THE SERMON PREACHED AT the Crosse Feb. xiiij 1607. By W. CRASHAWE Batchelour of Diuinitie and Preacher at the TEMPLE Iustified by the Authour both against Papist and Brownist to be the truth Wherein this point is principally intended that the religion of Rome as now it stands established is still as bad as euer it was The second impression reuiewed by the Author 2 TIM 3. 13. The euill men and deceiuers shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued Imprinted at London by H. L. for Mathew Lownes and are to be solde at his shop in Paule Church yard at the signe of the Bishops head 1609. The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the present Romish religion in doctrine and in manners Proued in this Sermon not to be yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God such a head of the Church as infuseth spirituall life and heauenly grace into the body of the Church pag. 53. c. 2. The Pope hath done more then God for he deliuered a soule out of hell pag. 57. c. 3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie keeping Iustice to himselfe but committing and giuing vp his mercie to herâ— so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee at least equall to the Canonical scripture pag. 69. c. 5. The Christian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth then from Gods in the Scripture pag. 71. c. 6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit and to bee belieued because they are allowed and authorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authoritie as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better and easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosseâ— are to bee worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as wee do to Christ. pag. â—2 c. 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaieâ— yea hee did more then Christ euer did pag. 96. c. 10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences for a hundred thousand yeares and giue men a power to redeeme soules out of purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Idulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies as are hallowed by his hands pag. 107. c. The popish Church baptizeth bells pag. 115. c. 12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie tho Christ ordained the contrarie pag. 120. c. 13. The popish Church alloweth many sorts of sanctuaries for wilfull murder 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popeslaw he that hath not a wife may haue a Concubine pag. 141. c. 16. By popish doctrine it is a lesse sinne for some men to lie with another mans wife or keepe a whore then marry a wife of his owne pag. 143. c. 17. Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keepe their whores vnder a yeerly rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be contineâ—t and haue no whoores yet must pay a yeerely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150 c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend full of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in al estates of the Romish Church pag. 156. c. TO THE PRINCE his Highnesse HENRIE The Hope of greate BRITAINE MOst mighty Prince Salomon being but young knew the God of his Fathers a Chron. 28. 9. and Iosias being but 15. yeares olde set his heart to seeke the Lord b 2. Chron. 34. 1. 3. And blessed bee God who hath put into your royall heart to set them as examples before your eyes and to follow them in the best things For to be Kings euen greater then they c Nero Iulian c. hath befallen the wicked whose names now rot on earth d Pro. 10. 7. and they in hell wish they had neuer beene But to be a good godly and religious Prince few haue attained it e 1. Cor. 1. 26. c. but those that did were made happy by it Noble Prince this is the waie to bee honoured of men blessed of God and beloued of both f 1. Sam. 2. 30. In this holy path you haue so happily begun to walk that your personall practise of Religion and the religious gouernment of your honourable houshold may be a patterne to all the greate families of these kingdomes wherin if Popery and profaneness found no better couÌ„tenance nor encouragemeÌ„t then in the Princes Court it were happy for our Church and State Goe forward Princely Salomon and walke still in the waies of Dauid your kingly Father so shall our Israel be happy and blessed by you and all the world shall praise God for you for on whom are the eies of al Christendom set but vpon you your fathers house Surely the hope of the Christian world is that God hath appointed and annointed our gratious Souereigne and his royall issue to hold vp his religion in these declining daies and to giue the Whore of Babylon that foil fall from which she shall neuer rise euen that deadly blowe wherof she shall neuer recouer Now somwhat to stir vp and prouoke your heroical heart and princely spirits to a yet farther detestation of popish impietye vouchsafe hopeful Prince the reading and patronage of this discourse the scope whereof is to discouer that those would but deceiue vs who speake or write that popery is now well reformed in manners refined in doctrine and therfore they and we by a reasonable mediation might well be reconciled g A pernicious â—book was published in freÌ„ch by that vnsetled H. C. called Le Pacificê™ examen c. tending to that end it was turned into english by some papist for the truth is if any man will search it out of their owne records Popery both for doctrin and manners is at least as bad as euer it was This I affirming before an honorable audience at the Crosse the Papists gaue out it was false and I could not prooue it nor durst stand to it but that wee may say we care not what that wee are set vp to raile on them and make them and their religion odious before our people and in the Country they dispersed I was called before Authority for it and silenced and censured for railing on the Catholickes and that I was striken by Gods hand with a strange hoarcenesse after I began to raile on them and could not speake
being any shelter to the blasphemy that is deliuered in the whole passage Nor can it bee saide the booke wants authority for it is formally allowed dedicated to the Cardinall Aldobrandinâ— printed at Rome and since often elsewhere and of late both the Author and his booke highlie commended by the greatest Romish censurers So that now I will end my euidence for this point and dare put the matter to a Iurie of any conscionable men whether this wound be healed yet or no. The fourth Wound NOw to go forward from the Person and Maiesty of God let vs proceede to his Holy Scriptures and see how the Romish Church held of olde and yet holdeth and teacheth of them I will not stand vpon those vile and base speeches vttered and written of them by Eccius Pighius Hosius and many other of that generation for that they haue beene both detected and with shame inough reiected by many reuerend men of our nation both in Latine English w Whitaker Fulke lewel Reinolds and others but vpon some that often haue not bin touched by many nor euer can bee sufficiently condemned by any In the Canon Law the Pope spareth not to disgrace the holy Scriptures in expresse tearms sometimes equaling his owne Constitutions with them sometimes preferring them In the decree he shameth not to affirme that 7 The fourth wound The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall Scriptures his decretall Epistles are numbred amongst the Canonicall Scriptures x Decret dist 19. cap. 6. impudently alledgeth Saint Augustine to proue it who neuer spake nor meant any such thing as in the later end of the decree they cannot but confess with shame inough this was his doctrine in the old impressions of the Canon law a hundreth yeares agoe But some will say this wound is now healed No looke in the new impression reuiewed at the Popes commandement and printed by his authority within these few yeares and there stand the verie same wordes without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the Canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self shamelesse in the dooers in as much as in the same new edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeare after his daies To conclude let wise men obserue heer this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to amend or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their owne free-hold else why should they maintaine that blasphemy in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the body of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that many a man reades the contents of books chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonourable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing The fift Wounde THis doth but make them equall and that may be thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper more deadly namely where the authority and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Dictinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a