then they may cassiere their promises when they can doe them no further seruice And that this is their practise I can verifie by infinite instances They were vowed to GOD as they say in the Church of Mont-Marter in the yeere 1534. and promised to goe to Ierusalem to conuert the Turks to the Catholique Religion And to this purpose they came to Venice in the yeere 1537. resolute to take their iourney after they had receiued the blessing of Pope Paule the third by whom they were well receiued by the mediation of some who brought them thether and there they receiued money for the voyage Nothing hindred their enterprise saue only the fauour of some Lords with whom they grew acquainted in Rome by whose meanes they hoped to set vp an easier Sect excusing the breach of their vow vnder pretense that the passage was stopt by reason of the wars betwixt the Turke and the Venetian Yet certaine it was that the verie yeere of their approbation which was in the yeere 1540. there was not onely truce betwixt the Turke and the Venetian but a firme peace What then altered their resolution Marrie euen their ease and some other busines they had at home In the same Church of Mont-Marter they swore to vndertake the coÌ„quest of lost soules after they were proceeded Doctors of Diuinitie That was a promise made before the face of God very wise reasonable Whereunto besides ther synceritie of conscience there was further required soundnes of iudgement knowledge to conuert the Infidels When they found a better bargaine at Rome they remembred to forget their promise These two first assayes made them afterward Maisters in matter of deceit trechery vpon all occasions that were offered them for the aduancement of their designes In the assembly of Poissy the yeere 1561. they promised to renounce their vowes and to submit themselues to the ordinarie discipline of other Colledges A promise which afterward they renewed in open Parliament Whereupon they were admitted onely vnder the title of the Colledge of Clairmont in Paris Notwithstanding in the same yeere they obtaynd Buls of Pope Pius the fourth altogether contrarie and derogatory to all the ancient priuiledges of our Vniuersities In 64. when they preferred a petition to the Parliament to be matriculated or incorporated into the Vniuersity forgetting the decree of the French Church confirmed by processe they entitled themselues the Societie of Iesus an order forbidden them Pasquier hauing at the first beginning of the cause obiected that the title they tooke vpon them disabled their petition they denied themselues by the meanes of Versoris their owne Aduocate auouching that this hapned by the fault of Pons Congordon who was their first principall soliciter in the cause insomuch that Congordan was driuen to deny himselfe In Rome they obey the holy Sea in all things by a blinde obedience as I haue showed you by their constitutions In Fraunce if you beleeue it by the vow of Mission onely as you may find in their defence made in 94. for the Colledge of Clairmont and by Montaignes his booke and by the humble petition exhibited to the King by a namelesse Iesuit In Rome they acknowledge the Popeto be Lord spirituall and temporall ouer all Christian Princes Else they must directly contradict all the extrauagant decretals which impose the same vpon all Monarchies It is a proposition verie familiar in the Courâ—e of Rome And in the Buls appoynted for the publication of the Iubily in the yeere 1600. Saint Peter and Saint Paule are called Princes of the earth In Fraunce they are of another opinion for in their pleading in the yeere 94. and in the booke of Montaignes they giue out that the Pope hath no title to temporalties but such as he hath by long succession of time gotten in Italy Ribadinere in the life of Ignace acknowledgeth that all their order prayed particularly for the health of the deceased King of Spayne now read their bookes they know nothing but this particularity yet pray they generally for all Princes vnder whose protection they haue built their nestes In the verie heat of our troubles there was no Cardinall so much withstood the Duke of Neuers and the Marquesse of Pisani sent by the King to his Holines as the Cardinall of Toledo a Iesuit the troubles drawing to an end none was so forward as he to further our affayres During our last troubles none did so much michiefe as they if you credit men of great integrity reputation who were beholders of their tragedies Read their humble request and remonstrance preferred to the King there is nothing which this poore innocent people hath in greater detestation then that which they sometimes so much adored This is called among chiefe Pragmaticall fellowes a fayre pretence for a foule exploit They neuer made question to mingle their holy deuotions with affaires of State as they made vs feele to our payne Seeing our troubles vpon the poynt of appeasing and the Kings affayres successefull and prospering they called in anno 39. a general assembly in Rome wherin it was forbidden that any of them should intermeddle yet they did it But wil you haue a better and more euident example then this If you will beleeue them there is nothing they abhore more then the Hugonots Religion inasmuch as they inhibit their bookes of what argumeÌ„t soeuer forbidding expresly their scholers to read them Oh holy men Notwithstanding wheÌ„ they presented their request to the king to be established they chose a Hugonot to be their spokseman that by this retaining him they might be assured not to haue him against them These are states-men temporisers who hold all things honest and lawfull which serue their turne As in former times wheÌ„ they spake of a perfidious people they named the Carthagenians whereof the common prouerbe grew Fides Punica The like we may now say of the Iesuit Fides Iesuitica and apply that to them which Liuie speaketh of Hanniball Perfidia plusquam Punica nihil veri nihil sancti nullus Deûm metus nullum iusiurandum nulla religio They priuately among their friends make a iest of perfidiousnes trecherie for if you aske them What is a Iesuit their answere is Euery man Implying that they are Creatures which varie their colours like the Camelion according to the obiect A verie fit comparison for them for no more then the Camelion can they borrow the colour of white which in holy scripture figureth vertue innocencie A little before the King entred Paris Father Alexander Hays a Scot seeing the affayres of the League very much decline it was his chaunce to disgorge out of the aboundance of his heart these words in a great audience in the Colledge of Clairmont where hee read the principall lecture Hetherto to saith he we haue beene Spaniards but now we are constrained to be French it is all one we must formalize vntill a fitter season Cedendum erit tempori These were the words
of our age in the preface of his 3. booke after him Ioachim Bellay a gallant Poet in one of his chiefe Poems scoffed at with expresse inuentions which are the best passages in all theyr bookes As for Gallandius he was neuer of any other religion then the Catholique Apostolique Romane I haue quoated out this in particular as I passe along to giue you to vnderstand that in euery matter be it neuer so small the Iesuite cannot goe by without lying and disguising CHAP. 7. How the Iesuits were refused at Rome and by what cunning they were afterward receiued NEuer thinke that if they were so euill intreated in Fraunce they had any better entertainmēt at Rome At their first comming Ignatius and his new companions arriuing there plotted in the yeere 1539 to establish a new sect that should make the three ordinarie vowes of other religious a fourth beyond them all concerning mission and that they should haue a Generall whom they should be bound absolutely to obey without any reason yeelded them I will report it to you word for word what was the conclusion of their assembly and what Massee the Iesuite saith in the life of Ignatius dedicated by him to Aquauiua their Generall which booke was imprinted by his allowance Ergo without controuersie one must be chosen to whom all in earth must be obedient as if it were to Christ Maffee lib. 2. cap. 9. de vita Ignacij to his word they must sweare and esteeme his becke and his will as an Oracle of God And after they concluded that their Generall should continue in this dignitie while he liued Moreouer that whosoeuer entred this profession should to the three solemne vowes of all other religious houses adde a fourth to go without shrinking to whatsoeuer countrey of beleeuers or iufidels it should please the Pope to send them and that without fee or so much as petition to defray their charges by the way Thus you see in the first planting of them another absolute obedience to their General in all things different from that to the Pope concerning their mission onely I will leaue the rest of their rule presented to Paul the third to the examination it pleased his holinesse to make of it He committed it to three Cardinals to discusse which thought good to refuse it specially the Cardinall Guidicion Ignatius whom I haue allowed for one of the most sharpe and worldly wise men our age afforded knew he had plaid the Clarke and in his new statute couched a greater obedience to the Generall than to the holy Sea For this cause he reformed his rule and made their obedience to the Pope and their Generall in both alike These be the words of Ribadener a Iesuit who hath also written the life of Ignatius Rib. lib. 2. cap. 7. The order of these Clarks must be that by their Institution they be readie to obey the Pope at a becke and liue by such a line as he shall well consider and determine of Which the Pope at Tibur the third of September in the yeere 1539. was glad to heare From this passage you may gather that assoone as they offered him absolute obedience in all things Pope Paulus began to lend a fauourable eare vnto them Neuerthelesse he stood a while in doubt to open any broad way freely for them to enter for in the yeere 1540. he alowed them no number aboue threescore afterwards in the yeere 43. he laid the gate wide open vnto them CHAP. 8. ¶ Of the insolent title of the societie of Iesus vsurped by the Iesuits and how many sundrie fashions they haue vsed to authorize it OVr whole country of Fraunce was very much offended at the proud and partiall name of Iesuites which they tooke vpon them The French Church first next to it the Court of Parliament expresly forbad the vse of it Mesnil the kings great Aduocate pleaded the cause shewing how odious the name ought to be among Christians for ripping vp the reasons that moued the Bishop the facultie of Diuinitie and the Vniuersitie of Paris to reiect them at their first arriuall The maine reasons were quoth he first the insolent name title of Iesuits and verily by how much the more the name may be tollerated among Iewes Turks and Pagans by so much the more it is to be refused among Christians which do all make profession of the law of Iesus It is as worthie to be blamed as if a man should attribute and vsurpe vnto himselfe alone the name of a Christian among Christians the name of a French man among the French or the name of Parisian among the Parisians Moreouer the name of Iesus is of such dignitie and excellencie that his Disciples Followers left it only to their Head and neuer tooke but the adiectiue of Christian wherewith they are contented to this day Vpon the same ground Pasquier said as much in a Plea of his I will begin with their name and after descend to their propositions First of all they call themselues Iesuits in the midst of Christians Blessed God is not this an accusation of the Apostles happie and renowmed were those holy Fathers seeing our Sauiour Iesus Christ face to face to heare his exhortations daly and after his ascension into heauen to receiue the holy Ghost from him Neuerthelesse knowing with what humility they ought to regard and honour that great and holy name of Iesus they neuer durst call themselues Iesuits but Christians onely in the towne of Antioch where that name was taken vp by them and as for matters of religion they were afterwards so handled that as in Rome the Popes neuer took vpon them the name of S. Peter for the honour reuerence they bare to their Captain so in Christendome was there neuer any Christian baptized by the name of Iesus All the old fathers knew it well that it had beene blasphemie to attribute the name due to the onely Creator and Sauiour of mankind vnto a meere creature You must acknowledge then my maisters Ignatiens that you blaspheme against the honour of God when you intitle your selues Iesuits It may be you will say we do not take vpon vs the name of Iesus but of Iesuits to let the people know that we be Iesus followers Why did the Apostles other disciples of our Lord they that immediatly succeeded him briefly all the old fathers of the Primitiue Church trace any lesse after him then you do so as by some speciall priuiledge you must borrow this title and not they Furthermore I would be glad to learne whether we by withdrawing our selues from the vow of your arrogant superstition be shut out from the fellowship of our Lord and Maister Iesus Christ Pasquier said well that it is to call the Apostles in question For Fon the Iesuit defended afterwards that the Christians title was a prouder stile then the Iesuits Ignatius and his companie as they said being desirous to draw our Church backe
power to read Lectures to all schollers was graunted them After this ensued the troubles in Fraunce 1561 about diuersitie of Religion in the beginning whereof the Iesuits finding this a fit time for their aduantage not by reason of any fauour to theyr sect but because of displeasure against that ciuill warre obtayned by a manifest forgerie newe Bulls of Pope Pius the fourth the tenure whereof is this Insuper tibi moderno pro tempore existenti Praeposito Generali dictae Societatis vt per te vel illum vel aliquen ex Praepositis vel Rectoribus Collegiorum vestrorum tam in Vniuersitatibus studiorum generalium quam extra illas vbilibet consistentium in quibus ordinariae studiorum artium liberalium Theologiae lectiones habentur cursusque ordinarij peragentur vt dictae Societatis Scholares pauperes externos qui dictas lectiones frequentauerint etiam diuites si officiales Vniuersitatum eos promouere recusauerint cùm per examinatores vestrae Societatis idonei inuenti sint solutis tamen per diuites suis iuribus Vniuersitatibus in vestris Collegijs Vniuersitatum quarumcumque alijs extra Vniuersitates consistentibus Collegijs vestris alios quoslibet Scholares qui inibi sub eoruÌ„ obedientia directione vel disciplina studuerint ad quoscunque Baccalauriatus Licentiariae Magisterij doctoratus gradus IVXTA IVLII PRAEDECESSORIS NOSRI TENOREM promouere ipsique sic promoti priuilegijs alijsque IN EISDEM LITERIS contentis plenariè vti potiri gaudere liberè ac licitè valiant authoritate praefata coÌ„cedimus amplianius nec non praesentes literas in eis contenta de subreptionis vel obreptionis aut nullitatis vitio seu intentionis defectu puouis praetextu quaesitóue colore nullo vnquam tempore notari vel impugnari possint This decretall was the first opener of their Colledges to all manner of schollers but whereupon was it grounded Vpon the Bull of Iulius the third as it is twice repeated Was there euery any greater forgery or more craftie conueiance then this For Pope Iulius neuer had any such thought and that is the reason why these Sophisters haue caused to be added in the end of Pius the fourths Bull that no man may accuse them of obreption or surreption or of any wilfull fault being desirous that euery one of vs should shut his eyes and blindfolde his vnderstanding that wee might not take any knowledge of that apparant shame which is brought in a new against the auncient honour of the Vniuersities by which our Church hath alwayes beene kept in strength But the Pope hath added this word Ampliamus will some Iesuite of the lowest forme say to me Was there euer any poynt either of state or Religion more important or of greater consequence then this I let passe that these newe Maisters were permitted to be Graduats in all faculties as it was graunted by Iulius his Bull. I graunt that by this last Bull of Pius there Colledges were opened to all commers and goers both the one the other notwithstanding being new schismes in our Vniuersities But who can abide this that theyr schollers must be admitted to practise whether they be Iesuits or strangers vpon the testimonie of two or three of their order so they pay their duties to the Chauncellours Rectors Presidents vnder-Gouernours of the Vniuersities Is not this to make the Superiors of Vniuersities no better then Registers to the Iesuits theyr schollers Is not this to disgrace the Gouernours of the Vniuersities without desert Is not this by submitting them to the conscience of their Generall and two or 3. of his to bring in a Chaos hotch-potch and confusion of all thinges in our Vniuersities And to say the truth there is no better meanes then that by making a Seminary of Iesuits to make altogether a nurserie of Hereticks by committing the Doctorships Maisterships of schollers to the iudgement of these new Templars Sith this depends vppon this one word Ampliamus which was craftilie foysted in by these maister workmen in such tricks of legerdemaine we shall admit this new disorder thereupon the Pope shall stop his owne eares and our mouthes that the shifts obreptions and surreptions of these reuerend Fathers in God may not be discried all because this last clause was added by a Clark of the Court of Rome that copied out the graunt Read all the 7. former Buls ye shall find no such clause in any of them Why did they cause it to be added in this Because they knew in their conscience that this last Bull was obtained by obreption contrarie to all reason If I should appeale to their consciences they would make a mocke at me For the same yeere that they got this Bull at Rome which was 1561. they promist in a full assembly of the Church of Fraunce that they would renounce all the extraordinarie priuiledges that had beene graunted them at Rome This abiuration they confirmed by publique oath in a full Court of Parliament but they neuer performed it And that which is especially to bee considered they lookt to themselues verie carefully for presenting the Popes priuie Buls either to our Cleargy or to our Parliament For if they had shewed them they had beene not only derided but also abandoned as men that had no wit Hitherto you haue descried in them good store of the Foxes craft now you shall see how they haue playd in Lions For the yeere 1571. they got other Buls of Pope Pius the fift of this forme and substance Decernimus declaramus quod praeceptores huiusmodi Societatis tam literarum humanarum quam liberalium artium Philosophiae Theologiae vel cuiusuis earum facultatuÌ„ in suis Collegijs etiam in locis vbi Vniuersitates extiterint suas lectiones etiam publicas legere dummodò per duas horas de mane per vnam de sero cum lectoribus Vniuersitatum non concurrant liberè licitè possint quodque quibuscumque scholasticis liceat in huiusmodi Collegijs lectiones alias scholasticas exercitationes frequentare ac quicumque in eis Philosophiae vel Theologiae fuerint auditores in quauis Vniuersitate ad gradus admitti possint cursuum quos in eis 〈◊〉 fecerint ratio habeatur Ita vt si ipsi in examine sufâ—â—â—ientes inuenti fuerint non minus sed pariformiter absque vlla penitus differentia quam si in Vniuersitatibus praefatis studuissent ad gradus quoscumque tam Baccalaureatus quà m Licentiariae Doctoratus admitti possint debeant eisque super praemissis licentiam facultatem concedimus Districtius inhibentes Vniuersitatum quarumcumque Rectoribus alijs quibuscumque sub excommunicationis maioris alijsque arbitrio nostro moderandis infligendis imponendis poenis ne Collegiorum hutusmodi Rectores Scholares inpraemissis quouis quaesito colore molestare audeant vel praesumant Decerrentes quoque praesentes litteras vllo vnquam tempore de subreptionis
