Orders of Monks and Friers like so many bulwarkes or strong forts to oppose all batteries and assaults whatsoeuer her Aduersaries shall plant or set against her As the Benedictins Carthusians Ieromites Bernardins Augustins Carmelites Dominicans Franciscans Capuchins Recollects Iesuites Theotines Oraterians Fullians Barnabists and an hundred more of these bald pates Also Nunnes Beghins close Nunnes loose Nunnes Sisters Canonesses And Hermites as those of the Orders which they attribute to Saint Anthony Hilary Macarius S. Theon S. Frontinian S. Paul the Heremite S. Apollonius and many more Now hath the Popes added to these the holy Gildes or Confraternities of Saint Roch Saint Hubricht S. Sebastian S. Coronna who are clad in blew Saint Anthony in blacke Saint Martin in white Saint Dominicke in blacke Of the Iesuites and Capuchins c. Yea moreouer holy Orders of Knights as those of the Rhodes or Malta Teutonickes or Dutch Knights Templers Knights of Saint Iames Our Ladies Knights Knights of Ierusalem Knights of the Order of Calatraua and many more whom for breuitie sake I omit for truly I had need of six hundred tongues and two hundred pens yea a mouth of steele with a brazen voice if I should declare all the diuersities of Orders and Religions which the holy Popes haue set vp not only without but also against the holy Scripture And yet I name not the Popes themselues their Cardinals Prelates Patriarkes and such like beasts whereof neither the Apostles or Prophets euer heard of nay I dare boldly say that if the Apostles or Prophets had but once seene or heard the hundreth part of these new Religious Orders named they would haue beene afraid of them For seeing that Saint Paul could not suffer that among the Corinthians some should call themselues the disciples of Peter others of Paul and others of Apollo how would he haue been then afraid and out of quiet to haue seene and heard of such an innumerable company of new and diuers names Professions Religions and Rules of perfection some clad in black some in white some in gray greene blew some in red and some in furres c. And euery one to esteeme his owne Order and Rules for the best and most worthy to be regarded he would surely haue thought himselfe to be in a new world Therefore the holy Father the Pope and his Monks and Friers yea all his Clergie men will not haue men to found themselues or depend only vpon that which the Prophets and Apostles haue written and taught for say they the world is now altered and the Popes haue found out and established new Religions new Commandements and new Articles of Faith whereof the Apostles neuer heard or knew of For otherwise beleeue me if nothing else were esteemed but the bare Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles then should the Decrees Decretals and Ordinances of the Church of Rome and all the Councells which haue beene kept and holden by the Order and Commandements of the Popes yea all the before specified Orders and Religions of Monks Friers Nunnes Heremites Gildes and Knight-hoods be vtterly ouerthrowne yea all their pretended Merits and Supererogations Prayers to Saints Purgatory and such like trumperies would not be worth a rotten Apple If men I say would begin to esteeme the holy Scripture alone for a true and sufficient rule and direction to attaine to saluation then should Luther be commended and praised for causing the Decrees and Decretalls of the Pope to be burned in Germany when his bookes were burned at Rome Now because there are many Monks Friers and Iesuites sent and transported into England out of the English Seminaries Colleges and Cloisters that are in forraigne parts as trading Factors for the Pope and the King of Spaine to extoll the sanctitie of the one and the power of the other I haue according to my bounden duty to my natiue Country and out of the zeale and reuerence I beare to Gods Church and true Religion vndertaken to write this ensuing Discourse my purpose being to discouer the beginning and in some manner the proceedings and present estate drifts and impostures of all Monks Friers and Iesuites in generall and of our English in particular and as well to instruct all those my louing Country men that are not as yet thorowly acquainted with their Impostures Hypocrisies Fornications Murders Idolatries Blasphemies many other abominable Impieties and inaccessible Mysteries as also to informe those that are carried away with the blind loue of these busie Hornets that they will not be perswaded that they are such wicked Hypocrites and impious Traitors as they are indeed to the end that the truth being knowne it may appeare in the face of the world what they are who in stead of the wholsome milke of the Word of God doe feed them who are committed to their charge with the poison of detestable Blasphemies and humane Traditions applying vnto the Virgin