law these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the holy Scriptures that is from Gods mouth And certainâ—y all men do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Chrstian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that See then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seeke after is what he wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is heere the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianity is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the holie Scriptures and al that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what hee wills not and according to that are they to frame themselues Is this a doctrine fit to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holie and the onely true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an heretike let who wil be the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the scriptures and to depend vpon the mouth and reuealed wil of God then woe be to that Church and religion that teacheth wee may rather depend on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alasse they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I know that is not to bee found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the later and last of all set forth by special authority from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time The sixt Wound THus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondlie that they are of greater authority then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquity will neuer be ful and therfore she goeth one steppe higher in this impiety and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnlesse hee by his authority giue them strengthâ— they are not of credit nor necessary to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their words truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpoÌ„ that decretal is in these words * Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23. de praesuÌ„ptionibus cap. 1. â—icâ—t Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentieth Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holie Scriptures are therefore of credit to be
bee much more cleane and pure then afore al manner of filthy gaines are accepted and taken how vile so euer they be and whencesoeuer they come Thus all gaine is sweete al rent welcome to the Pope tho it come froÌ„ whores so true a frend to stews and whores is the whore of Babylon But wil some say this might be so in the elder times that were of more liberty because al was quiet but now since Luther rose the Church hath bin wakened by heretikes this wound is healed No this wound is not healed as I will proue by their late and moderne writers 30 The 14. wouÌ„d not healed for the Romish religion doctrine and practise tolerate stewes still Nauarrus one of their greatest Canonists of this last age one whom the popes held worthy to bee cald to Rome for his continual aduise direction m Martinus Azpâ—l Nauar. Hisp. Iuris canonici scieÌ„tis idemque theolog insignis c. Haec Possâ—â— in apparatu sac tom 2. lit M. deals very plainly in this matter and saith that n Nau ManuaÌ„l c. 17. nu 195. It is lawful for the magistrate to permit whores and stewes to be in some conuenient part of the city And in some places he saith that patroÌ„s officers are appointed for them and houses are let rented to them deerer then to honest women And hee confeâ—â—eth that in Rome houses are daylie let out to whoors the Pope both seeing it suffring it and that of long time it hath been so And that the confessors do absolue and so haue euer done those Land-lords so disposing of their houses to whores yea thogh they haue no purpose to abstain from letting them to these vile persons See heere a peece of spanish deuotion modesty Surely no maruell though this man were sent for from Spain to Rome for it seemes by this doctrin he was for the Popes tooth much more for his Cardinalls Alphonsus Viualdus another learned Spaniarde wrote a booke of matters of conscience not long agoe of so greate account amongst them that they call it the golden Candlesticke It hath been often printed and within these 7. yeares was by the popes speciall commission purged and reprinted hee writes thus o Martinus Alphonsus Vivaldus the olâ— Iuris canon professor poenitentiarius maior c. In Candelabro aureo tit de Confessione numero 60. First he makes a question whether in the yeerly excommunication pronouÌ„ced by the Bishop against theÌ„ that do not confess communicate whores in the stewes be comprehended or no and hee resolueth that they be not tho they neither confesse nor do communicate and giues his reasons 1. For that whores in the Romish Church be neuer published nor denounced excommunicate 2. No man refuseth their companie notwithstanding that yeerely excommunication and concludeth further that though one continue a whore for twentie yeeres long yet doth shee not incurre the Censâ—ures of the Romish Church Oh excellent doctrine and fit for the Romish Church but al this wil some say is salued by this that followeth Nay coÌ„trariwise say I the wound is made worse by the craft of that that followeth obserue the subtilty and iniquity of Romish teachers for this is done saith hee in detestation of their ill life the Church doth so detest their manner of life that shee will not thinke them worthy of her censures oh notable shift are they too bad to be punished and not too bad to be suffered doth the Romish Clergy think them so vile that way yet allow them see the iniquity filthines of this religion Thus its apparant by the great Confessor Viualdus that the Romish Church excommunicats not common whoores nor them that go to them another as greate a Clark as himselfe saith it is the common opinion p lac de Graffijs tom 1. lib 1 cap 9. art 8. 9. But yet to shew better that this wound is not healed harke a little what the grand penitentiary Iacobus de Graffijs saith q Iacobus de Graffiis decisaur cas cons. tom 1. lib. 2. cap. 75. art 3. et 4. pag 348. But if fornication be a sinne then why doth the Church her â—elfe permit stewes consequently fornication which is a mortall sinne I answer saith he that the Church sometime tolerateth a lesse euill present that she may auoide a greater euil to come that is probable to fall out and this hee proues out of the Canon law and so concludes that the Church doth tolerate stewes and whores to auoide greater sinnes not approuing the sinne of fornication but by conniuence or dissimulation tolerates it that so shee may restraine and keepe yoong men from adulteries incests and other crimes of that kind then he goeth further to proue his conclusion which he doth out of the practise of heathen lawgiuers by the ciuile law would proue it out of the Fathers and then to make vp the measure of his iniquitie he addeth that the law doth so far foorth tolerate fornications in stewes that it takes order to compell the whoores to refuse no man if he offer her her pay the words are too bad to be repeated in english And to shew that he is a true child of that Babylon that wil neuer be healed that hee is as gracelesse in this point as his mother afterward in his 2. tome which he put out in his more mature yeeres he hath againe the same doctrine in as ill or worse words r Idem Graffius ibid. tom 2. li. 3. c. 28. art 36. And to conclude the better to encourage women to be whores and the better to please their carnall wicked mindes Cardinall Tollet a Iesuite out of his Iesuitical modesty and his Cardinallike respect to the stewes deliuers this doctrine s FraÌ„ Tolletus Ies. Cardinall Instructio sacerdotum lib. 5. cap. 17. art 3 That Whores taking money of men for their sin be they maried or vnmaried tho it be neuer somuch aboue their due are not bound to restore any of it againe if it be once giuen them and giues a reason for it because saith hee this action is not against iustice c. Certainly the stewes are much beholden to Cardinal Tollet for this doctrine but what Iustice modesty and the Church and the truth and God himselfe do owe him for it hee feeles afore this time except he repented t Obijt Tolletus Romae 1596 Thus it is the present doctrin of the Romish Church that she alloweth stewes by publick toleration to auoide greater euills and censureth not the whores for it nay ties them by a lawe to refuse no man and tyes men by a law to pay the hire and for this ende allowes them Courts Iudges and Officers and takes part of the benefit arising Now that their practice is according to this doctrine I appeale to all that haue trauelled in those parts where poperie reigneth as
