barking like Dogs they daily contend with the people in the Pulpit But as for the more weighty and righthand-works of the Gospel Law Christian-Justice Judgment Mercie Faith these they altogether neglect slumbling at a little Stone but leaping over a great Rock blinde Guides false and treacherous a Generation of Vipers whitened Sepulchres outwardly in their Miters Caps Habits Garments and Cowls making a shew of Simplicity and Sanctimony within full of Filth Hypocrisie and Iniquity Whoremongers Dancers Players Pimps Gamesters Gluttons Drunkards Sorcerers who being advanc'd to Bishopricks Cardinalats Abbeys and the like not by vertue of their deserts but either by servile Flattery Gifts favour of Princes or affection of Friends and Kindred under the Mask of Hypocrisie heap to themselves private riches devouring the goods of the Poor making Fairs and Monopolies of the Alms of our Predecessors wasting them again in Brothel-houses Gaming Hunting and in all manner of Riot and Luxurie Who Cure of Souls neglecting quite In Horse and Hounds place all their chief delight They perplex the People set Kings and Princes together by the Ears sollicite Wars pull down Churches which the Devotion of their Ancestors rear'd to Buâ—ld stately Palaces in their places clad in Purple and Gold to the great loss and impoverishment of the People infamy of Religion and insupportable burthen of the Commonwealth whom the Famous Bernardus Clarevallensis in a Sâ—rmon at the opening the general Synod of Rbeimes before the Pope openly stil'd not instead of shepherds Mercenary not instead of Mercenaries Wolves but instead of Wolves Devils Now as for the Pope himself as the Bishop Camotensis complains he is the most intolerable and burthensome of all whose Pomp and Pride never any the most haughty Tyrant yet equall'd And yet they boast that the safety of Religion and the Church is establish'd only in them who throwing the burthens of Religious Duties and the Ministry of the Gospel which is the true Pontifical Function upon their Inferiours fit at the Helme making their own Laws and receiving the benefits and profits of the Church themselves in the mean while as idle as they are full of iniquity And making us believe that the Pontifical Chair either admits none but Holy Men or else makes them so thence they think it lawful for them to perpetrate any manner of wickedness A perfect Example of all which Crinitus gives us in Boniface the 8th This is that great Boniface who did three Great and Miraculous things who Cousening Clement with a counterfeit Message from Heaven caus'd him to resign the Pontifical Chair to him who compil'd the Sixth Book of Decretals and made the Pope Lord and Supream in all things Lastly who Instituted the Jubilee Erecting Fairs for Indulgencies extending his Jurisdiction as far as Purgatory I omit those other Monsters of Popes such as was Formosus and those other Nine that followed him neither do I insist upon those other of later times as Paulus Sixtus Alexander Julius most famous Disturbers of the Christian World I pass by Eugenius who violating the League made between him and the Turks was the occasion of such dreadful Calamities that afterwards befel the Christian Common-wealth How great mischief Alexander the sixth brought upon all Christendome by poysoning Selim Brother of Bajazeth the Great Turk is known to all Men. The Legates also of the Popes as the said Camotensis witnesseth and daily Experience makes manifest rage with such Fury in their several Provinces as if Satan were sent from the face of God to scourge the Church They trouble the Earth and put it in an Uproar that they may seem to have a Charm to appease it again they are glad when evil things are committed rejoycing in the worst and most wicked Actions and scarce can refrain from Tears when they behold nothing Lamentable They eat the sins of the people are clad and nourish'd with the same and luxuriously wallow in the same yet have they fine names and pretences for their Vices neither can any thing be objected against them which they cannot excuse by the Example of some Saint or other For if it be thrown in their Teeth that they are Illiterate and Ungodly they say That Christ chose such for his Apostles who were neither Masters of the Law nor Scribes nor ever frequented Synagogues or Schools Tell them of the barbarousness of their Language they 'l tell ye Moses had an impediment in his Speech and that Jeremie knew not how to speak and that Zacharie though he were dumb was not excluded from the Priest-hood If you object against them their Ignorance of the Scripture Infidelity Error or Heresie they repeat to ye That St. Ambrose not yet a Christian but only Catechumenos was Elected to be a Bishop and that St. Paul not only from being an Infidel but a Persecuter was call'd to be an Apostle that St. Austin was a Manichaean and that Marcelline the Martyr in his Papacy Sacrific'd to Idols If you upbraid them for their Ambition they bring ye for an Example the Sons of Zebedee If for Faint-heartedness Jonas and Thomas the one fearing to go to the Ninivites the other to the Indians If for Fornication they say Oseas married a Strumpet and Sampson a Whore If for Quarrelling Fighting Murder or taking up Arms they tell you how St. Peter cut off Malchus Ear how St. Martin serv'd under Julian and how Moses kill'd the Aegyptian and hid him in a Stable So that among them it is a matter of no Moment what manner of Person he be that is admitted to the chiefest Ecclesiastical Promotions and then every one must submit his Neck to the Sword of these Ecclesiastical Tyrants Not the Sword of the Word of which they ought to be the chief Keepers and Ministers but the Sword of Ambition the Sword of Covetousness the Sword of Injustice and Extortion the Sword of bad Example the Sword of Blood and Murther with which they arm and defend themselves against all Truth Justice and Honesty The Scepter 's forceless where no Justice raigns That 's true Religion Honesty maintains Freedom is Force licentiously us'd The Sword Protects not when to Rage abus'd Nor is it lawful to contradict their Decrees or disobey their Wills unless any one be prepar'd to suffer Martyrdom as a Heretick the very reason that Jeremy Savanarola a Divine of the Order of Preaching Fryers was burnt at Florence and suffer'd a Martyrdom However because all Powers are good as being of God who is the giver of all things and of all good things and though to those that are in authority and those that are in subjection they may sometimes prove of evil consequence however to the generality there is something of good in them God so providing who turns all our evil actions for the best Whoever is therefore by God constituted a Bishop or Ruler in the Church him we ought to obey and in no wise to contradict for who disobeys the Bishop or Priest disobeys not man
to Wantonness with the sight of obscene Pictures nay we stick not to introduce 'um into our very Temples Chapples and over our Altars to the great hazard of breeding Idolatry But of this more when we come to Treat of Religion Now that there is a certain Authority not to be contemned in Statues and Pictures I learnt not long ago in Italy where there happening a very great debate before the Pope between the Austin Fryars and the Regular Canons about the Habit of St. Austin that is to say whether he wore a black Stole over a white Vest or a white Stole over a black Vest and finding nothing in Scripture that gave Light toward the determination of the Question the Judges at length thought fit to refer the whole matter to the Painters and Statuaries resolving to give judgment according to what they should declare they had seen in Ancient Pictures and Statues Confirm'd by this example I my self labouring with indefatigable diligence to find out the Original of the Monks Cowl and not finding any that might resolve the doubt in Scripture at length I refer'd my self to the Painters seeking the Truth of the matter in the Porches of Halls of the Monasteries where the Histories of the Old and New Testament are generally Painted Now seeing that I could not perceive in all the Old Testament neither any of the Priests or Prophets no not Elias himself whom the Carmelites make their Patron I went and diligently view'd all the New Testament There I saw Zacharias Simeon John Baptist Joseph Christ the Apostles Disciples Scribes Pharisees High Priests Annas Caiphas Herod Pilat and many others but yet I could not see one Cowl among them All till at length examining the whole story over and over again and by and by in the very Front of the Piece I found the Devil himself with a Cowl on as he stood tempting Christ in the Wilderness I was very glad to find that in a Picture that I could observe in no Writing that the Devil was the first Inventor of Cowls from whom I am apt to believe the Monks and Fryars have borrowed the same though wearing it of divers Colours if they do not absolutely claim it by Inheritance CHAP. XXVI Of Prospective and Looking-Glasses TO return to Opticks to which the use of Looking-Glasses and Prospective-Glasses does mainly conduce the Experiments whereof are daily seen in the various kinds of Glasses Hollow Convex Plane Pillar-fashion'd Pyramidal Globular Gibbose Orbicular full of Angles Inverted Everted Regular Irregular Solid and Perspicuous So we read as Celius in his ancient Readings relates That one