of all that hereafter may fall to them You shall note by the way thys wise resolution of the Iesuit who appoynts that he which will enter into this order shall dispose of goods which hee hath not They are commaunded to giue their goods for almes to the poore and not to leaue them to thâ—ir kindred to renounce all loue they beare them euen that which is due to their Fathers and Mothers and all this is to the end they may take from them Cap. 4. de Examin art 42. all mind of returning to their Fathers houses Vt ad parentes consanguâ—neos reourrendi ad inutilem ipsorum memoriam firmius stabilius in sua vocatione perseueraÌ„t That the way to returne to their kindred and the needlesse remembrance of them may be stopt and they may perseuer the more firme stable in theyr calling In the conclusion of all this they haue no sooner abandoned all their goods during the first yeere of theyr Nouiceship but that they are permitted after their vow of pouertie to be heyres vnto them whom they were coÌ„maunded to forget yea the loue and memory of them Therefore I conclude that this priuiledge for him to inherite that hath made the vow of Pouertie is first against the holy decrees of God and of his Church Secondly against common sence Thirdly grounded vppon two inexcusable and very manifest lyes The one when it is supposed by the Bull that their Constitutions permit them to inherit during theyr Simple vow The other when according thereto they giue their Nouices to vnderstand that they may inherit after they haue made the simple vow For contrariwise all theyr Constitutions gaine-say it in very plaine termes Turne therefore and wind this Bul of Gregory which way you wil there is nothing in it that engages the holy Sea in fauour of them I confesse freely that when the Iesuit Montaignes alleaged that the Prince head of the Church had permitted them this vnhappy vowe I beganne to tremble weighing with my selfe of what consequence this permission was to all Christendome but when I had satisfied my selfe by reading the Bull ô impudent coozners quoth I then who draw in the holy Sea for warrant of your impietie Did euer any man set the popedom for a fairer mark then this against our aduersaries I would not wish any other thing in their hands then this to tryumph ouer vs if it were true This is the charitie that you honest men which preach nothing but charitie shew to the desolation of the holy Sea of which you make shew to be the only Protectors And yet if Pope Gregorie had otherwise made this grant then to gratifie you at that time when you promist nothing lesse then to giue Lawes to all soueraigne Princes and to the Pope himselfe I would not seeke to preuaile against his Bull eyther by the auncient liberties of our famous Church of Fraunce which cannot beare in Fraunce such extraordinary permissions or by the maiesty of our Kings the Defenders of our liberties or by the authoritie of our Parliaments vnder them to which the maintenaunce of the Ecclesiasticall discipline appertaines And much lesse would I aduise to appeale to a generall Councell to be held hereafter as our ancient French were wont to doe in such affayres Neither would I stir vp the faithfull care of all generall Proctors of Parliaments to appeale as from abuses from the thundring of this Bull which were the shortest way God forbid that I should furnish the world with presidents that might be preiudiciall to the holy Sea But if this great Pope were aliue I would cast my selfe at his feete and appeale from him to himselfe beseech him in all humilitie that it would please him to coÌ„sider whether by his absolute power he be able to make two contraries agree in the same subiect that coÌ„trarie to the law of God a man should lodge riches in pouertie so that in this article it should seeme that both Gods law and coÌ„mon sence is forgotten I would farder beseech him to consider whether it were his meaning to giue such a permission as he giues not to himselfe and to graunt without exception that thing to the Generall of the Iesuits in which the Popes neuer dispence with theÌ„selues and that without regard of the vow of Pouertie Chastitie Obedience to which the religious are bound the Generall of their order might absolue them when it pleased him Moreouer I would shew him that the Monasticall vowes which one makes to God ought to be simple but not according to the new learning of the Iesuits but to the auncient doctrine of Christians And that as wheÌ„ of old time in Rome one past from one Familie to another by adoption it was to be pure simple and without any condition so by greater reason when wee forsake our carnall Fathers to be adopted a new into the familie of our spirituall Father the Father of Fathers we ought to enter purely and simply not to bring in the Foote-like craftines of the Iesuits simple vow Manie other particularities I could shewe him which I remit to the examination of our Diuinitie both scholasticall morrall I will content my selfe onely for the present to say that all those demonstrations should be superfluous because Pope Gregory neuer consented to this vow but was deceiued and coozned by the Iesuits false information whereas nothing is so contrary to consent as error CHAP. 12. ¶ That besides the heresie which is in the Iesuits simple vow there is also in it a manifest cooznage I Cannot stay my selfe heere when I see these hypocrits raigne in our Church seeke to giue lawes to all faithful Christians and yet sometimes it is not necessarie to make a generall change but a reformation from good to better And therefore when it was demaunded of the Oracle which was the best Religion hee aunswered The auncientest Beeing asked againe which was the auncientest he answered The best Intending to teach vs that we are not to reiect all newe things when they are warranted by good strong reasons The Iesuit Montaignes to shew that there is no cause why we should feare the noueltie of theyr simple vow tells vs that 1600. yeeres hence it wil be more auncient then the Canons of the Apostles are now Wherein hee flouts both God and the world For the same may be alleaged in defence of the erronious doctrine of Luther which is ancienter then that of Ignace by three or foure and twentie yeres and of all the other who in our time haue gone astray from the auncient way of the Church I finde not fault in the simple vowe with the noueltie thereof although that be much to be feared in matter of Religion and especially of the Catholique Apostolickâ— Romane religion of which a man may truly say Moribus antiquis res stat Romana virisque Romes state doth stand on ancient men manners I onely finde fault with the heresie
from thence forward Father Claudius Mathew Prouinciall of Paris deales in the matter more earnestly then before sits and assists in all delibe rations and counsels takes vpon him a iourney vnto Rome Father Henry Sammier another into Spayne where they so wel acquitted themselues in their Embassages that Pope Gregorie the 13. and the Spanish King promised each for his part a great summe of money towards the maintenance of this warre The Embassadors being once returned we beheld Ensignes displaid Fraunce couered with souldiers and many Townes surprised wherein there neuer had beene any exercise of new Religion Now might you see three parties on foot the Kings very much entangled that of the holy League so was the Iesuits warre intituled that of the Religion for so the Hugonots did terme their faction Pope Gregorie died then feared the Iesuit he should loose halfe of his credit for which cause father Mathew returned backe to Rome where he found Pope Sixtus chosen of whom to his exceeding great contentment he obtained the like promise his predecessor had made him before In his return he died at Ancona the yere 1588. by means wherof a new suit is begun by Father Odon Pigenat a Burgonian theÌ„ elected Prouincial of France by decease of Mathew which was not reiected by Sixtus This gaue occasion to certaine Catholiques not onely to propound a peace but euen to wish it in their soules Yet not withstanding some there were that would haue bridled our thoughts for this proposition disliked our Iesuits There be two sorts of Catholiques the one called Pollititians of worse condition then Hugonots because they wisht for peace the other zealous Catholiques or Leaguers beloued of the commmon people because they desired an endlesse warre a distinction that planted a Nurserie of warres betweeene Catholique and Catholique and withal procured a peace with our common enemy What say I a peace we put hereby a sword into his hands to beat vs with we opened him the way to raunge in to come forward to thriue to increase without our resistance we who had enfeebled our selues by this same new diuision Armes were taken on all hands and yet was it not a ciuill warre only it was a general throat-cutting all France ouer which to remedy our two Kings had successiuely need of all their peeces and so the Hugonot came by a good part in their quarrell for the maintenance support of the State And the Iesuits Colledges were manifestly the places whereto the other side vsually resorted There were forged their Gospells in Cyphers which they sent into diuers countries there were their Apostles bestowed into sundry Prouinces some to vpholde the troubles by their preaching as their father Iames Commolet within Paris and their father Bernard Rouillet within Bourges others to commit murther and bloudshed as Varade the same Commolet Not so much but father Odon Pigenot seased in all credit prerogatiue and authoritie among the Sixteene of Paris dregs of the vulgar and entertainers of sedition A thing all Iesuits agree on in the bookes which they haue published since the yeere 94. I haue said and truly said that Iesuitisme argeeth with the Anabaptists opinion in two propositions In medling with State matters and in causing Princes and Kings to be murthered accordingly to the conueniencie of their affaires I will adde that in the carriage of this Iesuiticall warre within Fraunce there was some conformitie of names betweene this and that the Anabaptists vndertooke in Germanie the yeere 1535. For they had one Iohn Mathew their chiefe Prophet vnder Iohn Leydon their king and one Bernard Rotman and Bernard Cniperdolin principal actors in their faction for the seducing of simple people euen as our Iesuits had their father Clauaius Mathew Bernard Rouillet I will not here recite the other particulars of our troubles being contented plainely to haue shewed vnto you that our Iesuits were the first Seminaries thereof onely I will discourse what fruit we haue reaped by them God withdrawing his anger from vs would in the ende appease all matters In this reestablishment the Hugonots who during our troubles thinke they haue beene some instruments of keeping the Crowne on the Kings head as well as other Subiectes which were Catholiques haue also thought that after the peace was made they ought not to bee accounted as outcastes from among vs therefore haue they importuned the King by sundry requests to restore them to their auncient Priuiledge graunted them by the Edicts of Pacification from which since the peace of the yeere 77. they haue beene almost wholly driuen Wee haue said they followed yours and the last Kings fortunes during your troubles we haue exposed our liues and goods for the vpholding of your royall estate against the Iesuiticall faction which called in a Sraunger to make him Lord and Maister of your Kingdome Is it meete that wee for our good seruice to you should loose our part in your common-wealth and gouernment and that the Iesuits for hauing vsed all the badde practises they could against you should beare sway rule and triumph in your Realme of Fraunce What could a wise and prudent King doe in this case being prest with so iust a Petition as this was What but assent thereunto to auoid of two mischiefes the greater and not to fall backe into that gulph out of which we were newly but escaped Tell me I beseech you to whom are we beholding for this last Alarum in Fraunce but onely to our Iesuits the firebrands of our latest troubles Which troubles had they not beene the Hugonots credit had beene vtterly ouer-throwne This is one bond amongst other wherein we stand obliged to that holy Societie of Iesus CHAP. 12. ¶ That Auriculer confession hath beene vsed by the Iesuits as a chiefe weapon for the rebellion and in what sort they are wont to manage it IN vaine doe wee leuell our course to the works of pietie vnlesse confession leade the way and a due worthy repentance follow This is the Iesuit licenced to exercise vppon all in generall that present themselues before him to the preiudice of Ordinaries but by a meruailous priuiledge such as vvas neuer graunted to any Munk no not to Curats themselues who of all Ecclesiasticall persons next vnto Bishops are most authorised that way The tenor of the Bull graunted by Paulus tertius in the yeere 1545. is thus After he hath giuen them permission to preach in all places where they pleased he addes Nec non illis ex vobis qui presbyteri fuerint quorumcunque vtriusque sexus Christi fidelium ad vos vndecunque accedentium confessiones audiendi confessionibus eorum diligenter auditis â—psos eorum singulos ab omnibus singulis eorum peccatis criminibus excessibus delictis quantumcunque grauibus enormibus etiam sedi Apostolicae reseruatis à quibusuis ex ipsis casibus resultantibus sententijs censuris poenis Ecclesiasticis exceptis contentis in Bulla quae
theyr way to Venice intending to trauaile to Ierusalem to acquite themselues of a vovve which they had made to visite the holy Sepulcher The Iesuit and I went toward Rome hee to yeeld account of his voiage and I to see the Iubile but especially to visite two great Prelates both of them bearing the name and qualitie of Fathers our holy Father Pope Clement the 8 a Father of concord vnion hauing by the trauaile intercourse of the Cardinall of Florence his Legate mediated a peace betwixt two great Kings for the which Christendome is greatly indebted to him the other father Claudius Aquauiua Generall of the Iesuits a Father or to speake more properly a Fountaine of all diuisions factions and discords as he who by his bookes set them first a-broche in Fraunce to the great damage and spoyle of our state God graunt that by the example of Tho. Aquinas frō whose house they say he is descended hee and his may heereafter learne the obedience loyaltie which a subiect oweth in dutie to his King To Captaine Ignatius Father and chiefe Generall ouer the Company of the Iesuits Father Souldiour where is thy Flaske Take vp thy dagger and thy blade This Authour pulleth off thy maske Of craftie vowes and cogging trade That Iesuits are right Preachers and therefore to be restored to their former place in Paris a scoffing Epigram written to Father Iames Commolet the Iesuite THE furious speech of a Tribune of Rome Perswadeth men to murder and commotion When roaring Commolet gaue out his doome In pulpet people mus'd at his deuotion Hee bid them kill theyr King his Realme annoy Hee stird vp many troubles euery where Rage in his mouth his Country to destroy This holie doctrine preacht the Iesuit there And sith his tongne doth ciuill tempests brew I bid this holy Tribune heere adiew To Henrie the fourth the most Christian King of Fraunce and Nauarre Great Henrie by this Epigram is told What course with Iesuits he ought to hold FINIS A Table or short collection of things contayned in all the Chapters of the three Bookes of the Iesuits Catechisme ¶ The first Booke AN Introduction to the Catechisme Chap. 1 What the foundation is of the Societie of Iesus which the common people call Iesuits Chap. 2 The censure giuen of the Iesuits Sect by the Diuines of Paris in the yeere 1554. Chap. 3 How at what time and by what sleights the Iesuits crept into Fraunce Chap. 4 The Decree of the French Church against the Iesuits in the assembly held at Poissy 1561. Chap. 5 Of the request preferd by the Iesuits to the Parliament The yeere 1564. to be incorporated into the Vniuersitie of Paris and how many sides made head against them Chap. 6 How the Iesuits were refused at Rome and by what cunning they were afterward receiued Chap. 7 Of the insolent title of the Societie of Iesus vsurped by the Iesuits and how many sundrie fashions they haue vsed to authorize it Chap. 8 That the Iesuits are called Apostles in Portugal and in the Indies and with what deceits they haue wrought it Chap. 9 The impieties of William Postell a Iesuit Chap. 10 The studies of great Ignace Chap. 11 That when Ignace and his companions came before Pope Paule the third they were plaine Mounte-banks and that the titles they gaue themselues were false Chap. 12 That we haue great likelihood to proue that the approbation of the Iesuits Sect made by Pope Paule the third is nothing worth Chap. 13 That the Oeconomie of our Church consists first in succession of Bishops Secondly in the auncient orders of Religion Thirdly in the Vniuersities and the Iesuits Sect is built vpon ignorance of all these Chap. 14 That no man can tell where to place the Iesuits among all the three auncient orders of our Church and that this is the true cause for which they neuer yet durst set in their foot into processions Chap 15 That without wrong to the holy Sea you may call the Iesuits Pape-Lards and their Sect Pape-Lardi that is Hypocrites and their order hypocrisie Chap. 16 Of the fabulous visions of Ignace and the miraculous fables of Xauier Chap. 17 Of Ignace his Machiauellismes vsed to set his sect a float Chap. 18 The conclusion of the first booke Chap. 19 ¶ The second Booke THat our Church of Fraunce and the Sect of the Iesuits cannot stand together Chap. 1 That the Pope authorizing the Iesuit at his first cōming neuer had any perswasiō that either he could or ought to inhabit in France Ch. 2 That it is against the first institution of the Iesuits for thē to teach all sorts of Schollers humane learning Philosophie and Diuinitie and by what proceedings and deuises they haue seazed vpon this new tyrannie to the preiudice of the auncient discipline of the Vniuersities Chap. 3 That the foundation of the deceipts of the Iesuits proceeds from the instruction of youth and why our auncestors would not that young folke should be taught in the houses of Religion Chap. 4 With what cunning the Iesuits enrich themselues by the spoile of their Nouices Chap. 5 That the craftie humilitie of the Iesuits in teaching youth hath brought the Vniuersitie of Paris to ruine Chap 6 That the Sect of Iesuits agreeth in many things with the heresie of Peter Abilard Chap. 7 That the Iesuit giues himselfe licence to bring into his Colledge children out of the bosomes of their fathers and mothers without their leaue Chap 8 Of the vow of the Iesuits which they call the simple vow Chap. 9 That it cannot be excused but that there is heresie and Machiauellisme in the Iesuits simple vow Chap. 10 Of the Iesuits engaging the authoritie of the holy Sea to excuse the heresie of their simple vow Chap. 11 That besides the heresie which is in the Iesuits simple vow there is also in it a manifest cooznage Chap. 12 That the Iesuits Prouincials take vpon them to discharge their inferiours of the simple vow in the same sort that their Generall doth Chap. 13 How the Father Iesuits vowing pouertie by their great and third vow make a mocke of God Chap. 14 That the Iesuits vow of Chastitie containes a new heresie and withall a briefe discourse of the title of Father which the Iesuits of the grand vow giue themselues Chap. 15 Of the vow of Mission and that by it the Iesuits mocke vs all and especially our holy Father the Pope Chap. 16 Of the blindfold obedience which the Iesuits owe the Pope which at this day impudētly they deny by their new books Chap. 17 What shifts the Iesuits vse to couer the impieties of their blindfold obedience Chap. 18 Of the wisedome of Ignace the Sottishnes of the new Iesuits A Dialogue between the Iesuit the author of this discoruse Ch. 19 ¶ The third Booke TOuching the Anabaptistrie which is found in the Iesuits vow which they make of blind obedience to their Superiours also that by the meanes
