MORE WORK FOR A MASSE-PRIEST. NUMBERS. 25. 16, 17, 18, verse. The Lord spoke unto Moses, Vex the M●dianites, & suit them: For they trouble you with their wiles. depiction of printers and press ALIIS SERVIEMUS, NOSMETIPSOS CONTERIMUS. LONDON, Printed by WILLIAM JONES, dwelling in Redcrosse street. 1621. TO THE READER. REader, in this Pamphlet, among other things, then shalt find 〈◊〉 proved, that according to Popery, A man may eat his god with his teeth, as a Homer. Odies. lib 9 Cyclops ate Ulysses' companions: and that a subject may kill his King, as b 1. King. 16. 9 10. Zimri did his Master: and that one man may deceive and cozen another, as the c josua 3. 9 Gibeonites did josua. Besides, thou shalt find it proved, that the Papists make of no sins, grievous sins; and of grievous sins, no sins, or at most but venial sins. Yea thou shalt find it proved, that the Papists make of grievous sins, rare virtues: and that their Pope (Saint Paul's d 2. The 〈◊〉 2. 3. man of sin) takes upon him to forgive sins past, and sins to come. Further, thou shalt find it proved, that they equal the virgin Marie unto Christ in many respects; and prefer her before him in some respects: not considering the truth of e Haere● co●●●a Col▪ y●id●●n●s. Epiphanius speech, Par detrimentum verae Religioni afferunt, illi qui vilem B. Virginem habent, & illi qui ultra fas eius gloriam adaugent: They are equally too blame, who vilify the Virgin, and who deirie her. Thou shalt find it proved, that Papists profess more dislike of Protestants, then either of Turk, jew, or In●ide●●● and that they esteem of them no otherwise then of 〈◊〉 hat●, of whose salvation there is no more hope the● of Lucifer's. These things, and some other of like 〈◊〉 thou shalt find herein proved against the Papists, out of their own Authors. Which, if thou be a Protestant, may help to keep thee from falling unto Popery: and if thou be a Papist, may help to recover thee from Popery; which are the two only ends I aim at in suffering it to pass to the Press. And this is all that by way of preface I have to say unto thee, beside, Farewell. GO, little book, make speed, apply the season, Propound thy Quaerees with undaunted cheer: Bid learned Priests and Cardinals speak reason u 2. Pet. 2. 12. . The vulgar dare not read, but make them hear. Yea give a challenge to the triple Crown, Bid them reply, or cast their bucklers down. E. W. MORE WORK FOR A MASS. PRIEST. 1 SIr Priest, I pray you tell me of what Order of Priests you are; whether of the Order of Auron, or of the Order of Melchisedek, or of the Order whereof the Priests of Baal were. Saint Paul witnesseth, that a Heb. 7. 12. Aaron's priesthood is changed; and that Melchisedeks is such, as b Vers. 23. 24▪ passeth not from one unto another: so that (for any thing I see) you must hold of Baal. 2 By your doctrine, sir Priest, when your number is so increased, as that you be able to make your part good against our noble King, you are bound in conscience to rebel. For, c Philopat. Resp ad edict pro●●●lgat. 29 Nou●●b. A●. D●m. 1591. sect. 2 nit. 157. pag. 149. Est certum, & decide, quemcunque Principem C●ristianu●● si à religione Catholica manifeste deflexerit, & alios avocare voluerit, ex●idere statim ab omni potestate ac dignitate, & subditos posse ac deber● (si vires habeant) istiusmodi hominem dominatu abijcere. According to your divinity then▪ there is nothing that excuseth you from present blame, in that you rebel not, but want of sufficient means, which is confessed by Dominicus Bannes the chief Profossor of Divinity at Salamanca in Spain: for, Excusandi Anglicani & Saxonij fideles qu▪ non se eximunt a potestate superiorum, nec bellum contra illos gerunt: quoniam communiter non habent facul●atem ad haec bell a gerenda contrá Principes, & imminent illis gravia pericula: The faithful of England and Saxony (saith d In 2. 2▪ Tho. q. 12. Art. 2. col. 467. edit. Rom. ●nno 1586. he, meaning Papists) are to be excused, in that they do not exempt themselves from the power of their superiors, nor bear Arms against them, because generally they have no ability to wage such wars against their Princes, and great danger doth hang over their heads if they should attempt it. Now you Priests labour to increase your number, and so your means, do you not? And do you not thereby labour to hasten rebellion? Speak out Priest, say the truth, shame the Devil, and save the credit of your Religion if you can. Is not your Religion and Treason so linked together, that you cannot play the Priests, but you must play the Traitors also? 3 Men say, that your e Conue●●. part 2. chap. 12. sect. 16. Parsons commends those Rebels as sufferers for Religion, who were up in arms against king Edward the sixth, in the third year of his reign, and for that insurrection justly slain, and put to death. Men say, that your f Motive 15. Bristoe commends those Northern men, who were put to death for their rebellion against Queen Elizabeth, in the eleventh year of her reign, for Martyrs, yea glorious Martyrs. And I am sure, that that Catholic priest, who made the g Printed 1608. Catalogue of late Martyrs in England, which is annexed to the English martyrologue, hath registered therein Garnet and Oldcorne, two of the powder-traitors for Martyrs. And that at Louvain, a Papist, in a Panegyricke Oration made there, prayed publicly to Garnet thus: S. Henrice, intercede pro nobis: Saint Henry, we pray thee pray for us. And I h The state of the English Fugitives, pag. 123 read that Clement the I●cobin, who killed Henry the third of France, by sheathing a knife in his belly, is canonised for a Martyr: and that i Refutation of Cottons letter, pag. 14. Gutgnard, who was put to death for commending Clemens his fact as heroical, is canonised for another Martyr. Doth not this your commending of Rehels' and Traitor's, argue your affection to Rebellion and Treason? 4 You, sir Priest, hold it meritorious to kill Princes. The Monk who poisoned our King john, k joh. Mayor de gest. Scot l. 4. c. 3 Regem perimere meritorium ratus est, thought it a charitable deed to kill him. l Th●anus hist. lib. 79. ad 〈◊〉 1584. He that killed the Prince of Orange in the year 1584. could not be persuaded that he had sinned in killing him, sed potius ea meruisse, ut rect a in coclum tendere●; but rather, that he had deserved thereby to go strait to heaven. The Jesuits at Auspurge and Triers, and a Franciscan at Torney, had so well schooled him before, that his fact was commendable; and so fully assured him, that if he were put to death for the same, in Martyrum numero collecatum iri, he should be counted for a Martyr. m Arn●ult in his pleading against the Jesuits. Parry, who intended the murder of our ever renowned Queen Elizabeth, was encouraged thereunto by Hannibal Codreto a jesuit, who told him he could not do a more meritorious work, then kill a Prince excommunicated by the Pope, and that the Angels would carry him up into heaven. Yta Parry was encouraged thereunto by a n See B. Bilson of the Supremacy, part 3. and Stows Chron. ad ann. 1584. letter from Cardinal de Como; wherein his resolution was ascribed to the motion of a good Spirit: and wherein the Cardinal did promise him, in the Pope his master's name, besides consideration in earth, merit in heaven. * Arnault in his Plead against the Jesuits. Barriere, who attempted the kill of Henry the fourth of France, was encouraged thereto by Varade a josuite, who assured him that he could not do a more meritorious work in the world. Are not Papists rare jewels, and much to be esteemed of by Kings? 5 It is written in your own books, that o Platina de vit Pontif in vit. Greg. 3. p Idem in vita Greg. 7. Gregory the third deposed Leo the third of his Empire, for defacing of Images in Churches: And that P Gregory the seventh deposed Henry the fourth of the Empire, for commanding the Cardinals to repair to him to choose a new Pope: And q Cromerus de ●cbus gestis Polon. lib. 4. Bo'eslaus the second, King of Poland, for killing of a Bishop. It is written in your own books, that r c. 15. q. 6. Alius. Pope Zachary deposed Childericke king of France, for that he was not so fit for government as Pipin was; and that s Platina in vita Bonifac. 8. Boniface the eight deposed Philip of France, for appealing from him to a general Council. It is written in your own books, that t Antonin. hist. part. 3. tit. 19 cap. 1. sect. 3. Innocent the third deposed Otho the fourth, for that, contrary to his oath, he invaded the Church's patrimony: and our King john of England, for that u I●h. Maior. de ●est. Scot lib. 4. cap. 3. he sought not Absolution at his hands, when the whole Realm stood interdicted. It is written in your own books, that x Decretal. in sixth. cap. ad. Agostoli●ae de sen●entia et reiudicata. Innocent the fourth deposed Fredrick the second, for apprehending his Cardinals and Bishops as they were going to a Council called by him; and that y See Carerius de potest. Rom. Pont. l. 2. cap. 19 nis 27. Gregorte the tenth took the Eastern Empire from Baldwin the second, who was lawful heir to it, and gave it to Michael Pael●eologus, who had no colour of right to it. And that z Massonius de v●bis Episcop. lib. 6. in vita joh 21 et Clem. 6. Clemens the sixth deposed Lewis the fourth of Bavaria, for holding opinion, that the Emperor might depose the Pope, and place another in his room. It is written in your books, a Cromerus damn gest. Polon. l. 27. that George King of Bohemia was deposed by Paul the second for heresy. And that b Antonius Nebrissensis de bello Nauarre●si▪ cap. 1. 2. 3. john King of Navarre was deposed by julius the second, for favouring Lewes the twelfth of France, whom the Pope had devounced a schismatic: and that our c Saunders de schismat. Angl. lib. 1. pag. 108. edit. 1586. King Henry the eight was deposed by Paul the third, especially for beheading the Bishop of Rochester: and Queen Elizabeth, for supposed heresies, by three of your Popes, one after another, viz. by Pius the fifth, Gregory the thirteenth, and Sixtus the fifth. So bold have your Popes been with Kings and Emperors de facto. But which concerns Emperors and Kings more to take knowledge of, it is written in your books, that your Pope hath right, d Plagina in vita Greg. 7. Imperia, regna, principatus, & quicquid habere mortales possunt, auserre & dare: to dispose of Empires, kingdoms, principalities, and whatsoever any man living hath. As according to your learning, he may e Tract. de Ro●. Eccles. primate apud B●●niam, to. 1. Cone. p 20. Aperire & claudereianuas regni coeles●is quibus volueri●: open the gates of heaven to whom he list, and shut out of heaven whom he list: so he may Auferre & confer regna quaecunque quibus licet, take the Crown from any King's head, and set it on another man's head at his pleasure. For, as f In vit. B●nif. 8. Platina witnesseth, Boniface the eight endeavoured to persuade men so. If an Emperor or King be g Azor. instit. Moral. part. 2. lib. 10. cap. 2. 2. Quaeritur, etc. 8. 3. Quaritur. haereticus, vel schismaticus, vel fautor, vel receptator, vel defensor haereticorum vel schismaticorum: an heretic, or schismatic, or favourer of heretics or schismatics. If an Emperor or King be a h Mosconius de maiestat E●●l. sm●litantis, lib. 2. de Impertal Reg. & princip. part. 1. cap. 2. pa. 661. tyrant; and, i Ibidem. tenens regnum contra formam iur is, & m●ntem P●pae, dicitur Tyrannus: He who hath his kingdom contrary to the Pope's law and the Pope's liking, is a tyrant.) If an Emperor or a King be a sacrilegious person, k Ibid. pag. 660. that is, such a one as goeth about to infringe the liberties, immunities and privileges of the Church, either by laying hands on Ecclesiastical persons or Wide Azor. & Mosco●. lo●is cit. their goods; or taking unto himself l Ecclesiastica iura, to be governor next under Christ, of those particular Churches which are within his territories. If they despise Claves Ecclesiae, the Pope's Suspensions, Interdictions, Excommunications. If they forbid Episcopos & Clertcos suo officto fungi, Popish Bishops or Priests to say Mass. If they do homines excellentes sine causa perimere, hang Priests who came into their kingdoms, to steal the hearts of their subjects unto the Pope. If they do Sapientes de regno removere, banish popish priests out of their dominions. If they dissolve Societates aut congregationes ad sanctè honesté que viuend●m: that is, Monasteries and Nunneries. If they m Albericus in Lege bene d Zero●e de quadr. praescrips. oppress or grieve populos sibi subiect os, their subjects. If they govern their kingdom's n Albericus in di●tionario, verbo Para. negligenter, ignave, inepte, & inutiliter, carelessly and unprofitably. If o Mosein. lib. cit, pag. 601. leges contra Ecclesiae libertatem aut permittunt aut condunt, they either make any law against the liberty▪. of the Church, or suffer any such law made by some of their predecessors to stand in force. If they p Glossa in c. Simo Papa. d. 40. commit any sin, and will not be admonished, by your booke-learning, they are but gone men, they have forfeited their estates into your Pope's hands; yea though there be no fault in them, yet for q Carerius lib. 2. de potestat. Rom. pont. cap. 19 nu. 27. publicum bonum, if it tend to the Pope's profit, he may uncrown them, and bestow all they have upon such, who had no title in the world to any part thereof, before the Pope gave them all. And doth not this argue, That Kings, by your learning, are in worse case than Copy-holders'? 6 By your doctrine, sir Priest, r Symancha instit cathol. cap. 45. nu. 13. there is just cause to make war against heretics: by Heretics, you meaning Protestants. By your doctrine, s Allan against the execution of justice. cha. 3 There is no war so just and honourable, be it civil or foreign, as that which is waged for the preserving & propagating of your Religion. By your doctrine, t Vide Thuam. hist. lib. 42. ad ann 1585. there can be no peace, yea, there ought to be no peace made with Sectaries. u Idem lib 65. ad ann. 1577. Sectaries, that is, in your language, Protestants are more eagerly to be pursued with fire and sword than Turks. And x Symancha in loco cita●●. when war is once proclaimed, any private man (according to your doctrine) may take, spoil, kill such Sectaries, and burn their houses over their heads. Thus you. y Paulus Windebek in delib. de haret. extirp. pag. 414. professing further, that when the Princes of your Religion make league with Protestant Princes, they make them only for their own advantage: as for example, to dispatch some by-businesses, which hinder them from falling upon the Protestants with their whole forces. Now this being thus, Have not Protestant Princes and their▪ subjects' just cause to stand upon their guard; and neither to trust to League with Popish Prince, nor friendship with popish peasant? especially if it be true, which is further reported, viz. 7 That your famous Bishop Symancha writes, z Instit. cathol. cap 45. nu. 14. impress. Valissoleti, An. 1552. Haereticis fides à prinato data seruanda non est: Faith made to an heretic by a private person is not to be kept. A private person may reveal an heretic to the Inquisitors, Non obstance side aut iuramento, though he hath bound himself by his oath to the contrary. And, Nec fides à magistra●●bus data seruanda est haereticis: Faith made to heretics by the magistrates, is not to be kept. For so some say, your Symancha saith, proving his assertion by this, a Ibidem. that in the Council of Constance john Hus and Hiero●● of Prague were justly burned, albeit the Magistrate had given safe conduct. And that your Pope Martin the fifth writ to Alexander Duke of Lituania, b Apud Cochlaenm lib. 5 hist. Hussitarum. Scito te mortaliter peccare si seruabis fidem datam haereticis: Know thou sinnest mortally if thou keep thy oath with heretics. And that your Divines in France, An. 1577. c Thuanus hist. lib 63. ad ann. 1577. Aperto capite in concionibus, & eunlgatis scriptis, ad fidem sectar iis seruandam non ●bligari Principem contendebant, allato in eam rem Cont. Constant. decreto: taught publicly both in the Pulpit and in the Press, That Princes were not bound to keep touch with Sectaries, alleging to that end the Council of Constance. For, If oaths bind not, farewell trust with you. And the rather, for that 8 It is generally reported you teach, A man framing to d W. W. in his sparing discovery of English Jesuits and father Parson's proceedings, p. 11. printed an. 1601. himself a true proposition when he is asked a question, may conceal as much thereof as he thinks good. As for example, If one of you should be examined, whether if the Pope did come in warlike manner, to invade this Realm by force, he would take the Pope's part, or the Kings: that man framing this answer in his mind; I will take the King's part, if the Pope will command me so to do, may give this answer lawfully: I will take the King's part, concealing the rest, and so delude the Examinate. In like manner, e Navar. in manuaeli cap. 12. n●. 