THE JESVITES GOSPEL: Written by themselves. Discovered and published by W. Crashaw, B. of Divinity, and preacher at Whitechapel. The second Impression Corrected and enlarged by the Author. printer's device of Bernard Alsop, featuring a head with an exotic head-dress and pendulums hanging at each side (not in McKerrow) LONDON, Printed by Bernard Alsop, and are to be sold at his house, being the next house to Saint Anne's Church 1621. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR William Cockaine, the now Lord Maior, and Sir Francis jones, Lord Maior Elect; of the ancient and honourable City of London, and to the reverend and renowned assembly, the Court of Aldermen. The spirit of Wisdom, Truth Zeal, and unity, be multipied. IT is well known to the learned, and many yourselves right Honourable, & Worshipful, that the jesuits (the Pope's best and dearest sons) have not yet troubled the world a hundred years: for the Pope that to his own hurt excommunicated Henry the 8. & against his will called the conventikle of Trent, established also the order of the jesuits a Paul the 3. in the year 1540 allowed and established the order of the jesuits, being begun by these 10. named in the Bull. Ignatius Loyal Petrus Faber, Iaco●●● Laynes, Claudius Iai●● Pascha● Broet, Francis● Xauie●, Alphon. Salmeron Simon Rodericus, Ioanne● Coduis. Nich. Bobadilla. & restrained their number to 60. but 30. year after in another Bull h●● enlarged than, to as m●ny as they could get. what their order is, what their vows be, and what their Religion, you may know out of the book called the jesuites Rule. What service they have done their Master the Pope, all men guess, wise men know, and all Nations in Christendom feel to their pain, more or less. And how sensible the Pope is of their service, appears in that the first 5. Popes in their time, in recompense thereof, have bestowed no less than 36 b See the book calle● Regula jesuitica ● print● at Rome, 1580. and sine● at Lions, and obseru● wisely some of the● rules, and you shall find that the present state, of a great part of Christendom is a large comment upon the jesuites rule. Bulls or Charters of Privileges upon the society (besides some which we shall never know of) every one confirming or enlarging another, and the later yielding more ample graces and favours then the former: Now if in their first 40. years, (being the time● of their infancy) they were able to deserve so well, what service may we think have they performed, and how great thanks have they received of the latter pope's in these last 30. years. of their age, when they are come to strength and ripeness: for though Sixtus 5. c See the book called Literae Apostolicae, quibus Institutio confirmatio & privilegia. soc, jesu continentur: printed at Rome 1587. (being as wicked & wily as themselves) perceiving their plots, and discovering their deepest drifts; used them accordingly, and not only gave them nothing he could keep from them, but intended also d Watson in his quodlibers, confesseth as much, but this matter▪ hath better proof than Watson. the restraining or ruinating of their order (had not they done as much for him, as he intended them) yet he and Paul the 4. only excepted (for it was ill halting before 2. such cripples) they can hardly name a Pope that lived a year of whom they received not such favours, as may well testify to the world the great account the Pope makes of them. And will you know the reason? their devotion, their doctrine, &. their deeds, do merit it at his hands: what their particular devotion to the Pope is, appears by the vow which they (above all other: Regulars) make to the Pope of present and absolute obedience e See the book called Constitutiones Romanorum Pontif. per Petrum Matthaeum, ●ugduni 1588., amongst the Constitutions of Paul the 3. in the third constitution, pag. 305. there be the words of this vow to do whatsoever he should command them, to go whethersoever he should send them, to Turks, Insidels, Heretics, without excuse, denial or delay. Their deeds for the Pope are answerable to their devotion towards him, for these 50. years have they upheld Popery f Sol●aue diverse Popes confessed in the preambles of the Bulls granted to the jesuits, especially Paul the 3. in his third Bul anno 45. & in his 5. an. 49. & julius the 3. in his first, and Pius the 4. in his first, and others. as far as wit and learning, nay as fare as craft and cruelty can uphold it, which without them had utterly ruinated (as notwithstanding it shortly will, and they with it, do what they can) They have picked out the finest young wits of the world, g these be their words in the regula jesuitica, cap. 3. reg. ●4. Inepta turba ad institutum nostrú admitti non potest. and so trained them up, that the Pope shall never want instruments to kill Kings, to subvert states, to patch up a peace, or to break leagues as he thinks good: let but the Devil device it, & the Pope command it, and forthwith the jesuits will find him shall execute it. Moreover what they have attempted for the Pope, in England, Scotland, Hungary, Bohemia, Venice, and the Low-Countries: what they have performed for him in France and Poland: how they rule & reign in Spain & Italy, who so blind as sees not? Bu●●s this all they have done? Nay they scatter themselves like Locusts over all the world; and with the Frogs of Hgypt creep into great men's houses, and first seduce the silly women, and not so content, work themselves into the favours, at least into the Courts, Coaches, & counsels of Princes; & diving into men's consciences & counsels, by the stratagems of their confession, and after into their purses & estates, by benefit of their absolution, h many orders of Friars & many popish nations have complained of the jesuites, in these espects. & lastly into the conceits of the Vulgar, by an hypocritical austerity and dissembled devotion, they have hereby gained more to the Pope their Lord and Master, than all the Romish Clergy in the world beside: But is this yet all? nay, that the Pope may seem to have a good cause, and not to do all things by a strong hand, they have taken a course to make all writers in the world speak for him: (an attempt which the former ages suspected not, and the future will scarce believe) for some books they prohibit and extinguish and make it damnable to open them: the rest be they old or new, printed or manuscript, they altar add and take away i For the first see their ●ook called, Index li●rorum prohibitorum, ●et out by authority of several Popes. And for the second, see the books called, Indices librorum expurgandorum, printed in Belgia, Italy, and spain, as also Gregorij. Capuccini, Enchiridion Ecclesias●icum, and Posseuine the jesuit his apparatus sacer. till they have sucked out the sweetness, and purged out all the goodness, and taken out all testimonies of the truth: insomuch as if they had not been warily watched, followed by the footsteps, and taken even in the manner, they had not left one book allowed in the world, that had not spoken for the Pope: Such worthy workmen are the jesuits, that those good & worthy men which preached and wrote against the Pope, whilst they lived, their Sermons & writings shall testify for him, long after they are dead: But why do I offer to discern or or discover jesuites practices? alas, I am too silly and too shallow, I confess I know them not, and yet I am sorry I know so much: my hope is that their beginning, their breeding, their feeding, their growth, their greatness, their rules and religion, their plots and practices, their murders and massacres (being such as makes England banish them, Denmark detests them, Venice will none of them, Italy, is weary, & France is sick of them, and Spain itself is justly jealous of them) My hope I say is, that a perfect discovery of all these will be attempted by some that may make perfect that small beginning & foundation, which in 2. little books is already laid in that kind k Aphorismi doct. jesuitie. De abstrusioribus studijs jesuitarum mean time for the better uncasing of this Fox, and unmasking this Hypocrite, let me come to that which is nearer to my Element, & consider a little of their doctrines, which is the third means by which they have deserved so well of the Papal state: concerning which, I will say nothing but what I know, and what I dare refer and do submit to your just and judicious censures, I say therefore that whereas the Romish Church is that scarlet whore, l Reu. 17. 1, 2. etc. and her Idolatries and superstitions the spiritual abominations with which she makes drunk the inhabitants of the earth and that in this latter age her cup of abominations was almost drunk up, and emptied even to the dreggs: in this exigent and extremity these like Locusts fly out of the bottomless pit, to repair the ruins of the Romish state, and to fill her Reuel. 9 2. golden Cup with a new supply of spiritual fornications: to which end they have first revived many devilish doctrines, half dead and damned in the former ages, and what in former times were scarce muttered in corners by the worst of their Predecessors, is now by them preached on the house tops: And secondly, not so content, the better to fill her cup with the very quintessence of most refined abominations: they have hatched many horrible doctrines and hellish opinions never heard of in the elder ages; which are such excellent and exquisite infections to a man's soul, that the purple Whore hath willingly thrown away m Popery is much altered since the jesuites both in their service, as may be seen in their Missals & breviaries: & in their ceremonies, as appears in their pontificale and ceremonial comparing the old and new together. a great part of her older drugs, to make room for the new and more precious poisons confected by the jesuites. Of the first sort, and so of the second, I dare be bold to give you a taste, though they be mortal poisons, because I know you are armed with Antidotes and precious preservatives against them. Of the first sort are these. 1 That an Image of God or Christ is to be worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, with the same same worship as God himself: n So teach Gretser & Gregory de Valent, and say it is the common & received opinion, 2 That God hath divided his Kingdom with the Virgin Mary, keeping justice to himself but committing mercy to her. 3 That a man may appeal from God's justice to the mercy of the Virgin Mary. o These two Biel and Bernardine de Bust do teach and Posseuine the jesuit, highly commends those very books. 4. That the Pope is superior to the Emperor, not only in spiritual but even in temporal things, & aught to have place and predence afore him p ●o teacheth liber sacrarum ceremoniarum, Roman Ecclesie, which is highly commended by Bellarmine as Possevinus also confesseth. These and many others which scarce durst peep out in former times, are now by the jesuits made public and plausible doctrines, and being almost bur●ed and forgotten, are by them again revived. Of the second sort. 1 That God hath made the Virgin Mary partaker of his divine power and majesty, q So teacheth Horasius Tursellinus a jesuit. as fare as he may. 2 That a man shall oft time be sooner heard at God's hand in the mediation of the Virgin Mary, then of jesus Christ. r So teacheth Chrisostomus a Visit. a Cistertian, and is allowed by Possevinus. 3 That a man may equivocate before a Magistrate. s So teach Azorius & Tollet and all jesuits. 4 That Heresy makes a man uncapable of a Kingdom, and makes him an Usurper, that is otherwise a lawful King t So teach Marianus Simancha, Bozius and others allowed by the jesuits. 5 That the Pope hath power not only to pronounce what is heresy, but after that to deprive him of his Kingdom, and to dispose of it as he thinks best. u So teacheth Rosseus and others allowed by the jesuits. With many other, not convenient here to be perticularized which the former times never heard of, at least in such manner as now they be holden, But seeing they be all of two sorts, either touching the crown of Christ himself, or the crowns of Kings his deputies on earth, I will desire you to be contented with one example of both sorts. Concerning not such Kings as make not themselves slaves and harlots to the purple whore: thus teacheth a jesuit too well known in Eglnand. x See the book called Andrea Philopatris responsio ad Edictum Elizabethae ann. 91. sect. 2 artic. 157. pag. 109. editionis aug. 1592. This man is Arthur Creswell the jesuite. It is the judgement of all Catholic Divines and Lawyers, and it is certain, and de fide: that what Christian Prince soever, doth apparently fall from the Catholic Religion, and would also draw others with him, doth Ipso facto forthwith fall from all right, title, place and power of their Kingdoms or Dominions, by force both of Gods and man's law, and this before any sentence be pronounced against him by the Pope: and that all his Subjects are free from the Oaths they have made to him. And they may. nay they ought (if they be able) to put him down and cast him out from all government, as an Heretic, an Apostate, and an enemy of God and the commonwealth etc. And this doctrine is certain, undoubted and resined etc. Alas that we should live to hear such doctrine taught, especially by an Englishman I but whereas he styles himself a Divine and a Priest of Rome, we thence conclude that he carried no such learning with him out of England, but found it at Rome. Concerning Christ, that which I have afore set down is vile and wicked and such as the elper world and misty times of Popery would have abhorred. But there is one impiety of late broached by one jesuit, and approved by all, so horrible and heinous, as I want words to express it. y Clarus Bonarseius a jesuit, writes it: Posseuine the jesuit in the name of all other approves it. But this I can say, it is such as the world yet never heard of, such as the ages past feared not, and the future will not believe: nay such as we in these days would not believe of our very enemies, if the evidence of the fact made it not past all denial and excuse: for would a man imagine that those who profess themselves the servants of jesus Christ above other men, should conceive of him, speak to him, and play with him, as with a sucking child in his mother's arms? Nay that is nothing, they make him an underling to a woman, and not his Person only but his blood and merits, & compare together his blood and her milk, and upon comparison finds them so equal, that they mix them together, and in the mixture finds the milk so excellent, that they prefer it afore the blood, as a thing more precious, and with which, they may not be so bold as with the blood of Christ, and fear not to affirm that the corruptions of our nature, and sins of our soul are healed and helped as well by her milk as Christ's blood. A blasphemy whereat the Angels will shrink, and the very devils tremble, and yet no doubt we shall find jesuites will defend it. Having observed this blasphemy 2. or 3. years ago, I held my tongue, expecting it would be discovered and reproved by some that could do it with more authority, but failing of my hope, I long concealed my labours till now, that the necessities of these evil times doth force it from me: I therefore do here discover it, and am bold to send it abroad under the protection of your honourable names, that so all the world may know the state and government of this honourable City, to be no approovers, but Censors and condemners of so horrible and hideous Atheism. I am therefore a suitor to you all, in mine own and the name of all my brethren the Clergy of this City, that you look well to the execution of the laws, and yet rather against Popery then Papists: For it is the wicked Popery that makes our men Papists, and ill subjects to God and the King: The men would be good enough if the grounds of their religion were not wicked. Therefore we beseech you have care, that justice be so executed as rather the wickedness of the Religion may be rooted out, than the persons punished as in his style, to be The defender and propogatur of the true Christian Faith. Honourable and worshipful, vouchsafe to hear us in this just & necessary request, being no less than your Religion craveth at your hands: The Clergy and Ministry of England are slandered by the Papists, that we seek their blood, & exasperate the state against them: but they do us wrong it is the extirpating of Popery, not the blood of Papists, that we seek and sue for: we pity their persons, and wish them rather all banished then any executed, but we hate their heresies, and wish them censured, condemned, and extinguished as as they deserve: This is the way fully to discover Antechrist, and to hasten his confusion, for almost all Churches of Christendom have pronounced him Antchrist, and his Religion Heresy: And this is the sure way to be free from treasons, conspiracies invations, murders and massacres, from which (as you see) Denmark by this means is defended, and many countries well freed as soon as they get free of jesuits: and by the contrary we see the miserable accidents in France, to the amazement of the Christian world: for when all the truth is known, & the whole account cast up, the charge of those foul facts the murders of 2. Kings, & many more unnatural disasters, will lie upon the positions of Popery: As David said of Abner when he mourned for him, so may we much more of their last King, Know you not that a great man is fallen in Christendom? Surely one of the greatest many ways that Christendom hath yielded: It is full time to look about you, when your neighbour's house is on fire, and the rather when jesuites teach this doctrine to be defined, and to be de fide, that subjects not only may but aught to take away such Kings as he was, and ou●s (much more) is, and long may he so be: Nay long shall he be so if you take this and other courses for extirpating Popery: When you and other the Magistrates Ecclesiastical and civil shall begin seriously and effectually to do this, than Rome trembles, Popery shrinks, Antichrist frets, and the jesuits his darlings begin to look pale, and hang down their heads for their confusion is at hand: for though they have continued but just. 70. years (not the half of many other orders) yet they must know that bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. And if they be not guilty of these 2. faults blood and deceit, we will free them from all How bloody the Iesu●tes be appears in that this is their maxim imprinted. Nisi religio Lutherana, ferro & igne tollatur, Ecclesia Rom. ●acem & tranquilitatem habere non poterit See the book called Epistolarum jesuiticar. Libellus agab. Bariaco 99 in Epist. art 11. pag. 66. A great Image, whose glory was excellent) & form terrible, whose head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of ●●uer, his belly & thighs of brass, his legs of y●on, his feet part of y●on, and part of clay. Daniel. 2. 31. 