bring Images into the Churches But to make vp the measure of this iniquity Feuardent the famous Franciscan â—rier yet preaching at Paris and to whome Possevine wisheth a long life goeth one step further and to heale vp this wound perfectly teacheth this doctrine By sight and contemplation of Images the common and ignorant Laie men doe easily and in a short time learne those diuine mysteries miracles and workes which out of the holy books they shall verie hardly or not at all bee able to perceiue* Strange and fearefull doctrine of poperie Images are better and easier bookes for the laye people then be the scriptures Heere now is Popery growen to his ful ripenesse And marke the degrees how this wound hath beene made still deeper and wider First they taught the Scripture and Images together were good bookes for Lay men t Peraldus Then that Images without the scripture were to be accounted bookes for Lay men u Laelius Zecchius Now at last Images are readier and easier therefore better books for Layemen then be the scriptures x Feuardeâ—tius So then seeing this wound is so well healed let vs leaue it and search another The eightth wound IN former ages as superstition grew and religion decayed so Images began to be worshipped more more ceased not til at the last they came to this that euery Image was to bee worshipped with the same worship that was due to him whose Image it isâ— so that some three hundred yeares agoe or somwhat more it seemed by Aquinas to be their generall and receiued doctrine that 15 The eight wound That an Image of God or a Crucifix are to be worshipped as God and Christ that is with diuine worship An Image of Christ and the crosse wheron Christ died and a Crucifixe are all to bee worshipped with the same worship due to God and Christ Iesus that is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y Aquinas Summa par 3 quaest 25. arâ— 3 A fearefull doctrine maintaining horrible Idolatry for nothing but GOD may bee worshipped with diuine worshippe but they teach that those creatures may bee worshipped as God himselfe is that is with diuine worshippe therefore they make those creatures God and by this argument it is apparant that the present religion of the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous religion as long as this doctrine stands vnrepealed Let vs then see if this bee healed 16 The eight wound not healed but made vvider and deeper and deadlier euery day But alas it is so farre from being in any part reformeâ—â— that it is rather the generall and common receiued doctrine of al their approoued writers I wil not stand as I could to shew it successiuely through all ages since the daies of Aquinas til these times but spâ—ring that labour till better leasure I will referre the Reader to most of the elder Authors and insist onely on some fewe and those of the latest it beeing my speciall purpose at this time to shew that the Romish Babylon is euen now not healed of her deadliest wounds Which in this particular I will labour a little the more fully to demonstrate out of the moderne authors now extant and approued because this imputation is generally cast off with this answere It is not so it is but an ignorant or malitious â—lander for the Romish Church giues onely a certaine reuerence to holy Images but doth not worship them at all at least with no diuine worship And some of our owne profession are either so ignorant they know it not or so malitious they will not confesse it or else so hollow harted to vs and such secret friends to them they would not haue it discouered though it be so for my partâ— I pitie the Ignorant knowing my own weakenesse I care not for the malitious and I hate the hollownesse of all dissembling professors And therefore let others couer and conceale her shame and hide the Whore of Babilons filthineâ— as they wil I say for my selfe Let the tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I spare to discouer her skirts and lay open her filthinesse to the world that all men seeing her as she is may detest and forsake her Therfore in the words of truth and sobernesse I do heere offer to this honorable audâ—ence that I will willingly come to this place and recant it with shame if I proue not apparantly to the iudgement of euery reasonable man that this is the common and generall doctrine of the greatest number of their best approued authors that haue written in these latter daies namely That an image of God or a Crucifiâ—ce especiallie one made of the wood whereon Christ died or that Crosse it selfe are to bee worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with the worshippe due vnto God And first of all I will in this case spare Bellarmine a Vide Bellarminum to 2. lib. de Imag. sanctorum 2. capâ— 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. de Concil lib. 2. cap. 8. seeing hee as hauing some grace in him seemes somewhat ashamed of the matter and therfore playeth fast and loose and betwixt God and his conscience on the one side and the Pope and his allegeance to him on the other hee cannot tell what to say and therefore winding himselfe into a labyrinth of general and confused distinctions of per se per accidenâ— primariò secundariò propriè impropriè and such other which may serue for all purposes at last hee leaues the matter as doubtfull as he findes it yet must it bee confessed if he incline either way it is to the worse which by conference of his other writings I think he doth rather for feare or to please the Pope then out of his owne iudgement and conscience Therefore leauing him I begin with Gregorie de Valentia a Iesuite a Professor of diuinitie as Bellarmine is of his owne sect of his owne time and accounted by some papists more learned but approoued of all he writeth thus b Gregor de valent â—om 4. disp 1. quaest 24. punct 2. pag. 467. It is certaine that Images are to bee worshipped so as properly the worship shall râ—st in them not for themselues nor for the matter nor formes sake but for his sake they resemble in this seÌ„se they are to be worshipped so as they bee whome they resemble and therfore the Image of Christ as man is to be worshipped with the same worship due to Christ himselfe Hee cannot denie but manie learned of his own â—ide teach the contrary but hee reprooâ—es them all and embraceth this as the commoner and truer opinion and confirmes it and concludes it for truth Next to him I produce another Iesuite Gretserus of the same vniuersity and either successor or fellow to Gregory de Valentia in the same place and profession he who was chosen for the papists Champion in the famous disputation holden at Regensperg 1600 whome
1. That by Pâ—pish religion the Crosse is a God This I collect thus Latria saith Augustine is that worship of religion which is due onely and â—olelie to God himselfe and popery it selfe confesseth with one consent that prayer is a part of latria But popish religion prayeth to a wodden crosse euen to the crosse it selfe therefore by popist religion the wodden Crosse is a God 2. That the Crosse is made a God not by the doctrine and iudgement of their priuate Doctors but of their Church and religion This I collect thus Their Missalls and Breuiaries which containe their Liturgy are confirmed both by the Pope and the Councell of Trent a Vide Missâ—lia Breuiaria omnia ab anno 70 deinceps but the Popes determination especially together with a Councell is the publicke and vncontroleable act of their Church b None acknowledging himselfe a papist can denie this Therefore the doctrine and practice in their Liturgie is not priuate or such as may be questioned or doubted of but publicke and general and may not bee called in question But in their late and reformed Breuiary allowed and confirmed by the Pope and Councell they pray to the Cross and call vppon the Crosse as wee heard before and their owne doctors doe expound it that it is not to Christ but to the Crosse c Aquinas of old and Chrysostomus a visitatione of late Therefore by the doctrine and religion of the Church of Rome the Crosse is a God Bellarmine would gladly heale this wound or at lest couer it ouer and saith d Bellar in tom 2. de Imag sanctoruÌ„ lib. 2. c. 24. in reâ—p ad argum that whereas the Church praieth so surely either the crosse is taken for Christ or else it is but a figure as Moses saith Hear O Heauens Deutro 32. No no say the Romish Doctors that wrote since Bellarmine there is no such matter that praier is to the Crosse it selfe And his brother e Ga. Vazq les de cultu adorationis li 2â— disp 3. cap. 4. Iesuit Gabriel Vazquez beeing also much ashamed of the matter would gladly help it and to that ende is constrained to confesse that there is not as Bellarmine sayth one alone but two figures in that praier which saith he vnlesse they bee admitted it is an vnapt absurd prayer for it speakes vnto the Crosse as vnto our God and Sauiour He therfore for his part saith hee should thinke that by the crosse they meane Christ and pray to him not to the Crosse and further saith that many others thinke so but hee names not one tho in other points hee is a plentifull citer of other authors but against him or who-euer else thinke so beeing papists I produce the Cistercian Doctor Chrysostome a visitatione who writing sinec them al f For Vâ—zquez wrote since