18. et Petrus Giuuar● in compend. m. n. Navarre. nu. 18. cap. 11. if one of you having Horse and Money, should be importuned by one of your honest friends, to whom you were not bound by law to give or lend: to lend him Horse or Money; you framing this proposition in your mind, I have neither Horse nor Money to give or lend, may safely swear, You have neither Horse nor Money, and keep the rest to yourself, and so mock your friend. Yea, it is said you teach, that without any mental reservation you may absolutely deny some truths. For, Confitens non peccat mortaliter qui negat se admisisse peccatum mortale alias legitime confessum: That man sinneth not mortally, who having shriven himself of some mortal sin, denies afterwards that he was ever guilty of that sin. f Navaer. in ma●●. cap. 21. nu. 38. According to your learning: g Sa in Aphor. tit. de testibus. Quod solum audisti, potes testificari te nescire: Thou mayst say thou know'st not that, which is known to none but thee. h Soto relect. memb. 3. q. 3. p. 306. If one of you see ●eter kill john, & come to be examined upon the point, if no body else saw, you may answer, that you know not whether Peter killed john or not, according to your divinize. For, Can such aequivocation by mental reservation, and blunt denial of known truths, stand with plain dealing, truth and honesty? 9 Ipsoiure privatos esse haereticos omni debito side▪ litat is, dominij, obligationis, & obsequij quoillis quic●●nque tenebantur astricti. That heretics are deprived by law of all fidelity, authority, bond and service, which any man owes them, is i Symanch. instit. cathol. cap. 45. nu. 27. & 28. currant doctrine among you. Children, and servants, and subjects to heretics, owe no duty to their parents, masters, ere sovereigns. Good wives need not lie with their husbands. Such as are indebted, need not pay their debts to their Creditors. Keepers of forts and towns may surrender them into the enemy's hands. And this being thus, Can you be angry if Protestant Princes, and their subjects, who have wives, children, servants, and money in other men's hands, do wish you all, Vltra Garamantas & Indos, in the unknown world? Especially seeing 10 You dub us with the name of Heretic, k Brist▪ motive 2. & 4. affirming that we are to be detested as heretics. You l Azor. instit. moral. par. 1. l 8. c. 16. 13. quaritur. forbid your Bishops, your Archbishops, your patriarchs, your Cardinals, (except they be Inquisitors, or Commissioners appointed by your Pope to sit upon heresy) the reading, yea the keeping of any of our books. You cannot abide that one good word should be spoken of us: For, Epitheta honorifica, & omnia in l●udem haereticorum deleantur: Let all honourable Epithets, and whatsoever else in praise of heretics, be blotted out, m Ind. lib. prohib de correct. lib. sect. 2. lay you. If n In addit. ad Eusebij chro●. ad an. 1521. Vlcichus Hutten a Protestant be commanded for Eques Germaniae doc●issimus & poeta laud▪ tissimas: a learned Knight and excellent Poet: I● o Ibid. ad ●n. 1525. a Beutheri fas●is mense Martie, die 3. Fredrick Duke of Saxony a Protestant be termed, Illustrissimus, Sapientissimus, & Christianissimus Princeps: an illustrious, wise, and Christian Prince: If our Edward the sixth be found praised, as p Ibid. mense julio, die 6. admirande in dolis adoleseens, a young Prince of admirable towardliness, there shall q Index Hispan. lib expurg. p. 93 〈◊〉 148. deleatur be set upon the places. In the next impressions such commendations must be put out. Yea you cannot find in your hearts, that our bare names should be remaining in any books, r Azor. lib▪ supra cit. 17. quaritur. unless we be named per ignominiam & contemptum, with reproach and shame: and such is your further hatred to our Princes, that you forbid the reprinting of such Dedicatory Epistles as learned men have prefixed before their books for the eternising of the memory of our Princes; witness hereof your s Index Hisp. lib. ex purge fol. 98. et 150. note of detrahatur, reijci●tur, deleatur, set upon three several Epistles, written by Hadrianus junius, and johannes Serranus, to our late Queen Elizabeth, and to james, by the goodness of God, our present King. And so far are you from approving of the keeping of a Picture, either of Prince or People, that you account it, t Azor. lib▪ et cap. suprac●●aio v●t. quaricur. though it be kept in a Closet, a great presumption, that the keeper thereof smells of heresy. And such is your burning charity towards us all, that you adjudge us to the bottomless pit of hell. Certain it is, that whosoever in this new faith and service hath ended this life, is in hell most certainly (saith u Motive 36. Brist●●.) Fieri nequit ut Luther anus moriens saluetur, Gehennam evadat, & aeternts ignibus eripiatur: si mentior, damner ipse cum Lucifero. Let me be damned in Hell with the Devil, if any Lutheran be saved; if any Lutheran escape Hell, saith x Reso. ad refut. ●uc. Osiand▪ proposit. 8. pag. ult. Costerus. 11 y Bibi. sanct. la▪ verbo Traditiones. Sixtus Senensis reports, That the jews are bound to rail upon all Christians thrice every day: and to pray God he will root out all Christians, with their Kings and Princes from under Heaven. Sixtus reports, That the jews are commanded to account no otherwise of Christians then of beasts: that they hold it lawful to spoil Christians of their goods, and to bereave them of their lives, to pull down their Churches, to burn their Gospel. Yea he reports they belch out such blasphemies against Christ, as are fearful to think on, in no case to be spoken of. And yet I read you hold that Maldonat. comment. in joh▪ 4. 9 we are▪ acerb●ores hosts Christi, & multo magis detestandi: more bitter enemies to Christ, and much more to be detested than they are: that it is more dangerous to have any thing to do with us, than with them. And I hear your Pope licenseth them to have Synagogues in Rome, even under his nose: whereas we can not be allowed to have a Chapel in any place where he swayeth. Now I desire, that either some rhyme or reason may be given, to justify your iustifying of the jews before us. 12 By your doctrine, he sinneth not, who hath probable reason for that which he doth. For, Non peccat is qui probabiliter licere id existimat quod agit; saith a z Eudamon in apolog. pro Hen. Garncto. cap. 10. nu. 2. jesuit. And, by your doctrine, he hath probable reason for that which he doth, who hath the opinion of a Author of the Treatise of Equivocation, cap. 4. two or three, yea of b Azor. instit. moral. par. 1. cap. 17. 5. qu●r●ur. one grave Author. For, in foro conscientiae ad effectum non peccandi sufficit eligere pro vera eius opinionem, quem merito cense●●us essevir●m ideneum ad id scientia & conscientis, saith c In Man. cap. 27. 〈◊〉 288. N●●arrus. Now doth it not herehence follow, that he who hath the opinion of d Lib. 1. de Rogu. cap. 7. john Mariana touching the lawfulness of poisoning Kings, may poison Kings without sin▪ He that hath the opinion of him who made the e Approved by Blackwel circa an. 1602. book touching the lawfulness of Aequivocation, may equivocate without sin? He that hath the opinion of f Apud Casaub. in epist. ad Frentonem Duc. pag. 140. Binetus the jesuit, touching the necessity of concealing Confession, may conceal, without sin, whatsoever is confessed, though that concealing cost all the Kings in Christendom, yea in the world, their lives? What villainy approved by any of your Writers or Divines, may not lawfully be practised, though thousands be of another opinion, according to this your doctrine? g Bellar▪ lib. 4. de verbo Der no● scripto▪ cap. 2. 13 You teach, that the word of God is partly written, partly unwritten: And the written word you call Scripture, the unwritten Tradition: yet you undertake to prove diverse of your opinions both by Scripture and by Tradition. As for example, Praying to Saints: praying for the dead: setting up of Images in Churches, and worshipping them when they are set up: Christ's descension into hell: the Virgin Maries perpetual virginity, etc. Now I would know with what honesty you can allege Scripture for that which you say is a tradition, or tradition for that which you say you have Scriptures? Can one▪ and the same truth be written, and not written? 14 You teach, that h Bellar. lib. 4. de verbo non scripto▪ cap. 8. it was not meet all m●steries should be written in Scripture, i Costerus apo●. pro 1. par. E●c●. contra Goma●●▪ 〈◊〉 2. lest every ordinary person should come to the knowledge of them; and because of the commonness of them, contemn them. Now I desire to know, why the mysteries of the Trinity should be written in Scripture, rather than those mysteries you speak of, if there be such danger that ordinary persons should attain to the knowledge of whatsoever is written in Scripture; and upon their knowledge of them, should contemn them. Secondly I desire to know, why it should be less meet that the mysteries you speak of should be written in Scripture, then in the Fathers, and in your Catechisms? Ordinary persons are as like to come to the knowledge of them by reading, if not the Fathers, yet of your Catechisms, wherein you discourse of them at large, as if they were written in Scripture. Are they not, think you? 15 Men say, you teach, that k joh. de Rada par. 2. Theol. cont●ou▪ inter Scotum 〈◊〉 Tho. cont 20. act. 〈◊〉 conclus. 6. Licet praceptum praelati sit irrationale, & pro tali merito quandoque haberi potest, tenetur tamen subditus illud obseruare: Though the commandment of the superior be unreasonable, and may well enough be thought so, yet the inferior is bound to obey it. Men say, you teach, l Bellar. lib. 4. de Ro. Pont. cap. 5. & Carerius de potest. Pont. l b. 1 c. 23. num 16. Si Papa erraret pracipiend● vitia, vel prohibendo virtutes, teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona, & virtutes malas, nis●vellet contra conscientiam peccare: that if the Pope should err in commanding vice, and forbidding virtue, the Church was bound to believe (unless she would sin against her conscience) that vice was commendable, and virtue dispraisable. m Bar●. de potest. Pa●. cap. 41. p. 341. Men are bound Papae sententiam exequi, to put the Pope's sentence in execution, albeit they know it to be unjust. Any man illaesae conscientia, with a good conscience may execute the Pope's unlawful mandate, by your learning. Now I pray you, how agrees this doctrine with that of the Apostles, Act 5. 29. It is better to obey God then man? 16 Sir Priest, I read in your books that your Pope is called a Cont. Florent. sell. ult. Caput t●tius Ecclesiae, b Anton. Pucci●s in orat. habit. sell 9 Cont Lat. sub L●one 10. Pater Ecclesiae, Fillius Ecclesiae, Sponsus Ecclesiae, c Gretser to 1. defence. cap. 10. lib. 3 Bell. col. 1450. Mater Ecclesia: The head of the whole Church, the Father of the Church, the son of the Church, the Spouse of the Church, the Church our mother. Now I would know of you, how he can be the Church herself, and yet head of the Church, and the Church's husband▪ how can he be Father to the Church, and d Dist. 63. Ego Ludovicus. Bonifacius Germ. Apostolus in epist. ad Cuthbert. Archtep Cant. apu● Baron. Annal. to. 9 ad an. 740. and yet a son of the Church▪ how without committing incest, the father may marry his daughter, the brother may marry his sister, the son may marry his mother? 17 I read in your books, that your Pope is nor only called the Vicar of Christ, and Successor of S. Peter, but d S. Peter's Vicar, and e Sacrar. caerem. Ro E●cles. lib 1. sect. 1. Gabriel. Patriarch. Alexan. in admonit. Legatis a Clem. 8. data. quae habetur ad sinem▪ Anndl. Baron. to 6. n●. 14. Tho. Aqu●● de regimine principal 3. cap. 10 Bo●●u● de temporal. Eccles. monarch. lib. 1. cap. 7. Christ's Successor in respect of the government of the Church. Now here I desire to know two things of you; first, how your Pope comes to be S. Peter's Vicar, seeing S. Peter himself is but a Vicar; and it is a rule in your Law, f Extrade officio Vicari●. Cle●ricos. Vicarius non potest substituere Vicarium: A Vicar cannot substitute a Vicar. Secondly, how without blasphemy your Pope can be called Christ's Successor, seeing he to whom another succeedeth in office, doth cease himself to bea●e that office, as g Act. 2●▪ Felix did cease to be governor in jury, when Festus came in place to be his successor. I hope you do not think that Christ, who endureth for ever, hath turned over all care of his Church to your Pope. 18 I read in your h Genebr. chron. lib. 4. ad an. 1551. books, that in the year 1552. your Pope was entitled by a certain Patriarch called Siud, The Peter of our time, and the Paul of our days: and that i Baron. ad finem to 6. Annal. Clemens the eight was entitled by one Gabriel Patriarch of Alexandria, Tertius detimus Apostolorum gloriosi Domini nostri jesu Christi, & quintus sanctorum Euangelistarum: The thirteenth Apostle of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, and the fifth Evangelist. And that Genebrard approved of the titles which Siud gave; and Baronius of those which Gabriel gave. Now I desire to know of you, why Genebrard should like that any Pope should be called the Peter of our time, seeing k Baron. Annal. to. 11. ad an. 1009. Sergius the fourth, being christened Peter, upon his election to be Pope, in reverence to S. Peter, renounced the name of Peter, and took the name of Sergius: and secondly, how Clemens the 8. can with any wisdom be held the thirteenth Apostle of our Saviour Christ, and the fifth Evangelist, considering there were seven Popes of his own name, and upon the point of 230 Popes of other names before him. For I cannot hear that he was such an A pierce as that he deserved these titles rather than any of his predecessors. And if all or any of his predecessors deserved to be called Apostles and Evangelists, Gabriel (in my opinion) failed in his Arithmetic, when he termed him the thirteenth Apostle and the fifth Evangelist. 19 I read in your books, that the jurisdiction of your Pope is boundless: I His dominion. (as Christ's, Psal. 72. 8.) is from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the world: whereas the jurisdiction of the rest of the Clergy hath narrower bounds by much. Yet I read in m Hist. lib. 3. cap. 16. Eusebius of Chrytofersons translations, that in Traian's time, Pope Clemens governed the church of Rome; and john the Evangelist the churches in Asia. Now I desire to know whether this doth not argue, that Pope Clemens jurisdiction was lesser than S. john's, seeing it is apparent hereby, that Pope Clemens governed but one Church, and S. john many. 20 I read in your books, n Bellar. lib. 1. de Ro. Pont. cap. 16. that S. Peter had authority over all the Apostles, and that the Apostles depended upon him, as upon their head and commander, who was to direct them, and to go in and out before them, and to chastile them: I read likewise, that after Saint Peter's death, your o Idem. lib. 2. de Ro. Pont. cap. 12. Popes succeeded him in tota ipsius dignitate & potestate, in all his dignity and sovereignty. Now it is evident that diverse of the Apostles survived S. Peter; as namely p Baron. Annal. To. 1. ad An. 69. Nu. 34. S. Andrew, and q Sophron. ap●d Baron. de script. Eccl. s. verbo Simon. S. Simon surnamed the Cananite, (not in regard of his country, but of his zeal, r Chap. as S. Luke witnesseth) and s jerom. de script. Eccl. s. verbo johannes. Saint john the Evangelist. Two of these, if not all three, lived till Traian's days, in which time Linus, Cletus, Clemens sat Bishops of Rome. Now my desire is to know of you, whether you think Linus, Cletus, Clemens challenged any sovereignty over Saint Andrew, and Saint Simon the zealous, and Saint john the Evangelist. Me thinks Saint john t joh. 21. 20. being the Disciple whom jesus loved, Saint john being the person who was allowed to u joh. 13. 