32. ●●inc dubium non est ●ocietatem nostram ut ●ubito caepit, it a subito ●●territuram qui quoti●●em peius ruit. faults: but if they be, and that above all men, then take heed you jesuites, that this your 70. year, be not a dismal and fatal year unto you, and that our David and Moses do not pronounce of you, the years of your continuance are threescore and ten, and th● y●● be so mighty and so crafty, you may hold out till fourscore, yet shall your life be nothing but sorrow and misery (as you have deserved) and quickly shall ye be cut off and vanish away: and if this Prophecy like you not, take one of your own. In the year 83. ●● jesuite preached at Auspurg, and his text being, we are made a spectacle to God, Angels, and the world: in his Sermon he compared the jesuites order to the Image, which Nabuchadnezzar saw in his ●●●aulo. Our Father Ig●atius (saith he) is the golden head, together ●ith those that lived with him: but when the first 10. fathers were dead, others followed, nothing so good as the first, and these were the breasts and arms of silver. Then our society being enlarged from 60. to many hundreds, it grew in greatness, but decayed in goodness, and then most of them were idle bellies; and such whose God was their belly, and these are the bellies and thighs of brass: and then still growing line number, and falling into more voluptuousness and carnalty, they were so drowned in pleasures, that their hearts were hardened against all good counsel and admonitions, these were the legs of Iron: and lastly many of us are such as though they live in our golden society, yet they are altogether earthly minded men: and these be the feet of Clay. Hereupon (saith he) It is out of all doubt that as our society suddenly begun, so shall it suddenly come to nought, seeing it daily falls from ill to worse: O my brethren saith he, such a spectacle are we made! Now therefore lest this Image of ours be broken in pieces (as that other was) we must go to our father Ignatius, that good Alchemist, and learn of him how we may be transformed from clay and iron into gold again: let us therefore go into the furnace and purge ourselves: Thus fare the jesuites Sermon: But if their lives be looked at for the 30. years since he spoke, we shall find that either they could not yet speak with Ignatius, or if they did, he was no true Alchemist, but a quacksalver, and could not direct them, or if he did, the furnace is to hot, for all the world can witness they are not purged from their ambitions, covetousness, treacheries, blood, cruelty, deceitfulness, & all carnalities, but have grown on riper in all rottenness, and more fit to be driven and dashed in pieces: but if the jesuits will follow their Allegory still, and ask us how they can be broken, for that Image was broken with a stone cut out without hands, I answer, seeing they have found the Image, I can find the stone. (a) Christ is the great and chief corner stone who can and will grind to powder all that exalt themselves against him. And was cut out without hands, even made man without the help of man. But by and under him, his holy religion settled in this Island: in England, under a woman, in Scotland, under a child, is a stone cut out without hands; for it was the Lords doing, & was marvellous in the eyes of all the world: Morover, his Majesty's coming to us, and settling with us, and uniting of us, with our ancient Brethren and neighbours of Scotland, who but God could have done it in that peaceable and blessed manner as it was: Sure it was a stone cut out without hands of man: It was the Lords own work, all the world excepting the man of sin, the jesuits, & their wicked adherents rejoiced to see it. Know therefore you jesuits, that this stone cut out by God, even this true faith professed and settled in this Island, and this gracious King whom God hath sent us to be the zealous defender of that faith, shall cast down the great excellent and terrible jesuitical Image. smiting him upon the feet of iron and clay, and breaking them to pieces, till your iron and clay, and brass and silver, & gold, (if you have any left) be broken altogether, and become like chaff of the summer flowers, and the wind shall carry you away till there be no place found for you. And then the stone that smote the Image, even this holy Religion now professed & maintained in England, shall become a great mountain, that is, shall be enlarged, and fill the whole earth which as we are assured will be true of our Religion (which is the glory of our land, and that which unites us to Christ the true corner stone) so we doubt not, it shall be also true of our Sovereign and his seed, that they after they have broken the jesuitical Image, shall against Gog and Magog, and Antechrist, and all his Adherents, become a great and strong mountain, and fill the whole earth with the glory of their renowned deeds: and let earth and heaven say Amen, with the honourable religious and loyal City of London, and all good Christians: and with Your humbly devoted servant in jesus Christ. W. Crashawe. THE POINTS OF NEW Divinity contained in this Gospel. THat the milk of Mary may come into comparison with the blood of Christ. 2 That the Christian man's faith may lawfully take hold of both as well as one. 3 That the best compound for a sick soul, is to mix together her milk and and Christ blood: 4 That the sins and spiritual diseases of the soul are cured as well by her milk as his blood. 5 That Christ is still a little child in his Mother's arms, and so may be prayed unto. 6 That her milk and the merit and virtue of it, is more precious and excellent than Christ blood. IN THE APPENDIX. THat no man, but a woman did help God in the work of our redemption. 2 That God hath made Mary partaker and fellow with him of his divine Majesty and power. 3 That God hath divided his Kingdom with Mary, keeping justice to himself, and yielding mercy to her. 4 That a man may appeal from God to her. 5 That a man shall oftentimes be sooner heard at God's hands in the meditation of Mary, then of jesus Christ. THE OCCASION OF THIS Jesuitical Blasphemy. justus LIPSIUS, a man of learning enough, but too much levity, having run over all religions; & at last set up his rest in Popery: fell in his declining and doting days to open Idolatry: And as he never troubled himself much with Christ in his life (whose very name a man shall seldom find in his books) so at his end, wanting matter (it seems) to magnify Christ, he writes 2 books in praise and honour of 2 Idols: namely 2 old rotten, or 2 new forged pictures of a woman with a child in her arms. Which must needs be taken for pictures of our Lady: Wherein the profane wrerch blusheth not to write, that at these 2 Images, there are more & greater miracles wrought, than the scriptures speak of to be done by Christ himself. A learned low-Country Divine wondering that such Owls durst fly abroad at Noon light, and such trumpery be set to sale in these days of knowledge, wrote a short reproof of the impieties uttered in the first of these books, which is: De Virgin Hallensi. Wherein because the jesuits were also touched, as being the fathers of such fooleries, and the makers of those bolts which such fools as Lipsius do shoot: Thereupon a jesuit of Antwerp calling himself Clarus Bonarscius, (but his true name being Carolus Scribanius) taking upon him in a jesuitical pride, the general quarrel of the whole order of jesuits, undertakes to defend their innocency, and their honour (forsooth) against all the world: and to that end writes a book, and calls it, The great Theatre of the jesuits honour. Amphitheatrum Honoris. In quo Caluinistarum in Societatem criminationes iugulatae. Wherein, after many blasphemies against Christ: calumnies & slanders against princes: all kind of lies against our ministers & professors: he comes at last to defend their friend Lipsius, and his legend of our Lady of Hall: And after he hath abused him that wrote against it, with all despightful terms, and railed most artificially, wherein he excels all other jesuits, (Parsons excepted) as far as they, all other Papists: He makes a transition from railing on men to playing with God: and from disgracing Princes to dallying with jesus Christ: and not only defends the legend of Hall, written by Lypsius, but further to show his own devotion, he makes a Poem, not to the honour of God, or of Christ the Mediator: but to our Lady of Hall and the child jesus. Wherein, whether the verse be better or the matter worse is hard to tell: But whether his devotion therein is greater to a creature, or his blasphemy against the blood of the Mediator, let the Christian Reader judge, by the Poem itself, which hereafter followeth. EX CLARI BONARSCII AMPHYTHEATRO HONORIS. Lib. 3. Cap. 8. pag. 356. editionis 2. 1606. AD DIVAM HALLENSEM, ET PVERUM JESUM. HAEREO lac inter meditans, interque cruorem Inter delicias uberis, & lateris. Et dico, (si forte oculos super Vbera tendo) Diua Parens Mammae gaudia posco tuae. Sed dico (si deinde oculos in vulnera verto) O jesu, lateris gaudia malo tui. Rem scio. Prensabo, si fas erit, Vbera dextra Laeva prensabo vulnera, si dabitur. Lac matris miscere volo cum sanguine nati: Non possem Antidoto nobiliore frui. Vulnera restituent turpem ulceribus mendicum: Testa cui saniem radere sola potest. Vbera reficient I smaclem sitientem Quem Sara non patitur: quem neque nutrit Agar: Illa mihi ad pestem procul & procul expungendam: Ista mihi ad long as evalitura febres. Ira vomit flammas, fumat que libidinis Actna? Suffocare queo sanguine, lacte queo. Livor in expleta rubigine saevit in artus? Detergere queo lacte cruore queo. Vanus honos me perpetua prurigine tentat? Exaturare queo sanguine, lacte queo. Ergo Parens & Nate, meis advertite votis: Lac peto, depereo sanguinem: utrumque volo. Paruule maternis medius qui ludis in uluis Qui tua iam comples ubera, iam vacuas: Quid me respectas obliqua tuentibus hirquis? Roboris in Coelum nil habet Inuidia. Saepe quidem dixti, noxis offensus iniquis, Tune meas mammas, Improbe, tune meas? Nolo tuas, O nolo tuas Puer auree mammas: Non sum tam duri tamgravis or is homo: Sed tantum later is pluat unica & unica stilla: Et saltem à dextrae vulnere gutta pluat. Si nihil è dextra vis impluere, implue laeva: Si nihil è laeva, de pede sanguis eat. Si tibi non placeo vulnus mihi vulnera danto: Mercedem danto vulnera, si placeo. Saepe mihi Babylon patera propinat, & auro, Ingeminatque me is auribus, euge, bibe. Non faciam, vel si Coelum miscebitur Orco, Non faciam, meretrix impia, non faciam. O sitio tamen, O vocem sit is intercludit! Nate, cruore sitim comprime, Lacte Parens. Dic matri, meus hic frater sitit, optima Mater, Vis de fonte tuo promere, deque meo? Dic Nato, tuus hic frater, mi mellee fili Captiws monstrat vincula, lytron habes. Ergo redemptorem monstra te iure vocari Nobilior reliquis si tibi sanguis in est. Tuque Parens monstra matrem te iure vocari, Vbera si reliquis divitiora geris. O quando lactabor ab ubere; vulnere pascar! Delicijsque fruar, Mamma, latusque tuis! Parce Deus, magno si te clamore fatigem: Non potis Imperio, non potis arte regi. Exagitante siti, Patientia perdit habenas, Clamores si vis tollere, tolle sitim. Pluris ego clavis: saturasti sanguine clavos: Lanceaque erubuit sanguine tincta tuo. Pluris ego pannis: maduerunt undique panni Natia vulneribus, Matris ab uberibus. TO OUR LADY OF HALL., AND TO THE CHILD JESUS. MY thoughts are at a stand, of milk & blood (delights of breast and side) which yields most good. And say when on the tears mine eyes I cast: O Lady, of thy breast I beg I a taste. But if mine eyes upon the wounds do glide, than (jesus) I had rather suck thy side. Long have I mused, now know I where to rest for with my right hand I will grasp the breast, (If so I may presume) as for the wounds: with left i'll catch them: thus my zeal abounds. A mixture of Christ's blood & a creatures milk to make up the confection which which must heal our souls. And of the milk, and blood in mixture, make the soveraignst cordial sinful soul can take. These wounds corrupted ulcers mundifies which none can cure unless he cauterize. Those breasts the fainting Ishmael well would cherish whom Sara scorned and Agar would not nourish: The first from me expels all pestilence: the second drives all lingering fevers hence. Doth Ire belch fire, or lust like Aetna smoketh? How the blood and the milk are made equal either the blood or milk this fervour choketh. Doth envy's rust enrol me round about? this milk, or that same blood soon scours it out. Or do vain glorious tumour stuff me still her's blood and milk enough my thirst to fill. Mother and Son give ear to what I crave: I beg this milk, that blood, and both would have Youngling, that in thy mother's arms art playing sucking her breast sometimes, and sometime staying: Why dost thou view me with that look of scorn? 'tis forceless envy that 'gainst thee is borne. Oft hast thou said (being angry at my sin) darest thou desire the teats my food lies in? Here the milk is advanced above the blood. I will not, oh I dare not, golden child my mind from fear is not so fare exiled: But one, even one poor drop I do implore from thy right hand, or side: I ask no more. If neither; from thy left hand let one fall: nay from thy foot, rather than none at all. If I displease thee let thy wounds me wound: but pay my wage if I in grace be found. Oft-times doth Babylon in gold me send strong wine, and whispers to me, drink my friend. No, no, though heaven and hell should make confusion I'll none false strumpet, hence with thine illusion. But ah, I thirst: ah droght my breath doth smother quench me with blood sweet Son, with milk good Mother Say to thy Mother, see my brother's thirst, Mother your milk will ease him at the first. Say to thy Son, Behold thy brother's bands, sweet Son, thou hast his ransom in thy hands. Show thy redeeming power to souls oppressed: thou Son, if that thy blood excel the rest. And show thyself justly so styled indeed, thou Mother, if thy breasts the rest exceed. Ah when shall I with these be satisfied? when shall I swim in joys of breast and side? Pardon (O God) mine eager earnestness: if I thy laws, and reasons bounds transgress. Where thirst over sways, patience is thrust away: stay but my thirst and then my cries will stay, I am better than thy nails: yet did a stream of thy dear blood wash both the lance and them. More worthy I then clouts: yet them a flood Moistened of Mother's Milk, and of Son's blood. THE APPROBATION OF THIS AUTHOR. CLarus Bonarscius, otherwise called Carolus Scribanius is a jesuit now living at Antwerp, and of much account amongst them; he wrote this book, and spewed this blasphemy out of his unclean heart some four or five years ago. And whereas both the Author and his book deserved the fire and halter, it was so fare from being misliked in the Romish Synagogue, or any way censured, that since then the book hath been reprinted and the Author and his book stand enroled, approved and commended (in their great volumes set out for that purpose) for good and Catholic. Glori Bornascij Amphitheatrum Honoris jesuitici, in quo Calunistarum in societatem jesu criminationes iugulatae. Prostant palaeopoli 1605 & postea 1606. Haec Possevinus Palaeopoli h●c est Antuerpi●. Iesuit● in Apparar●● sacro Tom 1. l▪ it. G. pag. 3●7. edition is vltim●. And it is to be noted that these volumes of Posseuine contain only an enrolment and approbation of no writers at all, save such as are approved Romish Catholics: and are set out with great and public allowance of the Romish State, as may be seen at the beginning of the first Tome. Besides, let all men know the book stands yet uncensured, and the man life's still unpunished; nay, unreproved, or rather commended and rewarded for it: therefore this cannot be called an obscure or private fact, but may properly be held the fact of the Romish Church or State. A DISCOURSE OF THE LADIES OF HALL. AND SIchem, in way of preface showing particularly the occasion of this new Gospel. THE blessed Mother of our Lord, as the Church in all ages hath done, so doth ours, willingly honour, as the most blessed of all Saints, yet as a creature, and as one saved by her son, that Saviour in whom her spirit rejoiced: a Luke 2. we know & acknowledge that not she but the holy ghost hath said that all generations shall call her b Luke blessed: Yet we must confess, we are of that father's religion, who said, c August lib. de virginit. her spiritual bearing of Christ was happier than her carnal, and herself more blessed by conceiving Christ in ●ellcior partus spiritualis quam carnalis beatior enim Maria suit concipiend, Christum side quam earne materna enim propinquitas nihil ei profuisset nisi felicius, christum corde quam earn gestasse●. her heart then in her womb, and by believing in him then by bearing him: for her bearing him in her body would not have saved her soul, if she had not more happily borne him in her heart. And in another place, d Idem Inde felix quia verbum Dei custodivit non quia in illa verbum caro factum est. Papists themselves cannot deny but our men do (out of this case) speak and write most reverently of the blessed Virgin, as namely, Luther, Oecolampadius, Brentius, Spangenbergins, urb. Rhegus, Bucer Bullinger. All this is confessed by Coccius the great papist in his The ●●ure Ca●helico. To. 1▪ Li. 3: at 5. p. 300. she was happy and blessed, not because in her the word was made flesh, but because she heard the word of God and kept it. This her blessedness, far be it from us to impeach: and who would not yield her all blessedness and honour that a creature may have, of whom GOD vouchsafed to take the flesh of man? And if any of our Religion hath given any words of her, that may give the least blemish to her blessed state, it was not done in any the least contempt of her, but in the zeal, they bore to the honour of their Saviour, whom they held dishonoured by the unequal comparing of her with him: for what will not a Christian man's zeal cause him to do, when he seethe his God dishonoured? who would have thought that Moses would have cast so carelessly out of his hands, so precious a jewel as were the two Tables written with the finger of God? and yet when he heard the name of the Lord blasphemed, he forgot himself and them, and as though he remembed none but God, he threw them away and broke them in pieces. If Moses his zeal makes his hastiness excusable, than no reason to condemn them whose 〈◊〉 gave passage to their passions, and caused them for the honour of the Creator to forget the privilege of a Creature: & I dare say there was never learned man of our profession that presumed to touch the very skirt of the garment of her glory, unless they saw her set in comparison with God or jesus Christ: which seeing the Romish Church dare offer to do, thereby eclipsing the glory of God's mercy and the worthiness of Christ's satisfaction, we hold it our duties to be zealous for the Bonaventure himself said that we must take heed lest we so fare advance the glory of the mother, that we diminish the glory of the son. glory of our God, and to preserve as fare as in us lieth the prerogatives of our Saviour. If it be said, that they match her not with God or Christ: I answer they do, and that in such a measure, as we dare pronounce her or any Angel accursed that should either arrogate or accept of that which the Romish religion ascribes unto her. Too good evidence hereof hath been seen in all ages for these 200. years last passed, wherein they have fallen from honouring her as a Saint, to magnify her as a Mediator: to pray to her as to a God, to trust in her as in a Saviour: Many particulars have been specified by many of our writers which by the adversaries could never be denied (they are so evident) & yet were they neither recanted nor removed, but contrariwise Reinoldus de Idolatria. Catalogus testium veritatis. Perkins, of the Idolatry of the last times. they have proceeded from evil to worse, till their blasphemy have even pierced the heavens and touched the Crown of the Almighty, and confronted the wounds, merits and blood of our Saviour. Particular instances hereof are many, which may be collected out of the Authors of late years, part whereof shall if God permit be particularised in this Treatise. But above all there is one, which as it is the latest, so is it the foulest, and wherein Popish Blaspemy is at that height, as now it gives hope to all Christian men that their prayers are heard, her end is at Revel. hand, and that her iniquity is come up before God, and there remains nothing but the revenging hand of God to be stretched out upon her. We have it not from the report of merchants, from the letters of the Posts, nor from the Intelligence of Ambassadors, for then our adversaries might suspect it: Nor from the report or writings of our own men, for then let the world not believe us: but we have it from the fountain itself even from the Record wherein it is written with the Author's hand: and surely if the evidence were not beyond exception, ourselves would not believe it of them, though they be our enemies. Thus standeth the case. Amongst the late devices that Romish policy hath forged to uphold their Hierarchy, a principal is, their art of Miracles, which they pretend to have so ordinary, that in many Churches they have more In So years the Pope lost all England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark Sweden, and a great part of Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, and Hungary. miracles than sermons: but alas daily experience showeth that they be lying Wonders and no true miracles. Now because such tricks are most effectual to delude the common people, and that they find themselves and their cause to have lost much of late in many parts of Christendom ᵃ therefore to recover themselves and to gain credit to their forlorn cause, they have most busily applied this point of late, and have by the craft of Machiavilian jesuits (as Watson their brother In their quodlibets often. Priest often styles them) so fare prevailed, that there scarce passeth a month wherein some new Image of our Lady is not found, or some strange miracle and wonders heard of. Two years ago they caused a story to be written and published wherein they blush not to make their See the book called, Iust●. liptij diua. Virgo. Hallensis. people believe, that more miracles, and greater than Christ did, have been and are daily done at Hall (a town on the borders of Brabant and Henault) by the Virgin Mary, at a Picture of hers in a Chapel there: and this is set out by no trivial or vulgar fellow, but by that famous Apostata Lipsius, that the tale may carry the more credit: and the miracles are not of ordinary but of the highest nature: for healing of frenzies, fevers, convultions, is nothing, nay: sight is given to the Iai●●● daughter blind, and whereas Christ raised but 3. from the dead (that we know of) our Lady of Hall (saith Lipsius') gave life to 7. at least that were dead: Lo here how far short Christ himself is of his Mother: and now we marvel Omniae quae fecit Christus fecit Franciscus plura quam fecit Christus fecit Franc●●. lib. conformitatum beati Francisci. no more if they have written that St. Francis did all that Christ did, and more than Christ did, seeing the Picture of his Mother, can do more than he did. I say the Picture of his Mother, because Georgius fabricius, the Pope's censor of books, in his allowance of this Legend of Lipsius saith, that God giveth and communicateth divine power to work miracles nor only to the Virgin Mary and the Saints, but even to their Images or Pictures: behold good reader a worthy piece of new refined Popery, God's divine power is Strange doctrine of Popery communicated to the very pictures of creatures: And if any man object that miracles are not in these days to be expected, Lipsius hath a learned and Catholic answer, that now indeed in respect of Christ, or to aver his Doctrine, or to maintain his