and not that onely but ouer and besides all this to striue to bring vnder their girdles the Secular Cleargy the chiefe state of Priestly preheminency is a wonder as we thinke the like whereof was neuer heard before amongst Catholiques Ecclesiasticall Religious or Temporall since Christs time till of late daies that the Iesuits are growne to such a stubborne and vnbridled head as we feare will breed great mischiefe in the Church of God before they be well reformed and brought into order againe In the other contentions before mentioned there was no fault as we takeit eyther in Saint Peter for defending his supremacie or in Saint Gregorie the great for mayntaining the dignitie of the Sea Apostolique or yet in the Archbishops of Canterburie for standing vpon their right and interest granted before vnto them by sundrie of Saint Peters successors for the chiefe primacy in and ouer the Church and ecclesiasticall State in England but in those that sought to impugne them was all the offence that was committed And that is our case iust who being Secular Priests now in England and else-where doe stand at this present in a strong opposition against the Iesuits We labour not for any extraordinarie superioritie ouer them not emulate in euill sense any of their vertues or good indeuours if any happily be in them nor intrude our selues into their haruest nor prie into their actions more then we are compelled nor insinuate our selues into their fauours nor desire to haue any dealing at all with them Onely we would be glad to keepe our owne places in the Church of Christ which we and all our predecessors Secular Priests haue euer held since the first propagation of the Gospell of Christ and Christian Catholique faith and religion by the holy Apostles after our Sauiours ascension and that now these begging Friers by faction and false pretences might not tyrannise ouer vs. It is strange to consider how mightily they are possessed with pride and ambition and how farre they haue thereby preuailed Being men of learning they scorne to be subiect to the orders of any Vniuersitie being preachers they will be exempted from the controlement of all or any Bishops being Friers you kill them if you tell them of any cloysters or wish them to liue retired like right religious men indeed or to keepe the generall statutes and rules of all other religious orders Being naturall borne subiects in many countries where they remayne no ciuill Magistrate Prince or Potentate must controll them nor once seeme to call them to the least account for any of their proceedings And that which is most being men that professe such zeale charitie inward mortification such humilitie and godlines Nay being men forfooth of perfection Est enim hoc institutum virorū plane perfectorum this our institution Iohn Osorius as the said Iesuit saith is of such men as are indeed perfect they refuse notwithstanding to accompanie the rest of the Cleargie both Secular Regular and religious and the whole Church of God in one of her most soleme and publique seruices done to his diuine Maiestie which we call our great and solemne processions because that by the custome of the Church they being the youngest and meanest or minimes of all Mendicants or begging Friers were to haue come last behind all the rest in that most honourable seruice But to come to our selues to their affectation of superioritie ouer vs and that in these dismal daies in the middest of our other domesticall calamities The Romane Colledge for the bringing vp of students to become Priests for England was no sooner erected but by sleights and false calumniations they got the superioritie and gouernement of it Vpon their comming into England how they laboured to creepe into mens consciences to insinuate themselues into Nobles and great persons estates and to discredit vs many Catholiques doe know Wee our selues from time to time did easily find the smart and inconueniene of it and many of vs to our friends haue oft bewayled and complayed with sighs and teares of such their vnchristian dealing with vs. Our brethren then prisoners at Wisbish who for their vertue constancie and most Christian Catholique conuersation maner of charitable proceeding in all their actions had worthily merited the name not onely of the visible but also of the most afflicted Catholique Church in England continued in that honour and reputation with all men euen from the beginning of their duresse vntill some seauen or eight yeeres agon that Frier Weston a Iesuit would needs be their superiour Frier Garnet the prouinciall of the Iesuits in England was in reasonable tune with some of our brethren verie auncient reuerend and learned Priests vntill they seemed to dislike this attempt of Frier Westons and then he brake with them in such bitternes as he discouered himselfe verie manifestly saying That he saw no cause why the Secular Priests might not content themselues well ynough to be subiect to the Fathers of the Societie of Iesus and added some loose reasons of that his assertion When both he and his subiect Frier Weston perceiued that their plot was dasned at Wisbish and how odious a thing it grew to be that men who professe religiō should aspire to such an vnheard of superioritie they wrought with their grand Captaine Frier Parsons that what they could not worke one way they might in effect compasse it by an other And thence insued the authoritie of our R. Arch-Priest procured by most indirect vnlawfull and dishonest meanes Which authoritie is so limited to the directions of the Iesuits and as it were confined to their platformes as whilest he is onely ruled by them and they by Frier Pasons it had beene peraduenture better for vs in regard of our quietnes commoditie that they thēselues had bin appointed our Commaunders Gouernors good Maisters for so hauing attayned directly to that which they aymed at it is likely they would haue beene content Whereas now because they want but onely the bare name of our Arch-Prelats their minds are so inflamed against vs as when we tooke exception at the manner of our Arch-Priests aduancement ouer vs and held that course therein which hath euer hitherto beene approued in the Church of God who but the Iesuits that are wholly exmpted from our Arch-Priest authoritie and ought to haue beene straungers in our affaires had it not beene vnder-hand their owne cause did then and euer since oppose themselues with might and mayne against vs in that action A principall Iesuit in Spayne telleth vs diuers straunge tales of this his Societie Iohn Osorius in obitu Ignatii which to our vnderstanding seeme to smell of worse matter then we are willing to reueale at this present Hee saith that Ignace their founder is the Angell of whom Saint Iohn spake when he said Quintus Angelus tuba cecinit The fift Angell sounded his trumpet Furthermore alluding to another Text he saith That Ignatius is the wearie and
him if vpon occasion taken to refresh our selues we would goe visite him How soeuer some distasled this aduise at the first yet at last the most voyces caried it and all of vs forth-with turned out of our way vnto his house where we found him accompanied with many other Gentlemen Who espying his auncient friend gaue him many cheerefull embracings and said How commeth it to passe that I am so fortunate as to behold my second selfe this day Sir at a word you are very welcome and I thinke my selfe deeply indebted to you for this vnexpected assault giuen me with so fayre a troupe After we had seuerally thanked him one by one hee commaunded our horses to be set vp and a cup of wine to be brought vs and so led vs through the Court into his house vvhere entertayning one another with enterchangeable greetings hee gaue order for Supper to be ready in conuenient time that wee might take our rest meane-while wee fell into discourse But as commonly it hapneth that we lay our hand vpon that part of our body that grieves vs most so wee begun principally to complaine of the miseries of Fraunce brought in amongst vs by diuersitie of Religion euery man seeking to aduaunce what himselfe maintaines sutably to his owne priuate passion which he calls deuotion There was a Iesuite in our company disguisd in apparell a man without question very sociable There was an Aduocate also whom I well perceiued to be opposite to the Bulles constitutions and orders of the Iesuites The speech when we parleyd rebounding from mouth to mouth the Iesuite made demonstration how much our Church is bounde vnto theyr societie And belieue me Gentlemen quoth he if God had not sent amongst vs our good Father Ignatius and his company our Catholique religion had been extinguisht but as it commonly falls out that in punishing our offences after GOD hath afflicted a Country with some generall plague he applies a remedie to it againe that it may not be vtterly destroied so hauing suffered Martin Luther to infect many Nations with his poyson it pleased him for the cause before alleaged to raise vp another Daniel in his Church to preserue the head thereof from all the venomous bitings of that Monster And to speak what I thinke I am of that mind that Ignace Loyhola had his name giuen him not by chaunce but by miracle to this end no doubt that by changing one Letter into another as C. into R. calling him Ignare Loyhola for Ignace Loyhola all posteritie might knowe him to be the man which had made an end of Luthers ignorance and of all his followers which vppon his grounds should set anie other heresies abroach heereafter At this speech of his euery man began to smile for it was deliuered with so good a grace as it could not be offensiue to any vnlesse the Aduocate vvho vvith change of countenaunce sayd thus vnto him Sir I will not suffer your speech to fall to the ground without taking it vp againe I would faine knowe what miracles the Iesuits haue wrought what bounds they haue set to bridle the course of heresie and what difference there hath beene in the carriage of the one and the other For if the Hugonotes on the one side were the cause of the troubles in Fraunce in the yere 1561. standing as they did vpon their defence the Iesuite on the other side assayling vs in the yeere 1565. raysd vp farre more fierce and great tyrannies than the former As for your newe Anagram you abuse your selfe Ignace was in some good sort a Gentleman of Nauarre not called Ignace Loyhola but Ignare de Loyhola as much to say as Ignorant of the Law hold thy peace For beeing as ignorant as might be he thought it better to be silent than to speak VVhich warily acknowledging in himselfe hee neuer shewed his wit in preaching teaching or writing except it were at first within the gates of Rome where hee taught young children theyr beliefe as Maisters of pety Schooles are wont to doe This speech mooued no lesse laughter than the former then said the Gentleman our hoste I see no great matter of laughter heere turning him to the Iesuite I belieue Sir quoth hee that you are of the Societie of IESVS the tenour of your speech bewraies no lesse To this the other aunswered that it was so indeed and theyr order permitted them to be disguisd the better to sound euery man in his humor I am very glad of thys said the Gentleman and I doe belieue that some good Angell led you hether into my house the rather for that I haue beene long time desirous of such good company to the end I might know how the case stands with your Order which I see is balanced betweene two Scales greatly commended of some and by the same weights againe much blamed of others But seeing there is no banquet heere for seruaunts they shall take away the cloth and thanks giuen to God for his daily bounty towards vs wee will enlarge our selues with thys poynt a little farther It was performed as hee had sayd and all the wayters voyded the place he desired the Iesuite not to be displeased if after the manner of a Catechisme he brought in one like a childe moouing the question to his Maister for the better vnderstanding of his first grounds In this manner dealt the Gentleman with the Iesuite desirous to be informed of the principall points of his Order whereunto the Iesuite readily consented And although in very deed for any thing I coulde gather by theyr talke the Gentleman was as skilfull as the Iesuite yet playing Sacrates part he rode after him like a Platonist to draw from him that which hee desired in such manner as heere ensues CHAP. 2. ¶ What the foundation is of the societie of Iesus which the common-people call Iesuits Gent. YOu say you are a Iesuite therefore of a newe Religious Order Iesuit Nay rather of a most ancient and for this cause haue we taken vpon vs the holy name of the societie of Iesus as imitators beyond others of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his Apostles Gent. You preach teach freely euery one that will heare you Ies We doe so Gent. But tell me then did the Apostles teach little boyes theyr Grammer or A.B.C. Ies No. Gent. Then haue you great aduantage of them and it is not without some ground that despising the name of Christians by which they were called you particularly terme your selues Iesuites Ies Had they taught as wee doe their charitie had beene more compleat and as for the name of Christians wee take it to bee too proude a stile Gent. Somewhat there is whereby you passe them in charitie and humilitie You make three vowes do you not of Chastitie Pouertie and Obedience Ies Neuer doubt of that Gent. Then are you Monkes Ies By no meanes but rather Religious men Gent. Then your houses be Monasteries Ies Nothing lesse wee call our
not by the bare bones onely but by the fairest reuenewes of our Families And that I hold you not long in suspence I say and auerre there was neuer any Sect more dangerous to our Christian Religion then this and for such a one it hath been first condemned at Rome afterward at Paris Neuerthelesse I will begin with Fraunce as with her to whom I am most bound because shee brought me forth This first march of the Aduocate made vs stand vppon our garde for hetherto some of the coÌ„pany slept And for my part hearing him so hardie in his promise I turned towards him saying Sir all this while haue I beene mute but now I see you vpon the poynt ready to take Armes to giue the on-set vppon thys holy Companie I recouer my speech as the sonne of Craesus dyd when one would haue kild his Father If you be the Iesuites Cneius Flauius I will be theyr Tacitus to commit those things faythfully to writing which I learne of you I euer tooke this Societie to be one of the strongest Bulwarks of our Catholique Religion and mee thinkes it were great impietie to slaunder them Aduoc. Call you that a slaunder when the truth is spoken For my part I will say nothing which I will not proue by writing take my direction from their owne Bulls and Constitutions theyr speeches and confessions drawn out of such bookes as they themselues haue Printed within these 5. or 6. yeeres allowed by their Generall to come foorth Whereunto any of the company that stands in doubt may haue recourse if it please him You promise verie much said I againe Aduoc. I promise nothing but I will make it good and there-with he pausd a while as one that makes semblance to retire that hee may giue the greater shocke On the other side I tooke out my tables to note euery passage he should alleage which I will shew to you at large And so euery one of vs clayming interest in the Aduocate to whip him if we tooke him with a lye and contrary if hee should speake the truth then all at once to thrust the Iesuites out of France presently without respite After hee had quieted himselfe a little he enterd the Listes and made his carrere in this manner CHAP. 3. ¶ The censure giuen of the Iesuits sect by the Diuines of Paris in the yeere 1554. I Perceiue Fraunce is partiall some fauouring the Iesuites aboue measure others abhoring them againe I beseech you my Maisters for I speake to those that of scrupulositie of conscience foster this family in their houses that it would please you to giue good eare to mee and if you finde that to be false which I shall produce or that I am carried with vnbrideled passion you would not spare me Likewise if nothing but the truth commaund me which ought to redownd to the edification of vs all doe me the fauour not to credite your first apprehensions before you giue place vnto the second You make great account of these men as if they were the sole arches that beare vp our Church Let me request you to take a viewe of the iudgement of the Diuines of Paris in the yeere 1554. The Court of Parliament then troubled with the importunate sutes of these newe Brethren bringing the two Bulles of two Popes Paulus and Iulius the third sent them to this Facultie for their resolution whether they were to bee receiued into the Realme of Fraunce againe or not They gaue vp their verdict in such forme as followeth Anno Domini 1554. die veró prima Decembris Sacratissima Theologiae facultas Parisiensis post missam de S. spiritu in aede sacra Collegij Sorbonae ex more celebratam iam quartó in eodem Collegio per iuramentuÌ„ congregata est ad determinandum de duobus diplomatibus quae duo sanctissimi Domini summi Pontifices Paulus tertius Iulius Tertius his qui societatis Iesu nomine insigniri cupiuut concessisse dicuntur Quae quidem duo diplomata senatus seu curia Parlaamti Parisiensis dictae facultati visitanda examinanda misso adrem Hostiario commiserat Antequam verò ipsa Theologiae facultas tanta de re tantique ponderis tractare incipiat omnes singuli Magistri nostri palam atque aperto ore professi sunt nihil se aduersus summorum Pontificum authoritatem potestatem aut decernere aut moliri aut etiam cogitare velle Imò verò omnes singuli vt obedientiae filij ipsum summum Pontificem vt summum vniuersalem Christi Iesu Vicarium vniuersalem Ecclesiae Pastorem cui plenitudo potestatis a Christo data sit cui omnes vtriusque Sextus obedire cuius decreta venerari pro se quisque tueri obseruare teneantur vt semper agnouerunt confessi sunt ita nunc quoque sincere fideliter et libenter agnoscunt confitentur Sed quoniaÌ„ omnes praesertim verò Theologos paratos esse oportet ad satisfactionem omni poscenti de his quae ad fidem mores aedificationem Ecclesiae pertinent dicta facultas poscenti mandanti exigenti curiae praedictae satisfaciendum duxit Itaque vtriusque diplomatis omnibus frequenter lectis articulis repetitis intellectis pro rei magnitudine per muâ—tos dies menses horas pro more prius diligentissimè discussis examinatis tum denaum vnanimi consensu sed summa cum reuerentia humilitate rem integram correctioni sedis Apostolicae relinquens ita censuit Haec nona societas insolitam nominis Iesu appellationeÌ„ sibi vendicans tam licenter sine delectu quaslibet personas quantuÌ„libet facinorosas illegitimas infames admittens nullam à Sacerdotibus secularibus habens differentiam in habitu exteriore in tonsura in horis canonicis priuatim dicendis aut publicè in templo decantandis in claustris silentio in delectu ciborum dierum in ieiunijs alijs varijs ceremonijs quibus status ReligionuÌ„ distinguntur conseruantur tam multis tamque varijs priuilegijs indultis libertatibus donata praesertim in administratione Sacramenti paenitentiae Eucaristiae idque sine descrimine locorum aut personarum in officio etiam praedicandi legendi docendi in praeiudicium ordinariorum Hierarchici ordinis in praeiudicium quoque aliarum Religionum imò etiam principium Dominorum temporalium contra priuilegia vniuersitatum denique in magnum populi grauamen Religionis Monasticae honestatem violare videtur studiosum pium necessarium virtutum abstinentiarum ceremoniarum austeritatis eneruat exercitium imo occasioneÌ„ dat liberè Apostatandi ab alijs Religionibus debitam ordinarijs obedientiam subiectioneÌ„ subtrahit Dominos tam temporales quaÌ„ Ecclesiasticos suis inribus iuiustè priuat perturbationem in vtraque politia multas in populo querelas multas lites dissidia contentiones aemulationes rebelliones vartaque schismata inducit Itaque his omnibus
