Let us looke a little also into Flanders upon one of the most inhumane Sons of those unnaturall and unreasonable Popes of Rome who may indeed be Instar omnium I meane that Duke or rather Devill D' Alva who himselfe publikely professed that he had destroy'd and kil'd by torments 180 80 of the reformed Protestants in Flanders in the space of 6 yeares merely for the cause of Religion Yea who caused women with child to have their bellies ript open and their innocent infants to be slaine the men to be flead and their skins to head drums Some to be burned with gentle fires which would hardly burn therby to lengthen out and strengthen their paines and miseries made others to be torn in peices with glowing fiery-tongs and the very carcases of dead Protestants lust as you heard of their Satanicall Sires the fore-mentioned Popes to be digged out of their graves and hanged on gallowes and was not here a devill of hell indeed only covered with flesh in a mans shape In Westphalia also in Germany the Infants were by the Romish bloud-bounds there torne out of the wombs of great bellied women cut in peeces so bound to the mouths of their Mothers ô unpatern'd and unparalel'd Monsters of men the like hellish hearts never heard of men forced there by famin to feed on the flesh of their own children and tender infants of about 2 yeares old twice more barbarous than bloody Herod were inclosed againe in their mothers bodies and so strangled in their mothers bloud yea and the men which is as shamelesse as savage were hanged up by their privy-members if ever Turks or Iewes or any other most inhumane and godles Canibals or Heathens whomsoever could execute more savage and odious barbarities to mortals let any either Protestant or Papist be judge Besides let us here call to mind which I had almost forgot and omitted the 100000 Christian and godly Albigenses who perished at the word and by the sword of Pope Innocent the 3d and that from the beginning of the Iesuites Society to 1580 being the space of 30 yeares almost 900000 Protestants were put to death in France England Spaine Italie Germanie and other countries and parts of Christendome nay in France alone an 100000 Protestants or Hugonets as there they terme them were shamefully murthered in a short season Bartholomew de Case also did witnesse with his tongue and pen who saw it with his eyes that within the space of 40 yeares the Spaniards those bloudie sons of their bloudie and barbarous fathers the Popes of Rome had killed and destroyed by most hideous horrible waies and devices of tortures to destruction not lesse than 15 millions of the poor West-Indians whō they conquered and then so cruelly destroyed that the very poor Heathens themselves at last hearing of a heaven and a hell after this life and of the eternall happinesse of the one and everlasting horrour of the other and demanding Whither the Spaniards went when they were dead and it being answered to Heaven O said they then we will never goe thither where the Spaniards are to be Say now then good Reader who ever thou art are not these Popes excellent Pastours And are not such Popish Swords and torments precious Pastures to feed and breed up poore conquered and captivated wretches bodies and soules in their most accursed pinfolds And thinke not I desire thee that these relations are untruths and fictious effects of my spleen and wrath to Rome and Romanists but if thou pleasest to enquire thou shalt find all I have writ justified by authentick authours both Popish themselves and others also and especially these latter and most lamentable barbarities testified for most true by a witnes without exception being a strange and strong friend and favourer of Papists and Poperie yea so farr their friend as not to be afraid nor asham'd in his pulpit publikly to preach and professe that Papists in England and Ireland were the Kings best friends and most loyall and loving Subjects though he himselfe had formerly both preached and printed these fearfull relations of them I meane that abhominable apostate Iohn Squire late priest of Shorditch in his Sermons on 2 Thess 2. preached in Pauls Church and extant in print with many others I say both moderne and ancient Writers whom for brevitie sake I have all along purposely pretermitted but to go-on Besides those ineffable cruelties fore-mentioned thus done to the bodies of poore Christians ô the hellish impieties done to the poore soules of those that survived and were inforced by captivity and conquering thraldome to live in the spiritually burning brick-kils of such terrible soule-taske-masters to live I say under their spirituall whoredomes and Romish fornications to the most fearfull and finall damnation of both their bodies and souls at last a misery farre beyond all forespoken And were not these then monstrous and mighty Nimrods indeed hunters I say not of beasts but of mens bodies and souls and that even before the Lord too most impiously and impudently carelesse and fearlesse of Gods all-seeing eye or revengfull hand against them But to proceed I might here in the last place call to the Readers remembrance for the finishing of this 5th peece of Babylons Beautie and bloudie Braverie the fiery flames mixed with much precious bloud of Gods deare Saints and Martyrs in those Popish Marian daies in this Kingdome of England wherein so many hundreds of holy and heavenly servants and souldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ of both sexes and all sorts and ages by the accursed cruelty and tyranny of Popish Prelates and other Antichristians right bloudie sons of the fearlet Whore of Rome gave their bodies most willingly and chearfully to be tortured and burned to ashes only for the name of the Lord Jesus and his most pure and precious Truth and Gospell Yea I might here also call to just remembrance the furious rage and wrath of the Spanish Antichristian sons of the Romish Strumpet those White-boys of their murderous Mother Babylon in their formidable and but blessed be our good God falsly called and counted Invincible Armado or fleet of mighty ships by sea in an 1588. set out with all the engines and accoutrements of malice and mischief to invade and ruinate to over-runne and overthrow this our kingdome of England and our most precious Lady and Soveraigne Qn. Elizabeth that most fair Phenix and famous paragon of her time and crowne of her Sex a Princesse of ever most blessed and precious memorie And when they saw that this by Gods mighty power and most mercifull providence prevailed not O the many plots and conspiracies which the pernicious Pope of Rome Spaine and their hellish Jebusites contrived and attempted against the sole and sacred person of that precious Princesse to bring her and her Protestant people and kingdome to ruine and destruction As hath beene fully and exactly related