23. lean on our Saviour's breast at the eating of the Passeover: S. john being the man 2▪ joh. 19 26. to whom our Saviour x recommended his mother at his death: Saint john being such a one, as that his writings are received for Canonical: me thinks (I say) Saint john (not to speak of the other two) should not have been underling to these three Popes. Me thinks he should not have depended upon them as on his head for direction. Me thinks they should not have had that superiority over him that they might have chastised him. 21 I read in your books, that an Archbishop and Cardinal of yours, called a Lib. de schismate Pont. inter German. script. p. 703. Francis Zabarel, who lived about the year 1400. confessed, that certain flatterers for many ages before his time, and till his time, had persuaded the Popes, quòd omnia possent, & sic, quod facerent quicquid liberet, etiam illicita, & sic plus quam Deus: they could do all things, and might do any thing, were it never so unlawful, and by that means they could do more then God. And to tell you truly, I do verily believe him. For I do find they were told they might dispense b C 15. q. 6. Authoritatem, in Glossa. contra ius naturale, against the law of nature: c Extra de coucess. prabend. proposuit. in Glossa. contra vetus Testamentum, against the old Testament: and d Ibid. contra Apostolum, against the Apostle Paul. I find they were told, e Extra de translat. Episc. et. Quanto. in Glossa. De nihilo possent facere aliquid, they might of nothing make something: f Ibid. de iniustitis facere possent iustitiam, they might make wrong right: and g Ibid. in his quae vellent, iis esse pro ratione voluntatem, they might do as they list, and no body might say, h Ibid. Domine, cur ●ta facis? I pray you sir, why do you so? I find some taught, that i Teste joh de Par●s●●● de potestate Regia & papali, cap 23. St homitidium Samsonis quod ex se malum est, interpretamu● quod instinctu divino fuit factum, multo magis omne factum sanctissimi Patris interpretari debemus in bonum: & siquidem fuer it furtum, Vel aliud ex se malum, interpretari debemas, quod divino instinct u●siat: If we impute the slaughter which Samson made of the Philistines to an inspiration of God's Spirit; much more are we bound to interpret in the best part whatsoever the holy Father the Pope doth: if it be theft, or any other thing which of itself is evil, ( k Dist. ●0. Non nos, in Glossa. as for example murder or adultery) we must likewise impute that to the inspiration of God's Spirit. About the time Zabarel speaks of, it seems it went for currant, which is noted by a late l Massonus de urbis Epise. l. 3. in vita job 9 Historian, Episcopos Romanos ne peccata quidem sine laude committere, the Popes could do nothing, were it never so mischievous, but it was commendable. His geese were all swan●: his vices were virtues. I read in your books, m Mosconius de maiestate Eccles. militantis. lib. 1. cap 4. p. 97. that men are bound to worship him with dulias: and that some have professed in his hearing, n Apud Anton. in sum. hist par. 3. tit. 22. cap. 17. sect. 1. that they worshipped him with hyperdulia: and that in effect many have given him latriam. For to omit that some have affirmed he was o Marcel in orae hab. sess. 4. Cont. Lat sub Leone 10 alter Deus in terris, a second God upon earth. p joh. Aug Panthaus Venetus in Art & Theor. transmutat. Metal. ad Leonen 10. impress. Venet. an. 1518. Deus mortalis in terris, & immortalis homo in coelis: a mortal God upon earth, and an immortal man in the heavens. q Baron. Annal. to. 7 ad an. 552. That he hath so much greater power than any of the Prophets, quanto differentius praeill is nomen hereditavit, viz. Tues Petra, etc. by how much he hath a more excellent name given him then any of them had, to wit, Thou art a rock. Some of you have given out, that he is, r Massaib sup●● citato cap. 1 p 22 non Deus, non hom●, sed utrumque, neither God, nor man, but both. Some of you have styled him, as s joh. 20, 28. Saint Thomas did out Saviour Christ, with the titles of t Extra. joh. 22. c. C●● inter. in Glossa. Dominus Deus noster, our Lord and God● and as u Apoc. 19 16. Saint john likewise did, with x Moscon. lib. citato. pag. 26. Rex regum, Dominus dominantium, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Some of you now write, y Baron. annal. To. 1. ad An. 57 Nu. 29. ●. Puccius orat. hab. in sess. 9 Conc. Lat. sub Leont 10. Christus omnem quam à patre accepit pote●●atem transfudit insuo●● Christ passed over all the power which God the Father gave him, unto his, meaning your Popes. Agreeably to others, who in former ages were not ashamed to tell the Pope, that z Tibi uni, to him alone was granted all power both in heaven and in earth. Yea, a Steph. Patracensis orat. hab. sess. 10. Conc Lat. jub Leone 10. that there was in Popes all power supra omnes potestates tam coeli quam terrae, above all powers both in heaven and in earth. I need not to tell you of the Bishop who put up a supplication to Pope Nicolas, in these words, b Faezellus hist. Sicul. lib. 8. ca 4 Miserere meifili David, O son of David have mereie upon me: nor of the Religious persons who came from Panormi and other parts of Sicily as Ambassadors to Pope Martin the fourth, to crave his favour, who cried thrice thus, c Antonin. sum. best. part. 3. ●t. 20. cap. 4. sect. 3. Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata m●ndi, miserent nobis: O thou Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us: nor of him, who in way of proving your Pope's omnipotency, bids his reader note, d Vivaldus in candelabro aureo. tit. de Absolutione. Nu. 28. Quoth in concessionibus utitur illo verbo, Fiat, quo Deus universum creavit orbema that your Pope in subscribing petitions, useth the word, Let it be, by which God created the whole world: intimating, that as God, so your Pope by a word of his mouth may do any thing: nor of them who against the coming of Paul the third unto the City of Tolentonum in Italy, set this inscription over the gates, e See Morney de Ecclesis, cap. 8. and Mou●ins defence of the King, chap. 25. Paulo 3. oped. max. in terris Deo, To Paul the third, the best and greatest God in earth. Now that which I desire to know of you, is, what difference in substance there is between many of these speeches concerning your Popes, and theirs in the Acts of the Apostles, who applauding Herod's oration, cried amain, f Act. 12. 22. ● Vox Dei & non hominis, the voice of God, and not of man? and whether your Pope be not as guilty as Herod was, who hearing with his own ears diverse of these blasphemous speeches, and perhaps all by report, did neither reprove them, upon his ear hearing them, nor cause them to be razed out of the books wherein they are written, having knowledge thereof at the second hand? 22 I read in your books, that you have had many unlearned Popes, not much wiser than the a Ga●riel de ●●ralete f●ria 2. btbd. 3. de praparat. confess. Bishop, who examining one that was to be made Deacon, in stead of ask, Quot sunt Sacramenta Ecclesiae? how many Sacraments are there in the Church? demanded, Quot sunt 7. Sacramenta? how many are the seven Sacraments? To whom the Deacon answering, Tres. The Bishop replied, In quibus? What call you them? And the Deacon told him, their names were, Thuribulum, Aspersorum, & sancta Crux. For of julius the second it is reported, that signing a warrant, in stead of fiat, he wrote fiatur. And constat plures corum adeo illiteratos esse ut Grammaticam penitus ignorent, It is well known that many of the Popes were so unlearned, that they knew not-their Grammar rules, saith c Lib. 1. cap 4. adu haer●s. in edit. antiq●●●▪ Alfonsus de Castro. I read in your books, that some of your Popes were silly creatures. You had one, whom your d joh. Andr. Baldus jason & ser. B●utum fulmen, pag. 201. Canonists usually call, unum pecus, in eo quod de mane faciebat gratiam, & de sero revocabat: a very Ass: for that in the morning he would grant many men many kindnesses, and at night revoke them all again. I read in your e Gl●ber Rodul. hist. lib. 5. ca ult. books, that you had one boy Pope of twelve years old, viz. Benedict the ninth: and a May-pole-morrice-dancer Pope f Baron. annal. to. 10. ad an. 955 ●u. 3. of 18. years old, viz. john 12. alias 13. who made the Lateran a plain Stews, as g Hist. per Europum gest. lib. 6 cap. 6. & 7. Luitprandus witnesseth. I h Masson. de urbis Ep●sc. lib 4. in joh. 11. al. 12. read that john 11. was a bastardly brat of Pope Sergius: and that you had a i See the book entitled Pope soane. whore Pope called Io●ne. I read you have had Necromantical Popes, such as k Platin. n vita Siluestri. Silvester the second, who gave himself to the devil both body and soul, that he might attain the Popedom. Thief Popes, such as l Idem in vita Bo●if. 7. Boniface the seventh, who rob Saint Peter's Church: Sodomitical Popes, such as Sixtus the fourth, m Agrippa de vanitaic s●ent. cap. 64. who built a famous stews in Rome: Perjured Popes, such as n Onuph. addit. ad Plat. in vita Greg. 12. Gregory the twelfth. Heretical Popes, such as Honorius the first, condemned by the o Act. 12. & 13 6. and p Act 7. in definite. Synods. 7. general Counsels for a Monothelite. Atheistical Popes, such as Leo the tenth, q Bale. who called the Gospel a Fable. Apostatical Popes, such as those fifty, who as r Chronol lib. 4. sect. 10. Genebrard writeth, entered in, not by the door, but by a postern gate. I read that s Valla declamat in Donat. Cons●antini. Recentes summi Pontifices videntur laborare ut quantum prisci fuerunt sapientes & sanctij tantum isti impij sint & stulti: The later Popes seem to strive, they may show themselves as very fools and knaves, as the ancient Popes strove to approve their wisdom and holiness unto the world. Your Bellarmine confesseth, that the later Popes, t Chronol. ad an. Christi 970. Parum solliciti de Rep. took little care how the world went: u Ad an. 1026. A pietate veterum degeneraverunt, are grown out of kind. Your x Relect. 4 de potestate Papa et Conc. propos. 12. Victoria professeth, they are priscis ill is multis partibus inferiores, far worse than their first predecessors. And in y In Formoso 1. Platina I read, that virtus & integritas defecit, virtue and integrity is decayed in them: and in z Ad an. 954. Fasciculus Temporum, that sanctitas illos dimisit, holiness hath taken her leave of them. Men of yourselves write, a Guicciar. hist. lib. 16. In Pontificibus bodie nemo sanctitatem requirie: optimi putantur sevel leviter boni sint, vel minus mali quam caeteri mortales esse soleant: At this day no man looks for any honesty in a Pope: they are accounted excellent good Popes if they have but a dram of honesty, yea, if they surpass not the wickedness of other men. At this day the Papacy is so dangerous, that b O●●ph. in vita Marcells ad finem Platina. Marcellus the second protested he did not see quomodo qui locum hunc altissimum tenent, saluari possint, how a Pope can be saved. Your Saint c Antonin. hist. par. 3. tit. 23. cap. 14 sect. 13. Katharin of Sienna told Gregory the 11. that In Romana Curia ubi deberet esse Paradisus deliciarum virtutum, inveniebat foetorem infernalium vitiorum: Whereas she looked to have found a Paradise of rare virtues in his Court, she found in stead thereof a dunghill covered over with hellish vices, the stinch whereof she smelled to Sienna, the place of her dwelling, an hundred miles off. And the d T●codoricus de Niem. Nem. unionis inaquos● trac. 4. cap. 8. Virgin Marie told Saint Bridget (as some of you say) that Multi Pontifices sunt in inferno, Many Popes are in hell. And you know that e Sylua●● lib. 1. Mantuans counsel was, Vivere qui cupitis sancte, discedite: Romoe Omnia cum liceant, non licet esse bonum: He that desires to live honestly, let him bless himself from Rome for a man may be there any thing save honest, but honest he cannot be in any wise. Now the question wherein I desire to be resolved by you, is, whether you think indeed that f Luk. 22. when Christ prayed for Saint Peter's faith, he prayed for the faith of your unlettered Popes, sheepish Popes, boy Popes, swaggering whoremaster Popes, bastardly brat Popes, whore Pope, Necromantical Popes, these Popes, Sodomitical Popes, perjured Popes, heretical Popes, atheistical Popes, and Apostatical Popes? For there is no question but g Toh. 11. 42. Christ obtaineth always the things which he prays for: and me thinks there should be no question, but when our Saviour prayed for Saint Peter's faith that it should not fail, by the name of faith, he meant a lively Christian faith which works by love, and which h Rom. 3. 25. embraceth the promises of the mercy of God, which whosoever hath, i joh. 6. 47. hath assurance of eternal life: and if so, how is it credible that he prayed for all these? 23 Your Sixtus 5. caused your vulgar Latin to be corrected, and printed at Rome in the year 1590. k Baron. Annal. To. 2. ad an. 232 Nu. 62. The pains he took therein, as it seemeth, was wonderful. For notwithstanding all other his papal business, he l Angelus Rocca commen●. de Bibl. Vaults a S. 10. 5. ●ondita pag. 229 read over every word of the Bible before it was printed, and after too, correcting with his own hands the faults of the print. Then he published it, and prefixed his bull before it in stead of a preface, signifying therein that his good will and pleasure was, that this only should go for Authentical, and that all other impressions in time to come, should be made according to it, without any change, without taking away, or adding so much as a letter; ●nd that all former impressions, yea and M. S. differing from this, should be of no credit: and all this he required upon pain of the greater excommunication. Yet after the death of urban 7. Greg. 14. and Innocent 9 successors of Sixtus 5. n Anno 1592. comes Clemens 8. and he sets out another Bible, differing much from that of Sixtus in many material points: avowing that this Edition of his, is (doubtless) better then any Edition whatsoever heretofore Imprinted. Now that which I desire to know of you is, whether Sixtus erred in commending his Bible, or Clemens in commending his Bible, or both of them in their sever all commendations: for I think you will not say, commending books so different, they both spoke truth. 24 Sir Priest, is not this of a In Symb to 2. operum Athanas. edit. Comelin. Anno 1600. Athanasius good Divinity, Filius à Patre solo est, nec sactus, niece creatus: The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created? If so, than I pray you tell me, how without blasphemy b Discip. de Tip. for 111 Ca●●enaus Ca●al. gloria mundi, part. 2 consid. 3. sol. 4. Bi●l Lect 4. in Can Missa. you can say, Sacer does est creator sui Creatoris: A Priest is the creator of his Creator? meaning Christ the Son of God. 25 Again, if it be currant Divinity which the same c Loco suptacitate. Athanasius delivers, Christus Deus ex substantia Patris, homo ex substantia matris: Christ is of the substance of his Father as he is God, and of the substance of his mother as he is man. Tell me where the wit of your john 22. was, when d Ho●● B. Virgo Salu● sancta facies fol. 68 edit. Paris 1516. he said, Rex sit expane, The King (meaning Christ, the King of heaven) is made bread. And why you are not ashamed to retain in your Canon Law these words, e De consec d 2. c. 72. virum sub. Corpus Christi & sangais, ex panis & vini substantia efficitur: The body and blood of Christ is made of the substance of bread and wine. 26 If it be true which f De Civit. Dei, lib. 1. c. 29. Austin saith, that God is nusquam inclusus, penned in in no place: and that the great g Eurip. in Cyclops. Act. 4. Cyclops (when Ulysses told him, that the wine which he had in a bottle, was the god Bacchus) did not without cause in a wonderment reply, What? A god in a bottle? I pray you tell me, why you pen up your Sacrament, which h Alleu de sacrific. Euth. cap. 41. and Bristo Motive 26. you acknowledge for your God, in a pixe, or in a box? Of a bee in a box, I have heard much by many; but of a god in a box, I never heard but by Papists. 27 If it be evident, that they are no gods, whose priests keep their temples with doors, and with locks, and with bars, left their gods should be spoilt by robbers, as i Vers. 17. Baruch saith in his 6 Chapter, which goes for Canonical Scripture with you. If they, who cannot defend themselves from thieves and robbers, deserve not to be reputed gods, as the k Vers. 56. same Author saith. If l Hom 57 in Gen 31. chrysostom justly derided Laban, when he said: O excellent 'em insipientiam! Tales sunt dij t●i, ut quis eos furari possit? Non erubescis ditere, Quare furatus es deos meos? O notable foolery! Are thy gods such gods as may be stolen? Art thou not ashamed to say, Why hast thou stolen my gods? Why should not you and your fellows, sir Priest, be whoopt at for holding the Sacrament to be God, which for fear of stealing, m Lindwood conslit Provine. lib. 3 ●iulo de instodia Euchar cum clousura, in c. dignis●mis. you would not have hung over the high Altar under a Canopy, but reserved in a surer place, under lock and key? 28 If it be evident, that they are no gods, which cannot be preserved from rust and worms; which feel not when things which creep out of the earth eat them, as it seems by n Chap. 6. v. 11. & 19 Baruch before mentioned▪ seeing it is the o joseph Angles flores; Quast. Theol ●n 4. S●●●. part. 1. 9 d● susceps E●ch. ad 3▪ difficultat. 2. p. 96. general doctrine of your Church, That worms may breed in your Sacrament: that bruit beasts, dogs, hogs, mice, choughs, etc. may eat it. Are not you singular od-caps, to hold the Sacrament for your Lord and your God? 29 Ecquem tam amentemesse putes qui illud quo vescatur deum credat esse? Thinkst thou there is any man so mad, that holds it for his god whereof he eats, saith p Apud Cicero▪ lib. 3. d● Na●. deorum. Cotta. Qu●mado quis sanoe mentis deum nuncuparit●d, quod vero Deo oblatom, tandem ipse comedit? How can any man of reason think that to be God, which he offereth in sacrifice to the true God, and afterwards eats thereof himself, saith q Quast. 18. 〈◊〉 Levit. Theodoret. And if this be true, do not you deserve to be sent to Bedlam for eating the Sacrament, which you call your Lord and your God? Auerroes ( r Espene, de Euch adorat. lib. 4. c. 3. they say) professed that he had traveled a great part of the world, and that he had seen many men of different Religions, and yet he found not any, Christiana deteriorem aut tam fatuam, worse or foolisher than the Popish Christian, quia deum suum quem colunt, dentibus devorabant, because they tore him with their teeth, whom they worshipped for their god. 30 The God of right believing Christians is s 1. joh. 5. 