England Nicolaus Sanderus a famous Doctor N. Sanderus de Scismati Anglieano lib. 3. Leges depotestate Regia in rebus Ecclesiasticis Anno 1. Elizabethe Latae of Divinity showes the latitude of this Vsurpation out of the English Lawes made in Parlament Ita inquit habet lex Omnia Privilegia praeeminemiae praerogativae superioritates spirituales quae ab ulla potestate vel humano vel Ecclesiastice Iure haberi aut exerceri possunt quoad visitationem correctionem seu reformationem Cleritotius seu quarumcunque personarum Ecclesiasticarum ad cognitionem etiam ac punitionem omnium errorum Haerefum Schismatum abusuam c. volumus in posterum quod Regio Sceptro in perpetuum sint annexa Decernimusque Reginam suosque Haeredes ac in regali dignitate Successores habere habiturosque efse deinceps omnimodam potestatem nominandi substituendi quoscunque voluerint qui eorundem vice ac auctoritatate candem Jurisdictionem Ecclefiastieam exerceant pro beneplacito suo personas visitent Hareses Schismata errores abusus castigent aliudue quiduis juris vel potestatis exerceant quod ab ull◠unquam Ecclesiastico Magiftratu exerceri potuit aut oportuit Decernitur item ne clerus ad synodum ullam aliorum quam Regiis literis mandaris conveniat neve ullum Canonem Legem Constitutionem Synodalem seu Provincialem vel faciat velexequatur sine expresso Majestatis suae consensu licentia hujusmodi Canones faciendi promulgandi vel exequendi sub poena carceris mulcta pro Reginae arbitrio Imponenda Decernitur ne quis exeat regnum ditionesque suae Majestatis ad ullam Visitationem Consilium Conventum aut Congregationem quae Religionis causa uspiam fiet sed ur talia omnia Regiâ auctoritate intra regnum fiant Item ne Episcopi vel ullius Nominatione vel Electione vel ulla Auctoritate aliâ quà m Regiâ creentur neve Iurisdictionem potestatemque Episcopalem teneant aut exerteant nisi ad beneplacitum Reginae nec aliter nisi per ipsam a regali MAjestate derivatam auctoritatem Such saith hee is the Law All Priviledges Prehemenensies Prerogatives Spirituall Superiorityes which can be had or exercised from any power or any right human or Eeclesiasticall as to Visitation Correction or Reformation of the whole Clergy or of any Eeclesiasticall Persons whatsoever to the knowing and punishing of all Errors Heresies Schisme Abuses c. Wee will hereafter that they be annexed to the Royall Scepter for ever And wee decree that the Queen and her heires and all her Successors in the Royall Dignity have and possess and shall have hereafter all power of nominating and substituting whosoever they shall please to exercise by theire Authority and Order and according to theire good pleasure may exercise the same Ecclesiasticall lurisdiction that they vissit persons that they correct Heresies Schismes Errors and Abuses and that they exercise all right and power which could or ought to be exercised and practised by any Ecclesiasticall Iudge or Magistrate It is determind and enacted that the Clergy may not meete or assemble themselves in a Synod otherwise then by the Royall Letters and Mandats nor may they make any Canon Law Constitution Synodall or Provinciall or execute any such without the express Consent and allowance of her Majesty and licence of making such Canons and of promulgating or putting them in Execution and this under the penalty of imprisonment and of fyne or mulct to bee imposed according to the Queens pleasure It is further determind that none may part out of the Kingdome and her Majestyes Dominions to any Visitation Councell Meeting or Congregation which shall be any where made for Matters of Religion but that all such things be done within the Kingdome by Authority Royall Likwise that Bishops be created by noe other Nominatiou or Election or any other Authority whatsoever other then by Royall Authority nor that they hould or exercise Episcopall Iurisdiction and power but only ad beneplacitum Reginae that is according to the Queens good pleasure and that they have noe Authority but dependant of her and derived from the Royall Majesty Sall you see here all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power and Iurisdiction given by the Parlament to Queen Elizabeth goe now I pray you and read all the Annalls and Church Histories of the world and then tell mee was ever any thing heard of in the World more prophane and impious then men that held themselves to be Bishops to agree with such a Parlament and to hold for an Article of Faith a woeman to be head of the Church in Ecclesiasticis Spiritualibus Whereas Saint Paul commaunded woemen should not soe much as speak in the Church Mulieres saith Epist 1. ad Cor. cap. 14. the Apostle in Ecclesiis taceant non enim permittitur eis loqui sed subditas esse sicut lex dicit siquid autem volunt discere domiviros suos interrogent Turpe enim est Mulieri laqui in Ecclesia That is Let woemen hould theire peace in the Church for it is not permitted them to speak but to be subject as alsoe the Law sayeth If they will learne any thing let them ask theire husbands at home For it is a foule thing for a woeman to speak in the Church The Apostle teacheth the same writing to Timothy Mulier in silentio Epist 1 adTim cap. 2. diseat cum omni subjectione Docere autem Mulierinon permitlo neque dominari in virum sed esse in silentio Let a woeman learne in silence with all subjection But to teach I permitt not unto a woeman nor to have Dominion over the man but to be in silence The Matter went quite otherwise in England after the XXXIX Articles came in force forasmuch as Bishops themselves could not speak in the Church without a woemans that is the Queens Licence nor exercise any power Iurisdiction or function Episcopall which lookes like a kinde of abomination Sall I see you are gon a way in Opinion with those Bishops and Clergy that reverenced to much that Queen and loved woemen to much and continency to little Et idto prophanus factus es negans comedere agnum cum Sancto Ieronimo in Donio Dei eligens comedere cum impio Calvino extra Ecclesiam renuis cum hoc Sancto in arca contineri hinc miser peribis deluvio regnante And therfore you are becom prophane and denying to eat the Paschall Lamb with holy Hierome in the House of God and Chusing to eat the same with impious Calvin out of the Church you deny to be in the Arck with Saint Hierome wherfore miserable man you shall perish in the deluge Sall I shall pray you to ponder maturely the important saying of Saint Augustin Disputare saith the Saint contra id quod totum per orbem frequentat Ecclesia insolentissim a in sania est That is To dispute against that which the Church houlds over
which are flatt Heresies and for all these Impietyes and abominations there are not that I heare of any Lawes made in Parlament for punishing these Presbiterians Noe but all the lightning thunder and tempest of the Bishops and that kind of Protestants and of the Presbiterians likwise doth fall upon the poor Catholicks our Religion is made treason to owne the Pope head of the Church in Spiritualibus as realy hee is is punish'd with death to worship Images superstition to invocate the Angels and Saints Idolatry wee suffer disgrace in Court and Country wee suffer the loss of livings wee suffer Imprisonments and death it selfe the Extirpation of our Faith is desired sought and put in Execution and men receive pleasure which is inhumane and cruell in our Miserye and Distruction and all these Afflictions fale upon us soly for the hatred men have to Religion What comfort can wee finde in these Extremityes That only and that is enough which our Saviour hath promised to his Servants Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur Math. Cap. 4. propter Iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est Regnum Caelorum That is Blessed are they that suffer Persecution for Justice for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Sall wee heare you have preached in July 1674. before the Lord Lieutenant and State in Christ-Church in Dublin a long premeditated Sermon for Justifying your departure from the Romish Communion and you then told your Auditors that you had found in the Romish Church three Abominations to wit Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny and those you called Abominationem desolationes stantem in loco Sancto And that therfore according to our Saviours Admonition you departed from that Congregation But I tell you you have forged a