Hostius a Person of an Obscene Life made a sort of Glasses that made the Object seem far greater than it was so that one Finger should seem to exceed the whole Arm both in bigness and thickness There is also a sort of Glass wherein a man may see the Image of another man but not his own and another which being set in such a posture and place gives back no representation but the posture being alter'd presently returns the Object presented Some that shew all sorts of Representations some not all but many Other Glasses there are that contrary to the fashion of all others will shew the right hand directly opposite to the Right and the Left directly opposite to the Left Other Glasses there are that do not represent the Image within but as it were hanging in the Air. Burning-Glasses there are too that Collecting the beams of the Sun into one point kindle fire at a distance upon any Combustible Matter Little Perspicuous Glasses also are not without thier Impostures that is to say to make a little thing appear great those that are afar off neer those things or places that are neer afar off those that are above us below us those things that are below us above us or in any other posture or situation whatever There are other of these Glasses that make one Object appear to be many and will represent things with divers Colours like the Rainbow as also in divers Shapes and Figures And I my self have learnt to make Glasses wherein while the Sun shines you may discern for the distance of Three or Four Miles together whatever places are enlightned or over-spread with his Beams And this is to be admired in plain Glasses that by how much the less they are so much less than themselves they will represent the Object but let them be never so big yet shall they not represent the Object ever a whit the larger which when St. Austin consider'd writing to Nibridius he conceives it to be something of an occult Mystery However they are vain and useless things invented only for Ostentation and idle Pleasure Many both Greek and Latine have Treated of Looking-Glasses and Perspectives but above all the rest Vitellius CHAP. XXVI Of Cosmimetry LET us have a few words now concerning Cosmimetry which is divided into Cosmography and Geography both measure the World and distinguish it into Parts the First according to a method drawn from the Heavenly Bodies by distinguishing Places as they are Situated under such Stars or Constellations measuring them by Scales of Degrees or Minutes by Climates by the difference of Day or Night Points of the Winds various risings of the Stars Elevations of the Pole Parallels Meridians shadows of Gnomons and the like all which is performed by Mathematical Rules The Second not regarding any thing of the Celestial Bodies measures the World by Furlongs and Miles divides it into Mountains Woods Lakes Rivers Seas and Shores Nations People Kingdoms Provinces Cities Ports and whatever else is worthy taking Notice of They Native Customes Native Habits shew And what each Region suffers there to grow And in imitation of Painting according to the Rules of Geometry and Perspective describe the whole World in Plain Tables or Maps In little Volumes Painting all the World Of this they reckon Chorography to be a part which undertaking the particular Description of particular Places sets them out more fully and accurately Each part distinguish'd various order yields Of Vines of Woods of Meadows Fountains Fields Behold how swelling Streams the Ocean fill There falls a Valley there a mounting Hill With wooddy top assails the distant Stars All these things and whatever we have before spoken of in this Chapter Cosmimetry teaches in chief But what Authors shall instruct us in this Art so manifold are the Contentions among them about Bounds Longitudes Latitudes Magnitudes Measures Distances Climates and Qualities of Countries All which Eratosthenes has one way explained Strabo another another way Marinus another way Ptolomy another way Dionysius another way the Later Authors Neither do they agree about the Navil or Middle of the Earth which Ptolomy places under the Equinoctial Circle Strabo believes it to be the Mountain Parnassus in Greece with whom Plutarch and Lactantius the Grammarian agree and believe That in the time of the Deluge it was the only Mark of distinction between the
the Infinite Intellect moveable of it self Pythagoras would have a certain Soul diffus'd and passing through the Nature of all things from whom all things receive Life to be God Alcmaeon of Crotona Deified the Sun Moon and other Stars Zenophanes would have God to be All whatever had a Being Parmenides makes a certain Circumscrib'd Orb of Light which he calls a Crown to be God Aristotle as if a certain Knowledge of God could be collected from the Motion of the Heavens hath invented Fictitious Gods of the Nature of them and sometimes will have the Mind to be Divine and sometimes he calls the World iâ— self God sometimes he makes another God far more Supream and Superintendent over it whom Theophrastus imitates with the same inconstancy I omit what Strato Perseus Aristo the Disciple of Zeno Plato Xenophon Speusippus Democritus Heraclitus Diogenes the Babylonian Hermes Trismegistus Cicero Seneâ—a Pliny and many others have delivered whose Opinions notwithstanding are far different from the former not yet recited I might here run through all their Debates and Monstrosities of words concerning Idea's Incorporeals Atomes Hyle Matter Form Vacuum Infinity Eternity Fate introduction of Forms Matter of the Heavens whether the Stars consist of the Elements or of the Fifth Essence which Aristotle invented with many other such kind of Trifles that have afforded Men great cause of Dispute and Contention But I suppose I have made it sufficiently apparent how far Philosophers are from agreeing about the Truth it self to whom the nearer a man adheres the more remote he is from any certainty and the farther he wanders from right Religion Hence it is That we find John the Twenty second Pope in a very great Error who was of Opinion That the Souls of the Blessed should not see the Face of God before the day of Judgment We know also that Julian the Apostate did Abjure Christ for no other Cause than that because being much addicted to Philosophy he began to scorn and contemn the Humility of the Christian Faith For the same cause Celius Porphyrius Lucian Pelagius Arrius Manichaeus Averroes have with so much madness bark'd against Christ and his Church Hence that common Proverb among the Vulgar That the greatest Philosophers are the greated Hereticks St. Jerom therefore calls them the Patriarchs of Heresie the First-born of Aegypt seeing that all Heresie whatsoever hath had its first rise out of the Fountain of Philosophy By this Philosophy is all Divinity almost Adulterated so that instead of Evangelical Doctors and Teachers false Prophets and Heretical Philosophers have appear'd in the World who have adventur'd to Equalize the Divine Oracles with Humane Inventions polluting the same with strange Opinions of Men have Tranform'd true and simple Divinity as Gerson saith into swelling and Sophistical Loquacity and Mathematical Figments Which St. Paul the Apostle foreseeing with many timesâ—repeated admonitions commands us to beware left any person should prevail over us and seduce us through vain Philosophy St. Austin defends and fortifies his City of God against them All other Divines and Holy Fathers have condemned it to be wholly extirpated out of the Church Neither are there wanting Examples of the Heathen by which we find that they have done the same For the Athenians put Socrates to Death that was the Father of the Philosophers The Romans threw Philosophers out of their City The Messanians and Lacedemonians never admitted them and in the Raign of Domitian they were not only Expell'd the City but forbid through all Italy There was also a Decree of Antiochus the King against those young Men that durst take upon them to study Philosophy and more than that against their very Parents that permitted them Neither have Philosophers been only condemn'd and expell'd by Kings and Emperors but also exploded by most Learned Men in their several Writings Extant of which Number is Phliasius Timon who wrote a Treatise Entitled Sylli in derision of Philosophers and Aristophâ—nes who wrote a Play in Contempt of them which he call'd Nubes or the Clouds and Lastly Dion Prusaeus who made a most Eloquent Oration against them Aristides also made a most Learned Oration in the behalf of Four Noble Athenians against Plato and Hortensius a most Noble and Eloquent Roman hath with most strong and powerful Reasons most sharply oppugned the same CHAP. LIV. Of Moral Philosophy IT remains now that if there be any part of Philosophy that contains the Discipline of Manners to inquire whether the same do not rather consist in variety of use custom observation and perservation of life than in the little Rules of Philosophy which are changeable according to the times places and opininions of men and such as threats and fair words teach Children Laws and Punishments cause men to learn Of some things which cannot be taught natural Industry makes an addition in men for many things wax out of use through process of time and consent of the people Hence it comes to pass that that was then a Vice which is now accompted a Virtue and that which is here