timely and true repentance of their faire estates and more precious bodies and souls Here then I desire in the first place briefly to acquaint the Reader with the whole Method and Module of this mine intended Description following Namely first to speake of and relate some speciall peeces and passages among very many other of all sorts to be found recorded in Popish and Ecclesiasticall Histories of Babylons Beautie in the intolerable Pride and Insolencie of the Popes of Rome Secondly to shew and set forth Romes insatiable and most greedie Covetousnesse and Avarice making sale of all yea soules and bodies too for gold and gaine Thirdly to delineate and lay open Romes whorish Incontinencie and uncleannesse whereby she is indeed most fitly called and counted the whore of Rome Fourthly to blazon-out their abominable Blasphemies and devillish Impieties whereby they are farre more reall Atheists than Christians which name they just Judas like use only as a cloake to cover and conceale their abhominations Fiftly to limne-out even to the life the deadly and most desperate Tyrannie and crueltie of these accursed Popish and inhumane Canibals enough to make any Christian heart to quake and tremble at the very perusall thereof Sixtly and lastly to fit and compose a faire frame to hang up this Beautifull-Picture into conspicuous and open view of Romes so radiant lustre and glistring Beautie in an exact Paralell or Antithesis of the ancient doctrine of Christ and the diametrally opposite new doctrine of Antichrist in divers most materiall fundamentals And so having thus completed this our picture to shut up and conclude all with a succinct hortatory Epilogue to Papists and formall faultring and paultring Protestants whose Religion is yet to choose by a just and serious reflection and rumination on all the weighty premises to hate and abhominate so impious and odious so detestable dangerous yea damnable a religion and such intolerably jugling and dissembling White-devils and Romish hypocrites the fathers and fautours of such exorbitant abhominations And now to come to the intended matter The first Romish figure and feature of the Pope of Rome whereby Babylons Beautie will be most lively and lustrously set forth shall be in the excessive and transcendently unsufferable Pride of this Romish-whore which may first most manifestly appeare in Pope Hildebrand that most abhominable fire-brand of hell testified by Cardinall Bennon who lived about the yeare 1080. Which said Hildebrand upon discontent and distaste at some petty disgust offered to him at least as this proud Pope conceived by Henrie the fourth then Emperour of Rome demanding an answer from the Sacrament for you must note by the way he was also a notorious Nigromancer against the said Emperour and it not answering he most proudly and blasphemously cast the Sacrament into the fire and there burnt it If Popes be so proud and audacious to use their god their Creatour thus what wonder is it if they use the creature so coursly and cruelly Yet here he stayed not but shortly after excommunicated the said Emperour deprived and deposed him from his Empire and by his owne insolent and usurped power nominated Rodulph Duke of Suevia Emperour in his stead and sent this verse to his new made Emperour PETRA DEDIT PETRO PETRUS DIADEMA RODULPHO Christ gave to Peter Crownes Peter to us We then th' Emperiall Crowne give Rodulph thus Henry the fore-said Emperour hearing thereof and much disquieted thereat divested himselfe of his imperiall ornaments and with his wife and little sonne in the midst of Winter came to Canusium the Popes palace clothed in linnen and bare footed being there made a spectacle as writes the said Cardinall Bennon to angels and men and thus the good Emperour fasting from morning to night remained at the Popes gate humbly craving the Popes mercie and admittance into his presence but was forced thus to stand and wait full three daies together being only still answered The Bishop was busie and could not yet be spoken with But at last at the request and mediation of the Countes Mathilda whom the Pope greatly loved and some others the Pope commanded marke this pride he should enter Being entred he againe most humbly craved the Popes pardon and gave the Pope his Crowne but the Pope would not for all this either pardon or absolve him from his Excommunication till he had promised to purge himselfe in the Councell with other unlawfull and most unseemly conditions all which though the Emperour promised to performe yet he would not restore him to his Empire Wherupon Henry this Emperour afterward in battell vanquished the said Rodulph whom the Pope had made Emperour as afore said Yet this Rodulph being dead the Pope made Emperour one Herman Count of Lucenburg whom also a woman after it slew with a Stone and yet for all this this most malicious and proud Pope did not cease to vex and reject the good Emperour Henry but nominated a third Emperour against him who also being newly made Emperour was miserably slaine by the Imperialists And was not here a Luciferian Pope indeed as full of Pride as a Toad is of poyson Boniface also the 8th was such a proud and arrogant Beast that his very Cardinals could not endure him for his extreme pride and ambition This is he of whom 't was written that he entred like a Fox lived like a Lion and died like a Dogge Besides about the yeare 1159. Fredericke then Emperour going to Rome Pope Adrian the fourth and his Clergie met the Emperour at Sutrio where the Emperour alighting from his horse led the Popes horse by the bridle and held his left stirop for the Pope to alight whereupon the Pope derided the Emperour because he held not the right stirop with which derision the Emperour being displeased only with a smile answered That he never had been a horse-boy But surely had a daring wise man seene this he might have told his Majestie herein he shewed himselfe little better then an horse-boy for as the Relation goes on the day following the Pope came to the Emperours Campe and there the Emperour mindfull of the Popes former reproofe better performed his office now and held the Popes right stirop for him This proud Pope Adrian afterward was choaked with a poore little flie which he sodainly swallowed and died thereof A remarkable testimonie of Gods wrath for so high swolne pride in making such a poor despicable creature his confusion About the yeare also 1180 Alexander the third Pope of Rome being mightily puft-up with the mountanous tympanie of pride and arrogancie by reason of a great victorie he had obtained compelled Fredericke then Emperour of Rome to come on a day appointed by the said Pope to S. Marks in Venice and there before all the people he commanded the Emperour to prostrate himselfe flat on the ground before the Pope and so to crave his mercie and pardon