pernitious Calumnie and Imposture in charging the Church of Rome the Mother of all Churches with Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny And I further say my Opinion that an Idol which is found in all your Congregations the pride of the privat Spiritt that Spiritt Doctor Whitaker see Pagina 17. discribed made you charge the Church of Rome with Idolatry Sir your zeal in your new Religion is soe furious that you have render'd your selfe at present incapable of Councell and all advice but in tyme you may become colder Non est abrevitae manus Domini And think better of what you have done however for the true love I have for you and especially for your Soule which is the maine and principal part ought to bee taken care for I hartily pray you what kinde of thing is Parlament Religion a ssippery and changable Religion which is thus declared For Satisfying King Henry the eight The Parlament changed some Articles of Faith as soone as hee dy'd they changed that Faith into Zwinglianisme to comply with the Protector Summerset young King Edward the sixt his Vncle within two or three years after they changed Zwinglianisme into Calvinisme and at the sute of Calvin reformed the Liturgy accordingly After the young Kings death they return'd with good Queen Mary to the old Faith and by new acts abolished those acts they had lately made before against Catholick Religion with Queen Elizabeth they restored againe the new Religion with some Alterations when King Iames succeeded they changed the translations of Scripture and other things In King Charles the firsts tyme Prelatick Protestancy was puld downe by Presbitery and this by IndePendency and the last puld downe quite Kingly Authority and took of the good Kings head from his Body Prelatick Protestancy being restored by King Charles the second the forms of Ordination where upon depends the validity of the Protestant Ministry Church and Sacraments being not thought sufficient were amended and are now changed into more Catholick Forms adding to the Forms the words Priest and Bishop which hath quite discredited theire Character of Priesthood and Episcopacy for those two Words being held by them as Essentiall in these two Forms the former orders given without these Words must have been invalid and in like manner all things in theire Ministry that depends upon Ordination are uncertaine and doubtfull for if the Church of England hath acknowledged to have erred in a thing of soe great importance as the Forms of Ordination what reason can it have in not erring in all the rest In a word Protestants in the Kingdome of England in one age have made more changes of Religions then Mahometans in the ten ages they have continued What I have sayd being duly examined tell mee Sall is not Protestant Religion slippery and changable and consider well what shall become of you in the sad exchange you have made The fourth Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols were converted to Christian Faith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that wrought Miracles in those Conversions IF any shall demaund to what end doe I make Mention of these Protestant Authors what doe I inferr from theire Testimoneys I make this Illation that said Authors did attest the Conversion of those Pagans to have beene made by those sent from Rome to a true and sauing Faith and for this Verity there are two convincing reasons The first that the Veracity of God was herein concerned which neuer confirm'd by Miracles a false Faith The second that the Goodness of God would not have Pagans brought from Idolatry to Heresy or to such a Religion wherein they would bee as certainly damn'd as in Idolatry to Iudge this of the goodness of God were a horrible Blasphemy for it were noe less then to cale him a cheate Sall examin now seriously what Faith that was the Saints Fugatius Damianus sent from Pope Eleutherious taught to the Pagans of England when King Lucius the first Christian King his Queen and thousands more were converted what the Faith which Saint Augustin the Benedictin Monk sent from S. Gregory Pope denounced to the Saxon Pagans In what Faith did S. Parrick sent from Pope Celestinus instruct the Idolaters of Ireland doubtless you will confess it was the same Faith then professed in Rome and by all the People that obey'd the Pope now all these professed as Articles of Faith the Real-Presence in the Eucharist the Invocation of Angells and Saints the seven Sacraments the Sacrifice of the Mass worship of Images and the like And aforesaid Saints Fugatious Damianus c. delivered them for such to the Pagans of both the Nations they likewise wrought Miracles for proving the truth of the Religion they taught and the Pagans seeing those Miracles beleeved they were sent from God They were indeed sent to those Idalaters as Moyses Elias and others Prophets to the People of Israel and as the Apostles to the Gentils doeing wonders In Nomine Virtute Dei. I observe in this place that the Religion the S S. Fugatious Damianus Patrick and Augustin preached to the Pagans of these countryes was not the Faith now Professed by Sall and
thing to be examined by you to know the Author matters nothing I desire not that Athistâ—â— read my writings such as 〈◊〉 not in God can make no 〈◊〉 fit of Godly things for my part I make more Esteem of a Pagan that adores stocks anâ— stones thinking there is a Deit â— in them then of Aâ—hises Neâ—ther is it my ayme thaâ— Maho metans or Jewes read this worke the first not believing Christ to be the Sonn of God though they hold him to be a holy Prophet and borne of a Virgin the other believe not the Mesias is yet come whose Fathers Crucify'd him when hee was borne and came among them and made Evident by wonders and miracles that hee was the true Sonne of God and the now living Jewes as blinde and obstinate as theire Fathers tred theire stepps spitting on the Crucifix and whipping it in theire Chambers and stobbing with poyniards the H. Sacrament with horrour and extream Malice wherof there are Many Authentique Histories My wish is this Book be only read by Roman Catholicks and by Protestants the first will likely be well satisfyed with this my endevours and from the protestant reader I only pray that hee will be pleased with atention and without prejudging to read all and after to speak with God alone about the state of his owne Soule and what Religion hee will Chuse for his eternall salvation The argument I doe not handle Scholastically conceiving not that the better way to haue my sence rightly understood I am for the way of fact declareing ingeniously what happen'd in England upon the comming in of both Religions what kinde of men were instrumentall in bringing them in what theire manners vertues or vices who of them were of Sanctity and who not who of them wrought Miracles which are Evident signes of true Religion which was brought into all Kingdoms Countrys and Provinces by Sanctity and Miracles I deny what Sall falling from his faith who gave me the occasion of writing afirms to witt That the Roman Catholick Religion is repugnant to humaine reason It were to make Religion fabulous and foolish to say it is contrary to wisdome and reason for what can be oppositt to wisdome and reason but folly and fables As Scripture by which soly many Protestants will haue Religion try'd excluding tradition even Apostolicall it selfe though it be Verbum Dei non Scriptum is the Word of God supernaturall written in paper with the hands of his holy scribes by Revelation so is Reason Gods naturall Word and Gods truth written by his owne hand in our soules Signatum est super nos Lumen vultus tui Domine Doth not all this prove a great agreableness between Religion and reason whereby is clearly evinced that Religion is not repugnant to humaine Reason Haue not Pagan Philosophers even by the light of reason without any other teaching perceiued in many things what is honest and what dishonest what just and what uniust what vertue what vice this is that light in mans soule which S. Basill calls Iudicium quoddam naturale per Bas homilia aâ—â— populum quod ab iniquis bona facile discerniâ—us And S. Augustin accounted soe much of reason that hee said Recta ratio vertus est And S. Aug. de util Credendi Cap. 12. if Caluins Authority were worth any thing he says Semen Religionis est in mente humana But I pray you heare S. Paul telling you the Philosophers were