20. life itself, and gives life to others, even t joh. 6. everlasting life to them who eat him, as the Scriptures speak of eating him. But your God is such a God, and your fashion of eating, such an eating, as that a man by eating your God after your fashion, may easily be poisoned. And I pray you then how can your God be reputed the God of right believing Christians? That a man may be poisoned by eating your God (that is, the Sacrament) after your fashion, it is plain by diverse examples. For, Victor 3, one of your Popes, Fuit extinct us per venenum in calicem missum, was killed with poison in the chalice, saith u In Chron ad An. 1095. Polonus, and x Fascic. Temp. ad An. 1094. others. Henricus Archiep. Eboracensis cum divina celebraret mysteria, hausto in ipso caliee (ut aiunt) veneno obijt: Henry Archbishop of York died (as they say) of poison, by drinking of the chalice when he administered the Sacrament, saith y Hist. Augl. in vita Stephan. An. 1154. p. 122 Matthew Paris. Henricus 7. Imperator intoxicatus fuit sumento Eucharistian: Henry 7. Emperor of Rome was poisoned in receiving the Sacrament, saith z Ad An. 1314. Fasciculus Temporum. Nuper Prior noster Misericordiae Venetijs veneno in calici sublatus fuit: Of late a Prior of ours in Venice was killed with poison put into the Chalice, saith a See Monita Poluica, impress. Francofurt. An. 1609. john Baptista Leo Ambassador to the Duke of Vrbinus. 31 A b Apud Guitmun 'em lib. 2. de Sacram. Synod of your Bishops in Italy decreed, That when the true flesh of Christ and his true blood appear at the celebration of the Sacrament in their proper kind, both the flesh and the blood should be reserved in them dst of the Altar for special relics. Now I would know of you, Sir Priest, what reason you have to make a Relic of your god. Is it not enough for you to reserve Relics of Saints, but you must reserve Relics of God, the sanctifier of Saints, yea God himself for a Relic? 32 I read that c Summa Angelica, verbo Missa. nu. 18. & ve●ho Encharistia, sect 3. nu. 5. you prescribe, Simusca vel aranea cadat in calicem post consecrationem, etc. If either fly or spider fall into the chalice after the words of consecration, so that there be fear of poisoning or provocation to vomit; the Priest shall take sanguinem illum, & igne comburat cum aliqua stupa, vel pumo lineo in ipsomadefacto, that blood▪ and burn it by the help of some tow or linen rags dipped in it. Now whether it be poisoned or not poisoned, whether it be such as will provoke vomit or not provoke vomit, as long as the species remains, it is your God: And how then can you clear yourselves from burning of your God? 33 I read you teach, d Conc. Trid. Sess 22. can. 1. that in your Mass, Christ is truly and properly sacrificed by you: and withal I read you teach, that e Bellar. lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 2. whatsoever is truly and properly sacrificed, if it be a live thing, it is killed. Now I would gladly know of you, if this be thus, how you can excuse yourselves from killing of Christ: for Christ whom you sacrifice truly and properly, as you say, is a live thing? 34 I read you teach, f Bellar. lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 12. Per consecrationem fit v● Christi corpus vere & visibiliter adsit super mensam: that by confecration Christ's body and blood is truly and visibly upon the Altar. Visibly, g Alex. lib. 1. de Euch. Sacramen. cap. 37. not merely in regard of the species under which they lie, but simply and property: vet I never met with Papist hitherto, who durst venture his credit, that if his conseerate host was shuffled with unconsecrate hosts, or his consecrated chalice set among vnconsecrated chalices, he was able by sight to discern which was his God? Dare you Sir Priest, venture a book of six pence price, that your sight will serve you better? 35 Your h Annot in Heb. 1. 6. Rhemists tell us, Wheresoever Christ's person is, there it ought to be adored of men and Angels. And upon that ground (I think) you imagining that he is in the Priest's hands at the elevation in the Mass, and in the Pixe which is carried by the Priest when he goes to visit the sick; you bow or fall down upon your knees adoring him. Now I would gladly know, why you bow not, or fall not down upon your knees before every Communicant upon his receiving of the Sacrament, seeing according to your doctrine, every of them receives his maker, he is in every of their bellies. 36 I am told you teach, i Bellar lib. 4. de Euch. c. 16. that there is no Transubstantiation, except he be a Priest who Consecrates, and k Idem. lib. 1. de Sacram, in genere cap. 27. have an intent to consecrate. Yea, I am told that some of l joh. de Combis in compend. Theol lib. 6. cap. 6. you teach, that to Transubstantiation non solum requiritur intentio consecrantis, sed etiam intentio istud Sacramentum instituentis, it is not only requisite that the Priest have an intent to consecrate, but that Christ have an intent also that he shall consecrate. Now seeing it is confessed by diverse of you, that m Patolus Langius in Chron. ●th. ad Ann. 1514 joh. Franc. L●o in Thelauro Fort Eccl part. 3. de prohibit. & praemijs. nu. 57 some have taken upon them the name of Priests, who were none: n Bodin Damond. mania lib. 4. ●. 5. Nie▪ Blow tract. de Euch. some being Priests, have used the word of cosecration, without intent to consecrate: and that o joh. de Comb. loco supra citato. sometimes Christ is not disposed the Priest should consecrate, though he speak the words, and purposeth to consecrate; I would know how any Papist can possibly know, when any of your hosts are transubstantiated, and when he may safely adore it? because except there be Transubstantiation, he committeth Idolatry in adoring; adoring bread and wine the creatures, in stead of the Creator. 37 Iram judicis placare nescit oblatio nisi ex munditia place it offerentis,— idcirco non Abel ex muneribus, sed ex Abel munera oblata placuerunt: prius namque ad eum legitur, Dominus respexisse qui dabat, quam ad ill a quae dabat: No sacrifice is acceptable to God, except the sacrificer be acceptable,— and therefore it is, that God had not respect to Abel because of his offerings, but he had respect to the offerings because of Abel: for it is written, that God first respected the giver before he respected the gift, saith p Lib. 22. expos. in job. c. 31. cap. 12. Saint Gregory. And if this be true, I would know how you can avoid the acknowledgement of this Paradox, viz. That God is better pleased with your Mass-priest then with his Christ: or rather this, That God respects his Christ for your Priest's sake, and not your Priest for his Christ's sake: seeing your Masspriests are the sacrificers, and Christ himself (according to your learning) the sacrifice; especially this being considered withal, that your Priests, after consecration, q Canon. Missa. pray God he will vouchsafe to look down with a merciful and cheerful countenance upon the things offered, (to wit, Christ in your learning) and to accept them as he did vouchsafe to accept the offerings of his righteous servant Abel. For it seems by this prayer, that the Priests presume more of their own credit with God, then of their offerings; in that they desire the gifts may be accepted at their requests, and not they for the gifts. 38 It is plain by Scripture, that Abraham, Isaak, jacob, Moses, David, etc. were holy men, and in great favour with God. For we read in Scripture, that Abraham is termed the Father of the faithful, Rom. 4. 11. and the friend of God, james 2. 23. that Isaak was the child of promise, Gal. 4. 28. that jacob was beloved of God, Mal. 1. 2. and prevatled with God, Genes. 32. 28. that God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend, Exod. 33. 11. and that there arose not a Prophet since like Moses, Deut. 34. 10. that Christ was David's son, Math. 15. 22. and David a man after Gods own heart, Acts 13. 22. But it is not plain by Scripture, nor by any ancient▪ approved Author, that your George, your Christopher, your Katharin, your Ursula, your Margaret, were holy persons, and in great favour with God; yet you make special prayers to these, and none to Abraham, I saak, jacob, Moses, or David: whereof I desire to know the reason. For me thinks it is gross foolery, to neglect the old approved Saints, and to dote and rely upon younger, of whose sanctity, yea of whose entity, we have no certainty. 39 It is written in your books, that Maria apud Bernard. de Busti in Mariali, part. 12 ser. 2. de coronat. Mariae part. 1. Excellentia. 6. Deum omnibus Sanct is potentior est. Maria sola plus potest apud Deum impetrare, quam omnes Sancti in coelo. The Virgin Marie can prevail more of herself alone with God, than all the Saints in heaven beside. Yea, it is written by Ludolphus, and Chrysostom à visitatione, that velocior est nonnunquam salus innocato De vita jesu, part. 2. cap. 68 sol. 257. nomine Mariae, quam invocato nomine Domini unici Filij eius: Men oftentimes find more present help upon their praying to our Lady, then upon their praying to jesus Christ. And in Discipulus de Lib. 2. de verbis Domin●●a filiu in Nup●ijs. cap. 2▪ Sir 161. de Sanctis. Tempore we read, Nihil nos Deus voluit habere quod per manus Mariae non transiret: Gods will is, we shall have nothing which passeth not▪ by the virgin Maries fingers. Now if this be true, I would know why men should not pray to the virgin Marie only, who is so gracious and omnipotent, and cease to trouble (if not Christ, yet) the rest of the Saints, which in comparison of her, are so graceless and impotent? 40 I hear you say, that when you desire our Kellison in his Survey, lib. 3. cap. 12. ●u. 17. Lady and other Saints, to send you health, or to give you grace, and to have mercy on you; your meaning is no other, then to desire them to procure of Christ by their prayers and intercessions those benefits for you. But here first I desire to know, if you mean no worse, why you speak so harshly? certainly the Rich Glutton, Luk. 16. 24. when he prayed, saying, Father Abraham have mercy on me, had a further The I●ponians pray to their S aint Amida, D● salusem Amida. Muff●us select. ●pist. ●x India, lib. 4. p. 209. meaning, then to desire Abraham to pray for him. And the Patriarch jacob, when his wife Rahel said unto him, Give me children, or else Idle, Genes. 30. 2. supposed she had a further meaning in those words, then to desire him to procure her children of God by his prayers, for else why was his wrath kindled against her for saying so. Secondly, I desire to know, if you mean no other, why you tell us so many tales of the virgin Maries descending from heaven to help her suppliants on earth: and of other Saints personal and actual performance of such things as were begged of them. It is written Caesar. dial. lib. 7 cap. 24. Discip. lib. de miraculis B. Virgins, Exemp. 30. in your books, That a Priest having his tongue cut out by heretics, upon his mental prayer to the virgin Marie, had another put in. The virgin Marie, digitis ori eius immissis, putting her finger into the Priest's mouth (it was well he bit her not) fastened him in a new tongue. She helped him not with her prayers, but with her fingers. 41 In the same books of yours it is written, Caesar dial. lib. 7. cap. 25. That the virgin Marie prescribed physic to a boy with a scald head, who used to pray to her: and that by laying her own hands on his head, she preserved him from head▪ achever after. By Physic, and other means Discip. lib. citat. Exempl 35. than prayers, the cured the boy of his infirmities. In the same books it is written, That a good fellow called Peter, prayed to the virgin Marie for help: and that she appeared to him with Hippolytus in her company, commanding Hippolytus to help him▪ which Hippolytus did, not by praying for him, but by binding up his sores with his hands Chirurgion-like. In the same books Discip. Exempl. 24. it is written, that an Abbess, who was with child by an officer of hers, prayed the virgin Marie to help her at a dead lift, and to save her credit: which the virgin Marie did, not by praying for her, but by bringing two Angels with her, who played the midwives, helping her to be delivered of her child instantly, and carrying it (by the virgin Mary's appointment) to an Eremite, commanding him in the virgin Maries name to keep it till it was seven years old. In the same Caesar. dial. lib 7. cap. 35. & Discip. Exempl. 25. books it is written, that the virgin Marie saved likewise the credit of a whore-Nunne called Beatrix, not by praying for her, but by personal supplying of her place in an Oratory, by the space of fifteen years together, whilst she ran a whoring after a whoremonger Priest, and no body knew she was missing. Your Cardinal Annal. To. 6. ad an. 449. 〈◊〉 39 Baronius tells us soberly, that Leo 1. having written an Epistle to Flavianus Bishop of Constantinople against Eu●yches and Nestorius, he laid it upon S. Peter's tomb, praying him instantly that if there were any error, he would amend it: and that after certain days (it seems S. Peter took time to consider well of it) S. Peter appeared unto Leo, and told him that he had amended it. Whereupon Leo sumens Epistolam de sepulchro B. Petri aperuit eam, & invenit Apostolica manu emendatam: the Pope taking the Epistle away, and opening it, he found it corrected with the Apostles own hand. Which story seems to argue, that when Leo desired Peter to amend his Epistle, he meant more than to desire him to procure it amended of God by his prayers. 42 Annot. in 2. Cor. 1. 11. Your Rhemists tell us, that it is absurd to say, that the intersession of our fellows beneath is more available than the prayers of those that be in the glorious sight of God above. Now if it be indeed absurd to say so, I would gladly know of you why S. Paul, Rom. 15. 30. desired the Romans, v and 2. Cor. 1. 11. the Corinthians, and Ephes. 6. 〈◊〉 the Ephesians, and Col. 4. 3. the Colossians, and 1. Thess. 5. 25. & 2. Thes. 3. 1. the Thessalonians, and Heb. 13. 18. the Hebrews, all of them his fellows beneath, to pray for him; and desired none of the Saints in the glorious sight of God above to pray for him. And why S. james, Chap. 5. 16. advised them to whom he writ, that one of them (beneath) should pray for another; and required them not to pray to the Saints in the glorious sight of God above for help. 43 F●ria 5. quartae Dominicae Quadrag ser. 30 de suff●agij● mortuorum. Again, if it be absurd to say, that the intercession of our fellowet beneath is more available than the prayers of those that be in the glorious sight of God above; I would gladly know why you tell us so many tales of souls creeping out of Purgatory, craving the help of their fellows beneath; and not one, of any soul craving the help of any of the Saints in the glorious sight of God above. Have not the souls in Purgatory so much wit, as to repair to them for help, who are best able to help them? Or are you of Leonard de Vtino his mind, who holdeth, quod efficaciora sunt suffragia Ecclesia praesentis facta pro aliquo in Purgatoric existente, quam orationes Sanctorum in patria: That the prayers of the Church militant are more available for souls in Purgatory, than the prayers of the Church triumphant? 44 Vergerius reports, a ●nnotat. in Indie. lib. prohib. an. 1559. pag. 9 that it is written in an Italian book, entitled, Flosculi S. Franciscs, that the virgin Marie by the merit of her virginity saved all women to the time of S. Clare, as Christ by the merit of hi● passion saved all men till the time of Saint Francis, in whose days S. Clare lived. And he further reports, that whereas he answered that book, b Discorsi sopra li. ●iore●ti, di S. Francisco, lit. D. his answer was condemned as heretical in three several Indices of books forbidden, and so it is in the last of Clemens 8. Now if his report be true, I would know how you can save Cardinal Bellarmine's credit, who denies, c Praefat. con●. 7 to. 1. that any Catholic did ever equal in any sort the virgin Marie unto Christ? for as it is confessed in that book, that Christ saved men, so the Author professeth, that she saved women. 45 Ambrose Catharinus in an Oration which he made An. 1546. in the second Session at Trent, d Acta Cout. Trid. impress. Antuerp. 1546. fol. 57 termed her Fidelissimam sociam Christi, Christ's most faithful fellow or companion. And another great Papist did not stick to write, e In Maviali lib. 1. cap. 3. ●●st● Illir●o i●● italogo test. verit. col. 36. edit. 1608 Fuit Dominus cum Maria, & ipsa cum Domino in eodem labour, & eodem opere redemptionis: Mater enim misericordiae adiwit Patrem misericor diae in opere nostrae salutis: Our Lord was with Marie, and Marie with our Lord, in the same labour and in the same work of our redemption: for the Mother of mercy helped the Father of mercy in the work of our salvation. Who fearing some might reply on Christ's behalf, that it was written, Esay 63. I have trodden the winepress alone, and of all the people there was not one man with me: in way of preventing that, goes on thus: Verum est Domine, quod non est vir tecum, sed mulier una tecum est, quae omnia vulnera qua tu suscipisti in corpore, suscipit in cord: It, is true Lord that thou sayest, There was no man with thee, but there was a woman with thee, which suffered all the wounds in her heart, which thou suffered'st in thy body. Do not these speeches argue, that some Catholics have equalled in some sort the virgin Mary unto Christ? 