Dist 19. cap in Can. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that the worship of images is well-pleasing to God and very necessarie and profitable to the Church and are Lay-mens bookes and that therefore he which teacheth the contrary is accursed and anathematized Con. Trid. Sess 9. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that Christians ought to invocate the Saints departed to be aided by their intercession to God as being Gods familiars and that it is a false wicked opinion to teach or believe the contrary and that be which so teacheth or beleeveth is accursed Con. Trid. Sess 9. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that Christ is not a perfect Saviour as dying only for originall sin not actuall sins and that therfore masses indulgences and purgatories must cleanese the rest Lib. 4. Sam. Dist 17 18 and that Saints and Angels do and must mediate for us Lib. 4. Sent Dist 45. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that the Masse is also a sacrifice for the remission of sinnes both of the quick and the dead Con. Trid. Sess 6. Can. 2. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that not faith only but workes also doe justifie us Conc Trid. Sess 6. Can. 11. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that the particular justification of men and much more their salvation is very uncertain so that men must always doubt of their salvation and that the contrary is meere presumption Conc. Trid. Sess 6. Can. 13. Cens Colon. fol. 96. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that the Pope is the head and spouse of the Church and vicar of Christ upon earth and having the keyes of heaven and hell can save damn and therefore all his decrees ought to be obeyed by all men In exorium Tom. 22. Tit. 5. c. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that in the worship of God we must use the Latine tongue Bel. de verb. Dei l. 2. c. 15. 14. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought to be given and dispersed in bread and wine to the Priests only and to the Laity in the bread only Concil Trid Sess 5. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that matrimonie is a carnall estate and to be forbidden to the Clergie and that it is better for Prelates and Priests to live in fornication than lawfully to marry Bel. de Monachis lib. 2. cap. 34. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that it is not lawfull for Christians under pain of mortall sin to eat all sorts of meats at all times and on all daies alike Distin 4 Ca. statuimus c. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that faith ought not to be kept with hereticks and that it is lawfull to violate oaths and promises for the Catholicks Cause As it was concluded in the Councell at Constance The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that Ecclesiasticall men are not subject to the secular powers but to the Pope only Lib. Decret Gregor Tit. 33. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that Antichrist is yet to come of the race of the Jewes of the Tribe of Dan. and that the place of his kingdome or seat shall be at Jerusalem Bel. de Roman Pontif. lib. 3. c. 12. 13. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that there are many places for the souls departed to wit heaven hell limbos patrū limbos infantium Purgatorte another place more honourable joyning to Purgatory Bel de pu◠2. c. 6 7. And finally to sum up all in one Apothegme We are saies Bozius a great Popish Writer obliged to obey the Pope even as Christ nay they have another sentence one degree beyond this The Pope permitteth one Canon to be in his Decretals which saith That S t Paul himself did speake against all truth and reason Can. hac Rat. Causa 31. qu. 1. See here good Reader did ever any dare so directly and audaciously to oppose Christ and his Gospell of Truth No certainly never any other in the world And what say'st thou now good Reader have I not represented to thine eyes and thoughts a strange picture of a most strange strumpet set out and adorned with all the lustrous colours of her most base Babylonish Beauty And fitted it with a faire frame of so many of Romes damnable doctrines fit now to be seen and shewne to the whole world to Romes and all Romanists eternall shame and indelible infamy And may I not now thinkest thou truly say to all Papists yea and to all formall Protest 〈◊〉 large too as once Pilate said though in another sense Ecce homo yea Ecce homines behold the man and his impious Imps whom thus yee strive and struggle to make your god See I say what a goodly god ye have gotten what a King ye have made unto you What a brave Baal of your owne inventing and devising And since ye will needs have another King of your own making and have rejected King Jesus who is and ought to be your right and sole soveraigne I have now therefore with the holy Prophet Samuel shewn and described to you and to all men what a king ye have gotten and what he will as he hitherto hath done do unto you and how he will tyrannize over you Which being seriously considered and set home to the heart and soule of any intelligent and but meer-naturally seeing either Papist or formall Protestant for truly these also are Romes 100 deare and neare friends and favourers that is well in his wits and then tell me for I must expostulate with you as Joash Gideons father did with the idolatrous men of his City will ye can ye dare ye now plead for this so abominable Baal of Rome Can ye save him from Gods resolved wrath and revenge on him Will ye thus spend and waste your goods and lands and destroy your Country King and 3 famous and once flourishing kingdomes yea your lives and bodies and soules too for the propping and supporting of such a rotten pained or rather putrified Whore on whom the Lord God is now as he hath fore-told long since about to poure out the full viols of his fury yea the very lees and dreggs of his wrath and indignation And why Why the Spirit of God there tels us v. 6. Because she hath shed the bloud of the Saints and Prophets of the Lord therefore God will now give her bloud to drinke for she is worthy even for this and for all her false and filthy fornications and abominations wherewith she hath abused besotted and intoxicated the kings and kingdomes of the earth Have yee not yet seene and knowne enough by all these admirable demonstrations and fearefull descriptions of this jugling Baal of Rome both in the pristine and present peeces of her Babylonish Beautie that she is but a most impious and audacious destructive Deluder and impostor a most pestilent and poysonous lying lover not to be delighted in but contrariwise to be most detestably disliked