Mary and others their Saints many passages of holy Scriptures which are only proper vnto the Diuinity with their impious and abhorred doctrine of killing and murdering of Kings and Princes that are excommunicated by the Pope and Church of Rome We reade that many religious men heretofore contemning the world and all the pompe pride and vanity thereof withdrew themselues into Wildernesses and desart places in Syria Egypt and other Countries to the end they might the better being not troubled with worldly cares and incumbrances bestow their time in reading and studying the holy Scriptures fasting praying meditating and such diuine exercises Whereof Paul surnamed the first Heremite Anthony Hilarion Basil and Ierome were the first and chiefest among the Christians who for their sanctity of life were in those daies had in great honour for then this kinde of life was simple and free and not bound or tied to such vnlawfull Vowes and ridiculous Ceremonies as our moderne Monkes and Friers now adaies pretend to obserue and keepe Their Habit was then homely and yet decent as euery man best pleased to weare Neither were they bound to abide or remaine in any one particular place or Couent nor tied to one kind of life by vow but free to stay there where they liked best or to goe vnto any other City or Country where they would at their owne pleasure if that at any time it repented any of them to haue vndertaken or entred into that kind of life it was in his owne proper power to recant and withall to returne to his former vocation or calling againe without any note or signe of inconstancy or scandall which kind of life if the Monks of our time would imitate we should hold them farre more holy than we doe or to say the truth than they are indeed They sought out the most desart places they could find that is in the Wildernesse and therefore were called Heremites quasi eremum colentes inhabiting in the Wildernesse which the Grecians call Anchorites because they liued alone without any company and therefore
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
who liued among them many yeeres vpon whom the Emperour Charles the fifth bestowed the Arch-bishoppricke of Brundusium the which he refused to accept of chusing rather to leade his life among those religious men in praying fasting and contemplation than to trouble himselfe with any worldly promotion Within a short time after three other famous men in those daies ioyned with this Carrafa viz. Caietanus a Gentleman borne at Vicentia who was Protonotarius Apostolicus Bonifacius a Gentleman borne in Piemont and a noble man of Rome whose name was Paulus These foure men considering how the Roman Clergy men did then erre and go astray yea so absurdly degenerate from their ancient and primate sincerity and purity to the great detriment and scandal of the Christian Religion consulted together how they might preuent the future danger that houered ouer the Church and how they might restore the dignity of the Clergy to its ancient splendor and credit and afterwards keepe and preserue it and therefore they gaue and put all the wealth that they had to be spent in common among them as euery one of their society should haue need or occasion to vse the same with a full resolution hauing cast away all worldly cares to spend the residue of their liues in the seruice of God by fasting praying meditating singing of Psalmes and diuine Hymnes to the praise of God imagining that to be the best way to restore all things to their ancient purity and integrity and therefore they were called Presbyteri Regulares But because that this Carrafa had reiected that Arch-bishoppricke and vndertaken such a course of life to the great admiration and wonderfull amazement of all men they were called in the Italian tongue Theotini This Carrafa with his dignity and authority gaue them their first institution and did greatly increase this Society Afterwards this good man was created a Cardinall by Pope Paul the third which great dignity this great despiser of worldly wealth and refuser of Bishoppricks most willingly and gladly accepted and comming to Rome receiued the selfe same Arch-bishopprick which he had formerly refused And so this Fox refusing meane promotions because vnder colour or pretence of holinesse and austerity of Religion he aimed at greater first was created Senator of Rome and within a short time after Pope and called by the name of Paul the fourth Panauinus This egregious fellow of the Society of the Diuine Loue this contemner and despiser of the world and restorer of the splendor of the ancient order of the Clergy studied all the rest of his life no other thing but to hoord vp gold and siluer all his cares and meditations were how to extirpate and root out all peace and concord out of the world to moue wars betweene Christian Kings and Princes and to set