Bellarmine namely about the yeare 92. but this Chrysostome wrote sinec Vâ—zquez some seauen yeares agoe and whose book is of more authority then his g For Vazquez is dedicated but to a spanish ordinarie Bishop but Chrysostome to the Pope himselfe answereth all these doubts preuents all other obiections saying plainely that in that prayer of the Church We speake to the Crosse it selfe we call vpon and praie to the crosse it selfe And no more nor no worse saith hee then Aquinas himselfe totidem verbis spake before him h Aquinas summa par 3. q. 25. art 4. Therefore to conclude til this doctrine of Aquinas be condemned for heresie and til this fellow that cals him selfe golden mouth be adiudged as he is a leaden mouthed and blacke-mouthed blasphemer and his booke burnt as heretical and till the Romish Church haue satisfied the world for this great wrong til then I say it is apparant to al men that in this wound She is not healed This wound hath beene deepe and wide and therfore long in searching and seeing it is found incureable let vs vs proceed The ninth wound NOt many hundred yeares ago liued a Frier they called S. Francis and ignorant man for learning but wittie and the more for that his wit was shrowded vnder the shadow of great simplicity hee beeing the founder of the Franciscans the Pope hath suffred his fauourites and followers to set him vp as another Christ 17 The ninth wound An Italian Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and in some things did more then he and bare S. wounds in his body as Christ did and blasphemously to compare him and oftentimes to preferre him before Christ himselfe And to this end among many other vile ones i Vide monumeÌ„ta ordinis fratruÌ„ Min. SalamaÌ„cae 1511. in 4. Et firmamenta trium ordinum D. FraÌ„cisci Paris 1512. 4. mult al. he suffred to be published a great volume called The golden booke of the Conformities of the holy father S. Francis with the life of our Sauiour Iesus Christ k Liber aureus inscriptus liber conformitatum vitae beaâ—i ac seraphici patris FraÌ„cisci ad vitam Iesu Christi Domini nostri correctus illustratus aleremiah Bucchio ord Min. doctore theol Bononiae 1590. In which booke with strange impiety first they paint in the first leafe Christ bearing a Crosse and Saint Francis following him with one as bigge as his where Christ hath nothing but precedence but after thinking that too much they paint one Crosse and vpon it one of Christs armes and another of S. Francisces one a-crosse ouer the other then begins the booke In the name of Iesus Christ and of S. Francis where Iesus Christ is called our Lord and S. Francis our blessed Father and the Authour saith not that he compiles the booke to the honour of God or Christ but of the foresayd holy father S. Francis Then he salutes Saint Francis with a prayer m fit for none but God himselfe First blasphemously calling him typicall Iesus then desiring him to cure the sinnes and driue away the spirituall maladyes of their soules and to giue vnto them place in the glory of heauen Then he comes to the point of Conformitie and to shew this the better hee paints a tree at the toppe whereof is Christ and at the roote Saint Francis the tree hath twenty branches on the right and twentie on the left side and euery branch hath foure particular fruits in all eighty these are equally diuided betwixt Christ and S. Francis 40 to the one and 40. to the other each couple or pair of these is one point of conformitie betwixt Christ and S. Francis consisting in all vpon 40. particulars wherein they begin at the birth conception nay at the very prophecies promises made of Christ so proceed to his life his death resurrection and alcension and in all and euerie of these and euery thing else whatsoeuer may be saide of Christ the very same doe they not shame to affirme of that man Francis For example thus Christ was
c. shall say ouer the Rosarie being confessed or hauing a purpose to confesse once a month shall for euery time hee doth so obtaine v. yeares of pardon 2. But if hee doe euery day after examination of his Conscience say three Pater nosters and three Aue Maries c. shall haue ten yeeres 3. But if hee vse euerie daie to saie ouer the Psalter of our Lady shall for euerie Saturday weekelie obtaine a hundred yeeres 4. Hee that shal thrice in a weeke say ouer the Rosary of our Lady and confesse and communicate and pray shall obtaine a plenarie that is a ful remission of all all sins 5. And whosoeuer in the houre and point of death shall but say in his heart when hee cannot speake with his tongue the name Iesus shall haue a plenarie and full forgiuenes of all his sins prouided that he haue one of these blessed holy Beads Medals Crucifixes or Pictures * All these Indulgences may bee procured and obtained by hauing either about a man or lying before him one or more of these holy Medalles Crosses Beades or Images and obseruing what is afore appointed and his Holinesses will is that they shall be of force to all kinde of men and in euery place Printed at Rome by the Printer of his Holinesses priuie Chamber Paulus Bladus 1592. Lo here how Babylon is healed If a man at the point of death canne in his minde but thinke of Iesus hee shall haue full forgiuenesse of all his sinnes if hee haue one of these holy Crosses or Beades about him And is this the Diuinitie of the Romish Church is this procured by a Cardinall graunted by the Pope then answere mee but one worde Shall the thinking or naming of Iesus without true faith and repentance saue him tho hee haue a hundreth of these holie Graines about him or if he doo truely repent and beleeue in CHRIST though he haue not one of these shall hee not bee saued If those both be true as who dare denie them then phie vpon these Impostors and deceiuers who by these their Atheisticall mockeries expose religion to all contempt and these thinges beeing so common notorious no maruell tho Italie where these are riâ—est be so full of Atheists Concerning France Of late yeeres Peroun the French Cardinall hauing made a costly Iorney to Rome comming home procured of the Pope for the bearing of his charges to bee the bearer of certaine hallowed holy matters consecrated and blessed by the Pope in such a fashion as if that were true the Pope saith he were more then madde that would not as the wise Merchant sell all he hath to buie one of them d Indulgences graunted by the Holinesse of our most Holy Father Pope Clement the eight Vnto Holy Beades Rosaries Crosses Crucifixes Medals and Images being hallowed and blessed by his owne holie hands At the Instance of the Reuerende Father and Lord Iames Dauie Bishop of Eureux Counsellor to the King in his Councell of Estate and also of his priuate Counsell and principall Almoner to his Maiestie 1. 1. A hundreth yeares of pardon at an easie rate * Whosoeuer hauing one of these beades c. shall do any worke of mercy corporall or spiritual or heare a Masse or a Sermon or shall but doe reuerence to the Sacrament or to a Crosse or to a holy Image shall obtaine a hundreth yeares of pardon See what a bountiful father the Pope is Who would offer lesse for a hundreth yeares surelie hee that wil not do thus much he is worthy to lye and fry in purgatorie 2. Whosoeuer shall confesse communicate or being a Priest shall besides his masse say deuoutely one Pater noster or one Aue Mary for the Catholick Church or for the holy Father or for the King of France or for the peace of France or for the conuersion of Heretikes or other sinners shal haue for euery time he doth this a plenarie indulgence and remission of al his sins so as he haue about him one of these holy beades grains or Crucifixes And what if one want all these trumperies shal he not haue forgiuenesse if he do truly beleeue and repent Oh when wil Babylon be ashamed of such abhomination 3. Whosoeuer shall kisse one of these beads c. with deuotion shal haue for euery time he doth so ten yeares of pardon 4. Whosoeuer hath one of them about him and praieth for the successe of the Catholick Romish religion or for the K. of France shall be so oft as he doth so partaker of al the Sacrifices Prayers Fasts and other good workes done in any Abby as well as if he were a particular member of the same society 5. Hee that hath one of these about him if hee bee in danger of death or in the battel or in any place where he cannot go to confession and shall with contritioÌ„ but repeate these words Lord Iesus receiue my spirit or name the holy name Iesus shal haue forgiuenesse of all his sinnes and be discharged both à poena à culpa * His holinesse graunts that these indulgences shall be good for all men and in all places but conditionally that those that be not French-men shal pray for the King and Realme of France Except alwaies the holie Beades for those are limited to belong onely to France and to bee good to none but onely French men Imprinted at Rome with licence c. I haue named some but not all look for the rest in the book but in them all let it be obserued that there is not the least mention of faith in Christ nor once so much as the name of it nor any relation to Christ nor his holy merits No these are well if they may be vnderstood and yet these men if they be not Atheists doe knowe that all these their large promises are but winde and their Indulgences but fome and froth if there be not liuely faith and true repentance and if these bee in a man then let vs see that Pope Cardinall or other Papist who dare say that hee shal not haue full remission that neuer saw nor touched one of their blessed beades nor hallowed Graines Thus we see how farre Babylon is from being healed in this point The twelfth and last wound concerning the first Table shal be coÌ„cerning the Sacraments both which are horribly peruerted profaned by Romish doctrine and practice The twelfth wound FIrst 23 The 13. wound The popish Church baptizeth Belles Baptisme is profanely applied not to reasonable creatures onelie men and women according to the Institution e Mat. 28. 