a Virtue in another place is compted a Vice what one man thinks honest another man thinks dishonest what some hold to be just others condemn as unjust as the Laws Opinions Times Places and Interests of Government vary Among the Athenians it was lawful for a man to marry his Couzen-german among the Romans it was altogether forbidden Formerly among the Jews and now among the Turks it is lawful to have plurality of Wives besides Curtisans and Concubines but among us Christians it is not onely forbid but accompted a most horrible sin Lastly that the women should go to Play-houses and be seen publickly by all persons was among those Nations accompted no dishonour and yet among the Romans so to do was held infamous and dishonest However the Romans were wont to take their Wives with them to great Entertainments where they went to appear in great Splendor and abide in the best parts of the house but in Greece no married wife was admitted to any Banquet or Feast unless it were among their neerest Relations nor was she to converse but in the most retir'd parts of the house where no man went but the nearest of Kin. Among the Lacedaemonians and Egyptians it was accompted an honourable thing to steal but among us Thieves are taken and hang'd Some Nations are so planted by Heaven that they appear eminent for the unity and singularity of their Customs The Seythians were always infamous for Savageness and Cruelty The Italians were always eminent for their Magnanimity The Gaules were reproach'd for Stupidity The Sicilians were always subtile The Asiaticks Luxurious the Spaniards Jealous and great Boasters Besides several Nations have some particular marks of distinction which are the more immediate marks of Heaven so that a man may easily discern of what Nation such or such a stranger may be by his Voice Speech Tone Designe Conversation Diet Love or Hatred Anger and Malice and the
though the Author or first Founder of a most absurd Religion and the Jews yet persisting in their folly believe their Messiah yet to come Among us Christians several Popes several Councils several Bishops have prescrib'd several Varieties and Forms of Worship differing among themselves either touching the manner of the Ceremonies Meats lawful Fasts Vestments Publick Ornaments or else about Clerical Promotions and Tithes But one thing overcomes the admiration of Wonder it self to see how these Ambitious men think to climb Heaven by the same wayes that Lucifer fell from it Neither do all these Laws and Rules of Religion lean upon any other Foundation than the meer Opinions and Pleasure of their Founders Consider from the Beginning of the World how many there were how many there are several Inventions of Religion how many Ceremonies how many Heresies how many Opinions how many Decrees how many Canons yet cannot Religion lead men in so many Ages to the right Path of Faith without the Word of God which being once made Flesh and Triumphing over his Enemies on the Cross Temples and dols were thrown down and the Powers of Numens and Oracles ceas'd The Voice of Pytho's gone that seldom â—rr'd Apollo too so many Ages heard Is now in silence lock't Tby Service done to thine own Country go Return to thine own Altars down below For no sooner the Word of God came to shine in the World by the manifestation of the Gospel but all the Gods of the Heathen being as it were Thunder-struck fell to Destruction according to the saying of Christ in Luke I saw Satan falling from Heaven like Lightning How far this concerns Faith Theology and the Decrees of the Canonists we shall discourse hereafter For now we are only treating of Religion so far as to those Mysteries contained therein which concern the benefits of the Priest or that suffice to render the outward face of the Commonwealth sumptuous with Images Statues Temples Phanes Chappels Dignities Pomp and Riches of the Ministers and Ecclesiastical Officers of which I have Disputed at large in my Dispute upon the Theological Decrees held by me at Collen in the Year 1510 and therefore I shall the more briefly pass them over now yet show you that among those things which were set apart for the decency of Worship and most proper for the safety of Mens Souls not a little of the Tare of Vanity and Destructive Superstition has been mix'd CHAP. LVII Of Images THe worship of Images has not been antiently by all people admitted For the Jews as Josephus relates after they had been so often chastized and indeed at first the most strict observers of the Law did abhor nothing more than the making of Images For the commands of God delivered by Moses did utterly prohibit the use of Images either in Temples or in any other place And Eusebius testifies that among the people call'd Seres the adoration of Images was by Law absolutely forbidden Neither do we read either in Clement or Plutarch that for so Numa had decreed there was any Image to be seen or that was spoken of for above a hundred and seventy years after the building of the City Which also St. Austin alleadges out of Varro whose words most clearly witness that there was no Image or Idol in the City for one hundred and sixty years and that afterwards it came to pass that by reason of the Multitude of Images and Idols the Worship of the Gods was not only neglected but had in contempt The Persians also as Herodotus and Strabo Witness never suffered Images among them On the otherside in the honour of Idols there were none more Superstitious and dotingly stupid than the Aegyptians from whence that Impiety as from a corrupted Fountain over-ran other Nations which Superstitious Customes and false Religion of the Heathens when the same People became to be Converted to the Christian Faith did not a little contaminate the Purity of our Religion introducing Idols and Images into our Church together with many Barren Pomps and Ceremonies of which there was nothing thought of among the Ancient and Primitive Christians Nor can it be imagin'd how strongly and superstitiously Idolatry is riveted into the Minds of the Unlearned Multitude by the means of Images the idle Priests among the Catholicks conniving thereat as reaping not a little benefit thereby 'T is true they endeavour to defend themselves by the help of St. Gregories Words who saith That Images are the Books of the Vulgar whereby the Memory of things is by them the more easily retain'd so that by these they who cannot read may yet be taught and by the sight thereof be drawn to the Contemplation of God However these are but the humane Comments and Suppositions of Palliating St. Gregory and though that good Man might in some sort approve of the Images themselves yet it cannot be thought that he did any way allow the Worship thereof For it is no part of our duty to learn from the Forbidden Book of Images but from the Book of God which is the Scripture He therefore who desires to know God let him not endeavour to obtain that Knowledge from the handy-work of Painters and Statuaries but according to the Direction of St. John Let him search the Scriptures what testimony they give concerning him And they who cannot read let them hear the Word of the same Scripture where St. Paul pronounces That Faith comes by hearing and what Christ in another place â—aith My Sheep know my Voice As also what in another place he avers No man can come to him unless the Father draw him and no man cometh to the Father but by Christ himself Why then do we take the Glory from God giving it to Pictures and Images as if they could draw us to the Knowledge of the most Divine Being To this we may add the vain and immoderate Worship of idle Reliques We confess That the Reliques of the Saints are Holy and that they thall one day shine with the Glories of Eternity Yet to give them Adoration as to the Reilquâ—s of Dâ—ities that hear our Prayers is a most stupid piece of Fascination Lest therefore we fall into Idolatry and Superstition it is the safest way for us not to fix our Faith upon visible things But the Covetous Generation of the Romish Clergy greedy after gain raising matter to â—eed their Avarice not only out of Wood and Stones but also from the Bones of the Dead and Reliques of the Saints make them the Instruments of their Rapine and Extortion They shew the Sepulchres of the Saints they expose the Reliques of Martyrs which no man must so much as touch or kiss but for mony They adorn their Pictures set out their Festivals with great Pomp and State they extol 'um for Saints advance the Fame of their Miracles utterly disagreeing in their Lives and Conversations from the Lives and Examples of those whom they praise These were the Men to whom our Saviour spoke when