all Christendome in a combustion To be briefe these Theatines doe differ very little in Habit from the Iesuits for their shirt bands are scarce to be seene so are the Iesuites and likewise in all the rest of their Habit they concurre one with another They are very rich for they heare Confessions as the Iesuites doe and thereby delude the people to giue them money and all things else that they want and yet they begge neuer or seldome publikely but haue all things necessary for prouision brought vnto their Couents Neuerthelesse this Order or Sect is as yet very obscure and not knowne in no other Country than in Italy for ought that euer I saw or heard of and therefore I will speake so much the lesse of them Of the Friers that are called the Fathers of the Congregation of the Oratory THese irregular Priests that call themselues Fathers of the congregation of the Oratory sprang vp of late yeeres and liued likewise very obscure vntill about some six or seuen yeeres agoe that they beganne to flourish in France In their Habit they differ but a little from the Iesuits and Theatins and in some townes where the Iesuits haue no College these Oratorians doe teach young children Their congregation doth for the most part consist of rich Rectors or Pastors of parish Churches vnlesse it be those that are the Lay-brethren yea I haue knowne some Bishops of this Congregation But most of their Priests haue Benefices They haue a maruellous great house in Paris not farre from the Kings Palace which did heretofore belong vnto one of the Peeres of France whither the King Queene and many Princes and Lords doe often repaire to heare Masse and Sermons in so much that they are very rich and in great reputation thorowout all France And therefore the Iesuites doe haâ—e them the more and not without a cause for since that they beganne to be so gracious with the King Prince and commons the Iesuits beganne to lose a great part of their former credit and reputation To conclude they are as superstitious and as idolatrous as any other Friers whatsoeuer yea they maintaine the selfe same position for murdering of Kings and Princes as the Iesuits doe and therefore no lesse dangerous than they are But howsoeuer vnder colour of humility sincerity and sanctity of life they deceiue the world cram their purses and enrich themselues There are both English Scots and Irish of this Order Of the Barnabists THese Barnabists or rather Barrabists are a company of poore Priests that wanting meanes gathered themselues together and called themselues Fathers of the congregation of Saint Barnabie they are as yet very obscure but in time I make no question but they will be as famous as the Iesuits or Oratorians But I wonder why they call not themselues Paulists of Saint Paul as well as Barnabists of Saint Barnabas seeing Paul was the great Saint in my opinion But the truth is all popish Priests loue not Saint Paul because his Doctrine is quite repugnant to theirs otherwise they had erected an Order of Friers vnder his name and patronage long agoe Their Habit differs little or nothing from the Oratorians Theatines and Iesuits and they keepe Schooles in some Townes as well as the Iesuits The vulgar people beginne already to dote vpon them for as I told you before euery new Sect of Friers or Nuns is at the first in great request Ouid lib. 3. de Ponto Est quoque cunctarum nouitas gratissima rerum This Sect is not yet often yeeres standing neither is their Order as yet confirmed Of the Fullians Friers THese Friers are called by the name of Friers of our blessed Lady of the Fullians They weare a course Habit of white cloth This Congregation beganne about that time that King Henry the third of France was murdered by Iacques Clement a Dominican Frier which was about the yeere 1587. they are of the Order of the Cistercensis whereof I formerly spake They liued very obscure vntill such time that King Henry the fourth of France was likewise murdered by Francis Rauillac in the yeere 1610. since which time they built them sumptuous Monasteries and
gaudy Churches in all the chiefest Cities in France and are in great credit and estimation especially among great Ladies and Gentlewomen with whom they are if you will beleeue the other Mendicant Friers too familiar They haue a faire Cloister and a fine delicate Church at Paris and also in most Cities of France and no where else built by great Ladies who doe resort there daily to heare Masse and Sermons and to haue some other spirituall conference with these holy Fathers The other rout or rabble of old begging Friers cry out with wide mouthes vpon these new vpstart Sects for they say that they doe seduce their Benefactors to bestow vpon them the charity and beneuolence which they were wont to haue and therefore they are ready to starue But to say the truth these seuerall Sects of Mendicant Friers