unexcusable for not hauing made the right use they could and should haue made of the knowledg they had of Cod by the light of reason Because saith Ad Rom. Cap. 1. hee whereas they knew God they haue not glorify'd him as God or given thanks but are become vaine in theire cogitation and theire foolish hart hath bin darckned How have these Philosophers knowne God not by faith but by the light of reason and knowing him soe they should have as the Apostle teaches glorify'd him as God I shew in this Book the number of Catholick Arch-Bishops that sate upon the Chaire of Canterbury to haue bin sixty one many of these haue bin nobly borne and many of them very learned and vertuous twelve haue bin canonized saints Your number of Protestant Arch-Bishops have not as I think bin aboue six as Parker VVhitgift Grindal Branckfort Abots Laud and Sheldon all of them lowly born and as wee heare meanly Learned of theire vertues wee heard Little And could those few and less learned and vertuous know more of Gods verity and holy will then soe many Eminent Catholick Arch-Bishops what in Gods name would make any man think soe You had fifty two Catholick Monarchs of England Kings and Queens I speake nothing here of seventy small Kings when England was devided into seven Kingdoms many of these haue bin of the Gallantest Princes in Christendome as Egbert that first reduced England to a Monarchy Ina Edgar Canut William the conquerour Henry the second Edward the third Henry the fifth and Henry the seventh many of them vertuous and Godly Princes and som of them acknowledged for Saints by all the Church of God the Protestants have had but five in all the first a Child of nine yeâ—ars Edward the sixth the second a Woeman Queen Elisabeth a Cruell a woeman who put to death Queen Mary of Scotland the present Kings great Grandmother which was an open Murther and soe Esteemed by all the world as alsoe in the tyme of her raigne 200. Priests and Religious men soly for theire Religion A woeman druncken Apâ—c Cap. 17. of the blood of Saints and of the blood of the martyrs of Iesus A woeman fitter for Brauery then devotion thee other three King James a lerrned and wise Prince his Sonne Charles a sober and good King the last our present Souveraigne King Charles the second of him let those speak that shall survive him But certain it is Protestant Historians will not preferr those Protestant Princes in vertue valor glorious atempts and magnificence to the Catholick Princes To speak of both Religions Catholick and Prorestant and which of them is safest for salvation I offer you here a remarkable reflexion and consideration as thus Ask of the Mahometan the Jew and of the Scismatick Christians as the Ruthenians Armenians and all of the Greeck Church yea and of the Lutherans and Calvinists that disagree among themselves which is the best and safest Religion they will all say after their owne the Roman is the safest which is an Evident Jugment that the Roman is the fafest of all much like that the grave Judges gave for the Lacedemonians when all the Provinces of Greece claimed for the Palm and praise in the glorious victory they obtained against the Persians Those excellent Judges before whome the cause was brought demanded of every one of them whome they thought to have deserued best after themselues and all answering that the Lacedemonians the wise Iudges gave sentence that indeed the Lacedemonians had
but after a long and due Examination of the substancâ— of them hee refuted them soe substantially as to this day noe man of the Church of England hath answer'd him I observe in this place that this Gentleman spent a great deale of tyme in deliberation about seaven years before Adjuring said XXXIX Articles which hee once believed as you doe now Sall as Articles of faith which belief and Doctrin hee suckt from his Cradle much more tyme I say hee had bestow'd and deliberation in quitting them then you have done in deserting the Catholick Religion and its holy Communion in which you were bred and your parents before you which can not be spoken but to your shame and infamy The light and grace God gave to Mr. White the Gentleman I speake of led him out of Babilon in to Ierusalem and you without great musing on the weightiest matter can ever concerne you the damnation or salvation of your soule are fled from Ierusalem to Babilon The Tytle of Mr. Whites Book Schismatis Anglicani redargutio Authore Alexandro VVhite ex eodem Schismate per Dei gratiam ad fidem Catholicam Converso Viro qui coripientem dura cervice contemnet repentinus ei superreniet interitus cam Sanitas non sequetur Proverb cap. 29. Lovani typis Jeronimi Nempaei 1661. This Book Sall if you have it not allready you will finde with som of the Priestes there Such is my opinion and of the Devines of my side of the sound substance of this Book and the Reasons and Arguments and Authoritys of Scripture Apostolicall Tradition Counsells and Fathers hee produceth that I presume without all vanity to give a Challenge on the behalfe of Verity and the Roman Catholick Church to you and to the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashell I say I give a Challeng to you both and all that Profess the XXXIX Articles in the three Kingdoms to make answer to this Book This is not a Thrasonical defiance such as Mr. Iewell Bell and others Protestant Divines made to all the Catholicks in the world of disputing with them about Religion but the place of disputing must have beene in England they being sure the state would not allow therof this Challenge is only for answering this Book wherin Mr. White hath distroy'd the Babell tower of your XXXIX Articles which you will neuer build up againe This mans Arck hath cast downe your Dagon hee hath impeached your new English Creed the XXXIX Articles af a treason against heaven and verity I pray you Sall if you have any memory as yet left of mee peruse seriously sedato animo this learned Book one of two effects it will have that either it will convert you or confound you Now if your Arch-Bishop and you and the rest of your Devines shall refuse this Challeng doe not vapour hereafter of the light Doctrin and Sanctity of your XXXIX Articles nor of your owne maistership in Devinity for 18. years in Spaine My Reader you have heard Sall tell why hee went out of the Catholick Church But S. Augustin gives another kinde of answer wherfore such men goe a way from us Habent says the Saint calumnias suas August Tom. 8. in Psal 118. Conseioâ— 26. 1 Haeretici habent Scismaâ—ici quos omnes superbia de membrorum Christi compage proecidit When men begin highly to prise their owne learning and to censure and contemne the Doctors of Holy Church generall Councells and even the high Priest himselfe the Pope in matters of Religion as Sall hath now done and to interpret Scriptures according to their owne braine and fancy then swelling with vanity they break out of the pales of the Church Nature is strong in such kinde of men and grace weak and soe they easily fall into sinn Quia quod Creatura peccare non possit habet ex bono gratiae non ex conditione nature Poore Sall this presumption hath pulled you out of the Temple yea periit ipse Angelus superbia tumidus propria potestatis delectatione corruptus this hath beene and is your disease Smoth the matter the best you can pride will be found one of the greatest motives of your departure from us III. CHAPTER VVHat Guid led Sall out of the Ad secundum House of God it was likly the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme a kinde of Serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brains of curious men this spirit hath much helpt to loose the man Doctor Whitaker esteemed agreat Devine in the English Church defines this private spiritt to be an inward In Contro 1. q. 5. C. 3. contrae Bellarum perswation of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret Closset of the believers hart Sall with this deceiving guid you made your fatall Transmigration from our side I would faigne know where in Scripture or the ancient Fathers did Whitaker finde a ground for such a definition of his privat Spirit hee found it noe where and therfore likly hee made it in a dream This Spiritt hath not been knowne to the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church for full fiftien ages they heard nothing of it nor doe any of us claime it it is only a priviledg of your Church a pleasant Imagination