honour, they need not, but the ease is otherwise (saith he) with the Saints, for many do refuse to worship them, and grudge at the honour that in the Romish Church is given them, and therefore to defend them in this point, and to establish By Popish doctrine christ doth more to establish the worshipping of Saints than his own. that worship which they do unto them, God suffereth so many miracles to be done even by their Images: which answer being well considered of, what a kind of Doctrine it containeth, I leave to the learned and judicious Reader. I only say, that if this be true, then how fort it with the very body and current of his story, by which no man can deny, but it is apparent that most of the miracles which he specifieth, were done almost 200. year's a●oe, namely betwixt the years 1400. and 1500. long before Luther began to preach, and (as they say) afore our Religion was in the world, and consequently before the worshipping of Saints was withstood; therefore it followeth, that miracles were ordained at Saints Images, even then when worshipping of Saints was not denied: Lipsius might have done well to have reconciled so evident a contradiction. But what assurance have we for the truth of these miracles? or how know we that this is an approved Picture of our Lady? Lipsius answereth that there was one Sophia daughter to the Landgrave of Hesse, by his Lady Saint Elizabeth: (a Saint of Pope Gregory the 9 making within four years after her death.) This Sophia (saith he) as it is thought, had certain Images of our Lady, given her by her Mother Elizabeth, (was it then but thought so, and must we now believe it?) one of these she gave to the Nuns of the Nunnery at Vilvord, and that was called our Lady of comfort: 2. more she gave to Madam Machtild, or Maud, her husband's sister, who bestowed them thus: one she gave to Gravesand, another to Harlem (two towns in Holland) the third (which it seems stole all the virtue from both the other) to Hall a town in Henalt, (and this is that we now speak of:) and to add more credit to the story, he tells us that this Lady Maude was Mother to that Lady Mawde, who bore at one birth 364. children, An old story, but greatly suspected by Erasmus and other learned men, to be fabulous which were all borne alive, and baptised by a Bishop: So (saith Lipsius') this is that Image, which now we worship at Hall: and thus strong a foundation hath the Story: and now may not all Caluinists be ashamed to doubt of this Story or to suspect these grounds? Now therefore surely we must needs believe (else we are unbelieving Heretics) that one was before this Image dispossessed of a Devil without any other means, for so he saith, & that ten at least were delivered from present death by but calling or thinking upon our Lady at Hall, and that seven were raised from death to life being but laid before the Image; and all these within the space of 20. years, and in one country (so ordinary a matter it is in Popery to raise the dead.) Nay we must believe (or else we are Infidels) that when a Falconer should have been hanged for losing his Lords Faulkon, and had the rope about his neck, An excellent & new found way for falconers to find their lost Hawks, never before heard of Prove this Lipsius, and thou wilt have many Falconers turn Papists. and did but call to mind the Lady of Hall, forthwith the Hawk came flying home again, and lighted upon the Falconers shoulder, and so saved his life: for this is not Lipsius' ashamed to report. Which if it be true, than we shall less wonder hereafter at that in the Legend, where it is reported how a Parrot having got abroad out of her Cage, and sporting herself in the air, was by and by espied by a Hawk, who being ready to See the old English legend in folio, of the life of S. Thomas of Canterbury. seize upon her, instantly the Parrot seeing herself in danger to be surprised, cried out S. Thomas a Becket save me, and presently the Hawk fell down dead, and the Parrot was delivered. As also those miracles of S. Francis so far beyond Christ's or his Apostles, that he tamed wild beasts, that See the book called, liber conformitatum, S. Francisci, of any impression. he preached unto a Wolf, and converted him from his cruelty, and calling him by the name of his brother Wolf, made the town of Engubium & him friends, who of long time had been at contention, and for the assurance of the peace, he made his brother Wolf to give him his faith in the Market place, before the Magistrates, and afterward the Wolf went up and down the City, and took his meat from door to door. Lo here you Heretics, here is a Miracle worth something; and if they will not believe me, look in the holy Book of Conformities, and there you shall find all See the conformity of the old impression and his life in English. this and much more: as namely, how the Birds would come flying, and the Beasts flocking about him to hear him preach, and how the Nightingales and other Birds would come and help him to say Mass, and sing his office, and would answer him Verse for Verse. Come out ye Heretics (Caluinists and Lutherans) Saint Francis and his followers challenge you all to bring Sedulius a Popish writer hath this last year defended all these. out one miracle like these, to approve your Religion: surely they may, and for aught I see Christ and his Apostles also, for they never wrought such a Miracle to confirm the Gospel. Is it not then apparent that S. Francis hath done more than Christ did? Oh my dear countrymen (you that name yourselves the Catholics of England) if you would but open your eyes and consider of this, I durst make yourselves judges, what divinity this is: if you suspect me, believe me not, look into the books themselves, and believe your own eyes: If you say unto me that some such impieties and follies might creep into the old Books, 100 or 200. years ago when the times were not so wary nor suspicious; but the Church hath since reform such abuses, I answer, I allege most of this out of the Book of conformities, lately corrected and printed in Italy within these 20. years: but if you look into the old one, printed 100 years ago, (wherewith your forefathers were abused) you shall there find such matter, as for reverence of the Reader I shame, and for the honour of God I fear to write. And as for these miracles at our Lady's Picture at Hall they were never offered to the world's view nor ever came to light till within these 3. years that Lipsius (a man who durst do any thing but honour Christ) presumed to publish them, and with foul impiety to write that in these days Christ and his doctrine, service and Religion needs no miracles but the Saints and their service and worship do stand in need thereof: and as in the infancy of the Church Christ had his, so in the perfect state of it, Saints and their Images must have their miracles: but observe withal that (if See the conformity of the old impression, or his life in English. they say true) more strange and as I may so say, more Miraculous Miracles are done by the honour of Saints, and approving the worshipping of them and their Images, than were for the establishing of the Gospel, the abrogating of the Ceremonial Law, and for proving Christ to be the Son of God. If Lipsius were living I would not spare to tell him: Lipsius' died a relapsed papist at Lovoin. Ano that this his Doctrine smells strongly of that whereof he hath been, (it seems not without cause) suspected, which because he is dead I will forbear to name. But some of our English Papists (which are not learned) may doubt whether there be such a Book or no, or if it be not devised by us, and fathered on them, (for so do their Priests often suggest unto them of such Books as they fear the people will mislike) but if any of their misleaders do so misinform them, let them know the Book hath been twice printed at Antwerp, and once at Paris, with allowance of authority in both places, not only of the Censors of Books, and the Archbishop of the place, but the matter and miracles in the Book are confirmed These bulls of 2. Pope's are in the end of the book. with the Bulls of a Popes, one of Pope Nicholas, in the year 1451. the other of Pope Clement the 8. within these 8. years: and if any should be so unreesonable as to think that we have forged all this, Posseuine, the jesuite may give him full satisfaction: who in his Apparatus sacer hath published to the world that Iust●● Lipsius vir vere Catholicus inter complures eruditissimos l●bro● anno 604. edidit librum h●c praenetati●ne. justi Liptij diua virgo H●stens●s eiusque beneficia & miracula bona fide atque ordine descripta. Antuerpia apud moret●m. Posse. Appa●sa. To. 2. in litera. I page 318. justi Lipsij diua Aspric●llis. Lipsius in the year and at the place aforenamed, did put out such a work, and gives him special commendation for his labours, in that and the like for the Catholic cause. But hath not Lipsius recanted, or the Romish Church reform this since then? Alas, Lipsius was so fare from that, that the year after, very near unto his death, as though he intended nothing but to heap up wrath against the day of wrath, he added drunkenness to thirst, as the Prophet saith, for heaping sin upon sin, instead of revoking & recanting his former collusion, he published another pamphlet, a more ridiculous Legend, and fraught with more improbabilities and impossibilities than the former. It bears this Title: justus Lipsius his History of our Lady of Sichem, or of our Lady's Picture of the craggy-rocke or sharp hill, and of her new miracles and benefits: at Antwerp. 1605. At this Image saith he, are wrought miracles of all sorts Apoplexis, Epilepsies, gouts and all kind of diseases are healed, lame are restored to limbs, blind to sight, deaf to their hearing: and all by these heaps, not seldom or extraordinarily, but yearly monthly, daily: almost 60. are registered by Lipsius besides many more omitted, and all to be done in 2. or 3. years, insomuch as if his report be true, God makes miracles fare more ordinary for the honour of Saints and their Images, than he did for confirming the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles: But what credit hath the Story of our Lady of Sichem? even as good as hath our Lady of Hall, else let the Reader judge. The tale of the ●●age of craggy Hill, near to the little poor (but old) town of Sichem saith Lipsius, there is a mount, barren, rough, and craggy, on one side thereof there is a little Hillock: on it grows an Oak, and in it or fastened to it, is a little Image of our Lady, which hath done great miracles in time past, and was therefore worshipped of the people there: but how is that proved? thus; about 100 years ago, a Shepherd found that Image, and put it in his bosom, thinking to carry it home to worship it, but as he was in these thoughts, he was suddenly strucken and astonished in his senses, & benumbed in his whole body, insomuch as he could not stir one foot but stood still like a dead trunk, not knowing what to think of it, nor how to help himself: his Mr. wanting both his shepherd and his sheep, sought them, and found him so standing, who told him the whole matter: his Mr. taking the Image, went with great devotion and set it up in the Oak again, and forthwith the shepherd had his limbs restored, & went & worshipped it, and so by their reports, all the country heard of it, who came by heaps & were healed of all diseases, but agues especially: and so it continued (saith he) till within these 20. years, about which time the blessed Image was stolen or lost no man can tell how. (But is it not strange that if it could do these Miracles, they would let it be lost so carelessly?) well, lost it was: But what tho? people went as fast then as afore, and still as great cures were there done as when the Image was there: and in want of the Image, the people worshipped the Oak, & why might they not say Lipsius, the holy Image had hallowed the Tree? so that it might lawfully be worshipped: (be hold Popish devotion!) yet, saith he, we worshipped not the Tree, but in it the Image, and in it our Lady & in her God. Mark good Reader, God gets his worship at last, though it be at the fourth hand: they tender it to the tree, the tree yields it to the Image, the Image conveys to our Lady, and she presents it to God: so then by Popish doctrine and devotion God is served and honoured after his creatures, and so at last gets his own. If they say that the worship is intended to God, & is not ended but in him: I answer; but were it not better that the worship were offered immediately from the heart and hands of the worshipper to God himself, and to pass through no hands, but of his Son the Mediator? but this is Heresy let it pass, or else it must pass the fire. To return to the story: our Lady of Sichem is lost; but what then must the poor town lose her traffic and living? (Nay rather we will make another, for that is no hard nor unlawful thing in that Religion:) and so saith he 7. years after: an honest and devout Alderman of Sichem (perceiving well how his and his neighbour's gains came in, and how the poor town lived) like a good townsman, made another Image, put it in a box of wood, and fastened the Box to the Oak that so their Lady might not be lost so carelessly as afore. This new Image thus made, did as many miracles as the other, and why should it not for was it not as good as the other? nay it may be it was more curiously carved and Always remembered that I mean not in any of these syeeches the blessed virgin whom as I hol● a blessed Saint in heaven, so I present her with all the honour that may be given to a creature: But I mean Lipsius his Lady of Sichem, or our Lady of Hall. better wrought. Thus it continued certain years till at last the Parish Priest perceiving they began to be well customed, bestowed some cost on their Lady which got them so much, that they built her a little Chapel of boards, & there placed her. But still their custom growing greater, they shown themselves thankful to their patroness, & as she filled their purses they sought her honour and built her a fair chapel of stone, some 2. years ago, and in that resteth the Image, working miracles every day. But what become of the holy Oak? it was cut away by pieces by devout persons, and carried away, that it was in danger of falling, and a counsel was called in the town what were to be done with it (as in so great a matter it is requisite) and there, after serious consideration, it was gravely concluded, that it should be cut up by the roots, & with much solemnity brought into the town of Sichem, where when it came, forthwith happy was he that could get a piece of the holy Wood, whereof (saith Lipsius, and blusheth not to write it) diverse made them little Images, and with much piety do worship them: others that were sick of grievous dieases, shaved it into their drink and drunk, and so were healed. See what an excellent Religion this is: one Image hath begot many, and the first Image being but fastened to the Tree, so sanctified the whole Oak, that every Image made of the whole Tree, should be as good as itself, and every crumb of the Wood should work Miracles as fast as the Image did. Lo here the History of our Lady of Sichem, or of the sharp hill: & this legend is not Lipsius' ashamed to thrust upon the world, for a true & undoubted story: such are the times we be fallen into, that to set fast the crown upon the Pope's head, truth must stand aside, and lies must pass for currant without control: and such a cause is Popery as cannot continue in credit before the people, but by forging a continual succession of lying wonders, for now we are made believe, that the Virgin Mary hath 2. Images within few miles together which have done more miracles in a few years bypast, then God himself did in the old, or Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament: Such Idols of indignation doth the Romish harlot advance against the sovereign majesty of God, to provoke him withal: for what is it but an Idol of indignation, that not a creature only, but the very Image of a creature should be made partaker of the divine power and Majesty of God? The time was when Isaiah the Prophet durst say of Esay 42. 28, God, I am the Lord, this is my name, and my glory I will not give unto another, nor my praise to graved Images: but how soever that might be tolerable doctrine in those days had he lived in these, he must have been taught that a part of the glory and praise of God, may daily be given to graved Images, and yet the glory of God not at all thereby impeached, but rather augmented: Lo what Idols of indignations and abominations lie hid under the mystery of iniquity. And yet good Reader (as God saith unto the prophet (turn thee a little and thou shalt see greater abominations Ezeth. than these. It is yet scarce 3. years ago since the tale of our Lady of Hall, was forged by some jesuit, and published by Lipsius, when withal a fair Picture graved in brass was prefixed upon the first Page before the book of our Lady holding her Son in her arms. And behold, the jesuits as though the Mother were a woman, and the Son but an Infant: or as though they had gained enough by Christ a ready, and would now see what they could get by the Mother, began to call in question his merits and mediation, and the dignity of his wounds and sufferings, and at last pronounce that his wounds and her paps his blood and her milk, are either all one, or else that the milk is better. And yet before we enter into the particular, let the Reader observe that though the Image be both of our Lady (as they call her) and of her Son jesus our Lord, yet notwithstanding the miracles are all ascribed to her and her Picture, and none to jesus Christ: for the colouring of which impiety, what they can say I see not, unless they dare affirm that the son will do no miracles in the presence of his Mother, to which end, it may well be noted, and generally in all places where the Mother and the son, the Virgin Mary, and our Lord jesus be pictured together in their Churches, she is always set forth as a woman and a Mother, and he as a Child and Infant, either in her arms or in her hand, that so the common people might have occasion to imagine, that look what power of overruling and commanding the Mother hath over her little child, the same hath she over her son jesus: and that seeing the son is but an infant in his mother's arms, therefore they might not wonder why her picture doth all the miracles, and his none; for its like, Christ did no miracles whilst he was a child: into these superstitious and even blasphemous concelts do they endeavour to drive their people, not caring what they derogate from Christ, so they give it to their Saints. Is it not admirable that still they will make him an Infant, still in his mother's arms, still under her power, and still all miracles must be wrought by her, and at her picture, as though either he could not, or in his mother's presence would not, or (at the least) as though she had many enemies, and therefore needed miracles, and Christ none? But alas who seethe not that the Atheism & profaneness of the world causeth even the name and religion of Christ to be blasphemed, that if miracles might lawfully be expected, we should think them as needful as ever since the first planting of the Gospel: it is therefore a strange piece of Popish doctrine, that there is more cause that the Virgin Mary, and her Picture should have miracles for them, than Christ and his Religion. But yet this, and all other their suspicious and impious speeches and practices against the honour of Christ & his Religion, are in my judgement inferior, and may all stoop to this new impiety of the jesuits, whereby the Mother is compared to the Son, not as being a child, or a man, but as the Saviour and mediator: & the paps of a Woman equalled with the wounds of our Lord, and her milk with his blood. If this were written by Protestants, some might say we might report partially, or if it were a matter of old, the age might yield suspicion that it were made worse in the carriage: But when it is a matter of yesterday and comes from themselves, partiality itself cannot cavil against it. And the particular is this, Clarus Bonarscius, a jesuit or the jesuits Patron, published this present year to the world, a volume large enough, in defence of the whole order of jesuits, the book bears this title. Clari Bonarscij Amphitheatrum Honoris. In quo Caluinistarum in societatem jesu, criminationes jugulatae. Editio altera, libro quarto auctior. Palaeopoli Aduaticorum, apud Alexandrum Verheidon 1606. This volume he erected, as a Theatre, yea an Amphitheatre of Honour, in defence of the jesuits wherein after he had assayed with much sleight of wit, and in a strange style, to wipe away many foul blots, with which that Atheistical brood hath stained the holy name of jesus, and adorned itself (for generally that which dishonours God adorns them) and after he had ranged over all the former Churches, and raked up all rotten slanders, and revived the callumniations that were answered, dead and buried, 40. 