atque alijs diligenter examinatis perpensis Haec societas videtur in negotio fidei periculosa pacis Ecclesiae perturbatiua monasticae Religionis euersiua magis ad destructionem quam act aedificationem I will not iuggle with you it may bee some of thys company vnderstands no Latine therefore this censure beeing the foundation of my discourse I will put it into French apparrell that euery man may know it In the yeere of our Lord 1554. the first of December the most sacred facultie of the Diuines in Paris after Masse of the holy Ghost was celebrated in the Colledge of Sorbons Chappell according to their custome this fourth time by oath assembled together to determine of the two Bulles which two holy Fathers the Popes Paulus the third and Iulius the third are sayd to haue graunted to these men that desire to be honoured with the societie of IESVS Which two Bulles the Senate or Court of Parliament of Paris sent by Hostiarius to the said Facultie to be perused and examined Before they entreated of so high and weightie matters all and singuler our Maisters in pubique with open mouth protested that they decreed deuisd and intended nothing against the authoritie and power of the Pope but all and euery of them like obedient Chyldren as they euer acknowledged and confessed him to be Christes chiefe vniuersall Vicar and generall Pastor of the Church whom all sorts of both Sectes are bound to obey to honour his decrees and euery one to defend them to his power So nowe also they doe sincerely faithfully and willingly acknowledge confesse the same But because euery man especially Diuines ought to be readie to giue an aunswere to euery one that asketh them of matters appertaining to fayth manners and edification of the Church the saide Facultie hath thought it meete to satisfie the request commaundement and entreatie of the Court. Therefore all the Articles of both Bulles beeing often read repeated and conceiued for the greatnes of the matter many daies monthes and houres according to their custome first verie diligently discust and examined at last with one consent but with great reuerence and humilitie submitting all to the controlement of the Apostolike sea they gaue this doome This new Societie chalenging to it selfe the rare title of the name of Iesus so licentiously and hand ouer-head admitting all sorts of persons how wicked illegitimate or infamous soeuer diffring nothing from secular priests in outward apparrell tonsure canonicall howers either priuately to be said or publikely to be sung in churches in cloistures and silence in choise of meates and daies in fasts and other ceremonies whereby religious orders are distinguisht and preserued endowed with so many and sundrie priuiledges grants and liberties especially in administration of the Sacraments of penance and of the Eucharist that without difference of place or persons as also in the office of preaching reading and teaching to the preiudice of the Ordinaries of the Hierachicall order to the preiudice likewise of other religious men nay euen of Princes temporall Lords against the priuiledges of the Vniuersities and to the great griefe of the people appeares to defloure monasticall religion it cuts the sinewes of the painfull holy and necessarie exercise of vertues of abstinence ceremonies and austeritie it opens a gap to Apostacie from other religious orders it takes away due obedience from the Ordinaries it vniustly depriues the Lords spirituall temporall of their right It breeds a garboile in both gouernments many complaints among the people many iarres discords contentions emulatiōs rebellions sundry schismes Therfore all these and other things of like nature thorowly examined and waighed This Societie appeares to be in matter of faith daungerous to the peace of the Church troblesome to monasticall religion ruinous and more apt to pull downe than to build vp Was there euer a better sentence mixt with a truer prophecie than this And why There was no banding then in the field euerie man slept safe in the sinceritie of his conscience towards God there were no tumultuary assemblies but for foure daies togither by them that had determined of it long before Much lesse minded they to oppose themselues against the authority of the holy Sea as we gather from their humble protestation For this cause the holy Ghost after their deuout inuocation of him by their sacrifice spake thorough the organe of this sacred facultie And thus am I perswaded that for these thousand yeers there was neuer any worke of the holy Ghost greater and more apparant to our eies than was this censure The Court of Parliament of Paris sent those Buls onely of Pope Paulus dated the yeere 1543. And that of Iulius the third dated the yeere 1550. The Iesuites kept all the other close bearing date of the yeeres 43.45.46.49 Vpon the sight but of those two ends of their ware they iudged wisely what the rest of the whole peece might be Without any more a do remember those three lines It breeds many complaints among the people manie iarres dissentions contentions rebellions and sundrie schismes and conferre them with your discouery of their order you shall find the Sorbons speech true The diuine seruice of their Church is diuided from ours their priuiledges make a deuision betweene the Bishops and them the Monasteries and them the Vniuersities and them the Diuines of Paris and them Their propositions also make a diuision betweene the holy Sea and Princes But how be these priuiledges maintaind By their Colledges their confessions their preaching Their Colledges are traps to catch youth their confessions subornations their Sermons Mounte-banks Markets If you beleeue this Iesuite here he will say we haue no preachers but them to defend the olde Church It is not yet aboue threescore yeeres since they were set a foote What preachers haue we had of them in Paris One Aimond Auger and Iames Commolet I remember none but these On the other side how many hath the facultie of the Vniuersitie in Paris bred of learned and holy men neuer tainted with innouation Againe did euer any man in our time heare a Iesuite handle or expound in Pulpit or open assembly any one text of Scripture either to vphold the Apostolike Sea or lay heresie in the dust What is the summe of their preaching To bite them that are absent not to edifie them that are present except it be to scandale kings and princes And that which is most admirable in this censure is that our diuines saw the rebellions these new masters would raise vp in time to come against our king Therefore while I now embarke my selfe against them it is neither giddinesse malice nor folly that caries me with wind and tide I set the venerable facultie of the diuines of Paris before mine eies for my Vice-admirall to carie the light in my nauigation CHAP. 4. ¶ How at what time and by what sleights the Iesuites crept into Fraunce WHen God is determined
at all and two others Lainez and Bobadilla hauing gone forth Maisters in Spaine were not adopted in the Vniuersitie of Paris so consequently were incapable of admission Notwithstanding the tenor of their vow they neuerthelesse to the preiudice therof left France in the yere 1536. and in 37. they were at Venice where when they had rested a fewe months at mid-lent they went to Rome as well to get leaue of the Pope to take holy Orders of priest hoode Maff. lib. 2. cap. 3. as also to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell faining themselues not onely to be Maisters of Arts of the chiefe Vniuersitie of Europe but to haue studied diuinitie there for many yeeres Ribad lib. 2. ca. 7. The Pope entertaind their request without any great sifting the cause forasmuch as they confined themselues to Palestine that without charge to his holinesse coffers many of the Spaniards themselues contributing to this matter in fauour of them Thus these newe Pilgrims receiued 210. Ducats by bills of exchange at Venice to set their new pilgrimage afoote I haue portraied out Ignace to you for one of the cunningest worldlings in our age Finding his cause drawne vp to such a head he beganne to forget his first vowe and to feede many townes in the state of Venice with new assemblies There it was coÌ„cluded among theÌ„ to diuert their voiage backe againe to Rome to shewe Pope Paule that newes was come of warre between the Venetians and the Turke vvhich vvas a great barre to their pretended pilgrimagâ— In the Cittie of Rome they erected a new frame of their societie much different from the former and they followed it two whole yeeres in which space Pope Paule coulde not by anie meanes finde in his hart to graunt them theyr peticions although he were vrged and importuned by many and by Cardinall Contarer himselfe for neuer was yet noueltie destitute of a Patron Now let me â—ell you an expresse miracle of God that happened about the same time to discouer these tenne newe enterprizers to be very cheaters They reported that the Seas were stopt by reason of the warres against the Turke that by this meanes they could not effect theyr first dessigne Behold here a new way beyond all expectation opened to them for the conuersion of Insidels to our religion without any danger All that I haue spoken of in this place concernes their two Euangelists and doubtlesse this historie deserues to be sent by sound of Trumpet through all the world I remembred vnto you before that Iohn the third of that name King of Portugall possest a great part of the East Indies ill peopled which he desired to haue conuerted to the truth The fame of the deuotion of this newe companie that said they had vowed these conuersions was spred ouer many Nations the King summoned them by Letters to come to him that vnder his protection they might be dispatcht into the Indies But Ignace beeing subtile whilie turnd the deafe eare to this motion remembring no more his first vowe made at Montmarter nor his second vowe renued at Rome by which hee got a good sum of money and sent forth Xauier and Roderic onely keeping the other seauen about him Doe not you see by this that Ignace was a states man no religious man who dalied with his vowe made at Montmarter By the matters heere discoursed you haue heard what was their vow at Montmarter to goe for the conquest of soules after their doctorship in Diuinitie That some of them said they were Maisters of Arts in Paris that they had bestowed many yeeres in the studie of Diuinitie meere fables The pause Iulius the third made in their allowance euen when hee tooke them at theyr word to be such men as they reported themselues to be and that he was verie much pressed by Cardinall Contaren their Solicitor and Protector what would hee haue done then think you if his holines had receiued any true intelligence of their history Me thinks that with admirable maiestie of those venerable yeeres hee carried I see him speake to them in this manner All new orders of Religion are to be suspected and for this cause were they forbidden by two generall couÌ„sels the one held at Rome the other at Lyons you present vs a new religious Order vnder the name of the societie of Iesus as true followers of him and his Apostles Your intention is derogatorie to your profession or to speake more properly your profession is contrarie to your petition and implies a contradiction For if you be the Apostles Schollers one of the first lessons they taught vs was that looke what hath beene ordred in a generall Counsell by the heads of the Church ought to be kept inuiolable vntill it be repeald by another Counsell vppon iust occasion As if all did shoote out of one stocke of the holie Ghost Placuit spiritui sancto et nobis they spake in such cases as men that diuorced not the holy Ghosts cause froÌ„ the Churches nor the Churches cause from the holy Ghosts If you trace after the Apostles so precisely as you protest how comes it to passe that by a new found order you goe about to breake the auncient canonicall coÌ„stitutions of the Church I know it well that beeing Christes Vicar I may dispence with you and I much commend your obedience to the holy Sea But setting aside that which hath beene decreed in generall looking in particular toward you all things degenerate from that you now intend I perceiue that your beginning had some taste of God your proceeding sauours much of man and your end smacks three or foure times more of the deuill Betaking your selues to a deuotion full of perrill you made choice of the Martirs Church neer Paris to shew you would all be ready to shed your blood for the truths sake as oft as occasion serued A braue and holy resolution which cannot be praised enough Vpon this point you went to confession all of you heard Masse deuoutlie after that you receiued the Sacrament vpon the day of the Assumption of our Lady the most solemne feast of hers desirous that the blessed virgine should bee a witnesse to your vow you continued it two yeeres after the selfe same day and place Heere be holy circumstances enow to tie you to the vow you made then Let vs consider nowe what this vowe was You promised to God that when euery one of you had ended his diuinitie course you would renounce the world and goe to Palestine to conuert the enemies of our fayth and that if you should within one yeere after your Doctorships be any way hindered of your voyage you should seeke vnto me to receiue my direction For the first execution of so faire a plot you made choice of the Citty of Venice for the generall Rende-vous of these Pilgrims that were to goe to Ierusalem Before you proceeded any further thou Ignace for to thee I speake in particular
religion in you you haue no power at all to reuoke your vow made alreadie vnto God the place the day the misteries the Church twise or thrise frequented the things you bring with you bind you without hope of dispensation As for me I neither wil nor can dispence with you the law of God and the Gospell our canonicall constitutions my fayth my religion the vniuersall Church whereof I am the head forbids mee Howe thinke you would not Pope Paule haue flatly reiected them if hee had beene aduertisd of theyr false degrees and their fained studies of diuinitie and of their vowe made at Montmarter seeing there belongs much labour to gaine it before it be consented to Heereupon I doubt not but that their order beeing receiued and allowed by a manifest surprize and obreption theyr authorising is voide Consequently that all that is built vppon thys foundation is of no effect or validitie That the Iesuits let them fortifie themselues as much as they will by the Bull obtaind of him successiuely after the first of the yeere 1540. seeing the roote it selfe it rotten the tree can beare no fruite at all Hetherto I haue shewed you what an Asse Ignace was and what notable lyers hee had to his companions men altogether ignorant in diuinitie I will nowe make plaine to you that theyr sect which they call the societie of IESVS stands vppon ignorance of the antiquitie of our Church CHAP. 14. ¶ That the Oeconomie of our Church consistes first in succession of Bishops secondly in the ancient orders of religion thirdly in the Vniuersities and that the Iesuits Sect is built vpon the ignorance of all these NOt only the religious orders allowed by our Church but true Christians by what name or title soeuer they be called are not of the Iesuits Sect Christian humilitie forbids vs to speake so proudly but follow our Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ after whose example and his Apostles we ought to frame our life as neere as we can that of his great infinite mercie he may take pleasure in vs. Ignace a very nouice and young apprentise in the holy Scriptures made choise of nine companions as raw in these matters as himselfe They bringing in their Sect imagined themselues euerie way to be coÌ„formable to the first grounds of the Primitiue Church for this cause cald themselues the Societie of Iesus Let vs then examine what were the first second third sort of plants by which our Church grew and what the Iesuits institutions be that by matching confronting the one with the other we may iudge of ther title they attribute to themselues this partiall and arrogant name of the Societie of Iesus aboue all other Christians When our Sauiour was to ascend vp into heauen he commaunded all his Apostles to haue a care of his flocke This charge was three times giuen in particuler to Saint Peter as to the rocke vpon which he had before promised to build his Church After that hauing cast the fiery flames of his holy spirit vpon them their whole intent and purpose was to sow the seeds of his gospell ouer all the world Their ordinarie seat was at Ierusalem from whence they sent foorth at the beginning heere one and there another of their company into diuers parts of the East which after their trauell came backe againe to giue vp an account of their labours in a course held by them And although Saint Iames were by common suffrages chosen saith Iustus particularly to be gouernour of the Church of Ierusalem yet had Saint Peter superintendance and generall primacie among the Apostles which was not taken from him And in the whole historie of their acts written by Saint Luke the principall miracles were done by him and the generall rule of this holy company was put into his hands Among them were many persons deuoted to religion some cald Bishops some Priests of the Greeke word that signifies Elders This we learne of Saint Luke chap. 15. 16. of the Acts and in the 20. following Saint Paule who taking his leaue of the Ephesians in the end of the Oration made to them cals them Bishops whom he named Priests in the beginning T is true that this gouernment continued not long among them in so much that as well for the good of the Pastors of the Church as for the flockes the seuerall charges of seuerall prouinces were giuen to such men as were most fit they were called Bishops and to men of meaner gifts were committed Townes Villages Parishes These the Church cald Priests who exercised their ministerie by the Bishops authority they were in time cald Curates you may see a verie faire picture of all this antiquitie drawen by venerable Beda Sicut duodecem Apostolos formam EpiscoporuÌ„ praemonstrare nemo est qui dubitet Bede in 10. ca. Lâ—c. sic hos septuaginta Discipulos figuram presbyterorum id est secundi ordinis sacerdotes gessisse sciendum est Tametsi primis Ecclesiae teÌ„poribus vt Apostolica scriptura testis est vtrique Presbyteri vtrique vocabantur Episcopi Quorum vnum sapientiae maturitatem alterum industriam curae pastoralis significat As no man doubts but that the twelue Apostles represented the state of Bishops so must you vnderstand that the 70. Disciples were a figure of the Elders that is of Priests in the second place although as the holy Scripture testifies both sorts of Priests the first second were in the Churches infancie cald Bishops yet the one of them signifies soundnes of iudgement the other pastorall trauell in his Cure I haue quoted the words expresly to bewray the ignorance of a new Iesuit which affirmes Fon. ca. 27. that Bishops and Priests were at the first both equall herein renuing the heresy of Aerius Our Church general Fuseb lib. 3. Eccle. Hist ca. 1. 4. rested fifteene or fixteene yeeres in Hierusalem which was the common resort of all their missions And after the Apostles chose diuers prouinces to themselues and bestowed the others vpon Bishops among others the prouincè of Aegypt was allotted to Saint Marke Saint Peters scholler his Sea was establisht in Alexandria the eight and fortith yeere after the natiuity of our Sauiour that is about fourteene yeers after his ascention Lo here the first plant of our Church wherein you may gather agreeably to the course of times the primacie and authoritie of the holy Sea of Rome the Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem the Archbishopricks Bishopricks the particular Rectories and Curates of Townes Burroughs Villages The Church continued long in this state but afterward the extraordinarie persecutions of some Emperours draue them to flye into the Deserts to saue themselues from those cruelties where beyond all expectation of the common people they deuoted themselues by vow to a solitarie life Their Patrons were two great Prophets Plias in the old Testament S. Iohn the Baptist in the beginning of the
