THE DECLARATION Of several Eminent Roman Catholics In this KINGDOM of ENGLAND, Who did Embrace the Protestant Religion, With their Reasons for their Change delivered in their own Words, at their Embracing the Protestant Religion.  
To which is Added A Catalogue of sundry great Persons of the Roman-Catholick Religion, that are now turned to the true Protestant-Religion of the Church of England.  
Licenced.  
LONDON, Printed for R. B. 1688.   

The Declaration of several Eminent Roman Catholics in this Kingdom of England, who did Embrace the Protestant Religion; with their Reasons for their Change, delivered in their own Words, etc.  
THey that will derive the Goodness or Truth of a Religion from the Proselytes which it makes, aught to consider the Equality of the Persons, and the End of their Conversion. For what signifies the Turning of half a score Persons to the Romish Religion, though their Number should be trebled; where for one that submits his misguided Reason, ten are deluded by their Passions, or follow the Current of the Times, Allured by private Hopes, and the Arguments of Self-Interest.  
Of this Number was Peter Espinal, Archbishop of Lions, who having embraced the Doctrine of the Protestants in his younger years, afterwards changed his Opinion, and became an inveterate Prosecutor of the Reformed; 
Thuan. l. 8●. & 122.  but it was not his Zeal that made him so furious, but his eager Ambition of a Cardinal's Cap, to which he sacrificed his otherwise great Learning and Parts. Nor was this all; for having wasted his own Demeans to run in Debt, he knew no other way to supply his luxurious Extravagance, than by siding with the Guisian or Henotic Faction: At the same time not only a Turncoat from his Religion, but a Rebel to his Prince.  
The next to him, we find Francis Balduinus, who having embraced the Protestant Religion in Germany, 
Thuan. l. 53.57.  at length returned to the Romish persuasion, upon the fair hopes he had of being preferred in Poland, by Henry the Third, afterwards King of France, had he not been prevented by Death.  
These were Men of great Parts and Learning, and that we see how their Hopes and their Fears betrayed them.  
But we are now to give a Particular Account of several Persons of no less Grandeur and Learning, that being before Devout Sons of Popery, abandoned the Ceremonies of Rome, and making choice of the Protestant profession, at the same time that they might not be taxed of Inconstancy or Worldly Drifts; published the true Reasons of their Coversion.  
We shall begin with Annus Burgus, a Senator of Paris, at first only suspected to favour the Protestants, was by Henry the Second of France, sent to the Bastile; at which time being declared a Heretic by his Judges, he appealed to the Archbishop of Sens, which Appeal being judged frivolous, he was sent back to the Bishop of Paris, by whom being then degraded from his Sacerdotal Character, he then made open profession of the Protestant Religion; testifying his joy for the kindness they had done him; for that the Character of the Beast being now, as he said, defaced, he should have nothing more to do with Antichrist; and that there might be no question of his Conversion, he removed his first Confession as ambiguous, and gave into Court another more clearly agreeing with the Doctrine of Geneva and Switzerland, wherein after he had sharply enveighed against the Pope and the Ceremonies of Rome, he declared himself prepared either to live or die, for which at last he was adjudged to be Burnt; which Sentence, as he heard with an undaunted Courage, so at the Stake he gave the People to understand, that he did not come there to suffer as a Malefactor, but for adhering to the truth of the Gospel: his Death was deplored by many that thought ill of his Conversion: However, says the Historian, it partly so confirmed the minds of some that had forsaken the Religion, and likewise so exasperated others, as it may be truly said, that out of his Ashes sprung that prodigious harvest of Revolts and Conspiracies, 
Thuan. l. 22.23.  which afterwards for so long time harras'd a most flourishing Kingdom. And the Author of the Council of Trent makes this Remark upon him, 
Counc. of Trent. l. 5.  That the Death and Constancy of a Person so Conspicuous, wakened a Curiosity in many, to understand what that Religion should be for which so great a Man had suffered so Courageously: and complains that it much increased the number of Protestant Proselytes.  