19. but euen to an vnreasonable dead creature For example they vse to baptize bels in most points so as Christians do children in som points with much more ceremony and solemnity Bellarmin is ashamed of it would willingly hide and couer it tho he cannot cure it but if hee were not a Cardinal a Iesuite he would be
that business a type of Baptisme a 1. Pet. 3. 20. 21 and b Gal. 4 24. c Paul of Sarah and Agar saith by them another thing is meant and no lesse saith S. Iohn of Babylon as we shall see hereafter Touching the olde and literall Babylon all these points haue bene long agoe verified vpon her since the Prophet vttred them The Church of the old Testament would haue cured her But she 2 could not be healed therfore she 3 for sooke her God 4 hath destroyed her And touching the mysticall Babylon the kingdome of Sathan and Anti-christ partly they are and partly shall bee made good vppon her The Church of the new Testament 1 would haue healed her But 2 shee is found incurable therefore when Christendome 3 forsakes her God 4 will destroy her The two first are already performed the third is a-doing and the fourth is sure to be fulfilled in Gods good time Of all these in their order Of the olde and literall BABYLON Touching the olde and literall Babylon the first point is the Churches loue and care of her good in these words The first Point Wee would haue cured Babylon COncerning which point all the rest we will not pursue the particular historicall matters considering that the history of Babylons carying Israel captiue of their vsage in their captiuity of their forsaking Babylon returning home againe lastly of Gods iust vengeance and destruction of Babylon are so notoriously knowen Therefore we will passe by the story and stand rather vpon matter of doctrine First therfore let vs obserue this generall doctrine namely that a good man loues his very enemies and not desireth onely but euen seeketh their good this did the Church of Israel to their enemies persecutors For these Babylonians had done the greatest hurt to the Church and kingdome of Israel that euer one nation did to another for first they inuaded their land vniustly then they besieged tooke Ierusalem the â—eaâ—e of the kingdome tooke and slew their kings ouerthrew their Kingdom ruinated their state burnt their Temple defaced their Religion killed whom they would caried captiue whom they would and so left their land a heape of desolation a Read for this purpose the last chapt of this prophecy together with the ends of the books oâ— kings Chronicles And yet worse then all this being their Captiues at Babylon there they mockt them in their misery and scoft at their Religion Come say they you that are these singers and haue had your Kings to be singers b 2. Sam. 23. 1. Dauid c. you that are these great Psalme-men and haue had your Kings such base fooles as some of them to bee Prophets some Preachers c Salomon Ec. 1. 1. 2. â—2 some song-makers d Dauid Salomon Hezekia c. Come make vs mery with one of your Psalmes let vs haue part of your Hebrewe musicke Sing vs one of your songes of Syon e Psal. 137. 3. Psalme 137. The least of these wrongs is heauie to be borne but all put together and especially for a Christian after all these miseries to be mockt for his religion and to see his God dishonored oh how bitter is it to the spirit of a man Yet after all this what do Gods people not only pardon it and put it vp but further doe both wish and seeke their good We would haue healed Babell Thus to doe is a marke of Gods childe and a signe of a true Church For to doe euill for euill and good for good is no more then nature euen the publicans saith Christ doe so much a Mat. 5. 46. to recompence euill for good is worse then nature it is malice peruerse corruption and therefore saith Salomon Hee that doeth so euill shall neuer depart from his house b Prou. 17. 13. But to doe good against euill that is aboue nature it is grace and a good euidence of Gods spirit thus doing saith Christ you are the children of your heauenly father c Mat. 5. 44. 45 Hereupon for the vse of this doctrine we may see a comfortable euidence that our Church is the true Church of God seeing that wee pray daily for the Church of Rome which curseth vs and it is very obseruable that whereas the Pope with all solemnity excommunicates curseth vs all to hell on the euening before good-Fryday d See the Popes bull set downe at large iâ— the first impression we for recompence the next day morning in euery Church chappel of this kingdom many places more pray for the coÌ„uersion saluation of him all his sect e See one of the prayers appointed by publike authoritie in the common prayer booke for good-Fryday and so by Gods prouidence it falleth out that our publike prayer for theÌ„ is the same or the next day when they haue publikely cursed vs and this is the facte of our whole Church in the publike liturgy appointed of old and stil confirmed by authority Therfore if Christs argument be good that priuate men blessing their cursers are the children of God then sure this is not ill the Church that blesseth her cursers is the Church of God Let them therfore still go on in cursing if they needs wil but let theÌ„ take heed least as they loue cursing so it come vnto theÌ„ as they cloth themselues with cursing like a garment so it come into their bowels like water like oyle into their bones a Psal. 109. 17. 18. we contrariwise let vs not be weary of well doing let vs follow that blessed Peter whom they pretend to follow but doe not vnlesse it be in denying Christ whose blessed counsell is Render not euill for their euil nor curse for their curse but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are therunto called that we should be heires of blessing b 1. Pet 3. 9. thus doing we haue Peters owne testimony against theÌ„ that we are a Church of blessing a blessed Church and the Father of blessings blesse it more and more and all that seeke the peace of it Amen Thus we see generally they wished her well But what is the particular good they wished her namely her healing and conuersion We would haue healed herâ— here many things might be pressed I will but point at them 1. That it is the property of a holy man to wish aboue alâ— things the spirituall good of them with whoÌ„ he liues the wicked man seekes the spirituall hurt of men the naturall man the carnall good but the holy man their spiritual eternal good Worldly matters haue their time place in his thoughts but that that takes vp possesseth his desires is the spirituall good of them he loues namely their conuersion their repentance their saluation these things be worthy their prayers pains Herein Gods children are like to God their Father who wishing good to his peo-people crieth out Oh that