he cry'd out Wo be to you that build up the Sepulchres of the Prophets like to those that shew them Like to the Heathen to every Saint they allot his proper charge to one with Neptune they share the Command of the Seas and power of Deliverance from the dangers thereof to another with Jupiter to have the Dominion of Thunder to another with Vulcan to controul the Fire to another they pray with Ceres for seasonable and plentiful Harvests to another with Bacchus they give the Charge of their Vintages and Vines The Women also have their Deities from whom as from Lucina they beg for Children and the cure of Barrenness and another by whose Power they either Appease or Revenge themselves upon their Angry Husbands Others there are to whom they give the priviledge of recovering and finding Lost Goods Neither is there any Disease which has not its peculiar Physitian among the Saints Which is the reason that Physitians do not get so much as Lawyers there being no sort of Action though never so just that ever could boast of a Saint for its Patron 'T is true the Papists aver That as the Soul in every Member Displayes a several Act and every Act as it is variously dispos'd receives a distinct Power as the Eye to see the Ears to hear So Christ in his Mystical Body of which he is the Soul by his several Saints as Members accommodated to the same Body doth Administer and Distribute the several gifts of his Grace to the Inferiour Creatures and that to every Saint is allotted a particular operation for the dispersing of several Graces according to the variety of Graces given to each Man But this Conjecture as being one of Agrippa's Vanities for which there is no ground in Scripture we cannot reckon among the Vanities of Science but as a peculiar Invention of his own CHAP. LVIII Of Temples NOW as concerning Temples there was nothing wherein the Superstition of the Gentiles was more eminent who to every Deity were very curious in Building particular Temples after whose Example the Christians afterwards Dedicated their Temples to particular Saints Yet there were many Nations that never made use of any Temples and Xerxes is reported to have burnt all the Temples throughout Asia at the perswasion of his Magicians believing it to be an Impious thing to enclose the Gods in Walls But of these Temples Zeno Citicus Disputed formerly in these Words To build Churches and Temples saith he it is no way necessary for nothing ought to be accompted Sacred by Right nothing to be esteemed Holy which men themselves Build Among the Persians of old there were no Temples Neither was there among the Hebrews from their first beginning but only one Temple Dedicated to Divine use which was Built by Solomon of which however it is thus written in Isaias Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my seat the Earth the footstool for my feet what is this house which thou buildest for me And Stephen the Protomartyr adds Salomon built a House but the most High Inhabits not in places made with Hands And Paul the Apostle saith to the Athenians God dwells not in Temples made with hands for being the Lord of Heaven and Earth he is not serv'd by mens hands who wants not their help However he teaches that Humane Nature even Men themselves Holy Pious Religious Devout to God are the most acceptable Temples to God as he Asserts writing to the Corinthians Ye are the Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you the Temple of God is holy so ought you to be Moreover Origen writing against Celsus confesses That at the first beginning of Christian Religion and long after Christs Suffering there were no Churches Built Confirming by many Arguments that among Christians they avail neither to the right Worship of God nor to the Honour of true Religion Therefore faith Lactantius Temples are not to be made to God of Stones piled up to an immense height but there is a place to be reserv'd in the Heart of every Man where his Thoughts ought to retire when they are taken up in Religious Exercise Not Temples made with hands th' Almighty hold Just men are the true Temples made of Gold And Christ sends his Adorers not into the Temple not into the Synagogues but into their private Closets to Pray And we read that he himself did many times appear with the Multitude in the Cities in the Temple in the Synagogue when he made his Sermons but he went into the Mountain to Pray where he spent the Night in Prayer However the Church that does nothing but by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God when the Christian Religion began to increase and that Sinners entred into the Temple with the Godly the weak with the strong in Faith and as they entred the Ark of Noe the Clean with the Unclean did then Ordain certain Temples Chappels Churches and separated Places free from Prophane business wherein the Word of God might be Publickly Preached to the Multitude and the Sacraments might be more decently and orderly Administred which have since been held by the Christians in most Venerable Esteem and being guarded with the Immunities of several Princes have encreased to such a vast Number augmented with the Addition of Monasteries Abbies and the like that it is very necessary that many of them should be cut off as superfluous and unnecessary Members And here we cannot be unmindful of another Enormity which is the superbity of Building wherein vast sums of Alms and sacred Money is expended which as we have observ'd before would be more fitly and honestly employ'd in the maintenance of the true poor of Christ the true Temples and resemblances of God many times ready to perish for hunger thirst cold labour sickness and want CHAP. LIX Of Holy-days HOly-days both among the Gentiles as among the Jews were always in great estimation who did all at certain times of the year and upon certain days set apart several Holy-days for Divine worship upon several occasions as if it were lawful to be more religious or more ungodly at one time than another or that it were the pleasure of God to be worshipped more at one time than another which St. Paul objects to the Galatians as a shame writing to them afthis manner Ye observe days and months and times and years I fear I have labour'd for you in vain and without a cause Concerning which when he admonishes the Colossians he commands them in these words Let no man judge you for meat or drink upon a Holy-day or of the New-moon or of the Sabbath which are members of future things For to true and perfect Christians there is no difference of days who are always feasling and pleasing themselves in God always keeping a perpetual Sabbath as Isaiah prophesi'd to the Fathers of the Jews The time shall come that their Sabbath shall be taken away and when the Saviour comes there shall be a
perpetual Sabbath and perpetual New-moons However for the sake of the common people and the more illiterate part of the Church the Holy Fathers did institute Holy-days that they might have liberty and vacancie to come and hear the Word and to celebrate Divine Worship and for receiving the Sacraments yet so that the Church should not be subservient to the days but that the days should be subservient to the Church Therefore did the Fathers ordain certain Holy-days wherein the common people were exhorted to abstain from worldly business and bodily labour whereby they might be the more free to serve God the more at leisure to pray and think upon Divine matters to be present at Service and Sermons and to tend such other Duties as might most directly tend to their Salvation But that same perverter of Equity that destroyer of all Order and Decencie that author of all Evil the Devil endeavouring to pull down whatever the Holy Ghost sets up hath neer demolish'd this Tower of Beauty also While we behold the greatest part of Christians not converting this Holy leisure of Holy-days to the exercises of Prayer or hearing the Word of God but spending their pretious time in the corruption of all good Manners Dancing Stage-playes lewd Songs idle Sports and Games Drinking Feasting Visiting and in all worldly and Carnal works quite opposite to Spiritual As Tertullian speaks of the solemn Feasts of the Caesars They were wont saith he to make a great stir to bring forth into the publick street their Fires and their Chorus's to junket in the High-way to make a Tavern of the whole City to pour Wine down one anothers throats by violence then to run headlong to do all manner of mischief and to please themselves in all manner of filthy Lust. Are we not therefore deservedly to be condemn'd who celebrate the Festivals of Christ and his Saints after such a lewd fashion I confess we do not finde many Heretical Disputes concerning Holy-days omitting the madness and Blasphemy of the Manichaeans and the pestiferous opinions of the Cataphrygians yet had they like to have occasion'd a great breach in the Church when Victor the Pope excommunicated all the Eastern and Southern Churches for not keeping Easter-day according to the direction of the Western Decrees who notwithstanding was notably resisted among others by Polycrates Bishop of Asia Ireneus also Bishop of Lions though he observ'd Easter-day as was commanded by Victor yet with great freedom undertook to chide the Pope for that he had contrary to the Example of his Predecessors as a disturber of the Peace lopp'd off so many Limbs of the Church not for any Errour in point of Faith but onely for disagreeing in point of Ceremony from the Church of Rome 'T is true there have been many decrees of Popes and Councils to confirm and settle the observation of Easter-day and many Ecclesiastick Computations have been made for the better finding out of the true day And yet to this very hour they could never find out a certain day or that was Universally observ'd through the whole World at one and the same time A very worthy business indeed that for the humour of one obstinate Pope the whole Church should suffer Shipwrack CHAP. LX. Of Ceremonies OF the Members of Religion the Pomp of Rites and Ceremonies in Habits in Vessels in Lights in Bells in Organs in Singing in Perfumes in Postures in Pictures in the choice of