haue vndone the poore for they are increased of late to so many Sects that the poore people can get nothing because of them For in those Catholike Countries the Parishioners are not taxed or constrained to pay towards the reliefe of their poore as the manner is in England or among the Protestants in those Countries But the Friers say Giue vs your beneuolence and we will bestow vpon the poore And by this meanes the poore are neglected and these Priests of Baal well fed and prouided for It is a maruellous thing to consider the blindnesse of the Romish Catholikes that cannot perceiue the manifest hypocrisies practises and impostures of their Priests Monks Friers Iesuits and Nuns and how they are cheated daily of their goods by these Locusts who doe increase so fast that I doe imagine they will in the end wax infinite For I dare be bold to affirme that there are in France at this instant more Monks Friers Iesuits and Nuns by three thousand then there were when the last King was murdered yea within Paris and the Suburbs thereof or neere thereunto there is betweene thirty and forty Monasteries and Colleges of Monks Friers Iesuits and Nuns built since that Kings death and all those liue by begging either publikely or priuately for a man cannot goe through any street in the City but he shall see Monks and Friers by couples trudging here and there and where there is any profit like to ensue there will they flocke like so many Rauens to a dead carcasse And as it is reported that Aphrick doth euery new Moone ingender strange Monsters in like manner the Church of Rome doth euer and anon produce new Babylonian Monsters I meane new Sects of Friers and Nuns to perturbe and trouble the peace of our Ierusalem The Author of the Congregation of the Fullians was a Cistercensian Frier and their Rule is composed out of that Rule the Cisterciens doe professe to obserue but somewhat more strictly as they say but to say the truth they are all one for the Fullians are a kinde of reformed or Mendicant Cistercians forsooth and therefore the greater Hypocrites Of the Jesuites THe origine or beginning of this Societie is but of a new institution not much aboue fourescore yeares since whereof the Founder was one Ignatius Loyola borne in Biscaya a Region in Spaine who had beene formerly a Souldier and borne armes at Pampelona against the French where he was maimed with a hurt that he receiued on both his knees whereof he halted euer after His Order was confirmed by Paul the third in the yeare 1504. Maphaeus in vita Ignat. Bellar. in Chronolog And himselfe Sanctified by Pope Paul the fifth in the yeare 1622. not for his holinesse and sanctitie of life but for an infinite summe of money giuen vnto the Pope by the Iesuites and withall because the Duke of Bauaria by the wicked practises and deuillish policie of his spirituall children the Iesuites and the helpe of the King of Spaine had taken the Palatinat from the Prince Elector Palatine the true and lawfull owner thereof This Ignatius ordained that all those of this his vpstart Societie should call themselues Iesuites or Patres Societatis Iesu Fathers of the Societie of Iesus And the reason is as the Iesuites report Serm. Valderama pag. 10. because our Lord Iesus who being the Sauiour of our soules from the time of his Natiuitie into the world vnto his death neuer dealt in other businesse than in that which concerned our saluation So the life of our Ignatius was wholly bestowed about the sauing of soules the life of Iesus was manifested in his miracles and Ignatius was transformed into him whose name the Iesuites beare And againe as this good Father was going to Rome for to obtaine the approbation of his Order Maphaeus in vita Loyola lib. 2. Rib. l. 2. c 2. and finding himselfe much perplexed about that which might befall him there Iesus appeared vnto him carrying a Crosse and in the same vision God the Father was seene recommending this new Societie vnto his Sonne who promised him that he would be propitious and fauourable vnto him at Rome And Valderama infers Serm pag. 48. that vpon his arriuall to Rome the Pope hauing well considered Ignatius hands he found them all printed with the name of Iesus whereupon he said Digitus Dei hîc est The finger of God is in these hands And therefore these speeches fortified the holy man and gaue him occasion to name his Company the Societie of Iesus But indeed it is apparent that this title is proper to all Christians in generall as Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians witnesseth saying 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom you haue beene called to the Societie of his Sonne Iesus And againe Saint Iohn 1 Iohn 1.3 To the end our Societie may be with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ And yet the Iesuites goe about to proue by these former passages our of Saint Paul