that makes your people madd Exempli Gratia A Protestant with whome I conferred about Religion som years past told mee in plaine termes hee needed noe light or assistance from Saint Augustin or Saint Paul himselfe for to understand Scripturs being certaine Iesus who redeemed his soule would have a care that hee should not err in expounding of Scripture or any thing that touched his salvation I demaunded from him could hee prove by Scripture hee had that infaliable spirit or sacred light hee answered hee could and cited that place of David Signatum Psal 4. est super nos Lumen vultis tui Domine The light of thy Countenance O Lord is signed upon us I told him that Lumen was commonly expounded to be ipsa ratio by which man is the image of God as hee might read in the Book of Genesis and that by this light man was in his nature distinguished from a brute and that a Turck and a Pagan alsoe had this light as well as hee and by a good consequence had an infalible privat spiritt of expounding Scripturs as well as hee I alsoe assured him that his owne Devines would tell him the light understood by David was noe other then reason which is the image of God whereto wee are created like which was fixed in our understanding that wee may see and know there is a God that ought to be served adored and loved and that hee will reward his servants Next said I t is absurdity to say that a Pagan which denys Scripturs should haue a spiritt to expound the Scripturs which follows from your opinion But this and all I could say could draw noe other answer from the man then that hee was sure hee had himselfe from
1524. Hee did in a speedy acomplishment of his longing desire marry even upon the suddaine Catharin Bore one of the nine Nuns that Leonard Keppen on the 7. day of Aprell 1523. brought to Wittenberg from the Monastery of Nimpisen having in the evening invited to supper Pomeran Luke the Painter and Apelles the Lawyer hee then soe finished the abominable marriage for which by the most ancient and imperiall Lawes soone after the tyme of Constantine the great hee should have lost his head Jovinian the third Christian Emperour after Constantin Zozom Histor Lib 6. Cap. 3. fine published this Edict Vt qui Sacratam Virginem vel ad nuptias contrahendas pellicere conaretur c. Capitis supplicio mulctaretur And the foresaid Law is yet extant God lib. de Episcopis Clericis Where it is said Si quis non dicam rapere sed tentare tantum jungendi causa Matrimonii Sacratissimas Virgines ausus fuerit capitale paena feriatur Oziander and Melancton doe attest Ozean Centure 16. c. 36 pag. 29. Melan. in Epist ad Ioac Camer de D. Lutheri conjugio this marriage of Luther All wanton Monks and Priestes rann after Luther each one with a Nun or a wench Martin Bucer a Dominican fryer and Bernardus Ochynus a Capuchin a complished the like Sacrilegious Marriage with two Nuns Peter Martyr being a Canon Regular of the order of Saint Augustin marryed at Straesburgh Dame Catharin the loose Nun that rann out of her Cloyster of Metz in Loraine yea the Arch-Bishop of Cullen began his Reformation with marrying a Nun. Soe writes Osiander Interea saith hee Osian Centur. 16. L. 4 cap 18 pa. 984 Archiepiscopus Coloniensis Elector Gobardus Baro Truchesius Reformationem Religionis meditabatur Matrimonium Agneti quae monialis fuerat promisit eamque tandem in uxorem duxit That is The Arch-Bishop Elector of Cullen Baron Truches began the Reformation of Religion and promised to Marry Agnes that was a Nun and at length Married her See further there pag. 953. How revolted votarys the Protestant Bishops of England took wives namely the ensuing Hooper of Worcester Barlowe of Chichester Downham of Westchester Storie of Hereford Barkaley of Bathe and Wels Coverdale of Exeter who all of them were professed Monks to whome might be added Sandes of York and Cranmer of Canterbury who still carried a woeman about with him with divers others all of them formerly Catholick Priestes One of the first that begun to live in England scandalously was Iohn Bale of Norwicth a Carmalit Fryer taking to him his Dorathy a lusty wench whome hee called fidelissimam conjugem this Fryer was after made Bishop of Ossery in Ireland Mark it well Sall how all these illuminated Doctors of your Protestant Religion were declared Enemyes to chastity and prophane breakers of theire Vowes and began all of them the great worke of Sanctifying the world and reforming the Church by marrying to Nuns and other dissolute woemen without such Companions they could doe nothing at all Did the holy Missioners sent from the Sea of Rome Saint Patrick to convert the Idolaters of Ireland Saint Austin the Benedictin the Pagans of England in the tyme of the Saxons and other Saints to other Kingdoms to enlighten them and chase away Idolatry did I say these holy Missioners that brought in holy Religion by Miracles and Sanctity bring a long with them sacrilegious and naughty woemen to acomplish the Conversion of Nations Now good Sall sit downe a little I pray you and ponder with your selfe if God a God of Piety and Sanctity would send soe wicked a man as Luther to denounce his word and Ghospell to the world a man who by a conference with the Devill abollished the Mass threw of his habit of Religion and all modesty and vertue marryed a professed Nun and lived more like a beast then a man who contemned in the highest degree the veneration sanctity and learning of all the Fathers who was possessed with a spiritt of an intollerable pride would God imploy such a man a slave of lust pride and the Devill to give the true light of the Ghospell Think seriously Sall what smale reason Mr. White had to say of Luther Mr. VVhit in his way to the Church printed 168. pa. 428 This was the end of that good man whose memory shall be pretious in the Church for ever and flourishing as the Rodd of Aaron layd up in the Tabernacle After a due ponderation of the premisses touching Luthers impious Doctrin and incontinent and wicked conversation taken out of the writings of Protestants themselves I doe referr to the Readers owne Iudgement whether wee are to joyne in esteeming and terming him a holy man as certaine Protestants doe to the great blemish of theire credit Some of these are English Gabr. Powell in his consideraiion of the Mr. Gabriell Powell calls him holy Saint Luther Mr. Iewell calls him as above was said a most excellent man sent of God to enlighten the world in the midst of darkness Papists Supplication printed 164 pag. 70 †Mr. Fox saith it pleased the Lord to send and set up Luther by his owne mighty Spirit hee alsoe Rubricates him in the highest ranck of his Confessors Mr. Whitaker doth reverence him as the Father of Protestants other Protestant writers of Germany and other Provinces call him Elias Conductor and Chariot of Israell and to be reverenced after Christ and Saint Paul But all these high strange Phanaticall and hyperbolicall prayses given to this wicked man are proved lyes by the plaine uncontroulable alegations and Testimonyes of other learned Protestant Authors who are to be creditted in this Quia res ipsa loquitur X. CHAPTER What frutes followed Luthers Doctrin and Reformation IT has beene a constant observation in all ages and tymes that men sent from God by extraordinary missions as the Apostles and other Saints after them and alsoe those sent from the Sea of Rome with ordinary mission were Saints and holy men and wrought wonders and Miracles and great devotion sanctity pennance prayer and change of mens lives to the better followed these missions whole Provinces amended theire ill manners and lives Saints doe holy things Bona arbor bonos fructus facit Now if wee shall examin the nature and effects of Luthers Reformation wee shall finde neither Miracles nor Sanctity in him or the rest of his Brethren and what fruits did this new Doctrin produce in the people did those that received it become more holy then before more modest just sober or more penitent for theire sinns Was pride vice and dissolution abated or diminished after the pretended zeale of these reformers did any man mortify his body or crucify his flesh with the concupisence and vices therof Noe such matter a change indeed followed theire new Ghospeling and Reformation it changed all to the worst Rapine Vsery Adultery and all kinde of uncleaness and dissolution became greater then before these were the