new but this latter was speedily put to death by Herods commandement with his life as much as lay in him caried away with him from hence this great deuotion Philo the Iew seemes to attribute a renouation to the Sea of Saint Marke in Aegypt when he saith that some one or other of his nation forsooke their goods and vowed a societie recluse in the exercise of prayers and Orisons which was a kind of shadow but no liuely picture of the Monasteries that afterwards grew vp in the Church They that Philo speakes of were Iewes which being Christians seated themselues about the lake Marie in Aegypt where not being throughly instructed in our religion Soz. lib. 2. ca. 16. Niceph. li 8. ca. 39. Euseb lib. 2. ca. 16. they iumbled Christianitie and Iudaisme togither so Sozomen and Nicephorus teach vs and Eusebius himselfe swarues not farre from this matter The first of our side which vpon deuotion entertand a solitarie life Saint Hier. in vita S. Anthonij Saint Hier. epist ad Eusto begin audi filiâ— hetherto not put in practise was Paule the aged so saith Saint Ierom that he learned it of Macaire and Aneathas Saint Anthonies schollers who farre exceeded him in holines of life deuotion Huius vitae saith the same S. Hierom autor Paulus illustrator Antonius vt ad superiora veniam princeps Iohannes Baptista This course of life tooke beginning saith he of aged Paule Saint Anthonie promoted it and if you will go higher S. Iohn the Baptist was standard-bearer to them all A matter worth the nothing that as God establisht in his Church two great and holy companies one of Bishops and Priests the other of Abbots Monks and religious persons so it pleased him to make Saint Paule a chosen vessell of his in the first ranke and to lay the first planchers open the first doore to our Monasteries by the other Saint Paule in the second ranke Saint Anthonie as I tolde you succeeded him from whom as from one great fountaine there issued many riuers Macharius Aniathas Iulian Paule the younger and others in whom God made himselfe knowen by many miracles This extraordinarie solitude could not easily be embraced by all deuout men but by such as were if I may so terme them Paradoxes Thus some vowed a solitarie life but after the manner of Monkes For although they withdrew themselues from the common people yet liued they in a Societie shut vp within themselues sequestred from the rest of the people which course being more easie to be borne withall was more frequented then the first Saint Hierom writing to Rusticus a man desirous to betake himselfe to a solitaie life Primum tractandum est vtrum solus an cum alijs in Monasterio viuere debeas Mihi quidem placet vt habeas sanctorum contubernium nec ipse te doceas You must first be aduised saith he whether you will liue alone or in the company of others in a Monasterie For my part I thinke it best you should haue companie and not be your owne Maister When Sant Anthonie liued in Aegypt Saint Hillarion led the same life in Syria and Palestine that he did and prouoked by the great fame that was spred of him ouer all Christendome he went to see him and returned verie well instructed from him Neuerthelesse by a new deuotion he began to make himselfe more sociable after then he was before On this manner many Monasteries neuer knowen before were by his example erected in Palestine which he visited at certaine times as the Generals of religious orders doe accompanied with many Monkes Saint Hierom discourseth this at large in his life and this brings me halfe into a beliefe that the Monasteries tooke their first beginning from him and grew to be such as we see at this day I may well say that at one and the selfe same time there were Anacorits in Aegypt vnder Saint Anthonie and Monkes in Palestine vnder Saint Hilarion Saint Hier. in vita Hilaâ—ionis of whom I will speake anone Ante Hilarionem nulla Monasteria erant in Palestina nec quisquam Monacum ante sanctum Hilarionem nouerat in Syria ille fundator huius conuer sationis studij in hac prouincia fuit Habebat Dominus Iesus in Aegypto senem Antonium habebat in Palestina Hilarionem iuniorem Before Hilarion came there were no Monasteries in Palestine nor Monks in Syria he was the first founder of this Societie and studie in this Prouince our Sauiour Iesus Christ had aged Anthonie in Aegypt and Hilarion younger then he in Palestine Saint Anthonie was foure-score and tenne yeeres when hee died and Saint Hilarion fourescore Now had all these men I meane such as dwelt alone in the Desartes and such as liued in Couents apparrell distinct and different from the Common people This made Cyprian say speaking of badde Monks that neither the solitarie life nor the frocke in steed of other rayment nor the fastes defended Monks Sanct Cyp. seâ—m de dupl martir Ep. 104. but vnder this habite many times a verie worldly minde is couered And Saint Hierome in the life of Hilarion Igitur Hilarion 80. aetatis suae anno cum absens esset Hesechius quasi testamenti vice breuem manu sua scripsit Epistolam omnes diuitias suas ei derelinquens Euangelium scilicet tunicam sacceam cucullum Palliotum Therefore Hilarion at foure-score yeeres of age Hesechius being absent wrote a short Epistle to him in steede of his last will bequeathing him all his riches to wit the Gospell his garment of sack his hoode and his cloake This kind of habite hath beene continued to this day in the Monasteries their exercises consisted in Fastings Prayers and Orisons not so much to get their liuing by it as to shunne the snares and temptations of the Diuell Hereupon none might be admittied into their companie in Aegypt that was not skilfull in some manuarie trade Thus likewise the least part of their care was to become learned this lesson they learned of their great Patron Saint Anthonie who professed that hee knew nothing beeing of opinion that the studie of learning would hinder spirituall meditations and being such kinde of men they tooke no orders of Priesthood This made Saint Iohn Chrysostome comparing a Priest and a true Monke together say that a Priest in respect of a Monke is like a King sorted with a simple man that liues a priuate life therefore the Monks office was neither to preach nor to teach the common people Saint Hierome writing to Paulinus a Monke saith If you will take the charge of a Priest vpon you if you desire to be called to the high degree of a Bishoppe dwell in townes and Castles that by winning other mens soules you may saue your owne But if you will be a Monke that is to say solitarie what make you in townes which are no habitations for sole men but for troupes and multitudes The Bishops and Priestes haue
a looking glasse of the Apostles they then succeeding in their charge make themselues successors of their merits And as for vs let vs set before our eies Saint Paule Anthonie Iulian Hilarion Macharius Captaines of our profession and not to forget what the holy scripture tels vs an Elias and an Eliseus Our Table is the ground our diet is hearbes and sometime a fewe small fishes which wee account for great banquets The same Saint Hierom beeing intreated by a good sonne to preach to his Mother Sanct. Hier. tract de vitand susp cont thereby to reconcile her to a daughter of hers you take me for a man saith hee that may croud into a Bishops chaire you vnderstand not that I am shut vp in a Cell sequestred from companie by vow deuoted onely to lament my sinnes past or shunne the sinnes present Time as I haue told you culd out two sorts of these men the one dwelt solitarily in the desartes cald Ancors the others in Couents which the Greeks cald Coenobites whose order and discipline Saint Hierome describes in that notable Epistle that begins Audi filia And although the Monkes were neither Priests nor Clarks yet by course and compasse of time their superiours were permitted to be Priested that they might administer the Sacraments to them Thus became Saint Hierom an Abbot and Priest togither Likewise Iohn Bishop of Constantinople reproouing Epiphamus Bishop of Cypres his inferiour for Priesting some Monkes in Saint Hieromes Monasterie hee made his excuse by the multitude of Monkes which then wanted Priests to minister vnto them And Saint Ambrose in a funerall Oration he made for Eusebius Bishop of Vercellis among other particularities for which he commended him Saint Amb. serm 69. this was one that he had Priested all the Monkes of his Dioces In processe of time Religious persons ioyning holy orders to deuotion became great nurseries of our Church In that some of them were made Archbishops some Bishops who by their holy liues and deepe learning promoted Christian Religion greatly Such were Gregorie Nazianzen and Basill both Monkes and both Bishops which seuerally erected an infinite number of Monasteries and religious orders the one in the Realme of Pontus the other in Cappadocia and in them begunne the discipline of Religions which is in part transmitted ouer euen vnto vs. I omit heere of purpose to touch the nouelties brought in by time contenting my selfe with shewing you the first roote of all It remaines that I speake a word or two to you of our Vniuersities erected as well for diuinitie Lectures as other humaine Sciences Neither in the Apostles times nor long after as our Church particularly charged with Lectures The Apostles office successiuely the Bishops consisted in preaching the Gospell and administring the holy Sacraments VVee are debters to the Church of Alexandria for this first institution where in the dayes of Commodus the Emperour Panthen a man of great learning first opened a Diuinitie schoole by the authoritie of Iulian the Bishop And frō that time Euseb lib. 5 hist ecclesi ca. 9.10 saith Eusebius the custome begun in the Church of Alexandria was continued vnto vs namely to haue men that excelled in all knowledge and learning to be Doctors Diuinitie Readers Clemens Alexandrinus succeeded Panthen a man verie famous for his learning among the best learned in his time After him came Origen who tooke to him Heraclas the best of all his Schollers these two parted the publique Lectures between them Origen read Diuinitie Astronimie Geometrie and Arithmatique leauing the meaner Lectures of the Church of Alexandria to Heraclas The other Bishops borrowed this commendable custome of trayning vp of youth this custome spred so farre in this manner that the Vniuersities beginning to set learning abroach the Bishops became the first and last Iudges of theyr endeuours and for this purpose haue they a Chauncelour ouer them with whom the examination of this course and these matters dooth reside As for Monkes and religious persons they haue no authoritie to read Lectures but to their own companies I haue heeretofore related what was the first and originall Oeconomie of our Church in Bishops Abbots and Vniuersities vpon which three great Pillers our religion stands Now let vs bring the Iesuits to the touch that we may know what they are They be men apparrelled like our Priests bearing no outward marke of Monks yet do they make the three substantiall vowes of Chastitie Pouerty and Obedience common with other religious persons and they ioyne pouertie with it as well in generall as particuler by them of the last vow which are called Fathers men aboue others deuoted to preach to administer the holy sacraments of Pennance and of the Altar to reade publique Lectures in all Sciences to all sorts of schollers without any subiection to the auncient statutes of the Vniuersities yea and without acknowledgement of superioritie of the Bishops ouer thē hauing their prerogatiue apart But in conclusion for the accomplishment of their deuotion they offer to goe into all quarters of the world where it shall please the Pope to commaund them to conuert Infidels and vngodly men thereby to renewe in some sort the ancient practise of the Apostles Therefore let vs now consider whether this innouation of theyrs may by the auncient order of the Church deserue any place among vs and whether they may be calld the companie of Iesus if not by priuation at the least by preuention of al other Christians CHAP. 15. ¶ That no man can tell where to place the Iesuits among all the three auncient orders of our Church and that this is the true cause for which they neuer yet durst set in theyr foote into Processions MEn say that dreames for the most part arise out of a long meditation imprinted in our heads the day before by a reflection vppon some subiect which hath presented it selfe againe in the night vnto our fantasies Thus hath it happened vnto mee of late for as one of the principall things I bent my mind vnto was the Iesuits proceedings so it fortuned that one night among the rest I dreamed this which I will rehearse vnto you And I beseech you my Maisters not to thinke I tell it you to make you merry but in the soberest manner that I can the matter is of such moment that if I should doe otherwise I should deserue to be punisht If you will not accept it for a dreame take it at the least for a heauenly vision such a one as Ignace had when God the Father appeard to him recommending him to his sonne Iesus Christ or els when hee shewed him all the tooles with which hee made this great frame of the word or when Durus Xauiers first disciple sawe in a desolate Chappell our blessed sauiour Iesus Christ in the shape of a childe come to reconcile himselfe to the virgine his Mother that was angry with him As I was a sleepe me thought I saw GOD take
verie true that they coggd a Die when they got a Bull from Gregorie the 13. to forbid them this matter But thys was before their constitutions bare anie prohibition I come nowe to another matter which is that Elizabeth Rossell one of Ignace fauourers Rib. lib. 3. cap. 14. Maf◠lib. 2. cap. 17. seeking to erect a Iesuiticall order of women in Rome Ignace would neuer agree to it hee knewe it well that this would haue ministred matter of laughter to all the world for what kinde of habite or place should these women haue had in their Monasteries The religious men of Saint Benits order S. Barnards S. Dominicks and S. Fraunces do all weare the habite appertaining to their orders The Iesuits are apparrelled as priests if women should haue taken that attire to you must haue called them vvomen priests Let vs returne to our processions which all good and free Catholiques religiously embrace Ignace bragged euery where he was a Catholique why then did he forbid his societie the processions Because hee knew that if they came among other Ecclesiasticall orders they were vncertaine what place they should take theyr sect being a newe bastard religion a very hotch potch of all our orders without any thing pure in it or any poynt of our auncient Church Therefore to call them the societie of Iesus is to goe out of the way but I wil now giue them a name more agreeable vnto them I remember I haue read in the Romante of the Rose late alledged by me that when Saint Lewes brought the Carmelites into Fraunce from Mount Carmell they vvere called the Pred-coats because their cloakes were striped welted with black white Sith then we see the Iesuits to be a partie-colourd religion of diuers peeces of our ancient Church ill suted sowed together you may call them and theyr religion the new Motley Heere the Aduocate held his peace which ministred matter of talke vnto the Gentleman who said to him I know not how true it is that you had such a dreame as you haue told me yet I may well say there is much truth in it And more then that you cannot paynt out these matters more liuely then by the picture of a dreame But seeing you make reckoning of the Romant of the Rose me thinks by the modell of it wee may more fitlie call the Iesuits Papelards and theyr companie Papelardie Heere-vnto saide the Aduocate I beseech you let vs not ingage the authoritie of the holie Sea by the quarrell of these hypocrits I will not saide the Gentleman sith you haue bound mee to harken till you haue made an end CHAP. 16. ¶ That without wrong to the authoritie of the holy Sea you may call the Iesuits Papelardes and theyr sect Papelardie that is hypocrits and theyr order hypocrisie WEe haue euer yet in Fraunce embraced Poperie with all honour respect and deuotion and euer yet in Fraunce hath this holy name by many men been by false shewes abused VVhen you see a soaking Vsurer adulterer or a thiefe mumble manie Pater nosters daily at the Masse without amendement of his euill life or a Monk within his cloister vnder his habite his sad looke and thin visage nourish rancor auarice enuie and brocage in his hart wee call both the one and the other Papelards and their actions Papelardie what say you then to Poperie It is the cleere spring and fountaine from whence we ought to draw the vnitie of our Christian fayth What is this papelardie A maske of poperie in them which outwardly would be esteemed to be better men then others and inwardly are worst of all This one lesson haue I learned in that Romant of the Rose where William Lorrey represents vs an Orchard enuirond with high walls painted with the portraitures of Hate Enuie Robberie Auarice Sorrow Pouertie among which was the picture of Hypocrisie drawn in this manner I will set you downe the old language with the newe of Marot the first for his authoritie the second for his grace THere was an Image in my sight That well became an hypocrite Papelardie it was nam'd Because in secret it is fram'd To feare no mischiefe to atchiue If none spie what it dooth contriue The lookes were like a penitent And it appeared to lament A creature sweete it seemd to be Yet vnder heauen no villanie Is found but that it dares performe And it resembles much the forme That hath beene made to this semblance Set out with sober countenaunce In apparrell it was clothed Like vnto a woman yealded In the hand it held a Psalter The hart did groane the eyes did water With prayers to God that fained be And to the Saints both he and shee It was not merry it was silent As if the thoughts were euer bent To shewe deuotion euery where Inuested in a shirt of haire Fat fed she was not you must know Fasting had brought her very low She grew so pale and wan of late That vnto her and hers the gate Of Paradise denied them passe For many people haue a glasse Of flesh abated saith Gods booke That many others they may booke And for a little glory vaine Gods kingdome they shall neuer gaine VVhen this Romante was compilde Wickliffe Iohn Hus Ierom of Prage Martin Luther and Iohn Caluine were not yet borne to make warre vppon the holy Sea for William of Lorrey liued in the time of S. Lewes yet was the word Papelardie then in vse marke whether all these particularities set downe by him doe not encounter our Iesuits I confesse that none of them lye in hayre and likewise that they take no knowledge of the extraordinarie fasts which other religious persons keep They are wisely dispenst withall by their statuts but to passe ouer all other poynts they repose thēselues whollie vpon the authority of the holy Sea as if they were the first-borne children of the Popedome And at other times when you see thein vpon theyr knees saying ouer their Beades one by one before a Crucifix or an image of our Ladie and after marke theyr confessions communions before the people with I knowe not what leaden lookes fraught with hipocrisie and notwithstanding they worke vnder-hand the ruine of the Countries where they dwell and the murder of whatsoeuer Kings and Princes it pleases them and that theyr Masses confessions and cōmunions are the directorie starres of their Machiauelian tricks what better name can we giue them then Papelards As for the name of the societie of Iesus it is so proude a title as no good men can make agree with them except it be to grace their hipocrifie the more Their sect as they say was first cōsorted in Paris and sworne at Montmarter in the hart of Fraunce The words of Papelard and Papelardie are French words I thinke we shall find very many that will resigne them ouer vnto them as words euery way fitting theyr profession Neither is it any disparagemēt to the merit of Christes