Meats and Fasts and the like have been receiv'd and approv'd with great Adoration and Veneration by the Multitude especially Papistical who understand no more than what they see with their Eyes Numa Pompilius first Instituted Ceremonies among the Romans thereby to invite a rude and fierce People that had obtain'd a Kingdom by Violence and Rapine to Piety Truth Justice and Religion such were the Ancylia and Palladium the Sacred Pledges of the Empires Safety the double-Fronted Janus Arbiter of Peace and War The Fire of Vesta over which a she Flamin did continually Watch The Year also divided into Twelve Months with the variety of Good and Evil Days The Sacerdotal Dignity divided into Pontifexes and Augurs their various Ceremonies of Sacrifices Supplications Shews Processions Temples of which the greatest part as Eusebius testifies has been Translated into our Religion But God himself who delights not in Flesh and Humane Signes contemns and despises these Carnal and Exteriour Ceremonies For he is not to be Worship'd with Corporal Actions Eye-pleasing Works or Carnal Adoration but in Spirit and Truth by Christ Jesus For he looks upon the Faith considering the inward Thoughts and Intentions of Men the searcher of Hearts that sees the very Secrets of the Soul Therefore those Carnal and outward Ceremonies no way advance us toward God with whom there is nothing acceptable but Faith in Jesus Christ with a perfect imitation of his Charity and an unshaken hope in his Salvation and Reward This is the true Worship spotless from all Contamination of External and Carnal Ceremonies wherein St. John instructing us saith That God is a Spirit and to be worship'd in Spirit and Truth This some of the Ethnick Philosophers were not ignorant of therefore Plato forbid that any Ceremonies should be used in the Worship of the most high God For there is nothing wanting to him who is all things himself only it is requisite that we should adore him by returning our thanks to him for all things Neither have we any thing more grateful to return to God than Praise Glory and Thanks Neither will it serve for an Objection to insist upon the Sacrifices Rites and Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law as if God had taken delight in them For God brought them not out of Aegypt to offer up Sacrifices and Incense to him but that forgetting the Idolatry of the Aegyptians they might hear the Voice of God and obey him in Faith and Truth to the obâ—aining of their Salvation Now the reason that Moses Instituted Sacrifices and Ceremonies among them was that he bare with their Infirmities and yielded to the hardness of their Hearts indulging a small Error to recal them from things more unlawful directing their Sacrifices to God and not to Devils For those things were not principally Instituted but by consequence neither could that Law oblige them otherwise than as it was approv'd by the people Therefore Moses when he produc'd the Laws of Ceremonies he collected the suffrages of the Elders and the people whereby to render them more pliable to his commands Therefore might that Law be chang'd according to the alteration of times and manners and was at last totally abrogated but the Law of God delivered in the Tables of Stone that is perpetual For so God spake by Jeremiah Why do ye offer to me Frankincense of Saba and Cynamon fetch'd from a far Country Your Holocauâ—ts and your Sacrifices have not pleased me And again by the same Prophet Thus saith the Lord Put your burnt offerings to your sacrifice
and eat flesh for I spake not to your Fathers nor commanded them when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning sacrifices and burnt-offerings but this thing commanded I them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you And Isaiah 43. 23. Thou hast not brought me faith the Lord the sheep of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy Sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an Offering nor wearied thee with Incense thou boughtest me no sweet savour with money neither hast thou made me drunk with the fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and hast wearied me with thy iniquities And Chap. 66. v. 2. To him will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my words For it is not thy fat flesh that shall cleanse thee from thy iniquities For Chap. 58. v. 5. It is such a fast that I have chosen vers 6. to loose the bands of wickedness to take off the heavy burthens to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke vers 7. To deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that wandreth into thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy self from thine own Flesh. Verse 8. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thy health shall grow speedily thy righteousness shall go before thee and the glory of the Lord shall compass thee Verse 9. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer Here am I. I will not deny but that as by Moses and Aaron formerly in the Synagogue and after him by the succeeding Priests Judges and Prophets even to the Scribes and Pharisees so also in the Christian Church it was the practise of the Apostles Evangelists Fathers Priests and Doctors to deck and adorn her with decent Rites Ceremonies and Institutions to render her a more amiable Bride to her Celestial Spouse To which later Ages have added many things too much savouring of Humane Weakness But as it often happens that that which is provided as a Remedy turns oftentimes to nourish the Disease so happens it now with the Ceremonies of the Church that through the folly of Popish Superstition Christians are now adays more clogged with continual innovations than were the Jews of old and which is worse though these Ceremonies are many of them neither good nor bad in themselves but things indifferent yet the superstitious people groping in the dark of Popery and Superstition place a greater belief in them and observe them more strictly than the Commands of God the Bishops Abbots Monks and Priests conniving all the while thereat and well providing thereby for their Bellies Now these Ceremonies though they have been the occasion of few Heresies against the Faith yet have they introduced innumerable Sects into the Church and have been the seed of many Schisms For from hence it came to pass that the Greek Church was separated from the Romans while the one Consecrated Vnleavened the other Leavened Bread when it matters not which so the Bread be consecrated Hence the Bohemian Church separated from the Roman that they might administer the Sacrament in both kinds but as St. Paul saith Gal. 6. 15. Neither circumcision availeth nor uncircumcision but the observance of the Commands of God which the same Author in the same place calls the new creature Therefore is it a most abominable piece of Iniquity for such slight causes and about things indifferent to disturb the Unity of the Church and divide the Body of Christ and as our Saviour objects to the Pharisees to Cleanse the outside of the Cup and swallow a Camel Therefore by the providence of God the Pope did himself little good when he was so stingy against the Leaven of the Greeks and the Bohemian Cup. CHAP. LXI Of the Magistrates and Superiours of the Church IN the Government of the Church it is necessary to make use of Ecclesiastical Magistrates and Officers for the avoiding confusion Now whatsoever is done in the Church either for Ornament or for the increase of Religion whether it be in the Election of Overseers or in the Institution of Ministers unless the same be done by the instinct of the Divine Spirit which is the Soul of the Church it is altogether impious and contrary to the Truth For whosoever is not call'd to the great Office of the Ministry and Dignity of Apostleship by the Spirit as was Aaron and whoever enters not in at the door which is Christ but gets another way into the Church through the window that is to say by the favour of men by purchasing Voices in Election or by superiour Power certainly such a one is no Vicar of Christ or of his Apostles but a Thief and an Impostor the Vicar of Judas Iscariot and Simon the Samaritan Therefore it was so streightly provided by the antient Fathers in the Election of Prelates which they therefore call the Sacrament of Nomination that the Prelates and Apostles who were to be Overseers of the Ministers of the Church should be men of most unspotted Integrity in their Lives and Conversations powerful in sound Doctrine able to give a reason of all their doings But the antient Constitutions falling from their Majesty and the late Pontifical Jurisdiction by damnable Custome getting a head such a sort of Popes and Prelates now adays ascend into the Throne of Christ such as were the Scribes and Pharisees in the Chair of Moses who talk and do nothing binding heavy burthens to the shoulders of the people to which they will not put the stress of a little finger Meer Hypocrites performing all their works to be seen of men making a shew of their Religion as it were in Scenes they covet the chief Seats at Feasts in Schools in the Synagogues the upper hands in the streets and to be saluted with the ponderous appellations of Rabbi and Doctors They barricado up the Gate of Heaven not onely not going in themselves but excluding others They devour Widows houses jabbering long Prayers traveling Land and Seas to seduce children and ignorant persons that having by the addition of one Proselyte encreased their forlorn number they may with a more numerous train enter the Regions of Fire prepared for them With their idle Legends and Traditions they corrupt the most Holy Laws of Christ and neglecting the true Temple of God the living Images of the Son of the Father and the Altars of the peoples Souls with a covetous eye seek after onely Gold and Gifts and minding the more profitable and sinister parts of the Law are very strict in their Decrees touching Tithes Oblations Collections and Alms Tithing Fruits Cattel Money not sparing also things of the smallest price as Mint Anise and Cumin for which