50. and 60. years ago, and railed upon the living and dead, Caluin, Beza, Pareus, Stenius, Tossanus, Faius, and many other holy and learned men, with that bitterness and virulency as never was before him: yea, moreover after that he had laid high and horrible imputations upon this whole state of England, and (like a true jesuits Imp) slandered the whole government, with foul injustice, and monstrous cruelty in many particulars, and See for these particulars of our Queen & state lib. had in jesuitical pride, dared to defile the name and honour of renowned Queen Elizabeth, (whose memory for ever will be blessed) with words unworthy the mouth of man (if he were not a jesuite) at last from the defence of jesuits, he falls to defend Lypsius, (a good friend of theirs) and his two stories of our Lady of Hall, and our Lady of the craggy Rock, and not only labours to to make good all his fancies and fables, but further (to show that a jesuit hath one trick of impiety beyond all, and is anointed by the Devil with the oil of mischief above all his fellows) addeth a number of verses directed to that Picture, which he calleth our Lady of Hall, fraught with so many blasphemies against the blood and merits of the Mediator, as no Christian ears to this day did ever hear, and doubtless no Christian heart can patiently endure: and certainly if the blessed Virgin Mary, to whose picture he hath consecrated them, may be his judge, without doubt both he and his blasphemy will be condemned to hell: and she whose soul rejoiced in God her Son and Saviour, Luke ●. 47. her soul I say will rejoice in the just damnation of him who shall match the milk of her a creature, with the blood of him her Saviour: But shall we hear them? no will some say, let blasphemy rather be buried in the depth of oblivion, darken not the Sun, defile not the heavens, poison not the air, burden not the earth with it, amaze not the minds, and terrify not the consciences of weak Christians: and assuredly could I bury it so that it might never live, and quench it so as it might never flame again, and if my Book were the only Copy in the world, I would rather choose to cover this shame of the shameless whore of Babylon, then by discovering it to cause good men's ears to tingle, and their hearts to tremble: But seeing the strumpet hath the whore's forehead, and glorieth in her own shame, and sounded out this blasphemy (as with a trumpet) in the ears of all Christendom by publishing it in a book which he calls the great theatre of the jesuits honour, even bringing so fearful blasphemy upon the stage, & dare divulge it in a second impression, lest the world should want it: Let us therefore crave leave of our Lord jesus, to discover her shame wherein she glorieth, and that we may without impeachment of his honour, repeat so foul blasphemy, that so the world may both perceive what a Religion Popery is, and that we for our parts have no fellowship with such abominable works of Ephes. ●. darkness The Title he gives them is this: Ad divam Hallensem. & Puerum jesum. That is, To our Lady of Hall, and The Child jesus. See first the impiety lurking in this Title. She is a Queen or Lady, jesus a Child or Infant: compare this with holy Scriptures, they indeed speak both of him and her, but of him as God and a Saviour, of her as a creature; the Mother only of his humanity (although the Mother of him that was God) and exercising power only over his humanity, and that only during his infancy and privateness, but not after he took upon him the Prophetical Office of the Mediator, for than he said (in a certain case) woman, what have I to do with thee? and again, being told▪ she was without to speak Iohn ●. 4▪ with him, he answered that he had more Mothers, though not in the same, yet in a better sense: for whosoever did the will of his father, the same saith he is my mother: Mat 12. vlt. thus the scripture proceeds to describe him in his prophetical, and afterward in his Priestly Office, and leaves him not till at last he be ascended into heaven, and have taken possession of his kingdom, and then the Scripture leaves him in his glory. Is all this true? and yet must he now after 1606 years be an Infant in his Mother's arms? And for her the holy scriptures speak no more of her, but as of a creature, a woman, a believing jew, a holy Saint, saved by faith in her saviour jesus Christ, and so leaves her, with little mention (after Christ was baptised, and entered his prophetical Office) her body to go the way of all flesh, and her soul to enter into that great glory which Christ had purchased for her, and all that spiritual kindred of his, whom with his own mouth he had pronounced more blessed for hearing his word & keeping it, than they could have been by being the mother of Luke 12. his flesh. And yet now after 1600. years, she must still be a commanding Mother, and must show her authority over him, and he must receive our prayers by her means, and Monstra te esse Matrem sumat per te preces. So are the missals, Breviaries, & Offices that are reform. still she must bear him in her arms, or lead him in her hand, and her Picture must work all the miracles, but his none: and she must be salured as a Lady, a Queen, a Goddess, and he as a Child: If this be not so, let this Title judge: Ad Divam Hallensem, & puerum jesum. But let us leave the Title, and not stand long at the gates, but enter this City of confusion. And now all good Christians harken with grief of heart to that which I rather wish you might never have heard; but if your ears tingle, your hair stand up, and your hearts tremble at the blasphemy following, blame the heart that indicted it, the hand that wrote it, the Religion that allows it, and not the pen that discovers it. THUS THAN GINS THE JESVITS Gospel. Haereo lac inter meditans interque cruorem, Inter delicias Vberis & Lateris. That is: My thoughts are at a stand of Milk and blood: Delights of breast and side, which yields most good. Harken thou blessed Apostle Paul, (if thou in heaven canst hear the blasphemy on earth) thou that didst preach and 2. Cor. ●. 2 write, that thou desiredst to know nothing but jesus Christ, and him crucified: thou that didst teach the Churches only to know and believe in Christ for salvation: and almost 20. times in thy Epistles hast magnified his Blood, without once mentioning the Virgin or her Milk. Hear and be astonished at this, that some who profess to be thy Disciples or thy fellows rather, cannot tell whether to choose that blood of the Mediator, or the milk of a woman: At least hearken thou blessed spirit of truth, thou that canst and wilt hear, thou that didst inspire those holy truths into that holy Apostle: behold a Religion risen up in the world that dare compare the blood of that God who was by thee conceived, with the milk of that W●man, who was the Mother of his humanity and was saved from hell and damnation by that blood, and that dare allow her professors to make doubt whether to esteem the greater delight of their souls her milk or his blood: and we for reproving this, must be accounted Heretics: hear from heaven we beseech thee and judge betwixt us. The blasphemer proceedeth. Et dico si forte oculos ad Vbera tendo Diua Parens. Mammae gaudia posco tuae Sed dico si deinde oculos ad Vulnera verto O jesu Lateris gaudia malo tuae. That is: And say aloud when I the Teats do see, O Goddess mother, lend thy Breasts to me! But thus I beg, when on the wounds I think O jesus give me from thy side to drink. What before he delivered more darkly, now he maketh plainer: if any doubt what milk what blood he meant, he answereth our Lady's Milk, and jesus Christ his blood: but what, doth popery make question whether of these two is better? Is this their holy Catholic Roman faith? If no●, let their words be judge, I stand musing saith he and cannot tell whether to take milk or blood: If I look at her paps, than I long for milk, If to his sides, than I would have blood. Mark how indifferent a Papist is, whether he receive the one or the other: is not this evil enough? a man would think so, yet harken what followeth, and we shall hear worse: but let us do it with fear and reverence of that glorious name, and precious blood which are blasphemed. Rem scio, prensabo si fas erit ubera dextra Laena prensabo vulnera si dabitur. In English thus: Long have I mused, now know I where to rest, for with my right hand I will grasp the breast: (If so I may presume) as for the wounds, with left I catch them, thus my zeal abounds. Hitherto he doubted, now he is resolved: but such a doubt, and such a resolution, Christian ears never heard of: he doubted whether were bet●er, the blood of God, or the Milk of a creature (the devil himself never doubted hereof) but now what is his resolution, doth it make amends? yes doubtless as the Pope useth to make Christ amends, when he hath dishonoured him: I was at a stand (saith he) whether to take, and now I resolve I will have both: both are so good I will refuse neither, her milk his blood both so precious, both so powerful, both so virtuous, as I will have both. Both are good, and so good as hardly can I find difference but if there be any, it is that the Milk is more excellent, and therefore with my right hand, I will make it sure mine, if I may be so bold as to touch it, or if it be lawful for a sinner's soul to taste so glorious, so unualuable and divine a liquor as is the Milk of the Mother: and as for the child it is well for him if he may follow his Mother, and have the next place to her: therefore if he please to give me leave I will lay hold with my left hand on his wounds. O glorious God, the eternal son of the eternal Father, thou blessed jesus Christ the stay and comfort of all Christian souls, hear in heaven thine only habitation this heinous blasphemy, and judge thy own cause: And if it fall out that any contagion of sin catch hold on me the writer or any the readers here of, by not trembling or not sufficiently detesting such fearful impiety as this that is past, or that that is to come; vouchsafe in mercy to forgive it, and to wash it away with that most precious blood of thine, whereto all the creatures in the world are not worthy to be compared. And though this that's past, be abominable, yet with reverence to thy holy name and precious blood, give us leave to discover the height of their iniquity, which still goeth forward in more horrible and fearful manner: for thus sings the jesuit. Lac Matris miscere volo cum sanguine nati, Non possum Antidoti nobilore frui. That is: And of her Milk mixed with his blood I'll make, The soueraign'st Cordial sinful soul can take. So now Christ jesus shall have satisfaction, (if there were a fault afore) for if he complain that the Mother of his flesh, a woman and a creature, have the right hand when himself and his merits must take the left or none, here they will make him amends, for that he may have no cause to complain, for want of place or precedence, her milk and his blood will he mingle both together, and so make a sovereign compound cordial for his soul. But what? a mixture of milk and blood, of the Blood of God with the Milk of a creature? and is now the blood of the Lamb of God but one of the simples in that cordial Antidote, that must both restore and preserve the life of man's soul? ye heavens be astonished at this, so may we well say, for so said the Prophet at a matter of fa●re less wonder, harken O Christendom, and all ye people, nations, & languages to whom the blessed name of jesus Christ hath sounded: that poor paschal Lamb of the jews that was but a shadow of our Saviour, the Sign and Sacrament, and in some sort the means and instrument of the Israelites temporal preservation, might not, nay needed not to have any thing mingled with the blood Exod. 12. 5. &c thereof, but the blood alone being sprinkled on their doors, delivered them from the stroke of the destroying Angel: this was their Passeover, and saith the Apostle, Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us: shall this then be 1. Cor. 5. 7 true, of their Passeover, a Lamb taken out of the fold & flock, & only dedicated by God's instirution, & shall not the blood of our Passeover the Lamb of God, God & man jesus Christ (whose Godhead is consubstantial and coequal with the father, and his humanity personally and indivisibly united to the deity) being sprinkled on our hearts & souls, suffice to preserve them from the infernal stroke of hell and damnation, unless it be mingled with the milk of a creature? pardon this blasphemy O blessed jesus Christ, if it be not a blasphemy against the holy Ghost, and a despighting of the spirit of grace: pardon it in as many of them as do not sinne unpardonably, for thy mercy's sake. Amen. But say (I pray thee) tell us in good earnest, (If so we may presume to call a jesuites Proctor to his answer) is there not a more sovereign Antidote for a sinful soul, than a mixture & compound of Mary's milk & Christ his blood? chen tell us who can make this mixture? who hath the skill sufficient for this confection who gives the true doss? who appoints the quantities, Mithridates and treacles for the body are not compositions for every conceit, nor matters for every hand to make, but rather beseeming the skilfullest, and require the overviewing eye of the whole College of Physicians, shall then the heavenly Antidote of the soul be compounded without a heavenly Physician? say then (Man) if thou dare stand to thy deeds, who was the Physician that prescribed and gave thee this receipt, was it God the Father, the foundation of holiness and happiness? himself saith no, for thus proclaimed he twice from Heaven of jesus Christ, This is my well-beloved Mat. 3. At his baptism Mat. 17. At his transfiguration son in whom I am well pleased: In none as in him, nay in none, no not in his Mother, but in, for, and by him. Thus the Father of Heaven hath testified that the blood of the son is one sufficient & sovereign simple, for a Heavenly Mithridate. Now show thou, (and take the Pope to help thee) where ever he testified so much of her milk: but if no such thing, nay nothing at all, than he was not the Physician that prescribed this mixture. Who then, was it Christ himself the Son of God and the Son of this woman? No, for of himself he saith, My flesh is (spiritual) meat indeed, and my blood is (heavenly) drink indeed: but of her he saith that every john 6. true believing Christian, is his mother (as well as she) Mat. 12 46 in the best sense, and much more than she, had she been no more but the mother of his flesh: surely then if this be a lawful mixture, which this Papist makes, the son was much to blame to say so much of his own blood, that it is drink indeed, and that it gives the drinkers eternal life, etc. and not one word of his mother's milk: Not a word said I? I recall that, for when once a certain woman hearing him preach, not for any thing she saw in her, but for the powerful and gracious words, that came from him, would have had her womb blessed that bore him & her Paps that gave him Luke 11. 27. 28 suck: (the worst whereof is better than her milk) he instantly answered her, that much more blessed was every man that heard God's Word and kept it. If no extraordinary blessedness belong to the womb that bore him (in that respect only, because it bore him carnally) If none to the womb or paps, which shall endure for ever, then how much less to the milk that fed him, which is vanished & shall be no more: If Christ would not match her womb or paps with a man that feared God, what will he say to them that make her milk a match for his own blood, the milk being a matter fare inferior, either to womb or paps. Thus they may see that Christ is not a fit Physician to make this mixture. What then was the holy Ghost the Physician that framed this receipt? No, for he by his divine power, conceived Christ in that holy and miraculous manner, that Christ was fully without original sin, and therefore his blood might well be a pure and perfect simple to make the Aqua Caelestis that must quicken dead souls: let them approve as much of her if they can: they speak and write that she was conceived without sin original, and have a holy day for it, but they can not prove it. It is an Article of our faith, and grounded on plain words of Scripture, that Christ was conceived without Learned Papists hold that the Pope's Bulls and the decree of the counsel of Basill do not conclude it as an article of faith. out sin: and though the Whore of Babylon, affirm as much of her, yet was she yet never so impudent, as to conclude it an Article of the faith. Thus God the father, the son, and the holy Ghost, do all disclaim the composition of this Antidote, as neither prescribed nor allowed by them. Who then may be imagined to be this Physician? Exodus 12. was it Moses? no, for he allowed nothing to be mingled with the blood of the paschal Lamb: was it Esaias? no, for he avoucheth that with his stripes we are healed, Esay 53. and his stripes were not without blood. Was it Zacharia? no, for he teacheth that the Church Zacha 9 11. is saved by the blood of her covenant, which is grounded only on the Messiah. If any other Prophet, let them show him: was it john Baptist: no, for he testified that not the Mother of his Lord, but his Lord jesus Christ was that Lamb of God Io●n. 1. 29. that takes away the sins of the world. Was it St. Paul? no, for he teacheth the Romans, that Rom. 3. 24. 25. We are justified freely by his blood: (behold ye Romanists, there is no milk) and the Ephesians that we have redemption Ephes. 2. 13. Coloss. 1. 14. through his blood: (yet there is no milk) and the Collossians, that he set us at peace tbrough the blood of his cross not the milk of her paps: and the Hebrews that not Hebrews 9 12. with any milk, but with his own blood he obtained eternal redemption for us: to conclude, 13. times at least in his Epistles doth he mention the blood of Christ, to the same purpose, and with the same honour as afore, & not once did he so much as name our Lady's milk: surely either this was an intolerable omission in Saint Paul, not once to name it, else, presumptuous impiety in the Papists to match it with blood of the son of God. Then who is it, was it St. Peter whom you brag to be the founder, nay the foundation of your Church to and head of your Herarchie? No, that blessed Apostle renounceth it, for he proclaimeth to all the world, that we are elected through the sprinkling of the 1. Pet. 1, 2. blood of jesus Christ, here is no milk: and as we are 1. Pet. 1. 18. elect and sanctified, so redeemed also not with things corpuptible (therefore not with milk) but with the precious blood of jesus Christ, Behold ye jesuits and be ashamed, Peter is all in Blood, blood, he knows no milk. There remains but one (for St. james and St. jude if they name not Christ's blood, I am much more sure they name no milk) was it St. john the beloved Disciple, to whom Christ committed her, (as his mother, but not his Saviour?) no verily, for he is plain, that not the milk of the Virgin Mary, but the blood of jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all our sins: and that there are 1. john 1. 7 three which bears witness on earth, the spirit & water & blood: behold three witnesses on earth of our sanctification 1. John 5. 8. and redemption, and of them blood is one, but milk is none, yea water is, and yet milk is not: surely if the fathers of the society of the inquisition might be judges, St john were sure to be censured to remember water, and forget milk. But see how St john and the jesuites differ, they dare match and mix her milk with his blood, he will neither mix nor matchit so much as with the water, showing that the very water issuing out of his precious side, was more of worth and value, than all her milk, even that which fed the flesh of Christ when he was an Infant: Nay, the Apostle hath Reuel. 1. 5. nor yet done, but tells us that Christ loved us and washed us (not in his mother's milk, but) in his blood: and that the Robes of the Saints are made white (even white, & yet not in white milk, but) in the red Blood of the Lamb: Reuel. 7. 14 See here, if ever milk had been apt it had been here, if ever it had been seasonable to have named it, here had been the place: for what should make white, milk or blood? and yet the whiteness that must the Saints; must be died not in the milk of our Lady, but in the blood of jesus Christ, if his beloved and blessed Apostle john, nay if his own holy word may be believed. If none of all these, was it then herself that prescribed this portion and made this mixture? no assuredly: They say we dishonour & disgrace her, yet I dare venture even my soul upon it, that her heart never consented to such a thought, as to match & mix her milk with his blood: for seeing the Angel saith she was beloved Luk● 1. 2● of God, I am sure that no creature can be beloved of God, that durst offer to match the best thing in him (if it were his very heart's blood) with the blood of his son; no his soul would hate him, his wrath break out upon him & his vengeance pursue him to destruction. Fare therefore was she from so vile a thought: nay, her soul rejoiced L●ke 1. 