conscience that he hath done al he can possibly for our healing til which time no man may forsake another especially no christian forsake another and least of all a priuate man forsake a Church Fourthly and lastly if they will needes leaue our Church whither will they goe To leaue one thing for another no better is seely but for a worse is folly and madnes But they will say they leaue vs to take the better then shew me a better religion and a better Church then the Protestant Churches of Europe are and the religion amongst them You will not go to the Lutheranes for they you say are worse then we much lesse to the Papists for they apparantly are worst of all whither then wil you go to the Church of the Lowe-countries but they are of our confession wil you go to the Churches of France but they are of our confession will you goe to the Church of Geneua or the free Cities of the Empire but they are of our religion will you goe to the Church of Scotland to the Cantons of Switzerland to the States Princes of Germany but they are all of our confession and so professe themselues to bee q See the harmony of confessions Looke ouer all Christendom and you shall not finde a Church that condemneth ours nor any that is not of our religion nor any one but that professeth it self to be of the same confession with vs and not to differ from vs in any substantiall or fundamentall point Whither then will you go or what remaines for you to goe vnto but vnto your corners conuenticles where you are your owne caruers your owne Iudges your owne approuers but haue not one Church in Christendome to approue you So that then it remains it must either be graunted you that you are better then all others and that notwithstanding the Gospell preached thus long since the reuealing of Anti-christ there is not one true Church in the world but your selues or els you must grant that ther is no better Church for you to go vnto if you forsake vs. Therefore play the wise mens part forsake not our church til you can shew a better And tel vs not of France Scotland Geneua Zurick Basil c. for they be all ours and not yours they wil do all approue vs as a glorious Church and condemn you as factious and sohismatical And seeing you can finde none better all things considered haue none to fly to but your selues who are the parties now in question therfore no fit Iudges of the matter looke well about you and if vnaduized zeale haue caused this bitter separation then by your returne make vp that breach againe which by your reuolt you made in our Church Returne againe into the bosome of the Church aske pardon of that your Mother who brought you forth children of light Come ioyne with vs against the Papist the common enemy who by our diuision hath gotten ground vpon vs all Remember Peters answere when Christ asked the Apostles after so many fell from him what saith hee Will you also goe awaie Alas Master sayth Peter Whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life r Iohn 6. 61 So will you say if true humility and sauing grace possess you when your deere mother in whose wombe you were conceiued and with whose brests you haue bin fed shall ask you after so many reuolters to popery what Will you also goe away Alas whither should we goe from thee thou hast the words and thou hast the Sacraments of eternall life Yea malice it selfe cannot denie but wee haue them and he who gaue them vs grant we may long enioy them Amen And as for you my brethren Brethren I call you because I am sure we had both one mother look well about you and consider of the bitter effectes like to follow vpon this your separation remember that they will all lie heauy vpon you And do not say you are driuen out for if it be the Church if the words of eternal life be here nothing in the world ought to driue you from it Nay your separation was wilfull therefore let your return be voluntarie and til then esteem as basely and censure as sharpely of vs as you list but knowe that for this diuision of Ruben are great thoughts of heart s Iudg. 5. 15. The second sort of men whose practice is reprooued by this doctrine be such as refuse publicke places in the Church and common-wealth and retire themselues into priuate and discontented courses and will not bee employed for the publicke because they pretend the dayes are euil and many sores in our body incurable vnlesse there be other order taken for their healing To these men I would say but two words 1. Are the dayes euill the more need haue they to be amended by each ones helping hand And if wee have any wounds in Church or state more cause hath each one that loues the peace health of Ierusalem to indeuour the present healing therof least they fester and growe worse But secondly are the times euil Nay are they not made euill by thee at least are they not the worse for thee and thy sinnes Who can shew his face and say I haue committed no sins that may be in part a cause to bring downe the spirituall and corporall plagues that are amongst vs Then what are they that are so busie to complaine of the times and so slacke to complain of their sins But it is a trick of hypocrisie to be so eagle eied in prying into the illnesse of the times so blind and dull in considering his owne sinnes the cause of all that ill Thou contrariwise out of a holy and humbled heart confess that seeing thy sins haue made the times worse then els they would haue been therefore thou hast cause to endeuour for thy part to make them better Then set thy shoulder to the burthen and put thy neck to the yoke remembring that euen Babel it selfe is not to be forsaken till it be altogether incurable past al hope But being incurable as here the text saith shee is therfore saith the church Let vs forsake her And now Babell beeing forsaken of the Church what remains to be expected nothing but vēgeance and destruction For her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen c. The 4. point IN these words is laid down the last point namely what becomes of Babel when being incurable she is forsakē by the Church she is made ready for iudgement and destruction Here we may learne amongst many others two most worthy doctrines First what the wicked get by persecuting and banishing and seeking to root out Gods children surely euen nothing but the hastening of their owne destructiō The Babylonians cared not for the Israelites company but as soone as they were gone destruction came vpon Babel Whilst they stay the wicked are spared but when they are gone vengeance breakes
beleeued because they are allowed and authorised by the Pope being so by him authorised they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had beene the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessity of beeing beleeued or it bindeth as strongly as if it had been pronounced or vttered by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestow or impart our authority The high holy God that is the Author of the holie Scriptures be mercifull vnto vs in hauing any thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not any way communicate with their sins noâ— haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impiety and Atheisme that lyeth in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but being that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the trueth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men think when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Vicar and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authority as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approue and iustifie himselfe and all his wordes and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament do therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them What I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their profession a plain Atheist that holds the Scripture all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour and serueth his turnes And if any of his faction hold this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Author of the olde Testament or no 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men spake as they were inspired of the holie Ghost If he be then the Prouerbs of Salomon being a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of the Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is Obserue that the words of the Text are not the words of the Pope A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that gods word if it bee authorized by the Pope is theÌ„ of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to Canonize it then it is notâ— So that either Gods word must bâ—e beholden to the Pope for the authority of it or else it hath none but of God but because these words of God are heer canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit worthy to be beleeued as well as if they had ben spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinity fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mintâ— Let the words be examined and see what can follow of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to bee Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheism or else if he hold them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authority to binde mens conscience till the Pope do canonize them and that Gods word in a booke knowne receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authority in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe If he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretallsâ— as containing Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward Is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it be with open confession and detestation of the fault it is wel But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in al other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authority and allowance condeÌ„ned or reproued this Atheisme if they know any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the waie home to Christ printed at â—oÌ„don in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinall Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is said to haue affirmed that The written word of God is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicum And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euidence of Scripture boldly answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quils do not tie vs e Noâ— penâ—is illis â—nâ—eri â—is minime suâ—â—â—â— alligati I will not affirme both these two vpon mine owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disprooued them But that that followeth I speake vpon knowledge A little after a great English Papist pretending to summon a parliament for poperie in his booke so called tells a story of one whome hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diâ—â—â—â—ty in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1â—66â— in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnesse that this hee heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a protestant no a papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauity of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure he giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a litle after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a booke that papists holde to be Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee answered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it She would no more beleeue the Scripture for it