Saint Dominic Saint Frances and others confirmed their new orders by many miracles done by them as we read in their Legends but not any one could be found done by Ignace I haue deliuerd you that passage word for word wherin he spake of Postles impiety Ignace was dead eight yeeres before this was pleaded After his death all hatred towards him ceased when men talked of his miracles for we cannot speake so freely of the liuing This cause was prolonged seuen moneths and more both in the Vniuersity of Paris and in the Court of Parliament when they stood vpon the maine making or marring of their order Iames Laniez companion successor of Ignace in his generalship either knew these things or ought to know them and leasure and time inough had he to certifie Neuerthelesse in all Versoris Plea there is not one word spoken of visions or miracles A signe that these lies were new coyned by these Papelards after the cause was pleaded Put this to it that all the visions Maffee and Ribadiner reckon vp hapned in Spaine before Ignace either had the Popes blessing or his order was allowed And that after hee was chosen Generall you shall not find in these two Iesuiticall Priests any vision shewed him from heauen nor any miracle done while he liued nor after his death yet if any miracle came from him of force it must be either then when the holy Sea confirmed him or after In Rome you see Ignace his forecast was good Turs lib. 5. ca. 16. to bring a new tyrannie into our old religion but no marke of miracles at all And why thinke you because all his visions hapned to him in Spaine two of them onely excepted which he had in Italie in corners but neither durst he nor his ministers broach so grosse matters in Rome I speake expresly of Rome where Iuuenesque senesque Et pueri nasum Rinocerotis habent Will you haue me lay this imposture open to your eies by some other issuing from the same root Among the cōpanions or disciples of Ignace there was one Frances Xauier appointed by him to go to the Indies at the request of King Iohn of Portugall Ribadiner wrote his historie onely vpon report of the countrie as the farther a Iesuit goes the louder he lies so Horace Tursellin comming after the rest reflects vpon his companion with great increase and interest For neuer did our Sauiour Christ while he was vpon the earth nor after his ascention nor Saint Peter not Saint Paule worke so great miracles as Xauier did in the Indies He was a Prophet that foretold thē things to com he did read means thoughts Turs lib. 6. ca. 1. Turs lib. 2. cap. 18. he made the crooked to go vpright the dumb to speake the deafe to heare he cured the leapers he rid the sicke of their diseases when the Phisitians had giuen them ouer saying but a Creed or a Gospel ouer men he had a facultie to raise the dead For in the seuenth Chapter of his second booke he finds that he had raised six another time vpon his returne from Iappon spying one of his companions laid out vpon the Bere and ready to be put into the ground he restored him to life againe as he had done a Pagans daughter Turs lib. 4. cap. 3. But the grace of the tale is that she returning on foot knew Xauier and told her father this was the man that had puld her soule backe againe out of hell And that which was neuer heard of before in our religiō Turs lib. 4. cap. 7. lib. 5. cap. 7. he cōuerted many people by Mediators and Interpretors Likewise he wrought many miracles by the ministerie of others namely by such as scarce had any knowledge of our Church For after he had Baptized and Catechized little infants Turs lib. 2. ca. 7. he gaue them his beads wherewith the ficke being touched they recouered health Being at Meliopora there was a rich Citizen possessed with many diuels Xauier was intreated to go to him but hauing other busines he sent a little child to him with a crosse which being laid vpon the possessed and a Gospel said ouer him in such manner as Xauier had commaunded presently all the diuels were cast out very much angred that they were eiected by such a one as was yet but a nouice in Christianity Hoc magis indignantes saith the author quod per puerum pellebantur Lib. 2. ca. 7. eum Neophylum Another time it fell out so that being requested to helpe one that was possessed because he could not goe himselfe in person he put some little children in commission teaching them their lesson what they should do and putting a crosse in their hands These came to the possessed whom they made to kisse the Crosse according to their direction saying certaine prayers ouer him vvhich they had learned by heart and presently as well by the faith of these little brats as by Xauiers the diuell went out of the man but he was reuenged on him at the last For when Xauier was vpon his knees before the Virgin Marie the diuell so scracht him by the backe belly that the poore man had none to flie vnto but the Virgin crying vnto her Domina opitulare Domina non opitulaberis And after this was constraind to keepe his bedde vntil his skinne was healed I omit a great many particulars that I may come to other of Xauiers miracles as well in his life as in his death for departing this life at Siues his bodie was rold vp in quicke lime that beeing speedily consumed it might not putrifie neuerthelesse being sixe moneths after caried to the Towne of Goa where he lieth hee was found to looke as fresh and sound as when he liued Lib. 5. ca. 12. After he was brought to this Towne there was a waxe Candle of a cubit long placed at the foote of his Tombe which burnt two and twentie daies and as many nights and was not wasted A man that neuer saw further then the length of his owne nose hauing got so much fauour of the Priests as to open him Xauiers Tombe tooke the dead mans hand and rubbed his eies with it and presently recouered his sight Lib. 5. ca. 4. Many other miracles were done by his dead corps But I find none so famous as these two for one of his Disciples hauing stollen away the whip wherewith he beat himselfe and a woman called Marie Sarra did cut of a peece of his girdle which she wrought into siluer and wore it about her necke these two deuout persons cured an infinite number of all sorts of diseases by the bare touch of these two reliques All these miracles were done in the Indies and many other moe if you beleeue Tursellin After the approbation of their order Xauier was not to be compared in sanctitie with Ignace his Superiour and first founder of that societie being inspired with the holy Ghost although not
haue any possibilitie of agreement vvith our Church of Fraunce let vs forget all the miseries and calamities that haue been brought vpon vs by their means in our last troubles and let vs not enuie theÌ„ their aboade in the principall Cittie of Fraunce It is no small aduantage for them that would plant and spread a new religion to be placed in the chiefe Cittie of a kingdome by the authority of the soueraigne Magistrate They cast in our way two great words to stoppe our mouth altogether the name of Iesus to which euerie knew must bow and the name of the Pope which wee must receiue with all submission and honour But to whom doe they sell theyr trash Are wee any other but followers of Iesus Are we any other then the children of the holy Sea 1. All of vs acknowledge by a common and generall faith that we are a part portion of the church of Iesus by the merit of his passion euer since that we haue been regenerat by the holy sacrament of Baptisme They by an arrogant name applyed entitle themselues and their sect Conference at Poissy 1561. Act of parliameÌ„t in the same yeere the societie of Iesus a title forbidden them both by our Church of Fraunce and by the Court of Parliament at Paris in the yeere 1561. 2. Wee in this country of Fraunce auow with all humilitie and readines our holy Father the Pope as Primate but not as prince of all Churches In this fayth we liue and die vnder him renewing the oath of allegiance from the day of our baptisme to the day of our death Part 7. of their const c. 1. arti 2. The Iesuit as a vassaile peculiar aboue others acknowledges him for his prince to whom hee specially renewes the oath of his allegeance at the change of euerie Pope 3. Our church of Fraunce holds that our holy father the Pope is vnder a generall oeconomicall counsell so we haue learned of our great diuine Gerson so of the councell of Constance and so when in former times any decree came out from his holines to the preiudice of our Kings or their realme our auncestors appeald from it to a generall Councell to be held afterward Cap. Noui de iudie. ext cap. ad Apostolicae de re iudie. capit vnam sanâ—tam de maior et obed The Iesuit maintaines a cleane contrarie opinion that in the same sort as the courtiers of Rome doe 4 With what dissimulation soeuer the Iesuit cloakes his writings now a dayes hee acknowledgeth the Pope prince of all kingdoms as well in matters temporall as spirituall because the Popes haue acknowledgd themselues for such in their decretall sentences and namely of late in their Bull of the great Iubile publisht for the yeere 1600. S. Peter and S. Paule whose successors they are called princes of the earth if the Iesuite doubt of this article he is an hereticke in his sect Our church of Fraunce neuer belieued that the Pope had any power ouer the temporal estate of our Kings Looke the chap. of this book where wee entreat of blindfold obedience 5 The Iesuit obayes the Pope by an obedience which he calls blindfold a proposition of a hard consequence for the King and all his subiects A proposition also which we obserue not but stoutly improue in our Church of Fraunce 6 By an auncient tradition which wee hold as it were froÌ„ hand to hand froÌ„ the Apostles euery Dioces hath his Bishop ouer whoÌ„ it is not lawful to vsurp any authority Bellam. lib. 1. de indulg cap. 11. The whole sect of the Iesuits is nothing els but a generall infringing of the authoritie of Archb. and Bish yea the hold that the Bishop hath no other iurisdiction or power then that which he holds of the Pope 7 The administring of the word of God and of the Sacra appertaines principally to the Archb. Bishop after to the Curats within their parishes to none other except a man haue permission of some of them within their charges By the Buls of 1540. 1550. The Iesuit giues to himselfe full power to preach the word of God and to administer the holy sacrament of Pennance and the Eucharist wheresoeuer it please him to the preiudice of the Ordinaries 8 Only the B. in his dioces can dispence with the vse of meats forbidden according as necessitie requires The Buls of Iulius the 3. 1552. The Iesuit acknowledges herein none but the Superiors of his order 9 We admit not to the order of priest-hood any that are borne in adultery or incest The Buls of Paule the 3. 1546. The Iesuit admits them without difference 10 By our ancient canonicall constitutions Church-men may not say Masse but before noone The Buls of Paule the 3. 1545. The Iesuit may sing Masse after none if it please him 11 Our priests are forbidden to say Masse any where but in our Churches except for the succouring of them that are sick and that by the permission of the Curat The Iesuit may make a particular oratory within his house and in all places where soeuer he comes there say Masse and haue an Altar to carry about with him 12 One of the auncientest parts of deuotion that we haue in our Church Teâ—t lib. 2. ad vâ—oâ—em Sib. Apul. lib. 5. epist are the Processions for euen Tertullian makes mention of them and we find that Mamercus Bishop of Vienna brought in the Rogation which wee obserue euery yeere in the weeke of the Ascention of our Lord Iesus Christ The Puls of 〈◊〉 13. 1576. The Iesuit doth not onely disalow of them but maintaines that they are forbidden him 13 We celebrate Anniuersaries in our Church in the remembrance of them that lately bestowed any goods on vs by way of almes The Iesuit receiues a pace what soeuer almes are giuen him to this end Part 6. of thâ—â—r const ca. 3. art 6. but yet he admits not of the Anniuersaries nor the Obits 14 We haue in our Church a certaine place neer the Altar which we call the Quire where our priests say diuine seruice Part 6. coÌ„st ca. 3. art 4. Iâ—b lib. 3. cap. 22. The bull of Gre. the 13 â—â— of Octo. 1576. apart from the common people The Iesuit hath no such place 15 We say our canonicall houres aloude in our churches of ordinary that euery man may pertake thereof The Iesuit is not bound but that he may say them in a low voyce 16 As our country of Fraunce hath alwaies abounded in deuotion aboue all other Nations so it hath had speciall priuiledge of God that all the heads of religious orders that haue been graffed vpoÌ„ the ancient orders of S. Austin S. Benet haue vowed theyr perpetuall houses amongst vs French men as the orders of Clugnie the Cistercians the Premonstratenses and Gramont There is neuer an order but that of the Charter-house Monks The Plea of the
the death of all his bretheren the necessitie of the time seemnig to call him again to worldly affairs all that his friends could obtaine at Rome was the chaunging of his vow into that of Saint Iohn of Ierusalem It was neuer permitted a religious man in our Church that had made the vowe of pouertie to succeed his parents much lesse to be releast out of his Monasterie to enter againe into a secular life The Pope giues not himselfe this libertie And shall wee suffer in our Church a religious Iesuit to succeed and his Generall to giue him leaue to doo so when it pleaseth him Dij talem terris auertite postem This is no priuiledge this is a new monster Montaig ca. 50. 5â— which is brought into our Christian profession For all this the Iesuit thinkes to bee acquitted by God of this heresie when hee saith that there is no more in anie vowe then a man puts into it hee should say there is no more in the play For by rendering this reason of simple vow hee playes with God and is one of those scorners of whom Dauid speaketh in in the first Psalme In summe the Iesuits would say that there simple vow is a vow of a pettie dissimulation and that they thinke to deceiue God by the same Sophistrie which the old Pagan vsed when he said Iuraâ—â— lingua mentem iniuratam habeo Which protestation was condemned by them of the time though they were not Christians So saith that Iesuit I vowed pouerty with my tongue but in my mind I had a bird that sung an other song And thinking by this shift to make vs like of their new doctrine hee playes three parts at once the Iesuit the Heretique the Macchiauelist And whereas they say that the great Canonist Nauarre calleth their simple vow Nouum mirabile Saint Bernard reprouing Abelards heresie said no lesse that Ambulabat in maguis et in mirabilibus CHAP. 11. ¶ Of the Iesuits engaging the aut horitie of the holy Sea to excuse the heresie of their simple vow BVt these two priuiledges saith Montagnes are granted vs by the Head Prince of the Church See how these honest men wrong the authority of the holy Sea and into what disorder they bring it by making it a defence of their heresie I will neuer abide that this come to the ears of the enemies of our Church but that withal they shal vnderstand how al things haue past The truth is that before Gregorie 13. neuer any Pope was of aduise to grant them these priuiledges and yet euer since the comming of Ignace they haue practised this simple vow as we may see by the same Gregories Bull 1584. Whereupon euerie good Catholique will maintaine that it was a new heresie brought in by them against the holy and auncient decrees Tell me honest men what is become of the soules of your Saints Igâ—arius Loiola Iames Lainez Frances Borgia Euerard Morouie the foure first Generals of your Sect Where is Frances Xauier that was canonized a Saint amongst the barbarous Where is Peter Faurs Nicholas Bobadilla and Pasquier Broet In briefe where be the soules of all them of your Sect that liued from the yeere 1540. vntill the yere 1584. and died in this herefie In which yeere you obtaind permission for the time to come not absolutioÌ„ for that which was past so that it came too late for theÌ„ that died before In the meane while we haue these for Maisters Lecturers of our youth in their Colledges for holy fathers Diuines in our Church to preach to vs. And yet as profest heretiques in steed of establishing againe our afflicted religion by establishing their owne greatnes they haue wholy ouerthrowne ours altogither and haue had no other foundation of their heresie but their owne detestable couetousnes This indeed might haue beene obiected against vs heretofore will the Iesuit say but not now by reason of this new Bull. This answere at the first sight may seeme verie sufficient to stop our mouthes but when you shall vnderstand how at what time and by what cunning it was gotten you shall find nothing in it but sauours of a Iesuit They haue diuers vowes but I find none so solemne as that which I will presently declare to you which is to put in execution their deuises be they good or euill of their own priuate authoritie without any respect had of the holy Sea and when they haue a long time vsed this verie ill they spy out occasions of troubles for the authorizing of that their practise as men most necessarie for the maintenaunce of our religion By doing wherof they giue law to him of whom they make shew to receiue law The fisherman fishes in a troubled water and the Iesuit in our troubles In this sort began their Societie and after many refusals was confirmed by Pope Paule the third in the yeeres 1540. and 43. in consideration of the troubles that were at that time in Germanie betwixt the Catholiques and the Lutherans In this sort they obtained of Pope Pius the fourth their great priuiledge to disturbe the ancient discipline of all Vniuersities in the yeere 1561. That is to say when the troubles began to rise in Fraunce betwixt the Catholique and Hugonot The fame was practised by them in 84. when father Claudius Mathew their Prouinciall of France stirred the humours of Rome not only against the Hugonots but also against the most Catholik King deceased as if he had fauoured them And feeding Pope Gregorie with an infinite sort of vaine hopes they thought they might without daunger pull of their maske and get that approued by him which they neuer durst discouer to any Pope before namely the dishonestie of their simple vow In such sort that in Iune 1584. they obtaynd the confirmation of this vow and fiue moneths after the deceased King Henrie the third who wanted not his spies made a Commission to be publisht in open Parliament against them that practised any league in straunge countries If there were nothing but the opposition of this time it were sufficient to deface the memorie of that Bull of Pope Gregorie and also many decretals of Boniface the eight which was a profest enemie to Fraunce But I haue yet stroÌ„ger reasons on my side for I see not that any man thinks that Pope Gregorie euer gaue any sufficient consent thereto And that it is so after he hath briefly discourst of the Nouiceship he saith that the religious making their first simple vow In SocietateÌ„ cooptanour ac quantuÌ„ est ex parte ipsoruÌ„ perpetuò ex parte verò Societatis IVXTA APOSTOLICA INDVLTA ET CONSTITVITIONES PRAEDICT AS tamdiu obligati sunt quaudiu Praepositus Generalis eos retimendos censuerit Quod ad Societatis consernationeÌ„ maxime est necessariuÌ„ ID QVE AB ILLIVS EXORDIO PROVSVIM post experimento coÌ„probatum est Idque initio ingressus illis explicitè manifestatur atque ipsi conditioneÌ„