47 in him her Saviour, so fare was she from making herself in any part a Saviour of herself: yea rather, if a Saint in heaven doth hear a blasphemy on earth, then doubtless that blessed soul of hers; that magnified her Son and rejoiced in him as her Saviour, will never cease to cry and call upon him, to revenge so high impiety: which is so much more heinous, in as much as they make the mother the dishonourer of the son. And if her prayers be as powerful with him as their Doctrine teacheth, assuredly she will net cease to provoke, his justice against them, till she have laid their tottering kingdom flat on the earth, for erecting up her as an Idol against her son, and for mixing the virtue of her milk with the the merits of his precious blood. Thus then, if neither God the Father, nor Christ jesus, nor the Holy Ghost, nor Moses, nor the Prophets, nor the Apostles, nor the blessed Virgin herself, did any of them prescribe this portion? nor make this mixture: It followeth, that either the Devil was the deviser of it, or else that they framed it out of their own brains and therefore to be judged Mountebanks, and spiritual deceivers: who make show to the world, they have a confection of miraculous virtue, when indeed it is a perfect poison to all that take it: for if St. Paul say true, that if we join circumcision to Christ, Christ shall profit Galath. 5. 2. us nothing: then without all controversy, if we mix the milk of a creature with the blood of the Mediator, that blood of his hath lost the virtue, and shall profit us nothing: And thus the Church of Rome hath spun a fair thread: she will needs have both the son and the mother to be hers, in such a manner, as she hath lost them both, and made them both her enemies, the mother to be her bitter accuser, and the son to be her angry judge. But thus hath God in justice blinded her, that whereas for these 2. or 300. years past, she came to this height of blasphemous devotion, as This is ordinary in many of their books especially Bernar. de Bus. to his mariale: and revelationes Brige● & others to trust more the piety of the Mother, than the merits of the son, & often to appeal from him to her: Now are last by this dealing they have taken the direct course to turn her against them also, and to make her curse and abhor them and their superstition, who dare make her name and her Milk to be the of her Son, her Saviour, and his precious blood. Thus we have heard and seen the strangest piece of Physic, and most unequal mixture that yet was ever heard of, The blood of God, and milk of a woman are mixed to make a cordial potion, But now what will this potion do, what is the operation of it, harken to the Mountebancks proclamation, and he will tell you. Thus he cries. Vulnera restituent turpem ulceribus mendicum, Testa cui saniem reddere sola potest: Vbera reficient Ismaelem sitientem Quem Sara non patitur, quem neque nutrit Agar, Illa mihi ad Pestem procul & procul expungendam Ista mihi ad long as eva litura febres. That is: These wounds the sores do cleanse and cure full well, Which none can dress but scrape them with a shell, These breasts the fainting Ishmael well would cherish, Whom Sara would not, and Hagar could not nourish The first from me expels all pestilence, The second drives all lingering Fevers hence. Now he tells us what his Physic will do, and that particularly in both his simples, the blood and the milk: and as for the one of them that is the blood and wounds of the Mediator, if he had ascribed much more unto them, he might have passed with praise (for us) for he cannot sufficiently extol the merit & virtue of them, but as for the other, that is the milk of a woman, (though it be the blessed virgin) or a confection of both, there he showeth himself both impious in making such a mixture, as also a vain deceiver, proclaiming great and sovereign power in that which is nothing worth; for I say again, if it be true that to him that joineth circumcision to Christ, Christ is no Saviour: then we dare boldly say: To him that joineth a creatures milk in equality Galath. 5 with Christ's blood, that blood of Christ is of no virtue: for circumcision is of the fathers, nay it was Gods own ordination. But her milk is merely apart (and no essential part) of her body which is a creature, and G●n. 17 as for the mixture of it with his blood, it is an impious device of profane politicians, not derogating from the dignity, but even quite abolishing the glory of the mediator: then if his passion may not be joined with circumcision, may his blood be mixdd with her milk? But what is that he proclaimeth vulnera restituent, etc. Christ's wounds will restore & heal the spiritual sores of a sinful Lazar, we believe it will, they will do so & much more; yet for not his sake that saith so, for we know that devils themselves for a vantage would bear witness Mat. 8 to Christ. But for his sake that said. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was broken for our iniquities, the cha●isement Esay 53. of our peace was upon Him, & with his Stripes are we healed: and for his own sake especially, who said it and did it, I lay down my life for my sheep. Thus he hath said well and truly of the wounds; but the wounds of john 10. Christ will not serve his turn: He therefore addeth. Vbera reficient, etc. The Paps will quench and refresh thirsty souls. And will they so? who taught you this Divinity? will a creatures Paps quench and satisfy that soul that hungreth and thirsteth after righteousness? Say ye children of iniquity, have you not read Esay the Prophet, who tells us He was despised, He was afflicted, He was Esay 53. broken, He was plagued, and all for us: His stripes healed us, and not a word of her nor her Milk, but all of Him, his stripes and his wounds: what will ye say, wanted he knowledge of her worthiness? or devotion to her deserts? Indeed the Papists hanue taught so informer times as s●ith thei● mariale. Can ye say the first without blaspemy to God? or the second without injury to the Prophet? could it be he knew not her who knew her son? could he foresee him and not her? or could any such mystery be kept from him who spoke and wrote, as he was inspired by God's spirit? and to conclude, was it not he that saith, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, even Emanuel jesus Christ? so that its plain as the Prophet knew a Messiah should come and should save his people by diing for them; so also he foresaw and knew he should be borne of a virgin: If then the Prophet had knowledge of her, dareye say he wanted due devotion? and yet one of these you must say, and for want of one of these you must condemn him, who names none but Christ, or else yourselves, who dare mix her milk with his blood. But is this all? No, Illa mihi ad pestem— Ista mihi ad febres.— One can heal spiritual pestilence, the other spiritual Fevers; see what difference there is by their religion, betwixt her milk and his ●loud: are not these men great and devout honourers of Christ, and his suffering that can find other helps to heal their souls besides his blood? But if it be thus that both can heal so well, how comes it to pass they have so many sick souls in Popery, even sick of all spiritual diseases, especially seeing by their own doctrine and daily practice, it is apparent they can neither want the one nor the other of these 2. simples: for first they say, they make Christ's blood every day, than they have blood at hand continually: If they say that the Laiety may not have that, but only their Priests (who indeed drink it up all) yet than they may take their Lady's milk whereof (if themselves say true) they have so much in several places▪ as some that lived 100 years ago do write, that Erasinus and others have spoken more plainly and fully than I do. in those days, it was more than a woman upon one child can give out, though the child sucked none at all: If that that is kept, and shown and worshipped in so many Cities of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, be not her milk, then where is the truth and honesty of that Religion, so to deceive the world? if it be, then why are their souls so full of spiritual diseases? why are they not healed, seeing this jesuite teacheth that it will heal as well as Christ's blood? as well as Christ's blood will some say, why do you them that wrong? they are never so wicked to speak such blasphemy, No? then judge by that which followeth. Ira vomit flammas fumat que libidinis Aetna? Suffocare queo Sanguine, Lacte queo, Livor inexpleta rubigine saevit in artus? Detergere queo Lacte, cruore queo. Vanus honos me perpetua prurigine tentat? Exaturare queo Sanguine, Lacte queo. That is, Let Ire belch fire, and lust like Aetna flame, Choose either milk or blood, doth quench the same, Let Envy's rust canker my heart about, This milk, that blood, either will fetch it out, Or do vain glorious passions stuff me still, Either with milk or blood the same I'll kill. Hear judge and spare not (without all partiality,) whether that I said be not true, that her milk will heal as well as Christ's blood, and this they affirm, not in general terms but in plain particulars: if, saith he, Anger swell, if Lust inflame me, blood will quench them & so will milk: are there two stronger passions, two more conquering corruptions, two more raging and reigning sins than Anger and Lust? yet even these two are quenched & conquered by her milk as well as Christ's blood: harken ye Children of the Romish Synagogue, harken I say what instruction your father gives you, hear I pray (but learn it not) a creatures milk will cleanse your Souls from sin, as well as your Saviour's blood: O spirit of error and blasphemy, whether wilt thou go? O Romish impiety, when wilt thou make an end? wilt thou not cease till thou hast pulled down the fire of God's fury, from heaven upon thee? O Babylon we would have healed thee, but thou wilt not be healed, Io: 51. 9 for who can heal him that will needs kill himself? so who can heal thee, whose blasphemy hath wounded & yet benumbed thy heart, gone over thy head & is ascended up to heaven, & in the presence of God crieth vengeance upon thee; & as for you seduced souls (my dear countrymen) you who are deceived with shows of holiness and devotion, behold here a piece of Popish holiness, and of the doctrine of their devotion, that the sins of the soul are cleansed and taken away as well by a creatures milk as by Christ his blood! is this the catholic Doctrine they brag so much of? is this the catholic Church that teacheth such divinity? is this the chair of St. Peter, & the seat that cannot err? If it be so, then what didst thou mean thou St. john Evangelist, to teach that it was jesus Christ that faithful witness, Reuel. 1. 5 that first begotten from the dead, & that Prince of the Kings of the earth (even he, and not any creature) who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood: sure either must you recant this Doctrine, else they that boast themselves to be● successors of thy brother Peter may be ashamed of theirs, who tell us that our sins are washed away in her milk as well as by his blood: and you that are the dutiful and devoted children of that Romish seat, be judges even yourselves in this case, what can be said hereunto: how can it stand with scripture, or with the tenor of true catholic faith? or how can it any way be defended that a creatures milk can quench the fire of sin in the soul as well as Christ his blood? Can ye say that here is only ascribed to her and her milk, a derived virtue from another, and that the original and fundamental power, is only and wholly in Christ and his blood? if it were so, it were less evil (though Christ jesus may not, nor will not bestow the prerogatives of his Mediatorship on any creature) but look and weigh over the words again and again, expound them with any favour that the words may bear, and you shall not see the least difference. Suffocare queo Sanguine Lacte queo, Detergere queo Lacte Cruore queo. If Lust burn, and Anger boil, Envy fret, vainglory swell, I can help it with blood, so can I with with milk●: I can help it with milk, so can I with blood: there can be no greater equality made betwixt any two things in the world, than here they make betwixt this Blood and Milk. Can it be said that the Author is a Poet, and said thus but to make up the Verse, which otherwise would not have fall'n so fitly? surely no, for a young versisier can soon show how the verses might have run aswell as they do, if he had not purposely laboured to sort his verse to his matter, and not the matter to his verse: For thus he might have said, Detergere queo sanguine Christe tuo. with very little altoration. And so of the rest: but he as truly endeavoured to magnify the milk as the blood, and therefore without any necessity of the Verse, gives the same power, place, & pre-eminence, in every respect to the milk as to the blood: but had he been as sound and sincere a Christian as he is a good Poet, he might in as good verses have given all the honour to Christ as he deserveth. Therefore (my dear countrymen) be no longer seduced by a Religion so fraught with Atheism, blasphemy & impiety: do but look into the Scriptures, Counsels, or Fathers: yea ask the honestest & learnedst of your own Religion, (or any except jesuits or such other like them, who frame a religion to their own purposes.) If this be tolerable Divinity that the milk of the Virgin doth cleanse man's soul from sin as well as Christ his blood. If it be not Divinity but Blasphemy, no Christian Doctrine but impiety, and yet suffered, yet approved in the Roman Church, both by doctrine and practice; then return to that truth and holy Religion, which out of God's word, and according to the purest antiquity is established amongst us: and with heart and voice join with us to embrace and say Amen, to that holy doctrine of blessed St. john, who saith it is jesus Christ Reuel. 1, 56. that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood to him be glory for ever and ever, Amen. This was his Religion, this is ours: oh that it were yours also! he sucked this divinity out of that blessed breast of God's Son, whereon he leaned: and if he had I●h. 13. 23. sucked thence this divinity of the jesuites, that the virgin Mary washed us from our sins by her milk, surely he would never have concealed it from us, nor have deprived her of the honour, nor us of the comfort that thereby might accrue both to her and us: for he was her son by her own adoption, yea her Son by the gift and nomination of her son and Saviour, yea her Son in love, duty, and all respectiveness could he then, or would he in any sort obscure her due glory? would he give too much to her son, and too little to her? would he give all that to her son, which in part was hers? can this, may this, or dare this be imagined by any jesuit? If not, then how dare they extend their devotion beyond his, & ascribe that to her which he never did, yea that to her, which he appropriates to jesus Christ. If they think that Peter had more devotion than john, harken then what he saith: jesus Christ his own 1. Pet. 2. 24. self bore our sins in his body on the tree: let the words be Pondered, jesus Christ saith he bore our sins: true (say they) but so did the Virgin Mary also, No (saith Peter he himself▪ his own self bore them▪ yea in his body. he bore them in his body: (say they) that is true, but he bears them in his mystical body, in his members, much more therefore in his mother, which is more than many members of his body: nay, saith St. Peter, he bore our sins his own self in his body: but what body? even that body that was on the Tree: therefore if St. Peter preach true divinity, then is this doctrine of your teacher heinous blasphemy. All that may be imagined for their defence at the best is this, that all this is but poetical, & hyperbolical, or proceeds from the passion & height of devotion: but that in truth and earnest he ascribes all to Christ, & to his blood, makes his prayers to him, and puts the confidence of his heart in him alone: but least any man should have the least suspicion of him this way, or think so good a thought of him, he deals yet more plainly and to prevenr all such thoughts and objections, he makes his prayer both to the Mother and the Son, without any difference in the world, to the one for her milk, to the other for his blood: for thus he saith. Ergo parens et nati meis adverti●e votis, Lac peto depereo sanguinem ut rumque volo. That is: Mother and Son give ear to what I crave, I beg this milk, that blood and both would have. Hear is plain dealing, it is not the Son and his blood that will serve his turn he must also have the Mother and her milk, is not this good catholic doctrine and devotion? but further is not this strange to see how he marshals them in the order of his judgement and affection? he prayeth to the mother and the son: but first to the mother, he will have both milk and blood, but first milk: thus Mary hath the precedence of Christ, and her milk of his blood: But you will say it is not that he so esteems them in his judgement, but only for the necessity of of the verse: the answer is that a grammar scholar, can soon show how the verse is as good, and give Christ his precedence, as it is doing him this wrong: Ergo Nate parensque meis advertite votis. But he still keeping Christ in wardship and under age, held it not fit that he should have the place before his Mother only, and therefore without all necessity even wittingly and wilfully, he puts Christ in the second place. But now let us hasten to an end of this (if it be not endless and bottomless) impiety. Upon these fearful premises thus he proceeds. Paruule maternis medius qui ludis in uluis Et tua iam comples ubera, iam vacuas: Quid me respectas obliqua tuentibus hirquis, Roboris in Coelum pilhabet invidia. Saepe quidem dixti, noxis offensus iniquis, Tune me as mammas, Improbe tune me as? Nolo tuas ô nolo tuas puer auree mammas: Non sunt tam duri, tam gravis or is homo: Sed tantum lateris pluat unica & unica stilla: Et saltem a dextrae vulnere gutta pluat. Se nihil è dextra vis impluere, implue laeu●: Si nihil è laeva, de pede sanguis eat. Si tibi non placio vulnus mihi vulnera danto Mercedem danto vulnera, si placeo. That is, Youngling that in thy mother's arms art playing, Sucking her breasts sometimes, and sometimes staying, Why dost thou view me with that look of scorn, It's forceless Envy that 'gainst thee is borne. Oft hast thou said, being angry at my sin, Darest thou desire the teats my food lies in? I will not, oh I dare not (Noble child) Duty from me is not so far exiled: But one, even one poor drop I do implore, From thy right hand or side, I ask no more. If neither: from thy left hand let one fall, Nay from thy foot rather than none at all, Dost thou dislike me? let thy wounds me wound, But pay my due, if I in grace be found. Now from blasphemy he proceeds to plain Atheism, not fearing to expose the greatest mysteries of Christian faith, and even our blessed Saviour himself, to the ridiculous & scornful contempt of profane men: Speaking unto Christ, God c●aequall with the father, and whose very humanity raineth now in glory at God's right hand, as to a silly Infant in his mother's arms: and to him whose very humanity is fed with the glorious presence and contemplation of the deity, as to a poor child sucking his Mother breasts: such conceits are common, and such words and writings rise with them, of our blessed Saviour, who never speak of the Virgin Mary, but with the Title of Queen of heaven, Lady of Angels, the gate of Paradise, the fountain of mercy, or some such other titles, fitting none but him that is God, or at least she is always a commanding Mother, and he an Infant governed, and an obedient child: But let us consider his words a little better. Paruule &c, youngling (saith he) thou pretty babe, thou playest in thy mother's arms, and sometimes sucks her breasts till they be empty, and again stayest till they be full, etc. Is this good and sound Divinity, that Christ our Redeemer is now this present year, at Holla in Brabrant, an Infant playing in his mother's arms, and sucking her breasts. If it be so, then sure St. Paul was much to blame to teach us, that even the man jesus Christ, after he had Heb. 10. 12 offered one sacrifice for sins, sitteth for ever (not in his mothets arms, but) at his Father's right hand: and what doing? not playing in her arms, nor sucking her breasts, but there he ever liveth to make intercession for us. Heb. 7. 25. Intercession! to whom? not to her in whose arms they will make him play, but to him, at whose right hand he sitteth for evermore. And much more to blame St. Peter, who (not foreseeing, it seems what doctrine his pretended successor would teach after him) teacheth us that jesus Christ is at God's right hand, gone into heaven▪ to whom Angels, powers 1. Pet. 3. 22. and might are subject. Are Angels, powers & might subject to him? & must he be subject to a mortal & humane creature? Nay, is he now an Infant, playing in his mother's arms, and hanging on her breasts? is not this good Catholic Romish doctrine? and is not this good pure Romish devotion, to pray to him who is God of glory, & whose manhood is now at God's right hand, Angels and powers subject to him, in such words as these: Thou pretty Child that playest in thy mother's arms, and hangest at her breasts? Is this a salutation fit for the son Heb. 7. 28. Heb. 1. 