46 You apply that to the Virgin Marie, which the Scriptures apply to Christ. The Scriptures say, that f Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman (meaning Christ, the God of peace, Rom. 16. 20.) shall bruise the Serpent's head: you g Bernard. de Busti in Maviali, pa●t. 12. se●. 2. de coronat M●ri, Excell●●tia 27. say, the virgin Marie bruised it. The Scriptures say, that Of his fullness we all have received even grace for grace, joh. 1. 16. you say, h Dis●●p. de Tep. ser. de concepti●●● Veraciter dicere possumus, tam de matre quam de filio, etc. we may as truly say, that of her fullness we have received grace. The Scriptures say, that Christ did reconcile all things to himself, Coloss. 1. 20. and that he did redeem us from our vain conversation by his blood, 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19 and you say the same in effect of her. For you affirm that she was i Bernard. lib. citat. pag. v●t. Redemptrix universi: k Ibid. Recuperatrix perditiorbis: and that l Stainhurst in Hebdom. Mariana. printed 1609. p. 85. & 113. per illam omnia in statum pristinum sunt restituta. The Scriptures say, that Christ was given adeducendum claustro vinctum, to bring prisoners out of prison, Esay 42. 7. and you ascribe as much to her: for you pray to her thus, m Offi●▪ b. Mariae virg. post advent. ad vesperas. Solve vincla reis. The Scriptures say, that Christ was that Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world, joh. 1. 29. and you seem to believe she can do as much; for to her you use to pray, n Ibid. Mala nostra pelle, put away our evils; meaning by evils, sins. The Scriptures o Heb. 7. 26. note it as a prerogative of Christ's, that p Bernard. de Busts▪ in offi●. de concept. Virg. die 6. lect. 6. he was without sin: and you tell us, that sicut Christus redemptor noster sine originali extitit, it a reparatrix nostra Maria illi similis in ho suisse comprobatur: she was like him in this. And doth not this also argue, that some Catholics have equalled in some sort the virgin Marie unto Christ? 47 You give the virgin Marie answerable titles to those which are given God, For as God is called the King of heaven, ●an▪ 4. 34. so you call her, q In Antiphona quae incipi●, Salue Regina. the Queen of heaven. As God is called, the Father of mercies, 2. Cor. 1. 3. so you call her, r Ibid. the mother of mercy. As God is called, the Author of all comfort, 2. Cor. 1. 3. so you call her s Stainhurst. lib. 〈◊〉 p. 155. the fountain of all comfort. As Christ jesus is called Our Hope, 1. Tim. 1. 1. so t In Antiph. Salue Regina. you call her. As Christ jesus is called our Advocate, 1. joh. 2. 1. so u Cosletus in perorat. ad Virg. ad 〈◊〉 Apol. 1. adu. Gom●rum. you call her. As he is called our Saviour, Luke 2. 11. so she x Bonauent. in Cant. ad in●tar Esai. 22. a Saviouresse by you. As he a Mediator. 1. Tim. 2. 5. so she y Idem in Cant. adi●star illius qui ascribitur Aug. et Ambros. a Mediatrix. As he a Redeemer, Psa. 78. 35. so she z B●rn. de Busts in Mariali. p. use. a Redemptrix. As he omnipotent, Math. 28. 18. so a Bon●uent. in hymns ad in star illius Exod. 15. she. As he the morning Star, Apoc. 22. 16. so b Coster. meditat. in hymn. A●●e. she. As he our life, joh. 14. 6. so c Antiph. Salue Regina. she. As he our Lord, joh. 20. 28. so d Pasa●m. she our Lady. As he our God, joh. 20. 28. so she our e L●●s. l. de virg. Asp●icolle, cap. 3 & 5. lib. 8 ●p. 17. Epist●l. d Bimbo script sub nonvine Leo. 10. Goddess. As he a chief corner stone, Eph. 2. 20. so f Bon●uent. 10. 6. in lib. inseripto, Laus b. virg. Mariae. p. 473. g she. Asdruball he the glory of his people Israel, Luke 2. 32. so g she. And as he was assumed into heaven in body, Acts 1. 9 so was she h Rhem Annot in Act. 1. 14. you say. And as the first day of the week is observed in remembrance of him, Apocap. 1. so the last day of the week is observed holy by you in remembrance of her. For Sabbathum cuiu sque hebdomadis Mariae sacrum esse, vix est qui ne sciat, saith Ferreolus Locrius Mariae Augustae lib. 6. cap. 23. and Dies Sabbathi dedi nota est gloriosae virgini Mariae, saith Discipulus de Tempore, ser. 164. And doth not this also prove, that some of you Catholics equal in some sort the virgin Marie unto Christ? 48 Fiunt in Ecclesiis processiones annuatim ad honorem Saluatoris in die Palmarum; & similiter ad honorem matris suae in die Purificationis ad correspondendum ad diem Palmarum: As upon Palme-sunday you keep yearly a Procession in honour of Christ; so answerably thereunto you keep yearly on the day of the virgin Maries purification, a solemn Procession in honour of her, as Bernardinus confesseth in Mariali 6. part. ser. 2. part. 2. de visitatione Mariae. And Statuit Ecclesia Officium particulare quod di●itur▪ si●gulis diebus ad honor emipsius Virgins, i These words are left out in Edit. 1607. but they are in the Edit. 1515. sicut ●lind Officium ad honorem Dei: as you have set Service appointed for every day to the honour of God, so your Church hath appointed set Service for every day in honour of her, as the same man witnesseth in the same place. And whereas David and some other holy persons made Psalms in their daye● to the honour of God, all which Psalms, except two, are recorded in holy Scripture: did not a great Cardinal among you * It was reprinted at Rome in Sixtus 5. days, and since at▪ Ments An. 1609 To. 6. operum Bo●●●uenturae. publish a book, entitled Psalterium B. Virgins, The Psalter of the blessed virgin Marry? in which there are 150 Psalms, whose beginnings answer to the beginnings of David's 150 Psalms; and eight other Psalms answering to eight Psalms recorded in other places of the Bible, carrying the names of Esay, Ezechias, Hanna, Moses, Abacuk, the three children, and Zachary, besides one much like to that which is fathered on S. Ambrose and S. Austin, beginning, We praise thee O Lord: and another like that of Athanasius Creed, beginning, Whosoever will be saved; and all this to the honour of the virgin Mary. Is it not true, Sir Priest, that what David and other holy men in their Psalms and hymns ascribed to God, especially in the first verse of every their Psalms and hymns, that in this book of your Cardinals is ascribed to the virgin Mary? Doth not David in the first verse of his seventh Psalm say, O Lord my God in thee I put my trust: and doth not your Bonaventure in the first verse of his seventh Psalm say, O thou my good Lady, in thee have I put my trust? Is not this the beginning of David's ninth Psalm, I will praise the Lord with my whole heart? and this the beginning of Bonaventure's ninth Psalm, I will praise thee O Lady with all my heart? In the 16 Psalm Da●●d saith, Preserve me O Lord▪ and your Bonaventure in his 16 Psalm saith, Preserve me O Lady. I will love thee, O Lord, saith David in his 18 Psalm: but I will love thee O Lady, saith Bon●uenture in his 18 Psalm. The heavens declare the glory of God, saith k Psal. 19 1. David: The heavens declare thy glory, saith Bonaventure speaking of the virgin Mary. The Lord i● my light, saith l Psal. 27. 1. David: Our Lady is my light, saith Bonaventure. In thee O Lord have I put my trust, etc. saith m Psal. 31. ver. 1. 3. 5. David: In thee O Lady have I put my trust▪ Thou art my strength and my fortress; 〈◊〉 thy hands O Lady I commend my spirit, saith Bonaventure. n Psal. 33. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: o Psal. 34. 1. I will always give thanks unto the Lord, his praise shall be in my mouth continually, saith David. Rejoice in our Lady O ye righteous; I will always give thanks unto our Lady, her praise shall be in my mouth continually, saith Bonaventure. p Psal. 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O Lord, etc. q Psal. 54. 1. Save me O God by thy name▪ r Psal. 92. 1. It is a good thing to praise the Lord, s Psal. 95. 1. 2. Come let us rejoice unto the Lord, etc. saith David. Have mercy upon me O Lady, according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities; Save me O Lady by thy name▪ It is a good thing to pr●●s● the virgin Mary▪ and to sing unto 〈…〉 lt us 〈…〉 Lady, let v● worship and fall down before her, saith Bonaventure. t Psal 98. 1. Sing unto the Lord a new song, etc. u Psal. 100 1. 2 Sing ye loud unto the Lord all the earth, etc. saith David Sing unto our Lady a new song, for 〈◊〉 ●ar●●llou● things; Sing ye loud unto our Lady all the earth, and serve her with gladness▪ saith Bonaventure. x Psal. 102. 1. O Lord hear my prayer, & let my cry come unto thee: y Psalm. 103. 1. 2. 3. My soul praise thou the Lord▪ and all that is within me praise his holy name: My soul praise thou the Lord, etc. which ●ogiueth all thine iniquities, etc. saith David. O Lady hear my prayer, and let my cry come to thee; My soul praise thou our Lady, which forgiveth all thy sins, saith Bonaventure. z Psal. 110. 1. The Lord said to my Lord, Sat thou on my right hand, saith David. The Lord said unto our Lady, Good mother sit thou on my right hand, saith Bonaventure. And to omit a hundred like speeches, whereas David saith, a Psalm. 150. v. vl●. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord; Bonaventure saith, Let every thing that hath breath praise our Lady. Esay in his Psalm saith, b Chap. 12. I will praise thee O Lord, etc. but Bonaventure in his Psalm saith, I will praise thee O Lady; Behold my Lady is my salvation, I will trust and not fear; declare our Lady's works among c 1 Sam. 2. 1. 2. 7 the people. Hanna in her Psalm saith, Mine horn is exalted in the Lord, etc. but Bonaventure in his Psalm saith, Mine horn is exalted in our Lady; There d De●●. 32. 1. etc. is none so holy as our Lady, she maketh poor & maketh rich, she bringeth low and exulteth. Moses in the one of his two Psalms saith, Harken ye heavens, etc. for I will publish the name of the Lord; but Bonaventure in his Psalm saith, Harken ye heavens what I will e Dan 3. in the vulg. Lat. speak of our Lady, ●ye. O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, etc. said the three children in their Psalm; but Bonaventure saith, O all ye works 〈◊〉 the Lord, bless ye our Lady, etc. Blessed he the Lord God of Israel▪ And thou child shalt he called the Prophet of the highest, said f Luke 1. Zachary in his Psalm; but Bonaventure saith, Blessed be our Lady the mother of our Lord God of Israel; And thou Mary shalt be called the Prophet of the highest. We praise thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord, said Ambrose and Austin in their Psalm; We praise thee O Lady, we acknowledge thee O Mary to be a Virgin, saith Bonaventure. Whosoever will be saved, it is necessary, before all things, that he hold the Catholic faith, etc. said Athanasius; but Whosoever will be saved, it is necessary before all things, that be steadfastly believe what concerns the virgin Mary. And doth not all this prove, that some of you Catholics do in some sort equal the virgin Mary unto Christ. 49 Omnia quae Dei sunt, Mariae sunt: quia matter & sponsa Dei illa est: All things which are Gods, are the virgin Maries, because she is both the spouse and mother of God, saith g Chrysost dvisitat▪ To. 1. de verb. Dom. lib. 4. cap. 8. a great Rabbin of yours. And To● creatureae seruiunt gloriosae Mariae virgi●i, quot seruiunt Trinitati▪ As many creatures honour the virgin Mary, as honour the Trinity, h Apud Bernard. de Busti in Ma●ial●, part. 12. ser. 2. de coronat. Mar ●. Excel. 10. saith another. Christ was willing (as i Ibid. some of your men say) Paterno principatui quodam modo principatum ●quiparare matter num, that his mother's sovereignty should in some sort equal the sovereignty of God his Father. As it is a true proposition, k Ibid. Divino imperio omnia famulantur, & Virgo: All creatures, even the Virgin herself, are subject to God's command: so is this proposition true, Imperio Virgin● omnia samulantur, & Deus: All creatures, and God himself, are subject to the virgin Maries command. l Bernard. de B●st, part. 11. ser. 2. 〈◊〉 Assump. virg. part. 1. Duae Cathedra, etc. Two chairs of estate were prepared in heaven, the one for Christ, the other for the virgin Marie. And she sits by him (as m Idem ser 4. de Assump. ser. 2. you say) ut genus humanum habeat semper ante f●ciem Dei Adi●torium simile Christo, ad pro●urandum suam salutem, that mankind may have always before God an Advocate like to Christ. Were they no Catholics in whom we read these? or, doth it not manifestly herehence follow, that some of you Catholics have equalled in some sort the virgin Marie unto Christ? 50 You a Gabriel Biel in exposit. Can. Miss. Lect. 80. Bernard. de Busti in Marials, part. 3 ser 3. de Nominat. Maria. Cassand consulta● tit▪ de merit. & intercess Sanct. teach, that whereas God's kingdom consists of justice and of mercy; God retaining to himself the one half thereof, to wit, justice, gave the other half, to wit, mercy to his mother. You tell us, b Chrysost. a visirat. to. 2. lib. 1. de verbis Dom▪ ad s●lium in Nisp●ijs cap. 2. that ut lo●ior est nonnunquam salus memorato nomine Mariae, quam inuocate nomine Domini jesu vn●ti silij eius: Men may oftentimes be sooner saved by calling on the virgin Mary▪ then on Christ. You tell us, c Bern de Busti lib. cit part. 9 ser. 2. Assi●●l. 2. Sedul. in Apolog. pro lib conform. lib. 3. cap. 17. that Saint Francis his Friar who could not get into heaven by the help of the red ladder, at the top whereof Christ stood, got easily into heaven by the help of the white ladder, at the top whereof his mother stood. d Manuel of prayers printed at Douai 1604 pag. 304. You wish sick folks to call upon the virgin Marie, in assurance that she will make their entrance into the kingdom of heaven, when other wise it might be, through the divine justice of God, they could not enter in by reason of their iniquities. And the like counsel you give to others who are in extremity: for cum adolescent quidam Lu●etiae ad supplicium ill ud exquisitum & her rendum fide● nomine duceretur, ac palo inspecto subind● exclamaret, Domine Deus habe miserationem mer; m●gni quidam nominis Theologus mulaeinsidens, ide●●idem inerepantis voce & gesta acclamavit; Dic, inquit; Mari● matter gratiae, matter misericordiae, etc. when a young man was to be burnt at Paris for his faith, upon sight of the stake, cried, O Lord my God have thou mercy upon me; a great Divine of yours, who road by on a mule, reproved him sharply, and bade him call upon the mother of grace and mercy, etc. as e Consultas. tit. de meritis & intercess. Sanct. & lib. de officio ●ij viri. Cassander witnesseth. Now this being thus, I desire to know how you can clear yourselves from holding, that the virgin Marie is more merciful than Christ, and that you repose more trust and confidence in her then in Christ? 51 It is well known that you make more prayers to the virgin Mary then to Christ: f Dowly in his Instr. of Christ. Relig. chap. 8. for she hath ten Aue mary's of you, for one Pater noster that Christ hath. It is well known g Bernard lib cit. part. 6. ser. 2. de visit at Maria. that your Preachers before their Sermons make their entrance not with a Pater noster to Christ, but with an Aue Maria to the blessed Virgin. For Omnes pr aedicantes exordium pro gratid impetranda à salutatione Angelica faciunt, saith Bernardinus de Busti. It is well known, that she hath the honour of receiving thanks before Christ: for upon finishing of your books which you publish, you conclude with h Greg de Vale●. ad fine●● colleq. Mo●pelgurs●nsis & alibi sup. Laus Deo & beatissimae Virgini, Deo item jesu Christo: Glory be to God the Father, and to the most blessed Virgin, and to God the Son: you giving precedency to the virgin Marie before her Son, not remembering at all the holy Ghost. And doth not this your so often praying unto her, and praying to her before her Son, and rendering of thanks unto her before her Son, argue that you honour her more than her Son? 52 It is well known, that you have more Churches and Oratories which you call by her name, then by Christ's. i Beru●r lib. cit. part. 6. sir. 2. part. 2. de visuas Maria. Non est civitas, vel castrum, seu villa, quae non habet Ecclesiam vel saltem Capellam aliquam ad hinorem virgins Maria: imo plures reperiuntur Ecclesiae ci intitulasae, quam in honorem Saluator is & Sanctorum omnium: There is not a city, not a castle, nor a grange house, which hath not either a church or a chapel dedicated to the virgin Marie: yea there are mo● Churches dedicated to the virgin Mary then to Christ and to all his Saints. It is well known she hath more Holy days observed by you to her honour, than Christ to his: for he (for any thing I can learn) hath only these days observed as holy by you, viz. his Nativity, his Circumcision, his Ascension, and Corpus Christi, as it is called: but k To rool. Locriut Mariae Augustae lib. 6. cap. 1. etc. she hath her Feast of Conception, of her Nativity, of her presentation in the Temple, of her Annunciation, of her Visitation, of her Purification, of her Assumption, her snow feast, as you call it, besides the feast of her Espousals, of her sorrows, of her joys, and her weekly Saturday feast. It is well known she hath more presents and gifts bestowed upon her, than Christ hath upon him. For l Erasm in col●loq de Per●gr. Relig. orgo. you deck her Churches and Chapels with gold and silver, and precious stones; whereas Christ's are open to wind and weather. m See D. Mortons' Protestáts Appeal. lib. 2. cap. 12. soct. 12. pag. 242. iumarg. Where she hath had by Offerings 200 pounds yearly, there Christ hath had some years but five marks, and some years not a penny. It is well known you go oftener of pilgrimage to her Image, then unto to Christ's. For in Italy you go by droves to her Image at Loretto; in Liguria you go to Savona; in Spain to the mount Serrato; in France to the town of Clear, in the Low Countries to Hales; and with us in England (when it was Popish) you flocked to her Image at Ipswich and Walsingham, as n Prompt. Cathol. in f●sto Nat ●. Virg. p. 195. Stapleton witnesseth: whereas of such flocking to any of Christ's Images, we neither read nor hear of. And doth not this your intitling Churches with her name, and observing of Holy days to her honour, and presenting her with such gifts, and running of pilgrimage to her Image so far and so often, fortify the former conclusion, that you honour her more than Christ? 