to see or discerne though all the world knew him to be Summersets competitor This crafty man though hee had bin allways a Roman Catholick in his Iudgment yet as many polititians use to doe hee dissembled his belief and soothed the Protectors inclination to the Protestant Reformation and made account those new men for Propagation and Preseruation of theire new Ghospell and Doâ—trin would fix upon himselfe for theire chief Patrone and Director and take with him whome hee would appoint for Soueraigne of the Land and to this purpose hee much humored their madness and zeal while they were intoxicating the people with the liberty and pleasure of the new Religion Dudlay being all in all with the Protector and having gotten the power of the Militia into his owne hand hee began to settle a new Religion in England upon the score of a refined Reformation and to unsettle the goverment and ancient faith and in doeing all this hee gave the world to understand the Protector did all and therby made him soe odious that none could indure to heare his name or to live under his goverment This wicked Earle compassed what hee went about to his owne desire his impious drift was to make his Sonne King who was marryed to my Lady Iane Gray of the Blood-Royall and a Protestant Infine hee contrived the Protectors distruction and had him put to death the young King to be poysoned the Princes Mary afterwards Queen to be excluded and the Lady Iane Gray to be Crowned Queen of England For preparing the way to all those sadd things this cruell impious man by force of the Army which was in his hands against his owne Conscience in the first Parlament and yeare of King Edwards Raigne obtained in favour of Protestancy and these new men an act of indemnity for the new Preachers and Hereticks from pennaltyes inacted by the ancient Lawes of the Land against marryed Priests and Hereticks and a repeal of the English Statutes that had tyme out of memory confirmed the imperiall Edicts and Lawes against Heresies But in the second year and Parlament of Edward VI. it was carryed though by few votes and after along debate of aboue foure months that the Zwinglian or Sacramentarian Reformation should be the Religion of England O tempora ô mores ô exicrabilem Parlamenti Anglicani impietatem ô scelus Cleri Apostatantis Who the Contrivers of the XXXIX Articles and first Reformers of Protestant Religion TRue Faith and all Sanctity being chased out of England by the sinns of the Clergie and the wicked laymen in the Parlament the Charge of framing Articles of this new Religion as alsoe of composing the Liturgie and a Book of Rites Ceremonies and Administration of Sacraments was committed to Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and to som other Protestant Devines who were all married Fryers and Priests lately come out of Germany with their sweet harts videlicet Hooper and Roger Monks Coverdale an Augustin Fryer Bale a Carmelit all these Englishmen Peter Martir a Chanon Regulare Martin Bucer a Dominican and Bernardus Ochinus a Capucin these three strangers came over with three galloping Nuns invited by the Protector and Cranmer out of Germany and apointed to preach and teach in both Universityes and at London who were to agree with the rest in the new modern forme of Religion which was a matter of great difficulty because the tenets which they untill then had professed were irreconsilable For that Hooper and Rogers were fierce Swinglians that is Puritans or Presbiterians and joyned in faction against Cranmer Ridly and other Prelaticks Hugh Latimer of great regard with the common people hee opposed himselfe to Cranmer and others for their opposing his pretention to the Bishoprick of Worsester Coverdale and Bale were both Lutherans and yet differed because the one was a riged the other a milde or halfe Lutheran Bucer had alsoe professed a kind of Lutheranisme in Germany but in England was what the Protector would have him to be and therfore would not for the space of a whole yeare declare his opinion in Cambrid though pressed to it by his schollers concerning the Real Presence untill hee had heard how the Parlament had decided the Controversy at London and then hee changed his opinion and became wholy a pure Zwinglian The same tergiversation was used by Peter Martir at Oxford and soe ridiculously that coming sooner in the first Epistle of Corinthians which hee undertook to expound to the Words HOC EST CORPVS MEVM then it had bin determined in Parlament what they should signify the poor Monk with admiration and laughter of the University was forced to divert his Auditors with impertinent comments upon the precedent Words Accipite manducate fregit dixit c. Which needed noe explanation At length when the news was com that both houses had ordered these Words HOC EST CORPVS MEVM should be understood figuratiuely and not literally Peter Martir sayd hee wonderd that any man could be of another opinion though hee knew not the day before what would be his owne opinion As for Bucer hee was a concealed Iew joyned in Contriving the XXXIX Articles only to make good days with his Nun and dyed a Iew being asked confidently his opinion of the Sacrament by Dudley Duke of Northumberland in the presence of the Lord Paget then a Protestant who testifyed the same publickly afterwards hee answered that the Real Presence could not be deny'd if men believed that Christ was God and spoke the Words THIS IS MY BODY But whether all was to be believed which the Evangelistes writt of Christ was a matter of more Disputation Peter Martir who came to England to Cherish in pleasures his wanton Nun whose death hee lamented efeminatly was noe Protestant in Iudgment as is cleare by what is said and yet hee joynd in the XXXIX Articles Bernardus Ochinus who loved Woemen soe well as by an express written Book hee affirmeth Polligamy or the lawfullness of having two Wives together dying professed himselfe to be a Iew and soe whilest hee lived in England was but a counterfeit Protestant to make bon-chear with his Nun and for this cause agree'd to the XXXIX Articles Cranmer was a meer contemporiser and of noe Religion at all Henry the eight raised him from Chapline to Sr. Thomas Bullen Ann Bullens Father to be Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to the end hee might divorse him from Queen Catharin and marry him to said Ann Bullin which hee did Afterwards by the Kings Order hee declared to the Parlament that to his knowledg Ann Bullen was never lawfull wife to his Maiesty by which hee let the World know Elizabeth her daughter had noe right title to the Crowne of England After this hee marryed the King to Ann of Cleves and when the King was weary of her Cranmer declared this marriage alsoe null and married and unmarried him soe often that hee seemed rather to exercise the office of a pymp then the function
of a Priest which to requite one curtesy for another made the King connive at his keeping a Woeman and at some of his Opinions though som what contrary to the statute of the six Articles In King Henry the eight's days Cranmer professed to be Catholick and writt a book for the Real Presence In King Edward the sixt days hee professed Protestancy and writt another book against the Real Presence Bishop Bonner produced both those books against him in Iudgment Hee conspired with the Protector Summerset to overthrow K. H. will and testament and afterwards conspired with Dudlay of Northumberland to ruine the Protector hee joyned with Dudlay and the Duke of Suffolk against Queen Mary for the Lady Iane Gray and immediatly after with Arondell Shrewsbury Pembrook Paget ane others against the same Duke finally when hee was condemned in Queen Mary's tyme for treason and Heresie and his Treason being pardoned hopeing the same favour might be extended to his Heresie hee recanted and abjur'd the same but seeing the temporall Lawes reserved noe mercy for relapsed Hereticks who are presumed not to be truly penitent or converted hee was soe exasperated therby that at his death moved more by Passion then Conscience hee renounced the Roman Catholick Religion to which hee had soe lately conformed These were the Godly men who framed the XXXIX Articles of the Religion of the English Church the Liturgie and the book of Sacraments Rites and Ceremonies of the Protestant Church and though it may seem incredible that an Athist a Iew a Contemporiser or meer Pollitian a Presbiterian