and the edification of Christian people that it is approued and allowed by the greate M r. of his palace to whom belongs the soueraigne and highest authoritie to censure all sort of bookes And last of al Iacobus de Graffiis the great Casuist and Grand Poenitentiarie within these 7. yeares hath determined this question affirming that the murderer may not bee taken out of the Church no not tho hee broke prison and fled thither vnlesse it were murder ioyned with treacherie and treason b Iacobus de Graffijs decis aur cas cons. to 1. cap. 48. libri secūdi art 5. 6◠7. Thus we see how Babylon is healed in this wound And heereby it is apparant to all that wil see that she is a bloudy Babylon and as in many other respects for her crueltie so this waie also for this doctrine and practice she is a bloudy sinagogue and no maruel tho the holy Ghost say that in her is found the bloud not only of the Prophets Saints but of al that wer slain vpon the earth d Reuel 18. 24 For as she hath made her selfe the principall agent in shedding the bloud of Saints and Martyrs so hath she made her selfe accessary by this her doctrine and practise to all the murthers bludshed vpon the earth for to maintain so many refuges and defences for a sinne is to maintain the sin it selfe Therefore leauing this bloudy Church weltring and wallowing and bathing her selfe in bloud let vs proceed to that remaines The fourteenth Wound TOuching the honorable estate of marriage and the dishonor of it which is adultery fornicatiō it is lamentable to see what is the doctrine practice of the Romish Church For first they giue a publick and open toleration of the stewes wherein whoredome is practiced as dayly and commonly as other ciuile and lawfull actions 29 The 14. wound Romish Reliligiō permits stewes publickelie nay their rent is rated and duely paide a part of it to the Pope or as hee shal appoint it Thus complaines and cries out Agrippa a man of no meane place nor ordinary vnderstanding among themselues e Cornel. Agrippa de vanitate scient cap. 64. The Corinthians saith he and Cyprians and Babylonians other heathen Graecians did increase their reuenue by the gain of the stewes which in Italie also is at this day no rare nor vnusual matter for the whores of Rome do paie weekelie to the pope a Iulio a piece about sixe pence sterling the whole reuenue whereof in the yeare doth often exceed the summe of twenty thousand Duckets c. Alas will some say the pope cannot hinder this therefore seeing he cannot helpe he hath vsed such was the wisedome of elder ages to make the best vse he can of an ill matter But I answere first the holy Ghost commands vs to haue nothing to doe with an ill matter but keepe vs farre from it f Exod. 23. 7. Ephes 5. 11. though we cannot hinder it Again if the pope could not hinder it yet he can refuse to haue any gaine from it and so hee would but that he thinkes it sweete but if he were of Dauids religion who would not drinke that drinke that cost men the venture of their liues g 2. Sam. 23. 14. surely hee would not take that gain that costs men and women their soules But I answere further He could and might hinder it and will not If he himselfe and his fauorites speak trueth he wants no power for nothing that hee will doe therefore for reforming the stewes it is cleere he wants wil but no power Hee whose power stretcheth through purgatorie reacheth euen to hel doth it not reache to Rome his owne seate Can hee empty purgatory and not the stewes can he command the diuels not whores can he dispose of kingdoms and depose kings when he seeth cause and cannot he or seeth hee no cause to depose the stewes Against Gods truth and vs the professors of it whom he calls heretikes he wants no will and therefore hee wants no power Let him punish whoredome as hee doth that that he calls heresie tho it be the trueth let it be as vnlawful in Rome to keepe or frequent stewes as to haue a Protestant Church and then we should soone see as fewe and fewer whores in Rome then there be good Protestants But whoredome is none of the vnderminers of his State nor enemies of his Crown as our religion is therfore our religion must downe when stewes must stand But some wil further obiect If this haue bin so it is the fault or corruption of his officers and not to be imputed to his Holines But I answer the pope vseth not to be so negligent of his estate as not to looke at a reueneue of 20000. duckets a yeere And to take away al cause of this cauill to make it more apparant that the pope is the head of the whore of Babylon Pope Sixtus 4. scarce 120◠yeares agoe Ad perpetuamrei memoriam to his euerlasting honour built a stewes in Rome of his owne erection foundation so saith the same Agrippa h Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 64. Licurgus Solon heathe◠law-giuers erected publick stews but that is no maruel for of late yeers pope Sixtus the fourth builded a goodlie stewes Rome Lo heer the Popes Holines the founder of a Colledge of diuels a stewes for whores surely because he scorned ordinary company he built that for himselfe his Princes his peers the Cardinals who if their owne brethren say true make it nothing dainty to be conuersant with courtizans Thus we see it confessed and proued by a learned papist that a 100. yeeres ago stewes were maintained nay erected by the pope that he takes gain rent of them If any man obiect against Agrippa as no competent witnesse I answer the pope indeede hath prohibited i Vide indicem lib prohibit Clementis 8. in litera H. his bookes to be read but it had beene more reason to haue disproued and confuted his assertions but let the pope condemne him as he wil for his bold speaking of truth it is knowen to all that know him or his books he was a papist for the most part whatsoeuer hee was he had no reason to bely the pope we hired him not we thanke him not for any thing but truth yet for more certainty hereof hearken to another who being an Inquisitor is beyond all exception that way Thus complains Oleaster a Spanish Doctor vpon that text of Deuteronomy k Deut. 23. 18. thou shalt not bring into my house the hire of a whore for it is abhominable l Oleaster in Comment suis in Pentateu in Deut. cap. 23. fol. 270. Filthy gaines saith he were euer abhominable to God therfore he forbids to bring into his house the hire of a whore But now in the new Testamēt when the Church and Ministers therof should