53 o Bern. de Busli in Marialipar. 6. ser. 2. a● visisat. Mariae. Slatuit Ecclesia quod singulis diebus ter pulsentur campanae ad honorem benedictae matris Dei, maxim de mane, & de sero, ut omnes ipsam immaculatam Virginem genibus flex is adorantes venerentur, ac beatificent; etc. your Church hath ordained that three times a day a bell (which you call your Auc Mary bell) shall be rung to put men in mind of worshipping the virgin Mary, of recommending yourselves to her, of that thankfulness which you owe to her: but you have no ordnance for the ringing of a bell in such sort, to put men in mind of worshipping Christ. Your Church hath taught men to pray to the virgin Mary to command her Son. Orae Patrem, & iube Filio: Entreat God she Father, and command God thy Son, was p Cassand. consul tit. de ●eri●h & intercess. Sanct. & lib de offici● py viri▪ etc. an usual prayer in many Churches: and so was, O faelix puerper●, Noftr● pians scel●●a, In re matris nupera Redemptori. And in your q To. 6. Psal. 35. pag. 481. edit. Bonaventure Ladies Psalter lately printed, Coge illum peccatoribus misereri: Compel him (viz. Christ) to have mercy upon sinners, saith Bonaventure speaking of the virgin Mary. And in another r To. ●dem. pag. 466. Treatise of bonaventure's making, called Corona B. Mariae virgins, this formal prayer is to be found: O Imperatrix & Domina nostra benignissima, in re matris impera tu● delectissimo fil●● Domin● nostro jesu Christ, ut mentes nostr as ab amore terrestrium ad coelestia desideria crigere dignetur: O noble Empress and kind Lady, we pray thee use the authority of a mother, and command thy Son and our Saviour to turn our hearts from the love of earthly things, unto the love of heavenly. Doth not this your care to see her served, and the sovereignty which you give her over her Son, enforce that you esteem of her more than of Christ? 54 You tell us, that s Marialelib. 1. cap. 2 teste Illyrico in cattle. testium veritat. edit. 1608. col 36 Solomon dicit, qui parum noverat de Maria, t Prou. 18. 10. Turris fortissima nomen Domini, ad ipsam confugiet iustus, & exaltabitur: nobis autem dicendum, Turris furtissima nomen Dominae, ad ipsa● confugiet peccator, & saluabitur: Solomon who knew little of the virgin Mary, said, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous shall come visto it, and be exalted: but we must say, The name of our Lady Is a strong tower, let the sinner come unto it, and he shall be saved. You tell of a u Discip de Tep. de 〈◊〉 vac. ●. virg. Exempl. 57 ●oldi●●▪ who did never any other good deed, then saying of an Aue Mary when he arose in the morning, and another when he went to bed a● evening, who graita Virgini● saluatus est, was saved by the grace of the virgin Marie. And you tell us of a x Ibid. Exempl● 97. es Caesar. dial lib. 7. cap. 59 & Locrius Mariae Augusta lib. 6. cap. 23. thief and murderer, who did never good deed, but that he fasted Saturday in honour of the virgin Marie, who for that was likewise saved. You tell us of an y Discip. loco cis. exempl. 96. unthrift, who to get wealth by devilish means, renounced Christ; and yet because he would not renounce the virgin Marie, was pardoned: and of a z Exempl. 99 graceless gentleman, of whom Christ himself complained as of one that crucified him, who yet because he honoured the virgin Mary by fasting Saturday, sped well enough. You tell us of a Exempl. 98. one who should have been condemned by Christ, by reason of his sinfulness, who yet was absolved at the Virgin's entreaty, for that he was one of her servants: and of b Exempl. 50. another that was indeed condemned to hell by Christ; and yet repriued by reason of her importunity, and afterwards saved. Do not all these tales (ordinarily told in your pulpits) convince, that your forefathers laboured to persuade the people, rather to trust in the virgin Mary then in her Son Christ jesus? Multi videntur B. Virginem in maiore veneratione habere quam Christum filium eius: Many seem to honour the blessed Virgin more than her Son Christ, saith a c Bern. de Busti in Marials par. 6 ser. 2. de visita●. Mariae. great man of your Religion; imputing the cause thereof to their * Magi● ex simplicitate 〈◊〉 quam sei●●tia. simplicity; but he might more justly have imputed it to your doctrine; and the rather, for that he addeth in the same place, Quta honor matris redundat in silium, Prou. 17. patientiam habet filius Del de hac qu●rundam vir orem & mulierem simplicitate: Because the honour of the mother redounds to the honour of the child, as we read, Prou. 17. the Son of God bears with the simplicity of such men and women as honour his mother more than himself. For doth not this doctrine afford good encouragement for such practice? 55 I find in many of your a Institutio Christiana ad initium Officij B. Maria Virg. Ledesma. Catechisms, the second Commandment of the Decalogue left out quite: and in b Ledesma. Adrianus jesuita, lib. de confess. Bruno in his Treatise of the Sac. of Penance cap. 12. some of your Catechisms, for Remember thou sanctify the Sabbath day, I find, Remember to sanctify the Holy days. And in your c Cap. de 9 e● 10 pr●cepto. Trent Catechism I find the ninth and tenth Commandment so huddled together, that I know not how it distinguisheth and ranks them; whether it makes, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, the ninth commandment, as d Ledesina. Douly, etc. See Defence of the Censure, p. 134. some popish Catechisms do; or the tenth, as e Instit. Christ. supra citat. Discip. de Tempore, ser. 143. others do. My desire is you would give me a reason of leaving out the second, and of changing the third according to your account, the fourth in ours; and such nimbling of the 9 and 10. together, that you cannot agree among yourselves which is the ninth, which is the tenth. 56 You teach, that f Radford in his Directory to the truth. chap. 16. p. 115. to speak against your Pope is a most deadly sin against the first commandment of God: that g Navar. in ●nchirin. cap. 11. n●. 32. to devose or to procure pictures to be devised by others, which may in any sort be disgraceful to your Pope or to his Cardinals, or to any of your Popish Hierarchy, is a sin against the first commandment. That h Vincent Bruno in his Treatise of Penance, chap. 10. to keep books either of heretics, or for any other respect, forbidden by your Church, is a sin against the first commandment. That i Ibid. not to detect a man infected with heresy to whom he ought (that is, not to detect a Protestant to the Inquisition) is a sin against the first commandment. That k Ibid. to dissuade or hinder any for entering Religion (that is, in your language, from being a Monk or a Nun) is to sin against the first commandment. That l Brief form of confession added to Vaux his Catech. p. 225. to set light by, and not to regard the ceremonies of your Church, is a sin against the first commandment. That m Pelancus jesuita in direct. confess. p. 51. he who is ignorant of the five commandments of the Church sins against the 1. commandment. That n Method confess. in exposit. Decalogi, p. 41. he who believes not undoubtedly your popish Purgatory, sins against the 1. commandment. That o Method. con〈…〉 tends in explie. Decalogi. p. 41. impress. Lugd. An. 1549. not to believe whatsoever your Romish Church believes, is a sin against the 1. commandment. That p Euercitium pietatis, etc. Edit. Colon. 1592. cap. de methodo recte confitendi. it is an act of infidelity or heresy to communicate in both kinds. And do you not hereby bowray, that you make of no sins grievous sins? 57 Saint Paul speaking of concupiscence, which rebelled against the law of his mind, Rom. 7. 23. complained of his hard estate, that he could not rid his fingers of it, v. 24. terming it expressly sin, v. 17. yet your q Sess. 5. de peccato orig. Act. 5. Council of Trent denies, that concupiscence in the regenerate is sin: and your r Apparat. sac. verbo Patres antiqui. Possevin thinks it not meet, that we, after the example of the Apostle, should call it sin. Stealing for need is sin, as appeareth Prou. 30. 9; yet with s Bellar. lib de matrim. cap. 27. you, stealing for need, is no sin. And do not these two instances bewray, that you make of sins no sins? But your turning the Commandments of God into evangelical counsels, puts it out of all doubt. For though it be a sin, not to observe God's commandments, yet according to your learning, it is no sin, not to observe God's counsels. t Azor. instit. mor. part. 1. l. 4. cap. 9 2. 〈…〉 tur. Nemo peccat si Dei consilia praetermittat: u Vega de juslif. lib. 14 cap. 12. Intermittere consilia nullum peccatum est: x Bellar. lib. 2. de monach. cap. 7. Consilium si non seruetur, nullam habet paenom, goes for good divinity with you. Now that you turn the commandments of God into counsels, it is proved by this, that Resist not evil, etc. Love's your enemies: Lend, looking for nothing again: Pray for them which curse you: Let you communication be Yea, yea, Nay, nay: If thy right eye cause thee to offend, plack it out, and cast it from thee: Take heed you give not your alms before men, to be seen of them, etc. Be not careful: and Care not for to morrow. If any brother have a wife that believeth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not for sake her: and the woman that hath an husband that believeth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not for sake him: are held by y See joh. de Combis in compend. The l lib 5. cap. 70. & Ludolph. de vita Christi, part 2. cap. 12. 〈◊〉 Azorus part. 1. lib. 5. cap. 2. et Bellar. lib. de matrivion. cap. 12. you, not commandments, but evangelical counsels. For upon this ground it follows, that though a man resist evil, though he love not his enemies, though he pray not for them who curse him, though his communication be more than yea and nay, though he pluck not out his right eye when it offends him, though he give alms to be seen of men, though he be careful for to morrow, though he leave his unbelieving wife who would dwell with him, etc. in all this he sins not. 58 Whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly, is culpable of judgement: and whosoever saith Rada, is worthy to be punished by a Council, saith our Saviour, Mat. 5. 2●. yet unadvised anger, & Racaing of a man's brother, are but venial sin● with z joh. ●e Rada 2. par. cont. The●l. enter Tho. ●● Scotum, cont. 17. Act. 2. you. Foolish talking and jesting, which are things not comely, saith S. Paul, Eph. 5. 4. yet they are but venial sins with a Ibid. you. Of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof at the day of judgement, saith our Saviour, Mat. 12. 36. yet idle words are but venial sins with b Azor. insist. moral. lib. 4. c. 9 7. quaritur. you. Flattery, from which the Apostle cleareth himself as from a foul fault, 1. Thess. 2. 5. is but a venial sin with c Dist. 25. unum otarium. you. * Drink. Continual haunting of Tavern or Alchouse, noted by the Apostle as an heathenish sin. 1. Per. 4. 3. is but a venial sin with d Dist. 25. unum oravium. you: no nor yet e Bonauent. in centiloq. part. 1. cap. 6. drunkenness itself, which is condemned by the Apostle in the same place. The provoking of wife & children to anger, which the Apostle forbids, Col. 3. 1. 21. is but a venial sin with f Dist. 25. unum orarium. you. Though we read Psal. 5. 6. that the Lord shall destroy them that speak lies; yet lying, provided it be but in a merriment, is no more than a venial sin with g Bonauent. loco citato. you. Yea some kind of perjury, and cursed speaking, though cursed speakers be h 1. Cor. 6. 10. excluded the kingdom of heaven expressly, and periuri in general condemned. Malipiero▪ 3. 5. are but venial sins with i Dist. 25. unum orarium. you. If a boy rob lis father but of little sums of money: if he steal pins, points, bowls, or such small things from his ompanions, he sins but venially in k Arorius loco si. p. a citato. your opinion. Provided a man hear a Mass on the Sabbath day, he may spend the rest of the day in hawking, in hunting, in skirmishing, in justing, in tourneying, in bowling, in curding, in dicing, in dancing, in going to plays, or any such like idle exercises, and sin not at all, as l Tolet. in sum. lib. 4 cap. 24. some of you say, or at m Navar. in Enchirid. cap. 13. nu. 15. most but venially. To manage a man's own estate whickedly, by spending wastefully, or sharing miserably: to play the glutton, to exceed in apparel, to spend the time idly, to pray retohlesly, to brag of himself insolently, are but venial sins with n Azor. lib. eir, 8. quaritur. you. For one w●min to call another woman whore, or thief, or what ever comes first to her tonques end: for servants to miscall & rail one on another, is but a venial sin with o Tolet. in sum. ib. 5. cap. 9 you. For a man in his fury or choler to play any impious or desperate part, to revile God & his Saints, is but a venial sin with p Azor. lib. 4. c. 9 7. quaritur. you. And doth not this argue your Religion to be a licentious Religion, which of such practices makes but peccadilloes? 59 It is foul sin for subjects to rebel against their Sovereigns, Rom. 13. 2. yet you commend rebellion in subjects. u W. C. in his Reply to f. Parson's libel, printed Au. 1603. fol. 66. Your College of Jesuits at Salamanca in Spain, concluded the seventh day of March, Anno 1602. that the Papists in Ireland might favour the Arch traitor Tyrone, idque magne cum merito, & spe retributionis aeternae, very meritoriously, and with hope of heaven. And in Lewis of Bavaria the Emperor his days, they who rebelled against him, x Masil. Patavius. defensor pacis. part. 2. cap. 26. p. 396. were called by your predecessors, Ecclesiae filij, & vere fideles, your Churches white sons and truly faithful; whereas they who stood with him, were called Heretics and schismatics. It is a foul sin to use vain repetition in prayer, Math. 6. 7. yet you commend your jesus Psalters, wherein you repeat one prayer 150 times. To believe lies seems a foul sin: for God threateneth such as he resolves to damn, to send them strong dclusions that they should believe lies, 2. Thessal. 2. 11. yet you hold the believing of lies to be meritorious in some persons. For, Si rusticus circa Articulos credat sue Episcopo proponenti aliquod dog ma haereticorum, meretur in credendo, licet sit error: If a country fellow believe the Bishop of his Diocese preaching some heretical point against an Article of his faith, he merits in believing him, saith y In Sum. lib. 4. cap. 3. Tolet. And do not these four instances prove, that you make of sins virtues? 60 You take upon you to forgive sins to commit: which is proved by this, z Canton. in hi●. Anglia. joh. Maior. de gustis Scotorum. l. 4. cap. 3. that the Abbot of Swines-head absolved a Monk who acquainted him with his purpose of poisoning King john with a pot of Ale, before the Monk poisoned the King. And by the testimony of the Germans: for in their a Gravam, Nee. German. grau●men. 3. grievances exhibited to Charles the fifth, they complained, that the pardoners persuaded the people they could pardon nox as praeterit as nut futuras, both faults past, and faults to come. And as much may be gathered out of Sigismond's the Emperor's words at the Council of Constance, who speaking against dispensations, said thus: b joh. Episc. Chemensis Onus E●cl●s. cap. 19 de Indisposie. Rom. Curiae, sect. 13. Legimus Christum Petro potestatem duntaxat relaxandi peccata, non admittendi dedisse: We read that Christ gave Peter only power to remit sins, but not to commit sins. For it is plain by this, that the Peter of his days took upon them to dispense with such as had a mind to sin. But most directly the point is proved by c Candela●. ●●v●uon, 〈◊〉 de absolute. ●●. 