a riged Lutheran a halfe Lutheran and an Anty Lutheran or Sacramentarian should all make one Religion yet when men doe but dissemble and deliver opinions to please others and profitt themselves and have noe Religion at all they may without difficulty concurr in some generall poynts of Christianity framing negative Articles such as many of the XXXIX Articles are Impugning the particular truthes of Orthodox faith This was the case of the Church of England and men disagreeing in opinions made up one religion such as it was The Fabrick of those Articles being rays'd as was said let any Christian be Iudge whether it be more safe and more rationall to rely in matter of faith upon the Tradition of the whole Catholick Church and ancient Liturgy's and Rites and upon the Testimony of all the holy Fathers and Counsells since the Apostles tymes then to take the bare Word of Cranmer a man of slippery life and Religion Let any Christian man I say bee Iudge whether this man together with Ochinus a Iew Buzer an Athist or at the best a Iew Peter Martir of the Religion the Parlament would have him to be of Hooper and Latimer and Rogers stubborn discontented Presbiterians Bale and Coverdale Lutherans two lew'd and runagate Fryers whether hee that cares for his owne soule should rather believe these wicked impious men in points of Faith and marters of Salvation then all the ancient Fathers and the holy Councells Let us now see after Dudlay and his faction of Protestant Religion and the Citty of London had crowned Iane Gray what became of them and how long they were in the roofe and prosperity Queen Marys courage and resolution and her owne good right Protestancy being not as yet soe deeply rooted at once with those loyall Catholicks that waited on hervertue and fortune quashed Dudlays Rebellion and designe those lewd Apostate Monks and Priests that coyned the XXXIX Articles then vanished away like smoke and brought Dudlay to his distruction hee was put to death for treason and Rebellion Upon the scaffold hee declared that hee had never been a Protestant in his Iudgment and only made use of its principels and Profession for temporall ends as to raise his family and make his Sonne marryed to Lady Gray King c. Hee advertised the people of the new Religions in consistency with peace and quiet that its Clergie were but ungodly men and trumpets of sedition The substance of his speech is set downe by Doctor Heylin a Protestant in Doct. Heil Eccls Restau Queen Mary pag. 19 these-words Hee admonished the Spectators to stand to the Religion of theire Ancesters rejecting that of latter date which had occationed all the misery of the foregoing 30 years and that for prevention for the future if they desired to present theire soules unspotted in the sight of God and were truly affected to theire country they should expell those tempests of sedition the preachers of the reformed Religion that for himselfe what soever had otherwise been pretended hee professed noe other Religion then that of his fathers for testimony wherof hee apealed to his good frind and Ghostly Father the Lord Bishop of Worcester and finally that being blinded with ambition hee had been contented to make wrake of his conscience by temporising for which hee professed himselfe seriously repentant and soe aeknowledged the Iustice of his death A Declaration saith Doctor Heyling very vnseasonable whether true or false as that which rendered him less pittied by the one side and more scorned by the other This is a more politick then pious obseruation of Doctor Heylin would hee not haue men confess theire faults and profess theire faith when they are dying and would hee haue them preferr the vanity of the pitty or scorne of the World when they are to bid the whole World adieu before the Satisfaction and Salvation of the Soule Sall hath there been soe much as one man of your first Doctors and Reformers and of all those that contriu'd the XXXIX Articles hath there been I say soe much as one just man before God walking in all the Commaundements and Iustifications of our Lord without blame one vertuous soule that mortify'd his body and loved Chastity one Priest or Monk amongst them all that was bonus odor Christi Noe but all of them lew'd dissolute infamous Priests and Religious men that broak theire holy vowes Rebells against God and against his annoynted on earth Kings and. Magistrats rayfing tumults and seditions in all the countrys they liu'd in such kinde of men they have been though Iohn Fox a ridiculous man canonized many of them for great Saints of which wee shall treat more at large in the ensuing Chapter They haue beene Cores that have rent the Coat and garment of Christ and made a great Scisme in Gods Church like Ballaaems they have cheated Gods People for gaining Wordly Comodityes and Pleasures like Gains they have murthered millions of innocent Abells with Hereticall Doctrine and pestiferous manners and Conversation You are not ignorant Sall of what Saint Paul writes to Timothy And 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. thus know thou that in the last days shall aproatch perilous tymes And men shall be lovers of themselves covetuous hauty proud blasphemous wicked without affection Incontinent unmercifull traitours stubern puffed up and lovers of voluptuousness more then of God Lay your hand upon your hart
hand of God All which Articles saith this Doctor doth Calvin willfully corrupt in his expositions in the favour of Iewes Arians and other such enemyes of Christ which hee proveth by alleadging above forty or fifty places citing Calvins owne words and commentaryes therupon soe clearly and perspicuously against sence and expositions of all holy Fathers that if his commentaryes therin were to bee admitted those foure named points or Articles of Christian Religion can not be defended against the force and adversaryes of Christes name And is not this a brotherly agreement between Lutherans and Calvinistes in Principall points and misteryes of Religion but the Lutherans have the best of it for wheras Luther and his followers to this day condemne the Calvinists as Hereticks especially for not beleeving the Body of Christ to bee realy and substantially present in the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants of England who are Calvinists and deny the Real-presence hold Luther for a holy man and theire Father and hold all the Lutherans theire very deare bretheren in Christ as Doctor Whitaker above cited doth averre To leave Germany and to speak of the Professors of Protestanisme in England Scotland doe not many of them entertaine quarrells and falings-out among themselves about Principall Articles of Religion doe not the greatest part by much of the Protestants in England hold the King is supreme head of the Church all of one opinion with the Bishops maintaine this as an Article of Religion in that Protestant Church but the Protestants of Geneva and all depending upon theire Doctrin in France and elswhere doe not hold this Kingly supremacy for an Article of Faith and are not Catholicks punished by Law and somtymes put to death for denying this supremasy which would be a meer murthering of them and the greatest cruelty in the World if those that put them to death did not hold that supremecy to be an Article of Faith Now if you will be pleas'd to demaund what those Protestants in England and Scotland caled Presbiterians or Puritans say to this Article they flattly deny this supremacy to be an Article of Faith though none of them did ever suffer death for denying the same nay they are esteemed not with standing theire opinion in this to be of the Protestants communion A gaine all Protestants that follow the Bishops hold the dignity and superiority of Arch-Bishops and Bishops to be agrecable to Gods word and as the Devines speak de Iure Devino and what say the Presbiterians to this By theire Champion Martin Mar-Prelate and his mutenous moke-bates that band under his cullors cry all of them in the Name of the Lord as Thomas Rogers doth attest That the calling of Bishops is In his Sermon printed by Iohn windet 1590. pa. 13. unlawfull that they be Ministers of Antichrist worss then Fryers and Monks Deuills Bishops and Deuills In-carnate Sall you must grant mee these dissentions between Protestants and Protestants in England and Scotland about the Kings supremacy and the Order and Dignity of Bishops are not