controuersies which they would haue referred to him at what time he distinguisht the power of God from the power of the Romane Emperour saying That wee must yeeld vnto God that which belonged vnto God and vnto Caesar that which was due vnto Caesar And being demaunded of Pilate whether he were a king or no he made him aunswere that his kingdome was not of this inferiour world The second was the time of his glorie whereunto all those excellent sayings of the prophet Dauid are to be referred as when he said that the earth was the Lords Aske of mee and I will giue thee nations and heritages and they shall be vnto thee for a possession vnto the vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place that hee was Lorde of Lordes and King of Kings Let vs not falsifie the holie Scripture For the more you ambitious Iesuits apply out of it to the Pope to authorise not his greatnes but your owne the more you take from him At what time did Christ assigne Saint Peter to be his Vicar Surely while hee was yet on earth and at the poynt to finish his pilgrimage that he might represent his person heere below in his estate of humilitie and so gaue him the keyes of heauen not of earth to signifie vnto vs that he gaue him the charge of spirituall matters without mingling there-withall temporall busines And certainly our auncient Popes were very ignoraunt if giuing them-selues the title of Seruus seruorum they meant to represent Iesus Christ as hee is in the fulnesse of his glorie and after hee ascended into heauen to sit on the right hand of GOD his Father In like manner was it an heresie in Luther to teach his folowers that the Pope was wrongfully termed head of the church Vicar general to Iesus Christ no lesse heresie was it in Ignacius when to oppose Luther hee affirmed that the Pope was Christs Vicar not onely in his estate of humility but euē in his estate of glory likewise Hee then is a true Catholique liegeman to the Pope who doth acknowledge and approue his authoritie according to the originall institution thereof without any augmentations or additions from men Iesuit I now come vnto thee let vs weigh how ful of danger this position of thine is Our Kings know best what is expedient for the maintenance preseruation of their estate and like skilful Pilots are faine somtimes to strike sayle in a tempest This course the Pope being carried away with other respects will not like of will perhaps summō our kings to cōform their proceedings to his mind After some two or three admonitiōs if they obey not he wil proceed to censure thē consequētly to make a diuorce between them their subiects or if not so to interdite the Realm expose it for a pray to any Prince that shal be first able to possesse himselfe of it Good God! into what a confusion dost thou bring our State Iesuit learne this lesson of me for I wil not suffer either our countrimē to be infected with thy poysonous propositions or straungers that shal read this booke of thine to conceiue that the Maiestie of our kings is by thy comming any whit empayred First we maintayne and vphold it for an article inuiolable in Fraunce that the Pope hath no authority to be liberal of our Realme for any mans aduantage whatsoeuer what fault soeuer our king shall be found culpable of none excepted The Pope hath no power but what is giuen him by commission from God he is neither that Samuel nor that Iehoiada who were commaunded by God to doe what they did vnder the olde law for vnder the new which we call the new Testament there is no mention of any such matter The Pope cannot by the power of his spirituall sword controule the temporall I say not therefore that any king of Fraunce should forget himselfe eyther in the Catholique Religion or in the gouernment of his subiects to whom he ought to be a second father for if he doe let him be assured that God will sooner or later forget him and auenge himselfe by some meanes vnexpected and vnthought of but that we are to seeke this redresse at Rome I flatly denie For this first position I hold it to be cleere that which now I will deliuer may seeme more questionable We hold it for another article firme and indubitable in this Realme of Fraunce that our kings are not subiect to the Popes excommunication A thing which we haue receiued from all antiquitie I remember I haue read that Lothaire king of Austracia deceasing left Lewes his brother who was Emperour and King of Italy to be his successor King Charles the Bald vncle to them both seazed on it by right of occupation as lying fit for his hand Lewes had recourse to Pope Adrian who vndertooke the quarrel for him and summoned Charles to do his nephew right vpon payne of excommunication but Charles would giue no eare to him By reason wherof the Pope went on to interpose his censures with bitter curses and comminations and knowing the high authoritie which rested in Hingmare Archbishoppe of Reims he enioyned him not to admit the king to communicate with him vpon paine himselfe to be depriued of his Holinesse his communion There was neuer Popes Iniunction more iust holy then this For what colour could there be for an vncle to intercept his nephewes right in succeeding his owne brother Yet neuer was I niunction worse entertayned then this For Hiagmare after he had imparted the letters Apostolical to diuers Prelats and Barons of France to be aduised by them how to carry himselfe in the matter he wrote backe to Pope Adrian what he had drawn and collected out of their aunsweres namely that all of them were much offended agreeued with that his Decree alledging that the like proceedings had not beene seene no not when the kings were Heretiques Scismatiques or Tyrants and maintayning that kingdomes were purchased by the edge of the sword and not by the excommunications or censures of the Sea Apostolique or of Prelates And when I vrge them said Hingmare with the authoritie which was delegate by our Sauiour to Saint Peter and from him deriued by succession to the Popes of Rome they aunswere me Petite Dominum Apostolicum vt quia Rex Episcopus simul esse non potest Et sui antecessores Ecclesiasticum ordinem quod suum est non Rempublicam quod regum est disposuerunt Non praecipiat nobis habere regem qui nos in sic longinquis partibus adiuuare non possit contra subitaneos frequentes Paganorum impetus nos Francos iubeat seruire cui nolumus seruire Qua istud iugū sui antecessores nostris antecessoribus non imposuerūt Quia scriptum in sanctis libris audimus vt pro libertate haereditate nostra vsque ad mortem certare debeamus That is Tell our Apostolicall Lord that he
a full congregation for their Aduocate Hauing prepared my selfe for the cause being armed with that sacred Decree which the facultie of Diuinity had pronounced against them in the yeere 1554. where those two great pillers of our Catholique Religion Monsieur Picard and Monsieur Maillard were assistants I was perswaded that I was able with a free and vncontrouled conscience to encounter hand to hand with this monster which being neyther Secular nor Regular was both togither and therefore brought into our Church an ambiguous or mungrell profession We pleaded this case two whole forenoones Maister Peter Versoris and I he for the Iesuits I for the Vniuersitie before an infinite multitude of people who attended to see the issue thereof Maister Baptist du Menill the Kings Aduocate a man of great sufficiencie was for me In my declaration I alledged the irrigularitie of their profession the iudgement and determination of the whole facultie of Diuinitie pronounced against them tenne yeeres before the obiection made by Monsieur Bruslard the Kings Attorney Generall against their admittance for that their vow was cleane contrarie to ours that if we should harbour them in our bosome we should bring in a Schisme amongst vs and besides so many espials for Spayne and sworne enemies to Fraunce the effects whereof wee were like to feele vpon the first chaunge that the iniquitie of time might bring vpon vs. Notwithstanding for the conclusion we were referred to Counsell Eyther partie both got and lost the day For neither were they incorporated into the Vniuersity nor yet prohibited to continue their accustomed readings When God hath a purpose to afflict a realme he planteth the roots thereof long time before hand These new-come guests blind and bewitch the people by shewes of holines and fayre promises For as if they had the gift of tongues which the holy Ghost infused into the Apostles they made their boasts that they forsooth went to preach the Gospel in the midst of barbarous and sauage people they that God knowes had ynough to do to speake their mother tongue With these pleasant baits did they inueigle and draw the multitude into their snares But as they had brought in a motly religion of Secular and Regular disturbing by meanes thereof all the Hierarchie of our Church so did they intend to trouble thence-forward all the politique states in Christendome In as much as by a newe inuented rule they beganne to mingle and confound the State with their religion And as it is easie to fall from liberty to vnbridled licence so did they vpon this irriguler rule of theirs ground the most detestable heresie that can be deuised affirming that it is lawfull to murther any Prince that should not conforme himselfe to their principles treading vnder foot both the checke which our Sauiour gaue to Saint Peter when he drew his sword in his defence and the Canon of the Councell of Constance whereby they were pronounced accurst that set abroach this position When I pleaded the cause I mentioned not these two propositions against them For though they bred them in their hearts yet had they not as yet hatched them only I said that there was no good to be hoped for of this monster but that they would euer put in practise eyther that principle which was broched by the old Moūtainer who in time of our wars beyond the Seas dispersed his subiects called cut-throats or murtherers through the the Prouinces to slay the Christian Princes or that horrible Anabaptisme which sprung vp in Germanie when we were young this should I neuer haue imagined Notwithstanding both the one and the other Maxime hath beene by them put in execution in the sight and knowledge of all Christendome For as concerning the first there is no man but knowes that they hauing set foot in Portugall not vnder the title of Iesuits but of Apostles they sollicited King Sebastian by all maner of illusions to make an vniuersall law that none might be called to the Crowne vnlesse he were of their Societie and moreouer elected by the consent suffrages of the same VVhereunto they could not attayne albeit they met with the most deuout and superstitious Prince that could be And not to lead you out of our owne countrie of Fraunce they were the men that kindled the first coales of that accursed League which hath beene the vtter ruine and subuersion of the land It was first of all debated amongst them and being concluded they constituted their Fathers Claudius Matthaeus a Lorrain and Claudius Sammier of Luxembourg for so are their Priests of greatest antiquitie called to be their trumpets for the proclayming thereof ouer all forraine nations And after that time did they with open face declare themselues to be Spaniards as well in their Sermons as publique Lectures In fauour of whom they attempted to bring their second principle into practise not all the while that the King was diuided from vs in religion for they knew that was a barre sufficient to keepe him from the Crowne but as soone as they saw him reclaymed into the bosome of the Church they set on worke one Peter Barriere a man resolute for execution but weake and tender in conscience whom they caused to be confessed in their Colledge at Paris afterwards to receiue the Sacrament and hauing confirmed him by an assured promise of Paradise as a true Martyr if he died in that quarrell set forward this valiant Champion who was thrise at the the verie point to execute his accursed enterprise and God as often miraculously stayed his hand vntill at length being apprehended at Melun he receiued the iust hyre of his trayterous intention in the yeere 1593. I speake nothing but what mine eyes can witnesse and what I had from his owne mouth when he was prisoner View peruse all the impieties that you will you shall find none so barbarous as this To perswade an impietie and then to couer it with such a seeming maske of pietie In a word to destroy a soule a King Paradise and our Church all at a blow to make way for their Spanish and halfe-Pagan designements All these new allegations caused the Vniuersitie of Paris the Citie being brought vnder the Kings obedience to renew their former suit against them which had beene stayed before time by the Counsels appoyntment The cause was pleaded effectually and learnedly by Maister Authonie Arnald but when the processe was brought to the verie poynt of Iudgement there fell out another accident which made them proceed roundly thereunto Iohn Chastell a Paritian of the age of 19. yeeres a graft of this accursed Seminarie stroke our king Henris the fourth with a knife in his Royall Pallace of the Louvre in the midst of his Nobilitie He is taken his processe being commenced and finished sentēce ensueth dated the 29. of December 1594. the tenour wherof followeth Being viewed by the Court the great Chamber and the Tournel being assembled the arraignement of processe criminall begun
paused a while which gaue the Gentleman occasion to say vnto him I assure you Sir I cannot but much commend your inuention in representing this matter in the person of Stones For seeing men will not speake stones must their dealinges beeing such as you haue shewed and prooued not by proofes at randon and vncertaine but most infallible and drawne out of their owne bookes But how commeth it to passe that this being so notoriously knowne and remayning of record yet neuerthelesse there be certaine Courts of Parliament within the Realme which doe not onely receiuâ—â—â—em but honor cherish and embrace them within their Cities and iurisdictions I did expect you should aske me that question quoth the Aduocate and was about to haue entred thereinto of my selfe had you not preuented mee Thinke it not straunge it should be so it is a mysterie hidden in the secret counsell of God who hath not wholy withdrawn his wrath from vs but intendeth one day to vse these as his instruments to bring more plagues vpon vs. Neuerthelesse doe not you thinke but that those other Parliaments haue some great shew of reason for their doings Did you neuer see a new Testament wherein the histories were drawne in pictures In that place of the Gospell where our Sauiour is tempted in the desart Sathan is pictured in the habit of a Munke Some Lucianists sticke not to say that thereby is vnderstood that the life and conuersation of Munks is Diabolicall But I am of a contrarie opinion For whosoeuer the Painter was that in this matter of the temptatioÌ„ deuised to cloth the Diuell in those weeds he did it not without great consideration iudging that this being the true habit of piety there was no way more readie certain to surprise the consciences of well meaning men then by it The Diuel after he had set forth diuers mommeries of religious Orders he meant to set his rest vpon this and transforming himselfe into Ignacius and his adherents to pretend the holy name of Iesus and to promise by the mouth of the Iesuits not onely terrestriall kingdomes to Princes wherewith they would inuest them as Sathan did to our Sauiour but also the kingdome of heauen to such as would execute their malice against those Kings that were their enemies Wherein the Diuell hath not much missed of his ayme For vnder this glorious name hath he abused and onerreached our Popes their holines and consequently a number of religious soules And as himselfe is the Spirit of Diuision so is it no meruaile if the Iesuits his true and lawfull children enioy the same priuiledge that their father doth They haue caused diuision between themselues and our Prelates of Fraunce betweene themselues and the Vniuersities betweene Popes and Kings betweene Popes and other Prelats if now they cause a new dissension amongst our Parliaments of Fraunce they haue done that which onely was wanting to the ful and absolute accomplishment of the Sorbones prophecie when in her censure of the Iesuits Sect in the yeere 1554 she saith Multas in populo querelas multas lites dissidia contentiones aemulatioues variaque schismata inducit It breadeth many quarrels controuersies discords contentions emulations and many divisions amongst the people The Parliament of Paris vpon mature wise deliberation hath banished theÌ„ out of their iurisdiction Some other Parliaments doe retaine them albeit the attemps of Barriere and Chastell vppon the person of the King be vnto them notoriously knowne and that they were the first plotters and contriuers of our troubles When I thinke of these dissentions I am put in minde of a discreet aunswere made by King Henry the second touching the case of Pelisson President of the Parliament of Chamberi who by the sentence of the Parliament of Digeon was depriued of his office besides sundry other disgraces which he receiued vpon the complaint and information of Tabouè Atturny generall Afterward obtayning Letters for a second examination and and the cause being remoued to the Parliament of Paris he was restored to his office and Tabouè condemned to make him honourable amends bare-headed in his shirt with a halter about his neck The King beeing informed of these proceedings in both the Courts of parliament wisely made aunswer that he esteemed all his Iudges to be men of honestie vprightnes but that they of the parliament of Digeon had iudged according to their consciences and they of Paris according to right and iustice I make no doubt but that all the Iudges of other parliaments are by their consciences induced thereunto but this I say that there was neuer any thing decreed in Court more sufficiently and sincerely then this was by the parliament of Paris The other as I suppose are swayed by the authority of the holy Sea supporting the Iesuits which is no small aduantage for them to leane vnto notwithstanding I will oppugne them by the same authoritie beseeching them not to take in euill part this admonition which in all dutie humilitie I offer vnto their coÌ„siderations not doubting but after they haue heard me if at least they please to giue me hearing they will theÌ„selues condemne this their opinion You haue heeretofore vnderstood how at two seuerall times our Iesuits had practised the murder of the King and not at that time when hee was deuided from vs in religion but euen then when he was reconciled to our Church in the time of a truce desiring nothing else but a generall vnion and reconcilement of all his subiects throughout the Realme They are highly fauoured at Rome as the Iuie which seemeth outwardly to succour the wall when as inwardly it eateth into it but if they had euer conspired any attempt against the Popes person I am out of doubt that by the Decree of that great and holy Consistorie of Rome theyr Order would haue beene put downe and abolished for euer At the least I haue seene the like practise in a case not vnlike for a matter not so dangerous for example nor of such consequence as that shewed vppon the whole Order of the Humiliati I will acquaint you with the historie CHAP. 22. ¶ How the Order of Humiliatj was suppressed by Decree of the Consistorie of Rome and that there is greater cause to suppresse the Iesuits then the Humiliatj THis Order in outward appearance like this of the Iesuits promised so great sanctitie and deuotion as Cardinall Borrhomao the Archbishop of Millan vvould needes take vpon him the patronage and protection thereof This good Prelate perceiuing that the greatest part of them gaue themselues ouer to a voluptuous and dissolute kinde of life tooke in hand to reforme them which some of them tooke in such indignitie dignitie as that they vowed his death There was a Guardian of that Order resident in the Cittie of Versellis his name was Girolano Lignana who with certaine other his confederats vndertakes this execution And to make way to their purpose they resolued to kill Frier Fabio