but God as he himself spake to the Contemners of Samuel They have not contemn'd thee but me And as Moses reproving the murmuring people saith Ye have not murmured against us but against the Lord your God nor will God suffer them to go unpunish'd that resist their Bishop or Prelate Thus Dathan and Abiram rebell'd against Moses and the Earth swallow'd them up Many conspir'd with Corah against Aaron and were consum'd with Fire Achab and Jezebel persecuted the Prophets and were eaten by Dogs The Children mocked Elisha and were torn and devour'd by Bears Vzzia the King presuming to meddle with the Priesthood was strucken with Leprosie Saul adventuring to sacrifice without the presence of Samuel the High Priest was depriv'd of his Kingdom and not onely depriv'd of his Prophetick Spirit but possess'd with an Evil one It is a point of Infidelity not to believe the Scriptures a point of Impiety to despite the Ecclesiastick Government CHAP. LXII Of the several sorts of Monks THere are yet remaining in the Church a sort of People of several Opinions which are call'd Monks and Fryars Anchorites altogether unknown to the Old Law At this day they assume to themselves the Title of Religious Persons prescribing to themselves most severe Rules of Living and Professing most Holy Duties and Exercises march under the Name and Banner of some most Religious and noted Person or Martyr as Bernard Austin Benedict Francis and the like but at this time there is an Abominable Rout of sinners crept in among them For hither as to a Sanctuary flock together all those who out of the guilt of their Consciences or otherwise fearing the Punishment of the Law are safe no where else others who have committed certain Crimes that are to be Expiated by Sufferance and Repentance whom the dis-repute of their Conversations hath rendred proof against Infamy who having wasted their Estates with Whoring Drinking Gaming and all manner of Riot at length Debt and Want compells 'um to Begg others there are whom the hope of ease loss of Mistress or their being Cheated when Young fierce Mothers-in-Law or severe Tutors compel and drive to these Houses the Massie Body of which Higgle-de Piggle-de is joyn'd and soder'd together with a reign'd Sanctimony a Cowl and a confidence of sturdy Begging The Body of their Houses is that great Sea wherein with the other little Fishes dwell the great Leviathans and Behemoths the Great Whales Monsters and creeping things whose number is not to be told From thence are spew'd up so many Stoical-Apes so many Penny-Beggers so many Mendicant Gown-men so many Monsters in Cowls so many Beard-weareâ—s Rope-carriers Staff-bearers black sad-colour grey white woodden-shooes baâ—â—-footed Budget bearers vary-colour'd many-coated canvas-wearing cloak-carriers gown-men coat-carriers some loose some tuck'd up with all the rest of the crouds of Histrio's who having no Faith in Worldly things themselves by reason of their monstrous habit are yet by the poor People of the World accompted Divine Usurping the Sacred Name of Religion to themselves and boasting themselves to be the Companions of Christ and his Apostles whose Life and Conversation is generally most Wicked contaminated and defil'd with all manner of Covetousness Lust Ambition Sawciness Impudence and all manner of enormity yet going safe and unpunishable under the defence of pretended Religion For they are fortified with the Priviledges of the Romish Church and exempted from all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to the end they may the more lawfully go on in Wickedness and although they are able to cite all other Persons whatsoever before their false and illiterate Tribunal yet they themselves can be Cited no where but either to Rome or Jerusalem As for their Vanities and Errors were I to set them down in Writing not all the Parchment in Madian would comprehend them I mean of them who profess not Piety for Religions sake but put on the Cowl to maintain their Luxurie Most rapacious Wolves who under Lambs-skins and Sheeps-cloathing hide the Fox in their Brests using such Arts of Dissimulation that their whole Profession seems to be a meer Mimick Hypocrisie and a meer trade of Piety driven on by personated Persons which under a Pale Visage hide their pretended Fasting making their dutiful Tears obey their deep Sighs counterfeiting Prayers with the Motion of their Lips and by means of their sober Gate and demure Postures With Head dejected fixing on the Ground Their Leacherous Eyes Assuming Modesty and Devoutness to themselves with their poor Garments covering their pretended Humility and by means of their Cowls hanging down their backs creating to themselves an Opinion of Holiness though their inward and private Conversations be most detestable who though they commit very great Enormities are yet sav'd with the pretence of Religion overcoming and with their Cowls as with Bucklers warding off all the Darts of ill-Fortune and thus living secure from all civil Troubles and Dangers eating the bread of Idleness instead of that which they ought to Labour â—or they afterwards lye down to Rest in ease and quiet Esteeming it to be Evangelical poverty to feed upon the Labours of other men in beggery and idleness These are they who Professing utmost Humility clad in mean and vile Habit bare-footed Stage-players bound with Ropes like Robbers and Thieves with their Heads shaven like Mad-folks with their Cowls Beads and Bells like Morris-Dancers and Carneval-mummers prosess themselves to wear these Emblems of Poverty and Contempt for the sake of Christ and Religion yet swelling inwardly with Ambition and giving to the chief of their Orders the most Arrogantâ—Tides of Paranymphs Rectors Guardians Presidents Priors Vicars Provincials Archimandritae and Generals so that no sort of People seems more covetous of People than they are There are not wanting many other Enormities which may be truly reported of them but there are others before me who have made sufficient discovery thereof already I will not deny but there are some Pious and Devout men among them but the Generality of 'um are Infidels Reprobates and Apostates that deform and deface Religion CHAP. LXIII Of Prostitution or the trade of Whoring HEre it seems no way unseasonable for us to speak something of the Art of Bawdery seeing that among the Egyptians the first institutors of Religion it was not lawful for any person to be made a Priest that was not first initiated in the ceremonies and mysteries of Priapus and for that in our Church it is also a receiv'd Maxime that there can be no Pope without Testicles and that Eunuchs and gelt persons are forbidden to be admitted into the Priesthood and for that we also finde that wheree're there be the most stately Priories and Abbies there are always certain Bawdy-houses adjoyning to 'um and for that the recluse houses of Nuns and Religious houses are for the most part but the receptacles of lewd women whom the Monks themselves do often keep privately in the Habit of Men for their particular solace Therefore I say
expectation necessity and compassion fraud force or stratagem let them moderately use let them act prudently or foolishly from a Mistress let them always take any thing as a Pledge or Pawn by her permission let them proceed or seek a new one let them Court a Noble high-minded Lady with pomp and subtletie His Conjectures let him silently pursue Lycurgus also made a Law That if any person stricken in Age and unfit for Marriage should happen to Wed a young Virgin it might be lawful for her to choose any young Man strong and lusty to hansel her Fruitful Womb with a more generous Seed provided that the off-spring should be her Husbands There was also another Law made by Solon which gave liberty to Wives if their Husbands were grown infirm and not able for the Venereal sport to chuse some one person next of Kin to lie with 'um provided the Off-spring should not be alienated And I onely touch upon it by the way that there are many Noble women now adays who are well known to make use of other men to get them with Childe and impose their spurious Issue upon their Husbands Afterwards being brought to Bed and up again they return to the Society of their Adulterers In that worse than Julia the Wife of Agrippa who would never receive a Passenger till the Ship was laden In the Sacred Writ also we finde the stratagems and devices of Lovers and Love-assistants as of the Mother-in-Law of Ruth in Jonadah whom the Scripture calls a Wise man and in Achitophel a grave and prudent Counsellor We read also that Abraham when he sojourned with the Egyptians knowing his Wife to be fair and young I know saith he that thou art a fair woman to look upon therefore it