Babylons Beautie OR THE ROMISH-CATHOLICKS SWEET-HEART Containing a most lively and lovely Description of Romes Cardinall Vertues and rarest Endowments with her Apostolicall Benedictions on Kings and Kingdomes under her tyrannicall Subjection briefly and bravely depainted in their Native-splendour A worke most seasonably composed for the revived eternall shame of all the mad-Maintainers and Idolizers of Romes great Diana so cried-up and fought for now a daies by Papists Atheists and formall Malignant Protestants By John Vicars REVEL 17. 2 3 4. And I saw a Woman sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of Blasphemie And the Woman was arayed in purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious-stones and pearles With whom the Kings of the Earth had committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth had been drunke with the wine of her fornication Imprimatur James Cranford London Printed by G. M. for Ralph Rounthwait M. DC XLIV TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE Lady Rebeccah Wollaston Lady Majoresse of the most famous and renowned City of London and to the Right Worshipfull the Ladie Anne Sprignall Two most eminent Patronesses and Patterns of Virtue and Piety J V. ever prayeth all encrease of Grace here and fulnesse of Glorie hereafter Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull THe many deepe tyes and fast-binding Ligaments of obliged Gratitude which have long time tied me in all sincere observances to both your good Ladyships doe extraordinarily induce nay enforce me to most serious study and resolution to lay happy hold on all opportunities though but in any small measure rather than to incur the least suspect of black Ingratitude hatefull to God and men to manifest the integrity of my most gratefull Heart in any in all my sincere Services and best abilities And having now composed and compiled this little Treatise entituled Babylons Beautie or The Romish-Catholickes Sweet-heart Even a briefe Description of that impudent and audacious Whore of Rome the Great Diana of these back sliding daies Me thought I could not possibly pitch upon more fit Patrons thereof than your good Ladiships my ever worthily most honoured good Friends whom I know by most happie experience to be two most eminently gracious and grave Matrons in this our Israel two most fruitfull and faithfull Professours and practisers of true Piety and Holines yea I say two most hearty and heroick haters and contemners of this Romish-Strumpet and all her most detestable Idolatries and abhominable superstitious fooleries and mimicall fopperies in Religion meer baubles of Babel to mock and cheat the children of errour disobedience Accept then Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull I humbly pray you this small Symboll and true Testimonie of my most gratefull heart and ever every way bounden best services for many most immerited sweet favours truly and duly devoted to both your good Ladyships Which singular favour and accustomed Christian Candour will and that most meritoriously extraordinarily add unto and mightily augment the already deep endeerments of Your good Honours and Worships in his Prayers his Best ever to be commanded John Vicars To the Reader Courteous Reader HAving very lately compiled and published a little Treatise entituled A Looking-glasse for Malignants and finding that it hath been entertained with much love and candid approbation I have been thereby greatly encouraged againe to put my pen to paper and here now to present unto thee a Beautifull Object to look-upon even a lively but scarce lovely picture of the Pope of Rome and her most pregnant Proselites the Papists which I have Ironically entituled Babylons Beautie I remember that I have read it was a custome among the Lacedemonians that to make their children the more to hate that filthy sin of Drunkennesse they would bring them into the sight and presence of starke Drunkards that thus seeing with their owne eyes the base and beastly behaviours of those Swinish Drunkards that most filthy sinne might appeare the more odious and detestable to their children So I seriously considering with my selfe the most strange foolish and faithlesse doting disposition and most mad humour of very many sottish and senslesse men and women Protestants forsooth of the largest size as well as bewitched Papists so extremely to admire and adore the filthie and rotten Strumpet of Rome in all her most abhominable Babylonish Beauty or rather and most rightly stupendious deformity I doubt not but in zeale to my God and Christian love and pitty to my country mens poore perishing soules desire with those ancient Lacedemonians to set before their eyes if they will not wilfully and obstinately blinde them a most true and exact description even Ad amussim propriis â—c genuinis coloribus of the main and most materiall abhominations and intoxications of the most audacious and shamelesse Whore of Rome who with the cup of her poysonous fornications hath made the Prince and people of the earth mad-drunke even to execrable loathing That hereby if it be possible I might make them loath hate and abhorre the same in the serious sight therof And now especially in these our base back-sliding and impiously apostatizing times from truth and holinesse wherein men and women do so degenerously look-back at and like and long for the stinking Garlick and Onions of Romish Egypt even to the eternall hazarding of all they have of all they are both bodies and soules And this good Reader I have the rather now done first because of the conveniencie of this worke to these present times whereby I have a most just occasion to cast a little of her owne dung into the face of that impudent Whore of Rome yea now I say when she is so sottishly adored admired and desired by many Malignant or Atheisticall Protestants forsooth and all under the specious vizard of any beggarly Peace Unitie and Conformity Secondly to ease the Reader of much pains to see and search out these things in other Authours both ancient and moderne which are both various and voluminous and so very hard to be found by them without much tediousnesse and trouble Thirdly to ease poore mens purses and expences hereabout who cannot be at the charge if at least they have a desire to see or know these things to buy or procure the great volumes wherein these matters are scatteringly contained Farre much more I acknowledge may be said on this subject even enough to fill great volumes and to tyre and terrifie the most patient inquisition for them but this may suffice I hope to stop the mouths of pernicious Papists and their left-hand-Brothers our mischievous Malignants profane Protestants at large whom any Religion or no Religion will better content than the true Religion which so presses the practise of the power of Godlinesse the main thing they so mightily maligne and desperately despise scorne and scoffe at Whom therefore leaving to their great and most righteous Master to whom they must either stand or fall hoping these few and faithfull collections will give much seasonable content and