found them so full of ridiculous absurdities impieties and vntruths that he affirmed him to be a man g Ludouicus Viâ—â—es lib. 2. de Caus. corrupt art de LuÌ„bardica historia of a brazen face and a leaden heart that wrote them Now al these three sorts of bookes are in shew reformed of late but the truth is there is neuer a material vvound healed but rather a number made worse 1. For their Liturgy and seruice either publike or priuate it is coÌ„tained in their books called Missalia Breuiaria Officia Manualia Portiforia and such other all these haue beene reuiewed and as they say corrected since the Councell of Trent h Vide Bullas Pontif. praefixas Missal Breuiareditionis 70. post But let them be examined and compared together I dare say that for one euil taken out there is another put in and tenne stand vnremooued and that both in diuers pictures as also for points of doctrine they are as ill as the former i Compare for this end the Missals breuiaries Manuals Primeri printed before the Councel of TreÌ„t with those printed since at the least 2. Their Ceremonies of state or as they say of deuotion are contained in the bookes called Pontificale Romanum and Ceremoniale Romanum k Adde heereunto also their Processionale Rationale and Sacerdotale Romanum wherin what apish to yes there be what absurdities what superstitions sometimes ridiculous sometimes impious is incredible to them that see it not insomuch as some Papists l Vide Epistolam Alberti Castellani ad Leonem 10. praefiram PoÌ„tâ—fâ— vlt edit Veneâ— yea the later Popes m Vide Bullas praed Clem. 8. haue not spared to confesse that they need great reformation and therefore vndertooke that worke theÌ„selues But if a man did see how they haue amended them they would out of this one if there were no more euidences conclude that Rome is that Babylon that will neuer bee healed for looke into the Pontificale and the Ceremoniale which were reformed and are indeed much altered by the authoritie of Clement the eightth and printed at Rome within these few yeeres and you shall finde some small deformities taken away but many greate enormities suffered to stand some put in that were not that there before n Compare for this end the PoÌ„tificale and Ceremoniale new and old which I will not stand at this time to particularise 40 The 19. wound not healed for al these are as bad still as afore both because the particulars are so manie and also for that seeing the bookes beeing so rare are not for each mans reading it may hap heereafter that the exact comparison of them together the old with the new may be a work of it self not vnworthy of some mens labours 3. * These were read in the Churches when the Scriptures were kept out Their stories or tales are comprised in the bookes called Speculum exemplorum Vitae SanctoruÌ„ LegeÌ„da Festiualia c. These also are lately reformed as they pretend But how If any would know what is done herein take but one exaÌ„ple The Iesuites in the Low countries pretending these Legends or stories needed much reformation tooke the matter vpon themselues because it was of greate waight and consequence and appointed it to some of their societie to be reformed and now of laâ—e they haue published it at Doway some two or three yeeres agoe would make vs beleeue that it is amended in innumerable places o Vide libruÌ„ intitulatum Magnum speculum exemplorum ab innumeris meÌ„dis c. vindicatum per quendam Patrem è societate Iesu per eundem locupletatuÌ„ Duaci anno 1605. But if any man haue lost any time in turning ouer their Legends and perusing the prodigious stories there laid downe let him venture euen a little more and compare this new reformed Speculum exemplorum with the former and if hee finde as impious and ridiculous Legends as improbable and as impossible tales in that as in the other theÌ„ let him make report what good reformers the Iesuites bee and how well the Romish Church is healed in this wound p To this end compare the old Speculum exeÌ„plorum or the Legend with the new Magnum speculuÌ„ exemplorum set out by the lesuites this last yeere The conclusion is that the Missals and Breuiaries though vndertaken by Trent the Pontificall Ceremoniale though vndertaken by the Pope the Legend and Speculum though vndertaken by the Iesuites and all in shew reformed yet stand all at this day as foule and deformed and though some things bee taken out yet all laid together as bad or worse then they were afore These straits of time hinder me from inlarging my selfe any further therfore to conclude and wrap vp all in one generalll exception The twentieth wound THe last point wherewith I will charge the Romish Church and religion is not so fitly to bee called a wound as a leprosie or a generall consumption but all to one end for as it is no difference vpon the matter whether a man bee deepe and desperately wounded or haue a leprosie over all the body or a generall consumption for both are deadly and both incureable so is it in this case wherein the exception I take against them is that their Church State declined long agoe into that general corruption vniuersall pollution in all estates 41 The 20. wound A generall corruption of manners in all estates That the prophanenesse licentiousnesse and sinfulnesse of all sorts of people in that Church both head members is like a spirtuall leprosie without or a generall consumption within threatning ruine to the whole body This point is worthy to bee enlarged but I must deferre it and referre the Reader to the records of antiquity I meane such as be their owne men but hauing some remorse of conscience feare of God did confesse freely and bitterly deplore the miserie that the sinfulnesse of the popish Church and religion would bring vpon all the world Let them read that haue them these bookes named in the margent q Vide Gersonis opera passim Reuelationes Brigittaeâ— Vincentij Ferrariens prognostic PetruÌ„ de Aliaco de reformatione eccl Nicolai de Clemangiis opera in Bibliotheca Patrum editionis primae and those that haue them not it may bee shortly they may haue some helpe therein and then you will graunt with mee that former and better times confessed that which I now laie to their charge I will insist particularly but vpon two the one of so greate antiquitie Poemâ—ta Walteri Mapes Maillardi Menotti Sermones Holcot in Sapient lect 82. passim Onus Ecclesiae passim the other of so greate authority as both are beyond exception Some 400 years ago liued a Monk learned for those times called as Posseuine confesseth r Vide Posseu in Appar sae In apped priori ad tom 1. lit B.
State honoured shall bee by these miserâ—ants thus dishonoured and that not on the stage â—nely but euen in print Oh what times are wee east into that such a wickednesse should passe vnpunishedâ— I speake nothing of their continuall profanenesse in their phrases and sometime Atheisme and blasphemie noâ— of their continuall profaning of the Sabbath which generally in the country is their play day and oftentimes Gods diuine seruice hindred or cut shorter to make roome and giue time for the diuels seruice Are they thus incurable then happy hee that puts to his hand to pull downe this tower of Babell this daughter of confusion happy he that helpes to heale this wound in our State but most happy that Magistrate who like zealous Phinâ—hes takes some iust vengeance on that publike dishonor laid vpon our Churches But if wee bee negligent in this cause of God then he himselfe will take the matter into his owne hand whose Church whose religion whose holy ordinances and most holy name are dayly profaned by them for as their iniquities are hainous and their blasphemies against heauen so doubtlesse their iudgement is gone vp vnto heauen and lifted vp vnto the cloudes So wishing their repentance I proceed 3. The horrible abuse of the Sabbath day in this citie and ouer this kingdome in some places by Faires and Markets by May-games and Moricedancers by Wakes and Feasts in all places almost by buying and selling and bargaining in this citie by cariages in and out by selling betimes in the morning and after dinner by playing in the streetes and in the fields Oft hath this bin complained of and some haue endeuoured to heale it but it is an Impe of Babylon that will not be healed but rather it creepes as a canker thorow our whole State from the foote to the head But let vs take heed for it will eare out the heart and life of a State Ierem. 17. euen this one sinne Did not our Fathers thus saith noble Nehemiah and therfore God brought all this euill vpon vs Nehem. vlt. See captiuity destruction and desolation of a goodly and flourishing setled kingdome for the publike profaning of the Sabbath O therefore happy hee that puts to his helping hands to heale this wound which yet is cureable enough if wee would doe our duties for the Commandement is thou and all within thy gates The fourth Commandement Keepe my Sabbath Now who is there within this Realme but is within the gates of the Kings house who within this Citie but within the gates of the Lord Maior who any where but is of some mans family within some mans gates If then Fathers and Magistrates would looke to all within their gates this sinne could not bee so grieuous this wound not so wide and desperate as it is Therefore you my Lord Maior bee exhorted to attempt the healing of this wound in your yeare set before your eyes the noble example of worthy Nehemiah Nehem. vlt. it will excite you to this holy dutie and then at the end of your yeare you may with the comfort of a good conscience say with him Remember mee O my God in goodnesse Nehem. vlt. 1â— according to all that I haue done for this people But if we still neglect this cause of God and suffer his Sabbath daily thus to bee profaned then let vs looke for nothing but continuance and increase of these grieuous plagues that haue so long lien vppon vs and let vs be assured God will take the matter into his owne hands and some way or other get himselfe glorie vpon vs. For hee will lose his honour at no mans hand but whosoeuer will not glorifie him in his conuersion hee will glorifie his owne name vpon him in his confusion Which heauie iudgement that God may turne from vs let vs turne to him c. FINIS