23 of God, who is the Son consecrated for ever? the heir all things. the brightness of God's glory, and the engraven form of his person? or is this a Christian like description of him, who having by himself purged our sins, sitteth at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest places? But this is natural to Popish Religion, to disgrace the mediator they care not how, so that they may advance some creatures, and magnify their own devices: but though they never so much abuse most of God's ordinances, and nullify the very Offices of the Mediator: Yet me thinks they should be a little fearful how they touch the Person itself of the Mediator and son of God, and should shrink and shame to expose the person of jesus Christ, to the base conceit of the : for what can the carnal man, much more the Atheist, the Turk, and the jew imagine of Christ, when he that is hi● pretended Vicar suffers his followers to speak and write of him, and pray to him, as a playing child, and sucking Infant, and to describe him in his behaviours as a very child, grieving and crying that any should touch his mother's Paps but only himself? alas what will this Religion of Rome do at last? the word of God and Sacraments and other his holy ordinances they have profaned, the officer of the Mediator have they nullified, and yet no● content: here they labour to make ridiculous to all irreligious men, the very person of jesus Christ himself: could this be done by any but those that are the Children of that Mother of fornication, that sits upon the beast full of names of blasphemy Reuel. 17, 3. arise Lord, maintain thine own cause, deliver thy holy Name from that pollution, and thy Religion from that contempt which they bring upon it. To conclude: it may not be amiss here to observe the opposition betwixt God in his holy Scripture, and and the Pope in this his Religion. The Scripture saith. Popery saith. Christ jesus is no more to be known after the 1. Cor. 5. 16 flesh. Christ is yet to be known and worshipped as a child. The Scripture saith. Popery saith. Christ bears up all things Heb. 1. 3. by his mighty Word. Christ is now borne in his mother's arms. The Scripture saith. Popery saith. Christ sitteth for ever at the Heb. 7. 10 right hand of God. Christ is playing in his mother's arms. The Scripture saith Popery saith. Christ tarrieth at his Father's Psal. 110. Heb. 10. 12, 13. right hand, till his enemies be made his footstool. He is in Heaven, till it please the Pope to allow a Picture at Hall or Sichem. The Scripture saith. Popery saith. Without Controversye 1. Tim. 3. 16 great is the mystery of godliness that jesus Christ is received up into glory. Without controversy that it is no such mystery, for Christ is still in his Mother's arms. The Scripture saith. Popery saith. Christ must suffer and so Luke 24. enter into his glory. Christ after all his sufferings, must again be subject to the infirmities of an Infant. Out of all this followeth a conclusion of good use: It hath been often objected to the Romish Church, that they have not true Christ left amongst them, but an Idol of their own rearing, erected in their own carnal fancies: now that this is no flaunder, no cavil, no hyperbolical or figurative speech, nor an accusation forced upon them against their wills, is apparent by their own doctrine and practice in this place: for the Christ of God and of his Church, is God equal to the father, and can do all things himself: the Christ of the Romish Church is a Child inferior to his mother and may deny her nothing. The true Christ, being man grew in stature and wisdom, and being grown a man, so lived and died, rose again and was glorified, and never decreased: but theirs is now become a child again and a playing Infant: the true Christ sitteth at the right hand of God his Father, theirs is borne in the arms of Mary his mother. Hence the conclusion is evident, that therefore the Romish christ is not the true Christ of God and of the true christian Church. This conclusion I demonstrate thus: the Title of these verses is this, To our Lady of Hal, and the Child jesus: this child they speak of, is either jesus Christ indeed or it is not: if not, than they proclaim themselves liars and impostors: if it be, than my conclusion stands good: for this jesus in all the forenamed respects, and many more, differeth from the true jesus and Saviour of Christian men: let them take whether they will, the better is to bad. But now let us see what is that he saith to this child jesus. Quid me respectas, etc. Why (saith he) dost thou frown on me (thou pretty child) art thou angry with me for desiring thy milk? dost thou ch●d me that I dare presume to ask the milk of thy mother's teats? this is all the cause he layeth of Christ his anger, what should a man say to this? what would a jew say, what will an Atheist think of it? surely they will deride and laugh at that Religion that allows it, if our Christ be such a one as is angry at such a cause: But say I pray thee thou Romish jesuite, (thou wantest neither wit nor learning to give answer) speakest thou in jest or earnest? if in jest, then, knowest thou with whom thou iestest? considerest thou that it is jesus of Nazareth, the great one, the holy one of God, of whose kingdom there shall be no end, he that is the brightness of God's glory & the engrauen form of his person, he at whose remembrance the devils tremble, and to whom all knees bow in heaven, earth, and hell, and darest thou exercise thy wit, and whet thy style, & practise thy poetical vain upon him? and unto him that now having conquered sin, death, and hell? sitteth now at the right hand of Majesty, in the highest places? darest thou present such a Petition as this? O pretty child do not envy me that I should touch thy mother's paps, with which I perceive thou wilt suffer none to play but thyself: oh be not angry that I long for that which is thine, namely for the milk of thy mother's teats; didst thou ever find in Scriptures or sound antiquity, that any holy man did ever conceive of him, or speak to him on this fashion? no for its rather a sporting speech ●it to be spoken to a playing child, than a salutation sit to be tendered to the Son of God and Saviour of the world. But if thou say thou speakest in earnest according to the truth of Religion, and soundness of divinity, then tell me I pray thee in earnest, is this any part of christian faith, or is it catholic divinity, that Christ jesus is offended with that man that shall desire to touch the Virgin Maries paps, or to taste of her milk (not in this regard that its a thing not possible, and therefore indeed not to be wished by a Christian, but) because they be peculiarly & propperly his paps and his milk, still as they were when he was an Infant? If this be Romish divinity, alas for the sheep that are fed in such pastures, and ●ild with such doctrine: for this is fundamentally both false & impious, false, for if it be true that the holy scriptures teach, that jesus Christ is now no more to be known nor conceived of according to the flesh, that is as a mere and mortal man, but as a glorified Man, a spiritual conqueror of his enemies, and spiritual head of his Church: If this I say be true, that he is no longer, to be known as a man, as he was upon earth, than it is false that he is still to be conceived of and spoken unto as a playing child: Besides it is impious and irreligious, and a step to Atheism to imagine that Christ our God & Saviour, is offended for such an imaginary toy as this is, to touch his mother's paps, or to desire her milk: & what enemies of our religion would not loudly laugh at this our Christ whom we so magnify, that we make him the rest and comfort of our souls, to be● such a one as he is here described? namely one that chides him that dare touch his mother's paps, for so saith the verse: Tune meas Mammas improbe tune meas? That is, Darest thou desire the teats, my food lies in? Alas, how shall the mouths of Turks and jews be stopped from blaspheming, and saying: Is this your Christ? is this the glory of Christianity? Is this he whom you make a God? are these the sins he is offended withal? Surely no ways can such and fouler blasphemies be prevented, but that the Christian world publicly renounce, condemn, and curse, this damned doctrine, as being the private and impious blasphemy of the Machiavellian jesuits, but not the Catholic doctrine of Christianity: For we cannot deny but there is a generation of vipers, bred of the corruption and putrefaction of an old and sinful world; calling themselves jesuites, or Priests of the society of jesus: who as they come nearest to God in their mouths; so are they in their hearts (if their courses can discover them) the furthest from him. With these fellows it may be it is a doctrine or a piece of devotion, that its a great sin for a man to desire from jesus some of his mother's milk: but if they be asked who made this a sin, they must answer, themselves: if what law? even their own fancies: But as for the catholic and christian Church, she doth renounce it. But to proceed, is it not strange that a witty and learned jesuite, should frame such a speech as this unto jesus Christ, for thus to begin, Oh blessed Child why art thou angry at me, and offended with me? oft hast thou said to me being angry at my sins, etc. would put a man in hope that some great matter followed: for upon so good a beginning, would not a man presume that some good confession of sins should follow? as this, I must confess O Lord I have sinned in ignorance, in self love in security, in hardness of heart, in incontinency, in malice, in hatred, in covetousness in omission of my duties in commission of evil, etc. for these O Lord, and for any of these, thou mightest say unto me, thou miserable wretch, how darest thou thus pollute my name, and as fare as in thee lieth, crucify me again by these thy sins? how darest thou dust and ashes, thus vilify my eternal Law, the curse whereof thou hast hereby incurred? how darest thou bear my Name, or look me in the face, whom thou hast thus provoked? See Watson the Priest his judgement of the jesuit often in his Quidlibets. Costerus in Euchiridio: cap de ●aleba●u sacerd. Sacerdos si forn●catur aut demi concubinam foveat tamet si grau● sacriligio se obitringet Grau●us tamen peccat si mali● monitum contrahat. Oh that our ears might have heard a jesuite saying thus, and then in reason a man would have expected some good conclusion from such a beginning. But why should we look for either reason or religion from a jesuit, (if that be true which their brother Watson the priest hath written of them.) To have supposed Christ to be angry with him for breaking the Moral Law had been good divinity, and no poetical imagination, but these holy Fathers have no such faults: nay see how innocent Lambs the jesuits be, that when Christ is most angry with a jesuit, and rebukes him for sin, he hath none to lay to his charge, nor find any whereof This is also descended both by Gretser the jesuit in his historia ord. Ies. and by Ignatius armandus the jesuit, in his Epistles to Cha●●er: vid. Ep. jesuiticas. for the points of swearing & holy days, see Tollet in his instructio sacerdotum: & Azorius in his institutiones morales. Sixtus 5. made that a saint at King I hilips request for recompense (expressly) of his invasion ●f England in 88 he is guilty, but a little holy presumption, or rather height of ardent devotion, that he dare touch the Paps, and beg the milk of the virgin Mary: O fearful presumption, O carnal self-love, O hellish pride, and well beseeming the jesuitical brood! is not this the generation that praiseth itself, and (as Solomon saith) is good in his own eyes? But say in earnest, is this all the fault that thou thinkest Christ can find with thee? then belike there is either no breaches at all of the moral Law, amongst jesuits, or else the breaches of God's Law, are less sins amongst them, then are the breaches of their own devices, and well may it be so: for he was a jesuit who taught that a Priest sinneth less if he kept a whore, or lie with another man's wife▪ then if he marry a wife of his own, I say he was a jesuite that wrote it, and he was a jesuit that defended it. Again, they teach that its a less sin to swear in common talk by the holy name of God, than it is to eat an egg in lent: for the latter say they is a mortal sin, the first is but a venial. Again, that he sins no more that works upon the holy Sabbath day than he that works upon the feast day of St. Didace the Spaniard whom Sixtus made a Saint, not yet 20. years ago: they who●e doctrines these & such others be, no marvel though they hold that the breach of of a duty of their own devising, is a greater sin, than the breach of the moral Law: for so must he hold that wrote this, or else that Christ can find no greater fault in him, but that he durst beg his mother's milk: or else that Christ would pass by all other faults in comparison of that, let him choose which of the three doth please him best, for one he must needs take, or else confess that all this while he is but in jest. I would leave this point, but that my love to you (my dear countrymen, the Papists of England) provokes me to one word more, to you and for your sakes. Consider I pray you what these men are, who be the Fathers and founders, at least the guiders and governors of your faith: A generation that knows no evil by itself, but this that (I dare stand to) is no evil at all, but of their own making, a generation against whom Christ hath nothing but this ridiculous allegation which you have heard of: which if it be true, as they are a society of all the world to be honoured, so being false, they are a brood of Hyppocrites, of all the world to be detested: Then see how, you are daily bewitched by their enchantments, and carried up and down as they please to lead you: but consider I pray you what will not those men say of themselves to you in private, which speak thus insolently of themselves in public? what marvellous, miraculous, and incredible things will not these fellow's buzz into the ears of their Novices (whom they endeavour to bind Prentices to their Belzebub?) who offer to publish to the eyes and censure of all the world, that Christ layeth nothing to their charge unless it be an extremity of devotion, to his blessed mother: O beloved countrymen, be not seduced by such impostors! let not such vipers eat your hearts; but discover the Hypocrites and send them home unmasked to Hell where they were hatched, for they that dare thus dally with our Saviour, no marvel though they be so bold with your souls and consciences, your children and your estates and all that belongs to you. Now to go forward, he hath told us the great quarrel that Christ hath to him, and the hideous fault for which he chides him, that he offers to touch his mother's teats, and will needs have some of her milk: but now let us see what he answers and how he defends himself. Nolo tuas ô nolo tuas puer auree mamas. I will not, oh I dare not, golden child: Duty from me is not so fare exiled: But one even one poor drop I do implore. From thy right hand or side, I ask no more. To a strange accusation, here is a more strange answer: for now the tide of his blasphemy is even at at the highest: the quarrel he supposed, Christ to have against him, was that he durst presume to touch his mother's paps, or desire to taste of her milk: a fearful sin doubtless, yet neither forbidden in the Law nor the Gospel; but a sin of the Pope's making. But what is his answer hereunto? he plainly pleads not guilty, alleging for himself, that he is not so bold, so rude, so presumptuous, as to dare to entertain any such thought, or attempt any such thing, as to touch her sacred paps, or to drink of that glorious milk: no his ambition reacheth not so high, he only prayeth to have part of his wounds and blood, that he desireth as being a thing of an inferior nature and not comparable to the other. O miserable times of ours, that we should live to see that any man's heart should conceive▪ any man's tongue utter, especially any man's pen should publish such horrible blasphemy against the blood and person of our Saviour! what, must the Virgin Mary be first compared, afterward equalled, and is not that enough unless now she be preferred before, and advanced above Christ? is his blood inferior to her milk? and is it less presumption to be bold with Christ then her? whither will Romish religion go at the last, that already comes to this? But to come to a more particular consideration of the words: the answer that here the jesuites makes, contains apparently both absurdity and impiety, and both in the higest degree: The absurdity appears in his evident contradiction of himself; for now, as though he had either forgotten or cared not what he said afore he denyeth that which before he spoke almost in every verse: dare you not now touch her Paps, nor taste her milk? then who was it that afore said: I am doubtful whether to take paps or side, milk or blood: If I look at the Paps, I long for milk: if at the Wounds, I would have blood: seeing therefore both are so good, I will have both: I will catch the milk with my right hand, the blood with the left. Didst thou this even now, and now sayest thou dare not touch it? Nay, was it not thou that saidst I will mingle the milk of the mother with the blood of the Son, and so make a sovereigning compound to heal my soul, and now darest thou not touch the milk nor paps? was it not thy mouth that said, if Anger, Lust, or any sin vex my soul, blood will help it, and so will milk: therefore Mother and Son here my request, I must have milk, I will have blood, I will have both? and dost thou now say, Oh I will have blood indeed, but I dare not desire milk? was it then devotion to take it, and taste it, and drink it, and mingle it with Christ's blood, and apply it to the soul, and is it now presumption to desire it? can one mouth send out such gross contradictions? but let it pass, for no absurdity nor contradiction can be so vile as should ever have moved me to have set Pen to paper at this time, (for they are sufficiently discovered already in these and other points,) but when dishonour and blasphemy is offered to the blood & person of jesus Christ, how can a christian hold his peace? for if that be true which the learned father saith, that in accusation of heresy ●iero●im: he would have no man patiented, whereas heresy is but the shame & hurt of the man that holds it? then sure in the case of blasphemy and impiety, touching the very crown, and striking at the head of jesus Christ our Lord and redeemer, who can be patiented, who can but speak? neither think that herein I challenge aught to myself above my brethren, but know contrariwise, that though I only write, who first, or with the first discovered it, yet speak I, and writ I in the person of many millions more, who all with one heart and voice detest his Romish impiety. The impiety that betrays itself in this answer is such as goeth beyond all we yet heard, and wherein it seems the blasphemer thought to exceed himself: that we may the better discover it mark the current of his speech: O Christ (saith he) oft hast thou being provoked with my sin, rebuked me and said: darest thou sinful wretch presume to touch my teats or meddle with the milk that feeds me? he answereth, oh no blessed child I dare not, nor I will not so fare presume, I never was so rude, nor so uncivil, as to imagine that I might touch those precious Paps, or taste the blessed milk of thy mother: I only beg a little of thine own blood, from thy side, thy hand or foot: that shall content me: what is this we hear? you are content to have Christ's Blood, but as for the virgin Maries milk thou darest not desire it what: is her milk more precious, more dainty, more sacred than the blood of the Mediator? Ye heavens be astonished at this, and all ye creatures of God (in your kinds) renounce and detest this heinous blasphemy. And you (my poor countrymen) that are the devoted children of th●t Church, behold here a piece of Popish divinity a●d devotion, a creatures milk is of more esteem than Christ his blood: a christian by the power of his ordinary saving faith may be partaker of the benefit of Christ's blood, but not of the blessed milk of our Lady. The blood he may boldly challenge, the milk he scarce may name: in the blood, he may dive and wash his soul, the milk he may not presume to touch: Oh new divinity, formerly it seemed strange that her milk was but compared to his blood, but when after it was made equal to it, and mingled with it, and held as fit to heal the soul as it that seemed incredible, till we saw it: then what is this that now we hear, that her milk is not only comparable nay equal but even more precious, more sacred, more excellent than the blood of jesus Christ: Oh miserable Religion of Popery! whether wilt thou draw thy deceived children in the end? what will become of thee and thy followers? If the devils confessed that jesus of Nazareth was the Christ of God, that is the only Saviour of the world, and the only anointed of God, to be the mediator, and yet for all this are Devils still and no better: then what are they and what a religion is that, which makes his blood no● so good, so virtuous, so sovereign, so precious as her milk, and so by consequent will neither let him be the only nor the principal Saviour. Now the same glorious God and Saviour jesus Christ, whose merits are debased, whose person dishonoured, and whose blood little better than trodden under foot, either convert in mercy, or in justice confound all that shall consent, defend or give countenance to so fearful a blasphemy: and the same God give you grace poor seduced English men, to relinquish that Religion, which is the Mother of such monsters as upon this theatre of the jesuits, are presented unto you: and especially to detest that jesuitical Sect, whose honour it is to dishonour jesus Christ, and who bring upon the great Theatre of their honour, the blood of jesus, so dishonoured, as it yet never was by any sect or profession, Turk or jew, Atheist, or Heretic, devil or man, since the world began. But let us see what remaineth. Saepe mihi Babilon patera propina & auro Ingeminatque me is aurib us, euge, bibe, Non faciam, vel si Coelum miscebitur Orco Non faciam, meretrix impia, non faciam O sitio tamen, o vocem sit is inter cludit: Nate cruore sitem comprime, lacte parens. Oft times doth Babylon in gold me proffer, Delicious drink and woos me to her offer: No, no, though heaven & hell should meet, I'll none, I'll none ungracious strumpet, hence be gone: But all I thirst, a drought my breast doth smother, Quench me with blood sweet Son, with milk good Mother. After the discourse imagined (as we heard before) to be betwixt Christ and him, containing Christ's accusation, and his defence touching the high presumption of being as bold with his mother's milk as his blood: now sodaainely he turns himself from Christ to Babylon and supposeth that Babylon that spiritual strumpet allures him to her unlawful lusts and vild Idolatries, and that her temptations have been both frequent & forcible. And surely herein we easily believe him: for what is spiritual Babylon but the kingdom of sin & Satan, of impiety, Idolatry, blasphemy, superstition, profanes: and where is that as in Popery, and where to be found so fully as in the bowels of the Popish state, whom they well know all the world either clearly condemns, or at least justly suspects to be that spiritual Babylon so fearfully accused and condemned in the Revelation. For what City is so notoriously known to stand upon the notable & famous hills as Rome is? what City in all the world did reign over all the Kings of the earth, then when St. john wrote, but only Rome? and the Text saith (as plainly as can be) that the woman, the great Whore of Babylon the mother of fornications, is the great Revel. City that reigneth over the Kings of the earth: and lastly there is no place, person, state, nor power, in the world, in whom the number of 666. so fully concurreth, in so many languages, in so many respects, so directly, and with so little straining as in the Popes. I will specify but few for many: the Pope or none but the Pope challengeth to the principal of the Clergy, in the world, and therefore in the former years hath called himself universal Bishop, and Pastor of Pastors: Now it falls out that this his pride doth proclaim his shame to all the world, for the number of the beast is in this name, without adding, altering, or any straining, as he shall find that will reckon. D V X C L e r I 500 5. 