therewithall she immediately died O was not here a brave breach of their loud and lying bragge of an uninterrupted succession of Popes and Bishops of Rome And yet so impudent are they to cry out unto us to this day of their lineall succession as a maine marke of their Apostolicall but indeed Apostaticall Church Pope Benedict the eighth also being he that was fore-mentioned that sold away his Popedome to Gregorie the sixth for a 1500. lb. was a most notorious fornicatour and adulterer and such an horrid Nigromancer and sorcerer that at last he was most hideously strangled to death by the devill himselfe as their owne Popish Historians testifie Pope John the thirteenth also was a most filthie and lustfull man and condemned of many grosse enormities especially for his Incontinencie being accused before the Emperour Otho the fourth in a Synod at Rome that he had committed incest with two of his owne Sisters that he had destored maidens turned his sacred palace forsooth into a stinking Stews that he had lyen with one Stephana his fathers Concubine and with the widow Reynera and with another widow called Anna and with his neece and at last he was stabbed to death by the husband of one that found him in the act of adulterie with his wife Pope Hildebrand also that brand of hell of whom we made mention before for his monstrous pride and insolencie was also a most notorious and filthy adulterer yet most stiffely and desperately forbad Priests marriage O most abhominable and monstrous hypocrite This devillish Beast was also a most wicked Nigromancer and Inchanter Honorius the 2d Pope of Rome sent into England one John of Crema Cardinall of S. Grison his Legate which Cardinall in a Councell by him held in London condemned all married Priests and the very night following he himselfe was taken to give you the very expression of my Historian with the theft in his hand was taken in bed with a wicked woman in the very act of adultery And was not here another egregious Romish hypocrite And Pope Innocent rather Nocent the eighth had eight sons and eight daughters yet never was married And might not they all most properly indeed say unto him O Papa O Father but most improperly and injuriously most holy Father And which was most extreme impudence in the Popes of Rome they most of them having many bastards both before and after they came to be Popes were so farre from being asham'd thereof that they let the world see how fatherlike care they had of them that they made some of them Kings Dukes Popes Cardinals Arch-bishops Queenes and Countesses and lifted them up to such like princely preferments And finally so horribly wicked was John Arch-bishop of Benevent and deane of the Apostolick-chamber for sooth and Nuncio to Pope Julius the 3d that he compiled a booke in commendation and praise of the abhominable sinne not fit to be once named which said booke was printed at Venice And doe not all these most odiously and infamously shew what a pure and chaste Spouse of Christ this Vicar forsooth of Christ and head of his Church this beastly Whore of Babylon is who thus frequently and filthily prostitutes soule and bodie both in her selfe and proselites to such more than belluine abhominations And is not here a deepe dyed colour even in graine of this most audacious brazen fac'd Strumpets Babylonish Beauty And yet though as the Lord bad the Prophet Ezekiel we have thus far digged into the wall and seen within thus many of Romes secret abhominations Yet I say I must desire the good Readers Christian patience and I shall as the Lord again and again bad the said holy Prophet goe yet farther into the Temple at Rome and shew you yet greater abhominations if it may be than all these before specified in now delivering and observing in the next place the most accursed and Atheisticall Blasphemies and other impieties of this most vicious Vicar forsooth of Christ of this spurious Successour of pious Peter and wherein we shall shew you how patly he followes the patterne and imitation of Christ and his Apostles in their pure Apostolicall vertues and graces And first I shall instance in that Pope John the 13th fore mentioned and branded as then with most blacke markes of infamie for his abhominable lust and incontinencie so now also againe with the hellish coale of diabolicall blasphemie For this Pope in playing at dice for no small summes of money ye may believe invocated the devill to get the games And in his cups would drinke healths to the devill as Luithprandus an ancient Historian testifies Pope Sylvester the 2d also from his youth gave himselfe extremely to Inchantments and Witch-craft and as Platina writes of him he contracted and covenanted with the devill in his youth to give him both his body and soul conditionally that he might by his means attain to great worldly pomp and dignities Which the devill accordingly performed for him being as the Scripture cals him the Prince of this world yet but by Gods permission and that only in the sons of disobedience who afterward ascending up to the Popes Chair and being by the devils assistance made Pope of Rome he had a Copper-head which he kept secret which alwayes gave him an answer of what from time to time hee demanded of the devill At last hee was desirous to know of the devill how long he should be Pope Who as his custome alwayes was even in the oracles at Delphos and els where doubtfully answering tould him he should not die untill he had said Masse in Ierusalem Hereat Pope Sylvester much rejoyced resolving and purposing with himselfe never to goe to the City of Jerusalem But it was a custome in Rome that on a certaine fixed day in Lent the Popes of Rome must say Masse in the Church of the holy-Crosse called also Jerusalem Where and when Sylvester being forgetfull of the devills deceipt celebrated Masse there and was instantly taken with a great burning fever The Pope then Sayes Petrus Premostratensis and Bennon two ancient writers Knowing by the roaring of the devills that his end was neare and being in extreme sorrowes besought those about him to cut off his hands and tongue giving them the reasons of his desire therein and so shortly after died See here then O blinde Roman Catholicks as ye like to be call'd and counted tell me can your holy father the Pope of Rome erre or not Where now was his pretended spirit of infallibilitie so inseperably inherent as ye most lyingly prate to the Papall Chaire And it is frequently reported and testified by their Historians that all the Popes from this Pope Sylvester the 2d to Gregorie the 7th a notorious villaine for his life and a great Inchanter which were 18 of them successively immediately one after another were notorious Inchanters and Nigromancers a sweet brood hatcht up