and Saint Iohn that their Societie hath beene euer since the time of our Sauiour And not new as many Writers yea of their owne Religion doe proue Watson in his Quodlib p. â—00 and Sparing discourses p. 36. for Pope Sixtus quintus conuenting the Generall of the Iesuites vpon a time before him demanded why he and his Order called themselues Iesuites who answering said That they did not call themselues so but Clerkes of the Societie of Iesus Then the Pope replying said But why should you appropriate vnto your selues to be of the Societie of Iesus more than other Christians are of whom the Apostle saith Vocati sumus in Societatem Filij eius We are called into the Societie of his Sonne But the Iesuites Generall made him no answer Const Prouinc lib. 1. de Consuetudine eius autem And againe the reason why wee are called Christians of Christ and not Iesuites of Iesus is this saith Lindwood Christ hath communicated vnto vs what is signified by his name Christ that is to say Vnction but he hath not communicated vnto vs what is signified by his name Iesus for Iesus
euery man to his owne Classe and there stay till the bell rings againe and then againe at the first toll they and the Schollers come out for they must not breake the Orders and Rules of the Schoole In the morning after they haue been at Schoole an houre and a halfe or thereabout the same bell rings and then they goe to Church to heare Masse which endures halfe an houre and then they returne to their Classes againe But in some Countries when the daies are long after Masse they goe home to breake-fast and within halfe an houre after they come to schoole againe Euery day or euery other day they haue disputations in the three lowermost Classes where the boies doe challenge and prouoke one another in the declining of Nounes Pronounes Verbs or Participles or in coniugating of Verbs either in Latine or Greeke And this they doe for to get one anothers place which breeds such emulations among them that it makes them of their owne accord study both night and day some to maintaine their places seats and dignities and others of meere schoole ambition to aspire and ascend higher But none must as I haue heard challenge or prouoke the Emperour or the Senators but those that are next in dignity vnto them so that those of the Plebeyans cannot ascend to the Senate or any other place or dignity but by degree When two of them haue done disputing the Master giues his iudgement and then other boies start vp and craue leaue of the Master to challenge their aduersary to the combat who permits those two whom he pleaseth to enter into the List and thereupon these two companions stand vp and crosse themselues first before they beginne to oppose one another The Iesuits haue another pretty tricke how to make their Schollers study and bring in profit for themselues that is They will sometimes giue vnto their Schollers both a priuate or a publike Premium a reward which doth not onely animate and incourage the boies to study but also oblige and enduce their parents to recompence the Schoole-master But vnto great men or rich mens sonnes they doe vse to giue the best Premia or rewards because they doe expect in counter-exchange a great recompence to the poorer sort they giue little Pictures of Saint Ignatius their Patron of the blessed Virgin Mary or of some Saint that they most affect But on the richer sort they bestow Beads and Bookes or some costlier Pictures Euery Saturday in the afternoone all the Schollers of their seuerall Classes doe meet together in a great spacious roome to be catechized by one of the Iesuites who is appointed to expound Canisius Catechisme and to strike or infuse into their tender capacitie such damnable points of doctrine as they please as that it is a meritorious deed to murder Kings and Princes being excommunicated by the Pope To equiuocate cog lye cheat and that a Roman Catholike is not bound or tied to keepe faith with Heretikes meaning Protestants And a thousand more of their Iesuiticall positions which I for breuitie sake doe forbeare to treat of Into this catechizing Schoole none are permitted to enter but onely their owne Schollers for it seemes they are ashamed to let men of vnderstanding know what good instructions they giue vnto their Pupils But howsoeuer those points of doctrine they strike into their capacity in their tender age the same very seldome weareth away but rather increaseth with their yeeres as daily experience teacheth vs. I would to God that the Church of England which professeth the true Orthodoxall Religion would be as carefull to haue her children instructed in their nonage in the truth of the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ Iesus which leadeth them to saluation as that false Mountebanke Synagogue of Rome the Chaire of Antichrist and the sonne of perdition doth to hurle them