10. 100 50. 1. Totall. 666. Again the Pope glorieth in this Title and honour, that he is God's general Vicar on earth: this is the foundation of all his pretended power and usurpation: this he and his imps fight for as for their lives. This his seduced creatures, English Priests and jesuits, do in England dye for (excepting some that died for horrible treasons) and no marvel, for they know they lose all if they lose this, and yet the Pope cannot hold it, but withal he must have the number of the beast engraven in his forehead, so as he that runs may read it: for put down this Title in the latin tongue, (which is the tongue by him advanced above Greek o● Hebrew, wherein he writes his Letters, gives his laws and his bulls, and works all his fears) and it contains the number of the beast, and neither more nor less. G E N E R A L I S V I C A R I V S D E I I N T E R R I S. 50. 1. 5. 1. 100 1. 5. 500 1. 1. 1. 50. 1. 5. 1. 100 1. 5. 500 1. 1. 1. total 666. Thus its clear, that as the Pope will needs be Gods general Vicar on earth, so he cannot have it, but he must bear the mark and number of the beast. If any man say he calls not himself God's Vicar, but Christ's Vicar, I answer Christ is both God & man, and he holds himself Christ's Vicar, even as Christ is God, and full little would he thank him that holds him Christ's Vicar, only as he is a man: But I answer further, that who ever reads his own decrees & public constitutions, shall easily see that he calls himself ordinarily the Vicar of God, and suffers others so to style him: and that the world may see they have not reform it, the Pope that now is, Paul the 5. hath suffered one of his own creatures in a Book dedicated Tuccij Tuccij patritij luc●nsis & protonet Apostol: comment in cant. ●ug: 606 In titulo libri. to him, to call him the Vicar of God. Thus Thus he will needs be God's Vicar, but his pride is well paid for, for as he will be God's Vicar against God's will, so God makes him bear the devil's mark, in the number of the beast against his own will. If therefore it be so likely that Rome is Babylon, and her doctrines and deceits, superstitions, and Idolatries, the fornication of that whore of Babylon, than we easily believe this to be true, that oft times did Babylon allure him with her enticements, & woo him to her spiritual fornications: so hath she done many more, and prevails with too many. But what, with him? No, he will have none: it is well said. Oh that you would do as well, that is the worst we wish you jesuits, though you wish us nothing but fire and gunpowder. Oh that you would turn into yourselves and see your error in believing her, and in being deceived with her enchantments, and drunk with her fornications that you would no longer be the sons of her that is the mother of abominations lest you be also children of abomination: Oh that you would forsake her and discover her skirts, and tear her in pieces as she hath deserved, and then return to be the children of the Church, and servants of the living God this is that we wish you from the Lord, whom we also pray that thou whosoever thou art, that wrote this & all other of the faction in the world, may have grace to perform that which here thou promisest. No no, though heaven and hell should meet I'll none, I'll none ungracious strumpet get thee gone. Well then, if he will have none of Babylon's dainties what will he have? for he saith he thirsteth, and must have his thirst quenched, but how? Quench me with blood sweet son, with milk good mother But alas these are children of Babylon, they will not be healed: for lo he sings his old song again, he must have blood, he must have milk: lo here the hunger & thirst of a Papist, it is for milk as well as blood: out Saviour proclaimeth to the world, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. I would here ask Mat 5. a reasonable Papist, a brief question, whether this righteousness can be attained by any means, but by the blood of the Mediator: If he think it may, let him that saith so, take time to consider of it, and he will answer otherwise: But if not (as if Christians they must needs answer) than what a kind of thirst is that, that thirsteth for the milk of a creature, as well as for the blood of the Mediator: but whilst they take time to answer this question, let us go forward, and trace this jesuit to his unhappy journeys end. Dic matri meus his frater sitit optima matter Vis de fonte tuo promere, de que meo? Dic nato, meus his frater mi mellee fili, Captiws monstra a vincula, litron habes, Ergo redemptorem monstra te iure vocari Nobilior reliquis si tibi sanguis in est. Tuque parens monstra matrem te iure vocari, Vbera si reliquis divitiora geris. That is, Say to thy mother see my brother's thirst, Mother, your milk will ease him at the first: Say to thy son, behold thy brother's bands, Sweet son thou hast his ransom in thy hands. Show thy redeeming power to souls oppressed, Thou Son, if that thy blood excel the rest: And show thyself justly so styled indeed, Thou mother if thy breasts the rest exceed. Now if you please to observe a little, you shall see a new piece of Popish devotion: his ground already ●ayd is, that he must have milk from the mother: blood of the son. But how will he come by them? he hath found a ready way, he will make the Son mediator to his mother, and the mother to her Son: Christian Religion hath ever taught, that the Son is our Mediator to the Father: and Popish Religion hath long taught that the Mother is a Mediator to her Son: But now they begin to reach that the son is also a mediator to his mother: what will it come to in the end? And here observe, that as ever heretofore when there was any honour in precedence, the mother had the first place: so now when it is a burden and a duty, the son must have it, but not till then, for so now he saith. Say to thy mother see thy brother's thirst, Mother your milk will ease him at the first. First indeed he entreats the Son and then the Mother: but what entreats he him? to be a means: to whom? to his Mother▪ for what? for her milk: so that upon the matter, her Milk is it that is first in his thoughts, it's that he longs for principally, and Christ jesus shall be preferred to go a message to his mother and to entreat for him, ●hat he may have it: as though he had said, O jesus my soul so thirsts for milk, that I cannot be without it: now because thou hast rebuked me for my presumption, in offering to take it as boldly as thy blood: I have therefore no other way but to entreat thee to be a means to thy mother, that so by thy mediation and her mercy I may obtain it, therefore I beseech thee jesus say to thy mother, etc. Is not Christ honoured and well advanced by Popery that makes him mediator to a woman for her milk, and for the benefits and merits of it, and that for such a one as will not be content with the benefits and merits of his own blood shedding: But behold good Reader seriously what divinity here is! A Christian man in his devotion may (saith this jesuite) desire jesus Christ to go entreat his mother for him, & to compaline that his poor brother's soul thirsteth, desiring her to quench and comfort him with her milk: what is this we hear? Is Christ a mediator to a creature? and for something in that creature to quench the spiritual thirst of the soul? If this be true, than what meant Christ to say, Come unto me all that be weary, and I will ease you: for if he send Mat 11 them that be thirsty and weary to his mother to be eased, surely in that word, Christ either spoke too much of himself, or too little of his Mother. If Christ held that they might come only to himself, than it appears the jesuits Religion and his be contrary: if he knew that they might come to her, as well as him, or to her by him, than what meant he to say Come unto me, and not rather Come unto her or unto me▪ what can they, what dare they say? was he undutiful to his mother? or envied he her dignity, or forgot he her when he thus spoke? or was he swayed with too much self-love? If none of these without blasphemy may be imagined, then what may be said, that there were any such thing due to her, and he knew it not? If this also be impossible, then there remains but one, that he named himself, but excluded not his mother, he bids come to him, and forbids not to come to her: I answer, first here he bids us come to himself, let them show where he bids us go to her, if he no where bid it, it is as good as forbidden: aga●ne, he that in one case of truth said, I and my Father are one, would not john 10. 30. have spared in this case if it had been true, to have said I and my mother are one, and he who out of his holy humility, and knowing the difference of the father's deity of his own humanity, freely confessed my father is john. 14. greater than I, would never have scorned (if it had been true) to have acknowledged, my mother is as great as I: whereas contrariwise, leaving ou● her and all creatures in the world, he saith directly, Come unto me: And whereas he came to fulfil all righteousness: and the fift Mat. 3. 15. commandment we know commands as well reverence to Parents, as obedience: therefore doubtless he who went home saith the text and was obedient to them, Luk. 2. ●. would also most readily have yielded her this reverence if it had been due unto her, or if it might lawfully have been given her: But he knowing the contrary, doth in this case pass by her, and commands Come unto me: If yet they will reply and say, he saith indeed come to him, but meaning to send us from himself to her for ease and comfort, who is the Mother of mercy and grace: I answer so indeed, is she called in their service book, Maria matter grati●: matter miserecordiae: tunos ab host Protege, & hora mortis, suscipe. Officium beatae mariae. but God in this book takes that name to himself only, and gives it to no creature, therefore let them answer it that give it to her: Again, the ground of this re-plication is false, for as he saith Come to me, and names no other, so neither sends he us to her for ease, but saith plainly and directly, and I will ease you. Further, they not only make Christ a Mediator to his Mother, and that for spiritual ease and comfort, but they do it in such a fashion, as they make Christ one that either is not able or not willing to help us himself: for it he were, then why do they say, that he complains to his mother, that we thirst & for the ease of our souls desires her to yield her milk? If here they were asked this question, I wonder how they would answer it? If Christ be not willing or nor able to ease the thirsty soul, then how is he a perfect Saviour? If he be, then how is it likely that he would send him that humbleth his soul to him for help, to another to be eased, seeing he asketh of him, who said, Come unto me all that are weary, doth he ask that that Christ hath to give, and is it likely that he will deny it? doth he ask that that Christ hath no● to give, and is it probable that his mother hath it? then they may as well say that she hath more grace and mercy, or more power & ability than Christ himself hath: let them answer these questions, how they will, here will be found strange divinity, which we see is currant in the Romish Church. But whilst they prepare their answer, let it please the reader to observe how contrary the Romish doctrine is to the doctrine of Christ, and of the holy scripture. Christ saith of himself as man. Romish doct. makes him say. My father is greater than I john. 14. 28 My mother is in some respects greater than I Christ saith of himself as God Romish dost. makes him say. I and my Father are one. john 10. 30. I and my mother are one. Christ saith. Romish doctrine makes him say. Come to me all that are weary, I will ease you. Mat. 11. 28. Come to me & I will send you to my mother for ease. The scripture saith. Romish doctrine saith. Christ is the mediator betwixt God and man. 1. Tim. 2. 5. Christ is the Mediator betwixt Man and Mary. The scripture saith. They make him say. No man cometh to the father but by me. joh. 14, 6 No man cometh to my mother but by me. The scripture saith They make him say. Whatsoever you ask my father in my name he will give it you. Io. 15. 16 Whatsoever you ask my Mother in my name she will give it you. These and such like oppositions are common betwixt Christ's Gospel and Romish divinity, may not this give strong suspicion that their Religion is Antichristian, which in the foundations of it are so repugnant to Christ's, as these and others which stand confirmed with more authority than yet these do? well, thus Christ is made a Mediator to his Mother, now the jesuite proceedeth, and to make him amends, he maketh the mother a mediator to him. Say to thy Son behold my brother's bands, Sweet Son thou hast his ransom in thy hands. That Christ jesus hath the ransom of sinful souls in his hands is good divinity, and we hearty embrace it, wishing it were as hearty and truly (without Equivocation) intended by this Papist: if he and all other Papists do so hold it, we hearty rejoice, but then we desire them to answer to a few questions. Who payeth this ransom? is it not Christ? who accepts it? is it not God the father? is it not mercy, grace & love, that either the one will accept it, or the other pay it? can any pay it but the one? can any take it but the other? are not than they the fountains & fathers of mercy, which have done so? if all these be true, than what a Religion have they, who in their liturgies & daily prayers, call a creature the mother of mercy, and mother of grace, oftener than either God the Father, or Christ the Redeemer, or both put together, we desire some conscionable papist to answer us seriously: was the Virgin Mary a Creator or a creature? If a creature, was she any more than an excellent creature, set apart for the most excellent use in the world? & was it not in God's election to have chosen any other woman, at his own good pleasure to have been the mother of Christ? and was it not his own free mercy, that he regarded the low estate of her his handmaid? if this be so, then did she any thing in our salvation, which any woman had not done, if God had taken her to be his mother, was there any thing in her to move God to choose her, which was not Gods own gift in her and to her? she may be then a vessel of grace, but she can be no way a fountain of grace: for what had she but she received it: but if (as they say) she be the fountain of mercy and mother of grace, than she gives but receives not, as the fountain receives from no other, but hath of itself, and sends out to others: & the mother takes not of her children, but layeth up for them, Now if it be as their Liturgy saith; it is, that she is the mother of mercy and grace, etc. Then sure she hath the ransom in her hands: but if it be in Christ's hands, as here they say it is, then how is she the mother of mercy? hardly would these be reconciled, but that they have equivocations, reservations, or distinctions, that will make any thing seem good enough to serve their turns. Thus than they have not only made Mary Mediator to Christ, which is common in their Religion, but (which was scarce ever heard of before) they make Christ their mediator to her, her to him for his blood, but first him to her for her milk: Now to leave this point, observe (in one word) how in these two messages of mediation, here is no difference, but she that is a creature and saved by her son, is made to speak to him in the same terms as he to her, and with no other words or signs of reverence: and her son and saviour, yea God himself made to speak to her with the same reverence as she doth to him: as though there were no difference betwixt him and her, and as though he being God and her saviour, was as much beholding to her for her milk, as she being a creature is to him for his blood: Lo what popish devotion is here? now if they be ashamed of this, then why are they not ashamed of the other? But they are fare from that, for where are the entreatings, the cries, the humble requests and submissive beseechings to him for his blood? here be none such: but contrariwise as though there were no difference in the world, betwixt either the persons entreating, which are Christ and Mary, or the things desired which be his blood and her milk, he saith to Christ. Say to thy mother see my brother's thirst, Mother your milk will help him at the first. And to her he saith: Say to thy son behold thy brother's bands, Sweet Son thou hast his ransom in thy hands. Thus Popery makes of Christ and Mary, one no greater a person then the other, & of his blood and her milk, one no greater a matter then the other: Christ with no more reverence to be implored then Marry, his blood with no more vehemency to be desired, with no more difficulty to be obtained then her milk: If this doctrine may be defended under pretence of devotion, then will not there want a colour for any blasphemy: But the jesuit goeth forward and saith to Christ. Ergo redemptorem monstra, etc. Show thy redeeming power to souls oppressed, Thou Son, if that thy blood excel the rest: And show thyself justly so styled indeed, Thou mother if thy breasts the rest exceed. It may be doubted in whose name he speaketh these words, whether in his own, to both Christ and his mother, Hora●ius. Tursellinus jesuita in hist. lauretana in pr●fat. or in Christ's name to his mother, and in hers to him: if in the first, they contain blasphemy, if in the second absurdity: for if he suppose the virgin Mary saith thus to Christ. Show thy redeeming power to souls oppressed, Thou son if that thy blood excel the rest. It is foully absurd to imagine that she being so dignified as she is (yea rather as they hold almost deified) should make an if, or a question whether Christ's blood excel the rest or no: and much more absurd is it to make Christ seem to be ignorant of of his mother's power and state how great it is: be it more or less. But if so be he speak these words himself to them both, then behold the heinous injury done to the precious blood of the mediator. Concerning which this wicked papist makes as much & equal doubt, whether it excel the blood of other creatures, as he doth: whether the milk of the Virgin Mary excel the milk of all other women: let all christian men shrink and tremble at so great a blasphemy, for all the learned Papists in the world may be challenged to prove (if they can) out of God's word and the grounds of religion, that she was any more than another holy woman, (saving this prerogative, that she was his mother according to the flesh) or any more than a Saint of God sanctified by the spirit, and saved by the blood of jesus Christ, whose mother she was in regard of his flesh: or that her milk had any virtue in the world, but to nourish the body as doth the milk of other women, their children: for was not he a man like unto us in all things (sin excepted) and if Christ take it no prejudice to himself, to be like unto men, shall it be a wrong to her to be like to