Triueall but Fundamentall and they have been now many years contending in theire Writings and Conferrences and still are about these points and others that are the very sinews and Soule of theire Religion in endless quarrells and Contensions If that were my Business I could sett downe many and great differrences quarells and contensions between these two kinde of Protestants In this place I think it pertinent to say somthing particularly of the Protestants called Presbiterians who were neuer by any act of Parlament that wee could heare of proscribed from the Communion of the Protestants that stick to the Religion of the King and the Bishops Impiety Fury and Rebellion gave beginning to this Sect and Religion in Scotland as hath been aboue said in Page 164. and 165. They had two Reformations the first was begun by Iohn Knox an Apostata Priest and though his Reformation was ungodly and unreasonable the second was farre more unreasonable and ungodly A Presbiterian that was converted to the Catholick Faith describes the Presbiterian Piety in this kinde There was among us a pretext of Piety but wee had not the substance of it wee had indeed much preaching praying fasting and such like exercises but our long preachings were nothing but continuall prayses of the Covenant the solemne League which they cry'd up to the heavens butt wee omitted as our Saviour observed of the Pharisies the weighty Matters of the Law as Iudgment Mercy and Faith Our Ministers told us wee were the happiest People of the World for they said wee only of all Nations had the honour to be Covenanters with God and that wee had the truth of the Ghospell in greater purity then Geneva it selfe that wee had soe cleare a light that the like had not shined to any Nation since the tymes of the Apostles yea one who was esteemed a principall Apostle among us did not stick to say in the pulpitt amidst the many Miserys Confusions and Troubles which then lay upon this Church and Nation That the Angells and Saints of heaven if they could leave the sight of God would be glad to come downe and see the admirable beauty of the Presbiterian Church of Scottland Soe farre this new Catholick And was not this ridiculous preacher with the beauty of his Scottish Kirck a great Hipocrite and Pharisie It was much observed that shortly after solemne fastes of Presbiterians the country and state was allways sure of some unhappy claps the puritan fast was still fatal and ordinarily a preparation to some violence or evill worke that was intended this made many understand what Queene Mary Stuart meant by that famous saying That shee was as much affraid of a fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers for experience taught her that those fasts were prognostick signes of ensuing tempests theire long prayers alsoe did not prove them to be Saints more then the like did sanctify the Pharasyes they bragged much of the spiritt but shew'd noe fruites therof these bee the fruites of the spiritt which Saint Paul recounts to the Galatians The fruite of Ad Galat. cap. 5. the spiritt saith hee is love joy peace long suffering Gentelnesse goodness Faith meekness c. This second Presbiterian â—eformation beganne with a prodigious abolishment of all holy things Mala arbor Malos fructus faciâ— 1. They condemned and cast downe Episcopacy this they doe whersoever they have power quite contrary to the Law of God for Episcopacy is de Iure Divino This order and degree they abhor'd as Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian yet Saint Paul writing to Timothey saith If a man desireth a Bishops Office hee desireth 1. Tim. cap. 3. a good thing The Apostle likewise affirmeth that Bishops are to Order Priests and Iudge them wherfore hee saith in his Epistle to Titus That hee left Ad Titum Cap. 1. him in Cret to Order Priestes by Cittys By this it is plaine and evident that
other Kingdoms of the Indies theire memorable labours noe man can deny this truth have carried the name of Christ to the new world and dilated holy Religion and the bounds of the Church to the furthest ends of the earth they have puld downe Idols and lifted up the Standart of the Crosse in place of them Sall the Church you have betaken your selfe to hath done none of these Godly things and they and all sort of Hereticks hate the Society above all Orders and doe enviously sting them in all theire Books and writings come say all Hereticks let us stricke the Society of Iesus with our Hiero. cap. 11. tongue let us obscure the Glory of that people Let mee speake without offence or derogating to any other order I love from my hart and honour all Religious orders in the house of God that the Society may bee termed for vertue the salt of the earth and for Learning the light of the world A person of eminent dignity in the Church hee lives as yet defending the innocensy and good fame of the Society in a certaine point against a virulent Calumny cast upon them concluded his discourse thus Desine tandem maledice persequi ordinem Societatis Iesu putidisque Calumniis impetere ordinem Deo Sacrum regibus fidum â—oâ—bus integrum Litteris Florentem Doctis Charum Ecclesiae utilem orbi Christiano Necessarium contra hoc genus hominum Innocentiae Clypeo tectum in vanum murmurâ—t tua invidia contra hos pugnans Langues tanquam apis sine aculeo That is Detractour leaue of persecuting the Society of Iesus and raysing fiâ—thy Calumnyes against an Order dedicated to God Loyal to Kings intire in their wayes florishing in Learning deare to the Learned usefull to the Church Necessary to the World in vaine does your enuy murmure against this kind of people that are protected with the Buckler of Innocency you labour in vaine against them like an idle drone Another writer says much more Sylvester Maurelius in Lib. 5. Oceani Religionum in this Language Quid de iis dicam qui pro fideâ— Christianae defensione sanaque Doctrina Sanguinem largè profuderunt tinxerunt Oceanum littora camposque rigarunt patibula tribunalia made fecerunt contemptis tortoribus lanienis atque ipso Tartaro jam fulgent in Caelo prae rutilis adamantibus velut stellae resplendent That is What shall I say of those who for defence of Christian Faith and true Doctrine have copiously shed their Bloud have dyed both the Sea and shore and embrued fields sprinkled gibbetts and tribunalls contemning Torments and Tormenters and even hell it selfe and now glister in heaven more then the choisest Diamants and shine like starres Sall you have left this learned and glorious Order and they Christianly lament the same more for your misfortune then for the loss they have had by your departure they may say plainly you were not of them though you liu'd among them and they will say well for had you been of them you had stayd with them in Obedience working your Salvation in trembling and feare they are noe way troubled for the speeches of some imputing your departure as a staine to the Order which is an objection without all ground and they answer to all this vaine kinde of talk and justly saying that Iudas went out of a holier Order and from a higher dignity then theirs and yet his going out was noe staine to the Apostles Iudas his Impiety followed him but left the Colledg of th' Apostles pure and holy even soe Sall your â—mpiety goes along with you and the Society remains unspotted in its Vertue and Reputation Pro dolor Sall you are gone away from us notus est jam non tantum Patriae tuae sed etiam exteris regionibus Diabolt de te Triumphus quid tandem in his angustâ— is consilii quid remedn That is And now the Devills Triumph over you is not only knowne at home but abroade alsoe in foraine Countryes but what counselle or remedy can bee given in such a miserable Condition Your returning from Babilon where you live to Hierusalem will be your only remedy come then home Sall come home Prodigall Child thy Father is waiting for thee and will receive thee with mercy doe but say penitently Surgam tho ad Patrem and the way is cleare for you Heare Sall a voyce from heaven saying Com out of her Apoc. cap. 14 Babilon that you be not pertaker of her sinns and that you receive not of her plagues Wee Catholicks pray for Gods people that are in Babilon suffering even now heauy persecution and wee alsoe pray for the people of Babilon that persecute them that they may become Gods people and that by theire conversion Babilon may fale and Christ have his Kingdome where