authour of Sacred Writ And that the Reader may see this horrible presumption and audacious and blasphemous arrogancy of the Pope and his damned Tridentine Doctours I shall give thee a most exact Ocular-paralell in certaine briefe Antitheses or opposite tenets and most evident differences and contrarieties betweene Christ the pure fountaine of Truth yea Truth it selfe and Antichrist the muddy puddle of errour and heresie yea errour it self in the abstract which are as follow Jer. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in waies and behold and ask for the old way which is the good way and walk therin and ye shall find rest for your souls But they the Romanists said we will not walke therein Christ 1. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that the holy Scripture hath sufficient authority of it self and contains all necessarie doctrine to piety and salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 2. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that ignorance of Gods word is the mother of errours and therfore bids all Christians to reade and search the Scriptures Mat. 22. 19. Ioh. 5. 39. 3. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that many deceivers and fals-prophets are gone out into the world that therefore the faithfull are to prove the spirits whither they be of God 1 Ioh. 4. 1. and that the holy Scripture is the touch to try theÌ„ Act. 17. 11. So that all doctrin whatsoever contrary to it ought to be rejected Gal. 1. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 11. 4. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that we ought to worship and serve God alone who is the Creator and Governor of all the world following herein the doctrine of Christ Mat. 4. â—0 5. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that the lawfull worship of God is founded on the holy Scriptures and that God will be served according to his own will and word in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. and not after the opinions and traditions of men Ezek. 20. 18. Mat. 15. 9. 6. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that the worship of images is an abominable thing Deut. 27. 15. and expressely forbidden in the 2 Commandement Exo. 20. 4. and that the holy Spirit cals images teachers of lies and vanities Ier. 10 8. and therefore not to be allowed in Churches Gal. 4. 1. 7. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Christians ought to imitate the faith godlines and good doctrine of Saints as they imitated Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. But not to invocate them or put any confidence in them Isa 48. 11. Revel 19. 10. 8. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ being true God and man is the onely and perfect Saviour of the world Isa 63. 3. And the only Mediatour 'twixt God and man Act. 4. 12. Mat. 11. 28. 9. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ by the perfect sacrifice of him 〈◊〉 once offered on the crosse hath reconciled all the faithfull to God and that there remaines no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 9. 12. 26. c. 10. 12 18. 10. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that we are justified only by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law Ro. 3. 24. Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 4. 23 24. 11. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that faith is not doubtfull but assured of salvation which it hath by Christ and that true faith is not barren but full of good works the fruits thereof Heb. 11. 1. Gal. 5. 6. Phil 1 11. 12. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Iesus Christ is the head and Spouse of the Church which he governeth and teacheth by Word and Spirit and that the duty of the Church is to heare and obey the voyce of her Spouse Mat. 17. 5. Iohn 10 27. 13. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that the use of strange tongues is unprofitable in the Church of God to the ignorant auditory but all things in the Church must be for edification 1 Cor. 14. 3 6 7 8 14 The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Jesus Christ in the institution of the holy Supper brake the bread and gave it to his disciples and afterwards the wine saying drinke ye all of this making no difference at all 1 Cor. 11. 23. 15. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Matrimony is honourable among all men Heb. 13. 4. And that it is better to marry than to burne 1 Cor. 7. 9. And that to forbid marriage is a doctrine of devils 1 Tim. 4. 3. 16. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that that which entreth into the mouth defileth not the man Mat. 15. 11. And that all meats are clean to the faithfull and sanctified to them by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4. 4. Tit. 1. 15. 17. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that it is the duty of all men that are godly to speak the truth keep their faith and promise to all yea though to their hinderance Psal 15. 2. 4. Zach. 1. 16. Eph. 4. 25. 18. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that every soule ought to be subject to the higher Powers which are the Magistrates Rom. 13. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 19. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that Antichrist as God sits in the temple of God attributing to himself that w ch is proper only to God 2 Thes 2. 4. that the place of his sitting is the great City w ch hath 7 mountains w ch raigned over the kings of the earth as Rome do's Re. 17. 9 18 20. The ancient Doctrine of God teacheth that for all soules departing this life there remain but 2 places heaven and hell Joh. 5. 14. Joh. 3. 36. Luk. 16. 