will come to pass when the Egyptians see thee they will say She is his wife so will they kill me but thee will say keep alive say I pray thee that thou art my sister that I may fare well for thy sake and that my life may be saved So the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house and Abraham was intreated well for her sake The same subtlety he also us'd towards Abimeleck King of the Philistines and so did Isaac the Son of Abraham Thus you see the Art of Pandarism has been highly honour'd and advanc'd by the Gods by Heroes Legislators Philosophers Wise men Divines Princes and Prelates Pan and Mercury themselves were Pandars and the little Boy Cupid The Hero Vlysses the Lawgivers Lycurgus and Solon were Pandars who were the first that built Brothel-houses and countenanc'd the Prostitution of young women to men Of later days Pope Sixtus built up a most noble Brothel-house at Rome the Emperour also Heliogabalus fed whole droves of Whores in his own house for the use of his friends and acquaintance It has been the great care of Queens Princesses and great Ladies to practise this Art in so much that many Queens have been the procurers of Female-pleasure to their own Sons Nor have the chief Magistrates and Burgomasters of Cities disdain'd the Office for the Corinthians Ephesians Abydens Cyprians Babylonians and many other Magistrates of other Towns were all of them Pimps and Panders to their Subjects building and maintaining Bawdy-houses in their Cities not a little inriching their Treasuries with the Tribute which they exacted from Curtesans which is a thing common in Italy and in Rome every Curtesan pays a Julio a week to the Pope which many years amounts to above Twenty thousand Ducats the hire and wages of Whores being a great part of the Ecclesiastical Treasury Nay I have heard some compting up their Estates in this manner He hath saith he two Benefices one Curateship of twenty Crowns another Priory of forty and the tribute of three Whores in the Bordelli which amounts to twenty Julio's a week No less Pimps and Bawds are those Bishops and Officers that exact a yearly Tribute from the Priests to permit them the use of Concubines which exaction is become a Proverb among the common people who cry Shall he or shall be not have a Concubine Let him pay a Crown and take one But in the Kingdom of Covetousness there is nothing accompted shameful by which Money is to be gotten I pass over the invention of Toleration which gives a woman liberty by means of a little Money paid to the Bishop to co habit in Adultery with another man All which things are so manifest that it is impossible to say which is most apparent the impudence of the Prelates or the stupidity of the common People so that it were very needful for the Princes of Germany to seek redress hereof as one of the greatest grievances and oppressions of their Empire Such Patrons has the Craft of Pandarism who with no less power defend the mysteries of Putanism for which to our great grief and shame be it spoken there are such great Priviledges and Immunities throughout the whole Christian Commonwealth such ample tolerations contrary to the Divine Laws and the Word of God it self Humane Reason and the Power of Pandarism so potently contriving to give to Youth this wicked Liberty under the pretence of keeping them from acting higher Impieties Take away Whores they cry out of the Commonwealth and streight the world will be fill'd with Rapes Adulteries and Incests no Matron shall remain unviolated the Chastity of no Widow shall be safe Virgin and Vestal Nuns will not escape their fury From whence they conclude it to be impossible for a Commonwealth or Nation to be in a quiet posture of Government without the allowance of Harlots without whom the Children of Israel however liv'd so Chastly and Continently for many Ages together for such was the Command of God There shall be neither whores nor whoremongers suffered among the children of Israel Notwithstanding which that beastly liberty before mentioned has endeavoured to invade the Pale of the Church under the pretence of Religion and was the ground of the Nicolaitan Heresie who to avoid the suspition of Jealousie prostituted their own Wives and by a Platonick custom maintained community of Wives But we are bound to let all Princes Judges and Magistrates understand that whoever they be that permit the use of Brothels or by any way connive at their sufferance though they themselves may perhaps not be guilty of the Crime it self to them shall God speak as is spoken by the Psalmist If thou didst see a thief thou didst run with him and didst set up thy portion with Adulterers These things hast thou done and I have held my peace Thou didst believe I would be like thee but I will convince thee and set thy transgressions before thee CHAP. LXV Of Beggerie IT is a great part of the duty of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government to be mindful of the Poor and Diseased lest People should commit Sin or Steal through Poverty or by continual wandring should occasion the bringing in of Plagues Pestilences into Cities or should Perish
and at last the most Potent Rome This Art writ with much more Blood than the Laws of Draco teaches ye how advantageously and neatly to order a Battle to Assail the Enemy to use Stratagems to move Vigorously forward to Retreat to maintain a Shock to strike to purpose to avoid the stroaks to handle nimbly all manner of Arms to pursue when to leave Pursuing when to Pursue far when not too far when to fall to the Spoil to rally make good Breaches defend Forts and Towns It teaches ye also how to prepare and Rig out great Navies build Castles fortifie Towns place fit Garrisons to Encamp cast Trenches Mine Countermine make Engines Assault Ramplers provide Provision necessary for the Army to place and avoid Ambushments and the like also to Besiege Cities plant Batteries advance the Trenches dig down the Walls shake down the Towers scale Walls to burn and demolish Towns and Castles to spoil Temples plunder Cities depopulate Countries abolish Laws adulterate Matrons vitiate Widdows ravish Virgins to Wound take Prisoners Captivate and Kill So that the whole Art studies nothing else but the subversion of Mankind transforming Men into Beasts and Monsters So that War is nothing but a general Homicide and Robbery by mutual Consent Neither are Soldiers other than stipendiary Theeves arm'd to the subversion of the Commonwealth Now the Events of War being always uncertain and that Fortune not Skill affords Victory to what purpose serve all the Stratagems Ambuscades and Rules of War Yet the Divine Plato praises this Art Teaches it to his Scholars and commands them to be enroll'd as soon as fit for service and the Famous Cyrus affirm'd That War was as necessary as Agriculture Nay St. Austin and St. Bernard Catholick Doctors of the Church have approved thereof neither do the Pontifical Decretals at all impugne it though Christ and his Apostles teach quite another Doctrine So that contrary to the Doctrine of Christ it has obtain'd no small Honour in the Church by reason of the many Orders of Holy Soldiers all whose Religion consists in Blood Slaughter Rapine and Pyracy under pretence of defending and enlarging the Christian Faith as if the Intention of Christ had been to spread his Gospel not by Preaching but by force of Arms not by Confession and simpleness of Heart but by Menaces and high Threats of Ruine and Destruction strength of Arms Slaughter and Massacres of Mankind Nor is it enough for these Soldiers to bear their Arms against the Turks Saracens and Pagans unless they Fight also for Christians against Christians War and Warfare have begot many Bishops and it is not seldome that they Fight stiffly for the Popedome which made the Holy Bishop of Camora Affirm That seldom any Pope ascends the Chair without the Blood of the Saints and it is call'd constancy of Martrydome in those that dye Fighting desperately for the Papal Seat Concerning the Art of War Zenophon Zenocrates Onozander Cato Censorius Cornelius Celsus Iginius Vegetius Frontinus Helianus Modestus and many of the Ancients among the Moderns Volturius Nicholas the Florentine James Earl of Porcia and some few others These are great Doctors in the Art but Speculative and therefore not so dangerous as the Practisers Now as to the Titles Dignities and Degrees of the Scholars there are neither Batchelors Masters nor Doctors Neither are they as they are vulgarly to be call'd Emperors Dukes Earls Marquesses Knights Captains Centurions Lieutenants Ensignes names begotten by injury and Ambition but Thieves House-breakers Robbers Murderers Sacrilegious Fencers Adulterers Panders Whoremongers Traitors Gamesters Blasphemers Parricides Incendiaries Pirates and Tyrants All which who ever would express in one Word let him call 'um Soldiers that is to say the most barbarous dregs of Wicked Men whom their own wicked Natures and Desires carry headlong to all Villany among whom the Name of Dignity and Liberty takes the freedome to commit all sorts of Enormity and Cruelty seeking all occasions of Mischief looking upon Innocency to be a kind of likeness of Death all of 'um being one body of their Father the Devil Like the Leviathan of whom thus speaketh Job They are a body Arm'd with scales like strong shields and which is sure Seal'd One is set to another that no wind can