Satan now raignes which will bee when true pure Orthodox Religion shall prevaile in those three Kingdoms that were one day Catholick full of Saints and holy men Sall your stay in Babilon is dangerous and you know there is noe dallying with Serpents if you fale deeply in love with honours preferments and other glorious Miseryes of the Babilon yow now dwell in if a woeman lay hold of you and why may not this happen seeing you walke with those Rabbins that teach Priestes may marry and are bound to marry and did the like themselves there will bee after no hope of recovery Think therfore of coming of in time Ne peccatum tuum sensim sine sensu transeat in consuetudinem obdurationem That is Least your sinne insensibly become an obdurate Custome For it was wisely said Desinet esse locus remedio ubi quae fuerunt vitia mores fiunt That noe remedy will take place when vices become Customes You ought therfore to feare extreamly that delay of your Conversion for Custome of sinning will give Satan an absolute victory over you Give therfore eare deare Soule to Saint Augustin who was a great sinner but a greater penitent noe man can better preach in this kinde his weighty words are these Omne peccatum consuetudine vilescit fit homini quasi nullum sit obduruit jam dolorem perdidit valde putre est nec dolet quod non dolet non pro sano habendum sed pro mortuo computandum est quando aliquid pungitur dolet aut sanumest aut in illo spes aliquae Sanitatis est quando autem tangitur pungitur calcatur nec dolet pro mortuo habendum est praescindendum That is All sinne by Custome is lesse regarded and at last seemes none when a thing groes hard looses all feeling becomes putrifyed and has no sense of its insensibility t is not to bee reputed sound but dead when a thing is pricked and feeles paine it is either whole or at least there is hopes of health but when it is touched pricked bruised and feeles not t is dead and must bee cut of Many touch and handle you
sharpely for your fale from holy Faith and the Scandall you have given be not like a dead man but shew you have life and feeling and greefe for what you have done be not I say hard harted but give way to the grace of God to make a breach on the wales of your obstinate will help thy selfe man and God will helpe thee and never dispaire of Gods mercy The condition of a dispairing man is the worst that can bee for hee Iudgeth teste Augustino that God wants either power or love to save him to say either of God were a blasphemy Look upon History's Ecclesiasticall and prophane look upon Scripture the booke of life all are full of faire Examples of Gods mercy hath not Christ healed Magdalen possessed of 7. Diuells 7. Deadly sinns hath hee not pardoned Peeter that deny'd him hath hee not made Paul that did persecute him a vessel of election and Doctor of Nations hath hee not given heaven to the good theefe for one â—ct of contrition and love This theef's owning of Christ to bee the sonne of God when all the world seem'd to abandon him was a most Heroick Confession Harken Sall to the Comfortable words of great Saint Iohn Chrisostem to an afflicted sinner inclining to dispaâ—re Si Publicanus es potes fieri Evangelista si Blasphemus potes fieri Apostolus si latro Caeli civis ne dic peccavi qui habes medicum Potentiorem agritudine tua That is If you are a publican you may become an Evangelist if you are a Blasphemer you may become an Apostle if a theefe a cittizen of heaven say not I have sinned seeing you have a Phisitian able to master your disease Heare the words of God himselfe to a Soule that had committed many Fornications which are full of Consolation Tu fornicata es cum multis amatoribus Icrem Cap. 3. tamen revertere ad me reciptam te Who would not fly out of Babilon to adore soe loving a God come then out of that accurssed mantion and place the Ship of your Soule in the Haven of safty by returning to the Catholick Faith and State of Religion you were formerly of and walking with your devout and Religious Bretheren between the mountain of Mythe and Hill of Frankincense There can bee nothing more safe and happy then the life of a good Religious personne whose occupation during life is an incessant voyaging between the odoriferous Mountaine of Myrh and Hill of Frankincense What is Myrh Mortification of the Body hayre Cloath Fasting and Pennance And what is Frankincense but fervent and humble Prayer In this Myrh and Frankincense consisteth the Soule of Religion and Godly Soules mortifying theire Bodys and elevating theire harts and mindes to heaven in the Contemplation of holy things and sincerely contemning for the love of God all Pomp Riches Pleasures Vanityes and glory of the World enjoy perfect and neuer decaying delights wheras the greatest Pleasures of the Potentates and Minions of this World vanish away like smoke and only leave the sting of a tormenting mind behind them But the greatest Joy of a perfect Religious Soule is crowned when her louing spouse Iesus finding her perfum'd and sanctify'd with Myrh and Frankincense calls upon her in this amorous Language Tota pulchra es amica mea macula non est Cant. Cap. 4. in te Veni de Libano sponsa mea veni de Libano vent coronaberis That is Thou art faire my love there is not a spott in thee come from Libanus my spouse come from Libanus come thou shalt be crowned I wonder Sall your hart is not brooken to see you have lost those heavenly delights and are not like to tast of them any more I pray returne returne with Pennance and teares that you may enjoy them againe be not ashamed to confesse the errour that rob'd you of those innocent pleasurs Saint Augustin a great Saint and witt did not stick to confess his errours in the Sect of the Manichtes and with much humility retracted his Opinions doe what hee did and think seriously on these words of Saint Bernard to one that had gone a stray Turpe est tibi falsitate seduci veritate non reduci That is It is a shamefull thing to bee seduced with falsity and not reduced with verity Sall I am forced here to put a period to this my unpolished though wel meant discourse drawne to a farre greater length then I expected and truly decaying age with sharpe panges of severall Infirmityes God is pleased to vissit mee with all scarce gave mee leave to finish what is done The shining Sunne of my happier years if any of them have been soe is now setting And though I count two years a bove 70. I must say what the Patriarch Iacob said to King Pharao The King demaunded his age saying Quot sunt dies annorum Genes cap. 47. vitae tuae That is How many be the days of the years of thy life Iacob answered Dies peregrinationis meae Centum triginta Annorum sunt parvi mali That is The days of the Pilgrimage of my life are an hundred thirty yeares few and evill A great part of my life hath beeâ—e spent in Pilgrimage and motion from Kingdome to Kingdome and that by necessity and not by election they forced mee to wander that persecuted Christ and true Religion but theire power is now at an end though not theire evill will because my tyme of liuing is neare ended and alas though neare my end and the upshot of my life I am forced to use Iacobs language Dies Annorum meorum parvi mali The days of my years are few and euill Mali having in my life tyme done little good and much euill by offending the infinit goodness of my God Parvi The days before mee being to few to lament my sinns and apease the anger of God Oh that I were in such a state and tranquility of conscience that I could with confidence and flaming desires cry out with S. Paule Cupio dissolut esse cum Christo But I am farre from that Sanctity and my sinns Delicta inventutis mea make mee tremble and feare What then remaines to be done by an inconsolable sinner such as I am This only that my care and feare in the little tyme I have to live be wholy imploy'd for a good goeing out of this Babilon of pride Iniquity and vanity O deare Iesus grant for thy mercy to Sall and mee a holy and happy Houâ—e of our departure out of this World In delating the Argument of this little Book I have said much against the way Sall hath taken and his flight out of the House of God but all with true Charity and a pure Intention And now Sall let mee speak to you in Saint Bernards Language to one that was dangerously erring Iactavi semen Dominicum deprecant Deum uâ— non revertatuâ— vacuum That is I have soed the heavenly seed begging God it