since the passion of our Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ and that which hath been approoued be all our auncient Doctors of the Church of whom the meanest had more learning and true Christian feeling in his heart then Luther and all his adherents then Ignace with all his complices It is the religion wherein all good and faithfull Christians ought to liue and die I will adde further that I had rather erre with them then runne the Wild-Goose chase endaungering my soule with these night-growne mushrumps But wee will be moderate in a subiect of such a nature I will not say then that I had rather but that I should lesse feare to erre For to say that Iesuits are the onely clubs to beat downe the blowes of Caluin and Luther I am so farre from beleeuing it as I thinke it is a special meane to confirme them in their erronious opinions I remember a friend of mine being at a Sermon rather for nouelty then deuotion a Minister cryed out to his disciples My brethren saith hee God hath beheld vs with a mercifull eye Although Martin Luther had beene sufficient to giue the Pope battell yet so it is that Ignacius Loyhola is come besides to ayde vs. For hee cunningly vnder colour of support supplanteth him What readier meane to ouerthrow a State then faction and intestine quarrels And I pray you what other milke giue these Iesuits in the Church of Rome Then sith this Sect is his last refuge his principal support be of good cheere the day is ours For without question the head must be verie daungerously sick if for cure therof fauouring this new Sect they vtterly ouerthrow the noble parts But what should be the cause of this disorder An imaginarie vow of Mission in fauoure whereof the Pope prâ—â—ecteth their quarrell For this therefore let vs prayse God and say as Demea said to his brother Mitio in the Poet Consumat perdat pereat nihil ad me attinet These sixe or seuen Latine wordes vttered against the holy Sea are blasphemous But this is the vnbridled licence of these new Preachers who when they are transported with their preposterous zeale may say any thing This dissension concerned not the Minister it had beene his part to touch the conscience of euerie good Catholique who desireth to liue and die in the bosome of the Catholique Apostolique and Romane Church yet it should be our care that these my Maisters the Ministers insult not ouer vs that their triumphs be not grounded on the Iesuits Consider whether they haue cause to say thus or no for among other particulars of the censure of our Diuines in the yeere 1554. this was one that the Iesuits would become Seminaries of Schisme and diuision in our Christian Church that they were rather brought in for the ruine and desolation of it then for the edification thereof Wherfore if I may be thought to erre in saying that the Sect of the Iesuits is no lesse preiudiciall to the Church then that of the Lutherans I doe it not without iudgement hauing for my warrant heerein the censure of that venerable facultie of Diuines in Paris CHAP. 25. ¶ Of the notorious enterprize or vsurpation of the Generall of the Iesuits ouer the holy Sea and that there is no new Sect which in time may bee more preiudiciall to it then this WHen the venerable facultie of the Diuines of Paris censured the Sect of the Iesuites in the yeere 1554. they only considered of the inferiour orders aswell spirituall as temporall But for matter which concerned the holy Sea they went not so farre neither were they acquainted with their Bulls and constitutions But now that it hath pleased God of his grace to enlighten vs I will not doubt to say that the Gouernour of the Iesuits represents the person of Lucifer who would equall himselfe to his Creator So this fellow being a creature of the Popes doth not onely vsurpe equall authoritie ouer his subiects but farre greater then the Pope doth exercise ouer the Vniuersall Church They giue out in Rome that they absolutely obey the Pope not onely in the matter of Mission but in all other his commaundements And vnder this plausible pretence they haue obtayned and daily do obtayne verie many extraordinarie priuiledges in preiudice and if I might presume to say so much in disgrace of Archbishops Bishops Orders of Religion Vniuersities and the whole Catholique Church Notwithstanding the truth is that they hauing two Maisters to serue doe without comparison more homage to their Generall then to the holy Sea Ignatius Loyhola Rib. lib. 1. Chap. 3. a Spaniard verie honourably discended chaunging his condition chaunged not his nature Ribadinere reporteth that when hee was to leaue his Fathers house pretending to goe to visite the Duke of Naiare Martin Garsia his eldest brother iealous of his intention came to him priuately to his chamber and said thus vnto him Brother all things are great in you Wit Iudgement Courage Nobilitie Fauour of Princes the peoples loue Wwisedome Experience in warre besides youth and an able bodie All these promise much of you are exceeding full of expectation How then wil you now frustrate on a sodaine all these our fayre hopes will you defeat our house of those garlands whereof we in a sort assured our selues if you would but maintayne the course you haue begunne Although in yeeres I am much your auncient yet am I after you in authoritie Beware then that these high hopes which sometime we conceiued of you prooue not abortiue ending in dishonour Whereunto Ignace shortly aunswered that he was not vnmindfull of himselfe and his auncestors from whom he would not degenerat in the least degree nor obscure their memorie And beleeue mee he kept his promise For after this vnexpected chaunge of life he neuer entertained any petrie ambitions howsoeuer he altered his habit or any pilgrimage he made to Ierusalem notwithstanding Cloath an Ape in Tissue the beast may happily be more proud but neuer the lesse deformed Naturam expellas furca tamen vsque recurrer Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt Neyther the meanesse of his habit nor his pilgrimage could abate those spirits which were borne with him WheÌ„ he his six first coÌ„panions made their first vow at Mont Marter he made himselfe their head without any election of their part The which you shal finde in Maffeus who witnesseth that when by the aduise of the Phisitions he was to chaunge the ayre for the recouerie of his health after a long sicknes taking his iourny toward Spayne he left Vicegerent ouer his companions Peter Faure in whom he reposed a speciall trust Caeterum saith Maffee nequid é suo discessu res parisiensis caperet detrimenti Maff. lib. 2. cap. 1. primùm commilitones ad fideÌ„ perseuerantiam paucis adhortatus Petrum Fabrum annis vocatione antiquissimum illis praeposuit cui interim obtemperarent He had then
cast off all authoritie and preheminence ouer them as it is manifest by that which followeth For it was hee whom they promised to meete at Venice at a certaine day prefixt It was hee which afterwards assembled them at Vincintia to deliberate whether they should returne to Rome or no there to erect their new Sect it was he which vndertooke the charge as principall This was the cause that hee assuring himselfe that when they should proceed to eleclection would make choise of him for Generall of their Order prouided before hand that this office should not be annuall but for life and all with all that the Generall should haue absolute authority ouer his subiects Ergo sine controuersia deligendum videri cui omnes in terris tanquam Christo parerent Maff. lib. 2. chap. 9. cuius in verba iurarent denique cuius sibi nutum ac voluntatem instar diuini cuiusdam oraculi ducerent His ita constitutis deinceps quaesitum de huius ipsius potestate vtrum certo dierum spatio definitam an vero perpetuam esse oporteret perpetuam esse placuit omnibus After the Order was established in Rome and Ignatius chosen Generall and that vpon termes of an absolute Gouernour He who from his youth had beene in armes not in Arts began to bring in amongst them a tyrannous gouernement willing that all his Decrees and the Decrees of his successors should bee held iust and inuiolable For although they made shew to vowe like obedence to the holy Sea vnder this protestation they were authorized in Rome yet is it manifest that they do yeeld more obedience to their Generall then to the Pope I say not onely to their Generall but to all their other Superiors as their Prouincials and Rectors and especially in their vow of Mission their Generall hath more commaund ouer them then the Pope euen all as I haue more particularly discoursed speaking aswell of the vow of Mission as of the blinded or hoodwinckt obedience Therfore I conclude concluding shal not be withstood by any man which is not verie passionatly partiall that the commaund which the Pope and the Generall haue ouer the Iesuits is in all points soueraigne and absolute but without comparison more precise in the things which concerne the General Which maketh mee beleeue that if euer the holy Sea receiued a breach there is no Sect liker to make it then this of the Iesuit their General residing in Rome We exclaime againsts the Lutherans and not without cause inasmuch as they were the first in our age that troubled the peace of the Church Notwithstanding I hold not thē of more dangerous consequence then the Iesuits Some childish or young scholler will not sticke to say perhaps that in maintayning this position I am an heretique All those whom we terme in Fraunce of the pretended Religion of the Reformed or of the new haue no head ouer them If they should admit any they should contradict themselues denying the Popes primacie and yet receiuing another They liue in an Oligarchy or an Aristocracy Insomuch as he who for his knowledge or antiquity hath any preheminence ouer the other Ministers it is an inherent authoritie for time of life not transmissible from him to his Successors Besides they want outward ceremonies without the which Religion worketh not easily in the hearts of simple people He among them is held a great minister who neuer read ouer but Caluins Institutions or Peter Martyrs Common-places and some other moderne writers So as I doubt not but this Sect in time will fall of it selfe as I thinke it had beene downe ere this time if the vnhappie ambition of the Iesuits had not so factiously withstood the wise designes of our deceased King I know this is not a stile greatly to content the Ministers neyther doe I affect their fauour all my ambition is to see our Catholique Apostolique Roman Church in that dignitie and discipline wherein it flourished in the dayes of our fore-fathers For conclusion our Kings being Catholiques as they must be if they will raigne I feare not the Hugonote in Fraunce who whether he will or no shall be brought in vnder obedience well ynough But I feare the Iesuit aboue all not onely in Fraunce but in Rome because their pollicy tendeth to the establishment of a tyranny ouer all which they will recouer by little and little if they be not preuented They haue a Generall which is not annuall or for terme as those of the Friers But perpetuall as the Popes Some one will say that the like is in the chartre house I agree but they are recluse lead a solitary life in their Cloysters sequestred from trafficke and entercourse with the world Some will reply that there are diuers heads of Orders as of Clugni Premonstre and Grammond which are for terme of life I graunt it but yet they haue Statutes and Decrees inuiolable within which they are limited and confined so that they can do nothing preiuditiall to the rest of the Religious It is not so with the Iesuits for they haue nothing so certaine as the vncertaintie of their constitutions The which they can change in their Chapters without crauing ayde of the holy Sea yea and the Generall himselfe in ordinarie affayres of his owne absolute authoritie may doe his pleasure Euerie man knoweth that a perpetuall Magistrate is more absolute then a temporary In the first general congregation which was held by them in the yeere 1558. Pope Paule the fourth sent to them purposely the Cardinall Pacochus to aduertise them his pleasure was that their Generall should be chosen for certain yeers foreseeing the extraordinary greatnes which he might grow vnto by this perpetuall regency Notwithstanding ouercome with their importunities he was in a sort content yet sent he the Cardinal Taruense to signifie that he held it more cōuenient to be temporarie then perpetuall This Generall beeing thus perpetuall yet are all the dignities of his Order temporary Vnder him are the Prouincialls according to the deuision of Prouinces vnder them are the Rectors who haue particuler authoritie ouer theyr houses and Colledges and consequently ouer theyr Fathers ouer the Coaiutors spirituall and temporall ouer the schollers elected For the heads of Colledges they are principally appointed to be Superintendems of the stranger schollers These offices hold vsually for three yeeres together yet may they be cōtinued or abridged at the pleasure of the Generall he disposeth of the temporalties absolutly without any consent and exerciseth a world of prerogatiues which are not permitted to our Bishops I will deliuer you euery particuler in his place The Prouincialls are their Bishops the Rectors are their Curats as we likewise call in Languedoc Rectors those which in all other parts of Fraunce are called Curats None of these I haue named are perpetuall but at the will of their Generall No other dignitie of Christendome is comparable with that of our holy Father and yet his
sute not in euerie particuler but if it please you to consider what hath passed and is now in practise among our Iesuits you shall find they follow the same steps in Christianisme which Ismaell first trode in Mahumetisme Their prophet Ismaell is the great Ignatius who with his fabulous visions would beare the world in hand that sometimes hee spake with GOD. sometimes with Christ sometimes with our Ladie or Saint Peter And as Ismaell fetched out of Hali the pretended Brother of Mahomet a new branch of Religion taken from the old stocke So Ignatius christning him selfe with this new name of a Iesuit in sted of the name of a Christian authorized frō the Apostles buildeth vp a religion neuer auncientlie obserued by our Church Ismaell vnder this new vowe changed the auncient Turban Ignatius inducing a new Monachisme amōgst vs yet retaineth not the auncient habite of Munks Ismaell first assembled a handfull of people after raysed millions Ignatius doth the like Ismaell to make himselfe great mingled pollicie and religion together hath not Ignatius followed him Ismaell and his successours were adorned and magnified by their followers Ignatius hath been so idolatrized and the rest of his successors in the Generalship But they goe beyond him for the Generall of the Iesuits will not only be honoured by his followers but by those which are not of his sect though happily somwhat tainted with his superstitious hipocrisie Ismael made himselfe be called the Prophet of God The Generall termeth himselfe Gods Vicar In all these proceedings and practises Ismael troubled and tormoyled the Mahometical state And shall not we mistrust in Rome this same new Iesuited Sophi Whosoeuer suspecteth them not is no true and legitimate child of the holy Sea I pray you obserue a little their encreasing and their growth The Iesuits at the first beginning were content to be some threescore in number some three yeeres after they kept open house come who would and welcome which was an anticipation preiudiciall to Ordinaries and Vniuersities to Kings and their kingdomes In the end they were not content to equall themselues with Bishops in their Diocesse vsurping their iurisdiction but exacted more obedience ouer their followers then the Pope ouer vs. And although there can be no certaine iudgement giuen of future things yet I dare say it is true that in matter of State the predictions of good or ill are no lesse infallible then iudgements Mathematicall Toward the declining of the popular state in Rome there grew a ciuill warre in Fraunce betwixt two great factions the Sequanois and the Heduans which diuersly aspyred to the chiefe gouernment The Heduans confederate with the Romans demanded their ayde Iulius Caesar who from his cradle neuer brooked small attempts obtayned the command of the French aswell on this side the mountaynes as beyond for fiue yeeres Besides there were giuen him foure legions of souldiers paied by the State He as he was a man of great leading and verie valiant soone brought his affaires to such a passe that pretending to succour the Heduans he made the Gaules tributary to the people of Rome In regard whereof at the instance of his friends he obtayned great priuiledges As for one he obtayned that Pompey or his kinsman might be vndertaker generall who besides the bond of alliance might doe much in fauouring of Caesars greatnes Hee was of great place in the Towne and consequently verie much followed Wise Cato the Vticen seeing how these things were carried often tolde him verie earnestly hee would ouerthrow the state ere he were aware by teaching Caesar to play the Tyrant which he should finde when it was too late His prediction came to passe for after much ciuill warre the Empyre fell to his family I wish to God I might be a false Prophet But when I consider seriously the history of our Iesuits I am full of feare and pensiuenes Martin Luther directly opposed himselfe against the holy Sea The Iesuits cunning statesmen couer no lesse ambition vnder their long cassocks then Caesar and proffer to support the Popedome but with a proposition of new obedience as if I durst I would say that they make vp a third religion betwixt the true Catholique and the Lutheran Caesar vanquished the French these if we wil beleeue it subdued a part of the Indies with their prattle but yet vnder the fauour of the Kings of Portugall in places where he had command For as for our wandring soules I do not see they had done any great seruice in reducing them to the fold Caesar in regard of his victories obtaind of the State many extraordinarie priuiledges not before imparted to any The Iesuits in recōpense of their imaginarie conquests in vnknowne countries haue obtained many priuiledges of the holy Sea neuer hertofore graunted to them Cato cried out that the priuiledges giuen to Caesar would ouerthrow the common-wealth The great facultie of Diuines in Paris declared in the yeere 1554. that this Sect would become the vtter desolation and ruine of our Church And some diuining spirits foretold long before the tragedies they should act in Fraunce Caesar chaunged the popular State into a Tyrannie what the Iesuits will attempt against the holy Church is in the hand of God yet one thing comforteth me that this great Sea is builded vpon a surer foundation then the Romane common-wealth Only this I wil adde that euen as our Lord Iesus Christ lodged his Diuinitie in a humane body for our redemption so long as our Prelates harbour holines and integritie in their hearts all will goe well with them and vs. But when they shall fall once a brewing mingling cunning and pollicie with Religion thereby thinking to maintaine their greatnes then will they ouerthrow them selues and our whole Church CHAP. 26. ¶ That there is no credit to be giuen to the promises and protestations of Iesuits for that they haue no other faith but such as maketh for the effecting of their purposes YOu haue hetherto vnderstood the heresies Machiauelisms Anabaptismes of the Sect of Iesuits the treasons the troubles they haue brought to France whersoeuer else they haue remaind it is now time to sound retreat And yet before I do it we must haue a little skirmish with the reestablishment by them procured against the processe of the Parliament at Paris giuen rather by God his iust iudgement then by men Now in this new pursuit hee which shall obserue the time wherein they beganne to remoue and the authoritie of him whom they imploy shall find them cunning and worldly wise rather then religious I cannot tell whether in the end they wil preuaile or no For to speake truly importunitie and perseuerance their two principall vertues haue great aduantage ouer the French which are naturally without gaule when they are flattered I assure you the annals of the Iesuit Magius their Deligate giue thē leaue to vse all the faire promises that may be till they become owners of their desire