come between them One is set to another they stick together that they cannot be sundred Job 41. They assist one another and are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ Psa. 2 Neither are Purple Chains of Gold Garlands Crowns the Ensignes of War but wounded breasts and bodies deformed with scarrs An Exercise which is never perform'd but with the ruine and mischief of many the destruction of Good Manners Laws and Piety diametrically at Enmity with Christ with Happiness with Peace with Charity with Innocency and Patience The Rewards thereof are Glory got by the Effusion of humane Blood Enlargement of Dominion out of a greedy desire of Rule and Possession obtain'd with the Damnation of many Souls For seeing that Victory is the End whereat all War drives no man can be a Conqueror but he must be a Murtherer neither can any one be overcome but he must wickedly Perish Therefore the Death of Souldiers is the most desperate sin writing but a bad Epitaph upon their Graves They that kill are wicked though the War be just For Souldiers consider not the justness of the War but what Plunder and Booty they shall get from those that they kill If there are any who are justly slain yet they that claim Honour by doing the Fact make themselves but a kind of Butchers or Hangmen who while the Laws are so strict against Thieves Incendiaries Robbers Homicides and Murtherers yet presume under the Title and Pretence of being Warriors to be accompted Noble and Virtuous CHAP. LXXX Of Nobility THus we find the Original of Nobility to spring from War a Dignity obtain'd by Butchery out of the blood and slaughter of the Enemy and adorn'd with Ensigns of Publick Honour This was the reason of so many sorts of Crowns among the Romans Civil Mural Obsidional Naval so many Military largesses of Bracelets Spears Trappings Chains Rings Statues and Images from whence the Pedegrees of Nobility took their first rise Among the Carthaginians they had so many Rings given 'um as they had been present in Fights the Iberians rais'd about the Sepulchre of the Dead so many Obelisques as he had slain Enemies Among the Scythians at their Publick Festivals it was Lawful for none to receive the Cup that was openly carried about but they who had slain an Adversary Among the Macedonians there was a Law That he that had not slain an Enemy should be girt with a Headstal or Capistrum in deâ—ision of his Cowardise Among the Germans no man was to Marry a Wife till he had brought the Head of a slain Enemy before the King And many times the Indignity which many Persons have thought has been put upon 'um in not being rewarded
as upon the Equity and Justice of the Judge CHAP. XCII Of the Canon-Law FRom the Civil flow'd the Canon or Pontificial Law which may to some seem a most holy Constitution so ingeniously does it hide and mask the precepts of Avarice and rules of Rapine under the pretences of Piety though it contain very few Decrees that regard either Religion the Worship of God oâ— the Ceremonies of the Sacraments I forbear to make it out that some are altogether repugnant to the Word of God all the rest are meer matters of Strife Contention Pride Pomp and Gain and onely Edicts of the Popes not contented with those already made by Holy men and Fathers unless they may adde new Decrees Chaffie extravagancies so that there is no end or limit of their Canons which onely proceed from the Pride and Ambition of the Popes whose Arrogancie has grown so bold as to command the Angels to rob Hell and lay violent hands upon the souls of the Dead tyrannizing over the Law of God with their Interpretations Declarations and Disputations left any thing should be wanting or diminisht from the fulness of their power Did not Pope Clement in a Bull which is kept to this day at Vienna and several other places command the Angel to free the soul of one that was going to Rome for Indulgences and dying by the way immediately out of Purgatory and carry him to Heaven adding It is our pleasure that the pains of hell be no farther inflicted on him granting also power to those that were signed with the Cross at their own pleasures to take three or four souls out of Purgatory Which erroneous and intolerable Boldness if I may not call it Heresie the Parisian School then utterly condemn'd and reprov'd repenting perhaps that they did not report that hyperbolical Zeal of Clement as a Fable that the Story might live rather than die seeing that for all their affirming or denying there is nothing of injury done to the Authority of the Pope whose Canons and Decrees have so pinion'd Theologie that the most Contentious Divine dares neither dispute or think contrary to the Popes Canons without leave and pardon as Martial says of Rusus What Rusus says Rusus has leave for all Although he laugh weep hold his tongue or braul He sups drinks asks denies yet still the brute Has your good leave without your leave he 's mute Out of these Canons also and Decrees we finde the Patrimony of Christ to be Kingdoms Donations Foundations Wealth and large Possessions and that the Priesthood of Christ is Soveraign power and Command that the Sword of Christ is Temporal Jurisdiction that the Rock on which the Church is founded is the Pope that the Bishops are not onely the Ministers but Heads of the Church that the Goods of the Church are not Evangelical Doctrine Constancy of Faith and contempt of the World but Taxes Tythes Oblations Collections Purple Mitres Gold Silver Gems Mannors and Money The power of the Pope is to wage War dissolve Leagues absolve Princes from their Oathes Subjects from their Obedience and to make the house of Prayer a den of Thieves Well therefore may the Pope depose Bishops who can give away other mens rights commit Simony dispense with his Oath and no man be able to say to him Why dost thou so Well may he for other weighty reasons dispense with all the New Testament and send above a third part of the souls of the faithful to hell But the Office of Bishops is not now-a-days to preach the Word but to confer Orders dedicate Temples baptize Bells consecrate Altars and Chalices bless Vestments and Images But they who are more ambitious than these if leaving those things to be performed by I know not what mean and titular Bishops they can procure themselves to be sent Kings Ambassadours to be their Chief Ministers of State or to attend upon the Queen such great causes may excuse um from serving God in the Temples if they can serve the King well at Court Out of the â—me Fountains arise those Equivocations and Shifts to avoid Simony in selling and buying Benefices daily in use or for whatever other Monopolies or Markets are made of Pardons Indulgences Dispensations and the like whereby they set a price upon remission of sins which God has so freely granted and have found out a way to gain by the very pains of Hell From this Law they borrow that feigned Donation of Constantine which is quite contrary to the Word of God seeing that neither Caesar can give away his own Right nor the Clergie usurp that which is Caesars To these we may adde so many ravenous Decrees under the known Titles of Indulgencies of Bulls of Confessions of Testaments of Dispensations of Priviledges of Elections of Dignities of Prebendaries of Religious houses of Sacred houses of The place of Judicature of Immunities of Judgements and the like Lastly the whole Canon-law is of all the most inconstant more various than Proteus more changeable than a Chameleon more full of perplexity than the Gordian-knot So that the Christian-Religion by the Institution of Christ intended to put an end to Ceremonies is now more clogg'd with Ceremonies than the Jewish Religion of old the weight whereof makes the easie and sweet Yoke of Christ more heavie and burthensome than that of the Law while Christians are compell'd to live more according to the Prescriptions of the Canon-law than the Rules of the Gospel To say truth the Learning of both Laws is wholly busied about frail empty and prophane matters Bargains and Quarrels of the common people about Murthers Thefts Robberies Pyracies Factions Conspiracies and Treasons Perjuries Knaveries of Scribes Abuses of Lawyers Corruptions of Judges whereby Widows are ruin'd Orphans destroyed the Poor oppressed the Innocent condemned and as it is said in Juvenal The Crows are pardon'd and the Doves condemn'd Thus blinde men run themselves into mischiefs which they thought to avoid by the assistance of the Canons and Pontifical Decretals because they are no Laws or Canons ordained by God or for the honour of God but onely invented by the corrupt Wit of men for Gain and the supply of covetous desires CHAP. XCIII Of Advocates THere is another Practice of the Law which they call the Art of Pleading of which they would pretend a very great Necessity an ancient but most deceitful Calling onely set out with the gaudy Trimming of Perswasion which is nothing else but to know how by Perswasion to over-rule the Judge and to turn him and winde him at pleasure to know how by false Interpretations and Comments to wrest or avoid the Law or prolong the Suit so to cite and repeat Decrees to pervert Equity and alter the sence of the Law and the intention of the Legislator in which Art there is nothing sooner prevails than Bauling and Confidence and he is accounted the best Advocate who intices most the people to go to Law putting um in hopes of recovering great