headlong to hell and damnation And therefore I would wish all religious and painfull Schoole-masters to take a course that those Infants which are committed to their tutelage bee before all things well instructed and taught the Christian Doctrine and the Principles or grounds of the true Religion Moreouer the Iesuites Schollers must not reueale vnto any man those points of Doctrine that are taught them in their catechizing Schooles for if they doe they must confesse it to their ghostly Father who is a Iesuite and most commonly the Prefect of the Schooles when he comes to be shrift which is once euery moneth and then he is sure to haue some extraordinary penance inflicted vpon him and euer after to be branded and noted for a Tell-tale out of the Schooles But such as will swallow downe this golden poisoned bait and proue a good Proficient oh he is a good boy and shall not want his Premium for indeed this day is the ordinary time that they bestow their best Premia or Rewards vpon their Schollers Oh the subtilties and trumperies of these Loyolists to seduce these simple youths to their diabolicall and Antichristian doctrine And whereas they take vpon them to instruct and teach children freely and without any reward I dare boldly speake it they get six times more than if they would keepe a mercenary Schoole for it is but a poore Schoole that brings them not in yeerely aboue fiue or six hundred pound sterling But their Schooles in great Cities and Vniuersities are worth a great deale more for it is an ordinary thing to see seuen or eight hundred Schollers in their fiue inferiour Classes and therefore in those Colleges where they teach all the Arts and where there are twelue Classes and euery Classe a Master there are not most commonly lesse than a thousand or fifteene hundred Schollers who are still soliciting their parents and friends to be bountifull to their Masters the Iesuites and they themselues when they come to inherit their Lands Patrimony or Portions will likely be beneficiall to them and still fauour and protect their society and faction to the vttermost of their power Yea the poorest of them all that are not able to bestow any gratuity vpon them when they are young and their Schollers when they are come to age and preferment will not be vngratefull to them of whom they had their learning and education And againe the Iesuites doe speake to their Schollers whose Parents are rich if they dwell in the same Towne or City to perswade them to frequent their Churches to heare Masses and to come to them to Confession and withall to be of their sodality to the end they might the better diue into their secrets and participate of their wealth which is the maine matter they aime at And whereas all other Monks and Nuns make three Vowes that is to say Chastity Pouerty and Obedience the Iesuites to the end to giue a push beyond all other religious Orders adde one more which is that they shall at all times be ready to runne and trudge from one Country to another like poore Rogues to what part soeuer
it shall please the holy Father the Pope and their Father Generall to send them yea though it were to the worlds end and murder Kings and Princes to merit Heauen And withall all other Monks and Friers doe make these three Vowes but once which is after that they haue beene in the Habit one whole yeere which they call the yeere of approbation or nouiceship at which time they make their profession yet the Iesuites will haue their Nouices to serue them two yeeres in their nouiciat before they make their Vowes which first Vowes they call Vota simplicia single Vowes because they can as they say dispence with them for after a man hath beene a Iesuit twenty or thirty yeeres they may if they please put him away and exclude him out of their society whereof I haue knowne many yea among our English Iesuites I haue knowne some namely one who went by the name of Master Floyd who liued at Paris not long agoe and is now but a Secular Priest albeit he was for many yeeres a Iesuite the reason is as I thinke because he and those that they put out of their society were not wicked enough to keepe them company or else doe put themselues out of the society of the Iesuites when they perceiue their villany But when one hath beene trained vp many yeeres in their Machauillian Schoole if he be for their turne then he makes those Vowes again and then he is a professed Iudaist which is not without a long proofe and triall of his integrity and deuotion to their Order and to the rearing vp of the Spanish Monarchie and then and not before they will acquaint him with the hidden mysteries of their Order For in some Colleges there are threescore or fourescore Iesuites and yet not aboue three or foure professed Iesuites yea albeit they weare all one kinde of Habite and fare all alike And in many great Cities they haue