28. Edit. ●rixia. 1595. Martinus Alfonsus Vivaldus, that great famous Spanish Doctor, for in him we read, Quod Papa habet omnimodum pote●●atem in omnes Christi fideles, tam quoad commissa, quam quoad committend● crimina absoluenda: That the Pope hath all manner of power over Christ's people, to absolve them as well from all crimes to commit, as from crimes committed. And by our most d In his Meditation upon the Lord's prayer, pag. 58. 59 noble King, who protestech that he hath seen with his own eyes two Authentical bulls, both of them pardoning sin as well to come, as bypast. 61 You a Gloss. in 32. q. 2 Quodautem. confess, that Marriage was instituted by God in Paradise, not only for increase of mankind, but for preventing fornication. And yet you b Aror. iustit. moral. part. 1. lib. 12. cap. 6. 3 quaritu●. teach, that a solemn vow (by reason of the Church's constitution) makes a nullity of marriage following after it. Now I desire to know, with what honesty the Church can repeal or make void the institution of God by any constitution of hers. For you know there is a text, Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Your c Extrae. joh. 22. de voto et voti redemp. c. Antiq. Glozer acknowledged, that admiranda res videtur esse ista, this might seem a strange thing▪ but for satisfaction of such as thought it strange, he could give no better answer, then that the constitutions made by the Church, are made by your Pope, and that your Pope not being a pureman (which I easily believe) all was well enough. But cannot you give me a better? 62 You d Tho. Aquin. comment. in Tit. 1. confess, that he is more capable of Orders among you, who hath kept two whores, then he who hath married one widow or two wives. And if this be thus, may we not say with another of your e In cap. Quia circa. Extra de Big●nis. Glozers, Nota mirabile quod plus habet luxuria quam castitas, observe a strange thing, whoredom hath greater privilege than chastity? 63 You f Bellar. lib. 2. de Monach. cap. 30. confess, that your Votaries break their vows of chastity if they marry, but not if they keep whores. Now I would know of you, whether this doth not argue plainly, that your Votaries chastity consists in not marrying, and not, in not whoring? Your Friars, your Priests may lie with a hundred Nuns, and keep for all that their vows of chastity, if this be so. 64 By your Religion, g Coster. in E▪ chir. cap. 17. Caelibatu. face. proposit. 9 It is less evil in him that hath vowed chastity, is whore, th●n to marries h Rhem. Annot. in 1. Cor. 7. 9 Marriage of them who have vowed chastity, is the worst sort of incontinency. i See Hasse 〈…〉 uler. histor. jesuit. ordinis, cap. 10. Erasm. de lingua They (in more grievously by marrying, who vowed chastity before, then if they played the Sodomites, a● used the sin of bestiality, according to your divinity. Your Popes as good writers witness) have been k Cornel Agrip. de vanit. scient. cap 64. erectors of stews, and l ibid. & Sansonius de gubernat. regn. & reruinpub. lib. 11. cap de jud, Mareschallo. & Sultan. have made great profit by the stews. Your Cardinals have been m Peter Martyr comm. in judic. c. 16. frequenters of the stews: your Doctors have n Harding Ans. to the Apology. jesuits at Wi●bitch Sparing discourse. p. 13. defended the stews: your o Agripp. loco sup. cit. & Gravam. nationis German. nu 91. Bishops have licenced Priests for a certain sum of money to keep whores: and your p Agrippa loco citato & Gravamen 96 n t●enis German. Officials for money have licenced married wives in their husband's absence to play the whores. Adultery is reckoned by q Cap. Et●●i Clarics. Extra. de judici 〈…〉. your men, inter minora 〈◊〉 amongst the peccadilloes. And as for fornication in Priests, r Communiter dicitur, quod pro simplici for nicatione qui● deponimon debet, cum pauci sine ill● vitio inneniantur: The common opinion ●●ongst you is, that no Priest should be deposed for it; because there are but few Priests who are free from it. I am ashamed to speak of s job. in. Casa. him, who in Italian verses commended the sin of Sodom, though your Pope made him Archbishop of Beneventum. Doth no● the rest prove your Religion an unclean Religion; and that you have little cause to brag of your chastity? 65 By your Religion, the Images of Saints are to be worshipped with Processions, Gen● flextionibus, inclinationibus; 〈…〉 ficationibus, deo sculationibus, oblationibus, luminarum accensibnibus, & perigrinatio by kneeling unto them, by bowing the body towards them, by inconsing of them, (that is, sacrificing unto them, as u Ibid▪ Lindwood expounds the word) by kissing of them, by offering gifts unto them, by setting up candies before them, by going in pilgrimage unto them. Now I would know why you should not be held Idolaters forthiss, seeing sacrificing to any thing but God only, hath been always x Exod. 22. 20. Austlin de Civit. Dei, lib. 10. cap. 4 reputed idolatry; and the burning of incense to any thing, hath been always held sacrificing? 66 I have seen a y Hor● B. Virg. impress. Paris. 〈◊〉 4. An. 1526. fol. 62. 63. prayer of yours, which (as the Rubric saith) was showed unto Saint Austin by revelation of the holy Ghost; and of which you give out, that who beareth it about them, shall not perish in five nor water, neither in battle, nor judgement, nor shall die sudden death, nor be poisoned with venom. z lib. 1. sac. 〈…〉 And I have seen certain verses which your Pope 〈◊〉 sent with three Agnus This, to the Fallst of Greece, running thus: Balsanius, & munds cura cum chrysmatis unda, Consiciunt Agnum quod muns dovibimagnum. Fonte velut musum, per mystica sanctificatum, Falgura de sursum depell●t ●●●●malign●m Peccaium frangit, ut Christi sanguis, & ●angit● Pregnans seruatur, final & partia liberatur. The English is jof. Hala in h● disswassue from Pogetie, prefixed his book entitled, The peace of Rome. Dona defert dignis, virtutem destruit 〈◊〉 Port●ses munde, de flucti●u●●r●pit vndae. Balsam, and pure water, and chrysine licour clear, Make up this precious Lamb I send thee here. All lightning it dispels, and each ill spirit, Remedies sin, and makes the heart contrite▪ Even as the blood that Christ for us did shed: It helps the child bed paincs, and gives good speed Unto the birth: great gifts it still doth win, To all that wear it, and that worthy been: It quells the rage of fire; and cleanly bore, It brings from shipwrecks safely to the shore, Now I desire to know (not how your Pope can be excused from blasphemy, in ascribing as much to his Lamb, as to the Lamb of God; for I know that passeth your skill, but) how your Church can be excused from sorcery? 67 Some of your Painter's picture Christ and Simon of Gyrene carrying the Gross of Christ jointly▪ but (as a Concord. Eu. 〈◊〉 cap. 143. jansenius proveth well they carried it severally, Christ one part of the way, and Simon another part of the way; whereby appears it was far from a cart load: yet you tell us of so many pieces of it, in so many places, as that you cannot deny, but that at this day it would fraught a ship of three hundred Tnnue. Now I desire to know, how it, being insensible, of less than a cart load, is become a ship load; especially seeing for the first three hundred years after Christ, no body discerned any growth of it, yea no body regarded it? 68 b Baron. Annal. 30. 3. ad an. 326. 〈◊〉 52. Some of your Crircifixes represent Christ nailed upon the Gross with three nails, some with four: of more hoiles than four, we neither read in your Laymen books, nor in your Clergy books: yet there are a number of nails showed in diu●●● places, which are said to be of the nails wh●● withal Christ wa● nailed unto the Cross. Now ● desire to know, how they being but four at first, are come to so many now▪ especially considering both Russinus hist. lib. 1. cap. 8. and Socrates hist. lib. 1. cap. 13. and Theodoret hist. lib. 1. cap. 18. testify, that Constantine made bridles of some of them, and an helmet of the rest of them: and that c De gloria Marty●. lib. 1. cap. 6. Gregory Turonensis who relates the matter a little differently, affirms, Helena herself cast one of them into the sea, to make it safely navigable. Did that which she cast into the sea spawns think you, that we have such a fry of nails? 69 You d Maij 3. keep a solemn feast in honour of the Cross whereon Christ died, though Christ was most despitefully used thereon. Now I desire to know, why you keep not rather a solemn feast in honour of the Ass whereon Christ road into jerusalem, seeing he was e Math. 21. royally used when he rid upon the Ass? 70 You f Bellar. lib. 2. de Imag. cap. 27. teach, that the Cross of Christ is to be worshipped, ratione contact us, because it touched the body of Christ. Upon which ground would it not follow, I pray you, that if the woman who was cured of the bloody issue, Luk. 8. were living, she must be worshipped? and the multitude too, who at the same time thrust him, and trad upon him? Would it not follow, that judas who kissed him, and the other sons of Bebial who bufferted him; and all the ground whereon he trod both in Egypt and in judea, aught to be worshipped in like manner? 71 Allen in his defence of Purgatory, ch●●. 6. I read in your books, that a Nothing can enter into heaven, which is not purified to the point. Nothing can stand in God's sight, that hath any blemish of su●ne, any spot of corruption, any remnant of infirmitte. And I read likewise, that upon this ground you maintain, that many men's souls go to Purgatory to be purified to the point, that afterwards they may have entrance into heaven. Now seeing you confess, that b Michael. Epise. Me●spurg. in ●atech. cone. 11. de Symb. Apost. men's bodies sin against God as well as their souls; and c Allen loco ci●. that sin hath wrought in the body great filth and feebleness: I desire to know why you do not maintain that men's bodies go to Purgatory to fit them for heaven, as well as men's souls? Me thinks, it should be as unseemly to see a filthy, a feeble, a corrupt body, as to see a sinful soul in heaven. 72 You tell us, that d Bellar. lib 1. de Purgat. cap. 1. Purgatory is only for those souls which are not perfectly purged in this life: and yet you tell us, that e Idem lib. 2. de Purg. cap. 2. many men's souls whose sir sare forgiven in this life, go to Purgatory. Now I would know, how these two tales can stand together. For as sin defiles the soul, so forgiveness purgeth it. That soul, whose lins are forgiven, is perfectly rurged. And therefore if your Purgatory be only for such souls as are not perfectly purged in this life; in seems to me, it cannot be for those souls whose sins are forgiven in this life. But if you mean to give me full satisfaction herein, you may not mock me, by distinguishing, that in sin two things are to be considered, viz. Culpa & pant, the fault, and the punishment of the fault: labouring to make me believe, that though the fault beremitted, yet the punishment remaining, there is matter enough for Purgatory to work upon. For I would have you know, that I know well, it is the fault of sin, and not the punishment of sin, which defiles the soul. f Bonaventur. in Centileq part. 2. sect. 2. Bellar lib. 1. de ansiss. great. cap. 14. Omnis paena, in quantum pa●na est, iusta est, & a D●●● All punishment considered as punishment, is just, and from God▪ And it is absurd to say, punishment is purged with punishment. 73 I read in your books, that your Pope for delivering of souls out of Purgatory, prescribes sometimes no more but the saying of a Mass at such an Altar in such a Church: or the saying of a pater nester twice or thrice, etc. Now I would know, with what justice God can keep him in such horrible torments as you say are in Purgatory, for the want of saying of a Mass, or two or three Pater nostril, whom in mercy he meant to deliver upon the saying of a Mass, or two or three Pater nosters. One of your Jesuits affirms confidently, that i Maldonat. to. 2. de poenit. cap. de Indulgen▪ q. 6. pag 202. Deus esset profecto crudelissimus, si propter unam orationem Dominicam quae non diceretur, animam pro qua fudie sanguinem suum detineret in tant is torment is: God might justly be reputed cruel, if for want of pattering over a Pater noster, he would keep any soul, for which he shed his blood, in such torments as are in Purgatory. 74 I read in your books, k Vivald in candelab. aur ●. tie. de satisfac. nu. 17 edit. Brix. Anno 1595. Solum Deam nosse quae sit iusta poenitentia, that God only knows how long any sin deserves to be punished in Purgatory; though l Discip. de Temp ser. 156. D. some take upon them precisely to set down, that every sin deserves as many years' Purgatory torments, as there are days in seven years, viz. 2555. And yet I read that your Pope grants Indulgences in this manner: Qu● hot veljll●● secerit, liherabit ani●●m 〈◊〉 à Purgatory: He that doth this or that, shall deliver a soul out of Purgatory. Now I would know, how your Pope comes to know, that souls are so near the time of their delivery, that the doing of this or that will suffice to make even for the remainder of their punishment? or rather, whether you be not of my mind, that the Pope in granting such Indulgences plays the K. and the people in making reckoning of them play the fools. The jesuit above cited, m Maldonat. loto supra citato. disputing the question, An Papa vel Episcopi possint animas liberare à Purgatorio: whether the Pope or the Bishops have power to deliver souls out of Purgatory, resolves they have, provided, tantum pro illis suffragi●ru● 〈…〉 liberentur: sed tamen neque possent, neque debent uti hac forms, Qui hoc velillud fecerit, liberabit animam unam à Purgatorio: 〈◊〉 illerum scit quantum debeat paenar●●● illa an●ma quae liberanda est, ut iudicare posset satis esse illud suffragium quod praecipit ad liberandam illam▪ concluding thus, Cum autem hoc ignoret, non potest nis●temere dicere, Qui fecerit hoc, liberabit animam unam; which is in effect as much as I say. 75 I read in your books, that as in the old Law there was a n Luke 20. Treasury to keep money in for the use of the poor; so now there is in the Church a o Zecchins de Indulg. & jubil, cap. 1. n●. 6. treasury to keep spiritual commodities in for the use of such, who having their sins forgiven them, are yet liable to great punishments, either here or in Purgatory. Which spiritual commodities are raised (as p Bellar. lib. 1. de Indulg. cap 2. you tell us) of the surplusage of Christ's sufferings; and of the surplusage of other holy persons, such as job, Elias, Elizeus, Esay, jeremy, Ezekiel, and other of the Prophets, the virgin Marie, john Baptist, etc. For Christ suffered more than he needed; and many holy persons suffered more than their sins deserved, q Zecchius loco citato nu. 5. as you say: r Bellar. lib. 1. de judulg. cap. 4. ad ob. 3. & 4. which, ne inanes & sine fructu essent, lest they should be thought to have been suffered idly and to no purpose, are reserved for the use abovesaid; and are to be disposed by your Pope, whom you make the s Solus Papa habet claues huius the sauri. joh. de Combis in compend. Theol. lib. 7. cap. 6. one only Lord Treasurer thereof: he by his Indulgences may communicate more or less of▪ them to whom he thinks good. Now in as much as you confess withal, that Christ's sufferings are of themselves sufficient to make satisfaction for the temporary punishment of all men, as well as for the eternal, and yet not exhausted: I would know why the sufferings of the Saints should be joined to them? and whether it be not as absurd to hold, that any part of Christ's sufferings were inanes & sine fructa, idle and to no purpose, as holy men's? and how it came to pass that such a mass of treasure arising from holy persons in the old Law, the Priests of that time could make no use of it, but left it untouched for your Pope? 76 I read in your books, t Bellar. de amiss. great. lib. 6. cap. 12 that diseases of the body are temporal punishments of sin: and that u Rhem. Annot. in 2. Cor. 2. 11. your holy mother the Church pardoneth exceeding often and much, all or great parts of what punishment temporal soever due or deserved either in this world or in the next. Now if your Mother hath power to do so, I desire to know, why she cureth not by her pardons, the Ague-fits, the Strangury, the Stone, the Goat, wherewithal many of her children, her best beloved children, her Cardinals, her Popes, are oftentimes afflicted? 77 I read in your books, x Antonp●r●. 3. cit. 32. cap. 5. sect. 5. that your Pope hath power to empty Burgatory at once. And if the saying of a Mass or a Pater noster will help to empty it, as you have borne men in hand heretofore that it will; I would know how you can excuse your Popes from unspeakable uncharitableness and hard heartedness, in that themselves say no more Masses and Pater nosters for Christian souls than they do, nor set more of their Priests on that work. I do not doubt, but if such commodities would redeem souls, the Carmelites should have no cause to brag of their privilege, viz. y Thes. Calmel. impress. Paris. 