—ore heard prooue this â—sius and â—u wilt haue â—ny Faulkers turne paâ—ts and did but call to mind the Ladye of Hall forthwith the Hawke came flynge home againe and light vppon the faulkeners shoulder and so saued his life for this is not Lipsius ashamed to report Which if it be true then we shall lesse wonder hereafter at that in the legende where it is reported how a Parrat hauing gott abroad out of her cage and sporting her selfe in the ayre was by and by espied by a hawke who being readye to seaze vppon her Instantly the Parrat seing herselfe in danger to be surprized cried out S. Thomas a Becket saue me and presently the hawke fell downe dead and the Parrat was deliuered â—ee the booke â—alled Liber â—onformitatum â— Franciseâ— â—f any impresâ—ion As also those miracles of S. Francis so far beyonde Christs or his Apostles that he tamed wilde beasts that he preacht vnto a Wolfe and conuerted him from his crueltie and calling him by the name of his brother Wolfe made the towne of Engubium him friends who of long time had beene at contention and for the assurance of the peace he made his brother Wolfe to giue him his faith in the Market place before the Magistrates and afterward the Wolfe went vp and downe the citye and tooke his meat from dore to dore Loe here you heretikes here is a Miracle worth something and if they wil not beleeue me looke in the holy booke of Conformities See the conformitye of the olde impression and his life in English and there you shall finde all this and much more as namely how the birds would come flyng and the beasts flocking about him to heare him preache and how the Nightingales and other birds would come and helpe him to say Masse and sing his office and would answere him verse for verse Come out ye heretikes Caluinists and Lutherans Saint Francis and his followers challenge you all to bring out one miracle like these Sedulius a Popishe writer hath this laâ—â— yeare defended all these to approue your religion surely they may and for ought I see Christ and his Apostles also for they neuer wrought such a miracle to confirme the Gospel Is it not then apparant that saint Francis hath done more then Christ did Oh my deare countrymen you that name your selues the catholikes of England if you would but open your eyes and consider of this I durst make your selues iudges what diuinitie this is if you suspect me beleeue me not looke into the bookes themselues and beleeue your owne eyes if you say vnto me that some such impieties and follies might creepe into the olde bookes 100. or 200. yeares agoe when the times were not so warye nor suspitious but the Church hath since reformed such abuses I answere I alledge most of this out of the Booke of coâ—formityes lately corrected and printed in Italye within these 20 yeares but if you looke into the olde one printed 100 yeares agoe wherewith your forefathers were abused you shall there finde such matter a for reuerence of the Reader I shame and for the honour of God I feare to write And as for these miracles at our Ladyes picture at Hall they were neuer offred to the worlds view nor euer came to light till within these 3 yeares that Lipsius a man who durst doe any thing but honour Christ presumed to publish them and with foule impiety to write that in these dayes Christ and his doctrine seruice and religion needes no miracles but the Saints and their seruice and worship do stand in neede thereof and as in the infancy of the Church Christ had his so in the perfect state of it Saints and their Images must haue their miracles See the conformitie of the â—olde impressioÌ„ or his life in English but obserue withall that if they say true more strange and as I may so say more Miraculous