three Houses First their Domus Professa wherein liue none but professed Iesuites secondly their College where they haue their Schooles wherein the Rector and one or two more of them are Professed and none else And lastly their Nouiciate where all their young Nouices are kept and mewed vp vnder the gouernment of a Rector and two or three more professed Machiauills HAuing treated of all Monks Friers and Iesuites and of their beginning proceedings present estate in particular It remaines now for me to speak a word or two of their impostures cozenage in generall but more specially of the Mendicant Friers and Iesuites which may serue as a Caueat or Premonition to shew with what brasen faces and palpable lyes and grossenesse they proceed to subuert and ouerthrow True Religion and yet iustifie themselues to the world to countenance their wickednesse though neuer so foule and hainous I omit to speake of their Doctrines Schoole-questions Ceremonies the Popes Supremacie and many other such matters of controuersies which haue beene so often disputed by many and confuted by our learned Diuines But leauing those matters vnto others far more sufficient than my selfe I will speake no more than I haue seene and knowne of my knowledge to be true or can bring sufficient authoritie and then I will draw to a conclusion First I would haue you to vnderstand that these Monks and Friers doe most ambitiously and arrogantly bragge that this or that holy Saint was the first Institutor or Founder of their Order or Religion As the Ieromite Monks bragge of their pretended Patron S. Ierome the Benedictins of S. Benet the Austen Friers of S. Austen the Dominicans of S. Dominick the Franciscans of S. Francis and so of the rest Others more ambitious than they haue mounted vp a little higher as the Trinitarians who would make the world beleeue that their Order was first instituted by the blessed Trinitie who gaue them their Rule by a diuine reuelation whereof they brag not a little as may be seene by this Rithme which is written in capitall letters ouer the doore of their Cloister in the Suburbs of Arras in the Prouince of Artois in the Low Countries and many other places as I told you before Hic est ordo ordinatus Non à sanctis fabricatus Sed à solo summo Deo The Carmelite Friers doe boast that the blessed Virgin Mary gaue them their Habite vpon Mount Carmell together with a Scrowle wherein was written their Rule and Order of life and manners The Iesuites scorne to deriue their Order from any Saint no not from lame Ignatius their Founder but from Iesus whose Companions they are if you will beleeue them for they style themselues Patres Religiosi Societatis Iesu Fathers and Religious men of the Society of Iesus his companions and play-fellowes but they play foule play with him for they hitherto haue and do still play the theeues with him in robbing him of his honour and glory the which they attribute vnto the blessed Virgin Popish Saints Images and the like trash O horrible blasphemy Horresco referens These great titles serue them for a cloake to couer their hypocrisies and abominable impieties But let vs returne to the matter I doubt not but I shall make it yet a little more manifest vnto you how far the Iesuits do differ from the Lord Iesus likewise the other rable of Friers from their pretended Patrons for these borrowed titles of honours are none of their owne Ouid. lib. 3. Metamorph Nam genus proauos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Iuuenal Satyr 8. Stemmata quid faciunt quid prodest Pontice longo Sanguine censeri pictosque ostendere vultus Maiorum c. Si coram Lepidis malè viuitur Ausonius in Solonis Senten Pulchrius multò parari quam creari nobilem Senec. in Herc. furente Qui genus iactat suum Aliena laudat These Iuglers haue many wayes and trickes to cheat men of their money besides that which they get by begging as by sale of their priuate Masses Confessions lying Miracles Pardons and Indulgences Reliques Confraternities and the like And withall by perswading other men that are rich to become Friers of their Orders and sometimes they doe seduce young Merchants and shop-keepers to breake with their Creditors and vnder-hand to purloine and sell away other mens goods and to offer or giue them all the money which they haue or can borrow and then they will entertaine them into their Orders and perhaps send them away priuately vnto some other Monastery of their Order in some other Prouince to be taught and instructed in their Rule and discipline for one whole yeare which they call the yeare of Approbation or Nouice-ship for after that one hath beene a yeare in any Cloister either of Monks or Friers the Iesuites only excepted who haue two yeares of Approbation if he be willing to perseuere and to leade a Monasticall life he makes his profession and those three Vowes of Chastitie Pouertie