22 23. Antichrist The new Doctrin of Rome teacheth that the word of God hath no authority of it self that it is imperfect unsufficient to piety and salvation without the approbation of the Church unwritten traditions Bel. de verb. Dei 〈◊〉 scrip l. 4. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that ignorance is the mother of devotion and that it is safest to keepe Lay-men from reading the Scriptures as being the causes of many errors and heresies Bel. de verb. Dei The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that whosoever contradict the Pope and his decrees and humane traditions be false-teachers and that the Pope hath authority to judge all controversies of faith and to give the true sense of the Scriptures and that from him there is no lawfull appeale Bel. de verb. Dei interp l. 3. cap. 3. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that we ought not to serve God alone but also Saints and Angels as patrons of kingdomes cities people societies and infirmities Bel. de sanct beat l. 1. c. 12. The new doctrine of Rome teacheth that in Gods worship the traditions and ceremonies of the Church of Rome ought to be observed and that her Canon laws and constitutions are equall in value to the Gospell and that it is most necessarie to keepe them Dist 15. cap sicut
and loathed But if ye will blindly and blockishly persist maugre all that can be said or shewne unto you in this your grosse folly doe ye not manifest to the whole world that ye are Romae amentes haud amantes not only starke fooles but Romes meere mad-men who will bestow your love on such a lovelesse and â—â—â—thsome stinking strumpet Yea in thus doing and doting are ye not like those idolatrous sots mentioned by the Prophet who having cut downe their Cedar trees and chopt and chipt them and with part thereof made them a wooden god and with the other part thereof made them a fire and warmed themselves thereat saying Aha we are warme and have seene the fire made of a part of the same Cedars whereof we have made our gods which we worship O grosse absurdity in their so doing wherof I say may not all wise hearted and godly Christians fitly turn that sottish Aha into a just Haha of laughter scorne and derision to see and observe with those idolatrous Hebrewes the Romish sots and idiots of ours and former times call and account admire and adore such Romish Beasts such stupendiously execrable Strumpets of spirituall fornication and idolatry most worthy of all contempt and hatred their gods and their Saviours For shame for shame flie from them hate and abhorr them as most noy some loathsom poysonous stinging Serpents as the bitter bane and mortiferous Henbane of your estates bodies and soules And as Elijah said to the slaggering Israelites of his times so say I to you all both Papists and formall wavering Protestants as I touched this passage at the beginning of this Treatise if the Lord be God follow him and him only But if Baal be God the contrary whereof I thinke hath been abundantly proved then follow him O why halt ye thus between 2 opinions Or rather why joyne ye your selves so closely to such false-gods such lying vanities which doe you infinitely more hurt than good nay who never did you any good at all but alwaies did you the worst and bitterest evill both to bodie and soule that is possibly able to befall you even the damning of them both to infinite and endles miserie O how happy were it for you if once it would please the Lord to open your eies and mollifie and rectifie your hearts to see and consider what ye have done whence ye are fallen and whither you are headlong tumbling and then seriously and sincerely to resolve on that Piam Christianam crudelitatem that holy and Christian cruelty as I may me thinkes fitly call it mentioned by the Spirit of God himselfe namely That if thy dearest Brother the sonne of thy Mother thy sinne or thy daughter or the wife of thy bosome yea or thy nearest and dearest friend who is unto thee as thine owne soule should secretly entice thee or openly endeavour to allure thee to goe a whoring after idoll-gods By all meanes be so farre from consenting to them as contrarywise not to suffer thine eyes to pitty or spare them like that most noble and renowned Christian convert famous Galeacius Caracciolus Marquesse of Vice but to throw them from thee to trample and tread on them and to cause thine owne hand to be first upon them even to stone or kill them because they sought and wrought to thrust and draw thee from the Lord thy God to idolatry That thus by thine example as the holy Spirit of God goes on there others of the same superstitious and idolatrous rank and rabble may see and heare and feare and doe no more such wickednesse as this is among you And for a close of all and with which I will conclude O that all idolatrous Papists would seasonably and seriously consider how close that fearfull sentence and peremptory malediction of the pious Prophet David comes to the heart and stings the soule of all the obstinate and desperate idolaters of Rome who so flashily and foolishly glorie in that badge of the Beast the title and appellation of Romish Catholicks forsooth who I say breakes out against them all in this most emphaticall and plaine and positive execration Confounded be all they that worship or serve graven images and that boast themselves of Idols and fals-gods O therefore who ever thou art that belongest to God for I am not so uncharitable but to beleeve God hath some yet blinded ignorant and captivated soules even in Spaine and Rome it selfe whom he will timely take out from among them lay this I say as close to thy heart as it comes close unto thee and most nearly concernes thee And readily and speedily imbrace that gracious invitation of thy most sweet Saviour and only precious Redeemer and efficatious Intercessour the Lord Iesus Christ Who having already peremptorily declared and foreshowne the certain ruine and confusion of the red Dragon the Scarlet Whore the Antichrist of Rome with such indubitable assertions and asseverations thereof as is cleare Revel 18. 