Garsias Arias, a Spaniard, and Monk of the Monastery of St. Isidore, in Sevil, a Person of an acute Wit and rare Learning, of a rigid Roman Catholic, became a Preacher of the Reformed Religion, even under the nose of the Inquisition; in so much, that Philip the 2d. returning into Spain, was much amazed, to hear that the Reformed Religion was crept into his Most Catholic Dominions. At first Garsias was too hard for the Inquisitors, still baffling their Objections by the smartness of his Arguments. But being at length Conv ened before them upon surer Evidence, he plainly showed that it was not out of Self-Interest, but out of a real Convincement that he was in an Error before, that he had abandoned the Popish Religion, else he would never have so boldly Confronted the Cruel Tribunal, as to tell them, They were fit for the vile Drudgery of Ostlers, 
Thuan. l. 23.  than to assume themselves to be the Censurers of a Faith which they so little understood; declaring at the same time, his hearty Repentance for having formerly so ●ppos'd the Maintainers of that Faith before them, and for which he should always be sorry as long as he had; whereupon ha● was forthwith Condemned, and soon after led in Triumph to F●re and ●aggot, and Burnt alive.  
Wolfangus ●●scabus, was also in his younger years, a Monk, till better Information made him forsake the Ceremonies of the Romish Church, and adhe●r to the Protestant Religion, of which he afterwards became a most painful and Famous Preacher to his dying day.  
Melchior Roman, a Spaniard, and once Procurator of the Order of the Jacobins at Rome for the Prov●nce of Tholouse, having at last deserted the Church of Rome, made a public Declaration of his Conversion in the Reformed Church of Bergeral, in the year 1600. wherein he gives an ample account of the Reasons which induced him to change his Religion, to this effect:  
His first Exception is, That the Consecrated Sacrament should be subject to the eating of Mice and Rats; he alleges that he saw at Lymoges, in the Convent of the Jacobins, an infinite number of Consecrated Sacrifices eaten with Rats and Worms, 
Attested by Volaterranus l. 5. Georg.  and all wrapped about with Cobwebs: He relates how Gregory the Seventh, having consulted the Sacrament touching the Revealing of certain matters against the Emperor, and receiving no answer, threw it into the Fire. He adds, that Victor the Third, a Bishop of Ebora, and the Emperor Henry the 7th. were poisoned in taking the Sacrament. Strange Absurdities, and prodigious Acts, to which Transubstantiation would subject the Body of Christ, if the Doctrine were true.  
His next Exception is against the Privation of the Cup, contrary to the commands of Christ, Drink ye all, and the Practice of the Church, 1 Cor. 11.  
His third Exception is against Purgatory, as if the unspeakable Dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ, were not able to blot out our Offences, to reconcile our Souls to God, and to justify before the Throne of Justice: Besides, he assures himself, that it is a great diminishing of God's Mercy, Grace, and unspeakable Favour, and a toomuch eclipsing of the matchless Glory of the Ocean of his compassions.  
His next Exception is against the Canonising of Saints, by which means the silly ignorant People are induced to commit Idolatry and Spiritual Fornication; impiously and incredulously against God, who is able to save and restore to life, those that are dead: that from hence proceeded so many Pilgrimages into strange Countries, under pretence whereof many Adulteries, Fornications, Sodomies, Incests, and other execrable acts were committed, and the Bodies of those Adored and superstition lie Worshipped upon Earth, whose ●ouls were tormented in Hell He adds, that Gold and Silver can work m●ch with the People for ra● ng of the most vile and wicke● Pe●son ●pon Earth, to the reputation of Holiness and De●●ca●●n; which never can come from the spirit of Sanctification, but from ●he Authority of a mortal and sinful Man: Yet that those were the ●a●nts wherein the Papists put their hopes, and at whose hands they look for Succour both in life and death: Wherefore, says the Convert, I utterly renounce them, and put my whole trust and confidence in my Creator only: And lastly, he renders to the Divine Majesty, eternal thanks above all other benefits of his large liberality bestowed upon him, for his Conversion in particular; protesting to employ the Grace and Gifts it had pleased his Omnipotency to endue him withal, to the glorious praise of his eternal Majesty, and the Edification of his Church, where his Word was most purely Preached, and his holy Sacraments most sincerely administered according to the Institution of Christ.  