other women? Nay we dare go further and ask them, if God have vouchsafed once in the whole new Testament so much as to name the milk of the Virgin Mary? whereas almost in every Chapter he extolleth the blood of Christ, and is ever magnifying the virtue, merits, and efficacy of the same: if this be so, then what shall we say to that Religion and to those men, who make it as questionable, whether Christ jesus his blood excel the blood of other men, as whether the Virgin Maries milk exceed the milk of other women? is this Romish religion? is this popish divinity? then see what followeth: But it cannot be proved either to reason or to faith that her milk excelleth other women's: in any spiritual or corporal virtue or operation: therefore it is not to be prou●ed that Christ's blood is more precious than other men's: See here my dear countrymen, how you are misled, see what doctrine you are fed withal by your teachers! open your eyes and be no longer deceived; offer not this injury to him that gave his life for you, to make this unequal comparison: if they will not teach you holy and sound divinity, then hate them, and learn from us, or rather with us, from the holy scriptures, that his blood is the price of our redemption: but as for her milk we know no such thing, since she lived on earth: acknowledge with us that it is a fundamental ground of Christian faith that his blood is more worth than ten worlds: but that her milk is now of any value, can neither be persuaded to reason nor believed by saith: and yet dare this malignant sinagove make that as likely as probable, as certain as the other: If enemies of Religion take hold here, and say, that therefore the ground, of our Christianity are uncertain, and so blaspheme the blessed blood of our Saviour, we can say no more but our Church is innocent, our hearts are free, our hands are clear of it: woe be to them by whom the offence cometh. But now let us see how the jesuite concludes, and whether his end be any than his beginning. O quando lactabor ab ubere, vulnere pascar! delitijs que fruar, mamma, latus que tuis! Parce Deus: magno si te clamore fatigem: non potis imperio, non poti arte regi, Exagitante siti, Patientia perdit habenas clamores si vis tollere, tolle sitim. Pluris ego clavis: saturasti sanguine clavos lanceaque erubuit sanguine tincta tuo. Pluris ego pannis: maduerent undi que panni natia vulneribus, Matris ab uberibus. That is: Ah when shall I with these be satisfied, when shall I swim in joys of breast and side: pardon O God mine eager earnestness, If I thy laws and reasons bounds transgress, Where thirst o'ersways, Patience is thrust away: stay but my thirst and then my cries will stay, Better am I then nails, yet did astreame of thy dear blood wash both the Lance and them: More worthy I then clouts, yet them a flood moistened of Mother's milk and of Son's blood. Now comes he to his conclusion, but alas his iniquity is as much at the last as at the first: for still he persists in his impiety, without repentance, without remorse, without sorrow or sense of the evil he hath done, for still he sings his old song: O when shall I suck the milk of these breasts, when shall I drink the blood of these wounds. His soul thirsteth, but for what? for milk and for blood: but first for milk and then for blood: If this be tolerable divinity, nay if this be holy devotion, than what did our blessed Saviour mean to cry out to all weary and thirsty souls, If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink: I wish the jesuits would tell us what they think, whether he did well or no, to leave out the Virgin Mary: for if this divinity of theirs be good, than he ought to have said, If any man thirst let him come to my mother or to me to drink: and surely if her milk be thus equal in value, price and merit to his blood, than we do no longer marvel that they teach how the Virgin Mary did rise from the dead, and was assumed into heaven corporally, that as Christ rose & ascended to apply & make good the merit of his death so did she also to make effectual the merit of her milk. But then good Paul how fare art thou to blame, that esteemest all things in the world dung and dross, and only that thou mightest know the virtue of the resurrection! for than it seems, thou wilt give little ●or nothing to know the virtue of her assumption: But it may be thou art half an Heretic, and believest not any such assumption: but if thou couldst be taken within the reach of the holy inquisition, thou shouldst pay well for such thy heretical incredulity: If now thou wert alive thy better and more holy brethren the jesuites, could reprove thee for many indiscreet passages, and teach thee better divinity than thou seemest to know, for whereas thou durst say, thou esteemedst to know nothing Phil. 3. 8, 9, 10 but jesus Christ and him crucified, they can tell thee thou art fare short in thy duty, and but cold in zeal in respect of them, for they stand in doubt whether to esteem now the blood of his wounds, or the milk of her Paps: and whereas thou wilt give all to know the virtue of his resurrection, they can but wonder at thy ignorance, who carest not to know the virtue of her resurrection & ascension also: Be thou content to know the one, they for their parts will know both: and if thou be so precise for thy Master, that thou canst not be content to say, that he purgeth our sins, but must exclude all other, and say, that he by himself purgeth our sins: know thou that they dare be so bold as to put out that word by himself out of the text: and when they read Heb. 1. 3 thy Epistles they are half ashamed to see what a bloody man thou art, for thou art all in blood, blood, insomuch as twenty times at least thou art still upon blood as though there were no salvation but by blood, and as though blessed Mary's milk had no merit at all. It seems that as thou wert a persecutor, and delighted in blood afore thy conversion, so thou bears still a bloody mind: but now behold these meek, & mild and merciful men (the jesuits) a generation that love's no cruelty, nor seeks to shed no blood (as most nations Witness in England the Powder treason: In France the last King's death, the present wars in Sweden and broils in Poland. etc. of the world can well bear witness) these sweet and gracious fathers being possessed with a better spirit, are weary of blood and do rather choose and desire milk to quench the spiritual thirst of their souls. If they would utter what their profane hearts think, or discover openly what they mutter amongst themselves, we should hear them publish even such divinity as this is: (a taste whereof, besides the present poems, you shall read anon.) But now for his conclusion, this blaspheming jesuite dare proceed and turn his speech to God and not fearing the commandment that forbids him to take God's Name in vain, under pain of standing guilty, at the bar of God's justice, he dare offer to abuse the name of God, with such a prayer as this. O Lord thou must pardon me though I cry aloud, for it is not blood will serve my soul, I long for milk, and am so a thirst, that I may not keep silence: and why Lord shouldest thou so long keep me a Pe●ioner in this case? I am better than the nails, yet they had blood enough: I am not so vile as clouts, yet they wanted neither milk nor blood. What kind of men are these jesuits, or what a God is their God, to whom they dare present such a prayer as this? surely they think as basely of him as they do highly of themselves, or else they never durst thus insult over him, & thus abuse him, as after he hath told them plainly, that his blood is drink indeed, and commanded them that are a thirst to come and drink of that well of water john. 6. 55 john 7. of life, to come and tell him to his face that their souls thirst for milk, & they must have it? belike these crawling frogs think that they have such a God as they may leap and play upon at pleasure: But O thou that dwellest in heaven langh them to scorn, have them and their wickedness in derision: and either work them to repentance and visible conversion, or bring them to vengeance and just confusion. The jesuite concludes with a comparison of himself to body, and the that touched him in his infancy and death: & indeed the first comparison is not much unequal, for the jesuits are most like to nails & lances in Christ's body; for seeing the holy Ghost tells us that wicked men by their sins did and do pierce Christ: then the jesuites who by their Atheisms, cruelties, perjuries, equivocations, treasons and manifold impieties, have been sharper nails and lances in Christ's body, and greater dishonorers of his Religion, than any other sort of men (if the voice of all Christendom, & the testimony of their own brethren be true) them the jesuits I say are not unfitly resembled to nails & lances: and indeed they are thorns in the eyes, and pricks in the side of all princes and states where they come: less marvel though they be like the nails and spear in Christ's body! therefore let the jesuit please himself in this comparison, as long as he will, we envy it not. But for the second, that he is better than the clothes that were about these two blessed bodies, I say but this: that either the jesuits are fare more holy than the Prophet Esay, or else he fare more humble in his own eyes than they: for he professeth in his own & the church's name, that they were no better than the filthiest clout that ever was, even a menstruous cloth, But saith the jesuit, I am better than the best cloth that ever was: for though we hold that God hath given lasting virtue to his Word and Sacraments but none that we know to rags, or clouts: yet we acknowledge that as fare as clothes may one excel mother those that touched the bodies of our Loid and his mother, are the most precious, and if we could be sure we had them, we would esteem them above cloth of gold: we therefore wonder how a man coming before the Lord his God, dare in his prayer make himself better than those clothes, especially hearing the Prophet cry before him, O Lord all our righteousness is like a menstruous clout. If our best be so filthy, what is our nature, what is our sin? if he answer that this is but a cavil, for he means that he being a man he is therefore capable of grace and salvation, which the are not, I think so also: But why then doth he envy that milk and blood should touch them? If he mean the material and real milk and blood that were in the bodies of Christ and his mother, than he is more than mad, to envy the nails, the lance, the clouts, for that they did touch them, and yet he cannot, and if he complain that he may not, we ask him why then did not the Apostles take more careful order to gather up and preserve that milk and blood, or if they did not, at least why did they not complain of the want of them, as he doth here? surely either they had too little devotion, or the Icluirs too much superstition. But if he mean the virtue, merit and efficacy of the blood and milk, then let him answer us two short questions. First, what spiritual virtue and power had that milk, what did it work in our salvation, (more than the milk of another woman could) what did it merit for us? what the blood did we know and most willingly do acknowledge: but what the milk did or can do, if the jesuites can tell and teach us, we will not refuse to learn: But supposing that it had as much virtue as the blood (as the jesuite affirms, but fare be it from us once so to think) then secondly we ask him whether he think the Nails, Lance, and Clouts, were partakers of the virtue and merit of that blood, if he do, let him show where he received such divinity: if not, then to what end complains he to God in such a fashion. Lord I am better than the Nails and Clouts, and yet they had Blood and Milk enough, but I die for thirst. If this be not to take God's name in vain, and that in a high measure, we appeal to all Christian men of reasonable judgement. And thus at last are we come to an end of this jesuitical Gospel, the impiety whereof I now remit to the censure of the Christian world. And for my conclusion, lest any should say that this is but one private jesuits deed, and therefore may not preindice the whole society of jesuits, and much less the Religion of Popery. To these I answer, 1. the book is allowed and hath been twice printed, and stands approved by Posseuine, Posseu. in appar. see lit, C amongst good and catholic authors. 2. Let them show what jesuite or other popish doctor hath reproved, or what Inquisitor or other popish Magistrate hath censured this wickedness. 3. Which is worst of all, it is no more in effect than others of them have taught or approved, though not in so open, apparent, and foul a fashion, for let any Christian man judge what divinity is laid down in these points that follow. 1 The papists have a book called the Mariale, It hath been objected unto them that in this book it is thus This hath been long ago laid to their charge in Catalogo, testium veritatis editionis 1609. said: Solomon saith the name of the Lord is a strong tower Pro. 18. 10. But Solomon knew little of the Virgin Mary, let us therefore say, the name of our Lady is a strong tower, let the sinner fly unto her, and he shall be saved: and again: thou art a sinner, fly then to the name of Mary, that alone shall serve to heal thee: and again: The Lord was with Mary, and Mary with the Lord, in the same labour and same work of our redemption for the Mother of mercy helped the Father of mercy, in the work of our salvation: and thereupon was it spoken of the first woman, It is not good for man to be alone, let us make him a helper: But why then saith God, Esay 63. I have trodden the wine press alone, and of all people, there was no man with me: the book answereth, it is true Lord that thou sayest, there was no man with thee but there was a woman with thee, which bore all the wounds in her heart, that thou didst bear in thy body. Lo here a piece of rare divinity! Solomon is blamed for ignorance, that he knew but little of the Virgin, & in a sort is rebuked for saying the name of our Lord, and not rather the name of our Lady is a strong tower: and though no man did, yet a woman (namely Mary) did help Christ to tread the winepress of God's wrath, and was fellow worker with God, in the work of our redemption. This book stands unconfuted, uncondemned, unreproved by the jesuits or the Romish Church, till this day for aught that I can yet find, yet hath it been many years laid to their charge▪ 2 Again the Papists have a book, they call it the Lady's Psalter, printed at Paris in the year 1520. or thereabouts, Vide Psalterium beat Virgini● Maria ● impressum cum Psalterio Cisterciensi Par. circa anno 1520. Extat etiam idem. Psal. ad verbum, apud Them▪ in examine council Trident: in part 3. P. 149 editionis franco furt.. 1996. wherein every one of the 150. Psalms are in whole or in part turned from dominus to domina, that is, from God our Christ to our Lady, as In the first Psalm. Blessed is the man that loveth thy name O Virgin Mary, etc. In the 19 Psalm. The Heavens declare thy glory O Virgin Mary, etc. In the 29 Psalm. Bring unto our Lady O you mighty bring unto our Lady worship and honour, etc. Ine 51 Psalm. Have mercy upon me O Lady, thou that art called the Mother of mercy, and according to the bowels of thy mercies, cleanse me from all my sins, pour out thy grace upon me, and take not thy wont mercy from me, etc. In the 57 Psalm. Have mercy upon me O Lady, have mercy upon me, for my heart ie ready to search out thy will, and in the shadow of thy wings will I rest. In the 68 Psalm. Let our Lady arise, and her enemies shall be scattered, etc. In the 72. Psalm. Lord give thy judgement to the King, and thy mercy to our Lady his mother. In the 94 Psalm. God is the God of revenge, but thou O Lady the mother of mercy, dost bow him to take pity, etc. In the 96. Psalm. O sing unto our Lady a new long, for she hath done marvellous things, etc. In the 110. Psalm. The Lord said unto our Lady, sit thou mother at my right hand, &c, Thus I might go over all the Psalms, but as he began he ends in the last words of the last Psalm. Let every thing that hath breath praise our Lady. Now this book stands not only uncontrolled, but Greg. de val in vol. de rebus ●idei controversis, sect. 5. lib de Idolatria 5. cap. 10. Bernar. de Bustis in Mariali parte 3. ser. 3 rather even defended by the jesuits, and those of the principal. 3 Again, a famous Friar & well approved amongst them, preached this doctrine in the pulpit (amongst many other, little better.) A man may appeal from God himself to the Vitgin Mary, if any man feel himself grieved at the justice of God, seeing God hath divided his kingdom with her, for whereas God hath justice and mercy, he hath reserved justice to himself, to be exercised in this world as it pleased him: but mercy he hath committed to his mother: If therefore any man find himself aggrieved in the court of God's justice, let him appeal to the court of mercy, of his mother. This Divinity was so well relished in the Romish Church, that after he had preached it, he published it under the Pope's own Patronage: and the book was Alexan. the 6. again printed within these three years: but what say the jesuits to it, they testify that this book, is a learned and godly book, full of goodness and piety. Fourthly, Horatius Turcellinus, himself a jesuit of Horatius Tursellinus: in Hist. virg. lauretan● in pr●fat. good esteem among them, writes thus. Almighty God hath made the Virgin his mother, as far as he may lawfully, partaker of his divine power and Majesty. Now surely if God have made her fellow with him of his divine majesty, less marvel if Christ have made her fellow in the work of redemption. And this book Posseu. in lit. 11. written by a jesuit, hath public allowance, and is dedicated to Cardinal Aldobrandino. Fiftly, a great Spanish Doctor, and professor of divinity of his order, writes thus. We have often seen and heard of very many who in john Chrysost. a visitatione, de verbis dominae to 2. lib. 2. cap. 2 their extreme dangers have called upon Mary and presently were delivered: for oft times safety is sooner obtained by calling upon the name of Mary, then by calling upon the name of jesus Christ the son of God. And this book is both dedicated to Pope Clement the Posseu. in apperatu sacro lit. l. 8. & receives public allowance by the jesuits: his name is chrysostom, as though he were a golden mouthed speaker: but if thi●●e his doctrine, that her mediation is as powerful, or rather more than is her sons, it is pity but he should be called and accounted a leaden mouthed wretch: By all these & many more that (as the learned know) might easily be produced, it may appear that this blaspheming jesuit Bonarscius, in this his detestable comparison, of her milk with Christ's blood, saith no more in effect than others both of this Religion and particular sect, and therefore it may be justly concluded, this is the doctrine and divinity not of him alone, but of the jesuits, and of the popish Church itself, as long as it stands approved or not condemned by them: Now than if this be the divinity of the Romish Church. 1 That a Creatures milk may be mingled with Christ's blood in the matter & merit of our salvation. 2 That it helps and heals spiritual sores of the soul as well as the blood. 3 That though no man did, yet a woman did help Christ in the work of our salvation. 4 That the Psalms may be turned from Lord to Lady. 5 That a man may appeal from God to the Virgin Mary. 6 That God hath divided his kingdom with her, keeping justice to himself, and surrendering Mercy to her. 7. That God hath made her partaker with himself of his divine power and Majesty. 8. That a man's prayers are often heard, rather by and through her, than Christ jesus. If these I say be the doctrines of the present Church of Rome, then let the Christian world be pleased to observe, 1. How far the present Romish Church, is degenerate from the ancient. 2. How great cause we and all Churches of God have to separate from such a synagogue. 3. How justly they may be pronounced Antichristian. who thus heinously disparage the Person and office of the Mediator. 4. How untrue is it that by any suggestion, that the present Religion of Rome is much reform and refined at this day: for it is most certain in the former times these would have been condemned as blasphemies even in the Romish Church itself. And lastly you of this most honourable City, especially you the Lord Maior, and your brethren, being one most worthy renowned Benches of the world, one of the greatest glories of this land, may here see what cause there is to hold the true Papists Heretics, considering the present Church holds not only these but many other fundamental errors, both for matter of faith, and of government: which shows them not only enemies to all true religion, but the subverters, or at least the underminers of all civil states in the world, wherein they were ever suffered. And considering that all means hath been used, to reclaim and reform her, but all is in vain, (for she is that Babylon that will not be healed) wherefore it is our duty to forsake her & leave her to the just hand of God. Thus shall we follow the counsel of the Prophet in like case who saith: We would have healed Babylon, but she would not be healed: let us forsake her and go every man to his own Country, for he● judgement is come up to Heaven and lifted up to the Clouds. FINIS.