2. as if it were already done in these words Babylon the great is fallen is fallen see what a serious asseveration is here with an ingemination in the present tense and is become the habitation of devils the hould of uncleane spirits and a very cage of all uncleane and ravenous hatefull birds as I thinke hath been aboundantly seen and shewne to the purpose in this little Treatise Therefore I say in regard her ruine is so certain the Lord Jesus Christ most graciously invites all his poore people whom though mixed among the Romish Babylonians he hath a purpose to save and preserve to come out of Babylon unto him saying ver 4. Come out of her my people come out of her that ye be not partakers of her sins and so consequently that ye may not receive of her plagues Which now without all controversie the Lord is pouring out upon her and resolving ver 6. to reward her as she hath rewarded Gods Saints and to double unto her double according to all her abhominable works and in the Cup which she hath filled to others to fill her double Even so Come Lord Jesus come quickly to revenge the precious bloud of thy slaughtered Saints hasten thy comming and for thine Elects sake as thou hast promised shorten the dayes of their sorrow Amen and Amen Omnis Gloria solius est Domini FINIS Christendomes grand-quarrell Whither God or Baal Christ or Anti-christ shall raigne 1 King 18. 24. Joh. 4. 23 24. The ground of all Europes intestine contentions 2 Thess 2. The method of this worke 1. Pride and Insolencie 2. Covetousnesse and Avarice 3. Incontinencie uncleannes 4. Blasphemies impieties 5. Tyrannie and cruelty 6. A faire frame for this picture In an exact paralell or Antithesis of the ancient doctrin of Christ and the opposite new doctrine of Antichrist And a Hortatory Epilogue 1. Pride and Insolencie The Pope proudly casts the Sacrament into the fire The
Pope deposed the Emperour Henrie the fourth The Emperour enforced to wait at the proud Popes gate 3 daies together The Popes extreme pride malice toward the Emperour The rare praise of Boniface the 8th The Pope proudly jeeres the Emperour for not holding his stirop right This proud Pope choak'd with a flie The most excessive pride of Pope Alexander the third The Pope treads yea stamps on the Emperours necke Psal 91. 13. Two Kings lead the Popes horse by the bridle on foot and the Pope on horse-backe The Popes most costly Utensils 2. Romes covetousnesse and avarice A Pope sold his popedome Indulgences dearly bought Rich revenews for whorish Stewes The Popes devotion at their holy Masse England called and justly counted the Popes Asse 3. Roms whorish Incontinencie An undeniable cause of Romes Incontinency 6000 sculs of little infants found in one of the Popes fish-ponds at one time Pope Ioan a right Whore of Rome indeed as Platina a famous Romish Writer Pero Mexia and others do testifie Pope Ioan delivered of a child in the open streets as she went in pompous procession Pope Benedict the 8th a most notorious fornicatour was strangled to death by the devill Pope Iohn the 13th a most notorious fornicator and adulterer was stabd to death in the very act Pope Hildebrand a notorius adulterer yet forbad priests to marry Pope Hildebrand and the Cardinall of Grison two most notorious hypocrites An unmarried Pope had 16 Sons and Daughters O what a chast Spouse of Christ is the Pope of Rome Ezekiel 8. 8 9 10 c. 4. Romes Blasphemie and Impiety The Popes blasphemie in playing at dice Healths drunk to the devil by the Pope The Pope gives his body and soule to the devill for worldly dignities The Popes private copper head The devill cheates the Pope The Popes fearefull death The Pope poysoned by poyson cast into the Sacramentall Wine An Emperour also so poysoned One Pope poysons another to be made Pope Notorious blasphemy touching the virgine Marie Fryer Alanus married to the virgine Marie A blasphemous mocking of our Saviours sufferings Object Answ Alexander the 6th sels himselfe to the devill to be made Pope Most hideous and fearfull blasphemie Pope Paul the 〈◊〉 a most horribly impious Pope This Pope poisoned his owne Mother and 2 of his Sisters having been naught with one of them The Pope blasphemes for want of his porke The Pope blasphemes for want of a cold peacock at supper This Pope Iulius was also an abhominable Sodomite 5. Romes Tyrannie and cruelty Pope Hildebrands treachery against the Emperour A base barbarous villany intended by the Pope Perillus first boyl'd in his own Bull. Extreme rags and revenge of one Pope against another Pope Sergius digg'd up the dead body of Pope Formosus buried 8 yeares to be revenged on him Pope Bonisace his monstrous cruelty to Pope Iohn â— Popes poysoned one another to be Pope 25 or 27 of the Popes of Rome died by poyson One Pope digs up another Popes dead body burnes it A most barbarous act of a Pope by inciting an only son against his father both of them Emperors 5 Cardinals put into 5 severall Sacks and cast a live into the Sea and so drowned all at one time by the Pope Pauls Sword better then Peters Keyes to the Pope 200000 slain within a small space by the Popes meanes Hosea 4. 9. The Spanish Inquisition The Massacre at Paris in France Duke D' Alva in Flanders his most 〈◊〉 nâ—ble cruelty Vnparaleld cruelties Vnpatern'd cruelties in West phalia in Germanie Blush s heaven at this transcending Turkish tyranny An 100000 Albigenses slain by Pope Innocent the 3d. Almost 900000 Protestants were slaine in Christendome in 30 yeares 15 millions of the poor West-indians destroyed and killed by the most bloody Papisticall Spaniards in the space of 40 yeares What excellent Pastors Popes and Papists are to feed soules and bodies in such pastures Proofs of all these fore-said relations Iohn Squire Priest The miserie of all such poore surviving souls so captivated by Romes conquering sword Popish Nimrods and most furious soul-hunters Gen. 10. 9. The Marian flames of Popish persecutions in this kingdome of England The intended Invasion of England by the Spanish Armado an 1588. The many plots and conspiracies against the person of ever to be renowned Qu. Elizabeth The Popish Pouder-Plot by the Papists 1605. The late and still lasting miseries and desolations of our poore sister Germanie by Popish cruelty Germanies teares Irelands present most piteous condition by the whorish sons of Rome And Englands also intermixed therein as we find and feele by sad experience Irelands Lamentation and the Irish-Remonstrance A frame for the Popes picture Quod antiquissimum id vera verissimum The Popes picture set in a frame fit to be hung up to the view of the whole world Ecce Homo 1 Sam. 8. 11 12 c. Iudges 6. 3â— Will you plead for Baal Revel 16.1 â— Romae amentes haud amantes Isa 44. 16. The extreme folly grosse idiotisme of idolaters described Flee from Rome as from a poysonoustinging Serpent 1 King 18. 21. Idols never do good but most and worst hurt Pia Christiana crudelitas Deu. 13. 6 c. Galeacius Caracciolua Marquesse of Vice a most famous and constant convert from Poperie Psal â—7 7. A most fearfull sentence and positive execration on all Papists Revel 18. â— 3 4 5 6 c. Christs gracious invitation to his Children to come out of Babylon Gods serious and certaine resolution to be revenged on Babylon