1601. teste Moulins in the defence of the Cathol. faith. Artic. 21. That none of them shall lie longer in Purgatory then the Saturday following their death: for the Pope might deliver▪ every man the same day he died. 78 I read in your books, z Horae. B. Virg. ad usum Sarum in 16. p. 206. that your Bishops may absolve from blasphemy, from heresy, from perjury, from sorcery, from Sodomitry, from ince●s, from bestiality, from murder, and from such like sins: but they may not absolve him that strikes a Clergy man, that falsifieth the Pope's letters, that saith Mass in an unhallowed place, that buries an excommunicate person in the Church or Church-yard, etc. These are Papal cases. The absolution from these is reserved to your Pope. Now I would know, why they should be denied the lesser, to whom the greater is granted. It is written, a Sixt. Senens. Bibl. sanct. lib, 2. verbo Tradi●i●nes. Rabbini gravius plectendos esse eos aiunt, qui contradicant verbis Sc●ibarum, quam verbis Mosaicae leges: that the Rabbins say, I hay deserve more grievous punishment who transgress the ordinances of the Scribes▪ then they who transgress the ordinances of Moses. And doth not this your reserving of Papal ordinances to your Pope's hearing, suffering ordinary Bishops to dispense with the breaches of God's ordinances, argue your kin-ship to Iewish Rabbins? 79 They who knew your practices better than I do, have written, b Erasni. scholijs in. ●pist. ad Epise. Basil. de delectu ciborum. Nu 29. Qui gustavit owm, trahi●ur in carcerem, cogi●u●g de haeresi causam dicere: qai totim dtem Dominicum vacat temulentiae, scortis & aleae, audit bell as homo: such as entean egg on a fasting day, are imprisoned by you, and called in question upon suspicion of heresy: whereas they who▪ spend the whole Lords day in drunkenness, in whoring; in dicing, are accounted good fell owes. c Gerson ●. part. epirum Tit. de directione cordis. consid. 30. Severius punitur quindoque Monachus sine euculla incedens▪ quam adulterium ●ut sac●ilegium committens: A Monk walking without his cowl, is more rigorously dealt withal▪ then if he were guilty of adultery or sacrilege. And in general, d Ibid. & Ferus co 〈◊〉 i● Math. 15. Grravius plect●●ur agens contra unum Papae decretum, quam delin quens contra divinum praeceptum & Euungelium: He who offends against the Pope's law, is more severely punished than he who offends against the law and the Gospel. And doth not this show, that as e Ma●h. 15. the Scribes and Pharisees, so you make void the commandments of God for your traditions? 80 I have a f Hor● B Virp. secun lu●n rsum S● 'em in 4. impress Paris, An 1526. book of yours, wherein there are many pardons granted upon the saying of certain prayers, some for scores, some for hundreds of days, some for hundreds, some for thousands of years: among which there is g Fol. 6●. one for 1000000 years; and h Fol. 144. another promising as many years of pardon as there are bodies buried in that Churchyard where the prayer is said, which may amount to a numberless number; though perhaps not to so many as Pope i Treatise of diverse matters concerning London. Chap. Of the whole Pardons of Rome, granted by diverse Popes Silvester granted to the Church of S. john La kerans, who at the 〈…〉 of it, granted so many years of pardon thereto, as there fell drops of water that day, albeit never man saw a ●●eater rain than fell that day. Now I would know of you, why any man should trouble himself with saying of those prayers which have petty pardons of days, or some hundreds of years assigned them? Me thinks it were enough to say that prayer which hath 1000000 years of pardon, and the other Churchyard prayer, which comes to a nemo scit, and to let the rest sleep in the deck. 81 You k Michael Epise. Mersp in cat●ch. Ca●hol. centione 60. teach, that Auricular confession is necessary, to the end that your Priests having power to bind and lose, to remit sins and to retain them, may the better know whom they should bind, whom they should lose: whose sins they should remit, whose sins they should retain. And l Math. 16. john 20. indeed it is plain by Scripture, that Priests (as you call them) have equal power to bind and to lose, to remit sins and to retain them. But this is it that I marvel at, and wherein I desire to be satisfied by you, why if confession be so necessary for the two foresaid ends, we seldom or never hear of any who came to be confessed, whatsoever their sins are, who are bound by your Priests, whose sins are retained: but that all go away loosed, all get absolution. 82 You n Navar. in Man praelud. 9 nu. 8. teach, that innumerable sins are venial, that is, o Rhem. Annot Rom. 1. 3●. pardonable of their own nature, p De tani●. & remiss. ●. Omnis utriusque secus. in Glossae. such as we need not make confession of, q Az●●ins●it. moral. part 1. lib. 4. cap. 8. 9 quaritur. such as for which a man deserves not to be called a sinner, r Ibid. 6. quaeritur. such as make no breach of friendship between God and us; such as God (according to s Benauent. in 2. d. 42. Act. 2 q 2. add uls. some of your Doctors) is not displeased with: t Franc. a Victor. in sum. Sacram. de poenit. nu. 110 such as may be pardoned in this life by a knock of the breast, by the Bishop's blessing, by the holy water sprinkle, by saying a Pater noster, etc. And yet you tell us, that if these sins be not pardoned in this life, u Bellar. lib. 2. de Purg. cap. 1. the delinquents shall go to Purgatory, where the pain is so intolerable, that a x Discip. de Tep. ser. 160. B. good fellow who had lain there thirty years, having it in his choice, whether he would lie there one day longer, or return to the earth, and be bound for an hundred years together to walk upon sharp iron nails which should pierce his feet, and to eat nothing but bread baked on the imbers, and to drink nothing but vinegar mingled with gall, and to wear nothing but that which was made of Camel's hair, and to lie upon the bare earth with a stone under his head in stead of a pillow; made thoise to abide all this rather than to abide in Purgatory one day longer. Now I desire to know what the reason might be, that God in the next world should torment his friends in so horrible manner, whom he would have quit from blame in this world for a thing of nothing? 83 A y Illyrieus de sectis etc. Papistarum, p. 219. Gentleman of Germany paid a yearly annuity out of his lands to a Monastery not far from him, bequeathed by his father, to the end that the Monks therein should pray for the deliverance of his father's soul out of Purgatory. Now in process of time, the Gentleman understood that the Monks of that Monastery bragged much of certain Indulgences which they had lately procured, affirming, that whosoever would buy them of them, might deliver out of Purgatory what soul soever they desired. Hereupon the gentleman pretending great care to free his father's soul from Purgatory, made offer of a good large sum of money, upon condition they would make him good assurance that by those Indulgences his father's soul should be indeed delivered. The Monks swear he need not doubt hereof, for it was certain he should be delivered: yet for his better security, they procure it to be confirmed under the seal of their Monastery and of their Order, and cause it to be subscribed with their own hands and the hand of their General, that by the purchase of those Ingulgences his father's soul was undoubtedly delivered out of Purgatory. With these assurances the Gentleman departed. And when the Monks, upon his father's anniversary day came unto him for their Annuity, he denied the payment, because his father's soul was delivered by the Indulgences which they sold him. With which answer the Monks were discontented, and complained of the Gentleman to the Bishop; who gave judgement that the Gentleman must continue the payment of the Annuity: to which judgement the Gentleman refused to stand. My desire is, you would deliver me your opinion, whether the Bishop had better reason to give such a judgement, or the Gentleman to refule the judgement▪ 84 A z Illyritus loto citato & Lauzterus de spec●ris, part. 2. cap. 13. country fellow was wont in merriment to say, That he was verily persuaded there were but a few souls in Purgatory, or rather none at all. For which he was at length called in question by the Inquisiters. Now he confessed that he had often said so, and thought he had good proole for it. For (quoth he) you, and such as you are, teach us, that none go to Porgatorie but penitent Christians, who have not in this life fully satisfied for their sins. And you teach us withal▪ That every Mass delivers one soul (at least) out of Purgatory: and that the first Mass of every Priest delivers fifteen souls: and that innumerable souls are delivered by Indulgences. Now we all know, that in every village and town, there are more Masses said every day then there dies penitent Christians. And how then is it possible that there should be any souls in Purgatory? Was not this case prettily argued? 85 a Che●●nis. in Ream. part. 4. tit. de Indulg. Tecolius the Pardoner bragged he could forgive sins to come and passed Hereupon a german gentleman procured of him a Pardon for a sin to come; and afterwards robbed the Pardoner as he passed thorough a Forest, professing that that was the sin for which he procured the pardon which he bought of him. Did not the Gentleman serve the Pardoner right? 86 You b Bel'ar. lib. 3. de ●ccl s. cap. 2. define your Church, to be a company of men professing one faith, under one head, to wit, the Pope. Whereupon it must needs follow, (must it not think you?) that when you have no Pope, you have no Church. Now after the death of every Pope, there is a time wherein there is no Pope. Your Chair stands empty, sometimes many days, sometimes many years. And doth it not thereon follow, that after the death of every of your Popes, there is a time wherein you have no Church? 87 You brag as much of the name of the Church, as the c jet. 7. 4. jews of old did of the Temple of the Lord. At every other word (almost) the Church is in your mouths. And if your champion d Rat. 3. Campion lie not, Audito Ecclesiae nomine hostis expalluit, We no sooner hear of the name of the Church, but our hearts fail us. Now I pray you of all loves tell, what you mean by the Church, when you e Gretser. tract. de ag● oseend. Script. canon. cap 4. Col. 1888. say the Church is Index omnium controuersi●●um, judge of all contronersies: and that Infallibilias' verb Dci ex Ecclesi●●●stimon●o pendet, The infallibility of the word of God depends upon the Church: and that we must hear the Church. Are you of Gretzers mind, who f Idem lib. citat. cap. 6. col 190●. et defend. Bellar. lib. 3. cap 10. col. 1450. saith, that in these particulars, per Ecclesiam intilligimus Romanam Pontifitem: By the Church we mean the Pope? If so, much good do you with your Church; I had rather be of a poor chapelry, than one of your Church. 88 It is said, that all you Priest's take this oath, g Bulla Pij 4. sup. formae profeil▪ sid constis. 30 in summa cons●●s. s●●m. Pont. d Greg. 9 usque ad Sixtum 5. ●go N●sacram Scripouram iuxta cum sensum quem t nuit & 〈◊〉 sancta matter Ecclesia, cuius est iud●care devero sensu & interpretatione sacrarum Scripturarum admit; nec ●●m unquam nis●iuxta voanimem consensum patrum acc●piam & interpretabor: that is, I such a one, do take the holy Scripture in that sense, which my holy mother the Church, whose duty it is to judge which is the true sense of Scripture, hath taken it, and takes it in: neither will I ever take it in other sense then such as the Fathers give thereof with one consent. Now if you do so, I would know how you can clear yourselves from perjury, seeing it is plain, you sometimes take and expound Scrriptures in that sense, which never Father gave of them. As for example, Mica 7. v. 8. 9 which h Bellar. lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 3. you allege for Purgatory: for no Father did ever so expound it. Sometimes you take and expound them in that sense which is contrary to some Fathers; as when i Idem lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 7. you expound the words in 24 of Prou. v. 16. of falling into sin: for Non de iniquitat●bus, sed de tribulationibus loquitur: The text speaks not of falling into sin, but of falling into adversity, saith Austin de Civitate Dci, lib. 11. cap. 31. Sometimes you take and expound them in that sense which is contrary to all the Fathers, which we find to have interpreted them; as when k joh. de Paris. Tract. de potest. Regia & Papali cap. 3. S●●pleton. Antidos. in Euang. joh. cap. 10 you take Christ's words, joh. 10. 16. which he spoke of one Shepherd, to be meant of your Pope, and not of Christ himself: for the l Vide Rainold. Apolog. Thesium, nu. 24. Fathers say, that by one Shepherd, Christ meant himself. 89 I am told, m Symanch. institut. Cathol. cap. 23. tit. de Eccles. nu. 5. Apolog. Staph. adu. Illyr. fol. 82. 83. Pigh. Hierarch. E●cl. lib. 1. cap. 5. Hos. lib. 3. de authorit. sac. Script. you commend the Collier, who being asked by a Devil, as he lay on his deathbed; or by a Cardinal, as he was travelling on the way, how he believed, returned answer, As the Church believed. And being asked, how the Church believed, replied, As he believed. Vouchsafing no other answer, but, I believe as the Church believes, and the Church believes as I believe. Now if this be true, is it not true also, that Laico-papismus nihil aliud est quam merus idiotismus, The Divinity of Lay▪ papists is nothing else but foolery? Certainly n Lib. 5. cap. 20. Ad maiorum iudicia confugiunt, etc. Lactantius laughed at them as fools who being asked a reason of that which they believed, could give none, but rested in their forefather's judgements, quoth ills in sapientes fuerint, ills prohaverint, illi sciverint, quodesset optimum: because (forsooth) they were very wise, they approved of that which they held, they knew what was best to be holden: concluding, that such did seipsos sensibus spoliare, & ratione abdicare, show themselves idiots. 90 It is written by the o Watson in his Quodlib p. 100 & Sparing discourse, p. 36. Secular Priests, that when Sixtus●▪ conventing the General of the Jesuits before him, demanded why he and his Order called themselves jesuits': and receiving answer, that they did not call themselves so, but Clerks only of the society of jusus: and that the Pope replying said, But why should you appropriate unto yourselves to be of the society of jesus, more than other Christians are, of whom in general the p Apostle saith, Vocati sumus in societatem filij eius, We are called into the society l 1. Cor. 1. 2. of jesus? The Jesuits General made hereto no Replication. Now my desire is, you would supply what was wanting in the General of the Iesuit●s: for me thinks the Pope's answer doth convince the Jesuits to be as faulty in taking upon them in special to be of the society of jesus, as if they had taken upon them to be named Jesuits of jesus. Which was held altogether unlawful in former, as well as in these later times. For nuno dicimur Christiani à Christo, & in Paradiso appellabimur Iesuani à jesu: We are here on earth called Christians of Christ, whereas in heaven we shall be called Jesuits of jesus, q In Mar all part. 7. ser. 5. de parturit. Maria, part. 4. sol. 259. saith Bernardinus de Busti. And ratio quare dicimur Christiani à Christ & non a jesus jesuaniest, quia rem signatam hoc nomt●● Christus, scilicet unctionem nobis commendant; sed rem signatam nomine jesus, non communicavit nobis. Interpretatur enim Saluaeor, cuius effectus viz. saluare ipsi soli convenit. Ipse enim ut dicitur in Euangelio, Saluum faciet populum suum, etc. acsi dicerit, ipse solus & non alius: The reason why (here) we are called Christians of Christ, and not Jesuits of jesus, is this, saith r Constit. Provin. lib. 1. ●it. de consuetudine. Huius autem. Lindwood: Christ hath communicated to us what is signified by his name Christ, viz. unction, but he hath not communicated unto us what is signified by his name jesus: for jesus signifieth a Saviour; and it is his property to save, and no man's else, as the Scripture witnesseth. 91 It is written, s Arnald in his Plead against the Jesuits & Azor. instit. moral. part 1 lib. 12. cap. 21. that the whole Order of your Humble Friars were put down in an instant by Pius 5. Anno 1570. for that some of them would have murdered Cardinal Borrhomaeus. t See Sedulius comment. in vitam S Fran●is. cap 3. nu. 8. And all the Friar Minorites were banished out of Apulia by Fred●rik 2. for that they persuaded the people to put in execution the Pope's commandment. u Azer. lib. cit. cap 5. And the whole Order of the Templaries, for suspicion of impiety, were spoiled of all they had by Clemens 5. approvement. Now I would know, if you and your fellows had been so served for your Powder plet, what reason you could have rendered against such proceeding with you; seeing it is an old said saw, Fares culpa, parespoena, They who sin alike, aught to be punished alike. FINIS.