John Norman, Subprior of Marestay, and a Predicant Friar, made public profession of the Protestant Religion the same year, and gave his Reasons in the Reformed Churches of Yours and Traisneau, to this effect:  
In the first place, he bewails for having so long followed the way that conducted to Perdition, and for having forsaken the true Path which was to be traced for the attaining of heaven; and then blesses himself, for that in the end, the Spirit of God had brought him to the light of a holy Knowledge of the way of Salvation: Lo now, says he, you see me unmasked from the fraudulent embraces of the Strumpet Babel, which is the Nursery of all Impiety; Now am I lose from the dangerous labyrinth of Errors; Errors so abominable, that there is no man of never so little Faith, but detests and renounces them; particularly he instances the boldness of the Popish Priests in using the terms, Qui creavit me, dedit mihi creare se; he that created me, gave me power to create him; and, qui creavit me sine me, creature mediante me; he that created me without me, is created by my means: Which he asserts to be a manifest over-throwing the Doctrine concerning the truth of the Humane Nature of Christ, who has but one Body and not two Bodies, as the words infer; for that by their reckoning, Christ must have one Body framed in the Womb of the Pure Virgin, and another which the Creator creates by the Priest.  
In the next place, he objects against their daily Sacrificing for the Quick and the Dead; by which means the Papists seem directly to infer, that the Sacrifice once made by Christ upon the Cross, was insufficient.  
In the next place, he objects against Praying to Saints, as depriving Christ of his excelling Titles of Intercessor and Mediator.  
In the next place, he taxes the Papists with Idolatry, in attributing to a thing without life, that which only belongs to Christ; instancing for example, that Prayer of theirs to the Cross, Hail Holy Cross, our only Hope in this time of passion; Increase Justice to the Godly, and give Mercy to the Guilty.  
He further taxes their want of Understanding, in believing that by the●r Works they Meritoriously gain Heaven, as being a palpable lessening the merits of Christ, for that, if the Graces of God might be purchased by Man's Merits, Christ had then died in vain: Besides, that it is contrary to the Scripture, which tells us, That when we have done all we can, we are unprofitable Servants. In the conclusion, he tells the World, that he has omitted many Superstitions and Heresies that caused him to fly from the preten●ed Catholic Religion, and to settle himself with all humility in the Reformed Church. Adding withal, that let his ●nem●es say what they pleased, or do what they could, neither Promises nor Threats; neither Injuries nor Persecutions should (with God's grace withdraw him from his Pious Resolution, to embrace the true and lively Faith of the Reformed Churches. And lastly, beseeching the Congregation of the Faithful, meaning the Protestants, to receive him into their number.  
The Names of several Roman Catholics that are turned to the Protestant Religion.  
In the 12th ●ge from 1100, 
Sermon 22. upon the Canticles. Sermon 5. upon Isai 6.46. Sermon 86. upon the Canticles. l. 3. Comment upon the Book of Kings, c. 12. Summa sententia, Tract. 6.  to 1200. lived St. Bernard, a Monk, who held Justification by Faith alone, and disclaimed Justification by works. I am not worthy, says he, neither can I by my own merets obtain the Kingdom of Heaven, but rest upon that Interest which I have in the Merits of Christ's passion. He also taught that the Eucharist was a Commemoration only, in his Sermon upon the Lord's Supper; he also held the Sufficiency of the Scriptures without Traditions, affirming that the Word of God was all in all, etc.  
Rupertus Tuitiensis, taught, That whatsoever concerns the Word of God, whatsoever was to be known or spoken touching the Incarnation, the Divinity, and Humanity of Christ, is contained in the Two Testaments; besides, or without which two, there was nothing that aught to be delivered or believed: And Hugo de Sancto Victore maintained Communicating in both kinds.  
Gracianus the Monk Recites many Ancient Canons and Constitutions for Communicating in both kinds, 
C. 6. tom. 3. de concecrat. dibt. 2  and declared his Testimony against Transubstantiation, in these words; As the Heavenly Bread which is Christ's Body, where indeed it is but the Sacrament of his Body, so the sacrificing of the Flesh of Christ, is said to be his Passion, not in the truth of the thing, but in●d signifying Myster Of the same Opinion, in the same Age, was Peter Blesensis, Archdeacon of Bath, and Johannes Semeca.  
Dominic Calderinus, mentioned by Ladovicus Vives, condemned the whole Mass; so that being urged by his Friend to go to Mass, when he could not in Civility deny it; Come (said he) let us go to the Common Error.  
FINIS.